bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burnout Syndrome, Stress and Study Hours in the Selection Process for Educational Teaching Staff: The Role of Resilience—An Explanatory Model
Authors: Melguizo-Ibáñez Eduardo , González-Valero Gabriel , Zurita-Ortega Félix , Alonso-Vargas José Manuel , Salazar-Ruiz Maria Rosario , Puertas-Molero Pilar
Published: April 2023

Candidates for the public teaching profession are subjected to high levels of stress, which can lead to the development of burnout syndrome during the competitive examination process. The present research reflects the objective of analysing the effect of resilience on burnout syndrome, stress and study hours in Spanish public teacher candidates. A cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative and ex post facto study was carried out on a sample of 4117 Spanish candidates (M = 31.03; S.D = 6.800). The Perceived Stress Scale was used to measure the stress variable. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to collect data related to burnout syndrome and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale was used to measure data related to resilience. The conclusions are that resilience helps to mitigate the effects generated by burnout syndrome and stress, helping to maintain a positive attitude towards the number of hours of study.
Analysis of Facial Nerve Functionality and Survival Rates of Patients with Parotid Salivary Gland Carcinoma Submitted to Surgery, Facial Nerve Reconstruction, and Adjuvant Radiotherapy
Authors: Bernaola-Paredes Wilber Edison , Novelli Franco , Albuja-Rivadeneira Estefani , Flosi Adriana Aparecida , Ribeiro Anna Victoria Garbelini , Nogueira Helena Rubini , Köhler Hugo Fontan , Pinto Clóvis Antonio Lopes , Vallejo-Rosero Kleber Arturo , Pellizzon Antonio Cassio Assis
Published: April 2023

Background and Objectives: Parotid cancer (PC), when treated surgically, may have associated damage to the functionality of the facial nerve. The role of radiotherapy in the recovery of facial motricity remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of radiotherapy (RT) on facial nerve functionality in patients who underwent parotidectomy and facial nerve microsurgical reconstruction. Materials and Methods: Four groups of patients were composed: (a) those who underwent parotidectomy without facial nerve reconstruction and RT; (b) those with nerve reconstruction and without RT; (c) those without nerve reconstruction and RT; and (d) those with nerve reconstruction and RT. Results: 49 patients were male, and 43 were female. A total of 89 underwent parotidectomy, 45 partials, and 44 total. Thus, in nine patients, the sural nerve was used for microsurgical reconstruction. Moreover, 48 patients had a normal facial pattern, 15 with paresthesia, and 29 with permanent paralyses after the House–Brackmann (HB) scale evaluation. Conclusions: The evaluation of nerve functionality after parotidectomy by the House–Brackmann scale is a feasible way to evaluate facial motricity that has already decreased in these patients. Finally, longitudinal studies must be performed to clarify the role of each therapy in the multimodal approach and their clinical impact in facial nerve function.
Co-Treatment of Winery and Domestic Wastewaters in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants: Analysis of Biodegradation Kinetics and Process Performance Impacts
Authors: Johnson Melody Blythe , Mehrvar Mehrab
Published: April 2023

Winery wastewater (WWW) handling strategies often include co-treatment at municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Despite this, definitive information regarding oxidation kinetics and process and performance impacts due to co-treatment is lacking. A combined Michaelis–Menten–University of Cape Town kinetic model has been found to best describe the pH-inhibited aerobic biological oxidation of WWW by heterotrophs in activated sludge from four municipal WWTPs. The specific rate of substrate consumption was highest in biomass that had been exposed to WWW (57.3 mg COD/g MLVSS·h) compared to biomass that had not (20.7 mg COD/g MLVSS·h). Bench-scale aerobic co-treatment trials confirm that sorption is a key removal mechanism, with up to 98% chemical oxygen demand and 97% total organic carbon removal after 6 h of reaction time. The WWW solids are quickly incorporated into the biological floc and may improve settleability at loading rates above 75 mg WWW suspended solids/L bioreactor volume at the expense of significantly increasing the observed yield. The aerobic-activated sludge system at municipal WWTPs can effectively co-treat WWW, provided the organic loading rates are limited and the WWTP is designed to accommodate the seasonal loadings of winery wastewater. The identified mitigation measures can be used by co-treating facilities to optimize the co-treatment performance of WWW along with domestic wastewater.
Study on the Mode and Characteristics of SSOs in Hybrid AC–DC Transmission Systems via Multitype Power Supply
Authors: Wang Yanwen , Wu Lingjie , Chen Shaoyang
Published: April 2023

The impact of subsynchronous oscillation (SSO) on grid security is becoming increasingly prominent with the rapid development of a large new energy base. However, the SSO modes and characteristics in complex power systems where series-complementary AC systems, DC systems, wind farms, and thermal power plants co-exist simultaneously are still not well understood, and relevant research has yet to be conducted. To address these issues, this study aims to investigate the SSO oscillation modes and the participation of specific influencing factors using eigenvalue and participation factor analysis. Additionally, the influence of system operation mode and control parameters on the SSO characteristics is studied through eigenvalue analysis. The findings of this study suggest that multiple oscillation sources and the co-existence of various oscillation patterns in hybrid AC–DC transmission systems cause SSO problems. The SSOs arise due to inappropriate system operation or parameter selection. As the series compensation increases, the system tends to become unstable. The system stability improves when the wind power output increases or the thermal power output decreases while keeping the output power of other sources constant. On the other hand, the system stability decreases as the DC transmission power gradually decreases. In terms of the control parameters, a higher value of the inner-loop proportionality coefficient of the converter current on the rotor side of the wind turbine results in a more unstable system. However, the rotor-side converter outer loop parameters and the stator-side control loop PI parameters have a negligible effect on the oscillation frequency and damping of the system. Matlab time domain simulations are conducted to verify the accuracy of the theoretical analysis.
Static Evaluation of a Midimew Connected Torus Network for Next Generation Supercomputers
Authors: Al-Shammari Maryam , Haque Asrar , Rahman M M Hafizur
Published: April 2023

Many artificially intelligent systems solve complex health- and agriculture-related problems that require great computational power. Such systems are used for tracking medical records, genome sequence analysis, image-based plant disease detection, food supply chain traceability, and photosynthesis simulation. Massively parallel computers (MPCs) are among those used to solve these computation-intensive problems. MPCs comprise a million nodes; connecting such a large number of nodes is a daunting task. Therefore, hierarchical interconnection networks (HINs) have been introduced to solve this problem. A midimew-connected torus network (MTN) is a HIN that has basic modules (BM) as torus networks that are connected hierarchically by midimew links. This paper presents the performance of MTNs in terms of static topological parameters and cost-effectiveness, as measured through simulations. An MTN was compared with other networks, including mesh, torus, TESH, TTN, MMN, and TFBN. The results showed that our MTN had a low diameter with a high bisection width and arc connectivity. In addition, our MTN had a high cost–performance trade-off factor (CPTF), a high cost-effective factor (CEF), low packing density, and moderate message-traffic density with marginally higher costs, as compared to other networks, due to wire complexity. However, our MTN provided better bandwidth with higher static fault tolerance. Therefore, MTNs are suggested for further evaluation of the effective implementation of MPCs.
Smart Cities and Households’ Recyclable Waste Management: The Case of Jeddah
Authors: Saeedi Kawther , Visvizi Anna , Alahmadi Dimah , Babour Amal
Published: April 2023

Over the past 30 years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has recorded rapid economic growth and development rates matched by corresponding levels of consumption. This has led to an exponential increase in the volume of municipal solid waste. Even if the bulk share of this waste is recyclable, the propensity of households to engage in the recycling of waste has so far produced a negligible effect. Arguably, in the context of the pervasive digitalization of public and private spaces, accompanied by the developments in information and communication technology (ICT), best conceptualized by reference to the concepts of smart cities and circular economy, it is natural to expect ICT and policy objectives to converge in order to encourage and enable greater engagement with waste segregation and recycling amongst households. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the feasibility and ways of increasing households’ participation in recyclable waste collection, segregation, and disposal in a context devoid of a top-down city-level waste management policy. To this end, the design thinking approach was employed to identify factors inhibiting/facilitating households’ engaging in recycling. A variety of ideation techniques were adopted in subsequent stages of the design thinking process, including interviews with stakeholders from the government and industry sectors, surveys with Jeddah households (N = 446), an eight week-long recyclable waste collection experiment, and feedback surveys (N = 46). The results suggest that applying relatively simple and resource-savvy tools aimed at promoting household recyclable waste collection has substantial potential. This, in turn, not only feeds into the debate on smart cities but also into the research of public policy.
Disaster Risk Assessment Scheme—A Road System Survey for Budapest
Authors: Sipos Tibor , Szabó Zsombor , Obaid Mohammed , Török Árpád
Published: April 2023

This study presents a method to analyze the most critical elements of the public road system concerning outer effects which hinder the normal operation of the whole system. The surveyed public road network in Budapest, Hungary is studied as a graph: Dijkstra’s algorithm is applied to find the shortest path, and the Boykov-Kolmogorov method is used to calculate the maximum flow of the network. Those elements are identified whose damage can critically influence the operation of the network, and where the infrastructure available for rescue teams has a bottleneck. Finally, the Wilcoxon post hoc test was applied with Bonferroni correction. The tests have proven that the new method can successfully identify the critical vulnerabilities of the network to determine its weak points by considering reduced road capacities and the increased needs for transportation arising due to a disaster. This pilot study confirmed that after the elimination of the problems in statistical methods, the new framework can robustly identify those road network elements whose development is of key importance from a disaster management perspective.
Evaluation of Hybrid Learning and Teaching Practices: The Perspective of Academics
Authors: Li Kam Cheong , Wong Billy T. M. , Kwan Reggie , Chan Hon Tung , Wu Manfred M. F. , Cheung Simon K. S.
Published: April 2023

This paper presents a study on the evaluation of hybrid learning and teaching practices by academics. A mixed research method involving a questionnaire survey and a focus group interview was employed to gather academics’ feedback on their experience in delivering hybrid instruction in a synchronous manner in which on-site and remote students attended classes simultaneously, their students’ hybrid learning effectiveness, and their suggestions for improvement. The questionnaire was administered to 76 academics from a university in Hong Kong where hybrid learning and teaching were implemented, and the focus group interview involved 10 academics. The findings reveal that the participating academics perceived themselves as having an overall high degree of readiness to handle technical issues. They expressed that the students from their hybrid classes had lower levels of interaction, engagement, and motivation than those from traditional face-to-face classes. The participants also reported their challenges regarding hybrid learning and teaching, including heavy workload for lesson preparation and face-to-face and online classroom management, unfamiliarity with interactive teaching design suitable for hybrid classes, and difficulties in monitoring students’ learning process. They provided suggestions for the improvement of hybrid classes, ranging from the provision of technological support to professional development for enhancing students’ online interaction and engagement. These findings contribute to revealing academics’ experience in practising hybrid learning and teaching and identifying ways to address their challenges.
Study on the Hydrodynamic Performance and Stability Characteristics of Oil-Water Annular Flow through a 90° Elbow Pipe
Authors: Yin Xiaoyun , Li Jing , Wen Ming , Dong Xijun , You Xiangyang , Su Ming , Zeng Pengsheng , Jing Jiaqiang , Sun Jie
Published: April 2023

The transportation of highly viscous oil surrounded by water annulus has been recognized as a feasible option in terms of low-energy consumption and high efficiency. During the process of heavy oil delivery, the problem of pipe fittings is inevitably encountered, and the most common one is elbow assembly. In this present study, simulations for oil-water core annular flow (CAF) through a 90° elbow pipe were performed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based on VOF, standard k-ε, and CSF models. Simulation results were consistent with experimental data, which verifies the validity and practicability of the proposed model. The effects of inlet water fraction, superficial velocities of oil and water, oil properties (density and viscosity), and pipe geometry-related parameters (diameter ratio, wall roughness, and surface wettability) on the hydrodynamic performance and stability characteristics were explored. It is revealed that inlet water fraction, superficial velocities of oil and water, oil properties, and pipe geometric parameters do influence the volume fraction of oil and the stability of the water ring. Furthermore, the oil core may adhere to the downstream of the 90° elbow pipe under certain operational conditions. The results could provide a reference for the design of 90° elbow pipe structures and the optimization of operation parameters.
Evaluating Environmental, Social, and Governance Criteria and Green Finance Investment Strategies Using Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy WASPAS
Authors: Meng Xiaokai , Shaikh Ghulam Muhammad
Published: April 2023

The evaluation and prioritization of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are critical for green finance investment strategies. However, ESG criteria are complex and varied concepts that call for a systematic and reliable ranking system to handle ambiguity and uncertainty in decision-makers’ preferences and assessments. The objective of this study was to examine and prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and investment strategies for the development of green finance. Although ESG criteria have gained importance recently, some research gaps still need to be filled. For this purpose, evaluating ESG criteria and integrating them with green finance investment strategies is imperative. This study employed the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method to assess and rank ESG criteria and sub-criteria and the fuzzy weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) method to assess and prioritize the key investment strategies for the development of green finance. According to the fuzzy AHP findings, governance and social factors are secondary to environmental considerations in the creation of green finance. Green bonds, ESG integration, and renewable energy funds are essential to green finance methods, according to the fuzzy WASPAS data. This research provides information on creating sustainable and ethical investment strategies for green finance and successfully including ESG factors in investment decision-making processes.
Screening of Efficient Phenol-Degrading Bacteria and Analysis of Their Degradation Characteristics
Authors: Chen Shuo , Sun Lihui
Published: April 2023

A strain with high phenol degradation capacity was isolated from the activated sludge of an urban wastewater treatment system in Panshan County, Liaoning Province, by enrichment culture, gradient domestication and plate delineation, and named strain LA1. After morphological observation of colonies, physiological and biochemical identification and 16S rDNA gene sequencing, strain LA1 was initially identified as Stenotrophomonas sp. Examination of environmental factors showed that pH 7, a growth temperature of 35 °C and shaking at 150 r/min were the optimal degradation conditions for strain LA1. Under these culture conditions, strain LA1 could completely degrade 1000 mg/L phenol in 18 h. LA1 is the most powerful strain with phenol-reducing ability among the reported genera, which provides some theoretical basis for the treatment of phenol-containing wastewater and technical support for the sustainable development of the wastewater treatment industry.
RETRACTED: Can Digital Financial Inclusion Help Reduce Urban Crime? Evidence from Chinese Criminal Judgment on Theft Cases
Authors: Xu Xianpu , Yang Yuxi
Published: April 2023

The rapid development of digital finance has changed all aspects of human life and has also had a deep impact on the social governance system. This paper constructs an unbalanced panel of data of the theft crime rates for 289 cities in China during 2014–2019 based on the theft criminal judgments published on China’s Judicial Documents website and explores the impact of digital financial inclusion on urban theft crime. It shows that there is a significantly negative correlation between digital financial inclusion and the urban theft crime rate, indicating that the development of digital financial inclusion can effectively reduce urban theft crime, which is also confirmed by instrumental variable analysis based on the spherical distance between cities and Hangzhou, and that digital financial inclusion mainly reduces theft crime committed by more serious and highly educated individuals. In addition, mechanism analysis shows that digital financial inclusion can reduce the expected benefits of theft by enhancing payment convenience and raise the opportunity cost by promoting employment. Therefore, in the Internet era, it is essential for China to continuously improve social governance tools that adapt to the development of new technologies to achieve high-quality urban development.
Microcystins Exposure Associated with Blood Lipid Profiles and Dyslipidemia: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hunan Province, China
Authors: Feng Shuidong , Cao Mengyue , Tang Peng , Deng Shuxiang , Chen Limou , Tang Yan , Zhu Lemei , Chen Xiang , Huang Zhijun , Shen Minxue , Yang Fei
Published: April 2023

Increasing evidence from experimental research suggests that exposure to microcystins (MCs) may induce lipid metabolism disorder. However, population-based epidemiological studies of the association between MCs exposure and the risk of dyslipidemia are lacking. Therefore, we conducted a population-based cross-sectional study involving 720 participants in Hunan Province, China, and evaluated the effects of MCs on blood lipids. After adjusting the lipid related metals, we used binary logistic regression and multiple linear regression models to examine the associations among serum MCs concentration, the risk of dyslipidemia and blood lipids (triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)). Moreover, the additive model was used to explore the interaction effects on dyslipidemia between MCs and metals. Compared to the lowest quartile of MCs exposure, the risk of dyslipidemia [odds ratios (OR) = 2.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46, 3.53] and hyperTG (OR = 3.01, 95% CI: 1.79, 5.05) in the highest quartile was significantly increased, and showed dose–response relationships. MCs were positively associated with TG level (percent change, 9.43%; 95% CI: 3.53%, 15.67%) and negatively associated with HDL-C level (percent change, −3.53%; 95% CI: −5.70%, −2.10%). In addition, an additive antagonistic effect of MCs and Zn on dyslipidemia was also reported [relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) = −1.81 (95% CI: −3.56, −0.05)], and the attributable proportion of the reduced risk of dyslipidemia due to the antagonism of these two exposures was 83% (95% CI: −1.66, −0.005). Our study first indicated that MCs exposure is an independent risk factor for dyslipidemia in a dose–response manner.
Spatial Owner-Dog Seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. Antibodies in Oceanic Islands and Costal Mainland of Southern Brazil
Authors: Freitas Aaronson Ramathan , Delai Ruana Renostro , Kmetiuk Louise Bach , Gaspar Raquel Cuba , da Silva Evelyn Cristine , Martini Rafaella , Biondo Leandro Meneguelli , Giuffrida Rogério , de Barros Filho Ivan Roque , Santarém Vamilton Alvares , Langoni Helio , Pimpão Cláudia Turra , Biondo Alexander Welker
Published: April 2023

Leptospirosis has been described as a disease neglected worldwide. Affecting humans and animals, the disease is often related to poor environmental conditions such as lack of sanitation and presence of synanthropic rodents. Despite being considered as a One Health issue, no study has focused on comparing owner–dog seroprevalence between islands and seashore mainland. Accordingly, the present study assessed anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies by applying microscopic agglutination test (MAT) methods to Leptospira and assessing associated risk factors via univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of owners and their dogs in islands and seashore mainland of southern Brazil. No anti-Leptospira spp. Seropositivity was found in 330 owner serum samples, while dogs presented an overall seroprevalence of 5.9%. All seropositive dogs reacted to serogroups of Leptospira interrogans, including 66.7% of Pyrogenes, 44.4% Canicola, 22.2% Icterohaemorrhagiae, 16.7% Australis; six reacted to more than one serogroup. No association was found among seropositivity and epidemiological variables, except that neighborhood dogs were less likely to be seropositive. Although no seropositivity was observed in owners, seropositivity in dogs had the potential to indicate such species as being sentinels for environmental exposure and potential human risk of infection.
A Multimodal Imaging-Supported Down Syndrome Mouse Model of RSV Infection
Authors: Tielemans Birger , De Herdt Lander , Pollenus Emilie , Vanhulle Emiel , Seldeslachts Laura , Marain Fopke , Belmans Flore , Ahookhosh Kaveh , Vanoirbeek Jeroen , Vermeire Kurt , Van den Steen Philippe E. , Vande Velde Greetje
Published: April 2023

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are more prone to develop severe respiratory tract infections. Although a RSV infection has a high clinical impact and severe outcome in individuals with DS, no vaccine nor effective therapeutics are available. Any research into infection pathophysiology or prophylactic and therapeutic antiviral strategies in the specific context of DS would greatly benefit this patient population, but currently such relevant animal models are lacking. This study aimed to develop and characterize the first mouse model of RSV infection in a DS-specific context. Ts65Dn mice and wild type littermates were inoculated with a bioluminescence imaging-enabled recombinant human RSV to longitudinally track viral replication in host cells throughout infection progression. This resulted in an active infection in the upper airways and lungs with similar viral load in Ts65Dn mice and euploid mice. Flow cytometric analysis of leukocytes in lungs and spleen demonstrated immune alterations with lower CD8+ T cells and B-cells in Ts65Dn mice. Overall, our study presents a novel DS-specific mouse model of hRSV infection and shows that potential in using the Ts65Dn preclinical model to study immune-specific responses of RSV in the context of DS and supports the need for models representing the pathological development.
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes among Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Patients with Cardiovascular Disease Who Were Hospitalized for COVID-19 in Brazil: Retrospective Cohort
Authors: Sardinha Daniele Melo , Ferreira Ana Lúcia da Silva , Guimarães Ricardo José de Paula Souza e , Lima Karla Valéria Batista , Lima Luana Nepomuceno Gondim Costa
Published: April 2023

Introduction: COVID-19 in Brazil has already caused, and it still causes, several impacts on health, economy, and education. The risk factors for death involved those with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which were prioritized for the vaccination of COVID-19. Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients with cardiovascular diseases hospitalized for COVID-19 in Brazil in the year 2022. Methods: A retrospective cohort was analyzed from the year 2022, with cases being hospitalized by COVID-19 being drawn from SIVEP-GRIPE surveillance. We compared clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes between CVD carriers and non-carriers, and we also compared vaccinated with two doses vs. those that are unvaccinated in CVD carriers. We performed chi-square, odds ratio, logistic regression, and survival analysis. Results: We included, in the cohort, 112,459 hospital inpatients. An amount of 71,661 (63.72%) of the hospitalized patients had CVD. Regarding deaths, 37,888 (33.69%) died. Regarding vaccination against COVID-19, 20,855 (18.54%) people were not vaccinated with any dose among those with CVD. Death p- < 0.001 (OR 1.307-CI 1.235–1.383) and fever p- < 0.001 (OR 1.156-CI 1.098–1.218) were associated with the unvaccinated CVD carriers, and diarrhea p-0.015 (OR 1.116-CI 1.022–1.218), dyspnea p-0.022 (OR 1.074-CI 1.011–1.142), and respiratory distress p-0.021 (OR 1.070-CI 1.011–1.134) were also recorded. Those patients who possessed predictors of death, including invasive ventilation (p- < 0.001 (OR 8.816-CI 8.313–9.350)), were admitted to the ICU p- < 0.001 (OR 1.754-CI 1.684–1.827), and some had respiratory distress p- < 0.001 (OR 1.367-CI 1.312–1.423), dyspnea p < 0.001 (OR 1.341-CI 1.284–1.400), O2 saturation < 95% p- < 0. 001 (OR 1.307-CI 1.254–1.363), they were unvaccinated against COVID-19 p- < 0.001 (OR 1.258-CI 1.200–1.319), they were of male sex p- < 0.001 (OR 1.179-CI 1.138–1.221), they had diarrhea p-0.018 (OR 1.081-CI 1.013–1.154), and they may have been old p < 0.001 (OR 1.034-CI 1.033–1.035). Survival was shorter for the unvaccinated p-0.003, and p- <0.001. Conclusions: We highlight the predictors of death for those unvaccinated against COVID-19 in this research, and we evidenced the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine in reducing deaths in hospitalized CVD patients.
Screening for Microplastic Uptake in an Urbanized Freshwater Ecosystem: Chondrostoma nasus (Linnaeus, 1758) Case Study
Authors: Curtean-Bănăduc Angela , Mihuţ Claudia , Burcea Alexandru , McCall Grant S. , Matei Claudiu , Bănăduc Doru
Published: April 2023

The feeding characteristics of the nase, based on its mouth morphology and feeding behavior related to aquatic habitat substrata sediments make this fish a biological uptake vector for microplastics in freshwater ecosystems. Fibers may have limited absorption through the gastrointestinal tract therefore unlikely to be found in fish gastrointestinal tissue and muscle tissue. The presence of microplastic fibers in the gastrointestinal content is proof of how difficult it is for these fibers to become embedded in other organs. The absence of microplastic fibers in muscle tissue and gastrointestinal tissue is key information for microplastic fabrication and management in aquatic ecosystems. The majority of fish have relatively low levels of microplastics; however, a few individuals have a higher dose. This is true for all types of microplastics analyzed, with the exception of fish that had just one microplastic present in the analyzed matrix. The microplastics are not concentrated in the fish muscle tissue, gastrointestinal tissue and gastrointestinal content in relation to fish age, which may be due to their different mobility in the ecosystem, or due to the recent appearance of this type of contamination and the scale at which microplastics bioaccumulate. Such a relatively common fish species must be included in the assessment and monitoring systems of the Eurasian lotic systems. The risks involved include the transfer of the freshwater environments microplastics into human tissues via the food web of fishing species with the nase as a key basis.
Sediment Heavy Metal Pollution Assessment in Changwang and Wuyuan Rivers in Hainan Island, China
Authors: Yongo Edwine , Jin Fangfang , Mutethya Eunice , Wu Di , Zhang Pengfei , Guo Zhiqiang
Published: April 2023

Heavy metal pollution may pose a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. To assess heavy metal pollution, sediment samples were collected from Changwang and Wuyuan Rivers between June and December 2019. An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer was used to analyze the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The results revealed that Changwang River had significantly high concentrations of Cr (240.70 mg kg−1), Co (36.02 mg kg−1), Ni (108.70 mg kg−1), and Cu (36.61 mg kg−1), whereas As (7.55 mg kg−1) was elevated in Wuyuan River. In addition, Cd, As, Pb and Zn concentrations were below China’s sediment quality standard limits (GB 3838-2002), but the Cr level exceeded the limit. However, Cr and Ni exceeded the probable effect concentrations (PEC) and thus may cause toxic effects. The contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, and modified degree of contamination revealed that Changwang experienced considerable to very high heavy metal pollution, while Wuyuan had low to moderate pollution. The pollution load index demonstrated that the rivers were polluted during all seasons. Additionally, the risk index showed considerable and moderate risks in Changwang and Wuyuan, respectively. The metal ecological risk was ranked as Cd > Ni > As > Co > Cu > Cr > Mn > Pb > Zn. Multivariate analyses categorized heavy metals into two groups based on their potential sources: group one included Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Mn, and Zn, while group two contained As, Cd, and Pb. The study provides valuable data on heavy metal pollution, which needs improvement for the studied rivers. The data can be used to assess pollution risks and manage riverine sediment quality.
The potential of artificial intelligence in finance
Authors: Bagó Péter
Published: April 2023

The world of finance is changing, with digitisation entering all areas of our lives, including finance. It is called fintech, or financial technology, which is now at the stage where we can start talking about the financial applications of artificial intelligence. Financial digitisation is wide-ranging, from core processes, through back- and front-office applications, all the way to the customer. We channel a lot of data into bigdata. The amount of data stored here on a daily basis can no longer be manually processed. This is where solutions such as automation, machine learning and ultimately artificial intelligence come in. In this paper, I will introduce the concept of fintech and its relation to the financial applications of artificial intelligence.
Community structure of shallow tropical reefs undergoing invasion by Tubastraea spp. in a Brazilian Marine Protected Area
Authors: Vançato Yollanda Carolina da Silva Ferreira , Creed Joel , Fleury Beatriz Grosso
Published: April 2023

Invasive sun corals (Tubastraea spp.) are spreading along the Brazilian coast where they compete for space with native species, produce chemical compounds with antifouling and anti-predation properties and modify community structure and function. The tropical rocky shores of the Ilha Grande Bay were the first to be invaded in the southwest Atlantic and the Tamoios Marine Protected Area (MPA) within the bay was directly in the path of the spread of Tubastraea. MPAs aim to conserve biodiversity, preventing habitat loss and fragmentation and maintain healthy ecosystems. As healthy communities might better resist invasion the aim of this study was to investigate to what extent the benthic communities of the MPA are resisting the invasion. Baseline data on the abundance of the invasive corals Tubastraea spp. and community structure (cover) were quantified at eight sites over six years. The benthic communities were dominated by multispecies algal turfs, the mat-forming zooantharian Palythoa caribaeorum and the red alga Asparagopsis taxiformis and fell into five community groups two of which contained Tubastraea spp. The number of invaded sites increased over time as did the abundance of Tubastraea spp. in the communities. Tubastraea spp. sequentially invaded the studied communities within the MPA independently of differing community compositions – i.e. they did not offer better biotic resistance than unprotected areas. This was facilitated by the patchy nature of the communities which allowed Tubastraea spp. to get a foothold by initially avoiding species such as P. caribaeorum which offer greater biological resistance. At one site a significant reduction in Tubastraea spp. was detected after mechanical control. We conclude that the MPA’s status as a conservation unit was important to attract research and thus for establishing a baseline, quantifying change due to the invasion and focusing limited management resources, but not in providing significant biotic resistance to the invasion.
A biological and ecological study of the invasive pufferfish Torquigener hypselogeneion (Bleeker 1852) [conspecific Torquigener flavimaculosus Hardy & Randall, 1983] in the Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Ulman Aylin , Akbora Hasan Deniz , Çanak Ozgur , Chu Elaine , Çiçek Burak Ali , Ersönmez Hasan , Mavruk Sinan , Özyurt Caner Enver , Yildiz Taner , Liu Amy , Demirel Nazli , Pauly Daniel
Published: April 2023

The highly toxic orange-spotted toadfishTorquigener hypselogeneion(Bleeker 1852) [conspecificTorquigener flavimaculosusHardy & Randall, 1983] is now a very common invasive fish in the Eastern Mediterranean. Its small size, well under 20 cm, may have concealed the danger it represents, and little is known about its biology or ecology. Here, the spawning seasons, gonado- and hepato-somatic index and condition factors ofT. hypselogeneionfrom 3 locations of the Eastern Mediterranean are presented, based on a total of 1360 individuals sampled, i.e., 216 from Finike, 817 from Fethiye (both Turkey), and 327 from Cyprus. Our results show thatT. hypselogeneionis a carnivorous species that forages on sandy bottoms, with a preference for small invertebrates, especially the small invasive gastropodCerithium scabridum, crustaceans (hermit crabs, other crabs and barnacles), and sea urchins; however, at least in some localities, they appear to forgo eating during their peak reproductive period. The parameters of the von Bertalanffy Growth Function forT. hypselogeneionin the Eastern Mediterranean were: asymptotic length = 17.4 cm (total length; TL) and K = 0.96 year-1, implying a longevity of about 4 years, while the mean length at first maturity was about 10 cm (TL) for both sexes. An average-sized adult female (13 cm TL, 45.7 g live weight) was found to contain 1,250 eggs per gram body weight. Based on its high invasiveness and negative impacts to ecology of the Eastern Mediterranean and the human health, we suggest thatT. hypselogeneionshould be listed as a priority invasive species and that its population closely monitored within the Mediterranean Sea.
The invasive Asian benthic foraminifera Trochammina hadai Uchio, 1962: identification of a new local in Normandy (France) and a discussion on its putative introduction pathways
Authors: Bouchet Vincent M. P. , Pavard Jean-Charles , Holzmann Maria , McGann Mary , Armynot du Châtelet Eric , Courleux Apolyne , Pezy Jean-Philippe , Dauvin Jean-Claude , Seuront Laurent
Published: April 2023

The invasive benthic foraminifera Trochammina hadai has been found for the first time in Europe along the coast of Normandy. Its native range of distribution is in Asia (Japan and Korea), and it has also been introduced along the coasts of western North America, Brazil and Australia. Morphological and molecular assessments confirm that specimens found in Le Havre and Caen-Ouistreham harbors belong to the Asiatic type. Like in Asia, T. hadai was found in transitional waters with muddy sediments. It exhibited high relative abundances (up to about 40%) confirming that T. hadai is a highly competitive species. In the present study, it was nearly absent from natural transitional waters and very abundant in heavily modified habitats like harbors, suggesting that ballast waters may likely be the vector of introduction. It was not recorded farther north along the coast of the Hauts-de-France. It is further hypothesized that the finding of a few specimens outside the harbor may facilitate the expansion of T. hadai in the English Channel by means of propagules dispersion.
Non-native species in Poyang Lake Basin: status, threats and management
Authors: Xiong Wen , Xie Dong , Wang Qiang , Wang Hui , Wu Zhigang , Sun Heying , Li Tao , Bowler Peter A.
Published: April 2023

Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China and sustains a high level of biodiversity in the mid-reach area of the Yangtze River watershed. Poyang Lake is also one of the most important aquaculture regions in China, and a great number of non-native species have been introduced into it. We present a current and well-documented list of the non-native species of plants, molluscs, crustaceans, fishes, reptiles, and amphibians currently found in Lake. We found that there are 103 non-native species (83 vascular plants, 12 fishes, three crustacea, two molluscs, two reptiles and one amphibian) that have invaded Poyang Lake Basin, of which 96 non-native species were introduced after 2000. The invasion rate of non-native species reached 4.36 species year-1, which is the highest invasion rate recorded in freshwater ecosystems. The primary pathways of introduction are through the ornamental trade and unintentional escapes (30 species each, respectively), followed by food (19), aquaculture (15), forage grass (four), medicinal and oil (two, respectively), and biocontrol (one). The origins of non-native species are North America (29.12%), Asia (25.24%), South America (20.38%), Africa (18.44%), Europe (5.82%) and Oceania (0.97%). Many non-native species provide significant support for the rapid development of the local economy (such as aquaculture). However, many non-native species pose a great threat to local biodiversity and societal development. More studies that include monitoring and the development of strategies for managing and eliminating non-native species in Poyang Lake are needed.
The effect of vitamin D deficiency on the morbidity and mortality of the Russian Federation northern territories population
Authors:   High Technology Park, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, Krivosheev V. V. , Kozlovsky I. V. ,   BU «District Clinical Hospital», Khanty- Mansiysk, Russia, Nikitina L. U. ,   National Medical Research Center, specializing in pulmonology, Moscow, Russia
Published: April 2023

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among the population of the northern territories increases due to the fact that the level and duration of ultraviolet radiation UVB — a necessary condition for the production of vitamin D prohormone, decreases to extinction values as it rises to high latitudes, which inevitably leads to an increase in vitamin D deficiency. In this regard, statistical studies have been conducted on the relationship between morbidity and mortality of the population and the breadth of the territory of residence and life. The results showed a directly proportional, statistically significant (p = 0.0001–0.04) relationship between the latitude of the territory and the mortality of the female and male (especially) population from all causes in the working age, as well as morbidity in the age categories 0–14, 15–17 and older than 18 years: respiratory organs; musculoskeletal system and connective tissue; nervous system; Neoplasms. The analysis of a large body of scientific literature and the results of statistical studies, in our opinion, allow us to identify vitamin D deficiency as a significant factor affecting premature mortality and higher morbidity of the population of the northern territories. In this regard, we emphasize the need for a radical change in attitude to the problem. Vitamin D deficiency by practitioners and officials responsible for the health status of the population of the Russian Federation at all levels of government — federal, regional, municipal.Reducing the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency will help improve the health status and life expectancy of our fellow citizens.
Age of information: in Systems with Multi-source, Limited Buffers, and LCFS-S
Authors: Li Kangrui , Ji Xiang , Huang Zicong , Yang Shujie
Published: April 2023

In recent years, an increasing number of real-time applications have become more sensitive to the freshness of information, which requires that packets reach the receiver as promptly as possible. As a measure of information freshness, it is of great interest to measure the age of information (AoI) on multi-source networks. In this paper, we propose a new queueing system: the systems with N sources, Single buffer, Non-source-aware, and LCFS-S (NSLS-Q system). To simplify the study, we first studied the queueing system for Two sources, Single buffer, Non-source-aware, and LCFS-S (TSLS-Q system). We then generalize the conclusions to the NSLS-Q system. We model the queueing system using a stochastic hybrid system (SHS) to solve for the age of information in the queueing system. In this, Markov chains are used to represent the state transitions. We then compared the system with other queueing systems through numerical results. The results show that the queue model performs better in terms of AoI compared to the traditional queue model.
Problematika Wacana Penambahan Masa Jabatan Kepala Desa Dalam Upaya Optimalisasi Kinerja Pemerintah Desa
Authors: Pribadi Bagas
Published: April 2023

Polemik wacana penambahan masa jabatan kepala desa kembali menjadi perasaan setelah sembilan tahun disahkannya UU No. 6 Th 2014 tentang Desa, kali ini asosiasi kepala desa menuntut penambahan masa jabatan menjadi sembilan tahun dengan beberapa pertimbangan yang salah satunya adalah optimalisasi kinerja kepala desa. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengkaji pengaruh masa jabatan lama terhadap optimalisasi kinerja pemerintahan desa. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kepustakaan atau library research dengan menggunakan pendekatan socio legal. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa terdapat dua faktor yang mempengaruhi kinerja kepala desa, pertama adalah faktor internal yang meliputi kepribadiankepala desa seperti kemampuan serta motivasi kerja dan yang kedua adalah faktor eksternal yang meliputi lingkungan kerja serta kondisi masyarakat. Di sisi lain, Undang-Undang tentang Desa sudah mengatur bagaimana mekanisme penyusunan RPJMDes sebagai pedoman bagi arah pembangunan desa, yang didalamnya dapat menyesuaikan dengan masa waktu dalam satu periode kepemimpinan, dan dalam penyusunan tersebut kepala desa dapat menempatkan skala prioritas pembangunan sesuai dengan kondisi dan kebutuhan masyarakat desa yang waktu realisasinya dapat diperkirakan sesuai dengan masa jabatan saat ini. Sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa lama masa jabatan bukanlah hal yang mempengaruhi optimalisasi kinerja pemerintahan desa.
Status Hukum Narapidana Pasca Putusan Hakim Mengisi Jabatan Pemerintahan Berdasarkan Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 2017 Tentang Pemilihan Umum
Authors: Lubis Ansor
Published: April 2023

Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU) merupakan lembaga negara yang diakui oleh konstitusi sebagai penyelenggara pemilihan umum sebagaimana tertuang didalam Undang-Undang Dasar 1945 Pasal 22E ayat (5) berbunyi “Pemilihan umum diselenggarakan oleh suatu komisi pemilihan umum yang bersifat nasional, tetap, dan mandiri”. Melalui Putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi Nomor 04/PUU-VII/2009 ini memberikan legalitas status hukum terhadap mantan terpidana untuk mengikuti pemilihan umum, baik pemilihan legislatif di tingkat Provinsi maupun di Kabupaten/Kota dengan syarat dikecualikan bagi mantan narapidana yang secara terbuka dan jujur mengemukakan kepada publik bahwa yang bersangkutan mantan narapidana. Metode penelitian yang dipergunakan adalah  metode penelitian yurisi normatif. Penelitian normatif mengaharuskan pendekatan peraturan perundang-undangan (statute Approach) dan pendekatan konseptual. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan yakni melalui studi dokumen maupun kepustakaan terhadap data-data sekunder berupa bahan-bahan hukum primer, sekunder dan tersier.  Kesimpulannya ditemukan bahwa status mantan terpidana yang akan mengikuti pemilihan legislatif mandapat kepastian semanjak keluarnya keputusan Mahkamah Konstitusi seiring dengan Undang-Undangn Nomor 7 Tahun 2017 tentang pemilihan Umum

Kata Kunci: Status Hukum, Mantan Terpidana, Putusan Hakim
De la draperie à la bonneterie de laine. Histoire d’une substitution (Pyrénées, fin XVIIIe-XIXe siècle)
Authors: Minovez Jean-Michel
Published: April 2023

Entre la fin de l’Ancien Régime et la Restauration, les tissages des Pyrénées disparaissent en grande partie mais sont partiellement remplacés par la fabrication de bonneterie de laine. Les tissus, démodés et économiquement non viables, laissent la place à des lainages de confection traditionnelle ou de fantaisie. La mutation repose sur l’existence de filatures, sur un système de valorisation des ressources de proximité – en particulier de la laine –, sur la mobilisation des femmes au sein du travail de tricotage à domicile. L’équilibre socio-économique fondé sur un système bâti autour de la laine peignée, à l’origine des diverses formes de l’industrie textile régionale, explique la mécanisation tardive de la bonneterie.
Du bon usage d’Aquitaviae, ou comment y intégrer une publication traditionnelle : le cas de la voie d’Hispanie en Aquitaine
Authors: Didierjean François
Published: April 2023

The Aquitaviae participatory map is presented as an instrument for overcoming the main problems raised by the publication of studies on ancient roadways, especially with respect to the precision of the course of the road, the history of the monument and the reliability of data about it. A recording method (from the general to the particular) is proposed based on the recording of the two roadways between Dax and Bordeaux and it is suggested an entry be added for “itinerary” under the “road section” heading.