bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural Fibre for Geotechnical Applications: Concepts, Achievements and Challenges
Authors: Nguyen Thanh T. , Indraratna Buddhima
Published: May 2023

Enhancing the use of natural fibre for geotechnical purposes has attracted greater attention in the past decade, mainly because of the tangible benefits that this green approach would bring to our sustainable infrastructure developments. While this topic has been subjected to often sceptical review or discussions, they usually focus on narrow aspects such as soil reinforcement, resulting in a lack of thorough assessment over different aspects and applications. The current paper hence aims to not only provide a more balanced review between theoretical concepts and practical perspectives, but also to link different functions of natural fibre that would facilitate design effectiveness. Three major geotechnical purposes of natural fibre in terms of the practice are identified and discussed, i.e., (i) soil reinforcement; (ii) enhanced drainage for soil consolidation; and (iii) filtration, separation and erosion controls. In these distinct applications, natural fibres, despite being used in different forms such as geotextiles, drains and individual fibres, often give significant contributions to improving soil structures, resulting in greater stabilization of the entire system. The key unique feature of natural fibres is their ability to generate biological bonding with soil media (i.e., biodegradation associated with reinforcement), while substantially improving the tensile strength of the soil structure, thus providing larger resistance to mud pumping, liquefaction, internal instability and erosion. Apart from successful findings and applications in practice, main challenges that are currently hampering the wider application of natural fibres will be addressed in this paper.
The Impact of the Anti-Poverty Relocation and Settlement Program on Farmers’ Livelihood: Perspective of Livelihood Space
Authors: Zhou Shuanglei , Chen Shaojun
Published: May 2023

To better promote the new anti-poverty strategy and serve as a reference for poverty alleviation in other developing countries and regions, this paper discussed the impact of the anti-poverty relocation and settlement program (ARSP) on the livelihood of farmers from the perspective of livelihood space. Existing research focuses on quantitative research on the relationship between relocation and livelihood, but lacks a perspective that combines livelihood and space. In this study, Nanshan village was selected as the research area, using the semi-structured interview and the semi-participatory observation methods to obtain the original materials, and the snowball sampling method was used to determine the interviewees. This study found that the ARSP has a more significant effect on the expansion of production space of young people and farmers with high household savings; meanwhile, by changing the traditional folk house layout, the non-agricultural resettlement mode also forces farmers to adapt to urbanized living, which is a slow process. Affected by factors such as housing segregation and cultural elements, farmers’ social interactions show the characteristics of self-isolation in the short term. However, the evidence shows that this trend is declining; after the relocation, the village was incorporated into the community jurisdiction. Similar to urban–rural interfaces, with the transformation from rural to urban, it is difficult for the normalizing management mode and service supply capacity of communities to meet the growing demand for urbanized services of farmers. The clarification of the above impact provides a basis for future relocation community governance and policies.
The Road to Inclusive Decentralized Village Governance in Indonesia
Authors: Annahar Nasrun , Widianingsih Ida , Muhtar Entang Adhy , Paskarina Caroline
Published: May 2023

Currently, every country strives to create inclusive governance. However, these efforts are still often stalled. After long decades of the implementation of decentralization in various countries, only a few studies examined the practices of inclusive governance in village-level decentralization. This study explores how inclusive governance is implemented in the decentralized village and what challenges hinder inclusive governance goals in the setting of village decentralization. The study found that there are various results from the implementation of inclusive governance in every village. Developed villages tend to be more likely to realize inclusive governance because they have a variety of good supporting factors. The success of inclusive governance is very dependent on supporting factors and challenges in the decentralized village.
Circular Economy and Sustainable Business Performance Management
Authors: Sassanelli Claudio , Terzi Sergio
Published: May 2023

Today, more than ever, the world needs to be considered as a finite and limited system, characterized by scarce resources and as a place where restocking is not possible in an infinite way [...]
A Bibliometric Analysis of Current Knowledge Structure and Research Progress Related to Sustainable Furniture Design Systems
Authors: Zhu Ling , Yan Yuqi , Lv Jiufang
Published: May 2023

Sustainable furniture design has emerged as a prominent area of research, focusing on the interrelationships among people, furniture, and the environment. Despite being in its nascent stage, this field has garnered attention from scholars across disciplinary boundaries, seeking to explore new opportunities for industrial development and innovative perspectives. The objective of this paper is to clarify the extent of the current research literature, present the current significant themes, and elaborate further on the developed and potential future research directions in sustainable furniture design. In this research, a systematic analysis of bibliometric performance and scientific mapping of literature on sustainable furniture design was carried out by examining 1578 published papers from 2002 to 2023 selected from the Web of Science database, utilizing BibliometrixR package, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace tools for the analysis. The findings indicate a marked increase in research output in this area since 2012, with China being the primary contributor, although not achieving the highest citation rates. Furthermore, the study identifies 713 instances of international collaborations among researchers from 81 countries, with China and the United States being the most frequent partners. The research direction of highly cited literature, journals with the most published papers on sustainable furniture design, and authors with high total citation rates indicate a prominent connection between sustainable furniture design and fields such as product technical science, environmental science, ecology, and material research. The analysis of co-citation and keywords reveals the evolution of research themes, these key issues include furniture-human body scale match, furniture structure and performance, lifecycle, carbon emissions reduction, furniture industry chain, artificial intelligence, new development, school furniture safety and quality, and furniture strength and load capacity, with the focus shifting from the ontology of furniture and the human body to the external scope, emphasizing the connection with life, the environment, and the future. The latest research highlights industry chains, artificial intelligence, and innovative development, reflecting the trends of future research topics as “multi-dimensional integration”, “health and intelligence”, and “environment and system” will be the direction for the next stage.
The Influence of Spatial Functions on the Public Space System of Traditional Settlements
Authors: Peng Yue , Qiu Hui , Wang Xinlu
Published: May 2023

Public spaces are important places for various social functions and are also essential components of the cultural heritage of traditional settlements, which are suffering from blind function renewal and structural reconstruction during urbanization. It is essential to clarify the influence of spatial functions on spatial systems for the sustainable development of traditional settlements. Thus, based on the topology theory, we built a research framework for the relationship between public space functions and systems. Through field research, Pajek topological network analysis, and space syntax, we investigated the influence of spatial functions on the public space system of traditional settlements in terms of both structure and order. The research results of Zhang Guying Village demonstrate that (1) the public space of Zhang Guying Village has the structural characteristics of “axis-oriented and multi-core”; (2) the coordinated development of political, living, and traffic public spaces constitutes the formation logic of the public space system; (3) topological analysis of public spaces based on spatial functions helps in the optimization and functional reorganization of the public space system in traditional settlements. Hence, this study can provide understanding of the formation of the public space system and can also provide local administration adaptive reconfiguration strategies for the sustainable development of traditional settlements in the future.
First Report of Giant African Snail (Lissachatina fulica) in a Protected Area of the Cottian Alps, Northwest Italy
Authors: Gabetti Alice , Maganza Alessandra , Prearo Marino , Riina Maria Vittoria , Nodari Sabrina , Rizzioli Barbara , Mangini Valentina , Di Tizio Luciano , Acutis Pierluigi , Dondo Alessandro , Esposito Giuseppe , Pastorino Paolo
Published: May 2023

The Giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica) is listed among the top 100 worst invasive alien species. Native to East Africa, it has been introduced voluntarily or accidentally into more than 50 countries, where it impacts negatively on biodiversity, ecosystems, agriculture, and public health. Here we describe for the first time the finding of a specimen of L. fulica in a protected area of the Cottian Alps (Avigliana Lakes Nature Park, northwest Italy). The snail underwent morphometric analysis and species identification. Given its reproductive characteristics (i.e., hermaphroditism with self-fertilization), it poses a potential threat to the biodiversity of the area and is a vector of zoonotic parasites for humans and animals. Health monitoring of specimens found in the wild and those kept as pets is of crucial importance, as is the establishment of monitoring plans in these areas.
Reactive Power Compensation Strategy of the Electric Vehicle Connected to the Distribution Network in the Limit State Considering Voltage Constraint
Authors: Lin Zhiyuan , Tang Fei , Yu Caiyang , Li Haibo , Zhong Lei , Wang Xinyu , Deng Huipeng
Published: May 2023

To solve the voltage stability problem of electric vehicles connected to the distribution network in the limit state, a reactive power compensation strategy based on the holomorphic embedding method and electrical distance is proposed. Firstly, the load model of the electric vehicle charging station is constructed, and the limit of the charging power of the electric vehicle connected to a certain bus is obtained. Then, the power flow embedding equation of the power system is constructed by the holomorphic embedding method, and the analytical expression of the voltage rational function is introduced based on the Padé approximation algorithm. The voltage collapse point is solved by the distribution of zeros and poles of the rational function. Then, a method of reactive power and voltage control partition based on electrical distance is proposed. According to the principle of weak regional coupling and strong interval coupling, the power system is divided into several regions by spectral clustering and a k-means clustering algorithm. The order of the voltage stability margin value s is obtained by connecting the limit charging power to each bus of the power system. In this paper, the reactive power compensation strategy proposes to add reactive power compensation devices to the buses with the weakest voltage stability margin in different zones. Finally, compared with other reactive power compensation strategies 1 and 2, the reactive power compensation strategy provided in this paper is increased by 1.626121813 and 1.160494345 times, respectively. The superiority of this method is verified by simulation.
Utilizing Stearic-Acid-Coated Marble Dust for the Production of Eco-Friendly Self-Cleaning Concrete: RSM Modeling and Optimization
Authors: Singh Priyanka , Yee Ng Cheng , Mohammed Bashar S.
Published: May 2023

With the growing demands of the construction industry, the need for manufacturing cement increases, and it causes challenges to the climate as one ton of cement results in the release of around one ton of CO2. Therefore, it is essential to find an alternative to reduce the environmental impact. This study aims to optimize the properties of concrete containing marble dust and stearic acid to produce eco-friendly and self-cleaning concrete. Stearic acid induces a self-cleaning property in concrete to make it free from moisture, leading to its prolonged service life. Thirteen mixes are designed, using marble dust as a partial replacement of cement by weight (at 10%, 20%, and 30%) and stearic acid by cement weight (at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%) in this eco-friendly self-cleaning concrete. Nine mixes were developed using response surface methodology (RSM), where two variable inputs were considered. The compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths were assessed. Other tests such as ultrasonic pulse velocity, Young’s modulus of elasticity, density, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and self-cleaning property have been conducted and evaluated. At 10% replacement of marble dust by the weight of cement and with a 0.5% coating of stearic acid, the compressive, tensile, and flexural strength of concrete increases by 12.68%, 21.71%, and 16.73% over the control mix, whereas the best self-cleaning property is observed at 30% partial replacement of cement with marble dust coated with 1.5% of stearic acid.
The Solitary Solutions for the Stochastic Jimbo–Miwa Equation Perturbed by White Noise
Authors: Al-Askar Farah M. , Cesarano Clemente , Mohammed Wael W.
Published: May 2023

We study the (3+1)-dimensional stochastic Jimbo–Miwa (SJM) equation induced by multiplicative white noise in the Itô sense. We employ the Riccati equation mapping and He’s semi-inverse techniques to provide trigonometric, hyperbolic, and rational function solutions of SJME. Due to the applications of the Jimbo–Miwa equation in ocean studies and other disciplines, the acquired solutions may explain numerous fascinating physical phenomena. Using a variety of 2D and 3D diagrams, we illustrate how white noise influences the analytical solutions of SJM equation. We deduce that the noise destroys the symmetry of the solutions of SJM equation and stabilizes them at zero.
Development of a Unity–VISSIM Co-Simulation Platform to Study Interactive Driving Behavior
Authors: Shi Xiaomeng , Yang Shuai , Ye Zhirui
Published: May 2023

This paper presents the system development of a co-simulation platform aimed at studying driving behavior with multiple participants. The objective of this study was to create an immersive and interactive environment where different driving scenarios could be simulated and driver behavior could be recorded and analyzed. The platform integrated the Unity game engine with the VISSIM microscopic traffic simulator to create a hybrid simulation environment that combined the advantages of both tools. A virtual reality massive multiplayer online (VRMMO) module was developed to capture the interactions of the participants during the simulation experiments. The external control devices of this co-simulation platform were calibrated using the empirical data of a Controller Area Network (CAN-BUS) from actual driving behaviors. The main contributions of this study are the demonstration of the Unity–VISSIM co-simulation platform in simulating interactive driver behavior and the potential for its use in various research areas, such as intelligent transportation systems, human factors, driving education, and traffic safety analyses. The platform could be a valuable tool for evaluating the effectiveness of collective intelligence countermeasures in improving traffic systems, with relatively lower costs and risks.
Genomic Insights into Virulence Factors and Multi-Drug Resistance in Clostridium perfringens IRMC2505A
Authors: AlJindan Reem , AlEraky Doaa M. , Farhat Maha , Almandil Noor B. , AbdulAzeez Sayed , Borgio Jesu Francis
Published: May 2023

Clostridium perfringens is a spore-forming, Gram-positive anaerobic pathogen that causes several disorders in humans and animals. A multidrug-resistant Clostridium strain was isolated from the fecal sample of a patient who was clinically suspected of gastrointestinal infection and had a recent history of antibiotic exposure and diarrhea. The strain was identified by 16s rRNA sequencing as Clostridium perfringens. The strain’s pathogenesis was analyzed through its complete genome, specifically antimicrobial resistance-related genes. The Clostridium perfringens IRMC2505A genome contains 19 (Alr, Ddl, dxr, EF-G, EF-Tu, folA, Dfr, folP, gyrA, gyrB, Iso-tRNA, kasA, MurA, rho, rpoB, rpoC, S10p, and S12p) antibiotic-susceptible genetic species according to the k-mer-based detection of antimicrobial resistance genes. Genome mapping using CARD and VFDB databases revealed significant (p-value = 1 × 10−26) genes with aligned reads against antibiotic-resistant genes or virulence factors, including phospholipase C, perfringolysin O, collagenase, hyaluronidase, alpha-clostripain, exo-alpha-sialidase, and sialidase activity. In conclusion, this is the first report on C. perfringens from Saudi Arabia that conducted whole genome sequencing of IRMC2505A and confirmed the strain as an MDR bacterium with several virulence factors. Developing control strategies requires a detailed understanding of the epidemiology of C. perfringens, its virulence factors, and regional antimicrobial resistance patterns.
Mycochemicals against Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Tacchini Massimo , Sacchetti Gianni , Guerrini Alessandra , Paganetto Guglielmo
Published: May 2023

Since ancient times, mushrooms have been considered valuable allies of human well-being both from a dietary and medicinal point of view. Their essential role in several traditional medicines is explained today by the discovery of the plethora of biomolecules that have shown proven efficacy for treating various diseases, including cancer. Numerous studies have already been conducted to explore the antitumoural properties of mushroom extracts against cancer. Still, very few have reported the anticancer properties of mushroom polysaccharides and mycochemicals against the specific population of cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this context, β-glucans are relevant in modulating immunological surveillance against this subpopulation of cancer cells within tumours. Small molecules, less studied despite their spread and assortment, could exhibit the same importance. In this review, we discuss several pieces of evidence of the association between β-glucans and small mycochemicals in modulating biological mechanisms which are proven to be involved with CSCs development. Experimental evidence and an in silico approach are evaluated with the hope of contributing to future strategies aimed at the direct study of the action of these mycochemicals on this subpopulation of cancer cells.
Regular Polygon Central Configuration of the Restricted 1 + N-Body Problem
Authors: Chen Jian , Bi Peng , Yang Mingfang
Published: May 2023

We consider the central configurations of the 1+N-body problem, where N bodies are infinitesimal and the remaining one body is dominant. For regular polygon central configurations, we prove that the masses of all the infinitesimal bodies are equal when N is odd and the masses of the alternate infinitesimal bodies must be equal when N is even. Moreover, in the case of N being even, we present the relationship of the mass parameters between two consecutive infinitesimal bodies.
New Generation of Systemic Inflammatory Markers for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Children
Authors: Okuyan Omer , Elgormus Yusuf , Dumur Seyma , Sayili Ugurcan , Uzun Hafize
Published: May 2023

Aim: This study evaluated the relationship between the systemic immune–inflammatory index (SII), neutrophil–to–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet–to–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) with clinical findings of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection among children with a diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Methods: The study was conducted between 1 January 2020 and 1 January 2022 in a pediatric clinic. This retrospective study included 286 consecutive patients between 0 and 12 years of age, 138 of whom were RSV (+) (48.25%) and 148 of whom were RSV (−) (51.75%). The detection of the RSV antigen was carried out using the chromatographic immunoassay method on nasopharyngeal swabbing samples. Results: CRP content was significantly higher in patients with RSV (+) than in children with RSV (−), while NLR, PLR, and SII, as inflammatory parameters, were significantly lower. Fever, coughs, and wheezing were the most common symptoms in the RSV (+) groups (100%). RSV infections were the highest in November, October, and December, in that order. The AUC was statistically significant for parameters in all groups. AUC values were 0.841 (95%: 0.765–0.917) for leukocytes, 0.703 (95%: 0.618–0.788) for lymphocytes, 0.869 (95%: 0.800–0.937) for CRP, 0.706 (95%: 0.636–0.776) for NLR, 0.779 (95%: 0.722–0.836) for PLR, and 0.705 (95%: 0.633–0.776) for SII. CRP was found to have both high sensitivity (80.4%) and high specificity (82.4%) among all parameters. While the ROC analysis results showed similar results for children under two years old, only CRP and NLR were statistically significant in this group. Conclusion: CRP performed better than other blood parameters as a marker. The NLR, PLR, and SII index were significantly lower in LRTI patients with RSV (+) than in those with RSV (−), which implies a higher grade of inflammation. If the cause of the disease can be determined by this method, disease management will be easier, and unnecessary antibiotics could be avoided.
Direct Nanopore Sequencing of Human Cytomegalovirus Genomes from High-Viral-Load Clinical Samples
Authors: Li Kathy K. , Lau Betty , Suárez Nicolás M. , Camiolo Salvatore , Gunson Rory , Davison Andrew J. , Orton Richard J.
Published: May 2023

Nanopore sequencing is becoming increasingly commonplace in clinical settings, particularly for diagnostic assessments and outbreak investigations, due to its portability, low cost, and ability to operate in near real-time. Although high sequencing error rates initially hampered the wider implementation of this technology, improvements have been made continually with each iteration of the sequencing hardware and base-calling software. Here, we assess the feasibility of using nanopore sequencing to determine the complete genomes of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in high-viral-load clinical samples without viral DNA enrichment, PCR amplification, or prior knowledge of the sequences. We utilised a hybrid bioinformatic approach that involved assembling the reads de novo, improving the consensus sequence by aligning reads to the best-matching genome from a collated set of published sequences, and polishing the improved consensus sequence. The final genomes from a urine sample and a lung sample, the former with an HCMV to human DNA load approximately 50 times greater than the latter, achieved 99.97 and 99.93% identity, respectively, to the benchmark genomes obtained independently by Illumina sequencing. Thus, we demonstrated that nanopore sequencing is capable of determining HCMV genomes directly from high-viral-load clinical samples with a high accuracy.
Incorporation of Testicular Ultrasonography and Hair Steroid Concentrations in Bull Breeding Soundness Evaluation
Authors: Cotticelli Alessio , Navas Luigi , Calabria Alfonso , Bifulco Giovanna , Campanile Giuseppe , Peric Tanja , Prandi Alberto , D’Occhio Michael J. , Russo Marco
Published: May 2023

Testicular ultrasonography and steroid concentrations (cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), cortisol/DHEA-S ratio, testosterone) in hair were examined for their utility in the bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE). Beef and dairy bulls (n = 16; 2.7 ± 0.4 years old; body condition score 3.2 ± 0.1) of five breeds were maintained under the same conditions at an accredited semen collection center. Bulls underwent routine semen collection twice weekly for 12 weeks and semen was processed and cryopreserved. Ultrasonography and hair sampling were undertaken at the last semen collection. Bulls with homogeneous testicular parenchyma (n = 8) had a higher (p < 0.05) percentage of motile sperm post-thawing compared with bulls with heterogeneous parenchyma (n = 8). There were no differences (p > 0.05) in the hair concentrations of cortisol, DHEA-S, and testosterone between bulls with homogeneous and heterogeneous parenchyma. In bulls with homogeneous parenchyma, hair DHEA-S concentration was positively correlated with percentage motile sperm (R2 = 0.76), progressively motile sperm (R2 = 0.70), and motility yield (R2 = 0.71). The findings indicate that the integration of testicular ultrasonography and hair DHEA-S status in the BBSE could provide a more comprehensive assessment of indicative fertility in bulls. Additionally, ultrasonography can be used in the BBSE when the evaluation of semen parameters is not available.
Water-Rock Action Analysis and Quality Evaluation of Shallow Groundwater in Rural Areas: A Case Study of Suzhou City, Northern Anhui, China
Authors: Gao Li , Zhao Jingyu , Zhao Hongtao , Xu Jiying , Xu Jiewei , Han Shuxin , Wang Ling , Wang Xiaoyue , Shu Yonglie
Published: May 2023

Groundwater is the main water source for humans and plays an important role in health and food production. To understand the hydrogeochemical characteristics and quality of shallow groundwater in rural areas of Suzhou, Anhui Province, China, 32 groups of shallow groundwater samples were collected. The results of the study showed that the nature of the groundwater is slightly alkaline. The order of abundance of cations is Ca2+ > K+ + Na+ > Mg2+, whereas that of anions is HCO3− > Cl− > SO42−. The main hydrochemical types are HCO3-Ca, HCO3-Mg, and HCO3-Na. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope abundances indicated that shallow groundwater recharge in the study area is due to precipitation and is affected by evaporation. The ion ratio analysis suggested that the ions in the shallow groundwater originate from the weathering of silicate minerals and the dissolution of carbonate and sulphate minerals, accompanied by different degrees of ion exchange. Water quality evaluation indicated that the water is good and can be used directly as agricultural irrigation water.
Roles of Granular Sludge Size Restricting and Organic Degradation in an Extended Filamentous AGS System Using Agnail Aeration Device
Authors: Liu Jun , Li Songbo , He Weiqiang , He Qiulai , Meng Xiangzhou , Wei Liangliang , Liang Heng , Li Jun
Published: May 2023

This work investigated the role of an agnail device (manually made from a comb) on sludge size restriction and organic degradation in extended filamentous aerobic granular sludge-sequencing batch reactors (AGS-SBRs) with artificial wastewater. Two identical SBRs (R1 and R2) were employed in this experiment. Extended filamentous AGS with a large size was achieved in both SBRs by seeding the dewatering the sludge on day 40. R1 (the control) did not use the agnail aeration device, and the extended filamentous AGS system was finally disintegrated. However, R2 promptly employed the agnail device on days 56–59, the extended filamentous AGS size obviously decreased from 4.8 mm to 2.5 mm, and the dominant filamentous species, including Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Choroflexi, gradually shrank at a low level, acting as a framework for AGS recovery. This was because enough nutrients diffused into the inside of small sludge for the filamentous living. Simultaneously, the sludge volume indexes (SVI5 and SVI30) sharply decreased from 155.8–103.9 to 51.7–46.6 mL/g, and the mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSSs) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) in R2 both increased and were kept at 5816 mg/L and 69.1 mg/g·MLVSS, respectively. These contributed to enhancing the sludge’s structural stability to avoid AGS failure. COD and NH4+-N in R2 were both degraded by simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) processes throughout the experiment, which was not significantly influenced before or after the agnail aeration device was employed. These results indicate that the agnail device can effectively restrict AGS size and limit the extended filamentous overgrowth with nutrient diffusion into the sludge’s interior, which can prevent AGS disintegration. In addition, this device had no significant influence on organic degradation.
Study of Water–Sand Inrush through a Vertical Karst Conduit Uncovered through Tunnel Excavation
Authors: Zhao Zhenhua , Wang Hailong , Han Lin , Zhao Zhenlong
Published: May 2023

The existence of karst compromises the safety of underground engineering, especially during tunnel excavations. Karst conduits are uncovered through tunnel excavations, which may lead to a water–sand inrush disaster. Taking a vertical karst conduit as an example, the process of water–sand inrush through a karst conduit could be viewed as being similar to the process whereby a water–sand mixture flows through the discharge opening of a storage bin. In this study, based on force analysis of a non-aqueous sand body above a karst conduit, the limiting diameter of the karst conduit under force equilibrium was obtained. Considering the effect of water on aqueous sand bodies, the criterion of water–sand inrush was established. We aimed to study water–sand migration and inrush through vertical karst conduits in order to obtain the distribution of the water pressure near a vertical karst conduit, and to explore the relationship between the conduit size, water pressure, and water–sand flow rate; therefore, a simulated testing system for analyzing water–sand inrush through a vertical karst conduit was developed. When the water pressure in the testing chamber was close to the critical head pressure of the water–sand inrush, the water–sand inrush exhibited a pattern of instability—migration—deposition—stability. When the water pressure in the testing chamber exceeded the critical head pressure, the water–sand flow increased first and then stabilized over time. With the increase in the set values of the water pressure and conduit size, the steady flow of the water–sand mixture increased gradually. When the karst conduit was opened suddenly, the actual water pressure in the testing chamber decreased significantly, due to the water–sand mixture flowing out of the testing chamber and the water supply lagging behind. With the stabilization of the water–sand flow, the actual water pressure gradually tended towards stability, but it was still lower than the initial set water pressure. When the karst conduit was opened, the values of the water pressure monitored by the pore pressure gauges all clearly decreased. With the stabilization of the water–sand flow, the water pressure gradually became stable. With the increase in the distance between the pore pressure sensor and the karst conduit, the water pressure values all increased gradually. These test results are significant for further studies of the formation mechanisms of water–sand inrush through vertical karst conduits.
Research on Risk Evolution Mechanism of Urban River Ecological Governance Project Based on Social Network Analysis
Authors: Xu Junke , Zhu Jiwei , Xie Jiancang
Published: May 2023

The evolution and transfer of risk elements of urban river ecological management projects are primarily responsible for the difficulty of risk management in these projects. In this paper, we identify 63 risk elements of urban river ecological management projects using in-depth literature reviews and brainstorming. The association among all the risk elements is constructed using an expert survey method, and the risk elements are utilized as network nodes. The relationships between these nodes are then used as network edges (i.e., paths) to construct a complex network model. By using the network visualization and analysis tool anaconda3, we analyze the overall and local characteristic parameters of the risk network. The risk transmission characteristics of the urban river ecological management project are analyzed according to the parameter characteristics to reveal the inner relationships of risk transmission inherent in the complex network. We use the Jinghe ecological management project in Jinghe New City to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model. The study demonstrates that the starting node risk needs to be controlled, and the conduction node that indirectly triggers risk propagation needs to be cut off to achieve risk prevention and control. Accordingly, the risk prevention strategy is proposed, namely, paying close attention to the starting nodes of schedule delay risk, construction cycle risk and cost overrun risk, as well as the conduction risk nodes of project complexity risk, quality assessment risk, construction accident risk and improper drawing design risk. Effective measures should be taken to control the transmission and occurrence of risks based on these two aspects. The study reveals the network evolution of risk factors, which enriches the theory of the risk factor network evolution and evaluation of urban river ecological management projects.
Analysis of the Seawater Intrusion Process Based on Multiple Monitoring Methods: Study in the Southern Coastal Plain of Laizhou Bay, China
Authors: Liu Hongwei , Gao Lin , Ma Chuanming , Yuan Yi
Published: May 2023

Affected by natural factors and human activities, seawater intrusion has become a geo-environmental problem, significantly impacting human production and life. Seawater intrusion weakens coastal areas’ geo-environmental carrying capacity, limiting industry and commerce development potential. On the other hand, it may provide convenient deep seawater resources for coastal aquaculture development. Therefore, how to quantitatively analyze seawater intrusion’s process, scope, and influencing factors has become a hotspot for hydrogeological researchers. This study uses chemical sampling analysis, environmental isotope, fixed-point, and geophysical methods to monitor long-term seawater intrusion in the southern coastal plain of Laizhou Bay. According to the monitoring data, the chemical type of fresh groundwater changes from Ca·Mg-HCO3 to Na-HCO3·Cl, Na·Ca-HCO3·Cl from south to north, and the changing trend of brackish groundwater is from Mg·Na·Ca-HCO3, Mg·Ca-HCO3 to Na-Cl·HCO3, Na·Mg-Cl. Saline groundwater is mainly of the Na-Cl and Na·Mg-Cl type. Brine is of the Cl-Na type. The relationship between 18O, 2H, and Cl− shows that groundwater was affected by evaporation, dissolution, and mixing in the runoff process. The relationship between water level and TDS in monitoring wells at different locations and depths confirms the existence of seasonal variations and layered intrusion phenomena in groundwater recharge sources. From July 2018 to December 2019, the south intrusion and north retreat rates were approximately 213.3 m/a and 105.9 m/a, respectively. From August 2016 to December 2019, the seawater intrusion front on the Dawangdong profile generally retreated northward at approximately 27 m/a. The results of this study can provide a scientific basis for the utilization of groundwater in local production and life. Comparative analysis and mutual verification of multiple monitoring methods can provide basic ideas for constructing a multi-source monitoring system for seawater intrusion.
Study on Preparation of Rabbit Manure Biochar and Activation of Peroxymonosulfate for Rhodamine B Degradation
Authors: Ouyang Feng , Liu Yujie , Chen Jiao , Tang Chenghan , Wang Aojie , Lu Yixin , Yuan Yiping
Published: May 2023

Using rabbit manure as raw material, three distinct types of rabbit manure biochar (RBC400, RBC500, and RBC600) were prepared via pyrolysis at 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C, respectively. The effects of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties of biochar were examined by scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Rabbit manure biochar was used to activate permonosulfate (PMS) to degrade rhodamine B (RhB). The findings revealed that RBC600 prepared at 600 °C showed the strongest catalytic activity due to its abundant pores and pore structure, high graphitization, and high carbonization degree. Under optimal reaction conditions (0.4 g/L PMS and 0.6 g/L RBC600), the degradation rate of 50 mg/L RhB reached 93.38% within 60 min. RBC600 can be effectively recovered, and effective catalytic activity can be sustained after five cycles. The quenching and EPR experiments showed that both free-radical (SO4− and ·OH) and non-free-radical (1O2) pathways contributed to the degradation of RhB, in which 1O2 performed a dominant role. In conclusion, the new PMS activator prepared in this study not only realizes the “waste to waste” use of manure waste but also provides technical support for the efficient resource-based treatment of organic wastewater.
Monitoring Sea Currents with Midrange Acoustic Backscattering
Authors: Ermoshkin Alexey V. , Kapustin Ivan A. , Kosteev Dmitry A. , Ponomarenko Alexander A. , Razumov Dmitrii D. , Salin Mikhail B.
Published: May 2023

This paper is devoted to an acoustical method of measuring mesoscale sea and ocean currents. Due to the fact that such currents exhibit variability, long-term studies are of great interest. The aim of this study is to prepare a physical foundation to organize current measurements in an automated way using stationary mounted underwater echosounding systems. An acoustic system operating at a frequency of 1–3 kHz (lower than commercial frequencies) that is capable of sensing echo signals from natural inhomogeneities located at distances of 1 to 10 km was tested. The test was conducted during a two-week marine experiment on the northern shelf of the Black Sea. The acoustic system was mounted on a platform together with a weather station and other tools that provided reference values for further comparison. Scattering from moving particles, as well as from wind waves, provides a general opportunity for sensing of currents at remote points. Since most scatterers exist at a depth of at least 2 m or on the surface, the proposed sensing method is going specialized for currents in upper layers. However, analysis of Doppler spectra of the actual returning (reverberation) signal showed that this kind of scattering was mixed with bottom reverberation (which contains no additional frequency shift), and other signal distortions were present. Thus, we proposed a new method of signal processing that is aware of the regional environment. The described method is based on machine learning, namely on gradient boosting to build decision trees, which compute water current properties. Such a computational routine is preceded by an original acoustic signal feature extraction process. Finally, a precision of an order of magnitude was achieved, and a sensing distance of at least 2 km was proven as a result of this study carried out with available instruments.
Study on the Release Law of Phenol during Water-Oil Shale Interaction Process
Authors: Sun Zhaoxia , Li Qingyu , Zhao Quansheng , Hu Shuya
Published: May 2023

Oil shale, as a reserve resource of conventional energy, has gradually attracted attention. However, water-rock interactions occur during in-situ shale oil extraction, and pollutants generated during this process can contaminate surrounding geological formations and groundwater environments. This article focuses on phenol produced by water-rock interactions and investigates the release behavior of phenol under different reaction temperatures and times, as well as how total organic carbon (TOC), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and pore size changes affect phenol. The study found that the release concentration of phenol increased with the increase in reaction temperature, reaction time, and the average pore size of the mineral. In addition, with the increase of TOC and TPH concentrations, the concentration of phenol also increased continuously.
Energy Management of P2 Hybrid Electric Vehicle Based on Event-Triggered Nonlinear Model Predictive Control and Deep Q Network
Authors: Haspolat Cuneyt , Yalcin Yaprak
Published: May 2023

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are used as a bridge during the transition to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and to make energy consumption more efficient. The main problem in improving the efficiency of HEV energy consumption is torque management. In this study, a novel approach based on a nonlinear model predictive controller to solve the reference tracking and torque distribution problem is proposed. That is to say, in order to increase the efficiency of torque distribution, the weights of nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) are trained with a Deep Q Network (DQN), and an event-triggered mechanism is designed with DQN to reduce the computational cost of MPC. The considered torque distribution problem varies according to the type and structure of the HEV. In this study, a parallel type 2 hybrid electric vehicle (P2 HEV) is considered and modeled via publicly shared passenger vehicle data of the engine, motor, high-voltage battery, transmission, clutch, differential, and wheel characteristics. NMPC is formulated so that the torque values remain within the physical limits of the engine, and the battery also operates at its physical limits. Namely, it is guaranteed that the battery works according to a certain state of charge (SOC) window and current limits. The state of health (SOH) of the battery is also considered in the optimization. The motor and engine efficiencies increase by 3.61% and 2.86%, respectively, with the proposed control structure, while the computational cost is reduced by 52.01% when utilizing the proposed event-triggering mechanism in the NMPC controller.
Bibliometric analysis of virtual reality in tourism and hospitality
Authors: Ha Nga
Published: May 2023

It is experienced that the tourism and hospitality industry has been changing dramatically year by year, not only the crisis of the pandemic outbreak related to the restriction of travelling but also due to novel of technology evolution, including applications of virtual reality. In fact, applying virtual world into business operation to increase customer intention have been paid more attention from practitioners, scholars, and stakeholders. Yet, it is necessary to comprehend this field's trend and its impact on business strategies and the future perspective of applying virtual reality experiences in tourism and the hospitality industry. This study mainly aims to examine the current state of research and trends of virtual reality related-tourism and hospitality studies from the beginning to the outbreak of the pandemic and post-pandemic and discuss them over the period time towards the future perspective of this research. By proposing a bibliometric approach to analyse 1441 studies from Scopus data published over three last decades related to virtual reality experience in tourism and hospitality sector to generalize information associated with research opportunity for future in this area. This study uses a combination of RStudio 2022 and VOSViewer 1.6.18 software to analyse databases that were retrieved from reliable resources and the most signification impact so as to provide a whole picture of virtual reality connecting with the relevant context. With regard to offering information in terms of the volume document of studies, citations, authors, countries, authorship networks, keyword networks and keyword co-occurrences, the relevant research direction in this field as well as the top journals and conferences that have most published in this field by over years. By using bibliometric analysis, this study's result gives an understanding of value information and suggestions by visual overview for future virtual reality studies on the tourism and hospitality context.
Sustainability and social responsibility guide: good practices applied to Municipalities of Portugal
Authors: Roriz Ana , Oliveira Mónica
Published: May 2023

The aim of this study is to examine and present the good strategies and practices of sustainability and social responsibility of municipalities in Portugal. The development of Tourism has gained expressiveness over time, being considered a multidimensional sector, involving many products, services, and strongly contributing to local and national growth. This strong expansion has forced companies to develop a sustainable Tourism policy, articulating natural, cultural, and economic resources in the development of Tourism activities.

The purpose of this research is to present the procedures and processes that lead to sustainability and social responsibility at its best performance that contribute to the brand image of the destination. The main purpose is to create a guide with good practices and new actions that are linked to the conservation and enhancement of the territory. In addition, ensure the protection of animal life, the development of sustainable Tourism, and the creation of innovative institutions that respect the environment, people, and cultures.

In a first stage the good practices that are applied will be identified to integrate these systems into their day-to-day business. The research presented contributes to the growing Knowledge on this topic, and the findings propose a straightforward guide for the public institutions in the Tourism Sector. Further research is endorsed to reinforce the sustainability and social responsibility of municipalities in Portugal and other public sectors.
An Inclusive Community of Practice for Cultural Heritage Tourism
Authors: Escudeiro Paula , Campos Gouveia Márcia , Oliveira Emilly , Escudeiro Nuno
Published: May 2023

Tourist activity has grown to be of extreme importance for a country’s economy, notably in several countries like Portugal, where the tourism sector accounts for over 15% of the national GDP. As of this moment, ensuring that our country has conditions to welcome and assist every tourist interested in our cultural heritage tourism while offering equal opportunities in the access information and use of infrastructures, is a priority. The Inclusive Cultural Heritage Tourism project uses assistive technologies, as well as inclusive and educative tools, to enhance inclusive tourism and to raise awareness of the lack of inclusion and accessibility of the deaf community, through regular interaction between deaf and non-deaf communities promoted by a Community of Practice developed for this purpose. One of its major purposes is to inform and educate about sign language. Also, this forum allows both communities to share their difficulties, thoughts, and ideas on matters of inclusion and tourism. This is accomplished through social networks, where a structure of interaction is built to enable the discussion and engagement of all participants in numerous activities. By developing a Community of Practice where everyone can communicate without barriers, we are contributing to the overall goal of the project: to create an environment where deaf and non-deaf individuals have the same opportunities to understand and be understood. The focus is to make cultural heritage venues inclusive and accessible, aiming for the easy access of deaf individuals to information and infrastructures. This, along with our community of practice, developed to assist and welcome every deaf individual, has the potential to offer better conditions to the deaf community, in their right to equal opportunities. Thus, the aim is to ensure that Portugal is able to position itself as a pioneer in inclusive tourism, as well as an up-to-date technological, inclusive, and accessible country for any tourist, local or foreigner, wishing to visit national cultural heritage venues.