bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solidification of Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems as a Novel Approach to the Management of Uncomplicated Malaria
Authors: Seo Eun Bin , du Plessis Lissinda H. , Viljoen Joe M.
Published: January 2022

Malaria affects millions of people annually, especially in third-world countries. The mainstay of treatment is oral anti-malarial drugs and vaccination. An increase in resistant strains of malaria parasites to most of the current anti-malarial drugs adds to the global burden. Moreover, existing and new anti-malarial drugs are hampered by significantly poor aqueous solubility and low permeability, resulting in low oral bioavailability and patient noncompliance. Lipid formulations are commonly used to increase solubility and efficacy and decrease toxicity. The present review discusses the findings from studies focusing on specialised oral lipophilic drug delivery systems, including self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDSs). SEDDSs facilitate the spontaneous formation of liquid emulsions that effectively solubilise the incorporated drugs into the gastrointestinal tract and thereby improve the absorption of poorly-soluble anti-malaria drugs. However, traditional SEDDSs are normally in liquid dosage forms, which are delivered orally to the site of absorption, and are hampered by poor stability. This paper discusses novel solidification techniques that can easily and economically be up-scaled due to already existing industrial equipment that could be utilised. This method could, furthermore, improve product stability and patient compliance. The possible impact that solid oral SEDDSs can play in the fight against malaria is highlighted.
Nanotechnology Driven Cancer Chemoradiation: Exploiting the Full Potential of Radiotherapy with a Unique Combination of Gold Nanoparticles and Bleomycin
Authors: Han Ocean , Bromma Kyle , Palmerley Nicholas , Bido Ariadne T. , Monica Mesa , Alhussan Abdulaziz , Howard Perry L. , Brolo Alexandre G. , Beckham Wayne , Alexander Abraham S. , Chithrani Devika B.
Published: January 2022

One of the major issues in current radiotherapy (RT) is the associated normal tissue toxicity. Enhancement of the RT effect with novel radiosensitizers can address this need. In this study, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and bleomycin (BLM) were used as a unique combination of radiosensitizers. GNPs offer a two-fold promise as a delivery vehicle for BLM and as a radiosensitizing agent. In this study, GNPs were functionalized and complexed with BLM using a gold-thiol bond (denoted GNP-BLM). Our results show that there was a 40% and 10% decrease in cell growth with GNP-BLM vs. free BLM for the MIA PaCa-2 and PC-3 cell lines, respectively. Testing the GNP-BLM platform with RT showed an 84% and 13% reduction in cell growth in MIA PaCa-2 cells treated with GNP-BLM and GNPs, respectively. Similar results were seen with PC-3 cells. The efficacy of this approach was verified by mapping DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) as well. Therefore, this proposed incorporation of nanomedicine with RT is promising in achieving a significantly higher therapeutic ratio which is necessary to make a paradigm change to the current clinical approach.
MicroRNA-539-5p-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles Grafted with iRGD as a Targeting Treatment for Choroidal Neovascularization
Authors: Alanazi Jouri S. , Alqahtani Fulwah Yahya , Aleanizy Fadilah Sfouq , Radwan Awwad A. , Bari Ahmed , Alqahtani Qamraa Hamad , Abdelhady Hosam Gharib , Alsarra Ibrahim
Published: January 2022

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a major cause of visual impairment that results from excessive growth of blood vessels in the eye’s choroid. The limited clinical efficacy of the current therapy for this condition requires the emergence of new treatment modalities such as microRNA (miRNAs). A recent study identified microRNA-539-5p (miR-539) as an angiogenic suppressor in a CNV animal model; however, its therapeutic delivery is limited. Therefore, this study aims to formulate miR-539 in targeted nanoparticles (NPs) prepared from polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA). The NPs were decorated with internalizing arginylglycylaspartic (RGD) peptide (iRGD), which specifically targets the alpha-v-beta-3 (αvβ3) integrin receptor that is overexpressed in blood vessels of ocular tissue in CNV patients. The 1H NMR spectra results revealed successful conjugation of iRGD peptide into PLGA NPs. The miR-539-PLGA.NPs and miR-539-iRGD-PLGA.NPs were prepared and showed a particle size of 300 ± 3 and 306.40 ± 4 nm, respectively. A reduction in human retinal microvascular endothelial cell (HRMEC) viability was shown 48 and 72 h post transfection with miR-539 incorporated in PLGA NPs and iRGD-PLGA.NPs. iRGD-functionalized PLGA NPs caused further significant reduction in cell viability when compared with plain ones, revealing an enhancement in the NP uptake with iRGD-grafted NPs. The current study showed that miR-539-PLGA.NPs and miR-539-iRGD-PLGA.NPs are promising approaches that reduced the viability of HRMECs, suggesting their therapeutic potential in the treatment of CNV.
Dissipative Ion-Acoustic Solitary Waves in Magnetized κ-Distributed Non-Maxwellian Plasmas
Authors: Sultana Sharmin , Kourakis Ioannis
Published: January 2022

The propagation of dissipative electrostatic (ion-acoustic) solitary waves in a magnetized plasma with trapped electrons is considered via the Schamel formalism. The direction of propagation is assumed to be arbitrary, i.e., oblique with respect to the magnetic field, for generality. A non-Maxwellian (nonthermal) two-component plasma is considered, consisting of an inertial ion fluid, assumed to be cold for simplicity, and electrons. A (kappa) κ-type distribution is adopted for the electron population, in addition to particle trapping taken into account in phase space. A damped version of the Schamel-type equation is derived for the electrostatic potential, and its analytical solution, representing a damped solitary wave, is used to examine the nonlinear features of dissipative ion-acoustic solitary waves in the presence of trapped electrons. The influence of relevant plasma configuration parameters, namely the percentage of trapped electrons, the electron superthermality (spectral) index, and the direction of propagation on the solitary wave characteristics is investigated.
Phytochemical Characterization of a Tree Tomato (Solanum betaceum Cav.) Breeding Population Grown in the Inter-Andean Valley of Ecuador
Authors: Viera William , Samaniego Iván , Camacho Diana , Habibi Nasratullah , Ron Lenin , Sediqui Naveedullah , Álvarez Javier , Viteri Pablo , Sotomayor Andrea , Merino Jorge , Vásquez-Castillo Wilson , Brito Beatriz
Published: January 2022

Tree tomato (Solanum betaceum Cav.) is an Andean fruit crop that is grown in Ecuador. It is an exceptional source of minerals and vitamins, thus has nutraceutical properties. The objective of this research was to carry out a phytochemical characterization of a breeding population composed of 90 segregants. Pulp (including mesocarp, mucilage, seeds and placenta) was ground and sieved in order to obtain the liquid pulp to be lyophilized for the chemical analyzes. Antioxidants compounds were determined by spectrophotometry and vitamin C by reflectometry. Data were analyzed by principal components, grouping, and variance analyses; in addition, Z Score estimation was carried out to select elite individuals. There was a broad variability in the data obtained for the breeding population, polyphenol content varied from 5.11 to 16.59 mg GAE g−1, flavonoids from 1.24 to 6.70 mg cat g−1, carotenoids from 50.39 to 460.72 µg β-carotene g−1, anthocyanins from 1.06 to 240.49 mg cy-3-glu 100 g−1, antioxidant capacity from 49.51 to 312.30 µm Trolox g−1, and vitamin C from 78.29 to 420.16 mg 100 g−1. It can be concluded that tree tomato is a good source of beneficial biocompounds and has a high antioxidant capacity.
Bacillusvelezensis Strains for Protecting Cucumber Plants from Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita in a Greenhouse
Authors: Asaturova Anzhela M. , Bugaeva Ludmila N. , Homyak Anna I. , Slobodyanyuk Galina A. , Kashutina Evgeninya V. , Yasyuk Larisa V. , Sidorov Nikita M. , Nadykta Vladimir D. , Garkovenko Alexey V.
Published: January 2022

Meloidogyne incognita Kofoid et White is one of the most dangerous root-knot nematodes in greenhouses. In this study, we evaluated two Bacillus strains (Bacillus velezensis BZR 86 and Bacillus velezensis BZR 277) as promising microbiological agents for protecting cucumber plants from the root-knot nematode M. incognita Kof. The morphological and cultural characteristics and enzymatic activity of the strains have been studied and the optimal conditions for its cultivation have been developed. We have shown the nematicidal activity of these strains against M. incognita. Experiments with the cucumber variety Courage were conducted under greenhouse conditions in 2016–2018. We determined the effect of plant damage with M. incognita to plants on the biometric parameters of underground and aboveground parts of cucumber plants, as well as on the gall formation index and yield. It was found that the treatment of plants with Bacillus strains contributed to an increase in the height of cucumber plants by 7.4–43.1%, an increase in leaf area by 2.7–17.8%, and an increase in root mass by 3.2–16.1% compared with the control plants without treatment. The application of these strains was proved to contribute to an increase in yield by 4.6–45.8% compared to control. Our experiments suggest that the treatment of cucumber plants with two Bacillus strains improved plant health and crop productivity in the greenhouse. B. velezensis BZR 86 and B. velezensis BZR 277 may form the basis for bionematicides to protect cucumber plants from the root-knot nematode M. incognita.
Defect Passivation Using Trichloromelamine for Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Niu Qiaoli , Zhang Ling , Xu Yao , Yuan Chaochao , Qi Weijie , Fu Shuai , Ma Yuhui , Zeng Wenjin , Xia Ruidong , Min Yonggang
Published: January 2022

Nonradiative recombination losses caused by defects in the perovskite layer seriously affects the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Hence, defect passivation is an effective way to improve the performance of PSCs. In this work, trichloromelamine (TCM) was used as a defects passivator by adding it into the perovskite precursor solution. The experimental results show that the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSC increased from 18.87 to 20.15% after the addition of TCM. What’s more, the environmental stability of PSCs was also improved. The working mechanism of TCM was thoroughly investigated, which can be ascribed to the interaction between the –NH– group and uncoordinated lead ions in the perovskite. This work provides a promising strategy for achieving highly efficient and stable PSCs.
In Situ Supramolecular Gel Formed by Cyclohexane Diamine with Aldehyde Derivative
Authors: Park Jae-Hyeon , Kim Min-Hye , Seo Moo-Lyong , Lee Ji-Ha , Jung Jong-Hwa
Published: January 2022

Low-molecular-weight gels have great potential for use in a variety of fields, including petrochemicals, healthcare, and tissue engineering. These supramolecular gels are frequently metastable, implying that their properties are kinetically controlled to some extent. Here, we report on the in situ supramolecular gel formation by mixing 1,3-cyclohexane diamine (1) and isocyanate derivative (2) without any catalysis at room temperature in various organic solvents. A mixture of building blocks 1 and 2 in various organic solvents, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, toluene, and 1,4-dioxane, resulted in the stable formation of supramolecular gel at room temperature within 60–100 s. This gel formation was caused by the generation of urea moieties, which allows for the formation of intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions via reactions 1 and 2. In situ supramolecular gels demonstrated a typical entangled fiber structure with a width of 600 nm and a length of several hundred μm. In addition, the supramolecular gels were thermally reversible by heating and cooling. The viscoelastic properties of supramolecular gels in strain and frequency sweets were enhanced by increasing the concentration of a mixed 1 and 2. Furthermore, the supramolecular gels displayed a thixotropic effect, indicating a thermally reversible gel.
Toxicity Study and Quantitative Evaluation of Polyethylene Microplastics in ICR Mice
Authors: Lee Sijoon , Kang Kyung-Ku , Sung Soo-Eun , Choi Joo-Hee , Sung Minkyoung , Seong Keum-Yong , Lee Sunjong , Yang Seung Yun , Seo Min-Soo , Kim KilSoo
Published: January 2022

The production, use, and waste of plastics increased worldwide, which resulted in environmental pollution and a growing public health problem. In particular, microplastics have the potential to accumulate in humans and mammals through the food chain. However, the toxicity of microplastics is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the toxicity of 10–50 μm polyethylene microplastics following single- and 28-day repeated oral administration (three different doses of microplastics of 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day) in ICR mice. For the investigation, we administered the microplastics orally for single- and 28-day repeated. Then, the histological and clinical pathology evaluations of the rodents were performed to evaluation of the toxicity test, and Raman spectroscopy was used to directly confirm the presence of polyethylene microplastics. In the single oral dose toxicity experiments, there were no changes in body weight and necropsy of the microplastics-treated group compared with that of controls. However, a histopathological evaluation revealed that inflammation from foreign bodies was evident in the lung tissue from the 28-day repeated oral dose toxicity group. Moreover, polyethylene microplastics were detected in the lung, stomach, duodenum, ileum, and serum by Raman spectroscopy. Our results corroborated the findings of lung inflammation after repeated oral administration of polyethylene microplastics. This study provides evidence of microplastic-induced toxicity following repeated exposure to mice.
Cutinase-Catalyzed Polyester-Polyurethane Degradation: Elucidation of the Hydrolysis Mechanism
Authors: Di Bisceglie Federico , Quartinello Felice , Vielnascher Robert , Guebitz Georg M. , Pellis Alessandro
Published: January 2022

Polyurethanes (PU) are one of the most-used classes of synthetic polymers in Europe, having a considerable impact on the plastic waste management in the European Union. Therefore, they represent a major challenge for the recycling industry, which requires environmentally friendly strategies to be able to re-utilize their monomers without applying hazardous and polluting substances in the process. In this work, enzymatic hydrolysis of a polyurethane-polyester (PU-PE) copolymer using Humicola insolens cutinase (HiC) has been investigated in order to achieve decomposition at milder conditions and avoiding harsh chemicals. PU-PE films have been incubated with the enzyme at 50 °C for 168 h, and hydrolysis has been followed throughout the incubation. HiC effectively hydrolysed the polymer, reducing the number average molecular weight (Mn) and the weight average molecular weight (Mw) by 84% and 42%, respectively, as shown by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), while scanning electron microscopy showed cracks at the surface of the PU-PE films as a result of enzymatic surface erosion. Furthermore, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis showed a reduction in the peaks at 1725 cm−1, 1164 cm−1 and 1139 cm−1, indicating that the enzyme preferentially hydrolysed ester bonds, as also supported by the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) results. Liquid chromatography time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (LC-MS-Tof) analysis revealed the presence in the incubation supernatant of all of the monomeric constituents of the polymer, thus suggesting that the enzyme was able to hydrolyse both the ester and the urethane bonds of the polymer.
Effect of 3D-Printed PLA Structure on Sound Reflection Properties
Authors: Monkova Katarina , Vasina Martin , Monka Peter Pavol , Vanca Jan , Kozak Dražan
Published: January 2022

3D printing technique is currently one of the promising emerging technologies. It is used in many areas of human activity, including acoustic applications. This paper focuses on studying the sound reflection behavior of four different types of 3D-printed open-porous polylactic acid (PLA) material structures, namely cartesian, octagonal, rhomboid and starlit structures. Sound reflection properties were evaluated by means of the normal incidence sound reflection coefficient based on the transfer function method using an acoustic impedance tube. In this study, various factors affecting the sound reflection performance of the investigated PLA samples were evaluated. It can be concluded that the sound reflection behavior of the tested PLA specimens was strongly affected by different factors. It was influenced, not only by the type of 3D-printed open-porous material structure, but also by the excitation frequency, the total volume porosity, the specimen thickness, and the air gap size behind the tested specimen inside the acoustic impedance tube.
Thiolated Chitosan Microneedle Patch of Levosulpiride from Fabrication, Characterization to Bioavailability Enhancement Approach
Authors: Habib Rukhshanda , Azad Abul Kalam , Akhlaq Muhammad , Al-Joufi Fakhria A. , Shahnaz Gul , Mohamed Hanan R. H. , Naeem Muhammad , Almalki Abdulraheem S. A. , Asghar Junaid , Jalil Aamir , Abdel-Daim Mohamed M.
Published: January 2022

In this study, a first attempt has been made to deliver levosulpiride transdermally through a thiolated chitosan microneedle patch (TC-MNP). Levosulpiride is slowly and weakly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract with an oral bioavailability of less than 25% and short half-life of about 6 h. In order to enhance its bioavailability, levosulpiride-loaded thiolated chitosan microneedle patches (LS-TC-MNPs) were fabricated. Firstly, thiolated chitosan was synthesized and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR) spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thiolated chitosan has been used in different drug delivery systems; herein, thiolated chitosan has been used for the transdermal delivery of LS. LS-TC-MNPs were fabricated from different concentrations of thiolated chitosan solution. Furthermore, the levosulpiride-loaded thiolated chitosan microneedle patch (LS-TC-MNP) was characterized by FTIR spectroscopic analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study, penetration ability, tensile strength, moisture content, patch thickness, and elongation test. LS-TC-MNP fabricated with 3% thiolated chitosan solution was found to have the best tensile strength, moisture content, patch thickness, elongation, drug-loading efficiency, and drug content. Thiolated chitosan is biodegradable, nontoxic and has good absorption and swelling in the skin. LS-TC-MNP-3 consists of 100 needles in 10 rows each with 10 needles. The length of each microneedle was 575 μm; they were pyramidal in shape, with sharp pointed ends and a base diameter of 200 µm. The microneedle patch (LS-TC-MNP-3) resulted in-vitro drug release of 65% up to 48 h, ex vivo permeation of 63.6%, with good skin biocompatibility and enhanced in-vivo pharmacokinetics (AUC = 986 µg/mL·h, Cmax = 24.5 µg/mL) as compared to oral LS dispersion (AUC = 3.2 µg/mL·h, Cmax = 0.5 µg/mL). Based on the above results, LS-TC-MNP-3 seems to be a promising strategy for enhancing the bioavailability of levosulpiride.
Grassland Phenology Response to Climate Conditions in Biobio, Chile from 2001 to 2020
Authors: Doussoulin-Guzmán Marcelo-Alejandro , Pérez-Porras Fernando-Juan , Triviño-Tarradas Paula , Ríos-Mesa Andrés-Felipe , García-Ferrer Porras Alfonso , Mesas-Carrascosa Francisco-Javier
Published: January 2022

Plant phenology is affected by climate conditions and therefore provides a sensitive indicator to changes in climate. Studying the evolution and change in plant phenology aids in a better understanding of and predicting changes in ecosystems. Vegetation Indices (VIs) have been recognized for their utility in indicating vegetation activity. Understanding climatic variables and their relationship to VI support the knowledge base of how ecosystems are changing under a new climatic scenario. This study evaluates grassland growth phenology in the Biobio, Chile, biweekly with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series. Four growth parameters for the six agro-climatic regions were analyzed from 2001 to 2020: start and end of the season, time and value of maximum NDVI. For this purpose, the NDVI time series were smoothed using Savitzky–Golay filtering. In addition, by using monthly gridded database climate data, we studied correlations between phenology markers and rainfall, maximum temperature and minimum temperature. The results show that both the start and end of the growing season did not significantly change; however, all agro-climatic regions grow faster and more vigorously. Thus, climatic conditions in Biobio have become more conducive to grassland growth over the 2001–2020 period.
Inverse Filtering of Magnetic Prospection Data—A Gateway to the Social Structure of Cucuteni–Tripolye Settlements?
Authors: Pickartz Natalie , Rabbel Wolfgang , Rassmann Knut , Hofmann Robert , Ohlrau René , Thorwart Martin , Wilken Dennis , Wunderlich Tina , Videiko Mykhailo , Müller Johannes
Published: January 2022

Magnetic mapping is a common method for investigating archaeological sites. Typically, the magnetic field data are treated with basic signal improving processing followed by image interpretation to derive the location and outline of archaeological objects. However, the magnetic maps can yield more information; we present a two-step automatized interpretation scheme that enables us to infer the social structure from the magnetic map. First, we derive the magnetization distribution via inverse filtering by assuming a constant depth range for the building remains. Second, we quantify the building remains in terms of their total magnetic moment. In our field example, we consider this quantity as a proxy of household prosperity and its distribution as a social indicator. The inverse filtering approach is tested on synthetic data and cross-checked with a least-squares inversion. An extensive modeling study highlights the influence of depth and thickness of the layer for the filter construction. We deduce the rule of thumb that by choosing a rather too deep and too thick a layer, errors are smaller than for layers too low and too thin. The interpretation scheme is applied to the magnetic gradiometry map of the Chalcolithic Cucuteni–Tripolye site Maidanetske (Ukraine) that comprises the anomalies of about 2300 burned clay buildings. The buildings are arranged along concentric ellipses around an inner vacant space and a vacant ring. Buildings along this ring corridor have increased total magnetic moments. The total magnetic moment indicates the remaining building material and therefore the architecture. Lastly, architecture can reflect economic or social status. Consequently, the increased magnetic moment of buildings along the ring corridor indicates a higher economic or social status. The example of Maidanetske provides convincing evidence that the inversion of magnetic data and the quantification of buildings in terms of their magnetic moments enables the investigation of the social structure within sites.
Implementation of Two-Stream Emission Model for L-Band Retrievals on the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wu Xiaojing
Published: January 2022

This study assesses the suitability of the two-stream microwave emission model in simulating brightness temperature (TBp) and retrieving liquid water content (θliq) at L-band in combination with the four-phase dielectric model for both thawed and frozen soil. Both single (SCA) and double (DCA) channel algorithms are adopted using both ground-based ELBARA-III and spaceborne SMAP measurements conducted in a Tibetan grassland site. The ELBARA-III measured TBp are smaller than the SMAP measurements in the warm season due to a lower value of average θliq presented within the ELBARA-III footprint. The two-stream emission model configured with SMAP vegetation and surface roughness parameterization underestimates both ELBARA-III and SMAP measured TBp at horizontal polarization in the cold season, and overestimates the vertical polarized measurements (TBV) in the warm season. Implementation of a new surface roughness and vegetation parameterization resolves above deficiency, and the simulations capture better large-scale SMAP measurements in comparison to these performed for the ELBARA-III footprint. The dynamics of in situ θliq are better reproduced by retrievals using the SCA based on TBV measurements (SCA-V), whereby the SCA-V retrievals using the SMAP ascending overpass measurements shows the best results with an unbiased root-mean-square error (ubRMSE) of 0.035 m3 m−3 that outperforms the SMAP mission specification.
A Docking Mechanism Based on a Stewart Platform and Its Tracking Control Based on Information Fusion Algorithm
Authors: Zhan Gan , Niu Shaohua , Zhang Wencai , Zhou Xiaoyan , Pang Jinhui , Li Yingchao , Zhan Jigang
Published: January 2022

Aiming at the problem of unmanned reconfiguration and docking of ground vehicles under complex working conditions, we designed a piece of docking equipment composed of an active mechanism based on a six-degree-of-freedom platform and a locking mechanism with multi-sensors. Through the proposed control method based on laser and image sensor information fusion calculation, the six-dimensional posture information of the mechanism during the docking process is captured in real time so as to achieve high-precision docking. Finally, the effectiveness of the method and the feasibility of the 6-DOF platform are verified by the established model. The results show that the mechanism can meet the requirements of smooth docking of ground unmanned vehicles.
A Semi-Supervised 3D Indoor Localization Using Multi-Kernel Learning for WiFi Networks
Authors: Chen Yuh-Shyan , Hsu Chih-Shun , Chung Ren-Shao
Published: January 2022

Indoor localization is an important issue for indoor location-based services. As opposed to the other indoor localization approaches, the radio frequency (RF) based approaches are low-energy solutions with simple implementation. The kernel learning has been used for the RF-based indoor localization in 2D environment. However, the kernel learning has not been used in 3D environment. Hence, this paper proposes a multi-kernel learning scheme for 3D indoor localization. Based on the signals collected in the area of interest, the WiFi signals with better quality and closer to the user are selected so as to reduce the multipath effect and the external interference. Through the construction of multi-kernel, the localization accuracy can be improved as opposed to the localization based on the single kernel. We build multiple kernels to get the user’s location by collecting wireless received signal strengths (RSS) and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). The kernel learning maps data to high dimension space and uses the optimization process to find the surface where the data are mapped. By multi-kernel training, the surface is fine-tuned and eventually converges to form the location database during the mapping process. The proposed localization scheme is verified by the real RSS and SNR collected from multiple wireless access points (AP) in a building. The experimental results verify that the proposed multi-kernel learning scheme performs better than the multi-DNN scheme and the existing kernel-based localization schemes in terms of localization accuracy and error in 3D indoor environment.
A Comparative Analysis of Shoes Designed for Subjects with Obesity Using a Single Inertial Sensor: Preliminary Results
Authors: Cimolin Veronica , Gobbi Michele , Buratto Camillo , Ferraro Samuele , Fumagalli Andrea , Galli Manuela , Capodaglio Paolo
Published: January 2022

Walking remains a highly recommended form of exercise for the management of obesity. Thus, comfortable and adequate shoes represent, together with the prescription of a safe adapted physical activity, an important means to achieve the recommended physical activity target volume. However, the literature on shoes specific for obese individuals is inadequate. The aim of the present study was to compare the performance of shoes specifically designed for subjects with obesity with everyday sneakers during instrumented 6-min walking test and outdoor 30-min ambulation in a group of subjects with obesity using a single wearable device. Twenty-three obese individuals (mean age 58.96 years) were recruited and classified into two groups: deconditioned (n = 13) and non-deconditioned patients (n = 10). Each participant was evaluated with his/her daily sneakers and the day after with shoes specifically designed for people with obesity by means of a questionnaire related to the comfort related to each model of shoes and instrumentally during the i6MWT and an outdoor walking test. The results showed that the specifically designed shoes displayed the higher score as for comfort, in particular in the deconditioned group. During the i6MWT, the distance walked, and step length significantly increased in the deconditioned group when specifically designed shoes were worn; no significant changes were observed in the non-deconditioned individuals. The deconditioned group displayed longer step length during the outdoor 30-min ambulation test. In the non-deconditioned group, the use of specific shoes correlated to better performance in terms of gait speed and cadence. These data, although preliminary, seem to support the hypothesis that shoes specifically conceived and designed for counteracting some of the known functional limitations in subjects with obesity allow for a smoother, more stable and possibly less fatiguing gait schema over time.
On Minimum Parking Space Required by Automatic Parallel Parking
Authors: Wang Xuan , Zhou Momiao , Liu Zhengqiong , Ding Zhizhong
Published: January 2022

Automatic parking system has been widely equipped on manual driving vehicles for decades. Due to the limited environment sensing ability and not-accurate-enough positioning system, however, it usually requires a very large redundant space for a car to accomplish one successful parking maneuver. There would be two differences in the coming era of automatic driving: (1) sufficiently accurate perception and positioning systems can be expected to be available, and (2) the number of parking trials could be large when parking without passengers on the vehicle. Under such circumstances, it is quite important for the vehicle to know exactly whether the external and internal spaces are large enough for parking and how the minimum number of trials will be required. This paper presents closed-form solutions of minimum internal and external space required for automatic parallel parking and the corresponding trials if the parking is based on circular arcs. On the other hand, it is also very useful for the vehicle to know the required minimum space if only one trial is allowed, for which the solutions are presented both for circular arcs and continuous-curvature curves based parking, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, there is no so far systematic analysis and research on the issue addressed in this paper.
A Multiscale Normalization Method of a Mixed-Effects Model for Monitoring Forest Fires Using Multi-Sensor Data
Authors: Feng Lanbo , Xiao Huashun , Yang Zhigao , Zhang Gui
Published: January 2022

This paper points out the shortcomings of existing normalization methods, and proposes a brightness temperature inversion normalization method for multi-source remote sensing monitoring of forest fires. This method can satisfy both radiation normalization and observation angle normalization, and reduce the discrepancies in forest fire monitoring between multi-source sensors. The study was based on Himawari-8 data; the longitude, latitude, solar zenith angle, solar azimuth angle, emissivity, slope, aspect, elevation, and brightness temperature values were collected as modeling parameters. The mixed-effects brightness temperature inversion normalization (MEMN) model based on FY-4A and Himawari-8 satellite sensors is fitted by multiple stepwise regression and mixed-effects modeling methods. The results show that, when the model is tested by Himawari-8 data, the coefficient of determination (R2) reaches 0.8418, and when it is tested by FY-4A data, R2 reaches 0.8045. At the same time, through comparison and analysis, the accuracy of the MEMN method is higher than that of the random forest normalization method (RF) (R2=0.7318), the pseudo-invariant feature method (PIF) (R2=0.7264), and the automatic control scatter regression method (ASCR) (R2=0.6841). The MEMN model can not only reduce the discrepancies in forest fire monitoring owing to different satellite sensors between FY-4A and Himawari-8, but also improve the accuracy and timeliness of forest fire monitoring.
Digital Learning Is an Educational Format towards Sustainable Education
Authors: Sousa Maria José , Marôco Ana Lúcia , Gonçalves Sónia P. , Machado Andreia de Bem
Published: January 2022

The year 2020, due to the pandemic, was a milestone in the history of digital technology in the education sector, allowing a sustainable education although the world was facing a pandemic crisis without precedents. Therefore, in a few days occur a transformation from traditional classroom teaching to online teaching and consequently forced to use digital learning. Nevertheless, more researches are needed to know how was this experience and if there is the intention to maintain the online format. The main goal of this article is to study how digital learning can be an educational format focused on sustainable education. This paper presents a systematic literature review on digital learning through PRISMA methodology, based on a literature search and field research aimed to analyze the significant predictors related to the digital learning experience on the likelihood of choosing to “keep” the online format in the next academic year. An online survey was conducted with 173 university students. The results obtained showed that the significant predictors were factor 1-”Characteristics of online classes; factor 2-”Support from the School and Professors; factor 3-”Online classes vs. face-to-face classes” and gender. The probability of choosing to keep online classes increases exponentially with the characteristics of online classes, with Support from school and teachers; Online classes vs. Face-to-face classes, and keeping factors 1, 2, and 3 constant the probability if a man chooses the online format compared to a woman is higher. This online format thus acquires central importance in the contemporary sustainability debate. The kind of life, education, and society we will have in the future will depend on the quality, depth, and extent of the learning processes we can create and exercise individually and socially. Education, and educators in particular, who concentrate on the tasks of designing and implementing social teaching and learning models, have a unique responsibility in this process. Although the reduced sample size the present work can provide strategic information for university staff, contributing to designing and implementation a sustainable education.
High-Resolution Regional Climate Modeling and Projection of Heatwave Events over the Yangtze River Basin
Authors: Gao Zhibo , Yan Xiaodong
Published: January 2022

Heatwave events (HWEs) have strong impacts on human health, ecosystems, and sustainable social development. Using a gridded observation dataset and a high-resolution regional climate model (RCM), this study analyzed the characteristics of HWEs over the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) in eastern China during the historical period and projected the changes in HWEs over the YRB in the future. The daily maximum temperature (Tmax), long-lived (≥6 days) HWEs, and total (≥3 days) HWEs in the YRB all showed an obvious upward trend from 1981 to 2018, while the increase in short-lived (≥3 days and <6 days) HWEs was relatively moderate overall. The RCM of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model can simulate the characteristics of Tmax and HWEs in the historical period very well, and the projection results showed that Tmax, total HWEs, and long-lived HWEs will all increase obviously in both the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios. Short-lived HWEs will also increase rapidly under SSP585, but they will rise slowly overall under SSP245. The changes in HWEs had distinct regional differences, and the intensity and coverage area of HWEs were greater under SSP585 overall. In the future, the increase in HWEs over the YRB region is likely to be associated with the enhancement of the western-Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) and South-Asian high (SAH), and this enhancement was also greater under SSP585. The results from the high-resolution simulation of the RCM can provide an important reference for disaster prevention and mitigation in the future.
Heavy Metals in Soil and Sand from Playgrounds of Çanakkale City (Turkey), and Related Health Risks for Children
Authors: Parlak Mehmet , Tunçay Tülay , Botsou Fotini
Published: January 2022

Children spend most of their time in playgrounds and, in parallel, constitute the social group most sensitive to contaminants. Here, we present the results of a comparative study of heavy-metal contents between soils and sand from sandboxes obtained from playgrounds of Çanakkale city. Average contents of soils followed the order of iron (Fe) (12,901 mg kg−1) > manganese (Mn) (475 mg kg−1) > zinc (Zn) (58 mg kg−1) > copper (Cu) (28 mg kg−1) > nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) (21 mg kg−1) > lead (Pb) (18 mg kg−1). Sand had lower contents, however, due to the reduction of particles size through prolonged use, and accumulation of Fe/Mn (oxyhydr)oxides on sand grains tended to diminish the differences between soils and sand. Through chemometric analysis, Cr and Ni were found to have a lithogenic origin, while the rest of metals were related to anthropogenic activities. Spatially, heavy-metal contents followed the pattern of the city’s sprawl. Risk estimates on children’s health showed that ingestion was the most important exposure route, followed by dermal contact and inhalation. Exposure of children to sand was of similar importance to that of soils. These findings are significant, as the contamination of sand has not yet received much attention compared to the soil of playgrounds.
Exhaust Gas Recirculation on a Nano-Coated Combustion Chamber of a Diesel Engine Fueled with Waste Plastic Oil
Authors: Saravanan P. , Ettappan M. , Kumar Nallapaneni Manoj , Elangkeeran N.
Published: January 2022

Managing waste plastic is becoming a severe challenge. The industry and researchers have been looking at various opportunities in line with circular economy principles for effective plastic waste management. In that context, plastic waste valorization to oil as a substitute to fossil fuel has gained recent attention. In the literature, there exist few studies showing the use of oil derived from waste plastics in blends with other conventional fuels in compression ignition (CI) engines; however, studies on CI engines that use 100% waste-derived fuels are limited. Additionally, the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) concepts and the use of nano-coated chambers (like pistons, valves and cylinders heads) have been gaining interest purely from the engine performance enhancement perspective in recent years. Therefore, this study investigates engine performance by combining exhaust gas from the EGR technique and waste plastic oil (WPO) as inputs, followed by thermal coatings in the CI engine chambers for performance enhancement. The experimental setup of the engine is developed, and the engine’s piston, valve and cylinder heads are coated with Al2O3-SiO4 material. The CI engine’s energy, emission, and combustion characteristics are tested, followed by a scenario analysis compared with diesel-only fuel. The tested scenarios include a WPO + Al2O3-SiO4, WPO + Al2O3-SiO4 + 10% EGR, and WPO + Al2O3-SiO4 + 20% EGR. The results show that the piston crown’s thermal coating increased the combustion performance. Significant impacts on the carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and smoke characteristics are observed for different %EGR rates. The results also showed that the cooled EGR engine has decreased nitric oxide emissions. Overall, the results show that WPO combined with exhaust gas could be a potential fuel for future CI engines.
Developing and Applying Circularity Indicators for the Electrical and Electronic Sector: A Product Lifecycle Approach
Authors: Pollard Jennifer , Osmani Mohamed , Cole Christine , Grubnic Suzana , Colwill James , Díaz Ana Isabel
Published: January 2022

The adoption of circularity indicators in the electrical and electronic sector is understood to play a critical role in organisational decision making during the transition from a linear to a circular economy. Yet, it is widely recognised that there is no standardised method of measuring circularity performance. Additionally, the extent of literature uncovers a range of shortcomings of existing cross-sector circularity indicators, including a predominant focus on end-of-life, limited coverage of social measurements, a lack of sector specificity and limited capture of product functionality, durability or sharing. Furthermore, the current electrical and electronic sector-specific circularity indicators focus greatly on repair and recycling, failing to acknowledge the significant impact on circularity of the design and manufacturing, distribution and use phases. Therefore, this research set out to answer how electrical and electronic manufacturers can measure the circular economy performance of their products by developing and testing multidimensional circularity indicators for all products’ life cycle stages. To achieve this, a two-fold qualitative approach was adopted. Firstly, a stakeholders’ workshop aiming to generate, categorise and rate novel circularity indicators was held. Secondly, a focus group piloted the resulting workshop’s circularity indicators. The findings highlight key factors that influence circularity indicators’ applicability to electrical and electronic products, including product function, service arrangement, and customer type. The research has implications for electrical and electronic organisations seeking pathways to the circular economy by understanding, assessing, and measuring the circularity of their products.
The Impacts of Tourism Stays on Residents’ Self-Reported Health: A Pan-European Analysis on the Role of Age and Urbanization Level
Authors: Bornioli Anna , Vermeulen Susan J. , van Haaren Jeroen , Valente Riccardo , Mingardo Giuliano
Published: January 2022

Understanding the impacts of tourism on the quality of life of residents is a priority for the sustainable tourism agenda, and is especially relevant to the COVID-19 recovery period. However, the evidence is poor, and it is not clear whether the outcomes vary among sociodemographic groups. This study fills this gap by proposing a pan-European analysis of the effects of tourism stays per 1000 residents (as a measure of tourism pressure) on self-perceived health at a regional level, based on data from Eurostat, the EU-SILC (European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey), and the LFS (Labor Force Survey). Multilevel models with random effects were used, including three levels: region, time, and region–time. Results show that tourism pressure may benefit self-reported health but only among residents aged over 50 years old living in rural contexts, or over 65 living in low density urban areas. As for younger groups (under 50) living in high density cities, tourism is longitudinally associated with worsened self-reported health. These results, which are supported by instrumental-variable estimations, suggest that urban residents and younger groups do not benefit from tourism. This might be due to a number of side effects related to increased living costs, precarious labour, and conflicts related to public space. Therefore, our findings challenge the narrative that urban tourism universally improves residents’ quality of life. Considering the global urgency of creating healthier and more equitable post-COVID-19 cities and societies, tourism should be considered together with health and equity dimensions.
Relationship between Sustainable Management Activities and Financial Performance: Mediating Effects of Non-Financial Performance and Moderating Effects of Institutional Environment
Authors: Liu Yuhan , Kim Choo Yeon , Lee Eun Hwa , Yoo Jae Wook
Published: January 2022

The importance of corporate responsibility for society and environments is emphasized by increasing influence of firms on various stakeholders. Firms strengthen environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities, which are critical elements for sustainable management. However, there are inconsistent findings on the relationship between ESG activities and firms’ financial performance in prior studies because of the lack of full consideration of internal mechanisms and external conditions. To overcome this limitation, this study investigates the mediating effect of non-financial performance and the moderating effect of the institutional environment on the relationship between firms’ ESG activities and their financial performance in a unified moderated mediation model. Samples for empirical analyses were collected by a survey from 304 small and medium-sized Chinese manufacturers. The results of a mediation analysis reveal that each ESG activity has a positive effect on firms’ financial performance, and the impact of ESG activities on financial performance is completely mediated by non-financial performance. The results of a moderated mediation analysis further indicate that the mediating effect varies depending on the level of institutional pressure from the government, consumers, and competitors. The study suggests the need for interdisciplinary research in sustainable management and institutional theory and emphasizes the importance of sustainable management for performance improvement in a changing environment.
Development of Sustainable Timber Construction in Ibero-America: State of the Art in the Region and Identification of Current International Gaps in the Construction Industry
Authors: Araya Raúl , Guillaumet Alfredo , do Valle Ângela , Duque María del Pilar , Gonzalez Guillermo , Cabrero José Manuel , De León Enrique , Castro Francisco , Gutierrez Carmen , Negrão João , Moya Laura , Guindos Pablo
Published: January 2022

This article presents the latest developments of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Europe and Latin America towards the development of sustainable timber construction. As most regions related to these countries have not traditionally employed timber as primary construction material, bringing the development of sustainable timber construction into fruition requires a wide range of actions, such as the elaboration of new educational programs, construction of demonstrative buildings, dissemination activities, settlement of public policies, elaboration of new construction codes, and the creation of new certification bodies. This article presents an overview of the state of the development of the different countries of Ibero-America, showing a very uneven development in the region. In addition to national analyses, a perception survey of 233 professionals from different countries was conducted, allowing for the identification of good practices, present gaps, and opportunities, as well as barriers for developing sustainable timber construction. It is concluded that in order to promote the development of the timber construction industry in the region, it is necessary to progress on regulatory, cultural, and material availability issues, where international experience, demonstrative buildings, and the implementation of public policies are crucial.