bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drone Detection and Defense Systems: Survey and a Software-Defined Radio-Based Solution
Authors: Chiper Florin-Lucian , Martian Alexandru , Vladeanu Calin , Marghescu Ion , Craciunescu Razvan , Fratu Octavian
Published: February 2022

With the decrease in the cost and size of drones in recent years, their number has also increased exponentially. As such, the concerns regarding security aspects that are raised by their presence are also becoming more serious. The necessity of designing and implementing systems that are able to detect and provide defense actions against such threats has become apparent. In this paper, we perform a survey regarding the different drone detection and defense systems that were proposed in the literature, based on different types of methods (i.e., radio frequency (RF), acoustical, optical, radar, etc.), with an emphasis on RF-based systems implemented using software-defined radio (SDR) platforms. We have followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in order to provide a concise and thorough presentation of the current status of the subject. In the final part, we also describe our own solution that was designed and implemented in the framework of the DronEnd research project. The DronEnd system is based on RF methods and uses SDR platforms as the main hardware elements.
Coordinated Multi-Robotic Vehicles Navigation and Control in Shop Floor Automation
Authors: Klančar Gregor , Seder Marija
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we propose a global navigation function applied to model predictive control (MPC) for autonomous mobile robots, with application to warehouse automation. The approach considers static and dynamic obstacles and generates smooth, collision-free trajectories. The navigation function is based on a potential field derived from an E* graph search algorithm on a discrete occupancy grid and by bicubic interpolation. It has convergent behavior from anywhere to the target and is computed in advance to increase computational efficiency. The novel optimization strategy used in MPC combines a discrete set of velocity candidates with randomly perturbed candidates from particle swarm optimization. Adaptive horizon length is used to improve performance. The efficiency of the proposed approaches is validated using simulations and experimental results.
Use of Remote Structural Tap Testing Devices Deployed via Ground Vehicle for Health Monitoring of Transportation Infrastructure
Authors: Nasimi Roya , Atcitty Solomon , Thompson Dominic , Murillo Joshua , Ball Marlan , Stormont John , Moreu Fernando
Published: February 2022

Transportation infrastructure is an integral part of the world’s overall functionality; however, current transportation infrastructure has aged since it was first developed and implemented. Consequently, given its condition, preservation has become a main priority for transportation agencies. Billions of dollars annually are required to maintain the United States’ transportation system; however, with limited budgets the prioritization of maintenance and repairs is key. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) methods can efficiently inform the prioritization of preservation efforts. This paper presents an acoustic monitoring SHM method, deemed tap testing, which is used to detect signs of deterioration in structural/mechanical surfaces through nondestructive means. This method is proposed as a tool to assist bridge inspectors, who already utilize a costly form of SHM methodology when conducting inspections in the field. Challenges arise when it comes to this method of testing, especially when SHM device deployment is done by hand, and when the results are based solely upon a given inspector’s abilities. This type of monitoring solution is also, in general, only available to experts, and is associated with special cases that justify their cost. With the creation of a low-cost, cyber–physical system that interrogates and classifies the mechanical health of given surfaces, we lower the cost of SHM, decrease the challenges faced when conducting such tests, and enable communities with a revolutionary solution that is adaptable to their needs. The authors of this paper created and tested a low-cost, interrogating robot that informs users of structural/mechanical defects. This research describes the further development, validation of, and experimentation with, a tap testing device that utilizes remote technology.
Isolation and Gain Improvement of a Rectangular Notch UWB-MIMO Antenna
Authors: Abbas Anees , Hussain Niamat , Sufian Md. Abu , Jung Jinkyu , Park Sang Myeong , Kim Nam
Published: February 2022

This paper presents the performance improvement of a co-planar waveguide rectangularly notched UWB-MIMO antenna. The isolation and gain of the antenna are enhanced by using a parasitic isolator. The antenna consists of four microstrip patch antennas and an isolator. The UWB characteristic of the antenna is achieved by truncating the lower ends of the radiating patch by a semicircle. The rectangular notch characteristic is obtained by adding two electromagnetic bandgap structures on the backside of the antenna, which is attached to the radiator via shorting pin. The performance, especially the decoupling of the MIMO antenna is improved by using a novel parasitic decoupler, which is placed between the antennas to receive uncorrelated signals. The decoupling structure consists of a square shape metallic element with a circular slot inside and a half-semicircle slot edged at each corner. Four rectangular metallic stubs are extended from opposite parallel sides to improve further isolation. The simulated and measured results show that the antenna has a rectangular notch band (5.25–5.85 GHz) across the working band of 3–12.8 GHz. In addition, the antenna has a planar structure with an overall size of 60 × 60 × 1.52 mm3 and offers stable gain, reduced mutual coupling (<−21 dB), and lower envelop correlation (<0.001).
A Methodology for Extracting Power-Efficient and Contrast Enhanced RGB Images
Authors: Dritsas Elias , Trigka Maria
Published: February 2022

Smart devices have become an integral part of people’s lives. The most common activities for users of such smart devices that are energy sources are voice calls, text messages (SMS) or email, browsing the World Wide Web, streaming audio/video, and using sensor devices such as cameras, GPS, Wifi, 4G/5G, and Bluetooth either for entertainment or for the convenience of everyday life. In addition, other power sources are the device screen, RAM, and CPU. The need for communication, entertainment, and computing makes the optimal management of the power consumption of these devices crucial and necessary. In this paper, we employ a computationally efficient linear mapping algorithm known as Concurrent Brightness & Contrast Scaling (CBCS), which transforms the initial intensity value of the pixels in the YCbCr color system. We introduce a methodology that gives the user the opportunity to select a picture and modify it using the suggested algorithm in order to make it more energy-friendly with or without the application of a histogram equalization (HE). The experimental results verify the efficacy of the presented methodology through various metrics from the field of digital image processing that contribute to the choice of the optimal values for the parameters a,b that meet the user’s preferences (low or high-contrast images) and green power. For both low-contrast and low-power images, the histogram equalization should be omitted, and the appropriate a should be much lower than one. To create high-contrast and low-power images, the application of HE is essential. Finally, quantitative and qualitative evaluations have shown that the proposed approach can achieve remarkable performance.
3DMesh-GAR: 3D Human Body Mesh-Based Method for Group Activity Recognition
Authors: Saqlain Muhammad , Kim Donguk , Cha Junuk , Lee Changhwa , Lee Seongyeong , Baek Seungryul
Published: February 2022

Group activity recognition is a prime research topic in video understanding and has many practical applications, such as crowd behavior monitoring, video surveillance, etc. To understand the multi-person/group action, the model should not only identify the individual person’s action in the context but also describe their collective activity. A lot of previous works adopt skeleton-based approaches with graph convolutional networks for group activity recognition. However, these approaches are subject to limitation in scalability, robustness, and interoperability. In this paper, we propose 3DMesh-GAR, a novel approach to 3D human body Mesh-based Group Activity Recognition, which relies on a body center heatmap, camera map, and mesh parameter map instead of the complex and noisy 3D skeleton of each person of the input frames. We adopt a 3D mesh creation method, which is conceptually simple, single-stage, and bounding box free, and is able to handle highly occluded and multi-person scenes without any additional computational cost. We implement 3DMesh-GAR on a standard group activity dataset: the Collective Activity Dataset, and achieve state-of-the-art performance for group activity recognition.
An Electroanalytical Solution for the Determination of Pb2+ in Progressive Hair Dyes Using the Cork–Graphite Sensor
Authors: Barros Thalita Medeiros , Medeiros de Araújo Danyelle , Lemos de Melo Alana Tamires , Martínez-Huitle Carlos Alberto , Vocciante Marco , Ferro Sergio , Vieira dos Santos Elisama
Published: February 2022

Lead is one of the most toxic metals for living organisms: once absorbed by soft tissues, it is capable of triggering various pathologies, subsequently bioaccumulating in the bones. In consideration of this, its detection and quantification in products for human consumption and use is of great interest, especially if the procedure can be carried out in an easy, reproducible and economical way. This work presents the results of the electroanalytical determination of lead in three different commercial products used as progressive hair dyes. Analyses were performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse stripping voltammetry (DPSV) using a composite cork–graphite sensor in 0.5M H2SO4 solution or 0.1M acetate buffer (pH 4.5), in the presence and absence of hair dye samples. The H2SO4 solution gave better results in terms of analyte sensitivity than the acetate buffer electrolyte. In both cases, well-defined signals for lead were obtained by DPSV analyses, enabling the calibration curve and figures of merit to be determined. The limits of detection (LOD) were found to be approximately 1.06 µM and 1.26 µM in H2SO4 and acetate buffer, respectively. The DPSV standard addition method was successfully applied to quantify the lead in hair dye samples, yielding values below 0.45% in Pb. All three analyzed samples were shown to comply with the limit set by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency, i.e., 0.6% lead in this type of product. The comparison of the electroanalytical results with those obtained by the reference method, based on the use of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES), confirmed that the electroanalytical detection approach is potentially applicable as a strategy for quality control.
Estimation of Spatial-Temporal Distribution of Grazing Intensity Based on Sheep Trajectory Data
Authors: Fan Xiantao , Xuan Chuanzhong , Zhang Mengqin , Ma Yanhua , Meng Yunqi
Published: February 2022

In the arid grasslands of northern China, unreasonable grazing methods can reduce the water content and species numbers of grassland vegetation. This project uses solar-powered GPS collars to obtain track data for sheep grazing. In order to eliminate the trajectory data of the rest area and the drinking area, the kernel density analysis method was used to cluster the trajectory point data. At the same time, the vegetation index of the experimental area, including elevation, slope and aspect data, was obtained through satellite remote sensing images. Therefore, using trajectory data and remote sensing image data to establish a neural network model of grazing intensity of sheep, the accuracy of the model could be high. The results showed that the best input parameters of the model were the combination of vegetation index, sheep weight, duration, moving distance and ambient temperature, where the coefficient of determination R2=0.97, and the mean square error MSE = 0.73. The error of grazing intensity obtained by the model is the smallest, and the spatial-temporal distribution of grazing intensity can reflect the actual situation of grazing intensity in different locations. Monitoring the grazing behavior of sheep in real time and obtaining the spatial-temporal distribution of their grazing intensity can provide a basis for scientific grazing.
Marine Robotics for Deep-Sea Specimen Collection: A Taxonomy of Underwater Manipulative Actions
Authors: Mazzeo Angela , Aguzzi Jacopo , Calisti Marcello , Canese Simonepietro , Angiolillo Michela , Allcock A. Louise , Vecchi Fabrizio , Stefanni Sergio , Controzzi Marco
Published: February 2022

In order to develop a gripping system or control strategy that improves scientific sampling procedures, knowledge of the process and the consequent definition of requirements is fundamental. Nevertheless, factors influencing sampling procedures have not been extensively described, and selected strategies mostly depend on pilots’ and researchers’ experience. We interviewed 17 researchers and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technical operators, through a formal questionnaire or in-person interviews, to collect evidence of sampling procedures based on their direct field experience. We methodologically analyzed sampling procedures to extract single basic actions (called atomic manipulations). Available equipment, environment and species-specific features strongly influenced the manipulative choices. We identified a list of functional and technical requirements for the development of novel end-effectors for marine sampling. Our results indicate that the unstructured and highly variable deep-sea environment requires a versatile system, capable of robust interactions with hard surfaces such as pushing or scraping, precise tuning of gripping force for tasks such as pulling delicate organisms away from hard and soft substrates, and rigid holding, as well as a mechanism for rapidly switching among external tools.
An Adaptive Sampling Period Approach for Management of IoT Energy Consumption: Case Study Approach
Authors: Rodriguez-Pabon Carlos , Riva Guillermo , Zerbini Carlos , Ruiz-Rosero Juan , Ramirez-Gonzalez Gustavo , Corrales Juan Carlos
Published: February 2022

The Internet of Things (IoT) opens opportunities to monitor, optimize, and automate processes into the Agricultural Value Chains (AVC). However, challenges remain in terms of energy consumption. In this paper, we assessed the impact of environmental variables in AVC based on the most influential variables. We developed an adaptive sampling period method to save IoT device energy and to maintain the ideal sensing quality based on these variables, particularly for temperature and humidity monitoring. The evaluation on real scenarios (Coffee Crop) shows that the suggested adaptive algorithm can reduce the current consumption up to 11% compared with a traditional fixed-rate approach, while preserving the accuracy of the data.
Evaluating of IAQ-Index and TVOC Parameter-Based Sensors for Hazardous Gases Detection and Alarming Systems
Authors: Al-Okby Mohammed Faeik Ruzaij , Neubert Sebastian , Roddelkopf Thomas , Fleischer Heidi , Thurow Kerstin
Published: February 2022

The measurement of air quality parameters for indoor environments is of increasing importance to provide sufficient safety conditions for workers, especially in places including dangerous chemicals and materials such as laboratories, factories, and industrial locations. Indoor air quality index (IAQ-index) and total volatile organic Compounds (TVOC) are two important parameters to measure air impurities or air pollution. Both parameters are widely used in gases sensing applications. In this paper, the IAQ-index and TVOCs have been investigated to identify the best and most flexible solution for air quality threshold selection of hazardous/toxic gases detection and alarming systems. The TVOCs from the SGP30 gas sensor and the IAQ-index from the SGP40 gas sensor were tested with 12 different organic solvents. The two gas sensors are combined with an IoT-based microcontroller for data acquisition and data transfer to an IoT-cloud for further processing, storing, and monitoring purposes. Extensive tests of both sensors were carried out to determine the minimum detectable volume depending on the distance between the sensor node and the leakage source. The test scenarios included static tests in a classical chemical hood, as well as tests with a mobile robot in an automated sample preparation laboratory with different positions.
Complex Pearson Correlation Coefficient for EEG Connectivity Analysis
Authors: Šverko Zoran , Vrankić Miroslav , Vlahinić Saša , Rogelj Peter
Published: February 2022

In the background of all human thinking—acting and reacting are sets of connections between different neurons or groups of neurons. We studied and evaluated these connections using electroencephalography (EEG) brain signals. In this paper, we propose the use of the complex Pearson correlation coefficient (CPCC), which provides information on connectivity with and without consideration of the volume conduction effect. Although the Pearson correlation coefficient is a widely accepted measure of the statistical relationships between random variables and the relationships between signals, it is not being used for EEG data analysis. Its meaning for EEG is not straightforward and rarely well understood. In this work, we compare it to the most commonly used undirected connectivity analysis methods, which are phase locking value (PLV) and weighted phase lag index (wPLI). First, the relationship between the measures is shown analytically. Then, it is illustrated by a practical comparison using synthetic and real EEG data. The relationships between the observed connectivity measures are described in terms of the correlation values between them, which are, for the absolute values of CPCC and PLV, not lower that 0.97, and for the imaginary component of CPCC and wPLI—not lower than 0.92, for all observed frequency bands. Results show that the CPCC includes information of both other measures balanced in a single complex-numbered index.
Gait Impairment in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review
Authors: Dever Anthony , Powell Dylan , Graham Lisa , Mason Rachel , Das Julia , Marshall Steven J. , Vitorio Rodrigo , Godfrey Alan , Stuart Samuel
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Gait impairment occurs across the spectrum of traumatic brain injury (TBI); from mild (mTBI) to moderate (modTBI), to severe (sevTBI). Recent evidence suggests that objective gait assessment may be a surrogate marker for neurological impairment such as TBI. However, the most optimal method of objective gait assessment is still not well understood due to previous reliance on subjective assessment approaches. The purpose of this review was to examine objective assessment of gait impairments across the spectrum of TBI. Methods: PubMed, AMED, OVID and CINAHL databases were searched with a search strategy containing key search terms for TBI and gait. Original research articles reporting gait outcomes in adults with TBI (mTBI, modTBI, sevTBI) were included. Results: 156 citations were identified from the search, of these, 13 studies met the initial criteria and were included into the review. The findings from the reviewed studies suggest that gait is impaired in mTBI, modTBI and sevTBI (in acute and chronic stages), but methodological limitations were evident within all studies. Inertial measurement units were most used to assess gait, with single-task, dual-task and obstacle crossing conditions used. No studies examined gait across the full spectrum of TBI and all studies differed in their gait assessment protocols. Recommendations for future studies are provided. Conclusion: Gait was found to be impaired in TBI within the reviewed studies regardless of severity level (mTBI, modTBI, sevTBI), but methodological limitations of studies (transparency and reproducibility) limit clinical application. Further research is required to establish a standardised gait assessment procedure to fully determine gait impairment across the spectrum of TBI with comprehensive outcomes and consistent protocols.
Amphiphilic Alkylated Pectin Hydrogels for Enhanced Topical Delivery of Fusidic Acid: Formulation and In Vitro Investigation
Authors: Bostanudin Mohammad F.
Published: February 2022

Hydrogels constructed of amphiphilically modified polysaccharides have attracted a lot of interest because of their potential to augment drug diffusion over the skin. This research describes the synthesis of amphiphilic alkylated pectin via glycidyl tert-butyl ether modification (alkylation degree 15.7%), which was characterized using spectroscopic and thermal analysis techniques and then formulated into hydrogels for the study of their potential in regulating fusidic acid diffusion topically. The hydrogels were formulated by the ionic interaction of negatively charged pectin and positively charged crosslinker CaCl2, with a reported fusidic acid loading degree of 93–95%. Hydrogels made of alkylated pectin showed a lower swelling percentage than that of native pectin, resulting in a slower fusidic acid release. The influence of pH on the swelling percentage and drug release was also investigated, with results revealing that greater pH enhanced swelling percentage and drug release. The in vitro interactions with HaCaT cells revealed negligible cytotoxicity under application-relevant settings. Utilizing Franz diffusion cells, the alkylated pectin hydrogels caused fusidic acid to penetrate the Strat-M® membrane at a 1.5-fold higher rate than the native pectin hydrogels. Overall, the in vitro results showed that alkylated pectin hydrogels have a lot of promise for topical distribution, which needs further investigation.
How to Achieve Passenger Satisfaction in the Airport? Findings from Regression Analysis and Necessary Condition Analysis Approaches through Online Airport Reviews
Authors: Bakır Mahmut , Akan Şahap , Özdemir Emircan , Nguyen Phi-Hung , Tsai Jung-Fa , Pham Hong-Anh
Published: February 2022

Delivering high-quality service to passengers can be critical for an airport’s survival, competitiveness, profitability, and long-term growth in a highly competitive environment. The present study aims to examine the relationship between airport service attributes and passenger satisfaction. To this end, we conducted multi-method research consisting of symmetric (multiple regression analysis—MRA) and asymmetric (necessary condition analysis—NCA) approaches. The research data consists of 1463 valid online reviews (n = 1463) of the top 50 busiest airports in Europe retrieved from Skytrax. The MRA was employed to examine the net effect of the eight airport service attributes on passenger satisfaction, while the NCA was used to explore the necessary conditions and level of necessity to achieve passenger satisfaction. Using MRA, the findings reveal that airport staff is the most influential predictor of passenger satisfaction, whereas airport shopping and airport Wi-Fi connectivity do not have a significant effect on passenger satisfaction. Moreover, the NCA results found that six of the eight conditions are necessary to achieve passenger satisfaction at the airport. To complement and comprehend the findings, this study also sheds light on the antecedents underlying airport passenger satisfaction in the post-COVID-19 era using NCA.
Value-Based Governance as a Performance Element in Social and Solidarity Economy Organizations: A French Sustainable Post-Modern Proposal
Authors: Lacan Arnaud
Published: February 2022

This article offers a general reflection on governance and managerial practices within a Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and suggests that in a time of profound socioeconomic change, it is in SSE companies’ interest to establish global sustainable governance and responsible team management systems consistent with both the values structuring this domain as well as employee aspirations. This a French point of view with a sustainable dimension based on a literature review and on several published studies but not on an empirical approach. In a way it is an essay more than a demonstration. It is a proposal which could lead to methodological work. Here is a first step.
The Ecosystem Approach in Addressing Sustainable Development Goals through Citizen Science in Lithuania
Authors: Mačiulienė Monika , Butkevičienė Eglė
Published: February 2022

This article presents an overview of the ecosystem of citizen science development in Lithuania and its potential to address United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). As citizen science is still in the early development stage in Lithuania, this case study is an example of ecosystem analysis in the period of early citizen science adoption. This article highlights the holistic analysis of the different components of this ecosystem, focusing on the three major dimensions at different levels—content, actors and processes. A conceptual model for the analysis of the citizen science ecosystem was developed based on the theoretical assumptions of Systems Theory and Service Science. The model was tested with empirical data. The empirical findings are based on 30 interviews with representatives of different stakeholder groups. Summarizing the analysis of the citizen science ecosystem in Lithuania and its potential for SDGs achievement, it can be stated that the first signs of a co-creative processes in the citizen science ecosystem have already emerged. Currently, in Lithuania, the main potential of citizen science concentrates on contributing to Goal #15: Life on Land, with some potential also for contributing to Goals #4, #10 and #11 and others. However, in order to use citizen science for addressing SDGs more comprehensively, there is a need for greater involvement of different stakeholders in citizen science, both in promoting citizen science activities and in ensuring data quality and that these activities are implemented in accordance with research ethics.
Logistics Network Distribution Optimization Based on Vehicle Sharing
Authors: Yang Tao , Wang Weixin
Published: February 2022

The development of the sharing economy has provided new ideas for a vehicle-sharing urban logistics network cooperative distribution strategy. In view of the lack of dispatching capacity or transportation capacity of logistics enterprises with multiple distribution centers, this paper proposes a vehicle-sharing urban logistics network cooperative distribution strategy. Based on the comprehensive consideration of a multi-distribution center, multi-model, rental vehicle, load, speed, fuel consumption, and other factors, the calculation method of vehicle energy consumption is introduced, the network collaborative distribution model with vehicle sharing is established, and an adaptive genetic algorithm combined with a scanning algorithm is designed. Finally, the validity and reliability of the mathematical model and algorithm are validated and analyzed by an example. The research results show that vehicle sharing can improve the efficiency of the distribution network and effectively reduce costs.
Sustainable Pavement Engineering and Road Materials
Authors: Bocci Edoardo
Published: February 2022

One of the most topical research areas currently concerns the identification and improvement of technologies against climate change, environmental pollution, exploitation of natural resources, and the economic crisis [...]
Tourism–Growth Nexus in the Presence of Instability
Authors: Wang Yonglian , Wang Lijun , Pan Changchun
Published: February 2022

This paper contributes to the tourism–growth literature by applying the new vector autoregressive-based Granger causality test in the presence of instability to reassess the Granger causality between Hong Kong’s tourism and economic growth. The results of the traditional and recursive Granger causality test under the VAR framework show that the tourism-led economic growth hypothesis (TLEGH) and the economy-driven tourism growth hypothesis (EDTGH) are both unstable in Hong Kong. The results of the vector autoregressive-based Granger causality test in the presence of instability generally support bidirectional causality between tourism and economic growth. However, the relationship between tourism and economic growth is vulnerable to sudden major political incidents, public health incidents, and financial crises. Among these incidents and crises, political events have long-term effects on the relationship between Hong Kong’s tourism and economic growth. In contrast, economic policies, financial crises, and public health emergencies have short-term impacts on the relationship.
Carbon Management behind the Ambitious Pledge of Net Zero Carbon Emission—A Case Study of PepsiCo
Authors: Qian Duan , Dargusch Paul , Hill Genia
Published: February 2022

Since the industrial revolution, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities have posed an unprecedented global challenge to social development and impact on the natural environment. With the growing awareness of environmental protection and the promotion of international cooperation mechanisms, there is a global consensus to control greenhouse gases. In order to avoid irreversible and catastrophic climate change, there is an urgent need for more companies to take action and make credible commitments to combat climate change and carbon reduction goals aligned with the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As one of the largest and most influential international food and beverage companies with a range of well-known brands, PepsiCo has made ambitious commitments to science-based climate goals, including reducing GHG emissions from its direct operations by 75% against the 2015 baseline and reducing GHG emissions across its indirect value chain by 40% by 2030, as well as setting an ambitious new target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. PepsiCo has incorporated carbon reduction and climate strategies in all focus areas across its value chain, accelerating its work on broadening the scale of sustainable agriculture and regenerative farming practice; reducing plastic use and increasing the use of recycle and renewable materials as well as adopting low-carbon alternatives; developing efficient and alternative solutions in transportation and distribution; shifting to renewable electricity and fuels in manufacturing and fleet. Up to 2021, PepsiCo has achieved a 23% of the absolute emissions target of reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and 7.9% of the absolute emissions target of reducing Scope 3 emissions. This research aims to evaluate the performance of PepsiCo on achieving their carbon reduction targets based on the analysis of the reported carbon estimates and reduction strategies, and also provides future strategic suggestions and guidance by adopting case study analysis. Although PepsiCo has reported great progress in reducing carbon emissions, further efforts are needed to achieve these goals.
Variability of Potential Soil Nitrogen Cycling Rates in Stormwater Bioretention Facilities
Authors: Rivers Erin N. , Morse Jennifer L.
Published: February 2022

Low-impact development (LID) is a common management practice used to infiltrate and filter stormwater through vegetated soil systems. The pollutant reduction potential of these systems is often characterized by a single pollutant removal rate; however, the biophysical properties of soils that regulate the removal of pollutants can be highly variable depending on environmental conditions. The goal of this study was to characterize the variability of soil properties and nitrogen (N) cycling rates in bioretention facilities (BRFs). Soil properties and potential N cycling processes were measured in nine curbside bioretention facilities (BRFs) in Portland, OR during summer and winter seasons, and a subset of six sites was sampled seasonally for two consecutive years to further assess temporal variability in soil N cycling. Potential N cycling rates varied markedly across sites, seasons, and years, and higher variability in N cycling rates was observed among sites with high infiltration rates. The observed seasonal and annual changes in soil parameters suggest that nutrient removal processes in BRFs may be highly variable across sites in an urban landscape. This variability has important implications for predicting the impacts of LID on water quality through time, particularly when estimated removal rates are used as a metric to assess compliance with water quality standards that are implemented to protect downstream ecosystems.
Analyzing the South-North Gap in the High-Quality Development of China’s Urbanization
Authors: Liu Jing , Zhang Lei , Zhang Nan
Published: February 2022

High-quality development (HQD) is the direction of China’s urbanization development. This paper defines HQD of urbanization in terms of theoretical connotation and constructs the evaluation index system of HQD of China’s urbanization from five aspects: innovation, coordination, green, open, and livable. The development index reflecting the adequacy of urbanization development in each region is calculated by using the range normalization law. The spatial weight attribute of each province and municipality is added to calculate the south-north regional development index, respectively. In addition, the Gini coefficient method is used to calculate and explain the regional imbalance coefficient of internal imbalance between southern and northern regions, and then determines the high-quality balanced development index of urbanization in southern and northern regions. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces and municipalities from 2001 to 2019, the results show that the quality of urbanization in all regions of China has gradually increased over time; in terms of region, the balanced development in southern and northern regions has overall improved significantly, but the gap between them is increasingly widening. The main reason is the lack of innovative development momentum and the pressure of green development.
Managers’ Attitudes to Different Action Proposals in the Direction to Extended Working Life: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Nilsson Kerstin , Nilsson Emma
Published: February 2022

In many countries, the retirement age is postponed due to the global demographic change, and a larger amount of older people need to participate in working life. However, how and what measures and action proposals that could extend and increase employees’ voluntary and sustainable participation in working life have not entirely been investigated. The employer is responsible for enabling employees’ access to measures that facilitate participation in the workplace, for enabling employability and a sustainable extended working life. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate Swedish managers’ attitude to action proposals that could increase employees’ participation in an extended working life. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate associations between different univariate estimates and in data modelling. The nine determinate areas of the swAge model, for a sustainable working life and employability, was used as analysis model, i.e., self-rated health and diagnoses; physical work environment; mental work environment; work schedule, work pace and time for recuperation; financial incentives; personal social environment; social work environment; stimulation, motivation and self-crediting through work tasks; and competence, skills and knowledge development. The results stated decreased physical work demands to be the final measure in the multivariate modelling associated to whether the managers believe their employees ‘can work’ until age 65 and older, however, changing work tasks in the workplace when needed, rotation between different work tasks to decrease physical as well as mental workload and strain, and decreased mental work demands proved to be statistically significant in the univariate estimates. The strongest measure activity in the organisations, associated to managers believing their employees ‘want to work’ until age 65 and older in the multivariate modelling, was decreased work pace, however, increased time for recuperation between work shifts also proved to be statistically significant in the univariate estimate. The management’s perspectives on measures and action proposals associated to whether employees ‘can’ and ‘want’ to work will hopefully contribute to an increased understanding in society and the organisational process of creating a sustainable extended working life.
Delirium in Older Adults: What a Surgeon Needs to Know
Authors: Melegari Gabriele , Gaspari Arianna , Gualdi Eugenia , Zoli Michele , Meletti Stefano , Barbieri Alberto
Published: February 2022

Delirium remains a challenging clinical problem in hospitalized older adults, especially for postoperative patients. This complication, with a high risk of postoperative mortality and an increased length of stay, frequently occurs in older adult patients. This brief narrative paper aims to review the recent literature regarding delirium and its most recent update. We also offer physicians a brief and essential clinical practice guide to managing this acute and common disease.
Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Prognostic Role of Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA)
Authors: Zantonelli Giulia , Cozzi Diletta , Bindi Alessandra , Cavigli Edoardo , Moroni Chiara , Luvarà Silvia , Grazzini Giulia , Danti Ginevra , Granata Vincenza , Miele Vittorio
Published: February 2022

Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA) is considered the gold standard diagnostic technique in patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism in emergency departments. Several studies have been conducted on the predictive value of CTPA on the outcomes of pulmonary embolism (PE). The purpose of this article is to provide an updated review of the literature reporting imaging parameters and quantitative CT scores to predict the severity of PE.
Infectious RNA: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Biology, Therapeutic Intervention, and the Quest for a Vaccine
Authors: van Heuvel Yasemin , Schatz Stefanie , Rosengarten Jamila Franca , Stitz Jörn
Published: February 2022

Different mechanisms mediate the toxicity of RNA. Genomic retroviral mRNA hijacks infected host cell factors to enable virus replication. The viral genomic RNA of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) encompasses nine genes encoding in less than 10 kb all proteins needed for replication in susceptible host cells. To do so, the genomic RNA undergoes complex alternative splicing to facilitate the synthesis of the structural, accessory, and regulatory proteins. However, HIV strongly relies on the host cell machinery recruiting cellular factors to complete its replication cycle. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) targets different steps in the cycle, preventing disease progression to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The comprehension of the host immune system interaction with the virus has fostered the development of a variety of vaccine platforms. Despite encouraging provisional results in vaccine trials, no effective vaccine has been developed, yet. However, novel promising vaccine platforms are currently under investigation.
Molecular Diversity of Peptide Toxins in the Venom of Spider Heteropoda pingtungensis as Revealed by cDNA Library and Transcriptome Sequencing Analysis
Authors: Liao Qingyi , Kong Xiangjin , Luo Guoqing , Wu Xiangyue , Li Yinping , Liu Qicai , Tang Cheng , Liu Zhonghua
Published: February 2022

The venoms of toxic animals are chemical pools composed of various proteins, peptides, and small organic molecules used for predation and defense, in which the peptidic toxins have been intensively pursued mining modulators targeting disease-related ion channels and receptors as valuable drug pioneers. In the present study, we uncovered the molecular diversity of peptide toxins in the venom of the spider Heteropoda pingtungensis (H. pingtungensis) by using a combinatory strategy of venom gland cDNA library and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). An amount of 991 high-quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were identified from 1138 generated sequences, which fall into three categories, such as the toxin-like ESTs (531, 53.58%), the cellular component ESTs (255, 25.73%), and the no-match ESTs (205, 20.69%), as determined by gene function annotations. Of them, 190 non-redundant toxin-like peptides were identified and can be artificially grouped into 13 families based on their sequence homology and cysteine frameworks (families A–M). The predicted mature toxins contain 2–10 cysteines, which are predicted to form intramolecular disulfide bonds to stabilize their three-dimensional structures. Bioinformatics analysis showed that toxins from H. pingtungensis venom have high sequences variability and the biological targets for most toxins are unpredictable due to lack of homology to toxins with known functions in the database. Furthermore, RP-HPLC and MALDI-TOF analyses have identified a total of 110 different peptides physically existing in the H. pingtungensis venom, and many RP-HPLC fractions showed potent inhibitory activity on the heterologously expressed NaV1.7 channel. Most importantly, two novel NaV1.7 peptide antagonists, µ-Sparatoxin-Hp1 and µ-Sparatoxin-Hp2, were characterized. In conclusion, the present study has added many new members to the spider toxin superfamily and built the foundation for identifying novel modulators targeting ion channels in the H. pingtungensis venom.
Virus-like Particles: Measures and Biological Functions
Authors: Bhat Tara , Cao Amy , Yin John
Published: February 2022

Virus-like particles resemble infectious virus particles in size, shape, and molecular composition; however, they fail to productively infect host cells. Historically, the presence of virus-like particles has been inferred from total particle counts by microscopy, and infectious particle counts or plaque-forming-units (PFUs) by plaque assay; the resulting ratio of particles-to-PFUs is often greater than one, easily 10 or 100, indicating that most particles are non-infectious. Despite their inability to hijack cells for their reproduction, virus-like particles and the defective genomes they carry can exhibit a broad range of behaviors: interference with normal virus growth during co-infections, cell killing, and activation or inhibition of innate immune signaling. In addition, some virus-like particles become productive as their multiplicities of infection increase, a sign of cooperation between particles. Here, we review established and emerging methods to count virus-like particles and characterize their biological functions. We take a critical look at evidence for defective interfering virus genomes in natural and clinical isolates, and we review their potential as antiviral therapeutics. In short, we highlight an urgent need to better understand how virus-like genomes and particles interact with intact functional viruses during co-infection of their hosts, and their impacts on the transmission, severity, and persistence of virus-associated diseases.
First Study to Describe the Prevalence of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus and Porcine Circovirus Type 2 among the Farmed Pig Population in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Authors: Flay Kate J. , Yang Dan A. , Choi Sze Chun , Ip Joyce , Lee Song H. , Pfeiffer Dirk U.
Published: February 2022

Infection of pig farms with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) causes substantial economic losses globally. However, little epidemiological data of PRRSV and PCV2 in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) were available. This pilot study aimed to provide baseline information of the prevalences of PPRSV and PCV2 in the HKSAR. A complex survey was conducted from 3 February 2020 to 11 March 2021 on 29 of the 40 pig farms in the HKSAR, with five pigs each from seven age groups (representing key production stages) tested using a real-time PCR. Evidence of presence of PRRSV European strain (PRRSV-1), PRRSV North American strain (PRRSV-2) and PCV2 was confirmed on 48%, 86% and 79% of farms, with overall prevalences of 7.6% (95% CI: 4.8–10.3%), 12.2% (95% CI: 9.6–14.7%) and 20.3% (95% CI: 14.3–26.2%) in the HKSAR pig population based on pooling results from all pigs across all farms. PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 were more prevalent in younger pigs, with the highest prevalences of 32.1% (95% CI: 20.8–45.0%) and 51.5% (95% CI: 38.9–64.0%) for 8-week-old pigs. In contrast, the distribution of PCV2 prevalence across age groups appeared to be more symmetrical, with higher prevalences reported in pigs from 12 weeks old to 24 weeks old but lower prevalences in younger pigs and sows. The results of this study demonstrate that PRRSV-1, PRRSV-2 and PCV2 are widely spread across pig farms in the HKSAR, which indicates that the current farm management and control protocols should be improved. We recommend the implementation of on-farm intervention strategies combined with ongoing surveillance to reduce these viruses, and their consequences, in the HKSAR pig population.
Evaluation of Regional Water Resources Management Performance and Analysis of the Influencing Factors: A Case Study in China
Authors: Li Wen , Zuo Qiting , Jiang Long , Zhang Zhizhuo , Ma Junxia , Wang Jiaoyang
Published: February 2022

Water resources management (WRM) is a global strategic issue. Effectively evaluating WRM performance and analyzing its influencing factors have strong practical significance for improving regional WRM performance. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is one of the most popular models to measure the efficiency of decision-making units (DMUs). Taking regional WRM performance as efficiency DMUs, this paper proposes the indicator system to quantify WRM performance from the perspectives of resource endowments, economic and technological development, and ecosystem protection. The WRM performance of 31 provincial administrative regions in mainland China from 2013 to 2019 are measured, and the temporal and spatial changes are explored using the window DEA model and the Malmquist index model. Finally, the Tobit model is used to quantitatively analyze the affecting factors. The results indicate that: (1) in 2015 and 2019, WRM performance of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Guangxi were slightly higher than that in other years, and the areas with more room for WRM performance improvements were areas with abundant water resources; (2) from 2013 to 2019, China’s overall WRM performance showed a slow rise, and there were obvious fluctuations in 2018; (3) the improvement in WRM performance was primarily the result of an improvement to comprehensive technical efficiency changes (EC), whereas technological progress changes (TC) have largely restricted China’s WRM performance; (4) the main influencing factors of WRM performance in China were as follows: industrial development level, water resources utilization rate, and urban sewage discharge per capita.