bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial Disparities in the Construction Domain: A Systematic Literature Review of the U.S. Educational and Workforce Domain
Authors: Isingizwe Josiane , Eiris Ricardo , Gheisari Masoud
Published: March 2023

Trends in the construction domain, educational enrollment, student graduation, student industry employment, and workforce retention demonstrate that minorities—Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans—are often excluded, segregated, or ignored in this domain. A systematic literature review (N = 68) was conducted to investigate the causes and effects of racial disparities produced by systemic racism in the educational and workforce domains of construction. Particularly, this paper focuses on exploring how racial disparities in construction impact minorities, the current state of the racial divide, the practices that perpetuate racial inequities, and the strategies currently used to prevent, in a sustainable manner, such practices. The results of this systematic literature search revealed that exclusionary practices and ideologies cause an underrepresentation of minorities in construction that directly affects employment and industry representation in the United States. Previous studies show that systemic racism in construction has been supported by meritocracy and colorblindness ideologies, creating an unwelcoming environment where racial minorities have difficulties identifying with the construction domain. Furthermore, systemic racism affects students after graduation from construction programs, as industry trends showcase issues with minorities joining or staying in the field. Although racial disparities caused by systemic racism are an existing issue in the education and workforce domains of construction, there are a rising number of publications that strive to understand how to sustainably increase diversity, equity, and the inclusion of racial minorities. An increasing number of available tools, such as anti-bias and awareness training programs, are being used as a sustainable practice in construction education and in the construction industry to mitigate the effects of systemic racism. Ultimately, this paper’s contribution centers on describing the “who”, “how”, and “what” regarding the effect of racial disparities in the construction domain, which reduce the number of minority professionals coming into and staying in the industry.
Tourist Attractions and Economic Growth in China: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis
Authors: Zhang Yan , Zhang Jiekuan
Published: March 2023

The construction of tourist attractions has become an important manifestation of local performance and the image of tourist destinations, as well as an important means for local governments to promote economic development. However, the causal relationship between tourist attractions and economic growth remains unclear. The article’s main purpose is to explore the causal effect of tourist attractions on economic growth. To do so, a difference-in-differences model is employed based on China’s city-level panel data from 2001 to 2019 involving 313 cities and 5947 observations. The results demonstrate that tourist attractions have a significant positive causal effect on China’s economic growth. Such causality is significant only in the east and central regions. Highway density, urban disposable income per capita, and the share of the tertiary industry have significant moderating effects. The validity of the causal relationship is confirmed using various rigorous robustness tests.
The Impact of Urban E-Commerce Transformation on Carbon Emissions in Chinese Cities: An Empirical Analysis Based on the PSM-DID Method
Authors: Wen Limin , Sun Shufang
Published: March 2023

To accelerate global green and low-carbon development, China has proposed a “double carbon” target. It is particularly important to explore the carbon reduction effects of e-commerce transformation in cities to achieve sustainable development. Based on the quasi-natural experiment of the National E-Commerce Demonstration City (NEDC) pilot, 263 cities from 2008 to 2017 were selected as samples, and the propensity score matching difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) method was used to investigate the influence of NEDCs on urban carbon emissions in China and its underlying mechanism. The results show that NEDCs can significantly reduce urban carbon emissions; the carbon emission level of pilot cities was reduced by 9.45%. After passing a series of robustness tests, this conclusion remains valid. The policy effects of NEDCs on carbon emissions are heterogeneous across different regions and types of cities, with the policy effect being more significant in central and western cities and in resource-based cities. Further mechanism analysis shows that the NEDC policy reduces urban carbon emissions mainly through two channels, namely, green technology innovation and industrial structure upgrading. This study provides important policy implications for the implementation of e-commerce demonstration city construction according to local conditions and the realization of urban sustainable development under the double carbon goal.
Can China’s Digital Economy and Green Economy Achieve Coordinated Development?
Authors: Zhang Meili , Yin Shi
Published: March 2023

The coordinated development of the digital economy and green economy is a key issue that needs to be addressed. Based on the statistical data of 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2014 to 2019, this study empirically analyzed whether China’s digital economy and green economy can achieve coordinated development. In this study, a coupling coordination degree model was used to evaluate the degree of coordinated development of the digital economy and green economy in provincial regions of China. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method was adopted to identify the realization path of the coordinated development of the digital economy and green economy. The results show the following: (1) the coordinated development degree of the digital economy and green economy in China shows an upward trend from primary coordination in 2014 to intermediate-level coordination in 2019, with great differences between different regions; (2) there are five paths to achieve coordinated development of the digital economy and green economy, which are divided into two categories (technology–environment dual-drive type, and technology–organization–environment linkage drive type); (3) technological innovation capability and government financial support can substitute for one another under certain conditions to achieve the coordinated development of the digital economy and green economy. These conclusions provide a theoretical basis for countries to formulate policies to promote the coordinated development of their digital economy and green economy.
The Combination of Plant Diversity and Soil Microbial Diversity Directly and Actively Drives the Multifunctionality of Grassland Ecosystems in the Middle Part of the Northern Slopes of the Tian Shan under Grazing Disturbance
Authors: Jiang Kangwei , Zhang Qingqing , Wang Yafei , Li Hong , Yang Yongqiang , Reyimu Tursunnay
Published: March 2023

It is well known that biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) guarantee the well-being of human society. Most studies have focused on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function, and less is known about the individual and combined effects of above- and below-ground biodiversity on ecosystem multifunctionality under grazing disturbance. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between plant and soil microbial (bacterial and fungal) diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality under grazing disturbance by using multiple methods to assess ecosystem multifunctionality. We conducted experiments in desert grasslands on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains and compared the relationship between ecosystem multifunctionality and biodiversity assessed by different methods under light grazing and heavy grazing. Our results showed that at the heavy grazing level, ecosystem multifunctionality calculated by the mean method and plant diversity, soil fungal diversity, soil bacterial diversity and soil fertility calculated by the single function method showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05), but grass productivity was significantly increased (p < 0.05). Among them, ecosystem multifunctionality, soil carbon storage function and soil fertility all showed significant positive correlations with plant diversity and soil microbial diversity (p < 0.05). We calculated that ecosystem multifunctionality also essentially showed positive correlation with plant diversity and soil microbial diversity using the multi-threshold method, and the effect curve was approximately a single-peaked curve, first increasing and then decreasing. Finally, we used plant diversity, soil fungal diversity and soil bacterial diversity under grazing disturbance as biotic factors and soil pH as an abiotic factor to construct structural equation models, and we found that grazing can have direct effects on ecosystem multifunctionality and indirect effects on ecosystem multifunctionality through above- and below-ground biodiversity. Our study emphasizes the importance of the combination of above- and below-ground biodiversity in maintaining the multifunctionality of desert grassland ecosystems on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains. A moderate reduction in grazing intensity can better conserve biodiversity and improve ecosystem multifunctionality, and it is a feasible strategy to maintain sustainable management of desert grasslands.
Geographical Exploration of the Underrepresentation of Ethnic Minority Cyclists in England
Authors: Kokayi Afua , Shiode Shino , Shiode Narushige
Published: March 2023

Cycling is encouraged as a means of sustainable urban transport, yet its uptake rate is uneven between different ethnic groups. The ethnic minority population in England is underrepresented as cyclists, but the reasons for this are unclear. Through linear regression and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), this research investigates the spatial distribution of the propensity to cycling among the ethnic minority population and the white population across England with the aim to identify the contributing factors toward the discrepancy of cycling rates between both groups and how these factors vary geographically. Results from OLS regression suggest that cycle rates are generally affected most by hilliness, the presence of school-age children, and income, with the presence of school-age children affecting the ethnic minority group and hilliness affecting the white group the most. The use of GWR revealed that income generally reduces cycle rates but has a positive impact in London for both groups. The length of cycleways and the length of 20 mph speed limit roads per unit area were statistically insignificant, but their local coefficients in GWR showed strong regional variations for both groups. The study also found that, with the exception of the level of income, ethnic minority cyclists are less sensitive to contributing factors than the white cyclists.
A Universal Aquaculture Environmental Anomaly Monitoring System
Authors: Zhang Hanwen , Liu Yanwei , Gui Fukun , Yang Xu
Published: March 2023

The current aquaculture environment anomaly monitoring system is limited in function, making it difficult to provide overall technical support for the sustainable development of aquaculture ecosystems. This paper designs a set for an IoT-based aquaculture environment monitoring device. The device is capable of collecting five aquaculture environment factors such as water temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and light intensity throughout the day by wireless data transmission via 4G DTU with a communication success rate of 92.08%. A detection method based on time series sliding window density clustering (STW-DBSCAN) is proposed for anomaly detection, using the confidence interval distance radius of slope to extract subsequence timing features and identify the suspected abnormal subsequences and then further determine the anomalous value by the DBSCAN clustering method. The detection results show that the algorithm can accurately identify abnormal subsequences and outliers, and the accuracy, recall and F1-Score are 87.71%, 82.58% and 85.06%, respectively, which verifies the usability of the proposed method. Further, a fuzzy control algorithm is adopted to specify the warning information, and a software platform is developed based on data visualization. The platform uses WebSocket technology to interact with the server, and combined with the surveillance camera, it can monitor the aquaculture environment and perform data monitoring and analysis in a real-time, accurate and comprehensive manner, which can provide theoretical reference and technical support for sustainable development of aquaculture.
YouTube as a Digital Resource for Sustainable Education
Authors: Colás-Bravo Pilar , Quintero-Rodríguez Iván
Published: March 2023

The extensive use of social networks by people of all ages and the wide range of freely available content therein can be very useful for sustainable education. This research paper aims to explore informal learning on YouTube from a sociocultural approach, observing the reasons why our subjects select this platform for their self-learning and how they evaluate different actions that mediate their learning. This is achieved through two constructs derived from the sociocultural approach: preference and mediation. The differences are also analysed according to the age, sex, and level of education of the subjects. A quantitative methodology is used, applying the statistical techniques of descriptive and inferential analyses. Data are obtained through an ad hoc questionnaire that collects information on the proposed constructs. The sample consists of 504 people from the Andalusia region in Spain. Our results show the criteria that users apply in their preference of YouTube, as well as mediating actions that should be self-regulated during users’ informal learning process on YouTube. Significant statistical differences are obtained for the age variable but not for the gender variable or the level of education, with respect to the two constructs studied. The relevance and significance of the variables studied indicate the value people attribute to YouTube as a tool for informal learning and its potential for sustainable education. This study has implications in sustainable education, as YouTube is a tool that breaks down barriers and can be adjusted to the needs of a population.
Design of a Telepresence Robot to Avoid Obstacles in IoT-Enabled Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Authors: Altalbe Ali A. , Khan Muhammad Nasir , Tahir Muhammad
Published: March 2023

In the Internet of Things (IoT) era, telepresence robots (TRs) are increasingly a part of healthcare, academia, and industry due to their enormous benefits. IoT provides a sensor-based environment in which robots receive more precise information about their surroundings. The researchers work day and night to reduce cost, duration, and complexity in all application areas. It provides tremendous benefits, such as sustainability, welfare improvement, cost-effectiveness, user-friendliness, and adaptability. However, it faces many challenges in making critical decisions during motion, which requires a long training period and intelligent motion planning. These include obstacle avoidance during movement, intelligent control in hazardous situations, and ensuring the right measurements. Following up on these issues requires a sophisticated control design and a secure communication link. This paper proposes a control design to normalize the integration process and offer an auto-MERLIN robot with cognitive and sustainable architecture. A control design is proposed through system identification and modeling of the robot. The robot control design was evaluated, and a prototype was prepared for testing in a hazardous environment. The robot was tested by considering various parameters: driving straight ahead, turning right, self-localizing, and receiving commands from a remote location. The maneuverability, controllability, and stability results show that the proposed design is well-developed and cost-efficient, with a fast response time. The experimental results show that the proposed method significantly minimizes the obstacle collisions. The results confirm the employability and sustainability of the proposed design and demonstrate auto-MERLIN’s capabilities as a sustainable robot ready to be deployed in highly interactive scenarios.
Capabilities Analysis of Electricity Energy Conservation and Carbon Emissions Reduction in Multi-Level Battery Electric Passenger Vehicle in China
Authors: Li Jun , Yang Bin , He Mingke
Published: March 2023

The battery electric passenger vehicle (BEPV) has the potential to conserve electric energy and reduce carbon emissions, making it an effective tool for achieving low-carbon development in the road transport industry by replacing the internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV). Several factors, such as comprehensive electricity power generation efficiency, proportion of thermal power, vehicle technical performance, regional mileage credibility and low temperature, affect the BEPV’s electricity energy consumption and carbon emissions. In this study, an electricity conservation index model and a carbon emission reduction index model for multilevel BEPVs are established to evaluate their capabilities of electricity energy conservation and carbon emissions reduction, considering the electricity supply chain, including the generation and transmission of electricity. The research shows that the electricity energy conservation ability of BEPVs is not outstanding, but their carbon emissions reduction ability is strong. When the composition of energy for electricity generation is transformed from 2025 to 2035, with a 10% increase in comprehensive electricity generation efficiency, all levels of BEPVs show fruitful electricity energy conservation ability. When the proportion of thermal power decreases to 10%, the carbon emissions reduction is exponentially reduced to 1/25 to 1/30 of ICEV’s total carbon emissions. However, the regional mileage credibility weakens the BEPVs’ ability to save energy and reduce emissions in most Chinese provinces except for the southwest and the south regional provinces, where the regional mileage credibility parameter can increase the energy conservation and carbon emission reduction performance of A00+A0 level BEPV. Low temperatures make BEPV models lose their electricity energy conservation advantage, but most models still have the characteristic of carbon emissions reduction. On this basis, the electricity energy consumption and carbon emissions of all BEPV models are higher than those of ICEVs when the low temperature endurance mileage accuracy is added.
Life-Cycle Assessment of LEED-CI v4 Projects in Shanghai, China: A Case Study
Authors: Pushkar Svetlana
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore green office building certification strategies in Shanghai. The 45 LEED-CI v4 gold-certified office space projects were sorted by energy and atmosphere credit (EAc6, optimize energy performance) into two groups: 15 projects with the lowest EAc6 achievement (Group 1) and 15 projects with the highest EAc6 achievement (Group 2). To reach the gold certification level in Group 1, high achievement in EAc6 is associated with low achievement in two indoor environmental quality credits (EQc2, low-emitting materials, and EQc8, quality views), while in Group 2, low achievement in EAc6 is associated with high achievement in EQc2 and EQ8. For the life-cycle assessment (LCA), the functional unit was designated as follows: production (P) stage: production of building materials needed to ensure the requirements of EQc2 and EQc8 for 1 m2 of the building area; and operational energy (OE) stage: OE of 1 m2 of the building area over 50 years of the building’s lifetime. For the OE stage, two fuel source scenarios were used: 71.07% coal + 28.08% natural gas + 0.81% wind power (WP) + 0.04% photovoltaic (PV) (Scenario 1) and 50% WP + 50% PV (Scenario 2). The results of the LCA (P + OE) showed that under Scenario 1, the LEED certification strategy in Group 1 was greener than that in Group 2. When using Scenario 2, no differences were found between the two groups.
Climate Change, Carbon Peaks, and Carbon Neutralization: A Bibliometric Study from 2006 to 2023
Authors: Chen Qiong , Zhang Hongyu , Lau Yui-Yip , Wang Tianni , Wang Wen , Zhang Guangsheng
Published: March 2023

Climate change poses a threat to the survival of the human race. Increased interest in climate change, carbon peaks, and carbon neutralization and rising recognition of the challenges inherent to highlighting this issue provides the opportunity to carry out a bibliometric study to identify what research can generate ideas regarding climate change, carbon peaks, and carbon neutralization. As expected, it may align with the dual goals of the Chinese government agenda in terms of a carbon peak and carbon neutralization in 2030 and 2060, respectively. The recent argument has induced calls for improved transparency and standardization in the approaches adopted to synthesize climate change, carbon peak, and carbon neutralization research. Nevertheless, key questions are still unanswered, namely, what are the key contributions that the research community has produced in relation to climate change, carbon peaks, and carbon neutralization? Have their contributions been inclined toward specific geographical areas, directions, and themes? As such, software tools for bibliometric analysis, VOSviewer, and Python were used to conduct a systematic quantitative analysis of the relevant literature on climate change, carbon peaks, and carbon neutralization. The results show that carbon peaks and carbon neutralization have received wide attention from academic scholars. In the meantime, China faces the unfolding challenges of economic, technological, and political factors that need to be addressed to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutralization. This study provides policy implications for achieving China’s emission reduction targets.
Towards Inclusive Growth: Perspective of Regional Spatial Correlation Network in China
Authors: Lu Suwan , Fang Guobin , Zhao Mingtao
Published: March 2023

China’s economic growth has been impressive, but the persistent income inequality poses a threat to its sustainability. To address this issue, we use the complex network analysis method for the first time to explore the structural characteristics of the regional spatial correlation network of inclusive growth (RSCN) of 26 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China from 1999 to 2020. We use exponential random graph models to explore the internal mechanisms and driving factors that shape this network. Our results show that inclusive growth dependencies between regions are widespread and increasing. Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang serve as benchmark regions, while provinces in the middle reach of the Yangtze River play an increasingly important bridging role. The northwestern region mainly acts as a receiving region. Our study identifies transitivity, reciprocity, and high interaction tendency as critical microstructures. Furthermore, we find that infrastructure, digital economy development, financial marketization, fiscal expenditure linkages, and inter-provincial trade linkages are crucial factors in shaping network relationships. Our study provides theoretical support for the development of China’s regional coordinated development strategy and sustainable economic growth policies.
Coupled Urbanisation and Ecological Protection along the Yellow River Basin in the Context of Dual Carbon
Authors: Wang Liping , Qu Zhongyi , Yang Wei , Ren Enliang , Tang Tao
Published: March 2023

“Peak carbon and neutrality”, also known as dual carbon, is the key to solving the problems of energy and industrial low-carbon transformation, and is also fundamental to promoting the development of new industries that protect the environment and conserve resources. Among the cities along the Yellow River Basin, the city of Luoyang in Henan province is strategically vital in the coordinated development of the regional economy. Thus, researching the coupling of urbanisation and ecological protection is an important way to realise the dual carbon goal. To explore the coupling and coordination (CC) between urbanisation and the ecological environment, an index system is built for comprehensively assessing urbanisation and ecological environment (UEE) systems in Luoyang, and a coupling model to measure their coordination degree, quantitatively analyzed the CC process and evolution trend of Luoyang’s UEE, and explored the driving factors causing their changes through regression analysis. The results show that the integrated urbanisation development index of Luoyang ranges from 0.7571–0.9497; however, the contribution of the city’s population to urbanisation is the lowest at only 5.231%. Therefore, it is suggested that the government and other institutions should pay more attention to coordinating the human–land relationship when planning for urban development. The integrated ecological environment development index ranges from 0.7512–0.8266. The contribution ratio of the ecological environment state and pressure on the ecological environment is relatively high, at 27.9% and 48.7%, respectively. Therefore, the city of Luoyang city should reduce the emission of industrial pollutants and improve the environmental level. In addition, the CC degree of UEE of Luoyang ranges from 0.8131–0.9296 during 2016–2021, with an overall trend of steady increase, and the coupling correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.9335, with a good overall coupling effect. The results show that Luoyang needs to further accelerate its industrial transformation and upgrading and spatial development strategy, and strive to become an environment-optimised city. This study provides scientific and practical suggestions for the CC development of urbanisation and environment in the city of Luoyang, Henan province, and has reference value for accelerating the realisation of the two-carbon strategy.
Exact (1 + 3 + 6)-Dimensional Cosmological-Type Solutions in Gravitational Model with Yang–Mills Field, Gauss–Bonnet Term and Λ Term
Authors: Ivashchuk V. D. , Ernazarov K. K. , Kobtsev A. A.
Published: March 2023

We consider a 10-dimensional gravitational model with an SO(6)Yang–Mills field, Gauss–Bonnet term, and Λ term. We study so-called cosmological-type solutions defined on the product manifold M=R×R3×K, where K is 6d a Calabi–Yau manifold. By setting the gauge field 1-form to coincide with the 1-form spin connection on K, we obtain exact cosmological solutions with exponential dependence of scale factors (upon t-variable) governed by two non-coinciding Hubble-like parameters: H>0 and h obeying H+2h≠0. We also present static analogs of these cosmological solutions (for H≠0, h≠H, and H+2h≠0). The islands of stability for both classes of solutions are outlined.
Influence of Facial Symmetry and Physical Appearance in Patients Perception of Medical Students: A Gender Differences Study
Authors: Sánchez-Ferrer Francisco , Grima-Murcia María Dolores , Nso-Roca Ana Pilar , Fernández-Jover Eduardo
Published: March 2023

Background: Studies have shown that symmetry plays an aesthetic role and has a positive effect on the perception of human faces. Our work hypothesizes that facial symmetry positively correlates with physical attractiveness and, thus, with higher visual evaluations of future doctors. Materials and methods: Observational study of 46 students (26 women and 20 men), comparing subjective indicators, symmetry of their facial features, and students’ academic performance. Results: We found no correlation between these subjective results and an objective factor of symmetry facial recognition. User evaluators’ subjective assessments of students’ physical appearance showed significant gender differences for almost all the domains assessed. Moreover, these variables were correlated to each other: women were perceived more positively than men. There were also correlations in the variables related to academic performance but no gender differences. We did not observe any relationship between subjective variables related to physical appearance and objective ones related to academic performance. Conclusion: Facial symmetry was not correlated with positive physical appearance and, therefore, with a better evaluation of future doctors by patients. Users perceive women physicians more positively, despite there being no difference at an academic level.
Post-Pandemic Sector-Based Investment Model Using Generalized Liouville–Caputo Type
Authors: Awadalla Muath , Subramanian Muthaiah , Madheshwaran Prakash , Abuasbeh Kinda
Published: March 2023

In this article, Euler’s technique was employed to solve the novel post-pandemic sector-based investment mathematical model. The solution was established within the framework of the new generalized Caputo-type fractional derivative for the system under consideration that serves as an example of the investment model. The mathematical investment model consists of a system of four fractional-order nonlinear differential equations of the generalized Liouville–Caputo type. Moreover, the existence and uniqueness of solutions for the above fractional order model under pandemic situations were investigated using the well-known Schauder and Banach fixed-point theorem technique. The stability analysis in the context of Ulam—Hyers and generalized Ulam—Hyers criteria was also discussed. Using the investment model under consideration, a new analysis was conducted. Figures that depict the behavior of the classes of the projected model were used to discuss the obtained results. The demonstrated results of the employed technique are extremely emphatic and simple to apply to the system of non-linear equations. When a generalized Liouville–Caputo fractional derivative parameter (ρ) is changed, the results are asymmetric. The current work can attest to the novel generalized Caputo-type fractional operator’s suitability for use in mathematical epidemiology and real-world problems towards the future pandemic circumstances.
Evolution of Generalized Brans–Dicke Parameter within a Superbounce Scenario
Authors: Tripathy Sunil Kumar , Pradhan Sasmita Kumari , Barik Biswakalpita , Naik Zashmir , Mishra B.
Published: March 2023

We studied a superbounce scenario in a set up of the Brans–Dicke (BD) theory. The BD parameter was considered to be time-dependent and was assumed to evolve with the Brans–Dicke scalar field. In the superbounce scenario, the model bounced at an epoch corresponding to a Big Crunch provided the ekpyrotic phase continued until that time. Within the given superbounce scenario, we investigated the evolution of the BD parameter for different equations of state. We chose an axially symmetric metric that has an axial symmetry along the x-axis. The metric was assumed to incorporate an anisotropic expansion effect. The effect of asymmetric expansion and the anisotropic parameter on the evolving and non-evolving parts of the BD parameter was investigated.
Recommendation Method Based on Heterogeneous Information Network and Multiple Trust Relationship
Authors: Yan Chun , Liu Lu
Published: March 2023

A recommendation method based on heterogeneous information networks and multiple trust relationships is proposed. Firstly, the node sequence in the heterogeneous information network is obtained through the random walk of the meta-path, and the representation vector of each node in different paths is generated. The user similarity based on the meta-path is obtained by calculating the spatial distance between the user node vectors. Then, according to the different relationships among users, different trust-relationship calculation methods are proposed, and the user similarity based on the user’s multiple trust relationship is obtained by fusing multiple trust relationships. Finally, the candidate list of Microblog text is obtained by fusing the two user similarities to achieve a personalized recommendation of Microblog text. The experimental results show that the method proposed in this study is superior to other comparison algorithms in precision, recall, F1 value and NDCG value, which shows that this method is feasible when recommending Microblog text.
How Can Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Public–Private Partnership Projects Performance Compensate during the Operation Period? A Two-Stage Perspective of Recycling and Remanufacturing
Authors: Liu Yuxin , Hao Jiekuo , Li Chunhui , Li Yuejia , Zhou Chuyue , Zheng Haoxuan , Xu Shiqi , Chen Weihong , Li Xingwei
Published: March 2023

Research in the field of project management has focused on recycling construction and demolition waste (CDW). However, the problem of how to compensate for the performance of CDW recycling public–private partnership (PPP) projects during the operation period has not been resolved. This paper aims to reveal the compensation mechanism during the operation period of CDW recycling PPP projects considering the two-stage performance of recycling and remanufacturing. This paper takes CDW recycling PPP projects as the research object and uses the Stackelberg game and principal-agent theory to establish and solve the master-slave game decision model of CDW recycling PPP projects. The main conclusions are as follows. When social welfare is maximized, the performance compensation coefficients in the recycling and remanufacturing stages are the same and have homogeneity. In addition, the compensation policy positively promotes the two-stage performance, social capital profit and social welfare of the recycling and remanufacturing of CDW recycling PPP projects. This paper not only broadens the application knowledge system of the relevant knowledge of project management in the field of CDW recycling but also provides new evidence for principal-agent theory from the operation stage of CDW recycling PPP projects.
Optimizing Communication of Radiation Exposure in Medical Imaging, the Radiologist Challenge
Authors: Pozzessere Chiara
Published: March 2023

Since I started my residency program in Radiology, I have been committed to promoting radiation protection, paying particular attention to the justification and optimization of the examinations [...]
High-Throughput IgG Epitope Mapping of Tetanus Neurotoxin: Implications for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Design
Authors: De-Simone Salvatore G. , Napoleão-Pêgo Paloma , Lechuga Guilherme C. , Carvalho João P. R. S. , Gomes Larissa R. , Cardozo Sergian V. , Morel Carlos M. , Provance David W. , Silva Flavio R. da
Published: March 2023

Tetanus is an acute, fatal disease caused by exotoxins released from Clostridium tetani during infections. A protective humoral immune response can be induced by vaccinations with pediatric and booster combinatorial vaccines that contain inactivated tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) as a major antigen. Although some epitopes in TeNT have been described using various approaches, a comprehensive list of its antigenic determinants that are involved with immunity has not been elucidated. To this end, a high-resolution analysis of the linear B-cell epitopes in TeNT was performed using antibodies generated in vaccinated children. Two hundred sixty-four peptides that cover the entire coding sequence of the TeNT protein were prepared in situ on a cellulose membrane through SPOT synthesis and probed with sera from children vaccinated (ChVS) with a triple DTP-vaccine to map continuous B-cell epitopes, which were further characterized and validated using immunoassays. Forty-four IgG epitopes were identified. Four (TT-215-218) were chemically synthesized as multiple antigen peptides (MAPs) and used in peptide ELISAs to screen post-pandemic DTP vaccinations. The assay displayed a high performance with high sensitivity (99.99%) and specificity (100%). The complete map of linear IgG epitopes induced by vaccination with inactivated TeNT highlights three key epitopes involved in the efficacy of the vaccine. Antibodies against epitope TT-8/G can block enzymatic activity, and those against epitopes TT-41/G and TT-43/G can interfere with TeNT binding to neuronal cell receptors. We further show that four of the epitopes identified can be employed in peptide ELISAs to assess vaccine coverage. Overall, the data suggest a set of select epitopes to engineer new, directed vaccines.
Bayesian Implications for the Primordial Black Holes from NANOGrav’s Pulsar-Timing Data Using the Scalar-Induced Gravitational Waves
Authors: Zhao Zhi-Chao , Wang Sai
Published: March 2023

Assuming that the common-spectrum process in the NANOGrav 12.5-year dataset has an origin of scalar-induced gravitational waves, we study the enhancement of primordial curvature perturbations and the mass function of primordial black holes, by performing the Bayesian parameter inference for the first time. We obtain lower limits on the spectral amplitude, i.e., A≳10−2 at 95% confidence level, when assuming the power spectrum of primordial curvature perturbations to follow a log-normal distribution function with width σ. In the case of σ→0, we find that the primordial black holes with 2×10−4−10−2 solar mass are allowed to compose at least a fraction 10−6 of dark matter. Such a mass range is shifted to more massive regimes for larger values of σ, e.g., to a regime of 4×10−3−0.2 solar mass in the case of σ=1. We expect the planned gravitational-wave experiments to have their best sensitivity to A in the range of 10−4 to 10−7, depending on the experimental setups. With this level of sensitivity, we can search for primordial black holes throughout the entire parameter space, especially in the mass range of 10−16 to 10−11 solar masses, where they could account for all dark matter. In addition, the importance of multi-band detector networks is emphasized to accomplish our theoretical expectation.
Improved Superscaling in Quasielastic Electron Scattering with Relativistic Effective Mass
Authors: Casale Paloma Rodriguez , Amaro Jose E. , Martinez-Consentino Victor L. , Simo Ignacio Ruiz
Published: March 2023

Superscaling in electron scattering from nuclei is re-examined, paying special attention to the definition of the averaged single-nucleon responses. The validity of the extrapolation of nucleon responses in the Fermi gas has been examined, which previously lacked a theoretical foundation. To address this issue, we introduce new averaged responses with a momentum distribution smeared around the Fermi surface, allowing for momenta above the Fermi momentum. This approach solves the problem of negativity in the extrapolation away from the scaling region and, at the same time, validates its use in the scaling analysis. This work has important implications for the interpretation of scaling data and contributes to the development of a more complete understanding of the scaling approach.
On the Inaccessibility of Time Machines
Authors: Tomašević Marija
Published: March 2023

We will explain why time machines, although allowed in General Relativity, cannot be accessed by observers once we include quantum effects. Moreover, we will show that traversable wormholes cannot be turned into time machines without invoking the effects of quantum gravity.
Traditional Approaches and Emerging Biotechnologies in Grapevine Virology
Authors: Tarquini Giulia , Dall’Ara Mattia , Ermacora Paolo , Ratti Claudio
Published: March 2023

Environmental changes and global warming may promote the emergence of unknown viruses, whose spread is favored by the trade in plant products. Viruses represent a major threat to viticulture and the wine industry. Their management is challenging and mostly relies on prophylactic measures that are intended to prevent the introduction of viruses into vineyards. Besides the use of virus-free planting material, the employment of agrochemicals is a major strategy to prevent the spread of insect vectors in vineyards. According to the goal of the European Green Deal, a 50% decrease in the use of agrochemicals is expected before 2030. Thus, the development of alternative strategies that allow the sustainable control of viral diseases in vineyards is strongly needed. Here, we present a set of innovative biotechnological tools that have been developed to induce virus resistance in plants. From transgenesis to the still-debated genome editing technologies and RNAi-based strategies, this review discusses numerous illustrative studies that highlight the effectiveness of these promising tools for the management of viral infections in grapevine. Finally, the development of viral vectors from grapevine viruses is described, revealing their positive and unconventional roles, from targets to tools, in emerging biotechnologies.
Safety of Rotavirus Vaccination in Preterm Infants Admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Sicily, Italy: A Multicenter Observational Study
Authors: Costantino Claudio , Conforto Arianna , Bonaccorso Nicole , Cimino Livia , Sciortino Martina , Palermo Mario , Maiolo Kim , Tina Lucia Gabriella , Betta Pasqua Maria , Caracciolo Mariacarmela , Loretta Carmine Mattia , Arco Alessandro , Gitto Eloisa , Vitaliti Salvino Marcello , Mancuso Domenica , Vitaliti Giuliana , Rosella Vincenzo , Pinello Giuseppa , Corsello Giovanni , Serra Gregorio , Gabriele Bruna , Tramuto Fabio , Restivo Vincenzo , Amodio Emanuele , Vitale Francesco
Published: March 2023

Rotavirus (RV) is among the most common vaccine-preventable diseases in children under five years of age. Despite the severity of rotavirus pathology in early childhood, rotavirus vaccination for children admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), who are often born preterm and with various previous illnesses, is not performed. This multicenter, 3-year project aims to evaluate the safety of RV vaccine administration within the six main neonatal intensive care units of the Sicilian Region to preterm infants. Methods: Monovalent live attenuated anti-RV vaccination (RV1) was administered from April 2018 to December 2019 to preterm infants with gestational age ≥ 28 weeks. Vaccine administrations were performed in both inpatient and outpatient hospital settings as a post-discharge follow-up (NICU setting) starting at 6 weeks of age according to the official immunization schedule. Any adverse events (expected, unexpected, and serious) were monitored from vaccine administration up to 14 days (first assessment) and 28 days (second assessment) after each of the two scheduled vaccine doses. Results: At the end of December 2019, 449 preterm infants were vaccinated with both doses of rotavirus vaccine within the six participating Sicilian NICUs. Mean gestational age in weeks was 33.1 (±3.8 SD) and the first dose of RV vaccine was administered at 55 days (±12.9 SD) on average. The mean weight at the first dose was 3388 (SD ± 903) grams. Only 0.6% and 0.2% of infants reported abdominal colic and fever above 38.5 °C in the 14 days after the first dose, respectively. Overall, 1.9% EAEs were observed at 14 days and 0.4% at 28 days after the first/second dose administration. Conclusions: Data obtained from this study confirm the safety of the monovalent rotavirus vaccine even in preterm infants with gestational age ≥ 28 weeks, presenting an opportunity to improve the vaccination offer both in Sicily and in Italy by protecting the most fragile infants who are more at risk of contracting severe rotavirus gastroenteritis and nosocomial RV infection.
A Novel Approach to Obtain Vaccine Effectiveness Continuous Profiles. Example Case: COVID-19 in Elderly Mexicans
Authors: González-Sánchez Óscar A. , González-Ortiz Luis J. , Sánchez-Peña M. Judith , Gutiérrez-Pulido Humberto , Cervantes Oscar , Márquez-Sandoval Fabiola , Hernández-Bello Jorge , Casillas Norberto , Muñoz-Valle José Francisco
Published: March 2023

Population-wide vaccination is the most promising long-term COVID-19 disease management strategy. However, the protection offered by the currently available COVID-19 vaccines wanes over time, requiring boosters to be periodically given, which represents an unattainable challenge, especially if it is necessary to apply several doses per year. Therefore, it is essential to design strategies that contribute to maximizing the control of the pandemic with the available vaccines. Achieving this objective requires knowing, as precisely and accurately as possible, the changes in vaccine effectiveness over time in each population group, considering the eventual dependence on age, sex, etc. Thus, the present work proposes a novel approach to calculating realistic effectiveness profiles against symptomatic disease. In addition, this strategy can be adapted to estimate realistic effectiveness profiles against hospitalizations or deaths. All such time-dependent profiles allow the design of improved vaccination schedules, where each dose can be administrated to the population groups so that the fulfillment of the containment objectives is maximized. As a practical example for this analysis, vaccination against COVID-19 in Mexico was considered. However, this methodology can be applied to other countries’ data or to characterize future vaccines with time-dependent effectiveness values. Since this strategy uses aggregated observational data collected from massive databases, assumptions about the data validity and the course of the studied epidemic could eventually be necessary.
Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Paediatric Check-Ups and Vaccinations in Germany
Authors: Lindinger Rudolf , Richter Hartmut , Reuter Thorsten Christian , Fischer Tim
Published: March 2023

Paediatric check-ups and vaccinations are provided and free of charge in Germany. Despite being hitherto generally well-received and adhered to, it is possible that the lockdown implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in delays or even cancellations of critical paediatric visits with healthcare providers. This study attempts to quantify the rate and time to follow-up for check-ups in Germany using the retrospective IQVIATM Disease Analyzer database. Additionally, timely administration of 4 vaccines (Hexavalent, pneumococcal, MMR-V, Rotavirus) was analysed to examine the impact of pandemic restrictions on vaccine uptake. The timeframes which were compared to determine the effects of COVID-19 were June 2018–December 2019 and March 2020–September 2021. The follow-up rates for paediatric check-ups were consistently lower in the COVID-19 phase, but generally ~90%. Follow-up rates for the vaccinations were distinctly higher during COVID-19. The time between events was almost unchanged for check-ups during the pandemic. For check-ups, age at initial event differed by less than a week between the phases. For vaccinations, the age differences were slightly higher, but exceeded one week in only two cases. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic had little effect on paediatric check-ups and vaccinations in Germany.