bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-the-Wild Affect Analysis of Children with ASD Using Heart Rate
Authors: Ali Kamran , Shah Sachin , Hughes Charles E.
Published: July 2023

Recognizing the affective state of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in real-world settings poses challenges due to the varying head poses, illumination levels, occlusion and a lack of datasets annotated with emotions in in-the-wild scenarios. Understanding the emotional state of children with ASD is crucial for providing personalized interventions and support. Existing methods often rely on controlled lab environments, limiting their applicability to real-world scenarios. Hence, a framework that enables the recognition of affective states in children with ASD in uncontrolled settings is needed. This paper presents a framework for recognizing the affective state of children with ASD in an in-the-wild setting using heart rate (HR) information. More specifically, an algorithm is developed that can classify a participant’s emotion as positive, negative, or neutral by analyzing the heart rate signal acquired from a smartwatch. The heart rate data are obtained in real time using a smartwatch application while the child learns to code a robot and interacts with an avatar. The avatar assists the child in developing communication skills and programming the robot. In this paper, we also present a semi-automated annotation technique based on facial expression recognition for the heart rate data. The HR signal is analyzed to extract features that capture the emotional state of the child. Additionally, in this paper, the performance of a raw HR-signal-based emotion classification algorithm is compared with a classification approach based on features extracted from HR signals using discrete wavelet transform (DWT). The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves comparable performance to state-of-the-art HR-based emotion recognition techniques, despite being conducted in an uncontrolled setting rather than a controlled lab environment. The framework presented in this paper contributes to the real-world affect analysis of children with ASD using HR information. By enabling emotion recognition in uncontrolled settings, this approach has the potential to improve the monitoring and understanding of the emotional well-being of children with ASD in their daily lives.
Commercial Optical and Acoustic Sensor Performances under Varying Turbidity, Illumination, and Target Distances
Authors: Sørensen Fredrik Fogh , Mai Christian , Olsen Ole Marius , Liniger Jesper , Pedersen Simon
Published: July 2023

Acoustic and optical sensing modalities represent two of the primary sensing methods within underwater environments, and both have been researched extensively in previous works. Acoustic sensing is the premier method due to its high transmissivity in water and its relative immunity to environmental factors such as water clarity. Optical sensing is, however, valuable for many operational and inspection tasks and is readily understood by human operators. In this work, we quantify and compare the operational characteristics and environmental effects of turbidity and illumination on two commercial-off-the-shelf sensors and an additional augmented optical method, including: a high-frequency, forward-looking inspection sonar, a stereo camera with built-in stereo depth estimation, and color imaging, where a laser has been added for distance triangulation. The sensors have been compared in a controlled underwater environment with known target objects to ascertain quantitative operation performance, and it is shown that optical stereo depth estimation and laser triangulation operate satisfactorily at low and medium turbidites up to a distance of approximately one meter, with an error below 2 cm and 12 cm, respectively; acoustic measurements are almost completely unaffected up to two meters under high turbidity, with an error below 5 cm. Moreover, the stereo vision algorithm is slightly more robust than laser-line triangulation across turbidity and lighting conditions. Future work will concern the improvement of the stereo reconstruction and laser triangulation by algorithm enhancement and the fusion of the two sensing modalities.
Analysis of Ankle Muscle Dynamics during the STS Process Based on Wearable Sensors
Authors: Liu Kun , Ji Shuo , Liu Yong , Gao Chi , Zhang Shizhong , Fu Jun , Dai Lei
Published: July 2023

Ankle joint moment is an important indicator for evaluating the stability of the human body during the sit-to-stand (STS) movement, so a method to analyze ankle joint moment is needed. In this study, a wearable sensor system that could derive surface-electromyography (sEMG) signals and kinematic signals on the lower limbs was developed for non-invasive estimation of ankle muscle dynamics during the STS movement. Based on the established ankle joint musculoskeletal information and sEMG signals, ankle joint moment during the STS movement was calculated. In addition, based on a four-segment STS dynamic model and kinematic signals, ankle joint moment during the STS movement was calculated using the inverse dynamics method. Ten healthy young people participated in the experiment, who wore a self-developed wearable sensor system and performed STS movements as an experimental task. The results showed that there was a high correlation (all R ≥ 0.88) between the results of the two methods for estimating ankle joint moment. The research in this paper can provide theoretical support for the development of an intelligent bionic joint actuator and clinical rehabilitation evaluation.
A Dual Architecture Fusion and AutoEncoder for Automatic Morphological Classification of Human Sperm
Authors: Mahali Muhammad Izzuddin , Leu Jenq-Shiou , Darmawan Jeremie Theddy , Avian Cries , Bachroin Nabil , Prakosa Setya Widyawan , Faisal Muhamad , Putro Nur Achmad Sulistyo
Published: July 2023

Infertility has become a common problem in global health, and unsurprisingly, many couples need medical assistance to achieve reproduction. Many human behaviors can lead to infertility, which is none other than unhealthy sperm. The important thing is that assisted reproductive techniques require selecting healthy sperm. Hence, machine learning algorithms are presented as the subject of this research to effectively modernize and make accurate standards and decisions in classifying sperm. In this study, we developed a deep learning fusion architecture called SwinMobile that combines the Shifted Windows Vision Transformer (Swin) and MobileNetV3 into a unified feature space and classifies sperm from impurities in the SVIA Subset-C. Swin Transformer provides long-range feature extraction, while MobileNetV3 is responsible for extracting local features. We also explored incorporating an autoencoder into the architecture for an automatic noise-removing model. Our model was tested on SVIA, HuSHem, and SMIDS. Comparison to the state-of-the-art models was based on F1-score and accuracy. Our deep learning results accurately classified sperm and performed well in direct comparisons with previous approaches despite the datasets’ different characteristics. We compared the model from Xception on the SVIA dataset, the MC-HSH model on the HuSHem dataset, and Ilhan et al.’s model on the SMIDS dataset and the astonishing results given by our model. The proposed model, especially SwinMobile-AE, has strong classification capabilities that enable it to function with high classification results on three different datasets. We propose that our deep learning approach to sperm classification is suitable for modernizing the clinical world. Our work leverages the potential of artificial intelligence technologies to rival humans in terms of accuracy, reliability, and speed of analysis. The SwinMobile-AE method we provide can achieve better results than state-of-the-art, even for three different datasets. Our results were benchmarked by comparisons with three datasets, which included SVIA, HuSHem, and SMIDS, respectively (95.4% vs. 94.9%), (97.6% vs. 95.7%), and (91.7% vs. 90.9%). Thus, the proposed model can realize technological advances in classifying sperm morphology based on the evidential results with three different datasets, each having its characteristics related to data size, number of classes, and color space.
Changes in Heart Rate, Heart Rate Variability, Breathing Rate, and Skin Temperature throughout Pregnancy and the Impact of Emotions—A Longitudinal Evaluation Using a Sensor Bracelet
Authors: Bossung Verena , Singer Adrian , Ratz Tiara , Rothenbühler Martina , Leeners Brigitte , Kimmich Nina
Published: July 2023

(1) Background: Basic vital signs change during normal pregnancy as they reflect the adaptation of maternal physiology. Electronic wearables like fitness bracelets have the potential to provide vital signs continuously in the home environment of pregnant women. (2) Methods: We performed a prospective observational study from November 2019 to November 2020 including healthy pregnant women, who recorded their wrist skin temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability, and breathing rate using an electronic wearable. In addition, eight emotions were assessed weekly using five-point Likert scales. Descriptive statistics and a multivariate model were applied to correlate the physiological parameters with maternal emotions. (3) Results: We analyzed data from 23 women using the electronic wearable during pregnancy. We calculated standard curves for each physiological parameter, which partially differed from the literature. We showed a significant association of several emotions like feeling stressed, tired, or happy with the course of physiological parameters. (4) Conclusions: Our data indicate that electronic wearables are helpful for closely observing vital signs in pregnancy and to establish modern curves for the physiological course of these parameters. In addition to physiological adaptation mechanisms and pregnancy disorders, emotions have the potential to influence the course of physiological parameters in pregnancy.
Research Progress of Vertical Channel Thin Film Transistor Device
Authors: Sun Benxiao , Huang Huixue , Wen Pan , Xu Meng , Peng Cong , Chen Longlong , Li Xifeng , Zhang Jianhua
Published: July 2023

Thin film transistors (TFTs) as the core devices for displays, are widely used in various fields including ultra-high-resolution displays, flexible displays, wearable electronic skins and memory devices, especially in terms of sensors. TFTs have now started to move towards miniaturization. Similarly to MOSFETs problem, traditional planar structure TFTs have difficulty in reducing the channel’s length sub-1μm under the existing photolithography technology. Vertical channel thin film transistors (V-TFTs) are proposed. It is an effective solution to overcome the miniaturization limit of traditional planar TFTs. So, we summarize the different aspects of VTFTs. Firstly, this paper introduces the structure types, key parameters, and the impact of different preparation methods in devices of V-TFTs. Secondly, an overview of the research progress of V-TFTs’ active layer materials in recent years, the characteristics of V-TFTs and their application in examples has proved the enormous application potential of V-TFT in sensing. Finally, in addition to the advantages of V-TFTs, the current technical challenge and their potential solutions are put forward, and the future development trend of this new structure of V-TFTs is proposed.
A Multidisciplinary Vision of the Criminal, Social and Occupational Risk Consequences of the Use of Police Force
Authors: Vera-Jiménez José C. , Villero-Carro Domingo , González-Herrera Lucas , Álvarez José A. , Ayuso Jesús
Published: July 2023

(1) Background: The use of force by public and private security forces is currently an issue of great relevance because of the potential injuries caused by any excessive use of force by either active or passive subjects or a deficit in the real mastery of appropriate physical intervention techniques (PITs). For this reason, certain traditionally used physical intervention techniques have been questioned by scientific research studies and punished by justice. On the other hand, certain media have dealt with this matter in a biased and unfair manner by broadcasting videos where the use of force by police officer is displayed out of context. As a consequence, this problem has been brought under the spotlight, causing general uneasiness of the communities and rapidly spreading over social networks while favoring all sorts of parallel judgments. (2) Research method: A suit was equipped with 19 inertial measurement units (IMUs) and a Biomechanics of Bodies software application for Marras analysis of the data collected on trajectory, trunk twisting velocity, sagittal angle, load, and nature and severity of the injuries associated with the different intervention techniques examined. (3) Results: According to the data registered, the implementation of operational tactical procedures (OTPs) reduces the probability of injuries and leads to a more satisfactory outcome. (4) Conclusions: The implementation of operational tactical procedures, together with an awareness of the risks associated with the excessive use of force by public and private security forces and bodies, could reduce the risk of injuries suffered by both officers and citizens.
Disability Ghosting in the Double Lockdown Institution of COVID-19
Authors: Mitchell David Thomas
Published: July 2023

This paper surveys some of the voluminous journalistic coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health responses that ensued. While investigative reporting in newspapers and news programming played an important function, we expose the terms of the underreporting about the lockdowns in institutions for the disabled and elderly that ultimately changed little about public knowledge of the lives of disabled people who were always or already confined. Second, we detail the rapid unfolding of a critical journalism that revealed the mortality-dealing conditions of institutionalization beyond the acceleration of pandemic risk levels. Such governmental and for-profit run practices of letting individuals who were disabled or elderly die while in their care were enacted, of which residents could do nothing to protect themselves (in fact, risky exposure was a conscious practice of state governments during the unfolding viral epidemic). This essay argues, however, that a critical branch of COVID-19 journalism (largely based in the US) used investigative reporting to expose governmental miscounting, undercounting, and neglecting-to-count of disability deaths due to COVID-19 and/or to collect them under “other categories,” such as the overall death rate of a population. Our key findings point out that despite the importance of this coverage, no one used this opportunity to talk with institutionalized disabled and/or elderly people—who were gravely at risk. Thus, we learned little about disabled peoples’ lives as they were shipped back to congregate care settings and institutions from hospitals without treatment. An opportunity to explain disability institutionalization and its inherent dangers were lost despite the media saturation of coverage that rose in the wake of COVID-19 public health policies and practices.
The Society’s Heterogeneity Regarding Attitudes towards Tourism: A Cluster Analysis of the Ibiza Residents
Authors: Ramón-Cardona José , Sánchez-Fernández María Dolores
Published: July 2023

The residents’ attitudes towards tourism are heterogeneous, although most studies do not focus their analysis on analyzing this variability. The segmentation of residents based on their attitudes has sought to determine the existing profiles within the local society of tourist destinations and their quantitative importance. The aim of this article is to carry out a segmentation of Ibiza residents according to their attitudes towards tourism. In this case, it seeks to analyze the existing heterogeneity in the local society of a mature and highly mediated tourist destination. Ibiza is a Spanish island in the Western Mediterranean with a surface area of 572 km and 150,000 inhabitants. It receives three million tourists a year, making it one of the most internationally known tourist destinations. The methodology used is a descending hierarchical cluster analysis (Howard-Harris algorithm) on a sample of 418 residents selected by a random procedure. The analysis has made it possible to identify five groups with opinions ranging from the most favorable towards tourism (enthusiastic supporters) to the most adverse (critics), with several intermediate groups (interested supporters, supporters with nuanced opinions, and neutrals). The most numerous groups are the supporters with nuanced opinions (23.0%), called by other authors “realists” for being aware of both the positive and negative impacts, and the critics (23.4%) concerned about the negative impacts. The minority group is the neutrals (13.6%). These proportions are plausible given the fact that it is a mature and highly crowded destination. This heterogeneity of attitudes should remind us that, in societies, there are always very different personal situations that will generate very different attitudes, and it is essential to know this social heterogeneity in order to manage the tourist destination correctly.
Quality of Life and Well-Being of Older Adults in Nursing Homes: Systematic Review
Authors: Rodríguez-Martínez Antonia , De-la-Fuente-Robles Yolanda María , Martín-Cano María del Carmen , Jiménez-Delgado Juan José
Published: July 2023

The Quality of Life (QoL) of older adults in nursing homes depends on multiple factors. It is necessary to discover the dimensions of QoL, and to obtain an integrating model, analyzing their relationships. With this aim, an exhaustive systematic literature review has been conducted in this area over the last decade. The research question has been to obtain the advances on the key factors influencing the QoL and well-being of older adults living in nursing homes in the last decade. Multiple databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and Emerald were used. This review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. “Thematic Synthesis Analysis” was used to analyze the studies. The CADIMA web tool was used to conduct the systematic review. The quality of the studies was assessed. The findings were summarized, obtaining a classification of the relevant studies: models or scales for QoL; vision and perception of the QoL of the stakeholders; and determination of QoL through factors (relationship between factors and predictive factors). The results not only evidence the need for further research into this topic, but also the need for an integrative model of QoL, personalized and adapted both to the residents and the nursing home.
Queer in Cyprus? The LGBTIQ Movement, Normativity, and Resistance in a Changing (Trans)national Landscape
Authors: Kamenou Nayia
Published: July 2023

The literature on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) politics has established the interplay between domestic and transnational norms and political tactics. However, knowledge about how local LGBTIQ activists understand, negotiate, and employ transnational LGBTIQ campaigns and tactics over time remains limited. This article builds on literature on the dynamics between national and transnational LGBTIQ politics. Based on interviews with Cypriot LGBTIQ activists, it examines how they adapt their perceptions and employments of LGBTIQ activism and politics when the transnational LGBTIQ movement interacts with local norms around gender and sexuality, and what the impact of this interaction is on the boundaries of LGBTIQ in-group exclusion and inclusion. The analysis of the interview material identifies three approaches toward transnational LGBTIQ politics that participants express over time: Ambivalence toward, acclamation of, and resistance toward transnational LGBTIQ politics. I argue that these different approaches show that the dynamics between national and transnational LGBTIQ activism and politics are not static and that the relationship between “norm” and “queer” is both messy and productive. I further argue that activists’ understandings, negotiations, and employments of transnational LGBTIQ campaigns and tactics in contentious contexts may reinforce and/or challenge national LGBTIQ politics’ normativization and queer emancipatory politics. Therefore, beyond contributing to discussions about the national–transnational relationship in LGBTIQ politics, the article demonstrates the importance of studying LGBTIQ activists’ views for gaining a well-rounded understanding of this issue.
Building Forest Fires Resilience, the Incorporation of Local Knowledge into Disaster Mitigation Strategies
Authors: Santiago-Gómez Elvira , Rodríguez-Rodríguez Carmen
Published: July 2023

The severity of the socio-economic, political, and ecological damage caused by forest fires each year requires action plans for disaster risk reduction (DRR). Despite efforts made to incorporate participatory mechanisms into risk governance, much of the research on disaster risk reduction in academia is conducted under the deficit model. This paper proposes public engagement as a mechanism for incorporating community-based knowledge, experiences, and practices into DRR plans. Based on the case study of forest fires in Galicia (Spain), developed within the MITIGACT project, we explore, through the analysis of in-depth interviews, how forest fires are defined, how disaster management plans are evaluated and what concrete proposals are considered. The results highlight the need to strengthen social governance at the local level and to balance the resources dedicated to the three phases of prevention, extinction, and recovery, moving from a linear to a circular model.
Optimization and Experiment of Livestock and Poultry Manure Composting Equipment with Vented Heating
Authors: Ren Kailin , Su Lide , Zhang Yong , He Xiang , Cai Xuyang
Published: July 2023

As livestock and poultry farming expands in China, the generation of fecal waste has significantly increased. Inadequate waste management can contribute to environmental pollution. This study seeks to optimize small-scale composting systems to address the inefficiencies and the limited automation of traditional composting equipment. We redesigned the mixing blades and refined the ventilation heating system, establishing an efficient mixing mechanism and an energy-saving ventilation heating system. A control system, incorporating Monitor and Control Generated System and Programmable logic Controller, was developed for real-time monitoring and adjustment capabilities, substantially enhancing automation levels. The optimization proved effective by reducing the composting cycle from 13 days to 11.5 days, increasing the GI value from 83% to 89%, and lowering the humidity from 8.9% to 8.1%.
Compliance with COVID-19 Regulations among Palestinian Citizens of Israel in the Context of Social Norms and Gender Roles
Authors: Khatib Mohammad , Mansbach-Kleinfeld Ivonne , Zaid Doaa , Ifrah Anneke , Yousef Malik , Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad
Published: July 2023

This paper examines the compliance with official recommendations to restrict COVID-19 contagion during the second wave (August–November 2020) among a sample of Palestinian citizens of Israel (N = 1536), aged 18 or more. The dependent variables included the compliance with keeping social distance, using masks, washing hands, avoiding social gatherings, and unnecessary shopping. The independent variables included sociodemographic and health-related factors and beliefs regarding the susceptibility to and seriousness of COVID-19. Special attention was paid to analyzing the content of the recommendations and the behavioral changes required vis-à-vis the norms and values of the population studied. Factor and content analyses yielded two distinct sets of recommendations, which were conceptualized as ‘Adopting New Behaviors’ and ‘Renouncing Usual Behaviors’. Compliance rates for the adoption of new behaviors ranged between 80.5 and 90.3% and were higher in women than men (p < 0.002; p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Compliance rates for the renunciation of usual behaviors ranged between 47.1 and 60.4%. Educational level was positively associated with the compliance with recommendations requiring the renouncing of usual behaviors among men but not among women. The particular values and gender norms and the culture-based reasons for noncompliance among minority populations that were proposed using this method must be identified so that they inform authorities’ strategies to increase compliance with recommendations.
Digital Media and Green Development Path in Asia: Does Digital Financial Inclusion Matter?
Authors: Wu Shanshan , Wang Zixuan , Su Chiwei , Zhang Weike
Published: July 2023

We are entering a new epoch characterized by pervasive digitization, where a significant proportion of our daily activities rely on advanced digital and informational technology. Consequently, this study intends to scrutinize the repercussions of digital media and digital financial inclusion on environmentally sustainable growth across 38 selected economies. The research incorporates four distinct empirical analysis techniques: two-stage least squares (2SLS) and the generalized method of moments (GMM). The assessment reveals a meaningful and positive association between digital financial inclusion and green growth per the 2SLS and GMM methodologies. This affirms the notion that digital financial aid fosters ecological sustainability. Conversely, the metrics linked with information and communication technology (ICT) have shown positive significance across all four utilized estimation models. This suggests that an increase in ICT utilization can play a vital role in advancing green growth. In the same vein, the estimated coefficients of research and development initiatives and renewable energy consumption have demonstrated positive significance across all four models. Furthermore, the metrics associated with trade openness have exhibited a positive significance in both the 2SLS and GMM models. Meanwhile, the metric linked with education has displayed a positive significance solely with the GMM technique. Upon evaluation, it can be concluded that digital media, the consumption of renewable energy, and research and development endeavors are principal contributors to green growth.
Global or Local Spatial Spillovers? Industrial Diversity and Economic Resilience in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration, China
Authors: Li Xiaojing , Chen Jing
Published: July 2023

A growing body of literature has studied the empirical relationship between industrial diversity and economic resilience since the 2008 Great Recession. However, many existing studies are based on a nonspatial perspective, and little is known about the local or global spatial spillover effect of industrial diversity on economic resilience. This paper employs Bayesian spatial econometric methods to investigate the roles of related variety and unrelated variety on economic resilience in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River urban agglomeration, China and explores the possible local or global spatial spillover effect in the diversity–resilience relationship. The empirical results from the spatial Durbin error model estimation show that: (1) regions with high levels of related variety are economically resilient to the external shock in the postcrisis era, whereas unrelated variety has no significant direct effect on recovery resilience; (2) both related and unrelated variety have local spatial spillovers with respect to the one-year resilience of 2008–2009, but these spillovers are negligible in longer study periods. These results confirm the role of industrial relatedness and immediate neighbors in promoting regions’ short-run capabilities of recovery from external economic shocks.
Counterparty Risk Contagion Model of Carbon Quota Based on Asset Price Reduction
Authors: Chen Tingqiang , Hou Yuejuan , Wang Lei , Li Zeyu
Published: July 2023

Driven by the “double carbon” goal, the sale of financial assets at reduced prices by firms due to carbon emission constraints is bound to aggravate the uncertainty and volatility of carbon trading among firms, and potentially create counterparty risk contagion. In view of this, this paper considers the sensitivity of the transaction of corporate financial assets, the transaction price of carbon quotas, and corporate carbon performance; constructs a network model for the risk contagion of carbon quota counterparties; theoretically discusses the risk formation and infection mechanism of carbon quota counterparties; and calculates and simulates the evolutionary characteristics of the risk contagion of carbon quota counterparties. The main research conclusions are as follows. (1) In the interfirm debt network, the sensitivity to the price of selling the financial asset, the probability of credit risk contagion of carbon quotas among firms, the cumulative proportion of assets sold, and the proportion of rational investors in the financial market exert a decreasing phenomenon on the risk of carbon quota counterparties. In addition, the corporate carbon performance shows a marginal increasing phenomenon. (2) When multiple factors intersect, the proportion of rational investors in the financial market has the greatest influence on the formation of the carbon quota counterparty risk, whereas the effect of corporate carbon performance has the least. Corporate carbon risk awareness has the greatest effect on the risk contagion of carbon quota counterparties, whereas the trading price of the carbon quota has the least influence. In addition, the total score of the interfirm assessment has a great impact on the trend and range of the risk contagion of carbon quota counterparties. (3) Corporate carbon risk awareness and the carbon quota trading price have a marginally decreasing effect on the risk contagion of carbon quota counterparties, and corporate carbon performance and the total score of interfirm assessment have a marginally increasing effect. This study has important theoretical and practical significance for preventing interfirm counterparty risk contagion under the double carbon target.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Green Bridge Construction Based on a Game Theory–Radar Chart Combination
Authors: Li Qingfu , Wang Mengyuan , Guo Hao , Zhao Guanming
Published: July 2023

The construction of large bridges requires significant natural resource consumption and causes widespread environmental damage, violating the concept of sustainable development. Therefore, it is necessary to build a comprehensive evaluation system for green construction. This paper took a bridge as a research object to establish a green construction evaluation index system based on GB/T 50640-2010, the “Green Construction Evaluation Standard for Construction Projects”. A combined game theory–radar chart method was adopted to evaluate the level of green construction for five construction schemes. The results were Scheme II > Scheme IV > Scheme III > Scheme I > Scheme V, where Scheme II was the best. The evaluations in this paper were consistent with those obtained by the G1-TOPSIS method; however, a combined-assignment method was used to avoid the one-sidedness of single-assignment, and to make the evaluations more objective.
Large-Scale Flood Hazard Monitoring and Impact Assessment on Landscape: Representative Case Study in India
Authors: Halder Bijay , Barman Subhadip , Banik Papiya , Das Puja , Bandyopadhyay Jatisankar , Tangang Fredolin , Shahid Shamsuddin , Pande Chaitanya B. , Al-Ramadan Baqer , Yaseen Zaher Mundher
Published: July 2023

Currently, natural hazards are a significant concern as they contribute to increased vulnerability, environmental degradation, and loss of life, among other consequences. Climate change and human activities are key factors that contribute to various natural hazards such as floods, landslides, droughts, and deforestation. Assam state in India experiences annual floods that significantly impact the local environment. In 2022, the flooding affected approximately 1.9 million people and 2930 villages, resulting in the loss of 54 lives. This study utilized the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-computing platform to investigate the extent of flood inundation and deforestation, analyzing pre-flood and post-flood C band Sentinel-1 GRD datasets. Identifying pre- and post-flood areas was conducted using Landsat 8–9 OLI/TIRS datasets and the modified and normalized difference water index (MNDWI). The districts of Cachar, Kokrajhar, Jorhat, Kamrup, and Dhubri were the most affected by floods and deforestation. The 2022 Assam flood encompassed approximately 24,507.27 km2 of vegetation loss and 33,902.49 km2 of flood inundation out of a total area of 78,438 km2. The most affected areas were the riverine regions, the capital city Dispur, Guwahati, southern parts of Assam, and certain eastern regions. Flood hazards exacerbate environmental degradation and deforestation, making satellite-based information crucial for hazard and disaster management solutions. The findings of this research can contribute to raising awareness, planning, and implementing future disaster management strategies to protect both the environment and human life.
Exploring First-Time and Repeat Volunteer Scuba Divers’ Environmentally Responsible Behaviors Based on the C-A-B Model
Authors: Lin Jan-Wei , Tsao Hsiao-Chang
Published: July 2023

Volunteer scuba divers have become indispensable stakeholders in marine environmental protection, as their educational knowledge and environmental awareness create environmentally responsible attitudes and behaviors, which are the key elements to promote the sustainable development of marine environments. The purposes of this study are to use the C-A-B model to examine the relationship between the environmental knowledge, environmental sensitivity, destination social responsibility, and environmentally responsible behaviors of volunteer scuba divers, and also explore the moderating effects of first-time and repeat volunteers. In order to achieve these research purposes, this study adopted quantitative research to verify the research structure and proposed hypotheses and prepared a questionnaire with reference to relevant previous studies. A total of 238 Taiwan marine volunteer scuba divers were selected as the subjects through intentional sampling, and the effective questionnaire recovery rate was 92.9%. A structural equation was used to verify the model of environmentally responsible behaviors of volunteer scuba divers, as based on the C-A-B model. This study found that environmental knowledge had a significant impact on destination social responsibility, and destination social responsibility had a significant impact on environmentally responsible behaviors. Destination social responsibility also had the effect of complete mediation on the model. In addition, the first-time and repeat volunteers had a significant mediating effect on the causal relationship between environmental knowledge and environmentally responsible behaviors, as well as between environmental sensitivity and environmentally responsible behaviors. The explanatory power of the overall model on the environmentally responsible behaviors of volunteer scuba divers is 69.0%, and their knowledge, sense of responsibility, experience, and level of involvement can be regarded as the determinants of their environmentally responsible behaviors.
Agent-Based Modeling for Water–Energy–Food Nexus and Its Application in Ningdong Energy and Chemical Base
Authors: Zhu Meilian , Yang Guoli , Jiang Yanan , Wang Xiaojun
Published: July 2023

Water, Energy and Food (WEF) are coordinated and constrained by each other, constituting a multivariate coupled feed-forward dynamical system. Traditional modeling and simulation methods struggle to model and simulate complex interactions in the WEF nexus. Therefore, we proposed and developed an agent-based model, which is one of the most effective tools for simulating complex systems. It also has unique advantages in simulating WEF allocation, which is very helpful in improving regional WEF use efficiency. By taking Ningdong Energy and Chemical Base as the research area, an agent-based water–energy–food model based on MESA library was developed using Python 3.9 language, which includes six types of agents and can explore and simulate the complex dynamic interactions in the supply and demand process of WEF sectors. Different behavior rules were proposed to quantify the interactions between WEF sectors of Ningdong Energy and Chemical Base. Four different scenarios were set up, namely, the baseline scenario, the water conservation scenario, the new reservoir scenario and the integrated scenario, and the uncertain system evolution processes between departments and resources under the four different scenarios were analyzed in detail to quantitatively analyze the evolution of the water–energy–food complex system of Ningdong Energy and Chemical Base, which has proven the effectiveness of the proposed model. The results show that: water allocation, energy consumption and food consumption in the domestic sector have similar degrees of impact, because the natural population growth rate does not change under different scenarios; water allocation in the food sector shows a trend corresponding to changes in crop yields; water allocation in the energy management sector shows an upward trend, the water allocation in the actual years 2016–2020 is almost the same, and in the forecast years 2021–2025, the baseline scenario and the water conservation scenario can’t meet the demand volume of the energy management sector due to limited water sources, so the total allocated water is lower than that in the increased reservoir and comprehensive scenario; the water allocated to ecological sector has a balanced situation, and the annual growth of the ecological greening coverage area is also balanced; the total water allocation also shows a trend of annual growth; regarding the annual energy volume that can be delivered to the area outside the base, the curve first grows sharply with a growth rate of about 19.85%, and then becomes slowly with a growth rate of about 3.53%. The total volume is expected to increase to 4.96 × 107 tce by 2025; the total energy, consumed energy and output energy, in general, shows a growing trend, and with the development of the economy and technology, the total energy of the base will reach 7.96 × 107 tce by 2025.
Sustainability Trends in Humanitarian Architecture Research: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Kwaylih Anwar , Alshawawreh Lara , Pomponi Francesco
Published: July 2023

Despite the increasing need for Post-Disaster and Post-Conflict (PDPC) sheltering, and the rising number of humanitarian architects, there is a vague understanding of how “sustainable” shelters in PDPC situations are being addressed in the literature. Therefore, this paper aims at mapping and analyzing the current status and development trends in research that associates sustainability and shelters in PDPC situations during the past four decades (1982–2022) using a bibliometric analysis. This was fulfilled using VOSviewer to identify and visualize literature development trends, active journals, productive authors, contributing countries, influential institutions, and keyword networks. The findings identified four phases of the development process: no recognition (1982–2002), initiation (2003–2012), rapid growth (2013–2017), and accelerated growth (2018–2022). In terms of publications, the “International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction” and “Sustainability” are the key journals publishing in the field, whereas Gibson and Habert are the most publishing authors. The United States of America was found to be the leading country in the research field, albeit Université de Montréal in Canada was the most active in terms of institutions. The study suggests the promotion of social and economic standards in addition to the environmental while developing sustainable shelter solutions. It also advises shelter professionals from both public and private sectors to improve their collaborations with all related stakeholders.
Rye Production under Acid Soils and Drought Conditions: An Alternative for the Sustainability of High Andean Livestock Farming in Peru
Authors: Carrasco-Chilón William Leoncio , Alvarez-García Wuesley Yusmein , Cervantes Peralta Marieta E. , Quilcate Carlos , Vásquez Hector V.
Published: July 2023

The rye (Secale cereale L.) crop shows a high potential to contribute to the sustainability of high Andean livestock because it supports the agroclimatic conditions and acid soils in the Peruvian Andes. The production of green forage, hay, and grain from the rye crop in acid soils was studied with the use of different levels of phosphorus and potassium fertilization in four local rye ecotypes (CBI-001, CSM-001, CJS-001, and CCE-001). The green forage yield (GFY) ranged from 32.35 to 53.62 t ha−1, dry matter from 6.05 to 8.56 t ha−1, and hay from 7.0 to 10.36 t ha−1; nutritional levels ranged from 9.02% to 13.56% protein and 6.50% to 7.75% ash levels, mainly with differences between ecotypes (p < 0.05). No differences existed between fertilization levels for the number of stems per plant, spikes per plant, and grains per ear (p > 0.05). Also, CBI-001 and CCE-001 were superior with 1868.4 and 1797.8 kg ha−1 of grain, respectively (p = 0.0072); the use of 60 kg ha of nitrogen, 120 kg ha−1 of P2O5, and 80 kg ha−1 of K2O gave higher grain and residue yields. The high nutritional value and yield of the rye ecotypes studied in acid soil conditions and without irrigation can be an alternative for livestock feeding and grain production in the rainy season in the Andes as a dual-purpose crop.
Analysis on the Substitution of Perfluoro-Octane Sulphonates in Foam-Based Extinguishing Agents in China
Authors: Yin Fei , Ren Zhiyuan , Hussain Javid , Tian Zhenrong , Jia Tianqi , Liu Wenbin
Published: July 2023

In this comprehensive study, we examined an extensive array of 1396 production certifications, which encompassed 136 foam-based extinguishing agent manufacturers in China. Our investigation focused on the production, application, and composition of various foam-based extinguishing agents utilized in recent years. Notably, a significant proportion of the domestic market, i.e., 64.1% of the total, consisted of fluorocarbon surfactants devoid of perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS). These manufacturers predominantly operated in the economically thriving eastern coastal region of China. Our research delved into the correlation between diverse parameters of foam-based extinguishing agents and their performance indices. It was observed that foam-based extinguishing agents with resistance to seawater exhibited superior performance to conventional agents in cold environments. Additionally, we synthesized the findings of PFOS-free products, which serve as promising alternatives to foam-based extinguishing agents in China. This study furnishes statistical evidence and establishes a theoretical foundation to facilitate future control measures for PFOS foam-based extinguishing agents, while promoting nationwide research and development of alternative solutions.
MiR-155-5p Elevated by Ochratoxin A Induces Intestinal Fibrosis and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition through TGF-β Regulated Signaling Pathway In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Rhee Kyu Hyun , Yang Seon Ah , Pyo Min Cheol , Lim Jae-Min , Lee Kwang-Won
Published: July 2023

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that induces fibrosis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMT) in kidneys and livers. It enters our bodies through food consumption, where it is absorbed in the intestines. However, the impact of OTA on the intestines is yet to be studied. MicroRNA (miRNAs) are small non-coding single-stranded RNAs that block the transcription of specific mRNAs and are, therefore, involved in many biochemical processes. Our findings indicate that OTA can induce EMT and intestinal fibrosis both in vivo and in vitro. This study examines the impact of OTA on intestinal toxicity and the role of miRNAs in this process. Following OTA treatment, miR-155-5p was the most elevated miRNA by next-generation sequencing. Our research showed that OTA increased miR-155-5p levels through transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), leading to the development of intestinal fibrosis and EMT. Additionally, the study identified that the modulation of TGF-β and miR-155-5p by OTA is linked to the inhibition of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) and Smad2/3 accumulation in the progression of intestinal fibrosis.
Interaction between hTIM-1 and Envelope Protein Is Important for JEV Infection
Authors: Liang Zhenjie , Pan Junhui , Xie Shengda , Yang Xingmiao , Cao Ruibing
Published: July 2023

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne zoonotic virus, is one of the most important causes of human viral encephalitis. JEV relies on various attachment or entry co-factors to enter host cells. Among these co-factors, hTIM-1 has been identified as an attachment factor to promote JEV infection through interacting with phosphatidylserine (PS) on the viral envelope. However, the reasons why JEV prefers to use hTIM-1 over other PS binding receptors are unknown. Here, we demonstrated that hTIM-1 can directly interact with JEV E protein. The interaction between hTIM-1 and JEV relies on specific binding sites, respectively, ND114115 in the hTIM-1 IgV domain and K38 of the E protein. Furthermore, during the early stage of infection, hTIM-1 and JEV are co-internalized into cells and transported into early and late endosomes. Additionally, we found that the hTIM-1 soluble ectodomain protein effectively inhibits JEV infection in vitro. Moreover, hTIM-1-specific antibodies have been shown to downregulate JEV infectivity in cells. Taken together, these findings suggested that hTIM-1 protein directly interacts with JEV E protein and mediates JEV infection, in addition to the PS-TIM-1 interaction.
Improved Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) for the Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Yam mosaic virus
Authors: Festus Ruth O. , Seal Susan E. , Prempeh Ruth , Quain Marian D. , Silva Gonçalo
Published: July 2023

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) productivity is constrained significantly by the lack of a formal seed system. Vegetative propagation, through tuber setts as ‘seed’ yams, encourages the recycling of virus-infected planting materials, contributing to high virus incidence and yield losses. Efforts are ongoing to increase the production of high-quality seed yams in a formal seed system to reduce virus-induced yield losses and enhance the crop’s productivity and food security. Specific and sensitive diagnostic tests are imperative to prevent the multiplication of virus-infected materials contributing to a sustainable seed yam certification system. During routine indexing of yam accessions, discrepancies were observed between the results obtained from the reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test and those from reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); RT-LAMP failed to detect Yam mosaic virus (YMV) in some samples that tested positive by RT-PCR. This prompted the design of a new set of LAMP primers, YMV1-OPT primers. These primers detected as little as 0.1 fg/µL of purified RNA obtained from a YMV-infected plant, a sensitivity equivalent to that obtained with RT-PCR. RT-LAMP using YMV1-OPT primers is recommended for all future virus-indexing of seed yams for YMV, offering a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective approach.