bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal and Driving Factors of Land-Cover Change in the Heilongjiang (Amur) River Basin
Authors: Jia Shuzhen , Yang Yaping
Published: July 2023

Monitoring land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) is extremely important in the sustainable development and management of terrestrial ecosystems. Taking the Heilongjiang (Amur) River Basin as the study area, this study aimed to identify the spatiotemporal characteristics of land cover at the entire basin and at the country levels of the three countries using the land-use change index, frequency statistics and land-cover change degree. The results showed that: (1) The LULC types were mainly forest land and grassland (accounting for nearly 83% in total) from 2001 to 2019. The main land-cover types in China, Russia and Mongolia were forest land, forest land and grassland, respectively. (2) The area of urban land, cropland and wetland increased significantly from 2001 to 2019, while the area of forest land and bare land decreased during this time. In general, the ecological environment has greatly improved over the last 19 years, although the relevant ecological restoration still needs to be further implemented. The findings can provide a scientific basis for ecological protection and sustainable development in the Heilongjiang (Amur) River Basin. The approaches here are also applicable to land-cover change research in other similar regions.
Combinatorial MAB-Based Joint Channel and Spreading Factor Selection for LoRa Devices
Authors: Urabe Ikumi , Li Aohan , Fujisawa Minoru , Kim Song-Ju , Hasegawa Mikio
Published: July 2023

Long-Range (LoRa) devices have been deployed in many Internet of Things (IoT) applications due to their ability to communicate over long distances with low power consumption. The scalability and communication performance of the LoRa systems are highly dependent on the spreading factor (SF) and channel allocations. In particular, it is important to set the SF appropriately according to the distance between the LoRa device and the gateway since the signal reception sensitivity and bit rate depend on the used SF, which are in a trade-off relationship. In addition, considering the surge in the number of LoRa devices recently, the scalability of LoRa systems is also greatly affected by the channels that the LoRa devices use for communications. It was demonstrated that the lightweight decentralized learning-based joint channel and SF-selection methods can make appropriate decisions with low computational complexity and power consumption in our previous study. However, the effect of the location situation of the LoRa devices on the communication performance in a practical larger-scale LoRa system has not been studied. Hence, to clarify the effect of the location situation of the LoRa devices on the communication performance in LoRa systems, in this paper, we implemented and evaluated the learning-based joint channel and SF-selection methods in a practical LoRa system. In the learning-based methods, the channel and SF are decided only based on the ACKnowledge information. The learning methods evaluated in this paper were the Tug of War dynamics, Upper Confidence Bound 1, and ϵ-greedy algorithms. Moreover, to consider the relevance of the channel and SF, we propose a combinational multi-armed bandit-based joint channel and SF-selection method. Compared with the independent methods, the combinations of the channel and SF are set as arms. Conversely, the SF and channel are set as independent arms in the independent methods that are evaluated in our previous work. From the experimental results, we can see the following points. First, the combinatorial methods can achieve a higher frame success rate and fairness than the independent methods. In addition, the FSR can be improved by joint channel and SF selection compared to SF selection only. Moreover, the channel and SF selection dependents on the location situation to a great extent.
Unmanned Aerial Systems and Deep Learning for Safety and Health Activity Monitoring on Construction Sites
Authors: Akinsemoyin Aliu , Awolusi Ibukun , Chakraborty Debaditya , Al-Bayati Ahmed Jalil , Akanmu Abiola
Published: July 2023

Construction is a highly hazardous industry typified by several complex features in dynamic work environments that have the possibility of causing harm or ill health to construction workers. The constant monitoring of workers’ unsafe behaviors and work conditions is considered not only a proactive but also an active method of removing safety and health hazards and preventing potential accidents on construction sites. The integration of sensor technologies and artificial intelligence for computer vision can be used to create a robust management strategy and enhance the analysis of safety and health data needed to generate insights and take action to protect workers on construction sites. This study presents the development and validation of a framework that implements the use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and deep learning (DL) for the collection and analysis of safety activity metrics for improving construction safety performance. The developed framework was validated using a pilot case study. Digital images of construction safety activities were collected on active construction sites using a UAS, and the performance of two different object detection deep-learning algorithms/models (Faster R-CNN and YOLOv3) for safety hardhat detection were compared. The dataset included 7041 preprocessed and augmented images with a 75/25 training and testing split. From the case study results, Faster R-CNN showed a higher precision of 93.1% than YOLOv3 (89.8%). The findings of this study show the impact and potential benefits of using UASs and DL in computer vision applications for managing safety and health on construction sites.
Dynamic Strain Measurement of Rotor Blades in Helicopter Flight Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor
Authors: Zhang Honglin , Wang Zefeng , Teng Fei , Xia Pinqi
Published: July 2023

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor has a lot of advantages over the resistance strain gauge and has been used in many applications. However, there are few applications of rotor blade dynamic measurement in helicopter flight. In this paper, a method for blade dynamic strain measurement using an FBG sensor in a helicopter’s real flight is presented. The corresponding measurement system is established and can eliminate the effects of the helicopter’s electromagnetic environment on the electrical sensing components in the measurement system with the orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing modulation. The measured dynamic strains on the rotor blades of the helicopter in real flight contain six harmonic frequencies with the vibration characteristics of rotor blades, indicating that the established FBG measurement method and system have practical engineering applications.
A Distributed Particle-Swarm-Optimization-Based Fuzzy Clustering Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Wang Chuhang
Published: July 2023

Clustering is considered to be one of the most effective ways for energy preservation and lifetime maximization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) because the sensor nodes are equipped with limited energy. Thus, energy efficiency and energy balance have always been the main challenges faced by clustering approaches. To overcome these, a distributed particle swarm optimization-based fuzzy clustering protocol called DPFCP is proposed in this paper to reduce and balance energy consumption, to thereby extend the network lifetime as long as possible. To this end, in DPFCP cluster heads (CHs) are nominated by a Mamdani fuzzy logic system with descriptors’ residual energy, node degree, distance to the base station (BS), and distance to the centroid. Moreover, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is applied to optimize the fuzzy rules, instead of conventional manual design. Thus, the best nodes are ensured to be selected as CHs for energy reduction. Once the CHs are selected, distance to the CH, residual energy, and deviation in the CH’s number of members are considered for the non-CH joining cluster in order to form energy-balanced clusters. Finally, an on-demand mechanism, instead of periodic re-clustering, is utilized to maintain clusters locally and globally based on local information, so as to further reduce computation and message overheads, thereby saving energy consumption. Compared with the existing relevant protocols, the performance of DPFCP was verified by extensive simulation experiments. The results show that, on average, DPFCP improves energy consumption by 38.20%, 15.85%, 21.15%, and 13.06% compared to LEACH, LEACH-SF, FLS-PSO, and KM-PSO, and increases network lifetime by 46.19%, 20.69%, 20.44%, and 10.99% compared to LEACH, LEACH-SF, FLS-PSO, and KM-PSO, respectively. Moreover, the standard deviation of the residual network was reduced by 61.88%, 55.36%, 54.02%, and 19.39% compared to LEACH, LEACH-SF, FLS-PSO, and KM-PSO. It is thus clear that the proposed DPFCP protocol efficiently balances energy consumption to improve the overall network performance and maximize the network lifetime.
Tomato Maturity Detection and Counting Model Based on MHSA-YOLOv8
Authors: Li Ping , Zheng Jishu , Li Peiyuan , Long Hanwei , Li Mai , Gao Lihong
Published: July 2023

The online automated maturity grading and counting of tomato fruits has a certain promoting effect on digital supervision of fruit growth status and unmanned precision operations during the planting process. The traditional grading and counting of tomato fruit maturity is mostly done manually, which is time-consuming and laborious work, and its precision depends on the accuracy of human eye observation. The combination of artificial intelligence and machine vision has to some extent solved this problem. In this work, firstly, a digital camera is used to obtain tomato fruit image datasets, taking into account factors such as occlusion and external light interference. Secondly, based on the tomato maturity grading task requirements, the MHSA attention mechanism is adopted to improve YOLOv8’s backbone to enhance the network’s ability to extract diverse features. The Precision, Recall, F1-score, and mAP50 of the tomato fruit maturity grading model constructed based on MHSA-YOLOv8 were 0.806, 0.807, 0.806, and 0.864, respectively, which improved the performance of the model with a slight increase in model size. Finally, thanks to the excellent performance of MHSA-YOLOv8, the Precision, Recall, F1-score, and mAP50 of the constructed counting models were 0.990, 0.960, 0.975, and 0.916, respectively. The tomato maturity grading and counting model constructed in this study is not only suitable for online detection but also for offline detection, which greatly helps to improve the harvesting and grading efficiency of tomato growers. The main innovations of this study are summarized as follows: (1) a tomato maturity grading and counting dataset collected from actual production scenarios was constructed; (2) considering the complexity of the environment, this study proposes a new object detection method, MHSA-YOLOv8, and constructs tomato maturity grading models and counting models, respectively; (3) the models constructed in this study are not only suitable for online grading and counting but also for offline grading and counting.
A Review on Electrospun Nanofiber Composites for an Efficient Electrochemical Sensor Applications
Authors: Vanaraj Ramkumar , Arumugam Bharathi , Mayakrishnan Gopiraman , Kim Ick Soo , Kim Seong Cheol
Published: July 2023

The present review article discusses the elementary concepts of the sensor mechanism and various types of materials used for sensor applications. The electrospinning method is the most comfortable method to prepare the device-like structure by means of forming from the fiber structure. Though there are various materials available for sensors, the important factor is to incorporate the functional group on the surface of the materials. The post-modification sanction enhances the efficiency of the sensor materials. This article also describes the various types of materials applied to chemical and biosensor applications. The chemical sensor parts include acetone, ethanol, ammonia, and CO2, H2O2, and NO2 molecules; meanwhile, the biosensor takes on glucose, uric acid, and cholesterol molecules. The above materials have to be sensed for a healthier lifestyle for humans and other living organisms. The prescribed review articles give a detailed report on the Electrospun materials for sensor applications.
On-Board Unit (OBU)-Supported Longitudinal Driving Behavior Monitoring Using Machine Learning Approaches
Authors: Wei Leyu , Liang Lichan , Lei Tian , Yin Xiaohong , Wang Yanyan , Gao Mingyu , Liu Yunpeng
Published: July 2023

Driving behavior recognition can provide an important reference for the intelligent vehicle industry and probe vehicle-based traffic estimation. The identification of driving behavior using mobile sensing techniques such as smartphone- and vehicle-mounted terminals has gained significant attention in recent years. The present work proposed the monitoring of longitudinal driving behavior using a machine learning approach with the support of an on-board unit (OBU). Specifically, based on velocity, three-axis acceleration and three-axis angular velocity data were collected by a mobile vehicle terminal OBU; through the process of data preprocessing and feature extraction, seven machine learning algorithms, including support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), k-nearest neighbor algorithm (KNN), logistic regression (LR), BP neural network (BPNN), decision tree (DT), and the Naive Bayes (NB), were applied to implement the classification and monitoring of the longitudinal driving behavior of probe vehicles. The results show that the three classifiers SVM, RF and DT achieved good performances in identifying different longitudinal driving behaviors. The outcome of the present work could contribute to the fields of traffic management and traffic safety, providing important support for the realization of intelligent transport systems and the improvement of driving safety.
Adsorption of Phenols on Carbonaceous Materials of Various Origins but of Similar Specific Surface Areas
Authors: Kuśmierek Krzysztof , Świątkowski Andrzej
Published: July 2023

The adsorption of phenol (Ph), 4-chlorophenol (CP), and 4-cresol (MP) from aqueous solutions on three carbonaceous materials of diverse origins but similar specific surface areas was investigated. Vulcan XC72 carbon black (CB), AKP-5 activated coke (AC), and activated tire pyrolysis char (AP) were examined as adsorbents. The kinetics and equilibrium adsorption, as well as the influence of pH and ionic strength of each solution on the adsorption process, were studied. The results revealed that the adsorption was pH-dependent and preferred an acidic environment. The presence of an inorganic salt in the solution (ionic strength) did not affect the adsorption processes of the three adsorbates. The pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order equations, as well as the Weber–Morris and Boyd kinetic models, were used to describe the adsorption kinetics. It was found that equilibrium was reached for all adsorbates after approximately 2–3 h. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption rate was determined by film diffusion. The adsorption isotherms were described using the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The results revealed that the adsorption processes of Ph, CP, and MP on all three adsorbents from the water were better described by the Langmuir model. The adsorption of CP was the most efficient, the adsorption of MP was slightly weaker, and the adsorption of phenol was the least efficient.
A Novel UHPLC-MS/MS-Based Bioanalytical Method Developed for S-Allyl Cysteine in the Establishment of a Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study
Authors: Khan Mohd Faiyaz , Ahmad Niyaz , Alkholifi Faisal K. , Ullah Zabih , Farooqui Sadaf , Khan Nazia , Khalid Mohammed Saifuddin , Ali Mir Naiman , Tabassum Hajera
Published: July 2023

A newly UHPLC-MS/MS method development and validation for S-Allyl Cysteine was used to evaluate the comparative pharmacokinetic parameters. SC PLGA NPs (S-Allyl Cysteine Poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles) were developed by the emulsion solvent evaporation method. SC PLGA NPs showed their drug loading and encapsulation efficiency to be 5.13 ± 0.10% and 82.36 ± 4.01%, respectively. SC PLGA NPs showed a spherical morphology of an average size (134.8 ± 4.61 nm), PDI: 0.277 ± 0.004, and −25.3 ± 1.03 mV Zeta-Potential (ZP), and is suitable for oral delivery. The development and validation of the UHPLC-MS/MS bioanalytical method were performed successfully for PK-parameter examinations with 1.219 min RT, MS (162.00/73.10), and a total run-time of 2.0 min. Additionally, 1.0–1000.0 ng/mL was a linear range with inter- and intra-day accuracy of 92.55–99.40%, followed by a precision of 1.88–4.23%. SC PLGA NP’s oral bioavailability was significantly higher (** p < 0.01) in comparison to the SC-S treated groups’ (iv and oral). The antimicrobial activity of SC PLGA NPs proved to be more effective than pure S-Allyl-L-Cysteine with significant results (p < 0.01) in comparison to SC-S. SC PLGA NPs showed fitted physicochemical and enhanced antimicrobial properties, which can be helpful for oral administration. Based on the proposed research results, SC PLGA NPs were used for the improvement in oral bioavailability with a sustained and controlled release of S-Allyl-L-Cysteine delivery.
Left Behind Together and Voting for Populism: Regional Out-Migration, Civic Engagement and the Electoral Success of Populist Radical Right Parties
Authors: Schütze Stephan
Published: July 2023

According to the academic debate, the populist radical right is particularly successful in regions that have been left behind economically or culturally. Although civic engagement in networks of civil society, a specific form of social capital, seems important, its influence remains ambiguous. In contrast, regional out-migration as a social dimension of being left behind receives limited attention despite the relevance of internal migration to political geography. This study investigates two theoretically possible models to clarify the relationships between regional out-migration, civic engagement, and their impacts on voting for the populist radical right. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and official regional statistics, logistic multilevel analyses are conducted for Germany and the election of the AfD (Alternative for Germany) in the 2017 federal election. The key finding of the cross-sectional analysis is that regional out-migration is a condition that moderates the relationship between civic participation and the election of the AfD. In general, civically involved individuals support established democratic parties, but in regions with high out-migration, they tend to vote for the populist radical right. However, there is no empirical evidence that regional out-migration contributes to the election of the AfD by reducing civic engagement and being mediated by it.
Thriving at Work as a Mediator of the Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Innovative Work Behavior
Authors: Alwahhabi Nada , Dukhaykh Suad , Alonazi Wadi B.
Published: July 2023

Thriving at work is a positive psychological state in which individuals experience a sense of vitality and learning. The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine the effect of transformational leadership on innovative work behavior and the mediating effect of thriving at work on the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative work behavior among private sector employees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from 224 private sector employees. The results of the study reveal that transformational leadership is positively related to thriving at work and thriving at work is positively related to innovative work behavior. Furthermore, thriving at work fully mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative work behavior. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
An Operational Model to Downscale Regional Green Infrastructures in Supra-Local Plans: A Case Study in an Italian Alpine Sub-Region
Authors: Pristeri Guglielmo , di Martino Viviana , Ronchi Silvia , Salata Stefano , Mazza Francesca , Benedini Andrea , Arcidiacono Andrea
Published: July 2023

In recent years, green infrastructure (GI) has increasingly become a strategic tool to integrate ecosystem services in spatial planning at different scales. GI has the potential to foster the achievement of environmental targets and landscape enhancement promoted by several planning instruments that act at different territorial scales. Despite this, the combination of the GI strategy with other ordinary plans is poorly investigated and developed due to the difficulty in making planning instruments dialoguing in a transversal approach. This paper presents a case study in an Italian alpine sub-region (Media and Alta Valtellina, Province of Sondrio) focused on a regional GI—defined by a landscape plan—used for testing a replicable methodology to downscale regional strategies by combining them with sub-regional environmental and landscape rules and recommendations derived from planning instruments. The aim is to create an organic connection between GI goals and other sub-regional planning instruments that would otherwise remain siloed within the hierarchical downscaling process of the top-down planning system. The result is the development of a comprehensive matrix that is useful for downscaling the strategies established by a regional landscape plan in sub-regional landscape units that relapse at the local scale; this is also achieved through GI deployment and the promotion of site-specific nature-based solutions.
Thermal Performance, Microstructure Analysis and Strength Characterisation of Agro-Waste Reinforced Soil Materials
Authors: Parlato Monica C. M. , Porto Simona M. C. , Galán-Marín Carmen , Rivera-Gómez Carlos Alberto , Cuomo Massimo , Nocera Francesco
Published: July 2023

The use of raw-earth materials reinforced by natural fibres, i.e., livestock waste in the form of greasy wool, represents an eco-friendly alternative for a variety of construction applications. This proposal is based on the analysis of unfired adobe blocks stabilised with wool fibres for use as both structural and non-structural building materials. The influence of fibre length on the thermophysical and mechanical properties of the tested material was investigated. The thermal conductivity coefficient (λ) of raw-earth samples was assessed by following three different test setting procedures (T = 20 °C, and HR at 30%, 50%, and 70%), with the aim to evaluate the effects of different fibre lengths in the raw-earth mix. Samples reinforced by fibres 20 mm in length exhibited the lowest thermal conductivity coefficient (λ = 0.719 W/mK) obtained by a test reproducing typical indoor conditions within the Mediterranean area, i.e., T = 20 °C, and HR 50%. The best mechanical performance was exhibited by samples reinforced by fibres 40 mm in length, with a flexural and compression strength of 0.88 MPa and 2.97 MPa, respectively. The microstructure of these biocomposites was also examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) to qualitatively evaluate the variation of thermal and mechanical properties due to the different adhesion among the fibres and the soil. The experimental data show good efficiency and a significant improvement in the behaviour of these materials compared to the control samples. The evaluation of the results, with the length of the fibres being the only variable of the analysed samples, allowed for the identification of the mix suitable for the best mechanical and thermal performances, depending on the final use of the material.
Effects of Risk Attitude and Time Pressure on the Perceived Risk and Avoidance of Mobile App Advertising among Chinese Generation Z Consumers
Authors: Cao Ningyan , Isa Normalisa Md , Perumal Selvan
Published: July 2023

Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers require special consideration because they are a distinct demographic, are less receptive to mobile advertising, and have not been thoroughly studied. This study seeks to advance ad avoidance research by creatively examining Gen Zers’ perceived ad risk and ad avoidance in mobile applications (apps) and the role that risk attitude and time pressure play in these phenomena. The formal study was conducted in March 2023 via an online survey, and 312 sample data were identified for data analysis. It was found that there is a positive relationship between Gen Zers’ perceived risk and their avoidance of app advertising, with time, performance, and privacy risks being the primary advertising risks. Gen Zers perceive higher advertising risk when they are under time pressure or are risk-averse, and time pressure is a more vital indicator of perceived risk than risk attitude. Time pressure also significantly affects mechanical avoidance (e.g., using an ad blocker) more than behavioral avoidance. Still, the risk attitude only positively affects Gen Zers’ behavioral avoidance of app ads. This study concludes that ad avoidance can be reduced by reducing users’ perceived risk and time pressure. Also, ads should be placed based on consumers’ risk attitude. Future research needs to validate these findings in other cultures, compare Gen Z to other generations, and consider the consequences of ad avoidance.
Circular Business Model Value Dimension Canvas: Tool Redesign for Innovation and Validation through an Australian Case Study
Authors: Islam Md Tasbirul , Iyer-Raniga Usha
Published: July 2023

Circular business models (CBMs) are integral to the concept of the circular economy (CE). The aims of the study are to (1) redesign a canvas for CBM and (2) validate it through a single case study. The developed canvas is called the “Circular Business Model Value Dimension Canvas”. For the validation, a semi-structured interview with a social enterprise (SE) operating in hybrid CBM (i.e., resource recovery, sharing platform, and product use extension) in Australia has been performed. Results showed that a successful hybrid CBM for a SE necessitates the integration of forward and reverse supply chains through partnerships with new product retailers and resource recovery companies. Other important factors include the presence of physical stores, an effective product return strategy, initial funding support from the government, the employment of young individuals with special needs, and the promotion of behavioral change among low-income customer segments. Although the canvas was applied to the enterprise, it can also be applied to other organizations as the canvas integrates all essential components for business modeling. The proposed canvas serves as a supportive tool for CBM innovation (CBMI) and provides a framework for researchers to investigate the CBMI process in organizations transitioning from linear to circular.
Environmental Factors’ Effects on Stem Radial Variations of Populus euphratica in the Lower Reaches of the Tarim River in Northwestern China
Authors: He Qingzhi , Ye Mao , Zhao Xin , Pan Xiaoting
Published: July 2023

Microscopic understanding of tree xylogenesis processes and their relationships with environmental factors is important for tree conservation. To assess the relationship between Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica) radial growth and environmental factors on short time scales, micro-core samples were collected in the lower Tarim River in northwest China in 2020. We analyzed the intra-annual radial variation in P. euphratica and its relationship with the environment. Our results showed that P. euphratica started to manifest stem radial variations in late April (around DOY (day of year) 114) and stopped displaying stem radial variations in early to mid-September (around DOY255), with an annual stem radial increment of 2620.89 μm and a maximum stem radial variation rate of 22.42 μm/d. The stem radial variation rate was positively correlated with the mean temperature (R2 = 0.55, p < 0.01), the maximum temperature (R2 = 0.45, p < 0.01), the minimum temperature (R2 = 0.49, p < 0.01), the surface temperature (R2 = 0.64, p < 0.01), and the vapor pressure deficit (R2 = 0.49, p < 0.01), and negatively correlated with the mean atmospheric pressure (R2 = 0.41, p < 0.01) and the groundwater depth (R2 = 0.45, p < 0.01). The stem radial variations of P. euphratica are mainly influenced by groundwater during the main growing period, and its stem radial variation rate was positive when the fluctuation range of the groundwater depth was 4.17~5.38 m. Therefore, the stem radial variations of P. euphratica in the lower reaches of the Tarim River are mainly influenced by groundwater, which has a reasonable range of 4.17~5.38 m.
Aboriginal Food Practices and Australian Native Plant-Based Foods: A Step toward Sustainable Food Systems
Authors: Lopes Carla Vanessa Alves , Mihrshahi Seema , Ronto Rimante , Hunter John
Published: July 2023

The current food system and food choices have resulted in the increased human use of natural resources such as water and soil, and have directly impacted the ‘Global Syndemic’—climate change, obesity, and undernutrition. Revitalising Indigenous food systems and incorporating native plant-based foods into current food systems may have the potential to reduce diet-linked chronic diseases and environmental degradation, and are important steps toward Indigenous rights and self-determination. This study aims to identify and describe Aboriginal food practices and Australian native plant-based foods and their social, environmental, and economic impacts on sustainable food systems. A scoping review was conducted using the five-stage framework informed by Arksey and O’Malley. To describe the results, the framework for sustainable food systems from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations—FAO was used. Articles were included if they described the impacts of Aboriginal food practices on sustainable food systems, were confined to studies that were conducted in the Australian context, and included native Australian plant-based foods. A total of 57 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. The major social impacts incorporated the nutritional and health benefits of Australian native plant-based foods, such as antidiabetic properties, anticancer and antioxidant activities, and cultural identification, involving Aboriginal ecological knowledge and their connection to their country. Within the environmental impacts category, studies showed that Australian native plant-based foods have environmental stress tolerance and some ecosystem benefits. The main economic impacts discussed in the literature were the source of income for remote communities and the potential market for Australian native plant-based foods. This review demonstrates that Aboriginal food practices and Australian native plant-based foods can contribute to more sustainable food systems and diets and give more voice and visibility to Aboriginal knowledge and aspirations. More research and investments are needed to face the challenges of including these foods in our current food systems.
Human–Asian Palm Civet Conflict in Malaysia
Authors: Hasan Siti Mastura , Csányi Sándor
Published: July 2023

The Asian palm civet (APC), Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, is a native Malaysian mammal, and recently, it has increasingly caused conflicts with humans as it ventures into local settlements for food. A study surveying 212 locals and analyzing the APC scats was conducted in Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia, from August 2021 to December 2022 to understand the coexistence potential. The findings show: (1) The conflicts mainly arise due to the APCs’ foraging habits. (2) APCs cause local damage, including cultivated fruit consumption, poultry predation, and agricultural and property damage. (3) Most locals have a positive attitude toward APCs, although, in local settlements, they are considered to be pests. Respondents who experienced losses of cultivated fruits and poultry, and were familiar with APCs, had more negative attitudes. (4) Most locals believe that the APC population has increased over the past decade. (5) Only a few locals actively engage in mitigating the conflict through the use of poison, while most of them do not take any action. Although Malaysia’s human–Asian palm civet conflict is relatively tolerant, prioritizing management strategies is crucial. Conservation practitioners must address these conflicts by highlighting the need for further research and a holistic approach considering social, economic, and ecological factors.
Enterprise Spatial Agglomeration and Economic Growth in Northeast China: Policy Implications for Uneven to Sustainable Development
Authors: Zhang Mingzhi , Zhou Xiangyu , Chen Chao , Liu Jianxu , Li Jiaxi , Huan Fuying , Wang Bowen
Published: July 2023

Many countries and regions around the world are experiencing this development dilemma, and Northeast China is a typical representative. To explore the reason for the backwardness of Northeast China, we analyze the formation mechanism and efficiency of enterprise agglomeration in this research. Based on the panel data of 34 prefectural level or above cities in Northeast China and 241 citescities in other regions from 1999 to 2015, a fixed effects panel model is used, considering enterprise agglomeration, foreign direct investment (FDI), investment in fixed assets, and the non-agricultural industry structure. It is found that enterprise agglomeration has a highly significant negative impact on urban productivity in Northeast China, and this phenomenon of agglomeration diseconomy in the northeast is most significant among the four regions of the country. Furthermore, according to the moderation mechanism analysis, the enterprise agglomeration in Northeast China reduces the pulling effects of fixed asset investment and FDI on economic efficiency but enhances the promotion effect of the non-agricultural industry structure on urban productivity. After the robustness test and extension analysis, this study determines that the enterprise agglomeration in Northeast China does not effectively stimulate the driving role of investments. Finally, we discuss measures that can help resolve the current agglomeration diseconomy problem in Northeast China and achieve sustainable development.
On Automorphisms of Chain Rings
Authors: Alabiad Sami , Alkhamees Yousef , Alhomaidhi Alhanouf Ali
Published: July 2023

Suppose R is a finite chain ring with invaraints p,n,r,k,k′,m. Suppose G is also the subset of all φ∈ Aut(R), the automorphism group of R, such that φ(πk′)=πk′, where π is a generator of the maximal ideal of R. It was found that G is a group that is, in some sense, the set of all symmetries of {πk′}. The main purpose of this article is to describe the structure of G. The subgroup G helps us understand the structure of Aut(R) in the general case which in turn provides immediate results in classifying chain rings.
Does Innovation Create Employment Indirectly through the Improvement Generated in the Company’s Economic and Financial Results?
Authors: Fernández-Portillo Antonio , Ramos-Vecino Nuria , Calzado-Barbero María , Robina-Ramírez Rafael
Published: July 2023

Innovation has traditionally been related to unemployment because people are replaced by machines. By analyzing the different approaches in the literature, we focused on the relationship between innovation and employment with the aim of exploring whether the most innovative companies create more employment, or hope to create it, taking into account the company performance. For this purpose, we performed multivariate analysis, using the partials least squares (PLS) technique, to study the direct and indirect relationship between business innovation and employment through the economic and financial performance of the company, focusing on Spanish companies in the year 2022. The results obtained show that innovation has a positive effect on employment and on the performance of the company, and thus on the creation of employment. In conclusion, the administration should encourage business innovation to improve employment rates and company performance.
Significance of Postprocedural Contrast Medium Injection after CT-Guided Abscess Drainage
Authors: Goessmann Holger , Schleder Stephan , Stroszczynski Christian , Schreyer Andreas G.
Published: July 2023

The aim was to evaluate the additive clinical value of an additional post-procedural control-scan after CT-guided percutaneous abscess drainage (PAD) placement with contrast medium (CM) via the newly placed drain. All CT-guided PADs during a 33-month period were retrospectively analyzed. We analyzed two subgroups, containing patients with and without surgery before intervention. Additionally, radiological records were reevaluated, concerning severe inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) during the intervention. A total of 499 drainages were placed under CT-guidance in 352 patients. A total of 197 drainages were flushed with CM directly after the intervention, and 51 (26%) showed an additional significant finding. An immediate change of therapy was found in 19 cases (9%). The subgroup that underwent surgery (120 CM-drainages; 32 (27%) additional findings; 13 (11%) immediate changes of therapy) showed no statistically significant difference compared to the subgroup without surgery (77 CM-drainages; 19 (25%) additional findings; 5 (6%) immediate changes of therapy). SIRS occurred in 2 of the 197 flushed drainages (1%) after CM application. An additional scan with CM injection via the newly placed drain revealed clinically significant additional information in almost 26% of the drainages reviewed in this study. In 9% of the cases this information led to an immediate change of therapy. Risks for SIRS are low.
Genomic and Temporal Analysis of Deletions Correlated to qRT-PCR Dropout in N Gene in Alpha, Delta and Omicron Variants
Authors: Gatti Giulia , Brandolini Martina , Mancini Andrea , Taddei Francesca , Zannoli Silvia , Dirani Giorgio , Manera Martina , Arfilli Valentina , Denicolò Agnese , Marzucco Anna , Montanari Maria Sofia , Zaghi Irene , Guerra Massimiliano , Tennina Rita , Marino Maria Michela , Grumiro Laura , Cricca Monica , Sambri Vittorio
Published: July 2023

Since the first SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, mutations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletions (INDELs) have changed and characterized the viral genome sequence, structure and protein folding leading to the onset of new variants. The presence of those alterations challenges not only the clinical field but also the diagnostic demand due to failures in gene detection or incompleteness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results. In particular, the analysis of understudied genes such as N and the investigation through whole-genome next generation sequencing (WG-NGS) of regions more prone to mutate can help in the identification of new or reacquired mutations, with the aim of designing robust and long-lasting primers. In 48 samples of SARS-CoV-2 (including Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants), a lack of N gene amplification was observed in the genomes analyzed through WG-NGS. Three gene regions were detected hosting the highest number of SNPs and INDELs. In several cases, the latter can interfere deeply with both the sensitivity of diagnostic methodologies and the final protein folding. The monitoring over time of the viral evolution and the reacquisition among different variants of the same mutations or different alterations within the same genomic positions can be relevant to avoid unnecessary consumption of resources.
COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Autoimmune Disease Patients: Policy Action and Ethical Considerations
Authors: Shafik Nardeen , Akpo Jennifer E. , Waterfield Kristie C. , Mase William A.
Published: July 2023

As COVID-19 vaccination guidelines were issued by Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) across the US, each state and clinical provider instituted vaccine implementation and education policies and protocols for high-risk populations. However, current research has shown that while people with autoimmune diseases were listed by ACIP and CDC as a COVID-19 high-risk population, the rate of adherence to implementation and education protocols, as well as the prioritization of this sub-population as a high-risk group, varied among the clinicians and vaccinators thus impacting the hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine and a correlation to low vaccination rates. The purpose of this review was to explore factors of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in people living with autoimmune diseases in relation to current implementation and education policies and protocols, as well as ethical and contextual factors, while providing possible implications. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in people living with autoimmune disease was greater than in the general population, as demonstrated by increased levels of overall mistrust and fear of potential risk and harmful side effects. Evidence has shown that COVID-19 vaccination is safe and effective for patients with autoimmune diseases. Additionally, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh its potential risks and adverse effects in this population. However, the non-adherence to policy and protocols, especially community education protocols, by those providing the vaccination have a negative impact on the overall perception of the vaccine and needs to be addressed at local and state levels in order to protect this population. Future research should provide strategies to guide collaborative efforts between government and local agencies in providing tailored vaccination campaigns to this population. In parallel with policy, COVID-19 vaccination intervention implementation and educational protocols should be developed with evidence-based guidelines for public health and clinical professionals that are targeted at this vulnerable high-risk population.
Assemblage Patterns of Microalgae along the Upstream to Downstream Gradient of the Okavango Delta: Abundance, Taxonomic Diversity, and Functional Diversity
Authors: Marazzi Luca , Mackay Anson W. , Mazebedi Richard , Jones Vivienne J.
Published: July 2023

This study addresses the gap in understanding the diversity, species, and functional trait distribution of different algal groups that occur in the Okavango Delta (a near-pristine subtropical wetland in northwestern Botswana) across hydrological and habitat gradients. We systematically characterize the delta’s algal flora, addressing the gap left by previous research that was limited to single algal groups (e.g., diatoms) and/or only looking at upstream areas in the Okavango River basin. We analyzed 130 algal samples from 49 upstream and downstream sites with higher and lower flooding frequency, respectively, across a river-to-floodplain habitat gradient. Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta dominated both abundance and taxon richness (>80%) of the total 494 taxa found from 49,158 algal units counted (cells, colonies, coenobia, and filaments). Smaller algae were more abundant in downstream floodplains than in upstream channels and lagoons. Motile and siliceous algae were much more abundant than non-motile, nitrogen fixing, and phagotrophic algae. The frequency of these traits was associated more with flooding frequency than habitat type. The highest algal richness and diversity were found downstream, where shallow floodplain ecosystems with seasonally fluctuating water depths offer greater habitat heterogeneity, and macronutrients are resuspended. The increasing threats from upstream water abstraction plans, fracking, and climate change require enhanced protection and monitoring of the Okavango Delta’s natural annual flood-pulse to maintain the high species and functional diversity of this unique wetland’s microalgae.
A Study on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Budgets in a Polyculture System of Oreochromis niloticus, Aristichthys nobilis, and Cherax quadricarinatus
Authors: Liu Banghui , Zhang Kai , Wang Guangjun , He Xugang
Published: July 2023

Polyculture is an effective way to achieve efficient utilization of nutrient resources in high-density intensive aquaculture systems. In order to study the optimal culture mode of Oreochromis niloticu, Aristichthys nobilis, and Cherax quadricarinatus, the budget of nitrogen and phosphorus in various polyculture systems (CH, CHC1, CHC2, CHC3) was studied with land-based enclosures. The results showed that all the three polyculture systems had higher total yields of cultured animals than the control group (two polyculture systems) (p < 0.05). The co-cultured organisms absorbed artificial feed or organic matter (such as plankton and sediment) from the polyculture system to different degrees. Feed was the main input of nitrogen (98.22–98.33%) and phosphorus (99.43–99.56%) in all systems. Considering the N and P outputs, 46.64–64.58% and 81.60–84.79%, respectively, accumulated in the sediment, and 34.43–52.55% and 14.89–17.30% of the N and P outputs, respectively, were harvested by aquaculture organisms. The pollution production coefficients of TN and TP in the O. niloticus polyculture ponds were 5.35–6.26 g/m2 and 1.17–1.61 g/m2, respectively. The TN production coefficients of O. niloticus and the ternary polyculture groups (CHC1, CHC2, and CHC3) were lower than that of the control group (CH). The TP production coefficients showed the opposite pattern. The N and P utilization efficiencies in the group with the optimal ratio of O. niloticus, A. nobilis, and C. quadricarinatus (4, 0.15, and 3 ind/m2, respectively) were 2.56–12.82% and 6.62–11.03% higher, respectively, compared with those of the other groups. The N utilization efficiency was effectively improved in this group with the optimum stocking density for the polyculture systems, resulting in improved ecological efficiency and economic benefits.
Economic integration of Belarus and Russia in the face of modern challenges
Authors:   International University ", Dadalko Svetlana Viktorovna ,   MITSO",   , Minsk
Published: July 2023

The article examines the results of the integration cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation in the format of the Union State and presents the directions of interaction between the participating countries in modern economic and political conditions. It is shown that integration, contributing to the optimization of the use of human potential and material resources, expansion of product markets, and more effective defense of common interests in the international arena, allows quickly and efficiently solving various problems. Cooperation between Russia and Belarus is a pivotal element of Eurasian integration. Thus, according to expert estimates, 55% of the total mutual trade within the EAEU is accounted for trade between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. The materials of the article can be used within the framework of the majors in International Relations, Economics, and Political Science.
Pledge of movable property in Russian law in the 14th–17th centuries
Authors:   Department of Theory and History of State and Law, All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Staroverova Ekaterina Vyacheslavovna
Published: July 2023

Based on the study of the norms of conventional law and the text of legislative acts, including the Pskov Judicial Charter and the Council Code of 1649, the article analyzes the features of the pledge of movable property in Russian law in the 14th-17th centuries. The materials of the article can be used in the Jurisprudence major.
Ways to reduce the required drive power of pneumatic actuators
Authors:   Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Prudnikov S. N. , Kurdjiev Yu. V. ,   Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Savko N. S., ,   Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow
Published: July 2023

This paper presents ways to significantly reduce the drive power of pneumatic actuators. The use of positioners in membrane devices makes it possible to improve the quality of control processes by reducing the dimensions of membrane devices. Profiling of adjustable throttle valves, as well as louver dampers, makes it possible to significantly reduce the drive power