bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Difference in Energy Input and Output in Agricultural Production under Surface Irrigation and Water-Saving Irrigation: A Case Study of Kiwi Fruit in Shaanxi
Authors: Zhang Yongqiang , Sun Hao , Ge Maosheng , Zhao Hang , Hu Yifan , Cui Changyue , Wu Zhibin
Published: February 2023

China’s kiwi industry has seen rising production costs and shrinking planting areas in recent years; at the same time, the lack of professional production standards leads to the input redundancy and waste of production factors in the production process of kiwifruit, which intensifies the dilemma of unsustainable agricultural production. This has brought more and more serious challenges to the sustainable development of the industry. In order to solve this problem and clarify the composition and utilization efficiency of energy in the production process of kiwifruit, this study took Chinese kiwifruit production as the research object and analyzed the energy input and output under surface irrigation and water-saving irrigation from the perspective of energy. The results show that the energy input of kiwifruit production under traditional surface irrigation was 85.4 GJ/ha, and the energy output was 59.7 GJ/ha. Among all energy input elements, mineral fertilizers accounted for the highest proportion of energy input, accounting for 48.31%. Under water-saving irrigation, the energy input and output of kiwifruit production are 72.3 GJ/ha and 62.3 GJ/ha; the highest energy input is also mineral fertilizer. The data envelopment analysis results also confirmed that there is a large redundancy in the amount of mineral fertilizer. Compared with surface irrigation, water-saving irrigation technology has effectively improved the energy ratio (from 0.70 to 0.86), energy productivity (from 0.37 kg/MJ to 0.45 kg/MJ) as well as net energy (from −25.8 GJ/ha to −9.93 GJ/ha). Thus, promoting the application of water-saving irrigation technology and increasing the proportion of fertigation during the kiwi production process are necessary measures to promote the sustainable development of China’s kiwi industry.
The Relationship between the Color Landscape Characteristics of Autumn Plant Communities and Public Aesthetics in Urban Parks in Changsha, China
Authors: Luo Yuanyuan , He Jun , Long Yuelin , Xu Lu , Zhang Liang , Tang Zhuoran , Li Chun , Xiong Xingyao
Published: February 2023

Contemporary landscape architecture studies have paid close attention to the interactions between public aesthetic preferences and the landscape environment. Scenic beauty has become an important evaluation indicator of landscape quality. The quality of the plant color landscape is an important factor affecting scenic beauty. Exploring the relationship between the composition rules and internal properties of autumn plant color landscapes in urban parks and public aesthetic preferences can provide new ideas for the evaluation and design of plant community color landscapes. Taking 12 parks in Changsha City, Hunan Province, China, as the study area and 85 plant communities as the sample plots, scenic beauty estimation (SBE) was used to evaluate the autumn plant color landscape of urban parks. ColorImpact software was used to extract the color values of each plant community. Fifteen original color element indicators were determined, and the data were statistically analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), one-way ANOVA, multiple comparison analysis and systematic cluster analysis. Four principal components were extracted to construct the characteristic indices and a comprehensive model of the color landscape quality of autumn plant communities. The four characteristic indices showed significant or extremely significant differences among the five SBE grades. From the overall trend, the SBE grades showed a positive correlation with PC1 (primary and adjunctive color index), PC2 (color structure and property index) and PC3 (autumn-color-leafed index) and a negative correlation with PC4 (intersperse color index). RPH (ratio of primary hue), RP (ratio of primary color), RC (color-leafed index), RWC (ratio of warm and cool colors), and NC (number of colors) were the key factors affecting the SBE grade. Overall, RPH, RP, RC, and RWC positively influenced the SBE values, while NC negatively influenced the SBE values, and five to seven colors were more moderate. The quality of the color landscape can be improved by creating plant communities with three types of color composition: warm-toned dominant type, warm- and cold-toned contrast type, and multicolor harmonic type. The results provide a reference for the evaluation, design and construction of autumn plant color landscapes in urban parks.
Impact of Market Drivers on the Digital Maturity of Logistics Processes in a Supply Chain
Authors: Golinska-Dawson Paulina , Werner-Lewandowska Karolina , Kolinska Karolina , Kolinski Adam
Published: February 2023

Logistics processes allow for the movement of goods along the supply chain to the customers. Companies are using digital solutions more widely to support their logistics processes. Current studies focus mainly on the intrinsic perspective of the digital maturity of logistics processes. Rarely do previous studies consider the impact of external factors (e.g., market trends, as external drivers at the strategic level) on the digital maturity of logistics processes. In this paper, our aim is to propose a novel generic approach to measuring the level of adoption of digital technologies in logistics processes. We applied the maturity model theory to provide a generic framework for the assessment of different partners in supply chains (suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, e-tailers, logistics service providers) in a homogeneous way. We propose the five levels (Avoiding, Discovering, Adopting, Improving, Excelling) to measure the frequency of the application of the digital technologies with high intelligence in the domain of logistics processes. Furthermore, we investigate the relationship between the selected market trends, which are external drivers at the strategic level, and the digital maturity of logics processes. We conducted the survey among a group of 38 companies to classify their maturity level and then to test which market trends motivate them to digitalize their processes. We applied Bayesian statistics to test the level of the relationship between the digitalization of logistics processes and four market trends, namely, the sustainability, e-commerce, sharing economy, and speed-orientation of customers. The results show that all the trends tested moderately and positively influence the digital maturity of logistics processes.
Patents and Sustainable Medical Treatment in Developing Countries: Lessons from COVID-19 Vaccines
Authors: Demir Ezgi , Bican Peter M.
Published: February 2023

COVID-19 has had devastating effects worldwide, and vaccines have become the most efficient solution to address the current pandemic situation thus far. After COVID-19 vaccines had been developed, discussions of the various countries’ equality of access gained traction, with patents and pricing forming a significant part of this discourse. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of patents and prices on the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines in the developing world, using semi-structured interviews with subject-matter experts in this area of focus. Our analysis of these interviews highlights the fact that patents and prices are not the major barriers to accessibility for medical treatments, both generally and specifically in terms of COVID-19; rather, these barriers relate to the lack of local production capacity, technology transfer, infrastructure, local regulations, and supply-chain competencies. These results suggest that rather than focusing on patents and prices, governments should invest more time in improving technology transfer and using compulsory licenses as a negotiation tool. Moreover, the results show that the pricing strategies applied by companies could have different impacts on access, as could accessibility programs such as COVAX.
Evolutionary Game and Simulation of Collaborative Green Innovation in Supply Chain under Digital Enablement
Authors: Li Mo , Dong Hua , Yu Haochen , Sun Xiaoqi , Zhao Huijuan
Published: February 2023

The deep integration of digital technologies has given rise to the development of new industries and models in various sectors, as well as new opportunities and challenges. Whether digital transformation can drive collaborative green innovation in the supply chain has also become an important topic of great interest, which has not yet been resolved. In this paper, we study the impact of digital enablement on collaborative green innovation in supply chain enterprises in order to assist in reasonable strategic decision making. An evolutionary game model is constructed for both upstream and downstream supply chain companies under digital enablement, following which the model is solved and systematically simulated. Our main findings are as follows: The influencing factors of collaborative green innovation in the supply chain can be divided into driving factors, blocking factors, and regulating factors. After digital enablement, the effect of the drivers of collaborative green innovation is more obvious, the side-effects of the deterrents are weakened, and the threshold of the positive effect of the moderators is expanded. Overall, digital enablement helps to promote collaborative green innovation in the supply chain, and companies should apply digital technology to enable collaborative green innovation.
Molecular Identification of Endophytic Bacteria from Silybum marianum and Their Effect on Brassica napus Growth under Heavy Metal Stress
Authors: Anwar Yasir , Khan Sajjad Ullah , Ullah Ihsan , Hemeg Hassan A. , Ashamrani Rahma , Al-sulami Nadiah , Ghazi Alniami Ezzudin , Hashem Alqethami Mohammed , Ullah Abrar
Published: February 2023

Silybum marianum has been used for a variety of purposes all over the world. This plant is used to treat cancer, liver disease, and inflammation. Eleven endophytic bacteria were isolated from S. marianum collected from heavy metal polluted sites and identified using 16s rRNA sequencing in the current investigation. Three isolates stood out for having many features, including heavy metal resistance, plant growth stimulation, plant hormones, heavy metal toxicity remediation, and antibacterial action. SJLC (6.06 µg/L) and SJRB (5.98 µg/L) were the greatest producers of IAA among the isolates and were identified as Bacillus sp. and Lysinibacillus sp., respectively. Root and shoot length have improved as a result of IAA production. The SJLC was found to be effective against four of the pathogens tested. The strain SJLC showed the most activity against Bacillus cereus with a 20 mm zone of inhibition, followed by the isolate SJRB, which showed a 16 mm zone of inhibition against B. cereus. The same isolates also show inhibition against X. campestris. Almost majority of the Brassica napus plants inoculated with bacterial isolates were able to translocate and degrade heavy metals like Cr. Therefore, it was concluded that these isolates are capable to grow in highly polluted environments.
A Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision Support System for Selecting the Most Sustainable Structural Material for a Multistory Building Construction
Authors: Alam Bhuiyan Mohammad Masfiqul , Hammad Ahmed
Published: February 2023

In recent years, the performance of the construction industry has highlighted the increased need for better resource efficiency, improved productivity, less waste, and increased value through sustainable construction practices. The core concept of sustainable construction is to maximize value and minimize harm by achieving a balance between social, economic, technical, and environmental aspects, commonly known as the pillars of sustainability. The decision regarding which structural material to select for any construction project is traditionally made based on technical and economic considerations with little or no attention paid to social and environmental aspects. Furthermore, the majority of the available literature on the subject considered three sustainability pillars (i.e., environmental, social, and economic), ignoring the influence of technical aspects for overall sustainability assessment. Industry experts have also noted an unfulfilled need for a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique that can integrate all stakeholders’ (project owner, designer, and constructor) opinions into the selection process. Hence, this research developed a decision support system (DSS) involving MCDM techniques to aid in selecting the most sustainable structural material, considering the four pillars of sustainability in the integrated project delivery (IPD) framework. A hybrid MCDM method combining AHP, TOPSIS, and VIKOR in a fuzzy environment was used to develop the DSS. A hypothetical eight-story building was considered for a case study to validate the developed DSS. The result shows that user preferences highly govern the final ranking of the alternative options of structural materials. Timber was chosen as the most sustainable option once the stakeholders assigned balanced importance to all factors of sustainable construction practices. The developed DSS was designed to be generic, can be used by any group of industry practitioners, and is expected to enhance objectivity and consistency of the decision-making process as a step towards achieving sustainable construction.
Tourists’ Motives for Visiting Historic Conservation Areas in the Post-Pandemic Era: A Case Study of Kuanzhai Alley in Chengdu, China
Authors: He Xiangting , Zang Tongguang , Sun Bingyu , Ikebe Konomi
Published: February 2023

Much current discussion about the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health focuses on urban green space and rarely on historic conservation areas (HCAs). With the pandemic’s lasting influence and advances in medical technology, people’s mental health needs and attitudes toward epidemic prevention changed, and the importance of HCAs has received great attention. This study aims to explore the positive impact of heritage tourism on mental recovery under the influence of the pandemic. The Kuanzhai Alley HCA was selected as the location for the field survey and in-depth interviews. A total of 48 respondents were recruited for the semi-structured interviews, and qualitative data were analyzed through MAXQDA 2020, and the motives and mental feedback of tourists visiting Kuanzhai Alley were summarized. The results showed that there is great landscape integrity and continuity in the area. During the pandemic, the inclusive cultural atmosphere, human-based spatial scale, and cultural activities in the form of intangible heritage, such as Sichuan opera and live-action role-playing (LARP), had significant effects on eliminating loneliness, relieving anxiety, and improving happiness. The study results are expected to provide reference and guidance for current and future management of heritage tourism, social well-being, and a sustainable cultural economy.
Research on the Integration of a Natural Gas-Distributed Energy System into the Oilfield Facility in China
Authors: Wang Pengying , Zhang Shuo , Chen Limei
Published: February 2023

The oilfield facility provides a sufficient supply of self-produced natural gas and has an obvious price advantage. However, China’s oilfield facilities are supplied with electricity and heat from the external grid and natural gas boilers separately. Therefore, in this study, a natural gas distributed energy saving system is built in the oilfield facility, which can supply electricity and heating simultaneously. An oilfield facility in Changchun, China, is used as the case study in this research to design a natural gas-distributed energy system. The operational carbon emissions and the operating cost are used as evaluation criteria. Three energy supply methods of the natural gas-distributed energy system are studied. Meanwhile, the impacts of China’s distributed energy policy are also quantified to determine the capacity of the power generation units. The results reveal that under the optimized following the heating load method (FHL-restricted), where the self-electricity consumption ratio of the gas engine is kept at 50%, the natural gas-distributed energy systems can meet policy requirements while achieving optimal carbon emission reductions and minimizing operating costs. The newly built system can simultaneously achieve the goals of energy saving, carbon emission reduction, and energy cost mitigation.
Oradea Metropolitan Area as a Space of Interspecific Relations Triggered by Physical and Potential Tourist Activities
Authors: Tătar Corina-Florina , Dincă Iulian , Linc Ribana , Stupariu Marius I. , Bucur Liviu , Stașac Marcu Simion , Nistor Stelian
Published: February 2023

Metropolitan areas provide many opportunities to spend quality outdoor leisure time as well as to discover many cultural attractions. Sprawl occurs in Romania quite rapidly, encouraged by the construction of ring roads around many cities and their expansion into metropolitan areas. The current paper aims to identify metropolitan tourism models based on which tourist flows can be sustainably reoriented within rural Oradea Metropolitan Area (OMA) given their the tourist potential level (i.e., very low, low, average, high). The tourist potential was scaled based on the Methodology for the Analysis of a Territory’s Tourist Potential, which stands as a law published in the Official Monitor of the 14th of June 2016. The study indicates that most tourist activity develops in the OMA southern part in Sânmartin commune, thus unsustainably capturing all tourist flows of the rural OMA. Natural and man-made tourist attractions’ territorial concentrations were emphasized in the communes from the south and northern OMA, but there are major territorial dysfunctions in terms of technical endowment and tourist infrastructure supply. The three emerged models refer to the medical–recreational and eco–residential wellness network, discovery eco-holiday, and co-visit and marginal community.
Eco-Innovation Performance of Lithuania in the Context of European Environmental Policy: Eco-Innovation Indicators and Efficiency
Authors: Peyravi Bahman , Peleckis Kęstutis , Jakubavičius Artūras
Published: February 2023

The European Union (EU) has made eco-innovation and green technology a priority as they are essential to the continent’s long-term prosperity. To move towards sustainable economic growth, eco-innovation takes a significant role in the transition process. The aim of the article is to use the eco-innovation indicators as an instrument to measure the eco-innovation performance of Lithuania in the context of the EU Green Deal in order to analyze and assess the components and indicators of the eco-innovation index for Lithuania. Following the aim of the article, a set of research hypotheses will be formulated. The evaluation of eco-innovation indicators in Lithuania relative to EU countries using Eco-IS indicators, determination of eco-innovation efficiency using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method, and identification of necessary eco-innovation policies for sustainable growth are the objectives of this paper. The research results present the positive impact of eco-innovation activities in the EU on Lithuania, and vice versa. Lithuania was affected positively by eco-innovation activities of other EU nations. The outcome of the study indicates its relevance by highlighting Lithuania’s position among the lowest countries in terms of eco-innovation adoption, hence new research pathways for the creation and implementation of policies to solve the current situation are provided.
Sustainable Development of Emergency Response Ability of Novice Policemen—An Empirical Study Based on Case-Based Instruction
Authors: Sun Di , Zhou Hang , Gao Na , Li Zhufeng
Published: February 2023

The emergency response ability of police officers is a critical component of their career, and is also an important support for public security. However, few researchers have focused on the factors that influence emergency response ability, especially in the group of novice policemen. On the other hand, as the popular way to train emergency response ability, case-based instruction (CBI) generates various types of data, especially valuable text data; however, such text data is always ignored because of the lack of effective analysis methods. Therefore, this study employed automatic semantic analysis and hierarchical linear regression models to investigate the factors influencing the emergency response ability of novice policemen in the process of CBI. Results indicated that, among personal differences, prior knowledge, and basic professional skills, the latter showed stronger predictive validity than the others. In particular, information processing and judgment, command and decision, and order maintenance were the main indicators. This study also illustrated that automatic semantic analysis can effectively identify deep value from semantic data, which will support stakeholders to design strategies, make decisions, conduct evaluations in training and instructions, and ultimately help sustainable development in human careers.
A Field Evaluation of Sodium Silicate and Bacillus subtilis on the Growth and Yield of Bananas following Fusarium Wilt Disease Infection
Authors: Zakaria Md Aiman Takrim , Sakimin Siti Zaharah , Ismail Mohd Razi , Ahmad Khairulmazmi , Kasim Susilawati
Published: February 2023

A field investigation was conducted in a Fusarium-infected area to evaluate the effectiveness of silicate compounds with antagonist bacteria on morpho-physiological growth performance in bananas. The roots of banana plants were treated by drenching the soil with four different treatments: control (without any treatment), CBZ (Carbendazim fungicide alone), SS + BS (integration sodium silicate with Bacillus subtilis), and CBZ + SS + BS (integration CBZ, SS, and BS). All treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The results confirm that plant height, pseudo-stem diameter, and canopy diameter markedly increased from weeks 2 to 10 after transplantation. Amendment with these elements induced a higher total chlorophyll content, which contributed to the increased rate of leaf gas exchange and biochemical changes for controlling Fusarium wilt disease infection. From these findings, the CBZ + SS + BS application in the farm had significantly reduced disease incidence by 16.07% and disease severity by 14.28%. The same treatment achieved the greatest disease reduction by 63.05%. Therefore, the integration between CBZ + SS + BS had good significant effects in controlling Fusarium wilt disease and enhanced the morpho-physiological growth performance with an average yield production of about 24.72 kg per fruit bunch.
Transport Accessibility and Poverty Alleviation in Guizhou Province of China: Spatiotemporal Pattern and Impact Analysis
Authors: Cai Jiayuan , Huang Chunchun , Deng Zilin , Li Linna
Published: February 2023

Both transport development and poverty alleviation are vital for sustainable development. However, due to the lack of long-term, comparable, county-level transport accessibility and poverty incidence data, the spatiotemporal patterns of these factors have rarely been accurately revealed in the poverty-stricken regions of China, causing the impacts of transport accessibility on poverty alleviation to be difficult to quantify. Taking Guizhou Province in China as the study area, this study revealed the spatiotemporal patterns of transport accessibility and poverty alleviation in 88 counties from 2000 to 2018 based on multisource data, including nighttime light data, LandScan population data, and transport network data. It was found that the transport accessibility decreased from 4.9 h to 3.3 h, and the poverty index decreased from 0.75 to 0.29 on average. All these factors exhibited a “core–periphery” spatial pattern. Furthermore, the panel data regression analysis suggested that transport accessibility has played a dominant role in poverty alleviation, with an elasticity coefficient of 0.839. In the future, policies concerned to integrate transport development with rural industries such as agriculture, e-commence, and tourism are recommended for poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, which are especially significant for promoting sustainable development, securing a win–win of economic growth and social equity.
Comparative Assessment of the Dyeing Process for Pristine and Modified Cotton Fabrics towards the Reduction of the Environmental Fingerprint
Authors: Lada Zoi G. , Mathioudakis Georgios N. , Pavlidou Silvia , Goulas Georgios , Anastasopoulos Charalampos , Bokias Georgios , Andrikopoulos Konstantinos S. , Voyiatzis George A.
Published: February 2023

Though an important and chronic source of dyes released to the environment, the determination of the release of dyes that occurs during household or industrial washing is usually disregarded. The main scope of this study is to reveal the extent of dye release through washing, and to understand if the modification of cotton fabrics with cationic polymers could reduce it. Modified cotton fabrics, dyed with Acid Blue 281 (AB) or by a mixture of the reactive dyes Novacron Yellow S-3R (NY), Novacron Ruby S-3B (NR) and Novacron Dark Blue S-GL (NDB), underwent a certified washing process. The dyed fabrics were analyzed colorimetrically, while the washing waters were analyzed spectroscopically, via UV/Vis absorption and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In the modified fabrics dyed with the acid dye, an increased dye uptake was noticed that exhibited a color intensity of K/S~16, compared to K/S~0.45 of the unmodified fabrics. The corresponding normalized dye release (dye concentration/color intensity factor) in the wash water was ~1.6 for the modified fabrics, compared to ~6.5 in the case of the unmodified fabrics, indicating the significance of cotton modification on both the dye uptake and dye release during washing. In the fabrics dyed with a mixture of selected reactive dyes, the color uptake of modified (K/S~10) was also increased compared with unmodified fabrics (K/S~4.5). An important observation, is that in the case of the dyeing of the reactive dyes mixture, a selectivity on the part of the dye uptake was noticed, since the contribution of NY (yellow) is higher compared to that of the blue (positive value of color indicator coordinate (b)); however, this also resulted in an increased NY dye release during washing. The findings of this study could contribute to the dye release problem control due to fabric washing, and to the understanding of any potential selectivity on the part of dye–cotton interactions.
Impact of Land Use/Land Cover and Landscape Pattern on Water Quality in Dianchi Lake Basin, Southwest of China
Authors: Zhang Zhuoya , Li Jiaxi , Hu Zheneng , Zhang Wanxiong , Ge Hailong , Li Xiaona
Published: February 2023

The water quality of a basin is pronouncedly affected by the surrounding types of land use. Analyzing the impact of LULC and landscape patterns on water quality is critical for identifying potential drivers. To further study how LUCC affects the water quality in a typical plateau lake basin, this study investigated the impacts of land-use types on water quality in the Dianchi Lake Basin in Southwest China. We analyzed changes in land-use types and the landscape pattern of the Dianchi basin, calculated the CWQI (Canadian Water Quality Index) value based on the water quality indexes (PH, total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), permanganate index (CODMn), five-day biochemical ox-ygen demand (BOD5), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), turbitidy, and chlorophyll-a (Chla)), used the RDA (Redundancy Analysis) and SMLR (Stepwise multiple linear regression) methods, the coupling degree, coupling coordination degree, and the geographical detector model to explore the relationship between water quality and changes in the land-use type. The results show that (1) changes in the land-use types were obvious: the majority of the land, which was originally forest land, became built land in 2020 and farmland in 1990 (except for the Dianchi water). Landscape pattern indexes indicated that almost all land-use types were first scattered, then gathered from 1990 to 2020. (2) Changes in the water quality of Dianchi Lake lagged behind the changes in land-use types, and the variation trends were similar to the landscape pattern variation trends. The CWQI value decreased in a nearly linear fashion from 1990 to 1998, exhibited a slight change from 1999 to 2013, and quickly increased from 2013. (3) Land-use types demonstrated a tight correlation with the Dianchi water quality, and LPI was the most dominant factor in both Caohai Lake and Waihai Lake. (4) There were different indexes affecting the coupling coordination degrees of Caohai Lake and Waihai Lake.
Digital Technologies for Public Health Services after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Risk Management Analysis
Authors: Văduva (Ene) Loredana Larisa , Nedelcu Ana-Maria , Stancu (Zamfir) Daniela , Bălan Cristinel , Purcărea Ioan-Matei , Gurău Mihaela , Cristian Daniel Alin
Published: February 2023

Digitalization has become an important part of human lives that occurs in many fields, ranging from education to labor. Artificial intelligence is one of the most important disruptive technologies, which has produced massive changes in current medical practices, such as MRI, X-ray, and surgeries. AI-based surgeries present lower risks to patients and support medical specialists when it comes to burnout and more challenging operations, which can be more easily performed with the help of robots. The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on healthcare systems due to the large number of patients that overburdened medical healthcare professionals and the medical capacities of hospitals. In this paper, we approach AI-based tools, which have a significant impact on various specializations in medicine under the form of robots, based on an extensive literature review. The research methods consist of a quantitative study conducted on a sample of 50 nurses with the purpose of assessing the awareness of nurses regarding digital technologies used in the medical field, focusing mainly on their capacity to classify digital technological risks that may occur in a public healthcare system. The results show that most of the respondents (62%) are aware of digital applications used in hospitals and are able to classify and manage the risks that may occur. After conducting our research, we found that nurses have a certain degree of reluctance when it comes to the introduction of digital technologies in the medical field.
Stochastic Spatial Binary Simulation with Multivariate Normal Distribution for Illustrating Future Evolution of Umbrella-Shape Summer Shelter under Climate Change
Authors: Lee Taesam , Choi Younghwan , Singh Vijay P.
Published: February 2023

Surface temperature has increased due to the impact of climate change, and the related weather events, such as heat waves and urban heat island, are occurring more frequently than before. Local governments and planners consider these impacts of climate change and try to avoid them. One of the mainly used structural tools is building summer shelters. A critical issue for urban planners is to test how many shelters should be added and how to distribute the shelters to cope with the impact of climate change. Stochastic simulation models can be a good option to randomize locations of shelters and to see how beneficial for living the shelters can be. Therefore, a novel stochastic simulation model is proposed for distributing summer shelters for coping with the climate change impact. This study proposes a stochastic spatial binary simulation with multivariate normal distribution (SSBM) which contains two major procedures consisting of (1) simulation-based derivation of the empirical function and (2) stochastic simulation of spatial binary data with multivariate normal distribution and the derived empirical function. The proposed model is applied to a case study in Jinju City, South Korea, for the umbrella-shape summer shelters (USS). Results concluded that the proposed SSBM reproduced the statistical characteristics of USS and can be a good alternative to model the locations of USS, including the impact of climate change and investigating the evolution of the USS in the future.
Estimating Three-Dimensional Permeability Distribution for Modeling Multirate Coreflooding Experiments
Authors: Anto-Darkwah Evans , Kurotori Takeshi , Pini Ronny , Rabinovich Avinoam
Published: February 2023

Characterizing subsurface reservoirs such as aquifers or oil and gas fields is an important aspect of various environmental engineering technologies. Coreflooding experiments, conducted routinely for characterization, are at the forefront of reservoir modeling. In this work, we present a method to estimate the three-dimensional permeability distribution and characteristic (intrinsic) relative permeability of a core sample in order to construct an accurate model of the coreflooding experiment. The new method improves previous ones by allowing to model experiments with mm-scale accuracy at various injection rates, accounting for variations in capillary–viscous effects associated with changing flow rates. We apply the method to drainage coreflooding experiments of nitrogen and water in two heterogeneous limestone core samples and estimate the subcore scale permeability and relative permeability. We show that the models are able to estimate the saturation distribution and core pressure drop with what is believed to be sufficient accuracy.
Spin and Orbital Symmetry Breakings Central to the Laser-Induced Ultrafast Demagnetization of Transition Metals
Authors: Töws Waldemar , Stegmann Gunnar , Pastor G. M.
Published: February 2023

The role of spin and orbital rotational symmetry on the laser-induced magnetization dynamics of itinerant-electron ferromagnets was theoretically investigated. The ultrafast demagnetization of transition metals is shown to be the direct consequence of the fundamental breaking of these conservation laws in the electronic system, an effect that is inherent to the nature of spin-orbit and electron-lattice interactions. A comprehensive symmetry analysis is complemented by exact numerical calculations of the time evolution of optically excited ferromagnetic ground states in the framework of a many-body electronic Hamiltonian. Thus, quantitative relations are established between the strength of the interactions that break the rotational symmetries and the time scales that are relevant for the magnetization dynamics.
Multiplicatively Simpson Type Inequalities via Fractional Integral
Authors: Moumen Abdelkader , Boulares Hamid , Meftah Badreddine , Shafqat Ramsha , Alraqad Tariq , Ali Ekram E. , Khaled Zennir
Published: February 2023

Multiplicative calculus, also called non-Newtonian calculus, represents an alternative approach to the usual calculus of Newton (1643–1727) and Leibniz (1646–1716). This type of calculus was first introduced by Grossman and Katz and it provides a defined calculation, from the start, for positive real numbers only. In this investigation, we propose to study symmetrical fractional multiplicative inequalities of the Simpson type. For this, we first establish a new fractional identity for multiplicatively differentiable functions. Based on that identity, we derive new Simpson-type inequalities for multiplicatively convex functions via fractional integral operators. We finish the study by providing some applications to analytic inequalities.
Metamaterial with Tunable Positive and Negative Hygrothermal Expansion Inspired by a Four-Fold Symmetrical Islamic Motif
Authors: Lim Teik-Cheng
Published: February 2023

A metamaterial with controllable positive and negative thermal and hygroscopic expansions is investigated herein by inspiration from a range of Islamic geometric patterns. Constructing from eight pairs of pin-jointed Y-elements, each unit cell manifests eight rhombi that are arranged circumferentially, thereby manifesting four axes of symmetry. By attachment of bimaterial spiral springs of contrasting expansion coefficients to the far arms of the paired Y-elements, a change in the environment’s thermal or hygroscopic condition alters the offset angle of the paired Y-elements such that the unit cell of the metamaterial ranges from the eight-pointed star to the regular octagon. The effective coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and the coefficient of moisture expansion (CME) of this metamaterial were developed for small and large changes in environmental fluctuations using infinitesimal and finite models, respectively. Generated data indicates that the sign and magnitude of the effective thermal and hygroscopic expansion coefficients can be controlled by geometrical descriptors of the bimaterial spiral spring—such as its coil number and the ratio of its mean radius to its thickness—as well as the properties of the bimaterial’s layers such as their expansion coefficients, Young’s moduli and, in the case of effective hygroscopic expansion, their relative absorptivity. The obtained results suggest that the proposed metamaterial can be designed to perform as highly sensitive thermal and/or moisture sensors, as well as other functional materials or devices that take advantage of environmental changes as stimuli.
Gauging the Maxwell Extended GLn,R and SLn+1,R Algebras
Authors: Kibaroğlu Salih , Cebecioğlu Oktay , Saban Ahmet
Published: February 2023

We consider the extension of the general-linear and special-linear algebras by employing the Maxwell symmetry in D space-time dimensions. We show how various Maxwell extensions of the ordinary space-time algebras can be obtained by a suitable contraction of generalized algebras. The extended Lie algebras could be useful in the construction of generalized gravity theories and the objects that couple to them. We also consider the gravitational dynamics of these algebras in the framework of the gauge theories of gravity. By adopting the symmetry-breaking mechanism of the Stelle–West model, we present some modified gravity models that contain the generalized cosmological constant term in four dimensions.
Prototyping an Online Virtual Simulation Course Platform for College Students to Learn Creative Thinking
Authors: Wu Xiaojian , Liu Wei , Jia Jingpeng , Zhang Xuemin , Leifer Larry , Hu Siyuan
Published: February 2023

With the rapid development of science and technology, the ability to creative thinking has become an essential criterion for measuring talents. Current creative thinking courses for college students are affected by COVID-19 and are challenging to conduct. This study aimed to explore practical ways to teach creative thinking knowledge online and explored design opportunities for working on this teaching activity online. Through qualitative interviews, we found that the factors that influenced the design of the online virtual simulation course platform were focused on five dimensions: information presentation, platform characteristics, course assessment, instruction design, and presentation format. Through the analysis of user requirements, we obtained six corresponding design guidelines. Based on the knowledge system of design thinking, we set up eight modules in the course platform and developed a prototype including 100 user interfaces. We invited three experts and 30 users to conduct cognitive walk-through sessions and made design iterations based on the feedback. After user evaluation, dimensions of attractiveness, efficiency, dependability, and novelty reached excellent rating and were recognized by users.
Prevalence, Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Avian Influenza in Wild Bird Populations in Korea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ntakiyisumba Eurade , Lee Simin , Park Byung-Yong , Tae Hyun-Jin , Won Gayeon
Published: February 2023

Since the first recorded outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus (H5N1) in South Korea in 2003, numerous sporadic outbreaks have occurred in South Korean duck and chicken farms, all of which have been attributed to avian influenza transmission from migratory wild birds. A thorough investigation of the prevalence and seroprevalence of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds is critical for assessing the exposure risk and for directing strong and effective regulatory measures to counteract the spread of AIVs among wild birds, poultry, and humans. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, following the PRISMA guidelines, to generate a quantitative estimate of the prevalence and seroprevalence of AIVs in wild birds in South Korea. An extensive search of eligible studies was performed through electronic databases and 853 records were identified, of which, 49 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence and seroprevalence were estimated to be 1.57% (95% CI: 0.98, 2.51) and 15.91% (95% CI: 5.89, 36.38), respectively. The highest prevalence and seroprevalence rates were detected in the Anseriformes species, highlighting the critical role of this bird species in the dissemination of AIVs in South Korea. Furthermore, the results of the subgroup analysis also revealed that the AIV seroprevalence in wild birds varies depending on the detection rate, sample size, and sampling season. The findings of this study demonstrate the necessity of strengthening the surveillance for AIV in wild birds and implementing strong measures to curb the spread of AIV from wild birds to the poultry population.
Live Triple Gene-Deleted Pseudorabies Virus-Vectored Subunit PCV2b and CSFV Vaccine Undergoes an Abortive Replication Cycle in the TG Neurons following Latency Reactivation
Authors: Pavulraj Selvaraj , Stout Rhett W. , Paulsen Daniel B. , Chowdhury Shafiqul I.
Published: February 2023

Like other alpha herpesviruses, pseudorabies virus (PRV) establishes lifelong latency in trigeminal ganglionic (TG) neurons. Upon stress, the latent viruses in the TG neurons reactivate and are transported anterograde from the neuron cell bodies to the nerve endings in the nasal mucosa, where they replicate and are discharged in the nasal and oral secretions. Consequently, the virus is transmitted to other naïve animals. This cycle of latency and reactivation continues until the animal dies or is slaughtered. We have constructed a PRV triple mutant virus (PRVtmv) and used it as a live subunit vaccine vector against porcine circovirus 2b (PCV2b) and classical swine fever virus (CSFV) (PRVtmv+). We compared the latency reactivation properties of PRVtmv+ with its parent wild-type (wt) Becker strain following intranasal infection. The results showed that PRV wt and PRVtmv+ established latency in the TG neurons. Based on nasal virus shedding, immediate early (infected cell protein 0; ICP0) and late genes, MCP (major capsid protein) and gC (glycoprotein C) transcriptions, and viral DNA copy numbers in the TGs of latently infected and dexamethasone (Dex)-treated pigs, both PRV wt and PRVtmv+ reactivated from latency. We noticed that PRV wt virus replicated productively in the terminally differentiated, postmitotic TG neurons, but PRVtmv+ failed to replicate and, therefore, there was no virus production in the TG. In addition, we found that only the PRV wt virus was shed in the nasal secretions following the Dex-induced reactivation. Our results demonstrated that the PRVtmv+ is safe as a live viral subunit vaccine vector without the possibility of productive replication in the TG upon reactivation from latency and without subsequent nasal virus shedding. This property of PRVtmv+ precludes the possibility of vaccine virus circulation in pigs and the risk of reversion to virulence.
HIV-1 Gag Binds the Multi-Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Complex via the EPRS Subunit
Authors: Jin Danni , Zhu Yiping , Schubert Heidi L. , Goff Stephen P. , Musier-Forsyth Karin
Published: February 2023

Host factor tRNAs facilitate the replication of retroviruses such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). HIV-1 uses human tRNALys3 as the primer for reverse transcription, and the assembly of HIV-1 structural protein Gag at the plasma membrane (PM) is regulated by matrix (MA) domain–tRNA interactions. A large, dynamic multi-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC) exists in the cytosol and consists of eight aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) and three other cellular proteins. Proteomic studies to identify HIV–host interactions have identified the MSC as part of the HIV-1 Gag and MA interactomes. Here, we confirmed that the MA domain of HIV-1 Gag forms a stable complex with the MSC, mapped the primary interaction site to the linker domain of bi-functional human glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS), and showed that the MA–EPRS interaction was RNA dependent. MA mutations that significantly reduced the EPRS interaction reduced viral infectivity and mapped to MA residues that also interact with phosphatidylinositol-(4,5)-bisphosphate. Overexpression of EPRS or EPRS fragments did not affect susceptibility to HIV-1 infection, and knockdown of EPRS reduced both a control reporter gene and HIV-1 protein translation. EPRS knockdown resulted in decreased progeny virion production, but the decrease could not be attributed to selective effects on virus gene expression, and the specific infectivity of the virions remained unchanged. While the precise function of the Gag–EPRS interaction remains uncertain, we discuss possible effects of the interaction on either virus or host activities.
Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV) Infection and MPV467 Treatment in Immunocompromised Cotton Rats Sigmodon hispidus
Authors: Yim Kevin C. , Mousa Jarrod J. , Blanco Jorge C. G. , Kim Sonnie , Boukhvalova Marina S.
Published: February 2023

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is an important cause of respiratory disease in immunocompromised individuals, yet hMPV infection has not been modeled before in immunocompromised animals. In this work, cotton rats S. hispidus immunosuppressed by cyclophosphamide were infected with hMPV, and viral replication and pulmonary inflammation in these animals were compared to those in normal hMPV-infected S. hispidus. The efficacy of prophylactic and therapeutic administration of the anti-hMPV antibody MPV467 was also evaluated. Immunosuppressed animals had higher pulmonary and nasal titers of hMPV on day 5 post-infection compared to normal animals, and large amounts of hMPV were still present in the respiratory tract of immunosuppressed animals on days 7 and 9 post-infection, indicating prolonged viral replication. Immunosuppression was accompanied by reduced pulmonary histopathology in hMPV-infected cotton rats compared to normal animals; however, a delayed increase in pathology and pulmonary chemokine expression was seen in immunosuppressed cotton rats. Prophylactic and therapeutic MPV467 treatments protected both upper and lower respiratory tracts against hMPV infection. The lung pathology and pulmonary expression of IP-10 and MIP-1α mRNA were reduced by therapeutic MPV467 administration. These results indicate that immunosuppressed cotton rats represent a useful model for studying hMPV pathogenesis and for evaluating therapeutics that could alleviate hMPV-induced disease in immunocompromised subjects.
Recent Developments in NSG and NRG Humanized Mouse Models for Their Use in Viral and Immune Research
Authors: Kitsera Maksym , Brunetti Jesús Emanuel , Rodríguez Estefanía
Published: February 2023

Humanized mouse models have been widely used in virology, immunology, and oncology in the last decade. With advances in the generation of knockout mouse strains, it is now possible to generate animals in which human immune cells or human tissue can be engrafted. These models have been used for the study of human infectious diseases, cancers, and autoimmune diseases. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of humanized mice to model human-specific viral infections. A human immune system in these models is crucial to understand the pathogenesis observed in human patients, which allows for better treatment design and vaccine development. Recent advances in our knowledge about viral pathogenicity and immune response using NSG and NRG mice are reviewed in this paper.