bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Safety of Different Vaccine Boosters Following Two-Dose Inactivated Vaccines: A Parallel Controlled Prospective Study
Authors: Lin Zhi-Qiang , Wu Jiang-Nan , Huang Rong-Dong , Xie Fang-Qin , Li Jun-Rong , Zheng Kui-Cheng , Zhang Dong-Juan
Published: April 2022

A vaccine booster to maintain high antibody levels and provide effective protection against COVID-19 has been recommended. However, little is known about the safety of a booster for different vaccines. We conducted a parallel controlled prospective study to compare the safety of a booster usingfour common vaccines in China. In total, 320 eligible participants who had received two doses of an inactivated vaccine were equally allocated to receive a booster of the same vaccine (Group A), a different inactivated vaccine (Group B), an adenovirus type-5 vectored vaccine (Group C), or a protein subunit vaccine (Group D). A higher risk of adverse reactions, observed up to 28 days after injection, was found in Groups C and D, compared to Group A, with odds ratios (OR) of 11.63 (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.22–32.05) and 4.38 (1.53–12.56), respectively. Recipients in Group C were more likely to report ≥two reactions (OR = 29.18, 95% CI: 3.70–229.82), and had a higher risk of injection site pain, dizziness, and fatigue. A gender and age disparity in the risk of adverse reactions was identified. Despite the majority of reactions being mild, heterologous booster strategies do increase the risk of adverse reactions, relative to homologous boosters, in subjects who have had two doses of inactive vaccine.
Recent Advances in Vaccine Technology and Design
Authors: Cianci Rossella , Franza Laura
Published: April 2022

If up until three years ago, infectious diseases were a lesser concern when compared to non-communicable diseases in Western countries, the ongoing pandemic has reminded us that things are not so clean-cut [...]
COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibodies in Breast Milk of Mothers Vaccinated with Three Different Vaccines in Mexico
Authors: Cabanillas-Bernal Olivia , Cervantes-Luevano Karla , Flores-Acosta Gonzalo Isai , Bernáldez-Sarabia Johanna , Licea-Navarro Alexei F.
Published: April 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the largest pandemic of this century, and all aspects of this virus are being studied. The efforts to mitigate the negative effects associated with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have culminated in the development of several vaccines that are effective and safe for use to the general population. However, one aspect that remains relatively underexplored is the efficacy of different vaccines technologies (mRNA and Adenovirus) in providing passive immunity to infants through breastmilk of vaccinated mothers, and whether the antibodies passed through breast milk are functional. In this study, using a Micro-neutralization assay, we evaluate the presence of neutralizing antibodies in breast milk of lactating mothers vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 with the Pfizer-BioNtech, Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen, and CanSino Biologics vaccines. Our results show the greatest neutralizing effect in breast milk from mothers vaccinated with Pfizer, followed by mothers vaccinated with J&J. CanSino vaccinations yielded the breast milk with the least neutralizing effects. The results found in this study relating to the neutralizing capacity of breast milk against SARS-CoV-2 highlight the importance of corresponding health authorities recommending vaccination to lactating mothers and of the continuance of breastfeeding to infants due to the potential health benefits.
The Impact and Vaccination Coverage of Seasonal Influenza among Children Aged 6–59 Months in China in 2017–2018: An Internet Panel Survey
Authors: Zhang Hangjie , Ren Xiang , Tian Keqing , Yu Jianxing , Zhu Aiqing , Zhang Lijie , Gao George Fu , Li Zhongjie
Published: April 2022

Seasonal influenza vaccination is highly recommended for 6–59-month-old children. To determine the impact of seasonal influenza and the factors affecting influenza vaccine uptake among children, we conducted an opt-in Internet panel survey of parents from 21 March 2018 to 1 April 2018. Overall, 40.5% (1913/4719) of children experienced influenza-like illness (ILI), 92.4% of parents sought medical care for children with ILI (outpatients: 61.2%, inpatients: 12.8%), 39.6% of parents preferred to take their sick child to a tertiary hospital, and 57.3% of family members requested leave to care for children with ILI. There was a median of three days of absenteeism (2, 5) per sick child, and 39.4% of children received the influenza vaccine during the 2017–2018 influenza season. Vaccine coverage among children aged 6–11 months and 48–59 months was lower than that among 12–47-month-old children. The top three reasons for not vaccinating were: the influenza vaccine was not recommended by healthcare workers (21.1%), no knowledge about the influenza vaccine (19.2%), and lack of confidence in the vaccine’s effectiveness (14.3%). Our findings highlight the need for awareness about the severity of influenza, hygiene behavior, and effectiveness of the influenza vaccine among children and their family members in China.
Evaluation of Immunoreactivity and Protection Efficacy of Seneca Valley Virus Inactivated Vaccine in Finishing Pigs Based on Screening of Inactivated Agents and Adjuvants
Authors: Liu Wenqiang , Li Xiangmin , Zhang Huawei , Hao Genxi , Shang Xianfei , Wang Huilan , Chen Huanchun , Qian Ping
Published: April 2022

Seneca Valley virus (SVV), also known as Senecavirus A (SVA), is a non-enveloped and single-strand positive-sense RNA virus, which belongs to the genus of Senecavirus within the family Picornaviridae. Porcine idiopathic vesicular disease (PIVD) caused by SVV has frequently been prevalent in America and Southeast Asia (especially in China) since the end of 2014, and has caused continuing issues. In this study, an SVV strain isolated in China, named SVV LNSY01-2017 (MH064435), was used as the stock virus for the preparation of an SVV-inactivated vaccine. The SVV culture was directly inactivated using binary ethyleneimine (BEI) and β-propiolactone (BPL). BPL showed a better effect as an SVV inactivator, according to the results of pH variation, inactivation kinetics, and the detection of VP1 content during inactivation. Then, SVV inactivated by BPL was subsequently emulsified using different adjuvants, including MONTANIDETM ISA 201 VG (ISA 201) and MONTANIDETM IMG 1313 VG N (IMS 1313). The immunoreactivity and protection efficacy of the inactivated vaccines were then evaluated in finishing pigs. SVV-BPL-1313 showed a better humoral response post-immunization and further challenge tests post-immunization showed that both the SVV-BPL-201 and SVV-BPL-1313 combinations could resist challenge from a virulent SVV strain. The SVV LNSY01-2017-inactivated vaccine candidate developed here represents a promising alternative to prevent and control SVV infection in swine.
Economic-Related Inequalities in Zero-Dose Children: A Study of Non-Receipt of Diphtheria–Tetanus–Pertussis Immunization Using Household Health Survey Data from 89 Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Bergen Nicole , Cata-Preta Bianca O. , Schlotheuber Anne , Santos Thiago M. , Danovaro-Holliday M. Carolina , Mengistu Tewodaj , Sodha Samir V. , Hogan Daniel R. , Barros Aluisio J. D. , Hosseinpoor Ahmad Reza
Published: April 2022

Despite advances in scaling up new vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, the global number of unvaccinated children has remained high over the past decade. We used 2000–2019 household survey data from 154 surveys representing 89 low- and middle-income countries to assess within-country, economic-related inequality in the prevalence of one-year-old children with zero doses of diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis (DTP) vaccine. Zero-dose DTP prevalence data were disaggregated by household wealth quintile. Difference, ratio, slope index of inequality, concentration index, and excess change measures were calculated to assess the latest situation and change over time, by country income grouping for 17 countries with high zero-dose DTP numbers and prevalence. Across 89 countries, the median prevalence of zero-dose DTP was 7.6%. Within-country inequalities mostly favored the richest quintile, with 19 of 89 countries reporting a rich–poor gap of ≥20.0 percentage points. Low-income countries had higher inequality than lower–middle-income countries and upper–middle-income countries (difference between the median prevalence in the poorest and richest quintiles: 14.4, 8.9, and 2.7 percentage points, respectively). Zero-dose DTP prevalence among the poorest households of low-income countries declined between 2000 and 2009 and between 2010 and 2019, yet economic-related inequality remained high in many countries. Widespread economic-related inequalities in zero-dose DTP prevalence are particularly pronounced in low-income countries and have remained high over the previous decade.
Vaccination of Elderly People Affected by Chronic Diseases: A Challenge for Public Health
Authors: Bianchi Francesco Paolo , Tafuri Silvio
Published: April 2022

Elderly people have a limited regenerative capacity and are more susceptible to disease, syndromes, injuries, and illnesses than younger adults [...]
Analysis of Non-Genetic Factors Affecting Wood’s Model of Daily Milk Fat Percentage of Holstein Cattle
Authors: Zhou Fuzhen , Liang Yan , Arbab Abdelaziz Adam Idriss , Li Mingxun , Yang Zhangping , Karrow Niel A. , Mao Yongjiang
Published: April 2022

This research paper aimed to explore the characteristics of Holstein cattle’s milk fat percentage lactation curve and its influencing factors. The Wood model was used for fitting the lactation curve of 398,449 DHI test-day milk fat percentage records of Holstein cows from 2018 to 2020 in 12 dairy farms in Jiangsu province, and the influencing factors—including farm size, parity, calving season, calving interval, and 305-days milk production—on the parameters of the lactation curve were analyzed. The results showed that the non-genetic factors such as dairy farm size, calving season, parity, calving interval, and 305-days milk yield have a significant impact on milk fat percentage (p < 0.01); the average R2 of the daily milk fat percentage curve was 0.9699; the lowest milk fat percentage was 3.54%; the time to reach the lowest milk fat percentage was 126 days; and the persistence of milk fat percentage was 3.59%. All of these factors explored in this study fit at different levels above 0.96. The Wood model performed well in the fitting and analysis of the milk fat percentage curve of Holstein cattle in Jiangsu Province. This study provides a reference for improving the milk fat percentage of Holstein cattle.
Comparison between a Calving Predictive System and a Routine Prepartal Examination in German Holstein Heifers and Cows
Authors: Górriz-Martín Lara , Koenig Annabel , Jung Klaus , Bergforth Wiebke , von Soosten Dirk , Hoedemaker Martina , Bajcsy Árpád Csaba
Published: April 2022

The objective was to validate the efficacy of Moocall® comparing it to a routine clinical examination. Altogether 38 Holstein cows were enrolled in this study (Moocall® group: 16 heifers and 8 cows; control group: 9 heifers and 5 cows). Clinical examinations were performed every 6 h over the 7 days period before the predicted calving date. The examined traits were changes in pelvic ligament relaxation, edema of the vulva, teat filling, vaginal secretion, tail tip flexibility, tail raising and behavior. There were no significant differences in Moocall® alerts between heifers and cows. The time lag between the first warning of Moocall® and the onset of labor was 21.2 ± 20.2 h (max: 95.4 h; min: 0.1 h; p = 0.87) for heifers and 29.6 ± 29.6 h (max: 177.8 h; min: 0 h; p = 0.97) for cows. Linear models including Moocall® alerts showed a significantly better fit to the time until calving than models without Moocall® information (without variable selection: p = 0.030, with variable selection: p < 0.01). In the best-fitting model, class 2 alerts (enhanced tail activity over 2 h) contributed with a higher significance (p < 0.01). Vice versa, models including additional traits were outperformed the use of Moocall® alerts alone. In the best fitting model, class 2 alerts (enhanced tail activity during 2 h) contributed with a higher significance (p < 0.01) than any of the best clinical predictive parameters, such as pelvic ligament relaxation (p = 0.01), tail tip flexibility (p = 0.01) or behavior (p = 0.01).
Electronic Technology for Wastewater Treatment and Clean Water Production
Authors: Yntema Doekle R. , Geelen Caspar V. C.
Published: April 2022

Water is essential for society. Due to excellent distribution systems for clean drinking water and wastewater, safe and reliable water transport is guaranteed. However, due to ageing network conditions, there is a need for extensive network monitoring and replacement strategies. There is a high demand for good insight into water mains and water distribution systems. A promising way to monitor our water transport involves various types of novel sensors, including strategies for the smart placement of these sensors, maximizing performance while minimizing costs. Furthermore, processing the increasingly large amount of sensor data can be done using Artificial Intelligence and sensor fusion techniques, yielding vastly increased information about the distribution mains.
Tributary Loadings and Their Impacts on Water Quality of Lake Xingyun, a Plateau Lake in Southwest China
Authors: Luo Liancong , Zhang Hucai , Luo Chunliang , McBridge Chrisopher , Muraoka Kohji , Zhou Hong , Hou Changding , Liu Fenglong , Li Huiyun
Published: April 2022

Lake Xingyun is a hypertrophic shallow lake on the Yunnan Plateau of China. Its water quality (WQ) has degraded severely during the past three decades with catchment development. To better understand the external nutrient loading impacts on WQ, we measured nutrient concentrations in the main tributaries during January 2010–April 2018 and modelled the monthly volume of all the tributaries for the same period. The results show annual inputs of total nitrogen (TN) had higher variability than total phosphorus (TP). The multi-year average load was 183.8 t/year for TN and 23.3 t/year for TP during 2010–2017. The average TN and TP loads for 2010–2017 were 36.6% higher and 63.8% lower, respectively, compared with observations in 1999. The seasonal patterns of TN and TP external loading showed some similarity, with the highest loading during the wet season and the lowest during the dry season. Loads in spring, summer, autumn, winter, and the wet season (May–October) accounted for 14.2%, 48.8%, 30.3%, 6.7%, and 84.9% of the annual TN load and 14.1%, 49.8%, 28.1%, 8%, and 84.0% of the annual TP load during 2010–2017. In-lake TN and TP concentrations followed a pattern similar to the external loading. The poor correlation between in-lake nutrient concentrations and tributary nutrient inputs at monthly and annual time scales suggests both external loading and internal loading were contributing to the lake eutrophication. Although effective lake restoration will require reducing nutrient losses from catchment agriculture, there may be a need to address a reduction of internal loads through sediment dredging or capping, geochemical engineering, or other effective measures. In addition, the method of producing monthly tributary inflows based on rainfall data in this paper might be useful for estimating runoff at other lakes.
Destratification of a Eutrophic Reservoir in South Korea Using a Novel Convectional Water Circulation System (CWCS)
Authors: Lee Bokjin , Kang Heejun , Oh Hye-cheol , Ahn Jaehwan , Yun Sang-Leen , Kim Seogku
Published: April 2022

Replication of natural mixing through artificial water circulation techniques, such as convectional water circulation systems (CWCS), can break thermal stratification in stagnant water and suppress algal blooms. Here, the field performance of a novel CWCS was evaluated in a eutrophic reservoir (Shingal reservoir, South Korea) for three seasons between September 2016 and September 2018. The CWCS was deployed in a corner of stagnated water in the reservoir. The changes in water temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations at different water depths were examined at the deployment site and two control sites within the stagnant area during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. In 2018, the performance of the CWCS in replicating natural mixing was assessed by monitoring water temperature changes at different depths at the CWCS unit deployment site and a comparison site with natural water flow. The differences in water temperature and DO concentrations between the epilimnion and the hypolimnion were significantly smaller at the deployment site than at the control sites, demonstrating the effectiveness of the CWCS in vertical and horizontal mixing as well as in oxygen transfer. The findings of the field study revealed that the CWCS effectively induced natural-like mixing without disturbing the hypolimnion.
Ecosystem Service Assessment of Soil and Water Conservation Based on Scenario Analysis in a Hilly Red-Soil Catchment of Southern China
Authors: Wu Hui , Sun Liying , Liu Zhe
Published: April 2022

Soil and water conservation (SWC) practices on agricultural watersheds have been the most effective practices for preventing soil erosion for several decades. The ecosystem services (ES) protected or enhanced by SWC practices include the comprehensive effects of protecting and conserving water sources, protecting and improving soil, carbon fixation, increasing agricultural production, and so on. Due to the lack of ES evaluation indicators and unified calculation methods in line with regional characteristics, this study proposes a framework of scenario analysis by using ES mapping, ES scoring, and economic analysis technology for ES and economic-benefit trade-offs under different scenarios. The study area was the Xiaoyang catchment located in Ningdu County, Jiangxi Province, which is a typically hilly red-soil region of southern China. From the results of scenario analysis, an obvious phenomenon is that some SWC practices can affect the value of some ES indicators, while some have no clear trend. By computing the ES scores for the four scenarios, the ranking was S3 (balanced), S1 (conservation), S2 (economic), and S0 (baseline). S3 ranks second in net income (with CNY 4.73 million), preceded only by S2 (CNY 6.36 million). Based on the above rankings, S3 is the relatively optimal scenario in this study. The contributions of this study are the method innovation with the localization or customized selection of ES indicators, and scenario analysis with ES scores and economic-benefit trade-offs in different scenarios.
Hydrologic Impact of Climate Change in the Jaguari River in the Cantareira Reservoir System
Authors: Domingues Leonardo Moreno , de Abreu Rafael Cesario , da Rocha Humberto Ribeiro
Published: April 2022

A recent drought in Southeast Brazil affected the Cantareira reservoirs system (CRS), which supplies water to São Paulo megacity, and raised concerns on the impacts that climate change may have on the water budget at the watershed scale. We propose to identify the particular and summed contributions of key climatic variables on the variability of the water budget in Jaguari basin, the main CRS tributary, using forcing–response relationships derived from climate projections and individual elasticities of variables to temperature. Besides, we investigated whether hydrological effects of the anomalous drought were comparable to patterns simulated in the future climate. A thoroughly calibrated hydrological model for evapotranspiration (ET) and discharge (Q) was used to address our questions. We found opposite impacts in the future mostly driven by rainfall changes: under increasing (decreasing) rainfall, the mean ET increased (decreased) up to +25% (−10%) and Q increased (decreased) by +90% (−50%). Higher carbon dioxide concentrations strongly depleted the stomatal conductance, and thus the mean ET, which in turn increased the mean Q in near proportions. Major critical impacts for water management are suggested by the results. Even with a small reduction of precipitation, the discharge patterns in the drought event were replicated at similar intensities.
Short-Term Bathwater Demand Forecasting for Shared Shower Rooms in Smart Campuses Using Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Zhang Ganggang , Hu Yingbin , Yang Dongxuan , Ma Lei , Zhang Mengqi , Liu Xinliang
Published: April 2022

Water scarcity is a growing threat to humankind. At university campuses, there is a need for shared shower room managers to forecast the demand for bath water accurately. Accurate bath water demand forecasts can decrease the costs of water heating and pumping, reduce overall energy consumption, and improve student satisfaction (due to stability of bath water supply and bathwater temperature). We present a case study conducted at Capital Normal University (Beijing, China), which provides shared shower rooms separately for female and male students. Bath water consumption data are collected in real-time through shower tap controllers to forecast short-term bath water consumption in the shower buildings. We forecasted and compared daily and hourly bath water demand using the autoregressive integrated moving average, random forests, long short-term memory, and neural basis expansion analysis time series-forecasting models, and assessed the models’ performance using the mean absolute error, mean absolute percentage error, root-mean-square error, and coefficient of determination equations. Subsequently, covariates such as weather information, student behavior, and calendars were used to improve the models’ performance. These models achieved highly accurate forecasting for all the shower room areas. The results imply that machine learning methods outperform statistical methods (particularly for larger datasets) and can be employed to make accurate bath water demand forecasts.
Assessing the Climate Resilience of Community-Managed Water Supplies in Ethiopia and Nepal
Authors: Nijhawan Anisha , Howard Guy , Poudel Moti , Pregnolato Maria , Eunice Lo Yuen Tung , Ghimire Anish , Baidya Manish , Geremew Abraham , Flint Adrian , Mulugeta Yohannes
Published: April 2022

Understanding the resilience of water supplies to climate change is becoming an urgent priority to ensure health targets are met. Addressing systemic issues and building the resilience of community-managed supplies, which serve millions of people in rural LMIC settings, will be critical to improve access to safe drinking water. The How Tough is WASH (HTIW) framework to assess resilience was applied to community-managed water supplies in Ethiopia and Nepal to assess the effectiveness of this framework in field conditions. The resilience of these water supplies was measured along six domains—the environment, infrastructure, management, institutional support, community governance and supply chains—that can affect how they respond to climate change effects. We found that the HTIW framework provided an objective measure of resilience and could be used to rank water supplies in order of priority for action. We also found that systemic issues could be identified. The tools and methods used in the framework were easy to deploy by field research teams. The water supplies studied in Ethiopia and Nepal had low to moderate resilience to climate change. Service management and institutional support were weak in both countries. The data from Ethiopia and Nepal suggests that many water supplies in rural and small-town communities are unlikely to be resilient to future climate change without increased investment and support. The use of simple frameworks such as HTIW will be important in supporting decisions around such investments by identifying priority communities and actions.
Monitoring the Chl-a Distribution Details in the Yangtze River Mouth Using Satellite Remote Sensing
Authors: Bu Juan , Cai Lina , Yan Xiaojun , Xu Huanzhi , Hu Haiyan , Jiang Jingjing
Published: April 2022

The distribution of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in the Yangtze River Mouth area was analyzed using a new Chl-a inversion model (PMS-C) based on the relationship between in situ Chl-a and GF-4 PMS band combinations. Combining GF-4 PMS with HY-C CZI, this paper revealed that: (1) Chl-a concentration in Yangtze River Mouth was in the range of 2–6 µg/L, being higher in the west than in the east. The high Chl-a area was mainly distributed near the mouth of the Yangtze River and the Chl-a value was in the range of 3.7 µg/L to 5.9 µg/L. Chl-a concentration is higher in spring and summer than in autumn and winter, with a Chl-a concentration difference of 1–2 µg/L. Chl-a downstream of islands and bridges increased by 0.5–1.7 µg/L compared with upstream. (2) Short-term (within 3 h) changes of Chl-a concentration were effectively detected. In summer and autumn, Chl-a obtained at 13:30 in the noon was generally lower than Chl-a obtained at around 10:30 in the morning and it decreased by nearly 0.1–4 μg/L within three hours on the same day. In winter, the concentration of Chl-a decreased in the range of 0–1.9 μg/L. Generally, within three hours, Chl-a in the downstream of the island decreased significantly from 5 μg/L to about 3.8 μg/L, and Chl-a downstream of piers decreased from 3.7 μg/L to about 3 μg/L. (3) Environmental factors including seawater temperature, illumination, and nutrients, as well as dynamic factors such as wind and tidal current can induce Chl-a change in the Yangtze River Mouth. Short-term change of Chl-a concentration is closely related to the specific hydrodynamic conditions, nutrients, and lighting conditions.
Ranking Three Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Practices Based on Hydraulic and Water Quality Treatment Performance: Implications for Effective Stormwater Treatment Design
Authors: Liu An , Egodawatta Prasanna , Goonetilleke Ashantha
Published: April 2022

Bioretention basins, constructed wetlands and roadside swales are among the most common Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) or stormwater quality treatment systems. Although these systems can reduce stormwater quantity and improve quality, their hydraulic and water quality treatment performances are different. The aim of this study was to investigate the hydraulic and water quality performance of a bioretention basin, a constructed wetland and a roadside swale by analyzing monitored water quantity and quality data from a range of rainfall events using a ranking approach. The study outcomes showed that a bioretention basin performed better in relation to peak flow and runoff volume reduction while the constructed wetland tended to produce better outflow water quality. The roadside swale had a relatively lower capacity for treating stormwater. These results suggest that a bioretention basin could be the preferred option when the primary requirement is water quantity improvement. However, if water quality improvement is the primary consideration, a constructed wetland could be more efficient. Additionally, when designing a treatment train, it appears to be preferable to place a bioretention basin prior to a constructed wetland. Further, a swale appears to be more appropriate for use as a pretreatment device. The research study outcomes will contribute to effective stormwater treatment design.
Semi-Analytical Model for the Evaluation of Shoreline Recession Due to Waves and Sea Level Rise
Authors: Marini Francesco , Corvaro Sara , Rocchi Stefania , Lorenzoni Carlo , Mancinelli Alessandro
Published: April 2022

The climate change process is leading to an increase in the sea level and the storm intensity. The associated shoreline recession can damage coastal facilities and also beaches protected by submerged/emerged breakwaters whose defense action can become ineffective. The application of cross-shore numerical models does not allow the performance of long-term analyses. In this paper, a semi-analytical model for the evaluation of shoreline recession due to waves and sea-level rise for free and protected beaches is proposed. The model is an extension of the Dean’s approach in which some limitations on the beach profile are overcome and the effects of breakwaters on the wave height (wave transmission) and on the water level (piling-up) are considered. The model takes into account a wide range of parameters for wave, sea level, beach profile, and breakwater characteristics. Among the breakwater parameters, the freeboard and the berm width are found to mainly affect the shoreline recession. For submerged breakwaters, an optimal value of the freeboard can be computed depending on the sea level and the offshore wave characteristics. The results of the model are then used to find prediction relations of the shoreline recession, with r2 > 0.99, for both free and protected beaches, depending on the main hydrodynamic/geometrical characteristics.
Numerical Benchmark Studies on Flow and Solute Transport in Geological Reservoirs
Authors: Karmakar Shyamal , Tatomir Alexandru , Oehlmann Sandra , Giese Markus , Sauter Martin
Published: April 2022

Predicting and characterising groundwater flow and solute transport in engineering and hydrogeological applications, such as dimensioning tracer experiments, rely primarily on numerical modelling techniques. During software selection for numerical modelling, the accuracy of the results, financial costs of the simulation software, and computational resources should be considered. This study evaluates numerical modelling approaches and outlines the advantages and disadvantages of several simulators in terms of predictability, temporal control, and computational efficiency conducted in a single user and single computational resource set-up. A set of well-established flow and transport modelling simulators, such as MODFLOW/MT3DMS, FEFLOW, COMSOL Multiphysics, and DuMuX were tested and compared. These numerical simulators are based on three numerical discretisation schemes, i.e., finite difference (FD), finite element (FE), and finite volume (FV). The influence of dispersivity, potentially an artefact of numerical modelling (numerical dispersion), was investigated in parametric studies, and results are compared with analytical solutions. At the same time, relative errors were assessed for a complex field scale example. This comparative study reveals that the FE-based simulators COMSOL and FEFLOW show higher accuracy for a specific range of dispersivities under forced gradient conditions than DuMuX and MODFLOW/MT3DMS. FEFLOW performs better than COMSOL in regard to computational time both in single-core and multi-core computing. Overall computational time is lowest for the FD-based simulator MODFLOW/MT3DMS while the number of mesh elements is low (here < 12,800 elements). However, for finer discretisation, FE software FEFLOW performs faster.
Identification of Dissolved Organic Matter Origin Using Molecular Level Analysis Methods
Authors: Lee Sojeong , Park Jongkwan
Published: April 2022

Natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous; however, its characteristics are not fully understood because NOM is a complex organic mixture that reflects the surrounding ecosystem. Identification of its molecular structure provides information for evaluating its environmental reactivity and behavior. This study characterized NOM regarding its molecular structure. The characteristics of different types of NOM, depending on their origin, were investigated using various analytical methods such as pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, size exclusion chromatography, and fluorescence spectrometry. NOM was collected from three different sites: river water, wetland, and wastewater treatment plant effluent. The molecular size of NOM followed the order wetland > river water > wastewater treatment plant effluent. The fluorescence spectra distinguished the differences among the samples. The effluent contained the highest proportion of protein-like peaks, and the wetland sample showed the highest humic-like substance peak. The origin of NOM was investigated by classifying the pyrolyzed fragments from each sample. NOM from wetlands contains a large amount of lignin, which originates from terrestrial substances. Proteins were the major biocomponents of the effluent sample. The NOM in the river water contained proteins and lignin-derived compounds. The results show that NOM can be clearly identified through molecular-level analysis methods.
An Obstacle Detection Algorithm Suitable for Complex Traffic Environment
Authors: Luo Guantai , Chen Xinwei , Lin Wenwei , Dai Jie , Liang Peidong , Zhang Chentao
Published: April 2022

For the task of obstacle detection in a complex traffic environment, this paper proposes a road-free space extraction and obstacle detection method based on stereo vision. The proposed method combines the advantages of the V-disparity image and the Stixel method. Firstly, the depth information and the V-disparity image are calculated according to the disparity image. Then, the free space on the road surface is calculated through the RANSAC algorithm and dynamic programming (DP) algorithm. Furthermore, a new V-disparity image and a new U-disparity image are calculated by the disparity image after removing the road surface information. Finally, the height and width of the obstacles on the road are extracted from the new V-disparity image and U-disparity image, respectively. The detection of obstacles is realized by the height and width information of obstacles. In order to verify the method, we adopted the object detection benchmarks and road detection benchmarks of the KITTI dataset for verification. In terms of the accuracy performance indicators quality, detection rate, detection accuracy, and effectiveness, the method in this paper reaches 0.820, 0.863, 0.941, and 0.900, respectively, and the time consumption is only 5.145 milliseconds. Compared with other obstacle detection methods, the detection accuracy and real-time performance in this paper are better. The experimental results show that the method has good robustness and real-time performance for obstacle detection in a complex traffic environment.
Digital Implementation of LCC Resonant Converters for X-ray Generator with Optimal Trajectory Startup Control
Authors: Zhao Zhennan , Zhang Shanlu , Li Lei , Fan Shengfang , Wang Cheng
Published: April 2022

High voltage LCC resonant converters have been widely used in X-ray imaging systems in automobile nondestructive testing (NDT) applications. Low ripple voltage waveforms with fast-rising time under no-overshoot response are required for safety in such applications. The optimal state trajectory control (OTC) based on the state plane model is one of the most effective control methods to optimize transient response. Dynamic variations of the resonant voltages/currents are described as corresponding trajectories on the state plane. The transient relations can be determined by evaluating the geometric relationships of the trajectories. However, the LCC resonant converter has more state variables, resulting in more complex calculations that make the state trajectory control challenging. Furthermore, the startup duration is the most demanding process of the state trajectory control. In this paper, a digital implementation based on a hybrid controller built in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is proposed for LCC resonant converters with optimal trajectory startup control. A coordinated linear compensator is employed to control the switching frequency during steady-state conditions, hence eliminating the steady-state error. The experimental results were conducted on a 140-kV/42-kW LCC resonant converter for an X-ray generator. It achieves a short rising time of output voltage with no additional current or voltage stress in the resonant tank during startup compared to the conventional digital implementation control.
Values and Costs in History: A Case Study on Estimating the Cost of Hadrianic Aqueduct’s Construction
Authors: Sargentis G.-Fivos , Defteraios Panos , Lagaros Nikos D. , Mamassis Nikοs
Published: April 2022

The pursuit of wealth has been a basic occupation of humans; as it turns out, wealth increases life expectancy. Analyzing global data, we show that money, probably connected with medical care, increase life expectancy. However, the base of real wealth is access to the Water–Energy–Food nexus, and the access to this also increases life expectancy. The first objective of this study was to compare the present values of wealth with antiquity, and we showed that about 1.4 billion people live in the present under the average lower wages of antiquity. As a case study, we analyze the construction of the Hadrianic aqueduct. We present a detailed description of the construction and the used methods, and we identify the total requirement of labor–time. Then, we investigate the wages of various occupations in the first century AD. The second objective of this study was the estimation of the total cost of daily wages for the construction of the project and the effect of the aqueduct on Athenians’ quality of life. Finally, we show that, today, about two billion people live with less available water than Athenians had with the Hadrianic aqueduct in the second century A.D.
PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR PUBLIC LIFE
Authors: Tawami Tatan , Zahratunnisa Zainab , Fadhila Naura
Published: April 2022

Tujuan dari kegiatan Pengabdian pada Masyarakat yang berjudul Public Speaking for Public Life adalah untuk meningkatkan kesadaran akan pentingnya softskills (social skills), terutama bagi para mahasiswa atau pembelajar dalam aktifitas keseharian mereka. Penelitian ini memaparkan keterampilan-keterampilan sosial apa yang dibutuhkan untuk meningkatkan kualitas interaksi pembelajar di masyarakat serta untuk meningkatkan rasa percaya diri pembelajar. Metode pelaksanaan kegiatan ini adalah melalui diskusi interaktif secara daring pada tanggal 24 April 2021. Diskusi ini dihadiri oleh berbagai peserta; mahasiswa Sastra Inggris Unikom, Perwakilan AIYA West Java Chapter, dan peserta umum. Hasil dari diskusi ini kemudian dipaparkan secara kualitatif dan sistematis dalam penulisan artikel ini. Hasil diskusi memperlihatkan adanya peningkatan keawasaan peserta diskusi terkait dengan keterampilan sosial yang dibutuhkan dalam berinteraksi. Keterampilan sosial yang disoroti pada bagian diskusi dan interaksi adalah rasa percaya diri, berpengetahuan, dan berempati. Ketiga keterampilan sosial tersebut dapat dikatakan sebagai keterampilan dasar dalam berinteraksi dengan orang lain karena dapat memotivasi pembelajar untuk berbicara dengan pengetahuan yang memadai dan pada saat yang sama memahami apa yang dibutuhkan/tidak dibutuhkan dalam suatu interaksi sosial. Berdasarkan hasil diskusi, dapat disimpulkan bahwa belajar public speaking bermanfaat untuk meningkatkan tidak hanya nilai diri sendiri namun juga interaksi sosial di masyarakat.

Kata kunci: Rasa Percaya Diri, Berempati, Public Speaking, Berpengetahuan, dan Keterampilan
Pengembangan Business Model Canvas bagi Usaha Kecil Triple 3 Music Bandung
Authors: Iffan Muhammad
Published: April 2022

In the current digital era, business actors need new strategies to survive in business competition, one of which is by following the development of e-commerce in order to expand the market. Triple 3 Music Bandung is a small business engaged in selling musical instruments and podcasts. The aim of this article was to convey understanding to Triple 3 Music Bandung and other parties about the business development. The method chosen in this Community Service activity was to conduct interviews with the owner of Triple 3 Music Bandung and make observations on these businesses in order to determine business development strategies using Business Model Canvas analysis. The result of this activity is the proposed of a new strategy that can be implemented in the development of the Triple 3 Music Bandung business based on the nine elements in the Business Model Canvas. The business strategy that has been implemented by the business owner of Triple 3 Music Bandung is quite good, however, it is necessary to develop a business strategy to maximize potential. It is hoped that with the new business strategy, Triple 3 Music Bandung can strengthen its market position and can increase its competitive advantage in competition with similar businesses so as to improve business performance.

Keywords: Business Model Canvas, Small Enterprise
IMPACT OF DIABETES MELLITUS ASSOCIATED WITH GUERIN'S ARCINOMA GROWTH ON THYROID FUNCTION IN MALE AND FEMALE RATS
Authors: Frantsiyants Elena , Bandovkina Valeriya , Kaplieva Irina , Surikova Ekaterina , Neskubina Irina , Cheryarina Natal'ya , Pogorelova Yuliya , Morozova Mariya , Salatova Ayna , Arakelova Alina
Published: April 2022

Thyroid dysfunction is associated with diabetes and cancer development.
The aim of the study was to examine the level of thyroid hormones and TSH in blood serum and thyroid gland, thyrotropin releasing (T-releasing) level in the hypothalamus and TSH level in the pituitary gland in male and female rats with Guerin's carcinoma growth associated with diabetes mellitus (DM).
Materials and Methods. White non-linear rats (180–220 g, males and females) were divided into 4 groups (n=9): intact animals; two control groups (inoculated Guerin's carcinoma growth, alloxan-induced DM); the main group (inoculated Guerin's carcinoma growth associated with DM).
Results. Life expectance in male and female animals of the main group decreased by 1.6 times compared to the control animals with Guerin's carcinoma. The tumor volume in females of the main group was less, and in males it was more than in control. An active metastatic process was detected in females. DM caused a decrease in the level of regulatory peptides of hypothalamus and pituitary gland in animals of the main group compared with the control group with carcinoma: in females and males, T-releasing level decreased by 1.7 and 4.1 times, TSH decreased by 2.4 and 1.5 times, respectively. FT3 level was 62.9 times lower and FT4 level was 8.1 times lower in the thyroid gland of female rats of the main group, than those in the group with Guerin’s carcinoma, while in males FT3 level was 18 times higher and FT4 level was 1.5 times higher. In males, blood parameters demonstrated symptoms of hypothyroidism, and in females low3/low4 syndrome was registered.
Conclusion. DM affects the thyroid axis in rats with comorbidity, affecting the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the thyroid gland.
IMPACT OF LIPID PEROXIDATION ON COLLAGEN FIBRIL DEGRADATION IN EXPERIMENTAL PERIODONTITIS
Authors: Zakhvatov Aleksey , Khaydar Dalila , Tarasova Tat'yana , Parshina Alina , Timoshkin Vladislav
Published: April 2022

Lipid peroxidation analysis and identification of the main damage predictors lead to introduction of new diagnostic and treatment technologies into medical practice.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the activity of free radical damage processes and identify their association with collagen metabolism disorders in the disease dynamics in experimental periodontitis.
Materials and Methods. An experimental study was carried out on 60 white non-linear rats. A rat model of periodontitis was reproduced according to K.D. Shkolnaya and V.G. Atrushkevich method (Patent RU No. 2625295, December 07, 2017). The overall activity of free radical oxidation and antioxidant potential was assessed according to biochemiluminescence parameters. Lipid peroxidation activity was assessed according to the parameters of primary and secondary peroxidation products. Collagen metabolism was assessed by P.N. Sharaev method.
Results. The rat model of periodontitis demonstrated a high level of free radical oxidation parameters. At the same time decrease in the antioxidant potential was observed throughout the experiment. It proved a significant inhibition of the antioxidant system ability to neutralize bioradical oxidation reactions. The resulting free radicals caused the collagen destruction, which formed the frame of the periodontal connective tissue structures. It was confirmed by hydroxyproline increase due to its free and peptide-bound fractions throughout the experiment. Finally, an increase in protein-bound hydroxyproline was determined against the background of high levels of free hydroxyproline, which was explained by the formation of pathological granulations and fibrillar collagen with an inferior short-chain structure.
Conclusion. Chronic periodontitis is characterized by disturbances in the bioradical balance followed by the oxidative stress development, which induces the dystrophy of periodontal collagen structures. The data obtained substantiate the use of collagen peroxidation and metabolism markers as diagnostic criteria to predict the course of periodontitis, and also prove the importance of antioxidants.
EFFECT OF VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR ON SPERMATOGENESIS AFTER 2 GY ELECTRON IRRADIATION
Authors: Demyashkin Grigoriy , Bondurko Lyubov , Fomina Natal'ya , Sevan'kaeva Larisa , Mikhina Lyudmila , Glushak Valentina , Shchekin Vladimir
Published: April 2022

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) influences tissue repair, stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on spermatogenesis after 2 Gy electron irradiation.
Materials and Methods. Light microscopy and immunohistochemical reactions with antibodies to VEGF were used to examine testes of 5 groups of experimental animals (Group 1 – control (n=10), Group 2 – 2IR (n=35), Group 3 – 2IR+LP-PRP+IGF-1 (n=30), Group 4 – 2IR+LP-PRP (n=30), Group 5 – LP-PRP (n=30)).
Results. After irradiation, a decrease in the number of VEGF-positive cells was observed, which was restored under PRP administration.
Conclusion. 2 Gy electron irradiation of the testes leads to a decrease in VEGF-positive cells. PRP administration, containing vascular endothelial growth factor, enhances reparative processes and restores spermatogenesis.
COMPLEX EFFECT OF LOW-INTENSITY LASER RADIATION AND POTASSIUM CHANNEL PEPTIDE INHIBITOR ON MELANOMA CELL SURVIVAL
Authors: Pogodina Evgeniya , Rastorgueva Evgeniya , Yurova Elena , Beloborodov Evgeniy , Sugak Dmitriy , Saenko Yuriy
Published: April 2022

Melanoma is characterized by an aggressive development and a large number of metastases during diagnostics. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used to treat this type of cancer. However, the accumulation of photosensitizers is observed not only in malignant tumors, but also in high metabolic rate organs. Shortcomings of melanoma therapy can be eliminated using the complex effect of laser radiation and local administration of inhibitors of cellular processes.
The goal. To study the complex effect of low-intensity laser radiation and potassium channel peptide inhibitor on melanoma cell survival.
Materials and Methods. A875 melanoma cells were exposed to Kappa-theraphotoxin-Gr1b toxin and laser irradiation. The authors examined the level of apoptosis and necrosis in cells using fluorescence microscopy techniques. The xCELLigence system was used to assess the cytotoxic response of A875 melanoma cells.
Results. The maximum number of apoptotic and necrotic cells was observed in the group of patients with A875 tumor cells exposed to a combination of Kappa-TRTX-Gr1b toxin and laser radiation (wavelength=1265 nm). This is due to the inhibition of potassium channels of intracellular cell membranes by Kappa-TRTX-Gr1b peptide, which are associated with the apoptosis.
Conclusion. Selective potassium channel inhibition under pathological processes can be regarded as a significant supplement to the superficial malignant neoplasm complex therapy. The combination of toxin and irradiation will make it possible to potentiate their action and avoid the main PDT disadvantages. This approach unites the benefits of the local administration and precise exposure on the malignant tumor.