bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on A Special Hyper-Pixel for SAR Radiometric Monitoring
Authors: Shangguan Songtao , Qiu Xiaolan , Fu Kun
Published: April 2023

The objects presented in synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) images are the products of the joint actions of ground objects and SAR sensors in specific geospatial contexts. With the accumulation of massive time-domain SAR data, scholars have the opportunity to better understand ground-object targets and sensor systems, providing some useful feedback for SAR-data processing. Aiming at normalized and low-cost SAR radiometric monitoring, this paper proposes a new hyper-pixel concept for handling multi-pixel ensembles of semantic ground targets. The special hyper-pixel in this study refers to low-rise single-family residential areas, and its radiation reference is highly stable in the time domain when the other dimensions are fixed. The stability of its radiometric data can reach the level of 0.3 dB (1σ), as verified by the multi-temporal data from Sentinel-1. A comparison with tropical-rainforest data verified its availability for SAR radiometric monitoring, and possible radiation variations and radiation-intensity shifts in the Sentinel-1B SAR products ere experimentally monitored. In this paper, the effects of seasonal climate and of the relative geometrical states observed on the intensity of the hyper-pixel’s radiation are investigated. This paper proposes a novel hyper-pixel concept for processing and interpreting SAR-image data. The proposed residential hyper-pixel is shown to be useful in multi-temporal-data observations for normalized radiometric monitoring and has the potential to be used for cross-calibration, in addition to other applications.
Impact of Urbanization on Groundwater and Surface Temperature Changes: A Case Study of Lahore City
Authors: Zahran Huzaifah , Ali Muhammad Zeeshan , Jadoon Khan Zaib , Yousafzai Hammad Ullah Khan , Rahman Khalil Ur , Sheikh Nadeem Ahmed
Published: April 2023

The over-exploitation of groundwater resources is a significant concern due to the potential risks associated with the depletion of this valuable freshwater source. Future planning must consider changes in groundwater availability and urban expansion which are critical for understanding urban growth patterns. This study aims to investigate the impact of land cover change on groundwater depletion. Further, the Land surface temperature (LST) analysis has been performed to find the spatial spread of urbanization and its impact on surface temperature. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data for groundwater storage monitoring and Landsat data for land cover and LST mapping have been used. The GRACE-based Groundwater Storage (GWS) anomaly has been correlated with Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)-based precipitation data. The GWS is further cross validated with the groundwater monitoring stations in the study area and the correlation of 0.7 is found. The time series analysis of GWS and the land cover maps with a decadal interval from 1990 to 2020 has been developed to find the impact of groundwater change due to urbanization. The results demonstrate a rapid increase in groundwater depletion and urbanization rates over the past decade. The LST spatial pattern is increasing similarly with the study area’s urban expansion, indicating the temperature rise due to urbanization. The study highlights the limitation of effective policies to regulate groundwater extraction in urban areas and the importance of proper planning to ensure the long-term sustainability of freshwater resources.
The Analysis of Energy Distribution Characteristics of Molten Pool in Welding of Aluminum Alloy with Oscillating Laser
Authors: Ai Yuewei , Yan Yachao , Yu Long , Cheng Jian
Published: April 2023

The energy distribution in molten pool is highly related to the quality of the weld formation in aluminum alloy welding. The forming defects in the weld are often improved by adjusting the molten pool dynamic behaviors affected by energy distribution. Therefore, the energy distribution characteristics in the molten pool during the welding of aluminum alloy with oscillating laser in the “∞” shaped path are explored in this paper. The pore defects are found to be greatly reduced in welds from the oscillating laser welding of aluminum alloy compared to those from non-oscillating laser welding. The corresponding distribution characteristics of energy in the molten pool of welding with oscillating laser are obtained and analyzed. The dynamic behaviors and forming process of welds under welding conditions of different distribution characteristics of energy in the molten pool are discussed. The obtained results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Therefore, the proposed method can provide the desired energy distribution for stable dynamic behaviors of molten pool to improve welding quality.
Financial and Logistical Service Strategy of Third-Party Logistics Enterprises in Cross-Border E-Commerce Environment
Authors: Ji Jialu , Zheng Hongxing , Qi Jia , Ji Mingjun , Kong Lingrui , Ji Shengzhong
Published: April 2023

As competition in the cross-border logistics-service market intensifies and demand rises, enterprises with third-party logistics (3PL) combine logistical and financial services to provide comprehensive services. This study considers a secondary supply chain consisting of a cross-border e-commerce enterprise and a 3PL enterprise. When cross-border e-commerce enterprises lack funds, 3PL enterprises can provide them with inventory pledge loans. Thus, we establish a Stackelberg game model between the abovementioned parties. We consider the stochastic fluctuation of exchange rate and demand, establish a combined decision model of the logistics-service level and financial service pledge rate of the 3PL enterprise when logistics services affect offshore market demand, and prove the existence of an optimal solution. Studies have shown that the optimal logistics-service level and pledge rate increase with an increase in import tariffs and logistics sensitivity coefficients in offshore markets. Meanwhile, they decrease with an increase in the capability coefficient of 3PL enterprises, exchange rate fluctuation, default rate, and price sensitivity factor in offshore markets. In addition, the more capable 3PL enterprises are, the greater the expected profitability of the entire supply chain. We also utilize authentic data to verify the abovementioned inference and establish its validity.
Exploring Irrigation and Water Supply Technologies for Smallholder Farmers in the Mediterranean Region
Authors: Pereira Dina , Leitao Joao Carlos Correia , Gaspar Pedro Dinis , Fael Cristina , Falorca Isabel , Khairy Wael , Wahid Nadya , El Yousfi Hicham , Bouazzama Bassou , Siering Jan , Hansmann Harald , Zascerinska Jelena , Camilleri Sarah , Busuttil Francesca , Borg Malcolm , Mizzi Joseph , Micallef Reno , Cutajar Joseph
Published: April 2023

Water security is a hot topic all over the world, due to global warming, climate change, natural calamities such as droughts and floods, overuse of water, and other factors. Water issues have been scientifically investigated from several perspectives, namely institutional, economic, social, environmental, managerial, and technological. However, the technological aspects of irrigation and water supply for smallholder farmers in the Mediterranean region have not been adequately addressed. This paper explores irrigation and water supply technologies for smallholder farmers in the selected Mediterranean countries (Egypt, Malta, Morocco, and Portugal). The methods of analysis are literature review, fieldwork, and observation. The literature survey reveals that Mediterranean countries share many common features in terms of climate, water and land resources, and development issues. Nevertheless, the selected countries in the Mediterranean region (Egypt, Malta, Morocco, and Portugal) differ in terms of type of crops, water management regulations, labor force availability, financial sustainability, and economic approaches. These remarks signal the need for applying a specific approach in selecting a technology for irrigation and water supply according to the regional context. Additionally, the financial and economic perspectives of the three key technologies (i.e., SLECI, desalination technology, and engineering constructed wetlands) require further analysis.
Construction and Application of LSTM-Based Prediction Model for Tunnel Surrounding Rock Deformation
Authors: He Yongchao , Chen Qiunan
Published: April 2023

Tunnel surrounding rock deformation is a significant issue in tunnel construction and maintenance and has garnered attention from both domestic and international scholars. Traditional methods of predicting tunnel surrounding rock deformation involve fitting monitoring and measuring data, which is a laborious and resource-intensive process with low accuracy when predicting data with significant fluctuations. A deep learning approach can improve monitoring efficiency and accuracy while reducing labor costs. In this study, taking an actual tunnel project as an example, a long short-term memory (LSTM) network model was constructed based on the recurrent neural network algorithm with deep learning to model and analyze the tunnel monitoring and measurement data, and the model was used to analyze and predict the vault settlement of the tunnel. LSTM is a type of artificial neural network architecture that is commonly used in deep learning applications for sequence prediction tasks, such as natural language processing, speech recognition, and time-series forecasting. In predicting data with smaller fluctuations, the maximum error is 4.76 mm, the minimum error is 0.03 mm, the root mean square error is 2.64, and the coefficient of determination is 0.98. In predicting data with larger fluctuations, the maximum error is 8.32 mm, the minimum error is 0.13 mm, the root mean square error is 4.42, and the coefficient of determination is 0.88. The average error of the LSTM network model is 2.16 mm. With the growth of the prediction period, the prediction results become more and more stable and closer to the actual vault settlement, which provides a reliable reference for introducing the LSTM prediction method with deep learning to tunnel construction and promoting tunnel construction safety.
Carbon Footprint Analysis of Ice Cream Production
Authors: Wróbel-Jędrzejewska Magdalena , Polak Elżbieta
Published: April 2023

Nowadays, a noticeable trend in society is the search for more and more healthy food products. This is also reflected in the interest in plant-based ingredients replacing animal ones, which are more caloric, difficult to digest, and have more negative environmental impact. The purpose of this study was to determine the carbon footprint (CF) of technological process of ice cream, made with traditional ingredients as well as with fat and sugar substitute ingredients, under laboratory and handcraft conditions. Process-line portable metering was designed and implemented. Emission and production data were recorded for different ice blends; at a laboratory-scale, the determined technological process, CFtech, of traditional ice cream was 0.360 and for ice cream with substitutes 0.385 kg CO2/kg product. The pasteurization process accounted for the largest share in CFtech of ice cream with different contents of substitutes. Under handicraft conditions, the CFtech of traditional ice cream as well as ice cream with fat and sugar substitutes were 0.253 and 0.248 kg CO2/kg product, respectively. In contrast, for standard a handcraft, CF was the lowest at 0.234 kg CO2/kg product. CFtech of laboratory-scale ice cream production is larger than for handcraft production. Pasteurization along with homogenization and ripening accounted for the largest share of CO2 emissions.
Study on Physical Properties, Rheological Properties, and Self-Healing Properties of Epoxy Resin Modified Asphalt
Authors: Li Jiasheng , Zhu Yaoyang , Yu Jianying
Published: April 2023

To investigate the effects of epoxy resin at low content on the physical properties, rheological properties, and self-healing properties of asphalt, epoxy asphalts with epoxy resin contents of 2%, 5%, 10%, and 20% were prepared. The distribution of epoxy asphalt (EA) in epoxy resin (ER) was quantitatively studied by fluorescence microscopy (FM) to investigate the feasibility of the preparation process. The glass transition temperature of epoxy asphalt was quantitatively analyzed by the differential thermal analyzer (DSC). The physical properties of epoxy asphalt were characterized by penetration test, ductility test, and softening point test. The rheological properties of epoxy asphalt were analyzed by the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) to evaluate the self-healing properties of epoxy asphalt. The results show that the epoxy resin could be uniformly distributed in the asphalt, as verified by fluorescence microscopy (FM). With the increase in epoxy resin content, the glass transition temperature of epoxy asphalt gradually decreases, and the epoxy asphalt with 20% content shows the lowest glass transition temperature. At the same time, epoxy resin gives asphalt a higher modulus and high temperature performance, and the penetration and softening point of epoxy asphalt has also been greatly improved. On the contrary, the three-dimensional cross-linked grid structure, which is formed by epoxy resin and curing agent, reduces the rheological properties of epoxy asphalt and increases the elastic components of epoxy asphalt. Although the maltenes diagram still exhibits typical viscoelastic characteristic, the flow behavior index and flow activation energy of epoxy asphalt decreased.
A Community Disaster Resilience Index for Chile
Authors: Bronfman Nicolás C. , Castañeda Javiera V. , Guerrero Nikole F. , Cisternas Pamela , Repetto Paula B. , Martínez Carolina , Chamorro Alondra
Published: April 2023

Although Chile is one of the countries most exposed to natural hazards, to date there is no national index that shows the differences in resilience levels within the country. This study develops a community resilience index on a national scale based on the Baseline Resilience Community (BRIC) index. The BRIC index for Chile was built with 49 indicators, from different sources at the district level. Our results determined that resilience is not distributed homogeneously throughout the country. The highest levels of resilience are concentrated in the central macro-zone. In comparison, the extreme zones of Chile focus close to 90% of their population in the lowest levels, accounting for an uneven distribution of resources and services that impact resilience levels. These differences were mainly explained by indicators such as the percentage of the population without a health insurance system, the percentage of the population without internet access, and the percentage of electoral participation, among others. The results demonstrate that the BRIC model can be successfully implemented to assess community resilience in Chile and suggests the possibility of targeting resources and strategies to increase resilience in areas with the lowest levels of community resilience.
Model Testing and Contribution of Antecedent Variable to Absolute Poverty: Low Income Family Perspective in Indonesia
Authors: Tamsah Hasmin , Ilyas Gunawan Bata , Nurung Jumiaty , Yusriadi Yusriadi
Published: April 2023

Poverty is a classic problem that is never solved except with comprehensive efforts by looking at the problem from various perspectives. This study aims to analyze from the perspective of low-income families the role of short-term vision and uncontrolled consumption as antecedents of absolute poverty. This study used a quantitative approach, using SEM-Amos version 23. The population in this study was all low-income families in South Sulawesi, especially in six districts, namely Makassar City, Jeneponto District, Selayar Islands District, Bone District, North Luwu District, and North Toraja District. The sampling technique was random through 201 heads of households who filled out the questionnaire and were declared complete from low-income families in the six districts. The results of data analysis show that compared to short-term vision, uncontrolled consumption is an antecedent that has a major influence on increasing absolute poverty. This study’s results show a positive and significant contribution of short-term vision to uncontrolled consumption. Partially, uncontrolled consumption is also able to mediate the effect of short-term vision on absolute poverty. Family behavior can be an influential factor in increasing absolute poverty. The family’s ability to overcome internal and external obstacles will reduce the possibility of the family being trapped in absolute poverty.
Environmental Sustainability in Stadium Design and Construction: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Francis Annes Elsa , Webb Matthew , Desha Cheryl , Rundle-Thiele Sharyn , Caldera Savindi
Published: April 2023

Large stadiums are highly visible assets for large-scale ‘mega-events’, inspiring built environment professionals to innovate in structure and aesthetics. In recent years environmental performance—or environmental sustainability—has been increasing in focus, with events such as the Olympics calling for ‘green games’ and countries committing to reducing built environment carbon emissions. This paper presents a systematic literature review of large stadiums’ environmental sustainability discourse over the last five years related to design and construction. Using the PRISMA methodology, 18 relevant conceptual and empirical research papers were distilled from 159 extracted papers. Energy consumption and material composition were the most discussed topics. Emergent technologies and processes were also extensively discussed regarding significant embodied energy and indoor air-quality improvements, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. There was a lack of best practices, or whole life cycle considerations, and minimal demonstration of other attributes of environmental sustainability. This paper provides a baseline to assess progress on environmental sustainability for the built environment sector. A practical definition is presented for Environmentally Sustainable Stadiums (ESS) and a checklist is provided to support leading practices in design and construction. This paper is relevant for built environment professionals and asset owners and managers considering new-build and refurbishments.
Examining the Impact of Real Estate Development on Carbon Emissions Using Differential Generalized Method of Moments and Dynamic Panel Threshold Model
Authors: Fu Chun , Zhou Can
Published: April 2023

The development of the real estate industry inevitably consumes large amounts of fossil energy and makes great contributions to China’s carbon emissions. However, very few research studies have explored the intrinsic link and influence mechanisms between the rapidly growing real estate sector and carbon emissions in China. Hence, this study investigated the impact of real estate development on carbon emissions using a differential generalized method of moments and dynamic panel threshold models. The empirical results show that: (1) There is a non-linear relationship between real estate development and China’s carbon emissions, first promoting and then inhibiting them with the increasing level of real estate development, but it will take a long time to reach the latter stage in the future; (2) The threshold effect of economic development levels on carbon emissions was identified with a threshold value of 9.904, and the positive impact of real estate development on China’s carbon emissions is more significant in economically backward areas; (3) The threshold effect of population sizes on carbon emissions was identified with a threshold value of 7.839, and in areas with larger populations, the positive impact of real estate development on China’s carbon emissions is more significant. The findings above extend the carbon emission literature by clarifying the threshold role of the economic development level and population size between real estate development and carbon emissions. Furthermore, the findings of this study are instructive for China to formulate energy-saving and emission-reduction policies according to local conditions and will ultimately contribute to achieving the goal of “carbon peaking” and “carbon neutrality”.
Cross Reference of GDP Decrease with Nighttime Light Data via Remote Sensing Diagnosis
Authors: Duerler Robert , Cao Chunxiang , Xie Bo , Huang Zhibin , Chen Yiyu , Wang Kaimin , Xu Min , Lu Yilin
Published: April 2023

Nighttime light data is a mainstay method in confirming and supporting other traditional economic data indicators, which in turn influence business and policy-making decisions. Accuracy in and clear definition of economic data and its related indicators are thus of great importance not only for analysis of urban development and related policies seeking sustainable development, but also plays a key role in whether or not these policies are successful. Discovering and recognizing the applications and limitations of nighttime light and other peripheral data could prove helpful in future data analysis and sustainable development policy. One possible limitation could exist in GDP decrease, and whether or not nighttime light would decrease accordingly, as most studies show nighttime light increase confirms economic growth, thus affecting the reliability of the data’s correlation with economic data. This study utilizes nighttime light data in a cross-reference with GDP data during instances of global GDP shrinkage over the years of 2007–2017, split between 2007–2012 for the DMSP dataset and 2013–2017 for the VIIRs dataset. It seeks to establish through linear regression whether or not yearly average nighttime light data products show a positive correlation even during periods of economic decline, thereby providing a clearer understanding of the strengths and limitations of NTL as an economic validation indicator. Analysis shows that both years of global GDP decrease in turn also displayed global nighttime light decrease, in addition to linear regression giving satisfactory results pointing to a positive correlation over the timespan. The VIIRS data series resulted in higher regression coefficients, which is in line with the results of previous literature.
Analysis of Factors Influencing the Flow Characteristics of Paste Backfill in Pipeline Transportation
Authors: Wang Xianqing , Wan Wen , Liu Yishu , Gao Rugao , Lu Zhenxing , Tang Xiaoyu
Published: April 2023

The continuous accumulation of tailings in tailings reservoirs not only causes environmental pollution but may also cause geological disasters. The paste-filling mining method is an effective way to address the accumulation of tailings, and it is necessary to study the flow characteristics of the pipeline transportation process—a core process of this method. However, limited by factors such as test conditions, equipment, and cost, the research in this field mainly focuses on the flow performance of conveying materials and the influence of single conveying conditions on the resistance of filling pipelines. The pipeline transportation of paste is a systematic project, and its pipeline transportation characteristics are not only determined by the characteristics of the slurry itself but also related to the geometric characteristics of the pipeline. In this study, an orthogonal test and numerical simulation were used to study the influence of five parameters—i.e., the filling gradient, the curvature radius of the elbow, the inner diameter of the pipeline, the paste flow rate, and the paste concentration—on pipeline transportation characteristics, and they were sorted according to their levels of influence. The results show that, during the pipeline transportation process, the slurry concentration has the greatest influence on the resistance loss and the maximum wall shear stress of the pipeline, and the slurry flow rate has the greatest influence on the maximum flow rate at the elbow. The numerical simulation results were compared and analyzed using rheological theory. The maximum difference rate was 11%, and the average difference rate was 6%. Numerical simulation results indicate that the pipe wall near the outer diameter side of the inlet section and the center of the elbow section wears easily during the paste-conveying process. The results enrich the theory of paste pipeline transportation, improve the understanding of the influence of various parameters on paste transportation characteristics, and provide a reference for paste pipeline design.
Privacy-Preserving Blockchain Framework for Supply Chain Management: Perceptive Craving Game Search Optimization (PCGSO)
Authors: Aljabhan Basim , Obaidat Muath A.
Published: April 2023

The fierce competition in international markets and the rapid advancements in information technology result in shorter lead times, lower transportation capacity, and higher demand. The supply chain network is one of the most crucial areas of concentration in the majority of business circumstances. Blockchain technology is a promising option for safe information exchange in the supply chain network. Although preserving security at every level of the blockchain is somewhat important, cryptographic methodologies are frequently used in the existing works. The novel perceptive craving game search (PCGS) optimization algorithm is used to optimally generate the key for data sanitization, which assures the privacy of logistics data. Here, the original logistics data obtained from the manufacturer is sanitized with an optimal key generated by using the PCGS optimization algorithm, avoiding the risk of unauthorized access and data swarm that causes the system to lag. Moreover, the sanitized data obtained from the manufacturer is transmitted to the allowed parties via different sub-chains. The same generated key is used on the receiving customer side for reconstructing the original information from the sanitized data. The performance and results of the proposed blockchain-based privacy preservation model are validated using various parameters.
Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Population Migration under Different Population Agglomeration Patterns—A Case Study of Urban Agglomeration in China
Authors: Cao Yongwang , He Xiong , Zhou Chunshan
Published: April 2023

China’s urban agglomerations (UAs) are striving to build a new development pattern oriented towards the new era and new stage, and the population distribution is facing new problems of synergy with the layout of labor factor productivity and regional coordinated development. Therefore, this study couples UAs with population distribution, using data from three population censuses and nighttime light data in 2000, 2010, and 2020, to measure the population agglomeration patterns of Chinese UAs using population agglomeration indicators and to explore the influencing factors and spatial stratification heterogeneity characteristics by constructing an econometric model. The results show that: (1) the population agglomeration patterns of Chinese UAs can be classified into four major categories: weakly polycentric, weakly monocentric, strongly monocentric, and strongly polycentric UAs, and China’s UAs are in a low-level stage dominated by weakly polycentric UAs at present. (2) In terms of influencing factors, 15 indicators, such as economic development and social conditions, are important factors affecting the population agglomeration patterns of the four UAs, but their effects vary greatly due to specific patterns. (3) For specific agglomeration models, the total passenger volume has always been the strongest positive influencing factor for weakly polycentric UAs; the industry location entropy index, scale of fiscal expenditure, and total passenger volume in municipal districts are relatively strong positive effects to weakly monocentric UAs, the per capita GDP and urbanization rate are relatively strong positive effects to strongly monocentric UAs, and the urbanization rate is always the strongest positive effect to strongly polycentric UAs. The refined analysis of population migration in Chinese UAs in this study enriches the theoretical results related to population migration in Chinese UAs to a certain extent and provides a feasible basis for the development of new development patterns in Chinese UAs and the formulation of regional population policies in the new stage. Meanwhile, this study divided the polycentric attributes of different UAs, which provide a reference for the theoretical development of polycentric spatial structure of UAs.
Conceptual Model of Key Aspects of Security and Privacy Protection in a Smart City in Slovakia
Authors: Kollarova Michaela , Granak Tomas , Strelcova Stanislava , Ristvej Jozef
Published: April 2023

The output of this work is a comprehensive overview of a wide range of key aspects of security and privacy relevant for the development of smart cities in Slovakia. The work incorporates heterogeneous and complex findings into a corpus of simplified evidence. By employing a systematic review method, this study first outlines key characteristics of a smart city, and then proceeds to summarise opportunities and challenges for conceptualising a model of a smart city in Slovakia. The development of a classification with respect to the different smart city domains, systems and potential threats aims to highlight universally applicable aspects. In order to provide an overview, the paper also presents specific requirements, options, problems, and factors taking into account Slovak policies. This work is based on the proposition that a sustainable and prosperous conceptual model of a smart city is not only linked with technological artefacts and communication infrastructure that enable intelligent management of various governance resources, but is especially tied to the norms, policies, and standards that ensure security and privacy for smart city residents, as their presence and trust in the whole ecosystem is essential for the generation, collection, processing, storage, dissemination, and use of data by respectful technologies. A secure smart city is a cross-disciplinary dilemma, a universal technological challenge built upon context-based policies, standards and procedures. The output of this work is an identification of smart city domains that can become subject to attacks and a stipulation of security requirements that are needed to assure domain functionality. Maintaining meaningful human control as a requirement to mitigate influence activities as well as protect and ensure residential engagement in a smart city was identified and added to the results of the review. Simple communication was highlighted as an effective countermeasure. Applicability of the smart city concept in Slovakia is particularly vulnerable due to the slow pace of implementation and fragmentation of relevant legislation, short development cycle of new techniques of attack, and the lack of expertise and low level of user awareness.
Household Wealth Distribution and Its Impact in China: Evidence from the China Family Panel Studies
Authors: Hu Wenjie , Gao Tiantian
Published: April 2023

As China has experienced rapid economic growth, the study of household wealth distribution has become a pressing issue. This paper uses data from the 2012–2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to examine the impact of demographic factors and urban–rural differences on household wealth distribution. The study finds that China’s household wealth Gini coefficient has increased significantly, with wealthier households accumulating wealth at a much faster rate than those at the bottom. In addition, negative wealth households, hand-to-mouth households, and indebted households have all shown an upward trend. Despite small marginal effects, demographic factors such as education, average household age, elderly numbers, and household size do not significantly affect the overall trend of the wealth distribution. Both rural and urban households at the top maintain high growth rates, but the average urban household experiences faster wealth growth than its rural counterpart. Asset allocation between rural and urban households also shows significant differences. This analysis underscores the importance of examining wealth distribution to promote equitable resource allocation and economic stability. Policymakers can use the findings of this study to reduce economic disparities and achieve the goal of common prosperity in China.
A Review of Social–Ecological System Research and Geographical Applications
Authors: Liu Fang , Dai Erfu , Yin Jun
Published: April 2023

This paper reviews the exploration and application of social–ecological systems research perspectives to sustainable development issues such as the areas of coupled human–earth relations, resource management, geographical landscape patterns, system dynamics, and the relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being, and summarizes practical approaches and applied techniques for solving social–ecological system problems in order to understand changes and relationships in complex systems better. The article summarizes the theoretical research on social–ecological systems by domestic and international scholars into six frameworks: system resilience, system cascade, nature’s contribution to humans based on ecosystem services, public resource system management, system behavior scenario analysis, and system regime shift. Innovative research and practice oriented to complexity, coupling, and nonlinearity have emerged. However, there are differences between scientific research and applied practice, including their theoretical and methodological orientations. We should be oriented to social–ecological system problems to achieve a transformation from components to relationships, from outcomes to processes, from single to open systems, from general interventions to context sensitivity, and from linear to complex causality to meet what is required from sustainability science and geography.
On Some Bounds for the Gamma Function
Authors: Mahmoud Mansour , Alsulami Saud M. , Almarashi Safiah
Published: April 2023

Both theoretical and applied mathematics depend heavily on inequalities, which are rich in symmetries. In numerous studies, estimations of various functions based on the characteristics of their symmetry have been provided through inequalities. In this paper, we study the monotonicity of certain functions that involve Gamma functions. We were able to obtain some of the bounds of Γ(v) that are more accurate than some recently published inequalities.
Why Are Most Humans Right-Handed? The Modified Fighting Hypothesis
Authors: Larsson Matz , Schepman Astrid , Rodway Paul
Published: April 2023

Humans show a population-level preference for using the right hand. The fighting hypothesis is an influential theory that suggests that left-handedness persists because its rarity provides a surprise advantage in fighting interactions, and that left-handedness is less frequent because it has a health cost. However, evidence for the health cost of left-handedness is unsubstantiated, leaving the greater frequency of right-handers unexplained. Research indicates that homicide may have been common in early hominins. We propose that the hand used to hold a weapon by early hominins could have influenced the outcome of a fight, due to the location of the heart and aorta. A left-handed unilateral grip exposes the more vulnerable left hemithorax towards an opponent, whereas a right-hand unilateral grip exposes the less vulnerable right hemithorax. Consequently, right-handed early ancestors, with a preference for using the right forelimb in combat, may have had a lower risk of a mortal wound, and a fighting advantage. This would explain their greater frequency. In accordance with the original fighting hypothesis, we also suggest that left-handed fighters have a surprise advantage when they are rare, explaining their persistence. We discuss evidence for the modified fighting hypothesis, its predictions, and ways to test the theory.
Natriuretic-like Peptide Lebetin 2 Mediates M2 Macrophage Polarization in LPS-Activated RAW264.7 Cells in an IL-10-Dependent Manner
Authors: Bouzazi Dorsaf , Mami Wael , Mosbah Amor , Marrakchi Naziha , Ben Ahmed Melika , Messadi Erij
Published: April 2023

Snake natriuretic peptide (NP) Lebetin 2 (L2) has been shown to improve cardiac function and reduce fibrosis as well as inflammation by promoting M2-type macrophages in a reperfused myocardial infarction (MI) model. However, the inflammatory mechanism of L2 remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effect of L2 on macrophage polarization in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 cells in vitro and explored the associated underlying mechanisms. TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were assessed using an ELISA assay, and M2 macrophage polarization was determined by flow cytometry. L2 was used at non-cytotoxic concentrations determined by a preliminary MTT cell viability assay, and compared to B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). In LPS-activated cells, both peptides reduced TNF-α and IL-6 release compared to controls. However, only L2 increased IL-10 release in a sustained manner and promoted downstream M2 macrophage polarization. Pretreatment of LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells with the selective NP receptor (NPR) antagonist isatin abolished both IL-10 and M2-like macrophage potentiation provided by L2. In addition, cell pretreatment with the IL-10 inhibitor suppressed L2-induced M2 macrophage polarization. We conclude that L2 exerts an anti-inflammatory response to LPS by regulating the release of inflammatory cytokines via stimulating of NP receptors and promoting M2 macrophage polarization through activation of IL-10 signaling.
Intact Proviral DNA Analysis of the Brain Viral Reservoir and Relationship to Neuroinflammation in People with HIV on Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Gabuzda Dana , Yin Jun , Misra Vikas , Chettimada Sukrutha , Gelman Benjamin B.
Published: April 2023

HIV establishes a persistent viral reservoir in the brain despite viral suppression in blood to undetectable levels on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The brain viral reservoir in virally suppressed HIV+ individuals is not well-characterized. In this study, intact, defective, and total HIV proviral genomes were measured in frontal lobe white matter from 28 virally suppressed individuals on ART using the intact proviral DNA assay (IPDA). HIV gag DNA/RNA levels were measured using single-copy assays and expression of 78 genes related to inflammation and white matter integrity was measured using the NanoString platform. Intact proviral DNA was detected in brain tissues of 18 of 28 (64%) individuals on suppressive ART. The median proviral genome copy numbers in brain tissue as measured by the IPDA were: intact, 10 (IQR 1–92); 3′ defective, 509 (225–858); 5′ defective, 519 (273–906); and total proviruses, 1063 (501–2074) copies/106 cells. Intact proviral genomes accounted for less than 10% (median 8.3%) of total proviral genomes in the brain, while 3′ and 5′ defective genomes accounted for 44% and 49%, respectively. There was no significant difference in median copy number of intact, defective, or total proviruses between groups stratified by neurocognitive impairment (NCI) vs. no NCI. In contrast, there was an increasing trend in intact proviruses in brains with vs. without neuroinflammatory pathology (56 vs. 5 copies/106 cells, p = 0.1), but no significant differences in defective or total proviruses. Genes related to inflammation, stress responses, and white matter integrity were differentially expressed in brain tissues with >5 vs. +5 intact proviruses/106 cells. These findings suggest that intact HIV proviral genomes persist in the brain at levels comparable to those reported in blood and lymphoid tissues and increase CNS inflammation/immune activation despite suppressive ART, indicating the importance of targeting the CNS reservoir to achieve HIV cure.
High-Risk Regions of African Swine Fever Infection in Mozambique
Authors: Mataca Azido Ribeiro , Oliveira Francisco Alyson Silva , Lampeão Ângelo André , Mendonça José Pereira , Moreira Maria Aparecida Scatamburlo , Mota Rinaldo Aparecido , Porto Wagnner José Nascimento , Schwarz David Germano Gonçalves , Silva-Júnior Abelardo
Published: April 2023

African swine fever (ASF) is a transboundary infectious disease that can infect wild and domestic swine and requires enhanced surveillance between countries. In Mozambique, ASF has been reported across the country, spreading between provinces, mainly through the movement of pigs and their by-products. Subsequently, pigs from bordering countries were at risk of exposure. This study evaluated the spatiotemporal distribution and temporal trends of ASF in swine in Mozambique between 2000 and 2020. During this period, 28,624 cases of ASF were reported across three regions of the country. In total, the northern, central, and southern regions presented 64.9, 17.8, and 17.3% of the total cases, respectively. When analyzing the incidence risk (IR) of ASF per 100,000 pigs, the Cabo Delgado province had the highest IR (17,301.1), followed by the Maputo province (8868.6). In the space-time analysis, three clusters were formed in each region: (i) Cluster A involved the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula (north), (ii) Cluster B involved the province of Maputo and the city of Maputo (south), and (iii) Cluster C consisted of the provinces of Manica and Sofala (central) in 2006. However, when analyzing the temporal trend in the provinces, most were found to be decreasing, except for Sofala, Inhambane, and Maputo, which had a stationary trend. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the spatial distribution of ASF in Mozambique. These findings will contribute to increasing official ASF control programs by identifying high-risk areas and raising awareness of the importance of controlling the borders between provinces and countries to prevent their spread to other regions of the world.
Regional Trends of Biodiversity Indices in the Temperate Mesic United States: Testing for Influences of Anthropogenic Land Use on Stream Fish while Controlling for Natural Landscape Variables
Authors: Thornbrugh Darren , Infante Dana , Tsang Yinphan
Published: April 2023

The biodiversity of stream fishes is critically threatened globally, and a major factor leading to the loss of biodiversity is anthropogenic land use in stream catchments, which act as stressors to stream fishes. Declines in the biodiversity of stream fish are often identified by a loss of species or fewer individuals comprising assemblages, but biological degradation can also occur with increases in non-native species and/or the spread of fish tolerant to anthropogenic land use, suggesting the importance of accounting for the distinctness of assemblages along with richness and diversity to best characterize the response of stream fish assemblages to anthropogenic landscape stressors. We summarized stream fish assemblages from 10,522 locations through multiple biodiversity indices and then quantified index responsiveness to natural landscape variables and anthropogenic land use in stream network catchments across five freshwater ecoregions in the temperate mesic portion of the United States. Indices included species richness, Shannon’s diversity, Pielou’s evenness, beta diversity, taxonomic diversity, and taxonomic distinctness. First, we tested for correlations among indices across freshwater ecoregions and found that while species richness and Shannon’s diversity were always highly correlated, taxonomic distinctiveness was not highly correlated with other biodiversity indices measured except taxonomic diversity. Then, we used multiple linear regression to predict biodiversity indices in each of the five freshwater ecoregions to identify significant landscape variables from natural landscape and anthropogenic land uses. Most indices were consistently predicted by catchment area, and many were predicted by elevation, except for beta diversity, emphasizing the importance of these natural landscape variables on biodiversity. In contrast, taxonomic distinctness was often predicted by the amount of urban land use in the catchment, but the direction of the relationship varied. The proportion of agriculture land use in the network catchment was a more consistent predictor of species richness, beta diversity, and Shannon’s diversity. Our analyses show that taxonomic distinctness in freshwater fishes characterize a unique element of biodiversity in relationships with anthropogenic land uses in a streams network catchment. Taxonomic distinctness may also be an effective metric for the bioassessment of stream fishes along with richness and diversity indices to help preserve biodiversity in regard to current and future anthropogenic land uses.
SWRO Brine Characterisation and Critical Analysis of Its Industrial Valorisation: A Case Study in the Canary Islands (Spain)
Authors: Rivero-Falcón Ángel , Peñate Suárez Baltasar , Melián-Martel Noemi
Published: April 2023

The most recent years of research have shifted the perception of desalination brine from being waste to a high-value resource, in consonance with a circular economy perspective. The Canary Islands, containing the largest number of desalination plants per square kilometre in the world, are a perfect location to study its characteristics and evaluate its potential. A total of 10 heterogeneous seawater reverse osmosis plants were selected to determine the brine’s physicochemical characterisation, comprising 37 parameters, and its correlation to the technical and operational aspects of the desalination plants. The results show a stable narrow range of the percentage of major ions concentration in relation to the total dissolved solids (55% Cl−, 29.5% Na+, 8% SO42−, 4% Mg2+, 1.5% Ca2+, 1.2% K+, 0.5% HCO3−, and 0.2% Br−) irrespective of specific differences between plants. The results obtained in this study are highly beneficial to industrial suppliers and future users of desalination brine valorisation (DBV) technologies, allowing an estimation of the chemical composition of a brine through knowledge only of its conductivity. Such information is crucial before investing in and optimizing DBV technologies. Nonetheless, from an environmental, economic, operational, energy-based, and R&D point of view, several improvements are required to promote their large-scale feasibility and viability.
Evaluación de la sustitución de harina de pescado por la de Spirulina subsalsa Oersted ex Gomont 1892, en el crecimiento del caracol manzana Pomacea bridgesii (Reeve, 1856) en un sistema de recirculación y bajo condiciones de laboratorio
Authors: Torres Alejandra , Vivaldo Patraca Luis Gabriel , Serrano Guzmán Saúl Jaime
Published: April 2023

Se evaluó el efecto en la nutrición de la sustitución de la harina de pescado por la de cianobacteria S. subsalsa en un cultivo de caracol manzana Pomacea bridgesii, donde se utilizaron 60 organismos a los cuales se les suministraron dos dietas (A y B) de alimento balanceado: una adicionada con harina de S. subsalsa (A) y la otra sin S. subsalsa con harina de pescado (B). El cultivo se realizó en un sistema de recirculación conformado por seis unidades de cultivo, durante un periodo de diez semanas. Para evaluar la eficiencia de las dietas se utilizó la tasa de crecimiento absoluta (TAC), con un valor de 0,168 ± 0,011 para A y 0,162 ± 0,009 para B, la tasa de crecimiento específica (TEC), con un valor de 1,417 ± 0,013 para A y 1,416 ± 0,065 para B, en cuanto al factor de conversión alimenticia (FCA), se obtuvo un valor de 1,52 ± 0,11 para A y 1,33 ± 0,08 para B. Se realizó un análisis de varianza para la TAC y TEC, entre los tratamientos A y B, sin encontrar diferencias significativas. El análisis de medidas repetidas para peso y talla, entre los tratamientos A y B, no mostró diferencias significativas, con esto se puede decir que, en la dieta (dieta A) en la que se sustituyó una porción de harina de pescado por harina de S. subsalsa, ofreció los mismos resultados que la dieta elaborada con harina de pescado (dieta B) como principal fuente de proteína. Por lo que se podría reducir el uso de la harina de pescado en la formulación de alimentos acuícolas al menos para esta especie de caracol.