bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustainability Considerations of Green Buildings: A Detailed Overview on Current Advancements and Future Considerations
Authors: Liu Tianqi , Chen Lin , Yang Mingyu , Sandanayake Malindu , Miao Pengyun , Shi Yang , Yap Pow-Seng
Published: November 2022

The concept of green building has gradually formed with the increase in public awareness of environmental protection, which also covers a wide range of elements. The green building is the fundamental platform of sustainable development. This review paper provides solutions for the multi-dimensional and balanced development of green building. Since green building is the development trend of the construction industry, it presents an opportunity to mitigate global warming and accomplish energy efficiency. However, the problem is that the development of green building’s implementation is restricted by the lack of government policies, imperfect technical abilities and unreasonable economic benefits. One conclusion drawn from the results shows that the benefits of green building implementation include environmental, economic, social, and health and safety aspects. Moreover, it is crucial to improve the awareness of stakeholders to promote the development process of green building. The government should launch campaigns to encourage developers and tenants to embrace green building, which can add value to buildings. The novelty of the paper provides a more systematic review on the sustainable considerations of green building than previous efforts in the literature. Bibliometric analysis is conducted through VOS viewer software. This review paperdiscusses the relevant benefits and challenges of green building through a critical review of existing research knowledge related to green building. The current advancements in green building are highlighted in this paper. Importantly, future recommendations for standards and policy formulation and future research directions are proposed in this review article.
The Diversity and Composition of Soil Microbial Community Differ in Three Typical Wetland Types of the Sanjiang Plain, Northeastern China
Authors: Wang Mingyu , Weng Xiaohong , Zhang Rongtao , Yang Libin , Liu Yingnan , Sui Xin
Published: November 2022

The wetlands in China’s Sanjiang Plain have experienced intensive anthropogenic disturbance recently, and this has obviously changed their environmental characteristics. Soil microorganisms play an important role in wetland ecosystems. However, the effects of different wetland types on soil microbial diversity and community composition remain largely unclear. Therefore, we assessed the effects of three typical wetland types—permanently flooded wetlands, seasonally flooded wetlands and non-flooded wetlands—on soil microbial communities in the Sanjiang Plain, using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) technology. A total of 56 different PLFA compounds were identified, of which 10 are typically produced by uncharacterized bacteria, 15 by Gram-positive bacteria, and 11 by Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, 2 fungal groups were identified, based on four PLFAs, and four PLFAs typical for protozoa were detected. High levels were detected for 16:0 (attributed to bacteria) and i17:1ω9c (produced by Gram-positive bacteria). The latter (i17:1ω9c) was exceptionally high in non-flooded soil (8407.15 ± 2675.84 ng/g). High levels of 18:1ω7c (1939.15 ± 666.13 ng/g) and 18:1ω9c (1713.26 ± 360.65 ng/g) were detected in permanently flooded wetlands and about the same in seasonally flooded wetlands, but lower ranks were present in the drier non-flooded wetlands. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index decreased with permanently flooded wetlands (3.05) > seasonally flooded wetlands (3.02) > non-flooded wetlands (2.12). Redundancy analysis showed that the two axes could explain a total of 94.48% of soil microbial communities. Soil water content, total and available phosphorus, and total and available nitrogen correlated significantly with soil microbial communities of three wetland types. Cluster analysis of correlations between individual PLFA biomarkers and soil physiochemical properties demonstrated the complexity of the community responses to the three different habitats. This study demonstrates that microbial diversity and composition changed sensitivity among the three wetland types, and soil moisture content was the key environmental factor to affect the soil microbial communities.
Growth and Yield Potential of New Sugarcane Varieties during Plant and First Ratoon Crops
Authors: Riajaya Prima Diarini , Hariyono Budi , Cholid Mohammad , Kadarwati Fitriningdyah Tri , Santoso Budi , Djumali  , Subiyakto
Published: November 2022

Newly released sugarcane varieties need to be adapted to various environments. This research was aimed at examining the growth and yield potential of newly released varieties of sugarcane in the first year as plant cane (PC) and the second year as first ratoon cane (RC1) on dry land. The research was carried out at Wedarijaksa station, Trangkil Sugar Mill area, Pati, Central Java in 2019–2021. Four sugarcane varieties were grown using a double rows system, AAS Agribun, ASA Agribun, AMS Agribun, and CMG Agribun and one commercial variety, PSJK 922. Measurements of crop growth were made periodically: yield components at harvest in PC-RC1, and physiological characteristics 5 months after planting. The results indicate that mean tonnes of cane and sugar per hectare between PC and RC1 decreased by 22.7% and 21.0%, respectively, for AAS Agribun, ASA Agribun, and CMG Agribun due to decreased stem weights. AMS Agribun showed the smallest decrease in tonnes of cane (4%) and increase in tonnes of sugar per hectare (2%) from PC to RC1. The highest number of tonnes of sugar in PC was achieved by ASA Agribun (12.8 t ha−1), slightly above PSJK 922 (12.69 t ha−1). The decline in tonnes of cane and sugar needs to be reduced by the continuously improving cultivation techniques. The mean photosynthetic water use efficiency of tested new varieties was 7.46 µmol CO2 mol H2O−1. These research findings provide information on crop performance and can be used as a basis for selecting varieties to be developed in the region. Further studies will be required to test these new sugarcane varieties in a wide range of agroecological zones in Indonesia.
Modeling and Evaluating Soil Salt and Water Transport in a Cultivated Land–Wasteland–Lake System of Hetao, Yellow River Basin’s Upper Reaches
Authors: Wang Guoshuai , Xu Bing , Tang Pengcheng , Shi Haibin , Tian Delong , Zhang Chen , Ren Jie , Li Zekun
Published: November 2022

With the implementation of water-conservation projects in the Hetao Irrigation District (HID), great changes have taken place in the ecohydrological process. A cultivated land–wasteland–lake system in the upper Yellow River Basin (YRB) was chosen to study the soil salt and water transport process with the Hydrus-1D model. The model parameters were calibrated and validated by measuring the soil salt and water data. Measured values were in good agreement with the simulated values. The results showed, in the whole growth period, the deep percolation of cultivated land was 34–40% of the total applied water (rainfall and irrigation). The capillary rise in the cultivated land, wasteland, and lake boundary was 24%, 29–35%, and 62–68% of their own evapotranspiration, respectively. The capillary rise in the lake boundary was about 2 times that of the wasteland and 2.6 times that of the cultivated land. The salt storage in the 1 m soil zone of the lake boundary was more than 10% and 18% greater than that of the wasteland and cultivated land, respectively. The salt of the capillary rise in the lake boundary exceeded that of the wasteland by a factor of three. The salt accumulation in the upper soil zone of the cultivated land, wasteland, and lake boundary was 13%, 37%, and 48%. Soil salinization in the upper soil zone of the wasteland and lake boundary was serious, and some measures should be taken to reduce the salt content to prevent soil salinization. The results act as a theoretical basis for the ecohydrological control of the HID.
Sustaining Workforce Engagement: From Mindfulness to Psychological Flourishing
Authors: Zheng Connie , Gunasekara Asanka
Published: November 2022

(1) Background: Practising mindfulness has been suggested in several recent media reports to help employees reduce stress in their effort to balance work and life pressures, especially during the pandemic when they have to work from home. During COVID-19, organisations have also struggled to effectively engage, retain and sustain employees when managing their work remotely. It is uncertain whether there is a close link between mindfulness and sustained workforce engagement. Although data were collected prior to COVID-19, this study contributes to adding new knowledge to this line of research by investigating how the flow-on effect of being mindful and psychological flourishing helps create positive effects on workforce engagement. (2) Methods: Path analysis was run to test the hypothesised relationships among key constructs with a sample of 229 participants. Direct and indirect effects were further tested with organisational mindfulness training program. (3) Results: The findings show that positive emotions gained from being mindful and maintaining a high level of psychological flourishing enhance workforce engagement. Organisational mindfulness training programs moderated the mediating effect of psychological flourishing on the relationship between mindfulness and workforce engagement, in which the indirect effect of mindfulness on workforce engagement via psychological flourishing is stronger when employees participated in mindfulness exercises and training programs. (4) Conclusions: Positive emotions attained from being mindful and experiencing psychological flourishing help sustain workforce engagement. (5) Implication: In order to sustain an engaged workforce, organisations need to implement effective mindfulness training programs that help the workforce broaden and build their personal resources via psychological flourishing and positive emotions, especially in times of facing difficult circumstances and managing uncertainty in challenging circumstances.
Sustainable Development Mechanism in Rural Kindergartens: The Relationships among Enabling Organizational Structure, Kindergarten Directors’ Leadership and Early Childhood Teachers’ Well-Being
Authors: Yan Zhonglian , Wang Ziqing , Meng Qingling , Wang Yujie , Liu Yunfei
Published: November 2022

Kindergarten directors’ leadership, early childhood teachers’ well-being, and enabling organizational structure are important components of ecological development in kindergartens. To understand the relationships among the three, identification of the driving force for the sustainable development of kindergartens in rural China must occur. This study used the Kindergarten Care and Education Leadership Questionnaire, the Enabling Organizational Structure Scale, and the Teacher Well-being Scale as research instruments to explore these relationships in an online survey of rural early childhood teachers (N = 1958, 98.3% female, 23.5% unmarried, 76.5% married, 68.8% county, and 31.2% rural). The study found that the overall levels of rural early childhood teachers’ well-being, director leadership, and enabling organizational structure were all in the medium to high range. There is a two-way effect between director leadership and enabling organizational structure, with kindergarten directors’ leadership positively predicting early childhood teachers’ well-being, but this effect is mainly mediated through the enabling organization. Therefore, to achieve sustainable development in rural kindergartens, emphasis needs to be placed on building an enabling organizational structure based on early childhood teachers’ well-being and kindergarten directors’ leadership.
Impact of Forest Landscape on the Price of Development Plots in the Otwock Region, Poland
Authors: Janeczko Emilia , Budnicka-Kosior Joanna , Dawidziuk Artur , Woźnicka Małgorzata , Kwaśny Łukasz , Fornal-Pieniak Beata , Chyliński Filip , Goljan Anna
Published: November 2022

Building plots, understood as land properties intended for development, are an important object of commercial transactions. Their prices are determined by several factors, such as location, state of development, distance from important urban centres, and proximity to green areas. It is certain that, especially with regard to building plots intended for single-family housing, the proximity of natural areas, especially forest areas, is becoming increasingly important. The Otwock region, with a forest cover of more than 30%, has numerous undeveloped lands that are or could be development plots. This article concerns an analysis of transactions involving undeveloped development land of selected communes in the Otwock region. On the basis of an analysis of prices of real estate transactions from 2011 to 2016 from four municipalities of the Otwock region and a spatial visualisation of the plots, the relationship of price (m2) with physical characteristics (technical development, shape, area), distance from a large city (Warsaw), and distance from a railroad line stop and landscape values (landscape type, distance to the forest, number of landscape components) was determined. Statistical analyses used regression and correlation analysis. The preferences of 519 people interested in buying/selling real estate in the Otwock region were also investigated, and for this purpose, we cooperated with real estate offices and municipal offices. The results of the survey strongly indicate that forest landscapes increase the attractiveness of building plots, which in turn leads to higher prices on the market. The results of the study show that there is a relationship between the price of a property and its distance to the forest, the nature of the forest boundary, and the number of landscape elements. The forest landscape is one of the most important factors determining the attractiveness of a building plot. Proximity to a forest, especially forests under a form of protection, is an important value for prospective land plot buyers. The views of respondents varied considerably due to socio-demographic characteristics, mainly the age and education of respondents.
Sustainable Collective Action in High-Rise Gated Communities: Evidence from Shanxi, China Using Ostrom’s Design Principles
Authors: Shi Xuerui , Ling Gabriel Hoh Teck , Wang Hong Kok
Published: November 2022

Gated communities have been the popular form of housing around the world to address social and safety issues over the past decade, including in Chinese cities. However, gated communities, despite being a more efficient system (less congested), have been criticized for their inefficiency to address the tragedy of the urban commons (overexploitation). Therefore, Ostrom’s self-organizing system (collective action) has been suggested as a sustainable approach to govern common resources but little empirical research has demonstrated how Ostrom’s collective action theory, associated with new institutional economics theory, is applied to the gated communities’ commons management. To address the research gap, the study, via a phenomenological case study, proposes a collective action model in which Ostrom’s eight design principles coupled with Williamson’s transaction cost and opportunism theories are used to improve commons management performance in gated communities. Using stratified purposive sampling, ten gated communities with various characteristics were selected in the Taigu district. In-depth semi-structured interviews were then held with community managers to collect valid data, which were subsequently subjected to content (thematic) analysis. As a result, by understanding and structuring the managers’ real experiences into a modified version of Ostrom’s eight principles, the study proposed a collective action model with low transaction costs in terms of enforcement in gated communities as well as reduced opportunistic behaviors of commoners. Specifically, the eight principles in the model include well-defined community members’ rights, commons management rules aligned with local needs and conditions, rights of residents to modify the commons management rules, monitoring systems overseen by community members, a graduated sanction system for rule violators, low-cost dispute resolution, unchallenged rule-making rights by community members, and a nested-tier management structure. The study findings contribute novel insights to the formulation of institutional strategies toward sustainable housing and building management for urban and community managers.
Smart Wireless Particulate Matter Sensor Node for IoT-Based Strategic Monitoring Tool of Indoor COVID-19 Infection Risk via Airborne Transmission
Authors: Kuncoro C. Bambang Dwi , Adristi Cornelia , Asyikin Moch Bilal Zaenal
Published: November 2022

Indoor and outdoor air pollution are associated with particulate matter concentration of minute size that deeply penetrates the human body and leads to significant problems. These particles led to serious health problems and an increased spread of infection through airborne transmission, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the role of particulate matter during the spread of COVID-19, this paper presents a smart wireless sensor node for measuring and monitoring particulate matter concentrations indoors. Data for these concentrations were obtained and used as a risk indicator for airborne COVID-19 transmission. The sensor node was designed to consider air quality monitoring device requirements for indoor applications, such as real-time, continuous, reliable, remote, compact-sized, low-cost, low-power, and accessible. Total energy consumption of the node during measurement and monitoring of particulate matter concentration was minimized using a low-power algorithm and a cloud storage system embedded during software development. Therefore, the sensor node consumed low energy for one cycle of the particulate matter measurement process. This low-power strategy was implemented as a preliminary design for the autonomous sensor node that enables it to integrate with an energy harvester element to harvest energy from ambient (light, heat, airflow) and store energy in the supercapacitor, which extends the sensor node life. Furthermore, the measurement data can be accessed using the Internet of Things and visualized graphically and numerically on a graphical user interface. The test and measurement results showed that the developed sensor node had very small measurement error, which was promising and appropriate for indoor particulate matter concentration measurement and monitoring, while data results were utilized as strategic tools to minimize the risk of airborne COVID-19 transmission.
The Role of Energy Affordability in the Relationship between Poor Housing and Health Status
Authors: Lima Fátima , Ferreira Paula , Leal Vítor
Published: November 2022

Housing quality is a well-established determinant for health and its relevance has been increasing in the context of sustainable development. Prior research has emphasized the importance of adequate housing for the health and comfort of householders. However, this link is still poorly characterized and understood regarding the vulnerable segments of the population. In this study, a mediation analysis is proposed to test and identify the role of energy affordability in the relationship between poor housing and health status. It resorts to microdata from the European Union—Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) database, focusing on the analysis of Portugal as the case study. Research findings confirm the role of energy affordability as a mediator. The research findings supported the energy efficiency as a direct pathway with protective and preventive effect for poor health, followed by energy affordability as a mediated or indirect pathway. A complementary approach that addresses energy efficiency and energy poverty should be pursued to maximize health risk reduction.
Circular Bioeconomy in the Amazon Rainforest: Evaluation of Açaí Seed Ash as a Regional Solution for Partial Cement Replacement
Authors: Rocha Joaquin Humberto Aquino , de Siqueira Andréia Arenari , de Oliveira Marco Antonio Barbosa , Castro Lucas da Silva , Caldas Lucas Rosse , Monteiro Nathalie Barbosa Reis , Toledo Filho Romildo Dias
Published: November 2022

Açaí seed ash (ASA) is a waste product from processing the açaí fruit and burning the seeds for cogeneration purposes. The present study evaluated the use of ASA from the Brazilian Amazon as partial Portland cement replacement in self-leveling mortars (SLM) for social-interest buildings. The fresh and hardened state properties of mortars were accessed with 5% and 10% ASA content, and a life cycle assessment was performed to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The maximum transport distance to enable ASA as a building material was determined by a sensitivity analysis, and specific carbon-efficiency indicators for SLM were proposed and validated. The results showed that using up to 10% ASA as cement replacement was technically and environmentally feasible since the mechanical performance was maintained and GHG emissions decreased up to 8%. The sensitivity analysis revealed that transport efficiency is crucial for ASA applications far from its production area; therefore, it should be evaluated as a regional building material. The work brings an important contribution to regional sustainable development by assessing the characteristics of a residual material and proposing the reuse of waste, reducing GHG emissions from the cement industry, and stimulating the circular bioeconomy in the Brazilian Amazon region.
Assessment of Enterprise Life Cycle Based on Two-Stage Logistic Model: Exemplified by China’s Automobile Manufacturing Enterprises
Authors: Wu Xiaolan , Wang Shengyuan
Published: November 2022

Enterprises in socio-economic ecosystems, like organisms in natural ecosystems, have life cycles. Since the enterprise life cycle theory was proposed, how to measure the enterprise life cycle has been a hot research topic. In order to assess the life cycle of an enterprise, a two-stage logistic model was proposed in this research, based on ecological theory and a population dynamics model. The first-stage logistic model measures the internal inhibition coefficient, intrinsic growth rate, and theoretical upper limit of enterprise development scale. The second-stage logistic model deals with the theoretical upper limit of enterprise development scale in the declining period, and measures the intrinsic growth rate, internal inhibition coefficient, and the theoretical upper limit of enterprise development scale in the declining period. In this study, an empirical analysis is conducted with Chinese automobile enterprises, which shows that an enterprise should withdraw from the market by insolvency liquidation or restructuring when both the intrinsic growth rate and internal inhibition coefficient are less than zero. Finally, this paper proposes the evaluation matrix of intrinsic growth and market potential. This matrix can intuitively give the evaluation method of the enterprise life cycle.
Exogenously Applied Sulphur Improves Growth, Photosynthetic Efficiency, Enzymatic Activities, Mineral Nutrient Contents, Yield and Quality of Brassica juncea L.
Authors: Shah Sajad Hussain , Parrey Zubair Ahmad , Islam Shaistul , Tyagi Anshika , Ahmad Ajaz , Mohammad Firoz
Published: November 2022

Background: Due to increasing domestic and industrial demand, edible oil production is not keeping up with demand. To fill this gap, the productivity of oilseeds can be increased by applying adequate nutrients, particularly sulphur (S), at the crucial growth stage. Purpose: The present study aims to explore the best concentration of S for its foliar application on various cultivars of mustard. Methods: A factorial randomized pot experiment was conducted to investigate the role of leaf-applied S on growth, physiobiochemistry, yield and quality traits of three cultivars of Brassica juncea L. (mustard). Five levels of S viz. 0 (water), 15, 30, 45 and 60 ppm S constituted one variant, and the three cultivars (Chutki, Nath Sona and Rohini) were the other variants. The various levels of S were sprayed at 50 and 70 days after sowing (DAS). The growth and physio-biochemical characteristics were studied at 90 DAS, and yield and quality attributes at 120 DAS (harvest). Results: The data indicated that increasing S levels up to 45 ppm S improved all parameters of mustard and thereafter (at the level above 45 ppm S) decreased. Cultivar Nath Sona, followed by Rohini and Chutki, performed best. Among the foliar spray treatment of different levels of S, the application of 45 ppm S increased plant dry weight by 40.21, 35.65 and 30.96%, photosynthetic rate by 28.27, 27.44 and 36.29%, pods of a plant by 15.23, 12.12 and 10.80%, seed yield of a plant by 7.54, 3.89 and 4.91%, oil content by 48.70, 46.31 and 43.15% and oil yield of a plant by 24.56, 23.93 and 22.35% in cultivar Nath Sona, Rohini and Chutki, respectively, compared with their respective water-treated plants. Moreover, the oil was examined by GC-MS technique for its various components. The analysis revealed that there were 36 compounds in the oil of the non-treated plants and 44 compounds in the oil of plants treated with 45 ppm S. The extra compounds resulted from the application of 45 ppm S. Conclusion: It may be concluded that two sprays of 45 ppm S proved effective in improving the growth, physio-biochemical characteristics, yield and quality of cultivars of mustard, particularly Nath Sona.
Carbon Emission Evaluation of Recycled Fine Aggregate Concrete Based on Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Lei Bin , Yu Linjie , Chen Zhiyu , Yang Wanying , Deng Cheng , Tang Zhuo
Published: November 2022

This study conducts a life cycle assessment (LCA) of carbon emissions for recycled fine aggregate (RFA) concrete. There were six stages involved in the life cycle of RFA, including raw material extraction and processing, transportation to the manufacture, RFA concrete manufacturing, transportation to the building site, construction, and de-construction or demolition. The carbon uptake effect, due to the carbonation of RFA concrete, was also considered. The concept of “carbon-strength ratio” was introduced to comprehensively evaluate the carbon emission of RFA with different strengths. Sensitivity analysis was performed on the key parameters, including the water-to-cement ratio, RFA replacement ratio, and transportation distance, by employing three sensitivity coefficients. The results show that, under a certain water-to-cement ratio, the increase in RFA replacement ratio would decrease the carbon emission but increase the carbon-strength ratio. The higher the replacement ratio of RFA, the more sensitive the carbon emission of RFA concrete is to the change in transportation distance. Under a certain 28-day cubic compressive strength, the higher the RFA replacement ratio, the higher the carbon emission. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the carbon emission was the most sensitive to the water-to-cement ratio, which was followed by the RFA replacement ratio and transportation distance.
Variation of Ground Surface Freezing/Thawing Index in China under the CMIP6 Warming Scenarios
Authors: Li Xianglong , Zhang Ze , Melnikov Andrey , Zhang Mingyi , Jin Doudou , Zhai Jinbang
Published: November 2022

As an important parameter in permafrost research, the annual ground surface freezing/thawing index is widely used in the variation of permafrost. In addition, it is also an important indicator in climatology, providing a large amount of theoretical basis for the assessment of climate change. Based on the ground surface temperature data recorded at 707 meteorological stations from 1960 to 2020, the ground surface freezing/thawing index in China were calculated. The results showed that over the past six decades, the thawing index has shown an upward trend, whereas the freezing index has shown a downward trend, and the trend is stronger around 2000. The results of the R/S-based analysis indicate that the freezing/thawing index will remain on a decreasing/increasing trend for some time to come. Based on the five warming scenarios published by Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), the spatial–temporal variation characteristics of the ground surface freezing/thawing index in China during 2020–2100 was simulated. It was found that under SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, the freezing/thawing index may be 0 °C-days in 2080 and 2070, respectively, which may imply that the ground surface freezing process in some regions of China may disappear.
Study on Influence of Confining Pressure on Strength Characteristics of Pressurised Frozen Sand
Authors: Song Fangnian , Yang Weihao
Published: November 2022

In order to reveal the influence law of freezing pressure and confining pressure on the strength characteristics of frozen sand, with the self-developed high-pressure frozen soil triaxial instrument, the triaxial compression tests of frozen sand under different freezing pressures and confining pressures were carried out. The test results show that the freezing pressure will not change the stress–strain curve of the frozen sand. Similar to the confining pressure, the freezing pressure influences the strength of the frozen soil in two ways: strengthening and weakening. The threshold confining pressure resulting from the test was about 45 MPa. Through comparison of the initial elastic modulus with the secant elastic modulus at 0.5 times the strength, it is found that the initial elastic modulus is more appropriate to use in engineering calculations. The internal friction angle is greatly affected by the freezing pressure, and cohesion shows little change with the freezing pressure. Compared with the test results and other constitutive equations, it is found that the constitutive equation established in this paper considering the effect of freezing pressure can better describe the stress–strain relationship of the pressurised frozen sand.
Groundwater Vulnerability and Groundwater Contamination Risk in Karst Area of Southwest China
Authors: Liu Jingchao , Wu Jin , Rong Shaowei , Xiong Yanna , Teng Yanguo
Published: November 2022

Groundwater pollution in karst areas is often the result of the interaction of hydrogeological characteristics and human activities. In this study, a chimeric evaluation system of groundwater vulnerability and pollution load was constructed, and the groundwater contamination risk was intuitively displayed using a risk map. The study area is located in Qiannan, a typical karst area in Southwest China. Groundwater vulnerability was mainly calculated using the PLEIK model. Pollution source load evaluation was evaluated using the classification method. The groundwater pollution status was evaluated by the CCME WQI method. The results show that the groundwater vulnerability in the research area was mainly at a medium level. The areas with high pollution load values were mainly distributed in industrial parks and other pollution-source-gathering areas. The results of the water quality evaluation show that the groundwater quality in the study area was generally good. However, the impact of some pollution sources on the surrounding groundwater still cannot be ignored. The results reveal the risk level of groundwater pollution in typical karst areas and provide theoretical support for regional groundwater protection.
Validating Antecedent Factors Affecting Ethical Purchase Behavior: Comparing the Effect of Customer Citizenship versus Corporate Citizenship
Authors: Chen Huiya , Jung Wonsik , Yoon Sungjoon
Published: November 2022

The objective of this study was to verify the influence of corporate image and subjective norms on consumers’ purchase intention of a firm’s products. Another important objective was to determine what kind of citizenship—corporate citizenship or customer citizenship—has a greater impact on the relationships between corporate image and purchase intention, and between subjective norms and purchase intention. The findings suggest that both ethical corporate image and subjective norms have positive effects on ethical purchase intention, and that both corporate and customer citizenship significantly moderate this causal relationship. Specifically, we found that corporate citizenship exerted greater impact as a moderator than customer citizenship on ethical purchase behavior. This finding has important theoretical/practical implications as it highlights the weighted attention to be paid to individual versus corporate focus in the study of ethical consumption behavior. In particular, the finding sheds light on the importance of subjective norms as a social peer pressure mechanism since ethical consumption is embedded with socially responsible consumption behavior.
The Effects and Vertical Bearing Capacity of Two Jacked Model Piles in Sand
Authors: Wang Qingshan , Xiao Zhaoran , Zhao Xianqiang , Feng Dakuo
Published: November 2022

The effects and vertical bearing capacity of two jacked piles in sand are still not well understood, and the mechanism of the adjacent pile’s uplift caused by the jacking pile in a double pile system is especially unclear, but these facets are important to the stability of the jacked pile. In this paper, a series of tests is performed on jacked model piles in sand, where in the influences of the pile length and the driving pile’s speed on the effects and vertical bearing capacity of two jacked piles were studied. The results revealed that the effects and vertical bearing capacity of the two jacked piles were mainly in relation to pile length and influenced by the driving speed. The horizontal displacement of the top of the first jacking pile during the installation of the post-jacking pile was caused by the difference in the stress state of the first jacking pile between the side of the pile’s face and its back side, in which the uplift displacement of the first jacking pile was also involved. The radial stress of the pile increased nonlinearly with the depth under different pile lengths and gradually converged to the passive earth pressure. The ultimate capacity of the double pile is approximately twice that of a single pile, and the ratio of the ultimate capacity of a single pile to the final jacking pressure was approximately 1.04.
The Impact of ESG Performance on Firm Value: The Moderating Role of Ownership Structure
Authors: Wu Shiyu , Li Xinyi , Du Xiaosen , Li Zexin
Published: November 2022

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance and firm value of Chinese manufacturing listed companies. The moderating role of ownership structure on the relationship between ESG performance and firm value is also tested. Sino-Securities ESG Rating is adopted in this paper to measure ESG performance and ownership structure is measured in four aspects, which include ownership concentration, equity balances, executive shareholding and institutional investor shareholding. We find that (1) ESG performance is important in improving firm value, (2) executive ownership and institutional ownership positively and significantly affect firm value, while ownership concentration and equity balance have no impact and (3) executive ownership and institutional ownership moderate the link between ESG performance and firm value, whereas the moderating role of ownership concentration and equity balance is not significant. The results of this study contribute to the existing literature on ESG and will aid corporations to enhance firm value through improving ESG performance.
Analysis of Kink Behaviour of KdV-mKdV Equation under Caputo Fractional Operator with Non-Singular Kernel
Authors: Ali Sajjad , Ullah Aman , Ahmad Shabir , Nonlaopon Kamsing , Akgül Ali
Published: November 2022

The KdV equation has many applications in mechanics and wave dynamics. Therefore, researchers are carrying out work to develop and analyze modified and generalized forms of the standard KdV equation. In this paper, we inspect the KdV-mKdV equation, which is a modified and generalized form of the ordinary KdV equation. We use the fractional operator in the Caputo sense to analyze the equation. We examine some theoretical results concerned with the solution’s existence, uniqueness, and stability. We employ a modified Laplace method to extract the numerical results of the considered equation. We use MATLAB-2020 to simulate the results in a few fractional orders. We report the effects of the fractional order on the wave dynamics of the proposed equation.
Toxin Profile of Two Gymnodinium catenatum Strains from Iberian Coastal Waters
Authors: Leal Joana F. , Bombo Gabriel , Pereira Hugo , Vicente Bernardo , Amorim Ana , Cristiano Maria L. S.
Published: November 2022

Gymnodinium catenatum has been the main species responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning events along the Portuguese coast (Iberian Peninsula), causing bans on bivalve harvesting that result in huge economic losses. This work presents the characterization of two novel isolates of G. catenatum regarding their growth and toxin profiles. Laboratory growth experiments revealed that, although low growth rates were obtained during cultivation, the cell yields were high compared to those reported in the literature. Evaluation of the toxin profiles, by HPLC-FLD, essentially confirmed the typical composition of toxins of this regional population (Iberian Peninsula), namely, the absence or low representation of the toxins dcNEO, GTX1,4 and NEO and a higher ratio of the toxins C1,2, GTX6 and GTX5. However, the percentage of the identified toxins varied among the strains of this study (under the same isolation, growth, and analysis conditions), and also differed from that of other strains described in the literature. Interestingly, we found a comparatively high abundance of dcSTX in both strains, relative to the other toxins, and an unquantifiable amount of C3,4 toxins. In addition to the geographic relationship between toxin profiles, chemical conversions among toxins may explain some differences encountered in the toxin profiles of G. catenatum strains.
The Global Prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. haematobium in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Cando Leslie Faye T. , Perias Glenmarie Angelica S. , Tantengco Ourlad Alzeus G. , Dispo Micah D. , Ceriales Jeremy A. , Girasol Mark John G. , Leonardo Lydia R. , Tabios Ian Kim B.
Published: November 2022

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease affecting 40 million women of childbearing age worldwide. Its global disease prevalence among pregnant women is still unknown. This meta-analysis determined the pooled prevalence of schistosomiasis among pregnant women globally. Additionally, this study also determined the pooled prevalence based on infection intensity based on eggs per gram. Observational studies on the prevalence of schistosomiasis among pregnant patients were obtained from Medline, Scopus, and CINAHL from January 2001 until August 2020. A review of titles and abstracts was done independently by six reviewers. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for case–control, cohort, and cross-sectional studies. A total of 27 studies were included in the meta-analysis and meta-regression. The pooled prevalence of S. haematobium was 13.44 (CI: 8.90–19.80) per 100 observations, while the pooled prevalence of S. mansoni was 12.18 (CI: 4.47–29.12) per 100 observations. The prevalence of S. japonicum infection in one study was 53.54 (CI: 43.23–63.62) per 100 observations. Our results showed a prevailing health problem of schistosomiasis during pregnancy in various countries worldwide. This strengthens the need to conduct more schistosomiasis research, prevention, and control programs in pregnant women.
A Wheeler–DeWitt Equation with Time
Authors: Rotondo Marcello
Published: November 2022

The equation for canonical gravity produced by Wheeler and DeWitt in the late 1960s still presents difficulties both in terms of its mathematical solution and its physical interpretation. One of these issues is, notoriously, the absence of an explicit time. In this short note, we suggest one simple and straightforward way to avoid this occurrence. We go back to the classical equation that inspired Wheeler and DeWitt (namely, the Hamilton–Jacobi–Einstein equation) and make explicit, before quantization, the presence of a known, classically meaningful notion of time. We do this by allowing Hamilton’s principal function to be explicitly dependent on this time locally. This choice results in a Wheeler–DeWitt equation with time. A working solution for the de Sitter minisuperspace is shown.
Elevated Plasma D-Dimer Concentrations in Adults after an Outpatient-Treated COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Meisinger Christa , Kirchberger Inge , Warm Tobias D. , Hyhlik-Dürr Alexander , Goßlau Yvonne , Linseisen Jakob
Published: November 2022

Elevated D-dimer plasma concentrations are common in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and are often associated with a worse prognosis, but it is not yet clear whether this also applies to outpatient cases. The present cross-sectional study evaluated D-dimer levels and their association with clinical parameters and inflammation biomarkers after a COVID-19 disease in individuals treated as outpatients. The study included 411 individuals (43.3% men) with an average age of 46.8 years (SD 15.2). Study participants who had acute COVID-19 disease at a median of 235 days (120; 323) ago were examined at the University Hospital Augsburg, Southern Germany, between 11/2020 and 05/2021. Plasma D-dimers were measured by a particle-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay. Sixty-one subjects (15%) showed increased D-dimer concentrations (≥500 µg/L). Study participants with elevated D-dimer levels in comparison to subjects with levels in the reference range were significantly older, and more frequently reported a history of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, venous thromboembolism, and chronic venous insufficiency. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, CRP levels (OR 5.58 per mg/dL, 95% CI 1.77–17.60) and white blood cell count (OR 1.48 per nL, 95% CI 1.19–1.83) were significantly related to elevated D-dimers even after adjustment for multiple testing. However, acute or persistent symptoms were not significantly associated with increased D-dimers. Elevated D-dimer levels months after an acute COVID-19 disease seems to be associated with markers of inflammation. Further studies are needed to investigate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and consequences of prolonged D-dimer elevation in these patients.
Vaccination History, Body Mass Index, Age, and Baseline Gene Expression Predict Influenza Vaccination Outcomes
Authors: Forst Christian V. , Chung Matthew , Hockman Megan , Lashua Lauren , Adney Emily , Hickey Angela , Carlock Michael , Ross Ted , Ghedin Elodie , Gresham David
Published: November 2022

Seasonal influenza is a primary public health burden in the USA and globally. Annual vaccination programs are designed on the basis of circulating influenza viral strains. However, the effectiveness of the seasonal influenza vaccine is highly variable between seasons and among individuals. A number of factors are known to influence vaccination effectiveness including age, sex, and comorbidities. Here, we sought to determine whether whole blood gene expression profiling prior to vaccination is informative about pre-existing immunological status and the immunological response to vaccine. We performed whole transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of whole blood samples obtained prior to vaccination from 275 participants enrolled in an annual influenza vaccine trial. Serological status prior to vaccination and 28 days following vaccination was assessed using the hemagglutination inhibition assay (HAI) to define baseline immune status and the response to vaccination. We find evidence that genes with immunological functions are increased in expression in individuals with higher pre-existing immunity and in those individuals who mount a greater response to vaccination. Using a random forest model, we find that this set of genes can be used to predict vaccine response with a performance similar to a model that incorporates physiological and prior vaccination status alone. A model using both gene expression and physiological factors has the greatest predictive power demonstrating the potential utility of molecular profiling for enhancing prediction of vaccine response. Moreover, expression of genes that are associated with enhanced vaccination response may point to additional biological pathways that contribute to mounting a robust immunological response to the seasonal influenza vaccine.
Global Perspectives on and Research Challenges for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Novas Nuria , Garcia Salvador Rosa M. , Portillo Francisco , Robalo Isabel , Alcayde Alfredo , Fernández-Ros Manuel , Gázquez Jose A.
Published: November 2022

This paper describes the characteristics of worldwide scientific contributions to the field of electric vehicles (EVs) from 1955 to 2021. For this purpose, a search within the Scopus database was conducted using “Electric Vehicle” as the keyword. As a result, 50,195 documents were obtained through analytical and bibliometric techniques and classified into six communities according to the subject studied and the collaborative relationships between the authors. The most relevant publications within each group, i.e., those related to the most publications, were analyzed. The result shows 104,344 authors researching on EVs in 149 different countries with 225,445 relations among them. Furthermore, the most frequent language in which these publications were written as well as the h-index values of their authors were analyzed. This paper also highlights the wide variety of areas involved in EV development. Finally, the paper raises numerous issues to consider in order to broaden knowledge about EVs, their efficiency, and their applications in the near future for the development of sustainable cities and societies.
Immune Activated Cellular Therapy for Drug Resistant Infections: Rationale, Mechanisms, and Implications for Veterinary Medicine
Authors: Pezzanite Lynn M. , Chow Lyndah , Strumpf Alyssa , Johnson Valerie , Dow Steven W.
Published: November 2022

Antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation both present challenges to treatment of bacterial infections with conventional antibiotic therapy and serve as the impetus for development of improved therapeutic approaches. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy exerts an antimicrobial effect as demonstrated in multiple acute bacterial infection models. This effect can be enhanced by pre-conditioning the MSC with Toll or Nod-like receptor stimulation, termed activated cellular therapy (ACT). The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature on mechanisms of antimicrobial activity of MSC with emphasis on enhanced effects through receptor agonism, and data supporting use of ACT in treatment of bacterial infections in veterinary species including dogs, cats, and horses with implications for further treatment applications. This review will advance the field’s understanding of the use of activated antimicrobial cellular therapy to treat infection, including mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic applications.
Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) in an Aged Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
Authors: D’Annunzio Giulia , Gelmini Luca , Sarli Giuseppe , Luppi Andrea , Gobbo Francesca , Bassi Patrizia , Rugna Gianluca
Published: November 2022

A 15-years-old, captive, female raccoon (Procyon lotor) was necropsied after a one-week history of apathy and self-isolation. Gross changes consisted of the severe enlargement of the mesenteric lymph node; hepatosplenomegaly with multifocal to coalescing, white tan nodules in the spleen and liver,; and pale kidneys. Histologically, neoplastic CD79α-positive lymphocytes effaced the mesenteric lymph node and multifocally infiltrated the spleen, liver, and kidneys, and focally infiltrated the heart. Based on pathological and immunohistochemical findings, as well as the canine-adapted World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic criteria, a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was made.