bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Deployment of Vehicular Internet of Things for Smart City Applications
Authors: Twahirwa Evariste , Rwigema James , Datta Raja
Published: December 2021

A novel computing paradigm, called the Internet of things emerged a few years ago. IoT is materialized by connecting both real and digital worlds together. The deployment of IoT in vehicular networks has introduced a new vehicular communication technology-themed vehicular internet of things (V-IoT). With the introduction of miniaturized sensors and actuators, V-IoT has demonstrated the ability to improve the level of urban transport systems through the development and deployment of low-cost but powerful technologies which seamlessly upgrade the level of smart transportation in urban environments. In this research article, we have presented the features of V-IoT that encompass both the benefits and potential challenges of the technology. Low-cost IoT prototypes have been built and tested for numerous functions in vehicular environments. The monitored parameters include air, road conditions such as traffics flow sizes, air quality, weather parameters, and signal status in terms of Received signal strength indicator, and Signal noise ratio for both road and intra-vehicular environments. Devices are implemented at every IoT architectural layer and tested on a web-based IoT front-end application using different protocols like LoRaWAN. Two LoRa sensors have been deployed in the public bus to monitor some of the mentioned parameters on a real-time basis and historical data could be retrieved through the developed web-based dashboard. Simplistic algorithms are implemented for both real-time and historical data demonstration.
Commercialization Potential of Six Selected Medicinal Plants Commonly Used for Childhood Diseases in South Africa: A Review
Authors: Ndhlovu Peter Tshepiso , Omotayo Abiodun Olusola , Otang-Mbeng Wilfred , Aremu Adeyemi Oladapo
Published: December 2021

Globally, the potential of medicinal plants is increasingly being recognized due to their relative availability, particularly in rural areas. This review explored the ethnobotanical and economic values of six selected medicinal plants widely used to treat and manage childhood diseases in South Africa. Acalypha glabrata, Aloe maculata, Datura stramonium, Gomphocarpus fruticosus, Rhoicissus tridentata and Vachellia karroo were selected based on their high relative frequency of citations for treating a wide range of diseases. Information was obtained from various scientific databases and ethnobotanical books. In addition to being popular for treating childhood diseases, the selected medicinal plants possess diverse applications in traditional medicine for other age groups, highlighting their general therapeutic values. This translates to extensive harvesting, trading and consumption of these plants in order to meet demands on local levels. Currently, empirical data on the economic value of the selected plants remain poorly reported. Even though South Africa has many laws to conserve and promote indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants, their commercialization remains low. Particularly the cultivation of the selected plants needs to be promoted under a participatory management action plan to stimulate the economy of the disadvantaged. A collaborative research framework for the inclusive transformation of indigenous medicinal plants is recommended to reveal their concealed beneficial properties.
Understandings of Food Insecurity in Aotearoa New Zealand: Considering Practitioners’ Perspectives in a Neoliberal Context Using Q Methodology
Authors: Reynolds David , Mirosa Miranda
Published: December 2021

Food insecurity in advanced capitalist nations has persisted over decades despite excess food production, welfare systems, and charitable responses. This research examines the perspectives of practitioners who engage with food insecurity in Aotearoa New Zealand using a Q methodology study to synthesise and characterise three typical subjective positions. Consensus across the three positions includes the state’s responsibility for the food security of citizens, while points of contention include the role of poverty as a cause of food insecurity and the significance of a human right to food. The research contributes to research into food insecurity in advanced capitalist nations by identifying areas of consensus and contention among food insecurity practitioners, identifying the significance of children and moral failure in perceptions of food insecurity, and comparing practitioners’ perspectives to existing approaches to researching food insecurity in advanced capitalist nations.
Improving the Resilience of Port–Hinterland Container Logistics Transportation Systems: A Bi-Level Programming Approach
Authors: Gao Song , Liu Nan
Published: December 2021

Port–hinterland container logistics transportation systems (PHCLTSs) are significant to economic and social development. However, various kinds of unconventional emergency events (UEEs), such as natural or human-caused disasters, threaten PHCLTSs. This study aims to measure and improve the resilience of PHCLTSs. Bi-level programming models with two different lower level models are established to help PHCLTSs recover their capacity efficiently in the face of UEEs. In the upper level model, the government makes immediate recovery decisions about a damaged PHCLTS with the goal of improving the resilience of the PHCLTS. In the lower level models, truck carriers make decisions about transportation routes and freight volume in the recovered PHCLTS. They cooperate fully to pursue the maximization of total profit and are coordinated by a central authority, or they make their own decisions to pursue maximization of their own profit noncooperatively. An algorithm combining particle swarm optimization (PSO) and traditional optimization algorithms is proposed to solve the bi-level programming models. The numerical experimental results show the validity of the proposed models.
Improved Deep Learning Model Based on Self-Paced Learning for Multiscale Short-Term Electricity Load Forecasting
Authors: Li Meiping , Xie Xiaoming , Zhang Du
Published: December 2021

Electricity loads are basic and important information for power generation facilities and traders, especially in terms of production plans, daily operations, unit commitments, and economic dispatches. Short-term load forecasting (STLF), which predicts power loads for a few days, plays a vital role in the reliable, safe, and efficient operation of a power system. Currently, two main challenges are faced by existing STLF prediction models. The first involves how to fuse multiscale electricity load data to obtain a high-performance model and remove data noise after integration. The second involves how to improve the local optimal solution despite the sample quality problem. To address the above issues, this paper proposes a multiscale electricity load data fusion- and STLF-based short time series prediction model built on a sparse deep autoencoder and self-paced learning (SPL). A sparse deep autoencoder was used to solve the multiscale data fusion problem with data noise. Furthermore, SPL was utilized to solve the local optimal solution problem. The experimental results showed that our model was better than the existing STLF prediction models by more than 15.89% in terms of the mean squared error (MSE) indicator.
Teachers’ Perception in Selecting Virtual Learning Platforms: A Case of Mexican Higher Education during the COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Zamora-Antuñano Marco Antonio , Rodríguez-Reséndiz Juvenal , Cruz-Pérez Miguel Angel , Rodríguez Reséndíz Hugo , Paredes-García Wilfrido J. , Díaz José Alfredo Gaytán
Published: December 2021

In this project, an analysis is made of the perception of teachers of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) regarding the use of Virtual Learning Platforms (VLP) in the transition from the Traditional Educational Model (face-to-face) to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). A statistical analysis of teachers’ views on the academic environment caused by the COVID-19 crisis is carried out for the change of educational scenarios from school to home through VLP, the support for teaching–learning knowledge of VLPs and the received training, and the main problems during the transition period. Through convenience sampling, data was collected for a statistical study using a developed instrument (Data collection was designed through the Google Forms application and distributed to public and private HEI teachers). The results of the study showed that more than 60% of respondents had experience using Moodle, Google Classroom, and Blackboard; 80% of teachers had training from their institution for the use of virtual platforms; and in 60% of cases, higher education institutions allowed them to choose the VLP. In addition, the main issues they faced were connectivity, student attitude, and student attendance at class sessions. Fisher’s test was conducted to determine the relationship in the variables analyzed by identifying that there are differences of teachers in perception depending on age.
Technical and Scale Efficiency of the Brazilian Municipalities’ Water and Sanitation Services: A Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Pereira Miguel Alves , Marques Rui Cunha
Published: December 2021

Seeking to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” is an admirable Sustainable Development Goal and an honourable commitment of the United Nations and its Member States regarding the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation services (WSSs). However, the majority of countries are not on target to achieve this by 2030, with several of them moving away from the best practices. Brazil is one of these cases, given, for example, the existing asymmetries in the access to water supply and sanitation service networks. For this reason, we propose a benchmarking exercise using a two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis to measure the technical and scale efficiency of the Brazilian municipalities’ WSSs, noting their contextual environment. Our results point towards low mean efficiency scores, motivated by the existence of significant scale inefficiencies (the vast majority of municipalities are operating at a larger than optimal scale). Furthermore, the Water source was found to be a statistically significant efficiency predictor, with statistically significant differences found in terms of Ownership and Geography. Ultimately, we suggest policy-making and regulatory possibilities based on debureaucratization, the implementation of stricter expenditure control policies, and investment in the expansion of WSSs.
Bioeconomy of Sustainability: Drivers, Opportunities and Policy Implications
Authors: D’Adamo Idiano , Gastaldi Massimo , Morone Piergiuseppe , Rosa Paolo , Sassanelli Claudio , Settembre-Blundo Davide , Shen Yichen
Published: December 2021

Sustainability is characterized by a growing trend in the number of papers published in the last years, for an increasing impact factor and because today a large number of experts and researchers dealing with this issue have published in this journal [...]
A Data Fusion Model to Merge the Spectra Data of Intact and Powdered Cayenne Pepper for the Fast Inspection of Antioxidant Properties
Authors: Kusumiyati Kusumiyati , Putri Ine Elisa , Munawar Agus Arip , Suhandy Diding
Published: December 2021

Spectroscopy technology has been widely used for the quality assessment of agricultural products, but the models produced in recent studies usually focus on only one sample form. Meanwhile, most products, especially cayenne pepper, are not only in the form of fresh samples but also in powder. Therefore, the research used visible/near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy to predict the antioxidant properties using a fusion model derived from both intact and powdered cayenne pepper. The parameters used to determine these properties include the %inhibition, antioxidant activity, and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that the fusion model at %inhibition was 0.90 (Rcal), 7.63 (RMSEC), 0.84 (Rpred), and 9.16 (RMSEP) while the antioxidant activity had 0.94, 181.82, 0.81 and 340.06, whereas antioxidant capacity produced 0.94, 14.42, 0.82 and 22.64 for Rcal, RMSEC, Rpred, and RMSEP, respectively. The Vis/NIR spectroscopy was able to predict the antioxidant properties in both the intact and powdered cayenne pepper using the fusion model.
Mechanism Study on the Impact of China Population Structure Change on the Water Use of the Three Main Industries
Authors: Liu Shuangshuang , Gao Shuhan , Hsu Wei-Ling , Shiau Yan-Chyuan , Liu Hsin-Lung
Published: December 2021

As the principal part of economic and social development, the demographic factor is the fundamental factor driving the change of water resources, and achieving the harmony of human and water has been one of the most important tasks to promote high-quality development. Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, this article applied panel data for 19 years and employed impulse response functions and threshold models to do a mechanism analysis of the impact of population structure changes on the water consumption changes of the three main industries. The study found the following: Firstly, the urban population promotes an increase of the total water consumption, industrial water consumption, and domestic water consumption, which suppresses agricultural water consumption and shows an inverted “N” trend. Secondly, the aging population has expanded the total water consumption, and agricultural and domestic water demand, and reduced industrial water consumption. Thirdly, food consumption helps to reduce the total water consumption and agricultural water consumption, but increases the industrial water consumption and the growth rate rises. Fourthly, the increase in the proportion of agricultural employment reduces the total water consumption, and agricultural and domestic water consumption, and increases industrial water consumption. Fifthly, the total water consumption and domestic water consumption both increase with the improvement of the population education level, while the agricultural water consumption declines first and then rises. The empirical results can provide a reference for analyzing the driving mechanisms of regional water consumption changes.
Disability in Older People and Socio-Economic Deprivation in Italy: Effects on the Care Burden and System Resources
Authors: Casanova Georgia , Lillini Roberto
Published: December 2021

The sustainability of European Long-Term Care systems faces the demographic and socio-economic circumstances, mainly the increasing ageing of the population, with its chronic disease conditions, and the simultaneous economic general crises, exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond the increase in general rate of relative poverty, there is a higher risk of poverty among elderly and families in a high demand of care, especially if situations of Activities Daily Living (ADL) disability are present. Italian welfare, which is based on family care regimes and regional strategies, and is oriented to private or public care, is a relevant case study with which to analyze such a relationship. This paper aims to study the relationship between ADL disability and the socio-economic deprivation of families, that is, household poverty. Variables came from the ISTAT Health for All Italian Database and the INAIL Disability Allowance Database. A pool of statistical methods, based on bivariate and multivariate analyses, from bivariate correlation, through multiple linear regression to principal component factor analysis, were used to reduce the number of the variables and compute the indicators. The multivariate analysis underlines how ADL disability impacts on a household’s poverty, confirming the existence of statistical correlation between them. Moreover, the study identifies and measures two answer capability models to cope with household poverty. The answer capability of the formal system is the main tool for reducing poverty due to one family member’s ADL disability. Integration and collaboration between the formal system and family capabilities remains the main solution.
A Participatory Assessment of Perceived Neighbourhood Walkability in a Small Urban Environment
Authors: Saadi Ismaïl , Aganze Roger , Moeinaddini Mehdi , Asadi-Shekari Zohreh , Cools Mario
Published: December 2021

Walkability has become a research topic of great concern for preserving public health, especially in the era of the COVID-19 outbreak. Today more than ever, urban and transport policies, constrained by social distancing measures and travel restrictions, must be conceptualized and implemented with a particular emphasis on sustainable walkability. Most of the walkability models apply observation and subjective methods to measure walkability, whereas few studies address walkability based on sense perception. To fill this gap, we aim at investigating the perceived neighbourhood walkability (PNW) based on sense perception in a neighbourhood of Brussels. We designed a survey that integrates 22 items grouped into 5 dimensions (cleanness, visual aesthetics, landscape and nature, feeling of pressure, feeling of safety), as well as the socio-demographic attributes of the participants. Using various statistical methods, we show that socio-demographics have almost no effects on perceived neighbourhood walkability. Nonetheless, we found significant differences between groups of different educational backgrounds. Furthermore, using a binomial regression model, we found strong associations between PNW and at least one item from each grouping dimension. Finally, we show that based on a deep neural network for classification, the items have good predictive capabilities (78% of classification accuracy). These findings can help integrate sense perception into objective measurement methods of walkable environments. Additionally, policy recommendations should be targeted based on differences of perception across socio-demographic groups.
COVID-19 Face Masks as a Long-Term Source of Microplastics in Recycled Urban Green Waste
Authors: Spennemann Dirk H. R.
Published: December 2021

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, many governments recommended or mandated the wearing of fitted face masks to limit the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus via aerosols. Concomitant with the extensive use of non-sterile, surgical-type single-use face masks (SUM) was an increase of such masks, either lost or discarded, in various environmental settings. With their low tensile strength, the spunbond and melt-blown fabrics of the SUM are prone to shredding into small pieces when impacted by lawn cutting equipment. Observations highlight the absence of smaller pieces, which are either wind-dispersed or collected by the mower’s leaf catcher and disposed together with the green waste and then enter the municipal waste stream. As proof-of-concept, experiments using a domestic lawn-mower with different height settings and different grass heights, show that 75% of all pieces of SUM fabric caught in the catcher belonged to sizes below 10 mm2, which under the influence of UV light will decay into microfibers. The implications of SUM generated microplastics are discussed.
Looking Abroad for Growth: A Study of International Student’s Symbolic Motivations in Attending South Korean Universities
Authors: Juraev Otabek , Kiatkawsin Kiattipoom , Mukhammadieva Iroda , Kim Ji-Hern
Published: December 2021

South Korean universities have been facing student shortages to sustain their growth due to its severe population decline. The Korean government has since introduced policies to attract more international students to the country. The present study examined the prestige-seeking tendencies of international students in Korea and their influence on students’ satisfaction levels. The five dimensions of prestige-seeking behavior were adopted to help explain students’ satisfaction levels. Research samples were current and former international students in Korea. The findings reveal the quality of the education did not contribute directly to the students’ overall satisfaction level. Instead, it was hedonic elements that affected satisfaction. Moreover, status, snob, and bandwagon effects contributed significantly to the quality and hedonic motives.
Digital Economy, Technological Innovation and High-Quality Economic Development: Based on Spatial Effect and Mediation Effect
Authors: Ding Chenhui , Liu Chao , Zheng Chuiyong , Li Feng
Published: December 2021

Technological innovation and high-quality economic development are inevitable requirements of sustainable development, and the digital economy has gradually become a new engine to enhance technological innovation and the high-quality development of China’s economy. Deeply discussing the effect of digital economy on high-quality economic development and clarifying the mechanism behind it can effectively grant the boosting power of digital economy to China’s high-quality development, which is of great practical significance to China’s sustainable economic development. In this study, the mechanism, effect, and regional heterogeneity of the impact of the digital economy on the level of high-quality economic development in 30 Chinese provinces from 2011–2019 were measured and empirically tested using a mediating effects model and a spatial Durbin model, among others. The results showed that the overall level of digital economy and high-quality development is not high, and there were both high agglomeration and low agglomeration, with obvious spatial path dependence and spatial lock-in. Digital economy could promote the high-quality development level of the economy, and the spatial spillover effect was remarkable. In addition, the function of digital economy in promoting high-quality economic development in the eastern, central, and western regions was gradually weakened. Besides, the technological innovation was an important transmission path of digital economy to high-quality economic development. Based on these findings, it is proposed that decision-makers should strengthen digitalization efforts so that the digital economy can become a powerful tool to narrow the digital divide. Further, the dynamic and differentiated digital economy development strategy should be implemented to reduce regional development imbalances in an effective manner.
IoT for Environmental Management and Security Governance: An Integrated Project in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Yu-Fang , Chang Tzu-Yin , Su Wen-Ray , Shang Rong-Kang
Published: December 2021

Taiwan is in a hazard-exposed area where people often suffer through typhoons, earthquakes, and landslides, and must face the challenges of environmental and climate changes in ongoing and future developments. Taiwan has implemented an integrated and interdisciplinary project, which is titled Civil IoT Taiwan, for better disaster risk management and risk communication with all stakeholders by cooperating closely with authorities, scientists, and industry. The purposes of this project are to raise public risk awareness to reduce disaster damage and loss and sustainably increase the social, economic, and environmental impacts. For measuring the social impacts of the Civil IoT Taiwan, the social return on investment (SROI) is an evaluation tool to demonstrate the outcomes and impacts of Civil IoT Taiwan to measure its social effects. The SROI ratio of this project is 1.12. Civil IoT Taiwan has just implemented the first development stage in establishing infrastructure for monitoring and sensing; thus, the significant changes and impacts on society, economics, and the environment will be evaluated in the next phase. This ongoing project will also involve more stakeholders for more sustainable and resilient environmental governance in future development.
Social Sustainability of Water and Waste Management Companies in Portugal
Authors: Santos Eleonora , Moreira Jacinta
Published: December 2021

The Sustainable Development Goals aim at balancing economic, social and environmental development. In this framework, social sustainability is key to tackle current challenges that hinder the maximization of social satisfaction. Yet, for many years, scholars have negleted the social dimension. A possible explanation may be the difficulty to measure social concepts such as well-being and prosperity. Thus, we argue that, to evaluate sectoral performance, the concept of social sustainability should be translated into metrics, by focusing on the indicators that impact on those social concepts. Consequently, time-series data from Quadros do Pessoal, PORDATA and SABI databases for the sector of Water Collection, Treatment and Distribution, Sanitation, Waste Management and Depollution, are consulted to analyze the evolution of those indicators and evaluate corporate performance concerning social sustainability in 2008–2019. In line with previous literature, we use average wages and employment as proxies for social sustainability. However, we introduce a new indicator, the average term for receipts to carry out an analysis from the stakeholders’ perspective. The results suggest that, especially as of 2017, sectoral firms appear to have reagained their momentum concerning social sustainability performance. This study provides the opportunity to uncover average sectoral trends on social sustainability and paves the way for future research exploring firms’ heterogeneity.
Achieving Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality in Higher Education Institutions: A Review
Authors: Sen Gaurangi , Chau Hing-Wah , Tariq Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman , Muttil Nitin , Ng Anne W. M.
Published: December 2021

Universities and higher education institutions play an important role in achieving a sustainable future through their teaching and by undertaking cutting edge research to combat climate change. There have been several efforts towards a sustainable future and achieving carbon neutrality at higher education institutions in Australia and around the world. This study has reviewed the sustainability strategies of numerous universities in Australia and has identified as study cases six universities that are committed to and leading the implementation of initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality. The initiatives implemented at the selected universities were classified into eight “sustainability categories”, namely, built environment, energy, food and gardens, GHG emissions, natural environment, resource and waste management, transport, and water. Among the selected leading universities in sustainability, Charles Sturt University and the University of Tasmania (UTAS) are the only universities in Australia certified as carbon neutral. An interesting aspect of this review is the way in which universities are implementing sustainability initiatives in line with their mission and strategies. Despite striving towards the same end goal of achieving carbon neutrality, different institutions offer individually unique approaches towards sustainability. For example, UTAS values the creation, expansion and dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of continual learning, which is clearly demonstrated through its initiatives and policies. The findings in this review are critical in identifying those institutions of higher education which are role models in their strong commitment to achieving carbon neutrality. Such role model universities can pave the way for similar climate action at other universities.
Consuming to Conserve: A Multilevel Investigation of Sustainable Consumption
Authors: Chen Lei , Zheng Hui , Shah Vishal
Published: December 2021

As the world grapples with the ever-worsening specter of climate change, it becomes important for various nations/governments to develop mitigating measures. One of the ways to ebb the march of climate decline is to educate the population in respective countries about sustainable consumption that reduces carbon emissions. While prior research has explored the key factors of sustainable consumption in several industries, such as consumer knowledge and personal norm, it has played relatively little attention to them macro-level variables such as level of post-materialism and innovation. To this end, we study the interplay between individual-level factors and national-level variables using a hierarchical linear model on consumers’ perceived value for sustainable products and subsequent sustainable behavior. We used a dataset from the World Value Survey, which includes over 34 thousand respondents covering 40 different nations. The finding suggests that differences in individual-level sustainable consumption are explained by national-level factors. Post-materialist societies were willing to make financial sacrifices for sustainable consumption. Our findings also emphasize that the national-level factor Green Innovation modifies the relationship between Preserved Value and Sustainable Consumption at the individual-level. The findings not only sharpen our sustainability knowledge from a hierarchical view, but also provide useful guidelines for policymakers to promote sustainable consumption. Our study emphasizes that sustainable behavior is the consequence of the interplay between multilevel factors.
Analyzing the Role of Renewable Energy and Energy Intensity in the Ecological Footprint of the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Dogan Eyup , Shah Syed Faisal
Published: December 2021

Even though a great number of researchers have explored the determinants of environmental pollution, the majority have used carbon emissions as an indicator while only recent studies have employed the ecological footprint which is a broader and more reliable indicator for the environment. The present study contributes to the literature by exploring for the first time in the literature the role of real output, energy intensity (technology), and renewable energy in the ecological footprint under the STIRPAT framework for a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country—the United Arab Emirates. By applying the novel bounds testing with dynamic simulations on the data from 1992–2017, the findings of this paper reveal that energy intensity and renewable energy have a negative and significant influence on the ecological footprint but real output has a positive and significant impact on it. In other words, the empirical results indicate that a rise in the real income increases environmental pollution while increases in renewable energy and advances in technology mitigate the level of emissions. The findings also suggest that the government should establish new programs, investment opportunities, and incentives in favor of energy intensity-related technology and renewable energy for the sake of environmental sustainability. The outcomes from this research analysis are useful for policymakers, industrial partners, and project designers in the United Arab Emirates.
Conversion of Plastic Waste into Supports for Nanostructured Heterogeneous Catalysts: Application in Environmental Remediation
Authors: de Assis Geovânia Cordeiro , de Jesus Roberta Anjos , da Silva Wélida Tamires Alves , Ferreira Luiz Fernando Romanholo , Figueiredo Renan Tavares , de Oliveira Rodrigo José
Published: December 2021

Plastics are ubiquitous in our society and are used in many industries, such as packaging, electronics, the automotive industry, and medical and health sectors, and plastic waste is among the types of waste of higher environmental concern. The increase in the amount of plastic waste produced daily has increased environmental problems, such as pollution by micro-plastics, contamination of the food chain, biodiversity degradation and economic losses. The selective and efficient conversion of plastic waste for applications in environmental remediation, such as by obtaining composites, is a strategy of the scientific community for the recovery of plastic waste. The development of polymeric supports for efficient, sustainable, and low-cost heterogeneous catalysts for the treatment of organic/inorganic contaminants is highly desirable yet still a great challenge; this will be the main focus of this work. Common commercial polymers, like polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene therephthalate, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, are addressed herein, as are their main physicochemical properties, such as molecular mass, degree of crystallinity and others. Additionally, we discuss the environmental and health risks of plastic debris and the main recycling technologies as well as their issues and environmental impact. The use of nanomaterials raises concerns about toxicity and reinforces the need to apply supports; this means that the recycling of plastics in this way may tackle two issues. Finally, we dissert about the advances in turning plastic waste into support for nanocatalysts for environmental remediation, mainly metal and metal oxide nanoparticles.
Multivalent Prestarlike Functions with Respect to Symmetric Points
Authors: Breaz Daniel , Karthikeyan Kadhavoor R. , Senguttuvan Alagiriswamy
Published: December 2021

A class of p-valent functions of complex order is defined with the primary motive of unifying the concept of prestarlike functions with various other classes of multivalent functions. Interesting properties such as inclusion relations, integral representation, coefficient estimates and the solution to the Fekete–Szegő problem are obtained for the defined function class. Further, we extended the results using quantum calculus. Several consequences of our main results are pointed out.
Symmetry Analysis of the Uncertain Alternative Box-Cox Regression Model
Authors: Fang Liang , Zhou Zaiying , Hong Yiping
Published: December 2021

The asymmetry of residuals about the origin is a severe issue in estimating a Box-Cox transformed model. In the framework of uncertainty theory, there are such theoretical issues regarding the least-squares estimation (LSE) and maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of the linear models after the Box-Cox transformation on the response variables. Heretofore, only weighting methods for least-squares analysis have been available. This article proposes an uncertain alternative Box-Cox model to alleviate the asymmetry of residuals and avoid λ tending to negative infinity for uncertain LSE or uncertain MLE. Such symmetry of residuals about the origin is reasonable in applications of experts’ experimental data. The parameter estimation method was given via a theorem, and the performance of our model was supported via numerical simulations. According to the numerical simulations, our proposed ‘alternative Box-Cox model’ can overcome the problems of a grossly underestimated lambda and the asymmetry of residuals. The estimated residuals neither deviated from zero nor changed unevenly, in clear contrast to the LSE and MLE for the uncertain Box-Cox model downward biased residuals. Thus, though the LSE and MLE are not applicable on the uncertain Box-Cox model, they fit the uncertain alternative Box-Cox model. Compared with the uncertain Box-Cox model, the issue of a systematically underestimated λ is not likely to occur in our uncertain alternative Box-Cox model. Both the LSE and MLE can be used directly without constructing a weighted estimation method, offering better performance in the asymmetry of residuals.
Evidence That Supertriangles Exist in Nature from the Vertical Projections of Koelreuteria paniculata Fruit
Authors: Li Yuping , Quinn Brady K. , Gielis Johan , Li Yirong , Shi Peijian
Published: December 2021

Many natural radial symmetrical shapes (e.g., sea stars) follow the Gielis equation (GE) or its twin equation (TGE). A supertriangle (three triangles arranged around a central polygon) represents such a shape, but no study has tested whether natural shapes can be represented as/are supertriangles or whether the GE or TGE can describe their shape. We collected 100 pieces of Koelreuteria paniculata fruit, which have a supertriangular shape, extracted the boundary coordinates for their vertical projections, and then fitted them with the GE and TGE. The adjusted root mean square errors (RMSEadj) of the two equations were always less than 0.08, and >70% were less than 0.05. For 57/100 fruit projections, the GE had a lower RMSEadj than the TGE, although overall differences in the goodness of fit were non-significant. However, the TGE produces more symmetrical shapes than the GE as the two parameters controlling the extent of symmetry in it are approximately equal. This work demonstrates that natural supertriangles exist, validates the use of the GE and TGE to model their shapes, and suggests that different complex radially symmetrical shapes can be generated by the same equation, implying that different types of biological symmetry may result from the same biophysical mechanisms.
Place Branding through Resource Integration and Gastro-Cultural Experiences: A Transnational Perspective
Authors: Kladou Stella , Trihas Nikolaos
Published: December 2021

Place branding often builds upon gastro-cultural features. Yet, the convergence point between gastro-cultural place identity and the experience on offer could (and should) further benefit from contemporary studies in emerging fields, such as value co-creation and the identity-based approach to place branding. This study contributes towards this direction by examining the practices of relevant actors with main place branding authority. Drawing from their online information and presence, a thematic analysis of relevant brands in Greece and Turkey illustrates that operand and operant resource integration reflect the synergies developed between the gastronomic culture in, for, of the place. Further, actors’ intention to co-create the brand influences and is influenced by the brand. Theoretical and practical insights are derived from this study, which may direct future research and inform policymakers about sustainable, inclusive approaches.
Bioaccumulation of Pyraoxystrobin and Its Predictive Evaluation in Zebrafish
Authors: Wu Wenzhu , Xu Jing , Dou Yezhi , Yu Jia , Kong Deyang , Zhou Lixiang
Published: December 2021

This paper aims to understand the bioaccumulation of pyraoxystrobin in fish. Using a flow-through bioconcentration method, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and clearance rate of pyraoxystrobin in zebrafish were measured. The measured BCF values were then compared to those estimated from three commonly used predication models. At the exposure concentrations of 0.1 μg/L and 1.0 μg/L, the maximum BCF values for pyraoxystrobin in fish were 820.8 and 265.9, and the absorption rate constants (K1) were 391.0 d−1 and 153.2 d−1, respectively. The maximum enrichment occurred at 12 d of exposure. At the two test concentrations, the clearance rate constant (K2) in zebrafish was 0.5795 and 0.4721, and the half-life (t1/2) was 3.84 d and 3.33 d, respectively. The measured BCF values were close to those estimated from bioconcentration predication models.
The Prescription of Drugs That Inhibit Organic Anion Transporters 1 or 3 Is Associated with the Plasma Accumulation of Uremic Toxins in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: André Camille , Mernissi Touria , Choukroun Gabriel , Bennis Youssef , Kamel Saïd , Liabeuf Sophie , Bodeau Sandra
Published: December 2021

The renal elimination of uremic toxins (UTs) can be potentially altered by drugs that inhibit organic anion transporters 1/3 (OAT1/OAT3). The objective of the present study was to determine whether the prescription of at least one OAT1/OAT3 inhibitor was associated with the plasma accumulation of certain UTs in kidney transplant recipients. We included 403 kidney transplant recipients. For each patient, we recorded all prescription drugs known to inhibit OAT1/OAT3. Plasma levels of four UTs (trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), indole acetic acid (IAA), para-cresylsulfate (pCS), and indoxylsulfate (IxS) were assayed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma UT levels were significantly higher among patients prescribed at least one OAT inhibitor (n = 311) than among patients not prescribed any OAT inhibitors (n = 92). Multivariate analysis revealed that after adjustment for age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), plasma level of albumin and time since transplantation, prescription of an OAT1/OAT3 inhibitor was independently associated with the plasma accumulation of pCS (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 2.11 (1.26; 3.61]). Our results emphasize the importance of understanding the interactions between drugs and UTs and those involving UT transporters in particular.
Epimerization of Deoxynivalenol by the Devosia Strain A6-243 Assisted by Pyrroloquinoline Quinone
Authors: Gao Hui , Niu Jiafeng , Yang Hua , Lu Zhaoxin , Zhou Libang , Meng Fanqiang , Lu Fengxia , Chen Meirong
Published: December 2021

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a secondary metabolite produced by several Fusarium species that is hazardous to humans and animals after entering food chains. In this study, by adding cofactors, the Devosia strain A6-243 is identified as the DON-transforming bacteria from a bacterial consortium with the ability to biotransform DON of Pseudomonas sp. B6-24 and Devosia strain A6-243, and its effect on the biotransformation process of DON is studied. The Devosia strain A6-243 completely biotransformed 100 μg/mL of DON with the assistance of the exogenous addition of PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) within 48 h and produced non-toxic 3-epi-DON (3-epi-deoxynivalenol), while Pseudomonas sp. B6-24 was not able to biotransform DON, but it had the ability to generate PQQ. Moreover, the Devosia strain A6-243 not only degraded DON, but also exhibited the ability to degrade 3-keto-DON (3-keto-deoxynivalenol) with the same product 3-epi-DON, indicating that DON epimerization by the Devosia strain A6-243 is a two-step enzymatic reaction. The most suitable conditions for the biodegradation process of the Devosia strain A6-243 were a temperature of 16–37 °C and pH 7.0–10, with 15–30 μM PQQ. In addition, the Devosia strain A6-243 was found to completely remove DON (6.7 μg/g) from DON-contaminated wheat. The results presented a reference for screening microorganisms with the ability of biotransform DON and laid a foundation for the development of enzymes for the detoxification of mycotoxins in grain and its products.
Duality, Generalized Global Symmetries and Jet Space Isometries
Authors: Chatzistavrakidis Athanasios , Karagiannis Georgios , Ranjbar Arash
Published: December 2021

We revisit universal features of duality in linear and nonlinear relativistic scalar and Abelian 1-form theories with single or multiple fields, which exhibit ordinary or generalized global symmetries. We show that such global symmetries can be interpreted as generalized Killing isometries on a suitable, possibly graded, target space of fields or its jet space when the theory contains higher derivatives. This is realized via a generalized sigma model perspective motivated from the fact that higher spin particles can be Nambu–Goldstone bosons of spontaneously broken generalized global symmetries. We work out in detail the 2D examples of a compact scalar and the massless Heisenberg pion fireball model and the 4D examples of Maxwell, Born–Infeld, and ModMax electrodynamics. In all cases we identify the ’t Hooft anomaly that obstructs the simultaneous gauging of both global symmetries and confirm the anomaly matching under duality. These results readily generalize to higher gauge theories for p-forms. For multifield theories, we discuss the transformation of couplings under duality as two sets of Buscher rules for even or odd differential forms.
Selection for and Analysis of UV-Resistant Cryptophlebia Leucotreta Granulovirus-SA as a Biopesticide for Thaumatotibia leucotreta
Authors: Mwanza Patrick , Jukes Michael , Dealtry Gill , Lee Michael , Moore Sean
Published: December 2021

Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus-SA (CrleGV-SA) is used as a commercial biopesticide for the false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta, in citrus and other crops. The virus is sensitive to UV irradiation from sunlight, which reduces its efficacy as a biopesticide in the field. We selected a UV-resistant CrleGV-SA isolate, with more than a thousand-fold improved virulence compared to the wild-type isolate, measured by comparing LC50 values. CrleGV-SA purified from infected T. leucotreta larvae was exposed to UV irradiation under controlled laboratory conditions in a climate chamber mimicking field conditions. Five cycles of UV exposure, followed by propagating the virus that retained infectivity in vivo with re-exposure to UV, were conducted to isolate and select for UV-resistant virus. Serial dilution bioassays were conducted against neonates after each UV exposure cycle. The concentration-responses of the infectious UV-exposed virus populations were compared by probit analysis with those from previous cycles and from the original CrleGV-SA virus population. NGS sequences of CrleGV-SA samples from UV exposure cycle 1 and cycle 5 were compared with the GenBank CrleGV-SA sequence. Changes in the genomes of infective virus from cycles 1 and 5 generated SNPs thought to be responsible for establishing UV tolerance. Additional SNPs, detected only in the cycle 5 sequence, may enhance UV tolerance and improve the virulence of the UV-tolerant population.
Complement Inhibitors Vitronectin and Clusterin Are Recruited from Human Serum to the Surface of Coronavirus OC43-Infected Lung Cells through Antibody-Dependent Mechanisms
Authors: Fox Candace R. , Parks Griffith D.
Published: December 2021

Little is known about the role of complement (C’) in infections with highly prevalent circulating human coronaviruses such as OC43, a group of viruses of major public health concern. Treatment of OC43-infected human lung cells with human serum resulted in C3 deposition on their surfaces and generation of C5a, indicating robust C’ activation. Real-time cell viability assays showed that in vitro C’-mediated lysis of OC43 infected cells requires C3, C5 and C6 but not C7, and was substantially delayed as compared to rapid C’-mediated killing of parainfluenza virus type 5 (PIV5)-infected cells. In cells co-infected with OC43 and PIV5, C’-mediated lysis was delayed, similar to OC43 infected cells alone, suggesting that OC43 infection induced dominant inhibitory signals. When OC43-infected cells were treated with human serum, their cell surfaces contained both Vitronectin (VN) and Clusterin (CLU), two host cell C’ inhibitors that can alter membrane attack complex (MAC) formation and C’-mediated killing. VN and CLU were not bound to OC43-infected cells after treatment with antibody-depleted serum. Reconstitution experiments with purified IgG and VN showed that human antibodies are both necessary and sufficient for VN recruitment to OC43-infected lung cells–novel findings with implications for CoV pathogenesis.
Oral Administration of Bacillus subtilis Subunit Vaccine Significantly Enhances the Immune Protection of Grass Carp against GCRV-II Infection
Authors: Gao Yang , Huo Xingchen , Wang Zhensheng , Yuan Gailing , Liu Xiaoling , Ai Taoshan , Su Jianguo
Published: December 2021

Grass carp reovirus (GCRV) is a severe virus that causes great losses to grass carp culture every year, and GCRV-II is the current popular and fatal strain. VP56, fibrin on the outer surface of GCRV-II, mediates cell attachment. In this study, we firstly divided the VP56 gene into four fragments to screen the optimal antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and neutralizing antibody methods. The second fragment VP56-2 demonstrates the optimal efficiency and was employed as an antigen in the following experiments. Bacillus subtilis were used as a carrier, and VP56-2 was expressed on the surface of the spores. Then, we performed the oral immunization for grass carp and the challenge with GCRV-II. The survival rate was remarkably raised, and mRNA expressions of IgM were significantly up-regulated in spleen and head kidney tissues in the B. s-CotC-VP56-2 group. Three crucial immune indexes (complement C3, lysozyme and total superoxide dismutase) in the sera were also significantly enhanced. mRNA expressions of four important genes (TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN1 and MHC-II) were significantly strengthened. Tissue lesions were obviously attenuated by histopathological slide examination in trunk kidney and spleen tissues. Tissue viral burdens were significantly reduced post-viral challenge. These results indicated that the oral recombinant B. subtilis VP56-2 subunit vaccine is effective for controlling GCRV infection and provides a feasible strategy for the control of fish virus diseases.