bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Channel Training Design for Secure Short-Packet Communications
Authors: Chen Dechuan , Li Jin , Hu Jianwei , Zhang Xingang , Zhang Shuai
Published: January 2023

Physical layer security is a promising technique to ensure the confidentiality of short-packet communications, since no additional channel uses are needed. Motivated by the fact of finite coding blocklength in short-packet communications, we attempt to investigate the problem of how many the channel uses utilized for channel training should be allocated to perform secure communications. Based on the finite blocklength information theory, we derive a closed-form expression to approximate the average achievable secrecy throughput. To gain more insights, we also present the asymptotic average secrecy throughput under two special cases, i.e., high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and infinite blocklength. Moreover, we determine the optimal channel training length to maximize the average secrecy throughput under the reliability constraint and given blocklength. Numerical results are provided to validate the analysis and demonstrate that the performance gain achieved by the optimal channel training length is remarkable, relative to other benchmark schemes.
New Insights into Stroke from Continuous Passively Collected Temperature and Sleep Data Using Wrist-Worn Wearables
Authors: Edgley Katherine , Chun Ho-Yan Yvonne , Whiteley William N. , Tsanas Athanasios
Published: January 2023

Actigraphy may provide new insights into clinical outcomes and symptom management of patients through passive, continuous data collection. We used the GENEActiv smartwatch to passively collect actigraphy, wrist temperature, and ambient light data from 27 participants after stroke or probable brain transient ischemic attack (TIA) over 42 periods of device wear. We computed 323 features using established algorithms and proposed 25 novel features to characterize sleep and temperature. We investigated statistical associations between the extracted features and clinical outcomes evaluated using clinically validated questionnaires to gain insight into post-stroke recovery. We subsequently fitted logistic regression models to replicate clinical diagnosis (stroke or TIA) and disability due to stroke. The model generalization performance was assessed using a leave-one-subject-out cross validation method with the selected feature subsets, reporting the area under the curve (AUC). We found that several novel features were strongly correlated (|r|>0.3) with stroke symptoms and mental health measures. Using selected novel features, we obtained an AUC of 0.766 to estimate diagnosis and an AUC of 0.749 to estimate whether disability due to stroke was present. Collectively, these findings suggest that features extracted from the temperature smartwatch sensor may reveal additional clinically useful information over and above existing actigraphy-based features.
Comparison of Two Water Color Algorithms: Implications for the Remote Sensing of Water Bodies with Moderate to High CDOM or Chlorophyll Levels
Authors: Burket Martha Otte , Olmanson Leif G. , Brezonik Patrick L.
Published: January 2023

The dominant wavelength and hue angle can be used to quantify the color of lake water. Understanding the water color is important because the color relates to the water quality and its related public perceptions. In this paper, we compared the accuracy levels of two methods in calculating dominant wavelength and hue angle values using simulated satellite data calculated from in situ reflectance hyperspectra for 325 lakes and rivers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The methods developed by van der Woerd and Wernand in 2015 and Wang et al. in 2015 were applied to simulated sensor data from the Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3, and Landsat 8 satellites. Both methods performed comparably when a correction algorithm could be applied, but the correction method did not work well for the Wang method at hue angles < 75°, equivalent to levels of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM, a440) > ~2 m−1 or chlorophyll > ~10 mg m−3. The Sentinel-3 spectral bands produced the most accurate results for the van der Woerd and Wernand method, while the Landsat 8 sensor produced the most accurate values for the Wang method. The distinct differences in the shapes of the reflectance hyperspectra were related to the dominant optical water quality constituents in the water bodies, and relationships were found between the dominant wavelength and four water quality parameters, namely the Secchi depth, CDOM, chlorophyll, and Forel–Ule color index.
Feature Attribution Analysis to Quantify the Impact of Oceanographic and Maneuverability Factors on Vessel Shaft Power Using Explainable Tree-Based Model
Authors: Kim Donghyun , Handayani Melia Putri , Lee Sangbong , Lee Jihwan
Published: January 2023

A vessel sails above the ocean against sea resistance, such as waves, wind, and currents on the ocean surface. Concerning the energy efficiency issue in the marine ecosystem, assigning the right magnitude of shaft power to the propeller system that is needed to move the ship during its operations can be a contributive study. To provide both desired maneuverability and economic factors related to the vessel’s functionality, this research studied the shaft power utilization of a factual vessel operational data of a general cargo ship recorded during 16 months of voyage. A machine learning-based prediction model that is developed using Random Forest Regressor achieved a 0.95 coefficient of determination considering the oceanographic factors and additional maneuver settings from the noon report data as the model’s predictors. To better understand the learning process of the prediction model, this study specifically implemented the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method to disclose the contribution of each predictor to the prediction results. The individualized attributions of each important feature affecting the prediction results are presented.
Risk Assessment and Experimental Light-Balloon Deployment of a Stratospheric Vertical VLF Transmitter
Authors: Miś Tomasz Aleksander , Modelski Józef
Published: January 2023

This paper discusses the risks associated with an aerostat-supported stratospheric (unanchored) balloon mission equipped with a long vertical antenna and a very low frequency radio transmitter. The risks have been grouped into four main types and applicable mitigation methods have been presented to provide a sufficient level of safety and reliability to such a balloon mission. An experimental mission consistent with this analysis, based on the described theoretical VLF propagation approach, has been prepared and launched, and is operating at 14.2 kHz with a vertical antenna of a total length of 400 m and a total payload of max. 4 kg. The maximum altitude reached 29,164 m. The experiment’s signal has been registered in numerous locations in Europe; the results are compared with numerical analysis employing a hypothesis of an apparent transmitting frequency decrease with the rise of the transmitter’s altitude. The numerical analysis explains the behavior of the experimental signal and remains generally consistent with the hypothesis.
Assistive Technology and the Wellbeing of Societies from a Capabilities Approach
Authors: Layton Natasha , Borg Johan
Published: January 2023

This Special Issue considers two core facilitators of functioning: assistive technology and environmental intervention [...]
Predictive Machine Learning Algorithms for Metro Ridership Based on Urban Land Use Policies in Support of Transit-Oriented Development
Authors: AlKhereibi Aya Hasan , Wakjira Tadesse G. , Kucukvar Murat , Onat Nuri C.
Published: January 2023

The endeavors toward sustainable transportation systems are a key concern for planners and decision-makers where increasing public transport attractiveness is essential. In this paper, a machine-learning-based predictive modeling approach is proposed for metro ridership prediction, considering the built environment around the stations; it is in the best interest of sustainable transport planning to ultimately contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). A total of twelve parameters are considered as input features including time of day, day of the week, station, and nine types of land use density. Hence, a time-series database is used for model development and testing. Several machine learning (ML) models were evaluated for their predictive performance: ridge regression, lasso regression, elastic net, k-nearest neighbor, support vector regression, decision tree, random forest, extremely randomized trees, adaptive boosting, gradient boosting, extreme gradient boosting, and stacking ensemble learner. Bayesian optimization and grid search are combined with 10-fold cross-validation to tune the hyperparameters of each model. The performance of the developed models was validated based on the test dataset using five quantitative performance measures. The results demonstrated that, among the base learners, the decision tree showed the highest performance with an R2 of 87.4% on the test dataset. KNN and SVR were the second and third-best models among the base learners. Furthermore, the feature importance investigation explains the relative contribution of each type of land use density to the prediction of the metro ridership. The results showed that governmental land use density, educational facilities land use density, and mixed-use density are the three factors that play the most critical role in determining total ridership. The outcomes of this research could be of great help to the decision-making process for the best achievement of sustainable development goals in relation to sustainable transport and land use.
Measuring the SDGs in Refugee Camps: An Insight into Arab States Bordering Syria
Authors: Wardeh Mai , Marques Rui Cunha
Published: January 2023

With the increasing refugee crisis worldwide, a great promise lies in the 2030 agenda to help ‘leave no one behind.’ This article aims to take stock of implementing the 2030 Agenda in the refugee camps of the Arab Middle East based on empirical data from Syrian refugees and Iraqi IDPs collected using a questionnaire distributed in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. SDGs’ indices were calculated using arithmetic mean and principal component analysis methods. Our study finds that the progress toward achieving the SDGs is diverse in three locations, mainly due to the policy applied in the host country. The respondents in Iraq ranked the best at social and economic sustainability, Jordan ranked the best at environmental sustainability, and Lebanon was the furthest left behind in the three dimensions. SDG7 has a high performance, but accelerating the progress toward achieving the remaining SDGs is essential. Without the substantial efforts of all stakeholders, the 2030 agenda will not be accomplished.
Impacts of Government Policies on the Adoption of Biomass Power: A System Dynamic Perspective
Authors: Xin-gang Zhao , Wei Wang , Shuran Hu , Xuan Liu
Published: January 2023

As a kind of renewable energy, biomass power has great development potential in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, under the background of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, the diffusion of biomass power generation technology has practical significance. To address these issues, this paper constructs a system dynamics model to study the impact of different policy effects on the diffusion of biomass power generation technologies. The results show that the feed-in tariff policy can significantly promote the installed capacity growth of biomass power generation projects; on the other hand, carbon emission trading increases the investment value of projects and promotes the growth of the installed capacity of biomass power generation projects, to a certain extent, so relevant policies need to be improved to achieve the promotion of biomass power generation technology in the future.
Wave Energy in Brittany (France)—Resource Assessment and WEC Performances
Authors: Guillou Nicolas , Lavidas George , Kamranzad Bahareh
Published: January 2023

Refined numerical wave energy resource assessments are required to reduce uncertainties in the evaluation of available power and energy production. However, to restrict the computational cost, a great part of wave hindcast simulations cover a limited time range (below ten years) or rely on coarse spatial resolutions while routinely ignoring tide-induced modulations in wave conditions. Complementing resource assessments conducted in the North-West European shelf seas, we here exploited a 27-year hindcast database (1994–2020) set up at a spatial resolution of 200 m along the coast of France and integrating the effects of tidal currents on waves. This evaluation was conducted in three water depths from offshore to nearshore (60, 40 and 20 m) around Brittany, one of the most energetic regions along the coast of France. We investigated the performances of a series of thirteen state-of-the-art wave energy converters with respect to installation depth range. Beyond confirming the interest of western Brittany in energy exploitation, the results exhibited the first ranking between devices, thus promoting the interests of Oceantec in offshore waters (60 m), Wave Dragon in intermediate waters (40 m), and Oyster and WaveStar C6 in shallow waters (20 m).
How May New Energy Investments Change the Sustainability of the Turkish Industrial Sector?
Authors: Yildizhan Hasan , Yıldırım Cihan , Gorjian Shiva , Ameen Arman
Published: January 2023

Utilization of renewable energy in the Turkish industrial sector is becoming more important nowadays. The tendency toward renewable energy can be clearly seen with newly planned energy investments. The energy appearance of the Turkish industrial sector for past two decades and ongoing energy projects are discussed in this study with the help of sustainability indicators. The sustainability index is based on advanced exergy analysis and shows the environmental impact of production processes and measures the transformation of energy resources in the Turkish industrial sector. This index was approximately 2.03 in 2000 and it improved to 2.25 in 2008, and then remained constant with minor fluctuations until 2019. Depending on the fulfillment of the continuing fossil, nuclear, and recommended renewable energy investment scenarios, the sustainability index may change to between 1.96 and 2.17 by 2023. None of the ongoing investments will make a major improvement in the sustainability of the industrial sector; therefore, a major shift toward the use of more renewable energy is urgently needed. Establishing solar or wind energy microgrids plants may improve the sustainability indicators drastically, therefore, encouragement of their investments is very important.
Key Pathways to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Three Polar Regions
Authors: Shijin Wang , Wenli Qiang , Qiaoxia Liang
Published: January 2023

Due to the local and natural characteristics of high latitude and altitude in the Three Polar Region (TPR)—that is, the Antarctic, the Arctic, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP)—this region has been significantly affected by climate change and related disasters. Thus, the sustainable development pathway for the TPR is different from that of other regions. The Antarctic region, as a public territory, experiences sustainability problems that are mainly the result of the integrated impact of tourism and scientific and commercial fishing activities on the continent and ocean. Understanding how to build a shared, co-built, and co-governed, legally binding and equal international multilateral partnership or treaty, and thereby reducing the impact on water life and on land life, is the key pathway to achieving the Antarctic sustainable development goals (SDGs). The Arctic region has both a high level of development at the national level and a low level of development within the country, including the livelihood of indigenous people. Learning how to effectively deal with the domestic development imbalance in the future is a key pathway to achieving Arctic SDGs. The QTP has a fragile ecology and a single industry. As a relatively poor area in China, the ability to promote ecological protection and improve people’s welfare through ecological policies is a key pathway to achieving the SDGs in the QTP. At the same time, the TPR also needs to enhance its climate resilience through climate action to mitigate the impacts of climate change. On this basis, to fully achieve the SDGs in support of the TPR, it is necessary to establish and pursue multilateral cooperation in science research, infrastructure, commerce, energy, and mining trades. As an important part of the climate system, spatial and temporal changes in the TPR have direct and indirect impacts on the global climate and other spheres (e.g., Anthroposphere) and also affect the global sustainable development process. Therefore, through the TPR’s linkage and multilateral cooperation, the region can simultaneously enter the global sustainable development track.
An Adaptive Tabu Search Algorithm for Solving the Two-Dimensional Loading Constrained Vehicle Routing Problem with Stochastic Customers
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Ji Bin , Yu Samson S.
Published: January 2023

In practical logistic distributions, uncertainties may exist in each distribution process, and sometimes suppliers have to take undesirable measures to deal with the subsequent schedule variances. In light of the uncertainty of customers in logistics distribution and the widely applied two-dimensional loading patterns in transportation, we propose and formulate a two-dimensional loading-constrained vehicle routing problem with stochastic customers (2L-VRPSC), where each customer has a known probability of presence and customers’ demands are a set of non-stackable items. A stochastic modeling platform of 2L-VRPSC is established based on a Monte Carlo simulation and scenario analysis to minimize the expected total transportation cost. To achieve this, an enhanced adaptive tabu search (EATS) algorithm incorporating the multi-order bottom-fill-skyline (MOBFS) packing heuristic is proposed, where the EATS algorithm searches for the optimal routing combination and the MOBFS checks the feasibility of each route and guides the EATS to search for feasible solutions. The widely used two-dimensional loading-constrained vehicle routing problem (2L-VRP) benchmarks under different loading configurations considering items’ sequential and rotation constraints are applied for experiments, which demonstrates the comparable efficiency of the proposed EATS-MOBFS for solving 2L-VRP. Furthermore, the results and analysis of experiments based on the new 2L-VRPSC instances verify the versatility of the proposed solving approach, which is capable of providing more practical solutions to some real-life scenarios with customers’ uncertain information.
Sustainable Career Development of Chinese Generation Z (Post-00s) Attending and Graduating from University: Dynamic Topic Model Analysis Based on Microblogging
Authors: Wang Peng , Zhang Mengnan , Wang Yike , Yuan Xiqing
Published: January 2023

Chinese generation Z (post-00s) are about to confront career decisions as the first batch of post-00s graduates. However, current career studies rarely take the post-00s, the liveliest group with characteristics of the era, as research subjects to investigate their beliefs, attitudes, values, motivation, career behavior, etc. Existing studies focused on the status quo of post-00s career education without dynamically studying the career development process from college to graduation. This study performed big data analysis, using the dynamic topic model (DTM), combing the golden triangle theory to study the career development of the post-00s in China. We summarized the “connection between individuals and others” as a new dimension and tried to propose a corrected theoretical model of the “golden triangle” that can help the post-00s make sustainable career decisions.
A Framework for Adopting a Sustainable Reverse Logistics Service Quality for Reverse Logistics Service Providers: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Dabees Ahmed , Barakat Mahmoud , Elbarky Sahar Sobhy , Lisec Andrej
Published: January 2023

Reverse logistics has become a competitive need for sustainability. Lack of resources to apply reverse logistics solutions has severely impacted many supply chains’ costs and customer service, making it impossible to meet the expectations of return processing. In those conditions, client demands for higher service quality are the main drivers of effective sustainability operations. This study aims to establish the sustainable reverse logistics service quality (SRLSQ) theoretical framework offered by reverse logistics services providers (RLSPs). The study conducts a systematic methodology protocol by examining reliable academic periodicals using PRISMA guidelines based on the research scope and identified 56 papers from 2011–2022, with the main research focus on SSQ and RLSQ dimensions to develop a research framework. By re-evaluating those factors using the SRLSQ framework and by including sustainability into the service quality approach, this study expanded the practicability of reverse logistic service quality and sustainable service quality. The results point to a knowledge gap when it comes to quantifying the impact of reverse logistics operation process through a triple bottom line approach on customer outcomes, relationship quality (RQ), and mediation of operation risk factor, which could be examined within various contexts in subsequent work.
Spatial Non-Stationarity Effects of Unhealthy Food Environments and Green Spaces for Type-2 Diabetes in Toronto
Authors: Ge Haoxuan , Wang Jue
Published: January 2023

Environmental factors may operate differently when relations are measured across different geographical locations, a phenomenon known as spatial non-stationarity. This study investigates the spatial non-stationarity effect of unhealthy food environments and green spaces on the T2DM prevalence rate at the neighborhood level in Toronto. This study also compares how the results vary between age groups, classified as all adults (20 and above), young adults (from 20 to 44), middle adulthood (from 45 to 64), and seniors (65 and above). The geographically weighted regression model is utilized to explore the impacts of spatial non-stationarity effects on the research results, which may lead to biased conclusions, which have often been ignored in past studies. The results from this study reveal that environmental variables dissimilarly affect T2DM prevalence rates among different age groups and neighborhoods in Toronto after controlling for socioeconomic factors. For example, the green space density yields positive associations with diabetes prevalence rates for elder generations but negative relationships for younger age groups in twenty-two and four neighborhoods, respectively, around Toronto East. The observed associations will provide beneficial suggestions to support government and public health authorities in designing education, prevention, and intervention programs targeting different neighborhoods to control the burden of diabetes.
Effects of Fungi on Soil Organic Carbon and Soil Enzyme Activity under Agricultural and Pasture Land of Eastern Türkiye
Authors: Erdel Erhan , Şimşek Uğur , Kesimci Tuba Genç
Published: January 2023

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a heterogeneous mixture of materials ranging from fresh plant tissues to highly decomposed humus at different stages of decomposition. Soil organic carbon (SOC) status is directly related to the amount of organic matter in soil and therefore is generally used to measure it. Soil carbon sequestration refers to the removal of carbon (C) containing substances from the atmosphere and its storage in soil C pools. The soil microbial community (SMC) plays an important role in the C cycle, and its activity is considered to be the main driver of differences in C storage potential in soil. The composition of SMC is crucial for maintaining soil ecosystem services, as the structure and activity of SMC also regulate the turnover and distribution of nutrients, as well as the rate of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. Here, we applied fungi on the soils taken from two fields, one used as a pasture and one for agriculture (wheat cultivation), in a histosol in the eastern part of Türkiye and investigated the changes in the organic carbon and enzyme activity contents of the soils at the end of the 41-day incubation period. In the study, four different fungal species (Verticillium dahliae (SOR-8), Rhizoctonia solani (S-TR-6), Fusarium oxysporum (HMK2-6), and Trichoderma sp.) were used and catalase, urease, and alkaline phosphatase activities were examined. Results showed that the values of SOC were V. dahliae (7.46%), Trichoderma sp. (7.27%), R. solani (7.03%), Control (6.97%), and F. oxysporum (6.7%) in pastureland and were V. dahlia (4.72%), control (4.69%), F. oxysporum (4.65%), R. solani (4.37%), and Trichoderma sp. (4.14%) in agricultural land, respectively. SOC and soil enzyme activities were significantly affected by land use types (p < 0.05). The higher SOC and enzyme activities were observed in pastureland. Finally, it was determined that soil organic carbon and soil enzyme activities were affected by fungi. This study is important in terms of revealing that the effects of fungi on soil organic carbon and enzyme activities are different in various land types.
Precursory Analysis of Water-Bearing Rock Fracture Based on The Proportion of Dissipated Energy
Authors: Hou Lixiao , Cao Kewang , Muhammad Khan Naseer , Jahed Armaghani Danial , S. Alarifi Saad , Hussain Sajjad , Ali Muhammad
Published: January 2023

In order to better understand the failure process of water-bearing rocks, samples of water-bearing sandstone were tested uniaxially. The failure process and the development of internal cracks were studied through the evolution characteristics of dissipated strain energy and particle flow simulation. In this study, we found that: (1) The presence of water in sandstone results in a reduction in energy storage capacity as well as strength. (2) The dissipated energy ratio curve of sandstone samples and simulated samples’ internal fracture development curve has obvious stages. The dissipated energy ratio turning point and the rapid fracture development point are defined as the failure precursor points of sandstone samples and simulated samples, respectively. In both sandstone samples and simulated samples, the ratio between failure precursor stress and peak strength remains almost unchanged under various water conditions. (3) The ratio of fracture to dissipated energy (RFDE) of sandstone is proposed, and interpreted as the increased number of cracks in the rock under the unit dissipated. On this basis, the fracture initiation dissipated energy (FIDE) of sandstone under different water cut conditions is determined, that is, the dissipation threshold corresponding to the start of the development of sandstone internal cracks. (4) The analysis shows that RFDE increases exponentially and FIDE decreases negatively with the scale-up in moisture content. Further, high moisture content sandstone consumes the same dissipative strain energy, which will lead to more fractures in its interior. The research in this paper can lay a theoretical and experimental foundation for monitoring and early warning of rock engineering disasters such as coal mining, tunnel excavation, slope sliding, and instability.
Improvement of Unconstrained Optimization Methods Based on Symmetry Involved in Neutrosophy
Authors: Stanimirović Predrag S. , Ivanov Branislav , Stanujkić Dragiša , Katsikis Vasilios N. , Mourtas Spyridon D. , Kazakovtsev Lev A. , Edalatpanah Seyyed Ahmad
Published: January 2023

The influence of neutrosophy on many fields of science and technology, as well as its numerous applications, are evident. Our motivation is to apply neutrosophy for the first time in order to improve methods for solving unconstrained optimization. Particularly, in this research, we propose and investigate an improvement of line search methods for solving unconstrained nonlinear optimization models. The improvement is based on the application of symmetry involved in neutrosophic logic in determining appropriate step size for the class of descent direction methods. Theoretical analysis is performed to show the convergence of proposed iterations under the same conditions as for the related standard iterations. Mutual comparison and analysis of generated numerical results reveal better behavior of the suggested iterations compared with analogous available iterations considering the Dolan and Moré performance profiles and statistical ranking. Statistical comparison also reveals advantages of the neutrosophic improvements of the considered line search optimization methods.
Decision Support System Based on Complex Fractional Orthotriple Fuzzy 2-Tuple Linguistic Aggregation Operator
Authors: Qiyas Muhammad , Naeem Muhammad , Abdullah Lazim , Riaz Muhammad , Khan Neelam
Published: January 2023

In this research, we provide tools to overcome the information loss limitation resulting from the requirement to estimate the results in the discrete initial expression domain. Through the use of 2-tuples, which are made up of a linguistic term and a numerical value calculated between [0.5,0.5), the linguistic information will be expressed. This model supports continuous representation of the linguistic data within its scope, permitting it to express any information counting received through an aggregation procedure. This study provides a novel approach to develop a linguistic multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) approach with complex fractional orthotriple fuzzy 2-tuple linguistic (CFOF2TL) assessment details. Initially, the concept of a complex fractional orthotriple fuzzy 2-tuple linguistic set (CFO2TLS) is proposed to convey uncertain and fuzzy information. In the meantime, simple aggregation operators, such as CFOF2TL weighted average and geometric operators, are defined. In addition, the CFOF2TL Maclaurin’s symmetric mean (CFOF2TLMSM) operators and their weighted shapes are presented, and their attractive characteristics are also discussed. A new MAGDM approach is built using the developed aggregation operators to address managing economic crises under COVID-19 with the CFOF2TL information. As a result, the effectiveness and robustness of the developed method are accompanied by an empirical example, and a comparative study is carried out by contrasting it with previous approaches.
Application of Manifold Corrections in Tidal Evolution of Exoplanetary Systems
Authors: Xiao Qian-Qian , Wang Ying , Liu Fu-Yao , Deng Chen , Sun Wei
Published: January 2023

The discovery of numerous close-in planets has updated our knowledge of planet formation. The tidal interaction between planets and host stars has a significant impact on the orbital and rotational evolution of the close planets. Tidal evolution usually takes a long time and requires reliable numerical methods. The manifold correction method, which strictly satisfies the integrals dissipative quasiintegrals of the system, exhibits good numerical accuracy and stability in the quasi-Kepler problem. Different manifold correction methods adopt different integrals or integral invariant relations to correct the numerical solutions. We apply the uncorrected five- and six-order Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg algorithm [RKF5(6)], as well as corrected by the velocity scaling method and Fukushima’s linear transformation method to solve the tidal evolution of exoplanet systems. The results show that Fukushima’s linear transformation method exhibits the best performance in the accuracy of the semimajor axis and eccentricity. In addition, we predict the tidal timescale of several current close exoplanetary systems by using this method.
Singular Behavior of the Dark Universe under the Effect of Thermal Radiation in Curved Spacetime
Authors: Brevik Iver , Timoshkin Alexander V.
Published: January 2023

We consider the late-time accelerated universe in the Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) spacetime with a nonzero curvature, and investigate cosmological models when the cosmic fluid is taken to be inhomogeneous and viscous (bulk viscous), coupled to dark matter. We consider the influence from thermal effects caused by Hawking radiation on the formation of singularities of various classified types, within a finite time. It is shown that under the influence of Hawking radiation, the time of formulation of a singularity and the nature of the singularity itself can change. It is also shown that by jointly taking into account radiation, viscosity, and space curvature, one can obtain a singularity-free universe. The symmetry properties of this kind of theory lie in the assumption about spatial isotropy. The spatial isotropy is also reflected in our use of a bulk instead of a shear viscosity.
Confidence Levels-Based Cubic Fermatean Fuzzy Aggregation Operators and Their Application to MCDM Problems
Authors: Garg Harish , Rahim Muhammad , Amin Fazli , Jafari Saeid , M. Hezam Ibrahim
Published: January 2023

Assessment specialists (experts) are sometimes expected to provide two types of information: knowledge of rating domains and the performance of rating objects (called confidence levels). Unfortunately, the results of previous information aggregation studies cannot be properly used to combine the two categories of data covered above. Additionally, a significant range of symmetric/asymmetric events and structures are frequently included in the implementation process or practical use of fuzzy systems. The primary goal of the current study was to use cubic Fermatean fuzzy set features to address such situations. To deal with the ambiguous information of the aggregated arguments, we defined information aggregation operators with confidence degrees. Two of the aggregation operators we initially proposed were the confidence cubic Fermatean fuzzy weighted averaging (CCFFWA) operator and the confidence cubic Fermatean fuzzy weighted geometric (CCFFWG) operator. They were used as a framework to create an MCDM process, which was supported by an example to show how effective and applicable it is. The comparison of computed results was carried out with the help of existing approaches.
Formalizing Attack Tree on Security Object for MySANi in Legal Metrology
Authors: Ibrahim Muhammad Azwan , Qamar Faizan , Shukur Zarina , Zainal Nasharuddin , Marzuki Nazri , Siregar Maria Ulfah
Published: January 2023

Illegal software manipulation is one of the biggest issues in software security. This includes the legally relevant software which are now crucial modules in weight and measuring instruments such as weighbridges. Despite the advancement and complexity of weight and measuring instruments, the inspection methodology is weak and lacks of innovation. The conventional inspection method is merely based on the observation printed certificate of the software. This paper introduces Malaysia Software-Assisted Non-Automatic Weighing Instrument (NAWI) Inspection (MySANI), a method used to enhance the software inspection scheme in legal metrology. MySANI introduces security objects in order to assist and enhance the inspection process. The security evaluation is based on the best practices in IT in metrology, where the attack model on relevant assets of the security objects is simulated for the Attack Probability Tree. The attack tree is verified by integrating formal notation and comparison with finite state transition system domain to verify the correctness properties of the tree design before the model can be further used in a risk analysis procedure within the Attack Probability Tree framework. Results show that the designed attack tree is consistent with the designed simulation.
Humic Acids Preparation, Characterization, and Their Potential Adsorption Capacity for Aflatoxin B1 in an In Vitro Poultry Digestive Model
Authors: Maguey-González Jesús Adonai , Nava-Ramírez María de Jesús , Gómez-Rosales Sergio , Ángeles María de Lourdes , Solís-Cruz Bruno , Hernández-Patlán Daniel , Merino-Guzmán Rubén , Hernández-Velasco Xóchitl , Figueroa-Cárdenas Juan de Dios , Vázquez-Durán Alma , Hargis Billy M. , Téllez-Isaías Guillermo , Méndez-Albores Abraham
Published: January 2023

Vermicompost was used for humic acid (HA) preparation, and the adsorption of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was investigated. Two forms of HA were evaluated, natural HA and sodium-free HA (SFHA). As a reference, a non-commercial zeolitic material was employed. The adsorbents were characterized by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), zeta potential (ζ-potential), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and point of zero charge (pHpzc). The adsorbent capacity of the materials when added to an AFB1-contaminated diet (100 µg AFB1/kg) was evaluated using an in vitro model that simulates the digestive tract of chickens. Characterization results revealed the primary functional groups in HA and SFHA were carboxyl and phenol. Furthermore, adsorbents have a highly negative ζ-potential at the three simulated pH values. Therefore, it appears the main influencing factors for AFB1 adsorption are electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. Moreover, the bioavailability of AFB1 in the intestinal section was dramatically decreased when sorbents were added to the diet (0.2%, w/w). The highest AFB1 adsorption percentages using HA and SFHA were 97.6% and 99.7%, respectively. The zeolitic material had a considerable adsorption (81.5%). From these results, it can be concluded that HA and SFHA from vermicompost could be used as potential adsorbents to remove AFB1 from contaminated feeds.
Type B Trichothecenes in Cereal Grains and Their Products: Recent Advances on Occurrence, Toxicology, Analysis and Post-Harvest Decontamination Strategies
Authors: Gab-Allah Mohamed A. , Choi Kihwan , Kim Byungjoo
Published: January 2023

Type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol) and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G) are secondary toxic metabolites produced mainly by mycotoxigenic Fusarium fungi and have been recognized as natural contaminants in cereals and cereal-based foods. The latest studies have proven the various negative effects of type B trichothecenes on human health. Due to the widespread occurrence of Fusarium species, contamination by these mycotoxins has become an important aspect for public health and agro-food systems worldwide. Hence, their monitoring and surveillance in various foods have received a significant deal of attention in recent years. In this review, an up-to-date overview of the occurrence profile of major type B trichothecenes and DON-3G in cereal grains and their toxicological implications are outlined. Furthermore, current trends in analytical methodologies for their determination are overviewed. This review also covers the factors affecting the production of these mycotoxins, as well as the management strategies currently employed to mitigate their contamination in foods. Information presented in this review provides good insight into the progress that has been achieved in the last years for monitoring type B trichothecenes and DON-3G, and also would help the researchers in their further investigations on metabolic pathway analysis and toxicological studies of these Fusarium mycotoxins.
Unique Variants of Avian Coronaviruses from Indigenous Chickens in Kenya
Authors: Kariithi Henry M. , Volkening Jeremy D. , Goraichuk Iryna V. , Ateya Leonard O. , Williams-Coplin Dawn , Olivier Tim L. , Binepal Yatinder S. , Afonso Claudio L. , Suarez David L.
Published: January 2023

The avian gamma-coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (AvCoV, IBV; Coronaviridae family) causes upper respiratory disease associated with severe economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. Here, we report for the first time in Kenya and the Eastern African region two novel AvCoVs, designated IBV/ck/KE/1920/A374/2017 (A374/17) and AvCoV/ck/KE/1922/A376/2017 (A376/17), inadvertently discovered using random nontargeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of cloacal swabs collected from indigenous chickens. Despite having genome organization (5′UTR-[Rep1a/1ab-S-3a-3b-E-M-4b-4c-5a-5b-N-6b]-3′UTR), canonical conservation of essential genes and size (~27.6 kb) typical of IBVs, the Kenyan isolates do not phylogenetically cluster with any genotypes of the 37 IBV lineages and 26 unique variants (UVs). Excluding the spike gene, genome sequences of A374/17 and A376/17 are only 93.1% similar to each other and 86.7–91.4% identical to genomes of other AvCoVs. All five non-spike genes of the two isolates phylogenetically cluster together and distinctly from other IBVs and turkey coronaviruses (TCoVs), including the indigenous African GI-26 viruses, suggesting a common origin of the genome backbone of the Kenyan isolates. However, isolate A376/17 contains a TCoV-like spike (S) protein coding sequence and is most similar to Asian TCoVs (84.5–85.1%) compared to other TCoVs (75.6–78.5%), whereas isolate A374/17 contains an S1 gene sequence most similar to the globally distributed lineage GI-16 (78.4–79.5%) and the Middle Eastern lineage GI-23 (79.8–80.2%) viruses. Unanswered questions include the actual origin of the Kenyan AvCoVs, the potential pathobiological significance of their genetic variations, whether they have indeed established themselves as independent variants and subsequently spread within Kenya and to the neighboring east/central African countries that have porous live poultry trade borders, and whether the live-attenuated Mass-type (lineage GI-1)-based vaccines currently used in Kenya and most of the African countries provide protection against these genetically divergent field variants.
Antibody-Dependent Enhancement Activity of a Plant-Made Vaccine against West Nile Virus
Authors: Sun Haiyan , Acharya Dhiraj , Paul Amber M. , Lai Huafang , He Junyun , Bai Fengwei , Chen Qiang
Published: January 2023

West Nile virus (WNV) causes annual outbreaks globally and is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in Unite States. In the absence of licensed therapeutics, there is an urgent need to develop effective and safe human vaccines against WNV. One of the major safety concerns for WNV vaccine development is the risk of increasing infection by related flaviviruses in vaccinated subjects via antibody-dependent enhancement of infection (ADE). Herein, we report the development of a plant-based vaccine candidate that provides protective immunity against a lethal WNV challenge mice, while minimizes the risk of ADE for infection by Zika (ZIKV) and dengue (DENV) virus. Specifically, a plant-produced virus-like particle (VLP) that displays the WNV Envelope protein domain III (wDIII) elicited both high neutralizing antibody titers and antigen-specific cellular immune responses in mice. Passive transfer of serum from VLP-vaccinated mice protected recipient mice from a lethal challenge of WNV infection. Notably, VLP-induced antibodies did not enhance the infection of Fc gamma receptor-expressing K562 cells by ZIKV or DENV through ADE. Thus, a plant-made wDIII-displaying VLP presents a promising WNV vaccine candidate that induces protective immunity and minimizes the concern of inducing ADE-prone antibodies to predispose vaccinees to severe infection by DENV or ZIKV.
Remdesivir Alone or in Combination with Monoclonal Antibodies as an Early Treatment to Prevent Severe COVID-19 in Patients with Mild/Moderate Disease at High Risk of Progression: A Single Centre, Real-Life Study
Authors: Scotto Riccardo , Buonomo Antonio Riccardo , Iuliano Antonio , Foggia Maria , Sardanelli Alessia , Villari Riccardo , Pinchera Biagio , Gentile Ivan ,   Federico II COVID-Team
Published: January 2023

Early treatment with antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 infection can prevent the onset of severe COVID-19 in fragile and immunocompromised patients. In this real-life, prospective, observational study, we evaluated efficacy and safety of a 3-day early treatment with remdesivir in adult and fragile patients with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection who referred to the COVID-19 early treatment service of Infectious Diseases Unit of University of Naples Federico from 10 January 2022 to 31 March 2022. The included patients could be treated with either remdesivir alone or with remdesivir plus a monoclonal antibody with activity against SARS-CoV-2. Among the 62 included patients, we showed low rates of hospitalization (8%), increase in oxygen supplementation (3.2%), ICU admission (1.6%) and death (1.6%). The rate of disease progression was 8% and it was similar in patients treated with remdesivir alone or in combination with monoclonal antibodies (6.7% and 9.4%, respectively; p = 0.531). The rate of adverse drug reaction was low and similar in the two groups (13.3% in patients treated with remdesivir, 15.6% in patients treated with the combination; p = 0.543). Most common adverse events were headache and fever. In conclusion, in our cohort of patients at a high risk of worse COVID-19 outcomes, an early course of remdesivir showed low rates of disease progression and adverse drug reactions.
Targeted Protein-Specific Multi-Epitope-Based Vaccine Designing against Human Cytomegalovirus by Using Immunoinformatics Approaches
Authors: Bakkari Mohammed Ali
Published: January 2023

Cytomegaloviruses are emerging pathogenic agents known to cause congenital disorders in humans. In this study, immune epitopes (CTL, B cell and HTL) were screened for highly antigenic target proteins of the Human Cytomegalovirus. These shortlisted epitopes were then joined together through suitable linkers to construct multi epitope-based vaccine constructs (MEVCs). The functionality of each vaccine construct was evaluated through tertiary vaccine structure modelling and validations. Furthermore, physio-chemical properties including allergenicity, antigenicity molecular weight and many others were also predicted. The vaccine designs were also docked with the human TLR-4 receptor to demonstrate the receptor specific affinity and formed interactions. The vaccine peptides sequences were also subjected to codon optimization to confirm the potential vaccines expression in E. coli hosts. Additionally, all the MEVCs were also evaluated for immune response (IgG and IgM) induction. However, further in vivo tests are needed to ensure the efficacy of these vaccine designs.
TRADER CRYPTO SEBAGAI PERUBAHAN MINAT PROFESI GENERASI Z DI ERA POSTMODERNISME
Authors: Sahita Fathur Rahmani , Manurung Patricia Mora , Rahman Tazkia Aulia , Ferdiansyah Muhammad , Safitri Dini
Published: January 2023

Perkembangan teknologi tidak terlepas dengan perubahan kehidupan dan pola pikir setiap individu, begitu pula dengan generasi z. Generasi Z merupakan generasi yang sangat dekat dan mampu mengikuti arus perubahan teknologi. Salah satu dari perubahan teknologi itu ialah investasi online seperti crypto. Era postmodernisme merupakan era atau massa dimana segala sesuatu yang tidak lumrah atau terbilang tabu di era modernisme menjadi lumrah bagi manusia. Hal tersebut yang membuat peneliti menarik rumusan masalah yaitu bagaimana Trader Crypto sebagai Perubahan Minat Profesi Generasi Z di Era Postmodernisme. Dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui Trader Crypto sebagai Perubahan Minat Profesi Generasi Z di Era Postmodernisme. Adapun metode penelitian yang digunakan ialah metode penelitian kualitatif deskriptif dengan pengumpulan data menggunakan wawancara dan analisis data model Miles dan Hubermen. Hasil dari penelitian ini menemukan bahwa kecepatan dan kecerdasan generasi z dalam mengikuti perubahan teknolgi membuat trader crypto menjadi perubahan minat profesi di era postmodernisme.