bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural Resource Rents, Institutional Quality, and Environmental Degradation in Resource-Rich Sub-Saharan African Countries
Authors: Sibanda Kin , Garidzirai Rufaro , Mushonga Farai , Gonese Dorcas
Published: January 2023

Environmental degradation concerns are increasing worldwide. Moreover, in sub-Saharan African countries, these concerns are dominant because of an abundance of natural resources and exhaustion of these natural resources that tend to cause carbon emissions. This has created a huge interest among academics in investigating the relationship between natural resources, institutional quality, and environmental degradation. Since the sub-Saharan countries are resource-rich, the current study investigates how the natural resource rents and institutional quality impacted environmental degradation in selected sub-Saharan African countries from 1994 to 2020. Through employing the GMM estimation technique, the findings show that natural rents are positively linked with environmental degradation. This is closely related to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, which stipulates that environmental degradation worsens at the initial stage of the economic development of developing countries. The study has also found that rules and regulations set by governments have not been implemented in a manner that reduces environmental degradation in the region. Worth noting is that the region should collaborate and design its environmental policies in line with the Sustainable Developmental Goals. This is the first step towards environmental sustainability.
Gradient-Based Automatic Exposure Control for Digital Image Correlation
Authors: Chen Jiangping , Tao Weijun
Published: January 2023

Digital image correlation (DIC) is widely used in material experiments such as ores; the quality of a speckle image directly affects the accuracy of the DIC calculation. This study aims to acquire high-quality speckle pattern images and improve the calculation accuracy and stability. A gradient-based image quality metric was selected to evaluate the image quality, and its validity was verified by a rigid body experiment and a numerical experiment. Based on the maximum image quality metric, an automatic exposure control algorithm and the control procedure were proposed to obtain the optimal exposure time. Finally, nine sets of images with different poses and illuminations were captured, and displacement and strain fields were calculated at the fixed exposure time and the optimized exposure time. The results of the rigid-body motion experiment show that the calculated data at the optimized exposure time is smoother and less noisy, and the error is smaller, which verifies the effectiveness of the exposure control procedure and its algorithm and improves the accuracy and stability of DIC calculation.
Financial Literacy, Borrowing Behavior and Rural Households’ Income: Evidence from the Collective Forest Area, China
Authors: Guo Yuanyuan , Liu Can , Liu Hao , Chen Ke , He Dan
Published: January 2023

Since the introduction of a series of collective forest tenure reforms in China, diverse forestland mortgage financial products have been available even in rural areas. It is difficult for rural households to make appropriate financial decisions in order to increase their income due to a lack of financial knowledge and relevant skills. It is important to analyze the relationship between financial literacy, borrowing behavior, and rural household income. Based on the learning-by-doing theory, the credit constraint theory, and the data obtained from the survey of 460 households in five rural countries of Liaoning Province, alternative econometric models were used to estimate the “Financial Literacy-Borrowing Behavior-Household Income” transmission channel. The findings reveal that the financial literacy levels are positively associated with household income and that there is an inverted U relationship between them which is low on both sides and high in the middle. In addition, the financial literacy has a significantly positive effect on the farmers’ credit behavior, which in turn promotes their income growth. The results provide a new perspective on the study and a clear explanation of the role of financial literacy in improving the loan amountsavailable in China’s rural areas. The paper concludes with recommendations for policymakers to prioritize financial education that will promote and support credit constraint reduction in collective forest areas.
Optimal DG Location and Sizing to Minimize Losses and Improve Voltage Profile Using Garra Rufa Optimization
Authors: Chillab Riyadh Kamil , Jaber Aqeel S. , Smida Mouna Ben , Sakly Anis
Published: January 2023

Distributed generation (DG) refers to small generating plants that usually develop green energy and are located close to the load buses. Thus, reducing active as well as reactive power losses, enhancing stability and reliability, and many other benefits arise in the case of a suitable selection in terms of the location and the size of the DGs, especially in smart cities. In this work, a new nature-inspired algorithm called Garra Rufa optimization is selected to determine the optimal DG allocation. The new metaheuristic algorithm stimulates the massage fish activity during finding food using MATLAB software. In addition, three indexes which are apparently powered loss compounds and voltage profile, are considered to estimate the effectiveness of the proposed method. To validate the proposed algorithm, the IEEE 30 and 14 bus standard test systems were employed. Moreover, five cases of DGs number are tested for both standards to provide a set of complex cases. The results significantly show the high performance of the proposed method especially in highly complex cases compared to particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and genetic algorithm (GA). The DG allocation, using the proposed method, reduces the active power losses of the IEEE-14 bus system up to 236.7873%, by assuming 5DGs compared to the active power losses without DG. Furthermore, the GRO increases the maximum voltage stability index of the IEEE-30 bus system by 857% in case of the 4DGs, whereas GA rises the reactive power of 5DGs to benefit the IEEE-14 bus system by 195.1%.
Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation on Open Innovation of Military-Civilian Integration Enterprises in China: The Mediating Effect of Organization Legitimacy
Authors: Jing Hao , Qu Guimin , Qi Ning
Published: January 2023

Most research on open innovation focuses on innovation performance. However, few people have explored the driving factor of open innovation. This study is based on the entrepreneurial perspective, combined with the new institutional theory, taking 243 A-share listed military-civilian integration companies in China from 2016–2020. A multiple linear regression method is used to discuss the influence of entrepreneurial orientation on the open innovation of military-civilian integration enterprises, and the mediating role of organizational legitimacy. The empirical research results show that: entrepreneurial orientation positively influences the open innovation of military-civilian integration enterprises; political relevance plays a mediating role in the influence of entrepreneurial orientation on open innovation; compared with the military-to-civilian enterprises, political relevance is more important to the civilian-to-military enterprises. The research findings can not only enrich the open innovation theory but also have an important guiding significance for the military-civilian integration technology innovation in China.
State-of-the-Art Review on Permanent Deformation Characterization of Asphalt Concrete Pavements
Authors: Joumblat Rouba , Al Basiouni Al Masri Zaher , Al Khateeb Ghazi , Elkordi Adel , El Tallis Abdel Rahman , Absi Joseph
Published: January 2023

Rutting is one of the significant distresses in flexible pavements. Examining the methods to decrease permanent deformation is of considerable importance to provide long service life and safe highways. The main objective of this paper is to undertake a state-of-the-art review to combine the existing work on the permanent deformation of asphalt concrete pavements. For this purpose, the review synthesizes the evolution of the permanent deformation models, the tests methods used to evaluate and quantify the rutting potential of asphalt mixtures with a particular focus provided on the stress sweep rutting test which is gaining popularity as it tackles the shortcomings of its predecessor for the exact characterization and prediction of permanent deformation. Additionally, some advanced computational intelligence methodologies such as finite element model and soft computing are reviewed. Furthermore, the most common permanent deformation solutions are reviewed. It was found that efforts are put towards improving either the rheological properties of base asphalt by using modifiers or asphalt mixture by using selected aggregates to enhance the aggregate interlock and by implementing semi-flexible asphalt pavements which is expected to be a promising method against permanent deformation. This state-of-the-art work is expected to supply a comprehensive perception of the available models, rutting test, and solutions, and to suggest future studying areas related to the rutting of asphalt pavements.
Climate Change Education and Preparedness of Future Teachers—A Review: The Case of Greece
Authors: Moshou Hara , Drinia Hara
Published: January 2023

Climate change is a global issue with implications at many levels. Mitigation and adaptation to its growing impacts are of paramount importance for human livelihoods. Shaping beliefs, attitudes, and values is important in this respect. This shaping takes place mainly during the sensitive childhood years, so the orientation in primary education is particularly targeted. Our overall goal is to lay the foundations for a decent education on climate change that can lead to the desired results. On this basis, the first thing to be considered is the information that will be provided to students by their teachers. The beliefs that are held by primary school teachers in relation to climate change are an important issue for the proper performance of their work. Previous surveys of teachers have had disappointing results. In this paper, an attempt is made to review the research that has been conducted in relation to the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of future primary school teachers (either during their studies or during their internship and pre-service training). Emphasis is placed on the case of Greece. Our aim is to highlight the existing research in Greece, by comparing and contrasting data from other countries. Climate change is a very complex issue, and addressing it requires clearly defined actions. Is it possible to achieve the result we need by adding another competence to the already complex role of the teacher? As this review reveals, the little research on the readiness of future teachers suggests that they are not qualified to teach about climate change. It remains to be investigated whether it would be preferable to entrust this responsibility to individuals who have a fuller and more comprehensive understanding and education towards the issue of climate change.
Sustainable Cultural Innovation Practice: Heritage Education in Universities and Creative Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage Craft
Authors: Yan Wen-Jie , Li Ke-Run
Published: January 2023

The scientific management and protection of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) cannot be separated from continuous innovation and the public’s active participation. The evolution of the value of local cultural heritage can help prevent the loss of valuable cultural identity and cultural heritage. This study is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the innovative practice of heritage education in colleges and universities is explored through the case studies of “She costumes culture” and “Quanzhou traditional embroidery skills”. In the second stage, a questionnaire survey on creative products and activities of technical, intangible cultural heritage is conducted. SPSS and AMOS are used for statistical analysis of the questionnaire results, and a total of 26 indicators are obtained, as well as six dimensions: heritage education, the local value of heritage, cultural participation, cultural identity, cultural and tourism integration, and cultural reflection. Among these are a covariant relationship between cultural tourism integration and heritage education, which shows that they play an equally significant role. Sustainable ICH education requires the government and local communities to make corresponding adjustments upon clarifying their own roles and functions in preserving cultural heritage. Ultimately, practical innovation in ICH requires more citizens to change their inherited cultural values. In particular, inheritors achieve sustainable protection of ICH through self-management.
Architectural Design Strategies for Enhancement of Thermal and Energy Performance of PCMs-Embedded Envelope System for an Office Building in a Typical Arid Saharan Climate
Authors: Sarri Abdelkader , Al-Saadi Saleh Nasser , Arıcı Müslüm , Bechki Djamel , Bouguettaia Hamza
Published: January 2023

The literature showed many studies that evaluated single or multiple Phase change materials (PCMs) layers in passive, active, or in hybrid configurations for building applications. However, little attention has been given to evaluating the energy performance of buildings when PCMs are used together with other passive design strategies. In this work, the energy performance of an office building in a typical arid Saharan climate is simulated using EnergyPlus when a PCMs-embedded envelope is implemented. The office building was analyzed without/with PCMs using various thicknesses. Results indicated that the annual electrical energy for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) could be reduced between 3.54% and 6.18%, depending on the PCM thickness. The performance of the office building, including PCMs, was then simulated using two practical architectural design strategies, namely windows-to-wall ratio (WWR) and rezoning of the interior spaces. Outcomes revealed that the annual energy consumption for HVAC can be reduced from 10% to 15.5% and from 6.1% and 8.54% when WWR is reduced by half to three-quarters, and the perimeter zones are enlarged by one-third to two-thirds of the original space area, respectively. By combining both architectural design strategies and PCM, the annual electrical HVAC energy can be reduced between 12.08% and 15.69%, depending on the design configuration and PCM thickness. This design option provides additional benefits also since it reduces the vulnerability of increasing the lighting and fuel gas heating energy because more perimeter zones are exposed to daylighting and solar radiation, respectively.
Joint Estimation of Adsorptive Contaminant Source and Hydraulic Conductivity Using an Iterative Local Updating Ensemble Smoother with Geometric Inflation Selection
Authors: Xia Xuemin , Li Xiang , Sun Yue , Cheng Guoqiang
Published: January 2023

The joint estimation of groundwater contaminant source characteristics and hydraulic conductivity is of great significance for reactive contaminant transport models in heterogeneous subsurface media. The accurate determination of the sorption parameters of such contaminants is also a key prerequisite for estimating the parameters of the groundwater system. In this study, to investigate the impact of the sorption parameter field on the accuracy of hydraulic conductivity and source characteristics estimation, numerical experiments were conducted in a synthetic aquifer considering the contaminant sorption process in groundwater models with varying sorption parameter settings. Iterative local updating ensemble smoother with geometric inflation selection (ILUES-GEO) was employed to assimilate hydraulic head and contaminant concentration data to jointly estimate the contaminant source information and hydraulic conductivity in a heterogeneous aquifer. The results indicated that the ILUES-GEO successfully recovers contaminant source information simultaneously with hydraulic conductivity, and its performance improves as more accurate sorption parameters are introduced. Furthermore, the influence of the ILUES algorithm parameters and ensemble size is investigated to improve the estimation accuracy. Additionally, the characterization of contaminant sources and hydraulic conductivity fields is influenced by the number and locations of measurements. This study can help to understand the significance of sorption parameter setting for the joint estimation of reactive contaminant source and hydraulic parameters.
The Impact of Formal Agricultural Credit on Farm Productivity and Its Utilization in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Authors: Chaiya Chitralada , Sikandar Sikandar , Pinthong Pichate , Saqib Shahab E. , Ali Niaz
Published: January 2023

Agricultural mechanization and the use of mixed inputs ensure higher productivity. In this regard, the Government of Pakistan has executed an approach for the provision of agricultural credit to smallholders for improving agricultural production. However, many issues are involved in the extent, utilization and impacts of credit. This study aims to explore the impact of credit, its utilization, misuse and factors determining the extent of agricultural credit in Pakistan. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed to collect data from 316 farmers in Mardan District. The study was analyzed through statistical tools such as a paired t-test, ANOVA and multiple regressions. Results showed that agricultural credit enhanced crops’ production. However, according to percentage use, misuse of the credit was more common than its proper utilization. Farmers utilized credit for land preparation, fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and daily labor. They misused agricultural credit for healthcare, education of children, domestic needs and business. Results of the regression model showed that farmers’ age, experience, farm size, farm income, farm labor and land ownership were determinants of the extent of agricultural credit. Policy measures should be taken to stop the misuse of agricultural credit to achieve the target set for agricultural productivity.
Optimal Modeling and Feasibility Analysis of Grid-Interfaced Solar PV/Wind/Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Based Hybrid System
Authors: Amoussou Isaac , Tanyi Emmanuel , Ali Ahmed , Agajie Takele Ferede , Khan Baseem , Ballester Julien Brito , Nsanyuy Wirnkar Basil
Published: January 2023

Access to inexpensive, clean energy is a key factor in a country’s ability to grow sustainably The production of electricity using fossil fuels contributes significantly to global warming and is becoming less and less profitable nowadays. This work therefore proposes to study the different possible scenarios for the replacement of light fuel oil (LFO) thermal power plants connected to the electrical network in northern Cameroon by renewable energy plants. Several scenarios such as the combination of solar photovoltaic (PV) with a pumped hydro storage system (PHSS), Wind and PHSS and PV-Wind-PHSS have been studied. The selected scenarios are evaluated based on two factors such as the system’s total cost (TC) and the loss of load probability (LOLP). To achieve the results, metaheuristics such the non-dominated sorting whale optimization algorithm (NSWOA) and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) have been applied under MATLAB software. The optimal sizing of the components was done using hourly meteorological data and the hourly power generated by the thermal power plants connected to the electrical grid. Both algorithms provided satisfactory results. However, the total cost in the PV-PHSS, Wind-PHSS, and PV-Wind-PHSS scenarios with NSWOA is, respectively, 1%, 6%, and 0.2% lower than with NSGA-II. According to NSWOA results, the total cost for the PV-Wind-PHSS scenario at LOLP 0% is 4.6% and 17% less than the Wind-PHS and PV-PHSS scenarios, respectively. The profitability study of all three scenarios showed that the project is profitable regardless of the scenario considered.
Determining Factors Affecting Passenger Satisfaction of “Jeepney” in the Philippine Urban Areas: The Role of Service Quality in Sustainable Urban Transportation System
Authors: Ong Ardvin Kester S. , Prasetyo Yogi Tri , Estefanio Andrei , Tan Ayen Sienna , Videña Jedrek Charles , Villanueva Renz Albert , Chuenyindee Thanatorn , Thana Kriengkrai , Persada Satria Fadil , Nadlifatin Reny
Published: January 2023

Jeepneys are the most accessible and affordable public transportation in urban areas of the Philippines. The goal of this research was to explore passenger satisfaction with the overall service quality of a jeepney. A total of 600 jeepney passengers voluntarily answered an online questionnaire consisting of 59 questions. Different factors such as Passenger Expectation, Cleanliness and Comfort, Ambiance, Safety, Driver Behavior, Service Adequacy, Route Efficiency, Information Materials, Value for Money, Passenger Satisfaction, and Future Intentions were examined simultaneously by utilizing the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. SEM indicated that safety was found to have the highest effect on passenger satisfaction, followed by the driver’s behavior, value for money, service adequacy, and information materials. This is the first complete study that explores passenger satisfaction with the overall service quality of jeepneys. The findings of this study can be utilized by the government and jeepney operators to enhance the overall service quality by focusing on safety and the behavior of drivers. This would result in increased passenger satisfaction and, consequently, a positive intention on using the mode of transportation.
A Novel Multi-Agent Model-Free Adaptive Control Algorithm for a Class of Multivehicle Systems with Constraints
Authors: Wu Lipu , Li Zhen , Liu Shida , Li Zhijun , Sun Dehui
Published: January 2023

To solve the problem of longitudinal cooperative formation driving control of multiple vehicles, a model-free adaptive control algorithm with constraints (cMFAC) is proposed in this paper. In the cMFAC algorithm, a dynamic linearization technique with a time-varying parameter pseudo-gradient (PG) is used to linearize the multivehicle collaborative system. Then, a cMFAC controller is designed. The algorithm sets the input and output constraints at the same time to prevent the vehicle speed and other parameters from exceeding the specified range. The main advantage of the cMFAC algorithm is that the entire control process only needs the input and output data of each vehicle and can effectively handle the input and output constraints. In addition, the stability of the cMFAC method is verified through strict mathematical analysis, and its effectiveness is verified with semi-physical experiments based on a MATLAB/Simulink module and CarSim platform connection environment. It is worth noting that the proposed cMFAC controller is symmetric because the input cost function and PG cost function have symmetric and similar structures, and the forms of the two cost functions are the same.
Guest Editorial: Special Issue “Axisymmetry in Mechanical Engineering”
Authors: Willert Emanuel
Published: January 2023

Axisymmetric (or almost axisymmetric) systems are ever-present in mechanical engineering [...]
A Novel Phishing Website Detection Model Based on LightGBM and Domain Name Features
Authors: Zhou Jingxian , Cui Haibin , Li Xina , Yang Wenjin , Wu Xi
Published: January 2023

Phishing attacks have evolved in terms of sophistication and have increased in sheer number in recent years. This has led to corresponding developments in the methods used to evade the detection of phishing attacks, which pose daunting challenges to the privacy and security of the users of smart systems. This study uses LightGBM and features of the domain name to propose a machine-learning-based method to identify phishing websites and maintain the security of smart systems. Domain name features, often known as symmetry, are the property wherein multiple domain-name-generation algorithms remain constant. The proposed model of detection is first used to extract features of the domain name of the given website, including character-level features and information on the domain name. The features are filtered to improve the model’s accuracy and are subsequently used for classification. The results of experimental comparisons showed that the proposed model of detection, which integrates two types of features for training, significantly outperforms the model that uses a single type of feature. The proposed method also has a higher detection accuracy than other methods and is suitable for the real-time detection of many phishing websites.
DOA Estimation of Indoor Sound Sources Based on Spherical Harmonic Domain Beam-Space MUSIC
Authors: Weng Liuqing , Song Xiyu , Liu Zhenghong , Liu Xiaojuan , Zhou Haocheng , Qiu Hongbing , Wang Mei
Published: January 2023

The Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm has become one of the most popular algorithms for estimating the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of multiple sources due to its simplicity and ease of implementation. Spherical microphone arrays can capture more sound field information than planar arrays. The collected multichannel speech signals can be transformed from the space domain to the spherical harmonic domain (SHD) for processing through spherical modal decomposition. The spherical harmonic domain MUSIC (SHD-MUSIC) algorithm reduces the dimensionality of the covariance matrix and achieves better DOA estimation performance than the conventional MUSIC algorithm. However, the SHD-MUSIC algorithm is prone to failure in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), high reverberation time (RT), and other multi-source environments. To address these challenges, we propose a novel joint spherical harmonic domain beam-space MUSIC (SHD-BMUSIC) algorithm in this paper. The advantage of decoupling the signal frequency and angle information in the SHD is exploited to improve the anti-reverberation property of the DOA estimation. In the SHD, the broadband beamforming matrix converts the SHD sound pressure to the beam domain output. Beamforming enhances the incoming signal in the desired direction and reduces the SNR threshold as well as the dimension of the signal covariance matrix. In addition, the 3D beam of the spherical array has rotational symmetry and its beam steering is decoupled from the beam shape. Therefore, the broadband beamforming constructed in this paper allows for the arbitrary adjustment of beam steering without the need to redesign the beam shape. Both simulation experiments and practical tests are conducted to verify that the proposed SHD-BMUSIC algorithm has a more robust adjacent source discrimination capability than the SHD-MUSIC algorithm.
Generic Behavior of Electromagnetic Fields of Regular Rotating Electrically Charged Compact Objects in Nonlinear Electrodynamics Minimally Coupled to Gravity
Authors: Dymnikova Irina , Galaktionov Evgeny
Published: January 2023

Regular rotating electrically charged compact objects are described by nonlinear electrodynamics minimally coupled to gravity in a self-consistent way and without additional assumptions on the relation between the electromagnetic field and gravity. The electromagnetic fields obey the system of four source-free nonlinear equations for the electromagnetic tensor Fμν, with only two independent components due to spacetime symmetry determined by the algebraic structure of electromagnetic stress–energy tensors (pr=−ρ). In this paper, we present, for an arbitrary gauge-invariant Lagrangian, the general regular solution and generic behavior of electromagnetic fields, including the generic features of the Lagrange dynamics, for regular rotating electrically charged black holes and electromagnetic spinning solitons.
Cryptanalysis of Reversible Data Hiding in Encrypted Images Based on the VQ Attack
Authors: Gao Kai , Chang Chin-Chen , Lin Chia-Chen
Published: January 2023

Reversible data hiding in encrypted images (RDHEI) is commonly used for privacy protection in images stored on cloud storage. Currently, block permutation and co-modulation (BPCM) encryption is commonly utilized in most existing RDHEI schemes to generate encrypted images. In this paper, we analyze the vulnerabilities of RDHEI based on BPCM encryption and then propose a cryptanalysis method based on the vector quantization (VQ) attack. Unlike the existing cryptanalysis method, our method does not require the help of a plaintext image instead of adopting the symmetric property between the original cover image and the encrypted cover image. To obtain the pixel-changing pattern of a block before and after co-modulation, the concept of a pixel difference block (PDB) is first defined. Then, the VQ technique is used to estimate the content of the ciphertext block. Finally, we propose a sequence recovery method to help obtain the final recovered image based on the premise that the generator is compromised. The experimental results demonstrate that when the block size is 4 × 4, our proposed cryptanalysis method can decrypt the contents of the ciphertext image well. The average similarity can exceed 75% when comparing the edge information of the estimated image and the original image. It is concluded from our study that the BPCM encryption algorithm is not robust enough.
Human-in-Loop: A Review of Smart Manufacturing Deployments
Authors: Bhattacharya Mangolika , Penica Mihai , O’Connell Eoin , Southern Mark , Hayes Martin
Published: January 2023

The recent increase in computational capability has led to an unprecedented increase in the range of new applications where machine learning can be used in real time. Notwithstanding the range of use cases where automation is now feasible, humans are likely to retain a critical role in the operation and certification of manufacturing systems for the foreseeable future. This paper presents a use case review of how human operators affect the performance of cyber–physical systems within a ’smart’ or ’cognitive’ setting. Such applications are classified using Industry 4.0 (I4.0) or 5.0 (I5.0) terminology. The authors argue that, as there is often no general agreement as to when a specific use case moves from being an I4.0 to an I5.0 example, the use of a hybrid Industry X.0 notation at the intersection between I4.0 and I5.0 is warranted. Through a structured review of the literature, the focus is on how secure human-mediated autonomous production can be performed most effectively to augment and optimise machine operation.
Wall Insulation Materials in Different Climate Zones: A Review on Challenges and Opportunities of Available Alternatives
Authors: Dong Yitong , Kong Jiashu , Mousavi Seyedmostafa , Rismanchi Behzad , Yap Pow-Seng
Published: January 2023

Buildings account for nearly one-third of overall energy consumption in today’s world energy status, in which a considerable part is used for indoor conditioning. Energy efficiency enhancement of buildings components and technologies is a key priority, given the essential need for carbon neutrality and climate change mitigation around the world. Exterior wall insulation is considered as the most effective technology for protecting buildings against continual ambient fluctuations. Proper design and implementation of wall insulation would lead to performance enhancement, energy conservation as well as improved thermal comfort. They can also protect building structures against corrosion and heat fatigue, extending the life of buildings. There are many different types of thermal insulation materials currently on the market, each with its own set of thermal qualities and functionality. This paper aims to examine the qualities, benefits, and drawbacks of several exterior wall insulation technologies, and provide recommendations for how to use various forms of exterior wall insulation in different climates.
Assessment of the Cytotoxicity, Mutagenicity, and Genotoxicity of Two Traditional Chinese Herbs: Aristolochia baetica and Magnolia officinalis
Authors: Poivre Mélanie , Antoine Marie-Hélène , Kryshen Kirill , Atsapkina Anastasia , Shikov Alexander N. , Twyffels Laure , Nachtergael Amandine , Duez Pierre , Nortier Joëlle
Published: January 2023

Herbal remedies used in traditional medicine often contain several compounds combined in order to potentiate their own intrinsic properties. However, herbs can sometimes cause serious health troubles. In Belgium, patients who developed severe aristolochic acid nephropathy ingested slimming pills containing root extracts of an Aristolochia species, as well as the bark of Magnolia officinalis. The goal of the study was to evaluate, on a human renal cell line, Aristolochia and Magnolia extracts for their cytotoxicity by a resazurin cell viability assay, and their genotoxicity by immunodetection and quantification of the phosphorylated histone γ-H2AX. The present study also sought to assess the mutagenicity of these extracts, employing an OECD recognized test, the Ames test, using four Salmonella typhimurium strains with and without a microsomial fraction. Based on our results, it has been demonstrated that the Aristolochia–Magnolia combination (aqueous extracts) was more genotoxic to human kidney cells, and that this combination (aqueous and methanolic extracts) was more cytotoxic to human kidney cells after 24 and 48 h. Interestingly, it has also been shown that the Aristolochia–Magnolia combination (aqueous extracts) was mutagenic with a TA98 Salmonella typhimurium strain in the presence of a microsomial liver S9 fraction. This mutagenic effect appears to be dose-dependent.
The Emerging Role of the Gut Virome in Health and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Challenges, Covariates and a Viral Imbalance
Authors: Jansen Daan , Matthijnssens Jelle
Published: January 2023

Virome research is a rapidly growing area in the microbiome field that is increasingly associated with human diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although substantial progress has been made, major methodological challenges limit our understanding of the virota. In this review, we describe challenges that must be considered to accurately report the virome composition and the current knowledge on the virome in health and IBD. First, the description of the virome shows strong methodological biases related to wetlab (e.g., VLP enrichment) and bioinformatics approaches (viral identification and classification). Second, IBD patients show consistent viral imbalances characterized by a high relative abundance of phages belonging to the Caudovirales and a low relative abundance of phages belonging to the Microviridae. Simultaneously, a sporadic contraction of CrAss-like phages and a potential expansion of the lysogenic potential of the intestinal virome are observed. Finally, despite numerous studies that have conducted diversity analysis, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions due to methodological biases. Overall, we present the many methodological and environmental factors that influence the virome, its current consensus in health and IBD, and a contributing hypothesis called the “positive inflammatory feedback loop” that may play a role in the pathophysiology of IBD.
Enterococcus faecium Bacteriophage vB_EfaH_163, a New Member of the Herelleviridae Family, Reduces the Mortality Associated with an E. faecium vanR Clinical Isolate in a Galleria mellonella Animal Model
Authors: Pradal Inés , Casado Angel , del Rio Beatriz , Rodriguez-Lucas Carlos , Fernandez Maria , Alvarez Miguel A. , Ladero Victor
Published: January 2023

The rise of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria is a major health concern, especially with regard to members of the ESKAPE group, to which vancomycin-resistant (VRE) Enterococcus faecium belongs. Phage therapy has emerged as a novel alternative for the treatment of AMR infections. This, however, relies on the isolation and characterisation of a large collection of phages. This work describes the exploration of human faeces as a source of new E. faecium-infecting phages. Phage vB_EfaH_163 was isolated and characterised at the microbiological, genomic, and functional levels. vB_EfaH_163 phage, a new member of Herelleviridae, subfamily Brockvirinae, has a dsDNA genome of 150,836 bp that does not harbour any virulence factors or antibiotic resistance genes. It infects a wide range of E. faecium strains of different origins, including VRE strains. Interestingly, it can also infect Enterococcus faecalis strains, even some that are linezolid-resistant. Its capacity to control the growth of a clinical VRE isolate was shown in broth culture and in a Galleria mellonella animal model. The discovery and characterisation of vB_EfaH_163 increases the number of phages that might be used therapeutically against AMR bacteria.
Before Direct-Acting Antivirals for Hepatitis C Virus: Evaluation of Core Protein R70Q and L/C91M Substitutions in Chronically Infected Brazilian Patients Unresponsive to IFN and/or RBV
Authors: Campos Letícia Bomfim , de Almeida Nathália Alves Araújo , de Santana Catarina Góis , Barbosa Evorah Nascimento Pereira , Horta Marco Aurelio Pereira , Amendola Pires Márcia , Brandão Mello Carlos Eduardo , de Paula Vanessa Salete , de Barros José Júnior França
Published: January 2023

Although chronic hepatitis C has been effectively treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), the use of conventional therapy with peg-interferon (Peg-IFN) or (predominantly) ribavirin (RBV), remains widespread. R70Q/H and L/C91M amino acid substitutions in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein may modulate responses to IFN and/or RBV, and are associated with cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), insulin resistance, and liver steatosis. We evaluated the R70Q/H and L/C91M substitutions, clinical and epidemiological profiles, and risk factors of Brazilian patients chronically infected with HCV subgenotypes 1a and 1b (HCV-GT1a and HCV-GT1b) unresponsive to IFN and/or RBV therapy. Sequencing and pyrosequencing analyses and sociodemographic and clinical predictive variables were used to assess the relationship between R70Q/H and L/C91M substitutions. Leukocyte counts, ALT levels, and ALT/AST ratios were significantly reduced in treated individuals, but more of these patients had advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. L91M was more prevalent (19.7%), occurring only in HCV-GT1b, followed by R70Q/P (11.5%) and R70P (1.4%). R70Q/P exhibited higher mean AST, ALT, and GGT values, whereas L91M showed higher mean GGT values. Pyrosequencing of the L91M position revealed mutant subpopulations in 43.75% of samples.
Energy Utilization Assessment of Municipal Sewage Sludge Based on SWOT-FAHP Analysis
Authors: Xiang Lu , Li He , Wang Yizhuo , Qu Linyan , Xiao Dandan
Published: January 2023

Recently, due to the abundance of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in municipal sewage sludge (MSS), the energy potential of MSS has become increasingly prominent. Economically developed regions possess more financial and policy support advantages for the development of MSS energy recovery technology; hence, the selection of the appropriate sludge treatment and disposal technologies to maximize the energy potential of MSS is of great importance. In this study, the energy recovery potential of MSS was evaluated on the basis of regional economies, sludge analysis, a main sludge energy reuse technology review and legislative profile analysis. As the most commonly adopted technology, incineration had a lower energy potential, which may be ascribed to the high moisture content, high disposal costs and difficulties in in situ energy recovery. In contrast, the energy potential for anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis and gasification was relatively high. By conducting a SWOT-FAHP analysis, management evaluation of these four technologies was carried out from the following four perspectives: problem solving, technology development, ecological environment and laws and regulations. Pyrolysis was evaluated to be the most suitable technology from the technical and environmental perspectives because its products had high energy potential and avoided heavy metal problems. The obstacles and problems that pyrolysis technology might encounter in commercial applications in the future are discussed. With this energy-generating, low energy consumption, low-pollution sludge energy reuse technology, the potential of sludge pyrolysis would be high in the long run. These results revealed the factors affecting the energy recovery potential of sludge, and comprehensively evaluated the technologies from the aspects of problem solving, environmental impact, technology development and law, the optimal solution obtained could provide reference on the management decision of sludge disposal technology for economically developed areas in the future.
Research on High-Quality Development Evaluation and Regulation Model: A Case Study of the Yellow River Water Supply Area in Henan Province
Authors: Zhang Xiuyu , Zhou Ying , Han Chunhui
Published: January 2023

Unbalanced and inadequate development has led to challenges such as resource shortage, ecological fragility, and economic backwardness in the water-receiving area of Henan Province, which has hindered the high-quality development of the region. This research aims to construct a high-quality development regulation model. The single-indicator quantification–multi-indicator synthesis–multicriteria integration (SMI-P) method was used to evaluate the level of regional development; using the method of embedded system dynamics, the regulation model was constructed and applied. The results show that (1) from 2011 to 2020, the degree of regional high-quality development showed an increasing trend, rising from a low level (0.34) to a medium level (0.57), an increase of one level, but the level of high-quality development still has a lot of room for improvement and faces great challenges; (2) the development of a resource–ecology–economy–social system was in a state of non-harmonious balance, and the proportion of contributions of each system was very different, but the system was developing towards a state of harmony and balance; (3) based on the constructed high-quality development regulation model, the key constraints affecting the high-quality development of the Yellow River water supply area in Henan Province are per capita water consumption, per capita energy consumption, carbon emissions per capita, GDP per capita, etc. The model constructed in this paper can improve the quality development level through the application of examples. The high-quality development degree of the study area was increased from 0.57 to 0.8.
Deep Learning Approach with LSTM for Daily Streamflow Prediction in a Semi-Arid Area: A Case Study of Oum Er-Rbia River Basin, Morocco
Authors: Nifa Karima , Boudhar Abdelghani , Ouatiki Hamza , Elyoussfi Haytam , Bargam Bouchra , Chehbouni Abdelghani
Published: January 2023

Daily hydrological modelling is among the most challenging tasks in water resource management, particularly in terms of streamflow prediction in semi-arid areas. Various methods were applied in order to deal with this complex phenomenon, but recently data-driven models have taken a better space, given their ability to solve prediction problems in time series. In this study, we have employed the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network to simulate the daily streamflow over the Ait Ouchene watershed (AIO) in the Oum Er-Rbia river basin in Morocco, based on a temporal sequence of in situ and remotely sensed hydroclimatic data ranging from 2001 to 2010. The analysis adopted in this work is based on three-dimension input required by the LSTM model (1); the input samples used three splitting approaches: 70% of the dataset as training, splitting the data considering the hydrological year and the cross-validation method; (2) the sequence length; (3) and the input features using two different scenarios. The prediction results demonstrate that the LSTM performs poorly using the default data input scenario, whereas the best results during the testing were found in a sequence length of 30 days using approach 3 (R2 = 0.58). In addition, the LSTM fed with the lagged data input scenario using the Forward Feature Selection (FFS) method provides high performance accuracy using approach 2 (R2 = 0.84) in a sequence length of 20 days. Eventually, in applications related to water resources management where data are limited, the use of the deep learning technique is able to create high predictive accuracy, which can be enhanced with the right combination subset of features by using FFS.
Triggering of Rain-Induced Landslides, with Applications in Southern Italy
Authors: D’Ippolito Antonino , Lupiano Valeria , Rago Valeria , Terranova Oreste G. , Iovine Giulio
Published: January 2023

Landslides cause fatalities, widespread damages and economic losses. Quite frequently, they are triggered by rainfall. Many studies have investigated the relationships between rainfall characteristics and landslide events. This paper reviews the two main approaches, physical and hydrological, for modelling such relationships. In the physical approach, the influence of rainfall on slope stability is commonly analysed in terms of groundwater infiltration, pore pressure changes and balance between shear stresses and resistances, therefore a considerable amount of hydrogeological, morphological and geotechnical data is required. In the hydrological approach, a statistical-probabilistic study of rainfall series and dates of occurrence of slope movements is instead carried out. Both types of methods are briefly presented, with examples from real applications to study cases in Southern Italy. In particular, the recent reactivations of a large rockslide in Northern Calabria have been modelled by means of physical and hydrological approaches. In addition, shallow landslides in Calabria, Campania and Sicily have been modelled by employing hydrological approaches. Strengths and weaknesses of the adopted methods are discussed, together with the causes that may have hindered better results for the considered cases. For the methods illustrated through real application cases, research perspectives are discussed, as well as their possible use in early warning systems.
Regionalizing Streamflow Regime Function through Integrations of Geographical Controls in Mountainous Basins
Authors: Yang Shuang , Gao Mengzhu , Liu Jintao , Wu Pengfei , Yang Yaqian
Published: January 2023

Flow duration curves (FDCs) that represent streamflow regime function through an empirical relationship between the FDC parameters and basin descriptors are widely adopted for hydrologic applications. However, the applications of this method are highly dependent on the availability of observation data. Hence, it is still of great significance to explore the process controls of underpinning regional patterns on streamflow regimes. In this study, we developed a new regionalization method of FDCs to solve the problem of runoff prediction for ungauged mountainous basins. Five empirical equations (power, exponential, logarithmic, quadratic, and cubic) were used to fit the observed FDCs in the 64 mountainous basins in eastern China, and the power model outperforms other models. Stepwise regression was used to explore the differentiated control of 23 basin descriptors on the 13 percentile flows of FDCs, and seven descriptors remained as independent variables for further developing the regional FDCs. Application results with different combinations of these selected descriptors showed that five indices, i.e., average annual rainfall (P), average elevation (H), average gradient (β), average topographic index (TI), and maximum 7d of annual rainfall (Max7d), were the main control factors of FDCs in these areas. Through the regional method, we found that 95.31% of all the basins have NSE values greater than 0.60 and ε (namely the relative mean square error) values less than 20%. In conclusion, our study can guide runoff predictions to help manage booming demands for water resources and hydropower developments in mountainous areas.