bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circulating miRNAs and Vascular Injury Markers Associate with Cardiovascular Function in Older Patients Reaching End-Stage Kidney Disease
Authors: Zhao Qiao , Nooren Sabine J. L. , Zijlstra Laurien E. , Westenberg Jos J. M. , Kroft Lucia J. M. , Jukema J. Wouter , Berkhout-Byrne Noeleen C. , Rabelink Ton J. , van Zonneveld Anton Jan , van Buren Marjolijn , Mooijaart Simon P. , Bijkerk Roel
Published: January 2022

The prevalence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is rapidly increasing and mostly occurring in patients aged 65 years or older. The main cause of death in these patients is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Novel markers of vascular integrity may thus be of clinical value for identifying patients at high risk for CVD. Here we associated the levels of selected circulating angiogenic miRNAs, angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) with cardiovascular structure and function (as determined by cardiovascular MRI) in 67 older patients reaching ESKD that were included from ‘The Cognitive decline in Older Patients with End stage renal disease’ (COPE) prospective, multicentered cohort study. We first determined the association between the vascular injury markers and specific heart conditions and observed that ESKD patients with coronary heart disease have significantly higher levels of circulating ADMA and miR-27a. Moreover, circulating levels of miR-27a were higher in patients with atrial fibrillation. In addition, the circulating levels of the vascular injury markers were associated with measures of cardiovascular structure and function obtained from cardiovascular MRI: pulse wave velocity (PWV), ejection fraction (EF) and cardiac index (CI). We found Ang-2 and miR-27a to be strongly correlated to the PWV, while Ang-2 also associated with ejection fraction. Finally, we observed that in contrast to miR-27a, Ang-2 was not associated with a vascular cause of the primary kidney disease, suggesting Ang-2 may be an ESKD-specific marker of vascular injury. Taken together, among older patients with ESKD, aberrant levels of vascular injury markers (miR-27a, Ang-2 and ADMA) associated with impaired cardiovascular function. These markers may serve to identify individuals at higher risk of CVD, as well as give insight into the underlying (vascular) pathophysiology.
Mediterranean Diet, Microbiota and Immunity
Authors: Pérez-Cano Francisco J.
Published: January 2022

It is well established that the diet, among other external influencing factors, also known as the exposome, has a key role in the prevention and management of different diseases [...]
Role of Probiotics in the Management of COVID-19: A Computational Perspective
Authors: Nguyen Quang Vo , Chong Li Chuin , Hor Yan-Yan , Lew Lee-Ching , Rather Irfan A. , Choi Sy-Bing
Published: January 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic at the beginning of 2020, causing millions of deaths worldwide. Millions of vaccine doses have been administered worldwide; however, outbreaks continue. Probiotics are known to restore a stable gut microbiota by regulating innate and adaptive immunity within the gut, demonstrating the possibility that they may be used to combat COVID-19 because of several pieces of evidence suggesting that COVID-19 has an adverse impact on gut microbiota dysbiosis. Thus, probiotics and their metabolites with known antiviral properties may be used as an adjunctive treatment to combat COVID-19. Several clinical trials have revealed the efficacy of probiotics and their metabolites in treating patients with SARS-CoV-2. However, its molecular mechanism has not been unraveled. The availability of abundant data resources and computational methods has significantly changed research finding molecular insights between probiotics and COVID-19. This review highlights computational approaches involving microbiome-based approaches and ensemble-driven docking approaches, as well as a case study proving the effects of probiotic metabolites on SARS-CoV-2.
Phytobacter diazotrophicus from Intestine of Caenorhabditis elegans Confers Colonization-Resistance against Bacillus nematocida Using Flagellin (FliC) as an Inhibition Factor
Authors: Niu Qiuhong , Liu Suyao , Yin Mingshen , Lei Shengwei , Rezzonico Fabio , Zhang Lin
Published: January 2022

Symbiotic microorganisms in the intestinal tract can influence the general fitness of their hosts and contribute to protecting them against invading pathogens. In this study, we obtained isolate Phytobacter diazotrophicus SCO41 from the gut of free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that displayed strong colonization-resistance against invading biocontrol bacterium Bacillus nematocida B16. The colonization-resistance phenotype was found to be mediated by a 37-kDa extracellular protein that was identified as flagellin (FliC). With the help of genome information, the fliC gene was cloned and heterologously expressed in E. coli. It could be shown that the B. nematocida B16 grows in chains rather than in planktonic form in the presence of FliC. Scanning Electronic Microscopy results showed that protein FliC-treated B16 bacterial cells are thinner and longer than normal cells. Localization experiments confirmed that the protein FliC is localized in both the cytoplasm and the cell membrane of B16 strain, in the latter especially at the position of cell division. ZDOCK analysis showed that FliC could bind with serine/threonine protein kinase, membrane protein insertase YidC and redox membrane protein CydB. It was inferred that FliC interferes with cell division of B. nematocidal B16, therefore inhibiting its colonization of C. elegans intestines in vivo. The isolation of P. diazotrophicus as part of the gut microbiome of C. elegans not only provides interesting insights about the lifestyle of this nitrogen-fixing bacterium, but also reveals how the composition of the natural gut microbiota of nematodes can affect biological control efforts by protecting the host from its natural enemies.
The Statin Target HMG-Coenzyme a Reductase (Hmgcr) Regulates Sleep Homeostasis in Drosophila
Authors: Alsehli Ahmed M. , Liao Sifang , Al-Sabri Mohamed H. , Vasionis Lukas , Purohit Archana , Behare Neha , Clemensson Laura E. , Williams Michael J. , Schiöth Helgi B.
Published: January 2022

Statins, HMG Coenzyme A Reductase (HMGCR) inhibitors, are a first-line therapy, used to reduce hypercholesterolemia and the risk for cardiovascular events. While sleep disturbances are recognized as a side-effect of statin treatment, the impact of statins on sleep is under debate. Using Drosophila, we discovered a novel role for Hmgcr in sleep modulation. Loss of pan-neuronal Hmgcr expression affects fly sleep behavior, causing a decrease in sleep latency and an increase in sleep episode duration. We localized the pars intercerebralis (PI), equivalent to the mammalian hypothalamus, as the region within the fly brain requiring Hmgcr activity for proper sleep maintenance. Lack of Hmgcr expression in the PI insulin-producing cells recapitulates the sleep effects of pan-neuronal Hmgcr knockdown. Conversely, loss of Hmgcr in a different PI subpopulation, the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) homologue-expressing neurons (DH44 neurons), increases sleep latency and decreases sleep duration. The requirement for Hmgcr activity in different neurons signifies its importance in sleep regulation. Interestingly, loss of Hmgcr in the PI does not affect circadian rhythm, suggesting that Hmgcr regulates sleep by pathways distinct from the circadian clock. Taken together, these findings suggest that Hmgcr activity in the PI is essential for proper sleep homeostasis in flies.
Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) Inhibitors for the Treatment of Schistosomiasis
Authors: Ghazy Ehab , Abdelsalam Mohamed , Robaa Dina , Pierce Raymond J. , Sippl Wolfgang
Published: January 2022

Schistosomiasis is a major neglected parasitic disease that affects more than 240 million people worldwide and for which the control strategy consists of mass treatment with the only available drug, praziquantel. Schistosomes display morphologically distinct stages during their life cycle and the transformations between stages are controlled by epigenetic mechanisms. The targeting of epigenetic actors might therefore represent the parasites’ Achilles’ heel. Specifically, histone deacetylases have been recently characterized as drug targets for the treatment of schistosomiasis. This review focuses on the recent development of inhibitors for schistosome histone deacetylases. In particular, advances in the development of inhibitors of Schistosoma mansoni histone deacetylase 8 have indicated that targeting this enzyme is a promising approach for the treatment of this infection.
In Silico Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Anticancer Arylsulfonamide Endowed with Anti-Telomerase Activity
Authors: Culletta Giulia , Allegra Mario , Almerico Anna Maria , Restivo Ignazio , Tutone Marco
Published: January 2022

Telomerase, a reverse transcriptase enzyme involved in DNA synthesis, has a tangible role in tumor progression. Several studies have evidenced telomerase as a promising target for developing cancer therapeutics. The main reason is due to the overexpression of telomerase in cancer cells (85–90%) compared with normal cells where it is almost unexpressed. In this paper, we used a structure-based approach to design potential inhibitors of the telomerase active site. The MYSHAPE (Molecular dYnamics SHared PharmacophorE) approach and docking were used to screen an in-house library of 126 arylsulfonamide derivatives. Promising compounds were synthesized using classical and green methods. Compound 2C revealed an interesting IC50 (33 ± 4 µM) against the K-562 cell line compared with the known telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 IC50 (208 ± 11 µM) with an SI ~10 compared to the BALB/3-T3 cell line. A 100 ns MD simulation of 2C in the telomerase active site evidenced Phe494 as the key residue as well as in BIBR1532. Each moiety of compound 2C was involved in key interactions with some residues of the active site: Arg557, Ile550, and Gly553. Compound 2C, as an arylsulfonamide derivative, is an interesting hit compound that deserves further investigation in terms of optimization of its structure to obtain more active telomerase inhibitors
One-Pot Preparation of Hydrophilic Polylactide Porous Scaffolds by Using Safe Solvent and Choline Taurinate Ionic Liquid
Authors: De Felice Anna Clara , Di Lisio Valerio , Francolini Iolanda , Mariano Alessia , Piozzi Antonella , Scotto d’Abusco Anna , Sturabotti Elisa , Martinelli Andrea
Published: January 2022

Polylactides (PLAs) are a class of polymers that are very appealing in biomedical applications due to their degradability in nontoxic products, tunable structural, and mechanical properties. However, they have some drawbacks related to their high hydrophobicity, lack of functional groups able to graft bioactive molecules, and solubility in unsafe solvents. To circumvent these shortcomings, porous scaffolds for tissue engineering were prepared by vigorously mixing a solution of isotactic and atactic PLA in nontoxic ethyl acetate at 70 °C with a water solution of choline taurinate. The partial aminolysis of the polymer ester bonds by taurine –NH2 brought about the formation of PLA oligomers with surfactant activity that stabilized the water-in-oil emulsion. Upon drying, a negligible shrinking occurred, and mechanically stable porous scaffolds were obtained. By varying the polymer composition and choline taurinate concentration, it was possible to modulate the pore dimensions (30–50 µm) and mechanical properties (Young’s moduli: 1–6 MPa) of the samples. Furthermore, the grafted choline taurinate made the surface of the PLA films hydrophilic, as observed by contact angle measurements (advancing contact angle: 76°; receding contact angle: 40°–13°). The preparation method was very simple because it was based on a one-pot mild reaction that did not require an additional purification step, as all the employed chemicals were nontoxic.
Coupling of Fused Deposition Modeling and Inkjet Printing to Produce Drug Loaded 3D Printed Tablets
Authors: Junqueira Laura Andrade , Tabriz Atabak Ghanizadeh , Raposo Francisco José , Carobini Luana Rocha , Vaz Urias Pardócimo , Brandão Marcos Antônio Fernandes , Douroumis Dennis , Raposo Nádia Rezende Barbosa
Published: January 2022

In the current study, we have coupled Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) for the fabrication of plain polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) tablets followed by dispensing of minoxidil ethanolic solutions using inkjet printing. The use of a drop-on-solid printing approach facilitates an accurate and reproducible process while it controls the deposition of the drug amounts. For the purpose of the study, the effect of the solvent was investigated and minoxidil ink solutions of ethanol 70% v/v (P70) or absolute ethanol (P100) were applied on the plain PVA tablets. Physicochemical characterization showed that solvent miscibility with the polymer substrate plays a key role and can lead to the formation of drug crystals on the surface or drug absorption in the polymer matrix. The produced minoxidil tablets showed sustained release profiles or initial bursts strongly affected by the solvent grade used for dispensing the required dose on drug loaded 3D printed tablets. This paradigm demonstrates that the coupling of FDM and inkjet printing technologies could be used for rapid development of personalized dosage forms.
Nonlinear Thermopower Behaviour of N-Type Carbon Nanofibres and Their Melt Mixed Polypropylene Composites
Authors: Paleo Antonio J. , Krause Beate , Cerqueira Maria F. , Muñoz Enrique , Pötschke Petra , Rocha Ana M.
Published: January 2022

The temperature dependent electrical conductivity σ (T) and thermopower (Seebeck coefficient) S (T) from 303.15 K (30 °C) to 373.15 K (100 °C) of an as-received commercial n-type vapour grown carbon nanofibre (CNF) powder and its melt-mixed polypropylene (PP) composite with 5 wt.% of CNFs have been analysed. At 30 °C, the σ and S of the CNF powder are ~136 S m−1 and −5.1 μV K−1, respectively, whereas its PP/CNF composite showed lower conductivities and less negative S-values of ~15 S m−1 and −3.4 μV K−1, respectively. The σ (T) of both samples presents a dσ/dT < 0 character described by the 3D variable range hopping (VRH) model. In contrast, their S (T) shows a dS/dT > 0 character, also observed in some doped multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) mats with nonlinear thermopower behaviour, and explained here from the contribution of impurities in the CNF structure such as oxygen and sulphur, which cause sharply varying and localized states at approximately 0.09 eV above their Fermi energy level (EF).
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Uracil-Modified Chitosan as a Promising Adsorbent for Efficient Removal of Congo Red Dye
Authors: Al-Harby Nouf F. , Albahly Ebtehal F. , Mohamed Nadia A.
Published: January 2022

Novel Uracil-modified chitosan (UCs) adsorbent has successfully been synthesized through a four-step method during which the amino groups of chitosan have been protected, then epoxy nuclei have been incorporated, afterwards the latter have been opened using 6-amino-1,3-dimethyl uracil, and finally the amino groups have been regained via removing the protection. Its structure was checked using FTIR, XRD and SEM techniques. The adsorption capacity of UCs for anionic Congo Red (CR) dye was studied under various conditions. It decreased significantly with increasing the solution pH value and dye concentration, while increased with increasing temperature. The adsorption of UCs for CR dye at different temperatures, solution pH and dye concentrations fitted to the kinetic model of pseudo-second order and Elovich model. The intraparticle diffusion model showed that the adsorption process involves multi-step process. The isotherm of CR dye adsorption by UCs conforms to the Langmuir isotherm model indicating the monolayer nature of adsorption. The maximum monolayer coverage capacity, qmax, was 434.78 mg g−1. Studying the thermodynamic showed that the adsorption of CR dye onto UCs was endothermic as illustrated from the positive value of enthalpy (21.37 kJ mol−1). According to the values of ΔG°, the adsorption process was spontaneous at all selected temperatures. The value of ΔS° showed an increase in randomness for the adsorption of CR dye by UCs. The value of activation energy was 18.40 kJ mol−1.
Recent Achievements on Grating Fabrications in Polymer Optical Fibers with Photosensitive Dopants: A Review
Authors: Jiang Jie , Zhang Nan , Min Rui , Cheng Xin , Qu Hang , Hu Xuehao
Published: January 2022

This review discusses recent achievements on grating fabrications in polymer optical fibers doped with photosensitive materials. First, different photosensitive dopants in polymer optical fibers (POFs) are summarized, and their refractive index change mechanisms are discussed. Then, several different doping methods to fabricate the photosensitive POFs are presented. Following that, the principles of gratings, including standard fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), tilted fiber Bragg gratings (TFBGs), chirped fiber Bragg gratings (CFBGs), phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings (PSFBGs), and long period fiber gratings (LPFGs), are reported. Finally, fabrications of different gratings based on photosensitive POFs in the last 20 years are reported. We present our article clearly and logically, so that it will be helpful for researchers to explore a broad perspective on this proposed topic. Overall, the content provides a comprehensive overview of photosensitive POF fabrications and grating inscriptions in photosensitive POFs, including previous breakthroughs and recent advancements.
Equality of Access? Chinese Women Practicing Chan and Transnational Meditation in Contemporary China
Authors: Lau Ngar-Sze
Published: January 2022

This paper examines how the Buddhist revival, the Chan revival, and recent popularity of transnational meditation practices have facilitated Chinese women practicing Buddhist meditation in contemporary China. With the influence of the opening of China and growing transnational networks, there has been an increasing number of Han Chinese monastics and lay people practicing transnational meditation, such as samādhi, vipassanā and mindfulness, in the past two decades. Despite the restriction of accessing Chan halls at monasteries, some Chinese nuns and laywomen have traveled to learn meditation in different parts of China, and international meditation centers in Southeast Asia to study with yogis from all over the world. Surprisingly some returned female travelers have taken significant roles in organizing meditation retreats, and establishing meditation centers and meditation halls. Through examining some ethnographic cases of Chinese nuns and laywomen, this paper argues that the transnational meditation movement has an impact not only on gender equality, especially concerning Chinese women practicing meditation, but also on the development of contemporary Chinese Buddhism. The significant role of Chinese female meditators in promoting Buddhist meditation can reflect a trend of re-positioning the Chan School in contemporary China.
Christian Mindfulness and Mental Health: Coping through Sacred Traditions and Embodied Awareness
Authors: Timbers Veronica L. , Hollenberger Jennifer C.
Published: January 2022

Mindfulness is increasingly implemented as a tool in mental health practice for coping and self-care. Some Christians worry that these practices might be in conflict with their own tradition, while other Christian contexts are reclaiming the contemplative aspects of the faith. Though clinicians are not trained to teach on religious topics and ethically must avoid pushing religion onto clients, conceptualization and research extend the benefits of mindfulness practices for religious clients. This paper will discuss the evidence for using mindfulness in mental health treatment and connect mindfulness to the Christian tradition. The authors explore how intentional awareness and embodiment of the present moment are supported in Christian theology through the incarnation of Jesus and God’s attention of the physical body in the Christian scriptures. The authors also discuss how sacraments and prayer naturally overlap with mindfulness practices for the dual purposes of emotional healing and spiritual growth. To bolster the benefits of mindfulness in the psychological and religious realms, the purpose of this paper is to empower therapists to address client concerns of whether mindfulness is in conflict with Christianity, support clients in expanding current Christian religious coping, and provide Christian leaders with more information about how mindfulness elements are already present in Christian rituals and beliefs.
Railway Track Recognition Based on Radar Cross-Section Statistical Characterization Using mmWave Radar
Authors: Li Shuo , Ding Jieqiong , Liu Weirong , Li Heng , Zhou Feng , Zhu Zhengfa
Published: January 2022

The track settlement has a great influence on the safe operation of high-speed trains. The existing track settlement measurement approach requires sophisticated or expensive equipments, and the real-time performance is limited. To address the issue, an ultra-high resolution track settlement detection method is proposed by using millimeter wave radar based on frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW). Firstly, by constructing the RCS statistical feature data set of multiple objects in the track settlement measurement environment, a directed acyclic graph-support vector machine (DAG-SVM) based method is designed to solve the problem of track recognition in multi-object scenes. Then, the adaptive chirp-z-transform (ACZT) algorithm is used to estimate the distance between the radar and the track surface, which realizes automatic real-time track settlement detection. An experimental platform has been constructed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The experimental results show that the accuracy of track classification and identification is at least 95%, and the accuracy of track settlement measurement exceeds 0.5 mm, which completely meets the accuracy requirements of the railway system.
Superpixel-Based Attention Graph Neural Network for Semantic Segmentation in Aerial Images
Authors: Diao Qi , Dai Yaping , Zhang Ce , Wu Yan , Feng Xiaoxue , Pan Feng
Published: January 2022

Semantic segmentation is one of the significant tasks in understanding aerial images with high spatial resolution. Recently, Graph Neural Network (GNN) and attention mechanism have achieved excellent performance in semantic segmentation tasks in general images and been applied to aerial images. In this paper, we propose a novel Superpixel-based Attention Graph Neural Network (SAGNN) for semantic segmentation of high spatial resolution aerial images. A K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) graph is constructed from our network for each image, where each node corresponds to a superpixel in the image and is associated with a hidden representation vector. On this basis, the initialization of the hidden representation vector is the appearance feature extracted by a unary Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) from the image. Moreover, relying on the attention mechanism and recursive functions, each node can update its hidden representation according to the current state and the incoming information from its neighbors. The final representation of each node is used to predict the semantic class of each superpixel. The attention mechanism enables graph nodes to differentially aggregate neighbor information, which can extract higher-quality features. Furthermore, the superpixels not only save computational resources, but also maintain object boundary to achieve more accurate predictions. The accuracy of our model on the Potsdam and Vaihingen public datasets exceeds all benchmark approaches, reaching 90.23% and 89.32%, respectively.
InSAR Constrained Downdip and Updip Afterslip Following the 2015 Nepal Earthquake: New Insights into Moment Budget of the Main Himalayan Thrust
Authors: Zhao Lei , Qu Chunyan , Zhao Dezheng , Shan Xinjian , Chen Han , Liu Lian
Published: January 2022

We use ALOS-2 and Sentinel-1 data spanning 2015–2020 to obtain the post-seismic deformation of the 2015 Mw 7.8 Nepal earthquake. ALOS-2 observations reveal that the post-seismic deformation was mainly distributed in four areas. A large-scale uplift deformation occurred in the northern subsidence area of the co-seismic deformation field, with a maximum uplift of ~80 mm within 4.5 yr after the mainshock. While in the southern coseismic uplift area, the direction of the post-seismic deformation is generally opposite to the co-seismic deformation. Additionally, two notable deformation areas are located in the region around 29° N, and near the MFT, respectively. Sentinel-1 observations reveal post-seismic uplift deformation on the north side of the co-seismic deformation field with an average rate of ~20 mm/yr in line-of-stght. The kinematic afterslip constrained by InSAR data shows that the frictional slip is distributed in both updip and downdip areas. The maximum cumulative afterslip is 0.35 m in downdip areas, and 0.2 m in the updip areas, constrained by the ALOS measurements. The stress-driven afterslip model shows that the afterslip is distributed in the downdip area with a maximum slip of 0.3 m during the first year after the earthquake. Within the 4.5 yr after the mainshock, the estimated moment released by afterslip is ~1.5174 × 1020 Nm,about 21.2% of that released by the main earthquake.
Investigating Students’ Adoption of MOOCs during COVID-19 Pandemic: Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy, Learning Engagement, and Learning Persistence
Authors: Alamri Mahdi Mohammed
Published: January 2022

Students’ learning environments are significantly influenced by massive open online courses (MOOCs). To better understand how students could implement learning technology for educational purposes, this study creates a structural equation model and tests confirmatory factor analysis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a model through investigating observability (OB), complexity (CO), trialability (TR), and perceived usefulness (PU) with perceived ease-of-use (PEU) of MOOCs adoption by university students to measure their academic self-efficacy (ASE), learning engagement (LE), and learning persistence (LP). As a result, the study used an expanded variant of the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) and the technology acceptance model (TAM) as the research model. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Smart-PLS was applied to quantitative data collection and analysis of 540 university students as respondents. Student responses were grouped into nine factors and evaluated to decide the students’ ASE, LE, and LP. The findings revealed a clear correlation between OB, CO, and TR, all of which were important predictors of PU and PEU. Students’ ASE, LE, and LP were affected by PEU and PU. This study’s established model was effective in explaining students’ ASE, LE, and LP on MOOC adoption. These findings suggest implications for designing and developing effective instructional and learning strategies in MOOCs in terms of learners’ perceptions of themselves, their instructors, and learning support systems.
The Impact of Size on the Performance of Transnational Corporations Operating in the Textile Industry in Portugal during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Santos Eleonora , Castanho Rui Alexandre
Published: January 2022

The aim of this work is to understand the impact of size on the performance of transnational corporations (TNCs) operating in the textile and clothing industry in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, we used ORBIS data for the period 2019–2020 and narrative, financial and correlation analyses to assess the performance of five companies. Thus far, the impact of company size on the competitiveness of Portuguese textile affiliates during the pandemic has remained unexplored. The results show that smaller firms performed better than larger ones, likely due to the higher fixed costs of the latter at times when orders declined worldwide. Our analysis suggests that there are some characteristics of TNCs that matter in explaining company-level performance during crises, such as management experience and flexibility. Furthermore, as Portugal is a major European textile exporter, it is useful for the host country to assess the economic sustainability of its foreign investors. The results provide some policy recommendations regarding the promotion of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Portugal.
An Iterative Design Method from Products to Product Service Systems—Combining Acceptability and Sustainability for Manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Feng Di , Lu Chunfu , Jiang Shaofei
Published: January 2022

Manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the economic development and resource consumption of most regions. Conceptually, a product-service system (PSS) can be an effective way to improve the sustainability of manufacturing SMEs. However, the construction of PSSs requires enterprises to integrate a large number of product and service resources. Moreover, current PSS design methods mostly construct a new set of highly service-oriented PSS solutions based on customer needs while seldom considering the combination of acceptability and sustainability for manufacturing SMEs at the initial stage of design, which may lead to the difficulties in applying PSS solutions beyond enterprise integration capacity or result in the waste of existing product resources. Instead of constructing a new PSS solution, this paper proposes the treatment of existing product modules as the original system. The PSS solution is iteratively constructed with the upgrade of the original system in a gradual way, which is driven by systematic performance (this process can be suspended and repeated). Phased iterative design solutions can be applied by manufacturing SMEs according to their development needs. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP), Lean Design-for-X (LDfX), design structure matrix (DSM), and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) are combined in an iterative design process from customer needs and system performances to PSS solutions. The feasibility of the proposed method is verified through the iterative design case from electric pallet trucks to warehousing systems. It is proved that this method is more sustainable and easier to be accepted by manufacturing SMEs than existing PSS design methods through in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs.
Fit for the Future: Garment Quality and Product Lifetimes in a CE Context
Authors: Piippo Riikka , Niinimäki Kirsi , Aakko Maarit
Published: January 2022

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industrial sectors in the world and its environmental impacts are huge. Garments are produced effectively at a low price, are of low quality, and are used for a very short time before ending up in increasing textile waste streams. One critical aspect in this context is the lifetime of a garment. Short garment lifetimes are the results of low quality and consumer dissatisfaction, or consumers’ constant search for newness, resulting in the early disposal of garments. This study focused on the issue of garment quality and how it can be connected to product lifetime. The research used a case study approach, including company interviews about working for quality, and aimed to expand on the topic of how quality impacts product lifetimes. Data analysis was conducted according to the principles of descriptive analysis and the discussion expanded to the circular economy context, creating an extended understanding of garment quality in a circular economy.
The Trade Effect of Trust: Evidence from Agricultural Trade between China and Its Partners
Authors: Chen Heping , Qi Chunjie
Published: January 2022

High trust is a booster of trade development, while low trust is a stumbling block. The trust between two countries (regions) will be beneficial to sustainable development for bilateral trade. To investigate the impact of trade partners’ trust on the scale of China’s agricultural export trade, we put trust into the analytical models of international trade, propose a research hypothesis based on the transaction cost economics theory, and construct an extended gravity model for empirical tests. The results show that the level of trust affects the scale of export trade by affecting the size of transaction costs. Higher trust produces trade creation effect, while lower trust produces trade barrier effect. The trade partner’s trust significantly affects the scale of China’s agricultural export trade, and the effect is heterogeneous at different percent quartiles. Even after controlling the endogeneity, the conclusion still holds. We suggest that, in the international trade of agricultural products, the government should constantly improve the quality of formal institution, attach importance to constructing of the informal institution of trust and enhance the social trust to facilitate the development of agricultural trade.
The Impact of Corporate Governance Mechanisms on the Commitment of Managers in an IPO Setting: Evidence from Korean Small and Venture Firms
Authors: Lee Youngjoo
Published: January 2022

Managers’ commitment and dedication crucially affect the sustainable growth of firms. When private companies first offer their shares to the public in an initial public offering (IPO), an IPO lockup is one way of revealing managers’ commitments. IPO lockups are agreements that promise not to sell the shares retained by pre-IPO shareholders for a specified period in the market after the IPO. This paper investigates the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on the length of the lockup period. The paper’s sample consists of IPO firms that have gone public in Korea’s KOSDAQ market, which is a listing venue for small and venture companies. The major findings of this paper are as follows: first, the length of the lockup period increases with the number of outside directors and, second, IPO firms with audit committees have longer lockup periods than those without them. These results indicate that managers of firms with greater board independence choose a longer lockup period when going public. This paper also finds that the lockup period is positively related to the presence of venture capitalists serving as directors of IPO firms, which suggests that venture capital directors may ensure that managers have longer lockups. Overall, these findings suggest that, when small and venture companies go public, managers may use the IPO lockup as a commitment device that complements corporate governance mechanisms in reducing investor concern about the moral hazard problem of managers.
Recovery of Salts from Synthetic Erythritol Culture Broth via Electrodialysis: An Alternative Strategy from the Bin to the Loop
Authors: Daza-Serna Laura , Knežević Katarina , Kreuzinger Norbert , Mach-Aigner Astrid Rosa , Mach Robert Ludwig , Krampe Jörg , Friedl Anton
Published: January 2022

Sustainability and circularity are currently two relevant drivers in the development and optimisation of industrial processes. This study assessed the use of electrodialysis (ED) to purify synthetic erythritol culture broth and for the recovery of the salts in solution, for minimising the generation of waste by representing an efficient alternative to remove ions, ensuring their recovery process contributing to reaching cleaner standards in erythritol production. Removal and recovery of ions was evaluated for synthetic erythritol culture broth at three different levels of complexity using a stepwise voltage in the experimental settings. ED was demonstrated to be a potential technology removing between 91.7–99.0% of ions from the synthetic culture broth, with 49–54% current efficiency. Besides this, further recovery of ions into the concentrated fraction was accomplished. The anions and cations were recovered in a second fraction reaching concentration factors between 1.5 to 2.5 times while observing low level of erythritol losses (<2%), with an energy consumption of 4.10 kWh/m3.
Remote Sensing Monitoring and Driving Force Analysis of Salinized Soil in Grassland Mining Area
Authors: Wu Zhenhua , Che Mingliang , Zhang Shutao , Duo Linghua , Lei Shaogang , Lu Qingqing , Yan Qingwu
Published: January 2022

To deal with the problem of soil salinization that exists widely in semi-arid grassland, the Shengli Coalfield in Xilinhot City was selected as the study area. Six periods of Landsat remote sensing data in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2017 were used to extract the salinity index (SI) and surface albedo to construct the SI-Albedo feature space. The salinization monitoring index (SMI) was used to calculate and classify the soil salinization grades in the study area. The soil salinization status and its dynamic changes were monitored and analyzed. Combined with the logistic regression model, the roles of human and natural factors in the development of soil salinization were determined. The results were as follows: (1) The SMI index constructed using the SI-Albedo feature space is simple and easy to calculate, which is conducive to remote sensing monitoring of salinized soil. R2 of the SMI and soil salt content in the 2017 data from the study area is 0.7313, which achieves good results in the quantitative analysis and monitoring of soil salinization in the Xilinhot Shengli Coalfield. (2) The study area is a grassland landscape. However, grassland landscapes are decreasing year by year, and town landscapes, mining landscapes, and road landscapes are greatly increased. The areas of soil salinization reversion in the Shengli mining area from 2002–2005, 2005–2008, 2008–2011, 2011–2014, 2014–2017, and 2002–2017 were 65.64 km2, 1.03 km2, 18.44 km2, 0.9 km2, 7.52 km2, and 62.33 km2, respectively. The overall trend of soil salinization in the study area was reversed from 2002 to 2017. (3) The driving factors of salinized land from 2002 to 2008 are as follows: the distance to the nearest town landscape > the distance to the nearest mining landscape > the distance to the nearest road landscape. The driving factors of salinized land from 2008 to 2017 are as follows: the distance to nearest mining landscape > the distance to the nearest water landscape > the distance to nearest town landscape > altitude > aspect. Coal exploitation and town expansion have occupied a large amount of saline land, and petroleum exploitation and abandoned railway test sites have intensified the development of saline land. This study provides a reference for the treatment and protection of soil salinization in semi-arid grassland mining areas.
The Optimal Strategy of China’s Plastic Drinking Straws Ban Based on Consumer Heterogeneity and Retailer Competition
Authors: Wang Wenhuan , Wei Jianping , Wu Dan
Published: January 2022

The Chinese government has issued a new “Plastic Restriction Ban” requiring that, by the end of 2020, the food and beverage industry across the country bans the use of single-use, nondegradable plastic drinking straws. The governance of plastic drinking straws is a multi-dimensional and complex process. Therefore, based on the heterogeneity of consumers, this paper constructs a tripartite game model (the government, retailers, and consumers) for the governance of plastic drinking straws in China. Under this model, this research derives an optimal strategy in both monopoly and competitive markets, assuming the government has access to two policy tools, fines and subsidies. The research results suggest the following. (1) In monopoly markets, when (a) the fine or subsidy fee is high or (b) the fine or subsidy fee is low and the number of environment-conscious consumers is high, retailers are more inclined to provide biodegradable drinking straws. (2) Consumer heterogeneity has a certain impact on policy results; when there are enough environment-conscious consumers, policy costs can be reduced. (3) For high-quality products, the policy costs in competitive markets is lower than in monopoly markets; for low-quality products, the policy costs in competitive markets is higher than in monopoly markets. Based on the conclusions, this work suggests the government should focus on cultivating consumers’ environmental awareness and tighter control of products quality, in addition to the two policy tools, i.e., fines and subsidies, because these can reduce policy costs. Consumers should be aware of their own importance to China’s Plastic Drinking Straws Ban and adopt a refusal to accept plastic drinking straws and reduce the consumption of disposable plastics to support the policy. Retailers should also realize that proactively catering to consumer and government expectations can bring higher benefits to themselves; this can be achieved by providing high-quality biodegradable straws to support China’s Plastic Drinking Straws Ban. The model of this work could be applied to other corporate activities related to sustainability, such as plastic bags, plastic bottles, etc., and their connection to government policies.
Dark Information in Black Hole with λφ Fluid
Authors: Liu Yu-Xiao , Ma Yu-Han , Wang Yong-Qiang , Wei Shao-Wen , Sun Chang-Pu
Published: January 2022

It has been shown that the nonthermal spectrum of Hawking radiation will lead to information-carrying correlations between emitted particles in the radiation. The mutual information carried by such correlations can not be locally observed and hence is dark. With dark information, the black hole information is conserved. In this paper, we look for the spherically symmetric black hole solution in a λφ fluid model and investigate the radiation spectrum and dark information of the black hole. The spacetime structure of this black hole is similar to that of the Schwarzschild one, while its horizon radius is decreased by the λφ fluid. By using the statistical mechanical method, the nonthermal radiation spectrum is calculated. This radiation spectrum is very different from the Schwarzschild case at its last stage because of the effect of the λφ fluid. The λφ fluid reduces the lifetime of the black hole, but increases the dark information of the Hawking radiation.
A Continuous Terminal Sliding-Mode Observer-Based Anomaly Detection Approach for Industrial Communication Networks
Authors: Xu Long , Xiong Wei , Zhou Minghao , Chen Lei
Published: January 2022

Dynamic traffic monitoring is a critical part of industrial communication network cybersecurity, which can be used to analyze traffic behavior and identify anomalies. In this paper, industrial networks are modeled by a dynamic fluid-flow model of TCP behavior. The model can be described as a class of systems with unmeasurable states. In the system, anomalies and normal variants are represented by the queuing dynamics of additional traffic flow (ATF) and can be considered as a disturbance. The novel contributions are described as follows: (1) a novel continuous terminal sliding-mode observer (TSMO) is proposed for such systems to estimate the disturbance for traffic monitoring; (2) in TSMO, a novel output injection strategy is proposed using the finite-time stability theory to speed up convergence of the internal dynamics; and (3) a full-order sliding-mode-based mechanism is developed to generate a smooth output injection signal for real-time estimations, which is directly used for anomaly detection. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach, the real traffic profiles from the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) DDoS attack datasets are used.
Entropy Bounds: New Insights
Authors: Horwitz Lawrence Paul , Namboothiri Vishnu S. , Varma K Gautham , Yahalom Asher , Strauss Yosef , Levitan Jacob
Published: January 2022

In this paper we review the fundamental concepts of entropy bounds put forward by Bousso and its relation to the holographic principle. We relate covariant entropy with logarithmic distance of separation of nearby geodesics. We also give sufficient arguments to show that the origin of entropy bounds is not indeed thermodynamic, but statistical.
Video-Urodynamic Characteristics and Predictors of Switching from Botulinum Neurotoxin a Injection to Augmentation Enterocystoplasty in Spinal Cord Injury Patients
Authors: Lin Chih-Chieh , Kuo Hann-Chorng
Published: January 2022

Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) injection and augmentation enterocystoplasty (AE) are alternative and effective management strategies for neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) refractory to pharmacotherapy. A great majority of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) may, however, prefer BoNT-A injections to AE, due to the less invasive characteristics. In this study we evaluated the influence of various video-urodynamic study (VUDS) parameters in SCI patients who continuously received repeat BoNT-A detrusor injections or switched to AE to improve their bladder conditions. We compared the changes in the urodynamic parameters before and after each mode of treatment. In this retrospective study, all SCI patients with refractory NDO who had received at least one BoNT-A injection were enrolled. VUDS was performed before and after both BoNT-A injection and AE. All of the urodynamic parameters of the storage and micturition—including the bladder capacity of every sensation, maximal flow rate (Qmax), post-voiding residual volume, detrusor pressure at Qmax, and bladder contractility index—were recorded. A total of 126 patients, including 46 women and 80 men, with a mean age of 41.8 ± 13.1 years, were recruited for this study. All of the patients receiving either BoNT-A injection or AE had a statistically significant increase of bladder capacity at every time-point during filling and a decrease in detrusor pressure at Qmax during voiding. Patients who switched from BoNT-A to AE had greater improvements in their urodynamic parameters when compared with those who continued with BoNT-A injections. Accordingly, SCI patients receiving BoNT-A injections but experiencing few improvements in their urodynamic parameters should consider switching to AE to achieve a better storage function and bladder capacity.
The Role of γδ T Cells as a Line of Defense in Viral Infections after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Janssen Anke , van Diest Eline , Vyborova Anna , Schrier Lenneke , Bruns Anke , Sebestyen Zsolt , Straetemans Trudy , de Witte Moniek , Kuball Jürgen
Published: January 2022

In the complex interplay between inflammation and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), viral reactivations are often observed and cause substantial morbidity and mortality. As toxicity after allo-HSCT within the context of viral reactivations is mainly driven by αβ T cells, we describe that by delaying αβ T cell reconstitution through defined transplantation techniques, we can harvest the full potential of early reconstituting γδ T cells to control viral reactivations. We summarize evidence of how the γδ T cell repertoire is shaped by CMV and EBV reactivations after allo-HSCT, and their potential role in controlling the most important, but not all, viral reactivations. As most γδ T cells recognize their targets in an MHC-independent manner, γδ T cells not only have the potential to control viral reactivations but also to impact the underlying hematological malignancies. We also highlight the recently re-discovered ability to recognize classical HLA-molecules through a γδ T cell receptor, which also surprisingly do not associate with GVHD. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of γδ T cells and their receptors within and outside the context of allo-HSCT, as well as the opportunities and challenges for developers and for payers.