bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cryogenic Mechanical Properties and Stability of Polymer Films for Liquid Oxygen Hoses
Authors: Cui Yunguang , Yan Jia , Li Juanzi , Chen Duo , Wang Zhenyu , Yin Wenxuan , Wu Zhanjun
Published: August 2023

To select the appropriate polymer thin films for liquid oxygen composite hoses, the liquid oxygen compatibility and the cryogenic mechanical properties of four fluoropolymer films (PCTFE, ETFE, FEP and PFA) and two non-fluoropolymer films (PET and PI) before and after immersion in liquid oxygen for an extended time were investigated. The results indicated that the four fluoropolymers were compatible with liquid oxygen before and after immersion for 60 days, and the two non-fluoropolymers were not compatible with liquid oxygen. In addition, the cryogenic mechanical properties of these polymer films underwent changes with the immersion time, and the changes in the non-fluoropolymer films were more pronounced. The cryogenic mechanical properties of the two non-fluoropolymer films were always superior to those of the four fluoropolymer films during the immersion. Further analysis indicated that the fundamental reason for these changes in the cryogenic mechanical properties was the variation in the crystalline phase structure caused by the ultra-low temperature, which was not related to the strong oxidizing properties of the liquid oxygen. Analytical results can provide useful guidance on how to select the appropriate material combination to obtain a reasonable liquid oxygen composite hose structure.
Fatigue Behavior of Rotary Friction Welding of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene and Polycarbonate Dissimilar Materials
Authors: Kuo Chil-Chyuan , Gurumurthy Naruboyana , Hunag Song-Hua
Published: August 2023

Understanding the fatigue behaviors of weld joints is significant in engineering practice. Rotary friction welding (RFW) can join the additively manufactured polymer components. Until now, no research has focused on the fatigue behavior of polymer components jointed via RFW. This study investigates the fatigue life of ABS/PC dissimilar components fabricated via RFW and proposes the fatigue mechanism based on the failure structure. This work uses five different cyclic loads and rotational speeds to investigate the fatigue life. The fatigue life of the RFW of ABS/PC dissimilar rods is better compared with the pure ABS and pure PC specimens due to weld and integrity microstructural changes resulting from the combination of ABS and PC materials. The number of cycles until the rupture of RFW of ABS/PC dissimilar components (y) can be determined by the cyclic load (x) according to the prediction equation of y = −838.25x2 − 2035.8x + 67,262. The fatigue life of the RFW of ABS/PC dissimilar components increase with the increased rotational speed. The number of cycles until rupture (y) can be determined by the different rotational speeds (x) according to the prediction equation of y = 315.21x2 + 2710.4x + 32,124.
Ultra-Short-Term Load Forecasting for Customer-Level Integrated Energy Systems Based on Composite VTDS Models
Authors: Lu Tong , Hou Sizu , Xu Yan
Published: August 2023

A method is proposed to address the challenging issue of load prediction in user-level integrated energy systems (IESs) using a composite VTDS model. Firstly, an IES multi-dimensional load time series is decomposed into multiple intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) using variational mode decomposition (VMD). Then, each IMF, along with other influential features, is subjected to data dimensionality reduction and clustering denoising using t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) and fast density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (FDBSCAN) to perform major feature selection. Subsequently, the reduced and denoised data are reconstructed, and a time-aware long short-term memory (T-LSTM) artificial neural network is employed to fill in missing data by incorporating time interval information. Finally, the selected multi-factor load time series is used as input into a support vector regression (SVR) model optimized using the quantum particle swarm optimization (QPSO) algorithm for load prediction. Using measured load data from a specific user-level IES at the Tempe campus of Arizona State University, USA, as a case study, a comparative analysis between the VTDS method and other approaches is conducted. The results demonstrate that the method proposed in this study achieved higher accuracy in short-term forecasting of the IES’s multiple loads.
Capacity Management in Smart Grids Using Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure and Tabu Search
Authors: Serrano Hugo de Oliveira Motta , Reiz Cleberton , Leite Jonatas Boas
Published: August 2023

Over time, distribution systems have progressed from small-scale systems to complex networks, requiring modernization to adapt to these increasing levels of active loads and devices. It is essential to manage the capacity of distribution networks to support all these new technologies. This work, therefore, presents a method for evaluating the impact of optimal allocation and sizing of DGs and load shedding for response demand programs on distribution networks to improve the reliability and financial performance of electric power systems. The proposed optimization tool uses the Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure and Tabu Search algorithms. The combined optimization of DG allocation simultaneously with load shedding, reliability indices, load transference, and the possibility of islanded operation significantly improves the quality of the planning proposals obtained by the developed method. The results demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed method, improving the voltage profile by up to 2.02%, relieving the network capacity, and increasing the load restoration capability and reliability. Statistical analysis is also carried out to highlight the performance of the proposed methodology.
The Roman Catholic Parish in the Face of the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis: A Case Study of St. Joseph Parish in Chorzów, Poland and Holy Spirit Parish in Kátlovce, Slovakia
Authors: Śpiewak Rafał , Widera Wiktor , Jánošová Denisa , Jobczyk Tomasz
Published: August 2023

Russia’s war against Ukraine as a result of the Kremlin’s aggressive policy has caused a number of catastrophic material consequences, but most dramatically, the suffering of the Ukrainian people. Millions of people at risk of death were forced to leave their previous places of residence. In a short space of time, they had to make the crucial decision to leave the war-stricken country without the prospect of an exact return date. They were accompanied not only by the uncertainty of finding a safe and friendly place to survive but also by the fear of whether they would have anything to return to in the future. From the first days of the war, huge migrations began inside and outside Ukraine. This dramatic situation of an unprecedented wave of refugees in 21st-century Europe has mobilized societies and governments in many countries to provide unprecedented assistance to the citizens of Ukraine. The largest number of refugees reached Poland. In addition, a significant number went to Slovakia. This article, the result of a collaboration between Polish and Slovakian researchers, attempts to illustrate the response of Catholic Church parishioners to the influx of refugees from Ukraine using the example of the St. Joseph parish in Chorzów and the Holy Spirit parish in Kátlovce, Slovakia. The parishioners communities undertook charitable activities, and an informal aid group was immediately organized in the Polish parish. The aim of the research process carried out was, on the one hand, to identify the forms of aid implemented, its scope, and the difficulties encountered, and, on the other hand, to try to grasp the motives for involvement in helping refugees. An important aspect of the research was to verify the reactions of the parishioners in the context of the guidelines of the social teaching of the Church, especially the teaching of Pope Francis on helping migrants and refugees.
Design of a Digital Array Signal Processing System with Full Array Element
Authors: Xiao Guoyao , Quan Yinghui , Sun Zongzheng , Wen Bo , Liao Guisheng
Published: August 2023

For the application of a digital array signal processing system with a high sampling rate and large bandwidth, and considering the constraints of limited resources (performance, volume, power consumption, weight, etc.), this paper proposes a design and implementation method of broadband digital array signal processing system based on radio frequency system on a chip. The system focuses on multi-channel synchronization under a high sampling rate and multi-channel amplitude and phase calibration under large bandwidth to form an all-digital, low-power, multi-channel, high-speed, large bandwidth hardware platform suitable for broadband digital array signal processing. Through the implementation of the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output phased-array digital beamforming algorithm, the test conducted verifies that the system has superior signal processing performance of the broadband digital array.
The Study of the Bistatic Cross-Correlation Function of Two Signals Separated in Frequency Reflected by the Water Surface
Authors: Titchenko Yury , Guo Jie , Karaev Vladimir , Kovaldov Dmitry , He Yijun
Published: August 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze the applicability conditions for the significant wave height (SWH) measurement approach based on measuring the cross-correlation function of two signals with similar frequencies reflected by the sea surface in the bistatic problem statement (the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna are separated in space). When implementing this approach, the modulus of the normalized cross-correlation function for several pairs of signals with different frequency bases will be measured in the experiment. The advantage of this approach over the traditional method for radar altimetry, based on the analysis of the shape of the reflected pulse, is the high accuracy in measuring the SWH for weak waves. In the bistatic formulation of the problem, an important advantage of the approach under study is the possibility of obtaining analytical formulas for solving the direct problem. This paper presents the derivation of a formula for the modulus of the normalized cross-correlation function of reflected signals, which expresses an explicit relationship with the parameters of sea waves and the measurement geometry in the bistatic formulation of the problem. This paper considers the influence on the modulus of the normalized cross-correlation function of the antenna patterns of the transmitting and receiving antennas, the distances to the sea surface, the wave slope variances, the SWH and the frequency base of the transmitted signals. The optimal variants of the measurement scheme are discussed. The results and conclusions obtained can be easily expanded to underwater acoustic sounding.
A Machine Learning Algorithm to Detect and Analyze Meteor Echoes Observed by the Jicamarca Radar
Authors: Li Yanlin , Galindo Freddy , Urbina Julio , Zhou Qihou , Huang Tai-Yin
Published: August 2023

We present a machine-learning approach to detect and analyze meteor echoes (MADAME), which is a radar data processing workflow featuring advanced machine-learning techniques using both supervised and unsupervised learning. Our results demonstrate that YOLOv4, a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based one-stage object detection model, performs remarkably well in detecting and identifying meteor head and trail echoes within processed radar signals. The detector can identify more than 80 echoes per minute in the testing data obtained from the Jicamarca high power large aperture (HPLA) radar. MADAME is also capable of autonomously processing data in an interferometer mode, as well as determining the target’s radiant source and vector velocity. In the testing data, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower could be clearly identified from the meteor radiant source distribution analyzed automatically by MADAME, thereby demonstrating the proposed algorithm’s functionality. In addition, MADAME found that about 50 percent of the meteors were traveling in inclined and near-inclined circular orbits. Furthermore, meteor head echoes with a trail are more likely to originate from shower meteor sources. Our results highlight the capability of advanced machine-learning techniques in radar signal processing, providing an efficient and powerful tool to facilitate future and new meteor research.
The Extended H∞ Particle Filter for Attitude Estimation Applied to Remote Sensing Satellite CBERS-4
Authors: Silva William Reis , Garcia Roberta Veloso , Pardal Paula C. P. M. , Kuga Hélio Koiti , Zanardi Maria Cecília F. P. S. , Baroni Leandro
Published: August 2023

An extension of the linear H∞ filter, presented here as the extended H∞ particle filter (EH∞PF), is used in this work for attitude estimation, which presents a process and measurement model with nonlinear functions. The simulations implemented use orbit and attitude data from CBERS-4 (China–Brazil Earth Resources Satellite-4), making use of the robustness characteristics of the H∞ filter. The CBERS-4 is the fifth satellite of an advantageous international scientific interaction between Brazil and China for the development of remote sensing satellites used for strategic application in monitoring water resources and controlling deforestation in the Legal Amazon. In the extended H∞ particle filter (EH∞PF) the nature of the system, composed of dynamics and noises, seeks to degrade the state estimate. The EH∞PF deals with this by aiming for robustness, using a performance parameter in its cost function, in addition to presenting an advantageous feature of using a reduced number of particles for state estimation. The justification for the application of this method is because the non-Gaussian uncertainties that appear in the attitude sensors impair the estimation process and the EH∞PF minimizes in signal estimation the worst effects of disturbance signals without a priori knowledge of them, as shown in the results, in addition to presenting good precision within the prescribed requirements, with 100 particles representing a processing time 2.09 times less than the PF with 500 particles.
How Do the Start Date, End Date, and Frequency of Precipitation Change across China under Warming?
Authors: Zhao Na , Chen Kainan
Published: August 2023

Variations in precipitation have a great influence on human society and the natural environment. Existing studies have provided substantial information regarding variations in the magnitude, frequency, and intensity of precipitation. However, little is known about how the start and end dates of precipitation change, which could offer crucial insights for related studies in agriculture, hydrology, and other related disciplines. Here, we present an analysis of variations in the start date, end date, and frequency of different precipitation intensities, using a widely used gauge-satellite-reanalysis-based merging product, during the latest period, 1980–2022, across China. The results show that the spatial–temporal variations in the start date, end date, and frequency of different precipitation intensities were complex among regions. For example, in northeast and northwest China, light precipitation (LP) started earlier and increased in frequency during the study period. In the Tibetan Plateau, precipitation at different intensities levels started earlier, heavy precipitation (HP) and violent precipitation ended earlier, and the frequency of LP and moderate precipitation increased significantly. The start date of HP shifted earlier in Southeast China (−0.28 days/year). Our findings could be helpful in providing a comprehensive understanding of precipitation changes under global warming and highlight the need to pay close attention to these precipitation changes in the future.
Time-Lapse 3D CSEM for Reservoir Monitoring Based on Rock Physics Simulation of the Wisting Oil Field Offshore Norway
Authors: Ettayebi Mohammed , Wang Shunguo , Landrø Martin
Published: August 2023

The marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) method has been used in different applications, such as oil and gas reservoir exploration, groundwater investigation, seawater intrusion studies and deep-sea mineral exploration. Recently, the utilization of the marine CSEM method has shifted from petroleum exploration to active monitoring due to increased environmental concerns related to hydrocarbon production. In this study, we utilize the various dynamic reservoir properties available through reservoir simulation of the Wisting field in the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea. In detail, we first developed geologically consistent rock physics models corresponding to reservoirs at different production phases, and then transformed them into resistivity models. The constructed resistivity models pertaining to different production phases can be used as input models for a finite difference time domain (FDTD) forward modeling workflow to simulate EM responses. This synthetic CSEM data can be studied and analyzed in the light of production-induced changes in the reservoir at different production phases. Our results demonstrate the ability of CSEM data to detect and capture production-induced changes in the fluid content of a producing hydrocarbon reservoir. The anomalous CSEM responses correlating to the reservoir resistivity change increase with the advance of the production phase, and a similar result is shown in anomalous transverse resistance (ATR) maps derived from the constructed resistivity models. Moreover, the responses at 30 Hz with a 3000 m offset resulted in the most pronounced anomalies at the Wisting reservoir. Hence, the method can effectively be used for production-monitoring purposes.
Machine Learning for Human Motion Intention Detection
Authors: Lin Jun-Ji , Hsu Che-Kang , Hsu Wei-Li , Tsao Tsu-Chin , Wang Fu-Cheng , Yen Jia-Yush
Published: August 2023

The gait pattern of exoskeleton control conflicting with the human operator’s (the pilot) intention may cause awkward maneuvering or even injury. Therefore, it has been the focus of many studies to help decide the proper gait operation. However, the timing for the recognization plays a crucial role in the operation. The delayed detection of the pilot’s intent can be equally undesirable to the exoskeleton operation. Instead of recognizing the motion, this study examines the possibility of identifying the transition between gaits to achieve in-time detection. This study used the data from IMU sensors for future mobile applications. Furthermore, we tested using two machine learning networks: a linearfFeedforward neural network and a long short-term memory network. The gait data are from five subjects for training and testing. The study results show that: 1. The network can successfully separate the transition period from the motion periods. 2. The detection of gait change from walking to sitting can be as fast as 0.17 s, which is adequate for future control applications. However, detecting the transition from standing to walking can take as long as 1.2 s. 3. This study also find that the network trained for one person can also detect movement changes for different persons without deteriorating the performance.
Machine Learning-Based Human Posture Identification from Point Cloud Data Acquisitioned by FMCW Millimetre-Wave Radar
Authors: Zhang Guangcheng , Li Shenchen , Zhang Kai , Lin Yueh-Jaw
Published: August 2023

Human posture recognition technology is widely used in the fields of healthcare, human-computer interaction, and sports. The use of a Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) millimetre-wave (MMW) radar sensor in measuring human posture characteristics data is of great significance because of its robust and strong recognition capabilities. This paper demonstrates how human posture characteristics data are measured, classified, and identified using FMCW techniques. First of all, the characteristics data of human posture is measured with the MMW radar sensors. Secondly, the point cloud data for human posture is generated, considering both the dynamic and static features of the reflected signal from the human body, which not only greatly reduces the environmental noise but also strengthens the reflection of the detected target. Lastly, six different machine learning models are applied for posture classification based on the generated point cloud data. To comparatively evaluate the proper model for point cloud data classification procedure—in addition to using the traditional index—the Kappa index was introduced to eliminate the effect due to the uncontrollable imbalance of the sampling data. These results support our conclusion that among the six machine learning algorithms implemented in this paper, the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) method is regarded as the most promising classifier.
The Impact of Family Complexity on the Risk of Developmental Delay and Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Early Childhood
Authors: Monostori Judit , Szabó Laura , Kopcsó Krisztina
Published: August 2023

The aim of this research is to examine how developmental progress and socio-emotional difficulties in early childhood are influenced by family complexity, and how socioeconomic status (SES) and interparental conflict influence these effects. To measure family complexity, full biological families, two-biological-parent families with half- and/or step-siblings, step-parent families, and single-parent families were separated. Dependent variables include the risk of developmental delay (based on ASQ-3) and socio-emotional difficulties (based on SDQ) at age 3. The data come from four waves of the Cohort ’18 Growing Up in Hungary longitudinal birth cohort study (n = 5788). Based on the results, children in all non-intact family types have a higher risk of developmental delay than do children from full biological families, when controlled only for the basic socio-demographic characteristics of children and mothers. However, controlling for family SES or interparental conflict as well, only children raised by a step-parent have a higher risk. Considering socio-emotional difficulties, children living with their biological parents but also with half- or step-siblings, or in a single-parent family, were at higher risk, even adjusted for interparental conflict. After controlling for family SES, however, only children in single-parent families have a higher risk. Parental conflict and low family SES have significant negative effects on both child outcomes, even in intact families, and together these seem to explain the adverse effect of non-intact family types. To conclude, children’s outcomes in the early years depend not only on whether they live with both their biological parents, but also on whether they are raised with half- and/or step-siblings or by a step-parent. That said, in many cases the negative impacts are due to selection effects, i.e., the fact that children of low-status parents are more likely to live in non-intact families.
Statistical Predictors of Project Management Maturity
Authors: Celani de Souza Helder Jose , Salomon Valerio Antonio Pamplona , Sanches da Silva Carlos Eduardo
Published: August 2023

Global scenarios of organizations show investments wasted in projects with poor performances in more than 11 percent of cases, according to the Project Management Institute. This research aims to guide organizations in assertively investing in the right pertinent factors to improve project success rates and speed up project management maturity at a higher accuracy level using statistical predictions. Challenging existing drivers for project management maturity models and expanding their current practical view will be the result of a quantitative methodology based on a survey supported by data collection targeting the project management community in Brazil. The originality and value of this research are in contributing to the development of new project maturity models statistically supported by the increasing rate of maturity accuracy, which can be continually improved by confident data input into the model. The results show a high correlation between the performance measurement system and the project success rate associated with project management maturity. In addition, this research contemplates the relationship between organizational culture, business type, and project management office and project management maturity.
Glyphosate and Roundup® Ready Effects in Hydra viridissima: New Data in an Old Issue
Authors: Venâncio Cátia , Barbosa Cristina , Lopes Isabel
Published: August 2023

Herbicides are used worldwide to protect agricultural crops, glyphosate being among the most frequently applied. In 2019 the European Commission approved the use of this herbicide for another 5 years and is now preparing its re-authorization for marketing. It is known that glyphosate (an active ingredient—AI) is usually less toxic than its commercial formulations, which may be related to adjuvants presents in such formulas. In this context, this work aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of glyphosate, as the commercial formulation Roundup® Ready (RR), and the AI in the Hydra viridissima life cycle, namely: mortality, morphology, feeding, reproduction, and regeneration. To attain this goal, H. viridissima was exposed to an environmentally relevant concentration of glyphosate (5.2 mg AI/L, both for RR and the AI) and to its culture medium (control). The mortality was lower than 0.03% for both RR and AI. Regarding morphological alterations, these were more severe on organisms exposed to RR, while a high recovery capacity in hydras exposed to AI was observed. No hydra was able to completely regenerate its body parts when exposed to RR, while 95% of the organisms exposed to AI were able to regenerate completely. The feeding rates of hydras exposed to RR decreased by from ~20% to ~50% compared to AI. As for reproduction, hydras exposed to RR released ~70% less buds than those exposed to AI. These timely results suggest that adjuvants present in the commercial formulation of glyphosate may cause higher toxicity to biota than the AI at environmentally relevant concentrations. Though the commercial formulation exerted higher toxicity in hydra, the effects AI induced in the morphology of the hydra cannot be disregarded, suggesting that a deeper understanding on the long-term toxicity of this AI is still needed to further support the decision on its marketing authorization and environmentally safe use.
Technical and Financial Feasibility Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting Using Conventional or Green Roofs in an Industrial Building
Authors: Silva Flora , Calheiros Cristina Sousa Coutinho , Albuquerque António , Lopes Jorge Pedro , Antão-Geraldes Ana Maria
Published: August 2023

Given the high annual water consumption for non-potable uses (1112.08 m3, 65%) of an industrial building with a large roof area (4638 m2) located in the Northeast of Portugal, this study aims to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of a rainwater harvesting system for these uses, considering the existing conventional roof (scenario 1) and adapting a green roof to the existing roof (scenario 2). This evaluation was based on the impact of the two scenarios on the building’s water savings. Under scenarios 1 and 2, the expected water savings were 64.47% and 59.43%, respectively. Therefore, the expected reduction in the annual water bill was €3867.07 + VAT (scenario 1) and €3564.63 + VAT (scenario 2). For scenario 1, considering a reservoir with 70 m3 for non-potable purposes, such as washing the building’s floor and use in industrial machines, and an initial investment of €41,109.13 + VAT, the single payback will be 11.29 years. The single payback for scenario 2 largely exceeded the lifetime of the green roof. However, as they are considered interesting solutions to reduce the negative externalities of industrial settlements, financial incentives could be proposed for the implementation of the green roof in this typology of buildings.
Carbon Effects from Intra-Product International Specialization: Evidence from China’s Manufacturing Industries
Authors: Tian Ye , Guo Wenyu , Sun Hao , Tan Yao
Published: August 2023

Intra-product international specialization promotes the global diversification of manufacturing industries with various carbon intensities. With the emerging topic of global warming, a new constraint on the use of carbon in international trade is being imposed on developing countries such as China. To explore the potential effects of this constraint on the progress of specialization, a new theoretical framework was proposed with a series of empirical tests derived from detailed panel data built on statistics from 2004 to 2020 from manufacturing industries in China. The test results indicate that carbon emissions and emission levels in manufacturing industries are partially induced by specialization. Industries with various attributes present heterogeneous performances under the carbon effect. Intra-product international specialization has more significant carbon effects on certain industries, such as those with a limited technique, capital-intensive industries, and industries that use a medium to a high level of carbon. Therefore, given the carbon constraints, high-quality development in manufacturing industries may be attained in developing countries such as China through improvements in specialization in the international market and incremental foreign investment in high-value-added and low-carbon production sectors. These improvements could be secured by implementing appropriate industrial policies and constraints on energy consumption.
A Multi-Field Coupled PEMFC Model with Force-Temperature-Humidity and Experimental Validation for High Electrochemical Performance Design
Authors: Zhang Zhiming , Chen Zhihao , Li Kunpeng , Zhang Xinfeng , Zhang Caizhi , Zhang Tong
Published: August 2023

PEMFCs (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells) are commonly used in fuel cell vehicles, which facilitates energy conversation and environmental protection. The fuel cell electrochemical performance is significantly affected by the contact resistance and the GDL (Gas Diffusion Layer) porosity due to ohmic and concentration losses. However, it is difficult to obtain the exact performance prediction of the electrochemical reaction for a fuel cell design, resulting from the complex operating conditions of fuel cells coupled with the assembly force, operating temperature, relative humidity, etc. Considering the compression behavior of porosity and the contact pressure in GDLs, a force-temperature-humidity multi-field coupled model is established based on FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) for the fuel cell electrochemical performance. Aside from that, the characteristics between the contact resistance and the contact pressure are measured and fitted through the experiments in this study. Finally, the numerical model is validated by the experiment of the fuel cell stack, and the error rate between the presented model and the experimentation of the full-dimensional stack being a maximum of 3.37%. This work provides important insight into the force-temperature-humidity coupled action as less empirical testing is required to identify the high fuel cell performance and optimize the fuel cell parameters in a full-dimensional fuel cell stack.
Internet Development and Green Total Factor Productivity: New Evidence of Mediation and Threshold Effects
Authors: Jian Wang , Huang Wenjuan , Yamaka Woraphon , Liu Jianxu
Published: August 2023

The strategy of sustainable development is not only a long-term plan for the survival and development of the Chinese nation, but also an inevitable requirement for the coordinated economic and social development of all countries in the world. With the rapid development of new-generation information technology, the Internet may play an even more important role in the implementation of sustainable development strategies. Using China’s interprovincial panel data from 2011 to 2020, this paper examines the impact of internet development on green total factor productivity (GTFP) and its mechanism of action using a two-way fixed-effects panel model, a mediation effects model and a threshold effects model. The results show that, firstly, internet development can significantly promote the increase in GTFP, and this conclusion still holds after several robustness tests; secondly, internet development can indirectly promote GTFP through optimizing industrial structure, human capital structure and improving technological innovation; thirdly, based on a single threshold effect of advanced industrial structure, advanced human capital and internet development, the impact of the Internet on GTFP is found to be nonlinear. Finally, our study provides policy recommendations for the promotion of green total factor productivity in China.
Multi-Risk Assessment in the Veneto Region: An Approach to Rank Seismic and Flood Risk
Authors: Tocchi Gabriella , Ottonelli Daria , Rebora Nicola , Polese Maria
Published: August 2023

Effective disaster risk management in a given area relies on the analysis of all relevant risks potentially affecting it. A proper multi-risk evaluation requires the ranking of analyzed risks and the estimation of overall expected impacts, considering possible hazards (and vulnerabilities) interactions as well. Due to their complex and challenging modelling, such interactions are usually neglected, and the analysis of risks derived from different sources are commonly performed through independent analysis. However, often the assessment procedures adopted for the analysis as well as the metrics used to express various risks are different, making results of single risk analyses hardly comparable. To overcome this issue, an approach that allows for comparing and ranking risks is presented in this study. The approach is demonstrated through an application for an Italian region. Earthquakes and floods are the investigated hazards. First, in order to select the case study area, the municipalities within the Veneto region where both risks could be highest are identified by adopting an index-based approach. Then, the harmonization of seismic and flood risk assessment procedure is performed. Sub-municipal areas are selected as scale of analysis and direct economic losses are chosen as common impact metrics. The results of the single risk analyses are compared using risk curves as standardization tool. The EAL (expected annual losses) are estimated through risk curves and the ratios between EAL due to floods and earthquakes are mapped, showing in which area risk is significantly higher than the other.
Integrated Assessment of the Land Use Change and Climate Change Impact on Baseflow by Using Hydrologic Model
Authors: Lee Jimin , Park Minji , Min Joong-Hyuk , Na Eun Hye
Published: August 2023

Changes in land use and climate can affect both the surface runoff and baseflow of streamflow. Baseflow significantly contributes to stream function in regions where climatic characteristics are seasonally distinct. Baseflow estimation depends on the observed streamflow in gauge water sheds, but baseflow estimations in data-poor or gauged watersheds depend solely on streamflow predicted from the hydrologic model. To accurately predict base runoff through the model, it is necessary to apply proper hydrological parameters. Accordingly, the objectives of this study are to (1) improve predictions of SWAT by applying the alpha factor estimated using BFLOW for calibration, and (2) evaluate streamflow and baseflow the effects of changes in land use and climate. The results show the alpha factor estimated using BFLOW in SWAT calibration improves the prediction for streamflow and recessions in the baseflow. In this study, streamflow increased due to land use change (impervious urban and agricultural areas), while baseflow decreased. The baseflow was more significant in the dry season than in the wet season, and the baseflow fluctuation was significant from February to May. Moreover, the changes in land use in the study area lead to differences in the seasonal characteristics observed for the temporal distribution of streamflow and baseflow.
Entrepreneurship Strategy through Social Commerce Platform: An Empirical Approach Using Contagion Theory and Information Adoption Model
Authors: Dana Leo-Paul , Vrontis Demetris , Chaudhuri Ranjan , Chatterjee Sheshadri
Published: August 2023

Entrepreneurship is the readiness and ability of an organization, primarily a new business, to develop, organize, and conduct its business to make a profit despite uncertainties. Social commerce (s-commerce) assists consumers to buy products online. However, few studies have investigated the influence of entrepreneurship and online platform capability on consumers’ online purchase decisions. Academicians, researchers, and practitioners are also increasingly interested in understanding how the s-commerce environment influences entrepreneurship and online purchase decisions. Against this background, this study set out to examine this phenomenon. Using information adoption models and contagion theory as well as the input from the literature review, a theoretical model was developed. Such a model was tested with a factor-based PLS-SEM approach by analyzing the responses of 342 respondents. The results find that electronic WOM (e-WOM) credibility, predicted by online e-WOM content and platform credibility, and impacted by online reputation, could significantly influence consumers’ online purchase decisions. The study also finds that both positive and negative valance of eWOM as well as entrepreneurship significantly influence eWOM credibility, which in turn positively influences consumers’ purchase decisions when using online platforms.
Research on the Impact of the Input Level of Digital Economics in Chinese Manufacturing on the Embedded Position of the GVC
Authors: Rui Guangwei , Li Menggang
Published: August 2023

With the development and application of digital technology, the digital economy industry has gradually become the new vitality of China’s economic growth, and it has also become a vital driving force to promote a change in the GVC division of the manufacturing industry. This paper takes the embedded position of the GVC in the Chinese manufacturing industry as the research object, places the input level of the digital economy in the manufacturing industry into the analysis framework of the influence of its embedded position in the GVC, puts forward the theoretical mechanism of the influence of the input level of the digital economy on the relative breadth and height of its embedded position in the GVC, and explores the influence of the digital economy on the embedded position of the GVC in the Chinese manufacturing industry from the two levels of relative height and width. Through regression analysis, an intermediary effect test, and threshold regression of panel data, the study found that (1) improving the input level of the digital economy in manufacturing will positively affect the relative height and breadth of the GVC embedding position. (2) The improvement of the input level of the digital economy plays a role through two mechanisms: improving the innovation efficiency of the manufacturing industry, and improving the asset utilization efficiency of the manufacturing industry. The relative height and breadth of the embedded position of the GVC can be promoted through innovative efficiency channels. The captive allocation efficiency channel can promote the relative breadth of the embedded position of the GVC. (3) The influence of the input level of the digital economy on the relative breadth and height of the embedded position of the GVC presents a threshold effect with the technical level, and the influence on the relative height presents a threshold effect with the capital level. By clarifying the influence of the digital economy’s input level on the embedded position of the GVC, some suggestions can be taken to promote the manufacturing industry to move to a high-value acquisition position in the GVC division. Construction can be strengthened from the following aspects: improving the application level of digital technology in the manufacturing industry, strengthening the construction of digital infrastructure, and promoting the innovation system and industrial ecology led by digital technology.
Theoretical Evaluation of the Reinjection Probability Density Function in Chaotic Intermittency
Authors: Elaskar Sergio , del Río Ezequiel
Published: August 2023

The traditional theory of chaotic intermittency developed for return maps hypothesizes a uniform density of reinjected points from the chaotic zone to the laminar one. In the past few years, we have described how the reinjection probability density function (RPD) can be generalized as a power law function. Here, we introduce a broad and general analytical approach to determine the RPD function and other statistical variables, such as the characteristic relation traditionally utilized to characterize the chaotic intermittency type. The proposed theoretical methodology is simple to implement and includes previous studies as particular cases. It is compared with numerical data, the M function methodology, and the Perron–Frobenius technique, showing high accuracy between them.
Using the ARCADIA/Capella Systems Engineering Method and Tool to Design Manufacturing Systems—Case Study and Industrial Feedback
Authors: Baron Claude , Grenier Lorenzo , Ostapenko Vitalina , Xue Rui
Published: August 2023

In a trend towards digital continuity, model-based systems engineering is becoming widely adopted for the design of complex systems, supporting system development from the very first stages. A narrow panel of methods and tools are available on the market; they offer different scopes and approaches, are more or less intuitive to follow, and are sometimes supported by tools. Among them, the Architecture Analysis & Design Integrated Approach (ARCADIA) is becoming popular and is gradually spreading in different industrial fields to model a wide variety of systems at different stages of their development and from different points of view. It is implemented using an open-source tool called Capella. Few feedback on its use in industrial settings have been published, while other feedback remains confidential. The goal of this paper is to analyze the interests and limitations of ARCADIA/Capella. To reach this goal, we experimented with ARCADIA/Capella in several projects and chose one to explain how the method and tool proceeded. In addition, we conducted a survey to obtain industrial feedback. As a result, the paper gives an overview of the relevance of ARCADIA/Capella in projects and of its usefulness, effectiveness, and adaptability in modeling different types of systems. It also provides some perspectives for the evolution of the method and the tool according to industrial feedback.
Thin PDS Foils Represent an Equally Favorable Restorative Material for Orbital Floor Fractures Compared to Titanium Meshes
Authors: Taxis Juergen , Ungerboeck Lena , Motel Constantin , Eckert Alexander W. , Platz Batista da Silva Natascha , Nieberle Felix , Ludwig Nils , Meier Johannes K. , Ettl Tobias , Reichert Torsten E. , Spoerl Steffen
Published: August 2023

Orbital floor fractures (OFFs) are common injuries of the midface and may result in long-term complications. The aim of this study was to compare two restoration materials, PDS foils and titanium meshes, with regards to (1) clinical outcome and (2) reduction in orbital volume. The monocentric discovery cohort was analyzed retrospectively and included 476 patients with OFFs treated between 2010 and 2020. A subcohort of 104 patients (study cohort) with isolated OFFs and available high-resolution imaging material was used for volume measurements. Postoperative complications were not significantly different between patients treated with different restoration materials. Prevalence of revision surgery was significantly higher in patients treated with thick PDS foils (25 mm). OFFs treated with PDS foils and titanium meshes showed a significant reduction in orbital volume (p = 0.0422 and p = 0.0056, respectively), however, this volume decrease was significantly less pronounced in patients treated with PDS foils alone (p = 0.0134). Restoration using PDS foil in an isolated OFF reduces the orbital volume to a lesser extent than titanium mesh. Class III patients according to the classification of Jaquiéry with a missing bony ledge medial to the infraorbital fissure particularly benefit from restoration with PDS foils due to a lower reduction in the orbital volume. Regarding short- and long-term postoperative complications, a PDS foil thickness of 0.15 mm appears equivalent to titanium mesh in the treatment of OFFs.
Rotavirus Particle Disassembly and Assembly In Vivo and In Vitro
Authors: Asensio-Cob Dunia , Rodríguez Javier M. , Luque Daniel
Published: August 2023

Rotaviruses (RVs) are non-enveloped multilayered dsRNA viruses that are major etiologic agents of diarrheal disease in humans and in the young in a large number of animal species. The viral particle is composed of three different protein layers that enclose the segmented dsRNA genome and the transcriptional complexes. Each layer defines a unique subparticle that is associated with a different phase of the replication cycle. Thus, while single- and double-layered particles are associated with the intracellular processes of selective packaging, genome replication, and transcription, the viral machinery necessary for entry is located in the third layer. This modular nature of its particle allows rotaviruses to control its replication cycle by the disassembly and assembly of its structural proteins. In this review, we examine the significant advances in structural, molecular, and cellular RV biology that have contributed during the last few years to illuminating the intricate details of the RV particle disassembly and assembly processes.
Plant Viruses as Adjuvants for Next-Generation Vaccines and Immunotherapy
Authors: Nikitin Nikolai , Vasiliev Yuri , Kovalenko Angelina , Ryabchevskaya Ekaterina , Kondakova Olga , Evtushenko Ekaterina , Karpova Olga
Published: August 2023

Vaccines are the cornerstone of infectious disease control and prevention. The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has confirmed the urgent need for a new approach to the design of novel vaccines. Plant viruses and their derivatives are being used increasingly for the development of new medical and biotechnological applications, and this is reflected in a number of preclinical and clinical studies. Plant viruses have a unique combination of features (biosafety, low reactogenicity, inexpensiveness and ease of production, etc.), which determine their potential. This review presents the latest data on the use of plant viruses with different types of symmetry as vaccine components and adjuvants in cancer immunotherapy. The discussion concludes that the most promising approaches might be those that use structurally modified plant viruses (spherical particles) obtained from the Tobacco mosaic virus. These particles combine high adsorption properties (as a carrier) with strong immunogenicity, as has been confirmed using various antigens in animal models. According to current research, it is evident that plant viruses have great potential for application in the development of vaccines and in cancer immunotherapy.