bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cyclic Loading and Unloading of Weakly Consolidated Sandstone with Various Water Contents
Authors: Long Yaxin , Sun Lihui , Cai Zhenyu , Jiang Zhixin , Wang Zongze , He Qingfeng , Bai Zhong
Published: September 2023

Weakly cemented rocks have a loose structure, poor mechanical properties, and soften and disintegrate upon contact with water. Mining operations cause damage and ruptures to rocks under cyclic loading and unloading, leading to serious disasters. This study investigated the effects of cyclic loading and unloading on the mechanical properties of weakly cemented sandstone (WCS) with various water contents (0–7.72%). A numerical model based on the particle flow theory simulated the behavior of WCS particles. The stress–strain relationships, damage and rupture patterns, energy evolution, and damage properties of WCS were examined using loading–unloading simulations. Water negatively affected the strength and elastic modulus of WCS. High water contents (>2.31%) increased the rupture probability and affected the rupture modes. Ruptures mainly occurred via the main fissure and caused cleavage damage; however, instances of tensile damage and shear slippage increased with an increasing water content. The elastic, dissipation, and total energies gradually increased with increasing cyclic loading and unloading. The damage factors of WCS with different water contents gradually increased with the growth rate. The mechanical properties of the sandstone were deteriorated by water, which increased the peak value of the damage factor from 0.77 for 0% moisture to 0.81 for 7.72% moisture.
Environmental Regulation and Employment Changes in Chinese Manufacturing Enterprises: Micro Evidence from the Top 10,000 Energy-Consuming Enterprises Program
Authors: Liu Xin , Kang Zhiyong
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the impact of the Top 10,000 Energy-Consuming Enterprises Program (hereafter referred to as the carbon reduction policy) implemented by the Chinese government in 2011 on the employment of manufacturing enterprises. The study indicates that the implementation of the carbon reduction policy has two ways of impacting the employment scale, namely ‘employment creation’ and ‘employment destruction’. The actual effect of the policy on the employment scale depends on the superposition of these two effects. Based on a sample data set of Chinese manufacturing enterprises, the generalized propensity score-matching method (GPSM) is used to identify the causal relationship and its mechanism between the carbon reduction policy and the employment scale. The study reveals several findings. First, the carbon reduction policy positively affects the employment of Chinese manufacturing enterprises, and the employment scale demonstrates an inverted U-shaped relationship as the policy intensity gradually increases. Second, the carbon reduction policy affects the employment scale of Chinese manufacturing enterprises through two pathways of employment creation and employment destruction. Third, the promotion effect of the carbon reduction policy on the employment scale of different types of enterprises is heterogeneous and is influenced by factors such as institutional environment, ownership type, and industry pollution characteristics. These findings remain robust under different samples and empirical methods. The results of this study demonstrate that China’s top 10,000 Energy-Consuming Enterprises Program can achieve a ‘win-win’ situation by ensuring environmental protection and stable employment.
Advancements in Exploiting Sporosarcina pasteurii as Sustainable Construction Material: A Review
Authors: Khoshtinat Shiva
Published: September 2023

With the development of bioinspired green solutions for sustainable construction over the past two decades, bio-cementation, which exploits the naturally occurring phenomenon of calcium carbonate precipitation in different environments, has drawn a lot of attention in both building construction and soil stabilization. Various types of microorganisms, along with specific enzymes derived from these microorganisms, have been utilized to harness the benefits of bio-cementation. Different application methods for incorporating this mechanism into the production process of the construction material, as well as a variety of experimental techniques for characterizing the outcomes of bio-cementation, have been developed and tested. Despite the fact that the success of bio-cementation as a sustainable method for construction has been demonstrated in a significant body of scientific literature at the laboratory scale, the expansion of this strategy to construction sites and field application remains a pending subject. The issue may be attributed to two primary challenges. Firstly, the complexity of the bio-cementation phenomenon is influenced by a variety of factors. Secondly, the extensive body of scientific literature examines various types of microorganisms under different conditions, leading to a wide range of outcomes. Hence, this study aims to examine the recent advancements in utilizing the most commonly employed microorganism, Sporosarcina pasteurii, to emphasize the significance of influential factors identified in the literature, discuss the findings that have been brought to light, and outline future research directions toward scaling up the process.
Impacts of the Sustainable Development of Cross-Border E-Commerce Pilot Zones on Regional Economic Growth
Authors: Yang Lifan , Liu Junhua , Yang Weixin
Published: September 2023

This paper evaluates the sustainable development of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones and their impact on regional economic growth. A comprehensive performance evaluation system is constructed to assess the degree of sustainable development in the first five batches of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in China between 2011 and 2020, which reveals significant regional differences and a clear “Matthew effect”. We also quantify the specific role of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in promoting regional economic growth; specifically, we demonstrate that the level of sustainable development of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones has a significant positive impact on regional economic growth and show that these effects vary according to regional distribution, city level, and the degree of sustainable development of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones. On this basis, we explore the mechanism through which these factors influence one another and identify three main channels on which to focus for further development: industrial structure upgrades, institutional innovation, and consumption upgrades. Finally, based on empirical results, we propose differentiated policy suggestions for various regions and city levels through the provision of theoretical and practical support for promoting the healthy and sustainable development of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones and the stable growth of regional economies.
Blockchain-Assisted Machine Learning with Hybrid Metaheuristics-Empowered Cyber Attack Detection and Classification Model
Authors: Albakri Ashwag , Alabdullah Bayan , Alhayan Fatimah
Published: September 2023

Cyber attack detection is the process of detecting and responding to malicious or unauthorized activities in networks, computer systems, and digital environments. The objective is to identify these attacks early, safeguard sensitive data, and minimize the potential damage. An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a cybersecurity tool mainly designed to monitor system activities or network traffic to detect and respond to malicious or suspicious behaviors that may indicate a cyber attack. IDSs that use machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) have played a pivotal role in helping organizations identify and respond to security risks in a prompt manner. ML and DL techniques can analyze large amounts of information and detect patterns that may indicate the presence of malicious or cyber attack activities. Therefore, this study focuses on the design of blockchain-assisted hybrid metaheuristics with a machine learning-based cyber attack detection and classification (BHMML-CADC) algorithm. The BHMML-CADC method focuses on the accurate recognition and classification of cyber attacks. Moreover, the BHMML-CADC technique applies Ethereum BC for attack detection. In addition, a hybrid enhanced glowworm swarm optimization (HEGSO) system is utilized for feature selection (FS). Moreover, cyber attacks can be identified with the design of a quasi-recurrent neural network (QRNN) model. Finally, hunter–prey optimization (HPO) algorithm is used for the optimal selection of the QRNN parameters. The experimental outcomes of the BHMML-CADC system were validated on the benchmark BoT-IoT dataset. The wide-ranging simulation analysis illustrates the superior performance of the BHMML-CADC method over other algorithms, with a maximum accuracy of 99.74%.
Land-Use Assessment and Trend Simulation from a Resilient Urban Perspective: A Case Study of Changsha City
Authors: Cai Yong , Zong Wenke , Jiao Sheng , Wang Zhu , Ou Linzhi
Published: September 2023

As the challenges of globalization and climate change intensify, the importance of urban resilience in city planning is becoming increasingly evident. To adapt to this trend, innovations and improvements are essential in traditional urban land-use patterns to better fulfill the requirements of resilient urban development. In this context, this study constructs an urban resilience evaluation index system from four perspectives: social resilience, engineering resilience, ecological resilience, and security resilience to evaluate the urban resilience of Changsha City. A thorough assessment of the resilience mechanisms in Changsha’s urban layout was conducted, employing the SD-FLUS model. A resilient urban scenario is also established to restrict the conversion of high-resilience land into other land types and to predict urban land-use structures under a resilience-oriented directive. The findings indicate that areas with high ecological and safety resilience in Changsha are primarily located in the western Weishan mountain system, along with eastern mountain systems like Jiuling, Lianyun, and Mufu, forming the “green veins”. The central areas are characterized by “blue veins”, mainly represented by rivers such as the Xiangjiang, Weishui, Longwanggang, Jinjiang, Liuyang, and Laodao. Within the central urban area, high-resilience regions are primarily distributed along a framework consisting of “one ring (the city’s three-ring line), two mains (Xiangjiang and Liuyang rivers), one heart (urban green core), and six wedges”, specifying various green corridors. Under the resilience-oriented scenario, the model predicts that by 2025, the total built-up area in Changsha will be 1416.79 km². Areas with high social and engineering resilience are mainly concentrated in the central urban areas of Changsha, as well as Ningxiang and Liuyang, aligning closely with the objectives of Changsha’s latest round of national spatial planning. The built-up area layout should complement Changsha’s topography and water systems, expanding in a wedge-like manner. Overall, Changsha’s planning has successfully integrated social, engineering, ecological, and safety resilience, enhancing its adaptability and long-term sustainability. This research proposes a land-use simulation method guided by the concept of urban resilience, providing valuable insights for resilience-oriented city planning in Changsha and other cities facing similar challenges.
Exploring Blockchain Implementation Challenges for Sustainable Supply Chains: An Integrated Fuzzy TOPSIS–ISM Approach
Authors: Al Amin Md , Nabil Dewan Hafiz , Baldacci Roberto , Rahman Md. Habibur
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the challenges in implementing blockchain technology (BT) in sustainable supply chain management (SSC). The study thoroughly analyzes the literature and expert opinions on BT, SCM, and sustainability. A total of 24 barriers are identified, categorized into the Internet of Things, strategic, supply chain, legislation, and external factors. The findings are evaluated using the Integrated Fuzzy TOPSIS–ISM tool. The results indicate that barriers related to the supply chain have the most significant impact on the adoption of BT in SSC. The study also reveals the interrelation among sub-barriers within the supply chain, providing valuable insights to improve adoption. Finally, a strategic action plan based on a fishbone diagram is provided to reduce the effects of supply chain barriers. This study provides a theoretical foundation for using BT to achieve long-term supply chain goals.
Frequency Stability Enhancement Using Differential-Evolution- and Genetic-Algorithm-Optimized Intelligent Controllers in Multiple Virtual Synchronous Machine Systems
Authors: Feleke Solomon , Pydi Balamurali , Satish Raavi , Kotb Hossam , Alenezi Mohammed , Shouran Mokhtar
Published: September 2023

In this paper, multiple virtual synchronous machines (VISMAs) with fuzzy proportional integral derivative (FPID) controllers optimized by differential evolution (DE) are proposed to maintain frequency stability in the grid in the presence of renewable penetration, such as wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, residential loads, and industrial loads, by reducing the area control error in the objective function. Simulations are conducted using MATLAB/Simulink, and in the optimization process, the integral of the time-weighted absolute error (ITAE) is used as the objective function. In the work to obtain optimized values of renewable energy sources (RESs), fuzzy membership functions, controller gain parameters, and loads for system modeling, differential evolution and genetic algorithm (GA) methods are applied and the results were compared. It was shown that better results were achieved while FPID controllers were optimized by DE in the presence of multiple VISMAs than DE in the presence of single VISMAs and GA in multiple VISMAs. Moreover, the study is compared to integral control methods in which, compared to all controllers, the proposed controller reduces undershoot by 0.0674 Hz more than a single VISMAs, in which it is improved approximately by 97.82%. Similarly, the proposed controller improves the system settling time, rise time, and overshoot by more than 99.5% compared to the classical integral controller. To examine the robust operation of the system under the proposed controller, the system was run under a wide range of disturbances and uncertainties using random load perturbation of ± 20%, in which the proposed controller retains the system frequency by reducing or damping the system oscillation.
Teachers’ Acceptance of Online Teaching and Emotional Labor in the EFL Context
Authors: Peng Renzhong , Hu Qiqin , Kouider Bochra
Published: September 2023

The recent growth and sustainability in online education have led to a greater demand for language teachers to accept online teaching and a heightened focus on language teachers’ emotions in an online setting. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study attempted to investigate the relationship between English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ acceptance of online teaching and their emotional labor in online teaching. A questionnaire was distributed to 338 EFL teachers working at 19 middle schools and 24 high schools in China, and 10 teachers were interviewed. Following a series of analyses of the data, a structural relationship model integrating acceptance of online teaching and online teaching emotional labor strategies was developed and tested. The results indicate that EFL teachers’ acceptance of online teaching significantly predicts three emotional labor strategies in online teaching. Specifically, EFL teachers’ acceptance of online teaching positively influences deep acting and expression of naturally felt emotions, while negatively affecting surface acting. The obtained results address important theoretical, methodological, and practical gaps by examining the interplay between acceptance of online teaching and emotional labor in the context of online language education, a dimension that previous studies have largely overlooked.
Uranium and Fluoride Accumulation in Vegetable and Cereal Crops: A Review on Current Status and Crop-Wise Differences
Authors: Sachdeva Saloni , Powell Mike A. , Nandini Girish , Kumar Hemant , Kumar Rakesh , Sahoo Prafulla Kumar
Published: September 2023

Uranium (U) and fluoride (F−) contamination in agricultural products, especially vegetable and cereal crops, has raised serious concerns about food safety and human health on a global scale. To date, numerous studies have reported U and F− contamination in vegetable and cereal crops at local scales, but the available information is dispersed, and crop-wise differences are lacking. This paper reviews the current status of knowledge on this subject by compiling relevant published literatures between 1983 and 2023 using databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Based on the median values, F− levels ranged from 0.5 to 177 mg/kg, with higher concentrations in non-leafy vegetables, such as Indian squash “Praecitrullus fistulosus” (177 mg/kg) and cucumber “Cucumis sativus” (96.25 mg/kg). For leafy vegetables, the maximum levels were recorded in bathua “Chenopodium album” (72.01 mg/kg) and mint “Mentha arvensis” (44.34 mg/kg), where more than 50% of the vegetable varieties had concentrations of >4 mg/kg. The concentration of U ranged from 0.01 to 17.28 mg/kg; tubers and peels of non-leafy vegetables, particularly radishes “Raphanus sativus” (1.15 mg/kg) and cucumber “Cucumis sativus” (0.42 mg/kg), contained higher levels. These crops have the potential to form organometallic complexes with U, resulting in more severe threats to human health. For cereal crops (based on median values), the maximum F− level was found in bajra “Pennisetum glaucum” (15.18 mg/kg), followed by chana “Cicer arietinum” (7.8 mg/kg) and split green gram “Vigna mungo” (4.14 mg/kg), while the maximum accumulation of U was recorded for barley “Hordeum vulgare” (2.89 mg/kg), followed by split green gram “Vigna mungo” (0.45 mg/kg). There are significant differences in U and F− concentrations in either crop type based on individual studies or countries. These differences can be explained mainly due to changes in geogenic and anthropogenic factors, thereby making policy decisions related to health and intake difficult at even small spatial scales. Methodologies for comprehensive regional—or larger—policy scales will require further research and should include strategies to restrict crop intake in specified “hot spots”.
Development and Height Prediction of Fractured Water-Conducting Zone in Weakly Cemented Overburden: A Case Study of Tashidian Erjingtian Mine
Authors: Zhang Lifei , Zhang Zizhao , Wang Kaikai , Tan Xiaodong , Zhang Lei , Zhang Tiandong
Published: September 2023

To clarify the development and height of the fractured water-conducting zone of underground mines with weakly cemented overburden, the W8203 working face of the Tashidian Erjingtian Mine in Xinjiang, China, was selected to carry out a case study. Firstly, a physical analog model test was conducted to investigate the development law of the water-conducting fracture zone, followed by a numerical simulation via the PFC2D program. Afterward, a theoretical analysis based on the key stratum theory was carried out. The results demonstrated that there were one primary key stratum and three sub-key strata upon the W8203 working face. As verified by the physical analog tests, the water-conducting fracture developed to the bottom of the primary key stratum, and the height of the fractured water-conducting zone was 246.38 m. The numerical analysis suggests that the primary key stratum did not completely break and the fracture did not penetrate the stratum. Theoretical calculation indicated that the primary key stratum maintained stability in the structure without any breakage. The height of the fractured water-conducting zone is comprehensively determined to be 246.38 m, which is relatively close to the measured value (229.32 m). Based on the prediction method of key stratum position combined with the characteristics of weak cemented overburden, a method to predict the height of a water-conducting fracture zone suitable for weak cemented overburden was developed. The accuracy of this method was also verified through an in-depth comparison with field test results. Under the background of the “strategic westward shift” of coal resource exploration and development in China, the research results can provide theoretical and technical support for safe production in the Tashidian Mining Area and references for green and safe production in weakly cemented overburden mining areas in western China.
Distantly Supervised Relation Extraction via Contextual Information Interaction and Relation Embeddings
Authors: Yin Huixin , Liu Shengquan , Jian Zhaorui
Published: September 2023

Distantly supervised relation extraction (DSRE) utilizes an external knowledge base to automatically label a corpus, which inevitably leads to the problem of mislabeling. Existing approaches utilize BERT to provide instances and relation embeddings to capture a wide set of relations and address the noise problem. However, the method suffers from a single method of textual information processing, underutilizing the feature information of entity pairs in the relation embeddings part and being interfered with by noisy labels when classifying multiple labels. For this reason, we propose the contextual information interaction and relation embeddings (CIRE) method. First, we utilize BERT and Bi-LSTM to construct a neural network model to enhance contextual information interaction by filtering and supplementing sequence information through the error repair capability of the Bi-LSTM gating mechanism. At the same time, we combine the vector difference between entity pairs and entity pairs in the relation embeddings layer to improve the relation embeddings accuracy. Finally, we choose sparse softmax as the classifier, which improves the ability to control the noise categories by controlling the number of output categories. The experimental results show that our method significantly outperforms the baseline method and improves the AUC metric by 2.6% on the NYT2010 dataset.
Novel RNA-Seq Signatures Post-Methamphetamine and Oxycodone Use in a Model of HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders
Authors: Athota Pranavi , Nguyen Nghi M. , Schaal Victoria L. , Jagadesan Sankarasubramanian , Guda Chittibabu , Yelamanchili Sowmya V. , Pendyala Gurudutt
Published: September 2023

In the 21st century, the effects of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) have been significantly reduced in individuals due to the development of antiretroviral therapies (ARTs). However, the growing epidemic of polysubstance use (PSU) has led to concern for the effects of PSU on HIV-seropositive individuals. To effectively treat individuals affected by HAND, it is critical to understand the biological mechanisms affected by PSU, including the identification of novel markers. To fill this important knowledge gap, we used an in vivo HIV-1 Transgenic (HIV-1 Tg) animal model to investigate the effects of the combined use of chronic methamphetamine (METH) and oxycodone (oxy). A RNA-Seq analysis on the striatum—a brain region that is primarily targeted by both HIV and drugs of abuse—identified key differentially expressed markers post-METH and oxy exposure. Furthermore, ClueGO analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) revealed crucial molecular and biological functions associated with ATP-activated adenosine receptors, neuropeptide hormone activity, and the oxytocin signaling pathway to be altered between the different treatment groups. The current study further reveals the harmful effects of chronic PSU and HIV infection that can subsequently impact neurological outcomes in polysubstance users with HAND.
Field Trips and Their Effect on Student Learning: A Comparison of Knowledge Assessment for Physical versus Virtual Field Trips in a Construction Management Course
Authors: Salman Amna
Published: September 2023

Teaching through field trips has been very effective in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) disciplines as it allows students to bridge the gap between theory and practice. However, it is not always feasible to take a large class on field trips due to time, safety, and cost limitations. To adequately prepare future professionals in the AEC industry, it is imperative that institutions adopt innovative methods of providing the field trip experience. One such approach is using virtual reality (VR) technology. Creating 3D VR construction environments and immersing students in that virtual world could provide an engaging and meaningful experience. Although researchers in AEC schools have developed and deployed many virtual field trips (VFTs) in education, little is known about their potential to provide the same knowledge base. For that reason, a VR app was created to teach students about the design and construction of steel structures, called the Steel Sculpture App (SSA). The SSA served as a VFT, and the location of the steel frame structure served as the actual field trip (AFT). The research was conducted in structure-related courses in the spring, summer, and fall of 2021 and the spring and fall of 2022 semesters. Each semester, students were split into groups, one being the control group and the other being the experimental group. The control groups learned through AFTs, whereas the experimental groups learned through VFTs. A knowledge test was administered at the end of each treatment to collect quantitative data on the students’ performance, understanding, and knowledge retention. The results indicated that the students learning from VFTs scored higher than those learning from AFTs. The paper discusses student assessment results and student feedback about replacing AFTs with VFTs in times of need.
Multivariate Regression Models for Predicting Pump-as-Turbine Characteristics
Authors: Brisbois Alex , Dziedzic Rebecca
Published: September 2023

Installing pumps as turbines (PaTs) in water distribution networks can recover otherwise wasted energy, as well as reduce leakage caused by high water pressure. However, a barrier to their implementation is the lack of information on their performance in turbine mode. Previous studies have proposed models to predict PaT characteristics based on pump best efficiency points (BEPs), using regressions with one or two dependent variables, or more complex artificial neural networks (ANNs). While ANNs were found to improve the accuracy of predictions, these models are known to be unstable with small datasets. Other types of regressions with multiple variables have not been explored. Furthermore, because only small datasets are available to train these models, multivariate regression methods could yield better results. The present study develops multivariate regression models to predict BEPs and characteristic curves of PaTs. A database of 145 BEPs and 196 characteristic curve PaT experimental records was compiled from previous literature. Twenty-four types of multi-variate regressions, as well as ANN were compared, with dimensioned and dimensionless versions of the datasets. The multivariate regression models consistently outperformed previous models, including ANN. The R2 of the head and efficiency curves were 0.997 and 0.909, respectively. Results also showed that XGB regressors and a dimensionless dataset yielded the best-fit models overall. The high accuracy of the models, combined with their lower computational cost compared to ANN, make them a robust solution for selecting PaTs in practice.
Universal Relationship between Mass Flux and Properties of Layered Heterogeneity on the Contaminant-Flushing Process
Authors: Chen Zehao , Zhan Hongbin
Published: September 2023

To remove contaminants from a layered heterogeneous porous system where the flow direction is parallel to the horizontal layering, the flushing front may advance faster in one layer than the other, resulting in a significant vertical concentration gradient across the layer interface. This gradient leads to mass exchange between the layers due to the vertical dispersive transport. Such a mass exchange phenomenon can greatly alter the mass (and heat if the temperature is a concern) distribution in a multi-layer porous media system but has never been investigated before in a quantitative manner. In this study, high-resolution finite-element numerical models have been employed to investigate how transport properties affect contaminant transport during flushing, using a two-layer system as an example. The results showed that the porosity and retardation factor play similar roles in affecting mass flux across the interface. Increasing the porosity (or retardation factor) of one layer with a faster flushing velocity would decrease the total mass flux across the interface of the layers, while increasing the porosity (or retardation factor) of the layer with a slower flushing velocity played an adverse influence. Furthermore, increasing the transverse dispersivity of any layer increased the mass flux across the interface of the two layers. However, changes in the transverse dispersivity did not affect the spatial range (or gap along the flow direction) in which significant vertical mass flux occurs. This study has important implications for managing contaminant remediation in layered aquifers.
A Dynamic Estuarine Classification of the Vertical Structure Based on the Water Column Density Slope and the Potential Energy Anomaly
Authors: Lupiola Jagoba , Bárcena Javier F. , García-Alba Javier , García Andrés
Published: September 2023

The aim of this work is to develop a new estuarine classification attending to their vertical structure by examining the advantages and disadvantages of the existing classifications. For this purpose, we reviewed the main classifications, finding that most of them analyze the entire estuary as a unique water body without considering the spatiotemporal variability of the mixing zone in estuaries. Furthermore, the proposed classifications require the calculation of parameters that are not easily measurable, such as tidal current amplitude. Thus, we developed a new classification based on density profile slopes of the water column, which has been correlated to the potential energy anomaly. To test this classification, the proposed method was applied to the Suances estuary (Spain) during the year 2020 and to analyze the potential estuarine modifications under four climate change projections (RCP 4.5 and 8.5 for the years 2050 and 2100). To carry out this study, a calibrated and validated high-resolution horizontal and vertical 3D model was used. The application showed a high variability in the vertical structure of the estuary due to the tide and river. According to the proposed classification, the well mixed category was predominant in the estuary in 2020 and tended to grow in the projections of climate change. As a result, the fully mixed and weakly stratified mixing classes were reduced in the projected scenarios due to a decrease of external forcing, such as river flow and sea level rise. Furthermore, areas classified as stratified tended to move upstream of the estuary.
Heavy Metals and Microbial Diversity: A Comparative Analysis of Rivers Swat and Kabul
Authors: Ali Basharat , Khan Anwarzeb , Ali Syed Shujait , Khan Haji , Alam Mehboob , Ali Asmat , Alrefaei Abdulwahed Fahad , Almutairi Mikhlid H. , Kim Ki In
Published: September 2023

Water contamination with heavy metals seriously affects water and sediment quality and may affect the aquatic biota. This study assessed the impact of heavy metals on the morphological characteristics of aquatic microorganisms in potentially contaminated water. Different physicochemical parameters and heavy metals contents were analyzed for toxicological assessment along with microbial diversity in the rivers Swat and Kabul. The pH of River Swat water was neutral to slightly alkaline, while River Kabul was neutral to slightly acidic. The results showed substantial variations in heavy metal concentration across different sampling points. In both River Swat and River Kabul water samples, Cu and Zn concentrations were below the permissible limits for surface and drinking water qualities while the rest of the heavy metals exceeded the permissible limit with Cd being the most abundant heavy metal. Similarly, in sediment samples all the heavy metals were below the permissible limits except for Cd that exceeded the Environment Canada (EC) limits in River Swat and EC and NOVA limits in River Kabul. The rest of the heavy metals concentrations were within the permissible limits, with few exceptions. The results showed that in River Swat, most of the contamination was of geogenic origin, while the main source of contamination in River Kabul was anthropogenic. Results of microbial analysis showed that River Swat has more diversity than River Kabul, which may be due to the low contamination profile of River Swat. It was further observed that high heavy metal concentrations negatively impact the morphological characteristics of microorganisms. The heavy metals concentration and microbial diversity were closely related to each other.
Dedollarization of the Global Economy: Trends and Perspectives
Authors:   Russian Foreign Trade Academy, Kravchenko Julia
Published: September 2023

The quantitative indicators of dedollarization in the global economy are given. It is revealed that in the short-term the measures to abandon the U.S. dollar may have a limited impact on the global foreign exchange market, but in the longerterm the demand for the U.S. dollar may weaken. The implementation of transactions directly by countries on a bilateral basis using national currencies will thus make the global foreign exchange market more balanced. It is found that the development of dedollarization process is influenced by three major factors: the U.S. dollar’s usage as an instrument of sanctions pressure; the strengthening of the U.S. dollar; the emergence of new technological innovations. The article concludes that the development of dedollarization process along with the creation of new international payments mechanisms in the middle-term will continue to reduce the role of the U.S. dollar in the modern international monetary and financial system.
Quality Changes in Intermediate Flying Fish, Cheilopogon intermedius Parin, 1961, During Ambient and Ice Storage
Authors:   Institute of Fish Processing Technology, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines, SIMORA RHODA MAE C. , ARMADA CINDY D. , MONAYA KARMELIE JANE M.
Published: September 2023

Intermediate flying fish, Cheilopogon intermedius, Parin, 1961, is a popular source of inexpensive animal protein in the Philippines, but it remains susceptible to deterioration during processing. The study evaluated the sensory, microbiological, and physico-chemical characteristics of flying fish, C. intermedius stored at ambient conditions (27– 29 °C) and on ice (1–2 °C) storage. The storage duration of flying fish was 8 h at ambient temperature and around 12 days in ice. A ten-member taste panel rejected raw fish due to strong fishy to sour odours and soft texture. Similarly, cooked samples were rejected based on sour and ammoniacal odours, mushy texture, and a bitter taste. Results of sensory evaluation correlated with those of microbial and chemical analyses. Bacteria multiplied rapidly at ambient temperature with values of 11.05 log CFU.g-1 and 7.55 log CFU.g-1 (P < 0.05) for total viable count (TVC), and H2Sproducers count, respectively, at the end of the 20-h storage. In comparison, bacterial counts remained below rejection limits until the end of the storage period for samples stored in ice. Total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) and trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N) accumulated rapidly at ambient temperature, reaching 86.86 mg.100 g-1 and 35.65 mg.100 g-1, respectively, at the end of the storage period. In ice, TVB-N, TMA-N, and histamine values were slowed down, reaching rejection limits only at the end of the storage period. Moreover, the K value increased linearly at ambient storage, while a gradual increase was observed for samples stored in ice. Therefore, without the application of adequate icing, flying fish would undergo rapid decomposition at ambient temperature.
The phenomenon of meta-genre in music era of Modernism and Postmodernism
Authors: Popov Yurii
Published: September 2023

Statement of the problem. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the study is to distinguish the concept of meta-genre as a phenomenon that is in transgressive relations with the academic system of musical genres. The topicality of the study is due to the need for a scientific understanding of the evolutionary processes of genre creation, in particular, the practice of genre metamorphoses, unique authorial genre solutions, which give rise to the phenomenon of “meta-genre” that should be understood as a conscious departure from the academic tradition towards the semanticization of what or another genre invariant. Methodologically, the research relies on the latest developments in the theory of musical genres regarding the semantic load of genre invariant as a type of content and certain principles of its structuring, and also uses a philosophical and cultural approach. An innovative aspect is that the phenomenon of meta-genre is considered as the result of synergistic thinking, which relies on a metaphysical scientific picture of the world and thus ensures the uniqueness of the author’s genre-philosophical concept. Research results and conclusion. It is summarized that the approach to genre-creating algorithms presented by the music of the Modernism and Postmodern era reveals intentions of a transgressive breakthrough beyond the established academic system of musical genres, but at the same time continues the tradition of semantic structuring of a phenomenon of the “genre”. It is possible to ascertain the almost inexhaustible resource potential of meta-genre as a category, which allows composers to more fully express their intentions. After all, it expands the possibilities of understanding the surrounding reality by the means of musical art, building philosophical concepts, the “decoding” of which requires the activity of perception and intellectual efforts from everyone who turns to a musical work, presenting the unique challenges in researching and interpretation of musical texts.
Features of distance teaching of foreign language for future seafarers: module “Art”
Authors: Yurzhenko Alona , Kononova Olena
Published: September 2023

In this study, the problems of distance teaching of a foreign language to future seafarers are highlighted, namely: the “Art” module. The article’s objective is to investigate the organization of the learning process, the selection of methods and means of distance learning, the peculiarities of teaching of a Foreign Language in the context of maritime subjects. The role of art in the life of a cadet of higher maritime institution is analyzed. The study shows methods of distance learning of a foreign language using the platform Moodle as an example. A number of activities of the “Foreign Language” electronic course (“Art” module) on the Moodle platform are given. The advantages and disadvantages of using the platform Moodle while studying the “Art” module are highlighted. The results of the study show that the “Arts” module helps cadets improve their language competence and develop critical thinking, which allows them to be more successful in their future professional activities.
Automated Mapping of Global 30-m Tidal Flats Using Time-Series Landsat Imagery: Algorithm and Products
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Liu Liangyun , Wang Jinqing , Zhao Tingting , Liu Wendi , Chen Xidong
Published: September 2023

Tidal flats are an important part of coastal ecosystems and play an important role in shoreline protection and biodiversity maintenance. Although many efforts have been made in tidal flat mapping, an accurate global tidal flat product covering all coasts globally is still lacking and urgently needed. In this study, a novel method is proposed for the automated mapping of global tidal flats at 30 m (GTF30) in 2020 based on the Google Earth Engine, which is also the first global tidal flat dataset covering the high latitudes (>60°N). Specifically, we first propose a new spectral index named the LTideI index through a sensitivity analysis, which is robust and can accurately capture low-tide information. Second, globally distributed training samples are automatically generated by combining multisource datasets and the spatiotemporal refinement method. Third, the global coasts are divided into 588 5°×5° geographical tiles, and the local adaptive classification strategy is used to map tidal flats in each 5°×5° region by using multisourced training features and the derived globally distributed training samples. The statistical results show that the total global area of tidal flats is about 140,922.5 km
2
, with more than 75% distributed on 3 continents in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in Asia (approximately 43.1% of the total). Finally, the GTF30 tidal flat dataset is quantitatively assessed using 13,994 samples, yielding a good overall accuracy of 90.34%. Meanwhile, the intercomparisons with several existing tidal flat datasets indicate that the GTF30 products can greatly improve the mapping accuracy of tidal flats. Therefore, the novel method can support the automated mapping of tidal flats, and the GTF30 dataset can provide scientific guidance and data support for protecting coastal ecosystems and supporting coastal economic and social development. The GTF30 tidal flat dataset in 2020 is freely accessible via
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7936721
.
Innovation Adoption Research in Healthcare: Understanding Context and Embracing Complexity
Authors: Bell Harry , Rees Daniel , Huxtable-Thomas Louisa , Rich Nicholas , Miller Edward , Thomas Roderick
Published: September 2023

This paper presents a literature review on innovation adoption in healthcare. Healthcare is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing industries, driven by demands such as ageing populations, increasing co-morbidity, and improving technologies. Innovation continues to be a key driver in balancing cost containment and improving quality for health systems. However, healthcare has been slow to adopt and utilize the numerous innovations available to improve patient outcomes and efficiency. Stakeholders in healthcare innovation need to understand the influences on innovation adoption to increase the success rate of implementing innovation into practice. This literature review was conducted via searches of publication databases using selected keywords regarding innovation and adoption in general, and in healthcare specifically. Publications from academic journals and grey literature were assessed based on relevance to the topic, quality, influence, and citations. Key papers, theories, findings, and conclusions in the field are discussed in this review. The review revealed that innovation adoption has been extensively studied in multiple disciplines over decades. However, mostempirical research and theory development has taken place in the context of information technologies (IT) and their adoption in various industries and sectors. Research has mainly focused on individual acceptance and adoption of technology, which is less appropriate in healthcare due to its complex organizational structures, processes, and highly skilled workforce with significant social influence. Research into organizational adoption of innovation has been conducted, but these models havegenerally been utilized less in research and practice, both in general and specifically in healthcare. Within healthcare literature, innovation adoption has been recognized as a complex and challenging issue with multiple factors influencing success. However, research and theory development have generally been more limited in this setting. The review concludes with suggestions to bring learning from disciplines with stronger theory development to the healthcare setting. A novel conceptual model specific to healthcare is posited, accounting for the complexity of the system and understanding theprocess through a holistic approach. This model should be useful to and useable by any healthcare innovation stakeholder, from clinicians, to industry, to policy makers, as well as by researchers in this field.
Dickson Quality Index: relation to technological impact on forest seeds
Authors: Novikov Arthur , Rabko Siarhei , Novikova Tatyana , Petrishchev E.
Published: September 2023

A comprehensive indicator of predicting the quality of planting material at the time of planting – the Dickson quality Index (DQI) – is currently widely represented in studies of the growth and development of forest crops, but is not limited to them. Based on the systematization of data to a depth of 10 years returned by the term [Scholar Query = "Dickson quality index"], on the dynamics of the Dickson quality index depending on the criteria of technological impact on seeds and seedlings (seedlings), a hierarchical classification was carried out using the method of the most distant neighbors to describe the similarity between the criteria. Data grouping was performed using the square of the Euclidean distance. The change in the DQI index in most cases can be approximated by a second-order polynomial. The technological impact on seeds before sowing on the basis of the convergence and difference method is significantly (p < 0.05) allocated to a separate cluster (the square of the Euclidean distance is 4), which suggests a possible contribution to the assessment of the quality of planting material using DQI. In future studies, it is planned to get an answer to the question: what effect does the separation of seeds by spectrometric properties have on the dynamics of the DQI index in the process of ontogenesis? How does the dimensionality of the ratio of plant height to the diameter of the root neck affect the accuracy of the DQI estimate?
Assessment of the forest seed material quality at the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) experimental site during adaptive restoration of forest landscapes
Authors: Novikova Tatyana
Published: September 2023

When choosing a technology for restoring forest landscapes, the quality of forest seed material is a significant factor. To develop a reference information system to support decision-making for adaptive restoration of forest landscapes, it is necessary to have data on the types and quality of forest seed material. Existing studies directly or indirectly confirm, on the one hand, the influence of seed quality on the quality of future plantations, on the other hand, the influence of forest characteristics on the quality and quantity of seeds. Preservation of the quality of forest seed material in conditions of large-scale harvesting of Scots pine seeds (Pinus sylvestris L.) is possible with the development of permanent forest seed plots, and (or) the use of modern technologies for separating forest seeds without loss of genetic diversity and increasing not only germination and seed germination energy, but also the vitality of seedlings, their stability to the change of abiotic factors. Descriptive statistics of biometric parameters of trees and cones of Scots pine on the experimental site (N51°50.00'; E39°22.09', 113 m ASL) demonstrates the following values (average; average error): the height of the tree (186.2; 11.7), the diameter of the root neck of the tree (5.9; 0.3), the ratio of the height of the tree to the diameter of the root neck (31.90; 0.97), the number of cones (9; 4), the number of seeds (12; 5). There is a strong positive correlation at the level of p < 0.0001 between diameter and height, a strong positive correlation between the number of cones and the number of seeds (p < 0.001), a strong positive correlation (p < 0.05) between the height of the tree and the number of cones. In the future, it is planned to evaluate the relationship of accumulated degree days, accumulated precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index with the cones and seeds number.