bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oleic Acid-Tailored Geopolymer Microspheres with Tunable Porous Structure for Enhanced Removal from Tetracycline in Saline Water
Authors: Wang Xiaoyun , Zhang Zheng , Ge Yuanyuan
Published: May 2022

Tetracycline (TC) in the water body poses a huge threat to the ecological environment. There is a great challenge to develop highly efficient, green, low-cost and reusable adsorbents for TC removal from saline water. Herein, metakaolin-based geopolymer microspheres (MM) modified by oleic acid were proposed for the enhanced adsorption of TC from saline water. Experimental and characterization results showed that the introduction of oleic acid into the MM effectively adjusted the specific surface area, pore volume and zeta potential of the MM, thus accelerating the adsorption rate and enhancing the TC adsorption capacity of the MM. The adsorption process fitted well to the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isothermal models. The Langmuir adsorption capacity of TC by the optimal MM, namely MM3 (0.3%, oleic acid), reached 645.7 mg·g−1 at 298 K, which was higher than many reported adsorbents. The adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The MM3 had good adsorption performance of TC from saline water and regeneration performance. Moreover, the breakthrough curves of the MM3 in a column system were correlative with the Thomas and Yoon–Nelson models. The adsorption mechanisms of TC by the MM3 involved Van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions, hydrogen–bonding interactions, and ion exchange.
The Rural Livability Evaluation and Its Governance Path Based on the Left-Behind Perspective: Evidence from the Oasis Area of the Hexi Corridor in China
Authors: Ma Libang , Zhang Yuqing , Shi Zhihao , Dou Haojian
Published: May 2022

The evaluation of rural livability for different groups of left-behind people and proposing classified governance paths are of great practical significance to solve the problem of sustainable development of left-behind villages. Taking Jinchang, China as an example, this paper aims to construct a rural livability evaluation index system based on identifying the types of left-behind villages, which combines the “individuality + commonality” of different left-behind subjects, analyzes the livability level of left-behind villages and proposes a classified governance path to help solve the problem of sustainable development of left-behind villages. The results show the following: (1) The types of left-behind villages are mainly left-behind children and left-behind elderly types, accounting for 68.75% of the total number of left-behind villages. (2) There are large differences in the livability of individual characteristics of the villages. The average livability for children is the largest, reaching 0.6608. The average livability for women is the smallest, being only 0.1418. The livability values for the elderly and children are mainly in the medium-value areas, while the livability for women is mainly in the low-value areas. (3) The overall livability level of the villages is low, mainly falling in the low-value areas. The evaluation units with values higher than the average accounted for 40.625% of the total. The level of meeting the demands of the left-behind population in villages is low. The overall levels of economic development, public services, infrastructure, and configuration need to be optimized and improved, and the living and production conditions need to be further improved. (4) According to “left-behind + livable”, we classified the villages into five types: optimizing and upgrading villages, improving short-board villages, balanced developing villages, upgrading potential villages, and comprehensive upgrading villages. In the future, it is necessary to carry out classified governance from various aspects, such as improving governance, making up for shortcomings, coordinating and balancing, and comprehensively improving quality to achieve the ultimate goal of sustainable rural development.
Electrospinning for the Modification of 3D Objects for the Potential Use in Tissue Engineering
Authors: Bauer Laura , Brandstäter Lisa , Letmate Mika , Palachandran Manasi , Wadehn Fynn Ole , Wolfschmidt Carlotta , Grothe Timo , Güth Uwe , Ehrmann Andrea
Published: May 2022

Electrospinning is often investigated for biotechnological applications, such as tissue engineering and cell growth in general. In many cases, three-dimensional scaffolds would be advantageous to prepare tissues in a desired shape. Some studies thus investigated 3D-printed scaffolds decorated with electrospun nanofibers. Here, we report on the influence of 3D-printed substrates on fiber orientation and diameter of a nanofiber mat, directly electrospun on conductive and isolating 3D-printed objects, and show the effect of shadowing, taking 3D-printed ears with electrospun nanofiber mats as an example for potential and direct application in tissue engineering in general.
LoRaWAN Communication Protocols: A Comprehensive Survey under an Energy Efficiency Perspective
Authors: Banti Konstantina , Karampelia Ioanna , Dimakis Thomas , Boulogeorgos Alexandros-Apostolos A. , Kyriakidis Thomas , Louta Malamati
Published: May 2022

Long range wide area networks (LoRaWANs) have recently received intense scientific, research, and industrial interest. LoRaWANs play a pivotal role in Internet of Things (IoT) applications due to their capability to offer large coverage without sacrificing the energy efficiency and, thus the battery life, of end-devices. Most published contributions assume that LoRaWAN gateways (GWs) are plugged into the energy grid; thus, neglecting the network lifetime constraint due to power storage limitations. However, there are several verticals, including precision agriculture, forest protection, and others, in which it is difficult or even impossible to connect the GW to the power grid or to perform battery replacement at the end-devices. Consequently, maximizing the networks’ energy efficiency is expected to have a crucial impact on maximizing the network lifetime. Motivated by this, as well as the observation that the overall LoRaWAN network energy efficiency is significantly affected by the selected communication protocol, in this paper, we identify and discuss critical aspects and research challenges involved in the design of a LoRaWAN communication protocol, under an energy efficiency perspective. Building upon our findings, research directions towards a novel GreenLoRaWAN communication protocol are given, focusing on achieving energy efficiency, robustness, and scalability.
Stock Market Prediction Using Microblogging Sentiment Analysis and Machine Learning
Authors: Koukaras Paraskevas , Nousi Christina , Tjortjis Christos
Published: May 2022

The use of Machine Learning (ML) and Sentiment Analysis (SA) on data from microblogging sites has become a popular method for stock market prediction. In this work, we developed a model for predicting stock movement utilizing SA on Twitter and StockTwits data. Stock movement and sentiment data were used to evaluate this approach and validate it on Microsoft stock. We gathered tweets from Twitter and StockTwits, as well as financial data from Finance Yahoo. SA was applied to tweets, and seven ML classification models were implemented: K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Logistic Regression (LR), Naïve Bayes (NB), Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF) and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP). The main novelty of this work is that it integrates multiple SA and ML methods, emphasizing the retrieval of extra features from social media (i.e., public sentiment), for improving stock prediction accuracy. The best results were obtained when tweets were analyzed using Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner (VADER) and SVM. The top F-score was 76.3%, while the top Area Under Curve (AUC) value was 67%.
Temporal Horn Enlargements Predict Secondary Hydrocephalus Diagnosis Earlier than Evans’ Index
Authors: Missori Paolo , Paolini Sergio , Peschillo Simone , Mancarella Cristina , Scafa Anthony Kevin , Rastelli Emanuela , Martini Stefano , Fattapposta Francesco , Currà Antonio
Published: May 2022

The aim of this study was to identify early radiological signs of secondary hydrocephalus. We retrieved neuroradiological data from scans performed at various times in patients who underwent surgery for secondary hydrocephalus due to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), or brain tumour (BT). Baseline measurements, performed on the earliest images acquired after the neurological event (T0), included Evans’ index, the distance between frontal horns, and the widths of both temporal horns. The next neuroimage that showed an increase in at least one of these four parameters—and that lead the surgeon to act—was selected as an indication of ventricular enlargement (T1). Comparisons of T0 and T1 neuroimages showed increases in Evans’ index, in the mean frontal horn distance, and in the mean right and left temporal horn widths. Interestingly, in T1 scans, mean Evans’ index scores > 0.30 were only observed in patients with BT. However, the temporal horn widths increased up to ten-fold in most patients, independent of Evans’ index scores. In conclusion temporal horn enlargements were the earliest, most sensitive findings in predicting ventricular enlargement secondary to TBI, SAH, or BT. To anticipate a secondary hydrocephalus radiological diagnosis, clinicians should measure both Evans’ index and the temporal horn widths, to avoid severe disability and poor outcome related to temporal lobe damage.
Ecological Health Risk Assessment and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in Surface Soil Based on a High Geochemical Background: A Case Study in Southwest China
Authors: Chen Ziwan , Xu Jing , Duan Ruichun , Lu Shansong , Hou Zhaolei , Yang Fan , Peng Min , Zong Qingxia , Shi Zeming , Yu Linsong
Published: May 2022

A total of 28,095 surface soil samples were collected in areas with high natural background levels; the potential ecological risk is generally low, and the high-risk area is small and mainly affected by lead–zinc mines. The contribution to the potential ecological risk factor (RI) is as follows: Hg > Cd > As > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cr > Zn, with noncarcinogenic chronic risks of Cr > As > Cd > Pb > Ni > Cu > Hg > Zn; furthermore, dermal contact is the main pathway of exposure causing health risks. The total carcinogenic risks caused by heavy metals were as follows: Cr > Cd > As > Pb; and the risks posed by Cr, Cd, and As were higher than the threshold value (1.0 × 10−4); people face a higher threat to heavy metals in soils in Zhenxiong, Ludian, Huize, Weixin, and Zhaoyang. The evaluation result of the EPA PMF model shows that the soil heavy metals are mainly composed of five sources, of which basalt, Permian, and Triassic carbonate rock parent material constitute the natural background source, while the mining activities of lead–zinc mines and the emissions of coal burning by residents constitute the anthropogenic source. The contribution was ranked in order of lead–zinc mining (26.7%) > Triassic carbonate (23.7%) > basalt (20.9%) > coal burning and automobile emissions (16.1%) > Permian carbonate (12.6%).
An Investigation into Which Methods Best Explain Children’s Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution
Authors: Van Ryswyk Keith , Wheeler Amanda J. , Grgicak-Mannion Alice , Xu Xiaohong , Curran Jason , Caravaggio Gianni , Hall Ajae , MacDonald Penny , Brook Jeffrey R.
Published: May 2022

There have been several methods employed to quantify individual-level exposure to ambient traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP). These include an individual’s residential proximity to roads, measurement of individual pollutants as surrogates or markers, as well as dispersion and land use regression (LUR) models. Hopanes are organic compounds still commonly found on ambient particulate matter and are specific markers of combustion engine primary emissions, but they have not been previously used in personal exposure studies. In this paper, children’s personal exposures to TRAP were evaluated using hopanes determined from weekly integrated filters collected as part of a personal exposure study in Windsor, Canada. These hopane measurements were used to evaluate how well other commonly used proxies of exposure to TRAP performed. Several of the LUR exposure estimates for a range of air pollutants were associated with the children’s summer personal hopane exposures (r = 0.41–0.74). However, all personal hopane exposures in summer were more strongly associated with the length of major roadways within 500 m of their homes. In contrast, metrics of major roadways and LUR estimates were poorly correlated with any winter personal hopanes. Our findings suggest that available TRAP exposure indicators have the potential for exposure misclassification in winter vs. summer and more so for LUR than for metrics of major road density. As such, limitations are evident when using traditional proxy methods for assigning traffic exposures and these may be especially important when attempting to assign exposures for children’s key growth and developmental windows. If long-term chronic exposures are being estimated, our data suggest that measures of major road lengths in proximity to homes are a more-specific approach for assigning personal TRAP exposures.
Serum Bilirubin and Sperm Quality in Adult Population
Authors: Chen Yuan-Yuei , Chen Wei-Liang
Published: May 2022

The neurotoxicity of bilirubin has been extensively reported in numerous studies. However, the association between bilirubin and male fertility has not yet been studied. The main goal of this study was to investigate the association between serum total bilirubin and sperm quality in an adult population. In this cross-sectional study, 9057 participants who attended the MJ health examination (2010–2016) were enrolled. Sperm specimens were collected by masturbation, and sperm quality was analyzed in accordance with the WHO criteria. Serum total bilirubin levels were measured by an automatic biochemical profile analyzer. Thereafter, the associations between serum total bilirubin and sperm quality were determined by a multivariable linear regression. Serum total bilirubin was inversely associated with sperm concentration and normal morphology with β values of −13.82 (95% CI: −26.99, −0.64) and −18.38 (95% CI: −30.46, −6.29) after adjusting for covariables. The highest levels of serum total bilirubin were significantly associated with sperm concentration and normal morphology with β values of −14.15 (95% CI: −28.36, 0.06) and −21.15 (95% CI: −33.99, −8.30). Our study highlighted the potential impact of serum bilirubin on sperm quality in a male population. Additional longitudinal research is necessary to explore these findings and underlying mechanisms.
Correction: Li et al. In-Vitro and In-Silico Assessment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) Binding to Human Serum Albumin. Toxics 2021, 9, 63
Authors: Li Wenting , Hu Yuhong , Bischel Heather N.
Published: May 2022

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
The Emergence of Japanese Encephalitis in Australia and the Implications for a Vaccination Strategy
Authors: Furuya-Kanamori Luis , Gyawali Narayan , Mills Deborah J. , Hugo Leon E. , Devine Gregor J. , Lau Colleen L.
Published: May 2022

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. Until 2022, only six locally transmitted human JE cases had been reported in Australia; five in northern Queensland and one in the Northern Territory. Thus, JE was mainly considered to be a disease of travellers. On 4 March 2022, JE was declared a ‘Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance’ when a locally acquired human case was confirmed in southern Queensland. By 11 May 2022, 41 human JE cases had been notified in four states in Australia, in areas where JE has never been detected before. From this perspective, we discuss the potential reasons for the recent emergence of the JE virus in Australia in areas where JE has never been previously reported as well as the implications of and options for mass immunisation programs if the outbreak escalates in a JE virus-immunologically naïve population.
Systematic Surveillance of Rickettsial Diseases in 27 Hospitals from 26 Provinces throughout Vietnam
Authors: Trung Nguyen Vu , Hoi Le Thi , Hoa Tran Mai , Huong Dang Thi , Huyen Ma Thi , Tien Vuong Quang , Mai Dao Thi Tuyet , Ha Nguyen Thi Thu , Kinh Nguyen Van , Farris Christina M. , Richards Allen L.
Published: May 2022

In Vietnam, the public health burden of rickettsial infections continues to be underestimated due to knowledge gaps in the epidemiology of these diseases. We conducted a systematic study among 27 hospitals from 26 provinces in eight ecological regions throughout Vietnam to investigate the prevalence, distribution, and clinical characteristics of rickettsial diseases. We recruited 1834 patients in the study from April 2018 to October 2019. The findings showed that rickettsial diseases were common among undifferentiated febrile patients, with 564 (30.8%) patients positive by qPCR for scrub typhus, murine typhus or spotted fever. Scrub typhus (484, 85.8%) was the most common rickettsial disease, followed by murine typhus (67, 11.9%) and spotted fever (10, 1.8%). Rickettsial diseases were widely distributed in all regions of Vietnam and presented with nonspecific clinical manifestations.
A New Analytic Approximation of Luminosity Distance in Cosmology Using the Parker–Sochacki Method
Authors: Sultana Joseph
Published: May 2022

The luminosity distance dL is possibly the most important distance scale in cosmology and therefore accurate and efficient methods for its computation is paramount in modern precision cosmology. Yet in most cosmological models the luminosity distance cannot be expressed by a simple analytic function in terms of the redshift z and the cosmological parameters, and is instead represented in terms of an integral. Although one can revert to numerical integration techniques utilizing quadrature algorithms to evaluate such an integral, the high accuracy required in modern cosmology makes this a computationally demanding process. In this paper, we use the Parker–Sochacki method (PSM) to generate a series approximate solution for the luminosity distance in spatially flat ΛCDM cosmology by solving a polynomial system of nonlinear differential equations. When compared with other techniques proposed recently, which are mainly based on the Padé approximant, the expression for the luminosity distance obtained via the PSM leads to a significant improvement in the accuracy in the redshift range 0≤z≤2.5. Moreover, we show that this technique can be easily applied to other more complicated cosmological models, and its multistage approach can be used to generate analytic approximations that are valid on a wider redshift range.
Shell Model Description of Spin-Dependent Elastic and Inelastic WIMP Scattering off 119Sn and 121Sb
Authors: Kasurinen Joona , Suhonen Jouni , Srivastava Praveen C. , Pirinen Pekka
Published: May 2022

In this work, we calculate the spin structure functions for spin-dependent elastic and inelastic WIMP scattering off 119Sn and 121Sb. Estimates for detection rates are also given. 119Sn and 121Sb are amenable to nuclear structure calculations using the nuclear shell model (NSM). With the possible exception of 201Hg, they are the only such nuclei still unexplored theoretically for their potential of inelastic WIMP scattering to a very low excited state. The present calculations were conducted using a state-of-the-art WIMP–nucleus scattering formalism, and the available effective NSM two-body interactions describe the spectroscopic properties of these nuclei reasonably well. Structure functions were found to be high for both nuclei in the case of elastic scattering. Elastic scattering dominated at the zero momentum transfer limit. Detection rate calculations indicated that inelastic scattering was relevant for both nuclei, even surpassing elastic rates for some recoil energies.
Comparison of Immunogenicity and Safety of Inactivated, Adenovirus-Vectored, and Heterologous Adenovirus-Vectored/mRNA Vaccines in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Assawasaksakul Theerada , Lertussavavivat Tanat , Sathitratanacheewin Seelwan , Oudomying Nont , Vichaiwattana Preeyaporn , Wanlapakorn Nasamon , Poovorawan Yong , Avihingsanon Yingyos , Assawasaksakul Nawaporn , Buranapraditkun Supranee , Kittanamongkolchai Wonngarm
Published: May 2022

Background: Impaired immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines have been observed in autoimmune rheumatic disease patients. Determining the most effective and safe vaccine regimen is critically needed in such a population. We aim to compare the immunogenicity and safety of three COVID-19 vaccine regimens in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: SLE and RA patients aged 18–65 years who received inactivated (CoronaVac or COVILO), adenovirus-vectored (AZD1222), or heterogeneous (AZD1222/BNT162b2) vaccines were enrolled. Humoral and cellular immune responses were assessed at day 28 after the second vaccination. This was performed using the serum binding antibody level against the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (anti-RBD Ig) and IFNy-ELISpot assay (ELISpot), respectively. Reactogenicity was reviewed on day 7 following each vaccination. Disease activity was assessed before and on day 28 after the second vaccination. Results: The cohort consisted of 94 patients (64 SLE and 30 RA). Inactivated, AZD1222, and AZD1222/BNT162b2 vaccines were administered to 23, 43, and 28 patients, respectively. Anti-RBD titers were lowest in the inactivated vaccine group (2.84 AU/mL; 95% CI 0.96–8.44), followed by AZD1222 (233.7 AU/mL; 95% CI 99.0–505.5), and AZD1222/BNT162b2 (688.6 AU/mL; 95% CI 271–1745), p < 0.0001. After adjusting for relevant factors, the inactivated vaccine was associated with the lowest humoral response, while adenovirus-vectored/mRNA vaccine was the highest. The proportion of positive ELISpot test was also lowest in the inactivated vaccine group (27%), followed by the adenovirus-vectored vaccine (67%), and the adenovirus-vectored/mRNA vaccine (73%) (p = 0.03). All types of vaccine were well-tolerated. There was no flare of autoimmune disease post-vaccination. Conclusion: Adenovirus-vectored and adenovirus-vectored/mRNA vaccines elicited a stronger humoral and cellular immune response than inactivated vaccines, suggesting that they may be more suitable in SLE and RA patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy.
Evidence-Based Application of Acupuncture for Pain Management in Companion Animal Medicine
Authors: Huntingford Janice L. , Petty Michael C.
Published: May 2022

The use of veterinary acupuncture for pain relief is expanding among small animal practitioners. Although acupuncture was developed as part of the medical system in Ancient China, research into the scientific basis of its effects is expanding rapidly. Acupuncture is very effective for analgesia on a local, segmental, and suprasegmental level. Many forms of acupuncture can be used independently or as part of a balanced multi-modal approach for the control of acute and chronic pain. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, acupuncture can be a safe and effective modality for treating pain in companion animals. This article outlines the mechanisms of action of acupuncture, its related neurophysiology and provides examples from the literature demonstrating its effectiveness.
Illusional Perspective across Humans and Bees
Authors: Gatto Elia , Loukola Olli J. , Petrazzini Maria Elena Miletto , Agrillo Christian , Cutini Simone
Published: May 2022

For two centuries, visual illusions have attracted the attention of neurobiologists and comparative psychologists, given the possibility of investigating the complexity of perceptual mechanisms by using relatively simple patterns. Animal models, such as primates, birds, and fish, have played a crucial role in understanding the physiological circuits involved in the susceptibility of visual illusions. However, the comprehension of such mechanisms is still a matter of debate. Despite their different neural architectures, recent studies have shown that some arthropods, primarily Hymenoptera and Diptera, experience illusions similar to those humans do, suggesting that perceptual mechanisms are evolutionarily conserved among species. Here, we review the current state of illusory perception in bees. First, we introduce bees’ visual system and speculate which areas might make them susceptible to illusory scenes. Second, we review the current state of knowledge on misperception in bees (Apidae), focusing on the visual stimuli used in the literature. Finally, we discuss important aspects to be considered before claiming that a species shows higher cognitive ability while equally supporting alternative hypotheses. This growing evidence provides insights into the evolutionary origin of visual mechanisms across species.
Mechanisms Underlying Directional Motion Processing and Form-Motion Integration Assessed with Visual Perceptual Learning
Authors: Donato Rita , Pavan Andrea , Cavallin Giovanni , Ballan Lamberto , Betteto Luca , Nucci Massimo , Campana Gianluca
Published: May 2022

Dynamic Glass patterns (GPs) are visual stimuli commonly employed to study form–motion interactions. There is brain imaging evidence that non-directional motion induced by dynamic GPs and directional motion induced by random dot kinematograms (RDKs) depend on the activity of the human motion complex (hMT+). However, whether dynamic GPs and RDKs rely on the same processing mechanisms is still up for dispute. The current study uses a visual perceptual learning (VPL) paradigm to try to answer this question. Identical pre- and post-tests were given to two groups of participants, who had to discriminate random/noisy patterns from coherent form (dynamic GPs) and motion (RDKs). Subsequently, one group was trained on dynamic translational GPs, whereas the other group on RDKs. On the one hand, the generalization of learning to the non-trained stimulus would indicate that the same mechanisms are involved in the processing of both dynamic GPs and RDKs. On the other hand, learning specificity would indicate that the two stimuli are likely to be processed by separate mechanisms possibly in the same cortical network. The results showed that VPL is specific to the stimulus trained, suggesting that directional and non-directional motion may depend on different neural mechanisms.
Parietal Alpha Oscillatory Peak Frequency Mediates the Effect of Practice on Visuospatial Working Memory Performance
Authors: Bertaccini Riccardo , Ellena Giulia , Macedo-Pascual Joaquin , Carusi Fabrizio , Trajkovic Jelena , Poch Claudia , Romei Vincenzo
Published: May 2022

Visuospatial working memory (WM) requires the activity of a spread network, including right parietal regions, to sustain storage capacity, attentional deployment, and active manipulation of information. Notably, while the electrophysiological correlates of such regions have been explored using many different indices, evidence for a functional involvement of the individual frequency peaks in the alpha (IAF) and theta bands (ITF) is still poor despite their relevance in many influential theories regarding WM. Interestingly, there is also a parallel lack of literature about the effect of short-term practice on WM performance. Here, we aim to clarify whether the simple repetition of a change-detection task might be beneficial to WM performance and to which degree these effects could be predicted by IAF and ITF. For this purpose, 25 healthy participants performed a change-detection task at baseline and in a retest session, while IAF and ITF were also measured. Results show that task repetition improves WM performance. In addition, right parietal IAF, but not ITF, accounts for performance gain such that faster IAF predicts higher performance gain. Our findings align with recent literature suggesting that the faster the posterior alpha, the finer the perceptual sampling rate, and the higher the WM performance gain.
Research Progress on Adsorption of Arsenic from Water by Modified Biochar and Its Mechanism: A Review
Authors: Sun Yongchang , Yu Fangxin , Han Caohui , Houda Chouarfa , Hao Mingge , Wang Qiongyao
Published: May 2022

Arsenic (As) is a non-metallic element, which is widely distributed in nature. Due to its toxicity, arsenic is seriously harmful to human health and the environment. Therefore, it is particularly important to effectively remove arsenic from water. Biochar is a carbon-rich adsorption material with advantages such as large specific surface area, high porosity, and abundant functional groups, but the original biochar has limitations in application, such as limited adsorption capacity and adsorption range. The modified biochar materials have largely enhanced the adsorption capacity of As in water due to their improved physicochemical properties. In this review, the changes in the physicochemical properties of biochar before and after modification were compared by SEM, XRD, XPS, FT-IR, TG, and other characterization techniques. Through the analysis, it was found that the adsorbent dosage and pH are the major factors that influence the As adsorption capacity of the modified biochar. The adsorption process of As by biochar is endothermic, and increasing the reaction temperature is conducive to the progress of adsorption. Results showed that the main mechanisms include complexation, electrostatic interaction, and precipitation for the As removal by the modified biochar. Research in the field of biochar is progressing rapidly, with numerous achievements and new types of biochar-based materials prepared with super-strong adsorption capacity for As. There is still much space for in-depth research in this field. Therefore, the future research interests and applications are put forward in this review.
Assessment of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contamination of the Red Sea with Endemic Fish from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) as Bioindicator of Aquatic Environmental Pollution
Authors: Jamoussi Bassem , Chakroun Radhouane , Al-Mur Bandar
Published: May 2022

The aim of this study was to determine whether endemic coral fish commonly consumed by Jeddah residents could serve as bioindicators of oil contamination. In addition, we planned to investigate the relationship between amino acid changes and hydrocarbon concentrations in fish tissue. The composition of amino acids was analyzed using high-pressure liquid chromatography with precolumn derivatization. An analytical study of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and total petroleum hydrocarbons was conducted by combining gas chromatography with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied using Statgraphics software to determine the impact of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and total petroleum hydrocarbons on the amino acid profile of three species of fish. In addition, the bioconcentration factor was estimated in the studied species and was used to validate the results obtained from the multivariate analysis. Based on the results of the study, the sum of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with two cycles, and with five to six cycles, is in reverse order in Plectropomus pessuliferus with respect to Epinephelus tauvina and Cephalopholis argus. The factor analysis showed high factor scores for aspartic acid, glutamic acid, tyrosine, chrysene, and total petroleum hydrocarbons, and for lipids and benzo(g,h,i)perylene, which could be explained by bioaccumulation. It was concluded that the high proportions of glutamic acid (8.32–11.10%) and aspartic acid (6.06–8.27%) in the muscles of the studied species are a sign of contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons. The incremental lifetime cancer risk values for the three endemic fish exceeded the limit value (>10−5), indicating a high potential cancer risk for the Saudi population.
Performance Evaluation of a Hybrid Enhanced Membrane Bioreactor (eMBR) System Treating Synthetic Textile Effluent
Authors: Santos Kryssian Romeiro Manoel dos , Bergamasco Rosangela , Jegatheesan Veeriah
Published: May 2022

The textile industry produces a high volume of wastewater rich in toxic and harmful chemicals. Therefore, it is necessary to apply wastewater treatment methods such as membrane bioreactor (MBR) to achieve high efficiency, process stability, small footprint, and low maintenance costs. This work performed a study on a synthetic textile wastewater treatment using an enhanced membrane bioreactor (eMBR) equipped with two anoxic and one aerobic reactor and a UV disinfection unit. The results showed 100% removal of total suspended solids, 81.8% removal of chemical oxygen demand, and 96% removal of color. The SEM analysis indicated that the pores of the membrane were blocked by a compact and dense gel layer, as observed by the presence of the fouling layer. According to these results, an eMBR hybrid system is a suitable option for treating synthetic textile wastewater. Opportunities to increase the efficiencies in the removal of some pollutants, as well as stabilizing and standardizing the process are the improvements which require further investigations.
Sea Level Variation and Trend Analysis by Comparing Mann–Kendall Test and Innovative Trend Analysis in Front of the Red River Delta, Vietnam (1961–2020)
Authors: Nguyen Hai Minh , Ouillon Sylvain , Vu Vinh Duy
Published: May 2022

In this study, we analyze sea surface height referenced against the WGS84 ellipsoid at the Hon Dau tidal gauge station (Hai Phong, Vietnam), in front of the Red River Delta, between 1961 and 2020. The annual sea level varied from 165.23 cm to 206.06 cm in this period (+20.28 cm over 60 years). The average water level was 190.87 cm for 60 years, with higher annual values in recent years, especially from 2016 to the present (above 201.5 cm). The Mann–Kendall (MK) test with Sen’s slope estimator and Şen’s innovative trend analysis (ITA) were applied and compared to estimate the sea level rise. These methods showed complete agreement among tests with significant rising trends of about 3.38 mm/year with the MK test and 3.08 mm/year with the ITA method for 1961–2020. During the last 20 years (2001–2020), the mean sea level increased about 7.16 mm/year (MK test and Sen’s slope), 7.38 mm/year (ITA method), and around twice higher than the rate of the region and globally. The MK test and ITA method provided similar results for periods: 1961–2020, 1961–1980, and 2001–2020, with relatively stable monotonic related trend conditions. For the period 1981–2000, with a more nonmonotonic trend, the MK test and ITA method provided different trends and allowed to illustrate the specificity of each method.
Hybrid Machine Learning Models for Soil Saturated Conductivity Prediction
Authors: Granata Francesco , Di Nunno Fabio , Modoni Giuseppe
Published: May 2022

The hydraulic conductivity of saturated soil is a crucial parameter in the study of any engineering problem concerning groundwater. Hydraulic conductivity mainly depends on particle size distribution, soil compaction, and properties that influence aggregation and water retention. Generally, finding simple and accurate analytical equations between the hydraulic conductivity of soil and the characteristics on which it depends is a very hard task. Machine learning algorithms can provide excellent tools for tackling highly nonlinear regression problems. Additionally, hybrid models resulting from the combination of multiple machine learning algorithms can further improve the accuracy of predictions. Five different models were built to predict saturated hydraulic conductivity using a dataset extracted from the Soil Water Infiltration Global database. The models were based on different predictors. Seven variants of each model were compared, replacing the implemented algorithm. Three variants were based on individual models, while four variants were based on hybrid models. The employed individual machine learning algorithms were Multilayer Perceptron, Random Forest, and Support Vector Regression. The model based on the largest number of predictors led to the most accurate predictions. In addition, across all models, hybrid variants based on all three algorithms and hybridized variants of Random Forest and Support Vector Regression proved to be the most accurate (R2 values up to 0.829). However, all variants showed a tendency to overestimate conductivity in soils where it is very low.
A Novel Procedure for Minimizing the Volume of Water Tanks in Water Supply Systems
Authors: Nakic Domagoj , Djurin Bojan , Hunt Julian , Dadar Sara
Published: May 2022

Due to the complexity of calculating the minimum required volume of water tanks and the associated regime of pumping water into the tank depending on the consumption pattern in the water supply systems, finding the functional dependence of these variables is a complex process. The main idea of this paper was to provide a methodology for the calculation of the minimum water tank volume considering all input variables, which could be used in a simple and applicable way in everyday water supply management and engineering. As a final product, a desktop application TankOPT was developed that is easy to run and use on a PC with a user-friendly interface for data entry (data on maximum daily consumption and the pattern of daily water consumption). A software solution was created based on a numerical model that simplifies the usual manual calculations using known spreadsheet software and solves this problem. The solution was determined with combinations of the start and duration of water pumping in the water tank, for which the minimum required volume of the tank is obtained. JavaScript programming language was used to create the app. The use and operation of the application are shown through two hypothetical examples.
Dissolved Phosphorus Concentrations in Surface Runoff from Agricultural Land Based on Calcium–Acetate–Lactate Soluble Phosphorus Soil Contents
Authors: Kiemle Lisa , Fuchs Stephan
Published: May 2022

The input of phosphorus (P) into aquatic systems can result in eutrophication that might manifest in algal blooms and oxygen deficiency and, subsequently, in a poor ecological status. Substance emission modeling on a river basin scale can help to quantify phosphorus emissions into surface water bodies and to address mitigation measures. The prerequisite is that suitable input data are available. The purpose of this study is to develop a modeling approach that allows the prediction of realistic phosphorus concentrations in surface runoff. During large-scale artificial rain experiments at 23 agricultural sites, dissolved P concentrations in surface runoff and subsurface flow were measured. The characteristics of the experimental sites were investigated by taking and analyzing soil samples and requesting information on the management from the farmers. From the data collected, two linear models were derived. The first model allows the prediction of dissolved phosphorus concentration in surface runoff from PCAL soil content. Applying the second model, the obtained concentration in surface runoff can be transferred to a concentration in subsurface flow. The resulting approaches were derived from realistic field experiments and, for the first time, allow the direct prediction of dissolved phosphorus concentrations in surface runoff and, in a second step, also in subsurface flow from spatially distributed PCAL soil content data. Integrating these approaches into substance emission models can improve their accuracy and, subsequently, allows a better planning of measures for the reduction in phosphorus emissions into surface water bodies.
Assessment of Daily of Reference Evapotranspiration Using CLDAS Product in Different Climate Regions of China
Authors: Wu Li-Feng , Qian Long , Huang Guo-Min , Liu Xiao-Gang , Wang Yi-Cheng , Bai Hua , Wu Shao-Fei
Published: May 2022

Reference Crop evapotranspiration (ET0) datasets based on reanalysis products can make up for the time discontinuity and the spatial insufficiency of surface meteorological platform data, which is of great significance for water resources planning and irrigation system formulation. However, a rigorous evaluation must be conducted to verify if reanalysis products have application values. This study first evaluated the ability of the second-generation China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS) dataset for officially estimating ET0 (the local meteorological station data is used as the reference dataset). The results suggest that the temperature data of CLDAS have high accuracy in all regions except the Qinghai Tibet Plateau (QTP) region. In contrast, the global solar radiation data accuracy is fair, and the relative humidity and wind speed data quality are poor. The overall accuracy of ET0 is acceptable other than QTP, but there are also less than 15% (103) of stations with significant errors. In terms of seasons, the error is largest in summer and smallest in winter. Additionally, there are inter-annual differences in the ET0 of this data set. Overall, the CLDAS dataset is expected to have good applicability in the Inner Mongolia Grassland area for estimating ET0, Northeast Taiwan, the Semi Northern Temperate zone, the Humid and Semi Humid warm Temperate zone, and the subtropical region. However, there are certain risks in other regions. In addition, of all seasons, summer and spring have the slightest bias, followed by autumn and winter. From 2017 to 2020, bias in 2019 and 2020 are the smallest, and the areas with large deviation are south of climate zone 3, the coastal area of climate zone 6, and the boundary area of climate zone 7.
LSTM-Based Model for Predicting Inland River Runoff in Arid Region: A Case Study on Yarkant River, Northwest China
Authors: Li Jiaxin , Qian Kaixuan , Liu Yuan , Yan Wei , Yang Xiuyun , Luo Geping , Ma Xiaofei
Published: May 2022

Inland river runoff variations in arid regions play a decisive role in maintaining regional ecological stability. Observation data of inland river runoff in arid regions have short time series and imperfect attributes due to limitations in the terrain environment and other factors. These shortages not only restrict the accurate simulation of inland river runoff in arid regions significantly, but also influence scientific evaluation and management of the water resources of a basin in arid regions. In recent years, research and applications of machine learning and in-depth learning technologies in the hydrological field have been developing gradually around the world. However, the simulation accuracy is low, and it often has over-fitting phenomenon in previous studies due to influences of complicated characteristics such as “unsteady runoff”. Fortunately, the circulation layer of Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) can explore time series information of runoffs deeply to avoid long-term dependence problems. In this study, the LSTM algorithm was introduced and improved based on the in-depth learning theory of artificial intelligence and relevant meteorological factors that were monitored by coupling runoffs. The runoff data of the Yarkant River was chosen for training and test of the LSTM model. The results demonstrated that Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square error (RMSE) of the LSTM model were 3.633 and 7.337, respectively. This indicates that the prediction effect and accuracy of the LSTM model were significantly better than those of the convolution neural network (CNN), Decision Tree Regressor (DTR) and Random Forest (RF). Comparison of accuracy of different models made the research reliable. Hence, time series data was converted into a problem of supervised learning through LSTM in the present study. The improved LSTM model solved prediction difficulties in runoff data to some extent and it applied to hydrological simulation in arid regions under several climate scenarios. It not only decreased runoff prediction uncertainty brought by heterogeneity of climate models and increased inland river runoff prediction accuracy in arid regions, but also provided references to basin water resource management in arid regions. In particular, the LSTM model provides an effective solution to runoff simulation in regions with limited data.
Skin Mucus as a Relevant Low-Invasive Biological Matrix for the Measurement of an Acute Stress Response in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Franco-Martinez Lorena , Brandts Irene , Reyes-López Felipe , Tort Lluís , Tvarijonaviciute Asta , Teles Mariana
Published: May 2022

Skin mucus is a non-lethal and low-invasive matrix appropriate to assess fish welfare as it contributes to their defence against external aggressions and reflects changes in fish health status. However, more information on the response of this matrix to specific stressors is needed. In this study, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) specimens were subjected to an acute stress by air exposure and sampled after 1, 6, and 24 h post-stress. Blood and skin mucus were collected, and a battery of biochemical biomarkers were measured in both matrices. Cortisol and glucose values showed the expected classical stress response in plasma, increasing after the acute stress. The same pattern was observed in skin mucus, corroborating previous data in fish, and allowing us to confirm that skin mucus can be a useful complementary matrix for stress assessment in fish. The results showed sensitivity to hypoxic stress in skin mucus for cortisol, glucose, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine kinase (CK), and calcium. From the 15 parameters evaluated, 12 did not show statistically significant changes between plasma and mucus; therefore, using skin mucus cannot replace the use of plasma. Finally, the principal component analysis in skin mucus revealed a complete separation between the two experimental groups, being ALP, AST, glucose, cortisol, and CK, the biomarkers that contributed the most to this separation.
Urban Pluvial Flood Modeling by Coupling Raster-Based Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model and SWMM
Authors: Yang Quntao , Ma Zheng , Zhang Shuliang
Published: May 2022

Urban flood modeling usually involves simulating drainage network runoff and overland flow. We describe a method for urban pluvial flood modeling by coupling the stormwater management model (SWMM) with a raster-based 2D hydrodynamic model, which is based on a simplified form of the shallow water equations. Then, the method is applied to a highly urbanized area in Nanjing City, China. The elevation of the raster-based 2D hydrodynamic model shows that the raster-based model has comparable capabilities to LISFLOOD-FP for surface flood modeling. The calibration and validation results of the coupled model show that the method is reliable. Moreover, simulation results under the six rainfall return periods, which include 1-, 5-, 10-, 20-, 50-, and 100-year return periods show that node overflow, water depth, and flooding area increase proportionately as the intensity of rainfall increases. Therefore, the coupling model provides a simplified and intuitive method for urban pluvial flood modeling, which can be used to detect flood-sensitive areas and elevate the capacity of urban drainage networks for urban pluvial flooding.