bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fact Checkers Facing Fake News and Disinformation in the Digital Age: A Comparative Analysis between Spain and United Kingdom
Authors: López-Marcos Casandra , Vicente-Fernández Pilar
Published: August 2021

The current media ecosystem, derived from the consolidation of Information and Communication Technologies, shows a scenario in which the relationship between the media and their audience is being redefined. This represents a challenge for journalistic practice. In the digital age, the public actively participates in the construction and dissemination of news through social networks. Faced with this loss of control by the media, fake news and disinformation are emerging as one of the main problems of journalistic practice in a competitive business context, and with a high saturation of news content. In this situation, fact checkers emerge as key players in the information verification process. This research comparatively analyses the main fact checkers in Spain and the United Kingdom through content analysis applied to their corporate websites to understand their characteristics and working methodologies. The results underline that they are concerned with the concepts of transparency and honesty, along with showing their funding streams. The rigorousness of the verification process also stands out, as well as the importance of dialogue with the audience in their work. While in Spain they are featured by their non-profit nature and their international coverage, UK fact checkers focus on national information and are sometimes conceived as a business.
Selective Collection of Municipal Waste in a Residential District with Multi-Family Buildings—Case Study from Poland
Authors: Latosińska Jolanta , Miłek Dorota , Komór Angelika , Kowalik Robert
Published: August 2021

Social and economic changes make it necessary to put in a great deal of conscious effort to shift towards a closed-loop economy, where waste provides a source of raw materials. The low level of selective collection of municipal waste poses a challenge in many countries, including Poland. One of the major causes of the problems in Poland lies in the fact that waste collection points (WCPs) do not have adequate waste containers. The paper aims to put forward a proposal to improve the operation of WCPs. Seeking for new solutions, it is necessary to account for the conditions under which the bodies responsible for waste management take their decisions. They have to comply with the legislation in force, and at the same time, choose the options that generate the lowest costs. The study concerned a typical residential district with housing in multi-family buildings. For two fill rate variants and four emptying schedules, the number of above-ground containers was calculated. Two variants: for above-ground containers (variant I) and for semi-underground containers (variant II), were compared in terms of operating costs and investment outlays. The proposed increase in the number of above-ground containers, and additionally providing semi-underground containers, will contribute to increased engagement of the local community in the selective collection of waste.
Spatiotemporal Variations in Snow Cover and Hydrological Effects in the Upstream Region of the Shule River Catchment, Northwestern China
Authors: Jiang Youyan , Du Wentao , Chen Jizu , Sun Wenxuan
Published: August 2021

Precipitation and snow/ice melt water are the primary water sources in inland river basins in arid areas, and these are sensitive to global climate change. A dataset of snow cover in the upstream region of the Shule River catchment was established using MOD10A2 data from 2000 to 2019, and the spatiotemporal variations in the snow cover and its meteorological, runoff, and topographic impacts were analyzed. The results show that the spatial distribution of the snow cover is highly uneven owing to altitude differences. The snow cover in spring and autumn is mainly concentrated along the edges of the region, whereas that in winter and summer is mainly distributed in the south. Notable differences in snow accumulation and melting are observed at different altitudes, and the annual variation in the snow cover extent shows bimodal characteristics. The correlation between the snow cover extent and runoff is most significant in April. The snow cover effectively replenishes the runoff at higher altitudes (3300–4900 m), but this contribution weakens with increasing altitude (>4900 m). The regions with a high snow cover frequency are mostly concentrated at high altitudes. Regions with slopes of <30° show a strong correlation with the snow cover frequency, which decreases for slopes of >45°. The snow cover frequency and slope aspect show symmetrical changes.
Galactomannans for Entrapment of Gliomastix murorum Laccase and Their Use in Reactive Blue 2 Decolorization
Authors: Romero-Soto Itzel C. , Martínez-Pérez Raúl B. , Rodríguez Jorge A. , Camacho-Ruiz Rosa M. , Barbachano-Torres Alejandra , Martín del Campo Martha , Napoles-Armenta Juan , Pliego-Sandoval Jorge E. , Concha-Guzmán María O. , Angeles Camacho-Ruiz María
Published: August 2021

In the present study, a novel laccase from ascomycete Gliomastix murorum was produced in agro-industrial wastes and entrapped in galactomannan beads for Reactive Blue 2 (Rb-2) decolorization. The maximum laccase production in agave bagasse-based medium occurred at 72 h (1798.6 UL−1). Entrapped laccase decolorized ˃80% of 0.5 mM Rb-2 in 2 h without the addition of redox mediator. Km for Rb-2 substrate was 1.42 mM, with a Vmax of 1.19 µmol min−1 for entrapped laccase. Galactomannan matrices produce stability to acid pH (2–5) and temperatures from 20–70 °C. Reusability assays showed that entrapped laccase could retain efficient Rb-2 decolorization of ˃80% six times. In general, galactomannan used for entrapment of laccase provides economic advantages in large-scale wastewater treatment due to its natural origin and efficient results.
Operation of a UXE-Type 11-Level Inverter with Voltage-Balance Modulation Using NLC and ACO-Based SHE
Authors: Ali Mohammad , Tariq Mohd , Lin Chang-Hua , Chakrobortty Ripon K. , Alamri Basem , Alahmadi Ahmad , Ryan Michael J.
Published: August 2021

In this article, the UXE-Type inverter is considered for eleven-level operation. This topology exhibits a boosting capability along with reduced switches and one source. An algorithm that utilizes the redundant states to control the voltage-balance of the auxiliary direct current (DC)-link is presented. The proposed control algorithm is capable of maintaining the voltages of each capacitor at Vdc/4 resulting in a successful multilevel operation for all values of load. The inverter is also compared with 11-level inverters. The modulation of the inverter is performed by employing nearest level control and ant colony optimization based selective harmonic elimination. The maximum inverter efficiency is 98.1% and its performance is validated on an hardware-in-the-loop platform.
Procedural Knowledge of Primary School Teachers in Madagascar for Teaching and Learning towards Land-Use- and Health-Related Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Niens Janna , Richter-Beuschel Lisa , Stubbe Tobias C. , Bögeholz Susanne
Published: August 2021

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires the empowerment of learners through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), already at primary level. Teacher education for the SDGs is a focus of ESD. However, many teachers in Madagascar are underqualified and show knowledge gaps regarding ESD. This paper aims at identifying starting points for an ESD-oriented further development of teacher training, considering regionally relevant issues. Teaching Sustainable Development issues requires procedural knowledge. This paper reports on (i) Malagasy primary school teachers’ (n = 286) teaching and learning prerequisites regarding land-use and health issues compared to expert knowledge, (ii) modeling teachers’ respective procedural knowledge with the Rasch Partial Credit Model and validation studies, and on (iii) comparison of groups of teachers differentiated by diversity dimensions, e.g., teaching at rural or urban schools. The teachers underestimated land-use and health courses of action regarding effectiveness and possibility of implementation, compared to experts. IRT modeling resulted in two distinct knowledge dimensions, i.e., land use and health (latent correlation: 0.31). Rural teachers showed higher procedural land-use knowledge than urban teachers. No differences occurred regarding health knowledge. The paper argues for ESD-focused reorientation of teacher training, considering regional specificities of land-use topics, e.g., regarding vanilla and rice cultivation in North-East Madagascar, and health topics.
Prospects for Rooftop Farming System Dynamics: An Action to Stimulate Water-Energy-Food Nexus Synergies toward Green Cities of Tomorrow
Authors: Huang Angela , Chang Fi-John
Published: August 2021

Rooftop farming is a practical solution of smart urban agriculture to furnish diverse socio-environmental benefits and short food supply chains, especially in densely populated cities. This study aims to raise urban food security with less use of public water and energy in food production, through utilizing green water and energy for sustainable management. A system dynamics (SD) model framed across the nexus of climate, water, energy and food (WEF) sectors is developed for a rooftop farm in Taipei City of Taiwan. The urban WEF Nexus is structured to address how local weather affects water and energy utilization to grow vegetables. The SD results showed that the annual yields of sweet potato leaves achieved 9.3 kg/m2, at the cost of 3.8 ton/m2 of harvested rainwater and 2.1 ton/m2 of tap water together with 2.1 kwh/m2 of solar photovoltaic power and 0.4 kwh/m2 of public electricity. This study not only demonstrates that green resources show great potential to make a significant reduction in consuming urban irrigation resources for rooftop farming, but contributes to urban planning through a sustainable in situ WEF Nexus mechanism at a city scale. The WEF Nexus can manifest the rooftop farming promotion as cogent development to facilitate urban sustainability.
Identifying the Antecedents of University Students’ Usage Behaviour of Fitness Apps
Authors: Yu Jo-Hung , Ku Gordon Chih-Ming , Lo Yu-Chih , Chen Che-Hsiu , Hsu Chin-Hsien
Published: August 2021

The purpose of the study is to explore the antecedents of university students’ fitness application usage behaviours by combining the theory of planned behaviour and the technology acceptance model. An anonymous questionnaire survey was adopted to address the objectives of the study. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to select eligible students from six universities in Zhanjiang City. An online survey was used to collect data from 634 eligible subjects, and partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the collected data. The results indicated that the students’ perceived usefulness (β = 0.17, p < 0.05) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.32, p < 0.05) concerning the application and their attitude (β = 0.31, p < 0.05) toward it significantly influenced their usage intentions. Furthermore, perceived usefulness (β = 0.11, p < 0.05) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.38, p < 0.05) fully mediated the relationship between subjective norms and usage intentions. However, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control did not enhance the students’ intentions to use fitness applications. That is, students’ attitudes and fitness application design are the determinants of usage intention. Accordingly, improving students’ fitness applications usage intention requires strategies that involve customised services, social networking, and collaboration with schools; this would further increase students’ engagement in physical exercise.
Advancements in Geo-Inclusions for Ballasted Track: Constitutive Modelling and Numerical Analysis
Authors: Qi Yujie , Indraratna Buddhima , Ngo Trung , Ferreira Fernanda Bessa
Published: August 2021

This paper reviewed some salient features evolving through mathematical and numerical modelling of ballasted track components incorporating recycled rubber products. Firstly, a constitutive model based on the bounding surface concept was introduced to simulate the shear stress-strain response of waste mixtures (i.e., recycled rubber crumbs, coal wash, and steel furnace slag) used for the capping layer placed below the ballast medium, whereby the energy absorbing property resulting from the inclusion of different amounts of rubber has been captured. Subsequently, key research findings concerning the inclusion of recycled rubber mats on ballasted tracks for reduced particle degradation under cyclic loading were examined and discussed. Discrete element modelling (DEM) coupled with Finite element modelling (FEM) to micro-mechanically characterise ballast behaviour with and without rubber mats offers invaluable insight into real-life track operations. In particular, this coupled DEM-FEM model facilitates the exploration of micromechanical aspects of particle breakage, contact force distributions within the granular assembly, and the orientation of contacts during cyclic loading.
Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Low Carbon Binders Manufactured from Calcined Canal Sediments and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS)
Authors: Hadj Sadok Rachid , Maherzi Walid , Benzerzour Mahfoud , Lord Richard , Torrance Keith , Zambon Agnes , Abriak Nor-Edine
Published: August 2021

This research study evaluated the effects of adding Scottish canal sediment after calcination at 750 °C in combination with GGBS on hydration, strength and microstructural properties in ternary cement mixtures in order to reduce their carbon footprint (CO2) and cost. A series of physico-chemical, hydration heat, mechanic performance, mercury porosity and microstructure tests or observations was performed in order to evaluate the fresh and hardened properties. The physical and chemical characterisation of the calcined sediments revealed good pozzolanic properties that could be valorised as a potential co-product in the cement industry. The results obtained for mortars with various percentages of calcined sediment confirmed that this represents a previously unrecognised potential source of high reactivity pozzolanic materials. The evolution of the compressive strength for the different types of mortars based on the partial substitution of cement by slag and calcined sediments showed a linear increase in compressive strength for 90 days. The best compressive strengths and porosity were observed in mortars composed of 50% cement, 40% slag and 10% calcined sediment (CSS10%) after 90 days. In conclusion, the addition of calcined canal sediments as an artificial pozzolanic material could improve strength and save significant amounts of energy or greenhouse gas emissions, while potentially contributing to Scotland’s ambitious 2045 net zero target and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in the UK and Europe.
Enhanced Direct Reactive Power Control-Based Multi-Level Inverter for DFIG Wind System under Variable Speeds
Authors: Tamalouzt Salah , Belkhier Youcef , Sahri Younes , Bajaj Mohit , Ullah Nasim , Chowdhury Md. Shahariar , Titseesang Teerawet , Techato Kuaanan
Published: August 2021

A novel direct reactive power control strategy based on the three-level inverter topology (DRPC-3N) is proposed for a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind power plant system. The robustness against parametric variations and control performances of the presented methodology are analyzed under random wind speeds, taking into account the effect of the heating of the windings as well as the saturation of the magnetic circuit. The performance indices include obtaining a sinusoidal AC-generated current with low THD and less ripples in the output. Moreover, the generator can be considered as a reactive power compensator, which allows for the controlling of the active and reactive power of the stator side connected directly to the grid side using only the rotor converter. In this study, unpredictable conduct of the wind velocity that forces the DFIG to operate through all modes of operation in a continual and successive way is considered. The received wind power is utilized to extract the optimum power by using an appropriate MPPT algorithm, and the pitch angle control is activated during the overspeed to restrict the produced active power. The simulation tests are performed under Matlab/Simulink and the presented results show the robustness and effectiveness of the new DRPC strategy with the proposed topology, which means that the performances are more sophisticated.
Change in the Structure of the Accommodation Capacity of the Czech Hotel Industry under Conditions of Economic Globalization
Authors: Severová Lucie , Šrédl Karel , Prášilová Marie , Svoboda Roman , Soukup Alexandr , Dvořák Marek , Prachařová Jitka
Published: August 2021

As our research has shown, the number of foreign tourists visiting Czechia rose in the period between 2012 and 2017, as did hotel occupancy and accommodation prices. The growth of the local economy, the new airlines from Asia and the USA to Prague, and the perception of the Czech metropolis as a safe destination, played a big part in it. Compared to other accommodation facilities, the number of 5- and 4-star hotels is still growing in Czechia, thus better meeting the needs of demanding tourists. According to experience and statistical data, these are non-European tourists and tourists with above-average income. The growth in the number of these tourists had a strong influence on the increase in the number of hotels and the increase in the capacity of the highest-category hotels. Building new, quality hotels, and renovating historical buildings to a higher standard to provide an outstanding experience for foreign tourists staying in Czechia, can contribute to achieving the sustainability of the tourism sector in the country. Also mentioned is the current impact of the coronavirus pandemic on tourism in Czechia. A statistical analysis of time series of indicators and hypothesis testing were the main methods used in the study.
Phytosociological Data in Assessment of Anthropogenic Changes in Vegetation of Rzeszów Reservoir
Authors: Ziaja Maria , Wójcik Tomasz , Wrzesień Małgorzata
Published: August 2021

Phytosociological research on aquatic and marsh vegetation was conducted in Rzeszów Reservoir (SE Poland): 134 relevés according to the Braun-Blanquet method were collected there in 2016 and compared to 91 relevés published in 1994 (225 relevés in total). Changes in vegetation type, diversity measures, species composition, and Ellenberg Indicator Values (EIVs) for light, moisture, reaction, and nitrogen were analysed. Over the 22 years (1994–2016), the greatest changes were noted in communities of the classes Lemnetea and Potametea and the alliance Salicion albae. The long-term observations demonstrated the disappearance of 14 phytocoenoses and the occurrence of 12 new ones. An expansion of marsh communities (Typhetum latifoliae, Typhetum angustifoliae, Glycerietum maximae, Leersietum oryzoidis) was noted, causing a decline of several species and vegetation types. According to canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), four environmental variables (light, moisture, nitrogen, and pH) were related to plant distribution. The strong disturbances reflected in intensive eutrophication were due to human activity, which is the main factor shaping the ecological succession and overgrowing of the reservoir.
Culture and Sustainable Tourism: Does the Pair Pay in Medium-Sized Cities?
Authors: Środa-Murawska Stefania , Grzelak-Kostulska Elżbieta , Biegańska Jadwiga , Dąbrowski Leszek S.
Published: August 2021

Undoubtedly, one of the greatest challenges to civilisation today is the need to fulfil commitments to build a just and caring global society. These commitments also apply to the tourism sector. The aim of the article was to determine how to identify opportunities for sustainable tourism development based on cultural heritage in medium-sized cities whose tourism assets can hardly be considered outstanding. This is an even more significant problem, as even in conditions of relatively low tourist traffic cultural tourism may have an unsustainable character if the relevant policy is pursued and the attitude of the inhabitants are inappropriate. The authors proposed to complement the Triple Bottom Line used to assess the sustainability of a destination with the assessment of the local authority’s attitude towards cultural development and characteristics regarding the involvement of the inhabitants. The study has shown that even if the cultural assets of medium-sized cities are not outstanding, they can play a role in tourism development. It is important to remember that their advantage lies in their locality, and that expecting too much of an economic effect of developing tourism can deprive them of this advantage permanently.
A Review of Cultural Background and Thermal Perceptions in Urban Environments
Authors: Naheed Sanober , Shooshtarian Salman
Published: August 2021

Thermal comfort is among the chief indicators of the sustainability of outdoor spaces. However, the complex nature of comfort represents the interaction of several determinants that leads to a perception of the thermal environment. Recently, researchers have paid particular attention to non-physical factors to understand the mechanisms involved in thermal perceptions in urban environments. The extant literature has contended that culture and cultural background are determinants to individuals’ thermal perceptions. Therefore, this study aimed to review how the link between outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) and cultural background is investigated. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first review study on the subject. The study used a systematic literature review approach based on secondary data available in relevant and contemporary literature. The findings first showed the scarcity of research on cultural background and OTC; however, all studies identified corroborated the significant impact of cultural background on thermal perceptions. Notably, the cultural background was found to be the source of variation in thermal perceptions, tolerance to, and preference for certain thermal conditions, thermal comfort requirements and expectations, choice of clothing, and environmental attitudes. The findings provide a sound basis for future researchers to address the research gaps identified. The study also raises policy makers’ and designers’ awareness of urban environment users’ genuine needs and requirements.
The Carbon Footprint of Airport Ground Access as Part of an Outbound Holiday Trip
Authors: Hernández-Martín Raúl , Padrón-Ávila Hugo
Published: August 2021

In this paper, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions derived from airport surface access of outbound German tourists travelling to the Canary Islands have been estimated. It is argued that carbon footprint estimations in tourism must be improved to incorporate the transport to the airports within the country of origin. To do so, statistical data from the Tourism Expenditure Survey of the Canary Islands have been used. In particular, the postcodes of a large sample of German tourists visiting the archipelago from 2012 to 2014 are used to identify their residence and the distances travelled to their chosen airport. The findings of the paper contribute to the literature on tourism carbon footprints, including an estimate of the share of airport surface access emissions in a typical outbound sun and beach holiday trip. Airport ground access accounted for 8.17% of transport-related emissions. These results have implications for urban planners, transport firms, and tourism management.
Surgical Approach for Spinal Tumors: Our Experience in Combined Military Hospital Dhaka
Authors: Islam Md Aminul , Afreen Maj Shamantha , Montemurro Nicola , Chaurasia Bipin
Published: August 2021

(1) Background: spinal tumors not only causes structural problem but also it affects body functionality, too. Surgery has a key role in management of patients with spinal tumor. The aim of this study is that to observe their clinical profile, functional outcomes and prognostic factors. (2) Methods: 20 retrospectively consecutive patients with spinal tumors operated over a period of 2 years were analyzed. (3) Results: nine (45%) were intradural and 11(55%) were extradural. Mean age at surgery was 45.05 years (range 20–80 years). The common clinical features were pain, limb weakness and autonomic involvement. Schwannoma was common in intradural extramedullary group whereas astrocytoma and ependymoma was common in intramedullary group. In this case, 16 (80%) patients had improvement following surgery and 4 (20%) remained the same, none had deterioration. Common complications were persistent pain (1 case) and autonomic involvement (1 case). (4) Conclusion: spinal tumors need early exploration and excision and usually patients recover well without any residual effect.
Transverse Force Analysis of Adjacent Shield Tunnel Caused by Foundation Pit Excavation Considering Deformation of Retaining Structures
Authors: Zhang Xinhai , Wei Gang , Lin Xinbei , Xia Chang , Wei Xinjiang
Published: August 2021

In order to research the theory for the variety of transverse forces of the adjacent shield tunnels caused by foundation pits excavation, the effect mechanism of foundation pit excavation on the adjacent shield tunnel was analyzed. The sidewall unloading model of the foundation pit, considering the deformation of the retaining structures, was introduced to calculate the additional stress of soil caused by foundation pit excavation. On this basis, the additional confining pressure variation model of the adjacent shield tunnel was established, considering the influence of the longitudinal deformation. Take the deep foundation pit project by the side of the shield tunnel of Hangzhou Metro Line 2 as a case study, the variation in confining pressure distribution of the adjacent shield tunnel caused by foundation pit excavation was analyzed, and a simplified finite element model was established to calculate the internal force of the segment ring structure. Moreover, the influence factors were analyzed, such as the deformation of the foundation pit retaining structure, the clearance between the foundation pit and the adjacent tunnel, and the buried depth of the tunnel. The present study suggests that the foundation pit excavation reduces the confining pressure of the adjacent shield tunnel, increases the absolute value of bending moment and shear force, and decreases the axial force at the top and bottom of the tunnel’s segment ring. With the increase in the deformation of the foundation pit’s retaining structure, the absolute value of the additional confining pressure on the adjacent tunnel increases, and the response of the bending moment to the foundation pit excavation unloading is more obvious than the variation in the confining pressure. When the buried depth of the adjacent shield tunnel is deeper than the excavation depth of the foundation pit, the influence of the excavation on the tunnel will be obviously weakened. With the decrease in the distance between the pit and tunnel, the influence of the excavation on the tunnel will be enhanced.
Three-Phase Symmetric Distribution Network Fast Dynamic Reconfiguration Based on Timing-Constrained Hierarchical Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Ji Xingquan , Zhang Xuan , Zhang Yumin , Yin Ziyang , Yang Ming , Han Xueshan
Published: August 2021

This paper develops a novel dynamic three-phase symmetric distribution network reconfiguration (DNR) approach based on hierarchical clustering with timing constraints, which can divide the time period according to the time-varying symmetric load demand and symmetric distributed generations (DGs) output condition for a given time interval. The significance of the proposed technique is that by approximating the cluster center as the load status and DGs output status of the corresponding period, in this way, the intractable dynamic reconfiguration problem can be recast as multiple single-stage static three-phase symmetric DNR problems, which can effectively reduce the complexity of the three-phase symmetric dynamic reconfiguration. Furthermore, an improved fireworks algorithm considering heuristic rules (H-IFWA) is proposed and investigated to efficiently manage each single-stage static three-phase symmetric DNR problem. In order to avoid trapping into a local optimum or to facilitate the computational performance, the power moment method and the coding method based on heuristic rules are employed to reduce the solution space. The effectiveness of the proposed H-IFWA is validated on the IEEE 33, 119-bus system and a practical-scale Taiwan power company (TPC) 84-bus test system with DGs.
Challenges and Open Problems of Legal Document Anonymization
Authors: Csányi Gergely Márk , Nagy Dániel , Vági Renátó , Vadász János Pál , Orosz Tamás
Published: August 2021

Data sharing is a central aspect of judicial systems. The openly accessible documents can make the judiciary system more transparent. On the other hand, the published legal documents can contain much sensitive information about the involved persons or companies. For this reason, the anonymization of these documents is obligatory to prevent privacy breaches. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other modern privacy-protecting regulations have strict definitions of private data containing direct and indirect identifiers. In legal documents, there is a wide range of attributes regarding the involved parties. Moreover, legal documents can contain additional information about the relations between the involved parties and rare events. Hence, the personal data can be represented by a sparse matrix of these attributes. The application of Named Entity Recognition methods is essential for a fair anonymization process but is not enough. Machine learning-based methods should be used together with anonymization models, such as differential privacy, to reduce re-identification risk. On the other hand, the information content (utility) of the text should be preserved. This paper aims to summarize and highlight the open and symmetrical problems from the fields of structured and unstructured text anonymization. The possible methods for anonymizing legal documents discussed and illustrated by case studies from the Hungarian legal practice.
An Autochthonous Outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 P.1 Variant of Concern in Southern Italy, April 2021
Authors: Loconsole Daniela , Sallustio Anna , Centrone Francesca , Casulli Daniele , Ferrara Maurizio Mario , Sanguedolce Antonio , Accogli Marisa , Chironna Maria
Published: August 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 P.1 variant of concern (VOC) was first identified in Brazil and is now spreading in European countries. It is characterized by the E484K mutation in the receptor-binding domain, which could contribute to the evasion from neutralizing antibodies. In Italy, this variant was first identified in January 2021. Here, we report an autochthonous outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 P.1 variant infections in southern Italy in subjects who had not travelled to endemic areas or outside the Apulia region. The outbreak involved seven subjects, three of whom had received a COVID-19 vaccine (one had received two doses and two had received one dose). Four patients had a mild clinical presentation. Laboratory investigations of nasopharyngeal swabs revealed that all strains were S-gene target failure-negative and molecular tests revealed they were the P.1 variant. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed that five subjects were infected with closely related strains classified as the P.1 lineage. The circulation of VOCs highlights the importance of strictly monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants through genomic surveillance and of investigating local outbreaks. Furthermore, public health measures including social distancing, screening, and quarantine for travelers are key tools to slow down the viral transmission and to contain and mitigate the impact of VOC diffusion, and rapid scaling-up of vaccination is crucial to avoid a possible new epidemic wave.
The Black Hole Firewall Transformation and Realism in Quantum Mechanics
Authors: ’t Hooft Gerard
Published: August 2021

A procedure to derive a unitary evolution law for a quantised black hole has been proposed by the author. The proposal requires that one starts off with the entire Penrose diagram for the eternal black hole as the background metric, after which one has to invoke the antipodal identification in order to see how the two asymptotic domains of this metric both refer to the same outside world. In this paper, we focus on the need to include time reversal in applying this identification. This forces us to postulate the existence of an ‘anti-vacuum’ state in our world, which is the state where energy density reaches a maximal value. We find that this squares well with the deterministic interpretation of quantum mechanics, according to which quantum Hilbert space is to be regarded as the ‘vector representation’ of a real world. One has to understand how to deal with gravity in such considerations. The non-perturbative component of the gravitational force seems to involve cut-and-paste procedures as dynamical features of space and time, of which the re-arrangement of space-time into two connected domains in the Penrose diagram is a primary example. Thus, we attempt to obtain new insights in the nature of particle interactions at the Planck scale, as well as quantum mechanics itself.
The Alpha Variant (B.1.1.7) of SARS-CoV-2 in Children: First Experience from 3544 Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests in a Cohort of Children in Germany
Authors: Meyer Meike , Holfter Anna , Ruebsteck Esra , Gruell Henning , Dewald Felix , Koerner Robert Walter , Klein Florian , Lehmann Clara , Huenseler Christoph , Weber Lutz Thorsten
Published: August 2021

In May 2021, the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) of SARS-CoV-2 was found in 91% of the SARS-CoV-2 cases in Germany. Not much is known about the symptoms, courses of disease, and infectiousness in pediatric patients with the Alpha variant. Objective: The aim of this retrospective analysis was to gain information on the infection with the Alpha variant in children and adolescents. Methods: Between 12 January 2021 and 3 June 2021, all nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) of children who received a swab for SARS-CoV-2 were included. Data were collected on standardized questionnaires. The analysis of data was anonymized and retrospective. Results: We investigated 3544 NAATs; 95 children were tested positive (2.7%) for SARS-CoV-2. For the sub-analysis, 65 children were analyzed. In 59 children, the Alpha variant was found (90.8%), and 54.2% (n = 32/59) were symptomatic. The most common symptoms were fever, cough, and rhinitis. The median Ct value was 24.0 (min 17.0; max 32.7). Conclusions: We can underline early findings that children are still less effected by SARS-CoV-2 infection with the spread of the Alpha variant. We found no evidence that children infected with the Alpha variant showed more severe symptoms or suffered from a more severe clinical course than those infected with the wild type.
Overlap Intensity: An ImageJ Macro for Analyzing the HIV-1 In Situ Uncoating Assay
Authors: Ingram Zachary , Matheney Hannah , Wise Emma , Weatherford Courtney , Hulme Amy E.
Published: August 2021

Capsid uncoating is at the crossroads of early steps in HIV-1 replication. In recent years, the development of novel assays has expanded how HIV-1 uncoating can be studied. In the in situ uncoating assay, dual fluorescently labelled virus allows for the identification of fused viral cores. Antibody staining then detects the amount of capsid associated with each viral core at different times post-infection. Following fixed cell imaging, manual counting can be used to assess the fusion state and capsid signal for each viral core, but this method can introduce bias with increased time of analysis. To address these limitations, we developed the Overlap Intensity macro in ImageJ. This macro automates the detection of viral cores and quantification of overlapping fusion and capsid signals. We demonstrated the high accuracy of the macro by comparing core detection to manual methods. Analysis of an in situ uncoating assay further verified the macro by detecting progressive uncoating as expected. Therefore, this macro improves the accessibility of the in situ uncoating assay by replacing time-consuming manual methods or the need for expensive data analysis software. Beyond the described assay, the Overlap Intensity macro includes adjustable settings for use in other methods requiring quantification of overlapping fluorescent signals.
FluB-RAM and FluB-RANS: Genome Rearrangement as Safe and Efficacious Live Attenuated Influenza B Virus Vaccines
Authors: Cardenas-Garcia Stivalis , Cáceres C. Joaquín , Jain Aarti , Geiger Ginger , Mo Jong-Suk , Jasinskas Algimantas , Nakajima Rie , Rajao Daniela S. , Davies D. Huw , Perez Daniel R.
Published: August 2021

Influenza B virus (IBV) is considered a major respiratory pathogen responsible for seasonal respiratory disease in humans, particularly severe in children and the elderly. Seasonal influenza vaccination is considered the most efficient strategy to prevent and control IBV infections. Live attenuated influenza virus vaccines (LAIVs) are thought to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses by mimicking a natural infection, but their effectiveness has recently come into question. Thus, the opportunity exists to find alternative approaches to improve overall influenza vaccine effectiveness. Two alternative IBV backbones were developed with rearranged genomes, rearranged M (FluB-RAM) and a rearranged NS (FluB-RANS). Both rearranged viruses showed temperature sensitivity in vitro compared with the WT type B/Bris strain, were genetically stable over multiple passages in embryonated chicken eggs and were attenuated in vivo in mice. In a prime-boost regime in naïve mice, both rearranged viruses induced antibodies against HA with hemagglutination inhibition titers considered of protective value. In addition, antibodies against NA and NP were readily detected with potential protective value. Upon lethal IBV challenge, mice previously vaccinated with either FluB-RAM or FluB-RANS were completely protected against clinical disease and mortality. In conclusion, genome re-arrangement renders efficacious LAIV candidates to protect mice against IBV.
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy—A Scoping Review of Literature in High-Income Countries
Authors: Aw Junjie , Seng Jun Jie Benjamin , Seah Sharna Si Ying , Low Lian Leng
Published: August 2021

Vaccine hesitancy forms a critical barrier to the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in high-income countries or regions. This review aims to summarize rates of COVID-19 hesitancy and its determinants in high-income countries or regions. A scoping review was conducted in Medline®, Embase®, CINAHL®, and Scopus® and was reported in accordance with the PRISMA-SCr checklist. The search was current as of March 2021. Studies which evaluated COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its determinants in high-income countries (US$12,536 or more GNI per capita in 2019) were included. Studies conducted in low, lower-middle, and upper-middle income countries or regions were excluded. Factors associated with vaccine hesitancy were grouped into four themes (vaccine specific, individual, group, or contextual related factors). Of 2237 articles retrieved, 97 articles were included in this review. Most studies were conducted in U.S. (n = 39) and Italy (n = 9). The rates of vaccine hesitancy across high-income countries or regions ranged from 7–77.9%. 46 studies (47.4%) had rates of 30% and more. Younger age, females, not being of white ethnicity and lower education were common contextual factors associated with increased vaccine hesitancy. Lack of recent history of influenza vaccination, lower self-perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, lesser fear of COVID-19, believing that COVID-19 is not severe and not having chronic medical conditions were most frequently studied individual/group factors associated with increased vaccine hesitancy. Common vaccine-specific factors associated with increased vaccine hesitancy included beliefs that vaccine are not safe/effective and increased concerns about rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines. Given the heterogeneity in vaccine hesitancy definitions used across studies, there is a need for standardization in its assessment. This review has summarized COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy determinants that national policymakers can use when formulating health policies related to COVID-19 vaccination.
Assessment of Interannual Variability of Moistening of Siberian Territory According to Observational Data
Authors: Malinin Valeriy , Gordeeva Svetlana , Mitina Julia
Published: August 2021

The article discusses the features of large-scale spatial and temporal variability of moistening (potential evapotranspiration, precipitation, potential evapotranspiration coefficient) in the Siberian part of Russia for the period 1981–2015. The All-Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information—World Data Center (RIHMI-WDC) archive has served as a source of initial information. Due to the rare network of stationary meteorological stations in most of Siberia, only 32 stations located mainly in the valleys of large rivers have been used for calculations. To estimate potential evapotranspiration, the modified method of M.I. Budyko has been used. A comprehensive delimitation of Siberia has been carried out by the interannual fluctuations of characteristics of moistening, being well divided into four regions, three of which encompass the basins of the largest rivers: the Ob, the Yenisei, the Lena and the fourth region represents the Baikal region. Analysis of the trends shows that the evapotranspiration in Siberia is growing only in the Ob basin and the Baikal region. Precipitation, excluding the Baikal region, is also increasing in the Yenisei and Lena basins. As for the potential evapotranspiration coefficient, a significant trend refers only to the Baikal region due to the rapid increase in evaporation. The modeling of the annual values of the characteristics of moistening for the selected regions has been carried out using the decision trees method. For 4-branch trees, the coefficient of determination R2 describes about two-thirds of the variance of the original variable (0.57–0.73). In the models of annual evapotranspiration values, the main predictor is the air temperature. In precipitation models, the contribution of local and external circulation factors to interannual precipitation fluctuations is equal.
Hydrogeochemistry Studies in the Oil Sands Region to Investigate the Role of Terrain Connectivity in Nitrogen Critical Loads
Authors: Gibson John J. , Birks Sandra Jean , Moncur Michael C. , Vallarino Amy , Kusel Caren , Cherry Mikaela
Published: August 2021

Hydrology and geochemistry studies were conducted in the Athabasca Oil Sands region to better understand the water and nitrogen cycles at two selected sites in order to assess the potential for nitrogen transport between adjacent terrain units. A bog—poor fen—upland system was instrumented near Mariana Lakes (ML) (55.899° N, 112.090° W) and a rich fen—upland system was instrumented at JPH (57.122° N, 111.444° W), 100 km south and 45 km north of Fort McMurray, Alberta respectively. LiDAR surveys were initially conducted to delineate the watershed boundaries and topography and to select a range of specific locations for the installation of water table wells and groundwater piezometers. Field work, which included a range of physical measurements as well as water sampling for geochemical and isotopic characterization, was carried out mainly during the thaw seasons of 2011 to 2015. From analysis of the runoff response and nitrogen species abundances we estimate that nitrogen exchange between the wetlands and adjacent terrain units ranged between 2.2 and −3.1 kg/ha/year for rich fens, 0.6 to −1.1 kg/ha/year for poor fens, and between 0.6 and −2.5 kg/ha/year for bogs, predominantly via surface pathways and in the form of dissolved nitrate. A significant storage of dissolved ammonium (and also dissolved organic nitrogen) was found within the pore water of the bog-fen complex at Mariana Lakes, which we attribute to decomposition, although it is likely immobile under current hydrologic conditions, as suggested by tritium distributions. In comparison with the experimental loads of between 5 and 25 kg/ha/year, the potential nitrogen exchange with adjacent terrain units is expected to have only a minor or negligible influence, and is therefore of secondary importance for defining critical loads across the regional landscape. Climate change and development impacts may lead to significant mobilization of nitrogen storages, although more research is required to quantify the potential effects on local ecosystems.
Spatial Variations in Water-Holding Capacity as Evidence of the Need for Precision Irrigation
Authors: Norizan Mohd Shahkhirat , Wayayok Aimrun , Abdullah Ahmad Fikri , Mahadi Muhammad Razif , Abd Karim Yahya
Published: August 2021

Malaysia receives a lot of water from its two main monsoon periods. Generally, there is a lot of precipitation throughout the year, with drought periods lasting less than three months. To date, irrigation has been treated homogenously, even though soil properties can vary spatially over a field, requiring site-specific applications. The aim of this study was to establish an irrigation management zone (IMZ) covering 23.4 ha, which was previously determined under the same soil series. Soil sampling was done according to a grid system over an area of 100 m × 100 m. Three soil depth ranges were examined for every sampling point, namely 0–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm from the soil surface. Samples were taken to a laboratory for physical analysis and determination of the available water-holding capacity (AWHC). Delineation of AWHC values was achieved using GIS software and the Kriging method. Estimated irrigation depth (EID) data for the plantation were collected for the years 2016 and 2017. Afterward, EID and total net irrigation (TNI) data were simulated in the FAO Cropwat model and compared. The results showed that clay, sand, and organic matter (OM) distributions varied with soil depth; however, no strong correlation was found between these variable with AWHC. The IMZ was classified into three areas named zones A, B, and C, ranging from 79 to 167 mm. The crop water requirement (CWR) was 667 mm in 2016 but only 260 mm in 2017. Based on the AWHC values, the EID for 2016 was found to be below the TNI requirement range of about 106 to 110 mm. In contrast, the EID range was approximately 34 to 62 mm and above TNI requirements for 2017. This study indicates that water inputs for irrigation can be optimized with knowledge of the water-holding capacity of a specific soil. Subsequently, this can be related to crop yield and the impact on sustainable agriculture.