bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Development of Extended Reality in Education: Inspiration from the Research Literature
Authors: Guo Xingrong , Guo Yiming , Liu Yunqin
Published: December 2021

Education is an important driving force for sustainable social development. Emerging technologies such as extended reality (XR), including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR), have been widely used. Recently, a large number of theoretical and empirical studies on the use of XR in the field of education for sustainable development have emerged. This paper uses bibliometric analysis to analyze the publication and citation trends of articles, prolific authors, institutions and countries, influential works, current topics, emerging trends, and knowledge structure to explore the overall productivity and XR research trends in the field of education for the period 1991–2021. Future development directions are also considered. On the basis of bibliometric analysis, this paper puts forward suggestions for the application of XR in the field of education for sustainable development.
Key Performance Indicators Selection through an Analytic Network Process Model for Tooling and Die Industry
Authors: Rodrigues Diogo , Godina Radu , da Cruz Pedro Espadinha
Published: December 2021

In the last few decades, the fast technological development has caused high competitiveness among companies, encouraging a pursuit for strategies that allow them to gain competitive advantage, such as the monitoring of performance by using key performance indicators (KPIs). However, its selection process is complex since there are several KPIs available to evaluate performance and different relationships between them. To overcome this challenge, the use of a multiple criteria decision-making model (MCDM) was proposed, namely the analytic network process (ANP) through which a reduced number of them are prioritized. To identify which KPIs are suitable for the press cast and die manufacturing industry, a literature review was made, and 58 unique KPIs were identified. Thus, to validate the proposed methodology, a case study was carried out in an automotive press molding industry. With the implementation of the proposed ANP model it was possible to identify 9 KPIs that ensure the correct molding process monitoring, while being aligned with the Balanced Scorecard criteria. The results show that the proposed model is suitable for selecting KPIs for the molding industry.
Climate-Change Impacts on the Southernmost Mediterranean Arctic-Alpine Plant Populations
Authors: Kougioumoutzis Konstantinos , Kokkoris Ioannis P. , Strid Arne , Raus Thomas , Dimopoulos Panayotis
Published: December 2021

Human-induced climate- and land-use change have been affecting biogeographical and biodiversity patterns for the past two centuries all over the globe, resulting in increased extinction and biotic homogenization rates. High mountain ecosystems are more sensitive to these changes, which have led to physiological and phenological shifts, as well as to ecosystem processes’ deformation. Glacial relicts, such as arctic-alpine taxa, are sensitive indicators of the effects of global warming and their rear-edge populations could include warm-adapted genotypes that might prove—conservation-wise—useful in an era of unprecedented climate regimes. Despite the ongoing thermophilization in European and Mediterranean summits, it still remains unknown how past and future climate-change might affect the distributional patterns of the glacial relict, arctic-alpine taxa occurring in Greece, their European southernmost distributional limit. Using species distribution models, we investigated the impacts of past and future climate changes on the arctic-alpine taxa occurring in Greece and identified the areas comprising arctic-alpine biodiversity hotspots in Greece. Most of these species will be faced with severe range reductions in the near future, despite their innate resilience to a multitude of threats, while the species richness hotspots will experience both altitudinal and latitudinal shifts. Being long-lived perennials means that there might be an extinction-debt present in these taxa, and a prolonged stability phase could be masking the deleterious effects of climate change on them. Several ex situ conservation measures (e.g., seed collection, population augmentation) should be taken to preserve the southernmost populations of these rare arctic-alpine taxa and a better understanding of their population genetics is urgently needed.
Low Nickel, Ceria Zirconia-Based Micro-Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell: A Study of Composition and Oxidation Using Hydrogen and Methane Fuel
Authors: Shabri Hazrul Adzfar , Rudin Siti Norlaila Faeizah Mohd , Deraman Shahirah , Rahman Mazlinda Ab , Othman Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan , Jamil Siti Munira , Kurniawan Tonni Agustiono , Li Tao , Bakar Suriani Abu , Osman Nafisah , Jaafar Juhana , Rahman Mukhlis A , Ismail Ahmad Fauzi
Published: December 2021

The study examines the effect of using low nickel (Ni) with high ceria (CeO2) anode content towards the oxidation of H2 and CH4 fuel by evaluating the activation energy of the ohmic process and charge transfer process. Using a micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (MT-SOFC), the anodes are made up of 50% YSZ with varying NiO:CeO2 percentages from 0% NiO, 50% CeO2 to 50% NiO, 0% CeO2. The performance is measured based on maximum power density (MPD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and activation energy, Ea of the ohmic (Rohm) and charge transfer (Rct) processes. We found that by lowering the Ni content to lower than 50% NiO, anode conductivity will drop by 7-fold. An anode containing 37.5% NiO, 12.5% CeO2 yield MPD of 41.1 and 2.9 mW cm−2 when tested on H2 and CH4 fuels thus have the lowest Ni content without an abrupt negative effect on the MPD and EIS. The significant effect of conductivity drops on MPD and EIS are observed to occur at 25% NiO, 25% CeO2 and lower NiO content. However, anode content of 25% NiO, 25% CeO2 has the lowest Ea for Rct (29.74 kJ mol−1) for operation in CH4, making it the best anode composition to oxidize CH4. As a conclusion, an anode containing 25% NiO:25% CeO2:50% YSZ and 37.5% NiO:12.5% CeO2:50% YSZ shows promising results in becoming the low Ni anode for coking-tolerant SOFC.
Technology for Predicting Particulate Matter Emissions at Construction Sites in South Korea
Authors: Yang Jihwan , Tae Sungho , Kim Hyunsik
Published: December 2021

In recent years, particulate matter (PM) has emerged as a major social issue in various industries, particularly in East Asia. PM not only causes various environmental, social, and economic problems but also has a large impact on public health. Thus, there is an urgent requirement for reducing PM emissions. In South Korea, the PM generated at construction sites in urban areas directly or indirectly causes various environmental problems in surrounding areas. Construction sites are considered a major source of PM that must be managed at the national level. Therefore, this study aims to develop a technology for predicting PM emissions at construction sites. First, the major sources of PM at construction sites are determined. Then, PM emission factors are calculated for each source. Furthermore, an algorithm is developed for calculating PM emissions on the basis of an emission factor database, and a system is built for predicting PM emissions at construction sites. The reliability of the proposed technology is evaluated through a case study. The technology is expected to be used for predicting potential PM emissions at construction sites before the start of construction.
Light Electric Vehicles for Muscle–Battery Electric Mobility in Circular Economy: A Comprehensive Study
Authors: Wüstenhagen Sven , Beckert Paul , Lange Olaf , Franze Andreas
Published: December 2021

Light electric vehicles (LEVs) facilitate a significant reduction in global warming potential (GWP) and other environmental impacts related to specific transport performance due to their lightweight construction. Low-voltage systems in the drive engine, an open vehicle design and online vehicle data processing allow LEVs to be repaired by independent workshops, thus enabling long vehicle use as well as conversion or retrofitting for periods of use beyond 20 years. LEVs are not yet very common in everyday life in Western Europe. In order to support the acceptance of muscle power-supported LEVs in the EU L7e registration class by users, the vehicle design and construction specifically address requirements in the areas of last-mile parcel delivery and other transport services, including passenger transport. Life cycle assessment was used to investigate two construction methods for LEVs, mixed construction and fibre composite construction, in terms of the production, service life phase and end of life. A vehicle configuration was developed which, in addition to resource-saving production and long-life operation, enables easy access for users and maintenance of the LEV for various purposes. The resource efficiency of light electric vehicles was proven with regard to the ecological aspects. The vehicle design shown here shows high potential for LEVs in the circular economy.
Differences in Visual Preference in Rural Landscapes on the Plain of La Mancha in Spain
Authors: Ayuga-Téllez Esperanza , Ramírez-Montoro Juan José , Grande-Ortiz Maria Ángeles , Muñoz-Violero Diego
Published: December 2021

For centuries, agricultural activities have marked and defined the landscape with its own distinctive features. The consideration of the rural landscape as a resource has gained traction in recent years. In Europe, the European Landscape Convention offers a solid framework that places landscape at the forefront of European policies on cultural heritage, environment, and territorial ordination. The most important new development is the integrated vision of the landscape in its cultural and natural aspects, and the introduction of its social dimension. This work analyses the influence of different factors on preferences for rural landscapes in the locality of Campo de Criptana (Ciudad Real), representative of the singular rural landscape of the La Mancha plain. The method for assessing landscape is the people’s aesthetic response to it. Specifically, an analysis has been made of the observers’ preferences in relation to their educational level (university educated or not), gender, age, and place of origin (whether they come from the locality itself or from outside). This is one of the few works that analyse the place of origin of the observer. In view of these results, it can be concluded that all the demographic factors analysed have an influence on preferences in rural landscapes.
Social Media Literacy among Oil Palm Smallholders in East Malaysia and Association with Oil Palm Integration Practices
Authors: Ab Rahman Abdul Hafiz , Abdullah Azlina , Selvadurai Sivapalan , Zakaria Sharifah Zarina Syed , Lyndon Novel , Abidin Khairul
Published: December 2021

With advancements in technology, social media has revolutionised the way farmers communicate, resulting in an increased level of shared agricultural knowledge. Therefore, this study investigates social media literacy among oil palm smallholders in East Malaysia and the association with oil palm integration practices. A survey of 194 respondents was conducted using a random sampling method. The survey questionnaire was adapted from several previous studies on social media literacy. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, involving t-test, ANOVA, and logistic regression were conducted. Social media literacy was significantly higher among oil palm smallholders who were younger, with higher educational levels (p < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that as the level of social media literacy increased, the probability for agricultural integration practices also increased (odds ratio (OR) = 1.052; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.022, 1.083). However, smallholders needed to optimise their use of social media to provide greater benefits to their agriculture. The findings of this study are useful in illustrating that interventions in social media literacy may efficiently facilitate oil palm integration. The results of this study can provide information and recommendations towards policies for the modernising of oil palm farming in Malaysia. Such studies, however, need to be further expanded by involving a larger sample of smallholders nationwide, to represent the geography of smallholders with varying levels of internet accessibility in Malaysia.
The Rise of Sustainable Consumerism: Evidence from the Egyptian Generation Z
Authors: Khalil Salma , Ismail Ayman , Ghalwash Seham
Published: December 2021

Sustainable consumerism is a topic that is still being explored and developed across nations and countries. A new generation of consumers and the world’s future leaders—Generation Z—have already begun to change the marketing and consumer landscape and have accelerated the means to achieve sustainable development. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Generation Z remains unexplored and ambiguous. The purpose of this article is to gain an understanding of the behavioral aspects of the Egyptian Generation Z, their consumerism, ecological consciousness, and corporate expectations. This exploratory research adopted qualitative methods using in-depth semi-structured interviews with a selected sample of participants representing the Egyptian Generation Z. The findings reveal an infantile but informed and reactive market of consumers whose acts of marketing and branding decisions contribute to reaching corporate sustainability, despite the fact they are viewed as nescient in the broader global community. This research provides the first evidence on the Egyptian Generation Z and their behavior towards sustainable consumerism in a new context of developing countries.
The Significance of Cultural Policy—Case Study of South Korea
Authors: Ścibiorska-Kowalczyk Izabela , Cichoń Julia
Published: December 2021

The main research problem that this article focuses on is: does a wide-ranging cultural policy contribute to the implementation of the idea of sustainable development in practice? This article aims to show, using the example of South Korea, the importance of the state’s cultural policy as a factor that is conducive to economic success and an increase in the standard of living of a society. This policy leads to the evolution of society from one centered on the mass consumption of material goods to one centered on the mass consumption of cultural goods, which, combined with the development of creative industries, contributes to the implementation of the elements of sustainable development in practice. The research methods used in the work were the study of literature in the studied area, the analysis of documents and reports on cultural policy, and the development of cultural and creative industries. An assessment of the degree to which pop culture development in South Korea is a factor in the economic development of the country, given its commercial nature and its ability to increase the standards of living of an entire society, was also carried out. The example of South Korea shows the benefits for the national economy of promoting creativity and culture. Preferences and consumer attitudes are shaped in areas that have a minimal impact on the natural environment and the exploitation of natural resources.
Potential Human Exposure to Mercury (Hg) in a Chlor-Alkali Plant Impacted Zone: Risk Characterization Using Updated Site Assessment Data
Authors: Kismelyeva Symbat , Khalikhan Rustem , Torezhan Aisulu , Kumisbek Aiganym , Akimzhanova Zhanel , Karaca Ferhat , Guney Mert
Published: December 2021

Industrial activities have resulted in severe environmental contamination that may expose rural and urban populations to unacceptable health risks. For example, chlor-alkali plants (CAPs) have historically contributed mercury (Hg) contamination in different environmental compartments. One such site (a burden from the Soviet Union) is located in an industrial complex in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. Earlier studies showed the CAP operating in the second half of the twentieth century caused elevated Hg levels in soil, water, air, and biota. However, follow-up studies with thorough risk characterization are missing. The present study aims to provide a detailed risk characterization based on the data from a recent site assessment around the former CAP. The ⅀HI (hazard index) ranged from 9.30 × 10−4 to 0.125 (deterministic method) and from 5.19 × 10−4 to 2.54 × 10−2 (probabilistic method). The results indicate acceptable excess human health risks from exposure to Hg contamination in the region, i.e., exposure to other Hg sources not considered. Air inhalation and soil ingestion pathways contributed to the highest ⅀HI values (up to 99.9% and 92.0%, respectively). The residential exposure scenario (among four) presented the greatest human health risks, with ⅀HI values ranging from 1.23 × 10−2 to 0.125. Although the local urban and rural population is exposed to acceptable risks coming from exposure to Hg-contaminated environmental media, an assessment of contamination directly on the former CAP site on the industrial complex could not be performed due to access prohibition. Furthermore, the risks from ingesting contaminated fish were not covered as methyl-Hg was not targeted. An additional assessment may be needed for the scenarios of exposure of workers on the industrial complex and of the local population consuming fish from contaminated Lake Balkyldak. Studies on the fate and transport of Hg in the contaminated ecosystem are also recommended considering Hg methylation and subsequent bioaccumulation in the food chain.
What Makes Employees Behave Innovatively? Empirical Evidence from South Korea
Authors: Lee Sora , Yoo Jaewon
Published: December 2021

Although the value of a supportive organizational strategy has been recognized over time, there is a need to better understand its relationship with employees’ psychological and behavioral responses. This study focuses on employees’ innovative behavior as a result of their perceptions of internal market orientation in the organization. It proposes a sequential process model that examines the impact of internal market orientation on employees’ innovative behavior through the ethical climate, psychological ownership, and employee stewardship toward the organization. Using data collected from 310 employees of small and medium-sized enterprises in various industries in South Korea, a linear sequential relationship among the constructs is confirmed. The findings of this empirical study, therefore, suggest that the ethical climate, psychological ownership, and stewardship mediate the effects of internal market orientation on employees’ innovative behavior. The research thus offers a conceptual framework that shows the sequential process of the effect of internal market orientation on innovative behavior. Further, it shows that the perception of an ethical climate can be influenced by management and can develop an employee’s psychological ownership. Implications for managers and directions for future research are also discussed.
Does the Agglomeration of Producer Services and the Market Entry of Enterprises Promote Carbon Reduction? An Empirical Analysis of the Yangtze River Economic Belt
Authors: Zhang Tianling , Su Panda , Deng Hongbing
Published: December 2021

As the world’s largest carbon emitter, China has been committed to carbon emission reduction and green development. Under the goal of “double carbon”, adjusting the industrial structure and promoting the development of producer services are regarded as effective emission reduction paths. In this paper, from the perspective of market entry of enterprises, we firstly investigate the transmission mechanism between market entry of enterprises and industrial agglomeration and summarize the carbon emission reduction mechanism of producer services. Based on the panel data of 110 prefecture-level cities in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2003 to 2017, we analyze the impact of producer services on carbon emission reduction by using the dynamic spatial panel model. The empirical results show that China’s urban carbon dioxide emissions have noticeable spatial spillover effects and high emission club clustering characteristics and exhibit a noticeable snowball effect and leakage effect in time and space dimensions. The development of the producer services can effectively reduce carbon emission levels, effectively solving the dilemma of “stabilizing growth and promoting emission reduction”. Furthermore, there is an apparent synergistic effect between enterprises’ market entry and industrial agglomeration. The agglomeration of producer services can effectively promote the entry of innovative new enterprises, thus increasing the carbon emission reduction effect. However, due to resource mismatch and isomorphic development, this carbon emission reduction effect has apparent industrial heterogeneity and regional heterogeneity. Finally, this paper makes suggestions for optimizing regional industrial structure, strengthening inter-regional linkage cooperation, and promoting the advanced development of the producer services.
The Effects of Thermal-Spatial Behaviours of Land Covers on Urban Heat Islands in Semi-Arid Climates
Authors: Atri Moein , Nedae-Tousi Sahar , Shahab Sina , Solgi Ebrahim
Published: December 2021

In recent decades, unsustainable urban development stemming from uncontrolled changes in land cover and the accumulation of population and activities have given rise to adverse environmental consequences, such as the formation of urban heat islands (UHIs) and changes in urban microclimates. The formation and intensity of UHIs can be influenced not only by the type of land cover, but also by other factors, such as the spatial patterns of thermal clusters (e.g., dimensions, contiguity, and integration). By emphasising the differences between semi-arid and cold-and-humid climates in terms of the thermal-spatial behaviours of various types of land cover in these climates, this paper aims to assess the behavioural patterns of thermal clusters in Tehran, Iran. To this end, the relationship between the land surface temperature (LST) and the types of land cover is first demonstrated using combined multispectral satellite images taken by Operational Land Imager (OLI), Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) of the Landsat8 and MODIS, and Sentinel satellites to determine LST and land cover. The effects of different behavioural patterns of thermal clusters on the formation of daytime urban heat islands are then analysed through spatial cross-correlation analysis. Lastly, the thermal behaviours of each cluster are separately examined to reveal how their spatial patterns, such as contiguity, affect the intensity and formation of UHI, with the assumption that each point in a contiguous surface may exhibit different thermal behaviours, depending on its distance from the edge or centre. The results of this study show that the daytime UHIs do not occur in the central parts of Tehran, and instead they are created in the surrounding layer, which mostly consists of barren cover. This finding contrasts with previous research conducted regarding cities located in cold-and-humid climates. Our research also finds that the more compact the hot and cool clusters are, the more contiguous they become, which leads to an increase in UHIs. The results suggest that for every 100 pix/km2 increase, the cluster temperature increases by approximately 0.7–1 °C. Additionally, placing cool clusters near or in combination with hot clusters interrupts the effect of the hot clusters, leading to a significant temperature reduction. The paper concludes with recommendations for potential sustainable and context-based solutions to UHI problems in semi-arid climates that relate to the determination of the optimal contiguity distance and land use integration patterns for thermal clusters.
Assessment of Distribution of Potentially Toxic Elements in Different Environmental Media Impacted by a Former Chlor-Alkali Plant
Authors: Guney Mert , Akimzhanova Zhanel , Kumisbek Aiganym , Kismelyeva Symbat , Guney Almira , Karaca Ferhat , Inglezakis Vassilis
Published: December 2021

Former industrially contaminated sites are a burden from the past that still pose environmental risks. During the second half of the 20th century, the Pavlodar region in North Kazakhstan had been a part of Soviet Union’s industrial system that operated a chlor-alkali plant (CAP). The former CAP discharged approximately 135 t Hg into nearby Lake Balkyldak with total losses to water, soil, and air estimated around 1000 t. Pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) due to former and currently active industrial enterprises is an under-investigated concern in the Pavlodar region. The present study aims to provide a much-needed update on the situation around the CAP area by evaluating the contamination by Hg and other selected PTEs (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Zn) on the surrounding environment of the CAP and in the nearby urban zone. Soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater samples have been collected in several sampling campaigns carried out in 2018 and 2019. Several samples had Hg concentrations exceeding maximum permissible concentrations (MPC), for soils and sediments (in mg/kg; range: 0.0006 to 24, average: 0.56) and for surface water and groundwater (in µg/L; range: 0.004 to 1340, average: 93). Critically high concentrations were mostly measured in the vicinity of Lake Balkyldak, where the majority of Hg had been discharged by the former CAP, indicating persisting Hg pollution in the studied zone. A comparison of the PTEs concentrations in soil and sediments showed less severe pollution but still some elevated values for As, Ba, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Se. The inter-elemental relationship between Hg and assessed PTEs was weak, indicating the presence of sources independent from Hg emitting sources. Further research on Hg contamination on the exact territory of the former CAP is needed, and a detailed human health risk characterization to identify potential unacceptable risks is strongly recommended.
Analysis of Drought Characteristics and Its Effects on Crop Yield in Xinjiang in Recent 60 Years
Authors: Cheng Junqi , Yin Shuyan
Published: December 2021

With global warming, the frequency of drought in China is gradually increasing. The study of drought characteristics and its impact on crop yield is of great significance to ecological construction and food security. Based on the SPEI index in Xinjiang from 1961 to 2020, the changing characteristics of drought and their responses to meteorological yield of three kinds of crops (cotton, wheat and corn) were analyzed. The results revealed that the SPEI in Xinjiang exhibited a decreasing trend. Drought occurred less during 1961–1996 and mainly occurred during 1997–2020. The annual variation trend of SPEI decreased regionally, and the arid trend increased from northwest to southeast. The seasonal variation in SPEI displayed an increasing trend only in winter, but a decreasing trend in spring, summer and autumn. The decreasing trend of the SPEI index in spring accounted for 90.91%, mainly distributed in the central and eastern part of Xinjiang; the decreasing trend in summer accounted for 81.82%, mainly located in the eastern part of Xinjiang; the decreasing trend in autumn accounted for 84.85%, mainly located in the south and central and eastern part of Xinjiang; the decreasing trend in winter accounted for only 33.33%, mainly located in the southwest, central and eastern part of Xinjiang; the per unit area yield of the three kinds of crops showed a significant increasing trend (p < 0.01). The meteorological yield of cotton showed an increasing trend, while that of wheat and corn showed a decreasing trend. Correlation analysis of climatic yield and SPEI, and regression analysis of standardized climatic yield residuals and SPEI in different seasons revealed that drought in spring and autumn had the greatest effect on the meteorological yield of cotton, while drought in spring and summer had the greatest effect on the meteorological yield of wheat and corn.
Principles of Gravitational-Wave Detection with Pulsar Timing Arrays
Authors: Maiorano Michele , De Paolis Francesco , Nucita Achille
Published: December 2021

Pulsar timing uses the highly stable pulsar spin period to investigate many astrophysical topics. In particular, pulsar timing arrays make use of a set of extremely well-timed pulsars and their time correlations as a challenging detector of gravitational waves. It turns out that pulsar timing arrays are particularly sensitive to ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves, which makes them complementary to other gravitational-wave detectors. Here, we summarize the basics, focusing especially on supermassive black-hole binaries and cosmic strings, which have the potential to form a stochastic gravitational-wave background in the pulsar timing array detection band, and the scientific goals on this challenging topic. We also briefly outline the recent interesting results of the main pulsar timing array collaborations, which have found strong evidence of a common-spectrum process compatible with a stochastic gravitational-wave background and mention some new perspectives that are particularly interesting in view of the forthcoming radio observatories such as the Five hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, the MeerKAT telescope, and the Square Kilometer Array.
A Novel Multi-Population Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Energy-Efficient Hybrid Flow Shop Scheduling Problem
Authors: Zuo Yandi , Fan Zhun , Zou Tierui , Wang Pan
Published: December 2021

Considering green scheduling and sustainable manufacturing, the energy-efficient hybrid flow shop scheduling problem (EHFSP) with a variable speed constraint is investigated, and a novel multi-population artificial bee colony algorithm (MPABC) is developed to minimize makespan, total tardiness and total energy consumption (TEC), simultaneously. It is necessary for manufacturers to fully understand the notion of symmetry in balancing economic and environmental indicators. To improve the search efficiency, the population was randomly categorized into a number of subpopulations, then several groups were constructed based on the quality of subpopulations. A different search strategy was executed in each group to maintain the population diversity. The historical optimization data were also used to enhance the quality of solutions. Finally, extensive experiments were conducted. The results demonstrate that MPABC can achieve an outstanding performance on three metrics DIR, c and nd for the considered EHFSP.
T-Spherical Fuzzy Rough Interactive Power Heronian Mean Aggregation Operators for Multiple Attribute Group Decision-Making
Authors: Wang Haolun
Published: December 2021

In this article, to synthesize the merits of interaction operational laws (IOLs), rough numbers (RNs), power average (PA) and Heronian mean (HM), a new notion of T-spherical fuzzy rough numbers (T-SFRNs) is first introduced to describe the intention of group experts accurately and take the interaction between individual experts into account with complete and symmetric information. The distance measure and ordering rules of T-SFRNs are proposed, and the IOLs of T-SFRNs are extended. Next, the PA and HM are combined based on the IOLs of T-SFRNs, and the T-Spherical fuzzy rough interaction power Heronian mean operator and its weighted form are proposed. These aggregation operators can accurately express both individual and group uncertainty using T-SFRNs, capture the interaction among membership degree, abstinence degree and non-membership degree of T-SFRNs by employing IOLs, ensure the overall balance of variable values by the PA in the process of information fusion, and realize the interrelationship between attribute variables by the HM. Several properties and special cases of these aggregation operators are further presented and discussed. Subsequently, a new approach for dealing with T-spherical fuzzy multiple attribute group decision-making problems based on proposed aggregation operator is developed. Lastly, in order to validate the feasibility and reasonableness of the proposed approach, a numerical example is presented, and the superiorities of the proposed method are illustrated by describing a sensitivity analysis and a comparative analysis.
Botulinum Toxin Therapy in Writer’s Cramp and Musician’s Dystonia
Authors: Zakin Elina , Simpson David M.
Published: December 2021

Task-specific focal dystonia is characterized by muscle contraction(s) during a specific task, resulting in abnormal postures or movements. Specifically, writer’s cramp involves the upper extremity during the act of writing. Musician’s dystonia has a highly variable presentation, and thus makes therapeutic options more limited. Treatments include oral pharmacologic agents, neuromodulation, surgery and, most often, botulinum toxin (BoNT) injection. Selection of target muscles for toxin injection continues to be an area of active research for these task-specific movements. We present a review of the literature selected from a predefined search of the MEDLINE and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. We include six controlled studies of botulinum toxin for the management of writer’s cramp and focal task-specific dystonia (FTSD), including musician’s dystonia. Overall, 139 patients were included across all studies, with 99 individuals injected for writer’s cramp and the remaining 40 individuals with FTSD. The age range of all patients was 18–80 years old. We included studies that utilized only the BoNT-A serotype. These studies utilized various severity scales to quantify response to toxin injection, with ratings of instrument or pen control included as subjective ratings. Of the included 139 patients in this review, pooled data for toxin response show that 73% of patients who received the drug demonstrated improvement. Specific techniques for muscle localization and targeting were difficult to study as variable methods were employed. This remains an area of ongoing exploration.
Enhancing the Antiviral Potency of Nucleobases for Potential Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Therapies
Authors: Soto-Acosta Ruben , Edwards Tiffany C. , Dreis Christine D. , Krishna Venkatramana D. , Cheeran Maxim C-J. , Qiu Li , Xie Jiashu , Bonnac Laurent F. , Geraghty Robert J.
Published: December 2021

Broad-spectrum antiviral therapies hold promise as a first-line defense against emerging viruses by blunting illness severity and spread until vaccines and virus-specific antivirals are developed. The nucleobase favipiravir, often discussed as a broad-spectrum inhibitor, was not effective in recent clinical trials involving patients infected with Ebola virus or SARS-CoV-2. A drawback of favipiravir use is its rapid clearance before conversion to its active nucleoside-5′-triphosphate form. In this work, we report a synergistic reduction of flavivirus (dengue, Zika), orthomyxovirus (influenza A), and coronavirus (HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2) replication when the nucleobases favipiravir or T-1105 were combined with the antimetabolite 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside (6MMPr). The 6MMPr/T-1105 combination increased the C-U and G-A mutation frequency compared to treatment with T-1105 or 6MMPr alone. A further analysis revealed that the 6MMPr/T-1105 co-treatment reduced cellular purine nucleotide triphosphate synthesis and increased conversion of the antiviral nucleobase to its nucleoside-5′-monophosphate, -diphosphate, and -triphosphate forms. The 6MMPr co-treatment specifically increased production of the active antiviral form of the nucleobases (but not corresponding nucleosides) while also reducing levels of competing cellular NTPs to produce the synergistic effect. This in-depth work establishes a foundation for development of small molecules as possible co-treatments with nucleobases like favipiravir in response to emerging RNA virus infections.
Parents’ Decisions to Vaccinate Children against COVID-19: A Scoping Review
Authors: Pan Fengming , Zhao Hongyu , Nicholas Stephen , Maitland Elizabeth , Liu Rugang , Hou Qingzhen
Published: December 2021

Since 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in sickness, hospitalizations, and deaths of the old and young and impacted global social and economy activities. Vaccination is one of the most important and efficient ways to protect against the COVID-19 virus. In a review of the literature on parents’ decisions to vaccinate their children, we found that widespread vaccination was hampered by vaccine hesitancy, especially for children who play an important role in the coronavirus transmission in both family and school. To analyze parent vaccination decision-making for children, our review of the literature on parent attitudes to vaccinating children, identified the objective and subjective influencing factors in their vaccination decision. We found that the median rate of parents vaccinating their children against COVID-19 was 59.3% (IQR 48.60~73.90%). The factors influencing parents’ attitudes towards child vaccination were heterogeneous, reflecting country-specific factors, but also displaying some similar trends across countries, such as the education level of parents. The leading reason in the child vaccination decision was to protect children, family and others; and the fear of side effects and safety was the most important reason in not vaccinating children. Our study informs government and health officials about appropriate vaccination policies and measures to improve the vaccination rate of children and makes specific recommendations on enhancing child vaccinate rates.
Evaluation of Toxicity, Bacteriostatic, Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antipyretic Activities of Huangqin-Honghua-Pugongying-Jinyinhua Extract
Authors: Ye Dongyang , Sun Jing , Li Yinqian
Published: December 2021

The extensive use of antibiotics has caused the global spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria and genes, seriously reducing antibiotic efficacy and threatening animal and human health. As an alternative, traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM) was used in this study for its lack of drug resistance and low toxicity. Huangqin-honghua-pugongying-jinyinhua extract (HHPJE), a novel TCVM, consists of the extracts of Huangqin (Scutellaria baicalensis), Honghua (Carthami Flos), Pugongying (Taraxacum) and Jinyinhua (Lonicerae Japonicae Flos), and was developed to treat bovine mastitis. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity, bacteriostatic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic activities of HHPJE. Our results show that HHPJE did not show any acute oral toxicity and can be considered safe for oral administration. Additionally, HHPJE possessed a dose-dependent antibacterial effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus dysgalactiae. HHPJE (60, 30 and 15 g/kg) can reduce the abdominal pain by 44.83 ± 7.69%, 43.15 ± 9.50% and 26.14 ± 4.17%, respectively. The percentages of anti-inflammation inhibition (60, 30 and 15 g/kg) were 35.34 ± 2.17%, 22.29 ± 2.74% and 12.06 ± 3.61%, respectively. The inhibition rates (60, 30 and 15 g/kg) of antipyretic activity were 82.05%, 65.71% and 52.80%, respectively. The evaluation of pharmacodynamics and toxicity indicate that HHPJE possesses significant bacteriostatic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potential, and also that it is safe for acute oral toxicity, which means it has potential value for treating bovine mastitis in future and alleviating clinical symptoms with no drug resistance or side effects.
Upstream Solutions to Downstream Problems: Investing in Rural Natural Infrastructure for Water Quality Improvement and Flood Risk Mitigation
Authors: Suttles Kelly M. , Eagle Alison J. , McLellan Eileen L.
Published: December 2021

Communities across the globe are experiencing degraded water quality as well as inland flooding, and these problems are anticipated to worsen with climate change. We review the evidence that implementing natural infrastructure in upstream agricultural landscapes could improve water quality and reduce flood risk for downstream communities. Based on our analysis, we identify a suite of natural infrastructure measures that provide the greatest benefits, and which could be prioritized for investment by downstream communities and regional leadership, with an emphasis on systems that minimize loss of productive agricultural land. Our results suggest that the restoration of wetlands and floodplains are likely to provide the greatest benefits for both water quality improvement and flood risk reduction.
Altitudinal Gradient Characteristics of Spatial and Temporal Variations of Snowpack in the Changbai Mountain and Their Response to Climate Change
Authors: Chen Yongming , Chang Zehua , Xu Shiguo , Qi Peng , Tang Xiaoyu , Song Yang , Liu Dongmei
Published: December 2021

The variations in the snowpack in water towers of the world due to climate change have threatened the amount and timing of freshwater supplied downstream. However, it remains to be further investigated whether snowpack variation in water towers exhibits elevational heterogeneity at different altitude gradients and which climatic factors mainly influence these differences. Therefore, Changbai Mountain, a high-latitude water tower, was selected to analyze the changes in the snowpack by the methods of modified Mann–Kendall based on the daily meteorological data from the China Meteorological Data Service Centre. Meanwhile, the responses of snowpack change to climatic factors over recent decades were assessed and generalized using additive models. The results showed that the snow depth was greater in the higher altitude areas than in the lower elevation areas at different times. Areas with a snow depth of over 70 mm increased significantly in the 2010s. Increasing trends were shown at different altitudes from December to March of the next year during 1960~2018. However, a significant decreasing trend was shown in April, except for altitudes of 600–2378 m. The snow cover time at different altitudes showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing during 1960~2018. The date of maximum snow depth appears to be more lagged as the altitude increases. In addition, the spring snowpack melted significantly faster in the 2010s than that in the 1960s. The snowpack variation in low-altitude regions is mainly influenced by ET and relative humidity. However, the mean temperature gradually became an important factor, affecting the snow depth variation with the increase in altitude. Therefore, the results of this study will be beneficial to the ecological protection and sustainable development of water towers.
Rainwater Harvesting to Address Current and Forecasted Domestic Water Scarcity: Application to Arid and Semi-Arid Areas
Authors: Judeh Tariq , Shahrour Isam
Published: December 2021

This paper discusses the effectiveness of rooftops rainwater harvesting (RRWH) in addressing domestic water scarcity, emphasizing the West Bank (Palestine) as an example of arid to semi-arid areas with limited water resources. The paper deals with the actual and future water demand by considering climate-change impact and urban growth. The analysis is based on the evaluation of (i) the supply–demand balance index (SDBI), which designates the ratio between the total water supply (TWS) and total water demand (TWD), and (ii) the potential of RRWH. Applying this methodology to the West Bank shows that the potential RRWH can contribute by about 40 million cubic meters/year in 2020, which is approximately the same amount of water as the municipal water supply (42 million cubic meters/year). This contribution can effectively reduce the suffering governorates from 64% to 27% in 2020. Furthermore, it can support water-related decision-makers in the arid to semi-arid areas in formulating efficient and sustainable water resources strategies. The analysis also shows that the domestic water scarcity in 2050 will be worse than in 2020 for all governorates. For example, 73% of the West Bank governorates are expected to suffer from extreme to acute water scarcity in 2050 compared to 64% in 2020. Thus, RRWH appears to be highly efficient in mitigating the current and future domestic water scarcity in the West Bank.
Performance Evaluation of AquaCrop Model in Processing Tomato Biomass, Fruit Yield and Water Stress Indicator Modelling
Authors: Takács Sándor , Csengeri Erzsébet , Pék Zoltán , Bíró Tibor , Szuvandzsiev Péter , Palotás Gábor , Helyes Lajos
Published: December 2021

A three-year long experiment was conducted on open-field tomato with different levels of water shortage stress. Three different water supply levels were set in 2017 and four levels for 2018 and 2019. Biomass and yield data were collected, along with leaf-temperature-based stress measurements on plants. These were used for calibration and validation of the AquaCrop model. The validation gave various results of biomass and yield simulation during the growing season. The largest errors in the prediction occurred in the middle of the growing seasons, but the simulation became more accurate at harvest in general. The prediction of final biomass and yields were good according to the model evaluation indicators. The relative root mean square error (nRMSE) was 12.1 and 13.6% for biomass and yield prediction, respectively. The modeling efficiency (EF) was 0.96 (biomass) and 0.99 (yield), and Willmott’s index of agreement (d) was 0.99 for both predicted parameters at harvest. The lowest nRMSE (4.17) was found in the simulation of final yields of 2018 (the calibration year). The best accuracy of the validation year was reached under mild stress treatment. No high correlation was found between the simulated and measured stress indicators. However, increasing and decreasing trends could be followed especially in the severely stressed treatments.
Rapid Start-Up of the Aerobic Granular Reactor under Low Temperature and the Nutriment Removal Performance of Granules with Different Particle Sizes
Authors: Liang Dongbo , Li Jun , Zheng Zhaoming , Zhang Jing , Wu Yaodong , Li Dongyue , Li Peilin , Zhang Kai
Published: December 2021

The start-up of the aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process under low temperature is challenging. In this study, the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was fed with synthetic wastewater and the temperature was controlled at 15 ℃. The main components in the synthetic wastewater were sodium acetate and ammonium chloride. The influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH4+-N concentrations were 300 and 60 mg/L, respectively. The AGS was successfully cultivated in 60 days by gradually shortening the settling time. During the stable operation stage (61–100 d), the average effluent COD, NH4+-N, NO2−-N, and NO3−-N concentrations were 47.2, 1.0, 47.2, and 5.1 mg/L, respectively. Meanwhile, the nitrite accumulation rate (NAR) reached 90.6%. Batch test showed that the smaller AGS had higher NH4+-N removal rate while the larger AGS performed higher NAR. The NH4+-N removal rates of R1 (1.0–2.0 mm), R2 (2.0–3.0 mm), and R3 (>3 mm) granules were 0.85, 0.61, and 0.45 g N/(kg VSS·h), respectively. Meanwhile, the NAR of R1, R2, and R3 were 36.2%, 77.2%, and 94.9%, respectively. The obtained results could provide important guidance for the cultivation of AGS in low-temperature wastewater treatment.
Rationale for using nutrient complexes with vitamin and mineral compositions in rehabilitation schemes for patients who have undergone viral infections (literature review)
Authors: Gizinger Oksana A.
Published: December 2021

The results of the previous studies have shown that the use of nutrient complexes with vitamin and mineral compositions in rehabilitation schemes for patients who have undergone viral infections, including COVID-19, is an important link in rehabilitation measures and post COVID-19. The article pathogenetically substantiates the use of biologically active food supplements containing vitamins A, D3, E, C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acid, zinc, vanadium, catechins, proanthocyanidins, flavonoids and glycyrrhizic acid.