bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Propositional Inference for IoT Based Dosage Calibration System Using Private Patient-Specific Prescription against Fatal Dosages
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Karthikeyan , Balakrishnan Arunkumar , Govardhanan Kousalya , Selvarasu Sadagopan
Published: December 2022

IoT-based insulin pumps are used to deliver precise quantities of insulin to diabetic patients to regulate blood glucose levels. Generally, these levels correspond to the dietary patterns observed at time intervals that vary between patients. However, any misrepresentation in insulin levels may lead to fatal consequences. As a result, most IoT-based insulin pumps are rejected due to the possibility of external threats, which include software and hardware attacks. However, IoT-based insulin pumps are extremely useful in real-time patient monitoring, and for controlled insulin delivery to the patient based on their current glucose level. We propose a blockchain-based method to protect against the above-mentioned attacks. The system creates a patient-specific private blockchain wherein the dosage information is added as a new block by obtaining the approval of the doctor, chief doctor, nurse, and caretaker of the patient who are authorized blockchain miners. Secondly, it securely transfers prescription data, such as dosage quantity and time of delivery, to the IoT insulin pump, which ensures the dosage information is not modified during transit before insulin administration to the patient. The proposed approach uses a state-behavior-based solution that detects anomalies in the behavior of the insulin pump via temporal data analysis and immutable ledger verification, which are designed to eliminate fatal dosages in case of anomalies. The system is designed to work within binary outcome conditions, i.e., it verifies and delivers dosage or halts. There is no middle ground that an attacker can exploit, resulting in accountability for the system.
Influence of Brewing Process on the Profile of Biogenic Amines in Craft Beers
Authors: Gil Renato L. , Amorim Célia M. P. G. , Amorim Henrique G. , Montenegro Maria da Conceição B. S. M. , Araújo Alberto N.
Published: December 2022

The evaluation of the biogenic amines (BAs) profile of different types of craft beers is herein presented. A previously developed and validated analytical method based on ion-pair chromatography coupled with potentiometric detection was used to determine the presence of 10 BAs. Good analytical features were obtained for all amines regarding linearity (R2 values from 0.9873 ± 0.0015 to 0.9973 ± 0.0015), intra- and inter-day precision (RSD lower than 6.9% and 9.7% for beer samples, respectively), and accuracy (recovery between 83.2–108.9%). Detection and quantification limits range from 9.3 to 60.5 and from 31.1 to 202.3 µg L−1, respectively. The validated method was applied to the analysis of four ale beers and one lager craft beer. Ethylamine, spermidine, spermine, and tyramine were detected in all analyzed samples while methylamine and phenylethylamine were not detected. Overall, pale ale beers had a significantly higher total content of BAs than those found in wheat pale and dark samples. A general least square regression model showed a good correlation between the total content of BAs and the brewing process, especially for Plato degree, mashing, and fermentation temperatures. Knowledge about the type of ingredients and manufacturing processes that contribute to higher concentrations of these compounds is crucial to ensuring consumer safety.
Reliability of Running Stability during Treadmill and Overground Running
Authors: Fohrmann Dominik , Hamacher Daniel , Sanchez-Alvarado Alberto , Potthast Wolfgang , Mai Patrick , Willwacher Steffen , Hollander Karsten
Published: December 2022

Running stability is the ability to withstand naturally occurring minor perturbations during running. It is susceptible to external and internal running conditions such as footwear or fatigue. However, both its reliable measurability and the extent to which laboratory measurements reflect outdoor running remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the intra- and inter-day reliability of the running stability as well as the comparability of different laboratory and outdoor conditions. Competitive runners completed runs on a motorized treadmill in a research laboratory and overground both indoors and outdoors. Running stability was determined as the maximum short-term divergence exponent from the raw gyroscope signals of wearable sensors mounted to four different body locations (sternum, sacrum, tibia, and foot). Sacrum sensor measurements demonstrated the highest reliabilities (good to excellent; ICC = 0.85 to 0.91), while those of the tibia measurements showed the lowest (moderate to good; ICC = 0.55 to 0.89). Treadmill measurements depicted systematically lower values than both overground conditions for all sensor locations (relative bias = −9.8% to −2.9%). The two overground conditions, however, showed high agreement (relative bias = −0.3% to 0.5%; relative limits of agreement = 9.2% to 15.4%). Our results imply moderate to excellent reliability for both overground and treadmill running, which is the foundation of further research on running stability.
Research Progress on Adsorption and Separation of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Molecules by Porous Materials
Authors: Yu Haibin , Zang Jiazhong , Guo Chunlei , Li Bin , Li Ben , Zhang Xueyin , Chen Tiehong
Published: December 2022

Petroleum is an indispensable chemical product in industrial production and daily life. The hydrocarbon molecules in petroleum are important raw materials in the organic chemical industry. The hydrocarbons currently used in industry are usually obtained by fractional distillation of petroleum, which not only consumes more energy, but has poor separation selectivity for some hydrocarbons. Adsorption separation technology has many advantages such as energy saving and high efficiency. It can adsorb and separate hydrocarbon molecules in petroleum with low energy consumption and high selectivity under mild conditions. In this paper, the research progress of adsorption and separation of hydrocarbon molecules in petroleum is reviewed, and various new catalysts and the rules of adsorption and desorption are analyzed.
A Systematic Literature Review of Loneliness in Community Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Di Perna Gabriela , Radford Katrina , Barbery Gaery , Fitzgerald Janna Anneke
Published: December 2022

Research on loneliness is extensive. This paper presents a systematic review of intervention studies, outlining the antecedents to, and consequences of loneliness in community-dwelling older people. Using PRISMA methodology, a systematic literature review was conducted between January and August 2021 resulting in 49 useable articles. Papers were included if they: (a) investigated older people (+50); (b) were living in community dwellings; (c) had been published in English; (d) had titles or abstracts available and, (e) were published between 2016 and 2021. This study found the antecedents and consequences of social, emotional and existential loneliness differ, however, the vast majority of research has not examined the unique types of loneliness and instead kept loneliness as a generic term, despite the acceptance that various types of loneliness exist. In addition, the findings of intervention studies identified through this review have yielded mixed results. Those interventions focused on improving personal and psycho-social resources for older people fared better outcomes than those focused on technological and social connections alone. This paper reports important implications for the future of research conducted on loneliness and interventions accordingly.
Through Synergy in Cooperation towards Sustainable Business Strategy Management
Authors: Holubčík Martin , Soviar Jakub , Lendel Viliam
Published: December 2022

In our research we have focused our effort on answering one major question: could theory about synergy effects help to strengthen the cooperation between organizations to achieve more sustainable business? In order to do that, we set up three main research domains: (1) synergies and synergy effects; (2) cooperation and the cooperation environment; and (3) strategic management. From the methodological point of view, besides literature review, we combined content analysis of relevant internet sources (both quantitative and qualitative) and sociological survey in the years 2014 to 2018. The results show us strong connections between the effective usage of cooperation and synergy effect in strategic management and market competitiveness. They also show as that certain way of strategic cooperation between organizations could be significantly beneficial towards business sustainability. In our paper we present data from our research, our main significant findings, and also recommendations and tools for utilizing them in practice.
Impact Assessment of Soil and Water Conservation Measures on Carbon Sequestration: A Case Study for the Tropical Watershed Using Advanced Geospatial Techniques
Authors: Shelar Rahul , Nandgude Sachin , Tiwari Mukesh , Gorantiwar Sunil , Atre Atul
Published: December 2022

A sustainable method for protecting natural resources is the adoption of recommended soil and water conservation (SWC) measures. SWC measures are well recognized for their effective soil protection and water harvesting. Unfortunately, their significance in climate change mitigation has yet to receive global attention. The present study was conducted to highlight the applicability of SWC measures for carbon management in watersheds. In this study, the impact of SWC measures on land cover, soil erosion, carbon loss, and carbon sequestration were investigated using advanced techniques of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS). The study was conducted in the Central Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV) campus watershed, located in the rainfed region of Maharashtra, India. The watershed is already treated with various scientifically planned SWC measures. Following the implementation of conservation measures in the watershed, average annual soil loss was reduced from 18.68 to 9.41 t ha−1yr−1 and carbon loss was reduced from 348.71 to 205.52 kgC ha−1yr−1. It was found that deep continuous contour trenches (DCCT) constructed on barren, forest, and horticultural land have the soil carbon sequestration rates of 0.237, 0.723, and 0.594 t C ha−1yr−1, respectively, for 0–30 cm depth of soil. Similarly, compartment bunds constructed on agricultural land have a soil carbon sequestration rate of 0.612 t C ha−1yr−1. These findings can be of great importance in the planning and management of climate-resilient watersheds.
The Influence of Government Subsidies on the Efficiency of Technological Innovation: A Panel Threshold Regression Approach
Authors: Hu Lihua , Chen Yuanyuan , Fan Tao
Published: December 2022

As a typical technology-intensive industry, the renewable energy industry is a standard sample for scholars to study the R&D innovation of enterprises. At present, the industry is strongly supported by the government subsidy policy in China and has developed rapidly in recent years. Its own financing constraints and lack of innovation power are also the main problems for the development of renewable energy enterprises. Taking A-share renewable energy enterprises from 2016 to 2020 as the research object, this paper constructs a panel model to empirically study the relationship between government subsidies and enterprise innovation efficiency. The findings are as follows. First, government subsidies can significantly promote the innovation efficiency of enterprises; second, the government subsidy has an obvious double threshold effect on the innovation efficiency of enterprises, and when the government subsidy is in a certain range, the subsidy effect is the best; third, the government subsidy effect of non-state-owned renewable energy enterprises is better than that of state-owned enterprises; the effect of government subsidies for renewable energy enterprises in the central and western regions is better than that in the eastern region. The threshold effect of government subsidies on enterprise innovation efficiency is also quite different.
Evaluating the Increasing Trend of Strength and Severe Wind Hazard of Philippine Typhoons Using the Holland-B Parameter and Regional Cyclonic Wind Field Modeling
Authors: Agar Joshua Cunanan
Published: December 2022

For the Philippines, a country exposed to multiple natural hazards, such as severe winds, sustainable development includes resiliency. A severe wind hazard is raised by tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific, known as typhoons, which frequent the Philippines. Therefore, adequately evaluating wind hazards and their impact is crucial for sustainable building design. Acknowledging the effects of climate change on said hazards requires adaptation to their consequences, which necessitates a deeper understanding of the changing behavior of typhoons in recent years. For this study, detailed wind information from the Japanese Meteorological Agency from 1977 to 2021, the Holland-B parameter, and the radius of maximum wind speed for each typhoon, are determined for simulation of the regional cyclonic wind field. The analysis of the Holland-B parameters, which represent the steepness of the pressure gradient and tropical cyclone convection, suggests that the Holland-B parameters have been increasing since 2011. The evaluation of the maximum regional wind fields and the return period wind fields caused by typhoons also indicate an increasing trend in severe wind hazards. Seasonality for the location of severe wind hazards is also observed, with Visayas and Mindanao experiencing an increase (decrease) during the Northeast (Southwest) Monsoon season and Luzon experiencing an increase (decrease) during the Southwest (Northeast) Monsoon season.
Flexural Capacity of Cross-Shaped Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Column–Steel Beam Joints with Side-Plate Connections
Authors: Zhao Yi , Li Fuli , Yan Menghui , Li Qinglu
Published: December 2022

The application of connection joints between a cross-shaped concrete filled steel tubular column and a steel beam can improve the seismic performance, which also provides an effective way for saving building space. In this paper, models and flexural capacity of the connection joint with and without side plates were designed and evaluated, respectively. A refined mechanical analysis model of a joint subjected to low-cycle reciprocating loading was established using the finite element software ABAQUS. The failure characteristics of the joints with and without side plates were compared. The influence of axial compression ratio, side plate height, and side plate thickness on the flexural capacity of joints with side plates was studied. Moreover, the failure mode and force transfer mechanisms of these joints were analyzed. Based on the results of the finite element analysis (FEA), the ultimate tensile capacity of the steel tube column flange to the steel beam was calculated according to the yield line theory; the tension transmitted by the side plate was simplified for calculation via the static equilibrium method. Subsequently, the formula for calculating the flexural capacity of the joint with side plates is established. The results show that the ultimate bearing capacity of the joint was increased by 41.5% due to side plates effect, which decreased with an increasing axial compression ratio. Moreover, the ultimate bearing capacity of the joints increase slightly with an increase of height and thickness of the side plate, and the maximum increase was only 6.2%. In addition, the calculated results obtained by the proposed formula of ultimate flexural capacity are consistent with the results of the FEA.
Transport Infrastructure and Regional Development: A Survey of Literature on Wider Economic and Spatial Impacts
Authors: Rosik Piotr , Wójcik Julia
Published: December 2022

The main purpose of the paper is to provide an overview of methods used to research the relationship between transport infrastructure investments and regional development, with a focus on wider impacts both in the traditional economic context (wider economic impacts or WEIs) and—which is a methodological novelty proposed by this paper—in the spatial context (wider spatial impacts or WSIs). In terms of methodology, research may be conducted using the following methods: cost benefit analysis (CBA) and multi-criteria analysis (MCA), accessibility and potential models, econometric production function estimates, regional modelling, trade and input-output (IO) modelling, Land Use-Transport Interaction (LUTI) or spatial computable general equilibrium (SCGE) models. In the European Union, approaches based on cost-benefit analysis (CBA), or possibly multi-criteria analysis (MCA), continue to prevail. Notwithstanding the availability of a wide range of methods for quantifying socio-economic impacts, the European Union recommends that wider economic impacts at the regional and national levels be assessed by means of qualitative approaches. This being the case, it is recommendable for the European Commission to take broad-ranging action towards ensuring that the effects of transport infrastructure investments are assessed by means of a broader range of approaches.
Exploring the Characteristics of YouTubers and Their Influence on Viewers’ Purchase Intention: A Viewers’ Pseudo-Social Interaction Perspective
Authors: Su Bo-Chiuan , Wu Li-Wei , Wu Ji-Ping
Published: December 2022

As the video content online becomes more and more diverse and rich, YouTube has become the most commonly used video platform by the public. When choosing a product brand, viewers give priority to products recommended by their favorite YouTubers. To our best knowledge, no studies in the research literature have explored the relationships between the degree of YouTubers’ self-disclosure, similarity of viewers and YouTubers, YouTubers’ attractiveness, and viewers’ pseudo-social interaction with YouTubers and how these affect viewers’ stickiness to YouTubers, viewers’ brand attitudes toward products, and viewers’ perceptions and purchase intentions of YouTuber-recommended brands and products. Viewers’ stickiness to YouTubers, viewers’ brand attitudes toward products, and viewers’ pseudo-social interactions with YouTubers are mediating variables. A total of 435 valid questionnaires were collected. The results show that the degree of YouTubers’ self-disclosure, similarity of viewers and YouTubers, and YouTubers’ attractiveness have a significantly positive impact on viewers’ pseudo-social interaction, and viewers’ pseudo-social interaction will also have a significantly positive impact on viewers’ brand attitude and stickiness to YouTubers. Moreover, viewers’ brand attitude has a significantly positive impact on viewers’ purchase intention. The results also show that the degree of self-disclosure, similarity, and attractiveness indirectly affect brand attitudes through pseudo-social interaction as an intermediary, and the pseudo-social interaction has an indirect effect on purchase intention through brand attitudes. Finally, based on the findings, this paper focuses on the YouTube market and proposes strategies that YouTubers can improve to increase viewers’ stickiness, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions for brands and products recommended by YouTubers.
The Indirect Effect of Job Resources on Employees’ Intention to Stay: A Serial Mediation Model with Psychological Capital and Work–Life Balance as the Mediators
Authors: Samroodh Mohammed , Anwar Imran , Ahmad Alam , Akhtar Samreen , Bino Ermal , Ali Mohammed Ashraf
Published: December 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has induced a sudden shift from work in an office setting to work from home. The flexibility and job autonomy achieved through telecommuting ought to facilitate positive outcomes among employees. Apart from a few contradicting studies, telecommuting literature predominantly revolves around the positive aspects of working from home. However, the number of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs has increased since “the great resignation” in March 2021. Therefore, building upon the conservation of resource theory and the job demands and resources framework, the current study tests the influence of specific job resources, job autonomy (JA), and perceived organizational support (POS) on employees’ intention to stay (IS) directly and indirectly through a unique serial mediation pathway of psychological capital (PsyCap) and work–life balance (WLB). The results affirmed that JA and POS have a positive association with employees’ IS. Moreover, PsyCap and WLB were also found serially mediating the direct association between JA, POS, and employees’ IS. The current study’s findings offer valuable insights for HR managers on the relevance of specific job resources and the role of psychological capital in controlling attrition rates. The findings of this study could be helpful for HR managers to design measures to reduce attrition rates and foster work–life balance and positive outcomes among employees. This study is among the first to instrument the indirect role (serial mediation) of PsyCap between job resources, WLB, and employees’ IS, thus significantly contributing to the literature.
Study on the Influence of Water Content on Mechanical Properties and Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Sandstone: Case Study from China Based on a Sandstone from the Nanyang Area
Authors: Huang Xin , Wang Tong , Luo Yanbin , Guo Jiaqi
Published: December 2022

In order to study the influence of water content on the mechanical properties of sandstone and evolution of crack propagation, laboratory compression tests and Engineering Discrete Element Method (EDEM) numerical simulation of sandstone under different conditions were carried out by the RMT-150B rock mechanics test system. The sandstone samples were from Nanyang, Henan Province, containing a total of 12 rock samples. Under the confining pressure of 0, 5, 10, and 20 MPa, the rock samples with 0%, 1.81%, and 3.24% water content were tested. The findings demonstrated that as the sample’s water content grew, the peak strain increased but the peak strength, elastic modulus, maximum energy rate of individual acoustic emission events, and cumulative acoustic emission energy rate all reduced. While the ratio of tensile cracks to shear cracks inside the rock samples rose with increasing water content, the failure mode of sandstone changes from shear failure to tensile failure with the increase of water content, but the sandstone specimens in the three conditions exhibited shear macroscopic fracture surfaces. Research results will provide reference for the safe construction of underground projects in water rich areas.
Research on Path Planning and Control Method for Secondary Autonomous Cutting of Cantilever Roadheader in a Large-Section Coal Roadway
Authors: Wu Jianjun , Xu Ziyue , Fang Xinqiu , Shi Guangliang , Wang Haiyan
Published: December 2022

A cantilever roadheader is the main tunneling equipment for underground coal mine roadways. The key to the safe, efficient and intelligent development of coal enterprises is to achieve the autonomous cutting and intelligent control of the cantilever roadheader. In order to realize the automatic cutting shaping control of a large-section coal roadway, the path planning and control method of secondary automatic cutting of a cantilever roadheader were studied. The Wangjialing 12307 belt roadway was used as the engineering background, the vertical displacement law of the roadway roof under different cutting paths was simulated with the FLAC 3D software, the reasonable cutting path was determined according to the actual situation, and the underground industrial test was carried out. The simplified model and spatial position and attitude coordinate system of the roadheader were established, the kinematics of the roadheader was analyzed, and the position and attitude expression of the cutting head center in the roadway coordinate system was obtained. The simplified model of the cutting head was established, the position expression of the pick in the roadway coordinate system was derived, the position coordinate of the inflection point and the cutting step distance were determined according to the relationship between the cutting head and the roadway boundary, and the cutting path control flow was designed. Finally, the reliability of the cutting path control method was verified with a MATLAB simulation. The research works provide a theoretical foundation for path planning and control to realize “secondary autonomous cutting of cantilever roadheader”.
Spatial-Temporal Changes in Water Supply and Demand in the Citarum Watershed, West Java, Indonesia Using a Geospatial Approach
Authors: Nahib Irmadi , Amhar Fahmi , Wahyudin Yudi , Ambarwulan Wiwin , Suwarno Yatin , Suwedi Nawa , Turmudi Turmudi , Cahyana Destika , Nugroho Nunung Puji , Ramadhani Fadhlullah , Siagian Deddy Romulo , Suryanta Jaka , Rudiastuti Aninda W. , Lumban-Gaol Yustisi , Karolinoerita Vicca , Rifaie Farid , Munawaroh Munawaroh
Published: December 2022

Balancing water supply demand is vital for sustaining livelihoods. Spatial mapping and calculating water yield dynamics due to land use changes over decades are needed to manage land resources and formulate ecological protection policies. This study mapped the supply, demand, and matching status of water product service using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Service and Tradeoff (InVEST) biophysical models in the Citarum Watershed (CW) in 2000, 2010, and 2020. Moreover, this study used Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques to study the agglomeration characteristics and evolutionary trajectories of supply–demand over two decades. The results showed that between 2000–2010 and 2010–2020, the water supply decreased by 19.01 × 108 m3 (18.28%) and 12.97 × 108 m3 (15.27%), respectively. However, the water demand in the same period increased by 6.17 × 108 m3 (23%) and 15.74 × 108 m3 (47%), respectively. Over the decades, the contribution of land use land cover (LULC) changes to variations in water supply has yielded values ranging from 2.87% to 6.37%. The analysis of the water supply–demand imbalance indicated that the entire CW experienced water shortage, and the type of spatial matching for supply and demand is dominated by a high supply and high demand class (16.09% of the total area). Based on the level of water deficit calculation, the upstream and downstream areas were identified as zones that require ecological conservation, while the middle CW area requires ecological restoration or ecological improvement.
Effects of an Episodic Storm-Induced Flooding Event on the Biogeochemistry of a Shallow, Highly Turbid, Semi-Enclosed Embayment (Laizhou Bay, Bohai Sea)
Authors: Meng Ling , Xing Qianguo , Gao Xuelu , Ji Diansheng , Qu Fanzhu , Wang Xiaoqing , Ji Ling
Published: December 2022

Episodic storm-induced flooding is becoming more frequent with a warming climate, which may alter the biogeochemical properties and conditions of estuaries. However, the effects of such extreme events on semi-enclosed bay ecosystems have not been fully investigated because of the difficulty in collecting in situ samples. To address this issue, a comparative study was carried out to understand the biogeochemical changes in Laizhou Bay, a shallow, highly turbid, semi-enclosed bay, by coupling satellite data and surface water samplings collected during an episodic flooding event (August 2018) and during a non-flooding period (August 2017). The results showed that the 2018 Shouguang flood delivered large amounts of suspended solids, phosphorus, and organic matter-enriched terrigenous materials into Laizhou Bay and enhanced the offshore expansion of the low-salinity seawater plume and associated nutrient fronts. Water total suspended solid (TSS) particle and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentrations increased by 23.79 g/m3 and 0.63 mg/m3, respectively, on average in the freshwater mixing water plume around the Mi River. Episodic flooding is a crucial driver which temporally dominates the spatial patterns of water biogeochemistry. These results are essential to anticipate the ecosystem response of estuarine regions to the high episodic freshwater flow associated with the increasing storms.
Where Are We Heading? Tackling the Climate Change in a Globalized World
Authors: Rovinaru Mihaela D. , Bako Dana E. , Rovinaru Flavius I. , Rus Adina V. , Aldea Sebastian G.
Published: December 2022

Nowadays, a very strong concern is coming from the fact that human intervention is heavily affecting the environment. In the past, the most harmful countries for the environment were the USA and Europe due to their development and level of industrialization. Today, the most impactful countries on the environment are the ones from across Asia, especially China and India. In order to interrupt these issues and to help prevent the further deterioration of the world, the UN redacted the 2030 Agenda. This presents a possible way in which countries might act against the effects of climate changes, reducing global warming and further world pollution. Being the most ambitious in this regard, the EU decided to implement the Green Deal. In our paper, based on the EU accomplishments in this direction, we try to build a scenario of how the world will look like if the three most polluting countries will apply the targets set by the EU. In this attempt, we used the Kaya Identity to measure the forecasted impact and arrived to the conclusion that, by applying this measures, energy consumption will be reduced, the consumption of renewable energy will increase, CO2 emissions will be reduced and the world can manage to come back to the level it had in 1990.
Experimental Study on the Influence of Different Loading Rates on Fatigue Mechanical Properties of Sandstone
Authors: Zhang Jinsong , Lu Yu , Pang Jianyong , Wang Hao , Du Hezan
Published: December 2022

Underground rock engineering often encounters long-term cyclic loading and unloading. Under the influence of this effect, the mechanical characteristics of rocks will inevitably change, which will affect the stability and safety of underground engineering. Therefore, it is necessary to study the fatigue characteristics of rocks under a certain period of action. With an RDL series electronic creep relaxation testing machine, fatigue loading and unloading tests of sandstone at different loading rates were carried out, followed by uniaxial compression on the samples. The study shows that the stress–strain curves of the uniaxial compression specimens have three stages: a compaction pore fracture stage, an elastic deformation stage, and an unstable fracture developing to failure stage. The stress–strain curves of the samples with a certain number of cycles of loading and unloading give the thinning and dense phenomenon, and the axial upper limit strain and axial cumulative residual strain gradually decrease as the loading rate increases. With the increase, the uniaxial compressive strength of the reloaded samples increases gradually, which is higher than the ordinary uniaxial compressive strength. In the process of cyclic loading and unloading, the internal particles of the sample present fracture and reorganization of the fragile structure and, at the same time, compaction stability.
Effects of Aeolian Sand and Water−Cement Ratio on Performance of a Novel Mine Backfill Material
Authors: Li Guodong , Wang Hongzhi , Liu Zhaoxuan , Liu Honglin , Yan Haitian , Liu Zenwei
Published: December 2022

The gob-side entry retaining (GER) technique, as the family member of the pillarless coal mining system, is becoming popular, mainly attributed to its high resource recovery rate and significant environmental benefits. Seeking cost-effective backfill material to develop the roadside backfilling body (RBB) is generally a hot topic for coal operators and scholars. Except for its relatively high cost, the other shortcoming of the widely used high-water backfill material is also obvious when used in arid, semi-arid deserts or Gobi mining areas lacking water. The modified high-water backfill material (MBM) mixed with aeolian sand was recently developed as an alternative to conventional backfill materials. Some critical parameters affecting both the physical and mechanical properties of the MBM, including the amount of the aeolian sand and water-to-powder ratio of the high water-content material, have been experimentally investigated in the present research. Test results showed that the MBM featured high early strength and bearing capability after a large post-peak deformation. In particular, the adjustable setting time of the MBM through changing the amount of sand widens its application in practice. Unlike the high-water backfill material, the MBM is a typical elastoplastic material; the stress-strain curves consist of pore compression, elastic deformation, yielding, and total failure. Note that both the peak and residual strength of the MBM increased as the doping amount of aeolian sand increased, which is probably because of the impacted aeolian sand and the uniform reticular structure of the ettringite in the MBM. Compared with the high-water backfill material, only limited cementitious material and water resources are requested to cast the RBB, which provides more economical and environmental benefits for the application of the GER technique in the arid, semi-arid deserts or the Gobi mining areas.
Experimental Characterisation of Different Ecological Substrates for Use in Green Roof Systems
Authors: Coelho Katya , Almeida João , Castro Fernando , Ribeiro André , Teixeira Tiago , Palha Paulo , Simões Nuno
Published: December 2022

Green roofs are made up of several components, including those belonging to the waterproofing and drainage layers, substrate, and vegetation. Of these, the substrate is undoubtedly one of the most important layers of a green roof, contributing not only to the healthy growth of vegetation but also to the water retention capacity and thermal behaviour of the whole solution. Although green roofs are widely recognized as sustainable solutions, it is possible to further improve their environmental performance by developing more ecological substrates that contain industrial by-products. Bearing this objective in mind, sixteen newly developed substrates were characterized in terms of thermal conductivity, specific heat, emissivity, water vapour transmission, hygroscopic sorption, and water retention/drainage capacity. These properties are extremely relevant when solving heat and mass transfer problems as well as for water management prediction. Two reference substrates were also studied for comparison purposes. The results showed that the new ecological substrates have properties that make them comparable to conventional substrates already available on the market. Additionally, the results showed that temperature, moisture content, and density play an important role in the behaviour of substrates of this kind and have a significant influence on many of the studied properties.
Investigation of Nano-Silica Solution Flow through Cement Cracks
Authors: Nguyen Vu , Olayiwola Olatunji , Liu Ning , Guo Boyun
Published: December 2022

Cement cracks are one of the most common failures in oil and gas wells. Cracks can reduce cement strength, resulting in a loss of zonal isolation and fluid leak. Placement of gels of nanoparticles (NPs) in the cracks is considered as a promising solution to solve the problem. It is highly desirable to know if the flow behavior of the NPs solutions is predictable when they are squeezed into the cracks. Experimental tests were performed in this study to investigate the flow behavior of nano-silica solutions in ducts of cross-sections of rectangular shape. The linear relationship between flow rate and pressure gradient and the calculated Reynolds number values suggests laminar flow in the ducts. However, the Hagen–Poiseuille correlation for laminar flow does not describe the flow behavior of the nano-silica solution. The classic hydraulic model with hydraulic diameter describes the nano-silica flow behavior with an average error of 12.38%. The cause of discrepancies between the flow models and the measured data is not known. It can be attributed to the NPs–NPs frictions and NPs–wall frictions in the rough ducts that were not considered in the flow models.
On Perturbative Methods for Analyzing Third-Order Forced Van-der Pol Oscillators
Authors: Alhejaili Weaam , Salas Alvaro H. , Tag-Eldin Elsayed , El-Tantawy Samir A.
Published: December 2022

In this investigation, an (un)forced third-order/jerk Van-der Pol oscillatory equation is solved using two perturbative methods called the Krylov–Bogoliúbov–Mitropólsky method and the multiple scales method. Both the first- and second-order approximations for the unforced and forced jerk Van-der Pol oscillatory equations are derived in detail using the proposed methods. Comparative analysis is performed between the analytical approximations using the proposed methods and the numerical approximations using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta scheme. Additionally, the global maximum error to the analytical approximations compared to the Runge–Kutta numerical approximation is estimated.
Modern Active Voltage Control in Distribution Networks, including Distributed Generation, Using the Hardware-in-the-Loop Technique
Authors: Fanos Beshoy Nabil Fahmy , Soliman Mohammad H. , Talaat Hossam E. A. , Attia Mahmoud A.
Published: December 2022

Voltage constraints usually place restrictions on how distributed generation (DG) can be connected to weak distribution networks. As DG capacity increases, active voltage control techniques are needed. Active approaches can greatly lower connection costs while boosting the capacity of connectable DG when used in place of the passive strategy. In this article, a modified active voltage control algorithm is used on an IEEE 33 bus system to test the robustness and reliability of the control algorithm under severe conditions. The simulations are carried out using the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) method. Real-time simulations are used to test data transfer and the reliability of the control algorithm’s execution. The analysis is based on a three-phase symmetric power system.
Whole-Neck Non-Contrast-Enhanced MR Angiography Using Velocity Selective Magnetization Preparation
Authors: Park Chan Joo , Choi Seung Hong , Park Jaeseok , Shin Taehoon
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to optimize velocity-selective magnetic resonance angiography (VS-MRA) protocols for whole-neck angiography and demonstrate its feasibility in healthy subjects with comparisons to clinical 3D time-of-flight (TOF) angiography. To help optimize VS-MRA protocols, 2D phase-contrast (PC) flow imaging and 3D B0 and B1 field mappings were performed on five healthy volunteers. Based on these measurements, a slab-selective (SS) inversion preparation was applied prior to a VS saturation preparation to further suppress venous blood, while the VS preparation pulse was designed with compensation for field offsets. VS-MRA and 3D TOF were performed on six healthy subjects, and relative contrast ratios (CRs) between artery and muscle signals were calculated for twenty arterial regions for comparisons. The pre-compensated VS pulse improved the visualization of the subclavian arteries and suppression of background tissues, which involved large B0 and B1 field errors. The combination of SS and VS preparations effectively suppressed venous blood. While the relative CR values were 0.78 ± 0.08 and 0.72 ± 0.10 for VS-MRA and 3D TOF, respectively, over the twenty segments, VS-MRA outperformed 3D TOF in visualizing arterial segments of a small size or with a horizontal orientation, such as subclavian, facial, and occipital arteries. The proposed neck VS-MRA with the field-error-compensated VS preparation combined with the SS preparation is feasible and superior to 3D TOF in visualizing small and/or horizontally oriented arterial segments.
Viruses Special Issue “Transfusion-Transmitted Viral Infections”
Authors: Candotti Daniel
Published: December 2022

Blood transfusion is a life-saving treatment that requires patients to have access to safe and adequate blood products that are available in a timely manner [...]
First Detection and Genome Characterization of a New RNA Virus, Hibiscus Betacarmovirus, and a New DNA Virus, Hibiscus Soymovirus, Naturally Infecting Hibiscus spp. in Hawaii
Authors: Wang Xupeng , Larrea-Sarmiento Adriana E. , Olmedo-Velarde Alejandro , Kong Alexandra , Borth Wayne , Suzuki Jon Y , Wall Marisa M , Melzer Michael J , Hu John
Published: December 2022

Hibiscus (Hibiscus spp., family Malvaceae) leaves exhibiting symptoms of mosaic, ringspot, and chlorotic spots were collected in 2020 on Oahu, HI. High-throughput sequencing analysis was conducted on ribosomal RNA-depleted composite RNA samples extracted from symptomatic leaves. About 77 million paired-end reads and 161,970 contigs were generated after quality control, trimming, and de novo assembly. Contig annotation with BLASTX/BLASTN searches revealed a sequence (contig 1) resembling the RNA virus, hibiscus chlorotic ringspot virus (genus Betacarmovirus), and one (contig 2) resembling the DNA virus, peanut chlorotic streak virus (genus Soymovirus). Further bioinformatic analyses of the complete viral genome sequences indicated that these viruses, with proposed names of hibiscus betacarmovirus and hibiscus soymovirus, putatively represent new species in the genera Betacarmovirus and Soymovirus, respectively. RT-PCR using specific primers, designed based on the retrieved contigs, coupled with Sanger sequencing, further confirmed the presence of these viruses. An additional 54 hibiscus leaf samples from other locations on Oahu were examined to determine the incidence and distribution of these viruses.
Clinical Landscape and Rate of Exposure to Ilheus Virus: Insights from Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: da Costa Vivaldo Gomes , Saivish Marielena Vogel , Lino Nikolas Alexander Borsato , Bittar Cíntia , de Freitas Calmon Marília , Nogueira Maurício Lacerda , Rahal Paula
Published: December 2022

Ilheus fever is a mosquito-borne, poorly known tropical disease. We aimed to report the pooled rate of exposure to the Ilheus virus (ILHV) and clinical outcomes of infection to determine the epidemiological patterns of ILHV. We conducted a meta-analysis of 37 studies (n = 17,722 individuals) from Latin America. The common clinical characteristics of ILHV infection were fever (82.3%), headache (52.9%), and myalgia (52.9%). Encephalitis complicated the course of the infection in 29.4% cases. Monotypic serological reactions detected a pooled rate of exposure of 2% to ILHV (95% CI: 1–2). Studies were mainly conducted in Brazil, with a pooled proportion of ILHV positivity of 8% (95% CI: 3–14). Males (12%) had higher rates of seropositivity than females (7%) and had high chances of ILHV infection (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2–2.5). Seropositivity increased with age, from 2% (95% CI: 2–3) among people aged 0–14 years to 8% (95% CI: 6–10) among people aged 15–64 years. Our analysis indicated a low and relatively constant burden of ILHV in Latin America. More research is needed to evaluate and innovate serological assays for ILHV to better estimate the burden and dynamics of epidemiological changes in ILHV infection in different regions.
The Relation between Ensemble Coding of Length and Orientation Does Not Depend on Spatial Attention
Authors: Kacin Melanie , Cha Oakyoon , Gauthier Isabel
Published: December 2022

Most people are good at estimating summary statistics for different features of groups of objects. For instance, people can selectively attend to different features of a group of lines and report ensemble properties such as the mean length or mean orientation and there are reliable individual differences in such ensemble judgment abilities. Our recent study found decisive evidence in support of a correlation between the errors on mean length and mean orientation judgments (r = 0.62). The present study investigates one possible mechanism for this correlation. The ability to allocate spatial attention to single items varies across individuals, and in the recent study, this variability could have contributed to both judgments because the location of lines was unpredictable. Here, we replicate this prior work with arrays of lines with fully predictable spatial locations, to lower the contribution of the ability to distribute attention effectively over all items in a display. We observed a strong positive correlation between errors on the length and orientation averaging tasks (r = 0.65). This provides evidence against individual differences in spatial attention as a common mechanism supporting mean length and orientation judgments. The present result aligns with the growing evidence for at least one ensemble-specific ability that applies across different kinds of features and stimuli.
Potential of Computed Aided Facility Management for Urban Water Infrastructure with the Focus on Rainwater Management
Authors: Szeligova Natalie , Faltejsek Michal , Teichmann Marek , Kuda Frantisek , Endel Stanislav
Published: December 2022

This article focuses on the information modeling of buildings and its subsequent extension to the information modeling of cities, which can be considered as the main topics of the construction industry development. It offers new knowledge for city management, facility management and other fields of construction sector. Information modeling of buildings and cities creates a suitable basis for the creation of various simulations (acoustic, thermal, environmental influence, sunlight or the spread of pollution) and analyses. Simulations and results obtained from them can help us in the decision-making phase, they predict problems or unexpected situations during the life cycle of cities and buildings, and thus make it possible to prevent their occurrence. In the second part of the contribution, an innovative model, the so-called R-WIM, is presented. BIM modeling methods were used for the research and extended to the public environment. The expansion of the public environment digitization enables to obtain a sufficient amount of information about the public space and then subsequently combine them with static weather data. This model deals with Urban Water Infrastructure with the focus on Rainwater Management and has been developed for the particular needs of individual municipalities in the process of solving problem situations associated with rainwater, which is very current due to climate change, and municipalities require appropriate tools to predict the behavior of rainwater so that various compensatory measures can be created.
Composition of Colloidal Organic Matter in Phytoplankton Exudates
Authors: Klun Katja , Šket Primož , Beran Alfred , Falnoga Ingrid , Faganeli Jadran
Published: December 2022

The colloidal organic matter (COM) was isolated from the exudates of three cultured phytoplonkters, namely the chlophyte nanoflagellate Tetraselmis sp., the diatom Chaetoceros socialis and the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum, from the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea). The isolation of COM was performed by ultrafiltration with molecular weight cut-off membranes of 5 kDa and final desalinisation by dialysis. The composition of the COM was characterised using C elemental analysis and 1H NMR spectroscopy and compared with COM isolated from a marine sample from the same area (Gulf of Trieste). By using 1H NMR spectroscopy, it was possible to semi-quantitatively determine the concentrations of the main biochemical constituents present in the COM samples. The results showed that the phytoplankton COM was predominantly composed of polysaccharides, with minor contributions from proteins and especially lipids. Therefore, the phytoplankton COM mainly contributes to the marine COM pool in the polysaccharide fraction and less in the protein and lipid fractions.