bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creativity, Innovation, Sustainability: A Conceptual Model for Future Research Efforts
Authors: Brem Alexander , Puente-Díaz Rogelio
Published: April 2020

The interaction of creativity, innovation and sustainability is gaining momentum, but a lot more research is necessary. Some potential (not binding) areas of investigation for creativity and innovation are novel and useful conceptual definitions and theoretical framings of sustainability, as well as ideas for how to solve environmental and social problems with implications for sustainability. In addition, there is a high need for different methodological approaches to conduct research on sustainability, which might come from different fields like sociology or engineering. Before this background, this article introduces a conceptual framing of creativity, innovation and sustainability.
Minimal Green Energy Consumption and Workload Management for Data Centers on Smart City Platforms
Authors: Pei Pei , Huo Zongjie , Martínez Oscar Sanjuán , Crespo Rubén González
Published: April 2020

Presently, energy is considered a significant resource that grows scarce with high demand and population in the global market. Therefore, a survey suggested that renewable energy sources are required to avoid scarcity. Hence, in this paper, a smart, sustainable probability distribution hybridized genetic approach (SSPD-HG) has been proposed to decrease energy consumption and minimize the total completion time for a single machine in smart city machine interface platforms. Further, the estimated set of non-dominated alternative using a multi-objective genetic algorithm has been hybridized to address the problem, which is mathematically computed in this research. This paper discusses the need to promote the integration of green energy to reduce energy use costs by balancing regional loads. Further, the timely production of delay-tolerant working loads and the management of thermal storage at data centers has been analyzed in this research. In addition, differences in bandwidth rates between users and data centers are taken into account and analyzed at a lab scale using SSPD-HG for energy-saving costs and managing a balanced workload.
The Effect of IPCC Reports and Regulatory Announcements on the Stock Market
Authors: Rogova Elena , Aprelkova Galina
Published: April 2020

This study explores U.S. public companies’ reactions to scientific announcements by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) with respect to updated climate change knowledge and how it affects their stock valuations, given their carbon emission/environmental outlooks. Based on a sample of total daily returns collected for 10 industry indexes from the S&P 500 Index over the period 1990–2014, and using an event study approach, we analyze the connection between IPCC assessment report announcements and firms’ returns to evaluate panel data models. We found that various sectors, regardless of their carbon profiles, react abnormally to IPCC report announcements without remarkable long-run cumulative effects. The implications of these results are that there is no clear violation of the efficient markets hypothesis, yet short-term profits may be gained. Furthermore, the market still reacts to new scientific announcements, even though 24 years have passed since the first IPCC report. In addition, there is a negative relationship for low and medium carbon-intensive industries, especially in the short term.
Efficiency Evaluation and Influencing Factor Analysis of China’s Public Cultural Services Based on a Super-Efficiency Slacks-Based Measure Model
Authors: Wang Wenling , Chen Tong
Published: April 2020

It has been established that culture can contribute to the sustainable development of a country and the world. In China, cultural demands are increasing while cultural resources are relatively scarce. Therefore, this paper evaluates the efficiency of public cultural services in China from 2013 to 2017 and analyzes the major factors affecting this efficiency based on the panel data of 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions (hereafter referred to as “provinces”) in mainland China. The super-efficiency slacks-based measure (SBM) model in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was adopted. The results show that the efficiency of the public cultural services in each province is significantly different, and the overall efficiency shows a downward trend from 2013 to 2017. The gross domestic product per capita, the education level of the residents, fiscal decentralization, and population density significantly impact public culture service efficiency. Based on these results, the following policy recommendations are proposed: (1) Optimize the input structure of public cultural services and adjust the service direction to satisfy the emerging needs for a more diversified and personalized public with economic development and the improvement of education level; (2) adjust the allocation of public cultural resources nationwide and facilitate the flow of public cultural resources from developed to underdeveloped areas; and (3) provide local governments with higher fiscal autonomy and appropriately introduce the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to utilize private capital.
A BIM-Based Framework and Databank for Reusing Load-Bearing Structural Elements
Authors: Bertin Ingrid , Mesnil Romain , Jaeger Jean-Marc , Feraille Adélaïde , Le Roy Robert
Published: April 2020

In a context of intense environmental pressure where the construction sector has the greatest impact on several indicators, the reuse of load-bearing elements is the most promising by avoiding the production of waste, preserving natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing embodied energy. This study proposes a methodology based on a chain of tools to enable structural engineers to anticipate future reuse. This methodology describes the design of reversible assemblies, the addition of complementary information in the building information modeling (BIM), reinforced traceability, and the development of a material bank. At the same time, controlling the environmental impacts of reuse is planned by carrying out a life cycle assessment (LCA) at all stages of the project. Two scenarios for reuse design are applied with the toolchain proposed. A. “design from a stock” scenario, which leads to 100% of elements being reused, using only elements from stock. B. “design with a stock” scenario, which seeks to integrate as many reused elements available in the stock as possible. The case study of a high-rise building deconstructed to rebuild a medium-rise building demonstrated that the developed toolchain allowed the inclusion of all reuse elements in a new structural calculation model.
Decision-Support System for LID Footprint Planning and Urban Runoff Mitigation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas
Authors: Guerrero Javier , Alam Taufiqul , Mahmoud Ahmed , Jones Kim D. , Ernest Andrew
Published: April 2020

To address regional flooding in the United States, federal and state agencies are adopting strict drainage policies in any large-scale commercial development within the watershed boundary. The conventional approach of implementing a wet detention pond (WP) reduces the land cover and causes operation and maintenance challenges eventually. The present study developed a decision-support system (DSS) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas for optimal selection of Best Management Practices (BMPs) by substituting a portion of the WP footprint with three regionally promising low-impact development practices, namely, porous concrete pavement (PCP), bioretention (BR), and bioswale (BS). Source Load Assessment and Management Model for Windows (WinSLAMM) was used as the foundation for the DSS database and algorithm development. This tool suggested that the implementation of bioswale alone can considerably reduce the footprint and construction cost. Less than 0.95 ha of installation of BR and BS can mitigate 79–91% of runoff from a maximum of 5 ha of commercial development. A combination of BR, BS, and WP was found to reduce runoff significantly (~100%), which suggests that the successful adoption of DSS might support better planning of the urban stormwater management in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV).
Roller Compacted Concrete with Recycled Concrete Aggregate for Paving Bases
Authors: Fardin Hedelvan Emerson , Santos Adriana Goulart dos
Published: April 2020

This research aimed to investigate the mechanical and physical properties of Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) used with Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA) as a replacement for natural coarse aggregate. The maximum dry density method was adopted to prepare RCC mixtures with 200 kg/m³ of cement content and coarse natural aggregates in the concrete mixture. Four RCC mixtures were produced from different RCA incorporation ratios (0%, 5%, 15%, and 30%). The compaction test, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity, porosity, density, and water absorption tests were performed to analyze the mechanical and physical properties of the mixtures. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to identify the influences of RCA on RCC’s mechanical properties. As RCA increased in mixtures, some mechanical properties were observed to decrease, such as modulus of elasticity, but the same was not observed in the splitting tensile strength. All RCCs displayed compressive strength greater than 15.0 MPa at 28 days, splitting tensile strength above 1.9 MPa, flexural tensile strength above 2.9 MPa, and modulus of elasticity above 19.0 GPa. According to Brazilian standards, the RCA added to RCC could be used for base layers.
Bionomics of the African Apefly (Spalgis lemolea) as A Potential Natural Enemy of the Papaya Mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) in Tanzania
Authors: Nasari Sayuni P. , Treydte Anna C. , A. Ndakidemi Patrick , Mbega Ernest R.
Published: April 2020

The African apefly (Spalgis lemolea Druce) is a potential natural enemy of the papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink). We studied the life history of apeflies in the laboratory at a temperature of 25–27 °C and a relative humidity of 55%–65% under a 12 h photoperiod condition. The papaya mealybugs and apefly larvae were collected from papaya plants in Tengeru, Arusha, Tanzania. The papaya mealybugs were introduced and allowed to multiply on potted sprouting potato plants in screened cages. In order to study the life cycle and predation of apeflies, an apefly egg was placed on an open screen-covered petri dish containing a moist blotter paper and observed for larva emergence. After the apefly larva emergence, a mixture of mealybug eggs (up to 1500), nymphs (200–250) and adults (100–150) was introduced in the petri dish each day and the consumption rate by the apefly larvae was quantified until the larvae reached pupal stage. Then, the apefly adults were collected and put into cages 30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm containing cotton wool soaked in water, for observation of pre-mating, mating, egg-laying and life span. Results indicate that the apefly completed its life cycle in 23 days. The mean development period of the eggs was four days and the development period for the larva, pre-pupa, and pupa was nine, one and ten days respectively. The adult apefly emerged after 9 days of the pupa stage with mean body lengths of 10.1 ± 0.4 mm and 11.0 ± 0.8 mm for the males and females, respectively. The female laid an average of 68 eggs in groups of two to seven at different sites after 4–5 days of emergence. In this study one apefly larva was capable of consuming about 1983 ± 117, 123 ± 6 and 80 ± 9 papaya mealybug eggs, nymphs and adults respectively during larval stage. These results reveal the predatory potential of the apefly in suppressing the population of papaya mealybugs under field conditions.
Analysis of Deformation Characteristics of Foundation-Pit Excavation and Circular Wall
Authors: Gao Xuhe , Tian Wei-ping , Zhang Zhipei
Published: April 2020

The surrounding ground settlement and displacement control of an underground diaphragm wall during the excavation of a foundation pit are the main challenges for engineering safety. These factors are also an obstacle to the controllable and sustainable development of foundation-pit projects. In this study, monitoring data were analyzed to identify the deformation law and other characteristics of the support structure. A three-dimensional numerical simulation of the foundation-pit excavation process was performed in Midas/GTS NX. To overcome the theoretical shortcomings of parameter selection for finite-element simulation, a key data self-verification method was used. Results showed that the settlement of the surface surrounding the circular underground continuous wall was mainly affected by the depth of the foundation-pit excavation. In addition, wall deformation for each working condition showed linearity with clear staged characteristics. In particular, the deformation curve had obvious inflection points, most of which were located deeper than 2/3 of the overall excavation depth. The characteristics of the cantilever pile were not obvious in Working Conditions 3–9, but the distribution of the wall body offset in a D-shaped curve was evident. Deviation between the monitoring value of the maximal wall offset and the simulated value was only 4.31 %. The appropriate physical and mechanical parameters for key data self-verification were proposed. The concept of the circular-wall offset inflection point is proposed to determine the distribution of inflection-point positions and offset curves. The method provides new opportunities for the safety control and sustainable research of foundation-pit excavations.
Moving from Social and Sustainability Reporting to Integrated Reporting: Exploring the Potential of Italian Public-Funded Universities’ Reports
Authors: Mauro Sara Giovanna , Cinquini Lino , Simonini Elena , Tenucci Andrea
Published: April 2020

Over recent years, the meaning of accountability has evolved and has reshaped what public sector institutions are expected to account for and how. Consequently, a large number of initiatives have emerged promoting non-financial reporting. In this context, public universities have started to experiment with sustainability reporting initiatives, but these efforts are still limited and challenged by the parallel development of multiple forms of reporting, which include integrated reporting (IR). IR has been interpreted as a further step in the reporting journey, suitable for representing the creation of public value and addressing accountability pressures. The current research aims at understanding if and how IR constitutes a feasible next step for improving the reporting practices of public universities. For this purpose, the research carries out a content analysis of social or sustainability reports written by a number of Italian public universities to find out which of the key elements of IR have already been included in such reports. Results show that some of those elements are already included, but often in a fragmented and non-homogeneous way. The findings pave the way for further considerations on how the potential adoption of IR may strengthen the value of social and sustainability reporting by integrating the information reported in different documents, fostering toward a bureaucracy that is more sustainable and providing more opportunities of innovation in reports on public sector organizations’ accountability.
Optimal Pricing in Recycling and Remanufacturing in Uncertain Environments
Authors: Yan Guangzhou , Ni Yaodong , Yang Xiangfeng
Published: April 2020

With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, firms pay much more attention to the recycling and remanufacturing of used products. This paper addresses the problem of the optimal pricing in recycling and remanufacturing in uncertain environments. We consider two strategies of remanufacturing products, by which a recycled product can be repaired and sold as a second-hand product or dissembled into materials for production of new products according to its quality. As the market demand for products and the quantities of recycled products, such as fashion products and mobile phones, usually lack historical data, this paper adopts uncertainty theory to depict uncertainty in establishing the pricing model. An uncertain programming model and a series of crisp equivalent models are proposed under the assumptions of particular uncertainty distribution. Finally, numerical experiments are performed to show how various parameters influence the results of the proposed model.
A Novel Dynamic Multi-Criteria Decision Making Method Based on Generalized Dynamic Interval-Valued Neutrosophic Set
Authors: Thong Nguyen Tho , Smarandache Florentin , Hoa Nguyen Dinh , Son Le Hoang , Lan Luong Thi Hong , Giap Cu Nguyen , Son Dao The , Long Hoang Viet
Published: April 2020

Dynamic multi-criteria decision-making (DMCDM) models have many meaningful applications in real life in which solving indeterminacy of information in DMCDMs strengthens the potential application of DMCDM. This study introduces an extension of dynamic internal-valued neutrosophic sets namely generalized dynamic internal-valued neutrosophic sets. Based on this extension, we develop some operators and a TOPSIS method to deal with the change of both criteria, alternatives, and decision-makers by time. In addition, this study also applies the proposal model to a real application that facilitates ranking students according to attitude-skill-knowledge evaluation model. This application not only illustrates the correctness of the proposed model but also introduces its high potential appliance in the education domain.
The Casimir Densities for a Sphere in the Milne Universe
Authors: Saharian Aram A. , Petrosyan Tigran A.
Published: April 2020

The influence of a spherical boundary on the vacuum fluctuations of a massive scalar field is investigated in the background of a ( D + 1 ) -dimensional Milne universe, assuming that the field obeys Robin boundary conditions on the sphere. The normalized mode functions are derived for the regions inside and outside the sphere and different vacuum states are discussed. For the conformal vacuum, the Hadamard function is decomposed into boundary-free and sphere-induced contributions and an integral representation is obtained for the latter in both the interior and exterior regions. As important local characteristics of the vacuum state, the vacuum expectation values (VEVs) of the field squared and of the energy-momentum tensor are investigated. It is shown that the vacuum energy-momentum tensor has an off-diagonal component that corresponds to the energy flux along the radial direction. Depending on the coefficient in Robin boundary conditions, the sphere-induced contribution to the vacuum energy and the energy flux can be either positive or negative. At late stages of the expansion and for a massive field the decay of the sphere-induced VEVs, as functions of time, is damping oscillatory. The geometry under consideration is conformally related to that for a static spacetime with negative constant curvature space and the sphere-induced contributions in the corresponding VEVs are compared.
Predicting Virulence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense Based on the Production of Mycotoxin Using a Linear Regression Model
Authors: Shao Chuange , Xiang Dandan , Wei Hong , Liu Siwen , Yi Ganjun , Lyu Shuxia , Guo Li , Li Chunyu
Published: April 2020

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) is one of the most destructive diseases for banana. For their risk assessment and hazard characterization, it is vital to quickly determine the virulence of Foc isolates. However, this usually takes weeks or months using banana plant assays, which demands a better approach to speed up the process with reliable results. Foc produces various mycotoxins, such as fusaric acid (FSA), beauvericin (BEA), and enniatins (ENs) to facilitate their infection. In this study, we developed a linear regression model to predict Foc virulence using the production levels of the three mycotoxins. We collected data of 40 Foc isolates from 20 vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs), including their mycotoxin profiles (LC-MS) and their plant disease index (PDI) values on Pisang Awak plantlets in greenhouse. A linear regression model was trained from the collected data using FSA, BEA and ENs as predictor variables and PDI values as the response variable. Linearity test statistics showed this model meets all linearity assumptions. We used all data to predict PDI with high fitness of the model (coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.906) and adjust coefficient (R2adj = 0.898)) indicating a strong predictive power of the model. In summary, we developed a linear regression model useful for the prediction of Foc virulence on banana plants from the quantification of mycotoxins in Foc strains, which will facilitate quick determination of virulence in newly isolated Foc emerging Fusarium wilt of banana epidemics threatening banana plantations worldwide.
Hitchhiking with Nature: Snake Venom Peptides to Fight Cancer and Superbugs
Authors: Pérez-Peinado Clara , Defaus Sira , Andreu David
Published: April 2020

For decades, natural products in general and snake venoms (SV) in particular have been a rich source of bioactive compounds for drug discovery, and they remain a promising substrate for therapeutic development. Currently, a handful of SV-based drugs for diagnosis and treatment of various cardiovascular disorders and blood abnormalities are on the market. Likewise, far more SV compounds and their mimetics are under investigation today for diverse therapeutic applications, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria and cancer. In this review, we analyze the state of the art regarding SV-derived compounds with therapeutic potential, focusing on the development of antimicrobial and anticancer drugs. Specifically, information about SV peptides experimentally validated or predicted to act as antimicrobial and anticancer peptides (AMPs and ACPs, respectively) has been collected and analyzed. Their principal activities both in vitro and in vivo, structures, mechanisms of action, and attempts at sequence optimization are discussed in order to highlight their potential as drug leads.
High Throughput Screening of FDA-Approved Drug Library Reveals the Compounds that Promote IRF3-Mediated Pro-Apoptotic Pathway Inhibit Virus Replication
Authors: Glanz Anna , Chawla Karan , Fabry Stephanie , Subramanian Gayatri , Garcia Julie , Jay Bryanna , Ciricillo Jacob , Chakravarti Ritu , Taylor R. Travis , Chattopadhyay Saurabh
Published: April 2020

Interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) is the key transcription factor for the induction of IFN and antiviral genes. The absence of antiviral genes in IRF3 deficiency leads to susceptibility to a wide range of viral infections. Previously, we uncovered a function for nontranscriptional IRF3 (nt-IRF3), RLR (RIG-I-like receptor)-induced IRF3-mediated pathway of apoptosis (RIPA), which triggers apoptotic killing of virus-infected cells. Using knock-in mice expressing a transcriptionally inactive, but RIPA-active, IRF3 mutant, we demonstrated the relative contribution of RIPA to host antiviral defense. Given that RIPA is a cellular antiviral pathway, we hypothesized that small molecules that promote RIPA in virus-infected cells would act as antiviral agents. To test this, we conducted a high throughput screen of a library of FDA-approved drugs to identify novel RIPA activators. Our screen identified doxorubicin as a potent RIPA-activating agent. In support of our hypothesis, doxorubicin inhibited the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus, a model rhabdovirus, and its antiviral activity depended on its ability to activate IRF3 in RIPA. Surprisingly, doxorubicin inhibited the transcriptional activity of IRF3. The antiviral activity of doxorubicin was expanded to flavivirus and herpesvirus that also activate IRF3. Mechanistically, doxorubicin promoted RIPA by activating the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. Finally, we validated these results using another RIPA-activating compound, pyrvinium pamoate, which showed a similar antiviral effect without affecting the transcriptional activity of IRF3. Therefore, we demonstrate that the RIPA branch of IRF3 can be targeted therapeutically to prevent virus infection.
A Complex of Badnavirus Species Infecting Cacao Reveals Mixed Infections, Extensive Genomic Variability, and Interspecific Recombination
Authors: Ramos-Sobrinho Roberto , Chingandu Nomatter , A. Gutierrez Osman , Marelli Jean-Philippe , K. Brown Judith
Published: April 2020

The incidence of cacao swollen shoot disease (CSSD) in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) has increased in West Africa since ~2000. To investigate the genomic and species diversity of the CSSD-badnaviruses infecting cacao in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, symptomatic leaves were subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Among the 30 newly determined genomes, three badnaviruses were identified, Cacao swollen shoot Togo B virus (CSSTBV), Cacao swollen shoot CD virus, and Cacao swollen shoot CE virus (CSSCEV). The phylogenetic trees reconstructed for the reverse transcriptase (RT) and ribonuclease H (RNase H) sequences were incongruent with the complete viral genomes, which had the most robust statistical support. Recombination seems to be involved in the CSSD-badnavirus diversification. The genomic diversity varied among different CSSD-badnaviruses, with CSSTBV showing the lowest nucleotide diversity (π = 0.06236), and CSSCEV exhibiting the greatest variability (π = 0.21911). Evidence of strong purifying selection was found in the coding regions of the CSSTBV isolates.
RNA Binding Suppresses Tsg101 Recognition of Ub-Modified Gag and Facilitates Recruitment to the Plasma Membrane
Authors: Watanabe Susan M. , Strickland Madeleine , Tjandra Nico , Carter Carol A.
Published: April 2020

The ESCRT-I factor Tsg101 is essential for sorting endocytic cargo and is exploited by viral pathogens to facilitate egress from cells. Both the nucleocapsid (NC) domain and p6 domain in HIV-1 Gag contribute to recruitment of the protein. However, the role of NC is unclear when the P(S/T)AP motif in p6 is intact, as the motif recruits Tsg101 directly. The zinc fingers in NC bind RNA and membrane and are critical for budding. Tsg101 can substitute for the distal ZnF (ZnF2) and rescue budding of a mutant made defective by deletion of this element. Here, we report that the ubiquitin (Ub) E2 variant (UEV) domain in Tsg101 binds tRNA in vitro. We confirmed that Tsg101 can substitute for ZnF2 when provided at the viral assembly site as a chimeric Gag-Tsg101 protein (Gag-ΔZnF2-Tsg101) and rescue budding. The UEV was not required in this context; however, mutation of the RNA binding determinants in UEV prevented Tsg101 recruitment from the cell interior when Gag and Tsg101 were co-expressed. The same Tsg101 mutations increased recognition of Gag-Ub, suggesting that tRNA and Ub compete for binding sites. This study identifies a novel Tsg101 binding partner that may contribute to its function in recognition of Ub-modified cargo.
West Nile Virus Epidemic in Germany Triggered by Epizootic Emergence, 2019
Authors: Ziegler Ute , Santos Pauline Dianne , Groschup Martin H. , Hattendorf Carolin , Eiden Martin , Höper Dirk , Eisermann Philip , Keller Markus , Michel Friederike , Klopfleisch Robert , Müller Kerstin , Werner Doreen , Kampen Helge , Beer Martin , Frank Christina , Lachmann Raskit , Tews Birke Andrea , Wylezich Claudia , Rinder Monika , Lachmann Lars , Grünewald Thomas , Szentiks Claudia A. , Sieg Michael , Schmidt-Chanasit Jonas , Cadar Daniel , Lühken Renke
Published: April 2020

One year after the first autochthonous transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) to birds and horses in Germany, an epizootic emergence of WNV was again observed in 2019. The number of infected birds and horses was considerably higher compared to 2018 (12 birds, two horses), resulting in the observation of the first WNV epidemy in Germany: 76 cases in birds, 36 in horses and five confirmed mosquito-borne, autochthonous human cases. We demonstrated that Germany experienced several WNV introduction events and that strains of a distinct group (Eastern German WNV clade), which was introduced to Germany as a single introduction event, dominated mosquito, birds, horse and human-related virus variants in 2018 and 2019. Virus strains in this clade are characterized by a specific-Lys2114Arg mutation, which might lead to an increase in viral fitness. Extraordinary high temperatures in 2018/2019 allowed a low extrinsic incubation period (EIP), which drove the epizootic emergence and, in the end, most likely triggered the 2019 epidemic. Spatiotemporal EIP values correlated with the geographical WNV incidence. This study highlights the risk of a further spread in Germany in the next years with additional human WNV infections. Thus, surveillance of birds is essential to provide an early epidemic warning and thus, initiate targeted control measures.
Eliminating Cervical Cancer in Mali and Senegal, Two Sub-Saharan Countries: Insights and Optimizing Solutions
Authors: Haque Azizul , Kouriba Bourèma , Aïssatou N’diaye , Pant Anudeep
Published: April 2020

Background: The number of cases with cervical cancer is rapidly increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa driven by inadequate rates of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination and screening programs and accompanied by poor health delivery systems. There are other factors to contend with such as lack of awareness, social myths, reluctance to vaccine acceptance and stigma with sexually transmitted diseases. Here, we formulate strategies to implement intervention programs against HPV infections and other risk factors for cervical cancer in these countries. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and African Journals Online for this review. The current status of anti-HPV vaccination and precancerous screening programs in Mali and Senegal has been assessed by onsite visits. Collaborators from Mali and Senegal collected data and information concerning HPV vaccination and screening programs in these countries. Findings: We found that anti-HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening have been conducted sporadically mainly in urban areas of Mali and Senegal. No known population-based programs are in progress in either of the two countries. We highlighted the advantages and drawbacks of currently available screening tests and proposed that screening by visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) accompanied by self-sampling is the most cost-effective, culturally acceptable and most feasible strategy to implement in primary care settings. In addition, HPV DNA testing would be affordable, if local laboratory facilities could be established. We found that many of the factors that increase HPV acquisition and promote the oncogenic effect of the virus are largely widespread in both Senegal and Mali. These include infections with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), immunosuppression, polygamous marriages, high parity, early sexual activities, early pregnancies, and multiple sexual partners. Interpretation: Neither vaccines nor screening tests are within the reach of the population in Mali and Senegal because of the high cost. The effective intervention measure would be to integrate anti-HPV vaccines into the Extended Program for Immunization (EPI), which has saved 3 million young lives per year in Africa with the support of GAVI, to implement cost control mechanisms for HPV vaccinations via price negotiations with manufacturing companies, as has recently been done by Rwanda. The collective efforts by local governments, researchers, private sector, and donors may lead to the introduction of affordable screening tests. A robust awareness campaign coupled with sustained and regular engagement of local communities about the prevention and risk factors is extremely important. The projected solutions may be well applicable to other Sub-Saharan countries that face similar challenges containing cervical cancer.
The Design and Development of a Multi-HBV Antigen Encoded in Chimpanzee Adenoviral and Modified Vaccinia Ankara Viral Vectors; A Novel Therapeutic Vaccine Strategy against HBV
Authors: Chinnakannan Senthil K. , Cargill Tamsin N. , Donnison Timothy A. , Ansari M. Azim , Sebastian Sarah , Lee Lian Ni , Hutchings Claire , Klenerman Paul , Maini Mala K. , Evans Tom , Barnes Eleanor
Published: April 2020

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects 257 million people globally. Current therapies suppress HBV but viral rebound occurs on cessation of therapy; novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required. To develop a therapeutic HBV vaccine that can induce high magnitude T cells to all major HBV antigens, we have developed a novel HBV vaccine using chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAd) and modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) viral vectors encoding multiple HBV antigens. ChAd vaccine alone generated very high magnitude HBV specific T cell responses to all HBV major antigens. The inclusion of a shark Invariant (SIi) chain genetic adjuvant significantly enhanced the magnitude of T-cells against HBV antigens. Compared to ChAd alone vaccination, ChAd-prime followed by MVA-boost vaccination further enhanced the magnitude and breadth of the vaccine induced T cell response. Intra-cellular cytokine staining study showed that HBV specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were polyfunctional, producing combinations of IFNγ, TNF-α, and IL-2. In summary, we have generated genetically adjuvanted ChAd and MVA vectored HBV vaccines with the potential to induce high-magnitude T cell responses through a prime-boost therapeutic vaccination approach. These pre-clinical studies pave the way for new studies of HBV therapeutic vaccination in humans with chronic hepatitis B infection.
Vegetable Crops Grown under High Soil Water Availability in Mediterranean Greenhouses
Authors: Bonachela Santiago , González Alicia M. , Fernández María D. , Cabrera-Corral Francisco J.
Published: April 2020

The soil water availability of six vegetable crop cycles, irrigated with water of 0.4 dS m−1 electrical conductivity, was modified by varying the irrigation frequency in typical Mediterranean greenhouses at SE Spain. The soil matric water potential (SMP) in the middle of the loamy soil layer where most roots usually grow was maintained between −10 and −20 kPa (H), −20 and −30 kPa (C), and −30 and −50 kPa (L) for the crops grown under high, conventional and low soil water availability, respectively, while the total irrigation water applied was similar for the three treatments. The high soil water availability (H) did not improve the fresh weight of total, marketable and first class fruits, or the shoot biomass and partitioning. The irrigation frequency did not affect the total root biomass at the end of the autumn–winter cucumber, but the crop under L distributed its root biomass more homogenously throughout the soil profile than the crop under H. Regulating the soil water availability (maintaining the SMP higher than or close to the level at which crop water stress may occur) over the cycle as a function of crop conditions or farmers’ requirements appears to be a useful management practice for controlling soil root distribution or shoot partitioning.
Toward a Sustainable Decentralized Water Supply: Review of Adsorption Desorption Desalination (ADD) and Current Technologies: Saudi Arabia (SA) as a Case Study
Authors: Alnajdi Othman , Wu Yupeng , Kaiser Calautit John
Published: April 2020

Several regions are confronting a severe scarcity of fresh water due to the gap between supply and demand. They strive to bridge that gap by depleting nonrenewable water aquifers and expanding centralized energy-intensive desalination technologies. Continuing to adopt the same unsustainable approach could deplete the water aquifers and increase the consumption of fossil fuel and the ecological impact on air, water, and land. However, the traditional paradigm of centralized desalination systems could be shifted by increasing the utilization of renewable distributed generation, which can be coupled with emerging desalination technology such as adsorption desorption desalination (ADD), which has autonomous and resilient attributes that can contribute to the sustainability of decentralized fresh water supply in the future. In this work, three commercialized desalination technologies were reviewed and compared with emerging ones to explore the most economically and environmentally efficient systems within the context of decentralized water production. The well-known configurations of ADD were evaluated and compared with sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO), which is recognized as the principal commercialized desalination technology worldwide. The quantitative case study methodology was used by investigating four centralized seawater desalination plants in Saudi Arabia (SA) with their associated pipeline systems from the energy consumption point of view to determine the applicability of implementing ADD technology in SA and similar arid areas. The study reveals that adopting decentralized ADD technology coupled with renewable energy sources could reduce the specific energy consumption from 4 kWh/m3 to less than 1.38 kWh/m3. Combining reduced energy consumption from desalination plants and elimination of supply pipelines could potentially result in a significant reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions. Finally, the study may be useful for researchers working on enhancing ADD processes, as well as technology users who would like to implement the most efficient ADD configurations. Additionally, it may initiate a direction of utilizing the results of original critical reviews as a methodology to develop the applied technologies.
Impacts of Hydrological Processes on Stream Temperature in a Cold Region Watershed Based on the SWAT Equilibrium Temperature Model
Authors: Du Xinzhong , Goss Greg , Faramarzi Monireh
Published: April 2020

Variance in stream temperature from historical norms, which reflects the impacts from both hydrological and meteorological factors, is a significant indicator of the stream ecosystem health. Therefore, it is imperative to study the hydrological processes controlling stream temperature in the watershed. The impacts of hydrological processes on stream temperature in the cold region of Western Canada were investigated based on the previously developed Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) equilibrium temperature model. The model was calibrated and validated for streamflow and stream temperature based on the observations and a global parameter sensitivity analysis conducted to identify the most important hydrological process governing the stream temperature dynamics. The precipitation and air temperature lapse rates were found to be the most sensitive parameters controlling the stream temperature, followed by the parameters regulating the processes of soil water dynamics, surface runoff, and channel routing. Our analysis showed an inverse relationship between streamflow volume and stream temperature, and different runoff components have different impacts on temporal regimes of stream temperatures. This study elaborates on the response of the stream temperature to changes in hydrological processes at the watershed scale and indicates that hydrological processes should be taken into account for prediction of stream temperatures.
Use of Heavy Metal Content and Modified Water Quality Index to Assess Groundwater Quality in a Semiarid Area
Authors: Maskooni Ehsan , Naseri-Rad Mehran , Berndtsson Ronny , Nakagawa Kei
Published: April 2020

Groundwater is a major source of drinking and agricultural water supply in arid and semiarid regions. Poor groundwater quality can be a threat to human health especially when it is combined with hazardous pollutants like heavy metals. In this study, an innovative method involving entropy weighted groundwater quality index for both physicochemical and heavy metal content was used for a semiarid region. The entropy weighted index was used to assess the groundwater’s suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes. Thus, groundwater from 19 sampling sites was used for analyses of physicochemical properties (electrical conductivity—EC, pH, K+, Ca2+, Na+, SO42−, Cl−, HCO3−, TDS, NO3−, F−, biochemical oxygen demand—BOD, dissolved oxygen—DO, and chemical oxygen demand—COD) and heavy metal content (As, Ca, Sb, Se, Zn, Cu, Ba, Mn, and Cr). To evaluate the overall pollution status in the region, heavy metal indices such as the modified heavy metal pollution index (m-HPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), Nemerow index (NeI), and ecological risks of heavy metals (ERI) were calculated and compared. The results showed that Cd concentration plays a significant role in negatively affecting the groundwater quality. Thus, three wells were classified as poor water quality and not acceptable for drinking water supply. The maximum concentration of heavy metals such as Cd, Se, and Sb was higher than permissible limits by the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. However, all wells except one were suitable for agricultural purposes. The advantage of the innovative entropy weighted groundwater quality index for both physicochemical and heavy metal content, is that it permits objectivity when selecting the weights and reduces the error that may be caused by subjectivity. Thus, the new index can be used by groundwater managers and policymakers to better decide the water’s suitability for consumption.
Numerical Investigation of a High-Speed Electrical Submersible Pump with Different End Clearances
Authors: Zhou Ling , Wang Wanhong , Hang Jianwei , Shi Weidong , Yan Hao , Zhu Yong
Published: April 2020

The end clearance of the impeller is one of the most important structural parameters in the hydraulic design of a high-speed electrical submersible pump (ESP). In this paper, an ESP with a rotating speed of 6000 r/min was taken as the research object. Numerical calculations were carried out for five different end clearance conditions of 0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.9 mm, and 1.2 mm, respectively, to obtain the performance and internal flow field under different situation. The simulation results were verified by the pump performance experiment. It showed that the increase of the end clearance led to a decrease of the head and efficiency of the electrical submersible pump. Through the analysis of the internal flow field, it was found that the existence of the end clearance reduced the flow rate and caused free pre-whirl. With the increase of the end clearance, the phenomenon of de-flow in the diffuser passage was aggravated, which further reduced the performance of the electrical submersible pump. Finally, the reasonable recommended value of the end clearance was given, which facilitated the optimization design and engineering application of the high-speed ESP.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) Production: A Feasible Economic Option for the Treatment of Sewage Sludge in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants?
Authors: Crutchik Dafne , Franchi Oscar , Caminos Luis , Jeison David , Belmonte Marisol , Pedrouso Alba , Val del Rio Angeles , Mosquera-Corral Anuska , Campos José Luis
Published: April 2020

Sludge is a by-product of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and its management contributes significantly to the operating costs. Large WWTPs usually have anaerobic sludge digesters to valorize sludge as methane and to reduce its mass. However, the low methane market price opens the possibility for generating other high value-added products from the organic matter in sludge, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). In this work, the economic feasibility of retrofitting two types of WWTPs to convert them into biofactories of crude PHAs was studied. Two cases were analyzed: (a) a large WWTP with anaerobic sludge digestion; and (b) a small WWTP where sludge is only dewatered. In a two-stage PHA-production system (biomass enrichment plus PHAs accumulation), the minimum PHAs cost would be 1.26 and 2.26 US$/kg PHA-crude for the large and small WWTPs, respectively. In a single-stage process, where a fraction of the secondary sludge (25%) is directly used to accumulate PHAs, the production costs would decrease by around 15.9% (small WWTPs) and 19.0% (large WWTPs), since capital costs associated with bioreactors decrease. Sensitivity analysis showed that the PHA/COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) yield is the most crucial parameter affecting the production costs. The energy, methane, and sludge management prices also have an essential effect on the production costs, and their effect depends on the WWTP’s size.
Spatial Diagnosis of Rain Gauges’ Distribution and Flood Impacts: Case Study in Itaperuna, Rio de Janeiro—Brazil
Authors: Campos Priscila Celebrini de Oliveira , Paz Igor
Published: April 2020

The global increase of urban areas highlights the need to improve their adaptation to extreme weather events, in particular heavy rainfall. This study analyzes the impacts of in-situ rain gauges’ distribution (by applying the fractal dimension concept) associated with a spatial diagnosis of flood occurrences in the municipality of Itaperuna, Rio de Janeiro–Brazil, performing an investigation of flood susceptibility maps based on transitory (considering precipitation) and on permanent factors (natural flood susceptibility). The fractal analysis results pointed out that the rain gauges’ distribution presented a scaling break behavior with a low fractal dimension ( 0.416 ) at the small-scale range, highlighting the incapacity of the local instrumentation to capture the spatial rainfall variability. Thereafter, the cross-tabulation method was used to validate both predictive maps with recorded data of the major January 2020 event, which indicated that the transitory factors’ flood map presented an unsatisfactory Probability of Detection of floods ( P O D = 0.552 ) when compared to the permanent factors’ map ( P O D = 0.944 ) . These issues allowed to consider the hydrological uncertainties associated with the sparse gauge network distribution and its impacts on the use of flood susceptibility maps. Such methodology enables the evaluation of other municipalities and regions, constituting essential information in aid of territorial management.
Uncertainty in Irrigation Return Flow Estimation: Comparing Conceptual and Physically-Based Parameterization Approaches
Authors: Song Jung-Hun , Her Younggu , Hwang Soonho , Kang Moon-Seong
Published: April 2020

Irrigation return flow (RF) is a critical component of the water cycle in an agricultural watershed, influencing the flow regime of downstream river. As such, it should be accurately quantified when developing water resources management plans and practices. Although many studies have proposed ways to quantify RF, uncertainty in RF estimates has not been determined to improve reliability and credibility. This study examines how conceptual (CON) and physically-based (PHY) parameterization approaches affect RF uncertainty. Results showed that PHY had a smaller amount of RF uncertainty compared to CON, as parameters of the PHY approach could be regulated based on their physical meanings. This study also found that the application of constraints created based on the relationship between the conceptual parameter and physical characteristics of irrigated plots could effectively reduce RF uncertainty made using the CON approach. This study demonstrates the benefits of the physically-based parameterization approach and the application of constraints on conceptual parameters to RF estimation.