bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green Extraction Techniques for the Determination of Active Ingredients in Tea: Current State, Challenges, and Future Perspectives
Authors: Koina Ioulia Maria , Sarigiannis Yiannis , Hapeshi Evroula
Published: February 2023

In recent years, the scientific community has turned its attention to the further study and application of green chemistry as well as to sustainable development in reducing the consumption of raw materials, solvents, and energy. The application of green chemistry aims to ensure the protection of the environment and to also, consequently, improve the quality of human life. It offers several benefits, both socially and economically. In the last few decades, new alternative non-conventional green extraction methodologies have been developed for the purposes of the extraction of active ingredient compounds from various raw products. The main objective of this literature review is to present the current knowledge and future perspectives regarding the green extraction of tea species in respect of the isolation of safe active biomolecules, which can be used as commercially available products—both as dietary supplements and pharmaceutical formulations. More specifically, in this literature review, the intention is to investigate several different extraction techniques, such as ultrasonic-assisted extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction with DESs, the microwave assisted-extraction method, and the reflux method. These are presented in respect of their role in the isolation of bioactive molecules regarding different tea species. Furthermore, following the literature review conducted in this study, the commonly used green extraction methods were found to be the ultrasound-assisted method and the microwave-assisted method. In addition to these, the use of a green solvent, in regard to its role in the maximum extraction yield of active ingredients in various species of tea, was emphasized. Catechins, alkaloids (such as caffeine), gallic acid, and flavonoids were the main extracted bioactive molecules that were isolated from the several tea species. From this literature review, it can be demonstrated that green tea has been widely studied at a rate of 52% in respect of the included research studies, followed by black tea at 26%, as well as white tea and oolong tea at 11% each. Regarding the determination of the bioactive molecules, the most utilized analytical method was found in the combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a photodiode array detector (PDA) and mass spectrophotometry (MS) at a usage rate of about 80%. This method was followed by the utilization of UPLC and GC at 12% and 8%, respectively. In the future, it will be necessary to study the combination of green extraction techniques with other industry strategies, such as an encapsulation at the micro and nano scale, for the purposes of preparing stable final products with antioxidant properties where, finally, they can be safely consumed by humans.
Social Media Affordances of Ephemerality and Permanence: Social Comparison, Self-Esteem, and Body Image Concerns
Authors: Kim Donggyu , Kim Soomin
Published: February 2023

Instagram provides users with different features, including posts and stories. Instagram post stays on the users’ feeds permanently unless the content is deleted. An Instagram story has an ephemeral nature as the uploaded content vanishes after 24 h. Through a survey of 224 respondents, this study explored individuals’ psychological constructs when using different Instagram features. Instagram usage pattern (i.e., use of different features (video, emoji, etc.), categories of content (food, selfie, etc.) that users usually post, reasons for editing photos (slim body, flawless skin, etc.), amount of time to create and upload a post/story), social comparison, self-esteem, and body image concerns based on the user’s perception of ephemerality and permanency were examined. Results demonstrated that the perception of ephemerality on Instagram stories were negatively related to social comparison and body image concerns. In addition, the longer the amount of time the user spent on posting either a post or story on Instagram, the higher the likelihood the user was to socially compare. Overall, the findings align with previous research suggesting that Instagram users who socially compare are likely to have lower self-esteem and higher body image concerns.
Reconceptualizing Activism through a Feminist Care Ethics in the Ontario (Canada) Early Childhood Education Context: Enacting Caring Activism
Authors: Richardson Brooke , Powell Alana , Johnston Lisa , Langford Rachel
Published: February 2023

While early childhood education (ECE) in Ontario has always had a vibrant social activist community, it is characterized by tensions within and between individuals and institutions at the minor (childcare centres, post-secondary ECE programs) and major (mainstream media, public policy) levels. ECE activism is further complicated by the fact that it often feels impossible/unsustainable within our existing patriarchal, neoliberal political structure. In this paper we, four ECE activists and leaders, turn to feminist care ethics (FCE) to reflect on our own activism experiences and imagine a different way of doing and sustaining activism in ECE. We insist that activism be understood as a relational process that bridges major and minor spaces (and everything in between) in a way that cares about, for, and with all those involved. We enthusiastically invite other to join us on this journey, exploring and navigating the beautiful awkwardness, discomfort, tension, and possibilities in caring for and with each other in major and minor political spaces.
Pretreatment of Biogas Slurry by Modified Biochars to Promote High-Value Treatment of Wastewater by Microalgae
Authors: Gu Zhiqiang , Zhang Qi , Sun Guobi , Lu Jiaxin , Liu Yuxin , Huang Zhenxia , Xu Shuming , Xiong Jianghua , Liu Yuhuan
Published: February 2023

High concentrations of contaminants such as ammonia nitrogen and organic matter in full-strength wastewater severely inhibit the growth of microalgae, contributing to lower biomass accumulation and contaminant removal efficiency. To overcome this limitation, modified biochars prepared from pine sawdust and sugarcane bagasse were used in this study as an adsorbent–desorbent for the pretreatment of wastewater to promote the growth of microalgae. The results showed that the two modification methods (acid/alkaline modification and magnesium salt modification) used in the experiment could increase the abundance of oxygen-containing functional groups. Moreover, magnesium salt modification could effectively improve the pore structure of biochar surfaces and increase the specific surface areas. Compared with the pristine biochars, the adsorption performance of the modified biochar was found to be significantly higher for nutrients in wastewater. The adsorption capacity of the acid/alkaline-modified pine sawdust biochar reached 8.5 and 16.49 mg∙g−1 for ammonia nitrogen and total organic carbon in wastewater, respectively. The magnesium salt modified pine sawdust biochar achieved a more comprehensive nutrients adsorption capacity of 15.68, 14.39, and 3.68 mg∙L−1 for ammonia nitrogen, total organic carbon, and total phosphorus, respectively. The mechanism of ammonia nitrogen adsorption was mainly the complexation of surface -OH functional groups, while the adsorption mechanism for phosphate was mainly the complexation of -OH and Mg-O functional groups and the chemical precipitation of MgO or Mg(OH)2 attached to the surface.
Measurement and Analysis of Light Leakage in Plastic Optical Fiber Daylighting System
Authors: Liu Kunhao , Zou Lianglin , Li Yuanlong , Wang Kai , Wang Haiyu , Song Jifeng
Published: February 2023

The daylighting systems via polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) plastic optical fibers have obvious cost advantages and have been widely studied. However, there is light leakage when PMMA optical fibers transmit concentrated sunlight, resulting in a transmission efficiency lower than the theoretical value. This research aims to quantitatively study the light leakage effect of PMMA optical fibers. Concentrated sunlight was used as the sunlight source instead of a monochromatic laser. An adjustable diaphragm was used to adjust the angle of the incident light, and the infrared filter and heat-absorbing glass were used to solve the overheating problem of PMMA fibers. The results show that when the incident angle is greater than 13°, the relative transmission efficiency of the fibers drops rapidly, which means that the light leakage deteriorates. The data also show that the angle of the output beam of PMMA optical fibers is ±30°, which is independent of the angle of the incident beam. Based on this conclusion, a PMMA optical fiber daylighting system with an incident angle of 13° was developed, which has higher transmission efficiency than previously developed systems. This study indicates that the angle effect of light leakage should be considered in the design of a plastic optical fiber daylighting system.
Pretreatment of Slaughterhouse Effluent Treatment Plant Sludge Using Electro-Fenton Process for Anaerobic Digestion
Authors: Siddiqui Mohd Imran , Farooqi Izharul Haq , Basheer Farrukh , Rameez Hasan , Isa Mohamed Hasnain
Published: February 2023

Sludge management is an integral process of an effluent treatment plant (ETP). This study aimed at using the electro-Fenton (EF) process for pretreatment of a cattle-based slaughterhouse ETP sludge to enhance biogas production from anaerobic digestion. EF-oxidation experiments were conducted in 0.5 L beakers with mild-steel electrodes, to study the effect of factors, viz., H2O2 concentration, current density and reaction time on soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) concentration, soluble extracellular polymeric substances (sEPS) concentration and volatile suspended solids (VSS) removal efficiency. This was followed by the quantification of biogas production from the raw and pretreated sludge in anaerobic digestion (AD). Experimental conditions for the EF process were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). At optimized experimental conditions, EF pretreatment resulted in an increase in sCOD and sEPS concentrations, from 0.91 g/L to 6.1 g/L and 0.18 g/L to 1.4 g/L, respectively. VSS removal efficiency was 68.1%. Batch anaerobic digestion studies demonstrated an enhancement in the specific biogas yield, from 110 NmL/g-VS to 460 NmL/g-VS.
Ground Response of Non-Coal Pillar Mining Panel
Authors: Zhu Hengzhong , Wang Huajun
Published: February 2023

The mining-induced ground response (MIGR) has a critical impact on safety management, the mining plan, and entry support. A clear understanding of the characteristics is the foundation of the MIGRs scientific control. This study is the result of the MIGRs development of the non-pillar mining panel with gob-side entry by roof cutting (GSERC). Comprehensive research of the in situ measurements, numerical simulation, and theoretical analysis to determine the ground response characteristics, including mining panel and GSERC, were implemented. The results indicate that the MIGR presents the characteristic of asymmetric development and that the ground response near the non-roof cutting side is more significant than that near the roof cutting side. The development stage of the entry convergence of GESRC can be divided into seven stages; the primary rapid development stage should be paid more attention to in the support process. The entry convergence rapidly increases to 275 mm, 380 mm, 410 mm, and 525 mm, respectively, for the roof cutting rib to the virgin coal rib, the roof near the virgin coal side, the roof of the middle section, and the roof near the cutting side. The hydraulic support end cycle resistance at the roof cutting side and the middle section of the mining panel with the value of more than 30.8 MPa is greater than that at the non-roof cutting side with the value of less than 26 MPa, which presents the asymmetric feature. The numerical simulation results regarding vertical stress development, vertical displacement, and horizontal displacement also presents the asymmetric feature. The MIGR division is divided into five divisions. Division II (the middle section of the panel) and division IV (the entry range near the roof cutting side) should be paid more attention to in the panel mining process. The results of this study can provide technical guidance and theoretical reference for similar engineering practices.
Shaping Frugal Innovation Processes, and Ensuring Security and Sustainable Development of Enterprises in the Environment
Authors: Woźniak Jacek , Wereda Wioletta Sylwia
Published: February 2023

This article discusses the importance of 28 different activities—aimed at shaping innovative processes, e.g., connected with costs and efficiency, employment, production waste, cooperation with external entities, innovation policy and regulations, social acceptance, as well as value management—in ensuring the security and sustainable development of enterprises in the environment. The objective of the study is to estimate the level of the importance of specific factors/activities related to shaping the frugal innovation processes in ensuring the security and sustainable development of enterprises, as well as the identification of the main groups of these factors/activities, and the comparison of enterprises in terms of the importance of these factors/activities in ensuring security and sustainable development. The study used both an inductive and a deductive approach. It used the cluster analysis (k-mean method), the analysis of descriptive statistics, and the following statistical tests: Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for one sample, Kruskal–Wallis test for independent samples, and U Mann–Whitney test for independent samples. In the study, four basic components were identified, which were used for subsequent quantitative verification of six research hypotheses. The study included 200 large enterprises from the most innovative sectors in Poland. The study showed that factors/activities related to the implementation of frugal innovation processes are of moderately high importance in ensuring the security and sustainable development of enterprises in the environment, as well as innovative enterprises that are dominated by entities characterized by the high importance of all factors/activities related to the implementation of frugal innovation processes in ensuring their safety and sustainable development in the environment. Furthermore, there are no statistically significant differences between enterprises in the importance of factors/activities related to the implementation of frugal innovation processes in ensuring the security and sustainability of these enterprises in the environment in the case of entities with different: lengths of service (i.e., the age of the enterprise), scale of operation, average annual turnovers, as well as profile of operation (i.e., the sector).
Determination of Factors Influencing the Behavioral Intention to Play “Mobile Legends: Bang-Bang” during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Integrating UTAUT2 and System Usability Scale for a Sustainable E-Sport Business
Authors: Ong Ardvin Kester S. , Prasetyo Yogi Tri , Robas Kirstien Paola E. , Persada Satria Fadil , Nadlifatin Reny , Matillano James Steven A. , Macababbad Dennis Christian B. , Pabustan Jigger R. , Taningco Kurt Andrei C.
Published: February 2023

The rise of mobile games during the COVID-19 pandemic era was evident, especially in Asia. One of the most popular online mobile games that has been evident across the world due to its live worldwide competition is “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” (MLBB). This study aimed to determine factors influencing the behavioral intention to play MLBB by utilizing the integrated model of UTAUT2 and System Usability Scale (SUS). A total of 507 MLBB players voluntarily answered an online questionnaire that consisted of 69 items. Through convenience sampling, the online survey was collected from November 2021–January 2022 from different social media platforms. Several factors such as hedonic motivation, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, perceived usefulness, security, perceived usability, facilitating conditions, social influence, habit, behavioral intention, and SUS were considered in this study. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), results showed that habit was the most significant factor in behavioral intention, followed by perceived usability, facilitating conditions, social influence, and hedonic motivation. In addition, it was evident from the results that when the mobile application is free and resources are available, then continuous patronage of the mobile application will be considered. In-game resources may be capitalized on by developers after gaining these habits and hedonic motivations among users. This is the first study that evaluated MLBB by utilizing the integrated models of UTAUT2 and SUS during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study could be beneficial for developers to entice users for team play and entertainment-based mobile applications. Finally, the model considered may be extended and applied to other mobile applications worldwide.
Relationships among Physicochemical, Microbiological, and Parasitological Parameters, Ecotoxicity, and Biochemical Methane Potential of Pig Slurry
Authors: Beily María Eugenia , Young Brian Jonathan , Bres Patricia Alina , Riera Nicolás Iván , Wang Wenguo , Crespo Diana Elvira , Komilis Dimitrios
Published: February 2023

Background: Pig slurry can negatively impact on the environmental, animal, and human health. Knowing the relationship between the organic and inorganic loads, pathogens, and toxicity allows identifying the main parameters to be removed or treated before final disposal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between the physicochemical properties, microbiological, and parasitological content, ecotoxicological effects, and biochemical methane potential (BMP) of pig slurries. Methods: Ten pig slurry samples at two production stages were characterized and a BMP test at two substrate/inoculum (S/I) ratios was conducted to compare the methane yields. Results: We found high content of Cu, Zn, quaternary ammonium, pathogenic microorganisms (E. coli and Salmonella), and parasites (Trichuris and Trichostrongylus). Toxicity on lettuce, radish, and Daphnia was observed with a slurry concentration greater than 1.35%. Positive correlations were found between toxicity on Daphnia and chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate, Zn, and Cu, as well as between phytotoxicity and COD, NH4, Na, K, and conductivity. The lowest S/I ratio showed 13% more methane yield. It was associated with high removals of COD and volatile fatty acids. Conclusions: We recommend using a low S/I ratio to treat pig slurry as it improves the efficiency of the anaerobic process.
Study on the Relationship between Agricultural Credit, Fiscal Support, and Farmers’ Income—Empirical Analysis Based on the PVAR Model
Authors: Wang Yinan , Xu Yujie , Chen Wenhui
Published: February 2023

The growth of farmers’ income is one of the most critical issues in China’s “Three Rural Issues,” and optimizing fiscal policy support and improving credit supply are crucial to improving farmers’ income. Based on the panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2003 to 2020, this paper develops a PVAR model in order to explore the relationship between agricultural credit, fiscal support for agriculture, and farmers’ income from a dynamic perspective, considering regional heterogeneity. The empirical results show the following factors for farmers’ income growth: (1) From the GMM estimation, the positive correlation between fiscal support for agriculture is stronger than that of agricultural credit. (2) From the impulse-response function, in the eastern region, the positive shock of agricultural credit is positively correlated in the short run, but it will be negatively correlated as that of fiscal support for agriculture in the long run; in the central region, the positive shocks of agricultural credit and fiscal support for agriculture are persistently positively correlated; in the western region, the positive shocks of agricultural credit are persistently negatively correlated, while fiscal support for agriculture will be positively correlated in contrast. (3) From the variance decomposition, agricultural credit contributes more to famer’s income growth in the short run, while fiscal support for agriculture contributes more in the long run. The policy implications for promoting farmers’ income growth include implementing regionally differentiated agricultural credit development strategies, reasonably enhancing fiscal support for agriculture, and optimizing the structure of fiscal support for agriculture.
Normative Corporate Income Tax with Rent for SDGs’ Funding: Case of the U.S.
Authors: Shimamoto Mihoko
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to explain the justification for taxing corporate rents as a funding source for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to calculate a normative corporate tax rate that takes into account rents for corporations, especially multinational corporations, and to recommend that the current corporate tax surcharge be used to finance social common capital. Considering global tax avoidance, we propose that many countries cooperate to raise their corporate taxes and finance SDGs. Aiming to calculate a normative corporate tax rate with rents for each country, we applied the total factor productivity method for calculating the markup rate, assumed long-term interest rates to be the marginal efficiency of capital, and developed a normative corporate tax rate calculation method. Using a Cobb–Douglas function in dynamic pseudo-competitive profit optimal conditions, we calculated the rents of 234 American corporations listed on the S&P 500 index. The normative tax rates from 1982 to 2014 for these companies are stable at 40 to 55%, whereas corporate income tax has gradually decreased from 40% to less than 30%. Thus, the amount lost due to the race to the bottom of corporate taxes can be used to finance the SDGs.
Social Services and Twitter: Analysis of Socio-Political Discourse in Spain from 2015 to 2019
Authors: Chaves-Montero Alfonso
Published: February 2023

The fundamental role of social networks in all areas of our lives and of social and political interactions is also very important in this new digital environment. The study focused on the analysis of tweets related to social-service issues published on Twitter during the different electoral campaigns in Spain from 2015 to 2019. The sample is 6728 tweets generated between 2015 and 2019 on the topic “social services” for quantitative analysis. In this analysis, we use the Gephi tool to observe how these messages flow on Twitter. The aim was to understand the socio-political discourse of different actors on social services in order to identify priority topics and networks for active Twitter profiles. The results show that users use Twitter for informal communication during the election period, focusing on messages, condemnation and positive evaluation to increase their visibility and influence.
5G Technology in the Digital Transformation of Healthcare, a Systematic Review
Authors: Cabanillas-Carbonell Michael , Pérez-Martínez Jorge , A. Yáñez Jaime
Published: February 2023

The world is currently facing one of the biggest problems related to health and the quality of healthcare. According to the goals outlined by WHO in the blueprint for sustainable development (SDG3), one of its objectives is to achieve universal health coverage and ensure a healthy lifestyle. In this regard, it is important to monitor and track the impact of applications that help address this problem. This systematic review provides an analysis of the impact of the 5G network on the use of apps to improve healthcare. An analysis of 343 articles was performed, obtaining 66 relevant articles, the articles were categorized into research conducted with fiber optic backbone network as well as future research. The main medical applications were identified as: telesurgery, mobile ultrasound, biosensor technology, robotic surgery and connected ambulance. In addition, it is classified and answer questions such as the most used to improve medical care and health quality, 5G-based applications used in media to improve medical care and health quality, databases and programming languages in telemedicine are the most used in 5G-based applications, the functionality available for telemedicine based on the use of 5G-based applications.
Proposal of a Method for Identifying Socio-Economic Spatial Concentrations for the Development of Rural Areas: An Application to the Apulia Region (Southern Italy)
Authors: Labianca Marilena
Published: February 2023

In the international debate, the relationship between sustainable management in agriculture and the enhancement of landscapes is recent and is discussed in various international agendas. These objectives are connected to a growing demand for sustainable agricultural practices, quality productions, and ecosystem services in which farmers and institutions play a strategic role. According to the literature and international guidelines, new functions, and territorial connections can produce added value, especially in marginal rural areas. In this study, the aim is to investigate the factors that allow potential spatial concentrations for sustainable rural development to be identified, placing the landscape at the center of the research. Starting from a literature review, we select specific indicators and variables and analyze them combining Principal Component Analysis and cartographic analysis. The method applied to a region of significant importance in Italy, Apulia, has highlighted the importance of specific factors and significant imbalances, especially in marginal municipalities. The method, applicable in different regional contexts, can represent a useful policy tool, especially in marginal rural areas because it allows us to identify the geography of socio-economic spatial concentrations, suggesting interventions and actions in line with international agendas, such as Common Agricultural Policy reform and Green Deal.
Consumer Satisfaction with the Online Dispute Resolution on a Second-Hand Goods-Trading Platform
Authors: Liu Yuru , Wan Yan
Published: February 2023

With the development of internet-related technology, more and more consumers are trading on second-hand platforms. However, due to the uncertainty of second-hand products, there are a lot of transaction disputes on the platform. It is important to efficiently solve the transaction disputes on the platform. Based on the comment data on social media, this paper systematically studies the public opinion towards the online dispute resolution of Xianyu, China’s largest second-hand goods-trading platform, using word-frequency analysis, theme analysis and sentiment analysis. The study found that online disputes mainly focus on the return and refund issues between buyers and sellers. Crowdsourcing online dispute resolution cannot completely solve all problems, and the platform is still needed to help solve disputes. Consumers are concerned about the convenience of the process operation and the fairness of the results of the crowdsourcing online dispute resolution, as well as the contact channels of customer service. The platform should prevent these situations in advance and avoid disputes from the source. Moreover, the platform should perfect the design of public review system and mechanism, broaden the appeal channels of platform customer service, and improve the platform dispute resolution mechanism. It is of great significance for the development of a second-hand goods-trading platform and the application of an online dispute resolution mechanism to mine the service evaluation and satisfaction factors of consumers on the online dispute resolution mechanism.
Research Assessment on the Supply and Demand for Forest Ecosystem Services: The Case of Zhuxi County
Authors: Liu Junti , Chen Wenhui , Li Aiying , Zhou Chencheng
Published: February 2023

A refined assessment of small-scale to medium-scale forest ecosystem services based on the unique geographical conditions of Zhuxi County provides a basis for decision-making to create a regional green development strategy for the county. The specifications for assessing forest ecosystem services (GB/T38582-2020) were followed to calculate the supply of forest ecosystem services in Zhuxi County using the physical quantity method and the value quantity method, and the demand was calculated using the standard value comparison method. The total supply value of forest ecosystem services in 2020 in Zhuxi County was 35,677,894,500 yuan·a−1. In terms of the value of each service, the value of water containment was the largest, accounting for 41.08%, and the value of forest recreation was the smallest, accounting for only 1.36%. The value per unit area of the local broadleaf–mixed forest in Zhuxi County was the largest, at 140,658.65 yuan·a−1, while the value of the fir forest was the smallest, at 89,181.32 yuan·a−1. The comprehensive supply–demand ratio of forest ecosystem services in Zhuxi County was 1.54, which means a moderate surplus; the supply–demand ratio of supply services was 1.27, which means a slight surplus; the supply–demand ratio of adjustment services was 1.34, which means a slight surplus; the supply–demand ratio of support services was 1.13, which means a slight surplus; and the supply–demand ratio of cultural services was 6.01, which means a high surplus. The supply–demand ratio of cultural services of forest ecosystem services in Zhuxi County was the largest and that of the support services was the smallest. From an overall perspective, the supply of forest ecosystem services in Zhuxi County in 2020 was relatively abundant and sufficient to meet local people’s demand for forest ecosystem services. In the future, some goals may include: (1) improving management capacity of forest resources and the quality of forest resources; (2) increasing the value of forest ecological services per unit area; (3) using mixed-forest planting to transform low-value tree species; (4) developing the supply capacity of forest ecological services; (5) enhancing the reprocessing industry of forest products; and (6) expanding the output of nonforest products. A good ecological defence must be established to achieve the sustainable management of forest resources.
Model Test Study on Natural Thawing Temperature Field of Artificial Ground Frozen Wall
Authors: Cai Haibing , Yang Longfei , Pang Changqiang , Li Mengkai , Lu Chanrui , Hong Rongbao
Published: February 2023

In order to visualize the evolution and distribution law of the ground temperature field during artificial freezing construction, an indoor model test study was carried out based on the independently constructed hygrothermal coupling artificial ground freezing test platform. The test results show that the soil temperature in the freezing process went through the three stages of a steep drop, a slow drop, and stabilization, the earliest closure position of the frozen wall was the intermediate point between two freezing pipes, and the thickness of the frozen wall on different sections showed Section 1 > Section 2 > Section 3 after 61 min of positive freezing. The soil temperature in the natural thawing process went through the four stages of a rapid rise, short hysteresis, a second rapid rise, and a linear slow rise. By fitting the test data, the distribution function of the pipe wall temperature along the pipe length under natural thawing conditions was obtained. The research results can provide a valid basis for the numerical calculation model of a three-dimensional non-uniform natural thawing temperature field and can also provide a reference for the design of settlement grouting under natural thawing conditions.
Research on the Evolution of the Governance Logic of Ethnic-Minority Villages from the Perspective of Tourism Development—A Case Study of Longjing Village, Guizhou Province
Authors: Fan Haiqin , Li Xiang
Published: February 2023

The governance of ethnic communities is an important part of the national governance system. The development of tourism has changed the social basis of traditional ethnic-minority villages and has consequently effected a change in village community governance logic. Using Longjing Village as an example, this paper analyzes its governance logic from the perspective of diachronic and synchronic dimensions through non-participatory observation and in-depth interviews. The results show evolution processes from diachronic development, which involves the change of the governance subject, the material environment, and the minority culture; and synchronic development, which involves the process of government leading, market embedding, conscious resident participation, active tourist integration, etc. The study found that tourism development promoted reconstruction of the order of ethnic villages, generated local capital through minority culture, and provided an industrial basis for the governance of ethnic-minority villages. An effective way to realize the governance of ethnic-minority villages is by the means of distributing benefit reasonably between stakeholders, rationally constructing village public space, and shaping villages’ collective memory and cultural identity in tourist destinations.
Sustainable Use of Extracts of Some Plants Growing in Ethiopia for the Formulation of Herbal Shampoo and Its Antimicrobial Evaluation
Authors: Godeto Yakob Godebo , Bachheti Rakesh Kumar , Bachheti Archana , Saini Seema , Wabaidur Saikh M. , Mohammed Abdallah A. A. , Širić Ivan , Kumar Pankaj , Abou Fayssal Sami , Rai Nishant
Published: February 2023

Shampoo prepares surfactants to remove dirt, surface grease, and skin debris from hair, shaft, and scalp without harming the user. This study aimed to formulate herbal shampoo using Ethiopian plant extracts and evaluate their quality parameters. Herbal shampoos were formulated using seed oil extracts of Lepidium sativum L. and Ricinus communis L., and essential oil extracts of Lippia adeonsis Hochst ex. Walp koseret, along with other ingredients. The formulated herbal shampoos were evaluated for their organoleptic and physicochemical properties such as pH, surface tension, viscosity, dirt dispersion, antimicrobial activities, and stability. When the investigation data were assessed, the formulations were pleasant and attractive, produced sufficient foam, and showed suitable cleansing activities. The pH values were in a range 5.90 ± 0.22–7.45 ± 0.19, and lower surface tension (23.39 ± 0.20–31.89 ± 1.04 dyne/cm) together with acceptable viscosity with good shearing properties were obtained. The formulated products exhibited good antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Aspergillus niger. When the surface morphologies of hair samples were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a clean and smooth surface was observed for treated samples, comparable to that of the marketed shampoo. This result indicated that the formulated herbal shampoo is good, having acceptable properties at par with commercially available shampoos. However, further investigation, research, and development are required to improve its quality and safety.
Wind Power Converter Fault Diagnosis Using Reduced Kernel PCA-Based BiLSTM
Authors: Attouri Khadija , Mansouri Majdi , Hajji Mansour , Kouadri Abdelmalek , Bouzrara Kais , Nounou Hazem
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we present a novel and effective fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) method for a wind energy converter (WEC) system with a nominal power of 15 KW, which is designed to significantly reduce the complexity and computation time and possibly increase the accuracy of fault diagnosis. This strategy involves three significant steps: first, a size reduction procedure is applied to the training dataset, which uses hierarchical K-means clustering and Euclidean distance schemes; second, both significantly reduced training datasets are utilized by the KPCA technique to extract and select the most sensitive and significant features; and finally, in order to distinguish between the diverse WEC system operating modes, the selected features are used to train a bidirectional long-short-term memory classifier (BiLSTM). In this study, various fault scenarios (short-circuit (SC) faults and open-circuit (OC) faults) were injected, and each scenario comprised different cases (simple, multiple, and mixed faults) on different sides and locations (generator-side converter and grid-side converter) to ensure a comprehensive and global evaluation. The obtained results show that the proposed strategy for FDD via both applied dataset size reduction methods not only improves the accuracy but also provides an efficient reduction in computation time and storage space.
Alginate-Based Sustainable Green Composites of Polymer and Reusable Birm for Mitigation of Malachite Green Dye: Characterization and Application for Water Decontamination
Authors: Iqbal Nida , Al-Hussain Sami A. , Batool Fozia , Mumtaz Amina , Irfan Ali , Noreen Sobia , Mustaqeem Muhammad , Zaki Magdi E. A.
Published: February 2023

Environmental sustainability appraisal of adsorption for exclusion of the malachite green toxic dye was the center of attention in this work. The influenced goals were to analyze the consequences of novel composites fabricated by sodium alginate with guar gum and birm (SA@GG@B composites) by ion gelation. This work not only explains the feasibility of the sorbent and its application for the removal of dye stuff but also proclaimed various effects of different parameters affecting the removal efficiency. Adsorption processes were carried out in the batch process. The composite was characterized by SEM, which revealed that the irregular surface of composites has pores present for high adsorption, FTIR (for functional groups detection) reveals the presence of –OH group which provides attachment sites for dye, and BET (surface analysis) with a surface area of 5.01 m2/g shows that it has a wide surface area for greater adsorption process. Adsorption was performed on synthetic composites by varying different parameters like contact time, the concentration of sorbent and sorbate, and pH. Maximum adsorption was achieved (92.7%) at 100 ppm initial concentration, 120 min interaction time, and pH 9. Adsorption isotherms (Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubnin, and Elvoich isotherm) were applied in this work and evaluated the adsorption phenomenon and nature of adsorption. Freundlich adsorption capacity KF (9.45) reveals effective adsorption of dye by the proposed adsorbent. The kinetics models show that it was better with the pseudo-second-order reaction. Effective removal of malachite green by synthesized composites reveals their importance for the industrial water purification from hazardous dyes.
The Problem of Reliability in Public Transport for the Metropolis GMZ Area-Pilots Studies
Authors: Gaschi-Uciecha Agnieszka
Published: February 2023

Ensuring the sustainable development of transportation whether it involves a country, a city or a metropolitan area is becoming a priority for modern Europe. Therefore, the development of sustainable transportation is crucial in cities. It should aim to increase the number of trips made by public transportation while minimizing social costs and negative environmental impacts. The intensive development of cities from industrial to service-based and the phenomenon of suburbanization require changes in public transport services. Often, however, carriers do not change existing lines and stops and schedules justifying this by passenger habits. This approach can cause a mismatch between the availability of public transportation services and the demand for these services. Therefore, planning and improving the public transportation system should be based on careful analysis. There are different approaches to this problem. The article uses the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) method to assess service quality, including reliability, where the main measurement tool was a survey questionnaire. A pilot studies has been conducted to present the opinion of residents of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowskiej Metropolis (GZM) on specific parameters of public transportation. The GZM is a large metropolitan area in the Silesian province, consisting of 41 municipalities. The metropolitan area is inhabited by more than 2.3 million people and covers an area of about 2550 square kilometers. The results of the pilot studies are a contribution to further research and may be useful to understand the essence of reliability in public transport.
How to Measure Sustainability? An Open-Data Approach
Authors: Ziegler David , Wolff Sebastian , Agu Ana-Beatrice , Cortiana Giorgio , Umair Muhammad , Durfort Flore de , Neumann Esther , Walther Georg , Kristiansen Jakob , Lienkamp Markus
Published: February 2023

Determining quantitative sustainable development metrics can be difficult and requires a high effort in manual data acquisition on an institutional level, like the Word Bank or the United Nations, without adequately reflecting reality. To overcome the lack of a transparent and scalable method, which links local actions to global sustainability metrics, the Sustainability Mirror connects the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with publicly and locally available data to proxy SDG metrics. By applying the approach to Germany, we calculated eight SDG metrics on a regional level. Comparing our results to two German cities, we show that the Sustainability Mirror reflects economic and ecological sustainability measures. Furthermore, we demonstrate the mirror’s scalability and spatial resolution by applying the method to each German county. Presenting a proof-of-concept, we show that proxy data can link local and global sustainability metrics. However, further research should include more social sustainability topics. Finally, we are sure our approach and its implementations can contribute to a continuous assessment of spatial and temporal spreads and changes in SDG metrics.
Voice Pathology Detection Using a Two-Level Classifier Based on Combined CNN–RNN Architecture
Authors: Ksibi Amel , Hakami Nada Ali , Alturki Nazik , Asiri Mashael M. , Zakariah Mohammed , Ayadi Manel
Published: February 2023

The construction of an automatic voice pathology detection system employing machine learning algorithms to study voice abnormalities is crucial for the early detection of voice pathologies and identifying the specific type of pathology from which patients suffer. This paper’s primary objective is to construct a deep learning model for accurate speech pathology identification. Manual audio feature extraction was employed as a foundation for the categorization process. Incorporating an additional piece of information, i.e., voice gender, via a two-level classifier model was the most critical aspect of this work. The first level determines whether the audio input is a male or female voice, and the second level determines whether the agent is pathological or healthy. Similar to the bulk of earlier efforts, the current study analyzed the audio signal by focusing solely on a single vowel, such as /a/, and ignoring phrases and other vowels. The analysis was performed on the Saarbruecken Voice Database,. The two-level cascaded model attained an accuracy and F1 score of 88.84% and 87.39%, respectively, which was superior to earlier attempts on the same dataset and provides a steppingstone towards a more precise early diagnosis of voice complications.
Circular Economy 4.0 Evaluation Model for Urban Road Infrastructure Projects, CIROAD
Authors: Piñones Pablo , Derpich Ivan , Venegas Ricardo
Published: February 2023

This paper provides a multicriteria evaluation model, based on the AHP methodology for the evaluation of the Circular Economy 4.0’s, which develops the metric called “Circularity indicator for urban road projects (CIROAD)”. The main contribution of this work is to provide a measurement scale specifically designed for urban road infrastructure projects. It is a useful tool to assess the degree of implementation of the principles of the Circular Economy (CE) and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (I4.0) in an integrated manner in these types of projects, generating valuable information for all stakeholders and contributing to the objective of accelerating the transition towards a Circular Economy 4.0 model in the construction industry. The model is defined with twenty-five sub-criteria and seven general criteria, which are: (1) Circular Materials; (2) Circular Design Approaches; (3) Circular Construction Approaches; (4) Circular Operation Approaches; (5) Approaches to Deconstruction and Resource Recovery; (6) Social Value Creation; and (7) Economic Performance. The developed CIROAD model was applied to three projects in the urban transport area of the Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (MINVU/SERVIU) in the Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM). In these three projects, low performance was observed in terms of CIROAD scores (between 21% and 28% of a maximum of 100%); that is, there is a significant opportunity for improvement by incorporating more circular practices in the development of projects by the studied organization. To accelerate the transition to a circular economy model in the development of its projects, it is proposed that the organization prioritize improving the following circular practices (in order of importance): (1) the design of pavements with environmental criteria; (2) preserving value; (3) conducting cost–benefit analysis (CBA) of waste management; (4) environmental declaration of materials (EPD); (5) the used of recycled materials; and (6) BIM-based design. Finally, the suggestion for the organization in charge of these projects is to use the developed CIROAD model as a tool to support decision making regarding the prioritization of its project portfolio. That is, the organization should use CIROAD to generate a ranking score for each project and allocate resources for investment in the initiatives that show the best circularity performances, as estimated by CIROAD.
Examining the Optimal Choice of SEM Statistical Software Packages for Sustainable Mathematics Education: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sakaria Darmaraj , Maat Siti Mistima , Mohd Matore Mohd Effendi Ewan
Published: February 2023

Intending to analyze structural relationships between measured variables and latent constructs, researchers tend to adopt structural equation modeling (SEM) through either “covariance-based SEM” (CB-SEM) or “variance-based SEM” (VB-SEM)/“partial least squares SEM” (PLS-SEM) by using numerous statistical applications. Nevertheless, the reviews on understanding the optimal choice of proprietary statistical software packages in SEM approaches are scarce despite its immense importance in sustaining education. Therefore, a systematic review would be obligated to scrutinize the empirical studies to fill this gap. By employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a total of 47 publications that met the inclusion criteria were obtained. To extract articles from August 2018 to 2022, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) databases were adopted. The findings imply that six types of proprietary statistical software packages emerged as an optimal choice: Lisrel, Amos, Mplus, SmartPLS, R package (plspm), and WarpPLS. Despite the widespread usage of a variety of statistical applications, SmartPLS and AMOS were rigorously utilized in VB-SEM/PLS-SEM and CB-SEM, respectively. This review is important for practitioners to discover which statistical tools are relevant to use and to identify gaps in order to sustain mathematics education for the future.