bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Significance of Chromatographic Techniques in Pharmaceutical Analysis
Authors: Parys Wioletta , Dołowy Małgorzata , Pyka-Pająk Alina
Published: January 2022

This work presents an overview of the modern approaches embracing advanced equipment and validation parameters of both liquid and gas chromatography techniques, including thin-layer chromatography (TLC), column liquid chromatography (CLC), and gas chromatography (GC), suitable for the identification and quantitative determination of various bioactive compounds occurring in pharmaceutical products and medicinal plants in the time from 2020 to 2021 (November). This review confirmed that HPLC is an incredibly universal tool, especially when combined with different detectors, such as UV-Visible spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS), and fluorescence detection for numerous active ingredients in different pharmaceutical formulations without interferences from other excipients. TLC, in combination with densitometry, is a very efficient tool for the determination of biologically active substances present in pharmaceutical preparations. In addition, TLC coupled to densitometry and mass spectrometry could be suitable for preliminary screening and determination of the biological activity (e.g., antioxidant properties, thin layer chromatography (TLC) by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method) of plant materials. Gas chromatography, coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS, GC-MS/MS), is of particular importance in the testing of any volatile substances, such as essential oils. LC, coupled to NMR and MS, is the best solution for identifying and studying the structure of unknown components from plant extracts, as well as degradation products (DPs). Thanks to size-exclusion chromatography, coupled to multi-angle light scattering, the quality control of biological pharmaceuticals is possible.
Matrix Acidizing in Carbonate Formations
Authors: Chacon Ofelia , Pournik Maysam
Published: January 2022

Matrix acidizing in carbonate reservoirs is a process that has been long used to increase productivity in oil and gas producing formations. The main goal is to create wormholes that bypass the damage in the formation. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is the main acid used for this; however, it has several disadvantages that affect the success of these treatments. Its high reaction rate, inability to divert, and corrosive nature are a few of the reasons why research in this area has focused on finding alternative fluids. This paper discusses studies on successful alternatives to HCl. It has been observed that emulsified acids, which work with the addition of a surfactant to HCl, have shown positive results as their high viscosity allows them to retard the reaction rate between the acid and the rock and form effective and dominant wormholes. This is needed, especially in high-temperature environments. As HCl also lacks the ability to divert to low-permeability zones in highly heterogeneous formations, emulsified acids are also helpful for this task. While viscoelastic surfactants have been found to be less susceptible to form damage since they do not have any polymer content, their diversion performance has not been as effective as emulsified acids. Corrosion is one of the greatest and most expensive issues faced in matrix acidizing treatments. The use of corrosion inhibitors has been proposed as the best way to deal with this problem. Inorganic corrosion inhibitors are no longer an option as they are extremely toxic and pose a great danger to the environment. Organic corrosion inhibitors have been proposed as an alternative since the 1970s. However, organic compounds still pose a hazard in their use. Natural extracts as alternatives have been proposed for their inhibition ability. The use of henna extract and aqueous garlic peel extract as corrosion inhibitors has shown positive results with lower corrosion rates compared to some conventional inhibitors.
Weak Mesoscale Variability in the Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST)-AVHRR-Only Version 2 Data before 2007
Authors: Zhu Yanan , Li Yuanlong , Wang Fan , Lv Mingkun
Published: January 2022

Mesoscale sea surface temperature (SST) variability triggers mesoscale air–sea interactions and is linked to ocean subsurface mesoscale dynamics. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) daily Optimum Interpolation SST (OISST) products, based on various satellite and in situ SST data, are widely utilized in the investigation of multi-scale SST variabilities and reconstruction of subsurface and deep-ocean fields. The quality of OISST datasets is subjected to temporal inhomogeneity due to alterations in the merged data. Yet, whether this issue can significantly affect mesoscale SST variability is unknown. The analysis of this study detects an abrupt enhancement of mesoscale SST variability after 2007 in the OISST-AVHRR-only version 2 and version 2.1 datasets (hereafter OI.v2-AVHRR-only and OI.v2.1-AVHRR-only). The contrast is most stark in the subtropical western boundary current (WBC) regions, where the average mesoscale SST variance during 2007–2018 is twofold larger than that during 1993–2006. Further comparisons with other satellite SST datasets (TMI, AMSR-E, and WindSAT) suggest that the OISST-AVHRR-only datasets have severely underestimated mesoscale SST variability before 2007. An evaluation of related documents of the OISST data indicates that this bias is mainly caused by the change of satellite AVHRR instrument in 2007. There are no corresponding changes detected in the associated fields, such as the number and activity of mesoscale eddies or the background SST gradient in these regions, confirming that the underestimation of mesoscale SST variability before 2007 is an artifact. Another OISST product, OI.v2-AVHRR-AMSR, shows a similar abrupt enhancement of mesoscale SST variability in June 2002, when the AMSR-E instrument was incorporated. This issue leaves potential influences on scientific research that utilize the OISST datasets. The composite SST anomalies of mesoscale eddies based on the OI.v2-AVHRR-only data are underestimated by up to 37% before 2007 in the subtropical WBC regions. The underestimation of mesoscale variability also affects the total (full-scale) SST variability, particularly in winter. Other SST data products based on the OISST datasets were also influenced; we identify suspicious changes in J-OFURO3 and CFSR datasets; the reconstructed three-dimensional ocean products using OISST data as input may also be inevitably affected. This study reminds caution in the usage of the OISST and relevant data products in the investigation of mesoscale processes.
Investigating Surface Fractures and Materials Behavior of Cultural Heritage Buildings Based on the Attribute Information of Point Clouds Stored in the TLS Dataset
Authors: Alkadri Miktha Farid , Alam Syaiful , Santosa Herry , Yudono Adipandang , Beselly Sebrian Mirdeklis
Published: January 2022

To date, the potential development of 3D laser scanning has enabled the capture of high-quality and high-precision reality-based datasets for both research and industry. In particular, Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) technology has played a key role in the documentation of cultural heritage. In the existing literature, the geometric properties of point clouds are still the main focus for 3D reconstruction, while the surface performance of the dataset is of less interest due to the partial and limited analysis performed by certain disciplines. As a consequence, geometric defects on surface datasets are often identified when visible through physical inspection. In response to that, this study presents an integrated approach for investigating the materials behavior of heritage building surfaces by making use of attribute point cloud information (i.e., XYZ, RGB, reflection intensity). To do so, fracture surface analysis and material properties are computed to identify vulnerable structures on the existing dataset. This is essential for architects or conservators so that they can assess and prepare preventive measures to minimize microclimatic impacts on the buildings.
Band-to-Band Registration of FY-1C/D Visible-IR Scanning Radiometer High-Resolution Picture Transmission Data
Authors: Pan Hongbo , Tian Jia , Wang Taoyang , Wang Jing , Liu Chengbao , Yang Lei
Published: January 2022

The visible-IR scanning radiometer (VIRR) of FY1-C/D meteorological satellites consists of 10 bands with 4 different focal plane assemblies (FPAs). However, there are significant band-to-band registration (BBR) errors between different bands, which cannot be compensated for by a simple shift in the along-scan direction. A rigorous BBR frame was proposed to analyze the sources of misregistration in the whisk-broom camera. According to theory, the 45° scanning mirror introduces tangent function style misregistration in the along-track direction and secant function style misregistration in the across-track direction between different bands if the bands are not in the same optical axis. As proven by the experiments of both FY-1C and FY-1D, the image rotation caused by the 45° scanning mirrors plays a major role in the misregistration. However, misregistration between different FPAs does not strictly adhere to this theory. Therefore, a polynomial-based co-registration method was proposed to model the BBR errors for the VIRR. To achieve 0.1 pixel accuracy, a fourth-degree polynomial was used for BBR in the along-scan direction, and a fifth-degree polynomial was used for the along-track direction. For the reflective bands, the root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of misregistration could be improved from 3 pixels to 0.11 pixels. Limited by matching accuracy, the RMSEs of misregistration between thermal bands and reflective bands were approximately 0.2 to 0.4 pixels, depending on the signal-to-noise ratio.
Capability of GPM IMERG Products for Extreme Precipitation Analysis over the Indonesian Maritime Continent
Authors: Ramadhan Ravidho , Marzuki Marzuki , Yusnaini Helmi , Muharsyah Robi , Suryanto Wiwit , Sholihun Sholihun , Vonnisa Mutya , Battaglia Alessandro , Hashiguchi Hiroyuki
Published: January 2022

Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data have been widely used to analyze extreme precipitation, but the data have never been validated for the Indonesian Maritime Continent (IMC). This study evaluated the capability of IMERG Early (E), Late (L), and Final (F) data to observe extreme rain in the IMC using the rain gauge data within five years (2016–2020). The capability of IMERG in the observation of the extreme rain index was evaluated using Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE) matrices. The IMERG well captured climatologic characteristics of the index of annual total precipitation (PRCPTOT), number of wet days (R85p), number of very wet days (R95p), number of rainy days (R1mm), number of heavy rain days (R10mm), number of very heavy rain days (R20mm), consecutive dry days (CDD), and max 5-day precipitation (RX5day), indicated by KGE value >0.4. Moderate performance (KGE = 0–0.4) was shown in the index of the amount of very extremely wet days (R99p), the number of extremely heavy precipitation days (R50mm), max 1-day precipitation (RX1day), and Simple Daily Intensity Index (SDII). Furthermore, low performance of IMERG (KGE < 0) was observed in the consecutive wet days (CWDs) index. Of the 13 extreme rain indices evaluated, IMERG underestimated and overestimated precipitation of nine and four indexes, respectively. IMERG tends to overestimate precipitation of indexes related to low rainfall intensity (e.g., R1mm). The highest overestimation was observed in the CWD index, related to the overestimation of light rainfall and the high false alarm ratio (FAR) from the daily data. For all indices of extreme rain, IMERG showed good capability to observe extreme rain variability in the IMC. Overall, IMERG-L showed a better capability than IMERG-E and -F but with an insignificant difference. Thus, the data of IMERG-E and IMERG-L, with a more rapid latency than IMERG-F, have great potential to be used for extreme rain observation and flood modeling in the IMC.
Hybrid Compact Polarimetric SAR Calibration Considering the Amplitude and Phase Coefficients Inconsistency
Authors: Hou Wentao , Zhao Fengjun , Liu Xiuqing , Liu Dacheng , Han Yonghui , Gao Yao , Wang Robert
Published: January 2022

Calibration using corner reflectors is an effective way to estimate the distortion parameters of hybrid compact polarimetric (HCP) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. However, the existing literature lacks a discussion on the inconsistency of the amplitude and phase coefficients between measured scattering vectors of different corner reflectors. In response to this problem, this paper first proves that this inconsistency will seriously deteriorate the estimation accuracy of polarimetric distortion parameters. Based on the optimization algorithm, two calibration schemes for simultaneously estimating the traditional distortion parameters and the amplitude/phase coefficients are proposed while ignoring crosstalk (ICT) and considering crosstalk (CCT). In the process of distortion parameter estimation, the idea of “optimizing while compensating” is adopted to eliminate the problem of uneven echo intensity. Simulation results show that both schemes can eliminate the influence of the inconsistency of amplitude and phase coefficients, and estimate distortion parameters accurately. When the received crosstalk level is lower than −30 dB, the ICT scheme can accurately estimate polarimetric distortion parameters. The CCT scheme has a wider application range of crosstalk and can work well when the crosstalk level is lower than −20 dB, but it also has a higher requirement for the signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR). When SCR is greater than 35 dB, the CCT scheme yields higher estimation accuracy than the ICT scheme. In addition, the effectiveness of the calibration schemes is verified based on the L-band measured data acquired by the Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
An Accurate Digital Subsidence Model for Deformation Detection of Coal Mining Areas Using a UAV-Based LiDAR
Authors: Zheng Junliang , Yao Wanqiang , Lin Xiaohu , Ma Bolin , Bai Lingxiao
Published: January 2022

Coal mine surface subsidence detection determines the damage degree of coal mining, which is of great importance for the mitigation of hazards and property loss. Therefore, it is very important to detect deformation during coal mining. Currently, there are many methods used to detect deformations in coal mining areas. However, with most of them, the accuracy is difficult to guarantee in mountainous areas, especially for shallow seam mining, which has the characteristics of active, rapid, and high-intensity surface subsidence. In response to these problems, we made a digital subsidence model (DSuM) for deformation detection in coal mining areas based on airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR). First, the entire point cloud of the study area was obtained by coarse to fine registration. Second, noise points were removed by multi-scale morphological filtering, and the progressive triangulation filtering classification (PTFC) algorithm was used to obtain the ground point cloud. Third, the DEM was generated from the clean ground point cloud, and an accurate DSuM was obtained through multiple periods of DEM difference calculations. Then, data mining was conducted based on the DSuM to obtain parameters such as the maximum surface subsidence value, a subsidence contour map, the subsidence area, and the subsidence boundary angle. Finally, the accuracy of the DSuM was analyzed through a comparison with ground checkpoints (GCPs). The results show that the proposed method can achieve centimeter-level accuracy, which makes the data a good reference for mining safety considerations and subsequent restoration of the ecological environment.
A Novel Tropical Cyclone Size Estimation Model Based on a Convolutional Neural Network Using Geostationary Satellite Imagery
Authors: Baek You-Hyun , Moon Il-Ju , Im Jungho , Lee Juhyun
Published: January 2022

A novel tropical cyclone (TC) size estimation model (TC-SEM) in the western North Pacific was developed based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) using geostationary satellite infrared (IR) images. The proposed TC-SEM was tested using three CNN schemes: a single-task regression model that separately estimated the radius of maximum wind (RMW) and the radius of 34 kt wind (R34) of the TC, a multi-task regression model that estimated the RMW and R34 simultaneously, and a multi-task regression model using best-track TC intensity information. For model training, validation, and testing, 29,730, 2505, and 11,624 geostationary satellite images of the region around the center of the TC, respectively, were used, each containing four IR bands: short-wavelength IR (3.7 µm), water vapor (6.7 µm), IR1 (10.8 µm), and IR2 (12.0 µm). The results showed that the multi-task model performed better than the single-task model due to knowledge sharing and its ability to solve multiple interrelated tasks simultaneously. The inclusion of TC intensity information in the multi-task model further improved the performance of the RMW and R34 estimations, with correlations (mean absolute errors) of 0.95 (2.05 nmi) and 0.93 (9.77 nmi), respectively, which represent significant improvements over the performance of existing linear regression statistical methods. The results suggested that this CNN model using geostationary satellite images may be a powerful tool for estimating TC sizes in operational TC forecasts.
A Real-Time Zanthoxylum Target Detection Method for an Intelligent Picking Robot under a Complex Background, Based on an Improved YOLOv5s Architecture
Authors: Xu Zhibo , Huang Xiaopeng , Huang Yuan , Sun Haobo , Wan Fangxin
Published: January 2022

The target recognition algorithm is one of the core technologies of Zanthoxylum pepper-picking robots. However, most existing detection algorithms cannot effectively detect Zanthoxylum fruit covered by branches, leaves and other fruits in natural scenes. To improve the work efficiency and adaptability of the Zanthoxylum-picking robot in natural environments, and to recognize and detect fruits in complex environments under different lighting conditions, this paper presents a Zanthoxylum-picking-robot target detection method based on improved YOLOv5s. Firstly, an improved CBF module based on the CBH module in the backbone is raised to improve the detection accuracy. Secondly, the Specter module based on CBF is presented to replace the bottleneck CSP module, which improves the speed of detection with a lightweight structure. Finally, the Zanthoxylum fruit algorithm is checked by the improved YOLOv5 framework, and the differences in detection between YOLOv3, YOLOv4 and YOLOv5 are analyzed and evaluated. Through these improvements, the recall rate, recognition accuracy and mAP of the YOLOv5s are 4.19%, 28.7% and 14.8% higher than those of the original YOLOv5s, YOLOv3 and YOLOv4 models, respectively. Furthermore, the model is transferred to the computing platform of the robot with the cutting-edge NVIDIA Jetson TX2 device. Several experiments are implemented on the TX2, yielding an average time of inference of 0.072, with an average GPU load in 30 s of 20.11%. This method can provide technical support for pepper-picking robots to detect multiple pepper fruits in real time.
The Color Improvement of Underwater Images Based on Light Source and Detector
Authors: Quan Xiangqian , Wei Yucong , Li Bo , Liu Kaibin , Li Chen , Zhang Bing , Yang Jingchuan
Published: January 2022

As one of the most direct approaches to perceive the world, optical images can provide plenty of useful information for underwater applications. However, underwater images often present color deviation due to the light attenuation in the water, which reduces the efficiency and accuracy in underwater applications. To improve the color reproduction of underwater images, we proposed a method with adjusting the spectral component of the light source and the spectral response of the detector. Then, we built the experimental setup to study the color deviation of underwater images with different lamps and different cameras. The experimental results showed that, a) in terms of light source, the color deviation of an underwater image with warm light LED (Light Emitting Diode) (with the value of Δa*2+Δb*2 being 26.58) was the smallest compared with other lamps, b) in terms of detectors, the color deviation of images with the 3×CMOS RGB camera (a novel underwater camera with three CMOS sensors developed for suppressing the color deviation in our team) (with the value of Δa*2+Δb*2 being 25.25) was the smallest compared with other cameras. The experimental result (i.e., the result of color improvement between different lamps or between different cameras) verified our assumption that the underwater image color could be improved by adjusting the spectral component of the light source and the spectral response of the detector. Differing from the color improvement method with image processing, this color-improvement method was based on hardware, which had advantages, including more image information being retained and less-time being consumed.
Do Green Banking Activities Improve the Banks’ Environmental Performance? The Mediating Effect of Green Financing
Authors: Zhang Xin , Wang Zhihui , Zhong Xiaobing , Yang Shouzhi , Siddik Abu Bakkar
Published: January 2022

The main purpose of this study is to identify the impact of green banking activities on green financing and banks’ environmental performance. It also identifies the mediating effect of green financing on the relationship between green banking activities and environmental performance of private commercial banks (PCBs) in Bangladesh. Besides, this study also examines the major challenges and benefits of green banking development in an emerging economy like Bangladesh. The convenience sampling technique was used to collect primary data from bankers of PCBs in Bangladesh, and a final sample size of 352 was recorded. To assess the relationship among the study variables, the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach was employed. The empirical results revealed that green banking activities exhibit a significantly positive effect on banks’ environmental performance and sources of green financing, and that sources of green financing significantly influence banks’ environmental performance. Additionally, it was observed that green financing mediates the association between green banking activities and banks’ environmental performance. Furthermore, the study identified customers’ insufficient awareness towards green banking, high investment costs, technical obstacles, lack of capable and competent staff in appraising green credits/loans, and difficulties and complexity in assessing green projects as major challenges affecting the development of green banking in Bangladesh. Moreover, the study also discovered that increasing banks’ competitiveness, reducing long-term costs and expenses, providing online banking facilities, improving customers’ goodwill, and reducing carbon footprints are the key benefits of green banking development, as it helps in the achievement of the sustainable economic development of the country. Therefore, major theoretical and managerial policy implications are further discussed with study limitations and future research directions.
Nitrogen Removal from Mature Landfill Leachate via Anammox Based Processes: A Review
Authors: Deng Weifeng , Wang Litao , Cheng Lang , Yang Wenbo , Gao Dawen
Published: January 2022

Mature landfill leachate is a complex and highly polluted effluent with a large amount of ammonia nitrogen, toxic components and low biodegradability. Its COD/N and BOD5/COD ratios are low, which is not suitable for traditional nitrification and denitrification processes. Anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) is an innovative biological denitrification process, relying on anammox bacteria to form stable biofilms or granules. It has been extensively used in nitrogen removal of mature landfill leachate due to its high efficiency, low cost and sludge yield. This paper reviewed recent advances of anammox based processes for mature landfill leachate treatment. The state of the art anammox process for mature landfill leachate is systematically described, mainly including partial nitrification–anammox, partial nitrification–anammox coupled denitrification. At the same time, the microbiological analysis of the process operation was given. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) has the merit of saving the carbon source and aeration energy, while its practical application is mainly limited by an unstable influent condition, operational control and seasonal temperature variation. To improve process efficiency, it is suggested to develop some novel denitrification processes coupled with anammox to reduce the inhibition of anammox bacteria by mature landfill leachate, and to find cheap new carbon sources (methane, waste fruits) to improve the biological denitrification efficiency of the anammox system.
Being Out of the Loop: Workplace Deviance as a Mediator of the Impact of Impression Management on Workplace Exclusion
Authors: Fitriastuti Triana , Vanderstraeten Alex
Published: January 2022

This study investigates the extending negative effects of impression management (IM) on organizational outcomes in the nursing context. Specifically, this study aims to understand the impact of IM on workplace exclusion through workplace deviance. The data came from 277 head nurses (nurses in leadership positions) in elderly care homes in Belgium. Structured paper-and-pencil questionnaires were administered on site in the respondents’ workplaces. In the findings of the current research, IM is positively related to workplace exclusion and the relationship is mediated by workplace deviance. Although, initially, IM is performed by the actors as a natural behavior to maintain their image, at some point, the actors can become fatigued with maintaining their image. Under ego depletion theory, the exhausted IM actors will be highly experienced in deviance or bad performance. Furthermore, consistent with social information processing theory and a correlation study between employees’ poor performance and workplace exclusion, the IM actors who fail to deliver good performance or behavior following their like-based rewards may be subject to social exclusion in their workplace.
Indonesia’s Climate-Related Disasters and Health Adaptation Policy in the Build-Up to COP26 and Beyond
Authors: Oktari Rina Suryani , Dwirahmadi Febi , Gan Connie Cai Ru , Darundiyah Kristin , Nugroho Pratomo Cahyo , Wibowo Arif , Chu Cordia
Published: January 2022

In recent years, Indonesia has experienced rapid increases in severe climate-related disasters have dramatically impacted populations unevenly; the poor and the vulnerable populations are most affected, and adaptive measures are urgently needed to protect and mitigate the impact on their health. However, very little is known about the existing measures addressing climate-related disasters and health impacts among vulnerable groups. WHO established a Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management framework to urge governments and relevant actors to systematically collect evidence to develop science-based feasible adaptive strategies for priority groups. This study used scoping review methods to identify the action areas of Health-EDRM in policy documents in Indonesia, its content, and any potential gaps that require further study. The results from the documents’ review were then reported and discussed at a national stakeholder consultation meeting. This study has identified several achievements, lessons learned, and challenges from strategies and policies for health adaptation in facing climate-related disasters in Indonesia. This study also proposed strategies and recommendations to support mobilizing and accelerating health adaptation actions towards climate-related disasters in Indonesia.
The Air Quality Impact Evaluation of Modular Construction Practices in Hong Kong and Singapore
Authors: Zhang Riqi , Xu Yishuang
Published: January 2022

As a new approach to construction practice, modular construction allows the building to be split into modular units and prefabricates them in factories, transports the units to the site, and assembles them into the whole construction through reliable connections. Whilst it is regarded to be the future direction in the development of the construction industry, Hong Kong and Singapore, amongst many other cities, both use modular constructions in public and private constructions. There have been many evaluations of the sustainability performance of a single construction using modular constructions, but the environmental impacts of implementing modular constructions on a city scale have been rarely explored. Few scholars have studied the impact of the application of this technology on the air quality on a small regional scale. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by comparing and analysing the modular construction policies in Hong Kong and Singapore and evaluating the impact of the policies on air quality in the two cities. By using OLS and DID analysis, we found that the air quality can be affected by modular construction, though the impact was found to be limited. The modular construction policies had a positive effect on sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions in both cities, and a negative effect on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter < 10 μm (PM10) emissions. Meanwhile, greenhouse gases (GHG) and ozone (O3) varied between the two.
Relationships between Sense of Community, Authenticity, and Meaning in Life in Four Social Communities in France
Authors: Moisseron-Baudé Mathilde , Bernaud Jean-Luc , Sovet Laurent
Published: January 2022

This research explored the effects of sense of community and authenticity on meaning in life in social communities in France. The sample included one hundred participants from four social communities (i.e., political, religious, virtual learning, and mutual aid). The Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Sense of Community Scale, and the Authenticity Scale were administered to the respondents. The correlational analyses indicated that sense of community and authenticity were more related to the presence of meaning (r = 0.29 and r = 0.54, respectively) than to the search for meaning (r = −0.39 and r = 0.03, respectively). In addition, no interaction effects were found between sense of community and the three dimensions of authenticity, suggesting that the level of authenticity did not influence the relationships between sense of community and presence of or search for meaning. The practical and research implications of the study for social communities in the field of existential psychology were discussed.
Sustainable Buildings’ Energy-Efficient Retrofitting: A Study of Large Office Buildings in Beijing
Authors: Wan Shiyu , Ding Grace , Runeson Goran , Liu Yisheng
Published: January 2022

Energy-efficient retrofitting has emerged as a primary strategy for reducing the energy consumption of buildings. Buildings in China account for about 40% of total national energy consumption. Large office buildings account for the most. Less than 5% of the building area of existing office buildings is energy efficient. Energy-efficient retrofitting for sustainable buildings is a complicated system that involves various sustainable dimensions and operational technical schemes. Making multi-criteria decisions becomes a challenging problem for stakeholders. Based on the theory of sustainability, this paper establishes a sustainable analysis framework to guide stakeholders to select an optimal technical combination of energy-efficient retrofit measures for large office buildings. Based on empirical data collected in Beijing, a number of energy efficiency measures are selected, tailored and applied to a virtual model of a typical large office building. Technical features and the energy performance are simulated accordingly. The energy consumption, energy-saving ratio and lifecycle costs are derived to identify the optimal configuration. The outcome of this research offers a feasible technical plan for stakeholders relating to technical design and design making. The study finds that an LED lighting system and frequency conversion device for the cooling water chiller cannot only sufficiently reduce the building’s energy consumption but also perform economically. Different thermal insulation materials for reconstructing the building envelope have no obvious effect on the thermal performance in comprehensive simulations of technology combinations. The sustainable analysis framework offers theoretical and practical support and can be used as a reference for the other types of buildings in future research.
Convergence of Population Structures of the European Union Member States—The Past and the Future
Authors: Krupowicz Joanna , Kuropka Ireneusz
Published: January 2022

The Eurostat projections indicate that, by 2050, most of the European Union member states will see a fall in their population size, a drop in the share of young people, and a simultaneous rise in the share of elderly persons. There exist visible disproportions in the population structures between the EU countries, and the ageing of the population has two dimensions: it is occurring from the top down and from the bottom up. The goal of the study was to assess the stage of advancement and diversity of the ageing of population in the past and in the year 2050. Convergence models were designed for ten variables (indicators for structures by age, demographic dependency, median age) and a synthetic variable characterising the stage of advancement of the ageing of the structures. The occurrence of beta- and sigma-convergence of population structures in EU-27 in the years 2004–2020 and 2020–2050 were verified. The results indicate that absolute beta-convergence of the variables characterising the population structures in the EU countries happened in the past and will happen in around 2050. No unambiguous proof has been found for sigma-convergence, i.e., for any significant decrease over time in the diversity between the countries in terms of the studied variables that characterise the ageing process. In the past, the bottom-up ageing has occurred faster than the top-down ageing, while, in the future, it is expected to be the other way round.
Activated Carbon and Coconut Coir with the Incorporation of ABR System as Greywater Filter: The Implications for Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Sabara Zakir , Anwar Aswariani , Yani Setyawati , Prianto Kusnul , Junaidi Rahmad , Umam Rofiqul , Prastowo Rizqi
Published: January 2022

Greywater refers to wastewater generated from domestic activities, which do not contain fecal contamination. Therefore, this study aims to treat greywater in Makassar city to speed up the water cycle and enable reuse, as an environmental conservation strategy. The water parameters measured were pH, Turbidity, Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). According to the results, the greywater’s BOD, COD, and TTS contents were 49.98 to 54.88 mg/L, 509 to 655 mg/L, and 404.40 to 464.65 mg/L, respectively, all of which exceed WHO wastewater quality standards. The use of a wastewater treatment installation comprising a combination of Activated Carbon (AC) and Coconut Coir (CC) with the incorporation of the Anaerobic Baffle Reactor (ABR) system as a greywater filter successfully reduced the city’s greywater pollution. In addition, the new BOD content fulfills the environmentally safe wastewater standards, while the new COD and TSS contents were 152 mg/L to 184 mg/L and 59.68 mg/L to 77.42 mg/L, respectively, which are close to the WHO domestic wastewater quality standards.
Home Meal Replacement (Convenience Food) Consumption Behavior of Single-Member Households in Vietnam by Food Consumption Value
Authors: Choi Seunggyun , Lee Timothy J. , Hong Wansoo
Published: January 2022

The home meal replacement (HMR) market in Vietnam is expected to grow due to economic growth and the associated reduction in household size resulting from this. This study sets the development direction of HMR products and establishes product marketing strategies in the Vietnamese market through market segmentation of single-member households. Our survey targeted single-member households with regular HMR experience. Food-consumption value is used to identify market segmentation and differences in purchase behavior, such as preferences for a specific HMR type, the importance and performance of HMR selection attributes, and the demand for product development. The single-member households in Vietnam are segmented by purchasing simplicity and convenience, considering multiple options, and purchasing family safety. The family-oriented culture of Vietnam influences the evaluation of family safety, while the situational value reflects climate features. Meanwhile, taste, expiration date, sanitation, and nutrients are found to be key attributes. This study targets the impact of these effects on single-member households, given that household size is rapidly decreasing in Vietnam and there is a lack of research on the Vietnamese HMR market. Additionally, it highlights the influence of Vietnam’s culture and climate characteristics by utilizing segmented markets, which can also be utilized to develop market-tailored HMR products and to derive appropriate marketing strategies.
Analysis of Urban Visual Memes Based on Dictionary Learning: An Example with Urban Image Data
Authors: Zhang Ming , Gu Xin , Xiao Jun , Zou Pu , Shi Zuoqin , He Silu , Li Haifeng , Li Sumin
Published: January 2022

The coexistence of different cultures is a distinctive feature of human society, and globalization makes the construction of cities gradually tend to be the same, so how to find the unique memes of urban culture in a multicultural environment is very important for the development of a city. Most of the previous analyses of urban style have been based on simple classification tasks to obtain the visual elements of cities, lacking in considering the most essential visual elements of cities as a whole. Therefore, based on the image data of ten representative cities around the world, we extract the visual memes via the dictionary learning method, quantify the symmetric similarities and differences between cities by using the memetic similarity, and interpret the reasons for the similarities and differences between cities by using the memetic similarity and sparse representation. The experimental results show that the visual memes have certain limitations among different cities, i.e., the elements composing the urban style are very similar, and the linear combinations of visual memes vary widely as the reason for the differences in the urban style among cities.
Water-Assisted Perovskite Quantum Dots with High Optical Properties
Authors: Yokoyama Masaaki , Sato Ryota , Enomoto Junya , Oshita Naoaki , Kimura Taisei , Kikuchi Keisuke , Asakura Satoshi , Umemoto Kazuki , Masuhara Akito
Published: January 2022

Lead halide perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) have excellent optical properties, such as narrow emission spectra (FWHM: 18–30 nm), a tunable bandgap (λPL: 420–780 nm), and excellent photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs: >90%). PeQDs are known as a material that is easily decomposed when exposed to water in the atmosphere, resulting in causing PeQDs to lower performance. On the other hand, according to the recent reports, adding water after preparing the PeQD dispersion decomposed the PeQD surface defects, resulting in improving their PLQY. Namely, controlling the amount of assisting water during the preparation of the PeQDs is a significantly critical factor to determining their optical properties and device applications. In this paper, our research group discovered the novel effects of the small amount of water to their optical properties when preparing the PeQDs. According to the TEM Images, the PeQDs particle size was clearly increased after water-assisting. In addition, XPS measurement showed that the ratio of Br/Pb achieved to be close to three. Namely, by passivating the surface defect using Ostwald ripening, the prepared PeQDs achieved a high PLQY of over 95%.
Pulsed Arterial Spin Labeling and Segmented Brain Volumetry in the Diagnostic Evaluation of Frontotemporal Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Marterstock Dominique Cornelius , Knott Michael Franz Xaver , Hoelter Philip , Lang Stefan , Oberstein Timo , Kornhuber Johannes , Doerfler Arnd , Schmidt Manuel A.
Published: January 2022

Background: Previous studies suggest that brain atrophy can not only be defined by its morphological extent, but also by the cerebral blood flow (CBF) within a certain area of the brain, including white and gray matter. The aim of this study is to investigate known atrophy patterns in different forms of dementia and to compare segmented brain volumetrics and pulsed arterial spin labeling (pASL) data to explore the correlation between brain maps with atrophy and this non-contrast-enhanced brain-perfusion method. Methods: Our study comprised 17 patients with diagnosed cognitive impairment (five Alzheimer’s disease = AD, five frontotemporal dementia = FTD, seven mild cognitive impairment = MCI) and 19 healthy control subjects (CO). All patients and controls underwent 4D-pASL brain-perfusion MR imaging and T1w MPRAGE. The data were assessed regarding relative brain volume on the basis of 286 brain regions, and absolute and relative cerebral blood flow (CBF/rCBF) were derived from pASL data in the corresponding brain regions. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was performed to assess cognitive functions. Results: FTD patients demonstrated significant brain atrophy in 43 brain regions compared to CO. Patients with MCI showed significant brain atrophy in 18 brain regions compared to CO, whereas AD patients only showed six brain regions with significant brain atrophy compared to CO. There was good correlation of brain atrophy and pASL perfusion data in five brain regions of patients with diagnosed FTD, especially in the superior temporal gyrus (r = 0.900, p = 0.037), the inferior frontal white matter (pars orbitalis; r = 0.968, p = 0.007) and the thalami (r = 0.810, p = 0.015). Patients with MCI demonstrated a correlation in one brain region (left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus; r = 0.786, p = 0.036), whereas patients with diagnosed AD revealed no correlation. Conclusions: pASL can detect affected brain regions in cognitive impairment and corresponds with brain atrophy, especially for patients suffering from FTD and MCI. However, there was no correlation of perfusion alterations and brain atrophy in AD. pASL perfusion might thus represent a promising tool for noninvasive brain-perfusion evaluation in specific dementia subtypes as a complimentary imaging-based bio marker in addition to brain volumetry.
Discrimination of the Activity of Low-Affinity Wild-Type and High-Affinity Mutant Recombinant BoNT/B by a SIMA Cell-Based Reporter Release Assay
Authors: Neuschäfer-Rube Frank , Pathe-Neuschäfer-Rube Andrea , Püschel Gerhard P.
Published: January 2022

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is used for the treatment of a number of ailments. The activity of the toxin that is isolated from bacterial cultures is frequently tested in the mouse lethality assay. Apart from the ethical concerns inherent to this assay, species-specific differences in the affinity for different BoNT serotypes give rise to activity results that differ from the activity in humans. Thus, BoNT/B is more active in mice than in humans. The current study shows that the stimulus-dependent release of a luciferase from a differentiated human neuroblastoma–based reporter cell line (SIMA-hPOMC1-26-Gluc) was inhibited by clostridial and recombinant BoNT/A to the same extent, whereas both clostridial and recombinant BoNT/B inhibited the release to a lesser extent and only at much higher concentrations, reflecting the low activity of BoNT/B in humans. By contrast, the genetically modified BoNT/B-MY, which has increased affinity for human synaptotagmin, and the BoNT/B protein receptor inhibited luciferase release effectively and with an EC50 comparable to recombinant BoNT/A. This was due to an enhanced uptake into the reporter cells of BoNT/B-MY in comparison to the recombinant wild-type toxin. Thus, the SIMA-hPOMC1-26-Gluc cell assay is a versatile tool to determine the activity of different BoNT serotypes providing human-relevant dose-response data.
Real-Life Impact of Drug Toxicity on Dolutegravir Tolerability: Clinical Practice Data from a Multicenter Italian Cohort
Authors: Ciccullo Arturo , Baldin Gianmaria , Borghi Vanni , Lagi Filippo , Latini Alessandra , d’Ettorre Gabriella , Oreni Letizia , Fusco Paolo , Capetti Amedeo , Fabbiani Massimiliano , Giacomelli Andrea , Grimaldi Alessandro , Madeddu Giordano , Sterrantino Gaetana , Mussini Cristina , Di Giambenedetto Simona
Published: January 2022

Dolutegravir (DTG) is currently one of the most used Integrase inhibitors (INI) in antiretroviral therapies (ARV) in both naïve and experienced people living with HIV (PLWHIV). We analyzed a multicenter cohort of PLWHIV, both naïve and experienced, starting an ARV including DTG. We enrolled 3775 PLWHIV: 2763 (73.2%) were males, with a median age of 50 years. During 9890.7 PYFU, we observed 930 discontinuations (9.4 per 100 PYFU). Estimated probabilities of maintaining DTG at three and five years were 75.1% and 67.2%, respectively. Treatment-naïve pts showed a lower probability of maintaining DTG at three and five years compared to treatment-experienced PLWHIV (log-rank p < 0.001). At a multivariate analysis, a longer time of virological suppression (aHR 0.994, p < 0.001) and having experienced a previous virological failure (aHR 0.788, p = 0.016) resulted protective against DTG discontinuation. Most discontinuations (84.0%) happened within the first 12 months of DTG initiation, in particular, 92.2% of discontinuations due to neuropsychiatric toxicity were observed in the first year. Our data confirm the overall good tolerability of DTG in clinical practice, with a low rate of discontinuations. CNS toxicity resulted the main reason for DTG discontinuation, with most related interruptions happening in the first year from DTG introduction.