bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Boosting Immunity and Management against Wheat Fusarium Diseases by a Sustainable, Circular Nanostructured Delivery Platform
Authors: Francesconi Sara , Ronchetti Riccardo , Camaioni Emidio , Giovagnoli Stefano , Sestili Francesco , Palombieri Samuela , Balestra Giorgio Mariano
Published: March 2023

Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Fusarium crown rot (FCR) are managed by the application of imidazole fungicides, which will be strictly limited by 2030, as stated by the European Green Deal. Here, a novel and eco-sustainable nanostructured particle formulation (NPF) is presented by following the principles of the circular economy. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and resistant starch were obtained from the bran of a high amylose (HA) bread wheat and employed as carrier and excipient, while chitosan and gallic acid were functionalized as antifungal and elicitor active principles. The NPF inhibited conidia germination and mycelium growth, and mechanically interacted with conidia. The NPF optimally reduced FHB and FCR symptoms in susceptible bread wheat genotypes while being biocompatible on plants. The expression level of 21 genes involved in the induction of innate immunity was investigated in Sumai3 (FHB resistant) Cadenza (susceptible) and Cadenza SBEIIa (a mutant characterized by high-amylose starch content) and most of them were up-regulated in Cadenza SBEIIa spikes treated with the NPF, indicating that this genotype may possess an interesting genomic background particularly responsive to elicitor-like molecules. Quantification of fungal biomass revealed that the NPF controlled FHB spread, while Cadenza SBEIIa was resistant to FCR fungal spread. The present research work highlights that the NPF is a powerful weapon for FHB sustainable management, while the genome of Cadenza SBEIIa should be investigated deeply as particularly responsive to elicitor-like molecules and resistant to FCR fungal spread.
A Study of Real-Time and Satellite Data of Atmospheric Pollutants during Agricultural Crop Residue Burning at a Downwind Site in the Indo-Gangetic Plain
Authors: Baghel Neelam , Singh Kirti , Lakhani Anita , Kumari K. Maharaj , Satsangi Aparna
Published: March 2023

Crop residue burning emits a variety of air pollutants that drastically affect air quality, both locally and regionally. To study the impact of crop residue burning, in the present study, concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5), trace gases (tropospheric ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) were recorded in Agra, a suburban downwind site. The study was conducted during the pre-harvest (15 September to 5 October 2021) and post-harvest periods (6 October to 10 November 2021). During the post-harvest period, PM2.5 concentrations were recorded to be three to four times higher than the NAAQ Standards (35 µg/m3), while O3 and VOC concentrations showed an increment of 16% and 30.4%, respectively. NOx and CO concentrations also showed higher levels (19.7 ± 7.5 ppb and 1498.5 ± 1077.5 ppb) during this period. Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), along with air mass backward trajectory analysis (HYSPLIT Model), were used to detect fire hotspots that suggested that the enhanced pollutant levels may be due to the burning of crop residue in agricultural fields over the northwest Indo-Gangetic Plain (NW-IGP). Field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM-EDX) analysis showed high K concentrations during the post-harvest period, which may be attributed to crop residue burning or biomass combustion.
Polymorph Stability and Free Energy of Crystallization of Freely-Jointed Polymers of Hard Spheres
Authors: Herranz Miguel , Benito Javier , Foteinopoulou Katerina , Karayiannis Nikos Ch. , Laso Manuel
Published: March 2023

The free energy of crystallization of monomeric hard spheres as well as their thermodynamically stable polymorph have been known for several decades. In this work, we present semianalytical calculations of the free energy of crystallization of freely-jointed polymers of hard spheres as well as of the free energy difference between the hexagonal closed packed (HCP) and face-centered cubic (FCC) polymorphs. The phase transition (crystallization) is driven by an increase in translational entropy that is larger than the loss of conformational entropy of chains in the crystal with respect to chains in the initial amorphous phase. The conformational entropic advantage of the HCP polymer crystal over the FCC one is found to be ΔschHCP−FCC≈0.331×10−5k per monomer (expressed in terms of Boltzmann’s constant k). This slight conformational entropic advantage of the HCP crystal of chains is by far insufficient to compensate for the larger translational entropic advantage of the FCC crystal, which is predicted to be the stable one. The calculated overall thermodynamic advantage of the FCC over the HCP polymorph is supported by a recent Monte Carlo (MC) simulation on a very large system of 54 chains of 1000 hard sphere monomers. Semianalytical calculations using results from this MC simulation yield in addition a value of the total crystallization entropy for linear, fully flexible, athermal polymers of Δs≈0.93k per monomer.
Biocompatibility Study of Hydrogel Biopolymer Scaffold with Encapsulated Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Egorikhina Marfa N. , Timofeeva Lidia B. , Linkova Daria D. , Rubtsova Yulia P. , Bugrova Marina L. , Charykova Irina N. , Ryabkov Maxim G. , Kobyakova Irina I. , Farafontova Ekaterina A. , Aleynik Diana Y.
Published: March 2023

One of the key and actively developing areas of regenerative medicine is tissue-engineering. There is no doubt that the use of tissue-engineering products can have a significant impact on the efficiency of repair of damaged tissues and organs. However, before being used in clinical practice, tissue-engineering products require thorough preclinical studies to confirm their safety and efficacy, both with in vitro models and in experimental animals. This paper presents preclinical studies of a tissue-engineered construct, based on a hydrogel biopolymer scaffold carrier (consisting of blood plasma cryoprecipitate and collagen) with encapsulated mesenchymal stem cells, to evaluate its biocompatibility in vivo. The results were analyzed using histomorphology and transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that when implanted into animal (rat) tissues, the implants were completely replaced by connective tissue components. We also confirmed that no acute inflammation occurred in response to the scaffold implantation. The observed processes of cell recruitment to the scaffold from the surrounding tissues, the active formation of collagen fibers and the absence of acute inflammation testified that the regeneration process was ongoing in the implantation area. Thus, the presented tissue-engineered construct shows promise for becoming an effective tool for regenerative medicine in the future and may be used, in particular, to repair soft tissues.
Characterisation of Polypropylene Composite Reinforced with Chemi-Thermomechanical Pulp from Oil Palm Trunk via Injection Moulding Process
Authors: Lee Chuan Li , Chin Kit Ling , H’ng Paik San , Khoo Pui San , Hafizuddin Mohd Sahfani
Published: March 2023

As the products made from wood–plastic composites (WPCs) become more sophisticated and required more detail profiles, the injection moulding processing method with wood pulp as the reinforcing material is the answer to cater to the rapid change and demands of composite products. The general objective of this study was to study the effects of the material formulation, as well as the injection moulding process parameters, on the properties of a polypropylene composite reinforced with chemi-thermomechanical pulp from oil palm trunks (PP/OPTP composite) via the injection moulding process. The PP/OPTP composite with a material formulation of 70% pulp/26% PP/4% Exxelor PO produced using injection moulding at 80 °C as the mould temperature and with 50 tonnes of injection pressure exhibited the highest physical and mechanical properties. The increment loading of pulp increased the water absorption capacity of the composite. Higher loading of the coupling agent effectively reduced the water absorption capacity and increased the flexural strength of the composite. The increase in mould temperature from unheated to 80 °C prevented excessive heat loss of the flowing material, which enabled the molten material to flow better and filled up all cavities in the mould. The increased injection pressure slightly improved the physical properties of the composite, but the effect on the mechanical properties was insignificant. For the future development of WPCs, further studies should be focused on the viscosity behaviour, as a greater understanding of the processing parameters’ effects on the PP/OPTP’s viscosity behaviour will lead to improved product design and enable great potential usage of WPCs.
Eggshell Membrane as a Biomaterial for Bone Regeneration
Authors: Torres-Mansilla Adriana , Hincke Maxwell , Voltes Ana , López-Ruiz Elena , Baldión Paula Alejandra , Marchal Juan Antonio , Álvarez-Lloret Pedro , Gómez-Morales Jaime
Published: March 2023

The physicochemical features of the avian eggshell membrane play an essential role in the process of calcium carbonate deposition during shell mineralization, giving rise to a porous mineralized tissue with remarkable mechanical properties and biological functions. The membrane could be useful by itself or as a bi-dimensional scaffold to build future bone-regenerative materials. This review focuses on the biological, physical, and mechanical properties of the eggshell membrane that could be useful for that purpose. Due to its low cost and wide availability as a waste byproduct of the egg processing industry, repurposing the eggshell membrane for bone bio-material manufacturing fulfills the principles of a circular economy. In addition, eggshell membrane particles have has the potential to be used as bio-ink for 3D printing of tailored implantable scaffolds. Herein, a literature review was conducted to ascertain the degree to which the properties of the eggshell membrane satisfy the requirements for the development of bone scaffolds. In principle, it is biocompatible and non-cytotoxic, and induces proliferation and differentiation of different cell types. Moreover, when implanted in animal models, it elicits a mild inflammatory response and displays characteristics of stability and biodegradability. Furthermore, the eggshell membrane possesses a mechanical viscoelastic behavior comparable to other collagen-based systems. Overall, the biological, physical, and mechanical features of the eggshell membrane, which can be further tuned and improved, make this natural polymer suitable as a basic component for developing new bone graft materials.
An Attempt to Understand Stainless 316 Powders for Cold-Spray Deposition
Authors: Karmarkar Neeraj S. , Varadaraajan Vikram V. , Mohanty Pravansu S. , Nagendiran Sharan Kumar
Published: March 2023

Cold gas dynamic spray (CS) is a unique technique for depositing material using high-strain-rate solid-state deformation. A major challenge for this technique is its dependence on the powder’s properties, and another is the lack of standards for assessing them between lots and manufacturers. The motivation of this research was to understand the variability in powder atomization techniques for stainless steel powders and their subsequent properties for their corresponding impacts on CS. A drastic difference (~30%) was observed in the deposition efficiencies (DEs) of unaltered, spherical and similar sized stainless steel (316) powders produced using centrifugal (C.A) and traditional gas atomization (G.A) techniques. The study highlights more the differences on a precursor level. Using recent advancements in large scale statistical measurements, such as laser diffraction shape analysis and µCT scanning; and traditional methods, such as EBSD and nanoindentation, an attempt was made to understand the powder’s properties. Insights on powder size and shape were documented. Significant differences were observed between C.A and G.A powders in terms of grain size, fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) and nanohardness. The outcomes of this study should be helpful for understanding the commercialization of the cold-spray process for bulk manufacturing of powder precursors.
Integrated Optimization for the Coupling Network of Refinery and Synthetic Plant of Chemicals
Authors: Yang Sen , Zhang Qiao , Feng Xiao
Published: March 2023

Synthetic plant of chemicals (SPC) consumes large amounts of hydrogen and carbon-oxides while refineries require high-purity hydrogen. Coal gasification (CG) and steam methane reforming (SMR) are common industrial hydrogen production technologies. Their gas products are essentially a mixture of H2, CO, and CO2. Therefore, such gas products can provide both syngas for SPC and concentrated hydrogen for refinery through appropriate allocation. Based on the composition complementation of gas products from CG and SMR for their efficient utilization, this paper proposed an integration methodology for refinery and SPC coupling networks to conserve both fossil fuel resources and carbon emissions. A superstructure is established as a problem illustration and a nonlinear programming model (NLP) is formulated as a mathematical solution. A case study is performed, and the results show that the coupling network integration can save 19.1% and 20.2% of coal and natural gas consumption, as well as corresponding carbon emission and operation costs.
Management of Agricultural Water Containing Acetimidothioic Acid Pesticide through Catalytic Oxidation to Facilitate Reclaimed Water Recycling for Sustainable Food Production
Authors: Hassan Ehssan Ahmed , Tony Maha A. , Nabwey Hossam A. , Awad Mohamed M.
Published: March 2023

Agro-industrial discharge contains acetimidothioic acid, which is commercially named “Lanox 90” and is a widely applied insecticide in greenhouses, and the result is wastewater loaded with this insecticide. Treating such wastewater is a must to reduce the environmental impact as well as to facilitate the opportunity for water recycling. Thus, the present work introduced Montmorillonite (MMT) clay as a novel Fenton reaction source to treat wastewater loaded with Lanox 90 insecticide as a benign sustainable strategy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) supported with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the MMT sample. Response surface methodology based on Box–Behnken analysis was selected to optimize the parametric circumstances. The optimized parameters of the proposed technique were obtained at a pH of 2.6 with the addition of 0.8 and 854 mg/L of MMT and H2O2, respectively, to attain the highest predicted Lanox 90 removal rate of 97%. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the statistical data and displayed a significant quadratic model. Ultimately, the results reveal that the oxidation system is exothermic and has a non-spontaneous nature, and the reaction kinetics are categorized according to the second-order reaction kinetic rate. The results of the current study indicate the importance of MMT for treating wastewater. These results confirm the possibility of using oxidation technique as a suitable candidate for greenhouse effluent management to enhance the efficiency of water recycling for smart irrigation.
The Success Rate of the Adhesive Partial Fixed Prosthesis after Five Years: A Systematic Review
Authors: Santos Maria Catarina , Azevedo Luis , Fonseca Patrícia , Viana Pedro Couto , Araújo Filipe , Villarinho Eduardo , Fernandes Gustavo Vicentis Oliveira , Correia André
Published: March 2023

Objective: Evaluation of the success and/or survival rates of resin-bonded fixed partial dentures (RBFPDs) reported in the scientific literature with a minimum average observation time of five years. Materials and Methods: Search conducted in Pubmed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases in free-text format and MESH terms, until May 2021. The random-effects model was used for the estimated survival rate, percentage per year of estimated failure, and existing complications for the meta-analysis. Study heterogeneity was assessed by the inconsistency test (I2) and study quality by the Downs and Black scale. Results: Eleven articles were included, with 687 participants and 783 RBFPDs, with a mean observation time of 8.2 years, with success rates mentioned in three articles and survival rates reported in nine articles. A total of 142 failures were reported for 783 prostheses, the most frequent being debonding. The estimated failure rate was between 0.53% and 5.10% per year. The studies were of sufficient quality. In the meta-analysis, the survival rates showed a significant result (p < 0.001), with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 58.76%). Conclusions: Within the limitations of this research, mainly related to the heterogeneity of the studies and their quality, it seems possible to conclude that RBFPDs are a viable clinical option for the rehabilitation of patients with single edentulous spaces, mainly when using a single retainer and a zirconia-ceramic prosthesis.
Evidence of Copper and Iron Deposits of the Protohistoric City of Temesa
Authors: Vecchio Virgilio , Cannatà Maurizio , Proverbio Edoardo , Piperopoulos Elpida , Torrisi Lorenzo , Silipigni Letteria
Published: March 2023

With the name ‘Temesa’ (Latin Tempsa), the ancients identified a settlement located along the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, cited by sources as an international metal exchange emporium. The town is mentioned by Homer as being famous in the ancient world for the production of bronze, and in the I century A.D. Strabo wrote that there were rich copper mines near the city. Many years of study led to the recognition of Temesa as a complex urban system located between the Oliva and Savuto rivers, near Amantea. To confirm this hypothesis, we searched, in the surrounding rocky outcrops, for the presence of minerals useful for the extraction of iron and copper. Samples of 3 different rock stratifications were taken near the protohistoric settlement of Serra Aiello. The observation under an polarized reflected light microscope and the X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the presence of many minerals useful for the extraction of iron and copper in every sample. The heating of samples under both oxidizing and reducing conditions helped us to better quantify copper and iron minerals content causing, at the same time, the appearance of a marked paramagnetic behavior that could be associated with the presence of goethite. X ray fluorescence analysis showed a high concentration of iron and a low copper content.
The Production of Gypsum Materials with Recycled Citrogypsum Using Semi-Dry Pressing Technology
Authors: Alfimova Nataliya , Pirieva Sevda , Levickaya Ksenia , Kozhukhova Natalia , Elistratkin Mikhail
Published: March 2023

The search for ways to utilize and recycle industrial by-products is the basic principle that governs rational environmental management, synthesis of “green” materials, and appears as one of the main criteria for sustainable development in most countries of the world. Gypsum-containing waste (GCW) derived from industries, represents a large-tonnage product. The production of gypsum materials could be one of the ways to recycle GCW products. GCW from various industries can be used as an alternative to natural raw materials when producing gypsum binders. However, the features of GCW do not allow the production of a high-quality binder when traditional technologies are applied, so it requires the development of additional methods or the introduction of various modifiers to the binder system. One of the ways to increase the efficiency of GCW as a raw material for the production of gypsum binders is to apply a semi-dry pressing method, at reduced values of the W/S ratio of the binder. The objective of this research was to study the possibility of increasing the efficiency of GCW using citrogypsum for production of gypsum materials, by optimization of the mix design and by applying a semi-dry pressing method, using a lower pressure load at the molding stage. The mix design and technological parameters were optimized using mathematical planning of the experimental method. Parameters such as the amount of citrogypsum as an additive in the raw mixture, molding pressure, and water–solid (W/S) ratio were taken as input parameters of variation. To plot the relationship of the input–output parameters, the SigmaPlot software was applied, to analyze and demonstrate scientific and statistical data in the form of nomograms. It has been established that the use of the semi-dry pressing method with the optimal mix design and technological parameters, makes it possible to obtain gypsum samples with demolding strengths up to 2 MPa, and final compressive strengths up to 26 MPa. The incorporation of citrogypsum and the optimal W/S ratio of 0.25, results in positive effects, such as a reduction in the sticking properties of the mix during the demolding stage, and the homogeneity of compaction and visual appearance of the samples were also improved.
Mater dolorosa—Martin Luther’s Image of Mary of Nazareth: An Example in Lucas Cranach the Elder
Authors: Blanco-Sarto Pablo
Published: March 2023

Protestantism is usually thought of as rejecting the figure of Mary as a collaborator in Christ’s redemption. In Luther’s commentary on the Magnificat (1521), we can see that this doctrine would continue to evolve throughout his life, and would not always be free of apparent ambiguities. Luther extolled the figure of Mary, but at the same time he could not avoid reinterpreting her according to the presuppositions of the doctrine of justification and his theology of the Cross, and he understands the figure of Mary as a Mater dolorosa, as one who participates in a special way in the sorrow of her Son. Her union with the Saviour means she shares his pain. In these lines, we intend to look at the main points proposed by the German reformer in his new perspective on Mariology, and the possible influence of this change in spirituality on painting, for example, in The Crucifixion (1532) by Luther’s personal friend Lucas Cranach the Elder, and we propose a comparison with The Lamentation of Christ (1502), painted before the Reformation.
Quantifying Forest Litter Fuel Moisture Content with Terrestrial Laser Scanning
Authors: Batchelor Jonathan L. , Rowell Eric , Prichard Susan , Nemens Deborah , Cronan James , Kennedy Maureen C. , Moskal L. Monika
Published: March 2023

Electromagnetic radiation at 1550 nm is highly absorbed by water and offers a novel way to collect fuel moisture data, along with 3D structures of wildland fuels/vegetation, using lidar. Two terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) units (FARO s350 (phase shift, PS) and RIEGL vz-2000 (time of flight, TOF)) were assessed in a series of laboratory experiments to determine if lidar can be used to estimate the moisture content of dead forest litter. Samples consisted of two control materials, the angle and position of which could be manipulated (pine boards and cheesecloth), and four single-species forest litter types (Douglas-fir needles, ponderosa pine needles, longleaf pine needles, and southern red oak leaves). Sixteen sample trays of each material were soaked overnight, then allowed to air dry with scanning taking place at 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, and then in 12 h increments until the samples reached equilibrium moisture content with the ambient relative humidity. The samples were then oven-dried for a final scanning and weighing. The spectral reflectance values of each material were also recorded over the same drying intervals using a field spectrometer. There was a strong correlation between the intensity and standard deviation of intensity per sample tray and the moisture content of the dead leaf litter. A multiple linear regression model with a break at 100% gravimetric moisture content produced the best model with R2 values as high as 0.97. This strong relationship was observed with both the TOF and PS lidar units. At fuel moisture contents greater than 100% gravimetric water content, the correlation between the pulse intensity values recorded by both scanners and the fuel moisture content was the strongest. The relationship deteriorated with distance, with the TOF scanner maintaining a stronger relationship at distance than the PS scanner. Our results demonstrate that lidar can be used to detect and quantify fuel moisture across a range of forest litter types. Based on our findings, lidar may be used to quantify fuel moisture levels in near real-time and could be used to create spatial maps of wildland fuel moisture content.
Assessing Impacts of Flood and Drought over the Punjab Region of Pakistan Using Multi-Satellite Data Products
Authors: Ullah Rahat , Khan Jahangir , Ullah Irfan , Khan Faheem , Lee Youngmoon
Published: March 2023

The Punjab region of Pakistan faced significant losses from flash flooding in 2010 and experienced a multiyear drought during 1998–2002. The current study illustrates the drought and flood conditions using the multi-satellite data products derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) as well as the TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) satellites with high-quality resolution in the region of Punjab during 2010–2014. To determine the drought and flood events, we used the Vegetation Temperature Condition Index (VTCI) drought monitoring approach combined with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) to identify the warm and cold edges (WACE) in the provision of soil moisture as well as the VTCI imagery using the MODIS-Aqua data products. We assessed the 2010 flood effect on the four years (2011–2014) of drought conditions during winter wheat crop seasons. The obtained VTCI imagery and precipitation data were utilized to validate the drought and flood conditions in the year 2010 and the drought conditions in the years 2011–2014 during the winter-wheat-crop season. It is worth mentioning that over the four years (2011–2014) of the Julian day~D-041 year, the VTCI shows a stronger link with the accumulative precipitation anomaly (r = 0.77). It was found that for D-201 during the 2010 flood was the relationship was nonlinear, and in D-217, there was a negative relationship which revealed the flood timing, duration, and intensity. For D-281, a correlation (r = 0.97) was noted during fall 2010, which showed the drought and flood extreme conditions for the winter-wheat-crop season in the year 2010–2014. In regard to 2010, the Global Flood Monitoring System (GFMS) model employs the TRMM and TMPA data products to display the study region during the 2010 flood events and validate the VTCI results. This study’s spatial and temporal observations based on the observed results of the MODIS, TRMM, and TMPA satellites are in good agreement with dry and wet conditions as well as the flood runoff stream flow and flood intensity. It demonstrates the flood events with high intensity compared with the normality of flood with the complete establishment of flood events and weather extremes during the year of 2011–2014, thereby highlighting the natural hazards impacts. Our findings show that the winter wheat harvest was affected by the 2010 monsoon’s summer high rain and floods in the plain of Punjab (Pakistan).
CoDerainNet: Collaborative Deraining Network for Drone-View Object Detection in Rainy Weather Conditions
Authors: Xi Yue , Jia Wenjing , Miao Qiguang , Feng Junmei , Liu Xiangzeng , Li Fei
Published: March 2023

Benefiting from the advances in object detection in remote sensing, detecting objects in images captured by drones has achieved promising performance in recent years. However, drone-view object detection in rainy weather conditions (Rainy DroneDet) remains a challenge, as small-sized objects blurred by rain streaks offer a little valuable information for robust detection. In this paper, we propose a Collaborative Deraining Network called “CoDerainNet”, which simultaneously and interactively trains a deraining subnetwork and a droneDet subnetwork to improve the accuracy of Rainy DroneDet. Furthermore, we propose a Collaborative Teaching paradigm called “ColTeaching”, which leverages rain-free features extracted by the Deraining Subnetwork and teaches the DroneDet Subnetwork such features, to remove rain-specific interference in features for DroneDet. Due to the lack of an existing dataset for Rainy DroneDet, we built three drone datasets, including two synthetic datasets, namely RainVisdrone and RainUAVDT, and one real drone dataset, called RainDrone. Extensive experiment results on the three rainy datasets show that CoDerainNet can significantly reduce the computational costs of state-of-the-art (SOTA) object detectors while maintaining detection performance comparable to these SOTA models.
Downscaling Simulation of Groundwater Storage in the Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Regions of China Based on GRACE Data
Authors: Sun Jianchong , Hu Litang , Chen Fei , Sun Kangning , Yu Lili , Liu Xin
Published: March 2023

Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)-derived groundwater storage anomalies (GWSA) have been used to highlight groundwater depletion in regional aquifer systems worldwide. However, the use of GRACE products in smaller areas is limited owing to the coarse spatial resolution of the data product. This study utilized a dynamic downscaling method to improve the GWSA resolution from 1° to 0.05° by constructing a groundwater storage numerical model in the Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei regions of China (BTH). The results indicate that: (1) the GRACE-derived and calculated GWSA had a good match with an average root mean squared error (RMSE) of 2.61 cm equivalent water height (EWH) and an average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) of 0.84 for the calibration period. (2) The hydraulic gradient coefficient and specific yield had the highest sensitivity, and transmissivity had the lowest sensitivity; however, different forcing data had no obvious influence on the GWSA. (3) The downscaled results not only exhibited time series variations that were consistent with those of the GRACE-derived solutions but also revealed a finer spatial heterogeneity of the GWSA along with increasing correlation coefficients between the GRACE-derived GWSA and the in situ measurements of groundwater levels by 0.06 and reducing the RMSE by 8.85%. (4) The downscaled results reflected the spatiotemporal change characteristics of groundwater storage in different hydrogeological units and administrative regions well. This study demonstrates the potential applications of the proposed downscaling method for both regional and local groundwater resource management.
SHIELD Human Factors Taxonomy and Database for Learning from Aviation and Maritime Safety Occurrences
Authors: Stroeve Sybert , Kirwan Barry , Turan Osman , Kurt Rafet Emek , van Doorn Bas , Save Luca , Jonk Patrick , Navas de Maya Beatriz , Kilner Andy , Verhoeven Ronald , Farag Yasser B. A. , Demiral Ali , Bettignies-Thiebaux Béatrice , de Wolff Louis , de Vries Vincent , Ahn Sung Il , Pozzi Simone
Published: March 2023

Human factors (HF) in aviation and maritime safety occurrences are not always systematically analysed and reported in a way that makes the extraction of trends and comparisons possible in support of effective safety management and feedback for design. As a way forward, a taxonomy and data repository were designed for the systematic collection and assessment of human factors in aviation and maritime incidents and accidents, called SHIELD (Safety Human Incident and Error Learning Database). The HF taxonomy uses four layers: The top layer addresses the sharp end where acts of human operators contribute to a safety occurrence; the next layer concerns preconditions that affect human performance; the third layer describes decisions or policies of operations leaders that affect the practices or conditions of operations; and the bottom layer concerns influences from decisions, policies or methods adopted at an organisational level. The paper presents the full details, guidance and examples for the effective use of the HF taxonomy. The taxonomy has been effectively used by maritime and aviation stakeholders, as follows from questionnaire evaluation scores and feedback. It was found to offer an intuitive and well-documented framework to classify HF in safety occurrences.
What We Have Learned about the Characteristics and Differences of Disaster Information Behavior in Social Media—A Case Study of the 7.20 Henan Heavy Rain Flood Disaster
Authors: He Jia , Ma Miao , Zhou Yuxuan , Wang Miaoke
Published: March 2023

As a significant human behavior, disaster information behavior may operate as a catalyst for affecting the evolution of disaster occurrences in social-ecological systems and the sustainability of social systems. Yet little research has been carried out on this subject, particularly on the information behavior of major natural disasters. Based on the case of the 7.20 Henan heavy rain flood disaster, this study constructs an information behavior composite index from the four dimensions of temporal, spatial, content, and behavioral agents and statistically identifies and quantifies the characteristics and differences of disaster information behavior in social media. The results are as follows. (1) Disaster information behaviors have an obvious life cycle with three phases, essentially following the “formation-development-extinction” process; disaster areas, near-disaster areas, and economically and technologically developed areas exhibit higher levels of information behavior. (2) A total of 47% of the content is related to the case, while 53% is unrelated; the most related microblogs (43.88%) were about “Disaster response/relief”. (3) Females (54.19%) engage in more information behavior than males (45.81%) and they also exhibit more positive behavior; the 20–29-year-old age group is dominated by positive and neutral comments with the highest level of information behavior, whereas the lowest level of information behavior occurs in the 50+ age group; neutral and irrelevant comments in the 30–49-year-old age group dominated. This case study enables a scientific understanding of the necessity of information dissemination for disaster prevention and mitigation and further demonstrates the hazard, psychological distance, societal, and individual factors that all affect how disaster information behaves and performs differently.
The Design and Implementation of Campus informatization in Chinese Universities: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Nong Liqiao , Liu Geping , Tang Changhui , Chen Ying
Published: March 2023

This study aimed to explore the overall situation in implementing campus informatization in Chinese universities, and to design a conceptual framework for the digital campus in order to discover the practical results for Chinese universities applying the conceptual framework. The conceptual framework of the digital campus indicates that the construction mode of multi-participation and open sharing and the development mode of fragmentation, rapid iteration, and collective evolution will become the mainstream modes in the stage of digital campus. The advanced technology applied in Chinese campus informatization was analyzed, the main characteristics of the digital campus were put forward, and a conceptual framework of digital campus in universities was designed. Then, the present study used the one-stop service platform of Southwest University as a case study. The practical results of the digital campus included IC (intelligent card) card services, integration services, one-stop services, wireless networks, and the implementation of the data center. The construction of a "one-stop" service platform has become the main method of reform for the digital campus.
Adapting Methods and Tools for Participatory Heritage-Based Tourism Planning to Embrace the Four Pillars of Sustainability
Authors: Ottaviani Dorotea , Demiröz Merve , Szemző Hanna , De Luca Claudia
Published: March 2023

Sustainable cultural tourism, understood as heritage-based tourism, can support inclusive and sustainable development, especially in remote or peripheral areas. While participatory processes are mandatory, they are not sufficient to ensure sustainable cultural tourism planning. For the latter, cultural tourism must embrace the four pillars of sustainable development: focusing on economic, cultural, environmental, and social sustainability. Nevertheless, a comprehensive methodology that addresses all the aspects of sustainable planning at each stage of the process through inclusive and diverse participation of local communities is still missing. The paper introduces a specific participatory methodology for cultural tourism developed and tested in eight case studies across Europe and beyond and analyzes how the devised participatory process and tools guarantee proper incorporation of the different pillars for sustainable development at each stage. The methodology and tools presented are based on three replicable steps that aim to enhance cultural tourism in a sustainable, diverse, inclusive, and innovative way. The paper specifically focuses on three activities designed for the participatory workshops: the co-mapping exercise, the Action Co-creation, and an adapted Business Model Canvas, providing an analysis of how those contribute to an innovative participatory process, constantly considering the four pillars of sustainable development.
Blockchain-Based Long-Term Capacity Planning for Semiconductor Supply Chain Manufacturers
Authors: Yang Jian , Dong Jichang , Gao Suixiang , Wang Guoqing
Published: March 2023

The long-term production capacity planning of semiconductor supply chain manufacturers has a series of characteristics, such as large capital investment, fast technology upgrading, long lead-time of manufacturing equipment, and unstable market environment, which leads to the uncertainty of demand. In addition, blockchain technology is widely used to build consortium chains for information sharing across upstream and downstream enterprises, thus having the potential ability to help finance semiconductor manufacturers. This paper combines two uncertainty-oriented methods (stochastic programming and robust optimization) to examine the conversion of capacity between different product types and construct a two-stage mathematical planning model maximizing the net profit of manufacturers. Through the introduction of blockchain technology and information sharing among enterprises, we improve the effectiveness of our model to realize the optimal allocation of long-term capacity planning. Finally, we reformulate the model into a tractable MINLP, construct numerical examples to verify the solvability, and carry out sensitivity analysis.
Research on the Impact of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism: Based on the GTAP Model
Authors: Siy Andy L. , Wang Anzhou , Zheng Tingting , Hu Xian
Published: March 2023

There is now widespread agreement that the world community must actively combat climate change and advance green and low-carbon development. In order to deal with the issue of carbon leakage caused by the rising cost of industrial production as a result of policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the EU intends to implement the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in its entirety starting in 2026, the pilot phase of which will begin in 2023. This shows the progressive emergence of a new international trade system driven by “climate change actions”, “carbon peaking”, and “carbon neutrality”, which will have a broad and far-reaching impact on China’s foreign trade industry. As more industries are being covered by the EU’s CBAM, it will exert a negative impact on the social welfare and export of China, the largest trading partner of the EU, even though the existing mechanism has only limited economic impact on China’s energy industry. This paper presents policy proposals to actively address the issues and effects of the EU’s “carbon tariff” by methodically analyzing the EU CBAM’s operation process and, via the development of models, determining the mechanism’s influence on social welfare, carbon emissions, and China’s exports.
An Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Tailings Dam with Geotextile Bags
Authors: Li Qiaoyan , Ma Guowei , Lu Yulin
Published: March 2023

The friction performance and compression properties of geotextile bags under different degrees of consolidation are researched through the slope sliding test, direct shear test, and unconfined compression test in this study. The geotextile bags are made up of geotextile and tailings sands obtained from a construction site of a prototype tailings dam in Yunnan Province. The slope sliding test is considered as an easy method to study the friction performance of geotextile bags with different degrees of consolidation. Through the test, the friction coefficients between the bags were obtained. Given the geotextile bags can withstand the vertical load in practical engineering, the direct shear test is also proposed and conducted. The ultimate bearing capacity of the geotextile bags with different consolidation degrees is studied in the unconfined compression test. The test reveals that the ultimate bearing capacity of geotextile bags, although featured with different moisture contents before the test, stays the same under the condition of slow loading. Finally, a stability analysis method based on the limit equilibrium theory is developed to simulate the stability of the tailings dam using geotextile bags (TDGB). According to the test results, the TDGB has demonstrated an improved stability compared with the general tailings dam.
Examining the Impact of Teacher Learning Communities on Self-Efficacy and Professional Learning: An Application of the Theory-Driven Evaluation
Authors: Pan Hui-Ling Wendy , Cheng Shu-Huei
Published: March 2023

Collaborative professional learning is essential for teachers to work collectively in facilitating student learning. A program of Learning Community under Leadership for Learning was launched to support teacher learning in authentic situations in Taiwan. Applying the theory-driven evaluation model, the study aimed to investigate the impact of a program component of teacher learning communities (TLCs) on professional learning beliefs and behaviors. A sample of 226 elementary and junior high school teachers in Taiwan was surveyed and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that the experiences in TLCs had an impact on teachers’ professional learning beliefs and behaviors through their self-efficacy. Additionally, teacher self-efficacy was found to have a direct impact on their beliefs and behaviors, and beliefs were found to affect behaviors significantly. This study has expanded the understanding of self-efficacy in relation to professional learning beliefs and behaviors and provided practical insights for effective strategies for teacher development.
Editorial for the Special Issue “Impacts and Sustainability of Tourism, Hospitality, and Events”
Authors: Bethem Jacob , Ryan Susan
Published: March 2023

This editorial introduces the Special Issue, “Impacts and Sustainability of Tourism, Hospitality, and Events,” with summaries of each of the included articles [...]
Reasons for Ineffectiveness in Improving Dewaterability of Anaerobically Digested Sludge by Bioleaching
Authors: Zhang Haochi , Zhang Dejin , Zhou Yujun , Fang Di , Cui Chunhong , Liang Jianru , Zhou Bo , Zhang Mingjiang , Li Jiansheng , Zhou Lixiang
Published: March 2023

The use of bioleaching for anaerobically digested sludge (ADS) was found to be ineffective compared to using it for undigested sludge (UDS) for reasons elucidated in this study. Results showed that specific resistance to filtration of ADS increased during bioleaching. The pH value of ADS increased to 7.97 and remained unchanged during bioleaching, while it decreased to 2.98 for UDS. Added Fe2+ was not detected as the energy source for ADS. Higher alkalinity and unavailable Fe2+ in ADS prevented the growth of the Acidithiobacillus species. It was found that sludge pH increased to 8.40 and then stayed within an alkaline range, whereas slime EPS content rapidly increased to 8.13 mg DOC/g VSS. These results indicated that aeration seriously deteriorated the dewaterability of ADS through bioleaching due to the unexpected drastic increase of sludge pH and slime EPS content.
Triple Sampling Inference Procedures for the Mean of the Normal Distribution When the Population Coefficient of Variation Is Known
Authors: Alhajraf Ali , Yousef Ali , Hamdy Hosny
Published: March 2023

This paper discusses the triple sampling inference procedures for the mean of a symmetric distribution—the normal distribution when the coefficient of variation is known. We use the Searls’ estimator as an initial estimate for the unknown population mean rather than the classical sample mean. In statistics literature, the normal distribution under investigation underlines almost all the natural phenomena with applications in many fields. First, we discuss the minimum risk point estimation problem under a squared error loss function with linear sampling cost. We obtained all asymptotic results that enhanced finding the second-order asymptotic risk and regret. Second, we construct a fixed-width confidence interval for the mean that satisfies at least a predetermined nominal value and find the second-order asymptotic coverage probability. Both estimation problems are performed under a unified optimal framework. The theoretical results reveal that the performance of the triple sampling procedure depends on the numerical value of the coefficient of variation—the smaller the coefficient of variation, the better the performance of the procedure.
Deformed Wavelet Transform and Related Uncertainty Principles
Authors: Ghobber Saifallah , Mejjaoli Hatem
Published: March 2023

The deformed wavelet transform is a new addition to the class of wavelet transforms that heavily rely on a pair of generalized translation and dilation operators governed by the well-known Dunkl transform. In this study, we adapt the symmetrical properties of the Dunkl Laplacian operator to prove a class of quantitative uncertainty principles associated with the deformed wavelet transform, including Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, the Benedick–Amrein–Berthier uncertainty principle, and the logarithmic uncertainty inequalities. Moreover, using the symmetry between a square integrable function and its Dunkl transform, we establish certain local-type uncertainty principles involving the mean dispersion theorems for the deformed wavelet transform.
Non-Minimal Approximation for the Type-I Seesaw Mechanism
Authors: Dubinin Mikhail , Fedotova Elena
Published: March 2023

A non-minimal approximation for effective masses of light and heavy neutrinos in the framework of a type-I seesaw mechanism with three generations of sterile Majorana neutrinos which recover the symmetry between quarks and leptons is considered. The main results are: (a) the next-order corrections to the effective mass matrix of heavy neutrinos due to terms O(θMD) are obtained, which modify the commonly used representation for the effective mass (MD is a Dirac neutrino mass when the electroweak symmetry is spontaneously broken); and (b) the general form of the mixing matrix is found in non-minimal approximation parametrized by a complex 3×3 matrix satisfying a nontrivial constraint. Numerical analysis within the νMSM framework demonstrates the very small effect of new contributions of direct collider observables as opposed to their possible significance for cosmological models.