bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation in Thickness of Embryo Covering Structures and Their Role in the Regulation of Seed Physiological Dormancy of Chenopodium hircinum (Amaranthaceae)
Authors: Agüero-Martínez Paola Fernanda , Cardozo Leonardo , Gómez Carlos A. , López-Spahr Diego , Baskin Carol C. , Bertero Daniel , Galíndez Guadalupe , Curti Ramiro
Published: October 2024

Chenopodium hircinum, the putative wild ancestor of quinoa, is a source of traits that could improve the tolerance of crop quinoa to high temperatures. However, seeds of C. hircinum have physiological dormancy (PD), which is an obstacle for plant propagation and use in breeding programs. We studied the intraspecific variability in morpho-anatomical traits of embryo covering structures and their association with PD. We also evaluated the effects of different dormancy-breaking treatments on PD alleviation and germination. Seeds were dispersed with a remnant perianth and a persistent pericarp that could be removed by scraping. The seed coat was formed by palisade cells impregnated with tannins, and the seed contained a thin layer of peripheral endosperm surrounding the embryo. In our investigation, the thickness of the pericarp (P) and/or seed coat (SC) varied among populations. Populations with higher P and/or SC thickness showed lower percentages of germination and water absorption. The combined dormancy-breaking treatment (bleach + perforated coverings + gibberellic acid) promoted dormancy release and increased germination. C. hircinum seeds showed non-deep physiological dormancy. Based on previous knowledge about quinoa, and our results, we conclude that embryo coverings, especially the seed coat, have an important role in dormancy control, imposing a mechanical restraint on radicle emergence.
Preventive Maintenance Strategy Prediction of the Firewater Systems Based on the Pythagorean Fuzzy Cost–Benefit–Safety Analysis and Fuzzy Dematel
Authors: Daas Samia , Innal Fares
Published: October 2024

The firewater system is a complex system associated with the safety process of Hydrogen storage tanks. Predicting preventive maintenance strategies is essential to ensure the long-term reliability of this system. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the multistate reliability of the firewater system in order to predict preventive maintenance strategies and provide safety measures. A polymorphic fuzzy fault tree analysis (PFFTA) for the risk analysis of complex systems has attracted much attention because of its powerful evaluation capability and its ability to analyze relationships among basic events. However, obtaining multistate failure probability (MFP) data for basic events in PFFTA has always been a major challenge. It is also difficult to quantify the minimum cut set (MCS) in PFFTA and determine the critical components for selecting a preventive maintenance strategy. In this study, we propose the Pythagorean fuzzy cost–benefit–safety analysis by using the PFFTA, an improved consistency aggregation method (I-CAM), and fuzzy Dematel for a predictive preventive maintenance strategy. In the proposed approach, the I-CAM method was used to collect and aggregate weights of experts’ opinions to evaluate the MFP of basic events in PFFTA. As a result, a triptych cost–benefit–safety analysis based on Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs) and the sum-product method (SPM) was estimated to reduce expert subjectivity, support an improved cost-effectiveness index to rank critical components, and fuzzy Dematel to evaluate influence of proposed preventive maintenance actions. To clarify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed methodology, a case study of the firewater system related to the plant is located in SONELGAZ electricity power plant (OUMACHE Unit) was demonstrated. Both evaluations of the cost–benefit–safety analysis of the critical component were performed, and selected the influence of preventive maintenance strategy of the firewater system was predicted.
Impact Tendency Characteristics of Borehole Coal Samples under Real-Time and Uniaxial Loading Conditions: Insights from Physical Experiments
Authors: Dai Linchao , Du Feng , Zhang Xiang , Zhao Xusheng , Yang Huiming , Liu Yanbao , Zhang Yi
Published: October 2024

Real-time drilling depressurization technology is widely used in the prevention and control of dynamic disasters, such as deep-seated rock burst. However, current coal- and rock-loading tests under drilling conditions seldom account for real-time issues associated with drilling, thus failing to fully reflect the actual stress state of the surrounding rock during the implementation of drilling depressurization technology. Therefore, this study designed and implemented a uniaxial loading scheme for coal samples incorporating real-time-drilling characteristics. The results indicate a significant reduction in the uniaxial compressive strength (RC), elastic energy index (WET), and impact energy index (KE) of the samples post-drilling. These parameters show a clear decreasing trend with increasing axial stress during real-time drilling. The weakening effect of impact tendency following real-time drilling depressurization is significant, and the depressurization effect is pronounced. The RC, WET, and KE of each real-time-drilled sample exhibit a notable decrease with increasing drilling stress, with the reduction rate significantly diminishing after the drilling stress reaches 20% of the peak strength.
Masters of Dark Arts—Ibn ʿArabī’s Records on African Sorcery, Qaḍīb al-Bān and the Power Known as Himma
Authors: Rašić Dunja
Published: October 2024

In 1195 AD, a celebrated Sufi scholar, poet and philosopher Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī quit Muslim Spain for Africa. There, he first became acquainted with ʿuzābīyyah, which he described as the dark arts rooted in the soul’s power over mind and matter. Ibn ʿArabī referred to this power as himma. The Sufi shaykh Qaḍīb al-Bān, as well as the North African sorcerers Ibn ʿArabī encountered, could use this power to maim and kill humans. They were also said to be capable of creating new life forms with himma. The present study examines the specific types of himma they used and determines the supposed loci of this power in the body and soul. It also describes the standard methods used in Akbarian circles and North Africa to make oneself worthy of himma and identifies advantages and disadvantages of using this power to turn dreams into reality.
The Franciscan Undercurrent in Polish Literature as Exemplified by the Works of Józef Wittlin and Roman Brandstaetter
Authors: Zajączkowski Ryszard
Published: October 2024

This article discusses the Franciscan theme in Polish literature, which was apparent from the 19th century onwards, and especially towards the end of that century. This trend involves the works of many authors and an enormous variety of texts. Therefore, this article focuses on two writers—Józef Wittlin and Roman Brandstaetter—who clearly inherited the broad Franciscan tradition, and also developed and popularised the Franciscan message. The Franciscan revival in Polish literature was initiated by Protestants, which often meant a departure from the figure of St. Francis established by the Church in favour of an individual understanding and presentation of him. The first Polish centre of the revival of Franciscanism as a literary and cultural formation was Lviv. Józef Wittlin grew up in this environment; moreover, he authored, inter alia, the first Polish unfinished novel about St. Francis Salt of the Earth, which refers to Franciscanism, as well as a number of smaller texts with a Franciscan message. Wittlin was a mentor to Roman Brandstaetter, who, after World War II, became the greatest bard of Assisi and St. Francis in Polish literature. Unlike Wittlin, who was Protestant-inspired, Brandstaetter clearly placed the Assisi saint in a Catholic context. This writer greatly expanded references to Franciscan tradition and art in his work. He wrote essays on Assisi, wrote a drama about St. Francis, and combined Franciscanism with biblical themes, as evidenced by his Jesus of Nazareth tetralogy. Despite their differences, what both writers shared is that the saint from Assisi was neither an object of devotional worship nor an outdated figure, but a representative of ideas and layers of spirituality that had remained fresh for people living in that conflicted era. Although they emphasised other aspects of the Franciscan ethos, they both accepted it as a counterbalance to a cold and indifferent world, an idea for living addressed not only to Christians, but also to people of other faiths and agnostics.
The 1977 Chicago Call: Debating Evangelical Identity
Authors: Ross Melanie C.
Published: October 2024

In 1977, a diverse group of forty-five leaders and scholars drafted the “Chicago Call”, urging evangelicals to reconnect with historic Christianity and embrace a richer understanding of worship and sacrament. The Call highlighted tensions between those who understood evangelicalism as a movement within the broader Church and those who prioritized Reformation principles and scriptural authority. This article begins by exploring the origins of the conference, key leaders, and its historical context. It then moves to a comparison of primary documents, revealing points of friction that arose between conference participants as they worked to draft the statement. I conclude by assessing the Chicago Call’s limitations, emphasizing the inherent fragility of the evangelical coalition and the ongoing challenge of negotiating a theological consensus.
From Strikers to Keepers: Somatotype of Football Players from Slovakia
Authors: Kolena Branislav , Šviríková Barbora , Vondráková Mária
Published: October 2024

Background/Objectives: This study aims to analyze and compare the somatotypes of professional football players from Slovakia with a non-athletic population. Methods: Comparative analysis of professional soccer players by their positions, goalkeepers (n = 4; 8%), defenders (n = 16; 32%), strikers (n = 15; 30%), and midfielders (n = 15; 30%), in average age 16.88 ± 1.29 years, based on selected anthropometric parameters, somatotype components, and the resultant somatotype using the Heath–Carter method. Results: The average somatotype of the soccer players was categorized as an ectomorphic mesomorph (40%). Goalkeepers showed significantly greater body height (BH 187.98 ± 3.166 cm) and weight (BW 82.33 ± 4.922 kg) than midfielders (BH 179.25 ± 6.126 cm; p = 0.03; BW 68 ± 6.304 kg; p = 0.014) and strikers (BH 176.04 ± 4.998 cm; p = 0.026; BW 68.93 ± 6.591 kg; p = 0.026). Defenders had significantly greater BH (182.14 ± 4.853 cm; p = 0.026) than strikers. Goalkeepers also had a significantly higher BMI than midfielders (23.28 ± 0.698 vs. 21.14 ± 1.282 kg/m2; p = 0.02) and greater epicondylar width of the humerus (EWH 7.36 ± 0.14 cm) compared to strikers (EWH 6.79 ± 0.308 cm; p = 0.014). The average somatotype values identified goalkeepers [2.0–4.1–3.1], defenders [1.6–3.9–3.2], and strikers [1.7–4.2–2.9] as ectomorphic mesomorphs, while midfielders were identified as mesomorph–ectomorphs [1.6–3.7–3.6]. Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of somatotype in player position suitability and its impact on physical attributes in football.
A Global Resilience Analysis-Based Benchmark Framework for Comparing Reliability Surrogate Measures of Water Distribution Systems
Authors: Huang Yuehua , Luo Bailin , Wang Qi , Zhou Qianqian , Zhao Zhiwei
Published: October 2024

Various reliability surrogate measures have emerged over the last three decades to design water distribution systems. However, existing comparative studies cannot assess surrogate measures from the resilience perspective considering the dynamic absorption–recovery process imposed by pipe failures. In this work, we propose a novel benchmark framework based on the global resilience analysis to examine surrogate measures’ performance. Surrogate measures were compared via the stress–strain curve derived from the global resilience analysis under extended period simulation. In particular, we identify the comparable stress range to articulate the differences among surrogate measures and significantly reduce the computational burden. Then, we develop the normalized resilience score (NRS) to evaluate the quality of solutions to network design. Five well-known measures are compared for the multiobjective design of two benchmark networks. Results show that the Network Resilience Index achieves 2.5% to 10.1% better NRSs than the mean NRSs over five surrogate measures, implying that both nodal surplus energy and pipe diameter uniformity greatly impact the network system’s resilience. The uniformity of pipe diameters is more significant than the uniformity of flow rate. Our findings contribute to the design of new and better surrogate measures for network resilience evaluation.
The Process of Visionary Leadership Increases Innovative Performance among IT Industry 4.0 for SMEs for Organizational Sustainability: Testing the Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Wang Le , Jin Xiu , Yoo Jinyoung Jinnie
Published: October 2024

In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, competition among IT industries is becoming increasingly fierce. If a company is weak in its competitive advantage, it can have a huge negative impact on its organizational sustainability and ultimately lead to organizational failure. In such a research background, we highlighted that employees’ innovative performance via creativity acts as an alternative lubricant to increase the sustainable competitive advantage and promote overall organizational sustainability. In particular, employees’ innovative performance has a great relationship with organizational culture and types of leadership. Hence, we focused on exploring the ways in which visionary leadership increases employees’ innovative performance, presenting and verifying a moderated mediation research model related to the innovative performance. To verify our research model, this study conducted a survey of 303 employees from the information technology (IT) industry of SMEs in China. According to the results, visionary leadership was found to have a positive influence on both psychological empowerment and employees’ innovative performance. In addition, psychological empowerment partially mediated the impact of visionary leadership on the innovation performance. Finally, the organizational learning culture moderated the effects of psychological empowerment and the innovation performance. Overall, this study contributes to revealing the process that leads to employees’ innovative performance and contributes to expanding the research field by verifying the moderated mediation model for a sustainable competitive advantage and organizational sustainability in IT Industry 4.0 for SMEs.
Link between Digital Technologies Adoption and Sustainability Performance: Supply Chain Traceability/Resilience or Circular Economy Practices
Authors: Duman Altan Aylin , Beyca Ömer Faruk , Zaim Selim
Published: October 2024

Technological progress and digitalization have ushered in significant transformations in business strategies. At present, research is scarcely focused on the influence of the adoption of digital technologies (DTs) on establishing comprehensive relationships within the context of a circular economy (CE), and the supply chain (SC) framework to contribute to the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory. This study utilizes survey data collected from 235 manufacturing practitioners employed by Turkish manufacturing enterprises to explore a model elucidating the relationship between DTs adoption and sustainability performance (SP) through supply chain traceability (SCT), supply chain resilience (SCR), and circular economy practices (CEPs), based on 10R strategies. Through this linkage, this research accentuates that the exclusive integration of CEPs with digital technology solutions is insufficient for industrial enterprises to attain their long-term sustainability goals. It underscores the necessity of ensuring SCT and/or SCR in this context.
Predicting Pro-Environmental Behaviours in the Public Sphere: Comparing the Influence of Social Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, Global Warming Awareness and the NEP
Authors: Kosic Ankica , Passafaro Paola , Molinari Martina
Published: October 2024

Environmental sustainability depends highly on our ability to identify the determinants of various types of pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs). However, so far, public sphere pro-environmental behaviours (PBS-PEBs) have received little attention in the scientific literature. This paper aims thus to fill this gap by exploring the role of dispositional (i.e., social anxiety and self-efficacy) and social psychological factors (i.e., environmental concern and global warming awareness) in the prediction of PBS-PEBs. An online questionnaire, including measures of these factors, was administered to residents (N = 199) of various Italian cities. The results indicated that (1) dispositional social anxiety (but not self-efficacy) directly (and negatively) predicts PBS-PEBs and that its effect is comparable to that of the social psychological factors considered (environmental concern and global warming awareness); (2) global warming awareness (positively) predicts PBS-PEBs directly, while (3) environmental concern, measured through the NEP scale, does it indirectly. Implications of the results for modelling the role of dispositional anxiety, environmental concern and global warming awareness in studies on PBS-PEBs are briefly outlined.
Land Transformations in Irpinia (Southern Italy): A Tale on the Socio-Economic Dynamics Acting in a Marginal Area of the Mediterranean Europe
Authors: Ragosta Maria , Daniele Giada , Imbrenda Vito , Coluzzi Rosa , D’Emilio Mariagrazia , Lanfredi Maria , Matarazzo Nadia
Published: October 2024

Marginal areas in economically advanced countries are a critical issue that European and national policies have been addressing for some time. These areas are affected by depopulation, infrastructural gaps and labor systems that do not reach the corresponding national levels and where often agriculture still plays a critical role. In Italy, despite the fact that the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI) has been active for about a decade with the aim of increasing the territorial cohesion of these fragile areas, rather limited results have been achieved in terms of halting economic marginalization and demographic decline. In this specific context, our work is aimed at analyzing land use changes, the loss of ecosystem services and demographic trends in a Mediterranean region (Irpinia—Southern Italy) on district and municipal scales in the last 30 years (1990–2018) to capture current, subtle socio-economic dynamics. The analysis carried out has indicated a substantial increase in urban areas due to the development of new industrial areas and discontinuous urban fabric (urban sprawl) at the expense of natural areas (mainly meadows and shrublands). The agricultural areas have remained substantially unchanged in terms of extension, with a slight increase in heterogeneous agricultural areas and an expansion of high-value crops (vineyards), that are the most suitable for multifunctional agriculture activities (experiential and rural tourism). The analysis of the demographic trend has highlighted a widespread phenomenon of depopulation, with the exception of those municipalities who economically orbit around the provincial capital of Avellino. The municipalities in depopulation are mostly located in the inner areas characterized by a more rugged morphology and infrastructural gaps. Unexpectedly, most of municipalities show a significant anticorrelation among the population and agricultural areas which is an indicator of social and economic phenomena as complex as they are underestimated. As a final step, this analysis highlights also a loss of carbon storage mainly attributable to the soil sealing of large areas. This study can help to comprehensively understand the conditions of marginal areas in Mediterranean Europe over recent decades in the light of the main socio-economic dynamics to better direct efforts towards the containment of the human capital hemorrhage, consisting of persistently negative natural and migratory rates, and the sustainable empowerment of these geo-economic peripheries.
Medicinally Significant Enantiopure Compounds from Garcinia Acid Isolated from Garcinia gummi-gutta
Authors: Haleema Simimole , Gopinath Chithra , Kallingathodi Zabeera , Thomas Grace , Polavarapu Prasad L.
Published: October 2024

Garcinia gummi-gutta, commonly known as Garcinia cambogia (syn.), is a popular traditional herbal medicine known for its role in treating obesity, and has been incorporated into several nutraceuticals globally for this purpose. The fruit rind is also used as a food preservative and a condiment because of its high content of hydroxycitric acid, which imparts a sharp, sour flavour. This review highlights the major bioactive compounds present in the tree Garcinia gummi-gutta, with particular emphasis on (2S, 3S)-tetrahydro-3-hydroxy-5-oxo-2,3-furan dicarboxylic acid, commonly referred to as garcinia acid. This acid can be isolated in large amounts through a simple procedure. Additionally, it explores the synthetic transformations of garcinia acid into biologically potent and functionally useful enantiopure compounds, a relatively under-documented area in the literature. This acid, with its six-carbon skeleton, a γ-butyrolactone moiety, and two chiral centres bearing chemically amenable functional groups, offers a versatile framework as a chiron for the construction of diverse molecules of both natural and synthetic origin. The synthesis of chiral 3-substituted and 3,4-disubstituted pyrrolidine-2,5-diones, analogues of the Quararibea metabolite—a chiral enolic-γ-lactone; the concave bislactone skeletons of fungal metabolites (+)-avenaciolide and (−)-canadensolide; the structural skeletons of the furo[2,3-b]furanol part of the anti-HIV drug Darunavir; (−)-tetrahydropyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolinones, an analogue of (−)-crispine A; (−)-hexahydroindolizino[8,7-b]indolones, an analogue of the naturally occurring (−)-harmicine; and furo[2,3-b]pyrroles are presented here.
Dynamic Evolution Analysis of Digital Technology Multilayer Convergence Networks
Authors: Wang Qianying , Liu Tingli , Huang Tingyang , Tian Qingqing
Published: October 2024

This paper constructs a digital technology multilayer convergence network model to explore the mechanisms of digital technology convergence. The analysis is based on patent data from China’s A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2021. The results show a continuous increase in network scale and structural complexity, with intensified cross-domain interactions. The company collaboration subnetwork evolved from decentralization to a more centralized structure, while the technology convergence subnetwork expanded and became increasingly complex. Core technologies maintained dominant positions, and the co-evolution between companies and technologies showed sustained development. This study reveals intricate interdependencies between technological convergence and company collaboration, providing theoretical insights and practical implications for digital technology innovation and strategic decision-making.
High Prevalence of Tobacco Consumption among Pregnant Women in a Southern European City (Seville): A Challenge for the Health System
Authors: Mendoza-Berjano Ramón , Leon-Larios Fatima , Corrales-Gutierrez Isabel , Gomez-Baya Diego , Medero-Canela Rocío , Baena-Antequera Francisca
Published: October 2024

The prevalence of prenatal tobacco exposure remains high in many countries, particularly in southern Europe. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of smoking among pregnant women in a southern Spanish city (Seville) and to identify the associated sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. In a descriptive, cross-sectional study, a random sample of pregnant women who were scheduled to undergo a morphology scan at their public referral hospital in their 20th week of gestation were interviewed in person. At the start of pregnancy, 38.2% of the pregnant women were smokers. In the twentieth week, 19.1% continued to smoke, and the same percentage had quit. The prevalence of smoking in pregnant women was higher among those with a low level of education (60% among pregnant women with no studies and 30.4% in those with primary education) and among those who had had abortions (38.5%). Pregnant smokers with obesity were the least likely to have given up smoking during pregnancy. Women with a lower educational level should be a prime target for cross-sectoral interventions aimed at preventing prenatal tobacco exposure. Implementation of support measures for providing effective clinical advice in preconception and prenatal care regarding healthy lifestyles is particularly needed.
Deoxynivalenol-Induced Spleen Toxicity in Mice: Inflammation, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Macrophage Polarization, and the Dysregulation of LncRNA Expression
Authors: Zhao Qingbo , Feng Weili , Gao Peiyu , Han Yu , Zhang Siyi , Zhou Ao , Shi Liangyu , Zhang Jing
Published: October 2024

The spleen is a primary target of deoxynivalenol (DON) toxicity, but its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates the effects of DON on inflammation, splenic macrophage polarization, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and transcriptome changes (mRNA and lncRNAs) in mouse spleen. We found that DON exposure at doses of 2.5 or 5 mg/kg BW significantly induced inflammation and polarized splenic macrophages towards the M1 phenotype. Additionally, DON activated PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-mediated ER stress and upregulated apoptosis-related proteins (caspase-12, caspase-3). The ER stress inhibitor, 4-Phenylbutyric acid, significantly alleviated DON-induced ER stress, apoptosis, and the M1 polarization of splenic macrophages. Transcriptome analysis identified 1968 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and 2664 DE mRNAs in mouse spleen following DON exposure. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the upregulated genes were involved in pathways associated with immunity, including Th17 cell differentiation, TNF signaling, and IL-17 signaling, while downregulated mRNAs were linked to cell survival and growth pathways. Furthermore, 370 DE lncRNAs were predicted to target 255 DE target genes associated with immune processes, including the innate immune response, interferon-beta response, cytokine production regulation, leukocyte apoptosis, and NF-κB signaling genes. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying DON toxicity and its effects on the immune system.
Wildlife Infection of Peste des Petits Ruminants Detected in China, 2024
Authors: Xu Jiao , Qu Zebin , Wang Yingli , Ren Weijie , Liu Shan , Zou Yanli , Su Na , Bao Jingyue , Wang Zhiliang
Published: October 2024

In 2013, the second outbreak of peste des petits ruminants occurred in China, leading to a spillover in more than 20 provinces and municipalities over the next few months. Thereafter, the epidemic situation was stable owing to strict prevention and control measures. In February 2024, several bharals and argali with suspected symptoms of PPR were discovered in Rutog country, Tibet Autonomous Region. Samples collected from these animals were delivered to our laboratory for diagnosis; the results of fluorescence quantitative reverse-transcription (RT) PCR indicated that all samples were positive for PPR viral RNA. The N and F gene fragments were amplified successfully via RT-PCR, and these results confirmed that these animals were infected with PPRV. A PPRV strain (subsequently named ChinaTibet2024) was sequenced, and its genome length was 15,954 nucleotides. A phylogenetic tree analysis using N and F genes and viral genomes showed that the ChinaTibet2024 genome was classified into lineage IV of the PRRV genotypes. The genome of the ChinaTibet2024 strain was found to be closely related to PPRVs isolated in China between 2013 and 2014. A base insertion and a base deletion were detected in the M gene 5′ untranslated region. Results indicated that the prevalent PPRV strains in China did not show significant changes and that special attention should be paid to the surveillance of wild animals as an important part of PPR prevention and control.
Capacity Assessment of a Combined Sewer Network under Different Weather Conditions: Using Nature-Based Solutions to Increase Resilience
Authors: Galiatsatou Panagiota , Zafeirakou Antigoni , Nikoletos Iraklis , Gkatzioura Argyro , Kapouniari Maria , Katsoulea Anastasia , Malamataris Dimitrios , Kavouras Ioannis
Published: October 2024

Severe weather conditions and urban intensification are key factors affecting the response of combined sewer systems, especially during storm events. In this regard, the capacity assessment of combined sewer networks under the impact of rainfall storm events of different return periods was the focus of this work. The selected case study area was a mixed-use catchment in the city centre of Thessaloniki, Greece. The hydraulic performance of the examined sewer network was assessed using an InfoWorks ICM model. The results indicated that mitigation strategies, such as the application of nature-based solutions (NBSs) or low-impact developments (LIDs) are considered essential for controlling combined sewer overflows. A multicriteria analysis was conducted to select the most appropriate NBSs/LIDs to be located in the study area to enhance the system’s capacity. The results of this multicriteria analysis were used to propose a combined sewer overflow mitigation scenario, based on the installation of green roofs, as the most highly ranked solution in the analysis performed. Incorporating the proposed NBS/LID in the hydrologic-hydraulic model significantly increased the performance of the studied combined sewer network.
Spatial–Temporal Variations in Water Use Efficiency and Its Influencing Factors in the Li River Basin, China
Authors: Chu Yanqi , Tang Xiangling , Zhong Xuemei
Published: October 2024

As a vital indicator for measuring the coupled carbon–water cycle of an ecosystem, water use efficiency (WUE) can also reflect the adaptive capacity of plants in different ecosystems. Located in Southwest China, the Li River Basin has a representative karst landform, and the uneven rainfall in the region leads to severe water shortage. In this study, we analyzed the spatial–temporal transformation characteristics of the WUE of the basin and its relationship with different influencing factors from 2001 to 2020 based on a correlation analysis and trend analysis. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The average value of WUE in the Li River Basin was 1.8251 gC· mm−1·m−2, and it kept decreasing at a rate of 0.0072 gC· mm−1·m−2·a−1 in the past 20 years. With respect to the spatial distribution of the multi-year average of WUE, it exhibits a gradual increasing trend from west to east. (2) Between gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET), it was found that ET was the primary influencing factor of WUE. Precipitation was positively correlated with WUE in the Li River Basin, accounting for 67.22% of the total area of the basin. The air temperature was negatively correlated with WUE, and the area was negatively correlated with WUE, accounting for 92.67% of the basin area. (3) The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and leaf area index (LAI) were negatively correlated with WUE, and the proportions of negatively correlated areas to the total area of the basin were similar; both were between 60 and 70%. The growth of vegetation inhibited the increase in WUE in the basin to a certain extent. Regarding Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD), the proportions of positive and negative correlation areas with WUE were similar, accounting for 49.58% and 50.42%, respectively. (4) The occurrence of drought events and the enhancement in its degree led to a continuous increase in WUE in the basin; for different land cover types, the correlation of the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) was in the following order from strongest to weakest: grassland > cropland > forest > shrubland.
A Performance Comparison Study on Climate Prediction in Weifang City Using Different Deep Learning Models
Authors: Guo Qingchun , He Zhenfang , Wang Zhaosheng , Qiao Shuaisen , Zhu Jingshu , Chen Jiaxin
Published: October 2024

Climate change affects the water cycle, water resource management, and sustainable socio-economic development. In order to accurately predict climate change in Weifang City, China, this study utilizes multiple data-driven deep learning models. The climate data for 73 years include monthly average air temperature (MAAT), monthly average minimum air temperature (MAMINAT), monthly average maximum air temperature (MAMAXAT), and monthly total precipitation (MP). The different deep learning models include artificial neural network (ANN), recurrent NN (RNN), gate recurrent unit (GRU), long short-term memory neural network (LSTM), deep convolutional NN (CNN), hybrid CNN-GRU, hybrid CNN-LSTM, and hybrid CNN-LSTM-GRU. The CNN-LSTM-GRU for MAAT prediction is the best-performing model compared to other deep learning models with the highest correlation coefficient (R = 0.9879) and lowest root mean square error (RMSE = 1.5347) and mean absolute error (MAE = 1.1830). These results indicate that The hybrid CNN-LSTM-GRU method is a suitable climate prediction model. This deep learning method can also be used for surface water modeling. Climate prediction will help with flood control and water resource management.
Impact of Mixed-Vehicle Environment on Speed Disparity as a Measure of Safety on Horizontal Curves
Authors: Sultana Tahmina , Hassan Yasser
Published: October 2024

Due to the transition of vehicle fleets from conventional driver-operated vehicles (DVs) to connected vehicles (CVs) and/or automated vehicles (AVs), vehicles with different technologies will soon operate on the same roads in a mixed-vehicle environment. Although a major goal of vehicle connectivity and automation is to improve traffic safety, negative safety impacts may persist in the mixed-vehicle environment. Speed disparity measures have been shown in the literature to be related to safety performance. Therefore, speed disparity measures are derived from the expected speed distributions of different vehicle technologies and are used as surrogate measures to assess the safety of mixed-vehicle environments and identify the efficacy of prospective countermeasures. This paper builds on speed models in the literature to predict the speed behavior of CVs, AVs, and DVs on horizontal curves on freeways and major arterials. The paper first proposes a methodology to determine speed disparity measures on horizontal curves without any control in terms of speed limit. The impact of speed limit or advisory speed, as a safety countermeasure, is modeled and assessed using different strategies to set the speed limit. The results indicated that the standard deviation of the speeds of all vehicles (σc) in a mixed environment would increase on arterial roads under no control compared to the case of DV-only traffic. This speed disparity can be reduced using an advisory speed as a safety countermeasure to decrease the adverse safety impacts in this environment. Moreover, it was shown that compared to the practice of a constant speed limit based on road classification, the advisory speed is more effective when it is based on the speed behavior of various vehicle types.
Impact noise from roof terrace - elastic ceiling in Sylomer hangers and free ceiling
Authors: LARSEN Bernt Mikal
Published: October 2024

Modern houses and apartments are built with flat roof and often the upper apartments contain a roof terrace. Impact noise has been measured from a roof terrace with floating floor on mineral wool, a good wooden construction with 2 layers of gypsum stiff fastened in the ceiling. This
measurement shows L'n,w of 55 dB, and make it necessary with better solution for ceiling to achieve L'n,w 53 dB or better. Two measurements for improved situation in different buildings are done with ceiling in Sylomer hangers and with free ceiling. These two situations show L'n,w of 50 and
46 dB. The measurement of solution with free ceiling shows the lowest value of L'n,w for these two elastic solutions and also has the lowest levels in the low frequency range. This paper will show that for roof terrace the need for elastic or free ceiling is important. Concerning annoyance
and low frequency noise, solution with free ceiling is to be preferred in future projects. There has been no complaining about impact noise from roof terrace, for the situation with free ceiling. For the situation with Sylomer hangers people living there hear some noise, but they have not
complained about that.
Sound exposure of St Paul's Cathedral choristers including unusual events
Authors: DANCE Stephen , GEORGIA Zepidou
Published: October 2024

In November 2022 London South Bank University was approached by St Paul's Cathedral to undertake follow-up sound dosimetry for the music department. Rehearsals and performances were identified and measured using acoustic instrumentation to establish if the Choristers (Adults and Boys)
and Organist were compliant with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. It should be noted that the boys are not employed by St Paul's Cathedral and hence would not be considered employees and are therefore exempt from the regulations. However, a duty of care should be of utmost consideration.
Through a close collaboration between the organisations three unusual but representative rehearsals and performances were monitored for multiple performers, all under worst case conditions. This data was then matched to the daily and weekly work schedules to estimate annual exposure.
Experiential learning with online vibro-acoustic demonstrators
Authors: HAMBRIC Stephen
Published: October 2024

After 25 years of delivering lecture-based learning at a university with mixed success I now supplement my short courses with online experiential learning demonstrators for visualizing and interacting with vibro-acoustic systems. The demonstrators use simple javascript coding and calls
to the plotly free libraries. No special software is required (but stronger computers obviously perform faster). Learners can quickly adjust parameters like stiffnesses, masses, and damping using sliders and immediately visualize changes to vibration response and sound fields. Students may
exercise demonstrators for one- and two-dimensional acoustic waves; vibrations and mode shapes of simple oscillators, beams, and plates; and sound radiated by and transmitted through panels. Some of the demonstrators are freely available at hambricacoustics.com (others are only available to
my short course students).
User evaluation of the Sonic Gathering Place - an installation incorporating sound design
Authors: BROWN Lex , LACEY Jordan
Published: October 2024

The Sonic Gathering Place (SGP) is a prototype outdoor urban furniture installation that uses natural sounds recorded in national parks to enhance the biophilic effects of plants. This paper presents the development and results of a user evaluation survey accessed via QR code on the
installation. It aimed to provide the designers with feedback on effects of the installation, constructed in a Melbourne university campus courtyard, on users' enjoyment, as well as capturing more subtle affective outcomes of users' experiences. Results demonstrated that the soundscape/biophilic
design intervention was successful, increasing the enjoyment of its users and improving self-reported mood. It encouraged users to stop and listen; they responded it provided them with the restorative effects experienced in nature; and that the sounds complemented the plantings. This paper
also reports sound levels measured at the installation which showed that the introduced sound levels were set by the designer only marginally louder than those that existed before the installation.
Data-driven modeling of consumer product satisfaction using an orthogonal arrangement of sound attributes
Authors: LESKO Daniel , NGUYEN Vinh
Published: October 2024

Sound quality attributes have been proven to be important predictors of customer satisfaction with consumer appliances. The results of several studies indicate that level-based, tonal, and temporal aspects of sound influence the perceived quality of consumer products. The current state-of-the-art
of inferring consumer satisfaction with sound attributes is based on the jury test methodology. However, listening-based jury studies fail to capture interaction effects nor study sound samples based on an orthogonal arrangement of sound quality attributes. Therefore, this study aims to develop
data-driven models to mathematically relate sound attributes to consumer satisfaction. A baseline sound obtained from the operational noise generated by a fan-powered home appliance was used as a reference sound for researching the importance of sound quality attributes. An orthogonal-designed
experiment was conducted to prepare sound samples based on selected sound attributes, including loudness, sharpness, roughness, and prominence ratio. Consumer studies were conducted to measure the product satisfaction of the various sound samples, which were used to train the data-driven model.
The data-driven model was shown to accurately predict consumer satisfaction metrics based on sound quality attributes. Therefore, the proposed methods are valuable for evaluating new products within the model inference space without conducting further listening-based jury studies.
Finding a new H1 tire for the CPX method
Authors: ALTREUTHER Beate , KLUTH Sebastian , BUSCHAM Bjoern , HAIDER Manfred , BARTOLOMAEUS Wolfram , STEINHEUER Jens
Published: October 2024

The CPX method is a common method to assess the acoustic properties of road surfaces. The tires to be used with this method are specified in ISO/TS 11819-3. Unfortunately, tire H1 (AVON AV4), which is used to characterize the tire/road noise of heavy vehicles, is no more manufactured
since the end of 2014. Hardness of tires increases with mileage and with age. So, the lifetime of the H1 tires still under use is limited, as they are approaching the upper limit of Shore hardness specified in ISO/TS 11819-3. This makes it necessary to find a suitable replacement for AVON
AV4. Therefore, a consortium of all providers of CPX measurements in Germany made common efforts to find a new H1 tire. With project funding from the German Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) a new H1 tire shall be found and tested. In addition, the procedure applied in this project
shall be described as a roadmap for future transitions. The actions taken up to now and the findings of the project will be described.
Comparative analysis of the heavy-weight floor impact noises using different types of EVA resilient materials
Authors: HAAN Chan Hoon , LEE Jakin
Published: October 2024

The present study aims to improve the floor impact noises using various shapes of EVA resilient materials in composite floor structures. In order to this, three different types of EVA resilient materials were used including flat plate, deck plate type and cavity type of EVA boards.
All the composite structure consisted of PP panel, PET and EVA resilient materials with a total depth from 30mm to 40mm. Total of 9 specimens were made for floor impact sound measurements. All the floor impact sound measurements were done at the recognized testing authority using bang machine.
The values of L'I,Fmax,AW were deduced from every measurements. As a result, among the various types EVA resilient materials, most high performances were drawn when cavity type of EVA resilient material was used. It was shown that the average L'I,Fmax,AW value of cavity type was 46dB while
47dB for deck plate type, 48dB for flat plate were measured in average. It can be recognized that the good performance of cavity type EVA materials is caused by the both air layer gap beneath EVA board and air cavity inside the EVA board as well as the low dynamic elastic modulus of EVA.
Statistical evaluation of road traffic noise in complex sound environment by using fuzzy inference
Authors: IKUTA Akira , ORIMOTO Hisako
Published: October 2024

In order to evaluate road traffic noise in a sound environment, it is necessary to predict the sound levels at evaluation points based on the observations at a reference point. In actual sound environment, road traffic noise shows various types of probability distribution of non-Gaussian
distribution and nonstationary property. Furthermore, there potentially exist various nonlinear correlations in addition to the linear correlation between the sound levels at evaluation and reference points. Consequently, the relationship between both points cannot be represented by a simple
linear model based on only the linear correlation and lower order statistics. In this study, a complex sound environment difficult to analyze by using usual structural method is considered. By introducing a nonlinear model based on conditional probability distribution with various correlations
between the sound levels, and applying fuzzy inference, an evaluation method for road traffic noise is theoretically proposed in a suitable form for the complex sound environment with nonlinear, non-Gaussian and nonstationary properties. The effectiveness of the proposed method is experimentally
confirmed by applying it to the observed road traffic noise data in a complex sound environment.
Visual and auditory factors on seat preference in a small musical theatre
Authors: KIM Jun-Young , JEON Sang-Eun , MUKHAMMADJONOV Abdumutal , KIM Yong-Hee
Published: October 2024

This paper investigates the visual and auditory factors influencing seat preference in a small musical theater. The venue is as a versatile space capable of accommodating musical performances, with an irregularly shaped seating area designed for 300 seats. Specifically, the seating
structure is designed to enhance intimacy, connecting from the first to the second floor, and features staggered blocks of seats arranged in a curved formation. Visual images of the stage view and binaural impulse responses towards the center of the stage were collected at nine selected seats
in situ conditions. To determine factors related to visual, auditory, and seat preferences, a paired comparison method was employed in a laboratory setting to derive scale values for each seat. Ten subjects with experience attending musical performances and normal hearing were participated
in the experiments. The auditory stimuli were convolved with vocal anechoic recordings, and visual images were synthesized to depict the same performance scene. Preference scores were obtained through three type of experiments, considering visual information only, auditory information only,
and simultaneous presentation of visual and auditory information. Based on the results, influence of visual and auditory factors on seat preference was discussed.
Re-surging airport noise: understanding aircraft noise dynamics during and after the COVID-19 pandemic at Dublin airport
Authors: EINICKE Karina , JOHN Kennedy
Published: October 2024

This paper explores the dynamics of aircraft noise patterns, examining the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on flight numbers and noise contours during the years 2021, 2022, and 2023 at a European airport. Focused on both peak and low flight months, the study explores
how the aviation landscape experienced shifts during the pandemic and post-pandemic scenarios. As a transport hub for an island nation Dublin Airport is a key piece of national infrastructure but as the global travel restrictions took effect, the airport witnessed a substantial reduction in
flight numbers, resulting in a notable decrease in airport noise and subsequent lower population exposure to environmental noise. This paper analyzes the trends in noise contours and flight frequencies during this period, shedding light on the immediate effects of the pandemic on aviation-related
noise. Furthermore, as the restrictions gradually lifted, the study investigates the extent to which flight numbers and associated noise contours rebounded in the post-pandemic era. This comprehensive examination provides insights into the evolving environmental soundscape, capturing not only
the changes during the pandemic but also the subsequent rise in flight numbers. The potential impact on societal expectations of aircraft noise is discussed.