bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polypropylene/Lignin/POSS Nanocomposites: Thermal and Wettability Properties, Application in Water Remediation
Authors: Alassod Abeer , Islam Syed Rashedul , Khalaji Mina Shahriari , Tusiime Rogers , Huang Wanzhen , Xu Guangbiao
Published: July 2021

Compositing is an interesting strategy that has always been employed to introduce or enhance desired functionalities in material systems. In this paper, sponges containing polypropylene, lignin, and octavinyl-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OV-POSS) were successfully prepared via an easy and elegant strategy called thermally induced phase separation (TIPS). To fully explore the behaviour of different components of prepared sponges, properties were characterized by a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared measurement (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, wettability properties toward an organic liquid and oil were investigated. The FTIR analysis confirmed the chemical modification of the components. TGA and DSC measurements revealed thermal stability was much better with an increase in OV-POSS content. OV-POSS modified sponges exhibited ultra-hydrophobicity and high oleophilicity with water contact angles of more than 125°. The SEM revealed that POSS molecules acted as a support for reduced surface roughness. Moreover, OV-POSS-based blend sponges showed higher sorption capacities compared with other blend sponges without OV-POSS. The new blend sponges demonstrated a potential for use as sorbent engineering materials in water remediation.
Field-Induced Transversely Isotropic Shear Response of Ellipsoidal Magnetoactive Elastomers
Authors: Chougale Sanket , Romeis Dirk , Saphiannikova Marina
Published: July 2021

Magnetoactive elastomers (MAEs) claim a vital place in the class of field-controllable materials due to their tunable stiffness and the ability to change their macroscopic shape in the presence of an external magnetic field. In the present work, three principal geometries of shear deformation were investigated with respect to the applied magnetic field. The physical model that considers dipole-dipole interactions between magnetized particles was used to study the stress-strain behavior of ellipsoidal MAEs. The magneto-rheological effect for different shapes of the MAE sample ranging from disc-like (highly oblate) to rod-like (highly prolate) samples was investigated along and transverse to the field direction. The rotation of the MAE during the shear deformation leads to a non-symmetric Cauchy stress tensor due to a field-induced magnetic torque. We show that the external magnetic field induces a mechanical anisotropy along the field direction by determining the distinct magneto-mechanical behavior of MAEs with respect to the orientation of the magnetic field to shear deformation.
Collagen-Containing Fish Sidestream-Derived Protein Hydrolysates Support Skin Repair via Chemokine Induction
Authors: Lapi Ioanna , Kolliniati Ourania , Aspevik Tone , Deiktakis Eleftherios E. , Axarlis Konstantinos , Daskalaki Maria G. , Dermitzaki Eirini , Tzardi Maria , Kampranis Sotirios C. , Marsni Zouhir El , Kousoulaki Katerina C. , Tsatsanis Christos , Venihaki Maria
Published: July 2021

Restoring homeostasis following tissue damage requires a dynamic and tightly orchestrated sequence of molecular and cellular events that ensure repair and healing. It is well established that nutrition directly affects skin homeostasis, while malnutrition causes impaired tissue healing. In this study, we utilized fish sidestream-derived protein hydrolysates including fish collagen as dietary supplements, and investigated their effect on the skin repair process using a murine model of cutaneous wound healing. We explored potential differences in wound closure and histological morphology between diet groups, and analyzed the expression and production of factors that participate in different stages of the repair process. Dietary supplementation with fish sidestream-derived collagen alone (Collagen), or in combination with a protein hydrolysate derived from salmon heads (HSH), resulted in accelerated healing. Chemical analysis of the tested extracts revealed that Collagen had the highest protein content and that HSH contained the great amount of zinc, known to support immune responses. Indeed, tissues from mice fed with collagen-containing supplements exhibited an increase in the expression levels of chemokines, important for the recruitment of immune cells into the damaged wound region. Moreover, expression of a potent angiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), was elevated followed by enhanced collagen deposition. Our findings suggest that a 5%-supplemented diet with marine collagen-enriched supplements promotes tissue repair in the model of cutaneous wound healing, proposing a novel health-promoting use of fish sidestreams.
Thermal Fatigue Life Prediction under Temperature Uncertainty for Shot Sleeve of Squeeze Casting Machine
Authors: You Dongdong , Pang Wenbin , Cai Dongqing
Published: July 2021

To quantify the influence of temperature uncertainty on thermal fatigue life prediction of a shot sleeve in an injection mechanism, an uncertainty analysis method based on a Kriging surrogate model and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) was proposed. The training samples of the surrogate model were obtained by a finite element simulation, and the response relationships between input variables, such as pouring and preheating temperature, and target variables, such as strain and stress, were constructed by the Kriging surrogate model. The input variables were sampled by the MCS, and the predicted stress and strain parameters were combined with the modified universal slope equation to predict the thermal fatigue life of the shot sleeve. The statistical characteristics of the predicted life were obtained. The comparative analysis results indicate that the predicted life considering temperature uncertainty is more accurate than the deterministically predicted value.
Ore Genesis of the Takatori Tungsten–Quartz Vein Deposit, Japan: Chemical and Isotopic Evidence
Authors: Morishita Yuichi , Nishio Yoshiro
Published: July 2021

The Takatori hypothermal tin–tungsten vein deposit is composed of wolframite-bearing quartz veins with minor cassiterite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and lithium-bearing muscovite and sericite. Several wolframite rims show replacement textures, which are assumed to form by iron replacement with manganese postdating the wolframite precipitation. Lithium isotope ratios (δ7Li) of Li-bearing muscovite from the Takatori veins range from −3.1‰ to −2.1‰, and such Li-bearing muscovites are proven to occur at the early stage of mineralization. Fine-grained sericite with lower Li content shows relatively higher δ7Li values, and might have precipitated after the main ore forming event. The maximum oxygen isotope equilibrium temperature of quartz–muscovite pairs is 460 °C, and it is inferred that the fluids might be in equilibrium with ilmenite series granitic rocks. Oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) of the Takatori ore-forming fluid range from +10‰ to +8‰. The δ18O values of the fluid decreased with decreasing temperature probably because the fluid was mixed with surrounding pore water and meteoric water. The formation pressure for the Takatori deposit is calculated to be 160 MPa on the basis of the difference between the pressure-independent oxygen isotope equilibrium temperature and pressure-dependent homogenization fluid inclusions temperature. The ore-formation depth is calculated to be around 6 km. These lines of evidence suggest that a granitic magma beneath the deposit played a crucial role in the Takatori deposit formation.
Recent Development in the Design of Neoglycoliposomes Bearing Arborescent Architectures
Authors: Mousavifar Leila , Abdullayev Shuay , Roy René
Published: July 2021

This brief review highlights systematic progress in the design of synthetic glycolipid (neoglycolipids) analogs evolving from the conventional architectures of natural glycosphingolipids and gangliosides. Given that naturally occurring glycolipids are composed of only one hydrophilic sugar head-group and two hydrophobic lipid tails embedded in the lipid bilayers of the cell membranes, they usually require extraneous lipids (phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol) to confer their stability. In order to obviate the necessity for these additional stabilizing ingredients, recent investigations have merged dendrimer chemistry with that of neoglycolipid syntheses. This singular approach has provided novel glycoarchitectures allowing reconsidering the necessity for the traditional one to two hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio. An emphasis has been provided in the recent design of modular arborescent neoglycolipid syntheses coined glycodendrimersomes.
Magnetism and Luminescence of a MOF with Linear Mn3 Nodes Derived from an Emissive Terthiophene-Based Imidazole Linker
Authors: Wang Weiran , He Junpeng , Guo Hongyu , Dunning Samuel G. , Humphrey Simon M. , Jones Richard A.
Published: July 2021

A new terthiophene-based imidazole luminophore 5,5’-(1H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole-4,6-diyl)bis(thiophene-2-carboxylic acid) (TIBTCH2, 5) was synthesized in one step from previously reported 4,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole (DTTI, 4), and their photophysical properties were studied and compared accordingly. Under solvothermal conditions, reacting 5 with Mn(OAc)2 yielded a new three-dimensional metal-organic framework (MOF, 6) which was structurally defined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In 6, all Mn(II) ions octahedrally bind to carboxylate-O atoms to form a linear Mn3 secondary building unit (SBU) that contains three distinct coordination modes. Importantly, 6 exhibits dual functional properties of ligand-based emission and metal-based magnetic behaviors.
Fucoxanthin Holds Potential to Become a Drug Adjuvant in Breast Cancer Treatment: Evidence from 2D and 3D Cell Cultures
Authors: Malhão Fernanda , Macedo Ana Catarina , Costa Carla , Rocha Eduardo , Ramos Alice Abreu
Published: July 2021

Fucoxanthin (Fx) is a carotenoid derived from marine organisms that exhibits anticancer activities. However, its role as a potential drug adjuvant in breast cancer (BC) treatment is still poorly explored. Firstly, this study investigated the cytotoxic effects of Fx alone and combined with doxorubicin (Dox) and cisplatin (Cis) on a panel of 2D-cultured BC cell lines (MCF7, SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231) and one non-tumoral cell line (MCF12A). Fucoxanthin induced cytotoxicity against all the cell lines and potentiated Dox cytotoxic effects towards the SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The combination triggering the highest cytotoxicity (Fx 10 µM + Dox 1 µM in MDA-MB-231) additionally showed significant induction of cell death and genotoxic effects, relative to control. In sequence, the same combination was tested on 3D cultures using a multi-endpoint approach involving bioactivity assays and microscopy techniques. Similar to 2D cultures, the combination of Fx and Dox showed higher cytotoxic effects on 3D cultures compared to the isolated compounds. Furthermore, this combination increased the number of apoptotic cells, decreased cell proliferation, and caused structural and ultrastructural damages on the 3D models. Overall, our findings suggest Fx has potential to become an adjuvant for Dox chemotherapy regimens in BC treatment.
A Standardized Extract Prepared from Red Orange and Lemon Wastes Blocks High-Fat Diet-Induced Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia in Mice
Authors: Chiechio Santina , Zammataro Magda , Barresi Massimo , Amenta Margherita , Ballistreri Gabriele , Fabroni Simona , Rapisarda Paolo
Published: July 2021

Citrus fruits are a rich source of high-value bioactive compounds and their consumption has been associated with beneficial effects on human health. Red (blood) oranges (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) are particularly rich in anthocyanins (95% of which are represented by cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-6″-malonyl-glucoside), flavanones (hesperidin, narirutin, and didymin), and hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic acid, coumaric acid, sinapic, and ferulic acid). Lemon fruit (Citrus limon) is also rich in flavanones (eriocitrin, hesperidin, and diosmin) and other polyphenols. All of these compounds are believed to play a very important role as dietary antioxidants due to their ability to scavenge free radicals. A standardized powder extract, red orange and lemon extract (RLE), was obtained by properly mixing anthocyanins and other polyphenols recovered from red orange processing waste with eriocitrin and other flavanones recovered from lemon peel by a patented extraction process. RLE was used for in vivo assays aimed at testing a potential beneficial effect on glucose and lipid metabolism. In vivo experiments performed on male CD1 mice fed with a high-fat diet showed that an 8-week treatment with RLE was able to induce a significant reduction in glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood, with positive effects on regulation of hyperglycemia and lipid metabolism, thus suggesting a potential use of this new phytoextract for nutraceutical purposes.
α-Functionally Substituted α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes as Fine Chemicals Reagents: Synthesis and Application
Authors: Verochkina Ekaterina A. , Vchislo Nadezhda Victorovna , Rozentsveig Igor B.
Published: July 2021

α-Functionalized α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is an important class of compounds, which are widely used in fine organic synthesis, biology, medicine and pharmacology, chemical industry, and agriculture. Some of the 2-substituted 2-alkenals are found to be the key metabolites in plant and animal cells. Therefore, the development of efficient methods for their synthesis attracts the attention of organic chemists. This review focusses on the recent advances in the synthesis of 2-functionally substituted 2-alkenals. The approaches to the preparation of α-alkyl α,β-unsaturated aldehydes are not included in this review.
A Scoping Review of West Nile Virus Seroprevalence Studies among African Equids
Authors: Olufemi Olaolu T. , Barba Marta , Daly Janet M.
Published: July 2021

West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging and re-emerging zoonotic flavivirus first identified in and endemic to Africa. The virus is transmitted between birds by biting mosquitoes, with equids and humans being incidental hosts. The majority of infected incidental hosts display no or only mild clinical signs, but a fraction develop encephalitis. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and evaluate primary research on the presence of antibodies to WNV among African equids. Three bibliographic databases and the grey literature were searched. Of 283 articles identified, only 16 satisfied all the inclusion criteria. Data were collated on study design and outcomes. The overall seroprevalence reported ranged from 17.4 to 90.3%, with 1998 (35%) of the 5746 horses, donkeys and mules having screened positive for WNV antibodies. Several articles determined that seroprevalence increased significantly with age. Due to co-circulation of other flaviviruses in Africa, in the majority of studies that screened samples by ELISA, positive results were confirmed using a more specific neutralization test. However, only eight studies tested against other flaviviruses, including Potiskum, Uganda S, Wesselsbron and yellow fever virus in one, Japanese encephalitis and Usutu virus (USUV) in one, tick-borne encephalitis and USUV in one and USUV only in three. Equids are regarded as useful sentinel animals for WNV, but variation in study design poses challenges when trying to determine risk factors for, and trends in, WNV seroprevalence.
Onboard Real-Time Dense Reconstruction in Large Terrain Scene Using Embedded UAV Platform
Authors: Lai Zhengchao , Liu Fei , Guo Shangwei , Meng Xiantong , Han Shaokun , Li Wenhao
Published: July 2021

Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for remote sensing has the advantages of high flexibility, convenient operation, low cost, and wide application range. It fills the need for rapid acquisition of high-resolution aerial images in modern photogrammetry applications. Due to the insufficient parallaxes and the computation-intensive process, dense real-time reconstruction for large terrain scenes is a considerable challenge. To address these problems, we proposed a novel SLAM-based MVS (Multi-View-Stereo) approach, which can incrementally generate a dense 3D (three-dimensional) model of the terrain by using the continuous image stream during the flight. The pipeline of the proposed methodology starts with pose estimation based on SLAM algorithm. The tracked frames were then selected by a novel scene-adaptive keyframe selection method to construct a sliding window frame-set. This was followed by depth estimation using a flexible search domain approach, which can improve accuracy without increasing the iterate time or memory consumption. The whole system proposed in this study was implemented on the embedded GPU based on an UAV platform. We proposed a highly parallel and memory-efficient CUDA-based depth computing architecture, enabling the system to achieve good real-time performance. The evaluation experiments were carried out in both simulation and real-world environments. A virtual large terrain scene was built using the Gazebo simulator. The simulated UAV equipped with an RGB-D camera was used to obtain synthetic evaluation datasets, which were divided by flight altitudes (800-, 1000-, 1200 m) and terrain height difference (100-, 200-, 300 m). In addition, the system has been extensively tested on various types of real scenes. Comparison with commercial 3D reconstruction software is carried out to evaluate the precision in real-world data. According to the results on the synthetic datasets, over 93.462% of the estimation with absolute error distance of less then 0.9%. In the real-world dataset captured at 800 m flight height, more than 81.27% of our estimated point cloud are less then 5 m difference with the results of Photoscan. All evaluation experiments show that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art ones in terms of accuracy and efficiency.
Application of a Novel Hybrid Method for Flood Susceptibility Mapping with Satellite Images: A Case Study of Seoul, Korea
Authors: Narimani Roya , Jun Changhyun , Shahzad Saqib , Oh Jeill , Park Kyoohong
Published: July 2021

This paper proposes a novel hybrid method for flood susceptibility mapping using a geographic information system (ArcGIS) and satellite images based on the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Here, the following nine multisource environmental controlling factors influencing flood susceptibility were considered for relative weight estimation in AHP: elevation, land use, slope, topographic wetness index, curvature, river distance, flow accumulation, drainage density, and rainfall. The weight for each factor was determined from AHP and analyzed to investigate critical regions that are more vulnerable to floods using the overlay weighted sum technique to integrate the nine layers. As a case study, the ArcGIS-based framework was applied in Seoul to obtain a flood susceptibility map, which was categorized into six regions (very high risk, high risk, medium risk, low risk, very low risk, and out of risk). Finally, the flood map was verified using real flood maps from the previous five years to test the model’s effectiveness. The flood map indicated that 40% of the area shows high flood risk and thus requires urgent attention, which was confirmed by the validation results. Planners and regulatory bodies can use flood maps to control and mitigate flood incidents along rivers. Even though the methodology used in this study is simple, it has a high level of accuracy and can be applied for flood mapping in most regions where the required datasets are available. This is the first study to apply high-resolution basic maps (12.5 m) to extract the nine controlling factors using only satellite images and ArcGIS to produce a suitable flood map in Seoul for better management in the near future.
Can Immersive Virtual Reality Videogames Help Parkinson’s Disease Patients? A Case Study
Authors: Campo-Prieto Pablo , Rodríguez-Fuentes Gustavo , Cancela-Carral José Mª
Published: July 2021

Video games have proven useful in physical rehabilitation therapy. Accessibility, however, is limited for some groups such as the elderly or patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We explore the potential of fully immersive video games as a rehabilitation tool in PD patients. Four patients with mild-moderate PD (3 males:1 female, 53–71 years) participated in the study. Training consisted in two immersive virtual reality video gaming sessions. Outcomes were evaluated using System Usability Scale (SUS), Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), Game Experience Questionnaire-post game (GEQ), an ad hoc satisfaction questionnaire and perceived effort. All participants completed the sessions without adverse effects (100%), without SSQ symptoms reported. Post-gaming SUS was >75% in both sessions (range 75–80%). Post-gaming GEQ scores were 3.3–4.0/4 in both sessions. Immersive virtual reality video gaming is feasible in patients with mild-moderate PD, with positive usability and patient satisfaction, and no adverse effects.
Early-Stage Gas Identification Using Convolutional Long Short-Term Neural Network with Sensor Array Time Series Data
Authors: Zhou Kai , Liu Yixin
Published: July 2021

Gas identification/classification through pattern recognition techniques based on gas sensor arrays often requires the equilibrium responses or the full traces of time-series data of the sensor array. Leveraging upon the diverse gas sensing kinetics behaviors measured via the sensor array, a computational intelligence- based meta-model is proposed to automatically conduct the feature extraction and subsequent gas identification using time-series data during the transitional phase before reaching equilibrium. The time-series data contains implicit temporal dependency/correlation that is worth being characterized to enhance the gas identification performance and reliability. In this context, a tailored approach so-called convolutional long short-term memory (CLSTM) neural network is developed to perform the identification task incorporating temporal characteristics within time-series data. This novel approach shows the enhanced accuracy and robustness as compared to the baseline models, i.e., multilayer perceptron (MLP) and support vector machine (SVM) through the comprehensive statistical examination. Specifically, the classification accuracy of CLSTM reaches as high as 96%, regardless of the operating condition specified. More importantly, the excellent gas identification performance of CLSTM at early stages of gas exposure indicates its practical significance in future real-time applications. The promise of the proposed method has been clearly illustrated through both the internal and external validations in the systematic case investigation.
Field Representation Microwave Thermography Utilizing Lossy Microwave Design Materials
Authors: Baer Christoph , Orend Kerstin , Hattenhorst Birk , Musch Thomas
Published: July 2021

In this contribution, we are investigating a technique for the representation of electromagnetic fields by recording their thermal footprints on an indicator material using a thermal camera. Fundamentals regarding the interaction of electromagnetic heating, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics are derived which allow for a precise design of the field illustration method. The synthesis and description of high-loss dielectric materials is discussed and a technique for a simple estimation of the broadband material’s imaginary permittivity part is introduced. Finally, exemplifying investigations, comparing simulations and measurements on the fundamental TE10-mode in an X-band waveguide are presented, which prove the above introduced sensing theory.
Data-Driven Dispatching Rules Mining and Real-Time Decision-Making Methodology in Intelligent Manufacturing Shop Floor with Uncertainty
Authors: Zhang Liping , Hu Yifan , Tang Qiuhua , Li Jie , Li Zhixiong
Published: July 2021

In modern manufacturing industry, the methods supporting real-time decision-making are the urgent requirement to response the uncertainty and complexity in intelligent production process. In this paper, a novel closed-loop scheduling framework is proposed to achieve real-time decision making by calling the appropriate data-driven dispatching rules at each rescheduling point. This framework contains four parts: offline training, online decision-making, data base and rules base. In the offline training part, the potential and appropriate dispatching rules with managers’ expectations are explored successfully by an improved gene expression program (IGEP) from the historical production data, not just the available or predictable information of the shop floor. In the online decision-making part, the intelligent shop floor will implement the scheduling scheme which is scheduled by the appropriate dispatching rules from rules base and store the production data into the data base. This approach is evaluated in a scenario of the intelligent job shop with random jobs arrival. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed method outperformed the existing well-known single and combination dispatching rules or the discovered dispatching rules via metaheuristic algorithm in term of makespan, total flow time and tardiness.
Higher Education as a Bridge between China and Nepal: Mapping Education as Soft Power in Chinese Foreign Policy
Authors: Gauttam Priya , Singh Bawa , Chattu Vijay Kumar
Published: July 2021

In this globalized world, education has become an important medium to enhance people-to-people contact. The Delores report of the International Commission on Education for the 21st century highlights the enormous potential of higher education to use globalization as a resource for bridging the knowledge gap and enriching cross-cultural dialogue. As a major contributor to soft power and an important field of public diplomacy, international education can have a wealth of advantages, including the ability to generate commercial value, promote a country’s foreign policy goals and interests, and contribute to economic growth and investment. The People’s Republic of China, well-known for being the world’s most populous nation and the global economic powerhouse, prioritizes the internationalization of the country’s higher education system. China is looking to expand its higher education program and carry out its diplomatic project in South Asia. In this sense, the South Asian zone, especially Nepal, is significant for China, where its educational diplomacy is playing as a “bridge between Sino- Nepal relations.” In this review, we describe the place and priority of “Education” in China’s foreign policy; explore China’s mediums of investment in Nepal’s education sector; and highlight the importance of educational aid in Sino-Nepal relations. Chinese educational aid to Nepal takes many forms, where Nepali students and officials engage with Chinese investment to enhance their career prospects and the education system in Nepal.
The Participation of Children and Adolescents in the Protection System: The Case of the Spanish Legislation
Authors: Massons-Ribas Anna , Balsells M. Àngels , Cortada Neus
Published: July 2021

Children’s right to participation is enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), specifically in Article 12; however, the participation of children in the protection system continues to be a challenge. There is a need for a paradigm shift, in which children and adolescents (CA) are considered as active subjects of rights in all areas of their lives, and that means allowing them to participate in decisions that concern them. The study analysed 20 Spanish laws, both national and autonomous, that regulate child protection and the rights of CA in the protection system. It focuses on examining the participation of children in the protection system, divided into its three dimensions: the right to be informed, the right to be heard and the right to be involved. There is complexity in the different regulations. All of them are consistent with the CRC and provide for participation, but not all to the same extent. There is a lack of harmonisation between the legislation of autonomous communities, leading to practical difficulties for the professionals who have to implement the legislation on a daily basis.
Present and Future Energy Poverty, a Holistic Approach: A Case Study in Seville, Spain
Authors: Alba-Rodríguez Mª Desirée , Rubio-Bellido Carlos , Tristancho-Carvajal Mónica , Castaño-Rosa Raúl , Marrero Madelyn
Published: July 2021

Energy poverty is a social problem that is accentuated in a climate change future scenario where families become increasingly vulnerable. This problem has been studied in cold weather, but it also takes place in warm climates such as those of Mediterranean countries, and it has not been widely targeted. In these countries, approximately 70% of its building stock was built during 1960–1980, its renovation being an opportunity to reduce its energy demand, improve tenants’ quality of life, and make it more resilient to climate change. In the retrofitting process, it is also important to consider tenants’ adaptability and regional scenarios. In this sense, the present work proposes an assessment model of retrofitting projects that takes into consideration energy consumption, comfort, tenants’ health, and monetary poverty. For this, the Index of Vulnerable Homes was implemented in this research to consider adaptive comfort in the energy calculation as well as the adaptability to climate change. A case study of 40 social housings in Seville, Spain, was analyzed in 2050 and 2080 future scenarios, defining the impact in energy poverty of the building retrofitting projects.
User Experience of Green Building Certification Resources: EarthCraft Multifamily
Authors: Jefferson Dwayne , Paige Frederick , Agee Philip , Jackson France
Published: July 2021

To improve the construction industry’s capacity to deliver sustainable infrastructure, guidance on delivering green building systems needs to be more usable. Green buildings have certifications and ratings in place that ensure that projects are environmentally responsible and meet standards in resource efficiency. EarthCraft Multifamily (ECMF), an evolving green building certification, has been successful in increasing the delivery of energy-efficient affordable housing, and this study leverages user experience (UX) methodologies to understand how to further improve ECMF and replicate its success. This study identifies the impact ECMF tools and resources, such as the program manual, worksheet, and technical guidelines, have on enhancing project delivery for architects. This study conducted data analysis on project specifications, heuristic evaluation data, and stakeholder interview data. As the strengths and weaknesses of ECMF were identified, knowledge on the usability of the green building certification program was unveiled. Heuristic evaluations data show that accessibility and usability issues are present in ECMF resources. Interview data show that architects’ experiences with ECMF resources were affected by some of the usability issues identified in the heuristic evaluation data. Coded interview transcripts show the most prominent participant-identified improvements represented within the data. Resources need appropriate visual representation such as readability and hierarchy to improve their usability. Understanding how ECMF resources are utilized during project delivery allows for the appropriate content and options to be strategically framed to improve accessibility and enhance user decision making. ECMF resources can allow for the inclusion of a broader set of stakeholders by lowering the level of expertise required for sustainable infrastructure delivery.
Assessment of Microalgae Oil as a Carbon-Neutral Transport Fuel: Engine Performance, Energy Balance Changes, and Exhaust Gas Emissions
Authors: Felneris Mantas , Raslavičius Laurencas , Pukalskas Saugirdas , Rimkus Alfredas
Published: July 2021

Notwithstanding the substantial progress acheved since 2010 in the attempts to realize the potential of microalgae biofuels in the transportation sector, the prospects for commercial production of CO2-neutral biofuels are more challenging today than they were in 2010. Pure P. moriformis microalgae oil was subjected to unmodified engine performance testing as a less investigated type of fuel. Conventional diesel was used as a reference fuel to compare and to contrast the energy balances of an engine as well as to juxtapose performance and emission indicators for both unary fuels. According to the methodology applied, the variation of BSFC rates, BTE, smoke opacity, NOx, HC, CO2, O2, and exhaust gas temperature on three different loads were established during compression ignition (CI) engine operation at EGR Off, 25% EGR, 18% EGR and 9% EGR modes, respectively. Simulation model (AVL Boost/BURN) was employed to assess the in-cylinder process parameters (pressure, pressure rise, temperature, temperature rise, ROHR, and MFB). Furthermore, the first law energy balances for an engine running on each of the test fuels were built up to provide useful insights about the peculiarities of energy conversion. Not depending on EGR mode applied, the CI engine running on microalgae oil was responsible for slightly higher BTE values, drastically reduced smoke opacity, higher CO2 values, and smaller O2 concentration, marginally increased NOx levels and lower total energy losses (in %) if compared to the performance with diesel fuel.
Standardizing Components and Rotating Workers Using GT-Based Algorithm—A Case Study
Authors: Li Ming-Liang
Published: July 2021

In both manufacturing and remanufacturing systems, exploiting bulk buying and avoiding delivery delays due to material shortages are crucial. One method that aids in these processes is component standardization. Additionally, company managers seek to reduce labor costs and mitigate the risk of sudden worker resignation or absence due to, for example, reasons associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The aforementioned problems could be solved using the sorting algorithm proposed in this study. The concept of the proposed algorithm is based on group technology. One numerical example and two case studies are presented to demonstrate the utility of the proposed algorithm. The first example suggested that the performance of the algorithm proposed in this study is superior to another one in the literature. The second one demonstrated that the algorithm in this work achieves component standardization by reducing an initial number of 12 components down to 6. The final case study provides an effective means of grouping workers with similar operational abilities and suggests how to assign new tasks to other skilled workers if a worker resigns suddenly or cannot attend work due to pandemic prevention measures.
The Impact of Reward–Penalty Policy on Different Recycling Modes of Recyclable Resources in Residential Waste
Authors: Mu Dong , Zhang Shaoqing
Published: July 2021

Facing enormous pressure from the rapid growth of waste on the environment and society, many developed countries have combined urban waste recycling systems with waste classification to reduce pollution and recycle resources. However, this technique is not well established in developing countries. From the 2000s, China has carried out many waste classification recycling projects in many pilot cities although they have yet to reach widespread success. This paper focuses on China’s Newest Waste Classification Recycling Project (NWCRP), which was first implemented in Shanghai from 2019 and has a three-echelon supply chain containing waste classification guiders (WCGs), recyclers and demanders. Firstly, two recycling modes in NWCRP are studied: the recyclers of the first mode are dominated by the recycling company (mode RC), and the recyclers of the second mode are dominated by the environmental sanitation engineering group (mode ESEG). Secondly, a reward–penalty policy is proposed, which can be implemented for WCGs or different recyclers in the two modes (RC or ESEG), and the impacts of different scenarios are also compared. The results showed that (1) with increasing reward–penalty intensity, the sorting rate and the profit show upward trends in two modes, while the subsidy efficiency of government decreases; (2) when the reward–penalty policy is implemented for WCGs, the recyclers’ recycling price decreases in the two modes; (3) all scenarios that implement the reward–penalty policy in mode RC have certain advantages in the sorting rate and profit and (4) with increasing reward–penalty intensity and target sorting rate in the reward–penalty policy, the social welfare first increases and then decreases in all scenarios. Finally, some suggestions on the recycling mode and the reward–penalty policy for establishing a 3RW recycling system are provided.
Exploring the Factors Affecting Mobile Learning for Sustainability in Higher Education
Authors: Al-Rahmi Ali Mugahed , Al-Rahmi Waleed Mugahed , Alturki Uthman , Aldraiweesh Ahmed , Almutairy Sultan , Al-Adwan Ahmad Samed
Published: July 2021

Mobile learning (M-learning) has become an important instructional technology component in higher education. The goal of this research is to determine how Malaysian university students use M-learning in higher education. The technology acceptance model (TAM) concept was used to construct a theoretical model of M-learning acceptability. In theory, five independent criteria were discovered as contributing to the actual usage of M-learning for educational sustainability by influencing students’ attitudes towards M-learning and their intention to use it. A questionnaire survey based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) was used as the primary data collection technique, with 200 students from UTHM University of Malaysia participating. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-Amos). The results of the students’ attitudes towards using M-learning and their behavioral intentions to use M-learning show a beneficial impact on the actual use of M-learning as well as the long-term sustainability of M-learning in higher education. In addition, both male and female students were satisfied with perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, attitude towards use, task-technology fit, behavioral intention to use, perceived resources and actual use of mobile learning for educational sustainability. This study contributes to the validation of the extended TAM for M-learning by demonstrating that the predicted model predicts students’ attitudes towards using M-learning and their behavioral intentions in Malaysian higher education.
Urban Development and Sustainable Utilization: Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Alqahtani Fahad , El Qasaby Ahmed , Abotaleb Ibrahim
Published: July 2021

Many countries are contemplating a smart sustainable approach to the next generation of cities. However, there are many obstacles to achieve this objective, such as planning and implementing sustainable dimensions. The aim of this study is to (1) investigate the level of importance of the different sustainable dimensions in Riyadh and (2) distinguish the effect of two proposed solutions on dimensions for a smart approach to rank the proposed solutions based on their level of impact in Riyadh. In this study, the sustainability dimensions are six main measurable criteria that include Smart Economy, Smart Mobility, Smart Environment, Smart People, Smart Governance, and Smart Living. The research also utilized a multi-step methodology that involved an expert-based survey and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) to assess the performance indices of components for a smart method in Riyadh and evaluate the proposed solutions, namely, the construction of a metro network to link all of Riyadh to align with the government objective for 2030, and encouraging the construction of smart buildings through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The results show that Smart People, Smart Mobility, and Smart Living were the three most important sustainable indices for Riyadh. Furthermore, the results of the proposed construction projects illustrate that both projects had the same impact on five of the six sustainable indices, but that the metro project had a significantly higher impact on one of the indices. The study is also envisaged to aid decision-makers in prioritizing the upcoming public construction projects. Finally, this is the first study of its kind to address ranking real public construction projects in terms of sustainable development.
Optimal Installation Location of Escape Route Signs at T-Type Intersections
Authors: Bae Young-Hoon , Son Jong-Yeong , Oh Ryun-Seok , Lee Hye-Kyoung , Lee Yoon-Ha , Hong Won-Hwa , Choi Jun-Ho
Published: July 2021

This study analyzed the decision-making times (DMTs) of participants at T-type indoor intersections according to the horizontal/vertical installation locations and the arrow directions of escape route signs. A total of 120 university students participated in the study. We analyzed the DMTs and following rates (FRs) required for the participants to observe the visual stimuli of the signs installed in front of the T-type indoor intersections and then properly select a path according to the arrow direction of the signs. The results are as follows: (1) the participants exhibited shorter DMTs for the right arrow direction of the signs, (2) the Simon effect occurred when the horizontal installation location of the signs was more than 60 cm away from the center of the T-type indoor intersection on both sides, (3) the DMTs of participants increased when the vertical installation location of the signs was low. Finally, we proposed an optimal installation location of the signs to support the shortest DMTs at T-type indoor intersections. It is expected that the results of this study will provide a database of DMTs, based on the locations of the signs during emergency evacuations, and will be utilized to improve the installation guidelines and regulations of signs.
The Impact of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies on Income and Food Security: Empirical Evidence from Small-Scale Fishers in Indonesia
Authors: Rahman Moh. Shadiqur , Toiba Hery , Huang Wen-Chi
Published: July 2021

The impacts of climate change on marine capture fisheries have been observed in several studies. It is likely to have a substantial effect on fishers’ income and food security. This study aims to estimate the impact of adaptation strategies on fishers’ income and their household’s food security. Data were collected from small-scale fishers’ households, which own a fishing boat smaller or equal to five gross tonnages (GT). The study sites were the two coastal regions of Malang and Probolinggo in East Java, Indonesia, due to the meager socioeconomic resources caused by climate change. A probit regression model was used to determine the factors influencing the fishers’ adaptation. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to evaluate the impact of the adaptation strategies on income and food security. Food security was measured by food consumption score (FCS). The findings indicated that participation in the fishers’ group affected adaptation strategies significantly, and so did the access to credit and climate information. Also, PSM showed that the adaptation strategies had a positive and significant impact on fishers’ income and food security. Those who applied the adaptation strategies had a higher income and FCS than those who did not. This finding implies that the fishery sector’s adaptation strategies can have significant expansion outcome and reduce exposure to risks posed by climate change. Therefore, the arrangement of more climate change adaptation strategies should be promoted by the government for small-scale fishers in Indonesia.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Hospitality Industry in Greece and Its Treasured Santorini Island
Authors: Medová Nikola , Macková Lucie , Harmacek Jaromir
Published: July 2021

This paper focuses on the dynamic of the recent upheaval in the tourism and hospitality sector due to the COVID-19 epidemic in Greece and Santorini island. It uses the case study of a country one-fourth of whose GDP consists of tourism. We compare the available statistical data showing the change in variables in the previous years with 2020 and look into the new challenges and opportunities posed by the drop in the numbers of visitors and flights. We focus mainly on the economic and social impact on the destination and possible future scenarios for further development in the area. Data show a significant effect of the pandemic on multiple variables, such as the long-term trend of the importance of tourism sector in GDP in Greece, the number of flights and visitors to Greece and Santorini island, and the contribution of tourism and travel to GDP. Based on the available data, we also construct three foresight scenarios that describe the possible futures for Santorini island in terms of the pandemic evolution. These scenarios may help various stakeholders and policymakers to be better prepared for different developments that may appear.
Quantitative Analysis of Polymetallic Ions in Industrial Wastewater Based on Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy
Authors: Zhou Fengbo , Oad Ammar , Zhu Hongqiu , Li Changgeng
Published: July 2021

In order to detect and control the concentration of polymetallic ions in industrial wastewater in real time, a spectrophotometric method combining wavelet transform (WT) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) is proposed for the simultaneous determination of zinc, cobalt and nickel in industrial wastewater by ultraviolet-visible spectrometry, without a separation step. WT was found to be suitable for spectral preprocessing, which effectively eliminated the noise, enhanced spectral feature information, improved the linearity of the detected ions and increased the number of selectable modeling wavelengths. PLSR was used to study the simultaneous detection of zinc, cobalt and nickel. The linear detection ranges were 10–100 mg/L for zinc, 0.6–6.0 mg/L for nickel and 0.3–3.0 mg/L for cobalt. The average relative deviation for zinc, nickel and cobalt was 2.85%, 3.05% and 2.24%, respectively. The results indicated that the WT–PLSR method is suitable for the online detection of polymetallic ions by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy in zinc industrial wastewater.
Service Evaluation of Electric Vehicle Charging Station: An Application of Improved Matter-Element Extension Method
Authors: Yan Qingyou , Dong Hua , Zhang Meijuan
Published: July 2021

To reach the targets of carbon peaking and neutral, China needs to develop electric vehicles extensively. The service level of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) notably decides the promotion of electric vehicles. Given the current unsatisfactory service performance of charging stations, this paper established a multi-criteria evaluation system for the electric vehicle charging stations. We conducted a survey in 2020 by distributing questionnaires to experts and charging station users. Firstly, from the perspective of the subject and object of charging station service, the evaluation system of 16 indexes for operator service and customer service was constructed. Secondly, the order relation method and entropy weight method were used to determine the subjective weight and objective weight of the indexes, respectively. It was concluded that charging price and parking cost have a great influence on the service evaluation. Then, a comprehensive evaluation model based on the improved matter-element extension method was established to appraise three charging stations in Beijing. Sensitive analysis and comparative analysis were implemented to further demonstrate the effectiveness and stability of the proposed evaluation method. Finally, the evaluation results provided implications for improving the charging service performance.