bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antifungal and Modulatory Activity of Lemon Balm (Lippia alba (MILL.) N. E. BROWN) Essential Oil
Authors: Sales Gleilton , Medeiros Suelen , Soares Igor , Sampaio Tiago , Bandeira Mary , Nogueira Nádia , Queiroz Maria
Published: May 2022

Fungal diseases and the progressive development of resistance are a challenge. In this context, Lippia alba (lemon balm) is a species used in folk medicine, being described with antimicrobial potential. The aim of this study was to determine the antifungal activity and modulating effect of the essential oil of Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown leaves (LaEO). The antifungal activity of LaEO on eight Candida strains was determined by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum lethal concentration (MLC), minimum biofilm inhibition concentration (MBIC), minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) and time-kill. The checkerboard technique was used to determine the modulating effect of LaEO on antifungal activity. The results indicate the presence of 11 constituents, with a predominance of carvone (58.15%) and limonene (25.37%). LaEO was able to inhibit the growth of all tested microorganisms, with MIC and MLC ranging from 0.078 to 1.25 mg/mL and MBIC and MBEC ranging from 0.156 to 5 mg/mL. The time-kill assay showed that LaEO was able to eliminate the strains after two hours of exposure and the best association was observed for the combination of LaEO and ketoconazole. The results of the study indicate that LaEO has excellent antifungal activity with potential biotechnological application.
Profiling the Volatile and Non-Volatile Compounds along with the Antioxidant Properties of Malted Barley
Authors: Mansouri Fouad El , Farissi Hammadi El , Cacciola Francesco , Esteves da Silva Joaquim C. G. , Lovillo Miguel Palma , Majdoub Yassine Oulad El , Trovato Emanuela , Mondello Luigi , Khaddor Mohamed , Brigui Jamal
Published: May 2022

In this work, the stability of antioxidant compounds in malting barley seeds before and after the production of the final products is reported. In this reflection, the findings revealed that the process of fermentation had a significant impact on antioxidant activity. In vitro, antioxidant capacities were evaluated using DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The results obtained from the spectrophotometric analysis showed that the lowest inhibition value was observed in the samples that were obtained by the classical fermentation process (ABC) and the samples of non-alcoholic beer obtained by the thermal process (NABT), with free radical inhibition capacity values of 8.50% and 5.50%, respectively. The samples of hopped wort (HW) and malted barley seeds extract (BSE) showed very high antioxidant activity with free radical inhibition capacity of 14% and 12.60%, respectively. The obtained extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, both combined with mass spectrometry detection (GC–MS, HPLC–MS). GC–MS analysis of the SPME extraction showed the presence of 29 compounds with isopentyl alcohol in major concentration (18.19%) in the alcoholic beer; on the other hand, the HPLC–DAD–ESI/MS analysis of the ethyl acetate extract showed the presence of 13 phenolic compounds. Interestingly, the degradation of 3-Hydroxyphloretin 2′-O-glucoside in the final products of the non-alcoholic beers was found. Finally, the FTIR analysis was also employed in order to detect the type of efficient groups present in the extracts.
Separation of Microalgae by a Dynamic Bed of Magnetite-Containing Gel in the Application of a Magnetic Field
Authors: Washino Takehiro , Demura Mikihide , Morisada Shintaro , Ohto Keisuke , Kawakita Hidetaka
Published: May 2022

Microalgae are now known as potential microorganisms in the production of chemicals, fuel, and food. Since microalgae live in the sea and the river, they need to be harvested and separated and cultured for further usage. In this study, to separate microalgae, a bed of magnetite-containing gel (Mag gel, 190 µm) was packed in the column by the application of a magnetic field for the separative elution of injected microalgae (including mainly four species), cultured at Saga University in Japan. The applied magnetic field was set at a constant and dynamic-convex manner. At a constant magnetic field of 0.4–1.1 T, the elution percentage of the microalgae at less than 5 µm was 30–50%. At 1.1 T, the larger-sized microalgae were eluted at a percentage of 20%, resulting in the structural change of the bed by the applied magnetic field. In a convex-like change of the magnetic field at 1.1 T ⇄ 0.4 T, the smaller-sized microalgae were selectively eluted, whereas at 1.1 T ⇄ 0.8 T, the larger-sized microalgae were eluted. Dynamic convex-like changes by the magnetic field selectively eluted the microalgae, leading to the separation and the extraction of potential microalgae.
COVID-19 Detection from Radiographs: Is Deep Learning Able to Handle the Crisis?
Authors: Saqib Muhammad , Anwar Abbas , Anwar Saeed , Petersson Lars , Sharma Nabin , Blumenstein Michael
Published: May 2022

Deep learning in the last decade has been very successful in computer vision and machine learning applications. Deep learning networks provide state-of-the-art performance in almost all of the applications where they have been employed. In this review, we aim to summarize the essential deep learning techniques and then apply them to COVID-19, a highly contagious viral infection that wreaks havoc on everyone’s lives in various ways. According to the World Health Organization and scientists, more testing potentially helps contain the virus’s spread. The use of chest radiographs is one of the early screening tests for determining disease, as the infection affects the lungs severely. To detect the COVID-19 infection, this experimental survey investigates and automates the process of testing by employing state-of-the-art deep learning classifiers. Moreover, the viruses are of many types, such as influenza, hepatitis, and COVID. Here, our focus is on COVID-19. Therefore, we employ binary classification, where one class is COVID-19 while the other viral infection types are treated as non-COVID-19 in the radiographs. The classification task is challenging due to the limited number of scans available for COVID-19 and the minute variations in the viral infections. We aim to employ current state-of-the-art CNN architectures, compare their results, and determine whether deep learning algorithms can handle the crisis appropriately and accurately. We train and evaluate 34 models. We also provide the limitations and future direction.
Who Are the People at Socio-Economic Risk? Socio-Demographical Analysis of the Czech People in Specific Economical Situations Recognized in Value-Based Risk Prediction Model
Authors: Pospíšil Jiří , Olecká Ivana , Matulayová Nataša , Pospíšilová Helena , Jurníčková Pavlína , Macháčková Pavla
Published: May 2022

The aim of this study was to analyze the dependence of personal economic situation on gender, age, education, occupational status, field of work or study, family situation, and number of children in the family. The research was designed as cross-sectional ex post facto. The survey examined data collected through a structured questionnaire completed and returned by a total of 5175 respondents aged 15+ selected from the general population of the Czech Republic. The statistical significance of hypotheses was tested using χ2 statistics, and the adjusted residuals z in each cell were calculated. The impacts of socio-demographic factors on specific economic situation were recognized and statistically confirmed. Compared to women, men show higher financial knowledge, which benefits them significantly. Economic situation worsens with increasing age. As education increases, the level of vulnerability decreases, and the individual’s economic situation improves. Protective factors include cohabitation with a partner and having a complete family. People without children are in the best financial situation. The situation gradually worsens with the number of children, and families with five or more children are typically in a negative economic situation with a high level of vulnerability. The specific contribution of our research lies in the inclusion of potential financial risks in the identification of people at risk. We recognized a high-risk group of people—women in a positive economic situation with a high level of risk.
Effect of Land-Use Change on the Changes in Human Lyme Risk in the United States
Authors: Ma Yuying , He Ge , Yang Ruonan , Wang Yingying X. G. , Huang Zheng Y. X. , Dong Yuting
Published: May 2022

The spatial extent and incidence of Lyme disease is increasing in the United States, particularly in the Upper Midwest and Northeast. Many previous studies have explored the drivers of its spatial pattern, however, few studies tried to explore the drivers for the changes of Lyme disease. We here compared the spatial patterns of changes of human Lyme cases and incidence in the Northeast and Upper Midwest between 2003–2005 and 2015–2017, and applied two different approaches (i.e., a statistical regularization approach and model averaging) to investigate the climatic and landscape factors affecting the risk change between the two periods. Our results suggested that changes in land-use variables generally showed different relationships with changes of human Lyme risk between the two regions. Changes of variables related to human-use areas showed opposite correlations in two regions. Besides, forest area and forest edge density generally negatively correlated with the change of human Lyme risk. In the context of ongoing habitat change, we consider this study may provide new insight into understanding the responses of human Lyme disease to these changes, and contribute to a better prediction in the future.
Climatic Hazards and the Associated Impacts on Households’ Willingness to Adopt Water-Saving Measures: Evidence from Mexico
Authors: Khodadad Mina , Sanei Mohsen , Narvaez-Montoya Christian , Aguilar-Barajas Ismael
Published: May 2022

Numerous regions across the globe are facing water shortage challenges, and domestic water demands are predicted to grow vastly by 2050. In this regard, household water-saving measures are critical to adapt to future risks. Few studies have evaluated the association between climate change-related threats and their impacts on water-saving activities and intentions. However, a limitation in this line of research is the assumption that only the hazards that directly affect water shortages, such as drought, can influence water conservation behaviors. Our study takes a step forward to examine the possible association between other types of extreme climate events (in addition to drought) and household water-saving behavioral willingness. Mexico is used as a case study. The information from the most recent versions of two Mexican national surveys is employed. The potential roles of three demographic characteristics (age, gender, and education) are also investigated. We found that recent experience of harsh climatic events positively affects willingness to adopt water-saving measures (although this is a small effect). The results validate the significance of experiential knowledge as a driver to increase the willingness to act responsibly regarding water challenges. The lessons we derive are of significance for Mexico and other settings facing water crises and natural hazards.
An Investigation of the Transmission Mechanism of Executive Compensation Control to the Operating Performance of State-Owned Listed Companies
Authors: Bo Ling , Tang Decai , Zhang Jingyi , Bethel Brandon J.
Published: May 2022

Salary control is an effective mechanism used to modulate executive incentives and behaviors in many state-owned listed companies (SOLCs). This is especially true in China considering the vast number and scale of SOLCs. To gain a deeper understanding of the effect of salary control on operating performance of SOLCS, this study investigated salary control policy introduced by the Chinese government in 2015 using data acquired from Shanghai-Shenzhen A-share listed companies from 2010–2017. It was identified that primarily, executive compensation regulation leads to the decline of the operating performance of state-owned listed companies, and the impact of salary control is mainly transmitted through executive behavior. Second, there has been no significant change in the level of OJC of executives before and after pay control and thirdly, salary control reduces the actual effort of state-owned listed company executives, which is reflected in the high level of investment behavior such as the reduction of investment level and the reduction of the frequency of mergers and acquisitions. The above conclusions show that salary control is more likely to lead to a decline in business performance through the “lazy politics” of executives.
Evaluation of Sustainable Digital Currency Exchange Platforms Using Analytic Models
Authors: Davison Claire , Akhavan Peyman , Jan Tony , Azizi Neda , Fathollahi Somayeh , Taheri Nastaran , Haass Omid , Prasad Mukesh
Published: May 2022

This study presents an analytic model to support the general public in evaluating digital currency exchange platforms. Advances in technologies have offered profitable opportunities, but the general public has difficulty accessing appropriate information on digital currency exchange platforms to facilitate their investments and trading. This study aims to provide a decision support system using analytic models that will guide the public in deciding the appropriate digital currency exchange platform for trading and investment. The overarching objective is to support the public in embracing the new era of a dependable, trustworthy, and sustainable digital society. Particularly, this study offers an analytics model that compares numerous well-known digital currency exchange platforms based on the opinions of 34 human expert members on six main criteria to identify the most suitable platform. In this study, the analytic hierarchy process approach, which is a multiple-criteria decision-making method, and Expert Choice software were used for decision support. Using pairwise comparisons of exchanges with respect to the criteria in the software, the weight of each exchange was determined, and these weights became the basis for prioritizing the exchange platform. This study provides valuable insight into how an analytics-driven expert system can support the public in selecting their digital currency exchange platform. This work is an integral part of an effort to help disruptive digital technology become widely accepted by the general public.
Egyptian Clover Genotypic Divergence and Last Cutting Management Augment Nutritive Quality, Seed Yield and Milk Productivity
Authors: Jabbar Abdul , Iqbal Asif , Iqbal Muhammad Aamir , Sheikh Umer Ayaz Aslam , Rahim Junaid , Khalid Sadaf , Hafez Rehab M. , Shah Anees-ul-Husnain , Khan Aftab Ahmad , Bazmi Muhammad Sultan Ali , Hussain Ahmad , Hamad Asmaa A.
Published: May 2022

Under a changing climate, harvesting management and exploiting the genotypic divergence of Egyptian clover cultivars offers a biologically viable solution to sustainably boost the milk productivity of dairy animals. Two multi-season field trials were executed under semi-arid conditions whereby the first experiment aimed to assess the potential of Egyptian clover cultivars (Berseem Agaiti, Anmol and SB-11) for nutritional quality attributes and the digestibility of green forage and hay, forage palatability and milk productivity of buffaloes fed on hay. In the second field investigation, new promising line, SB-11, was tested for seed production potential under varying dates of the last harvesting regimes (10, 20 and 30 March along with 9 April and 19 April) owing to a sharp hike in temperature. In terms of the nutritive value of green forage and hay, SB-11 remained superior for recording the maximum crude protein (CP), ash, fat and nitrogen-free extract except dry matter (DM) content that was exhibited by the Anmol cultivar. Additionally, SB-11 remained unmatched by giving a minimum crude fiber (CF), while Berseem Agaiti yielded the lesser nutritive forage by producing 4% and 2% higher CF than SB-11 and Anmol, respectively. Moreover, SB-11 recorded the maximum digestibility of CP and DM. Furthermore, SB-11 exhibited a 6% and 9% higher palatability along with 8% and 11% higher milk production than Anmol and Berseem Agaiti, respectively. Additionally, 20 March surpassed the rest of the cutting dates by exhibiting 7%, 23%, 50% and 207% more seed yield than 10 March, 30 March, 9 April and 19 April, respectively, indicating quite a pronounced effect of the last cutting management on the seed production potential of Egyptian clover. The research findings suggest SB-11 as a promising genotype for bridging the nutritive gap of quality feed (forage and hay) for buffaloes along with addressing the seed production challenge of Egyptian clover.
Sustainable Agriculture and Self-Sufficiency in Sweden—Calculation of Climate Impact and Acreage Need Based on Ecological Recycling Agriculture Farms
Authors: Granstedt Artur , Thomsson Olof
Published: May 2022

A necessary reduction in climate impact and raised interest in the self-sufficiency of food in Sweden serve as the major background for the study. The purpose was to examine whether conversion of Swedish agriculture following principles of Ecological Recycling Agriculture (ERA) could be a realistic alternative. Case studies of 22 ERA farms were performed, and results were presented for five production groups in kg production, carbon sequestration, and nutrient balance per hectare. The farms show climate impact substantially lower than Swedish average agriculture, through 85% lower commodity purchases and 2.3 times larger carbon sequestration due to more ley cropping. Target diets with varying amounts of meat and dairy products were defined and matched with the production and presented in scenarios where the farms’ staple food production is upscaled for a Swedish population of 11 million inhabitants. Results are presented in kg of food category produced, hectares of arable land, CO2 equivalents, and kg of N surplus per capita. The scenario results show that it is possible to achieve at least a 90% decrease in climate impact. It is concluded that it is within range for Sweden to be self-sufficient in staple foods based on the available acreage of arable land by adopting Ecological Recycling Agricultural principles in a similar manner as the studied farms.
Integrated Carbon Footprint and Economic Performance of Five Types of Dominant Cropping Systems in China’s Semiarid Zone
Authors: Luo Danqi , Xu Gang , Luo Jiao , Cui Xia , Shang Shengping , Qian Haiyan
Published: May 2022

Crop production requires large areas of land and makes an important contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Cleaner production of all crop types could be of great significance to realizing carbon neutrality as soon as possible. The present study adopted life cycle assessment (LCA) combined with the profit accounting method of input-output to compare the differences in greenhouse gas emissions in the entire life cycle of apple (Malus pumila Mill.), grain maize (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), silage maize (Zea mays L.), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa Linn.) production in eastern Gansu Province with three functional units, including per ha of land, per ton of product, and per 10,000 yuan of output value. The results showed that apple had the largest carbon footprint per ha. Wheat had the largest carbon footprint per ton of product and per 10,000 yuan output. The results of LCA inventory sensitivity analysis showed that the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions for all crops were the production process of agricultural materials such as chemical fertilizer, machinery, and agricultural film. In particular, the excessive input of chemical fertilizer was the driving factor resulting in greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the study results, this paper also puts forward certain suggestions on the future land use of the cropping systems in the study area.
Neutralization of Industrial Alkali-Contaminated Soil by Different Agents: Effects and Environmental Impact
Authors: Shi Jiaqi , Long Tao , Zheng Liping , Gao Shang , Wang Lei
Published: May 2022

Industrial soil is susceptible to acid or alkali pollution, but studies focused on the remediation of such soil are still limited. This manuscript investigated the neutralization effect of five agents (hydrochloric acid, citric acid, ferrous sulfate, calcium superphosphate and raw gypsum) to alkali polluted soil. The results showed that regarding the initial pH after the neutralizing agent addition, it was better to set it lower than the target, as the pH would rebound. None of the five agents caused an obvious increase in the heavy metal contents of the leachates, but they all caused an increase in electrical conductivity, which indicated an increase in soil salinity. The leachates showed a luminous gain to Vibrio fischeri. However, remediation with hydrochloric acid would cause significant inhibition of germination and root elongation of pakchoi. In addition, the addition of neutralizing agents reshaped the soil microbial community structure in different patterns. Soils treated with hydrochloric acid and ferrous sulfate seemed to improve the microbial richness. The neutralization might be favorable for the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which usually coexist in industrial contaminated soil. In general, the neutralization of alkaline industrial soils using ferrous sulfate, superphosphate and gypsum brought minimal environmental risk, among which ferrous sulfate was the first recommendation in industrial soil after a comprehensive comparison.
Residents’ Engagement Behavior in Destination Branding
Authors: Zhao Yuzong , Cui Xiaotian , Guo Yongrui
Published: May 2022

Residents play an important role in the destination branding process. Extant studies have not yet integrated analyses of residents’ engagement behavior and the factors that affect it. In this study, we investigated the influence of place identity, place brand identity, place brand commitment, and perceived benefits of tourism on residents’ engagement behavior (brand ambassadorship behavior, brand citizenship behavior) in destination branding. Derived from a sample of 380 residents of Zhouzhuang, one of China’s most important tourism destinations, the data for this research were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 3.3.2. The findings reveal that residents’ emotions towards destinations and brands and the perceived benefits of tourism significantly positively influence brand ambassadorship behavior and brand citizenship behavior. Residents’ engagement behavior in destination branding is influenced by mechanisms of social identity and social exchange. This study reveals the antecedents that affect residents’ engagement behavior in destination branding. The results also provide comprehensive insight into residents’ engagement behavior in destination branding based on social identity and social exchange theories.
Analysis of the Integration of Drift Detection Methods in Learning Algorithms for Electrical Consumption Forecasting in Smart Buildings
Authors: Mariano-Hernández Deyslen , Hernández-Callejo Luis , Solís Martín , Zorita-Lamadrid Angel , Duque-Pérez Oscar , Gonzalez-Morales Luis , García Felix Santos , Jaramillo-Duque Alvaro , Ospino-Castro Adalberto , Alonso-Gómez Victor , Bello Hugo J.
Published: May 2022

Buildings are currently among the largest consumers of electrical energy with considerable increases in CO2 emissions in recent years. Although there have been notable advances in energy efficiency, buildings still have great untapped savings potential. Within demand-side management, some tools have helped improve electricity consumption, such as energy forecast models. However, because most forecasting models are not focused on updating based on the changing nature of buildings, they do not help exploit the savings potential of buildings. Considering the aforementioned, the objective of this article is to analyze the integration of methods that can help forecasting models to better adapt to the changes that occur in the behavior of buildings, ensuring that these can be used as tools to enhance savings in buildings. For this study, active and passive change detection methods were considered to be integrators in the decision tree and deep learning models. The results show that constant retraining for the decision tree models, integrating change detection methods, helped them to better adapt to changes in the whole building’s electrical consumption. However, for deep learning models, this was not the case, as constant retraining with small volumes of data only worsened their performance. These results may lead to the option of using tree decision models in buildings where electricity consumption is constantly changing.
Dynamics of Soil Carbon Fractions and Carbon Stability in Relation to Grassland Degradation in Xinjiang, Northwest China
Authors: Xu Qiao , Wei Yan , Zhao Xinfeng , Xu Hailiang
Published: May 2022

Grassland degradation usually results in significant shifts in vegetation species composition and plant biomass, thus altering the soil organic carbon (SOC) content and stability. Dynamics of labile carbon fractions after grassland degradation were well addressed; however, the changes in stable carbon fractions were poorly quantified. Soil samples at 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm depth were collected from a native grassland (NA), a lightly degraded grassland (LD), a moderately degraded grassland (MD), and a severely degraded grassland (SD) in northwest China to assess the influence of grassland degradation on the total SOC content, four SOC fractions (very labile carbon, CF1; labile carbon, CF2; less labile carbon, CF3; non-labile carbon, CF4), and SOC stability. Compared with the NA, the contents under LD, MD, and SD at 0–20 cm depth reduced by 20.58%, 29.22%, and 64.58% for total SOC, 21.38%, 23.00%, and 63.66% for CF1, 13.81%, 20.58%, and 62.26% for CF2, 24.30%, 35.05%, and 68.63% for CF3, and 22.17%, 38.80%, and 63.82% for CF4, respectively. The linear relationships between the total SOC and the four fractions of CF1, CF2, CF3, and CF4 were significant in this study. The lability index of SOC under the NA, LD, MD, and SD was 1.57, 1.59, 1.67, and 1.57, respectively, and no significant difference was found among the four grasslands. To conclude, grassland degradation changes the contents of total SOC and its labile and stable fractions but did not change the SOC stability in northwest China.
Optimization of Corrugated Sheet Packing Structure Based on Analysis of Falling Film Flow Characteristics
Authors: Liao Junhua , Xue Peng , Jin Ling , Zhao Mengjing , Zhang Nan , Liu Junjie
Published: May 2022

The falling film flow characteristics of a liquid on the surface of corrugated sheet packing are crucial for its mass transfer performance in various industrial applications. In this study, a falling film flow experiment with laser-induced fluorescence technology was conducted to validate the flow characteristics of a falling film simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The influences of Reynolds number (Re) and the packing structure on flow characteristics were analyzed with quantitative film thickness and wetted area obtained through three-dimensional simulation. The results show that the CFD model can accurately predict the liquid falling–film flow behavior and calculate the characteristic parameters. For sinusoidal corrugated sheets, when Re reaches 500, the groove flow changes into a rivulet flow along the adjacent ripples and the wetted area is at its largest, about 0.022 m2. However, relative to the geometric area of the corrugated sheet, the wetted area can only reach 20% of the surface area, and the overall wetting performance is still poor. Triangular and trapezoidal corrugated sheets were further proposed and proved to improve the wetting area compared with the sinusoidal sheet, with maximum increases of 23% and 9%, respectively. On this basis, extensive research was carried out on the corrugation angle. The results show that a triangular corrugated sheet with a 75° corrugated angle was more conducive to the flow of the liquid film, and the wetted area was 38.8% of the surface area.
A Novel Z Profile of Pultruded Glass-Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Beams for Purlins
Authors: Setyanto Djoko , Antonio Yohanes Adeatma , Darmawan Marten , Ubaidillah Ubaidillah
Published: May 2022

Purlins made from galvanised steel in fertiliser warehouses have often been considered less efficient, necessitating a new purlin made using corrosion-resistant material to increase building efficiency. This study was an attempt to design a nine-metre purlin from glass-fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite material for a new fertiliser warehouse in Bontang-East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The purlin design selected in this study was the Z profile of pultruded beams from GFRP composite material that met the criteria of an efficient purlin, such as corrosion resistance, compact stacking, and ability to withstand technical loads. In particular, the Z profile becomes compact when stacked, and the GFRP material used is corrosion-resistant yet affordable. The primary materials for GFRP composites consist of long yarn glass fibre bundles for reinforcement and unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) for the matrix. Material strength modelling was based on analytical and finite element approaches. The analysis shows that the most considerable normal stress of “64.41 MPa” occurred at the two fixed end supports, while the most significant deflection of “45.9 mm” occurred at the mid-span of the purlin structure. The purlin structure was considered safe, as the strength and deflection were below the threshold. Thus, the Z profile of the pultruded purlin beams built using the GFRP composite material meets the technical criteria.
Study of Wettability of Polyethylene Membranes for Food Packaging
Authors: Vasi Sebastiano , Ceccio Giovanni , Cannavò Antonino , Pleskunov Pavel , Vacík Jiří
Published: May 2022

In this study, the wettability of PET membranes (prepared with different pore sizes) treated by UV irradiation, thermal annealing or doping with metal nanoparticles was investigated. The wettability was studied using the contact angle method based on the optical microscopy. The membranes were analyzed before and after pore etching, and after each applied treatment. It turned out that membranes with different pore sizes exhibit different wetting behavior. Of particular interest are membranes with 0.53 μm pores. When pristine, they show high hydrophobicity (a high contact angle), but after treatment (some of which can be considered as an accelerated aging), their wetting characteristics swap between a hydrophobic and hydrophilic state. Interactions between packaging material and food and the external environment through fine control of wettability could have a major impact on maintaining product quality.
Examining the Factors That Affect Consumers’ Purchase Intention of Organic Food Products in a Developing Country
Authors: Zayed Mostafa Fawzy , Gaber Hazem Rasheed , El Essawi Nermine
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this article is to investigate the factors that influence consumers’ intention to purchase organic food in Egypt. Given the novelty of organic food marketing in developing countries, much of the factors that influence its consumption are still inadequately explored in the marketing literature. A conceptual model of the factors that impact the consumption of organic food was developed based on the theory of planned behaviour and previous literature in the area of food consumption. To test the conceptual model and to validate the research hypotheses, an online questionnaire was adopted to collect data from 363 consumers in Egypt. The partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to analyse the data. The findings indicated that purchase intention of organic food is influenced by consumers’ attitudes and environmental concern. However, e-WOM, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and health consciousness did not influence consumers’ purchase intention. Conversely, the results showed that e-WOM had a significant influence on consumers’ attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, health consciousness and environmental concern. This article contributes by presenting the factors that affect organic food purchase intention in Egypt, and it provides some recommendations for marketing organic food in developing countries.
Research on Classification Method of Building Function Oriented to Urban Building Stock Management
Authors: Xiao Bing , Jia Xuexiu , Yang Dong , Sun Lingwen , Shi Feng , Wang Qitong , Jia Yongfei
Published: May 2022

With the development of human society, the urban population and the urban building stock have been continuously increasing. Environmental issues such as greenhouse gases emissions, air pollution, and construction waste have gradually emerged. Due to the lack of an urban functional area database, it is very time-consuming to manually identify building functional areas. As a result, most of the current research on urban building functions are estimated at a large regional scale or only detailed calculations of individual buildings. The building functions classification method needs to be further improved. Based on the traditional methods, this paper proposes a building function classification method with higher recognition accuracy and is less time-consuming. The method is then applied to a certain area of Chaoyang District, Beijing, for validation and verification. The results show that the urban building function classification method in this paper has a recognition rate of 96.18%, an overall classification accuracy of 94.37%, and a kappa coefficient of 0.9089. The classification results are in good agreement with the virtual interpretation. In addition, automatic classification of building functions is implemented using ArcPy in ArcGIS, which significantly improves the classification efficiency.
The Analysis of the Effects of a Fare Free Public Transport Travel Demand Based on E-Ticketing
Authors: Hojski Danijel , Hazemali David , Lep Marjan
Published: May 2022

The traditional approach in public transport planning was to collect travel demand data for a more extended period and compose timetables to serve this demand. There are two significant identifiable issues. In the rural areas and off-peak hours, public transport operators provide much more capacities than needed. On the other hand, more capacities than scheduled are needed on certain lines at certain departures on some sporadically occurring occasions. The problem is how to react to short-term changes (daily) triggered by exceptional circumstances and events and midterm changes (weekly, monthly basis) in travel demand. We can trigger changes in travel demand chiefly by introducing a desirable (almost for free) tariff system applied to specific populations. No long-term travel response data exists for this kind of intervention, but an immediate response in public transport supply is needed. In Slovenia, public transport for free for the whole population over 65 years was introduced. With the modern ticketing system, which was designed to be as simple as possible for users (that means »check-in only« at the moment of boarding), the research task was to analyze the travel behavior of the retired population, faced with a new attractive option to travel, based on data of purchased tickets and their afterward validation, for better mid-and long-term planning. Our study finds that ITS technology (in this case, e-ticketing system) can satisfactorily solve the discussed planning and management task.
Effect of Acid–Base Modified Biochar on Chlortetracycline Adsorption by Purple Soil
Authors: Liu Zhifeng , Fang Xun , Chen Lingyuan , Tang Bo , Song Fengmin , Li Wenbin
Published: May 2022

We used three purple soil (Hechuan, Jialing, and Cangxi) samples from the Jialing River basin as the research objects and added different proportions of an acid–base modified Alternanthera philoxeroides biochar (Cm) to the purple soil to study the effect of Cm on the adsorption of chlortetracycline (CTC) in the purple soil. The results indicated the following: (1) At 30 °C and pH = 6, the soil adsorption capacity increased with an increasing initial concentration of CTC. The maximum adsorption amount of CTC for each tested sample was in the range of 2054.63–3631.21 mg/kg, and the adsorption capacity in different Cm amended soils was ranked in the order of 10% Cm > 5% Cm > 2% Cm > CK. The adsorption capacity of CTC increased with an increase in the proportion of Cm. Furthermore, under the same addition ratio of Cm, Hechuan soil was found to have a better adsorption effect for CTC than Jialing and Cangxi soil. (2) The Langmuir model was the most suitable for fitting the adsorption behavior of CTC on different purple soils, and the fitting coefficients were all greater than 0.9, indicating that the adsorption of CTC on each soil sample occurred via monolayer adsorption. The thermodynamic experiment results showed that an increase in temperature was beneficial to the process of CTC adsorption, which was a spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-adding process. (3) At pH = 6, the ionic strength ranged from 0.01 to 0.5 mol/L and the adsorption capacity of CTC of the soil samples decreased with an increase in ionic strength. In the range of pH 2–10, the adsorption capacity of CTC in all the soil samples decreased with an increase in pH. The inhibition capacity of CTC in the soil samples under acidic conditions was notably higher than that under alkaline conditions.
Integrating Retail into an Urban Data Platform from a Stakeholder Perspective: Network Approaches in Leipzig (Germany)
Authors: Schade Katrin , Hübscher Marcus , zur Lage Felix , Schulze Juana , Ringel Johannes
Published: May 2022

Growth rates in e-commerce, changing consumer behaviors, and COVID-19 have all put pressure on local retailers worldwide, threatening the resilience of city centers. Local online platforms (LOPs) have been considered as a solution to help local retailers increase their visibility and survive on the market. However, most platforms fail to attract a significant number of stakeholders. Simultaneously, digital platform solutions with more holistic urban perspectives, such as urban data platforms (UDPs), have emerged. However, a question remains: how can the integration of retail data (e.g., product availabilities) into a UDP succeed? Therefore, in this paper, we explore stakeholder-oriented networking processes to integrate local retail data into a UDP in Leipzig, Germany. Leipzig has increased its population by 26% since 2000, but presents the highest retail vacancy rate, compared to other major German cities. To investigate the networking process in Leipzig, we conduct a social network analysis which combines qualitative interviews, mapping, and ethnographic research. We interview ten stakeholders and uncover conflicts within the networking process: First, all stakeholders have different understandings of UDPs and how to integrate local retail data; second, the interviewees acknowledge the importance of, but none of them feel responsible for, initiating or managing the process; and third, the city administration has shown diverging interest, in terms of taking on more responsibility.
Joint Decisions of Inventory Optimization and Order Allocation for Omni-Channel Multi-Echelon Distribution Network
Authors: Qu Ting , Huang Tianxiang , Nie Duxian , Fu Yelin , Ma Lin , Huang George Q.
Published: May 2022

Firms with omni-channel multi-echelon distribution networks (OMDC) integrate all of their sale channels and distribution echelons to achieve an effective matching of multi-type orders and a shared inventory. However, the high operational cost caused by insufficient use of inventory resources and unreasonable order allocation restricts the sustainable development of firms. To this end, the joint decisions of inventory optimization (IO) and order allocation (OA) are explored to achieve cost-efficient and sustainable omni-channel operations. Specifically, from the perspective of IO, an inventory integrated policy is proposed for online and offline inventory sharing within nodes and lateral transshipment between nodes; from the aspect of OA, an order allocation mechanism is designed for the minimum cost under the influence of multiple factors (inventory replenishment, holding, order delivery distance and time) among different echelon nodes. A joint optimization model of an inventory and orders is therefore developed and is subsequently solved using the Genetic Algorithm (GA). Results obtained show that the proposed strategy has a better performance with regards to operational cost and customer service level and is also more sustainable than alternative strategies. The proposed joint strategy provides a relatively novel approach to realize flexible and sustainable omni-channel distribution systems.
Differential Impact of Forest Fragmentation on Fluctuating Asymmetry in South Amazonian Small Mammals
Authors: Castilheiro Welvis Felipe Fernandes , Muñoz-Muñoz Francesc , Ventura Jacint , dos Santos-Filho Manoel , Mathias Maria da Luz , Gabriel Sofia Isabel
Published: May 2022

(1) Background: Southern Amazonia encompasses some of the most human-impacted and deforested regions of South America, resulting in a hyper-fragmented landscape. In this context, by using a geometric morphometrics approach, we aimed to examine the effect of forest fragmentation on developmental instability (DI) of the mandible, assessed by variation of fluctuating asymmetry (FA), in four neotropical small mammal species inhabiting the municipality of Alta Floresta (Brazil). (2) Methods: The impact of fragment area, fragment shape, isolation, and edge length on DI were assessed by measuring variation in mandibular FA in the long-tailed spiny rat (Proechimys longicaudatus), the hairy-tailed bolo mouse (Necromys lasiurus), the woolly mouse opossum (Marmosa demerarae), and the Amazonian red-sided opossum (Monodelphis glirina). Mandibles from a total of 304 specimens originating from different-sized fragments (ranging from 5 to 900 ha) were used. Twelve homologous landmarks were digitized in photographs of the mesial view of each hemi-mandible. (3) Results: The two largest species, P. longicaudatus and M. demerarae, exhibited significantly higher levels of FA in mandibular shape in small fragments (5–26 ha) in comparison to large ones (189–900 ha). Edge length negatively impacted M. demerarae, the only arboreal species, reinforcing its strongest dependence on core forest habitats. (4) Conclusions: For small mammal communities, we propose that fragments >~200 ha should be the focus of conservation efforts, as both resilient and more sensitive species would benefit from their more preserved biotic and abiotic conditions. Conversely, fragments <~25 ha seem to lead to a significant increase in stress during developmental stages.
Extended Legendrian Dualities Theorem in Singularity Theory
Authors: Liu Haiming , Miao Jiajing
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we find some new information on Legendrian dualities and extend them to the case of Legendrian dualities for continuous families of pseudo-spheres in general semi-Euclidean space. In particular, we construct all contact diffeomorphic mappings between the contact manifolds and display them in a table that contains all information about Legendrian dualities.
Monte-Carlo Simulation-Based Accessibility Analysis of Temporal Systems
Authors: Pokorádi László
Published: May 2022

Temporal networks and network-structured systems are gaining ground in daily life. Such net-works are Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks (VANET) and Mobile Ad-hoc NETworks (MANET), in fact, Industry 4.0 requires similar local networks. During mathematical model-based analysis of real temporal systems, it is vital to determine the existence and frequency of accessibility between components. Graph theory is a well-known mathematical tool used for studying accessibility of network components. In previous publications, the author proposed an easy-usable algorithm for determining the existence of interconnection between system-components. The Monte-Carlo Simulation can model the temporality of systems. The aim of this paper is to propose a Monte-Carlo Simulation-based method that estimates symmetry or asymmetry and the frequency of accessibilities between the components of temporal network-structured systems.
Accurate Determination of Enantiomeric Excess Using Raman Optical Activity
Authors: Michal Pavel , Hudecová Jana , Čelechovský Radek , Vůjtek Milan , Dudka Michal , Kapitán Josef
Published: May 2022

The optical purity of a chiral sample is of particular importance to the analytical chemistry and pharmaceutical industries. In recent years, the vibrational optical activity (VOA) has become established as a sensitive and nondestructive technique for the analysis of chiral molecules in solution. However, the relatively limited accuracy in the range of about 1–2% reported in published papers and the relatively small spread of experimental facilities to date have meant that vibrational spectroscopy has not been considered a common method for determining enantiomeric excess. In this paper, we attempt to describe, in detail, a methodology for the determination of enantiomeric excess using Raman optical activity (ROA). This method achieved an accuracy of 0.05% for neat α-pinene and 0.22% for alanine aqueous solution, after less than 6 h of signal accumulation for each enantiomeric mixture, which we believe is the best result achieved to date using vibrational optical activity techniques. An algorithm for the elimination of systematic errors (polarization artifacts) is proposed, and the importance of normalizing ROA spectra to correct for fluctuations in excitation power is established. Results comparable to those obtained with routinely used chemometric analysis by the partial least squares (PLS) method were obtained. These findings show the great potential of ROA spectroscopy for the quantitative analysis of enantiomeric mixtures.
Fredholm Type Integral Equation in Controlled Rectangular Metric-like Spaces
Authors: Haque Salma , Azmi Fatima , Mlaiki Nabil
Published: May 2022

In this article, we present an extension of the controlled rectangular b-metric spaces, so-called controlled rectangular metric-like spaces, where we keep the symmetry condition and we only change the condition [D(s,r)=0⇔s=r]to[D(s,r)=0⇒s=r], which means we may have a non-zero self distance; also, D(s,s) is not necessarily less than D(s,r). This new type of metric space is a generalization of controlled rectangular b-metric spaces and partial rectangular metric spaces.
A Subgradient-Type Extrapolation Cyclic Method for Solving an Equilibrium Problem over the Common Fixed-Point Sets
Authors: Promsinchai Porntip , Nimana Nimit
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we consider the solving of an equilibrium problem over the common fixed set of cutter mappings in a real Hilbert space. To this end, we present a subgradient-type extrapolation cyclic method. The proposed method is generated based on the ideas of a subgradient method and an extrapolated cyclic cutter method. We prove a strong convergence of the method provided that some suitable assumptions of step-size sequences are assumed. We finally show the numerical behavior of the proposed method.
Modified Supergravity Phenomenology in Gravitational Waves Era
Authors: Addazi Andrea , Gan Qingyu
Published: May 2022

We discuss phenomenological aspects of modified supergravity (MSG) in gravitational wave (GW) physics. MSG naturally provides double inflation and primordial black holes (PBHs) as cold dark matter. Intriguingly, MSG predicts a large amplification of the scalar and tensor perturbation power spectrum, generating a secondary GW stochastic background which can be tested in space-based interferometers.