bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on College Students: An Online Survey
Authors: Tran Thien Khai , Dinh Hoa , Nguyen Hien , Le Dac-Nhuong , Nguyen Dong-Ky , Tran An C. , Nguyen-Hoang Viet , Nguyen Thi Thu Ha , Hung Dinh , Tieu Suong , Khuu Canh , Nguyen Tuan A.
Published: September 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic, since its beginning in December 2019, has altered every aspect of human life. In Vietnam, the pandemic is in its fourth peak and is the most serious so far, putting Vietnam in the list of top 30 countries with the highest daily cases. In this paper, we wish to identify the magnitude of its impact on college students in Vietnam. As far as we’re concerned, college students belong to the most affected groups in the population, especially in big cities that have been hitting hard by the virus. We conducted an online survey from 31 May 2021 to 9 June 2021, asking students from four representative regions in Vietnam to describe how the pandemic has changed their lifestyle and studying environment, as well as their awareness, compliance, and psychological state. The collected answers were processed to eliminate unreliable ones then prepared for sentiment analysis. To analyze the relationship among the variables, we performed a variety of statistical tests, including Shapiro–Wilk, Mc Nemar, Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon, Kruskal–Wallis, and Pearson’s Chi-square tests. Among 1875 students who participated, many did not embrace online education. A total of 64.53% of them refused to think that online education would be the upcoming trend. During the pandemic, nearly one quarter of students were in a negative mood. About the same number showed signs of depression. We also observed that there were increasing patterns in sleeping time, body weight, and sedentary lifestyle. However, they maintained a positive attitude toward health protection and compliance with government regulations (65.81%). As far as we know, this is the first project to conduct such a large-scale survey analysis on students in Vietnam. The findings of the paper help us take notice of financial and mental needs and perspective issues for indigent students, which contributes to reducing the pandemic’s negative effects and going forwards to a better and more sustainable life.
Valorification of Ulva rigida Algae in Pulp and Paper Industry for Improved Paper Characteristics and Wastewater Heavy Metal Filtration
Authors: Caprita Florina-Cristiana , Ene Antoaneta , Cantaragiu Ceoromila Alina
Published: September 2021

This paper presents preliminary results on the possibility of incorporating stranded macroalgae into the papermaking process; analyses of the physical-mechanical properties of filter paper, with the addition of stranded macrophytic marine algae from Ulva rigida species obtained previously; results of SEM–EDX analyses of filter paper samples; and results obtained from the filtration of a wastewater from the metallurgical industry, using the improved filter paper samples. In the filter paper recipe, stranded macrophytic seaweed of the species Ulva rigida was added at different percentages of 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 4% and 8%, and the addition was calculated in relation to the absolute dry material. The physicomechanical properties analyzed are grammage, thickness, density, moisture, ash content, breaking load, breaking length, tear resistance, bursting resistance, folding endurance, porosity, smoothness, water absorption and Cobb60 index. Additional information related to the homogeneity of the distribution of elements in the paper mass was obtained by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDX). The addition of macroalgae to the paper mass improved the strength characteristics of the paper, such as breaking load, breaking length, tearing resistance, folding endurance and water absorption. Following industrial wastewater filtration using filter paper with added seaweed, positive results were obtained in terms of reduction of total Cr, Cu, total Fe and Zn concentrations.
Revalorization of Pleurotus djamor Fungus Culture: Fungus-Derived Carbons for Supercapacitor Application
Authors: García-Hernández Paola Navid , Baas-López José Martín , Toledano-Thompson Tanit , Valdez-Ojeda Ruby , Pacheco-Catalán Daniella
Published: September 2021

Currently, there is increasing interest and effort directed to developing sustainable processes, including in waste management and energy production and storage, among others. In this research, corn cobs were used as a substrate for the cultivation of Pleurotus djamor, a suitable feedstock for the management of these agricultural residues. Revalorization of this fungus, as an environmentally friendly carbon precursor, was executed by taking advantage of the intrinsic characteristics of the fungus, such as its porosity. Obtaining fungus-derived porous carbons was achieved by hydrothermal activation with KOH and subsequent pyrolysis at 600, 800, and 1000 °C in an argon atmosphere. The morphologies of the fungal biomass and fungus-derived carbons both exhibited, on their surfaces, certain amorphous similarities in their pores, indicating that the porous base matrix of the fungus was maintained despite carbonization. From all fungus-derived carbons, PD1000 exhibited the largest superficial area, with 612 m2g−1 and a pore size between 3 and 4 nm recorded. Electrochemical performance was evaluated in a three-electrode cell, and capacitance was calculated by cyclic voltammetry; a capacitance of 60 F g−1 for PD1000 was recorded. Other results suggested that PD1000 had a fast ion-diffusion transfer rate and high electronic conductivity. Ultimately, Pleurotus djamor biomass is a suitable feedstock for obtaining carbon in a sustainable way, and it features a defined intrinsic structure for potential energy storage applications, such as electrodes in supercapacitors.
Are Leaders’ Perceptions of Organizational Politics Worsening Favorable Employee Outcomes? The Role of Ethical Leadership
Authors: Lee Soojin , Kim Jinhee , Byun Gukdo
Published: September 2021

Researchers have conducted many empirical studies on the positive effects of ethical leadership. However, they have paid little attention to the antecedents of ethical leadership. This study sought to fill this gap by examining the negative effects of leaders’ perceptions of organizational politics on ethical leadership and the job performance of employees. Accordingly, this study investigated the relationships among them using data collected from 220 dyads of leaders and followers in major companies in South Korea. The results showed that leaders’ perceptions of organizational politics negatively affected their ethical leadership, which, in turn, had an adverse impact on the task performance and organizational citizenship behavior of employees. This paper also provides the theoretical and applied implications of the findings as well as future research directions.
Instructor–Student Mentoring: Strengths of Transformative Sustainability Learning and Its Direct Application to Impact Industry and Curricular Refinement
Authors: McCullough Brian P. , Pelcher Jamee A.
Published: September 2021

There is a growing need to educate students about the applications of environmental sustainability to current and future jobs. One method that has emerged to teach this application is transformative sustainable learning (TSL). Instructors can use TSL to understand better how to integrate sustainability topics into seemingly unrelated course topics. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a series of TSL courses in a graduate sport management program. To this end, a collaborative reflection guided the data collection from weekly one-on-one conversations between the researchers (i.e., instructor, student). Results aligned with TSL themes (i.e., head, heart, hands) and suggested that the intentional TSL course design and scheduled conversations benefited both the instructor and student. The student experienced an in-depth experience to understand and apply course concepts. The instructor was able to gain better insights to structure the class and create assignments adapted to meet student needs through collaborative reflection during mentoring sessions.
Evaluation Method of Synergy Degree for Comprehensive Benefits System of Hydropower Projects
Authors: Zhou Xuan , Chen Chen , Chen Jiankang , Li Yanling , Lu Xiang , Li Junru , Wang Yongfei
Published: September 2021

The hydropower project had comprehensively benefited people from aspects of the economy, society, ecology, etc. The comprehensive benefit is a key indicator for evaluating a project’s performance. However, the existing studies only evaluated the comprehensive benefit and ignored the relationship among different benefits, which is of great significance for the sustainable development of a project. Therefore, in the framework of the complex system composed of economic, social, and ecological benefit subsystems, a synergy degree evaluation method is constructed based on the evaluation index system of the comprehensive benefits, and the compound weight is determined by using the non-linear model and the Lagrange function. Thus, the changing rules of the order degree and the synergy degree for the subsystems in different years can be obtained. The proposed method is applied to a gate dam (named SG) to appraise the relationship among benefits. The results show that the economic, social, and ecological benefits of the SG dam from 2011 to 2018 are gradually to be a better state, but the synergy degrees of the complex system belong to “bottom synergy” and “moderate synergy” level, which indicates that there is no close cooperation among the three benefit subsystems.
Issues and Challenges in Voltage Uprating for Sustainable Power Operation: A Case Study of a 132 kV Transmission Line System in Malaysia
Authors: Nor Shamsul Fahmi Mohd , Kadir Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab , Ariffin Azrul Mohd , Osman Miszaina , Rahman Muhammad Syahmi Abd , Zainuddin Noorlina Mohd
Published: September 2021

Ageing grid infrastructure is a critical issue that is currently faced by electrical utilities worldwide, resulting in crucial decisions that must be made for the replacement, repair, or refurbishment of assets under constrained budgetary conditions, as well as other factors. As one of the fastest-developing countries globally, Malaysia is steadily growing in terms of its cumulative population, large industries, and advanced transportation sector, leading to an increasing electricity demand and, consequently, putting stress on electric utility providers to meet these tremendous demands. Significant concerns in the new development of transmission in Malaysia are the environmental issues, which involve exploration in gazetted areas and forest reserves. This paper describes the issues and challenges in developing a new transmission line system in Malaysia. In recent years, uprating existing transmission line systems has been one of the best asset management decisions for electric utility operators in order to meet such a demand for capacity. This paper assesses the technical issues and conventional methods of uprating the voltage of an existing transmission line system. The initial study found that the phase-to-Earth clearance does not fulfil the electrical clearance envelope. The study on the existing 132 kV transmission line system further analysed these issues and proposed an appropriate technique for uprating to a 275 kV transmission line system. Finally, the results indicate that the voltage uprating of the 132 kV transmission line system to 275 kV is able to satisfy the electrical clearance requirement envelope.
Sustainable Manufacture of Bearing Bushing Parts
Authors: Hrițuc Adelina , Slătineanu Laurențiu , Dodun Oana , Nagîț Gheorghe , Coteață Margareta , Boca Marius Andrei , Ermolai Vasile
Published: September 2021

Bearing bushing parts are used to support other rotating moving parts. When these bearing bushings are made of bronze, their inner cylindrical surfaces can be finished by turning. The problem addressed in this paper was that of identifying an alternative for finishing by turning the inner cylindrical surfaces of bearing bushing parts by taking into account the specific sustainability requirements. Three alternatives for finishing turning the inner cylindrical surfaces of bearing bushings have been identified. The selection of the alternative that ensures the highest probability that the diameter of the machined surface is included in the prescribed tolerance field was made first by using the second axiom of the axiomatic design. It was thus observed that for the initial turning alternative, the probability of success assessed by using a normal distribution is 77.2%, while for the third alternative, which will correspond to a Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, the probability of success is 92.1%. A more detailed analysis was performed using the analytic hierarchy process method, taking into account distinct criteria for assessing sustainability. The criteria for evaluating the sustainability of a cutting processing process were identified using principles from the systemic analysis. The application of the analytic hierarchy process method facilitated the approach of some detailed aspects of the sustainability of the alternatives proposed for finishing by turning the inner cylindrical surfaces of bearing bushings, including by taking into account economic, social, and environmental protection requirements.
Natural Clay Minerals as a Starting Material for Matrices for the Immobilization of Radioactive Waste from Pyrochemical Processing of SNF
Authors: Matveenko Anna V. , Varlakov Andrey P. , Zherebtsov Alexander A. , Germanov Alexander V. , Mikheev Ivan V. , Kalmykov Stepan N. , Petrov Vladimir G.
Published: September 2021

Pyrochemistry is a promising technology that can provide benefits for the safe reprocessing of relatively fresh spent nuclear fuel with a short storage time (3–5 years). The radioactive waste emanating from this process is an electrolyte (LiCl–KCl) mixture with fission products included. Such wastes are rarely immobilized through common matrices such as cement and glass. In this study, samples of ceramic materials, based on natural bentonite clay, were studied as matrices for radioactive waste in the form of LiCl–KCl eutectic. The phase composition of the samples, and their mechanical, hydrolytic, and radiation resistance were characterized. The possibility of using bentonite clay as a material for immobilizing high-level waste arising from pyrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuel is further discussed in this paper.
An Economic Analysis of the Environmental Impact of PM2.5 Exposure on Health Status in Three Northwestern Mexican Cities
Authors: Becerra-Pérez Luis Armando , Ramos-Álvarez Roberto Alonso , DelaCruz Juan J. , García-Páez Benjamín , Páez-Osuna Federico , Cedeño-Laurent J. Guillermo , Boldo Elena
Published: September 2021

Introduction: This study provides an economic assessment of the health effects due to exposure to particulate matter PM2.5 in three medium-size cities of northwestern Mexico: Los Mochis, Culiacan and Mazatlán. People in these cities are exposed to high pollutant concentrations that exceed limits suggested in domestic and international guidelines. PM2.5 is an air contaminant negatively associated with people’s health when is highly concentrated in the atmosphere; its diameter is below 2.5 µm and causes the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated. To account for the economic impact of air pollution, a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) was used by the means of the European Aphekom Project. We figured the cost-savings of complying with current environmental standards and computed gains in life expectancy, total avoidable premature mortality, preventable cardiovascular disease, and the economic costs of air pollution related to PM2.5. A formal analysis of air pollution epidemiology is not pursued in this paper. Results: The cost of reducing PM2.5 pollution associated with negative health outcomes was based on two different scenarios: Official Mexican Standard (NOM, Spanish acronym) and World Health Organization (WHO) environmental standards. The mean PM2.5 concentrations in 2017 were 22.8, 22.4 and 14.1 µg/m3 for Los Mochis, Mazatlán and Culiacan, respectively. Conclusions: The mean avoidable mortality for all causes associated to PM2.5 exposure in these cities was 638 for the NOM scenario (i.e., with a reduction to 12 µg/m3) compared to 739 for the WHO scenario (reduction to 10 µg/m3). Complying with the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m3 in annual PM2.5 mean would add up to 15 months of life expectancy at age 30, depending on the city. The mean economic cost per year of the PM2.5 effects on human life in these three cities was USD 600 million (NOM scenario) and USD 695 million (WHO scenario). Thus, effective public health and industrial policy interventions to improve air quality are socially advantageous and cost-saving to promote better health.
Do IMC and Ecological Knowledge Drive Value Co-Creation? The New Way to Loyalty in Hospitality
Authors: Bordian Mariia , Gil-Saura Irene
Published: September 2021

Despite co-creation being considered a valuable strategy for incremental changes towards more sustainable activities and consumers’ declared interest, hospitality businesses still did not experience the expected level of client engagement in their service interactions. Therefore, the primary purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of value co-creation and its antecedents and consequences within the hotel industry context through the lens of sustainability. Integrated marketing communication (IMC) and ecological knowledge are examined as factors that enhance value co-creation. Satisfaction is observed as a mediator of the relationship between value co-creation and customer loyalty. A closed-response, in-person structured survey was used to collect data from 303 guests of hotels located in Ukraine. The hypotheses were tested using the partial least squares method. The findings reveal that company IMC causes a higher impact on value co-creation. However, ecological knowledge does not seem to affect value co-creation. Furthermore, value co-creation shows a significant influence on customer satisfaction, and directly and indirectly affects loyalty through satisfaction. This study’s theoretical and practical implications are included to assist both scholars and practitioners in the hospitality industry in enriching their understanding of effective value co-creation and communication strategies related to sustainability to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
An E-Commerce Recommendation System Based on Dynamic Analysis of Customer Behavior
Authors: Abdul Hussien Farah Tawfiq , Rahma Abdul Monem S. , Abdulwahab Hala B.
Published: September 2021

The technological development in the devices and services provided via the Internet and the availability of modern devices and their advanced applications, for most people, have led to an increase in the expansion and a trend towards electronic commerce. The large number and variety of goods offered on e-commerce websites sometimes make the customers feel overwhelmed and sometimes make it difficult to find the right product. These factors increase the amount of competition between global commercial sites, which increases the need to work efficiently to increase financial profits. The recommendation systems aim to improve the e-commerce systems performance by facilitating the customers to find the appropriate products according to their preferences. There are lots of recommendation system algorithms that are implemented for this purpose. However, most of these algorithms suffer from several problems, including: cold start, sparsity of user-item matrix, scalability, and changes in user interest. This paper aims to develop a recommendation system to solve the problems mentioned before and to achieve high realistic prediction results this is done by building the system based on the customers’ behavior and cooperating with the statistical analysis to support decision making, to be employed on an e-commerce site and increasing its performance. The project contribution can be shown by the experimental results using precision, recall, F-function, mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean square error (RMSE) metrics, which are used to evaluate system performance. The experimental results showed that using statistical methods improves the decision-making that is employed to increase the accuracy of recommendation lists suggested to the customers.
Human Lean Green Method—A New Approach toward Auditing Manufacturing & Service Companies
Authors: Starzyńska Beata , Bryke Mariusz , Diakun Jacek
Published: September 2021

The article presents the method of assessing the sustainable development of enterprises implemented in the form of an audit, dedicated to manufacturing and service companies. Modern organizations are heading towards the idea of sustainable development. Its essence lies in the belief that the chances of a specific economic entity for survival are possible by harmonizing economic, environmental and social aspects. Emphasizing the essential role of the human factor within the Lean Green concept and the growing popularity of the idea of CSR encouraged the authors to propose a Human Lean Green approach, on which the developed method of assessing the sustainable development of the company is based. The assessment of the company’s sustainable development is carried out by measuring the indicators obtained from the analysis of answers to questions concerning the use of good practices in manufacturing and/or service processes. The study is conducted in three areas: process improvement (Lean), environmental impact (Green) and quality and safety of the workplace (Human). The innovative elements of the method, compared to those proposed so far, are: singling out a Human module, laying emphasis on good practices that guarantee the effectiveness of operations and the possibility of assessing both manufacturing and service companies.
Carcinogenic Content of PM10-Bound PAHs in University Classrooms and Outdoors at an Urban Location in Rome, Italy, during Winter Working and Not-Working Days
Authors: Gherardi Monica , Gordiani Andrea , L’Episcopo Nunziata , Pelliccioni Armando
Published: September 2021

To assess the contribution of carcinogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air, EU Directive 2004/107/EC indicates to monitor relevant carcinogenic PAHs in PM10 fraction other than benzo(a)pyrene at a limited number of measurement sites. This indication refers to outdoor environments, and the environmental air quality being taken as a reference also for indoors, it can be extended to indoor environments. In this work, the contribution of carcinogenic PAHs bound to PM10 has been evaluated in winter in two classrooms of a University campus in Rome with the aim of studying the relationship with the outdoors and with working activity. PM10-boundPAHs were monitored over five different periods selected to distinguish Weekend from daytime and nighttime Weekdays, separated into two parts of the week. Data aggregated over Weekend and Weekdays allowed calculating of the concentration of carcinogenic PAHs, the mass contribution to PM10, the Infiltration Factor, the indoor to outdoor Ratio, and the Total Carcinogenic Potency by Toxicity Equivalent Factors, for “not-working” and “working” days. In addition, some indications on contributions to the source have been obtained from the chemical profile normalized to the maximum value of concentration, which also provides the source fingerprint compound. Indoor PAH concentrations were lower than outdoor, and both accumulated as the week progressed. Although the two indoor environments were on the same floor and had a similar volume, they presented different contribution to PM10 and infiltration capacity, both higher during Weekend than on Weekdays. The analysis of indoor and outdoor chemical profiles normalized to the maximum concentration indicated an external source infiltrating the indoors environment. During Weekdays, the indoor fingerprint compound changed compared to that observed during Weekend, probably due to an additional contribution of local “fresh-traffic” source. The calculation of Total Carcinogenic Potency gave indoor values always lower than outdoor, confirming in the two classrooms different dynamics for carcinogenic PAHs. Moreover, the Total Carcinogenic Potency on Weekdays was twice that of Weekend, meaning a higher toxicological impact when urban “fresh-traffic” source is added. The present study shows that the dynamics of PM10-related carcinogenic PAHs can be different within adjacent classrooms of a building and during working and not-working days. This evidence suggests the possibility of a potential different impact on occupant exposure to be taken into account in planning monitoring programs of indoor pollution.
The Role of Transformational Leadership and Psychological Capital in the Hotel Industry: A Sustainable Approach to Reducing Turnover Intention
Authors: Gom Daria , Lew Tek Yew , Jiony Mary Monica , Tanakinjal Geoffrey Harvey , Sondoh Stephen
Published: September 2021

With the high level of importance placed on service delivery and the elevated turnover rate experienced in the hotel industry, this study was conducted to explore the influences of perceived transformational leadership on the cross-cultural psychological capital and turnover intentions of frontline employees working in four- and five-star hotels in Sabah, Malaysia. Data were collected from 162 frontline employees using the purposive sampling method. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings clearly demonstrate that transformational leadership positively affects cross-cultural psychological capital and negatively influences turnover intention. Cross-cultural psychological capital, on the other hand, has no substantial link with turnover intention and does not act as a mediator between transformative leadership and turnover intention. This study extends the hospitality literature by offering a new conceptual model representing the perceptions of frontline employees toward transformational leadership and cross-cultural psychological capital that influence the turnover intention of these employees based on the job demands–resources and conservation of resources theories. These findings have implications for the advancement of transformational leadership and cross-cultural psychological capital toward a sustainable approach to reducing employee turnover in the hotel industry.
Merging Water Research, Analytical Chemistry, and Agile Management to Shape Prospective Professionals through the Project-Centred Collaborative Approach Focusing on Water Bodies rather than Water Samples
Authors: Gros Nataša
Published: September 2021

Professionals of different disciplines, including chemists and chemical engineers, engage in water research, even though they might not have been extensively trained in it during their studies. We describe a project-centred master level subject “Water as a Hydrogeological, Ecological, and Analytical System”, which, by focussing on waterbodies instead of a particular aspect of water quality, merges total analytical process with water research and, by a considerate choice of chemical parameters, enables students to apply water-research-specific data-treatment techniques, including the Piper and Stiff diagram, to discuss water genesis, processes in water, and influences on waterbodies. Agile management, initiated in computer engineering in 2001, is believed to contribute to better products in a shorter time. We demonstrate how its incorporation into the organisational scheme helped students self-organise, handle their projects, and collaborate within and between groups. Student’s expressions confirm their overall satisfaction, motivation, and that the omission of the final classical exam had no adverse effects on the learning outcomes. Their consent with different benefits of the project-centred collaborative approach and their self-efficacy beliefs, respectively, expressed as mean values in a five-grade Likert scale ranged from 4.26 to 5.00 and from 4.32 to 5.00. Regarding the students’ time investment, the project-centred approach as the mean grade 3 confirmed is not recognised as an easier way. We provide partially self-calculating, self-notifying Excel spreadsheet tables to ease the implementation of water research data-treatment techniques, which help students collaborate and discuss their subject extensively.
Urban Expansion Simulation Based on Various Driving Factors Using a Logistic Regression Model: Delhi as a Case Study
Authors: Salem Muhammad , Bose Arghadeep , Bashir Bashar , Basak Debanjan , Roy Subham , Chowdhury Indrajit R. , Alsalman Abdullah , Tsurusaki Naoki
Published: September 2021

During the last three decades, Delhi has witnessed extensive and rapid urban expansion in all directions, especially in the East South East zone. The total built-up area has risen dramatically, from 195.3 sq. km to 435.1 sq. km, during 1989–2020, which has led to habitat fragmentation, deforestation, and difficulties in running urban utility services effectively in the new extensions. This research aimed to simulate urban expansion in Delhi based on various driving factors using a logistic regression model. The recent urban expansion of Delhi was mapped using LANDSAT images of 1989, 2000, 2010, and 2020. The urban expansion was analyzed using concentric rings to show the urban expansion intensity in each direction. Nine driving factors were analyzed to detect the influence of each factor on the urban expansion process. The results revealed that the proximity to urban areas, proximity to main roads, and proximity to medical facilities were the most significant factors in Delhi during 1989–2020, where they had the highest regression coefficients: −0.884, −0.475, and −0.377, respectively. In addition, the predicted pattern of urban expansion was chaotic, scattered, and dense on the peripheries. This pattern of urban expansion might lead to further losses of natural resources. The relative operating characteristic method was utilized to assess the accuracy of the simulation, and the resulting value of 0.96 proved the validity of the simulation. The results of this research will aid local authorities in recognizing the patterns of future expansion, thus facilitating the implementation of effective policies to achieve sustainable urban development in Delhi.
A Strong-Form Off-Lattice Boltzmann Method for Irregular Point Clouds
Authors: Pribec Ivan , Becker Thomas , Fattahi Ehsan
Published: September 2021

Radial basis function generated finite differences (RBF-FD) represent the latest discretization approach for solving partial differential equations. Their benefits include high geometric flexibility, simple implementation, and opportunity for large-scale parallel computing. Compared to other meshfree methods, typically based upon moving least squares (MLS), the RBF-FD method is able to recover a high order of algebraic accuracy while remaining better conditioned. These features make RBF-FD a promising candidate for kinetic-based fluid simulations such as lattice Boltzmann methods (LB). Pursuant to this approach, we propose a characteristic-based off-lattice Boltzmann method (OLBM) using the strong form of the discrete Boltzmann equation and radial basis function generated finite differences (RBF-FD) for the approximation of spatial derivatives. Decoupling the discretizations of momentum and space enables the use of irregular point cloud, local refinement, and various symmetric velocity sets with higher order isotropy. The accuracy and computational efficiency of the proposed method are studied using the test cases of Taylor–Green vortex flow, lid-driven cavity, and periodic flow over a square array of cylinders. For scattered grids, we find the polyharmonic spline + poly RBF-FD method provides better accuracy compared to MLS. For Cartesian node layouts, the results are the opposite, with MLS offering better accuracy. Altogether, our results suggest that the RBF-FD paradigm can be applied successfully also for kinetic-based fluid simulation with lattice Boltzmann methods.
A Novel Perspective for Examining and Comparing Real and Virtual Test Tasks Performed by the Dominant and Non-Dominant Hand in Healthy Adults
Authors: Sokołowska Beata
Published: September 2021

This study presents a novel perspective for the study of functional lateralization in a virtual reality environment. In the model study of handedness, the recognition of the dominant and non-dominant hand in real and virtual conditions was assessed using selected tests, such as a real light exposure test of Piórkowski’s apparatus and classical clinical tests, as well as virtual test tasks, in healthy adults. Statistically significant differences between the dominant and non-dominant hand were observed for tests carried out both in classical conditions and the virtual environment. The results and findings of other studies suggest that the virtual reality approach is a very promising and sensitive tool in the research on functional asymmetries in healthy and disease for motor skills and cognition processes.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Developing Ischemic Heart Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study
Authors: Bahng Yewon , Baek Kiook , Park Jong-Tae , Choi Won-Jun , Kwak Kyeongmin
Published: September 2021

Although there are several case reports showing that carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning causes ischemic heart disease (IHD), no large-scale epidemiological studies have shown a significant association between the two. To investigate the association between CO poisoning and IHD, a nested case-control study of 28,113 patients who experienced CO poisoning and 28,113 controls matched by sex and age was performed using the nationwide health database of South Korea. Based on a conditional logistic regression, there was a significantly higher risk of IHD among the CO poisoning group than among the control group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.87–2.49). The risk of IHD after CO poisoning was higher among the younger age group under 40 years (adjusted HR, 4.85; 95% CI, 3.20–7.35), and it was much greater among those with comorbidities (adjusted HR, 10.69; 95% CI, 2.41–47.51). The risk of IHD was the highest within the first two years after CO poisoning (adjusted HR, 11.12; 95% CI, 4.54–27.22). Even if more than six years had passed, the risk was still significantly higher than among the control group (adjusted HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.27–1.89). The analyses imply that CO poisoning is associated with an increased risk of IHD.
Phytopathogenic Fungi and Toxicity
Authors: Salvatore Maria Michela , Andolfi Anna
Published: September 2021

Phytopathogen fungi are responsible for serious plant diseases which might negatively affect crop productivity [...]
Shiga Toxins as Antitumor Tools
Authors: Robert Aude , Wiels Joëlle
Published: September 2021

Shiga toxins (Stxs), also known as Shiga-like toxins (SLT) or verotoxins (VT), constitute a family of structurally and functionally related cytotoxic proteins produced by the enteric pathogens Shigella dysenteriae type 1 and Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Infection with these bacteria causes bloody diarrhea and other pathological manifestations that can lead to HUS (hemolytic and uremic syndrome). At the cellular level, Stxs bind to the cellular receptor Gb3 and inhibit protein synthesis by removing an adenine from the 28S rRNA. This triggers multiple cellular signaling pathways, including the ribotoxic stress response (RSR), unfolded protein response (UPR), autophagy and apoptosis. Stxs cause several pathologies of major public health concern, but their specific targeting of host cells and efficient delivery to the cytosol could potentially be exploited for biomedical purposes. Moreover, high levels of expression have been reported for the Stxs receptor, Gb3/CD77, in Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) cells and on various types of solid tumors. These properties have led to many attempts to develop Stxs as tools for biomedical applications, such as cancer treatment or imaging, and several engineered Stxs are currently being tested. We provide here an overview of these studies.
Microbiological and Toxicological Hazards in Sewage Treatment Plant Bioaerosol and Dust
Authors: Szulc Justyna , Okrasa Małgorzata , Majchrzycka Katarzyna , Sulyok Michael , Nowak Adriana , Ruman Tomasz , Nizioł Joanna , Szponar Bogumiła , Gutarowska Beata
Published: September 2021

Despite the awareness that work in the sewage treatment plant is associated with biological hazards, they have not been fully recognised so far. The research aims to comprehensively evaluate microbiological and toxicological hazards in the air and settled dust in workstations in a sewage treatment plant. The number of microorganisms in the air and settled dust was determined using the culture method and the diversity was evaluated using high-throughput sequencing. Endotoxin concentration was assessed with GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) while secondary metabolites with LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry). Moreover, cytotoxicity of settled dust against a human lung epithelial lung cell line was determined with the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and UHPLC-Q-ToF-UHRMS (ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry) analysis was performed to determine the source of cytotoxicity. The total dust concentration in the sewage treatment plant was low and ranged from 0.030 mg m−3 to 0.044 mg m−3. The highest microbiological contamination was observed in sludge thickening building and screenings storage. Three secondary metabolites were detected in the air and sixteen in the settled dust. They were dominated by compounds typical of lichen and plants and Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium genera mould. The settled dust from the sludge thickening building revealed high cytotoxicity to human lung epithelial cells A-549 (IC50 = 6.98 after 72 h). This effect can be attributed to a biocidal compound—didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC-C10) and seven toxic compounds: 4-hydroxynonenal, carbofuran, cerulenin, diethylphosphate, fenpropimorph, naphthalene and onchidal. The presence of DDAC-C10 and other biocidal substances in the sewage treatment plant environment may bring negative results for biological sewage treatment and the natural environment in the future and contribute to microorganisms’ increasing antibiotics resistance. Therefore, the concentration of antibiotics, pesticides and disinfectants in sewage treatment plant workstations should be monitored.
Statefinder and Om Diagnostics for New Generalized Chaplygin Gas Model
Authors: Al Mamon Abdulla , Dubey Vipin Chandra , Bamba Kazuharu
Published: September 2021

We explore a unified model of dark matter and dark energy. This new model is a generalization of the generalized Chaplygin gas model and is known as a new generalized Chaplygin gas (NGCG) model. We study the evolutions of the Hubble parameter and the distance modulus for the model under consideration and the standard ΛCDM model and compare that with the observational datasets. Furthermore, we demonstrate two geometric diagnostics analyses including the statefinder (r,s) and Om(z) to the discriminant NGCG model from the standard ΛCDM model. The trajectories of evolution for (r,s) and Om(z) diagnostic planes are shown to understand the geometrical behavior of the NGCG model by using different observational data points.
Gag-Gag Interactions Are Insufficient to Fully Stabilize and Order the Immature HIV Gag Lattice
Authors: Saha Ipsita , Preece Benjamin , Peterson Abby , Durden Haley , MacArthur Brian , Lowe Jake , Belnap David , Vershinin Michael , Saffarian Saveez
Published: September 2021

Immature HIV virions harbor a lattice of Gag molecules with significant ordering in CA-NTD, CA-CTD and SP1 regions. This ordering plays a major role during HIV maturation. To test the condition in which the Gag lattice forms in vivo, we assembled virus like particles (VLPs) by expressing only HIV Gag in mammalian cells. Here we show that these VLPs incorporate a similar number of Gag molecules compared to immature HIV virions. However, within these VLPs, Gag molecules diffuse with a pseudo-diffusion rate of 10 nm2/s, this pseudo-diffusion is abrogated in the presence of melittin and is sensitive to mutations within the SP1 region. Using cryotomography, we show that unlike immature HIV virions, in the Gag lattice of VLPs the CA-CTD and SP1 regions are significantly less ordered. Our observations suggest that within immature HIV virions, other viral factors in addition to Gag, contribute to ordering in the CA-CTD and SP1 regions.
Neuropsychological and Psychosocial Functioning of Children with Perinatal HIV-Infection in The Netherlands
Authors: van Opstal Stefanie E. M. , Dogterom Emma J. , Wagener Marlies N. , Aarsen Femke K. , Miedema Harald S. , Roelofs Pepijn D. D. M. , van der Knaap Linda C. , Fraaij Pieter L. A. , Stol Kim , Rietman André B. , van Gorp Eric C. M. , van Rossum Annemarie M. C. , Utens Elisabeth M. W. J.
Published: September 2021

Advances in antiretroviral treatment improved the life expectancy of perinatally HIV-infected children. However, growing up with HIV provides challenges in daily functioning. This cross-sectional cohort study investigated the neuropsychological and psychosocial functioning of a group of perinatally HIV-infected children in the Netherlands and compared their outcomes with Dutch normative data and outcomes of a control group of uninfected siblings. The children’s functioning was assessed with internationally well-known and standardized questionnaires, using a multi-informant approach, including the perspectives of caregivers, teachers, and school-aged children. In addition, we explored the associations of socio-demographic and medical characteristics of the HIV-infected children with their neuropsychological and psychosocial functioning. Caregivers reported compromised functioning when compared to Dutch normative data for HIV-infected children in the areas of attention, sensory processing, social-emotional functioning, and health-related quality of life. Teachers reported in addition compromised executive functioning for HIV-infected children. A comparison with siblings revealed differences in executive functioning, problems with peers, and general health. The concurrent resemblance between HIV-infected children and siblings regarding problems in other domains implies that social and contextual factors may be of influence. A family-focused approach with special attention to the child’s socio-environmental context and additional attention for siblings is recommended.
The Holin-Endolysin Lysis System of the OP2-Like Phage X2 Infecting Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
Authors: Wu Zhifeng , Zhang Yang , Xu Xinyang , Ahmed Temoor , Yang Yong , Loh Belinda , Leptihn Sebastian , Yan Chenqi , Chen Jianping , Li Bin
Published: September 2021

Most endolysins of dsDNA phages are exported by a holin-dependent mechanism, while in some cases endolysins are exported via a holin-independent mechanism. However, it is still unclear whether the same endolysins can be exported by both holin-dependent and holin-independent mechanisms. This study investigated the lysis system of OP2-like phage X2 infecting Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, causing devastating bacterial leaf blight disease in rice. Based on bioinformatics and protein biochemistry methods, we show that phage X2 employs the classic "holin-endolysin" lysis system. The endolysin acts on the cell envelope and exhibits antibacterial effects in vitro, while the holin facilitates the release of the protein into the periplasm. We also characterized the role of the transmembrane domain (TMD) in the translocation of the endolysin across the inner membrane. We found that the TMD facilitated the translocation of the endolysin via the Sec secretion system. The holin increases the efficiency of protein release, leading to faster and more efficient lysis. Interestingly, in E. coli, the expression of either holin or endolysin with TMDs resulted in the formation of long rod shaped cells. We conclude that the TMD of X2-Lys plays a dual role: One is the transmembrane transport while the other is the inhibition of cell division, resulting in larger cells and thus in a higher number of released viruses per cell.
Publisher’s Note: Venereology—A New Open Access Journal for the Study and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Authors: Noguera Maria , Lin Shu-Kun
Published: September 2021

It is our pleasure to welcome you to Venereology (ISSN: 2674-0710) [...]
Perioperative Outcome in Dogs Undergoing Emergency Abdominal Surgery: A Retrospective Study on 82 Cases (2018–2020)
Authors: Fages Aida , Soler Carme , Fernández-Salesa Nuria , Conte Giuseppe , Degani Massimiliano , Briganti Angela
Published: September 2021

Emergency abdominal surgery carries high morbidity and mortality rates in human medicine; however, there is less evidence characterising the outcome of these surgeries as a single group in dogs. The aim of the study was to characterise the clinical course, associated complications and outcome of dogs undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. A retrospective study was conducted. Dogs undergoing emergency laparotomy were included in the study. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables correlated with death and complications. Eighty-two dogs were included in the study. The most common reason for surgery was a gastrointestinal foreign body. Overall, the 15-day mortality rate was 20.7% (17/82). The median (range) length of hospitalisation was 3 (0.5–15) days. Of the 82 patients, 24 (29.3%) developed major complications and 66 (80.5%) developed minor complications. Perioperative factors significantly associated with death included tachycardia (p < 0.001), hypothermia (p < 0.001), lactate acidosis (p < 0.001), shock index > 1 (p < 0.001), leukopenia (p < 0.001) and thrombocytopenia (p < 0.001) at admission, as well as intraoperative hypotension (p < 0.001) and perioperative use of blood products (p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that mortality and morbidity rates after emergency abdominal surgery in dogs are high.
Application of the MUSLE Model and Potential Effects of Climate Change in a Small Alpine Catchment in Northern Italy
Authors: Berteni Francesca , Dada Arianna , Grossi Giovanna
Published: September 2021

The evaluation of sediment yield by water erosion taking into consideration the possible impact of climate change is the object of this work, concerning the use of the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) in an Italian case study. This empirical model was implemented in a Geographical Information System, taking into account Alpine hydrology and geomorphological and climate parameters, which are crucial in the analysis of the intensity and variability of sediment yield production processes. The case study is the Guerna Creek basin, a small-sized mountain watershed placed in Lombardy, in the South-Central Alps (Northern Italy). In recent decades it has been hit at the same time by floods and erosive phenomena, showing its hydraulic-hydrological weakness. Three future climate change scenarios from 2041 to 2060, around the middle of this century, were built according to CORDEX data referring to three different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 8.5). The findings showed that in the future climate, the sediment yield at the basin scale might change by 24–44% for a single heavy storm in the middle of the current century.