bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Offshore Wind Power Resource Assessment in the Gulf of North Suez
Authors: Rehman Shafiqur , Irshad Kashif , Ibrahim Nasiru I. , AlShaikhi Ali , Mohandes Mohamed A.
Published: October 2023

Growing population, industrialization, and power requirements are adversely affecting the environment through increased greenhouse gases resulting from fossil fuel burning. Global greenhouse gas mitigation targets have led nations to promote clean and self-renewable sources of energy to address this environmental issue. Offshore wind power resources are relatively more attractive due to high winds, less turbulence, minimal visualization effects, and no interaction of infrastructure. The present study aims at conducting an offshore wind power resource assessment (OWPRA) at some locations in the Gulf of North Suez. For this purpose, the long-term hourly mean wind speed (WS) and wind direction above mean sea level (AMSL), as well as temperature and pressure data near the surface, are used. The data is obtained from ERA5 (fifth generation global climate reanalysis) at six (L1–L6) chosen offshore locations. The data covers a period of 43 years, between 1979 and 2021. The WS and direction are provided at 100 m AMSL, while temperature and pressure are available near water-surface level. At the L1 to L6 locations, the log-term mean WS and wind power density (WPD) values are found to be 7.55 m/s and 370 W/m2, 6.37 m/s and 225 W/m2, 6.91 m/s and 281 W/m2, 5.48 m/s and 142 W/m2, 4.30 m/s and 77 W/m2, and 5.03 and 115 W/m2 and at 100 m AMSL, respectively. The higher magnitudes of monthly and annual windy site identifier indices (MWSI and AWSI) of 18.68 and 57.41 and 12.70 and 42.94 at the L1 and L3 sites, and generally lower values of wind variability indices, are indicative of a favorable winds source, which is also supported by higher magnitudes of mean WS, WPD, annual energy yields, plant capacity factors, and wind duration at these sites. The cost of energy for the worst and the best cases are estimated as 10.120 USD/kWh and 1.274 USD/kWh at the L5 and L1 sites, corresponding to wind turbines WT1 and WT4. Based on this analysis, sites L1, L3, and L2 are recommended for wind farm development in order of preference. The wind variability and windy site identifier indices introduced will help decision-makers in targeting potential windy sites with more confidence.
Healing Evaluation of Asphalt Mixtures with Polymer Capsules Containing Rejuvenator under Different Water Solutions
Authors: Li Zhifeng , Wang Huan , Wan Pei , Liu Quantao , Xu Shi , Jiang Jian , Fan Lulu , Tu Liangliang
Published: October 2023

Polymer Ca-alginate capsules with rejuvenator bring a high healing level for asphalt concrete under dry healing environments; however, the healing levels of bituminous mixtures containing capsules under water healing conditions are still unknown. In view of this, this study aimed at exploring the healing levels of asphalt concrete containing polymer capsules under various solution healing conditions following cyclic loads. This study involved the preparation of capsules, followed by the evaluation of their morphological characteristics, resilience to compression, thermal endurance, and rejuvenator content. The assessment of the healing properties of asphalt concrete utilizing capsules was conducted through a fracture–heal–refracture examination. This study conducted Fourier transform infrared spectrum experiments to determine the rejuvenator release ratio of capsules under dry conditions and the remaining rejuvenator content in extracted bituminous binder from capsule–asphalt concrete after solution treatment. Meanwhile, a dynamic shear rheometer was utilized to investigate the rheological characteristics of asphalt binder. Results revealed that the healing ratios of capsule–asphalt concrete beams under a dry healing environment were significantly higher than that of beams under various solution healing conditions, and the alkali solution has the worst effect on the improvement in healing ratio. The coupled impact of moisture intrusion and ion erosion resulted in an enhancement of complex modulus of asphalt binder while concurrently reducing its phase angle. Consequently, the restorative capacity of the asphalt binder was weakened.
Probabilistic Approach to Transient Unsaturated Slope Stability Associated with Precipitation Event
Authors: Costa Katherin Rocio Cano Bezerra da , Dantas Ana Paola do Nascimento , Cavalcante André Luís Brasil , Assis André Pacheco de
Published: October 2023

The massif rupture is not always reached under saturated conditions; therefore, the analysis of the unsaturated phenomenon is necessary in some cases. This study performed a probabilistic approach for unsaturated and transient conditions to understand the contribution of physical and hydraulic parameters involved in slope stability. The proposed slope stability model was based on the infinite slope method and a new unsaturated constitutive shear strength model proposed in 2021 by Cavalcante and Mascarenhas. The first-order second-moment method, which incorporated multiple stochastic variables, was used in the probabilistic analysis, allowing the incorporation of seven independent variables for the probability of failure analysis as well as for quantifying the contribution of the variables to the total variance of a factor of safety at any state of moisture. This implementation allows a more realistic estimative for the probability of failure, showing in a practical way the decrease and increase of the probability of failure during a rain event. The model provided promising results highlighting the need to migrate from deterministic analyses to more robust probabilistic analyses, considering the most significant number of stochastic variables. The proposed model helps to understand the influence of moisture content on slope stability, being a possible tool in natural disaster risk management.
Customer Co-Creation on Revisiting Intentions: A Focus on the Tourism Sector
Authors: Monteiro Carlos , Franco Mara , Meneses Raquel , Castanho Rui Alexandre
Published: October 2023

The offer of a wide range of services has given consumers several options to meet their needs. Therefore, in coherence with the competition between companies, they need to adopt processes and measures that they can perceive as consumers’ needs to offer a service that is adequate for their requirements. This study aims to understand the impact of co-creation on services and what factors impact the intention to revisit tourism services, specifically hotel stays. In this sense, the search seeks to understand the influence of co-creation on the variables under study and, in turn, which variables impact the intention to revisit a tourist service. To this end, a quantitative investigation was conducted through an online questionnaire survey to 314 respondents, in August 2020, that stayed at hotels in Portugal. The study demonstrates the importance of co-creation as a mediator of factors such as customer experience and the company’s orientation towards the customer and, in turn, building a long-term relationship with the customer (loyalty). However, there is no evidence to support the relationship between co-creation and revisit intention as this last one is influenced only by allegiance. This investigation contributes to the theme of co-creation and revisiting in the tourism sector of mainland Portugal and the islands, which is a recent topic analyzed in the literature, and significantly contributes to the application of business goals.
Sustainability of Urban Parks: Applicable Methodological Framework for a Simple Assessment
Authors: González Teresa , Berger Pia , Sánchez Claudia N. , Mahichi Faezeh
Published: October 2023

Urban parks are central to advancing urban sustainability and improving overall quality of life by providing green spaces that promote physical and mental well-being, mitigate environmental issues, and foster community cohesion. However, there is a lack of methodologies that measure these benefits and provide a sustainability rating. In this study, we propose a valuable tool for measuring the sustainability level of urban parks: low (0–50%), medium (51–79%), and high (80–100%). It employs effective and affordable measures for the daily management of urban parks. It is rooted in the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic. We have defined 19 indicators (e.g., renewable energy and energy efficiency, environmental impact on society) and 50 criteria (e.g., clean energy generation, water workshops). A multi-criteria analysis facilitated the selection process for these indicators and criteria. This methodology is developed by characterizing and systematically documenting the park’s day-to-day operations. We present a case study of Cárcamos Park in Guanajuato, Mexico. Through this real-life scenario, we demonstrate our methodology’s high applicability and effectiveness. The sustainability assessment of Cárcamos Park reveals a level of 57%, with the environmental pillar at 47.7%, the economic pillar at 49%, and the social pillar at 75%. The adaptability of our methodology during the design phase of new parks plays a crucial role in shaping sustainable park layouts. Park managers can apply our procedure to any park, evaluate their sustainability status, and detect areas of opportunity.
Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Agricultural Production Efficiency in Sichuan Province from the Perspective of “Water–Land–Energy–Carbon” Coupling
Authors: Li Liang , Xiang Ying , Fan Xinyue , Wang Qinxiang , Wei Yang
Published: October 2023

Maintaining low carbon levels is an important strategy to minimize the levels of carbon emissions globally, and utilization of energy in agricultural production activities is one of the major sources of carbon emissions. Promoting carbon reduction in agricultural production is a key method to achieve “carbon neutrality and carbon peaking”. This article established an input–output index system for evaluating agricultural production efficiency from the “water, land, energy and carbon” dimensions, and then used the super-efficient SBM model to calculate the value of agricultural production efficiency. The article combined the Malmquist index and spatial autocorrelation method to explore the spatiotemporal characteristics of agricultural production efficiency in Sichuan Province. Finally, this article analyzed the factors that affect agricultural production efficiency in Sichuan Province. The research results indicated that: (1) Agricultural carbon emissions in Sichuan Province decreased from 2011 to 2020, and agricultural carbon emissions in the eastern region were higher than the western region. (2) The agricultural production efficiency in Sichuan Province was generally above 0.88, with fluctuations observed from 2011 to 2020. Increase in agricultural production efficiency in the region was highly correlated with advances in technological progress. The spatial distribution of agricultural production efficiency exhibited an opposite trend to agricultural carbon emissions, and Moran’s I index was approximately 0, indicating a relatively random spatial distribution. (3) Analysis of influencing factors showed that the urbanization rate was inversely proportional to agricultural production efficiency, and the level of agricultural economic development was directly proportional to agricultural production efficiency. The agricultural production efficiency analysis model established in this article provides key information for developing policies to improve agricultural production efficiency and provides a basis for the practical promotion of low-carbon agricultural production in Sichuan Province. The paper provides a reference to develop strategies to achieve the regional “double carbon” goal.
Traffic Calming Measures and Their Slowing Effect on the Pedestrian Refuge Approach Sections
Authors: Majer Stanisław , Sołowczuk Alicja
Published: October 2023

The ever-increasing use of motor vehicles causes a number of traffic safety and community issues, which are particularly severe in cities, accompanied by a scarcity of parking spaces and challenges encountered in road layout alteration projects. The commonly applied solutions include the designation of through streets, the implementation of on-street parking on residential streets, and retrofitted traffic calming measures (TCMs). This article presents the results of the study conducted on a two-way street where the Metered Parking System (MPS) was implemented together with diagonal and parallel parking spaces, refuge islands, horizontal deflection, and lane narrowing by a single-sided chicane. The aim of this study was to identify those TCMs that effectively helped to reduce the island approach speed. The heuristic method was applied to assess the effect of the respective TCMs on reducing the island approach speed, and the key speed reduction determinants were defined using a cause-and-effect diagram and a Pareto chart. The determinants were evaluated with the binary system and tautological inference principles, whereby a determinant was rated as true when it was found in the field, with a simultaneous speed reduction determined in the survey. Determinants that were not confirmed in the field were rated untrue. Comparative analyses were carried out to rate the respective TCMs as effective, moderately effective, or ineffective. In this way, the following three determinants were rated as the most important for speed reduction at refuge islands: free view, visibility of a pedestrian on the right-hand side of the island, and the refuge island surroundings. Although the study was limited to a single street in Poland, the findings may hold true in other countries where similar TCMs are used.
Stability Assessment of Microalgal Photobioreactors for Carbon Dioxide Capture under Dilution Rate Constraints
Authors: Nguyen Dinh Hoa
Published: October 2023

Algal cultivation is a sustainable approach which can be used not only for carbon dioxide sequestration but also for making useful products in many industries. To facilitate the widespread adoption of this approach, the current research studies the stable control of closed photobioreactors (PBRs) cultivating microalgae. More specifically, a proportional–integral (PI) controller is employed for the tracking of the microalgal concentration to a desired reference corresponding to a required amount of sequestrated carbon dioxide. In the presence of the practically positive and bounded constraints of the dilution rate, the stability and reference tracking of the closed-loop PBR system needs to be assessed. This work then derives conditions under which a unique equilibrium point exists and the closed-loop PBR system is asymptotically stable around such an equilibrium point. The derived theoretical results are validated and illustrated through numerical simulations for PBRs of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris.
Continuous Improvement and Optimization of Curriculum System for Engineering Education Accreditation: A Questionnaire Survey on Achievement Degrees of Graduation Requirements
Authors: Chen Qiao , Yin Huiyong , Feng Jianguo , Zhang Baoyi
Published: October 2023

Engineering education accreditation represents the current trend in undergraduate reformation. Curriculum system improvement is an important way to realize the “innovation leading” of engineering education accreditation. However, there is little information detailing the improvement and optimization of the curriculum system for engineering education accreditation, and a method was tentatively developed based on evaluated achievement degrees of graduation requirements through a questionnaire survey in this work. The results show that a curriculum system guided by engineering education accreditation greatly improves graduation requirement achievement and students’ overall qualities. The graduation requirement achievement degree is largely influenced by the curriculum system and extracurricular science and technology activities, while it is not significantly correlated with students’ scores. Some measures are provided to optimize and improve the curriculum system, including adding additional curricula, converting the supporting index of the curriculum, strengthening the supporting degree of the curriculum, and guiding extracurricular scientific activity. Such measures are significant for increasing achievement degrees, reasonably balancing teaching resources and developing students’ comprehensive abilities. Moreover, the students’ scores cannot objectively reflect the graduation requirement achievement degree, and there exist some limitations to evaluating graduation requirement achievement degrees using course scores. Additionally, post-graduate environment factors, such as major-related work, technical work and further education, also affect graduation requirement achievement degrees.
Quantitative Evaluation of Difficulty in Visiting Hospitals for Elderly Patients in Depopulated Area in Japan: Using National Health Insurance Data
Authors: Morisaki Yuma , Fujiu Makoto , Takayama Junichi , Sagae Masahiko , Hirako Kohei
Published: October 2023

Depopulation is occurring in rural areas of Japan due to the outflow of the population to urban areas, the declining birthrate, and the aging population. Within depopulated areas, there is a problem of declining accessibility to medical facilities due to the decline of the medical system and transportation infrastructure. Therefore, measuring accessibility to medical facilities in underpopulated areas is an important issue. In this study, we calculated an accessibility index (APMI) to medical facilities in underpopulated areas in Japan using geographical information such as elevation, distance to medical facilities, and distance to bus stops. Furthermore, we estimated the number of patients who are considered to have difficulty visiting hospitals by using the National Health Insurance data (KDB) owned by all local governments in Japan. Through the analysis in this study, it became clear that accessibility was extremely low in the mountainous area of Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, and the number of patients living there could be determined. In addition, priority areas for improving the environment for visiting the hospital were identified.
The Relationship between Cause and Effect Dimensions of Young People’s Being “Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET)” in Turkey
Authors: Şahin Levent , Ersöz Halis Yunus , Demir İbrahim , Kocakaya Muhammed Erkam , Akgül Osman , Bükey Abdullah Miraç
Published: October 2023

The causes and effects of being “not in education, employment, or training (NEET)” differ according to countries, regions, and even individuals. In this study, the relationship between the causes of young people being NEET and the effects of being NEET is examined on young people in Turkey. The data and scales of cause and effect that have high validity and reliability coefficients were used from in-person field research conducted with 3158 NEET young people by Istanbul University between September and December 2020 in Turkey. The influence of the causes of being NEET scale on the effects of being NEET scale was analyzed by the multivariable regression method. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the effects of the individual, familial, educational, environmental, and labor market dimensions of the causes of being NEET scale on the effects of being NEET scale were significant.
Improving Tailings Dam Safety via Soil Treatment
Authors: Alsharedah Yazeed , El Naggar M. , Ahmed Aly
Published: October 2023

Mine tailings are the byproduct of mining activities, which need to be disposed of once the minerals in the ore are extracted. They can be disposed of in either dry or wet forms. The latter is most common, with the tailings being disposed of in the form of slurry inside retention structures. The retention structure may be a natural or manmade dam, with a predominant use of the upstream method due to its cost-effectiveness. This study analyzes the stability of an upstream tailings dam considering its staged construction. A two-dimensional nonlinear finite element model was developed using the program Plaxis 2-D to investigate the potential for stabilizing the tailings dam by using emulsified polymer and a mixture composed of cement kiln dust (CKD) and re-cycled gypsum (B). The numerical model demonstrated that utilizing a CKD: B mix increased the overall stability of the tailings impoundment above the conventional 1.5 safety factor requirements and indicated its usefulness in constructing robust dams whilst still being environmentally friendly.
Empowering Sustainable Futures: Insights from the Integration and Impact of Software-Gifted Classes in South Korea
Authors: Lee Jaeho , Jeong Hongwon
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this research is to introduce and analyze key insights into South Korea’s unique field of gifted education, with a specific focus on software-gifted classes and the process of their integration into the education landscape. This study spans a seven-year period, divided into two parts: the first part examines insights gained during the establishment of these classes, while the second part derives structural relationships by analyzing students’ perceptions during the recent three-year expansion of software-gifted classes. The findings of this research provide essential insights into the operation and expansion of software-gifted classes, highlighting the pivotal role of the educational process and content. Furthermore, the study indicates that the interests of gifted students significantly influence their achievements and career development, thereby paving the way for a sustainable future.
Development of Self-Sustaining Improvement Material for a Mud Film of the Weathered Soil of Red Beds
Authors: Liu Zhen , Wang Jingqi , Gao Yi , Liao Jin , Lan Chunhui , Zhou Cuiying
Published: October 2023

Red beds are widely distributed in various regions of China. Adapting measures to adjust to local conditions and using nearby materials to ecologically protect slopes, mines, and other engineering projects are methods advocated by environmental protection. A mud film of the weathered soil of red beds with improved materials for insulation and entropy preservation is commonly used in engineering ecological protection, and its self-sustainability is an important indicator with which to measure the protective effect; however, most of the commonly used improvement materials in production have high concentrations of chemical substances and high costs, causing environmental pollution. In response to this issue, this study has developed four new composite improved materials using waste paper as raw material. The low temperature resistance (−20 °C, 0 °C), high temperature resistance (40 °C, 60 °C, and 80 °C), and recyclability (dry and wet cycle: zero, one, two, and three times) of the four materials were tested. Under the conditions of changing the addition amounts of four new self-developed composite materials (0 g, 10 g, 20 g, 30 g, 40 g, 50 g, 60 g, 70 g, 80 g, 90 g, and 100 g), experiments were conducted on the thin-layer property, corrosion resistance, and flexibility of the mud film of weathered soil of red beds, and they were compared with conventional materials studied by the team in the early stage. At the same time, outdoor on-site testing was conducted. The experimental results indicate that the self-developed new composite improvement material has a good improvement effect on the self-sustainability and ecological protection effect of the mud film of weathered soil of red beds. This article summarizes the improvement mechanism and control factors of self-developed new composite materials in the self-sustainability of the mud film of the weathered soil of red beds, improves the suitability of engineering ecological protection, and develops green and low-cost engineering ecological protection technology.
Multiple Soliton Solutions for Coupled Modified Korteweg–de Vries (mkdV) with a Time-Dependent Variable Coefficient
Authors: Adam Haroon D. S. , Ahmed Khalid I. A. , Youssif Mukhtar Yagoub , Marin Marin
Published: October 2023

In this manuscript, we implement analytical multiple soliton wave and singular soliton wave solutions for coupled mKdV with a time-dependent variable coefficient. Based on the similarity transformation and Hirota bilinear technique, we construct both multiple wave kink and wave singular kink solutions for coupled mKdV with a time-dependent variable coefficient. We implement the Hirota bilinear technique to compute analytical solutions for the coupled mKdV system. Such calculations are made by using a software with symbolic computation software, for instance, Maple. Recently some researchers used Maple in order to show that the bilinear method of Hirota is a straightforward technique which can be used in the approach of differential, nonlinear models. We analyzed whether the experiments proved that the procedure is effective and can be successfully used for many other mathematical models used in physics and engineering. The results of this study display that the profiles of multiple-kink and singular-kink soliton types can be efficiently controlled by selecting the particular form of a similar time variable. The changes in the solitons based on the changes in the arbitrary function of time allows for more applications of them in applied sciences.
A Secure Trajectory Planning Method for Connected Autonomous Vehicles at Mining Site
Authors: Li Han , Li Yiming , Chen Peng , Yu Guizhen , Liao Yaping
Published: October 2023

Recently, with the assistance of 5G networks and the Internet of Things, specialized applications of autonomous driving to mining sites have been explored, with the goal of realizing the unmanned operation of mining systems and enhancing the safety of the mining industry. After receiving the loading task, the autonomous driving system will generate a feasible trajectory for the mining truck. It requires that the trajectory be generated in advanced within a limited-time high-latency network. In addition, the secure trajectory planning for mining sites involves factors in the complex environment and an unstable network. Thus, a secure trajectory planning method for autonomous trucks at mining sites is proposed. It simplifies the planning by decoupling the planning into front-end path searching and back-end trajectory generation. First, the planner enhances the Hybrid A* search algorithm to find the hauling path within the boundary of the mining site, and then, it post-processes the path with a well-designed symmetric optimization-based method. Then, considering the interaction with other autonomous trucks, a topology-guided search method for secure decision making is proposed, considering the possibility of cybersecurity. The proposed method was validated in real scenarios of the mining environment. The results verify that the planner can generate the secure trajectory under network delay 2.0 s conditions.
Feasibility of Ultra-Wideband Channels at Millimeter Wavelengths Faded by Rain in GeoSurf Satellite Constellations
Authors: Matricciani Emilio , Magarini Maurizio , Riva Carlo
Published: October 2023

We have studied the interference caused by amplitude and phase distortions induced by rain in ultra-wideband communication systems designed for using amplitude modulation in GeoSurf future satellite constellations. The results concern radio links simulated with the synthetic storm technique at Spino d’Adda (Italy), Madrid (Spain) and Tampa (Florida), which are sites located in different climatic regions. The conclusions are (a) the three sites, although in different climatic zones, are practically indistinguishable; (b) the channel signal-to-noise ratio can be increased or decreased by interference with equal probability. Channel theoretical capacity loss, even in the worst case, is very limited and rain, therefore, does not cause significant linear distortions in ultra-wideband channels at millimeter waves; therefore, these channels could be used at millimeter waves.
Discovery of a Novel Intron in US10/US11/US12 of HSV-1 Strain 17
Authors: Chang Weizhong , Hao Ming , Qiu Ju , Sherman Brad T. , Imamichi Tomozumi
Published: October 2023

Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) infects humans and causes a variety of clinical manifestations. Many HSV-1 genomes have been sequenced with high-throughput sequencing technologies and the annotation of these genome sequences heavily relies on the known genes in reference strains. Consequently, the accuracy of reference strain annotation is critical for future research and treatment of HSV-1 infection. In this study, we analyzed RNA-Seq data of HSV-1 from NCBI databases and discovered a novel intron in the overlapping coding sequence (CDS) of US10 and US11, and the 3′ UTR of US12 in strain 17, a commonly used HSV-1 reference strain. To comprehensively understand the shared US10/US11/US12 intron structure, we used US11 as a representative and surveyed all US11 gene sequences from the NCBI nt/nr database. A total of 193 high-quality US11 sequences were obtained, of which 186 sequences have a domain of uninterrupted tandemly repeated RXP (Arg-X-Pro) in the C-terminus half of the protein. In total, 97 of the 186 sequences encode US11 protein with the same length of the mature US11 in strain 17:26 of them have the same structure of US11 and can be spliced as in strain 17; 71 of them have transcripts that are the same as mature US11 mRNA in strain 17. In total, 76 US11 gene sequences have either canonical or known noncanonical intron border sequences and may be spliced like strain 17 and obtain mature US11 CDS with the same length. If not spliced, they will have extra RXP repeats. A tandemly repeated RXP domain was proposed to be essential for US11 to bind with RNA and other host factors. US10 protein sequences from the same strains have also been studied. The results of this study show that even a frequently used reference organism may have errors in widely used databases. This study provides accurate annotation of the US10, US11, and US12 gene structure, which will build a more solid foundation to study expression regulation of the function of these genes.
Characterization of a Putative New Member of the Genus Potyvirus from Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) in Mississippi
Authors: Aboughanem-Sabanadzovic Nina , Stephenson Ronald Christian , Allen Thomas W. , Henn Alan , Moore William F. , Lawrence Amanda , Sabanadzovic Sead
Published: October 2023

Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata), a plant native to Southeastern Asia, has become a major noxious weed covering millions of hectares in the Southern United States. A kudzu patch displaying virus-like symptoms located in Ackerman, northeastern Mississippi (MS), was used as a source for virus isolation and characterization involving mechanical and vector transmission, ultrastructural observation, surveys, Sanger and high-throughput genome sequencing, and sequence analyses. The results revealed the presence of a new potyvirus in infected kudzu, closely related to wisteria vein mosaic virus (WVMV) and provisionally named kudzu chlorotic ring blotch virus (KudCRBV). Genome features and pairwise comparison with six WVMV genomes currently available in GenBank and three additional isolates from MS sequenced in this work suggest that KudCRBV is likely a member of a new species in the genus Potyvirus. Furthermore, under experimental conditions, KudCRBV was successfully transmitted by cotton and potato aphids and mechanically to soybean and beans. A state-wide survey revealed several kudzu patches infected by the virus in northern MS.
Multi-Algorithm Hybrid Optimization of Back Propagation (BP) Neural Networks for Reference Crop Evapotranspiration Prediction Models
Authors: Zheng Yu , Zhang Lixin , Hu Xue , Zhao Jiawei , Dong Wancheng , Zhu Fenglei , Wang Hao
Published: October 2023

The reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) statistic is useful for estimating agricultural system water requirements and managing irrigation. In dry areas, the accurate calculation of ET0 is crucial for optimal agricultural water resource utilization. By investigating the relationship between meteorological information and ET0 in Shihezi City, four prediction models were developed: a BP neural network prediction model, a BP neural network prediction model improved by genetic algorithm (GA-BP), a BP neural network prediction model improved by particle swarm algorithm (PSO-BP), as well as an improved hybrid BP neural network prediction model (GA-PSO-BP). The Pearson correlation analysis found that the key parameters influencing ET0 were temperature (Tmax, Tave, Tmin), hours of sunshine (N), relative humidity (RH), wind speed (U), as well as average pressure (AP). Based on the analysis results, different combinations of meteorological input factors were established for modeling, and the results showed that when the input factors were temperature (Tmax, Tave, Tmin), hours of sunshine (N), as well as relative humidity (RH), the overall effect of the ET0 prediction model was better than the other input combinations, and the GA-PSO-BP prediction model was the best, which could provide some guidance for the deployment and use of water resources. This may assist in the allocation and utilization of agricultural water resources in Shihezi.
Decentralized Wastewater Management in India: Stakeholder Views on Best Available Technologies and Resource Recovery
Authors: Brunner Norbert , Das Sukanya , Singh Anju , Starkl Markus
Published: October 2023

Three workshops with representatives of stakeholders from academia, business, civil society and government in India were organized in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai with the aim to identify and elaborate on key barriers to resource recovery in wastewater treatment (WWT). A structured questionnaire was designed to capture the views of participating stakeholders. Using a new Mathematica function, namely, Around, the responses of the representatives of each stakeholder were aggregated to an approximate number representing that stakeholder’s view. Overall, the stakeholder consensus on WWT technologies was rather conservative, with a focus on the functioning of WWT. Concerning the drivers and barriers for resource recovery and policies to support the implementation of recycling technologies in WWT, stakeholders expected government action to drive recycling. A social network analysis identified potential conflicts between the stakeholder groups.
Coordination of Flood Control under Urbanization on the Taihu Plain: Basin, City and Region Perspectives
Authors: Lu Miao , Kang Congxuan , Yu Zhihui , Zhang Xiuhong
Published: October 2023

Floods have become increasingly frequent and pose more significant risks in delta plains due to rapid urbanization. While previous studies have primarily focused on urban flood management, there has been a limited exploration of coordinated flood control strategies that encompass cities, regions, and basins holistically. In response to this gap, our research aims to quantitatively assess flood control coordination under various scheduling rules and propose optimized strategies to enhance this coordination. Using the Wu-Cheng-Xi-Yu region as our case study, we observed that flood characteristics under different flood control coordination schemes varied slightly, especially the FI. Moreover, the effectiveness of different scheduling optimization schemes varied across different levels. Specifically, at the basin–region, basin–city, and region–city levels, Schemes S8, S7, and S5 demonstrated the highest coordination coefficients, with values of 0.80, 0.67, and 0.68, respectively. In comparison to the current scheduling Scheme (S0), these schemes resulted in significant improvements in flood coordination, with enhancements of 0.68, 0.37, and 0.22, respectively. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the most effective approach to strengthening flood control coordination involves implementing scheduling measures that reduce urban drainage while simultaneously improving the discharge capacity of the basin. Our results could help to alleviate the contradictions of flood control at different levels and provide a solid guarantee for water security.
Prediction for the Sluice Deformation Based on SOA-LSTM-Weighted Markov Model
Authors: Peng Jianhe , Xie Wei , Wu Yan , Sun Xiaoran , Zhang Chunlin , Gu Hao , Zhu Mingyuan , Zheng Sen
Published: October 2023

Increasingly, deformation prediction has become an essential research topic in sluice safety control, which requires significant attention. However, there is still a lack of practical and efficient prediction modeling for sluice deformation. In order to address the limitations in mining the deep features of long-time data series of the traditional statistical model, in this paper, an improved long short-term memory (LSTM) model and weighted Markov model are introduced to predict sluice deformation. In the method, the seagull optimization algorithm (SOA) is utilized to optimize the hyper-parameters of the neural network structure in LSTM primarily to improve the model. Subsequently, the relevant error sequences of the fitting results of SOA-LSTM model are classified and the Markovity of the state sequence is examined. Then, the autocorrelation coefficients and weights of each order are calculated and the weighted and maximum probability values are applied to predict the future random state of the sluice deformation. Afterwards, the prediction model of sluice deformation on the SOA-LSTM-weighted Markov model is proposed. Ultimately, the presented model is used to predict the settlement characteristics of an actual sluice project in China. The analysis results demonstrate that the proposed model possesses the highest values of R2 and the smallest values of RMSE and absolute relative errors for the monitoring data of four monitoring points. Consequently, it concluded that the proposed method shows better prediction ability and accuracy than the SOA-LSTM model and the stepwise regression model.
Características das afasias no Acidente Vascular Cerebral Isquêmico Maligno
Authors: Sales Costa Raíssa Caroline , Silva Rabelo Yoná , Nascimento da Silva Figueiredo Naiany , Vale Sant ́Anna Romeu , Mansueto Mourão Aline
Published: October 2023

Objetivo. Investigar os fatores clínico-neurológicos e a afasia em pacientes com AVCi maligno no hemisfério cerebral esquerdo, submetidos ou não a craniectomia descompressiva durante a internação hospitalar. Método. Estudo descritivo, retrospectivo, com base em análise de prontuário, de uma série de casos, de pacientes internados na Unidade de Acidente Vascular Cerebral (U-AVC), do Hospital Risoleta Tolentino Neves (HRTN), no período de janeiro de 2019 a dezembro de 2021. Os critérios de inclusão foram pacientes acima de 18 anos, de ambos os sexos, que receberam o diagnóstico de AVCi maligno pela Neurologia, e que passaram pela avaliação Fonoaudiológica, onde verificou-se a descrição das características da afasia dos pacientes, com foco nas sintomatologias linguísticas apresentadas, seguido pela intervenção fonoaudiológica na unidade. Resultados. Cinco pacientes foram selecionados e classificados com quadros afásicos não fluentes, porém com gravidades e características diferentes. Três dos participantes realizaram craniectomia descompressiva e todos os cinco participantes apresentaram quadro de disfagia. O tempo, em média, para início da abordagem dos aspectos de linguagem foram 10 dias, e os cinco pacientes apresentaram melhora da linguagem à alta hospitalar. Conclusão. Os pacientes apresentaram quadros afásicos não fluentes com melhora linguística após intervenção Fonoaudiológica, sendo a compreensão e a presença de expressões orais, as principais características evolutivas observadas entre os participantes.
PENYELENGGARAAN PENDIDIKAN AGAMA KATOLIK DI INDONESIA
Authors: Jelahu Timotius Tote , Prayitno Anselmus Joko , Wuringningsih Fransisca Romana
Published: October 2023

This article reviews Catholic Religious Education in Schools. Two things raised in this article are the formal basis in Catholic Religious Education in schools. This study uses a qualitative approach to produce descriptive data with data sources including government regulations, Church documents, and relevant previous studies. There are three conclusions from this article. First, Catholic Religious Education in schools has a constitutional basis and should be in line with the goals of National Education. First, Catholic Religious Education in schools has a constitutional basis and must be in line with the goals of National Education. Third, the performance of Catholic Religious Education in Schools is a collaboration between the Church and the Goverment. Third, the performance of Catholic Religious Education in Schools is a collaboration between the Church and the Goverment.
Development of Risk Assessment Framework for Political Risk Guarantee in Public-Private Partnership Projects
Authors: Permana Andre , Tiong Lee Kong Robert
Published: October 2023

In Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, guarantees can be regarded as a government fiscal support. Due to its uncertainty, one of the key challenges in guarantee valuation is to define appropriate assumptions for underlying risk factors since infrastructure projects are not assets that can be explicitly linked to an observable market price. While very few governments formally measure them, it is also found that sometimes the assessment on political risk covered by the guarantees is highly subjective and ambiguous. This paper proposes a methodology that combined quantitative and qualitative approach for contingent liabilities assessment for PPP infrastructure projects with focus on political risk. It uses fuzzy sets based risk assessment that quantifies expert opinion on likelihood and impact of risk factors into an input to quantitative risk analysis. A particular developing country is chosen so that the proposed methodology can be applied according to the country and infrastructure sectors specific context.
Policy Model for Sustainable Drinking Water Supply System
Authors: Adhitya Wardhana Yuki Mahardhito
Published: October 2023

In RPJMN 2015-2019, the government has aimed to reach a 100% drinking water services coverage throughout Indonesia in 2019. The actual proper drinking water coverage until 2015 was still at 67.7%. This research seeks to formulate a policy model for sustainable drinking water management system. The method of analysis used in this research is the process model method. The results obtained in this study are policy models for sustainable SPAM development that will include the main variables of this system: raw water source, water treatment processes, and water distribution.
Developing Stakeholder Engagement for Infrastructure Projects
Authors: Widianingrum Ratna
Published: October 2023

The relatively high economic growth leads to an increase in infrastructure needs in Indonesia. Providing these needs for infrastructure has an irreplaceable role in improving the overall quality of life of the population, therefore its success requires support and commitment from various stakeholder groups. In the context of the support, a concept to approach the stakeholders is known as stakeholder engagement. The objective of this research is to measure the effectiveness of a program in affecting the condition of stakeholders, and in developing the stakeholder engagement which will directly determine the success of infrastructure development. This study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive method through a case study approach to observing the relationship between the use of the stakeholder-involvement program and the level of stakeholder engagement. The results show that the quality of activities (procedural quality, responsiveness quality, quality of outcomes) shows relatively good results with a middle-level involvement. It will require more activities to trigger a more intense relationship and to increase the level of stakeholder engagement in providing their support for infrastructure development.
IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS OF AN INTEGRATED COMMUNITY-BASED PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICE IN ISTANBUL: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION FROM A REFUGEE PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Wincott Megan , Torun Perihan , Hulin Joe
Published: October 2023

Turkey hosts a large number of refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from the Middle East. Despite being exposed to several risk factors for developing mental health conditions, refugees have low contact rates with mental health services in Turkey. The aim of the current study was to explore refugee and service provider perspectives on the characteristics of an integrated community-based psychological counselling programme in Istanbul, which may help to mitigate the barriers to mental health services regularly experienced by refugees. Eight interviews were conducted with three service providers and five Syrian and Afghan refugees who had attended a psychological counselling service in Istanbul between June and July 2021. Data was analysed using framework analysis. Four themes were identified as potential service characteristics which could mitigate barriers to accessing mental health services: (1) reputation-based trust, (2) appointment flexibility, (3) child-friendly spaces and (4) social support. Implications for research and practice are discussed with an emphasis on service development. Patient champion networks, client-centred approaches, and active participation of refugees in the continued development of mental health services are recommended as strategies to increase refugees' engagement with mental health services.
BİR HALK SAĞLIĞI SORUNU: İYOT YETERSİZLİĞİ
Authors: Uğurlu Gökçe , Aslan Dilek
Published: October 2023

Bir halk sağlığı sorunu olan iyot yetersizliğinin halk sağlığı bakış açısıyla güncel bilimsel veriden yararlanarak incelenmesi, verinin farklı değişkenler kullanılarak değerlendirilmesi ve önleme konusunda önerilerin geliştirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. İnceleme kapsamında literatür taraması yapılmıştır. Görsel sunumlarda kullanılan ülkelerin durumlarını gösteren İyot Küresel İş Birliği Ağından alınan veriler, farklı ülkelerden ulusal, bölgesel kapsamda 2005 ve 2020 yılları arasında yapılan durum tespit çalışmalarından yararlanılarak oluşturulmuştur. İnsani Gelişme İndeksi için Birleşmiş Milletler tarafından yayınlanan rapor kullanılmıştır. Verinin görsel sunumu için Microsoft Excel programı kullanılarak haritalandırma yapılmıştır. Dünyada, bazı bölgelerde ve gereksinimi fazla olan, ulaşımı az olan gruplarda iyot yetersizliğinin sorun olduğu görülmüştür. İyot Küresel İş Birliği Ağı’ndan alınan veriye göre 26 ülkede iyot alımı yetersizdir. Alımı yetersiz olarak değerlendirilen 26 ülkenin sekizinin İnsani Gelişme İndeksi düşük, beşinin orta, dördünün yüksek ve sekizinin çok yüksektir. Bir ülkenin İnsani Gelişme İndeksi belirtilmemiştir. İyot alımı yetersiz olarak sınıflandırılan 26 ülke verisinin dokuzu doğurganlık çağında kadınlarda, 15’i okul çağı yaş grubu ve/veya ergenlerde, ikisi yetişkinlerde ve biri tüm yaş gruplarını kapsayacak çalışmalarla yetersizlik saptanmıştır. İyot yetersizliğinden kaynaklanan sorunlar uygun halk sağlığı müdahaleleri ile önlenebilir. Çalışmaların bu yönde yapılması önerilmektedir.