bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wearables and Machine Learning for Improving Runners’ Motivation from an Affective Perspective
Authors: Baldassarri Sandra , García de Quirós Jorge , Beltrán José Ramón , Álvarez Pedro
Published: February 2023

Wearable technology is playing an increasing role in the development of user-centric applications. In the field of sports, this technology is being used to implement solutions that improve athletes’ performance, reduce the risk of injury, or control fatigue, for example. Emotions are involved in most of these solutions, but unfortunately, they are not monitored in real-time or used as a decision element that helps to increase the quality of training sessions, nor are they used to guarantee the health of athletes. In this paper, we present a wearable and a set of machine learning models that are able to deduce runners’ emotions during their training. The solution is based on the analysis of runners’ electrodermal activity, a physiological parameter widely used in the field of emotion recognition. As part of the DJ-Running project, we have used these emotions to increase runners’ motivation through music. It has required integrating the wearable and the models into the DJ-Running mobile application, which interacts with the technological infrastructure of the project to select and play the most suitable songs at each instant of the training.
An Experimental Platform for Real-Time Students Engagement Measurements from Video in STEM Classrooms
Authors: Alkabbany Islam , Ali Asem M. , Foreman Chris , Tretter Thomas , Hindy Nicholas , Farag Aly
Published: February 2023

The ability to measure students’ engagement in an educational setting may facilitate timely intervention in both the learning and the teaching process in a variety of classroom settings. In this paper, a real-time automatic student engagement measure is proposed through investigating two of the main components of engagement: the behavioral engagement and the emotional engagement. A biometric sensor network (BSN) consisting of web cameras, a wall-mounted camera and a high-performance computing machine was designed to capture students’ head poses, eye gaze, body movements, and facial emotions. These low-level features are used to train an AI-based model to estimate the behavioral and emotional engagement in the class environment. A set of experiments was conducted to compare the proposed technology with the state-of-the-art frameworks. The proposed framework shows better accuracy in estimating both behavioral and emotional engagement. In addition, it offers superior flexibility to work in any educational environment. Further, this approach allows a quantitative comparison of teaching methods.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Charging Scheduling of Electric Vehicles Considering Distribution Network Voltage Stability
Authors: Liu Ding , Zeng Peng , Cui Shijie , Song Chunhe
Published: February 2023

The rapid development of electric vehicle (EV) technology and the consequent charging demand have brought challenges to the stable operation of distribution networks (DNs). The problem of the collaborative optimization of the charging scheduling of EVs and voltage control of the DN is intractable because the uncertainties of both EVs and the DN need to be considered. In this paper, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach to coordinate EV charging scheduling and distribution network voltage control. The DRL-based strategy contains two layers, the upper layer aims to reduce the operating costs of power generation of distributed generators and power consumption of EVs, and the lower layer controls the Volt/Var devices to maintain the voltage stability of the distribution network. We model the coordinate EV charging scheduling and voltage control problem in the distribution network as a Markov decision process (MDP). The model considers uncertainties of charging process caused by the charging behavior of EV users, as well as the uncertainty of uncontrollable load, system dynamic electricity price and renewable energy generation. Since the model has a dynamic state space and mixed action outputs, a framework of deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) is adopted to train the two-layer agent and the policy network is designed to output discrete and continuous control actions. Simulation and numerical results on the IEEE-33 bus test system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in collaborative EV charging scheduling and distribution network voltage stabilization.
Feature Pyramid Networks and Long Short-Term Memory for EEG Feature Map-Based Emotion Recognition
Authors: Zhang Xiaodan , Li Yige , Du Jinxiang , Zhao Rui , Xu Kemeng , Zhang Lu , She Yichong
Published: February 2023

The original EEG data collected are the 1D sequence, which ignores spatial topology information; Feature Pyramid Networks (FPN) is better at small dimension target detection and insufficient feature extraction in the scale transformation than CNN. We propose a method of FPN and Long Short-Term Memory (FPN-LSTM) for EEG feature map-based emotion recognition. According to the spatial arrangement of brain electrodes, the Azimuth Equidistant Projection (AEP) is employed to generate the 2D EEG map, which preserves the spatial topology information; then, the average power, variance power, and standard deviation power of three frequency bands (α, β, and γ) are extracted as the feature data for the EEG feature map. BiCubic interpolation is employed to interpolate the blank pixel among the electrodes; the three frequency bands EEG feature maps are used as the G, R, and B channels to generate EEG feature maps. Then, we put forward the idea of distributing the weight proportion for channels, assign large weight to strong emotion correlation channels (AF3, F3, F7, FC5, and T7), and assign small weight to the others; the proposed FPN-LSTM is used on EEG feature maps for emotion recognition. The experiment results show that the proposed method can achieve Value and Arousal recognition rates of 90.05% and 90.84%, respectively.
Short-Term Creep Effect on Strain Transfer from Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Strips to Fiber Bragg Grating-Optical Fiber Sensors
Authors: Tran Hai Van , Seo Soo-Yeon
Published: February 2023

In this study, the short-term creep effect (STCE) on strain transfer from fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) strips to fiber Bragg grating-optical fiber (FBG-OF) sensors was investigated. Thirty OF sensors attached to FRP strips were investigated through three primary test parameters: bond length (40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 150 mm); adhesive type (epoxy resin, CN adhesive, and epoxy resin combined with CN adhesive); and bonding method (embedded and external bonding methods). The strain transfer ability of the OF sensors was evaluated based on the strain ratio of the OF sensor to the FRP strip under different sustained stresses of 20, 40, 50, and 60% of the FRP ultimate tensile strength (fu). From the test results, it was found that the debonding phenomenon occurred at the interface between the FBG-OF sensor and the adhesive and was clearly observed after applying a load for three days. It was also found that the CN adhesive showed better strain transfer compared to the other adhesive types. Regarding the OF sensors bonded by epoxy resin, in order to maintain strain transfer ability under a high level of sustained stress (0.6fu), minimum bond lengths of 100 and 120 mm were required for the embedded and external bonding methods, respectively.
Security Analysis of Cyber-Physical Systems Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Ibrahim Mariam , Elhafiz Ruba
Published: February 2023

Future engineering systems with new capabilities that far exceed today’s levels of autonomy, functionality, usability, dependability, and cyber security are predicted to be designed and developed using cyber-physical systems (CPSs). In this paper, the security of CPSs is investigated through a case study of a smart grid by using a reinforcement learning (RL) augmented attack graph to effectively highlight the subsystems’ weaknesses. In particular, the state action reward state action (SARSA) RL technique is used, in which the agent is taken to be the attacker, and an attack graph created for the system is built to resemble the environment. SARSA uses rewards and penalties to identify the worst-case attack scenario; with the most cumulative reward, an attacker may carry out the most harm to the system with the fewest available actions. Results showed successfully the worst-case attack scenario with a total reward of 26.9 and identified the most severely damaged subsystems.
Application of Sensors for Incorrect Behavior Identification in a Transport System
Authors: Mantič Martin , Kuľka Jozef , Grega Robert , Virostko Matúš , Kopas Melichar
Published: February 2023

This article focuses on cranes that are moving on a fixed crane track. There are specific problems and malfunctions arising during the operation of these cranes caused mainly by the crane skewing phenomenon. Crane skewing induces undesirable additional forces as a result of force contact between the crane wheel flange and the head of the crane track rail. This negative phenomenon induces additional stress in the crane construction as well as wear of the crane components and, finally, a global reduction of the crane operational durability and reliability. There is described in this article a methodology and data processing for the experimental measurement targeted on the crane skewing, namely in the case of a bridge crane installed in a laboratory. The crane skewing phenomenon was experimentally induced by an intentional disruption of speed synchronization of the crane travel drives. The intensity of the crane skewing was measured by means of the strain gauge sensors. A suitable application of the measuring sensors, together with the utilization of the drive control algorithm, enables efficiency to eliminate crane skewing and also prevent its occurrence.
Using Wearable Inertial Sensors to Monitor Effectiveness of Different Types of Customized Orthoses during CrossFit® Training
Authors: Brognara Lorenzo , Mazzotti Antonio , Rossi Federica , Lamia Francesca , Artioli Elena , Faldini Cesare , Traina Francesco
Published: February 2023

Background: Dynamic balance plays a key role in high-impact sports, such as CrossFit, where athletes are required to maintain balance in various weightlifting exercises. The loss of balance in these sport-specific movements may not only affect athlete performance, but also increase the risk of injuries. Objectives: The aim of the study is to achieve greater insight into the balance and athlete position during the CrossFit training by means of inertial sensors, with a particular focus on the role of different custom foot orthoses (CFOs) in order to detect correlations with the role of the cavus foot. Methods: A total of 42 CrossFit® athletes, aged 25 to 42 years, were enrolled in this study. One-way ANOVA tests with post-hoc analysis of variance were used to compare foot posture groups and effects of different types of customized foot orthoses. Results: When comparing the effects of CFOs with the respective balance basal level during the pistol squat exercise, we observed a significant (p = 0.0001) decrease in the sway area, antero-posterior displacement (APD) and medio-lateral displacement (MLD) compared to the basal using both types of CFOs. Conclusion: No significant positive effects of CFOs were observed in some static tests. On the contrary, positive effects of CFOs and, in particular, postural insoles, are relevant to dynamic balance.
A Quick Simulation Method for Aero-Optical Effects Based on a Density Proxy Model
Authors: Yang Bo , Yu He , Liu Chaofan , Wei Xiang , Fan Zichen , Miao Jun
Published: February 2023

Aero-optical effects caused by high-speed flow fields will interfere with the transmission of starlight, reduce the accuracy of optical sensors, and affect the application of celestial navigation on hypersonic vehicles. At present, the research of aero-optical effects relies heavily on the flow field simulation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which requires a great deal of computing resources and time, and cannot satisfy the demand of the rapid analysis of aero-optical effects in the engineering design stage. Therefore, a quick simulation method for aero-optical effects based on a density proxy model (DP-AOQS) is proposed in this paper. A proxy model of the turbulent density field is designed to replace the density field in the CFD simulation, and the proxy model is parametrically calibrated to simulate the optical characteristics of the turbulent boundary layer (TBL) in the external flow field of the optical window. The performance of DP-AOQS in the visible light band is verified from the perspectives of density field distribution, optical path difference (OPD), and fuzzy star map. The simulation results show that the method can quickly provide the distortion results of aero-optical effects in different flight conditions on the premise of ensuring the simulation accuracy. The research in this paper provides a new analytical method for the study of aero-optical effects.
Is Japan Pronatalism Justified? Fear of Hinoeuma Women and Sex Selection
Authors: Takahashi Shizuko , Nakazawa Eisuke
Published: February 2023

Japan, having had the longest isolationist policy in the world, is averse to options, such as migration to increase the population. What kinds of pronatalist policies to increase fertility and lower the population’s age are ethical? Two questions can be raised: is it ethical for the government to intercede, and is it ethical for individuals to exercise this choice? In addition to the gradually decreasing birth rate, Japan is faced with the challenge of a possible sharp decline in the birth rate in 5 years. Astrology and superstition have influenced the sex preference of a child in Japan, and in 1966, there was a 26% drop in the birth rate. It was the year of Hinoeuma, occurring at 60-year intervals, and women born that year are believed to have a potentially dangerous ‘headstrong temperament’ and murder their husbands. Abortion rates spiked that year, and many forged the birth date of their child. The next Hinoeuma is in 2026. Although the bioethical debate about pronatalism exists in the literature, there is no literature addressing the question of sex selection in the context of a decreasing population. This paper argues that even if the Japanese government’s current pronatalist approach is ethically warranted, it should not extend to sex selection since it would promote misogyny and stereotypical gender roles.
Molecular Profiling of Athletes Performing High-Intensity Exercises in Extreme Environments
Authors: Malsagova Kristina A. , Kopylov Arthur T. , Stepanov Alexander A. , Enikeev Dmitry V. , Potoldykova Natalia V. , Balakin Evgenii I. , Pustovoyt Vasiliy I. , Kaysheva Anna L.
Published: February 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of high-intensity training under extreme conditions (T = 40 °C) on the metabolism and immunological reactions of athletes. Male triathletes (n = 11) with a high level of sports training performed load testing to failure (17 ± 2.7 min) and maximum oxygen consumption (64.1 ± 6.4 mL/min/kg). Blood plasma samples were collected before and immediately after exercise. Mass spectrometric metabolomic analysis identified 30 metabolites and 6 hormones in the plasma, of which 21 and 4 changed after exercise, respectively. Changes in the intermediate products of tricarboxylic and amino acids were observed (FC > 1.5) after exercise. The obtained data can be associated with the effect of physical activity on metabolism in athletes. Therefore, constant monitoring of the biochemical parameters of athletes can help coaches identify individual shortcomings in a timely manner and track changes, especially as the volume of training increases. In addition, it was revealed that the immunological reaction (manifestation of a hyperactive reaction to food components) is personalized in nature. Therefore, it is important for coaches and sports doctors to analyze and control the eating behavior of athletes to identify food intolerances or food allergies in a timely manner and develop an individual elimination diet.
Study on the Influence Mechanism of Sample Preparation Method on the Shear Strength of Silty Soil
Authors: Ma Xinyan , Yu Qian , Xuan Mingmin , Ren Huaping , Ye Xinyu , Liu Bo
Published: February 2023

During the compaction of silty soil subgrade, different filling methods are adopted, which will significantly impact the subgrade performance, but few studies have been applied to quantify this influence. To explore the influence mechanism of dry density and sample preparation method (compaction and static compression method) on the shear strength of silty soil, the consolidated undrained shear test (CU test), dynamic triaxial test, and nuclear magnetic resonance microscopic test on silty soil were carried out in this study. The test results show that the shear strength of the sample is positively correlated with the dry density. The influence of the sample preparation method on shear strength is mainly reflected in the cohesion. The pore size distributions obtained by different sample preparation methods had smaller differences before the CU test. However, significant differences were observed after the CU test, indicating that the influence of the sample preparation method on the shear strength of the sample is not on the initial pore distribution but on the residual stress and overall uniformity. The dynamic triaxial tests show that a differential settlement may occur when multiple sample preparation (soil-filling method in subgrade practice) methods are adopted.
Defining a Social Role for Ports: Managers’ Perspectives on Whats and Whys
Authors: Batalha Eduardo , Chen Shu-Ling , Pateman Hilary , Zhang Wei
Published: February 2023

It is undoubtedly true that ports can modify aspects of the regions where they are inserted in many different ways. Scholars have presented various perspectives on the influence of ports in society, including their roles according to their purpose. Surprisingly, in the age of sustainable development, the social roles of ports have not been explored in depth, and this offers an opportunity to increase the knowledge of this sector. This paper aims to investigate how managers in ports perceive their roles in the social dimension and why they think they should exist, presenting opportunities to align business objectives with the expectations of other stakeholders. Applying the content analysis technique, 28 interviews were conducted with managers in Brazilian ports and themes were developed to represent their views on social roles (5) and the reasons for adopting them (6). Overall, managers perceive social roles as part of the strategic business plan and present reasons to adopt them, ranging from compulsory to voluntary. Conclusions suggest that more needs to be done to expand the understanding of a pragmatic approach to social roles and to develop more focused actions according to the reasons for adopting social roles.
Examining the Relationship between Consumers’ Food-Related Actions, Wider Pro-Environmental Behaviours, and Food Waste Frequency: A Case Study of the More Conscious Consumer
Authors: Marwood Stephanie , Byrne Noreen , McCarthy Olive , Heavin Ciara , Barlow Peter
Published: February 2023

The implications of food waste extend to the environment, society, and the economy. In the Global North, consumers’ food waste contributes significantly to the current global levels, with action and practice largely driving this contribution. The resulting policies largely centre around raising awareness amongst consumers. However, awareness is not always found to lead to action, resulting in what is termed the ‘value-action gap’. Thus, the focus of this study is on consumers who have demonstrated awareness and knowledge of food waste issues in their willingness to take part in a home food growing campaign. This sample allows us to examine how consumers can be moved beyond awareness and encouraged towards action. This study investigates the actions and practices of consumers that contribute to the likelihood of wasting food while also exploring the relationship between wider pro-environmental behaviour and food waste in the context of social practice theory. Quantitative analysis of survey data (n = 1106) shows that growing food and composting decrease the likelihood of wasting food, supporting a shift in mindset surrounding how food is viewed and reducing the disconnect between consumers and food that is prevalent in modern society. Overall engagement in wider pro-environmental behaviours was found to decrease an individual’s likelihood of wasting food. A layered policy approach with a practices perspective is suggested, with recommendations proposed for interventions and initiatives at individual, community, and broader societal levels.
Inter-Industry Transfer of Intermediate Virtual Water Scarcity Risk: The Case of China
Authors: Ning Xin’er , Zhang Yanjun , Xu Hongbo , Dong Wenxun , Song Yuanxin , Zhang Liping
Published: February 2023

Multiple factors need to be considered when allocating water resources, among which water scarcity risk is often ignored. However, the unmet water demand of upstream sectors with high water dependency will exacerbate water scarcity, and lead to potential economic risk to the industrial chain. To solve it, we propose a method to quantify the intermediate virtual water scarcity risk transfer via the intermediate use matrix and Leontief inverse matrix, and apply it to virtual water trade in China in 2018. Meaningful conclusions are drawn as follows: (i) Although the water-use efficiency of all sectors in China increased steadily from 2007 to 2018, the overall input concentration of virtual water scarcity risk showed a rising trend, reflecting the gradual increase in the vulnerability of the industrial chain to water shortage. (ii) The virtual water scarcity risk in China mainly transferred through the secondary industry. The secondary industry accounted for 51.8% of the output and 71.8% of the input in the intermediate virtual water transfer, while 77.0% and 74.7%, respectively, in intermediate virtual water scarcity risk output and input. (iii) From 2007 to 2018, agriculture, chemical industry, metallurgy, electricity and heat supply always ranked as the top four of intermediate virtual water scarcity risk output sectors. As their downstream sectors, the construction industry, metallurgy, and other services are stable within the top four input sectors. (iv) The virtual water scarcity risk upstream transmitted is significantly dispersed after the intermediate inputs process, indicating that abundant import relationships are conducive to reduce the risk taken in. From the perspective of intermediate input, this paper argues that it is necessary to both ensure the water supply of the upstream source sectors and disperse the downstream import sources. Moreover, enriching industrial structures and closing production linkages between sectors is also beneficial for promoting sustainable economic development.
Analysis of Issues in Fitness Centers through News Articles before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea: Applying Big Data Analysis
Authors: Roh Miyoung , Choi Youngchyul , Park Haewon
Published: February 2023

This study aimed to identify major topics and trends of media reports in news articles related to fitness centers before and after COVID-19 using big data analysis and to suggest future improvements. We collected 20,528 news articles from 2018 to 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and 20,264 news articles from 2020 to 2021 (post-COVID-19) and conducted frequency analysis, topic modeling, and sentiment analysis. The top keywords related to fitness centers were fitness, health, healthcare, and center both before and after COVID-19, but after the outbreak of COVID-19, new keywords emerged, such as digital, COVID-19, indoor, confirmed, platform, and mobile. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, four topics were extracted: COVID-19 and Exercise, Digital Smart Health Care, Health and Beauty, and Indoor Sports Facilities and Quarantine. Sentiment analysis showed that the frequency of negative words increased by approximately three times since the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to COVID-19, the top keywords of the negative data in order were infection, virus, disease, and limit. Based on the identified major issues and trends related to the fitness industry, these results can be used as foundational data for the future planning and policy development of the fitness industry.
Changes in the Competitive Environment and Their Evaluation in the Context of COVID-19: A Case Study
Authors: Tu Yu-Xia , Gaidelys Vaidas , Čiutienė Rūta , Žigienė Gerda , Kovalov Bohdan , Jucevičienė Rita
Published: February 2023

When evaluating the competitive environment in the context of the pandemic, the pandemic’s global scale must be considered, since all products related to COVID-19 management have no regional competition but rather immediately switch to global competition and compete with similar products or substitutes. It should be noted that no products intended for managing the pandemic were available before its outburst. Even with the onset of the pandemic, not many specialized products, except for some general protection measures, were developed. However, in the two years after the pandemic began, competitive products intended for managing COVID-19 emerged into the market. The global scale of the pandemic automatically created worldwide demand for such products, which leads to a global shift in competitiveness. As a result, the competitive environment for products intended to manage COVID-19 is changing. Research purpose: To evaluate the competitive products—modern and robotized indoor disinfection equipment—available in the market and those under development. Research objectives: To develop a methodology for evaluating the competitive products and to select evaluation criteria and methods; to evaluate the competitive products in terms of their functionality and technical characteristics; and to research the channels and methods employed to launch competitive products into the market and provide analysis of best practice.
Research on the Impact and Spillover Effect of Green Agricultural Reform Policy Pilot on Governmental Environmental Protection Behaviors Based on Quasi-Natural Experiments of China’s Two Provinces from 2012 to 2020
Authors: Gao Qun , Chen Hengyang , Zhao Mei , Zeng Ming
Published: February 2023

The green agricultural reform policy pilot embraces the development trend of the times. The green agricultural policy pilot implemented in China’s Zhejiang Province is an attempt to find a balance between environmental protection and economic development in order to achieve the national “dual carbon” goals. Have the goals been achieved? Zhejiang Province is the national pilot zone of green agricultural development. Jiangsu Province is notably homogeneous with Zhejiang Province but has not been included in the pilot policy. Based on the comparative studies of the two provinces with quasi-natural experiment logic, this paper analyzes the mechanism of the national green agricultural pilot zone policy acting on the environmental protection behavior of local governments and the actual effect of such policy using the data of 22 cities in both provinces from 2012 and 2020 as the panel data and relying on the DID model. According to the research findings, the national green agricultural development pilot zone policy has significantly increased the investment of local governments in environmental protection in Zhejiang Province where the policy has been fully implemented, and the negative spillover effect has reduced the economic governance efficiency of local governments in the short term. However, the investment of local governments in Jiangsu Province where the policy has not been fully implemented has not increased significantly and the economic governance efficiency has not reduced significantly. Double robustness tests based on the parallel trend test and DID-PSM (Differences-In-Differences and Propensity Score Matching) have verified the reliability of the research findings. Both Zhejiang and Jiangsu are provinces with developed industrial economies. Agriculture only accounts for a small proportion of their GDP. In addition, there is a natural conflict between green agriculture and industrial manufacturing in these two provinces. However, for those provinces dominated by agriculture or tourism, the effect of such green agricultural development policy may be different, which requires follow-up deeper research in an effort to thoroughly learn about the impact of agricultural policy pilot on local environmental protection behaviors, especially economic performance.
European Integration Processes in the EU GI System—A Long-Term Review of EU Regulation for GIs
Authors: Schober Karola , Balling Richard , Chilla Tobias , Lindermayer Hannah
Published: February 2023

Prosciutto di Parma, Bavarian beer and Roquefort—Geographical Indications (GIs) have been systematically protected at the EU level for 30 years and are now an important part of the farm2fork strategy. The article analyses how the integration of the EU GI system can be explained from an institution and discourse theoretical perspective and ties in with the soft spaces debate. In doing so, scalar shifts in competence from a German perspective and the role of discursive spatial relations are examined in more detail. The empirical results are based on a mix of methods that includes the evaluation of secondary statistical data, document analyses, participant observation and expert interviews. The study shows that the European Commission (EC) is increasingly acting as a spokesperson for GIs, but that regional actors are also playing a more important role in implementation and enforcement. This development is fed by the influence of the agricultural policy instrument in terms of competition, but also consumer protection and trade policy. Overall, there are three development layers: protect and systematise, legitimise and expand and open and defend. A more independent development of the EU GI system as an instrument of quality policy and for the development of rural areas could give greater weight to the sustainability-relevant, environmental policy aspects currently demanded by society.
Phytoremediation Potential of Native Plants Growing in Industrially Polluted Soils of Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Aloud Saud S. , Alotaibi Khaled D. , Almutairi Khalid F. , Albarakah Fahad N.
Published: February 2023

Rapid industrialization has resulted in the release and subsequent accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in various environmental matrices, which poses serious health threats globally. Utilizing native plant species to extract such HMs from soil may be an efficient and cost-effective remediation approach. Thus, HM accumulation in soil and native plant species in the industrial area of Al-Qassim province, Saudi Arabia, was investigated in this study, and the phytoremediation potential of the native plant species was assessed. Briefly, 30 surface soil samples and 10 native plants samples were collected from 10 different locations in the studied area. Soil samples were analyzed for physiochemical characteristics and HM contents, while the plant samples were digested and HM concentrations were determined. The results showed that Fe was highest in concentration from soil samples (3900–19,600 mg kg−1), followed by Mn, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Cd. Similarly, Fe concentration was also higher in plant samples (432 mg kg−1), followed by Mn (70.2 mg kg−1) and Zn (38.1 mg kg−1). Enrichment factor revealed that 90% of the samples were extremely enriched with Cd, while 20% were highly enriched with Pb. Similarly, contamination factor (5.0–46.9) was also the highest for Cd. Higher bioaccumulation factor (>1) of Phrgmites australis and Chenopodium marale for Cd and Cu, Chenopodium album, Lactuca serviola, and Chenopodium marale for Cu, and Pulicaria crispa for Mn suggested that these native plants can be effectively used for phytoremediation of HMs in soil.
Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Road Safety in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Shahrin , Huq Armana Sabiha , Iqra Sabah Hossain , Tomal Raas Sarker
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the trends of crashes, injuries, and fatalities under the effect of the lockdown and observe the deviation of these trends from the anticipated values that would have been seen without the impact of the lockdown. To that end, data on road collisions, injuries, and fatalities in Bangladesh were compiled over four years (from January 2016 to May 2020) using the dataset from the Accident Research Institute (ARI). The pre-pandemic and lockdown period during the pandemic were included in the selected study period. To compare the observed values of the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities to the forecasted values, which were meant to show assumed conditions without the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, different Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) time series models were developed for each first-level administrative divisions (Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Barishal, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Rangpur, and Mymensingh). Due to the mobility restrictions, the observed number of collisions, injuries, and deaths remained below the expected values, with a discernible high difference throughout the entire lockdown in Dhaka and Chattogram. In contrast, in the case of other divisions (Khulna, Barishal, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Rangpur, and Mymensingh), it remained under the expected trend for most of the lockdown period but not entirely. The mobility was not eliminated, resulting in a non-zero crash, injury, and fatality records across all divisions. In multiple instances, we observed that actual collision, injury, and fatality rates were higher than expected. Additionally, various divisions exhibited varying patterns of crashes, injuries, and fatalities during stay-at-home orders. Poor performance has been noted in terms of overall road safety during the pandemic era. Given the possibility of future waves of COVID-19 cases and other pandemics, the results of the current study can be used by local authorities and policymakers to improve road safety.
Sustained Improvement of Educational Information Asymmetry: Intentions to Use School Social Media
Authors: Huang Huai-Te , Chueh Hao-En
Published: February 2023

Under the impact of digitization, many schools in Taiwan have started to actively operate social media. Using social media to release important school information can reduce the educational information asymmetry between schools and students. Educational information asymmetry may cause problems of adverse selection and moral hazard, and damage the rights and interests of students. The main purpose of this study is to explore the intentions of high school students to use school social media as a channel to obtain important information about their schools. A questionnaire survey was administered to the students of a high school in Taoyuan City, Taiwan, and the collected data were statistically analyzed. The research results of this study show that perceived usefulness, subjective norm, and trust had positively significant effects on the intention to use school social media; however, perceived ease-of-use, and perceived behavioral control did not have significant effects on the intention to use school social media. Through the operation of social media, schools can not only eliminate the adverse selection and moral hazard caused by information asymmetry but also improve their brand images and reduce their marketing costs.
Investigating Ecotourism Opportunities Measurements in a Complex Adaptive System: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Sahahiri Riyan Mohammed , Griffin Amy L. , Sun Qian (Chayn)
Published: February 2023

Identifying and quantifying ecotourism opportunities are critical processes in sustainable tourism planning, which is challenging, since ecotourism is a Complex Adaptive System (CAS). This study investigated Ecotourism Opportunities Measurements (EOMs) in the literature and mapped the research trends to provide practical implications for research in this area. A systematic quantitative literature review began with a scientometric analysis in CiteSpace to examine the existing knowledge and the state of the art in EOMs. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was then applied to refine the initial search results, and snowballing was used to collect additional articles. The refined set was then thematically coded and quantitatively analyzed. Our findings show that existing studies on ecotourism opportunities predominantly focus on the impacts of ecotourism on the environment, stakeholders’ contributions toward ecotourism development, sustainability, and responsible behavior of local communities in ecotourism promotion. In addition, five dimensions have been identified under which ecotourism opportunities can be measured, including nature, environmental education/protection, sustainability, socio-cultural benefits, and tourist satisfaction. Existing scales or indices assess potential destinations qualitatively rather than quantitatively. In contrast, an index-based approach might help to solve the challenges of evaluating ecotourism opportunities as a CAS, as well as to quantitatively assess potential destinations to support decision-making related to ecotourism promotion.
Ranking Sri Lanka among the World’s Top Mismanaged Waste Polluters: Does Model Data Change the Story?
Authors: Ranatunga R. R. M. K. P. , Wijetunge Dilhara , Ranaweera W. V. P. H. , Hung Chin-Chang , Liu Shang-Yin Vanson , Schuyler Qamar , Lawson T. J. , Hardesty Britta Denise
Published: February 2023

The accumulation of Mismanaged Plastic Waste (MPW) in the environment is a global concern. The amount of waste generated by countries is estimated using globally available data layers and/or empirical surveys. Unlike globally available metadata, MPW estimates based on empirical surveys allow for better visualization of amounts, potential pathways, and hotspots. A model study conducted in 2015, based on global metadata, ranked Sri Lanka in fifth position among the world’s worst mismanaged plastic offenders. However, there is significant uncertainty in the source data on waste generation and the parameters used for model prediction, such as plastic usage (5.1 kg per person per day), since Sri Lanka is predominantly a service-based country with limited plastic-based manufacturing industries. The source data for plastic usage has been derived from a very limited study, biased toward waste hotspots that have not been verified. Our empirical data has shown that population density, one of the key parameters used for global ranking, is a weak predictor of debris densities. Therefore, we argue that the given plastic leakage data and the ranking is an error. Therefore, Sri Lanka’s position in the global ranking deserves reconsideration. Further, we propose the need for model predictions that rely on global metadata to be backed by robust and unbiased designed surveys that are based on empirical data and undergo intense baseline data verification to generate more precise predictions on litter quantities.
A Mimic Model Approach for Impact Assessment of Mining Activities on Sustainable Development Indicators
Authors: Dehghani Hesam , Bascompta Marc , Khajevandi Ali Asghar , Farnia Kiana Afshar
Published: February 2023

Mining activities are usually associated with negative outcomes. Therefore, it is crucial to identify and assess these outcomes by the mining company to achieve proper management. The present study has been defined to discover the outcomes of mining activities and their testing in one of the open pit mines of Iran. The present research has been defined into two sections, qualitative and quantitative. The corresponding data of the qualitative section were derived through analysis of the hidden contents of semi-structured interviews with experts and a review of the literature using the Maxqda 2022 software in the forms of open coding and axial coding. In the quantitative section of the study, data were collected via the standard questionnaire and analyzed using the SPSS26 and Mplus software. By coding the interviews and existing documents, 62 primary codes were extracted and classified into 5 main criteria (environmental, health, social, economic, and cultural) in the form of axial coding. The analysis results of the collected questionnaires showed that mining activities had the highest impact on the environment (86.32) and individual health (80.86), while the lower impact was on their economic situation (54.55). The findings of this study showed that there is a significant difference between men and women in terms of the environmental (p = 0.013) and economic (p = 0.01) indicators. While men believed that the mining activity had caused permanent environmental impacts on their living area, women recognized the mining activities as the cause of economic weakness in their families. Results from the present study could be effective in formulating the controlling strategies for potential negative outcomes of mining and achieving effective sustainable development.
Forest Dwellers’ Dependence on Forest Resources in Semi-Arid Environments
Authors: Mahmoudi Beytollah , Ng Eric , Mafi-Gholami Davood , Eshaghi Fatemeh
Published: February 2023

Forests remain an important resource in Iran, as most of the livelihood activities of local communities, especially in the semi-arid environment of the Zagros forests, are dependent on forest resources. The aim of this study was to identify the type and extent of forest dependency. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data from 170 households in Central Zagros. Results show that using firewood for fuel and non-fuel uses, harvesting edible and medicinal plants, agriculture and horticulture, and livestock grazing were the main forest livelihood activities undertaken by the households in the study area. On average, each household harvested 18.08 cubic meters of oak per year for water heating (bathing), baking bread, heating, cooking, heating milk and buttermilk, agricultural tools, house building, warehouses and shelters, fencing, branches for livestock, charcoal and harvesting firewood for sale. Of rural households, 72% used edible plants, and 86% used medicinal plants. Age, job, residence status, number of livestock, crop farming and household size were found to be correlated with forest dependency. Findings from this study contribute broadly to an integrated understanding of the bio-human dimensions of forest ecosystems, with specific reference to the study area.
How Distributed Leadership Fosters Individual Leadership Emergence: The Mediating Role of Empowerment Role Identity and Enacted Leader Identity
Authors: Lyu Ledi , Ji Shunhong , Chen Jiawen , Jiang Guanshuang , Zhang Haomin
Published: February 2023

Departing from past research on managers’ influence on employees’ informal leadership emergence, we explore the mechanism of how distributed leadership enhances individual leadership emergence from a cognitive perspective. Drawing upon the leadership identity construction theory and role identity theory, we theoretically developed and empirically tested a serial mediation model. It examines how distributed leadership promotes employees’ leadership emergence via individual empowerment role identity and enacted leader identity. Using a three-wave field survey from 496 subordinate–supervisor dyads (82 supervisors and 496 employees) in China, we found that empowerment role identity and enacted leader identity serially mediate the association between distributed leadership and employees’ leadership emergence. The results demonstrate the leadership identity construction process of employees’ leadership emergence under distributed leadership. The theoretical and practical implications of our findings are then discussed.
SARS-CoV-2 Post-Infection and Sepsis by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: A Fatal Case Report—Focus on Fungal Susceptibility and Potential Virulence Attributes
Authors: Ramos Lívia , Mokus Luca , Frota Heloisa , Santos Marcos , Oliveira Simone , Oliveira Manoel , Costa Gisela , Alves Ana , Bernardes-Engemann Andréa , Orofino-Costa Rosane , Aor Ana , Branquinha Marta , Santos André
Published: February 2023

The pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been responsible for approximately 6.8 million deaths worldwide, threatening more than 753 million individuals. People with severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection often exhibit an immunosuppression condition, resulting in greater chances of developing co-infections with bacteria and fungi, including opportunistic yeasts belonging to the Saccharomyces and Candida genera. In the present work, we have reported the case of a 75-year-old woman admitted at a Brazilian university hospital with an arterial ulcer in the left foot, which was being prepared for surgical amputation. The patient presented other underlying diseases and presented positive tests for COVID-19 prior to hospitalization. She received antimicrobial treatment, but her general condition worsened quickly, leading to death by septic shock after 4 days of hospitalization. Blood samples collected on the day she died were positive for yeast-like organisms, which were later identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae by both biochemical and molecular methods. The fungal strain exhibited low minimal inhibitory concentration values for the antifungal agents tested (amphotericin B, 5-flucytosine, caspofungin, fluconazole and voriconazole), and it was able to produce important virulence factors, such as extracellular bioactive molecules (e.g., aspartic peptidase, phospholipase, esterase, phytase, catalase, hemolysin and siderophore) and biofilm. Despite the activity against planktonic cells, the antifungals were not able to impact the mature biofilm parameters (biomass and viability). Additionally, the S. cerevisiae strain caused the death of Tenebrio molitor larvae, depending on the fungal inoculum, and larvae immunosuppression with corticosteroids increased the larvae mortality rate. In conclusion, the present study highlighted the emergence of S. cerevisiae as an opportunistic fungal pathogen in immunosuppressed patients presenting several severe comorbidities, including COVID-19 infection.
Assessment of organoleptic, microbiological and physico-chemical indicators of feed quality
Authors:   Russian Biotechnological University, Abdullayeva A.M. , Zaitseva I.A. ,   Russian Biotechnological University
Published: February 2023

Microbiological, organoleptic and physico-chemical indicators of the quality of feed selected in the Kaluga region are presented. The conditions of preparation of the studied samples are optimized. To assess the required indicators, GOST methods and traditional methods based on the use of chemical and biological methods, as well as organoleptic analysis, were used.
Service sector: how to constantly improve the quality of service
Authors:   Igooods product delivery service, Kunis G.M.
Published: February 2023

The company itself should be interested in the formation of a high-quality service first of all. A high level of service depends on many factors: the team, an established system of working with clients, the convenience of performing duties for employees. Grigory Kunis, the manager of the igoods food delivery service, shared his recommendations.
How was the import substitution program at domestic industrial enterprises in 2022?
Authors:   Rostest Ural CA, Kurbatova E.D.
Published: February 2023

The article considers the current state and future prospects of the implementation of the program of import substitution of foreign products and technologies in the domestic economy and industry. The author dwelt on measures to support business from the Government, and on the problems faced by entrepreneurs today.