bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Air Pollution and Mobility, What Carries COVID-19?
Authors: Rodríguez-Caballero C. Vladimir , Vera-Valdés J. Eduardo
Published: October 2021

This paper tests if air pollution serves as a carrier for SARS-CoV-2 by measuring the effect of daily exposure to air pollution on its spread by panel data models that incorporates a possible commonality between municipalities. We show that the contemporary exposure to particle matter is not the main driver behind the increasing number of cases and deaths in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. Remarkably, we also find that the cross-dependence between municipalities in the Mexican region is highly correlated to public mobility, which plays the leading role behind the rhythm of contagion. Our findings are particularly revealing given that the Mexico City Metropolitan Area did not experience a decrease in air pollution during COVID-19 induced lockdowns.
Modeling of Crisis Processes in the Financial Market
Authors: Ivanyuk Vera
Published: October 2021

Global liquidity shortage as well as the availability on the market of overpriced assets and derivatives led to the situation where the global economy depends primarily on liquidity, becoming prone to chain-consistent world crises. Only for the last 15 years, the world has witnessed a continuous series of crises. Therefore, the study of the processes and phenomena of crisis is one of the most important scientific and practical tasks. The aim of this work consisted in the development of methods and models for the early detection of crises in the economy. The significance of the work is to develop an econometric model and tools for detection of crisis.
Knowledge versus Education in the Margins: An Indigenous and Feminist Critique of Education
Authors: Svalastog Anna Lydia , Wilson Shawn , Hansen Ketil Lenert
Published: October 2021

This article highlights the perceptions and expectations of knowledge that many people, including educators and policy makers, take for granted. Our focus of understanding is Indigenous studies and gender studies. Our aim is to show how modern education undermines these fields of studies. We use an autoethnographic method, reflecting more than 75 years as pupils/students and more than 90 years as educators. We have carefully chosen narratives of exposure to knowledge outside the educational system, as well as narratives of limitations posed upon us by the educational system. This narrative approach makes it possible for us to investigate and discuss our grief about areas of knowledge that society cries for, but the educational system continuously finds ways to resist. Our conclusion is that crucial knowledge is located outside the educational system, where individuals, groups, and communities cherish, protect, and guard knowledge that the educational system marginalises or excludes. As this knowledge is fundamental for life, our message is that the educational system needs to re-evaluate its strategies to stay relevant.
Helplessness among University Students: An Empirical Study Based on a Modified Framework of Implicit Personality Theories
Authors: Ziegler Albert , Bedenlier Svenja , Gläser-Zikuda Michaela , Kopp Bärbel , Händel Marion
Published: October 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and within a very short period of time, teaching in the 2020 summer term changed from predominantly on-site to online instruction. Students suddenly faced having to adapt their learning process to new demands for which they may have had both insufficient digital skills and a lack of learning resources. Such a situation carries the risk that a substantial number of students become helpless. The aim of our empirical study was to test a hybrid framework of helplessness that includes both objective causes of helplessness and students’ subjective interpretations of them. Before lectures or courses began, students of a full-scale university were invited to participate in an online survey. The final sample consists of 1690 students. Results indicate that objective factors as well as their subjective interpretations contributed to the formation of helplessness.
Dietary Habits and Musculoskeletal Pain in Statin and Red Yeast Rice Users: A Pilot Study
Authors: Raguzzini Anna , Toti Elisabetta , Palmery Maura , Abdel-Daim Mohamed M. , Peluso Ilaria
Published: October 2021

(1) Background: Diet and statins are commonly used to treat high cholesterol (CHOL) levels. (2) Aim: To compare adherence to Mediterranean diet (Med-D), orthorexia nervosa (ON), and musculoskeletal pain in individuals in treatment with statins metabolized by CYP3A4, not metabolized by CYP3A4 or red yeast rice (RYR, containing monacolin K: MON-K). (3) Methods: starting from 80 individuals, after the exclusion of those with other causes of possible pain, 56 individuals were selected and divided into three groups according to the type of statin (CYP3A4, NO-CYP3A4 and MON-K). Adherence to the Med-D was evaluated with the MEDScore and a sub-score was calculated for fruit and vegetables consumption (MEDScore-FV). ON and musculoskeletal pain were assessed with the ORTO-15 and with the Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaires, respectively. A retrospective analysis of CHOL decrease after treatment was conducted. (4) Results: CHOL levels were lower in CYP3A4 and NO-CYP3A4 after treatment (182.4 ± 6.3 and 177.0 ± 7.8 mg/dL, respectively), compared with MON-K (204.2 ± 7.1 mg/dL, p < 0.05). MON-K and CYP3A4 groups had a high prevalence of reported knee pain (33.3% and 18.8%, respectively) than NO-CYP3A4 group (0%, p < 0.05). A high percentage of individuals in MON-K take supplements and nutraceuticals (87.5%), whereas MEDScore-FV was higher in CYP3A4 (9.4 ± 0.2) compared to NO-CYP3A4 (7.6 ± 0.5, p < 0.05). (5) Conclusions: This study suggests that individuals receiving treatment with statins and RYR should be monitored from the perspective of plant foods’ consumption and nutraceutical use, to prevent musculoskeletal pain.
μPMU-Based Temporal Decoupling of Parameter and Measurement Gross Error Processing in DSSE
Authors: Trevizan Rodrigo D. , Ruben Cody , Rossoni Aquiles , Dhulipala Surya C. , Bretas Arturo , Bretas Newton G.
Published: October 2021

Simultaneous real-time monitoring of measurement and parameter gross errors poses a great challenge to distribution system state estimation due to usually low measurement redundancy. This paper presents a gross error analysis framework, employing μPMUs to decouple the error analysis of measurements and parameters. When a recent measurement scan from SCADA RTUs and smart meters is available, gross error analysis of measurements is performed as a post-processing step of non-linear DSSE (NLSE). In between scans of SCADA and AMI measurements, a linear state estimator (LSE) using μPMU measurements and linearized SCADA and AMI measurements is used to detect parameter data changes caused by the operation of Volt/Var controls. For every execution of the LSE, the variance of the unsynchronized measurements is updated according to the uncertainty introduced by load dynamics, which are modeled as an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck random process. The update of variance of unsynchronized measurements can avoid the wrong detection of errors and can model the trustworthiness of outdated or obsolete data. When new SCADA and AMI measurements arrive, the LSE provides added redundancy to the NLSE through synthetic measurements. The presented framework was tested on a 13-bus test system. Test results highlight that the LSE and NLSE processes successfully work together to analyze bad data for both measurements and parameters.
One-Step Cost-Effective Growth of High-Quality Epitaxial Ge Films on Si (100) Using a Simplified PECVD Reactor
Authors: Vanjaria Jignesh , Hariharan Venkat , Arjunan Arul Chakkaravarthi , Wu Yanze , Tompa Gary S. , Yu Hongbin
Published: October 2021

Heteroepitaxial growth of Ge films on Si is necessary for the progress of integrated Si photonics technology. In this work, an in-house assembled plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor was used to grow high quality epitaxial Ge films on Si (100) substrates. Low economic and thermal budget were accomplished by the avoidance of ultra-high vacuum conditions or high temperature substrate pre-deposition bake for the process. Films were deposited with and without plasma assistance using germane (GeH4) precursor in a single step at process temperatures of 350–385 °C and chamber pressures of 1–10 Torr at various precursor flow rates. Film growth was realized at high ambient chamber pressures (>10−6 Torr) by utilizing a rigorous ex situ substrate cleaning process, closely controlling substrate loading times, chamber pumping and the dead-time prior to the initiation of film growth. Plasma allowed for higher film deposition rates at lower processing temperatures. An epitaxial growth was confirmed by X-Ray diffraction studies, while crystalline quality of the films was verified by X-ray rocking curve, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and infra-red spectroscopy.
Modeling Nanoscale III–V Channel MOSFETs with the Self-Consistent Multi-Valley/Multi-Subband Monte Carlo Approach
Authors: Caruso Enrico , Esseni David , Gnani Elena , Lizzit Daniel , Palestri Pierpaolo , Pin Alessandro , Puglisi Francesco , Selmi Luca , Zagni Nicolò
Published: October 2021

We describe the multi-valley/multi-subband Monte Carlo (MV–MSMC) approach to model nanoscale MOSFETs featuring III–V semiconductors as channel material. This approach describes carrier quantization normal to the channel direction, solving the Schrödinger equation while off-equilibrium transport is captured by the multi-valley/multi-subband Boltzmann transport equation. In this paper, we outline a methodology to include quantum effects along the transport direction (namely, source-to-drain tunneling) and provide model verification by comparison with Non-Equilibrium Green’s Function results for nanoscale MOSFETs with InAs and InGaAs channels. It is then shown how to use the MV–MSMC to calibrate a Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulation deck based on the drift–diffusion model that allows much faster simulations and opens the doors to variability studies in III–V channel MOSFETs.
Lung Segmentation and Characterization in COVID-19 Patients for Assessing Pulmonary Thromboembolism: An Approach Based on Deep Learning and Radiomics
Authors: Bevilacqua Vitoantonio , Altini Nicola , Prencipe Berardino , Brunetti Antonio , Villani Laura , Sacco Antonello , Morelli Chiara , Ciaccia Michele , Scardapane Arnaldo
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is inevitably changing the world in a dramatic way, and the role of computed tomography (CT) scans can be pivotal for the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. Since the start of the pandemic, great care has been given to the relationship between interstitial pneumonia caused by the infection and the onset of thromboembolic phenomena. In this preliminary study, we collected n = 20 CT scans from the Polyclinic of Bari, all from patients positive with COVID-19, nine of which developed pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). For eight CT scans, we obtained masks of the lesions caused by the infection, annotated by expert radiologists; whereas for the other four CT scans, we obtained masks of the lungs (including both healthy parenchyma and lesions). We developed a deep learning-based segmentation model that utilizes convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in order to accurately segment the lung and lesions. By considering the images from publicly available datasets, we also realized a training set composed of 32 CT scans and a validation set of 10 CT scans. The results obtained from the segmentation task are promising, allowing to reach a Dice coefficient higher than 97%, posing the basis for analysis concerning the assessment of PTE onset. We characterized the segmented region in order to individuate radiomic features that can be useful for the prognosis of PTE. Out of 919 extracted radiomic features, we found that 109 present different distributions according to the Mann–Whitney U test with corrected p-values less than 0.01. Lastly, nine uncorrelated features were retained that can be exploited to realize a prognostic signature.
Mandatory Access Control Method for Windows Embedded OS Security
Authors: Cho Chaeho , Seong Yeonsang , Won Yoojae
Published: October 2021

The Windows Embedded operating system (OS) adopts a discretionary access control (DAC)-based policy, but underlying vulnerabilities exist because of external hacker attacks and other factors. In this study, we propose a system that improves the security of the Windows Embedded OS by applying a mandatory access control (MAC) policy in which the access rights of objects, such as files and folders, and subjects’ privileges, such as processes, are compared. We conducted access control tests to verify whether the proposed system could avoid the vulnerabilities of DAC-based systems. Our results indicate that the existing DAC-based security systems could be neutralized if a principal’s security policy is removed. However, in the proposed MAC-based Windows Embedded OS, even if the clearance and category values of a subject’s files are given the highest rating, all accesses are automatically denied. Therefore, the execution of all files that were not previously registered on the whitelist was denied, proving that security was improved relative to DAC-based systems.
Applying Sentiment Product Reviews and Visualization for BI Systems in Vietnamese E-Commerce Website: Focusing on Vietnamese Context
Authors: Le Ngoc-Bao-Van , Huh Jun-Ho
Published: October 2021

Product reviews become more important in the buying decision-making process of customers. Exploiting and analyzing customer product reviews in sentiments also become an advantage for businesses and researchers in e-commerce platforms. This study proposes a sentiment evaluation model of customer reviews by extracting objects, emotional words for emotional level analysis, using machine learning algorithms. The research object is the Vietnamese language, which has special semantic structures and characteristics. In this research model, emotional dictionaries and sets of extract rules are combined to build a data training data set based on the semantic dependency relationship between words in sentences of the given Vietnamese context. The recurrent neural network model (RNN) solves the emotional analysis issue, specifically, the long short-term memory neural network (LSTMs). This analysis model combines the vector representations of words with a continuous bag-of-words (CBOW) architecture. Our system is designed to crawl realistic data in an e-commerce website and automatically aggregate them. These data will be stored in MongoDB before processing and input into our model on the server. Then, the system can exploit the features in products reviews and classify customer reviews. These features extracted from different feedback on each shopping step and depending on the kinds of products. Finally, there is a web-app to connect to a server and visualize all the research results. Based on the research results, enterprises can follow up their customers in real-time and receive recommendations to understand their customers. From there, they can improve their services and provide sustainable consumer service.
Mediterranean Diet and Physical Activity for Successful Aging: An Update for Nutritionists and Endocrinologists
Authors: Frias-Toral Evelyn , Chapela Sebastian , de los Angeles Carignano Maria , Moretti Dino , Martinuzzi Andres , Rodríguez-Veintimilla Dolores , Guerrero Mery , Pugliese Gabriella , Muscogiuri Giovanna , Barrea Luigi
Published: October 2021

The constant advancement in the medical field has allowed for the diagnosis and treatment of several health conditions. It has also contributed to increasing the average human lifespan, which is considered an outstanding achievement in history. Nevertheless, the impact of this in an ever-increasing aged population with chronic diseases and, most of the time, with limited and poor quality of life was not considered. Thus, it is imperative to establish strategies to age successfully. In order to do have a better understanding of this crucial issue, this review will analyze the endocrine changes in the elderly. It will present common conditions found in this population, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress. Additionally, we will explain aging-related metabolic and physical performance decline related to hormone changes and lifestyle modifications. We will propose the Mediterranean diet and some specific guidelines about physical activity as part of the plan to have an active and successful aging process.
Production of Omega-3 Fatty Acids from the Microalga Crypthecodinium cohnii by Utilizing Both Pentose and Hexose Sugars from Agricultural Residues
Authors: Asimakopoulou Georgia , Karnaouri Anthi , Staikos Savvas , Stefanidis Stylianos D. , Kalogiannis Konstantinos G. , Lappas Angelos A. , Topakas Evangelos
Published: October 2021

The core objective of this work was to take advantage of the unexploited wheat straw biomass, currently considered as a broadly available waste stream from the Greek agricultural sector, towards the integrated valorization of sugar streams for the microbial production of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (PUFAs). The OxiOrganosolv pretreatment process was applied using acetone and ethanol as organic solvents without any additional catalyst. The results proved that both cellulose-rich solid pulp and hemicellulosic oligosaccharides-rich aqueous liquid fraction after pretreatment can be efficiently hydrolyzed enzymatically, thus resulting in high yields of fermentable monosaccharides. The latter were supplied as carbon sources to the heterotrophic microalga Crypthecodinium cohnii for the production of PUFAs, more specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The solid fractions consisted mainly of hexose sugars and led to higher DHA productivity than their pentose-rich liquid counterparts, which can be attributed to the different carbon source and C/N ratio in the two streams. The best performance was obtained with the solid pulp pretreated with ethanol at 160 °C for 120 min and an O2 pressure of 16 bar. The total fatty acids content reached 70.3 wt% of dried cell biomass, of which 32.2% was DHA. The total DHA produced was 7.1 mg per g of untreated wheat straw biomass.
Differentiation of Penicillium roqueforti from Closely Related Species Contaminating Cheeses and Dairy Environment
Authors: Kavková Miloslava , Cihlář Jaromír , Dráb Vladimír , Bár Ladislav
Published: October 2021

Currently, Penicillium roqueforti and the closely related P. carneum and P. paneum are identified based on their macromorphology, micromorphology, and molecular properties, the determination of which involves time-consuming procedures. Culture collections focused on dairy isolates of P. roqueforti require quick and efficient tools for routine applications to identify the (a) taxonomy affiliation and (b) morphological properties of strains that influence the sensory properties of blue-veined cheeses. Here, we assessed the morphological variability of P. roqueforti, P. carneum, P. paneum, and P.crustosum on artificial, Edam-like, and Roquefort-like media. Molecular tools were used to test P. roqueforti strains and clones effectively. A novel primer, PrsF, was tested for specificity within strains and isolates of P. roqueforti compared to P. carneum, P. paneum, and P. crustosum. The results reveal that PrsF was specific to the P. roqueforti samples and did not amplify the other tested Penicillium species. Identification based simultaneously on the specificity of the PrsF primer pair and cultivation of P. roqueforti strains on Roquefort-like medium represents an effective method for expanding the collections and practical use of P. roqueforti in the dairy industry.
Evaluation by Flash GC Electronic Nose of the Effect of Combinations of Yeasts and Nutrients on the Aromatic Profiles of Feteasca Regala Wines after Two Years of Storage
Authors: Antoce Arina Oana , Cojocaru George Adrian
Published: October 2021

Feteasca regala is a semi-aromatic Romanian white grape variety, which can benefit from technological interventions aiming to modulate its aromatic profile. In this study, two specific yeast nutrients, designed to increase the esteric and thiolic aromatic potential, respectively, were added at appropriate times, before or during fermentation. The musts were inoculated with two different strains of yeast, specially selected to favour the formation of an esteric or a thiolic volatile profile. The resulting wines were bottled and analysed two years later by Heracles flash GC electronic nose (from Alpha MOS), which provided a good discrimination of the samples based on the peaks of volatile molecules identified on the two chromatographic columns. The electronic nose showed that, in the aged wines, the influence of the yeast inoculated for fermentation was more evident than the impact of the yeast nutrients added. Using the AroChemBase software module from Alpha MOS, some volatile esters and other compounds were identified, and their importance for the discrimination of the wines and for the aroma profile is discussed. However, because the GC electronic nose can identify only some volatile compounds, but not all, sensory analysis was also applied to evaluate the wine samples, showing that the yeast, as well as the nutrients, have a clear influence on the perceived aromatic profiles. As intended, samples prepared with any of the technological interventions showed different volatile/aromatic profiles than the control wine prepared by natural fermentation and were clearly separated by the electronic nose, even after two years of storage. However, due to the limitations of the chromatographic columns used, the electronic nose could not provide an overall description of the aromatic profile of the produced wines, which is why the expertise of panelists was still needed to evaluate wines.
Green Extraction of Volatile Fatty Acids from Fermented Wastewater Using Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents
Authors: Darwish Ahmad S. , Warrag Samah E. E. , Lemaoui Tarek , Alseiari Maha K. , Hatab Farah Abu , Rafay Ramis , Alnashef Inas , Rodríguez Jorge , Alamoodi Nahla
Published: October 2021

Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are carboxylic acids mainly produced via the fermentation of organic waste streams. Being industrial platform chemicals, sustainable, green and economical recovery of VFAs is necessary. Herein, hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDES), “a new generation of water-immiscible designer solvents”, were assessed for the recovery of VFAs via liquid–liquid extraction. The eutectic mixture of menthol-lauric acid exhibited the highest stability and hydrophobicity. The binary solubility of the pairs {VFA in water} and {VFA in HDES}—and the saturation of the HDES with water were measured. Furthermore, the influences of key parameters on the extraction efficiency were investigated. On multi-stage extraction, an efficiency of 88% was achieved in 4 stages, and the HDES was successfully regenerated using vacuum evaporation. The HDES performance was also compared to other reported relevant solvents. It was concluded that menthol-lauric acid HDES is a promising candidate for the green extraction of VFAs from fermented wastewater.
Preparation of Porous Biochar from Soapberry Pericarp at Severe Carbonization Conditions
Authors: Tsai Wen-Tien , Jiang Tasi-Jung , Lin Yu-Quan , Chang Hsuan-Lun , Tsai Chi-Hung
Published: October 2021

The residue remaining after the water extraction of soapberry pericarp from a biotechnology plant was used to produce a series of biochar products at pyrolytic temperatures (i.e., 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 °C) for 20 min plant was used to produce a series of biochar products. The effects of the carbonization temperature on the pore and chemical properties were investigated by using N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The pore properties of the resulting biochar products significantly increased as the carbonization temperature increased from 700 to 800 °C. The biochar prepared at 800 °C yielded the maximal BET surface area of 277 m2/g and total pore volume of 0.153 cm3/g, showing that the percentages of micropores and mesopores were 78% and 22%, respectively. Based on the findings of the EDS and the FTIR, the resulting biochar product may be more hydrophilic because it is rich in functional oxygen-containing groups on the surface. These results suggest that soapberry pericarp can be reused as an excellent precursor for preparing micro-mesoporous biochar products in severe carbonization conditions.
Spatial–Temporal Attention Two-Stream Convolution Neural Network for Smoke Region Detection
Authors: Ding Zhipeng , Zhao Yaqin , Li Ao , Zheng Zhaoxiang
Published: October 2021

Smoke detection is of great significance for fire location and fire behavior analysis in a fire video surveillance system. Smoke image classification methods based on a deep convolution network have achieved high accuracy. However, the combustion of different types of fuel can produce smoke with different colors, such as black smoke, grey smoke, and white smoke. Additionally, the diffusion characteristic of smoke can lead to transparent smoke regions accompanied by colors and textures of background objects. Therefore, compared with smoke image classification, smoke region detection is a challenging task. This paper proposes a two-stream convolutional neural network based on spatio-temporal attention mechanism for smoke region segmentation (STCNNsmoke). The spatial stream extracts spatial features of foreground objects using the semi-supervised ranking model. The temporal stream uses optical flow characteristics to represent the dynamic characteristics of smoke such as diffusion and flutter features. Specifically, the spatio-temporal attention mechanism is presented to fuse the spatial and temporal characteristics of smoke and pay more attention to the moving regions with smoke colors and textures by predicting attention weights of channels. Furthermore, the spatio-temporal attention model improves the channel response of smoke-moving regions for the segmentation of complete smoke regions. The proposed method is evaluated and analyzed from multiple perspectives such as region detection accuracy and anti-interference. The experimental results showed that the proposed method significantly improved the ability of segmenting thin smoke and small smoke.
BIM-Based Co-Simulation of Fire and Occupants’ Behavior for Safe Construction Rehabilitation Planning
Authors: Shams Abadi Seyedeh Tannaz , Moniri Tokmehdash Nojan , Hosny Abdelhady , Nik-Bakht Mazdak
Published: October 2021

Construction renovation projects increase the risk of structural fire, mostly due to the accumulation of combustible construction materials and waste. In particular, when the building remains operational during such projects, the redistribution of occupants and interruptions with access corridors/exit egress can exponentially increase the risk for the occupants. Most construction projects are, however, planned and scheduled merely based on the time and budget criteria. While safety is considered paramount and is meant to be applied as a hard constraint in the scheduling stage, in practice, safe evacuation considerations are reduced to rules of thumb and general code guidelines. In this paper, we propose simulation as a tool to introduce safety under structural fire, as a decision criterion, to be mixed with time and budget for selecting the best construction schedule alternative. We have used the BIM (building information model) to extract the building’s spatial and physical properties; and have applied co-simulation of fire, through computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and occupants’ evacuation behavior, through agent-based modeling (ABM) to estimate the average and maximum required safe egress time for various construction sequencing alternatives. This parameter is then used as a third decision criterion, combined with the project’s cost and duration, to evaluate construction schedule alternatives. We applied our method to a three-floor fire zone in a high-rise educational building in Montreal, and our results show that considering the fire safety criterion can make a difference in the final construction schedule. Our proposed method suggests an additional metric for evaluating renovation projects’ construction plans, particularly in congested buildings which need to remain fully or partially operational during the renovation. Thus, this method can be employed by safety officers and facility managers, as well as construction project planners to guide accounting for fire incidents while planning for these types of projects.
Use of Acetic Acid to Partially Replace Lactic Acid for Decontamination against Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Fresh Produce and Mechanism of Action
Authors: Wang Jiayi , Lei Yue , Yu Yougui , Yin Lebin , Zhang Yangyang
Published: October 2021

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is frequently detected in ready-to-eat produce and causes serious food-borne diseases. The decontamination efficacy of lactic acid (LA) is clearly established. In this study, LA was mixed with acetic acid (AA) to reduce costs while achieving consistent or better inhibitory effects. Time-kill curves and inoculation experiments using fresh-cut spinach and arugula indicated that 0.8%LA+0.2%AA shows similar antibacterial effects to those of 1%LA. To determine whether 1%LA and 0.8%LA+0.2%AA exert antibacterial effects by similar mechanisms, proteomics analysis was used. The proteins related to macromolecule localization, cellular localization, and protein unfolding were uniquely altered after the treatment with 1%LA, and the proteins related to taxis, response to stress, catabolic process, and the regulation of molecular function were uniquely altered after the treatment with 0.8%LA+0.2%AA. Based on these findings, combined with the results of a network clustering analysis, we speculate that cell membrane damage is greater in response to LA than to 0.8%LA+0.2%AA. This prediction was supported by cell membrane permeability experiments (analyses of protein, nucleotide, ATP, and alkaline phosphatase leakage), which showed that LA causes greater membrane damage than 0.8%LA+0.2%AA. These results provide a theoretical basis for the application of an acid mixture to replace LA for produce decontamination.
Some New Extensions on Fractional Differential and Integral Properties for Mittag-Leffler Confluent Hypergeometric Function
Authors: Ghanim F. , Al-Janaby Hiba F. , Bazighifan Omar
Published: October 2021

This article uses fractional calculus to create novel links between the well-known Mittag-Leffler functions of one, two, three, and four parameters. Hence, this paper studies several new analytical properties using fractional integration and differentiation for the Mittag-Leffler function formulated by confluent hypergeometric functions. We construct a four-parameter integral expression in terms of one-parameter. The paper explains the significance and applications of each of the four Mittag-Leffler functions, with the goal of using our findings to make analyzing specific kinds of experimental results considerably simpler.
On a Multigrid Method for Tempered Fractional Diffusion Equations
Authors: Bu Linlin , Oosterlee Cornelis W.
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we develop a suitable multigrid iterative solution method for the numerical solution of second- and third-order discrete schemes for the tempered fractional diffusion equation. Our discretizations will be based on tempered weighted and shifted Grünwald difference (tempered-WSGD) operators in space and the Crank–Nicolson scheme in time. We will prove, and show numerically, that a classical multigrid method, based on direct coarse grid discretization and weighted Jacobi relaxation, performs highly satisfactory for this type of equation. We also employ the multigrid method to solve the second- and third-order discrete schemes for the tempered fractional Black–Scholes equation. Some numerical experiments are carried out to confirm accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Simple Graphical Prediction of Relative Permeability of Unsaturated Soils under Deformations
Authors: Tao Gaoliang , Wang Qing , Chen Qingsheng , Nimbalkar Sanjay , Peng Yinjie , Dong Heming
Published: October 2021

At present, there are only a few existing models that can be used to predict the relative permeability of unsaturated soil under deformations, and the calculation process is relatively complex. In order to fit the measured value of the relative permeability coefficient of unsaturated soil before deformation, this work employs the simplified unified model of the relative permeability coefficient of unsaturated soil, and it obtains the index λ before deformation of the soil. In addition, the value of index λ remains unchanged before and after deformation. Based on the actual measured value of the soil–water characteristic curve before deformation, the air-entry value prediction model is used to predict the air-entry value of soil with different initial void ratios. The relative permeability coefficient of unsaturated soil is then conveniently predicted using the graphical method in combination with the simplified unified model. The method is validated by using the test data of silt loam, sandy loam, and unconsoildated sand. The results show that the predicted results are consistent with the measured values. The prediction method in this paper is simple and overcomes the limitations associated with the determination of the index λ. It expands the application range of the unsaturated relative permeability coefficient model while improving the accuracy of predictions.
Oscillation Criteria of Solutions of Fourth-Order Neutral Differential Equations
Authors: Almutairi Alanoud , Bazighifan Omar , Almarri Barakah , Aiyashi M. A. , Nonlaopon Kamsing
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we study the oscillation of solutions of fourth-order neutral delay differential equations in non-canonical form. By using Riccati transformation, we establish some new oscillation conditions. We provide some examples to examine the applicability of our results.
Existence of the Class of Nonlinear Hybrid Fractional Langevin Quantum Differential Equation with Dirichlet Boundary Conditions
Authors: Nagajothi Nagamanickam , Sadhasivam Vadivel , Bazighifan Omar , El-Nabulsi Rami Ahmad
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we investigate the existence results for nonlinear fractional q-difference equations with two different fractional orders supplemented with the Dirichlet boundary conditions. Our main existence results are obtained by applying the contraction mapping principle and Krasnoselskii’s fixed point theorem. An illustrative example is also discussed.
Fractal Calculus on Fractal Interpolation Functions
Authors: Gowrisankar Arulprakash , Khalili Golmankhaneh Alireza , Serpa Cristina
Published: October 2021

In this paper, fractal calculus, which is called Fα-calculus, is reviewed. Fractal calculus is implemented on fractal interpolation functions and Weierstrass functions, which may be non-differentiable and non-integrable in the sense of ordinary calculus. Graphical representations of fractal calculus of fractal interpolation functions and Weierstrass functions are presented.
Solving a Fractional-Order Differential Equation Using Rational Symmetric Contraction Mappings
Authors: Hammad Hasanen A. , Agarwal Praveen , Momani Shaher , Alsharari Fahad
Published: October 2021

The intent of this manuscript is to present new rational symmetric ϖ−ξ-contractions and infer some fixed-points for such contractions in the setting of Θ-metric spaces. Furthermore, some related results such as Suzuki-type rational symmetric contractions, orbitally Υ-complete, and orbitally continuous mappings in Θ-metric spaces are introduced. Ultimately, the theoretical results are shared to study the existence of the solution to a fractional-order differential equation with one boundary stipulation.
Towards the Commercialization of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Recent Advances in Materials and Integration Strategies
Authors: Mendonça Catarina , Ferreira António , Santos Diogo M. F.
Published: October 2021

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has become a promising energy conversion technology due to its high efficiency and low environmental impact. Though there are several reviews on the topic of SOFCs, comprehensive reports that simultaneously combine the latest developments in materials and integration strategies are very limited. This paper not only addresses those issues but also discusses the SOFCs working principles, design types, the fuels used, and the required features for electrodes and electrolytes. Furthermore, the implementation of this type of fuel cell on a commercial scale is analyzed. It is concluded that decreasing the SOFCs working temperature can reduce some of its current constraints, which will have a positive impact on SOFCs commercialization. Considering that SOFCs are already being successfully implemented in combined heat and power systems and off-grid power generation, the current status and prospects of this technology are thoroughly discussed.
Effects of Rail Freight Corridors in Low Population Regions
Authors: Coloma Juan Francisco , García Marta , Pascual-Pedreño Eladio
Published: October 2021

Impact analysis of the construction and commissioning of a rail freight infrastructure must contemplate the regional economic system in its entirety, since that impact extends beyond the direct contribution to the increase in production, and the consequent generation of income from capital and remuneration of labor incorporated in such activity. The objective of this research is to know the effects that a rail freight infrastructure produces in a region with a low population, such as Extremadura (Spain). For this purpose, the calculation of the total impact produced by the rail freight corridor on the regional economy of Extremadura has been made, which will correspond to the sum of the direct, indirect and induced impacts. For its determination, a simulation tool has been created from Input-Output tables that allow you to compare different impact levels depending on the intensity of the investments made, or the activity developed following the launch of the new rail corridor. The research concludes with the profitability of the action because for a planned investment of 160 M€ for 3 years in the freight rail corridor from Extremadura, every euro invested returns in more than 2 euros to the Extremadura’s productive system, creating more than 4100 jobs.
Intermodal Terminal Planning under Decentralized Management: Optimization Model for Rail-Road Terminals and Application to Portugal
Authors: Delgado Erwin J. , Barbosa-Póvoa Ana Paula , Antunes António Pais
Published: October 2021

Terminals are key components of intermodal transport networks, as they are the facilities where freight is transferred between transport modes. The efficiency of such facilities crucially depends on their locations (and sizes), which are typically chosen considering two levels of analysis: local/urban and regional/country. Our focus in this presentation is the regional/country level. At this level, the problems involved in the locational (and sizing) decisions at stake are a particular variety of hub locations problems—a class of problems that has been widely studied through optimization approaches. However, they typically assume that decisions are made in a centralized management context: decision-makers not only choose the locations of intermodal terminals (or hubs), but also fully control their utilization (i.e., which terminal each user will patronize). This signifies that such approaches are not applicable when users–potentially, any companies that move freight–behave according to their own individual interests; that is, they are not applicable in a decentralized management context. In this presentation, we describe an ongoing study where (regional) intermodal terminal location problems are dealt with in this type of context considering terminals of different types and respective capacity and operation ranges. In particular, we present the complex optimization model we have developed to handle such problems, and the (sometimes counterintuitive) results it led to when applied to a case study inspired by the Portuguese reality.
Simple Voting Games and Cartel Damage Proportioning
Authors: Napel Stefan , Welter Dominik
Published: October 2021

Individual contributions by infringing firms to the compensation of cartel victims must reflect their “relative responsibility for the harm caused” according to EU legislation. Several studies have argued that the theoretically best way to operationalize this norm is to apply the Shapley value to an equilibrium model of cartel prices. Because calibrating such a model is demanding, legal practitioners prefer workarounds based on market shares. Relative sales, revenues, and profits however fail to reflect causal links between individual behavior and prices. We develop a pragmatic alternative: use simple voting games to describe which cartel configurations can(not) cause significant price increases in an approximate, dichotomous way; then compute the Shapley-Shubik index. Simulations for a variety of market scenarios document that this captures relative responsibility better than market share heuristics can.
Erratum: Ali et al. In Utero Fetal Weight in Pigs Is Regulated by microRNAs and Their Target Genes. Genes 2021, 12, 1264
Authors: Ali Asghar , Murani Eduard , Hadlich Frieder , Liu Xuan , Wimmers Klaus , Ponsuksili Siriluck
Published: October 2021

The authors wish to make the following correction to their paper published in Genes [...]
A Review of Sand–Clay Mixture and Soil–Structure Interface Direct Shear Test
Authors: Yin Kexin , Fauchille Anne-Laure , Di Filippo Eugenia , Kotronis Panagiotis , Sciarra Giulio
Published: October 2021

Natural soils are usually heterogeneous and characterized with complex microstructures. Sand–clay mixtures are often used as simplified soils to investigate the mechanical properties of soils with various compositions (from clayey to sandy soils) in the laboratory. Performing laboratory tests on a sand–clay mixture with definite clay fraction can provide information to understand the simplified soils’ mechanical behavior and better predict natural soils’ behavior at the engineering scale. This paper reviews previous investigations on sand–clay mixture and soil–structure interface direct shear test. It finds that even though there are many investigations on sand–clay mixtures and soil–structure interfaces that consider pure sand or pure clay, limited data on the mechanical behavior of the interface between sand–clay mixture and structure materials are available. Knowledge is missing on how the clay content influences the mechanical behavior of interface and how the soil particles’ arrangement changes as the clay content increases. Further study should be performed to investigate the interface in terms of a reconstituted sand–clay mixture and structure by interface direct shear test, to highlight the influence of clay fraction on the interface response, under various loading conditions.
Oral Health Care of Older Adults in Hong Kong
Authors: Chan Alice , Tamrakar Manisha , Leung Katherine , Jiang Chloe , Lo Edward , Chu Chun-Hung
Published: October 2021

The older adult population is increasing both in number and in proportion worldwide. In Hong Kong, the number of people aged 65 or above is expected to reach 2.5 million in 2039, thus becoming one-third of the population. With this growing population, the need for dental care among older adults is expected to surge. Oral health care is one of the government’s core policy agendas and the Department of Health has emphasised its importance. It has implemented a number of policies, such as increasing the number of dental training places, setting up an expert group for oral health care policy planning, and conducting regular oral health surveys of the population. It is subsidizing several programmes, including the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme, Community Care Fund Elderly Dental Assistance Programme, Outreach Dental Care Programme, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Programme, in order to promote oral health care in older adults. These programmes have received support and positive feedback from both the public and dental service providers. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the oral health care of older adults in Hong Kong and recommendations to enhance their effectiveness.
Microbiome–Gut Dissociation: Investigating the Origins of Obesity
Authors: Smith David , Jheeta Sohan
Published: October 2021

The reduction of excessive weight remains a major public health challenge, with control currently limited to a calorie reduction strategy. Currently, attempts are being made at revisiting the fibre hypothesis based on the African studies of Denis Burkitt, that the lack of dietary fibre in the modern diet was responsible for the occurrence of obesity and many of the other non-communicable diseases of what he called “Western civilization”. However, the dilemma is that Burkitt himself stressed that other peoples of his day, such as the Maasai, remained healthy without consuming such high fibre diets. Equally, the present obesity epidemic is accompanied by diseases of a malfunctioning immune system and of poor mental health that do not seem to be adequately explained simply by a deficiency of dietary fibre. Though unknown in Burkitt’s day, an increasing degradation of a mutualistic intestinal microbiome would offer a better fit to the observed epidemiology, especially if the microbiome is not effectively passed on from mother to child at birth. Taking the broader view, in this article we posit a view of the microbiome as a cofactor of mammalian evolution, in which a maternal microbial inheritance complements the parental genetic inheritance of the animal, both engaging epigenetic processes. As this would require the microbiome to be fully integrated with the animal as it develops into an adult, so we have a meaningful evolutionary role for the microbiome–gut–brain axis. By a failure to correctly establish a microbiome–gut interface, the inhibition of maternal microbial inheritance sets the scene for the future development of non-communicable disease: compromised immune system function on the one hand and dysfunctional gut–brain communication on the other. The basic principle is that the fully functioning, diverse, microbiome achieves interkingdom communication by the generation of messenger chemicals, semiochemicals. It is envisaged that the in situ detection of these as yet ill-defined chemical entities by means of an ingestible sensor would indicate the severity of disease and provide a guide as to its amelioration.
Queer Feelings: Love and Loss in the Letters of Horace Walpole
Authors: Haggerty George E.
Published: October 2021

This essay looks at the letters of Horace Walpole through the lens of the contemporary performance theory of José Muñoz in order to suggest the ways in which Walpole’s feelings in the past reach us with a hope for the future. By looking at touchstones in Horace Walpole’s life, I look for a model of queer relationality that is centuries ahead of its time.