bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are Used Cars More Sustainable? Price Prediction Based on Linear Regression
Authors: Alhakamy A’aeshah , Alhowaity Areej , Alatawi Anwar Abdullah , Alsaadi Hadeel
Published: January 2023

Currently, owning a car is a necessity, as it plays a significant role in human transportation for different purposes such as going to work and to the hospital. However, with the current economic challenges, buying expensive cars can be a burden. The car market has shifted toward more affordable used cars. Due to the increasing number of used cars being sold, the price of used cars has become a major issue that could affect our sustainable way of living. The objective of this research is to understand the impact of the problem and to find empirical solutions by implementing a variety of machine learning techniques and big data tools on the prices of used cars. Thus, we develop a linear regression model that can estimate used car prices based on various features to answer the following research questions: (R.Q.1) How significantly does an independent feature in the dataset affect the dependent variable (car price)? (R.Q.2) Is a linear regression model effective for prediction of used car prices? (R.Q.3) How does prediction of used car prices support sustainability? Finally, we present our results in the form of answers to these questions, including some limitations and future research.
Investigating Residents and DMO’s Co-Creation Relationship: The Case of Co-Organizing a Medieval Summer Festival
Authors: Kesar Oliver , Soldić Frleta Daniela , Matušan Ivana
Published: January 2023

The value of co-creation among destination stakeholders is becoming an increasingly popular tool for creating unique tourism products and preserving local cultural values and identity. The main purpose of this study was to investigate what factors determine residents’ satisfaction with the process of co-creating a traditional cultural event with a local destination management organization (DMO). To conduct a survey of residents, a questionnaire was developed that included four main concepts: satisfaction with the co-creation, the role of the DMO in the co-creation process, the importance of the event to local food and wine and personal attachment to the event. An explanatory Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Oblimin rotation was performed. The findings suggest that the DMO’s central role in the co-creation process and the importance of the event to a local food and wine are significant predictors of the residents’ satisfaction with co-creation. However, a personal attachment to the event did not prove to be a significant predictor of overall satisfaction with the co-creation process. By exploring, in detail, the inner thoughts of a destination’s key stakeholders, it is possible to improve the co-creation process and ultimately create greater value for all involved.
New European Bauhaus for a Circular Economy and Waste Management: The Lived Experience of a Community Container Garden at the University of Turin
Authors: Torchia Daniel , Fresta Jacopo , Corazza Laura , Certomà Chiara
Published: January 2023

This study discusses the case of a 200 m2 container garden set up in a polluted and neglected area of the School of Management and Economics of the University of Turin. ‘L’Orto della SME’ is self-managed, and it has become a hub for a variety of stakeholders, within and outside the university. The project is part of the framework Proposal for Citizen Engagement, promoted by EIT Food Cross-KIC, which contributes to the New European Bauhaus (NEB). The paper looks at how such projects contribute to create social cohesion around sustainability issues of circularity and waste management. The case presents several autoethnographic elements, like tales and stakeholders’ voices, stemming from the direct involvement of the authors in developing the project. The article presents how a stakeholder network was created and how internal and external stakeholders were involved in co-creation activities, such as (multi-stakeholder) workshops and focus groups. Our findings show that NEB principles can be effectively applied to initiatives like the container garden to tackle issues of social inclusion, equality and sustainable production and consumption. This is further emphasized by the empowerment and agency gained by diverse stakeholders to approach sustainability matters.
Students’ Perception of Elementary School Teachers’ Competency: Indonesian Education Sustainability
Authors: Daga Agustinus Tanggu , Wahyudin Dinn , Susilana Rudi
Published: January 2023

The 2013 curriculum in Indonesia demands teacher competence. The professional development of teachers will support the achievement of the 2013 curriculum objectives. The purpose of this study is to describe and compare the competencies of primary school teachers by region, school accreditation, and school status. For this study, we used a comparative quantitative approach. We distributed a questionnaire to 1281 randomly selected elementary school students. The data analysis included a statistical description analysis, normality and homogeneity tests, and hypothesis testing. The findings revealed that (1) the average value of teacher competency in urban-area teachers was higher than that of rural-area teachers, (2) the average competency score of teachers in C-accredited schools was higher than that of teachers in unaccredited and B-accredited schools, and (3) the average score of teachers in private schools was higher than that of teachers in public schools. Thus, the results of this study show that differences exist in the competence of school teachers by region, school accreditation, and school status. Based on these findings, we suggest that all primary school teachers must continuously increase their competence to more effectively help students enhance their skills.
Bi-Level Fleet Dispatching Strategy for Battery-Electric Trucks: A Real-World Case Study
Authors: Peng Dongbo , Zhao Zhouqiao , Wu Guoyuan , Boriboonsomsin Kanok
Published: January 2023

Driven by new regulations concerning greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector, battery-electric trucks (BETs) are considered one of the sustainable freight transportation solutions. In this paper, a dispatching problem of the BET fleet is formulated as a capacitated electric vehicle routing problem (VRP) with pick-up and delivery. As the BET dispatching problem is NP-hard, the performance of existing approaches deteriorates in large instance problems, especially when the customers have different preferences and constraints. This article proposes a bi-level strategy that incorporates routing zone partitioning and metaheuristic-based vehicle routing to solve the large-scale BET dispatching problem, considering the delivery types, limited travel distances, and cargo payloads. We apply this strategy to a real-world fleet dispatching scenario with around 300 customer positions for pickups and drop-offs. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed bi-level strategy can reduce total travel distance and travel time by 24–31%, compared to the baseline strategy implemented in the real world.
Freeze–Thaw Cycles Have More of an Effect on Greenhouse Gas Fluxes than Soil Water Content on the Eastern Edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Authors: Zhao Shanshan , Qin Mingsen , Yang Xia , Bai Wenke , Yao Yunfeng , Wang Junqiang
Published: January 2023

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is sensitive to global climate change. This is because it is characterized by irregular rainfall and freeze–thaw cycles resulting from its high elevation and low temperature. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) mainly contribute to the warming of the QTP, but few studies have investigated and compared the effects of irregular rainfall and freeze–thaw cycles on GHGs. In this study, we conducted a laboratory experiment under four types of freeze–thaw treatments with three soil water content levels to simulate the irregular freeze–thaw and rainfall conditions. The results showed that both the soil water content and freeze–thaw treatment influenced the soil properties, soil enzyme activities, and the microbial biomass; however, the freeze–thaw treatment had significantly higher influences on GHG fluxes than soil water content. In order to explore other biotic and abiotic factors in an attempt to establish the main factor in determining GHG fluxes, a variation partition analysis was conducted. The results revealed that freeze–thaw treatments were the strongest individual factors in predicting the variance in N2O and CO2 fluxes, and the pH, which was only significantly affected by freeze–thaw treatment, was the strongest individual factor in predicting CH4 flux. Across the water content levels, all the freeze–thaw treatments increased the N2O flux and reduced the CH4 flux as compared to the CK treatment. In addition, long-term freezing reduced the CO2 flux, but the treatment of slowly freezing and quickly thawing increased the CO2 flux. In summary, these results suggest that the freeze–thaw treatments had quite different effects on N2O, CH4, and CO2 fluxes, and their effects on GHG fluxes are more significant than those of soil water content on the eastern edge of the QTP.
Controlling the Difficulty of Combinatorial Optimization Problems for Fair Proof-of-Useful-Work-Based Blockchain Consensus Protocol
Authors: Maleš Uroš , Ramljak Dušan , Jakšić Krüger Tatjana , Davidović Tatjana , Ostojić Dragutin , Haridas Abhay
Published: January 2023

The wide range of Blockchain (BC) applications and BC’s ubiquity come from the fact that BC, as a collection of records linked to each other, is strongly resistant to alteration, protected using cryptography, and maintained autonomously. All these benefits come with a cost, which in BC is expressed by a very high use of energy needed to execute consensus protocols. Traditionally, consensus protocols based on Proof-of-Work (PoW) ensure fairness, but are not very useful. The paradigm proposed in the recent literature, known as Proof-of-Useful-Work (PoUW), assumes the completion of additional useful work for the same amount of resources (energy) used. However, the majority of the proposed PoUW approaches do not adequately consider fairness in balancing and controlling the difficulty of the work miners need to perform. A minority of the studies that do address fairness in miners’ work utilize PoW as a tool to ensure it. Therefore, a general framework to provide a structure for understanding the difficulty of useful work and how it can be used to fine-tune the complexity of miners’ effort in PoUW-based consensus protocols is proposed in this paper. The main characteristic of the proposed framework is that controlling the difficulty and fairness of miners’ work in PoUW-based consensus protocols is achieved exclusively through the useful work. The modules of the framework are discussed, and many research challenges and opportunities are articulated. The benefits of the proposed approach are illustrated taking as an example two optimization algorithms for a variant of the scheduling problem. In addition, the steps that should be taken to make this general framework applicable to any PoUW-based consensus protocols are identified.
An Efficient Hybrid CNN Classification Model for Tomato Crop Disease
Authors: Sanida Maria Vasiliki , Sanida Theodora , Sideris Argyrios , Dasygenis Minas
Published: January 2023

Tomato plants are vulnerable to a broad number of diseases, each of which has the potential to cause significant damage. Diseases that affect crops substantially negatively impact the quantity and quality of agricultural products. Regarding quality crop maintenance, the importance of a timely and accurate diagnosis cannot be overstated. Deep learning (DL) strategies are now a critical research field for crop disease diagnoses. One independent system that can diagnose plant illnesses based on their outward manifestations is an example of an intelligent agriculture solution that could address these problems. This work proposes a robust hybrid convolutional neural network (CNN) diagnostic tool for various disorders that may affect tomato leaf tissue. A CNN and an inception module are the two components that make up this hybrid technique. The dataset employed for this study consists of nine distinct categories of tomato diseases and one healthy category sourced from PlantVillage. The findings are promising on the test set, with 99.17% accuracy, 99.23% recall, 99.13% precision, 99.56% AUC, and 99.17% F1-score, respectively. The proposed methodology offers a solution that boasts high performance for the diagnostics of tomato crops in the actual agricultural setting.
Domestic Cat Hepadnavirus: Molecular Epidemiology and Phylogeny in Cats in Hong Kong
Authors: Capozza Paolo , Carrai Maura , Choi Yan Ru , Tu Thomas , Nekouei Omid , Lanave Gianvito , Martella Vito , Beatty Julia A. , Barrs Vanessa R.
Published: January 2023

Domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH) is an emerging virus related to the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The pathogenic potential of DCH in cats remains to be established. The molecular prevalence of DCH varies widely in the regions investigated so far. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, load, and risk factors for DCH detection among cats in Hong Kong, and to generate molecular and epidemiological data on the DCH strains circulating in cats in Hong Kong. DCH DNA was detected using DCH-specific qPCR in 57/513 (11.1%) residual diagnostic blood samples from owned cats. The median viral load was 8.85 × 103 copies/mL of whole blood (range for the 5th to the 95th percentile, 3.33 × 103 to 2.2 × 105 copies per mL). Two outliers had higher viral loads of 1.88 × 107 copies/mL and 4.90 × 109 copies/mL. DCH was detected in cats from 3 months to 19 years of age. Sex, age, neuter status, breed, or elevated serum alanine aminotransferase were not statistically associated with DCH DNA detection. On phylogenetic analysis based on 12 complete genome sequences, the Hong Kong DCH viruses clustered in Genotype A with viruses from Australia and Asia (clade A1), distinct from viruses from Europe (clade A2). Sequence analysis found that DCH has similar epsilon and direct repeat regions to human HBV, suggesting a conserved method of replication. Based on our findings, the DCH strains circulating in Hong Kong are a continuum of the Asiatic strains.
Viral Haemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) Isolated from Atlantic Herring, Clupea harengus, Causes Mortality in Bath Challenge on Juvenile Herring
Authors: Bergh Øivind , Boutrup Torsten Snogdal , Johansen Renate , Skall Helle Frank , Sandlund Nina , Olesen Niels Jørgen
Published: January 2023

Viral hemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) has been demonstrated to cause high mortalities in a wide range of teleosts, farmed as well as wild. In Europe, VHSV of genotypes Ib, Id, II, and III have been detected in wild fish, including Atlantic herring Clupea harengus, but disease outbreaks have not been observed in Atlantic herring and the effects on wild stocks are not well documented. Here, we have tested two VHSV isolates from herring (genotypes Ib and III, from the western coasts of Norway and Denmark, respectively) in a challenge experiment with herring (mean weight 2.59 g, SD 0.71 g) caught on the west coast of Denmark. The Norwegian genotype Ib isolate (NO-F-CH/2009) showed an accumulated mortality of 47% compared to 6% mortality with the Danish genotype III isolate 4p168 and zero in the unchallenged control group. In both groups, we found positive rt-RT-PCR and positive immunohistochemistry of VHSV from days 6 and 8 onward. With both isolates, the organs mainly affected were the heart and kidney. The results demonstrate the susceptibility of Atlantic herring to VHSV, and both genotypes gave pathological findings in several organs. Genotype III showed a low mortality rate, and the importance of this genotype for herring is therefore not determined. Genotype Ib showed both high prevalence and mortality, and this genotype is therefore likely to have a negative effect on wild Atlantic herring stocks. Further examinations to determine how VHSV can affect wild Atlantic herring stocks are needed.
Development of a Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Targeting the-p30 Protein for Detection of Antibodies against African Swine Fever Virus
Authors: Zhou Junming , Ni Yanxiu , Wang Dandan , Fan Baochao , Zhu Xuejiao , Zhou Jinzhu , Hu Yiyi , Li Li , Li Bin
Published: January 2023

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic and wild pigs of all breeds and ages, caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). Due to the absence of a safe and efficacious vaccine, accurate laboratory diagnosis is critical for the control of ASF prevention. The p30 protein is immunogenic and stimulates a high level of antibody response to ASFV infection. We developed a panel of 4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against p30 protein, and mAb-2B4 showed the highest percent of inhibition (PI) of 70% in the solid phase blocking ELISA (bELISA). Epitope mapping revealed the mAb-2B4 recognized the epitope of aa 12–18 of p30, which is conserved among various ASFV genotypes. Subsequently, a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) was established using HRP-labeled mAb-2B4. The cutoff for discrimination between 98 negative sera and 40 positive sera against ASFV was determined by plotting a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. It yielded the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.998, and a diagnostic specificity of 97.96% and a sensitivity of 97.5% were achieved when the cutoff value was determined at 37.1%. Furthermore, the results showed an excellent repeatability of the established cELISA and no cross-reaction to antisera against six other pig pathogens. Additionally, the cELISA detected a titer of 1:256 in the positive standard serum. Overall, mAb-2B4 showed a conserved epitope and high ability to be inhibited by positive sera in ASFV antibody detection. The cELISA based on HRP-labeled mAb-2B4 offers an alternative to other assays for a broader diagnostic coverage of ASFV infection.
How Does Digital Media Search for COVID-19 Influence Vaccine Hesitancy? Exploring the Trade-off between Google Trends, Infodemics, Conspiracy Beliefs and Religious Fatalism
Authors: Gao Jiayue , Raza Syed Hassan , Yousaf Muhammad , Shah Amjad Ali , Hussain Iltaf , Malik Aqdas
Published: January 2023

Digital media has remained problematic during COVID-19 because it has been the source of false and unverified facts. This was particularly evident in the widespread misinformation and confusion regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Past research suggested infodemics, conspiracy beliefs, and religious fatalism as potential threats to public COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. However, the literature is primarily void of empirical evidence associating demographic attributes with efforts to build vaccine hesitancy. Therefore, this research uses two studies: (Study 1) Google Trends and (Study 2) survey method to provide inclusive empirical insight into public use of digital media during COVID-19 and the detrimental effects of infodemics, conspiracy beliefs, and religious fatalism as they were related to building COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Using Google Trends based on popular keywords the public searched over one year, Study 1 explores public digital media use during COVID-19. Drawing on this exploration, Study 2 used a cross-sectional national representative survey of 2120 adult Pakistanis to describe the influence of potential hazards such as infodemics on public vaccine hesitancy. Study 2 revealed that infodemics, conspiracy beliefs, and religious fatalism predict vaccine hesitancy. In addition, gender moderates the relationship between infodemics and conspiracy beliefs and vaccine hesitancy. This implies that there is a dispositional effect of the infodemics and conspiracy beliefs spread digitally. This study’s findings benefit health and other concerned authorities to help them reduce religious fatalism, vaccine hesitancy, and conspiracy theories with targeted communication campaigns on digital media.
Evaluation of Safety and Immunogenicity of a Recombinant Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD)-Tetanus Toxoid (TT) Conjugated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (PastoCovac) in Recipients of Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Compared to the Healthy Controls; A Prospective, Open-Label Clinical Trial
Authors: Barkhordar Maryam , Ahmadvand Mohammad , Sharifi Aliabadi Leyla , Noorani Seied Saeid , Bagheri Amiri Fahimeh , Janbabai Ghasem , Sorouri Rahim , Asadi Milani Mona , Vaezi Mohammad
Published: January 2023

Background: The urgent need for prompt SARS-CoV-2 immunization of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients in an endemic area raises many challenges regarding selecting a vaccine platform appropriate for HSCT recipients being economical for widespread use in developing countries. Methods: The trial is a prospective, single-group, open-label study to investigate the safety and serologic response of two doses of the recombinant receptor-binding domain (RBD)-Tetanus Toxoid (TT) conjugated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (PastoCovac) early after autologous (auto) HSCT. For this reason, a total of 38 patients who completed the two-dose SARS-CoV-2 RBD-based vaccine between three to nine months after auto-HSCT and had an available anti-spike serologic test at three predefined time points of baseline and after the first and second doses and 50 healthy control individuals were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was defined as an increase in IgG Immune status ratio (ISR) to the cut-off value for the positive result (≥1.1) in the semiquantitative test. Findings: The median time between auto-HSCT and vaccination was 127 days. No participant reported any significant adverse effects (Grade 3). Pain at the injection site was the most common adverse event. The ISR increased significantly (p < 0.001) during the three-time point sampling for both patients and healthy control groups. In patients, the mean ISR increased from 1.39 (95% CI: 1.13–1.65) at baseline to 2.48 (1.93–3.03) and 3.73 (3.13–4.38) following the first and second dosages, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the higher count of lymphocytes [OR: 8.57 (95% CI: 1.51–48.75); p = 0.02] and history of obtaining COVID-19 infection before transplantation [OR: 6.24 (95% CI: 1.17–33.15); p = 0.03] remained the predictors of the stronger immune response following two doses of the RBD-TT conjugated vaccine. Moreover, we found that the immunogenicity of the COVID-19 vaccine shortly after transplantation could be influenced by pre-transplant COVID-19 vaccination. Interpretation: The RBD-TT conjugated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was safe, highly immunogenic, and affordable early after autologous transplants. Funding: This work was mainly financed by the Hematology-Oncology-Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center (HORCSCT) of Tehran University and the Pasteur Institute of Iran.
New Insights on Nucleotide Sequence Variants and mRNA Levels of Candidate Genes Assessing Resistance/Susceptibility to Mastitis in Holstein and Montbéliarde Dairy Cows
Authors: Essa Bothaina , Al-Sharif Mona , Abdo Mohamed , Fericean Liana , Ateya Ahmed
Published: January 2023

A major factor in the propagation of an infectious disease is host genetics. In this study, 180 dairy cows (90 of each breed: Holstein and Montbéliarde) were used. Each breed’s tested dairy cows were divided into two groups of comparable size (45 cows each), mastitis-free and mastitis-affected groups. Each cow’s jugular vein was punctured to obtain blood samples for DNA and RNA extraction. In the examined Holstein and Montbéliarde dairy cows, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related with mastitis resistance/susceptibility were found in the RASGRP1, NFkB, CHL1, MARCH3, PDGFD, MAST3, EPS15L1, C1QTNF3, CD46, COX18, NEURL1, PPIE, and PTX3 genes. Chi-square analysis of identified SNPs revealed a significant difference in gene frequency between mastitic and healthy cows. Except for CHL1, mastitic dairy cows of two breeds had considerably higher mRNA levels of the examined genes than did healthy ones. Marker-assisted selection and monitoring of dairy cows’ susceptibility to mastitis may be accomplished through the use of discovered SNPs and changes in the gene expression profile of the studied genes. These findings also point to a possible method for reducing mastitis in dairy cows through selective breeding of animals using genetic markers linked to an animal’s ability to resist infection.
Impacts of Oral Florfenicol Medication and Residues on the Kidney and Liver of Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.)
Authors: Bardhan Avishek , Abraham Thangapalam Jawahar , Singha Jasmine , Rajisha Ravindran , Krishna Edaparambil Krishnappan Nanitha , Panda Satyen Kumar , Patil Prasanna Kumar
Published: January 2023

Florfenicol (FFC), an approved aquaculture antibiotic, is administered in feed at doses of 10–15 mg kg biomass−1 day−1 for 10 successive days. In this study, healthy Oreochromis niloticus were fed with 0–10 times the therapeutic dose of 15 mg kg biomass−1 day−1 for 10 days and tracked for 43 days post dosing. Assessments of residue accrual and depletion, oxidative stress, serum biochemistry, histopathology and extent of kidney and liver damages were made. FFC dosing reduced the feed intake significantly. The therapeutic dose produced no mortalities on day 10. Dose-dependent alterations in serum biochemistry were noted upon dosing. Several histopathological alterations were observed in the kidney and liver, which vindicated the toxic potentials of FFC. The residual FFC and florfenicol amine (FFA) accrual, depletion and oxidative stress responses, such as increased malondialdehyde, total nitric oxide, ferric reducing antioxidant power and reduced glutathione S-transferase activity, were documented. The dietary FFC persuaded the physiological state of O. niloticus, the effects of which normalized sparsely with time upon cessation of dosing at the higher doses. The study provided a brief outlook on the physiological responses upon oral FFC administration, which should be kept in mind during its application for fish health safety purposes.
Process Water Management and Seepage Control in Tailings Storage Facilities: Engineered Environmental Solutions Applied in Chile and Peru
Authors: Cacciuttolo Carlos , Pastor Alvar , Valderrama Patricio , Atencio Edison
Published: January 2023

In the past thirty years many mining projects in Chile and Peru have used: (i) polymeric geomembranes and (ii) design-and-build cutoff trenches, plastic concrete slurry walls, and grout curtain systems to control seepage at tailings storage facilities (TSFs). Geosynthetics are a viable alternative at a TSF dam for clay cores or impermeable materials, mainly because of their marked advantages in cost, installation, and construction time. This article describes the use of geosynthetics liners and cutoff trench–plastic concrete slurry walls–grout curtain systems in TSF dams in Chile and Peru mining, with the objective to decrease seepage to the environment, considering different dam material cases such as: cycloned tailings sand dams, borrow dams, and mine waste rock dams. Finally, this article discusses aspects of geosynthetic technology acceptance in the local regulatory frameworks, lessons learned, and advances. It focuses on the use and implementation of geosynthetics in TSFs in Chile and Peru, which have some of the highest TSF dams in the world, as well as a wet environment, dry environment, extreme topography, and severe seismic conditions. These conditions constitute a challenge for manufacturers, engineers, and contractors, who must achieve optimal technical solutions, while being environmentally aware and economic.
Removal of Amoxicillin Antibiotic from Polluted Water by a Magnetic Bionanocomposite Based on Carboxymethyl Tragacanth Gum-Grafted-Polyaniline
Authors: Mosavi Seyedeh Soghra , Zare Ehsan Nazarzadeh , Behniafar Hossein , Tajbakhsh Mahmood
Published: January 2023

Removal of antibiotics from contaminated water is very important because of their harmful effects on the environment and living organisms. This study describes the preparation of a bionanocomposite of carboxymethyl tragacanth gum-grafted-polyaniline and γFe2O3 using an in situ copolymerization method as an effective adsorbent for amoxicillin antibiotic remediation from polluted water. The prepared materials were characterized by several analyses. The vibrating sample magnetometer and thermal gravimetric analysis showed that the carboxymethyl tragacanth gum-grafted-polyaniline@ γFe2O3 bionanocomposite has a magnetization saturation of 25 emu g−1 and thermal stability with a char yield of 34 wt%, respectively. The specific surface area of bionanocomposite of about 8.0794 m2/g was obtained by a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. The maximum adsorption capacity (909.09 mg/g) of carboxymethyl tragacanth gum-grafted-polyaniline@ γFe2O3 was obtained at pH 7, an agitation time of 20 min, a bioadsorbent dose of 0.005 g, and amoxicillin initial concentration of 400 mg/L. The Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were a better fit with the experimental data. The kinetic model showed that chemical adsorption is the main mechanism for the adsorption of amoxicillin on the bioadsorbent. In addition, the maximum adsorption capacity for amoxicillin compared to other reported adsorbents showed that the prepared bionanocomposite has a higher maximum adsorption capacity than other adsorbents. These results show that carboxymethyl tragacanth gum-grafted-polyaniline@ γFe2O3 would be a favorable bioadsorbent for the remediation of amoxicillin from contaminated water.
Downward Trends in Streamflow and Sediment Yield Associated with Soil and Water Conservation in the Tingjiang River Watershed, Southeast China
Authors: Ding Sheng , Wang Feifei , Yue Hui , Peng Shaoyun , Ruan Qizhen , Lin Jinglan , Cao Wenzhi
Published: January 2023

Soil erosion is one of the most serious environment problems in China. Soil and water conservation (SWC) measures play an important role in reducing streamflow and sediment yields. A nested watershed approach, together with the Mann–Kendall trend test, double mass curve, and path analysis were used to quantitatively explore hydrological effects of SWC measures in the Tingjiang River Watershed. Results showed the annual streamflow and sediment yields tended toward a remarkable downward trend since the implementation of SWC measures during 1982–2014, indicating that SWC measures produced significant hydrological effects. The contribution of precipitation to annual streamflow increased from 71% to 79% from the periods 1982–2000 to 2000–2014, indicating decreases in annual precipitation after 2003 and stronger impacts on streamflow than that of SWC measures. However, the contribution of SWC measures to sediment yields increased from 11% to 64% from 1982 to 2014 and gradually dominated contributions to the sediment yields in the watershed. An ecological threshold was established at which the proportion of the cumulative afforestation area due to SWC reaches 10% of the whole watershed, and the remarkable improvements of hydrological effects in the watershed can be observed. These findings could be used to evaluate performance of SWC measures in watersheds.
Pollution and Climatic Influence on Trees in the Siberian Arctic Wetlands
Authors: Kharuk Viacheslav I. , Petrov Il’ya A. , Im Sergei T. , Golyukov Alexey S. , Dvinskaya Maria L. , Shushpanov Alexander S.
Published: January 2023

Siberian Arctic wetlands located within the planetary “warming hotspot” experience pronounced climate-driven vegetation cover changes. Together with warming, wetlands, which are located within the influence of Norilsk copper and nickel industry (69.35° N, 88.12° E), have been strongly influenced by industrial pollutions (sulfur dioxide mostly) since the 1940s. In addition, petroleum products release occurred in 2020 that potentially influenced vegetation vigor. We studied the combined effect of climate warming and pollution on the larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) and shrubs’ (Salix spp. and alder, Duschekia fruticosa) growth. Using satellite data (MODIS and Sentinel) processing, we mapped wetlands within the study area. We used on-ground survey, and applied dendrochronology, climate variables, and emissions rate analysis. We sampled woods (kerns) and, based on the tree ring analysis, generated trees and shrubs growth index (GI) chronologies. We analyzed the influence of the SO2 emissions and eco-climate variables (air temperatures, precipitation, soil moisture, and drought index SPEI) on the larch and shrubs GI. We mapped GPP and NPP (gross and net primary productivity) and vegetation index NDVI and temporal trends of these indexes based on the MODIS-derived products. We found that chronic SO2 influence led to larch trees GI decrease that was followed by tree mortality, which was observed until the end of 1990. Since the beginning of the 2000s, the GI of larch and shrubs has increased, which is correlated with elevated air and soil temperature and growth season prolongation, whereas excessive soil moisture negatively influenced GI. Together with that, increasing trends of vegetation indexes (GPP, NPP, and NDVI) were observed on the part of wetland within the zone of former trees’ heavy damage and mortality. The trends began mostly in 2003–2005 and were caused by emissions volume decrease and warming, together with resistant species’ (willows, graminoids, bushes, and birch) growth and invasion. We suggested that increasing productivity trends might partly be attributed to nitrogen fertilization caused by NOx emissions. Finally, we found that diesel fuel spill which happened in 2020 caused no influence on the larch, whereas some aquatic species (mosses mostly) were damaged.
Evaluation and Development of Pedotransfer Functions and Artificial Neural Networks to Saturation Moisture Content Estimation
Authors: Trejo-Alonso Josué , Fuentes Sebastián , Morales-Durán Nami , Chávez Carlos
Published: January 2023

Modeling of irrigation and agricultural drainage requires knowledge of the soil hydraulic properties. However, uncertainty in the direct measurement of the saturation moisture content (θs) has been generated in several methodologies for its estimation, such as Pedotransfer Functions (PTFs) and Artificial Neuronal Networks (ANNs). In this work, eight different PTFs were developed for the (θs) estimation, which relate to the proportion of sand and clay, bulk density (BD) as well as the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks). In addition, ANNs were developed with different combinations of input and hidden layers for the estimation of θs. The results showed R2 values from 0.9046≤R2≤0.9877 for the eight different PTFs, while with the ANNs, values of R2>0.9891 were obtained. Finally, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) was obtained for each ANN configuration, with results ranging from 0.0245≤RMSE≤0.0262. It was found that with particular soil characteristic parameters (% Clay, % Silt, % Sand, BD and Ks), accurate estimate of θs is obtained. With the development of these models (PTFs and ANNs), high R2 values were obtained for 10 of the 12 textural classes.
Pb(II) Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Adsorption on Stabilized Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles—A Green Approach
Authors: Sepehri Saloome , Kanani Elahe , Abdoli Sima , Rajput Vishnu D. , Minkina Tatiana , Asgari Lajayer Behnam
Published: January 2023

Nano zero-valent iron particles (nZVFe) are known as one of the most effective materials for the treatment of contaminated water. However, a strong tendency to agglomerate has been reported as one of their major drawbacks. The present study describes a green approach to synthesizing stabilized nZVFe, using biomass as a porous support material. Therefore, in the first step, biomass-derived activated carbon was prepared by thermochemical procedure from rice straw (RSAC), and then the RSAC-supported nZVFe composite (nZVFe–RSAC) was employed to extract Pb(II) from aqueous solution and was successfully synthesized by the sodium borohydride reduction method. It was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) characteristics that the nZVFe particles are uniformly dispersed. Results of the batch experiments showed that 6 (g L−1) of this nanocomposite could effectively remove about 97% of Pb(II) ions at pH = 6 from aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption capacities of the RS, RSAC, and nZVFe–RSAC were 23.3, 67.8, and 140.8 (mg g−1), respectively. Based on the results of the adsorption isotherm studies, the adsorption of Pb(II) on nZVFe–RSAC is consistent with the Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm model R2=0.996). The thermodynamic outcomes exhibited the endothermic, possible, and spontaneous nature of adsorption. Adsorption enthalpy and entropy values were determined as 32.2 kJ mol−1 and 216.9 J mol−1 K−1, respectively. Adsorption kinetics data showed that Pb(II) adsorption onto nZVFe–RSAC was fitted well according to a pseudo-second-order model. Most importantly, the investigation of the adsorption mechanism showed that nZVFe particles are involved in the removal of Pb(II) ions through two main processes, namely Pb adsorption on the surface of nZVFe particles and direct role in the redox reaction. Subsequently, all intermediates produced through the redox reaction between nZVFe and Pb(II) were adsorbed on the nZVFe–RSAC surface. According to the results of the NZVFe–RSAC recyclability experiments, even after five cycles of recovery, this nanocomposite can retain more than 60% of its initial removal efficiency. So, the nZVFe–RSAC nanocomposite could be a promising material for permeable reactive barriers given its potential for removing Pb(II) ions. Due to low-cost and wide availability of iron salts as well as rice biowaste, combined with the high adsorption capacity, make nZVFe–RSAC an appropriate choice for use in the field of Pb(II) removal from contaminated water.
Decision Support System for the Integrated Management of Multiple Supply Systems in the Brazilian Semiarid Region
Authors: Souza Júlia , Cirilo José , Bezerra Saulo , Oliveira Gabriel , Freire Guilherme , Coutinho Artur , Cabral Jaime
Published: January 2023

To alleviate the impacts of water shortages and ensure the effective allocation of water resources, the integration of multiple sources has been a viable but challenging alternative for water resource managers. A robust decision support system (DSS) reduces the complexity of decision making and allows the user to define operational strategies that reduce costs and address system limitations. Through the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) collective intelligence algorithm and the operational zoning of reservoirs, it was possible to identify the monthly flow allocation for the Agreste of Pernambuco in Brazil. The analysis of unit costs allowed us to conclude that high local energy tariffs guide the DSS in the exploration of water-transfer works between basins, such as the Agreste pipeline, which had full use of approximately 2 m3/s in the analyzed scenarios. The study also sought to investigate the influence of rainy and dry periods, with the higher flows into local reservoirs in rainy periods leading the system to operate at a cost 2.6% higher compared to the dry period. The use of DSS was able to provide support and parameters that facilitate decision making, ensuring that the system operates efficiently and sustainably.
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS’ ENGLISH COMPETENCE IN WRITING VIEWED FROM ERROR ANALYSIS OF MAKING A COMPOSITION
Authors: Sholihah Umi , Yuwono Suhud Eko , Kustinah Kustinah
Published: January 2023

This study aims at describing errors on writing of primary school teacher education students (PGSD) Universitas Widya Dharma Klaten to know the students’ English competence. The strategy of the research in this study is descriptive qualitative; and the qualitative data is the students’ writing. The data here are collected from 23 students’ work in making a composition. The erroneous sentences analyzed based on three classifications, namely the surface strategy taxonomy, influencing language switch, and students’ writing skill. The writers analyze the data carefully to find errors. The errors are divided according to its classification. Based on the data findings, the writers found that from 26 students of primary school teacher education (PGSD) Unwidha there are 23 students made some errors, two students made a good composition without any error, and one student didn’t write the composition. The researchers finally list 76 errors of students’ writing. The writers conclude that there are 35 errors (46.052%) based on the surface strategy taxonomy, 9 errors (11.842%) based on influencing language switch, and 32 errors (42.105%) based on students’ writing skill.
THE INFOGRAPHIC-BASED INSTAGRAM LEARNING MEDIA DEVELOPMENT IN ESSAY WRITING STUDY ENGLISH EDUCATION
Authors: Mujahidah Ulfa , Yasin M. Fahri
Published: January 2023

Instagram Learning Media Development Based on Infographic on Essay Writing Subject at English Major The ADDIE method was used in this development research (Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). This study was carried out to determine the viability of learning media on Instagram. The steps in this research are analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation to measure feasibility, with validation the of test instrument, validation test material expert, validation test material expand validation test media expert students' responses as research subjects used questionnaires. The data was analyzed using the qualitative descriptive technique. This learning media is feasible to use, according to media experts, with a score of 78%. This learning medium is 100% feasible to use, according to the material expert. Based on the research subject's responses, this learning media is usable with an 80% score. The questions were 94% appropriate for the experts, according to the instrument validator. Based on these results, it is possible to conclude that learning media Instagram based on infographics is usable. Keywords: Instgaram, Infographic, Writing, ADDIE method.
EMPOWERMENT: THE SELF-PRESENTATION OF MOM PRENEUR ON INSTAGRAM
Authors: Nurbaity Nurbaity , Kurniati Nurul Adha
Published: January 2023

The analyzing of “The Self – Presentation of Mom Preneur on Instagram” is important to do because it considers how the self-presentation of Mompreneur is presented on Instagram through the lens of Goffman's Self Presentation, Kress Social Semiotics and van Leuwenn to discuss forms (markers) such as vectors, modalities, gaze, composition, perspective, line and color, as well as the way these forms are used to manifest meaning (significant) in sign making and MAK. Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) focuses on ideational metafunctions, which have a decisive influence on the grammar of visual communication, by viewing images as a source for representation and thus displaying culturally generated meanings by analyzing images and the captions (text) they contain. post. This study aims to examine how Mompreneur Sheyla Taradia Habib @sheytaradia presents herself as a woman and mother by sharing practices and to find out what type of identity is described by Mrs. Mompreneur by investigating the meaning and value attached to images and captions (text). The results of this meaning show empowerment or empowering women, solid family, and authority.

euwenn to discuss forms (markers) such as vectors, modalities, gaze, composition, perspective, line and color, as well as the way these forms are used to manifest meaning (significant) in sign making and MAK. Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) focuses on ideational metafunctions, which have a decisive influence on the grammar of visual communication, by viewing images as a source for representation and thus displaying culturally generated meanings by analyzing images and the captions (text) they contain. post. This study aims to examine how Mompreneur Sheyla Taradia Habib @sheytaradia presents herself as a woman and mother by sharing practices and to find out what type of identity is described by Mrs. Mompreneur by investigating the meaning and value attached to images and captions (text). The results of this meaning show empowerment or empowering women, solid family, and authority.
Évolution humaine, tuberculose et démographie : Adaïma et le phénomène « NDT »
Authors: Crubézy Eric , Duchesne Sylvie , Donat Richard , Gérard Patrice , Dabernat Henri
Published: January 2023

La nécropole d’Adaïma a fourni le plus important échantillon de population aussi ancien et aussi bien conservé au monde. Il permet de tester l’intérêt des différentes tables-types de mortalité dans l’étude des populations du passé et de s’interroger sur l’épidémiologie de la population. Le phénomène connu sous le nom de «Neolithic demographic transition » qui postule une surmortalité des enfants au Néolithique lié à une augmentation démographique et au développement des maladies infectieuses est ici mis en évidence dans un ensemble funéraire. Les modalités, avec en particulier des surmortalités dans les classes jeunes par rapport aux périodes historiques sont soulignées et la première épidémie connue de tuberculose est mise en évidence. Les implications pour la mise en place de la société pharaonique sont discutées tout comme les perspectives des études à venir.
Mots et modèles culturels de la pensée en égyptien ancien de l’horizon archéologique prédynastique
Authors: Anselin Alain
Published: January 2023

L’auteur étudie la construction du vocabulaire de l’activité conceptuelle en égyptien ancien à partir des mots du corps et de la perception visuelle et auditive consignés dans les inscriptions hiéroglyphiques les plus anciennes, du roi Scorpion à Djoser. Il s’attache à en dégager les modèles culturels en s’appuyant sur le lien souvent étroit du mot et de sa graphie hiéroglyphique et en les confrontant à ceux des langues d’hier et d’aujourd’hui de son environnement africain et de son voisinage proche-oriental : manières du nombre, mots qui comptent et leur syntaxe, orientation cardinale, orientation spatiale et pensée du temps, vocables enfin, de l’esprit, de la pensée et de ses formes. Il se propose également de démêler les couches de langues enregistrées dans le corpus des inscriptions prédynastiques et, au plus près des données de cet horizon archéologique, leur signification historique. Se dessine le paysage d’un univers mental égyptien antique enraciné dans son espace géographique et humain africain et dans sa propre histoire aux portes de l’Orient.
A Ruler Named Prabhākara. Sigillary and Epigraphic Evidence: Shall the Twain Meet?
Authors: Bakker Hans t.
Published: January 2023

The name Prabhākara features in a lapis intaglio seal of unknown provenance, recently published on the research platform Zenodo, and in a stone inscription of Dattabhaṭa, which was found in Mandasor (Western Malwa), dating from ad 467/ 68. The article explores the possibility that both pieces of evidence refer to one and the same Ruler (bhūmipati) Prabhākara. According to the inscription, Prabhākara ruled Western Malwa as a feudatory of the Gupta emperor, who at the time was Skandagupta. The commander in chief of Prabhākara’s army was Dattabhaṭa, whose mother is described as “the moon of a family of northern kings”. It is conjectured that this may refer to a princess of the Hunnic peoples, Kidara or Alkhan, who ruled in the northwest of the Subcontinent in the second half of the 5th century. The seal agrees in style and iconography with similar Hunnic (intaglio) seals. The lapis intaglio is also compared with two other recently discovered seals, one of a Svāmi Koṭeśvara (Devadāruvana) and one sealing of the Goddess Kaṃhāru found in Thanesar. Points of comparison are the trees that feature in all three seals. The article concludes with an argument of the potential historical consequences, if the hypothesis that both Prabhākaras refer to the same person would prove to be correct.