bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of Polymeric Hydrogels Containing Esomeprazole for Oral Delivery: In Vitro and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Characterization
Authors: Ullah Irshad , Farooq Ayesha Shuja , Naz Iffat , Ahmad Waqar , Ullah Hidayat , Sehar Shama , Nawaz Asif
Published: April 2023

Hydrogel is one of the most interesting and excellent candidates for oral drug delivery. The current study focuses on formulation development of hydrogels for controlled oral delivery of esomeprazole. The hydrogels were prepared by solution casting method by dissolving polymers in Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution. Calcium alginate, Hydroxyl propyl methylcellulose (HPMC), acrylic acid and chondroitin sulfate were used in the preparation of hydrogels. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed no incompatibilities between drug and excipients used in the preparation of formulations. The hydrogels were characterized for size and surface morphology. Drug encapsulation efficiency was measured by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy. In vitro release studies were carried out using dissolution apparatus. The formulated hydrogels were then compared with the marketed product in vivo using rabbits. The result indicates that prepared hydrogels have a uniform size with a porous surface. The esomeprazole encapsulation efficiency of the prepared hydrogels was found to be 83.1 ± 2.16%. The esomeprazole-loaded hydrogel formulations showed optimum and Pharmacopeial acceptable range swelling behavior. The release of esomeprazole is controlled for 24 h (85.43 ± 0.32% in 24 h). The swelling and release of drug results make the prepared hydrogels a potential candidate for the controlled delivery of esomeprazole. The release of the drug from prepared hydrogel followed the super case transport-2 mechanism. The in vivo studies showed that prepared hydrogel formulations showed controlled and prolonged release of esomeprazole as compared to drug solution and marketed product. The formulations were kept for stability studies; there was no significant change observed in physical parameters, i.e., (appearance, color change and grittiness) at 40 °C ± 2/75% ± RH. There was a negligible difference in the drug content observed after the stability study suggested that all the formulations are stable under the given conditions for 60 days. The current study provides a valuable perspective on the controlled release profile of Hydroxyl propyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and calcium alginate-based esomeprazole hydrogels.
Tractor-Robot Cooperation: A Heterogeneous Leader-Follower Approach
Authors: Harik El Houssein Chouaib
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we investigated the idea of including mobile robots as complementary machinery to tractors in an agricultural context. The main idea is not to replace the human farmer, but to augment his/her capabilities by deploying mobile robots as assistants in field operations. The scheme is based on a leader–follower approach. The manned tractor is used as a leader, which will be taken as a reference point for a follower. The follower then takes the position of the leader as a target, and follows it in an autonomous manner. This will allow the farmer to multiply the working width by the number of mobile robots deployed during field operations. In this paper, we present a detailed description of the system, the theoretical aspect that allows the robot to autonomously follow the tractor, in addition to the different experimental steps that allowed us to test the system in the field to assess the robustness of the proposed scheme.
Design of Extensible Structured Interferometric Array Utilizing the “Coarray” Concept
Authors: Wang Qiang , Xue Cong , Zhang Shurui , Zhang Renli , Sheng Weixing
Published: April 2023

The optimum placement of receiving telescope antennas is a central topic for designing radio interferometric arrays, and this determines the performance of the obtained information. A variety of arrays are designed for different purposes, and they perform poorly in scalability. In this paper, we consider a subclass of structured sparse arrays, namely nested arrays, and examine the important role of “coarray” in interferometric synthesis imaging, which is utilized to design nested array configurations for a complete uniform Fourier plane coverage in both supersynthesis and instantaneous modes. Both nested arrays and the theory of the coarray have rich research achievements, and we apply them to astronomy to design arrays with good scalability and imaging performance. Simulated celestial source image retrieval performance validates the effectiveness of nested interferometric arrays.
The Respondence of Wave on Sea Surface Temperature in the Context of Global Change
Authors: Yao Ru , Shao Weizeng , Hao Mengyu , Zuo Juncheng , Hu Song
Published: April 2023

Several aspects of global climate change, e.g., the rise of sea level and water temperature anomalies, suggest the advantages of studying wave distributions. In this study, WAVEWATCH-III (WW3) (version 6.07), which is a well-known numerical wave model, was employed for simulating waves over global seas from 1993–2020. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS), current and sea level were used as the forcing fields in the WW3 model. The validation of modelling simulations against the measurements from the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoys and Haiyang-2B (HY-2B) altimeter yielded a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.49 m and 0.63 m, with a correlation (COR) of 0.89 and 0.90, respectively. The terms calculated by WW3-simulated waves, i.e., breaking waves, nonbreaking waves, radiation stress, and Stokes drift, were included in the water temperature simulation by a numerical circulation model named the Stony Brook Parallel Ocean Model (sbPOM). The water temperature was simulated in 2005–2015 using the high-quality Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) data. The validation of sbPOM-simulated results against the measurements obtained from the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography (Argo) buoys yielded a RMSE of 1.12 °C and a COR of 0.99. By the seasonal variation, the interrelation of the currents, sea level anomaly, and significant wave heights (SWHs) were strong in the Indian Ocean. In the strong current areas, the distribution of the sea level was consistent with the SWHs. The monthly variation of SWHs, currents, sea surface elevation, and sea level anomalies revealed that the upward trends of SWHs and sea level anomalies were consistent from 1993–2015 over the global ocean. In the Indian Ocean, the SWHs were obviously influenced by the SST and sea surface wind stress. The rise of wind stress intensity and sea level enlarges the growth of waves, and the wave-induced terms strengthen the heat exchange at the air–sea layer. It was assumed that the SST oscillation had a negative response to the SWHs in the global ocean from 2005–2015. This feedback indicates that the growth of waves could slow down the amplitude of water warming.
A Comparative Assessment of Multi-Source Generation of Digital Elevation Models for Fluvial Landscapes Characterization and Monitoring
Authors: Sudra Paweł , Demarchi Luca , Wierzbicki Grzegorz , Chormański Jarosław
Published: April 2023

Imaging and measuring the Earth’s relief with sensors mounted upon unmanned aerial vehicles is an increasingly frequently used and promising method of remote sensing. In the context of fluvial geomorphology and its applications, e.g., landform mapping or flood modelling, the reliable representation of the land surface on digital elevation models is crucial. The main objective of the study was to assess and compare the accuracy of state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies in generating DEMs for riverscape characterization and fluvial monitoring applications. In particular, we were interested in DAP and LiDAR techniques comparison, and UAV applicability. We carried out field surveys, i.e., GNSS-RTK measurements, UAV and aircraft flights, on islands and sandbars within a nature reserve on a braided section of the Vistula River downstream from the city of Warsaw, Poland. We then processed the data into DSMs and DTMs based on four sources: ULS (laser scanning from UAV), UAV-DAP (digital aerial photogrammetry), ALS (airborne laser scanning), and satellite Pléiades imagery processed with DAP. The magnitudes of errors are represented by the cross-reference of values generated on DEMs with GNSS-RTK measurements. Results are presented for exposed sediment bars, riverine islands covered by low vegetation and shrubs, or covered by riparian forest. While the average absolute height error of the laser scanning DTMs oscillates around 8–11 cm for most surfaces, photogrammetric DTMs from UAV and satellite data gave errors averaging more than 30 cm. Airborne and UAV LiDAR measurements brought almost the perfect match. We showed that the UAV-based LiDAR sensors prove to be useful for geomorphological mapping, especially for geomorphic analysis of the river channel at a large scale, because they reach similar accuracies to ALS and better than DAP-based image processing.
Parallel Computation of Multi-GNSS and Multi-Frequency Inter-Frequency Clock Biases and Observable-Specific Biases
Authors: Li Linyang , Yang Zhen , Jia Zhen , Li Xin
Published: April 2023

With the widespread application of GNSS, the delicate handling of biases among different systems and different frequencies is of critical importance, wherein the inter-frequency clock biases (IFCBs) and observable-specific signal biases (OSBs) should be carefully corrected. Usually, a serial approach is used to calculate these products. To accelerate the computation speed and reduce the time delay, a multicore parallel estimation strategy for IFCBs, code, and phase OSBs by utilizing task parallel library (TPL) is proposed, the parallel computations, including precise point positioning (PPP), IFCBs, and OSBs estimation, being carried out on the basis of data parallelisms and task-based asynchronous programming. Three weeks of observables from the multi-GNSS experiment campaign (MGEX) network is utilized. The result shows that the IFCB errors of GPS Block IIF and GLONASS M+ satellites are nonnegligible, in which the GLONASS M+ satellite R21 shows the largest IFCB of more than 0.60 m, while those of other systems and frequencies are marginal, and the code OSBs present excellent stability with a standard deviation (STD) of 0.10 ns for GPS and approximately 0.20 ns for other satellite systems. Besides, the phase OSBs of all systems show the stability of better than 0.10 ns, wherein the Galileo satellites show the best performance of 0.01 ns. Compared with the single-core serial computing method, the acceleration rates for IFCBs and OSBs estimation are 3.10, 5.53, 9.66, and 17.04 times higher using four, eight, sixteen, and thirty-two physical cores, respectively, through multi-core parallelized execution.
Bearing Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Improved Singular Value Decomposition Package
Authors: Zhu Huibin , He Zhangming , Xiao Yaqi , Wang Jiongqi , Zhou Haiyin
Published: April 2023

The singular value decomposition package (SVDP) is often used for signal decomposition and feature extraction. At present, the general SVDP has insufficient feature extraction ability due to the two-row structure of the Hankel matrix, which leads to mode mixing. In this paper, an improved singular value decomposition packet (ISVDP) algorithm is proposed: the feature extraction ability is improved by changing the structure of the Hankel matrix, and similar signal sub-components are selected by similarity to avoid having the same frequency component signals being decomposed into different sub-signals. In this paper, the effectiveness of ISVDP is illustrated by a set of simulation signals, and it is utilized in fault diagnosis of bearing data. The results show that ISVDP can effectively suppress the model-mixing phenomenon and can extract the fault features in bearing vibration signals more accurately.
MOSFE-Capacitor Silicon Carbide-Based Hydrogen Gas Sensors
Authors: Litvinov Artur , Etrekova Maya , Podlepetsky Boris , Samotaev Nikolay , Oblov Konstantin , Afanasyev Alexey , Ilyin Vladimir
Published: April 2023

The features of the wide band gap SiC semiconductor use in the capacitive MOSFE sensors’ structure in terms of the hydrogen gas sensitivity effect, the response speed, and the measuring signals’ optimal parameters are studied. Sensors in a high-temperature ceramic housing with the Me/Ta2O5/SiCn+/4H-SiC structures and two types of gas-sensitive electrodes were made: Palladium and Platinum. The effectiveness of using Platinum as an alternative to Palladium in the MOSFE-Capacitor (MOSFEC) gas sensors’ high-temperature design is evaluated. It is shown that, compared with Silicon, the use of Silicon Carbide increases the response rate, while maintaining the sensors’ high hydrogen sensitivity. The operating temperature and test signal frequency influence for measuring the sensor’s capacitance on the sensitivity to H2 have been studied.
A Survey on Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithms for Robotic Manipulation
Authors: Han Dong , Mulyana Beni , Stankovic Vladimir , Cheng Samuel
Published: April 2023

Robotic manipulation challenges, such as grasping and object manipulation, have been tackled successfully with the help of deep reinforcement learning systems. We give an overview of the recent advances in deep reinforcement learning algorithms for robotic manipulation tasks in this review. We begin by outlining the fundamental ideas of reinforcement learning and the parts of a reinforcement learning system. The many deep reinforcement learning algorithms, such as value-based methods, policy-based methods, and actor–critic approaches, that have been suggested for robotic manipulation tasks are then covered. We also examine the numerous issues that have arisen when applying these algorithms to robotics tasks, as well as the various solutions that have been put forth to deal with these issues. Finally, we highlight several unsolved research issues and talk about possible future directions for the subject.
Achieving Gender Equality through Paid and Unpaid Work: An Exploration of Mothers’ Perspectives on Work
Authors: Madörin Sarah , Jacinto Sofia
Published: April 2023

The prevailing understanding of work as paid work is reflected in political efforts to achieve gender equality, which include emphasising that women, like men, should increasingly pursue paid work. This exploratory research aims to question whether this idea to align female with male life patterns is conducive to gender equality and to promote new insights based on mothers’ experiences. Our analysis is based on guided interviews with eight Swiss mothers in part-time employment who have at least one child aged three or older, and a working partner in the same household. The interviews show that these mothers do not share the expectation that all mothers should take on the main responsibility for domestic and care work, nor the expectation that all women should be doing full-time paid work. They would like to see greater acceptance and appreciation of different forms of work. This research concludes that gender justice can be understood as a freedom of choice that includes both the right to be doing paid work and the right to have time for domestic and care work—for men and women. Gender equality efforts do not have to be restricted to one form of work, but can leave room for different types of work and the appreciation of them.
Value of Critical Thinking in the Labour Market: Variations in Employers’ and Employees’ Views
Authors: Indrašienė Valdonė , Jegelevičienė Violeta , Merfeldaitė Odeta , Penkauskienė Daiva , Pivorienė Jolanta , Railienė Asta , Sadauskas Justinas
Published: April 2023

The fragmentation and narrowness of research on critical thinking in the labour market and the lack of critical thinking analysis in the context of the interplay between lifelong learning, education and the labour market presuppose the relevance of this article. The article analyses the views of employers and employees, highlighting their attitude toward the importance and manifestation of critical thinking in the labour market and the need for improving critical thinking competency. The article aims to answer the following problematic questions: (1) How important are critical thinking skills and dispositions in the labour market? (2) How do employers’ and employees’ opinions vary regarding critical thinking in professional activities? (3) What need is there to improve critical thinking skills and dispositions? Quantitative research methodology was chosen for data collection using a questionnaire. It was found that both employers and employees consider inference and argumentation to be the most important critical thinking skills in the modern labour market; however, their attitude toward self-regulation, which is highly regarded by employees, but not by employers, is fundamentally different. Both employers and employees understand the importance of dispositions and value them similarly. Both groups have the least regard for having scepticism. The assessment of critical thinking skills and dispositions in specific professional activities differs from the assessment in the labour market in general. In professional activities, substantiated decisions, flexibility and unbiased decisions are especially valued by both groups, and the skills listed as being in most need of improvement are the same ones that were given as being important. The attitudes of both groups were distinguished by assigning value to dispositions that need improvement. Employees are more likely than employers to work on dispositions that denote operational autonomy. The study also revealed correlations between various groups of critical thinking skills and dispositions, demonstrating both employers’ and employees’ deliberate choice in assessing one or other constituent of critical thinking competence and the perception of their interrelationships.
Digital Transformation and Corporate Environmental Green Innovation Nexus: An Approach towards Green Innovation Improvement
Authors: Ma Fenfen , Fahad Shah , Yan Shuxi , Zhang Yapeng
Published: April 2023

The impact of digital transformation on green innovation is widely discussed. However, existing studies mainly focus on the impact of the digital transformation of enterprises and fintech company development on environmental green innovation, while ignoring the effect of the digital transformation of commercial banks (DTCB) on corporate green innovation. Therefore, to fill the research gap, this paper explores the impact of DTCB on environmental green innovation in companies based on the data of listed companies from 2010 to 2019. This study finds that DTCB has significantly promoted enterprises’ environmental green innovation. Mechanism analysis shows that DTCB can promote green environmental innovation by increasing R&D expenditures and reducing agency costs. The heterogeneity analysis indicates that DTCB can only promote the green environmental innovation of private enterprises and enterprises with a high degree of digital transformation, but it cannot promote the green environmental innovation of state-owned enterprises and enterprises with a low degree of digital transformation. From the perspective of DTCB, this paper enriches the research on the relationship between digital finance and enterprise environmental green innovation. The government should promote the digital transformation of enterprises to utilize the green innovation effect of DTCB.
Lithium-Ion Battery Remaining Useful Life Prediction Based on Hybrid Model
Authors: Tang Xuliang , Wan Heng , Wang Weiwen , Gu Mengxu , Wang Linfeng , Gan Linfeng
Published: April 2023

Accurate prediction of the remaining useful life (RUL) is a key function for ensuring the safety and stability of lithium-ion batteries. To solve the capacity regeneration and model adaptability under different working conditions, a hybrid RUL prediction model based on complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) and a bi-directional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) is proposed. CEEMDAN is used to divide the capacity into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) to reduce the impact of capacity regeneration. In addition, an improved grey wolf optimizer (IGOW) is proposed to maintain the reliability of the BiGRU network. The diversity of the initial population in the GWO algorithm was improved using chaotic tent mapping. An improved control factor and dynamic population weight are adopted to accelerate the convergence speed of the algorithm. Finally, capacity and RUL prediction experiments are conducted to verify the battery prediction performance under different training data and working conditions. The results indicate that the proposed method can achieve an MAE of less than 4% with only 30% of the training set, which is verified using the CALCE and NASA battery data.
Promotion of Producer Contribution to Solve Packaging Waste Issues—Viewpoints of Waste Bank Members in the Bandung Area, Indonesia
Authors: Sulami Antonius Priyo Nugroho , Murayama Takehiko , Nishikizawa Shigeo
Published: April 2023

As regulations have developed, the waste management sector in Indonesia has increasingly expected producer involvement in waste reduction activity through the enactment of new regulations. In addition, the recent development of the waste management sector now involves community-based approaches such as waste banks. This study aims to determine the relationship between extended producer responsibility implementation and the waste bank concept. A questionnaire survey was designed and applied to waste bank members of two waste banks in the Bandung municipality, Indonesia. Several factors were identified that can be considered by producers to promote their contribution in dealing with the packaging waste issue, such as producer consideration and contribution, knowledge level, collection, and awareness of the importance of packaging waste issue. The result also shows that involving feedback from waste banks can provide some insights to expand and develop producer contribution in reducing the impact of packaging waste. Producers can improve collection and recyclability of their product packaging while increasing public knowledge on their activity at the post-consumer stage.
Machine Learning Applications for Reliability Engineering: A Review
Authors: Payette Mathieu , Abdul-Nour Georges
Published: April 2023

The treatment of big data as well as the rapid improvement in the speed of data processing are facilitated by the parallelization of computations, cloud computing as well as the increasing number of artificial intelligence techniques. These developments lead to the multiplication of applications and modeling techniques. Reliability engineering includes several research areas such as reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety (RAMS); prognostics and health management (PHM); and asset management (AM), aiming at the realization of the life cycle value. The expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) modeling techniques combined with the various research topics increases the difficulty of practitioners in identifying the appropriate methodologies and techniques applicable. The objective of this publication is to provide an overview of the different machine learning (ML) techniques from the perspective of traditional modeling techniques. Furthermore, it presents a methodology for data science application and how machine learning can be applied in each step. Then, it will demonstrate how ML techniques can be complementary to traditional approaches, and cases from the literature will be presented.
How Does a Regulatory Minority Shareholder Influence the ESG Performance? A Quasi-Natural Experiment
Authors: Song Di , Xu Canyu , Fu Zewei , Yang Chao
Published: April 2023

Based on China’s newly established Securities Investor Services Center (CSISC), a minority shareholder protection mechanism, we investigated how the CSISC shareholder influences the ESG performance of listed companies. Using a difference-in-differences analysis for a sample of Chinese listed companies during 2013–2017, we found that the pilot reform of CSISC shareholding has a positive influence on the ESG performance of listed companies. We also found that this effect exists in large companies and in companies in non-high-polluting industries. Besides, analysts’ attention, external auditing quality, institutional shareholding, and highly-developed market intermediary and legal systems can strengthen the effect of CSISC shareholding on corporate ESG performance. Our findings inspire regulators in emerging markets to establish suitable mechanisms to protect minority shareholder rights in the long run.
Modeling Car-Following Behavior with Different Acceptable Safety Levels
Authors: Li Maosheng , Fan Jing , Lee Jaeyoung
Published: April 2023

In normal car-following (CF) states, the minimum safe braking distance (MSBD) is virtually an unmeasurable variable, mainly due to the diversity of drivers’ reaction times and vehicles’ braking performance. The average MSBD regarding the reaction time and decelerations as constant values is sometimes greater than the distance used for safe braking of the following vehicle when the leading vehicle applies an emergency brake, which is named the short-distance CF behavior. The short-distance CF conveys that drivers adopt strategies of lower acceptable safety levels, which can be applied to intelligent connected technology (ICT). The objective of this paper was to extend the CF model to accommodate manual driving behavior on the state of different safety levels, and to analyze road traffic flow in the environment from manual driving to high-level intelligent driving with different delays. First, the cognitive bias variable was defined as the ratio of the actual braking distance available to the average MSBD to indirectly analyze different safety levels. Second, the Gipps model was extended, depending on the cognitive bias variable threshold and the duration length of the short-distance CF state, to reproduce driving behaviors with different acceptable safety levels more accurately by numerical simulation. Finally, using models to numerically simulate the impact of vehicles on road traffic flow was carried out. CF behaviors with lower acceptable safety levels under manual driving conditions increase traffic efficiency, and road capacity and safety are significantly improved due to ICT enabling a shortened reaction time. The short-distance driving applied to ICT is expected to be a strategy for traffic congestion mitigation.
Increasing Energy Efficiency of Buildings in Serbia—A Case of an Urban Neighborhood
Authors: Djordjević Luka , Pekez Jasmina , Novaković Borivoj , Bakator Mihalj , Djurdjev Mića , Ćoćkalo Dragan , Jovanović Saša
Published: April 2023

Energy efficiency, sustainability, and renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly relevant topics in today’s world. Buildings are one of the largest consumers of energy in society, and as such, improving their energy efficiency by reducing unnecessary energy loss and utilizing solar power is crucial. This paper comprehensively analyzes a neighborhood with buildings characteristic of the researched area by applying empirical and theoretical methods and calculations that have been proven in numerous individual cases. The main contribution of this paper is its demonstration that implementing methods to increase the energy efficiency of buildings and utilizing the potential of solar power can result in significant savings in energy consumption, increase the energy sustainability of the analyzed buildings, and substantially reduce the negative environmental impact. The novelty of this study lies in the location and multiple software applications for data analysis. The data and conclusions obtained in this paper serve as a foundation and path towards sustainable development in the field of energy efficiency for buildings in this and similar areas. Heat loss was calculated by analyzing households in the urban neighborhood of Nova Kolonija. All analyzed houses exceeded the maximum allowed annual required energy for household heating (75 kWh/m2). After the reconstruction and implementation of the proposed measures to increase energy efficiency, all houses met the requirements and entered a higher energy class, C. Energy for heating was reduced from 9294.68 kWh/a to 4641.84 kWh/a, representing a reduction of 50.03%. Simulations were conducted regarding solar rooftop power plant installation of 5655 Wp capacity. Software that was used included: a Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS), Photovoltaic System software (PVsyst 7.3.), and Photovoltaic Design and Simulation software (PV*SOL). The results of the analysis indicated that the average amount of electricity produced is 6186.98 kWh, which meets 98.12% of households’ annual electricity consumption of 6278.41 kWh. The paper contributes to the existing body of literature and provides significant insight for both practical implications and future studies.
The Evolution and Factors Affecting the Distribution Industry in Poverty-Stricken Counties of Henan Province, China
Authors: Chen Yiwei , Xu Yuhuan , Li Sijin , Huang Yin
Published: April 2023

Under the background of rural revitalization and domestic and international double circulation, vigorously developing the rural distribution industry is an important measure needed to accelerate the process of urban–rural integration, and to enhance the effect of poverty alleviation. In this study, 36 poverty-stricken counties in the southeast of Henan Province, China were selected as research objects; the evolution characteristics and factors influencing the counties’ distribution industries and their development were studied, using the modified gravity model, exploratory spatial data analysis, and a spatial econometric model. The overall scale of the county-level distribution industry in the poverty-stricken areas of southeast Henan expanded, but regional development was uneven, and a spatial pattern of “high in the northeast–low in the southwest” was demonstrated. Meanwhile, the development of the distribution industry in the counties of the district had a circular spatial trend of “agglomeration–diffusion–agglomeration”, with a significant local spatial polarization effect. In addition, the technology level, market demand, population size, and industrial structure adjustment had positive spatial spillover effects on the development of counties’ distribution industries, while labor and capital exerted negative spatial spillover effects. On this basis, to promote the interactive development of the distribution industry and rural economic growth and further accelerate the process of urban–rural integration, we should continually optimize the spatial layout of the distribution industry, improve the construction of county-level circulation infrastructure, and boost new circulation formats and models.
A Study on the Parametric Design Parameters That Influence Environmental Ergonomics and Sustainability
Authors: López-López Dariel , Serrano-Jiménez Antonio , Gavilanes Juan , Ventura-Blanch Ferran , Barrios-Padura Ángela , Díaz-López Carmen
Published: April 2023

The parametric design applied to the built environment is critical to creating sustainable and resilient spaces. However, this research field involves a vast and complex amount of disconnected information. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse research trends in applying parametric design to optimise sustainability and environmental ergonomics parameters in built environments. The following specific objectives are identified to meet this objective: (i) a quantitative analysis based on a systematic literature review; (ii) a qualitative review based on a performance analysis and scientific mapping; and (iii) a comparative analysis of case studies applying parametric language for the optimisation of sustainability and environmental ergonomics parameters. The 1045 research records covering 1974 to 2021 illustrate a field in development that evolves from early digital advances to climate change adaptations, the circular economy and resilience. It highlights the importance of applying bioclimatic techniques in the built environment, identifying the most optimised measures and encouraging the creation of guidelines to serve as a protocol for future studies, contributing to the existing body of knowledge by highlighting trends, establishing research themes, outlining research networks and suggesting areas for further studies.
Air Pollution and Enterprise Energy Efficiency: Evidence from Energy-Intensive Manufacturing Industries in China
Authors: Xiao Tingting , Liu Zhong
Published: April 2023

This study aims to investigate the causal effect of air pollution on enterprise-level energy efficiency in the energy-intensive manufacturing industries of China. To address the potential endogenous problem, it employs thermal inversions as the instrumental variable. The study finds that air pollution would significantly decrease enterprise-level energy efficiency. It shows heterogeneous influences of air pollution on enterprise-level energy efficiency, varying with enterprise ownership, enterprise age, enterprise location, and regional energy resource endowment. This study further reveals that air pollution exerts a negative influence on enterprise-level energy efficiency through the mechanisms of decreasing enterprise productivity (both total factor productivity and labor productivity), increasing enterprise total energy consumption, and lowering enterprise exports. The findings of this study provide an economic rationale for enterprises to motivate themselves to reduce air pollution and have important implications for policymaking in China and other developing countries.
Ordering Unicyclic Connected Graphs with Girth g ≥ 3 Having Greatest SK Indices
Authors: Hui Wang , Aslam Adnan , Kanwal Salma , Akram Mahnoor , Shaikh Tahira Sumbal , Zuo Xuewu
Published: April 2023

For a graph, the SK index is equal to the half of the sum of the degrees of the vertices, the SK1 index is equal to the half of the product of the degrees of the vertices, and the SK2 index is equal to the half of the square of the sum of the degrees of the vertices. This paper shows a simple and unified approach to the greatest SK indices for unicyclic graphs by using some transformations and characterizes these graphs with the first, second, and third SK indices having order r ≥ 5 and girth g ≥ 3, where girth is the length of the shortest cycle in a graph.
Impact of Enniatin and Deoxynivalenol Co-Occurrence on Plant, Microbial, Insect, Animal and Human Systems: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives
Authors: Valenti Irene , Tini Francesco , Sevarika Milos , Agazzi Alessandro , Beccari Giovanni , Bellezza Ilaria , Ederli Luisa , Grottelli Silvia , Pasquali Matias , Romani Roberto , Saracchi Marco , Covarelli Lorenzo
Published: April 2023

Fusarium mycotoxins commonly contaminate agricultural products resulting in a serious threat to both animal and human health. The co-occurrence of different mycotoxins in the same cereal field is very common, so the risks as well as the functional and ecological effects of mycotoxins cannot always be predicted by focusing only on the effect of the single contaminants. Enniatins (ENNs) are among the most frequently detected emerging mycotoxins, while deoxynivalenol (DON) is probably the most common contaminant of cereal grains worldwide. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the simultaneous exposure to these mycotoxins, with emphasis on the combined effects in multiple organisms. Our literature analysis shows that just a few studies on ENN–DON toxicity are available, suggesting the complexity of mycotoxin interactions, which include synergistic, antagonistic, and additive effects. Both ENNs and DON modulate drug efflux transporters, therefore this specific ability deserves to be explored to better understand their complex biological role. Additionally, future studies should investigate the interaction mechanisms of mycotoxin co-occurrence on different model organisms, using concentrations closer to real exposures.
Processing Properties and Potency of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry Toxins in the Rice Leaffolder Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenée)
Authors: Yang Yajun , Wu Zhihong , He Xiaochan , Xu Hongxing , Lu Zhongxian
Published: April 2023

Different Cry toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) possess different insecticidal spectra, whereas insects show variations in their susceptibilities to different Cry toxins. Degradation of Cry toxins by insect midgut extracts was involved in the action of toxins. In this study, we explored the processing patterns of different Cry toxins in Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) midgut extracts and evaluated the impact of Cry toxins degradation on their potency against C. medinalis to better understand the function of midgut extracts in the action of different Cry toxins. The results indicated that Cry1Ac, Cry1Aa, and Cry1C toxins could be degraded by C. medinalis midgut extracts, and degradation of Cry toxins by midgut extracts differed among time or concentration effects. Bioassays demonstrated that the toxicity of Cry1Ac, Cry1Aa, and Cry1C toxins decreased after digestion by midgut extracts of C. medinalis. Our findings in this study suggested that midgut extracts play an important role in the action of Cry toxins against C. medinalis, and the degradation of Cry toxins by C. medinalis midgut extracts could reduce their toxicities to C. medinalis. They will provide insights into the action of Cry toxins and the application of Cry toxins in C. medinalis management in paddy fields.
Degradation of Tetracycline Using a Magnetic Gadolinium-Decorated Nanoplatform: A Peroxidase Biomimetic System with Fenton-Like Catalysis
Authors: Hamidian Nesa , Dehghan Gholamreza , Rashtbari Samaneh , Khataee Alireza , Khoobi Mehdi , Sheibani Nader
Published: April 2023

Pharmaceutical pollutants such as tetracycline (TC) pose a growing global threat to aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Developing new methods for the degradation of these pollutants would be a significant advancement in their management. The progress in the development of synthetic enzymes based on nanomaterials has resulted in their replacement for natural enzymes with higher performance quality. In this work, a magnetite/Gd3+/β-cyclodextrin nanoplatform was prepared and used for TC degradation for the first time. The characterization studies were carried out using various methods, including SEM, XRD, and FTIR. The peroxidase-mimic activity of the synthesized nanoplatform was evaluated using a colorimetric assay. Kinetic parameters, including Km and Vmax, were obtained using TMB (3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine) and H2O2. The results indicated that prepared particles had a lower Km value than horseradish peroxidase (HRP), which confirmed the higher affinity of the prepared nanoplatform toward its substrates. We also demonstrated that our recyclable nanoplatform (3 mg/mL) was able to degrade 82% of TC (4.5 mM) in 85 min without any initiator such as light or ultrasonic waves. Collectively, these results confirmed the high affinity of the synthesized nanoplatform toward desired substrates, including TC.
Characteristics of Very Large-Scale Motions in Rough-Bed Open-Channel Flows
Authors: Shen Ying , Yang Shengfa , Liu Jie
Published: April 2023

Rough-bed open-channel flows (OCFs) are ubiquitous in rivers and canals. However, the scaling and energy contents of very-large-scale motions (VLSMs) in such flows remain unclear. In this study, the above characteristics of VLSMs are experimentally investigated with the measurement of particle imaging velocimetry (PIV). VLSM wavelengths obtained via premultiplied spectra analysis were consistent with previously reported values. Comparisons with these studies ruled out the role of relative submergence, and suggested that the channel aspect ratio is key to controlling the VLSM wavelengths in OCFs. VLSMs carry approximately 60% of the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) and 38–50% of the Reynolds stress in rough-bed OCFs. The VLSM-related TKE fraction in the 0.1–0.5H range increased with increasing friction Reynolds number, while variation in the Reynolds shear stress did not exhibit any explicit trend.
Factors associated with knowledge about ‘Undetectable HIV viral load is Untransmittable’ among Zambian adults on antiretroviral therapy: a mixed method approach
Authors: Ngwenya Fredrick , Makasa Mpundu
Published: April 2023

Background: Knowledge of ‘Undetectable HIV viral load (VL) is Untransmittable’ (U=U) motivates optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Objective: This study assessed factors associated with knowledge about U=U among Zambian people living with HIV on ART. Design: The study used questionnaires and in-depth interviews (IDIs) concurrently between December 2018 and January 2019. Three high volume health facilities, Chilenje, Chipata, and Kalingalinga, were selected. A single proportion of 63.4% of HIV VL suppression (VLS) in Lusaka Province was used to calculate a sample size of 362 respondents. Probability proportional to size procedure was used to apportion the sample to the study sites while a simple random technique was employed in selecting respondents aged 18–59 years and on ART for over 9 months. Stata 14 was used to run descriptive and chi-square statistical analyses. Fifty-five respondents were drawn from 362 respondents for IDIs. The selection was based on varied VL levels. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically, and the findings merged in the discussion. Results: Approximately, 34.5% of the 362 respondents (n = 125) had knowledge about U=U. The VLS status was significantly associated with U=U knowledge (P = 0.01). Discussion: Diverse information sources, symbiotic understanding of VL, and treatment-as-prevention benefits were enablers of acquiring more knowledge about U=U, while inadequate health discussion about VL and congestion and waiting time were barriers. Conclusions: The findings suggest that increased information sharing on the implication of suppressed VL being able to prevent HIV transmission could motivate people living with HIV to adhere to ART, thus sustaining VLS.
ПРОКУРАТУРА УКРАЇНИ ЯК СУБ’ЄКТ ЗАПОБІГАННЯ КРИМІНАЛЬНИМ ПРАВОПОРУШЕННЯМ У СФЕРІ ВИКОНАННЯ ПОКАРАНЬ І ПРОБАЦІЇ УКРАЇНИ
Authors: Ковальчук В.
Published: April 2023

У даній науковій статті здійснено аналіз змісту нормативно-правових актів, які регулюють діяльність органів прокуратури України, а також з’ясовано її соціально-правові можливості у запобіганні кримінальним правопорушенням у сфері виконання покарань і пробації.
ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ МІЛІЦІЇ УРСР У ЛИСТОПАДІ 1941 - СЕРЕДИНІ СІЧНЯ 1942 РОКІВ
Authors: Ярмиш О. , Греченко В.
Published: April 2023

Досліджуються основні аспекти та напрями діяльності органів міліції в один з найважчих періодів радянсько-німецької війни - кінець 1941 р. – початок 1942 р. Виявлено, що основною проблемою, яка утруднювала діяльність міліції в цей час, був значний некомплект кадрів, особливо серед оперуповноважених та інспекторів. Головна увага в роботі міліції в цей час приділялася протидії бандитизму і дезертирству, виявленню ухильників від мобілізації, боротьбі з мародерами, грабіжниками, крадіями та іншими кримінальними злочинцями, виявлення та притягнення до кримінальної відповідальності спекулянтів та розкрадачів державної власності.
ІДЕЇ ТА ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ ФРІДЕРІКА СКАРБКА ЩОДО РЕФОРМУВАННЯ В’ЯЗНИЦЬ У КОРОЛІВСТВІ ПОЛЬСЬКОМУ
Authors: Сокальська О.
Published: April 2023

Проаналізовано пенітенціарні ідеї, погляди на мету покарання у виді позбавлення волі та діяльність по реформуванню карних закладів польського вченого та політичного діяча Фрідеріка Флоріана Скарбка, визначено концептуальні, управлінські та організаційні аспекти реалізації тюремних перетворень у Королівстві Польському Конгресовому, окреслено участь філантропа у формуванні міжнародного пенітенціарного дискурсу реформ.
Le dénuement cynique
Authors: Pietra Régine
Published: April 2023

«The Cynic ’s Nakedness »

It seems to us that, in a general reflection about the nudity, the greek cynics had something to teach us, since they had made denudation their battlehorse both in the literal and in the figurative sense. Their philosophy incites us to strip naked, to allow Nature in its nudity to speak, to do away with all the finery constituted by compliances, social roles, the positions acquired by wealth, the hypocritical attitudes forstered by politeness, to shake off the make believe of usage and morality.

Relying on the texts left us by doxographs and concerning the cynics, we have demonstrated the specificity of their relationship with the body and Nature, specificity which sometimes manifests itself demonstrated by provocative attitudes aimed at destabilization and reflexion. A philosophy of gesture and invective, unconnected with any system, cynicism disquiets and it is precisely this salutary disquiet which explains why it can, to this day, attract us.
Ron Athey ou le corps comme ultime recours
Authors: Souladié Catherine
Published: April 2023

Le body artiste américain Ron Athey se présente, depuis 1980, comme le chaman de la génération “piercing”. Gay, séropositif, porte-parole des minorités, il propose un art corporel provocateur, agressif et violent, s’inspirant à la fois des pratiques sado-masochistes et des rites initiatiques des Indiens Mandans. Piercings, scarifications, brandings et autres “tortures” mettent en scène un corps “écœurant”, nouvelle version du corps-viande pornographique de Michel Joumiac. Faisant suite à la déferlante punk, il rejoint son compatriote Fakir Musafar dans une redéfinition esthétique du corps, avec des pratiques auto-mutilatoires et érotiques. Ce nouveau corps sanglant est aussi politique : par une suite de provocations, il dénonce la réalité d’un corps socialisé et conformiste, mettant en scène tabous et faiblesses de la société américaine. Son sang, porteur de mort, offert en martyr, propose un nouveau mode de communion.
Figurer les passions : La conférence générale et particulière de Charles Le Brun
Authors: Talon-Hugon Carole
Published: April 2023

Charles Le Brun dans un exposé intitulé Conférence sur l’expression générale et particulière (1668), entend répondre à une question qui traverse l’histoire de la peinture : comment figurer les sentiments, c’est-à-dire somme toute, l’invisible ? La réponse singulière qu’il apporte ne se comprend que rapportée à une triple perspective : celle de la très ancienne tradition physiognomonique, celle d’une théorie thomiste et cartésienne des passions, et enfin celle d’une doctrine picturale : la théorie humaniste de l’expression.
Des figures du visage aux visages des figures
Authors: Lafargue Bernard
Published: April 2023

Si l’apparition du prosopon dans la démocratie grecque du Ve siècle avant Jésus-Christ a suscité le pinceau du peintre, le portrait a mis en évidence la liberté de la figure humaine. Bien loin que le visage de l’homme interdise la figuration, ainsi que le pensait Lévinas, c’est la tradition figurative qui a donné à l’homme un visage digne d’un respect et d’une attention toujours renouvelés, les portraits de Velasquez reconfigurant ceux de Titien qui eux-mêmes renconfiguraient ceux de Giorgione qui eux-mêmes reconfiguraient ceux de Vinci, etc. . . dans une sorte de prosopopée infinie du prosopon. A contrario les cultures, qui réservent à Dieu seul le droit de faire des figures, empêchent ses fidèles d’avoir un visage.