bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution Law of Acoustic–Thermal Effect of Freeze–Thaw Sandstone Failure Based on Coupling of Multivariate Monitoring Information
Authors: Liu Hui , Ren Jianxi , Dai Xinyue , Mei Can , Wang Di , Wang Runqi , Zhu Minkai
Published: June 2023

The instability and failure of rock that has been frozen and thawed cause serious rock engineering accidents in cold regions. Exploring the precursor information of freeze–thaw rock failure is of great theoretical value and engineering significance. Real-time uniaxial compression acoustic thermal monitoring experiments were conducted on freeze–thaw sandstone, and non-contact rock fracture precursor warning indicators were proposed. According to the coupled analysis of acoustic–thermal monitoring information, a precursor information chain for freeze–thaw rocks was established in time and space, and the spatiotemporal evolution of damage and acoustic thermal effects of freeze–thaw sandstone under compressive load was studied. The freeze–thaw cycle enhances the sensitivity of acoustic–thermal precursor information. Significant synchronous changes in ring count often occur during the rapid expansion period of damage, which can provide an essential reference for the occurrence and intensification of damage. The sequence of precursor warning information during the process of freeze–thaw sandstone compression failure is in the order of thermal infrared temperature → acoustic emission ringing count → acoustic emission energy → infrared thermal image. Thermal infrared temperature and acoustic emission precursor information can help in prioritizing early warning of rock damage in terms of time. At the same time, thermal image anomalies can predict potential fracture areas of rocks.
Landolt Indicator Values in Modern Research: A Review
Authors: Ivanova Natalya , Zolotova Ekaterina
Published: June 2023

The conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability is essential for human well-being. An important tool for addressing this issue is ecological indicators. This overview document examines recent studies covering the period 2018–2022 that use the values of the Landolt indicator as one of the analysis methods. The total number of records examined was 8910. After excluding irrelevant, inconsistent and duplicate records, 91 records were selected. The selection criteria were the presence of the English abstract and a digital object identifier (DOI). We chose the VOSviewer software for data analysis and visualization. The analysis of research geography, types of plant communities under research, research topics, the network of co-authorship and relationship papers, as well as the publication activity and citation rate of the authors, is carried out. The results revealed that the geography of using Landolt indicator values is quite wide, while they are more often used in Switzerland, Italy and Russia. The most important and frequently cited studies were carried out in the context of large international projects, confirming the importance of scientific cooperation in the development of environmental indicators. The Landolt indicator values showed effectiveness in the study of forests, bogs, riparian vegetation, a coarse quarry waste dump, and in assessing the urban environment. At the same time, the vegetation dynamics and influence of various factors on plants were studied most often. It was revealed that Landolt indicator values can serve as an effective universal method that integrates many aspects of the environment and allows for a comprehensive multicriteria analysis of environmental factors, habitat stability, vegetation diversity and dynamics for different plant communities at different spatial scales over a wide geographical area. This is confirmed by the high citation rate of the papers. We recommend the Landolt indicator values for a wider use, including in the monitoring of ecosystems and individual species for their conservation and sustainable management. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to extend the network of relationships between the authors, which is not very well developed at the moment. The research results obtained are useful for the further successful development not only of the Landolt indicator values but also of environmental indicators in general.
Analysis of the Spatial–Temporal Evolution of the Digital Economy and Its Impact on the Employment Structure in China from 2001 to 2020
Authors: Zhu Ting , Chen Xiaqing , Zhang Wenwen , Sharp Basil
Published: June 2023

The scale of the digital economy has increased rapidly, which, to some extent, has improved the employment environment. However, the relationship between the digital economy and the employment structure is still uncertain. The primary objective of this study is to examine whether the digital economy in China can improve the employment structure. Specifically, we research the digital economy’s spatial–temporal evolution, and the heterogeneity and mechanism of this influence. The hypothesis is that “the level of digital economy development has a positive impact on the employment structure”. Based on evidence from China’s 30 provinces from 2001 to 2020, we construct a comprehensive system to measure the provincial digital economy and use the entropy method for calculation. Using spatial correlation analysis, the spatial distribution of the digital economy is analyzed. The relationship between the digital economy and the employment structure is explored via the ordinary least squares model, with the development level of the digital economy as the core explanatory variable and the employment structure as the explained variable. Results show that the high–high clustering gradually moves from the eastern to the central region. The development of the digital economy can significantly improve the employment structure by improving the industrial structure. However, heterogeneity exists, which is affected by the geographical location, degree of marketization, level of economic development, and whether it is located in a coastal area.
Exploring the Relationship between Urbanization and Ikization
Authors: Ye Lü , Chen Yanguang , Long Yuqing
Published: June 2023

The phenomenon of Iks was first found by anthropologists and biologists, but it is actually a problem of human geography. However, it has not yet drawn extensive attention of geographers. Based on the relationship between urbanization and ikization, this paper is devoted to constructing a model to explain ikization. The research methods include literature-based analogy, mathematical modeling, empirical analysis, and numerical experiments. The main findings are as follows. First, the generalized production function can be used to model the behavior of ikization resulting from dramatic changes in the geographical environment and sudden cultural rupture. Second, nonlinear replacement dynamic models can be used to explain the possibility of rapid urbanization leading to ikization. Observational data is utilized to verify the fast urbanization mode, and numerical experimentation is employed to reveal the possible key factor causing ikization. The principal conclusions can be reached that social transition should adopt a relatively mild approach to changing, and protecting the geographical environment and reviving traditional culture contribute to national sustainable development.
A Quality Control Improvement Model That Takes into Account the Sustainability Concept and KPIs
Authors: Pacana Andrzej , Czerwińska Karolina
Published: June 2023

Nowadays, in addition to quality aspects, social and environmental issues are also a source of competitive advantage, as a result of changing socio-economic conditions and observed trends. The purpose of the study was to create a model for improving quality control in line with the concept of sustainable development. The model captures the microfoundational approach, and allows identifying quality capability with the idea of sustainable development. The proposed method is based on analyses of the characteristic parameters of methods for detecting aluminum casting nonconformities using automated or semi-automated nondestructive methods. The interdisciplinary approach takes into account indicators from the leading areas of sustainable development (economic, environmental and social dimensions) to determine the gradation of detection methods. Verification of the model confirmed its usefulness in foundry companies. As a result, a ranking of the total efficiency of the analyzed detection methods used in the quality control of the studied product was obtained. This enabled the development of energy, emission and cost optimization of the inspection process while maintaining the expected level of quality. Further research directions will concern the expansion of the model with additional key indicators related to the concept of pure quality control and automation of the implementation of analysis.
Applications of Virtual and Augmented Reality Technology to Teaching and Research in Construction and Its Graphic Expression
Authors: Rueda Márquez de la Plata Adela , Cruz Franco Pablo Alejandro , Ramos Sánchez Jorge Alberto
Published: June 2023

Immersive virtual reality (VR) technology is constantly evolving and is used in various fields of work in our daily lives. However, traditional methodologies are still mostly used in education. There is a disconnect between education and the world of work, and future professionals need to be updated to new working methods in order to be able to compete in the labour market. The main objective of this study is based on testing the effectiveness of digital didactic resources in the teaching–learning process, as well as providing students with the digital competences to use these tools. The methodology generated by the research team in the development of architectural projects has been applied in teaching workshops with experimental and motivating strategies for students using accessible digital teaching resources that allow autonomous learning. With this we have proven the effectiveness of the method and the opportunities it offers us in education. The results obtained have been twofold: on the one hand we have increased the interest and motivation of the students by making them participants in their own training, and on the other hand we have started a fruitful path in the generation of repositories with virtual didactic content that allows us to provide greater accessibility to knowledge.
The Action Point Angle of Sight: A Traffic Generation Method for Driving Simulation, as a Small Step to Safe, Sustainable and Smart Cities
Authors: Pham Do Minh Sang , Kemanji Ketoma Vix , Nguyen Man Dinh Vinh , Vu Tuan Anh , Meixner Gerrit
Published: June 2023

Computer simulations of traffic and driving provide essential solutions to reduce risk and cost in traffic-related studies and research. Through nearly 90 years of simulation development, many research projects have attempted to improve the various aspects of realism through the use of traffic theory, cameras, eye-tracking devices, sensors, etc. However, the previous studies still present limitations, such as not being able to simulate mixed and chaotic traffic flows, as well as limited integration/interoperability with 3D driving simulators. Thus, instead of reusing previous traffic simulators, in this paper, we define relevant concepts and describe the development and testing of a novel traffic generator. First, we introduce realistic aspects to improve traffic generation, including interactive physics (i.e., interactions based on physics among the vehicles, infrastructure, and weather) and natural traffic behaviors (e.g., road user behaviors and traffic rules), allowing the self-driving vehicle behaviors to mimic human behaviors under stochastic factors such as random vehicles and speed. Second, we gain experiences from the technical deficiencies of existing systems. Third, we propose methods for traffic generation based on the action point angle of sight (APAS) formula, which adheres to these constraints and is interoperable with modern driving simulators. We also conducted quantitative evaluations in two experiments (comprising 250 trials), in order to prove that the proposed solution can effectively simulate mixed traffic flows. Moreover, the approaches presented in this study can help self-driving cars to find their way at an intersection/T-junction, as well as allowing them to steer automatically after an accident occurs. The results indicate that traffic generation algorithms based on these new traffic theories can be effectively implemented and used in modern driving simulators and multi-driving simulators, outperforming previous traffic generators based on repurposed technologies.
Improving the Accuracy of Coal-Rock Dynamic Hazard Anomaly Detection Using a Dynamic Threshold and a Depth Auto-Coding Gaussian Hybrid Model
Authors: Kong Yulei , Luo Zhengshan
Published: June 2023

A coal-rock dynamic disaster is a rapid instability and failure process with dynamic effects and huge disastrous consequences that occurs in coal-rock mass under mining disturbance. Disasters lead to catastrophic consequences, such as mine collapse, equipment damage, and casualties. Early detection can prevent the occurrence of disasters. However, due to the low accuracy of anomaly detection, disasters still occur frequently. In order to improve the accuracy of anomaly detection for coal-rock dynamic disasters, this paper proposes an anomaly detection method based on a dynamic threshold and a deep self-encoded Gaussian mixture model. First, pre-mining data were used as the initial threshold, and the subsequent continuously arriving flow data were used to dynamically update the threshold to solve the impact of artificially setting the threshold on the detection accuracy. Second, feature dimensionality reduction and reorganization of the data were carried out, and low-dimensional feature representation and feature reconstruction error modeling were used to solve the difficulty of extracting features from high-dimensional data in real time. Finally, through the end-to-end optimization calculation of the energy probability distribution between different categories for anomaly detection, the problem that key abnormal information may be lost due to dimensionality reduction was solved and accurate detection of monitoring data was realized. Experimental results showed that this method has better performance than other methods.
Teaching about Climate-Efficient Buildings in the Context of Geographic Education for Sustainability
Authors: Henninger Sascha , Christmann Darline
Published: June 2023

The climate is changing worldwide and, with it, living conditions are changing to varying degrees. As a result, students need to be equipped with a wide range of competences in order to deal with the problems of climate change. In order to successfully acquire these competences, different methods are used in lesson planning. Therefore, in order to achieve the goal of raising awareness in Education for Sustainable Development, large-scale methodological learning form of the proposed model experiment will be used. For this purpose, it is necessary to first develop scientific knowledge about climate change and then present individual climate adaptation strategies using the example of climate-efficient buildings. The structure of the topic is grasped, and the didactically reduced core contents of the subject-specific scientific basics represent the specialist knowledge to be conveyed. This is followed by the construction of a self-designed model that is optimally adapted to the teaching of the subject knowledge. The subsequent series of measurements serves to evaluate the suitability of the model for the intended purpose of achieving a successful learning process under the aspects of quality criteria and practicability. The proposed model experiment has been found to be suitable and worthwhile for this purpose.
Use of Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste (RCDW) in Geosynthetic-Reinforced Roadways: Influence of Saturation Condition on Geogrid Mechanical Properties
Authors: Silvestre Gabriel R. , Fleury Mateus P. , Lins da Silva Jefferson , Santos Eder C. G.
Published: June 2023

Replacing natural aggregates in infrastructure with recycled construction and demolition waste (RCDW) works helps to meet the requirements established by sustainable development. This environmentally friendly proposal undoubtedly becomes better when it is carried out with geosynthetics, providing better technical performance and positive economic impacts. However, the chemical characteristics of RCDW may result in the degradation of the geosynthetics and, therefore, must be assessed and quantified. This study aims to assess the chemical degradation caused by RCDW for the mechanical properties of two types of polymeric geogrids (polyester and polyvinyl alcohol). The study evaluates the influence of the RCDW saturation condition in the chemical degradation and the possible synergism between the launching damage (drop height) and chemical degradation. Watertight tanks were constructed to maintain the geosynthetic reinforced layers in flooded, dry and open-to-environment conditions, simulating paved and unpaved roads. The occurrence of degradation was evaluated and quantified by reduction factors related to the properties of interest using statistical analysis. The results have shown a significant influence of chemical degradation on the geogrid characteristics (especially tensile strength and secant tensile stiffness), which increased when the specimens were subjected to prior launching process simulation. The reduction factor values reported herein encourage the combined use of these materials (geogrid and RCDW) and highlight the importance of assessing the chemical degradation for the design purposes of geosynthetic-reinforced roadways with alternative materials.
A Study on the Characteristics of High-Solid-Water Filling Materials with Different Water Contents Based on the Boltzmann Superposition Principle
Authors: Zhang Jianguo , Zhou Yuejin , Xiao Yuhang , Wang Man , Liu Shuaitao , Yang Zhanbiao , Li Xiaotong
Published: June 2023

High-solid-water material is a kind of soft rock-like material with significant plastic deformation characteristics, and creep performance is its important material property. In order to study the effect of creep on the properties of high-solid-water materials, this paper first conducts creep tests of high-solid-water filling materials under different loading methods, performs creep data analysis based on the Boltzmann superposition principle, carries out the creep experiment of high-solid-water materials under different water contents to analyze the creep characteristics of high-solid-water materials, and then processes the curve of graded loading based on the Boltzmann superposition principle to obtain the strain–time curve of axial creep under different constant stress. Finally, the instantaneous curve is compared with the creep stress–strain curve. It is concluded that the high-solid-water filling materials with water content of 61%, 65% and 69% meet the transportation requirements and filling requirements, and the total coagulation time increases slightly with the increase in water content. The curve treated by the Boltzmann superposition principle has the same trend in the overall creep process and the creep curve loaded separately. With the increase in loading stress, the total strain of the material gradually increases, and with the increase in the water content of the material, the rate of change in the total strain of the material also increases. The long-term strength of high-solid-water materials decreases with the increase in water content. The specimen will eventually cause irreversible failure under long-term stress during the fourth-stage loading.
Development of Sustainable Radiation-Shielding Blend Using Natural Rubber/NBR, and Bismuth Filler
Authors: Aziz Ola , Salama E. , E. El-Nashar Doaa , Bakry Assem
Published: June 2023

This research entailed the production of composite materials through the combination of natural rubber and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, along with nano-silica-loaded bismuth (III) oxide, in varying concentrations ranging from 0 to 45 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr). The gamma attenuation properties of the composites at different concentrations of Bi2O3 were measured. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the resulting composites, including hardness, tensile strength, and elongation, were tested. The composites with a concentration of 20 phr exhibited the highest tensile strength and elongation at break, followed by a subsequent decrease as the concentration of Bi2O3 increased. The gamma mass-attenuation coefficient of the composites increased as the Bi2O3 concentration increased from 0 to 45 phr, with values ranging from 0.083 to 0.090 cm2/g at 0.662 MeV. Moreover, the fast neutron mass removal cross-sections ranged from 0.092 to 0.072 cm2/g, corresponding to the variation of Bi2O3 concentration from 0–45 phr are also determined. Various parameters related to gamma-ray shielding, including the half-value layer, exposure build-up factor (EBF) up to 40 mean free path (mfp) penetration depth, and effective atomic number (Zeff) are also included. The radiation-induced aging of the prepared blend is tested by measuring the effect of radiation exposure on its shielding capability via its porosity change. The obtained results indicated that the prepared composites could be used for several radiation-protection applications.
Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Ecosystem Service Values and Topography-Driven Effects Based on Land Use Change: A Case Study of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area
Authors: Li Hui , Huang Yilin , Zhou Yilu , Wang Shuntao , Guo Wanqi , Liu Yan , Wang Junzhi , Xu Qing , Zhou Xiaokang , Yi Kexin , Hou Qingchun , Liao Lixia , Lin Wei
Published: June 2023

The Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is rich in natural and marine resources, and it is scientifically valuable to study the evolution patterns and driving mechanisms of the ecosystem service values (ESVs) of the GBA for the governance and conservation of its ecosystems. Based on the land use changes in the GBA from 2000 to 2020, the ESVs in the GBA were measured at the grid scale, and the Markov model was used to predict the ESVs in 2030; the calculated results were used to analyze the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of the ESVs during the 30-year period, while the driving role of the topographic factors on the ESVs is revealed through the construction of the geographically weighted regression model (GWR). The results show the following: (1) During the 20-year period, the area of arable land and water in the GBA fluctuated greatly, with the area decreasing year by year and shifting mainly into construction land; in terms of shifting the center of gravity of the land, and the center of gravity of the grassland and unused land shifted the greatest distance due to the expansion of construction land, with the center of gravity shifting westward as a whole. (2) The ecosystem services (ESs) in the GBA show obvious aggregation in the spatial distribution, with the total ESVs decreasing year by year. Among them, the areas with an increasing total value are mainly located in the cities of Zhaoqing and Huizhou in the GBA, accounting for 27%, and the areas with a decreasing total value year by year are mainly located in the dense urban areas in the central part of the GBA, accounting for 35%, and the area is increasing, indicating that the habitat quality is deteriorating, and the model prediction shows that the value of ecosystem services in 2030 have a decreasing trend under the development of the natural state. (3) Topographic factors have a significant influence on the ESVs, and in terms of spatial distribution, the areas with the strongest effect are distributed in the northwestern and northeastern parts of the GBA, and the main uses for the land are wood land, arable land, water and the area of the water–land intersection near the sea.
A Novel Bat Algorithm with Asymmetrical Weighed Variational Method in the Path Planning of UAVs
Authors: Cao Xin , Wang Chenyi , Li Weiping
Published: June 2023

In this paper, a novel bat algorithm with an asymmetrical weighed variational method (AWVM-BA) is proposed. The proposed algorithm employs the BA with a point-to-point modified asymmetrical variation above the three-dimensional flying region, which treats the space as sets of geodesics in a second order Euclidean weighed warped space. Mutation and the local selection procedure can be avoided at the same time, which solves the problem of a local optimum in concave regions. As shown in the results, the proposed algorithm does not have much impact on the calculation complexity and time in convex regions. It can greatly reduce the calculation time and avoid local optimization in concave regions. The disadvantage of the proposed algorithm is that the iteration number increases comparatively faster with the increase in the deviation of the wind speed. Therefore, it requires a higher hardware calculation ability.
Machine Learning-Driven Ubiquitous Mobile Edge Computing as a Solution to Network Challenges in Next-Generation IoT
Authors: Al Moteri Moteeb , Khan Surbhi Bhatia , Alojail Mohammed
Published: June 2023

Ubiquitous mobile edge computing (MEC) using the internet of things (IoT) is a promising technology for providing low-latency and high-throughput services to end-users. Resource allocation and quality of service (QoS) optimization are critical challenges in MEC systems due to the large number of devices and applications involved. This results in poor latency with minimum throughput and energy consumption as well as a high delay rate. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel approach for resource allocation and QoS optimization in MEC using IoT by combining the hybrid kernel random Forest (HKRF) and ensemble support vector machine (ESVM) algorithms with crossover-based hunter–prey optimization (CHPO). The HKRF algorithm uses decision trees and kernel functions to capture the complex relationships between input features and output labels. The ESVM algorithm combines multiple SVM classifiers to improve the classification accuracy and robustness. The CHPO algorithm is a metaheuristic optimization algorithm that mimics the hunting behavior of predators and prey in nature. The proposed approach aims to optimize the parameters of the HKRF and ESVM algorithms and allocate resources to different applications running on the MEC network to improve the QoS metrics such as latency, throughput, and energy efficiency. The experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms other algorithms in terms of QoS metrics and resource allocation efficiency. The throughput and the energy consumption attained by our proposed approach are 595 mbit/s and 9.4 mJ, respectively.
Editorial for the Special Issue “Phytotoxicity of Heavy Metals in Contaminated Soils”
Authors: Romero-Freire Ana , Sierra-Aragón Manuel , Qiu Hao , He Erkai
Published: June 2023

Soil is an essential natural resource because of the ecosystem services it carries out in the terrestrial ecosystem: the provision of food, fibre and fuel; habitats for organisms; nutrient cycling; climate regulation and carbon sequestration; water purification and soil contaminant reductions; and others [...]
Simultaneous Analysis of 53 Pesticides in Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) by Using LC–MS/MS Coupled with a Modified QuEChERS Technique
Authors: Song Wei , Peng Chuanyi , Liu Yuxin , Han Fang , Zhu Haitao , Zhou Dianbing , Wang Yu , Chen Lijun , Meng Xiaodi , Hou Ruyan
Published: June 2023

Objective: An optimized quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) technique was investigated and compared with the conventional QuEChERS technique for the simultaneous analysis of fifty-three pesticide residues in safflower using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). Method: Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) consisting of a major amount of carbon and nitrogen with a large surface area was used as a QuEChERS adsorbent instead of graphitized carbon black (GCB) for safflower extraction purification. Validation experiments were performed using spiked pesticide samples, and real samples were analyzed. Results: The linearity of the modified QuEChERS technique was evaluated with high coefficients of determination (R-2) being higher than 0.99. The limits of detection were <10 μg/kg. The spiked recoveries ranged from 70.4% to 97.6% with a relative standard deviation of less than 10.0%. The fifty-three pesticides exhibited negligible matrix effects (<20%). Thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, metolachlor, and difenoconazole were detected in real samples using an established method. Conclusion: This work provides a new g-C3N4-based modified QuEChERS technique for multi-pesticide residue analysis in complex food matrices.
Herbicides in Water Sources: Communicating Potential Risks to the Population of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
Authors: Mugudamani Innocent , Oke Saheed A. , Gumede Thandi Patricia , Senbore Samson
Published: June 2023

Pesticides are an important tool for maintaining and improving the global population’s standard of living. However, their presence in water resources is concerning due to their potential consequences. Twelve water samples from rivers, dams/reservoirs, and treated drinking water were collected from Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa. The collected samples were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography linked to a QTRAP hybrid triple quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. The ecological and human health risks were assessed by risk quotient and human health risk assessment methods, respectively. Herbicides, such as atrazine, metolachlor, simazine and terbuthylazine, were analysed in water sources. The average concentrations of simazine in rivers (1.82 mg/L), dams/reservoirs (0.12 mg/L), and treated drinking water (0.03 mg/L) were remarkable among all four herbicides detected. Simazine, atrazine, and terbuthylazine posed high ecological risks for both acute and chronic toxicity in all water sources. Moreover, simazine is the only contaminant in the river water that poses a medium carcinogenic risk to adult. It can be concluded that the level of herbicide detected in water sources may affect aquatic life and human beings negatively. This study may aid in the development of pesticide pollution management and risk reduction strategies within the municipality.
Double Beta Decay Experiments: Recent Achievements and Future Prospects
Authors: Barabash Alexander
Published: June 2023

The results of experiments on the search for and study of double beta decay processes obtained over the past 5 years (from 2018 to April 2023) are discussed. The results of the search for neutrinoless double beta decay are presented, in which a sensitivity of T1/2∼2×1024–2×1026 years (90% C.L.) has been achieved. The present conservative upper limit on effective Majorana neutrino mass ⟨mν⟩ was established from these experiments as 0.16 eV (90% C.L.). The results of experiments on recording and studying the processes of two-neutrino double beta decay in various nuclei (transitions to both the ground and excited states of daughter nuclei) are discussed too. The results of experiments on the search for majoron are also given. Possible progress in this field in the future is discussed.
Structure of the Medium Formed in Heavy Ion Collisions
Authors: Alvarado García J. R. , Rosales Herrera D. , Fernández Téllez A. , Díaz Bogar , Ramírez J. E.
Published: June 2023

We investigate the structure of the medium formed in heavy ion collisions using three different models: the Color String Percolation Model (CSPM), the Core–Shell-Color String Percolation Model (CSCSPM), and the Color Glass Condensate (CGC) framework. We analyze the radial distribution function of the transverse representation of color flux tubes in each model to determine the medium’s structure. Our results indicate that the CSPM behaves as an ideal gas, while the CSCSPM exhibits a structural phase transition from a gas-like to a liquid-like structure. Additionally, our analysis of the CGC framework suggests that it produces systems that behave like non-ideal gases for AuAu central collisions at RHIC energies and liquid-like structures for PbPb central collisions at LHC energies.
Production of Primordial Black Holes in Improved E-Models of Inflation
Authors: Frolovsky Daniel , Ketov Sergei V.
Published: June 2023

E-type α-attractor models of single-field inflation were generalized further in order to accommodate production of primordial black holes (PBHs) via adding a near-inflection point to the inflaton scalar potential at smaller scales, in good agreement with measurements of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. A minimal number of new parameters were used but their fine-tuning was maximized in order to increase the possible masses of PBHs formed during an ultra-slow-roll phase, leading to a large enhancement in the power spectrum of scalar (curvature) perturbations by 6 or 7 orders of magnitude against the power spectrum of perturbations observed in CMB. It was found that extreme fine-tuning of the parameters in our models can lead to the formation of moon-sized PBHs, with masses of up to 1026 g, still in agreement with CMB observations. Quantum corrections are known to lead to the perturbative upper bound on the amplitude of large scalar perturbations responsible for PBH production. The quantum (one-loop) corrections in our models were found to be suppressed by one order of magnitude for PBHs with masses of approximately 1019 g, which may form the whole dark matter in the Universe.
The Virome of Babaco (Vasconcellea × heilbornii) Expands to Include New Members of the Rhabdoviridae and Bromoviridae
Authors: Reyes-Proaño Edison G. , Cañada-Bautista Maria G. , Cornejo-Franco Juan F. , Alvarez-Quinto Robert A. , Mollov Dimitre , Sanchez-Timm Eduardo , Quito-Avila Diego F.
Published: June 2023

Babaco (Vasconcellea × heilbornii) is a subtropical species in the Caricaceae family. The plant is native to Ecuador and represents an important crop for hundreds of families. The objective of this study was to characterize, at the genomic level, two new babaco viruses identified by high-throughput sequencing. The viruses, an ilarvirus and a nucleorhabdovirus, were found in a symptomatic babaco plant from a commercial nursery in the Azuay province of Ecuador. The tripartite genome of the new ilarvirus, provisionally named babaco ilarvirus 1 (BabIV-1), is related to subgroup 3 ilarviruses, including apple mosaic virus, apple necrotic mosaic virus, and prunus necrotic ringspot virus as the closest relatives. The genome of the nucleorhabdovirus, provisionally named babaco nucleorhabdovirus 1 (BabRV-1), showed the closest relation with joa yellow blotch-associated virus and potato yellow dwarf nucleorhabdovirus. Molecular-based detection methods found BabIV-1 and BabRV-1 in 21% and 36%, respectively, of plants surveyed in a commercial babaco nursery, highlighting the importance of enforcing virus testing and nursery certification programs for babaco.
Crisis Communication during COVID-19: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish Discourse of AstraZeneca Vaccine and Omicron Variant on Social Media
Authors: Catalan-Matamoros Daniel , Prieto-Sanchez Ignacio , Langbecker Andrea
Published: June 2023

Social media have been the arena of different types of discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to characterize public discourse during health crises in different international communities. Using Tweetpy and keywords related to the research, we collected 3,748,302 posts from the English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish Twitter communities related to two crises during the pandemic: (a) the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, and (b) the Omicron variant. In relation to AstraZeneca, ‘blood clot’ was the main focus of public discourse. Using quantitative classifications and natural language processing algorithms, results are obtained for each language. The English and French discourse focused more on “death”, and the most negative sentiment was generated by the French community. The Portuguese discourse was the only one to make a direct reference to a politician, the former Brazilian President Bolsonaro. In the Omicron crisis, the public discourse mainly focused on infection cases follow-up and the number of deaths, showing a closer public discourse to the actual risk. The public discourse during health crises might lead to different behaviours. While public discourse on AstraZeneca might contribute as a barrier for preventive measures by increasing vaccine hesitancy, the Omicron discourse could lead to more preventive behaviours by the public, such as the use of masks. This paper broadens the scope of crisis communication by revealing social media’s role in the constructs of public discourse.
COVID-19 Virus and Vaccination Attitudes among Healthcare Workers in Michigan: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Takagi Maya Asami , Hess Samantha , Gawronski Karissa , Haddad Nicholas , Noveloso Bernard , Zyzanski Stephen , Ragina Neli
Published: June 2023

Background: Defining the characteristics of healthcare worker (HCW) attitudes toward the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine can provide insights into vaccine hesitancy. This study’s goal is to determine HCWs’ attitudes regarding the COVID-19 vaccination and reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed HCWs working in institutions in Saginaw, Sanilac, and Wayne counties in Michigan (N = 120) using tipping-scale questions. Analysis of variance and t-test were used to measure HCWs’ attitudes toward the COVID-19 virus and vaccines. Results: Most HCWs received (95.9%) and recommended (98.3%) a COVID-19 vaccine. The top three factors that HCWs cited for recommending a COVID-19 vaccine were: (1) efficacy of the vaccine, (2) current exposure to patients with active COVID-19 infection and risk of virus spread, and (3) safety of vaccine and long-term follow-up. Female HCWs or HCWs aged 25–54 years were more concerned about contracting COVID-19. Physicians or HCWs aged 55–64 were less concerned regarding the effectiveness and side effects of the vaccine. Conclusions: Gender, age, ethnicity, provider type, and medical specialty showed statistically significant differences among COVID-19 attitudes. Focusing educational efforts on HCW demographics who are more likely to have negative attitudes can potentially decrease vaccine hesitancy.
The Application and Applicability of HEC-HMS Model in Flood Simulation under the Condition of River Basin Urbanization
Authors: Yu Xiaolong , Zhang Jing
Published: June 2023

With the acceleration of urbanization in a river basin, the changes in the underlying surface structure of the basin are more and more intense, which causes frequent floods. This article aims to analyze the applicability of the HEC-HMS model in flood simulation in urbanization basins and the influence of land use changes on catchment runoff. Pu River Basin is a typical urbanization basin and is taken as the research project. Based on land use changes, soil types, and long-term hydrological data in the Pu River Basin, the HEC-HMS hydrological model is constructed using GIS and HEC-geoHMS. Then, the relative error of flood peak and runoff, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient, and correlation are used to evaluate the model simulation rating. The results show that the HEC-HMS model is suitable for an urbanization basin, and its performance grade before urbanization is better than that after urbanization. Finally, sensitivity analysis of nine parameters on model performance shows that curve number, initial abstraction, imperviousness, and time lag are the main parameters. The research results will provide a reference for urbanization basins’ flood simulation and stormwater management.
Use of Nonofficial Intermittent Waterfall Occurrence Data for the Validation of an Infiltration Model for Volcanic Jeju Island, Korea
Authors: Kang Minseok , Yoo Chulsang
Published: June 2023

This study attempts to validate an infiltration model, the Soil Conservation Service–Curve Number (SCS–CN) method, using the nonofficial intermittent occurrence data of Eongtto Falls on Jeju Island, Korea. Simply due to the limited official continuous runoff data concerning Jeju Island, the validation of a newly set SCS-CN method for Jeju Island was practically impossible. Instead, this study tries to use nonofficial data for this purpose. This study focuses on the intermittent occurrence of Eongtto Falls, which is one of the most famous tourist attractions on the island. Various records of Eongtto Falls can be collected from newspapers, personal homepages, and various social networking services. The SCS-CN method is, in this study, used to check if effective rainfall occurs or not. In fact, this approach is quite effective on Jeju Island, as most streams are fully dry during non-rain periods. Evaluation of the SCS-CN method is based on the analysis of a contingency table, which measures the consistency of the occurrence of effective rainfall events and waterfall records. Additionally, to quantify the results of the contingency table, some measures such as accuracy, hit ratio, and false alarm ratio are used. This analysis is carried out using all the rainfall events from 2011 to 2019, and the derived results confirm that the newly set SCS-CN method is far better than the conventional one used thus far.
Fixed-Bed Studies of Landfill Leachate Treatment Using Chitosan-Coated Carbon Composite
Authors: Batool Fatima , Kurniawan Tonni Agustiono , Mohyuddin Ayesha , Othman Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan , Anouzla Abdelkader , Meidiana Christia , Goh Hui Hwang , Chew Kit Wayne
Published: June 2023

The feasibility of a chitosan-coated coconut-shell (CS) carbon composite for landfill leachate treatment in a fixed-bed study was investigated in terms of COD and NH3-N removal. The surface of the composite was characterized using SEM, FT-IR, and XRD to assess any changes before and after column operations. To enhance its cost-effectiveness, the saturated composite was regenerated using NaOH. The results showed that the composite had significantly better removal of both COD and NH3-N, as compared to CS and/or chitosan (p ≤ 0.05; ANOVA test), respectively. The breakthrough curve obtained from the fixed-bed studies exhibited an ideal “S” shape. The breakthrough points for the adsorbents followed the order of CS at BV 76 < chitosan at 200 BV < composite at BV 305. It was also found that a low flow rate and deeper bed depth of the packed adsorbent were necessary for achieving optimal column operations. The composite achieved 96% regeneration in the first cycle. However, even with the enhanced adsorption of target pollutants by the composite through chitosan coating, the treated effluents still could not meet the required COD and NH3-N effluent limits of less than 200 and 5 mg/L, respectively, as mandated by legislation. Nonetheless, the findings suggest that low-cost composites derived from unused resources can be employed as effective adsorbents for wastewater treatment.
Implementasi dan Analisis Metode MOORA dan SMART pada Pemilihan Platform Jual Beli Online menggunakan Decision Support System
Authors: Ramadhan Rizal Furqan
Published: June 2023

Online buying and selling transactions have become a necessity and routine for generation Z in the era of technology 4.0. This phenomenon is an effect caused by the existence of the internet. The internet innovates for software developers to create communication applications without meeting face-to-face. Due to the rapid development of the internet, many online buying and selling platforms have emerged and are used by online shopping activists, especially generation Z. Of course, the various trading platforms have differences in appearance and usability. So it is necessary to research selecting the ideal platform using the Decision Support System as the data processing system. While the methods used are the MOORA and SMART methods, the two approaches will analyze the differences in the calculation results and the advantages of each technique. The results of the MOORA method are inversely proportional to the SMART method, but the difference is only that the difference in the final scores is not that great. Hence, the two approaches are ideal for a Decision Support System.
Applied Research Engages Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
Authors: Hagen Lynne , Weisenhorn Julie , Meyer Mary
Published: June 2023

Extension master gardener (EMG) volunteers can be a valuable resource for Extension professionals in applied research if they are given clear instructions and tools for success. We developed recruitment and training materials for EMGs that equipped them for planting, maintaining, and collecting data in four demonstration/research gardens to measure the benefits of biochar on plant growth. EMGs' evaluations showed 80% satisfaction with the quality of the project, the education they gained about biochar, the volunteer training experience, and the communication methods used. Volunteers reported that working in applied research was a fulfilling educational experience.
The Role of Extension in a University's Response to a Natural Disaster
Authors: Kerr Susan , Sanders Christina , Moulton Curtis , Gaffney Michael
Published: June 2023

In 2014, a mudslide devastated a small community in rural northwestern Washington State, taking 43 lives. The disaster created ripple effects that affected families, economies, transportation, and employment in neighboring communities. This article provides details of the state land-grant university's efforts to help affected communities recover. Aspects of this response readily replicable by other land-grant universities include outreach leadership provided by local/county-based Extension faculty; creation of a response team with depth and breadth of expertise and skills; engagement of campus-based colleges, colleagues, and students; and delivery of youth development programs in affected communities. Meaningful outcomes have been achieved, and the outreach continues
Community Development in the Digital Age: Role of Extension
Authors: Gallardo Roberto , Collins Andy , North Elizabeth
Published: June 2023

With the digital age in full swing, helping rural communities transition to, plan for, and prosper in digitally minded ways is critical. This article describes an innovative outreach process that relies on asset-based community development and the intelligent community concept. More importantly, the process relies heavily on Extension personnel and resources. This outreach process consists of four steps and is community driven. Results indicate that Extension programs and resources have helped small, rural communities begin this important transition.
Follow a Researcher: Using Innovative Technology to Connect Youths and Scientists
Authors: Wilson Laura , Lobley Jennifer , Kranich Gregory
Published: June 2023

Today's technology connects audiences to research-based knowledge and experts anywhere and at any time. Using social media allows Extension professionals to provide on-demand, asynchronous access to information. Synchronous, or real-time, interaction affords a more active and personal experience. The University of Maine has developed a program that facilitates live conversations between youths and graduate students conducting scientific research in remote locations around the world. This article describes a model for effectively using social media and satellite communication devices to engage kindergarten-through-grade-12 audiences with Extension in innovative ways.