bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consumers’ Journey between Liquid and Solid Consumption
Authors: Beretta Edoardo , Miniero Giulia , Ricotta Francesco
Published: December 2021

Sharing economy brought changes both at the macroeconomic and the individual level. New models of consumption, such as the liquid one, are becoming very frequent, shaping countries’ productive systems and consumers’ habits. This paper—combining both theoretical approaches—aims at measuring the individual characteristics that induce consumers to prefer liquid versus solid consumption. First, the article contextualizes the topic from a broader, macroeconomic perspective, and later on, it narrows its angle of view making it rather microeconomic and behavioral. In this specific regard, by means of a cluster analysis, four profiles of consumers are identified: (1) Rational and liquid; (2) Hybrid and question mark; (3) Solid in transition; (4) Hyper solid. Characteristics as well as theoretical and managerial implications are outlined for each cluster. This research focusing on emerging consumer behavior contributes to the current debate on solid and liquid consumption (i) exploring the continuum between these two extremes, (ii) defining a first behavioral profile of customer that are traveling between solid and liquid state and (iii) designing a possible way to target such a blurred and fast evolving customer that mostly qualifies a global and rapidly evolving economic environment.
Teaching Implementation of Practical Education and Innovative Construction Method
Authors: Liao Wan-Ju , Tang Chieh-Hsin
Published: December 2021

This study uses cases of practical education to illustrate the process and results of innovative construction methods. The results are as follows: 1. Originating from the nature of materials, development of construction methods through understanding the characteristics of materials can better demonstrate the importance of detailed design. 2. Through the addition of other materials, wood structures can stand out from the conventional form to show an amazing style. 3. Through practices, students can understand the importance of detailed design. Starting from the essence of the material and returning to the overall design through detailed design can indeed create unexpected results. 4. Feedback on teaching to provide reference for subsequent courses.
Competence Frameworks of Sustainable Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Review
Authors: Diepolder Charlotte S. , Weitzel Holger , Huwer Johannes
Published: December 2021

The importance of the transformation to a sustainable economy for the protection from global crises such as climate change is widely recognized. Sustainable entrepreneurs are considered to play a key role in this transformation process as they create innovative market solutions with ecological, social, and economic value. So far, there is no consensus on competences students need to solve sustainability challenges as sustainable entrepreneurs. The aim of this article is to identify competence frameworks that enable competence-oriented education of future sustainable entrepreneurs. An academic search engine and a bibliographic database were screened for documents written in English and published between January 2010 and November 2020 to identify the existing competence frameworks discussed in the current literature in the field of Sustainable Entrepreneurial Education (SEE). The review process led to a set of 65 empirical and nonempirical works on SEE. A computer-assisted qualitative data analysis was used for this review. The data analysis showed an increasing number of SEE articles published over the last decade mostly in scientific journals (69.2%). Fifty-six (86.2%) of publications related to tertiary education. The data analysis revealed three stand-alone competence frameworks for Sustainable Entrepreneurship (SE). The frameworks show an overlap in content but differences in terms of construction, validation, complexity. All competence frameworks were developed for use in higher education institutions, which necessitates adaptation for use in other educational institutions. The analysis of 28 SEE interventions identified in the literature provides information on the reception of the frameworks for competence-based teaching and assessment.
Water Stress Affects the Some Morpho-Physiological Traits of Twenty Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes under Field Condition
Authors: Panhwar Nazeer Ali , Mierzwa-Hersztek Monika , Baloch Gul Muhammad , Soomro Zahoor Ahmed , Sial Mahboob Ali , Demiraj Erdona , Panhwar Sajjad Ali , Afzal Ambreen , Lahori Altaf Hussain
Published: December 2021

Water stress has become one of the foremost constraints to agricultural development, mostly in areas that are deficient in water. A field trial has been conducted to evaluate the performance of different twenty wheat genotypes under three stress treatments viz., control (T0) = normal watering, stress-1 (T1) = water stress from tillering up to maturity, and stress-2 (T2) = water stress from anthesis to maturity were used as treatments. The results revealed that a highly significant (p < 0.01) difference was observed among twenty wheat cultivars for morpho-physiological traits except for several tillers plant−1, spikeletspike−1, and relative water content. In the early days, 50% flowering was noted in Anmole-91 (64.33 days) under (T0), while Anmol-91 showed a relative decrease (RD-1) (−2.34 days) at days 50% flowering in (T1). The TJ-83 genotype showed an early response (−8.34 day) at days to 50% flowering under stress-2 (T2), but TD-I (−3.34) was observed to be relatively tolerant. Underwater stress from tillering to maturity (T1) SKD-1 was found more susceptible (−36.7 days) than other cultivars. Wheat cultivar Soghat-90 showed maximum RD-1 (−24.7) for grain yield plant−1 in stress-1 (T1) from tillering to maturity. Anmole-91, NIA-Sarang, and TD-I observed minimum was (−6) in the same water stress for various traits. Therefore, the findings of present work revealed that the best performing genotypes can be recommended for effective cultivation in future breeding programs.
Health-Related Crises in Tourism Destination Management: A Systematic Review
Authors: Vong Celeste , Rita Paulo , António Nuno
Published: December 2021

Over the past two decades, the tourism industry has witnessed a range of health-related crises, with the recent outbreak of COVID-19 bringing the industry to a standstill. This systematic literature review serves to understand previous health crises, impacts, and consequences in the tourism industry and identify the current status, intellectual structure, and trends in this research field. A bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer and Gephi was performed over 63 journal articles from 2003 to 2021 indexed in Scopus. Results reveal a research focus shift towards sustainable tourism development. Moreover, the status quo indicates a need for closer research collaboration across continents and more interdisciplinary research in health science and tourism to better understand the broad impacts of pandemic outbreaks and generate new insights into this complex issue.
Usability of the G7 Open Government Data Portals and Lessons Learned
Authors: Mutambik Ibrahim , Almuqrin Abdullah , Lee John , Zhang Justin Zuopeng , Alomran Abdulaziz , Omar Taha , Floos Ahmad , Homadi Abdullah
Published: December 2021

Recent advances in technology have made truly open and accessible government significantly more realisable. One of the ways in which governments are using this technology is in the implementation of online portals that allow open (i.e., public and unrestricted) access to data and use of data. Such portals can be used by citizens and professionals to facilitate improved decision-making across a wide range of areas, from car-parking to promoting entrepreneurialism. However, the existence of portals per se is not enough. To maximise their potential, users must also feel that they are both accessible and usable. To gain insights into the current state of usability of OGD portals for professionals working in data-related areas, a comparative study of the portals of the G7 group was carried out, using a mixed methodology. This is the first specific comparison of these portals for such users, as well as the first study to add a user-centred qualitative dimension to the research. The study’s findings showed that the G7 countries are not maximising the potential of their portals or collaborating effectively. Addressing these issues, and building better cross-national consistency, would help to improve the value delivered by investment in OGD portals. The study also further supported an existing user-centred, heuristic evaluation framework for application to a more specific user group, as well as more generally.
An Analytical Approach for Initial Allocation of Discharge Permits with Consideration of the Water Environmental Capacity and Industrial Technical Feasibility
Authors: Peng Bo , Lei Kun
Published: December 2021

The tradable discharge permit is an efficient marketing twist to deal with negative externality of water pollution, and initial allocation discharge permits (IADP) is a tough prerequisite for a health tradable discharge permit system. However, the allocation rules focusing on both water environment quality attainment and economic-technical feasibility have not been achieved. Therefore, a three-tier analytical framework including control units, industries, and enterprises has been established for satisfying the requirements of water environment quality attainment and technical feasibility. The framework includes three calculation modules and one justification module. A case study of the framework is carried out in the Changzhou City of Taihu Lake, China. Through comparison of the results of industry IADP, the technology-based initial allocation discharge permits scheme in control unit 7 is adopted as the final initial allocation discharge permits scheme, and the reduction plan chemical industry is carried out in control unit 8; finally, the initial allocation discharge permits results after reduction are employed as the final initial allocation discharge permits scheme. This three-tier analytical framework could ensure environmental protection, equality, efficiency, and make the scheme be more acceptable for enterprise stakeholders. In addition, it could support for optimization of industrial layouts and industrial structure upgrading to some degree.
Research on Substation Project Cost Prediction Based on Sparrow Search Algorithm Optimized BP Neural Network
Authors: Xu Xiaomin , Peng Luyao , Ji Zhengsen , Zheng Shipeng , Tian Zhuxiao , Geng Shiping
Published: December 2021

The prediction of power grid engineering cost is the basis of fine management of power grid engineering, and accurate prediction of substation engineering cost can effectively ensure the fine operation of engineering funds. With the continuous expansion of the engineering system, the influencing factors and data dimensions of substation project investment are gradually diversified and complex, which further increases the uncertainty and complexity of substation project cost. Based on the concept of substation engineering data space, this paper investigates the influencing factors and constructs the static total investment intelligent prediction model of substation engineering. The emerging swarm intelligence algorithm, sparrow search algorithm (SSA), is used to optimize the parameters of the BP neural network to improve the prediction accuracy and convergence speed of neural network. In order to test the validity of the model, an example analysis is carried out based on the data of a provincial substation project. It was found that the SSA-BP can effectively improve the prediction accuracy and provide new methods and approaches for practical application and research.
The Impact of Renewable Energy, Urbanization, and Environmental Sustainability Ratings on the Environmental Kuznets Curve and the Pollution Haven Hypothesis
Authors: Wang Chi-Hui , Padmanabhan Prasad , Huang Chia-Hsing
Published: December 2021

The impacts of renewable energy adoption and environmental sustainability ratings on the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve and the pollution haven hypothesis are examined using annual balanced panel data from 64 middle and low-income countries and spanning the 2005–2014 period. We show that the GDP per capita/CO2 emissions per capita relationship is an inverse S curve for the full sample of low and middle-income countries and for each subsample. The renewable energy/CO2 emissions per capita relationship is an inverse N curve for the full and the middle-income samples, but a V curve for the low-income sample. The foreign direct investment net inflows/CO2 emissions per capita relationship is an N curve for the full and the middle-income samples, and a positive relationship in the low-income subsample. High levels of government environmental sustainability ratings in low-income countries with relatively higher incomes can attract foreign direct investment net inflows while reducing pollution. In contrast, middle-income countries with high environmental sustainability ratings can attract foreign direct investment net inflows only if they allow small increases in pollution.
Strategizing Human Development for a Country in Transition from a Resource-Based to a Knowledge-Based Economy
Authors: Mohamed Btool H. , Ari Ibrahim , Al-Sada Mohammed bin Saleh , Koç Muammer
Published: December 2021

Human development plays a profound role in achieving sustainable development, by utilizing the power of well-educated blue- and white-collar laborers, academics, politicians, and people from every layer of society and the economy. However, there is no single path for human development. Planning, designing, and implementing policies for human development require country-specific approaches, based on unique characteristics such as historical development trajectories, future goals, the commitment of leadership, culture, geography, and climate, to name a few. Such strategies become even further challenging for countries that aim to achieve radical transformations from resource-based to innovation-driven and knowledge-based economies, to achieve sustainable development. In this study, a conceptual model for a holistic human development strategy in line with sustainable economic development was first designed by employing design and systems thinking approaches. Second, under the guidance of this conceptual model, an integrated policy framework for Qatar is proposed to propel the quality and quantity of human capital to achieve economic diversification and, thus, sustainable development. Third, semi-structured interviews with experts and decision-makers in relevant fields were conducted to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed policy framework. As a proof-of-concept, the interview results validated—but were not limited to—the following outcomes. First, the proposed conceptual model has considerable potential to deliver robust, feasible, and effective policies from the initiation to the implementation of strategy development. Second, selectively recruiting highly skilled expatriate professionals under progressive residency policies provides incentives for them to become long-term residents. This would attract global human capital to complement the aim of economic diversification, a sustainable economy, and human development goals. Third, carefully designed university-industry-government partnerships and technical training programs will enable the development of appropriate innovation, professional, and business skills in the local population and facilitate economic diversification goals. Finally, empowering female entrepreneurs and investors will increase women’s empowerment while accelerating economic diversification—and, thus, sustainable development.
Impact of Microplastics on Oil Dispersion Efficiency in the Marine Environment
Authors: Yang Min , Zhang Baiyu , Chen Yifu , Xin Xiaying , Lee Kenneth , Chen Bing
Published: December 2021

Oil spill and microplastics (MPs) pollution has raised global concerns, due to the negative impacts on ocean sustainability. Chemical dispersants were widely adopted as oil-spill-treating agents. When MPs exist during oil dispersion, MP/oil-dispersant agglomerates (MODAs) are observed. This study explored how MPs affect oil-dispersion efficiency in oceans. Results showed that, under dispersant-to-oil volumetric ratio (DOR) 1:10 and mixing energy of 200 rpm, the addition of MPs increased the oil droplet size, total oil volume concentration, and oil-dispersion efficiency. Under DOR 1:25 and mixing energy of 120 rpm, the addition of MPs increased the oil droplet size but resulted in a decrease of total oil volume concentration and dispersion efficiency. Compared with the oil volume concentration, the oil droplet size may no longer be an efficient parameter for evaluating oil-dispersion efficiency with the existence of MODAs. A machine learning (ML)-based XGBRegressor model was further constructed to predict how MPs affected oil volume concentration and oil-dispersion efficiency in oceans. The research outputs would facilitate decision-making during oil-spill responses and build a foundation for the risk assessment of oil and MP co-contaminants that is essential for maintaining ocean sustainability.
Progress or Regress? A Systematic Review on Two Decades of Monitoring and Addressing Land Subsidence Hazards in Semarang City
Authors: Hamdani Rizkiana Sidqiyatul , Hadi Sudharto Prawata , Rudiarto Iwan
Published: December 2021

Land subsidence is a major cause of environmental degradation. It increases the exposure of global sea level rise-related disasters in coastal cities lying on young sediment. Ample monitoring, adaptation, and mitigation measures have been taken to tackle the impact of such coastal hazards for decades in Semarang City. However, to date, land subsidence still has a negative impact on people’s quality of life. This brings us to the question of whether the measures are progressing towards better management or going to the opposite side. This paper is aimed to answer that question through an extensive literature review using PRISMA Guidelines to 125 scholarly articles and quantitative supporting analysis. We found that land subsidence is overlooked. Although the monitoring measures are progressing towards better technology utilization, it was not properly integrated into mitigation and adaptation measures. Instead of investing more on developing better urban water management, groundwater extraction still became the preferred water source. Thus, there is a major shift needed with regard to urban activities that need to pay more heed to the environment.
Application of Freeze Concentration Technologies to Valorize Nutrient-Rich Effluents Generated from the Anaerobic Digestion of Agro-Industrial Wastes
Authors: Uald-lamkaddam Imane , Dadrasnia Arezoo , Llenas Laia , Ponsá Sergio , Colón Joan , Vega Esther , Mora Mabel
Published: December 2021

The production of biogas through anaerobic digestion implies the generation of 90–95% of digested raw material, namely digestate. A nutrient-rich stream is generally applied to cropland to enhance yields, due to its high abundance of nutrients. Nevertheless, the intensive digestate farming brings about nutrient saturation and groundwater contamination. The application of downstream emerging technologies that focus on the recovery of nutrients from digestate have been studied, yet freeze concentration technology (FC) has never been considered for this purpose. This study evaluates the performance of FC technology applied to concentrate nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) from an effluent of a reverse osmosis unit that is treating the digestate of agro-industrial waste effluents. For this aim, two lab-scale methodological approaches were investigated, namely, progressive FC (PFC) and suspension FC (SFC), set through the utilization of different FC configurations. The concentrates obtained in both FC methods agreed with the regulations for fertilizers in terms of nutrients and metals content; meanwhile, the diluted fraction can be delivered as water for irrigation in high-density livestock areas. The application of FC solves the transportation cost side effect of livestock waste on the one hand, and soil contamination with nutrient on the other hand.
Synergistic Effect between China’s Digital Transformation and Economic Development: A Study Based on Sustainable Development
Authors: Zhao Min , Liu Rong , Dai Debao
Published: December 2021

Developing rapidly over the long term makes it easy for a developing country to fall into the middle-income trap, which can only be solved by a new technological revolution. The deep integration of digital technology and industry has gradually become a new impetus to promote the sustainable development of China’s economy. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces and cities from 2010 to 2019, this paper analyzes the coupling coordination relationship between digital transformation level and economic development in China by the entropy method, coupling coordination degree model and spatial autocorrelation model. The results show that the following: (1) from 2010 to 2019, the comprehensive index of China’s digital transformation and economic growth level showed an upward trend, and the development level showed a gradual decline in eastern–middle–western regions; (2) the level of coupling and coordination between China’s digital transformation and economic growth has been increasing each year. Except Guangdong Province, all provinces have shown digital lag coordinated development, and it is necessary to strengthen their economic sustainability; (3) the coupling and coordination degree of digital transformation and economic growth in China shows a remarkable spatial correlation and agglomeration. High–high agglomeration areas are mainly concentrated in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei and Yangtze River Delta regions, low–low agglomeration areas are concentrated in northeast and western regions, and low–high agglomeration areas and high–low agglomeration areas are concentrated in southeast provinces. It is suggested that China should strengthen its regional balance in the future, let digital technology continue to lead the development of eastern developed regions, and transform and promote the traditional economy in other regions, overtaking in corners and enhancing the sustainable development of the overall layout of China’s economy.
Collider Searches for Dark Matter through the Higgs Lens
Authors: Argyropoulos Spyros , Brandt Oleg , Haisch Ulrich
Published: December 2021

Despite the fact that dark matter constitutes one of the cornerstones of the standard cosmological paradigm, its existence has so far only been inferred from astronomical observations, and its microscopic nature remains elusive. Theoretical arguments suggest that dark matter might be connected to the symmetry-breaking mechanism of the electroweak interactions or of other symmetries extending the Standard Model of particle physics. The resulting Higgs bosons, including the 125 GeV spin-0 particle discovered recently at the Large Hadron Collider, therefore represent a unique tool to search for dark matter candidates at collider experiments. This article reviews some of the relevant theoretical models as well as the results from the searches for dark matter in signatures that involve a Higgs-like particle at the Large Hadron Collider.
New Results of the Fifth-Kind Orthogonal Chebyshev Polynomials
Authors: Abd-Elhameed Waleed Mohamed , Alkhamisi Seraj Omar
Published: December 2021

The principal objective of this article is to develop new formulas of the so-called Chebyshev polynomials of the fifth-kind. Some fundamental properties and relations concerned with these polynomials are proposed. New moments formulas of these polynomials are obtained. Linearization formulas for these polynomials are derived using the moments formulas. Connection problems between the fifth-kind Chebyshev polynomials and some other orthogonal polynomials are explicitly solved. The linking coefficients are given in forms involving certain generalized hypergeometric functions. As special cases, the connection formulas between Chebyshev polynomials of the fifth-kind and the well-known four kinds of Chebyshev polynomials are shown. The linking coefficients are all free of hypergeometric functions.
Brain Asymmetry: Towards an Asymmetrical Neurovisceral Integration
Authors: Ramírez-Sánchez Manuel , Prieto Isabel , Segarra Ana Belén , Banegas Inmaculada , Martínez-Cañamero Magdalena , Domínguez-Vías Germán , de Gasparo Marc
Published: December 2021

Despite the ancestral evidence of an asymmetry in motor predominance, going through the inspiring discoveries of Broca and Wernicke on the localization of language processing, continuing with the subsequent noise coinciding with the study of brain function in commissurotomized patients—and the subsequent avalanche of data on the asymmetric distribution of multiple types of neurotransmitters in physiological and pathological conditions—even today, the functional significance of brain asymmetry is still unknown. Currently, multiple evidence suggests that functional asymmetries must have a neurochemical substrate and that brain asymmetry is not a static concept but rather a dynamic one, with intra- and inter-hemispheric interactions between its various processes, and that it is modifiable depending on changing endogenous and environmental conditions. Furthermore, based on the concept of neurovisceral integration in the overall functioning of an organism, some evidence has emerged suggesting that this integration could be organized asymmetrically, using the autonomic nervous system as a bidirectional communication pathway, whose performance would also be asymmetric. However, the functional significance of this distribution, as well as the evolutionary advantage of an asymmetric nervous organization, is still unknown.
Backscattered Visible Light Sensing of Retroreflective Foils Utilizing Random Forest Based Classification for Speed and Movement Direction Determination and Identification of an Indoor Moving Object
Authors: Weiss Andreas Peter , Wenzl Franz Peter
Published: December 2021

Making the Internet of Things “green” has become a major research focus in recent years. The anticipated massive increase in the numbers of sensor and communication devices makes this endeavor even more important, resulting in various solution approaches ranging from energy harvesting to energy efficient routing schemes. In this work, we propose a system that can perform some of the main tasks of the Internet of Things, namely identification and sensing of an indoor moving object, by the means of visible light sensing in combination with off-the-shelf retroreflective foils, without the necessity to place any actively powered components on the object itself. By utilizing the supervised machine learning approach of random forest, we show that these two tasks can be fulfilled with up to 99.96% accuracy. Based on our previous findings in this regard, we propose some advancements and improvements of the overall system, yielding better results in parallel with an increased complexity of the system. Furthermore, we expand the number of performable tasks toward additional movement direction determination. The achieved results demonstrate the applicability of visible light sensing and its potentials for a “green” Internet of Things.
Keeping Lagocephalus sceleratus off the Table: Sources of Variation in the Quantity of TTX, TTX Analogues, and Risk of Tetrodotoxication
Authors: Christidis Georgios , Mandalakis Manolis , Anastasiou Thekla I. , Tserpes George , Peristeraki Panagiota , Somarakis Stylianos
Published: December 2021

The invasion of the tetrodotoxin (TTX)-bearing silver-cheeked toadfish and potential poisoning due to its consumption (tetrodotoxication) threatens public safety in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, TTX and TTX analogues of Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in fish collected off the island of Crete (Southern Mediterranean). We tested the synergistic effect of a suite of factors potentially affecting toxins’ levels and tetrodotoxication risk using general and generalized linear models, respectively. The type of tissue, geographic origin (Cretan Sea, Libyan Sea), sex, and fish maturity stage were significant predictors of toxin concentrations. Mean TTX was higher in gonads and lower in muscles, higher in the Libyan Sea and in female fish, and lower in juvenile (virgin) fish. The concentration of TTX was also significantly and positively correlated with the concentration of several TTX analogues (4-epiTTX, 4,9-anhydroTTX, 11-deoxyTTX, 5,11/6,11-dideoxyTTX, 5,6,11-trideoxyTTX, 11-norTTX-6-ol). The analysis showed that fish originating from the Libyan Sea had significantly higher probability to cause tetrodotoxication in case of consumption. The variability explained by the models developed in this study was relatively low, indicating that toxin levels are hard to predict and the consumption of L. sceleratus should therefore be avoided.
Astrophysical Neutrinos and Blazars
Authors: Giommi Paolo , Padovani Paolo
Published: December 2021

We review and discuss recent results on the search for correlations between astrophysical neutrinos and γ-ray-detected sources, with many extragalactic studies reporting potential associations with different types of blazars. We investigate possible dependencies on blazar sub-classes by using the largest catalogues and all the multi-frequency data available. Through the study of similarities and differences in these sources we conclude that blazars come in two distinct flavours: LBLs and IHBLs (low-energy-peaked and intermediate-high-energy-peaked objects). These are distinguished by widely different properties such as the overall spectral energy distribution shape, jet speed, cosmological evolution, broad-band spectral variability, and optical polarisation properties. Although blazars of all types have been proposed as neutrino sources, evidence is accumulating in favour of IHBLs being the counterparts of astrophysical neutrinos. If this is indeed the case, we argue that the peculiar observational properties of IHBLs may be indirectly related to proton acceleration to very high energies.
Phase Conversions in Neutron Stars: Implications for Stellar Stability and Gravitational Wave Astrophysics
Authors: Lugones Germán , Grunfeld Ana Gabriela
Published: December 2021

We review the properties of hybrid stars with a quark matter core and a hadronic mantle, focusing on the role of key micro-physical properties such as the quark/hadron surface and curvature tensions and the conversion speed at the interface between both phases. We summarize the results of works that have determined the surface and curvature tensions from microscopic calculations. If these quantities are large enough, mixed phases are energetically suppressed and the quark core would be separated from the hadronic mantle by a sharp interface. If the conversion speed at the interface is slow, a new class of dynamically stable hybrid objects is possible. Densities tens of times larger than the nuclear saturation density can be attained at the center of these objects. We discuss possible formation mechanisms for the new class of hybrid stars and smoking guns for their observational identification.
Spatiotemporally Orchestrated Interactions between Viral and Cellular Proteins Involved in the Entry of African Swine Fever Virus
Authors: Zhang Kehui , Li Su , Liu Sheng , Li Shuhong , Qu Liang , Gao George F. , Qiu Hua-Ji
Published: December 2021

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boars with a mortality of up to 100%. The causative agent, African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a member of the Asfarviridae family of the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses. The genome size of ASFV ranges from 170 to 194 kb, encoding more than 50 structural and 100 nonstructural proteins. ASFV virions are 260–300 nm in diameter and composed of complex multilayered structures, leading to an intricate internalization pathway to enter host cells. Currently, no commercial vaccines or antivirals are available, due to the insufficient knowledge of the viral receptor(s), the molecular events of ASFV entry into host cells, and the functions of virulence-associated genes. During the early stage of ASFV infection, the fundamental aspects of virus-host interactions, including virus internalization, intracellular transport through the endolysosomal system, and membrane fusion with endosome, are precisely regulated and orchestrated via a series of molecular events. In this review, we summarize the currently available knowledge on the pathways of ASFV entry into host cells and the functions of viral proteins involved in virus entry. Furthermore, we conclude with future perspectives and highlight areas that require further investigation. This review is expected to provide unique insights for further understanding ASFV entry and facilitate the development of vaccines and antivirals.
Development of an Indirect ELISA Based on Spike Protein to Detect Antibodies against Feline Coronavirus
Authors: Dong Bo , Zhang Gaoqiang , Zhang Xiaodong , Chen Xufei , Zhang Meiling , Li Linglin , Lin Weiming
Published: December 2021

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) is a pathogenic virus commonly found in cats that causes a benign enteric illness and fatal systemic disease, feline infectious peritonitis. The development of serological diagnostic tools for FCoV is helpful for clinical diagnosis and epidemiological investigation. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) to detect antibodies against FCoV using histidine-tagged recombinant spike protein. FCoV S protein (1127–1400 aa) was expressed and used as an antigen to establish an ELISA. Mice and rabbits immunized with the protein produced antibodies that were recognized and bound to the protein. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) was 1.15–5.04% and the inter-assay CV was 4.28–15.13%, suggesting an acceptable repeatability. iELISA did not cross-react with antisera against other feline viruses. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an 86.7% sensitivity and 93.3% specificity for iELISA. Serum samples (n = 107) were tested for anti-FCoV antibodies, and 70.09% of samples were positive for antibodies against FCoV. The iELISA developed in our study can be used to measure serum FCoV antibodies due to its acceptable repeatability, sensitivity, and specificity. Additionally, field sample analysis data demonstrated that FCoV is highly prevalent in cat populations in Fujian province, China.
Characterization of a Novel Cysteine Protease Inhibitor from Poultry Red Mites: Potential Vaccine for Chickens
Authors: Fujisawa Sotaro , Murata Shiro , Isezaki Masayoshi , Ariizumi Takuma , Sato Takumi , Oishi Eiji , Taneno Akira , Maekawa Naoya , Okagawa Tomohiro , Ichii Osamu , Konnai Satoru , Ohashi Kazuhiko
Published: December 2021

Poultry red mite (PRM; Dermanyssus gallinae) is a hazardous, blood-sucking ectoparasite of birds that constitutes a threat to poultry farming worldwide. Acaricides, commonly used in poultry farms to prevent PRMs, are not effective because of the rapid emergence of acaricide-resistant PRMs. However, vaccination may be a promising strategy to control PRM. We identified a novel cystatin-like molecule in PRMs: Dg-Cys. Dg-Cys mRNA expression was detected in the midgut and ovaries, in all stages of life. The PRM nymphs that were artificially fed with the plasma from chickens that were immunized with Dg-Cys in vitro had a significantly reduced reproductive capacity and survival rate. Moreover, combination of Dg-Cys with other antigen candidates, like copper transporter 1 or adipocyte plasma membrane-associated protein, enhanced vaccine efficacies. vaccination and its application as an antigen for cocktail vaccines could be an effective strategy to reduce the damage caused by PRMs in poultry farming.
COVID-19 Vaccination: The Mainspring of Challenges and the Seed of Remonstrance
Authors: Najjar Hoda , Al-Jighefee Hadeel T. , Qush Abeer , Ahmed Muna Nizar , Awwad Sara , Kamareddine Layla
Published: December 2021

As of March 2020, the time when the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) became a pandemic, our existence has been threatened and the lives of millions have been claimed. With this ongoing global issue, vaccines are considered of paramount importance in curtailing the outbreak and probably a prime gamble to bring us back to ‘ordinary life’. To date, more than 200 vaccine candidates have been produced, many of which were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use, with the research and discovery phase of their production process passed over. Capering such a chief practice in COVID-19 vaccine development, and manufacturing vaccines at an unprecedented speed brought many challenges into play and raised COVID-19 vaccine remonstrance. In this review, we highlight relevant challenges to global COVID-19 vaccine development, dissemination, and deployment, particularly at the level of large-scale production and distribution. We also delineate public perception on COVID-19 vaccination and outline the main facets affecting people’s willingness to get vaccinated.
Therapeutic Effects of Mutian® Xraphconn on 141 Client-Owned Cats with Feline Infectious Peritonitis Predicted by Total Bilirubin Levels
Authors: Katayama Masato , Uemura Yukina
Published: December 2021

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease caused by feline coronavirus or its variant, referred to as the FIP virus. Recently, favorable treatment outcomes of the anti-viral drug Mutian® Xraphconn (Mutian X) were noted in cats with FIP. Thus, the therapeutic efficacy of Mutian X in cats with FIP must be explored, although the predictors of therapeutic success remain unknown. In the present study, we administered Mutian X to 141 pet cats with effusive FIP following initial veterinarian examinations. Of these, 116 cats survived but the remaining 25 died during treatment. Pre-treatment signalment, viral gene expression, and representative laboratory parameters for routine FIP diagnosis (i.e., hematocrit, albumin-to-globulin ratio, total bilirubin, serum amyloid-A, and α1-acid glycoprotein) were statistically compared between the survivor and non-survivor groups. The majority of these parameters, including hematocrit, albumin-to-globulin ratio, serum amyloid-A, α1-acid glycoprotein, and viral gene expression, were comparable between the two groups. Interestingly, however, total bilirubin levels in the survivor group were significantly lower than those in the non-survivor group (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, in almost all surviving cats with effusive FIP (96.6%, 28/29), the pre-treatment total bilirubin levels were below 0.5 mg/dL; however, the survival rate decreased drastically (14.3%, 1/7) when the pre-treatment total bilirubin levels exceeded 4.0 mg/dL. Thus, circulating total bilirubin levels may act as a prognostic risk factor for severe FIP and may serve as the predictor of the therapeutic efficacy of Mutian X against this fatal disease.
The Impact of Trade Facilitation on Cross-Border E-Commerce Transactions: Analysis Based on the Marine and Land Cross-Border Logistical Practices between China and Countries along the “Belt and Road”
Authors: Liang Yingying , Guo Liangliang , Li Jianlu , Zhang Shuang , Fei Xiangyun
Published: December 2021

In the post-epidemic era, cross-border e-commerce has become a new growth point for global foreign trade. Unlike traditional trade, which is dominated by marine transport, cross-border e-commerce transactions have high requirements for both marine and land transport, and the scale of their trade is accordingly limited by the level of trade facilitation i.e., the convenience of cross-border logistics in bilateral trading countries. Based on transaction cost theory, this article takes cross-border e-commerce transactions between China and countries along “The Belt and Road” as the core of the study. From the perspective of marine and land transport timeliness, the theoretical framework is constructed using the marine and land logistics infrastructure, customs clearance environment, government–governance environment, and cross-border logistics services as the main influencing paths; the GMM method is then applied in order to conduct a study on the impact of trade facilitation on the scale effect of cross-border e-commerce. The study finds that marine and land transport infrastructure has the strongest impact, with customs clearance environment and government–governance environment having the second strongest and comparable impact. The findings of the study further clarify the differences in the application of different cross-border logistics facilitation measures, and provide a theoretical basis for improving the timeliness of cross-border e-commerce transactions and reducing trade costs as well as a reference for the realization of land–sea integration and land–sea interconnection under “The Belt and Road” initiative.
Drinking Water Insecurity in Southwest Coastal Bangladesh: How Far to SDG 6.1?
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Jobayer , Chowdhury Md. Arif , Jahan Sayka , Zzaman Rashed Uz , Islam Syed Labib Ul
Published: December 2021

Substantial progress has been seen in the drinking water supply as per the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), but achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SGD 6.1 regarding safely managed drinking water with much more stringent targets, is considered as a development challenge. The problem is more acute in low-income water-scarce hard-to-reach areas such as the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh, where complex hydrogeological conditions and adverse water quality contribute to a highly vulnerable and insecure water environment. Following the background, this study investigated the challenges and potential solutions to drinking water insecurity in a water-scarce area of southwest coastal Bangladesh using a mixed-methods approach. The findings revealed that water insecurity arises from unimproved, deteriorated, unaffordable, and unreliable sources that have significant time and distance burdens. High rates of technical dysfunction of the existing water infrastructure contribute to water insecurity as well. Consequently, safely managed water services are accessible to only 12% of the population, whereas 64% of the population does not have basic water. To reach the SDG 6.1 target, this underserved community needs well-functioning readily accessible water infrastructure with formal institutional arrangement rather than self-governance, which seems unsuccessful in this low-income context. This study will help the government and its development partners in implementing SDG action plans around investments to a reliable supply of safe water to the people living in water-scarce hard-to-reach coastal areas.
Characterization and Treatment Technologies Applied for Produced Water in Qatar
Authors: Dawoud Hana D. , Saleem Haleema , Alnuaimi Nasser Abdullah , Zaidi Syed Javaid
Published: December 2021

Qatar is one of the major natural gas (NG) producing countries, which has the world’s third-largest NG reserves besides the largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Since the produced water (PW) generated in the oil and gas industry is considered as the largest waste stream, cost-effective PW management becomes fundamentally essential. The oil/gas industries in Qatar produce large amounts of PW daily, hence the key challenges facing these industries reducing the volume of PW injected in disposal wells by a level of 50% for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the reservoir. Moreover, it is important to study the characteristics of PW to determine the appropriate method to treat it and then use it for various applications such as irrigation, or dispose of it without harming the environment. This review paper targets to highlight the generation of PW in Qatar, as well as discuss the characteristics of chemical, physical, and biological treatment techniques in detail. These processes and methods discussed are not only applied by Qatari companies, but also by other companies associated or in collaboration with those in Qatar. Finally, case studies from different companies in Qatar and the challenges of treating the PW are discussed. From the different studies analyzed, various techniques as well as sequencing of different techniques were noted to be employed for the effective treatment of PW.
Analysis of the Three-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter in Groundwater from a Subtropical Cave in Dry Season—Daxiao Cave in South China Karst
Authors: Zhang Renkai , Liu Ziqi , Xiong Kangning , Lyu Xiaoxi , Hu Chenpeng , Wang Xinwen , Cheng Kun
Published: December 2021

Groups in dissolved organic matter (DOM) emit fluorescence information at characteristic wavelengths when irradiated by excitation waves, which can reveal the geochemical behavior of dissolved organic matter in the environment and its sources, but there are few relevant studies in cave groundwater systems. In order to investigate the relationship between drip hydrochemistry characteristics and DOM in cave systems after subsurface leakage, in this study, from the perspective of dissolved organic matter in the karst cave water system, the groundwater in the dry season of Daxiao Cave was selected as the research object. Five drip points and one water pool (DX-1, DX-2, DX-3, DX-4, DX-5, and DX-C) in Daxiao Cave were monitored and consecutively sampled for four months. The parallel factor analysis method (PARAFAC), three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence parameters, and excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM), combined with the hydrochemistry characteristics of the drip water and correlation analysis, were used to analyze the 3D fluorescence spectral characteristics of the DOM of the drip water of Daxiao Cave and their influencing factors. The results show that (1) the hydrochemistry type of the drip water in Daxiao Cave was within the Ca–Mg–HCO3 type, and Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3− were the dominant ions in Daxiao Cave; (2) the fluorescence fractions of drip water in dry season caves were dominated by C1 (humus-like), C2 (tryptophan-like), and C3 (tyrosine-like), and the fluorescence fractions of drip water DOM were controlled by protein fluorophores; (3) the DOM in the drip water of Daxiao Cave in the dry season was controlled in part by subsurface leakage and was largely the result of microbial degradation; and (4) the DOM of the drip water may be influenced by the chemical composition of the water, but the exact process is not clear.
Research and Application of Key Technologies for Dynamic Control of Reservoir Water Level in Flood Season
Authors: Zhang Jun , Min Yaowu , Feng Baofei , Duan Weixin
Published: December 2021

In today’s reservoir operation study, it is urgent to solve the issues on improving flood resource utilization, maximizing reservoir impoundment, and guaranteeing water supply through real-time regulation optimization under the premise of ensuring flood control safety and taking risks properly. Based on previous studies, the key real-time operation technologies for dynamic control of reservoir water levels in flood season are summarized. The Danjiangkou Reservoir was taken as an example, the division of flood stages, reservoir water level requirements for improving water supply guarantee, dynamic control indexes of reservoir water level for beneficial use in stages during the flood season, and flood control dispatching indexes are proposed. Moreover, a practicable real-time flood forecast operation scheme for Danjiangkou Reservoir was compiled. Its application in 2017 indicated that the established scheme can provide strong technical support to ensure the overall benefits of Danjiangkou Reservoir, including flood control, water supply, and power generation.