bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping the Habitat Suitability of West Nile Virus Vectors in Southern Quebec and Eastern Ontario, Canada, with Species Distribution Modeling and Satellite Earth Observation Data
Authors: Moua Yi , Kotchi Serge Olivier , Ludwig Antoinette , Brazeau Stéphanie
Published: April 2021

Transmission of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) relies on the presence of their vectors. Good knowledge of their habitat distribution could inform of their presence and then the potential transmission risk. In Canada, West Nile virus (WNV), a VBD transmitted by mosquitoes of the Culex genus to birds, humans, and other mammals, was first reported in 2002. Since then, human cases have been reported every year. To reduce the health burden of the disease and to guide the vector control efforts, this work aims to provide a map of habitat suitability of the main vectors of WNV, Culex pipiens-restuans, in southern Quebec and eastern Ontario at 30 m spatial resolution. Landsat 8-OTI/TIRS images were combined with existing geographical data to characterize vegetated and paved areas in urban and peri-urban areas and to create a land use land cover map related to environmental determinants of Culex pipiens-restuans. Landscape metrics were calculated to characterize the neighborhood environment. They were used with 1008 presence sites of the vectors to build species distribution models with Maxent, a model based on the maximum entropy principle, and to predict habitat suitability for Culex pipiens-restuans in the study area. The performance of the models was very good, with a mean area under the curve of 0.92 and a continuous Boyce index of 0.97. A habitat suitability map of the whole study area was created for Culex pipiens-restuans. The resulting map and environment analysis highlight the importance of the edge of vegetation and mixed or paved areas for the bio-ecology of Culex pipiens-restuans.
Variability of Net Primary Productivity and Associated Biophysical Drivers in Bahía de La Paz (Mexico)
Authors: Cervantes-Duarte Rafael , González-Rodríguez Eduardo , Funes-Rodríguez René , Ramos-Rodríguez  Alejandro , Torres-Hernández María Yesenia , Aguirre-Bahena Fernando
Published: April 2021

The use of information of net primary productivity (NPP) from remote ocean color sensors is increasingly common in marine sciences. The resulting information has been used to explain variations in productivity at different spatio-temporal scales and in the presence of climate phenomena, such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, and global warming. Satellite remote sensing data were analyzed in Bahía de La Paz (BLP), Mexico, to determine the spatio-temporal variation in NPP. In addition, in situ hydrographic data were obtained to characterize the water properties in the bay. The satellite data agree with in situ measurements, validating the satellite observations over this region. The NPP generally presented seasonal variation with maximum values in winter-spring and minimum values in summer–autumn. The variance explained by NPP from the measured variables was ranked as Chl-a < DEN < SST < PAR < WSC. The highest NPP values generally occurred when subtropical subsurface (SsStW) water was relatively shallow. Due to divergence and mixing processes, this water provided nutrients to the euphotic zone, and consequently an increase in NPP and changes in plankton biomass were observed. The annual trends of the variation in hydrographic data with respect to that of remote sensing data were similar; however, it is necessary to increase the number of data validation studies. The remote sensing and in situ measurements allowed for the main biophysical variables that modulate NPP in different time scales to be identified. The satellite-derived NPP data classifies the BLP as a high productivity zone with 432 g C m−2 year−1. The use of satellite NPP data is satisfactory and should be incorporated into marine primary productivity studies.
Effect of Roof Tile Colour on Heat Conduction Transfer, Roof-Top Surface Temperature and Cooling Load in Modern Residential Buildings under the Tropical Climate of Malaysia
Authors: Farhan Syed Ahmad , Ismail Fouad Ismail , Kiwan Osamah , Shafiq Nasir , Zain-Ahmed Azni , Husna Nadzhratul , Hamid Afif Izwan Abd
Published: April 2021

Modern residential roofs in Malaysia mainly employ red and brown roof tiles due to aesthetic factors and the ability of the roof surface to reflect or retard heat transfer is typically not considered the main priority. The present article reveals the findings of a study on the effect of roof tile colour on heat conduction transfer through roof tiles and ceiling boards, roof-top surface temperature and cooling load. Findings suggest that the selection of white roof tiles significantly reduces the peaks of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature as well as the values of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature throughout diurnal profiles, which consequently reduces hours of indoor thermal discomfort and use of air-conditioners in indoor spaces. A decline in peak roof-top surface temperature of up to 16.00 °C that results in annual energy savings of up to 13.14% can be achieved when the roof tile colour is changed from red to white. Further research on the development of solar-reflective paint or coating products that can significantly increase the solar reflectance values of non-white roof tiles are essential to overcome issues related to maintenance difficulties and lack of preference among house buyers towards white roof tiles.
Path Planning for Autonomous Platoon Formation
Authors: El Ganaoui-Mourlan Ouafae , Camp Stephane , Hannagan Thomas , Arora Vaibhav , De Neuville Martin , Kousournas Vaios Andreas
Published: April 2021

In the context of automated highway systems (AHS), this work proposes an approach that enables a vehicle to autonomously join a platoon with optimized trajectory in the presence of dynamical traffic obstacles. A notable aspect is the use of Model Predictive Control (MPC) optimization of the planned path, in conjunction with a variant of the Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRT*) algorithm for the purpose of platoon formation. This combination efficiently explores the space of possible trajectories, returning trajectories that are smoothened out with respect to the dynamic constraints of the vehicle, while at the same time allowing for real-time implementation. The implementation we propose takes into consideration both localization and mapping through relevant sensors and V2V communication. The complete algorithm is tested over various nominal and worst-case scenarios, qualifying the merits of the proposed methodology.
Sustainable Real Estate: Management, Assessment and Innovations
Authors: De Paola Pierfrancesco , Tajani Francesco , Locurcio Marco
Published: April 2021

Production and consumption activities have determined a weakness of the sustainable real estate economy [...]
Predicting Job Burnout and Its Antecedents: Evidence from Financial Information Technology Firms
Authors: Huang Stanley Y. B. , Fei Yu-Ming , Lee Yue-Shi
Published: April 2021

Job burnout is a continuing concern for human resource management and mental health at work, as it affects employee productivity and well-being. The present study conceptualizes Kahn’s job engagement theory to predict job burnout through a latent growth model. To test the proposed model, data were collected by surveying 710 employees of R&D departments of financial information technology firms of Taiwan at multiple points in time over 6 months. Therein, this study found that as employees perceived more ethical leadership, corporate social responsibility, and self-efficacy at Time 1, they were more likely to show increases in job engagement development behavior over time. Further, increases in job engagement development behavior demonstrate their positive relationship with the decrease in job burnout development behavior over time. These findings highlight that the potential dynamic consequences of organizational behaviors can lead to employee career development and occupational mental health.
Eco-Emission Analysis of Multi-Carrier Microgrid Integrated with Compressed Air and Power-to-Gas Energy Storage Technologies
Authors: Hamedi Khashayar , Sadeghi Shahrbanoo , Esfandi Saeed , Azimian Mahdi , Golmohamadi Hessam
Published: April 2021

Growing concerns about global greenhouse gas emissions have led power systems to utilize clean and highly efficient resources. In the meantime, renewable energy plays a vital role in energy prospects worldwide. However, the random nature of these resources has increased the demand for energy storage systems. On the other hand, due to the higher efficiency of multi-energy systems compared to single-energy systems, the development of such systems, which are based on different types of energy carriers, will be more attractive for the utilities. Thus, this paper represents a multi-objective assessment for the operation of a multi-carrier microgrid (MCMG) in the presence of high-efficiency technologies comprising compressed air energy storage (CAES) and power-to-gas (P2G) systems. The objective of the model is to minimize the operation cost and environmental pollution. CAES has a simple-cycle mode operation besides the charging and discharging modes to provide more flexibility in the system. Furthermore, the demand response program is employed in the model to mitigate the peaks. The proposed system participates in both electricity and gas markets to supply the energy requirements. The weighted sum approach and fuzzy-based decision-making are employed to compromise the optimum solutions for conflicting objective functions. The multi-objective model is examined on a sample system, and the results for different cases are discussed. The results show that coupling CAES and P2G systems mitigate the wind power curtailment and minimize the cost and pollution up to 14.2% and 9.6%, respectively.
Effect of Ultrafiltration Operating Conditions for Separation of Ferulic Acid from Arabinoxylans in Corn Fibre Alkaline Extract
Authors: Valério Rita , Crespo João G. , Galinha Claudia F. , Brazinha Carla
Published: April 2021

Corn fibre, a co-product of the starch industry, is rich in compounds with high added value, such as ferulic acid and arabinoxylans, which are released during alkaline extraction. This work aims to optimise an efficient separation method for the recovery of these two compounds from a corn fibre alkaline extract, allowing an efficient valorisation of this co-product. Ultrafiltration was selected as separation method, due to its potential to fractionate these compounds. In order to minimise the loss of membrane permeance, due to mass transfer limitations caused by the high arabinoxylan viscosity, the impact of relevant ultrafiltration operating parameters (membrane molecular weight cut-off, fluid dynamics conditions, transmembrane pressure, and operating temperature) were evaluated. A Nadir UP 150 membrane was found to be an adequate choice, allowing for an efficient separation of ferulic acid from arabinoxylans, with null rejection of ferulic acid, a high estimated rejection of arabinoxylans 98.0% ± 1.7%, and the highest permeance of all tested membranes. A response surface methodology (RSM) was used to infer the effect of ultrafiltration conditions (crossflow velocity, transmembrane pressure and operating temperature) on the rejection of ferulic acid, retention of arabinoxylans (assessed through apparent viscosity of the retentate stream), and permeance. Through mathematical modelling it was possible to determine that the best conditions are the highest operating temperature and initial crossflow velocity tested (66 °C and 1.06 m.s−1, respectively), and the lowest transmembrane pressure tested (0.7 bar).
The Cost of a Sustainable Water Supply at Network Kiosks in Peri-Urban Blantyre, Malawi
Authors: Coulson Andrea B. , Rivett Michael O. , Kalin Robert M. , Fernández Sergio M. P. , Truslove Jonathan P. , Nhlema Muthi , Maygoya Joseph
Published: April 2021

Empirical insights were made into the challenges of supplying water to communities within low-income areas of peri-urban Blantyre, Malawi. A networked public water supply is provided to those without a domestic tap via communal water kiosks managed by community-based Water User Associations (WUAs) under a government mandate. There has been considerable debate surrounding the tariff charged for water supplied to such vulnerable communities. However, research has largely failed to consider the costs of WUAs operating the kiosks and the impact on the kiosk tariff. The determination of kiosk tariffs is critical to ensuring lifeline access to a sustainable water supply under Sustainable Development Goal 6. We provide evidence of this from our experience in the field in Blantyre. In particular, we argue that sustainable kiosk running costs cannot be born solely by the end user. A number of reforms are needed to help reduce the kiosk tariff. To reduce WUA costs and the kiosk tariffs, WUAs need more training in financial record keeping and cost management, WUAs should not inherit outstanding kiosk debt upon taking over their operations, and water boards should build kiosk costs over which they have fiscal responsibility into integrated block tariff calculations and subsidize them accordingly.
Are LCA Studies on Bulk Mineral Waste Management Suitable for Decision Support? A Critical Review
Authors: Dierks Christian , Hagedorn Tabea , Campitelli Alessio , Bulach Winfried , Zeller Vanessa
Published: April 2021

Bulk mineral waste materials are one of the largest waste streams worldwide and their management systems can differ greatly depending on regional conditions. Due to this variation, the decision-making context is of particular importance when studying environmental impacts of mineral waste management systems with life cycle assessment (LCA). We follow the premise that LCA results—if applied in practice—are always used in an improvement (i.e., decision-making) context. But how suitable are existing LCA studies on bulk mineral waste management for decision support? To answer this question, we quantitatively and qualitatively assess 57 peer-reviewed bulk mineral waste management LCA studies against 47 criteria. The results show inadequacies regarding decision support along all LCA phases. Common shortcomings are insufficient attention to the specific decision-making context, lack of a consequential perspective, liberal use of allocation and limited justification thereof, missing justifications for excluded impact categories, inadequately discussed limitations, and incomplete documentation. We identified the following significant issues for bulk mineral waste management systems: transportation, the potential leaching of heavy metals, second-order substitution effects, and the choice to include or exclude avoided landfilling and embodied impacts. When applicable, we provide recommendations for improvement and point to best practice examples.
Partial Discharge Online Detection for Long-Term Operational Sustainability of On-Site Low Voltage Distribution Network Using CNN Transfer Learning
Authors: Kim Jinseok , Kim Ki-Il
Published: April 2021

Partial discharge (PD) detection studies aiming at the fault diagnosis for facilities and power cables in transmission networks have been conducted over the years. Recently, the deep learning models for PD detection have been used to diagnose the PD fault of facilities and cables. Most PD studies have been conducted in the field, such as gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and power cables for high voltage transmission networks. There are few studies of PD fault detection for on-site low-voltage distribution networks. Additionally, there are few studies of PD detection algorithms for improving the accuracy of the deep learning models using small real PD data only. In this study, a PD online detection system and a model for long-term operational sustainability of on-site low voltage distribution networks are proposed using convolutional neural network (CNN) transfer-learning. The proposed PD online system makes it possible to acquire as many real PD data as possible through continuous monitoring of PD occurrence. The PD detection accuracy results showed that the proposed CNN transfer-learning models are more effective models for obtaining improved accuracy (97.4%) than benchmark models, such as CNN and support vector machine (SVM) using only small real PD data acquired from PD online detection system.
Urban Industrial Tourism: Cultural Sustainability as a Tool for Confronting Overtourism—Cases of Madrid, Brussels, and Copenhagen
Authors: Hidalgo-Giralt Carmen , Palacios-García Antonio , Barrado-Timón Diego , Rodríguez-Esteban José Antonio
Published: April 2021

The chief objective of this research was to analyze how the industrial heritage of three European capitals—Madrid, Brussels, and Copenhagen—has been integrated into the dynamics of their urban tourism, thereby generating new resources and cultural spaces. In regards to the latter point, this study poses the working hypothesis that industrial heritage can function as a tool for cultural sustainability, which allows for deconcentration away from historic city centers subjected to significant overtourism. To verify this hypothesis, a methodology has been designed based on the selection of specific indicators and the creation of maps, taking as reference data from the Tripadvisor travel portal. The results obtained are truly encouraging, and it would be interesting to expand this study by incorporating new case studies to allow us to discern additional patterns of behavior around urban industrial tourism.
Counting Bees: Learning Outcomes from Participation in the Dutch National Bee Survey
Authors: Ganzevoort Wessel , van den Born Riyan J. G.
Published: April 2021

Citizen science approaches to data collection are growing in popularity, in part because of their potential for achieving both scientific and educational objectives. Evaluating the impacts of participation on citizen scientists is important, yet such evaluations are still relatively rare. In addition, recent literature reviews indicate that existing studies often focus on content learning, make limited use of existing scales, and rarely report null results. This paper reports an evaluation of the demographic profile, motivations and learning outcomes of participants in the Dutch National Bee Survey, a national-scale citizen science project involving citizens in collecting observational data of wild bees. Using a repeated measures survey study, we assessed the impact of participation on respondents’ attitudes and behavioural intentions regarding bees, and their attitudes towards nature, citizenship, and citizen science. Our baseline (N = 373) and follow-up (N = 208) surveys indicate that our respondents are of a relatively high age and education level, have a pre-existing affinity with nature, and are strongly motivated by conservation concerns and learning about bees. Assessment of learning outcomes indicated a significant difference between two types of self-report questions: respondents reported significant gains in knowledge and appreciation of wild bees, yet attitudinal scales indicated no significant shifts in attitudes towards bees, nature, citizen science, or citizenship. In our discussion, we suggest several explanations for this finding, including respondents’ pre-existing affinity with nature, and advance suggestions for future research into citizen science learning outcomes.
Synthesis and Feature Selection-Supported Validation of Multidimensional Driving Cycles
Authors: Topić Jakov , Škugor Branimir , Deur Joško
Published: April 2021

This paper presents the synthesis and validation of multidimensional driving cycles represented by vehicle velocity, vehicle acceleration, and road slope profiles. For this purpose, a rich set of city bus driving cycles has been recorded. First, a Markov chain model is established based on velocity, acceleration, road slope and road slope time derivative states. Next, a large set of synthetic driving cycles is generated by using a corresponding 8D transition probability matrix, which is implemented in a sparse form based on a dictionary of keys to improve computational efficiency and reduce memory requirements. In support of synthetic driving cycles validation, a number of time- and frequency-domain statistical features are considered, including unique cross-correlation velocity–acceleration–road slope indicators. To predict fuel consumption related to synthetic driving cycles, an accurate neural network model is introduced which uses a fixed 3D histogram of counted discrete velocity, acceleration, and road slope inputs. The significance of each nominated statistical feature and its impact on fuel consumption is revealed by means of linear regression modelling and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) feature selection method. A model having only several most significant features as inputs and fuel consumption as output is proposed to be used for unambiguous single-criterion validation of synthetic driving cycles with respect to recorded ones. Finally, the proposed validation approach is verified against a widely used method relying on minimization of statistical feature deviations with respect to true values. The results point out that, by applying the proposed synthesis and validation method, it is possible to extract most representative synthetic driving cycles in a straightforward and computationally efficient way. The main anticipated applications include various simulation-based analyses that require representative synthetic driving cycles and/or accurate vehicle energy consumption predictions.
Optimal Design of an Isolated Hybrid Microgrid for Enhanced Deployment of Renewable Energy Sources in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Kharrich Mohammed , Kamel Salah , Alghamdi Ali S. , Eid Ahmad , Mosaad Mohamed I. , Akherraz Mohammed , Abdel-Akher Mamdouh
Published: April 2021

Hybrid microgrids are presented as a solution to many electrical energetic problems. These microgrids contain some renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic (PV), wind and biomass, or a hybrid of these sources, in addition to storage systems. Using these microgrids in electric power generation has many advantages such as clean energy, stability in supplying power, reduced grid congestion and a new investment field. Despite all these microgrids advantages, they are not widely used due to some economic aspects. These aspects are represented in the net present cost (NPC) and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). To handle these economic aspects, the proper microgrids configuration according to the quantity, quality and availability of the sustainable source of energy in installing the microgrid as well as the optimal design of the microgrid components should be investigated. The objective of this paper is to design an economic microgrid system for the Yanbu region of Saudi Arabia. This design aims to select the best microgrid configuration while minimizing both NPC and LCOE considering some technical conditions, including loss of power supply probability and availability index. The optimization algorithm used is Giza Pyramids Construction (GPC). To prove the GPC algorithm’s effectiveness in solving the studied optimization problem, artificial electric field and grey wolf optimizer algorithms are used for comparison purposes. The obtained results demonstrate that the best configuration for the selected area is a PV/biomass hybrid microgrid with a minimum NPC and LCOE of $319,219 and $0.208/kWh, respectively.
“In-System” Fission-Events: An Insight into Puzzles of Exoplanets and Stars?
Authors: Tito Elizabeth P. , Pavlov Vadim I.
Published: April 2021

In expansion of our recent proposal that the solar system’s evolution occurred in two stages—during the first stage, the gaseous giants formed (via disk instability), and, during the second stage (caused by an encounter with a particular stellar-object leading to “in-system” fission-driven nucleogenesis), the terrestrial planets formed (via accretion)—we emphasize here that the mechanism of formation of such stellar-objects is generally universal and therefore encounters of such objects with stellar-systems may have occurred elsewhere across galaxies. If so, their aftereffects may perhaps be observed as puzzling features in the spectra of individual stars (such as idiosyncratic chemical enrichments) and/or in the structures of exoplanetary systems (such as unusually high planet densities or short orbital periods). This paper reviews and reinterprets astronomical data within the “fission-events framework”. Classification of stellar systems as “pristine” or “impacted” is offered.
The Species Diversity of Tropical Freshwater Rotifers (Rotifera: Monogononta) in Relation to Environmental Factors
Authors: Phan Nhat-Truong , Duong Quang Hung , Tran-Nguyen Quynh Anh , Trinh-Dang Mau
Published: April 2021

This study aims to evaluate the diversity of rotifers in various freshwater habitats in Da Nang City, Vietnam, and to investigate the relationship between community structure and environmental conditions. A total of 75 rotifer species belonging to 25 genera and 17 families were recorded, out of which seven species are new to Vietnam. Species from the families Brachionidae and Lecanidae are abundant (containing about 50% and 69.44%, respectively) in the total rotifer species in both lacustrine and riverine habitats. The number of rotifers recorded in the lakes (64 taxa) was much higher than those in rivers (36 taxa), and this is possibly due to the conditions in lakes being more favorable for the development of small zooplanktons. The significant influences of environmental factors (temperature, pH, turbidity, and trophic state) on the rotifer community were well-reflected in the distribution of commonly found species in lakes (p-value < 0.05). Our study results enrich the data on the diversity and the ecology of rotifers in Vietnam.
Characterization of the Spatial Variation of Microbial Communities in a Decentralized Subtropical Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Passive Methods
Authors: Verduzco Garibay Marycarmen , Fernández del Castillo Alberto , Díaz Torres Osiris , de Anda José , Yebra-Montes Carlos , Senés-Guerrero Carolina , Gradilla-Hernández Misael Sebastián
Published: April 2021

Septic tanks (STs), up-flow anaerobic filters (UAFs), and horizontal-flow constructed wetlands (HFCWs) are cost-effective wastewater treatment technologies especially efficient in tropical and sub-tropical regions. In this study, the bacterial communities within a decentralized wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) comprising a ST, a UAF, and a HFCW were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Bacterial diversity and its spatial variation were analyzed at the phylum and family level, and principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to nitrogen- and organic-matter-degrading families. The highest percentage of nitrogen removal was seen in the HFCW (28% of total Kjeldahl nitrogen, TKN, and 31% of NH3-N), and our results suggest that families such as Rhodocyclaceae (denitrifying bacteria), Nitrospiraceae (nitrifying bacteria), and Rhodospirillaceae (sulfur-oxidizing bacteria) contribute to such removal. The highest percentage of organic matter removal was seen in the UAF unit (40% of biological oxygen demand, BOD5, and 37% of chemical oxygen demand, COD), where organic-matter-degrading bacteria such as the Ruminococcaceae, Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Syntrophaceae families were identified. Redundancy analysis demonstrated that bacterial communities in the HFCW were more tolerant to physicochemical changes, while those in the ST and the UAF were highly influenced by dissolved oxygen and temperature. Also, pollutant removal pathways carried out by specific bacterial families and microbial interactions were elucidated. This study provides a detailed description of the bacterial communities present in a decentralized WWTP located in a subtropical region.
Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in Different Matrices: Occurrence, Pathways, and Treatment Processes
Authors: Reyes Nash Jett D. G. , Geronimo Franz Kevin F. , Yano Kimberly Ann V. , Guerra Heidi B. , Kim Lee-Hyung
Published: April 2021

The procedures for analyzing pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are typically tedious and expensive and thus, it is necessary to synthesize all available information from previously conducted research. An extensive collection of PPCP data from the published literature was compiled to determine the occurrence, pathways, and the effectiveness of current treatment technologies for the removal of PPCPs in water and wastewater. Approximately 90% of the compiled published papers originated from Asia, Europe, and the North American regions. The incomplete removal of PPCPs in different water and wastewater treatment processes was widely reported, thus resulting in the occurrence of PPCP compounds in various environmental compartments. Caffeine, carbamazepine, diclofenac, ibuprofen, triclosan, and triclocarban were among the most commonly reported compounds detected in water and solid matrices. Trace concentrations of PPCPs were also detected on plants and animal tissues, indicating the bioaccumulative properties of some PPCP compounds. A significant lack of studies regarding the presence of PPCPs in animal and plant samples was identified in the review. Furthermore, there were still knowledge gaps on the ecotoxicity, sub-lethal effects, and effective treatment processes for PPCPs. The knowledge gaps identified in this study can be used to devise a more effective research paradigm and guidelines for PPCP management.
A Head Formulation for the Steady-State Analysis of Water Distribution Systems Using an Explicit and Exact Expression of the Colebrook–White Equation
Authors: Qiu Mengning , Ostfeld Avi
Published: April 2021

Steady-state demand-driven water distribution system (WDS) solution is the bedrock for much research conducted in the field related to WDSs. WDSs are modeled using the Darcy–Weisbach equation with the Swamee–Jain equation. However, the Swamee–Jain equation approximates the Colebrook–White equation, errors of which are within 1% for ϵ/D∈[10−6,10−2] and Re∈[5000,108]. A formulation is presented for the solution of WDSs using the Colebrook–White equation. The correctness and efficacy of the head formulation have been demonstrated by applying it to six WDSs with the number of pipes ranges from 454 to 157,044 and the number of nodes ranges from 443 to 150,630. The addition of a physically and fundamentally more accurate WDS solution method can improve the quality of the results achieved in both academic research and industrial application, such as contamination source identification, water hammer analysis, WDS network calibration, sensor placement, and least-cost design and operation of WDSs.
Calidad del agua de uso doméstico en la parroquia Alonso de Ojeda del estado Zulia-Venezuela
Authors: Fuentes Spooner Lorena , Colina Barboza José
Published: April 2021

El consumo de agua que no se ajusta a los estándares de calidad establecidos, implica riesgos para la salud de la población. El objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar la calidad del agua de uso doméstico en la parroquia Alonso de Ojeda, municipio Lagunillas del estado Zulia, Venezuela. Se desarrolló una investigación descriptiva y la muestra estuvo representada por el agua de grifo de cien viviendas de la parroquia, la cual se caracterizó fisicoquímicamente y microbiológicamente. Los resultados arrojaron que las muestras no cumplieron con las normas venezolanas en cuanto a turbidez (22,86 UNT), color (39,60 UC Pt-Co) y coliformes totales (?16 NMP). El pH se ajustó a la normativa venezolana (pH= 6,55) y la alcalinidad se ubicó en 14,98 mg CaCO3/L, aceptable según la normativa colombiana. Se concluye que el agua suministrada a la población de la parroquia Alonso de Ojeda no es apta para el consumo humano.
Knowledge Management from Senior Users of Online Health Information Point of View
Authors: Therkildsen Sudmann Tobba , Fredriksen Eva Haukeland , Børsheim Ingebjørg Træland , Heldal Ilona
Published: April 2021

In today’s society, all citizens who need digital information to manage their everyday life must be able to access it and trust it. They should have enough knowledge to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) and online health information (OHI) in an intended and purposeful way. The broader aim of this paper is to present and discuss health knowledge management (KM) from senior users of the online health information point of view. The theoretical point of departure is based on an understanding of health, knowledge and the Internet as social practices. This paper investigates e-Health literacy (eHL) and KM in health amongst seniors aged 65-90. It presents a case study on how they access, apprais, share and apply OHI in comparison to the way they use face-to-face health-encounters. Data comes from 17 open-ended interviews. E-HL and KM concepts are used to analyse and describe online behaviour and knowledge management in health as an interplay between individual and social factors.  The results show how participants engage in self- and co-management of their own or others' health and illustrate how they get or receive help to understand OHI. By examining how they use ICT and do (not) trust OHI regarding “serious cases,” this paper provides critical insight into ways seniors acquire information and how they appraise, understand or trust in it. Their information-seeking activities are performed mainly in private settings, seldom with professionals. They have lower levels of trust in their own, individual appraisal skills, compared to collective searches and discussions. Norwegian seniors are cool and pragmatic, and emphatic on the “when needs must, see your GP!”. By examining differences in ICT use, knowledge acquisition and support given or received, the results pinpoint how providers must affirm seniors’ ICT use and individual and collective online health behaviour as assets for healthy ageing. A potential barrier for citizens’ use of OHI and health technology is the built-in understanding of health as an individual capacity and ICT use as an individual activity, compared to a contemporary understanding of health and the Internet as social practices and collective resources. Designers of health technologies and OHI should critically consider built-in understandings of content and users to enhance accessibility and value for citizens of all ages.
Motivación de logro académico en estudiantes universitarios de psicología: Un análisis psicométrico y comparativo de los datos
Authors: Arias Gallegos Walter
Published: April 2021

En este artículo se analiza el constructo de motivación de logro académico a partir de la prueba construida por Thornberry (2003) y aplicada a escolares de Lima. Ello implicó el análisis psicométrico de la prueba de Motivación de Logro Académico, tras ser aplicada a 636 estudiantes de dos universidades de Arequipa. Luego de no encontrar una solución factorial satisfactoria en el análisis factorial confirmatorio, se procedió a generar dos análisis factoriales exploratorios (AFE), uno con algunos ítems invertidos y otro sin dicha inversión. Los resultados de ambos AFE revelan diferencias en la estructura de la prueba con respecto a su versión original, pues se redujeron a dos los tres factores de la sub-escala de motivación de logro, mientras que la sub-escala de deseabilidad social obtuvo bajos niveles de confiabilidad tanto con los ítems invertidos (αordinal= .635) como sin dicha inversión (αordinal= .634). Además, hallamos que las mujeres presentan mayor motivación de logro académico que los varones y que los estudiantes de semestres superiores tienen puntajes más altos en este constructo. No se registraron diferencias significativas en función de las universidades de procedencia.
Jóvenes rurales y transiciones postsecundarias: Expectativas y estrategias para el acceso a la educación superior
Authors: Villegas Quispe Melissa
Published: April 2021

El presente artículo expone los hallazgos de un estudio reciente sobre un grupo de jóvenes del sur andino del Perú, quienes acababan de culminar la secundaria. El estudio aborda sus expectativas y estrategias para desarrollar sus proyectos de vida poniendo énfasis en sus posibilidades y limitaciones para alcanzar los estudios superiores, meta deseada por la mayoría. Desde un enfoque de curso de vida, se analizaron las transiciones postsecundarias y se encontró que las expectativas y estrategias educativas están mediadas por una compleja combinación de factores económicos, culturales, y educativos que posibilitan y limitan las transiciones de los jóvenes. Mediante la reconstrucción de historias de vida, este estudio busca comprender el proceso que los jóvenes rurales de un contexto particular experimentan una vez que culminan su escolaridad.
Disciplinar y clasificar: Prácticas de lectura en la Educación Básica Alternativa en Lima
Authors: Vargas Ugalde Nicolás
Published: April 2021

En este artículo, exploro las prácticas letradas presentes en una escuela pública del programa de Educación Básica Alternativa. El análisis de la información recogida me permite proponer la presencia de dos prácticas centrales. La primera, la lectura como práctica disciplinaria, tiene a la lectura como medio de control y vigilancia de la disciplina de los estudiantes. La segunda, la lectura como práctica clasificadora, observa la organización de una performance particular cuyo valor reside en conocer y reproducir una forma específica de leer oralmente que -asociada a la procedencia geográfica de los estudiantes- dan sentido a una clasificación del dominio de lo letrado. De forma transversal, se propone que estas prácticas se centran en la forma del texto (no en su contenido) y se encuentran vinculadas a factores socioculturales, que a su vez construyen y dan sentido a ideologías acerca de los estudiantes de la noche, que reproducen desigualdades sociales en el ámbito de la educación básica en Perú.
Tocotrienol-rich vitamin E from palm oil (Tocovid) and its effects in diabetes and diabetic retinopathy: a pilot phase II clinical trial
Authors: Chiew Yilynn , Tan Suzanne May Quinn , Ahmad Badariah , Khor Sim Ee , Abdul Kadir Khalid
Published: April 2021

Aim: To identify the effects of tocotrienol-rich vitamin E from palm oil (Tocovid) on diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials and methods: The intervention group (n = 21) received 200 mg Tocovid twice daily while the control group (n = 22) received placebo twice daily for 8 weeks. Changes in retinal photography by conventional grading and novel quantification of retinal hemorrhage were assessed. Changes in serum biomarkers advanced glycation end products (AGE) general, sRAGE (soluble receptor of AGE), Nε-CML (specific type of AGE), and cystatin C were evaluated.

Results: A novel technique to quantify retinal hemorrhage had a strong positive correlation with conventional grading of DR in both eyes at baseline and at the end of the study. Eight-week supplementation of Tocovid resulted in significant reduction in retinal hemorrhage in the right eye. Liver enzymes and ALT significantly reduced. No significant changes in grade of DR, serum biomarkers, HbA1c, blood pressure, renal profile, and lipid profile were observed.

Conclusions: Tocovid is a potential adjunct to current treatment of DR and fatty liver disease. A novel method of quantifying retinal hemorrhage is a potential technique for assessing disease severity of DR, particularly the early changes.
Self-Storage Cities: A New Typology of (Sub)Urban Enclave
Authors:   NewSchool of Architecture & Design, Aiello Mariateresa
Published: April 2021

In the periphery, arrays of self-storage facilities are part of the light industrial landscape of warehouses and ex-urban alienation. Within the urban fabric, storage buildings represent both container and camouflage architecture, and are perfect examples of what Professor Crawford calls “background buildings.”1 Self-storage facilities are an architectural typology worthy of study, and not only for their growing impact on the city and suburban sprawl, or for the uncanny ability to mimic other design typologies and adapt to the target market. They can be examined in terms of building type and construction methods. From the economic point of view, storage facilitiesare compelling: they are a by-product of shopping/goods architecture, consumerism and planned obsolescence. They embody currently popular issues of surplus and clutter/hoarding. The issue of “material excess” becomes an (ex) urban pathology, endemic to a culture of wholesale commerce and warehouse buying experiences. The clutter culture can be mapped and becomes tangible in the form of the “country of storage facilities”, a veritable document to “stuff obesity”. The current rise of self-storage facilities is also a physical reminder of the consequence of changes in social and living conditions. How do we, as architects and urban designers, confront the typology of the self-storage facility and the new urban/exurban enclaves that these commercial containers of space have created? How can we better understand the nature of the singularly camouflaged “housing of stuff” often found in the downtowns of second-tier U.S cities? The content of these buildings, the “user”if you wish, is constituted entirely of stuff we cannotor do not wish to fit in our homes. What is it that we store, and why?
Apparatuses & Constructed Narratives: The Imaginary Life Of Cappadocia
Authors:   American University of Beirut, Aramouny Carla , Rishani Sandra ,   American University of Beirut
Published: April 2021

This paper presents the work done during a Vertical Design studio, held at the Department of Architecture and Design in Beirut, and discusses the studio design methods that evoke experimental model making and narrative programming. The work presented develops on themes of locality, landscapes as systems of reference for design, physical constructs as inherent design machines, and fictional narratives as programming devices. Through the use of complex drawings and dynamic models, the studio intervened on the region of Cappadocia in Turkey, with its complex land formations, proposing new visions for a unique site where architecture and landscape coalesce.
Great Salt Lake Exploration Platform
Authors:   Texas Tech University, Taylor Chris
Published: April 2021

The Great Salt Lake Exploration Platform is a creative machine built to foster visual and performative research within the vastly under explored situated locale of the Great Salt Lake. GLSEP is a modular, flexibly deployable craft for a small group of people to remain upon the lake for limited durations of time, make work, and not die. Given the remote severity of this landscape the qualifier is significant. Storms appear quickly and can generate ten to twelve foot waves in tight oscillation. Coupled with the water’schemical density the lake is known to literally tear boats apart. Rather than being built and powered as a boat, with need of a marina to launch and a geometry to accommodate overland travel, the GSLEP is a deployable assembly providing necessary life support and research infrastructure (shade, fresh water, food and waste storage, solar power, communications,and evacuation provisions) to researchers operating on the Great Salt Lake, akin to off planet missions with immanent dangers and very limited rescue opportunities.
The Capacity of Discrete Parts to Form Continuous Assemblages
Authors:   University of Texas at Austin, Bieg Kory
Published: April 2021

Watney is a design-build, mobile installation composed of an assemblage of discrete parts. Each parthas its own logic and properties and each combines to form a whole that both affects and is affected by the parts. The project represents a new type of machine; it is a continuous assemblage in which formal continuity is the constraint that ties otherwise independent parts into a collective as opposed to an aggregation of self-similar units or a hierarchically bound composite in which the whole is somehow greater than the parts. The project as a whole engages the site through formal and cultural relations that are both familiar and unfamiliar to the place, eliciting new revelations of both site and object. Watney is one local manifestation of a fully parametric digital model which includes other potential manifestations. A particular iteration was selected based on its ability to be fabricated using CNC processes, the effect of each part’s properties on the whole, and the constraints imposed by the whole on each part in order to achieve a continuous assemblage. The selection process was guided by the relationship between parts and whole and by contextual cues that promoted some versions over others. Watney also provides a new take on the waffle ribstructure system. By treating each part as an independent, self-structuring, uniquely formal object, Watney disentangles the parts from a top-down structural scheme. The resultant assembly of multi directional waffles contained by the surface of each part produces a whole that is much stronger than one created using a conventional rib system. Furthermore, the manifestation of each part’s particular structural solution is, like the object itself, guided by an internal logic that relates to other properties of the part in which it is contained. Each part is guided by conditions imposed by the whole and by contextual cues, such as occupation, view, and environmental and cultural responsiveness.
The Choreography of Piling: Active Industry in the City
Authors:   Northeastern University, Law Adams Marie , Adams Daniel ,   Northeastern University
Published: April 2021

Gravel, salt, sand, cobbles, and scrap metal – dry bulk materials fundamental to making and maintaining the built environment – are piled in or around coastal cities. The pile is the architecture of the holding stage between a material’s arrival and accumulation from one mode (such as ship or rail) and its distribution into the city through another (most commonly, the truck). Although these piles often approach the scale of large buildings and natural landforms, and their presence is a fixture in the built environment, they are overlooked as a matter of design. In recent decades, some artists and architects have explored piles and pile-making as an abstract formal condition or alternative to conventional modes of formal organization, but engaging the pile as an active form-making structure in the city has been confined to designating territories for piles through use based zoning protocols (“industrial”), or through the construction of containers to enclose them (sheds). Both of these standard practices fail to negotiate the distinctive qualities of piles as a temporary, kinetic, and authentic architecture in the city, and inhibit the collective engagement between the city and an expression of its global material footprint. This paper will explore the morphology of piles and present tactics for engaging them in pursuit of new notions of authenticity, monumentality, and temporality as a byproduct of global flow through three realized projects by our firm, Landing Studio, that choreograph the architecture of industrial road-salt piles in Boston and New York City.
PANOTS + MOSAICS: Crafting Expression Through Hydraulic Cement
Authors:   University of Michigan, Rule Jonathan , Morcillo Pallares Ana ,   University of Michigan
Published: April 2021

The paper intends to reflect on the developmental trajectory of a research project that explores a dialogue between industrial Spanish modernist tilemaking and new approaches to fabrication through the emergence of new technologies. The juxtaposition of these two methods of production became the catalyst for the subsequent experimental technique that hybridizes hand-made, industrial hand-made and digital hand-made under the rubric of crafting expression through material technologies and hydraulic cement.