bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selection of the Energy Performance Indicator for Hotels Based on ISO 50001: A Case Study
Authors: Iturralde Carrera Luis Angel , Álvarez González Andrés Lorenzo , Rodríguez-Reséndiz Juvenal , Álvarez-Alvarado José Manuel
Published: January 2023

The work deals with the study of the Energy Planning stage according to the ISO 50001:2018 Standard at the Hotel Punta la Cueva in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The current energy management indicators for hotels are well-studied. However, the study aims to incorporate the variable Degree-Days in the Room Days Occupied (RDO) to establish a correct Baseline and Energy Performance Indicator. The methodology followed is based on the energy management standards of energy review stage. The fundamental results were in obtaining the Energy Baseline with a Coefficient of Determination (R2) of 0.97. One of the opportunities for improvement consisted of the replacement of 80 bulbs 15 W with 9 W LED bulbs. It has an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 28%, a Present Value Net Income (NPV) of 71.5 USD, and an Investment Recovery Period (PRI) of 3.6 years. The second opportunity is a preliminary project for a Photovoltaic Solar System on the roofs of the buildings, where it is possible to install 1011 photovoltaic and achieve a generation of 384 kilowatt-peak (kWp).
Digital Financial Inclusion, Cultivated Land Transfer and Cultivated Land Green Utilization Efficiency: An Empirical Study from China
Authors: Zhou Min , Zhang Hua , Zhang Zixuan , Sun Hanxiaoxue
Published: January 2023

Digital financial inclusion (DFI), characterized by digitalization and inclusiveness, has generally been recognized as a significant promoter of efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of agricultural production. Simultaneously, cultivated land green utilization efficiency (CLGUE), which is the significant guarantees of food security, social stability and environmental protection, has attracted increasing attention in the recent decades. In practice, DFI seems to be a vital antecedent of the improvement of CLGUE. However, in the academic field, research on whether and how DFI can affect CLGUE is scarce. In this case, based on triple bottom line theory, this paper theoretically and empirically investigates whether and how DFI can reinforce CLGUE through the mediator of cultivated land transfer (CLT). Using Chinese provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020 and structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis in STATA 16.0, this paper identified the following: (1) DFI can directly facilitate CLGUE; (2) DFI can indirectly improve CLGUE through CLT. (3) DFI has regional heterogeneity in the improvement of CLGUE. Compared to the central and western areas, the positive relationship between DFI and CLGUE in the eastern areas is more obvious; (4) compared with main grain producing and main grain producing and marketing balance areas, the positive relationship in the main grain marketing areas is more obvious. Our research is one of the first to explore the mediating mechanism between DFI and CLGUE from the perspective of CLT.
Creativity and Sustainable Design of Wickerwork Handicraft Patterns Based on Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Wang Tianxiong , Ma Zhiqi , Yang Liu
Published: January 2023

Protecting and inheriting local traditional handicrafts and developing them into characteristic handicraft industries plays a certain role in maintaining social harmony and stability. This study proposes an innovative design method for wickerwork patterns to achieve the sustainable development of wickerwork handicraft culture. In order to accurately grasp the emotional perception law of wickerwork handicraft patterns and creatively generate wickerwork pattern design schemes in accordance with the user’s emotional preference, a wickerwork pattern design method based on deep learning is proposed. Firstly, the image recognition model of the Funan wickerwork patterns is established by using the ResNet. The experimental results show that the best recognition rate of ResNet34 for the whole pattern design image dataset is 94.36%, the recognition rate of modern patterns is 95.92%, and the recognition rate of traditional wickerwork patterns is 93.45%. Secondly, based on deep convolution generative adversarial network (DCGAN), a design scheme generation model of Funan wickerwork patterns is built. DCGAN can automatically and creatively generate pattern design schemes that can effectively stimulate consumers’ emotional feelings. Finally, the designer uses creative pictures as a source of inspiration, innovates the design of the generated images, and designs wickerwork patterns with exquisite personality. This proposed method will increase the diversity of patterns and promote the sustainable development of traditional wickerwork techniques. Moreover, this proposed method can help design companies identify customers’ psychological needs and support designers in innovatively and efficiently creating new cultural innovation design solutions.
Nonlinear Adaptive Fuzzy Control Design for Wheeled Mobile Robots with Using the Skew Symmetrical Property
Authors: Chen Yung-Hsiang , Chen Yung-Yue
Published: January 2023

This research presents a nonlinear adaptive fuzzy control method as an analytical design and a simple control structure for the trajectory tracking problem in wheeled mobile robots with skew symmetrical property. For this trajectory tracking problem in wheeled mobile robots, it is not easy to find an analytical adaptive fuzzy control solution due to the complicated error dynamics between the controlled wheeled mobile robots and desired trajectories. For deriving the analytical adaptive fuzzy control law of this trajectory tracking problem, a filter link is firstly adopted to find the solvable error dynamics, then the research is based on the skew symmetrical property of the transformed error dynamics. This proposed nonlinear adaptive fuzzy control solution has the advantages of low computational resource consumption and elimination of modeling uncertainties. From the results for tracking two simulation scenarios (an S type trajectory and a square trajectory), the proposed nonlinear adaptive fuzzy control method demonstrates a satisfactory trajectory tracking performance for the trajectory tracking problem in wheeled mobile robots with huge modeling uncertainties and outperforms the existing H2 control method.
A Large Group Emergency Decision Making Method Considering Scenarios and Unknown Attribute Weights
Authors: Wang Pingping , Chen Jiahua
Published: January 2023

Once an emergency event (EE) happens, emergency decision-making (EDM) plays a key role in mitigating the loss. EDM is a complex problem. Compared with conventional decision-making problems, more experts participate in decision-making. It usually has the feature of large group emergency decision-making (LGEDM). This paper proposes a large group emergency decision-making method based on Bayesian theory, relative entropy, and Euclidean distance, which is used for large group emergency decision-making with uncertain probabilities of occurrence, unknown attribute weights, and expert weights. In order to improve the accuracy of decision-making, Bayesian method is introduced into the calculation of scenario probability in the process of LGEDM. In the decision-making process, the experts’ risk preference is considered. The experts’ decision preference information is a symmetric and uniformly distributed interval value. The perceived utility values of the experts are obtained by introducing prospect theory. Euclidean distance is used to measure the contributions of experts to aggregation similarity, and different weights are given to experts according to their contributions. A relative entropy model with completely unknown weight information constraints is established to obtain attribute weights, which takes into account the differences of different alternatives under the same attribute and the differences between alternatives and the ideal solution. An example of nuclear power emergency decision-making illustrates the effectiveness of this method.
Quantum Geometry of Spacetime and Quantum Equilibrium
Authors: Shtanov Yuri
Published: January 2023

We give a concise review of the properties of quantum geometrodynamics in the pilot-wave quantum cosmology, focusing on the issue of its nonlocal character. We also discuss the problem of the origin of quantum probabilities in this theory with a focus on the ergodic approach to its resolution.
A New Program to Estimate the Parameters of Preston’s Equation, a General Formula for Describing the Egg Shape of Birds
Authors: Shi Peijian , Wang Lin , Quinn Brady K. , Gielis Johan
Published: January 2023

Preston’s equation is a general model describing the egg shape of birds. The parameters of Preston’s equation are usually estimated after re-expressing it as the Todd-Smart equation and scaling the egg’s actual length to two. This method assumes that the straight line through the two points on an egg’s profile separated by the maximum distance (i.e., the longest axis of an egg’s profile) is the mid-line. It hypothesizes that the photographed egg’s profile is perfectly bilaterally symmetrical, which seldom holds true because of photographic errors and placement errors. The existing parameter estimation method for Preston’s equation considers an angle of deviation for the longest axis of an egg’s profile from the mid-line, which decreases prediction errors to a certain degree. Nevertheless, this method cannot provide an accurate estimate of the coordinates of the egg’s center, and it leads to sub-optimal parameter estimation. Thus, it is better to account for the possible asymmetry between the two sides of an egg’s profile along its mid-line when fitting egg-shape data. In this paper, we propose a method based on the optimization algorithm (optimPE) to fit egg-shape data and better estimate the parameters of Preston’s equation by automatically searching for the optimal mid-line of an egg’s profile and testing its validity using profiles of 59 bird eggs spanning a wide range of existing egg shapes. We further compared this method with the existing one based on multiple linear regression (lmPE). This study demonstrated the ability of the optimPE method to estimate numerical values of the parameters of Preston’s equation and provide the theoretical egg length (i.e., the distance between two ends of the mid-line of an egg’s profile) and the egg’s maximum breadth. This provides a valuable approach for comparing egg shapes among conspecifics or across different species, or even different classes (e.g., birds and reptiles), in future investigations.
Improvement in Wear Resistance of Grade 37 Titanium by Microwave Plasma Oxy-Carburizing
Authors: Veronesi Paolo , Balestri Alessio , Colombini Elena
Published: January 2023

Grade 37 titanium is widely used in racing applications thanks to its oxidation resistance up to 650 °C, but it suffers from poor wear and fretting resistance, especially at high temperature. In this paper, different surface modification techniques, namely, carburizing, coating by PVD-ZrO2 and a novel microwave plasma oxy-carburizing treatment, are investigated in terms of hardness, wear resistance and scratch hardness, compared to the untreated substrate. Numerical simulation allowed optimization of the design of the microwave plasma source, which operated at 2.45 GHz at atmospheric pressure. The proposed microwave plasma oxy-carburizing treatment is localized and can serve to improve the tribological properties of selected regions of the sample; compared to untreated Grade 37 titanium, the oxy-carburized layer presents a decrease in the wear rate at 450 °C against alumina of 54% and an increase in scratch hardness of more than three times.
Radiation-Free Microwave Technology for Breast Lesion Detection Using Supervised Machine Learning Model
Authors: Rana Soumya Prakash , Dey Maitreyee , Loretoni Riccardo , Duranti Michele , Ghavami Mohammad , Dudley Sandra , Tiberi Gianluigi
Published: January 2023

Mammography is the gold standard technology for breast screening, which has been demonstrated through different randomized controlled trials to reduce breast cancer mortality. However, mammography has limitations and potential harms, such as the use of ionizing radiation. To overcome the ionizing radiation exposure issues, a novel device (i.e. MammoWave) based on low-power radio-frequency signals has been developed for breast lesion detection. The MammoWave is a microwave device and is under clinical validation phase in several hospitals across Europe. The device transmits non-invasive microwave signals through the breast and accumulates the backscattered (returned) signatures, commonly denoted as the S21 signals in engineering terminology. Backscattered (complex) S21 signals exploit the contrast in dielectric properties of breasts with and without lesions. The proposed research is aimed to automatically segregate these two types of signal responses by applying appropriate supervised machine learning (ML) algorithm for the data emerging from this research. The support vector machine with radial basis function has been employed here. The proposed algorithm has been trained and tested using microwave breast response data collected at one of the clinical validation centres. Statistical evaluation indicates that the proposed ML model can recognise the MammoWave breasts signal with no radiological finding (NF) and with radiological findings (WF), i.e., may be the presence of benign or malignant lesions. A sensitivity of 84.40% and a specificity of 95.50% have been achieved in NF/WF recognition using the proposed ML model.
Assessing the Effects of Ozonation on the Concentrations of Personal Care Products and Acute Toxicity in Sludges of Wastewater Treatment Plants
Authors: Hsieh Chi-Ying , Wu Ya-Chin , Mudigonda Sunaina , Dahms Hans-Uwe , Wu Meng-Chun
Published: January 2023

The aim of this study was to understand the distribution of the personal care products nonylphenol (NP), triclosan (TCS), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), and caffeine in the sludges from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP-A, -B, and -C) in southern Taiwan. The four compounds were analyzed from activated sludge and dewatered sludge samples, and then the samples were treated with pressure-assisted ozonation under different conditions and removal efficiencies. All four target compounds were detected, especially NP, which was detected in the highest concentrations in the activated sludges of WWTP-A and dewatered sludges of WWTP-C at 17.19 ± 4.10 and 2.41 ± 1.93 µg/g, respectively. TCS was dominant in dewatered sludges from WWTP-B, and the highest detected concentration was 13.29 ± 6.36 µg/g. Removals of 70% and 90% were attained under 150 psi at 40 cycles for NP and TCS, respectively, with 5 min of ozonation reaction time, a solid/water ratio of 1:20, and 2% ozone concentration. Ecological risk quotients (RQs) were calculated by the ratios of the 10-day Hyalella azteca (freshwater amphipod) LC50 to the environmental concentrations of the target compounds. High RQs were found to be >10 for NP, TCS, and BP-3 in untreated sludges, resulting in significant ecological risks to aquatic organisms when the sludges are arbitrarily disposed. However, the toxic effects on Hyalella azteca were not significantly different among ozone sludge treatments. The reason for this may be related to the formation of toxic oxidation by-products and incomplete mineralization of organic compounds. This could also be true for unknown intermediates. The relatively high detection frequencies of these emerging compounds in WWTP sludges requires further applications and treatments.
Distinguishing SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Non-SARS-CoV-2 Viral Infections in Adult Patients through Clinical Score Tools
Authors: Sirijatuphat Rujipas , Sirianan Kulprasut , Horthongkham Navin , Komoltri Chulaluk , Angkasekwinai Nasikarn
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to determine distinguishing predictors and develop a clinical score to differentiate COVID-19 and common viral infections (influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), dengue, chikungunya (CKV), and zika (ZKV)). This retrospective study enrolled 549 adults (100 COVID-19, 100 dengue, 100 influenza, 100 RSV, 100 CKV, and 49 ZKV) during the period 2017–2020. CKV and ZKV infections had specific clinical features (i.e., arthralgia and rash); therefore, these diseases were excluded. Multiple binary logistic regression models were fitted to identify significant predictors, and two scores were developed differentiating influenza/RSV from COVID-19 (Flu-RSV/COVID) and dengue from COVID-19 (Dengue/COVID). The five independent predictors of influenza/RSV were age > 50 years, the presence of underlying disease, rhinorrhea, productive sputum, and lymphocyte count < 1000 cell/mm3. Likewise, the five independent predictors of dengue were headache, myalgia, no cough, platelet count < 150,000/mm3, and lymphocyte count < 1000 cell/mm3. The Flu-RSV/COVID score (cut-off value of 4) demonstrated 88% sensitivity and specificity for predicting influenza/RSV (AUROC = 0.94). The Dengue/COVID score (cut-off value of 4) achieved 91% sensitivity and 94% specificity for differentiating dengue and COVID-19 (AUROC = 0.98). The Flu-RSV/COVID and Dengue/COVID scores had a high discriminative ability for differentiating influenza/RSV or dengue infection and COVID-19. The further validation of these scores is needed to ensure their utility in clinical practice.
Editorial to the Special Issue “Solar Wind Structures and Phenomena: Origins, Properties, Geoeffectiveness, and Prediction”
Authors: Yermolaev Yuri I. , Slemzin Vladimir A. , Bothmer Volker
Published: January 2023

The heliosphere is filled with solar wind, which is formed due to the expansion of the plasma of hot solar corona [...]
Urban Resilience and Climate Change: Developing a Multidimensional Index to Adapt against Climate Change in the Iranian Capital City of Tehran
Authors: Jamali Azadeh , Robati Maryam , Nikoomaram Hanieh , Farsad Forough , Aghamohammadi Hossein
Published: January 2023

Urban resilience studies have increased during recent years due to the significance of climate change as an alarming issue in centralized and highly populated cities where urban functionalities are disintegrated. Towards this aim, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was enrolled to streamline the urban resilience to climate change over the 22 districts in Tehran after assessing the resilience objectivity. Based on the results, the city coverage was classified into best (41%), moderate (15%), low (14%), and least resilient (30%). In addition, the urban municipal districts were classified into five functional zones including Wellbeing-wealth (WWZ), Ecological Conservation (ECZ), Core (CZ), Downtown (DZ), and Neutral Zone (NZ) after evaluating the concept of urban functionality in the resilience framework. The results indicated that the socio-cultural component is considered as the fundamental necessity, along with eco-environmental and economic components in capacity building to urban climate resilience. In fact, more than half of the Tehran coverage is regarded as resilient. Thus, the rest should be prioritized, despite the need to inspire from top-ranked districts, especially D4. However, downtown and neutral zones, especially D9 and D21, which account for up to 12% of the least resilient areas, should be evaluated seriously. Finally, the robustness of the proposed methodology was compared to the studies addressing the same concept, and we offer some preparatory and adaptive measures for urban planners and policymakers.
Incidence and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Treated with Direct-Acting Antivirals
Authors: Leal Cassia , Strogoff-de-Matos Jorge , Theodoro Carmem , Teixeira Rosangela , Perez Renata , Guaraná Thais , de Tarso Pinto Paulo , Guimarães Tatiana , Artimos Solange
Published: January 2023

Background: Conflicting data regarding the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after cure of HCV infection with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) remains. We investigated the incidence and risk factors to HCC after treatment with DAAs followed up for five years. Methods: A total of 1075 HCV patients ≥ 18 years were treated with DAAs from 2015 to 2019 and followed until 2022. Ultrasonography was performed before DAAs and each 6 months thereafter. Results: Of the total, 51/1075 (4.7%) developed HCC in the median of 40 (IQR 25–58) months: 26/51 (51%) male, median age 60 (IQR 54–66) years, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) 12.2 (IQR 6.1–18.8) ng/mL, 47/51 (92.1%) cirrhotic 78.7%, 8/51 (15.7%) without sustained virological response (SVR). Seventeen percent had non-characterized nodules before DAAs. Cumulative HCC incidence was 5.9% in 5 years. Overall incidence was 1.46/100 patient-years (PY) (95% CI = 1.09–1.91), being 2.31/100 PY (95% CI = 1.70–3.06), 0.45/100 PY (95% CI = 0.09–1.32) and 0.20/100 PY (95% CI 0.01–1.01) in METAVIR F4, F3 and F2, respectively, and the main risks to HCC were non-characterized nodule, cirrhosis, high AFP values and non-SVR. Conclusion: HCV cure reduced risk for HCC, but it still occurred particularly in cirrhotic patients. Some risk factors can be identified to predict early HCC diagnosis.
West Nile Virus in Culex Mosquitoes in Central Macedonia, Greece, 2022
Authors: Tsioka Katerina , Gewehr Sandra , Pappa Styliani , Kalaitzopoulou Stella , Stoikou Konstantina , Mourelatos Spiros , Papa Anna
Published: January 2023

In 2022, Greece was the second most seriously affected European country in terms of the West Nile virus (WNV), after Italy. Specifically, Central Macedonia was the region with the most reported human cases (81.5%). In the present study, 30,816 female Culex pipiens sensu lato mosquitoes were collected from May to September 2022 in the seven regional units of Central Macedonia; they were then grouped into 690 pools and tested for WNV, while next-generation sequencing was applied to the samples, which showed a cycle threshold of Ct < 30 in a real-time RT-PCR test. WNV was detected in 5.9% of pools, with significant differences in the detection rate among regional units and months. It is of interest that in the Thessaloniki regional unit, where most of the human cases were observed, the virus circulation started earlier, peaked earlier, and lasted longer than in the other regional units. All sequences clustered into the Central European subclade of WNV lineage 2, and the virus strain differed from the initial Greek strain of 2010 by 0.52% and 0.27% at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. Signature substitutions were present, such as S73P and T157A in the prM and E structural proteins, respectively. The screening of mosquitoes provides useful information for virus circulation in a region with a potential for early warning, while the availability of whole-genome sequences is essential for further studies, including virus evolution.
Rural Americans’ COVID-19 Vaccine Perceptions and Willingness to Vaccinate against COVID-19 with Their Community Pharmacists: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Koskan Alexis M. , LoCoco Iris E. , Daniel Casey L. , Teeter Benjamin S.
Published: January 2023

In early 2022 in the U.S., rural adults were the least likely to vaccinate against COVID-19 due to vaccine hesitancy and reduced healthcare access. This study explored the factors influencing rural adults’ COVID-19 vaccine perceptions and their acceptance of pharmacist-administered vaccination. We utilized phone-based semi-structured interviews with 30 adults living in rural regions of one southwestern state and analyzed the data using a team-based thematic analysis approach. Vaccine-willing participants described knowing other people affected by the virus and their desired protection from the virus. They reported trusting scientific institutions and the government to provide safe vaccines. Vaccine-hesitant populations, however, feared that the COVID-19 vaccine development process had been rushed, compromising the safety of these newer vaccines. Although they differed in the news sources they preferred for receiving COVID-19 vaccine information, both vaccine-willing and vaccine-hesitant participants described trusting local authorities, such as healthcare providers and county government officials, to provide accurate COVID-19 vaccine information. Regarding the acceptability of pharmacist-administered COVID-19 vaccinations, all but one participant described their acceptance of this healthcare delivery approach. Future outreach should leverage rural adults’ trust in local sources, including community pharmacists, deemed more convenient access points to healthcare, when addressing vaccine hesitancy.
GlnH, a Novel Antigen That Offers Partial Protection against Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli Infection
Authors: Quinn Conor , Tomás-Cortázar Julen , Ofioritse Oritsejolomi , Cosgrave Joanne , Purcell Claire , McAloon Catherine , Frost Susanna , McClean Siobhán
Published: January 2023

Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) causes zoonotic infections, with potentially devastating complications, and children under 5 years old are particularly susceptible. Antibiotic treatment is contraindicated, and due to the high proportion of infected children that suffer from severe and life-changing complications, there is an unmet need for a vaccine to prevent VTEC infections. Bacterial adhesins represent promising candidates for the successful development of a vaccine against VTEC. Using a proteomic approach to identify bacterial proteins interacting with human gastrointestinal epithelial Caco-2 and HT-29 cells, we identified eleven proteins by mass spectrometry. These included a glutamine-binding periplasmic protein, GlnH, a member of the ABC transporter family. The glnH gene was identified in 13 of the 15 bovine and all 5 human patient samples tested, suggesting that it is prevalent. We confirmed that GlnH is involved in the host cell attachment of an O157:H7 prototype E. coli strain to gastrointestinal cells in vitro. Recombinant GlnH was expressed and purified prior to the immunisation of mice. When alum was used as an adjuvant, GlnH was highly immunogenic, stimulating strong serological responses in immunised mice, and it resulted in a modest reduction in faecal shedding but did not reduce colonisation. GlnH immunisation with a T-cell-inducing adjuvant (SAS) also showed comparable antibody responses and an IgG1/IgG2a ratio suggestive of a mixed Th1/Th2 response but was partially protective, with a 1.25-log reduction in colonisation of the colon and caecum at 7 days relative to the adjuvant only (p = 0.0280). It is clear that future VTEC vaccine developments should consider the contribution of adjuvants in addition to antigens. Moreover, it is likely that a combined cellular and humoral response may prove more beneficial in providing protective interventions against VTEC.
Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceptions, and Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination among Pharmacy and Non-Pharmacy Students
Authors: Saeed Hamid , Ali Khubaib , Nabeel Muhammad , Rasool Muhammad Fawad , Islam Muhammad , Hashmi Furqan Khurshid , Saeed Amna , Saleem Zikria
Published: January 2023

University students are a sub-group of the population at high risk of COVID-19 infection, and their judgments on vaccination affect the public attitudes towards vaccination. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among pharmacy and non-pharmacy students. A cross-sectional study was conducted by enrolling pharmacy (375) and non-pharmacy (225) students from the universities in Lahore. Chi-square analysis was used for significant frequency distributions and a 5-point Likert scale was used to score attitude, perception, and acceptance. The majority of the students were aged between 19–24 years, hailing from urban and middle-class families with good self-reported health. The preferred vaccine was Pfizer, followed by Sinopharm and Sinovac. The major source of information was social media, followed by government campaigns and family members. The pharmacy students demonstrated better knowledge and positive attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. The non-pharmacy students scored higher for the questions based on scientific leads, myths, and baffling conspiracies. The non-pharmacy students showed higher hesitancy/barrier total scores related to their trust in the health system, COVID-19 vaccine storage, and efficacy. Data suggested that pharmacy students exhibited better knowledge, positive attitudes, and perceptions about COVID-19 vaccination. Overall, vaccine efficacy and safety were mutual concerns. Nonetheless, non-pharmacy students were hesitant due to mistrust in the health system of Pakistan.
Impact of Chlorpyrifos on Cytopathological Indices in Mangrove Crab, Episesarma tetragonum (Fabricius)
Authors: Ravi Rajesh , Athisuyambulingam Maharajan , Kanagaraj Shanmugavel , Tresnakova Nikola , Impellitteri Federica , Viswambaran Ganapiriya , Faggio Caterina
Published: January 2023

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide occurring in aquatic ecosystems. Due to exposure to xenobiotics, several harmful effects on aquatic organisms are noticed worldwide. Mangrove crabs are an ecologically important aquatic invertebrate species in food web interactions and in the mangrove ecosystem. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos on the mangrove crab, Episesarma tetragonum. Crabs were exposed to 0.0294 and 0.0588 ppm of chlorpyrifos for 7 and 28 days. Cytopathologic effects on the gill, hepatopancreas, and muscle were investigated, and observations were compared with a control group. The results suggest that chlorpyrifos induces time- and concentration-dependent cytopathological alternations in the gill and exhibited epithelial lifting, oedema, necrosis, and a fusion of secondary lamellae and haemorrhage. The deceased hepatopancreas showed infiltration, a large lumen formation, and the disappearance of haemocytes, while the muscle tissue showed atrophy, necrosis, a wavy appearance, an accumulation of granular material between muscle fibres, and fragmentation in a mangrove crab. This study shows the great potential of cytopathological investigations, allows us to assess the sensitivity of various aquatic animal species to potentially dangerous compounds, and calculates safe concentrations with which to reduce pesticide use.
Effect of Local Winds on Salinity Intrusion in the Columbia River Estuary
Authors: Scroccaro Isabella , Spitz Yvette H. , Seaton Charles M.
Published: January 2023

In the highly energetic Columbia River estuary, river discharge and tides are known as dominant factors controlling circulation. In this study, the 3D hydrodynamic unstructured-grid model SELFE is used to investigate the influence of the local wind on salinity intrusion. Numerical simulations are carried out for realistic conditions for the year 2014, with 4 km and 32 km resolution atmospheric forcing. The effect of the wind is further investigated by switching it off in the estuary. Analysis of modeled salinity intrusion length shows that the resolution of atmospheric forcing matters, and strong episodic winds occurring in winter and fall exert some control on this parameter. Energetic easterly winds tend to increase salinity intrusion length, while energetic westerly winds tend to do the reverse. Results also suggest that energetic winds can differentially alter salt intrusion in the two main channels—the north and south channels—of the estuary. These findings offer motivation for future studies to better understand these processes.
Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Domestic Water Storage Tanks in Sidon, Lebanon
Authors: Borjac Jamilah , Zeino Wafaa , Matar Alaa , Khawaja Salwa , Merheb Maxime , Matar Rachel
Published: January 2023

Safe, accessible, and good water quality are essential characteristics for reducing various waterborne diseases. Since domestic water is the water most consumed by Lebanese people, cleaning household water tanks is important to prevent their exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. Generally, all the stages of the value chain of the Lebanese water sector are still imperfect. Thus, the domestic water should be regularly tested, especially in the impoverished landmarks where water quality is the worst. The aim of this study is to evaluate the physicochemical parameters and microbiological quality of the water in the storage tanks of homes in Sidon, Lebanon. Fifty water samples were collected aseptically from domestic water storage tanks. The microbiological assessment was performed using basic plating techniques. Identification of isolated bacteria was performed using MALDI-TOF-MS. Physicochemical parameters were assessed using titration, pH, and conductivity measurements. Antibiotic-susceptibility testing was performed using antibiotic disks. Screening for virulence genes in bacteria was carried out via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Most of the physicochemical parameters were within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. The heterotrophic plate count (HPC) varied between the water samples. The total coliform, fecal coliform, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) contaminate was 54%, 20%, and 16% in each of the samples, respectively. Other bacteria isolated from household water included intestinal Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) (68%), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (68%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) (22%). Other predominant isolates recovered from the samples were also identified. The bacterial isolates showed a prevalence of resistance and intermediate resistance against the tested antibiotic agents. Multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was detected in 21% of the collected S. aureus, using cefoxitin agent and mecA gene detection. A prevalence of virulence genes in both P. aeruginosa and S. aureus was also noticed. Our data show that Sidon domestic water is not suitable for either drinking or home applications.
Spatial Genetic Structure and Diversity of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea) from the Southern Yellow Sea and North-Central East China Sea: Implications for Conservation and Stock Enhancement
Authors: Zhang Fengying , Jiang Yazhou , Ma Chunyan , Chen Wei , Cheng Jiahua , Ma Lingbo
Published: January 2023

As a wild resource, the large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea has been seriously threatened since the mid-1980s. Owing to the implementation of protection measures, such as the establishment of a protection zone, fishing prohibitions, restocking programs and successful mariculture, its resources have gradually recovered year by year. Limited by the low spatial resolution and incomplete spatial coverage of sampling stations, the spatial genetic structure and diversity of large yellow croakers from the southern Yellow Sea and north-central East China Sea remains unclear. In order to evaluate the genetic diversity status of this wild stock, 22 wild sites were collected from the southern Yellow Sea and north-central East China Sea and analyzed by investigating genetic variability and its population structure using mitochondrial COI sequence in this study. Among the 662 sequences, a total of 71 different haplotypes were defined. The haplotype diversity (h) and nucleotide diversity (π) values were 0.644~1.000 and 0.00220~0.00473 respectively. The highest h and π occurred in the southern Yellow Sea (YS). AMOVA analysis showed no genetic differentiation among those 22 sites after Bonferroni correction. By comparing with previous studies, the croaker has maintained relatively steady genetic diversity in recent years. Our result also suggested that the croakers in the South Yellow Sea and north-central East China Sea belonged to the same group. Thus, they can be released as a management unit without regard for heterogenicity among those in the sea area. The YS populations can serve as parents for released fish fries in the South Yellow Sea and north-central East China Sea.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of World Electric Vehicle Journal in 2022
Authors:   WEVJ Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of World in 2022
Authors:   World Editorial Office
Published: January 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
PENDAMPINGAN PENGELOLAAN DATA PENGGAJIAN MENGGUNAKAN MS. EXCEL PADA BAGIAN KEUANGAN DINAS PERKEBUNAN PROVINSI JAWA BARAT
Authors: Rizqya Nanda , Supriyati Supriyati , Setiadi Ibnu Edi
Published: January 2023

Penggajian merupakan balas jasa yang diberikan kepada pegawai di instansi maupun perusahaan sebagai bentuk apresiasi telah mendukung instansi atau perusahaan dalam mencapai tujuan. Kegiatan ini ditunjukan untuk mengetahui tinjauan prosedur penggajian yang berlaku di Dinas Perkebunan Provinsi Jawa Barat. Menurut kepala bagian keuangan dan bendahara pengelola gaji penggajian merupakan pembayaran atas penyerahan jasa yang dilakukan oleh pegawai yang dibayarkan tiap bulan. Dimana gaji tersebut adalah satu komponen pendukung jalannya aktivitas kerja. Sebagai imbalan kepada sumber daya tersebut, instansi telah menjanjikan suatu kontra prestasi yang berupa gaji ini penulis lakukan dengan metode pendampingan. Dimana penulis menyelenggarakan pendampingan yang dilakukan setiap hari selama satu bulan. Dengan menggunakan data Bagian Keuangan Dinas Perkebunan Provinsi Jawa Barat. Dari pendampingan ini penulis dapat mengetahui bahwa Prosedur penggajian yang berlaku di Dinas Perkebunan Provinsi Jawa Barat dapat meningkatkan pengendalian internal pada Dinas Perkebunan Provinsi Jawa Barat cukup efektif dan dapat mengihindari adanya kecurangan atau hal-hal yang tidak diinginkan ke depannya. Dokumen penggajian yang digunakan di Dinas Perkebunan Provinsi Jawa Barat sudah disesuaikan dengan peraturan pemerintah yang berlaku.
PEMANFAATAN TAUTAN OBROLANWHATSAPP PADAE-COMMERCE DAN PELATIHAN APLIKASI PENCATATAN KEUANGAN PADA KELOMPOK USAHA JASA BOGA AGHNIA
Authors: Yunanto Rio , Rahmasari Tiara
Published: January 2023

Keterlibatan perempuan khususnya ibu rumah tangga dalam usaha produktif, dapat meningkatkan potensi program pengentasan kemiskinan di wilayah Kota Bandung khususnya Kecamatan Astanaanyar. Tujuan dari kegiatan pengabdian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan keterampilan kelompok usaha mikro kecil informal di bidang kuliner dalam memanfaatkan teknologi informasi. Kolaborasi blog yang memiliki sistem manajemen konten yang digunakan sebagai toko daring dapat memudahkan penjual dalam membuat toko daringnya sendiri. Solusi bagi penjual yang masih kesulitan menggunakan toko daring salah satunya dengan menggunakan aplikasi pengirim pesan WhatsApp. Teknologi link chat WhatsApp dapat memudahkan calon konsumen untuk melakukan pemesanan pembelian hanya dengan satu klik sesuai tampilan produk yang dipilih dan langsung terhubung kepada akun WhatsApp penjual. Aplikasi pengelolaan kas berbasis web dapat membantu mitra dalam melakukan pencatatan keuangan kas masuk dan kas keluar secara harian.
PELATIHAN DAN PENDAMPINGAN WEB PROFIL DI PANTI ASUHAN SENYUM YATIM
Authors: Fauzia Khairunnisa , Purfini Apriani Puti
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT
The web is one of the problems that occur at the Yatim Yatim Foundation. Therefore, the authors took the topic "Web Profile Training and Assistance at the Orphanage Senyum Yatim".
The purpose of the training and web profile mentoring is to increase information related to the foundation so that the public will know about it. The training did not make it difficult for the foundation to learn and understand the system used. The method used is direct data collection at the Yatim Yatim Foundation. This web profile training and mentoring uses a Content Management System or commonly abbreviated as CMS with Wordpress.
From the practical work done by the author, it can be seen that the web profile is an effective alternative to find out various existing information and help improve technology at the Yatim Senyum Foundation.
ABSTRAK
Web adalah salah satu permasalahan yang terjadi di Yayasan Senyum Yatim. Oleh karena itu, penulis mengambil topik â€œPelatihan dan Pendampingan Web Profil di Panti Asuhan Senyum Yatimâ€.
Tujuan dari pelatihan dan pendampingan web profil tersebut untuk meningkatkan informasi terkait yayasan agar masyarakat luas mengetahuinya. Dalam pelatihannya pun tidak membuat sulit pihak yayasan untuk mempelajari dan memahami sistem yang digunakan. Metode yang digunakan yaitu pengumpulan data secara langsung pada Yayasan Senyum Yatim. Pelatihan dan Pendampingan web profil ini menggunakan Content Management System atau biasa disingkat CMS dengan Wordpress.
Dari kerja praktek yang dilakukan penulis dapat diketahui bahwa web profil merupakan alternatif yang efektif untuk mengetahui berbagai informasi yang ada dan membantu meningkatkan teknologi di Yayasan Senyum Yatim.
OPTIMALISASI PENGGUNAAN SISTEM INFORMASI PERENCANAAN ANGGRAN DENGAN PENDAMPINGAN PEMBUATAN MANUAL BOOK PADA DIREKTORAT SISTEM INFORMASI DAN TEKNOLOGI
Authors: Maulana Dyan Fachri , Firdaus Dony Waluya
Published: January 2023

Direktorat Sistem dan Teknologi Informasi (DSTI) dalah salah satu unit kerja yang berada di Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) dimana ada suatu system yang digunakan untuk membuat perencanaan anggarannya yaitu Sistem Informasi Perencanaan Anggaran, pelatiahan ini digunakan guna untuk mendapatkan manual book penggunaan sistem agar lebih mudah digunakan. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode pendampingan dengan beberapa orang yang mengikuti dengan menghasilkan manual book diakhir kegiatan.
IMPLEMENTASI APLIKASI MICROSOFT EXCEL DALAM MEMBANTU PROSES VERIFIKASI DAN REKAPITULASI DOKUMEN PENJUALAN PT. ADHIMIX RMC INDONESIA PLANT BANDUNG TIMUR
Authors: Gumilar Aji Setra , Firdaus Dony Waluya
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT

Adhimix RMC Indonesia Plant East Bandung is a company engaged in the concrete industry, construction services and investment which is headquartered at Jl.Pasar Minggu No.17 A and has several branches, and the author does practical work in the east bandung branch, precisely on Jl. Raya Soekarno Hatta Km.14, No.758, Panyileukan, Bandung City, West Java. Every day PT. Adhimix RMC Indonesia Plant Bandung Timur always performs leveraging activities and recapitulation of sales recording documents which are still done manually. Therefore, the implementation of a Microsoft Excel application is very useful and helps in the process of recording and monitoring sales documents to minimize errors and also make the recapitulation and verification process more accurate and effective.

Keywords: Verification, Recapitulation, Microsoft Excel
Key words: abstract, italic, mathematical equation
 
ABSTRAK

Adhimix RMC Indonesia Plant Bandung Timur adalah suatu perusahaan yang bergerak dalam bidang industri beton, jasa konstruksi dan investasi yang beralamat pusat di Jl.Pasar Minggu No.17 A dan memiliki beberapa cabang, dan penulis melakukan Kerja Praktik di cabang bandung timur tepatnya di Jl.Raya Soekarno Hatta Km.14, No.758, Panyileukan, Kota Bandung Jawa Barat. Setiap hari nya PT. Adhimix RMC Indonesia Plant bandung Timur selalu melakukan kegiatan verifikasi dan rekapitulasi dokumen pencatatan penjualan yang masih dilakukan secara manual. Oleh karena itu adanya implementasi dari sebuah aplikasi Microsoft Excel sangat berguna dan membantu dalam proses perekapan dan verifikasi dokumen penjualan untuk meminimalisir kesalahan dan juga membuat proses merekap dan memverifikasi menjadi lebih akurat dan efektif.

Kata kunci: Verifikasi, Rekapitulasi, Microsoft Excel
Implementasi Aplikasi Smart Asset dalam Memanfaatkan Teknologi Informasi Komunikasi Sebagai Sarana Peningkatan Tata Kelola BUMDes dan Industri Rumah Tangga Untuk Memajukan Perekonomian Desa Pagerwangi kec. Lembang kab. Bandung Barat di Era Adaptasi Kebias
Authors: Wahab Sya’roni Deden Abdul , Puspitawati Lilis , Supriyati Supriyati , Dwi Yulianto Hery , Puti purfini Apriani , Bahri Ramadhan Syaeful
Published: January 2023

a follow-up to the superior community empowerment program of Indonesian computer universities (PPMUPT) which consists of a collaboration of 3 study programs, namely the Postgraduate Program, Accounting and Computerized Accounting, in the 2nd year PPMUPT Program funded by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, as part of the tridarma has begun implemented after the adaptation of new habits / new normal with mentoring meetings on a limited scale, starting again in accordance with the programs that have been launched by the Village-owned enterprises in Desa Pagerwangi, West Bandung Regency. Assistance includes the need to improve BUMDES by utilizing existing facilities and those that are being prepared. Assistance for BUMDes optimization in terms of ICT utilization, BUMDes governance in terms of strengthening HR competencies, financial management and marketing of IRT products that are integrated and facilitated in BUMDes. is in the process of making the BUMDes e-ticket, e-commerce and postal (point of sale) application which is integrated with the BUMDES SMART ASSET that has been built and improved according to the BUMDes Desa Pagerwangi work program in 2020. In addition to this, an online training system is implemented and direct assistance in BUMDes between lecturers, village officials, IRT and other communities while still following health and social distancing procedures.
The results of the activities obtained by the PPMUPT UNIKOM implementation team in 2020 found other potentials that could be developed in the Village such as the establishment of the Village Multipurpose Building which can be used for various activities / meetings with the Village community (giving BLT, Village Deliberations, receptions, seminars etc.) , Village sports field facilities (Sorga Desa) which can be used as an integrated tourist site (camping ground, jogging track, café, and minimarket) and the construction of BUMDES Building which has been facilitated with adequate facilities has been completed. Having sufficient village potential and balanced with good management is expected to help the village from an economic downturn after the covid-19 outbreak.
Pelatihan Pemasaran Produk Melalui Marketplace Pada Diklat Marketing Online Bagi UMKM Di Dinas Koperasi, UKM, Perdagangan Dan Perindustrian Indramayu
Authors: Rossi Hersanie Stephanie Betha
Published: January 2023

Perkembangan teknologi yang pesat saat ini dapat memudahkan berbagai macam aktivitas manusia. Salah satunya adalah transaksi jual beli. Penjual dan pembeli dapat melakukan transaksi jual beli tanpa harus bertatap muka secara langsung. Hal ini disebabkan oleh semakin banyaknya e-commerce yang tumbuh di Indonesia. Salah satu bentuk e-commerce yaitu marketplace. Shopee merupakan salah satu jenis marketplace yang banyak diminati oleh masyarakat Indonesia. Era pandemi ini membuat pendapatan UMKM di Indramayu menurun drastis. Penyebabnya adalah turunya konsumsi masyarakat selama pandemi, hal ini disebabkan oleh adanya peraturan pembatasan tatap muka. Oleh karena itu, Dinas Koperasi, UKM, Perdagangan dan Perindustrian Indramayu bekerja sama dengan program studi Teknik Komputer Universitas Wiralodra mengadakan pelatihan pemasaran produk via marketplace, khususnya Shopee. Shopee diharapkan dapat menjadi salah satu alternatif dalam meningkatkan pendapatan UMKM serta pelatihan ini diharapkan dapat memberikan solusi untuk UMKM agar lebih efektif dalam memasarkan produknya.
Key words: E-commerce, Marketplace, Shopee