bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imtidad: A Reference Architecture and a Case Study on Developing Distributed AI Services for Skin Disease Diagnosis over Cloud, Fog and Edge
Authors: Janbi Nourah , Mehmood Rashid , Katib Iyad , Albeshri Aiiad , Corchado Juan M. , Yigitcanlar Tan
Published: February 2022

Several factors are motivating the development of preventive, personalized, connected, virtual, and ubiquitous healthcare services. These factors include declining public health, increase in chronic diseases, an ageing population, rising healthcare costs, the need to bring intelligence near the user for privacy, security, performance, and costs reasons, as well as COVID-19. Motivated by these drivers, this paper proposes, implements, and evaluates a reference architecture called Imtidad that provides Distributed Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a Service (DAIaaS) over cloud, fog, and edge using a service catalog case study containing 22 AI skin disease diagnosis services. These services belong to four service classes that are distinguished based on software platforms (containerized gRPC, gRPC, Android, and Android Nearby) and are executed on a range of hardware platforms (Google Cloud, HP Pavilion Laptop, NVIDIA Jetson nano, Raspberry Pi Model B, Samsung Galaxy S9, and Samsung Galaxy Note 4) and four network types (Fiber, Cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth). The AI models for the diagnosis include two standard Deep Neural Networks and two Tiny AI deep models to enable their execution at the edge, trained and tested using 10,015 real-life dermatoscopic images. The services are evaluated using several benchmarks including model service value, response time, energy consumption, and network transfer time. A DL service on a local smartphone provides the best service in terms of both energy and speed, followed by a Raspberry Pi edge device and a laptop in fog. The services are designed to enable different use cases, such as patient diagnosis at home or sending diagnosis requests to travelling medical professionals through a fog device or cloud. This is the pioneering work that provides a reference architecture and such a detailed implementation and treatment of DAIaaS services, and is also expected to have an extensive impact on developing smart distributed service infrastructures for healthcare and other sectors.
Unmanned Aerial System-Based Data Ferrying over a Sensor Node Station Network in Maize
Authors: Singh Jasreman , Ge Yufeng , Heeren Derek M. , Walter-Shea Elizabeth , Neale Christopher M. U. , Irmak Suat , Maguire Mitchell S.
Published: February 2022

Agriculture is considered a hotspot for wireless sensor network (WSN) facilities as they could potentially contribute towards improving on-farm management and food crop yields. This study proposes six designs of unmanned aerial system (UAS)-enabled data ferries with the intent of communicating with stationary sensor node stations in maize. Based on selection criteria and constraints, a proposed UAS data ferrying design was shortlisted from which a field experiment was conducted for two growing seasons to investigate the adoptability of the selected design along with an established WSN system. A data ferry platform comprised of a transceiver radio, a mini-laptop, and a battery was constructed and mounted on the UAS. Real-time monitoring of soil and temperature parameters was enabled through the node stations with data retrieved by the UAS data ferrying. The design was validated by establishing communication at different heights (31 m, 61 m, and 122 m) and lateral distances (0 m, 38 m, and 76 m) from the node stations. The communication success rate (CSR) was higher at a height of 31 m and within a lateral distance of 38 m from the node station. Lower communication was accredited to potential interference from the maize canopy and water losses from the maize canopy.
Compatibility of Different Formulations in TrichoConceptTM Vehicles for Hair Treatments
Authors: Polonini Hudson , Taylor Sarah , Zander Clark
Published: February 2022

The wide variety of potential pathogeneses for alopecia and the wide variety of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to treat and manage those pathogeneses highlight the importance of the development of stable and effective topical treatments. Topical options for alopecia on the market remain limited and oral products may result in unwanted systemic adverse effects. This study is meant to fill the gap by determining compatibility in terms of beyond-use date (BUD) of APIs with theoretical or demonstrated benefits for topical use for alopecia. The compatibility of seven formulations was tested: F1 = clobetasol 0.05% in TrichoWashTM; F2 = ketoconazole 2% in TrichoWashTM; F3 = spironolactone 1% in TrichoWashTM; F4 = latanoprost 0.1% in TrichoCreamTM; F5 = pyridoxine HCl 0.5%, vitamin A acetate 1%, and vitamin E succinate 12.1 IU in TrichoCondTM; F6 = Caffeine 2%, menthol 1%, and pyridoxine HCl 0.5% in TrichoWashTM; F7 = Latanoprost 0.1%, minoxidil 5%, and finasteride 0.25% in TrichoSolTM. All formulations presented a BUD of 6 months, except for F4 and F7, which showed compatibility for 3 months. This validates the compatibility of the APIs with the TrichotechTM vehicles, and that they are highly convenient for compounding pharmacies.
The Effectiveness of Adapted Personalized Motor Activity (AMPA) to Improve Health in Individuals with Mental Disorders and Physical Comorbidities: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Lamberti Vito , Palermi Stefano , Franceschin Andrea , Scapol Giovanni , Lamberti Vincenzo , Lamberti Chiara , Vecchiato Marco , Spera Rocco , Sirico Felice , Della Valle Elisabetta
Published: February 2022

Mental disorders are highly prevalent worldwide and have a high impact on daily functioning. Exercise therapy was found to improve health of individuals with physical and mental disorders. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an Adapted Personalized Motor Activity (AMPA) in improving health in individuals with physical and mental disorders. Forty-three patients affected by both mental and chronic nontransmissible conditions were randomly assigned to intervention group (AMPA intervention) and control group (no intervention). Perceived physical and mental health were assessed using the Short Form 12 (SF-12) questionaries. Moreover, subjects underwent an accurate medical screening process, complete clinical evaluation, body composition evaluation, and cardiopulmonary assessment. Repeated Measurement Analysis of the Variance (RM-ANOVA) was used to compare any changes in health and physiological parameters in-between groups. AMPA group showed a statistically significant improvement in both perceived mental and physical health. Moreover, Body Mass Index (BMI), glycolipid profile, aerobic functional capacity and cardiopulmonary parameters improved significantly among individuals from the intervention group compared with the individuals from the control group. AMPA may be considered a possible intervention to improve health in individuals suffering from multiple physical and mental disorders. Future studies should examine the effectiveness in larger and heterogeneous sample of chronically ill patients and the long-term effect of AMPA.
Effect of Short-Duration High-Intensity Upper-Body Pre-Load Component on Performance among High-Level Cyclists
Authors: Valiulin Dmitri , Purge Priit , Mäestu Jarek , Jürimäe Jaak , Hofmann Peter
Published: February 2022

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of upper-body high-intensity exercise priming on subsequent leg exercise performance. Specifically, to compare maximal 4000 m cycling performance with upper-body pre-load (MPThigh) and common warm-up (MPTlow). In this case, 15 high-level cyclists (23.3 ± 3.6 years; 181 ± 7 cm; 76.2 ± 10.0 kg; V˙O2max: 65.4 ± 6.7 mL·kg−1·min−1) participated in the study attending three laboratory sessions, completing an incremental test and both experimental protocols. In MPThigh, warm-up was added by a 25 s high-intensity all-out arm crank effort to the traditional 20-min aerobic warm-up. Both 4000 m maximal bouts started with a 12 s all-out start. Heart rate, blood lactate concentration [La) and spirometric data were measured and analyzed. Overall MPThigh time was slower by 5.3 ± 1.2 s (p < 0.05). [La] at the start was 5.5 ± 1.5 mmol·L−1 higher for MPThigh (p < 0.001) reducing anaerobic energy contribution which was higher in MPTlow during the first and third 1000 m split (p < 0.05). Similarly, MPTlow maintained higher total average power during the entire performance (p < 0.05, d = 0.7). Although the MPThigh condition performed less effectively due to decreased anaerobic capacity, pre-load effect may have the potential to enhance performance at longer distances.
Assessing the Nutritional Impact of an Increase in Orphan Crops in the Kenyan Diet: The Case of Millet
Authors: Revoredo-Giha Cesar , Zavala-Nacul Hasibi , Toma Luiza
Published: February 2022

Orphan crops are those crops that did not receive the same attention of the research community as in the case of staples such as wheat, maize, or rice despite their regional and nutritional importance. A relatively recent trend has been promoting their research to improve their productivity and resilience to environmental shocks. However, their impact on consumers’ nutrition has been analysed only considering the crops individually and not in the context of the diet. This is important because an increase in the consumption of one product may trigger changes in the other products that conform to the diet. The purpose of this paper is to assess the potential impact, in terms of food choices and nutrition, of increasing the consumption of orphan crops (represented by millet) in the Kenyan diet. This is carried out using a microeconomic-based methodology, which augments the original consumer problem with a constraint regarding the amount of the orphan crop on the diet. To compute the required elasticities for the method, three demand systems—i.e., for rural, less affluent urban, more affluent urban households—were estimated using the 2015–16 Kenyan Integrated Household Survey and the two-step approach to address the zero consumption for some food categories; the second step was modelled using the Linquad demand model. The results indicate that although the orphan crops have the capacity to improve some of the nutrients (e.g., vitamins and minerals), in net terms, as measured by the aggregated nutritional indicator the improvement is somewhat limited, the improvements occur in the rural and the less affluent population.
Establishment of Corporate Energy Management Systems and Voluntary Carbon Information Disclosure in Chinese Listed Companies: The Moderating Role of Corporate Leaders’ Low-Carbon Awareness
Authors: Dan Erli , Shen Jianfei
Published: February 2022

The “Energy-Saving and Low-Carbon Action Implementation Plan for Ten Thousand Enterprises” urged Chinese energy users to establish an energy management system (EEM) that emphasizes energy conservation and emission reduction. This study applied the voluntary information disclosure theory, stakeholder theory, and legitimacy theory to construct a research framework for corporate voluntary carbon information disclosure (CID) under combined action of disclosure decision, EEM related to carbon information collection, and pressure to disclose. This study uses A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2017 as its research sample. Panel data regression analyses show that EEM positively affects CID in the high-carbon industry, and LLA positively affects CID in the low-carbon industry. In addition, ownership concentration has significant effects on CID. Moreover, the existence of state-owned shares positively affects CID of AH-share samples. The moderating effect test found that LLA has a negative moderating effect (a positive moderating effect) on the relationship between EEM and CID in the high-carbon industry (in AH-share samples). This study has verified the promoting effect of energy policies implementation related to carbon reduction and leaders’ carbon awareness on CID. It provided a strong basis for the significance of accelerating climate-change policies and promotion effects of international capital markets.
Short Food Supply Chains and Small Farms—Evidence from Slovakia
Authors: Floriš Norbert , Schwarcz Pavol , Schwarczová Loreta , Munk Michal
Published: February 2022

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) is a concept that is relatively new in the conditions of the Slovak Republic, but is developing significantly, mainly with the support of EU policies (CAP, RDP). This paper is focused on the evaluation of the performance of the micro and small agricultural enterprises in short supply chains in the Slovak Republic. We focus on the evaluation of selected economic indicators of small agricultural enterprises and micro-enterprises depending on their participation and non-participation, respectively, in SFSC. Next, we demonstrate the linear relationship between the researched primary and secondary data of enterprises operating inside and outside of the SFSC. Analysing the selected data, we state the ability of farmers operating in the SFSC to produce added-value products and improve their social situation. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of associating farmers with SFSCs are demonstrated.
DDoS Cyber-Incident Detection in Smart Grids
Authors: Merlino Jorge C. , Asiri Mohammed , Saxena Neetesh
Published: February 2022

The smart grid (SG) offers potential benefits for utilities, electric generators, and customers alike. However, the prevalence of cyber-attacks targeting the SG emphasizes its dark side. In particular, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks can affect the communication of different devices, interrupting the SG’s operation. This could have profound implications for the power system, including area blackouts. The problem is that few operational technology tools provide reflective DDoS protection. Furthermore, such tools often fail to classify the types of attacks that have occurred. Defensive capabilities are necessary to identify the footprints of attacks in a timely manner, as they occur, and to make these systems sustainable for delivery of the services as expected. To meet this need for defensive capabilities, we developed a situational awareness tool to detect system compromise by monitoring the indicators of compromise (IOCs) of amplification DDoS attacks. We achieved this aim by finding IOCs and exploring attack footprints to understand the nature of such attacks and their cyber behavior. Finally, an evaluation of our approach against a real dataset of DDoS attack instances indicated that our tool can distinguish and detect different types of amplification DDoS attacks.
Progress in Developing Scale-Able Approaches to Field-Scale Water Accounting Based on Remote Sensing
Authors: Vervoort Rutger Willem , Fuentes Ignacio , Brombacher Joost , Degen Jelle , Chambel-Leitão Pedro , Santos Flávio
Published: February 2022

To increase water productivity and assess water footprints in irrigated systems, there is a need to develop cheap and readily available estimates of components of water balance at fine spatial scales. Recent developments in satellite remote sensing platforms and modelling capacities have opened opportunities to address this need, such as those being developed in the WaterSENSE project. This paper showed how evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and farm-dam water volumes can be quantified based on the Copernicus data from the Sentinel satellite constellation. This highlights distinct differences between energy balance and crop factor approaches and estimates that can be derived from the point scale to the landscape scale. Differences in the results are related to assumptions in deriving evapotranspiration from remote sensing data. Advances in different parts of the water cycle and opportunities for crop detection and yield forecasting mean that crop water productivity can be quantified at field to landscape scales, but uncertainties are highly dependent on input data availability and reference validation data.
Identification of the Right Moment for Motor Vehicle Replacement—Life-Cycle Analysis in Serbia and Montenegro
Authors: Vesovic Vujadin , Jovanovic Dragutin , Arsic Milos , Avramovic Zoran , Sofijanic Svetozar , Djorovic Boban , Gospic Natasa , Tomovic Nena , Milosevic Dragan , Dobric Mladen , Arsic Sinisa , Kostadinovic Dragan , Kalac Safet , Peulic Velibor , Fazekas Tibor , Rosulj Dragana , Mitrovic Dijana Medenica , Hodzic Jasmin , Prelevic Marijana , Andric Milan
Published: February 2022

This paper deals with the issue of planning the end-of-life phase of motor vehicle life cycles in Serbia and Montenegro. This topic is trending around sustainability issues, given the very unfavorable age structure of vehicles and the increasing import of used cars, which intensifies the problem of the number of waste vehicles. On average, a motor vehicle is in active use for a period of 10 to 15 years. Individual phases of its life cycle are indicated differently, using multiple parameters. All phases are influenced by many factors, but this paper focuses on the phases of active use and the end of life of a motor vehicle. This paper investigates these two phases in terms of the influencing elements. The main aim of this study is to lay the foundations for making adequate decisions on how to handle end-of-life vehicles, from the perspective of their drivers. The study includes performing quantitative research analysis via the k-means clustering technique on a sample of 1240 drivers (private and commercial vehicles), in order to draw concrete conclusions through appropriate statistical analysis. The key findings suggest that different market, business, and environment indicators define the phases of active use and end of life, throughout the life cycle of a motor vehicle. Future research will expand the sample to surrounding countries.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability of Calcium Aluminate Cements
Authors: Zapata John , Azevedo Afonso , Fontes Carlos , Monteiro Sergio , Colorado Henry
Published: February 2022

This investigation presents a critical analysis of calcium aluminate cements (CAC), specifically associated with sustainability and environmental impact, and the potential of these cements to help solve certain worldwide problems. Areas of research include cements as recycling holding materials, sustainability, circular economy, production costs, and energy. This investigation summarizes the current trends, perspectives, and the main concerns regarding CAC. Detailed information about the materials and processes involved in CAC is also presented. First, a general search was made using the Carrot2 Workbench metasearch engine to identify possible thematic groups correlated with CAC, then a more in-depth and specialized search was done using the Scopus database. The results revealed that these materials have a lot of potential to help solve problems in the circular economy and suggest several exciting areas for conducting future research.
Improving Anaerobic Digestion of Brewery and Distillery Spent Grains through Aeration across a Silicone Membrane
Authors: Berry Zachary , Loughrin John , Burris Stuart , Conte Eric , Lovanh Nanh , Sistani Karamat
Published: February 2022

An increase in the number of independent breweries and distilleries has led to an increase in the amount of spent grains with inadequate means of disposal. One option for disposal is as feedstock for anaerobic digestion if digester stability is ensured. In this study, brewers’ spent grain and distillers’ spent grain were used as substrate for anaerobic digestion for 32 weeks. The digestate was treated by recirculation through a silicone hose located in an external tank filled with saline solution. The hose served as a permeable membrane allowing for the passage of gases. The recirculation tanks were fitted with check valves to maintain three pressure/gas regimes: 26 mm Hg N2, 26 mm Hg aeration or 100 mm Hg aeration. A fourth digester was operated with no recirculation as the control. These treatments were chosen to determine if differences in digester stability, wastewater treatment efficiency, and biogas production could be detected. A combination of dairy and swine manure was used as seeding to provide a methanogenic consortium and bicarbonate buffering. However, despite trying to provide for adequate initial bicarbonate buffering, all four digesters had low initial buffering and consequently low pH as short-chain fatty acids accumulated. After six weeks, bicarbonate buffering and pH increased as methane production increased, and short-chain fatty acids decreased. Later, despite the fluxes of O2 and N2 across the silicone membrane being very low, differences between the various treatments were noted. The pH of the digestate treated by N2 recirculation was lower than the other digesters and decreased further after distillers’ spent grain was substituted for brewers’ spent grain. Aeration at a pressure of 26 mm Hg and 100 mg Hg increased biogas production compared to other treatments but only significantly so at 100 mm Hg. These results suggest that partial purging of dissolved gases in anaerobic digestate by the small fluxes of N2 or O2 across a permeable membrane may affect digester performance.
The Organization of Social Sustainability Work in Swedish Eco-Municipalities
Authors: Wälitalo Lisa , Missimer Merlina
Published: February 2022

Even though large parts of a municipal administration’s work are aligned with social sustainability, this dimension has been somewhat more challenging and there seems to be a vast diversity in how it is approached. Academic literature on the systematic organization of this work is sparse. The aim of this study was to understand how Swedish municipalities organize their work with social sustainability and to find best practices. A survey among 21 municipalities and follow-up interviews with three of them were conducted. The study revealed that the organization of social sustainability work varies considerably among municipalities and that no simple patterns relating to size or existing organizational structures can be detected. Each municipality seems to be finding its own way and is more or less successful in strategically working with this area. Best practice focused on creating additional structures for collaboration across departments, with external actors, and across sectors to at least partly overcome the silo approach engrained in a municipal structure. It was also connected to the active involvement of leaders, clear mandates, and that a common vision for social sustainability was communicated. These lessons can be transferred to other municipalities and help them move towards social sustainability in a strategic way.
An Investigation to Identify the Effectiveness of Socioeconomic, Demographic, and Buildings’ Characteristics on Surface Urban Heat Island Patterns
Authors: Sidiqui Paras , Tariq Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman , Ng Anne W. M.
Published: February 2022

Despite implementing adaptation strategies and measures to make cities sustainable and resilient, the urban heat island (UHI) has been increasing risks to human health and the urban environment by causing hot spots in city areas. This study investigates the spatial patterns in the surface urban heat island (SUHI) over the study site and develops its relationships to socioeconomic, demographic, and buildings’ characteristics. This paper examines the role of building roof types, building roof material, building height, building age, and socioeconomic and demographic factors in driving the SUHI in a city. Numerous studies have focused primarily on the influence of biophysical and meteorological factors on variations in land surface temperatures (LSTs); however, very little attention has been paid to examining the influence of socioeconomic, demographic, and building factors on SUHIs within a city. The analysis has been carried out by processing Landsat based LST data to UHI in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-based platform. The satellite-based research is further integrated with GIS data acquired from the state government and local city council. Linear regression and multiple regression correlations are further run to examine selected factors’ variance on SUHI. Results indicate socioeconomic, demographic, and building factors contribute significantly to SUHI generation; these factors collectively can explain 28% of the variance in SUHI patterns with significant p-values.
The Relationship between COVID-19 Pandemic, Foreign Direct Investment, and Gross Domestic Product in Indonesia
Authors: Syarifuddin Ferry , Setiawan Maman
Published: February 2022

This research investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on foreign direct investment. This research also studies the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and the gross domestic product (GDP). This research employs a local projection estimation to calculate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on foreign direct investment. The panel vector autoregression is applied to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the relationship between FDI and GDP. This research finds variations in the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on FDI among economic sectors in Indonesia. Moreover, the relationship between FDI and GDP is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ruddlesden–Popper Faults in NdNiO3 Thin Films
Authors: Yang Chao , Wang Yi , Putzky Daniel , Sigle Wilfried , Wang Hongguang , Ortiz Roberto A. , Logvenov Gennady , Benckiser Eva , Keimer Bernhard , van Aken Peter A.
Published: February 2022

The NdNiO3 (NNO) system has attracted a considerable amount of attention owing to the discovery of superconductivity in Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2. In rare-earth nickelates, Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) faults play a significant role in functional properties, motivating our exploration of its microstructural characteristics and the electronic structure. Here, we employed aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopy to study a NdNiO3 film grown by layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We found RP faults with multiple configurations in high-angle annular dark-field images. Elemental intermixing occurs at the SrTiO3–NdNiO3 interface and in the RP fault regions. Quantitative analysis of the variation in lattice constants indicates that large strains exist around the substrate–film interface. We demonstrate that the Ni valence change around RP faults is related to a strain and structure variation. This work provides insights into the microstructure and electronic-structure modifications around RP faults in nickelates.
Lightweight Neural Network for COVID-19 Detection from Chest X-ray Images Implemented on an Embedded System
Authors: Sanida Theodora , Sideris Argyrios , Tsiktsiris Dimitris , Dasygenis Minas
Published: February 2022

At the end of 2019, a severe public health threat named coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread rapidly worldwide. After two years, this coronavirus still spreads at a fast rate. Due to its rapid spread, the immediate and rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 is of utmost importance. In the global fight against this virus, chest X-rays are essential in evaluating infected patients. Thus, various technologies that enable rapid detection of COVID-19 can offer high detection accuracy to health professionals to make the right decisions. The latest emerging deep-learning (DL) technology enhances the power of medical imaging tools by providing high-performance classifiers in X-ray detection, and thus various researchers are trying to use it with limited success. Here, we propose a robust, lightweight network where excellent classification results can diagnose COVID-19 by evaluating chest X-rays. The experimental results showed that the modified architecture of the model we propose achieved very high classification performance in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-score for four classes (COVID-19, normal, viral pneumonia and lung opacity) of 21.165 chest X-ray images, and at the same time meeting real-time constraints, in a low-power embedded system. Finally, our work is the first to propose such an optimized model for a low-power embedded system with increased detection accuracy.
Nanoparticled Titanium Dioxide to Remediate Crude Oil Exposure. An In Vivo Approach in Dicentrarchus labrax
Authors: Guidi Patrizia , Bernardeschi Margherita , Scarcelli Vittoria , Lucchesi Paolo , Palumbo Mara , Corsi Ilaria , Frenzilli Giada
Published: February 2022

The contamination of marine water bodies with petroleum hydrocarbons represents a threat to ecosystems and human health. In addition to the surface slick of crude oil, the water-soluble fraction of petroleum is responsible for the induction of severe toxic effects at different cellular and molecular levels. Some petroleum-derived hydrocarbons are classified as carcinogenic and mutagenic contaminants; therefore, the oil spill into the marine environment can have long term consequences to the biota. Therefore, new tools able to remediate crude oil water accommodation fraction pollution in marine water are highly recommended. Nanomaterials were recently proposed in environmental remediation processes. In the present in vivo study, the efficacy of pure anatase titanium nanoparticles (n-TiO2) was tested on Dicentrarchus labrax exposed to the accommodated fraction of crude oil. It was found that n-TiO2 nano-powders themselves were harmless in terms of DNA primary damage, and the capability of pure anatase n-TiO2 to lower the levels of DNA damage induced by a mixture of genotoxic pollutant was revealed. These preliminary results on a laboratory scale are the prerequisite for deepening this new technology for the abatement of the cellular effects related with oil spill pollutants released in marine environments.
Ecotoxicological Studies on the Action of Actara 25 WG Insecticide on Prussian Carp (Carassius gibelio) and Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)
Authors: Paunescu Alina , Soare Liliana Cristina , Fierascu Irina , Fierascu Radu Claudiu , Mihaescu Cristina Florina , Tofan Lucica , Ponepal Cristina Maria
Published: February 2022

The toxic action of the Actara 25 WG insecticide (it contains 25% thiamethoxam as an active substance) in non-lethal doses was studied in two species of aquatic organisms—the Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio) and the marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)—at two thermal levels, 6–8 °C (low temperature) and 18–20 °C (room temperature), respectively. In the Prussian carp, we recorded decreases in oxygen consumption and stimulation of the respiratory rhythm, changes that were more pronounced in the case of intoxicated fish and when the species were kept at room temperature. The histopathology of the lung in the frog illustrated the thickening of the conjunctival septum, an increase in the number of mucous cells, and an increase in the ratio between the diameter of the nucleus and the diameter of the pneumocyte. All of these changes were more pronounced in the animals kept at higher temperature. Our study looks at the extent to which temperature changes can influence the ability of poikilothermic organisms to withstand the presence of toxic substances in the environment as a result of the impact of the use of insecticides in agriculture. The two tested organisms are a common presence for the study area, which was affected in the last decade by climate change.
Emergence of Minkowski Spacetime by Simple Deterministic Graph Rewriting
Authors: Leuenberger Gabriel
Published: February 2022

The causal set program and the Wolfram physics project leave open the problem of how a graph that is a (3+1)-dimensional Minkowski spacetime according to its simple geodesic distances could be generated solely from simple deterministic rules. This paper provides a solution by describing simple rules that characterize discrete Lorentz boosts between 4D lattice graphs, which combine further to form Wigner rotations that produce isotropy and lead to the emergence of the continuous Lorentz group and the (3+1)-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. On such graphs, the speed of light, the proper time interval, as well as the proper length are all shown to be highly accurate.
Black Hole and Wormhole Solutions in Einstein–Maxwell Scalar Theory
Authors: Fabris Júlio C. , Gomes Tales Augusto Oliveira , Rodrigues Denis Campos
Published: February 2022

We classified and studied the charged black hole and wormhole solutions in the Einstein–Maxwell system in the presence of a massless, real scalar field. The possible existence of charged black holes in general scalar–tensor theories was studied in Bronnikov et al., 1999; black holes and wormholes exist for a negative kinetic term for the scalar field. Using a conformal transformation, the static, spherically symmetric possible structures in the minimal coupled system are described. Besides wormholes and naked singularities, only a restricted class of black hole exists, exhibiting a horizon with an infinite surface and a timelike central singularity. The black holes and wormholes defined in the Einstein frame have some specificities with respect to the non-minimal coupling original frame, which are discussed in the text.
Replication Kinetics for a Reporter Merkel Cell Polyomavirus
Authors: Abere Bizunesh , Zhou Hongzhao , Shuda Masahiro , Stolz Donna B. , Rapchak Kyle , Moore Patrick S. , Chang Yuan
Published: February 2022

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) causes one of the most aggressive human skin cancers, but laboratory studies on MCV replication have proven technically difficult. We report the first recombinase-mediated MCV minicircle (MCVmc) system that generates high levels of circularized virus, allowing facile MCV genetic manipulation and characterization of viral gene expression kinetics during replication. Mutations to Fbw7, Skp2, β-TrCP and hVam6p interaction sites, or to the stem loop sequence for the MCV-encoded miRNA precursor, markedly increase viral replication, whereas point mutation to an origin-binding site eliminates active virus replication. To further increase the utility of this system, an mScarlet fusion protein was inserted into the VP1 c-terminus to generate a non-infectious reporter virus for studies on virus kinetics. When this reporter virus genome is heterologously expressed together with MCV VP1 and VP2, virus-like particles are generated. The reporter virus genome is encapsidated and can be used at lower biosafety levels for one-round infection studies. Our findings reveal that MCV has multiple, self-encoded viral restriction mechanisms to promote viral latency over lytic replication, and these mechanisms are now amenable to examination using a recombinase technology.
Immunoregulatory Intestinal Microbiota and COVID-19 in Patients with Type Two Diabetes: A Double-Edged Sword
Authors: Petakh Pavlo , Kamyshna Iryna , Nykyforuk Andriy , Yao Rouan , Imbery John F. , Oksenych Valentyn , Korda Mykhaylo , Kamyshnyi Aleksandr
Published: February 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, is a major challenge facing scientists worldwide. Alongside the lungs, the system of organs comprising the GI tract is commonly targeted by COVID-19. The dysbiotic modulations in the intestine influence the disease severity, potentially due to the ability of the intestinal microbiota to modulate T lymphocyte functions, i.e., to suppress or activate T cell subpopulations. The interplay between the lungs and intestinal microbiota is named the gut–lung axis. One of the most usual comorbidities in COVID-19 patients is type 2 diabetes, which induces changes in intestinal microbiota, resulting in a pro-inflammatory immune response, and consequently, a more severe course of COVID-19. However, changes in the microbiota in this comorbid pathology remain unclear. Metformin is used as a medication to treat type 2 diabetes. The use of the type 2 diabetes drug metformin is a promising treatment for this comorbidity because, in addition to its hypoglycemic action, it can increase amount of intestinal bacteria that induce regulatory T cell response. This dual activity of metformin can reduce lung damage and improve the course of the COVID-19 disease.
Advances in HIV-1 Assembly
Authors: Lerner Grigoriy , Weaver Nicholas , Anokhin Boris , Spearman Paul
Published: February 2022

The assembly of HIV-1 particles is a concerted and dynamic process that takes place on the plasma membrane of infected cells. An abundance of recent discoveries has advanced our understanding of the complex sequence of events leading to HIV-1 particle assembly, budding, and release. Structural studies have illuminated key features of assembly and maturation, including the dramatic structural transition that occurs between the immature Gag lattice and the formation of the mature viral capsid core. The critical role of inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) in the assembly of both the immature and mature Gag lattice has been elucidated. The structural basis for selective packaging of genomic RNA into virions has been revealed. This review will provide an overview of the HIV-1 assembly process, with a focus on recent advances in the field, and will point out areas where questions remain that can benefit from future investigation.
Educational Inequalities in COVID-19 Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Adult Population in the Lazio Region, Italy
Authors: Cesaroni Giulia , Calandrini Enrico , Balducci Maria , Cappai Giovanna , Di Martino Mirko , Sorge Chiara , Nicastri Emanuele , Agabiti Nera , Davoli Marina
Published: February 2022

Several studies reported socioeconomic inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed at investigating educational inequalities in COVID-19 vaccination on 22 December 2021. We used the cohort of all residents in the Lazio Region, Central Italy, established at the beginning of the pandemic to investigate the effects of COVID-19. The Lazio Region has 5.5 million residents, mostly distributed in the Metropolitan Area of Rome (4.3 million inhabitants). We selected those aged 35 years or more who were alive and still residents on 22 December 2021. The cohort included data on sociodemographic, health characteristics, COVID-19 vaccination (none, partial, or complete), and SARS-CoV-2 infection. We used adjusted logistic regression models to analyze the association between level of education and no vaccination. We investigated 3,186,728 subjects (54% women). By the end of 2021, 88.1% of the population was fully vaccinated, and 10.3% were not vaccinated. There were strong socioeconomic inequalities in not getting vaccinated: compared with those with a university degree, residents with a high school degree had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.29 (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.27–1.30), and subjects with a junior high or primary school attainment had an OR = 1.41 (95% CI: 1.40–1.43). Since a comprehensive vaccination against COVID-19 could help reduce socioeconomic inequalities raised with the pandemic, further efforts in reaching the low socioeconomic strata of the population are crucial.
“Would You Get Vaccinated against COVID-19?” The Picture Emerging from a Study on the Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the General Population of the Veneto Region
Authors: Cocchio Silvia , Tremolada Giulia , Furlan Patrizia , Nicoletti Michele , Zabeo Federico , Fonzo Marco , Tonon Michele , Russo Francesca , Baldo Vincenzo
Published: February 2022

COVID-19 disease, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, continues to cause high hospitalization and death rates. Vaccination campaigns have been key to controlling the pandemic, but vaccine hesitancy is on the rise. This study investigated the general population’s attitude to vaccination in Veneto (northeast Italy) in January 2021 as part of a study on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. An ad hoc questionnaire collected 4467 respondents’ sociodemographic data and propensity to be vaccinated, and findings were analyzed using logistic multivariable regression. The 48.9% of respondents were male, and the mean age was 46.8 ± 16.0 years. Asked whether they would get vaccinated against COVID-19, 84.3% said yes, 5.0% were uncertain, and 10.7% said no. Vaccine acceptance was higher in males than in females (85.8% vs. 82.8%), in people 70+ years old (92.3%), and among people with more than 14 years of schooling (89.6%). Multivariable analysis with adjOR (95% CI) showed a significantly greater vaccine reluctance in females (0.68 (0.57–0.81)), people 30–49 or 50–69 years old (0.69 (0.54–0.87)), and (0.76 (0.58–0.99)); and those with <9 or 9–13 years of schooling (0.62 (0.46–0.82)), and (0.72 (0.57–0.91)). As people refusing vaccination undeniably hinder efforts to control the pandemic, specific strategies are needed to overcome their doubts.
Stability Analysis of Electromechanical Coupling Torsional Vibration for Wheel-Side Direct-Driven Transmission System under Transmission Clearance and Motor Excitation
Authors: Ju Jinyong , Liu Yufei , Zhang Chunrui
Published: February 2022

The wheel-side direct-driven transmission system (WDTS) is a new intelligent transmission technology, which has significant advantages in high-efficiency and few malfunctions for the electric bus. Based on the Lagrange–Maxwell equation, the WDTS electromechanical coupling dynamic model, whose effectiveness is verified by the PMSM speed, is constructed for analyzing the system torsional vibration destabilization characteristics. Then, by determining the resonance curve equation for the torsional vibration response amplitude of the WDTS with the direct multi-scale method, the influences of the torque ripple amplitude of the PMSM and the transmission clearance on the system torsional vibration stability are analyzed. The results indicate that the WDTS torsional vibration response shows complex nonlinear characteristics especially under the effect of the system transmission clearance, which has an important impact on the system stable operation. The research results can lay a theoretical foundation for the design of the WDTS of the electric bus.
Prospective directions for improving the process of selling hotel services
Authors:   State Autonomous Educational Institution «Moscow State University of Sport and Tourism», Ushakov R. N.
Published: February 2022

The article describes the main elements of the process of selling hotel services, which include a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of existing sales channels, the use of modern sales technologies at different stages of interaction with the guest, as well as the use of effective methods of recruitment, training and motivation of sales employees.
Status of a Limonium binervosum agg. segregant in an Anglesey saltmarsh
Authors: Rees E. Ivor S.
Published: February 2022

A distinctive segregant of Limonium binervosum agg. (Plumbaginaceae) has been known in sandy saltmarshes near Rhosneigr on the west coast of Anglesey v.c.52, Wales since at least 2006. Based on morphological characters it belongs in the L. recurvum (sensu lato) part of the aggregate, but it differs from the only L. recurvum subspecies previously confirmed as present on Irish Sea coasts, L. recurvum subsp. humile (Girard) Ingrouille. This was renamed L. naniforme (Ingr) Sell due to Sell & MurrelL (2018), treating the subspecies of L. binervosum agg. as full species. If a consensus adopts this approach, it leaves the Anglesey L. recurvum (sensu lato) segregant without a valid name. Under the hierarchical system propounded by Ingrouille & Stace (1986), the Anglesey plants are named here as L. recurvum subsp. crigyllensis I. Rees subsp. nov (Crigyll sea-lavender). When or if the Sell & Murrell approach is generally adopted the subspecies name can become the new species name.
Elymus athericus (Sea Couch) (Poaceae) and coastal hybrid couch grasses in Scotland
Authors: Wilcox Michael
Published: February 2022

A largely herbarium-based study was undertaken to reassess the status of Elymus athericus (Link) Kerguélen (Sea Couch) and the three coastal hybrids E. x drucei (Stace) Stace, E. x laxus (Fr.) Melderis & D.C. McClint. and E. x obtusiusculus (Lange) Melderis & D.C. McClint. in Scotland. None of the previous records of E. athericus could be confirmed for the country. Verified records of the hybrids are detailed and listed for each relevant vice-county.
Literary Thoughts Showing the Kaliththokai
Authors: N Sindhu
Published: February 2022

In the Internal text of Eighth volume book of sangam age literature. That is one book name is kaliththokai. It refers to poetic expressions in human life, five lands were accepting facts, Book says the arts, Grammar of Kalippa, it is one of the lyric Method. Literature is the expression of the biographical fantasies and ideologies of earlier human beings. There is a great deal of literature from the time the world appeared until today. Among them, Kalithokai is one of the Eighteen Greater Texts on Sangam literature. The song and the amount are its contents. Literacy Historical evidence of the kaliththokai. It says Ravana, God shiva about information and Literacy appears Dictionary word findings these are all show in the article.
WORN VEHICLE TYRES IN POLISH ROAD CONSTRUCTION – ECOLOGY, LAW, USE, AND ECONOMICS
Authors: Ołdakowska Ewa
Published: February 2022

The recycling of worn tyres is enforced primarily by legal regulations, but it is also motivated by ecological and economic reasons. In Poland, recovery of rubber materials makes it possible to obtain materials of good quality and very broad applications, e.g. for plastic road surface or production of so-called rubber asphalt, used for the grindable layer of roads, as well as for innovative materials intended for filling bridge abutments of integrated bridges. The paper considers the financial aspect of using disintegrated rubber waste by analysing the cost of replacing the binder with different amounts of rubber dust (10%, 12%, 14%, 16%). With the assumptions made, the analysis allows for concluding that with an increase in the content of the rubber additive, the cost of the binder changes.
Diseño y construcción de módulos de block no estructural incorporando el reciclaje de taparroscas
Authors:   Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Huichapan, BADILLO-ÁNGELES Sergio , TREJO-TORRES Zaira Betzabeth , VELÁZQUEZ-LUCHO Karla María
Published: February 2022

The present research aims to report the design and construction of non-structural concrete blocks incorporating caps from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as a replacement material for granzón, since these caps can be incorporated if they are crushed or crushed into particles. smaller (approximately 1 cm), which will improve the block, giving it a different texture. Thanks to the properties of plastic, this alternative block may be lighter than the traditional block, considering it as a non-structural block, which can be implemented as dividing walls in the various constructions within the field of architecture. Given that it has a wide variety of applications, this would lead to reducing its production costs. On the other hand, it is very important to characterize the block and for this it is necessary to carry out thermal, acoustic and resistance tests. Regarding the latter, the compressive strength of the ecological block is one of the most important goals of the prototype since it must abide by the regulations stipulated by the MNX-C-441-ONNCCE-2013. In addition, plastic generates good thermal insulation, and its degradation time is estimated between 200 and 300 years, which guarantees a highly durable home over time.