bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Monitoring of Sub-Seasonal Land Use Dynamics in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta through Quantile Mapping and Harmonic Regression
Authors: Kupfer Nick , Vo Tuan Quoc , Bachofer Felix , Huth Juliane , Vereecken Harry , Weihermüller Lutz , Montzka Carsten
Published: September 2024

In response to economic and environmental challenges like sea-level rise, salinity intrusion, groundwater extraction, sand mining, and sinking delta phenomena, the demand for solutions to adapt to changing conditions in riverine environments has increased significantly. High-quality analyses of land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics play a critical role in addressing these challenges. This study introduces a novel high-spatial resolution satellite-based approach to identify sub-seasonal LULC dynamics in the Mekong River Delta (MRD), employing a three-year (2021–2023) Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data time series. The primary obstacle is discerning detailed vegetation dynamics, particularly the seasonality of rice crops, answered through quantile mapping, harmonic regression with Fourier transform, and phenological metrics as inputs to a random forest machine learning classifier. Due to the substantial data volume, Google’s cloud computing platform Earth Engine was utilized for the analysis. Furthermore, the study evaluated the relative significance of various input features. The overall accuracy of the classification is 82.6% with a kappa statistic of 0.81, determined using comprehensive reference data collected in Vietnam. While the purely pixel-based approach has limitations, it proves to be a viable method for high-spatial resolution satellite image time series classification of the MRD.
Estimation of IFOV Inter-Channel Deviation for Microwave Radiation Imager Onboard FY-3G Satellite
Authors: Yao Pengjuan , Wu Shengli , Guo Yang , Shang Jian , Dong Kesong , Xu Weiwei , Wang Jiachen
Published: September 2024

The Microwave Radiation Imager (MWRI) onboard the FengYun satellite plays a crucial role in global change monitoring and numerical weather prediction. Estimating and correcting geolocation errors are important to retrieving accurate geophysical variables. However, the instantaneous field of view (IFOV) inter-channel deviation, which is mainly caused by the structure mounting error and measurement error of feedhorns, is less studied. In this present study, we constructed a general theoretical model to automatically estimate the IFOV inter-channel deviations suitable for conical-scanning instruments. The model can automatically detect the along-track and across-track vectors that pass through the land–sea boundary points and are perpendicular to the actual coastlines. Regarding the midpoints of the vectors as the brightness temperature (Tb) inflection points, the IFOV inter-channel deviation is the pixel offset or distance of the maximum gradients of the Tb near the inflection points for each channel relative to the 89-GHz V-pol channel. We tested the model’s operational performance using the FY-3G/MWRI-Rainfall Mission (MWRI-RM) observations. Considering that parameter uploading adjusted the IFOV inter-channel deviations, the model’s validity was verified by comparing the adjustments calculated by the model with the theoretical changes caused by parameter uploading. The result shows that the differences between them for all window channels are less than 100 m, indicating the model’s effectiveness in evaluating the IFOV inter-channel deviation for the MWRI-RM. Furthermore, the estimated on-orbit IFOV inter-channel deviations for the MWRI-RM show that all channel deviations are less than 1 km, meeting the instrument’s design requirement of 2 km. We believe this study will provide a foundation for IFOV inter-channel registration of passive microwave payloads and spatial matching of multiple payloads.
Heart Rate Variability Monitoring in Special Emergency Response Team Anaerobic-Based Tasks and Training
Authors: Tomes Colin , Schram Ben , Canetti Elisa F. D. , Orr Robin
Published: September 2024

The Law enforcement profession is known to impart high stress. Members of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams are allocated particularly demanding law enforcement operations and may therefore attain high fitness levels but may accumulate excessive stress. Heart rate variability (HRV), an assessment of time differences between heartbeats, likely indicates holistic load in field settings. To date, though, little research measuring HRV has been conducted involving SWAT units. The purpose of this study was to explore HRV measurements following (1) annual firearms qualification and (2) potential stress exposure with respect to completion time on an anaerobically taxing obstacle course. Officers with greater obstacle course performance were hypothesized to also exhibit greater HRV. HRV was also expected to stratify personnel more effectively than heart rate. Prospective 3-lead ECGs were obtained from a cohort of male SWAT operators (n = 15) with 5.2 ± 4.3 years of experience at three time points throughout one training day. HRV was assessed by time, frequency, and non-linear domains. Differences between baseline and post-training values were significant as assessed by the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test for heart rate, SDRR, LF, HF, and SD2. An enter-method linear regression model predicted post-training HF HRV by obstacle course time; r2 = 0.617, F (1,6) = 9.652, p = 0.021. Anaerobic performance may be highly valuable in SWAT units. HRV analysis may also be beneficial in measuring the psychophysiological impact of SWAT activities.
Migrant Children and Integration-Related Challenges in Lithuania: The Opinions of Educators (A Case Study)
Authors: Ciuladiene Grazina
Published: September 2024

The number of migrant children in Lithuania is increasing every year. For many years, the majority of migrants (around 82%) were returning Lithuanians, but since 2022, due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, a large influx of Ukrainian immigrants has been observed: 7761 children have arrived in Lithuania since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion. This study aims to highlight the integration-related challenges that educators face in the context of the increasing number of migrant children. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews (N = 9) were applied to investigate the issue and outline possible solutions from the point of view of educators. The study was conducted in a school with 875 students, including 31 (3.5%) immigrants. The empirical study revealed that the school implements the integration of migrant children in accordance with the recommendations issued by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport. Upon the arrival of a migrant child, the committee assesses the child’s knowledge, interviews the parents, and determines the appropriate class placement and learning methods. An individual education plan is then devised based on the expectations of both the child and their parents. Teachers face challenges related to language barriers and cultural differences. The provision of courses developing intercultural competence, more language lessons, and training for both children and their parents are considered to be the most important conditions for the successful integration of migrant children into the education system.
RETRACTED: Heredia-R et al. Evaluation of a Microbial Consortium and Selection of a Support in an Anaerobic Reactor Directed to the Bio-Treatment of Wastewater of the Textile Industry. Sustainability 2022, 14, 8889
Authors: Heredia-R Marco , Layedra-Almeida Andrea Paola , Torres Yenny , Toulkeridis Theofilos
Published: September 2024

The journal retracts the article “Evaluation of a Microbial Consortium and Selection of a Support in an Anaerobic Reactor directed to the Bio-treatment of Wastewater of the Textile Industry” [...]
Analyzing the Trade-Offs between Soil Health Enhancement, Carbon Sequestration, and Productivity in Central India’s Black Soil through Conservation Agriculture
Authors: Kumbhar Chetna , Kharche Vilas , Ramteke Pratik , Jadhao Shyam , Bhoyar Sanjay , Konde Nitin , Mali Dnyaneshwar , Sonune Bhagwan , El-Hendawy Salah , Mattar Mohamed A.
Published: September 2024

The impact of conservation tillage (CST) practices on soil properties, carbon sequestration and yield sustainability over short, medium, and long durations remain insufficiently understood, especially in semiarid Central India. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the effects and optimal duration of CST adoption for enhancing soil properties, carbon sequestration, and sustainable yields. We conducted a study in farmers’ fields in the Akola district of Central India, where CST had been practised for 4 to 15 years, within a soybean + pigeon pea–chickpea cropping sequence. Our findings revealed significant (p < 0.05) improvements in soil physical properties with short-term CST practices (4 to 6 years), alongside increasing availability of nitrogen and phosphorus, with longer durations of CST implementation (10 to 15 years). The lowest soil organic carbon (SOC) was observed in conventional tillage (CT_y), while all CST practices increased SOC content over CT_y, ranging from 22.2 to 38.4%. Further, experimental soil dominated passive C pools (Cfrac3 + Cfrac4). Consequently, long-term CST practices facilitated positive C sequestration rates, contrasting with negative or minimal sequestration observed in CT_y and short-term CST treatments. However, compared to CST, CT_y demonstrated higher soybean equivalent yields and comparable chickpea equivalent yields mainly due to delayed germinations induced by lower soil temperatures in CST plots. We conclude that integrating site-specific characteristics, management practices, and regional climate conditions into conservation agriculture frameworks maximizes efficacy and ensures sustainable productivity. These findings help optimize agricultural practices considering potential yield losses or minimal changes despite implementing CST.
Integrating Utopian Constructs: A Preliminary Investigation of Their Similarities and Predictive Power on Social Change Intentions
Authors: Chevrier Marie , Delhomme Patricia , Zenasni Franck , Bosone Lucia
Published: September 2024

In a world facing significant planetary health challenges, the power of prospection—our capacity to envision and shape future possibilities—gains importance. Recently, three conceptualisations have been introduced to measure individuals’ inclination and ability to imagine desirable societal alternatives: utopian, transformative utopian impulse for planetary health, and environmental cognitive alternatives. We propose that these constructs, founded on different theoretical bases, each offer unique perspectives on a common process: the mental simulation of societies that positively deviate from the status quo, which we refer to as collective positive prospection. Data from a correlational survey (N = 485) show that these dimensions, while distinct, are highly interrelated, supporting their potential complementarity for understanding individual differences in collective positive prospection. Results also emphasise the importance of integrating these diverse dimensions to enhance the prediction of intentions, particularly pro-environmental intentions. Furthermore, our results suggest that the precision of prospection content, alongside its compatibility with behaviours, enhances predictive accuracy. Although preliminary, these findings provide valuable insights on both theoretical and practical levels, highlighting the importance of integrating diverse conceptualizations to better understand the functioning of collective positive prospection and suggesting that an integrative scale could be beneficial for future research in this area.
One Hundred Years of Pyrethroid Chemistry: A Still-Open Research Effort to Combine Efficacy, Cost-Effectiveness and Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Ruberti Marcello
Published: September 2024

A century after the first scientific research on the chemical structures of pyrethrins was published (in 1923), this paper aims to provide an exhaustive review of the historical research pathways and relative turning points that led to the discovery and mass production of pyrethroids, which have become among the most commercially successful insecticides. These compounds, which are not specific to any particular pest, are used globally and offer cost-effective advantages against a broad spectrum of pests in both agricultural and non-agricultural situations. They are utilized in the context of both harvest and post-harvest applications, as well as in the implementation of public health programs and veterinary applications. Currently, the research for new pyrethroids has essentially reached a standstill due to the increasingly widespread occurrence of insecticide resistance in pests. Nevertheless, several research paths remain open regarding these pesticides. This paper represents the current state of knowledge regarding pyrethroids, exposing both their advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, further investigation, at the molecular level, on their mode of action (MoA) could be very useful to improve their specificity. The results of this review may stimulate additional research for the development of novel pyrethroids having enhanced efficacy, low cost and reduced environmental impact.
Building the Bridge: How System Dynamics Models Operationalise Energy Transitions and Contribute towards Creating an Energy Policy Toolbox
Authors: Hafner Sarah , Gottschamer Lawrence , Kubli Merla , Pasqualino Roberto , Ulli-Beer Silvia
Published: September 2024

The complexity and multi-dimensionality of energy transitions are broadly recognised, and insights from transition research increasingly support policy decision making. Sustainability transition scholars have been developing mostly qualitative socio-technical transition (STT) frameworks, and modelling has been argued to be complementary to these frameworks, for example for policy testing. We systematically evaluate five system dynamics (SD) energy models on their representation of key STT characteristics. Our results demonstrate that (i) the evaluated models incorporate most of the core characteristics of STT, and (ii) the policies tested in the models address different levels and aspects of the multi-level perspective (MLP) framework. In light of the increasing emergence of energy (transition) models, we recommend to systematically map models and their tested policy interventions into the MLP framework or other sustainability transition frameworks, creating an overview of tested policies (a “policy navigator”). This navigator supports policy makers and modellers alike, facilitating them to find previously tested policy options and related models for particular policy objectives.
PVC Dechlorination for Facilitating Plastic Chemical Recycling: A Systematic Literature Review of Technical Advances, Modeling and Assessment
Authors: Tian Yuan , Han Mengqi , Gu Dungang , Bi Zhujie , Gu Nannan , Hu Tingting , Li Guanghui , Zhang Nan , Lu Jiaqi
Published: September 2024

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins are widely used in modern society due to their acid and alkali resistance, low cost, and strong insulation properties. However, the high chlorine (Cl) content in PVC poses significant challenges for its recycling. This study reviews the treatment processes, model construction, and economic and environmental assessments to construct a methodological framework for the sustainable development of emerging dechlorination technologies. In terms of treatment processes, this study summarizes three types of processes, pretreatment, simultaneous dechlorination during chemical recycling, product purification, and emphasizes the necessity of dechlorination treatment from a systematic perspective. Additionally, the construction of models for dechlorination processes is investigated from the laboratory to the industrial production system to macro-scale material, in order to evaluate the potential inventory data and material metabolism behaviors. This review also summarized the methodology framework of Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which can be applied for evaluation of the economic and environmental performance of the dechlorination processes. Overall, this review provides readers with a comprehensive perspective on the state-of-the-art for PVC dechlorination technologies, meanwhile offering sustainable guidance for future research and industrial applications of chemical recycling of PVC waste.
Sizing a System for Treating Effluents from the Mozambique Sugar Cane Company
Authors: Muguirrima Paulino , Chirinza Nicolau , Zerpa Federico A. Leon , Perez Baez Sebastian Ovidio , Pino Carlos Alberto Mendieta
Published: September 2024

The sugar industry must be managed in a manner that encourages innovation with regard to the waste generated throughout the process. The organic load of sugar mill waste is high, as is its potential to pollute water bodies at various stages of the production process, including cooling bearings, mills, sugar cane washing, bagasse waste and cleaning products. It is therefore necessary to identify treatment mechanisms that not only reduce this waste but also return purer water to the environment, combining the reuse of water in various applications. The objective of this study was to analyze the results of the physical and chemical properties of the effluents generated and the principal treatment technologies employed for the remediation of industrial wastewater from sugar factories. The wastewater from Mozambique’s sugar mills has high levels of dissolved or suspended solids, organic matter, pressed mud, bagasse and atmospheric pollutants. The BOD/COD ratio is low (<2.5), indicating the need for secondary treatment or, more specifically, biological treatment. This can be achieved through humid systems built from stabilization ponds, with the resulting water suitable for reuse in agricultural irrigation. In this work, an educational proposal has been developed for engineering students where they learn to calculate and optimize, among other parameters, the natural wastewater treatment and compare it with a conventional wastewater treatment.
A Process-Based Approach to Guide the Observational Strategies for the Assessment of the Marine Environment
Authors: Moretti Pier Francesco , D’Alelio Domenico , Drago Aldo , Pitarch Jaime , Roose Patrick , Schön Isa , Sprovieri Mario , Falcini Federico
Published: September 2024

Ocean sustainability entails the management of marine ecosystems and their services. Monitoring and evaluation of the health of the sea is challenged by the complexity of the marine environment, whose multitude and interconnected aspects, together with the lack of comprehensive models, make the understanding of its functioning a very arduous endeavour. Observations are costly and time-consuming. For this reason, a European joint action, named Science for Good Environmental Status, tested a new approach to monitor and evaluate effectively the state of health of the sea. This approach is based on the identification of driving physical processes that are present in the sea basins and directing the observation strategy to be designed on the basis of preliminary space–time information and patterns. The proof-of-concept of this approach has been implemented offshore of the Belgian coast in an attempt to achieve ecosystem assessments with targeted data collection methods requiring a reduced combination of variables. The proposed approach can impact monitoring activities implemented by those countries aiming to fulfil the requests of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive. A map of EU marine areas to further test this process-based approach is also provided.
Planning for Sustainable Agri-Food Production: Factual or Fictional? An Example from Iceland
Authors: Jónsdóttir Salvör , Benediktsson Karl
Published: September 2024

The concept of sustainability has been widely recognized as a pivotal objective for future growth. Therefore, it is imperative to incorporate the principles of sustainability into policies and plans, particularly in land use and agri-food production, sectors often associated with negative environmental impacts. Addressing all three pillars of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social—is essential, within the contexts of agri-food production and land use. Consequently, sustainable rural development is also critical. This study utilizes Iceland as a case to examine whether and how sustainability goals are translated from national policies to municipal plans, which represent the governance level closest to implementation. The research employs content analysis of national policies and municipal plans, utilizing grounded theory to code the content. The findings indicate that while the concept of sustainability is embedded in Icelandic policies and goals, there is a tendency to overlook the economic and social dimensions. Additionally, the study reveals a limited application of sustainability principles in rural development and agri-food production. Recognizing the “wicked” nature of sustainability, which complicates its implementation, is crucial for advancing from goal setting to effective action.
Transitions between Localised Patterns with Different Spatial Symmetries in Non-Local Hyperbolic Models for Self-Organised Biological Aggregations
Authors: Le Thanh Trung , Eftimie Raluca
Published: September 2024

Pattern formation in biological aggregations is a topic of great interest, due to the complex spatial structure of various aggregations of cells/bacteria/animals that can be observed in nature. While many such aggregations look similar at the macroscopic level, they might differ in their microscopic spatial structure. However, the complexity of the non-linear and sometimes non-local interactions among individuals inside these aggregations makes it difficult to investigate these spatial structures. In this study, we investigate numerically the transitions between different spatial patterns of animal aggregations with various symmetries (even, odd or no symmetry) that characterise the microscopic distribution of individuals inside these aggregations. To this end, we construct a bifurcation diagram starting with perturbations of spatially homogeneous solutions with low, medium, and high amplitudes. For perturbations with low amplitudes, the bifurcating structures show transitions among even-symmetric, odd-symmetric, and non-symmetric solutions. For perturbations with large amplitudes, there are wide parameter regions with non-convergent solutions, characterised by oscillatory transitions between different relatively similar solutions. These numerical results emphasize: (i) the effect of nonlinear and non-local interactions on the microscopically different symmetric/non-symmetric structures of macroscopically similar ecological aggregations; (ii) the difficulty of developing continuation algorithms for this class of non-local models.
Stability Analysis and Stabilization of General Conformable Polynomial Fuzzy Models with Time Delay
Authors: Iben Ammar Imen , Gassara Hamdi , Rhaima Mohamed , Mchiri Lassaad , Ben Makhlouf Abdellatif
Published: September 2024

This paper introduces a sum-of-squares (S-O-S) approach to Stability Analysis and Stabilization (SAS) of nonlinear dynamical systems described by General Conformable Polynomial Fuzzy (GCPF) models with a time delay. First, we present GCPF models, which are more general compared to the widely recognized Takagi–Sugeno Fuzzy (T-SF) models. Then, we establish SAS conditions for these models using a Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional and the S-O-S approach, making the SAS conditions in this work less conservative than the Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMI)-based approach to the T-SF models. In addition, the SAS conditions are found by satisfying S-O-S conditions dependent on membership functions that are reliant on the polynomial fitting approximation algorithm. These S-O-S conditions can be solved numerically using the recently developed SOSTOOLS. To demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of our approach, two numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of our approach.
Urban Planning and Landscape Projects on Urban Riverbanks in Europe: Comparative Study of the Ebro River, Zaragoza, and the Isar River, Munich
Authors: Sopena Porta María Pilar , Pellicer Francisco
Published: September 2024

The tension between rivers and cities reaches its highest expression in urban river basins. Given the high level of interaction between natural and cultural factors in many riverfronts, an integral project design is essential. The large number of urban river basin enhancement cases that have been conducted has resulted in a large amount of urban scientific literature. The multifaceted nature of these systems renders their analysis and contextualization a challenging endeavor. The objective of this research is to propose a novel evaluation tool based on a reformulation of Lynch’s theory of urban form performance, which has been updated from a landscape urbanism perspective. The conceptual framework provides a comprehensive method for translating diverse design strategies into comparable and meaningful categories. The results illustrate the impact of urban riverbank requalification initiatives on the formal quality dimensions of the city–river socio-ecological system. The assessment tool was applied to two cases: the Ebro River in Zaragoza (Spain) and the Isar River in Munich (Germany). Despite differences between the cases, comparative analysis revealed similar levels of urban landscape quality parameters and common elements that can provide new insights when considering the solutions applied and the degree of improvement in quality and river–city cohesion achieved with these projects.
An Expert Consensus Study Regarding Management Practices to Prevent Infectious Mortality in Preweaned Beef Calves in Western Canada
Authors: Sanguinetti Virginia Margarita , Adams Cindy , Campbell John , Checkley Sylvia L. , Windeyer Claire
Published: September 2024

Disease prevention is a cornerstone of herd management for minimizing preweaning calf mortality. However, scientific evidence about the usefulness of practices in herds is scarce. The first objective was for a group of veterinarians to determine which practices are most useful considering their effectiveness, ease of implementation, and economic feasibility. A second objective was for them to define which practices should be included in a tool to facilitate discussions between producers and veterinarians. Expert opinions and consensus were determined using a modified Delphi approach. During two questionnaire rounds, participants scored the effectiveness, ease of implementation, and economic feasibility of each practice. Overall scores for each practice were calculated, and feedback reports were sent to participants between rounds showing the groups’ median responses. Consensus on which practices should be included in the tool was targeted during the workshops. Twelve veterinary experts participated. Administering clostridial vaccines and providing calves with colostrum in case they had not nursed were considered practices that were ‘always useful for all herds’. However, most practices had intermediate levels of usefulness, and among these, antibiotics were considered the least useful. Nevertheless, all practices discussed during the workshops attained a consensus about being included in the future tool to facilitate on-farm discussions.
Evaluation of Liver Parenchyma in Dogs with Hyperlipidemia Using Ultrasound Attenuation Imaging (ATI)
Authors: Pelligra Tina , Citi Simonetta , Marchetti Veronica , Habermaass Verena , Tinalli Sara , Puccinelli Caterina
Published: September 2024

(1) Background: Ultrasound attenuation imaging (ATI) is an innovative technique that allows for the evaluation of the degree of lipid infiltration of the liver parenchyma in a simple and non-invasive way. The objective of this study was to verify the applicability of the ATI method in the evaluation of hyperlipidemia. (2) Methods: This study included 53 dogs between January 2021 and December 2022, of which 21 were healthy (A) and 32 had hyperlipidemia (B). The dogs of Group B were divided into mild hyperlipidemic (B1; n = 15) and moderate/severe hyperlipidemic (B2; n = 17). Each dog underwent biochemical examination, B-mode ultrasound and ATI investigation at the liver level via a right intercostal approach. (3) Results: The mean AC value was significantly higher in Group B (0.95 ± 0.23 dB/cm/MHz) compared to Group A (0.81 ± 0.10 dB/cm/MHz). No statistically significant differences were highlighted regarding the ATI values between the subjects with mild and moderate/severe hyperlipidemia. (4) Conclusion: ATI could be a promising method for the non-invasive evaluation of hepatic steatosis in veterinary medicine.
Multivariate Statistical Approach and Assessment of Pollution of Water and Sediments in Karstic Springs of Transboundary Aquifer Žumberak–Samoborsko Gorje Mountain (Croatia/Slovenia)
Authors: Buzjak Nenad , Matić Natalija , Maldini Krešimir , Jena Vinod
Published: September 2024

This study highlights the geochemistry of water and sediments of the karstic springs of the transboundary aquifer (TBA) Žumberak–Samoborsko Gorje Mt. (NW Croatia). After calculating pollution indices, the analysis showed that the sediments are unpolluted. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) showed only the elements Ba and Rb, indicating moderate levels of pollution, with the highest values in springs Vapnik and Bistrac. Statistical analysis confirmed their natural origin. The water of these springs is under possible anthropogenic influence as indicated by elevated concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). According to a principal component analysis (PCA) for elements in sediments, PC1 described a combined lithogenic and oxidative–reductive influence, PC2 described a combined geological background including total organic carbon (TOC) content and oxidative–reductive influence, while TOC had the greatest influence on PC3. Depending on element composition, the factor scores related to PC1 and PC2 resulted in two different groups of sites, while the factor scores concerning PC1 and PC3 did not show separation in two groups. The hierarchical cluster analysis showed three clusters in relation to the content of the elements. The correlation coefficient between the sediment and related water samples showed that the springs placed in a low-permeability formation (dolomite) had a strong positive coefficient of correlation.
Assessment of Leachate Generated by Sargassum spp. in the Mexican Caribbean: Part 2, Mobility of Metals
Authors: Leal-Bautista Rosa Maria , Rodríguez-García Juan Carlos , Chablé-Villacis Rubi , Acosta-González Gilberto , Bautista-García Jose Epigmenio , Tapia-Tussell Raul , Ortega-Camacho Daniela , Olguín-Maciel Edgar , González López Gloria
Published: September 2024

The spread of sargassum on beaches in Africa, Brazil, Central America, and the Caribbean has increased to become a social, environmental, and economic problem. In recent years, the presence of biomass on the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean has been recorded as ≈2360 m3 Km−1, reaching up to 200 m wide in the northern part of the coasts. Its removal from the coast and, later, the continent is one of the strategies implemented to mitigate its impact on land. Several studies have reported the seasonality of and geographic variation in sorbed metals in sargasso. However, it is unknown whether these metals can mobilize or remain in sargassum tissue once they reach accumulation sites. This study included seawater, sargassum tissue as a consortium, and S. natans and S. fluitans, as well as the leachate generated in the process of degradation per se and percolated by rain. Of the 10 metals evaluated (As, B, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cd, Al, Ni, Cu, and Pb for water, tissue, and leachate), only B is recurrent in water from the north of the Mexican Caribbean, in addition to traces of Al and Fe. Meanwhile, in tissue, the results coincide with those of previous studies, where As is recurrent, although its concentration varies with the mentioned variability. The leachate showed that four to eight metals of those present in the tissue were detected, including As, Fe, and Al, which represent a potential impact on coastal systems and infiltration into shallow water table areas.
Seasonal Variations of Ice-Covered Lake Ecosystems in the Context of Climate Warming: A Review
Authors: Wang Qianqian , Yang Fang , Liao Haiqing , Feng Weiying , Ji Meichen , Han Zhiming , Pan Ting , Feng Dongxia
Published: September 2024

The period of freezing is an important phenological characteristic of lakes in the Northern Hemisphere, exhibiting higher sensitivity to regional climate changes and aiding in the detection of Earth’s response to climate change. This review systematically examines 1141 articles on seasonal frozen lakes from 1991 to 2021, aiming to understand the seasonal variations and control conditions of ice-covered lakes. For the former, we discussed the physical structure and growth characteristics of seasonal ice cover, changes in water environmental conditions and primary production, accumulation and transformation of CO2 beneath the ice, and the role of winter lakes as carbon sources or sinks. We also proposed a concept of structural stratification based on the differences in physical properties of ice and solute content. The latter provided an overview of the ice-covered period (−1.2 d decade−1), lake evaporation (+16% by the end of the 21st century), the response of planktonic organisms (earlier spring blooming: 2.17 d year−1) to global climate change, the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on ice-free events, and the influence of individual characteristics such as depth, latitude, and elevation on the seasonal frozen lakes. Finally, future research directions for seasonally ice-covered lakes are discussed. Considering the limited and less systematic research conducted so far, this study aims to use bibliometric methods to synthesize and describe the trends and main research points of seasonal ice-covered lakes so as to lay an important foundation for scholars in this field to better understand the existing research progress and explore future research directions.
Progresses, Challenges and Prospects for Aluminum Anode in Aqueous Secondary Batteries
Authors: Kim Keun-il
Published: September 2024

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the current energy storage market, raising concerns about cost and safety. Due to their lower cost and enhanced safety, aqueous batteries are emerging as a prominent substitute to LIBs for grid-scale applications. Aluminum (Al) is the most abundant metal element in the Earth’s crust, offering the merits of high theoretical capacity, safety, and low production cost. However, challenges such as a narrow electrochemical stability window (ESW) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in aqueous electrolytes need to be properly addressed to achieve the practical use of aqueous batteries. This paper aims to summarize the history and progress of Al metal anodes in energy storage, followed by suggested potential pathways for the development of practical aqueous Al batteries.
Power and Inequality in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights
Authors: Maheswari D , Priyadharshini A
Published: September 2024

Wuthering Heights novel was written by Emily Bronte. It was published by T.C. Newby in 1947.Wuthering Heights was a famous novel from the Victorian era. The novel’s story telling method was innovative in that time. The novel is filled with love, revenge, nature, social class and passion. Super natural elements also present in this novel. The plot follows Earnshaws who lived in Wuthering Heights and Lintons who lived in Thrushcross Grange, respectively. Mr. Earnshaw had two children, Catherine and Hindly, and adopted Heathcliff as his own. Hindly illtreats the gothic protagonist Heathcliff. Catherine and Heathcliff fell in love but the family refused to marry due to his lower caste status. The vital theme of this novel is power and inequality. The tale concludes with Heathcliff exacting his retribution on the next generation of the two families. Nelly, Heathcliff’s servant, witnessed the story silently throughout the entire novel.
Mother’s Intricacy in Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood
Authors: Jeni Nirmala A , Jerlin Prisca J
Published: September 2024

This paper examines mothers’ perceptions, challenges the institution of marriage’s blessings, and primarily focuses on the complexity of the mother. The goal is to investigate, from a feminist perspective, whether or if the “motherhood” body can eventually grant women the authority to be recognized in important spheres of human activity. The topic of motherhood has been explored by numerous African writers. The term “motherism” was created by Catherine Obianuju Acholunu as a counter to Western feminism. The Joys of Motherhood,1979 written by Buchi Emecheta explores how motherhood in Ibo society functions as a power struggle between control and desire. Nnu Ego aspires to be a perfect mother but discovered nothing beyond the glimpse of motherhood.
Food as an Imagery in Laura Beatriz Esquivel Valdes’ Like Water for Chocolate
Authors: Sasikala P , Muthumeena M
Published: September 2024

The captivating novel Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel was translated into English by Carol and Thomas Christensen. This book has been a worldwide bestseller since it was published in 1993. Magical realism, love, and tradition are among the book’s key themes. Tita, a young Mexican woman whose emotions and cooking are closely related, is the protagonist of the story. Her emotions are evident in every meal she prepares, and the effects it has on those who consume it are often unexpected. The constraints of patriarchy, familial expectations, and the power of passion are all explored in this book. The book tells the remarkable tale of the unique connection between the allure of food and the power of love and is available in monthly installments with recipes, romantic ideas, and DIY remedies. A genuine cookbook is stuffed with recipes that act as the chapter’s epigraphs. The heightened style of magic realism portrays her unique combination of tasty sustenance and sexual excitation. Like Water for Chocolate is a masterpiece because of its vivid fusion of fantasy and reality, and Esquivel’s exquisitely sensual language is extremely detailed. It brews and boils like an incredible spicy bouillabaisse, taking the reader on an imaginative, engaging, and engrossing journey. The story, which combines magical realism, passion, and love, takes place in the kitchen of a Mexican family. Tita, the protagonist, creates mouthwatering food that is flavored with her feelings and has an impact on every dinner. The book deftly blends history, affection, and the transformative power of food to provide readers.
Art, Crime, and Society: A Dual Analysis of ‘Six Napoleons’ and ‘Solitary Cyclist’
Authors: Yakeshwaran L J
Published: September 2024

In this paper, we will delve into the intriguing narratives of ‘The Adventure of the Six Napoleons’ and ‘The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist’ from Best of Sherlock Holmes Short Stories. By examining the theme of repetition and exploring the symbolic significance of the vandalized Napoleon busts this paper portrays meticulous handling of the detective, Sherlock Holmes. Additionally,this paper also analyses the social commentary embedded in ‘The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist’, focusing on aspects such as the portrayal of the press, societal expectations, and the dangers faced by a lone woman. Furthermore, this paper will examine Holmes’ interactions with law enforcement, shedding light on the dynamics between private and official investigation methods. We aim to provide a nuanced understanding of these two captivating tales and their contributions to the overarching themes within the Sherlock Holmes canon.
American Perspectives of Chinese Culture in Amy Tan’s the Joy Luck Club
Authors: Maheswari D , Gokila V
Published: September 2024

The novel The Joy Luck Club was writtenby Amy Tan, an American author of Chinese Heritage. The novelwas published in 1989. The novel tells the stories of four Chinese immigrant women who met in San Francisco and formed a club known as The Joy Luck Club where they play a game called Mahjong and dine together. It is structured as four parts which is divided into four sections and each section consists of four stories in it, totally sixteen interlocking chapters. Each section starts with a parable which relates the theme of the four stories in that section. The novel mainly focuses on the story of four Chinese mothers and American born daughters. The protagonist of the novel is Jing-Mei woo daughter of late Suyuan-woo who is the founder of The Joy Luck Club. The first part explains the story of four mothers past lives, the second section tells the daughter’s childhood, third section is about the daughter’s adulthood and the fourth section narrates the story of the mother’s adult lives. The protagonist Jing Mei narrates the whole story on behalf of others. Thus the novel explains the conflicts between American born daughter’s and Chinese mothers. Amy Tan has written this novel in the American perspective daughters focus on the Chinese folklore.
Estrangement and Seclusion in the Inheritance of Loss
Authors: Binith Muthukrishnan K , Mehala Nallamuthu Mani
Published: September 2024

Estrangement and Seclusion as a theme has been recurrent in the Indian English fiction. It has become a significant concern for post-modern writers including Kiran Desai. The sense of estrangement forms the general psyche of the contemporary society. Estrangement is frequently describes as ‘estrangement’ of an individual or the group of people in a large society. These alienated people often challenge the validity of certain accepted norms which are already in existence. Kiran Desai portrays a story which is thrilling chaotic, pathetic and a life infused by the problems faced by common people. She addresses the dismal sentiment and feelings of her mute immigrant characters that neither speak nor display their inner beings. She has aim to present her characters in a simplified way to attain the basic goal of satiation. She has unraveled their interior to entwine with assumption and dreams to achieve the material zenith. Nimi is the suppressed and repressed woman characters, whose desires are suppressed and had taken a form that is unbearable.
Female Characters of Fantasy in George Raymond Richard Martin’s A Game of Thrones
Authors: Subashini V , Kalaiarasi A
Published: September 2024

Fantasy is fiction about bizarre and impossible to which female characters were connected through this work. A Game of Thrones is an epic fantasy novel, under the series. A Song of Ice and Fire. This fantasy novel involves psychological and archetypical personal features to create the middle age’s culture. A good number of female characters were presented who were not just an accessory but an engaging, powerful and successful person belonging to various age groups. Fantasy in this novel develops along with the heroines. Martin’s heroines can be considered as feminists, they were not limited to the stereotypical gender roles. The female protagonists of the series are generally aristocratic women who have to abide the rules which are enforced on them. Women navigate societal expectations in diverse ways, with some conforming, others openly resisting, and a third group employing more subtle, devious methods to oppose prevailing norms. All the women are oppressed, they have to struggle and are limited by the boundaries set by the society typical for many a book of the fantasy genre. They all are affected by the patriarchal society they live in. Martin tries to overcome all these with some female characters with different aspects but believably strong.
Parenthood as a disappearing determinant of adulthood
Authors: Lisiecka-Bednarczyk Agnieszka
Published: September 2024

The article is of an analytical nature. It was developed based on scientific, familiological, mainly pedagogical, sociological and psychological literature. The aim of the article is to analyse the concept of parenthood /parenting in the context of social changes and transformations in the understanding of parenthood/parenting by young adults. The main research problem of the theoretical analyses undertaken here is to answer the question of whether parenthood is a disappearing determinant of adulthood. The article presents demographic and social problems related to the decreasing number of children being born and of working-age people planning procreation. It presents changes in the way of thinking about family and parenthood that have occurred in Poland over the last century, and especially the last 30 years. It shows the dissemination of new family forms (DINKS) and voluntary childlessness, postponement of adulthood, delayed adulthood, and prolonged cohabitation with parents (referred to as “boomeranging”). The reader may become acquainted with the issue of the readiness of young adults for parenthood and parenting. The basic determinants of adulthood, including parenthood, are described here. Despite the changes mentioned, parenthood and parenting still retains an important place in the development of young adults. It can also be described as an important attribute of adulthood. However, it may only be concluded that parenthood has ceased to be an obligatory determinant of adulthood. The theoretical considerations presented here may provide inspiration for undertaking research among young adults. The problems presented also encourage educational reflection – how to support young people in their preparation for adulthood, including parenthood and parenting.
Study of Microplastic Accumulation in Halophyte Plants and Macroalgae: a New Window for Analytical Research
Authors: Fara Meita , Muslim Muslim , Munir Miftakul
Published: September 2024

Marine litter and microplastic pollution pose significant threats to aquatic ecosystems. The interrelationship between halophyte plants and micro/nanoplastics began to attract attention in recent years. Halophyte plants and maritime macroalgae can trap substantial amounts of marine debris leading to areas of accumulation, known as ‘sinks’, of anthropogenic particles. The review of existing studies reveals that halophyte plants can serve as sinks for micro/nanoplastics by absorbing them on their surface, moreover, these plastics can be internalized by plants. Plastics on the surfaces and within plant tissue can cause various harmful effects. The present review outlines the current knowledge on microplastic abundance, bioavailability, influencing factors, technological detection, and potential salt-tolerant plants for bioremediation. Based on these findings, we recommend the inclusion of microplastic on halophyte plants and algae in prospective monitoring studies, discuss appropriate methods, and propose to conduct exposure studies along with risk assessments, strategies for preventing and controlling policies of these underestimated pollutants in vegetated coastal ecosystems and reaches a basis for future research.