bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delayed by Design: Role of Suboptimal Signal Peptidase Processing of Viral Structural Protein Precursors in Flaviviridae Virus Assembly
Authors: Alzahrani Nabeel , Wu Ming-Jhan , Shanmugam Saravanabalaji , Yi MinKyung
Published: September 2020

The Flaviviridae virus family is classified into four different genera, including flavivirus, hepacivirus, pegivirus, and pestivirus, which cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and other mammals, including ruminants and pigs. These are enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses sharing a similar genome organization and replication scheme with certain unique features that differentiate them. All viruses in this family express a single polyprotein that encodes structural and nonstructural proteins at the N- and C-terminal regions, respectively. In general, the host signal peptidase cleaves the structural protein junction sites, while virus-encoded proteases process the nonstructural polyprotein region. It is known that signal peptidase processing is a rapid, co-translational event. Interestingly, certain signal peptidase processing site(s) in different Flaviviridae viral structural protein precursors display suboptimal cleavage kinetics. This review focuses on the recent progress regarding the Flaviviridae virus genus-specific mechanisms to downregulate signal peptidase-mediated processing at particular viral polyprotein junction sites and the role of delayed processing at these sites in infectious virus particle assembly.
Potential Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Therapeutics That Target the Post-Entry Stages of the Viral Life Cycle: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Al-Horani Rami A. , Kar Srabani
Published: September 2020

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to challenge health care systems around the world. Scientists and pharmaceutical companies have promptly responded by advancing potential therapeutics into clinical trials at an exponential rate. Initial encouraging results have been realized using remdesivir and dexamethasone. Yet, the research continues so as to identify better clinically relevant therapeutics that act either as prophylactics to prevent the infection or as treatments to limit the severity of COVID-19 and substantially decrease the mortality rate. Previously, we reviewed the potential therapeutics in clinical trials that block the early stage of the viral life cycle. In this review, we summarize potential anti-COVID-19 therapeutics that block/inhibit the post-entry stages of the viral life cycle. The review presents not only the chemical structures and mechanisms of the potential therapeutics under clinical investigation, i.e., listed in clinicaltrials.gov, but it also describes the relevant results of clinical trials. Their anti-inflammatory/immune-modulatory effects are also described. The reviewed therapeutics include small molecules, polypeptides, and monoclonal antibodies. At the molecular level, the therapeutics target viral proteins or processes that facilitate the post-entry stages of the viral infection. Frequent targets are the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and the viral proteases such as papain-like protease (PLpro) and main protease (Mpro). Overall, we aim at presenting up-to-date details of anti-COVID-19 therapeutics so as to catalyze their potential effective use in fighting the pandemic.
Cytokine-Targeted Therapeutics for KSHV-Associated Disease
Authors: Alomari Nedaa , Totonchy Jennifer
Published: September 2020

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), is linked to several human malignancies including Kaposi sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), multicentric Castleman’s disease (MCD) and recently KSHV inflammatory cytokine syndrome (KICS). As with other diseases that have a significant inflammatory component, current therapy for KSHV-associated disease is associated with significant off-target effects. However, recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of KSHV have produced new insight into the use of cytokines as potential therapeutic targets. Better understanding of the role of cytokines during KSHV infection and tumorigenesis may lead to new preventive or therapeutic strategies to limit KSHV spread and improve clinical outcomes. The cytokines that appear to be promising candidates as KSHV antiviral therapies include interleukins 6, 10, and 12 as well as interferons and tumor necrosis factor-family cytokines. This review explores our current understanding of the roles that cytokines play in promoting KSHV infection and tumorigenesis, and summarizes the current use of cytokines as therapeutic targets in KSHV-associated diseases.
Experimental Infection and Genetic Characterization of Two Different Capripox Virus Isolates in Small Ruminants
Authors: Wolff Janika , King Jacqueline , Moritz Tom , Pohlmann Anne , Hoffmann Donata , Beer Martin , Hoffmann Bernd
Published: September 2020

Capripox viruses, with their members “lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV)”, “goatpox virus (GTPV)” and “sheeppox virus (SPPV)”, are described as the most serious pox diseases of production animals. A GTPV isolate and a SPPV isolate were sequenced in a combined approach using nanopore MinION sequencing to obtain long reads and Illumina high throughput sequencing for short precise reads to gain full-length high-quality genome sequences. Concomitantly, sheep and goats were inoculated with SPPV and GTPV strains, respectively. During the animal trial, varying infection routes were compared: a combined intravenous and subcutaneous infection, an only intranasal infection, and the contact infection between naïve and inoculated animals. Sheep inoculated with SPPV showed no clinical signs, only a very small number of genome-positive samples and a low-level antibody reaction. In contrast, all GTPV inoculated or in-contact goats developed severe clinical signs with high viral genome loads observed in all tested matrices. Furthermore, seroconversion was detected in nearly all goats and no differences concerning the severity of the disease depending on the inoculation route were observed. Conclusively, the employed SPPV strain has the properties of an attenuated vaccine strain, consistent with the genetic data, whereas the GTPV strain represents a highly virulent field strain.
Guided Wave Inspection of Bars in Reinforced-Concrete Beams Using Surface-Mounted Vibration Sensors
Authors: El Masri Evelyne , Waters Timothy , Ferguson Neil
Published: September 2020

Steel reinforcement bars (rebars) in concrete structures are inaccessible and not conducive to many inspection methods. This paper proposes a non-invasive technique based on guided waves for detecting localised abnormalities in rebars embedded in concrete beams. The technique is predicated on previously published observations that guided waves are strongly reflected by discontinuities at the frequency at which they begin to propagate, i.e., at cut-on. The reflection coefficient at cut-on is estimated using a simple wave decomposition in which a near-zero wavenumber value is assumed. A simulated study is first carried out to evaluate the technique on a concrete beam featuring four rebars. The wave finite element approach is adopted to model two uniform beams which are coupled via a short, damaged section modelled in conventional finite element analysis. Estimated reflection coefficients arising from the discontinuity are close to the true values at cut-on and independent of frequency elsewhere, so that no prior knowledge of cut-on frequencies is required. Three steel-reinforced concrete beams were fabricated—one uniform and two with localised rebar damage—and reflection coefficients were estimated from measured transfer functions. As predicted, abrupt deviations in the reflection coefficient occurred at cut-on frequencies for both damaged beams.
Does China’s Belt and Road Initiative Threaten Food Security in Central Asia?
Authors: Sternberg Troy , McCarthy Chris , Hoshino Buho
Published: September 2020

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) needs little introduction; the infrastructure investment will reconfigure development in Central Asia. As its origin story and initial encounter, Central Asia offers a prismatic lens to delve into the vital impacts and significant changes wrought by the BRI. In the dryland region, the BRI impact on watersheds and agriculture is a critical challenge with direct implications for food security. Framed by diverse research sources, we utilized spatial datasets from the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative and the World Bank to explore the intersection of food production, water and development. Investigation evaluates the possible trade-offs that Chinese infrastructure investment can have on the communities and environment of Central Asia. The findings identify more than 15,000 km of rail and 20,000 km of roads linked to the BRI crisscrossing the region in 2018. Whilst these transport corridors have improved connectivity, many of these rails and roads traverse important agricultural and water zones, creating undetermined risks and opportunities. Land use change was examined within a 10-km buffer around BRI roads and rails from 2008 to 2018. Railways increased by 23% during this time, yet irrigated and rainfed agriculture decreased whilst urban areas markedly expanded. Contextual research identifies how Chinese policies may encourage agribusiness investment for food exports as possible disruptions to national and regional food supply. However, to date Central Asia provides <1% of Chinese agricultural imports. In fact, Afghanistan is the region’s dominant export market, tripling agricultural imports >300% in this time. Similarly, five times more livestock are traded within the region than to China. Evaluating infrastructure change is essential to understand BRI impacts on environments and societies, with the food-water nexus a particular concern in Central Asia. Limited Chinese imports of Central Asian agriculture suggests the region’s food security will not be significantly altered by the Belt and Road Initiative.
Hybridised Artificial Neural Network Model with Slime Mould Algorithm: A Novel Methodology for Prediction of Urban Stochastic Water Demand
Authors: Zubaidi Salah L. , Abdulkareem Iqbal H. , Hashim Khalid S. , Al-Bugharbee Hussein , Ridha Hussein Mohammed , Gharghan Sadik Kamel , Al-Qaim Fuod F. , Muradov Magomed , Kot Patryk , Al-Khaddar Rafid
Published: September 2020

Urban water demand prediction based on climate change is always challenging for water utilities because of the uncertainty that results from a sudden rise in water demand due to stochastic patterns of climatic factors. For this purpose, a novel combined methodology including, firstly, data pre-processing techniques were employed to decompose the time series of water and climatic factors by using empirical mode decomposition and identifying the best model input via tolerance to avoid multi-collinearity. Second, the artificial neural network (ANN) model was optimised by an up-to-date slime mould algorithm (SMA-ANN) to predict the medium term of the stochastic signal of monthly urban water demand. Ten climatic factors over 16 years were used to simulate the stochastic signal of water demand. The results reveal that SMA outperforms a multi-verse optimiser and backtracking search algorithm based on error scale. The performance of the hybrid model SMA-ANN is better than ANN (stand-alone) based on the range of statistical criteria. Generally, this methodology yields accurate results with a coefficient of determination of 0.9 and a mean absolute relative error of 0.001. This study can assist local water managers to efficiently manage the present water system and plan extensions to accommodate the increasing water demand.
Impact of the City on the Rapid Increase in the Runoff and Transport of Suspended and Dissolved Solids During Rainfall—The Example of the Silnica River (Kielce, Poland)
Authors: Ciupa Tadeusz , Suligowski Roman
Published: September 2020

Urbanisation changes the water cycle and affects the parameters of transported, suspended and dissolved matter, especially in small river catchments. This paper presents the reasons why river runoff and fluvial transport rapidly increase during rainfall-induced summer floods in the stretch of the Silnica River that flows through the centre of Kielce, a city with a population of 200,000. Examples of implemented hydrotechnical solutions that aim to reduce the height of flood waves and eliminate water accumulation are also presented. The 18.05 km long Silnica River drains a catchment area of 49.4 km2. It flows through areas of varied land use, which have determined the location of five hydrometric stations (outlets) at different sub-catchments: Dabrowa(forest), Piaski (suburbia) and Jesionowa (includes a reservoir), as well as Pakosz and Bialogon (largely impervious areas in the city centre). Specific runoff, suspended and dissolved solids concentration and the specific load of these two types of fluvial transport were determined. It was found that the maximum specific runoff in the outlets of urban sub-catchments was significantly higher during floods than those of the sub-catchments upstream of the city centre; the suspended solids concentration was several times higher, and the suspended solids load was approximately 200 times higher. Recognition of the basic parameters of rainfall-induced flood waves, as well as the dynamics and size of fluvial transport at the hydrometric stations, especially at the outlets of sub-catchments with a large proportion of impervious area (approximately 30%), has become the basis for the development and implementation of modernisation projects and the construction of hydrotechnical facilities and devices in the river channel in the centre of Kielce.
How Did the Late 1980s Climate Regime Shift Affect Temperature-Sensitive Fish Population Dynamics: Case Study of Vendace (Coregonus albula) in a Large North-Temperate Lake
Authors: Kangur Külli , Ginter Kai , Kangur Andu , Kangur Peeter , Möls Tõnu
Published: September 2020

The population dynamics of fish in northern lakes is strongly influenced by climatic factors. In this study, we investigated whether there is a link between the late 1980s climate regime shift in Europe and the collapse of vendace (Coregonus albula) population at the same time in Lake Peipsi. Until the end of the 1980s, vendace was very abundant in the lake, but then its catches sharply declined. This decline inspired investigations into the extreme weather events preceding the vendace collapse using data on daily water temperatures and ice phenology together with commercial fishery statistics since 1931 and test catch data since 1986. We identified using advanced statistical methods that the hot summer of 1988, which was accompanied by a severe cyanobacterial bloom and extensive fish kill, and the subsequent non-permanent ice cover and early ice-offs in 1989 and 1990 in Lake Peipsi were the main reasons for the disappearance of vendace from catches in 1991. Moreover, a negative correlation appeared between catches of the predatory pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) and vendace. Predation pressure as well as fish habitat degradation caused by lake eutrophication may contribute to the instability of the vendace population too. Our study showed that extreme weather events such as heat waves in summer and non-permanent ice-cover in winter in consecutive years may have long-lasting harmful effects on the population abundance of cool-water fish species such as vendace whose eggs usually develop under an ice cover in north-temperate lakes.
Spatiotemporal Variation in Phytoplankton Community Driven by Environmental Factors in the Northern East China Sea
Authors: Kim Yejin , Youn Seok-Hyun , Oh Hyun , Kang Jae , Lee Jae , Lee Dabin , Kim Kwanwoo , Jang Hyo , Lee Junbeom , Lee Sang
Published: September 2020

The East China Sea (ECS) is the largest marginal sea in the northern western Pacific Ocean. In comparison to various physical studies, little information on the seasonal patterns in community structure of phytoplankton is currently available. Based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pigment analysis, spatiotemporal variations in phytoplankton community compositions were investigated in the northern ECS. Water temperature and salinity generally decreased toward the western part of the study area but warmer conditions in August led to strong vertical stratification of the water column. In general, major inorganic nutrient concentrations were considerably higher in the western part with a shallow water depth, and consistent with previous results, had no discernable vertical pattern during our observation period except in August. This study also revealed PO4-limited environmental conditions in May and August. The monthly averaged integral chlorophyll-a concentration varied seasonally, highest (35.2 ± 20.22 mg m−2) in May and lowest (5.2 ± 2.54 mg m−2) in February. No distinct vertical differences in phytoplankton community compositions were observed for all the sampling seasons except in August when cyanobacteria predominated in the nutrient-deficient surface layer and diatoms prevailed at deep layer. Canonical correlation analysis results revealed that nutrient distribution and the water temperature were the major drivers of the vertical distribution of phytoplankton communities in August. Spatially, a noticeable difference in phytoplankton community structure between the eastern and western parts was observed in November with diatom domination in the western part and cyanobacteria domination in the eastern part, which were significantly (p < 0.01) correlated with water temperature, salinity, light conditions, and nutrient concentrations. Overall, the two major phytoplankton groups were diatoms (32.0%) and cyanobacteria (20.6%) in the northern ECS and the two groups were negatively correlated, which holds a significant ecological meaning under expected warming ocean conditions.
Towards Model-Free Pressure Control in Water Distribution Networks
Authors: Mosetlhe Thapelo C. , Hamam Yskandar , Du Shengzhi , Monacelli Eric , Yusuff Adedayo A.
Published: September 2020

Pressure control in water distribution networks (WDNs) is one of the interventions commonly employed to improve the reliability and sustainability of water supply. Various approaches have been proposed to solve the problem of pressure control. However, most schemes that have been proposed rely on the accuracy of a model in order to precisely control a real WDN. Therefore, any deviation between a model and real WDN parameters could render the results of control schemes useless. As a result, this work proposes the utilisation of the reinforcement learning (RL) technique to control nodes pressure in WDNs without solving the model. Quadratic approximation emulators of WDNs and RL agents are used in the proposed scheme. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is tested on two WDNs networks and the results are compared with the conventional optimisation scheme that is commonly used for simulation cases. The results show that the proposed scheme is able to achieve the desired results when compared to the benchmark optimisation procedure. However, unlike the optimisation procedure, the proposed scheme achieved the results without the numerical solution of the WDNs. Therefore, this scheme could be used in situations where the model of a network is not well defined.
Correction: Hervás-Gámez, Carmen and Delgado-Ramos, Fernando. Are the Modern Drought Management Plans Modern Enough? The Guadalquivir River Basin Case in Spain. Water 2020, 12, 49
Authors: Hervás-Gámez Carmen , Delgado-Ramos Fernando
Published: September 2020

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
Hydrogeology of Volcanic Highlands Affects Prioritization of Land Management Practices
Authors: Adem Anwar A. , Addis Gashaw G. , Aynalem Dessalew W. , Tilahun Seifu A. , Mekuria Wolde , Azeze Mulugeta , Steenhuis Tammo S.
Published: September 2020

Volcanic highlands supply water to 40% of the world’s population. Soil degradation threatens this water supply. Studies on geohydrology that affect the effectiveness of land and water management (LWM) practices in reducing soil degradations are limited. To aid in the effectiveness of LWM practices, we conducted a field experiment in the Gomit watershed in the semihumid Ethiopian Highlands on the interaction of hydrogeology and LWM practices. We found that in a watershed with strongly faulted tertiary basalt, 30% of the rainfall was drained through faults to another basin. Consequently, the discharge at the outlet was less than half of that of other watersheds with quaternary basalts. Despite the high sediment concentration, i.e., around 15 g L−1, in the Gomit watershed, the sediment yield of less than 4 Mg ha−1 a−1 was below average for the agricultural watershed in Ethiopia because of the low runoff response. While some faults facilitated drainage, others acted as a barrier. Groundwater stored behind the barriers was used as a municipal potable water source. Since the effectiveness of LWM practices depends on the amount of erosion that can be prevented, considerations of country-wide prioritizing of investments in land and water management practices should include the geology of the watersheds.
Evaluation of Lamella Settlers for Treating Suspended Sediment
Authors: Liu Lan , Perez Michael A. , Whitman J. Blake
Published: September 2020

Stormwater quality management has become an increasingly important topic. Pollutants from construction, urban, and agricultural runoff sources create adverse water quality impacts to receiving water bodies. Among these sources, suspended sediment has a significant influence on water quality and further acts as a media for transporting pollutants. Current stormwater treatment practices remove large, rapidly settable, soil particles; however, fine soil particles tend to remain suspended and contribute to elevated turbidity conditions. A need exists for an economical and passive treatment mechanism for the removal of suspended solids. Lamella settlers have been shown to enhance soil particle capture by increasing surface area and reducing settling distance. The objective of this research was to identify and optimize design configurations for a lamella settler system in treating a variety of synthetic soils. Five types of synthetic soils suspended in simulated stormwater at 500, 1000, and 5000 mg/L concentration were treated using system configurations of three lamella settler reactors at 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5-h residence times. Statistical analyses through a full factorial method followed with a regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test suggested that there was a significant difference exists between these experimental variables and turbidity levels. An optimized lamella settler reactor providing 1.8 cm (0.7 in.) settling space with 1.5-h residence time reduced turbidity by up to 90% when compared to a control reactor without lamella plates and a 0.5-h residence time. In addition, particle size distribution analysis indicated a decrease in the D90 by up to 84%, which showed that the optimized reactor was effective in capturing larger diameter soil particles.
Optimization of Phytoremediation of Nickel by Alocasia puber Using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Mohamad Thani Najaa Syuhada , Mohd Ghazi Rozidaini , Abdul Wahab Ikarastika Rahayu , Mohd Amin Mohamad Faiz , Hamzah Zulhazman , Nik Yusoff Nik Raihan
Published: September 2020

The contamination of water by heavy metals is a worldwide environmental problem. Phytoremediation and constructed wetlands have become increasingly popular as more sustainable and environmentally friendly techniques of removing heavy metals from the wastewater. This study, therefore, investigated the phytoremediation of nickel by Alocasia puber (A. puber) in a constructed wetlands (CW) microcosm. This study identified the optimum conditions for nickel (Ni) removal from wastewater using response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD). Two operational variables were assessed: exposure time and initial Ni concentration. The optimum conditions for the maximum removal of Ni from water were an exposure time of 10 days and 99.76 mg/L initial Ni concentration. The results indicated that 95.6% removal was achieved under the optimized conditions, with a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.97) between the statistical model and the experimental data. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images showed anatomical changes in the A. puber samples due to Ni exposure, and transmission electron microscopy images revealed some internal damages in the A. puber, but visual Ni toxicity symptoms, such as necrosis and chlorosis, were not observed in the A. puber. This study demonstrated that A. puber planted in a constructed wetland microcosm was able to remediate wastewater contaminated with Ni.
Challenges and Achievements beyond Decision-Making Power of Planners: How Are Decisions on Planning for Stream Restoration Made in South Korea?
Authors: Hong Chang-Yu
Published: September 2020

This research covers existing planning theory and possible ways to improve the decision-making process in Korean stream restoration. First, it attempts to recognize what extent the Korean stream restoration case follows Western environmental decision-making models. Additionally, key concepts and factors of environmental decision-making are discussed to build a foundation of planning theory. This research reveals key works in the broad and changing field of stream restoration that provides the foundation for understanding Korean water resource planning. To recognize the challenges and achievements of this planning, this paper first notes that, while technical perspectives of the engineering field have historically dominated stream restoration, current thinking recognizes the much greater complexity of stream restoration requires more than only engineering perspectives. After reviewing the literature in related areas, this research considers what the planning field has to offer. In the conclusion, this author argues that the application of citizen-oriented decision-making approaches could lead to better water resource management. Admittedly, this may still be hindered by political uncertainty and power conflicts caused by science-dominant environmental planning.
The Soil Water Evaporation Process from Mountains Based on the Stable Isotope Composition in a Headwater Basin and Northwest China
Authors: Yong Leilei , Zhu Guofeng , Wan Qiaozhuo , Xu Yuanxiao , Zhang Zhuanxia , Sun Zhigang , Ma Huiying , Sang Liyuan , Liu Yuwei , Guo Huiwen , Zhang Yu
Published: September 2020

Soil water is a link between different water bodies. The study of soil water evaporation is of great significance to understand the regional hydrological process, promote environmental remediation in arid areas, and rationalize ecological water use. On the basis of soil water δ2H and δ18O data from April to October 2017 in the Xiying River basin in the upper reaches of the Qilian mountains, the lc-excess and Craig-Gordon model were applied to reflect the evaporating fractionation of soil water. The results show that the change in evaporation loss drives the enrichment of soil water isotopes. The signal of evaporative fractionation of soil water isotopes at different elevations has spatiotemporal heterogeneity. From the perspective of time dynamics, the evaporation loss of the whole region during the observation period was affected by temperature before July, while after July, it was controlled jointly by temperature and humidity, evaporation was weakened. Soil salt content and vegetation played an important role in evaporation loss. In terms of spatial dynamics, the soil moisture evaporation at the Xiying (2097 m) and Huajian (2390 m) stations in the foothills area is larger than that at the Nichan station (2721 m) on the hillside and Lenglong station (3637 m) on the mountain top. The surface soil water evaporation is strong, and the evaporation becomes weak with the increase of depth. The research has guiding significance for the restoration and protection of vegetation in arid areas and the formulation of reasonable animal husbandry policies.
Urban Runoff Simulation: How Do Land Use/Cover Change Patterning and Geospatial Data Quality Impact Model Outcome?
Authors: Elaji Amnah , Ji Wei
Published: September 2020

With the increase in global urbanization, satellite imagery and other types of geospatial data have been extensively used in urban landscape change research, which includes environmental modeling in order to assess the change impact on urban watersheds. For urban hydrological modeling, as a focus of this study, several related research questions are raised: (1) How sensitive are runoff simulation to land use and land cover change patterning? (2) How will input data quality impact the simulation outcome? (3) How effective is integrating and synthesizing various forms of geospatial data for runoff modeling? These issues were not fully or adequately addressed in previous related studies. With the aim of answering these questions as research objectives, we conducted a spatial land use and land cover (LULC) change analysis and an urban runoff simulation in the Blue River watershed in the Kansas City metropolitan area between 2003 and 2017. In this study, approaches were developed to incorporate the Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) model with remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and radar rainfall data. The impact of data quality on the model simulation outcome was also analyzed. The results indicate that there are no significant differences between simulated runoff responses in the two study years (2003 and 2017) due to spatial and temporal heterogeneity of urbanization processes in the region. While the metropolitan area has been experiencing remarkable urban development in the past few decades, the gain in built-up land in the study watershed during the study period is insignificant. On the other hand, the gain in vegetated land caused by forestation activities is offset by a decrease in farmland and grassland. The results show that increasing spatial data resolution does not necessarily or noticeably improve the HEC-HMS model performance or outcomes. Under these conditions, using Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) rainfall data in the simulation provides a satisfactory fit in hydrographs’ shapes, peak discharge amounts and time after calibration efforts, while they may overestimate the amount of rainfall as compared with gauge data. This study shows that the developed approach of synthesizing satellite, GIS, and radar rainfall data in hydrological modeling is effective and useful for incorporating urban landscape and precipitation change data in dynamic flood risk assessment at a watershed level.
Boğmaca hastalığına karşı yeni aşı tasarımı ve analizi
Authors: NORİZADEH TAZEHKAND Mostafa
Published: September 2020

Amaç: Boğmaca hastalığına neden olan Bordetella pertussis aerob, gram negatif ve patojenik bir bakteridir. Boğmacayı önlemek için en iyi yol aşı uygulanmasıdır. Öldürülmüş Bordetella pertussis bakterileri kullanılan etkili aşılardır, ancak bu aşıların birçok yan etkisi vardır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Rekombinant DNA teknolojisi yeni aşılar geliştirmek için farklı yazılımlar sunmuştur. In silico çalışmaları aşı keşfinin önemli bir parçası haline geldiğinden dolayı bu çalışmada Bordetella pertussis'e karşı yeni epitop bazlı aşı tasarlanması ve analizi amaçlanmıştır.

Bulgular: Tasarlanan aşının fizikokimyasal analizi sonucu aşının 53.718 kDa'lık bir molekül ağırlığına sahip olduğunu ve memeli hücrelerinde 20 saatten fazla, mayada 20 saatten fazla ve E.coli'de ise 10 saatten fazla tahmini yarılanma ömrüne sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Kararsızlık indeksi (37.64) ve alifatik indeksi (64.31) sonuçlarından aşının stabil yapıya sahip olduğu saptanmıştır. Hidropatisitenin değerinin -0.765 olmasıyla aşının hidrofilik bir protein olduğunu ve suda çözünür olduğunu söyleyebiliriz. AllerTOP ve ToxinPred'den elde edilen sonuçlar aşının insanlar üzerinde toksik ve alerjenik etkileri olmadığını ortaya koymuştur. ProtParam ve pepCalc'ın sonuçlarına göre aday aşı suda çözünür ve transmembran helix’e sahip değildir, bu nedenle bu proteinin rekombinant DNA teknolojisi yollarıyla geliştirilmesi ve E.coli'de ekspresyonu zor olmayacaktır. Docking analizinden elde edilen sonuçlar aşının -607.64 skoru ile HLA-DRB1*0101'e maksimum afinite’ye sahip olduğunu ve bağışıklık sistemini uyarabildiğini göstermiştir.

Sonuç: Aday aşı laboratuarda klonlanıp ve üretilebilir ve ayrıca aşının Bordetella pertussis'e karşı etkinliği model hayvanlarında araştırılabilir.
Study atmospheric pollution to develop a process for calculating the isolation safe distance for livestock activities: Applied in Ho Chi Minh City
Authors: Nguyen Thoai Tam , Vu Hoang Ngoc Khue , Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy , Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang , Ho Quoc Bang
Published: September 2020

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is the largest city in Vietnam, with the highest economic growth rate and the most populous density in the country. By the year 2019, HCMC currently has 8.99 million people with 24 districts. Ho Chi Minh city has robust industrial and service development; therefore, this city focuses on developing large-scale livestock facilities with a large number of pigs and limiting small livestock facilities. According to statistic data, HCMC has a total of 275,000 pigs in 2019. These livestock facilities are mainly built in Cu Chi, Hoc Mon, Binh Chanh, Can Gio, and Nha Be districts. These livestock facilities in HCMC have inefficient waste treatment systems located interleaved with residential areas. So that, environmental issues are also a big challenge for the city's government because of the great influence of odor on the surrounding environment causing by the wind direction. The main purposes of this study are (i) calculation of odor emissions from livestock facilities, (ii) simulation of the odor from livestock facilities, and (iii) development of the safe distance of odor for livestock facilities in HCMC. The study results show that 230m and 650m is the minimum distance from the livestock facility with capacity from over 500 to 1,000 pigs and over 1,000 pigs to the residential area, respectively. The procedure for calculating the odor isolation distance developing in this study could apply for other livestock facilities in other provinces, cities.
THỰC TRẠNG QUẢN LÝ BỆNH PHỔI TẮC NGHẼN MẠN TÍNH TẠI BỆNH VIỆN LAO VÀ BỆNH PHỔI THÁI NGUYÊN GIAI ĐOẠN 2014 – 2018
Authors: Đức Sái Minh , Hà Hoàng
Published: September 2020

Bệnh phổi tắc nghẽn mạn tính là bệnh có khả năng gây tàn phế và tử vong cao. Mục tiêu của nghiên cứu này nhằm mô tả thực trạng phát hiện quản lý điều trị bệnh phổi tắc nghẽn mạn tính tại Bệnh viện Lao và Bệnh phổi Thái Nguyên giai đoạn 2014–2018. Đây là nghiên cứu mô tả. Nghiên cứu đã tìm ra tỷ lệ bệnh nhân phổi tắc nghẽn mạn tính nam chiếm 89,24%. Nhóm 60–69 tuổi chiếm 40,18%. Tiền sử bệnh liên quan gồm tăng huyết áp chiếm 63,29%; viêm phế quản chiếm 58,22% và đái tháo đường chiếm 51,64%. Mức độ tắc nghẽn đường thở theo Sáng kiến toàn cầu cho Bệnh phổi tắc nghẽn mạn tính - GOLD 2018 giai đoạn 2 với 46,4%. Nhân lực, nguồn lực, vật lực tại Đơn vị Quản lý bệnh phổi mãn tính đạt tiêu chuẩn. Kết quả điều trị tốt chiếm tỷ lệ lớn nhất với 80,04%. Tóm lại mô hình Đơn vị Quản lý bệnh phổi mãn tính tại Bệnh viện Lao và Bệnh phổi Thái Nguyên giai đoạn 2014-2018 phát hiện quản lý điều trị ổn định, duy trì, và bền vững.
Pengembangan Lembar Kerja Mahasiswa pada Materi Nutrisi Mikroorganisme Berbasis High Order Thinking Skill
Authors: Ulimaz Almira , Agustina Dwi Kameluh , Anggraini Dian Puspita , Sulistiana Devita
Published: September 2020

Mahasiswa baru di kampus yang berbasis pendidikan vokasi memiliki background pendidikan yang berbeda. Kebanyakan dari mereka berasal dari sekolah menengah atas atau sederajat yang jurusannya bukan IPA. Hal ini menyebabkan mata kuliah Mikrobiologi Dasar di semester satu termasuk ke dalam mata kuliah yang sulit dipahami oleh mahasiswa dengan background di luar IPA. Selain itu, minimnya lembar kerja mahasiswa yang bisa mengasah daya pikir mereka adalah penyebab rendahnya hasil belajar pada mata kuliah ini. Hasil observasi menunjukkan banyak mahasiswa yang cukup kesulitan dalam memahami materi nutrisi mikroorganisme. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengembangkan Lembar Kerja Mahasiswa (LKM) pada materi Nutrisi Mikroorganisme berbasis High Order Thinking Skill (HOTS). Model pengembangan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah 4-D dari Thiagarajan dengan mengadopsi tiga tahapan yaitu Define (Pendahuluan), Design (Perencanaan) dan Develop (Pengembangan). Hasil pengembangan menunjukkan bahwa 78% LKM dinilai layak. Kebahasaan LKM sebesar 72,5% dikategorikan layak dan penyajiannya sebesar 76,6% dikategorikan layak. Kegrafikan LKM sebesar 82,5% dikategorikan sangat layak. Hasil uji keterbacaan dari LKM adalah 71,78% dengan kriteria layak dan respon mahasiswa dalam menggunakan LKM, 90% menyatakan sangat baik.
Aplicación de técnicas ópticas sobre tejidos y fluidos corporales para el diagnóstico no invasivo de enfermedades oncológicas
Authors:   , Corti María Agustina
Published: September 2020

El presente trabajo de Tesis consiste en investigaciones tendientes a evaluar la factibilidad del empleo de métodos ópticos no invasivos como herramientas para el diagnóstico y monitoreo del tratamiento de enfermedades oncológicas. En este sentido, la expresión “métodos ópticos” se refiere a aquellas técnicas que poseen la capacidad de medir las interacciones entre la energía radiante y la materia. En el presente estudio se trabajó principalmente con la aplicación de la espectroscopia de fluorescencia UV/VIS como herramienta de diagnóstico en aplicaciones clínicas. El trabajo comienza con un Capítulo introductorio, donde se plantea la importancia de desarrollar un método de diagnóstico confiable y no invasivo de enfermedades oncológicas, se comenta el estado de situación actual, se definen las biopsias ópticas, y se presenta un resumen de los principios de la espectroscopia óptica de fluorescencia. Además, en este mismo Capítulo se presentan las propiedades de fluorescencia endógena de moléculas presentes en células, tejidos y fluidos corporales, y las propiedades de fluorescencia de algunas moléculas exógenas que se emplean como agentes de contraste. Posteriormente se plantea una discusión del efecto de la absorción y la dispersión en la espectroscopia de fluorescencia de medios turbios y los métodos para eliminar este efecto. Finalmente se realiza una presentación de la espectroscopia óptica de fluorescencia aplicada al análisis de tejidos y luego de fluidos biológicos. El presente trabajo de Tesis se divide luego en dos partes: la primera describe los estudios acerca de las denominadas “biopsias virtuales” realizadas sobre tejidos, y la segunda presenta investigaciones relacionadas con la evaluación de la utilización de la autofluorescencia (fluorescencia debida a fluoróforos endógenos) de muestras de orina para la detección de enfermedades neoplásicas.
Analysis of medical-ecological and socio-demographic factors of development of the coastal zone of the Sea of Azov
Authors: Arkhipova Olga , Chernogubova Elena , Tarasova Tamara
Published: September 2020

Coastal zones are integral natural and socio-economic territorial-water system, combined by a complex structure of interactions. Coastal geosystems are unique, rich in natural resources, which determines their attractiveness for industrial and residential, recreational, transport and other activities, but also makes them environmentally vulnerable. Sustainable development of the coastal zone is determined by the economic, social, and environmental components.

The research area of interest is the coastal zone of the Sea of Azov (Rostov Region). The subject of the study is the state of medical and environmental safety of the territories. The purpose of the study is the analysis of medical-ecological and socio-demographic factors as the basis for sustainable development of the coastal zone of the Sea of Azov.

A systematic approach has been implemented to assess the sustainable development of the coastal zone and to develop methods for analyzing and integrating heterogeneous data. Changes in the coastal zone were evaluated based on a comparative analysis of multizone satellite imagery with ground-based studies, data from thematic maps. For the analysis of medical and environmental safety, an author’s technique was used, combining traditional methods and geoinformation technologies based on ArcGis Desktop*. The environmental quality indicator was considered in terms of the impact on human health. Assessment of demographic security was carried out based on the coefficient of demographic well-being / prosperity of the territory. The incidence rate of malignant neoplasms was considered as a highly informative and socially significant indicator of the health status of the population. For analysis, we used the SSC RAS database for 2006-2016.

A comprehensive analysis of the development factors of the coastal zone of the Sea of Azov showed significant problems in the studied region. The most attractive areas of the coastal zone of the Sea of Azov from the point of view of infrastructure development are at the same time subject to changes due to dangerous natural phenomena. Analysis of demographic indicators confirmed the presence of adverse demographic processes.
FACTORES QUE AFECTAN LA CALIDAD DE VIDA EN PACIENTES CON CIRUGÍA DE CONTORNO CORPORAL: ESTUDIO DE COHORTE
Authors: Troncoso Olchevskaia Ekaterina , Danilla Enei Stefan , Cuevas Troncoso Pedro , Erazo Cortés Cristian , Benítez Seguel Susana , Andrades Cvitanic Patricio , Sepúlveda Pereira Sergio , Jara Contreras Rocío
Published: September 2020

Objetivo: Identificar los factores determinantes de la mejoría de la calidad de vida en pacientes sometidos a cirugía de contorno corporal.            Materiales y métodos: Se estudió una cohorte prospectiva de 113 pacientes sometidos a cirugía de contorno corporal. Se estudiaron características sociodemográficas, mediciones antropométricas, variables relativas a la cirugía y se aplicó el instrumento Body-Qol®. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizó estadística descriptiva,  modelos de ecuaciones de estimación generalizada  y modelos de regresión lineal y logística.            Resultados: Se encontró mejoría en la calidad de vida de forma global (p<0,0001) y por dominios. Los pacientes con pérdida masiva de peso tuvieron peores puntajes pre y postoperatorio, sin embargo, un delta de mejoría comparable con los pacientes estéticos. Dentro de los factores determinantes, existió una relación positiva entre la edad y la mejoría en la calidad de vida de forma global. El índice de masa corporal (IMC) se encontró asociado negativamente con la mejoría del puntaje global. Dentro de los factores de la cirugía, los pacientes sometidos a lipoabdominoplastia tuvieron una mayor mejoría con respecto a otras técnicas. Además, el patrón de resección ampliado y en flor de Lis se asoció a menor mejoría en el puntaje global.            Conclusión: La cirugía de contorno corporal mejora la calidad de vida de forma significativa. Los principales factores determinantes de esta mejoría fueron la edad, el IMC, el antecedente de pérdida masiva de peso y el patrón de resección.
Complicaciones postoperatorias en esofagectomía por cáncer. Evaluación de 215 casos según definiciones del grupo de consenso internacional.
Authors: Norero Muñoz Enrique Eduardo , Ceroni Villanelo Marco , Martinez Belmar Cristian , Mejia Ricardo , Muñoz Claro Rodrigo , Godoy Constanza , Araos Fernando , Gonzalez Paulina , Saldias Sergio , Veliz Marcelino , Marinkovich Lucia , Caracci Mario , Diaz Alfonso
Published: September 2020

Introducción: La esofagectomía presenta una alta morbilidad postoperatoria. Sin embargo las definiciones de las complicaciones son variables. Un grupo multinacional, Esophagectomy complications consensus group (ECCG), propuso definiciones estandarizadas.Objetivo: Evaluar las complicaciones postoperatorias en esofagectomía según las definiciones propuestas por el ECCG.Métodos: Realizamos un estudio de cohorte retrospectivo, a partir de una base de datos prospectiva. Se incluyeron pacientes sometidos a una esofagectomía por cáncer entre 1996 y 2018 en un centro. Se aplicaron las definiciones de las complicaciones postoperatorias según el ECCG.Resultados: Se incluyeron 215 pacientes (Hombres 64%; edad 67 [31-82] años). El 64% presentaban alguna comorbilidad. Existió un predominio de carcinoma escamoso, con un 68%. La ubicación tumoral más frecuente fue el tercio inferior del esófago (48%). Se utilizó un abordaje abierto en 74% y mínimamente invasivo en 26%. La morbilidad postoperatoria total fue de 67%. Las complicaciones más frecuentes fueron las respiratorias alcanzando un 27%. En total, un 25% de los pacientes presentó una filtración de la anastomosis esofagogástrica, de las cuales un 24% fueron tipo II (no requirieron una reintervención quirúrgica). Se produjo una paresia de cuerda vocal en 7%, todas tipo I (no requirieron terapia específica). Se presentó una fístula quilosa en 2%, en 1% se trataron con nutrición parenteral (tipo II) y en 1% se realizó una reintervención (tipo III).Conclusión: La esofagectomía se asocia a una alta morbilidad. Las principales complicaciones son las respiratorias y las gastrointestinales. La utilización de las definiciones de consenso permite una estandarización y graduación de las complicaciones.
Application of the Principle of Piercing the Corporate Veil in Resolving Corporate Responsibility Cases in Indonesia
Authors: Dewi Sandra
Published: September 2020

This research aims to explain the application of the Principle of Piercing The Corporate Veil in resolving corporate responsibility cases in Indonesia. The method used in this research is normative legal research, using a statutory approach. The results of the research explain that based on Article 3 paragraph (1) of Law Number 40 of 2007 concerning Limited Liability Companies, it is stated that the shareholders of the company aren’t personally responsible for the agreements made on behalf of the company and aren’t responsible for the company's losses exceeding the shares they own. However, the doctrine in corporate law recognizes the existence of the Principle of Piercing the Corporate Veil which can break through the limited liability of the company's shareholders into unlimited liability up to their personal assets. Although the Principle of Piercing the Corporate Veil has been regulated in Law Number 40 of 2007 concerning Limited Liability Companies, there have been major cases in which the shareholders of the company were responsible up to their personal assets but only limited responsibility for the shares they owned. These major cases include the PT Lapindo Brantas case in 2006 and the PT Bank Century case in 2008.