bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Passive Building Energy Saving: Building Envelope Retrofitting Measures to Reduce Cooling Requirements for a Residential Building in an Arid Climate
Authors: Elnabawi Mohamed H. , Saber Esmail , Bande Lindita
Published: January 2024

In arid climates, a significant portion of the urban peak energy demand is dedicated to cooling and air-conditioning during the summer. The rapid urbanization rates in developing countries, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have intensified the pressure on energy resources to meet the indoor comfort needs of residents. As a result, there has been a substantial increase in energy demand, with a 2.3% rise recorded in 2018. Electricity consumption in residential buildings accounted for over 48.6% of the total electricity consumption. The choice of building fabrics used in a residential building can significantly impact the building’s passive performance and carbon footprint. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of how specific fabric details influence cooling energy usage in arid climates. To achieve this, a validation simulation model was initially created as a base case for a residential housing typology in Al Ain, UAE. This was followed by a parametric energy evaluation of various building envelope features. The evaluation was based on the reduction of yearly cooling load energy. The simulation results indicate that incorporating 50 mm of expanded polystyrene insulation into the outside walls significantly reduced energy consumption for cooling requirements in the arid UAE climate. Furthermore, no substantial difference was observed in the various roofing choices, including cool and green roofs, gravels, and sand roofs. Additionally, we concluded that the total solar energy transmittance (g-value) of windows played a more significant role than thermal transmittance (U-value) in reducing solar heat gain within the spaces. These findings should guide strategic decisions on building envelope upgrading for sustainable societies.
Valuation of Active Chilean Employment Support Policies Seeking Economic Sustainability through Market Flows
Authors: Chandía-Rodríguez Yamil Arturo , Linfati Rodrigo , Murillo-Vargas Guillermo , Escobar John Willmer
Published: January 2024

This paper proposes a market flow methodology to assess Chilean employment support policies between 1996 and 2019 based on the probability of finding or losing a job and market flow analysis. The proposed methodology is analyzed with data obtained from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), establishing flows and probabilities of entry and exit from employment and their contributions to the variability of unemployment to clarify the behavior of Chilean employment support and select the type of measures through which to provide improved recovery and job protection and the other possible improvements to be made. Employment is an essential issue of a country’s sustainability. The results show the efficiency of the proposed approach in evaluating employment support policies in different countries.
Simulation Study on the Combustion and Emissions of a Diesel Engine with Different Oxygenated Blended Fuels
Authors: Li Xiuzhen , Liu Qiang , Ma Yanying , Wu Guanghua , Yang Zhou , Fu Qiang
Published: January 2024

Aiming to achieve the goal of efficient and clean combustion in internal combustion engines, simulations are used to change the physicochemical properties and molecular configuration of fuels by adding oxygenated fuels such as alcohols, esters, ethers, etc., so as to achieve the purpose of improving combustion and reducing emissions. In this paper, blends of oxygenated fuels, including n-butanol, DME, DMC, and diesel fuel with different oxygen-containing functional groups, were selected for simulation to reveal the chemical mechanisms of fuel oxygen on combustion and pollutant generation in the combustion system and to deeply explore the mechanism and influence law of the different forms of oxygen bonding on the generation and oxidation of carbon smoke. At the same fuel oxygen content, the differences in the fuel physicochemical properties and reaction paths resulted in different effects of the different oxygenated fuels on the in-cylinder oxidative activity and different inhibition abilities of carbon smoke precursors. Compared with pure diesel, n-butanol, and DME, which promoted OH generation, DMC inhibited OH generation, so the oxidation activity of diesel/n-butanol was the highest, and that of diesel/DMC was the lowest; meanwhile, the two O atoms in the DMC molecule formed CO2 with one C atom, which reduced the utilization efficiency of the O atoms, whereas each O atom in the n-butanol and DME fuels took away one C atom, so the utilization efficiency of O atoms was higher. The individual oxygenated fuels themselves had different abilities to contribute to carbon smoke precursors, and the above combined factors led to reductions of 8.7%, 32.6%, and 85.4% in soot emissions from the addition of DMC, DME, and n-butanol compared to pure diesel fuel, respectively, at the same oxygen content. At a medium load, the addition of n-butanol, DME, and DMC reduced NOx emissions by 0.5%, 1.7%, and 3.3%, respectively. Thus, it is shown that DMC has a more significant effect on NOx emission reduction.
Application of UAV-Borne Visible-Infared Pushbroom Imaging Hyperspectral for Rice Yield Estimation Using Feature Selection Regression Methods
Authors: Shen Yiyang , Yan Ziyi , Yang Yongjie , Tang Wei , Sun Jinqiu , Zhang Yanchao
Published: January 2024

Rice yield estimation is vital for enhancing food security, optimizing agricultural management, and promoting sustainable development. However, traditional satellite/aerial and ground-based/tower-based platforms face limitations in rice yield estimation, and few studies have explored the potential of UAV-borne hyperspectral remote sensing for this purpose. In this study, we employed a UAV-borne push-broom hyperspectral camera to acquire remote sensing data of rice fields during the filling stage, and the machine learning regression algorithms were applied to rice yield estimation. The research comprised three parts: hyperspectral data preprocessing, spectral feature extraction, and model construction. To begin, the preprocessing of hyperspectral data involved geometric distortion correction, relative radiometric calibration, and rice canopy mask construction. Challenges in geometric distortion correction were addressed by tracking linear features during flight and applying a single-line correction method. Additionally, the NIR reflectance threshold method was applied for rice canopy mask construction, which was subsequently utilized for average reflectance extraction. Then, spectral feature extraction was carried out to reduce multicollinearity in the hyperspectral data. Recursive feature elimination (RFE) was then employed to identify the optimal feature set for model performance. Finally, six machine learning regression models (SVR, RFR, AdaBoost, XGBoost, Ridge, and PLSR) were used for rice yield estimation, achieving significant results. PLSR showed the best R2 of 0.827 with selected features, while XGBoost had the best R2 of 0.827 with full features. In addition, the spatial distribution of absolute error in rice yield estimation was assessed. The results suggested that this UAV-borne imaging hyperspectral-based approach held great potential for crop yield estimation, not only for rice but also for other crops.
Promoting Green Tourism Synergies with Cultural and Creative Industries: A Case Study of Greece
Authors: Papadaki Eirini
Published: January 2024

Green tourism is part of the global effort to create a more sustainable living environment, taking into account the needs of both the industry, the tourists and the local communities. CCIs are considered trustworthy ambassadors of authenticity and life values, and can therefore effectively promote and/or strengthen the ecological value. This paper focuses on the role that cultural and creative industries (CCIs) can play in the implementation of sustainable development, especially in regard to green tourism, focusing on their role as communicators of green messages. The methodological tools used for the collection, analysis and interpretation of data for this research include semiotic analysis in a number of CCIs’ products, coding their ecological messages; content analysis of the CCIs’ digital posts for a one-year period in order to examine the form, types and content of the communication; and a digital ethnography of the users’ comments in order to study the perception and interaction of the receivers of such messages, focusing on past, present and potential tourists. Through the case study of Greece—a well-known tourist destination with rich cultural resources—the author tries to answer to the following research questions: (a) Could green tourism be promoted as a life value through CCIs’ products and messages? (b) Are there any good and innovative practices for such promotion through the synergy of the tourism industry with CCIs that could be used as models for further cases? This paper concludes that CCIs can promote sustainability as a life value through role modeling, educational programs, and subconscious or more straightforward messages, using both their products and formal communication channels. The more successful way for Greek CCIs to promote green tourism is through synergies with official tourism promotion mechanisms. The research shows that in many cases, this linkage has been successful in a number of ways.
Interactive Suitability of Rice Stubble Biochar and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi for Improving Wastewater-Polluted Soil Health and Reducing Heavy Metals in Peas
Authors: Farhad Muniba , Noor Maryam , Yasin Muhammad Zubair , Nizamani Mohsin Hussain , Turan Veysel , Iqbal Muhammad
Published: January 2024

Arable soils irrigated with wastewater (SIWs) cause ecological and human health issues due to the presence of heavy metals (HMs). Burning rice stubble (RS) poses severe environmental and human health hazards. Converting RS into rice stubble compost (RSC) and rice stubble biochar (RSB) can overcome these issues. Here, we considered the role of RS, RSC, and RSB as individual soil amendments and combined each of them with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) to observe their effectiveness for HM immobilization in SIW, their uptake in pea plants, and improvements in the physicochemical properties of soil. The results revealed that adding RSB and AMF reduced the bioavailable concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu, Co, and Zn in SIW by 35%, 50%, 43%, 43%, 52%, and 22%, respectively. Moreover, RSB+AMF treatment also reduced Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu, Co, and Zn concentrations in grain by 93%, 76%, 83%, 72%, 71%, and 57%, respectively, compared to the control. Improvements in shoot dry weight (DW) (66%), root DW (48%), and grain yield (56%) per pot were also the highest with RSB+AMF. RSB+AMF treatment enhanced soil health and other soil attributes by improving the activity of urease, catalase, peroxidase, phosphatase, β-glucosidase, and fluorescein diacetate by 78%, 156%, 62%, 123%, 235%, and 96%, respectively. Interestingly, RSB+AMF also led to the strongest AMF–plant symbiosis, as assessed by improved AMF root colonization (162%), mycorrhizal intensity (100%), mycorrhizal frequency (104%), and arbuscular abundance (143%). To conclude, converting RS into RSB can control air pollution caused by RS burning. Moreover, adding RSB with AMF to SIW can reduce HM uptake in plants, improve soil health, and thus minimize ecological and human health issues.
Assessing Green Features of “Phumdi” as a Sustainable Material: A Comparative Analysis with Bamboo, Wood, Metal, and Plastic
Authors: Singh Kshetrimayum Dideshwor , Yi Xiduo , Shagolsem Lenin S. , Toijam Jayatek
Published: January 2024

Sustainable materials and their potential application in building industries are gaining attention; however, there is still largely unexplored floating biomass, notably “Phumdi”, as a sustainable floating building material. Phumdi, a distinctive floating biomass, is observed in specific wetland habitats in the Loktak Lake located in Manipur, India. This heterogeneous mass of vegetation, organic matter, and soil has been utilised by several communities for various purposes, such as medicine, food, forage, and material for building houses, handicrafts, and aquaculture activities. Such floating bodies serve as a sanctuary for a wide range of flora and fauna. The study aims to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of phumdi as a sustainable floating material in comparison with other widely recognized construction materials such as recycled plastics, bamboo, corrugated metal sheets, and wood by evaluating the “green feature” chart. The research and experiments carried out on phumdi have underscored the highest sustainability level for its use, i.e., 15 green features, followed by wood and bamboo with 14 features, and the other two materials with low sustainability performance: plastic barrels with seven features and corrugated zinc metal sheets with eight features. Further investigation is necessary for the advancement of this material as a viable alternative for biomass-based building materials.
Urban Revitalization in Small Cities across the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Balsas Carlos J. L.
Published: January 2024

City centers and riverfronts across the Atlantic Ocean have undergone substantial transformation over the last two decades. This paper analyzes walk-only precincts and waterfront revitalization in two pairwise cases (PCs) of small city exemplars on two continents in locations at about the same latitude but separated by the Atlantic Ocean. The argument is twofold. First, to be fully effective, city center revitalization interventions need to be coordinated with appropriate institutional programs to create collaborative management opportunities among multiple civic and business agents. Second, multiple cultural offerings, environmental amenities, and pro-active leadership positionalities have contributed positively to the evolution of waterfront community economic redevelopment opportunities in riverfront locations. The methods involved multiple site visits to cities of various sizes on the Iberian Peninsula and the Northeast of the United States at different times during the last twenty years, extensive literature reviews and syntheses, data analyses, assessment of policy priorities, and interviews with employees in various economic sectors, business owners, residents, elected officials, planning professionals, and community leaders. Two of the main conclusions are that, to be fully effective, the public space interventions on the Iberian Peninsula had to be coordinated with appropriate regulatory and institutional programs to generate collaborations with multiple civic and business agents and that the Northeastern cities have attempted to revitalize their riverfronts by conserving water-based and urban historic assets and amenities from further erosion due to downpours and floods as well as socio-economic and cultural transformations.
Future Projections of Global Plastic Pollution: Scenario Analyses and Policy Implications
Authors: Yan Huijie , Cordier Mateo , Uehara Takuro
Published: January 2024

Plastic pollution has attracted the attention of the media, public, and government worldwide. Analysis of the inverted U-shaped environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) relationship between economic development and plastic pollution is crucial because economic growth is a critical driver of plastic pollution. In this study, for the first time, we (i) used the stochastic impacts of regression on population, affluence, and technology (STIRPAT) model to investigate the EKC relationship; (ii) performed a comprehensive analysis of the effects of sociodemographic factors on plastic pollution; and (iii) used a panel dataset of 128 countries for empirical analyses. The STIRPAT model was used to conduct scenario analyses to explore the impacts of sociodemographic driving forces on future plastic pollution by 2050 on a national (217 countries) and global scale. The empirical results confirmed the EKC relationship and revealed that changes in population structure and urbanization could substantially affect plastic pollution. Global plastic pollution was projected to reach 66.1 MT/y by 2050 under the business-as-usual scenario. Low-income countries and sub-Saharan Africa are projected to become major contributors to plastic pollution, leading to a global trend of increasing plastic pollution. These findings will help policymakers identify targets to effectively reduce future global plastic pollution.
Mental Health and Quality of Life among University Students with Disabilities: The Moderating Role of Religiosity and Social Connectedness
Authors: Al-Shaer Ebrahim A. , Aliedan Meqbel M. , Zayed Mohamed A. , Elrayah Musaddag , Moustafa Mohamed A.
Published: January 2024

This research paper explores the intricate interplay between mental health (MH), quality of life (QOL), religiosity, and social connectedness among students with disabilities. In the context of a growing awareness of the multifaceted nature of well-being, this study aims to unravel the moderating effects of religiosity and social connectedness on the relationship between mental health and the overall quality of life experienced by students with disabilities. Utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), this research investigates direct and moderating effects within the proposed conceptual framework. The results indicate that all mental health disorder dimensions (stress, depression, and anxiety) negatively and significantly affect the quality of life of students with disabilities; moreover, the negative impact of stress on QOL is dampened by the moderation effect of social connectedness. Similarly, the negative impact of anxiety on QOL is dampened by the moderation effect of religiosity. However, the findings indicate that social connectedness fails to dampen the negative impact of depression (and anxiety (β = −0.12)) on QOL. Similarly, the findings reveal that religiosity is unable to dampen the negative effect of depression and stress on QOL. These findings’ implications extend to the theoretical and practical domains, informing interventions and support systems aimed at enhancing the overall quality of life of people with disabilities.
The Open Data Potential for the Geospatial Characterisation of Building Stock on an Urban Scale: Methodology and Implementation in a Case Study
Authors: Villanueva-Díaz Cristina , Álvarez-Sanz Milagros , Campos-Celador Álvaro , Terés-Zubiaga Jon
Published: January 2024

Energy renovation in buildings is one of the major challenges for the decarbonisation of the building stock. To effectively prioritise decision making regarding the adoption of the most efficient solutions and strategies, it is imperative to develop agile methods to determine the energy performance of buildings on an urban scale, in order to evaluate the impact of these improvements. In this regard, the data collection for feeding building energy models plays a key role in the accuracy and reliability of this issue, and the significant increase in recent years of available data from open data sources offers great potential in this respect. Thus, this study focuses on proposing a systematised and automated method for obtaining information from open data sources so as to obtain the most relevant geometric and thermal characteristics of residential buildings on an urban scale. The criteria for selecting the parameters to be obtained are based on their potential use as input data in different energy demand models aimed at assessing the energy performance of the building stock in a given area and, eventually, to evaluate the potential for improvement and the mitigation of different strategies. Geometric characterisation relies on obtaining and processing open data from cadastres to extract envelope surfaces categorised by orientation through QGIS (Free and Open Source Geographic Information System). For thermal characterisation, an automated process assigns different parameter-based information obtained from cadastral data, such as the year of construction. Finally, the applicability of the method is demonstrated through its implementation in the case study of Bilbao (Spain). The obtained results show that, although additional data should be collected when a detailed analysis of a building or building cluster has to be carried out, the existing open data can provide a first approximation, providing a first global view of the building stock in a region. It demonstrates the usability of the proposed method as an effective way to obtain and process these relevant data.
Comparison of Multiple Machine Learning Methods for Correcting Groundwater Levels Predicted by Physics-Based Models
Authors: Shuai Guanyin , Zhou Yan , Shao Jingli , Cui Yali , Zhang Qiulan , Jin Chaowei , Xu Shuyuan
Published: January 2024

Accurate groundwater level (GWL) prediction is crucial in groundwater resource management. Currently, it relies mainly on physics-based models for prediction and quantitative analysis. However, physics-based models used for prediction often have errors in structure, parameters, and data, resulting in inaccurate GWL predictions. In this study, machine learning algorithms were used to correct the prediction errors of physics-based models. First, a MODFLOW groundwater flow model was created for the Hutuo River alluvial fan in the North China Plain. Then, using the observed GWLs from 10 monitoring wells located in the upper, middle, and lower parts of the alluvial fan as the test standard, three algorithms—random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and long short-term memory (LSTM)—were compared for their abilities to correct MODFLOW’s predicted GWLs of these 10 wells under two sets of feature variables. The results show that the RF and XGBoost algorithms are not suitable for correcting predicted GWLs that exhibit continuous rising or falling trends, but the LSTM algorithm has the ability to correct them. During the prediction period, the LSTM2 model, which incorporates additional source–sink feature variables based on MODFLOW’s predicted GWLs, can improve the Pearson correlation coefficient (PR) for 80% of wells, with a maximum increase of 1.26 and a minimum increase of 0.02, and can reduce the root mean square error (RMSE) for 100% of the wells with a maximum decrease of 1.59 m and a minimum decrease of 0.17 m. And it also outperforms the MODFLOW model in capturing the long-term trends and short-term seasonal fluctuations of GWLs. However, the correction effect of the LSTM1 model (using only MODFLOW’s predicted GWLs as a feature variable) is inferior to that of the LSTM2 model, indicating that multiple feature variables are superior to a single feature variable. Temporally and spatially, the greater the prediction error of the MODFLOW model, the larger the correction magnitude of the LSTM2 model.
Performance Enhancement of Solar Still Unit Using v-Corrugated Basin, Internal Reflecting Mirror, Flat-Plate Solar Collector and Nanofluids
Authors: Abu-Zeid Mostafa AbdEl-Rady , Elhenawy Yasser , Toderaș Monica , Bassyouni Mohamed , Majozi Thokozani , Al-Qabandi Osama A. , Kishk Sameh Said
Published: January 2024

The conventional solar still (CSS) unit faces challenges such as low productivity (Pd) and thermal efficiency (ηth) due to the limited temperature difference between the hot water and the cold interior glass cover surfaces (ΔTw-gi). This study addresses these issues by introducing enhancements in the CSS unit, incorporating a v-corrugated-type basin, internal reflecting mirror, flat-plate solar collector (FPSC) still, and FPSC nanofluids. A v-corrugated-type basin, internal reflecting mirror, FPSC still, and FPSC nanofluids elicited a significant improvement in the distillate productivity (Pd) up to approximately 22.39%, 41.72%, 70.10%, and 104.13% compared to the CSS unit. This increase in the Pd is attributed mainly to a notable raise in the ΔTw-gi, showing increments of around 34.33%, 52.32%, 77.37%, and 112.87% compared to the CSS unit. Moreover, a v-corrugated basin, internal reflecting mirror, FPSC still, and FPSC nanofluids substantially increased the average daily thermal efficiency (ηth), around 22.01%, 26.71%, 39.57%, and 56.21%, respectively. The results confirmed that integrating the v-corrugated basin, internal reflecting mirror, FPSC still, and FPSC nanofluids within a combined seawater distillation system can significantly enhance the performance of the CSS unit. These different combinations effectively raised the basin water temperature (Tw) and ΔTw-gi, consequently improving the overall performance of the solar still unit.
Investigation of Outdoor Thermal Comfort for Campus Pedestrian Walkways in Thailand
Authors: Suwanmanee Naphat , Kronprasert Nopadon , Sutheerakul Chomphunut , Arunotayanun Kriangkrai , Rinchumphu Damrongsak
Published: January 2024

Thermal comfort is an important subject to evaluate the quality of outdoor environments. This study investigated outdoor thermal conditions and the thermal comfort perception of pedestrians using walkways within a university campus in Thailand, located in the hot and humid tropical region. In this field study, microclimate measurements were conducted to assess the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) of walkways, and on-site questionnaire surveys (n = 400) were used to evaluate the thermal sensation votes of pedestrians in different walkway conditions. The results revealed that the neutral PET was 25.2 °C and its acceptable range was 24.6–32.0 °C. Most pedestrians accept the thermal conditions of all walkway types but at different levels of acceptability, albeit in a slightly warm sensation. Among different walkway types, the cantilever-covered walkway with sparse trees yields the closest PET to the neutral PET. The most comfortable and favorable walkway is that with a lower air temperature, less sunlight, and higher wind ventilation. The studies on the outdoor thermal comfort of pedestrian walkways could benefit urban planners and engineers in designing physical and environmental conditions of walkways as well as promoting non-motorized transport and green university campuses.
Italian Entertainment Professionals’ Sustainable Employability: What Factors to Consider? A Network Analysis
Authors: Picco Eleonora , Gragnano Andrea , Miglioretti Massimo
Published: January 2024

Sustainable employability (SE) refers to a worker’s extensive set of capabilities to make a valuable and healthy contribution over time. Due to the high fragmentation and precariousness of their working conditions, entertainment professionals’ SE is at risk. Methods: By considering valuable work, health, productivity, and long-term perspective capabilities as expressing entertainment professionals’ SE, this study explored the unique pattern of associations among entertainment professionals’ SE, conversion factors at personal (i.e., intrinsic motivation) and contextual levels (i.e., work–health balance external support and health climate, SE policies and social policies), and SE outcomes (i.e., life and job satisfaction and task performance), descriptive and network analyses were conducted in a sample of 123 Italian entertainment professionals. Results: Italian entertainment professionals’ SE was associated with factors at all levels of conversion. Conversion factors at the organizational level (i.e., SE policies and social policies) had a higher predictability (i.e., practical potential) in the SE network, compared to factors at the personal level (i.e., intrinsic motivation). Conclusion. This study added empirical evidence to SE models based on the capability approach, by showing the central role of contextual factors in the development of an extensive set of entertainment professionals’ capabilities.
Asymmetries Caused by Nonparaxiality and Spin–Orbit Interaction during Light Propagation in a Graded-Index Medium
Authors: Petrov Nikolai I.
Published: January 2024

Spin–orbit coupling and nonparaxiality effects during the propagation of vortex vector light beams in a cylindrical graded-index waveguide are investigated by solving the full three-component field Maxwell’s equations. Symmetry-breaking effects for left- and right-handed circularly polarized vortex light beams propagating in a rotationally symmetric graded-index optical fiber are considered. The mode-group delay in a graded-index fiber due to spin–orbit interaction is demonstrated. A scheme for observing the temporal spin Hall effect is proposed. It is shown that the relative delay times between vortex pulses of opposite circular polarizations of the order of 10 ps/km can be observed in graded-index fibers for high-order topological charges.
A Blockchain-Based Privacy-Preserving Healthcare Data Sharing Scheme for Incremental Updates
Authors: Wang Lianhai , Liu Xiaoqian , Shao Wei , Guan Chenxi , Huang Qihao , Xu Shujiang , Zhang Shuhui
Published: January 2024

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare industry, the sharing of personal healthcare data plays an essential role in advancing medical AI. Unfortunately, personal healthcare data sharing is plagued by challenges like ambiguous data ownership and privacy leakage. Blockchain, which stores the hash of shared data on-chain and ciphertext off-chain, is treated as a promising approach to address the above issues. However, this approach lacks a flexible and reliable mechanism for incremental updates of the same case data. To avoid the overhead of authentication, access control, and rewards caused by on-chain data changes, we propose a blockchain and trusted execution environment (TEE)-based privacy-preserving sharing scheme for healthcare data that supports incremental updates. Based on chameleon hash and TEE, the scheme achieves reliable incremental updates and verification without changing the on-chain data. In the scheme, for privacy concerns, off-chain data are protected through symmetric encryption, whereas data verification, decryption, and computation are performed within TEE. The experimental results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Vacuum Currents for a Scalar Field in Models with Compact Dimensions
Authors: Saharian Aram A.
Published: January 2024

This paper presents a review of investigations into the vacuum expectation value of the current density for a charged scalar field in spacetimes that hold toroidally compactified spatial dimensions. As background geometries, the locally Minkowskian (LM), locally de Sitter (LdS), and locally anti-de Sitter (LAdS) spacetimes are considered. Along compact dimensions, quasi-periodicity conditions are imposed on the field operator and the presence of a constant gauge field is assumed. The vacuum current has nonzero components along the compact dimensions only. Those components are periodic functions of the magnetic flux enclosed in compact dimensions, with a period that is equal to the flux quantum. For LdS and LAdS geometries, and for small values of the length of a compact dimension, compared with the curvature radius, the leading term in the expansion of the the vacuum current along that dimension coincides with that for LM bulk. In this limit, the dominant contribution to the mode sum for the current density comes from the vacuum fluctuations with wavelengths smaller to those of the curvature radius; additionally, the influence of the gravitational field is weak. The effects of the gravitational field are essential for lengths of compact dimensions that are larger than the curvature radius. In particular, instead of the exponential suppression of the current density in LM bulk, one can obtain a power law decay in the LdS and LAdS spacetimes.
Wald Intervals via Profile Likelihood for the Mean of the Inverse Gaussian Distribution
Authors: Srisuradetchai Patchanok , Niyomdecha Ausaina , Phaphan Wikanda
Published: January 2024

The inverse Gaussian distribution, known for its flexible shape, is widely used across various applications. Existing confidence intervals for the mean parameter, such as profile likelihood, reparametrized profile likelihood, and Wald-type reparametrized profile likelihood with observed Fisher information intervals, are generally effective. However, our simulation study identifies scenarios where the coverage probability falls below the nominal confidence level. Wald-type intervals are widely used in statistics and have a symmetry property. We mathematically derive the Wald-type profile likelihood (WPL) interval and the Wald-type reparametrized profile likelihood with expected Fisher information (WRPLE) interval and compare their performance to existing methods. Our results indicate that the WRPLE interval outperforms others in terms of coverage probability, while the WPL typically yields the shortest interval. Additionally, we apply these proposed intervals to a real dataset, demonstrating their potential applicability to other datasets that follow the IG distribution.
Ricci Curvature Inequalities for Contact CR-Warped Product Submanifolds of an Odd Dimensional Sphere Admitting a Semi-Symmetric Metric Connection
Authors: Khan Meraj Ali , Al-Dayel Ibrahim , Aloui Foued
Published: January 2024

The primary objective of this paper is to explore contact CR-warped product submanifolds of Sasakian space forms equipped with a semi-symmetric metric connection. We thoroughly examine these submanifolds and establish various key findings. Furthermore, we derive an inequality relating the Ricci curvature to the mean curvature vector and warping function.
Assessment of Hounsfield Units and Factors Associated with Fragmentation of Renal Stones by Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy: A Computerized Tomography Study
Authors: Alharbi Abdallah Saud , Gameraddin Moawia , Gareeballah Awadia , Shrwani Zahra Jibril , Sindi Moa’ath Abdullah , Alsaedi Hassan Ibrahim , Qurashi Abdulaziz A. , Aloufi Khalid M. , Alshamrani Abdullah Fahad A. , Alzain Amel F.
Published: January 2024

The success rate of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is influenced by various factors, including stone density, and is determined through computed tomography scans in terms of Hounsfield units (HU). Materials and Methods: This retrospective single-center study was conducted in the King Fahad Hospital. Sixty-seven adult patients with renal and ureteric stones were selected randomly and enrolled in the study. Their ages ranged from 20 to 69 years. The patients were examined with non-contrast enhancement (NCCT) to assess the HU of their stones and were consequently treated with ESWL. Results: Of the 67 patients, 37.3% had stones that were completely fragmented, while 62.7% had stones that were partially fragmented. The HU, location of the stone, multiplicity of the stone, and patient age were found to be significant factors contributing to stone fragility (p-values < 0.05). The HU data were found to have a positive significant linear correlation with serum calcium (r = 0.28, p-value = 0.036), while serum acid had a negative correlation (r = −0.55, p-value < 0.001). Thus, the probability of calcium-containing stone formation increases with increased HU. In contrast, uric acid stone formation likely develops with decreasing HU with serum uric acid. Renal stones in patients with diabetes mellitus and hypertension were not completely fragmented compared to those without clinical history. Conclusions: Mean HU, location of the stone, laterality, stone status, and the number of ESWL sessions are the most significant factors affecting stone fragility. CT attenuation values can predict the composition of stones from serum calcium and uric acid examinations. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are risk factors for renal stone fragmentation.
Use of Antibiotics following Snakebite in the Era of Antimicrobial Stewardship
Authors: Brenes-Chacon Helena , Gutiérrez José María , Avila-Aguero María L.
Published: January 2024

Even though there are guidelines for the management of snakebite envenoming (SBE), the use of antibiotics in this pathology remains controversial. The aim of this study is to provide a narrative review of the literature and recommendations based on the best available evidence regarding antibiotic use in SBE. We performed a narrative review of relevant literature regarding SBE and antibiotic use as prophylaxis or treatment. A total of 26 articles were included. There is wide use of antibiotics in SBE; nevertheless, infection was not necessarily documented. The antibiotics used varied according to the study, from beta lactams to lincosamide and nitroimidazoles, and from monotherapy to combined antimicrobials. The most common recommendations were to manage skin and soft tissue infections and avoid infectious complications, but these suggestions are not necessarily based on bacteriological findings. Prophylactic use of antibiotics in SBE is discouraged in most studies. Antibiotic prescription in SBE should be based on the susceptibility of microorganisms isolated from the affected tissue or identified in snakes’ oral cavities. Antibiotics should be reserved only for patients with a demonstrated infection, or those at a high risk of developing an infection, i.e., presenting severe local envenoming, local signs of infection, or those with incorrect manipulation of wounds. Prospective studies are needed to correlate microbiological findings at the wound site and the response to antibiotic use.
Polarization Measurements of p↑ and 3He↑ Beams at RHIC and Future EIC Using the Polarized Atomic Hydrogen Gas Jet Target
Authors: Poblaguev A.
Published: January 2024

At the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), the Polarized Atomic Hydrogen Gas Jet Target polarimeter (HJET) is employed for the precise measurement of the absolute transverse (vertical) polarization of proton beams, achieving low systematic uncertainties of approximately σPsyst/P≤0.5%. The acquired experimental data not only facilitated the determination of single AN(t) and double ANN(t) spin analyzing powers for 100 and 255 GeV proton beams, but also revealed a non-zero Pomeron spin-flip contribution through a Regge fit. Preliminary results obtained for forward inelastic p↑p and elastic p↑A analyzing powers will be discussed. The success of the HJET at RHIC suggests its potential application for proton beam polarimetry at the upcoming Electron–Ion Collider (EIC), aiming for an accuracy of 1%. Moreover, the provided analysis indicates that the RHIC HJET target can serve as a tool for the precision calibration, with the required accuracy, of the 3He beam polarization at the EIC.
Exploring the Genetic Diversity and Molecular Evolution of Seoul and Hantaan Orthohantaviruses
Authors: Demirev Atanas V. , Lee Sangyi , Park Sejik , Kim Hyunbeen , Cho Seunghye , Lee Kyuyoung , Kim Kisoon , Song Jin-Won , Park Man-Seong , Kim Jin Il
Published: January 2024

Seoul (SEOV) and Hantaan (HTNV) orthohantaviruses are significant zoonotic pathogens responsible for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Here, we investigated the molecular evolution of SEOV and HTNV through phylogenetic and bioinformatic analyses using complete genome sequences of their large (L), medium (M), and small (S) gene segments. Despite similar epizootic cycles and clinical symptoms, SEOV and HTNV exhibited distinct genetic and evolutionary dynamics. The phylogenetic trees of each segment consistently showed major genetic clades associated with the geographical distribution of both viruses. Remarkably, SEOV M and S segments exhibit higher evolutionary rates, rapidly increasing genetic diversity, and a more recent origin in contrast to HTNV. Reassortment events were infrequent, but both viruses appear to utilize the M gene segment in genetic exchanges. SEOV favors the L or M segment reassortment, while HTNV prefers the M or S segment exchange. Purifying selection dominates in all three gene segments of both viruses, yet SEOV experiences an elevated positive selection in its glycoprotein Gc ectodomain. Key amino acid differences, including a positive ‘lysine fence’ (through residues K77, K82, K231, K307, and K310) located at the tip of the Gn, alongside the physical stability around an RGD-like motif through M108-F334 interaction, may contribute to the unique antigenic properties of SEOV. With the increasing global dispersion and potential implications of SEOV for the global public health landscape, this study highlights the unique evolutionary dynamics and antigenic properties of SEOV and HTNV in informing vaccine design and public health preparedness.
The Application of a Mobile Unmanned Device for Monitoring Water and Sediment Pollution in the Port of Gdynia
Authors: Bojke Aleksandra , Galer-Tatarowicz Katarzyna , Flasińska Agnieszka , Chybicki Andrzej , Łubniewski Zbigniew , Kargol Jadwiga , Ostrowska Dominika , Cichowska Agnieszka
Published: January 2024

Pollution in the Port of Gdynia can encompass various types of substances and contaminants that affect the quality of water and sediment in this region. Ships entering and leaving the port can release pollutants such as oil, fuel, waste, and chemicals into the water. Controlling and monitoring these pollutants is a crucial part of environmental stewardship. In recent years, uncrewed units have been increasingly in use for in situ water and sediment sampling. Boat-based water sampling crews face significant safety risks at sea. Eliminating the need for a boat-based sampling crew, uncrewed units allow sampling from locations that are difficult to access by traditional sampling methods. To validate the HydroDron-1 method, water samples and bottom sediments were collected from five basins in the Port of Gdynia using the HydroDron-1 method and accredited sampling methods. The values of measured parameters were similar for both methods. Using the HydroDron-1 method at the Port of Gdynia has the potential to improve safety while reducing sampling costs and increasing data collection. The project was implemented as part of the POLNOR 2019 Call program, announced by the National Center for Research and Development (NCRD): “Marine port surveillance and observation system using mobile unmanned research units” NOR/POLNOR/MPSS/0037/2019.
Insulation Detection of Electric Vehicles by Using FPGA-Based Recursive-Least-Squares Algorithm
Authors: Bukya Mahipal , Malthesh Shwetha , Kumar Rajesh , Mathur Akhilesh
Published: January 2024

The principal reason for why electric vehicles are required to serve as an alternative to the more widespread gasoline and petroleum-based vehicles used in modern times is due to the use of an environmentally conscious means of transportation or to circumvent the tumultuous economic dealings of the compressed natural gas and petroleum industries. There is a growing daily need for large, high-voltage e-mobilities, mostly driven by anticipated advancements in electric vehicle technology. Consequently, all of the various components of these vehicles must be able to be accommodated within a limited and compact space. The battery is an essential component in e-mobility. The insulation, health monitoring, and problem diagnostics of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are of utmost importance in ensuring these vehicles’ safety and efficient functioning. Real-time and fast insulation detection techniques are required to ensure safety in high-voltage (HV) vehicles and to avoid insulation failure. This paper used the Recursive-Least-Squares (RLS) algorithm because it is computationally efficient for building the insulation detection system. Based on the RLS technique, we proposed field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based algorithms and implemented them using VHDL coding. The FPGA is very fast at detection, and the error is lower. We validated the FPGA results with MATLAB simulation results from the existing literature, and the errors are much less when using FPGAs. An experimental hardware platform was also created to validate the proposed FPGA technique with various motor and resistive loadings on electric vehicles (EVs).
Periodontitis as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease development: systematic review
Authors: Zykova A. S. , Opravin A. S. , Soloviev A. G.
Published: January 2024

Relevance. The high prevalence of inflammatory periodontal diseases (IPD) and periodontitis, in particular, is a relevant issue since the latter progression leads to alveolar bone destruction and loss of periodontal attachment and is considered one of the principal causes of tooth loss in the adult population. The adverse impact of periodontal pathogens doesn't only extend to the oral organs and tissues, but it also affects general health. There is evidence of a possible relationship between IPD and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Periodontal pathogens are found in the myocardium, pericardial fluid, heart valves and vascular intima.

Purpose. The study aimed to systematically review the impact of periodontitis on the risk of cardiovascular disease development.

Material and methods. The study systematically reviewed scientific articles and original studies from international and national databases using the PRISMA (The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Results. The study detected 1857 articles according to the inclusion criteria. After the duplicate removal, the number of articles decreased to 685. Of these, 137 articles were selected for screening, which contained data from randomized controlled clinical trials, longitudinal studies, cohort studies and case-control studies. Ninety-eight articles were excluded for the lack of clinical diagnoses or clear diagnostic criteria for the studies and the lack of sample representativeness. The experts assessed 39 articles, of which seven were removed due to a high risk of bias. Finally, 32 studies were included in the systematic review.

Conclusion. Thus, the review confirms the hypothesis that there is a relationship between IPD and CVD, such as ACVD, myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease, and hypertension. The theory of the pathogenic influence of systemic inflammation caused by the spread of periodontal pathogens in the bloodstream is the key option for grounding this relationship.
Influence of Talent Management and Core Values on Employee Performance in State-Owned Enterprises in Bandung
Authors: Putri Shabrina Nabilah , Sary Fetty Poerwita
Published: January 2024

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of talent management and company core values on employee work performance. Finding the relationship between all crucial components, this research is vital for the development of science, particularly in the domain of human capital and talent development. Research Design  &  Methods: Using a quantitative research method, the study collected data from a minimum sample of 100 employees of State-Owned Enterprises in Bandung. PLS-SEM analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 3.2.9 software to test the research hypotheses. Findings: The results revealed that talent management had no significant effect on employee work performance, while company core values had a positive and significant impact on this variable. It was also found that both talent management and company core values demonstrated simultaneous influences on employee work performance. Implications & Recommendations: This study has important implications for companies seeking to enhance the work performance of their employees. Specifically, the findings suggest that strengthening both company management talent and core values may be necessary to achieve this goal. Contribution & Value Added: In terms of contribution and value added, this research offers an overview of the challenges associated with poor talent management and company core values, and their potential impact on job performance. By providing insight into these issues, the study offers valuable guidance to organizations seeking to improve the performance of their employees.