bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green Areas and Climate Change Adaptation in a Urban Environment: The Case Study of “Le Vallere” Park (Turin, Italy)
Authors: Busca Francesco , Revelli Roberto
Published: July 2022

The balance governing the exploitation of resources on Earth is nowadays undermined by different accelerating processes, as population growth, pollution increase and, above all, climate change: the consequences on human well-being and on natural ecosystems health is incontrovertible. Hence, there is the need to undertake mitigation actions aimed at slowing down the uncontrolled development of negative effects. Within this work, the goal is to analyze the role of urban green infrastructures in the complex panorama of the climate change fight, through the ability to restore ecological functions. A quantification study of the Ecosystem Services (ES) offered by “Le Vallere” Park, a green area of about 340 thousand square meters in the Turin metropolitan area (North Italy), was conducted. The project combines the complex ES theme of urban adaptation to climate change, through i-Tree, a software suite born to evaluate the benefits provided by vegetation. Particularly, through i-Tree Hydro, the quantity and quality of runoff rainwater are analyzed considering the comparison between different scenarios: we analyze a present case (2019) and future cases (2071–2100), with reference to climate projections for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 scenario (considering climate change mitigation actions) and RCP 8.5 scenario (no actions) of the COSMO-CLM regional climate model, produced by the Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change (CMCC). The discussion focuses on comparing the results obtained in the different scenarios, deepening the role of a medium-sized urban green infrastructure on the surrounding environment as the climate and vegetative conditions vary.
Recent Environmental Legislation in Brazil and the Impact on Cerrado Deforestation Rates
Authors: Luiz Carlos Henrique Pires , Steinke Valdir Adilson
Published: July 2022

This study aims to relate the recent trajectory of Brazilian environmental policies with the last 20 years deforestation rates observed in the Cerrado through the PRODES-Cerrado monitoring initiative. The main hypothesis is that the improvement of environmental legislation in Brazil, mainly during the period between 2005 and 2012, influenced the decrease in deforestation rates. In addition, policies to control environmental compliance, such as the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) also influenced the reduction of deforestation. In the early 2000s, there was a significant increase in public environmental policies and implementation of an environmental management structure with the creation of conservation, protection, and management agency for conservation units (ICMBio), the Brazilian Forest Service for the management of public forests and Rural Environment Registry (CAR). Comparing the annual deforestation rate, it was observed that between 2000 and 2005, when 12.60% of the Cerrado was deforested, the annual deforestation average rate was 2.52%. Between 2006 and 2012, the period that precedes the revision of the Forest Code, the total deforestation is equivalent to 7.98%, which results in an annual average rate of 1.33%. After the enactment of the new Forest Code, between 2013 and 2020, there was a deforestation of 7.03% of the Cerrado area, which is equivalent to a deforestation annual average rate of 1.00%. One of the positive aspects of the new legislation was the creation of CAR, which obliges rural landowners to make an environmental attributes declaration of their property, this program being the main environmental management tool created in Brazil recently. After CAR regulation in 2014, there was a decrease in deforestation from 10,904 km2 to 7905 km2 in 2020. On the other hand, since 2016, changes occurred in the political scenario that increased agribusiness influence and the rise of a more conservative agenda, which jeopardizes the future of environmental quality in Brazil (illustrated, for example, by the increased release of pesticides from 104 in 2010 to 493 in 2020). As the main conclusion of this research, we showed that the state’s commitment to environmental management can contribute to deforestation reduction. The regulation of programs such as CAR can also contribute to the reduction of deforestation since it is one more tool for monitoring and ensure compliance of environmental regularization and recovery vegetation programs. At the same time, is necessary to keep on monitoring deforestation once the influence of the agricultural lobby has gained strength.
Key Factors in the Implementation of E-Proctoring in the Spanish University System
Authors: Infante-Moro Alfonso , Infante-Moro Juan C. , Gallardo-Pérez Julia , Martínez-López Francisco J.
Published: July 2022

Between two possible practices when supervising a remote synchronous evaluation, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Spanish universities opted for the use of videoconferences with audio and active video, instead of implementing e-proctoring. Thus, in order to analyze the reasons for this non-implementation and take measures so that its use can be extended in the Spanish university system, this study focused on identifying the critical factors in the decision of Spanish universities to accept and implement e-proctoring as a method of remote supervision. For this, a causal study was carried out using the methodology of fuzzy cognitive maps, and the data obtained were processed through the FCMappers tool. This allowed a glimpse of the key role played by students in this non-implementation (who alleged the non-possibility of having the resources necessary for the use of e-proctoring and the violation of privacy that the use of this tool entailed) and highlighted the role of the “pressure or incentives from government” factor if these allegations are to be eliminated and if e-proctoring is to be implemented in Spanish universities.
Crack Detection in Concrete Structures Using Deep Learning
Authors: Golding Vaughn Peter , Gharineiat Zahra , Munawar Hafiz Suliman , Ullah Fahim
Published: July 2022

Infrastructure, such as buildings, bridges, pavement, etc., needs to be examined periodically to maintain its reliability and structural health. Visual signs of cracks and depressions indicate stress and wear and tear over time, leading to failure/collapse if these cracks are located at critical locations, such as in load-bearing joints. Manual inspection is carried out by experienced inspectors who require long inspection times and rely on their empirical and subjective knowledge. This lengthy process results in delays that further compromise the infrastructure’s structural integrity. To address this limitation, this study proposes a deep learning (DL)-based autonomous crack detection method using the convolutional neural network (CNN) technique. To improve the CNN classification performance for enhanced pixel segmentation, 40,000 RGB images were processed before training a pretrained VGG16 architecture to create different CNN models. The chosen methods (grayscale, thresholding, and edge detection) have been used in image processing (IP) for crack detection, but not in DL. The study found that the grayscale models (F1 score for 10 epochs: 99.331%, 20 epochs: 99.549%) had a similar performance to the RGB models (F1 score for 10 epochs: 99.432%, 20 epochs: 99.533%), with the performance increasing at a greater rate with more training (grayscale: +2 TP, +11 TN images; RGB: +2 TP, +4 TN images). The thresholding and edge-detection models had reduced performance compared to the RGB models (20-epoch F1 score to RGB: thresholding −0.723%, edge detection −0.402%). This suggests that DL crack detection does not rely on colour. Hence, the model has implications for the automated crack detection of concrete infrastructures and the enhanced reliability of the gathered information.
Design and Optimization of a Grid-Connected Solar Energy System: Study in Iraq
Authors: Aziz Ali Saleh , Tajuddin Mohammad Faridun Naim , Zidane Tekai Eddine Khalil , Su Chun-Lien , Mas’ud Abdullahi Abubakar , Alwazzan Mohammed J. , Alrubaie Ali Jawad Kadhim
Published: July 2022

Hybrid energy systems (HESs) consisting of both conventional and renewable energy sources can help to drastically reduce fossil fuel utilization and greenhouse gas emissions. The optimal design of HESs requires a suitable control strategy to realize the design, technical, economic, and environmental objectives. The aim of this study is to investigate the optimum design of a grid-connected PV/battery HES that can address the load requirements of a residential house in Iraq. The MATLAB Link in the HOMER software was used to develop a new dispatch strategy that predicts the upcoming solar production and electricity demand. A comparison of the modified strategy with the default strategies, including load following and cycle charging in HOMER, is carried out by considering the techno-economic and environmental perspectives. According to optimization studies, the modified strategy results in the best performance with the least net present cost (USD 33,747), unmet load (87 kWh/year), grid purchases (6188 kWh/year), and CO2 emission (3913 kg/year). Finally, the sensitivity analysis was performed on various critical parameters, which are found to affect the optimum results on different scales. Taking into consideration the recent advocacy efforts aimed at achieving the sustainable development targets, the models proposed in this paper can be used for a similar system design and operation planning that allow a shift to more efficient dispatch strategies of HESs.
Research on Food Safety Control Based on Evolutionary Game Method from the Perspective of the Food Supply Chain
Authors: Peng Xue , Wang Fulin , Wang Jiquan , Qian Chang
Published: July 2022

Food safety is related to people’s health and the sustainable development of the food supply chain, so it is of crucial practical significance to study food supply chain quality management. This paper employs the evolutionary game method to develop a tripartite evolutionary game model that reflects the interaction of interests among food raw material suppliers, food manufacturers, and consumers. It identifies the key factors that influence the decision-making of each game participant and attempts to use these factors to guide the behavior of the food supply chain members scientifically. The study results demonstrate that sustainable management of food supply chains can be improved by strengthening the intensity of government supervision, narrowing the production cost gap between high-quality and poor-quality food raw materials, improving the inspection ability of the food manufacturer, increasing complaint incentives of consumers, etc. Finally, this paper puts forward suggestions and countermeasures for the government to improve the supervision mechanism of food safety, thereby achieving sustainable management of the food supply chain.
Towards Circulating and Ecological Sphere in Urban Areas: An Indicator-Based Framework for Food-Energy-Water Security Assessment in Nagpur, India
Authors: Morey Bhumika , Deshkar Sameer , Sukhwani Vibhas , Mitra Priyanka , Shaw Rajib , Mitra Bijon Kumer , Sharma Devesh , Rahman Md. Abiar , Dasgupta Rajarshi , Das Ashim Kumar
Published: July 2022

The world’s urban population is expected to nearly double by 2050, making urbanization one of the most disruptive developments of the 21st century. On a global-to-local scale, ensuring a secure and reliable supply of food energy and water (FEW) resources for all humans is a major challenge in such a scenario. While much attention has recently been focused on the concept of FEW security and the interactions between the three sectors, there is no universally acceptable framing of the concept due to the fact that latest studies are mainly focused on individual FEW sectors, with not much investigation into how they interact. This research aims to create a localized framework based on the principles of the emerging concept of the Circulating Ecological Sphere (CES), introduced by the government of Japan, for a limited number of security indicators and dimensions. It began with a thorough study of the relevant literature using the PRISMA method, identification of gaps in local indicators for urban areas in each of the existing frameworks, and the proposal of a new indicator framework that tackles collective FEW security in urban environments is made accordingly. The authors have applied a special mechanism for filtration of this literature dataset in the context of Nagpur City in accordance with data availability and case study context. To test the applicability of the indicator set, it has been applied to the specific case of Nagpur. Both online and offline surveys were conducted to collect data, and subsequently a weighted mean method was adopted to analyze the data and derive values for the indicator set.
Oil, Transitions, and the Blue Economy in Canada
Authors: Fusco Leah M. , Schutter Marleen S. , Cisneros-Montemayor Andrés M.
Published: July 2022

Decisions about whether to include oil in blue economy plans can be controversial but also fundamental to the ability of these plans to transform (or not) business-as-usual in the oceans. This paper examines (a) how oil is sometimes included and justified in blue economy planning when its development is at odds with climate commitments and the need for just transitions away from fossil fuels, and (b) how oil could be included in blue economy planning, or transitions to blue economies and just energy transitions away from oil. We examine how tensions between sustainability/climate commitments and oil development impacts are resolved in practice, specifically by analyzing a particular approach to the blue economy that focuses on technology and innovation. The overlap of oil with renewable energy, specifically through technology, has become an important part of recent ocean and blue economy narratives in oil-producing nations and illustrates the contradictions inherent in ocean development discourse. We draw specifically on the case of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), the only province in Canada with a mature offshore oil industry and thus the region most potentially impacted by decisions about whether to include oil in Canada’s blue economy. We argue that the blue economy approach to ocean governance being enacted in NL is currently being used as a form of legitimation for continuing the development of oil with no real transition plan away from it. Furthermore, we argue that blue economy plans must not only envision transitions to renewables but also explicitly and actively transitions away from oil to minimize environmental and social justice and equity issues at multiple scales. We end by highlighting some necessary conditions for how ocean economies that include oil can transition to sustainable and equitable blue economies.
Participatory Detection of Language Barriers towards Multilingual Sustainability(ies) in Africa
Authors: Litre Gabriela , Hirsch Fabrice , Caron Patrick , Andrason Alexander , Bonnardel Nathalie , Fointiat Valerie , Nekoto Wilhelmina Onyothi , Abbott Jade , Dobre Cristiana , Dalboni Juliana , Steuckardt Agnès , Luxardo Giancarlo , Bohbot Hervé
Published: July 2022

After decades of political, economic, and scientific efforts, humanity has not gotten any closer to global sustainability. With less than a decade to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline of the 2030 Agenda, we show that global development agendas may be getting lost in translation, from their initial formulation to their final implementation. Sustainability science does not “speak” most of the 2000 languages from Africa, where the lack of indigenous terminology hinders global efforts such as the COVID-19 pandemic fight. Sociolinguistics, social psychology, cognitive ergonomics, geography, environmental sciences, and artificial intelligence (AI) are all relevant disciplinary fields to uncover the “foreign language effect” that hinders the implementation of the SDGs in Africa. We make the case for detecting and addressing language barriers towards multilingual sustainability in Africa by (1) exploring the ”foreign language effect” among African decision-makers and recognising their alternative social representations about sustainability; and (2) detecting Western language stereotypes about sustainability. We propose rethinking SDG-related scientific notions through participatory natural language processing (NLP) and the study of African social representations of sustainability, thus enabling a more inclusive and efficient approach to “sustainability(ies)”.
Digital Transformation, Corporate Innovation, and International Strategy: Empirical Evidence from Listed Companies in China
Authors: Gao Fuxia , Lin Chuan , Zhai Haomiao
Published: July 2022

This paper empirically investigates the impact of digital transformation on corporate international strategy. With a dataset of the Chinese stock market from 2014 to 2020, our empirical results reveal that digital transformation has a positive impact on the international strategy of Chinese enterprises. More specifically, firms with digital transformation are more likely to implement international strategy, and firms with a higher degree of digital transformation are associated with a higher level of internationalization. In addition, our empirical results reveal that corporate innovation exhibits the mediation effect. Moreover, our findings show that the impact of digital transformation is more pronounced for private firms and non-high-tech enterprises, and this impact is also moderated by high institutional development in eastern China. Our findings survive numerous robustness checks.
Large Wood Debris Contributes to Beach Ecosystems but Colombian Beachgoer’s Do Not Recognize It
Authors: Manzolli Rogério Portantiolo , Blanco David , Portz Luana , Yanes Andrea , Zielinski Seweryn , Ruiz Agudelo César Augusto , Suarez Andres
Published: July 2022

Large Woody Debris (LWD) accumulation serves essential ecological functions and benefits society’s coastal ecosystems (e.g., beaches). Thus far, the ecosystem services perspective has paid little attention to LWD. Therefore, we aim to contrast social perceptions on LWD and its ecological significance in Puerto Velero beach, Caribbean, Colombia. In consequence, the contribution of LWD to the conformation and creation of Puerto Velero beach was analyzed, as well as how beachgoers perceive the importance of LWD and if they were willing to pay to remove LWD in this beach. To achieve this, a quantitative convergent approach was then proposed using GIS analysis and remote sensing to understand the contributions of LWD to the Puerto Velero beach ecosystem; and in addition, a survey was performed to determine how beachgoers perceived LWD and how they valued the phenomenon. Results indicate that LWD contributed to beach maintenance; nevertheless, most people neglected LWD values because of its lack of visual attractiveness. As such, ecosystem services targets become conflicted because people positively perceived ecosystem services provided by beaches, but they did not assign importance to the beach dynamics they deemed unattractive, regardless of their vast importance.
The Monetary Value of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Impact of Tea Trees Growing Project between Corporates and Taiwan’s Aboriginal Farmers on Consumers
Authors: Lee Chia-Hung , Wu Pei-Ing , Liou Je-Liang , Yang Shou-Lin
Published: July 2022

The first hypothesis of this study is to dissect the factors that impact consumers’ preference toward a specific corporate social responsibility (CSR) project via the framework of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The second hypothesis is to evaluate a monetary value for CSR among consumers through their WTP. The willingness to pay (WTP) in relation to those influential factors is used to represent the monetary value of CSR for the tea tree growing project implemented by corporates among indigenous tribal farmers in Taiwan. The components of CSR covered in this study are product safety, economic security for contractual farmers, the protection of the environment, and the conservation of ecology. Such efforts encompass the economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities of CSR. The corresponding highest and lowest monetary values of CSR per hectare of tea trees are USD 92,232 and USD 141,762, respectively. The overall average monetary value of CSR per hectare is USD 118,035. These values represent the specific amounts that a corporation can potentially contribute to society when it contracts tea production to aboriginal farmers.
Incorporating the Sustainability Concept in the Major Business Excellence Models
Authors: Politis Yannis , Grigoroudis Evangelos
Published: July 2022

The concept of sustainability has gained importance over the last years and organizations worldwide are trying to adapt their strategies and their economic, environmental, and social goals in order to achieve what is called corporate sustainability. Despite its importance to organizations, there is no universally accepted approach for implementing and measuring corporate sustainability. Business Excellence Models (BEMs) are widely used all over the world as a means of achieving and sustaining outstanding levels of organizational performance by improving the quality and management of their operations, and have been regarded to promote sustainable development. However, they have often been criticized for focusing more on business and financial results, questioning the extent to which they can adequately promote corporate sustainability. The aim of this paper is to explore the adequacy of the latest versions of three major BEMs to address corporate sustainability, by analyzing their criteria, their core values, and the overall approach of these models. Although the latest versions of these BEMs have been evolved to take into account the growing importance of corporate sustainability, the extent to which this is achieved varies among them, and cannot yet be considered as standardized models for its implementation and measurement. BEMs should provide an extensive list of sustainability indicators, such as the ones described in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, if they are to be regarded as frameworks that adequately address corporate sustainability.
Renewable Energy Desalination for Island Communities: Status and Future Prospects in Greece
Authors: Kyriakarakos George , Papadakis George , Karavitis Christos A.
Published: July 2022

Energy and water are two of the most important components required to ensure prosperity and sustainable development to societies. This paper aims to review the status of renewable energy desalination for Greek islandic communities, deployed in two axes. The first one reviews the desalination systems state of the art technological solutions, their energy needs, how renewable energy may be employed and finally the cost of renewable energy desalination is investigated. The second axis focuses on Greek islands per se, where the current situation is investigated, potential solutions for meeting the water needs are evaluated, all leading to the proposal of a methodology towards designing an appropriate and applicable approach in addressing the water needs. Finally, a discussion takes place on how such options might be further deployed, particularly regarding the impacts they may produce for the livelihood and the future prosperity of the pertinent communities, and at the same time supporting the energy transition towards the EU Green Deal goals.
Distributed Adaptive Finite-Time Consensus for High-Order Multi-Agent Systems with Intermittent Communications under Switching Topologies
Authors: Fan Lingling , Wu Chengyan , Ji Honghai
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a distributed adaptive finite-time consensus (FTC) control protocol for a high-order multi-agent system (MAS) with intermittent communications under switching topologies is proposed. Meanwhile, considering the problem of heterogeneous unknown nonlinearities and other uncertain disturbances, the adaptive neural network and the sliding mode control method are used to compensate the nonlinearity of each agent separately. The agents are homogeneous, so the system has symmetry. The switching topologies considered in this paper are asymmetric. Compared with consensus protocol for asymptotic convergence, simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively solve the presence of the nonlinear and accelerate the convergence speed of the system so that an FTC can be reached.
Uniform Test on the Mixture Simplex Region
Authors: Zhao Haiqing , Li Guanghui , Li Junpeng
Published: July 2022

For the symmetrical mixture model and mixture test area, the lattice point set is used to partition, and then the corresponding test statistics can be constructed. In this paper, we first propose the partition methods under the lattice point sets and obtain several sub-simplexes without common interior points. Furthermore, we present a method for constructing a uniform design on the simplex using the center points of these sub-simplexes. The designs satisfy the uniformity of maximum distance deviation and provide good results for the mean square error deviation. Finally, the uniformity test on the mixture region is considered and illustrated by examples.
Integrable Kuralay Equations: Geometry, Solutions and Generalizations
Authors: Sagidullayeva Zhanna , Nugmanova Gulgassyl , Myrzakulov Ratbay , Serikbayev Nurzhan
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we study the Kuralay equations, namely the Kuralay-I equation (K-IE) and the Kuralay-II equation (K-IIE). The integrable motion of space curves induced by these equations is investigated. The gauge equivalence between these two equations is established. With the help of the Hirota bilinear method, the simplest soliton solutions are also presented. The nonlocal and dispersionless versions of the Kuralay equations are considered. Some integrable generalizations and other related nonlinear differential equations are presented.
Extended Curvatures and Lie Algebroids
Authors: Popescu Marcela , Popescu Paul
Published: July 2022

The aim of the paper is to find conditions in which the derived almost Lie vector bundle E1 of an almost Lie vector bundle E is a Lie algebroid. The conditions are that some extended curvatures on E, considered in the paper, are vanishing. Two non-trivial examples are given. One example is when E0 is a skew symmetric algebroid; the other one is when E1 is not a skew symmetric algebroid.
What Safety and Security Measures Really Matter in the Post-COVID Recovery of the Hospitality Industry? An Analysis of the Visitor’s Intention to Return in Spain
Authors: Jiménez-Medina Pilar , Navarro-Azorín José Miguel , Cubillas-Para Clara , Artal-Tur Andrés
Published: July 2022

In times of COVID-19, trust in safety and security measures in the hospitality industry has become a key variable for destination management and recovery; but what are the main measures that should be applied to ensure visitors’ confidence? This paper seeks to understand and identify the main tools proving efficient in ensuring the return of visitors. With this aim, the perception of tourists visiting the Region of Murcia (Spain) during 2021 is analyzed. Main results state that the adoption of anti-COVID measures by establishments positively influences user’s satisfaction and their intention to repeat. Moreover, disinfection and hygienic measures along with capacity restrictions are identified as the preferred measures. Visitors were also asked about how new technology measures recently developed by the industry could influence their intention to return. Results show that those aimed at monitoring air quality and cleaning and disinfection of spaces are crucial. These findings contribute relevant recommendations for the hospitality industry and destination managers in a post-COVID horizon.
Development and Validation of an Automated Magneto-Controlled Pretreatment for Chromatography-Free Detection of Aflatoxin B1 in Cereals and Oils through Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
Authors: Ye Jin , Zheng Mengyao , Ma Haihua , Xuan Zhihong , Tian Wei , Liu Hongmei , Wang Songxue , Zhang Yuan
Published: July 2022

A chromatography-free detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in cereals and oils through atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) has been developed using quantum dots and immunomagnetic beads. A magneto-controlled pretreatment platform for automatic purification, labeling, and digestion was constructed, and AFB1 detection through AAS was enabled. Under optimal conditions, this immunoassay exhibited high sensitivity for AFB1 detection, with limits of detection as low as 0.04 μg/kg and a linear dynamic range of 2.5–240 μg/kg. The recoveries for four different food matrices ranged from 92.6% to 108.7%, with intra- and inter-day standard deviations of 0.7–6.3% and 0.6–6.9%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the detection of AFB1 in husked rice, maize, and polished rice samples, and the detection results were not significantly different from those of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The proposed method realized the detection of mycotoxins through AAS for the first time. It provides a new route for AFB1 detection, expands the application scope of AAS, and provides a reference for the simultaneous determination of multiple poisonous compounds (such as mycotoxins and heavy metals).
Fusarium culmorum Produces NX-2 Toxin Simultaneously with Deoxynivalenol and 3-Acetyl-Deoxynivalenol or Nivalenol
Authors: Schiwek Simon , Alhussein Mohammad , Rodemann Charlotte , Budragchaa Tuvshinjargal , Beule Lukas , von Tiedemann Andreas , Karlovsky Petr
Published: July 2022

Fusarium culmorum is a major pathogen of grain crops. Infected plants accumulate deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), or nivalenol (NIV), which are mycotoxins of the trichothecene B group. These toxins are also produced by F. graminearum species complex. New trichothecenes structurally similar to trichothecenes B but lacking the carbonyl group on C-8, designated NX toxins, were recently discovered in atypical isolates of F. graminearum from North America. Only these isolates and a few strains of a yet to be characterized Fusarium species from South Africa are known to produce NX-2 and other NX toxins. Here, we report that among 20 F. culmorum strains isolated from maize, wheat, and oat in Europe and Asia over a period of 70 years, 18 strains produced NX-2 simultaneously with 3-ADON and DON or NIV. Rice cultures of strains producing 3-ADON accumulated NX-2 in amounts corresponding to 2–8% of 3-ADON (1.2–36 mg/kg). A strain producing NIV accumulated NX-2 and NIV at comparable amounts (13.6 and 10.3 mg/kg, respectively). In F. graminearum, producers of NX-2 possess a special variant of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase encoded by TRI1 that is unable to oxidize C-8. In F. culmorum, producers and nonproducers of NX-2 possess identical TRI1; the reason for the production of NX-2 is unknown. Our results indicate that the production of NX-2 simultaneously with trichothecenes B is a common feature of F. culmorum.
In-House Validation of an Efficient and Rapid Procedure for the Simultaneous Determination and Monitoring of 23 Mycotoxins in Grains in Korea
Authors: Kim Hyoyoung , Baek Eun Joo , Shin Byeung Gon , Kim Ho Jin , Kim Jang-Eok
Published: July 2022

A high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method is described for the simultaneous determination of mycotoxins, including Ergot alkaloids (EAs), in 3 types of grains. The extraction of 23 mycotoxins was evaluated and performed by using a modified QuEChERS-based sample preparation procedure. The proposed method was fully validated on spiked grain samples (barley, wheat and oat) to assess the linearity, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ), matrix effects, precision and recovery. After validation, this method was applied to 143 samples of various types of 3 grains from the Republic of Korea to survey the level of mycotoxin contamination in Republic of Korean grains. A total of 42 grain samples (29%) were contaminated with at least one of these mycotoxins at levels higher than the LOQ. The results demonstrated that the procedure was suitable for simultaneously determining these mycotoxins in cereals and could be performed for their routine analysis in mycotoxin laboratories.
Fulminant Adenoviral-Induced Hepatitis in Immunosuppressed Patients
Authors: Kager Juliane , Schneider Jochen , Rasch Sebastian , Herhaus Peter , Verbeek Mareike , Mogler Carolin , Heim Albert , Frösner Gert , Hoffmann Dieter , Schmid Roland M. , Lahmer Tobias
Published: July 2022

Human adenovirus (HAdV) can often lead to fulminant hepatitis in immunocompromised patients, mostly after reactivation of HAdV. Different risk factors, e.g., transplantation and chemotherapy, increase the risk of developing a HAdV hepatitis. We retrospectively analyzed three patients who showed the characteristics of a HAdV hepatitis observed in disseminated disease. In addition to PCR, diagnosis could be proven by pathology, CT scan, and markedly elevated transaminases. All patients had a hemato-oncologic underlying disease. Two had received a stem-cell transplant, and one was under chemotherapy including rituximab. Despite therapy with cidofovir, all patients died. As the incidence of HAdV hepatitis is low, diagnosis may be easily overlooked. No treatment approaches have yet been established. HAdV hepatitis should be considered as a differential diagnosis, especially when risk factors are present. To avoid dissemination, treatment should be initiated as soon as possible.
Safety of Biologic-DMARDs in Rheumatic Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Population-Based Study over the First Two Waves of COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Sonaglia Arianna , Comoretto Rosanna , Pasut Enrico , Treppo Elena , Del Frate Giulia , Colatutto Donatella , Zabotti Alen , De Vita Salvatore , Quartuccio Luca
Published: July 2022

This study aims to explore disease patterns of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal disorders (RMD) treated with immunosuppressive drugs in comparison with the general population. The observational study considered a cohort of RMD patients treated with biologic drugs or small molecules from September 2019 to November 2020 in the province of Udine, Italy. Data include the assessment of both pandemic waves until the start of the vaccination, between February 2020 and April 2020 (first), and between September 2020 and November 2020 (second). COVID-19 prevalence in 1051 patients was 3.5% without significant differences compared to the general population, and the course of infection was generally benign with 2.6% mortality. A small percentage of COVID-19 positive subjects were treated with low doses of steroids (8%). The most used treatments were represented by anti-TNF agents (65%) and anti-IL17/23 agents (16%). More than two-thirds of patients reported fever, while gastro-intestinal symptoms were recorded in 27% of patients and this clinical involvement was associated with longer swab positivity. The prevalence of COVID-19 in RMD patients has been confirmed as low in both waves. The benign course of COVID-19 in our patients may be linked to the very low number of chronic corticosteroids used and the possible protective effect of anti-TNF agents, which were the main class of biologics herein employed. Gastro-intestinal symptoms might be a predictor of viral persistence in immunosuppressed patients. This finding could be useful to identify earlier COVID-19 carriers with uncommon symptoms, eventually eligible for antiviral drugs.
Global Distribution and Natural Recombination of Hepatitis D Virus: Implication of Kyrgyzstan Emerging HDVs in the Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Bahoussi Amina Nawal , Wang Pei-Hua , Guo Yan-Yan , Rabbani Nighat , Wu Changxin , Xing Li
Published: July 2022

Discrepancies in human hepatitis delta virus (HDV) genotypes impact the virus’ biological behavior, clinical manifestation, and treatment response. Herein, this report aims to explore the role of recombination in the worldwide genotypic distribution and genetic diversity of HDV. Three-hundred-forty-eight human HDV full-length genomic sequences of ~1678 nt in length, isolated in twenty-eight countries worldwide between 1986 and 2018, were analysed. Similarity analysis and recombination mapping were performed, and forty-eight recombination events were identified, twenty-nine of which were isolated from Kyrgyzstan and determined to be involved in the diversity and extension of HDV sub-genotypes. HDV recombination occurred only between the genetically close genotypes (genotype 5 and genotype 2) or mainly within genotype 1, suggesting the complex replicative molecular mechanisms of HDV-RNA. The global distribution and classification of HDV genotypes have been updated, indicating that HDV recombination is one of the driving forces behind the biodiversity and the evolution of human HDV genomes. The outcome analysis suggests that the expansion of HDV sub-genotypes and the complex recombination networks might be related to the genomic character of Kyrgyzstan circulating strains and extensive mobility within countries and across borders. These findings will be of great importance in formulating more effective public health HDV surveillance strategies and guiding future molecular and epidemiological research to achieve better clinical outcomes.
A Deeper Insight into Evolutionary Patterns and Phylogenetic History of ORF Virus through the Whole Genome Sequencing of the First Italian Strains
Authors: Coradduzza Elisabetta , Sanna Daria , Scarpa Fabio , Azzena Ilenia , Fiori Mariangela S. , Scivoli Rosario , Rocchigiani Angela M. , Bechere Roberto , Dettori Maria A. , Pintus Davide , Evangelista Eloisa , Casu Marco , Ligios Ciriaco , Puggioni Giantonella
Published: July 2022

Orf virus (ORFV) is distributed worldwide and is the causative agent of contagious ecthyma that mainly occurs in sheep and goats. This disease was reported for the first time at the end of 18th century in Europe but very little is currently known about the temporal and geographic origins of this virus. In the present study, the use of new Italian whole genomes allowed for better inference on the evolutionary history of ORFV. In accordance with previous studies, two genome types (S and G) were described for infection of sheep and goats, respectively. These two well-differentiated groups of genomes originated for evolutive convergence in the late 1800s in two different areas of the world (Europe for S type and Asia for G type), but it was only in the early 1900s that the effective size of ORFV increased among hosts and the virus spread across the whole European continent. The Italian strains which were sequenced in the present study were isolated on the Mediterranean island of Sardinian and showed to be exclusive to this geographic area. One of them is likely representative of the early European forms of ORFV which infected sheep and became extinct about one century ago. Such an ancient Sardinian strain may have reached the island simple by chance, where it quickly adapted to the new habitat.
A New Scenario-Based Approach for Water Quality and Environmental Impact Assessment Due to Mining Activities
Authors: Anees Mohd Talha , Khan Mohammad Muqtada Ali , Kadir Mohd Omar Abdul , Abdelrahman Kamal , Eldosouky Ahmed M. , Andráš Peter , Yahaya Nasehir Khan Bin E. M. , Johar Zubaidi , Fnais Mohammed S. , Omar Fatehah Mohd
Published: July 2022

Water quality assessment and its monitoring are necessary for areas of mining activities. In Malaysia, the mining industry is the backbone of the manufacturing and construction sectors. This study used spatio-temporal water quality modeling along a reach with mining activities during high and low discharges at Sungai (river) Lebir and Sungai Aring, situated in Gua Musang, Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia. The objective was to assess the spatio-temporal environmental impact of mining activities during the wet and dry seasons. Data were collected at different locations along the reach. Point and non-point sources were near the mining site. Overland flow calculation at the mining site was found with the widely used SCS (Soil Conservation Service) curve number method. Several scenarios were analyzed, such as baseline, worst-case, and with-mitigation. The study revealed that baseline values of all parameters were either in a natural condition or slightly polluted, except for aluminum. All parameters were estimated at a high concentration from the mining site to downstream during the worst case of the wet season. Whereas, during the worst case of the dry season, no significant differences were observed compared to baseline values. In the with-mitigation scenario, parameter concentrations were improved and similar to baseline values. Overall, the scenario selection was helpful in the environmental impact assessment. Furthermore, this study will be significant in pre- and post-mining assessment and environmental clearance.
Impact of Intersectoral Dependencies in National Production on Wastewater Discharges: An Extended Input–Output Study of the Croatian Economy
Authors: Čegar Saša , Denona Bogović Nada , Jugović Alen
Published: July 2022

The Croatian economy performs unfavorably in terms of the impact of production on wastewater discharges, which is particularly pronounced in the industrial sectors. Each unit of gross industrial value added produced in Croatia generates significantly more wastewater discharges than in most European countries with a similar level of economic development. Moreover, in 2020, only 26.9% of the total industrial wastewater discharges of the Croatian economy were treated, while 76.2% of the total industrial wastewater discharges were directly discharged into the environment. Since most of the industrial production in the Croatian economy is destined to meet the intermediate needs of other sectors, policy makers in Croatia must take into account that the level of industrial wastewater discharges is also influenced by the production level of sectors that depend on the intermediate products of wastewater-intensive industries. For this reason, we developed a wastewater extended input–output model of the Croatian economy to determine and analyze the impact of intersectoral linkages in Croatian production systems on the amount of untreated wastewater discharges. The results of the study show that wastewater flows in the Croatian economy are largely generated by the processes of production and consumption of intermediate products from the chemical and petroleum refining sectors, which also account for the largest share of the calculated wastewater footprint of total Croatian production. In light of the emerging empirical evidence, it can be concluded that targeting market-based and regulation-based measures at wastewater-intensive producers is not sufficient to reduce the relatively high level of untreated wastewater discharges in the Croatian economy. There is also a need for appropriate integrated policy measures in sectors that have a large wastewater footprint due to their established supply chains.
Biosorption and Bioaccumulation Capacity of Arthospiraplatensis toward Europium Ions
Authors: Yushin Nikita , Zinicovscaia Inga , Cepoi Liliana , Chiriac Tatiana , Rudi Ludmila , Grozdov Dmitrii
Published: July 2022

Europium recovery from wastewater is determined by its high significance for industry and toxicity for living organisms. The capacity of cyanobacteria Arthospira platensis (Spirulina) to remove Eu(III) through biosorption and bioaccumulation was evaluated. In biosorption experiments, the effects of four variables pH, metal concentration, time, and temperature on metal removal were studied. In bioaccumulation experiments, the effect of Eu(III) concentrations on biomass bioaccumulation capacity and biochemical composition was assessed. The efficiency of Eu(III) uptake in both experiments was determined using ICP-AES techniques. Maximum biosorption of Eu(III) was achieved at pH 3.0. Equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir and Freundlich models, with maximum adsorption capacity of 89.5 mg/g. The pseudo-first-, pseudo-second-order, and Elovich models were found to correlate well with the experimental data. According to thermodynamic studies the sorption was feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic in nature. At addition of Eu(III) ions in the cultivation medium in concentrations of 10–30 mg/L, its accumulation in biomass was 9.8–29.8 mg/g (removal efficiency constituting 98–99%). Eu(III) did not affect productivity and content of carbohydrates and pigments in biomass but led to the decrease of the content of protein and an increase in the amount of MDA. The high Eu(III) biosorption and bioaccumulation efficiency of Arthrospira platensis may constitute an effective and eco-friendly strategy to recover it from contaminated environment.
Unifying Criteria for Calculating the Levelized Cost of Driving in Electro-Mobility Applications
Authors: Arias-Cazco Diego , Rozas Heraldo , Jimenez Diego , Orchard Marcos E. , Estevez Claudio
Published: July 2022

The Levelized Cost of Driving (LCOD) calculates how much it costs to drive a vehicle, per kilometer, over the vehicle lifespan, and it is typically measured in USD/km. LCOD has been widely applied to assess and compare the performance of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Internal Combustion engine Vehicles (ICVs). Unfortunately, there is no common methodology to establish how to compute LCOD. As authors use different criteria to determine which elements are relevant in LCOD, it is difficult to compare results. To overcome this issue, we re-introduce the LCOD concept, where the most relevant expenditures and incomes are included. This novel LCOD definition also incorporates key elements that are sometimes neglected, such as the second life of batteries in EVs, EV battery degradation models, and stochastic models, to characterize daily operation. The proposed methodology is applied to assess the cost of using EVs as taxis in the city of Quito, Ecuador.
Puerpério na atenção primária: Foco no aleitamento materno e depressão pós-parto / Puerperum in primary care: Focus on breastfeeding and postpartum depression
Authors: Barba Maria Luiza de , Macedo Beatriz Barreto , Farid Gabriela de Moraes , Almeida Lucas dos Santos , Alvarenga Polyana Barbosa de , Reis Raíssa Barreto dos , Souza Viktor Rotgarius G. F. de O.
Published: July 2022

O puerpério é uma das áreas prioritárias para atuação da Saúde da Família, englobando o puerpério imediato, tardio e remoto. Atualmente, a terceira maior causa de morbidade do mundo é a depressão, e as gestantes e puérperas são um grupo de alto risco de desenvolver este quadro. Este estudo visou elucidar a área de pesquisa de depressão pós-parto e aleitamento materno, evidenciando a construção do conhecimento com base nas políticas públicas nacionais. Foi realizado levantamento bibliográfico com os descritores associados “aleitamento materno”, “depressão pós-parto” e “puerpério pós-parto”, sendo analisadas 101 publicações. Quando abordado fator de proteção contra o risco de desenvolvimento de depressão pós-parto, 93% dos artigos evidenciaram significância estatística do aleitamento materno exclusivo como fator de proteção. A maioria dos artigos afirmam que mulheres jovens, de minoria étnicas, e solteiras possuem maiores chances de desenvolvimento de depressão pós-parto assim como interrupção do aleitamento exclusivo em relação as mulheres em união estável. Dessa forma, mostra-se necessário o aprofundamento das discussões acerca do cuidado na atenção primária e no período puerperal, evidenciando as relações existentes entre o aleitamento materno e a depressão pós-parto.