bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Farmers’ Digital Information System (FDIS) for Sustainable Agriculture Among Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania
Authors: Mushi Gilbert Exaud , Mwakifwamba Aaron Andrew , Burgi Pierre-Yves , Di Marzo Serugendo Giovanna
Published: December 2024

Digital technologies are promising tools for sustainable agriculture; however, the cutting-edge digital solutions in agriculture are impractical for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Smallholder farmers need access to credit and insurance services, quality farm inputs, advisory services, subsidies, and market services to be able participate in sustainable agriculture. This paper is part of an extensive study conducted using the design science research (DSR) methodology. As part of our previous research, we conducted a thorough survey of the various stakeholders in Tanzania to assess their needs. Thereafter, we designed a conceptual digital framework called Farmers’ Digital Information System (FDIS), which provides all the necessary services to smallholder farmers and other stakeholders and addresses the identified needs. This paper presents a technical implementation of FDIS that aims to deliver essential services to smallholder farmers for sustainable agriculture within a comprehensive single mobile application. We used Android Studio Iguana and a Flutter framework to develop four service modules that include farmer and farm data, advisory services, and financial and marketing services as part of the FDIS platform. The system reflects the services offered in a real-world environment, as farmers can directly request advice from experts, apply for credit services from financial institutions, and market farm products to meet potential customers. It solves problems of access to farm advisory services and credit services for farm investment and helps farmers to find reliable markets for their products without going through intermediaries (middlemen). The completion of the FDIS development presented here will be followed by a test of the platform with real users for evaluation and improvement. Future research will focus on the scalability of FDIS for different regions, the embedding of more advanced technologies, and the adaptability of FDIS to different agricultural ecosystems. The FDIS solution has the potential to improve sustainable farming and empower smallholder farmers in Tanzania and beyond.
Bridge Management—Determination of Allowable Cartage Loads for the Movement of Heavy Vehicles with a Platform Trailer on Concrete Bridges to Satisfy MCFT-Based Section Shear Adequacy
Authors: Vimonsatit Vanissorn , Wong Koon Wan
Published: December 2024

Load rating, using nominated rating vehicles by individual road authorities, is described in the Australian standard for bridge assessment, AS 5100.7, for all load effects, including shear. The load rating can be used to indicate the strength condition of bridges and to determine load posting for weak bridges. Thus, the information is useful for managing vehicle movements. However, for road authorities to accurately assess requested movements for a heavy vehicle with a prime mover and a platform trailer, additional information is required. This paper describes an approach employing a nonlinear search technique to determine the maximum allowable cartage loads of vehicles for various number of trailer axles up to that of a nominated load rating vehicle to ensure shear adequacy. A vehicle–bridge system has been analyzed considering a two-span bridge girder subject to a nominated rating vehicle. The calculated scaling factors for trailer loads corresponding to the total number of axles in the vehicle are presented. A platform table can then be created to assess the requested permits. The approach ensures full compliance with Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT) as the section shear strength used for load rating is consistent with the load effects of the rating vehicle for the vehicle–bridge system under assessment.
Submesoscale Ageostrophic Processes in the Kuroshio and Their Impact on Phytoplankton Community Distribution
Authors: Wang Yuxuan , Shen Zheyue , Rao Jinjun , Zhang Shuwen
Published: December 2024

This study focuses on typical regions of strong ageostrophic processes in the Kuroshio using high-resolution remote sensing satellite reanalysis data and Argo float data. By analyzing the relationship between the Rossby number and chlorophyll concentration from June to August in the summer of 2020, the spatial characteristics of ageostrophic processes and their impact on the phytoplankton community distribution are explored. The results indicate that ageostrophic processes, driven by coastal topography, are stably generated in the regions of the Bashi Channel, northeastern Taiwan waters, southwestern Kyushu Island, and southern Shikoku Island. Furthermore, the intensity of these ageostrophic processes shows an overall positive correlation with chlorophyll concentration. The local mixing and subfront circulations induced by ageostrophic processes pump deep nutrients into the euphotic zone, supporting the growth and reproduction of phytoplankton, which leads to the formation of significant chlorophyll hotspots in regions controlled by ageostrophic processes.
Conscience at the End of Life
Authors: Baergen Ralph Neil , Skidmore James
Published: December 2024

Background/Objectives: Caring for patients at the end of life can involve issues that are ethically and legally fraught: withholding or withdrawing artificial nutrition and hydration, pain control that could hasten death, aggressive treatment that is continued when it seems only to be prolonging suffering, patients who request medical assistance in dying, and so forth. Clinicians may find that their deeply held ethical principles conflict with law, institutional policy, or patients’ choices. In these situations, they may consider either refusing to participate in procedures that they find morally abhorrent (conscientious refusal) or providing care that they believe to be ethically obligatory despite being contrary to law or policy (conscientious commitment). Methods: This paper reviews the ethical issues involved. Results: Each of the usual policies for handling conscientious refusals faces serious challenges. Conclusions: Healthcare providers who refuse to provide medical services should be expected to explain their reasons, make prompt referrals, and bear some of the resulting costs or burdens.
Advances in Canine Anesthesia: Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling for Predicting Propofol Plasma Profiles in Canines with Hepatic Impairment
Authors: Gonzaga Lucas Wamser Fonseca , Egito Beatriz Monte , Coelho João Bosco Costa , Souza Gabriela Pereira , Martins Frederico Severino , Ferrante Marcos
Published: December 2024

Background: A PBPK model allows the prediction of the concentration of drug amounts in different tissues and organs over time and can be used to simulate and optimize different therapeutic protocols in healthy and sick individuals. The objective of this work was to create a PBPK model to predict propofol doses for healthy canines and canines with hepatic impairment. Methods: The study methodology was divided into two major phases, in which the first phase consisted of creating the PBPK model for healthy canines, and in the second phase, this model was adjusted for canines with hepatic impairment. The model for healthy canines presented good predictive performance, evidenced by the value of the performance measure of the geometric mean fold error that ranged from 0.8 to 1.25, meeting the double error criterion. The simulated regimen for healthy canines, i.e., of 5 mg/kg (administered as a bolus) followed by a continuous infusion at a rate of 0.13 mg/kg/min, was sufficient and ensured that all simulated subjects achieved the target plasma concentration. Canines with 60% and 40% liver function had infusion rate adjustments to ensure that individuals did not exceed the therapeutic window for maintenance of anesthesia. Results: The results presented in this manuscript are suggestive of the effectiveness and practicality of a PBPK model for propofol in canines, with a particular focus on hepatic impairment.
Magnetic Composite Carbon from Microcrystalline Cellulose to Tackle Paracetamol Contamination: Kinetics, Mass Transfer, Equilibrium, and Thermodynamic Studies
Authors: Thue Pascal S. , Wamba Alfred G. N. , Mello Beatris L. , Machado Fernando M. , Petroman Karoline F. , Nadaleti Willian Cézar , Andreazza Robson , dos Reis Glaydson S. , Abatal Mohamed , Lima Eder C.
Published: December 2024

This study reported a one-spot preparation of magnetic composite carbon (MCC@Fe) from microcrystalline cellulose (MC). The pure cellulose was impregnated in iron (III) chloride solution and carbonized at 650 °C. The MCC@Fe composite adsorbent underwent various characterization techniques. XRD identified nanostructured Fe3O4 particles with an average crystallite size of 34.3 nm embedded in the core subunits of the material. FESEM images indicated a rough and irregular surface, with some cavities along its surface, incorporating Fe3O4 nanoparticles, while EDS analysis confirmed the presence of elements like Fe, C, and O. Notably, combining thermal and chemical treatments produces a composite with more pores and a high specific surface area (500.0 m2 g−1) compared to MC (1.5 m2/g). VSM analysis confirmed the magnetic properties (0.76 emu/g), while the Hydrophobic Index (HI) showed that MCC@Fe was hydrophobic (HI 1.395). The adsorption studies consisted of kinetic, mass transfer, equilibrium, and thermodynamics studies. Kinetic study of the adsorption of paracetamol on MCC@Fe composite proved to be rapid, and the time necessary for covering 95% of the surface (t0.95) was lower than 27 min following the fractal-like pseudo-first-order model (FPFO). Liu’s isotherm proved to be the most appropriate for understanding the adsorption equilibrium. Remarkably, the maximum sorption capacity (Qmax) of paracetamol was 34.78 mg g−1 at 45 °C. The ΔH° value (+27.00 kJ/mol) and the negative ΔG° values were consistent with the physisorption mechanism and favorable process. Furthermore, the mass transfer mechanism showed that the transfer is governed by the intraparticle diffusion model, with surface diffusion being the rate-limiting step when considering the Biot number greater than 100. This research displayed a single-route production of inexpensive magnetic nano adsorbents capable of efficiently eliminating paracetamol from aqueous environments.
Flexible Phase Change Materials with High Energy Storage Density Based on Porous Carbon Fibers
Authors: Peng Xiangqin , Chen Lei , Li Bohong , Tang Zhe , Jia Yifan , Zhang Zhenyu Jason , Yu Qianqian , Wang LinGe
Published: December 2024

Phase change fibers (PCFs) can effectively store and release heat, improve energy efficiency, and provide a basis for a wide range of energy applications. Improving energy storage density and preserving flexibility are the primary issues in the efficient manufacture and application development of PCFs. Herein, we have successfully fabricated a suite of flexible PCFs with high energy storage density, which use hollow carbon fibers (HCFs) encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) to provide efficient heat storage and release, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and underpinning a broad range of energy applications. The flexible HCF/LA PCFs with high energy density were made by impregnating a small molecule LA solution, whereas the precursor of the PAN/ZIF-67 composite fibers was created by electrospinning. These PCFs have a high loading capacity for lauric acid (LA), demonstrating a 92% load percentage and a 153 J g−1 phase change enthalpy value. The effects of doping quantity (ZIF-67), fiber orientation, pre-oxidation treatment, and particle size on the morphological and structural characteristics of HCFs, as well as the impact of HCFs’ pore structure on PCM encapsulation, were investigated. It was found that the oriented fiber structure serves to reduce the likelihood of fracture and breakage of precursor fibers after carbonization, whilst the gradient pre-oxidation can maintain the original fiber morphology of the fibers after carbonization. These findings establish a solid theoretical foundation for the design and production of high-performance flexible porous carbon nanofiber wiping phase change composites.
Fabrication and Performance Regulation of Lightweight Porous Electromagnetic Absorbing Materials via CO2 Nucleation-Free Foaming of EP
Authors: Dong Tienan , Quan Jingru , Huang Funing , Guan Yitong , Lin Zihong , Wang Zeyao , Liu Yuheng , Hang Zusheng , Zhao Yupei , Huang Yu’an
Published: December 2024

In this study, CO2 reacted with a curing agent through nucleophilic addition to form ammonium salts, enabling the stable capture and internal release of CO2, which achieved gas-phase nucleation and foaming. Additionally, the introduction of wave-absorbing agents improved the absorption mechanism and promoted uniform foaming. This nucleation-free foaming process relies on the induced growth of gas nuclei and the synergistic effect of the wave-absorbing agents, effectively preventing the uneven foaming issues caused by traditional nucleating agents. Ultimately, a lightweight epoxy foam absorbing material (LFAM) was developed. BET tests showed that 2.0 wt% carbon-based wave-absorbing agents (LFAMs–A2) expanded the material’s volume to 4.6 times its original size, forming a uniform porous structure. VNA tests revealed that LFAMs–A2 achieved a minimum reflection loss of −13.25 dB and an absorption bandwidth of 3.7 GHz in the 12–18 GHz range. The material with 2.0 wt% ferrite-based wave-absorbing agents (LFAMs–C2) achieved a minimum reflection loss of −26.83 dB at 16.6 GHz and an absorption bandwidth of 5.3 GHz, nearly covering the Ku band. DSC tests indicated that the material maintained good thermal stability at 150 °C. This study provides a new approach for lightweight coatings and structural optimization, with broad application potential in 5G communications, microwave anechoic chambers, and aerospace fields.
An Indian Debate on Semantic Internalism and Externalism: Śāntarakṣita’s Tattvasaṃgraha on the Meaning of Words
Authors: Sin Long Yin
Published: December 2024

The semantic internalist–externalist debate is one of the central themes in contemporary philosophy. The present paper aims to explore the dispute between Śāntarakṣita and his opponents over the meaning of words (śabdārtha) in the śabdārthaparīkṣā chapter from the perspective of the internalist–externalist debate in semantics. The present paper consists of three main parts. In the first part, I will elucidate the internalist character of Śāntarakṣita’s apoha theory and the externalist characters of his opponents’ theories. The second part will be an examination of an Indian Externalist Argument against Śāntarakṣita’s apoha presented in the chapter. In the third part, I will explore how Śāntarakṣita attempts to refute this argument by resorting to the Dharmakīrtian notion of adhyavasāya (false ascertainment). Additionally, to emphasize a contemporary approach, I will offer and highlight the intercultural interpretations of these Indian externalist and internalist arguments.
Dense In Situ Underwater 3D Reconstruction by Aggregation of Successive Partial Local Clouds
Authors: Avanthey Loïca , Beaudoin Laurent
Published: December 2024

Assessing the completeness of an underwater 3D reconstruction on-site is crucial as it allows for rescheduling acquisitions, which capture missing data during a mission, avoiding additional costs of a subsequent mission. This assessment needs to rely on a dense point cloud since a sparse cloud lacks detail and a triangulated model can hide gaps. The challenge is to generate a dense cloud with field-deployable tools. Traditional dense reconstruction methods can take several dozen hours on low-capacity systems like laptops or embedded units. To speed up this process, we propose building the dense cloud incrementally within an SfM framework while incorporating data redundancy management to eliminate recalculations and filtering already-processed data. The method evaluates overlap area limits and computes depths by propagating the matching around SeaPoints—the keypoints we design for identifying reliable areas regardless of the quality of the processed underwater images. This produces local partial dense clouds, which are aggregated into a common frame via the SfM pipeline to produce the global dense cloud. Compared to the production of complete dense local clouds, this approach reduces the computation time by about 70% while maintaining a comparable final density. The underlying prospect of this work is to enable real-time completeness estimation directly on board, allowing for the dynamic re-planning of the acquisition trajectory.
Planetary Wave Activity During 2019 Sudden Stratospheric Warming Event Revealed by ERA5 Reanalysis Data
Authors: Yang Yushun , Li Haiyan
Published: December 2024

The minor sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event and the relevant planetary waves are investigated by analyzing ERA5 reanalysis data from July to December 2019. Frequency-wavenumber spectral analysis shows that the quasi-10-day and quasi-16-day waves dominate the stratosphere over the Southern Hemispheric polar region with the eastward-propagating wavenumber 1 during the SSW event. The corresponding amplitudes and phases of each wave mode have been fitted using the two-dimensional harmonic fitting method. The result suggests that quasi-16-day and quasi-10-day waves prior to the SSW event had an important effect on the occurrence of the SSW event. Furthermore, the Eliassen–Palm flux diagnosis shows that the quasi-16-day wave and quasi-10-day wave had poleward and equatorward-propagating components. The poleward-propagating component may have come from the tropical tropospheric convective activity. The equatorward component may have been excited by the atmospheric barotropic/baroclinic instability.
Structural Attributes Injection Is Better: Exploring General Approach for Radar Image ATR with a Attribute Alignment Adapter
Authors: Zhou Xiaolin , Gao Xunzhang , Liu Shuowei , Han Junjie , Su Xiaolong , Zhang Jiawei
Published: December 2024

Nowadays, deep learning techniques are extensively applied in the field of automatic target recognition (ATR) for radar images. However, existing data-driven approaches frequently ignore prior knowledge of the target, leading to a lack of interpretability and poor performance of trained models. To address this issue, we first integrate the knowledge of structural attributes into the training process of an ATR model, providing both category and structural information at the dataset level. Specifically, we propose a Structural Attribute Injection (SAI) module that can be flexibly inserted into any framework constructed based on neural networks for radar image recognition. Our proposed method can encode the structural attributes to provide structural information and category correlation of the target and can further apply the proposed SAI module to map the structural attributes to something high-dimensional and align them with samples, effectively assisting in target recognition. It should be noted that our proposed SAI module can be regarded as a prior feature enhancement method, which means that it can be inserted into all downstream target recognition methods on the same dataset with only a single training session. We evaluated the proposed method using two types of radar image datasets under the conditions of few and sufficient samples. The experimental results demonstrate that our application of our proposed SAI module can significantly improve the recognition accuracy of the baseline models, which is equivalent to the existing state-of-the-art (SOTA) ATR approaches and outperforms the SOTA approaches in terms of resource consumption. Specifically, with the SAI module, our approach can achieve substantial accuracy improvements of 3.48%, 18.22%, 1.52%, and 15.03% over traditional networks in four scenarios while requiring 1/5 of the parameter count and just 1/14 of the FLOPs on average.
Comparative Evaluation of Crop Evapotranspiration Estimation Methods in a Semi-Arid Region
Authors: Amarkai Peter Addo , Süheri Sinan
Published: December 2024

The aim of this study is to compare crop evapotranspiration in the Konya Plain over a period of 10 years calculated by different crop evapotranspiration estimation methods using data collected from four meteorological stations. Accurate ET estimation is vital for sustainable water management in agriculture, especially in areas where there is a limited availability of water. This study highlights how the various estimation methods, particularly the radiation equation, support water-efficient agriculture when full weather data are available. To achieve this, it calculates the water requirements of five widely cultivated crops in the region: sugar beet, maize (grain), sunflower, dry bean, and wheat. The results show a significant difference between the FAO Penman–Monteith method and each of the other methods. It is also observed that the ETc values calculated according to the radiation equation are higher for most of the stations than the ETc values calculated using the other methods. At Akşehir, the ETc of dry bean obtained by using the radiation equation ranges from 501 mm to 679 mm; at Beyşehir, it ranges from 544 mm to 727 mm; at Cihanbeyli, from 679 mm to 738 mm; and at Ereğli, it ranges from 725 mm to 767 mm. The ASCE Penman–Monteith equation recorded the lowest ETc at all meteorological stations for the 10-year period. The radiation equation can be recommended for areas where there are not enough meteorological data to calculate the FAO Penman–Monteith equation, which is considered the standard approach for determining the water requirements of plants.
Enhancing Organizational Resilience: Sustainable Development Scenarios Incorporating Disaster Impacts and AI Tools
Authors: Maceika Augustinas , Bugajev Andrej , Šostak Olga Regina
Published: December 2024

The intensification of human activities and the escalating impact of climate change have increased the probability of disasters, making it important to develop sustainable development scenarios that consider potential disaster consequences. However, disasters are indirectly represented in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and often overshadowed by other topics. This study focuses on disaster effects in the context of sustainable development. We conducted a sociological survey with 30 respondents from Lithuanian companies, half of which were large manufacturing enterprises, and found that only 37% had encountered sustainable development and disaster management issues, with a similar proportion actively developing related scenarios. Although external stakeholders often participate, 57% of the respondents indicated that their company acts independently on these matters. Large companies rated their disaster preparedness higher (3.5/5) than SMEs (2.9/5) or micro-companies (2.8/5). Rapid response and liquidation of disaster consequences was deemed more important (4.5/5) than risk management and resilience-building scenarios (3.8/5). Using correlation and mutual information analyses, we uncovered linear and non-linear dependencies, showing that psychological stress among employees negatively correlates with the importance assigned to SDGs during disasters. Additionally, we demonstrated how generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, can transform survey results into tailored scenarios. These findings provide practical insights and methodologies for enhancing organizational resilience and sustainability, even with limited resources.
How Does Internet Usage Enhance Residents’ Willingness to Pay for Low-Carbon Electricity? A Perspective on Residents’ Cognition
Authors: Xie Canyi
Published: December 2024

Transitioning to a low-carbon electricity model can significantly reduce carbon emissions and offer substantial environmental benefits. A critical factor in this transition is residents’ willingness to pay for low-carbon electricity, which can drive sustainable consumption patterns. Given the internet’s pivotal role in information dissemination and communication, it is important to investigate how internet usage influences residents’ willingness to pay for low-carbon electricity. Using data from the China General Social Survey 2018, Ordinary Least Squares regression and a moderating-effect model were employed in this study to examine the research topic. The findings reveal that internet usage significantly increases residents’ willingness to pay for low-carbon electricity. A further mechanism analysis shows that low-carbon cognition plays a moderating role, enhancing the effect of internet usage on residents’ willingness to pay for low-carbon electricity. Moreover, a heterogeneity analysis indicates that the positive impact of internet usage on willingness to pay for low-carbon electricity varies by region, gender, and household registration status. This study contributes to the literature on green energy payment willingness by highlighting the key role of internet usage and providing valuable insights for policymakers to enhance public support for low-carbon initiatives.
Potential Use of Jarosite Industrial Waste in Developing Hybrid Composites
Authors: Pugar Daniel , Ćurković Lidija , Gabelica Ivana , Kerolli Mustafa Mihone
Published: December 2024

Jarosite is a by-product of the zinc manufacturing industry. The potential use of jarosite processing waste as a component in hybrid composites offers a valuable opportunity for addressing waste management and environmental challenges. Therefore, in this study, hybrid composites were prepared using a polyester matrix reinforced with five layers of a fiberglass chopped strand mat and incorporating 5, 10, and 15 wt.% of jarosite waste particles as fillers. The hand lay-up technique was used for the composite preparation, with jarosite particles pre-dispersed in the polyester resin by an ultrasonic probe treatment to ensure the uniform dispersion of the jarosite particles within the matrix. The flexural properties (the flexural strength, modulus, and apparent interlaminar shear strength), Charpy impact strength, and hardness of the composites were determined and analyzed. The results showed that adding 10 wt.% of jarosite significantly improved the flexural strength (30% higher than the base composite) and hardness (15% higher). Composites with 5 wt.% and 15 wt.% of jarosite showed similar properties to the base composite. These findings demonstrate the potential of jarosite waste as a sustainable filler in hybrid composites, balancing mechanical properties and sustainability.
Experimental Investigation of Pollutant—Luminous Environment Relation Under Tunnel Fire Condition Based on Spectral Analysis
Authors: Quan Yani , Xue Peng , Chen Junwei , Wang Shaofeng , Zhang Yuwei , Ni Zhikai , Li Yanfeng , Li Junmei , Zhang Nan , Xie Jingchao
Published: December 2024

The mature theory of safety assessment and system operation is crucial to ensure the safety and property of commuters under the tunnel fire condition, but the relationship between pollutants and the quality of the luminous environment is still the weakest link in this research area. To establish this close relation, this study adopted three different scaled experiments to investigate the pollutant-visibility model based on spectral analysis. The first scaled tunnel model fire experiment, conducted on a 20.5-m-long experimental platform, utilized three combustion sources to analyze the light attenuation of natural gas, PVC-insulated cables, and smoke cakes based on the APE index. Then the spectrum selective contrast experiment collected several typical spectral data from coloured transparent panels, and the compared results advocated that there is no much different impact on luminous environment with these combustion sources under smoky conditions. At last, the acrylic box pollutant experiment was conducted with different CO/NO2 concentrations, and the results provided quantitative relationship between the light average attenuation rate and CO/NO2 concentrations. The findings of this study could be able to further establish the connection between pollutants and safety evacuation, as well as ventilation and luminous environment by combining the relatively mature research of tunnel fire.
Interpolation of Polynomials and Singular Curves: Segre and Veronese Varieties
Authors: Ballico Edoardo
Published: December 2024

We study an interpolation problem (objects singular at a prescribed finite set) for curves instead of hypersurfaces. We study singular curves in projective and multiprojective spaces. We construct curves that are singular (or with maximal dimension Zariski tangent space) at each point of a prescribed finite set, while the curves have low degree or low “complexity” (e.g., they are complete intersections of hypersurfaces of low degree). We discuss six open problems on the existence and structure of the base locus of the set of all hypersurfaces of a given degree and singular at a prescribed number of general points. The tools come from algebraic geometry, and some of the results are only existence ones or only asymptotic ones (but with as explicit as possible bounds). Some of the existence results are almost constructive, i.e., in our framework, random parameters should give a solution, or otherwise, take other random parameters.
Dynamic Evaluation of Adaptive Product Design Concepts Using m-Polar Linguistic Z-Numbers
Authors: Zhao Zhifeng , Liu Qinghua
Published: December 2024

Adaptive design focuses on creating flexible products that meet evolving demands and enhance sustainability. However, evaluating adaptive design concepts poses significant challenges due to the dynamic nature of product features over time and the inherent uncertainty in decision-makers’ (DMs’) evaluations. Most traditional frameworks rely on static models that fail to capture the temporal evolution of attributes and often overlook decision-makers’ (DMs’) confidence levels, resulting in incomplete or unreliable evaluations. To bridge these gaps, we propose the m-polar linguistic Z-number (mLZN) to address these issues. This framework uses the dynamic representation capabilities of m-polar fuzzy sets (mFSs) and the symmetrical structure of linguistic Z-numbers (LZNs), which effectively integrate linguistic evaluations with corresponding confidence levels, providing a balanced and robust approach to handling uncertainty. This approach models design characteristics across multiple periods while accounting for DMs’ confidence levels. Based on this framework, we develop mLZN weighted and geometric aggregation operators, computation rules, and ranking methods to support dynamic multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM). The proposed framework’s effectiveness is demonstrated through a case study on adaptive furniture design for children, which showcases its ability to dynamically evaluate key attributes, including safety, ease of use, fun, and comfort. Furthermore, we validate its robustness and feasibility through comprehensive sensitivity and comparative analyses.
Exploring the Lindley Distribution in Stochastic Frontier Analysis: Numerical Methods and Applications
Authors: Yenilmez İsmail
Published: December 2024

This study introduces the Lindley Stochastic Frontier Analysis—LSFA model, a novel approach that incorporates the Lindley distribution to enhance the flexibility and accuracy of efficiency estimation. The LSFA model is compared against traditional SFA models, including the half-normal, exponential, and gamma models, using advanced numerical methods such as the Gauss–Hermite Quadrature, Monte Carlo Integration, and Simulated Maximum Likelihood Estimation for parameter estimation. Simulation studies revealed that the LSFA model outperforms in scenarios involving small sample sizes and complex, skewed distributions, particularly those characterized by gamma distributions. In contrast, traditional models such as the half-normal model perform better in larger samples and simpler settings, while the gamma model is particularly effective under exponential inefficiency distributions. Among the numerical techniques, the Gauss–Hermite Quadrature demonstrates a strong performance for half-normal distributions, the Monte Carlo Integration offers consistent results across models, and the Simulated Maximum Likelihood Estimation shows robustness in handling gamma and Lindley distributions despite higher errors in simpler cases. The application to a banking dataset assessed the performance of 12 commercial banks pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19, demonstrating LSFA’s superior ability to handle skewed and intricate data structures. LSFA achieved the best overall reliability in terms of the root mean square error and bias, while the gamma model emerged as the most accurate for minimizing absolute and percentage errors. These results highlight LSFA’s potential for evaluating efficiency during economic shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where data patterns may deviate from standard assumptions. This study highlights the advantages of the Lindley distribution in capturing non-standard inefficiency patterns, offering a valuable alternative to simpler distributions like the exponential and half-normal models. However, the LSFA model’s increased computational complexity highlights the need for advanced numerical techniques. Future research may explore the integration of generalized Lindley distributions to enhance model adaptability with enriched numerical optimization to establish its effectiveness across diverse datasets.
Characterization of Hepatitis B Virus Transcripts in Chronically HBV-Infected Chimpanzees and Patients Treated with ARC-520 siRNA Demonstrates Transcriptional Silencing of cccDNA
Authors: Wooddell Christine I. , Sanders Dean , Xu Zhao , Mak Lung-Yi , Schluep Thomas , Seto Wai-Kay , Given Bruce D. , Yuen Man-Fung
Published: December 2024

Full-length hepatitis B virus (HBV) transcripts of chimpanzees and patients treated with multidose (MD) HBV siRNA ARC-520 and entecavir (ETV) were characterized by single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, identifying multiple types of transcripts with the potential to encode HBx, HBsAg, HBeAg, core, and polymerase, as well as transcripts likely to be derived from dimers of dslDNA, and these differed between HBeAg-positive (HBeAg+) and HBeAg-negative (HBeAg−) individuals. HBV transcripts from the last follow-up ~30 months post-ARC-520 treatment were categorized from one HBeAg+ (one of two previously highly viremic patients that became HBeAg− upon treatment and had greatly reduced cccDNA products) and four HBeAg− patients. The previously HBeAg+ patient received a biopsy that revealed that he had 3.4 copies/cell cccDNA (two to three orders of magnitude more cccDNA than HBeAg− chimpanzees) but expressed primarily truncated X and HBsAg from iDNA, like two patients that were HBeAg− at the start of the study and had one copy/cell cccDNA. No HBV transcripts were detected in two other HBeAg− patients that had ~0.3 copies/cell cccDNA, one of which had seroconverted for HBsAg. The paucity of cccDNA-derived transcripts in the presence of high cccDNA demonstrates the transcriptional silencing of HBV following MD siRNA treatment with ETV.
Circulating MicroRNAs Related to Arterial Stiffness in Adults with HIV Infection
Authors: Nanoudis Sideris , Yavropoulou Maria P. , Tsachouridou Olga , Pikilidou Maria , Pilalas Dimitrios , Kotsa Kalliopi , Skoura Lemonia , Zebekakis Pantelis , Metallidis Symeon
Published: December 2024

People with HIV (PWH) have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those without HIV. This study aimed to investigate the relative serum expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with arterial stiffness, a significant marker of cardiovascular disease. A total of 36 male PWH and 36 people without HIV, matched for age, body mass index, pack years, and dyslipidemia, were included in the study. Participants with a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cancer, or intravenous drug use were excluded. Markers of arterial stiffness, including carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and augmentation index adjusted to 75 beats per minute (AIx@75), were measured via applanation tonometry. We analyzed the relative expression of 11 circulating miRNAs using real-time PCR: let-7b-5p, miR-19b-3p, miR-21-5p, miR-29a-3p, miR-126-3p, miR-130a-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-181b-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-222-3p, and miR-223-3p. cfPWV was significantly higher in PWH compared to people without HIV (9.3 vs. 8.6 m/s, p = 0.019), while AIx@75, peripheral, and aortic blood pressures did not differ among groups. The relative expression of circulating miRNAs was significantly higher in PWH compared to controls for let-7b-5p (fold change: 5.24, p = 0.027), miR-21-5p (fold change: 3.41, p < 0.001), miR-126-3p (fold change: 1.23, p = 0.019), and miR-222-3p (fold change: 3.31, p = 0.002). Conversely, the relative expression of circulating miR-19b-3p was significantly lower in PWH (fold change: 0.61, p = 0.049). Among HIV-related factors, the nadir CD4+T-cell count of <200 cells/mm3 was independently associated with the relative expression of circulating let-7b-5p (β = 0.344, p = 0.049), while current non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) treatment was independently associated with the relative expression of circulating miR-126-3p (β = 0.389, p = 0.010). No associations were found between the duration of HIV infection or the duration of ART and the serum miRNA expression. This study highlights a distinct circulating miRNA profile in PWH with higher cfPWV compared to those without HIV, which may contribute to increased arterial stiffness.
Influence on the Ecological Environment of the Groundwater Level Changes Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Zhou Yu , Zhang Lili , Li Haoran , Yao Yunsheng , Zhang Yaowen , Wang Qixin
Published: December 2024

In recent years, frequent floods caused by heavy rainfall and persistent precipitation have greatly affected changes in groundwater levels. This has not only caused huge economic losses and human casualties, but also had a significant impact on the ecological environment. The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of the new method based on Long Short-Term Memory networks (LSTM) and its optimization model in groundwater level prediction compared with the traditional method, to evaluate the prediction accuracy of the different models, and to identify the main factors affecting the changes in groundwater level. Taking Chaoyang City in Liaoning Province as an example, four assessment indicators, R2, MAE, RMSE, and MAPE, were used. The results of this study show that the optimized LSTM model outperforms both the traditional method and the underlying LSTM model in all assessment metrics, with the GWO-LSTM model performing the best. It was also found that high water-table anomalies are mainly caused by heavy rainfall or heavy storms. Changes in the water table can negatively affect the ecological environment such as vegetation growth, soil salinization, and geological hazards. The accurate prediction of groundwater levels is of significant scientific importance for the development of sustainable cities and communities, as well as the good health and well-being of human beings.
Evaluation of Microbial Biosorbents for Efficient Cd(II) Removal from Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Roșca Mihaela , Diaconu Mariana , Hlihor Raluca-Maria , Cozma Petronela , Silva Bruna , Tavares Teresa , Gavrilescu Maria
Published: December 2024

The biosorption of heavy metals has become an attractive alternative to conventional methods and is considered feasible, environmentally friendly and often low-cost option. Five microorganisms (Rhodotorula sp., Cladosporium sp., Bacillus megaterium, Trichosporon sp. and Geotrichum sp.) were isolated from different environments and used for the biosorption of Cd(II) from aqueous solutions in batch mode to expand upon the existing studies and generate new data related to the main microorganisms that could be successfully applied to the removal of heavy metals from wastewaters. Considering a constant biosorbent dose (5 g/L), pH (5.4) and temperature (25 °C) and varying contact times and initial pollutant concentrations, the process efficiency and uptake capacity of the biosorbents were assessed. Statistical analysis of the experimental results revealed that a contact time longer than 24 h did not significantly increase the uptake capacity or removal efficiency of Cd(II) by B. megaterium or Geotrichum sp., which means that the available binding sites on the cell wall immediately participate in the removal of metal ions. For the other three biosorbents, increasing the contact time from 24 h to 48 h led to a significant increase in the uptake capacity and removal efficiency. A comparison of the uptake values of each biosorbent revealed that Bacillus megaterium had the highest Cd(II) uptake capacity (8.53 mg/g), followed by Trichosporon sp. (8.21 mg/g). The lowest uptake capacity, as well as the lowest efficiency after 48 h of contact, was obtained for Geotrichum sp. (0.73 mg/g and 14.97%, respectively). The results of the FTIR analysis revealed that almost all the functional groups were present on the surface of the biosorbent, but their involvement in Cd(II) biosorption differed from biosorbent to biosorbent. The phosphodiester, amide and hydroxyl groups found on the cell surface of Bacillus megaterium, Cladosporium sp., Rhodotorula sp. and Trichosporon sp. were the main groups involved in Cd(II) biosorption.
Método para otimização múltipla e combinada de recursos em sistemas de distribuição
Authors:   , Resende Diogo Soares
Published: December 2024

Este trabalho apresenta uma abordagem para a otimização conjunta de recursos aplicada a sistemas elétricos de distribuição trifásicos e desequilibrados, com foco na reconfiguração de alimentadores; alocação e dimensionamento de bancos de capacitores fixos; e alocação, dimensionamento e ajuste de reguladores de tensão. O modelo utiliza a modelagem e simulação dos sistemas mediante a utilização do OpenDSS e posterior tratamento dos dados com a utilização do MATLAB®. O trabalho inova por realizar a otimização dos três problemas em um único método, utilizando para isso duas técnicas de otimização distintas, mais adequadas a cada um dos dois subproblemas considerados. Além disso, considera objetivos mais adequados à realidade das distribuidoras de energia do que é comumente visto na literatura, adotando para isso uma modelagem de custos compatível com a realidade do setor, sendo útil para engenheiros de planejamento por permitir a obtenção de soluções construtiva, técnica e financeiramente viáveis para a aplicação pelas distribuidoras de energia em seus sistemas. A primeira fase do método, baseada em um algoritmo modificado de Branch and Bound, é responsável pela solução do problema de reconfiguração, sendo obtidas múltiplas configurações de rede possíveis a serem utilizadas na segunda fase de otimização, a qual é baseada em um Algoritmo Genético modificado e responsável pela alocação de capacitores e reguladores de tensão. Neste sentido, diferentes alternativas de rede fornecidas pelo primeiro processo de otimização são analisadas pelo segundo processo sem a convergência para situações com uma única ou reduzidas configurações de rede possíveis. Ambos os problemas possuem funções objetivo ligeiramente distintas, sendo nas duas situações buscada a maximização da rentabilidade do alimentador mediante a comercialização de energia elétrica e com a realização de investimentos para a instalação de equipamentos visando a melhoria das características de operação da rede. Com o objetivo de reduzir a subjetividade, comum à realização de estudos do tipo, são utilizados custos de energia e equipamentos reais padronizados para a utilização na área de atuação de empresas do setor, o que inclui uma modelagem detalhada da composição de custos em função de diferentes potências e números de fases. Por fim, também são propostas por este trabalho técnicas que visam à otimização da utilização dos recursos temporais e computacionais para a realização dos estudos, permitindo ao método a simulação de diferentes sistemas de modo a extrair resultados de interesse ainda que com hardware ou tempo reduzidos.
Clique aqui para o próximo capítulo: as (ciber)potencialidades literárias de Wattpad
Authors:   , Celeste Jennifer da Silva Gramiani
Published: December 2024

Este estudo se debruça sobre a tese de que os empreendimentos de escrita manufaturados em Wattpad, plataforma virtual de autopublicação literária, têm se demonstrado aptos a assistir a expansão e a popularização da Literatura sob os moldes eletrônicos, contribuindo à mutação de tal expressão artística, também confeccionada em formatos outros, bem como presente em distintos suportes. Em termos generalistas, objetivamos com esta pesquisa potencializar as elucubrações acerca do lugar atualmente ocupado pela demonstração literária de faceta eletrônica, preocupando-nos em problematizá-la de tal maneira que nos capacite a contatar algumas perspectivas em relação ao poder de metamorfose impelido ao fazer literário presente e possível na e da cultura digital. A fim de favorecer nossa imersão no referido website, elegemos o corpus literário de duas jovens wattpaders, a estadunidense Anna Todd, autora da saga After (2013), e Lúcia Lemos, brasileira, quem assina a coleção literária Aika (2015). O transitar sobre suas obras nos estimulou a exploração de prerrogativas aos debates que sustentamos neste estudo, haja vista ter nos possibilitado acessar as especificidades técnicas relativas à rede social na qual produzem e publicam seus textos, ademais, algumas questões universais que perpassam a Literatura que nasce a partir do manuseio dos artifícios digitais. Logo, as argumentações dialogam satisfatoriamente com os aportes ofertados por teóricos das áreas de Estudos Literários, Estudos Culturais e Cultura Digital, dentre alguns dos quais estão estudiosos como Roger Chartier, Zygmunt Bauman e Pedro Barbosa, a título de exemplo, estabelecendo-se enquanto célebres nomes sem os quais as trilhas almejadas às direções pretendidas não haveriam de ser alcançadas. Transfiguração per se, a Literatura Eletrônica dinamiza-se ao sugerir materialidades outras e diversas ao texto contemporâneo e aos modos de escrevê-lo, lê-lo e a ele nos conectarmos.
Análise das propriedades óptica e estrutural das matrizes vítreas de telurito com diferentes modificadores
Authors:   , Rios Leisa Brand
Published: December 2024

No presente trabalho cinco composições vítreas de telurito foram investigadas com as seguintes composições: 70 TeO2 + 18 ZnO + 12 X mol% com (X = Li2CO3, Na2CO3, K2CO3, PbO e Bi2O3), que foram preparadas e investigadas por meio dos métodos de densidade, volume molar, absorção óptica UV-Vis e espectroscopia Raman. As propriedades de densidade, volume molar, refratividade molar, polarizabilidade e metalização com diferentes modificadores foram discutidas, assim como os efeitos dos modificadores no gap de energia óptica (Eopt) e no índice de refração que são apresentados e discutidos. Nas análises Raman, foram obtidas as energias de fônon das amostras, e também foi possível observar as mudanças estruturais devido a presença dos diferentes modificadores, assim como a detecção de grupos funcionais como bipirâmide trigonal TeO4 (tbp), trigonal TeO3 (tp), das ligações Te-O-Te e das ligações de ponte de oxigênio (BO) e de oxigênio sem ponte (NBO).