bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adsorptive Removal of Emulsified Automobile Fuel from Aqueous Solution
Authors: Asif Mohammad , Boumaza Mourad M. , Kumar Nadavala Siva , Al-Ghurabi Ebrahim H. , Shahabuddin Mohammed
Published: September 2023

The development of cost-effective technologies for the treatment of water contaminated by petrochemicals is an environmental priority. This issue is of paramount importance for countries like Saudi Arabia owing to its scarce water resources. Of particular concern are automobile fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, that can contaminate water aquifers from leaking underground fuel storage tanks. Owing to the cost-effectiveness of adsorption-based technologies, low-cost high surface-area commercial activated carbon was used for the adsorptive removal of contaminants from the emulsified fuel-contaminated water. Batch equilibrium experiments showed a high efficacy of the adsorbent. Even with small amounts of the adsorbent, a removal efficiency of more than 97% was obtained for both gasoline as well as diesel. Three different well-known batch adsorption isotherm models, namely the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin, were used for describing the experimental data. The best results were obtained using the Freundlich isotherm followed by the Langmuir model. The maximum capacity was found to be 8.3 g gasoline and 9.3 g diesel per gram of the adsorbent at ambient conditions for a neutral contaminated aqueous solution.
Energy Saving Optimization of Commercial Complex Atrium Roof with Resilient Ventilation Using Machine Learning
Authors: Xu Ao , Zhang Ruinan , Yu Jiahui , Dong Yu
Published: September 2023

Carbon-neutral architectural design focuses on rationally utilizing the building’s surroundings to reduce its environmental impact. Resilient ventilation systems, developed according to the thermal comfort requirements of building energy-saving research, have few applications. We studied the Jin-an Shopping Mall in Harbin and established the middle point height (h), middle point horizontal location (d), roof angle (α), and exposure to floor ratio (k) as the morphological parameters of the atrium. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the mean radiant temperature (MRT), and the universal thermal climate index calculations (UTCI), this program was set to switch off air conditioning when the resilient ventilation met the thermal comfort requirement to achieve energy savings. The energy-saving efficiency (U) was calculated based on the energy consumption of the original model, and U could reach 7.34–9.64% according to the simulation and prediction. This study provides methods and a theoretical basis for renovating other commercial complexes to improve comfort and control energy consumption.
Community on the Margins: The Social Consolidation of the HaTikvah Neighborhood in the Late Mandate Period and during Early Israeli Statehood
Authors: Etkin Elia
Published: September 2023

The definition and analysis of disadvantaged neighborhoods have been rethought in recent years, with the goal of trying to surpass the monolithic identification of all marginal neighborhoods and move towards an analysis of the social, urban, and national circumstances that create marginal neighborhoods in a particular country under specific historical circumstances. This paper offers a micro-historical case study that allows us to examine the social consolidation and civic engagement of a marginal urban community residing in the HaTikvah neighborhood, next to the city of Tel Aviv, during the period between the mid-1930s and the early 1950s. It argues that the residents’ identifications and actions stemmed from an intersectional marginality that was composed of their low socio-economic status, their ethnic origin as Oriental Jews, the geographic location of the neighborhood, and its lack of municipal status. Taking into consideration the circumstances of British Mandatory rule and the processes of the consolidation of the Jewish national society in Palestine as a European society, this paper unveils the struggles of the community vis à vis various institutions for the purposes of recognition, the improvement of living conditions, and, subsequently, the preservation of the fabric of life in the neighborhood.
Statistical Modeling for Some Real Applications in Reliability Analysis Using Non-Parametric Hypothesis Testing
Authors: Bakr Mahmoud E.
Published: September 2023

Probability life distributions usually describe the time to an event or survival time. Therefore, these life distributions play a crucial role in the analysis and projection of maximum life expectancy using the goodness of fit approach for nonparametric hypothesis testing. This study suggests a nonparametric technique to determine whether the data follow an exponential distribution or belong to the mathematical class of the moment generating function for used better than aged (UBAmgf). These tests can be applied to both censored and non-censored data. The upper percentile points of the test statistics are generated, and the suggested test’s asymptotic normality is established. Some well-known alternative asymmetric probability models are used to compute the Pitman asymptotic relative efficiency (PARE) and powers of the proposed test. To demonstrate the paper’s conclusions, some asymmetric real-world datasets are examined.
Simulation and Goal Programming Approach to Improve Public Hospital Emergency Department Resource Allocation
Authors: Rehman Ateekh Ur , Usmani Yusuf Siraj , Mian Syed Hammad , Abidi Mustufa Haider , Alkhalefah Hisham
Published: September 2023

Efficient and effective operation of an emergency department is necessary. Since patients can visit the emergency department without making an appointment, the emergency department always treats a lot of critical patients. Moreover, the severity of the ailment determines which patients should be prioritized. Therefore, the patients are greatly impacted as a consequence of longer waiting times caused primarily by incorrect resource allocation. It frequently happens that patients leave the hospital or waiting area without treatment. Certainly, the emergency department’s operation can be made more effective and efficient by examining its work and making modifications to the number of resources and their allocation. This study, therefore, investigates the emergency department of a public hospital to improve its functioning. The goal of this research is to model and simulate an emergency department to minimize patient wait times and also minimize the number of patients leaving the hospital without service. A comprehensive simulation model is developed using the Arena simulation platform and goal programming is undertaken to conduct simulation optimization and resource allocation analysis. Hospital management should realize that all resources must be prioritized rather than just focusing on one or two of them. The case scenario (S3) in this study that implements goal programming with variable weights yields the most favorable results. For example, it is observed in this instance that the number of patients leaving the system without service drops by 61.7%, and there is also a substantial drop in waiting times for various types of patients.
Incremental Online Machine Learning for Detecting Malicious Nodes in Vehicular Communications Using Real-Time Monitoring
Authors: Ajjaj Souad , El Houssaini Souad , Hain Mustapha , El Houssaini Mohammed-Alamine
Published: September 2023

Detecting malicious activities in Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) is an important research field as it can prevent serious damage within the network and enhance security and privacy. In this regard, a number of approaches based on machine learning (ML) algorithms have been proposed. However, they encounter several challenges due to data being constantly generated over time; this can impact the performance of models trained on fixed datasets as well as cause the need for real-time data analysis to obtain timely responses to potential threats in the network. Therefore, it is crucial for machine learning models to learn and improve their predictions or decisions in real time as new data become available. In this paper, we propose a new approach for attack detection in VANETs based on incremental online machine learning. This approach uses data collected from the monitoring of the VANET nodes’ behavior in real time and trains an online model using incremental online learning algorithms. More specifically, this research addresses the detection of black hole attacks that pose a significant threat to the Ad hoc On Demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol. The data used for attack detection are gathered from simulating realistic VANET scenarios using the well-known simulators Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) and Network Simulator (NS-3). Further, key features which are relevant in capturing the behavior of VANET nodes under black hole attack are monitored over time. The performance of two online incremental classifiers, Adaptive Random Forest (ARF) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), are assessed in terms of Accuracy, Recall, Precision, and F1-score metrics, as well as training and testing time. The results show that ARF can be successfully applied to classify and detect black hole nodes in VANETs. ARF outperformed KNN in all performance measures but required more time to train and test compared to KNN. Our findings indicate that incremental online learning, which enables continuous and real-time learning, can be a potential method for identifying attacks in VANETs.
Preliminary Study on the Effect and Molecular Mechanism of Tetrandrine in Alleviating Pulmonary Inflammation and Fibrosis Induced by Silicon Dioxide
Authors: Wang Yi , Cheng Bin , Lin Yu-Jia , Wang Rui , Xuan Jie , Xu Hai-Ming
Published: September 2023

This study aims to explore the molecular mechanism of tetrandrine (Tet) in alleviating pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis induced by silica (SiO2) from the perspective of autophagy. C57BL/6J mice were selected as experimental animals, and SiO2 was exposed by intranasal instillation. Tet was intervened by oral gavage. The mice were euthanized on the 7th and 42nd day of SiO2 exposure, and lung tissues were collected for histopathological, molecular biological, immunological, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The results showed that SiO2 exposure could lead to significant lung inflammation and fibrosis, while Tet could significantly reduce SiO2 exposure-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis. Molecular mechanism research indicated that, compared with SiO2 expose group, Tet intervention could significantly reduce the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and fibrosis markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP-1, TGF-β1, HYP, Col-I, and Fn), and regulate the expression of key molecules ATG7, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B), and P62 in the autophagy pathway to improve the blocking of autophagic flux, promote the recovery of autophagic lysosomal system function, and inhibit apoptosis. In summary, Tet can alleviate silica-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis, which may be achieved by regulating the expression of key molecules in the autophagy process and associated apoptotic pathway.
Impacts of Agricultural Pesticide Contamination: An Integrated Risk Assessment of Rural Communities of Eswatini
Authors: Msibi Sithembiso Sifiso , Su Lihchyun Joseph , Chen Chung-Yu , Chang Cheng-Ping , Chen Chiou-Jong , Wu Kuen-Yuh , Chiang Su-Yin
Published: September 2023

Marked reductions in mean annual rainfall associated with climate change in Eswatini in Southern Africa have encouraged the recycling of irrigation water and the increased use of pesticides in agricultural production, raising concerns about potential ecological and health risks due to long-term exposure to pesticide residues in soil and irrigation water. This probabilistic integrated risk assessment used liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry to analyze the concentrations of four commonly used agricultural pesticides (ametryn, atrazine, pendimethalin, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)) in irrigation water and topsoil samples from farmlands in Eswatini to assess potential ecological and health risks due to exposure. The concentrations of these pesticides ranged from undetectable to 0.104 µg/L in irrigation water and from undetectable to 2.70 µg/g in soil. The probabilistic multi-pathway and multi-route risk assessments conducted revealed hazard indices exceeding 1.0 for all age groups for ametryn and atrazine, suggesting that the daily consumption of recycled irrigation water and produce from the fields in this area may pose considerable health risks. The indices pertaining to ecological risks had values less than 0.1. Adaptation measures are recommended to efficiently manage pesticide use in agriculture, and further research will ensure that agriculture can adapt to climate change and that the general public and ecosystem are protected.
Malariometric Indices in the Context of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention in Children Aged 1.5 to 12 Years during the Period of High Malaria Transmission in the Suburban Area of Banfora, Burkina Faso
Authors: Ouattara San M. , Ouattara Daouda , Badoum Emilie S. , Diarra Amidou , Hien Denise , Ouedraogo Amidou Z. , Nébié Issa , Ouedraogo Alphonse , Tiono Alfred B. , Sirima Sodiomon B.
Published: September 2023

Continuous monitoring of malaria epidemiology is needed in malaria-endemic settings to inform malaria control and elimination strategies. This study aimed to compare the malariometric indices between the under-fives and school-age children. We surveyed children aged 1.5 to 12 years for plasmodia carriage with the aim of including them in a longitudinal follow-up cohort. The survey took place from 7–11 September 2020 in a southwest area of Burkina Faso. Clinical and demographic data including malaria control measures were collected. A finger prick blood sample was taken for haemoglobin testing, and blood smears and dried blood spot preparation. The malariometric indices were calculated and compared between school-age children and those under the age of five. Multiple logistic regression was fitted to assess the association between malaria parasite carriage and age categories. Based on the PCR results, the parasite prevalence was 21.4% in the under-fives versus 44.2% in school-age children (p-value < 0.0001), with a pooled prevalence of 32.7% (CI = [28.8, 36.8]). The gametocyte prevalence was also significantly higher in school-age children (11.9%) compared to the under-fives (3.7%). Adjusted for covariates, school-age children were 2.9 times (IC = [2.0, 4.2]) more likely to carry the asexual parasite, compared to the under-fives. Malaria was moderate and stable endemic in this area and school-age children play a key role in the spread of the disease. The WHO conditional recommendation for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in school-aged children living in malaria-endemic settings with moderate to high perennial or seasonal transmission should be implemented.
Impetiginous Cutaneous Leishmaniasis after COVID-19 Infection in a Patient with Poor Cardiac Profile: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Alotaibi Hend , Aldossari Abdulelah , Alnasser Sultan
Published: September 2023

Cutaneous leishmaniasis incidence has been rising in the past couple of decades. Standard therapy often includes antileishmanial drugs; however, due to their low safety and toxicity threshold, alternative treatments are being investigated. The association between COVID-19 and cutaneous leishmaniasis remains unclear and exploring this connection may offer crucial insights into the pathophysiology of and treatment strategies for infected patients. In this article, we describe a case of a male patient with a history of cardiac and other comorbidities who presented with cutaneous leishmaniasis in the form of impetigo-like skin lesions after being infected with COVID-19. Due to the patient’s poor cardiac profile, sodium stibogluconate was not used and an alternative therapeutic approach was employed. The patient was treated with oral terbinafine, cryotherapy on specific lesions, and a course of cephalexin. Following the course of treatment and subsequent follow-up, the patient exhibited complete resolution and healing of the lesions with scarring, and no active lesions or recurrence were observed. This case highlights the potential for alternative treatment strategies for cutaneous leishmaniasis in patients with comorbidities and emphasizes the importance of further research to better understand the link between COVID-19 and cutaneous leishmaniasis.
ESNet: Estimating Stellar Parameters from LAMOST Low-Resolution Stellar Spectra
Authors: Wang Kun , Qiu Bo , Luo A-li , Ren Fuji , Jiang Xia
Published: September 2023

Stellar parameters are estimated through spectra and are crucial in studying both stellar evolution and the history of the galaxy. To extract features from the spectra efficiently, we present ESNet (encoder selection network for spectra), a novel architecture that incorporates three essential modules: a feature encoder (FE), feature selection (FS), and feature mapping (FM). FE is responsible for extracting advanced spectral features through encoding. The role of FS, on the other hand, is to acquire compressed features by reducing the spectral dimension and eliminating redundant information. FM comes into play by fusing the advanced and compressed features, establishing a nonlinear mapping between spectra and stellar parameters. The stellar spectra used for training and testing are obtained through crossing LAMOST and SDSS. The experimental results demonstrate that for low signal-to-noise spectra (0–10), ESNet achieves excellent performance on the test set, with mean absolute error (MAE) values of 82 K for Teff (effective temperature), 0.20 dex for logg (logarithm of the gravity), and 0.10 dex for [Fe/H] (metallicity). The results indeed indicate that ESNet has an excellent ability to extract spectral features. Furthermore, this paper validates the consistency between ESNet predictions and the SDSS catalog. The experimental results prove that the model can be employed for the evaluation of stellar parameters.
Liver Involvement during SARS-CoV-2 Infection Is Associated with a Worse Respiratory Outcome in COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Romano Ciro , Cozzolino Domenico , Nevola Riccardo , Abitabile Marianna , Carusone Caterina , Cinone Francesca , Cuomo Giovanna , Nappo Francesco , Sellitto Ausilia , Umano Giuseppina , Adinolfi Luigi , Marrone Aldo , Rinaldi Luca
Published: September 2023

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), may be complicated by life-threatening interstitial pneumonia. SARS-CoV-2 infection may also damage several tissues and/or organs beyond the lungs, including the liver. However, controversy still exists as to whether SARS-CoV-2-induced liver alterations can have an impact on the outcome of COVID-19. The aim of this study was therefore to assess whether SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with liver abnormalities at the time of hospital referral had a worse outcome with respect to patients with no liver biochemistry alterations. To this end, the medical records of 123 patients admitted to our COVID center between the end of 2020 and spring 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: those with normal liver biochemistries (group 1, 77 patients) and those with altered liver function tests (group 2, 46 patients). Serum levels of aminotransferases (AST and ALT) and bile duct cell injury markers (γ-GT and ALP) were used to dichotomize patients. A higher percentage of patients with liver enzyme alterations were found to develop COVID-19 pneumonia with respect to group 1 patients (74% vs. 65%); moreover, they needed more days of respiratory support and, more importantly, more intensive administration of supplemental oxygen. A statistically significant correlation was also found between aminotransferase levels and duration of respiratory support. The mortality rate was not superior in group 2 vs. group 1 patients. In conclusion, liver abnormalities on admission predisposed COVID-19 patients to development of more severe interstitial pneumonia, because of a longer requirement for supplemental oxygen and a more intensive respiratory support, indicative of a worse disease evolution in these patients.
Special Issue “Advances in Antiviral Agents against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants”
Authors: Esposito Francesca , Cannalire Rolando
Published: September 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with 770 million reported cases and around 7 million deaths, represents the worst pandemic in the last 100 years [...]
An Efficient and Scalable Method for the Production of Immunogenic SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particles (VLP) from a Mammalian Suspension Cell Line
Authors: Hirschberg Stefan , Ghazaani Fatemeh , Ben Amor Ghada , Pydde Markus , Nagel Alexander , Germani Saveria , Monica Lara , Schlör Anja , Bauer Hannes , Hornung Jane , Voetz Michael , Dwai Yamen , Scheer Benjamin , Ringel Frauke , Kamal-Eddin Omar , Harms Christoph , Füner Jonas , Adrian Lorenz , Pruß Axel , Schulze-Forster Kai , Hanack Katja , Kamhieh-Milz Julian
Published: September 2023

The rapid evolution of new SARS-CoV-2 variants poses a continuing threat to human health. Vaccination has become the primary therapeutic intervention. The goal of the current work was the construction of immunogenic virus-like particles (VLPs). Here, we describe a human cell line for cost-efficient and scalable production of immunogenic SARS-CoV-2 VLPs. The modular design of the VLP-production platform facilitates rapid adaptation to new variants. Methods: The N, M-, and E-protein genes were integrated into the genome of Expi293 cells (ExpiVLP_MEN). Subsequently, this cell line was further modified for the constitutive expression of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The resulting cell line (ExpiVLP_SMEN) released SARS-CoV-2 VLP upon exposure to doxycycline. ExpiVLP_SMEN cells were readily adapted for VLP production in a 5 L bioreactor. Purified VLPs were quantified by Western blot, ELISA, and nanoparticle tracking analysis and visualized by electron microscopy. Immunogenicity was tested in mice. Results: The generated VLPs contained all four structural proteins, are within the size range of authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, and reacted strongly and specifically with immunoserum from naturally infected individuals. The VLPs were stable in suspension at 4 °C for at least 10 weeks. Mice immunized with VLPs developed neutralizing antibodies against lentiviruses pseudotyped with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The flexibility of the VLP-production platform was demonstrated by the rapid switch of the spike protein to a new variant of concern (BA.1/Omicron). The present study describes an efficient, scalable, and adaptable production method of immunogenic SARS-CoV-2 VLPs with therapeutic potential.
Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Latin American Health Workers: Implications for Designing Interventions
Authors: Rivera Tamara , Brustrom Jennifer , Vera Antelo Maite , Puertas E. Benjamin , Rhoda Dale A. , Velandia-Gonzalez Martha
Published: September 2023

Health workers (HWs) have a key role in promoting vaccine acceptance. This study draws on the Behavioral and Social Drivers of Vaccination (BeSD) model and our team’s investigation of vaccine hesitancy in a sample of 1197 HWs across 14 Caribbean countries in 2021. We conducted a cross-sectional Internet survey of 6718 HWs across 16 countries in Latin America in spring 2022, after the COVID-19 vaccine had recently become widely available in the region. The survey assessed HWs’ attitudes regarding COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines in general. As a proxy measure of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, we used the willingness to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible people. Ninety-seven percent of respondents were COVID-19 vaccine acceptant. Although nearly all respondents felt that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective, 59% expressed concerns about potential adverse effects. Despite uniformly high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine overall and across Latin American subregions, acceptance differed by sex, HW profession, and COVID-19 history. Social processes, including actions and opinions of friends, family, and colleagues; actions and opinions of religious leaders; and information seen on social networks shaped many respondents’ opinions of vaccines, and the magnitude of these effects differed across both demographic and geographic subgroups. Information campaigns designed for HWs should underscore the importance of vaccine safety. Messages should be tailored to specific audiences according to the information source each is most likely to consult and trust.
Evaluation of Aluminium Hydroxide Nanoparticles as an Efficient Adjuvant to Potentiate the Immune Response against Clostridium botulinum Serotypes C and D Toxoid Vaccines
Authors: Mbhele Ziphezinhle , Thwala Lungile , Khoza Thandeka , Ramagoma Faranani
Published: September 2023

Clostridium botulinum serotypes C and D cause botulism in livestock, a neuroparalytic disease that results in substantial economic losses. Vaccination with aluminium-based toxoid vaccines is widely used to control the spread of botulism. Aluminium-based adjuvants are preferred owing to their apparent stimulation of the immune responses to toxoid vaccines when compared to other adjuvants. The aim of our study was to evaluate aluminium hydroxide nanoparticles as a potential substitute for alhydrogel in the botulism bivalent vaccine. Botulism vaccines were formulated with either alhydrogel or nanoalum and comparative efficacy between the two formulations was conducted by evaluating the immune response in vaccinated guinea pigs. A significant increase in immunological parameters was observed, with the antibody titres higher in the serum of guinea pigs (20 IU/mL of anti-BoNT C/D) injected with nanoalum-containing vaccine than guinea pigs inoculated with the standard alhydrogel-containing vaccine (8.7 IU/mL and 10 IU/mL of anti-BoNT C and anti-BoNT D, respectively). Additionally, the nanoalum-containing vaccine demonstrated potency in a multivalent vaccine (20 IU/mL of anti-BoNT C/D), while the standard alhydrogel-containing vaccine showed a decline in anti-BoNT C (5 IU/mL) antibody titres.
Evaluation of the Immunological Efficacy of an LNP-mRNA Vaccine Prepared from Varicella Zoster Virus Glycoprotein gE with a Double-Mutated Carboxyl Terminus in Different Untranslated Regions in Mice
Authors: Wang Yunfei , Cao Han , Lin Kangyang , Hu Jingping , Luan Ning , Liu Cunbao
Published: September 2023

Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) plays a key role in the effectiveness of varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccines, and mRNA vaccines have an innate advantage in inducing CMI. Glycoprotein E (gE) has been used widely as an antigen for VZV vaccines, and carboxyl-terminal mutations of gE are associated with VZV titer and infectivity. In addition, the untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNA affect the stability and half-life of mRNA in the cell and are crucial for protein expression and antigenic translational efficiency. In this study, three UTRs were designed and connected to the nucleic acid sequence of gE-M, which is double mutated in the extracellular region of gE. Then, mRNA with different nucleic acids was encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), forming three LNP-mRNA VZV vaccines, named gE-M-Z, gE-M-M, and gE-M-P. The immune response elicited by these vaccines in mice was evaluated at intervals of 4 weeks, and the mice were sacrificed 2 weeks after the final immunization. In the results, the gE-M-P group, which retains the nucleic acid sequence of gE-M and is connected to Pfizer/BioNTech’s BNT162b2 UTRs, induced the strongest humoral immune response and CMI. Because CMI is crucial for protection against VZV and for the design of VZV vaccines, this study provides a feasible strategy for improving the effectiveness and economy of future VZV vaccines.
Internal Validation of the ASFV MONODOSE dtec-qPCR Kit for African Swine Fever Virus Detection under the UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Criteria
Authors: Bru Gema , Martínez-Candela Marta , Romero Paloma , Navarro Aaron , Martínez-Murcia Antonio
Published: September 2023

African swine fever virus is considered an emerging virus that causes African swine fever, a disease characterised by high mortality and elevated transmission rates and that, as it is for most other viral diseases, cannot be treated with specific drugs. Effective and reliable detection of the virus is relevant to prevent uncontrolled contagion among boar populations and to reduce economic losses. Moreover, animal health laboratories are demanding standardisation, optimisation and quality assurance of the available diagnostic assays. In the present study, the ASFV MONODOSE dtec-qPCR kit was validated following the UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 guidelines. Analytical validation terms include in silico and in vitro specificity, sensitivity, efficiency and reliability (repeatability/reproducibility). Diagnostic validation of the method was assessed through the analysis of a total of 181 porcine samples originating from six different matrix types doped with African swine fever virus DNA received from the European reference laboratory for African Swine Fever (INIA-CISA, Madrid, Spain): whole blood, blood serum, kidney, heart, liver and tonsil. Results agreed with those obtained from a reference detection method also based on real-time PCR, endorsed by WOAH, but the ASFV MONODOSE dtec-qPCR kit incorporates some technical innovations and improvements which may benefit end-users. This kit, available worldwide with full analytical and diagnostic validation, can recognise all known ASFV genotypes and brings additional benefits to the current qPCR technology.
Correlating Access to Primary Medical Care and Veterinary Care Providers: A Novel Application of Spatial Gravity Modelling
Authors: Neal Sue M.
Published: September 2023

Increasingly, health professionals are recognizing the need for a more holistic, or One Health, approach to wellness. Companion animals share the lives and homes of many Americans, and yet little research exists on the intersection of disparities of access to veterinary care and access to human health care. This research aims to fill that gap by exploring the use of a spatial model that identifies the relationship of supply and demand while also considering reductions as a function of travel time to a care facility. Four counties in Alabama were analyzed at the census tract level to determine the supply of primary care physicians and veterinary care providers. This research provides a unique application of the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area model by independently examining access to each type of care and then comparing both access supply values at the census level. Results indicated a statistically significant positive relationship between access to both types of care, implying areas with lower access to primary care have concomitantly low access to veterinary care. Implications for practice include the introduction of this methodological approach, identification of future parameter specification research to improve the approach, and identification of an area of significant concern in the One Health framework. Further, the results can inform solution strategies such as offering integrated care interventions for both humans and their companion animal household members with direct use for policymakers aimed at increasing equitable access to health care across the One Health spectrum.
Vision Impairments in Young Adults with Down Syndrome
Authors: Martin-Perez Yolanda , Gonzalez-Montero Guadalupe , Gutierrez-Hernandez Angel L. , Blázquez-Sánchez Vanesa , Sánchez-Ramos Celia
Published: September 2023

People with Down syndrome have more visual problems than the general population. They experience premature ageing, and they are expected to also have an acceleration in worsening visual function. A prospective observational study which includes visual acuity, refractive error, accommodation, binocular and colour vision was performed on young adults with (n = 69) and without (n = 65) Down syndrome and on a senior group (n = 55) without Down syndrome. Results showed significant differences in visual acuity between groups (p < 0.001), and it can be improved with a new prescription in 40% of the participants with Down syndrome. Regarding the accommodative state, no significant differences were found between groups of young people. Concerning binocular vision, 64.7% of strabismus was observed in the group with Down syndrome (p < 0.001). Visual abnormalities are significant in young adults with Down syndrome and are different from those of older people without Down syndrome, some of which can be improved by providing the optimal prescription as well as regular eye examinations.
Gradient-Based Metrics for the Evaluation of Image Defogging
Authors: deMas-Giménez Gerard , García-Gómez Pablo , Casas Josep R. , Royo Santiago
Published: September 2023

Fog, haze, or smoke are standard atmospheric phenomena that dramatically compromise the overall visibility of any scene, critically affecting features such as the illumination, contrast, and contour detection of objects. The decrease in visibility compromises the performance of computer vision algorithms such as pattern recognition and segmentation, some of which are very relevant to decision-making in the field of autonomous vehicles. Several dehazing methods have been proposed that either need to estimate fog parameters through physical models or are statistically based. But physical parameters greatly depend on the scene conditions, and statistically based methods require large datasets of natural foggy images together with the original images without fog, i.e., the ground truth, for evaluation. Obtaining proper fog-less ground truth images for pixel-to-pixel evaluation is costly and time-consuming, and this fact hinders progress in the field. This paper aims to tackle this issue by proposing gradient-based metrics for image defogging evaluation that do not require a ground truth image without fog or a physical model. A comparison of the proposed metrics with metrics already used in the NTIRE 2018 defogging challenge as well as several state-of-the-art defogging evaluation metrics is performed to prove its effectiveness in a general situation, showing comparable results to conventional metrics and an improvement in the no-reference scene. A Matlab implementation of the proposed metrics has been developed and it is open-sourced in a public GitHub repository.
Yaw Moment Control Based on Brake-by-Wire for Vehicle Stbility
Authors: Li Hongfang , Wang Kai , Hao Huimin , Wu Zhifei
Published: September 2023

This paper presents a new control strategy for vehicle stability based on brake-by-wire. However, there are few studies in the literature that compare the stability of a vehicle by systematic experimentation with or without controllers. In this paper, the complete experimental procedure is designed, and the experimental results are analyzed in detail. Firstly, the hydraulic model of the brake-by-wire is established based on its structure and working principles, and the yaw moment control method is proposed for the vehicle’s stability. The deviation between the desired values and actual values of the yaw rate and sideslip angle is taken as the input, and the fuzzy controller calculates the additional yaw moment for the vehicle stability. Next, the simulation under different conditions which contain the steering wheel step input, double lane change and turning is conducted, and the yaw rates and sideslip angles with and without stability control are compared, and the effectiveness of the control method is verified. Finally, the turning test is conducted based on brake-by-wire chassis to verify the proposed method. The experimental results show that the yaw rate decreased by 14% and the sideslip angle decreased by 25% when the brake control was applied. Furthermore, the proposed method performed well in improving the stability of the brake-by-wire chassis.
Research on Control Strategy of APSO-Optimized Fuzzy PID for Series Hybrid Tractors
Authors: Xu Liyou , Wang Yiting , Li Yanying , Zhao Jinghui , Liu Mengnan
Published: September 2023

Energy management strategies are crucial for improving fuel economy and reducing the exhaust emissions of hybrid tractors. The authors study a series diesel-electric hybrid tractor (SDEHT) and propose a multi-operating point Fuzzy PID control strategy (MOPFPCS) aimed to achieve better fuel economy and improved control. To further improve the vehicle economy, the adaptive particle swarm optimization method is used to optimize the key parameters of the Fuzzy PID controller. A co-simulation model in AVL-Cruise and Matlab/Simulink environment is developed for plowing mode and transportation mode. The simulation results show that under the two operation modes, the equivalent fuel consumption of the adaptive particle swarm optimization multi-operating points Fuzzy PID control strategy (APSO-MOPFPCS) is reduced by 18.3% and 15.0%, respectively, compared to the engine single-operating point control strategy (ESOPCS). Also, it was found to be reduced by 9.5% and 4.6%, respectively, compared to the MOPFPCS.
Review of Challenges and Opportunities in the Integration of Electric Vehicles to the Grid
Authors: Vishnu Gayathry , Kaliyaperumal Deepa , Jayaprakash Ramprabhakar , Karthick Alagar , Kumar Chinnaiyan V. , Ghosh Aritra
Published: September 2023

Electric vehicle (EV) technology has revolutionized the transportation sector in the last few decades. The adoption of EVs, along with the advancement of smart grid technologies and Renewable Energy Sources (RES), has introduced new concepts in the automobile and power industries. Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) or Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) is a technology revolutionizing both the transport and electric power sectors. From a V2G perspective, these sectors are complementary and mutually beneficial. For the power sector, mitigation of voltage and frequency excursions and the prospect of grid stabilization on the brink of uncertainties owing to the dynamics in the grid scenario are very important. This article focuses on various aspects of EV-power grid integration. The tremendous benefits of this technology, as presented in the literature, are reviewed. Furthermore, the concerns and the implementation challenges are reviewed in detail in this work.
The Macroeconomic Impact of Increasing Investments in Malaria Control in 26 High Malaria Burden Countries: An Application of the Updated EPIC Model
Authors: Patouillard Edith , Han Seoni , Lauer Jeremy , Barschkett Mara , Arcand Jean-Louis
Published: September 2023

Background: Malaria remains a major public health problem. While globally malaria mortality affects predominantly young children, clinical malaria affects all age groups throughout life. Malaria not only threatens health but also child education and adult productivity while burdening government budgets and economic development. Increased investments in malaria control can contribute to reduce this burden but have an opportunity cost for the economy. Quantifying the net economic value of investing in malaria can encourage political and financial commitment. Methods: We adapted an existing macroeconomic model to simulate the effects of reducing malaria on the gross domestic product (GDP) of 26 high burden countries while accounting for the opportunity costs of increased investments in malaria. We compared two scenarios differing in their level of malaria investment and associated burden reduction: sustaining malaria control at 2015 intervention coverage levels, time at which coverage levels reached their historic peak and scaling-up coverage to reach the 2030 global burden reduction targets. We incorporated the effects that reduced malaria in children and young adolescents may have on the productivity of working adults and on the future size of the labour force augmented by educational returns, skills, and experience. We calibrated the model using estimates from linked epidemiologic and costing models on these same scenarios and from published country-specific macroeconomic data. Results: Scaling-up malaria control could produce a dividend of US$ 152 billion in the modelled countries, equivalent to 0.17% of total GDP projected over the study period across the 26 countries. Assuming a larger share of malaria investments is paid out from domestic savings, the dividend would be smaller but still significant, ranging between 0.10% and 0.14% of total projected GDP. Annual GDP gains were estimated to increase over time. Lower income and higher burden countries would experience higher gains. Conclusion: Intensified malaria control can produce a multiplied return despite the opportunity cost of greater investments.
Quality Measurement as a Path to High Quality Care Comment on "Quality and Performance Measurement in Primary Diabetes Care: A Qualitative Study in Urban China"
Authors: Matulis III John C. , McCoy Rozalina G.
Published: September 2023

A rigorous evaluation of the implementation of a diabetes quality measure implementation program across community healthcare clinics in Shanghai, China, where both quality measurement and primary care delivery are relatively recent but centrally supported, identified important concerns about the meaningfulness, feasibility, and accuracy of quality measures that are relevant to all quality measurement programs. These include the importance of stakeholder involvement in measure development and implementation, the need to select measures that accurately and reliably reflect care quality, the link between incentives for improved performance and data manipulation, the necessity for scientific credibility and practical feasibility of the measure, and the assurance that measure performance can be impacted by those being evaluated. In addition to elaborating on these aspects of quality measurement, we also discuss the need for quality measures that are balanced across established domains of quality, are not burdensome to participants, and are transparent, parsimonious, nimble, and oriented around continuous evaluation and improvement.
A importância do trabalho em saúde mental nos programas de permanência na universidade
Authors: Mattos Hellen Cristina Xavier da Silva , Barbosa Silvia Helena Pienta Borges , Fernandes Maria Cristina Da Silveira Galan
Published: September 2023

A permanência universitária é compreendida por ações que auxiliam os estudantes a superarem os desafios durante a formação na universidade. Este artigo objetiva aprofundar essa discussão apontando como os prejuízos na saúde mental tem afetado as experiências estudantis. Para isso, a coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de questionário e entrevistas, aplicados em estudantes que frequentavam um programa de apoio acadêmico. Os resultados demonstram que a saúde mental é a principal dificuldade que os estudantes sentem durante a trajetória na universidade. Nas tentativas de adaptação, os discentes se deparam com uma intensificação dos estudos acompanhada por responsabilização e autocobrança para provarem as suas capacidades e conseguirem avançar nas disciplinas. Esse quadro é ainda mais grave e sensível para os estudantes que são a primeira geração de suas famílias a ingressarem na universidade, o que requer um novo olhar para os desafios em efetivar a inclusão social.
Fundamentos das políticas públicas pelo viés da teoria crítica
Authors: Sousa Kasandra Conceição Castro de
Published: September 2023

Este estudo discute os fundamentos das políticas públicas pelo viés da teoria crítica. Para isso, empreende uma breve análise das características destas políticas e de seus fundamentos behavioristas, a fim de situar a importância deste debate no interior deste campo científico. Utiliza-se de metodologia qualitativa, baseada em pesquisa teórica e bibliográfica. O problema suscitado foi: quais os fundamentos teóricos da abordagem behaviorista sobre políticas públicas? E, quais os fundamentos da teoria crítica que podem ser aplicados aos estudos destas políticas? Objetiva-se indicar fundamentos da teoria crítica que podem ajudar a subsidiar estudos tanto quanto ações práticas neste campo. A pesquisa empreendida mostrou que há uma hegemonia do pensamento behaviorista em políticas públicas, o que explica as análises de tendência tecnicista, economicista e positivista no interior deste campo. A teoria crítica, por sua vez, pode subsidiar análises e ações práticas nesta área por meio de postulados como a análise materialista da história, os interesses e conflitos de classe na base destas políticas, a recusa à neutralidade científica como orientação metodológica e a emancipação como objetivo que deve orientar as ações dos governos e do Estado.
Análisis de las políticas formativas duales en centros de trabajo asociados a las administraciones públicas
Authors: Rial Costa Manuel , Rial Costa Sandra , Sánchez Oropeza Gregorio
Published: September 2023

Las administraciones públicas reciben anualmente un alumnado en prácticas que viene derivado de una formación dual: formativa en el centro educativo y práctica en la administración. Su demanda ha crecido propiciada por las exigencias de las empresas de personal formado, motivando que no sólo estas, sino también las administraciones públicas se involucren en la creación de planes formativos que acerquen al alumnado a la realidad laboral, chocando frontalmente con aspectos que deben considerarse en el diseño de la acción formativa que debe ser acorde con las necesidades del alumnado y los requisitos exigidos por la administración que lo acoge durante su etapa formativa. Las carencias observadas en los tutores asignados al alumnado en prácticas son un obstáculo inicial, en relación a la formación requerida, supliendo esta falta con su experiencia profesional.
Seguido del propio alumnado que precisa adquirir una serie de competencias, lo que conlleva que la formación, lejos de estandarizarse, se individualice, adaptando la misma a los requerimientos y necesidades del propio alumnado. Teniendo todo esto en cuenta, el artículo analizará las acciones formativas que en este sentido se han llevado a cabo en las administraciones públicas a lo largo de los últimos 30 años.
Movilidades y agencia: ¿Cómo sortear el insilio?
Authors: Gatica Mónica , Casola Natalia
Published: September 2023

El insilio constituye una experiencia colectiva que por su propia naturaleza ha quedado profundamente invisibilizada, negada hasta en su nominación. No sabemos cuántxs han sido las personas que en Argentina estuvieron en esa condición. No sabemos si alguna vez se han pensado como insialiadxs, ni qué reflexiones hicieron al respecto.

En este artículo buscamos abocarnos al análisis y reflexión que las experiencias de insilios suponen, abordando movilidades forzadas hacia el NE de Chubut durante el terrorismo de Estado. El recorte de una escala espacio temporal, se relaciona con el profundo interés de narrar la historia de lxs trabajadxs en el NE de Chubut, pero, a la vez, oficia como una decisión metodológica posible, que nos permite recortar el universo del insilio para observar qué elementos en común construyen la experiencia colectiva. A partir de tres entrevistas realizadas en distintos momentos buscamos probar el valor y las posibilidades que encierra el análisis propuesto y construir preguntas para un campo de estudios que todavía no ha sido suficientemente frecuentado.