bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Mineral-Solubilizing Microorganisms on Root Growth, Soil Nutrient Content, and Enzyme Activities in the Rhizosphere Soil of Robinia pseudoacacia
Authors: Li Chong , Jia Zhaohui , Zhai Lu , Zhang Bo , Peng Xiaonan , Liu Xin , Zhang Jinchi
Published: January 2021

Background: Abandoned mining sites are becoming increasingly common due to anthropogenic activities. Consequently, external-soil spray seeding technology has attracted increasing attention as a strategy to remediate them. However, significant challenges remain that greatly inhibit the efficacy of such technologies, such as insufficient nutrients available for plants. Methods: For this study, we designed an experiment, which involved the addition of mineral-solubilizing microorganisms and R. pseudoacacia seedlings to the external-soil spray seeding (ESSS) substrate, and measured the soil nutrients, enzyme activities, and root growth of R. pseudoacacia. Results: First, the combination of certain mineral-solubilizing microorganisms with ESSS advanced its efficiency by increasing the availability of soil nutrients and soil enzymatic activities in association with R. pseudoacacia. Furthermore, the improvement of root growth of R. pseudoacacia was intimately related to soil nutrients, particularly for soil total nitrogen (TN) and total sulfur (TS). In general, the effects of the J2 (combined Bacillus thuringiensis and Gongronella butleri) treatment for soil nutrients, enzyme activities, and plant growth were the strongest. Conclusion: In summary, the results of our experiment revealed that these mineral-solubilizing microorganisms conveyed a promotional effect on R. pseudoacacia seedlings by increasing the soil nutrient content. These results provide basic data and microbial resources for the development and applications of mineral-solubilizing microorganisms for abandoned mine remediation.
High Moisture Extrusion of Soy Protein: Investigations on the Formation of Anisotropic Product Structure
Authors: Wittek Patrick , Zeiler Nicole , Karbstein Heike P. , Emin M. Azad
Published: January 2021

The high moisture extrusion of plant proteins is well suited for the production of protein-rich products that imitate meat in their structure and texture. The desired anisotropic product structure of these meat analogues is achieved by extrusion at high moisture content (>40%) and elevated temperatures (>100 °C); a cooling die prevents expansion of the matrix and facilitates the formation of the anisotropic structure. Although there are many studies focusing on this process, the mechanisms behind the structure formation still remain largely unknown. Ongoing discussions are based on two very different hypotheses: structure formation due to alignment and stabilization of proteins at the molecular level vs. structure formation due to morphology development in multiphase systems. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to investigate the mechanism responsible for the formation of anisotropic structures during the high moisture extrusion of plant proteins. A model protein, soy protein isolate, is extruded at high moisture content and the changes in protein–protein interactions and microstructure are investigated. Anisotropic structures are achieved under the given conditions and are influenced by the material temperature (between 124 and 135 °C). Extrusion processing has a negligible effect on protein–protein interactions, suggesting that an alignment of protein molecules is not required for the structure formation. Instead, the extrudates show a distinct multiphase system. This system consists of a water-rich, dispersed phase surrounded by a water-poor, i.e., protein-rich, continuous phase. These findings could be helpful in the future process and product design of novel plant-based meat analogues.
Consumer Preference, Quality, and Safety of Organic and Conventional Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, and Cereals
Authors: Rahman S.M.E. , Mele Mahmuda Akter , Lee Young-Tack , Islam Mohammad Zahirul
Published: January 2021

Growing and purchasing demand for organic fresh produce is increasing rapidly. Consumers are aware of health, environmental safety, pesticide harmfulness, nutrients, bioactive compounds, and safe food. Many research works are available on organic and conventional fresh produce. As organic fresh produce growing and purchasing demand is increasing, it has become necessary to review the recent trends in quality, safety, and consumer preferences of organic and conventional fresh food products. A few reports have been compiled on organic and conventional fresh produce. Researchers have started working on organic and conventional fresh produce with the help of modern technology to improve nutritional and functional quality, safety, and consumer preferences. Nutritional and functional quality, safety, and consumer preferences depend on cultivation techniques, treatment, crop cultivar, and appearance of products. Therefore, it is necessary to compile the literature on organic and conventional fresh produce based on quality, safety, and consumer preferences.
Are Your Vitals OK? Revitalizing Vitality of Nurses through Relational Caring for Patients
Authors: Park Jung Hwan , Chang Young Kyun , Kim Sooyeol
Published: January 2021

This study offers an alternative approach to address on-going concerns about burnout of healthcare employees. Departing from the existing job-demand based approach proposing that healthcare employees’ burnout can be resolved by reducing demands, we theorize that patient-centered prosocial behavior, even if it often increases job demands, could serve as potential job resources that fuel positive energy to vitalize nurses at work. We further theorize that this possibility could be more pronounced among a group of nurses with a strong sense of ethical membership regarding their hospital (i.e., moral identification). To test our hypotheses, we used a sample of 202 nurses from 104 South Korean hospitals. We found that, even controlling for workloads as an indicator of job demand, nurses who engage in patient-centered prosocial behavior (i.e., relational caring) are likely to feel vitalized, and this pattern is more salient among a group of nurses with high moral identification. Results indicate that prosocial behavior could be an alternative job resource that helps nurses flourish at work.
Intraday Volatility Spillovers among European Financial Markets during COVID-19
Authors: Aslam Faheem , Ferreira Paulo , Mughal Khurrum Shahzad , Bashir Beenish
Published: January 2021

During crises, stock market volatility generally rises sharply, and as consequence, spillovers are identified across markets. This study estimates the volatility spillover among twelve European stock markets representing all four regions of Europe. The data consists of 10,990 intraday observations from 2 December 2019 to 29 May 2020. Using the methodology of Diebold and Yilmaz, we use static and rolling windows to characterize five-minute volatility spillovers. Our results show that 77.80% of intraday volatility forecast error variance in twelve European markets comes from spillovers. Furthermore, the highest gross directional volatility spillovers are found in Sweden and the Netherlands, while the minimum spillovers to other stock markets are observed in the stock markets of Poland and Ireland. However, German and Dutch markets transmit the highest net directional volatility spillovers. Splitting the whole sample in pre- and post-pandemic declaration (11 March 2020) we find more stable spillovers in the latter. The findings reveal important information about European stock market interdependence during COVID-19, which will be beneficial to both policy-makers and practitioners.
Understanding the Correlation between Landscape Pattern and Vertical Urban Volume by Time-Series Remote Sensing Data: A Case Study of Melbourne
Authors: Ge Mengyu , Fang Shenghui , Gong Yan , Tao Pengjie , Yang Guang , Gong Wenbing
Published: January 2021

Urbanization is changing the world’s surface pattern more and more drastically, which brings many social and ecological problems. Quantifying the changes in the landscape pattern and 3D structure of the city is important to understand these issues. This research study used Melbourne, a compact city, as a case study, and focused on landscape patterns and vertical urban volume (volume mean (VM), volume standard deviation (VSD)) and investigate the correlation between them from the scope of different scales and functions by Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. We found: (1) From 2000 to 2012, the landscape pattern had a trend of decreasing fragmentation and increasing patch aggregation. The growth of VM and VSD was more severe than that of landscape metrics, and presented a “high–low” situation from the city center to the surroundings, maintaining the structure of “large east and small west”. (2) Landscape pattern was found closely associated with the urban volume. In the entire study area, landscape pattern patches with low fragmentation and high aggregation were directly proportional to VM with high value, which represented high urbanization, and patches with high connectivity and fragmentation had a positive relationship with high VSD, which represented strong spatial recognition. (3) The urban volumes of different urban functional areas were affected by different landscape patterns, and the analysis based on the local development situation can explain the internal mechanism of the interaction between the landscape pattern and the urban volume.
A Refined Lines/Regions and Lines/Lines Topological Relations Model Based on Whole-Whole Objects Intersection Components
Authors: Zhou Xiaoguang , He Hongyuan , Hou Dongyang , Li Rui , Zheng Heng
Published: January 2021

Refined topological relations play an important role in spatial database quality control. Currently, there is no unified and reasonable method to represent refined line/region and line/line topological relations in two-dimensional (2D) space. In addition, the existing independent line/region and line/line models have some drawbacks such as incomplete type discrimination and too many topological invariants. In this paper, a refined line/region and line/line topological relations are represented uniformly by the sequence, dimension, and topological type of the intersection components. To make the relevant definitions conform to the traditional cognitions in 2D Euclidean space, the (simple) spatial object is defined based on manifold topology, and the spatial intersection components are defined based on the whole-whole object intersection set. Then the topological invariant of node degree is introduced, and the adjacent point kinds (e.g., “Null”, “On”, “In”, and “Out”) are defined to distinguish the intersection component types. Excluding impossible and symmetrical types, 29 types of intersection-lines (including 21 between lines/regions and 8 between lines/lines), and 6 types of intersection-points (including 2 between lines/regions and 4 between lines/lines) are classified. On this basis, a node degree-based whole-whole object intersection sets (N-WWIS) model for refined line/region and line/line topological relations is presented, and it can be combined with the Euler number-based whole object intersection and difference (E-WID) model (coarse level) to form a hierarchical representation method of topological relations. Furthermore, a prototype system based on the N-WWIS model for automatic topological integrity checking is developed and some evaluation experiments are conducted with OpenStreetMap (OSM) data is presented based on the classification of intersection components. The experimental results show that the N-WWIS model will enable the geographic information systems (GIS) community to develop automated topological conflict checking and dealing tools for spatial data updates and quality control.
Simulation of the Urban Jobs–Housing Location Selection and Spatial Relationship Using a Multi-Agent Approach
Authors: Wang Huihui , Zeng Weihua , Cao Ruoxin
Published: January 2021

The jobs–housing balance concerns the spatial relationship between the number of jobs and housing units within a given geographical area. Due to the separation of jobs and housing, spatial dislocations have occurred in large cities, which have resulted in a significant increase in commuting distance and time. These changes have ultimately led to an increase in pressure on urban traffic, and the formation of tidal traffic. In this study we introduce a multi-agent approach to examine the jobs–housing relationship under the maximum location utility of agents. The jobs/housing ratio measures the balance of the of jobs–housing relationship, as well as comparing and analyzing jobs–housing separation in Beijing by district, county, and street scales. An agent-based model was proposed to simulate spatial location selection behavior of agents by considering environmental and economical influences on residential decisions of individuals. Results show that the jobs–housing relationship imbalance in Beijing has been mainly aggravated due to rapid population growth in the 6th Ring Road. An imbalance in the jobs–housing relationship has arisen due to a mismatch with the number of households available compared to the number of jobs; the surrounding urban areas cannot provide the required volume of housing to accommodate the increase in workers. Six sets of experiments were established to examine resident agents and enterprise agents. Differences in resident agents’ income level had a greater impact on residential location decision-making, and housing price was the primary factor affecting the decision of residents to choose their residential location. The spatial distribution of jobs and housing in Beijing under the maximization of micro-agent location utility was obtained in this study. Results indicated that the imbalance in the jobs¬-housing relationship in central Beijing has improved and, compared with the initial distributions, the number of jobs–housing balance areas in Beijing has increased.
Potential of Cucurbitacin B and Epigallocatechin Gallate as Biopesticides against Aphis gossypii
Authors: Zhao Chenchen , Ma Chao , Luo Junyu , Niu Lin , Hua Hongxia , Zhang Shuai , Cui Jinjie
Published: January 2021

Aphis gossypii (Glover) is distributed worldwide and causes substantial economic and ecological problems owing to its rapid reproduction and high pesticide resistance. Plant-derived cucurbitacin B (CucB) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) are known to have insecticidal and repellent activities. However, their insecticidal activity on cotton- and cucurbit-specialized aphids (CO and CU), the two important host biotypes of A. gossypii, remains to be investigated. In the present study, we characterized, for the first time, the effects of these two plant extracts on the two host biotypes of A. gossypii. CucB and EGCG significantly reduced the A. gossypii population-level fitness and affected their ability to adapt to nonhost plants. Activities of important detoxification enzymes were also altered, indicating that pesticide resistance is weakened in the tested aphids. Our results suggest that CucB and EGCG have unique properties and may be developed as potential biopesticides for aphid control in agriculture.
Role of Ovarian Proteins Secreted by Toxoneuron nigriceps (Viereck) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in the Early Suppression of Host Immune Response
Authors: Salvia Rosanna , Scieuzo Carmen , Grimaldi Annalisa , Fanti Paolo , Moretta Antonio , Franco Antonio , Varricchio Paola , Vinson S. Bradleigh , Falabella Patrizia
Published: January 2021

Toxoneuron nigriceps (Viereck) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) is an endophagous parasitoid of the larval stages of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). During oviposition, T. nigriceps injects into the host body, along with the egg, the venom, the calyx fluid, which contains a Polydnavirus (T. nigriceps BracoVirus: TnBV), and the Ovarian Proteins (OPs). Although viral gene expression in the host reaches detectable levels after a few hours, a precocious disruption of the host metabolism and immune system is observed right after parasitization. This alteration appears to be induced by female secretions including TnBV venom and OPs. OPs, originating from the ovarian calyx cells, are involved in the induction of precocious symptoms in the host immune system alteration. It is known that OPs in braconid and ichneumonid wasps can interfere with the cellular immune response before Polydnavirus infects and expresses its genes in the host tissues. Here we show that T. nigriceps OPs induce several alterations on host haemocytes that trigger cell death. The OP injection induces an extensive oxidative stress and a disorganization of actin cytoskeleton and these alterations can explain the high-level of haemocyte mortality, the loss of haemocyte functionality, and so the reduction in encapsulation ability by the host.
Effect of Benzoylphenyl Ureas on Survival and Reproduction of the Lace Bug, Leptopharsa gibbicarina
Authors: Martínez Luis Carlos , Plata-Rueda Angelica , Serrão José Eduardo
Published: January 2021

The lace bug, Leptopharsa gibbicarina is a vector of Pestalotiopsis fungal complex in oil palm crops in the Americas. The effects of four benzoylphenyl ureas (BPUs) (lufenuron, novaluron, teflubenzuron, and triflumuron) were evaluated against L. gibbicarina for toxicity, survival, reproduction, and mortality in semi-field conditions. Concentration-mortality bioassays demonstrated that novaluron (LC50 = 0.33 ppm), teflubenzuron (LC50 = 0.24 ppm), lufenuron (LC50 = 0.17 ppm), and triflumuron (LC50 = 0.42 ppm) are toxic to L. gibbicarina nymphs. The survival rate was 99% in control nymphs, decreasing to 50% in nymphs exposed to LC50 of triflumuron, 47% in nymphs treated with lufenuron, 43% in nymphs treated with teflubenzuron, and 43% in those treated with novaluron. Sublethal concentrations of BPUs showed detrimental effects on the adult emergence, longevity, fecundity, and fertility of this insect. The mortality of nymphs caused by these insecticides was similar in both laboratory and semi-field conditions. Our results suggest that novaluron, teflubenzuron, and triflumuron are highly effective against L. gibbicarina, and therefore, have potential applications for this oil palm pest.
Interaction between the Bird Cherry-Oat Aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi) and Stagonospora Nodorum Blotch (Parastagonospora nodorum) on Wheat
Authors: Asalf Belachew , Ficke Andrea , Klingen Ingeborg
Published: January 2021

Wheat plants are under constant attack by multiple pests and diseases. Until now, there are no studies on the interaction between the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi and the plant pathogenic fungus Parastagonospora nodorum causal agent of septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) on wheat. Controlled experiments were conducted to determine: (i) The preference and reproduction of aphids on P. nodorum inoculated and non-inoculated wheat plants and (ii) the effect of prior aphid infestation of wheat plants on SNB development. The preference and reproduction of aphids was determined by releasing female aphids on P. nodorum inoculated (SNB+) and non-inoculated (SNB−) wheat leaves. The effect of prior aphid infestation of wheat plants on SNB development was determined by inoculating P. nodorum on aphid-infested (Aphid+) and aphid free (Aphid−) wheat plants. Higher numbers of aphids moved to and settled on the healthy (SNB−) leaves than inoculated (SNB+) leaves, and reproduction was significantly higher on SNB− leaves than on SNB+ leaves. Aphid infestation of wheat plants predisposed the plants to P. nodorum infection and colonization. These results are important to understand the interactions between multiple pests in wheat and hence how to develop new strategies in future integrated pest management (IPM).
Variation in Expression of Reference Genes across Life Stages of a Bee, Megachile rotundata
Authors: Xu Junhuan , Welker Dennis L. , James Rosalind R.
Published: January 2021

The alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata is widely used in the western United States as a pollinator for alfalfa seed production. Unfortunately, immatures experience high mortality in agriculturally managed populations. Quantified gene expression could be used to identify how this bee responds during different life stages to pathogens, environmental toxins, and other stresses, but stably expressed reference genes are needed to normalize transcription data. We evaluated twelve candidate genes for their transcription stability across different life stages, including during and after diapause. RPS18 and RPL8 were the two most stably expressed genes, followed by RPS5 and RPL27A. These genes were also very stable even during and after diapause, while the most variable genes being APN, PMIIM, NPC2, and Cr-PII had increased expression levels during larval growth and were also variable during and after diapause. The four reference genes we identified in M. rotundata may prove useful for transcriptomic studies in other bees as well, such as honey bees.
Modernizing the Toolkit for Arthropod Bloodmeal Identification
Authors: Borland Erin M. , Kading Rebekah C.
Published: January 2021

Understanding vertebrate–vector interactions is vitally important for understanding the transmission dynamics of arthropod-vectored pathogens and depends on the ability to accurately identify the vertebrate source of blood-engorged arthropods in field collections using molecular methods. A decade ago, molecular techniques being applied to arthropod blood meal identification were thoroughly reviewed, but there have been significant advancements in the techniques and technologies available since that time. This review highlights the available diagnostic markers in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA and discusses their benefits and shortcomings for use in molecular identification assays. Advances in real-time PCR, high resolution melting analysis, digital PCR, next generation sequencing, microsphere assays, mass spectrometry, and stable isotope analysis each offer novel approaches and advantages to bloodmeal analysis that have gained traction in the field. New, field-forward technologies and platforms have also come into use that offer promising solutions for point-of-care and remote field deployment for rapid bloodmeal source identification. Some of the lessons learned over the last decade, particularly in the fields of DNA barcoding and sequence analysis, are discussed. Though many advancements have been made, technical challenges remain concerning the prevention of sample degradation both by the arthropod before the sample has been obtained and during storage. This review provides a roadmap and guide for those considering modern techniques for arthropod bloodmeal identification and reviews how advances in molecular technology over the past decade have been applied in this unique biomedical context.
The Association between Lifestyle Choices and Schizophrenia Symptoms
Authors: Kalinowska Sylwia , Trześniowska-Drukała Beata , Kłoda Karolina , Safranow Krzysztof , Misiak Błażej , Cyran Agnieszka , Samochowiec Jerzy
Published: January 2021

Due to poor eating habits, insufficient physical activity, and nicotine use, schizophrenia patients are at increased risk of lifestyle diseases. Factors contributing to unhealthy behaviors include lower socioeconomic status and level of education as well as social isolation. Schizophrenia manifestations such as amotivation, apathy, and cognitive deficits can further hinder development of proper health habits. The aim of this study was to assess the possible association between lifestyle-related choices and schizophrenia symptoms severity. This observational study enrolled 106 patients with schizophrenia (42 Males/64 Females), 18–69 years (mean: 41.89 ± 9.7 years). Mean duration of schizophrenia was 14.61 ± 9.7 years. Multiple significant correlations were found between patients’ lifestyle and their biochemical laboratory parameters (lipid profile and fasting glucose). Most importantly, a significant link emerged between presented habits and schizophrenia symptom severity. There were also significant gender differences in the intake of sweets and sweet beverages. Quite unexpectedly, a behavioral shift towards more healthy lifestyle choices was observed after completion of questionnaires on lifestyle and health habits. There are clear benefits to systematic provision of educational interventions concerning physical activity and proper eating habits to schizophrenia patients. These simple preventive measures could significantly improve both mental and physical health outcomes in schizophrenia patient populations.
The Development of Empirically Derived Australian Low-Risk Gambling Limits
Authors: Dowling Nicki , Youssef George , Greenwood Christopher , Merkouris Stephanie , Suomi Aino , Room Robin
Published: January 2021

This study derived a set of Australian low-risk gambling limits and explored the relative and absolute risk associated with exceeding these limits. Secondary analysis of population-representative Tasmanian and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) cross-sectional (11,597 respondents) and longitudinal studies (2027 respondents) was conducted. Balancing sensitivity and specificity, the limits were: gambling frequency of 20–30 times per year; gambling expenditure of AUD $380–$615 per year (USD $240–$388 per year); gambling expenditure comprising 0.83–1.68% of gross personal income; and two types of gambling activities per year. All limits, except number of activities, predicted subsequent harm, with limits related to gambling expenditure consistently the best-performing. Exceeding the limits generally conferred a higher degree of relative and absolute risk, with gamblers exceeding the limits being 3–20 times more likely to experience harm than those who do not, and having a 5–17% risk of experiencing harm. Only 7–12% of gamblers exceeding the limits actually experienced harm. Gambling consumption lower than the limits also conferred a considerable amount of harm. Using a relative risk method, this study derived similar limits from disparate Australian states and territories. These limits can serve as working guidelines for the consideration of researchers, clinicians, and policy makers, but need to be subject to further rigorous empirical investigation.
Drug-Induced Acute Kidney Injury: A Study from the French Medical Administrative and the French National Pharmacovigilance Databases Using Capture-Recapture Method
Authors: Rolland Anne-Lise , Garnier Anne-Sophie , Meunier Katy , Drablier Guillaume , Briet Marie
Published: January 2021

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a public health concern. Among the pathological situations leading to AKI, drugs are preventable factors but are still under-notified. We aimed to provide an overview of drug-induced AKI (DIAKI) using pharmacovigilance and medical administrative databases Methods: A query of the PMSI database (French Medical Information System Program) of adult inpatient hospital stays between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018 was performed using ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases 10th revision) codes to identify AKI cases which were reviewed by a nephrologist and a pharmacovigilance expert to identify DIAKI cases. In parallel, DIAKIs notified in the French Pharmacovigilance Database (FPVDB) were collected. A capture-recapture method was performed to estimate the total number of DIAKIs. Results: The estimated total number of DIAKIs was 521 (95%CI 480; 563), representing 20.0% of all AKIs. The notification was at a rate of 12.9% (95%CI 10.0; 15.8). According to the KDIGO classification, 50.2% of the DIAKI cases were stage 1 and 49.8% stage 2 and 3. The mortality rate was 11.1% and 9.6% required hemodialysis. Conclusion: This study showed that drugs are involved in a significant proportion of patients developing AKI during a hospital stay and emphasizes the severity of DIAKI cases.
The Submarine Habitability Assessment Questionnaire: A Survey of RAN Submariners
Authors: Ponton Kate , Parera Dion , Irons Jessica
Published: January 2021

This paper reports on the development, method, and major findings from the Submarine Habitability Assessment Questionnaire (SUB-HAQ) undertaken as part of a lessons-learned review of the current RAN submarine platform. The questionnaire was completed by 167 Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Submariners and was developed to examine the perceived habitability of the main living and working areas. The results showed satisfaction with cleanliness, lighting, privacy of amenities, ventilation in certain areas, and location of amenities and facilities. The results also suggest dissatisfaction with aspects of the work areas (such as storage space for work materials, and space to conduct off-watch work), allocation of space and equipment for exercise, crowding, and ratio of crew to amenities. Best use of space on a submarine is an extraordinarily challenging design problem. However, it was concluded that significant benefit could be achieved through applying human systems integration methods early in the design of a future RAN platform. The importance of careful workforce planning and crewing analyses to prevent occurrences of overcrowding, lack of storage, and an unacceptable ratio of crew to amenities was observed. The findings from SUB-HAQ have led to a significant investment in evidence-based habitability design assurance by the RAN.
A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Surveillance Study of Invasive Aspergillosis in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies in Greece: Impact of the Revised EORTC/MSGERC 2020 Criteria
Authors: Siopi Maria , Karakatsanis Stamatis , Roumpakis Christoforos , Korantanis Konstantinos , Sambatakou Helen , Sipsas Nikolaos V. , Tsirigotis Panagiotis , Pagoni Maria , Meletiadis Joseph
Published: January 2021

Data concerning the incidence of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in high-risk patients in Greece are scarce, while the impact of the revised 2020 EORTC/MSGERC consensus criteria definitions on the reported incidence rate of IA remains unknown. A total of 93 adult hematology patients were screened for IA for six months in four tertiary care Greek hospitals. Serial serum specimens (n = 240) the sample was considered negative by PCR were collected twice-weekly and tested for galactomannan (GM) and Aspergillus DNA (PCR) detection. IA was defined according to both the 2008 EORTC/MSG and the 2020 EORTC/MSGERC consensus criteria. Based on the 2008 EORTC/MSG criteria, the incidence rates of probable and possible IA was 9/93 (10%) and 24/93 (26%), respectively, while no proven IA was documented. Acute myeloid leukemia was the most (67%) common underlying disease with most (82%) patients being on antifungal prophylaxis/treatment. Based on the new 2020 EORTC/MSGERC criteria, 2/9 (22%) of probable and 1/24 (4%) of possible cases should be reclassified as possible and probable, respectively. The episodes of probable IA were reduced by 33% when GM alone and 11% when GM + PCR were used as mycological criterion. The incidence rate of IA in hematology patients was 10%. Application of the 2020 EORTC/MSGERC updated criteria results in a reduction in the classification of probable IA particularly when PCR is not available.
A Review of the Regulatory Impact Analysis of Risk-Based Capital and Related Liquidity Rules
Authors: Hogan Thomas
Published: January 2021

This paper reviews the cost-benefit analysis, or “regulatory impact analysis” (RIA), in US bank regulators’ risk-based capital (RBC) rule proposals. We review the principles of cost-benefit analysis and its application by US bank regulators. We provide a brief background on RBC rules and review the literature on their costs and benefits. We then evaluate 27 proposed RBC rules and related rules on bank liquidity. We find that nine of the 27 rules include RIAs. Five of the RIAs claim the proposed rule will create net benefits, but none provide quantitative evidence that the benefits exceed the costs. In two proposals, the evidence cited indicates the rules’ net benefits may actually be negative.
Assessing Interactions between Agriculture, Livestock Grazing and Wildlife Conservation Land Uses: A Historical Example from East Africa
Authors: Kariuki Rebecca W. , Western David , Willcock Simon , Marchant Robert
Published: January 2021

Despite mobile livestock grazing being widely recognized as one of the most viable and sustainable land uses for semi-arid savanna, which can deliver clear wildlife conservation benefits, the levels of pastoral sedentarization and transitions to agricultural livelihoods continue to rise in many pastoral communities across the world. Using questionnaire interviews with community elders, our study assessed changing trends in livestock grazing, wildlife conservation, and sedentarization levels from the 1960s to the present day across three savannas in southern Kenya. Our study identified the drivers of land uses and land subdivision and the implications of land use change on savanna ecology. Over the last half century, there has been a 30% decline in livestock grazing land in southern Kenya due to the expansion of land for agriculture and wildlife conservation. Despite the decline, livestock grazing remains the preferred land use in subdivided and privatized lands. Pastoralist land used for wildlife conservation was perceived to be higher (30%) in southwestern Kenya compared to southeastern Kenya (16%), despite their geographical proximity. These historical insights provide useful lessons for maintaining space for wildlife, diversifying livelihoods, and increasing the resilience of pastoralists in the process of transitioning from traditional subsistence to market economies and the threats of social and ecological dislocation.
The Analysis of Human Serum N-Glycosylation in Patients with Primary and Metastatic Brain Tumors
Authors: Váradi Csaba , Hajdu Viktória , Farkas Flóra , Gilányi Ibolya , Oláh Csaba , Viskolcz Béla
Published: January 2021

The identification of patients with different brain tumors is solely built on imaging diagnostics, indicating the need for novel methods to facilitate disease recognition. Glycosylation is a chemical modification of proteins, reportedly altered in several inflammatory and malignant diseases, providing a potential alternative route for disease detection. In this paper, we report the quantitative analysis of serum N-glycosylation of patients diagnosed with primary and metastatic brain tumors. PNGase-F-digested and procainamide-labeled serum glycans were purified by magnetic nanoparticles, followed by quantitative liquid chromatographic analysis. The glycan structures were identified by the combination of single quad mass spectrometric detection and exoglycosidase digestions. Linear discriminant analysis provided a clear separation of different disease groups and healthy controls based on their N-glycome pattern. Altered distribution of biantennary neutral, sialylated but nonfucosylated, and sialylated–fucosylated structures were found to be the most significant changes. Our results demonstrate that serum glycosylation monitoring could improve the detection of malignancy.
Studying GGDEF Domain in the Act: Minimize Conformational Frustration to Prevent Artefacts
Authors: Mantoni Federico , Scribani Rossi Chiara , Paiardini Alessandro , Di Matteo Adele , Cappellacci Loredana , Petrelli Riccardo , Ricciutelli Massimo , Paone Alessio , Cutruzzolà Francesca , Giardina Giorgio , Rinaldo Serena
Published: January 2021

GGDEF-containing proteins respond to different environmental cues to finely modulate cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) levels in time and space, making the allosteric control a distinctive trait of the corresponding proteins. The diguanylate cyclase mechanism is emblematic of this control: two GGDEF domains, each binding one GTP molecule, must dimerize to enter catalysis and yield c-di-GMP. The need for dimerization makes the GGDEF domain an ideal conformational switch in multidomain proteins. A re-evaluation of the kinetic profile of previously characterized GGDEF domains indicated that they are also able to convert GTP to GMP: this unexpected reactivity occurs when conformational issues hamper the cyclase activity. These results create new questions regarding the characterization and engineering of these proteins for in solution or structural studies.
Environmental Performance of Small-Scale Seawater Reverse Osmosis Plant for Rural Area Water Supply
Authors: Abdul Ghani Latifah , Ali Nora’aini , Nazaran Ilyanni Syazira , Hanafiah Marlia M.
Published: January 2021

Seawater desalination is an alternative technology to provide safe drinking water and to solve water issues in an area having low water quality and limited drinking water supply. Currently, reverse osmosis (RO) is commonly used in the desalination technology and experiencing significant growth. The aim of this study was to analyze the environmental impacts of the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant installed in Kampung Pantai Senok, Kelantan, as this plant was the first installed in Malaysia. The software SimaPro 8.5 together with the ReCiPe 2016 database were used as tools to evaluate the life cycle assessment (LCA) of the SWRO plant. The results showed that the impact of global warming (3.90 kg CO2 eq/year) was the highest, followed by terrestrial ecotoxicity (1.62 kg 1,4-DCB/year) and fossil resource scarcity (1.29 kg oil eq/year). The impact of global warming was caused by the natural gas used to generate the electricity, mainly during the RO process. Reducing the environmental impact can be effectively achieved by decreasing the electricity usage for the seawater desalination process. As a suggestion, electricity generation can be overcome by using a high-flux membrane with other suitable renewable energy for the plant such as solar and wind energy.
The Effect of Water Concentration in Ethyl Alcohol on the Environmentally Assisted Embrittlement of Austempered Ductile Irons
Authors: Janjatovic Petar , Eric Cekic Olivera , Sidjanin Leposava , Balos Sebastian , Dramicanin Miroslav , Grbovic Novakovic Jasmina , Rajnovic Dragan
Published: January 2021

Austempered ductile iron (ADI) is an advanced cast iron material that has a broad field of application and, among others, it is used in contact and for conveyance of fluids. However, it is noticed that in contact with some fluids, especially water, ADI material becomes brittle. The most significant decrease is established for the elongation. However, the influence of water and the cause of this phenomenon is still not fully understood. For that reason, in this paper, the influence of different water concentrations in ethyl alcohol on the mechanical properties of ADI materials was studied. The test was performed on two different types of ADI materials in 0.2, 4, 10, and 100 vol.% water concentration environments, and in dry condition. It was found that even the smallest concentration of water (0.2 vol.%) causes formation of the embrittled zone at fracture surface. However, not all mechanical properties were affected equally and not all water concentrations have been critical. The highest deterioration was established in the elongation, followed by the ultimate tensile strength, while the proof strength was affected least.
Toughness Property Control by Nb and Mo Additions in High-Strength Quenched and Tempered Boron Steels
Authors: Zurutuza Irati , Isasti Nerea , Detemple Eric , Schwinn Volker , Mohrbacher Hardy , Uranga Pello
Published: January 2021

The synergetic effect on hardenability by combining boron with other microalloying elements (such as Nb, Mo and Nb + Mo) is widely known for high-strength medium carbon steels produced by direct quenching and subsequent tempering treatment. The improvement of mechanical properties could be reached through optimization of different mechanisms, such as solid solution hardening, unit size refinement, strain hardening, fine precipitation hardening and the effect of carbon in solid solution. The current study proposes a procedure for evaluating the contribution of different microstructural aspects on Charpy impact toughness. First, the effect that austenite conditioning has on low-temperature transformation unit sizes and microstructural homogeneity was analysed for the different microalloying element combinations. A detailed crystallographic characterization of the tempered martensite was carried out using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) in order to quantify the effect of unit size refinement and dislocation density. The impact of heterogeneity and presence of carbides was also evaluated. The existing equations for impact transition temperature (ITT50%) predictions were extended from ferrite-pearlite and bainitic microstructures to tempered martensite microstructures. The results show that microstructural refinement is most beneficial to strength and toughness while unit size heterogeneity has a particularly negative effect on ductile-to-brittle transition behaviour. By properly balancing alloy concept and processing, steel having a yield strength above 900 MPa and low impact transition temperature could be obtained by direct quenching and tempering.
Enhancement of Balance in Strength, Ductility, and Stretch Flangeability by Two-Step Austempering in a 1000 MPa Grade Cold Rolled Bainitic Steel
Authors: Tang Shuai , Lan Huifang , Liu Zhenyu , Wang Guodong
Published: January 2021

The microstructural evolution and properties for varied austempering routes are investigated in a cold-rolled bainitic steel. Special attention is given to the effect of retained austenite (RA) in terms of its fraction, carbon concentration, and morphology resulting from different austempering routes on mechanical properties and stretch flangeability. Bimodal sized bainitic laths are provided, and the carbon concentration of RA maintains the highest value through the two-step austempering. Total elongation (TEL) is remarkably enhanced for the two-step austempering, deviating from the exponential relationship between tensile strength (TS) and TEL as maintained by the one-step austempering. Considering the two plateaus of the strain-hardening exponent, it is considered that the hierarchical stability of RA is provided by the two-step austempering, leading to the postponed necking point so as to improve the uniform elongation. Two-step austempering could provide more complete bainitic transformation as well as more stable film-like RA, supplying a promising way to improve the combination of strength, ductility, and stretch flangeability.
Crack Initiation Mechanism in Casting AC4B Aluminum Alloy Parts with Complex Structure
Authors: Yu Daliang , Yang Wen , Deng Wanqing , Zhu Songzhu , Dai Qingwei , Zhang Dingfei
Published: January 2021

Hot tears were frequently formed in Aluminum (Al) parts with complex structure. In this study, OM (optical microscope), SEM (scanning electron microscope), EDS (energy dispersive spectrometer), and FDM (finite difference method) were used to reveal the hot tears mechanisms in the casted AC4B Al engine. Shrinkage porosities with the size of 300–500 μm were found in casted specimens near the parts’ surface. Many cracked brittle Fe-bearing phase were also found in crack section. The secondary dendrite arm spacing observation in five typical positions showed that the cooling rate in position 5 was faster than that in position 1. The impropriety solidification sequence in position 5 and position 1 impeded the solidification feeding of position 1, and it might lead to casting defects or even casting cracks. Numerical simulation also showed that solidification sequence promoted casting defects, which was accordant with microstructure observation. Impurity may concentrate at position 5 during filling. It is concluded that large β-Fe intermetallics and improper solidification sequence together contributed to crack initiation in the engine.
Simulation of Quasi-Static Crack Propagation by Adaptive Finite Element Method
Authors: Alshoaibi Abdulnaser M. , Fageehi Yahya Ali
Published: January 2021

The finite element method (FEM) is a widely used technique in research, including but not restricted to the growth of cracks in engineering applications. However, failure to use fine meshes poses problems in modeling the singular stress field around the crack tip in the singular element region. This work aims at using the original source code program by Visual FORTRAN language to predict the crack propagation and fatigue lifetime using the adaptive dens mesh finite element method. This developed program involves the adaptive mesh generator according to the advancing front method as well as both the pre-processing and post-processing for the crack growth simulation under linear elastic fracture mechanics theory. The stress state at a crack tip is characterized by the stress intensity factor associated with the rate of crack growth. The quarter-point singular elements are constructed around the crack tip to accurately represent the singularity of this region. Under linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) with an assumption in various configurations, the Paris law model was employed to evaluate mixed-mode fatigue life for two specimens under constant amplitude loading. The framework includes a progressive analysis of the stress intensity factors (SIFs), the direction of crack growth, and the estimation of fatigue life. The results of the analysis are consistent with other experimental and numerical studies in the literature for the prediction of the fatigue crack growth trajectories as well as the calculation of stress intensity factors.
Prediction of Earing of Hot-Rolled Al Sheets from Pole Figures
Authors: Hlavacs Adrienn , Szucs Mate , Mertinger Valeria , Benke Marton
Published: January 2021

The formation of uneven cup heights during deep drawing is called earing. This phenomenon is caused by the planar anisotropy of formability in sheets, which is the result of crystallographic texture. In addition to analytical and finite element methods, a simple and quick method was developed recently to predict the earing profile of Al sheets solely from the data of {200} pole figures. So far, the method was applied on final state sheets cold rolled to 0.3–3 mm thickness and subsequently annealed. Within this manuscript, the earing prediction method is applied on 3003 type Al sheets with the thickness of ~6 mm, being in the hot-rolled state. Texture examinations were performed at different depths, from which earing profiles were calculated. For comparison, earing profiles were calculated from Lankford values that were determined by tensile tests. It is shown that in the case of hot-rolled Al sheets, if the grain structure is uniform across the thickness of the sheet, the earing profile can be appropriately calculated from the full {200} pole figure obtained from surface X-ray Diffraction (XRD) texture measurements.
Investigation of Vanadium-Containing Sludge Oxidation Roasting Process for Vanadium Extraction
Authors: Kologrieva Ulyana , Volkov Anton , Zinoveev Dmitry , Krasnyanskaya Irina , Stulov Pavel , Wainstein Dmitry
Published: January 2021

Vanadium containing sludge is a by-product of vanadium pentoxide obtained by hydrometallurgical methods from vanadium slag that can be estimated as a promising technogeneous raw material for vanadium production. The phase analysis of vanadium-containing sludge by the X-ray diffraction method showed that it contains vanadium in spinel form (FeO∙V2O3). The various oxidation roasting methods for sludge treatment were studied for increasing vanadium extraction into the solution. It showed that the most effective additive is 1% CaCO3 at a roasting temperature of 1000 °C. Oxidation roasting of vanadium-containing sludge with the additive led to an increase in the acid-soluble form of V2O5 from 1.5% to 3.7% and a decrease in the content of FeO∙V2O3 from 3% to 0.4%. These results confirm the efficiency of the application of oxidation roasting to convert vanadium compounds into acid-soluble forms. The conversion mechanism of spinel to acid-soluble phases during oxidation roasting with additives was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and thermodynamic simulation. It showed that the formation of acid-soluble calcium vanadates during oxidation roasting without additives occurs at temperatures above 800 °C while CaCO3 addition allows one to reduce this temperature to 600 °C.