bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovation-Driven Policy and Low-Carbon Technology Innovation: Research Driven by the Impetus of National Innovative City Pilot Policy in China
Authors: Hu Zhengjun , Li Shanshan
Published: May 2023

Since 2008, China has established innovative pilot cities in batches, with green and low-carbon principles and objectives as the core of the NICP policy. Therefore, it is of great significance to accurately evaluate the driving effect of the NICP policy on low-carbon technology innovation, to expand the coverage of pilot cities in a prudent and orderly manner. The research focuses on the economic and environmental potential of the national innovative city pilot (NICP) policy. However, the relationship between the NICP policy and low-carbon technology innovation remains to be examined. This article employs a sample of 274 prefecture-level cities in China spanning the years 2003 to 2020 for research purposes, and uses a series of methods such as time-varying DID and intermediary effect models to examine the impelling impact and intricate workings of the NICP policy on low-carbon technology innovation. The study found that: (i) The NICP policy possesses the potential to impel innovation in low-carbon technology, and the impact of the policy exhibits a fluctuating yet upward trajectory over time. (ii) The NICP policy promotes low-carbon technology innovation through financial technology investment, population aggregation, and digital construction. (iii) The innovation effect of the NICP policy is significantly influenced by resource endowment and the disclosure of environmental information. The impact of the NICP policy on innovation in low-carbon technology is more pronounced in resource-based cities than non-resource-based cities, and it is particularly noteworthy in well-established resource-based cities with abundant resource endowments. The impetus generated by the NICP policy towards the innovation of low-carbon technology is notably more substantial for cities that exhibit elevated levels of environmental information disclosure. Local governments should implement active environmental information disclosure at the city level. This paper not only enriches the relevant research on low-carbon technology innovation but also provides empirical evidence for promoting the NICP policy nationwide. Additionally, it serves as a policy reference for creating innovative characteristic cities under the “dual carbon” goal.
Investment Efficiency Assessment Model for Pumped Storage Power Plants Considering Grid Operation Demand under Fuzzy Environment: A Case Study in China
Authors: Lu Yan , Liu Xuan , Zhang Yan , Yang Zhiqiao , Wu Yunna
Published: May 2023

As China develops new power systems such as wind power, photovoltaic, pumped storage, and other clean energy installations, its clean energy ratio is steadily increasing. However, the high percentage of clean energy brought by the new power system does not make everything right. Clean energy sources such as wind, photovoltaics, pumped storage, and other sources are inevitably unstable, and they create large amounts of waste if they are not directly used. Additionally, at the peak of electricity consumption, if the power is not generated in time, it will negatively impact society. Therefore, the significance of building pumped storage power plants will be greatly enhanced. The scope of the text is evaluates the investment efficiency of pumped storage power plants. We selected data from North China region, Northeast China region, East China region, Central China region, Northwest China region, and Southern China region to comprehensively evaluate the return on investment of pumped storage power plants in six different regions. In order to solve this problem, this paper will use various models and algorithms, such as cloud model and AHP method to establish a set of evaluation indicators around three basic points to evaluate the benefits of pumped storage, and then use the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to evaluate the level of each indicator. Finally, the benefits of establishing pumped storage power plants are comprehensively evaluated. Following the comprehensive evaluation, we have identified the efficiency scores of investing in pumped storage power plants in different regions of China, thus not only proving that pumped storage power plants have a broad market space in China, but also further proving where we should focus on building pumped storage power plants. Based on these criteria, a series of recommendations are made.
Can the New Energy Demonstration City Policy Promote Green and Low-Carbon Development? Evidence from China
Authors: Chen Bo , Jin Feng , Li Guangchen , Zhao Yurong
Published: May 2023

Developing new energy is critical to China’s green and low-carbon development. Therefore, in 2014, the Chinese government promulgated a vital innovation policy, namely, the New Energy Demonstration City Policy (NEDCP), which is expected to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in Chinese cities. Is the NEDCP facilitating green and low-carbon development in China, and if so, how? Based on unbalanced panel data from 2003 to 2017 at the city level in China, in this study we evaluate the impact of the NEDCP on green and low-carbon development using the staggered difference-in-differences (DID) method. We find that the NEDCP can significantly contribute to green and low-carbon development in China. After various robustness tests, our results are still valid. According to the heterogeneity analysis, non-resource and non-old industrial-base cities have a greater positive impact from this policy. The mechanism analysis denotes that the positive policy effect works by upgrading the industrial structure and stimulating urban innovation. The substantial empirical evidence presented in this paper supports the continued promotion and implementation of new-energy demonstration cities.
Does the Differentiation of China’s Land Policy Promote Regional Economic Development?
Authors: Zhang Shijin , Zhang Weiwei , Xu Jie , Zhang Yichi
Published: May 2023

The land factor in China still has many distortions which are the key constraints to economic development. The government intervention in land prices is the root cause of distortions in land factor. So, how to achieve the optimization land utilize through policy guidance is one of the most important issues. Using China’s city panel data from 2010 to 2020, this study assesses the economic impacts of the inter-provincial transfer of construction land indicators by synthetic difference-in-differences method and estimates the growth effect and equilibrium development effect of the policy, respectively. The results show that first, the differentiation of the land policy will give more land indicators to the backward regions, so that the local governments can obtain more land concession opportunities; thus, a more obvious “land finance” is formed and local economic growth is promoted; second, the differentiation of the land policy fails to promote the balanced development between regions, further expanding the development differences between regions. The findings of this study not only provide countermeasure suggestions for the area in China but can also be applied to many developing countries, especially those which are rapidly developing, to help the development of poor regions through targeted fiscal transfer policies.
Local Climate Adaptation and Governance: The Utility of Joint SECAP Plans for Networks of Small–Medium Italian Municipalities
Authors: D’Onofrio Rosalba , Camaioni Chiara , Mugnoz Stefano
Published: May 2023

The “Joint Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans” (Joint SECAPs) introduced by the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) are voluntary tools that favour a joint approach to energy planning and climate change mitigation/adaptation among municipalities in the same territorial area. The goal is to obtain joint results that are more effective and advantageous than those that can be achieved by the individual municipalities with respect to local climate change adaptation and mitigation policies. This article assesses their effectiveness in Italy. Six different experiences conducted mostly in small and medium municipal networks are compared, verifying the advantages and critical points in the different phases of building and implementing adaptation measures. A list of recommendations/objectives emerges from these experiences to guide the joint construction of adaptation measures, which may be implemented through multi-level participatory governance that encourages experimentation and innovation on the local level and develops synergy with large-scale policies and plans.
Improved Low-Cost Home Energy Management Considering User Preferences with Photovoltaic and Energy-Storage Systems
Authors: Tutkun Nedim , Scarcello Luigi , Mastroianni Carlo
Published: May 2023

With smart appliances, it has been possible to achieve low-cost electricity bills in smart-grid-tied homes including photovoltaic panels and an energy-storage system. Apparently, many factors are important in achieving this and the minimization problem formulated requires a solution depending on a certain number of constraints. It should also be emphasized that electricity tariffs and the appliance operation type and range play a major role in this cost reduction, in particular, with dynamic electricity pricing usually available in a smart-grid environment. A limited number of metaheuristic methods are used to solve such a minimization problem, in which the start time of a controllable smart home appliance is the variable. However, the datasets used in many studies are different from each other and it is mostly unclear which of the proposed methods is better in this regard. In this study, we aim to minimize the daily energy consumption cost in a typical smart home with an energy-storage system integrated into a photovoltaic system under dynamic electricity pricing. While minimizing the daily energy consumption cost only, the user’s discomfort and the peak-to-average ratio inevitably tend to increase, as expected. Therefore, a balance can be established among the objectives using multi-objective optimization. Solving this problem helps comparatively reduce the daily energy consumption cost, the peak-to-average ratio and the user’s discomfort. The results are meaningful and encouraging for the optimization problem under consideration.
A Generalized Regression Neural Network Model for Accuracy Improvement of Global Precipitation Products: A Climate Zone-Based Local Optimization
Authors: Mohammadpouri Saeid , Sadeghnejad Mostafa , Rezaei Hamid , Ghanbari Ronak , Tayebi Safiyeh , Mohammadzadeh Neda , Mijani Naeim , Raeisi Ahmad , Fathololoumi Solmaz , Biswas Asim
Published: May 2023

The ability to obtain accurate precipitation data from various geographic locations is crucial for many applications. Various global products have been released in recent decades for estimating precipitation spatially and temporally. Nevertheless, it is extremely important to provide reliable and accurate products for estimating precipitation in a variety of environments. This is due to the complexity of topographic, climatic, and other factors. This study proposes a multi-product information combination for improving precipitation data accuracy based on a generalized regression neural network model using global and local optimization strategies. Firstly, the accuracy of ten global precipitation products from four different categories (satellite-based, gauge-corrected satellites, gauge-based, and reanalysis) was assessed using monthly precipitation data collected from 1896 gauge stations in Iran during 2003–2021. Secondly, to enhance the accuracy of the modeled precipitation products, the importance score of effective and auxiliary variables—such as elevation, the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), the Land Surface Temperature (LST), the Soil Water Index (SWI), and interpolated precipitation maps—was assessed. Finally, a generalized regression neural network (GRNN) model with global and local optimization strategies was used to combine precipitation information from several products and auxiliary characteristics to produce precipitation data with high accuracy. Global precipitation products scored higher than interpolated precipitation products and surface characteristics. Furthermore, the importance score of the interpolated precipitation products was considerably higher than that of the surface characteristics. SWI, elevation, EVI, and LST scored 53%, 20%, 15%, and 12%, respectively, in terms of importance. The lowest RMSE values were associated with IMERGFinal, TRMM3B43, PERSIANN-CDR, ERA5, and GSMaP-Gauge. For precipitation estimation, these products had Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE) values of 0.89, 0.86, 0.77, 0.78, and 0.60, respectively. The proposed GRNN-based precipitation product with a global (local) strategy showed RMSE and KGE values of 9.6 (8.5 mm/mo) and 0.92 (0.94), respectively, indicating higher accuracy. Generally, the accuracy of global precipitation products varies depending on climatic conditions. It was found that the proposed GRNN-derived precipitation product is more efficient under different climatic conditions than global precipitation products. Moreover, the local optimization strategy based on climatic classes outperformed the global optimization strategy.
Cashew Nut Shell Liquid as an Anticorrosive Agent in Ceramic Materials
Authors: de Sousa Leite Kelson , de Carvalho Antônio Alves , Teixeira Paulo Ronaldo Sousa , de Matos José Milton Elias
Published: May 2023

One of the significant challenges of the ceramics industry is to increase the corrosion resistance of ceramic materials, and the study of this corrosion requires a detailed investigation using several characterization methods, such as the knowledge of technological properties including the absorption, apparent porosity, and mechanical resistance of these ceramic materials. This corrosion resistance can be further improved by using a protective coating on the surface of ceramic materials, such as cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), which has been used as a green, environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor. This work investigated the inhibitory action of CNSL on the corrosion of ceramic materials. Clay from the Brazilian Northeast was used in a simulated seawater environment at room temperature for the immersion corrosion test. Sets of prismatic specimens bathed in CNSL were immersed in a corrosive solution and compared with other samples without CNSL immersed in a corrosive environment. At the end of 70 days in corrosive solution, the ceramic specimens without CNSL showed signs of wear on the surface, associated with an average mass loss of 20 mg and an average corrosive rate of 0.017 mm/year. On the other hand, the bodies bathed in CNSL showed no mass loss, reinforcing the potential of CNSL as a protective agent against corrosion.
Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage Show: Exploring the Sustainable Development of Taiwan’s Religious Tourism from the Perspectives of Attraction, Happiness, and Revisit Intention
Authors: Liu Chih-Yu , Li Cheng-Ping , Chen Chao-Chief , Hsu Chin-Hsien , Lin Cheng-Hsien
Published: May 2023

The Dajia Mazu pilgrimage is one of the most well-known events in the world. It not only satisfies tourists’ spiritual desires for religious beliefs but also drives the development of destination tourism. In recent years, the tourism industry has been severely impacted by COVID-19. However, tourists participating in the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage continue to do so without fear of the pandemic. Therefore, understanding the relationship between tourists’ attraction to religious tourism, perception of happiness, and willingness to revisit can contribute to the sustainable development of religious tourism, especially in the context of COVID-19. Accordingly, this study explored the sustainable development of Taiwan’s religious tourism from the perspectives of tourism attraction, experiential value, happiness, and revisit intention. The study conducted quantitative research to address the research issue. Three hundred and fifty valid questionnaires were collected through on-site questionnaire distribution, and the data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the structural equation partial least squares method. According to the results, the tourism attraction of the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage and the experiential value of tourists significantly impact happiness and revisit intention. Happiness is part of the intermediary variables of tourism attraction, experiential value, and revisit intention. Notably, the attraction of the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage and the experiential value pursued by tourists have not diminished despite the pandemic. Instead, the attraction has become an opportunity for tourists to seek spiritual comfort and support sustainable religious tourism development. Accordingly, spiritual comfort and maintaining their health and safety can be considered strategies to promote the sustainability of religious tourism in Taiwan.
Analysis of Strategy Selection in Third-Party Governance of Rural Environmental Pollution
Authors: Wu Qianwen , Wang Qiangqiang , Dai Yongwu
Published: May 2023

In the context of increasingly prominent rural environmental problems, the third-party pollution governance model has become an important initiative for the comprehensive governance of rural environmental problems in China. However, the current third-party governance initiatives continue to suffer from governance failures caused by unclear responsibility sharing and opportunistic behavior. To analyze the reasons behind the behavioral choices of the various stakeholders involved in rural environmental third-party governance and to provide policy insights for formulating more reasonable rural environmental third-party governance solutions, a game model was constructed between local governments and third-party governance institutions. Specifically, the model examined the different evolutionary game strategies that appear between local governments and third-party governance institutions in different institutional design contexts when responsibility disputes arise in third-party governance. These disputes involve the re-governing of pollution control responsibility, which can be borne either by the local governments or the party causing the damage. The results shown are as follows: It is crucial to define the boundaries of re-governance responsibility in the third-party governance of rural environmental pollution. When local governments bear the primary responsibility for governance, regardless of whether they provide regulatory oversight, third-party governance institutions tend to adopt a passive approach. In such cases, the third-party governance market fails to effectively fulfill its role in governance. By reconstructing the third-party governance market model and dividing the main responsibility for pollution governance among the damaging parties, it is possible to achieve active governance by third-party governance institutions without the need for regulation by local governments.
Performance Evaluation of Hybrid Battery–Supercapacitor-Based Energy Storage Systems for Urban-Driven Electric Vehicles
Authors: ElGhanam Eiman , Sharf Hazem , Hassan Mohamed S. , Osman Ahmed
Published: May 2023

Boosting the performance of energy management systems (EMSs) of electric vehicles (EVs) helps encourage their mass adoption by addressing range anxiety concerns. Acknowledging the higher power densities of supercapacitors (SCs) compared to those of the Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used in EVs, this work proposes an optimal sizing and energy management strategy of a hierarchical hybrid energy storage system (H-HESS). In this system, the SCs are voltage-controlled to solely provide the current requirements of an EV motor during urban driving cycles with frequent accelerations and decelerations, while the EV battery recharges the depleted SCs. The proposed H-HESS is modeled and simulated on MATLAB/Simulink, and its performance is compared to that of a traditional battery-only energy storage system (BESS). Simulation results reveal that this H-HESS system offers a 55.7% peak current reduction and ≈+2% improvement in battery loss of capacity in comparison with BESS. A pulsed battery discharge current profile is imposed by the proposed H-HESS, while C-rate control is implemented. This improves the battery aging by reducing the formation of the solid electrolytic film (SEI) that otherwise decreases its capacity.
Energy Schedule Setting Based on Clustering Algorithm and Pattern Recognition for Non-Residential Buildings Electricity Energy Consumption
Authors: Cui Yu , Zhu Zishang , Zhao Xudong , Li Zhaomeng
Published: May 2023

Building energy modelling (BEM) is crucial for achieving energy conservation in buildings, but occupant energy-related behaviour is often oversimplified in traditional engineering simulation methods and thus causes a significant deviation between energy prediction and actual consumption. Moreover, the conventional fixed schedule-setting method is not applicable to the recently developed data-driven BEM which requires a more flexible and data-related multi-timescales schedule-setting method to boost its performance. In this paper, a data-based schedule setting method is developed by applying K-medoid clustering with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) dimensional reduction and Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) distance measurement to a comprehensive building energy historical dataset, partitioning the data into three different time scales to explore energy usage profile patterns. The Year–Month data were partitioned into two clusters; the Week–Day data were partitioned into three clusters; the Day–Hour data were partitioned into two clusters, and the schedule-setting matrix was developed based on the clustering result. We have compared the performance of the proposed data-driven schedule-setting matrix with default settings and calendar data using a single-layer neural network (NN) model. The findings show that for the data-driven predictive BEM, the clustering results-based data-driven schedule setting performs significantly better than the conventional fixed schedule setting (with a 25.7% improvement) and is more advantageous than the calendar data (with a 9.2% improvement). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that a data-related multi-timescales schedule matrix setting method based on cluster results of building energy profiles can be more suitable for data-driven BEM establishment and can improve the data-driven BEMs performance.
Non-Forest Woody Vegetation: A Critical Resource for Pollinators in Agricultural Landscapes—A Review
Authors: Bożek Małgorzata , Denisow Bożena , Strzałkowska-Abramek Monika , Chrzanowska Ewelina , Winiarczyk Krystyna
Published: May 2023

In light of pollinator decline, plant species suitable for the restoration and conservation of pollinators need to be selected. In this systemic review, we concentrated on the importance of NFWV (non-forest woody vegetation, i.e., linear or grouped trees/shrubs) for pollinators across agricultural landscapes. In the temperate climate zone, flowering trees and shrubs provide nectar sugar (energy) and pollen (nutrients) for managed and wild pollinators. They also create nesting niches and serve as host plants that support the full life cycle of wild pollinators. The creation of woodland strips/groups is a cost-effective and time-saving strategy to improve self-repeatable nectar and pollen resources on a landscape scale. The spatial distribution of NFWV can help to create an entire network of pollinator-friendly habitats. NFWV can support the continuity of food resources outside of the crop flowering season, i.e., during seasonal bottlenecks. This concept also offers other environmental benefits (e.g., water and air quality improvement, climate mitigation). However, future work should address the usefulness of trees/shrubs for different crops and regions to develop a network of flower-rich corridors. Likewise, more advanced and detailed studies are necessary to determine the qualitative characteristics of nectar and pollen, which may result in optimization of pollinator nutrition.
Sustainable Digitalization in Pharmaceutical Supply Chains Using Theory of Constraints: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Shashi Manish
Published: May 2023

Sustainable digitalized supply chain management in a pharmaceutical company can help reduce operation costs, improve assets, enhance shareholders’ value, positively respond to customer demand, and generate profits. Guided by the theory of constraints, this qualitative multiple-case study aimed to explore strategies pharmaceutical managers use to digitalize integrated supply chain systems to increase sustainability and profitability. The participants were senior supply chain managers from various pharmaceutical companies in the US with strategies to digitalize their integrated supply chain systems. Data collection included semistructured interviews and publicly available company documents analysis. Data were analyzed using the six-step thematic process, and three themes emerged: (a) constraints in the current supply chain system, (b) digital technology enablers, and (c) sustainable, resilient, and agile supply chain systems. A system model was developed as an outcome of the research. The primary recommendation for pharmaceutical supply chain managers is to identify constraints in the current supply chain system, follow a digital road map using digital enablers and maintain a sustainable, resilient, and agile supply chain system. Implications for positive social change include the potential to improve the delivery and quality of pharmaceutical products needed for patients by not compromising environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Examining the Disruptive Potential of Generation Z Tourists on the Travel Industry in the Digital Age
Authors: Pricope Vancia Alina Petronela , Băltescu Codruța Adina , Brătucu Gabriel , Tecău Alina Simona , Chițu Ioana Bianca , Duguleană Liliana
Published: May 2023

The tourism industry has faced several challenges over the years, due to the evolution of technology and behavioral changes of the generations. The research focused on the new generation of tourists, Generation Z. Known as digital natives, the study aimed to identify their current travel behavior in the digital age and their perception of the future of travel in the context of recent technological developments, namely artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, thus highlighting specific elements that could disrupt the travel industry. To achieve this goal, qualitative research was conducted, using two sessions of focus groups among 20 Generation Z tourists. The results show that Generation Z tourists exhibit disruptive behavior primarily due to their heavy reliance on social media platforms, even for travel purposes. Social media has become their primary search engine, and travel influencers hold significant sway over certain individuals in this generation. In addition, they serve as influencers, by sharing visual content from their travels. Another noteworthy trend in the travel industry is Generation Z’s inclination towards multi-channel booking, effortlessly switching between different booking options. Lastly, although the results show little awareness of the potential of advanced technologies, their openness to adopt them to simplify the travel planning process further contributes to the disruption of traditional travel patterns. Generation Z can be considered a bridge between previous and future generations. The study has implications for management and marketing activities in the tourism field.
Strength Characteristics and Micro-Mechanism of Silty Soil Modified by Red Mud Co-Cement
Authors: Li Xinming , Yan Pan , Yin Song , Zhang Xianwei , Liu Pengfei , Wang Yulong
Published: May 2023

Red mud (RM) is a kind of solid waste produced during the bauxite refining process, which can cause significant environmental pollution when stored in large quantities. To address this issue and to improve the reuse rate of RM, this study investigates the feasibility of using RM as a roadbed filling material, specifically in combination with cement, using modified silty sand (P.O-RMS). Therefore, mechanical and microscopic tests are conducted with different RM contents (WRM), cement contents (WP.O), and curing ages to analyze the P.O-RMS′ strength, deformation characteristics, and microstructure formation mechanism. Additionally, the radioactivity and heavy metal concentrations of P.O-RMS are also detected. Mechanical test results showed that the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of P.O-RMS does not increase monotonically with the increase of WRM, and the peak strength appears at WRM = 20%. Although adding RM has a negative impact on the toughness of P.O-RMS at the initial curing ages of 7 days and 28 days, they still meet the requirements of the Chinese standard for high-grade highway base strength. Scanning electron microscope testing shows that the gel products produced by cement hydration increase with the amount of RM, and reach their maximum at WRM = 20%. Therefore, WRM = 20% is recommended as the optimum admixture of P.O-RMS. The usage of RM as a filling material for roadbed construction in this study not only aligns with the principles of sustainable development, but also provides a crucial theoretical foundation for the effective utilization of RM resources.
Sustainable Road Planning for Trucks in Urbanized Areas of Chinese Cities Using Deep Learning Approaches
Authors: Wang Haopeng , Zhao Zhenzhi , Ma Yingying , Wu Hao , Bao Fei
Published: May 2023

Nowadays, urban areas are experiencing heavy traffic, and governments are implementing various policies to manage it. For example, in China, trucks are prohibited from entering urban areas during the daytime to reduce traffic congestion. However, we have found that this policy is not cost-efficient for logistics, which includes gas fees, air pollution fees, and wear and tear expenses, as it cannot adjust to real-time traffic conditions. To minimize logistics costs in real-time, we propose DeepPlan, a deep-learning-based model that optimizes urban planning. Our model calculates the optimal route for each truck based on real-time traffic data in urban areas. We learned the optimal route from the trace data of taxi drivers who are experienced in minimizing logistics costs. Our experimental results show that DeepPlan outperforms existing urban plans by 25% and works well in various circumstances, including different weather and unexpected events.
Experimental Study on Expansive Soil Improved by Lignin and Its Derivatives
Authors: Cai Yi , Ou Mingxi
Published: May 2023

Expansive soil covers the vast area of Mengzi, Yunnan, China, and creates numerous hazards for construction projects. When treating expansive soil, a modifier is usually added to inhibit its expansion and increase its strength. Lignin and its derivatives can better meet the requirements of expansive soil treatment and have become the preferred choice to replace traditional inorganic modifiers. Lignin is a green and environmentally friendly physical improvement material. In this study, lignin was used to improve soil, alone and combined with its derivatives, and the physical and mechanical properties of the improved soil were studied. Combined with an unconfined compressive strength test, a low-stress direct shear test, and a scanning electron microscopy test, the mechanism of lignin and its derivatives for the improvement of expansive soil is discussed. When calcium lignosulfonate alone was added, the improved soil’s expansion rate decreased, the soil’s water-holding capacity decreased, and its strength increased. Furthermore, the inclusion of 3% calcium lignosulfonate was the best. When the expansive soil was improved with the optimal calcium lignosulfonate content (3% CL) and composite lignin fibers, the strength of the soil body was further improved, the toughness was enhanced, and it shows plastic swelling failure and good water stability. 3% calcium lignosulfonate and 1.5% lignin fiber was the best for composite improvement as; it offered the optimal degree of particle aggregation and the development of pores and cracks was better inhibited, even though the fiber distribution was messy. This study shows that lignin and its derivatives can be used instead of inorganic modifiers to treat expansive soils to reduce the number of inorganic modifiers, and provided a sustainable treatment plan for reducing industrial waste.
Investigation of Influential Factors of Intention to Adopt Electric Vehicles for Motorcyclists in Vietnam
Authors: Ha Thanh Tung , Nguyen Thanh Chuong , Tu Sy Sua , Nguyen Minh Hieu
Published: May 2023

(1) Background and aims: The exploration of the intention to adopt electric vehicles has been intensively studied in developed countries where passenger cars are the most common private motorized vehicle. However, the same is not true for motorcycle-dependent countries such as Vietnam. This study aimed to advance our understanding of the determinants of motorcyclists’ intention to use electric vehicles (i.e., electric passenger cars) in settings where the motorcycle is the dominant mode. (2) Data and methods: The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and the data from 330 motorcycle owners in Hanoi, Vietnam, were utilized to empirically test a research framework formulated based on the push–pull–mooring migration model. (3) Results: The results indicated that the push factor was formulated by safety concerns and environmental concerns while the pull factor was established by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and financial incentive policy. Both the push factor and the pull factor significantly contributed to the adoption intention but the effect of the latter was stronger. Knowledge did not affect the intention; however, it moderated the link between the pull factor and the intention. For the respondents with a higher level of knowledge, the positive impact of the pull factor on the intention was lower (compared to those with a lower level of knowledge). (4) Conclusions: Based on the findings of the associated factors, policy implications were suggested to increase the prevalence of electric vehicles. Although the theoretical and practical contributions of this study may be significant to the literature regarding developing countries, more research is needed to validate and extend them.
A Systems Thinking Approach to Improve Sustainability in Software Engineering—A Grounded Capability Maturity Framework
Authors: Sriraman Gopalakrishnan , Raghunathan Shriram
Published: May 2023

Sustainability has become a critical issue for the software industry as the environmental impact of software development and use increases. To address this issue, organizations need a framework for developing and accessing sustainable software practices. In this study, we reviewed the existing literature, models, and practices in this domain as well as carried out surveys and interviews to understand the reality, practices, and challenges on the ground. We identified a set of research questions to discover why sustainability is important, what actions can be taken to improve it, and how and when they can be implemented. This study highlighted the limitations of existing models and the need to address the research gaps. Existing research is limited by a narrow focus on specific domains such as the environment and energy or a specific phase of software development. We aim to address these through the proposed comprehensive software sustainability capability framework (SSCF), which provides a “ready reckoner”, allowing any organization to assess their current software sustainability and the capabilities and metrics they could focus on to improve sustainable software maturity. This paper also provides detailed assessment criteria, metrics, and a roadmap that can be used by any software organization to enhance their sustainability.
Overproduction of Efflux Pumps as a Mechanism of Metal and Antibiotic Cross-Resistance in the Natural Environment
Authors: Sincak Miroslava , Šoltisová Katarína , Luptakova Alena , Sedlakova-Kadukova Jana
Published: May 2023

Antibiotic and metal resistance can occur together in the environment and can be linked by the same detoxication mechanism (cross-resistance). The understanding of this linkage may be a key to further study of the spread of antibiotic resistance in the non-hospital environment worldwide. In our study, we examined the overproduction of efflux pumps as a possible mechanism of the cross-resistance of isolates originating from industrial and mine tailings. Resistance to metals (Cu, Ni, Zn and Pb) and antibiotics (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline and kanamycin) was observed at all the sampling sites and ranged from 16 to 75%. Multiresistance (MAR index > 0.38) was recorded in 26% of the isolates and was associated with the metal selective pressure duration. Overproduction of efflux pumps has mainly been observed in multiresistant isolates. Our results may indicate that the overproduction of efflux pumps could be the mechanism of cross-resistance between metals and therefore related to metal and antibiotic multiresistance. The results also show that the importance of sustainably storing metal-containing waste lies not only in its environmental impact but also in human health via antibiotic resistance proliferation.
Percutaneous Lengthening with an Intramuscular Needle of the Gastrocsoleus Complex Improves Critical Ankle Kinematic Values in Resistant Pediatric Equinus: A Pilot Study
Authors: Martínez-Caballero Ignacio , Galán-Olleros María , Egea-Gámez Rosa M. , Serrano J. Ignacio , Ramírez-Barragán Ana , Pérez-Somarriba Moreno Álvaro , Martín-Gómez Carlos , Lerma-Lara Sergio
Published: May 2023

Retrospective analytical study that aims to evaluate the kinematic and kinetic results obtained after percutaneous lengthening with an intramuscular needle (PLIN) of gastrocsoleus complex (GSC) zones I, II, and III, performed outside the operating room between 2018 and 2019, in pediatric patients with equinus gait resistant to non-operative treatment. Gait analysis was performed prior to treatment and 6 months post treatment in 48 ankles (30 patients), with a median patient age of 10.11 (2.85) years. Twelve patients had a diagnosis of idiopathic equinus, twelve spastic hemiplegia, and six spastic diplegia. Statistical analysis included pre–post comparison, correlation, and linear regression of critical kinematic and kinetic ankle values. Significant improvement was observed for the following parameters: ankle angle at initial contact, −4.57(10.31)/0.05(3.04)°; maximum ankle dorsiflexion in the stance phase (mADFStP), 3.70(7.56)/10.42(4.52)°; and maximum ankle dorsiflexion in the swing phase (mADFSwP), −6.54(8.41)/−0.35(6.17)°. In addition, an inversely proportional correlation with pre-intervention values was obtained for those parameters, with rho values of −0.864, −0.755, and −0.696, respectively (p < 0.0005). No significant changes in ankle kinetics were evidenced. Linear regression equations allowed for estimation of the post mADFStP, with a standard error (SE) = 1.82; R2 = 0.797 (p < 0.0005), and the post mADFSwP, with an SE = 2.376; R2 = 0.829 (p < 0.0005). To conclude, the addition of the GSC in patients with resistant equinus significantly improves ankle initial contact, mADFStP, and mADFSwP, with greater changes occurring with worse initial values. The regression formulas used to estimate post-procedure results will allow therapeutic indications to be adjusted.
On the Asymptotic Behavior of Class of Third-Order Neutral Differential Equations with Symmetrical and Advanced Argument
Authors: Aldiaiji Munirah , Qaraad Belgees , Iambor Loredana Florentina , Elabbasy Elmetwally M.
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we aimed to study some asymptotic properties of a class of third-order neutral differential equations with advanced argument in canonical form. We provide new and simplified oscillation criteria that improve and complement a number of existing results. We also show some examples to illustrate the importance of our results.
An Improved Symmetric Numerical Approach for Systems of Second-Order Two-Point BVPs
Authors: Latif Busyra , Misro Md Yushalify , Abdul Karim Samsul Ariffin , Hashim Ishak
Published: May 2023

This study deals with the numerical solution of a class of linear systems of second-order boundary value problems (BVPs) using a new symmetric cubic B-spline method (NCBM). This is a typical cubic B-spline collocation method powered by new approximations for second-order derivatives. The flexibility and high order precision of B-spline functions allow them to approximate the answers. These functions have a symmetrical property. The new second-order approximation plays an important role in producing more accurate results up to a fifth-order accuracy. To verify the proposed method’s accuracy, it is tested on three linear systems of ordinary differential equations with multiple step sizes. The numerical findings by the present method are quite similar to the exact solutions available in the literature. We discovered that when the step size decreased, the computational errors decreased, resulting in better precision. In addition, details of maximum errors are investigated. Moreover, simple implementation and straightforward computations are the main advantages of the offered method. This method yields improved results, even if it does not require using free parameters. Thus, it can be concluded that the offered scheme is reliable and efficient.
Dark Matter Detection in the Stratosphere
Authors: Cantatore Giovanni , Çetin Serkant , Fischer Horst , Funk Wolfgang , Karuza Marin , Kryemadhi Abaz , Maroudas Marios , Özbozduman Kaan , Semertzidis Yannis , Zioutas Konstantin
Published: May 2023

We investigate the prospects for the direct detection of dark matter (DM) particles, incident on the upper atmosphere. A recent work relating the burst-like temperature excursions in the stratosphere at heights of ≈38–47 km with low speed incident invisible streaming matter is the motivation behind this proposal. As an example, dark photons could match the reasoning presented in that work provided they constitute part of the local DM density. Dark photons emerge as a U(1) symmetry within extensions of the standard model. Dark photons mix with real photons with the same total energy without the need for an external field, as would be required, for instance, for axions. Furthermore, the ionospheric plasma column above the stratosphere can resonantly enhance the dark photon-to-photon conversion. Noticeably, the stratosphere is easily accessible with balloon flights. Balloon missions with up to a few tons of payload can be readily assembled to operate for months at such atmospheric heights. This proposal is not limited to streaming dark photons, as other DM constituents could be involved in the observed seasonal heating of the upper stratosphere. Therefore, we advocate a combination of different types of measurements within a multi-purpose parallel detector system, in order to increase the direct detection potential for invisible streaming constituents that affect, annually and around January, the upper stratosphere.
Advances in Focused Ultrasound for the Treatment of Brain Tumors
Authors: Rao Rohan , Patel Anjali , Hanchate Kunal , Robinson Eric , Edwards Aniela , Shah Sanjit , Higgins Dominique , Haworth Kevin J. , Lucke-Wold Brandon , Pomeranz Krummel Daniel , Sengupta Soma
Published: May 2023

Employing the full arsenal of therapeutics to treat brain tumors is limited by the relative impermeability of the blood–brain and blood–tumor barriers. In physiologic states, the blood–brain barrier serves a protective role by passively and actively excluding neurotoxic compounds; however, this functionality limits the penetrance of therapeutics into the tumor microenvironment. Focused ultrasound technology provides a method for overcoming the blood–brain and blood–tumor barriers through ultrasound frequency to transiently permeabilize or disrupt these barriers. Concomitant delivery of therapeutics has allowed for previously impermeable agents to reach the tumor microenvironment. This review details the advances in focused ultrasound in both preclinical models and clinical studies, with a focus on its safety profile. We then turn towards future directions in focused ultrasound-mediated therapies for brain tumors.
Review on Main Arboviruses Circulating on French Guiana, An Ultra-Peripheric European Region in South America
Authors: Bonifay Timothee , Le Turnier Paul , Epelboin Yanouk , Carvalho Luisiane , De Thoisy Benoit , Djossou Félix , Duchemin Jean-Bernard , Dussart Philippe , Enfissi Antoine , Lavergne Anne , Mutricy Rémi , Nacher Mathieu , Rabier Sébastien , Talaga Stanislas , Talarmin Antoine , Rousset Dominique , Epelboin Loïc
Published: May 2023

French Guiana (FG), a French overseas territory in South America, is susceptible to tropical diseases, including arboviruses. The tropical climate supports the proliferation and establishment of vectors, making it difficult to control transmission. In the last ten years, FG has experienced large outbreaks of imported arboviruses such as Chikungunya and Zika, as well as endemic arboviruses such as dengue, Yellow fever, and Oropouche virus. Epidemiological surveillance is challenging due to the differing distributions and behaviors of vectors. This article aims to summarize the current knowledge of these arboviruses in FG and discuss the challenges of arbovirus emergence and reemergence. Effective control measures are hampered by the nonspecific clinical presentation of these diseases, as well as the Aedes aegypti mosquito’s resistance to insecticides. Despite the high seroprevalence of certain viruses, the possibility of new epidemics cannot be ruled out. Therefore, active epidemiological surveillance is needed to identify potential outbreaks, and an adequate sentinel surveillance system and broad virological diagnostic panel are being developed in FG to improve disease management.