bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global Supply Chain Nervousness (GSCN)
Authors: Magableh Ghazi M. , Mistarihi Mahmoud Z.
Published: August 2023

In today’s competitive environment, managing supply chains (SCs) is becoming increasingly challenging. Demand uncertainty, globalization, shorter product and technology lifespans, and growth in the number of logistics partners result in more sophisticated global supply relationships, which in turn, increase SC vulnerability. Generally, nervousness reduces SC effectiveness because SC instability is primarily caused by events that are external to the business domain. This tension creates uncertainty, increases the cost of maintaining supply chains, and makes relationships with suppliers and customers unpredictable. This study analyzed global SC nervousness (GSCN) components in terms of drivers, consequences, indicators, and pillars, and proposed solutions. A questionnaire was used to study and evaluate the characteristics of the GSCN, and the DELPHI–FAHP was used to analyze the results and designate the factors that most impact nervousness mitigation in the supply chain. To this end, a framework is presented to discuss the interactions of nervousness in a SC with an integrated solution. The results indicate that demand planning, sourcing strategy, collaboration, risk management, and sustainable SC, along with technological innovation applications, represent essential demands for a smarter future GSC vision.
Correction: Yang et al. Operational Decisions on Remanufacturing under the Product Innovation Race. Sustainability 2023, 15, 4920
Authors: Yang Dexiang , Yang Qin , Zhang Lei
Published: August 2023

The authors would like to make the following corrections about the published paper [...]
A Framework of a Blockchain-Supported Remanufacturing Trading Platform through Gap Analysis
Authors: Feng Zhaohui , Li Wei , Zhang Hua , Zhang Xumei
Published: August 2023

Considering that consumers are more willing to buy products online, companies are increasingly selling remanufactured products online through e-commerce platforms. Notwithstanding the high attention it elicits from researchers and companies, the current study on the remanufacturing trading platform is still in its infancy. Thus, we investigate 20 remanufacturing trading platforms and make a gap analysis among them in terms of (i) business model, (ii) product display, (iii) delivery products, (iv) quality assurance and after-sales service, (v) product review and star rate, and (vi) transaction and payment. On this basis, we analyze features for the development of remanufacturing trading platforms and propose six key applications aimed at filling the identified gaps. The consortium blockchain has the characteristics of security and transparency, high credibility, traceability and unfalsifiability, low cost, and strong scalability, which can provide effective support for the six key applications. Then, we construct the technical framework and the model of a consortium blockchain-supported remanufacturing trading platform. Further, we analyze the coupling mechanism between the consortium blockchain and the remanufacturing trading platform to explain how the remanufacturing trading platform supported by the consortium blockchain achieves the development characteristics. This study provides important guidance for the development, construction, and operation management of remanufacturing trading platforms.
Technologies and Innovations for Biomass Energy Production
Authors: Tshikovhi Azwifunimunwe , Motaung Tshwafo Ellias
Published: August 2023

Biomass is considered one of the prospective alternatives to energy and environmental challenges. The use of biomass as bioenergy has gained global interest due to its environmentally benign, renewable, and abundant characteristics. Numerous conversion technologies have been developed over time to convert biomass into various energy products. This review presents a summary of the different biomass conversion technologies used for bioenergy production. These include thermochemical, biological, physical, biochemical, and hybrid system technologies. It summarizes the production of different bioenergy products such as bio-oil, biodiesel, and fuel via various conversion technologies. The competitive advantages, potential environmental impacts, and challenges of these biomass conversion technologies are discussed. The recycling of biomass can solve a lot of current energy challenges. However, conversion technologies exhibit some challenges relative to upscaling and commercialization due to their immense operational and investment expenses and high energy usage.
Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability in Mining Companies as a Result of the Interaction between Knowledge Management and Green Innovation—The SEM Approach
Authors: Jovanović Violeta , Stanković Sunčica , Krstić Vesna
Published: August 2023

The mining industry is one of the greatest polluters of the environment and has direct positive and negative impacts on all three pillars of sustainable development: economy, environment and society. Due to the aforementioned, primarily negative impacts on the environment, it is important to implement sustainability principles in the operations of companies in the mining industry. The implementation of the sustainability principle enables the economically profitable, ecologically clean and socially responsible exploitation and processing of mineral raw materials. This means of doing business requires the introduction of clean or green technologies, which are the product of green innovation. The innovation process is highly dependent on knowledge. Knowledge has a great contribution to creativity and the creation of innovation. Accordingly, knowledge management activities and the ability of a company to use and combine different sources of knowledge are essential for the creation of different types of innovation, including green innovation. The research, including the pilot test, was carried out in the period of May–August 2022, whereby convenience sampling was used to obtain 626 employees in six mining companies in Serbia. The structural equation modeling approach was used to evaluate the causal relationship between knowledge management, green innovation and the sustainable operations of the mining industry. The indirect effects of the dimensions of knowledge management, through the dimensions of green innovation, on the dimensions of sustainable development were examined using the bootstrap procedure. The results of the study confirmed the positive direct and indirect relations between the constructs. The research indicates the importance of including all components of knowledge management and green innovation in achieving all components of business sustainability.
Religious Tourism and Sustainable Development of the Economy in the Context of Globalization in the Northeast Area of Romania
Authors: Guriţă Doina , Scortescu Florin Ioan
Published: August 2023

The present study aims to demonstrate the significance of religious tourism and its impact on both the economy and socio-culture. Religious tourism provides a sacred and spiritual environment that has the potential to shape the motivational state of individuals searching for cultural and religious landmarks and destinations to support their spiritual well-being. Hence, it is imperative to maintain close relationships between religion, culture, and tourism as they play a crucial role in promoting spirituality and human development, particularly in the context of globalization and sustainable economic development. In the latter part of the paper, research was conducted to formulate strategies aimed at the development of religious tourism in the northeast region of Romania, which is an economically underprivileged area with significant untapped tourist potential. The findings suggest that via improvements in infrastructure, the creation of a favorable business environment, enhanced promotion, development of accommodation facilities, and improvement in services, the area can achieve a higher quality of life and sustainable development.
Analysis of the Energy Performance of a Retrofitted Low-Rise Residential Building after an Energy Audit
Authors: Owolabi Abdulhameed Babatunde , Yahaya Abdullahi , Li Hong Xian , Suh Dongjun
Published: August 2023

The main reason for this research is to support the Korean government building retrofitting program initiated to evaluate energy usage trends, propose energy-saving technologies, and focus on reducing the energy demand in residential buildings through energy efficiency improvement. This is achieved by assessing the energy saved after introducing a simple retrofitting measure to an existing residential building. The energy savings in the building were realized after collecting relevant data from the house occupants, analyzing electricity bills, and introducing energy conservation measures (ECMS), leading to an improvement in the energy performance of the building. The building envelope saved 2098 kWh and 6307 kWh of energy via the heating and cooling equipment with an initial incremental cost of USD 500, fuel cost savings of USD 306, and a simple payback of 1.6 years. The analysis takes the occupants 2.6 years to recoup the initial cost of USD 2400 invested with an electricity savings of 2144 kWh. Also, 3.3 tons of CO2 emissions per year were reduced, equivalent to 3.3 people reducing energy use by 20%. Finally, the actual and simulated data are almost the same for the consumption period, with only a slight difference in October and December, given 0.92 as the Pearson Correlation coefficients.
Application of Flexible Tools in Magnesia Sector: The Case of Grecian Magnesite
Authors: Margaritis Nikolaos , Evaggelou Christos , Grammelis Panagiotis , Arévalo Roberto , Yiannoulakis Haris , Papageorgiou Polykarpos
Published: August 2023

In this paper, two flexible model tools (CO2 emissions/cost tool and CFD tool) that simulate the production process of Grecian Magnesite (GM) and extract economic and technical conclusions regarding the substitution of fossil fuels with various types of biomass are presented and analyzed. According to the analysis, the higher the substitution, the higher the profit in both CO2 emissions and cost reduction. The reduction in CO2 emissions that can be achieved through biomass fuel substitution ranges from 15% for a 30% substitution to 35% for a 70% substitution. Accordingly, production costs are also reduced with the use of biomass. The initial results of this decision-making cost tool showed that the most profitable solution is a 70% substitution, for which production costs can be reduced by up to 38.7%, while the most beneficial type of biomass proved to be the olive kernel. A proposed and feasible solution is the substitution of 50% sunflower husk pellets, which will result in a reduction of 25% in CO2 emissions and almost 10% in production cost. From CFD simulation, a reduced order model (ROM) has been developed that allows the running of scenarios in real time, instead of the usual long times required by complex simulations. Comparative studies of fuel blend and biomass type can be carried out easily and rapidly, allowing one to choose the most suitable substitution.
Reconstruction of Fault Architecture in the Natural Thermal Spring Area of Daruvar Hydrothermal System Using Surface Geophysical Investigations (Croatia)
Authors: Kosović Ivan , Briški Maja , Pavić Mirja , Padovan Božo , Pavičić Ivica , Matoš Bojan , Pola Marco , Borović Staša
Published: August 2023

The sustainable utilization of geothermal energy mostly depends on the characteristics of the geothermal resource from which it is extracted. Among others, detailed geological modeling is a key factor for estimating the potential of a geothermal resource. This research focuses on the modeling and reconstruction of the geological setting of the Daruvar thermal spring area using geophysical techniques. An integrated geophysical approach based on electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and both active and passive seismic (MASW and HVSR) methods was used. Based on ERT results and the stratigraphic logs of the wells in Daruvar, three resistivity layers/geological units were identified. The deepest layer with resistivity < 150 Ωm is the Triassic carbonate that constitutes the thermal aquifer. Sharp lateral variations in the resistivity distributions within the bedrock were interpreted as fault damage zones saturated with thermal waters. Integrating the results of the seismic methods, the thickness of the first seismic layer that corresponds to the Quaternary cover was estimated from 5 to 20 m. Here, results of the geophysical investigations were combined into a 3D geological model highlighting the occurrence of subvertical N-S and E-W trending faults in the Daruvar spring area. The N-S-trending fault was interpreted as a fault plane parallel to the regionally mapped Daruvar fault. This fault juxtaposes the Triassic carbonate complex of the thermal aquifer with a Neogene sedimentary sequence of significantly lower permeability. Neogene–Quaternary tectonic activity further increased the fracturing and the permeability field in the Daruvar spring area, as proven by the smaller scale E-W faults and the well logs. This fracture network permits a quick upwelling of thermal fluids resulting in thermal springs with temperatures up to 50 °C. This work proves that the construction of a detailed geological model is crucial for assessing the reservoir and fault geometries in thermal systems hosted in fractured carbonate rocks.
CO2 Emissions from Plastic Consumption Behaviors in Thailand
Authors: Kittithammavong Virin , Khanitchaidecha Wilawan , Thongsanit Pajaree
Published: August 2023

Plastic waste is an environmental crisis that is becoming increasingly well-documented. The rapid expansion of plastic manufacturing and consumption has led to a harmful cycle of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions due to petroleum-based production and plastic waste disposal. Plastic production and disposal depend on the consumption behavior of people. This study aimed to examine the plastic consumption behavior in Thailand and its impact on climate change at the end-of-life stage. The general information, plastic consumption, and plastic waste management were collected via questionnaires for each product lifetime, including single-use, medium-use, and long-use plastics. Based on 567 questionnaires, the results showed that people consumed single-use plastic, e.g., plastic bag, food container, cutlery, straws, and bottles, at a rate of about nine pieces/household/day or three pieces/cap/day. The medium-use and long-use plastic were 10 pieces/household/month and 50 pieces/household/year, respectively. It should be remarked that population density, education, and number of household members affected plastic consumption behavior, especially for single-use plastic. Regarding the disposal of end-of-life plastics, Thai people, on average, contribute 0.15 kg CO2eq/household/day to climate change. Many households have mismanaged waste by open dumping and open burning. Therefore, practicing proper waste management will help Thailand on the path to carbon neutrality in the future.
Can Mergers and Acquisitions Promote Technological Innovation in the New Energy Industry? An Empirical Analysis Based on China’s Lithium Battery Industry
Authors: Zhong Jingyi , Chun Weide , Deng Wu , Gao Hui
Published: August 2023

The advancement of technological capabilities within lithium battery enterprises crucially facilitates the high-quality development of the new energy industry. This study aims to empirically investigate the impact of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on the technological innovation capacities of these enterprises, with a specific focus on the lithium battery sector in China. Utilizing data from 34 publicly listed companies spanning the period from 2012 to 2022, we employ the multi-period double-difference method for comprehensive analysis. Researchers have observed that the implementation of merger and acquisition (M&A) strategies by new energy companies leads to an approximately 1.5 percentage point increase in their technological innovation level. However, the improvement in the green technological innovation level is not significant. After a series of robustness tests, the aforementioned conclusion remains valid. Additionally, with the enhancement of firms’ knowledge absorption capacity and regional intellectual property protection, M&A activities can further promote technological innovation in new energy companies and contribute to the enhancement of green technological innovation. Heterogeneity analysis has revealed that technological M&A crucially facilitates the improvement of technological innovation levels among listed companies in the lithium battery industry. Implementing M&A strategies not only benefits the enhancement of firms’ technological innovation levels but also significantly fosters green technological innovation. Furthermore, further research has indicated that changes in the level of green technological innovation after the implementation of M&A strategies by new energy companies facilitate the reduction of industrial wastewater and sulfur dioxide emissions. The main innovation of this study, which utilizes new energy companies as the research object, is as follows: it reveals the causal relationship and regulatory mechanism between M&A, technological innovation, and green technological innovation in new energy companies. Furthermore, the study analyzes the mechanism that promotes green technological innovation in new energy companies from the intellectual property protection perspective. Moreover, it assesses the heterogeneous impacts of changes in both technological innovation levels and green technological innovation levels on environmental governance after the implementation of M&A activities.
A Quantitative Evaluation Model for the Seismic Resilience of Water Supply Systems Based on Fragility Analysis
Authors: Wu Houli , Guo Endong , Yan Peilei , Liu Jingyi
Published: August 2023

A quantitative evaluation model is proposed to assess the seismic resilience of water supply systems. The water supply system is divided into three parts: water sources, aboveground infrastructures, and underground pipeline network, and importance factors for the different parts are quantified. Resilience demand is expressed as the desirable functionality loss and the recovery time of the water supply system after an earthquake. First, seismic fragility models are established for the different components of the water supply system. A water quality index is utilized to represent the impact of earthquakes on the water sources, the seismic performances of aboveground infrastructures are represented by fragility curves, and the repair rate in terms of number of repairs per kilometer is adopted for the pipeline network. Then, the post-earthquake functionality of the water supply system is quantified based on seismic fragility analysis. Changes in the water quality index are used to indicate the functionality losses related to water sources, the functionality losses of aboveground infrastructures are represented by the economic losses derived from component fragility curves, and post-earthquake functionality losses in the underground pipeline network are quantified by hydraulic simulations. The functionalities of the three parts are calculated separately, and then the overall system functionalities are obtained as the sum of the weighted functionalities of the three parts. Finally, a repair strategy is developed and the recovery time is calculated considering the system damage scenarios, system functionality analyses, and resource reserves. The proposed resilience assessment model considers all components of the water supply system, and the results are reliable when the basic information is complete and accurate.
More Accurate Climate Trend Attribution by Using Cointegrating Vector Time Series Models
Authors: Stephenson David B. , Turasie Alemtsehai A. , Cummins Donald P.
Published: August 2023

Adapting to human-induced climate change is becoming an increasingly important aspect of sustainable development. To be able to do this effectively, it is important to know how much human influence has contributed to observed climate trends. Climate detection and attribution (D&A) studies achieve this by estimating scaling factors usually obtained by performing a least squares regression of the observed trending climate variable on the equivalent variable simulated by a climate model. This study proposed instead to estimate scaling factors by using the econometric approach of dynamically modelling the time series as a cointegrating Vector Auto-Regressive (VAR) time series process. It is shown that a 2nd-order cointegrating VAR(2) model is theoretically justified if the observed and simulated variables can be represented as a one-box AR(1) response to a common integrated forcing. The VAR(2) model can be expressed as a Vector Error-Correction Model (VECM) and then fitted to the data to obtain the cointegration relationship, the stationary linear combination of the two variables, from which the scaling factor is then easily obtained. Estimates of the scaling factor from the VAR(2) model are critically compared to those from Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Total Least Squares (TLS) for annual Global Mean Surface Temperature (GMST) data simulated by a simple stochastic model of the carbon–climate system and for historical simulations from 16 climate models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) experiment. Results from the toy model simulations show that the slope estimates from OLS are negatively biased, TLS estimates are less biased but have high variance, and the VAR(2) estimates are unbiased and have lower variance and provide the most accurate estimates with smallest mean squared error. Similar behaviour is noted in the CMIP5 data. Hypothesis tests on the VAR(2) fits found strong evidence of a cointegrating relationship with the observations for all the CMIP5 simulations.
Quantifying the Impacts of Urbanization on Urban Agriculture and Food Security in the Megacity Lahore, Pakistan
Authors: Anwar Muhammad Mushahid , Breuste Juergen H. , Ahmad Ayaz , Aziz Asad , Aldosari Ali Abdullah
Published: August 2023

As a response to food security, urban agriculture is essential for sustainable development. The primary goal of this study is to provide the basic formulation and theoretical knowledge for sustainable urban agriculture by analyzing the impact of urbanization on urban agriculture and food security. For the food security assessment, the variables included food consumption and quality of food as the independent variables, and monthly income of local dwellers as the dependent variable; these were considered for the regression analysis and statistical analysis. The food security assessment was checked and expressed using regression values of R, which was 0.857, and an adjusted R square, with a value of 0.728. The results show extensive change in food security issues and land use due to urbanization causes, large-scale damage to agricultural land in the area, and loss of biodiversity, which threaten food security by converting natural land into built-up areas. The study concludes that urban agriculture is a fundamental environmental activity to ensure food security by increasing food production for locals and improving urban biodiversity.
The Antecedents of Collaborative Behavior for Climate Change Mitigation among South Koreans: The Moderation Analyses of a Sense of Community as Responsibility, Neighborliness, and Trust
Authors: Jin Bumsub
Published: August 2023

The collective efforts of various social actors from different sectors have contributed to climate change mitigation. Identifying the important antecedents of collaborative behavior to address climate change helps us understand the underlying process. This study focused on important theoretical frameworks that determine collaborative behavior as civic engagement. Specifically, the study examines perceived societal risk to future generations, sense of community as responsibility (SOC-R), neighborliness, and trust in collaborative behavior to mitigate climate change. It also investigates the boundary conditions of the effects of societal risk perception on collaborative behavior change by examining the moderating roles of SOC-R, neighborliness, and trust. A nationwide online survey was conducted in South Korea. The findings reveal significant effects of societal risk perception and SOC-R on behavioral intention. Moreover, SOC-R and trust moderated the causal relationship between societal risk perception and behavioral intention, such that the relationship was more pronounced at lower SOC-R and trust. These findings have implications for communication practices and policy making that motivate collective action against climate change in South Korea.
Making the Most of 3D Electron Diffraction: Best Practices to Handle a New Tool
Authors: Truong Khai-Nghi , Ito Sho , Wojciechowski Jakub M. , Göb Christian R. , Schürmann Christian J. , Yamano Akihito , Del Campo Mark , Okunishi Eiji , Aoyama Yoshitaka , Mihira Tomohiro , Hosogi Naoki , Benet-Buchholz Jordi , Escudero-Adán Eduardo Carmelo , White Fraser J. , Ferrara Joseph D. , Bücker Robert
Published: August 2023

Along with the adoption of three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D ED/MicroED) as a mainstream tool for structure determination from sub-micron single crystals, questions about best practices regarding each step along the workflow, from data collection to structure solutions, arise. In this paper, we discuss three particular aspects of a 3D ED/MicroED experiment which, after hundreds of structures solved in Rigaku’s laboratories, we have found to be important to consider carefully. First, for a representative model system of a hydrated compound (trehalose dihydrate), we show that cryo-transfer of the sample into the diffractometer is an effective means to prevent dehydration, while cooling of the sample without cryo-transfer yields a marginal improvement only. Next, we demonstrate for a small (tyrosine) and a large (clarithromycin) organic compound, how a simplified and fast workflow for dynamical diffraction calculations can determine absolute crystal structures with high confidence. Finally, we discuss considerations and trade-offs for choosing an optimal effective crystal-to-detector distance; while a long distance is mandatory for a protein (thaumatin) example, even a small molecule with difficult diffraction behavior (cystine) yields superior results at longer distances than the one used by default.
Field-Theoretic Renormalization Group in Models of Growth Processes, Surface Roughening and Non-Linear Diffusion in Random Environment: Mobilis in Mobili
Authors: Antonov Nikolay V. , Gulitskiy Nikolay M. , Kakin Polina I. , Lebedev Nikita M. , Tumakova Maria M.
Published: August 2023

This paper is concerned with intriguing possibilities for non-conventional critical behavior that arise when a nearly critical strongly non-equilibrium system is subjected to chaotic or turbulent motion of the environment. We briefly explain the connection between the critical behavior theory and the quantum field theory that allows the application of the powerful methods of the latter to the study of stochastic systems. Then, we use the results of our recent research to illustrate several interesting effects of turbulent environment on the non-equilibrium critical behavior. Specifically, we couple the Kazantsev–Kraichnan “rapid-change” velocity ensemble that describes the environment to the three different stochastic models: the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang equation with time-independent random noise for randomly growing surface, the Hwa–Kardar model of a “running sandpile” and the generalized Pavlik model of non-linear diffusion with infinite number of coupling constants. Using field-theoretic renormalization group analysis, we show that the effect can be quite significant leading to the emergence of induced non-linearity or making the original anisotropic scaling appear only through certain “dimensional transmutation”.
Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoates Formed by 3- and 4-Hydroxybutyrate Monomers to Produce Nanomembranes Suitable for Drug Delivery and Cell Culture
Authors: Volova Tatiana G. , Demidenko Aleksey V. , Murueva Anastasiya V. , Dudaev Alexey E. , Nemtsev Ivan , Shishatskaya Ekaterina I.
Published: August 2023

Biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates, biopolymers of microbiological origin, formed by 3- and 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers P(3HB-co-4HB), were used to obtain nanomembranes loaded with drugs as cell carriers by electrospinning. Resorbable non-woven membranes from P(3HB-co-4HB) loaded with ceftazidime, doripinem, and actovegin have been obtained. The loading of membranes with drugs differently affected the size of fibers and the structure of membranes, and in all cases increased the hydrophilicity of the surface. The release of drugs in vitro was gradual, which corresponded to the Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models. Antibiotic-loaded membranes showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli, in which growth inhibition zones were 41.7 ± 1.1 and 38.6 ± 1.7 mm for ceftazidime and doripinem, respectively. The study of the biological activity of membranes in the NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast culture based on the results of DAPI and FITC staining of cells, as well as the MTT test, did not reveal a negative effect despite the presence of antibiotics in them. Samples containing actovegin exhibit a stimulating effect on fibroblasts. Biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates formed by 3-hydroxybutyrate and 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers provide electrospinning non-woven membranes suitable for long-term delivery of drugs and cultivation of eukaryotic cells, and are promising for the treatment of wound defects complicated by infection.
Long-Term Impact of Direct-Acting Antivirals on Liver Fibrosis and Survival in HCV-Infected Liver Transplant Recipients
Authors: Gambato Martina , Manuli Chiara , Lynch Erica N. , Battistella Sara , Germani Giacomo , Senzolo Marco , Zanetto Alberto , Ferrarese Alberto , Vitale Alessandro , Gringeri Enrico , Cillo Umberto , Burra Patrizia , Russo Francesco Paolo
Published: August 2023

(1) Background: Little is known about the long-term impact of sustained virological response (SVR) on fibrosis progression and patient survival in liver transplantation (LT) recipients treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). We investigated liver fibrosis evolution and patient survival in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients receiving DAAs after LT. (2) Methods: All consecutive HCV-infected patients treated with DAAs after LT between May 2014 and January 2019 were considered. The clinical and virological features were registered at the baseline and during the follow-up. The liver fibrosis was assessed by liver biopsy and/or transient elastography (TE) at the baseline and at least 1 year after the end of treatment (EoT). (3) Results: A total of 136 patients were included. The SVR12 was 78% after the first treatment and 96% after retreatment. After the SVR12, biochemical tests improved at the EoT and remained stable throughout the 3-year follow-up. Liver fibrosis improved after the SVR12 (p < 0.001); nearly half of the patients with advanced liver fibrosis experienced an improvement of an F ≤ 2. The factors associated with lower survival in SVR12 patients were the baseline platelet count (p = 0.04) and creatinine level (p = 0.04). (4) Conclusions: The long-term follow-up data demonstrated that SVR12 was associated with an improvement in hepatic function, liver fibrosis, and post-LT survival, regardless of the baseline liver fibrosis. The presence of portal hypertension before the DAAs has an impact on patient survival, even after SVR12.
Insights into the Transcriptome of Human Cytomegalovirus: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Zeng Janine , Cao Di , Yang Shaomin , Jaijyan Dabbu Kumar , Liu Xiaolian , Wu Songbin , Cruz-Cosme Ruth , Tang Qiyi , Zhu Hua
Published: August 2023

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread pathogen that poses significant risks to immunocompromised individuals. Its genome spans over 230 kbp and potentially encodes over 200 open-reading frames. The HCMV transcriptome consists of various types of RNAs, including messenger RNAs (mRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs), with emerging insights into their biological functions. HCMV mRNAs are involved in crucial viral processes, such as viral replication, transcription, and translation regulation, as well as immune modulation and other effects on host cells. Additionally, four lncRNAs (RNA1.2, RNA2.7, RNA4.9, and RNA5.0) have been identified in HCMV, which play important roles in lytic replication like bypassing acute antiviral responses, promoting cell movement and viral spread, and maintaining HCMV latency. CircRNAs have gained attention for their important and diverse biological functions, including association with different diseases, acting as microRNA sponges, regulating parental gene expression, and serving as translation templates. Remarkably, HCMV encodes miRNAs which play critical roles in silencing human genes and other functions. This review gives an overview of human cytomegalovirus and current research on the HCMV transcriptome during lytic and latent infection.
Compartmentalized Regulation of Pulmonary and Systemic Inflammation in Critical COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Santiago Luciana , Gonçalves-Pereira Marcela Helena , Vieira Mariana Sousa , Gómez Ravetti Cecilia , Vassallo Paula Frizera , Silva e Castro Rafael , Costa Pimenta Pedro Pires , Andrade Marcus Vinícius Melo de , Santiago Helton da Costa , Nobre Vandack
Published: August 2023

Critical COVID-19 has been associated with altered patterns of cytokines. Distinct inflammatory processes in systemic and pulmonary sites have been reported, but studies comparing these two sites are still scarce. We aimed to evaluate the profile of pulmonary and systemic cytokines and chemokines in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Levels of cytokines and chemokines were measured in plasma samples and minibronchoalveolar lavage of critical COVID-19 patients within 48 h and 5–8 days after intubation. Distinct inflammatory processes were observed in the lungs and blood, which were regulated separately. Survivor patients showed higher lung cytokine levels including IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, G-CSF, and CCL4, while nonsurvivors displayed higher levels in the blood, which included IL-6, CXCL8, CXCL10, CCL2, and CCL4. Furthermore, our findings indicate that high TNF and CXCL8 levels in the mini-BAL were associated with better lung oxygen exchange capacity, whereas high levels of IFN-γ in plasma were associated with worse lung function, as measured using the PaO2/FiO2 ratio. These results suggest that a robust and localized inflammatory response in the lungs is protective and associated with survival, whereas a systemic inflammatory response is detrimental and associated with mortality in critical COVID-19.
Investigating the Psychological, Social, Cultural, and Religious Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Intention in Digital Age: A Media Dependency Theory Perspective
Authors: Ma Mengyao , Raza Syed , Yousaf Muhammad , Zaman Umer , Jin Qiang
Published: August 2023

Media exposure to health communication contents related to the COVID-19 pandemic alone is inadequate to measure the influence of media on individuals in adopting precautionary behaviors against COVID-19, such as vaccine uptake. Certain individuals may pay attention to and be influenced by communication content. However, literature has suggested other instrumental determinants in developing and adopting health precautionary measures, such as culture or religion, especially regarding vaccination. In times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is valuable to examine the interrelationships among psychological, sociocultural, and informational factors. This can provide valuable insights for policymakers in developing effective communication strategies. Drawing an analogy between the Media dependency theory (MDT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model, this study unravels the factors underpinning the COVID-19 vaccine uptake intention among Pakistanis. The study utilized a cross-sectional research design and employed a survey method to gather data from a sample of 993 participants. The findings obtained from the PLS-SEM analysis confirmed that individuals relied on both traditional and social media to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show that individuals rely more on the informational content disseminated through conventional media channels. The findings also suggest that individuals from Asian countries, such as Pakistan, tend to be more inclined toward collectivism. The findings about the moderating role of religiosity suggest that religious beliefs significantly shape individuals’ reliance on traditional media. Hence, this study has uniquely contributed to public health and media management by providing a strategy for managers to address disseminating misinformation related to religion and its impact on vaccination-related health issues. The study has theoretically confirmed the principles of media dependency theory. As a result, it is recommended that various information sources be utilized to cultivate resilience among individuals to manage health crises effectively.
Applying Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System to Improve Typhoon Intensity Forecast in the Northwest Pacific
Authors: Lin Shiu-Shin , Song Jheng-Hua , Zhu Kai-Yang , Liu Yi-Chuan , Chang Hsien-Cheng
Published: August 2023

Typhoon intensity forecast is an important issue. The objective of this study is to construct a 5-day 12-hourly typhoon intensity forecast model based on the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) to improve the typhoon intensity forecast in the Northwest Pacific. It analyzed the improvement of the ANFIS typhoon intensity forecast model by comparing it with the MLR model when only the atmospheric factor or both atmospheric and oceanic factors are considered. This study collected the SHIPS (Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme) developmental data of typhoons in the Northwest Pacific before landing from 2000 to 2012. The input factors of the ANFIS model were simplified by the stepwise regression procedure (SRP). Subtractive clustering (SC) was used to determine the number of ANFIS rules and to reduce model complexity. Model Index (MI) was taken as the clustering standard of SC to determine the network architecture of the ANFIS typhoon intensity forecast model. The simulated results show that the MI could effectively determine the radius of influence of SC. The typhoon intensity forecast was significantly improved after oceanic environmental factors were added. The improvement of RMSE of ANFIS was the highest at 84 h; the improvement of ANFIS on the underestimated ratio was primarily positive. The Typhoon Songda case study shows that the maximum bias of ANFIS is greatly improved, at 60 h of the lead time, and the improvement percentage of maximum bias is the highest (39%). Overall, the ANFIS model could effectively improve the MLR model in typhoon intensity forecast.
Simulation of Water Quality in a River Network with Time-Varying Lateral Inflows and Pollutants
Authors: Sun Zhilin , Cheng Kaiyu , Liu Jing , Guo Wenrui , Guo Jing
Published: August 2023

Non-point source pollution inflow is one of the main causes of water quality decline in urban river networks. In this paper, aiming at the problem of non-point source pollutant transport in river network, the lateral outflow term in the Saint-Venant equation is improved from the previous constant to the time-varying flow process, and a mathematical model considering the time-varying source and sink term is established. Based on the initial rainfall intensity, surface confluence and non-point source pollutant concentration, a method for calculating the time-varying lateral pollutant input of nodes and tributaries with linear increase and exponential decay in the initial rainfall period is proposed. Based on the principle of proximity, the watershed is divided into districts. According to the principle of elevation, the non-point source pollutants are allocated to the calculation nodes of adjacent rivers in a certain proportion and incorporated into the model calculation so as to improve the mathematical model of river network water quality and apply it to the simulation of river network water quality in Maozhou River Basin. Verified by the measured data, the NSE values of the improved model are 0.805 and 0.851, respectively, indicating that the model has reliable hydrodynamic and water quality simulation accuracy, indicating that the model can be applied to the calculation of non-point source pollutants in the basin. Based on the improved model, the variation of COD concentration in the Maozhou River of Shenzhen before and after optimized water replenishment was calculated, and the time variation and spatial distribution law of the sudden drop of water quality in the river network caused by the inflow of non-point source pollution in the initial rainfall runoff and the rapid recovery after optimized water replenishment were revealed.
Hydrogeophysical Investigation in Parts of the Eastern Dahomey Basin, Southwestern Nigeria: Implications for Sustainable Groundwater Resources Development and Management
Authors: Oyeyemi Kehinde D. , Aizebeokhai Ahzegbobor P. , Olaojo Abayomi A. , Okon Emmanuel E. , Kalu Divine V. , Metwaly Mohamed
Published: August 2023

Geoelectrical resistivity measurements were conducted in five locations within the eastern portion of the Dahomey basin for the purpose of subsurface evaluation and detecting saturated zones. The locations are Covenant University (L1), Bells University (L2), Oju-Ore-Ilogbo Road (L3), Obasanjo-Ijagba Road (L4), and Iyana Iyesi (L5). The study was carried out to avert the common challenges of drilling low-yield groundwater boreholes in the area. A total of 30 Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) and five two-dimensional Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) data sets have been acquired along the study areas. The geoelectrical resistivity results were integrated with the borehole logs to generate the spatial distribution of the subsurface lithologies in the area. The delineated subsurface lithologies include the topsoil (lateritic clay), clayey sand, sandy clay, fine silty sand, coarse sand, and shale/clay units. The fine silty sand and coarse sand units were identified as the two main aquifer units within the area. The depths to the upper aquifer unit in the area include 31.7–96.7 m, 38.5–94.0 m, 30.7–57.5 m, 39.1–63.4 m, and 46.9–57.5 m for locations L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5, respectively. At the same time, the depths to the lower aquifer unit in the area include 43.4–112.7 m, 52.2–108.0 m, 44.2–72.5 m, 53.7–78.5 m, and 63.5–72.9 m for locations L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5, respectively. The estimated hydraulic parameters for both aquifers show they are highly productive with mean porosity, mean hydraulic conductivity, and mean transmissivity of 20–22%, 12.4–17.0 × 10−2 m/s, 1.56–2.18 m2/s for the upper aquifer, and 48–50%, 371–478 × 10−2 m/s, 50.00–62.14 m2/s for the lower aquifer. By focusing on these aquifer systems during exploration, sustainable groundwater resources can be secured, providing relief to homeowners within the study area who might otherwise face the frustration of drilling unproductive and low-yield boreholes. However, it is crucial to consider the presence of sub-vertical faults in the study area, as these faults can significantly impact groundwater development and management. These sub-vertical structural faults may lead to changes in the permeability, hydraulic conductivity, and transmissivity of the delineated aquifers, affecting their productivity across the divide and ultimately influencing the overall water availability in the area. Careful consideration of these geological factors is essential for effective aquifer management and sustainable groundwater utilisation.
Effects of Decomposition of Submerged Aquatic Plants on CO2 and CH4 Release in River Sediment–Water Environment
Authors: Xie Jizheng , Gao Yuexiang , Xu Xueting , Chen Ting , Tian Lingyun , Zhang Chenxi , Chao Jianying , Han Tianlun
Published: August 2023

Organic matter was increased due to the input of plant litter, resulting in changes in the physicochemical properties and enhancement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in water bodies. There are few reports on effects of decomposition of aquatic plants on GHGs emissions. This study investigated the effects of the degradation of two aquatic plants, Potamogeton crispus and Typha orientalis Presl, upon release of CO2 and CH4 at the sediment–water interface. During early decomposition, the release of CO2 and CH4 at the sediment–water interface was increased by the degradation of the two aquatic plants, and release flux of CO2 and CH4 were increased rapidly at first and then decreased. Due to the differences in properties of C, lignin, cellulose and other components of the plants, the Potamogeton crispus group obtained higher abundance of genes relevant to CO2 and CH4 metabolism, which leads to the increase of CO2 and CH4 emissions compared with that of the Typha orientalis Presl. In addition, dissolved oxygen and pH were decreased due to the decomposition of organic matter in the plant residues at the sediment–water interface, resulting in growth of anaerobic microorganisms. The increase of the relative abundance of anaerobic microorganisms promoted the decomposition of organic matter in the sediment and the enhancement of cell respiration, promoting the release of CH4 and CO2 during the decomposition of aquatic plants.
Probabilistic Analysis of Floods from Tailings Dam Failures: A Method to Analyze the Impact of Rheological Parameters on the HEC-RAS Bingham and Herschel-Bulkley Models
Authors: Melo Malena , Eleutério Julian
Published: August 2023

The difficulty in determining the rheological characteristics of tailings inside reservoirs as well as their intrinsic variability adds uncertainty to tailings dam failures in flood studies. Uncertainty propagation in non-Newtonian hydrodynamic models stands as a great scientific challenge. This article explores the sensibility of tailings dam breach flood mapping to rheological parameters in Bingham and Herschel-Bulkley (H-B) models. The developed approach was based on the probabilistic Latin Hypercube Sampling of rheological parameters. It was automated to propagate uncertainty throughout multiple hydrodynamic simulations using the HEC-RAS v.6.1 software. Rheological parameter ranges and distributions were based on a broad bibliographic review. Bingham models were revealed to be more sensitive than H-B in terms of simulated min-max area values: for Bingham, flood areas, maximum depths, and arrival times varied by 17.9%, 9.3%, and 8.2%, respectively; for H-B, variations were 25.7%, 5.1%, and 3.9%. However, Bingham was less sensitive in terms of hydrodynamically associated probability: high probability ratios were related to a small range of simulated areas in Bingham, while H-B presented great variability. Finally, for each model, the parameters that affect uncertainty the most were identified, reinforcing the importance of determining them properly. Furthermore, the identified parameter ranges for both models should be valuable for defining variable value boundaries for flood sensitivity tests on specific tailings materials for other case studies. The automated algorithm can be used or adapted for specific tests with other hydrodynamic simulations.