bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A European-Wide Study on the Effects of the COVID-19 Threat on Active Transport Modes
Authors: Monterde-i-Bort Hector , Sucha Matus , Risser Ralf , Honzickova Kristyna
Published: March 2022

In the past year and a half, we have been forced to make many major changes which, besides other issues, have led to considerable changes in transport mode choices. While we observed an increase in the share of cars as a mode of transport, we also observed an increase in the level of engagement in other active mobility modes, such as walking and cycling. Relevant literature shows that although the restrictions adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic have effects on people’s mobility behaviour, they can be viewed as a catalyst for positive changes as far as active forms of mobility are concerned. This work focuses on the thorough understanding of the changes in citizens’ needs and attitudes toward mobility and transport mode choice during the COVID-19 pandemic. To reach this aim, we analysed the responses to an interview consisting of eight open-ended questions about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic threat and situation of citizens in selected European countries and Russia. In total, 497 respondents participated by responding to an online questionnaire. The conclusions of this study confirmed that active traffic modes could benefit from the momentum generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this can only happen if appropriate preconditions can be provided, which is not the case so far. To prevent a massive return of private motorised vehicles into urban centres, we must focus on support for active traffic modes, specifically on the improvement of the preconditions, especially as far as traffic infrastructure is concerned.
Spatio-temporal Differentiation of Coupling Coordination between Ecological Footprint and Ecosystem Service Functions in the Aksu Region, Xinjiang, China
Authors: Xu Huan , Yang Jianjun , Xia Guozhu , Lin Tao
Published: March 2022

The ecological footprint and ecosystem service functions in the northwest arid region of China have their unique characteristics and are limited by natural resources. The coordination level between the pressure of human activities on the ecosystem and the ecosystem service capacity can be objectively reflected on by exploring the coupling coordination relationship between these two aspects. This work used the ecological footprint and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs models to quantitatively analyze the spatial and temporal variations of the ecological footprint and ecosystem service functions in the Aksu region in Xinjiang. A coupling coordination degree model and spatial autocorrelation analysis were used to assess the coupling coordination level and spatial agglomeration characteristics of the regional ecological footprint and ecosystem service functions. The results showed that the ecological footprint of the Aksu region has been high in the northeast and low in the southwest, with noticeable spatial heterogeneity, from 2005 to 2018. Carbon (66.17%) and cropland (26.64%) are the main contributing factors to the regional ecological footprint. The biocapacity is dominated by cropland, built-up land, and forest land. The ecological footprint and biocapacity showed an increasing trend, ranging from an ecological surplus to an ecological deficit, with a continued ecological deficit. The level of ecosystem service functions in the Aksu region was low, with significant spatial variability. The high values were concentrated in the northern part of the region and the Tarim and Hotan River Basins. The coupling coordination level of the ecological footprint and ecosystem service functions in the Aksu area was high in the north and low in the south. The aforementioned coupling coordination level was dominated by the spatial pattern of the ecosystem service functions and had noticeable spatial agglomeration characteristics. The coupling coordination degree of the ecological footprint and water supply function showed an upward trend. By contrast, the coupling coordination degree of the ecological footprint with soil conservation and biodiversity maintenance functions showed a downward trend.
Supply Chain Management Optimization and Prediction Model Based on Projected Stochastic Gradient
Authors: Alkahtani Mohammed
Published: March 2022

Supply chain management (SCM) is considered at the forefront of many organizations in the delivery of their products. Various optimization methods are applied in the SCM to improve the efficiency of the process. In this research, the projected stochastic gradient (PSG) method was proposed to increase the efficiency of the SCM analysis. The key objective of an efficient supply chain is to find the best flow patterns for the best products in order to select the suppliers to different customers. Hence, the focus of this research is on developing an efficient multi-echelon supply chain using factors such as cost, time, and risk. In the convex case, the proposed method has the advantage of a weakly convergent sequence of iterates to a point in the set of minimizers with probability one. The developed method achieves strong sequence convergence to the unique optimum, with probability one. The SCM dataset was utilized to assess the proposed method’s performance. The proposed PSG method has the advantage of considering the holding cost in the profit analysis of the company. The results of the developed PSG method are analyzed according to the product’s profit, stock, and demand. The proposed PSG method also provides the prediction of demand to increase profit.
Ranking Decision Making for Eco-Efficiency Using Operational, Energy, and Environmental Efficiency
Authors: Lee Pyoungsoo
Published: March 2022

The objective of this paper is to propose a method for evaluating the eco-efficiency of business organizations. In order to adequately capture the inherent properties of eco-efficiency, we present a decision support model that can evaluate an organization based on ranking the derived efficiencies at the operational, energy, and environmental dimensions and taking these factors into account comprehensively. The proposed model was designed in the form of a combination of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and TOPSIS, and we tried to make use of the advantages of each method and offset the disadvantages. Specifically, the operational, energy, and environmental efficiencies were derived through DEA. Then, each efficiency was set as the criteria, and the eco-efficiency ranking was determined through TOPSIS. This study shows that it has the advantage of not requiring preference information from the decision maker and, at the same time, can improve the discriminatory power between efficient and inefficient decision-making units. To apply the proposed model, the analysis results are presented through an illustrative example, and the theoretical significance is described. It is also explained that the proposed model can provide a more realistic and convincing evaluation.
Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach to Assess Crop Trading in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Kashifi Mohammad Tamim , Al-Ismail Fahad Saleh Mohammed , Chowdhury Shakhawat , Baaqeel Hassan M. , Shafiullah Md , Tiwari Surya Prakash , Rahman Syed Masiur
Published: March 2022

Water scarcity is a global challenge, especially in arid regions, including Middle Eastern and North African countries. The distribution of water around the earth is not even. Trading water in the form of an embedded commodity, known as the water footprint (WF), from water-abundant regions to water-scarce regions, is a viable solution to water scarcity problems. Agricultural products account for approximately 85% of the earth’s total WF, indicating that importing water-intense crops, such as cereal crops, can partially solve the local water scarcity problem. This study investigated water, energy, and food nexus dynamics for the trades of a few major crops, specifically considering Saudi Arabia. It analyzed the trade of crops and its impact on WF, energy, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission savings. The findings revealed that importing major cereal crops to Saudi Arabia could significantly reduce the local WF. The imports of wheat, maize, rice, and barley reduced approximately 24 billion m3 per year of consumable WF (i.e., blue and green water footprint) in the global scale. Similarly, the trade of major crops had a significant impact on energy and CO2 emission savings. The energy savings from the wheat, maize, and barley trades in Saudi Arabia was estimated to be approximately 9 billion kWh. It also saved about 7 million tons per year of CO2 emissions. The trades of cereal crops in Saudi Arabia reduced water consumption, energy usage, and CO2 emissions significantly.
The Scandinavian Third Way as a Proposal for Sustainable Smart City Development—A Case Study of Aarhus City
Authors: Baraniewicz-Kotasińska Sabina
Published: March 2022

The practical implementation of the goals of smart sustainable cities has different forms. This paper explores an example of the Danish smart city Aarhus, through which the so-called ‘Scandinavian third way’ of smart city development is being proposed. The foundations of the ‘third way’ are directly derived from the Scandinavian tradition of cooperation; it is supposed to be an alternative to the more commercial American model and the more centrally-controlled Asian tradition. The paper aims to identify how the Scandinavian collaborative model has influenced the process of developing the smart city Aarhus, to analyse the proposed ‘Scandinavian third way’ of smart city development, and finally to assess its applicability in other urban centres. To achieve these goals, the method of literature analysis and a case study along with qualitative analysis of existing data and individual in-depth interviews with decision makers and observers of political life were applied. As the results show, the Scandinavian tradition of governance and political decision-making present in Denmark is not without significance for the functioning form of the smart city of Aarhus. Its foundations have been adopted by the Aarhus municipality in the implementation of its smart city activities, creating a unique modern city management model.
Intellectual Capital and Competitive Advantage and the Mediation Effect of Innovation Quality and Speed, and Business Intelligence
Authors: Niwash Manar Nael Khaleel , Cek Kemal , Eyupoglu Serife Z.
Published: March 2022

This study aims at investigating the mediating impact of business intelligence, innovation speed and innovation quality on the relationship between the different components of intellectual capital and competitive advantage in the context of Jordanian companies. To achieve this, the study developed a theoretical framework that depicts the mediation through data that were collected randomly, from the pharmaceutical and medical supplies companies, with a total sample of 569 participants. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, SEM (CB-SEM), for model fit and Process software for path analysis to estimate the different indirect effects. The findings provide evidence that all mediators serve differently as important mediating mechanisms between the different components of intellectual capital and competitive advantage. Overall, the results of this study show and clarify the mediating mechanism of business intelligence, innovation speed and innovation quality, as mediators through which human capital, structural capital and relational capital improve competitive advantage in the context of Jordanian companies.
Tree Resin, a Macroergic Source of Energy, a Possible Tool to Lower the Rise in Atmospheric CO2 Levels
Authors: Demko Jaroslav , Machava Ján
Published: March 2022

Tree resin is a macroergic component that has not yet been used for energy purposes. The main goal of this work is to determine the energy content of the resin of spruce, pine, and larch and of wood components—pulp and turpentine. The combustion heat of resin from each timber was determined calorimetrically. Approximately 1.0 g of liquid samples was applied in an adiabatic calorimeter. The energy values of the tree resin (>38.0 MJ·kg−1) were 2.2 and 2.4 times higher than that of bleached and unbleached cellulose, and the highest value was recorded for turpentine (>39.0 MJ·kg−1). Due to the high heating values of the resin, it is necessary to develop approaches to the technological processing of the resin for energy use. The best method of resin tapping is the American method, providing 5 kg of resin ha−1 yr−1. The tapped resin quantity can be raised by least 3 times by applying a stimulant. Its production cost compared to other feedstocks was the lowest. Tree resin can be applied as a means of mitigating global warming and consequently dampening climate change by reducing the CO2 content in the atmosphere. One tonne of tree resin burned instead of coal spares the atmosphere 5.0 Mt CO2.
Energy Retrofitting for the Modern Heritage Enhancement in Weak Real Estate Markets: The Olivetti Housing Stock in Ivrea
Authors: Barreca Alice , Curto Rocco , Malavasi Giorgia , Rolando Diana
Published: March 2022

The enhancement of Modern Heritage buildings is nowadays a challenging issue as they are often degraded or abandoned and their historical value is not well acknowledged by potential buyers and their owners. Moreover, they are usually energy inefficient and obsolete, but investments for energy retrofit interventions are not always convenient, especially in socio-economic contexts characterized by weak real-estate market dynamics. This paper aims to study the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics on housing prices and, in particular, to understand whether elements of building cultural connotations or some housing green features are monetized by the real estate market. The UNESCO site “Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century”, located in the weak real-estate context of the Eporediese territorial area, was selected as an emblematic case study and two data samples of property listings were built to perform spatial regression analyses. The results showed that the green features of housing, such as the heating type and the EPC level, have a greater influence on property prices than those characteristics related to the cultural connotations of a building, such as the Olivettian context. Therefore, the current incentive-based policies for energy efficiency can represent great opportunities that can be exploited both to preserve and to improve the condition of this valuable Modern Heritage.
Smart and Sustainable Development from a Spatial Planning Perspective: The Case of Shenzhen and Greater Manchester
Authors: Ng Mee Kam , Koksal Caglar , Wong Cecilia , Tang Yuanzhou
Published: March 2022

This paper proposes an integrative analytical framework to critically review the genesis of smart city development and evaluate its sustainability outcomes from a spatial planning perspective. It argues that historical contexts and modes of governance, together with holistic place-based knowledge, provide important clues to understand the ensuing visions, goals, and objectives, as well as processes and contents of smart city initiatives. Shenzhen (SZ), China’s first special economic zone, and Greater Manchester (GM), the birthplace of the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom, are used to illustrate how the conceptual framework helps reveal two very different pathways towards smart sustainability. SZ, as a pioneering testbed of China’s reforms, is closely directed by top-down initiatives in its smart and sustainable development efforts. GM, given its rich history of local collaboration between the public, private and third sectors, adopts a bottom-up approach to achieve smart sustainability. The case studies prove the robustness of the framework in narrating smart sustainable development in a city-region, highlighting different trajectories and necessary areas for improvement.
Topological Effects in a Fermionic Condensate Induced by a Cosmic String and Compactification on the AdS Bulk
Authors: Bellucci Stefano , Oliveira dos Santos Wagner , Bezerra de Mello Eugenio R. , Saharian Aram A.
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we analyzed the fermionic condensate (FC) associated with a massive fermionic field on a five-dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetime in the presence of a cosmic string taking into account a magnetic flux running along its core. In addition, a compactified dimension was considered. Due to this compactification, the FC is expressed in terms of two distinct contributions: the first one corresponds to the geometry without compactification, and the second one is induced by the compactification. Depending on the values of the physical parameters, the total FC can be positive or negative. As a limiting case, the expression for the FC on locally Minkowski spacetime was derived. It vanishes for a massless fermionic field, and the nonzero FC on the AdS background space in the massless case is an effect induced by gravitation. This shows that the gravitational field may essentially influence the parameter space for phase transitions. For a massive field, the FC diverges on the string as the inverse cube of the proper distance from the string. In the case of a massless field, depending on the magnetic flux along the string and planar angle deficit, the limiting value of the FC on the string can be either finite or infinite. At large distances, the decay of the FC as a function of the distance from the string is a power law for both cases of massive and massless fields. For a cosmic string on the Minkowski bulk and for a massive field, the decay is exponential. The topological part in the FC vanishes on the AdS boundary. We show that the FCs coincide for the fields realizing two inequivalent irreducible representations of the Clifford algebra. In the special case of the zero planar angle deficit, the results presented in this paper describe Aharonov–Bohm-type effects induced by magnetic fluxes in curved spacetime.
Novel Oscillation Theorems and Symmetric Properties of Nonlinear Delay Differential Equations of Fourth-Order with a Middle Term
Authors: Almarri Barakah , Janaki S. , Ganesan V. , Ali Ali Hasan , Nonlaopon Kamsing , Bazighifan Omar
Published: March 2022

The goal of this paper was to study the oscillations of a class of fourth-order nonlinear delay differential equations with a middle term. Novel oscillation theorems built on a proper Riccati-type transformation, the comparison approach, and integral-averaging conditions were developed, and several symmetric properties of the solutions are presented. For the validation of these theorems, several examples are given to highlight the core results.
Asymmetric Identification Model for Human-Robot Contacts via Supervised Learning
Authors: Abu Al-Haija Qasem , Al-Saraireh Ja’afer
Published: March 2022

Human-robot interaction (HRI) occupies an essential role in the flourishing market for intelligent robots for a wide range of asymmetric personal and entertainment applications, ranging from assisting older people and the severely disabled to the entertainment robots at amusement parks. Improving the way humans and machines interact can help democratize robotics. With machine and deep learning techniques, robots will more easily adapt to new tasks, conditions, and environments. In this paper, we develop, implement, and evaluate the performance of the machine-learning-based HRI model in a collaborative environment. Specifically, we examine five supervised machine learning models viz. the ensemble of bagging trees (EBT) model, the k-nearest neighbor (kNN) model, the logistic regression kernel (LRK), the fine decision trees (FDT), and the subspace discriminator (SDC). The proposed models have been evaluated on an ample and modern contact detection dataset (CDD 2021). CDD 2021 is gathered from a real-world robot arm, Franka Emika Panda, when it was executing repetitive asymmetric movements. Typical performance assessment factors are applied to assess the model effectiveness in terms of detection accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, speed, and error ratios. Our experiential evaluation shows that the ensemble technique provides higher performance with a lower error ratio compared with other developed supervised models. Therefore, this paper proposes an ensemble-based bagged trees (EBT) detection model for classifying physical human–robot contact into three asymmetric types of contacts, including noncontact, incidental, and intentional. Our experimental results exhibit outstanding contact detection performance metrics scoring 97.1%, 96.9%, and 97.1% for detection accuracy, precision, and sensitivity, respectively. Besides, a low prediction overhead has been observed for the contact detection model, requiring a 102 µS to provide the correct detection state. Hence, the developed scheme can be efficiently adopted through the application requiring physical human–robot contact to give fast accurate detection to the contacts between the human arm and the robot arm.
Okadaic Acid Depuration from the Cockle Cerastoderma edule
Authors: Blanco Juan , Martín Helena , Mariño Carmen , Rossignoli Araceli E.
Published: March 2022

The cockle Cerastoderma edule is a commercially important species in many European Countries. It can accumulate okadaic acid (OA) and other toxins in its group, which makes it unsuitable for human consumption, producing harvesting bans to avoid intoxications. The duration of those bans depends in part on the depuration kinetics of the toxin in this species. In this work, this kinetics was studied by means of fitting different models to depuration data experimentally obtained, using naturally contaminated cockles. Cockles depurated OA faster than most other bivalve species studied. Models that include Michaelis-Menten kinetics describe the depuration better than those using a first order exponential decrease to describe the first (or the only) compartment. One-compartment models were not able to describe the final part of the depuration curve, in which OA was depurated very slowly. Therefore, two-compartment models were needed. Esters were depurated at a much faster rate than the free form of the toxin; however, no significant esterification was detected during the process. The slow depuration rate suggests that other bivalve species could be used as sentinels to monitor cockle populations, but caution should be taken when toxin concentrations are very high.
Vacuum Radiation from Massive Scalar Field
Authors: Cao Yu-Song
Published: March 2022

The vacuum radiation of a massive scalar field is studied by means of a single moving mirror. The field equation with an arbitrary-shaped mirror moving in (d+1) dimensions is given perturbatively in the non-relativistic limit. Explicit results are obtained for a flat mirror moving in (1+1) dimensions and (3+1) dimensions. The vacuum radiation power and vacuum friction force on the mirror are given in (1+1) dimensions. The intrinsic mass of the field is found to suppress the vacuum radiation. In (3+1) dimensions, the modification of the frequency spectra and angular spectra of emitted particles due to the intrinsic mass are obtained. In the limit of m→0, we recover the results of the massless field.
Environmental Effects on Viable Virus Transport and Resuspension in Ventilation Airflow
Authors: Baig Tatiana A. , Zhang Meiyi , Smith Brooke L. , King Maria D.
Published: March 2022

To understand how SARS-CoV-2 spreads indoors, in this study bovine coronavirus was aerosolized as simulant into a plexiglass chamber with coupons of metal, wood and plastic surfaces. After aerosolization, chamber and coupon surfaces were swiped to quantify the virus concentrations using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Bio-layer interferometry showed stronger virus association on plastic and metal surfaces, however, higher dissociation from wood in 80% relative humidity. Virus aerosols were collected with the 100 L/min wetted wall cyclone and the 50 L/min MD8 air sampler and quantitated by qPCR. To monitor the effect of the ventilation on the virus movement, PRD1 bacteriophages as virus simulants were disseminated in a ¾ scale air-conditioned hospital test room with twelve PM2.5 samplers at 15 L/min. Higher virus concentrations were detected above the patient’s head and near the foot of the bed with the air inlet on the ceiling above, exhaust bottom left on the wall. Based on room layout, air measurements and bioaerosol collections computational flow models were created to visualize the movement of the virus in the room airflow. The addition of air curtain at the door minimized virus concentration while having the inlet and exhaust on the ceiling decreased overall aerosol concentration. Controlled laboratory experiments were conducted in a plexiglass chamber to gain more insight into the fundamental behavior of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 and understand its fate and transport in the ambient environment of the hospital room.
Avidity of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 RBD as a Prognostic Factor for the Severity of COVID-19 Reinfection
Authors: Manuylov Victor , Burgasova Olga , Borisova Olga , Smetanina Svetlana , Vasina Daria , Grigoriev Igor , Kudryashova Alexandra , Semashko Maria , Cherepovich Bogdan , Kharchenko Olga , Kleymenov Denis , Mazunina Elena , Tkachuk Artem , Gushchin Vladimir
Published: March 2022

The avidity index (AI) of IgG to the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 was determined for 71 patients with a mild (outpatient) course of COVID-19, including 39 primarily and 36 secondarily reinfected, and 92 patients with a severe (hospital) course of COVID-19, including 82 primarily and 10 secondarily infected. The AI was shown to correlate with the severity of repeated disease. In the group of outpatients with a mild course, the reinfected patients had significantly higher median AIs than those with primary infections (82.3% vs. 37.1%, p < 0.0001). At the same time, in patients with a severe course of COVID-19, reinfected patients still had low-avidity antibodies (median AI of 28.4% vs. 25% in the primarily infected, difference not significant, p > 0.05). This suggests that the presence of low-avidity IgG to RBD during reinfection is a negative prognostic factor, in which a patient’s risk of developing COVID-19 in a severe form is significantly increased. Thus, patients with IgG of low avidity (AI ≤ 40%) had an 89 ± 20.5% chance of a severe course of recurrent COVID-19, whereas the detection of high-avidity antibodies (AI ≥ 50%) gave a probability of 94 ± 7.9% for a mild course of recurrent disease (p < 0.05).
Efficacy Assessment of Phage Therapy in Treating Staphylococcus aureus-Induced Mastitis in Mice
Authors: Teng Fei , Xiong Xiaoyu , Zhang Songsong , Li Guiwei , Wang Ruichong , Zhang Lanlan , Wang Xiaona , Zhou Han , Li Jiaxuan , Li Yijing , Jiang Yanping , Cui Wen , Tang Lijie , Wang Li , Qiao Xinyuan
Published: March 2022

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of phage against mastitis induced by drug-resistant S. aureus in a mouse model. In this study, five S. aureus phages—4086-1, 4086-2, 4086-3, 4086-4, and 4086-6—were isolated from milk samples secreted by mastitis cows. Transmission electron microscopy showed that all the five phages had icosahedral heads and short non-contractile tails, which are typical characteristics of the family Podoviridae. All these phages were species-specific against S. aureus. The one-step growth curve showed a short latency period (10–20 min) and high burst size (up to 400 PFU/infected cell). To evaluate the effectiveness of the phage 4086-1 in the treatment against mastitis, a mouse model of mastitis was challenged with drug-resistant S. aureus. The results showed the proliferation of S. aureus in the mammary glands was significantly inhibited after treating by phage 4086-1. The concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 decreased significantly, which demonstrated the phages could effectively alleviate the inflammatory responses. Furthermore, the histopathological analysis showed that inflammatory infiltration in the mammary glands was significantly reduced. These results demonstrate that phage may be a promising alternative therapy against mastitis caused by drug-resistant S. aureus.
Relationship between HIV-1 Gag Multimerization and Membrane Binding
Authors: Sumner Christopher , Ono Akira
Published: March 2022

HIV-1 viral particle assembly occurs specifically at the plasma membrane and is driven primarily by the viral polyprotein Gag. Selective association of Gag with the plasma membrane is a key step in the viral assembly pathway, which is traditionally attributed to the MA domain. MA regulates specific plasma membrane binding through two primary mechanisms including: (1) specific interaction of the MA highly basic region (HBR) with the plasma membrane phospholipid phosphatidylinositol (4,5) bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2], and (2) tRNA binding to the MA HBR, which prevents Gag association with non-PI(4,5)P2 containing membranes. Gag multimerization, driven by both CA–CA inter-protein interactions and NC-RNA binding, also plays an essential role in viral particle assembly, mediating the establishment and growth of the immature Gag lattice on the plasma membrane. In addition to these functions, the multimerization of HIV-1 Gag has also been demonstrated to enhance its membrane binding activity through the MA domain. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms regulating Gag membrane binding through the MA domain and multimerization through the CA and NC domains, and examines how these two functions are intertwined, allowing for multimerization mediated enhancement of Gag membrane binding.
Interpolation of Point Prevalence Rate of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Subtype H5N8 Second Phase Epidemic in South Korea
Authors: Ahmad Saleem , Koh Kye-Young , Lee Jae-il , Suh Guk-Hyun , Lee Chang-Min
Published: March 2022

Humans and animals are both susceptible to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses. In the future, HPAI has the potential to be a source of zoonoses and pandemic disease drivers. It is necessary to identify areas of high risk that are more vulnerable to HPAI infections. In this study, we applied unbiased predictions based on known information to find points of localities with a high probability of point prevalence rate. To carry out such predictions, we utilized the inverse distance weighting (IDW) and kriging method, with the help of the R statistical computing program. The provinces of Jeollanam-do, Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheongbuk-do and Ulsan have high anticipated risk. This research might aid in the management of avian influenza threats associated with various potential risks.
Evaluation of Weight Gain, Clinicopathological and Radiographic Changes after Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Congenital Hypothyroidism in Cats
Authors: Golinelli Stefania , Tardo Antonio Maria , Vecchiato Carla Giuditta , Guido Eleonora Anicito , Perfetti Simone , Diana Alessia , Fracassi Federico
Published: March 2022

Congenital hypothyroidism is uncommon in cats. This case report describes weight gain, clinicopathological and radiographic changes after early diagnosis and treatment of congenital hypothyroidism in three British shorthair cats’ siblings. Data were assessed at 53 (diagnosis), 83, 185 and 365 days of age. Correlations between serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and body weight, levothyroxine dose, total thyroxine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations were evaluated. The body weights of the congenital hypothyroid kittens were compared with those of their two healthy siblings and British shorthair kittens of the same age. At diagnosis, the congenital hypothyroid kittens showed a significantly lower body weight compared to the healthy siblings (p = 0.03). After diagnosis, oral levothyroxine supplementation was started. The difference in body weight was no longer observed after one month of treatment. The clinical signs, clinicopathological and radiographic abnormalities ameliorated after one month of treatment. IGF-1 concentration was significantly positively correlated with body weight (rs = 0.80, p < 0.002). In conclusion, resolution of the clinical signs, achieving a consistent within-breed weight, and improvement of the clinicopathological and radiographic parameters demonstrated the importance of the early diagnosis and treatment of feline congenital hypothyroidism.
Data-Driven Drift Detection in Real Process Tanks: Bridging the Gap between Academia and Practice
Authors: Hansen Bolette D. , Hansen Thomas B. , Moeslund Thomas B. , Jensen David G.
Published: March 2022

Sensor drift in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) reduces the efficiency of the plants and needs to be handled. Several studies have investigated anomaly detection and fault detection in WWTPs. However, these solutions often remain as academic projects. In this study, the gap between academia and practice is investigated by applying suggested algorithms on real WWTP data. The results show that it is difficult to detect drift in the data to a sufficient level due to missing and imprecise logs, ad hoc changes in control settings, low data quality and the equality in the patterns of some fault types and optimal operation. The challenges related to data quality raise the question of whether the data-driven approach for drift detection is the best solution, as this requires a high-quality data set. Several recommendations are suggested for utilities that wish to bridge the gap between academia and practice regarding drift detection. These include storing data and select data parameters at resolutions which positively contribute to this purpose. Furthermore, the data should be accompanied by sufficient logging of factors affecting the patterns of the data, such as changes in control settings.
The Role of Aquifers in Sustaining the Sponge City Concept in Chinese High-Density Housing
Authors: Jin Mengxiao , Lancia Michele , Tian Yong , Viaroli Stefano , Andrews Charles , Liu Junguo , Zheng Chunmiao
Published: March 2022

Chinese cities and megacities occupy large areas with high population densities. These urban sectors have extensive impervious surfaces and import large amounts of water from pristine sources, putting pressure on the urban drainage systems during storms. To reduce flood risk and tackle water scarcity, the Chinese government promulgated the Sponge City concept: an ensemble of absorbing features, including permeable pavements and green roofs, to reduce urban runoff and increase water storage. We evaluate the benefits of merging the urban aquifer with conventional Sponge City features by simulating stormwater storage in aquifers with a groundwater model (MODFLOW) and a stormwater management model (SWMM). The urban aquifers of an ideal district, characterized by high-density housing and a flat morphology, collect and dissipate extreme rains (200 mm in 6 h) when the hydraulic conductivity of the subsoil is higher than 1·10−5 m/s, roughly corresponding to a medium productive aquifer. Economic and ecological benefits at the catchment scale are also discussed. Suitable shallow aquifers are individuated and discussed throughout China via a hydrogeological and geomorphological approach. The proposed method increases the percentage of water that can be controlled above that obtained through conventional Sponge City features.
Correction: Jorissen et al. The Marine Influence Index (MII): A Tool to Assess Estuarine Intertidal Mudflat Environments for the Purpose of Foraminiferal Biomonitoring. Water 2022, 14, 676
Authors: Jorissen Frans J. , Fouet Marie P. A. , Singer David , Howa Hélène
Published: March 2022

In the original publication [...]
Insights into Increasing Selenate Reductase Enzyme Activity in the Presence of Nitrogen-Doped Graphite Electrodes for Selenium Effluent Treatment
Authors: Mohapatra Dipti Prakash , Robinson Kelly Ann , Huang Fang , Kirpalani Deepak , Loewen Michele Christine
Published: March 2022

The weathering of selenium-rich rocks or anthropogenic activities such as mining or smelting can release selenium into the environment, posing a significant environmental risk. The increased monitoring and enforcement of selenium regulations have resulted in protocols to efficiently measure and treat selenium in water and effluent water. The principal aqueous forms of inorganic selenium are selenite (Se(IV)) and selenate (Se(VI)). Selenate, due to its oxy-anionic nature, high mobility, and lack of affinity to conventional adsorbents, is typically more difficult to treat and remove. Thus, it is proposed to remove selenate from water by first reducing it to selenite and then to insoluble elemental selenium, a form that has low toxicity. A naturally occurring selenate reductase enzyme from Thauera selenatis was previously shown to specifically reduce selenate to selenite. To exploit this functionality, recombinant enzyme technologies were used to produce a cell-free, enriched Thauera selenatis selenate reductase heterotrimeric enzyme complex (TsSer-αβγ). The addition of the recombinant enzyme complex to effluent water was found to successfully reduce the selenate. Interestingly, upon adding nitrogen-doped graphite electrodes to the reaction, the selenate-reducing activity significantly increased. Overall, these findings highlight a new, potentially sustainable solution to the reduction of selenate in water and effluent water.
Optimizing Hydraulic Retention Time and Area of Biological Settling Ponds for Super-Intensive Shrimp Wastewater Treatment Systems
Authors: Nam Tran Sy , Thao Huynh Van , Luan Nguyen Trong , Duy Nguyen Phuong , Cong Nguyen Van
Published: March 2022

Biological settling ponds are a practicable approach for treating super-intensive shrimp aquaculture wastewater for almost all shrimp producers in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). The optimization of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of biological settling ponds plays a crucial role in establishing the stability of outflow wastewater quality and suitability of the settling pond area (SPA). This study aims to suggest appropriate HRT and SPA for super-intensive shrimp wastewater treatment systems based on the National Standard (QCVN 02-19:2014/BNNPTNT) and the best aquaculture practices (BAP) standards and guidelines. We investigated 20 typical super-intensive shrimp farms in the VMD and collected effluent samples from siphoning process, daily water exchange, and outflow of biological effluent-treatment settling ponds. The results showed that the average of each super-intensive shrimp farm produced wastewater at approximately 218 m3 ha−1 day−1. The contaminant loads of TSS, COD, TKN, and TP were commensurate to 177, 113, 9.86, and 4.19 kg ha−1 day−1, respectively. Based on the relationship between outflow COD, TSS concentrations, and HRT of biological-surveyed settling ponds, a 13.4-day HRT and 1934-m2 SPA were suggested to optimize the super-intensive shrimp wastewater treatment systems. Our recommendation for further work is to continuously optimize the HRT and SPA rates of functional ponds (anaerobic, facultative, and maturation) to ameliorate the engineering configuration of the recommended biological settling pond.
Double-layered hand-sewn anastomosis: a valuable resource for the colorectal surgeon
Authors: Varela Cristopher , Nassr Manar , Razak Azharuddin , Kim Nam Kyu
Published: March 2022

Hand-sewn anastomosis is an essential and fundamental skill for surgeons dealing with any gastrointestinal anastomosis. Despite the advances in minimally invasive surgery and stapling devices, there are still complex surgical circumstances when the surgeon’s surgical know-how are necessary. Therefore, a safe hand-sewn technique for bowel anastomosis is required to establish a tension-free, well-perfused, and sealed anastomosis that allows gastrointestinal continuity with no unexpected complications. We describe a step-by-step procedure for hand-sewn double-layered anastomosis that reflects these principles and is practical for small and large bowel anastomosis.
Study of Patients’ Return to Surgery Post-Tonsillectomy and/or Adenoidectomy: A Relation Between Patient Age and Timing of Uncontrolled Bleeding
Authors: Taylor Matthew
Published: March 2022

Background: Tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy (T/A) are common surgical procedures. Postoperative uncontrolled bleeding is a well-established complication; however, the relation between certain variables and uncontrolled bleeding are unclear.

Methods: We explored the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System database for event reports that described a patient who had a T/A procedure and later returned to surgery to control bleeding. We analyzed the post-T/A bleeding events according to numerous variables, such as patient sex and age, timing of the bleed, procedure performed (i.e., tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy), and bleeding site.

Results: We identified 219 event reports from 56 healthcare facilities over a four-year period. The study revealed that 78% of the patients were discharged and then returned to surgery to control bleeding. Patients ranged in age from 1–45 years and 53% were female. Among the 219 events, 41% were a primary bleed (0–1 postoperative days) and 59% were a secondary bleed (2–30 postoperative day). Additionally, 0–1 days and 6–7 days after operation were the periods when patients most frequently returned to surgery (range of 0–30 days). We expanded upon much of the previous research by exploring the relation between patient age and days postoperative return to surgery. We found that a majority of patients in age categories 1–10, 11–20, and 21–30 years had a secondary bleed; in contrast, a majority of patients age 31–45 had a primary bleed.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the post-T/A timing of uncontrolled bleeding may vary systematically as a function of patient age; however, future research is needed to better understand this topic. We encourage readers to use our findings, along with findings from previous research, to inform their practice and strategies to mitigate risk of patient harm.
Memória, ditadura e desaparecimento
Authors: Teles Edson
Published: March 2022

O artigo tem como objetivo problematizar a conceituação dos processos de subjetivação por meio da análise das políticas públicas de memória. Argumentar-se-á que tais políticas, como têm sido praticadas nas democracias contemporâneas herdeiras de regimes autoritários, a saber, por meio de uma lógica de cálculos e estratégias utilizadas para conduzir a ação dos indivíduos, configuram regimes de congelamento do agir. Utilizar-se-á como objeto central do caso da Vala Clandestina de Perus. A proposição central é a de que, ao mesmo passo em que trazem alguma diminuição para o sofrimento dos atingidos, essas políticas produzem um regime de rarefação da criação de novos processos de subjetivação.
Imagens do despertar, imagens do rememorar
Authors: Oliveira Costa Luis Inacio
Published: March 2022

O presente artigo se propõe a fazer uma leitura da obra Em busca do tempo perdido, de Marcel Proust, em especial da primeira parte de No caminho de Swann, a partir de temas e questões que preocuparam o pensador e crítico Walter Benjamin, ele próprio leitor de tradutor de Proust. Essa nossa leitura se detém, assim, no tema proustiano (e benjaminiano) do limiar, tal como ele aparece na abertura de No caminho de Swann em relação ao limiar entre o sono e a vigília e, mais adiante, no famoso episódio da madeleine, relacionado à experiência da memória involuntária, enfatizando-se aí a importante relação, tanto do ponto de vista de Proust quando do de Benjamin, entre despertar e rememorar. Trata-se, portanto, de uma leitura da Recherche que se desdobra na leitura de uma questão benjaminiana fundamental, a das relações entre linguagem, imagem, memória e história.
Arte e Política na obra de Friedrich Nietzsche
Authors: Giacoia Junior Oswaldo
Published: March 2022

Oswaldo Giacoia explora dois temas fundamentais no percurso interlectual de Celso Favaretto através de Nietzsche
Celso Favaretto – duas ou três coisas que eu sei dele
Authors: Moraes Amaury Cesar
Published: March 2022

Depoimento em homenagem a Celso Favaretto.
Reducing Low-Value Care: Uncertainty as Crucial Cross-Cutting Theme Comment on "Key Factors That Promote Low-Value Care: Views of Experts From the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands"
Authors: van Bodegom-Vos Leti , Marang-van de Mheen Perla
Published: March 2022

Low-value care is increasingly recognized as a global problem that places strain on healthcare systems and has no quick fix. Verkerk et al have identified key factors promoting low-value care on a national level, proposed strategies to address these and create a healthcare system facilitating delivery of high-value care. In this commentary, we reflect on the results of Verkerk et al and argue that uncertainty has a crucial role when it comes to reducing low-value care. This uncertainty is reflected in lack of a shared view between stakeholders, with clear criteria and thresholds on what constitutes low-value care, and as cross-cutting theme related to the key factors identified. We suggest to work on such a shared view of low-value care and – different from implementation efforts – to explicitly address uncertainty and its driving cognitive biases grounded in human decision-making psychology, to reduce low-value care.
Health Risks and Benefits of International Travel for Adult Patients With Asthma
Authors: Walsh Sinead M. , Flaherty Gerard Thomas
Published: March 2022

Asthma is a very prevalent condition. A significant proportion of patients with asthma will engage in travel for work or leisure purposes. Patients may be fearful of travel, especially during the current COVID-19 global pandemic. However, there are health benefits to be obtained, including leaving an area of high air pollution and travelling to an area of lower air pollution, travelling to high altitude, the beneficial effects of a low trigger environment and the psychological benefits associated with travel. Travel can be associated with improved diet and increased vitamin D exposure. Caution should be taken with alcohol consumption as it may worsen asthma. Whilst bariatric surgery has been shown to improve asthma symptoms and control, there are dangers associated with bariatric surgery tourism that the traveller should be made aware of. Travellers with asthma may experience jet lag and a worsening in their symptoms. Caution is required around exogenous melatonin use. Optimal asthma control pre-travel is essential. The destination should be carefully considered, in terms of air pollution, altitude and possible environmental triggers. Pre-travel, written asthma management plans should be reviewed and updated if necessary. Patients should carry more asthma medications than they think is necessary, including oral corticosteroids and a pressurised metered dose inhaler via spacer. Travellers with asthma should have a self-management plan in the event of exacerbations occurring during travel.