bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toxicological Risk Analysis in Data-Poor Countries: A Narrative Approach to Feed an “Awareness Raising—Community Empowerment” Vortex
Authors: Frazzoli Chiara
Published: November 2020

Background and objectives: With globalization of culture and products, choices and behaviors associated with the unawareness of toxicological risk factors result in human and environmental toxic exposures along with health disparities. Toxic exposures are risk factors for malnutrition and diseases, impairing the chances of being healthy and having a healthy adulthood for current and next generation(s). Increasing research funds, infrastructures, analytical data and risk assessment is a reality well worth attention in sub-Saharan Africa. These countries are still unprotected nowadays and are particularly exposed and data-poor in respect to risk factors (e.g., neurotoxicants, immunotoxicants and endocrine disruptors). This paper presents how—based on scientific literature—low-resource countries may achieve more with less. As one of the world’s most important emerging markets, Africa can, and should, assess the benefits and risks of modernity versus tradition and ask for safe and quality products at affordable prices while producing safe and nutritious foods. Materials and Methods: Exempla and experiences of risk analysis based on participant observation in field anthropological research, consumer safaris and reportages in the field of food safety, environmental health and consumer products are discussed in terms of “narrative prevention” and its power to highlight previously unrecognized/overlooked real-life risk scenarios. Knowledge return initiatives are discussed in light of their power to feed awareness raising, informed choice and empowerment of communities. Results: In some cases, data exist but remain too sparse, unknown or underused; in other cases, the information is totally neglected. When there is international scientific evidence, a diagnostic risk assessment is feasible. Despite significant resource constraints, properly science-driven targeted reportages in data-poor countries can bridge the gaps between international scientific knowledge and the implementation of relevant findings in an “awareness-empowerment vortex”. When a clear message promoting healthy choices and behaviors is given, African communities are ready to respond. Conclusions: Poor skills are an avoidable consequence of low national income. Narrative prevention does not replace scientific research but stimulates scientific research and toxicological risk analysis during the ongoing risk transition in Africa. While African populations increasingly aspire to improve life expectancy in health, increasing exposure to such new health risk factors in sub-Saharan Africa needs top-down choices for diseases prevention, One Health, as well as public awareness and empowerment towards everyday habits and health protective choices.
An Infrared Local-Heat-Assisted Cold Stamping Process for Martensitic Steel and Application to an Auto Part
Authors: Kim Ki-Young , Lee Eun-Ho , Park Soo-Hyun , Kang Youn-Hee , Park Jong-Youn , Lee Hyoun-Young , Moon Chang Ho , Kim Kisoo
Published: November 2020

The automotive industry has tried to employ ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS), which has a higher strength with a thinner thickness. However, because of its low formability, there is a limit to the use of UHSS in industrial applications. Even though the hot-press-forming method can resolve the formability problem, elevated-temperature conditions lead to side effects—heat transfer and productivity issues. This work presents the concept of an infrared local-heat-assisted cold stamping process. Before the forming process, local areas, where the formability problem occurs, are locally heated by the gathering of infrared rays and cooled to room temperature before delivery. Since the heat treatment is completed by the material supplier, the stamping companies can conduct cold stamping without new investments or the productivity issue. In this work, a heat-assisted cold V-bending test was conducted with a martensitic (MS) 1.5 GPa steel, the CR1470M steel provided by POSCO. The heating effects on the microstructure, hardness, and local ductility were also observed. Finally, a commercial door impact beam was successfully manufactured with the present method. In this application, only a targeted small area was heated. The results show that the present method can improve the formability and springback problems of MS steel in the stamping process.
Cellular Metals: Fabrication, Properties and Applications
Authors: Duarte Isabel , Fiedler Thomas , Krstulović-Opara Lovre , Vesenjak Matej
Published: November 2020

Cellular solids and porous metals have become some of the most promising lightweight multifunctional materials due to their superior combination of advanced properties mainly derived from their base material and cellular structure [...]
Chemical Composition and Petrogenetic Implications of Eudialyte-Group Mineral in the Peralkaline Lovozero Complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia
Authors: Kogarko Lia , Nielsen Troels F. D.
Published: November 2020

Lovozero complex, the world’s largest layered peralkaline intrusive complex hosts gigantic deposits of Zr-, Hf-, Nb-, LREE-, and HREE-rich Eudialyte Group of Mineral (EGM). The petrographic relations of EGM change with time and advancing crystallization up from Phase II (differentiated complex) to Phase III (eudialyte complex). EGM is anhedral interstitial in all of Phase II which indicates that EGM nucleated late relative to the main rock-forming and liquidus minerals of Phase II. Saturation in remaining bulk melt with components needed for nucleation of EGM was reached after the crystallization about 85 vol. % of the intrusion. Early euhedral and idiomorphic EGM of Phase III crystalized in a large convective volume of melt together with other liquidus minerals and was affected by layering processes and formation of EGM ore. Consequently, a prerequisite for the formation of the ore deposit is saturation of the alkaline bulk magma with EGM. It follows that the potential for EGM ores in Lovozero is restricted to the parts of the complex that hosts cumulus EGM. Phase II with only anhedral and interstitial EGM is not promising for this type of ore. Nor is the neighboring Khibiny complex despite a bulk content of 531 ppm of Zr. Khibiny only has interstitial and anhedral EGM. The evolution of the Lovozero magma is recorded in the compositions EGM up through a stratigraphy of 2400 m in Phase II and III of the complex, and distinct in elements like rare earth elements (REE), Sr, Ba, Th, U, Rb, Mn, Fe. The compositional evolution reflects primarily fractional crystallization processes within the magma chamber itself in combination with convective magma flow and layering by precipitation of minerals with different settling velocities. The suggested mechanism for the formation of the EGM deposits is flotation of very small, suspended EGM crystals in the convective magma and concentration below the roof of the magma chamber. Phase III EGM is enriched in total REE (1.3%) and in HREE (Ce/Yt = 8.8) and constitutes a world class deposit of REE in the million tons of Phase III eudialyte lujavrites.
A Comparison between Different Agro-wastes and Carbon Nanotubes for Removal of Sarafloxacin from Wastewater: Kinetics and Equilibrium Studies
Authors: El-Azazy Marwa , El-Shafie Ahmed S. , Elgendy Ahmed , Issa Ahmed A. , Al-Meer Saeed , Al-Saad Khalid A.
Published: November 2020

In the current study, eco-structured and efficient removal of the veterinary fluoroquinolone antibiotic sarafloxacin (SARA) from wastewater has been explored. The adsorptive power of four agro-wastes (AWs) derived from pistachio nutshells (PNS) and Aloe vera leaves (AV) as well as the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been assessed. Adsorbent derived from raw pistachio nutshells (RPNS) was the most efficient among the four tested AWs (%removal ‘%R’ = 82.39%), while MWCNTs showed the best adsorptive power amongst the five adsorbents (%R = 96.20%). Plackett-Burman design (PBD) was used to optimize the adsorption process. Two responses (‘%R’ and adsorption capacity ‘qe’) were optimized as a function of four variables (pH, adsorbent dose ‘AD’ (dose of RPNS and MWCNTs), adsorbate concentration [SARA] and contact time ‘CT’). The effect of pH was similar for both RPNS and MWCNTs. Morphological and textural characterization of the tested adsorbents was carried out using FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM and BET analyses. Conversion of waste-derived materials into carbonaceous material was investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Equilibrium studies showed that Freundlich isotherm is the most suitable isotherm to describe the adsorption of SARA onto RPNS. Kinetics’ investigation shows that the adsorption of SARA onto RPNS follows a pseudo-second order (PSO) model.
On the Different Mode of Action of Au(I)/Ag(I)-NHC Bis-Anthracenyl Complexes Towards Selected Target Biomolecules
Authors: Binacchi Francesca , Guarra Federica , Cirri Damiano , Marzo Tiziano , Pratesi Alessandro , Messori Luigi , Gabbiani Chiara , Biver Tarita
Published: November 2020

Gold and silver N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are emerging for therapeutic applications. Multiple techniques are here used to unveil the mechanistic details of the binding to different biosubstrates of bis(1-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl)-3-ethylimidazol-2-ylidene) silver chloride [Ag(EIA)2]Cl and bis(1-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl)-3-ethylimidazol-2-ylidene) gold chloride [Au(EIA)2]Cl. As the biosubstrates, we tested natural double-stranded DNA, synthetic RNA polynucleotides (single-poly(A), double-poly(A)poly(U) and triple-stranded poly(A)2poly(U)), DNA G-quadruplex structures (G4s), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein. Absorbance and fluorescence titrations, mass spectrometry together with melting and viscometry tests show significant differences in the binding features between silver and gold compounds. [Au(EIA)2]Cl covalently binds BSA. It is here evidenced that the selectivity is high: low affinity and external binding for all polynucleotides and G4s are found. Conversely, in the case of [Ag(EIA)2]Cl, the binding to BSA is weak and relies on electrostatic interactions. [Ag(EIA)2]Cl strongly/selectively interacts only with double strands by a mechanism where intercalation plays the major role, but groove binding is also operative. The absence of an interaction with triplexes indicates the major role played by the geometrical constraints to drive the binding mode.
Preparation of Monodispersed Cs0.33WO3 Nanocrystals by Mist Chemical Vapor Deposition for Near-Infrared Shielding Application
Authors: Huang Lei , Tang Hua , Bai Youjun , Pu Yong , Li Lu , Cheng Jiang
Published: November 2020

In this study, single-phase Cs0.33WO3 nanocrystals were synthesized by a novel mist chemical vapor deposition method. As prepared, Cs0.33WO3 nanocrystals exhibited a microsphere-like appearance constructed with angular crystal grains with an average size of about 30–40 nm. Characterization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that Cs0.33WO3 nanocrystals consisted of mixed chemical valence states of tungsten ions W6+ and W5+, inducing many free electrons, which could scatter and absorb near-infrared (NIR) photons by plasmon resonance. These Cs0.33WO3 microspheres consisted of a loose structure that could be crushed to nanoscale particles and was easily applied for producing long-term stable ink after milling. Herein, a Cs0.33WO3/polymer composite was successfully fabricated via the ultrasonic spray coating method using mixed Cs0.33WO3 ink and polyurethane acrylate solution. The composite coatings exhibited excellent IR shielding properties. Remarkably, only 0.9 mg cm−2 Cs0.33WO3 could shield more than 70% of NIR, while still maintaining the visible light transmittance higher than 75%. Actual measurement results indicate that it has really good heat insulation properties and shows good prospect in heat insulation window applications.
Manganese Ferrite Nanoparticles (MnFe2O4): Size Dependence for Hyperthermia and Negative/Positive Contrast Enhancement in MRI
Authors: Islam Khairul , Haque Manjurul , Kumar Arup , Hoq Amitra , Hyder Fahmeed , Hoque Sheikh Manjura
Published: November 2020

We synthesized manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles of different sizes by varying pH during chemical co-precipitation procedure and modified their surfaces with polysaccharide chitosan (CS) to investigate characteristics of hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Structural features were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area diffraction (SAED) patterns, and Mössbauer spectroscopy to confirm the formation of superparamagnetic MnFe2O4 nanoparticles with a size range of 5–15 nm for pH of 9–12. The hydrodynamic sizes of nanoparticles were less than 250 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.3, whereas the zeta potentials were higher than 30 mV to ensure electrostatic repulsion for stable colloidal suspension. MRI properties at 7T demonstrated that transverse relaxation (T2) doubled as the size of CS-coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles tripled in vitro. However, longitudinal relaxation (T1) was strongest for the smallest CS-coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles, as revealed by in vivo positive contrast MRI angiography. Cytotoxicity assay on HeLa cells showed CS-coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles is viable regardless of ambient pH, whereas hyperthermia studies revealed that both the maximum temperature and specific loss power obtained by alternating magnetic field exposure depended on nanoparticle size and concentration. Overall, these results reveal the exciting potential of CS-coated MnFe2O4 nanoparticles in MRI and hyperthermia studies for biomedical research.
Biomimetic Nanoparticles Potentiate the Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Dexamethasone and Reduce the Cytokine Storm Syndrome: An Additional Weapon against COVID-19?
Authors: Molinaro Roberto , Pasto Anna , Taraballi Francesca , Giordano Federica , Azzi Jamil A. , Tasciotti Ennio , Corbo Claudia
Published: November 2020

Recent studies on coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathophysiology indicated the cytokine release syndrome induced by the virus as the main cause of mortality. Patients with severe COVID-19 infection present a systemic hyper inflammation that can lead to lung and multi-organ injuries. Among the most recent treatments, corticosteroids have been identified to be effective in mitigating these catastrophic effects. Our group has recently developed leukocyte-derived nanovesicles, termed leukosomes, able to target in vivo the inflamed vasculature associated with pathological conditions including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and sepsis. Herein, to gain insights on the anti-inflammatory properties of leukosomes, we investigated their ability to reduce uncontrolled inflammation in a lethal model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxemia, recapitulating the cytokine storm syndrome observed in COVID-19 infection after encapsulating dexamethasone. Treated animals showed a significant survival advantage and an improved immune response resolution, as demonstrated by a cytokine array analysis of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and other immune-relevant markers. Our results showed that leukosomes enhance the therapeutic activity of dexamethasone and better control the inflammatory response compared to the free drug. Such an approach could be useful for the development of personalized therapies in the treatment of hyperinflammation related to infectious diseases, including the ones caused by COVID-19.
Prisoners of Addictive Cues: Biobehavioral Markers of Overweight and Obese Adults with Food Addiction
Authors: Aviram-Friedman Roni , Kafri Lior , Baz Guy , Alyagon Uri , Zangen Abraham
Published: November 2020

Obesity is associated with food and eating addiction (FA), but the biobehavioral markers of this condition are poorly understood. To characterize FA, we recruited 18 healthy controls and overweight/obese adults with (n = 31) and without (n = 17) FA (H-C, FAOB, NFAOB, respectively) to assess alpha brain asymmetry at rest using electroencephalogram; event-related potentials following exposure to high-calorie food (HCF), low-calorie food (LCF), and nonfood (NF) images in a Stroop paradigm; reaction time reflective of the Stroop bias; and symptoms of depression and disordered eating behavior. The FAOB group had the greatest emotional and uncontrollable eating, depressive, and binge-eating symptoms. The FAOB group displayed lower resting left alpha brain asymmetry than that of the NFAOB group. Differently from the other groups, the FAOB group presented attenuated Stroop bias following exposure to HCF relative to NF images, as well as a lower late positive potential component (LPPb; 450–495 ms) in both frontal and occipital regions. In the total cohort, a correlation was found between the Stroop bias and the LPPb amplitude. These results point to biobehavioral hypervigilance in response to addictive food triggers in overweight/obese adults with FA. This resembles other addictive disorders but is absent in overweight/obesity without FA.
Scopolin Attenuates Osteoporotic Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Mice
Authors: Park Eunkuk , Kim Jeonghyun , Jin Hyun-Seok , Choi Chun Whan , Choi Tae Hyun , Choi Sangho , Huh Dam , Jeong Seon-Yong
Published: November 2020

Bone remodeling is a renewal process regulated by bone synthesis (osteoblasts) and bone destruction (osteoclasts). A previous study demonstrated that Lycii radicis cortex (LRC) extract inhibited ovariectomized (OVX)-induced bone loss in mice. This study investigated the anti-osteoporotic effects of bioactive constituent(s) from the LRC extract. The effective compound(s) were screened, and a single compound, scopolin, which acts as a phytoalexin, was chosen as a candidate component. Scopolin treatment enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity and increased mineralized nodule formation in MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblastic cells. However, osteoclast differentiation in primary-cultured monocytes was reduced by treatment with scopolin. Consistently, scopolin treatment increased osteoblast differentiation in the co-culture of monocytes (osteoclasts) and MC3T3-E1 (osteoblast) cells. Scopolin treatment prevented bone mineral density loss in OVX-induced osteoporotic mice. These results suggest that scopolin could be a therapeutic bioactive constituent for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis.
Physics Comes to the Aid of Medicine—Clinically-Relevant Microorganisms through the Eyes of Atomic Force Microscope
Authors: Cieśluk Mateusz , Deptuła Piotr , Piktel Ewelina , Fiedoruk Krzysztof , Suprewicz Łukasz , Paprocka Paulina , Kot Patrycja , Pogoda Katarzyna , Bucki Robert
Published: November 2020

Despite the hope that was raised with the implementation of antibiotics to the treatment of infections in medical practice, the initial enthusiasm has substantially faded due to increasing drug resistance in pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, there is a need for novel analytical and diagnostic methods in order to extend our knowledge regarding the mode of action of the conventional and novel antimicrobial agents from a perspective of single microbial cells as well as their communities growing in infected sites, i.e., biofilms. In recent years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been mostly used to study different aspects of the pathophysiology of noninfectious conditions with attempts to characterize morphological and rheological properties of tissues, individual mammalian cells as well as their organelles and extracellular matrix, and cells’ mechanical changes upon exposure to different stimuli. At the same time, an ever-growing number of studies have demonstrated AFM as a valuable approach in studying microorganisms in regard to changes in their morphology and nanomechanical properties, e.g., stiffness in response to antimicrobial treatment or interaction with a substrate as well as the mechanisms behind their virulence. This review summarizes recent developments and the authors’ point of view on AFM-based evaluation of microorganisms’ response to applied antimicrobial treatment within a group of selected bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The AFM potential in development of modern diagnostic and therapeutic methods for combating of infections caused by drug-resistant bacterial strains is also discussed.
Aptamer-Functionalized Natural Protein-Based Polymers as Innovative Biomaterials
Authors: Girotti Alessandra , Escalera-Anzola Sara , Alonso-Sampedro Irene , González-Valdivieso Juan , Arias Francisco Javier
Published: November 2020

Biomaterials science is one of the most rapidly evolving fields in biomedicine. However, although novel biomaterials have achieved well-defined goals, such as the production of devices with improved biocompatibility and mechanical properties, their development could be more ambitious. Indeed, the integration of active targeting strategies has been shown to allow spatiotemporal control of cell–material interactions, thus leading to more specific and better-performing devices. This manuscript reviews recent advances that have led to enhanced biomaterials resulting from the use of natural structural macromolecules. In this regard, several structural macromolecules have been adapted or modified using biohybrid approaches for use in both regenerative medicine and therapeutic delivery. The integration of structural and functional features and aptamer targeting, although still incipient, has already shown its ability and wide-reaching potential. In this review, we discuss aptamer-functionalized hybrid protein-based or polymeric biomaterials derived from structural macromolecules, with a focus on bioresponsive/bioactive systems.
The Effect of Root Clearance on Mechanical Energy Dissipation for Axial Flow Pump Device Based on Entropy Production
Authors: Li Yanjun , Zheng Yunhao , Meng Fan , Osman Majeed Koranteng
Published: November 2020

The axial flow pump is a low head, high discharge pump usually applicable in drainage and irrigation facilities. A certain gap should be reserved between the impeller blade root and the impeller hub to ensure the blade adjustability to broaden the high-efficiency area. The pressure difference between its blade surface induces leakage flow in the root clearance region, which decreases hydraulic performance and operational stability. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of root clearance on mechanical energy dissipation using numerical simulation and entropy production methods. The numerical model was validated with an external characteristics test, and unsteady flow simulations were conducted on the axial flow pump under four different root clearance radii. The maximum reductions of 15.5% and 6.8% for head and hydraulic efficiency are obtained for the largest root clearance of 8 mm, respectively. The dissipation based on entropy theory consists of indirect dissipation and neglectable direct dissipation. The leakage flow in the root clearance led to the distortion of the impeller’s flow pattern, and the indirect dissipation rate and overall dissipation of the impeller increased with increasing root clearance radius. The inflow pattern in the diffuser was also distorted by leakage flow. The diffuser’s overall dissipation, indirect dissipation rate on the blade surface, and indirect dissipation rate near inlet increased with increasing root clearance radius. The research could serve as a theoretical reference for the axial flow pump’s root clearance design for performance improvement and operational stability.
‘Rejecting the Legacy, Restoring the Honor’: The Anti-Capitalist Muslims in Turkey
Authors: Tomac Ayca
Published: November 2020

Post-Islamism as coined by Asef Bayat in 1996 laid the framework to analyze rapid and fundamental changes in social and political life of the Muslim world. However, this paper argues that the scholarship around post-Islamism disregards neoliberal structuration introduced and expanded by post-Islamist parties and movements (such as the Justice and Development Party of Turkey). This structuration, coupled with the legacies of anti-left sentiments in preceding Islamist movements, stifles the Muslim youth in the region whose frustrations and aspirations are left silenced. Based on my ethnographic study between 2013 and 2017, the paper introduces the group of the Anti-Capitalist Muslims in Turkey as an internal challenge to the legacies of Islamist ideologies and the neoliberal politics of post-Islamism.
Rapid Assessment of Hillslope Erosion Risk after the 2019–2020 Wildfires and Storm Events in Sydney Drinking Water Catchment
Authors: Yang Xihua , Zhang Mingxi , Oliveira Lorena , Ollivier Quinn R. , Faulkner Shane , Roff Adam
Published: November 2020

The Australian Black Summer wildfires between September 2019 and January 2020 burnt many parts of eastern Australia including major forests within the Sydney drinking water catchment (SDWC) area, almost 16.000 km2. There was great concern on post-fire erosion and water quality hazards to Sydney’s drinking water supply, especially after the heavy rainfall events in February 2020. We developed a rapid and innovative approach to estimate post-fire hillslope erosion using weather radar, remote sensing, Google Earth Engine (GEE), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The event-based rainfall erosivity was estimated from radar-derived rainfall accumulations for all storm events after the wildfires. Satellite data including Sentinel-2, Landsat-8, and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were used to estimate the fractional vegetation covers and the RUSLE cover-management factor. The study reveals that the average post-fire erosion rate over SDWC in February 2020 was 4.9 Mg ha−1 month−1, about 30 times higher than the pre-fire erosion and 10 times higher than the average erosion rate at the same period because of the intense storm events and rainfall erosivity with a return period over 40 years. The high post-fire erosion risk areas (up to 23.8 Mg ha−1 month−1) were at sub-catchments near Warragamba Dam which forms Lake Burragorang and supplies drinking water to more than four million people in Sydney. These findings assist in the timely assessment of post-fire erosion and water quality risks and help develop cost-effective fire incident management and mitigation actions for such an area with both significant ecological and drinking water assets. The methodology developed from this study is potentially applicable elsewhere for similar studies as the input datasets (satellite and radar data) and computing platforms (GEE, GIS) are available and accessible worldwide.
Intercomparison of Data-Driven and Learning-Based Interpolations of Along-Track Nadir and Wide-Swath SWOT Altimetry Observations
Authors: Beauchamp Maxime , Fablet Ronan , Ubelmann Clément , Ballarotta Maxime , Chapron Bertrand
Published: November 2020

Over the last few years, a very active field of research has aimed at exploring new data-driven and learning-based methodologies to propose computationally efficient strategies able to benefit from the large amount of observational remote sensing and numerical simulations for the reconstruction, interpolation and prediction of high-resolution derived products of geophysical fields. In this paper, we investigate how they might help to solve for the oversmoothing of the state-of-the-art optimal interpolation (OI) techniques in the reconstruction of sea surface height (SSH) spatio-temporal fields. We focus on two small 10°×10° GULFSTREAM and 8°×10° OSMOSIS regions, part of the North Atlantic basin: the GULFSTREAM area is mainly driven by energetic mesoscale dynamics, while OSMOSIS is less energetic but with more noticeable small spatial patterns. Based on observation system simulation experiments (OSSE), we used a NATL60 high resolution deterministic ocean simulation of the North Atlantic to generate two types of pseudo-altimetric observational dataset: along-track nadir data for the current capabilities of the observation system and wide-swath SWOT data in the context of the upcoming SWOT (Surface Water Ocean Topography) mission. We briefly introduce the analog data assimilation (AnDA), an up-to-date version of the DINEOF algorithm, and a new neural networks-based end-to-end learning framework for the representation of spatio-temporal irregularly-sampled data. The main objective of this paper consists of providing a thorough intercomparison exercise with appropriate benchmarking metrics to assess whether these approaches help to improve the SSH altimetric interpolation problem and to identify which one performs best in this context. We demonstrate how the newly introduced NN method is a significant improvement with a plug-and-play implementation and its ability to catch up the small scales ranging up to 40 km, inaccessible by the conventional methods so far. A clear gain is also demonstrated when assimilating jointly wide-swath SWOT and (aggregated) along-track nadir observations.
Validation and Calibration of CAMS PM2.5 Forecasts Using In Situ PM2.5 Measurements in China and United States
Authors: Wu Chengbo , Li Ke , Bai Kaixu
Published: November 2020

An accurate forecast of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration in the forthcoming days is crucial since it can be used as an early warning for the prevention of general public from hazardous PM2.5 pollution events. Though the European Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) provides global PM2.5 forecasts up to the next 120 h at a 3 h time interval, the data accuracy of this product had not been well evaluated. By using hourly PM2.5 concentration data that were sampled in China and United States (US) between 2017 and 2018, the data accuracy and bias levels of CAMS PM2.5 concentration forecast over these two countries were examined. Ground-based validation results indicate a relatively low accuracy of raw PM2.5 forecasts given the presence of large and spatially varied modeling biases, especially in northwest China and the western United States. Specifically, the PM2.5 forecasts in China showed a mean correlation value ranging 0.31–0.45 (0.24–0.42 in US) and RMSE of 38–83 (8.30–16.76 in US) μg/m3, as the forecasting time horizons increased from 3 h to 120 h. Additionally, the data accuracy was found to not only decrease with the increase of forecasting time horizons but also exhibit an evident diurnal cycle. This implies the current CAMS forecasting model failed to resolve the local processes that modulate the diurnal variability of PM2.5. Moreover, the data accuracy varied between seasons, as accurate PM2.5 forecasts were more likely to be derived in the autumn in China, whereas these were more likely in spring in the US. To improve the data accuracy of the raw PM2.5 forecasts, a statistical bias correction model was then established using the random forest method to account for large modeling biases. The cross-validation results clearly demonstrated the effectiveness and benefits of the proposed bias correction model, as the diurnal varied and temporally increasing modeling biases were substantially reduced after the calibration. Overall, the calibrated CAMS PM2.5 forecasts could be used as a promising data source to prevent general public from severe PM2.5 pollution events given the improved data accuracy.
Non-Invasive Methodological Approach to Detect and Characterize High-Risk Sinkholes in Urban Cover Evaporite Karst: Integrated Reflection Seismics, PS-InSAR, Leveling, 3D-GPR and Ancillary Data. A NE Italian Case Study
Authors: Busetti Alice , Calligaris Chiara , Forte Emanuele , Areggi Giulia , Mocnik Arianna , Zini Luca
Published: November 2020

Sinkholes linked to cover evaporite karst in urban environments still represent a challenge in terms of their clear identification and mapping considering the rehash and man-made structures. In the present research, we have proposed and tested a methodology to identify the subsiding features through an integrated and non-invasive multi-scale approach combining seismic reflection, PS-InSAR (PSI), leveling and full 3D Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and thus overpassing the limits of each method. The analysis was conducted in a small village in the Alta Val Tagliamento Valley (Friuli Venezia Giulia region, NE Italy). Here, sinkholes have been reported for a long time as well as the hazards linked to their presence. Within past years, several houses have been demolished and at present many of them are damaged. The PSI investigation allowed the identification of an area with higher vertical velocities; seismic reflection imagined the covered karst bedrock, identifying three depocenters; leveling data presented a downward displacement comparable with PSI results; 3D GPR, applied here for the first time in the study and characterization of sinkholes, defined shallow sinking features. Combining all the obtained results with accurate field observations, we identified and mapped the highest vulnerable zone.
Biosensors—Recent Advances and Future Challenges
Authors: Bollella Paolo , Katz Evgeny
Published: November 2020

Biosensors are analytical devices that are able to convert a biological response into an electrical signal [...]
Structural Similarity Loss for Learning to Fuse Multi-Focus Images
Authors: Yan Xiang , Gilani Syed Zulqarnain , Qin Hanlin , Mian Ajmal
Published: November 2020

Convolutional neural networks have recently been used for multi-focus image fusion. However, some existing methods have resorted to adding Gaussian blur to focused images, to simulate defocus, thereby generating data (with ground-truth) for supervised learning. Moreover, they classify pixels as ‘focused’ or ‘defocused’, and use the classified results to construct the fusion weight maps. This then necessitates a series of post-processing steps. In this paper, we present an end-to-end learning approach for directly predicting the fully focused output image from multi-focus input image pairs. The suggested approach uses a CNN architecture trained to perform fusion, without the need for ground truth fused images. The CNN exploits the image structural similarity (SSIM) to calculate the loss, a metric that is widely accepted for fused image quality evaluation. What is more, we also use the standard deviation of a local window of the image to automatically estimate the importance of the source images in the final fused image when designing the loss function. Our network can accept images of variable sizes and hence, we are able to utilize real benchmark datasets, instead of simulated ones, to train our network. The model is a feed-forward, fully convolutional neural network that can process images of variable sizes during test time. Extensive evaluation on benchmark datasets show that our method outperforms, or is comparable with, existing state-of-the-art techniques on both objective and subjective benchmarks.
Daily and Weekly Variation in Children’s Physical Activity in Norway: A Cross-Sectional Study of The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP)
Authors: Kharlova Iana , Fredriksen Maren Valand , Mamen Asgeir , Fredriksen Per Morten
Published: November 2020

Background The purpose of the study was to examine differences in objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA min/day) and sedentary time (SED min/day) between different time domains as school hours, leisure time, and weekends. An additional objective addressed causal association between body mass and MVPA. Methods. The study sample consisted of 2015 subjects (51% girls) aged 6–12 years (9.46 ± 1.76) from the Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP) in south-east Norway. Six days of MVPA min/day and SED min/day were measured using accelerometers and presented as daily averages. The differences in physical activity (PA) were investigated between the time domains of school-hours, leisure time and weekends by age and sex. Data were analyzed using one-and two-way ANOVA. Results. The relative contribution of the different time domains in overall PA was found. Daily average of MVPA min/day and SED min/day differed significantly across the three time domains. The average weekend SED was 56 ± 3.45 and 82 ± 4.12 min/day less when compared with school hours and leisure time, respectively. On average children spent 27 ± 2.74 min/day less in MVPA during school hours, compared with leisure time (p < 0.001), and spent by 38 ± 2.10 min/day more during weekends compared to school hours (p < 0.001). Boys were more physically active than girls, and less time was spent in MVPA with age. Conclusion. With the objective of increasing PA in a child population, the findings indicate that PA intervention programs should target children with higher body mass, girls more than boys, older children more than younger, and during school hours and leisure time more than on weekends.
Spatio-Temporal Variations of Crop Water Footprint and Its Influencing Factors in Xinjiang, China during 1988–2017
Authors: Long Aihua , Zhang Pei , Hai Yang , Deng Xiaoya , Li Junfeng , Wang Jie
Published: November 2020

Scientifically determining agricultural water consumption is fundamental to the optimum allocation and regulation of regional water resources. However, traditional statistical methods used for determining agricultural water consumption in China do not reflect the actual use of water resources. This paper determined the variation in the crop water footprint (CWF) to reflect the actual agricultural water consumption in Xinjiang, China, during the past 30 years, and the data from 15 crops were included. In addition, the STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology) model was used to determine the factors influencing the CWF. The results showed that the CWF in Xinjiang increased by 256% during the 30-year period. Factors such as population, agricultural added value, and effective irrigated area were correlated with an increase in the CWF. This study also showed that the implementation of national and regional policies significantly accelerated the expansion of agricultural production areas and increased the amount of agricultural water used. The objectives of this paper were to identify the factors influencing the CWF, give a new perspective for further analysis of the relationship between agricultural growth and water resources utilization, and provide a reference for local policy decision-makers in Xinjiang.
The “Dobry Czas Na Biznes” (“Good Time for Business”) Program as a Form of Support for Self-Employment in Poland. A Case Study of the Sub-Regions of the Małopolskie Province
Authors: Gródek-Szostak Zofia , Suder Marcin , Szeląg-Sikora Anna , Ochoa Siguencia Luis
Published: November 2020

The main goal of public intervention is to amend market imperfections. However, public agencies may also have other goals in supporting entrepreneurship and promotion of self-employment. The aim of the paper is to analyze the impact of the funding granted by the Małopolska Agency for Regional Development (Małopolska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego SA, MARR S.A.) dedicated to beneficiaries from the Tarnow subregion and the Krakow Metropolitan Area. The research goals were defined as follows: (1) To verify if the basic assumptions of the program are correct and to demonstrate that it is an important element motivating the professionally inactive to take up employment as sole entrepreneur. (2) To verify if the program participant structure (both applicants and beneficiaries), with subdivision into place of residence, gender, age and the labor market status, is correct. (3) To verify if the abovementioned variables (gender, age, place of residence) significantly differentiate the applicants’ chance of obtaining a grant. The results are of key importance and should be used in formulating assumptions, regulations and guidelines for subsequent program editions. Due to the demonstrated diversity of the target group in the respective regions, it should be decided whether to differentiate the criteria for participation in the project depending on the region.
Technology and Culture in Subsistence Small Businesses
Authors: Fernandez-Jardon Carlos , Martinez-Cobas Xavier , Martinez-Ortiz Fabian
Published: November 2020

The paper analyzes the connection between technological knowledge and organizational culture in small subsistence businesses (SSBs). It uses data from a proportional representative sample of 980 surveys in the canton of La Maná (Cotopaxí, Ecuador) to test if culture conditions the different components of technological knowledge in SSBs. This work verifies that the technological knowledge is a source of short-term and long-term performance, which confirm for SSBs previous works in intellectual capital. The study analyzes also the moderating effect of culture, verifying that culture does not condition the connection between technological knowledge with the short-term performance. It shows that culture is not a source of performance. However, when the research checks whether the effect of the technological knowledge increases the long-term performance, the results indicate that culture significantly limits this effect, suggesting that culture presents a certain opportunism, possibly because in the SSBs, entrepreneurs do not pay any attention to developing knowledge resources. The conclusions present some managerial and social implications to improve the functioning and management of SSBs.
Multiplex Immunoassay Techniques for On-Site Detection of Security Sensitive Toxins
Authors: Pöhlmann Christopher , Elßner Thomas
Published: November 2020

Biological toxins are a heterogeneous group of high molecular as well as low molecular weight toxins produced by living organisms. Due to their physical and logistical properties, biological toxins are very attractive to terrorists for use in acts of bioterrorism. Therefore, among the group of biological toxins, several are categorized as security relevant, e.g., botulinum neurotoxins, staphylococcal enterotoxins, abrin, ricin or saxitoxin. Additionally, several security sensitive toxins also play a major role in natural food poisoning outbreaks. For a prompt response to a potential bioterrorist attack using biological toxins, first responders need reliable, easy-to-use and highly sensitive methodologies for on-site detection of the causative agent. Therefore, the aim of this review is to present on-site immunoassay platforms for multiplex detection of biological toxins. Furthermore, we introduce several commercially available detection technologies specialized for mobile or on-site identification of security sensitive toxins.
Density Operator Approach to Turbulent Flows in Plasma and Atmospheric Fluids
Authors: Zloshchastiev Konstantin G.
Published: November 2020

We formulate a statistical wave-mechanical approach to describe dissipation and instabilities in two-dimensional turbulent flows of magnetized plasmas and atmospheric fluids, such as drift and Rossby waves. This is made possible by the existence of Hilbert space, associated with the electric potential of plasma or stream function of atmospheric fluid. We therefore regard such turbulent flows as macroscopic wave-mechanical phenomena, driven by the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian operator we derive, whose anti-Hermitian component is attributed to an effect of the environment. Introducing a wave-mechanical density operator for the statistical ensembles of waves, we formulate master equations and define observables: such as the enstrophy and energy of both the waves and zonal flow as statistical averages. We establish that our open system can generally follow two types of time evolution, depending on whether the environment hinders or assists the system’s stability and integrity. We also consider a phase-space formulation of the theory, including the geometrical-optic limit and beyond, and study the conservation laws of physical observables. It is thus shown that the approach predicts various mechanisms of energy and enstrophy exchange between drift waves and zonal flow, which were hitherto overlooked in models based on wave kinetic equations.
Population Difference in Allele Frequency of HLA-C*05 and Its Correlation with COVID-19 Mortality
Authors: Sakuraba Atsushi , Haider Haider , Sato Toshiro
Published: November 2020

Background: coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes severe illness including cytokine storms, but mortality among countries differs largely. In the present study, we investigated the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I, which plays a major role in susceptibility to viral infections, and the mortality of COVID-19. Methods: data of allele frequencies of HLA-A, -B and -C and COVID-19 mortality were obtained for 74 countries from the Allele Frequency Net Database and worldometer.info. Association between allele frequency of each HLA and mortality was assessed by linear regression followed by multivariable regression. Subsequently, association of HLA-C*05 to its receptor KIR2DS4fl, expressed on natural killer (NK) cells, and differential mortality to historic pandemics were analyzed. Results: HLA-A*01, -B*07, -B*08, -B*44 and -C*05 were significantly associated with the risk of deaths (adjusted p = 0.040, 0.00081, 0.047, 0.0022, 0.00032, respectively), but only HLA-C*05 remained statistically significant (p = 0.000027) after multivariable regression. A 1% increase in the allele frequency of HLA-C*05 was associated with an increase of 44 deaths/million. Countries with different mortality could be categorized by the distribution of HLA-C*05 and its receptor KIR2DS4fl, which in combination cause NK cell-induced hyperactive immune response. Countries with similar ethnic and/or geographic background responded in a similar pattern to each pandemic. Conclusions: we demonstrated that allele frequency of HLA-C*05 and the distribution pattern with its receptor KIR2DS4fl strongly correlated with COVID-19 mortality. Host genetic variance of innate immunity may contribute to the difference in mortality among various countries and further investigation using patient samples is warranted.
Skull Shape Diversity in Pet Rabbits and the Applicability of Anatomical Reference Lines for Objective Interpretation of Dental Disease
Authors: Böhmer Christine , Böhmer Estella
Published: November 2020

Acquired dental problems are among the most frequently encountered diseases in pet rabbits. However, early symptoms are often overlooked because the affected animals first appear completely asymptomatic. Alterations from anatomical reference lines according to Böhmer and Crossley applied to standard skull X-ray images, have been shown to be indicative of tooth health problems in pet rabbits. Despite its proven usefulness, there are exceptions in which the anatomical reference lines appear not to be suitable for application. We addressed this issue by quantifying the cranial morphology of a large data set of pet rabbit patients (N = 80). The results of the morphometric analyses revealed considerable diversity in skull shape among the typical pet rabbits, but variance in only a few parameters influences the applicability of the anatomical reference lines. The most substantial parameter is the palatal angle. Specimens in which the anatomical reference lines could not be applied, have a rather large angle between the skull base and the palatal bone. We recommend to measure the palatal angle before applying the anatomical reference lines for objective interpretation of dental disease. Pet rabbits with a palatal angle larger than 18.8° are not strictly suitable for the successful application of the anatomical reference lines.