bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Continuous Karakoram Glacier Anomaly and Its Response to Climate Change during 2000–2021
Authors: Lhakpa Drolma , Fan Yubin , Cai Yu
Published: December 2022

Glacier mass balance is one of the most direct indicators reflecting corresponding climate change. In the context of global warming, most glaciers are melting and receding, which can have significant impacts on ecology, climate, and water resources. Thus, it is important to study glacier mass change, in order to assess and project its variations from past to future. Here, the Karakoram, one of the most concentrated glacierized areas in High-Mountain Asia (HMA), was selected as the study area. This study utilized SRTM-C DEM and ICESat-2 to investigate glacier mass change in the Karakoram, and its response to climatic and topographical factors during 2000–2021. The results of the data investigation showed that, overall, the “Karakoram Anomaly” still exists, with an annual averaged mass change rate of 0.02 ± 0.09 m w.e.yr-1. In different sub-regions, it was found that the western and central Karakoram glaciers gained ice mass, while the eastern Karakoram glaciers lost ice mass in the past two decades. In addition, it was discovered that the increasing precipitation trend is leading to mass gains in the western and central Karakoram glaciers, whereas increasing temperature is causing ice mass loss in the eastern Karakoram glacier. Generally, decreasing net shortwave radiation and increasing cloud cover in the Karakoram restricts ice mass loss, while topographical shading and debris cover also have dominant impacts on glacier mass change.
Evapotranspiration Characteristics of Different Oases and Effects of Human Activities on Evapotranspiration in Heihe River Basin
Authors: Wang Yuxuan , Ao Yinhuan , Li Zhaoguo
Published: December 2022

Evapotranspiration plays a decisive role in the whole oasis ecosystem and is an important factor to maintain the ecological stability of oases. To quantitatively analyze the evapotranspiration differences of oases at different scales and the expansion of urbanization, it is necessary to compare and discuss them at different time scales. In this study, the spatial and temporal characteristics of evapotranspiration of Zhangye Oasis, Jinta Oasis, and Ejina Oasis in the Heihe River basin were analyzed by using the remote sensing dataset of daily surface evapotranspiration of 100 m resolution from 2010 to 2016. The difference in evapotranspiration intensity in different oases was analyzed, and the influences of irrigation and urbanization expansion on evapotranspiration were discussed. The conclusion is as follows: Zhangye Oasis is the largest oasis in the area and, compared with other oases, due to the largest proportion of wetland and farmland in the underlying surface, the intensity of evapotranspiration is also the largest, reaching 650 mm/year on average. There is no obvious annual change; the range of evapotranspiration changes fluctuates between positive and negative 60 mm/year. Jinta Oasis began to decline after 2012; the evapotranspiration value dropped from 620 mm/tear to 560 mm/year, while Ejina Oasis showed a slight increase after 2014. In the irrigation stage, the evapotranspiration intensity increased significantly. Especially in the peak season of crop growth, the evapotranspiration after irrigation increased by 4 mm/day compared with that before irrigation. The evapotranspiration in urban and oasis areas is different in summer: compare that of 2010 with 2016—the evapotranspiration intensity of the expanding towns in the northeast direction decreased by about 50 mm/month, the northwest expanding towns decreased by about 110 mm/month. There was no obvious annual change in evapotranspiration in the urban area. With the expansion of urbanization, the evapotranspiration intensity in oases decreased. The results of this study provide some reference for the study of oasis irrigation activities and urbanization expansion.
Landmark-Based Scale Estimation and Correction of Visual Inertial Odometry for VTOL UAVs in a GPS-Denied Environment
Authors: Lee Jyun-Cheng , Chen Chih-Chun , Shen Chang-Te , Lai Ying-Chih
Published: December 2022

With the rapid development of technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become more popular and are applied in many areas. However, there are some environments where the Global Positioning System (GPS) is unavailable or has the problem of GPS signal outages, such as indoor and bridge inspections. Visual inertial odometry (VIO) is a popular research solution for non-GPS navigation. However, VIO has problems of scale errors and long-term drift. This study proposes a method to correct the position errors of VIO without the help of GPS information for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAVs. In the initial process, artificial landmarks are utilized to improve the positioning results of VIO by the known landmark information. The position of the UAV is estimated by VIO. Then, the accurate position is estimated by the extended Kalman filter (EKF) with the known landmark, which is used to obtain the scale correction using the least squares method. The Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data are used for integration in the time-update process. The EKF can be updated with two measurements. One is the visual odometry (VO) estimated directly by a landmark. The other is the VIO with scale correction. When the landmark is detected during takeoff phase, or the UAV is returning to the takeoff location during landing phase, the trajectory estimated by the landmark is used to update the scale correction. At the beginning of the experiments, preliminary verification was conducted on the ground. A self-developed UAV equipped with a visual–inertial sensor to collect data and a high-precision real time kinematic (RTK) to verify trajectory are applied to flight tests. The experimental results show that the method proposed in this research effectively solves the problems of scale and the long-term drift of VIO.
Operational State Recognition of a DC Motor Using Edge Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Strantzalis Konstantinos , Gioulekas Fotios , Katsaros Panagiotis , Symeonidis Andreas
Published: December 2022

Edge artificial intelligence (EDGE-AI) refers to the execution of artificial intelligence algorithms on hardware devices while processing sensor data/signals in order to extract information and identify patterns, without utilizing the cloud. In the field of predictive maintenance for industrial applications, EDGE-AI systems can provide operational state recognition for machines and production chains, almost in real time. This work presents two methodological approaches for the detection of the operational states of a DC motor, based on sound data. Initially, features were extracted using an audio dataset. Two different Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models were trained for the particular classification problem. These two models are subject to post-training quantization and an appropriate conversion/compression in order to be deployed to microcontroller units (MCUs) through utilizing appropriate software tools. A real-time validation experiment was conducted, including the simulation of a custom stress test environment, to check the deployed models’ performance on the recognition of the engine’s operational states and the response time for the transition between the engine’s states. Finally, the two implementations were compared in terms of classification accuracy, latency, and resource utilization, leading to promising results.
High Precision Feature Fast Extraction Strategy for Aircraft Attitude Sensor Fault Based on RepVGG and SENet Attention Mechanism
Authors: Jia Zhen , Wang Kai , Li Yang , Liu Zhenbao , Qin Jian , Yang Qiqi
Published: December 2022

The attitude sensor of the aircraft can give feedback on the perceived flight attitude information to the input of the flight controller to realize the closed-loop control of the flight attitude. Therefore, the fault diagnosis of attitude sensors is crucial for the flight safety of aircraft, in view of the situation that the existing diagnosis methods fail to give consideration to both the diagnosis rate and the diagnosis accuracy. In this paper, a fast and high-precision fault diagnosis strategy for aircraft sensor is proposed. Specifically, the aircraft’s dynamics model and the attitude sensor’s fault model are built. The SENet attention mechanism is used to allocate weights for the collected time-domain fault signals and transformed time-frequency signals, and then inject the fused feature signals with weights into the RepVGG based on the convolutional neural network structure for deep feature mining and classification. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve good precision speed tradeoff.
SmartCrawler: A Size-Adaptable In-Pipe Wireless Robotic System with Two-Phase Motion Control Algorithm in Water Distribution Systems
Authors: Kazeminasab Saber , Banks M. Katherine
Published: December 2022

Incidents to pipes cause damage in water distribution systems (WDS) and access to all parts of the WDS is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose an integrated wireless robotic system for in-pipe missions that includes an agile, maneuverable, and size-adaptable (9-in to 22-in) in-pipe robot, “SmartCrawler”, with 1.56 m/s maximum speed. We develop a two-phase motion control algorithm that enables reliable motion in straight and rotation in non-straight configurations of in-service WDS. We also propose a bi-directional wireless sensor module based on active radio frequency identification (RFID) working in 434 MHz carrier frequency and 120 kbps for up to 5 sensor measurements to enable wireless underground communication with the burial depth of 1.5 m. The integration of the proposed wireless sensor module and the two-phase motion controller demonstrates promising results for wireless control of the in-pipe robot and multi-parameter sensor transmission for in-pipe missions.
A Traceable Vaccine Supply Management System
Authors: Ai Yaohong , Chen Chin-Ling , Weng Wei , Chiang Mao-Lun , Deng Yong-Yuan , Lim Zi-Yi
Published: December 2022

Everyone should be vaccinated, but the eligibility and safety of the vaccine are always overlooked by most people. The outbreak of COVID-19 has led many countries to intensify the development and production of the COVID-19 vaccine. and some countries have even required universal vaccination against this epidemic. However, such popularization of vaccination has also exposed various flaws in vaccine management that existed in the past, and vaccinators have become more concerned about the effectiveness of their vaccinations. In this paper, we propose a blockchain-based traceable vaccine management system. First, the system uses smart contracts to store the records generated during the whole process, from vaccine production to vaccination. Second, the proposed scheme uses the Edwards-curve digital signature algorithm (EdDSA) to guarantee the security and integrity of these data. Third, the system participants can access the corresponding data according to their authority to ensure the transparency of the whole system operation process. Finally, this paper will also conduct a security analysis of the whole system to ensure that the system can resist potential attacks by criminals.
UAV-Based Volumetric Measurements toward Radio Environment Map Construction and Analysis
Authors: Ivanov Antoni , Muhammad Bilal , Tonchev Krasimir , Mihovska Albena , Poulkov Vladimir
Published: December 2022

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-empowered communications have gained significant attention in recent years due to the promise of agile coverage provision for a large number of various mobile nodes on the ground and in three-dimensional (3D) space. Consequently, there is a need for efficient spectrum utilization in these dense aerial networks, which is characterized through radio environment maps (REMs), the construction of which is an important research area. Nevertheless, due to the difficult collection of radio frequency (RF) data, there are limited works that are based on real-world measurement campaigns. This paper presents a novel experimental setup that includes a constellation of three UAVs, the communication signals of which are measured by a software-defined radio (SDR) mounted on a separate UAV. It follows a trajectory that defines the REM’s two-dimensional (2D) area on a plane, executed at four altitudes, to extend the REM to 3D. The measurements are then processed and their features (received mean power level, average difference of the mean power, percentage of meaningful correlations) are analyzed in the temporal, spatial, and frequency domains to determine the utilization of a 20 MHz band in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, as well as their variation with altitude. This analysis provides a base for research in reducing the amount of measurements (by identifying the regions of low and of high interest) and spectrum occupancy prediction for UAV-based communication coexistence.
Lateral Flow Test System to Control Total Content of Muscle Tissues in Raw Meat Products
Authors: Zvereva Elena A. , Hendrickson Olga D. , Dzantiev Boris B. , Zherdev Anatoly V.
Published: December 2022

Assessment of the composition of meat-containing products is the task in demand due to their frequent deviations from declared recipes. The paper presents the developed test system for immunochromatographic determination of total meat content. The assay is based on the simultaneous use of monoclonal antibodies, which specifically interacts with mammalian skeletal troponin I, and polyclonal antibodies, which specifically detect bird immunoglobulin Y. To integrate the detection of both types of meat by the same test strip, the antibodies are mixed in the analytical zone of the test strip and in complex with a gold nanoparticle label. The chosen ratios of the antibodies for both mixtures provide the same contribution of different types of mammalian and bird raw materials of muscle tissues to the label binding. The test system demonstrates suitability for products containing beef, pork, rabbit, lamb, chicken, and turkey meat. The minimal detectable content of meat in samples is 0.1%. The samples for the testing are diluted 100 times, thus eliminating matrix effects, and providing high reproducibility of the color intensity for extracts of different compositions. The obtained results allow the recommendation of the developed test system for rapid on-site control of meat products.
Analysis of the Impact of Invisible Road Icing on Selected Parameters of a Minibus Vehicle
Authors: Kurczyński Dariusz , Zuska Andrzej
Published: December 2022

The measurement of acceleration during vehicle motion can be used to assess the driving styles and behaviours of drivers, to control vehicle traffic, to detect uncontrolled vehicle behaviour, and to prevent accidents. The measurement of acceleration during vehicle motion on an icy road can be used to warn the driver about changing conditions and the related hazards. This paper presents the results of testing the motion parameters of a Ford Transit adapted for passenger transport in critical traffic conditions. It can contribute to the improvement of road safety. Critical traffic conditions are deemed in the paper as sudden braking, rapid acceleration, and circular vehicle motion at maximum speed maintainable in the given conditions. The vehicle’s acceleration and speed were measured during the tests. The tests were carried out with a TAA linear acceleration sensor and a Correvit S-350 Aqua optoelectronic sensor. The same test runs were conducted on a dry surface, a wet (after rain) surface and a surface covered with a thin, invisible ice layer. The objective of the tests was to determine the impact of invisible road icing, the so-called black ice, on the tested vehicle’s braking, acceleration, and circular motion. It was demonstrated that a virtually invisible ice layer covering the road surface has a substantial impact on the tested vehicle’s motion parameters, thereby affecting traffic safety. It substantially extends the braking and acceleration distances and requires the driver to reduce the vehicle’s speed when performing circular motions. A clear wet surface, representing motion after rain, did not substantially affect the analysed parameters. The obtained results can be used in traffic simulations and to analyse the causes of accidents.
Automated and Continuous Fatigue Monitoring in Construction Workers Using Forearm EMG and IMU Wearable Sensors and Recurrent Neural Network
Authors: Bangaru Srikanth Sagar , Wang Chao , Aghazadeh Fereydoun
Published: December 2022

About 40% of the US construction workforce experiences high-level fatigue, which leads to poor judgment, increased risk of injuries, a decrease in productivity, and a lower quality of work. Therefore, it is essential to monitor fatigue to reduce its adverse effects and prevent long-term health problems. However, since fatigue demonstrates itself in several complex processes, there is no single standard measurement method for fatigue detection. This study aims to develop a system for continuous workers’ fatigue monitoring by predicting the aerobic fatigue threshold (AFT) using forearm muscle activity and motion data. The proposed system consists of five modules: Data acquisition, activity recognition, oxygen uptake prediction, maximum aerobic capacity (MAC) estimation, and continuous AFT monitoring. The proposed system was evaluated on the participants performing fourteen scaffold-building activities. The results show that the AFT features have achieved a higher accuracy of 92.31% in assessing the workers’ fatigue level compared to heart rate (51.28%) and percentage heart rate reserve (50.43%) features. Moreover, the overall performance of the proposed system on unseen data using average two-min AFT features was 76.74%. The study validates the feasibility of using forearm muscle activity and motion data to workers’ fatigue levels continuously.
A Dual Cluster-Head Energy-Efficient Routing Algorithm Based on Canopy Optimization and K-Means for WSN
Authors: Wu Mei , Li Zhengliang , Chen Jing , Min Qiusha , Lu Tao
Published: December 2022

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are widely used in various applications, such as environmental monitoring, healthcare, event detection, agriculture, disaster management, and so on. Due to their small size, sensors are limited power sources and are often deployed in special environments where frequent battery replacement is not feasible. Therefore, it is important to reduce the energy consumption of sensors and extend the network lifetime. An effective way to achieve this is clustering. This paper proposes a dual cluster-head energy-efficient algorithm (DCK-LEACH), which is based on K-means and Canopy optimization. Considering that the K-means algorithm is sensitive to the location of the initial clustering centers, this paper uses both the dynamic Canopy algorithm and K-means algorithm for clustering. For cluster-head election, this algorithm uses a hierarchy to minimize the cluster-head burden and balance the network load. The primary cluster-head is selected by two objectives: the node’s residual energy and the distance from the node to the clustering center. The vice cluster-head is selected by the residual energy of the node, and the distance from the nodes to the base station. Simulator results show that DCK-LEACH significantly prolongs the energy-critical node lifetime and the network lifetime compared with existing protocols.
Capsule Phase Microextraction Combined with Chemometrics for the HPLC Determination of Amphotericin B in Human Serum
Authors: Manousi Natalia , Korpeti Anastasia , Kabir Abuzar , Furton Kenneth G. , Zacharis Constantinos K.
Published: December 2022

This article discusses the use of a sorbent-based microextraction technique employing a capsule device to isolate amphotericin B (AMB) from human serum before analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). AMB is a macrocyclic compound used for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. Before determining AMB in human serum by HPLC, a sample preparation step is required. Capsule phase microextraction (CPME) integrates the stirring and filtration mechanisms in a single unit, simplifying the sample preparation procedure. Moreover, it results in fast extraction kinetics and high extraction efficiency, while it has proved to be a powerful tool for bioanalysis. Different sol–gel sorbent encapsulated microextraction capsules were investigated, and sol–gel Carbowax 20 M was finally chosen as the basis for the microextraction device. Accordingly, the sample preparation protocol was investigated using a face-centered central composite design to achieve good extraction performance. The optimum protocol was validated in terms of linearity, selectivity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), precision, and accuracy. The linear range of the developed approach was 0.10–10.0 μg mL−1. The LOD value was 0.03 μg mL−1, and the LOQ value was 0.10 μg mL−1. Method accuracy (expressed as relative recovery) was 87–113%, while the relative standard deviation of the repeatability (sr) and within-laboratory reproducibility (sR) were <12.4%. The sol–gel sorbent encapsulated microextraction capsules were reusable for at least 10 extraction cycles. All things considered, the proposed method exhibited good overall performance, and it could be used in bioanalysis for quality control, therapeutic drug monitoring and research purposes.
Influences of COVID-19 Work-Related Fears and Anhedonia on Resilience of Workers in the Health Sector during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Maget Alexander , Lenger Melanie , Bengesser Susanne A. , Birner Armin , Fellendorf Frederike T. , Fleischmann Eva , Lang Jorgos N. , Platzer Martina , Queissner Robert , Ratzenhofer Michaela , Schönthaler Elena , Tmava-Berisha Adelina , Trojak Robert M. , Dalkner Nina , Reininghaus Eva Z.
Published: December 2022

Background: During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers worked under stressful conditions, challenging their individual resilience. Therefore, we explored the bidirectional influence of resilience and the factors of COVID-19 work-related fears and anhedonia in Austrian healthcare workers. Methods: Healthcare workers in Austria completed an online survey at two points in time. The first measurement started in winter 2020/2021 (t1), and a second measurement began approximately 1.5 years later (t2). One hundred and eight six individuals completed both surveys and were investigated in a longitudinal design. We applied the Resilience Scale, the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and a self-created questionnaire assessing COVID-19 work-related fears. We used a repeated measures analysis of variance and applied Pearson-Correlations as well as univariate and multivariate analyses of covariance. Results: Resilience was significantly correlated with COVID-19 work-related fears and anhedonia at both points in time in all participants. We found no significant differences for frontline vs. non-frontline workers at t1 and t2. Resilience decreased significantly over time. Limitations: Most subjects were examined cross-sectionally. Frontline workers were underrepresented in our sample. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of resilience in healthcare providers. Steps must be taken to maintain and promote resilience in healthcare workers. We suggest that the improvement of resilience, dealing with fears and uncertainty, and the ability to experience joy might have a beneficial influence on the respective other categories as well.
Research on the Evolution of Consumers’ Purchase Intention Based on Online Reviews and Opinion Dynamics
Authors: Zhang Na , Yu Ping , Li Yupeng , Gao Wei
Published: December 2022

Due to the development of the e-commerce platform and the internet technology, the inclination of consumers for online shopping is shooting up. To lure consumers and gratify consumers, it’s necessary for enterprise to explore and excavate the purchase intention evolution mechanism so that enterprises can customize the marketing strategies and get consumers to purchase products. Previous studies have shown that consumers’ purchase intention is influenced significantly by online reviews. However, the mechanism by which consumers’ real purchase intentions change when they refer to online reviews is unclear. In fact, the process that consumers browse online reviews is truly an opinion interaction process between recipients (consumers who buy goods) and reviewers (consumers who post online reviews). Interaction between opinions may lead to changes in consumers’ purchase intentions. Therefore, an opinion dynamics model, the Deffuant–Weisbuch (D-W) model, is introduced and improved to explore the dynamic evolution of consumers’ purchase intention. Firstly, online reviews are executed. Then, fuzzy quantification of sentimental opinion values is performed through trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Secondly, the improved D-W model is constructed considering the influence of the personality of recipients and the professionalism of reviewers on opinion interaction and the “negative bias” mechanism. Finally, a case study is constructed with online reviews of a cell phone by using the above method. In addition, sensitivity analyses are conducted for the personality coefficient of recipients, professionalism of reviewers, and size of heterogeneous consumers, respectively, through which, the validity of the proposed method is expounded. This study not only contributes to an in-depth discussion about the influencing factors of purchase intention, but also provides references for enterprises to better utilize online reviews to promote products and attract consumers.
Multifunctional Design of Vibrational Energy Harvesters in a Bridge Structure
Authors: Fernandez Lissette , Wojtkiewicz Steven F.
Published: December 2022

This paper aims to integrate vibrational energy harvesters into bridge structures in a holistic fashion that can lessen energy demands for safe bridge operation thus potentially increasing their sustainability. Computationally efficient methodologies, that target the locality of the connection of the harvesters, are utilized to determine optimal harvester frequencies that maximize the total power generation of installed vibrational energy harvesters. Previous findings from the authors indicate that a distributed configuration of harvesters can generate equal or more power than one traditional large harvester when attached to a building structure with total equivalent harvester mass. This paper investigates whether those findings also apply to bridge structures. Results from a cable-stayed bridge model equipped with two or more harvesters along its deck are presented and discussed. Distributed gardens are investigated as a means to integrate the harvester mass with the pre-existing bridge structure. It is found that an equivalent, slightly larger, amount of power is captured by the distributed garden design compared to a single pair of large harvesters placed near the center of the bridge. This performance is very promising as the distributed garden design would enable the enhancement of the structure’s aesthetics while also potentially creating ecological and environmental benefits.
How Do Mobile Wallets Improve Sustainability in Payment Services? A Comprehensive Literature Review
Authors: Hopalı Egemen , Vayvay Özalp , Kalender Zeynep Tuğçe , Turhan Deniz , Aysuna Ceyda
Published: December 2022

Easy access to the Internet, smartphones, and mobile-based banking change customer shopping intentions. As a crucial component of financial technology (Fintech), mobile wallets enable customers to shop via smartphones. Mobile wallets present a cashless transactional method, cost-efficient services, and traceable options that improve sustainability in payment services. Over the last decade, mobile wallet services have evolved and attracted considerable attention from customers and companies. Due to the need for a comprehensive mobile wallet literature survey, this article aims at filling this research gap by covering articles published between 2012 and 2022 over the Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases. A clear filtering policy was conducted to observe the related article topics. Thus, 128 articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were analyzed. Moreover, the articles were initially classified into three main groups, which was performed via scanning and categorizing all studies in the last ten years from different databases. In addition, the literature was systematically reviewed, providing a better understanding of mobile wallets and contributing to the literature by researching how this service can be improved for payment services with a focus on sustainability. The conducted literature review revealed that mobile wallets could be promoted in terms of environmental traceability, customer lifetime value, and security.
A Modified Multi-Level Inverter System for Grid-Tied DES Applications
Authors: Ahmed Sajjad , Saqib Muhammad Asghar , Kashif Syed Abdul Rahman , Hashmi Khurram , Aymen Flah , AboRas Kareem M. , Jasińska Laura , Leonowicz Zbigniew
Published: December 2022

Energy harvesting from renewable energy sources is trending in the world due to inventions in modern technology. This paper proposes a grid-tied single-phase modified W-type 81-level inverter. Inverter design equations to calculate various parameters, such as the number of voltage levels and the number of DC power sources, along with the feedback controller equations, are developed to integrate the proposed topology with an electric power grid. The modeling of the control system for the proposed topology is carried out in the synchronously rotating reference frame for single-phase systems. The PWM generation part of the proposed inverter system makes use of the binary search nearest level algorithm to efficiently track the grid voltage signal. The proposed system integrates the inverter with the grid without the need for an output filter. The efficiency analysis shows that the proposed system delivers active and reactive power to the grid with an efficiency of around 90% and a THD of 1.04%. The voltage and current waveforms for the dynamic active and reactive power flow reveal that the proposed system exhibits a good transient and steady-state response. The overall system is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink and the results are verified using a hardware implementation of the prototype circuit.
Evaluating Different Soil Amendments as Bioremediation Strategy for Wetland Soil Contaminated by Crude Oil
Authors: Jumbo Raphael Butler , Coulon Frédéric , Cowley Tamazon , Azuazu Ikeabiama , Atai Emmanuel , Bortone Imma , Jiang Ying
Published: December 2022

This study evaluated the efficacy of using Tween 80 surfactant (TW80) and food-waste anaerobic digestate fibre (FWAD) as soil amendments for the remediation of wetlands contaminated by crude oil. A 112-day mesocosms experiment was carried out to simulate hydrocarbon degradation under typical acidified wetland conditions. Soil was spiked with 50,000 mg kg−1 crude oil and TW80 and FWAD were added to mesocosms at 10%, 20% and 30% w/w. The soil basal respiration, microbial community dynamics, environmental stress, alkanes, and PAHs degradation were monitored throughout the mesocosm experiment. Amending the mesocosms with FWAD and TW80 enabled the recovery of the soil microbial activities. This was evidenced by soil basal respiration which was the highest in the 30% FWAD and 30% TW80 mesocosms and translated into increased degradation rate of 32% and 23% for alkanes, and 33% and 26% for PAHs compared to natural attenuation, respectively. Efficient total hydrocarbon degradation was achieved in soil mesocosms with 30% FWAD and 30% TW80 at 90% and 86.8%, respectively after 49 days. Maize seed germination results showed significant improvement from 29% to over 90% following the FWAD and TW80 treatment.
The Impact of TMT Experience Heterogeneity on Enterprise Innovation Quality: Empirical Analysis on Chinese Listed Companies
Authors: Ma Rao , Lv Wendong , Zhao Yao
Published: December 2022

High-quality innovation can solve the “bottleneck” problem of key enterprise technologies and drive the high-quality development of enterprises. Therefore, how to improve innovation quality has become a growing concern in the academic industry. In previous studies, the impact of TMT experience heterogeneity on enterprise innovation quality has not been well explored. Based on the panel data of Chinese A-share listed companies, this paper explored how TMT experience heterogeneity affects enterprise innovation quality. The following constitutes our findings: (1) TMT functional experience heterogeneity positively affects partner diversity to promote innovation quality, while industrial experience heterogeneity shows the opposite result. (2) Enterprise partner diversity partially mediates the relationship between TMT experience heterogeneity and innovation quality. (3) TMT technological participation positively regulates the relationship between TMT experience heterogeneity and enterprise partner diversity. This paper gave theoretical support for enterprises to play the role of TMT experience heterogeneity in enhancing innovation quality, and we extended the research on TMT heterogeneity based on empirical analysis. This study also provided new micro evidence for enterprises to use diverse partners to improve innovation quality.
Trends in Global Research on Seed Dispersal: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Liu Yuzhen , Li Caidi , Liu Wentin , Dong Quanmin
Published: December 2022

To understand the research trends and areas of focus of seed dispersal, a bibliometric study based on the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) databases of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) was performed. With the help of CiteSpace visualization software, a systematic analysis was carried out on 2911 publications from various countries in the field of seed dispersal. The activity index (AI) and attraction index (AAI) were used to evaluate the research effort and academic impact of different countries/territories in this field, and the global research progress and dynamic changes in research on seed dispersal were discussed. The number of publications on seed dispersal has increased rapidly since 1990, and research on seed dispersal is in the growth stage and has great potential. Ecology was the journal with the highest impact in this field, and ecology was the most popular subject category among the studies analyzed. The most productive authors in the field of seed dispersal are from Spain, and the most productive institution is in the USA. A keyword burst analysis showed that the new research frontiers were mainly concentrated on seed body size and the ecological network of seed dispersal. An in-depth analysis of seed dispersal research indicated that the increasing development of mathematical models related to seed dispersal creates an opportunity to study the processes of seed dispersal and their consequences.
A Novel Categorization of Key Predictive Factors Impacting Hotels’ Online Ratings: A Case of Makkah
Authors: Singh Harman Preet , Alhamad Ibrahim Abdullah
Published: December 2022

In the present Internet age, customers have turned to online booking websites to meet their demand for quality hotel services and convey their experiences. As hotels can survive and succeed by satisfying consumers and obtaining high online ratings, this research predicts the key factors impacting these ratings. The study analyzes online consumer review data gleaned from the popular Booking.com website for hotel ratings near the key religious heritage site in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The research applies the four-factor theory due to its importance in studying consumer satisfaction and prior non-application to the hospitality and tourism industry. This theory extended the two-factor theory to report four distinct sets of factors: satisfiers, dissatisfiers, criticals, and neutrals. Accordingly, the present research presents a novel categorization of key predictive factors and enriches the literature, which categorized factors as either satisfiers or dissatisfiers. Consequently, facilities and comfort are critical factors, while cleanliness, staff, and location are satisfiers; the value for the money spent is dissatisfier; the availability of breakfast and restaurants are neutral factors. The hospitality industry, specifically the hotel industry, can focus on characteristics of the four distinct sets of factors; various nations can leverage the findings to boost their hospitality and tourism sectors.
Opportunities in Identifying and Marketing Windsport Tourism Destinations: High-Resolution Wind Analysis
Authors: Vodopivec Martin , Konečnik Ruzzier Maja
Published: December 2022

Windsports (e.g., windsurfing, kiteboarding) can contribute to important tourist experiences at destinations with suitable natural resources. In the context of future tourism decarbonization, it is expected that many distant locations will become less accessible to Europeans, which will increase the attractiveness of nearby destinations. This study provides an analysis of the natural resources of European and nearby windsport destinations, which proves to be important physical evidence for windsport experiences. The high-frequency output of a long-term, high-resolution numerical atmospheric reanalysis (COSMO_REA6) was thoroughly analyzed using a method specifically tailored to windsports. This gives us unprecedented insight into the geographical distribution of wind resources in the period from May to September. The wind and temperature analysis recognizes the most known windsport locations and identifies several potential locations for possible windsport development. The trend analysis identifies potential changes in future wind conditions. Detailed wind analyses are of great importance to destination managers and marketers, as these could support strategic planning at the destination level, which is necessary for sustainable development. Furthermore, the study can guide windsurfers and kiteboarders in their future destination choices.
Archaeological Evidence for Community Resilience and Sustainability: A Bibliometric and Quantitative Review
Authors: Jacobson Matthew J.
Published: December 2022

Archaeology is often argued to provide a unique long-term perspective on humans that can be utilised for effective policy-making, for example, in discussions of resilience and sustainability. However, the specific archaeological evidence for resilient/sustainable systems is rarely explored, with these terms often used simply to describe a community that survived a particular shock. In this study, a set of 74 case studies of papers discussing archaeological evidence for resilience/sustainability are identified and analysed using bibliometric methods. Variables from the papers are also quantified to assess patterns and provide a review of current knowledge. A great variety of scales of analysis, case study locations, stressors, resilient/sustainable characteristics, and archaeological evidence types are present. Climate change was the most cited stressor (n = 40) and strategies relating to natural resources were common across case studies, especially subsistence adaptations (n = 35), other solutions to subsistence deficiencies (n = 23), and water management (n = 23). Resilient/sustainable characteristics were often in direct contrast to one-another, suggesting the combination of factors is more important than each factor taken individually. Further quantification of well-defined variables within a formally-produced framework is required to extract greater value from archaeological case studies of resilience/sustainability.
Do Charity or Non-Charity Sporting Events Have a Greater Influence on Participants’ Warm Glow?: An Experimental Survey
Authors: Chiengkul Watchara , Mahasuweerachai Patcharaporn , Suttikun Chompoonut
Published: December 2022

Although the literature shows that consuming pro-social products increases warm glow, a psychological factor that contributes to consumer experience and satisfaction, it is unclear whether participating in a charity sporting event results in the same outcome. This research addresses this gap by testing the effects of participating in charity running events and altruism on the warm glow of participants. A scenario-based survey was employed to collect data from 180 respondents who had previously participated in charity running events. Multiple regression analysis results showed that participating in a charity (vs. non-charity) running event increased participants’ warm glow. Altruism also had a significant positive impact on their warm glow; however, this effect was independent of the percentage of proceeds donated by the event to charity.
The Impact of the Low-Carbon Energy Concept and Green Transition on Corporate Behaviour—A Perspective Based on a Contagion Model
Authors: Wen Shuran , Cui Wei , Wei Guiying
Published: December 2022

With the globalisation of the economy and the increasing interconnectedness of individuals in the financial markets, companies implementing high energy consumption strategies have become more widespread due to the “herding effect” as they become more closely linked for development. In the context of carbon neutrality, the issue of how to reduce the spread of high energy consumption strategies and the issue surrounding the governance of corporate emissions have become a focus of research. This paper uses the improved SEIJRS infectious disease model to investigate the phenomenon of corporate high energy strategy infection, combined with optimal control theory, to provide a reference for governments and regulators to develop reasonable optimal prevention and control strategies.
Situation and Perspectives on Tin-Based Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Fan Yingxiao , Wu Yu , Xu Yang , Li Wenhui , Zhou Huawei , Zhang Xianxi
Published: December 2022

Perovskite solar cells have become the current research focus because of their high conversion efficiency and other advantages; however, the toxicity of lead used in them has raised environmental concerns. Tin-based perovskite materials have become the most promising alternative materials for perovskite solar cells because of their relatively low toxicity, suitable band gap and relatively higher energy conversion efficiency than perovskite materials based on other elements. In this article, the status of this rapidly growing field, authors’ output and cooperation, hot research topics, important references and the development trends of tin-based perovskite solar cells are identified and visualized using CiteSpace software. The main research fields are found to be optical properties, 3D–2D perovskite and perovskite solar cell conduction band materials. The mixed organic metal halide perovskite solar cell and the CsSnI3 semiconductor are identified as emerging trends for tin-based perovskite solar cells. Such contents in this article highlight the key points in the wide field of literature so it can be understood efficiently.
Circuit Football Training Customized for Young Players during and after the COVID Period
Authors: Păun Dan Gheorghe , Grigore Gheorghe , Păun Laurian Ioan
Published: December 2022

Football was, is, and (perhaps) will always be the most widespread sport all over the world. High performance means hard work for all players, regardless of age. In this respect, training methods are adjusted to the needs of modern football, converging towards the successful formation of players with good technical tactical, physical, theoretical, and psychological levels. In the context of the research, we chose to use a program based on the circuit method, which would lead to the re-adaptation of junior football players to performance demands after the COVID-19 pandemic period (which was very difficult for sports in general). The circuit method is a suitable factor for the current trends in modern football. Our research showed that the circuit method was consistent with the specific goals of football training for 10–12 year olds. The method proposed for this study was not new, but it was applied for the first time to children and juniors, considering their age characteristics and the requirements of the modern world. Its implementation involved using a literature review, active observation, and practical methods. The exercises used in the study were designed in compliance with the specifics of both the age of 10–12 years and the game of football played at this level. The paper demonstrates that the circuit method enables teachers and coaches to achieve the football training goals intended for this age.
Trajectory Following Control of Modern Configurable Multi-Articulated Urban Bus Based on Model Predictive Control
Authors: Shen Lu , Zhang Liwei
Published: December 2022

The configurable and multi-articulated urban bus is a new type of urban vehicle with the advantages of road vehicles and urban rail trains. However, its articulated and long body structure will bring about difficulties in steering control and trajectory following. Moreover, the following carriages easily deviate from their expected path, leading to the fishtailing and folding of the compartment. In this paper, we propose a generic framework that allows the rapid building of kinematic models for the new train. By introducing the MPC theory, we design a trajectory tracking controller for a multi-articulated vehicle with an arbitrary number of carriages. To verify our models, we establish kinematic models and a trajectory tracking controller for a multi-articulated train with different number of compositions in MATLAB. Under the double-lane-change track and serpentine road conditions, the trajectory tracking of the train is simulated. The influence of the number of carriages, velocity, and length of carriage on the trajectory tracking are further analyzed. The experimental results show the feasibility of our method. Our findings thus provide significant guidance for the design, actual configuration, and trajectory tracking control of the new multi-articulated urban bus.
Risk Factors for Adjacent Segment Problems after Posterior Instrumentation of the Cervical Spine
Authors: Yap Wayne Ming Quan , Tan Leanne Qiaojing , Loh Daniel De Liang , Kaliya-Perumal Arun-Kumar , Nolan Colum Patrick , Oh Jacob Yoong-Leong
Published: December 2022

Adjacent segment problems after cervical spine instrumentation are widely reported. They can range from asymptomatic adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) noted on radiographs to symptomatic adjacent segment disease and even instability. While ASD following anterior instrumentation is well studied, there is a paucity of literature on ASD following posterior instrumentation. We intended to identify the risk factors associated with ASD following posterior instrumentation, focusing on pre-operative and surgical parameters. Eighty-seven patients who underwent posterior instrumentation of the cervical spine were recruited. Clinical and radiological examination was performed preoperatively and up to 24 months postoperatively. The collected data included patient demographics, indication for surgery, sagittal parameters (cervical lordosis, C2–7 sagittal-vertical axis), technique of surgery, number of levels instrumented and fused, number of levels decompressed, and the level at which the instrumentation ended. Based on postoperative evaluation, ASD was found in 29.9% of the patients, of which, one patient was symptomatic and required reoperation. Even though, according to our univariate analysis, reduced pre-operative cervical lordosis and the indication of degenerative spondylosis seemed to significantly influence the occurrence of ASD, multivariate regression analysis did not identify any independent risk factors. We also noted that, even though patients may develop ASD after the instrumented fusion of the cervical spine, this may not necessarily develop into symptomatic adjacent segment disease requiring revision surgery.