bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Toxic Crosslinking of Electrospun Gelatin Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering and Biomedicine—A Review
Authors: Ehrmann Andrea
Published: June 2021

Electrospinning can be used to prepare nanofiber mats from diverse polymers, polymer blends, or polymers doped with other materials. Amongst this broad range of usable materials, biopolymers play an important role in biotechnological, biomedical, and other applications. However, several of them are water-soluble, necessitating a crosslinking step after electrospinning. While crosslinking with glutaraldehyde or other toxic chemicals is regularly reported in the literature, here, we concentrate on methods applying non-toxic or low-toxic chemicals, and enzymatic as well as physical methods. Making gelatin nanofibers non-water soluble by electrospinning them from a blend with non-water soluble polymers is another method described here. These possibilities are described together with the resulting physical properties, such as swelling behavior, mechanical strength, nanofiber morphology, or cell growth and proliferation on the crosslinked nanofiber mats. For most of these non-toxic crosslinking methods, the degree of crosslinking was found to be lower than for crosslinking with glutaraldehyde and other common toxic chemicals.
Shelf Life of Fresh Sliced Sea Bream Pack in PET Nanocomposite Trays
Authors: Fernández-Menéndez Teresa , García-López David , Argüelles Antonio , Fernández Ana , Viña Jaime
Published: June 2021

Spoilage of fish due to microbiological activity is one of the biggest problems found by producers to take fresh fish products to customers. It is necessary packaging improvements to be able to increase fish shelf life and, thus, be able to travel further and to keep product freshness longer at customer’s houses. In the present work, a new material is developed for fish packaging in modified atmosphere (MAP). This material is poly(ethylene terephathalate) (PET) extruded with a polyamide (PA) nanocomposite containing nanosepiolite. Here, it is shown the production procedure from laboratory to industrial scale. Permeability to oxygen and impact mechanical properties results are shown for different samples, both at laboratory and industrial processes. At the end, a material composition is chosen to produce the finale tray which will contain the sliced sea bream. Microbiological analysis is done over the packed fish, resulting is a lower microbiological count compared to a PET control sample. This means that shelf life of pack sea bream could increase from 2–4 to 7–9 days, which is very important for both producers and customers. On the other hand, trays obtained comply with European regulations in food contact materials (FCM) and, overall, they are suitable for food packaging materials.
Evil and Divine Power: A Response to James Sterba’s Argument from Evil
Authors: Burns Elizabeth
Published: June 2021

In this article, I offer a response to James P. Sterba’s moral argument for the non-existence of God. Sterba applies to God the so-called Pauline Principle that it is not permissible to do evil in order that good may come. He suggests that this is the underlying element in discussions of the Doctrine of Double Effect, a doctrine that has been largely overlooked by philosophers of religion. Although, as hypothetical trolley cases demonstrate, human beings sometimes cannot avoid doing or permitting evil in order to prevent a greater evil, Sterba argues that the same cannot be said of an omnipotent God and that, since our world contains horrendous evils, the existence of a God who is both omnipotent and good is therefore logically impossible. I argue that, if God is thought to be a conscious being with unlimited power to prevent horrendous evils, Sterba’s argument might be valid. I also argue, however, that divine power need not be construed in this way. Drawing on some ideas derived from the work of Charles Hartshorne, I suggest that God is not a kind of divine micromanager and that it is more coherent and, indeed, helpful to think of God as a social influencer whose power is a source of positive energy for the promotion of goodness.
Advancing Floating Macroplastic Detection from Space Using Experimental Hyperspectral Imagery
Authors: Tasseron Paolo , van Emmerik Tim , Peller Joseph , Schreyers Louise , Biermann Lauren
Published: June 2021

Airborne and spaceborne remote sensing (RS) collecting hyperspectral imagery provides unprecedented opportunities for the detection and monitoring of floating riverine and marine plastic debris. However, a major challenge in the application of RS techniques is the lack of a fundamental understanding of spectral signatures of water-borne plastic debris. Recent work has emphasised the case for open-access hyperspectral reflectance reference libraries of commonly used polymer items. In this paper, we present and analyse a high-resolution hyperspectral image database of a unique mix of 40 virgin macroplastic items and vegetation. Our double camera setup covered the visible to shortwave infrared (VIS-SWIR) range from 400 to 1700 nm in a darkroom experiment with controlled illumination. The cameras scanned the samples floating in water and captured high-resolution images in 336 spectral bands. Using the resulting reflectance spectra of 1.89 million pixels in linear discriminant analyses (LDA), we determined the importance of each spectral band for discriminating between water and mixed floating debris, and vegetation and plastics. The absorption peaks of plastics (1215 nm, 1410 nm) and vegetation (710 nm, 1450 nm) are associated with high LDA weights. We then compared Sentinel-2 and Worldview-3 satellite bands with these outcomes and identified 12 satellite bands to overlap with important wavelengths for discrimination between the classes. Lastly, the Normalised Vegetation Difference Index (NDVI) and Floating Debris Index (FDI) were calculated to determine why they work, and how they could potentially be improved. These findings could be used to enhance existing efforts in monitoring macroplastic pollution, as well as form a baseline for the design of future multispectral RS systems.
The Impact of Climate Change on the Surface Albedo over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Chen Chaonan , Tian Li , Zhu Lianqi , Zhou Yuanke
Published: June 2021

Albedo is a characterization of the Earth’s surface ability to reflect solar radiation, and control the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the land surface. Within the context of global warming, the temporal and spatial changes of the albedo and its response to climate factors remain unclear. Based on MCD43A3 (V005) albedo and meteorological data (i.e., temperature and precipitation), we analyzed the spatiotemporal variations of albedo (2000–2016) and its responses to climate change during the growing season on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). The results indicated an overall downward trend in the annual albedo during the growing season, the decrease rate was 0.25%/decade, and the monthly albedo showed a similar trend, especially in May, when the decrease rate was 0.53%/decade. The changes also showed regional variations, such as for the annual albedo, the areas with significant decrease and increase in albedo were 181.52 × 103 km2 (13.10%) and 48.82 × 103 km2 (3.52%), respectively, and the intensity of albedo changes in low-elevation areas was more pronounced than in high-elevation areas. In addition, the annual albedo-temperature/precipitation relationships clearly differed at different elevations. The albedo below 2000 m and at 5000–6000 m was mainly negatively correlated with temperature, while at 2000–4000 m it was mainly negatively correlated with precipitation. The contemporaneous temperature could negatively impact the monthly albedo in significant ways at the beginning of the growing season (May and June), whereas in the middle of the growing season (July and August), the albedo was mainly negatively correlated with precipitation, and at the end of the growing season (September), the albedo showed a weak correlation with temperature/precipitation.
Estimating Above-Ground Biomass of Potato Using Random Forest and Optimized Hyperspectral Indices
Authors: Yang Haibo , Li Fei , Wang Wei , Yu Kang
Published: June 2021

Spectral indices rarely show consistency in estimating crop traits across growth stages; thus, it is critical to simultaneously evaluate a group of spectral variables and select the most informative spectral indices for retrieving crop traits. The objective of this study was to explore the optimal spectral predictors for above-ground biomass (AGB) by applying Random Forest (RF) on three types of spectral predictors: the full spectrum, published spectral indices (Pub-SIs), and optimized spectral indices (Opt-SIs). Canopy hyperspectral reflectance of potato plants, treated with seven nitrogen (N) rates, was obtained during the tuber formation and tuber bulking from 2015 to 2016. Twelve Pub-SIs were selected, and their spectral bands were optimized using band optimization algorithms. Results showed that the Opt-SIs were the best input variables of RF models. Compared to the best empirical model based on Opt-SIs, the Opt-SIs based RF model improved the prediction of AGB, with R2 increased by 6%, 10%, and 16% at the tuber formation, tuber bulking, and for across the two growth stages, respectively. The Opt-SIs can significantly reduce the number of input variables. The optimized Blue nitrogen index (Opt-BNI) and Modified red-edge normalized difference vegetation index (Opt-mND705) combined with an RF model showed the best performance in estimating potato AGB at the tuber formation stage (R2 = 0.88). In the tuber bulking stage, only using optimized Nitrogen planar domain index (Opt-NPDI) as the input variable of the RF model produced satisfactory accuracy in training and testing datasets, with the R2, RMSE, and RE being 0.92, 208.6 kg/ha, and 10.3%, respectively. The Opt-BNI and Double-peak nitrogen index (Opt-NDDA) coupling with an RF model explained 86% of the variations in potato AGB, with the lowest RMSE (262.9 kg/ha) and RE (14.8%) across two growth stages. This study shows that combining the Opt-SIs and RF can greatly enhance the prediction accuracy for crop AGB while significantly reduces collinearity and redundancies of spectral data.
In-Orbit Operational Parameter Calculation and Performance Optimization in KOMPSAT-6 Synthetic Aperture Radar
Authors: Sung Jin-Bong , Hong Sung-Yong
Published: June 2021

A new method to design in-orbit synthetic aperture radar operational parameters has been implemented for the Korean Multi-purpose Satellite 6 mission. The implemented method optimizes the pulse repetition frequency when a satellite altitude changes from its nominal one, so it has the advantage that the synthetic aperture radar performances can satisfy the requirements for the in-orbit operation. Other commanding parameters have been designed to conduct trade-off between those parameters. This paper presents the new optimization method to maintain the synthetic aperture radar performances even in the case of an altitude variation. Design methodologies to determine operational parameters, respectively, at nominal altitude and in orbit are presented. In addition, numerical simulation is presented to validate the proposed optimization and the design methodologies.
Assessment of Poplar Looper (Apocheima cinerarius Erschoff) Infestation on Euphrates (Populus euphratica) Using Time-Series MODIS NDVI Data Based on the Wavelet Transform and Discriminant Analysis
Authors: Huang Tiecheng , Ding Xiaojuan , Zhu Xuan , Chen Shujiang , Chen Mengyu , Jia Xiang , Lai Fengbing , Zhang Xiaoli
Published: June 2021

Poplar looper (Apocheima cinerarius Erschoff) is a destructive insect infesting Euphrates or desert poplars (Populus euphratica) in Xinjiang, China. Since the late 1950s, it has been plaguing desert poplars in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang and caused widespread damages. This paper presents an approach to the detection of poplar looper infestations on desert poplars and the assessment of the severity of the infestations using time-series MODIS NDVI data via the wavelet transform and discriminant analysis, using the middle and lower reaches of the Yerqiang River as a case study. We first applied the wavelet transform to the NDVI time series data in the period of 2009–2014 for the study area, which decomposed the data into a representation that shows detailed NDVI changes and trends as a function of time. This representation captures both intra- and inter-annual changes in the data, some of which characterise transient events. The decomposed components were then used to filter out details of the changes to create a smoothed NDVI time series that represent the phenology of healthy desert poplars. Next the subset of the original NDVI time series spanning the time period when the pest was active was extracted and added to the smoothed time series to generate a blended time series. The wavelet transform was applied again to decompose the blended time series to enhance and identify the changes in the data that may represent the signals of the pest infestations. Based on the amplitude of the enhanced pest infestation signals, a predictive model was developed via discriminant analysis to detect the pest infestation and assess its severity. The predictive model achieved a severity classification accuracy of 91.7% and 94.37% accuracy in detecting the time of the outbreak. The methodology presented in this paper provides a fast, precise, and practical method for monitoring pest outbreak in dense desert poplar forests, which can be used to support the surveillance and control of poplar looper infestations on desert poplars. It is of great significance to the conservation of the desert ecological environment.
Germplasm Conservation: Instrumental in Agricultural Biodiversity—A Review
Authors: Priyanka Veerala , Kumar Rahul , Dhaliwal Inderpreet , Kaushik Prashant
Published: June 2021

Germplasm is a valuable natural resource that provides knowledge about the genetic composition of a species and is crucial for conserving plant diversity. Germplasm protection strategies not only involve rescuing plant species threatened with extinction, but also help preserve all essential plants, on which rests the survival of all organisms. The successful use of genetic resources necessitates their diligent collection, storage, analysis, documentation, and exchange. Slow growth cultures, cryopreservation, pollen and DNA banks, botanical gardens, genetic reserves, and farmers’ fields are a few germplasm conservation techniques being employed. However, the adoption of in-vitro techniques with any chance of genetic instability could lead to the destruction of the entire substance, but the improved understanding of basic regeneration biology would, in turn, undoubtedly increase the capacity to regenerate new plants, thus expanding selection possibilities. Germplasm conservation seeks to conserve endangered and vulnerable plant species worldwide for future proliferation and development; it is also the bedrock of agricultural production.
Methodological Approaches to Optimising Anaerobic Digestion of Water Hyacinth for Energy Efficiency in South Africa
Authors: Ilo Obianuju Patience , Simatele Mulala Danny , Nkomo S’phumelele Lucky , Mkhize Ntandoyenkosi Malusi , Prabhu Nagendra Gopinath
Published: June 2021

Anaerobic digestion has been identified as a feasible fragment of a bioeconomy, yet numerous factors hinder the adoption of the technology in South Africa. Apart from its energy recovery, other nonmarket advantages support the technology. Though it may be challenging to have a price tag, they provide clear added worth for such investments. With a growing energy demand and global energy transitions, there is a need to sustainably commercialise the biogas industry in South Africa. Most studies are at laboratory scale and under specific conditions, which invariably create gaps in using their data for commercialising the biogas technology. The key to recognising these gaps depends on knowing the crucial technical phases that have the utmost outcome on the economics of biogas production. This study is a meta-analysis of the optimisation of anaerobic digestion through methodological approaches aimed at enhancing the production of biogas. This review, therefore, argues that regulating the fundamental operational parameters, understanding the microbial community’s interactions, and modelling the anaerobic processes are vital indicators for improving the process stability and methane yield for the commercialisation of the technology. It further argues that South Africa can exploit water hyacinth as a substrate for a self-sufficient biogas production system in a bid to mitigate the invasive alien plants.
The Role of Rural Tourism in Strengthening the Sustainability of Rural Areas: The Case of Zlakusa Village
Authors: Ćurčić Nevena , Mirković Svitlica Andrijana , Brankov Jovana , Bjeljac Željko , Pavlović Sanja , Jandžiković Bojana
Published: June 2021

The strategic planning of rural development is focused on both economic growth and sustainable development. Sustainable rural development is essential for conserving and improving resources, while economic growth contributes to a better standard of living. The aim of the research is to determine, using the participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methodology on the example of the village of Zlakusa, the economic activities developed in the village, the importance of rural tourism, and the scope of sustainable development taken into account in rural development. The results of the research show that the success of the rural community depends on: diversification of economic activities, which is accompanied by cohesion of the population through association and organization; organized activities aimed at local or republican authorities; activation of human and social capital; and initiating activities involving marginalized groups. Educating the population outside formal education improves the sustainable and economic development of the village and enables rural tourism to become an important part of economic activities and a channel for the commercialization of natural and cultural contents.
The Urbanisation Impacts on the Policy Effects of the Carbon Tax in China
Authors: Chen Shuyang
Published: June 2021

In the literature, very few studies have focused on how urbanisation will influence the policy effects of a climate policy even though urbanisation does have profound socioeconomic impacts. This paper has explored the interrelations among the urbanisation, carbon emissions, GDP, and energy consumption in China using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. Then, the unit urbanisation impacts are inputted into the policy evaluation framework of the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model in 2015–2030. The results show that the urbanisation had a positive impact on the GDP but a negative impact on the carbon emissions in 1980–2014. These impacts were statistically significant, but its impact on the energy consumption was not statistically significant. In 2015–2030, the urbanisation will have negative impacts on the carbon emissions and intensity. It will decrease the GDP and the household welfare under the carbon tax. The urbanisation will increase the average social cost of carbon (ASCC). Hence, the urbanisation will reinforce the policy effects of the carbon tax on the emissions and welfare.
COVID-19 and Beyond: Employee Perceptions of the Efficiency of Teleworking and Its Cybersecurity Implications
Authors: Mihailović Andreja , Cerović Smolović Julija , Radević Ivan , Rašović Neli , Martinović Nikola
Published: June 2021

The main idea of this research is to examine how teleworking has affected employee perceptions of organizational efficiency and cybersecurity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research is based on an analytical and empirical approach. The starting point of the research is a critical and comprehensive analysis of the relevant literature regarding the efficiency of organizations due to teleworking, digital information security, and cyber risk management. The quantitative approach is based on designing a structural equation model (SEM) on a sample of 1101 respondents from the category of employees in Montenegro. Within the model, we examine simultaneously the impact of their perceptions on the risks of teleworking, changes in cyber-attacks during teleworking, organizations’ capacity to respond to cyber-attacks, key challenges in achieving an adequate response to cyber-attacks, as well as perceptions of key challenges related to cybersecurity. The empirical aspects of our study involve constructing latent variables that correspond to different elements of employee perception; namely, their perception of organizational efficiency and the extent to which the digital information security of their organizations has been threatened during teleworking during the pandemic.
Effects of Organic Solvents on the Organosolv Pretreatment of Degraded Empty Fruit Bunch for Fractionation and Lignin Removal
Authors: Chin Danny Wei Kit , Lim Steven , Pang Yean Ling , Lim Chun Hsion , Shuit Siew Hoong , Lee Kiat Moon , Chong Cheng Tung
Published: June 2021

Empty fruit bunch (EFB), which is one of the primary agricultural wastes generated from the palm oil plantation, is generally discharged into the open environment or ends up in landfills. The utilization of this EFB waste for other value-added applications such as activated carbon and biofuels remain low, despite extensive research efforts. One of the reasons is that the EFB is highly vulnerable to microbial and fungi degradation under natural environment owning to its inherent characteristic of high organic matter and moisture content. This can rapidly deteriorate its quality and results in poor performance when processed into other products. However, the lignocellulosic components in degraded EFB (DEFB) still largely remain intact. Consequently, it could become a promising feedstock for production of bio-products after suitable pretreatment with organic solvents. In this study, DEFB was subjected to five different types of organic solvents for the pretreatment, including ethanol, ethylene glycol, 2-propanol, acetic acid and acetone. The effects of temperature and residence time were also investigated during the pretreatment. Organosolv pretreatment in ethylene glycol (50 v/v%) with the addition of NaOH (3 v/v%) as an alkaline catalyst successfully detached 81.5 wt.% hemicellulose and 75.1 wt.% lignin. As high as 90.4 wt.% cellulose was also successfully retrieved at mild temperature (80 °C) and short duration (45 min), while the purity of cellulose in treated DEFB was recorded at 84.3%. High-purity lignin was successfully recovered from the pretreatment liquor by using sulfuric acid for precipitation. The amount of recovered lignin from alkaline ethylene glycol liquor was 74.6% at pH 2.0. The high recovery of cellulose and lignin in DEFB by using organosolv pretreatment rendered it as one of the suitable feedstocks to be applied in downstream biorefinery processes. This can be further investigated in more detailed studies in the future.
Reducing Bottled Water Use among Adolescents: A Factorial Experimental Approach to Testing the Components of the “Aquatic” Program
Authors: Truskauskaitė-Kunevičienė Inga , Kaniušonytė Goda , Poškus Mykolas Simas , Balundė Audra , Gabė Vaida , Jovarauskaitė Lina , Özdemir Metin
Published: June 2021

The aim of the current study was to assess the components of the intervention program “Aquatic”, targeted at the reduction of bottled water use in adolescence. The Comprehensive Action Determination Model was chosen as a theory of change for the development and evaluation of pro-environmental behavior intervention. We examined the impact of five experimental intervention factors (water bottles, promo video, prompts, goal setting, and feedback) on eight intervention program outcomes: Perceived behavioral control, Social norm, Habit, Awareness of need, Awareness of consequence, Personal norm, Intention, and Behavior. The study sample consisted of 419 adolescents (52.8% girls, Mage = 15.21, SDage = 0.64) from Lithuania. A factorial experimental study design was used, and a Latent change modeling approach was applied for the evaluation of individual and combined effects of intervention components. Promo video, Prompts, and Goal setting had a positive effect on Awareness of consequence, Social norm, and Awareness of need, respectively. Receiving a Water bottle in combination with Promo video had a positive effect on Perceived behavioral control and in combination with Prompts as well as Goals—on Awareness of need. Water bottles, Promo-video, Prompts, and Goals, but not Feedback, had value in the promotion of targeted pro-environmental outcomes.
Sustainable Innovation in Membrane Technologies for Produced Water Treatment: Challenges and Limitations
Authors: Abdelrazeq Haneen , Khraisheh Majeda , Ashraf Hafsa Mohammed , Ebrahimi Parisa , Kunju Ansaruddin
Published: June 2021

Discharged water from the oil and gas fields is a common type of wastewater called produced water (PW). It consists of different combinations of salinities, oils, and mineral deposits. Growing industrial demand, accelerated urbanization, and rapid population growth are putting enormous strain on the world’s water supply. Based on sustainable freshwater supplies, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia confront the ultimate water shortages threat. Proper implementation of innovative membrane technologies in wastewater treatment is considered a solution towards tackling water insecurity and sustainability. Different types of innovative membrane technologies used for produced water treatment were considered in this work. A framework of innovative membrane technology was studied for industrial wastewater with direct contribution to the environmental and economical sustainability factors, taking into consideration grand challenges and limitations in energy costs and environmental constraints. Treated produced water can be utilized in irrigation providing many benefits only if the desalination sector is mature and fully developed.
Creating a Circular Economy in the Automotive Industry: The Contribution of Combining Crowdsourcing and Delphi Research
Authors: Wurster Simone
Published: June 2021

The circular economy (CE) is an essential societal topic of the 21st century. Although various scientific disciplines address it, many research gaps exist. The Delphi is a proven instrument for managerial decisions, which also gained importance in sustainability-oriented innovation research. Likewise, innovation processes using the input of crowds are emerging phenomena. Nevertheless, the Web of Science publication record includes a few articles applying crowdsourcing or the Delphi method to support CE-oriented management decisions only, and their further application has limitations. Addressing these gaps, this article presents an advanced concept integrating both methods to support the development of CE products and software responding to the worldwide need for more sustainable automotive products and CE solutions for tyres specifically. A combination of two-stage crowdsourcing and Delphi approaches was used, involving 509 participants from the EU member state Germany in total. This article provides, in particular, five contributions: First, it identified specific benefits of combining crowdsourcing and the Delphi method. Second, the attractiveness of a CE software system with product configuration tools is shown. Third, the interest in a quality label for sustainable tyres is unveiled. As the fourth contribution, the analyses show the importance of the CE software’s and labels’ consideration of social aspects in the tyre value chain and certain substances influencing appropriate recycling. Fifth, it represents consumers’ suggestions for products made of tyre recyclates and their interest in additional CE automotive products. The article finishes with recommendations for developing a tyre CE and applying the method combination in research and management.
The Impact of Information System on Interactions of Child Welfare Professionals with Managers and Clients
Authors: Seniutis Miroslavas , Petružytė Donata , Baltrūnaitė Miglė , Vainauskaitė Silvija , Petkevičius Linas
Published: June 2021

The use of information systems in public child welfare agencies of different countries is challenging primarily for frontline practitioners. This paper unveils how material information system properties are involved in the interactions of child welfare practitioners with their clients and managers. We analyze the properties on their own (functional requirements) and according to the perception of IS users (non-functional requirements). On the basis of the results of systematic literature review and ethnographic study of the use of information system at Lithuanian Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service during the COVID-19 pandemic, we identify the relation between the absence of functionality or its potential failures and data duplication problem. According to our study, data duplication leads to additional time consumption, affects the ecology of the workplace, reduces reliability of information, challenges data protection and finally keeps away practitioners from direct work with clients and exposes them to overcontrol of managers.
Inactivation of Algae and Plankton by Ultrasonic Cavitation
Authors: Honda Atsushi , Sugino Fumiya , Yamamoto Ken
Published: June 2021

Microbial treatment by ultrasonic waves has been attracting attention as a useful water treatment technology because it does not use special chemicals and the equipment is simple. In addition, because microbial cells are destroyed during treatment, it can be applied to ingredient extraction technology. Although ultrasonic cavitation bubbles are thought to be involved in the processing mechanism, the details of the mechanism remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the destruction mechanism of algae, microcapsules, and plankton by ultrasonic waves. Each sample was irradiated with ultrasonic waves over a wide range of frequencies, and frequency dependence was observed in all the samples. For algae and microcapsules, we matched the frequencies against the resonance frequency calculated based on the mechanical resonance model using adjacent ultrasonic cavitation bubbles. As a result, a good match was found. For plankton, partial damage to the shape was observed after ultrasonic irradiation, suggesting that shear stress, which is a local action caused by bubbles, was involved. By estimating the shear stress value based on the vibration equation of bubble, it was confirmed that the tendencies match.
Waste Willow-Bark from Salicylate Extraction Successfully Reused as an Amendment for Sewage Sludge Composting
Authors: Kulikowska Dorota , Bernat Katarzyna
Published: June 2021

Due to the fact that compost is a valuable fertilizer that serves principally as a source of macronutrients, composting is one of the preferred methods of management of organic waste, including municipal sewage sludge. However, due to its high moisture content and low C/N ratio, sewage sludge cannot be composted alone. This study investigated the usefulness of waste willow-bark (WWB) (after salicylate extraction) as an amendment for municipal sewage-sludge composting in a two-stage system: an aerated bioreactor and a periodically turned windrow. Both organic matter (OM) removal and humification progress were monitored. It was found that the prepared feedstock (70% sewage sludge, 25% WWB, and 5% wood chips, w/w) enabled proper temperature profiles to be obtained, with a maximum temperature of 72.3 °C. The rate constant of OM degradation in the bioreactor was 0.25 d−1, almost 4-fold higher than that in the windrows. During composting, the concentrations of humic substances (HS), humic acids (HA), and the fulvic fraction (FF) changed. HS, HA, and FF formation proceeded according to 1. order kinetics, and their respective rates were 1.33 mg C/(g OM d), 1.03 mg C/(g OM d), and 0.76 mg C/(g OM d). However, in mature compost, FF predominated (ca. 70%) in HS. These results indicate that waste willow-bark, a product of salicylate extraction, can be successfully reused as an amendment during municipal sewage sludge composting. Both waste willow-bark reuse and sewage sludge composting are compatible with a circular economy.
deaR-Shiny: An Interactive Web App for Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Benítez Rafael , Coll-Serrano Vicente , Bolós Vicente J.
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we describe an interactive web application (deaR-shiny) to measure efficiency and productivity using data envelopment analysis (DEA). deaR-shiny aims to fill the gap that currently exists in the availability of online DEA software offering practitioners and researchers free access to a very wide variety of DEA models (both conventional and fuzzy models). We illustrate how to use the web app by replicating the main results obtained by Carlucci, Cirà and Coccorese in 2018, who investigate the efficiency and economic sustainability of Italian regional airport by using two conventional DEA models, and the results given by Kao and Liu in their papers published in 2000 and 2003, who calculate the efficiency scores of university libraries in Taiwan by using a fuzzy DEA model because they treat missing data as fuzzy numbers.
How Spatial Distance and Message Strategy in Cause-Related Marketing Ads Influence Consumers’ Ad Believability and Attitudes
Authors: Kim Taemin , Kim Jeesun
Published: June 2021

Corporations have engaged in cause-related marketing (CRM) based on consumer expectations toward ethical and sustainable corporate management. However, it is equally important to understand how to do so effectively. The role of cause proximity has been examined as an important factor that determines the effectiveness of CRM messages. Limited research, however, has considered moderating variables in the context of cause proximity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the interplay between cause proximity and message strategy on attitudes toward the ad and ad believability. Based on an experimental design, this study applies construal level theory to demonstrate the effect of a construal fit between the spatial distance of the cause and how the message is presented on consumer attitudes toward ads and ad believability. Results show that the effects of message strategy mattered only for the global CRM cause. Furthermore, the findings show a mediating role of ad believability between cause proximity and message strategy on attitude toward the ad. This study provides empirical evidence for the advantage of using abstract messages in maximizing consumer reactions such as attitudes and believability when addressing global causes in CRM ad campaigns. Specifically, it offers insights on the impact of a matched condition between the spatial distance of the cause and language abstractness in CRM advertising.
Assessment of Spatiotemporal Peak Shift of Intra-Urban Transportation Taking a Case in Bangkok, Thailand
Authors: Kii Masanobu , Goda Yuki , Vichiensan Varameth , Miyazaki Hiroyuki , Moeckel Rolf
Published: June 2021

Reducing congestion has been one of the critical targets of transportation policies, particularly in cities in developing countries suffering severe and chronic traffic congestions. Several traditional measures have been in place but seem not very successful. This paper applies the agent-based transportation model MATSim for a transportation analysis in Bangkok to assess the impact of spatiotemporal transportation demand management measures. We collect required data for the simulation from various data sources and apply maximum likelihood estimation with the limited data available. We investigate two demand management scenarios, peak time shift, and decentralization. As a result, we found that these spatiotemporal peak shift measures are effective for road transport to alleviate congestion and reduce travel time. However, the effect of those measures on public transport is not uniform but depends on the users’ circumstances. On average, the simulated results indicate that those measures increase the average travel time and distance. These results suggest that demand management policies require considerations of more detailed conditions to improve usability. The study also confirms that microsimulation can be a tool for transport demand management assessment in developing countries.
Wooden Buildings in Market Squares of Polish Small Towns: Bielsk Podlaski and Kleszczele—The Issue of Preserving and Restoring Historical Values of Market Spaces
Authors: Owerczuk Aleksander
Published: June 2021

In the past centuries, small towns in Podlaskie Voivodeship were dominated by wooden buildings. Nowadays, there are not many of them left. However, they can still be found in the centers of towns, including some market squares. These are often inconspicuous objects, mainly wooden houses. This paper discusses the issue of the significance of wooden buildings, especially houses, in maintaining and restoring historic values of market spaces in small towns of Podlaskie Voivodeship in the examples of Bielsk Podlaski and Kleszczele. The research determined the moment of rapid changes, during which most marketplace buildings lost their historic form. The existing condition was analyzed in terms of its historical values. Conclusions were formulated on the scope and type of restoration works for individual market squares. Finally, general conclusions from the research on the market squares of Bielsk Podlaski and Kleszczele were presented.
Tourism in a Post-COVID-19 Era: Sustainable Strategies for Industry’s Recovery
Authors: Orîndaru Andreea , Popescu Maria-Floriana , Alexoaei Alina Petronela , Căescu Ștefan-Claudiu , Florescu Margareta Stela , Orzan Anca-Olguța
Published: June 2021

In the COVID-19 outbreak context, some industries were seriously affected, and the T&T (travel and tourism) industry is unarguably one of those industries. As the world is slowly moving towards a recovery stage, T&T is lagging in the recovery process, mainly because of people’s perception of safety and a new, more cautious behavior when buying products that are not essential for survival, such as T&T products. In order to discover sustainable recovery paths for the industry and the real impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on consumer perceptions and purchasing behavior, the current quantitative research was developed on the basis of two different representative samples in two different moments: May 2020 and December 2020, with a focus on Romania’s population. The main results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced travel patterns and habits regarding philological and economic factors. Psychological factors, primarily the fear of contamination, impact travelers’ willingness to travel and the conditions and preferences for vacation destinations. At least in the medium term, people will avoid traveling in large groups and being in crowded places. Hygiene and health conditions in the host destination can represent essential factors in travel decisions. Confronted with a cautious clientele, tourism businesses (such as transport, accommodation, and catering) should further enhance their hygiene conditions to restore confidence. Moreover, communication is essential in these challenging times to tackle travelers’ fear and concerns.
Gender and Bankruptcy: A Hotel Survival Econometric Analysis
Authors: Escribano-Navas María , Gemar German
Published: June 2021

This study’s objective was to understand how chief executive officers’ (CEOs) gender affects hotel businesses’ survival. Female managers’ influence has already been examined in other sectors, but researchers have not studied women CEOs’ role in hotel management and survival. A sample of 2615 Spanish hotel companies was examined during the period 2005–2018 for how their survival was affected by the variables of financial aspects, years of experience and the principal hotel executive’s gender. An econometrics-based survival analysis was conducted using a single complementary log-log model and panel data. The results indicate that some financial variables, such as sales, working capital to total assets ratio and each company’s experience, influence hotel businesses’ survival. The main finding was that women CEOs increase hotels’ survival rate. This CEO gender study is a novelty in the literature on hotel survival.
Modeling and Management Option Analysis for Saline Groundwater Drainage in a Deltaic Island
Authors: Remesan Renji , Prabhakaran Arjun , Sangma Macariush N. , Janardhanan Sreekanth , Mainuddin Mohammed , Sarangi Sukanta K. , Mandal Uttam Kumar , Burman Dhiman , Sarkar Sukamal , Mahanta Kshirenda Kumar
Published: June 2021

Understanding the interactions between shallow saline groundwater and surface water is crucial for managing water logging in deltaic islands. Water logging conditions result in the accumulation of salt in the root zone of crops and detrimentally affect agriculture in the economically and socially backward deltaic region of West Bengal and Bangladesh. In this paper, we undertook a modeling study of surface water–groundwater interactions in the Gosaba Island of Sundarbans region of the Ganges delta using MODFLOW followed by comprehensive parameter sensitivity analysis. Further, scenario analyses (i.e., no-drain, single drain, three drains) were undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of drainage infrastructure to reduce saline water logging conditions. The evaluation indicated that installation of three drains can remove water at a rate of up to −123.3 m3day−1 and lower the water table up to 0.4 m. The single drain management scenario could divert water at the rate of −77.9 m3day−1 during post monsoon season, lowering the shallow saline groundwater table up to 0.1 m. This preliminary modeling study shows encouraging results to consider drainage management as to solve the increasing challenge of water logging and salinity management in the deltaic region. The insights will be useful for farmers and policymakers in the region for planning various sustainable saline groundwater management. Building drainage infrastructure could potentially be part of initiatives like the national employment guarantee scheme in India. In the future, this model can be coupled with solute transport models for understanding the current status and future expansion of salinity in the study area. Further modeling and optimization analysis can help identify the optimal depth and spacing of drains.
Study on the Face Stability of a Metro Tunnel in a Silty Clay Layer Constructed Using the Full-Face Method
Authors: Zhang Zhien , Huang Mingli , Yu Chunbo , Fu Xiaojian
Published: June 2021

The horizontal displacement of the soil at the face of the subway tunnel is symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the tunnel, which is larger in the middle and smaller at both sides. The displacement is related to the size of the excavation face. If the excavation area is too great, the horizontal displacement of the tunnel face will be too large, easily leading to tunnel face collapse. For this reason, tunnel builders often use the core-keeping ring-cut method to build subway tunnels. A large section is divided into several small sections to reduce the soil displacement caused by soil excavation. With the continuous promotion and application of mechanized construction in the field of tunnels, mechanized full-section construction will gradually be performed in urban subway tunnels. Once the change in construction method from the core-keeping ring-cut method to the full-face method is made, the issue of how to maintain the stability of the tunnel working face (especially the soft soil stratum) becomes the focus of attention. Taking silty clay as the research object, this paper studies the displacement law of core soil with regard to the tunnel face under the condition of full-face excavation by using theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, and outdoor tests. According to the research results, the extrusion displacement of the tunnel face is the main cause of tunnel displacement. We optimize the construction parameters of glass fiber anchors to strengthen the tunnel face and provide theoretical guidance for the safe construction of subway tunnels.
Tamoxifen Derivatives Alter Retromer-Dependent Endosomal Tubulation and Sorting to Block Retrograde Trafficking of Shiga Toxins
Authors: Selyunin Andrey S. , Nieves-Merced Karinel , Li Danyang , McHardy Stanton F. , Mukhopadhyay Somshuvra
Published: June 2021

Shiga toxin 1 and 2 (STx1 and STx2) undergo retrograde trafficking to reach the cytosol of cells where they target ribosomes. As retrograde trafficking is essential for disease, inhibiting STx1/STx2 trafficking is therapeutically promising. Recently, we discovered that the chemotherapeutic drug tamoxifen potently inhibits the trafficking of STx1/STx2 at the critical early endosome-to-Golgi step. We further reported that the activity of tamoxifen against STx1/STx2 is independent of its selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) property and instead depends on its weakly basic chemical nature, which allows tamoxifen to increase endolysosomal pH and alter the recruitment of retromer to endosomes. The goal of the current work was to obtain a better understanding of the mechanism of action of tamoxifen against the more disease-relevant toxin STx2, and to differentiate between the roles of changes in endolysosomal pH and retromer function. Structure activity relationship (SAR) analyses revealed that a weakly basic amine group was essential for anti-STx2 activity. However, ability to deacidify endolysosomes was not obligatorily necessary because a tamoxifen derivative that did not increase endolysosomal pH exerted reduced, but measurable, activity. Additional assays demonstrated that protective derivatives inhibited the formation of retromer-dependent, Golgi-directed, endosomal tubules, which mediate endosome-to-Golgi transport, and the sorting of STx2 into these tubules. These results identify retromer-mediated endosomal tubulation and sorting to be fundamental processes impacted by tamoxifen; provide an explanation for the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on STx2; and have important implications for the therapeutic use of tamoxifen, including its development for treating Shiga toxicosis.
Clinical Characteristics, Treatments and Outcomes of 18 Lung Transplant Recipients with COVID-19
Authors: Hage René , Steinack Carolin , Gautschi Fiorenza , Pfister Susan , Inci Ilhan , Schuurmans Macé M.
Published: June 2021

We report clinical features, treatments and outcomes in 18 lung transplant recipients with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. We performed a single center, retrospective case series study of lung transplant recipients, who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between 1 February 2020 and 1 March 2021. Clinical, laboratory and radiology findingswere obtained. Treatment regimens and patient outcome data were obtained by reviewing the electronic medical record. Mean age was 49.9 (22–68) years, and twelve (67%) patients were male. The most common symptoms were fever (n = 9, 50%), nausea/vomiting (n = 7, 39%), cough (n = 6, 33%), dyspnea (n = 6, 33%) and fatigue (n = 6, 33%). Headache was reported by five patients (28%). The most notable laboratory findings were elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Computed Tomography (CT) of the chest was performed in all hospitalized patients (n = 11, 7%), and showed ground-glass opacities (GGO) in 11 patients (100%), of whom nine (82%) had GGO combined with pulmonary consolidations. Six (33%) patients received remdesivir, five (28%) intravenous dexamethasone either alone or in combination with remdesivir, and 15 (83%) were treated with broad spectrum antibiotics including co-amoxicillin, tazobactam-piperacillin and meropenem. Four (22%) patients were transferred to the intensive care unit, two patients (11%) required invasive mechanical ventilation who could not be successfully extubated and died. Eighty-nine percent of our patients survived COVID-19 and were cured. Two patients with severe COVID-19 did not survive.