bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Nexus of Energy Burden, Social Capital, and Environmental Quality in Shaping Health in US Counties
Authors: Reames Tony G. , Daley Dorothy M. , Pierce John C.
Published: January 2021

The United States spends more on health care than any other OECD country, yet the nation’s health is declining. Recent research has identified multiple sources for this decline, including one’s position in social and economic structures, environmental quality, and individual and collective social capital. This paper assesses the primary hypotheses that the health effects of household energy burden, social capital and environmental quality on aggregated community health levels remain while controlling for other determinants. The analysis moves beyond prior research by integrating multiple secondary data sources to assess those effects across US counties. Three indicators of public health are analyzed (premature mortality, self-reported health, and life expectancy). The county-level energy burden is measured by the percent of household income spent on housing energy bills for low- and moderate-income households. In addition to energy burden, social capital, environmental quality and other determinants are included in the analysis. The results produced by multivariate regression models support the primary hypotheses, even while a number of control variables also have a significant effect on health. The paper concludes that public health is associated with a complex nexus of factors, including environmental quality and social capital, and that energy burden needs to be among the considerations.
Predictors of New Dementia Diagnoses in Elderly Individuals: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Prefecture-Wide Claims Data in Japan
Authors: Nakaoku Yuriko , Takahashi Yoshimitsu , Tominari Shinjiro , Nakayama Takeo
Published: January 2021

Preventing dementia in elderly individuals is an important public health challenge. While early identification and modification of predictors are crucial, predictors of dementia based on routinely collected healthcare data are not fully understood. We aimed to examine potential predictors of dementia diagnosis using routinely collected claims data. In this retrospective cohort study, claims data from fiscal years 2012 (baseline) and 2016 (follow-up), recorded in an administrative claims database of the medical care system for the elderly (75 years or older) in Niigata prefecture, Japan, were used. Data on baseline characteristics including age, sex, diagnosis, and prescriptions were collected, and the relationship between subsequent new diagnoses of dementia and potential predictors was examined using multivariable logistic regression models. A total of 226,738 people without a diagnosis of dementia at baseline were followed. Of these, 26,092 incident dementia cases were detected during the study period. After adjusting for confounding factors, cerebrovascular disease (odds ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.18), depression (1.38; 1.31–1.44), antipsychotic use (1.40; 1.31–1.49), and hypnotic use (1.17; 1.11–1.24) were significantly associated with subsequent diagnosis of dementia. Analyses of routinely collected claims data revealed neuropsychiatric symptoms including depression, antipsychotic use, hypnotic use, and cerebrovascular disease to be predictors of new dementia diagnoses.
The Quality of Infectious Disease Hospital Websites in Poland in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Król Karol , Zdonek Dariusz
Published: January 2021

The quality of healthcare service websites gains particular importance in the time of the pandemic, asthe popularity of electronic services grows. This applies to infectious disease hospitals as well, often on the front line of the effort against COVID-19. The paper aims to assess the quality of infectious disease hospital websites in Poland in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research covered 91 websites. The first stage was an analysis of selected technical attributes of the websites (including website performance, SEO quality, website availability, and mobile-friendliness) with selected online tools, such as Google PageSpeed Insights, Blink Audit Tool, Backlink Checker, andwebsite accessibility evaluation tool (WAVE). The data were then analyzed with statistical methods. The next step was to analyze the content of the websites. The research has shown that most of the websites were of satisfactory quality, apart from those that were not mobile-ready. The following keywords were found most often on the hospital websites: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, smear, specialist care clinic, isolation, telephone consultations, sample collection center, support, coronavirus, recommendations, patient registration, signs of disease. The research suggests that the quality of infectious disease hospital websites in Poland is significantly diversified in search engine optimization, mobile-friendliness, and needs of people at risk of digital exclusion.
Digital Memory in the Post-Witness Era: How Holocaust Museums Use Social Media as New Memory Ecologies
Authors: Manca Stefania
Published: January 2021

With the passing of the last testimonies, Holocaust remembrance and Holocaust education progressively rely on digital technologies to engage people in immersive, simulative, and even counterfactual memories of the Holocaust. This preliminary study investigates how three prominent Holocaust museums use social media to enhance the general public’s knowledge and understanding of historical and remembrance events. A mixed-method approach based on a combination of social media analytics and latent semantic analysis was used to investigate the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube profiles of Yad Vashem, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Auschwitz–Birkenau Memorial and Museum. This social media analysis adopted a combination of metrics and was focused on how these social media profiles engage the public at both the page-content and relational levels, while their communication strategies were analysed in terms of generated content, interactivity, and popularity. Latent semantic analysis was used to analyse the most frequently used hashtags and words to investigate what topics and phrases appear most often in the content posted by the three museums. Overall, the results show that the three organisations are more active on Twitter than on Facebook and Instagram, with the Auschwitz–Birkenau Museum and Memorial occupying a prominent position in Twitter discourse while Yad Vashem and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum had stronger presences on YouTube. Although the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum exhibits some interactivity with its Facebook fan community, there is a general tendency to use social media as a one-way broadcast mode of communication. Finally, the analysis of terms and hashtags revealed the centrality of “Auschwitz” as a broad topic of Holocaust discourse, overshadowing other topics, especially those related to recent events.
Imaging Meets Cytometry: Analyzing Heterogeneous Functional Microscopic Data from Living Cell Populations
Authors: Draper Matthew , Willems Mara , Malahe Reshwan K. , Hamilton Alexander , Tarasov Andrei I.
Published: January 2021

Biological tissue consists of populations of cells exhibiting different responses to pharmacological stimuli. To probe the heterogeneity of cell function, we propose a multiplexed approach based on real‐time imaging of the secondary messenger levels within each cell of the tissue, followed by extraction of the changes of single‐cell fluorescence over time. By utilizing a piecewise baseline correction, we were able to quantify the effects of multiple pharmacological stimuli added and removed sequentially to pancreatic islets of Langerhans, thereby performing a deep functional profiling for each cell within the islet. Cluster analysis based on the functional profile demonstrated dose‐dependent changes in statistical inter‐relationships between islet cell populations. We therefore believe that the functional cytometric approach can be used for routine quantitative profiling of the tissue for drug screening or pathological testing.
Paving the Way toward Personalized Medicine: Current Advances and Challenges in Multi-OMICS Approach in Autism Spectrum Disorder for Biomarkers Discovery and Patient Stratification
Authors: Mesleh Areej G. , Abdulla Sara A. , El-Agnaf Omar
Published: January 2021

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in two main areas: social/communication skills and repetitive behavioral patterns. The prevalence of ASD has increased in the past two decades, however, it is not known whether the evident rise in ASD prevalence is due to changes in diagnostic criteria or an actual increase in ASD cases. Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of ASD, symptoms vary in severity and may be accompanied by comorbidities such as epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Identifying biomarkers of ASD is not only crucial to understanding the biological characteristics of the disorder, but also as a detection tool for its early screening. Hence, this review gives an insight into the main areas of ASD biomarker research that show promising findings. Finally, it covers success stories that highlight the importance of precision medicine and the current challenges in ASD biomarker discovery studies.
Scanning Accuracy of Bracket Features and Slot Base Angle in Different Bracket Materials by Four Intraoral Scanners: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Shin Seon-Hee , Yu Hyung-Seog , Cha Jung-Yul , Kwon Jae-Sung , Hwang Chung-Ju
Published: January 2021

The accurate expression of bracket prescription is important for successful orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of digital scan images of brackets produced by four intraoral scanners (IOSs) when scanning the surface of the dental model attached with different bracket materials. Brackets made from stainless steel, polycrystalline alumina, composite, and composite/stainless steel slot were considered, which have been scanned from four different IOSs (Primescan, Trios, CS3600, and i500). SEM images were used as references. Each bracket axis was set in the reference scan image, and the axis was set identically by superimposing with the IOS image, and then only the brackets were divided and analyzed. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the differences. The difference between the manufacturer’s nominal torque and bracket slot base angle was 0.39 in SEM, 1.96 in Primescan, 2.04 in Trios, and 5.21 in CS3600 (p < 0.001). The parallelism, which is the difference between the upper and lower angles of the slot wall, was 0.48 in SEM, 7.00 in Primescan, 5.52 in Trios, 6.34 in CS3600, and 23.74 in i500 (p < 0.001). This study evaluated the accuracy of the bracket only, and it must be admitted that there is some error in recognizing slots through scanning in general.
Aboodh Transform Iterative Method for Spatial Diffusion of a Biological Population with Fractional-Order
Authors: Ojo Gbenga O. , Mahmudov Nazim I.
Published: January 2021

In this paper, a new approximate analytical method is proposed for solving the fractional biological population model, the fractional derivative is described in the Caputo sense. This method is based upon the Aboodh transform method and the new iterative method, the Aboodh transform is a modification of the Laplace transform. Illustrative cases are considered and the comparison between exact solutions and numerical solutions are considered for different values of alpha. Furthermore, the surface plots are provided in order to understand the effect of the fractional order. The advantage of this method is that it is efficient, precise, and easy to implement with less computational effort.
Effects of Side Flushing and Multi-Aperture Inner Flushing on Characteristics of Electrical Discharge Machining Macro Deep Holes
Authors: Chuvaree Suppawat , Kanlayasiri Kannachai
Published: January 2021

This research investigates the effect of machining parameters on material removal rate, electrode wear ratio, and gap clearance of macro deep holes with a depth-to-diameter ratio over four. The experiments were carried out using electrical discharge machining with side flushing and multi-aperture flushing to improve the machining performance and surface integrity. The machining parameters were pulse on-time, pulse off-time, current, and electrode rotation. Response surface methodology and the desirability function were used to optimize the electrical discharge machining parameters. The results showed that pulse on-time, current, and electrode rotation were positively correlated with the material removal rate. The electrode wear ratio was inversely correlated with pulse on-time and electrode rotation but positively correlated with current. Gap clearance was positively correlated with pulse on-time but inversely correlated with pulse off-time, current, and electrode rotation. The optimal machining condition of electrical discharge machining with side flushing was 100 µs pulse on-time, 20 µs pulse off-time, 15 A current, and 70 rpm electrode rotation; and that of electrical discharge machining with multi-aperture flushing was 130 µs, 2 µs, 15 A, and 70 rpm. The novelty of this research lies in the use of multi-aperture flushing to improve the machining performance, enable a more uniform GC profile, and minimize the incidence of recast layer.
Not Just Transporters: Alternative Functions of ABC Transporters in Bacillus subtilis and Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Rismondo Jeanine , Schulz Lisa Maria
Published: January 2021

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are usually involved in the translocation of their cognate substrates, which is driven by ATP hydrolysis. Typically, these transporters are required for the import or export of a wide range of substrates such as sugars, ions and complex organic molecules. ABC exporters can also be involved in the export of toxic compounds such as antibiotics. However, recent studies revealed alternative detoxification mechanisms of ABC transporters. For instance, the ABC transporter BceAB of Bacillus subtilis seems to confer resistance to bacitracin via target protection. In addition, several transporters with functions other than substrate export or import have been identified in the past. Here, we provide an overview of recent findings on ABC transporters of the Gram-positive organisms B. subtilis and Listeria monocytogenes with transport or regulatory functions affecting antibiotic resistance, cell wall biosynthesis, cell division and sporulation.
Molecular Methods for the Detection of Toxoplasma gondii Oocysts in Fresh Produce: An Extensive Review
Authors: Slana Iva , Bier Nadja , Bartosova Barbora , Marucci Gianluca , Possenti Alessia , Mayer-Scholl Anne , Jokelainen Pikka , Lalle Marco
Published: January 2021

Human infection with the important zoonotic foodborne pathogen Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with unwashed raw fresh produce consumption. The lack of a standardised detection method limits the estimation of fresh produce as an infection source. To support method development and standardisation, an extensive literature review and a multi-attribute assessment were performed to analyse the key aspects of published methods for the detection of T. gondii oocyst contamination in fresh produce. Seventy-seven published studies were included, with 14 focusing on fresh produce. Information gathered from expert laboratories via an online questionnaire were also included. Our findings show that procedures for oocyst recovery from fresh produce mostly involved sample washing and pelleting of the washing eluate by centrifugation, although washing procedures and buffers varied. DNA extraction procedures including mechanical or thermal shocks were identified as necessary steps to break the robust oocyst wall. The most suitable DNA detection protocols rely on qPCR, mostly targeting the B1 gene or the 529 bp repetitive element. When reported, validation data for the different detection methods were not comparable and none of the methods were supported by an interlaboratory comparative study. The results of this review will pave the way for an ongoing development of a widely applicable standard operating procedure.
Provenance and Sedimentary Context of Clay Mineralogy in an Evolving Forearc Basin, Upper Cretaceous-Paleogene and Eocene Mudstones, San Joaquin Valley, California
Authors: Hurst Andrew , Wilson Michael , Grippa Antonio , Wilson Lyudmyla , Palladino Giuseppe , Belviso Claudia , Cavalcante Francesco
Published: January 2021

Mudstone samples from the Moreno (Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene) and Kreyenhagen (Eocene) formations are analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to determine their mineralogy. Smectite (Reichweite R0) is the predominant phyllosilicate present, 48% to 71.7% bulk rock mineralogy (excluding carbonate cemented and highly bio siliceous samples) and 70% to 98% of the <2 μm clay fraction. Opal CT and less so cristobalite concentrations cause the main deviations from smectite dominance. Opal A is common only in the Upper Kreyenhagen. In the <2 μm fraction, the Moreno Fm is significantly more smectite-rich than the Kreyenhagen Fm. Smectite in the Moreno Fm was derived from the alteration of volcaniclastic debris from contemporaneous rhyolitic-dacitic magmatic arc volcanism. No tuff is preserved. Smectite in the Kreyenhagen Fm was derived from intense sub-tropical weathering of granitoid-dioritic terrane during the hypothermal period in the early to mid-Eocene; the derivation from local volcanism is unlikely. All samples had chemical indices of alteration (CIA) indicative of intense weathering of source terrane. Ferriferous enrichment and the occurrence of locally common kaolinite are contributory evidence for the intensity of weathering. Low concentration (max. 7.5%) of clinoptilolite in the Lower Kreyenhagen is possibly indicative of more open marine conditions than in the Upper Kreyenhagen. There is no evidence of volumetrically significant silicate diagenesis. The main diagenetic mineralisation is restricted to low-temperature silica phase transitions.
Multibeam Bathymetry and Distribution of Clay Minerals on Surface Sediments of a Small Bay in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica
Authors: Jung Jaewoo , Ko Youngtak , Lee Joohan , Yang Kiho , Park Young Kyu , Kim Sunghan , Moon Heungsoo , Kim Hyoung Jun , Yoo Kyu-Cheul
Published: January 2021

The second Antarctic station of South Korea was constructed at Terra Nova Bay, East Antarctica, but local seafloor morphology and clay mineralogical characteristics are still not fully understood. Its small bay is connected to a modern Campbell Glacier, cliffs, and raised beaches along the coastline. Fourteen sampling sites to collect surface sediments were chosen in the small bay for grain size and clay mineral analyses to study the sediment source and sediment-transport process with multibeam bathymetry and sub-bottom profiles. Under the dominant erosional features (streamlined feature and meltwater channel), icebergs are the major geological agent for transport and deposition of coarse-sized sediments along the edge of glaciers in summer, and thus the study area can reveal the trajectory of transport by icebergs. Glacier meltwater is an important agent to deposit the clay-sized detritus and it results from the dominance of the illite content occurring along the edge of Campbell Glacier Tongue. The high smectite content compared to Antarctic sediments may be a result of the source of the surrounding volcanic rocks around within the Melbourne Volcanic Province.
Relationship between Uranium Minerals and Pyrite and Its Genetic Significance in the Mianhuakeng Deposit, Northern Guangdong Province
Authors: Li Lirong , Wang Zhengqi , Xu Deru
Published: January 2021

Granite-related uranium ore is an important uranium resource type in China and worldwide. Whether the uranium geochemical theory “U6+ oxidative migration and U4+ reductive precipitation” is applicable to the granite-related uranium mineralization theory has not been determined. Detailed field and petrographic work, as well as scanning electron microscopy energy spectrum analysis, are conducted in this study to analyze the relationship between uranium minerals and pyrite from different ore types and evaluate the mechanism for the precipitation and enrichment of uranium in the Mianhuakeng uranium deposit of northern Guangdong. Uranium ore bodies in the Mianhuakeng deposit generally occur as vein-filling or vein-disseminated types. Four different kinds of ores are recognized: fluorite, carbonate, siliceous, and reddening types. Despite differences in the mineral assemblages, veined ores share similar characteristics and show that uranium minerals (1) occur in the central part or periphery of vein-filling ores or in interphase arrangements with syn-ore fluorite, quartz, or calcite veins; (2) occur as veinlets or are disseminated in cataclastic altered granite; (3) are inlaid with gangue minerals, primarily calcite, fluorite, and microcrystalline quartz; and (4) are closely associated with pyrite in aggregates or relatively independent states, forming straight boundaries with syn-ore gangue minerals that have euhedral and intact crystals and show mosaic growth features. All these results indicate that both pyrite and uranium minerals are co-crystallized products of the ore-forming fluid. Combined with previous research suggesting that the reducing fluid was sourced from mantle, this study shows that decreased pressure and temperature, as well as changes in pH and the solubility (saturation) of changes, rather than the redox reaction, caused the uranium precipitation in the Mianhuakeng deposit.
Genomic Analysis of a Newly Isolated Acidithiobacillus ferridurans JAGS Strain Reveals Its Adaptation to Acid Mine Drainage
Authors: Chen Jinjin , Liu Yilan , Diep Patrick , Mahadevan Radhakrishnan
Published: January 2021

Acidithiobacillus ferridurans JAGS is a newly isolated acidophile from an acid mine drainage (AMD). The genome of isolate JAGS was sequenced and compared with eight other published genomes of Acidithiobacillus. The pairwise mutation distance (Mash) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) revealed that isolate JAGS had a close evolutionary relationship with A. ferridurans JCM18981, but whole-genome alignment showed that it had higher similarity in genomic structure with A. ferrooxidans species. Pan-genome analysis revealed that nine genomes were comprised of 4601 protein coding sequences, of which 43% were core genes (1982) and 23% were unique genes (1064). A. ferridurans species had more unique genes (205–246) than A. ferrooxidans species (21–234). Functional gene categorizations showed that A. ferridurans strains had a higher portion of genes involved in energy production and conversion while A. ferrooxidans had more for inorganic ion transport and metabolism. A high abundance of kdp, mer and ars genes, as well as mobile genetic elements, was found in isolate JAGS, which might contribute to its resistance to harsh environments. These findings expand our understanding of the evolutionary adaptation of Acidithiobacillus and indicate that A. ferridurans JAGS is a promising candidate for biomining and AMD biotreatment applications.
CuS/rGO-PEG Nanocomposites for Photothermal Bonding of PMMA-Based Plastic Lab-on-a-Chip
Authors: Kim Young Jae , Lim Jae Hyun , Lee Jong Min , Choi Ji Wook , Choi Hyung Woo , Seo Won Ho , Lee Kyoung G. , Lee Seok Jae , Chung Bong Geun
Published: January 2021

We developed copper sulfide (CuS)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) nanocomposites for photothermal bonding of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-based plastic lab-on-a-chip. The noncontact photothermal bonding of PMMA-based plastic labs-on-chip plays an important role in improving the stability and adhesion at a high-temperature as well as minimizing the solution leakage from microchannels when connecting two microfluidic devices. The CuS/rGO-PEG nanocomposites were used to bond a PMMA-based plastic lab-on-a-chip in a short time with a high photothermal effect by a near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. After the thermal bonding process, a gap was not generated in the PMMA-based plastic lab-on-a-chip due to the low viscosity and density of the CuS/rGO-PEG nanocomposites. We also evaluated the physical and mechanical properties after the thermal bonding process, showing that there was no solution leakage in PMMA-based plastic lab-on-a-chip during polymerase chain reaction (PCR) thermal cycles. Therefore, the CuS/rGO-PEG nanocomposite could be a potentially useful nanomaterial for non-contact photothermal bonding between the interfaces of plastic module lab-on-a-chip.
Curcumin, Quercetin, Catechins and Metabolic Diseases: The Role of Gut Microbiota
Authors: Shabbir Umair , Rubab Momna , Daliri Eric Banan-Mwine , Chelliah Ramachandran , Javed Ahsan , Oh Deog-Hwan
Published: January 2021

Polyphenols (PPs) are the naturally occurring bioactive components in fruits and vegetables, and they are the most abundant antioxidant in the human diet. Studies are suggesting that ingestion of PPs might be helpful to ameliorate metabolic syndromes that may contribute in the prevention of several chronic disorders like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and colon cancer. PPs have structural diversity which impacts their bioavailability as they accumulate in the large intestine and are extensively metabolized through gut microbiota (GM). Intestinal microbiota transforms PPs into their metabolites to make them bioactive. Interestingly, not only GM act on PPs to metabolize them but PPs also modulate the composition of GM. Thus, change in GM from pathogenic to beneficial ones may be helpful to ameliorate gut health and associated diseases. However, to overcome the low bioavailability of PPs, various approaches have been developed to improve their solubility and transportation through the gut. In this review, we present evidence supporting the structural changes that occur after metabolic reactions in PPs (curcumin, quercetin, and catechins) and their effect on GM composition that leads to improving overall gut health and helping to ameliorate metabolic disorders.
Pharmacokinetic—Pharmacodynamic Modeling of Tumor Targeted Drug Delivery Using Nano-Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Cheng Shen , Nethi Susheel Kumar , Al-Kofahi Mahmoud , Prabha Swayam
Published: January 2021

Nano-engineered mesenchymal stem cells (nano-MSCs) are promising targeted drug delivery platforms for treating solid tumors. MSCs engineered with paclitaxel (PTX) loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) are efficacious in treating lung and ovarian tumors in mouse models. The quantitative description of pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of nano-MSCs is crucial for optimizing their therapeutic efficacy and clinical translatability. However, successful translation of nano-MSCs is challenging due to their complex composition and physiological mechanisms regulating their pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship (PK–PD). Therefore, in this study, a mechanism-based preclinical PK–PD model was developed to characterize the PK–PD relationship of nano-MSCs in orthotopic A549 human lung tumors in SCID Beige mice. The developed model leveraged literature information on diffusivity and permeability of PTX and PLGA NPs, PTX release from PLGA NPs, exocytosis of NPs from MSCs as well as PK and PD profiles of nano-MSCs from previous in vitro and in vivo studies. The developed PK–PD model closely captured the reported tumor growth in animals receiving no treatment, PTX solution, PTX-PLGA NPs and nano-MSCs. Model simulations suggest that increasing the dosage of nano-MSCs and/or reducing the rate of PTX-PLGA NPs exocytosis from MSCs could result in improved anti-tumor efficacy in preclinical settings.
Development of Polypropylene/Polyethylene Terephthalate Microfibrillar Composites Filament to Support Waste Management
Authors: Almajid Abdulhakim , Walter Rolf , Kroos Tim , Junaidi Harry , Gurka Martin , Abdelrazek Khalil Khalil
Published: January 2021

The concept of microfibrillar composites (MFCs) is adopted to produce composites of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) materials. The two polymers were dry mixed with PET content ranging from 22 to 45 wt%. The PET has been used as a reinforcement to improve the mechanical properties of composites. The relationship between the morphology of the MFC structure and the mechanical behavior of the MFC filament was investigated. Analysis of the structure and mechanical behavior helped to understand the influence of the stretching ratio, extruder-melt temperature, stretching-chamber temperature, and filament speed.
Removal of Cadmium and Chromium by Mixture of Silver Nanoparticles and Nano-Fibrillated Cellulose Isolated from Waste Peels of Citrus Sinensis
Authors: Tavker Neha , Yadav Virendra Kumar , Yadav Krishna Kumar , Cabral-Pinto Marina MS , Alam Javed , Shukla Arun Kumar , Ali Fekri Abdulraqeb Ahmed , Alhoshan Mansour
Published: January 2021

Nano-fibrillated cellulose (NFC) was extracted by a chemical method involving alkali and acid hydrolysis. The characterisation of the citrus sinensis fruit peel bran and nano-fibrillated cellulose was performed by XRD, FTIR, TEM, and FESEM. XRD confirmed the phase of NFC which showed monoclinic crystal with spherical to rod shape morphology with a size of 44–50 nm. The crystallinity index of treated NFC increased from 39% to 75%. FTIR showed the removal of lignin and hemicellulose from waste peels due to the alkaline treatment. Silver nanoparticles were also synthesised by utilizing extract of citrus sinensis skins as a reducing agent. Pharmaceutical effluent samples from an industrial area were tested by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Out of the four metals obtained, cadmium and chromium were remediated by silver nanoparticles with nano-fibrillated cellulose via simulated method in 100 mg/L metal-salt concentrations over a time period of 160 min. The highest removal efficiency was found for cadmium, i.e., 83%, by using silver and NFC together as adsorbents. The second highest was for chromium, i.e., 47%, but by using only NFC. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were well fitted for the sorption of Cd (II) and Cr (II) with suitable high R2 values during kinetic simulation. Thus, the isolation of NFC and synthesis of silver nanoparticles proved efficient for heavy metal sorption by the reuse of waste skins.
Effect of Ink and Pretreatment Conditions on Bioethanol and Biomethane Yields from Waste Banknote Paper
Authors: Aghmashhadi Omid Yazdani , Rocha-Meneses Lisandra , Bonturi Nemailla , Orupõld Kaja , Asadpour Ghasem , Garmaroody Esmaeil Rasooly , Zabihzadeh Majid , Kikas Timo
Published: January 2021

Waste banknote paper is a residue from the banking industry that cannot be recycled due to the presence of ink, microbial load and special coating that provides protection against humidity. As a result, waste banknote paper ends up being burned or buried, which brings environmental impacts, mainly caused by the presence of heavy metals in its composition. To minimize the environmental impacts that come from the disposal of waste banknote paper, this study proposes to produce value-added products (bioethanol and biogas) from waste banknote paper. For this, the effect of ink and pretreatment conditions on bioethanol and biomethane yields were analyzed. Waste banknote paper provided by the Central Bank of Iran was used. The raw material with ink (WPB) and without ink (WPD) was pretreated using sulfuric acid at different concentrations (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and the nitrogen explosive decompression (NED) at different temperatures (150 °C, 170 °C, 190 °C, and 200 °C). The results show that the use of NED pretreatment in WPD resulted in the highest glucose concentration of all studies (13 ± 0.19 g/L). The acid pretreatment for WPB showed a correlation with the acid concentration. The highest ethanol concentration was obtained from the fermentation using WPD pretreated with NED (6.36 ± 0.72 g/L). The maximum methane yields varied between 136 ± 5 mol/kg TS (2% acid WPB) and 294 ± 4 mol/kg TS (3% acid WPD). Our results show that the presence of ink reduces bioethanol and biogas yields and that the chemical-free NED pretreatment is more advantageous for bioethanol and biogas production than the acid pretreatment method. Waste banknote paper without ink is a suitable feedstock for sustainable biorefinery processes.
Mapping Instructional Barriers during COVID-19 Outbreak: Islamic Education Context
Authors: Habibi Akhmad , Mukminin Amirul , Yaqin Lalu Nurul , Parhanuddin Lalu , Razak Rafiza Abdul , Nazry Nor Nazrina Mohamad , Taridi Muhamad , Karomi Karomi , Fathurrijal Fathurrijal
Published: January 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently the most potent threat to educational systems, a crisis that may become disastrous. For the current study, a qualitative design within a case study tradition was implemented to investigate instructional barriers during COVID-19 faced by Indonesian teachers in Islamic boarding schools (Pesantren). Within this study, we applied a purposeful convenient sampling in which the access was obtained through communication with the principals of two Pesantren. Seven invited participants with more than ten years of teaching experience agreed to participate. Semi-structured interviews were addressed for data collection; each interview lasted from 40 to 50 min. The interviews were conducted in the participants’ mother tongue to provide an in-depth understanding of their perceptions, ideas, and arguments regarding instructional barriers during the COVID-19 outbreak. The thematic analysis revealed three major findings regarding the barriers; technological barriers, financial barriers, and pedagogical barriers affecting instructional activities in the two Pesantren. Based on the three themes, the development of a qualitative conceptual map of teachers’ instructional barriers was finalized. Recommendations are also proposed by the participants and the study for the betterment of Indonesian Islamic education facing future similar outbreaks.
Are Sports Bettors Biased toward Longshots, Favorites, or Both? A Literature Review
Authors: Newall Philip W. S. , Cortis Dominic
Published: January 2021

A large body of literature on the favorite–longshot bias finds that sports bettors in a variety of markets appear to have irrational biases toward either longshots (which offer a small chance of winning a large amount of money) or favorites (which offer a high chance of winning a small amount of money). While early studies in horse racing led to an impression that longshot bias is dominant, favorite bias has also now been found in a variety of sports betting markets. This review proposes that the evidence is consistent with both biases being present in the average sports bettor. Sports betting markets with only two potential outcomes, where the favorite therefore has a probability >0.5 of happening, often produce favorite bias. Sports betting markets with multiple outcomes, where the favorite’s probability is usually <0.5, appear more consistent with longshot bias. The presence of restricted odds ranges within any given betting market provides an explanation for why single studies support, at most, one bias. This literature review highlights how individual sports bettors might possess biases toward both highly likely, and highly unlikely, events, a contradictory view that has not been summarized in detail before.
Test Charts for Evaluating Imaging and Point Cloud Quality of Mobile Mapping Systems for Urban Street Space Acquisition
Authors: Pfeifer Norbert , Falkner Johannes , Bayr Andreas , Eysn Lothar , Ressl Camillo
Published: January 2021

Mobile mapping is in the process of becoming a routinely applied standard tool to support administration of cities. For ensuring the usability of the mobile mapping data it is necessary to have a practical method to evaluate the quality of different systems, which reaches beyond 3D accuracy of individual points. Such a method must be objective, easy to implement, and provide quantitative results to be used in tendering processes. We present such an approach which extracts quality figures for point density, point distribution, point cloud planarity, image resolution, and street sign legibility. In its practical application for the mobile mapping campaign of the City of Vienna (Austria) in 2020 the proposed test method proved to fulfill the above requirements. As an additional result, quality figures are reported for the panorama images and point clouds of three different mobile mapping systems.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Viruses in 2020
Authors:   Viruses Editorial Office
Published: January 2021

Peer review is the driving force of journal development, and reviewers are gatekeepers who ensure that Viruses maintains its standards for the high quality of its published papers [...]
Cape Verde (West Africa) Successful Water Reuse Pilot Project: A Sustainable Way for Increasing Food Production in a Climate Change Scenario
Authors: Mendoza-Grimón Vanessa , Fernández-Vera Juan , Silva Gilbert , Semedo-Varela Angelo , Palacios-Díaz María
Published: January 2021

Cape Verde, which has agricultural land that is mainly rainfed, will be severely affected by climate change due to increased drought conditions. Scarce water availability makes this country highly dependent on imports for its food supply, resulting in more than 80% food importation. Improving water use efficiency, implementing precision irrigation could help achieve sustainable use of water resources. Cereal production reusing treated water could contribute to strengthening resilience and adaptation to climate change in Cape Verde. Our pilot project demonstrates that the safe and profitable reuse of water produced by Cape Verde’s water treatment plants is possible by avoiding water and plant contact using Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI), obtaining food yields between 10,000 and 7000 kg of cob/ha, with a water consumption of about 300 L/kg Dry-Matter and a Water-Use-Efficiency of about 3 g/L. These studies also showed that it is necessary to provide training to farmers and to conduct further studies to help solve present challenges. This project identif installation failures as water shortages can compromise farmers’ profitability. To guarantee the sustainability of water reuse, it is also necessary to consider economic and social factors, including that all water that is not reused is poured, increasing environmental and sanitary risk and decreasing the possibility of recovering water treatment costs.
Energy Head Dissipation and Flow Pressures in Vortex Drop Shafts
Authors: Crispino Gaetano , Contestabile Pasquale , Vicinanza Diego , Gisonni Corrado
Published: January 2021

Vortex drop shafts are special manholes designed to link sewer channels at different elevations. Significant energy head dissipation occurs across these structures, mainly due to vertical shaft wall friction and turbulence in the dissipation chamber at the toe of the shaft. In the present study two aspects, sometimes neglected in the standard hydraulic design, are considered, namely the energy head dissipation efficiency and the maximum pressure force in the dissipation chamber. Different physical model results derived from the pertinent literature are analyzed. It is demonstrated that the energy head dissipation efficiency is mostly related to the flow impact and turbulence occurring in the chamber. Similarly to the drop manholes, a relation derived from a simple theoretical model is proposed for the estimation of the energy head loss coefficient. The analysis of the pressures measured on the chamber bottom allows to provide a useful equation to estimate the pressure peak in the chamber as a function of the approach flow energy head.
BELARUSIAN FORK: RESULTS OF POST-SOVIET SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVOLUTION AND SCENARIO OPTIONS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
Authors: Glaziev S.Yu.
Published: January 2021

The current socio-political upheavals, which are fraught with undermining the Belarusian statehood, may also torpedo the planned transition to the implementation of the strategy of advanced development of the Republic of Belarus based on increasing cooperation between Belarusian economic entities and Russian ones on the legal basis of the Union state of Russia and Belarus (USRB) and the Eurasian economic Union (EAEU). Summing up the socio-economic evolution of post-Soviet Belarus, which is impressive against the background of the corresponding results of other ex-Soviet republics, the author of the article connects these successes with the capacity of the Belarusian management system, which has already mastered a number of institutions of a new (integral) world economic structure, including strategic indicative macroeconomic planning. However, this in itself does not save from socio-political upheavals of various forms, strength and scale. The Republic of Belarus, like other members of the EAEU, needs to harmonize the interests of various social groups and consolidate society based on the state policy of increasing public welfare. Based on these principles, developed in numerous previous publications of the author, he makes recommendations for coping with the growing socio-political and socio-economic crises, as well as builds options for future economic development, depending primarily on the vector of the upcoming integration construction — Eurasian or European — that the Belarusian people will choose.
Keywords: the Republic of Belarus (RB), Belarus, the Union State of Russia and Belarus (USRB), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Eurasian Economic Commission, Eurasian economic integration, European economic integration, European Union (EU), cooperative interaction of economic entities, technological structure, new (sixth) technological structure, world economic structure, new (integrated) economic structure, strategy of advancing economic development, economic growth, convergent technology, the Republic of Ukraine (RU).
Relevance of Adult Higher Education on Knowledge Management
in the Healthcare Sector
Authors: Vold Tone , Haave Hanne M.
Published: January 2021

Organizations, including the healthcare sector, are subject
to changes in market, technology and regulations. This requires
enhanced and different types of knowledge, and has led to an
increased demand for adult higher education. However, the
competencies required need to be met by the providers of higher
education. This article presents a qualitative case study
investigating the work relevance of an adult education study
bachelor programme for middle managers of the public health sector
in Norway. The paper explores how the education has shaped the
interplay between the student/practitioner and his/her surroundings.
The data in the study have been collected using in‑depth interviews.
The case study showcases the potential impacts of higher education
within public healthcare management in the workplace, also
highlighting the factors that are predominant regarding the
application and dissemination of formal knowledge in the workplace.
The primary findings of this study are that there is an interplay
between the form and content of the education, personal capabilities
and individual characteristics of the student (employee/health
manager), as well as an organizational maturity pertaining to
knowledge‑management and the exposure to organizational innovation
in the broader healthcare system. The case study contributes to the
field of knowledge management issues by showing how a study
programme can support the development of knowledge management
practices in an organization, through focusing on the relevance
pronounced through the management practices.
Sequencing Effects in the Analysis of Complex Experiments in
Business Research: Mechanisms, Biases, and Recommendations
Authors: Kotzian Peter
Published: January 2021

Experiments in business research became more complex over
time, yielding complex sequences of stimuli and measurements. This
raises the issue of sequence effects, where effects are found only
in specific sequences of the experiment. One case in point is
factorial surveys. Here, presenting the stimulus is followed by
asking subjects to evaluate several vignettes presented in a certain
sequence. The researcher is interested in the effect of the stimulus
on responses to vignettes with certain features. As sequence and
stimulus can be made uncorrelated by construction, holding the
sequence constant or excluding the sequence from the analysis seems
to be justified when researchers are only interested in effects of
vignette features or the stimulus. In both cases, even if the
sequence is relevant for the dependent variable, correlation between
sequence and stimulus, the necessary condition for an omitted
variable bias, is absent. The effect estimated for the stimulus
should thus be unbiased. We show that even in the case where
stimulus and sequence are uncorrelated or the sequence is held
constant, an omitted variable bias occurs when the effect of the
stimulus in a vignette is in its magnitude dependent on the sequence
in which the vignettes were presented. Such an effect would be
modeled by including a sequence‑stimulus‑interaction term and the
omitted variable is this interaction term, which is, by
construction, always correlated with each of the constitutive
variables. A simulation is presented to illustrate the problem.
Implications for experimental research are discussed.
Formative Measurement Scale Development: An Example Using
Generalized Structured Component Analysis
Authors: Hall Dawn , Shackman Joshua D.
Published: January 2021

Unlike reflective measurement scales, the steps for
development of formative measurement scales tend to behighly
subjective and involve mostly the judgment of the researcher.
Formative scales have been criticized for this reason.This paper
extends Christophersen and Konradt’s (2008) method of joint
development of a formative and reflective scale toassess mutual
validity of each scale. We utilize a second order method to reduce
measurement error in the formative scaleas suggested by Edwards
(2011), and test the efficacy of Generalized Structured Component
Analysis (GeSCA) for thispurpose. For illustrative purposes, we
utilize a sample of formative and reflective job satisfaction survey
data both to testour joint formative/reflective scale development
technique and to assess which formative aspects of job satisfaction
alignwith commonly used reflective job satisfaction scales.
Pedagogy and Evaluation: The Challenge for Business and Management Degree Courses in the 21st Century
Authors: Ann Brown  , Martin Rich
Published: January 2021

The twenty first century has been a period of major change for business organisations and industries. This has led to an ever greater interest in and demand for managers with not only the traditional subject knowledge and technical skills but also individual business skills. To meet these demands business schools are under pressure to adapt their courses appropriately and to innovate. For an undergraduate degree in business management, this includes both the structure of the degree, the subjects covered, the teaching methods used and the whole student learning experience. But innovation poses a major challenge for researchers and teachers alike – how can the effect of an innovation be measured or assessed? This paper assesses the current state of evaluation methods applied in Business Schools. Student feedback has emerged as the dominant approach, but application is still at a fairly basic level. A case example of evaluating the new first year redesign of the business management degree at City’s Business School is used to illustrate the practical issues involved. Student feedback offers some indication of the success of the redesigned degree, but it does not entail any constructive dialogue between students and lecturers, and students often lack the skills to frame feedback constructively. The paper discusses the implications of changes in the business context for the evaluation methods used in Business Schools.