bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remote Sensing of Ecosystem Water Use Efficiency: A Review of Direct and Indirect Estimation Methods
Authors: Cai Wanyuan , Ullah Sana , Yan Lei , Lin Yi
Published: June 2021

Water use efficiency (WUE) is a key index for understanding the ecosystem of carbon–water coupling. The undistinguishable carbon–water coupling mechanism and uncertainties of indirect methods by remote sensing products and process models render challenges for WUE remote sensing. In this paper, current progress in direct and indirect methods of WUE estimation by remote sensing is reviewed. Indirect methods based on gross primary production (GPP)/evapotranspiration (ET) from ground observation, processed models and remote sensing are the main ways to estimate WUE in which carbon and water cycles are independent processes. Various empirical models based on meteorological variables and remote sensed vegetation indices to estimate WUE proved the ability of remotely sensed data for WUE estimating. The analytical model provides a mechanistic opportunity for WUE estimation on an ecosystem scale, while the hypothesis has yet to be validated and applied for the shorter time scales. An optimized response of canopy conductance to atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in an analytical model inverted from the conductance model has been also challenged. Partitioning transpiration (T) and evaporation (E) is a more complex phenomenon than that stated in the analytic model and needs a more precise remote sensing retrieval algorithm as well as ground validation, which is an opportunity for remote sensing to extrapolate WUE estimation from sites to a regional scale. Although studies on controlling the mechanism of environmental factors have provided an opportunity to improve WUE remote sensing, the mismatch in the spatial and temporal resolution of meteorological products and remote sensing data, as well as the uncertainty of meteorological reanalysis data, add further challenges. Therefore, improving the remote sensing-based methods of GPP and ET, developing high-quality meteorological forcing datasets and building mechanistic remote sensing models directly acting on carbon–water cycle coupling are possible ways to improve WUE remote sensing. Improvement in direct WUE remote sensing methods or remote sensing-driven ecosystem analysis methods can promote a better understanding of the global ecosystem carbon–water coupling mechanisms and vegetation functions–climate feedbacks to serve for the future global carbon neutrality.
Government Environmental Information Disclosure and Environmental Performance: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhu Xiaoya , Zhu Yunli , Meng Xiaohua
Published: June 2021

Government environmental information disclosure (GEID) is a key policy instrument in environmental governance. Local governments in China are improving the disclosure level of environmental information, but does the environmental information disclosed by local governments reflect the existing state of the local ecological environment? This paper analyzes the correlation between GEID and environmental performance and verifies whether or not the environmental information disclosed by local governments can reflect actual local ecological environment conditions. Based on data from Chinese cities, this paper adopts a multiple regression method, and the results show that the environmental information disclosed by governments can reflect the local environmental performance as a whole, and the higher the level of GEID, the better the local environmental performance; but the relationship between the two has significant regional differences. In eastern China, the higher the level of GEID, the better the local environmental performance. In central and western China, the correlation between GEID and environmental performance is not significant. In addition, it should be noted that the correlation between the level of GEID and the emission intensity of water pollutants is not significant in all regions. This study contributes to further clarifying the effectiveness of GEID policy and identifying a breakthrough for the optimization of environmental policies faced with the dilemma of serious environmental pollution and urgent economic development needs.
Patterns of Nutrient Dynamics within and below the Rootzone of Collard Greens Grown under Different Organic Amendment Types and Rates
Authors: Awal Ripendra , Hassan Almoutaz El , Abbas Farhat , Fares Ali , Bayabil Haimanote K. , Ray Ram L. , Woldesenbet Selamawit
Published: June 2021

The knowledge about nutrient dynamics in the soil is pivotal for sustainable agriculture. A comprehensive research trial can retort unanswered questions. Dynamics of nutrients sourced from organic amendment types (chicken manure, dairy manure, and MilorganiteTM) applied at different rates (0, 168, 336, 672 kg total N/ha) were monitored within and below the rootzone of collard greens cultivated on a sandy loam soil in Prairie View, TX, USA. Macro- and micronutrients (e.g., TN: total nitrogen, P: phosphorous, K: potassium, Na: sodium, Ca: calcium, Mg: magnesium, B: boron, Cu: copper, Fe: iron, and Zn: zinc) were analyzed from soil solution samples collected during six sampling periods from within and below the rootzone. As hypothesized, the organic amendment types and rates significantly (p < 0.05 and/or 0.01) affected nutrient dynamics within and below the crop rootzone. Chicken manure released significantly more TN, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, B, Cu, and Fe than the other two amendments. The application of chicken manure and MilorganiteTM resulted in higher below-the-rootzone leachate concentration of TN, Na, Mg, and Ca than in the leachates of dairy manure. Dairy manure treatments had the lowest concentrations of TN, Ca, and Mg; whereas, MilorganiteTM had the lowest concentrations of P, K, Na, B, and Cu in the collected leachates. The higher level of P (i.e., 4% in MilorganiteTM as compared to 2 and 0.5% in chicken and dairy manures, respectively, might have reduced the formation of Vesicular-Arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizae—a fungus with the ability to dissolve the soil P, resulting in slow release of P from MilorganiteTM treatment than from the other two treatments. Patterns of nutrient dynamics varied with rain and irrigation events under the effects of the soil water and time lapse of the amendment applications’ rates and types. All the macronutrients were present within the rootzone and leached below the rootzone, except Na. The dynamic of nutrients was element-specific and was influenced by the amendments’ type and application rate.
Research Progress of Desertification and Its Prevention in Mongolia
Authors: Liang Xiya , Li Pengfei , Wang Juanle , Shun Chan Faith Ka , Togtokh Chuluun , Ochir Altansukh , Davaasuren Davaadorj
Published: June 2021

Mongolia is a globally crucial region that has been suffering from land desertification. However, current understanding on Mongolia’s desertification is limited, constraining the desertification control and sustainable development in Mongolia and even other parts of the world. This paper studied spatiotemporal patterns, driving factors, mitigation strategies, and research methods of desertification in Mongolia through an extensive review of literature. Results showed that: (i) remote sensing monitoring of desertification in Mongolia has been subject to a relatively low spatial resolution and considerable time delay, and thus high-resolution and timely data are needed to perform a more precise and timely study; (ii) the contribution of desertification impacting factors has not been quantitatively assessed, and a decoupling analysis is desirable to quantify the contribution of factors in different regions of Mongolia; (iii) existing desertification prevention measures should be strengthened in the future. In particular, the relationship between grassland changes and husbandry development needs to be considered during the development of desertification prevention measures; (iv) the multi-method study (particularly interdisciplinary approaches) and desertification model development should be enhanced to facilitate an in-depth desertification research in Mongolia. This study provides a useful reference for desertification research and control in Mongolia and other regions of the world.
How Do Subway Signs Affect Pedestrians’ Wayfinding Behavior through Visual Short-Term Memory?
Authors: Li Haoru , Xu Jinliang , Zhang Xiaodong , Ma Fangchen
Published: June 2021

Recently, subways have become an important part of public transportation and have developed rapidly in China. In the subway station setting, pedestrians mainly rely on visual short-term memory to obtain information on how to travel. This research aimed to explore the short-term memory capacities and the difference in short-term memory for different information for Chinese passengers regarding subway signs. Previous research has shown that people’s general short-term memory capacity is approximately four objects and that, the more complex the information, the lower people’s memory capacity. However, research on the short-term memory characteristics of pedestrians for subway signs is scarce. Hence, based on the STM theory and using 32 subway signs as stimuli, we recruited 120 subjects to conduct a cognitive test. The results showed that passengers had a different memory accuracy for different types of information in the signs. They were more accurate regarding line number and arrow, followed by location/text information, logos, and orientation. Meanwhile, information type, quantity, and complexity had significant effects on pedestrians’ short-term memory capacity. Finally, according to our results that outline the characteristics of short-term memory for subway signs, we put forward some suggestions for subway signs. The findings will be effective in helping designers and managers improve the quality of subway station services as well as promoting the development of pedestrian traffic in such a setting.
Chemical Composition and Bioactive Properties of Purple French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) as Affected by Water Deficit Irrigation and Biostimulants Application
Authors: Fernandes Ângela , Figueiredo Sara , Finimundy Tiane C. , Pinela José , Tzortzakis Nikolaos , Ivanov Marija , Soković Marina , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R. , Petropoulos Spyridon A. , Barros Lillian
Published: June 2021

Biostimulants are a novel and eco-friendly agronomic tool with practical applications in alleviating negative effects of environmental stressors. The present work studied the effects of three biostimulant products (Nomoren (N), Twin-Antistress (TW), and X-Stress (XS)) under normal irrigation (W+) and water deficit irrigation conditions (W−) on the nutritional, chemical composition and bioactive properties of common bean fresh pods. A variable effect of biostimulants and water deficit irrigation was observed on nutritional value parameters, while fructose and sucrose were the main detected sugars, especially in NW+ and CW− treatments. Oxalic, malic, and citric acid were the main detected organic acids, while γ- and total tocopherol content was the highest in TWW+. (+)-Catechin and (−)-epicatechin were the most abundant phenolic compounds, especially in the NW− treatment. A variable antioxidant capacity was observed for the Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) and Oxidative Haemolysis assays (OxHLIA), while TWW+ extracts showed the best overall results against the tested fungi. In conclusion, the tested biostimulants had a positive effect on chemical composition and bioactivities of purple bean depending on the irrigation regime.
The Impact of Corruption and Rent-Seeking Behavior upon Economic Wealth in the European Union from a Public Choice Approach
Authors: Dincă Gheorghița , Dincă Marius Sorin , Negri Camelia , Bărbuță Mihaela
Published: June 2021

The current paper evaluates the impact of corruption and rent-seeking behaviors upon economic wealth in the European Union states using a public choice approach. The period of study is 2000 to 2019. To measure this impact, the present study uses a regression with variables reflecting governance quality and considered relevant, from a public choice approach, to corruption and rent-seeking. The main results of this study show a negative relationship between the level of corruption and economic wealth for all analyzed countries, especially for the ones that compose the new member states group. For all the EU member states, the variables capturing governance quality seem to have a positive impact on economic wealth. The higher levels of governance performance, synonymous with lower levels of rent-seeking, personal interest, and political pressures on state administrations, contribute to economic wealth, as public choice theory emphasizes. There is a need for reform and an increase in the efficiency of public institutions, especially in new member states.
Agrivoltaic Systems Design and Assessment: A Critical Review, and a Descriptive Model towards a Sustainable Landscape Vision (Three-Dimensional Agrivoltaic Patterns)
Authors: Toledo Carlos , Scognamiglio Alessandra
Published: June 2021

As an answer to the increasing demand for photovoltaics as a key element in the energy transition strategy of many countries—which entails land use issues, as well as concerns regarding landscape transformation, biodiversity, ecosystems and human well-being—new approaches and market segments have emerged that consider integrated perspectives. Among these, agrivoltaics is emerging as very promising for allowing benefits in the food–energy (and water) nexus. Demonstrative projects are developing worldwide, and experience with varied design solutions suitable for the scale up to commercial scale is being gathered based primarily on efficiency considerations; nevertheless, it is unquestionable that with the increase in the size, from the demonstration to the commercial scale, attention has to be paid to ecological impacts associated to specific design choices, and namely to those related to landscape transformation issues. This study reviews and analyzes the technological and spatial design options that have become available to date implementing a rigorous, comprehensive analysis based on the most updated knowledge in the field, and proposes a thorough methodology based on design and performance parameters that enable us to define the main attributes of the system from a trans-disciplinary perspective.
How Does an Environmental Amenity Attract Voluntary Migrants? Evidence from Ambient Air Quality in China
Authors: Kim Moon Joon , Xie Xiaolin , Zhang Xiaochen
Published: June 2021

Recent studies have shown that air quality is an important amenity for population relocation in China. However, much of Chinese internal migration occurs due to non-discretionary reasons, such as government policies, family considerations, and military personnel reassignments. As such, estimates of the impact of environmental amenities on migration that do not control for migration reasons may be biased. Using the 2015 China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this paper estimates the impact of ambient air pollution on voluntary migration to other provinces for work. We find that more polluted days (air quality index (AQI) > 150) at the original residence leads to a significant increase in labor out-migration to a province with better air quality, providing evidence of the current migration trend leading to declining populations in China’s megacities. Our findings indicate that environmental migration is more favored among households that are less educated, are older, work overtime, and have lower income, suggesting that environmental migration may result from environmental health inequalities in socially disadvantaged families.
Thermal Feature Detection of Vehicle Categories in the Urban Area
Authors: Tichý Tomáš , Švorc David , Růžička Miroslav , Bělinová Zuzana
Published: June 2021

The main goal of this paper is to present new possibilities for the detection and recognition of different categories of electric and conventional (equipped with combustion engines) vehicles using a thermal video camera. The paper presents a draft of a possible detection and classification system of vehicle propulsion systems working with thermal analyses. The differences in thermal features of different vehicle categories were found out and statistically proved. The thermal images were obtained using an infrared thermography camera. They were utilized to design a database of vehicle class images of passenger vehicles (PVs), vans, and buses. The results confirmed the hypothesis that infrared thermography might be used for categorizing the vehicle type according to the thermal features of vehicle exteriors and machine learning methods for vehicle type recognition.
Analysis on the Characteristics of Bed Materials in the Jinghong Reservoir on the Lancang River
Authors: Sun Zhilin , Zheng Haolei , Sun Lixia
Published: June 2021

Nine samples of bed materials along the Jinghong reservoir on the Lancang River were obtained using a gravity sampler. The grain size characteristics of the samples were analyzed by the laser diffraction particle size analyzer. The results show that the median grain size of bed materials is in the range of 6.7 to 18.9 µm. From the upstream to the front of the dam, the overall grain size of the bed materials tends to decrease significantly; the sorting is poor but becomes better along the way; the skewness gradually changes from negative to near symmetrical; the kurtosis is platykurtic and mesokurtic with little change along the way. Based on the measured data, an exponential model is constructed to describe the distribution of representative grain size of bed materials along the way. Furthermore, the concept of representative particle Reynolds number is proposed. The relationship between representative particle Reynolds number and flow parameters with boundary conditions is established, and the coefficient and exponents in the equation are determined based on the measured data of the Jinghong reservoir. This study provides valuable first-hand information for reservoir sediment research and new ideas for sediment sorting and deposition studies.
Historical Analysis of the Role of Governance Systems in the Sustainable Development of Biofuels in Brazil and the United States of America (USA)
Authors: Sajid Zaman , da Silva Maria , Danial Syed
Published: June 2021

The United States of America and Brazil are the world’s first and second-largest biofuels producers. The United States (U.S.) has dedicated a significant portion of agricultural land for crops to produce biodiesel, while Brazil has been using sugar cane as raw material to produce ethanol. To make the world’s top producers in global biofuel markets, various institutions in each country have played significant roles. These institutions include renewable energy legislators, bioenergy policymakers, and energy ministries of their governments. This study delineates the historical role of these institutions responsible for the sustainable development of biofuel industries in both countries. It also provides an overview of economic impacts as a result of institutional decisions. The study reveals that systematic legislations and sustainable and robust renewable energy policies of government institutions have helped the U.S. and Brazil to boost their bio-economies. As both countries intend to keep expanding their biofuel productions, the role of key government institutions is vital in the sustainability of biofuels.
Principal Component Wavelet Networks for Solving Linear Inverse Problems
Authors: Tiddeman Bernard , Ghahremani Morteza
Published: June 2021

In this paper we propose a novel learning-based wavelet transform and demonstrate its utility as a representation in solving a number of linear inverse problems—these are asymmetric problems, where the forward problem is easy to solve, but the inverse is difficult and often ill-posed. The wavelet decomposition is comprised of the application of an invertible 2D wavelet filter-bank comprising symmetric and anti-symmetric filters, in combination with a set of 1×1 convolution filters learnt from Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The 1×1 filters are needed to control the size of the decomposition. We show that the application of PCA across wavelet subbands in this way produces an architecture equivalent to a separable Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), with the principal components forming the 1×1 filters and the subtraction of the mean forming the bias terms. The use of an invertible filter bank and (approximately) invertible PCA allows us to create a deep autoencoder very simply, and avoids issues of overfitting. We investigate the construction and learning of such networks, and their application to linear inverse problems via the Alternating Direction of Multipliers Method (ADMM). We use our network as a drop-in replacement for traditional discrete wavelet transform, using wavelet shrinkage as the projection operator. The results show good potential on a number of inverse problems such as compressive sensing, in-painting, denoising and super-resolution, and significantly close the performance gap with Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)-based methods.
Effect of Different Physical Cross-Linkers on Drug Release from Hydrogel Layers Coated on Magnetically Steerable 3D-Printed Microdevices
Authors: Bernasconi Roberto , Pizzetti Fabio , Rossetti Arianna , Perugini Riccardo , Nova Anna , Levi Marinella , Rossi Filippo
Published: June 2021

In the last few decades, the introduction of microrobotics has drastically changed the way medicine will be approached in the future. The development of untethered steerable microdevices able to operate in vivo inside the human body allows a high localization of the therapeutical action, thus limiting invasiveness and possible medical complications. This approach results are particularly useful in drug delivery, where it is highly beneficial to administer the drug of choice exclusively to the target organ to avoid overdosage and side effects. In this context, drug releasing layers can be loaded on magnetically moveable platforms that can be guided toward the target organ to perform highly targeted release. In the present paper, we evaluate the possible application of alginate hydrogel layers on moveable platforms manufactured by coupling additive manufacturing with wet metallization. Such alginate layers are reticulated using three different physical crosslinkers: Ca, Zn or Mn. Their effect on drug release kinetics and on device functionality is evaluated. In the case of alginate reticulated using Mn, the strongly pH dependent behavior of the resulting hydrogel is evaluated as a possible way to introduce a triggered release functionality on the devices.
Bacterial Toxins Are a Never-Ending Source of Surprises: From Natural Born Killers to Negotiators
Authors: Lopez Chiloeches Maria , Bergonzini Anna , Frisan Teresa
Published: June 2021

The idea that bacterial toxins are not only killers but also execute more sophisticated roles during bacteria–host interactions by acting as negotiators has been highlighted in the past decades. Depending on the toxin, its cellular target and mode of action, the final regulatory outcome can be different. In this review, we have focused on two families of bacterial toxins: genotoxins and pore-forming toxins, which have different modes of action but share the ability to modulate the host’s immune responses, independently of their capacity to directly kill immune cells. We have addressed their immuno-suppressive effects with the perspective that these may help bacteria to avoid clearance by the host’s immune response and, concomitantly, limit detrimental immunopathology. These are optimal conditions for the establishment of a persistent infection, eventually promoting asymptomatic carriers. This immunomodulatory effect can be achieved with different strategies such as suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, re-polarization of the immune response from a pro-inflammatory to a tolerogenic state, and bacterial fitness modulation to favour tissue colonization while preventing bacteraemia. An imbalance in each of those effects can lead to disease due to either uncontrolled bacterial proliferation/invasion, immunopathology, or both.
Old World Vipers—A Review about Snake Venom Proteomics of Viperinae and Their Variations
Authors: Damm Maik , Hempel Benjamin-Florian , Süssmuth Roderich D.
Published: June 2021

Fine-tuned by millions of years of evolution, snake venoms have frightened but also fascinated humanity and nowadays they constitute potential resources for drug development, therapeutics and antivenoms. The continuous progress of mass spectrometry techniques and latest advances in proteomics workflows enabled toxinologists to decipher venoms by modern omics technologies, so-called ‘venomics’. A tremendous upsurge reporting on snake venom proteomes could be observed. Within this review we focus on the highly venomous and widely distributed subfamily of Viperinae (Serpentes: Viperidae). A detailed public literature database search was performed (2003–2020) and we extensively reviewed all compositional venom studies of the so-called Old-World Vipers. In total, 54 studies resulted in 89 venom proteomes. The Viperinae venoms are dominated by four major, four secondary, six minor and several rare toxin families and peptides, respectively. The multitude of different venomics approaches complicates the comparison of venom composition datasets and therefore we differentiated between non-quantitative and three groups of quantitative workflows. The resulting direct comparisons within these groups show remarkable differences on the intra- and interspecies level across genera with a focus on regional differences. In summary, the present compilation is the first comprehensive up-to-date database on Viperinae venom proteomes and differentiating between analytical methods and workflows.
Hepatitis E Outbreak in the Central Part of Italy Sustained by Multiple HEV Genotype 3 Strains, June–December 2019
Authors: Garbuglia Anna , Bruni Roberto , Villano Umbertina , Vairo Francesco , Lapa Daniele , Madonna Elisabetta , Picchi Giovanna , Binda Barbara , Mariani Rinalda , De Paulis Francesca , D’Amato Stefania , Grimaldi Alessandro , Scognamiglio Paola , Capobianchi Maria , Ciccaglione Anna ,   the other members of the HEV Outbreak Working Group
Published: June 2021

In European countries, autochthonous acute hepatitis E cases are caused by Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) genotype 3 and are usually observed as sporadic cases. In mid/late September 2019, a hepatitis E outbreak caused by HEV genotype 3 was recognized by detection of identical/highly similar HEV sequences in some hepatitis E cases from two Italian regions, Abruzzo and Lazio, with most cases from this latter region showing a link with Abruzzo. Overall, 47 cases of HEV infection were finally observed with onsets from 8 June 2019 to 6 December 2019; they represent a marked increase as compared with just a few cases in the same period of time in the past years and in the same areas. HEV sequencing was successful in 35 cases. The phylogenetic analysis of the viral sequences showed 30 of them grouped in three distinct molecular clusters, termed A, B, and C: strains in cluster A and B were of subtype 3e and strains in cluster C were of subtype 3f. No strains detected in Abruzzo in the past years clustered with the strains involved in the present outbreak. The outbreak curve showed partially overlapped temporal distribution of the three clusters. Analysis of collected epidemiological data identified pork products as the most likely source of the outbreak. Overall, the findings suggest that the outbreak might have been caused by newly and almost simultaneously introduced strains not previously circulating in this area, which are possibly harbored by pork products or live animals imported from outside Abruzzo. This possibility deserves further studies in this area in order to monitor the circulation of HEV in human cases as well as in pigs and wild boars.
The Role of Capsid in the Early Steps of HIV-1 Infection: New Insights into the Core of the Matter
Authors: AlBurtamani Nawal , Paul Alwin , Fassati Ariberto
Published: June 2021

In recent years, major advances in research and experimental approaches have significantly increased our knowledge on the role of the HIV-1 capsid in the virus life cycle, from reverse transcription to integration and gene expression. This makes the capsid protein a good pharmacological target to inhibit HIV-1 replication. This review covers our current understanding of the role of the viral capsid in the HIV-1 life cycle and its interaction with different host factors that enable reverse transcription, trafficking towards the nucleus, nuclear import and integration into host chromosomes. It also describes different promising small molecules, some of them in clinical trials, as potential targets for HIV-1 therapy.
Development of a Macrophage-Based ADCC Assay
Authors: Uccellini Melissa B. , Aslam Sadaf , Liu Sean T. H. , Alam Fahmida , García-Sastre Adolfo
Published: June 2021

Fc-dependent effector functions are an important determinant of the in vivo potency of therapeutic antibodies. Effector function is determined by the combination of FcRs bound by the antibody and the cell expressing the relevant FcRs, leading to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). A number of ADCC assays have been developed; however, they suffer from limitations in terms of throughput, reproducibility, and in vivo relevance. Existing assays measure NK cell-mediated ADCC activity; however, studies suggest that macrophages mediate the effector function of many antibodies in vivo. Here, we report the development of a macrophage-based ADCC assay that relies on luciferase expression in target cells as a measure of live cell number. In the presence of primary mouse macrophages and specific antibodies, loss of luciferase signal serves as a surrogate for ADCC-dependent killing. We show that the assay functions for a variety of mouse and human isotypes with a model antigen/antibody complex in agreement with the known effector function of the isotypes. We also use this assay to measure the activity of a number of influenza-specific antibodies and show that the assay correlates well with the known in vivo effector functions of these antibodies.
Immune Response to Vaccination against COVID-19 in Breastfeeding Health Workers
Authors: Jakuszko Katarzyna , Kościelska-Kasprzak Katarzyna , Żabińska Marcelina , Bartoszek Dorota , Poznański Paweł , Rukasz Dagna , Kłak Renata , Królak-Olejnik Barbara , Krajewska Magdalena
Published: June 2021

Background: Initially, there were no data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in lactating women. The aim of our study was to evaluate the immune response to COVID-19 vaccinations in breastfeeding women. Methods: The study included 32 breastfeeding women who, regardless of the study, had decided to be vaccinated. Maternal serum and breast milk samples were simultaneously collected on days 8 ± 1, 22 ± 2, 29 ± 3, and 43 ± 4 after the first dose of the vaccine. The immune response was assessed by determining the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA. Results: The breast milk IgG level was detectable (6.50 ± 6.74, median 4.7, and maximum 34.2 BAU/mL) and highly correlated to serum IgG level (rS 0.89; p < 0.001). The breast milk ratio of IgA to the cut-off value was higher in serum IgA-positive (4.18 ± 3.26, median 2.8, and maximum >10) than in serum IgA-negative women (0.56 ± 0.37, median 0.5, and maximum 1.6; p < 0.001). The highest concentrations of serum and breast milk antibodies were observed on day 29 ± 3 with a decrease on day 43 ± 4. Conclusion: The immune response to the vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is strongest 7 ± 3 days after the second dose of the vaccine. Lactating mothers breastfeeding their children after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 may transfer antibodies to their infant.
Iprodione Removal by UV-Light-, Zero-Valent Iron- and Zero-Valent Aluminium-Activated Persulfate Oxidation Processes in Pure Water and Simulated Tertiary Treated Urban Wastewater
Authors: Montazeri Bahareh , Koba-Ucun Olga , Arslan-Alaton Idil , Olmez-Hanci Tugba
Published: June 2021

The degradation of iprodione (IPR), a once frequently used but recently banned dicarboximide fungicide, by UV-C light-, zero-valent iron- (ZVI), and zero-valent aluminium (ZVA)-activated persulfate (PS) oxidation processes was comparatively studied in distilled (pure) water (DW) and simulated, tertiary treated urban wastewater (SWW). The performance of PS-activated oxidation processes was examined by following IPR (2–10 mg/L) removal, PS (0.01–1.00 mM) consumption, metal ion release (for the two heterogeneous catalytic oxidation processes), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal as well as hydroxylated aromatic and low molecular weight aliphatic degradation products. The effect of pH and PS concentrations on IPR removal was examined in DW. While the experiments in DW highlighted the superior performance of UV-C/PS treatment (with 78% DOC removal after 120 min at pH = 6.2), the performance of UV-C/PS treatment decreased sharply (to 24% DOC removal after 120 min at pH = 6.8) in the complex wastewater matrix (in SWW). Complete IPR (in 20 min) and 40% DOC (in 120 min) removals were obtained with ZVI/PS treatment (1 g/L ZVI, 1.5 mM PS, pH = 3.0), which was the most effective oxidation process in SWW. The treatment performance was strongly influenced by the SWW constituents, and UV-C/PS treatment appeared to be the most sensitive to it.
Graph Convolutional Networks: Application to Database Completion of Wastewater Networks
Authors: Belghaddar Yassine , Chahinian Nanee , Seriai Abderrahmane , Begdouri Ahlame , Abdou Reda , Delenne Carole
Published: June 2021

Wastewater networks are mandatory for urbanisation. Their management, including the prediction and planning of repairs and expansion operations, requires precise information on their underground components (manhole covers, equipment, nodes, and pipes). However, due to their years of service and to the increasing number of maintenance operations they may have undergone over time, the attributes and characteristics associated with the various objects constituting a network are not all available at a given time. This is partly because (i) the multiple actors that carry out repairs and extensions are not necessarily the operators who ensure the continuous functioning of the network, and (ii) the undertaken changes are not properly tracked and reported. Therefore, databases related to wastewater networks may suffer from missing data. To overcome this problem, we aim to exploit the structure of wastewater networks in the learning process of machine learning approaches, using topology and the relationship between components, to complete the missing values of pipes. Our results show that Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) models yield better results than classical methods and represent a useful tool for missing data completion.
Different Roles of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Processes in the Distribution of Size-Fractionated Phytoplankton in Gwangyang Bay
Authors: Kang Yoonja , Oh Yeongji
Published: June 2021

The interactive roles of zooplankton grazing (top-down) and nutrient (bottom-up) processes on phytoplankton distribution in a temperate estuary were investigated via dilution and nutrient addition experiments. The responses of size-fractionated phytoplankton and major phytoplankton groups, as determined by flow cytometry, were examined in association with zooplankton grazing and nutrient availability. The summer bloom was attributed to nanoplankton, and microplankton was largely responsible for the winter bloom, whereas the picoplankton biomass was relatively consistent throughout the sampling periods, except for the fall. The nutrient addition experiments illustrated that nanoplankton responded more quickly to phosphate than the other groups in the summer, whereas microplankton had a faster response to most nutrients in the winter. The dilution experiments ascribed that the grazing mortality rates of eukaryotes were low compared to those of the other groups, whereas autotrophic cyanobacteria were more palatable to zooplankton than cryptophytes and eukaryotes. Our experimental results indicate that efficient escape from zooplankton grazing and fast response to nutrient availability synergistically caused the microplankton to bloom in the winter, whereas the bottom-up process (i.e., the phosphate effect) largely governed the nanoplankton bloom in the summer.
Agricultural Conservation Practices and Aquatic Ecological Responses
Authors: Lizotte Richard E. , Smiley Peter C. , Gillespie Robert B. , Knight Scott S.
Published: June 2021

Conservation agriculture practices (CAs) have been internationally promoted and used for decades to enhance soil health and mitigate soil loss. An additional benefit of CAs has been mitigation of agricultural runoff impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Countries across the globe have agricultural agencies that provide programs for farmers to implement a variety of CAs. Increasingly there is a need to demonstrate that CAs can provide ecological improvements in aquatic ecosystems. Growing global concerns of lost habitat, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, increased eutrophication and associated harmful algal blooms are expected to intensify with increasing global populations and changing climate. We conducted a literature review identifying 88 studies linking CAs to aquatic ecological responses since 2000. Most studies were conducted in North America (78%), primarily the United States (73%), within the framework of the USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project. Identified studies most frequently documented macroinvertebrate (31%), fish (28%), and algal (20%) responses to riparian (29%), wetland (18%), or combinations (32%) of CAs and/or responses to eutrophication (27%) and pesticide contamination (23%). Notable research gaps include better understanding of biogeochemistry with CAs, quantitative links between varying CAs and ecological responses, and linkages of CAs with aquatic ecosystem structure and function.
Tumor Microenvironment-Specific Chemical Internalization for Enhanced Gene Therapy of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Zhou Yun , Yu Mian , Tie Changjun , Deng Yang , Wang Junqing , Yi Yunfei , Zhang Fan , Huang Chenyi , Zheng Hairong , Mei Lin , Wu Meiying
Published: June 2021

Benefiting from treating diseases at the genetic level, gene therapy has been considered a new revolution in the biomedical field. However, the extracellular and intracellular barriers during gene transport such as enzymatic degradation and endo-/lysosomal sequestration significantly compromise the therapeutic efficacy. Though photochemical internalization (PCI) has emerged as a promising approach for causing endo-/lysosomal leakage with translocation of the internalized molecules into the cytosol, its effect is still unsatisfactory due to the insufficient light penetration depth. Here, we develop tumor microenvironment-specific enhanced gene delivery by means of ROS generated from the in situ cascaded catalytic reactions in tumors involving GOx-mediated redox reaction and Mn
2+
-mediated Fenton-like reaction. The efficient enzymatic protection and successful endo-/lysosomal escape of cargo gene complexes have been demonstrated. Moreover, anti-Twist siRNA-loaded G@MMSNs-P exhibit tumor-specific biodegradation, excellent T
1
-weighted MR imaging, and significant inhibitory effects against breast cancer growth and pulmonary metastasis.
Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen bei Hochrisiko-Säuglingen: Auswirkungen auf Früherkennung und -begleitung
Authors: Franchini Martina , Schaer Marie , Eliez Stephan
Published: June 2021

Wir beschreiben in diesem Artikel wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse, die durch Studien an Säuglingen gewonnen wurden, bei denen das Risiko bestand, eine Autismus-Spektrum-Störung (ASS) zu entwickeln. Insbesonders wurden junge Geschwister untersucht, bei denen die Prävalenz für diese Diagnose bei 10-20% liegt. Mit prospektiven Studien an jungen Säuglingen bei denen die Diagnose einer ASS in der Folge bestätigt wurde, konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass gewisse klinische und Entwicklungsauffälligkeiten bereits vor dem Alter festgestellt werden können, in welchem die Diagnose schliesslich gesichert werden kann (d.h. im Verlaufe der ersten zwei Lebensjahre). Dies hat wichtige Konsequenzen nicht nur für die Früherkennung, sondern soll auch zu Überlegungen anregen, wie noch früher gehandelt werden kann. Denn das Alter der Frühinterventionen bei Autismus ist ein wichtiger prognostischer Faktor, mit auch finanziellen Konsequenzen.
Financiamiento de las pequeñas y medianas empresas en el mercado de valores del Ecuador
Authors:   , Acosta Palomeque Galo Ramiro
Published: June 2021

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo caracterizar y evaluar el financiamiento de las Pymes en el mercado de valores ecuatoriano y proponer un marco de política pública que favorezca su financiamiento en este mercado. Se utilizó como soporte, la teoría de la Jerarquía Financiera y el modelo del ciclo de vida financiero. Se analizan las razones por las cuáles el costo financiero de la emisión de obligaciones negociables pymes fue más alto que el de empresas grandes. Asimismo, se comparó el costo efectivo de financiamiento obtenido en el sistema bancario y en el mercado de capitales, según el tamaño de las empresas, identificando ventajas y desventajas originadas en el marco regulatorio y normativo como en otros aspectos, para determinar la conveniencia económica del financiamiento en uno u otro mercado. Se realiza también, un relevamiento de la opinión de expertos y una descripción detallada de las características salientes de los mercados alternativos de otros países. Por último, se enuncian una serie de recomendaciones de política, centradas en mejorar el conocimiento y la cultura bursátil, el asesoramiento y apoyo técnico gratuito a las pymes que deseen ingresar al mercado, la generación de sistemas de garantías institucionales y la incorporación de instrumentos de financiación. Líneas de investigación y desarrollo futuras: Entre las líneas de investigación derivadas del presente trabajo se pueden mencionar las siguientes: Investigar la cultura financiera-bursátil de las personas físicas que podrían ser potenciales inversionistas como también los incentivos tributarios que podrían tener las pymes emisoras y los inversionistas.
Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Rekreasyonel Eğilimlerinin Karşılaştırmalı Analizi: Çankırı Örneği
Authors: TİMUR Ozgur Burhan , AYTAŞ İbrahim , PEKİN TİMUR Umut
Published: June 2021

Kentlerde rekreasyon alanları, halkın psikolojik, fiziksel ve sosyal ihtiyaçlarının karşılanmasının yanı sıra betonlaşmış kent ortamında doğa ile ilişkisinin yeniden kurulmasında önemli işlevlere sahiptir. Bu araştırmada, Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi’nde öğrenim gören öğrencilerin bazı demografik özellikleri ile Çankırı kent genelindeki rekreasyon alanlarının kullanım özellikleri analiz edilmiştir. Bu kapsamda, üniversitede öğrenimine devam eden 96 öğrenci üzerinde anket çalışması gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen değişkenlerin analizinde tanımlayıcı istatistik ve frekans tabloları kullanılmış, değişkenler arasındaki ilişkilerin tespitinde ise Spearman Korelasyon Analizi ve Ki Kare Testi uygulanmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre; düşük gelirli öğrencilerin yüksek gelirli öğrencilere oranla, alana ulaşılabilirlik ve aktiviteye ayrılan süre bakımından rekreasyonel aktivitelere katılmakta zorluk çektiği, buna karşın, yüksek gelirli öğrencilerin rekreasyon alanlarına karşı seçici davrandığı tespit edilmiştir. Sonuçlar genel olarak; öğrencilerin rekreasyon alanlarını (%52) ve bu alanlara ulaşılabilirliği yeterli düzeyde (%76) bulmamalarına rağmen, rekreasyon alanlarının gereksinimlerini karşıladığını ve alanlardan orta düzeyde (%50) memnun kaldıklarını ortaya
Trakya Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Kampüsü Çevre Düzenleme Proje Önerisi
Authors: ATİK Damla , ZÜLFİKAR Candan
Published: June 2021

Üniversiteler evrensel bilgi üretimine ve paylaşımına olanak veren bilimsel ve kültürel kuruluşlardır. Toplumun ve ülkenin bilimsel, teknolojik, kültürel, ekonomik ve sosyal gelişimine katkı sağlamaktadırlar. Üniversite kampüsleri ise, eğitim ve bilgi üretim işlevinin yanı sıra, içinde çeşitli uygulamaları barındıran, sosyalleşmeye, sportif ve kültürel aktivitelere imkân veren çeşitli yapılarıyla birlikte açık ve yeşil alanlara sahip olan, barınma ve konaklama birimleri ile birlikte düşünülmüş bir ulaşım ağına sahip tesislerdir. Kampüs planlama ve tasarım çalışmaları, öğrenciler, akademisyenler ve çeşitli görevdeki personelin ihtiyaçlarını karşılamaya yönelik olmalarının yanı sıra, toplum ve kent için statü ve kimlik belirleyen unsurlardan biri olmaktadırlar. Mevcut üniversite yapılarının ve kampüs alanlarının güncel gelişim ve değişimlere adapte olabilmek; yeni gereksinimleri karşılayabilmek ve nitelikli fiziksel-sosyal imkânlar sunabilmek için yenilenmeye ihtiyaçları olmaktadır. Bu ihtiyaçlar kapsamında çalışmada, Trakya Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Kampüsü (Kosova Yerleşkesi) için hazırlanan çevre düzenleme projesi açıklanmıştır.
Kentsel Yenileme Sürecinde Endüstri Alanlarının Ekolojik Yaklaşım ile Değerlendirilmesi: Emscher Park Örneği
Authors: YURTSEVEN Başak
Published: June 2021

Endüstri Devrimi ve hızlanan teknoloji ile, tercihen su kaynakları ve demiryolu yakınlarına konumlanan sanayi tesisleri, 1950’li yıllarda gelişen ve değişen üretim sistemleri ve insanların tercihleri sebebiyle terk edilmeye başlamıştır. Günümüzde, yoğun kent dokusu arasında yer alan; ancak âtıl, kullanılmayan, çöküntü haline gelmiş ve tahrip olmuş endüstriyel alanlar, kentsel yenileme projelerinin en yoğun yaşandığı alanlar olarak nitelendirilmektedir. Endüstriyel alanların yenilenmesinde hem kamusal yararı hem de kentlinin yaşam kalitesini arttırmaya yönelik projelerin gerçekleştirilmesi; sosyal ve kültürel yaşam anlayışını yeniden şekillendirmekte, endüstriyel mirası korumakta, rekreasyon ve endüstriyel turizmin gelişmesiyle daha sürdürülebilir kentsel mekânların yaratılmasına imkân tanımaktadır. Bu bağlamda, endüstriyel alanlardaki kentsel yenileme süreçlerinin, ekolojik bir yaklaşımla yürütülmesi önemlidir.
Bu çalışmanın amacı, kent dokusu içinde sıkışan ve kayıp mekânlar olarak görülen eski endüstri alanlarının, kentsel ekolojik yenileme kapsamında ele alınması gerektiğini, bu süreçte kentsel peyzajın potansiyellerinin ortaya çıkarılmasını, eksik noktaları eleştirmeyi ve sanayi alanlarının yaşam kalitesini iyileştirmeye yönelik adımlar atılması gerektiğini savunmaktadır. Çalışmada, Ruhr Bölgesi’nde yer alan Emscher Park projesi seçilmiştir. Ekolojik bir yenileme olan bu projede, ne tür konuların ele alındığı, hangi uygulamaların gerçekleştiği ve projenin kapsamına ilişkin değerlendirmeler yapılmıştır. Böylelikle, kentlerin ve kentlilerin geçmişinde iz bırakan eski endüstriyel alanların aslında fonksiyonlarını tamamlamış olsalar dahi yeniden kentlere kazandırılabilme potansiyellerinin olduğu görülmektedir.