bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the Impact of Output Adjustment Strategy and Carbon Trading Policy on the Response, Stability and Complexity of Steel Market under the Dynamic Game
Authors: Li Di , Di Qianbin , Mu Hailin , Han Zenglin , Wang Hongye , Duan Ye
Published: September 2022

With the increasingly competitive environment in the steel market and the proposed dual carbon goals, the government will need to consider many factors, such as the realization of energy conservation and emission reduction targets, the production game between enterprises, and the adjustment of production strategies of enterprises. Therefore, this research constructs a repeated dynamic game model including carbon trading policy and other mixed reduction policies, introduces a bounded rationality output adjustment strategy, and studies the response, stability, and complexity of different scenarios in the steel industry. The results are as follows: (1) With the gradual increase in emission reduction targets, the output adjustment policies that enterprises can implement will show an increasing trend under the single carbon trading policy. (2) Under the mixed emission reduction policy, the output adjustment policies that affect enterprises with larger outputs will show an increasing trend when targets continue to increase. (3) Smaller-output enterprises will be restricted and affected by more factors, such as emission reduction targets and larger output enterprises. (4) The influence of carbon trading benchmarks on market stability region is not obvious. In summary, enterprises should comprehensively consider emission reduction policies, output adjustment policies, carbon trading benchmarks, and other factors to ensure that the enterprises and the entire market will not fall into an imbalanced state.
Aeroelastic Experimental Investigation of Hyperbolic Paraboloid Membrane Structures in Normal and Typhoon Winds
Authors: Li Dong , Zhang Zhou , Zhang Chao , Zhang Zhengyu , Yang Xiaoqiang
Published: September 2022

The lightweight and flexible membrane structure of roofs are susceptible to wind loads with the risk of damage and failure. Compared with uniform and low-level turbulence flow cases (i.e., normal winds) that have been well investigated, the wind-induced vibration problem of membrane structures in high-level turbulence flows such as typhoons has been paid little attention. To address the gap, this paper aimed at investigating the aerodynamic behavior of hyperbolic paraboloid membrane structures in normal and typhoon winds by a series of wind tunnel tests. Some distinct wind characteristics of upcoming normal and typhoon flows in terms of vertical profiles of wind velocity, turbulence intensity, and power spectrum density of fluctuating winds were well simulated in an automatically controlled wind tunnel. The aeroelastic behavior of a scaled model was analyzed and discussed in terms of displacement time-history responses, probability distribution characteristics, and dynamic characteristics including the natural frequency, mode shape, and damping ratio. Results show that the increasing suction in a typhoon leads to significant growth in maximum deformations and more risks to suffer from aeroelastic instability. Non-Gaussian characteristics appear more remarkable with skewness and kurtosis increasing almost two-fold in typhoons. Structural modal parameters are influenced by both turbulence intensity and wind velocity. This study provides basic insights into the deficiency of dynamic response of membrane structures in typhoons, and promotes the applications of membrane structures in green buildings.
Simulating the Impact of the Sustained Melting Arctic on the Global Container Sea–Rail Intermodal Shipping
Authors: Sun Zhuo , Zhang Ran , Zhu Tao
Published: September 2022

Global warming trends and the rapid reduction of summer Arctic sea ice extent have increased the feasibility of transarctic transport. How the process of glacier melting affects the existing containerized sea–rail shipping network and container flow assignment has become a challenging economic and policy issue. This paper first examines the meteorological influences on glacier melting and the assignment of container flow over the existing sea–rail network. Then, a three-layer simulation framework is constructed, with the upper layer simulating glacier melting based on the raster grid, the middle layer combining a grid and topology analysis to simulate the evolution of the global sea–rail network and the lower layer establishing a concave cost network flow model to simulate the container flow assignment. Finally, we use MicroCity to achieve the dynamic optimization and simulation of global container flow assignment, solving the large-scale sea–rail shipping network traffic assignment problem. The simulation results show that the proposed model and solution algorithm are feasible and effective, revealing the variation of container flow assignment in the global sea–rail shipping network under different Arctic ice melting scenarios. For instance, in the summer of 2050, the Arctic routes will share the global container flows, resulting in a significant reduction of container flows in the Malacca Strait, Suez Canal and Panama Canal.
Effect of Organic Fertilizers on Avocado Trees (Cvs. Fuerte, Hass, Lamb Hass) in Western Crete, a Cool Subtropical Region
Authors: Tzatzani Thiresia-Teresa , Psarras Georgios , Scuderi Dario , Kokolakis Emmanouil , Papadakis Ioannis E.
Published: September 2022

The market for avocado is one of the fastest expanding worldwide, inclduing the Mediterranean basin. Organic farming systems cannot make use of synthetic fertilizers and therefore rely on several cultural techniques to maintain vigorous young trees and for quick shoot development, satisfactory yield, and fruit quality. We studied the effect of three different organic products (Terra Insecta® (Aeiphoria-Sustainable products of Crete, Chania, Greece), Fruit-Fix®, and AMINO-16® (both products manufactured by EVYP, Sindos, Thessaloniki, Greece) on avocado plants in the cool subtropical area of southern Greece. Three experiments were carried out, two of them on young avocado trees, and the third one on mature, fully productive trees. The establishment success (ES) (%), plants with shoot induction (SI) (%), plants with shoot growth ≥ 3 cm (SG) (%), number of sprouted buds ≥3 cm per plant (SB), mean shoot length (cm) per plant (SL), total shoot length (cm) per plant (TSL), mean leaf number per plant (LN), and total leaf number per plant (TLN) were measured in the first and second experiments, while in the third experiment, fruit growth parameters (length, width, fruit weight, fruit weight increase (FWI)) and fruit quality parameters (dry matter, oil concentration, dry matter, and oil concentration increase) were measured. The application of 0.2 K of Terra Insecta® to the planting hole did not have any statistically significant effect on plant growth, but when added around the trunk, statistically higher values were observed for SB, SL, LN, TSL, and TLN in the Terra Insecta® treatment compared to the control. Fruit-Fix® application to Lamb Hass avocado trees resulted in significant differences in ES, SI, SG, SL, TSL, LN, and TLN, and in the Hass variety, in SB. In the AMINO-16® experiment, the fruit dimensions, quality parameters, and yield of the Hass variety were not recorded as significantly different. However, in the Fuerte variety, FW increased by 119.3% in the AMINO-16® treatment. The effect of the organic fertilizers used in this research showed noticeable results requiring studies to be carried out over more seasons, different tree ages, cultivation methods, and stress conditions.
A Novel COVID-19 Detection Technique Using Deep Learning Based Approaches
Authors: Al Shehri Waleed , Almalki Jameel , Mehmood Rashid , Alsaif Khalid , Alshahrani Saeed M. , Jannah Najlaa , Alangari Someah
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic affects individuals in many ways and has spread worldwide. Current methods of COVID-19 detection are based on physicians analyzing the patient’s symptoms. Machine learning with deep learning approaches applied to image processing techniques also plays a role in identifying COVID-19 from minor symptoms. The problem is that such models do not provide high performance, which impacts timely decision-making. Early disease detection in many places is limited due to the lack of expensive resources. This study employed pre-implemented instances of a convolutional neural network and Darknet to process CT scans and X-ray images. Results show that the proposed new models outperformed the state-of-the-art methods by approximately 10% in accuracy. The results will help physicians and the health care system make preemptive decisions regarding patient health. The current approach might be used jointly with existing health care systems to detect and monitor cases of COVID-19 disease quickly.
Speed Breeding Scheme of Hot Pepper through Light Environment Modification
Authors: Liu Kaizhe , He Rui , He Xinyang , Tan Jiehui , Chen Yongkang , Li Yamin , Liu Rongyun , Huang Yanwu , Liu Houcheng
Published: September 2022

Crop breeding for high yields and quality is an important measure to ensure food security. In conventional breeding, a long generation time is required. Speed breeding could accelerate the flowering and fruiting of crops by providing suitable environmental conditions in order to reduce the generation times. This study aimed to determine a speed breeding scheme for hot peppers. Two hot pepper varieties, ‘Xiangyan 55’ and ‘Xiangla 712’, were investigated for their growth and development under different light intensities, photoperiods, and red-to-far-red ratios. Hot pepper plants bloomed at 39.88 ± 0.74 days after sowing under photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) 420 µmol·m−2·s−1 and a 12-h photoperiod and had seed with acceptable germination rates at 82 days after sowing. Blooming was 2–3 days earlier when the photoperiod was extended to 20 h, but the fruit and seed development were not significantly improved. Supplementation of far-red light (R:FR = 2.1) significantly accelerated the red ripening of pepper fruit and improved seed germination rates. The modification of the light environment accelerated hot pepper growth and development, reduced breeding cycles, and could produce up to four generations per year.
Sustainable Extraction of Colourant from Harmal Seeds (Peganum harmala) for Dyeing of Bio-Mordanted Wool Fabric
Authors: Adeel Shahid , Anjum Fozia , Zuber Muhammad , Hussaan Muhammad , Amin Nimra , Ozomay Meral
Published: September 2022

The recent pandemic scenario has caused demand for green products that have medicinal aspects, as well as greener approaches for global health. Natural dye from plants, particularly from harmal seeds, is an excellent alternative to carcinogenic yellow synthetic dyes. The current study has been conducted to isolate natural colorants from harmal seeds in methanolic medium through Gamma-Assisted Extraction (GAE). The dyeing variables that are necessary for shade development before and after mordanting were selected. It has been found that 6 kGy is the optimal absorbed dose for extraction of colorant from 6 g of powder to isolate the colorant in the methanolic medium through the Gamma-irradiated extraction mode (GAE). To get excellent results, 30 mL of methanolic extract containing 6 g/100 mL of Glauber salt was sued for dyeing of irradiated wool at 45 °C for 65 min. For improving the color strength and acceptable rating of fastness, 9% of henna, 3% of acacia, 10% of turmeric, and 7% of pomegranate extracts as pre-bio-mordants as well as 7% of acacia, 3% of pomegranate, 9% of henna, and 10% of turmeric extracts as post-mordants have given high results compared to when chemical mordants have been used. It was concluded that Gamma-ray treatment has excellent color strength in the dyeing of bio-mordanted wool using harmal seed extracts under mild conditions, and has good fastness ratings after using chemical and bio-mordanting methods as well.
Closing the Digital Gender Gap among Foreign University Students: The Challenges Ahead
Authors: Kerras Hayet , Bautista Susana , Piñeros Perea Danilo Santos , de-Miguel Gómez María Dolores
Published: September 2022

In today’s world, new and advanced forms of technology are increasingly providing great changes in universities, thus generating new possibilities and impacting pedagogy and learning methodology. Unfortunately, not all students can use these tools in the same way and with the same ability. Not only are there digital gender gaps that limit women from enjoying these learning opportunities, but there are also digital gaps between foreign and natives’ students who have been trained in these technologies in their countries of origin, which impedes the achievement of the sustainable development goals planned for 2030. This study addresses theoretical foundations on the digital gender gap in university studies and provides an econometric analysis, through a simple linear regression, on the existence of a correlation between this digital gender gap and the university study gap by gender. A more specific analysis is also presented on the digital gender gap in the case of foreign students from four groups of countries, according to their income. The results show, on one hand, that differences in the access and use of technologies represent one of the factors that affects the percentage of graduates in higher education by gender; on the other, that there is a highly visible digital divide between countries with high income, compared to low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Trends in Adopting Industry 4.0 for Asset Life Cycle Management for Sustainability: A Keyword Co-Occurrence Network Review and Analysis
Authors: Weerasekara Sachini , Lu Zhenyuan , Ozek Burcu , Isaacs Jacqueline , Kamarthi Sagar
Published: September 2022

With the potential of Industry 4.0 technologies to enable sustainable manufacturing, asset life cycle management (ALCM) has been gaining increasing attention in recent years. This study explores the evolution of Industry 4.0 technology applications to sustainable ALCM from 2002 to 2021. This study is based on keywords collected from 3896 ALCM-related scientific articles published in the Web of Science, IEEE Xplore and Engineering Village between 2002 and 2021. We conducted a review analysis of these keywords using a network science-based methodology, which unlike the tedious traditional literature review methods, gives the capability to analyze a huge number of scientific articles efficiently. We built keyword co-occurrence networks (KCNs) from the keywords and explored the network characteristics to uncover meaningful knowledge patterns, knowledge components, knowledge structure, and research trends in the body of literature at the intersection of ALCM and Industry 4.0. The network modeling and data analysis results identify the emerging Industry 4.0-related keywords in ALCM literature and indicate the recent explosion of connectivity among keywords. We found IoT, predictive maintenance and big data to be the top three most popular Industry 4.0-related keywords in ALCM literature. Furthermore, this study maps relevant ALCM keywords in contemporary literature to the nine pillars of Industry 4.0 to help the responsible manufacturing community identify research trends and emerging technologies for sustainability.
Research Trends in Education in the Context of COVID-19 in Spain: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Sianes-Bautista Alicia , Rosado-Castellano Fátima , Flores-Rodríguez Cruz
Published: September 2022

COVID-19 has caused many difficulties worldwide, education being one of the most affected areas. This research aims to disseminate the research trends about education in the context of COVID-19 in Spain. Through a systematic review, all research works about this topic in the Spanish context, that were published between 2020–2022 in national and international high-impact journals, have been analysed. After analysing 242 articles, the results show: (a) the keywords that were used most frequently: “learning” (93); “teaching” (53); “higher education” (43); “pandemic” (30); “competence” (29); and “ICT” (22); (b) research trends, which can be categorised as the following topics, among others: “ICT and Digitalisation”; “Teaching, Learning, and Innovative methodologies”; “Educational Policies”; “Sustainability”; “Acquisition and Development of Skills and Competences”; “Health and Welfare”; (c) that the most popular topic in educational research in Spain was “Teaching, Learning, and Innovative Methodologies” (19.30%), followed by “ICT and Digitalisation” (18.04%), whereas articles about educational policies were a minority (2.85%); (d) that in Spanish educational research, articles about formal education have been the most popular (86.36%), followed by articles about non-formal education (7.02%) and articles about informal education (6.62%). Consequently, the scientific community has highlighted the impact of the pandemic on education, especially in relation to “Teaching, Learning, and Innovative Methodologies”.
ICT Infrastructure, OTT Market Growth, Economic Freedom, and International Tourism: A Cross-Country Empirical Study
Authors: Lee Sangwon , Joo Soomin , Park Jinyoung , Nam Yoonjae
Published: September 2022

This study examined whether information and communication technology (ICT), over the top (OTT) market growth, and economic freedom affect tourism at the global level. Toward this end, the present study tested regression models of inbound tourism and outbound tourism with panel data from 50 countries covering the years 2013 to 2020. The results of the panel-data analysis suggest that high levels of OTT advertising revenue and mobile broadband penetration contribute to high levels of inbound tourism. The results also reveal that high OTT advertising revenue, labor freedom, and income are associated with high levels of outbound tourism. The obtained results underscore that ICT and media play key roles in promoting international tourism.
Gender Perspectives of ICT Utilization in Agriculture and Climate Response in West Africa: A Review
Authors: Zougmoré Robert B. , Partey Samuel T.
Published: September 2022

This paper systematically reviewed the relevant literature to generate evidence and identify knowledge gaps on the gender perspectives of ICT use for agriculture and climate response in West Africa. It was evident from the literature that ICTs continue to form an important part of agricultural operations, climate response and agribusiness in West Africa. TV, radio and mobile phones were the most frequently used ICT platforms for receiving agricultural and climate information. Mobile phones have an added use for sales and financial transactions. There were no distinct gender differences in the use of ICTs for agriculture and climate response. However, women’s low income and limitations in controlling household financial responses were identified as significant barriers to ICT access. It was evident that ICTs may contribute to achieving gender outcomes in agriculture and climate response if an enabling environment is created for women to have access to the inputs and resources needed to implement agro-advisories. From the results obtained, there are clear indications that the gender perspectives of ICT use in agriculture and climate response has not received much research attention. The analyses identified important knowledge gaps on gender disaggregated information on the linkages among ICT use, agricultural productivity and climate adaptation indicators.
Evaluating the Evolution of Soil Erosion under Catchment Farmland Abandonment Using Lakeshore Sediment
Authors: Wang Xiaolei , Zhao Zihan , Han Ximou , Liu Jinliang , Kitch Jessica , Liu Yongmei , Yang Hao
Published: September 2022

Discriminating the potential sources contributing to lacustrine sediment is helpful for decision-making for catchment soils and lake management strategies within lake-catchment systems. Using a sediment fingerprinting approach from the multivariate mixing model, the spatiotemporal sources of geology and land use were identified in a small agricultural catchment in southwest China. Results showed that sediment accumulation rates (SARs) were estimated to range from 0.002 to 0.065 g cm−2 a−1 (mean 0.015 ± 0.016 g cm−2 a−1), which has a positive correlation with instrumental Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) precipitation. Time-integrated sources were divided into four zones in combination with the changes in SARs, which were qualitatively and quantitively interpreted by particle size, and precipitation, and historical land use polies over the past ~160 years. Spatially, Quaternary granite (QG) in geology and channel bank (CB) in land use were the dominant contributors to the lakeshore sediment, respectively. Two relatively higher contributions of abandoned land (AL) to lakeshore sediment were found during the periods of 1930s–1950s and post-1990s, which originated from the dual impacts of topographical factors of slope gradient and elevation, and socioeconomic factors of the gap of farmer’s expenditure to income. The results illustrate that restricting the farmland to be abandoned would be useful for reducing the soil erosion within the lake-catchment system.
Sustainability Survey: Promoting Solutions to Real-World Problems
Authors: D’Adamo Idiano , Ioppolo Giuseppe , Shen Yichen , Rosen Marc A.
Published: September 2022

The concept of sustainable development, defined by the 1987 Brundtland Report [...]
Sustainable Logistics for E-Commerce: A Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Cano Jose Alejandro , Londoño-Pineda Abraham , Rodas Carolina
Published: September 2022

This study aims to present a bibliometric analysis and literature review and to identify publications, main topics, and trends in recent years about the sustainability of logistics operations in e-commerce environments. For this, we considered 99 documents from Scopus published in 2021 and 2022 that address logistics, e-commerce, and sustainability. The bibliometric analysis shows that authors from Italy and India stand out for generating the largest number of publications, and correspondingly, institutional affiliations from these countries present the largest scientific production. It is established that journals such as Sustainability, International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, and Sustainable Cities and Society lead both in the number of published articles and the number of articles with the highest citations. Within the main topics are the sustainability of e-commerce logistics, last-mile logistics and delivery logistics, urban and city logistics, environmental impact, urban transport, packing and packaging, traffic and congestion, supply chains, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and cross-border e-commerce, vehicle routing, optimization methods, and decision-making techniques in operations for cost and energy efficiency. Similarly, this study identifies the main research trends related to multiple dimensions of sustainability; technological developments including electric vehicles and specialized software; crowdshipping; operation modes such as collection and delivery points, parcel lockers, and micro-depots; and policymaking.
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Kalamulla Ruwanthika , Karunarathna Samantha C. , Tibpromma Saowaluck , Galappaththi Mahesh C. A. , Suwannarach Nakarin , Stephenson Steven L. , Asad Suhail , Salem Ziad Salman , Yapa Neelamanie
Published: September 2022

The coevolution of mycorrhizae with plants represents a major evolutionary adaptation to the land environment. As a bioinoculant, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a beneficial role in sustainable agriculture by symbiotically associating with many crop plants. In this review, we primarily focus on the nutritional and non-nutritional functionality of AMF in soil and plant productivity. AMF maintain soil quality and health via three aspects: soil structure, plant physiology, and ecological interactions. These lead plants to increase their functionality, further growth, and productivity. The formation of soil aggregates via glomalin production maintains the soil structure. Physiologically, AMF change nutrient acquisition and thereby increase soil fertility and productivity. Biotic (pathogens and weed plants) and abiotic (salinity, drought, extreme temperature, soil pH, and heavy metals) stress alleviation is also achieved via altering a plant’s physiological status. By serving as a biocontrol agent, AMF negatively interact with plant pathogens. As a result of beneficial interactions with other rhizosphere microorganisms and above-ground organisms, AMF induce a synergistic effect on plant performance. Moreover, they are also involved in land restoration and seedling establishment. The collective effect of all these functions positively influences overall plant performance and productivity.
Design of Robust Fuzzy Logic Controller Based on Gradient Descent Algorithm with Parallel-Resonance Type Fault Current Limiter for Grid-Tied PV System
Authors: Islam Saif Ul , Zeb Kamran , Kim Soobae
Published: September 2022

This article demonstrates a new topology for optimization of the electrical variables and enhancement of low-voltage-ride-through (LVRT) capacity of a grid-tied photovoltaic system (PS) during asymmetrical faults. The proposed topology comprises a fuzzy-logic controller (FLC) based on gradient descent (GD) optimization in association with parallel-resonance-type fault current limiter (PRFCL) as an LVRT circuitry. Gradient descent is an iterative process to minimize the objective function by updating the variable in the opposite direction of the gradient of the objective function. The PRFCL optimizes the fault variables, specifically preventing voltage sag without any transitional spikes. A 100-kW detailed model of grid-tied PS is used in MATLAB/Simulink to analyze the response of the proposed topology at the point of common coupling (PCC) and PV side variables. A keen comparative study of the conventionally adopted proportional-integral (PI) controller in association with crowbar circuitry is carried out for the justification of the proposed topology. The simulation findings of the proposed topology authenticate the optimal response of variables in terms of stability, robustness, smoothness, and fault tolerance at both the grid side and the PV side.
Antifungal, Antiviral, and HPLC Analysis of Phenolic and Flavonoid Compounds of Amphiroa anceps Extract
Authors: El-Bilawy Emad H. , Al-Mansori Al-Naji A. , Soliman Seham A. , Alotibi Fatimah O. , Al-Askar Abdulaziz A. , Arishi Amr A. , Sabry Abd El-Naser , Elsharkawy Mohsen Mohamed , Heflish Ahmed A. , Behiry Said I. , Abdelkhalek Ahmed
Published: September 2022

The increasing use of chemical control agents and pesticides to prevent plant disease has resulted in several human and environmental health problems. Seaweeds, e.g., Amphiroa anceps extracts, have significant antimicrobial activities against different human pathogens. However, their anti-phytopathogenic activities are still being investigated. In the present investigation, three fungal isolates were isolated from root rot and grey mold symptomatic strawberry plants and were molecularly identified by ITS primers to Fusarium culmorum, Rhizoctonia solani, and Botrytis cinerea with accession numbers MN398396, MN398398, and MN398400, respectively. In addition, the organic extract of the red alga Amphiroa anceps was assessed for its antifungal activity against the three identified fungal isolates and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection. At 100 µg/mL, the A. anceps extract had the best biological activity against R. solani, B. cinerea, and TMV infection, with inhibition rates of 66.67%, 40.61%, and 81.5%, respectively. Contrarily, the A. anceps extract exhibited lower activity against F. culmorum, causing inhibition in the fungal mycelia by only 4.4% at the same concentration. The extract’s HPLC analysis revealed the presence of numerous phenolic compounds, including ellagic acid and gallic acid, which had the highest concentrations of 19.05 and 18.36 µg/mL, respectively. In this line, the phytochemical analysis also showed the presence of flavonoids, with the highest concentration recorded for catechin at 12.45 µg/mL. The obtained results revealed for the first time the effect of the A. anceps extract against the plant fungal and viral pathogens, making the seaweed extract a promising source for natural antimicrobial agents.
Qualitative Analysis of Use of ICTs and Necessary Personal Competencies (Self-Efficacy, Creativity and Emotional Intelligence) of Future Teachers: Implications for Education
Authors: Molero Jurado María del Mar , Simón Márquez María del Mar , Martos Martínez África , Barragán Martín Ana Belén , Pérez-Fuentes María del Carmen , Gázquez Linares José Jesús
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: The acquisition of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) skills and competencies has become enormously important in regard to the effective management of studies or schooling. The questions that guided this study were: What are future teachers’ perceptions regarding the use of new technologies in teaching/learning? What are their opinions of the personal competencies necessary to appropriately make use of ICTs? The purpose of this study was to discover the opinions of future teachers—current master’s degree students—regarding the use of ICTs in teaching/learning, as well as the personal competencies involved in their best use, such as self-efficacy, creative intelligence, and emotional intelligence. (2) Methods: Three focus groups were conducted, comprising 27 graduate students. The participants were asked about their knowledge of ICTs, how they had acquired this knowledge, their attitudes when faced with a new tool, whether they considered themselves to be creative, and whether they considered themselves to be emotionally competent. (3) Results: The data analyzed revealed different opinions on the use of new technologies for innovation, as well as other factors involved in academic or professional performance. Three themes were extracted: Training experiences and ICT skills; Feelings experienced when confronted with an ICT tool; and Task-oriented personal competencies. The identification of these three themes enabled us to extract eight sub-themes. (4) Conclusions: Professionals’ evident lack of knowledge and training regarding ICTs makes it necessary to promote ICTs’ importance and to propose training programs directed at future teachers so they can improve their competencies, and thus, become better able to prepare their students, which, in turn, would allow the students to master these new technologies and make adequate use of them.
Duncan–Chang E-υ Model Considering the Thixotropy of Clay in the Zhanjiang Formation
Authors: Tang Bin , Liu Tianli , Zhou Biaohe
Published: September 2022

The clays of the Zhanjiang Formation in the coastal area of Beibu Gulf of China are thixotropic, and the existing constitutive relationship models relevant for clay are incapable of accurately simulating their stress–strain relationships. It is vital to study the changes of mechanical properties of Zhanjiang Formation clay that occur during thixotropy, and to establish a constitutive model considering thixotropy. The varying measures of its shear strength, cohesion, internal friction angle, and initial tangential modulus during thixotropy were investigated by means of triaxial consolidation and drainage tests. Furthermore, the quantitative relationships between the clay’s cohesion, internal friction angle, and initial tangential modulus of the clay and time were examined. This relationship was introduced into the Duncan–Chang model, and a Duncan–Chang model considering the thixotropy of clay was developed. The established model was used to make predictions to assume the validation of the experimental data, and numerical simulations were then carried out. All of the results from the model’s prediction, numerical simulation and experimental measurements were compared against each other in order to verify the reasonableness of the model we had utilized. The results positively demonstrated that: (1) the shear strength, cohesion, angle of internal friction, and initial tangent modulus of the clay gradually increases with longer curing times, and eventually it will stabilize; and (2) compared with the Duncan–Chang model not considering thixotropy, the established thixotropic model is better able to reflect the influence of clay thixotropy on the clay stress–strain relationship, as its mean relative error is smaller. The results of this study provide references for calculating strength and deformation of the clay thixotropy. Further, it also provides references for bearing load calculations of pile foundations in thixotropic clay strata when subjected to long-term loading conditions.
An Estimation of Consumer Spending on Sport in Lithuania, Its Division between Active and Passive Participation and the Effects of COVID-19
Authors: Kokolakakis Themistocles , Čingienė Vilma
Published: September 2022

The economic importance of sport has been developing from several methodological origins. Most economic research into the sport economies develops indicators for gross value added (GVA), employment and consumer spending. A further elucidation of the benefits of the sport economy relates to well-being outcomes, either from sport participation or from sport spectating. The added value of this research is that it estimates sport consumer spending in Lithuania into two distinctive strands: active participation (e.g., participating in sport or fitness) and passive participation (e.g., attending sport events). The aim of this research is to link the consumer spending results to the GVA and employment results of the Sport Satellite Account and elucidate the main characteristics of the sport economy and how these are affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Analysis of the scientific literature, a survey sample in Lithuania consisting of 3506 respondents who spent part of their household budget on sports activities (active or passive), and a specific method of analysis were developed and applied in this research. The research results show that consumer expenditure in sport is divided into passive and active with percentage shares of 17% and 83%, correspondingly. Sport consumption overall accounts for 2.2% of total consumption in Lithuania. Most elements of consumer spending in the passive and active categories are associated with welfare effects. The importance of the analytical framework is that we can explicitly differentiate among categories such as tourism for participation and tourism for spectating, which are associated with different well-being effects. The pandemic affected 53.7% of active sport consumption, a smaller percentage than in the case of passive participation (67.4%).
Development and Application of an Intelligent Assessment System for Mathematics Learning Strategy among High School Students—Take Jianzha County as an Example
Authors: Wang Guangming , Chen Xia , Zhang Dongli , Kang Yueyuan , Wang Fang , Su Mingyu
Published: September 2022

To improve the quality of mathematics learning for high school students in economically disadvantaged areas, and promote education equity and sustainable development, this study developed the Mathematics Learning Strategies Intelligent Assessment and Strategy Implementation System by using artificial intelligence technology. The system fuses assessment scales, a set of norms, improvement strategies, and the intelligent assessment and strategy implementation program into an organic whole. The system can intelligently output all participants’ diagnosis results of the mathematics learning strategy in batches and automatically propose targeted improvement strategies for every participant. By applying the intelligent system to Jianzha County, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China, the results show that the mathematical learning strategies of high school students in Jianzha County were at a middle level; mathematical cognitive strategies and mathematical resource-management strategies need to be improved. The system’s effectiveness in practical applications was later tested via both quantitative methods, such as questionnaire surveys and testing, and qualitative methods, such as interviews, as well as evaluation by self and others. By intervening with participants according to the strategy implementation program provided by the system, it was found that their mathematics learning strategy level improved. The results of the study show that the system can accurately diagnose the level of mathematics learning strategies of high school students and that interventions based on the improvement measures can improve students’ mathematics learning strategy and mathematics achievements, indicating that the system is effective.
Early Wildfire Detection Technologies in Practice—A Review
Authors: Mohapatra Ankita , Trinh Timothy
Published: September 2022

As fires grow in intensity and frequency each year, so has the resistance from their anthropic victims in the form of firefighting technology and research. Although it is impossible to completely prevent wildfires, the potential devastation can be minimized if fires are detected and precisely geolocated while still in their nascent phases. Furthermore, automated approaches without human involvement are comparatively more efficient, accurate and capable of monitoring extremely remote and vast areas. With this specific intention, many research groups have proposed numerous approaches in the last several years, which can be grouped broadly into these four distinct categories: sensor nodes, unmanned aerial vehicles, camera networks and satellite surveillance. This review paper discusses notable advancements and trends in these categories, with subsequent shortcomings and challenges. We also describe a technical overview of common prototypes and several analysis models used to diagnose a fire from the raw input data. By writing this paper, we hoped to create a synopsis of the current state of technology in this emergent research area and provide a reference for further developments to other interested researchers.
CFD-Based Fire Risk Assessment and Control at the Historic Dong Wind and Rain Bridges in the Western Hunan Region: The Case of Huilong Bridge
Authors: Zhang Fupeng , Shi Lei , Liu Simian , Shi Jiaqi , Shi Cong , Xiang Tansheng
Published: September 2022

The Dong wind and rain bridges in western Hunan are among the most extraordinary historical buildings that express the unique culture of the Dong people, and are an unparalleled display of history, culture, aesthetics and architectural skills, but they are exposed to various disasters. However, fire poses a serious challenge to historical wind and rain bridges. This study investigated the fire risk of wind and rain bridges in terms of building materials, structural forms, fire habits, and fire loads. Fire dynamics simulator software and SketchUp modeling software were used to visualize and numerically simulate fire conditions. The survey results indicated that the fire load of the Huilong bridge was 1,794,561 MJ. After a fire, the central pavilion underwent a flashover at 200 s. By 600 s, the maximum temperature of the bridge was 1200 °C, and the entire bridge was in flashover condition. Furthermore, targeted fire-mitigation strategies were proposed according to the architectural characteristics and cultural environment of the wind and rain bridges in terms of the following four components: automatic fire-extinguishing equipment, fireproof coatings, suspended ceiling, and skylights. The effectiveness of the fire-resistance performance of the strategies was also evaluated. The fireproof coating measures were the most effective, and the bridge sections delayed reaching the flashover state by 40–80 s. The reported results can help reduce the fire-related risks of wind and rain bridges and protect our historical heritage more effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, this study can serve as a reference for other historic wooden structures to develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
Settlement Characteristic of Warm Permafrost Embankment with Two-Phase Closed Thermosyphons in Daxing’anling Mountains Region
Authors: Wang Guanfu , Bi Jiajun , Fan Youkai , Zhu Long , Zhang Feng , Feng Decheng
Published: September 2022

The Xing’anling Mountains are the second largest permafrost region in China. One of the important issues for highways in these regions is how to control the settlement during the operation period to meet the demand of road stability. This paper selects a typical permafrost embankment in the Daxing’anling Mountains permafrost region, presents the finite element models of the embankment, and verifies it using field monitoring data to study the thermal and deformation characteristics within 50 years after construction. Calculation results illustrate that the permafrost under the embankment has degraded significantly during the operation period of the highway and led to serious settlement. To prevent the degradation of permafrost, a series of models with two-phase closed thermosyphons (TPCTs) were established to analyze the cooling effect. The contribution of different factors, including install locations, depth, and shapes of the TPCTs, were assessed on their effects on cooling the permafrost and reducing the embankment settlement. Results show that the TPCTs have an excellent cooling effect on the permafrost embankment. However, as the TPCTs change the temperature distribution of the embankment, they will inevitably cause differential settlement. In order to ensure the cooling effect and reduce the differential settlement of the embankment, it is suggested that L-shaped TPCTs should be adopted in the remedial engineering.
Real-Time Vehicle Detection Based on Improved YOLO v5
Authors: Zhang Yu , Guo Zhongyin , Wu Jianqing , Tian Yuan , Tang Haotian , Guo Xinming
Published: September 2022

To reduce the false detection rate of vehicle targets caused by occlusion, an improved method of vehicle detection in different traffic scenarios based on an improved YOLO v5 network is proposed. The proposed method uses the Flip-Mosaic algorithm to enhance the network’s perception of small targets. A multi-type vehicle target dataset collected in different scenarios was set up. The detection model was trained based on the dataset. The experimental results showed that the Flip-Mosaic data enhancement algorithm can improve the accuracy of vehicle detection and reduce the false detection rate.
Effects of Forest Vegetation Restoration on Soil Organic Carbon and Its Labile Fractions in the Danxia Landform of China
Authors: Xiao Ye , Huang Zhigang , Ling Yulin , Cai Shenwen , Zeng Boping , Liang Sheng , Wang Xiao
Published: September 2022

The Danxia landform is a unique red bed landform in China. The effects of vegetation restoration on soil organic carbon (SOC) components are still poorly understood in the Danxia landform region of southwest China. In this study, soil samples were collected from selected five different vegetation restoration types (shrub (SH), mixed conifer–broadleaf forest (MCBF), evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF), Chinese fir forest (CFF), and bamboo forest (BF)) at 0–30 cm depth to discuss the concentrations and stocks of SOC and its labile organic carbon (LOC) fractions ((dissolved organic C (DOC), microbial biomass C (MBC), and easily oxidized organic C (EOC)) and their relationship with soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities. The results indicated that the contents of SOC and LOC fractions as well as SOC stocks declined with increasing soil depth in five vegetation restoration types. At 0–30 cm depth, BF and CFF showed higher the average concentrations and total stocks of SOC and EOC compared with SH, EBF, and MCBF. The highest average DOC content was in BF, but no significant differences was observed in the total DOC stocks among five vegetation restoration types. BF and EBF showed significantly greater average MBC concentrations and total MBC stocks than other vegetation restoration types. SOC and its LOC fractions were positively correlated with soil moisture and three enzyme activities in different degrees under the five vegetation restoration types and closely related with total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) except for TP of CFF and BF and negatively affected by pH (except for CFF and the DOC and MBC of MCBF) and BD. Generally, soil TN, TP, and invertase were found to be the main driver factors for soil carbon accumulation. However, the overall levels of SOC and its labile fractions indicate that BF had the strongest carbon storage capacity, followed by CFF and EBF. This study can provide a good reference for ecosystem management and the selection of appropriate restoration strategies in Danxia landform regions.
An Updated Overview on Insights into Sugarcane Genome Editing via CRISPR/Cas9 for Sustainable Production
Authors: Hussin Shareif Hammad , Liu Xinlong , Li Chunjia , Diaby Mohamed , Jatoi Ghulam Hussain , Ahmed Raees , Imran Muhammad , Iqbal Muhammad Aamir
Published: September 2022

Sugarcane crop constitutes one of the most vital sources of sugar and bioenergy globally; however, higher level of polyploidy makes its genome editing an intricate task. Recently, genome editing has become easier with CRISPR/Cas9 system that uses Cas9 to target sequence-specific regions and introduce double-strand breaks into the target region. This technique has been successfully employed to develop new varieties of sugarcane having desired phenotypic and physiological traits. Several genes can be fused with the CRISPR/Cas9 system leading to successful metabolic engineering and biological improvement for ensuring sustainable enhancement in sugarcane production. This simple RNA-guided genome editing technique has become a revolutionary tool and innovative application in biology that might be effectively employed for inducing specified genomic modifications in plant tissues. This review attempts to synthesize fundamentals of genome editing techniques with an ultimate aim to find out opportunities and challenges of sugarcane genome editing. It also tends to summarize the advances and achievements of gene editing via CRISPR-based genome editing technique for numerous field crops. Lastly, the enormous potential of CRISPR/Cas9 for gene editing in sugarcane, major challenges and future perspectives have been objectively elaborated.
Research on Data Cleaning Algorithm Based on Multi Type Construction Waste
Authors: Wang Pengfei , Liu Yang , Sun Qinqin , Bai Yingqi , Li Chaopeng
Published: September 2022

Owing to urbanization, the output of construction waste is increasing yearly. Garbage treatment plays a vital role in urban development and construction. The accuracy and integrity of data are important for the implementation of construction waste treatment. Abnormal detection and incomplete filling occur when traditional cleaning algorithms are used. To improve the cleaning of construction waste data, a data cleaning algorithm based on multi-type construction waste was presented in this study. First, a multi-algorithm constraint model was designed to achieve accurate matching between the cleaning content and cleaning model. Thereafter, a natural language data cleaning model was proposed, and the spatial location data were separated from the general data through the content separation mechanism to effectively frame the area to be cleaned. Finally, a time series data cleaning model was constructed. By integrating “check” and “fill”, large-span and large-capacity time series data cleaning was realized. This algorithm was applied to the data collected by the pilot cities, which had precision and recall rates of 93.87% and 97.90% respectively, compared with the traditional algorithm, ultimately exhibiting a certain progressiveness. The algorithm proposed herein can be applied to urban environmental governance. Furthermore, this algorithm can markedly improve the control ability and work efficiency of construction waste treatment, and reduce the restriction of construction waste on the sustainable development of urban environments.