bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Analysis of Teacher Technology Acceptance and Its Relationship to Resource Viewing and Academic Performance of College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Cobo-Rendon Rubia , Lobos Peña Karla , Mella-Norambuena Javier , Cisternas San Martin Nataly , Peña Fernando
Published: November 2021

Due to COVID-19, teachers quickly changed their courses from traditional face-to-face modality to emergency remote teaching (ERT), relying on learning management systems (LMS). In this simple prospective design study, we analyzed the relation of the level of teachers’ technological acceptance at the beginning of ERT (March 2020) considering three variables: the time spent by teachers in the LMS during that semester, the percentage of LMS’s resources their students viewed during the semester, and the final academic performance of the same students at the end of that semester (September 2020). This study included 251 teachers (57% male) and 12,185 students (45% male). We measured the teachers’ level of acceptance with the Spanish version of the Questionnaire Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). We found that the relation between the teacher’s acceptance and their time spent on the LMS was significant and positive (rho = 0.24, p < 0.001). In addition, teachers’ perception of LMS’s easiness is related to the percentage of educational resources their students utilized (rho = 0.26, p < 0.001). Finally, we found a relation between the usefulness dimension of the TAM to the academic performance of the students at the end of that semester (rho = 0.18, p < 0.01). Considering these results, we discuss practices for implementing quality education.
How Do Nature-Based Solutions Improve Environmental and Socio-Economic Resilience to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals? Reforestation and Afforestation Cases from the Republic of Korea
Authors: Kim Gaeun , Kim Jiwon , Ko Youngjin , Eyman Olebogeng Thelma G. , Chowdhury Sarwat , Adiwal Julie , Lee Wookyun , Son Yowhan
Published: November 2021

Industrial and technological development have contributed significantly to causing environmental crises, such as climate change and land degradation. To address these environmental challenges, nature-based solutions (NBS) have gained increased attention over conventional technical responses. This study derived conceptual linkages from NBS application to resilience promotion, and subsequently, to the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The study was conducted to reveal that NBS activities are an essential approach that determines the balance between human development and nature conservation. In this paper, we compare four case studies, one domestic reforestation project and three international afforestation projects, all of which had forest-related NBS experiences and were conducted by the Republic of Korea. All four projects were found to have an impact on environmental and socio-economic resilience. These impacts were qualitatively assessed through resilience indicator evaluations. Subsequently, the resilience indicators were matched with the targets of the SDGs. NBS initiatives designed to include various natural and social elements promoted the resilience of ecosystems and society and address a broader spectrum of SDGs. Further efforts to establish region-specific promotional models, identify resilience indicators, and collect scientific data are recommended for quantitatively assessing the NBS initiatives.
Physical Activity and Well-Being during the Second COVID19-Related Lockdown in Germany in 2021
Authors: Füzéki Eszter , Schröder Jan , Reer Rüdiger , Groneberg David A. , Banzer Winfried
Published: November 2021

In the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, lockdown measures were reinstalled and were in place between November 2020 and April 2021, including the closure of physical activity facilities. The aim of the current online survey was to assess the lockdown effects on physical activity and well-being in the general population. Pre-lockdown vs. lockdown differences were tested with the Χ2 test and the Student’s t-test for paired data. Predictor variables to explain compliance with physical activity recommendations were identified using a fixed-effects binary logistic regression analysis. Data of 993 respondents were analyzed. Transport-related and leisure-time physical activity decreased (p < 0.001, d = 0.25, and p < 0.001, d = 0.33, respectively). Compliance with physical activity recommendations decreased from 42.2% to 29.4% (chi2 (1, 1986) = 35.335, p < 0.001, V = 0.13). Well-being decreased significantly (t (990) = 23.405, p < 0.001) by 16.3 points (d = 0.74). Physical activity and well-being declined in German adults during the second COVID-19-related lockdown. Physical activity should be promoted also in light of the emerging evidence on its protective effects against COVID-19.
Model Reduction Applied to Empirical Models for Biomass Gasification in Downdraft Gasifiers
Authors: Binns Michael , Ayub Hafiz Muhammad Uzair
Published: November 2021

Various modeling approaches have been suggested for the modeling and simulation of gasification processes. These models allow for the prediction of gasifier performance at different conditions and using different feedstocks from which the system parameters can be optimized to design efficient gasifiers. Complex models require significant time and effort to develop, and they might only be accurate for use with a specific catalyst. Hence, various simpler models have also been developed, including thermodynamic equilibrium models and empirical models, which can be developed and solved more quickly, allowing such models to be used for optimization. In this study, linear and quadratic expressions in terms of the gasifier input value parameters are developed based on linear regression. To identify significant parameters and reduce the complexity of these expressions, a LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) shrinkage method is applied together with cross validation. In this way, the significant parameters are revealed and simple models with reasonable accuracy are obtained.
Agrobiodiversity-Oriented Food Systems between Public Policies and Private Action: A Socio-Ecological Model for Sustainable Territorial Development
Authors: Scaramuzzi Silvia , Gabellini Sara , Belletti Giovanni , Marescotti Andrea
Published: November 2021

The international and European literature and institutional contexts are fostering agrobiodiversity as the foundation of a new paradigm for localized agri-food system development and sustainability. Accordingly, new systemic and holistic theoretical approaches and conceptual models are needed. This paper aims to identify and apply a new conceptual framework contributing to the understanding of how the restoring and valorization of underutilized or neglected landraces can act as a trigger for sustainable territorial development. A new holistic model was designed for the characterization and analysis of agrobiodiversity-oriented food systems. We consider the model innovative in enhancing the conceptualization of the adoption of a socio-ecological systems approach. We applied the model to a representative case study involving the localized agri-food system of the Valtiberina Red Onion, a threatened plant landrace cultivated in Tuscany, Italy. A participatory action–research approach was followed, involving both public and private stakeholders. As the main outcome of the paper, we demonstrated the capability of our new SES model by identifying and describing the assets, drivers, human action processes and generated beneficial effects concerning the development and reproduction of landrace-based quality valorization virtuous circles. Our research findings highlighted the model as an innovative tool for the analysis of agrobiodiversity-oriented food systems sustainability. Significantly, the model was designed to identify the combined role of public policy and private action in supporting the implementation of coherent management mechanisms and effective governance settings.
Extreme Weather Conditions and Cardiovascular Hospitalizations in Southern Brazil
Authors: Costa Iago Turba , Wollmann Cassio Arthur , Gobo João Paulo Assis , Ikefuti Priscilla Venâncio , Shooshtarian Salman , Matzarakis Andreas
Published: November 2021

This research concerns the identification of a pattern between the occurrence of extreme weather conditions, such as cold waves and heat waves, and hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), in the University Hospital of Santa Maria (HUSM) in southern Brazil between 2012 and 2017. The research employed the field experiment method to measure the biometeorological parameters associated with hospital admissions in different seasons, such as during extreme weather conditions such as a cold wave (CW) or a heat wave (HW), using five thermal comfort indices: physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), new standard effective temperature (SET), predicted mean vote (PMV), effective temperatures (ET), and effective temperature with wind (ETW). The hospitalizations were recorded as 0.775 and 0.726 admissions per day for the winter and entire study periods, respectively. The records for extreme events showed higher admission rates than those on average days. The results also suggest that emergency hospitalizations for heart diseases during extreme weather events occurred predominantly on days with thermal discomfort. Furthermore, there was a particularly high risk of hospitalization for up to seven days after the end of the CW. Further analyses showed that cardiovascular hospitalizations were higher in winter than in summer, suggesting that CWs are more life threatening in wintertime.
The Impact of Rural Population Aging on Farmers’ Cleaner Production Behavior: Evidence from Five Provinces of the North China Plain
Authors: Liu Jing , Du Shichun , Fu Zetian
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of rural population aging on farmers’ cleaner production behavior through the intervening effects of three aspects (learning capacity, factor substitution and behavior imitation). The data used in this article were collected from a questionnaire survey of 916 farmers in the main grain producing provinces of the North China Plain. First, confirmatory factor analysis was carried out, and then data were analyzed through structural equation modeling using the bootstrap methodology in AMOS 24. The findings indicate that rural population aging inhibits farmers’ cleaner production behavior through learning capacity. In contrast, rural population aging promotes farmers’ cleaner production behavior through factor substitution and behavior imitation. From the perspective of both challenges and opportunities, this article investigates the impact mechanism and comprehensive effect of rural population aging on farmers’ cleaner production behavior, so as to explore new ways to promote cleaner agricultural production under the background of an accelerated aging the of rural labor force and provide reference for the formulation of relevant policies.
A Machine Learning-Based Communication-Free PV Controller for Voltage Regulation
Authors: Shahid Shabib , Shafiq Saifullah , Khan Bilal , Al-Awami Ali T. , Butt Muhammad Omair
Published: November 2021

Due to the recent advancements in the manufacturing process of solar photovoltaics (PVs) and electronic converters, solar PVs has emerged as a viable investment option for energy trading. However, distribution system with large-scale integration of rooftop PVs, would be subjected to voltage upper limit violations, unless properly controlled. Most of the traditional solutions introduced to address this problem do not ensure fairness amongst the on-line energy sources. In addition, other schemes assume the presence of communication linkages between these energy sources. This paper proposes a control scheme to mitigate the over-voltages in the distribution system without any communication between the distributed energy sources. The proposed approach is based on artificial neural networks that can utilize two locally obtainable inputs, namely, the nodal voltage and node voltage sensitivity and control the PV power. The controller is trained using extensive data generated for various loading conditions to include daily load variations. The control scheme was implemented and tested on a 12.47 kV feeder with 85 households connected on the 220 V distribution system. The results demonstrate the fair control of all the rooftop solar PVs mounted on various houses to ensure the system voltage are maintained within the allowed limits as defined by the ANSI C84.1-2016 standard. Furthermore, to verify the robustness of the proposed PV controller, it is tested during cloudy weather condition and the impact of integration of electric vehicles on the proposed controller is also analyzed. The results prove the efficacy of the proposed controller.
Social and Emotional Intelligence as Factors in Terrorist Propaganda: An Analysis of the Way Mass Media Portrays the Behavior of Islamic Terrorist Groups
Authors: Coman Claudiu , Andrioni Felicia , Ghita Roxana-Catalina , Bularca Maria Cristina
Published: November 2021

In the era of speed and technology, mass media has an important role in keeping people informed about events happening all around the world, but also in shaping their opinion. One of the main issues that mass-media focuses on is represented by terrorist propaganda. Nowadays, terrorist attacks have become more frequent, and we argue that, due to their social and emotional intelligence, terrorists have the power to manipulate not only people but also mass media. The purpose of our paper was to assess the way Romanian and foreign online mass-media channels present information about Islamic terrorist groups and the activities developed by them, in order to raise awareness about the matter of propaganda and the role of mass media in promoting it. In order to conduct the research, content analysis was used as a method. A total of 36 news presented online by Romanian and foreign mass-media channels were analyzed. The result of the research revealed that Romanian mass-media channels focus more on using words with aggressive content, and that foreign mass-media channels focus on religious and cultural-geographic content. Therefore, the results of the research revealed that the way mass media presents terrorist attacks can unintentionally contribute to the promotion of terrorist propaganda.
The Impacts of Perceived Risks on Information Search and Risk Reduction Strategies: A Study of the Hotel Industry during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zhang Yi-Wei , Choi Jeong-Gil , Akhmedov Armigon Ravshanovich
Published: November 2021

This study examined the impacts of perceived risks on information search and risk reduction strategies as well as the relative importance of each risk reduction strategy. Multiple regression analysis was applied to analyze the sample of South Korean hotel customers and to test the hypotheses of the study. It was found that when hotel customers faced the same kind of risk, they adopted different information search strategies to reduce various risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, ‘following hotel employee’s advice’ was perceived to be the most important information search strategy to reduce risks. This is the first study to compare the differences of perceived risk and information search strategies under the COVID-19 pandemic and normal conditions to help hotels to develop more effective strategies to recover from the pandemic. The results of the study should be interpreted with care since it was based on Korean hotel customers. The influence of cultural differences in perceived risk and information search strategy should be addressed in future studies. The study contributes to the tourism and hospitality information search and risk reduction strategy-related literature and recommends avenues for further research in the field.
Whose Health in Whose City? A Systems Thinking Approach to Support and Evaluate Plans, Policies, and Strategies for Lasting Urban Health
Authors: Cristiano Silvio , Zilio Samuele
Published: November 2021

An increasing interest has been present in scientific literature and policy making for the links between urban environments and health, as also learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaboration between urban planning and public health is therefore critical for enhancing the capabilities of a city to promote the well-being of its people. However, what leverage potential for urban health can be found in existing plans, policies, and strategies that address urban health? Starting from the relationship between urban systems and health issues, the purpose of this contribution is to broaden the systemic knowledge of urban systems and health so as to try to figure out the impact potential of local urban governance on public health. Considering the systemic nature of health issues, as defined by the World Health Organisation, this is done through a systems thinking epistemological approach. Urban health proposals are studied and assessed in four European cities (Copenhagen, London, Berlin, and Vienna). Current criticalities are found, starting from the guiding goal of such proposals, yet a systemic approach is suggested aimed at supporting and evaluating lasting and healthy urban planning and management strategies.
Life Satisfaction and Tax Morale in Azerbaijan: Mediating Role of Institutional Trust and Financial Satisfaction
Authors: Nadirov Orkhan , Aliyev Khatai , Dehning Bruce , Sharifzada Ilaha , Aliyeva Rafiga
Published: November 2021

This paper examines the relationship between life satisfaction (measured as the self-reported satisfaction of each individual with their past life and goal achievements) and tax morale (measured as the likelihood of an individual’s intrinsic motivation to pay taxes). Using a large-scale survey dataset from Azerbaijan, it is documented that life satisfaction is positively associated with tax morale. Life satisfaction plays a significant role in increasing tax compliance practices. It is also important to note that there is a positive mediating effect of life satisfaction on tax morale through financial satisfaction and institutional trust. In line with our hypotheses, the results of a series of analyses remain robust to different models. These results imply that a higher level of life satisfaction may increase the proportion of individuals who report the highest tax morale in Azerbaijan. Our findings have policy implications for Azerbaijan and other governments aiming to alleviate high levels of tax evasion.
Emerging Market Global Players: The Case of Brazil, China and South Africa
Authors: Bezuidenhout Henri , Mhonyera Gabriel , Van Rensburg Jacob , Sheng Hsia Hua , Carrera José Marcos , Cui Xinjian
Published: November 2021

A remarkable proliferation in the number of non-financial emerging multinational enterprises (NFEMNEs) and their share in the aggregate outward foreign direct investment (OFDI), along with the complexity of their FDI activities, has been witnessed over the past decades. Consequently, considerable interest has been generated within and among countries regarding the implications of these relatively new significant emerging global players for a range of economic and policy issues. In order to understand the gaps in knowledge pertaining to their identities, activities and impacts, this article employs the results of our 2015 emerging markets global players (EMGP) reports to make logical and informed insinuations about the structure and profile of NFEMNEs originating from China, Brazil and South Africa, the largest emerging markets in Asia, Latin America and Africa. We also synthesise and compare the outcomes of the 2015 EMGP reports of these OFDI home countries. We find the existence of a pattern in the ranked top NFEMNEs, from each country, in terms of industry sectors, regionalism and national bias. Furthermore, we establish that the respective NFEMNEs participated in international markets to pursue larger markets, natural resources and strategic assets and were not crowded out of their domestic markets by inward FDI.
Optimized Land Use through Integrated Land Suitability and GIS Approach in West El-Minia Governorate, Upper Egypt
Authors: Zakarya Yasser M. , Metwaly Mohamed M. , AbdelRahman Mohamed A. E. , Metwalli Mohamed R. , Koubouris Georgios
Published: November 2021

Land evaluation is imperative for its efficient use in agriculture. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the suitability of a region in West El-Minia for cultivating some of the major crops using the geographical information system (GIS). The results focus on allocating space for cultivating sugar beet and utilizing the free period of sugar beet in other crops. This exploitation helps to maintain the quality of the land and increase its fertility by using crop rotation with integrated agricultural management. A machine learning technique was implemented using the random forest algorithm (RF) to predict soil suitability classes for sugar beet using geomorphology, terrain attribute and remote sensing data. Fifteen major crops were evaluated using a suitability multicriteria approach in GIS environment for crop rotation decisions. Soil parameters were determined (soil depth, pH, texture, CaCO3, drainage, ECe, and slope) to characterize the land units for soil suitability. Soils of the area were found to be Entisols; Typic Torrifluvents, Typic Torripsamments and Typic Torriorthents and Aridsols; Typic Haplocacids, Calcic Haplosalids and Sodic Haplocalcids. Overall, the studied area was classified into four suitability classes: high “S1”, moderate “S2”, marginal “S3”, and not suitable “N”. The area of each suitability class changed depending on the crop tested. The highest two crops that occupied S1 class were barley with 471.5 ha (representing 6.8% of the total study area) and alfalfa with 157.4 ha (2.3%). In addition, barley, sugar beet, and sorghum occupied the highest areas in S2 class with 6415.3 ha (92.5%), 6111.3 ha (88.11%) and 6111.3 ha (88.1%), respectively. Regarding the S3 class, three different crops (sesame, green pepper, and maize) were the most highly represented by 6151.8 ha (88.7%), 6126.3 ha (88.3%), and 6116.7 ha (88.2%), respectively. In the end, potato and beans occupied the highest areas in N class with 6916.9 ha (99.7%) and 6853.5 ha (98.8%), respectively. The results revealed that the integration of GIS and soil suitability system consists of an appropriate approach for the evaluation of suitable crop rotations for optimized land use planning and to prevent soil degradation. The study recommends using crop rotation, as it contributes to soil sustainability and the control of plant pests and diseases, where the succession of agricultural crops on a scientific basis aims at maintaining the balance of nutrients and fertilizers in the soil.
Solar E-Cooking with Low-Power Solar Home Systems for Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Antonanzas-Torres Fernando , Urraca Ruben , Guerrero Camilo Andres Cortes , Blanco-Fernandez Julio
Published: November 2021

The e-cooking feasibility was evaluated for two of the main staple foods across rural Sub-Saharan Africa (rice and maize porridge) considering basic solar home systems (SHS) of 100–150 W and using inexpensive market available low-power DC cooking devices (rice cooker and slow cooker). The coverage of e-cooking necessities was spatially evaluated for the African continent considering households of two, five, and eight people. While households of two people were able to be covered >95% of the days, the increase in e-cooking necessities implied that only larger PV generators (150 W) located in high irradiation sites (>2400 kWh/m2/year) were able to fulfill e-cooking, even in scenarios of households of five and eight people. Furthermore, the economic cost and the greenhouse gases emission factor (GHG) of e-cooking via small SHS were evaluated and benchmarked against traditional technologies with wood and charcoal considering three-stone and improved stoves and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cookers. The GHG for e-cooking was 0.027–0.052 kgCO2eq./kg·meal, which was strikingly lower than the other technologies (0.502–2.42 kgCO2eq./kg·meal). The e-cooking cost was in the range of EUR 0.022–0.078 person/day, which was clearly lower than LPG and within the range of the cost of cooking with wood and charcoal (EUR 0.02–0.48 person/day). The results provided a novel insight regarding market available technologies with a potential of changing cooking conditions in this region.
Introduction to Special Issue: Gender and Rural Development: Sustainable Livelihoods in a Neoliberal Context
Authors: Basu Pratyusha , Galiè Alessandra
Published: November 2021

This editorial introduces the articles that are part of the Special Issue on ‘Gender and Rural Development: Sustainable Livelihoods in a Neoliberal Context.’
Condition-Based Maintenance for Normal Behaviour Characterisation of Railway Car-Body Acceleration Applying Neural Networks
Authors: Martínez-Llop Pablo Garrido , Sanz Bobi Juan de Dios , Solano Jiménez Álvaro , Gutiérrez Sánchez Jorge
Published: November 2021

Recently, passenger comfort and user experience are becoming increasingly relevant for the railway operators and, therefore, for railway manufacturers as well. The main reason for this to happen is that comfort is a clear differential value considered by passengers as final customers. Passengers’ comfort is directly related to the accelerations received through the car-body of the train. For this reason, suspension and damping components must be maintained in perfect condition, assuring high levels of comfort quality. An early detection of any potential failure in these systems derives in a better maintenance inspections’ planification and in a more sustainable approach to the whole train maintenance strategy. In this paper, an optimized model based on neural networks is trained in order to predict lateral car-body accelerations. Comparing these predictions to the values measured on the train, a normal characterisation of the lateral dynamic behaviour can be determined. Any deviation from this normal characterisation will imply a comfort loss or a potential degradation of the suspension and damping components. This model has been trained with a dataset from a specific train unit, containing variables recorded every second during the year 2017, including lateral and vertical car-body accelerations, among others. A minimum average error of 0.034 m/s2 is obtained in the prediction of lateral car-body accelerations. This means that the average error is approximately 2.27% of the typical maximum estimated values for accelerations in vehicle body reflected in the EN14363 for the passenger coaches (1.5 m/s2). Thus, a successful model is achieved. In addition, the model is evaluated based on a real situation in which a passenger noticed a lack of comfort, achieving excellent results in the detection of atypical accelerations. Therefore, as it is possible to measure acceleration deviations from the standard behaviour causing lack of comfort in passengers, an alert can be sent to the operator or the maintainer for a non-programmed intervention at depot (predictive maintenance) or on board (prescriptive maintenance). As a result, a condition-based maintenance (CBM) methodology is proposed to avoid comfort degradation that could end in passenger complaints or speed limitation due to safety reasons for excessive acceleration. This methodology highlights a sustainable maintenance concept and an energy efficiency strategy.
Investor Activity in Chinese Financial Institutions: A Precursor to Economic Sustainability
Authors: Marjerison Rob Kim , Chae Chungil , Li Shitong
Published: November 2021

One requirement for sustainable economic development is established, trusted, and utilized financial institutions to facilitate investment. The rapid development of financial markets in China, combined with the recency and magnitude of middle-class wealth, has resulted in a rapidly changing investment landscape, as well as changes in people’s investing activities. The extent to which economic growth is sustainable will depend, at least in part, on how financial institutions are perceived, as well as the extent to which they are utilized. The objective of this study was to examine the investment behaviors of individual investors as a way to ascertain the perceived level of trust and stability in the relatively recently developed financial institutions. The influence of market information acquisition on asset allocation and value investment in China was analyzed. This study used secondary data from a China securities corporation from previous research. The analyses utilized the general decision-making style test to assess respondents’ decision-making models and quantitative research methodology culminating in the use of correlation analysis. The results indicated that the acquisition of market information had a positive correlation with the number of assets and investment portfolios. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are provided. The results may be of interest to individual and institutional investors in China, as well as those with an interest in current trends in market information acquisition, asset allocation, and value investment in China.
Commercial Corn Hybrids as a Single Source of Dietary Carotenoids: Effect on Egg Yolk Carotenoid Profile and Pigmentation
Authors: Kljak Kristina , Duvnjak Marija , Bedeković Dalibor , Kiš Goran , Janječić Zlatko , Grbeša Darko
Published: November 2021

Commercial high-yielding corn hybrids have not been evaluated for their ability to pigment egg yolk. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the effects of commercial hybrids with different carotenoid profiles as the only source of pigments in the diets of hens on yolk color and carotenoid content, as well as the carotenoid deposition efficiency into the yolk. Treatment diets, differing only in one of five corn hybrids, were offered in a completely randomized design in six cages per treatment, each with three hens. Treatment diets and yolks differed in carotenoid profile (contents of lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene, p < 0.001), with total carotenoid contents ranging from 17.13–13.45 µg/g in diet and 25.99–21.97 µg/g in yolk. The treatments differed (p < 0.001) in yolk color, which was determined by yolk color fan (10.8–9.83) and CIE Lab (redness; range 12.47–10.05). The highest yolk color intensity was achieved by a diet with the highest content of zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene. The deposition efficiency of lutein and zeaxanthin (25.52 and 26.05%, respectively) was higher than that of β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene (8.30 and 5.65%, respectively), and the deposition efficiency of all carotenoids decreased with increasing dietary content. Commercial corn hybrids provided adequate yolk color and could be the only source of carotenoids in the diets of hens, which could reduce the cost of egg production and increase farmers’ income.
Flipped Learning in Engineering Modules Is More Than Watching Videos: The Development of Personal and Professional Skills
Authors: Suárez Fernando , Mosquera Feijóo Juan Carlos , Chiyón Isabel , Alberti Marcos García
Published: November 2021

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has highlighted two key outcomes for students of all accredited engineering programs: the ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences and the capacity to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. Likewise, in recent years, written exams, assignments, and oral presentations show transmission-skill deficiencies among engineering students. Flipped teaching serves to boost students to meet these outcomes and other competencies: comprehension reading, communication skills, character building, collaborative work, critical thinking, or creativity. So, flipped learning is more than watching videos. This research proposes two evidence-based transferable learning strategies built on a flipped-teaching model and was applied by the authors in engineering courses during the second year of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19: problem-based learning and teamwork assignments. The study comprised two phases. First, a systematic review of reports, writings, and exams delivered by students. It included some video-watching analytics to detect misuse. In the second stage, the authors ascertained trends of these outcomes. Student perceptions and other achievement indicators illustrate the possibilities for encouraging learners to achieve transmission, communication, and literacy outcomes. Results indicate that these learner-centered approaches may help students learn better, comprehend, apply, and transmit knowledge. But they require an institutional commitment to implementing proactive instruction techniques that emphasize the importance of student communication skills.
Applying the ARCS Motivation Theory for the Assessment of AR Digital Media Design Learning Effectiveness
Authors: Chang Yuh-Shihng
Published: November 2021

This research adopts Keller’s ARCS motivation theory as a method to create a teaching experiment by integrating augmented reality (AR) into teaching in order to enhance learning interest and learning effectiveness in a digital media design course. The purpose of this research is to examine the application of AR in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereby students can enhance their learning interest, learning satisfaction, and learning performance. Augmented reality acts as a tool for this research, wherein it is applied with the course of a 3D model-based interface and built-in learning contexts for the “digital media design” of the learning topics. The learning performance of the test group students was examined through the aspects of attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction, according to the ARCS motivation theory. According to the results of quantitative validation, experimental teaching with AR is more effective than traditional teaching methods. The learning feedback of the test group students obtained a positive result by using the AR. This research concludes with three results: firstly, integrating AR into teaching can improve students’ concentration with respect to digital media design practice; secondly, video teaching with an AR interface can help increase students’ confidence in digital media design learning; lastly, applying AR during the learning process can enhance the digital media visual effects that effectively enhance students’ self-learning abilities.
Connection to Nature Boosts Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Jackson S. Brent , Stevenson Kathryn T. , Larson Lincoln R. , Peterson M. Nils , Seekamp Erin
Published: November 2021

Growing evidence suggests that connection to nature may be linked to mental health and well-being. Behavioral changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively affect adolescents’ connection to nature, subsequently impacting health and well-being. We explored the relationship between connection to nature and well-being before and during the pandemic through a nationally representative survey of adolescents across the United States (n = 624) between April and June 2020. Survey items focused on connection to nature, mental well-being, and participation in outdoor activities before and during the pandemic. Paired-sample t-tests revealed declines in connection to nature, mental well-being, and participation in outdoor activities during the pandemic. Multiple linear regression analyses examining connection to nature’s mediating role between outdoor activity participation and mental well-being indicated that connection to nature fueled higher levels of mental well-being at both time intervals. Z scores comparing connection to nature’s mediating role between outdoor activity participation and mental well-being between time intervals indicate that during the pandemic, the direct effect of outdoor activities on mental well-being increased, generating a greater impact than before the pandemic. This study illustrates how the health and well-being benefits associated with adolescents’ outdoor activities are reinforced when those activities also foster a stronger connection to nature.
Effect of Ventricular Elasticity Due to Congenital Hydrocephalus
Authors: Balasundaram Hemalatha , Sathiamoorthy Senthamilselvi , Santra Shyam Sundar , Ali Rifaqat , Govindan Vediyappan , Dreglea Aliona , Noeiaghdam Samad
Published: November 2021

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a symmetric flow transport that surrounds brain and central nervous system (CNS). Congenital hydrocephalusis is an asymmetric and unusual cerebrospinal fluid flow during fetal development. This dumping impact enhances the elasticity over the ventricle wall. Henceforth, compression change influences the force of brain tissues. This paper presents a mathematical model to establish the effects of ventricular elasticity through a porous channel. The current model is good enough for immediate use by a neurosurgeon. The mathematical model is likely to be a powerful tool for the better treatment of hydrocephalus and other brain biomechanics. The non-linear dimensionless governing equations are solved using a perturbation technique, and the outcome is portrayed graphically with the aid of MATLAB.
A High Temperature Solid Pressure Sensor Based on Fiber Bragg Grating
Authors: Guo Hongying , Chen Jiang , Tian Zhumei , Wang Aizhen
Published: November 2021

For the requirement of pressure detection in high temperature environments, this paper presents a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) based pressure sensor with a simple structure. The structural model of the sensor has been established with the consideration of a sensing principle and a small deflection effect of the circular membrane. The finite element analysis has been employed to validate the rationality of the sensor structure design and realize the digital simulation of the theoretical model. Through the analysis, the selection of packaging materials, the design of structural parameters and the pressure and temperature calibration of the developed sensor has been performed. The encapsulation of the sensor at high temperatures has been improved based on the theoretical analysis, simulation and testing, which proves the effectiveness of the sensor for pressure measurement at high temperatures of 100 °C~250 °C. The study provides a feasible sensing device for high-temperature pressure detection.
Interplay between Spacetime Curvature, Speed of Light and Quantum Deformations of Relativistic Symmetries
Authors: Ballesteros Angel , Gubitosi Giulia , Mercati Flavio
Published: November 2021

Recent work showed that κ-deformations can describe the quantum deformation of several relativistic models that have been proposed in the context of quantum gravity phenomenology. Starting from the Poincaré algebra of special-relativistic symmetries, one can toggle the curvature parameter Λ, the Planck scale quantum deformation parameter κ and the speed of light parameter c to move to the well-studied κ-Poincaré algebra, the (quantum) (A)dS algebra, the (quantum) Galilei and Carroll algebras and their curved versions. In this review, we survey the properties and relations of these algebras of relativistic symmetries and their associated noncommutative spacetimes, emphasizing the nontrivial effects of interplay between curvature, quantum deformation and speed of light parameters.
ACTS: An Ant Colony Based Transmission Scheduling Approach for Cloud Network Collaboration Environment
Authors: Cheng Ruiying , Zhang Pan , Xie Lei , Ai Yongqi , Xu Peng
Published: November 2021

In traditional cloud computing research, it is often considered that the network resources between edge devices and cloud platform are sufficient, and the symmetry between the upward link from edge devices to the cloud platform and the downward link from cloud platform to edge devices is definite. However, in many application scenarios, the network resources between edge devices and cloud platform might be limited, and the link symmetry may not be guaranteed. To solve this problem, network relay nodes are introduced to realize the data transmission between edge devices and the cloud platform. The environment in which network relay nodes that can cooperate with the cloud platform is called cloud network collaborative environment (CNCE). In CNCE, how to optimize data transmission from edge devices to cloud platform through relay nodes has become one of the most important research topics. In this paper, we focus on the following two influencing factors that previous studies ignored: (1) the multi-link and multi-constraint transmission process; and (2) the timely resource state of the relay node. Taking these factors into consideration, we design a novel data transmission scheduling algorithm, called ant colony based transmission scheduling approach (ACTS). First, we propose a multi-link optimization mechanism to optimize the constraint limits. This mechanism divides the transmission into two links called the downlink relay link and uplink relay link. For the downlink relay link, we use the store-and-forward method for the optimization. For the uplink relay link, we use the min–min method for the optimization. We use the ant colony algorithm for the overall optimization of the two links. Finally, we improve the pheromone update rule of the ant colony algorithm to avoid the algorithm from falling into a local optimum. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our proposed approach has better results in transmission efficiency than other advanced algorithms.
Image Denoising Using Nonlocal Regularized Deep Image Prior
Authors: Xie Zhonghua , Liu Lingjun , Luo Zhongliang , Huang Jianfeng
Published: November 2021

Deep neural networks have shown great potential in various low-level vision tasks, leading to several state-of-the-art image denoising techniques. Training a deep neural network in a supervised fashion usually requires the collection of a great number of examples and the consumption of a significant amount of time. However, the collection of training samples is very difficult for some application scenarios, such as the full-sampled data of magnetic resonance imaging and the data of satellite remote sensing imaging. In this paper, we overcome the problem of a lack of training data by using an unsupervised deep-learning-based method. Specifically, we propose a deep-learning-based method based on the deep image prior (DIP) method, which only requires a noisy image as training data, without any clean data. It infers the natural images with random inputs and the corrupted observation with the help of performing correction via a convolutional network. We improve the original DIP method as follows: Firstly, the original optimization objective function is modified by adding nonlocal regularizers, consisting of a spatial filter and a frequency domain filter, to promote the gradient sparsity of the solution. Secondly, we solve the optimization problem with the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) framework, resulting in two separate optimization problems, including a symmetric U-Net training step and a plug-and-play proximal denoising step. As such, the proposed method exploits the powerful denoising ability of both deep neural networks and nonlocal regularizations. Experiments validate the effectiveness of leveraging a combination of DIP and nonlocal regularizers, and demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method both quantitatively and visually compared with the original DIP method.
Pharmacogenetics and Forensic Toxicology: A New Step towards a Multidisciplinary Approach
Authors: Di Nunno Nunzio , Esposito Massimiliano , Argo Antonina , Salerno Monica , Sessa Francesco
Published: November 2021

Pharmacogenetics analyzes the individual behavior of DNA genes after the administration of a drug. Pharmacogenetic research has been implemented in recent years thanks to the improvement in genome sequencing techniques and molecular genetics. In addition to medical purposes, pharmacogenetics can constitute an important tool for clarifying the interpretation of toxicological data in post-mortem examinations, sometimes crucial for determining the cause and modality of death. The purpose of this systematic literature review is not only to raise awareness among the forensic community concerning pharmacogenetics, but also to provide a workflow for forensic toxicologists to follow in cases of unknown causes of death related to drug use/abuse. The scientific community is called on to work hard in order to supply evidence in forensic practice, demonstrating that this investigation could become an essential tool both in civil and forensic contexts. The following keywords were used for the search engine: (pharmacogenetics) AND (forensic toxicology); (pharmacogenetics) AND (post-mortem); (pharmacogenetics) AND (forensic science); and (pharmacogenetics) AND (autopsy). A total of 125 articles were collected. Of these, 29 articles were included in this systematic review. A total of 75% of the included studies were original articles (n = 21) and 25% were case reports (n = 7). A total of 78% (n = 22) of the studies involved deceased people for whom a complete autopsy was performed, while 22% (n = 6) involved people in good health who were given a drug with a subsequent pharmacogenetic study. The most studied drugs were opioids (codeine, morphine, and methadone), followed by antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants and venlafaxine). Furthermore, all studies highlighted the importance of a pharmacogenetics study in drug-related deaths, especially in cases of non-overdose of drugs of abuse. This study highlights the importance of forensic pharmacogenetics, a field of toxicology still not fully understood, which is of great help in cases of sudden death, deaths from overdose, deaths after the administration of a drug, and also in cases of complaint of medical malpractice.
Varying Intensities of Introgression Obscure Incipient Venom-Associated Speciation in the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
Authors: Margres Mark J. , Wray Kenneth P. , Sanader Dragana , McDonald Preston J. , Trumbull Lauren M. , Patton Austin H. , Rokyta Darin R.
Published: November 2021

Ecologically divergent selection can lead to the evolution of reproductive isolation through the process of ecological speciation, but the balance of responsible evolutionary forces is often obscured by an inadequate assessment of demographic history and the genetics of traits under selection. Snake venoms have emerged as a system for studying the genetic basis of adaptation because of their genetic tractability and contributions to fitness, and speciation in venomous snakes can be associated with ecological diversification such as dietary shifts and corresponding venom changes. Here, we explored the neurotoxic (type A)–hemotoxic (type B) venom dichotomy and the potential for ecological speciation among Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) populations. Previous work identified the genetic basis of this phenotypic difference, enabling us to characterize the roles geography, history, ecology, selection, and chance play in determining when and why new species emerge or are absorbed. We identified significant genetic, proteomic, morphological, and ecological/environmental differences at smaller spatial scales, suggestive of incipient ecological speciation between type A and type B C. horridus. Range-wide analyses, however, rejected the reciprocal monophyly of venom type, indicative of varying intensities of introgression and a lack of reproductive isolation across the range. Given that we have now established the phenotypic distributions and ecological niche models of type A and B populations, genome-wide data are needed and capable of determining whether type A and type B C. horridus represent distinct, reproductively isolated lineages due to incipient ecological speciation or differentiated populations within a single species.