bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Acrylate Emulsion on the Mechanical and Microscopic Properties of Straw Fiber-Reinforced Cement-Magnesium Slag Stabilized Soil
Authors: Xia Chunqiu , Cao Xuanhao , Wen Jiuran , Li Jun , Dai Li , Guan Bowen
Published: December 2024

In order to investigate the mechanism of mechanical performance enhancement and the curing mechanisms of acrylate emulsion (AE) in cement and magnesium slag (MS) composite-stabilized soil (AE-C-M), this study has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the compressive strength and microstructural characteristics of AE-C-M stabilized soil. The results show that the addition of AE significantly improves the compressive strength of the stabilized soil. When the AE content is 0.4%, the cement content is 3%, and the magnesium slag content is 3% (AE4-C3M3), the strength of the formula reaches 4.21 MPa, which meets the requirements of heavy traffic load conditions in the construction of high-speed or main road base layers. Some reactive groups on the polymer side chains (-COOH) engage in bridging with Ca2+ and RCOO− to form a chemically bonded interpenetrating network structure, thereby enabling the acrylate emulsion to enhance the water damage resistance of the specimens. The notable improvement in strength is attributed to the film-forming and solidifying actions of AE, the binding and filling effects of C-S-H gel, and the reinforcing effect of straw fibers. FT-IR and TG-DSC analysis reveals the presence of polar electrostatic interactions between AE and the soil matrix. AE enhances the bonding among soil particles and facilitates the attachment of C-S-H gel onto the surfaces of the straw fibers, thereby increasing the strength and toughness of the material. The application of MS in conjunction with straw fibers within polymer-modified stabilized soil serves to promote the recycling of waste materials, thereby providing an environmentally friendly solution for the engineering application of solid waste.
High-Stretchable and Transparent Ultraviolet-Curable Elastomer
Authors: Chen Lei , He Yongchang , Dai Lu , Zhang Wang , Wang Hao , Liu Peng
Published: December 2024

This work introduces an ultraviolet (UV)-curable elastomer through the co-polymerization of aliphatic polyurethane acrylate and hydroxypropyl acrylate via UV irradiation. The UV-curable elastomer presents superior mechanical properties (elongation at a break of 2992%) and high transparency (94.8% at 550 nm in the visible light region). A robust hydrogel–elastomer stretchable sensor is fabricated by coating an ionic hydrogel on the surface of an elastomer, which enables real-time monitoring of human motion. In addition, the UV-curable elastomer can be used for 3D printing, as demonstrated by complex lattice structures using a digital light processing 3D printer.
Design Strategy of Electricity Purchase and Sale Combination Package Based on the Characteristics of Electricity Prosumers in Power System
Authors: Wang Xiaotian , Liu Chuang , Wu Binbin , Wang Wei , Sun Yi , Peng Jie , Liu Xinya , Zhang Kai
Published: December 2024

With the progress in renewable energy and smart grid technologies, electricity users are evolving into prosumers, capable of both consuming and generating electricity through distributed photovoltaic (DPV) systems. Concurrently, the liberalization of the electricity retail market has prompted retailers to design customized electricity packages based on users’ needs and preferences, aiming to enhance service quality, efficiency, and user retention. However, previous studies have not fully addressed the multidimensional characteristics and electricity consumption behaviors that influence package selection. This paper initially dissects user characteristics across three key dimensions: electricity demand preferences, price sensitivity, and risk tolerance. Therefore, leveraging utility functions and autonomous choice behavior models, we propose two innovative electricity purchase and sale combination packages: a fluctuating pricing package and a discount-based pricing package. Furthermore, we introduce the Self-Adaptive Weight and Reverse Learning Particle Swarm Optimization (SAW&RL-PSO) algorithm to address the complexities of these choices. Simulation results indicate that the methodologies presented significantly enhance user benefits and retailer revenues while also effectively managing electricity usage fluctuations and the challenges of integrating large-scale DPV systems into the electrical grid.
Liturgy of the Hours and the Lectio Continua of the Psalter
Authors: Böhler Dieter
Published: December 2024

In the last 40 years, the exegesis of the Psalms has made it increasingly clear that the Psalms should be read as a coherent book, since the individual Psalms are linked together by iuxtapositio and concatenatio. They are not just isolated poems but tell a story, the story of David, God’s anointed king who is persecuted and suffers, but ultimately is triumphant—a Christological story. This article examines how the principle of lectio continua of the Psalter is taken into account in the breviaries of Pius V, Pius X and Paul VI, and it shows what problems arise when it is disregarded.
The Level of Trust of Young Catholics in the Institutional Representatives of the Catholic Church: An Example from Poland
Authors: Szromek Adam R. , Polok Grzegorz , Bugdol Marek
Published: December 2024

The article addresses the issue of the level of trust in the Catholic clergy in Poland among the youngest adult Catholics. The authors formulate their conclusions on the basis of a literature review and their own extensive research conducted among young adult Catholics born after 1995 (Generation Z). The research focused on the level of trust assessed with regard to the hierarchical division of the clergy in the Catholic Church as well as scandals involving priests exposed in recent years. The performed analyses took into account the level of religious commitment of young Catholics and their attitudes towards the role of the hierarchical Church in solving their problems. The research results indicate a significant level of trust in the Pope, a slightly lower level of trust in parish priests, and a very low level of trust in bishops and the institution of the Catholic Church in general. The decisive majority of those following religious observances and declaring compliance with the moral principles in line with Church teachings maintain trust in the institution of the Church. The final conclusions point to the need to manage the trust of the faithful as beneficiaries and clients of religious organisations such as the Church.
Assessing Geometric and Radiometric Accuracy of DJI P4 MS Imagery Processed with Agisoft Metashape for Shrubland Mapping
Authors: da Silva Tiago van der Worp , Gomes Pereira Luísa , Oliveira Bruna R. F.
Published: December 2024

The rise in inexpensive Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and accessible processing software offers several advantages in forest ecosystem monitoring and management. The increase in usability of such tools can result in the simplification of workflows, potentially impacting the quality of the generated data. This study offers insights into the precision and reliability of the DJI Phantom 4 Multispectral (P4MS) UAS for mapping shrublands using the Agisoft Metashape (AM) for image processing. Geometric accuracy was evaluated using ground control points (GCPs) and different configurations. The best configuration was then used to produce orthomosaics. Subsequently, the orthomosaics were transformed into reflectance orthomosaics using various radiometric correction methods. These methods were further assessed using reference panels. The method producing the most accurate reflectance values was then chosen to create the final reflectance and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps. Radiometric accuracy was assessed through a multi-step process. Initially, precision was measured by comparing reflectance orthomosaics and NDVI derived from images taken on consecutive days. Finally, reliability was evaluated by comparing the NDVI with NDVI from a reference camera, the MicaSense Altum AL0, produced with images acquired on the same days. The results demonstrate that the P4MS is both precise and reliable for shrubland mapping. Reflectance maps and NDVI generated in AM exhibit acceptable geometric and radiometric accuracy when geometric calibration is performed with at least one GCP and radiometric calibration utilises images of reflectance panels captured at flight height, without relying on incident light sensor (ILS) data.
Few-Shot Metric Learning with Time-Frequency Fusion for Specific Emitter Identification
Authors: Mu Shiyuan , Zu Yong , Chen Shuai , Yang Shuyuan , Feng Zhixi , Zhang Junyi
Published: December 2024

Specific emitter identification (SEI) is a promising physical-layer authentication technique that serves as a crucial complement to upper-layer authentication mechanisms. SEI capitalizes on the inherent radio frequency fingerprints stemming from circuit discrepancies, which are intrinsic hardware properties and challenging to counterfeit. Recently, various deep learning (DL)-based SEI methods have been proposed, achieving outstanding performance. However, collecting and annotating substantial data for novel or unknown radiation sources is not only time-consuming but also cost-intensive. To address this issue, this paper proposes a few-shot (FS) metric learning-based time-frequency fusion network. To enhance the discriminative capability for radiation source signals, the model employs a convolutional block attention module (CBAM) and feature transformation to effectively fuse the raw signal’s time domain and time-frequency domain representations. Furthermore, to improve the extraction of discriminative features under FS scenarios, the proxy-anchor loss and center loss are introduced to reinforce intra-class compactness and inter-class separability. Experiments on the ADS-B and Wi-Fi datasets demonstrate that the proposed TFAF-Net consistently outperforms existing models in FS-SEI tasks. On the ADS-B dataset, TFAF-Net achieves a 9.59% higher accuracy in 30-way 1-shot classification compared to the second-best model, and reaches an accuracy of 85.02% in 10-way classification. On the Wi-Fi dataset, TFAF-Net attains 90.39% accuracy in 5-way 1-shot classification, outperforming the next best model by 6.28%, and shows a 13.18% improvement in 6-way classification.
Potential of Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence for Monitoring Gross Primary Productivity and Evapotranspiration in Tidally-Influenced Coastal Salt Marshes
Authors: Lai Jianlin , Huang Ying
Published: December 2024

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) offers significant potential as a novel approach for quantifying carbon and water cycling in coastal wetland ecosystems across multiple spatial scales. However, the mechanisms governing these biogeochemical processes remain insufficiently understood, largely due to the periodic influence of tidal inundation. In this study, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of meteorological and tidal factors on the relationships between canopy-level solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence at 760 nm (SIF760) and key ecosystem processes, including gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET), in coastal wetlands. These processes are critical components of the ecosystem carbon and water cycles. Our approach involved a comparative analysis of simulations from the Soil Canopy Observation, Photochemistry and Energy Fluxes (SCOPE) model with field measurements. The results showed that: (1) simulations of SIF760 improved following observation-based calibration of the fluorescence photosynthesis module in the SCOPE model; (2) under optimal moisture and temperature conditions (VPD 1.2–1.4 kPa and temperatures of 20–23 °C for air, soil, and water), the simulations of GPP, ET, and SIF760 were most accurate, although salinity stress reduced performance. GPP simulations tended to overestimate under drought stress but improved at higher air temperatures (30–32 °C); (3) during tidal inundation, the SIF760-GPP relationship weakened while the SIF760-ET strengthened. The range of significant correlations between SIF760, water levels, and temperature narrowed, with both relationships becoming more complex due to salinity stress. These findings suggest that tidal inundation can alleviate temperature stress on photosynthesis and transpiration; however, it also decreases photosynthetic efficiency and alters radiative transfer processes due to elevated salinity and water levels. These factors are critical considerations when using SIF to monitor GPP and ET dynamics in coastal wetlands. This study demonstrated that the tidal dynamics significantly affected the SIF760-GPP and SIF760-ET relationships, underscoring the necessity of incorporating tidal influences in the application of SIF remote sensing for monitoring GPP and ET dynamics. The results of this study not only contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms linking SIF760 with GPP and ET but also provide new insights into the development and refinement of SIF-based remote sensing for carbon quantification in coastal blue-carbon ecosystems on a large-scale domain.
Radar Signal Sorting Method with Mimetic Image Mapping Based on Antenna Scan Pattern via SOLOv2 Network
Authors: Chen Tao , Guo Xiaoqi , Li Jinxin
Published: December 2024

Aiming at the problems, in which the traditional radar signal sorting method has high requirements for manual experience and poor adaptability, and considering the differences in received power caused by radar beam scanning under long-term observation, an end-to-end signal sorting method based on the instance segmentation network SOLOv2 and using an antenna scan pattern (ASP) is proposed in this letter. Firstly, the interleaved pulse sequences of multiple radar signals with various inter-pulse modulation types, scan patterns, and gain patterns are simulated, mimetic image mapping is constructed to visualize the interleaved pulse sequences as mimetic point graphs, and the index relationship between pulses and pixel points is recorded. Subsequently, the SOLOv2 instance segmentation network is used to segment the mimetic point graph at the pixel level, thereby clustering the discrete pixel points in the image. Finally, based on the index relationship recorded during the construction of the mimetic image mapping, the clustering results of points in the image are traced back to the clustering of pulses, achieving end-to-end intelligent radar signal sorting. Through simulation experiments, it was verified that, compared with YOLOv8-based, U-Net-based, and traditional signal sorting methods, the sorting accuracy of the proposed method increased by 9.26%, 11.17%, and 24.55% in the scenario of five signals with 30% missing pulse ratio (MPR), and increased by 13.33%, 18.88%, and 23.94% in the scenario of five signals with 30% spurious pulse ratio (SPR), respectively. The results show that by introducing the stable parameter, namely ASP, the proposed method can achieve signal sorting with highly overlapping parameters and adapt to non-ideal conditions with measurement errors, missing pulses, and spurious pulses.
Slow-Moving Landslide Hazard Assessment Using LS-Unilab Deep Learning Model with Highlighted InSAR Deformation Signal
Authors: Li Xiangyang , Ma Peifeng , Xu Song , Zhang Hong , Wang Chao , Fan Yukun , Tang Yixian
Published: December 2024

Slow-moving landslides are often precursors of catastrophic failure, posing a major threat to human life and property safety. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has become a crucial tool for investigating slow-moving landslides hazard because of its high-precision detection capability for slow surface deformation. However, landslides usually occur in alpine canyon areas and vegetation coverage areas where InSAR measurements are still limited by temporal and spatial decorrelation and atmospheric influences. In addition, there are several difficulties in monitoring the multiscale characterization of landslides from the InSAR results. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel method for slow-moving landslide hazard assessment in low-coherence regions. A window-based atmosphere correction method is designed to highlight the surface deformation signals of InSAR results in low-coherence regions and reduce false alarms in landslide hazard assessment. Then, the deformation annual velocity rate map, coherence map and DEM are used to construct the InSAR sample set. A landslide hazard assessment model named Landslide-SE-Unilab is subsequently proposed. The global–local relationship aggregation structure is designed to capture the spatial relationship between local pixel-level deformation features and global landslides, which can reduce the number of missed assessments and false assessments of small-scale landslides. Additionally, a squeeze-and-excitation network is embedded to adjust the weight relationship between the features of each channel in order to enhance the performance of network evaluation. The method was evaluated in Kangding city and the Jinsha River Valley in the Hengduan Mountains, where a total of 778 potential landslides with slow deformation were identified. The effectiveness and accuracy of this approach for low-coherence landslide hazard assessment are demonstrated through comparisons with optical images and previous research findings, as well as evaluations via time-series deformation results.
Simulation and Prediction of Thermokarst Lake Surface Temperature Changes on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Authors: Zhang Chengming , Gao Zeyong , Luo Jing , Liu Wenyan , Chen Mengjia , Niu Fujun , Wang Yibo , Shang Yunhu
Published: December 2024

Thermokarst lakes are shallow bodies of freshwater that develop in permafrost regions, and they are an essential focus of international permafrost research. However, research regarding the mechanisms driving temperature fluctuations in thermokarst lakes and the factors that influence these changes is limited. We aimed to analyze seasonal variations in the surface water temperature, clarify historical trends in the phenological characteristics of lake ice, and predict future temperature changes in surface water of the thermokarst lakes using the air2water model. The results indicated that in comparison with air temperature, the thermokarst lake’s surface water temperature showed a certain lag and significantly higher values in the warm season. The warming rate of the thermokarst lake’s average surface water temperature based on historical data from 1957 to 2022 was 0.21 °C per decade, with a notably higher rate in August (0.42 °C per decade) than in other months. Furthermore, the ice-covered period steadily decreased by 2.12 d per decade. Based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 projections, by 2100, the surface water temperatures of thermokarst lakes during the warm season are projected to increase by 0.38, 0.46, and 2.82 °C (under scenarios SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585), respectively. Compared with typical tectonic lakes on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, thermokarst lakes have higher average surface water temperatures during ice-free periods, and they exhibit a higher warming rate (0.21 °C per decade). These results elucidate the response mechanisms of thermokarst lakes’ surface water temperature and the phenological characteristics of lake ice in response to climate change.
Runoff Characteristics and Their Response to Meteorological Condition in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin: Spatial Heterogeneity Due to the Glacier Coverage Difference
Authors: Zhu Lei , Deng Yun , Bai Ganggang , Tan Yi , Tuo Youcai , An Ruidong , Wang Xingmin , Chen Min
Published: December 2024

The Yarlung Zangbo River (YZR) is a sizeable highland river on the Tibetan Plateau, and its runoff process is crucial for understanding regional water resource features and related ecological patterns. However, the runoff characteristics of the YZR Basin (YZRB) remain unclear, especially how it would react to climate change. This study comprehensively analyzed the runoff characteristics of the entire YZRB based on a validated distributed hydrological model (SWAT) coupled with a glacier module (SWAT-glac), identified the runoff components, and explored the climate–discharge relationship, with a particular focus on the relationships between glacier runoff and changes in precipitation and air temperature. The results indicate that the SWAT-glac model, with localized glacier parameters, accurately simulates the runoff processes due to regional differences in meteorological conditions and uneven glacier distribution. Summer runoff dominates the basin, contributing 46.2% to 57.9% of the total, while spring runoff is notably higher in the downstream sections than in other areas. Runoff components vary significantly across river sections; precipitation is the primary contributor to basin-wide runoff (23.4–59.5%), while glacier runoff contribution can reach up to 54.8% in downstream areas. The study found that underlying surface conditions, particularly glacier coverage, significantly influence runoff responses to meteorological changes. The correlation between runoff and precipitation is stronger at stations where rainfall predominates, whereas runoff shows greater sensitivity to air temperature in glacier-covered areas. These findings enhance the understanding of runoff processes in the YZRB and offer valuable insights for the sustainable management of water resources in similar basins under climate change.
RETRACTED: Qian et al. Information System Model and Key Technologies of High-Definition Maps in Autonomous Driving Scenarios. Sensors 2024, 24, 4115
Authors: Sensors Editorial Office Sensors Editorial Office
Published: December 2024

The Journal retracts the article titled “Information System Model and Key Technologies of High-Definition Maps in Autonomous Driving Scenarios” [...]
Response of the bGeigie Nano and CzechRad Monitors to Secondary Cosmic Radiation
Authors: Kuča Petr , Helebrant Jan , Bossew Peter
Published: December 2024

Ambient dose rate surveying has the objective, in most cases, to quantify terrestrial radiation levels. This is true in particular for Citizen Monitoring projects. Readings of detectors, which do not provide spectrally resolved information, such as G-M counters, are the sum of contributions from different sources, including cosmic radiation. To estimate the terrestrial component, one has to subtract the remaining ones. In this paper, we investigate the cosmic response of two particular monitors, the bGeigie Nano, which has been used extensively in the Safecast Citizen Monitoring project, and its upgraded version, the new CzechRad, which uses the same G-M detector, and show how the local contribution of cosmic radiation can be estimated.
Text Font Correction and Alignment Method for Scene Text Recognition
Authors: Ding Liuxu , Liu Yuefeng , Zhao Qiyan , Liu Yunong
Published: December 2024

Text recognition is a rapidly evolving task with broad practical applications across multiple industries. However, due to the arbitrary-shape text arrangement, irregular text font, and unintended occlusion of font, this remains a challenging task. To handle images with arbitrary-shape text arrangement and irregular text font, we designed the Discriminative Standard Text Font (DSTF) and the Feature Alignment and Complementary Fusion (FACF). To address the unintended occlusion of font, we propose a Dual Attention Serial Module (DASM), which is integrated between residual modules to enhance the focus on text texture. These components improve text recognition by correcting irregular text and aligning it with the original feature extraction, thus complementing the overall recognition process. Additionally, to enhance the study of text recognition in natural scenes, we developed the VBC Chinese dataset under varying lighting conditions, including strong light, weak light, darkness, and other natural environments. Experimental results show that our method achieves competitive performance on the VBC dataset with an accuracy of 90.8% and an overall average accuracy of 93.8%.
Utilization and Separation of Flavonoids in the Food and Medicine Industry: Current Status and Perspectives
Authors: Wang Jianan , Wang Bin , Chen Chunli , Dong Jingzhou , Zhang Huafeng
Published: December 2024

Flavonoids are the most abundant functional compounds distributed in higher plants, and are used as important dietary components for human health protection. The development of natural flavonoids, such as functional food or medicinal food, has received extensive attention in recent years. The extraction, separation, and quantitation of flavonoids are the key techniques in the utilization of flavonoid resources. The traditional methods for flavonoid extraction and separation always used toxic solvents, which produce toxic residues and pollute the environment. Based on an analysis of the literature on flavonoid resources, the utilization, separation, quantitation, and green separation techniques of flavonoids were summarized. First, extraction by hot water or hot ethanol, assisted by pressurization and microwave-ultrasonication, then concentration and precipitation of flavonoids by cool water or cool ethanol or ethanol/water in specific ratios. This method could obtain over 85% purity in the first cycle and over 95% purity after three precipitation cycles in the separation of the most commonly used flavonoids, such as dihydromyricetin, rutin, and quercetin. In conclusion, flavonoids showed great prospects in human health protection and disease treatment. Chemical structure-based separation using the water–ethanol methods and assisted with microwave-ultrasonication, pressurization, and temperature regulation proved to be efficient and environmentally friendly, showing great potential for the flavonoid industry. These “green” processing techniques and mechanisms deserve further research.
Aspiration and Sclerotherapy for the Management of Hydrocele in an Ambulatory and Regional Setting
Authors: Stapleton Peter , Sathianathen Niranjan Jude , Johns-Putra Lydia
Published: December 2024

Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of aspiration and sclerotherapy for the management of hydroceles in an ambulatory regional setting. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on all men who underwent aspiration and sclerotherapy for the management of symptomatic hydroceles at a single regional Australian centre from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2023. All procedures were carried out in an ambulant setting under local anaesthetic and sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STD) as the sclerosing agent. Results: 291 men were included in the study with a median follow-up of 99 days. Resolution of hydrocele both clinically and symptomatically post initial aspiration and sclerotherapy was 58.8% (171/291). The average time to recurrence for men who failed initial management was 167 days (IQR 28–112 days). Following initial aspiration and sclerotherapy, 67.7% (63/93) of men with recurrence chose to have a repeat aspiration and sclerotherapy of these men, and 68.3% (43/63) had resolution of their hydroceles. Hence, after two aspiration and sclerotherapy interventions, 73.5% (214/291) of men had clinical and symptomatic resolution of their hydroceles. The median age of participants was 62.3 years (IQR 52.1–70.8). The median initial aspirated volume was 150 mL (IQR 100–250 mL), and the injected volume was 10 mL (IQR 8–10 mL). Notably, the median aspirated volume decreased for men with a recurrence to 100 mL (IQR 63.8–143.8 mL), and an injected volume of 0 ml (IQR 0–4.8 mL). The overall complication rate was 3.4% (10/291), of which all but one was managed conservatively. Conclusion: Aspiration and sclerotherapy with STD represent a minimally invasive, safe and effective treatment for hydroceles that can be utilized in the regional and ambulatory settings under local anaesthetic, potentially reducing wait times for interventions and improving patient flow for public hospital waitlists.
From Traditional to Digital: Transforming Local Administrative Organization Workflows in Thailand Through Social Listening Tools
Authors: Prachumrasee Krisada , Ronghanam Panpun , Thonmanee Kasipat , Phonsungnoen Pakpoom , Mangma Pathompohn , Setthasuravich Prasongchai , Lowatcharin Grichawat
Published: December 2024

Digital transformation offers transformative potential for public service delivery, yet many local administrative organizations (LAOs) in Thailand struggle with integrating digital tools effectively into their workflows. This study investigates the integration of social listening tools (SLTs) to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of public service delivery in Thailand’s LAOs. The primary goal is to redesign traditional, manual workflows through the development of a digital-by-design framework, addressing inefficiencies in public engagement and service provision. Employing a mixed-method approach, this research combines interviews and focus groups with municipal staff from four municipalities in Northeast Thailand to identify challenges and co-create solutions. The redesigned workflow integrates digital practices into existing organizational structures and achieves a significant 282% improvement in efficiency, measured in transactions per manpower-hour. Additionally, the new process enhances operational speed, responsiveness, and public engagement. To ensure sustainability, this study recommends a phased implementation strategy and consistent staff training. This research contributes to the public administration literature by providing a practical, scalable framework for digital transformation in local governance. It underscores the potential of SLTs to modernize public sector workflows, enabling more dynamic, responsive, and citizen-centric interactions between LAOs and the communities they serve.
Approach to Impact of Tourism on Quality of Life: Case Study of the Magic Town of San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco, México
Authors: Peña-Casillas Carlos , Espinoza-Sánchez Rodrigo , López-Sánchez José , Dávalos-Pita Adriana
Published: December 2024

Magical town designation is a distinction granted by the Mexican government to different areas that meet certain requirements that favor tourist activities. Some of these magical towns, as in the case of San Sebastian del Oeste, in Jalisco, have had different outcomes because of this distinction, and a very important one is the quality of life (QOL) of the local inhabitants, who have modified their traditional lifestyles oriented to rural activities by including tourism and all that it implies. For this reason, it is necessary to ask the following question: What has been the impact of tourism on the QOL of the local inhabitants of San Sebastian del Oeste? To answer this question, a qualitative–phenomenological methodology was used, based on interviews with local inhabitants to identify the impact of tourism on their QOL. This study found that tourism has answered some of the needs of the local population, such as economic and public services, but it is not the solution for all areas considered in QOL.
Evaluation of Healing in Concretes with Chemical and Bacterial Solutions Exposed to Aggressive Chloride and Carbon Dioxide-Rich Environments
Authors: Pacheco Fernanda , Ehrenbring Hinoel Zamis , Christ Roberto , de Souza Rodrigo Périco , Modolo Regina Celia Espinosa , Valiatio Victor Hugo , Tutikian Bernardo Fonseca , Wu Zemei
Published: December 2024

This paper aimed to evaluate two self-healing mechanisms of concrete exposed to chloride ions and carbon dioxide environments using chemical and bacterial solutions, contributing to understanding the real scenarios of concrete structures application. Expanded perlite (EP) impregnated with chemical and bacterial solutions with the aid of either a vacuum chamber or immersion was used in partial substitution of fine natural aggregate in ratios of 10%, 20%, and 30%. Samples were characterized by a compression strength test. Healing efficiency was evaluated with high precision in stereo zoom microscopy. Further characterization of the samples was obtained from SEM/EDS, and mineral content was determined from XRD. Samples impregnated with a chemical solution formed healing products identified as C-S-H, CaCO3, and SiO2 across and overflowing the fissure. Samples impregnated with the bacterial solution presented a maximum continuous healing region of 1.67 mm and an average of 0.514 mm. A comparison of submersed and wet curing yielded an equal number of results between the techniques. Overall, the products formed were mostly calcite (CaCO3) and C-S-H, while the presence of CO2 and Cl− corrosives did not affect healing, with concentrations of 5% and 3%, respectively.
Sustainable Air Quality Detection Using Sequential Forward Selection-Based ML Algorithms
Authors: Rezk Nermeen Gamal , Alshathri Samah , Sayed Amged , El-Din Hemdan Ezz , El-Behery Heba
Published: December 2024

Air pollution has exceeded the anticipated safety limit and addressing this issue is crucial for sustainability, particularly in countries with high pollution levels. So, monitoring and forecasting air quality is essential for sustainable urban development. Therefore, this paper presents multiclass classification using two feature selection techniques, namely Sequential Forward Selection (SFS) and filtering, both with different machine learning and ensemble techniques, to predict air quality and make sure that the most relevant features are included in datasets for air quality determination. The results of the considered framework reveal that the SFS technique provides superior performance compared to filter feature selection (FFS) with different ML methods, including the AdaBoost Classifier, the Extra Tree Classifier, Random Forest (RF), and the Bagging Classifier, for efficiently determining the Air Quality Index (AQI). These models’ performances are assessed using predetermined performance metrics. The AdaBoost Classifier model with FFS has the lowest accuracy, while the RF model with SFS achieves the highest accuracy, at 78.4% and 99.99%, respectively. Based on the raw dataset, it was noted that the F1-score, recall, and precision values of the RF model with SFS are 99.96%, 99.97%, and 99.98%, respectively. Therefore, the experimental results undoubtedly show the supremacy, reliability, and robustness of the proposed approach in determining the AQI effectively.
Unveiling Consumer Perspectives of Plant-Based Meats: Insights from a Comprehensive Review of the Literature
Authors: dos Santos Joina Ijuniclair Arruda Silva , Pinheiro Alan Bandeira , Prado Paulo Henrique Muller , da Costa Marconi Freitas
Published: December 2024

This article offers a comprehensive analysis of consumers’ perspectives towards plant-based meats, utilizing insights derived from a systematic literature review (SLR). The primary objective is to identify the specific areas of focus in studies pertaining to plant-based meats that address consumer preferences, as well as the prevailing methodologies employed in those studies. To accomplish this objective, the authors conducted a rigorous systematic literature review (SLR) adhering to established guidelines and employing quality assessment parameters for a set of eighteen selected studies. The findings of this SLR bring 18 primary works that deal with acceptance, barriers, environmental concern, and brand preference, among other aspects related to the consumer. Regarding the research methods most used in studies, some research uses the qualitative method, but predominantly the quantitative method is found. By synthesizing the findings of rigorous and high-quality peer-reviewed articles, this study offers insights that have the potential to advance the field. The derived insights not only contribute to the formulation of strategies aimed at enhancing consumer acceptance of plant-based meats but also hold promise in addressing the critical issue of reducing animal meat consumption and mitigating the associated negative environmental impacts.
Infrastructure Decommissioning: A Brief Report on Embracing Future Generations’ Perspectives to Avoid Intergenerational Procrastination
Authors: Nakagawa Yoshinori , Mori Masami , Yamada Masahiko , Hata Yuko , Sugimoto Takayuki , Saijo Tatsuyoshi
Published: December 2024

Infrastructure decommissioning refers to retiring infrastructure at the end of its useful life. Since all types of tangible infrastructure have a finite lifespan, the challenges of decommissioning are as significant as those of its creation. Despite this, there is an insufficient accumulation of knowledge regarding decommissioning. Given the intergenerational nature of this issue, the current brief report explores how the methodology of Future Design and its key concept, ‘imaginary future people’, can transform the perspectives of individuals involved in infrastructure decommissioning. In 2018, Uji City Hall in Kyoto Prefecture invited 32 citizens to participate in a series of 4 workshops contemplating the future of local communities and the 132 public assembly facilities, constituting 47.3% of the city’s public facilities. Future Design methodology and the concept of imaginary future people were adopted. Then the workshop discussions were transcribed and analyzed to compare how participants’ perspectives changed when they embraced the concept of imaginary future people, as opposed to when they did not. The analysis revealed that the concept encourages individuals to envision the future broadly. Based on this envisioning, they derive answers about the role of public assembly facilities, often considered peripheral. The paper concludes that Future Design is effective in exploring how ‘value’ can be created in decommissioning, motivating individuals to address infrastructure decommissioning. To elucidate the mechanisms by which Future Design produces such effects, further and more thorough research is required, which falls outside the scope of this report. Nevertheless, reporting that such an effect has been observed in a single case is considered to have both social and academic value.
Can Symbiotic Relationship Promote Green Technology Innovation of Agricultural Enterprises? A Study Based on the Empirical Evidence of Chinese Agricultural Listed Companies
Authors: Zheng Liyang , Huang Huijie , Han Jiali
Published: December 2024

Agricultural green innovation has become a key driver of China’s agricultural development in the modern era. Maintaining a strong symbiotic relationship is crucial for enhancing awareness and resource allocation capabilities related to green technology innovation within enterprises, ultimately fostering green development. This study utilizes balanced panel data from Chinese agricultural listed companies in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets between 2011 and 2020 to investigate the impact of symbiotic relationships on green technology innovation capability. Through empirical testing and a moderated mediating effect model, the research explores how organizational green awareness and dynamic capabilities influence this relationship. The findings indicate that a positive symbiotic relationship can significantly enhance green technology innovation in agricultural enterprises by improving their green cognition and dynamic abilities. In terms of the heterogeneity of the promotion of green technology innovation by enterprise symbiosis, the symbiotic relationship has a significant direct promotion effect on both progressive and joint green technology innovation. By confirming the effectiveness of firm symbiosis in promoting green technology innovation, this study provides new practical guidance for developing countries on how to promote the development of green technology innovation.
Examining the Role of AI-Augmented HRM for Sustainable Performance: Key Determinants for Digital Culture and Organizational Strategy
Authors: Mollah Md. Alamgir , Rana Masud , Amin Mohammad Bin , Sony M. M. Abdullah Al Mamun , Rahaman Md. Atikur , Fenyves Veronika
Published: December 2024

In the wave of digitalization, organizations are increasingly focused on whether to prioritize digital culture or organizational strategy for the use of artificial intelligence (AI); there are mixed opinions, particularly when AI-augmented HRM draws attention as a tool for achieving sustainable organizational performance (SOP) in developing countries. This study aims to explore the influence of digital culture and organizational strategy on AI-augmented HRM and SOP, focusing on the mediating role of AI-augmented HRM in these relationships. To investigate the hypothesized relationships, 219 sample data were gathered from employees associated with HRM-oriented activities in Bangladesh, and SPSS 23 and AMOS software were used to test the SEM model. The results proved that digital culture has an insignificant effect and organizational strategy has a significant effect on AI-augmented HRM, and AI-augmented HRM has a substantial effect on SOP and partially mediates the relationship between organizational strategy and SOP. Based on the results, we infer that the successful implementation of AI-augmented HRM can lead to organizational sustainability in developing countries, where organizational strategy plays a pivotal role rather than digital culture. This research incorporates the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities theories, which are crucial for the groundbreaking development of the research model. The results suggest that managers and responsible authorities should prioritize organizational strategy over digital culture when implementing AI-augmented HRM systems to ensure sustainability in developing countries. However, in the long run, organizations also need to concentrate on generating digitally favorable environments.
Food Waste Management at Selected Tourist Hotels in Zanzibar: Current Practices and Challenges in Creating a Circular Economy in the Hospitality Sector
Authors: Ally Biubwa , Abdulkadir Aziza , Remmen Arne , Hirsbak Stig , Mwevura Haji , Furu Peter , Salukele Fredrick
Published: December 2024

Tourism is the key economic sector of and contributor to employment in Zanzibar. However, tourism growth creates a demand for more hotels, contributing to more waste. Meanwhile, food waste in the hospitality sector remains a concern due to its impact on food sustainability and its economic and environmental footprint. This study examines food waste management in selected tourist hotels located along the east coast and north districts of the island and recommends strategies for improvement. Mixed methods, including surveys and key informants’ interviews and observations, were used for data collection to map the waste flow along the food value chain, analyze the selected hotels’ management practices, and consider stakeholders’ perspectives. The findings reveal that food wastage occurs at each stage of business operations, and the largest waste stream is located at hotels, with an average estimate of 1.8 kg per guest per day. Most waste is generated during food preparation and when serving customers, constituting both avoidable and unavoidable food fractions. Moreover, the implementation of sustainable practices is scarce due to challenges, such as a lack of food waste minimization and management plans and a low level of knowledge and coordination among staff and other stakeholders. However, hotel managers’ knowledge, experience, and willingness to change, as well as the ongoing Greener Zanzibar Campaign, are driving forces for enhancing circular and sustainable practices at tourist hotels. Based on the findings, strategies, such as involving local suppliers close to the hotels for perishable products, reusing leftover food for staff and donations to local communities, and staff training on handling food waste are recommended. The practical implications of this study will help hoteliers reduce food wastage and contribute to more sustainable tourism development in Zanzibar.
High-Temperature Mechanical Properties of Basalt Fibers: A Step Towards Fire-Safe Materials for Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Wang Bangjian , Xu Lihua , Chen Tianze , Hou Bowen , Liu Jianxun , Shen Yijun , Kuang Rao
Published: December 2024

Amidst the urban energy transition towards clean and renewable energy, distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems are emerging as critical infrastructure. However, the evolution of PV rack and mount systems has lagged, particularly in addressing cost efficiency and fire safety This study focuses on the high-temperature mechanical properties of basalt fibers (BFs), a key component of basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP), to establish a foundational understanding for future BFRP applications. The experimental results demonstrate that basalt fibers retain approximately 150 MPa residual tensile strength at 600 °C (30–40% of room temperature strength of Q235B steel) and 94 MPa at 800 °C, outperforming steel under similar conditions. Furthermore, the decomposition of wetting agents and Fe2+ oxidation at 600 °C was observed to stabilize after 100 min, maintaining structural integrity. These findings validate the high-temperature performance of BF, paving the way for subsequent studies at the BFRP composite level, which will address structural optimization and fire-resistance strategies for PV rack and mount systems. This research provides a critical step toward improving the safety and sustainability of urban PV systems.
Machine Learning-Driven Topic Modeling and Network Analysis to Uncover Shared Knowledge Networks for Sustainable Korea–Japan Intangible Cultural Heritage Cooperation
Authors: Lee Yong-Jae , Park Sung-Eun , Lee Seong-Yeob
Published: December 2024

In this study, we provide a comparative analysis of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) research trends in Korea and Japan, aiming to uncover shared knowledge networks and potential areas for sustainable cooperation. We employ a mixed-method approach, combining machine learning-driven topic modeling using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and network analysis techniques, to examine a corpus of Korean and Japanese research papers on ICH. LDA topic modeling identified three primary themes: technology and ICH, safeguarding ICH, and methodologies and approaches in ICH research. Comparative analysis reveals distinct characteristics in each country’s approach. Korean research emphasizes practical applications of technology and policy-driven safeguarding strategies, while Japanese research leans towards theoretical exploration and cross-cultural comparisons. Citation network analysis further identifies influential papers and shared knowledge bases, underlining potential opportunities for collaboration. Key findings highlight the potential of technology for ICH preservation and promotion, the necessity of comprehensive safeguarding strategies, and the crucial role of community engagement. Our study suggests that by leveraging their complementary strengths and engaging in collaborative research, Korea and Japan can contribute to the sustainable safeguarding of ICH and foster a deeper understanding of their shared cultural heritage.