bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Construction and Influencing Factors of Voluntary Compensation Subjects for Herders—From the Perspective of Sustainable Utilization of Grassland Resources
Authors: Liu Yuchen , Zhang Xinling , Deng Hankun
Published: March 2024

The grassland ecological compensation mechanism is a basic guarantee for promoting the sustainable utilization of grassland resources, and the reasonable determination of the compensation subject is the basic premise for the effective operation of the grassland ecological compensation mechanism. At present, grassland ecological compensation is mainly based on government compensation, and the compensation method generally adopted is financial transfer payment with a single source of compensation funds. Therefore, establishing diversified compensation entities is of great significance in expanding the sources of compensation funds. As important users of grassland resources, herders should become the main representatives of grassland ecological compensation according to the principle of “whoever uses, pays”. In this study, based on survey data with respect to pastoral areas in Inner Mongolia, we used a multivariate ordered logistic regression model to empirically analyze the factors influencing the establishment of a voluntary compensation entity for herders. The results of this study showed that (1) the resource endowment factors of the respondents, including livestock inventory, grazing area, and cutting grassland area, have a significant positive impact on the willingness of herdsmen to voluntarily serve as the main representatives of grassland ecological compensation. When each influencing factor increased by one unit, the probability of voluntarily becoming a compensation subject increased by 3.5%, 1.91%, and 1.41%, respectively. (2) The factor of prohibited pasture area in the endowment of herders had a significant negative effect on their willingness to become compensation subjects, which indicates that the larger the prohibited pasture area owned by herders, the lower their grassland utilization rate and the lower their willingness to voluntarily become compensation subjects. (3) Among the cognitive factors of the respondents, “whether they will continue to support the implementation of the grassland compensation policy” had a positive promoting effect on herdsmen voluntarily becoming compensation subjects, showing that the higher the support of herdsmen for the ecological compensation system, the more willing they were to become compensation subjects. This article is based on the perspective of the sustainable utilization of grassland resources and empirically analyzes the influencing factors of herders’ willingness to reduce their number of livestock. Through the voluntary reduction of livestock by herders, a voluntary compensation entity for herders is constructed. Based on the research conclusions, relevant countermeasures and suggestions are proposed, providing a reference for improving grassland ecological compensation policies and promoting the sustainable utilization of grassland resources.
Recent Innovations on the Reuse of Almond and Hazelnut By-Products: A Review
Authors: Ollani Selene , Peano Cristiana , Sottile Francesco
Published: March 2024

Nuts consumption has increased significantly in the last 10 years, especially driven by the stimulated awareness of their possible beneficial health effects. Increased nuts consumption is linked to an obvious accumulation of by-products and waste. With the view of the circular economy, the aim of this review is to analyse the recent and innovative approaches able to valorise the by-products derived from almonds and hazelnuts, two important nut products of the Italian scene, with historical and traditional importance. The most important solutions are concerned with reuse of almond hull, shell, skin, oil cake, and hazelnut shell; skin and oil cake are often considered waste or by-products. Many interesting implications in the feed and food sectors have been detected in the last ten years, aimed at designing innovative materials developed from by-products and extraction of bioactive molecules for different purposes. The perspective chosen to discuss the topic is related to the sustainability of these processes, in terms of both the environment and economy. The circular economy supports a zero-waste approach, which should not also be meant as a zero-cost process in terms of the level of technology that has been partially developed.
Analysis of the Mechanical Degradability of Biodegradable Polymer-Based Bags in Different Environments
Authors: Fileš Martina , Ludaš Anja , Ražić Sanja Ercegović , Hudina Sandra
Published: March 2024

Biodegradable polymer-based bags were developed as an alternative to plastic. However, their degradation in environmental conditions has not been fully investigated and is often incomplete. Here, the decomposition of three types of biodegradable bags and one type of plastic bag in different types of environments was analyzed. Polymer bags were exposed for six weeks in water, soil, air and compost, while the control groups were stored in room conditions. All types of polymer bags were sampled twice (after 3 and 6 weeks), and different parameters of changes in physical–mechanical properties were measured. The research established significant differences in changes in mechanical properties between different types of biodegradable polymer bags, with ‘white’ and ‘brown’ bags showing the best decomposition potential. As expected, the largest change in the structure and physical–mechanical properties of all types of polymer bags was recorded in compost, and the smallest in air and water.
Evaluation of the Benefits Generated by Sustainability 4.0: A Study of the Perception of Banking Sector Customers
Authors: Filgueiras Igor Fellype Loureiro Valenca , Melo Fagner José Coutinho de , Guimaraes Junior Djalma Silva , Barbosa Aline Amaral Leal , Sobral Eryka Fernanda Miranda , Vital Junior Silvio André
Published: March 2024

This paper aims to evaluate customer perceptions regarding the benefits generated by sustainability 4.0 in the banking sector through a survey. A structured questionnaire was developed with 55 factors divided into economic, social, and environmental dimensions. A total of 90 questionnaires were collected. Descriptive statistics and Kendall’s coefficient of agreement were used with the intention of measuring the degree of agreement or disagreement between bank customers’ responses. The results indicated a positive perception of customers regarding the relationship between sustainable practices and economic, social, and environmental aspects, with a relatively high agreement. The best-rated benefits were related to economic and environmental aspects, such as reducing service time and efficient use of digital resources. However, there was a diversity of opinions regarding social aspects, with some issues receiving lower ratings, especially related to the permanence of employees and the autonomy of elderly customers. This suggests concerns about the impact of technology on maintaining banking jobs and the accessibility of financial services for specific groups, such as the elderly. It is concluded that by focusing on customer perception, the study offers a holistic view of the implications of sustainability 4.0, going beyond traditional analyses focused on organizations.
Polycentric Urban Spatial Structure Identification Based on Morphological and Functional Dimensions: Evidence from Three Chinese Cities
Authors: Zhu Juan , Niu Xinyi , Wang Yao
Published: March 2024

Regarding whether a polycentric urban spatial structure is a sustainable urban development model, various studies use different employment center identification methods, resulting in inconsistent conclusions. This paper takes Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Nanning, three Chinese cities at different stages of development as cases, and adopts various methods to identify employment centers to compares the polycentric spatial structure differences from morphological and functional dimensions, and puts forward a multi-dimensional perspective for analyzing the characteristics of the polycentric spatial structure. The results show that the polycentric model of GL_SC threshold method has the relatively good explanatory power, which can best represent the characteristics of urban development in China. The explanatory power of the polycentric model of the Wuhan commuter flow method (adjusted R-squared value is 0.37) is slightly weaker than that of the GL_SC threshold method (adjusted R-squared value is 0.40), indicating that the agglomeration development forces are equivalent to the decentralized development forces and it is a balanced polycentric development structure. In Hangzhou and Nanning, the GL_SC threshold method (adjusted R-squared values are 0.28 and 0.36, respectively) is stronger than the commuter flow method (adjusted R-squared values are 0.19 and 0.33, respectively), which reflects the strong characteristics of agglomeration polycentric development. However, from the comparison of the number and distribution of employment center identification, the polycentric development characteristics of Hangzhou are stronger than those of Nanning. The comparison of the identification results of the morphological and functional dimensions shows that the two dimensions as a unified evaluation process can more fully reflect the characteristics of an urban polycentric development structure, thereby providing preliminary research support for the study of the impact of polycentric structure on economic development, air pollution, work and residential commuting, etc.
A Model for Streamlining Benchmarking in Sustainable Development of Industries
Authors: Bednárová Lucia , Bakalár Tomáš , Pavolová Henrieta , Rybár Radim , Šimková Zuzana
Published: March 2024

Benchmarking is a process of improving organizational performance by recognizing, comprehending, adjusting, and incorporating the most effective practices and procedures observed either within or outside an organization. Benchmarking creates, primarily in industrial sectors, clearly identified opportunities for the use of processes and resources, and detecting the continuous improvement of their performance. From the point of view of a systemic approach to the management of the efficiency of the performance of industrial organizations based on benchmarking, it is possible to increase competitiveness in interaction with economic improvements. The objective of this study is to assess the potential of benchmarking in a business, with a particular focus on the economic aspect, by a systematic approach, and to propose a model for selecting the research segment, based on an international company operating across multiple countries worldwide. The study concentrates on the technical equipment of quarries in EU countries, where the company operates, employing benchmarking, a benchmark index, and statistical methods. The proposed model was designed in an open way that can be expanded and generalized for other manufacturing and non-manufacturing enterprises. The model is flexible and adaptable to the specifics of other sectors as regards the need to improve management with an emphasis on making management more efficient, and thereby supporting sustainable development.
Sustainable Development Strategies in Power Systems: Day-Ahead Stochastic Scheduling with Multi-Sources and Customer Directrix Load Demand Response
Authors: Liu Jiacheng , Huang Shan , Shuai Qiang , Gu Tingyun , Zhang Houyi
Published: March 2024

Increasing the installed capacity of renewable energy sources (RESs) in the power system is significant for advancing sustainable development. As the proportion of RESs rapidly increases in power systems, the inherent stochasticity and variability of renewable energies significantly reduce the regulatory capacity of generation resources. To compensate for the lack of power system flexibility, it is necessary to coordinate the participation of load-side resources in demand response (DR). Therefore, this paper proposes a solution to the diminished flexibility of power systems. It introduces a day-ahead stochastic scheduling model for an integrated thermal-hydro-wind-solar system. This model relies on customer directrix load (CDL) to efficiently absorb RES output. CDL represents an ideal load profile shape. Firstly, the stochastic scenario sets of RES output were modeled using Monte Carlo simulations, and the complementary characteristics between wind and solar output are considered using Copula theory. Then, CDL is introduced into day-ahead scheduling model, which considers relevant demand-side responsive load constraints. Secondly, customer-side DR effectiveness model is proposed to obtain the shaping load profile after DR, based on quantitative customer response effectiveness evaluation metrics. Lastly, system-side stochastic scheduling model of high-proportion RES power system is proposed based on the shaping load profile. Case studies were conducted on a modified IEEE-6 bus system. These studies show that the model effectively addresses the uncertainty of RES. It improves the power system’s regulation capability. Additionally, it promotes the absorption of RES.
Evaluating Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Water Scarcity Mitigation in Small Greek Islands under Climate Change
Authors: Feloni Elissavet , Nastos Panagiotis T.
Published: March 2024

Rainfall variability, exacerbated by climate change, poses significant challenges to water resource management, particularly in regions prone to intense droughts and floods. The Greek islands, characterized by poor water potential, face interannual water supply issues dating back to their earliest habitation. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems emerge as a promising solution to address water scarcity in these regions. This study simulates RWH systems for two small Greek islands, Fourni and Nisyros, representing similar rainfall regimes. Multiple scenarios are explored, and system reliability is assessed in light of simulated daily rainfall time series incorporating climate change projections. Utilizing eight low/medium (RCP 4.5) and eight high (RCP 8.5) emission scenarios over a future 35-year period, the study evaluates system reliability based on model parameters (collection area: 40 to 140 m2, rainwater tank volume: 5 to 30 m3, number of household members: 2, 3), with 30% coverage of total daily water demand (180 L/d). Negligible evapotranspiration effects are assumed due to closed-type tanks. Results indicate that the RWH system demonstrates high efficiency in general. The investigation for the future period revealed that the system’s performance varies, with instances where daily demand targets are not met, even with a 30 m3 tank. This research underscores the potential of RWH systems as a cost-effective “green” solution, particularly in regions with deficient rainfall regimes. It highlights the importance of localized water management strategies, reducing reliance on mainland water transportation, and assisting desalination unit operations. In conclusion, this study contributes to the assessment of RWH systems, demonstrating their viability as a sustainable water management solution in regions facing water scarcity, contingent on local rainfall conditions and system design parameters.
Improving the Quality of Warehousing Processes in the Context of the Logistics Sector
Authors: Batarlienė Nijolė , Jarašūnienė Aldona
Published: March 2024

Logistics processes play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of the supply chain, and warehouse management is one of the key logistics activities of invaluable significance. To evaluate the management principles of companies, it is necessary to thoroughly analyze their functions, operational standards, and quality requirements. One of the most common strategies in modern businesses is quality improvement. Insufficient quality can lead to competitive disadvantages and have negative consequences for companies that do not prioritize quality and neglect their services and products, resulting in a loss of customer loyalty and revenue. Effective warehouse management is critically important for companies to meet consumer needs, reduce costs, and gain a competitive advantage. Conducting qualitative research is necessary in order to learn how to properly organize warehouse management within companies, which will also help to identify key issues and determine areas for change. This article consists of a theoretical section that analyzes the scientific literature on the quality of warehouse process management in the logistics sector. It examines theoretical aspects of logistics processes and quality assurance in company management, including the implementation of systems that ensure quality in warehouse processes and logistics process management. The subsequent sections describe the research methods applied, evaluate the results of warehouse management quality, and provide insights and recommendations.
Local Muscle Oxygenation Differences between Lower Limbs according to Muscle Mass in Breath-Hold Divers
Authors: Uljević Ognjen , Vrdoljak Dario , Drviš Ivan , Foretić Nikola , Dujić Željko
Published: March 2024

Oxidative potential and anaerobic capacity could be influential to the training regimen and performance of breath-hold diving (BHD) athletes. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the differences in local muscle oxygenation between the lower limbs according to the muscle mass percentage in spearfishermen and freedivers. The sample of participants included 21 BHD athletes (13 freedivers; 8 spearfishermen; 4 females). Their chronological age was 35.5 ± 8.6 years, body mass was 79.3 ± 9.1 kg, and height was 182.5 ± 13.0 cm. Participants’ training experience was 10.6 ± 9.5 years. The variables in this study included anthropometric indices, the Wingate anaerobic test, and muscle oxygen dynamics parameters. The results show significant differences for freedivers between the lower limbs (muscle mass percentage, p < 0.00; minimal SmO2%, p = 0.05; and maximal SmO2%, p = 0.04). However, when observing only spearfisherman, there is only one significant difference between the dominant and non-dominant lower limb (percentage of lower limb muscle mass, 85.73 ± 2.42, 85.16 ± 2.40%, respectively; p = 0.02). The results of this study demonstrate that freedivers have significant asymmetries between the lower limbs in muscle oxygenation parameters when observing the lower limb dominance in relation to the percentage of muscle mass. These findings suggest different muscular oxygenation adaptations to the load set upon athletes.
New Analytical Approach to Quinolizidine Alkaloids and Their Assumed Biosynthesis Pathways in Lupin Seeds
Authors: Namdar Dvory , Mulder Patrick P. J. , Ben-Simchon Eyal , Hacham Yael , Basheer Loai , Cohen Ofer , Sternberg Marcelo , Shelef Oren
Published: March 2024

Alkaloids play an essential role in protecting plants against herbivores. Humans can also benefit from the pharmacological effects of these compounds. Plants produce an immense variety of structurally different alkaloids, including quinolizidine alkaloids, a group of bi-, tri-, and tetracyclic compounds produced by Lupinus species. Various lupin species produce different alkaloid profiles. To study the composition of quinolizidine alkaloids in lupin seeds, we collected 31 populations of two wild species native to Israel, L. pilosus and L. palaestinus, and analyzed their quinolizidine alkaloid contents. Our goal was to study the alkaloid profiles of these two wild species to better understand the challenges and prospective uses of wild lupins. We compared their profiles with those of other commercial and wild lupin species. To this end, a straightforward method for extracting alkaloids from seeds and determining the quinolizidine alkaloid profile by LC–MS/MS was developed and validated in-house. For the quantification of quinolizidine alkaloids, 15 analytical reference standards were used. We used GC–MS to verify and cross-reference the identity of certain alkaloids for which no analytical standards were available. The results enabled further exploration of quinolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis. We reviewed and re-analyzed the suggested quinolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis pathway, including the relationship between the amino acid precursor l-lysine and the different quinolizidine alkaloids occurring in seeds of lupin species. Revealing alkaloid compositions and highlighting some aspects of their formation pathway are important steps in evaluating the use of wild lupins as a novel legume crop.
Emergent Spacetime and Cosmic Inflation
Authors: Yang Hyun Seok
Published: March 2024

We present a novel background-independent framework for cosmic inflation, starting with a matrix model. In this framework, inflation is portrayed as a dynamic process responsible for the generation of both space and time. This stands in contrast to conventional inflation, which is characterized as a mere (exponential) expansion of an already existing spacetime, driven by the vacuum energy associated with an inflaton field. We observe that the cosmic inflation is triggered by the condensate of Planck energy into a vacuum and responsible for the dynamical emergence of spacetime. The emergent spacetime picture admits a background-independent formulation so that the inflation is described by a conformal Hamiltonian system which requires neither an inflaton field nor an ad hoc inflation potential. This implies that the emergent spacetime may incapacitate all the rationales to introduce the multiverse hypothesis.
The κ-Model under the Test of the SPARC Database
Authors: Pascoli Gianni
Published: March 2024

Our main goal here is to conduct a comparative analysis between the well-known MOND theory and a more recent model called the κ-model. An additional connection, between the κ-model and two other novel MOND-type theories, Newtonian Fractional-Dimension Gravity (NFDG) and Refracted Gravity (RG), is likewise presented. All these models are built to overtake the DM paradigm, or at least to strongly reduce the dark matter content. Whereas they rely on different formalisms, however, all four seem to suggest that the universal parameter, a0, appearing in MOND theory could intrinsically be correlated to either the sole baryonic mean mass density (RG and κ-model) and/or to the dimension of the object under consideration (NFDG and κ-model). We then confer to parameter a0 a more flexible status of multiscale parameter, as required to explain the dynamics together in galaxies and in galaxy clusters. Eventually, the conformal gravity theory (CFT) also seems to have some remote link with the κ-model, even though the first one is an extension of general relativity, and the second one is Newtonian in essence. The κ-model has been tested on a small sample of spiral galaxies and in galaxy clusters. Now, we test this model on a large sample of galaxies issued from the SPARC database.
Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for Viral Surveillance from an Endemic Perspective: Evidence and Challenges
Authors: Verani Marco , Pagani Alessandra , Federigi Ileana , Lauretani Giulia , Atomsa Nebiyu Tariku , Rossi Virginia , Viviani Luca , Carducci Annalaura
Published: March 2024

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is currently used to monitor not only the spread of the viral SARS-CoV-2 pandemic but also that of other viruses in endemic conditions, particularly in the absence of syndromic surveillance. The continuous monitoring of sewage requires high expenditure and significant time investments, highlighting the need for standardized methods and structured monitoring strategies. In this context, we conducted weekly wastewater monitoring in northwestern Tuscany (Italy) and targeted human adenovirus (HAdV), norovirus genogroup II (NoVggII), enterovirus (EV), and SARS-CoV-2. Samples were collected at the entrances of treatment plants and concentrated using PEG/NaCl precipitation, and viral nucleic acids were extracted and detected through real-time reverse transcription qPCR. NoVggII was the most identified target (84.4%), followed by HAdV, SARS-CoV-2, and EV. Only HAdV and EV exhibited seasonal peaks in spring and summer. Compared with data that were previously collected in the same study area (from February 2021 to September 2021), the results for SARS-CoV-2 revealed a shift from an epidemic to an endemic pattern, at least in the region under investigation, which was likely due to viral mutations that led to the spreading of new variants with increased resistance to summer environmental conditions. In conclusion, using standardized methods and an efficient monitoring strategy, WBE proves valuable for viral surveillance in pandemic and epidemic scenarios, enabling the identification of temporal–local distribution patterns that are useful for making informed public health decisions.
The Adaptive Immune Response against Bunyavirales
Authors: Alatrash Reem , Herrera Bobby Brooke
Published: March 2024

The Bunyavirales order includes at least fourteen families with diverse but related viruses, which are transmitted to vertebrate hosts by arthropod or rodent vectors. These viruses are responsible for an increasing number of outbreaks worldwide and represent a threat to public health. Infection in humans can be asymptomatic, or it may present with a range of conditions from a mild, febrile illness to severe hemorrhagic syndromes and/or neurological complications. There is a need to develop safe and effective vaccines, a process requiring better understanding of the adaptive immune responses involved during infection. This review highlights the most recent findings regarding T cell and antibody responses to the five Bunyavirales families with known human pathogens (Peribunyaviridae, Phenuiviridae, Hantaviridae, Nairoviridae, and Arenaviridae). Future studies that define and characterize mechanistic correlates of protection against Bunyavirales infections or disease will help inform the development of effective vaccines.
A Cocktail of Lipid Nanoparticle-mRNA Vaccines Broaden Immune Responses against β-Coronaviruses in a Murine Model
Authors: Zhang Yi , Zhang Jialu , Li Dongmei , Mao Qunying , Li Xiuling , Liang Zhenglun , He Qian
Published: March 2024

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus (CoV), Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 have seriously threatened human life in the 21st century. Emerging and re-emerging β-coronaviruses after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic remain possible highly pathogenic agents that can endanger human health. Thus, pan-β-coronavirus vaccine strategies to combat the upcoming dangers are urgently needed. In this study, four LNP-mRNA vaccines, named O, D, S, and M, targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, Delta, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV, respectively, were synthesized and characterized for purity and integrity. All four LNP-mRNAs induced effective cellular and humoral immune responses against the corresponding spike protein antigens in mice. Furthermore, LNP-mRNA S and D induced neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, which failed to cross-react with MERS-CoV. Subsequent evaluation of sequential and cocktail immunizations with LNP-mRNA O, D, S, and M effectively elicited broad immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV. A direct comparison of the sequential with cocktail regimens indicated that the cocktail vaccination strategy induced more potent neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses against heterotypic viruses as well as broader antibody activity against pan-β-coronaviruses. Overall, these results present a potential pan-β-coronavirus vaccine strategy for improved preparedness prior to future coronavirus threats.
Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease in Large Breed Dogs: Survival Characteristics and Prognostic Variables
Authors: Svensson Mikael , Selling Jonas , Dirven Mark
Published: March 2024

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common acquired heart disease in dogs and its occurrence in small-and medium-sized dogs has been extensively investigated. MMVD has been described in large breed dogs as well, but substantial knowledge gaps remain. The aim of this study was to provide characteristics, survival times, and prognostic variables in large breed dogs with MMVD. Medical records of dogs diagnosed with MMVD, between 2012 and 2021, were retrospectively reviewed and 202 dogs were analyzed. Median survival time (MST) for all-cause mortality was 800 days for stage B1 dogs, 274 days for stage B2 dogs, and 184 days for stage C dogs. The MST for cardiac-related death for B1 dogs could not be calculated (because survival was greater than 50% at the last timepoint) and for stage B2 and C dogs the MST were 484 and 252 days, respectively. These findings suggest that the frequency of cardiac-related death is low in large breed dogs with stage B1 MMVD. In addition, increased left atrial and ventricular size, evidence of systolic dysfunction, a thrilling murmur, and increased early trans-mitral peak velocity are predictors of cardiac-related death. Data also suggest that the risk of a negative outcome increases profoundly when large breed dogs advance from ACVIM stage B1 into stage B2 or C.
Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus Using TaqMan-based qPCR in Eastern China
Authors: Tian Yutong , Zhang Hailong , Zhang Yan , Zhang Xinya , Guan Zhilei , Zhang Junjie , Qiu Yafeng , Li Beibei , Liu Ke , Li Zongjie , Shao Donghua , Li Peng , Ma Zhiyong , Wei Jianchao
Published: March 2024

Caprine arthritis encephalitis is an infectious disease caused by the caprine arthritis encephalitis virus that infects goats, sheep, and other small ruminants. An outbreak of CAEV could be extremely harmful to the goat farming industry and could cause severe economic losses. We designed specific primers and probes for the gag gene and established a TaqMan real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. This method’s correlation coefficient (R2) was >0.999, and the sensitivity of the assay to the plasmid-carried partial gag gene was approximately 10 copies/µL, 1000 times higher than that of conventional PCR. No specific fluorescence was detected for other sheep viruses. Using this method, we tested 776 asymptomatic sheep blood samples and 4 neurodegenerative sheep brain samples from six farms in eastern China, and the positivity rate was 0.77% (6/780). The gag gene was partially sequenced in the three positive samples and compared with the sequences from other representative strains in GenBank. The results revealed that all three strains belonged to the B1 subtype and were most closely related to the strains from Shanxi and Gansu, previously isolated in China, with their homology ranging from 97.7% to 98.9%. These results suggest that the designed RT-qPCR assay can be used to detect subclinical CAEV in sheep and that the virus is still present in eastern China.
Heavy Metals in the Sediments of Dongshan Bay, China: Sources, Distribution, and Controlling Factors
Authors: Yan Xinyue , Chen Xin , Zheng Wenyan , Zhang Guilin , Dong Aiguo
Published: March 2024

Fifty-one surface sediment samples from Dongshan Bay, China, were analyzed for heavy metals to evaluate their distribution, pollution status, and controlling factors. The enrichment factor is suggestive of the potential pollution status, ranging from minimal to moderate enrichment, for Pb, As, Zn, and Hg, with one site showing significant enrichment in As. A principal component analysis and the geochemical characteristics indicate that heavy metal concentrations are mainly influenced by clay minerals and Fe oxides, while Pb and Hg levels are also closely linked to the absorption of Mn oxides. Potential pollution is primarily from aquaculture (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb) and industrial and domestic discharges. Approximately 270 tons of heavy metals were estimated to have been deposited in Dongshan Bay in 2021, highlighting the potential impact of human activities on coastal sediment quality.
Comparison of Water Quality Prediction for Red Tilapia Aquaculture in an Outdoor Recirculation System Using Deep Learning and a Hybrid Model
Authors: Jongjaraunsuk Roongparit , Taparhudee Wara , Suwannasing Pimlapat
Published: March 2024

In modern aquaculture, the focus is on optimizing production and minimizing environmental impact through the use of recirculating water systems, particularly in outdoor setups. In such systems, maintaining water quality is crucial for sustaining a healthy environment for aquatic life, and challenges arise from instrumentation limitations and delays in laboratory measurements that can impact aquatic animal production. This study aimed to predict key water quality parameters in an outdoor recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) for red tilapia aquaculture, including dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite nitrogen (NO2–N), and alkalinity (ALK). Initially, a random forest (RF) model was employed to identify significant factors for predicting each parameter, selecting the top three features from routinely measured parameters on the farm: DO, pH, water temperature (Temp), TAN, NO2–N, and transparency (Trans). This approach aimed to streamline the analysis by reducing variables and computation time. The selected parameters were then used for prediction, comparing the performance of convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), and CNN–LSTM models across different epochs (1000, 3000, and 5000). The results indicated that the CNN–LSTM model at 5000 epochs was effective in predicting DO, TAN, NO2–N, and ALK, with high R2 values (0.815, 0.826, 0.831, and 0.780, respectively). However, pH prediction showed lower efficiency with an R2 value of 0.377.
Evolution of the Pingluo Section of the Upper Yellow River over the Past 50 Years: Responses to Environmental Change and Human Activity
Authors: Liang Shuyu , Yan Tianqi , Gao Hongshan , Jing Chuantao , He Fei , Han Meiqin
Published: March 2024

The instability of the river channels has increased in response to the combined effects of global warming and human activity. This instability threatens the lives and property of people who live along river courses. This study takes the Pingluo section of the upper Yellow River, which is ~28 km long and ~400 m wide, as its research focus. We studied 11 periods of Landsat remote sensing images from 1973 to 2023 and analyzed the evolutionary characteristics of the Pingluo section over the past 50 years. The channel morphology indices included the channel braiding index (BIT), the bar braiding index (BIB), the average area of the bar (Ab), and the width of the wet channel area (BW). The results showed that there was an overall shrinking trend in this section of the Yellow River; more particularly, fluctuations in indicators such as the river width and the braiding index highlighted an increasing–decreasing–increasing pattern of change. During the 1973–1986 period, the river showed a widening trend, with narrow anabranches cutting through the floodplain and both the river width and the braiding index increasing dramatically over a short period. Over the 1986–2018 period, the area of the wet channel continued to shrink to its lowest level for the past 50 years, the river’s branches were diverted and abandoned, and the channel tended to straighten out. Between 2018 and 2023, the river showed a slightly expanding trend. The evolution of the river channel appears to be related to regional human activity and climate change. For example, after the joint filling of the Longyangxia and Liujiaxia reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Pingluo section of the Yellow River in 1986, runoff and sediment load along this section decreased, flood events became less frequent, and the channel tended to contract. In addition, the increase in extreme precipitation events over the last five years has led to an increase in the magnitude and frequency of peak discharge values in the region, which is the main reason for the increase in the river braiding index and area.
Urban Governance, Economic Transformation, and Land Use: A Case Study on the Jimei Peninsula, Xiamen, China, 1936–2023
Authors: Tsai Shu-Chen , Zhang Xue-Fang , Lee Su-Hsin , Wang Hui
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this study was to explain how the heterogeneous elements embedded in the Jimei Peninsula affect the transformation of the production landscape into a consumption landscape and the connection between urban governance and economic transformation. The study took a qualitative approach, utilizing historical literature analysis, a field investigation, and in-depth interviews to explore the driving forces and impacts of coastal-zone functional transformation. A total of 26 residents were interviewed individually or collectively, the current situation in the coastal zone with a length of about 16.1 km was recorded in detail, and all the collected elements were divided into six landscape categories for analysis. The results indicate that urban positioning, economic development, policies, and residents are the main factors driving the continuous advancement of the Jimei Peninsula zone. The coast has completed the functional transformation from meeting the residents’ survival needs to tourists’ sightseeing needs. The traditional fishing culture in this area is slowly disappearing with the tide of time, and navigation technology is being passed down through the Jimei School Village. This study reveals the dynamic process of the transformation of coastal functions in representative coastal tourism cities in China, bringing attention to coastal ecology and local fishing culture, and raising people’s awareness of cautious coastal development and sustainable blue-economy development.
Integrated Path Following and Lateral Stability Control of Distributed Drive Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle
Authors: Zhao Feng , An Jiexin , Chen Qiang , Li Yong
Published: March 2024

Intelligentization is the development trend of the future automobile industry. Intelligentization requires that the dynamic control of the vehicle can complete the trajectory tracking according to the trajectory output of the decision planning the driving state of the vehicle and ensure the driving safety and stability of the vehicle. However, trajectory limit planning and harsh road conditions caused by emergencies will increase the difficulty of trajectory tracking and stability control of unmanned vehicles. In view of the above problems, this paper studies the trajectory tracking and stability control of distributed drive unmanned vehicles. This paper applies a hierarchical control framework. Firstly, in the upper controller, an adaptive prediction time linear quadratic regulator (APT LQR) path following algorithm is proposed to acquire the desired front-wheel-steering angle considering the dynamic stability performance of the tires. The lateral stability of the DDAUV is determined based on the phase plane, and the sliding surface, in the improved sliding mode control (SMC), is further dynamically adjusted to obtain the desired additional yaw moment for coordinating the path following and lateral stability. Then, in the lower controller, considering the slip and the working load of four tires, a comprehensive cost function is established to reasonably distribute the driving torque of four in-wheel motors (IWMs) for producing the desired additional yaw moment. Finally, the proposed control algorithm is verified by the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experiment platform. The results show the path following and lateral stability can be coordinated effectively under different driving conditions.
The Tenth Wartime Graduation of the Pavlovsk Military School. In the Faces and Destinies of the Natives of the Caucasian Military District
Authors:   Mozhaisky Military Aerospace Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia, Zaycev M. A. , Svekolkin N. I. ,   Mozhaisky Military Aerospace Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia, Sivolob D. I. ,   Mozhaisky Military Aerospace Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
Published: March 2024

This publication continues a series of publications on the interim results of the personal identification of cadets of the tenth accelerated wartime graduation of the Pavlovsky Military School, one of the most prestigious military educational institutions of the Russian Empire of its time. In this article we are talking about the cadets of the designated school, who were born in the territories that were part of the Caucasian Military District of the Russian Empire. The data on the occupied areas and the confessional composition of the regions that made up the Caucasian Military District at the end of the XIX century are given. The presented material presents the collected biographical information and porter images on some of the named persons who chose the military path, becoming officers during the First World War, at the same time, eyewitnesses and direct participants in the landmark events of the first half of the twentieth century in the history of our country, such as revolutions, wars, emigration and repression. The life path of some of the mentioned persons is briefly described. The research was carried out on the basis of work with the funds of federal and regional archives. This publication serves as an example of the answers to which questions can be found in the personal files of students of the Russian Empire. In addition, the publication is designed to help find the descendants of the people mentioned in the article, as well as to attract the attention of historians, local historians and just not indifferent people who are able to provide additional information about these persons.
Positive and negative aspects of the parish school of the late XIX — early XX centuries
Authors:   Minin Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, Tikhonov N.S.
Published: March 2024

The purpose of the research is to study the development of the parish school of the late XIX – early XX centuries and to identify negative and positive aspects in its activities. The article studies the reasons for the need to create a system of parish education, analyzes the material support of these educational institutions, analyzes the level of professional qualification of the pedagogical staff in them. The scientific novelty of the study is as follows: in pedagogical science various variants are put forward for building an optimal model of education designed to solve the problems of the younger generation, therefore, against the background of the modernization of education, which politicians, public figures and teachers talk about, it is a good idea to turn to the pedagogical experience of previous years, analyze it and understand what can be useful in today's realities.
Rescate de los ríos como recurso hídrico, estudio jurídico comparativo: Colombia, Ecuador y México
Authors: Castillo Montufar José Armando , Soto Sotelo José Antonio , Cásares García Leonel
Published: March 2024

El presente estudio, se enfoca en el análisis de los derechos de los ríos como recurso hídrico vital, cuya variable independiente es la contaminación de los ríos, ya que este es el factor que se está investigando y analizando. La variable dependiente es el reconocimiento pleno de los derechos de los ríos. El objetivo es comparar la legislación de Ecuador, Colombia y México en función de los avances del reconocimiento de los derechos de los ríos. La investigación es de tipo socio jurídica, empleando los métodos deductivo y comparativo, arribando a la conclusión que la contaminación de los ríos es una de las problemáticas medio ambientales más graves que enfrenta Ecuador, Colombia, México y el mundo.
L’OMS confrontée à la pandémie de Covid-19 : limites et potentialités du fonctionnalisme
Authors: Pooter Hélène de
Published: March 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that the WHO cannot successfully fulfill its constitutional mandate but with the full cooperation of Member States. Yet, during this outbreak, while the Secretariat of the Organization was rather reactive, Member States lacked commitment. This was an obstacle to the efficient use of the institutional framework offered by the WHO. Therefore, this pandemic highlighted the need to fully exploit the potentialities of WHO’s constitutional mandate by supplementing the technical coordination provided by the Secretariat with a strong political will supporting global health. This approach should contribute to the emergence of an ‘ international health law’ overcoming the traditional tensions between the collective interest of protecting human health and the particular interests of various stakeholders. Thus, functionalism, whose bet is that international cooperation in so-called ‘ technical’ fields will safeguard international peace and foster development, cannot be successful without a genuine shared political commitment.
La conciliation des mesures sanitaires prises par les États avec l’application du droit diplomatique
Authors: Bourdoncle Emmanuel
Published: March 2024

Abstract : The global pandemic situation has led States to take various health measures that may constitute obstacles to the proper functioning of diplomatic and consular missions and therefore to the proper application of diplomatic and consular law. The assessment of the conformity of these measures with the regimes established by the Vienna Conventions of 1961 and 1963 on diplomatic and consular relations is the occasion for a renewed analysis of this essential area of public international law. First of all, it is then possible to observe its peculiarities in the search for an implementation of sanitary measures in

compliance with international obligations. However, this flexibility of application does

not prevent breaches of diplomatic and consular law. The possible instrumentalization

of measures to fight Covid-19 for purposes contrary to this regime then highlights its full

membership of the international legal system and its links with the principle of reciprocity or the law of international responsibility.
Les mesures étatiques adoptées dans le contexte d’urgence sanitaire au regard des normes internationales protégeant les réfugiés et les demandeurs d’asile
Authors: Cocan Silviana
Published: March 2024

Cet article a pour objet d’évaluer la conformité des mesures gouvernementales, adoptées au cours du printemps 2020 pour faire face à la crise sanitaire, au regard des normes internationales protégeant les réfugiés et les demandeurs d’asile. Au-delà des mesures adoptées par le gouvernement français, il s’agit d’envisager les mesures prises à l’échelle des États membres de l’Union européenne. Il est essentiel de s’interroger sur l’effectivité du principe de non-refoulement dans le contexte d’urgence sanitaire dès lors que ce principe engendre des obligations à la charge des États, indépendamment de l’existence de circonstances exceptionnelles. Parallèlement, des règles internationales qui relèvent du droit souple (soft law), découlant des deux Pactes mondiaux sur les migrations et réfugiés adoptés en 2018 dans le cadre des Nations Unies, ont également vocation à régir la gestion des migrations internationales, définissant des règles et des principes à

la lumière desquels la conformité des mesures gouvernementales peut être envisagée.
Les initiatives relatives à la dette des pays en développement en raison de la pandémie
Authors: Coleman Philippe
Published: March 2024

La survenance de la pandémie de Covid-19 a eu, notamment en raison des mesures sanitaires prises pour enrayer la diffusion du virus, une incidence majeure sur les finances publiques des pays les plus pauvres, dont certains étaient déjà lourdement endettés. Afin de permettre aux pays en développement de disposer d’un espace budgétaire pour faire face à la crise sanitaire et sociale, les pays membres du G20 et du Club de Paris ont adopté un moratoire sur les échéances de la dette de ces pays. Cette initiative coordonnée inédite a permis de réunir les principaux créanciers publics bilatéraux, dont la Chine. La persistance de la crise sanitaire et les risques de défaut des pays les plus endettés ont incité les créanciers publics bilatéraux à mettre en place un cadre commun de traitement des crises de solvabilité à venir des pays en développement. Ces initiatives coordonnées prises dans le contexte de la pandémie complètent l’architecture financière

internationale en l’absence d’un mécanisme multilatéral contraignant.