bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Future Drought and Flood Vulnerability and Risk Prediction of China’s Agroecosystem under Climate Change
Authors: Li Jiangnan , Chou Jieming , Zhao Weixing , Xu Yuan , Hao Yidan , Li Yuanmeng
Published: August 2022

Droughts and floods cause serious damage to agricultural production and ecosystems, and system-based vulnerability and risk prediction are the main tools used to address droughts and floods. This paper takes the agroecosystem as the research object, uses the vulnerability model based on “sensitivity–exposure–adaptability” and “vulnerability-risk, source-risk receptor” drought and flood risk models, and establishes multi-index prediction systems covering climate change, population, agricultural technology, economy, ecology, and other factors. Using a combination of AHP and the entropy weighting method, we predict the vulnerability and risk of droughts and floods in China’s agroecosystem under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios from 2020 to 2050. The results show that as the scenario changes from SSP1-2.6 to SSP5-8.5 in turn, drought and flood vulnerability intensify, and the drought or flood vulnerability area expands to southern China. At the same time, future drought and flood risk patterns present the characteristics of high risk in Northeast, North, Central, and Southwest China. Therefore, major grain-producing provinces such as Heilongjiang and Henan need to do a good job of preventing and responding to agroecosystem drought and flood risks by strengthening regional structural and nonstructural measures.
Do Investor Overconfidence and Loss Aversion Drive Saudi Firm Market Performance? The Moderating Effect of Corporate Governance
Authors: Aljughaiman Abdullah A. , Chebbi Kaouther E.
Published: August 2022

This study investigated the impact of investor psychological bias on a firm’s market value. In detail, we examined the effect of investor overconfidence (optimism) and loss aversion (pessimism) on firm market value. We also aimed to investigate the moderating effect of corporate governance on the relationship between investor behavior biases and firm market value. This study used a sample of 143 firms listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange over the period from 2012 to 2021. The results suggest that investor overconfidence affects a firm’s value positively. On the other hand, loss aversion is negatively associated with the firm’s market value. Furthermore, we find that corporate governance (measured by board size and board independence) enhances the positive association between overconfidence and firm market value. In contrast, we find that corporate governance seems to marginally mitigate the negative effect of loss aversion.
How to Evaluate College Students’ Green Innovation Ability—A Method Combining BWM and Modified Fuzzy TOPSIS
Authors: Li Tingting , Zhao Dan , Liu Guiyun , Wang Yuhong
Published: August 2022

Currently, enterprises are paying more and more attention to green innovation in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment and achieve sustainable development. Different from evaluating the green innovation ability of enterprises, how to evaluate a person’s green innovation ability from the perspective of open innovation is a new direction. This study aims at proposing a novel framework to evaluate college students’ green innovation ability. First, a set of criteria to evaluate college students’ green innovation ability is determined by experts using the panel consensus approach. Second, the best worst method (BWM) is used to calculate the weights of criteria. Lastly, modified fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution technique (TOPSIS) technique is adopted to rank college students’ green innovation ability. Moreover, a case study is presented to verify the validity of the proposed method. The results provide implications for academic, industry, and policymakers. Specifically, through the evaluation of college students’ green innovation ability, universities can find the inadequacies in culturing students’ green innovation ability and strengthen education in the aspects corresponding to the criteria with high global weights. Companies can select the talented internship students with green innovation ability as employees and should realize that it is good for them to cultivate college students with universities. Policymakers of the education department can trace the quality of education in college senior students’ green innovation ability every year. In addition, they should pay more attention to establish policies regarding those criteria with high global weights.
Acidified Carbon with Variable Irrigation Sources Impact on Rice Growth and Yield under Cd Toxic Alkaline Soil Conditions
Authors: Ahmed Niaz , Shah Ali Raza , Danish Subhan , Alharbi Khadiga , Datta Rahul
Published: August 2022

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the potential carcinogenic toxins for humans, plants, and animals. Higher uptake of Cd in plants causes a significant reduction in productivity that can be remediated using organic amendments. Biochar can absorb Cd and decrease its toxicity. However, the high pH of biochar minimizes its adaptation as an amendment in alkaline soils. As Cd is highly soluble in water, its uptake in rice is a major issue. That is why the current experiment was conducted to examine chemically produced acidified carbon (AC) effectiveness in alleviating Cd-induced stress in rice. There were three levels of Cd (0, 4, and 8 mg kg−1 soil) applied with three levels of AC (0, 0.5, and 1%) for the cultivation of rice irrigated with ground water (GW) and waste water irrigation (WW). Results confirmed that applying 1% AC improved plant height, spike length, and 1000 grains weight over 0% AC under GW and WW irrigations at 8 mg Cd kg−1 soil (8Cd) toxicity. A significant increase in photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance by 1% AC validated its effectiveness in alleviating 8Cd stress in rice under GW and WW. Overall, 1% AC is an effective amendment in alleviating Cd toxicity in rice irrigated with GW and WW at 8Cd. More investigations are recommended at the field level to declare 1% AC as the most effective application rate for mitigating Cd stress in rice.
Research on Tacit Knowledge Dissemination of Automobile Consumers’ Low-Carbon Purchase Intention
Authors: Xu Nan , Xu Yaoqun
Published: August 2022

At present, domestic consumers hold a wait-and-see attitude toward new energy vehicles. Although sales are increasing year-by-year, there is still a big gap compared with traditional fuel cars. In view of this problem, this paper starts to consider the problem from the subjective internal cause. Based on the classic SIR model, the conversion rate of low-carbon purchase inclination of consumers of new energy vehicles is introduced to build a tacit knowledge dissemination model of the interaction of low-carbon and conservative purchase inclination. The system ensures that low-carbon purchase inclination is a positively advocated consumption value, and provides decision-making reference for the government’s publicity and enterprises’ technological innovation measures. For the first time, differential dynamics are combined with the purchase inclination of consumers of new energy vehicles. This article collected 1098 questionnaires, and the statistical results show that the most effective way for people to accept new energy vehicles is word of mouth from relatives and friends. This illustrates the necessity of studying tacit knowledge dissemination among consumer groups of new energy vehicles. The questionnaire also indicates what aspects of the performance of new energy vehicles consumers are concerned about, providing empirical evidence for the realization of consumption behavior. The improved SIR model dynamically depicts the evolution process of consumers’ purchasing inclination of new energy vehicles based on differential dynamics. The stable equilibrium point of the system was solved, and the main factors affecting the tacit knowledge transmission of purchase inclination included initial market parameters, conversion rate, and low-carbon and conservative transmission rates, etc. The practicality and effectiveness of the model was verified by numerical simulation. It can provide the government and enterprises with theoretical support and development suggestions in promoting the consumption and development of new energy vehicles.
A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Palm Kernel Shell in Ceramic Tile Production: Managerial Implications for Renewable Energy Usage
Authors: Handaya  , Marimin  , Indrawan Dikky , Susanto Herri
Published: August 2022

The palm oil industry is a promising biomass source, as the production generates wastes more than four times that of the main product. In 2020, for 45 MT of crude palm oil production in Indonesia, it was estimated that around 12 MT of palm kernel shell were generated or equivalent to 5.4 MTOE in net calorific value. This high calorific value of solid waste can be used by industries as a source of renewable energy, once it is proven to be technically, environmentally and economically feasible. In this comparative study, the life cycle assessment method was deployed to determine the environmental feasibility of palm kernel shell usage as an alternative renewable energy source to coal and natural gas in ceramic tile production through the application of combustion technology. The novelty of this study lies in a cradle-to-gate approach by comparing the carbon footprint of biomass from agriculture industrial waste with common fossil fuels as sources of energy for a highly energy-intensive industry. This research demonstrates that by evaluating the total life cycle of a fuel, the perspective on environmental impacts can be quite different when compared to looking solely at the end-use process. This study shows how the deployment of life cycle assessment would create managerial implications toward the decision making of fuel selection with carbon footprint considerations.
“I Am Here to Fly, but Better Get the Environment Right!” Passenger Response to Airport Servicescape
Authors: Antwi Collins Opoku , Ren Jun , Zhang Wenyu , Owusu-Ansah Wilberforce , Aboagye Michael Osei , Affum-Osei Emmanuel , Agyapong Richard Adu
Published: August 2022

This study deploys environmental and positive psychology models to develop and test the influence of substantive and communicative staging of airport servicescape (i.e., SSoS and CSoS) on passengers’ emotional and subsequent behavioral responses. Furthermore, we examined the extent to which the strength of these associations is contingent upon passengers’ travel frequency (passengers’ familiarity with airport facilities and processes). The study’s sample (n = 387) was drawn from passengers departing from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). The results indicate that airport servicescape robustly engenders passengers’ positive emotion and satisfaction (with SSoS having more potent effects), facilitating intentions to repurchase, recommend, pay more, and partly, spend more. The interaction effects demonstrate that while pleasant CSoS induces higher satisfaction in frequent flyers, pleasing SSoS generates higher satisfaction in infrequent flyers. In addition, positive emotion appears more vital in predicting infrequent passengers’ behavioral intentions to repeat purchase, recommend, and pay more. Passenger satisfaction seems relevant for different passengers regarding their familiarity levels depending on the kind of behavioral response under consideration. Thus, satisfied frequent travelers are more inclined to repeat purchase and pay more; however, satisfied infrequent travelers are more likely to recommend and spend more at airport terminals. The summary, interpretation, and implication of the results conclude the study.
A Critical Review of the Definition and Estimation of Carbon Efficiency
Authors: Yang Minyoung , Kim Jinsoo
Published: August 2022

The concept of carbon efficiency is closely related to energy efficiency but embraces a broader range of carbon emission sources. Many studies have covered carbon efficiency, investigating the climate crisis, economic growth, and a sustainable future; however, it is hard to agree that there is a consensus on the definition of carbon efficiency. To fill this gap, we reviewed the literature on carbon efficiency, especially the empirical studies that quantitatively measured carbon efficiency. As a result, we have categorized the articles into three groups based on defined criteria of carbon efficiency. We have also classified the methodology to measure carbon efficiency and to discuss misleading definitions in the empirical studies. Lastly, we suggest a desirable direction to define and measure carbon efficiency along with discussion points. Carbon efficiency is different from energy efficiency and our review will help build the carbon efficiency concept in a proper direction.
Optimal Sharing Electricity and Thermal Energy Integration for an Energy Community in the Perspective of 100% RES Scenario
Authors: De Souza Ronelly , Nadalon Emanuele , Casisi Melchiorre , Reini Mauro
Published: August 2022

This paper presents a study on the optimal district integration of a distributed generation (DG) system for an energy community (EC) and the implementation of sharing electricity (SE) between users. In recent years, the scientific community has frequently discussed potential pathways to achieve a 100% renewable energy source (RES) scenario, mainly through increasing electrification in all sectors. However, cooling-, heat-, and power-related technologies are expected to play a crucial role in the transition to a 100% RES scenario. For this reason, a research gap has been identified when it comes to an optimal SE solution and its effects on the optimal district heating and cooling network (DHCN) allowing both electrical and thermal integration among users. The considered system includes several components for each EC user, with a central unit and a DHCN connecting them all. Moreover, the users inside the EC can exchange electricity with each other through the existing electric grid. Furthermore, the EC considers cooling storage as well as heat storage systems. This paper applies the Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) methodology for the single-objective optimization of an EC, in Northeast Italy, considering the total annual cost for owning, operating, and maintaining the entire system as the economic objective function. After the optimization, the total annual CO2 emissions were calculated to evaluate the environmental effects of the different solutions. The energy system is optimized in different scenarios, considering the usage of renewable resources and different prices for the purchase of electricity and natural gas, as well as different prices for selling electricity. Results showed that, without changing utility prices, the implementation of SE allowed for a reduction of 85% in the total electricity bought from the grid by the EC. Moreover, the total annual EC costs and CO2 emissions were reduced by 80 k€ and 280 t, respectively.
Propagation of Nonplanar SH Waves Emanating from a Fault Source around a Lined Tunnel
Authors: Zhang Ning , Zhang Yunfei , Dai Denghui , Zhang Yu , Sun Baoyin , Chen Xin
Published: August 2022

An analytical solution is presented for scattering nonplanar SH waves emanating from a fault source using a lined tunnel. The lined tunnel is assumed to be an annular elastic solid in half-space. A simplified circular arc fault model is employed to represent the wave source. By means of the separation of variables method, all wave fields are given in terms of the wave function series with unknown coefficients. Taking advantage of the method of images, the zero-stress boundary condition on the horizontal ground surface is satisfied automatically. By applying Graf’s addition formula, a system of equations for seeking the unknowns is derived by taking advantage of the boundary conditions. The problem of wave scattering is finally solved after seeking solutions for the system of equations through standard matrix techniques. The effects of fault distance, fault curvature, and fault orientation are revealed with numerical results. It is found that the plane waves provide a good approximation to the fault-induced cylindrical waves when the source-receiver distance or fault radius of curvature is larger enough. Fault-induced topographic effects are strongly affected by source orientation.
Barriers and Levers for the Implantation of Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions in Cities: Insights from France
Authors: Duffaut Chloé , Frascaria-Lacoste Nathalie , Versini Pierre-Antoine
Published: August 2022

The challenges of the 21st century, namely, climate change and loss of biodiversity, especially present in heavily populated areas, should be addressed. Nature-based Solutions (NBS) seem to offer a suitable answer to these challenges. However, this new concept is not always easy to implement in a sustainable manner. In an effort to identify the barriers and levers for the implementation in cities of these sustainable NBS, several professionals working on them in France were interviewed. The first analysis with the most quoted words shows that the constraints would be mainly related to technique, management, biodiversity and people. The levers would be related to projects, roofs, people, legislation and services. Further analysis shows that most of the interviewees feel that the main barriers are the lack of knowledge, political will, financial resources and regulations. There are also cultural limitations, such as the use of exotic horticultural plants rather than wild local species. According to them, the technical problems should be easy to solve. To address these issues, the interviewees propose the development of transdisciplinary research disciplines, as well as on-field collaboration between all NBS actors in cities. They also recommend specific funds for NBS and their implication in related regulations. Demonstrative examples of urban NBS highlighting their multiple benefits are also needed to encourage their replication or upscaling. Education and communication are essential to shift the traditional points of view on nature in the city.
Limiting Factors and Environmental Adaptability for Staple Crops in Kazakhstan
Authors: Wang Danmeng , Gao Guoxi , Li Ruolan , Toktarbek Shynggys , Jiakula Nueryia , Feng Yongzhong
Published: August 2022

Population growth increases the threat to global food security. Kazakhstan, a major agricultural nation, has made significant contributions to world food security; however, a wide gap exists between its food yield and that of other major crop-producing countries. Increasing food productivity in Kazakhstan through enhancing the utilization of natural endowments under existing cropland conditions would help alleviate global food pressure. Therefore, we elucidated the factors restricting Kazakhstan’s food productivity and proposed reasonable countermeasures. We analyzed the food production structure based on yearbooks. Correlation and stepwise regression were conducted on crop yield potential factors. The states of Kazakhstan were classified by hierarchical cluster and agronomic characteristics were evaluated using normalized scores. Wheat (60.3%), barley (14.9%), and potatoes (16%) are the main food crops produced in Kazakhstan. The ideal regional environment-based geographical crop configuration is “Northern—Wheat, Southern—Barley and Wheat, and Western—Potatoes.” The key limiting factors of wheat yield are water shortage and soil alkalization, while for barley, it is soil alkalization. The current planting distribution in Kazakhstan is suboptimal. Water-saving irrigation and agricultural runoff, staple crop planting layout optimization, organic fertilizer promotion, drought-resistant crop variety cultivation, and agricultural technology training must be prioritized to overcome crop yield constraints in Kazakhstan.
Research on the Sustainability of Channel Strategy Selection on the Overall Efficiency of Listed Retail Enterprises: Evidence from China
Authors: Chen Nuo , Ye Chong , Wang Jiaonan
Published: August 2022

Appropriate channel strategies can help to improve the operational efficiency of retail firms and stimulate the domestic demand market. To study the sustainability of retail enterprises in the COVID-19 era, this paper uses the data of 29 Chinese listed retail enterprises from 2012 to 2021 as a sample, and uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate and analyze the efficiency of the listed retail enterprises that implement different channel strategies. The results of the study show that: (1) The implementation of channel strategy will re-integrate the information flow, capital flow, commercial flow and logistics of enterprises, and affect the efficiency of enterprises through four paths: market demand, channel resources, channel technology and channel system. (2) The implementation of dual-channel strategy enterprises, in the short term, has greater technical efficiency than single-channel strategy enterprises. (3) The channel integration strategy of online ordering and store delivery has a significant positive impact on the overall efficiency of listed retail enterprises. (4) The inventory turnover rate has a significant positive impact on the overall efficiency of the listed retail enterprises. The level of accounts receivable, the level of retail technology, the level of investment in fixed assets and the size of enterprises have a negative impact on the overall efficiency of the listed retail enterprises.
Study of Weak Solutions for Degenerate Parabolic Inequalities with Nonlocal Nonlinearities
Authors: Dong Yan
Published: August 2022

This paper studies a class of variational inequalities with degenerate parabolic operators and symmetric structure, which is an extension of the parabolic equation in a bounded domain. By solving a series of penalty problems, the existence and uniqueness of the solutions in the weak sense are proved by the energy method and a limit process.
Unified Representation of 3D Multivectors with Pauli Algebra in Rectangular, Cylindrical and Spherical Coordinate Systems
Authors: Minnaert Ben , Monti Giuseppina , Mongiardo Mauro
Published: August 2022

In practical engineering, the use of Pauli algebra can provide a computational advantage, transforming conventional vector algebra to straightforward matrix manipulations. In this work, the Pauli matrices in cylindrical and spherical coordinates are reported for the first time and their use for representing a three-dimensional vector is discussed. This method leads to a unified representation for 3D multivectors with Pauli algebra. A significant advantage is that this approach provides a representation independent of the coordinate system, which does not exist in the conventional vector perspective. Additionally, the Pauli matrix representations of the nabla operator in the different coordinate systems are derived and discussed. Finally, an example on the radiation from a dipole is given to illustrate the advantages of the methodology.
Statistical Convergence of Δ-Spaces Using Fractional Order
Authors: AlBaidani Mashael M.
Published: August 2022

The notion of fractional structures has been studied intensely in various fields. Using this concept, the main idea of this paper is to apply the Cesàro approach and introduce the new generalized Δ-structure of spaces on a fractional level. Also, the statistical notions will be studied using this new structure and some inclusion relations will be computed. In addition, the sequence space Wq(Δgκ,f) will be introduced, and some fundamental inclusion relations and topological properties concerning it will be given.
The k + 1 Symmetric Test Pattern for Smart Contracts
Authors: Górski Tomasz
Published: August 2022

A smart contract is a pivotal notion in blockchain technology. Distributed applications contain smart contracts verifying the fulfillment of the conditions, which determine the execution of transactions between the blockchain network nodes. Those software-controlled logical conditions are called verification rules. As the number of conditions increases, the complexity of smart contract testing rapidly grows. This paper aims to propose a smart contract testing pattern that significantly limits the needed number of test cases. For evaluation expression with four verification rules, the pattern usage reduces the number of test cases by 68.75% in relation to the full coverage of logical value combinations. With the increase in the number of logical conditions, not only the number of test cases but also their percentage decreases. Starting from seven verification rules in the evaluation expression, the percentage reduction of test cases exceeds 90%. As a result, the cost of preparing and maintaining test case suites may be substantially cut. It should be emphasized that test execution time can be reduced even by 3 orders of magnitude (from seconds to milliseconds). Such an approach is highly important for regression testing, especially when used in continuous software integration, delivery, and deployment approaches.
Microcalorimetric Investigations of Reversible Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Unfolding
Authors: Berry Susan C. , Triplett Odbert A. , Yu Li-Rong , Hart Mark E. , Jackson Lauren S. , Tolleson William H.
Published: August 2022

Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) is a common food-borne illness often associated with contamination during food handling. The genes for Staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) isoforms SEA and SEB are frequently detected in human nasal Staphylococcus aureus isolates and these toxins are commonly associated with SFP. Past studies described the resistance of preformed SE proteins to heat inactivation and their reactivation upon cooling in foods. Full thermodynamic analyses for these processes have not been reported, however. The thermal stabilities of SEA, SEB, and SEH and reversibility of unfolding in simple buffers were investigated at pH 4.5 and pH 6.8 using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). SEA and SEB unfolding was irreversible at pH 6.8 and at least partially reversible at pH 4.5 while SEH unfolding was irreversible at pH 4.5 and reversible at pH 6.8. Additional studies showed maximum refolding for SEB at pH 3.5–4.0 and diminished refolding at pH 4.5 with increasing ionic strength. SE-stimulated secretion of interferon-gamma by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells was used to assess residual SE biological activity following heat treatments using conditions matching those used for DSC studies. The biological activities of SEB and SEH exhibited greater resistance to heat inactivation than that of SEA. The residual activities of heat-treated SEB and SEH were measurable but diminished further in the presence of reconstituted nonfat dry milk adjusted to pH 4.5 or pH 6.8. To different extents, the pH and ionic strengths typical for foods influenced the thermal stabilities of SEA, SEB, and SEH and their potentials to renature spontaneously after heat treatments.
Spaceflight Changes the Production and Bioactivity of Secondary Metabolites in Beauveria bassiana
Authors: Zhang Youdan , Zhang Xiaochen , Zhang Jieming , Ali Shaukat , Wu Jianhui
Published: August 2022

Studies on microorganism response spaceflight date back to 1960. However, nothing conclusive is known concerning the effects of spaceflight on virulence and environmental tolerance of entomopathogenic fungi; thus, this area of research remains open to further exploration. In this study, the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (strain SB010) was exposed to spaceflight (ChangZheng 5 space shuttle during 5 May 2020 to 8 May 2020) as a part of the Key Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province, China, in collaboration with the China Space Program. The study revealed significant differences between the secondary metabolite profiles of the wild isolate (SB010) and the spaceflight-exposed isolate (BHT021, BH030, BHT098) of B. bassiana. Some of the secondary metabolites/toxins, including enniatin A2, brevianamide F, macrosporin, aphidicolin, and diacetoxyscirpenol, were only produced by the spaceflight-exposed isolate (BHT021, BHT030). The study revealed increased insecticidal activities for of crude protein extracts of B. bassiana spaceflight mutants (BHT021 and BH030, respectively) against Megalurothrips usitatus 5 days post application when compared crude protein extracts of the wild isolate (SB010). The data obtained support the idea of using space mutation as a tool for development/screening of fungal strains producing higher quantities of secondary metabolites, ultimately leading to increased toxicity/virulence against the target insect host.
On the Issue of Magnetic Monopoles in the Prospect of UHE Photon Searches
Authors: Bratek Łukasz , Jałocha Joanna
Published: August 2022

Ultra-high energy (UHE) photons with energies exceeding 1018eV can potentially be observed. They are produced in various processes involving electrically charged particles. However, more exotic scenarios are also possible. UHE photons could be emitted in encounters of massive magnetically charged monopole-antimonopole pairs or in processes associated with monopoles accelerated to high energies, typically 1021eV or beyond. Observing UHE photons can pose constraints on the properties of magnetic monopoles. There are compelling theoretical reasons in favor of the presence of magnetic monopoles in nature. The predicted observational signatures of these particles are therefore searched for in dedicated experiments currently in operation. Despite these attempts, magnetic monopoles have yet to be empirically proved. There are also theoretical reasons why magnetic monopoles allowed by Dirac’s theory might not be realized in nature in the form of isolated particles. Detection or non-detection of UHE photon signatures of magnetic monopoles would bring us closer to solving this fascinating puzzle.
Development and Validation of an In-House Real-Time Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Lineage Subtyping between BA.1 and BA.2
Authors: Pham David , Maddocks Susan , Dwyer Dominic E. , Sintchenko Vitali , Kok Jen , Rockett Rebecca J.
Published: August 2022

In order to rapidly differentiate sublineages BA.1 and BA.2 of the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern Omicron, we developed a real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to target the discriminatory spike protein deletion at amino acid position 69–70 (S:del69–70). Compared to the gold standard of whole genome sequencing, the candidate assay was 100% sensitive and 99.4% specific. Sublineage typing by RT-PCR can provide a rapid, high throughput and cost-effective method to enhance surveillance as well as potentially guiding treatment and infection control decisions.
Spatial Dispersal of Epstein–Barr Virus in South America Reveals an African American Variant in Brazilian Lymphomas
Authors: Alves Paula , Larrate Marcella , Garcia-Costa Aruanã , Rohan Paulo , Gama Bianca Ervatti , Abdelhay Eliana , Delatorre Edson , Hassan Rocio
Published: August 2022

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a saliva-borne ɣ-herpesvirus associated with benign and malignant lymphoproliferation. EBV-mediated tumorigenic mechanisms are not fully understood and may be related to viral genetic variations. In this work, we characterize the genetic diversity of EBV from Brazil, assessing 82 samples derived from saliva from asymptomatic carriers (n = 45), biopsies of benign reactive hyperplasia (n = 4), and lymphomas (n = 33). Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis of the entire coding region of the LMP-1 was performed. Additionally, type 1/type 2 distinction by the EBNA3C gene and Zp variants were evaluated. Our results revealed a high diversity of EBV in Brazil, with the co-circulation of four main clades, described here as: Mediterranean (40.2%, n = 33), Raji/Argentine (39%, n = 32), B95-8 (6.1%, n = 5), and Asian II (1.2%, n = 1). The Raji/Argentine and Mediterranean clades were the most prevalent in South America (45% and 28%, respectively). The Raji/Argentine clade was associated with polymorphisms I124V/I152L, del30 bp, and ins15 bp (p < 0.0001, to all clades) and with a high haplotype diversity related to EBV type and Zp variants. We found that a Raji/Argentine subclade spread primarily from Brazil and later to other South American countries. Although no LMP1 variant has been directly associated with disease, the Raji/Argentine clade was predominantly clustered with lymphomas (61%) and the Mediterranean clade with non-malignant cases (59%) (p = 0.1). These data highlight the high genetic diversity of EBV circulating in Brazil, calling attention to a Raji-related variant with great recombination potential in Brazilian lymphomas.
Endothelial Dysfunction, HMGB1, and Dengue: An Enigma to Solve
Authors: Calderón-Peláez María-Angélica , Coronel-Ruiz Carolina , Castellanos Jaime E. , Velandia-Romero Myriam L.
Published: August 2022

Dengue is a viral infection caused by dengue virus (DENV), which has a significant impact on public health worldwide. Although most infections are asymptomatic, a series of severe clinical manifestations such as hemorrhage and plasma leakage can occur during the severe presentation of the disease. This suggests that the virus or host immune response may affect the protective function of endothelial barriers, ultimately being considered the most relevant event in severe and fatal dengue pathogenesis. The mechanisms that induce these alterations are diverse. It has been suggested that the high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) may be involved in endothelial dysfunction. This non-histone nuclear protein has different immunomodulatory activities and belongs to the alarmin group. High concentrations of HMGB1 have been detected in patients with several infectious diseases, including dengue, and it could be considered as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of dengue and a predictor of complications of the disease. This review summarizes the main features of dengue infection and describes the known causes associated with endothelial dysfunction, highlighting the involvement and possible relationship between HMGB1 and DENV.
Roles of microRNAs in Hepatitis C Virus Replication and Pathogenesis
Authors: Li Hui-Chun , Yang Chee-Hing , Lo Shih-Yen
Published: August 2022

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the development of chronic liver diseases, e.g., fibrosis, cirrhosis, even hepatocellular carcinoma, and/or extra-hepatic diseases such as diabetes. As an obligatory intracellular pathogen, HCV absolutely relies on host cells to propagate and is able to modulate host cellular factors in favor of its replication. Indeed, lots of cellular factors, including microRNAs (miRNAs), have been identified to be dysregulated during HCV infection. MiRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate protein synthesis of their targeting mRNAs at the post-transcriptional level, usually by suppressing their target gene expression. The miRNAs dysregulated during HCV infection could directly or indirectly modulate HCV replication and/or induce liver diseases. Regulatory mechanisms of various miRNAs in HCV replication and pathogenesis have been characterized. Some dysregulated miRNAs have been considered as the biomarkers for the detection of HCV infection and/or HCV-related diseases. In this review, we intend to briefly summarize the identified miRNAs functioning at HCV replication and pathogenesis, focusing on the recent developments.
The Genetic Stability, Replication Kinetics and Cytopathogenicity of Recombinant Avian Coronaviruses with a T16A or an A26F Mutation within the E Protein Is Cell-Type Dependent
Authors: Webb Isobel , Keep Sarah , Littolff Kieran , Stuart Jamie , Freimanis Graham , Britton Paul , Davidson Andrew D. , Maier Helena J. , Bickerton Erica
Published: August 2022

The envelope (E) protein of the avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a small-membrane protein present in two forms during infection: a monomer and a pentameric ion channel. Each form has an independent role during replication; the monomer disrupts the secretory pathway, and the pentamer facilitates virion production. The presence of a T16A or A26F mutation within E exclusively generates the pentameric or monomeric form, respectively. We generated two recombinant IBVs (rIBVs) based on the apathogenic molecular clone Beau-R, containing either a T16A or A26F mutation, denoted as BeauR-T16A and BeauR-A26F. The replication and genetic stability of the rIBVs were assessed in several different cell types, including primary and continuous cells, ex vivo tracheal organ cultures (TOCs) and in ovo. Different replication profiles were observed between cell cultures of different origins. BeauR-A26F replicated to a lower level than Beau-R in Vero cells and in ovo but not in DF1, primary chicken kidney (CK) cells or TOCs. Genetic stability and cytopathic effects were found to differ depending on the cell system. The effect of the T16A and A26F mutations appear to be cell-type dependent, which, therefore, highlights the importance of cell type in the investigation of the IBV E protein.
Longitudinal Testing of Leptospira Antibodies in Horses Located near a Leptospirosis Outbreak in Alpacas
Authors: Bolwell Charlotte , Gee Erica , Adams Brooke , Collins-Emerson Julie , Scarfe Katherine , Nisa Shahista , Gordon Emma , Rogers Chris , Benschop Jackie
Published: August 2022

The objectives of this study were to determine if horses located near an outbreak of leptospirosis in alpacas had Leptospira titres indicative of a previous or current infection and, if so, to determine the magnitude in change of titres over time. Further, the objective was to determine if horses with high titre results were shedding Leptospira in their urine. Blood samples were collected from twelve horses located on or next to the farm with the outbreak in alpacas, on day zero and at four subsequent time points (two, four, six and nine weeks). The microscopic agglutination test was used to test sera for five serovars endemic in New Zealand: Ballum, Copenhageni, Hardjo, Pomona and Tarassovi. A reciprocal MAT titre cut-off of ≥1:100 was used to determine positive horses. Seven out of twelve horses (58%) were positive to at least one serovar during one of the time points. Two horses recorded titres of ≥1600, one for both Pomona and Copenhageni and the other for Hardjo, and these two horses were both PCR positive for Leptospira in their urine samples. For five out of seven horses, the titres either remained the same or changed by one dilution across the sampling time points. The study confirmed endemic exposure to five endemic Leptospira serovars in New Zealand in a group of horses located near a confirmed leptospirosis outbreak in alpacas.
Inheritance of Monogenic Hereditary Skin Disease and Related Canine Breeds
Authors: Marín-García Pablo Jesús , Llobat Lola
Published: August 2022

The plasticity of the genome is an evolutionary factor in all animal species, including canines, but it can also be the origin of diseases caused by hereditary genetic mutation. Genetic changes, or mutations, that give rise to a pathology in most cases result from recessive alleles that are normally found with minority allelic frequency. The use of genetic improvement increases the consanguinity within canine breeds and, on many occasions, also increases the frequency of these recessive alleles, increasing the prevalence of these pathologies. This prevalence has been known for a long time, but mutations differ according to the canine breed. These genetic diseases, including skin diseases, or genodermatosis, which is narrowly defined as monogenic hereditary dermatosis. In this review, we focus on genodermatosis sensu estricto, i.e., monogenic, and hereditary dermatosis, in addition to the clinical features, diagnosis, pathogeny, and treatment. Specifically, this review analyzes epidermolytic and non-epidermolytic ichthyosis, junctional epidermolysis bullosa, nasal parakeratosis, mucinosis, dermoid sinus, among others, in canine breeds, such as Golden Retriever, German Pointer, Australian Shepherd, American Bulldog, Great Dane, Jack Russell Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Shar-Pei, and Rhodesian Ridgeback.
The Influence of Precision Dripping Irrigation System on the Phenology and Yield Indices of Sweet Maize Hybrids
Authors: Illés Árpád , Szabó Atala , Mousavi Seyed Mohammad Nasir , Bojtor Csaba , Vad Attila , Harsányi Endre , Sinka Lúcia
Published: August 2022

Sweet maize is an annual plant that is extremely useful and economical for planting and harvesting. However, maize stands are damaged quickly in the case of nutrient and water deficiency. This research was carried out under dripping irrigation conditions and control plots without irrigation, involving seven different maize hybrids. The obtained results showed no existing variation in the dry matter content of cob (DMC) between the irrigated and non-irrigated treatments. Correlation analysis showed that increasing DMC causes decreasing moisture content of cob (MC) of sweet maize with irrigated and non-irrigated treatments. DMC and MC are important factors in the yield index on irrigation treatments. Biplots showed that the Dessert R72 (10.82) hybrid had maximum yield and effect on Brix/Abbe and Brix/Atago Pal-1, while the Messenger hybrids (42.96) had maximum effect on MC. It was also shown that DMC and MC are important factors in the yield index on irrigation treatments on hybrids. The Noa (37.97) and Honey hybrids (27.88) had minimum effect and performance on non-irrigation and irrigation treatments. The Messenger (11.25) and SF1379 hybrids (10.5) had a maximum performance on Brix Abbe and Brix Pal in the irrigation treatment and Dessert R78 (13.5), the Messenger hybrid (11.8) had a maximum performance on Brix/Abbe and Brix/Atago Pal-1 in non-irrigation treatment. The Dessert R78 (13.5) is the best-performing hybrid in terms of the yield of Brix/Abbe and Brix/Atago Pal-1 in the performed irrigation treatments.
Aging Characteristics and Fate Analysis of Liquid Digestate Ammonium Nitrogen Disposal in Farmland Soil
Authors: Wang Zichen , Sun Guofeng , Zhang Liping , Zhou Wei , Sheng Jing , Ye Xiaomei , Olaniran Ademola O. , Kana Evariste B. Gueguim , Shao Hongbo
Published: August 2022

Water environment safety is the focus of engineering measures to eliminate liquid digestate in farmland. It is of great significance to study the aging characteristics of soil absorbing and fate of liquid digestate ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) to realize safe and efficient disposal. In this paper, simulation experiments of digesting NH4+-N (with application of 0, 120, 180, and 300 kg/hm2) by static soil column are carried out to study disposal efficiency, migration and transformation characteristics, and fate proportion of NH4+-N in saturated water content soil. The result showed that after 3 days of application, the overlying water NH4+-N concentration decreased by 63.5–80.7%, and the reduction rate of total NH4+-N was 65.8–82.3%. After 4 days, the NH4+-N concentration of pore water in the 0–10 cm soil layer reached the peak value. After 7 days, the NH4+-N concentration adsorbed by the 0–10 cm soil layer reached the peak value. After 15 days, the overlying water NH4+-N concentration decreased by 97.0–98.7%, the reduction rate was 97.9–99.2%, and the proportion of NH4+-N absorbed in the 0–10 cm soil layer accounted for 63.5–76.3%. The disposal is mainly based on soil sorption and pore water migration. A duration of 0–3 days is the rapid disposal period, and 15 days is the completion period of safe digestion.
The Estimation of Geothermal Reservoir Temperature Based on Integrated Multicomponent Geothermometry: A Case Study in the Jizhong Depression, North China Plain
Authors: Deng Junzu , Lin Wenjing , Xing Linxiao , Chen Li
Published: August 2022

The coal-dominated energy structure in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region has caused serious air pollution and contradicts the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system. Substituting geothermal energy for fossil energy such as coal can effectively alleviate this problem. Located in the hinterland of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Jizhong Depression is rich in geothermal resources and has great development potential, though the degree of current development and utilization is not high. Vigorously developing geothermal energy can not only effectively alleviate the air pollution problem in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, but also optimize the regional energy structure. Geothermal reservoir temperature determines the development and utilization value of geothermal resources, and accurate evaluation of the geothermal reservoir temperature of geothermal resources can provide a reliable basis for the subsequent development of geothermal resources in the Jizhong Depression. Aiming at the commonly used sandstone geothermal reservoir and carbonate geothermal reservoir in the Jizhong Depression, this paper collected 24 sandstone geothermal reservoir geothermal fluids and 14 carbonate geothermal reservoir geothermal fluids in the central-southern area of the Jizhong Depression and a water chemistry test was carried out. According to the test results of water chemistry, the temperature of the geothermal reservoir is estimated by using the cation geothermometer, the SiO2 geothermometer and the multi-mineral equilibrium method, and it is compared with the actual temperature measurement results of the boreholes. The results show that the direct use of a geothermal geothermometer for calculation will cause large errors. Through water–rock balance analysis, the use of a Na-K-Mg balance diagram, SiO2 and 1000/T relationship diagram and Na/K and 1000/T relationship diagram can determine whether the geothermal fluid is suitable for the geothermometer, which can effectively reduce the error. The chalcedony geothermometer in the central and southern part of the Jizhong Depression is the most suitable. The multi-mineral balance method, the Na-K geothermometer and the K-Mg geothermometer have also achieved good results, while the quartz and Na-K-Ca geothermometers are not suitable for the south-central Jizhong Depression area.
Monitoring and Analysis of Drought Characteristics Based on Climate Change in Burundi Using Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index
Authors: Ndayiragije Jean Marie , Li Fan
Published: August 2022

Drought is a global issue with profound implications worldwide on biodiversity, equal safety, poverty eradication, sustainable development, and social-economic stability due to the significant role that water resources play in the growth of the world economy. Burundi is one of the highly vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change-related events because of its low adaptive capacity and high dependence on rainfed agriculture for livelihood. This research aimed to identify drought incidents and their characteristics in terms of duration, severity, and intensity and analysis of their trends in Burundi using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). Monthly precipitation and temperature data of seven meteorological stations across Burundi (1981–2020) were obtained from Burundi Geographical Institute (IGEBU). The SPEI index of -2, -6 and -24 month timescales were generated to understand drought characteristics and the Mann–Kendall (MK) test combined with Sen’s slope estimator were utilized to analyze the drought trend based on the calculated SPEI values. The overall analysis of the computed SPEI time series demonstrated that drought is more frequent and severe in Burundi, especially in the northern and eastern parts. The results showed that the most prolonged and severe drought occurred during the 1990–2010 decades, and 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2016 were extremely dry years. Proactive drought mitigation activities, climate change mitigation and water resources management policy are highly recommended in order to reduce drought risk and its effect on both population and the natural environment.