bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Burden of Carbohydrates in Health and Disease
Authors: Clemente-Suárez Vicente Javier , Mielgo-Ayuso Juan , Martín-Rodríguez Alexandra , Ramos-Campo Domingo Jesús , Redondo-Flórez Laura , Tornero-Aguilera Jose Francisco
Published: September 2022

Foods high in carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet, since they provide the body with glucose to support bodily functions and physical activity. However, the abusive consumption of refined, simple, and low-quality carbohydrates has a direct implication on the physical and mental pathophysiology. Then, carbohydrate consumption is postulated as a crucial factor in the development of the main Western diseases of the 21st century. We conducted this narrative critical review using MedLine (Pubmed), Cochrane (Wiley), Embase, and CinAhl databases with the MeSH-compliant keywords: carbohydrates and evolution, development, phylogenetic, GUT, microbiota, stress, metabolic health, consumption behaviors, metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, mental disease, anxiety, depression, cancer, chronic kidney failure, allergies, and asthma in order to analyze the impact of carbohydrates on health. Evidence suggests that carbohydrates, especially fiber, are beneficial for the well-being and growth of gut microorganisms and consequently for the host in this symbiotic relationship, producing microbial alterations a negative effect on mental health and different organic systems. In addition, evidence suggests a negative impact of simple carbohydrates and refined carbohydrates on mood categories, including alertness and tiredness, reinforcing a vicious circle. Regarding physical health, sugar intake can affect the development and prognosis of metabolic disease, as an uncontrolled intake of refined carbohydrates puts individuals at risk of developing metabolic syndrome and subsequently developing metabolic disease.
HM-Chromanone, a Major Homoisoflavonoid in Portulaca oleracea L., Improves Palmitate-Induced Insulin Resistance by Regulating Phosphorylation of IRS-1 Residues in L6 Skeletal Muscle Cells
Authors: Park Jae-Eun , Han Ji-Sook
Published: September 2022

This study investigated the effect of (E)-5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-3-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-4-chromanone (HM-chromanone) on palmitate-induced insulin resistance and elucidated the underlying mechanism in L6 skeletal muscle cells. Glucose uptake was markedly decreased due to palmitate-induced insulin resistance in these cells; however, 10, 25, and 50 µM HM-chromanone remarkably improved glucose uptake in a concentration-dependent manner. HM-chromanone treatment downregulated protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit beta (IKKβ), which increased because of palmitate mediating the insulin-resistance status in cells. HM-chromanone promoted insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) tyrosine phosphorylation and suppressed palmitate-induced phosphorylation of IRS-1 serine. This activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and stimulated protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation. Phosphorylated AKT promoted the translocation of Glucose transporter type 4 to the plasma membrane and significantly enhanced glucose uptake into muscle cells. Additionally, HM-chromanone increased glycogen synthesis through phosphorylating glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha/beta (GSK3 α/β) via AKT. Consequently, HM-chromanone may improve insulin resistance by downregulating the phosphorylation of IRS-1 serine through inhibition of negative regulators of insulin signaling and inflammation-activated protein kinases in L6 skeletal muscle cells.
In Vitro Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Leaf Extract against Cutibacterium acnes
Authors: Dell’Annunziata Federica , Cometa Stefania , Della Marca Roberta , Busto Francesco , Folliero Veronica , Franci Gianluigi , Galdiero Massimiliano , De Giglio Elvira , De Filippis Anna
Published: September 2022

Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is the main causative agent of acne vulgaris. The study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of a natural product, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract, against C. acnes. Preliminary chemical–physical characterization of the extract was carried out by means of FT-IR, TGA and XPS analyses. Skin permeation kinetics of the extract conveyed by a toning lotion was studied in vitro by Franz diffusion cell, monitoring the permeated arbutin (as the target component of the extract) and the total phenols by HPLC and UV-visible spectrophotometry, respectively. Antimicrobial activity and time-killing assays were performed to evaluate the effects of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract against planktonic C. acnes. The influence of different Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract concentrations on the biofilm biomass inhibition and degradation was evaluated by the crystal violet (CV) method. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test was used to determine the viability of immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) after exposure to Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract for 24 and 48 h. Levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α were quantified after HaCaT cells cotreatment with Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract and heat-killed C. acnes. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) which exerted a bacteriostatic action on 90% of planktonic C. acnes (MIC90) was 0.6 mg/mL. Furthermore, MIC and sub-MIC concentrations influenced the biofilm formation phases, recording a percentage of inhibition that exceeded 50 and 40% at 0.6 and 0.3 mg/mL. Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract disrupted biofilm biomass of 57 and 45% at the same concentrations mentioned above. Active Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract doses did not affect the viability of HaCaT cells. On the other hand, at 1.25 and 0.6 mg/mL, complete inhibition of the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines was recorded. Taken together, these results indicate that Arctostaphylos uva-ursi leaf extract could represent a natural product to counter the virulence of C. acnes, representing a new alternative therapeutic option for the treatment of acne vulgaris.
Anti PD-1/Anti PDL-1 Inhibitors in Advanced Gastroesophageal Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Phase 2/3 Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Parmar Kanak , Subramanyam Sai , Attwood Kristopher , Appiah Duke , Fountzilas Christos , Mukherjee Sarbajit
Published: September 2022

Importance: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized the treatment for gastroesophageal cancers (GEC). It is important to investigate the factors that influence the response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 ICIs. Objective: To assess the benefits of PD-1/PD-L1 ICIs in advanced GEC and perform subgroup analysis to identify patient populations who would benefit from ICI. Data sources: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched from database inception to September 2021 for all relevant articles. We also reviewed abstracts and presentations from all major conference proceedings including relevant meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) during the last four years (2018 to 2021) and reviewed citation lists. Study selection, data extraction, and synthesis: Full articles and presentations were further assessed if the information suggested that the study was a phase 2/3 randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor either alone, or in combination with standard therapy vs. standard therapy in advanced GEC. The full text of the resulting studies/presentations and extracted data were reviewed independently according to PRISMA guidelines. Main outcomes and measures: The main outcomes were OS, PFS, and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Results: A total of 168 studies were assessed for eligibility, and 17 RCTs with 12,312 patients met the inclusion criteria. There was an OS benefit in the overall population with ICIs (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.73–0.83 p < 0.001). Immunotherapy showed better OS benefit in males (HR 0.77 95% CI 0.72–0.83; p < 0.001) than females (HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.80–0.99 p < 0.03), esophageal primary tumors (HR 0.70 95% CI 0.64–0.76 p < 0.001) vs. gastric cancer (HR 0.84 95% CI 0.74–0.94 p 0.002) or GEJ cancer (HR 0.84 95% CI 0.72–0.98 p 0.024) and in squamous cell carcinoma (HR 0.71 95% CI 0.66–0.77 p < 0.001) vs. adenocarcinoma (HR 0.85 95% CI 0.78–0.93 p < 0.001). PD-L1 positive patients seemed to benefit more (HR 0.74 95% CI 0.67–0.82 p < 0.001) compared to PD-L1 negative patients (HR 0.86 95% CI 0.74–1.00 p < 0.043), and Asians showed OS benefit (HR 0.76 95% CI 0.67–0.87 p < 0.001) compared to their White counterparts (HR 0.92 95% CI 0.74–1.14; p 0.424). Conclusions and relevance: ICIs improve survival in advanced GEC without significantly increasing the side effects. However, certain subgroups of patients such as males, Asians, and those with esophageal primary, PD-L1 positive tumors and squamous cell carcinoma benefit more from such treatments. Further translational research is needed to understand the mechanistic links and develop new biomarkers.
An Insight into the Bicarbonate Effect in Photosystem II through the Prism of the JIP Test
Authors: Shitov Alexandr V.
Published: September 2022

Photosystem II (PSII) is the unique pigment–protein complex that is capable of evolving molecular oxygen using solar energy. The activity of PSII determines the overall productivity of all oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. It is well known that the absence of HCO3− induces a drop in the activity of PSII. However, it is not yet clear what type of photochemical reaction, single turn-over or multiple turn-over, HCO3− is involved in. Kinetic parameters of this (these) involvement(s) are almost unexplored now. This work addresses these issues. Using the JIP test, being the perspective noninvasive method for measuring PSII activity in plants, this paper describes how HCO3− deficiency affects the electron transfer on the oxidizing as well as the reducing sides of PSII in thylakoids and in PSII preparations from the leaves of pea plants. HCO3− was found to be simultaneously involved both in single turn-over and in multiple turn-over events (“dynamical processes”). Moreover, the involvement of HCO3− in dynamical photochemical processes was revealed to be associated with both sides of PSII, being the rate limiting on the reducing side, which follows from obtained kinetic parameters. The involvement of HCO3− in dynamical processes as the constant exchangeable ligand is discussed for both the electron donor and acceptor sides of PSII.
Freeze Moisture Treatment and Ozonation of Adlay Starch (Coix lacryma-jobi): Effect on Functional, Pasting, and Physicochemical Properties
Authors: Subroto Edy , Sitha Nisyrah , Filianty Fitry , Indiarto Rossi , Sukri Nandi
Published: September 2022

Adlay starch has great potential as a cereal starch, but it has several weaknesses, namely a low swelling volume, low solubility, and low stability. The purpose of this study was to improve the characteristics of adlay starch, such as porosity, functional properties, and pasting properties, through starch modification using freeze moisture treatment (FMT) and ozonation. This study consisted of several treatments, namely FMT, ozonation, and a combination of FMT + ozonation. The results show that the FMT and ozonation generally increased water absorption capacity, swelling volume, solubility, and number of pores of the starch granule. The pasting properties showed an increase in the viscosity of the hot paste and caused a decrease in the gelatinization temperature, breakdown, and setback viscosity. FMT 70% + ozonation produced modified adlay starch with a porous granular surface, swelling volume value of 21.10 mL/g, water absorption capacity of 1.54 g/g, a solubility of 9.20%, and an increase in the amorphous structure but did not cause the emergence of new functional groups. The combination of FMT + ozonation was effective in improving the functional, pasting, and physicochemical properties of adlay starch.
Preparation and Physiochemical Characterization of Bitter Orange Oil Loaded Sodium Alginate and Casein Based Edible Films
Authors: Bhatia Saurabh , Al-Harrasi Ahmed , Al-Azri Mohammed Said , Ullah Sana , Bekhit Alaa El-Din Ahmed , Pratap-Singh Anubhav , Chatli Manish Kumar , Anwer Md. Khalid , Aldawsari Mohammed F.
Published: September 2022

Biopolymers-based composite edible films are gaining interest in the food packaging industry due to their sustainable nature and diverse biological activities. In the current study, we used sodium alginate (SA) and casein (CA) for the fabrication of composite film using the casting method. We also added orange oil to the edible film and assessed its impact on the biological, chemical, physical, and barrier properties of the films. The fabricated films were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was observed that CA–SA films loaded with 1.5% OEO had better visual attributes, and a further increase in oil concentration was not found to be as favorable. Mechanical assessment of the films revealed that CA–SA-OEO (1.5%) film showed lower puncture deformation and higher puncture force values. XRD data showed that all samples exhibited peaks at similar positions (21° of 2θ) with different intensities. In FTIR analysis, characteristic peaks of the film components (sodium alginate, casein, and orange oil) were reported at corresponding positions. The thermal stability of films was enhanced after the addition of the OEO (1.5%), however, a greater increase in OEO caused a decrease in the thermal stability, observed during TGA analysis. Moreover, the surface of the blank CA–SA film (FL1) was found to be rough (with cracks) compared to CA–SA films (FL2) containing 1.5% OEO. Additionally, FL2 was found to be relatively better than the other samples in terms of swelling degree (SD), thickness, water solubility (WS), oxygen permeability (OP), water vapor permeability (WVP), moisture content (MC), and transparency (T).
Comparative Study on Blast Damage Features of Reinforced Concrete Slabs with Polyurethane Sacrificial Cladding Based on Different Numerical Simulation Methods
Authors: Liu Zhidong , Zhao Xiaohua , Liu Da , Wang Gaohui , Shi Mingsheng
Published: September 2022

The defense effects of sacrificial cladding have been extensively studied in the field of blast resistance. As a polymer material with a cellular structure, polyurethane also has the potential to act as sacrificial cladding due to its good mechanical properties. The purpose of this study is to compare and select a numerical simulation method that is suitable for exploring the blast damage mitigation effect of polyurethane sacrificial cladding on reinforced concrete slabs. To this end, three numerical models were developed using the Fully Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) method, the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) coupling method, and the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Finite Element Method (SPH–FEM) coupling method, respectively. These three numerical models were used to investigate the damage features of reinforced concrete slabs with polyurethane sacrificial cladding (PU–RCS) under contact explosions. A field test was also carried out to provide a comparison for numerical simulation results. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of the three simulation results and the applicability of the three coupled models were discussed. The results show that compared with the CEL model and the ALE coupling model, the SPH–FEM coupling model can better simulate the damage features of PU–RCS, such as the cracks on the bottom surface of the RC slab and the large deformation failure state of polyurethane sacrificial cladding, while the CEL model and the ALE coupling model can simulate the propagation process of shock waves and have a lower computational cost. In conclusion, the SPH–FEM coupling method is the most applicable method for exploring the blast damage features of PU–RCS in this study.
Pierre Robin Sequence and 3D Printed Personalized Composite Appliances in Interdisciplinary Approach
Authors: Thurzo Andrej , Šufliarsky Barbora , Urbanová Wanda , Čverha Martin , Strunga Martin , Varga Ivan
Published: September 2022

This paper introduces a complex novel concept and methodology for the creation of personalized biomedical appliances 3D-printed from certified biocompatible photopolymer resin Dental LT Clear (V2). The explained workflow includes intraoral and CT scanning, patient virtualization, digital appliance design, additive manufacturing, and clinical application with evaluation of the appliance intended for patients with cranio-facial syndromes. The presented concept defines virtual 3D fusion of intraoral optical scan and segmented CT as sufficient and accurate data defining the 3D surface of the face, intraoral and airway morphology necessary for the 3D design of complex personalized intraoral and extraoral parts of the orthopedic appliance. A central aspect of the concept is a feasible utilization of composite resin for biomedical prototyping of the sequence of marginally different appliances necessary to keep the pace with the patient rapid growth. Affordability, noninvasiveness, and practicality of the appliance update process shall be highlighted. The methodology is demonstrated on a particular case of two-year-old infant with Pierre Robin sequence. Materialization by additive manufacturing of this photopolymer provides a highly durable and resistant-to-fracture two-part appliance similar to a Tübingen palatal plate, for example. The paper concludes with the viability of the described method and material upon interdisciplinary clinical evaluation of experts from departments of orthodontics and cleft anomalies, pediatric pneumology and phthisiology, and pediatric otorhinolaryngology.
Electrical Tree Characteristics of Bisphenol A Epoxy Resin/Maleopimaric Anhydride Curing System
Authors: Liu Hechen , Wu Xuan , Guo Zhanpeng , Dong Peng , Ge Qi , Wei Liwei , Sun Zhanglin
Published: September 2022

Epoxy resin insulation materials are mainly derived from petrochemical materials which have the disadvantages of resource consumption and environmental pollution. In order to cure bisphenol A epoxy resin, a maleopimaric anhydride (MPA) curing agent was prepared from rosin, a renewable resource, and blended with a petroleum-based curing agent (methylhexahy-drophthalic anhydride). The influence of maleopimaric anhydride content on the initiation and growth characteristics of electrical trees was studied and analyzed in this paper using molecular dynamics simulation (MD) and electrical tree tests at an 18-kilovolt power frequency voltage. When the MPA content used was ≤10%, the free volume percentage of the curing system increased with MPA content, and thus the initiation voltage became lower; when the MPA content was ≥20%, the hydrogenated phenanthrene ring structure content increased significantly with increasing MPA content, and the rigidity of the curing system increased significantly; thus, the initiation voltage gradually increased. MPA4 had an 11.11% higher initiation voltage than the petroleum-based control group. The effect of the polar rigid structure within the curing system significantly inhibited the growth rate and length of electrical trees as MPA content increased. Electrical trees developed into light-colored, thin, and narrow dendritic structures when the MPA content reached 40%. The results show that curing epoxy resin with the rosin-based curing agent maleopimaric anhydride (MPA), in place of a petroleum-based curing agent, can produce environmentally friendly resins with excellent electrical tree resistance and potential application prospects.
The Tripods in Daoist Alchemy: Uncovering a Material Source of Immortality
Authors: Fan Zhen
Published: September 2022

The tripod (ding 鼎) and the nine tripods (jiuding 九鼎) are significant in ancient China, appearing often in Daoist alchemy. However, they have been largely ignored by the scholarship on Daoism. Early Daoist alchemy saw the tripod and the nine tripods as critical elements in the production of immortality, but the outer alchemy (waidan 外丹) gave up refining the outer elixir by tripod due to technical reasons. The tripod was merely mentioned in the elaboration of outer alchemy. Later, in the Southern Song dynasty, inner alchemy (neidan 內丹) rebuilt the significance of the tripod and the nine tripods in inner refining, inventing new theories, such as the body-tripod metaphor, the nine orbits, and the lunar phases. This paper outlines the history of the (nine) tripods as a concept and implement in Daoist alchemy.
New Orbit Determination Method for GEO Satellites Based on BeiDou Short-Message Communication Ranging
Authors: Li Xiaojie , Guo Rui , Chen Jianbing , Liu Shuai , Chang Zhiqiao , Xin Jie , Guo Jinglei , Tian Yijun
Published: September 2022

The radio determination service system (RDSS), a navigation and positioning system independently developed by China, features services such as short-message communication, position reporting, and international search and rescue. The L-band pseudo-range and phase data are the primary data sources in precise orbit determination (POD) for geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite in the BeiDou system, especially in the orbit manoeuvre period. These data are the only data sources in the POD for GEOs. However, when the pseudo-range and phase data is abnormal due to unforeseen reasons, such as satellite hardware failure or monitoring receiver abnormalities, the data abnormality leads to orbit determination abnormalities or even failures for GEOs, then the service performance and availability of the RDSS system are greatly degraded. Therefore, a new POD method for GEOs based on BeiDou short-message communication ranging data has gained research attention to improve the service reliability of the BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS)-3, realising the deep integration of communication and navigation services of the BDS. This problem has not been addressed so far. Therefore, in this study, a new POD method for GEO satellites is investigated using high-precision satellite laser ranging (SLR) data and RDSS data. The SLR data are used as the benchmark to calibrate the time delay value of RDSS equipment, and RDSS data are only used in the orbit determination process by fixing the corrected RDSS time delay value, and the satellite orbit parameters and dynamic parameters are solved. Experimental analysis is conducted using the measured SLR and RDSS data of the BDS, and the orbit accuracy in this paper is evaluated by the precise ephemeris of the Multi-GNSS pilot project (MGEX) and SLR data. The results show that the orbit accuracy in the orbital arc and the 2-h orbital prediction arc for GEOs are 6.01 m and 6.99 m, respectively, compared with the ephemeris of MGEX, and the short-arc orbit accuracy after 4 h of manoeuvring is 11.11 m. The orbit accuracy in the radial component by SLR data is 0.54 m. The required orbit accuracy for GEO satellites in the RDSS service of the BDS-3 is 15 m. The orbit accuracy achieved in this paper is superior to that of this technical index. This method expands the application field of the RDSS data and greatly enriches the POD method for GEOs. It can be adopted as a backup technology for the POD method for GEOs based on RNSS data, significantly improving the service reliability of the BeiDou RDSS service.
Vehicle Re-Identification Based on UAV Viewpoint: Dataset and Method
Authors: Lu Mingming , Xu Yongchuan , Li Haifeng
Published: September 2022

High-resolution remote sensing images bring a large amount of data as well as challenges to traditional vision tasks. Vehicle re-identification (ReID), as an essential vision task that can utilize remote sensing images, has been widely used in suspect vehicle searches, cross-border vehicle tracking, traffic behavior analysis, and automatic toll collection systems. Although there have been a large number of studies on vehicle ReID, most of them are based on fixed surveillance cameras and do not take full advantage of high-resolution remote sensing images. Compared with images collected by fixed surveillance cameras, high-resolution remote sensing images based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have the characteristics of rich viewpoints and a wide range of scale variations. These characteristics bring richer information to vehicle ReID tasks and have the potential to improve the performance of vehicle ReID models. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is a shortage of large open-source datasets for vehicle ReID based on UAV views, which is not conducive to promoting UAV-view-based vehicle ReID research. To address this issue, we construct a large-scale vehicle ReID dataset named VRU (the abbreviation of Vehicle Re-identification based on UAV), which consists of 172,137 images of 15,085 vehicles captured by UAVs, through which each vehicle has multiple images from various viewpoints. Compared with the existing vehicle ReID datasets based on UAVs, the VRU dataset has a larger volume and is fully open-source. Since most of the existing vehicle ReID methods are designed for fixed surveillance cameras, it is difficult for these methods to adapt to UAV-based vehicle ReID images with multi-viewpoint and multi-scale characteristics. Thus, this work proposes a Global Attention and full-Scale Network (GASNet) for the vehicle ReID task based on UAV images. To verify the effectiveness of our GASNet, GASNet is compared with the baseline models on the VRU dataset. The experiment results show that GASNet can achieve 97.45% Rank-1 and 98.51% mAP, which outperforms those baselines by 3.43%/2.08% improvements in terms of Rank-1/mAP. Thus, our major contributions can be summarized as follows: (1) the provision of an open-source UAV-based vehicle ReID dataset, (2) the proposal of a state-of-art model for UAV-based vehicle ReID.
Integration of Remote Sensing and Offshore Geophysical Data for Monitoring the Short-Term Morphological Evolution of an Active Volcanic Flank: A Case Study from Stromboli Island
Authors: Casalbore Daniele , Di Traglia Federico , Romagnoli Claudia , Favalli Massimiliano , Gracchi Teresa , Tacconi Stefanelli Carlo , Nolesini Teresa , Rossi Guglielmo , Del Soldato Matteo , Manzella Irene , Cole Paul , Casagli Nicola , Chiocci Francesco Latino
Published: September 2022

The Sciara del Fuoco (SdF) collapse scar at Stromboli is an active volcanic area affected by rapid morphological changes due to explosive/effusive eruptions and mass-wasting processes. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of an integrated analysis of multi-temporal remote sensing (photogrammetry, COSMO-SkyMed Synthetic Aperture Radar amplitude image) and marine geophysical data (multibeam and side scan sonar data) to characterize the main morphological, textural, and volumetric changes that occurred along the SdF slope in the 2020–2021 period. The analysis showed the marked erosive potential of the 19 May 2021 pyroclastic density current generated by a crater rim collapse, which mobilized a minimum volume of 44,000 m3 in the upper Sciara del Fuoco slope and eroded 350,000–400,000 m3 of material just considering the shallow-water setting. The analysis allowed us also to constrain the main factors controlling the emplacement of different lava flows and overflows during the monitored period. Despite the morphological continuity between the subaerial and submarine slope, textural variations in the SdF primarily depend on different processes and characteristics of the subaerial slope, the coastal area, the nearshore, and “deeper” marine areas.
Spatial–Temporal Trends in and Attribution Analysis of Vegetation Change in the Yellow River Basin, China
Authors: Jian Shengqi , Zhang Qiankun , Wang Huiliang
Published: September 2022

In 1999, the Yellow River Basin (YRB) launched the Grain for Green Program (GGP), which has had a huge impact on the Yellow River Basin vegetation. Research regarding the causes of vegetation changes can provide beneficial information for the management and construction of the ecological environment in the Yellow River Basin. In this study, after reconstructing the relationship between vegetation and climate change under natural conditions, topographic factors were introduced to understand vegetation change in the Yellow River Basin before and after the initiation of the Grain for Green Program, and the contribution rates of the driving factors of change were analyzed. Results show that human activities have had a great impact on the vegetation cover in the Yellow River Basin. We found that after the start of the Grain for Green Program, the vegetation recovery rate was more than six times (slope = 0.0067) that before its start (slope = 0.0011); high NDVI levels moved to lower altitudes, while low NDVI levels moved to high altitudes; and most vegetation types turned to gentle slopes. Human activities and climate change are the dominant factors influencing vegetation coverage, and the contribution rate of human activities had reached 59.3% after 2000, with a tendency to gradually dominate.
Artificial Reef Detection Method for Multibeam Sonar Imagery Based on Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Dong Zhipeng , Liu Yanxiong , Yang Long , Feng Yikai , Ding Jisheng , Jiang Fengbiao
Published: September 2022

Artificial reef detection in multibeam sonar images is an important measure for the monitoring and assessment of biological resources in marine ranching. With respect to how to accurately detect artificial reefs in multibeam sonar images, this paper proposes an artificial reef detection framework for multibeam sonar images based on convolutional neural networks (CNN). First, a large-scale multibeam sonar image artificial reef detection dataset, FIO-AR, was established and made public to promote the development of artificial multibeam sonar image artificial reef detection. Then, an artificial reef detection framework based on CNN was designed to detect the various artificial reefs in multibeam sonar images. Using the FIO-AR dataset, the proposed method is compared with some state-of-the-art artificial reef detection methods. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve an 86.86% F1-score and a 76.74% intersection-over-union (IOU) and outperform some state-of-the-art artificial reef detection methods.
Comparison of Lake Area Extraction Algorithms in Qinghai Tibet Plateau Leveraging Google Earth Engine and Landsat-9 Data
Authors: Li Xusheng , Zhang Donghui , Jiang Chenchen , Zhao Yingjun , Li Hu , Lu Donghua , Qin Kai , Chen Donghua , Liu Yufeng , Sun Yu , Liu Saisai
Published: September 2022

Monitoring the lake waterbody area in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) is significant in dealing with global climate change. The latest released Landsat-9 data, which has higher radiation resolution and can be complemented with other Landsat data to improve imaging temporal resolution, have great potential for applications in lake area extraction. However, no study is published on identifying waterbodies and lakes in large-scale plateau scenes based on Landsat-9 data. Therefore, we relied on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and selected ten waterbody extraction algorithms to evaluate the quantitative evaluation of waterbody and lake area extraction results on the QTP and explore the usability of Landsat-9 images in the relationship between the extraction accuracy and the algorithm. The results show that the random forest (RF) algorithm performs best in all models. The overall accuracy of waterbody extraction is 95.84%, and the average lake waterbody area extraction error is 1.505%. Among the traditional threshold segmentation waterbody extraction algorithms, the overall accuracy of the NDWI waterbody extraction method is 89.89%, and the average error of lake waterbody area extraction is 3.501%, which is the highest performance model in this kind of algorithm. The linear regression coefficients of NDVI and reflectance of Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 data are close to 1, and R2 is more significant than 0.91. At the same time, the overall accuracy difference of water extraction between the two data is not better than 1.1%. This study proves that Landsat-9 and Landsat-8 data have great consistency, which can be used for collaborative analysis to identify plateau waterbodies more efficiently. With the development of cloud computing technologies, such as Gee, more complex models, such as RF, can be selected to improve the extraction accuracy of the waterbody and lake area in large-scale research.
Resilience Assessment of an Urban Metro Complex Network: A Case Study of the Zhengzhou Metro
Authors: Qi Qingjie , Meng Yangyang , Zhao Xiaofei , Liu Jianzhong
Published: September 2022

An urban metro network is susceptible to becoming vulnerable and difficult to recover quickly in the face of an unexpected attack on account of the system’s complexity and the threat of various emergencies. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the resilience of urban metro networks. However, the research on resilience assessment of urban metro networks is still in the development stage, and it is better to conduct said research using a technique which combines many attributes, multiple methods, and several cases. Therefore, based on the complex network modeling and topological characteristics analysis of metro systems, a metro network’s robustness and vulnerability measurement method under node interruption and edge failure is proposed for the first time in this study. Then, considering the three cases of general station interruption, interchange station interruption, and traffic tunnel failure, a quantitative resilience assessment model of metro networks is put forward, and the corresponding recovery strategies are discussed. Finally, a case study of the Zhengzhou Metro Network (ZZMN) under an extreme rainstorm is conducted to demonstrate the viability of the proposed model. The results show that ZZMN possesses scale-free and small-world network properties, and it is robust to random interruptions but vulnerable to deliberate attacks. ZZMN still needs to improve its effectiveness in information transmission. The centrality distribution for each node in the ZZMN network differs significantly, and each node’s failure has a unique impact on the network. The larger the DC, BC, and PR of a node is, the lower the network’s robustness after its removal is, and the stronger the vulnerability is. Compared with the three cases of general station interruption, interchange station interruption, and traffic tunnel failure, the network loss caused by tunnel failure was the lowest, followed by general station interruption, and the interruption at interchange stations was the most costly. Given the failures under various cases, the metro management department should prioritize selecting the optimal recovery strategy to improve the resilience of the metro network system. This study’s findings can assist in making urban metro systems less vulnerable to emergencies and more resilient for a quick recovery, which can provide scientific theoretical guidance and decision support for the safety and resilient, sustainable development of urban metro systems.
Virology in Schoolbooks—A Comprehensive Analysis of Austrian Biology Textbooks for Secondary School and Implications for Improvement
Authors: Hoffer Nina , Lex Sabrina , Simon Uwe K.
Published: September 2022

Virology has gained much attention in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other recurrent epidemics/pandemics such as Ebola, zika, or now, monkeypox. We have analysed all recent biology schoolbooks for secondary school approved for the Austrian market. Our aim was to find out whether virological content was presented comprehensively, comprehensibly, and in an error-free manner. This also relates to visual representations of viruses, processes related to virology (e.g., replication), and references to daily life. Furthermore, we looked for tasks related to virology that may help students to deepen their newly acquired knowledge and/or to put it into practice, either by hands-on experimentation or transfer tasks. We examined 97 books (76 books for lower secondary and 21 books for upper secondary school). For this analysis, we developed and tested a coding matrix accompanied with a comprehensive coding guide to facilitate reproducible and reliable ratings. Since inter-rater reliability was found to be very high, both the coding matrix and guide can be recommended for further studies in this field. Overall, the virological content provided was free of errors, with the text and illustrations being mostly comprehensive and comprehensible. This was expected, since all Austrian school books must be approved by a governmental commission. However, individual books even for the same target (age) group differed widely in content and detail. In particular, few books clearly differentiated between viruses and bacteria, clarified that viruses are non-living and emphasized that antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. Yet precisely such knowledge is essential to enable students to make scientifically based decisions in health-related situations, especially for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases (e.g., whether to take antibiotics when suffering from a viral disease).
Wastewater Treatment with Technical Intervention Inclination towards Smart Cities
Authors: Pandey Shivam , Twala Bhekisipho , Singh Rajesh , Gehlot Anita , Singh Aman , Montero Elisabeth Caro , Priyadarshi Neeraj
Published: September 2022

At this time, efforts are being made on a worldwide scale to accomplish sustainable development objectives. It has, thus, now become essential to investigate the part of technology in the accomplishment of these Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as this will enable us to circumvent any potential conflicts that may arise. The importance of wastewater management in the accomplishment of these goals has been highlighted in the study. The research focuses on the role of fourth industrial revolution in meeting the Sustainable Goals for 2030. Given that water is the most important resource on the planet and since 11 of the 17 Sustainable Goals are directly related to having access to clean water, effective water management is the most fundamental need for achieving these goals. The age of Industry 4.0 has ushered in a variety of new solutions in many industrial sectors, including manufacturing, water, energy, healthcare, and electronics. This paper examines the present creative solutions in water treatment from an Industry-4.0 viewpoint, focusing on big data, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and several other technologies. The study has correlated the various concepts of Industry 4.0 along with water and wastewater management and also discusses the prior work carried out in this field with help of different technologies. In addition to proposing a way for explaining the operation of I4.0 in water treatment through a systematic diagram, the paper makes suggestions for further research as well.
Evolution of the Relationship between Runoff and Sediment Transport during Flood Event in the Chabagou Watershed of the Loess Plateau
Authors: Yang Qiannan , Gao Haidong , Han Yong , Li Zhanbin , Lu Kexin
Published: September 2022

Research on flood events is one of the most important parts to study runoff and sediment transport in the typical watershed on the Loess Plateau. Based on 101 floods in Period I (PD-I, 1970 to 1990) and Period II (PD-II, 2006 to 2018), and combined with rainfall data, the study indicated the evolution of runoff and sediment transport characteristics during flood events in the Chabagou watershed, and reveal its influencing factors in both periods. Results showed: (1) Sediment yield (SY) increased linearly with runoff amount (RA), and the increasing rate of SY in PD-II was around 20% of PD-I, the relationship between peak flow (PF) and sediment concentration (SC) was the power function, and the SC in PD-II was lower than that in PD-I under the same PF. (2) SY was more sensitive to P (precipitation) of the flood event than rainfall intensity (RI), and the sensitivity of RA and SY to P in PD-II was greater than that in PD-I. The sediment delivery modulus (SDM) with rainfall erosivity (RE) was also linear, and the increasing rate of SDM in PD-II was 27% of PD-I. (3) The better improvement of the underlying surface not only raised the threshold of RA and corresponded with peak SC, but also shortened the duration of high sediment concentration and lowered the sediment transportation capacity by contrasting the flood processes.
An Internet-Supported Continuing Professional Development Training with Secondary School Physical Education Teachers: Protocol for the Physical Education for Moving (PE4MOVE) Trial
Authors: Carraro Attilio , Colangelo Alessandra , Santi Giampaolo , Conti Cristiana , Petrini Marco , Gobbi Erica
Published: September 2022

Most adolescents in industrialized countries are physically inactive and effective actions to counteract this situation are required. School physical education (PE) can promote students’ active lifestyle. The paper presents the protocol of the “Physical education for moving” (PE4MOVE) project, based on an Internet-supported professional training program offered to PE teachers in a region of central Italy. Secondary school PE teachers and their students are randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a wait-list control group. Teachers participate in a continuing professional development training (CPDt) designed to increase knowledge and competences regarding students’ physical activity (PA) promotion. The CPDt, developed according to recent recommendations, consists of a mixed-modality preliminary session on fitness testing, and webinars and online workshops on theory-driven strategies. Teachers are then required to apply contents during their PE classes. Teachers’ variables related to PA promotion, as well students’ approach to PA, PA levels and physical fitness are recorded at pre- and post-trial times. Upon its completion, the project may contribute to the field by providing evidence for the effectiveness of Internet-supported teachers’ training programmes, for the transferability of students’ motivation from PE to out-of-school settings, and for the relationship between teachers and students’ motivation.
Cognitive Accessibility in Rural Heritage: A New Proposal for the Archaeological Landscape of Castulo
Authors: Quesada-García Santiago , Valero-Flores Pablo , Mendoza-Alvarez David , Cabeza-Lainez Joseph
Published: September 2022

The long-lost Ibero-Roman citadel of Castŭlō, or Castulo as it is known today, has been revealed to be one of the most important centers of the southern Iberian Peninsula due to its size and its geographical position. The ancient walled holdfast occupies an area of about 50 hectares, with overlapping vestiges from different historical stages. During the last intervention in the northwest city walls, a set of important findings was revealed, notably a Roman high-quality relief depicting a lion which holds a human head between its paws. This article, in addition to contextualizing and presenting the archaeological site, focuses on the latest work carried out in the northern area of the city’s Punic wall. Based on the data obtained, an urban interpretation is also provided on the use and function of this walled city area and how it was attuned to the surroundings to configure a new kind of landscape project. Relevant endeavours have been undertaken by the authors in order to render the restoration feasible, and prominently to introduce a more innovative issue of cognitive accessibility for the visitors who are allowed to enjoy this significant piece of heritage despite the hindrances of the terrain. This is the fundamental objective of a former research project by the authors, and it was extended to offer a key to sustainable archaeology, establishing design criteria for the planning of spaces that fulfil the experience of visiting heritage for groups of people with cognitive problems: among them, those with Alzheimer’s disease. By addressing these pending requirements, the sustainable qualities of the archaeological sites would be significantly enhanced.
Spatial Correlation Network Structure and Influencing Factors of Two-Stage Green Innovation Efficiency: Evidence from China
Authors: Sun Liwen , Han Ying
Published: September 2022

With the continuous progress in global sustainable development, green innovation has become the primary driving force for the development of all countries and regions. China has implemented the strategy of constructing a cross-regional green innovation network. As the spatial correlation network structure of green innovation efficiency is complicated, it is necessary to study the change rules of the network structure to coordinate regional green and innovative development. In this paper, the Super-NSBM model is used to calculate the values of two-stage green innovation efficiency of China’s industrial enterprises from 2006 to 2019. Social network analysis is used to explore the rule of changes and causes of the spatial correlation network of two-stage green innovation efficiency. Our findings are as follows. Green innovation efficiency in the two stages presents the relationship of a non-adjacent complex network, and the network of green innovation and R&D efficiency is closely interconnected. Strong hierarchical correlation breaks down when searching for the best spatial configuration relationship. The transformation efficiency of the networked cooperation of green innovation achievements is stable. In the spatial correlation of green innovation and R&D efficiency, Guangdong, Shandong, Beijing, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are at the center of the network. In the spatial correlation of transformation efficiency of green innovation achievements, Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Henan and Hubei are in the center. The northern coastal areas fall within the scope of green innovation and R&D spillover has and have a close cooperation with the green innovation spillover plate in the southern coastal areas, making green innovation achievements spill over to the Chengdu-Chongqing region and northern region. The cooperation and connection of green innovation activities conform to the rule of geographical proximity. Environmental regulation and marketization are characterized by “hierarchy”, but the economic level is “non-hierarchical”. The government can implement relevant green innovation policies according to local characteristics. Our findings are of great significance to narrow regional green innovation gaps.
Green Practices and Innovations of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Industry in Singapore: Idea Worth Sharing
Authors: Tan Ying Yan , Omar Rosmini
Published: September 2022

TCM health benefits and pressure to thrive TCM businesses while taking care of the sustainability of resources has challenged the TCM industry to produce more with less. It is of interest to know how TCM businesses innovate to sustainability through green practices. By capturing the perspectives of TCM organizational stakeholders on practices to minimize the negative impacts on the local environment by TCM enterprises (clinics) in Singapore from the lens of a qualitative exploratory study, the present study explored the presence of green practices and innovations of TCM organizational stakeholders though it is less clear whether these engagements are conducted out of the intention to be green, as these are daily practices at TCM clinics. The phenomenological approach was applied to examine the lived experiences of study participants who work or had worked at TCM clinics in Singapore. The highlights of the paper stressed inadequate focus on green practices at the organizational level to achieve sustainable development targets of TCM industry in Singapore, despite the existence of self-awareness at the individual level to protect the environment. The findings can be building blocks for future research on green and policy making. Green practices and innovations to stay healthy while protecting the environment, with more sensible choices, can bring differences to humans’ lives.