bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Experimental Study of the Morphological Evolution of Rills on Slopes under Rainfall Action
Authors: Huang Wenbin , Wang Yongtao , Shao Shuai , Xu Xiangtian , Liu Yong
Published: July 2024

Accurately monitoring the morphology and spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the entire process of slope erosion rill development is essential to circumvent the limitations inherent in traditional methods that rely on average flow velocity for hydrodynamic parameter calculations. This study employs an environmental chamber and a self-developed slope erosion test device to perform erosion tests on slopes with varying gradients and rainfall intensities. By integrating the structure-from-motion (SfM) method, fixed grid coordinate method, and continuous camera combined with the dye tracer technique, the morphological indexes and hydrodynamic parameters of the entire rill development process are precisely computed. The main conclusions are as follows: The entire process of slope rill development can be divided into three distinct stages. The initial stage is characterized by the appearance of tiny rills with mild erosion. The middle stage involves severe transverse spreading erosion and longitudinal undercutting, resulting in diverse rill morphologies. The final stage is marked by the stabilization of morphological characteristics. The peak slope soil loss is observed during the middle stage of rill development. The most effective parameters for characterizing slope soil loss from the beginning to the end are the Reynolds number and flow shear stress, the Froude number and flow shear stress, and the Froude number during different periods. Throughout the development of rills, the flow velocity initially decreases and then gradually increases until it stabilizes. The morphological indexes, including rill density, dissected degree, inclination, and complexity, generally show an increasing trend. However, in the middle stage, the rate of increase slows down, followed by a sharp rise at certain points. The optimal hydraulic parameters for evaluating rill density across different slope gradients, which were found to be the Darcy–Weisbach drag coefficient and real-time flow velocity, for assessing rill dissected degree, complexity, and inclination, were the Reynolds number and flow power. Under varying rainfall intensities, the most effective hydraulic and kinetic parameters for evaluating rill density, dissected degree, and inclination were flow shear stress and Reynolds number; for assessing rill complexity, the Reynolds number and flow power were used. The findings of this research enhance the accuracy of hydrodynamic parameter calculations in rill erosion tests, enable precise prediction of rill development trends on slopes, and offer innovative approaches for real-time dynamic monitoring of rill morphology and characteristics. These advancements are of significant importance for soil and water conservation and sustainability.
Assessment of Rural Industry Integration Development, Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics, and Regional Disparities in Ethnic Regions: A Case Study of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Counties
Authors: Bao Jinghui , Xiu Changbai , Liu Yuchun , Li Jie
Published: July 2024

Ethnic regions in China primarily focus on the development of agricultural and animal husbandry economies, which are relatively underdeveloped. Rural industry integration development (RIID) is considered the foundation and guarantee for ethnic regions to achieve high-quality modernization of agriculture. The purpose of this article is to measure the level of rural industrial integration in ethnic minority areas, analyze the spatial evolution and regional differences, and explore the actual situation of RIID in these regions. The aim is to provide a decision-making basis for local governments to effectively promote the development of rural industrial integration. Based on the improvement of the evaluation index system for rural industrial integration development, this paper takes the counties of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as the research area. Utilizing panel data from the statistical yearbooks of 68 banners and counties in Inner Mongolia from 2011 to 2020, the panel entropy weight TOPSIS method is employed to assess the average level of rural industrial integration in the research area. The ArcGIS natural breakpoint method is employed to classify the level of RIID in county areas. Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) and GeoDa are utilized to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of RIID. Finally, the Theil index is employed to analyze the regional differences in the level of RIID. The results show the following: (1) The overall level of RIID in ethnic regions is relatively low, with the contributions of the four dimensions in the evaluation index system as follows: integration path > integration foundation > integration sustainability > integration effect. The level of RIID in the study area is as follows: western region > eastern region > central region. (2) Spatially, there are positive correlations and significant spatial clustering in the level of RIID, with the spatial clustering effect of RIID weakening. (3) There are regional differences in the level of RIID, which are expanding. The inter-regional differences are decreasing, while the intra-regional differences are increasing. (4) The construction of agricultural processing facilities, financial investment, financial support, and talent policies are important influencing factors for the current stage of RIID in ethnic regions. Therefore, in the low-level development stage of RIID in ethnic regions, it is necessary to fully utilize the advantages of resource endowment, increase investment in rural infrastructure, and strengthen the guidance of talent flow into rural revitalization construction.
Do Green Finance Policies Inhibit the Financialization of Manufacturing Enterprises? Empirical Evidence Based on a Quasi-Natural Experiment with the “Green Credit Guidelines”
Authors: Xu Yunsong , Guo Siyan
Published: July 2024

Against the background of the increasing financialization of manufacturing enterprises, whether green financial policies can inhibit the financialization of manufacturing enterprises is a major practical issue worth exploring. It can help government departments to guide the sustainable development of the real economy of enterprises, effectively curbing the trend of over-financialization of enterprises, thus preventing potential systemic risks and safeguarding the sustainable development of the economy. Because the green credit guidelines function as a more mature development of green financial policies, this paper takes Chinese A-share listed companies from 2005 to 2022 as the research sample, adopts the propensity score matching and double difference method, and constructs a quasi-natural experiment with the “Green Credit Guidelines” as the policy shock to analyze the multiple impact effects of green financial policies on the financialization of manufacturing enterprises. The results of the study show that (1) green finance policy has a significant inhibiting effect on the financialization of manufacturing enterprises; (2) due to the different motives of manufacturing enterprises in holding financial assets, green finance policy has a more significant inhibiting effect on the long-term financialization of “substitution”; (3) state-owned enterprises (SOEs) bear more social responsibilities and have credit advantages. Green finance policy has a more obvious inhibiting effect on the financialization of non-state-owned manufacturing enterprises; (4) major shareholders can play a better supervisory role in enterprises with high equity concentrations, so green finance policy has a more significant inhibiting effect on the financialization of manufacturing enterprises with low equity concentrations; (5) financing constraints have a masking effect in green finance policy and enterprise financialization. Based on this, this paper puts forward the following targeted recommendations. For the governmental level: first, to establish a sound manufacturing credit system; second, to focus on enterprise-financing constraints. For the enterprise level: first, to optimize the asset structure to promote transformation; second, to deepen the mixed ownership reform of state-owned enterprises.
Workers’ Exposure to Chemical Risk in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Assessment Methodology and Field Study
Authors: Badea Daniel Onuț , Darabont Doru Costin , Ivan Iulian , Ciocîrlea Vicențiu , Stepa Raluca Aurora , Chivu Oana Roxana
Published: July 2024

This study aimed to develop a state-of-the-art method for assessing chemical risks in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The method combined desk research findings and the authors’ practical knowledge to identify major shortcomings in performing risk assessments at the workplace. Data were collected from nine SMEs across three sectors: agriculture, laboratory research, and conservation and restoration laboratories. On-site observations, focus group discussions, and textual content analysis of occupational safety and health documentation were used to gather information on chemical risks and workers’ perceptions. The developed method uses numerical factors to account for the level of conformity with regulations and the duration of exposure to support an estimation of the probability of an incident. The method was designed to enhance risk assessment practices and tackle common issues encountered by SMEs, including the lack of data for estimating probability. Feedback from SMEs involved in the study indicated that the method’s performance was satisfactory, with its well-organized information flow and supportive components being particularly valued. The study highlights the importance of effective risk assessment in creating a safer and healthier work environment for workers.
State of Health Estimation for Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Transferable Long Short-Term Memory Optimized Using Harris Hawk Algorithm
Authors: Yang Guangyi , Wang Xianglin , Li Ran , Zhang Xiaoyu
Published: July 2024

Accurately estimating the state of health (SOH) of lithium-ion batteries ensures the proper operation of the battery management system (BMS) and promotes the second-life utilization of retired batteries. The challenges of existing lithium-ion battery SOH prediction techniques primarily stem from the different battery aging mechanisms and limited model training data. We propose a novel transferable SOH prediction method based on a neural network optimized by Harris hawk optimization (HHO) to address this challenge. The battery charging data analysis involves selecting health features highly correlated with SOH. The Spearman correlation coefficient assesses the correlation between features and SOH. We first combined the long short-term memory (LSTM) and fully connected (FC) layers to form the base model (LSTM-FC) and then retrained the model using a fine-tuning strategy that freezes the LSTM hidden layers. Additionally, the HHO algorithm optimizes the number of epochs and units in the FC and LSTM hidden layers. The proposed method demonstrates estimation effectiveness using multiple aging data from the NASA, CALCE, and XJTU databases. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately estimate SOH with high precision using low amounts of sample data. The RMSE is less than 0.4%, and the MAE is less than 0.3%.
Regional Truck Travel Characteristics Analysis and Freight Volume Estimation: Support for the Sustainable Development of Freight
Authors: Sun Shuo , Gu Mingchen , Ou Jushang , Li Zhenlong , Luan Sen
Published: July 2024

In the field of freight transport, the goal of sustainable development requires us to improve the efficiency of freight transport while reducing its negative impact on the environment, such as reducing carbon emissions and noise pollution. There is no doubt that changes in freight characteristics and volumes are compatible with the objectives of sustainable development. Thus, mining the travel distribution and freight volume of trucks has an important supporting role in the freight transport industry. In terms of truck travel, most of the traditional approaches are based on the subjective definition of parameters from the trajectory data to obtain trips for certain vehicle types. As for freight volume, it is mostly estimated through manual surveys, which are heavy and inaccurate. In this study, a data-driven approach is adopted to obtain trips from the trajectory data of heavy trucks. Combined with the traffic percentage of different vehicle types collected by highway traffic survey stations, the trips of heavy trucks are extended to all trucks. The inter-city and intra-city freight volumes are estimated based on the average truck loads collected at the motorway entrance. The results show a higher proportion of intra-city trips by trucks in port cities and a higher proportion of inter-city trips by trucks in inland cities. Truck loading and unloading times are focused in the early morning or at night, and freight demand in Shandong Province is more concentrated in the south. These results would provide strong support for optimizing freight structures, improving transportation efficiency, and reducing transportation costs.
Integrated Assessment of Bearing Capacity and GHG Emissions for Foundation Treatment Piles Considering Stratum Variability
Authors: Yuan Huaicen , Shen Jun , Zheng Xinrui , Bao Xiaohua , Chen Xiangsheng , Cui Hongzhi
Published: July 2024

Foundation treatment piles are crucial for enhancing the bearing capacity and stability of weak foundations and are widely utilized in construction projects. However, owing to the complexity of geological conditions, traditional construction methods fail to meet the demand for low-carbon development. To address these challenges, this study introduced a comprehensive decision-making approach that considers the impact of stratum variability on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pile bearing capacity from the design phase. During the design process, the GHG emissions and bearing capacities of deep cement mixing (DCM) and high-pressure jet grouting (HPJG) piles were quantitatively assessed by analyzing the environmental and performance impacts of foundation treatment piles related to materials, transportation, and equipment usage. The results suggest that the bearing capacity of piles in shallow strata is highly susceptible to stratum variability. Using piles with a diameter of 800 mm and a length of 20 m as an example, compared with DCM piles, HPJG piles demonstrated a superior bearing capacity; however, their total GHG emissions were 6.58% higher, primarily because of the extensive use of machinery during HPJG pile construction. The GHG emissions of foundation treatment piles in shallow strata were influenced more by geological variability than those in deep strata. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the pile diameter is a critical determinant of GHG emissions and bearing capacity. Based on the bearing capacity–GHG emission optimization framework, a foundation treatment strategy that integrates overlapping and spaced pile arrangements was introduced. This innovative construction method reduced the total GHG emissions by 22.7% compared with conventional methods. These research findings contribute to low-carbon design in the construction industry.
Prediction of Adaptability of Typical Vegetation Species in Flood Storage Areas under Future Climate Change: A Case in Hongze Lake FDZ, China
Authors: Wang Liang , Cheng Jilin , Jiang Yushan , Liu Nian , Wang Kai
Published: July 2024

China experiences frequent heavy rainfall and flooding events, which have particularly increased in recent years. As flood storage zones (FDZs) play an important role in reducing disaster losses, their ecological restoration has been receiving widespread attention. Hongze Lake is an important flood discharge area in the Huaihe River Basin of China. Previous studies have preliminarily analyzed the protection of vegetation zones in the FDZ of this lake, but the future growth trend of typical vegetation in the area has not been considered as a basis for the precise protection of vegetation diversity and introductory cultivation of suitable species in the area. Taking the FDZ of Hongze Lake as an example, this study investigated the change trend of the suitability of typical vegetation species in the Hongze Lake FDZ based on future climate change and the distribution pattern of the suitable areas. To this end, the distribution of potentially suitable habitats of 20 typical vegetation species in the 2040s was predicted under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 climate scenarios using the latest Coupled Model Intercomparison Project CMIP6. The predicted distribution was compared with the current distribution of potentially suitable habitats. The results showed that the model integrating high-performance random forest, generalized linear model, boosted tree model, flexible discriminant analysis model, and generalized additive model had significantly higher TSS and AUC values than the individual models, and could effectively improve model accuracy. The high sensitivity of these 20 typical vegetation species to temperature and rainfall related factors reflects the climatic characteristics of the study area at the junction of subtropical monsoon climate and temperate monsoon climate. Under future climate scenarios, with reference to the current scenario of the 20 typical species, the suitability for Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn decreased, that for Iris pseudacorus L. increased in the western part of the study area but decreased in the eastern wetland and floodplain, and the suitability of the remaining 18 species increased. This study identified the trend of potential suitable habitat distribution and the shift in the suitability of various typical vegetation species in the floodplain of Hongze Lake. The findings are important for the future enhancement of vegetation habitat conservation and suitable planting in the study area, and have implications for the restoration and conservation of vegetation diversity in most typical floodplain areas.
Artificial Intelligence Integration in Sustainable Business Practices: A Text Mining Analysis of USA Firms
Authors: Balcıoğlu Yavuz Selim , Çelik Ahmet Alkan , Altındağ Erkut
Published: July 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming sustainable business strategies globally, yet its specific applications within American enterprises remain underexplored. This study examines the integration of AI in sustainability efforts across various industries in the USA from 2014 to 2022. By analyzing 263 sustainability reports from 41 leading Nasdaq-listed firms using advanced text mining techniques, we uncover nuanced insights into how AI is employed to address environmental and social challenges. Our findings reveal a strategic deployment of AI not only to enhance operational efficiency, but also to drive significant environmental improvements, such as optimizing renewable energy usage and mitigating emissions. Additionally, AI’s impact extends to fostering workplace safety, enhancing diversity, and bolstering community initiatives. This research highlights the critical role of AI as a catalyst in advancing sustainable practices, providing a blueprint for other regions and industries aiming to leverage technology for greater sustainability.
Influence of Packaging Design on Technical Emptiability of Dairy Products and Implications on Sustainability through Food Waste Reduction
Authors: Klein Michelle , Werner Charlotte , Tacker Manfred , Apprich Silvia
Published: July 2024

Food loss and waste have been identified as significant contributors to existing environmental challenges. Previous studies have extensively quantified losses and waste throughout the value chain. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the influence of packaging design on food residue quantities. This study analyses the technical emptiability of dairy product packaging, building upon previously described methods and proposing new methods for a standardized analysis. The results demonstrate significant variations in residue amounts depending on product type, fat content, viscosity, packaging type and design, as well as consumer handling. The findings indicate that residues of high-viscosity products, such as yoghurt drinks and buttermilk, can accumulate to a level exceeding 4% of the total filling weight in the packaging; meanwhile, the residues of low-viscosity products, such as milk, collectively represent less than 1% of the total filling weight. Consumer handling instructions on packaging significantly reduce residues, as shown by the instruction to shake before opening, which notably decreases the residues of high-viscosity products. Future legislation to minimize food waste and reduce the environmental impact of packaging will necessitate that the packaging industry produces easy-to-empty packaging. This will improve sorting, recycling, recyclate quality, and environmental impact, consequently enhancing the sustainability of dairy packaging.
Spatial–Temporal Evolution and Driving Factors of Agricultural Green Development in China: Evidence from Panel Quantile Approaches
Authors: Pan Fanghui , Deng Haonan , Chen Miao , Zhao Lijuan , Qian Wei , Wan Xiangrong
Published: July 2024

Agricultural green development has become essential for sustainable agriculture and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. This study evaluates the total index of agricultural green development by applying the entropy method; it then examines the spatial–temporal evolution of agricultural green development and finally uses the panel quantile model to examine the driving factors of agricultural green development in China. The results indicate that the level of agricultural green development is rising with time, and the differences among the regions have not changed, showing an increasing direction from west to east. The results from the panel quantile regression with nonadditive fixed effects show that the driving factors have different impacts on agricultural green development across quantiles. Industrial structure upgrading, rural informatization, and agricultural marketization have more significant effects in provinces with higher agricultural green development; agricultural finance and the per capita GDP have greater impacts in provinces at a moderate level of agricultural green development; and technology development, rural informatization, and the urbanization rate play a more important role in provinces at a lower level of agricultural green development. Thus, each province should devise policies according to its level of agricultural green development, which would be beneficial in improving the policies’ effectiveness.
Digital Trio: Integration of BIM–EIR–IoT for Facilities Management of Mega Construction Projects
Authors: Abdelalim Ahmed Mohammed , Essawy Ahmed , Alnaser Aljawharah A. , Shibeika Amna , Sherif Alaa
Published: July 2024

Facility Management (FM) has increasingly focused on integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) with the Internet of Things (IoT), known as digital twins, in large-scale development projects. Effective BIM integration in FM requires improved cooperation among participants across various project stages. This digital revolution aims to enhance planning, construction, and asset management efficiency, benefiting all parties. However, BIM utilization in FM is limited by incomplete owner understanding, insufficient data accessibility, and stakeholders’ unfamiliarity with BIM procedures and standards. Despite recognizing BIM’s significance, the FM industry faces significant implementation challenges. Facility managers often lack a comprehensive understanding of BIM’s benefits in streamlining operations and enhancing cost efficiency, as well as the necessary skills for its use. Addressing these barriers requires developing an Employer’s Information Requirements (EIR) document at a project’s outset, providing a strategic plan and vision for all involved parties. BIM and IoT are pivotal technologies for transitioning to efficient building operations and crucial for reducing time, costs, and operational challenges throughout any project. This research aims to establish a digital trio workflow, integrating BIM, EIR, and IoT to maximize stakeholder benefits. It explores how preparing the EIR through stakeholder communication can improve design processes, sustainability, efficiency, cost, and time, especially for megaprojects.
Oscillatory Features of Fourth-Order Emden–Fowler Differential Equations with Sublinear Neutral Terms
Authors: Masood Fahd , Albalawi Wedad , Moaaz Osama , El-Metwally Hamdy
Published: July 2024

This article examines the oscillatory characteristics of a fourth-order Emden–Fowler differential equation, specifically when it includes a sublinear neutral term. Our methodology centers on establishing multiple theorems that introduce innovative conditions to guarantee that there are no positive solutions to the examined equation. Due to the symmetry between non-oscillatory solutions, we obtain oscillation conditions by excluding only positive solutions. We employ the Riccati technique in various ways to achieve this objective. The criteria presented in this study complement and generalize many findings published in the literature. We support the efficiency of our findings by applying them to an example.
Graph-Based Traffic Forecasting with the Dynamics of Road Symmetry and Capacity Performance
Authors: Yuan Ye , Peng Yuan , Meng Ruicai , Sun Yongliang
Published: July 2024

Symmetry in traffic patterns is a fundamental aspect of intelligent transportation systems, aiming to precisely predict traffic flow in real time despite the complex interplay of spatial and temporal factors. This paper presents a novel method of traffic forecasting that incorporates parameters related to road symmetry into a Graph Convolution Network model. Our model is crafted to dynamically adjust to real-time changes in road conditions, including the presence of symmetric and asymmetric road layouts, which substantially influence traffic flow. We have developed a GCN model that not only accounts for standard traffic flow metrics but also integrates a matrix representing road symmetry. The model undergoes training and validation on the METR-LA dataset, showcasing a significant enhancement in prediction accuracy. In the comparative analysis of state-of-the-art methods, our model demonstrated a significant enhancement in performance, achieving 30.68% improvement in Mean Squared Error (MSE) and a 24.28% improvement in Mean Absolute Error (MAE) over the best-performing method. The implications of our research are profound for urban planners, traffic management systems, and navigation service providers, as it offers a more dependable tool for forecasting traffic conditions, aiding in road design, and refining route planning strategies based on the symmetry of road networks.
Is Dark Matter a Misinterpretation of a Perspective Effect?
Authors: Pascoli Gianni , Pernas Louis
Published: July 2024

Very recently, a straightforward method was proposed to understand galaxies and galactic clusters without using the very elusive dark matter concept. This method is called the κ-model. The main idea is to maintain the form of the usual physical laws, especially Newton’s laws of motion when gravity is weak, but only by applying a local scaling procedure for the related lengths, distances, and velocities. This local scaling appears as a correspondence principle in the κ-model. In this model, the fundamental physical constants remain universal, i.e., they are independent of a point in space and of time. The κ-model is Newtonian in its essence, but there is a relativistic extension that can easily be built. The aim of the present paper is to detail the mathematical formalism supporting it.
Solving Fractional Boundary Value Problems with Nonlocal Mixed Boundary Conditions Using Covariant JS-Contractions
Authors: Hussain Nawab , Alharbi Nawal , Basendwah Ghada
Published: July 2024

This paper investigates the existence, uniqueness, and symmetry of solutions for Φ–Atangana–Baleanu fractional differential equations of order μ∈(1,2] under mixed nonlocal boundary conditions. This is achieved through the use of covariant and contravariant JS-contractions within a generalized framework of a sequential extended bipolar parametric metric space. As a consequence, we obtain the results on covariant and contravariant Ćirić, Chatterjea, Kannan, and Reich contractions as corollaries. Additionally, we substantiate our fixed-point findings with specific examples and derive similar results in the setting of sequential extended fuzzy bipolar metric space.
Goldbach–Linnik–Type Problem of Symmetric Mixed Powers of Primes and Powers of Two
Authors: Xue Fei , Li Jinjiang , Zhang Min , Wu Juanjuan
Published: July 2024

This article demonstrates that every sufficiently large odd integer can be expressed as the sum of one square of a prime, six cubes of primes, and 23 powers of two. This finding represents an improvement on the previous results of Sinnadurai in 1965 and Hooley in 1981.
Immunological Effects of Diesel Particles in a Murine Model of Healthy Mice
Authors: Soler-Segovia David , de Homdedeu Miquel , Sánchez-Díez Silvia , Romero-Mesones Christian , Espejo David , Marain Fopke , Vanoirbeek Jeroen , Munoz Xavier , Cruz María-Jesús
Published: July 2024

Introduction: Exposure to environmental pollutants such as diesel exhaust particles (DEP) increases the risk of respiratory disease exacerbation. However, the possible effects of these particles on the general population remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to assess the immunomodulatory and inflammatory effects of the inhalation of DEP in a model of healthy mice undergoing short-, mid- and long-term exposure. Materials and Methods: BALB/c ByJ mice were randomly divided into five experimental groups. The control group received three intranasal instillations of saline over 8 days while the other four groups received intranasal instillations of 150 µg of DEP 3 days per week for 8, 17, 26, and 53 days. Lung function assessment and flow cytometry were performed. Results: In lung tissue, intranasal exposure to DEP decreased total monocytes (p < 0.015 in all groups). At 26 days, a reduction in inflammatory monocytes and an increase in resident monocytes were observed, p = 0.001 and 0.0001, respectively. Eosinophils and neutrophils decreased at 26 days (p = 0.017 and p = 0.041, respectively). The intranasal challenges of DEP increased the total population of dendritic cells (DC) at 26 and 53 days (p = 0.017 and p = 0.022, respectively) and decreased the total and alveolar populations of macrophages (p < 0.003 for all groups compared to control), while interstitial macrophage populations increased over the time period (p = 0.0001 for all groups compared to control). Conclusions: Continuous DEP exposure triggers immune mechanisms that predispose healthy individuals to a pro-inflammatory and hyper-reactive microenvironment. This mouse model provides evidence of the capacity of DEP to increase DC, interstitial macrophages, and resident monocytes.
Quantitative Soil Characterization for Biochar–Cd Adsorption: Machine Learning Prediction Models for Cd Transformation and Immobilization
Authors: Rashid Muhammad Saqib , Wang Yanhong , Yin Yilong , Yousaf Balal , Jiang Shaojun , Mirza Adeel Feroz , Chen Bing , Li Xiang , Liu Zhongzhen
Published: July 2024

Soil pollution with cadmium (Cd) poses serious health and environmental consequences. The study investigated the incubation of several soil samples and conducted quantitative soil characterization to assess the influence of biochar (BC) on Cd adsorption. The aim was to develop predictive models for Cd concentrations using statistical and modeling approaches dependent on soil characteristics. The potential risk linked to the transformation and immobilization of Cd adsorption by BC in the soil could be conservatively assessed by pH, clay, cation exchange capacity, organic carbon, and electrical conductivity. In this study, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (BiGRU), and 5-layer CNN Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) were applied for risk assessments to establish a framework for evaluating Cd risk in BC amended soils to predict Cd transformation. In the case of control soils (CK), the BiGRU model showed commendable performance, with an R2 value of 0.85, indicating an approximate 85.37% variance in the actual Cd. The LSTM model, which incorporates sequence data, produced less accurate results (R2=0.84), while the 5-layer CNN model had an R2 value of 0.91, indicating that the CNN model could account for over 91% of the variation in actual Cd levels. In the case of BC-applied soils, the BiGRU model demonstrated a strong correlation between predicted and actual values with R2 (0.93), indicating that the model explained 93.21% of the variance in Cd concentrations. Similarly, the LSTM model showed a notable increase in performance with BC-treated soil data. The R2 value for this model stands at a robust R2 (0.94), reflecting its enhanced ability to predict Cd levels with BC incorporation. Outperforming both recurrent models, the 5-layer CNN model attained the highest precision with an R2 value of 0.95, suggesting that 95.58% of the variance in the actual Cd data can be explained by the CNN model’s predictions in BC-amended soils. Consequently, this study suggests developing ecological soil remediation strategies that can effectively manage heavy metal pollution in soils for environmental sustainability.
Prevalence and Clinical Impact of Viral and Bacterial Coinfections in Hospitalized Children and Adolescents Aged under 18 Years with COVID-19 during the Omicron Wave in Russia
Authors: Yakovlev Alexander S. , Afanasev Vladislav V. , Alekseenko Svetlana I. , Belyaletdinova Ilmira K. , Isankina Ludmila N. , Gryaznova Irina A. , Skalny Anatoly V. , Kozlovskaya Liubov I. , Ishmukhametov Aydar A. , Karganova Galina G.
Published: July 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered respiratory infection patterns in pediatric populations. The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and relaxation of public health measures have increased the likelihood of coinfections. Previous studies show conflicting results regarding the impact of viral and bacterial coinfections with SARS-CoV-2 on severity of pediatric disease. This study investigated the prevalence and clinical impact of coinfections among children hospitalized with COVID-19 during the Omicron wave. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 574 hospitalized patients aged under 18 years in Russia, from January 2022 to March 2023. Samples from patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens using qRT-PCR, bacterial culture tests and mass spectrometry, and ELISA. Approximately one-third of COVID-19 cases had coinfections, with viral and bacterial coinfections occurring at similar rates. Adenovirus and Staphylococcus aureus were the most common viral and bacterial coinfections, respectively. Viral coinfections were associated with higher fevers and increased bronchitis, while bacterial coinfections correlated with longer duration of illness and higher pneumonia rates. Non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viruses were linked to more severe lower respiratory tract complications than SARS-CoV-2 monoinfection. These findings suggest that during the Omicron wave, seasonal respiratory viruses may have posed a greater threat to children’s health than SARS-CoV-2.
Special Issue “Arbovirus Diagnostics”
Authors: Fortuna Claudia , Marsili Giulia , Venturi Giulietta
Published: July 2024

Arboviruses are pathogens transmitted mainly by mosquitoes, ticks, and sandflies [...]
PREVAX: A Phase I Clinical Trial of an EGF-Based Vaccine in Moderate-to-Severe COPD Patients
Authors: Hernandez Reyes Jenysbel de la C. , Santos Morales Orestes , Hernandez Moreno Laura , Pino Alfonso Pedro Pablo , Neninger Vinageras Elia , Knigths Montalvo Julia Lilliam , Aguilar Sosa Aliuska , Gonzalez Morera Amnely , Lorenzo-Luaces Alvárez Patricia , Aguilar Venegas Yadira , Troche Concepción Mayelin , Medel Pérez Loipa , Santiesteban González Yanela , García Fernández Lázara , Regueiro Rodríguez Lorena , Macías Abrahan Amparo , Labrada Mon Mayrel , León Monzón Kalet , Saavedra Hernández Danay , Crombet Ramos Tania
Published: July 2024

Background: EGFR has been suggested to contribute to COPD development and progression. Excessive ligand activation of the receptor leads to epithelial hyperproliferation and increased production of mucus, together with alterations in the primary cilia. The present study was designed to evaluate the safety and effect of depleting EGF in moderate-to-severe COPD patients, with an EGF-based vaccine. Patients and methods: A phase I trial was conducted in subjects with moderate or severe COPD. The anti-EGF vaccine schedule consisted of 4 biweekly doses followed by 4 monthly boosters. The primary endpoint was the evaluation of the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine, together with the change in FEV1 and physical function at week 24. Results: Twenty-six patients with moderate or severe COPD were included in the trial. The vaccine was well tolerated and no serious related adverse events were reported. Ninety percent of the individuals developed a protective antibody response. The specific anti-EGF antibodies had high avidity and were able to inhibit EGFR phosphorylation. At the end of vaccination, serum EGF became undetectable. At week 24, there was a clinically significant improvement in lung function, with a mean change in trough FEV1 of 106 mL. Patients also increased their physical functioning. Conclusions: The EGF-based vaccine was immunogenic and provoked an EGF exhaustion in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Depleting EGF might result in a meaningful increase in FEV1, with good tolerability. The current results provide new avenues to treat chronic inflammatory lung diseases associated with EGFR aberrant signaling.
The Immunomodulatory Function of Assembled Composite Nanopolypeptide Containing Bursal-Derived BP7 (CNPB7) in Promoting the Mucosal Immune Response within Poultry Immunization
Authors: Guo Xinyu , Hu Jianing , Yin Guihu , Cai Yiqin , Gao Zichen , Liu Ye , Zhong Meng , Wang Ruiying , Feng Xiuli
Published: July 2024

Mucosal immunity is the main defense line against respiratory disease pathogens. Newcastle disease and avian infectious bronchitis are common respiratory diseases in poultry. However, the mucosal immune response is not sufficiently activated and thus fails to achieve the ideal immune protection. Therefore, it is important to develop a suitable mucosal immune adjuvant to enhance the immune response of live vaccines. Here, the bursal-derived peptide BP7, β-glucan, and hyaluronic acid were selected as the adjuvant to be assembled into the composite nanopolypeptide adjuvant (CNPB7) with ultrasonic dispersion technology. The results showed that after optimizing assembly conditions, the optimal average particle size of nanoparticle CNPB7 was 514.9 nm and PDI was 0.298. To evaluate the non-specific immune responses of nanoparticle CNPB7, the chickens were immunized only with nanoparticle CNPB7. It was confirmed that nanoparticle CNPB7 enhanced the expression of CD3, CD4, CD80, and CD86 factors in the spleen lymphocyte from the chicken immunized with nanoparticle CNPB7. To investigate the mucosal immune response of nanoparticle CNPB7, the chickens were orally immunized with Newcastle disease virus (NDV)–infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) dual vaccines and CNPB7. The results proved that the levels of immunoglobulin SIgA, IL-4, IFN-γ, and IL-13 in the mucus samples from the respiratory and digestive tract in chicken immunized with nanoparticle CNPB7 and vaccines were significantly increased, compared to that of vaccine control. Finally, it was observed that nanoparticle CNPB7 promoted specific increased antibody productions against NDV and IBV in the immunized chicken. These results proved that the assembled nanoparticle CNPB7 could enhance the vaccination efficacy in chicken, which provided the experimental basis for the development of new adjuvants, and offered technical support for preventing virus transmission of avian diseases.
Public Knowledge and Beliefs Regarding Pharmacy-Based Immunization in Poland—A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study, 2024
Authors: Wrześniewska-Wal Iwona , Grudziąż-Sękowska Justyna , Pinkas Jarosław , Jankowski Mateusz
Published: July 2024

Pharmacy vaccinations are a key public health intervention. This study aimed to assess society’s knowledge about pharmacy vaccinations in Poland. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 10 to 13 May 2024 among 1126 adults; the survey questionnaire contained 13 closed questions. Men (OR: 1.32; [1.02–1.70]; p < 0.05), and people aged 50–64 (OR: 1.55; [1.05–2.28]; p < 0.05), people with higher education (OR:1.74; [1.35–2.26]; p < 0.001), and people declaring trust in the pharmacist’s competencies (OR:3.95; [3.03–5.15]; p < 0.001) more often declared knowledge of vaccinations in pharmacies. Support for these services was declared by men (OR:1.74; [1.28–2.36]; p < 0.001) and people with higher education (OR:1.39; [1.02–1.89]; p < 0.05) and participants declaring trust in the pharmacist’s competences (OR:20.30; [14.65–28.11]; p < 0.001). Trust in pharmacists was important. People declaring trust in pharmacists were much more willing to get vaccinated against influenza (40.2%) and zoster (38.0%) at a pharmacy and declared that they would vaccinate their children against HPV at a pharmacy (38.8%) compared to people who did not trust the competences of pharmacists (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the case of influenza. People who trusted pharmacists were five times more likely to declare their willingness to get vaccinated against influenza (p < 0.001).
Leveraging Participatory Science for Tackling Water Supply Challenges in Water-Scarce Developing Regions
Authors: Itair Mohammed , Shahrour Isam , Dbeis Ayman , Bian Hanbing , Samhan Subhi
Published: July 2024

This paper explores how participatory science helps address water supply challenges in developing countries suffering from water shortages. In the absence of technical capacity to monitor the water supply system, this participation constitutes an excellent alternative to involve citizens in data collection and evaluation of the quality of the water service. The paper presents the design and implementation of a participatory science platform that enables data about the quality of the water supply in the city of Kharas in Palestine to be collected. Thanks to significant citizen participation, the study demonstrates that participatory science enhances the management of the water supply system and public awareness and engagement. Temporal and spatial analysis of collected data helped us to better understand the water supply system and identify the causes of the water service degradation. The study shows that the success of citizen participation requires cooperation between the water staff and citizens, including continuous dialogue and training and the construction of a friendly citizen participation platform.
Soil-Microbial Interactions in Rice-Loach-Shrimp Integrated Farming: Multivariate Analysis of Ecological Intensification
Authors: Zeng Wentao , Zhang Yidan , Luo Wen , Zhu Yuling , Yin Hao , Lan Xuan , Ye Shaowen
Published: July 2024

Ecological intensification of agriculture is crucial for sustainable food production, yet the complex soil-microbial interactions in integrated farming systems remain poorly understood. This five-year study compared a Rice-Loach-Shrimp (RLS) integrated system with conventional Rice Monoculture (RM) using advanced multivariate techniques, including correlation analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Random Forest modeling, and Structural Equation Modeling. The RLS system exhibited higher values for key soil health indicators compared to RM, although the overall correlation patterns were similar. Stronger correlations among soil organic matter, enzyme activities, and microbial populations were observed in RLS, suggesting a more tightly coupled soil ecosystem. Available phosphorus and soil organic matter were identified as primary drivers of microbial community structure. The RLS system showed a slightly higher mean pH and weaker correlations between pH and other indicators compared to RM, indicating potential altered biogeochemical processes. Complex cascading effects among soil properties, enzyme activities, and microbial populations were revealed in RLS. These soil health benefits persisted throughout the study period, demonstrating the potential of RLS as an effective ecological intensification strategy for sustainable rice production.
Evolution Characteristics of Meteorological and Hydrological Drought in an Arid Oasis of Northwest China
Authors: Dan Yier , Tian Hao , Farid Muhammad Arsalan , Yang Guang , Li Xiaolong , Li Pengfei , Gao Yongli , He Xinlin , Li Fadong , Liu Bing , Li Yi
Published: July 2024

In the context of global warming, the acceleration of the water cycle increases the risk of meteorological drought (MD) and hydrological drought (HD) in the arid region of Northwest China. The Manas River Basin is a typical agricultural oasis and the largest oasis farming area in Xinjiang, Northwest China. Droughts in this basin have significant implications for both agricultural production and the livelihoods of inhabitants. To evaluate the MD and HD and provide information for drought relief in the MRB, the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and standardized runoff index (SRI) were calculated using long-term rainfall and runoff data. Subsequently, combined with ArcGIS 10.3 software and the trend analysis method, the SPEI and SRI characteristics were evaluated at different time scales (1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month). There were three main findings. First, both MD and HD were alleviated, with significantly more HD alleviation. MDs in spring and autumn exhibited a trend of aggravation. The SRIs in summer, autumn, and winter increased significantly at a confidence level of p < 0.01, with an insignificant decline in spring. In the 2010s, the frequency of light drought of MD was stable at 10% to 20%, while severe and extreme droughts increased. The frequency of HDs has decreased since the 1990s. Second, on annual and seasonal scales, MDs occurred mainly as light and moderate droughts. The highest frequency of MD was 24% of moderate droughts in winter. Spatially, the northern region of the MRB was characterized by more frequent light and extreme droughts. Third, runoff in the Manas River Basin increased significantly during the 1990s, which may have been related to the acceleration of glacial retreat in the Tianshan Mountains. This study can effectively reveal the changes in meteorological and hydrological drought in NWC and provide the basis for risk decision-making and management for watershed managers.