bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enrichment of trace metals from acid sulfate soils in sediments of the Kvarken Archipelago, eastern Gulf of Bothnia, Baltic Sea
Authors: Virtasalo Joonas J. , Österholm Peter , Kotilainen Aarno T. , Åström Mats E.
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Rivers draining the acid sulfate soils of western Finland are known to deliver large amounts of trace metals with detrimental environmental consequences to the recipient estuaries in the eastern Gulf of Bothnia, northern Baltic Sea. However, the distribution of these metals in
the coastal sea area and the relevant metal transport mechanisms have been
less studied. This study investigates the spatial and temporal distribution
of metals in sediments at nine sites in the Kvarken Archipelago, which is the recipient system of Laihianjoki and Sulvanjoki rivers that are impacted by acid sulfate soils. The contents of Cd, Co, Cu, La, Mn, Ni, and Zn increased in the cores during the 1960s and 1970s as a consequence of intensive artificial drainage of the acid sulfate soil landscape. Metal deposition has remained at high levels since the 1980s. The metal enrichment in sea floor sediments is currently visible at least 25 km seaward from the river mouths. Comparison with sediment quality guidelines shows that the metal contents are very likely to cause detrimental effects on marine biota more than 12 km out from the river mouths. The dynamic sedimentary environment of the shallow archipelago makes these sediments potential future sources of metals to the ecosystem. Finally, the strong association of metals and nutrients in the same sediment grain size class of 2–6 µm suggests that the transformation of dissolved organic matter and metals to metal–organic aggregates at the river mouths is the key mechanism of seaward trace metal transport, in addition to co-precipitation with Mn oxyhydroxides identified in previous studies. The large share of terrestrial organic carbon in the total organic C in these sediments (interquartile range – 39 %–48 %) highlights the importance of riverine organic matter supply. These findings are important for the estimation of environmental risks and the management of biologically sensitive coastal sea ecosystems.
High-resolution in situ observations of atmospheric thermodynamics
using dropsondes during the Organization of Tropical East Pacific
Convection (OTREC) field campaign
Authors: Vömel Holger , Goodstein Mack , Tudor Laura , Witte Jacquelyn , Fuchs-Stone Željka , Sentić Stipo , Raymond David , Martinez-Claros Jose , Juračić Ana , Maithel Vijit , Whitaker Justin W.
Published: December 2020

Abstract. The Organization of Tropical East Pacific Convection (OTREC) field campaign investigated the dynamical structure of convection in the tropical east Pacific and Caribbean. One of central data sets for this field campaign is the thermodynamic structure of the atmosphere measured by dropsondes released from the NSF/NCAR G V research aircraft. Between 7 August and 2 October 2019, 648 dropsonde were successfully released from twenty-two research flights. Soundings were launched in a grid pattern with a typical spacing of 1° longitude and 1.2° latitude and provide profiles of pressure, temperature, humidity, and winds between the surface and on average 13.3 km. Of these soundings, 636 provided complete vertical profiles of all parameters with a nominal vertical resolution between 6 to 12 m from the surface to almost flight altitude. OTREC deployed the new NRD41 dropsonde, which is the most advanced model that has been developed at NCAR. Here, we describe the data set, the processing of the measurements, and general statistics of all dropsonde observations. The dataset is available at https://doi.org/10.26023/EHRT-TN96-9W04 (UCAR/NCAR, 2019).
SCARLET-1.0: SpheriCal Approximation for viRtuaL aggrEgaTes
Authors: Rossi Eduardo , Bonadonna Costanza
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Aggregation of particles occurs in a large variety of settings, and, therefore, it is the focus of many disciplines, e.g. Earth and environmental sciences, astronomy, meteorology, pharmacy, food industry. It is thus very important to provide a full description of the outcome of an aggregation process, starting from its basic features such as the position in space of its components and the overall porosity of the final object. We present SCARLET-1.0, a Matlab package specifically created to provide a 3D virtual reconstruction of aggregates in central oriented collisions that can be later 3D printed. With aggregates in central oriented collisions we refer to aggregates that build up their own structure around the first particle (the core) acting as a seed. SCARLET-1.0 belongs to the class of sphere-composite algorithms, a family of algorithms that approximate 3D complex shapes in terms of not-overlapping spheres. The conversion of a 3D surface in its equivalent spherical approximation allows an analytical computation of their intersections. Thus, provided a vector of sizes and shapes, SCARLET-1.0 places each element in the vector around the core minimizing the distances between their centers of mass. The user can play with three main parameters that are in charge of controlling the minimization process, namely the solid angle of the cone of investigation (Ω), the number of rays per cone (Nr), and the number of orientations of the object (No). All the 3D shapes are described using the STL format, the nowadays standard for 3D printing. This is one of the key features of SCARLET-1.0, which results in an unlimited range of application of the package. The main outcome of the code is the virtual representation of the object, its size, porosity, density and the associated STL file. As an example, here SCARLET-1.0 has been applied to the investigation of ellipsoid-ellipsoid collisions and to a more specific analysis of volcanic ash aggregation. In the first application we show that the final porosity of two colliding ellipsoids is less than 20 % if flatness and elongation are greater than or equal to 0.5. Higher values of porosities (up to 40–50 %) can be, instead, found for ellipsoids with needle-like or extremely flat shapes. In the second application, we reconstruct the evolution in time of the porosity of two different aggregates characterized by different inner structures. We find that aggregates whose population of particles is characterized by a narrow distribution of sizes tend to rapidly reach a plateau in the porosity. In addition, to reproduce the observed densities, almost no minimization is necessary in SCARLET-1.0; a result that suggests how these objects are quite far from the maximum packing condition often investigated in literature.
Assessment of the ParFlow-CLM CONUS 1.0 integrated hydrologic
model: Evaluation of hyper-resolution water balance components
across the contiguous United States
Authors: O'Neill Mary M. F. , Tijerina Danielle T. , Condon Laura E. , Maxwell Reed M.
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Recent advancements in computational efficiency and earth system modeling have awarded hydrologists with increasingly high-resolution models of terrestrial hydrology, which are paramount to understanding and predicting complex fluxes of moisture and energy. Continental-scale hydrologic simulations are, in particular, of interest to the hydrologic community for numerous societal, scientific and operational benefits. The coupled hydrology-land surface model ParFlow-CLM configured over the continental United States (PFCONUS) has been employed in previous literature to study scale-dependent connections between water table depth, topography, recharge, and evapotranspiration, as well as to explore impacts of anthropogenic aquifer depletion to the water and energy balance. These studies have allowed for an unprecedented, process-based understanding of the continental water cycle at high resolution. Here, we provide the most comprehensive evaluation of PFCONUS version 1.0 (PFCONUSv1) performance to date, comparing numerous modeled water balance components with thousands of in situ observations and several remote sensing products, and using a range of statistical performance metrics for evaluation. PFCONUSv1 comparisons with these datasets are a promising indicator of model fidelity and ability to appropriately reproduce the continental-scale water balance at high resolution. Areas for improvement are identified, such as a positive streamflow bias at gauges in the eastern Great Plains, a shallow water table bias over many areas of the model domain, and low bias in seasonal total water storage amplitude especially for the Ohio, Missouri and Arkansas river basins. We discuss several potential sources for model bias and suggest that minimizing error in topographic processing and meteorological forcing would considerably improve model performance. Results here provide a benchmark and guidance for further PFCONUS model development, and they highlight the importance of concurrently evaluating all hydrologic components and fluxes to provide a multivariate, holistic validation of the complete modeled water balance.
Intensification characteristics of hydroclimatic extremes in the Asian monsoon region under 1.5 and 2.0 °C of global warming
Authors: Kim Jeong-Bae , Bae Deg-Hyo
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Understanding the influence of global warming on regional hydroclimatic extremes is challenging. To reduce the potential risk of extremes under future climate states, assessing the change in extreme climate events is important, especially in Asia, due to spatial variability of climate and its seasonal variability. Here, the changes in hydroclimatic extremes are assessed over the Asian monsoon region under global mean temperature warming targets of 1.5 and 2.0 ∘C above preindustrial levels based on representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. Analyses of the subregions classified using regional climate characteristics are performed based on the multimodel ensemble mean (MME) of five bias-corrected global climate models (GCMs). For runoff extremes, the
hydrologic responses to 1.5 and 2.0 ∘C global warming targets are
simulated based on the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model. Changes
in temperature extremes show increasing warm extremes and decreasing cold
extremes in all climate zones with strong robustness under global warming
conditions. However, the hottest extreme temperatures occur more frequently
in low-latitude regions with tropical climates. Changes in mean annual
precipitation and mean annual runoff and low-runoff extremes represent the large spatial variations with weak robustness based on intermodel
agreements. Global warming is expected to consistently intensify maximum
extreme precipitation events (usually exceeding a 10 % increase in
intensity under 2.0 ∘C of warming) in all climate zones. The
precipitation change patterns directly contribute to the spatial extent and
magnitude of the high-runoff extremes. Regardless of regional climate characteristics and RCPs, this behavior is expected to be enhanced under the 2.0 ∘C (compared with the 1.5 ∘C) warming scenario and increase the likelihood of flood risk (up to 10 %). More importantly, an extra 0.5 ∘C of global warming under two RCPs will amplify the change in hydroclimatic extremes on temperature, precipitation, and runoff with strong robustness, especially in cold (and polar) climate zones. The
results of this study clearly show the consistent changes in regional
hydroclimatic extremes related to temperature and high precipitation and
suggest that hydroclimatic sensitivities can differ based on regional
climate characteristics and type of extreme variables under warmer conditions over Asia.
Iron and aluminum association with microbially processed organic matter via meso-density aggregate formation across soils: organo-metallic glue hypothesis
Authors: Wagai Rota , Kajiura Masako , Asano Maki
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Global significance of iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) for
the storage of organic matter (OM) in soils and surface sediments is
increasingly recognized. Yet specific metal phases involved or the mechanism
behind metal–OM correlations frequently shown across soils remain unclear. We identified the allocation of major metal phases and OM to density
fractions using 23 soil samples from five climate zones and five soil orders (Andisols, Spodosols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Ultisols) from Asia and North
America, including several subsurface horizons and both natural and managed
soils. Each soil was separated into four to seven density fractions using sodium polytungstate with mechanical shaking, followed by the sequential extraction
of each fraction with pyrophosphate (PP), acid oxalate (OX), and finally
dithionite–citrate (DC) to estimate pedogenic metal phases of different solubility and crystallinity. The concentrations of Fe and Al (per fraction) extracted by each of the three reagents were generally higher in
meso-density fractions (1.8–2.4 g cm−3) than in the lower- or
higher-density fractions, showing a unique unimodal pattern along the
particle density gradient for each soil. Across the studied soils, the
maximum metal concentrations were always at the meso-density range within
which PP-extractable metals peaked at 0.3–0.4 g cm−3 lower-density range relative to OX- and DC-extractable metals. Meso-density fractions,
consisting largely of aggregated clusters based on SEM observation,
accounted for on average 56 %–70 % of total extractable metals and OM
present in these soils. The OM in meso-density fractions showed a 2–23 unit lower C : N ratio than the lowest-density fraction of the respective soil and thus appeared microbially processed relative to the original plant material. The
amounts of PP- and OX-extractable metals correlated positively with
co-dissolved C across the soils and, to some extent, across the density
fractions within each soil. These results led to a hypothesis which involves
two distinct levels of organo-metal interaction: (1) the formation of
OM-rich, mixed metal phases with fixed OM : metal stoichiometry followed by
(2) the development of meso-density microaggregates via “gluing” action of
these organo-metallic phases by entraining other organic and mineral
particles such as phyllosilicate clays. Given that OM is mainly located in
meso-density fractions, a soil's capacity to protect OM may be controlled by
the balance of three processes: (i) microbial processing of plant-derived
OM, (ii) dissolution of metals, and (iii) the synthesis of organo-metallic
phases and their association with clays to form meso-density
microaggregates. The current hypothesis may help to fill the gap between
well-studied molecular-scale interaction (e.g., OM adsorption on mineral surface, coprecipitation) and larger-scale processes such as aggregation, C
accrual, and pedogenesis.
Global trends in the performance of large wind farms based on high-fidelity simulations
Authors: Andersen Søren Juhl , Breton Simon-Philippe , Witha Björn , Ivanell Stefan , Sørensen Jens Nørkær
Published: December 2020

Abstract. A total of 18 high-fidelity simulations of large wind farms have been performed by three different institutions using various inflow conditions and simulation setups. The setups differ in how the atmospheric turbulence, wind shear and wind turbine rotors are modeled, encompassing a wide range of commonly used modeling methods within the large eddy simulation (LES) framework. Various turbine spacings, atmospheric turbulence intensity levels and incoming wind velocities are considered. The work performed is part of the International Energy Agency (IEA) wind task Wakebench and is a continuation of previously published results on the subject. This work aims at providing a methodology for studying the general flow behavior in large wind farms in a systematic way. It seeks to investigate and further understand the global trends in wind farm performance, with a focus on variability. Parametric studies first map the effect of various parameters on large aligned wind farms, including wind turbine spacing, wind shear and atmospheric turbulence intensity. The results are then aggregated and compared to engineering models as well as LES results from other investigations to provide an overall picture of how much power can be extracted from large wind farms operating below the rated level. The simple engineering models, although they cannot capture the variability features, capture the general trends well. Response surfaces are constructed based on the large number of aggregated LES data corresponding to a wide range of large wind farm layouts. The response surfaces form a basis for mapping the inherently varying power characteristics inside very large wind farms, including how much the turbines are able to exploit the turbulent fluctuations within the wind farms and estimating the associated uncertainty, which is valuable information useful for risk mitigation.
Cabildeo de los grupos empresariales en el Congreso mexicano : LXII legislatura
Authors: Hernández Gutiérrez Luis Rubén
Published: December 2020

This paper analyzes the business lobbying in the Mexican Congress during LXII Legislature, with Taxes and Telecommunication reform legislative processes as case studies. The argument is as follows: the signing of Pacto por México formed a stable legislative coalition between government and opposition, against which the business groups failed to articulate an effective strategy. In fact, their participation was isolated and contradictory, therefore their influence was limited.
Synthesis of past isotope hydrology investigations in the area of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Authors: Nagode Klara , Kanduč Tjaša , Lojen Sonja , Bračič Železnik Branka , Jamnik Brigita , Vreča Polona
Published: December 2020

Water isotope investigations are a powerful tool in water resources research as well as in understanding the impact that humans have on the water cycle. This paper reviews past hydrological investigations of the Ljubljansko polje and Ljubljansko barje aquifers that supply drinking water to the City of Ljubljana, with an emphasis on hydrogen, oxygen and carbon stable isotope ratios. Information about the methods used and results obtained are summarised, and the knowledge gaps identified. Overall, we identified 102 records published between 1976 and 2019. Among them, 41 reported stable isotope data of groundwater, surface water and precipitation and were further analysed. Isotope investigations of the Ljubljansko barje began in 1976, while groundwater and surface water investigations of the Ljubljansko polje and along the Sava River began as late as 1997. Isotope investigations of carbon started even later in 2003 in the Ljubljansko polje and in 2010 in the Ljubljansko barje. These investigations were performed predominantly in the frame of short-term groundwater research projects at five main wellfields and sites along the Sava River. Almost no large-scale, long-term stable isotope studies have been conducted. The exceptions include groundwater monitoring by the Union Brewery in Ljubljana (2003- 2014) and precipitation in Ljubljana since 1981. Since 2011, more detailed surveys of the Ljubljansko barje were performed, and in 2018, the first extensive investigation started at wellfields and objects that form part of the domestic water supply system. Given the number of available studies, we felt that publishing all the numerical data and appropriate metadata would allow for a better understanding of the short and long-term dynamics of water circulation in the urban environment. In the future, systematic long-term approaches, including the appropriate use of isotopic techniques, are needed.
Success’ Conditions of Microfinance to Fostering Sustainable Development
Authors: Lassoued Mongi
Published: December 2020

With a loan portfolio estimated at $124.1 billion in 2018, 139.9 million borrowers benefited from microfinance services, compared to just 98 million in 2009 (World Bank Group, 2018). Despite a low quality portfolio and high borrowers' costs, the portfolio in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) shows a remarkable increase of 20% but with a decrease of 6.6 points (Microfinance Barometer, 2019). Most of empirical studies have focused on the issue of microfinance, and research conducted on the effectiveness of microcredit is surprisingly scarce or even non-existent in the MENA region. In addition, microcredit could lead to sustainable development in the region via an income effect. The main objective of this paper is to determine the impact of microcredit on sustainable development for 10 selected MENA countries over the period 1990-2018. Empirical results paradoxically show a negative effect of microcredit on sustainable development. Although, the limitations of data, the present paper also contributes to the existing literature by advising conditions for the success of microcredit aiming for a better promotion of sustainable development.
Keeping Patients Safe: The Critical Role of Medical Error Recovery
Authors: A. Gaffney Theresa
Published: December 2020

Two decades after the Institute of Medicine Report, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System illuminated the high number of preventable deaths and adverse events associated with health care, medical errors remain a top global concern. To date, resources have been focused on preventing medical errors; however, the importance of error recovery must not be overlooked. Medical errors cannot be fully eliminated from our health care system, yet many errors can be recovered thus preventing patient harm. This chapter will (1) define and describe the error recovery process, (2) discuss the role of health care providers in error recovery, (3) explore strategies that enhance and prohibit error recovery, and (4) analyze characteristics that influence error recovery. Given the importance of patient safety within the health care industry, health care professionals and organizations must focus on both error prevention and error recovery as a key strategy in keeping patients safe.
Lubricant and Lubricant Additives
Authors: Puhan Debashis
Published: December 2020

Lubricants have been used by humans for thousands of years in their simple machines such as wheel-axle bearings and sledges. Modern machines are much more complicated and are composed of many different machine elements which are in relative motion under varying loads, speeds and temperatures. Industrial lubricants are significant for all kinds of industries whether machine building, chemical, textile, wood, food-processing, automotive, or wind power. Today’s lubricants have evolved to a complex mixture of chemical structures that ensure not only lower friction but also provide various other functionality such as lower wear, improved heat transfer, sealing, as well as control of soot, impurities, sludge and deposit formation in the mechanical equipment. Lubricant research and development has become indispensable in automotive engines and drive trains as these have been rapidly advancing towards smaller sizes, increased power, better fuel economy and lesser emissions. Development of lubricant additives and lubricant formulation has led to extended service intervals, enhanced fuel efficiency and improved machine durability. Future trends of lubricant development and use in the Industry 4.0 era and rise of electric vehicles look promising where several stakeholders already have taken their first steps.
Relative Biological Effectiveness Studies Using 3 MeV Proton Beam from Folded Tandem Ion Accelerator: An Experimental and Theoretical Approach
Authors: K. Nairy Rajesha , N. Bhat Nagesh , Anjaria K.B. , Yadav Usha , Chaurasia Rajesh , Shirsath Kapil , Desai Utkarsha , Gupta S.K. , Sapra B.K. , Yerol Narayana
Published: December 2020

Proton being the easiest light ion to accelerate and achieve desired beam profile, has been pursued as a popular particulate radiation for therapy applications. In the present study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 strain was used to estimate the RBE values of the 3 MeV proton beam, and an attempt was made to derive mathematical formula for calculating RBE value with respect to the dose. Dosimetry studies were carried out using Fricke dosimetry and Semiconductor Surface Barrier detector to calibrate the absorbed doses of Gamma chamber-1200 and Folded Tandem Ion Accelerator respectively. Gold standard cell survival assay and gene conversion assay were used to compare gamma and proton radiation induced cell death and genetic endpoint. Multi target single hit model was used to derive mathematical formula for RBE estimation. The results show a linear survival-dose response after proton radiation and sigmoid survival-dose response after gamma radiation treatment. The calculated RBE value from the survival and gene conversion studies was 1.60 and 3.93, respectively. The derived mathematical formula is very useful in calculating RBE value, which varies from 3.61 to 1.80 with increasing dose. The estimated RBE value from the mathematical formula is comparable with the experimental values. With the help of the present mathematical formulation, RBE value at any dose can be calculated in the exponential and sigmoidal regions of the survival curve without actually extending the experiment in that dose region, which is not possible using conventional methods.
CSR and Innovation: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Authors: Hlioui Zaineb , Yousfi Ouidad
Published: December 2020

In this chapter, we analyze the association between CSR and innovation. We state that CSR concept has evolved over time and has changed the way innovation is conceived. The state of art shows that CSR activities have been responsively introduced to achieve the stakeholders’ needs and standards, to become gradually more strategic activities. In fact, many firms have been involved in CSR projects dealing with the reputation enhancement, the stakeholders’ reciprocation, the risk mitigation, and the improvement of the innovation capacity mechanisms. We show the presence of a virtuous dynamic between strategic CSR and innovation: firms have to present strategic CSR activities in the core of their innovative strategies. Sustainable innovations are effective tools to foster CSR activities and, therefore, social performance. Furthermore, we show that the CSR-innovation influence is driven by specific channels such as the company’s competitiveness, strategies’ developments, and framework. Besides, we shed light on the effects of board diversity, managerial cognition, and corporate cognitive-governance on CSR-innovation association. Finally, we provide an empirical evidence from the SBF120 French companies over the period from 2010 to 2016. We present the nonlinear effect of innovation on the current CSR scores, using a semi-parametric estimation. Our results confirm the divers perception of CSR and its components at the different innovation levels.
Comparative Evaluation of Various Statistical Models and Its Accuracy for Landslide Risk Mapping: A Case Study on Part of Himalayan Region, India
Authors: Prakasam C. , R. Aravinth , S. Kanwar Varinder , Nagarajan B.
Published: December 2020

Among other natural hazards, Landslides are the most prominent and frequently occurring natural disaster in the state of Himachal Pradesh with higher socio-economical losses. About 0.42 million sq.kms of area are prone to landslide activities in our country that is excluding the snow covered areas. The current research focuses on estimating the landslide risk zones of the Shimla Tehsil, Himachal Pradesh using various statistical models. Landslide contributing factors as such Landuse Landcover, Elevation, Slope, Lithology, Soil, Geology and Geomorphology has been used to assess the Landslide risk factors. Data obtained from LANDSAT 8 OLI sensors, SRTM DEM, Soil and Land Use Survey of India and SOI Toposheets have been used as sources. Weighted Overlay, Fuzzy logic and Analytical Hierarchical Process models will be used to categorize the Vulnerability and risk Zones of the study area. The causative factors were analyzed and processed in GIS environment. These values will be then being integrated using various studied models to produce individual landslide vulnerability and risk zones. The results reveal that most of the study area falls under Very Low risk category with a total coverage of 67.34%. Low and Moderate area covers about 23% and 9.13% of the study area. Higher risk areas only account for about 0.46%. Higher percent of the study area is mostly covered by settlements. National highways, Metal roads, Slopes and Denser settlements are located along the Moderate and low risk areas. The results retrieved from the WOM model reveals a total of 55% of the area comes under very low category. Low and Moderate category covers about 31.4% and 10.6% of the study area. High and Very High category cover a total of 1.9% together.
Sustainable Pathway for Closing Solid Waste Data Gaps: Implications for Modernization Strategies and Resilient Cities in Developing Countries
Authors: Oduro-Appiah Kwaku , Afful Abraham
Published: December 2020

This chapter addresses three peculiar challenges in the solid waste management system of developing countries, namely: the chronic lack of reliable data for planning purposes, the absence of participatory engagement strategies in data gathering for wider ownership and usage, and the lack of monitoring of the climate change burden of existing waste disposal practices. A team of researchers has collaborated with system managers and a responsible philanthropic organization to engage key stakeholders to address these gaps in a sustainable manner. The strategy deployed has been to work in a participatory and evidenced-based frame to solicit support, enhance capacities, empower each other to understand the problems and find for ourselves the practical routes by which solid waste data gaps can be closed in the greater Accra region of Ghana. Stakeholders have participated in a comprehensive waste audit and landfill emission monitoring exercise to develop a baseline, and have used local resources and ideas to recommend steps to sustain reliable data flows and the development of a climate action plan for purposes of modernization. The methodological processes and research outcomes suggest that structural collaboration between researchers and system stakeholders is necessary to break the vicious circle of chronic data gaps and substitute virtuous circles of reliable data for planning purposes.
Flame Retardant Treatments of Nylon Textiles: A Shift towards Eco-Friendly Approaches
Authors: Kumar Kundu Chanchal , Li Zhiwei , Song Lei , Hu Yuan
Published: December 2020

Among the synthetic polymeric textiles, Nylon (Polyamide) textiles (Nylon66/Nylon 6) are one of the most widely used materials, especially as apparel and industrial uses for their excellent properties, namely higher strength and good wear resistance. Unfortunately, due to their organic structures, they show the relative ease of burning, which poses a great risk to fire. For the flame retardant (FR) treatment of nylon textiles, several strategies have been developed throughout the years and the earlier studies show the enormous uses of petroleum-based flame retardant compounds via energy intensive application methods. However, the rapid improvement in living standards as well as the recent call for a reduction of environmental impacts during manufacturing and use have been pushed researchers to come up with environmentally benign chemistries and processes. Therefore, the challenges in search of the most sustainable, efficient and durable flame retardant treatments for nylon textiles still remain as a hot topic to be addressed. This chapter discusses the eco-friendly approaches that have been taken in escalating the fire performance of these novel nylon textiles, especially focusing on the applied compounds and the application techniques along with the durability issues of such applications.
Orthopedic Approach to Spina Bifida
Authors: C. Okubo Roselle , Silveri Claudio , C. Belzarena Ana
Published: December 2020

Spina bifida is a common nervous system malformation and it encompasses a wide array of presentations with diverse orthopedic challenges. Manifestations of this disease can include dislocates hips, joint contractures, spine deformity such as scoliosis or kyphosis, clubfeet and limb rotational deformities. Additionally, many of these patients are non-ambulatory and prone to osteoporosis induced pathological fractures. The care of spina bifida patients is a challenging one, requiring many health care professionals from different areas to be working in conjunction. Nowadays, spina bifida patients live longer due to advances in health care and improving the quality of life of these patients is paramount.
Driving a Sustainable University-Industry Partnership
Authors: Abd Manan Zainuddin , Rafidah Wan Alwi Sharifah
Published: December 2020

There has been a lot of emphasis on the need for academia-industry collaboration. A successful and sustainable academia-industry partnership can result from a university’s efforts in driving values in its collaboration with industry. This chapter describes a model for mainstreaming a sustainable university partnership with industry through the university’s academic curriculum. The University-Industry Innovation eXchange (UNIX) internship program is a project-based industrial training scheme that is integrated with research projects to provide students with an engaging experience of working with industry for up to one year to solve practical industrial problems. Successful implementation of UNIX projects within the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) work-based curriculum contributes toward nurturing life-ready and job-ready graduates, development of resilient and sustainable organisation through improved operations, and enhanced university-industry partnership.
Teacher Professional Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development
Authors: Yue Xiaoyao , Ji Ruixuan
Published: December 2020

At present, combining sustainable development with education has become one of the school’s missions. Students must master sustainable development skills. In order to explore the ideal method of K-12 teachers’ professional competence in Education for Sustainable Development and determine the talent leadership strategy can enhance the professional competence of teachers in the 21st century sustainable development education, this study uses content analysis. The author systematically reviewed and analyzed related research work on sustainable development education, teachers’ professional abilities and talent leadership strategies. According to the comprehensive results of content analysis, the ideal way for K-12 teachers to achieve professional sustainability is as follows: content focuses on sustainability with 21st century skills, collaboration with peers, active learning, and application of learning sustainability in practice Model, peer guidance, feedback and evaluation, duration, and teacher professional development. In order to achieve the second research goal, the authors found that talent leadership strategies can enhance the sustainable development of K-12 teachers’ professional capabilities, including K-12 teacher professional development methods, K-12 teacher professional capabilities, student performance and focus on student performance.
Reductions in Cardiopulmonary Disease Risk Following Calisthenic Concurrent Aerobic and Resistance Training in Young Adults in a Low Resource Setting
Authors: Shaw Ina , Turner Stacey , McCrorie Christy , Schnetler Ashleigh , Shaw Brandon Stuwart
Published: December 2020

Background: Studies have demonstrated that young adults, especially in low- to middle-income countries, are increasingly susceptible to unfavorable alterations in body composition during their transition from adolescence to adulthood. This places young adults at an increased risk for numerous chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular, and/or pulmonary diseases. Objectives: This study aimed to determine if concurrent aerobic and resistance calisthenic training could reduce cardiopulmonary disease risk in young adults in a low resource setting. Methods: Thirty young adult males were randomly assigned to either a six-week non-exercising control group (NON) or concurrent aerobic or resistance training group (CON) that engaged in three, non-consecutive, 60-minute exercise sessions using a combination of 4 - 5 progressive resistance training exercises for two sets of 15 - 20 repetitions and 30 minutes of aerobic exercises at a rating of perceived exertion of 9 - 15. This study assessed anthropometry (body mass, stature, body mass index waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-stature ratio, sum of skinfolds, percentage body fat, fat mass, fat free mass and conicity index) and lung function (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expired volume in one second (FEV1), forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity ratio (FEV1/FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal expiratory flow at 75% (MEF75%), maximal expiratory flow at 50% (MEF50%) and maximal expiratory flow at 25 (MEF25%). Results: Concurrent training resulted in significant (P ≤ 0.05) improvements in waist-to-hip ratio (0.94 ± 0.04 to 0.92 ± 0.05; P = 0.042), fat free mass (57.46 ± 9.16 to 58.21 ± 8.65 kg; P = 0.018), percentage body fat (14.56 ± 5.96 to 13.24 ± 5.77%, P = 0.006), fat mass (10.22 ± 5.31 to 9.29 ± 5.17 kg; P = 0.008), sum of skinfolds (96.22 ± 35.64 to 87.67 ± 32.15 mm; P = 0.004), PEF (5.06 ± 2.04 to 6.57 ± 2.51 L; P = 0.018), MEF75% (4.78 ± 2.01 to 6.24 ± 1.99 L.sec-1; P = 0.026), MEF50% (4.08 ± 1.20 to 5.24 ± 1.44 L.sec-1; P = 0.043) and MEF25% (2.66 ± 0.63 to 3.31 ± 1.87 L.sec-1; P = 0.038). Conclusions: The findings support the feasibility and efficacy of a simple and inexpensive concurrent aerobic and resistance training program to simultaneously improve body composition and lung function in an attempt to curb the increasing incidence of overweight/obesity and associated lung dysfunction in young adults in a low resource setting.
The Relationship Between Mothers' Mental Health and Violence Against Their Children
Authors: Çalgi Berna
Published: December 2020

Background: The negative life experiences and mental state of the mothers cause them to be inadequate to meet the needs of their children and to show negligent-abusive behavior towards their children. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mothers' mental health status and neglect/emotional-physical violence behavior towards their children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional quantitative study. The population of the study consists of women who had children aged 0-11 years who applied to a public hospital in Istanbul in the first quarter of 2016. In the study, Self-Reporting Questionnaire-SRQ was used to measure the mental health of mothers, and violence questionnaire was used to measure the violent behaviors of mothers towards their children. SPSS 20.0 program was used for statistical analysis. Results: It was found that almost half of the mothers had high psychological / psychiatric problems (above the threshold). It was found that the rates of high level of emotional violence, low and high level of physical violence against the children of mothers with a Self-Reporting Questionnaire-SRQ above the threshold were higher. In addition, a statistically significant difference was found between traumatic life experiences and mothers' neglect behavior towards the child and this difference was not found in the abuse types. Conclusions: In families with traumatic events, negligent behaviors of mothers towards their children are observed more frequently. In families with high traumatic life experiences, negligent behaviors of mothers towards their children are seen at a higher rate than families with low traumatic life experiences.
A Comparison of the Sevoflurane and Total Intravenous Anesthesia on the Quality of Recovery in 2 to 10-Year-Old Children
Authors: Sheikhzade Dariush , Razaghipour Mehdi , Seyedhejazi Mahin , Aliakbari Sharabiani Behzad , Marahem Marzieh
Published: December 2020

Background: Inhalant anesthesia is one of the mainstays of pediatric anesthesia, and it is considered by the majority of pediatric anesthetists worldwide as the gold standard. On the other hand, total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) is a very popular choice for routine pediatric anesthesia practice. Therefore, utilization of TIVA compared to the volatile anesthesia is still a topic of debate in successful anesthesia management. Objectives: To compare TIVA vs sevoflurane-based anesthesia on the quality of recovery in children aged 2 to 10 years who had outpatient surgery. Methods: Eighty children, aged 2 to 10 years old undergoing outpatient surgery, were randomly divided into two groups (40 patients each). The TIVA group with propofol (T) received general anesthesia induced with midazolam 0.03 - 0.05 mg/kg, fentanyl 1 mcg/kg, propofol 3 - 5 mg/kg, 0.1 mg/kg lidocaine and maintenance with propofol 100 to 250 μg/kg.min and remifantanil 0.1 mcg/kg. The sevoflurane (S) group received general anesthesia induced with midazolam 0.03 - 0.05 mg/kg, fentanyl 1 mcg/kg, O2/sevoflurane 8 vol%, maintenance with 2 - 3 vol%. Demographic characteristics, awakening quality in recovery, hemodynamic status, and other complications such as patient agitation, pain, nausea, and vomiting were evaluated in both groups. Results: Patients did not differ significantly in terms of demographic characteristics. The incidence of postoperative agitation was 62% higher in the sevoflurane group than the TIVA group (5%, P < 0.001). The highest percentage of pain was obtained as 52.5% in the sevoflurane group. Postoperative nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly among groups, and there was a significant decrease in the heart rate of the subjects in the T group as one of the hemodynamic variables (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Inhalation anesthesia with sevoflurane led to more rapid recovery from anesthesia, and TIVA with propofol injection reduced post-operative pain and agitation compared to patients receiving sevoflurane. Therefore, TIVA with propofol infusion is probably an effective technique to maintain general anesthesia in pediatric outpatient surgery and to increase parental satisfaction, and to reduce the workload of recovery room staff.
Relationship Between Salivary Nitric Oxide Concentration and Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Elyassi Gorji Nadia , Shafaroudi Ali Malekzadeh , Nasiri Pegah , Moosazadeh Mahmood , Nahvi Azam
Published: December 2020

Context: Conflicting results have been reported in the literature concerning the relationship between salivary nitrous oxide concentration and dental caries in children. Metaanalysis studies aim to combine different studies and reduce the difference between the parameters by increasing the number of studies involved in the analysis process. Objectives: Accordingly, this meta-analysis study aimed at determining the relationship between salivary nitrous oxide concentration and dental caries in children. Methods: Databases were searched using the keywords “nitric oxide”, “salivary”, “Caries”, “DMFT Index”, “children”, “early childhood caries” and OR, AND and NOT operators. Quality assessment was then performed based on the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) checklist. The standardized mean difference (SMD) of DMFT, dmft, and salivary nitric oxide (NO) concentration was estimated. Results: Seven studies made a comparison between the mean salivary NO concentration in children with dental caries and that in the control group. In four studies, the mean salivary NO concentration in children with dental caries was lower, as compared to that in the control group. This difference was significant in all four studies. Also, the mean standardized difference of the salivary NO index was also estimated to be -0.11 (CI 95%: -1.77, 1.55). Conclusions: This meta-analysis study demonstrated that salivary NO concentration was not significantly related to dental caries. Moreover, since salivary NO concentration is affected by various factors, it is not sufficient to determine the likelihood of the incidence of caries.
Braincase and endocranium of the Placodont Parahenodus atancensis de Miguel Chaves, Ortega & Pérez-García, 2018, a representative of the highly specialized clade Henodontidae
Authors: CHAVES Carlos DE MIGUEL , SERRANO Alejandro , ORTEGA Francisco , PÉREZ-GARCÍA Adán
Published: December 2020

Parahenodus atancensis de Miguel Chaves, Ortega & Pérez-García, 2018 is a recently described bizarre cyamodontoid placodont, based on a partial but well-preserved Spanish Upper Triassic skull. It was identified as the sister taxon of the German highly specialized Henodus chelyops Huene, 1936. The use of micro-computed tomography has been able to significantly increase knowledge of the cranial anatomy of Parahenodus atancensis by the characterization of several bones and structures previously unknown for this taxon, as well as to obtain a partial reconstruction of its brain endocast and associated endocranial structures, poorly known in most Triassic sauropterygians. In addition, we identify several synapomorphies of the braincase of Cyamodontoidea so far unknown in Henodontidae, improving knowledge about this clade. The study of the endocranium and neurosensory structures of Parahenodus atancensis suggests a relatively lower reliance on vision, the pineal system and the pituitary than in other Triassic sauropterygians.
Oxidants and antioxidants in myocardial infarction (MI): Investigation of ischemia modified albumin, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and catalase in individuals diagnosed with ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI)
Authors: Aladağ Nesim , Asoğlu Ramazan , Ozdemir Mahmut , Asoğlu Emin , Derin Atabey , Demir Canan , Demir Halit
Published: December 2020

Background: Coronary ischemia can lead to myocardial damage and necrosis. The pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases often includes increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant defense. The study aimed to assess levels of ischemia modified albumin (IMA), malondialdehyde acid (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase in individuals diagnosed with ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI. Methods: The present study prospectively included 50 STEMI patients, 55 NSTEMI patients, and 55 healthy subjects. Only patients who were recently diagnosed with STEMI or NSTEMI were included in this study. IMA, MDA, SOD, and catalase activities were measured spectrophotometrically. Significant coronary artery lesions were determined by angiography. Results: Patients with ACS had significantly greater IMA and MDA values than the healthy controls (p<0.001). Besides, patients with STEMI had IMA levels that were significantly greater than those of the patients with NSTEMI (p<0.001), while the reverse was true for MDA levels (p<0.001). The healthy controls had the highest levels of SOD and catalase levels, followed by patients with STEMI and patients with NSTEMI, respectively (p<0.001). There was a significant negative correlation among MDA and SOD with catalase levels (r = -0.771 p<0.001 MDA vs catalase; r = -0.821 p<0.001 SOD vs catalase). Conclusions: Data obtained in this study reveals that compared to healthy controls, STEMI and NSTEMI patients had increased levels of MDA and IMA and decreased levels of SOD and catalase.