bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discharge Patterns of Potentially Harmful Elements (PHEs) from Coking Plants and Its Relationship with Soil PHE Contents in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region, China
Authors: Wan Xiaoming , Zeng Weibin , Gu Gaoquan , Wang Lingqing , Lei Mei
Published: May 2022

The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region in China is a rapid development area with a dense population and high-pollution, high-energy-consumption industries. Despite the general idea that the coking industry contributes greatly to the total emission of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in BTH, quantitative analysis on the PHE pollution caused by coking is rare. This study collected the pollutant discharge data of coking enterprises and assessed the risks of coking plants in BTH using the soil accumulation model and ecological risk index. The average contribution rate of coking emissions to the total emissions of PHEs in BTH was ~7.73%. Cross table analysis indicated that there was a close relationship between PHEs discharged by coking plants and PHEs in soil. The accumulation of PHEs in soil and their associated risks were calculated, indicating that nearly 70% of the coking plants posed a significant ecological risk. Mercury, arsenic, and cadmium were the main PHEs leading to ecological risks. Scenario analysis indicated that the percentage of coking plants with high ecological risk might rise from 8.50% to 20.00% as time progresses. Therefore, the control of PHEs discharged from coking plants in BTH should be strengthened. Furthermore, regionalized strategies should be applied to different areas due to the spatial heterogeneity of risk levels.
Genomic Analysis of Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05 for Biodegrading Cyanobacterial Hepatotoxins
Authors: Liu Chao , Xu Qianqian , Zhao Zhenzhen , Zhang Haiyang , Liu Xiaolu , Yin Chunhua , Liu Yang , Yan Hai
Published: May 2022

Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05, which we previously identified and examined, is a well-known bacterial strain for biodegrading cyanobacterial hepatotoxins of both nodularins (NODs) and microcystins (MCs). Although the pathways for biodegrading the different types of [D-Asp1] NOD, MC-YR, MC-LR and MC-RR by Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05 were suggested, and several biodegradation genes were successfully cloned and expressed, the comprehensive genomic analysis of Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05 was not reported. Here, based on second and third generation sequencing technology, we analyzed the whole genome of Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05, which is 4,679,489 bp and contains 4,312 protein coding genes. There are 88 protein-coding genes related to the NODs and MCs biodegradation, of which 16 genes (bioA, hmgL, hypdh, speE, nspC, phy, spuC, murD, glsA, ansA, ocd, crnA, ald, gdhA, murC and murI) are unique. These genes for the transformation of phenylacetic acid CoA (PA-CoA) to CO2 were also found in Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05. This study expands the understanding of the pathway for complete biodegradation of cyanobacterial hepatotoxins by Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05.
Normothermic Machine Perfusion as a Tool for Safe Transplantation of High-Risk Recipients
Authors: Durán Manuel , Hann Angus , Lembach Hanns , Nutu Anisa , Clarke George , Patel Ishaan , Sneiders Dimitri , Hartog Hermien , Mirza Darius F. , Perera M. Thamara P. R.
Published: May 2022

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) should no longer be considered a novel liver graft preservation strategy, but rather viewed as the standard of care for certain graft–recipient scenarios. The ability of NMP to improve the safe utilisation of liver grafts has been demonstrated in several publications, from numerous centres. This is partly mediated by its ability to limit the cold ischaemic time while also extending the total preservation period, facilitating the difficult logistics of a challenging transplant operation. Viability assessment of both the hepatocytes and cholangiocytes with NMP is much debated, with numerous different parameters and thresholds associated with a reduction in the incidence of primary non-function and biliary strictures. Maximising the utilisation of liver grafts is important as many patients require transplantation on an urgent basis, the waiting list is long, and significant morbidity and mortality is experienced by patients awaiting transplants. If applied in an appropriate manner, NMP has the ability to expand the pool of grafts available for even the sickest and most challenging of recipients. In addition, this is the group of patients that consume significant healthcare resources and, therefore, justify the additional expense of NMP. This review describes, with case examples, how NMP can be utilised to salvage suboptimal grafts, and our approach of transplanting them into high-risk recipients.
Serum Levels of Ficolin-3 and Mannose-Binding Lectin in Patients with Leprosy and Their Family Contacts in a Hyperendemic Region in Northeastern Brazil
Authors: Oliveira Francisca Jacinta Feitoza de , Serra Maria Aparecida Alves de Oliveira , Santos Leonardo Hunaldo dos , Araújo Márcio Flávio Moura de , Silva Rosemeire Navickas Constantino da , Grumach Anete Sevciovic
Published: May 2022

The present study aimed at analyzing the serum levels of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and ficolin-3 (FCN3) in leprosy patients and their healthy family contacts in a hyperendemic region in northeastern Brazil. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 90 patients who had been diagnosed with leprosy and 79 healthy family contacts. Serum levels of the MBL and FCN3 proteins were measured using the immunofluorometric assay (ELISA). Clinical information was determined from the patients’ charts. It was observed that the leprosy patients were more likely to be male (OR = 2.17; p = 0.01) and younger than fifteen years of age (OR = 2.01; p = 0.03) when compared to the family contacts. Those under 15 years of age had higher levels of MBL (4455 ng/mL) than those over 15 years of age (2342 ng/mL; p = 0.018). Higher FCN3 levels were identified in patients with indeterminate leprosy (41.9 µg/mL) compared to those with the lepromatous form (34.3 µg/mL; p = 0.033) and in those with no physical disabilities (38.1 µg/mL) compared to those with some disability (p = 0.031). Higher FCN3 levels were also observed in the group of patients without leprosy reactions (37.4 µg/mL) compared to those with type 1 (33.7 µg/mL) and type 2 (36.1 µg/mL) reactions. The MBL levels were higher in children under 15 years of age than they were in adults. It was evidenced that higher FCN3 serum levels were associated with early and transient clinical forms and lower expression in severe forms of leprosy.
Solar Radio Bursts Associated with In Situ Detected Energetic Electrons in Solar Cycles 23 and 24
Authors: Miteva Rositsa , Samwel Susan W. , Zabunov Svetoslav
Published: May 2022

The first comprehensive analysis between the in situ detected solar energetic electrons (SEEs) from ACE/EPAM satellite and remotely observed radio signatures in solar cycles (SCs) 23 and 24 (1997–2019) is presented. The identified solar origin of the SEEs (in terms of solar flares, SFs, and coronal mass ejections, CMEs) is associated with solar radio emission of types II, III and IV, where possible. Occurrence rates are calculated as a function of the radio wavelength, from the low corona to the interplanetary space near Earth. The tendencies of the different burst appearances with respect to SC, helio-longitude, and SEE intensity are also demonstrated. The corresponding trends of the driver (in terms of median values of the SF class and CME projected speed) are also shown. A comparison with the respective results when using solar energetic protons is presented and discussed.
Bound Orbits and Epicyclic Motions around Renormalization Group Improved Schwarzschild Black Holes
Authors: Lin Hou-Yu , Deng Xue-Mei
Published: May 2022

We study timelike particles’ bound orbits around renormalization group improved Schwarzschild black holes (RGISBHs), which originate from renormalization group improvement of the Einstein–Hilbert action by using the running Newton constant. By considering the secular periastron precession for the timelike particles orbiting around RGISBHs, we found that it is not feasible to distinguish such black holes from Schwarzschild ones in the weak gravitational field. However, in the strong gravitational field, periodic orbits for the particles are investigated by employing a taxonomy. This suggests that the variation of the parameters in RGISBHs can change the taxonomy. This leads to a transition from periodic motion around Schwarzschild black holes to a quasi-periodic motion around these black holes. After that, the epicyclic motions of charged particles around RGISBHs immersed in an external asymptotically uniform magnetic field are taken into account with respect to the observed twin peak quasi-periodic oscillations’ frequencies. The epicyclic motions of charged particles around such black holes in the external magnetic field can give one possible explanation for the 3:2 resonance in three low-mass X-ray binaries. Our results might provide some hints to distinguish RGISBHs from the classical black holes by using periodic orbits and epicyclic motions around the strong gravitational field.
Airborne Transmission of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus: A Review of Past and Present Perspectives
Authors: Brown Emma , Nelson Noel , Gubbins Simon , Colenutt Claire
Published: May 2022

The primary transmission route for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, is by direct contact with infected animals. Yet indirect methods of transmission, such as via the airborne route, have been shown to play an important role in the spread of the disease. Airborne transmission of FMD is referred to as a low probability- high consequence event as a specific set of factors need to coincide to facilitate airborne spread. When conditions are favourable, airborne virus may spread rapidly and cause disease beyond the imposed quarantine zones, thus complicating control measures. Therefore, it is important to understand the nature of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) within aerosols; how aerosols are generated, viral load, how far aerosols could travel and survive under different conditions. Various studies have investigated emissions from infected animals under laboratory conditions, while others have incorporated experimental data in mathematical models to predict and trace outbreaks of FMD. However, much of the existing literature focussing on FMDV in aerosols describe work which was undertaken over 40 years ago. The aim of this review is to revisit existing knowledge and investigate how modern instrumentation and modelling approaches can improve our understanding of airborne transmission of FMD.
A Review of Different Vaccines and Strategies to Combat COVID-19
Authors: Sabitha Srinivasan , Shobana Nagarajan , Prakash Pandurangan , Padmanaban Sathiyamoorthy , Sathiyashree Mahendran , Saigeetha Subramanian , Chakravarthi Srikumar , Uthaman Saji , Park In-Kyu , Samrot Antony V.
Published: May 2022

In December 2019, an unknown viral infection emerged and quickly spread worldwide, resulting in a global pandemic. This novel virus caused severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It has caused 6.25 millions of deaths worldwide and remains a major concern for health, society, and the economy. As vaccination is one of the most efficient ways to combat this pandemic, different vaccines were developed in a short period. This review article discusses how coronavirus affected the top nations of the world and the vaccines being used for the prevention. Amongst the vaccines, some vaccines have already been approved, and some have been involved in clinical studies. The article also provides insight into different COVID-19 vaccine platforms, their preparation, working, efficacy, and side effects.
Systemic Cancer Therapy Does Not Significantly Impact Early Vaccine-Elicited SARS-CoV-2 Immunity in Patients with Solid Tumors
Authors: Waickman Adam T. , Lu Joseph , Chase Corey , Fang Hengsheng , McDowell Erinn , Bingham Erin , Bogart Jeffrey , Graziano Stephen , Thomas Stephen J. , Gentile Teresa
Published: May 2022

mRNA vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective in individuals with cancer. It is unclear, however, if systemic anti-cancer therapy impacts the coordinated cellular and humoral immune responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. To fill this knowledge gap, we assessed SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine-elicited immunity in a cohort of patients with advanced solid tumors either under observation or receiving systemic anti-cancer therapy. This analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine-elicited cellular and humoral immunity was not significantly different in individuals with cancer receiving systemic anti-cancer therapy relative to individuals under observation. Furthermore, even though some patients exhibited suboptimal antibody titers after vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 specific cellular immune responses were still detected. These data suggest that antibody titers offer an incomplete picture of vaccine-elicited SARS-CoV-2 immunity in cancer patients undergoing active systemic anti-cancer therapy, and that vaccine-elicited cellular immunity exists even in the absence of significant quantities of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies.
Vaccine Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: García-Pardo Miguel , Gorria Teresa , Malenica Ines , Corgnac Stéphanie , Teixidó Cristina , Mezquita Laura
Published: May 2022

Immunotherapy using immune checkpoint modulators has revolutionized the oncology field, emerging as a new standard of care for multiple indications, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, prognosis for patients with lung cancer is still poor. Although immunotherapy is highly effective in some cases, not all patients experience significant or durable responses, and further strategies are needed to improve outcomes. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are designed to exploit the body’s immune system to activate long-lasting memory against tumor cells that ensure tumor regression, with minimal toxicity. A unique feature of cancer vaccines lies in their complementary approach to boost antitumor immunity that could potentially act synergistically with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, single-line immunization against tumor epitopes with vaccine-based therapeutics has been disappointingly unsuccessful, to date, in lung cancer. The high level of success of several recent vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has highlighted the evolving advances in science and technology in the vaccines field, raising hope that this strategy can be successfully applied to cancer treatments. In this review, we describe the biology behind the cancer vaccines, and discuss current evidence for the different types of therapeutic cancer vaccines in NSCLC, including their mechanisms of action, current clinical development, and future strategies.
Significant Increase in Blood Pressure Following BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination among Healthcare Workers: A Rare Event
Authors: Syrigos Nikolaos , Kollias Anastasios , Grapsa Dimitra , Fyta Eleni , Kyriakoulis Konstantinos G. , Vathiotis Ioannis , Kotteas Elias , Syrigou Ekaterini
Published: May 2022

This brief report examined the frequency and characteristics of a significant blood-pressure (BP) increase after Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccination among healthcare workers who were advised to measure their BP at home. A total of 797 participants (mean age 48.1 ± 10.8 years, 63% women, 39% smokers) were included in the analysis. Seven participants reported an increase in their BP (three in the range of grade 2 and four in the range of grade 3 hypertension). Only one participant had a history of treated hypertension. The BP increase was observed at the end of the first week after the first dose, lasted for 3 to 4 days, and recurred promptly after the second dose. Only one case required hospitalization, mainly due to a history of cardiovascular disease (follow-up). Individuals experiencing a BP increase compared with those not reporting issues with their BP had a higher mean age and similar distribution of sex and non-smoking status. In conclusion, a significant BP increase after Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination seems to be rare and of a benign and transient nature. Monitoring the BP before and after vaccination might be advisable only for selected individuals with a high cardiovascular risk.
A Social Network Analysis of Tweets Related to Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination in Poland
Authors: Olszowski Rafał , Zabdyr-Jamróz Michał , Baran Sebastian , Pięta Piotr , Ahmed Wasim
Published: May 2022

Poland’s efforts to combat COVID-19 were hindered by endemic vaccination hesitancy and the prevalence of opponents to pandemic restrictions. In this environment, the policy of a COVID-19 vaccination mandate faces strong resistance in the public debate. Exploring the discourse around this resistance could help uncover the motives and develop an understanding of vaccination hesitancy in Poland. This paper aims to conduct a social network analysis and content analysis of Twitter discussions around the intention of the Polish Ministry of Health to introduce mandatory vaccinations for COVID-19. Twitter was chosen as a platform to study because of the critical role it played during the global health crisis. Twitter data were retrieved from 26 July to 9 December 2021 through the API v2 for Academic Research, and analysed using NodeXL and Gephi. When conducting social network analysis, nodes were ranked by their betweenness centrality. Clustering analysis with the Clauset–Newman–Moore algorithm revealed two important groups of users: advocates and opponents of mandatory vaccination. The temporal trends of tweets, the most used hashtags, the sentiment expressed in the most popular tweets, and correlations with epidemiological data were also studied. The results reveal a substantial degree of polarisation, a high intensity of the discussion, and a high degree of involvement of Twitter users. Vaccination mandate advocates were consistently more numerous, but less engaged and less mobilised to “preach” their own stances. Vaccination mandate opponents were vocal and more mobilised to participate: either as original authors or as information diffusers. Our research leads to the conclusion that systematic monitoring of the public debate on vaccines is essential not only in counteracting misinformation, but also in crafting evidence-based as well as emotionally motivating narratives.
Vaccination against Bacterial Infections: Challenges, Progress, and New Approaches with a Focus on Intracellular Bacteria
Authors: Osterloh Anke
Published: May 2022

Many bacterial infections are major health problems worldwide, and treatment of many of these infectious diseases is becoming increasingly difficult due to the development of antibiotic resistance, which is a major threat. Prophylactic vaccines against these bacterial pathogens are urgently needed. This is also true for bacterial infections that are still neglected, even though they affect a large part of the world’s population, especially under poor hygienic conditions. One example is typhus, a life-threatening disease also known as “war plague” caused by Rickettsia prowazekii, which could potentially come back in a war situation such as the one in Ukraine. However, vaccination against bacterial infections is a challenge. In general, bacteria are much more complex organisms than viruses and as such are more difficult targets. Unlike comparatively simple viruses, bacteria possess a variety of antigens whose immunogenic potential is often unknown, and it is unclear which antigen can elicit a protective and long-lasting immune response. Several vaccines against extracellular bacteria have been developed in the past and are still used successfully today, e.g., vaccines against tetanus, pertussis, and diphtheria. However, while induction of antibody production is usually sufficient for protection against extracellular bacteria, vaccination against intracellular bacteria is much more difficult because effective defense against these pathogens requires T cell-mediated responses, particularly the activation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. These responses are usually not efficiently elicited by immunization with non-living whole cell antigens or subunit vaccines, so that other antigen delivery strategies are required. This review provides an overview of existing antibacterial vaccines and novel approaches to vaccination with a focus on immunization against intracellular bacteria.
Development of a Deep Learning-Based Prediction Model for Water Consumption at the Household Level
Authors: Kim Jongsung , Lee Haneul , Lee Myungjin , Han Heechan , Kim Donghyun , Kim Hung Soo
Published: May 2022

The importance of efficient water resource supply has been acknowledged, and it is essential to predict short-term water consumption in the future. Recently, it has become possible to obtain data on water consumption at the household level through smart water meters. The pattern of these data is nonlinear due to various factors related to human activities, such as holidays and weather. However, it is difficult to accurately predict household water consumption with a nonlinear pattern with the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, a traditional time series prediction model. Thus, this study used a deep learning-based long short-term memory (LSTM) approach to develop a water consumption prediction model for each customer. The proposed model considers several variables to learn nonlinear water consumption patterns. We developed an ARIMA model and an LSTM model in the training dataset for customers with four different water-use types (detached houses, apartment, restaurant, and elementary school). The performances of the two models were evaluated using a test dataset that was not used for model learning. The LSTM model outperformed the ARIMA model in all households (correlation coefficient: mean 89% and root mean square error: mean 5.60 m3). Therefore, it is expected that the proposed model can predict customer-specific water consumption at the household level depending on the type of use.
Multiple Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli Isolates from Fecal and Water Sources in Laguna Lake, Philippines
Authors: dela Peña Laurice Beatrice Raphaelle O. , Nacario Mae Ashley G. , Bolo Nicole R. , Rivera Windell L.
Published: May 2022

Due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, antibiotic residues accumulate in natural environments, leading to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs). The presence of ARBs in bodies of water poses health hazards to the surrounding community. This study focused on Laguna Lake, the largest lake in the Philippines, which serves as a water source for agriculture and domestic purposes. We aimed to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli from the lake waters and potential reservoirs of resistance as well as determine the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indices of the isolates. E. coli (n = 450) was isolated from fecal-associated samples (chicken, cow, pig, human, sewage) and water samples (sites in Laguna Lake and selected river tributaries). The isolates were subjected to an antibiotic resistance assay using VITEK 2®. Among the 16 antibiotics tested, the isolates exhibited varying resistance to 14, but complete susceptibility to amikacin and tigecycline was observed. Isolates were most frequently resistant to ampicillin (196/450, 43.6%). Among fecal-associated samples, chicken isolates exhibited the highest MAR index (0.174), whereas samples from Pila River exhibited the highest MAR index (0.152) among water samples. The results of this study demonstrate the presence of multidrug-resistant E. coli in samples collected around Laguna Lake and reveal fecal and sewage sources as potential reservoirs of ARBs in the water body. With this information, the public is urged to use antibiotics responsibly to help mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Assessment of the Effect of Irrigation with Treated Wastewater on Soil Properties and on the Performance of Infiltration Models
Authors: Albalasmeh Ammar A. , Alghzawi Ma’in Z. , Gharaibeh Mamoun A. , Mohawesh Osama
Published: May 2022

An alternative strategy for saving limited water resources is using treated wastewater (TWW) originating from wastewater treatment plants. However, using TWW can influence soil properties owing to its characteristics compared to conventional water resources. Therefore, assessing the effect of TWW on soil properties and soil water infiltration is crucial to maintain sustainable use of TWW and to increase the water use efficiency of the precious irrigation water. Moreover, several studies were carried out to assess the performance of infiltration models. However, few studies evaluate infiltration models under the use of treated wastewater. Therefore, this study aims to assess the effect of TWW irrigation on soil properties after 2 and 5 years and to evaluate five classical infiltration models with field data collected from soil irrigated by treated wastewater for their capability in predicting soil water infiltration. This study revealed that using TWW for irrigation affects significantly on soil properties after 2 and 5 years. The soil irrigated with TWW had significantly higher electrical conductivity, organic matter, sodium adsorption ratio, cation exchange capacity, and lower soil bulk density compared to control. The basic infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration decreased significantly compared to control (60.84, 14.04, and 8.42 mm hr−1 and 140 mm, 72 mm, and 62 mm for control, 2, and 5 years’ treatments, respectively). The performance of the infiltration models proposed by Philip, Horton, Kostiakov, Modified Kostiakov, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service was evaluated with consideration of mean error, root mean square error, model efficiency, and Willmott’s index. Horton model had the lowest mean error (0.0008) and Philip model had the lowest root mean square error (0.1700) while Natural Resources Conservation Service had the highest values (0.0433 and 0.5898) for both mean error and root mean square error, respectively. Moreover, Philip model had the highest values of model efficiency and Willmott’s index, 0.9994 and 0.9998, respectively, whereas Horton model had the lowest values for the same indices, 0.9869 and 0.9967, respectively. Philip model followed by Modified Kostiakov model were the most efficient models in predicting cumulative infiltration, while Natural Resources Conservation Service model was the least predictable model.
Changes in the Ecological Status of Rivers Caused by the Functioning of Natural Barriers
Authors: Połeć Katarzyna , Grzywna Antoni , Tarkowska-Kukuryk Monika , Bronowicka-Mielniczuk Urszula
Published: May 2022

Introducing the European beaver to the catchment area, which adjusts the habitat to its own needs (by building dams), may have a positive impact on the ecology, geology, and hydromorphology of rivers and intensify the water self-purification process. In this study, a comparative assessment of the ecological status was made between the areas where the species Castor fiber L. occurs (habitat type A) and the areas unaffected by the influence (habitat type B). For this purpose, the Macrophyte River Index (MIR) and the Hydromorphological River Index (HIR) were calculated, along with the floristic indicators of biodiversity: species richness and Margalef, Shannon–Wiener, and Simpson indices. Only 35% of the sites met the standard of good ecological status. The presence of hypertrophic species and anthropogenic modifications of the river bed had a negative impact. The spread of beavers has a significant positive effect on changes in hydromorphological conditions and water levels in the river. The water levels in habitat types A and B were 0.504 and 0.253 m, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the HIR values between habitat types A and B, which were 0.585 and 0.535, respectively. In habitats of type A, the heterogeneity of the current and bed material as well as the diversity of elements accompanying the tree stands increased. Research has shown greater species richness and greater biodiversity of macrophytes in the habitats of beaver dams. The research confirmed the significant influence of the European beaver on changes in the environment. The activity of beavers intensifies the processes of introducing wetland and rush species to forest areas.
A New Low-Cost Technology Based on Pump as Turbines for Energy Recovery in Peripheral Water Networks Branches
Authors: Carravetta Armando , Del Giudice Giuseppe , Fecarotta Oreste , Morani Maria Cristina , Ramos Helena M.
Published: May 2022

The recovery of excess energy in water supply networks has been a topic of paramount importance in recent literature. In pressurized systems, a pump used in inverse mode (Pump As Turbine, PAT) demonstrated to be a very economical and reliable solution, compared to traditional energy production devices (EPDs). Due to the large variability of flow rate and head drop within water distribution networks, the operation of PATs could be performed by a series-parallel regulation system based on an electronic or a hydraulic principle. Despite the low cost of the PATs and of regulation and control systems, a great barrier to the diffusion of a small hydro power plant in water distribution is represented by the necessity of additional civil works to host the whole plant. Based on laboratory and numerical experiments, the present paper proposes a new low-cost technology, overcoming most of the limitations of the present technologies when low energy is available and high discharge variation occurs. The operating conditions of the plant are properly optimized with reference to the working conditions of a case study. Despite the laboratory prototype having exhibited a significantly low efficiency (i.e., 16%), due to the use of small centrifugal pumps suitable for the analyzed case study, in larger power plants relying on more efficient semi-axial submersed pumps, the energy conversion ratio can increase up to 40%. The results of this research could be useful for network managers and technicians interested in increasing the energy efficiency of the network and in recovering energy in the peripheral branches of the network were a large variability of small flow rates are present.
Modeling Chlorophyll a with Use of the SWAT Tool for the Nielba River (West-Central Poland) as an Example of an Unmonitored Watercourse
Authors: Orlińska-Woźniak Paulina
Published: May 2022

The majority of eutrophication studies focuses on lacustrine processes, thus riverine systems remain less recognized in this context. Moreover, since the availability of data related to parameters affecting this phenomenon is quite limited, modeling efforts should be considered. The current study verifies the SWAT model’s capability to simulate chlorophyll a loads for unmonitored watercourse. The analyses of the relationships between individual parameters, directly involved in the eutrophication process, help in the exploration of its dominant trends in SWAT modeling. The results obtained for the Nielba River pilot catchment (west-central Poland) showed a strong correlation of chlorophyll a with flow and surface runoff, but no relationship with temperature or solar radiation. Moreover, an impact of local conditions (hydrological features) on chlorophyll a load simulation could be traced in detail. The research specified the limitations and impact of generalization in the SWAT model on the results. Furthermore, intricacies related to the dataset statistical treatment (e.g., outliers) have been presented.
Key Factors for the Findability of Fish Passes in Large Epipotamal Rivers: The Case of the River Drava
Authors: Brandl Andreas , Laaha Gregor , Käfer Sabine , Mader Helmut
Published: May 2022

Restoring the longitudinal connectivity of rivers through fish passes is of great importance for achieving good ecological status of surface waters. However, the key stimuli determining the findability of the entrance of these structures is still subject to debate. In this article, the influence of water temperature, light and acoustic stimuli in addition to flow parameters on fish movement is assessed. Analyses are based on a comprehensive dataset of 40,000 fish migrations covering time accurate recording of ascending individuals during the observation periods from 2015 to 2020 in various fish passes on the river Drava in Carinthia, Austria. The data are assessed by technical, fish ecological and statistical methods. Results indicate that the effect of the water temperature gradient between the fish pass and the main river has most impact on the ascent rates, whereas the two factors of light and acoustic, as well as most of the flow parameters, have no or negligible effect on the findability. A favourable thermal environment can be important to ensure efficient upstream migration and thus facilitate the findability of fish passes.
Establishing Baseline Assessment Levels for Monitoring Coastal Heavy Metals Using Foraminiferal Shells: A Case Study from the Southeastern Mediterranean
Authors: Hoober Lin , Titelboim Danna , Abramovich Sigal , Herut Barak , Teutsch Nadya , Benaltabet Tal , Torfstein Adi
Published: May 2022

One of the challenges in monitoring the marine coastal environments is quantifying the magnitude and duration of pollution events. This study introduces a new concept of defining heavy metal (HM) baseline assessment levels (BALs) in coastal environments using foraminiferal shells. We demonstrated the potential of this approach by examining a nature reserve along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Our previous investigation of this site in 2013–2014 using foraminiferal single-chamber LA-ICPMS created a large dataset consisting of HM measurements of two species, Lachlanella and Pararotalia calcariformata. This database was used to establish the BAL of Zn, Cu and Pb, associated with anthropogenic sources. In February 2021, a significant tar pollution event affected the entire Mediterranean coast of Israel, derived from an offshore oil spill. This event provided a unique opportunity to test the applicability of the foraminiferal BAL by comparing it to whole-shell ICPMS measurements of the two species collected in winter and summer 2021. Results reveal a significant increase (2–34-fold) in the three HMs between 2013–2014 and 2021, with Pb/Ca displaying the most prominent increase in both species. This suggests a possible linkage between the oil spill event and the significantly elevated metal/Ca ratios in 2021.
Competitiveness Evaluation of Electric Bus Charging Services Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Sun Yinghan , Wang Jiangbo , Li Cheng , Liu Kai
Published: May 2022

The premise of the large-scale operation of electric buses corresponds to efficient charging service guarantees. Recent research on charging stations mainly aims to obtain the construction location and construction sequence through optimization methods or decision-making methods. This research has considered the aspects of geography, charging efficiency, economic efficiency, and emergency response capacity. The increase of charging stations will lead to competition among charging stations, unbalanced use of charging facilities, and unnecessary loss of electricity to the power grid. In fact, few studies pay attention to the actual operation of existing charging stations. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a scientific, comprehensive, and efficient charging services evaluation framework to support the actual operation of charging stations. Based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), this paper designs a multi-level indicator evaluation framework, which includes 6 first-level indicators and 20 s-level indicators. The first-level indicators are cutting peak and filling valley (A1), location and scale (A2), intelligent technology (A3), equipment efficiency (A4), operating income (A5), and reliability (A6). Through the questionnaire survey of ten experts in related fields, we understood the importance and attention of these indicators. The results show that the weights of indicators of location and scale index (A2) and reliability (A6) are high, which are 0.2875 and 0.2957, respectively. The least concerned indicator is equipment utilization efficiency (A4), at a weight of 0.0531. According to the actual data of charging stations in Zhengzhou, China, the comprehensive competitiveness of several charging stations is evaluated by the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The result shows that station 1 has the highest comprehensive competitiveness, followed by station 2 and station 7. The evaluation framework proposed in this paper comprehensively considers a variety of factors. The combination of AHP and TOPSIS can reduce the uncertainty in experts’ evaluation of the service of the charging station.
Covert Communication With Truncated Channel Inversion Power Control in D2D Underlaid Cellular Networks
Authors: Sun Ranran , Yang Bin
Published: May 2022

Device-to-device (D2D) underlaid cellular networks are regarded as an emerging network structure in the 5G systems. We study the covert communication of such networks consisting of a base station BS, a cellular user Alice, a D2D pair with a transmitter Dt and a receiver Dr , and a warden W illie. To conduct the covert communication, Alice adopts the truncated channel inversion power control (CIPC) to hide itself from W illie, where the received signal power at BS is fixed avoiding channel estimation for decoding Alice’s signal. Meanwhile, the interference generated by the D2D pair reusing the spectrum of Alice is exploited to confuse W illie. To understand the fundamental covert rate performance in the considered network, we first provide a theoretical model for characterizing the detection error probability of W illie as well as the effective covert rate at BS under the truncated CIPC scheme. Based on the main results, we then explore the effective covert rate maximization under the constraint of the detection error probability to identify the optimal truncated CIPC scheme designing and interference management. Finally, extensive numerical results are presented to illustrate the impacts of the truncated CIPC and interference from Dt on the covert performance.
Physical properties and bacterial viability of functional ice cream enriched with kefir
Authors: TÜRKMEN Nazlı , BAŞ Bülent , ALBAYRAK DELİALİOĞLU Rabia , GÜRSOY Ayşe
Published: May 2022

In this study, different ratios (A-0%, B-25%, C-50%, D-75%) of kefir were used in the ice cream mix in order to obtain functional ice cream enriched with probiotic bacteria. There was no difference between the chemical and physical properties of the samples (P<0.05), except for acidity and overrun values (P>0.05). Kefir containing samples showed probiotic properties during 90-day storage when the probiotic bacterial counts were considered. In terms of texture and flavor properties, sample D had the lowest scores, while B and C had similar scores compared to sample A in sensory evaluation. As a result, B and C were identified as probiotic products with acceptable properties during 90-day storage.
Aethina tumida (Small Hive Beetle; SHB) and Tropilaelaps spp. Mite; an emerging threat to Turkey Honey Bees
Authors: AYDIN Levent
Published: May 2022

Turkey is the second largest honey producer in the world. However, the beekeeping sector, especially the export of honey and honey products, is not supported by income compatible with this asset. The main reasons for this discrepancy are the presence of honey bee diseases (predators) and their residues in honey. Due to the observation of Aethina tumida (small hive beetle; SHB) in Europe (Italy) and Tropilealaps spp. Iran’s border regions close to Turkey, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey has raised its alert level for these two notifiable diseases. Aethina tumida is a fruit insect originally from South Africa and it has later adapted to bee colonies. In the early 2000s, the agent came to North America with imported fruits and caused serious bee losses. SHB, which has spread to 12 countries so far, caused serious economic losses in the countries it entered and could not be eliminated. Tropilaelaps spp. is an ectoparasite that cannot survive for long without honey bee brood it feeds on and needs to survive. Tropilaelaps mite even suppresses Varroa when found in a colony and extinguishes the colony in a short time. It is a fact that these two pests may spread rapidly in Turkey due to the practice of migratory beekeeping and they can cause serious damage to our beekeeping.
Usova N.V. Assessing the digital services market maturity: a ranking approach
Authors: Usova N. V.
Published: May 2022

The formation and development of the digital services market is a key area of the digital transformation of the national economy. The purpose of the given research is to assess the maturity of the digital services market and to propose measures for its further development. A retrospective analysis through the assessment based on the totality of economic indicators of the digital services market and on the innovative level of a federal district in the context of national indicators makes it possible to identify the level of the regional digital services market development and to outline the priority directions for its further development.
US mega-regional innovative development: spatial-time analysis
Authors: Minat V. N.
Published: May 2022

Based on the use of the methods of mathematical statistics, in combination with the use of evolutionary-genetic and systemic-cyclical approaches to the study of the dynamics of the average annual growth rates of indicators of innovation activity in the mega-regions of the United States in the space-time continuum, tendencies of megaregionalization at all stages of the innovation cycle and implementation are revealed. innovative product. The quantitative accumulation of results characterizing the innovation process during periods of qualitative change in the structural phases of the American accumulation cycle and technological orders in 1961–2020, correlated with each other, contributes to the understanding of the evolution of the US mega-regions as self-sufficient entities that determine civilizationally necessary social phenomena – innovation and the knowledge economy.
Improvement of organization and planning products sales in the small-serial and individual machine building enterprise
Authors: Kazachenko S. I. , Fyodorova Ya. S.
Published: May 2022

Small-serial and individual machine building enterprises, due to their specific features, often experience difficulties in implementing classical principles and the methods of management described in economic science, including the field of product sales management. Meanwhile, planning and organizing products sales are key functions of sales management to achieve primary goals of business. The article presents a methodology for the improvement of planning and organization of product sales through a detailed analysis of its indicators, according to data of the operating machine building enterprise.
EVALUATION OF THE ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF THE TECHNOLOGY FOR MANUFACTURING COMPOSITE METAL-METAL-POLYMER PARTS IN COMPARISON WITH ADDITIVE AND SUBTRACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: Lyubimyy N. , Pol'shin A. , Tihonov A. , Anciferov S. , Gerasimov M. , Melentiev N.
Published: May 2022

The development of additive manufacturing leads to the emergence of new 3D printing technologies, new materials for 3D printing and a gradual reduction in the cost of production. Nowadays, the cost of equipment used for metal and metal powders 3D printing are still very expensive. This factor makes the production technologies unavailable for the civil engineering industry in the manufacture of functional parts. The cost of additive manufacturing of metal parts is mainly dependent on the volume of printing. Reducing the print volume can lead to a significant reduction in the cost of manufacturing the part. Fabrication of a metal shell, the cavity of which is filled with a cheap metal polymer, can be an excellent alternative to an all-metal part. Such a metal-metal-polymer composite part can have sufficient strength and significantly lower cost. However, there are no dependencies today to understand the economic efficiency of using a particular production technology. The article provides a method for calculating the cost of manufacturing a lever part using various technologies: subtractive, additive and composite part manufacturing technology. According to the calculated data, the dependence of the cost of manufacturing a part on piece time is built. It can be interpreted as the amount of machining. The constructed linear dependence can give an idea of the effectiveness of the application of a particular technology for obtaining a part. In addition, non-economic factors affecting the possibility of using various technological processes for manufacturing a part are described. Together, the presented data allow the technologist to comprehensively assess the possibility of effective application of a particular production technology and make an appropriate informed decision.
Une nouvelle décision en l’affaire de l’ ‘Enrica Lexie’ : l’ordonnance en indication de mesures conservatoires du tribunal arbitral du 29 avril 2016
Authors: Tranchant Baptiste Michel Marie
Published: May 2022

Après avoir été constitué en application de l’Annexe VII de la CNUDM, et alors que le TIDM avait déjà été amené à indiquer des mesures provisoires en vertu de l’article 290, § 5 de la Convention de Montego Bay, le tribunal arbitral chargé de statuer sur le litige relatif à l’incident de l’Enrica Lexie a été saisi d’une nouvelle demande en indication de mesures conservatoires. L’Italie entendait obtenir que le sergent Girone, assigné à résidence à New Dehli depuis 2012 du fait de son implication dans la mort de deux marins pêcheurs indiens, puisse rentrer sur son territoire pendant le déroulement de la procédure arbitrale ayant pour objet de déterminer les compétences respectives de l’Inde et de l’Italie pour juger des faits relatifs à cet incident. Ayant vérifié la réunion des conditions à la prescription de telles mesures, le tribunal arbitral ordonne le retour du sergent Girone en Italie dans des conditions qui peuvent cependant interroger, notamment au regard de la place qu’occupent les «considérations d’humanité » dans l’ordonnance du 29 avril 2016 et du fait que le tribunal précise que le sergent sera maintenu «sous l’autorité de la Cour suprême de l’Inde » même après être revenu en territoire italien.