bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Environmental Attitudes and Risk for Adoption with Respect to Farmers’ Participation in the Agri-Environmental Practices
Authors: Vapa Tankosić Jelena , Ignjatijević Svetlana , Lekić Nemanja , Kljajić Nataša , Ivaniš Miloš , Andžić Slobodan , Ristić Dejan
Published: December 2023

This research represents an attempt to systematically introduce the concepts of sustainable agriculture that shall address environmental attitudes and the risks for adoption related to agri-environmental practices. The substantial risks posed by climate change, loss of biodiversity, and other forms of pollution within the 21st century regarding global eco-systems, food production, and human health have emphasized the need to investigate this phenomenon. The agri-environmental practices are aimed at mitigating the environmental impacts of intensive agriculture; however, the adoption of these practices calls for a change in the farmers’ behaviors. As farmers are indispensable stakeholders in rural ecological systems, the factors that determine the adoption of agri-environmental practices have been taken into analysis. The research has been carried out on a sample of 246 farmers in the rural areas of the Republic of Serbia. The data has been elaborated on by the SPSS statistical package and PLS SMART software. The findings, in the framework of a farm as a business, point out that the farmers believe that environmental protection is an important segment of production and that good agriculture is a prerequisite for producers’ survival, maximum yields, and profits. The farmers, in the framework of stewardship, agree that good agriculture implies responsible management of the farms’ agricultural and natural areas, as part of the country’s heritage, for the benefit of future generations. The findings also show that the environmental attitudes of farmers in the stewardship frame and factors of risk adoption influence attitudes toward agri-environmental practices. The findings of this paper reveal up-to-date attitudes toward the adoption of further agri-environmental measures, directly contributing to raising awareness of the introduction of new AEM among practitioners in the agricultural sector, decision-makers, and policymakers. The proposed research is significant in the process of transposition of the CAP acquis communautaire in agriculture policy and the implementation of measures under IPARD III.
Remote Sensing and Kriging with External Drift to Improve Sparse Proximal Soil Sensing Data and Define Management Zones in Precision Agriculture
Authors: Rodrigues Hugo , Ceddia Marcos B. , Vasques Gustavo M. , Mulder Vera L. , Heuvelink Gerard B. M. , Oliveira Ronaldo P. , Brandão Ziany N. , Morais João P. S. , Neves Matheus L. , Tavares Sílvio R. L.
Published: December 2023

The precision agriculture scientific field employs increasingly innovative techniques to optimize inputs, maximize profitability, and reduce environmental impacts. Therefore, obtaining a high number of soil samples to make precision agriculture feasible is challenging. This data bottleneck has been overcome by identifying sub-regions based on data obtained through proximal soil sensing equipment. These data can be combined with freely available remote sensing data to create more accurate maps of soil properties. Furthermore, these maps can be optimally aggregated and interpreted for soil heterogeneity through management zones. Thus, this work aimed to create and combine soil management zones from proximal soil sensing and remote sensing data. To this end, data on electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility, both apparent, were measured using the EM38-MK2 proximal soil sensor and the contents of the thorium and uranium elements, both equivalent, via the Medusa MS1200 proximal soil sensor for a 72-ha grain-producing area in São Paulo, Brazil. The proximal soil sensing attributes were mapped using ordinary kriging (OK). Maps were also made using kriging with external drift (KED), and the proximal soil sensor attributes data, combined with remote sensing data, such as Landsat-8, Aster, and Sentinel-2 images, in addition to 10 terrain covariables derived from the digital elevation model Alos Palsar. As a result, three management zone maps were produced via the k-means clustering algorithm: using data from proximal sensors (OK), proximal sensors combined with remote sensors (KED), and remote sensors. Seventy-two samples (0–10 cm in depth) were collected and analyzed in a laboratory (1 sample per hectare) for concentrations of clay, calcium, organic carbon, and magnesium to assess the capacity of the management zone maps created using analysis of variance. All zones created using the three data groups could distinguish the different treatment areas. The three data sources used to map management zones produced similar map zones, but the zone map using a combination of proximal and remote data did not show an improvement in defining the management zones, and using only remote sensing data lowered the significance levels of differentiating each zone compared to the OK and KED maps. In summary, this study not only underscores the global applicability of proximal and remote sensing techniques in precision agriculture but also sheds light on the nuances of their integration. The study’s findings affirm the efficacy of these advanced technologies in addressing the challenges posed by soil heterogeneity, paving the way for more nuanced and site-specific agricultural practices worldwide.
Population Genomics of the Critically Endangered Brazilian Merganser
Authors: Campos Davidson P. , Granger-Neto Henry Paul , Júnior José E. Santos , Faux Pierre , Santos Fabrício R.
Published: December 2023

The Brazilian merganser (Mergus octosetaceus) is one of the most endangered bird species in South America and comprises less than 250 mature individuals in wild environments. This is a species extremely sensitive to environmental disturbances and restricted to a few “pristine” freshwater habitats in Brazil, and it has been classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1994. Thus, biological conservation studies are vital to promote adequate management strategies and to avoid the decline of merganser populations. In this context, to understand the evolutionary dynamics and the current genetic diversity of remaining Brazilian merganser populations, we used the “Genotyping by Sequencing” approach to genotype 923 SNPs in 30 individuals from all known areas of occurrence. These populations revealed a low genetic diversity and high inbreeding levels, likely due to the recent population decline associated with habitat loss. Furthermore, it showed a moderate level of genetic differentiation between all populations located in four separated areas of the highly threatened Cerrado biome. The results indicate that urgent actions for the conservation of the species should be accompanied by careful genetic monitoring to allow appropriate in situ and ex situ management to increase the long-term species’ survival in its natural environment.
Human Activity Recognition (HAR) in Healthcare
Authors: Bibbò Luigi , Vellasco Marley M. B. R.
Published: December 2023

Developments in the medical and technological fields have led to a longer life expectancy [...]
Exploiting Data Similarity to Improve SSD Read Performance
Authors: Nie Shiqiang , Niu Jie , Zhang Zeyu , Hu Yingmeng , Shi Chenguang , Wu Weiguo
Published: December 2023

Although NAND (Not And) flash-based Solid-State Drive (SSD) has recently demonstrated a significant performance advantage against hard disk, it still suffers from non-negligible performance under-utilization issues as the access conflict often occurs during servicing IO requests due to the share mechanism (e.g., several chips share one channel bus, several planes share one data register inside the die). Many research works have been devoted to minimizing access conflict by redesigning IO scheduling, cache replacement, and so on. These works have achieved reasonable results; however, the potential data similarity characterization is not utilized fully in prior works to alleviate access conflict. The basic idea is that, as data duplication is common in many workloads where data with the same content from different requests could be distributed to the address with minimized access conflict (i.e., the address does not share the same channel or chip), the logic address is mapped to more than one physical address. Therefore, the data can be read out from candidate pages when the channel or chip of its original address is busy. Motivated by this idea, we propose Data Similarity aware Flash Translation Layer (DS-FTL), which mainly includes a content-aware page allocation scheme and a multi-path read scheme. The DS-FTL enables maximization of the channel-level and chip-level parallelism and avoids the read stall induced by bus-shared mechanisms. We also conducted a series of experiments on SSDsim, with the subsequent results depicting the effectiveness of our scheme. Compared with the state-of-art, our scheme reduces read latency by 35.3% on average in our workloads.
Antioxidant Activity According to the Planting Interval and Collecting Time of Rosa davurica
Authors: Zheng Shengdao , Kim Myeongju , Oh Sarang
Published: December 2023

This study aimed to assess functional substances and antioxidant effects with respect to planting intervals and collection timing, with the goal of developing efficient planting methods for the mass harvesting of Rosa davurica and enhancing the availability of the plant’s edible parts in Korea. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was employed to analyze the ethyl gallate content, a recognized functional component present in R. davurica, while the antioxidant effect was verified using DPPH, ABTS, and SOD assays. The findings revealed an increased yield of buds and leaves in R. davurica when the planting interval was reduced to 120 × 50 cm compared to the conventional 120 × 100 cm spacing. Specifically, the content of ethyl gallate remained consistent across different collection periods, and this result was associated with the varying planting intervals. While there were no significant changes in total polyphenol and flavonoid content, the collection from September demonstrated higher levels. Furthermore, the study established that leaf antioxidant activity, determined through IC50 values of DPPH and ABTS, surpassed that of the buds, with no significant difference in SOD activity being observed. Overall, no substantial differences were observed in the content of functional components between the buds and leaves of R. davurica, regardless of planting interval and collection timing. These results contribute valuable insights for optimizing planting methods for the large-scale collection of R. davurica leaves.
Insider Threat Detection Based on Deep Clustering of Multi-Source Behavioral Events
Authors: Wang Jiarong , Sun Qianran , Zhou Caiqiu
Published: December 2023

With the continuous advancement of enterprise digitization, insider threats have become one of the primary cybersecurity concerns for organizations. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop an effective insider threat detection mechanism to ensure the security of enterprises. Most methods rely on artificial feature engineering and input the extracted user behavior features into a clustering-based unsupervised machine learning model for insider threat detection. However, feature extraction is independent of clustering-based unsupervised machine learning. As a result, user behavior features are not the most appropriate for clustering-based unsupervised machine learning, and thus, they reduce the insider threat detection accuracy. This paper proposes an insider threat detection method based on the deep clustering of multi-source behavioral events. On the one hand, the proposed method constructs an end-to-end deep clustering network and automatically learns the user behavior feature expression from multi-source behavioral event sequences. On the other hand, a deep clustering objective function is presented to jointly optimize the learning of feature representations and the clustering task for insider threat detection. This optimization can adjust the optimal user behavior features for the clustering model to improve the insider threat detection accuracy. The experimental results show that the proposed end-to-end insider threat detection model can accurately identify insider threats based on abnormal multi-source user behaviors in enterprise networks.
Model-Free Adaptive Nonsingular Fast Integral Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Wastewater Treatment Plants
Authors: Xu Baochang , Wang Zhongjun , Liu Zhongyao , Chen Yiqi , Wang Yaxin
Published: December 2023

The regulation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a challenge due to their complex biological and chemical characteristics and their accurate mathematical model is generally not accessible because of the limitation of available measurements. To overcome such challenges, in this paper, a novel model-free adaptive nonsingular fast integral terminal sliding mode control (MFA-NFITSMC) is proposed. Firstly, based on the concept of dynamic linearization, a compact format dynamic linearized (CFDL) data model for the WWTP is established. Secondly, a novel fast integral terminal sliding mode surface is proposed to accelerate the convergence of tracking error and a discrete-time MFA-NFITSMC is created using the CFDL model as a basis; then, its stability is proved by theoretical analysis. Finally, the experimental verification is conducted based on the Benchmark Simulation Model No. 1 and the results show that the proposed method has a higher tracking accuracy and stronger robustness than other methods in the control of WWTPs.
A Nonlinear Convolutional Neural Network-Based Equalizer for Holographic Data Storage Systems
Authors: Nguyen Thien An , Lee Jaejin
Published: December 2023

Central data systems require mass storage systems for big data from many fields and devices. Several technologies have been proposed to meet this demand. Holographic data storage (HDS) is at the forefront of data storage innovation and exploits the extraordinary characteristics of light to encode and retrieve two-dimensional (2D) data from holographic volume media. Nevertheless, a formidable challenge exists in the form of 2D interference that is a by-product of hologram dispersion during data retrieval and is a substantial barrier to the reliability and efficiency of HDS systems. To solve these problems, an equalizer and target are applied to HDS systems. However, in previous studies, the equalizer acted only as a linear convolution filter for the received signal. In this study, we propose a nonlinear equalizer using a convolutional neural network (CNN) for HDS systems. Using a CNN-based equalizer, the received signal can be nonlinearly converted into the desired signal with higher accuracy. In the experiments, our proposed model achieved a gain of approximately 2.5 dB in contrast to conventional models.
Lunar Cold Microtraps as Future Source of Raw Materials—Business and Technological Perspective
Authors: Zwierzyński Adam Jan , Ciążela Jakub , Boroń Piotr , Binkowska Weronika
Published: December 2023

The article uses the Lunar QuickMap tool to analyze and select five highly promising cold microtraps on the Moon in terms of the size of the deposits they contain and their accessibility with the use of rovers and other wheeled vehicles. Since the thickness of the layer containing raw materials is subject to high uncertainty, three arbitrary scenarios for the value of this parameter were assumed: pessimistic (1 cm), nominal (5 cm), and optimistic (1 m). For the analyzed sites, a preliminary market valuation of the raw materials contained therein will be obtained at USD 74 billion; USD 370 billion; USD 7403 billion for the assumed pessimistic, normal, and optimistic scenarios, respectively. The article presents a business and technological perspective on the issue of space mining on the Moon. It is also a selected synthesis of the state of knowledge about space mining on the Moon.
Enhancing Energy Efficiency in Retail within Smart Cities through Demand-Side Management Models
Authors: Yao Ching-Bang , Kao Chang-Yi
Published: December 2023

The energy discourse is multifaceted, encompassing energy creation, storage, and conservation. Beyond the imperative of conserving energy consumption, effective energy management is a critical aspect of achieving overall energy efficiency. Despite being traditionally regarded as low electricity consumers, retailers play a pivotal role in economic activity. While categorized as non-productive energy users, the retail industry operates numerous establishments, facing substantial energy costs that make energy management integral to its operations. Historically, smaller retail stores have lacked awareness of energy saving. However, by connecting these stores, even modest reductions in individual electricity consumption can yield significant overall energy savings. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of implementing the demand-side management (DSM) aggregator model in the retail industry. Through surveys on awareness of energy saving and the application of deep learning techniques to analyze the effectiveness of the Aggregator model, the results reveal that the mean squared prediction error (MSPE) of this research is below 2.05%. This indicates substantial accuracy and offers meaningful reference value for Energy Service Company (ESCO) providers. The findings contribute practical recommendations for the sustainable and competitive implementation of DSM energy management practices in smart cities.
Unpacking Shifts of Spatial Attributes and Typologies of Urban Identity in Heritage Assessment Post COVID-19 Using Chinatown, Melbourne, as a Case Study
Authors: Geng Shiran , Chau Hing-Wah , Jamei Elmira , Vrcelj Zora
Published: December 2023

Many studies acknowledge the significance of assessment frameworks for urban heritage sites in preserving their identities. Due to the pandemic and its impact on heritage sites and visitors, the spatial features and identities of many heritage sites have undergone inevitable shifts, challenging the current assessment frameworks. As numerous urban heritage sites are being revitalised post COVID-19, this study aims to explore how heritage-assessment frameworks can be adapted during the pandemic to sustainably capture the identity of urban heritage sites, particularly from a spatial perspective. Methodologically, the study first examines existing urban-heritage-assessment frameworks, including typologies, embedded spatial attributes, and analysis methods, through a literature review. The research adopts the methodology framework for collecting and assessing evidence to demonstrate the cultural significance outlined in the ‘Guidance on identifying place and object of state-level social value in Victoria’ under Criterion G by the Heritage Council of Victoria. Chinatown, Melbourne, serves as the case study to address the research questions, utilising qualitative data from archival review and field observation. The results highlight the shortcomings of current heritage assessments, particularly in urban contexts, emphasising the overlooked importance of spatial attributes for understanding urban identity. This is exemplified by the exacerbated identity crisis in Chinatown, Melbourne, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the study recommends future heritage assessments incorporate spatial attributes with a thematic approach tailored to diverse cultural-heritage backgrounds in the post-pandemic era. The study acknowledges the sample size and encourages future studies to test the framework with case studies of varied backgrounds.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Hydrometeorological Factors in the Source Region of the Dongting Lake Basin, China
Authors: Li Shanshan , Jiang Changbo , Ma Yuan , Li Chuannan
Published: December 2023

The Dongting Lake basin, located in the middle Yangtze River region, has long been under the threat of climate change. However, there has been a lack of comprehensive analysis and research on the long-term trends and interactions among hydrometeorological factors within the region. To address this gap, this study collected data from 31 meteorological stations in the region and employed statistical analysis methods, including the non-parametric Mann–Kendall test, Sen’s slope test, and cross-wavelet analysis. The results revealed significant increases in temperatures, especially in the spring season, while summer, winter, and annual rainfall also exhibited a significant increase. However, spring and autumn rainfall showed a non-significant decrease, and there was a clear decreasing trend in annual streamflow. Interestingly, evaporation demonstrated a significant increasing trend. The annual average temperature and annual runoff exhibited approximately negative correlations in the 6–10-year resonance period and positive correlations in the 4–6-year resonance period. There are significant positive resonance periods in the relationship between annual precipitation and annual runoff within the range of 0–12 years, indicating that precipitation has a substantial impact and serves as the primary source of runoff. Furthermore, there was a transition between “abundance” and “dry” periods in the annual runoff around 4 a, occurring before and after 1973 and 2005. The change points in annual precipitation and runoff were identified as 1993 and 1983.
Establishment of a Spontaneous Liver Fibrosis Model in NOD/SCID Mice Induced by Natural Aging
Authors: Qiu Lihua , Ma Zhaoxia , Sun Jianxiu , Wu Zhen , Wang Mengting , Wang Sitao , Zhao Yunhui , Liang Shu , Hu Min , Li Yanjiao
Published: December 2023

Liver fibrosis, a critical pathological feature of chronic liver diseases, arises from a multitude of pathogenic factors. Consequently, establishing an appropriate animal model to simulate liver fibrosis holds immense significance for comprehending its underlying pathogenesis. Despite the numerous methodologies available for generating liver fibrosis models, they often deviate substantially from the spontaneous age-related liver fibrosis process. In this study, compared with young (12 weeks) and middle-aged NOD/SCID mice (32 weeks), there were a large number of fibrous septum and collagen in the liver tissue of old NOD/SCID mice (43 weeks, 43 W). Immunohistochemical analysis unequivocally indicated heightened α-SMA content within the liver tissue of the 43 W mice, thereby underscoring aging’s role in triggering the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In addition, SA-β-gal staining as well as P21 expression were increased, and SIRT1 and SIRT3 expression were decreased in 43 W mice. A comprehensive evaluation encompassing transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence quantitative analysis elucidated compromised mitochondrial function and reduced antioxidant capacity in hepatocytes of the 43 W mice. Furthermore, the aging process activated the pro-fibrotic TGF-β-SMAD pathway, concurrently inducing hepatocellular inflammation. The results of the present study not only validate the successful construction of a spontaneous liver fibrosis mouse model through natural aging induction but also provide initial insights into the mechanisms underpinning age-induced liver fibrosis.
Comparison of Alternative Splicing Landscapes Revealed by Long-Read Sequencing in Hepatocyte-Derived HepG2 and Huh7 Cultured Cells and Human Liver Tissue
Authors: Kozlova Anna , Sarygina Elizaveta , Deinichenko Kseniia , Radko Sergey , Ptitsyn Konstantin , Khmeleva Svetlana , Kurbatov Leonid , Spirin Pavel , Prassolov Vladimir , Ilgisonis Ekaterina , Lisitsa Andrey , Ponomarenko Elena
Published: December 2023

The long-read RNA sequencing developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies provides a direct quantification of transcript isoforms, thereby making it possible to present alternative splicing (AS) profiles as arrays of single splice variants with different abundances. Additionally, AS profiles can be presented as arrays of genes characterized by the degree of alternative splicing (the DAS—the number of detected splice variants per gene). Here, we successfully utilized the DAS to reveal biological pathways influenced by the alterations in AS in human liver tissue and the hepatocyte-derived malignant cell lines HepG2 and Huh7, thus employing the mathematical algorithm of gene set enrichment analysis. Furthermore, analysis of the AS profiles as abundances of single splice variants by using the graded tissue specificity index τ provided the selection of the groups of genes expressing particular splice variants specifically in liver tissue, HepG2 cells, and Huh7 cells. The majority of these splice variants were translated into proteins products and appeal to be in focus regarding further insights into the mechanisms underlying cell malignization. The used metrics are intrinsically suitable for transcriptome-wide AS profiling using long-read sequencing.
Effects of Datura stramonium L. Invasion into Different Habitats on Native Plant Functional Traits and Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Stoichiometric Characteristics
Authors: Lv Juan , Wang Haitao , Chang Na , Li Huaiyue , Shi Cong
Published: December 2023

Datura stramonium is an invasive herb of the family Solanaceae from Mexico and has been invading seriously in China. The effects of invasive plants on the functional traits of native plants and the stoichiometric characteristics of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in different habitats were explored by taking the invasive plant D. stramonium and coexisting native plants as the research object. The species, quantity and height of plants in sample plots in farmland, wasteland and roadside habitats were investigated and the specific leaf area (SLA), leaf carbon content (C), nitrogen content (N), carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N), construction cost (CCmass) and stoichiometric characteristics of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were analyzed. The results showed that compared with the noninvaded area, the species and quantity of native plants decreased in the invaded area, and SLA and leaf N showed a decreasing trend. The plant height of native plants in the invaded area of the farmland and wasteland decreased by 23.19% and 15.26%, respectively, while the height of native plants along the roadside increased by 95.91%. The leaf C:N ratio of native plants in the invaded area along the roadside significantly increased by 54.07%. The plant height and leaf N of D. stramonium in the three habitats were higher than those of the native plants. The soil N in the invaded area of the three habitats increased, with the soil N in the farmland increasing by 21.05%, in the wasteland increasing by 9.82% and along the roadside significantly increasing by 46.85%. The soil carbon-to-phosphorus ratio (C:P) in the three habitats showed an increasing trend. The soil C:P ratio in the farmland increased by 62.45%, in the wasteland it increased by 11.91% and along the roadside it significantly increased by 71.14%. These results showed that invasion by D. stramonium has a great effect on the local ecosystem, and it has a high ability to capture resources. D. stramonium can improve its own competitiveness by enhancing invasiveness by changing the functional traits of native plants and the stoichiometric characteristics of soil C, N and P, which may be the reason for its invasive success.
Highly Conductive Peroxidase-like Ce-MoS2 Nanoflowers for the Simultaneous Electrochemical Detection of Dopamine and Epinephrine
Authors: Thamilselvan Annadurai , Dang Thinh Viet , Kim Moon Il
Published: December 2023

The accurate and simultaneous detection of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine (DA) and epinephrine (EP), is of paramount importance in clinical diagnostic fields. Herein, we developed cerium–molybdenum disulfide nanoflowers (Ce-MoS2 NFs) using a simple one-pot hydrothermal method and demonstrated that they are highly conductive and exhibit significant peroxidase-mimicking activity, which was applied for the simultaneous electrochemical detection of DA and EP. Ce-MoS2 NFs showed a unique structure, comprising MoS2 NFs with divalent Ce ions. This structural design imparted a significantly enlarged surface area of 220.5 m2 g−1 with abundant active sites as well as enhanced redox properties, facilitating electron transfer and peroxidase-like catalytic action compared with bare MoS2 NFs without Ce incorporation. Based on these beneficial features, Ce-MoS2 NFs were incorporated onto a screen-printed electrode (Ce-MoS2 NFs/SPE), enabling the electrochemical detection of H2O2 based on their peroxidase-like activity. Ce-MoS2 NFs/SPE biosensors also showed distinct electrocatalytic oxidation characteristics for DA and EP, consequently yielding the highly selective, sensitive, and simultaneous detection of target DA and EP. Dynamic linear ranges for both DA and EP were determined to be 0.05~100 μM, with detection limits (S/N = 3) of 28 nM and 44 nM, respectively. This study shows the potential of hierarchically structured Ce-incorporated MoS2 NFs to enhance the detection performances of electrochemical biosensors, thus enabling extensive applications in healthcare, diagnostics, and environmental monitoring.
The Effects of Acetazolamide on Cerebral Hemodynamics in Adult Patients with an Acute Brain Injury: A Systematic Review
Authors: Stella Claudia , Hachlouf Anas , Calabrò Lorenzo , Cavalli Irene , Schuind Sophie , Gouvea Bogossian Elisa , Taccone Fabio Silvio
Published: December 2023

Background: Acetazolamide is a non-competitive inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme expressed in different cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and involved in the regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF). The aim of this review was to understand the effects of acetazolamide on CBF, intracranial pressure (ICP) and brain tissue oxygenation (PbtO2) after an acute brain injury (ABI). Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement (PRISMA), we performed a comprehensive, computer-based, literature research on the PubMed platform to identify studies that have reported the effects on CBF, ICP, or PbtO2 of acetazolamide administered either for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Results: From the initial search, 3430 records were identified and, through data selection, 11 of them were included for the qualitative analysis. No data on the effect of acetazolamide on ICP or PbtO2 were found. Cerebral vasomotor reactivity (VMR—i.e., the changing in vascular tone due to a vasoactive substance) to acetazolamide tends to change during the evolution of ABI, with the nadir occurring during the subacute stage. Moreover, VMR reduction was correlated with clinical outcome. Conclusions: This systematic review showed that the available studies on the effects of acetazolamide on brain hemodynamics in patients with ABI are scarce. Further research is required to better understand the potential role of this drug in ABI patients.
Wooden Beams Modal Damage Identification Parameters Based on Strain
Authors: Cao Yu , Meng Zhaobo , Gao Feifei , Zhang Liwei , Ren Xiancai , Jiang Huanzhi , Hu Rong
Published: December 2023

This study completely investigates the damage detection problem based on strain modal characteristics using simply supported wooden beams as the research object. First, modal analysis was performed, and finite element models of both damaged and undamaged timber beams were created using ABAQUS. Second, a number of strain modal characteristics (strain modal, strain modal difference, and strain modal curvature difference) were used to identify the damage to the wooden beam construction. Lastly, the modal parameters of the wooden beam under various damage scenarios were ascertained using damage identification experiments, and the test results were contrasted with those obtained from a numerical simulation. The findings showed that, while each of the three damage identification indices has a distinct identification effect, they can all locate the damage to wooden beams. Strain mode curvature difference > strain mode difference > strain mode is the order of them. The results of this study can be used as a reference to identify damage to timber beams in the future.
Research on the Risk-Inducing Factors of Prefabricated Building Design Change Based on Improved DEMATEL-ISM
Authors: Sun Ran , Geng Xiaoxiao , Zhao Li , Wang Yingchen , Guo Ruifang
Published: December 2023

Under the background of China’s progress towards the goals of “carbon peak” and “carbon neutrality”, prefabricated buildings have developed rapidly due to their advantages of energy conservation and environmental protection, low construction cost, and high efficiency. While much attention has been paid to prefabricated buildings, less has been studied about the risk factors that cause engineering changes. In this paper, the factors that induce the risk of design change were identified from six aspects: personnel management, resource management, organization management, information and communication, collaboration mechanism, and technical level. The improved DEMATEL-ISM model was established in a fuzzy environment, the relationship between the influencing factors was quantitatively analyzed, the hierarchy between the factors was intuitively reflected, and the driving force and dependence of each factor were clearly displayed; it was concluded that poor organizational ability, errors and omissions in design, time lag between design and construction, immature component splitting and deepening design technology, and low standardization of production components in component factories are the key factors that induce the risk of design change. Finally, management implications for the relationship between various factors were proposed. This article provides references and help for the construction industry to effectively manage the risks caused by design changes.
Efficacy of Treatment for Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Authors: Sirisreetreerux Pokket , Poprom Napaphat , Numthavaj Pawin , Rattanasiri Sasivimol , Thakkinstian Ammarin
Published: December 2023

Purpose: This umbrella review focused on evaluating the efficacy and adverse events of the metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer patients receiving any treatment regimens, including ADT alone or combination treatments. Methods: This study conducted an umbrella review following the PRISMA 2020 checklist, aiming to summarize the available studies to evaluate the efficacy of medical treatments for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. A literature search was performed to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMAs) that included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to September 2023. This study summarized their findings, evaluated overlapping data (i.e., the same RCTs were included in >one SRMA), tested for excessive significance (i.e., observed number of statistically significant studies > expected number by chance) and assessed the quality of the studies. Results: A total of 4191 studies were identified, but only 27 were included. Among those 27 studies, 12 were network meta-analyses and 15 were direct meta-analyses. Most studies showed no statistically significant difference in overall mortality among GnRH agonists, antagonists and bilateral orchiectomy. Combination treatment is more beneficial than ADT alone in both OS and PFS outcomes with more adverse events. Nevertheless, there is no OS advantage of any combination regimen over the others. Conclusion: Combination treatments demonstrated clear benefits in OS and PFS over ADT alone with more AEs. Further studies are needed to compare among combination treatments.
Eco-Friendly Depolymerization of Alginates by H2O2 and High-Frequency Ultrasonication
Authors: Song Yun Ha , Woo Hee Chul , Lee Jaekyoung
Published: December 2023

Marine biomass has attracted attention as an environmentally sustainable energy source that can replace petroleum-based resources. Alginates, the main natural polysaccharides extracted from seaweeds, are used in various fields, such as food, pharmaceuticals, and chemical raw materials. Because the versatile applications of alginates depend on their physicochemical properties, which are controlled by their molecular weights, proper alginate depolymerization should be established. Previous approaches have limitations such as long reaction times and environmental issues. In this study, we report eco-friendly alginate depolymerization using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative decomposition and high-frequency ultrasonication. In oxidative decomposition, the depolymerization tendency depends on both the temperature and the use of iron oxide catalysts that can promote the Fenton reaction. Ultrasonication is effective in promoting selective depolymerization and ring-opening reactions. Oligo-alginates obtained through the precise molecular weight regulation of alginate offer potential applications in medical devices and platform chemicals.
Data Mining Applied to the Electrochemical Noise Technique in the Time/Frequency Domain for Stress Corrosion Cracking Recognition
Authors: Calabrese Luigi , Galeano Massimiliano , Proverbio Edoardo
Published: December 2023

In this paper, time/frequency domain data processing was proposed to analyse the EN signal recorded during stress corrosion cracking on precipitation-hardening martensitic stainless steel in a chloride environment. Continuous Wavelet Transform, albeit with some limitations, showed a suitable support in the discriminatory capacity among transient signals related to the different stress corrosion cracking mechanisms. In particular, the aim is to propose the analysis of electrochemical noise signals under stress corrosion cracking conditions in the time–frequency domain by using the Hilbert–Huang approach. The Hilbert–Huang Transform (performed by the Empirical Mode Decomposition approach) was finally proposed to carry out an identification of the corrosion mechanisms in comparison to conventional data processing methods. By using this approach, a detailed simultaneous decomposition of the original electrochemical noise data in the time and frequency domain was carried out. The method gave useful information about transitions among different corrosion mechanisms, allowing us to (i) identify a specific characteristic response for each corrosion damaging phenomenon induced by stress corrosion cracking, (ii) time each corrosion of the damaging phenomenon, and (iii) provide a topological description of the advancing SCC damaging stages. This characteristic evidences that the Hilbert–Huang Transform is a very powerful technique to potentially recognize and distinguish the different corrosion mechanisms occurring during stress corrosion cracking.
Tailored Nanoscale Architectures for White Light Photoelectrochemistry: Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based Copper Oxide Heterostructures
Authors: Fu Yu-Chih , Chen Yu-Che , Wu Chieh-Ming , Hsiao Vincent K. S.
Published: December 2023

This study investigates the morphological evolution, optical properties, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of copper-oxide-coated ZnO nanorods under different annealing conditions. Distinct effects of annealing temperature and atmosphere on Cu2O and CuO growth on ZnO nanorods were observed. SEM images revealed the transformation of Cu2O from silk-like to mushroom-like structures, while CuO formed interconnecting nanomaterials. XRD and XPS analyses showed peak shifts and binding energy changes, highlighting structural and electronic modifications induced by annealing. Moreover, PEC measurements demonstrated the superior photoresponse of CuO-coated ZnO nanorods, especially under negative bias, attributed to favorable band structure, charge carrier separation, and annealing stability compared to Cu2O-coated ones. A noteworthy discovery is that ZnO nanorods coated with CuO nanostructures, prepared under air conditions at 400 °C annealing temperature, exhibit exceptional photocurrents. Applying a 0.4 V voltage increases the photocurrent by approximately 10 mA/cm2. The findings provide valuable insights into tailoring metal oxide semiconductor nanostructures for potential applications in diverse areas, including photoelectrochemistry. This study offers practical guidance on modulating nanostructure growth through annealing to enhance performance. The results hold significance for PEC water splitting and have far-reaching impacts on photocatalysis, environmental remediation, and solar cells.
Evaluating the Influence of Waste Cooking Oil Molecular Structure on Aged Asphalt Modification
Authors: Chang Qiuhao , Huang Liangliang , Wu Yuting
Published: December 2023

Recycling aged asphalt pavement has become increasingly important due to its environmental and economic advantages. Asphalt, serving as the binding agent for aggregates, plays a crucial role in pavement integrity. The deterioration of asphalt binder properties upon aging poses a significant challenge to asphalt pavement recycling. Consequently, various rejuvenators have been developed to restore aged asphalt binder properties and facilitate pavement reclamation. Waste cooking oil (WCO) is a widely used rejuvenator that mitigates the high viscosity and brittleness of aged asphalt, preventing cracking. WCO consists of triglycerides (TG) and free fatty acids (FFA), each with distinct molecular structures. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the individual effects of 10 wt.% TG and FFA on the viscosity, self-diffusion, and microstructure of aged asphalt at 1 atm and 404 K. The results demonstrate that both TG and FFA can reduce the viscosity of aged asphalt, albeit through different mechanisms. TG and FFA, characterized by high molecular mobility when dispersed in aged asphalt, enhance its mobility and reduce its viscosity. Additionally, TG effectively disrupts preferential interactions among asphaltenes, preventing their self-aggregation. In contrast, FFA has a limited impact on reducing these interactions. Furthermore, the study delves into the entanglement behaviors of FFA and TG with varying chain lengths within aged asphalt. Shorter chain lengths, as opposed to longer ones, exhibit a lower likelihood of entanglement with other asphalt molecules, resulting in increased molecular mobility and reduced asphalt viscosity. The fundamental insights gained from this research serve as a valuable reference for the application of waste cooking oil in the recycling of aged asphalt pavement. By shedding light on underlying molecular dynamics, this study contributes to the development of more effective and sustainable approaches to asphalt recycling.
O-Vacancy-Rich ε-MnO2 Synthesized at Hydrophobic Interface: An Efficient Fenton-like Catalyst for Removing Ciprofloxacin from Water
Authors: Chen Yulong , Chi Yuan , Wu Xiao , Lin Cong , Lin Tengfei , Gao Min , Zhao Chunlin , Sa Baisheng
Published: December 2023

The widespread use of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in many fields has brought convenience to human lives but has also caused unavoidable environmental pollution issues. In particular, the resistance gene problem resulting from accumulating antibiotics that cannot be fully absorbed by biological individuals has been a concern; thus, it is urgent to find efficient technologies to boost the degradation efficiency of antibiotics in the environment. Here, an ε-MnO2 catalyst was prepared by a novel droplet-interface-drying method and utilized as a Fenton-like catalyst for efficiently degrading ciprofloxacin (CIP). The ε-MnO2 shell was formed preferentially at the gas–liquid interface and then continued to decompose into ε-MnO2 with abundant O vacancies in the air-insulated microcavity. The XPS result confirms that this particular preparation method can regulate the content of O vacancies in the material. Compared with ε-MnO2 samples obtained by the direct drying method (ε-MnO2-B), the catalytic performance of ε-MnO2 prepared by the droplet-interface-drying method (ε-MnO2-P) is significantly improved. By activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) with the ε-MnO2-P catalyst, the CIP degradation efficiency can reach 84.1%. The detection and analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ε-MnO2-P/PMS oxidation system confirms that ·OH, SO4·− and 1O2 are the main ROS for CIP degradation. This study highlights the creation of miniature hypoxic space to regulate the content of O vacancies in ε-MnO2, providing a new idea for the synthesis of other O-vacancy-rich materials.
Comparing the Costs and Diagnostic Outcomes of Replacing Cytology with the QIAsure DNA Methylation Test as a Triage within HPV Primary Cervical Cancer Screening in The Netherlands
Authors: Puri Sudhir Krishnan , Kagenaar Eva , Meijer Michelle , Hesselink Albertus T. , Adams Elisabeth , Turner Katy M. E. , Huntington Susie
Published: December 2023

Detecting hypermethylation of tumour suppressor genes could provide an alternative to liquid-based cytology (LBC) triage within HPV primary cervical screening. The impact of using the QIAsure® FAM19A4/mir124-2 DNA Methylation Test (QIAGEN, N.V, Hilden, Germany) on CIN3+ diagnoses, retention, unnecessary colposcopies, and programme costs is unknown. A decision-tree model was developed to compare LBC with the QIAsure Methylation testing to guide colposcopy referral. Incorporating clinician- and self-sampling pathways the model was informed by the Dutch cervical cancer screening programme, published studies, and manufacturer data. Clinical and cost outcomes were assessed using two scenarios for DNA methylation testing and LBC relative performance. Sensitivity analyses (deterministic and probabilistic) were performed to assess model and parameter uncertainty. A range of self-sampling uptake was assessed in scenario analyses. For the screening cohort (n = 807,269) where 22.1% self-sampled, the number of unnecessary colposcopies and CIN3+ diagnoses varied according to the relative performance of methylation testing and LBC. Irrespective of relative performance, the cost per complete screen was lower and fewer people were lost to follow-up when using DNA methylation testing. The results indicate that, within an HPV primary screening programme that incorporates self-sampling, using the QIAsure Methylation Test for triage reduces the cost per screen compared to LBC.