bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Electric Vehicle Supply Chain Ecosystem: Changing Roles of Automotive Suppliers
Authors: Jagani Sandeep , Marsillac Erika , Hong Paul
Published: February 2024

The automotive industry is evolving due to the increasing adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs). This transition has impacted automotive vehicles and led to profound changes in the supply chain ecosystem. Through a comprehensive review of the available literature and industry reports, this research investigates the automotive industry’s transition towards EVs and subsequent supply chain transformation, focusing on the changing roles of automotive suppliers. In this paper, we assess these transformations from economic, environmental, and strategic viewpoints. We examine the impact of these changes on supplier relationships, supplier OEM collaboration, and new entrants’ potential for disruption, as well as propose strategies for suppliers to effectively navigate this transformation, ensuring competitiveness in the evolving EV landscape. Finally, we discuss opportunities and challenges in EV supply chain research.
Method for Delivery Planning in Urban Areas with Environmental Aspects
Authors: Lasota Michał , Zabielska Aleksandra , Jacyna Marianna , Gołębiowski Piotr , Żochowska Renata , Wasiak Mariusz
Published: February 2024

This article presents research results on a multi-aspect assessment of delivery planning in the urban transport network. The distribution of goods and the operation of a network of small services in urban agglomerations is a very important decision-making problem. This is due, on one hand, to the dense development of urban areas and, on the other hand, to the increasing restrictions on minimizing harmful exhaust gases emitted by cars. Hence, many researchers are looking for decision support methods that take into account many partial points of view in the field of transport services for small service companies located in urban areas. The authors present a method of multi-criteria decision support in the planning of urban supplies, taking into account the minimization of emissions of harmful compounds (carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter), the cost, time, and amount of ecosystem exposure to these compounds. An important aspect of this research was to identify partial criteria of the decision support methodology and the definition of decision variants. The partial criteria included cost, time, and the amount of exposure of the ecosystem to harmful compounds. The Saaty method was used to determine the weights of the criteria.
Resilient Strategies for Internet-Based Education: Investigating Engineering Students in the Canary Islands in the Aftermath of COVID-19
Authors: Sierra Carlos , Boente Carlos , Zitouni Abir , Baelo Roberto , Rosales-Asensio Enrique
Published: February 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about notable changes in the education sector, specifically the shift towards online learning. This study examined the experiences of 124 engineering students in the Canary Islands, an EU ultra-peripheral region, as they adapted to online education during the pandemic. A comprehensive survey assessed students’ experiences in five key dimensions, including satisfaction with traditional face-to-face learning, perceptions of the engineering department’s transition to online learning, module-specific adaptations, personal adaptation strategies, and the adaptation of teaching staff. The study’s methodology involved statistical analyses using Microsoft Excel v16.0 and SPSS 27 tools to identify patterns and draw conclusions. The findings indicate a nuanced landscape. Students demonstrated strong technological literacy and readiness for online learning. However, they expressed concerns about educators’ digital proficiency and perceived a decline in educational quality. These results emphasize the critical need for sustainable, adaptable, and inclusive educational strategies, particularly in regions like the Canary Islands that face unique challenges. The implications of the study have broader relevance to digital education. It is essential to note the need for educators to receive comprehensive training in digital tools and methodologies to improve the quality of online learning.
How Practically Applicable Are the EU Taxonomy Criteria for Corporates?—An Analysis for the Electrical Industry
Authors: Ostojic Suzana , Simone Lorenzo , Edler Mark , Traverso Marzia
Published: February 2024

This study addresses the current and future mandatory reporting on taxonomy alignment for companies within the EU, examining the practical applicability of criteria outlined in the Climate Delegated Act. Focusing on the electrical manufacturing industry through a case study, a five-step method was developed to assess the usability of the sector-specific criteria. The results highlight the need for enhanced usability across all criteria and offer key recommendations for policy development. Particularly, the substantial contribution criteria for climate change mitigation relating to the “manufacture of other low-carbon technologies” and “data-driven solutions for GHG emissions reductions” were found to be impaired by usability issues. These results emphasize the relevance of investigating the activities assessed in this study when policymakers revise the current criteria. Finally, the study highlights the necessity for future implementation of assessments to prevent usability issues and provide a holistic picture of the status quo of the current EU taxonomy criteria.
“Power to” for High Street Sustainable Development: Emerging Efforts in Warsaw, Poland
Authors: Filip Artur Jerzy
Published: February 2024

Global discussions on the future of high streets, especially today in times of epidemiological, political, and market turmoil, emphasize the importance of high streets as laboratories for urban walkability, resilience, and sustainability. The major condition, however, is a collaborative, cross-sectoral approach towards high street development. Such efforts have been recently undertaken in Warsaw, Poland, to develop a lively but organized shopping street almost from scratch—a few promising joint initiatives with this goal have been undertaken in Warsaw over the last two decades. Building upon a broad document review and in-depth interviews with sixteen pioneers (business consultants, public authority leaders, and planning experts) directly involved in the development of high streets in Warsaw, this study reconstructs and analyzes their efforts in urban collaboration through the lens of Urban Regime Theory. By discussing strengths and weaknesses of the regime structuring process, this paper points at critical difficulties in high street sustainable development (and consequently, also to overall urban walkability, resilience, and sustainability) which are the inertia of mutual perception by stakeholders, dependency on singular leaders and their personal motivation, the necessity to reinvent the very idea of a high street anew, lack of adequate legal tools for cross-sectoral collaboration, and the stiffening effect of previously set guidelines.
“There Are No True Himbas Anymore”: Exploring the Dynamics of the Himba Culture and Land Use in the Face of Change in Kunene Region, Namibia
Authors: Inman Emilia N.
Published: February 2024

The Himba people have upheld a unique society for many decades, characterized by their distinctive customs and social structures. Though they have demonstrated great resilience and endured various external forces threatening their cultural identity, the survival of the Himba culture is in jeopardy due to the increasing challenges of modernization and environmental degradation. This study aimed to document and understand the Himba traditional culture, examine how external factors have influenced them, and explore how resilient their culture is in the face of outside pressures. The study reveals that the Himba people are facing significant cultural transformations brought about by many outside factors, such as modernization, globalization, education, religion, and environmental pressures. Most participants concurred that the Himba culture has changed. While some respondents expressed a sense of regret for losing their culture, some felt the cultural changes experienced were warranted. By studying how the Himba people respond to environmental and societal changes, this study showcases the resilience of indigenous communities and provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between Himba culture, land use, and sustainability. As a tribe in transition, adapting to uncertainty and embracing change may be the only option for them to sustain their culture.
Analysis of Residents’ Livelihoods in Transformed Shantytowns: A Case Study of a Resource-Based City in China
Authors: Zhao Peiyu , Xu Jiajun
Published: February 2024

Research on shantytown transformation in the context of building sustainable human settlements has tended to concentrate on macro and objective factors. However, there is still room for expanding research on the livelihoods of residents in transformed poor communities of resource-based cities. This study is based on household survey data after the coal mine shantytown transformation in Datong, China, and uses the entropy method and Logit regression model to analyze the livelihood level and impact of livelihood capital on the choice of livelihood strategies of the residents after shantytown transformation. Based on the development characteristics of the Datong coal mining community, the traditional sustainable livelihood analysis framework is improved, constructing a livelihood capital evaluation system including natural capital, physical capital, financial capital, social capital, human capital and cultural capital. The research indicates that the livelihoods of the residents after shantytown transformation are in a state of low-value aggregation and differentiation, their livelihood strategies are still dependent on coal mining, financial capital and cultural capital have significant positive impacts on the residents’ livelihood strategies of choosing coal mine-related industries, and males and elderly people have a greater likelihood of choosing coal mine-related industries. This study provides micro-level explanations for the livelihood status and livelihood strategy choices of residents after shantytown transformation in a resource-based city and provides policy enlightenment for local governments on how to promote the sustainable development of residents in coal mining communities.
Renewable Energy from Wind Farm Power Plants in Peru: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives
Authors: Cacciuttolo Carlos , Cano Deyvis , Guardia Ximena , Villicaña Eunice
Published: February 2024

Peru is one of the most diverse countries in the world, and its climatic characteristics, biodiversity, cultural heritage, and location on the planet give it a vast potential for wind energy, both on its coast and within the 200 miles which comprise the Peruvian coastline on the Pacific Ocean. Likewise, the northern and central areas of the country represent the regions with the greatest potential for wind energy use. In this context, wind energy is a viable alternative to mitigate the effects of climate change in local territories and, thus, meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 United Nations (UN) Agenda. This article presents the potential for generating wind-type electrical energy both on-shore with 20.5 GW and off-shore with 347 GW. In addition, the main advantages, benefits, and restrictions in the implementation of this type of energy plants in Peru are presented, considering the following: (i) the mitigation of climate change considering the insertion of renewable energies in the energy matrix; (ii) the potential of the available wind resource; (iii) the characterization of seven existing wind power plants, considering a total installed capacity of 668 MW; and (iv) the implementation of future wind power plants considering a portfolio of 31 projects for 7429 MW of total installed capacity projected. Finally, recent advances, challenges linked to territorial implementation, and future perspectives in developing the renewable energy sector from wind resources to address climate change are discussed.
Lean, Agile, Resilient, Green, and Sustainable (LARGS) Supplier Selection Using Multi-Criteria Structural Equation Modeling under Fuzzy Environments
Authors: Ghazvinian Amirkeyvan , Feng Bo , Feng Junwen , Talebzadeh Hossein , Dzikuć Maria
Published: February 2024

This study aims to propose an integrated approach for supplier selection based on the lean, agile, resilience, green, and sustainable (LARGS) paradigm. This approach was validated using structural equation modelling (SEM) and the intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS method. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, identifying twenty-six criteria, which were then consolidated into five main criteria. A questionnaire was distributed to 237 individuals from manufacturing companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange, and the collected data were analyzed using third-order factor analysis and the partial least squares method. Subsequently, the proposed integrated approach was applied to evaluate four suppliers in an intuitionistic fuzzy environment, utilizing expert opinions and a case study on the automotive industry. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed approach in terms of prioritizing and selecting suitable suppliers according to LARGS criteria. In conclusion, this study contributes to the existing literature by proposing an integrated approach that addresses the decision-making challenges in supplier selection. This approach offers a practical tool for managers seeking to enhance sustainable supply chain performance from the LARGS perspective.
Simulation of Development Strategies and Evaluation of Low-Carbon Development Level in Jiangsu Province under Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Goals
Authors: Li Fanglin , Zhang Yingjie
Published: February 2024

Studies on regional low-carbon development are essential for reducing air pollution, protecting human life and health, and environmental sustainability. In this article, after sorting the connotations of low-carbon development, the low-carbon development evaluation indicators system was constructed, and the entropy weighting method and improved analytic hierarchy process were applied to evaluate the low-carbon development level between 2007 and 2021 about Jiangsu Province, China. Also, the system dynamics model was constructed to simulate the low-carbon development process. The research findings show the following: (1) Low-carbon development in Jiangsu Province obtained some achievement; (2) “Coordination force” played the most crucial role in low-carbon development, while “growth force” and “transformation force” performed better; (3) The simulation results showed that the economic development type would be the most beneficial in the long run; the energy conservation type would be steadily developing and improving every year; and the green transformation type had a clear drive for low-carbon development at an early stage and the impact was rapid. The novelty of this paper includes the following: (1) The dimension division of the index system is novel; (2) The measurement method is novel. The weights of indicators are determined by a combination of the entropy weighting method and improved analytic hierarchy process; (3) The low-carbon development pathways of Jiangsu Province are studied by the system dynamics model. Different strategy conditions are innovatively designed, and simulations of the scenarios are carried out.
Temporal Occurrence, Abundance, and Biodiversity of Bees on Weed-Infested Turfgrass
Authors: Jaiswal Aastha , Joseph Shimat V.
Published: February 2024

A decline in pollinators is a real concern for the biodiversity and pollination of insect-dependent plants in landscapes and agriculture. Turfgrass is often presumed to be an ecological desert, as it is maintained at a low height with no floral resources for pollinators. Weeds are common on low-maintenance lawns in the southeastern USA and have rarely been studied as resources for pollinators. Thus, this study aimed to determine the abundance and diversity of bees on weed-infested lawns. Bees were sampled using yellow, white, and blue bowls and by bagging bees foraging on flowering weeds during the growing season from 2021 to 2023. Over three years, 539 bees from 16 genera were collected from weed-infested turfgrass lawns. Weeds were present throughout the growing seasons, and bees were also collected from them. Bombus, Apis, and Lasioglossum bees were the dominant genera collected. Large-sized bees, such as Bombus, were mostly collected from white clover (Trifolium repens L.), whereas small-sized bees, such as Lasioglossum, were mostly collected from common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Weber). Other bee genera collected were Agapostemon, Augochlora, Augochlorella, Calliopsis, Ceratina, Epeolus, Halictus, Melissodes, Osmia, Panurginus, Ptilothrix, Svastra, and Xylocopa. This showed that a diverse group of bees utilized lawns infested with weeds.
The Impact of University Challenges on Students’ Attitudes and Career Paths in Industrial Engineering: A Comparative Study
Authors: Fantozzi Italo Cesidio , Di Luozzo Sebastiano , Schiraldi Massimiliano Maria
Published: February 2024

The educational landscape is undergoing a transformative shift from conventional teaching methodologies towards experiential approaches, such as flipped classrooms, case-based learning, and university challenges. This paradigm change spurred our investigation to evaluate the influence of university challenges on students’ attitudinal development, alignment with future roles, and job satisfaction, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. To achieve this, we devised a questionnaire and a personality test administered to two datasets of Engineering and Management students commencing in 2022. The first questionnaire integrated 249 items from the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) and dimensions from the O*NET workstyles database, focusing on psychological constructs and job profile characteristics, contributing to the advancement of SDG 4’s goal for inclusive and quality education. The second questionnaire covered various occupational dimensions. Our findings revealed a positive correlation between participation in university challenges and analytical thinking and innovation, demonstrating the potential impact of experiential learning on crucial skill development. However, job satisfaction seemed to be influenced by multifaceted factors, with no discernible impact stemming from contest participation during academic studies. This study quantitatively underscores the influence of experiential teaching methods, particularly challenge-based learning, within the context of SDG 4, shedding light on how these approaches significantly shape students’ attitudes and perspectives. In the realm of education, the adoption of diverse teaching methodologies, such as collaborative teaching methods, learning factories, and active learning, has been on the rise, enriching the learning experience in university classrooms. Our research delves into the impact of integrating optional university challenges within Engineering and Management courses and their correlation with improved academic trajectories and enhanced job prospects. These findings carry significant implications for the evolution of university teaching methodologies and the definition of occupational profiles in the field of Industrial Engineering, offering valuable insights for business assessments in line with SDG 4.
Assessment of Peak Water Usage among Residential Consumers across Several Drinking Water Service Areas
Authors: Garzón-Orduña Alex J. , Coronado-Hernández Oscar E. , Ortiz Rafael O. , Arrieta-Pastrana Alfonso , Fuertes-Miquel Vicente S.
Published: February 2024

Public drinking water service providers must comprehensively understand and effectively characterise user demands, especially during peak hours, which not only impact the maximum demand within the distribution network but also determine the dimensions of interior networks within buildings. Residential consumers show different consumption patterns based on socioeconomic factors, spatial location, climatic conditions and the consistency and quality of service delivered by public service providers. This study focused on assessing 1,317,584 users distributed across four distinct service areas in Bogotá, Colombia. To achieve this, a stratified random sampling of 1233 residential subscribers was conducted and 320 reference digital Y290 Aquabus micro-meters were installed to characterise the four service areas. The installations were grouped into sets of 320 users until the entire sample of 1233 subscribers was encompassed. The results demonstrated that the rational method provided the most accurate fit for estimating the probable maximum flow rates compared to the values measured and, consequently, is the most suitable method for application within the region of interest. However, whereas the Hunter Unal method displayed a reasonable fit, it tended to underestimate the size of internal networks within buildings. The remaining methods, such as the British, square root, simultaneity, Hunter, NTC 1500 Hunter and Chilean methods, did not yield significant adjustments and tended to overestimate the probable maximum flow rates as well as the internal networks within buildings. The results indicate that, depending on the method used to calculate the probable maximum flow or design flow of the internal network, there can be a deviation factor when compared to the actual peak flow measured (real maximum flow). This deviation factor ranges from 0.79 (calculated less than measured) to 3.77 (calculated greater than measured). Additionally, a sizing case study was conducted, which involved applying all methods to a scenario involving a residential user. This study aimed to determine the variation expected in the estimation of the diameter of the supply pipe to the internal network when using the flow results from different methods. This analysis serves to conclude the research.
Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics and Economic Analysis of a Closed Deep Coaxial Geothermal Heat Exchanger Retrofitted from an Abandoned Oil Well
Authors: Liu Rui-Jia , Jia Lin-Rui , Zhang Wen-Shuo , Yu Ming-Zhi , Zhao Xu-Dong , Cui Ping
Published: February 2024

It is economical to transform abandoned oil/geothermal wells into closed deep geothermal heat exchangers with coaxial tubes. A numerical model of a coaxial geothermal heat exchanger (CGHE) with varying borehole diameters is established according to an abandoned well in Northern China. The finite difference method is adopted to solve the temperature distribution, and the accuracy of the model is validated with experimental data. Based on the existing structure of the abandoned well with different depths, the feasibility of its conversion into a deep CGHE is discussed, and this study uses the orthogonal experimental method to analyze the influence of four main factors and their significance level on the average heat extraction rate, with the heat extraction rate up to 422.18 kW in the optimal combination. This study also integrates with actual project considerations and conducts an economic analysis to determine the most appropriate circulation fluid flow rate. The results highlight the key factors on the heat transfer performance of the CGHE, with the inlet water temperature to the CGHE being the most significant, followed by the configuration of the CGHE retrofitted from abandoned. From the economic perspective, given that the CGHE in this study is retrofitted from the abandoned oil Wells, the drilling cost can be reduced by up to CNY 1800 thousand, and the flow rate design of 35 m3/h is the optimal choice, ensuring a cost-effective system operation while meeting the operational requirements of the deep CGHE.
Automatic Control of Virtual Cameras for Capturing and Sharing User Focus and Interaction in Collaborative Virtual Reality
Authors: Lee Junhyeok , Lee Dongkeun , Han Seowon , Kim Hyun K. , Lee Kang Hoon
Published: February 2024

As VR technology advances and network speeds rise, social VR platforms are gaining traction. These platforms enable multiple users to socialize and collaborate within a shared virtual environment using avatars. Virtual reality, with its ability to augment visual information, offers distinct advantages for collaboration over traditional methods. Prior research has shown that merely sharing another person’s viewpoint can significantly boost collaborative efficiency. This paper presents an innovative non-verbal communication technique designed to enhance the sharing of visual information. By employing virtual cameras, our method captures where participants are focusing and what they are interacting with, then displays these data above their avatars. The direction of the virtual camera is automatically controlled by considering the user’s gaze direction, the position of the object the user is interacting with, and the positions of other objects around that object. The automatic adjustment of these virtual cameras and the display of captured images are symmetrically conducted for all participants engaged in the virtual environment. This approach is especially beneficial in collaborative settings, where multiple users work together on a shared structure of multiple objects. We validated the effectiveness of our proposed technique through an experiment with 20 participants tasked with collaboratively building structures using block assembly.
Structure and Thermodynamics of Li+Arn Clusters beyond the Second Solvation Shell
Authors: Marques Jorge M. C. , Prudente Frederico V.
Published: February 2024

Small Li+Arn clusters are employed in this work as model systems to study microsolvation. Although first and second solvation shells are expected to be the most relevant ones for this type of atomic solvents, it is also interesting to explore larger clusters in order to identify the influence of external atoms on structural and thermodynamic properties. In this work, we perform a global geometry optimization for Li+Arn clusters (with n = 41–100) and parallel tempering Monte Carlo (PTMC) simulations for some selected sizes. The results show that global minimum structures of large clusters always have 6 argon atoms in the first solvation shell while maintaining the number of 14 or 16 argon atoms in the second one. By contrast, third and fourth solvation shells vary significantly the number of argon atoms with the cluster size, and other shells can hardly be assigned due to the reduced influence of Li+ on the external argon atoms for large clusters. In turn, PTMC calculations show that the melting of the most external solvation shells of large microsolvation clusters occurs at T∼50K, which is independent of cluster size. Structural transitions can be observed between quasi-degenerated structures at low temperatures. Moreover, the present results highlight the fluxional character of the external solvation shells of these large Li+Arn clusters, which may be seen as typical “snowball” structures.
Wave Surface Symmetry and Petrov Types in General Relativity
Authors: Hall Graham
Published: February 2024

This paper presents a brief study of (2-dimensional, spacelike) wave surfaces to a null direction l on a space-time (M,g) and studies how certain imposed symmetries on the set of such wave surfaces can be used to describe other geometrical features of l and (M,g). It is mainly a review of known material but contains some novelties. For example, the brief discussion of the nature of wave surfaces (when viewed geometrically as wave fronts to a null ray direction) in Wave Surfaces Section is new in the sense that although it appeared in the author’s work by the present author, it has not, to the best of his knowledge, appeared in this form anywhere else. Further, the work on conical symmetry and plane waves are, to the best of the author’s knowledge, original with him from earlier papers and are reviewed here while the work on complete wave surface (sectional curvature-) symmetry is believed to be entirely new. Geometrical use of the sectional curvature function is employed in many places. The consequences of the various symmetry conditions imposed on the collection of all wave surfaces to a null direction spanned by a null vector l are described in terms of l spanning a principal null direction of the Weyl tensor (if non-zero) at the point concerned (in the sense of Petrov and Bel).
Symmetries in Collisions as Explored through the Harmonic Oscillator
Authors: Freer Martin , Davies Miriam
Published: February 2024

The present study explores the symmetries associated with the cluster structure of light nuclei and draws the connection between solutions of the Schrödinger equation for the harmonic oscillator and the quasi-crystalline arrangements of α-particles, which gives rise to a series of collective behaviors. The double-center harmonic oscillator is used to formulate the collisions of two nuclei described by harmonic oscillator solutions and traces out the evolution of the cluster structure in the dynamics of the collision process and demonstrates that the symmetries are preserved in this process. The connection between this study and stellar nucleosynthesis is described.
Comparison of Selected Numerical Methods for Solving Integro-Differential Equations with the Cauchy Kernel
Authors: Brociek Rafał , Pleszczyński Mariusz
Published: February 2024

The integro-differential equation with the Cauchy kernel is used in many different technical problems, such as in circuit analysis or gas infrared radiation studies. Therefore, it is important to be able to solve this type of equation, even in an approximate way. This article compares two approaches for solving this type of equation. One of the considered methods is based on the application of the differential Taylor series, while the second approach uses selected heuristic algorithms inspired by the behavior of animals. Due to the problem domain, which is symmetric, and taking into account the form of the function appearing in this equation, we can use this symmetry in some cases. The paper also presents numerical examples illustrating how each method works and comparing the discussed approaches.
Research on Mechanical Properties of Rock Mass with Tiny Cracks under FTCs Conditions
Authors: Zhu Yin-Ge , Wu Yue , Li An-Qi , Zhang Shuai
Published: February 2024

After the repeated freezing and dissolution of fractured rock masses in cold regions, the liquid present in the pores undergoes a water–ice phase transition, resulting in frost heave forces and damage to the internal structure of the rock mass. This causes the rock masses to continuously develop new cracks, which further expand and connect, leading to rock mass failure and ultimately reducing the overall stability of the rock mass in engineering projects. In this study, uniaxial compression tests, direct shear tests, and Brazilian splitting tests were conducted on rock after freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs), and the changes in the physical and mechanical properties of the rock under freeze–thaw conditions were obtained (this study used raw rock from an engineering project and processed it into symmetrical jointed rock samples). The roughness of the shear fracture surfaces was analyzed through 3D cross-sectional scanning experiments. Using statistical damage theory, the mechanism of freeze–thaw damage was analyzed, and a constitutive model for freeze–thaw rock damage was established. The research results can provide a theoretical basis and support for engineering safety and stability in cold regions.
HIV-1 Proviral Genome Engineering with CRISPR-Cas9 for Mechanistic Studies
Authors: Hyder Usman , Shukla Ashutosh , Challa Ashwini , D’Orso Iván
Published: February 2024

HIV-1 latency remains a barrier to a functional cure because of the ability of virtually silent yet inducible proviruses within reservoir cells to transcriptionally reactivate upon cell stimulation. HIV-1 reactivation occurs through the sequential action of host transcription factors (TFs) during the “host phase” and the viral TF Tat during the “viral phase”, which together facilitate the positive feedback loop required for exponential transcription, replication, and pathogenesis. The sequential action of these TFs poses a challenge to precisely delineate the contributions of the host and viral phases of the transcriptional program to guide future mechanistic and therapeutic studies. To address this limitation, we devised a genome engineering approach to mutate tat and create a genetically matched pair of Jurkat T cell clones harboring HIV-1 at the same integration site with and without Tat expression. By comparing the transcriptional profile of both clones, the transition point between the host and viral phases was defined, providing a system that enables the temporal mechanistic interrogation of HIV-1 transcription prior to and after Tat synthesis. Importantly, this CRISPR method is broadly applicable to knockout individual viral proteins or genomic regulatory elements to delineate their contributions to various aspects of the viral life cycle and ultimately may facilitate therapeutic approaches in our race towards achieving a functional cure.
IE1 of Human Cytomegalovirus Inhibits Necroptotic Cell Death via Direct and Indirect Modulation of the Necrosome Complex
Authors: Heusel Anna Theresa , Rapp Sophie , Stamminger Thomas , Scherer Myriam
Published: February 2024

Programmed necrosis is an integral part of intrinsic immunity, serving to combat invading pathogens and restricting viral dissemination. The orchestration of necroptosis relies on a precise interplay within the necrosome complex, which consists of RIPK1, RIPK3 and MLKL. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been found to counteract the execution of necroptosis during infection. In this study, we identify the immediate-early 1 (IE1) protein as a key antagonist of necroptosis during HCMV infection. Infection data obtained in a necroptosis-sensitive cell culture system revealed a robust regulation of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of the necrosome complex as well as the importance of IE1 expression for an effective counteraction of necroptosis. Interaction analyses unveiled an association of IE1 and RIPK3, which occurs in an RHIM-domain independent manner. We propose that this interaction manipulates the PTMs of RIPK3 by promoting its ubiquitination. Furthermore, IE1 was found to exert an indirect activity by modulating the levels of MLKL via antagonizing its interferon-mediated upregulation. Overall, we claim that IE1 performs a broad modulation of innate immune signaling to impede the execution of necroptotic cell death, thereby generating a favorable environment for efficient viral replication.
Assessing a Digital Scorecard on Global Immunization Progress: Stakeholder Views and Implications for Enhancing Performance and Accountability
Authors: Weeks Rose , Vishwanath Padmini , Stewart Katy Atkins , Liang Christine , Efe-Aluta Oniovo , Olayinka Folake , Kim Carolyn Inae , Macarayan Erlyn , Niehaus Lori , Bar-Zeev Naor , Wonodi Chizoba
Published: February 2024

Global health agencies and regional and national stakeholders collaborated to develop the Immunization Agenda 2030 Scorecard, a digital data visualization platform displaying global, regional, and country-level immunization progress. The scorecard serves to focus attention and enable strategic actions around the measures visualized. To assess the scorecard’s usability, appropriateness, and context for use, we interviewed 15 immunization officers working across five global regions. To further understand the implementation context, we also reviewed the characteristics of 15 public platforms visualizing population health data. We integrated thematic findings across both methods. Many platforms highlight service gaps and enable comparisons between geographies to foster political pressure for service improvements. We observed heterogeneity regarding the platforms’ focus areas and participants’ leading concerns, which were management capacity and resourcing. Furthermore, one-third of platforms were out of date. Results yielded recommendations for the scorecard, which participants felt was well suited to focus the attention of decision makers on key immunization data. A simpler design coupled with implementation strategies that more actively engage policymakers would better align the scorecard with other public platforms engaging intended users. For population health platforms to serve as effective accountability mechanisms, studying implementation determinants, including usability testing, is vital to meet stakeholder needs.
Blood Vessel Topography of the Feet in Selected Species of Birds of Prey and Owls
Authors: Schwehn Rebekka , Engelke Elisabeth , Seiler Christian , Fischer Dominik , Seifert Hermann , Pfarrer Christiane , Fehr Michael , Legler Marko
Published: February 2024

Birds of prey and owls are susceptible to diseases of and traumatic injuries to their feet, which regularly require surgical intervention. A precise knowledge of the blood vessel topography is essential for a targeted therapy. Therefore, the metatarsal and digital vasculature was examined in eight species of birds of prey and owls. The study included contrast micro-computed tomography scans and anatomical dissections after intravascular injection of colored latex. In all examined species, the dorsal metatarsal arteries provided the main supply to the foot and their branching pattern and number differed between species. They continued distally as digital arteries. All examined species showed a basic pattern of four collaterally located digital blood vessels per toe: a prominent artery and small vein on one side and a small artery and prominent vein on the other side. Digital veins united to form common digital veins, most of which joined into a superficial, medially located metatarsal vein. This vein provided the main drainage of the foot. The detailed visualization of the topography of pedal blood vessels will help veterinary surgeons during surgical procedures. In addition, differences in the plantar arterial arch between hawks and falcons were discussed regarding their possible influence on the prevalence of pododermatitis (bumblefoot).
Assessment of Groundwater Potential Zones by Integrating Hydrogeological Data, Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, and Analytical Hierarchical Process Techniques in the Jinan Karst Spring Basin of China
Authors: Opoku Portia Annabelle , Shu Longcang , Amoako-Nimako George Kwame
Published: February 2024

Groundwater management in the Jinan Spring basin is hampered by its complex topography, overexploitation, and excessive urbanisation. This has led to springs drying up during dry seasons and a decrease in discharge in recent years. GIS and the AHP were employed to delineate groundwater potential zones using eight thematic layers: slope, geology, lineament density, topographic wetness index (TWI), rainfall, soil, drainage density, and land use/land cover (LULC). The model’s accuracy was assessed by comparing the findings to basin groundwater observation well data. We found that 74% of the observations matched the projected zoning. Further validation utilising the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve gave an AUC of 0.736. According to the study, 67.31% of the land has a good GWPZ, 5.60% has a very good one, 27.07% is medium, and 0.03% is low. Heavy rains throughout the rainy season raise water levels. Dry weather lowers water levels. This study’s conclusions will protect groundwater from climate change. Integrating hydrogeological data, GIS, remote sensing, and AHP approaches maximises data use, improves groundwater potential zone delineation, and promotes sustainable groundwater resource management decision making. This integrated method can help land use planners, hydrologists, and policymakers find optimal locations for water supply projects, establish groundwater management techniques, and reduce groundwater risks.
Growth, Oxidative Stress and Ability to Degrade Tetrabromobisphenol A of Phanerochaete chrysosporium in the Presence of Different Nano Iron Oxides
Authors: Li Ningjie , Yu Jieyu , Wang Xiaojie , Chen Liu , Jiang Hong , Zhang Wenjie
Published: February 2024

In order to improve the performance of white rot fungi, especially the model species Phanerochaete chrysosporium in tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) degradation, the strategy of synergizing Phanerochaete chrysosporium with nano iron oxides was considered; however, the effects of different nano iron oxides on Phanerochaete chrysosporium are still unknown. In this study, 20 nm γ-Fe2O3, 30 nm α-Fe2O3, 20 nm Fe3O4, and 200 nm Fe3O4 were used, and the fungal growth, oxidative stress, and ability to degrade TBBPA were monitored. The results showed that the addition of four nano iron oxides did not inhibit the growth of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The effective antioxidant defense system of Phanerochaete chrysosporium could cope with almost all oxidative pressure induced by 200 nm Fe3O4. But when the size of nano iron oxide became significantly smaller or when the type of iron oxide changed from Fe3O4 to Fe2O3, a higher intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, lower intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and higher extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were induced. When nano iron oxides synergized with Phanerochaete chrysosporium, the removal of TBBPA in all groups was slightly improved and mostly due to the degradation of TBBPA, with smaller iron oxides showing more enhancement for the degradation of TBBPA, while 200 nm Fe3O4 only enhanced the adsorption of TBBPA. The enhanced degradation of TBBPA showed no significant correlation with lignin-degrading enzyme activities but was closely correlated with the intracellular H2O2 concentration.
Assessment of Fish Habitats and Suitable Ecological Flow under Hydropower Operation
Authors: Yan Sheng , Qin Tianling , Zhang Xiangyang , Hou Lei
Published: February 2024

Hydropower operations significantly alter the natural hydrological conditions of rivers, exerting adverse effects on riverine ecosystems. Accurate identification of fish habitats under hydropower operation and maintaining suitable ecological flow are crucial for riverine ecological conservation and water resource management. Coreius guichenoti was selected as the target species and the Yibin reach of the downstream Jinsha River was selected as the studied river reach. Subsequently, Weighted Usable Area (WUA) and Habitat Connectivity Index (HCI) were employed to comparatively analyze the habitat quantity and quality before and after the construction and operation of the Xiangjiaba hydropower station, namely the natural period (1991–2005), construction period (2006–2014), and operation period (2015–2020). Finally, correlations between WUA, HCI, and flow were established to determine the optimal ecological flow corresponding to optimal fish habitats. The results indicate that the average WUA and HCI during the construction period are similar to the natural period. In comparison to the natural period, the average WUA decreases by 9.2%, and the average HCI decreases by 0.05 during the operation period. It is determined that the habitat conditions are optimal when the flow is between 3000 and 5000 m3/s. After further refining the flow scenarios, the suitable ecological flow is determined to be 3500 m3/s. This study can provide a scientific basis for the water resources management in the Jinsha River and contribute to the field of riverine ecological conservation and restoration.
Decoupling Control of Yaw Stability of Distributed Drive Electric Vehicles
Authors: Wang Weijun , Liu Zefeng , Yang Songlin , Song Xiyan , Qiu Yuanyuan , Li Fengjuan
Published: February 2024

Most of the research on driving stability control of distributed drive electric vehicles is based on a yaw motion design controller. The designed controller can improve the lateral stability of the vehicle well but rarely mentions its changes to the roll and pitch motion of the body, and the uneven distribution of the driving force will also cause instability in the vehicle speed, resulting in wheel transition slip, wheel sideslip, and vehicle stability loss. In order to improve the spatial stability of distributed-driven electric vehicles and resolve the control instability caused by their motion coupling, a decoupled control strategy of yaw, roll, and pitch motion based on multi-objective constraints was proposed. The strategy adopts hierarchical control logic. At the upper level, a yaw motion controller based on robust model predictive control, a roll motion controller, and a pitch motion controller based on feedback optimal control are designed. In the lower level, through the motion coupling analysis of the vehicle yaw control process, based on the coupling analysis, the vehicle yaw, roll, and pitch decoupling controller based on multi-objective constraints is designed. Finally, the effectiveness of the decoupling controller is verified.
Design Analysis of High-Power Level 4 Smart Charging Infrastructure Using Next-Generation Power Devices for EVs and Heavy Duty EVs
Authors: Ilahi Tehseen , Izhar Tahir , Zahid Muhammad , Rasool Akhtar , Tsamaase Kelebaone , Zahid Tausif , Khan Ehtisham Muhammad
Published: February 2024

Trending electric vehicles with different battery technologies need universally compatible and fast chargers. Present semiconductor technology is not suitable for designing high-power-rating converters. The increasing demand for high-capacity electric vehicle chargers requires efficient and optimum advanced material technology. This research presents next-generation material-based smart ultra-fast electric vehicle charging infrastructure for upcoming high-capacity EV batteries. The designed level 4 charger will be helpful for charging future heavy-duty electric vehicles with battery voltages of up to 2000 V. The designed infrastructure will be helpful for charging both EVs and heavy-duty electric trucks with a wide range of power levels. Wireless sensor-based smart systems monitor and control the overall charging infrastructure. The detailed design analysis of the proposed charger using the Simscape physical modeling tool is discussed using mathematical equations.