bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti-Tumor Activity of Orally Administered Gefitinib-Loaded Nanosized Cubosomes against Colon Cancer
Authors: El-Shenawy Ahmed A. , Elsayed Mahmoud M. A. , Atwa Gamal M. K. , Abourehab Mohammed A. S. , Mohamed Mohamed S. , Ghoneim Mohammed M. , Mahmoud Reda A. , Sabry Shereen A. , Anwar Walid , El-Sherbiny Mohamed , Hassan Yasser A. , Belal Amany , Ramadan Abd El hakim
Published: February 2023

Gefitinib (GFT) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug used as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung, colon, and breast cancer. GFT exhibits low solubility and hence low oral bioavailability, which restricts its clinical application. One of the most important trends in overcoming such problems is the use of a vesicular system. Cubosomes are considered one of the most important vesicular systems used to improve solubility and oral bioavailability. In this study, GFT cubosomal nanoparticles (GFT-CNPs) were prepared by the emulsification method. The selected formulation variables were analyzed and optimized by full factorial design and response surface methodology. Drug entrapment efficiency (EE%), transmission electron microscopy, particle size, polydispersity index, in vitro release and its kinetics, and the effect of storage studies were estimated. The chosen GFT-CNPs were subjected to further investigations as gene expression levels of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) and matrix metalloproteinases-7 (MMP-7), colon biomarkers, and histopathological examination of colon tissues. The prepared GFT-CNPs were semi-cubic in shape, with high EE%, smaller vesicle size, and higher zeta potential values. The in vivo data showed a significant decrease in the serum level of embryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), and gene expression level of TIMP-1 and MMP-7. Histopathological examination showed enhancement in cancer tissue and highly decreased focal infiltration in the lamina propria after treatment with GFT-CNPs.
Recent Progress in Chitosan-Based Nanomedicine for Its Ocular Application in Glaucoma
Authors: Albarqi Hassan A. , Garg Anuj , Ahmad Mohammad Zaki , Alqahtani Abdulsalam A. , Walbi Ismail A. , Ahmad Javed
Published: February 2023

Glaucoma is a degenerative, chronic ocular disease that causes irreversible vision loss. The major symptom of glaucoma is high intraocular pressure, which happens when the flow of aqueous humor between the front and back of the eye is blocked. Glaucoma therapy is challenging because of the low bioavailability of drugs from conventional ocular drug delivery systems such as eye drops, ointments, and gels. The low bioavailability of antiglaucoma agents could be due to the precorneal and corneal barriers as well as the low biopharmaceutical attributes of the drugs. These limitations can be overcome by employing nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. Over the last decade, there has been a lot of interest in chitosan-based nanoparticulate systems to overcome the limitations (such as poor residence time, low corneal permeability, etc.) associated with conventional ocular pharmaceutical products. Therefore, the main aim of the present manuscript is to review the recent research work involving the chitosan-based nanoparticulate system to treat glaucoma. It discusses the significance of the chitosan-based nanoparticulate system, which provides mucoadhesion to improve the residence time of drugs and their ocular bioavailability. Furthermore, different types of chitosan-based nanoparticulate systems are also discussed, namely nanoparticles of chitosan core only, nanoparticles coated with chitosan, and hybrid nanoparticles of chitosan. The manuscript also provides a critical analysis of contemporary research related to the impact of this chitosan-based nanomedicine on the corneal permeability, ocular bioavailability, and therapeutic performance of loaded antiglaucoma agents.
Synthesis, Curing and Thermal Behavior of Amine Hardeners from Potentially Renewable Sources
Authors: Wiegand Torben , Osburg Andrea
Published: February 2023

Research into bio-based epoxy resins has intensified in recent decades. Here, it is of great importance to use raw materials whose use does not compete with food production. In addition, the performance of the newly developed materials should be comparable to that of conventional products. Possible starting materials are lignin degradation products, such as vanillin and syringaldehyde, for which new synthesis routes to the desired products must be found and their properties determined. In this article, the first synthesis of two amine hardeners, starting with vanillin and syringaldehyde, using the Smiles rearrangement reaction is reported. The amine hardeners were mixed with bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, and the curing was compared to isophorone diamine, 4-4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, and 4-Aminonbenzylamine by means of differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that the two amines prepared are cold-curing. As TG-MS studies showed, the thermal stability of at least one of the polymers prepared with the potentially bio-based amines is comparable to that of the polymer prepared with isophorone diamine, and similar degradation products are formed during pyrolysis.
Use of a Longer Aglycon Moiety Bearing Sialyl α(2→3) Lactoside on the Glycopolymer for Lectin Evaluation
Authors: Adachi Ryota , Matsushita Takahiko , Koyama Tetsuo , Hatano Ken , Matsuoka Koji
Published: February 2023

A polymerizable alcohol having 9 PEG repeats was prepared in order to mimic an oligosaccharide moiety. Sialyl α(2→3) lactose, which is known as a sugar moiety of GM3 ganglioside, was also prepared, and the polymerizable alcohol was condensed with the sialyl α(2→3) lactose derivative to afford the desired glycomonomer, which was further polymerized with or without acrylamide to give water-soluble glycopolymers. The glycopolymers had higher affinities than those of glycopolymers having sialyl lactose moieties with shorter aglycon moieties.
Planning Walkable Cities: Generative Design Approach towards Digital Twin Implementation
Authors: Kumalasari Dewi , Koeva Mila , Vahdatikhaki Faridaddin , Petrova Antonova Dessislava , Kuffer Monika
Published: February 2023

The idea of a walkable city refers to the extent to which the built environment encourages people to walk by establishing comfortable pedestrian routes, which allows people to connect to numerous services with reasonable effort and time. Walkability is currently regarded as a “good to know about” rather than a “must-have” factor for sustainable development. A combination of walkability with a standard design strategy, such as generative design, may result in a more efficient way of planning a walkable city. Interestingly, the sole indicator taken into account for walkability in the generative design domain is “distance to amenities”, while in reality, other parameters, such as the comfort factor, could also influence walkability. Therefore, in this research, we developed a workflow based on the generative design, which considers the comfort dimension in combination with distance to amenities and street-level greeneries. We also included the human perspective, given that walkability is always personal. This research successfully generated three different scenarios of walkability-optimal urban plans, where the highest walkability is 82.43 (very walkable). Furthermore, the baseline scenario of two different locations also aligns with people’s perspectives when compared. In addition, we found that the inclusion of a temporal dimension, enhanced 3D-related indicators, and constraints should benefit future research.
Soil Moisture Retrieval from Multi-GNSS Reflectometry on FY-3E GNOS-II by Land Cover Classification
Authors: Yin Cong , Huang Feixiong , Xia Junming , Bai Weihua , Sun Yueqiang , Yang Guanglin , Zhai Xiaochun , Xu Na , Hu Xiuqing , Zhang Peng , Wang Jinsong , Du Qifei , Wang Xianyi , Cai Yuerong
Published: February 2023

The reflected GNSS signals at the L-band is significantly advantageous in soil moisture monitoring as they are sensitive to the dielectric properties determined by the volumetric water content of topsoil, and they can penetrate vegetation, except in very dense forests. The Global Navigation satellite system Occultation Sounder (GNOS-II) with a reflectometry technique onboard the Fengyun-3E (FY-3E) satellite, launched on 5 July 2021, is the first mission that can receive reflected Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals from GPS, BeiDou and Galileo systems. This paper presents the soil moisture retrieval results from the FY-3E GNOS-II mission using 16 months of data. In this study, the reflectivity observations from different GNSS systems were firstly intercalibrated with some differences analyzed. Observations were also corrected by considering vegetation attenuation for 16 different land cover classifications. Finally, an empirical model was constructed for volumetric soil moisture (VSM) estimation, where the reflectivity of GNOS-II was linearly related to the SMAP reference soil moisture for each 36 km ease grid. The overall root-mean-square error of the retrieved soil moisture is 0.049 compared with the SMAP product, and 0.054 compared with the in situ data. The results of the three GNSS systems show similar levels of accuracy. This paper, for the first time, demonstrates the feasibility of global soil moisture retrieval using multiple GNSS signals.
An Optimized Ensemble Deep Learning Model for Predicting Plant miRNA–IncRNA Based on Artificial Gorilla Troops Algorithm
Authors: Hamdy Walid , Ismail Amr , Awad Wael A. , Ibrahim Ali H. , Hassanien Aboul Ella
Published: February 2023

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small, non-coding regulatory molecules whose effective alteration might result in abnormal gene manifestation in the downstream pathway of their target. miRNA gene variants can impact miRNA transcription, maturation, or target selectivity, impairing their usefulness in plant growth and stress responses. Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) based on miRNA is a newly introduced functional marker that has recently been used in plant breeding. MicroRNA and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) are two examples of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) that play a vital role in controlling the biological processes of animals and plants. According to recent studies, the major objective for decoding their functional activities is predicting the relationship between lncRNA and miRNA. Traditional feature-based classification systems’ prediction accuracy and reliability are frequently harmed because of the small data size, human factors’ limits, and huge quantity of noise. This paper proposes an optimized deep learning model built with Independently Recurrent Neural Networks (IndRNNs) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to predict the interaction in plants between lncRNA and miRNA. The deep learning ensemble model automatically investigates the function characteristics of genetic sequences. The proposed model’s main advantage is the enhanced accuracy in plant miRNA–IncRNA prediction due to optimal hyperparameter tuning, which is performed by the artificial Gorilla Troops Algorithm and the proposed intelligent preying algorithm. IndRNN is adapted to derive the representation of learned sequence dependencies and sequence features by overcoming the inaccuracies of natural factors in traditional feature architecture. Working with large-scale data, the suggested model outperforms the current deep learning model and shallow machine learning, notably for extended sequences, according to the findings of the experiments, where we obtained an accuracy of 97.7% in the proposed method.
The VIIRS Cirrus Reflectance Algorithm
Authors: Gao Bo-Cai , Li Rong-Rong
Published: February 2023

The VIIRS instrument (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on board the SNPP (Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite contains 11 narrow channels (M1–M11) in the 0.4–2.5 μm solar spectral region. The M9 channel is specifically designed for detecting thin cirrus clouds. It is centered at 1.378 μm with a width of 15 nm, which is located within a strong atmospheric water vapor band absorption region. In comparison with the corresponding MODIS Channel 26, the VIIRS M9 channel is narrower and more sensitive for cirrus detections. Because the radiances of the M9 channel over cirrus pixels are subjected to absorption by atmospheric water vapor molecules above and within the cirrus clouds, the water vapor absorption effect needs to be properly taken into consideration when using the M9 channel for quantitative removal of cirrus effects in other VIIRS channels in the 0.4–2.5 μm spectral range. In this article, we describe in detail an empirical technique for the retrieval of cirrus reflectances in the visible and near-IR (VNIR, 0.4–1.0 μm), where ice particles within cirrus clouds have negligible absorption effects, and in shortwave IR (SWIR, 1.0–2.5 μm) where ice particles’ absorption effects are observed. The descriptions include all elements leading to the development of the operational VIIRS cirrus reflectance algorithm, the journal literature backing up the approach, theoretical descriptions of the algorithm’s physics and mathematical background, and sample retrieval results from the VIIRS data. The SNPP VIIRS cirrus reflectance data products from 1 March 2012 to the present are available from a NASA data center.
Non-Contact, Continuous Sampling of Porous Surfaces for the Detection of Particulate and Adsorbed Organic Contaminations by Low-Temperature Plasma Coupled to Ion Mobility Spectrometer
Authors: Ron Izhar , Sharabi Hagay , Zaltsman Amalia , Leibman Amir , Hotoveli Mordi , Pevzner Alexander , Kendler Shai
Published: February 2023

Chemical analysis of hazardous surface contaminations, such as hazardous substances, explosives or illicit drugs, is an essential task in security, environmental and safety applications. This task is mostly based on the collection of particles with swabs, followed by thermal desorption into a vapor analyzer, usually a detector based on ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). While this methodology is well established for several civil applications, such as border control, it is still not efficient enough for various conditions, as in sampling rough and porous surfaces. Additionally, the process of thermal desorption is energetically inefficient, requires bulky hardware and introduces device contamination memory effects. Low-temperature plasma (LTP) has been demonstrated as an ionization and desorption source for sample preparation-free analysis, mostly at the inlet of a mass spectrometer analyzer, and in rare cases in conjunction with an ion mobility spectrometer. Herein, we demonstrate, for the first time, the operation of a simple, low cost, home-built LTP apparatus for desorbing non-volatile analytes from various porous surfaces into the inlet of a handheld IMS vapor analyzer. We show ion mobility spectra that originate from operating the LTP jet on porous surfaces such as asphalt and shoes, contaminated with model amine-containing organic compounds. The spectra are in good correlation with spectra measured for thermally desorbed species. We verify through LC-MS analysis of the collected vapors that the sampled species are not fragmented, and can thus be identified by commercial IMS detectors.
An Optimized Fractional Nonlinear Grey System Model and Its Application in the Prediction of the Development Scale of Junior Secondary Schools in China
Authors: Xu Zhenguo , Xie Wanli , Liu Caixia
Published: February 2023

As part of China’s compulsory nine-year education system, junior secondary education (JSSE) plays a vital role in supporting students’ physical and mental development. The accurate prediction of the development scale trend of JSSE is helpful for the government to estimate the scale of educational development within a chosen time frame so as to aid decision making.Nevertheless, China’s education system is complex, highly dimensional, and largely influenced by policy and other factors, which results in difficulty in modeling the education sample. Based on gray system theory, this paper proposes an improved fractional-order grey prediction model, OCFNGBM(1,1), to predict the development scale of JSSE. We describe the basic expressions of the model, the parameter estimation method, and the optimization method for hyperparameters and construct a scheme for optimizing the background value coefficients. Data collected from official websites from 2011 to 2021 are used to build the forecasting model, and data from 2011 to 2017 are used to evaluate the model’s accuracy. Our experimental results indicate that the OCFNGBM(1,1) model has higher accuracy than the classical nonlinear gray prediction model. The OCFNGBM(1,1) model was employed to forecast the development scale of JSSE in China from 2022 to 2024, which provided useful information. This research provides a resource to help the national education department to develop a comprehensive and long-term plan for the development goals, scale, speed, steps, and measures of relevant education.
Climate Change Impacts Quantification on the Domestic Side of Electrical Grid and Respective Mitigation Strategy across Medium Horizon 2030
Authors: Malik Muhammad Mahad , Kazmi Syed Ali Abbas , Altamimi Abdullah , Khan Zafar A. , Alharbi Bader , Alafnan Hamoud , Alshehry Halemah
Published: February 2023

Electrical grids are one of the major sources of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), which are harmful to the environment because they contribute to global warming. As the geographical, environmental, political, and policy constraints are different, policies and research frameworks from developed countries cannot be used directly in developing countries. This paper suggests a completely integrated quantification approach (IQA) and sub-methodologies, such as SM1, SM2, and SM3, that consider the limitations, evaluates the effects, and suggest a way to deal with climate change problems on the power grid. From the perspective of renewable energy (RE) integration and GHG emissions (mainly CO2), the proposed approach addresses the limitations in the policy framework extending to 2030. In addition, the effects of the changes in the ambient temperature, from 0.5 °C to 2 °C, have been examined for thermal power generation and transformers. Lastly, the proposed method considers how energy-efficient devices (EEDs) affect the residential load sector. The results show that households used 10.7% less energy and their costs decreased significantly. This work’s quantitative approach gives a specific way to reduce the carbon footprint of the electrical grid.
Production and Characterisation of Pickering Emulsions Stabilised by Colloidal Lignin Particles Produced from Various Bulk Lignins
Authors: Tomasich Julia , Beisl Stefan , Harasek Michael
Published: February 2023

The use of lignin, an abundant phenolic bio-polymer, allows us to transform our fossil-based economy into a sustainable and bio-based economy. The transformation of bulk lignin into colloidal lignin particles (CLPs) with well-defined surface chemistry and morphology is a possible way to cope with the heterogeneity of lignin and use it for material applications. These CLPs can be used as emulsifiers in so-called Pickering emulsions, where solid particles stabilise the emulsion instead of environmentally harmful synthetic surfactants. This work investigates the application of CLPs produced from various bulk lignins as a stabiliser in o/w Pickering emulsions with two different oil phases (solid and liquid state). The CLPs had a primary particle size of 28 to 55 nm. They were successful in stabilising oil-in-water Pickering emulsions with high resistance to coalescence and a strong gel-like network. This enables novel applications for CLPs in the chemical and cosmetic industries, and can replace fossil-based and synthetic ingredients.
The Assessment of the Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Eco-Environmental Quality in the Chishui River Basin from 2000 to 2020
Authors: Zhou Songlin , Li Wei , Zhang Wei , Wang Ziyuan
Published: February 2023

The Chishui River Basin is located in the bordering area of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, which serves as an important ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and plays a leading role in preserving natural environments, protecting water resources, and maintaining soil functions. However, the eco-environmental quality in the basin has encountered serious challenges in recent years, and the conflict between eco-environmental protection and economic development becomes increasingly prominent. Therefore, it is particularly important to quantitatively assess the extent of the eco-environmental changes in this basin. The present study acquired Landsat series remote sensing images based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, constructed a remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) as the assessment index that reflects the eco-environmental quality using principal component analysis, studied the changing trend in the eco-environmental quality using the Sen–Mann–Kendall trend test, analyzed the spatial clustering distribution patterns of the eco-environmental quality, based on spatial autocorrelation analysis, and applied the geographical detector model to determine the impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors on the eco-environmental quality. We further applied the CA–Markov model to simulate and predict the eco-environmental quality of the basin in 2025. The results showed the following: (1) between 2000 and 2020, the eco-environmental quality of the Chishui River Basin had been greatly improved. The average RSEI value increased from 0.526 in 2000 to 0.668 in 2020, and the percentage of areas belonging to the good or excellent quality category increased from 42.65% to 68.48%. (2) The main drivers of the eco-environmental quality included population density, mean annual temperature, land use type and elevation. The interactive effect between these drivers was significantly higher than that of individual drivers, and thus possessed stronger explanatory power for quality differences. (3) It is predicted that in 2025, the eco-environmental quality of the basin will continue to improve, and the proportion of land areas with good or excellent quality will continuously increase. The present study can provide reference value for local environmental protection and regional planning.
Influence of Complexity in Low-Fat Food Packaging on Chinese Consumers’ Purchase Intentions
Authors: Xia Tiansheng , Fan Xiujuan , Zhang Jingwei , Liu Tingting
Published: February 2023

Packaging design is one of the most important visual representations of low-fat foods and is a key factor in the perception of the health of the product. The complexity of packaging induces the automatic processing of relevant concepts by consumers, which affects their attitudes; however, this process is not well understood. We developed a sequential mediation model based on the theories of conceptual fluency and conceptual metaphor to examine the impact of packaging complexity on consumers’ purchase intentions. In this study, 353 volunteers were recruited to participate, and variables were measured using questionnaires on packaging intention, brand complexity, concept fluency, and brand attitude. The results indicated that it was simple to increase consumers’ conceptual fluency and brand attitude; conceptual fluency had a significant predictive effect on brand attitude and purchase intention; brand attitude had a significant predictive effect on purchase intention and conceptual fluency; and brand attitude served as a mediator between packaging complexity and purchase intention. This study demonstrated that the general characteristics of packaging design could influence consumers’ purchase intentions and provide direction for the packaging design of low-fat foods. In addition, we examine the study’s theoretical and practical implications.
Quantification of the Cooling Effect and Cooling Distance of Urban Green Spaces Based on Their Vegetation Structure and Size as a Basis for Management Tools for Mitigating Urban Climate
Authors: Gallay Igor , Olah Branislav , Murtinová Veronika , Gallayová Zuzana
Published: February 2023

The urban climate is receiving increased attention mainly due to climate change. There are several ways to mitigate the urban climate, but green spaces have an advantage over other cooling systems because, in addition to their climate function, they provide several other ecosystem services that enhance the sustainability of urban systems. The cooling effect of green spaces varies depending on their species composition, the structure of the vegetation, the size and shape of the green spaces or the specific characteristics of the plants. Therefore, the exact quantification of urban green space’s cooling effect is of critical importance in order to be effectively applied in urban planning as a measure of climate change adaptation. In this paper, we quantified the difference in the cooling effect between urban green spaces depending on their vegetation structure (grass versus trees) and their size, and assessed to what distance from the urban green space its cooling effect can be observed. Urban green spaces were identified using Landsat orthophotomosaic and airborne laser scanning. The urban temperature was calculated as the land surface temperature (LST) from Landsat data using a single-channel method. To quantify differences in the magnitude of the cooling effect of green spaces and the distance from the edge of the green space over which the cooling effect occurs, we used a one-way analysis of variance and regression analyses. Our results show that the cooling intensity, as well as the cooling distance, are dependent on the size and structure of the green space. The most significant cooling effect is provided by large green tree spaces, where the cooling intensity (difference of LST compared to an urban area without vegetation) was almost 4.5 °C on average (maximum almost 6 °C) and the cooling distance was significant up to 90 m (less significantly up to 180 m). Large grass spaces and medium tree spaces have similar effects, with a higher cooling intensity (2.9 °C versus 2.5 °C on average) however, the cooling effect extends to a greater distance (up to 90 m) for medium tree spaces compared to large grass spaces, where the cooling effect only extends to 30–60 m. Small areas with trees and medium and small grass areas without trees have an average cooling intensity below 2 °C.
A Multi-Criteria Framework for Sustainability Evaluation of Hydrogen-Based Multi-Microgrid Systems under Triangular Intuitionistic Fuzzy Environment
Authors: Lu Zhiming , Li Youting
Published: February 2023

Developing hydrogen-based multi-microgrid systems (HBMMSs) is vital to the low-carbon energy transition, which can promote the utilization of renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions. However, there have been no studies presenting a sustainability evaluation of HBMSSs. Multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) methods are widely used to perform a sustainability evaluation. This paper develops a triangular intuitionistic fuzzy framework to make a comprehensive evaluation of HBMMSs from the perspective of sustainability. Firstly, a sustainability evaluation criteria system including economic, social, environmental, technical, and coordination criteria is established. Secondly, the paper proposes a hybrid fuzzy decision-making method. A triangular intuitionistic fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory technique is used to analyze the correlation between criteria and sub-criteria and provides a basis for determining their fuzzy densities. A ranking method combining the triangular intuitionistic fuzzy number, fuzzy measure, and Choquet integral is used to rank the alternatives and choose an optimal one. Moreover, a case study is performed to validate the practicability of the developed framework. Finally, sensitivity analysis, scenario analysis, and comparative analysis are conducted to verify the robustness and effectiveness of the framework. As such, this study provides a guide for evaluating the sustainability of HBMMSs.
Performance Assessment of an Ice-Production Hybrid Solar CPV/T System Combining Both Adsorption and Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Systems
Authors: Elsheniti Mahmoud Badawy , AlRabiah Abdulrahman , Al-Ansary Hany , Almutairi Zeyad , Orfi Jamel , El-Leathy Abdelrahman
Published: February 2023

The technology of a hybrid solar concentration photovoltaic/thermal (CPV/T) system is an efficient way of converting solar energy to heat and electrical power, in which overall energy-extraction efficiency is at its highest. In this study, numerical dynamic simulation models were developed for a hybrid solar CPV/T system and an adsorption refrigeration system (ARS). Under the climatic conditions of Riyadh all year round, the electrical and thermal powers generated by the CPV/T system were used to estimate the ice production of both the vapor compression refrigeration system (VCS) and the ARS. The CPV/T system can provide a thermal energy of 37.6 kWh and electrical energy of 24.7 kWh a day on average over the year using a 12.5 m2 facing area of Fresnel lenses. The ARS employed an advanced approach which used Maxsorb III adsorbent packed in two aluminum foam beds. An optimum cycle time of the ARS was adapted for each month to match the variation in the thermal energy, while a variable-speed compressor was chosen for the VCS. Due to its higher coefficient of performance (COP), the proposed solar hybrid system can produce 494.4 kg of ice per day while sharing 84.5% of the VCS. The average solar COP over the year of the hybrid system can attain 0.875, which represents a promising value for a solar ice-production system.
Integration of Blockchain and Digital Twins in the Smart Built Environment Adopting Disruptive Technologies—A Systematic Review
Authors: Sadri Habib , Yitmen Ibrahim , Tagliabue Lavinia Chiara , Westphal Florian , Tezel Algan , Taheri Afshin , Sibenik Goran
Published: February 2023

The integration of blockchain and digital twins (DT) for better building-lifecycle data management has recently received much attention from researchers in the field. In this respect, the adoption of enabling technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud and edge computing, Big Data analytics, etc., has also been investigated in an abundance of studies. The present review inspects the recent studies to shed light on the foremost among those enabling technologies and their scope, challenges, and integration potential. To this end, 86 scientific papers, recognized and retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, were reviewed and a thorough bibliometric analysis was performed on them. The obtained results demonstrate the nascency of the research in this field and the necessity of further implementation of practical methods to discover and prove the real potential of these technologies and their fusion. It was also found that the integration of these technologies can be beneficial for addressing the implementation challenges they face individually. In the end, an abstract descriptive model is presented to provide a better understanding of how the technologies can become integrated into a unified system for smartening the built environment.
A Survey on Resource Management for Cloud Native Mobile Computing: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Huang Shih-Yun , Chen Cheng-Yu , Chen Jen-Yeu , Chao Han-Chieh
Published: February 2023

Fifth-generation mobile communication networks (5G)/Beyond 5G (B5G) can achieve higher data rates, more significant connectivity, and lower latency to provide various mobile computing service categories, of which enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC) are the three extreme cases. A symmetrically balanced mechanism must be considered in advance to fit the different requirements of such a wide variety of service categories and ensure that the limited resource capacity has been properly allocated. Therefore, a new network service architecture with higher flexibility, dispatchability, and symmetrical adaptivity is demanded. The cloud native architecture that enables service providers to build and run scalable applications/services is highly favored in such a setting, while a symmetrical resource allocation is still preserved. The microservice function in the cloud native architecture can further accelerate the development of various services in a 5G/B5G mobile wireless network. In addition, each microservice part can handle a dedicated service, making overall network management easier. There have been many research and development efforts in the recent literature on topics pertinent to cloud native, such as containerized provisioning, network slicing, and automation. However, there are still some problems and challenges ahead to be addressed. Among them, optimizing resource management for the best performance is fundamentally crucial given the challenge that the resource distribution in the cloud native architecture may need more symmetry. Thus, this paper will survey cloud native mobile computing, focusing on resource management issues of network slicing and containerization.
Waste Removal Efficiencies of Floating Macrophytes for Restoration of Polluted Stream: An Experimental Analysis
Authors: Mahajan Bharati , Shastri Sameer , Londhe Shreenivas
Published: February 2023

Freshwater sources are affected by a diverse range of pollutants, which increases the demand for effective remediation. Aquatic phytoremediation is a nature-based solution. It has the potential to provide efficient, adaptable, and multi-targeted treatment of polluted waters. The aim of this research is to evaluate non-mechanized, low-cost onsite treatment of waste water intrusions. It includes an experimental set up with three replicates. Each consists of a modified flow pattern under outdoor conditions. Experimental set up A and B were provided with macrophytes, water lettuce and duckweed, respectively, with plant coverage at 50% and 90%. Experimental set up C was a controlled set up without macrophytes. The highest removal of BOD, COD and Total solids by using water lettuce were observed to be 89%, 77% and 38.5%, respectively. By using duckweed, the highest removal of BOD, COD and Total solids were observed at 88%, 66% and 27.59%, respectively. Removal was also observed in Set up C for BOD, COD and Total solids; its efficiency was 48%, 47% and 25%, respectively. Set up A can be recommended for treating wastewater intrusion, so that wastewater will purify to a to satisfactory to disposal standard level before mixing in river water. The area available in the stream itself can be used as a treatment zone.
Differences in Microbial Communities in Drinking Water from Conventional Electronic and Manual Taps in Dependence on Stagnation and Flushing Cycles
Authors: Knecht Anja E. , Ettenauer Jörg , Posnicek Thomas , Taschl Martin , Helmecke Marcus , Haller Hannah , Gölß Stefanie , Brandl Martin
Published: February 2023

Water taps can be a reservoir for microorganisms and pose a risk for contamination and infection. In this work, water samples from different common taps were examined to determine the influence of certain parameters on the microbial load of drinking water. Methods: Four different types of taps were installed along the same water pipe. Over a period of six months, water samples were taken at specific intervals and analyzed for their colony-forming units (CFU/mL) and for the presence of the water pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Legionella pneumophilia. Two different flushing configurations were investigated: Setup A: the same flush intervals for all taps once a day to determine differences based on type, size and mode of operation. Experimental setup B: different flush cycles for manual and electronic taps to investigate the effects of water stagnation in the tap and whether electronic taps with automatic flushes improve water quality. Results: No Legionella pneumophilia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found during the study period. The size of the tap has a great influence on the number of CFU/mL—a maximum of 330 CFU/mL was found in the smallest tap and 1080 CFU/mL in the largest tap, with a significant difference. Stagnation in the tap leads to a significantly higher number of CFU/mL. The results of this work can be used as a basis for the development of innovative taps. There are many possibilities in terms of materials, tap size and intelligent action algorithms—such as automatic flushing—to maintain the quality of our drinking water in a resource-saving way.
Livestock Reservoir Hosts: An Obscured Threat to Control of Human Schistosomiasis in Nigeria
Authors: Mogaji Hammed Oladeji , Omitola Olaitan Olamide , Bayegun Adedotun Ayodeji , Ekpo Uwem Friday , Taylor-Robinson Andrew W.
Published: February 2023

Schistosomiasis is one of the leading neglected tropical diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. Recorded case numbers of this chronic and debilitating helminth disease indicate Nigeria to be the most endemic country within this region. National control efforts have focused intensively on restricting human contact with freshwater sources of intermediate host snails. However, limited attention has been paid to the role of livestock as reservoir hosts and the prevalence of transmission of schistosomes to humans via farmed animals. The West African nations of Mali, Senegal, and the neighbouring Niger, Benin, and Cameroon have all reported the hybridization of the closely related species of Schistosoma haematobium, which infects humans, and S. bovis, which infects cattle. As these countries share the Niger and Benue rivers, with their tributaries, there is a distinct possibility of aquatic snails infected with hybrid schistosomes migrating to become established in the Nigerian river system. Here, we report on the current state of research in Nigeria that aims to elucidate key aspects of zoonotic schistosomiasis epidemiology. Factors promoting the hybridization of Schistosoma species are highlighted, and how available control measures can be optimized to address the emergence of schistosome hybrids is discussed.
Sistema Dupont: factores influyentes de la rentabilidad en empresas del sector manufacturero
Authors: Díaz-Ortega Nubia Isabel , García-Mogollón Javier Mauricio
Published: February 2023

Este trabajo se ha planteado como objetivo general analizar mediante el Sistema Dupont los factores influyentes de la rentabilidad de las grandes empresas del sector arcilla de Colombia. Metodológicamente es un estudio cuantitativo, correlacional y longitudinal con datos en panel, a 26 grandes empresas en el periodo 2016-2020, se aplica un modelo de regresión lineal múltiple.    Como resultado, se encuentra que la variable más influyente de la rentabilidad es el margen neto seguido de la rotación de activos y el apalancamiento financiero. Se concluye como foco de atención de los empresarios la revisión de sus estrategias de ventas y costos.
KUALITAS PELANGGAN SEBAGAI DAMPAK DARI PENINGKATAN KUALITAS PELAYANAN DAN NILAI PELANGGAN (Studi Pada Sekolah Sepak Bola Cendrawasih Purwakarta)
Authors: Mawardi Amna
Published: February 2023

This study is given to know the impact the quality of the service has on a customer statisfaction, to know how the customer value affects the customer statisfaction, and the quality of the service and customer value of the customer statisfaction on SSB Cendrawasih Purwakarta. The study used a quantitative research model with associative descriptive methods and the sample studied was 100 respondents from the total parents of students at SSB Cendrawasih. The test method uses IBM SPSS 22. This study shows that service quality has a significant effect on the customer satisfaction, then customer value has a significant effect on customer satisfaction, and for both service quality and customer value variables have a significant effect on customer satisfaction.
Effectiveness and Timing of Trichoderma polysporum Inoculation on Controlling Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Sacc.) in Tomato Plants
Authors: Susiana Susiana
Published: February 2023

This study aims to determine the effect of the dose and application time of T. polysporum on the effectiveness of controlling Fusarium wilt in tomato plants. Fusarium wilt disease (Fusariun oxysporum) is an important disease in various cultivated plants, especially tomato plants. Fusarium wilt occurs in all tomato growing areas around the world and causes huge losses of up to 60%. Control of F. oxysporum pathogens using fungicides on agricultural land can cause environmental pollution. One of the environmentally friendly control alternatives is to use the biological agent Trichoderma polysporum. The results showed that compost containing T. polysporum was effective for controlling Fusarium wilt in tomato plants. The percentage effectiveness of compost containing T. polysporum in controlling the intensity of disease attacks, namely 0% in the control treatment, 47.80% with the application of 0.25 kg of compost containing T. polysporum, and 70.87% with the application of 0.5 kg of compost containing T. polysporum. The effect of time of application of compost containing T. polysporum is equally effective for controlling the pathogen attack of F. oxysporum. The large doses of T. polysporum compost applied prior to inoculation of the pathogen can increase plant growth and yield. In the application of 0.5 kg of compost containing T. polysporum, the highest growth in plant height was 18.03-19.84 cm, while the lowest growth average was in the control treatment of 16.53-16.70. The highest average plant production, namely 237.65 grams, was found in the application treatment 0.
Monopolar coagulator for surgery with suprachoroidal access
Authors: Saoud O. , Serhiienko A.
Published: February 2023

Retinal detachment is a pathological condition that leads to vision loss without timely surgical treatment. To restore the anatomical integrity of the detached retina, a number of surgical interventions (Scleral Buckling, Pars Plana Vitrectomy, a combined Pars Plana Vitrectomy/Scleral Buckling, Pneumatic Retinopexy, cryo-, laser-, and electropexy) and approaches to the damaged area are traditionally used, among which one of the new and promising are monopolar high-frequency electrocoagulation with suprachoroidal access. The advantages of this method and access are the possibility of manipulations on hard-to-reach structures of the eye (choroid, outer parts of the retina and macula), to introduce medical drugs into the suprachoroidal space without side effects. To carry out such an operation, we developed (manufactured and tested) a new surgical electrical instrument capable of restoring the anatomical integrity of a detached retina. The tool is a working electrode, which consists of a handle, a terminal (for connecting the electric cord to the active phase of the high-frequency electric current generator) and a working tip. The rounded tip is made of gold and ends in a sphere with a diameter of 25 G. The radius of the round is 29.0 mm, the diameter of the cross section is 0.5 mm. The tool allows you to reach the damaged area of the retina through both suprachoroidal and endovitreal accesses. The rounded shape of the working part of the tool repeats the anatomical curvature of the fundus of the eye. The materials chosen for the manufacture of the new tool take into account the need for its sterilization, electrical safety and ergonomics of work.

Keywords: retinal detachment, high-frequency electrocoagulation, electric instrument for vitreoretinal surgery.
Continuous model in the audit of municipalities in the state of Veracruz
Authors: Hernández-Ramírez Juan Esteban , Garizurieta-Bernabe Jessica
Published: February 2023

This study aims to determine the feasibility of carrying out traditional audit procedures applied in the public sector, by continuous procedures, in which the substance of digitalization, distance and the use of specific software for mass analysis prevail, in addition to risk reduction through a total analysis. In this way, an accurate audit is achieved, in which the correct adherence of the municipalities of the State of Veracruz to the applicable regulations is ensured. To carry out this study, the Audit Program granted by the Superior Audit Body of the State of Veracruz to external offices is taken as a basis, subsequently analyzed in detail each of the procedures that make it up and their work papers, in this way it is determined if they are likely to be carried out virtually, and the digital evidence they require for their realization. When determining the feasibility of carrying out the traditional audit of the public sector in Veracruz by a continuous audit, it creates the guidelines to be able not only to apply existing Information Technologies, but to develop specific software that maintains a true analysis in real time, reducing time, costs and human resources.
The Equity Lens Map: Factor Analysis & Validation
Authors: Price C. Aaron , Young Lauren , Broussard Rhonda , Ralston Nicole Caridad , Kares Faith R.
Published: February 2023

The Equity Lens Map (ELM) is a survey tool used by Beloved Community as an individual assessment that identifies where team members are on their journey to leading equity in their organization. The ELM is not an employee climate survey. It is not about organizational needs or attitudes towards the organization (though its data can have implications for both). It is aimed at the person-level and designed to help organizations build effective, differentiated talent practices for team members at every level of the organization to advance diversity, equity and inclusion. This white paper reports on the psychometric development and validation of the survey. The goal is to describe the frameworks used to develop the tool, its history of development and statistically evaluate how well the tool does its job. Items were tested with 1,075 employees of 30 non-profit organizations (most in the education sector). The final ELA has 51 items and 5 factors. This paper was accepted through peer-review for presentation at the American Education Research Association (AERA) 2023 conference.
Italian leech-shaped glass fibula bow from the Hallstatt period discovered in Poland
Authors: Purowski Tomasz , Syta Olga , Wagner Barbara
Published: February 2023

The article presents the results of a laboratory analysis of the glass of a leech-shaped fibula bow discovered in a Hallstatt C grave in Gorszewice, Greater Poland. The fibula comes from Italy and is dated sometime to the end of the 8th or the 7th century BC. Both of the inner sides with a yellowish colour and the external side that appeared dark blue, nearly black, were examined. Like low magnesium and medium potassium glass of glassy faience present in the Hallstatt C period, the glass of the Gorszewice fibula bow is characterized by medium contents of K2O, high Al2O3 and Fe2O3, and a relatively high level of B2O3, TiO2 and BaO. The inner and outer glass of the Gorszewice fibula bow have an identical, or nearly the same chemical composition. Higher levels of several oxides occurred in the dark glass, indicating that they must have been introduced with the colourant. The yellowish glass was not coloured intentionally; its colour is the result of the presence of iron compounds in the sand.
Emoções, Gênero e Pandemia
Authors: Gaio Adrielle Chiesa , Mariante Neto Flávio Py , Vasques Daniel Giordani
Published: February 2023

Esse estudo objetiva analisar os elementos configuracionais que sustentam a prática do yoga online durante a pandemia da Covid-19, a fim de compreender em que estágio do processo civilizador tal prática é possível e exigida, quais os seus elementos civilizadores e porque eles surgem e se tornam importantes na configuração contemporânea. A partir da análise dos dados produzidos na aplicação de um questionário online; do empirismo crítico feminista de Donna Haraway e da teoria do processo civilizador de Elias, elencamos três categorias que perfazem a configuração do yoga online: emoções, saúde e ambiente doméstico. Após, repercutimos o yoga como um produto do processo civilizador que atende à necessidade de sublimar as emoções dos sujeitos na configuração pandêmica.