bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on the Spatial and Temporal Evolution Patterns of Green Innovation Efficiency and Driving Factors in Three Major Urban Agglomerations in China—Based on the Perspective of Economic Geography
Authors: Hu Biao , Yuan Kai , Niu Tingyun , Zhang Liang , Guan Yuqiong
Published: July 2022

Sustainable development has become a global consensus, and green innovation is the key starting point, and it has become a ballast stone and stabilizer for regional ecological environmental protection and high-quality economic development. Based on GIS tools and multi-method models, this paper studies the spatio-temporal characteristics and influence mechanism of green innovation in three major urban agglomerations in China from 2010 to 2019 from the perspective of economic geography. The study found that: (1) the green innovation efficiency of the three major urban agglomerations in China is in a fluctuating upward trend as a whole, with obvious spatial disequilibrium; (2) from the spatial point of view, the characteristics of global spatial agglomeration distribution have positive spatial correlation, and the law of local spatial autocorrelation is obvious, and the spatio-temporal pattern transitions from “low efficiency, big difference” to “high efficiency, small difference” during the study period; (3) there are obvious spatial spillover and diffusion effects on the green innovation efficiency of the three major urban agglomerations in China as a whole. However, the spatial dependence of green innovation efficiency is inconsistent in China’s three major urban agglomerations; the YRD Urban region and the PRD Urban region show a positive impact, while the JJJ Urban region shows a negative impact; (4) the level of economic development, the operating environment of science and technology, and the guiding factors of government system function with significant differences and regional spatial heterogeneity on the efficiency of green innovation in the three major urban agglomerations in China.
Geological and Mineralogical Mapping Based on Statistical Methods of Remote Sensing Data Processing of Landsat-8: A Case Study in the Southeastern Transbaikalia, Russia
Authors: Nafigin Igor Olegovich , Ishmukhametova Venera Talgatovna , Ustinov Stepan Andreevich , Minaev Vasily Alexandrovich , Petrov Vladislav Alexandrovich
Published: July 2022

The work considers the suitability of using multispectral satellite remote sensing data Landsat-8 for conducting regional geological and mineralogical mapping of the territory of south-eastern Transbaikalia (Russia) based on statistical methods for processing remote sensing data in conditions of medium–low-mountain relief and continental climate. The territory was chosen as the object of study due to its diverse metallogenic specialization (Au, U, Mo, Pb-Zn, Sn, W, Ta, Nb, Li, fluorite). Diversity in composition and age of ore-bearing massifs of intrusive, volcanogenic, and sedimentary rocks are also of interest. The work describes the initial data and considers the procedure for their pre-processing, including radiometric and atmospheric correction. Statistical processing algorithms to increase spectral information content of satellite data Landsat-8 were used. They include: principal component analysis, minimum noise fraction, and independent component analysis. Eigenvector matrices analyzed on the basis of statistical processing results and two-dimensional correlation graphs were built to compare thematic layers with geological material classes: oxide/hydroxide group minerals containing transition iron ions (Fe3+ and Fe3+/Fe2+); a group of clay minerals containing A1-OH and Fe, Mg-OH; and minerals containing Fe2+ and vegetation cover. Pseudo-colored RGB composites representing the distribution and multiplication of geological material classes are generated and interpreted according to the results of statistical methods. Integration of informative thematic layers using a fuzzy logic model was carried out to construct a prediction scheme for detecting hydrothermal mineralization. The received schema was compared with geological information, and positive conclusions about territory suitability for further remote mapping research of hydrothermally altered zones and hypergenesis products in order to localize areas promising for identifying hydrothermal metasomatic mineralization were made.
Evaluation of Future Maize Yield Changes and Adaptation Strategies in China
Authors: Li Kuo , Guo Liping , Pan Jie , Li Mingyu
Published: July 2022

In the past century, climate change has become more significant, which has a great impact on crop growth, especially food security. Based on the regional climate model PRECIS, high-precision grid climate data in China under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios were output, and the high-precision amplification and calibration of crop model DSSAT were calibrated and verified in combination with data of maize planting from 2005 to 2015, including observation data of agrometeorological stations, ecological networking experiment data and maize survey data of agricultural demonstration counties. The impact of climate change on maize production in 2030s and 2050s was evaluated; and the effect of main adaptation strategies to climate change is put forward which could support macro strategies of layout adjustment for the maize production system. The results show that if no countermeasures are taken in the future, the risk of maize yield reduction in China will gradually increase, especially under the RCP8.5 scenario. The risk of maize yield reduction in each main production area will be very prominent in the 2050s under the RCP8.5 scenario, which would be between 10–30%. Compared with a delayed sowing date, an early sowing date would be more conducive to maize production, but there would be some differences in different regions. The heat in the growing season of maize would increase significantly. If the growth time of maize from silking to maturity could be prolonged and the accumulated temperature could be raised, the dry matter accumulation of maize would effectively increase, which would have an obvious effect on yield. Improving grain filling rate is also significant, although the effect of yield increase would be smaller. Therefore, sowing in advance, full irrigation and cultivating varieties with a long reproductive growth period could effectively alleviate the yield reduction caused by climate change. Adjusting maturity type and grain harvest strategy would have a more obvious mitigation effect on yield reduction in northeast China and northern China, and plays a positive role in ensuring future maize yield.
Construction of Mega Individuals Competency Model in Business Environment: A Grounded Theory Approach
Authors: Huang Beilei , Zhang Jinhua , Li Xiyuan
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this research is to explore the new practices derived from the influences of information technology among a certain group, i.e., “mega individuals”. Based on Grounded Theory and interviews from 53 companies, which consist of responses from 56 domestic and international founders, entrepreneurs, professional managers, partners and business elites, this study expounds that “mega individuals”, who constantly develop individual attainment and ability under the influence of business ecosystem evolution, have broken the traditional employment relationship. Through Grounded Theory, the following conclusion can be drawn: “mega individuals” are composed of three key traits: compound ability, collaboration ability and personal intellectual property (IP) know-hows. This research takes the initiative to create the “mega individuals competency model” (MICM) and elaborates on the dynamic capabilities theory to interpret the MICM, dedicated to enriching the dynamic capabilities theory by merging the current rapid and continuous changes in the business world from the promising and potential individual’s perspective.
The Evolution of Enterprise Gamification in the Digital Era and the Role of Value-Based Models
Authors: Sam-Epelle Ibelema , Olayinka Olakunle , Jones Peter
Published: July 2022

Gamification’s adoption in the enterprise today is on the rise and provides benefits such as customer loyalty and increased employee engagement. In this article, the use of gamification in the enterprise is assessed in seeking to understand how fully gamified systems differ from related concepts such as toys, playful designs, and serious games. Given the increasing interest in enterprise gamification, it is useful to evaluate how it has evolved and its acceptance via a multidisciplinary lens. It is also critical to assess frameworks and approaches applied in understanding the trend. The current article concludes that a value-oriented approach is needed for a more comprehensive understanding of enterprise gamification acceptance and users’ experience, particularly in today’s workforce that is largely dominated by millennials.
Social Capital and Energy Transition: A Conceptual Review
Authors: Giacovelli Grazia
Published: July 2022

The impact of social factors in energy transition has become increasingly important in recent decades. In this context, Social Capital (SC) has been used to give greater importance to social aspects that can influence community involvement in the energy transition. Two approaches were used to select the academic literature on SC and energy transition for this review, (1) a keyword search through the main bibliographical databases to ascertain the number of articles on this topic and (2) a theoretical investigation of certain aspects that unite or differentiate the various articles. Specifically, this review paper considers the different definitions given to SC in the energy field, the dimensions and indicators of SC considered in different studies, and the methods, qualitative or quantitative, used to operationalise SC. The review stresses some weaknesses in the literature, such as the split in the definition of SC in relation to the energy transition, the interaction of SC with social rather than individual factors of the person, and indicators of SC that can influence, positively or negatively, energy transition. A shared methodology should be developed with a multidisciplinary approach that would allow SC to be considered in its totality.
Dynamic Responses of RC Girder Bridge under Heavy Truck and Seismic Loads Combined
Authors: Liu Lang , Yang Xiaotian , Yan Boquan , Miao Siyu
Published: July 2022

Overloaded truck and earthquake have become two main factors responsible for bridge damage, consequently the combination of heavy truck and seismic loads as a typical occurrence of extreme events is likely to lead to bridge collapse or destructive damage, in which the crucial issues of coupling load model, dynamic equations and bridge responses have not been adequately addressed. In this study, a simplified vehicle-bridge model consisting of many containers is established to simulate vehicle passage, and the dynamic equations are derived for a 5-axle truck on a simply supported beam as an illustration. Then, five ground motions selected from PEER with appropriate peak ground accelerations and durations and the three truck models specified in American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Caltrans and Chinese codes are applied on the finite element model of a typical reinforced concrete continuous girder bridge, in which, vehicle speed, number of trucks, ground motion and vehicle type are assumed to be random variables and their influences on dynamic responses of the bridge are analyzed. The results show seismic load is the governing factor in dynamic responses but truck load may change displacement shapes; in addition, dynamic responses present a high sensitivity with the number of trucks (set as truck platoon) and gross vehicle weight but rare with vehicle speed. Specifically, the presence of a few trucks could serve as energy dissipation facilities for the bridge under seismic motions but may amplify the response when more trucks involved; some combinations of truck platoon with seismic excitation produce very large displacements and even cracks on the bridge, therefore, such an extreme event requires higher robustness in bridge design to make it be sustainable and serviceability after earthquakes.
Sustainable Food Production: Innovative Netting Concepts and Their Mode of Action on Fruit Crops
Authors: Vuković Marko , Jurić Slaven , Maslov Bandić Luna , Levaj Branka , Fu Da-Qi , Jemrić Tomislav
Published: July 2022

Net application in agriculture has a long history. Nets were usually used for the protection of plants against different hazards (hail, wind, birds, pests, excessive sun radiation) and, lately, from insects (nets with smaller mesh size). In recent years, photoselective netting technology has emerged, which adds desired plant responses caused by light quality changes to their basic protective properties. A combination of anti-insect and photoselective net technology (anti-insect photoselective nets) may present a notable contribution to the sustainable food production concept. Notable positive effects of this eco-friendly approach on agroecosystems are mainly achievable due to its non-pesticide pest protection of cultivated plants and, at the same time, promotion of special beneficial morphological and physiological plant responses. Although netting has been extensively studied over the last decade, there is a pronounced lack of publications and analyses that deal with their mode of action on fruit trees, which is especially true for new netting concepts. A better understanding of such mechanisms can lead to improved development and/or utilization of this technology and enhanced generation of value-added products. This review was based on a revision of the literature regarding netting in agriculture, with emphasis on fruit cultivation, and the following databases were used: Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Although this study aims to comprehend a majority of fruit species, it narrows down to those usually net-protected and, hence, studied, such as apple, peach or nectarine, kiwifruit, blueberry, etc. Nets mainly differ in their mesh size and color, which are the parameters that mostly determine their capacity for light quantity and quality modification. Such light modifications, directly or indirectly (e.g., change in microclimate), initiate different fruit tree responses (in some cases, mechanisms) through which the final effect is realized on their vegetative and generative traits. For instance, some of them include a shade avoidance mechanism (initiated by changes in red to a far-red ratio, blue light levels, etc.), source–sink relationship, and carbohydrate availability (actualized by changes in photosynthesis efficiency, vegetative and generative growth, etc.), plant stress response (actualized by microclimate changes), etc. In most cases, these responses are interconnected, which contributes to the complexity of this topic and emphasizes the importance of a better understanding of it.
Spatial Differentiation Effect of Rural Logistics in Urban Agglomerations in China Based on the Fuzzy Neural Network
Authors: Lu Hao , Bao Jie
Published: July 2022

Rural logistics is particularly important for the sustainable development of Chinese urban agglomeration, which features the coexistence of urban circles and vast countryside. However, the existing literature generally focuses on urban logistics while ignoring rural logistics. Taking the Chengdu-Chongqing agglomeration as an example, this study constructed a rural logistics index system and proposed a new dynamic assessment model for rural logistics development using a fuzzy neural network, Moran index, and Kernel density estimation. The results are as follows: the development of rural logistics has been enhanced, and gaps among cities have gradually narrowed over the past decade. In particular, the spatial distribution of rural logistics showcases a dual-core structure in the Chengdu-Chongqing agglomeration, which is different from the unipolar structure manifested in other urban agglomerations. Because of administrative barriers, the impact from the dual-core cities is very different: Chengdu has a significant spillover effect on its surrounding cities, which is not the case for Chongqing. The findings are of great significance for local governments to provide decision-making support for the sustainable development of urban agglomerations.
Build Healthier: Post-COVID-19 Urban Requirements for Healthy and Sustainable Living
Authors: Jevtic Marija , Matkovic Vlatka , Paut Kusturica Milica , Bouland Catherine
Published: July 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a renewed interest in urban environment and healthy living and the changes in urban environments which can make for a healthier living. Today, more than 50% of the global population lives in urban areas, and in Europe the number is 75%. We present a narrative review to explore considerations and necessary requirements to achieve health and well-being within strategies for healthy design and urban planning whilst rethinking urban spaces for a post-COVID-19 and carbon-neutral future. The achievement of health and well-being demands healthy design strategies, namely, (1) moving from the concept of infrastructure for processes to the infrastructure for healthy living—requirements for healthy places, cycling, walking, disintegrating the role of polluting traffic from the urban environments, social vulnerability and equality; (2) physical space that will achieve standards of ‘liveable communities’—open, green space requirements and standards for any built environment; (3) mainstreaming ‘in-the-walking distance’ cities and neighbourhoods for healthy physical activities for daily living; (4) exploring any of the new concepts that connect the nexus of urban spaces and public health and improving of the population’s well-being. Public health needs to be prioritised systematically in planning of built environments, energy generations, sustainable food production, and nutrition.
Spatial Variation of Microbial Community Structure and Its Driving Environmental Factors in Two Forest Types in Permafrost Region of Greater Xing′an Mountains
Authors: Song Dandan , Cui Yuanquan , Ma Dalong , Li Xin , Liu Lin
Published: July 2022

Climate warming is accelerating permafrost degradation. Soil microorganisms play key roles in the maintenance of high-latitude permafrost regions and forest ecosystems’ functioning and regulation of biogeochemical cycles. In this study, we used Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing to investigate soil bacterial community composition at a primeval Larix gmelinii forest and a secondary Betula platyphylla forest in a permafrost region of the Greater Xing’an Mountains. The Shannon diversity index tended to decrease and then increase with increasing soil depth, which was significantly higher in the L. gmelinii forest than in the B. platyphylla forest at 40–60 cm. Proteobacteria (19.86–29.68%), Acidobacteria (13.59–31.44%), Chloroflexi (11.04–27.19%), Actinobacteria (7.05–25.57%), Gemmatimonadetes (1.76–9.18%), and Verrucomicrobia (2.03–7.00%) were the predominant phyla of the bacterial community in two forest types. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria showed a decreasing trend in the B. platyphylla forest and an increasing trend in the L. gmelinii forest, whereas that of Chloroflexi increased and then decreased in the B. platyphylla forest and decreased in the L. gmelinii forest with increasing soil depth. The relative abundance of Acidobacteria was significantly higher in the B. platyphylla forest than in the L. gmelinii forest at 0–20 cm depth, whereas that of Actinobacteria was significantly higher in the L. gmelinii forest than in the B. platyphylla forest at 0–20 cm and 40–60 cm depth. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that microbial community composition was more significantly influenced by forest type than soil depth. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that microbial community structure was strongly affected by soil physicochemical properties such as nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N), pH, and total organic carbon (TOC). These results offer insights into the potential relationship between soil microbial community and forest conversion in high latitude permafrost ecosystems.
Impact of Tillage and Straw Treatment Methods on Rice Growth and Yields in a Rice–Ratoon Rice Cropping System
Authors: Li Shengchun , Zhang Yilin , Guo Lihao , Li Xiaofang
Published: July 2022

The rice–ratoon rice cropping system has the advantages of saving labor and imparting economic benefits. Optimizing tillage and straw management is beneficial for improving ratoon rice growth and yield. In this study, field experiments were conducted to examine the effects of four tillage and straw managements on the growth and yield of a rice–ratoon rice cropping system in central China in 2020 to 2021. The managements included no-till with main-season and ratoon-season rice residues retained on the soil’s surface (NT+S), plow tillage with residue retention (CT+S), no-till with residues removed (NT-S), and plow tillage with residues removed (CT-S). Compared to NT, CT significantly increased yield by 33.70% and 29.12% in the main and ratoon seasons, respectively. Compared to straw removal, straw returning significantly increased yield by 13.37% and 27.29% in the main and ratoon seasons, respectively. In general, both CT and straw returning improved root function (root activity and root dry weight) and photosynthetic capacity (leaf area index, net photosynthetic rate, and leaf chlorophyll content). CT combined with straw returning was able to achieve the highest annual rice yield.
An Extended Investigation of High-Level Natural Radioactivity and Geochemistry of Neoproterozoic Dokhan Volcanics: A Case Study of Wadi Gebeiy, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt
Authors: Kamar Mohamed S. , Salem Ibrahim A. , El-Aassy Ibrahim E. , El-Sayed Abdu A. , Zakaly Hesham M.H. , Alzahrani Abdullah M. , Lasheen El Saeed R.
Published: July 2022

High-level natural radioactivity, geochemical, geological, and radiological hazard assessment of the poorly investigated Wadi Gebeiy Dokhan volcanics rocks are discussed. Wadi Gebeiy Dokhan volcanics are located in Southwestern Sinai, Egypt, covering an area of ~1.3 km2. Dokhan volcanics rocks are represented by porphyritic dacite. Geochemically, they have medium-k characters and originate from calc-alkaline magma within a volcanics arc environment. Along the fault plane striking NNE-SSW, and at its intersection with the NW-SE fault plane, altered Dokhan volcanics occur with high radioactive anomalies. Radiological parameters (absorbed dose rate, radium equivalent, activity annual effective dose, external and internal hazard indices) are used to evaluate their suitability as an ornamental stone. Except for the absorbed dose rate, all the radiological hazard indices show that unaltered Dokhan volcanics can be used as an ornamental stone. Controversially, the applied radiological indices reveal that altered Dokhan volcanics have a higher content than the recommended values of UNSCEAR, reflecting their risk on human organs.
New Tribological Aspects in the Micro-Areas of the Symmetric Rolling-Sliding Contact
Authors: John Antoni , Bakowski Henryk , Száva Ioan , Vlase Sorin
Published: July 2022

The study of wear that occurs during operation in the wheel–rail assembly is a difficult process to analyze. The phenomena that accompany the wear process are extremely complex and involve many factors, which vary greatly over different periods of time and at different times of wheel–rail contact. Estimating the behavior of the system and its wear in operation is difficult to obtain. However, for common engineering applications, for which the determining factors, such as road profile, load, skid, speed and weather conditions, are known, useful results can be obtained by laboratory tests or by numerical simulation. The article aims to model the complex phenomena that take place in the rail wheel system, taking into account the impact that most essential operational factors have. For this, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is used, thus, trying to explain the wear mechanisms of the wheel–rail system. The obtained results are verified in the laboratory. The main observation in the paper refers to the fact that in the areas of maximum stress and deformation, cracks appear at the micro scale. FEM proved to be a method that can predict the appearance of these microcracks, the experimental results validating the numerical experiments. The research offers results that can prove to be of great importance in practice, for the analysis and improvement of railway safety.
Special Issue of Symmetry: “Biological Psychology: Brain Asymmetry and Behavioral Brain”
Authors: Pascalis Vilfredo De
Published: July 2022

The study of brain asymmetry in humans represents a long-standing topic in the biobehavioral sciences and remains an attractive research domain with many potential applications [...]
Illegal Intrusion Detection for In-Vehicle CAN Bus Based on Immunology Principle
Authors: Li Xiaowei , Liu Feng , Li Defei , Hu Tianchi , Han Mu
Published: July 2022

The controller area network (CAN) bus has become one of the most commonly used protocols in automotive networks. Some potential attackers inject malicious data packets into the CAN bus through external interfaces for implementing illegal operations (intrusion). Anomaly detection is a technique for network intrusion detection which can detect malicious data packs by comparing the normal data packets with incoming data packets obtained from the network traffic. The data of a normal network is in a symmetric and stable state, which will become asymmetric when compromised. Considering the in-vehicle network, the CAN bus is symmetrically similar to the immune system in terms of internal network structure and external invasion threats. In this work, we use an intrusion detection method based on the dendritic cell algorithm (DCA). However, existing studies suggest the use of optimization methods to improve the accuracy of classification algorithms, and the current optimization of the parameters of the detection method mostly relies on the manual tuning of the parameters, which is a large workload. In view of the above challenges, this paper proposes a new detection algorithm based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) and gravitational search algorithm (GSA) to improve the dendritic cell algorithm (PSO-GSA-DCA). PSO-GSA-DCA achieves adaptive parameter tuning and improves detection accuracy by mixing optimization algorithms and using them to optimize the dendritic cell algorithm classifier. Additionally, DCA-based CAN message attribute matching rules (measured by information gain and standard deviation of CAN data) are proposed for matching the three input signals (PAMP, DS, SS) of the DCA. The experimental results show that our proposed scheme has a significant improvement in accuracy, which can reach 91.64%, and lower time loss compared with other correlation anomaly detection schemes. Our proposed method also enables adaptive tuning, which solves the problem that most models now rely on manual tuning.
Second-Order Approximate Equations of the Large-Scale Atmospheric Motion Equations and Symmetry Analysis for the Basic Equations of Atmospheric Motion
Authors: Liu Ping , Lou Senyue , Peng Lei
Published: July 2022

In this paper, symmetry properties of the basic equations of atmospheric motion are proposed. The results on symmetries show that the basic equations of atmospheric motion are invariant under space-time translation transformation, Galilean translation transformations and scaling transformations. Eight one-parameter invariant subgroups and eight one-parameter group invariant solutions are demonstrated. Three types of nontrivial similarity solutions and group invariants are proposed. With the help of perturbation method, we derive the second-order approximate equations for the large-scale atmospheric motion equations, including the non-dimensional equations and the dimensional equations. The second-order approximate equations of the large-scale atmospheric motion equations not only show the characteristics of physical quantities changing with time, but also describe the characteristics of large-scale atmospheric vertical motion.
Beyond the Beta Integral Method: Transformation Formulas for Hypergeometric Functions via Meijer’s G Function
Authors: Karp Dmitrii , Prilepkina Elena
Published: July 2022

The beta integral method proved itself as a simple but nonetheless powerful method for generating hypergeometric identities at a fixed argument. In this paper, we propose a generalization by substituting the beta density with a particular type of Meijer’s G function. By the application of our method to known transformation formulas, we derive about forty hypergeometric identities, the majority of which are believed to be new.
Viscous Thread Falling on a Spinning Surface
Authors: Lisicki Maciej , Adamowicz Łukasz , Herczyński Andrzej , Moffatt Henry Keith
Published: July 2022

A rotational version of the fluid-mechanical sewing machine (FMSM) is investigated experimentally. A thin thread of silicon oil was dispensed at a constant flow rate Q from a height H and fell on a table rotating at an angular speed ω, at a distance R from the axis. In all experimental runs, the values of Q and H were kept constant while the radius R was changed manually after each full rotation. Preliminary results show that the usual stitching patterns ensue as the local linear speed V=ωR approaches the critical transition speeds seen in the FMSM scenario but with subtle asymmetries introduced by rotational (centrifugal) effects. In some instances, arcs and loops of the traces were noticeably more pronounced when directed outward compared to those pointing toward the axis of rotation. Moreover, we observed stitching patterns not reported before. Overall, the symmetry-breaking features, while clearly visible, were rather subtle. Their morphological characteristics, such as differences in local curvature of traces relative to those in FMSM, are estimated to be below 10% in most cases.
Extended Ohtsuka–Vălean Sums
Authors: Reynolds Robert , Stauffer Allan
Published: July 2022

The Ohtsuka–Vălean sum is extended to evaluate an extensive number of trigonometric and hyperbolic sums and products. The sums are taken over finite and infinite domains defined in terms of the Hurwitz–Lerch zeta function, which can be simplified to composite functions in special cases of integer values of the parameters involved. The results obtained include generalizations of finite and infinite products and sums of tangent, cotangent, hyperbolic tangent and hyperbolic cotangent functions, in certain cases raised to a complex number power.
A Novel Inverse Credibility Distribution Approach for the Membership Functions of LR Fuzzy Intervals: A Case Study on a Completion Time Analysis
Authors: Gu Yujie
Published: July 2022

Fuzzy arithmetic is of great significance in dealing with vague information, especially the basic arithmetic operations (i.e., ⊕, ⊖, ⊗, ⊙). However, the classical and widely accepted accurate and approximate approaches, the interval arithmetic approach and standard approximation method, cannot output accurate or well-approximated expressions of the membership function, which may prevent decision makers from making the right decisions in real applications. To tackle this problem, this paper first discusses the relationships among the membership function, the credibility distribution, and the inverse credibility distribution and summarizes the relationships as several theorems. Then, by means of the theorems and the newly proposed operational law, this paper proposes an inverse credibility distribution approach that can output the accurate expression of the membership function for continuous and strictly monotone functions of regular LR fuzzy intervals. To better demonstrate the effectiveness of the raised approach, the commonly-used LR fuzzy interval, the symmetric trapezoidal fuzzy number, is employed, and several comparisons with the other two methods are made. The results show that the proposed approach can output an exact or well-approximated expression of the membership function, which the others cannot. In addition, some comparisons of the proposed approach with other methods are also made on a completion time analysis of a construction project to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in real applications.
Synchronized Cyclograms to Assess Inter-Limb Symmetry during Gait in Post-Stroke Patients
Authors: Marrone Flavia , Pau Massimiliano , Vismara Luca , Porta Micaela , Bigoni Matteo , Leban Bruno , Cerfoglio Serena , Galli Manuela , Mauro Alessandro , Cimolin Veronica
Published: July 2022

The aim of this study was to assess the inter-limb symmetry during gait in post-stroke patients using the synchronized cyclograms technique. In total, 41 individuals with stroke (21 left and 20 right hemiplegic patients; age: 57.9 ± 12.8 years; time stroke event 4.6 ± 1.8 years) and 48 age-, sex-, and height-matched individuals (control group: CG; age: 54.4 ± 12.5 years) were assessed via 3D gait analysis. Raw kinematic data were processed to compute spatio-temporal parameters (speed, stride length, cadence, stance, swing, and double support phases duration) and angle–angle diagrams (synchronized cyclograms), which were characterized in terms of area, orientation, and trend symmetry indices. The results reveal that all spatio-temporal parameters are characterized by abnormal values, with reduced speed, stride length, cadence, and swing phase duration and increased stance and double support phases duration. With respect to inter-limb symmetry, higher values were found in post-stroke individuals for all the considered parameters as patients generally exhibited a cyclogram characterized by larger areas, higher orientation, and trend symmetry parameters with respect to CG. The described alterations of gait asymmetry are important from a clinical point of view as the achievement of symmetry in gait represents a crucial objective in the rehabilitation of hemiplegic people.
Truth-Telling in a Sender–Receiver Game: Social Value Orientation and Incentives
Authors: Zhang Hanshu , Moisan Frederic , Aggarwal Palvi , Gonzalez Cleotilde
Published: July 2022

Previous research has discussed the effects of monetary incentives and prosociality on deceptive behavior. However, research has not comprehensively investigated the relationship between these two factors. In the current research, we introduce a repeated two-player sender–receiver binary choice task, where players in the role of senders or receivers receive asymmetric information regarding payoffs, offering the opportunity to explore the effects of economic incentives to lie according to the players’ prosociality. In Experiment 1, players are paired to play the game as a sender or receiver online. We find that economic incentives determine the likelihood of deception from senders and the likelihood that receivers will deviate from the received suggestions. Moreover, prosociality is related to players’ behavior: Prosocial senders send less deceptive messages and prosocial receivers choose options that benefit senders more. Furthermore, senders display consistent behavior when interacting with receivers, and they do not change their deceptive behavior even if detected by receivers. Experiment 2 further investigates how the players’ behavior corresponds to their understanding and interpretation of the other players’ actions, by pairing players with computer algorithms that display consistent probabilistic behaviors. We observe that senders deceive receiver algorithms by sending truthful messages when they expect the message not to be followed, and receivers follow the received messages by choosing the option that benefits “honest” sender algorithms. While we find a consistent result that prosocial senders send fewer deceptive messages than they should when telling the truth is costly, prosocial receivers are less considerate of sender payoffs in algorithms’ interaction.
Tripolar Picture Fuzzy Ideals of BCK-Algebras
Authors: Muhiuddin Ghulam , Abughazalah Nabilah , Aljuhani Afaf , Balamurugan Manivannan
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we acquaint new kinds of ideals of BCK-algebras built on tripolar picture fuzzy structures. In fact, the notions of tripolar picture fuzzy ideal, tripolar picture fuzzy implicative ideal (commutative ideal) of BCK-algebra are introduced, and related properties are studied. Also, a relation among tripolar picture fuzzy ideal, and tripolar picture fuzzy implicative ideal is well-known. Furthermore, it is shown that a tripolar picture fuzzy implicative ideal of BCK-algebra may be a tripolar picture fuzzy ideal, but the converse is not correct in common. Further, it is obtained that in an implicative BCK-algebra, the converse of aforementioned statement is true. Finally, the opinion of tripolar picture fuzzy commutative ideal is given, and some useful properties are explored. Many examples are constructed to sport our study.
Seed Morphological Properties Related to Taxonomy in Silene L. Species
Authors: Martín-Gómez José Javier , Rodríguez-Lorenzo José Luis , Juan Ana , Tocino Ángel , Janousek Bohuslav , Cervantes Emilio
Published: July 2022

Silene taxonomy, traditionally based on morphological characteristics, is now driven by DNA sequence analysis. While the usefulness of both morphological and molecular methods remains undisputed, there is an interest in the identification of the morphological characteristics useful in taxonomy. A quantitative morphological analysis of seeds belonging to Silene species is presented here and is based on seed image samples for 95 populations belonging to 52 species (49 species of Silene and 3 related species). According to the silhouette of lateral views of their seed images, Silene species are classified into three groups: smooth, rugose and echinate. The measurements taken for the lateral and dorsal views of the seeds include area, circularity, roundness, aspect ratio and solidity; differences between groups are found for all characteristics. Solidity is the ratio between the area of the seed silhouette and the corresponding convex hull. It is related to seed convexity and is the measurement with the lowest coefficient of variation. In the lateral views, solidity values are conserved, while in the dorsal views, differences are found between the three groups. The group of echinate seeds has the highest values of solidity in the dorsal views, and their species belong to S. subg. Behenantha and S. subg. Lychnis. The group of smooth seeds contains mainly species corresponding to S. subg. Silene, while species of S. subg. Lychnis are absent.
Indoor Air Quality Monitoring and Characterization of Airborne Workstations Pollutants within Detergent Production Plant
Authors: Gushit John Stephen , Mohammed Salamatu Uba , Moda Haruna Musa
Published: July 2022

The indoor air quality (IAQ) of five workstations within a detergent production unit was monitored. Particulate matter (PM) was measured using a gravitational settlement method, and later characterized. To ascertain the quality of indoor air within the workstations, which could directly or indirectly affect the health and performance of the workers, a physical inspection of the plant premises was undertaken. The mean value of the following air-quality parameters; particulate matter(PM2.5), particulate matter (PM10), formaldehyde (HCHO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature (T) and percent relative humidity (%RH) were obtained within the range of 24.5–48.5 µg/m3, 26.75–61.75 µg/m3, 0.0–0.012 mg/m3, 0.09–1.35 mg/m3, 1137–1265 ppm, 25.65–28.15 °C and 20.13–23.8%, respectively. Of the particulate matter components characterized, sodium oxide (Na2O)—25.30 mg/m3, aluminum oxide (Al2O3)—22.93 mg/m3, silicon dioxide (SiO2)—34.17 mg/m3, sulfur trioxide (SO3)—41.57 mg/m3, calcium oxide (CaO)—10.94 mg/m3 and iron III oxide (Fe2O3)—19.23 mg/m3, were of significance. These results, compared with international standards for industrial indoor air quality, suggest that indoor air contamination emanating from the chemicals used in production workstations is traced to the design of the plant structures and the activities carried out within the workstations.
Effects of Two Antiretroviral Drugs on the Crustacean Daphnia magna in River Water
Authors: Mahaye Ntombikayise , Musee Ndeke
Published: July 2022

Antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs are used to manage the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease and are increasingly being detected in the aquatic environment. However, little is known about their effects on non-target aquatic organisms. Here, Daphnia magna neonates were exposed to Efavirenz (EFV) and Tenofovir (TFV) ARVs at 62.5–1000 µg/L for 48 h in river water. The endpoints assessed were mortality, immobilization, and biochemical biomarkers (catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and malondialdehyde (MDA)). No mortality was observed over 48 h. Concentration- and time-dependent immobilization was observed for both ARVs only at 250–1000 µg/L after 48 h, with significant immobilization observed for EFV compared to TFV. Results for biochemical responses demonstrated that both ARVs induced significant changes in CAT and GST activities, and MDA levels, with effects higher for EFV compared to TFV. Biochemical responses were indicative of oxidative stress alterations. Hence, both ARVs could potentially be toxic to D. magna.
Health Effects Associated with Exposures to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
Authors: Toft Gunnar , Liew Zeyan
Published: July 2022

A number of recent studies have shown that human exposures to a wide range of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may increase the risk of disease across the lifespan by altering the homeostasis or action of endogenous hormones, or other signaling chemicals of the endocrine system [...]
Methylmercury Risk Assessment Based on European Human Biomonitoring Data
Authors: Domínguez-Morueco Noelia , Pedraza-Díaz Susana , González-Caballero María del Carmen , Esteban-López Marta , de Alba-González Mercedes , Katsonouri Andromachi , Santonen Tiina , Cañas-Portilla Ana , Castaño Argelia
Published: July 2022

A risk assessment (RA) was conducted to estimate the risk associated with methylmercury (MeHg) exposure of vulnerable European populations, using Human Biomonitoring (HBM) data. This RA was performed integrating published data from European HBM surveys and earlier EFSA approaches (EFSA 2012). Children/adolescents (3 to 17 years old) and women of childbearing age (18 to 50 years old) were selected as relevant study population groups for this RA. Two types of HBM datasets were selected: HBM studies (n = 18) with mercury (Hg) levels (blood and hair, total Hg and/or MeHg) in the general population in different EU countries and the DEMOCOPHES harmonized study in child–mother pairs (hair, total Hg) in 17 EU countries as a reference. Two approaches were included in the RA strategy: the first one was based on estimations of the fraction of children/adolescents and women of childbearing age, respectively, from the EU general population exceeding the HBM-I value established by the German Human Biomonitoring Commission, measured as Hazard Quotients (HQ); and the second approach was based on estimations of the fraction of the two population groups exceeding the Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) (or their equivalent to Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI)) defined by EFSA in 2012. The HQ approach showed that for both groups, the risk varies across EU countries and that some EU areas are close to or exceeding the exposure guidance values. This is the case of Spain and Portugal, which showed the highest HQ (GM and/or P95), probably due to their higher fish consumption. Results from the EFSA approach show that hair values of children/adolescents and women of childbearing age (both in selected HBM studies and in DEMOCOPHES study) are below the TDI of 1.9 µg/g; therefore, in general, the European population does not exceed the daily average/intake dose for MeHg and/or Hg. A possible risk underestimation was identified in our assessment since for many studies no data on P95 were available, causing loss of relevant information for risk characterization on the upper bound. In addition, data from other European countries also with high seafood consumption, such as France, Greece or Iceland, were not available. For this reason, further RA refinement is needed with harmonized and more widespread HBM data to account for differences in European exposure and associated risks, so that interventions to protect vulnerable citizens, can be applied.
Boron Compounds Exhibit Protective Effects against Aluminum-Induced Neurotoxicity and Genotoxicity: In Vitro and In Vivo Study
Authors: Turkez Hasan , Yıldırım Serkan , Sahin Elvan , Arslan Mehmet Enes , Emsen Bugrahan , Tozlu Ozlem Ozdemir , Alak Gonca , Ucar Arzu , Tatar Abdulgani , Hacimuftuoglu Ahmet , Keles Mevlut Sait , Geyikoglu Fatime , Atamanalp Muhammed , Saruhan Fatih , Mardinoglu Adil
Published: July 2022

Genetic, neuropathological and biochemical investigations have revealed meaningful relationships between aluminum (Al) exposure and neurotoxic and hematotoxic damage. Hence, intensive efforts are being made to minimize the harmful effects of Al. Moreover, boron compounds are used in a broad mix of industries, from cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to agriculture. They affect critical biological functions in cellular events and enzymatic reactions, as well as endocrinal and mineral metabolisms. There are limited dose-related data about boric acid (BA) and other boron compounds, including colemanite (Col), ulexite (UX) and borax (BX), which have commercial prominence. In this study, we evaluate boron compounds’ genetic, cytological, biochemical and pathological effects against aluminum chloride (AlCl3)-induced hematotoxicity and neurotoxicity on different cell and animal model systems. First, we perform genotoxicity studies on in vivo rat bone marrow cells and peripheric human blood cultures. To analyze DNA and chromosome damage, we use single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE or comet assay) and micronucleus (MN) and chromosome aberration (CA) assays. The nuclear division index (NDI) is used to monitor cytostasis. Second, we examine the biochemical parameters (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative status (TOS)) to determine oxidative changes in blood and brain. Next, we assess the histopathological alterations by using light and electron microscopes. Our results show that Al increases oxidative stress and genetic damage in blood and brain in vivo and in vitro studies. Al also led to severe histopathological and ultrastructural alterations in the brain. However, the boron compounds alone did not cause adverse changes based on the above-studied parameters. Moreover, these compounds exhibit different levels of beneficial effects by removing the harmful impact of Al. The antioxidant, antigenotoxic and cytoprotective effects of boron compounds against Al-induced damage indicate that boron may have a high potential for use in medical purposes in humans. In conclusion, our analysis suggests that boron compounds (especially BA, BX and UX) can be administered to subjects to prevent neurodegenerative and hematological disorders at determined doses.