bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of bovine Eimeria species pathogenic using PCR ITS-1 in Indonesia
Authors: NURCAHYO RADEN WISNU , EKAWASTI FITRINE , FIRDAUSY LINTANG WINANTYA , NINDITYA VIKA ICHSANIA , NASRULLOH MUKH FAJAR , KURNIAWATI DYAH AYU , HARYADI FATHUR ROHMAN , PRASTOWO JOKO , PRIYOWIDODO DWI
Published: October 2023

Abstract. Nurcahyo RW, Ekaswasti F, Firdausy LW, Ninditya VI, Nasrulloh MF, Kurniawati DA, Haryadi FR, Prastowo J, Priyowidodo D. 2023. Identification of bovine Eimeria species pathogenic using PCR ITS-1 in Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 4684-4689. Bovine eimeriosis is one of Indonesia's cattle's most significant health issues caused by the intestinal protozoan parasite Eimeria spp. Eimeria spp., E. zuernii, E. alabamensis, E. aburnensis, and E. bovis are recognized as most pathogenic since they cause clinical symptoms. This study aimed to identify pathogenic Eimeria spp. and explore their evolutionary relationships using the molecular marker, the internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1). A total of 171 fecal samples were collected from the provinces of Banten, Lampung, and West Java, and 43 (25.1%) were infected with oocysts of Eimeria spp. by microscopic examination. The positive samples were further confirmed for different Eimeria species by amplifying and sequencing the ITS-1 gene. After editing and alignment, the sequences were considered for analyses, and the phylogenetic analysis confirmed four species of Eimeria such as E. bovis 39 (22.8%), E. zuernii 23 (13.5%), E. alabamensis 7 (4.09%), and E. aburnensis 25 (14.6%). In this study, several Eimeria species were related to overseas species; therefore, additional risk analysis is needed to control the spread of bovine eimeriosis. It is possible to learn important details regarding the ecology and population genetics of Eimeria spp. by employing sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to categorize all positive samples of the eimeriosis as pathogenic Eimeria spp.
Cinematic Representations of Iran after 9/11 and their Instrumentalization by the American Foreign Policy
Authors: Coletsou A.
Published: October 2023

This paper is part of PhD research that studies the audiovisual representations of Iran by the American Popular Culture from 1973 until the present, emphasizing the films and series representing the country that were released after 2001 and were mainly productions of the Hollywood Industry and the Conglomerate American Media. Findings so far suggest that the majority of the audiovisual images referring to Iran construct the profile of a country that is Oriental, backward, condoning human rights violations, and being described as a state sponsoring terrorism. Such descriptions endorse the country’s positioning on the “Axis of Evil” and legitimize American foreign policy in the Middle East. What is striking is that the majority of the biased cinematic storytelling regarding Iran does not directly coincide with the skyrocketing Islamophobic depictions of Arab Muslim populations, which was one of the many repercussions of the tragic events of 9/11, but rather the majority of the racialized viewings of Iran seem to take place during 2005–15 and can be associated with the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the agony of Western governments for non-proliferation of Iran and the imposition of economic sanctions to the country because of its nuclear program.
Sequential phase diversity for wavefront correction using a deformable mirror with modeling errors
Authors: Miyamura Norihide , Hirose Makoto , Sato Seichi
Published: October 2023

The phase diversity (PD) method is effective for scene-based wavefront
sensing and control (WFSC) in spaceborne high-resolution imagers for
Earth observation. The simplest way of performing the PD WFSC is
offering a diversity wavefront by directly actuating a corrective
device, such as a deformable mirror. However, this strategy faces a
challenge in constructing a numerical model of the provided diversity
wavefront because some corrective actuators’ properties prevent us
from precisely determining their deflection behaviors. To avoid this
modeling issue, we propose the sequential PD (SPD) method to
compensate for static aberration using a corrective device with
modeling errors. The SPD WFSC repeats the PD WFSC to gradually correct
the aberration, where the estimated corrective wavefront is regarded
as the known diversity in the subsequent PD WFSC. The numerical
simulation validated that the proposed idea improved the correction
performance when a corrective device had a linear modeling error.
Additionally, a demonstration experiment succeeded in aberration
removal using a face-sheet deformable mirror with inter-actuator
coupling and non-linear responses. An additional simulation
demonstrated that the proposed method effectively corrected the
discontinuous wavefront aberration in multi-aperture imaging systems.
The SPD WFSC can potentially bring us optical remote sensing systems
with unprecedentedly high resolution.
Investigation of the wake region behind a hemispherical turret via laser Rayleigh scattering
Authors: Feng David , Jenkins Thomas P. , George Jacob
Published: October 2023

Planar and volumetric density measurements in the wake region behind a
mounted hemispherical turret are obtained using laser Rayleigh
scattering. The measurements are conducted in a Mach 2 wind tunnel
facility at the Kirtland Air Force Base.
Quantitative measurements of
density and contour plots with lines of constant density are computed,
thus enabling visualization of the turret wake’s fluid dynamics. A
new, to the best of our knowledge, laser diagnostic methodology and
configuration for capturing laser images is also presented. This
methodology enables further suppression of background light
scattering. Multi-dimensional single-shot and time-average
measurements are recorded at multiple axial locations behind the
turret. The images acquired reveal turbulent regions of the wake flow,
and a discussion of the observed phenomena is presented.
Multi-parameter distributed fiber optic sensing using double-Brillouin peak fiber in Brillouin optical time domain analysis
Authors: Lalam Nageswara , Bhatta Hari , Sun Xiaoguang , Lu Ping , Ohodnicki Paul , Buric Michael P. , Wright Ruishu
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we demonstrate a multi-parameter fiber sensing system based on stimulated Brillouin scattering in a double-Brillouin peak specialty fiber with enhanced Brillouin gain response. The amplitude level of the second Brillouin gain peak, which originated from the higher-order acoustic modes, has been improved with an approximately similar amplitude level to the first Brillouin gain peak from the fundamental acoustic mode. Compared to other multi-Brillouin peak fibers presented in the literature, the proposed fiber significantly reduces the measured Brillouin frequency shift error, thus improving strain and temperature accuracies. By utilizing the sensitivity values of the strain and temperature associated with each Brillouin gain spectrum (BGS) peak, a successful discriminative measurement of strain and temperature is performed with an accuracy of ±13 μɛ, and ±0.5 °C, respectively. The proposed double-Brillouin peak fiber appears to be a possible alternative to other multi-BGS peak fibers, for instance, large effective area fiber and dispersion compensating fibers, which are inherently accompanied by large measurement errors due to the weak Brillouin gain values originating from the higher-order acoustic modes. The demonstrated results show different strain and temperature coefficients of 47 kHz/µɛ, 1.15 MHz/°C for peak 1 and 51 kHz/µɛ, 1.37 MHz/°C for peak 2. Moreover, the enhanced BGS peak gains having nearly the same amplitude levels enable the discriminative measurement of strain and temperature. Such fibers in Brillouin interrogation eliminate the need for complex monitoring setups and reduce measurement errors. We recommend that for long-distance natural gas pipeline monitoring, where discriminative strain and temperature measurement is crucial, the proposed double-Brillouin peak fiber can be highly beneficial.
High dynamic range 3D shape measurement based on crosstalk characteristics of a color camera
Authors: Wang Zhangying , Li Kui , Gao Nan , Meng Zhaozong , Zhang Zonghua
Published: October 2023

Fringe projection profilometry (FPP) has been widely used in many fields due to its fast speed, high accuracy and full-field characteristics. However, it is still a challenging problem to deal with high dynamic range (HDR) objects for traditional FPP, which utilizes a single exposure time or a single projection intensity. Overexposure will occur in areas with large reflectivity, which exceeds the maximum capturing capacity of camera sensors, resulting in the failure to obtain the accurate intensity, absolute phase and three-dimensional (3D) data. In this paper, a uniform blue image is projected to divide object surface into three areas with different reflectivity by using different intensity responses of RGB channels of color images. Crosstalk coefficient function is applied to obtain intensity of overexposed areas, and then the optimal exposure time of areas is calculated by the linear photometric response of the camera. Finally, three sets of blue fringe patterns with optimal exposure time are synthesized into the fused HDR images to calculate the absolute phase. Experimental results confirm that the proposed method can accurately measure HDR objects with large variation range of reflectivity.
Active polarization controller based on micro-ring resonators
Authors: Huo Yujie , Niu Jiaqi , Fu Xin , Liu Siwei , Cheng Chuang , Yang Lin
Published: October 2023

On-chip polarization handling is of great significance for optical interconnects to overcome polarization sensitivity. In this Letter, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel, to the best of our knowledge, on-chip polarization controller (PC) on a 220 nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. It is the first demonstration of a PC based on micro-ring resonators. Any input polarization states can be actively converted to the standard transverse-electric (TE) mode under the phase manipulation. Experimental results show that the insertion loss is less than 0.8 dB and the polarization dependent loss (PDL) is around 0.5 dB. The proposed device also exhibits excellent performances in wavelength tunability over the C band and 35 Gbps data transmission.
Fabrication of hollow microtube arrays based on a femtosecond laser double-pulse multiphoton polymerization
Authors: Gao Lixiang , Sun Lina , Qiu Ye , Jiang Yueran , Luo Hao , Wang Xiaoduo , Yu Haibo
Published: October 2023

Microtubes with widely varied dimensions and materials have great prospects in functional devices applied in microoptics, microrobot, and biomedicine. However, the fabrication of vertically protruding hollow microtubes with high diameter-to-thickness ratio is challenging and few reported. Femtosecond laser two-photon polymerization can solve this problem via point-by-point scanning or SLM-based parallel processing, but the low efficiency limits its high throughput fabrication. Here, we report a novel, to the best of our knowledge, femtosecond laser double-pulse multiphoton polymerization approach for high efficiency fabrication of hollow microtube arrays. We established a two-aperture laser beam reshaping system to generate a circular beam via two rounds of Fresnel diffraction. Based on the unique laser energy distribution, hollow microtubes with high diameter-to-thickness ratio can be generated by two successively laser pulses exposure, which can improve the fabrication efficiency significantly. With the optimized parameters, we can achieve repeatable and uniform microtube array fabrication in large scale, and the yield can be 94.9%. Defocus testing showed that the proposed approach has a high range of focusing tolerance. The proposed microtube fabrication approach is meaningful in providing some enlightenment for researchers in the field of microfabrication.
Single-mode regenerative amplification in multimode fiber
Authors: Haig Henry , Bender Nicholas , Eisenberg Yishai , Wise Frank
Published: October 2023

The peak power performance of ultrafast fiber lasers scales with fiber
mode area, but large fibers host multiple modes that are difficult to
control. We demonstrate a technique for single-mode operation of
highly multimode fiber based on regenerative amplification. This
results in a short-pulse fiber source with, to our knowledge, an
unprecedented combination of features: high gain (>55dB) with negligible amplified
spontaneous emission, high pulse energy (>50µJ), good beam quality (M2≤1.3), and transform-limited
(300 fs) pulses from a single amplification stage. We discuss
peak intensity scaling to much higher levels and other opportunities
for short-pulse generation in regenerative fiber amplifiers.
Spiking information processing in a single photonic spiking neuron chip with double integrated electronic dendrites
Authors: Zhang Yahui , Xiang Shuiying , Guo Xingxing , Han Yanan , Shi Yuechun , Chen Xiangfei , Han Genquan , Hao Yue
Published: October 2023

Dendrites, branches of neurons that transmit signals between synapses and soma, play a vital role in spiking information processing, such as nonlinear integration of excitatory and inhibitory stimuli. However, the investigation of nonlinear integration of dendrites in photonic neurons and the fabrication of photonic neurons including dendritic nonlinear integration in photonic spiking neural networks (SNNs) remain open problems. Here, we fabricate and integrate two dendrites and one soma in a single Fabry–Perot laser with an embedded saturable absorber (FP-SA) neuron to achieve nonlinear integration of excitatory and inhibitory stimuli. Note that the two intrinsic electrodes of the gain section and saturable absorber (SA) section in the FP-SA neuron are defined as two dendrites for two ports of stimuli reception, with one electronic dendrite receiving excitatory stimulus and the other receiving inhibitory stimulus. The stimuli received by two electronic dendrites are integrated nonlinearly in a single FP-SA neuron, which generates spikes for photonic SNNs. The properties of frequency encoding and spatiotemporal encoding are investigated experimentally in a single FP-SA neuron with two electronic dendrites. For SNNs equipped with FP-SA neurons, the range of weights between presynaptic neurons and postsynaptic neurons is varied from negative to positive values by biasing the gain and SA sections of FP-SA neurons. Compared with SNN with all-positive weights realized by only biasing the gain section of photonic neurons, the recognition accuracy of Iris flower data is improved numerically in SNN consisting of FP-SA neurons. The results show great potential for multi-functional integrated photonic SNN chips.
Wolbachia-mediated resistance to Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti is dominated by diverse transcriptional regulation and weak evolutionary pressures
Authors: Boehm Emma C. , Jaeger Anna S. , Ries Hunter J. , Castañeda David , Weiler Andrea M. , Valencia Corina C. , Weger-Lucarelli James , Ebel Gregory D. , O’Connor Shelby L. , Friedrich Thomas C. , Zamanian Mostafa , Aliota Matthew T.
Published: October 2023

A promising candidate for arbovirus control and prevention relies on replacing arbovirus-susceptible Aedes aegypti populations with mosquitoes that have been colonized by the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia and thus have a reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses. This reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses is mediated through a phenomenon referred to as pathogen blocking. Pathogen blocking has primarily been proposed as a tool to control dengue virus (DENV) transmission, however it works against a range of viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Despite years of research, the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen blocking still need to be better understood. Here, we used RNA-seq to characterize mosquito gene transcription dynamics in Ae. aegypti infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia that are being released by the World Mosquito Program in Medellín, Colombia. Comparative analyses using ZIKV-infected, uninfected tissues, and mosquitoes without Wolbachia revealed that the influence of wMel on mosquito gene transcription is multifactorial. Importantly, because Wolbachia limits, but does not completely prevent, replication of ZIKV and other viruses in coinfected mosquitoes, there is a possibility that these viruses could evolve resistance to pathogen blocking. Therefore, to understand the influence of Wolbachia on within-host ZIKV evolution, we characterized the genetic diversity of molecularly barcoded ZIKV virus populations replicating in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes and found that within-host ZIKV evolution was subject to weak purifying selection and, unexpectedly, loose anatomical bottlenecks in the presence and absence of Wolbachia. Together, these findings suggest that there is no clear transcriptional profile associated with Wolbachia-mediated ZIKV restriction, and that there is no evidence for ZIKV escape from this restriction in our system.
Multi-level perception fusion dehazing network
Authors: Wu Xiaohua , Li Zenglu , Guo Xiaoyu , Xiang Songyang , Zhang Yao
Published: October 2023

Image dehazing models are critical in improving the recognition and classification capabilities of image-related artificial intelligence systems. However, existing methods often ignore the limitations of receptive field size during feature extraction and the loss of important information during network sampling, resulting in incomplete or structurally flawed dehazing outcomes. To address these challenges, we propose a multi-level perception fusion dehazing network (MPFDN) that effectively integrates feature information across different scales, expands the perceptual field of the network, and fully extracts the spatial background information of the image. Moreover, we employ an error feedback mechanism and a feature compensator to address the loss of features during the image dehazing process. Finally, we subtract the original hazy image from the generated residual image to obtain a high-quality dehazed image. Based on extensive experimentation, our proposed method has demonstrated outstanding performance not only on synthesizing dehazing datasets, but also on non-homogeneous haze datasets.
Scaling Up Innovation - Exemplary Initiatives for Sustainable Development in European Smart Cities with a Focus on Smart Mobility
Authors: Derlukiewicz Niki , Szałata Łukasz , Mańkowska Dominika
Published: October 2023

The development of a sustainable economy is the goal of the whole society in the European Union. With over half of the global population residing in urban areas, the significance of building resilient cities cannot be overstated. Cities are at the forefront of driving adaptation and building resilience implementing ambitious strategies and activities to effectively cope, adapt, and transform, considering three pillars of sustainable development: economic growth, environmental management and social inclusion. This study explores the toolbox of best practices - activities and innovations that European cities are implementing to achieve sustainable development goals. In the article, the best practices and innovative approaches that cities are taking toward sustainability were identified. This article explores the key aspects of smart mobility and its potential to reshape urban transportation systems for a more sustainable future. The findings in the paper indicate that European cities are making significant efforts to adopt sustainable practices, including investments in renewable energy, green infrastructure, public transportation, waste management, and sustainable urban planning. The study highlights the importance of the need for inter-sectoral collaborations to achieve SD goals. The insights gained from this study can inform policy-making and assist cities in developing effective strategies for sustainable development.

Keywords: smart city, innovation, sustainable development, urban development, smart mobility
Anaemia and Nutritional Status of Adolescent girls and Policy interventions in India: A Roadblock for Sustainable Development
Authors: Gautam Upma , Tewari Deeksha Bajpai , Gautam Upma , Das Priya
Published: October 2023

Thesis Statement: National and international policy documents have consistently placed a premium on adolescent nutrition improvement. While the health and well-being of children aged 14 to 19 is a critical indicator of a country's economic growth, the same is always argued to be even more so for females of the same age. Malnutrition's detrimental effects on young females aged 14–19 is of particular concern to health planners.

Methodology: Using data from the NFHS-03 (2005–06), NFHS-04 (2015–16), and NFHS-05 (2019-20) surveys, the current study examines the impact of two key policies, the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthaya Karyakram (2019-20) and the Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Program (2005–2014) on the health status of adolescent girls.

Results: The study found a strong link between adolescent nutritional and anaemic status, teen pregnancy, and child marriage. Additionally, the disparity between resources allocated and expenditure under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthaya Karyakram has a detrimental effect on the nutritional status of adolescent girls in Indian states.

Conclusion and implications: Given that, despite legal interventions, child marriage and teenage pregnancy continue to occur in Indian states, policy interventions and serious implementation become essential for not only improving the health of the female cohort, but also for the future well-being of the next generation. Literacy levels of women and their anaemic status bear a significant negative correlation. Not just the literacy levels, but longer the time the girls have attended school also has a significant negative impact on their anaemic status. Thus, literacy and health and wellbeing of adolescent Indian women bear a significant relationship and poses to be two sides of a coin.

 

Keywords: Adolescent girls, Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Program, Anaemia, Nutrition, Sustainable development goals
Environmental and Climate Culture for Sustainability: Experiences from Engineering Undergraduate Programs
Authors: Sosa Alcaraz Mayanin , Campos Chuc Fátima , Santos Valencia Raúl , Garrido Vivas Perla
Published: October 2023

The educational system should contribute to the resolution of the socio-environmental crises that society faces today. Climate change is one of those problems that affects everyone on the planet. In fact, research is beginning to emerge about the importance of educating for the climate and sustainability; particularly, the identification of some practices and engineering projects related to climate change. However, this issue needs to be included in the teaching-learning processes in all educational programs. This analysis presents the perception of engineering students about climate change and sustainability, as well as its application in climate and sustainable action projects. This research was qualitative, focusing on the 'sustainable development' course delivered at the Tecnologico Nacional de Mexico, from educational practice in seven engineering undergraduate programs. A combination of four exploratory questions and project-based learning were applied to engineering students to identify key elements in the perception and conceptualization of climate change, sustainable development, and climate education. The results show that the students are aware of what is happening with the earth's temperature and global warming; some of them also showed project initiatives to address a climate or environmental problem. Engineering education have great potential to contribute to solving environmental and climate problems.

Key Words: climate education, environment, sustainable development, engineering education, Mexico.
Sustainable Inland Waterway Transportation Systems: Framework Proposal
Authors: Pratas João , Garrido Susana , Pimentel Carina
Published: October 2023

Large cities are widely recognized as major contributors to climate change due to their high energy demand and heavy reliance on on-road transportation. Urban mobility today brings additional concerns about predicted demands arising from people's necessities of living in cities and their respective needs to travel in different forms, either for personal or professional purposes. This study based on a literature review and case studies analysis proposes a framework to support the implementation of Sustainable Inland Waterway Transportation Systems as an alternative to road transport. The proposed framework is tested in São Paulo City (Brazil). In the implementation of a sustainable inland waterway transportation system, the following factors were identified as strategic: user characteristics and behaviour, operators’ characteristics and behaviour, investment in infrastructures, regulation and taxation, and Government. Infrastructure and strategic planning are areas that deserve further investigation. Research could focus on developing strategies for efficient routing, taking into account various potential limitations, water navigability, vessel capacity, traffic management, and transshipment locations. Intermodality between different transport modes is a crucial area that needs to be addressed to ensure full integration into the multimodal network. Investigating connectivity and information sharing systems between modes would enhance the overall efficiency and attractiveness of waterway transportation in the city's ecosystem.

Keywords: transportation, waterway, framework, sustainability, case studies.
Career Planning of Scientific-Pedagogical Personnel in Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Litynska Valentyna , Kondratska Ludmyla , Romanovska Liudmila , Kravchyna Tetiana , Chagovets Alla , Kalaur Svitlana
Published: October 2023

The article systematizes approaches to the interpretation of the concepts "career" and "career planning" of scientific-pedagogical personnel in higher education institution. The structural-logical scheme for the step-by-step career planning of higher education institutions’ scientific-pedagogical personnel is developed in the article. It is proposed to use 6 consecutive stages for planning the career of scientific-pedagogical personnel: making a management decision on the feasibility and necessity of organizing the career planning of scientific-pedagogical personnel in higher education institution, developing a plan-schedule for planning the career of scientific-pedagogical personnel of higher education institution, formation of initial database of individual data of higher education institutions’ scientific-pedagogical staff, assessment of professional and personal qualities of scientific-pedagogical staff of higher education institution, development of individual career planning maps of scientific-pedagogical staff of higher education institution, formation of favorable social and psychological conditions of successful career advancement of scientific-pedagogical staff of higher education institution. In addition, at each stage, it is absolutely necessary to monitor the implementation of the career plan of scientific-pedagogical personnel.

With the help of correlation analysis, the conformity indicators of scientific-pedagogical personnel (which must be used at the stage of evaluating their professional and personal qualities) are determined.

 

Keywords: Career; Planning; Education, Conformity Indicators; Correlational Analysis
Determinants of Children U5 Mortality due to Malaria in Ghana
Authors: Amoako Martha , Potůček Martin , Verter Nahanga
Published: October 2023

Sustainable development cannot be fulfilled without developing an effective health sector to address health-related issues among children, especially in underdeveloped countries like Ghana. Malaria, in particular, has been identified as a significant disease and cause of death among children under five years of age (U5) in Ghana, although it has drastically reduced in recent years. Against this background, this paper attempts to assess some factors that may have determined the development of U5 mortality due to malaria in Ghana using time series data from 2000-2019. The OLS regression results indicate that domestic government health expenditure, clean drinking water and insecticide-treated nets have a negative connection with children U5 mortality due to malaria in the country. The findings also show a weak positive relationship between malaria infection prevalence and U5 mortality from malaria. Contrary to prior expectations, the results reveal a negative relationship between low birth weight, overweight, stunted, and children U5 mortality from malaria infection. The study concludes that addressing malaria cases among children U5 would greatly depend on building and sustaining resource redistribution through strategic policy, reliable funding, and effective health institutions to tackle malaria incidence and deaths among U5 in the country. 

Keywords: healthcare, health expenditure, ITNs, malaria, potable water, U5 mortality
The Reality of Practicing Environmental Citizenship Behaviors "A Study Applied to Beneficiaries from Community Associations Services in Ha'il"
Authors: Eldiasty Ali , Ibrahim Neveen , Soliman Manal , ALShammary Mona H. , Helal Ibrahim
Published: October 2023

The study aimed at investigating the reality of environmental citizenship behaviors practice among the beneficiaries from community associations in Ha'il. These behaviors are identified scientifically by national organizations to include environmental personal responsibility, environmental justice and environmental participation. The researchers utilized the sample social survey as an instrument for measuring environmental citizenship behaviors. The research population included 1030 beneficiaries. A random sample of 10%, hundred and three (103) participants, out of the total research population was drawn using the random tables method. Data was collected in the period from (23/5/2022 to 10/11/2022). Findings revealed the highest practiced behaviors as:  environmental personal responsibility, environmental justice, and environmental participation with averages of 4.33, 4.23 and 4.08, respectively. Researchers recommended using training programs and providing a local database of individuals' activities that support environmental citizenship behaviors 

Key Words: Environmental citizenship behaviors, Environmental personal responsibility, Environmental justice, Environmental participation, Community associations, Ha'il city
Mecânica bootstrap e elásticos verticais na perda de tracking vertical
Authors: Martins Renato Parsekian
Published: October 2023

INTRODUÇÃO: A extrusão é o movimento que apresenta a menor previsibilidade no tratamento com alinhadores ortodônticos. Entre as diferentes formas de extrusão, a confiabilidade do movimento diminui da extrusão sinérgica para a extrusão pura, sendo a extrusão antagônica a menos confiável de todas. OBJETIVO: Neste artigo, apresentamos e discutimos alternativas para melhorar o acompanhamento e auxiliar nos movimentos verticais durante o tratamento ortodôntico com alinhadores. Quanto menor a confiabilidade de um movimento de extrusão, maior a chance de que ele não ocorra conforme o planejado, resultando em perda de acompanhamento, ou tracking. Nesses casos, é necessário aplicar uma força externa ao alinhador usando uma mecânica auxiliar. CONCLUSÃO: Independentemente da abordagem escolhida, é sempre aconselhável utilizar elásticos com o vetor de força orientado para vestibular quando se deseja uma inclinação vestibular ou apenas a extrusão pura, a fim de evitar colisões. O uso do vetor de força orientado para lingual deve ser reservado para casos em que se busca uma tendência de lingualização da coroa e quando há espaço suficiente para que essa movimentação ocorra com sucesso.
Aceleração da correção da curva de Spee e sobremordida
Authors: Janson Marcos
Published: October 2023

OBJETIVO: O objetivo desse texto é apresentar um método para acelerar o tratamento da sobremordida, por meio de um dispositivo de levantamento oclusal e elásticos verticais nos molares. CONCLUSÃO: O método se mostrou eficiente em acelerar o tratamento da sobremordida, promovendo a extrusão dos dentes posteriores inferiores e intrusão dos dentes anteriores inferiores.
China's Health and Health Care in the "New Era"
Authors: Zhang Wei
Published: October 2023

What is the state of health care in China? Wei Zhang analyzes the deep institutional issues that plague China's health care system. Despite its timely and effective efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis, the system still faces deep-seated challenges, many of which can be traced directly to the marketization of hospitals and medical care.
Out of kilter
Authors: Piercy Marge
Published: October 2023

A new poem by Marge Piercy.
CREATION OF DIGITAL BUILDING DOCUMENTATION BY THE BUILDING TRADE
Authors: Stellmacher Dominik , Meins-Becker Anica , Kelm Agnes , Koch to Krax Nils , Samtleben Stefanie , Schroeder Adrian
Published: October 2023

For the sustainable and efficient use of buildings, the construction and real estate industry needs the relevant data for the operation of the installed building products and technical systems. In the course of digitization in the construction industry, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a promising solution for this, which can be used to link product information with a 3D data model, among other things. In Germany, the building trade plays a central role in the creation of building documentation. Efficient and sustainable building documentation contributes to the achievement of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, making documentation even more important. In the course of this, the topic of sustainability in the construction industry is assigned greater importance, as concrete templates must also be created for the documentation and evaluation of construction products from a sustainable point of view. As part of the research project "BIM Use Cases in the Building Trade", templates for creating building documentation are being developed in collaboration between the BIM Institute at the University of Wuppertal, the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF and a total of 14 practice partners. These can then be used by public clients as a basis for client information requirements. In addition, an advanced training concept for the building trade is being developed, which can be used to create model-based building documentation with high efficiency
RESEARCH PROJECT – DIGITAL AUTOMATED BUILDING DOCUMENTATION
Authors: Berg Andree , Meins-Becker Anica , Kelm Agnes , Stellmacher Dominik , Ibach Ann-Kathrin
Published: October 2023

The linking of digital building product twins with a 3D data model is of great importance for achieving major sustainability goals, such as sustainable and resource-saving planning, construction and operation or the more sustainable deconstruction and conversion or continued use of existing buildings. By linking them, it will be possible in the future to know which building products from which manufacturers, with which properties and which logistics data, were installed in a building – and where in a building-and what influence they have on the entire life cycle of a building. To this end, the project “Building contractors as a central instance for digital automated building documentation" is investigating possible solutions. Based on the construction documentation as the content basis of the information to be supplied, data models must be developed that make it possible to obtain the required manufacturer information in digital form. In addition, technical solutions are being tested as to how the digital information can be linked to the building information models. The technical solutions, which consist, for example, of scanning QR codes on the building product and then linking it to the model, will be tested and validated at various construction sites. In this scope, the question of responsibility, who on the construction site is responsible for linking the construction product information with the 3D data model, will also be investigated. The results of the research project will be presented in an experimental laboratory at the University of Wuppertal for hands-on and self-application.
PREDICTING CONSTRUCTION CREW PRODUCTIVITY FOR CONCRETE POURING OPERATIONS OF RC COLUMNS USING ANN
Authors: Patel Parth , Patel Dharmik V , Lad Vishal H , Patel Ankitkumar , Patel Kashyapkumar Arvindbhai , Patel Dilipkumar Arvindkumar
Published: October 2023

In current practice, construction crew productivity (CCP) assessment solely relies on traditional methods like personal judgements or past published data. However, a systematic approach is required to measure and predict the CCP. Modelling with artificial neural networks (ANNs) can be useful for examining interrelationships between factors affecting CCP. The present study aims to predict CCP for concrete pouring operation of reinforced concrete (RC) columns using ANN. To achieve this, 14 factors like crew size, average age of crew, average experience of crew, extent of supervision, working hours, lead distance, working height, location of columns, number of concrete bucket carriers, method of concrete supply, temperature, wind speed, column length, and column width were identified from literature study and industry experts. These identified factors were considered as inputs, while CCP was the output variable for ANN model. The study collected 187 samples from 11 residential and commercial construction sites located in four cities of India. A single-layer feed-forward back propagation neural network was used for prediction. The developed model can estimate productivity rates reasonably with least range of errors. Outcomes of study can be useful to improve the crew’s productivity at construction sites for concrete pouring works of RC columns.
TOWARDS SMART CONSTRUCTION SITES FOR EFFECTIVE PROJECT DELIVERY
Authors: Ikuabe Matthew , Aigbavboa Clinton , Adekunle Samuel
Published: October 2023

The pursuit of effective delivery of construction projects still appears to be a mirage due to challenges associated with project management. Several of these encumbrances are encountered due to outdated and uncoordinated methods deployed for construction projects. Implementing smart construction sites (SCS) is a panacea to some of these hurdles. This study empirically evaluates the propelling measures toward the uptake of SCS in South Africa. This was attained by using a quantitative technique that propagated the collection of data from construction professionals and subsequently analyzed using exploratory factor analysis using the principal component analysis extraction method. The findings from the study show that the significant drivers for the implementation of SCS in the South African construction industry are optimizing project delivery processes, stakeholders’ interest, and the synergy of digital technologies. The study’s outcome contributes theoretically to the conversation of construction digitalization which has been touted to be the silver lining in the abatement of the challenges plaguing the construction industry.
FUZZY EXPERT SYSTEM TO ESTIMATE THE COST OF QUALITY IN RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Authors: Thabet Shaza Omar , Ragab Atef AbdelMoghny , Yehia Nabil AbdelBadie
Published: October 2023

Although the concept of the cost of quality (CoQ) is not new, earlier research focused on the direct costs of quality management, such as those associated with prevention, appraisal, and failure (PAF approach). The new ISO 9001-2015 edition has presented a new idea based on the risk approach rather than the process approach, which means that project risks have a crucial role in quality management and hence in the calculation of the CoQ. A prototype fuzzy expert system model is introduced in this study to calculate the optimum CoQ while taking project risks into account. The weights assigned to each CoQ component as well as the quality risks were gathered from previous studies and verified through formal surveys and interviews. The risks affecting CoQ include inadequate planning, communication and coordination failures, construction errors/omissions, and delays. The CoQ was found to be about 3% of the project budget. The prototype fuzzy expert system was validated with an accuracy of 96%.
CHALLENGES IN INTEGRATING BIM INTO CONSTRUCTION SAFETY MANAGEMENT
Authors: Piniano Ellen Ngaseo , Iwanami Mitsuyasu
Published: October 2023

While studies depict Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a technological innovation with a high potential for construction hazard identification and safety implementation, challenges arise due to different understandings and strategies in utilizing BIM among organizations and professionals. This paper reflects on the challenges of integrating BIM for construction safety systems through a statistical survey analysis about the status of BIM integration for construction safety management. The survey results gathered from 208 respondents were analyzed the aid of the R programming language. The findings highlighted the difficulties encountered by professionals with experience in using BIM for construction safety mitigation, who work in various countries, different company classifications, job roles, and the number of years of work experience. Furthermore, the survey identified the need for knowledge on using BIM software, and digital data management and needing more experts and references among the challenges in applying BIM in construction safety planning and implementation. Fewer respondents used automation tools and referenced safety standard regulations in BIM to identify hazards and plan construction safety layouts. Thus, this study provides a helpful reference for future research, particularly in developing frameworks and automation processes that enhance construction safety through BIM applications. In conclusion, it is imperative to address the challenges in integrating BIM into construction safety management to successfully utilize the technology to promote safety and health in the construction industry.
THE APPLICATION OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Authors: Al Ali Fajer , Al Shehhi Fatema , Shamayleh Abdulrahim , Abu Halimeh Dania
Published: October 2023

Blockchain plays a significant role in contemporary industries. This paper aims to explain the nature of blockchain technology and its major features and application in project management. The qualitative research methodology is applied to discuss the concept of smart contracts and explain the way they are implemented in project management as well as the advantages they offer to retain employees and meet the interest of all stakeholders involved in the project. The study contains a literature review on the major benefits of blockchain applications in project management. As a result of the literature review, the paper reveals that blockchain offers a wide range of opportunities for project managers as it enables improved control of resources and finances, reduction of expenses, easier reporting, standardized terms of work, and retention of employees. It was also found that such blockchain features as distribution, connectedness, confirmation, and verifiability result in independence and security of work in project management.
EXPLORATORY STUDY OF CLIMATE CONDITIONS ON BRIDGE USEFUL LIFE
Authors: Hung Thach Phi , Nguyen Long D. , Viet Nguyen Thanh
Published: October 2023

An accurate and reliable assessment of bridge conditions can help public and private entities better plan for bridge maintenance, repair, and reconstruction. Because the performance of bridges over their useful lives depends on multiple aspects, it is essential to investigate the factors affecting their conditions. Literature has shown that aging, climatic conditions, increased traffic demand, and delayed maintenance lead to deterioration that eventually affects the usability of the bridge. Among those factors, climatic conditions such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall negatively affect the durability and service life of the bridge. The objective of this paper is to explore the influence of climatic conditions on the performance ratings of the bridge deck, substructure and superstructures. National Bridge Inventory (NBI) data from states of Illinois and Florida in 2022, representing two different climate zones in the United States, will be used to analyze the effects of climate conditions. This study will show the quantitative impact of climate on the bridge conditions and contribute to our understanding of the relationship between environmental factors and bridge deterioration.
CONCRETE CORE DEFECTS TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGINATION FOR MESOSCALE CFST MEMBERS USING STRESS WAVE MEASUREMENT
Authors: Xu Bin , Wang Jiang , Liu Qian
Published: October 2023

To visualize concrete core void defects in concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) members considering the mesoscale heterogeneity and randomness of concrete core is critical in practice. A stress wave travelling time tomography imagination method using piezoelectric-lead-zirconium-titanate (PZT) patches as actuators or sensors is proposed and validated numerically. A two-dimensional (2D) multi-physics and mesoscale coupling CFST-PZT model composed of number of PZT actuators and sensors, steel tubes, and concrete core with randomly distributed circular aggregates is established. The first stress wave arrival times of the mesoscale coupling CFST-PZT model without or with a concrete core void defect are recorded by PZT sensors when a PZT actuator is excited by pulse signals. A random walking algorithm (RWA) with the Snell laws is employed to determine the shortest wave travel path between each PZT actuator and each PZT sensor. Finally, the velocity fields of the mesoscale coupling models are identified using a simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT) to minimize the difference between the first arrival time of the stress wave and the shortest wave travel time. Results show that the location and dimension of the void defect in the models with heterogeneous concrete core can be imaged with acceptable resolution.
REVAMPING FACILITY ASSET MANAGEMENT (FAM) FOR SMART MANUFACTURING: VARIABLES FOR THEORY AND IMPLEMENTATION
Authors: Jung Youngsoo , Lee Heewoo , Jin Zhenhui , Kim Sangbum , Kim Kyong Ju
Published: October 2023

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, the information exchange and integration of the smart factory are highlighted. The facility, including production equipment in smart manufacturing, serves as the fundamental component enabling automated and optimized manufacturing operation and production. Nevertheless, there has yet to be a legitimate definition of facility asset management (FAM) functions which are the firm basis for identifying further information and properties. In order to address this issue, this paper defines three-level hierarchical functions of facility asset management (FAM) by integrating four areas of construction management (CM), asset management (AM), facility management (FM), and operation management (OM). An extensive literature was conducted first to incorporate all relevant concepts and definitions of new trends in facility asset management. A structured FAM definition was then formulated using the classes and properties. Finally, the suggestions for applying the proposed FAM functions are illustrated. Practical implications and lessons learned are briefly introduced as well.