bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution, Risk Assessment, and Source Identification of Potentially Toxic Elements in the Sediments of the Upper Reaches of Zhanghe River, Haihe Basin
Authors: Gao Pengyang , Shang Jingshi , Wu Jinkun , Mu Zheng , Suo Meiqin , Fan Jingjing , Zheng Yunpu , Cheng Yao , Wang Yuchun
Published: November 2022

The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region is mostly located in the Haihe Basin. Studying the distribution and sources of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and heavy metals in the upper reaches of Zhanghe River, the largest tributary of Haihe runoff, is of great significance to the water security of Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, a world-class urban agglomeration. In this study, 32 sediment samples were collected in the upper reaches of Zhanghe River, and the concentrations of eight PTEs were analyzed. The results show that the concentrations of PTEs in sediments ranked are as follows: Mn > Cr > Zn > Cu > Pb > Co > As > Cd. Cr, Cu, Zn, and Cd show a random spatial variation trend; Mn, As, and Pb are mainly distributed in the headwaters of the Zhuozhang River. Ninety percent of samples of Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb are under the threshold effect level, and 16% of the Cr samples are above the probable effect level. PTEs in the study area have low to moderate pollution as the enrichment factor and geo-accumulation index showed, and the contribution of anthropogenic sources to the enhancement of PTEs in sediment samples is still at a preliminary stage. Potential ecological risk results indicate that 96% of the upper reaches of Zhanghe River have a low risk level. The three evaluation methods all point out that Cr is the main pollutant in the upper reaches of Zhanghe River, and the Southern Headwater of Zhuozhang River is the main polluted area. Cr, Mn, Co, and Pb originate from mining activities and road dust, while Cu, Zn, As, and Cd originate from agricultural activities.
Fast 1-D Velocity Optimization Inversion to 3D Velocity Imaging: A Case Study of Sichuan Maerkang Earthquake Swarm in 2022
Authors: Yin Xinxin , Zhang Xiaoyue , Cai Run , Wang Haibo , Liu Feng
Published: November 2022

To obtain an accurate one-dimensional velocity model, we developed the EA_VELEST method based on the evolutionary algorithm and the VELEST program. This method can quickly generate a suitable 1D velocity model and finally input it into the 3D velocity inversion process using the TomoDD method. We adopt TomoDD methods to inverse the high-resolution three-dimension velocity structure and relative earthquake hypocenters for this sequence. This system processing flow was applied to the Sichuan Maerkang earthquake swarm in 2022. By collecting the seismic phase data of the Maerkang area between 1 January 2009 and 15 June 2022, we relocated the historical earthquakes in the area and obtained accurate 3D velocity imaging results. The relocated hypocenters reveal a SE-trending secondary fault, which is located ~5 km NW of the Songgang fault. In the first ten-hour of the sequence, events clearly down-dip migrated toward the SE direction. The inverted velocity structure indicates that the majority of earthquakes during the sequence occurred along the boundaries of the high and low-velocity zones or high and low-VP/VS anomalies. Especially both the two largest earthquakes, MS 5.8 and MS 6.0, occurred at the discontinuities of high and low-velocity zones. The EA_VELEST method proposed in this paper is a novel method that has played a very good enlightenment role in the optimization of the one-dimensional velocity model in geophysics and has certain reference significance. The 3D velocity results obtained in this paper and the analysis of tectonic significance provide a reference for the seismogenic environment of this Maerkang earthquake and the deep 3D velocity of the Ganzi block.
Population Shrinkage, Public Service Levels, and Heterogeneity in Resource-Based Cities: Case Study of 112 Cities in China
Authors: Zhang Shouzhong , Wang Limin , Wu Xiangli
Published: November 2022

Resource-based cities (RBCs) have become an important part of shrinking cities, and their population shrinkage brings many challenges for RBCs. A lot of literature analyzes the effects of shrinkage in RBCs, but very few explore the impact of population shrinkage on changes in their public service levels (PSLs). How the population shrinkage affects public services in RBCs, whether it is heterogeneous concerning the degree of shrinkage, and what the policy implications are all need to be studied in this paper. We propose the criteria for defining population shrinkage grades in terms of population size, population proportion, and population reduction rate, and we define the shrinkage grades of 112 RBCs. We select 12 indicators to build an index system to measure the PSLs of China’s RBCs, define the shrinkage grades of 112 RBCs, measure their PSLs, and analyze the impact of population shrinkage on the public services in China’s RBCs. The results show that there is a positive correlation between the rate of population reduction (pr) and the increased range of PSLs (PSLIR). The population shrinkage generally contributes to the improvement of PSLs in RBCs, but the effect is heterogeneous among the different shrinkage grades. In cities with population growth, it inhibits the improvement of PSLs, while in cities with population shrinkage, it promotes the improvement of PSLs. This promotion effect is phased and can only occur in the early stages of population shrinkage. The results also reveal the effects of the control variables on the PSLs of all the RBCs, as well as the RBCs with different shrinkage grades. These results can provide a reference for the sustainable development of RBCs.
Tourism Enterprises Marketing Management and Upgrading Situation of Tourist Sites to Achieve Sustainable Regional Economic Development
Authors: Li Gaoguang , Shahraki Abdol Aziz
Published: November 2022

This article is the result of applied research on the use of potential tourist resources to remove obstacles to the development of tourism marketing and subsequently cause tourism business growth to improve the quality of life in the host communities. The method to achieve this goal is practical and straightforward: First, specific indicators are introduced to measure the rate of destruction/degradation of tourist sites in a period. Then, by referring to the opinions of tourism business experts, official administration managers, and tourists and by using a mathematical model, the financial losses of the tourism business at tourist sites and resulting total economic losses of the tourism business due to the delay in the reconstruction/upgrading of indicators at tourism sites are calculated. A model is developed and simulated for 10 tourist sites in Iran to calculate the damages to 38 indicators in the period of 1978–2019. In the next step, the weaknesses and threats related to Iran’s tourism business are discovered to reform the indicators, especially those related to planning, policymaking, and the democratic rights of tourists and the host community and to the necessary infrastructure and provision of decent services. Field studies reveal that the number of visitors to the 10 tourist sites since 2014 has declined on average from 8% to 25% due to the implementation of Sharia law, the violation of democracy, and the lack of necessary infrastructure. The model that this article proposes for economic growth through the development of the tourism business may feasibly be applied to similar tourist site areas.
The Implication of Energy Consumption, Corruption, and Foreign Investment for Sustainability of Income Distribution in Indonesia
Authors: Handayani Bestari Dwi , Yanto Heri , Pujiati Amin , Ridzuan Abdul Rahim , Keshminder J. S. , Shaari Mohd Shahidan
Published: November 2022

Despite the recent reduction in the poverty rate in Indonesia, income inequality has not shown any improvement. Income inequality, also known as income disparity, has been a prolonged issue in Indonesia and has caused great dissatisfaction among the public. Many of them do not feel an improvement in their wellbeing. Most studies explore these issues based on microeconomics perspectives, and limited studies focus on macroeconomic determinants. Thus, it is imperative to investigate the potential macroeconomic determinants of income inequality in Indonesia, particularly energy consumption (ENC), corruption (COR), foreign direct investment (FDI), and other supporting determinants such as economic growth (GDP), financial development (FD), and CO2 emissions. Data from 1984 to 2020 were collected and analyzed, employing the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach. The findings indicate that economic growth, corruption, and FDI can contribute to a smaller gap between the rich and the poor. At the same time, greater CO2 emissions can intensify income inequality in Indonesia both in the short and long run. Pollution, as captured by CO2 emissions, can affect the health of the poor. Health problems create difficulties for poor people to work and reduce the probability of earning income, ultimately widening income inequality. FD and energy use, on the other hand, do not influence income distribution in the long and short run. The findings indicate that boosting economic growth and FDI significantly reduce income disparity in Indonesia. Various policy recommendations are suggested in these studies based on the long-run outcomes.
Evaluating the Interdependencies of Infrastructure Critical Systems during Earthquake Event: A Case Study for Padang City
Authors: Shubandrio Fuad Dellany , El-Maissi Ahmad Mohamad , Kassem Moustafa Moufid , Masrilayanti Masrilayanti , Rahmat Siti Rahyla , Mohamed Nazri Fadzli
Published: November 2022

Our modern society is becoming increasingly reliant on transportation networks, as well as the interdependent infrastructures and technologies that interact with them. The increasing complexity and interconnectedness of infrastructure networks make them susceptible to impact not only directly from external shocks but also indirectly from the failure of dependent infrastructures. This research study was conducted in Padang city, one of the most disaster-prone areas in Indonesia. Based on the literature review, it is no doubt that research study on seismic risk assessment is insufficient and outdated. In fact, a study about the interdependency between Critical Infrastructures (CIs) is yet to be done in this region. In this study, there are two approaches used for data gathering which is by surveying existing CIs using Google Earth and by an online questionnaire survey via Google Form. Based on the qualitative survey, a functionality rating method is done to obtain the level of outage/loss functionality which is an indicator for the damage occurred to the structure and infrastructure. Following that, a seismic risk analysis was conducted to assess the interdependency between investigated CIs and facilities. Respondents’ judgement from the questionnaire were used to identify the base criticality of each critical infrastructure. Based on the qualitative survey, the level of loss in functionality for the substation and the telecommunication tower is rated as “High”, but the loss in functionality for the water supply system is rated as “Moderate”. Moreover, the findings used from the respondents’ judgements were used to establish the initial level of criticality for each vital infrastructure. According to the findings, hospitals, power substations, and communication towers all have a criticality level of “5-Vital”, while police stations and fire stations both have a “3-medium” criticality rating. Eventually, the results of this assessment of interdependence are displayed in a criticality map, which shows how the interdependency relationship affects the initial criticality of a certain upstream infrastructure. Understanding the potential consequences of infrastructure failure, especially in regard to dependent infrastructures, can help emergency response teams formulate more targeted strategies for managing risks. As a consequence of this, the resilience of the wider community is improved, which contributes toward the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable cities and communities particularly in reducing disasters and people in vulnerable situation.
Urban Land-Use Allocation with Resilience: Application of the Lowry Model
Authors: Hu Chich-Ping
Published: November 2022

The Resilient Cities Network initiated by the Rockefeller Foundation advocates achieving the goal of comprehensive resilient urban development through land-use planning, but the implementation of resilience must be achieved through a vulnerability analysis. The Lowry Model is the earliest and most used land-use integrated transportation allocation model. Its operation is mainly based on accessibility indicators to allocate population and employment opportunities, and the results of the allocation can be used as a basis for urban development. Accessibility is a unique feature of the Lowry Model, in which accessibility is a function of employment opportunities and physical distance. However, it builds non-resilient cities. A city is a system that is vulnerable and suffers the most when change occurs. A city with a high density of population, although it has location convenience, is relatively vulnerable to disasters and security threats. Ignoring resilience makes the city lose its adjustment mechanism to avoid disasters and make the city less resilient, less safe, and even less efficient. This paper takes Taoyuan City, Taiwan, as the case study area, uses the data to implement a resilience-oriented allocation of land use, and compares the results with a non-resilient land-use allocation. The results show that the resilience-oriented Lowry Type Model can indeed allocate population and service employment opportunities to districts with higher resilience and lower vulnerability, can meet the threshold standard constraints of the economies of scale, and can obeythe population density scale constraints to maintain an adequate level of quality of life. This paper offers positive conclusions that can support the application of the resilience-oriented Lowry Type Model to Taiwan and even other cities that expect resilient planning.
Trend of Vegetation and Environmental Factors and Their Feedback in the Karst Regions of Southwestern China
Authors: Huang Kai , Wang Rui , Wu Weixiong , Wu Peilin , Li Haoxiang , Zeng Linglin , Shao Jinhua , Liu Haichen , Xu Tao
Published: November 2022

Vegetation plays a vital role in the terrestrial ecosystem. Vegetation variations not only result from climatic and environmental change but also feed back to the climate through biogeochemical and biogeophysical processes. Previous studies have mainly focused on the influence of environmental factors on vegetation changes, but the interactions between vegetation and the prevalent environmental factors in the karst areas of southwestern China have been poorly understood. Based on remote sensing data, this study used trend analysis and Granger causality analysis to investigate vegetation trends, the driving factors, and their interactions during the period 2001 to 2021. In summary, we explored how these factors influenced vegetation growth and how vegetation changes fed back to produce ecosystems and environmental variations in southwestern China during this period. The results showed improvements in water conditions as well as a vegetation greening trend in most of the regions of southwestern China, together with a weakening trend of rocky desertification and an increasing trend of vegetation growth during the period. Both terrestrial water storage and vegetation growth in the energy-limited alpine regions are sensitive to temperature. Natural restoration is suggested in this area. Vegetation growth in the karst areas is sensitive to water stress-related variables due to the particular geological and soil characteristics. The bidirectional causality relationship between vegetation greening and the environment factors in many of these areas indicates that the vegetation changes can also significantly affect water balance and conditions. Ecological engineering projects are suggested in this area. The vegetation growth in the SC Basin, HN, HB, GD, and eastern GX is also sensitive to water stress, while these regions are vulnerable to waterlogging. This study helps to improve our understanding of ecosystem management and promote sustainable development in southwestern China.
Forecast and Factor Analysis on Willingness of Moderate Scale Land Transfer-In
Authors: Lin Hua , Zhang Wen , Huang Zhiping
Published: November 2022

The research on land transfer has essential theoretical and practical significance in ensuring food security and curbing the land de-graining. Based on the characteristics of large-scale and mechanized land in the H region of China, we constructed a prediction index for the willingness to transfer land in. The random forest (RF) algorithm was used to evaluate the importance of the factors affecting the land transfer-in willingness and the main factors were analyzed. The results show that: (1) The overall prediction accuracy of the RF model was 86.98% and the out-of-bag prediction error was 13.02%. (2) The factors that had an essential impact on the willingness to transfer to land were land area, the proportion of agricultural income, and crop type. The less influential factors were the size of the labor force, identity, and gender. (3) We found that 68% of the interviewed farmers wanted to increase land to expand the scale of production; this proportion was much higher than that in other parts of the country. The farmers were more willing to increase land to plant economic crops, which has a negative impact on the stability of food production. (4) Alleviating the negative impact of the Russian–Ukrainian conflict and stabilizing the production of economic crops, ensuring the safety of food production, and promoting the balanced development of food production and economic crops are topics that need to be continuously explored. This study can provide a useful reference for the development of the moderate-scale management of agriculture in China.
Effects of Corn Straw and Biochar Returning to Fields Every Other Year on the Structure of Soil Humic Acid
Authors: Liu Xin , Dou Sen , Zheng Shuang
Published: November 2022

Returning straw and biochar to the fields can change the structure of humic acid in soil and affect the content of soil organic matter. However, returning straw and biochar to the fields in successive years also increases the insect pests of crops and causes nitrogen competition, thus increasing the soil burden. Therefore, to provide a theoretical basis for the study of the time effect of returning fields, three treatments were set in this paper to study the effects of straw and biochar returning every other year on the soil organic matter and humic acid (HA) structure. Elements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric spectroscopy (TG), three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy, and solid state 13C-NMR spectroscopy were used to comprehensively investigate the structural characteristics of humic acid in soil. The results showed that after straw and biomass charcoal are returned to the field every other year, compared with 2018, after planting in 2020, the average content of soil organic carbon will increase by 29.49% and 36.14%, respectively. HA showed a phenomenon of increased aliphatic property and decreased aromaticity; aromatic carbon of HA decreased, while alkyl carbon and alkoxy carbon increased; the molecular structure of HA developed toward simplification. In the short term, the effect of biomass charcoal returning was more significant. This study can be used as a reference for the research on the time effect of returning straw and biomass carbon to the fields, and can also provide a basis for the research on the composition of humus after returning organic materials to the fields.
The Aesthetic Value of World Heritage Karst: A Literature Review and Implication for Huangguoshu Scenic Area Outstanding Universal Value
Authors: Wang Xin , Xiong Kangning , Zhang Meng , Zhao Xi
Published: November 2022

With the development of aesthetic value research, more and more disciplines, institutions, and researchers have joined in, taking the research development in a quantitative direction. At present, karst is not only a popular type of “world natural heritage site”, but also a hotspot in the research of landscape aesthetics. However, no comprehensive literature review covers the aesthetic value of World Heritage karst sites. To fill this gap, the study systematically reviewed 190 articles retrieved from the Web of Science, the China Knowledge Resource Integrated, and Google Scholar databases. First, the study conducted a quantitative analysis of the annual number, content, countries, and themes of published literature. Secondly, the study summarized the landscape evaluation, aesthetic value, and protection of World Heritage karst sites and related theories and put forward the key scientific issues to be solved, as well as the direction of future research.
How Do Investors Value Sustainability? A Utility-Based Preference Optimization
Authors: Aslan Aydin , Posch Peter N.
Published: November 2022

We investigate how an investor’s preference for sustainable assets in the portfolio varies for differing levels of risk aversion. Using a sample of 411 publicly listed firms in the S&P 500, we calculate financial and sustainability returns, on which the investor’s utility depends. We approximate the investor’s preference by the exponential and s-shaped utility function and optimize with regard to the sustainability preference. We find that with increasing levels of risk aversion, both minimum-variance and maximum Sharpe ratio type investors seek to incorporate sustainable assets in the portfolio.
Effect Evaluation of Ecological Compensation for Strategic Mineral Resources Exploitation Based on VIKOR-AISM Model
Authors: Ren Donglin , Liu Liang , Gong Xiujuan , Jiang Pan , Liu Shu , Yang Yirui , Jin Ruifeng
Published: November 2022

Energy security and ecological and environmental security are some of the most basic and important preconditions for national development, and ecological compensation is an important institutional guarantee for construction of China’s ecological civilization. The Chinese government has always made it clear that it will “step up efforts to protect the ecosystem” and establish market-based and diversified ecological compensation mechanisms. However, the existing system and mechanism design of ecological environment protection has been unable to meet the needs of economic and social development in the new era. On the basis of the psychological account theory and prospect theory, this paper constructed an evaluation system of strategic mineral resources exploitation and ecological environmental protection effects in Western China using the VIKOR-AISM model. In this paper, the VIKOR-AISM model comprehensively considers the maximization of group utility and minimization of individual regrets, and conducts a cluster analysis based on the compromise value Q and its inflection k. The comprehensive ranking changes of evaluation subjects under different decision preferences and hesitation interval measures were studied according to the antagonist hierarchy topology. The research results provide decision-making support for China to formulate ecological compensation policies in line with regional characteristics.
Incorporation of Bentonite Mining Waste in Ceramic Formulations for the Manufacturing of Porcelain Stoneware
Authors: Ferreira Joabi Faustino , Costa Fabiana Pereira da , Borborema Luiz Fhelipe Diniz , Arimateia Rafaela Reis de , Leite Raquel Santos , Apolinário Raira Chefer , Pinto Haroldo Cavalcanti , Rodrigues Alisson Mendes , Neves Gelmires de Araújo , Menezes Romualdo Rodrigues
Published: November 2022

Mining processes produce a massive amount of waste which, if not treated properly, can cause significant environmental and social impacts. Recently, some studies have focused on the use of mining waste as an alternative raw material. This work developed new sustainable ceramic formulations based on bentonite mining waste (BMW) for applications in porcelain stoneware. The BMW was incorporated into the ceramic masses in different percentages (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 40 wt.%), in partial replacement to feldspar and total to quartz. X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal calorimetry (DTA), and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) techniques were used to characterize bentonite waste. Samples (50 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm) were obtained by uniaxial pressing. Such samples were dried and sintered at 1150, 1200, and 1250 °C. The physical–mechanical properties (apparent porosity, water absorption, linear shrinkage, apparent density, and flexural strength) were evaluated for sintered samples. The phases formed after sintering treatments were characterized by XDR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The BMW presented a mineralogical composition suitable for use as ceramic raw material. In summary, our results presented that the new sustainable ceramic formulations sintered at 1250 °C have the potential for use in stoneware and porcelain stoneware.
Biostimulants as Innovative Tools to Boost Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Performance under Drought, Salinity, and Heavy Metal(Oid)s’ Stresses: A Concise Review
Authors: Akensous Fatima-Zahra , Anli Mohamed , Meddich Abdelilah
Published: November 2022

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is constantly subjected to abiotic stresses. Hence, the application of biostimulants, such as the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and organic amendments hold tremendous potential to significantly improve the growth and yield of date palm. The strengthening of biostimulants’ main common modes of action is exerted through five main functions: biostimulation (essentially), biofertilization, bioprotection, biological control, and the role of bio-effector. Moreover, synergistic and complementary effects manifest through biochemical and nutritional benefits, in addition to molecular modulation. In this regard, the present concise review focuses on highlighting the beneficial impact of AMF and PGPR, as well as the organic amendments, in boosting the health status and productivity of date palm plants subjected to abiotic stresses. Furthermore, mechanisms reinforcing date palm plants’ resilience to abiotic stresses, powered by biostimulants, are particularly emphasized. Based on this review, we could conclude that the overall findings corroborate the beneficial effects of AMF–PGPR and/or compost and manure application in terms of boosting date palm’s growth traits, development, yielding, as well as soil properties under extreme environmental factors, such as those of drought, salinity, and excessive heavy metal(oid)s. Thus, biostimulants can confer resilience to date palm plants against abiotic stresses.
Variability of Water Use Efficiency Associated with Climate Change in the Extreme West of Bahia
Authors: Santiago Dimas de Barros , Barbosa Humberto Alves , Correia Filho Washington Luiz Félix , Oliveira-Júnior José Francisco de , Paredes-Trejo Franklin , de Oliveira Buriti Catarina
Published: November 2022

Water has become more important in agricultural implementations over the years, as has the need for water management. Thus, Water Use Efficiency (WUE) has been used as an alternative form of detecting the variability of water management based on the carbon–water cycle. The study aimed to map and quantify the spatio-temporal distribution of WUE based on its interactions with environmental changes. It focused on an agricultural area in the westernmost region of Bahia, Northeast Brazil (NEB). For WUE estimation, data from Collection 6 MODIS Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Evapotranspiration (ET) products with a spatial resolution of 0.05° × 0.05° were obtained from the Earth Explorer website. Subsequently, annual WUE anomalies were calculated based on the 2001–2019 period. The results obtained indicated that the highest values of GPP (580 gC/m2), ET (3000 mm), and WUE (3.5 gC/mm·m2) occurred in agricultural areas, associated with cultural treatments and insertion of irrigation, which helped in the higher WUE values and consequently increased agricultural productivity in the study region. In addition, there was a marked influence of the phases of the climate variability mode—El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)—on the annual variability of the WUE, with a reduction of 96% during the La Niña of 2016 (an increase of 89% during El Niño of 2005). During El Niños, vegetation had greater efficiency resulting from the adaptation of vegetation in maintaining the carbon–water balance, using water more efficiently. However, unlike Las Niñas, with excessive precipitation there is an interference in the WUE, which interferes with the absorption of radiation and nutrients for the biophysical processes of vegetation and agriculture and, consequently, agricultural production. The use of WUE for agriculture is extremely important, especially for Brazil and countries with an economy based on primary production. This information on the way vegetation (native or agricultural) responds to interactions with the environment aids in decision-making about water management, possibly lowering losses or agricultural damage caused by a lack of water.
CBDHS: A Case-Based Design Heuristics Tool to Support Product Design Students in Idea Generation
Authors: Cao Xin , Hsu Yen , Lu Honglei
Published: November 2022

Previous research have demonstrated the efficiency of card-based design heuristics in product design courses, but the product case sources selected for these design heuristics have been too homogeneous and have targeted design goals, making it difficult for product design students to use them quickly and accurately in the classroom. As new products continue to iterate, previous design heuristics are no longer fully meeting the requirements of product design education. There is no process for developing design heuristics for course-targeted products that would allow design school teachers and students to develop new design heuristics on their own, based on course objectives. This study proposes case-based design heuristics (CBDHS) to support product design students in idea generation and a step-by-step process for constructing CBDHS. In addition, this study develops an eco-friendly product packaging example to validate the applicability of CBDHS in product design courses using an empirical evaluation. A total of 38 product design students participated in this quasi-experiment and were asked to generate as many ideas as possible in 45 min, with the experimental group (19 participants) generating ideas using CBDHS and the control group (19 participants) generating ideas using the brainstorming method. This quasi-experiment evaluated the ideas generated by each participant using five evaluation metrics (quantity, novelty, quality, number of good ideas, and level of design fixation). The results of the experiment show that (1) in terms of the number of ideas, the experimental group (M = 10.95, SD = 4.14) produced fewer ideas per participant on average than the control group (M = 13.68, SD = 4.44), t(36) = 1.966, p = 0.057; (2) regarding the novelty of ideas, there is no statistically significant difference between the control group (M = 4.00, SD = 1.47) and the experimental group (M = 4.48, SD = 1.56), t(149) = −1.928, p = 0.056; (3) with respect to the quality of ideas, there is no statistically significant difference between the control group (M = 4.19, SD = 1.96) and the experimental group (M = 4.40, SD = 2.05), t(149) = −0.648, p = 0.518; and (4) concerning the number of good ideas, there is a significant difference in the value of the proportion of the control group (9.5%) versus the experimental group (31.3%), x2(1, n = 151) = 11.44, p = 0.001. (5) There is no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of the level of design fixation. CBDHS can support product design students in generating ideas for the targeted products of the course, and the integration of CBDHS into the product design curriculum can help teachers to impart innovative ideas to students, ultimately leading to an improvement in teaching quality.
A Combination Model for Displacement Interval Prediction of Concrete Dams Based on Residual Estimation
Authors: Yang Xin , Xiang Yan , Shen Guangze , Sun Meng
Published: November 2022

Accurate prediction and reasonable warning for dam displacement are important contents of dam safety monitoring. However, it is difficult to identify abnormal displacement based on deterministic point prediction results. In response, this paper proposes a model that integrates several strategies to achieve high-precision point prediction and interval prediction of dam displacement. Specifically, the interval prediction of dam displacement is realized in three stages. In the first stage, a displacement prediction model based on Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) is constructed. In the second stage, the prediction error sequence of XGBoost model is generated by the residual estimation method proposed in this paper, and the residual prediction model based on artificial neural network (ANN) is constructed through the maximum likelihood estimation method. In the third stage, the interval estimation of the noise sequence composed of the training error of the ANN model is carried out. Finally, the results obtained above are combined to realize the interval prediction of the dam displacement. The performance of the proposed model is verified by the monitoring data of an actual concrete dam. The results show that the hybrid model can not only achieve better point prediction accuracy than the single model, but also provide high quality interval prediction results.
A Stochastic Mathematical Model for Understanding the COVID-19 Infection Using Real Data
Authors: Alshammari Fehaid Salem , Akyildiz Fahir Talay , Khan Muhammad Altaf , Din Anwarud , Sunthrayuth Pongsakorn
Published: November 2022

Natural symmetry exists in several phenomena in physics, chemistry, and biology. Incorporating these symmetries in the differential equations used to characterize these processes is thus a valid modeling assumption. The present study investigates COVID-19 infection through the stochastic model. We consider the real infection data of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia and present its detailed mathematical results. We first present the existence and uniqueness of the deterministic model and later study the dynamical properties of the deterministic model and determine the global asymptotic stability of the system for R0≤1. We then study the dynamic properties of the stochastic model and present its global unique solution for the model. We further study the extinction of the stochastic model. Further, we use the nonlinear least-square fitting technique to fit the data to the model for the deterministic and stochastic case and the estimated basic reproduction number is R0≈1.1367. We show that the stochastic model provides a good fitting to the real data. We use the numerical approach to solve the stochastic system by presenting the results graphically. The sensitive parameters that significantly impact the model dynamics and reduce the number of infected cases in the future are shown graphically.
An Energy-Efficient Method for Recurrent Neural Network Inference in Edge Cloud Computing
Authors: Chen Chao , Guo Weiyu , Wang Zheng , Yang Yongkui , Wu Zhuoyu , Li Guannan
Published: November 2022

Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are widely used to process sequence-related tasks such as natural language processing. Edge cloud computing systems are in an asymmetric structure, where task managers allocate tasks to the asymmetric edge and cloud computing systems based on computation requirements. In such a computing system, cloud servers have no energy limitations, since they have unlimited energy resources. Edge computing systems, however, are resource-constrained, and the energy consumption is thus expensive, which requires an energy-efficient method for RNN job processing. In this paper, we propose a low-overhead, energy-aware runtime manager to process tasks in edge cloud computing. The RNN task latency is defined as the quality of service (QoS) requirement. Based on the QoS requirements, the runtime manager dynamically assigns RNN inference tasks to edge and cloud computing systems and performs energy optimization on edge systems using dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) techniques. Experimental results on a real edge cloud system indicate that in edge systems, our method can reduce the energy up to 45% compared with the state-of-the-art approach.
SUSY and Tri-Vector Deformations
Authors: Kulyabin Alexander , Musaev Edvard T.
Published: November 2022

We analyze conditions for a tri-vector deformation of a supergravity background to preserve some supersymmetry. Working in the formalism of the SL(5) exceptional field theory, we present its supersymmetry transformations and introduce an additional USp(4) transformation to stay in the supergravity frame. This transformation acts on local indices and deforms BPS equations of exceptional field theory. The requirement for the deformation to vanish is the desired condition. The condition is shown to be consistent with previous results on bi-vector deformations.
Integrated Scheduling of Picking and Distribution of Fresh Agricultural Products for Community Supported Agriculture Mode
Authors: Pu Xujin , Xu Yuchen , Fu Yaping
Published: November 2022

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), which offers two outstanding advantages, high-quality food and localized production, has come to the fore. In CSA, the output of picking scheduling is the input of delivery scheduling. Hence, only by scheduling the picking stage and distribution stage in a coordinated way can we achieve fresh agricultural products at minimum cost. However, due to asymmetric information in the picking and distribution stage, the integrated scheduling of picking and distribution may lead to an asymmetric optimization problem, which is suitable for solving with an iterative algorithm. Based on this, this work studies an integrated scheduling problem of the picking and distribution of fresh agricultural products with the consideration of minimizing picking and distribution costs as well as maximizing the freshness of orders. First, a nonlinear mixed-integer programming model for the problem under consideration is constructed. Second, a multi-objective multi-population genetic algorithm with local search (MOPGA-LS) is designed. Finally, the algorithm is compared with three multi-objective optimization algorithms in the literature: the non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-Ⅱ), the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D), and the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition that is combined with the bee algorithm (MOEA/D-BA). The comparison results show the excellent performance of the designed algorithm. Thus, the reported model and algorithm can assist managers and engineers in making well-informed decisions in managing the farm operation.
Structure–Attribute Social Network Graph Data Publishing Satisfying Differential Privacy
Authors: Zhou Nannan , Long Shigong , Liu Hai , Liu Hai
Published: November 2022

With the development of big data, data collection and publishing are symmetrical. The purpose of data collection is to better publish data. To better collect user data and promote data analysis, publishing massive amounts of data can better provide services for people’s lives. However, in the process of publishing data, the problem of low data availability caused by over protection is widespread. In addition, the attacker indirectly obtains the data of the target user by accessing the data of the user’s friends or neighbors, which leads to the disclosure of the user’s privacy. In order to solve these problems, a structure–attribute social network data publishing model is proposed. This model protects the privacy of user attribute data and prevents homogeneity attacks through attribute data perturbation. In addition, the model disrupts the structure of social networks by introducing uncertainty graphs into network partitions to generate published social network data. Our scheme has been tested on three public datasets, and the results show that our scheme can retain the social network structure as much as possible.
MC-LR Aggravates Liver Lipid Metabolism Disorders in Obese Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet via PI3K/AKT/mTOR/SREBP1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Chu Hanyu , Du Can , Yang Yue , Feng Xiangling , Zhu Lemei , Chen Jihua , Yang Fei
Published: November 2022

Obesity, a metabolic disease caused by excessive fat accumulation in the body, has attracted worldwide attention. Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a hepatotoxic cyanotoxin which has been reportedly to cause lipid metabolism disorder. In this study, C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for eight weeks to build obese an animal model, and subsequently, the obese mice were fed MC-LR for another eight weeks, and we aimed to determine how MC-LR exposure affects the liver lipid metabolism in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice. The results show that MC-LR increased the obese mice serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), indicating damaged liver function. The lipid parameters include serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and liver TG, which were all increased, whilst the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) was decreased. Furthermore, after MC-LR treatment, histopathological observation revealed that the number of red lipid droplets increased, and that steatosis was more severe in the obese mice. In addition, the lipid synthesis-related genes were increased and the fatty acid β-oxidation-related genes were decreased in the obese mice after MC-LR exposure. Meanwhile, the protein expression levels of phosphorylation phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (p-PI3K), phosphorylation protein kinase B (p-AKT), phosphorylation mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR), and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP1-c) were increased; similarly, the p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, p-mTOR/mTOR, and SREBP1/β-actin were significantly up-regulated in obese mice after being exposed to MC-LR, and the activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR/SREBP1 signaling pathway. In addition, MC-LR exposure reduced the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the obese mice’s serum. In summary, the MC-LR could aggravate the HFD-induced obese mice liver lipid metabolism disorder by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/SREBP1 signaling pathway to hepatocytes, increasing the SREBP1-c-regulated key enzymes for lipid synthesis, and blocking fatty acid β-oxidation.
Prevention of Herpes Zoster: A Focus on the Effectiveness and Safety of Herpes Zoster Vaccines
Authors: Marra Yasmin , Lalji Fawziah
Published: November 2022

Infection with varicella zoster virus typically occurs in children and it can cause primary varicella infection or “chickenpox”, or it can reactivate later in life and cause herpes zoster or “shingles”. Herpes zoster mainly occurs in older adults, causing a reduction in activities of daily living, impacting quality of life, and may lead to serious complications, including chronic pain. Two vaccines are marketed to prevent herpes zoster: the live zoster vaccine and the non-live, recombinant zoster vaccine. The pre-licensure clinical trials show the efficacy of the live zoster vaccine to be between 50 and 70% and for the recombinant vaccine to be higher at 90 to 97%. Real-world effectiveness studies, with a follow-up of approximately 10 years, were reviewed in this article. These data corroborated the efficacy studies, with vaccine effectiveness being 46% and 85% for the live and recombinant vaccines, respectively. Safety data from the effectiveness studies show similar results to the clinical trials with mostly local injection-site reactions and mild systemic reactions seen with both vaccines, although in larger proportions with the recombinant vaccine. Rare adverse events, occurring less than 1% of the time, have been seen with both vaccine types and include disseminated herpes zoster with the live zoster vaccine and Guillain–Barré syndrome with the recombinant vaccine. The wider use of preventative measures with vaccines will reduce the herpes zoster burden of illness seen in older adults.
Clinical Outcomes and Quantitative HBV Surface Antigen Levels in Diverse Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in Canada: A Retrospective Real-World Study of CHB in Canada (REVEAL-CANADA)
Authors: Coffin Carla S. , Haylock-Jacobs Sarah , Doucette Karen , Ramji Alnoor , Ko Hin Hin , Wong David K. , Elkhashab Magdy , Bailey Robert , Uhanova Julia , Minuk Gerald , Tsoi Keith , Wong Alexander , Ma Mang M. , Tam Edward , Brahmania Mayur , Nudo Carmine , Zhu Julie , Lowe Christopher F. , Osiowy Carla , Lethebe B. Cord , Congly Stephen E. , Chan Eric K. H. , Villasis-Keever Angelina , Sbarigia Urbano , Cooper Curtis L. , Fung Scott
Published: November 2022

Background: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss is associated with improved clinical outcomes for individuals with chronic hepatitis B (CHB); however, the effects of varying HBsAg levels on clinical outcomes in diverse cohorts are understudied. Methods: In this cross-sectional, multicentre, retrospective study, the data on adult subjects enrolled in the Canadian HBV Network with CHB seen from 1 January 2012 to 30 January 2021 with the treatment and virologic data within 1 year of HBsAg testing were analyzed. Patients were tested for HBsAg using qualitative (for HBsAg-negative samples) and/or commercial quantitative assays. Fibrosis or hepatic necroinflammation was determined by the liver stiffness measurement (LSM). The baseline data were summarized using descriptive statistics and compared by using univariable/multivariable analyses. Results: This study included 844 CHB patients, with a median age of 49.6 years (IQR 40.1–60.5), and 37% were female. In total, 751 patients (78.6%) had known ethnicity data, and 76.7% self-reported as Asian, 11.4% as Black, 6.8% as White, and 4.8% as other. Among the 844 patients, 237 (28.0%) were HBsAg (−) (1000 IU/mL. Overall, 80% (682) had known HBeAg status at the last follow-up, and the majority (87.0%) were HBeAg-negative. In addition, 54% (461/844) had prior antiviral therapy, 19.7% of which (16.3, 23.7, n = 91) were HBsAg (−). The treated patients had a lower risk of cirrhosis (16.46, 95% CI 1.89–143.39, p = 0.01) or HCC (8.23, 95% CI 1.01–67.39, p = 0.05) than the untreated patients. A lower proportion of the HBsAg-loss group had cirrhosis (5.7% vs. 10.9%, p = 0.021) and HCC (0.9% vs. 6.2%, p = 0.001). Conclusion: In this retrospective, ethnically diverse cohort study, CHB patients who received antiviral therapy and/or had HBsAg loss were less likely to develop cirrhosis and HCC, confirming the results of the studies in less diverse cohorts. No association was found between the qHBsAg level and fibrosis determined with LSM. Individuals who achieved HBsAg loss had low-level qHBsAg within 1 year of seroclearance.