bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Safety Verification of Multiple Industrial Robot Manipulators with Path Conflicts Using Model Checking
Authors: Ozkan Metin , Demirci Zekeriyya , Aslan Özge , Yazıcı Ahmet
Published: February 2023

Software development for robotic systems is traditionally performed based on simulations, manual code implementation, and testing. However, this software development approach can cause safety issues in some scenarios, including multiple robots sharing a workspace. When different robots are executing individual planned tasks, they may collide when not adequately coordinated. Safety problems related to coordination between robots may not be encountered during testing, depending on timing, but may occur during the system’s operation. In this case, formal verification methods can provide a more reliable means to ensure the safety of robotic systems. This paper uses the formal method of model checking for the safety verification of multiple industrial robot manipulators with path conflicts. We give comparative results of two model-checking tools applied to a system with two robot manipulators. Whole workflows, from requirement specification to testing, are presented.
Control of Turbulent Flow over a Circular Cylinder Using Tabs
Authors: Seo Junyoung , Yun Jinhyeok , Lee Jungil
Published: February 2023

In this study, we investigate tabs applied to turbulent flow over a circular cylinder for the reductions of the mean drag and lift fluctuations. Tabs are small and thin passive devices attached to the upper and lower surfaces of a circular cylinder near the flow separation. The Reynolds number considered is Re= 3900, based on the free-stream velocity and cylinder diameter. Large eddy simulations are performed using a dynamic global subgrid-scale eddy-viscosity model. A parametric study is carried out to find the optimal tab configuration for minimizing the mean drag and lift fluctuations. Parameters considered are the height (ly) and width (lz) of the tabs, and spanwise spacing (λz) between them. With the optimal parameters, the spanwise coherence of the vortex shedding behind the cylinder is effectively disrupted, resulting in three-dimensional vortical structures varying in the spanwise direction. As a result, the strength of the vortex shedding in the wake is successfully weakened, and the mean drag and lift fluctuations are significantly reduced by 14% and 95%, respectively, with the optimal tab configuration of ly/d=0.2, lz/d=0.3, and λz/d=4, where d is the cylinder diameter.
Musculoskeletal Injury Risk in a Military Cadet Population Participating in an Injury-Prevention Program
Authors: Vähi Ivar , Rips Leho , Varblane Ahti , Pääsuke Mati
Published: February 2023

Background and Objectives: Musculoskeletal injuries are a major health hazard among military personnel. Previous research has proposed several exercise-based strategies for prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an exercise-based injury-prevention program on the incidence of musculoskeletal injury, motor performance and psychosocial status. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six Estonian Military Academy cadets were randomly assigned into either an intervention or control group. The intervention group followed a neuromuscular exercise-based injury-prevention warm-up program, three times per week for 6 months. The control group continued with the usual warm-up. The main outcome measure was injury incidence during the study period. Additionally, evaluation of isokinetic lower-extremity strength, postural sway, physical fitness and psychosocial status was included pre- and post-intervention. Results: During the 6-month study period, the musculoskeletal injury incidence was 43% in the intervention group and 54% in the control group (RR = 0.8; 95% CI = 0.41 to 1.99). The noted 20% risk reduction was not statistically significant (p = 0.59). Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control group in motor performance or psychosocial status measures. Conclusions: In conclusion, no effect of the exercise-based injury-prevention program on injury risk, motor performance or psychosocial status could be detected.
Successful Implant Placement via Simultaneous Nasal Floor Augmentation in an Inferior Meatus Pneumatization Case
Authors: Park Won-Bae , Crasto Gazelle Jean , Park Wonhee , Han Ji-Young , Kang Philip
Published: February 2023

Partially edentulous patients who present with inadequate bone height in the posterior maxillary can predictably be rehabilitated with lateral wall sinus augmentation and subsequent implant placement. However, the sinus augmentation is defined by variations observed in the anatomical presentation of the maxillary sinus. Herein, we describe a case study managing sinus augmentation when a rare anatomic variant termed inferior meatus pneumatization was observed. A 65-year-old female patient presented, wherein the inferior meatus of the nasal cavity was located directly above the maxillary posterior dentition as opposed to the maxillary sinus. The clinically atrophied maxilla was rehabilitated by employing nasal floor elevation, bone augmentation, and simultaneous implant placement. Post-operatively, no sino-nasal complications were recorded. Subsequently, 8 months after the initial procedure, osteointegration of the implants along with the presence of vital bone was observed. The patient posterior occlusion in the upper right quadrant was rehabilitated by engaging the stable implants with a cement-retained fixed final prosthesis. Follow-ups recorded for up to 2 years demonstrated no further complications. The case report demonstrates diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and management of inferior meatus pneumatization and a viable surgical approach for augmentation and implant treatment.
Improved Biohythane Production from Rice Straw in an Integrated Anaerobic Bioreactor under Thermophilic Conditions
Authors: Dong Lili , Cao Guangli , Wang Wanqing , Luo Geng , Yang Fei , Ren Nanqi
Published: February 2023

This study evaluated the feasibility of continuous biohythane production from rice straw (RS) using an integrated anaerobic bioreactor (IABR) at thermophilic conditions. NaOH/Urea solution was employed as a pretreatment method to enhance and improve biohythane production. Results showed that the maximum specific biohythane yield was 612.5 mL/g VS, including 104.1 mL/g VS for H2 and 508.4 mL/g VS for CH4, which was 31.3% higher than the control RS operation stage. The maximum total chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal stabilized at about 86.8%. COD distribution results indicated that 2% of the total COD (in the feed) was converted into H2, 85.4% was converted to CH4, and 12.6% was retained in the effluent. Furthermore, carbon distribution analysis demonstrated that H2 production only diverted a small part of carbon, and most of the carbon flowed to the CH4 fermentation process. Upon further energy conversion analysis, the maximum value was 166.7%, 31.7 times and 12.8% higher than a single H2 and CH4 production process. This study provides a new perspective on lignocellulose-to-biofuel recovery.
Influx of Near-Infrared Technology in Microplastic Community: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Rani Monika , Ducoli Serena , Federici Stefania , Depero Laura Eleonora
Published: February 2023

The abundance of microplastics in the environment poses a constant threat to all parts of the ecosystem, and the scientific community is called upon to help solve the problem. Numerous studies have been published for microplastic analysis, especially in the last decade, with vibrational spectroscopy being the preferred method. According to recent literature, portable spectrometers operating in the near-infrared (NIR) range are being used for the analysis of different types of polymers, and this technique has recently found its way into the analysis of microplastics as a good alternative to expensive and complicated benchtop instruments, such as Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. The aim of this study is to investigate and evaluate research trends, leading publications, authors, countries, and limitations of the use of NIR spectroscopy in microplastics research, with a comparison to the established FTIR technique.
Simultaneous Predictions of Chemical and Phase Equilibria in Systems with an Esterification Reaction Using PC-SAFT
Authors: Ascani Moreno , Sadowski Gabriele , Held Christoph
Published: February 2023

The study of chemical reactions in multiple liquid phase systems is becoming more and more relevant in industry and academia. The ability to predict combined chemical and phase equilibria is interesting from a scientific point of view but is also crucial to design innovative separation processes. In this work, an algorithm to perform the combined chemical and liquid–liquid phase equilibrium calculation was implemented in the PC-SAFT framework in order to predict the thermodynamic equilibrium behavior of two multicomponent esterification systems. Esterification reactions involve hydrophobic reacting agents and water, which might cause liquid–liquid phase separation along the reaction coordinate, especially if long-chain alcoholic reactants are used. As test systems, the two quaternary esterification systems starting from the reactants acetic acid + 1-pentanol and from the reactants acetic acid + 1-hexanol were chosen. It is known that both quaternary systems exhibit composition regions of overlapped chemical and liquid–liquid equilibrium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that PC-SAFT was used to calculate simultaneous chemical and liquid–liquid equilibria. All the binary subsystems were studied prior to evaluating the predictive capability of PC-SAFT toward the simultaneous chemical equilibria and phase equilibria. Overall, PC-SAFT proved its excellent capabilities toward predicting chemical equilibrium composition in the homogeneous composition range of the investigated systems as well as liquid–liquid phase behavior. This study highlights the potential of a physical sound model to perform thermodynamic-based modeling of chemical reacting systems undergoing liquid–liquid phase separation.
A Novel Insight into the Ullmann Homocoupling Reactions Performed in Heterogeneous Catalytic Systems
Authors: Mastalir Ágnes , Molnár Árpád
Published: February 2023

The Ullmann reaction has been reported to be the first cross-coupling reaction performed by using a transition metal catalyst. This reaction has been initially considered as the copper-catalyzed homocoupling of aryl halides, leading to the formation of symmetrical biaryl compounds via the generation of novel C–C bonds. Although this reaction has been extensively studied in recent decades and valuable results have been achieved, there are still considerable efforts focused on the development of novel catalytic systems, mild reaction conditions, and extended substrate scope. The mechanistic aspects of the Ullmann homocoupling reaction have also been investigated, as related to the introduction of new sustainable strategies and green procedures. The application of recyclable heterogeneous catalysts has been found to overcome most of the limitations associated with the harsh reaction conditions of the original Ullmann reaction. More recently, copper-based catalytic systems have also been replaced by palladium nanoparticles, ionic palladium species, gold nanoparticles, and palladium–gold bimetallic systems. In this review, current results reported on the Ullmann homocoupling reaction are discussed, with an emphasis on the development of novel catalytic systems, which can be efficiently used under heterogeneous conditions.
Recent Advances in N-O Bond Cleavage of Oximes and Hydroxylamines to Construct N-Heterocycle
Authors: Jiang Hui-Min , Zhao Yi-Lin , Sun Qing , Ouyang Xuan-Hui , Li Jin-Heng
Published: February 2023

Oximes and hydroxylamines are a very important class of skeletons that not only widely exist in natural products and drug molecules, but also a class of synthon, which have been widely used in industrial production. Due to weak N-O σ bonds of oximes and hydroxylamines, they can be easily transformed into other functional groups by N-O bond cleavage. Therefore, the synthesis of N-heterocycle by using oximes and hydroxylamines as nitrogen sources has attracted wide attention. Recent advances for the synthesis of N-heterocycle through transition-metal-catalyzed and radical-mediated cyclization classified by the type of nitrogen sources and rings are summarized. In this paper, the recent advances in the N-O bond cleavage of oximes and hydroxylamines are reviewed. We hope that this review provides a new perspective on this field, and also provides a reference to develop environmentally friendly and sustainable methods.
Phenolic Composition, Wound Healing, Antinociceptive, and Anticancer Effects of Caralluma europaea Extracts
Authors: Amrati Fatima Ez-Zahra , Chebaibi Mohamed , Galvão de Azevedo Renata , Conte Raffaele , Slighoua Meryem , Mssillou Ibrahim , Kiokias Sotirios , de Freitas Gomes Alice , Soares Pontes Gemilson , Bousta Dalila
Published: February 2023

Caralluma europaea (Guss.) is an important medicinal plant widely used in Morocco for various traditional purposes. Our work aimed to evaluate the phenolic composition, wound healing, antinociceptive, and anticancer activities of C. europaea extracts. Moreover, this study assessed the beneficial effect of C. europaea phytocompounds on the TRADD, cyclooxegenase-2, Wnt/β-catenin, and tyrosine kinase signaling pathways. The wound healing effect of C. europaea formulations against skin burn was evaluated for 21 days. The cytotoxic effect of the C. europaea extracts was evaluated against human leukemic (K562 and HL60) and liver cancer cell lines (Huh-7) using the MTT test. All the phytoconstituents identified by UHPLC in the polyphenols were docked for their inhibitory power on protein casein kinase-1, glycogen synthase kinase-3-β, cyclooxegenase-2, tyrosine kinase, and TRADD. Luteolin and kaempferol are the main compounds identified in C. europaea polyphenols. The group treated with polyphenols showed the greatest wound contractions and all tested extracts presented a significant antinociceptive effect. Polyphenols showed a remarkable antitumoral activity against the K562, HL60 and Huh-7 cell lines. Saponins exerted an important cytotoxic effect against the Huh-7 cell line, whereas no cytotoxicity was observed for the hydroethanolic and flavonoids extracts. Hesperetin and trimethoxyflavone presented the highest docking G-score on tyrosine kinase and cyclooxygenase, respectively.
Fluid-Solid Coupling-Based Vibration Generation Mechanism of the Multiphase Vortex
Authors: Zheng Gaoan , Shi Jilin , Li Lin , Li Qihan , Gu Zeheng , Xu Weixin , Lu Bin , Wang Chengyan
Published: February 2023

Multiphase vortices are widely present in the metallurgical pouring processes, chemical material extraction, hydroelectric power plant energy conversion, and other engineering fields. Its critical state detection is of great significance in improving product yield and resource utilization. However, the multiphase vortex is a complex dynamics problem with highly nonlinear features, and its fluid-induced vibration-generation mechanism faces significant challenges. A fluid-solid coupling-based modeling method is proposed to explore mass transfer process with the vorticity distribution and vibration-generation mechanism. A vibration-processing method is utilized to discuss the four flow-state transition features. A fluid-induced vibration experiment platform is established to verify the numerical results. It is found that the proposed modeling method can better reveal the vibration-evolution regularities of the fluid-solid coupling process. The flow field has a maximum value in the complex water–oil–gas coupled flow process, and induces a pressure pulsation phenomenon, and its frequency amplitude is much larger than that of the water phase and water–oil two-phase flow states. In the critical generation state, the increasing amplitude and nonlinear step structure of high-frequency bands (45 Hz~50 Hz) and random pulse components can be used for the online detection of multiphase-coupling states.
Challenges in the Simulation of Drying in Fluid Bed Granulation
Authors: Askarishahi Maryam , Salehi Mohammad-Sadegh , Radl Stefan
Published: February 2023

Fluid bed granulation is faced with a high level of complexity due to the simultaneous occurrence of agglomeration, breakage, and drying. These complexities should be thoroughly investigated through particle–particle, particle–droplet, and particle–fluid interactions to understand the process better. The present contribution focuses on the importance of drying and the associated challenges when modeling a granulation process. To do so, initially, we will present a summary of the numerical approaches, from micro-scale to macro-scale, used for the simulation of drying and agglomeration in fluid bed granulators. Depending on the modeled scale, each approach features several advantages and challenges. We classified the imposed challenges based on their contributions to the drying rate. Then, we critically scrutinized how these challenges have been addressed in the literature. Our review identifies some of the main challenges related to (i) the interaction of droplets with particles; (ii) the drying kinetics of granules and its dependence on agglomeration/breakage processes; as well as (iii) the determination of drying rates. Concerning the latter, specifically the surface area available for drying needs to be differentiated based on the state of the liquid in the granule: we propose to do this in the form of surface liquid, pore liquid, and the liquid bridging the primary particles.
A Death in the Family: Links between Religion, Parenting, and Family Communication about Death
Authors: Zajac Lindsay , Boyatzis Chris James
Published: February 2023

The present study assessed the frequency and nature of parent–child communication about death and identified predictors of such communication. The sample comprised 24 families who had recently lost a family member. Parents completed survey measures of global parenting dimensions (warmth/acceptance, psychological control, behavioral control), parental coping (religious and secular coping), parental religiosity, and parent–child communication about death. Almost 80% of parent–child dyads discussed death at least once a week, and children initiated approximately half of these conversations. Parental warmth/acceptance was positively associated with the frequency of parent–child communication about death, whereas psychological control, negative religious coping, private religious practices, and religious focus were negatively associated with the frequency of parent–child communication about death. Results from hierarchical linear regression analyses suggest that even when controlling for parental warmth/acceptance and psychological control, parents’ private religious practices and religious focus negatively predicted the frequency of parent–child communication about death.
Motion Compensation for Long Integration Times and DoA Processing in Passive Radars
Authors: Almodóvar-Hernández Anabel , Mata-Moya David , Jarabo-Amores María-Pilar , Rey-Maestre Nerea , Benito-Ortiz María
Published: February 2023

In this work, a multistage target motion compensation solution for long integration times and the direction of arrival processing in geostationary-satellite-based passive radars is presented. Long integration processing intervals are considered to compensate for the associated propagation loss, but during this time target dynamics can extend the backscattering in more than one range or Doppler cell. To control the gain-processing reduction, a combination of detection, tracking, feature extraction, and filtering techniques is designed to provide automatic adaptation to each unknown target dynamic in the area of interest. The proposed methodology is validated with real data acquired by the passive radar demonstrator developed by the University of Alcalá (IDEPAR), and the results confirm that target monitoring exploiting digital video broadcasting-satellite (DVB-S) signals is clearly improved.
Mapping Diverse Paddy Rice Cropping Patterns in South China Using Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 Data
Authors: Hu Jie , Chen Yunping , Cai Zhiwen , Wei Haodong , Zhang Xinyu , Zhou Wei , Wang Cong , You Liangzhi , Xu Baodong
Published: February 2023

Paddy rice cropping patterns (PRCPs) play important roles in both agroecosystem modeling and food security. Although paddy rice maps have been generated over several regions using satellite observations, few studies have focused on mapping diverse smallholder PRCPs, which include crop rotation and are dominant cropping structures in South China. Here, an approach called the feature selection and hierarchical classification (FSHC) method was proposed to effectively identify paddy rice and its rotation types. Considering the cloudy and rainy weather in South China, a harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) surface reflectance product was employed to increase high-quality observations. The FSHC method consists of three processes: cropping intensity mapping, feature selection, and decision tree (DT) model development. The FSHC performance was carefully evaluated using crop field samples obtained in 2018 and 2019. Results suggested that the derived cropping intensity map based on the Savitzky–Golay (S-G) filtered normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series was reliable, with an overall accuracy greater than 93%. Additionally, the optimal spectral (i.e., normalized difference water index (NDWI) and land surface water index (LSWI)) and temporal (start-of-season (SOS) date) features for distinguishing different PRCPs were successfully identified, and these features are highly related to the critical growth stage of paddy rice. The developed DT model with three hierarchical levels based on optimal features performed satisfactorily, and the identification accuracy of each PRCP can be achieved approximately 85%. Furthermore, the FSHC method exhibited similar performances when mapping PRCPs in adjacent years. These results demonstrate that the proposed FSHC approach with HLS data can accurately extract diverse PRCPs over fragmented croplands; thus, this approach represents a promising opportunity for generating refined crop type maps.
Thermal Calibration of Triaxial Accelerometer for Tilt Measurement
Authors: Yuan Bo , Tang Zhifeng , Zhang Pengfei , Lv Fuzai
Published: February 2023

The application of MEMS accelerometers used to measure inclination is constrained by their temperature dependence, and each accelerometer needs to be calibrated individually to increase stability and accuracy. This paper presents a calibration and thermal compensation method for triaxial accelerometers that aims to minimize cost and processing time while maintaining high accuracy. First, the number of positions to perform the calibration procedure is optimized based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, and then, based on this optimized calibration number, thermal compensation is performed based on the least squares method, which is necessary for environments with large temperature variations, since calibration parameters change at different temperatures. The calibration procedures and algorithms were experimentally validated on marketed accelerometers. Based on the optimized calibration method, the calibrated results achieved nearly 100 times improvement. Thermal drift calibration experiments on the triaxial accelerometer show that the thermal compensation scheme in this paper can effectively reduce drift in the temperature range of −40 °C to 60 °C. The temperature drifts of x- and y-axes are reduced from −13.2 and 11.8 mg to −0.9 and −1.1 mg, respectively. The z-axis temperature drift is reduced from −17.9 to 1.8 mg. We have conducted various experiments on the proposed calibration method and demonstrated its capacity to calibrate the sensor frame error model (SFEM) parameters. This research proposes a new low-cost and efficient strategy for increasing the practical applicability of triaxial accelerometers.
Remote Sensing Image Characteristics and Typical Area Analysis of Taiyuan Xishan Ecological Restoration Area
Authors: Tao Wang , Jin Zhang
Published: February 2023

The Taiyuan Xishan Ecological Restoration Zone is located in the west of Taiyuan City and belongs to the Xishan Coalfield. Due to the resource development activity of coal mining, which is caused by coal gangue accumulation, surface vegetation degradation, bare surfaces, and other phenomena, it is most common in this area. These have an impact on the surface ecology; however, after ecological restoration, the surface ecology has been greatly improved. There are many extraction models of vegetation coverage based on pixel dichotomology combined with multispectral vegetation index, but we believe that the combination of visible light vegetation index to construct models is relatively unexplored. The main problem of how to use the RGB image data in order to quickly and accurately extract vegetation coverage information is still under investigation and needs researchers’ attention. In this paper, through selecting the vegetation coverage as the evaluation index of ecological restoration effect, a new RGB vegetation coverage CIVE calculation model is innovatively proposed to solve the above problem, and on the basis of this model, the vegetation cover change analysis is carried out in the Xishan ecological restoration area of Taiyuan. According to the analysis of vegetation coverage change, relevant paper data, and the characteristics of multiple historical remote sensing images, the ecological restoration area of Taiyuan Xishan is divided into six typical areas. Through empirical evaluation, we summarize and analyze these six typical areas, which can provide typical demonstration roles for other ecological restoration areas. Our findings suggest that the proposed CIVE model realizes the extraction of vegetation cover information and long-term series dynamic monitoring of vegetation coverage.
Efficient Space–Time Signal Processing Scheme of Frequency Synchronization and Positioning for Sensor Networks
Authors: Wang Yung-Yi , Huang Jian-Rung
Published: February 2023

The orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technique has been widely employed in sensor networks as the data modulation scheme. This study presents a one-dimensional (1D) space–time signal processing scheme for the joint estimation of direction of arrival (DOA) and carrier frequency offsets (CFOs) in OFDMA uplink systems. The proposed approach, initiated by a one-dimensional ESPRIT algorithm, involves estimating the DOAs of the received signal to identify subscriber positions. Spatial beamformers are then used to suppress multiple access interference and separate each subscriber’s signal from the received signal. The outputs of the spatial beamformer are decimated to estimate the CFO of each subscriber. Compared with conventional two-dimensional parameter estimation algorithms, the proposed one-dimensional algorithm has a higher estimation accuracy and significantly lower computational complexity.
Monitoring Spatiotemporal Vegetation Response to Drought Using Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Mirzaee Salman , Mirzakhani Nafchi Ali
Published: February 2023

Environmental factors such as drought significantly influence vegetation growth, coverage, and ecosystem functions. Hence, monitoring the spatiotemporal vegetation responses to drought in a high temporal and adequate spatial resolution is essential, mainly at the local scale. This study was conducted to investigate the aspatial and spatial relationships between vegetation growth status and drought in the southeastern South Dakota, USA. For this purpose, Landsat 8 OLI images from the months of April through September for the years 2016–2021, with cloud cover of less than 10%, were acquired. After that, radiometric calibration and atmospheric correction were performed on all of the images. Some spectral indices were calculated using the Band Math toolbox in ENVI 5.3 (Environment for Visualizing Images v. 5.3). In the present study, the extracted spectral indices from Landsat 8 OLI images were the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalized Multiband Drought Index (NMDI). The results showed that the NDVI values for the month of July in different years were at maximum value at mostly pixels. Based on the statistical criteria, the best regression models for explaining the relationship between NDVI and NMDISoil were polynomial order 2 for 2016 to 2019 and linear for 2021. The developed regression models accounted for 96.7, 95.7, 96.2, 88.4, and 32.2% of vegetation changes for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021, respectively. However, there was no defined trend between NDVI and NMDISoil observed in 2020. In addition, pixel-by-pixel analyses showed that drought significantly impacted vegetation coverage, and 69.6% of the pixels were negatively correlated with the NDVI. It was concluded that the Landsat satellite images have potential information for studying the relationships between vegetation growth status and drought, which is the primary step in site-specific management.
Effect of Extraction Methods on Essential Oil Composition: A Case Study of Irish Bog Myrtle-Myrica gale L.
Authors: Nagar Shipra , Pigott Maria , Whyms Sophie , Berlemont Apolline , Sheridan Helen
Published: February 2023

Myrica gale is an aromatic peatland shrub that has reported traditional use as an insect repellent. Different extraction methodologies were used in this study to isolate the essential oil of Myrica gale L., including Clevenger hydrodistillation (CH) and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAH). The oils, isolated from different plant parts (leaves, fruit and branches) collected in summer and autumn, were analysed by GC-MS and the volatiles from plant tissue were directly analysed by headspace-GC-MS. A total of 58 components were identified, including 15 monoterpene hydrocarbons (22.78–98.98%), 14 oxygenated monoterpenes (0.91–43.02%), 13 sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (0.05–24.98%), 3 oxygenated sesquiterpenes (0.07–13.16%) and 13 other compounds (0.05–5.21%). Headspace sampling furnished monoterpenes, while CH and MAH extracted monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, with α-pinene (6.04–70.45%), eucalyptol (0.61–33.80%), limonene (2.27–20.73%) and α-phellandrene (2.33–15.61%) as major components in all plant parts. Quantitative differences occurred between extraction methodologies, with MAH yielding higher quantities of monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and CH targeting oxygenated counterparts. Leaves gave more complex chemical fingerprints than branches and fruit, and the summer collection yielded more components than the autumn collections. An OPLS-DA model was applied to the GC-MS data to compare the chemical profiles based on the extraction techniques and plant parts, and molecular networks were obtained for monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes connected via biosynthetic pathways. The essential oil profile of Myrica gale was influenced by the season of collection, plant part and extraction method.
Program Arrives Home Smoothly: Uncertainty-Based Routing Scheduling of Home-Based Elderly Care Programs
Authors: Chen Shaojun , Wu Xiaoqing , Wu Jing , Hong Xueqing
Published: February 2023

In China, the home-based elderly care program system plays an important role in meeting the needs of elderly individuals. The routing scheduling of home-based elderly care (RSHEC) programs is closely related to the quality of the home-based elderly care programs. The structural supply problem faced by home-based elderly care programs is a prominent problem, and the RSHEC programs are an important aspect that has rarely been studied. This paper explores RSHEC programs under uncertainty by comprehensively considering the costs of home-based elderly care, such as the fixed costs, time, and transportation costs. First, a deterministic mixed integer programming (MIP) model was constructed to solve the general routing scheduling problem. In addition, to effectively cope with the uncertainty and risk of the modern market, the robust optimization theory and algorithm model are introduced, namely, the mixed integer box set robust optimization (MIBRO) model and the mixed integer ellipsoid set robust optimization (MIERO) model. Finally, MATLAB and the Gurobi package are applied to obtain the solutions of the models. The case verification shows that the MIP model has the lowest total cost under deterministic conditions. However, the MIERO and MIBRO models can achieve more robust RSHEC programs under uncertain conditions. The results prove the effectiveness and feasibility of the optimization model and algorithm, which provides reference value for management decisions regarding home-based elderly care programs.
Importance of the Social Structures in Cowpea Varietal Demands for Women and Men Farmers in Segou Region, Mali
Authors: Sylla Almamy , Yila Jummai Othniel , Diallo Sory , Traoré Sékou
Published: February 2023

Cowpea is the second most consumed leguminous crop after groundnut in Mali. Its national production was 260,000 tons in 2018. It contributes to nitrogen fixation in the soil. The improved varieties of cowpea cultivars contain traits such as high grain yield, drought resistance, and early maturity. However, the adoption of improved cowpea varieties remains low. The non-participation and or non-consideration of the needs of men and women farmers in the varietal selection process contributed to the low adoption rate of improved cowpea varieties. This study aims to understand the gender dynamics and social structures within the communities. It examines its influence on the adoption of improved varieties of cowpea. Anchored on gender relations theories, gender and social structures are analyzed as the core frame for organizing social relations that guide and coordinate individuals’ actions in a given situation. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were applied to collect data from cowpea growers in 11 villages around the Cinzana Research Station. It emerged from the study that male farmers are quick adopters of newly released cowpea varieties because they are mainly more involved in trials, innovation platforms, field visits, demonstration plot activities, and FPVS than women. Women are less involved in these activities, except in sorting harvested cowpea grains and seeds in the Cinzana Research Station. Women’s participation in cowpea related-activities is determined by the rules and norms of physical mobility and the structures that control and guide social interactions and connections within and outside of households and communities. The study recommends efficient resource allocation within households and communities, and the set up of strong institutional frameworks (such as innovation platforms) to enable women in adopting new and improved cowpea varieties and to expand the available opportunities in the cowpea production system.
A High-Permeance Organic Solvent Nanofiltration Membrane via Polymerization of Ether Oxide-Based Polymeric Chains for Sustainable Dye Separation
Authors: Zhang Beibei , Yi Chunhai , Wu Dongyun , Qiao Jie , Zhang Lihua
Published: February 2023

The widely used dyes in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and medical industries have brought about an intensive concern for the sustainable development of the environment. Membrane separation offers a versatile method for classified recycling and the reuse of residual components. In this work, polyimide membranes were synthesized via the polymerization of 4,4′-(hexafluor-isopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride and 1,4-bis (4-aminophenoxy) benzene diamine. The organic solvent nanofiltration membrane was prepared by casting onto a glass plate and precipitating in the non-solvent phase. The properties of the membranes were recorded by FTIR, 1HNMR, TGA, and GPC. The molecular simulations were carried out to analyze the affinity between the membrane and different solvents. The membrane was used in the removal of Rose Bengal, methyl blue, Victoria blue B, and crystal violet from methanol. The effects of the feed liquid concentration, operating pressure, swelling degree, organic solvent resistance, and long-term running on the membrane performance were studied. Results showed that membranes prepared in this work demonstrated high solvent permeation and dye rejection due to the sieving effect and solvent affinity. For methyl blue, the solvent performance achieved a permeability of 2.18 L∙m−2∙h−1∙bar−1 corresponding to a rejection ratio of 94.2%. Furthermore, the membrane exhibited good stability over 60 h of continued testing. These results recommend a potential strategy in the development of a suitable monomer to prepare a polyimide membrane for dye separation.
Investigating the E-Readiness of Informal Sector Operators to Utilize Web Technology Portal
Authors: Etim Ernest , Daramola Olawande
Published: February 2023

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been acknowledged to be an enabler of small businesses, including those in the informal sector. However, determining the relationship between the perception of technology by informal service providers and the readiness to use technology is critical. By adopting a survey research design, this study investigates how the perception of a web technology portal (WTP) by informal sector service providers in the Cape Town metropolitan area in South Africa affects their readiness to use WTP to support their businesses. The study involved a sampled population of 419 informal sector service providers within the Cape Town metropolis. A conceptual framework consisting of constructs from the self-efficacy theory (SET), the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and the technology readiness index (TRI) was used as the theoretical reference for the study. We used a semi-structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale to collect data, which we analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that discomfort (p = 0.330), effort expectancy (p = 0.630), innovativeness (p = 0.620), optimism (p = 0.740), insecurity (p = 0.110), facilitating conditions (p = 0.160), and internal factors (p = 0.180) all had a non-significant positive influence on e-readiness. On the other hand, self-efficacy (p < 0.001), performance expectancy (p < 0.030), social influence (p < 0.001), and external factors (p < 0.001) had a significant positive influence on e-readiness. Gender and business type, the moderating variables for respondents’ e-readiness, were found to be insignificant (p > 0.005) for e-readiness for web portal technology utilization. This study identifies the key variables that could influence the readiness of informal sector operators to utilize web portal technology. It also provides a guide for designers and developers of digital platforms and government policymakers on critical factors germane to providing technology support for the informal business sector.
A New Method to Predict Final Products of Red Mud-Slag-Based Alkali-Activated Materials Using Complete Phase Analysis of Precursors
Authors: Mirmoghtadaei Reza , Shen Lin , Hargraves Jonathan
Published: February 2023

This paper presents a new method for predicting the final products of red mud-slag-based alkali-activated materials (RM-AAMs) using comprehensive phase analysis. As the first step, a quantitative method by X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to analyze six different types of red mud and ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS). Secondly, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was employed to determine the bulk elemental oxide contents of the precursors. A procedure combining XRD and XRF was then used to quantify both the crystalline and amorphous components of the precursors. In addition to investigating precursors, soluble silica from sodium silicate has been considered in calculating reactive silica. The research includes forty sets of alkali-activated samples using various activators with different concentrations. The XRD results of hardened paste samples revealed that the method could successfully predict the final products of RM-AAMs. By predicting the final products of the alkali-activation process, the optimization of raw material types and contents will be more efficient. For example, in the case of having C-S-H as the final product, adding substances with high reactive alumina would be unnecessary.
Sentiment of Chinese Tourists towards Malaysia Cultural Heritage Based on Online Travel Reviews
Authors: Cao Zheng , Xu Heng , Teo Brian Sheng-Xian
Published: February 2023

Analyzing the perception differences and influencing factors of cross-cultural groups in heritage tourism can help heritage sites to formulate differentiated service and improve tourist satisfaction. This research adopted the BERT model to undertake sentiment analysis of 17,555 Chinese online reviews for nine scenic spots in Melaka. Using vocabulary filtering, co-occurrence analysis, and semantic clustering technology, the emotional characteristics of Chinese outbound tourists when they visited heritage sites in Melaka were analyzed, which revealed the factors influencing their positive and negative emotions. Results showed that: 1. The BERT-based deep learning approach can obtain improved sentiment predictive performance. 2. Chinese tourists’ general emotional perceptions of Melaka were positive and they were very interested in heritage sites. 3. The most important reason for the negative emotions of Chinese tourists was a lack of cultural experience in Melaka. This research expands the application of deep learning in the field of tourism, and it helps heritage tourism destinations to improve their marketing plans for Chinese tourists and achieve long-term sustainable development of the destination.
The Road to Eco-Excellence: How Does Eco-Friendly Deliberate Practice Foster Eco-Innovation Performance through Creative Self-Efficacy and Perceived Eco-Innovation Importance
Authors: Miao Yinjia , Iqbal Shahid , Ayub Arslan
Published: February 2023

In pursuing innovation, eco-friendly deliberate practice will inevitably elevate eco-innovation performance without creative self-efficacy and perceived eco-innovation importance to organizations. This eco-friendly deliberate practice–eco-innovation link is essential because it extends current thinking, treating creative self-efficacy as a causal mechanism and perceived eco-innovation importance as the magnifier of eco-innovation performance. Anchored in social cognitive theory, this study aims to investigate the role of eco-friendly deliberate practice in fueling eco-innovation performance through the mediating role of creative self-efficacy and the moderating role of perceived eco-innovation importance. This study collected 367 responses from the service employees in tourism firms in Pakistan using a time-lagged, i.e., three-wave, research design. The authors analyzed data using a variance-based structural equation model processed in SmartPLS (v 4.0). The findings support the hypothesized relationships, for example, that eco-friendly deliberate practice has a significant positive relationship with eco-innovation performance. In addition, creative self-efficacy significantly mediates the association between eco-friendly deliberate practice and eco-innovation performance. Besides, employees’ perceived eco-innovation importance moderates the eco-friendly deliberate practice–eco-innovation link, such that at high(low) levels of perceived eco-innovation importance, the relationship between eco-friendly deliberate practice and eco-innovation performance is more(less) pronounced. The study examines a hitherto unexplored moderated mediation model to explain under which conditions eco-friendly deliberate practice promotes eco-innovation performance through creative self-efficacy and perceived eco-innovation importance.
Photoelectronic Properties of Chiral Self-Assembled Diphenylalanine Nanotubes: A Computational Study
Authors: Bystrov Vladimir , Paramonova Ekaterina , Zelenovskii Pavel , Kopyl Svitlana , Shen Hong , Lin Tie , Fridkin Vladimir
Published: February 2023

Peptide nanotubes (PNT) of diphenylalanine (FF) have attracted considerable attention from researchers in the last decades. The chirality of FF monomers determines the kinetics of PNTs’ self-assembly and their morphology. The helical symmetry of PNTs causes significant intrinsic polarization and endows them with a unique combination of mechanical, electronic, and optical properties, as well as a strong piezoelectric effect useful for various applications. In this work, we used a combination of computer modeling and quantum chemical calculations to study the photoelectronic properties of FF PNTs of different chiralities. Using semiempirical methods implemented in the HyperChem and MOPAC packages, we calculated HOMO and LUMO energy levels and a band gap and their variations under the action of external and internal electric fields. We demonstrated that the photoelectronic properties of l- and d-FF PNTs are slightly different and may be related to the intrinsic electric field arising due to the internal polarization. The band gap of FF PNTs is within the ultraviolet range (400–250 nm) and can be tuned by an external electric field. These results open a way to create FF PNT-based solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors and other electro-optic and electronic devices.
Antileishmanial Activity and In Silico Molecular Docking Studies of Malachra alceifolia Jacq. Fractions against Leishmania mexicana Amastigotes
Authors: Cervantes-Ceballos Leonor , Mercado-Camargo Jairo , del Olmo-Fernández Esther , Serrano-García María Luisa , Robledo Sara M. , Gómez-Estrada Harold
Published: February 2023

Malachra alceifolia Jacq. (family Malvaceae), known as “malva,” is a medicinal plant used as a traditional therapy in many regions of America, Africa and Asia. Traditionally, this plant is used in the form of extracts, powder and paste by populations for treating fever, stomachache, inflammation, and parasites. However, the ethnopharmacological validation of M. alceifolia has been scarcely researched. This study showed that the chloroform fraction (MA-IC) and subfraction (MA-24F) of the leaves of M. alceifolia exhibited a potential antileishmanial activity against axenic amastigotes of Leishmania mexicana pifanoi (MHOM/VE/60/Ltrod) and had high and moderate cytotoxic effects on the viability and morphology of macrophages RAW 264.7. This study reports, for the first time, possible terpenoid metabolites and derivatives present in M. alceifolia with activity against some biosynthetic pathways in L. mexicana amastigotes. The compounds from the subfractions MA-24F were highly active and were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and by a molecular docking study in L. mexicana target protein. This study demonstrates the potential modes of interaction and the theoretical affinity energy of the metabolites episwertenol, α-amyrin and methyl commate A, which are present in the active fraction MA-24F, at allosteric sites of the pyruvate kinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, triose phosphate isomerase, aldolase, phosphoglucose isomerase, transketolase, arginase and cysteine peptidases A, target proteins in some vital biosynthetic pathways were responsible for the survival of L. mexicana. Some phytoconstituents of M. alceifolia can be used for the search for potential new drugs and molecular targets for treating leishmaniases and infectious diseases. Furthermore, contributions to research and the validation and conservation of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants are needed globally.