bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary Leiomyosarcoma of the Mediastinum: A Rare and Challenging Diagnosis?
Authors: Mancini Massimiliano , Masselli Gabriele , Cirombella Roberto , Covello Renato , Gualdi Gianfranco , D’Andrilli Antonio , Rendina Erino Angelo , Vecchione Andrea
Published: October 2022

(1) Introduction: Leiomyosarcomas are highly aggressive mesenchymal neoplasm derived from smooth muscle cells which, in the mediastinum, are present in various primary organs; To our knowledge, less than 10 cases of primary mediastinal leiomyosarcoma have been described. Here, we report a compelling case of primary mediastinal leiomyosarcoma. (2) Case presentation: A 79-year-old woman was admitted to the Thoracic Surgery Unit of S. Andrea University Hospital for persisting cough, exertional dyspnea, and sternal pain. After multidisciplinary consultation, a CT-guided core needle biopsy of the mass was performed, resulting in a provisional diagnosis of mesenchymal neoplasm with smooth muscle differentiation without apparent signs of atypia. The patient underwent surgery that revealed a large irregularly shaped mass with a whorled pattern cut surface, showing admixed yellowish areas of necrosis and areas of hemorrhage. Histologic examination showed a smooth muscle neoplasm with atypia and necrosis, and a grade 2 primary mediastinal leiomyosarcoma diagnosis was given. (3) Conclusions: Soft tissue sarcomas represent a challenging diagnostic group of tumors due to their location, morphologic spectrum, and unique molecular background. Our case of primary mediastinal leiomyosarcoma shows how tumor heterogeneity and limited tissue sampling impact diagnosis. Further studies are needed to shed light on the disease by finding an appropriate molecular signature for each leiomyosarcoma subgroup, providing a more precise diagnosis and the correct background for tailored therapy.
Horiba Micros ES 60 Blood Cell Analyzer in Blood Donor Eligibility: A Validation Study
Authors: Tillati Silvia , Pati Ilaria , Delle Donne Michela , Meneghel Alessandra , Londero Donatella , De Angelis Vincenzo
Published: October 2022

Background: Eligibility criteria for blood donation require hemoglobin levels of ≥12.5 g/dL for women and ≥13.5 g/dL for men, and a platelet count of ≥180 × 109/L. Screening methods before donation should ensure high accuracy, precision, and ease in operation. We assessed the performance, precision, and repeatability of the Horiba Micros ES 60 (Horiba) compared to the Beckman Coulter DXH 800. Methods: Performance was compared by testing samples for each of the 11 devices across 6 sites in the Transfusion Service of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Italy. We measured precision by calculating the coefficient of variation (CV), concordance with ρ-Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and accuracy with F-tests. The intra-assay agreement was examined in the 11 devices, and repeatability was performed by using CV and the Kruskal–Wallis test. Results: The precision of Horiba was acceptable. Overall, ρ-Pearson’s coefficients indicated a strong correlation and positive relationship between all variables. The Bland–Altman plots showed that most of the differences lay within the limits of agreement. All CV were below the reference threshold for all the parameters. Finally, the Kruskal–Wallis test reported non-significant statistical differences for all parameters, except platelet count (p < 0.000). Conclusions: Horiba is adequate for routine pre-donation screening. The intra-assay agreement further demonstrates the accuracy of the device.
Possible Role of Chest Ultrasound in the Assessment of Costo-Phrenic Angle Lesions Prior to Medical Thoracoscopy: A Retrospective Pilot Case Series
Authors: Conte Emanuele Giovanni , Smargiassi Andrea , Lococo Filippo , Marchetti Giampietro , Inchingolo Riccardo
Published: October 2022

Background: Pleural malignancy (PM) and malignant pleural effusion (MPE) represent an increasing burden of diseases. Costo-phrenic angle (CPA) could be involved by malignant small nodularities or thickenings in the case of MPE. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether lung ultrasound (LUS), performed prior to medical thoracoscopy (MT), could detect pleural abnormalities in CPA not easily detectable by chest computed tomography scan (CCT). Methods: Patients suspected for PM and MPE were retrospectively recruited. Patients underwent both LUS examination with a linear array and CCT prior to diagnostic medical thoracoscopy. LUS pathological findings in CPA were compared with pathological findings detected by CCT. Findings were confirmed by subsequent MT, the gold standard for PMs. Results: Twenty-eight patients were recruited. LUS detected 23 cases of pleural abnormalities in CPA. CCT was detected 12 pleural abnormalities. Inter-rater agreement between the two techniques was minimal (Cohen’s Kappa: 0.28). MT detected PMs in CPA in 22 patients. LUS had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 83%. CCT had a sensitivity of 54% and specificity of 100%. A better sensitivity for CCT was reached analysing only all abnormalities > 5 mm (64.3%). Conclusions: LUS examination, in the case of PMs, could change and speed up diagnostic workup.
Solanum elaeagnifolium Invasiveness under Semi-Arid Environmental Conditions in Tunisia
Authors: Sayari Najla , Brundu Giuseppe , Soilhi Zayneb , Mekki Mounir
Published: October 2022

Solanum elaeagnifolium, one of the world’s most widespread invasive weeds, thrives in the regions of Tunisia with a semi-arid climate. An enhanced understanding of its biological traits could be useful for its management. For this purpose, S. elaeagnifolium vegetative propagation, flowering, fruiting, and spread patterns were assessed under semi-arid environmental conditions at Chott Mariem (Tunisia) over three years (2013–2015). Our results revealed that S. elaeagnifolium showed an active vegetative growth phase during the spring (March–May). Thereafter, the plant stopped its vegetative growth in June–August in favor of flowering and fruiting. The vegetative growth resumed during September–October and declined in November, announcing its dormant period. Thanks to its vigorous rhizomatous system, S. elaeagnifolium was able to emit offshoots within a radius of 1.5 m from parent shoots by 30 months after its establishment. These findings could inform and improve dedicated management control options for S. elaeagnifolium. Silverleaf nightshade should be controlled before the full-flowering stage in spring and following the first autumnal rainfall to prevent vegetative propagation and fruiting.
Exploring the Phenomenon of the Additive Colour Process While Using a Computer Programme by 7–8-Year-Old Students
Authors: Jelinek Jan Amos
Published: October 2022

The research described in this article concerns the understanding of the additive colour process by children aged seven to eight years (N = 24) and the effectiveness of learning about this phenomenon while using a computer-based multimedia educational programme (MEP). First the children’s knowledge of the phenomenon was tested, then an intervention was organised for the experimental group during which they used the MEP, after which the children’s knowledge was tested again. Based on an analysis of the children’s conversations and their drawings, the way of understanding the phenomenon of additive colour was established. Three children’s conceptions of the understanding of the effect of the additive colour phenomenon are described (e.g., confusion with pigment mixing (RGB = CMY) and the claim that the effect of combining two additive colour creates a third colour (R + G = B)). Children’s behaviour during the use of the educational computer programme was also described and evaluated in terms of how close they were to the teaching strategy developed by the programme’s authors. The partial effectiveness of the MPE for the use of conclusions in a paper-and-pencil test was also investigated.
Challenges to Engineering Design Teamwork in a Remote Learning Environment
Authors: Belanger Elise , Moller James , She Jinjuan
Published: October 2022

Remote team collaboration was not familiar to many engineering students before COVID-19. The rapid shift from in-person to remote during the pandemic caused dramatic challenges, especially for freshmen and sophomore students in engineering design classes, where teamwork is typically needed to explore both the problem and solution spaces for ill-defined problems and students have had little previous design project experience. This study aims to explore challenges revealed by students in remote design collaboration through the lens of a sophomore-level class about early-stage engineering design. The authors closely observed team members’ struggles through three datasets collected in one semester: (1) team performance and survey responses in an in-class idea generation activity; (2) individual student final reflection essays about their semester-long team project at the end of the semester; and (3) bi-weekly individual reflections on the discussion board throughout the entire semester. Unlike the classic findings that sketches improve performance, we found significant positive correlations between teamwork experience (e.g., communication, efficiency, perceived contribution) and the number of ideas expressed in text, and significant negative correlations between teamwork experience and number of ideas expressed in a combination of sketches and text. Therefore, we propose educators should also work on improving students’ ability to express design ideas with text descriptions, on top of traditionally emphasized visual representations. In addition, we found the remote environment exacerbated existing team challenges more than it created new challenges. The remote-related challenges also dropped dramatically after the first few weeks and then remained steady. The remote-related challenges and their changing patterns indicate large potential to improve remote design collaboration.
Lightweight and Secure IoT-Based Payment Protocols from an Identity-Based Signature Scheme
Authors: Wahaballa Abubaker
Published: October 2022

After the great success of mobile wallets, the Internet of Things (IoT) leaves the door wide open for consumers to use their connected devices to access their bank accounts and perform routine banking activities from anywhere, anytime, and with any device. However, consumers need to feel safe when interacting with IoT-based payment systems, and their personal information should be protected as much as possible. Unlike what is usually found in the literature, in this paper, we introduce two lightweight and secure IoT-based payment protocols based on an identity-based signature scheme. We adopt a server-aided verification technique to construct the first scheme. This technique allows to outsource the heavy computation overhead on the sensor node to a cloud server while maintaining the user’s privacy. The second scheme is built upon a pairing-free ECC-based security protocol to avoid the heavy computational complexity of bilinear pairing operations. The security reduction results of both schemes are held in the Random Oracle Model (ROM) under the discrete logarithm and computational Diffie–Hellman assumptions. Finally, we experimentally compare the proposed schemes against each other and against the original scheme on the most commonly used IoT devices: a smartphone, a smartwatch, and the embedded device Raspberry Pi. Compared with existing schemes, our proposed schemes achieve significant efficiency in terms of communication, computational and storage overheads.
Teaching–Learning-Based Optimization Algorithm Applied in Electronic Engineering: A Survey
Authors: Gómez Díaz Kenia Yadira , De León Aldaco Susana Estefany , Aguayo Alquicira Jesus , Ponce-Silva Mario , Olivares Peregrino Víctor Hugo
Published: October 2022

This paper presents a survey of the articles published in the period 2013–2021 related to the application of the teaching–learning-based optimization (TLBO), which reproduces the dynamics that occur in a classroom with the teacher and the student. This paper uses the algorithm to optimize some objective functions related to the design in the electronics field. A total of 62 papers were reviewed and some graphs were generated to summarize the most relevant of these articles. These have been classified into five categories based on the areas of electronic engineering, such as power electronics, control, electromagnetism, digital electronics, and analogue electronics. Electronic engineering has been becoming increasingly relevant in world technological development, for example, in electric vehicles or generating electricity from renewable energy sources to counteract the environmental impact that non-renewable sources generate. The TLBO algorithm has attracted the interest of a large number of researchers due to its efficiency, speed, and low initialization parameter requirements. This article is composed of two stages, the first is a summary of the information on electronics, in general, encompassing all its areas, and the second focuses on the algorithm applied to multilevel inverters; for each stage, graphs and tables are shown.
Energy Portal Design and Evaluation for Consumer Active Participation in Energy Services: Seven-Month Field Study with 234 Slovenian Households
Authors: Milev Ivana , Prislan Lev , Zajc Matej
Published: October 2022

The active participation of citizens is essential for the green transformation. Energy portals are playing an increasingly important role in actively engaging consumers in future energy services. This paper presents the development process of an energy portal as an innovative service for utility customers. The portal was enriched with energy community features and integrated ambient feedback. The results provide insights from a seven-month field study in which 234 Slovenian households tested and evaluated the portal. The objectives of the study were to (1) analyze the consumer onboarding process, (2) evaluate consumers’ interaction with the portal over time, (3) examine the impact of communication outside the portal on activity in the portal, and (4) evaluate the portal by the consumers. The data show that consumers are willing to try new services: with a median response time of 9 days, 86% of the invited consumers registered on the portal and 95% visited the portal within 5 minutes of registration. The survey showed that the consumers are overall satisfied with the portal (rating 3.97/5). The experience and insights gained during the study and the iterative UI design process serve as a foundation for future demand reduction and energy community services.
An Aircraft Trajectory Prediction Method Based on Trajectory Clustering and a Spatiotemporal Feature Network
Authors: Wu You , Yu Hongyi , Du Jianping , Liu Bo , Yu Wanting
Published: October 2022

The maneuvering characteristics and range of motion of real aircraft are highly uncertain, which significantly increases the difficulty of trajectory prediction. To solve the problem that high-speed maneuvers and excessive trajectories in airspace cause a decrease in prediction accuracy and to find out the laws of motion hidden in a large number of real trajectories, this paper proposes a deep learning algorithm based on trajectory clustering and spatiotemporal feature extraction, which aims to better describe the regularity of aircraft movement for higher prediction accuracy. First, the abnormal trajectories in the public dataset of automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS-B) were analyzed, and to ensure the uniform sampling of trajectory data, the cleaning and interpolation of the trajectory data were performed. Then, the Hausdorff distance was used to measure the similarity between the trajectories, K-Medoids was used for clustering, and the corresponding prediction model was established according to the clustering results. Finally, a trajectory spatiotemporal feature extraction network was constructed based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) and a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network, and a joint attention mechanism was used to obtain the important features of the trajectory points. A large number of actual trajectory prediction experiments showed that the proposed method is more accurate than existing algorithms based on BP, LSTM, and CNN–LSTM models.
Multivariable-Feedback Sliding-Mode Control of Bidirectional DC/DC Converter in DC Microgrid for Improved Stability with Dynamic Constant Power Load
Authors: Yin Yuqiang , Mao Jingfeng , Liu Runda
Published: October 2022

In order to mitigate the influence of negative impedance characteristics on the stability of a DC microgrid with a constant power load, and the influence of nonlinear characteristics of a bidirectional converter on DC bus voltage, a control method of a bidirectional converter based on a multivariable-feedback sliding-mode control is proposed. The traditional control method usually uses the DC bus voltage error as a single controlled variable to optimize the design of the control law, which will lead to the lack of global coordination of each state variable. In this paper, the multi-state process variables-feedback sliding-mode control of a bidirectional DC/DC converter is designed, which can effectively improve the stability of the DC bus voltage, despite dynamic power disturbances. Firstly, the model of a bidirectional DC/DC converter, as well as the state equations of a converter with constant power load and resistive load, are analyzed. Secondly, to express various dynamic characteristics of the DC bus voltage fluctuation process, the output voltage error, the inductor current error and its integral are defined as the controlled state variables. Then, the multivariable weight combination-based sliding-mode surface is defined, and the sliding-mode controller is derived from a fast exponential power reaching law. Thirdly, the existence and stability of the multivariable-feedback sliding-mode control and the choice of control law parameters are discussed. Finally, MATLAB / Simulink software is used to simulate the proposed controller. Compared with PI and intelligent PID controllers, the proposed controller has the fastest response speed, the smallest steady-state voltage deviation and the best adjustment performance.
Brain Tumor Classification and Detection Using Hybrid Deep Tumor Network
Authors: Amran Gehad Abdullah , Alsharam Mohammed Shakeeb , Blajam Abdullah Omar A. , Hasan Ali A. , Alfaifi Mohammad Y. , Amran Mohammed H. , Gumaei Abdu , Eldin Sayed M.
Published: October 2022

Brain tumor (BTs) is considered one of the deadly, destructive, and belligerent disease, that shortens the average life span of patients. Patients with misdiagnosed and insufficient medical treatment of BTs have less chance of survival. For tumor analysis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often utilized. However, due to the vast data produced by MRI, manual segmentation in a reasonable period of time is difficult, which limits the application of standard criteria in clinical practice. So, efficient and automated segmentation techniques are required. The accurate early detection and segmentation of BTs is a difficult and challenging task in biomedical imaging. Automated segmentation is an issue because of the considerable temporal and anatomical variability of brain tumors. Early detection and treatment are therefore essential. To detect brain cancers or tumors, different classical machine learning (ML) algorithms have been utilized. However, the main difficulty with these models is the manually extracted features. This research provides a deep hybrid learning (DeepTumorNetwork) model of binary BTs classification and overcomes the above-mentioned problems. The proposed method hybrid GoogLeNet architecture with a CNN model by eliminating the 5 layers of GoogLeNet and adding 14 layers of the CNN model that extracts features automatically. On the same Kaggle (Br35H) dataset, the proposed model key performance indicator was compared to transfer learning (TL) model (ResNet, VGG-16, SqeezNet, AlexNet, MobileNet V2) and different ML/DL. Furthermore, the proposed approach outperformed based on a key performance indicator (Acc, Recall, Precision, and F1-Score) of BTs classification. Additionally, the proposed methods exhibited high classification performance measures, Accuracy (99.51%), Precision (99%), Recall (98.90%), and F1-Score (98.50%). The proposed approaches show its superiority on recent sibling methods for BTs classification. The proposed method outperformed current methods for BTs classification using MRI images.
Factors Influencing Employees’ Information Security Awareness in the Telework Environment
Authors: Zhen Jie , Dong Kunxiang , Xie Zongxiao , Chen Lin
Published: October 2022

This study aims to identify and examine factors influencing employees’ information security awareness (ISA) in the telework environment. Specifically, the authors identify and examine the influence factors rooted in the knowledge-attitude-behavior (KAB) model (i.e., knowledge, attitude, and behavior) and knowledge inertia theory (i.e., experience and learning inertia). This study uses online survey data from 305 employees who have telework experience. We apply the structural equation modeling technique to assess the proposed research model. This research is among the pioneering studies that identify and examine the factors influencing employees’ ISA in the telework environment. Our study is also one of the first to investigate antecedents to employees’ ISA rooted in the KAB model and knowledge inertia theory in a telework environment. Results show that employees’ ISA in the telework environment is significantly influenced by their knowledge, behavior toward following security guidelines, and learning inertia, whereas attitude and experience inertia have no significant effect on employees’ ISA.
Morphological and Genetic Diversity of Scutellaria tuvensis Juz., an Endemic of Desert Steppes
Authors: Guseva Alexandra , Muraseva Dinara , Cheryomushkina Vera
Published: October 2022

For the first time, an assessment of phenotypic variability and genetic polymorphism was performed on endemic plants Scutellaria tuvensis Juz. growing in Tuva (five populations; Russia). Based on morphological traits of individuals, principal component analysis clustered the individuals into three groups depending on characteristics of their habitats: group 1 turned out to be sampled from beach gravel, group 2 from a detrital cone, and group 3 from coarse rock fragments; this finding was confirmed by specific features of the development of the individuals in these habitats. Using inter-simple sequence repeat markers, high genetic polymorphism was identified at the population level: the proportion of polymorphic loci was 95%, expected heterozygosity 0.221, the absolute number of alleles 1.533, and the effective number of alleles 1.376. Population 3 (P 3) was the most genetically homogeneous; P 5 was characterized by the highest genetic diversity. In an unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean dendrogram, the studied populations formed two major groups: the first cluster included P 4 and P 5, and the second cluster contained plants collected in P 1, P 2, and P 3. An analysis of the population structure using the STRUCTURE software showed the same result, dividing the sample under study into two subpopulations. The genetic differentiation index among populations was 0.232, and gene flow 1.655. According to analysis of molecular variance, intrapopulation differences accounted for 73% of total genetic diversity.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection-Associated Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure
Authors: Papamanoli Aikaterini , Muncan Brandon , Yoo Jeanwoo , Psevdos George , Kalogeropoulos Andreas P.
Published: October 2022

The landscape of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemiology and treatment is ever-changing, with the widespread and evolving use of antiretroviral therapy (ART). With timely ART, people living with HIV (PLWH) are nearing the life expectancies and the functionality of the general population; nevertheless, the effects of HIV and ART on cardiovascular health remain under investigation. The pathophysiology of HIV-related cardiomyopathy and heart failure (HF) have historically been attributed to systemic inflammation and changes in cardiometabolic function and cardiovascular architecture. Importantly, newer evidence suggests that ART also plays a role in modulating the process of HIV-related cardiomyopathy and HF. In the short term, newer highly active ART (HAART) seems to have cardioprotective effects; however, emerging data on the long-term cardiovascular outcomes of certain HAART medications, i.e., protease inhibitors, raise concerns about the potential adverse effects of these drugs in the clinical course of HIV-related HF. As such, the traditional phenotypes of dilated cardiomyopathy and left ventricular systolic failure that are associated with HIV-related heart disease are incrementally being replaced with increasing rates of diastolic dysfunction and ischemic heart disease. Moreover, recent studies have found important links between HIV-related HF and other clinical and biochemical entities, including depression, which further complicate cardiac care for PLWH. Considering these trends in the era of ART, the traditional paradigms of HIV-related cardiomyopathy and HF are being called into question, as is the therapeutic role of interventions such as ventricular assist devices and heart transplantation. In all, the mechanisms of HIV-related myocardial damage and the optimal approaches to the prevention and the treatment of cardiomyopathy and HF in PLWH remain under investigation.
Zinc Oxide Tetrapods Modulate Wound Healing and Cytokine Release In Vitro—A New Antiproliferative Substance in Glaucoma Filtering Surgery
Authors: Sonntag Svenja Rebecca , Gniesmer Stefanie , Gapeeva Anna , Adelung Rainer , Cojocaru Ala , Mishra Yogendra Kumar , Kaps Sören , Tura Aysegül , Grisanti Swaantje , Grisanti Salvatore , Nassar Khaled
Published: October 2022

Glaucoma filtering surgery is applied to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in cases of uncontrolled glaucoma. However, postoperative fibrosis reduces the long-term success of both standard trabeculectomy and microstents. The aim of this study was to test the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory potential of ZnO-tetrapods (ZnO-T) on human Tenon’s fibroblasts (HTFs) for glaucoma surgery. The toxicity of ZnO-T on HTFs was determined using an MTT test. For analysis of fibroblast proliferation, migration, and transdifferentiation, cultures were stained for Ki67, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and p-SMAD. A fully quantitative multiplex ELISA was used to determine the concentrations of different cytokines, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in culture supernatants with and without previous ZnO-T treatment. Treatment with higher concentrations (10 and 20 µg/mL) was associated with HTF toxicity, as shown in the wound healing assay. Furthermore, the number of Ki67, α-SMA-positive, and pSMAD-positive cells, as well as IL-6 and HGF in supernatants, were significantly reduced following incubation with ZnO-T. In conclusion, we were able to show the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory potentials of ZnO-T. Therefore, the use of ZnO-T may provide a new approach to reducing postoperative fibrosis in glaucoma filtering surgery.
Novel Index for Hydrological Drought Monitoring Using Remote Sensing Approach: Standardized Water Surface Index (SWSI)
Authors: Alahacoon Niranga , Edirisinghe Mahesh
Published: October 2022

Most of the drought indices designed for hydrological drought monitoring use location-specific data, while there are only a handful of indices designed for hydrological drought monitoring using remote sensing data. This study revealed a novel drought index, Standardized Water Surface Index (SWSI), developed for hydrological drought monitoring. The water surface areas required to calculate the SWSI can be extracted from remote sensing data entirely using both the optical (Landsat 5, 7, and 8) and SAR (Sentinel-1). Furthermore, the developed index was applied to five major reservoirs/tanks; Iranamadu, Mahavilachchiya, Kantale, Senanayaka Samudhraya, and Udawalawa, located in Sri Lanka to monitor respective hydrological drought status for the period from 2000 to 2020. Cloud computing platform such as Google Earth Engine (GEE) provides a good basement to use this index effectively, as it can extract long-term water surface area covering a large geographical area efficiently and accurately. The surface water area extraction from satellite data of those tanks shows an accuracy of more than 95%, and in the event of a severe hydrological drought, the water surface area of the tanks is less than 25% of the total and lasts for more than three to four months. It was also determined that in some years, the surface water area of tanks dropped to as low as 7%. The strong correlation observed between the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and SWSI is indicated by the Pearson correlation coefficient ranging from 0.58 to 0.67, while the correlation between the Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) and SWSI ranges from 0.75 to 0.81. Timely drought monitoring over large geographical areas can be more accurately performed with the SWSI index compared to existing hydrological drought monitoring indices. The SWSI could be more useful for areas that do not have measurable field data.
Investigation the Relation between Sleep and Quality of Life for College Students in Taiwan by Association Rule Mining
Authors: Yang Ya-Chi , Liu Jing-Wei , Chi Chung-Pu , Chang Shih-Pei , Chang Kang-Ming
Published: October 2022

Background and objectives: Quality of life and sleep quality of college students were extensively studied. The present study evaluated sleep quality and quality of life of college students in Taiwan by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), respectively. Materials and Methods: Data of 1756 college students aged 20–24 years were collected in this study. Association rule analysis was also used to provide a graphics-based visualization of the relationships between data, enabling the rapid identification of data correlations. Results: The results showed that the average physical component scale (PCS) and average mental component scale (MCS) scores were 52.9 and 44.1, respectively. Based on their body mass index (BMI), participants were divided into underweight, normal, overweight, and obese groups. The results of one-way analysis of variance showed that the p values for the PSQI, PCS, and MCS scores were 3.5 × 10−5, 1.7 × 10−5, and 0.671, respectively. The normal and overweight groups had the lowest PSQI scores. The PCS score of the obese group was lower than that of normal and overweight groups. The p values of the t-test result among PSQI, BMI, PCS, and MCS groups were 0.002, <2 × 10−16, and <2 × 10−16, respectively. The good sleep quality group had higher PCS and MCS scores. Conclusions: In this study, the results of association rule analysis indicated two distinct groups: Group 1, with the characteristics of good sleep quality as revealed by the high MCS and PCS scores, and Group 2, with the characteristics of poor sleep quality as revealed by low MCS and PCS scores and underweight BMI.
Hydraulic Approach into Olden Agricultural Aqueducts at the Mexican Region of Zacatecas
Authors: Bautista-Capetillo Carlos , González Pérez Georgia Aralú , Badillo Almaraz Hiram , López Valle Aldo
Published: October 2022

Civilizations have been able to bloom because of the way they have been historically associated with water resources, especially in seeking strategies to ensure a supply to diverse sectors that require them. Thus, challenges in satisfying water demand are shaped by the particular epoch and geographical area. In this sense, Roman engineering represents a new view of waterworks construction. Above all, it concerns building arched structures to convey water from supply sources to cities; even the hydraulic technology developed by Romans would transcend beyond the time this empire ruled the world. Consequently, this paper shows a brief outlook of some hydraulic systems in Asia, Europe and America settled thousands of years ago. Additionally, a historiographic approach is made for several aqueducts built within the limits that currently constitute the state of Zacatecas during colonial times and independent Mexico in order to evaluate their transcendence for mining, agriculture, and cattle. In addition to the allusion to historical context, the main goal has been to evaluate the hydraulic design of eight olden aqueducts based on current engineering approaches, with the purpose of typifying coincidences between constructive procedures inherited from Roman culture and those used by Spanish conquerors to erect similar civil works in this region.
A Digital Light Microscopic Method for Diatom Surveys Using Embedded Acid-Cleaned Samples
Authors: Burfeid-Castellanos Andrea M. , Kloster Michael , Beszteri Sára , Postel Ute , Spyra Marzena , Zurowietz Martin , Nattkemper Tim W. , Beszteri Bánk
Published: October 2022

Diatom identification and counting by light microscopy of permanently embedded acid-cleaned silicate shells (frustules) is a fundamental method in ecological and water quality investigations. Here we present a new variant of this method based on “digital virtual slides”, and compare it to the traditional, non-digitized light microscopy workflow on freshwater samples. We analysed three replicate slides taken from six benthic samples using two methods: (1) working directly on a light microscope (the “traditional” counting method), and (2) preparing “virtual digital slides” by high-resolution slide scanning and subsequently identifying and labelling individual valves or frustules using a web browser-based image annotation platform (the digital method). Both methods led to comparable results in terms of species richness, diatom indices and diatom community composition. Although counting by digital microscopy was slightly more time consuming, our experience points out that the digital workflow can not only improve the transparency and reusability of diatom counts but it can also increase taxonomic precision. The introduced digital workflow can also be applied for taxonomic inter-expert calibration through the web, and for producing training image sets for deep-learning-based diatom identification, making it a promising and versatile alternative or extension to traditional light microscopic diatom analyses in the future.
Active Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Aquatic Environment Using Mosses and Algae
Authors: Respondek Zuzanna , Jerz Dominik , Świsłowski Paweł , Rajfur Małgorzata
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we present an analysis of the pollution of surface water and air by the heavy metals: Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the area of the smelter in Ozimek (Opolskie Voivodeship, Poland). The marine algae Palmaria palmata was exposed in the Mała Panew River, and three species of forest mosses: Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum fallax and Dicranum polysetum were also applied. Active biomonitoring was also carried out using P. schreberi mosses to assess air pollution, since the area and the river are influenced by the smelter’s activities. Analytes were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Student’s T-test and Mann–Whitney U test were used to assess the significance of differences in elemental concentrations between algae and mosses. Forest mosses were found to have comparable sorption properties to algae under laboratory conditions. During exposure in the river, statistical significance was found between these matrices. The results of water biomonitoring studies using forest mosses offer the possibility of their inclusion in aquatic ecosystem monitoring as an alternative to existing classical surface water biomonitors. Perspectively, attention should be paid to comparing the sorption properties of aquatic species with forest mosses in order to optimize the water biomonitoring system using mosses.
Comparison of High-Resolution Satellite Precipitation Products in Sub-Saharan Morocco
Authors: Rachdane Mariame , Khalki El Mahdi El , Saidi Mohamed Elmehdi , Nehmadou Mohamed , Ahbari Abdellatif , Tramblay Yves
Published: October 2022

Precipitation is a crucial source of data in hydrological applications for water resources management. However, several regions suffer from limited data from a ground measurement network. Remotely sensed data may provide a viable alternative for these regions. This study aimed to evaluate six satellite products (GPM-F, CHIRPS, PERSIANN-CCS-CDR, GPM-L, GPM-E and PDIR-Now), with high spatio-temporal resolution, in the sub-Saharan regions of Morocco. Precipitation observation data from 33 rain-gauge stations were collected and used over the period from September 2000 to August 2020. The assessment was performed on three temporal scales (daily, monthly and annually) and two spatial scales (pixel and basin scales), using different quantitative and qualitative statistical indices. The results showed that the GPM-F product performed the best, according to the different evaluation metrics, up to events with 40 mm/day, while the GPM near real-time products (GPM-E and GPM-L) were better at detecting more intense rainfall events. At the daily time scale, GPM-E and GPM-L and, on monthly and annual scales, CHIRPS and PERSIANN-CCS-CDR, provided satisfactory precipitation estimates. Moreover, the altitude-based analysis revealed a bias increasing from low to high altitudes. The continental and mountainous basins showed the lowest performance compared to the other locations closer to the Atlantic Ocean. The evaluation based on the latitudes of rain gauges showed a decrease of bias towards the most arid zones. These results provide valuable information in a scarcely gauged and arid region, showing that GPM-F could be a valuable alternative to rain gauges.
Study on the Migration Law of Dissolved Organic Matter in Mine Water Treatment Station
Authors: Zhang Xiyu , Dong Shuning , Jin Pengkang , Liang Jidong , Yang Jian , Huang Yongan
Published: October 2022

With the improvement of coal-mining mechanizations and the intensification of human activities, the organic matter pollution of mine water is becoming severe. In this study, the chemical compositions of the influents and effluents from 15 mine water treatment stations in the mining area bordering Mongolia and Shaanxi were measured. The occurrence of DOM (dissolved organic matter) in the effluent from the mine water treatment stations in this area was determined by the EEM (excitation emission matrix), combined with the PARAFAC (parallel factor analysis) method. The DOM removal from the mine water treatment station in the Caojiatan coal mine is specifically discussed here, although trends are similar across the 15 mines. The treatment capacity of this treatment process for different types of pollutants is also evaluated, and a mine water treatment process suitable for the current coal-mining mode is suggested. The results show that the DOM of the mine water treatment stations in this area mainly has four components: a fulvic-acid-like substance (C1/C3), a protein tryptophan-like substance (C2), and a protein tyrosine-like substance (C4). The coagulation, filtration, and disinfection process has a removal efficiency of more than 90% for the protein-like tryptophan components, COD (chemical oxygen demand), and NO2−, and an efficiency of ~50% for TOC (total organic carbon), <30% for Cu2+ and F−, and almost no removal effect for protein-like tyrosine components, EC (electrical conductivity), TDS (total dissolved solids), and NH4+. These conclusions show that aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as alkanes and cycloalkanes, in mine water are removed by the treatment process, whereas macromolecular aromatic hydrocarbons and other groups are not removed by the treatment process. Based on this, an ozone-demulsification process for the special removal of protein tyrosine-like pollutants in mine water is proposed. This conclusion can provide theoretical support for research on the source and fate of the carbon trajectory in the water-cycle process and provides technical guidance for the removal of DOM from mine water.
Long-Term Flooding Maps Forecasting System Using Series Machine Learning and Numerical Weather Prediction System
Authors: Chang Ming-Jui , Huang I-Hang , Hsu Chih-Tsung , Wu Shiang-Jen , Lai Jihn-Sung , Lin Gwo-Fong
Published: October 2022

Accurate real-time forecasts of inundation depth and area during typhoon flooding is crucial to disaster emergency response. The development of an inundation forecasting model has been recognized as essential to manage disaster risk. In the past, most researchers used multiple single-point forecasts to obtain surface flooding depth forecasts with spatial interpolation. In this study, a forecasting model (QPF-RIF) integrating a hydrodynamic model (SOBEK), support vector machine–multi-step forecast (SVM-MSF), and a self-organizing map (SOM) were proposed. The task of this model was divided into four parts: hydrodynamic simulation, point forecasting, inundation database clustering, and spatial expansion. First, the SOBEK model was used in simulating inundation hydrodynamics to construct the flooding maps database. Second, the SVM-MSF yields water level (inundation volume) forecasted with a 1 to 72 h lead time. Third, the SOM clustered the previous flooding maps database into several groups representing different flooding characteristics. Finally, a spatial expansion module produced inundation maps based on forecasting information from forecasting flood volume and flood causative factors. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed forecasting model, we presented an application to the Yilan River basin in Taiwan. Our forecasting results indicated that the proposed model yields accurate flood inundation maps (less than 1 cm error) for a 1 h lead time. For long-term forecasting (46 h to 72 h ahead), the model controlled the error of the forecast results within 7 cm. In the testing events, the model forecasted an average of 83% of the flooding area in the long term. This flood inundation forecasting model is expected to be useful in providing early flood warning information for disaster emergency response.
Predicting Climate Change Impacts on Water Balance Components of a Mountainous Watershed in the Northeastern USA
Authors: Abesh Bidisha Faruque , Jin Lilai , Hubbart Jason A.
Published: October 2022

Forcing watershed models with downscaled climate data to quantify future water regime changes can improve confidence in watershed planning. The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was calibrated (R2 = 0.77, NSE = 0.76, and PBIAS = 7.1) and validated (R2 = 0.8, NSE = 0.78, and PBIAS = 8.8) using observed monthly streamflow in a representative mountainous watershed in the northeastern United States. Four downscaled global climate models (GCMs) under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5, RCP 8.5) were forced. Future periods were separated into three 20-year intervals: 2030s (2031–2050), 2050s (2051–2070), and 2070s (2071–2099), and compared to baseline conditions (1980–1999). Ensemble means of the four GCMs showed an increasing trend for precipitation with the highest average increase of 6.78% in 2070s under RCP 8.5. Evapotranspiration (ET) had increasing trends over the 21st century with the 2030s showing greater increases under both RCPs. Both streamflow (4.58–10.43%) and water yield (1.2–7.58%) showed increasing trends in the 2050s and 2070s under both RCPs. Seasonal increases in precipitation were predicted for most months of spring and summer. ET was predicted to increase from Spring to early Fall. Study results demonstrate the potential sensitivity of mountainous watersheds to future climate changes and the need for ongoing predictive modeling studies to advance forward looking mitigation decisions.
Wastewater Management in Agriculture
Authors: Rusănescu Carmen Otilia , Rusănescu Marin , Constantin Gabriel Alexandru
Published: October 2022

Considering the global climate changes that have disrupted the availability of fresh water and led to the emergence of drought, an effective management strategy for water quality must be implemented. In this work, we analyzed the possibility of used and treated water being reused and the effect of its use on soil on the development of plants. In the case of irrigation with treated wastewater, the following parameters increased: calcium carbonate equivalent, organic matter, content of phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, nitrogen, biochemical oxygen consumption; chemical oxygen demand (COD), decreased sodium absorption rate, soil electrical conductivity, pH, magnesium content, and soil bulk density. Due to the micronutrients it contains, the use of treated wastewater in irrigation can be an organic fertilizer for the soil. Wastewater is a source of soil water supply. Untreated wastewater may contain, depending on the source (industry, pharmacies, medicine, households), toxic compounds, bacteria, viruses, and helminths, which, if used for long periods of time in irrigation, can have a negative impact on health and the environment, reaching the soil, the roots of the crops, and then the underground water. Therefore, these waters must be used after adequate treatment. Global climate change disrupts the availability of fresh water and negatively influences the occurrence of floods, droughts, and water quality, which is why any water source must be managed correctly.
Sugarcane Bagasse as Carbon Source and Filler to Enhance the Treatment of Low C/N Wastewater by Aerobic Denitrification Flora
Authors: Chen Maoxia , Tang Qiong , Zou Jiawei , Lv Xiaoyu , Deng Yu , Ma Xuguang , Ma Shichun
Published: October 2022

Sugarcane bagasse as a biomass solid waste has good prospects as a carbon source for biological wastewater treatment. However, it has rarely been investigated for aerobic denitrification (AD). Herein, we investigated its carbon release performance and constructed a bagasse-loaded sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) to investigate the feasibility of sugarcane bagasse as a carbon source and filler for AD bacteria to treat wastewater with low carbon–nitrogen ratios (C/N). Results showed that chemical oxygen demand (COD) leaching from sugarcane bagasse was 418.07 ± 17.05 mg/g; high-temperature and high-pressure operation had no significant effect on the carbon release performance of the bagasse. A shake-flask experiment revealed that adding sugarcane bagasse significantly enhanced the AD flora denitrification effect in low C/N wastewater; the removal process of NO3−–N by AD flora followed first-order kinetics. In the SBBR inoculated with AD flora, biofilm formation on the bagasse surface was evident; the NO3−–N removal rate reached 20.20 ± 4.27% after 28 operation cycles, which was significantly higher than that of the control sequencing batch reactor during the same period, and the effluent COD stabilized below 50 mg/L. The results provide a reference for AD application in the practical wastewater treatment and biomass resource utilization of sugarcane bagasse.