bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeted Treatment of Follicular Lymphoma
Authors: Nath Karthik , Gandhi Maher K.
Published: February 2021

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent B-cell lymphoma. Advanced stage disease is considered incurable and is characterized by a prolonged relapsing/remitting course. A significant minority have less favorable outcomes, particularly those with transformed or early progressive disease. Recent advances in our understanding of the unique genetic and immune biology of FL have led to increasingly potent and precise novel targeted agents, suggesting that a chemotherapy-future may one day be attainable. The current pipeline of new therapeutics is unprecedented. Particularly exciting is that many agents have non-overlapping modes of action, offering potential new combinatorial options and synergies. This review provides up-to-date clinical and mechanistic data on these new therapeutics. Ongoing dedicated attention to basic, translational and clinical research will provide further clarity as to when and how to best use these agents, to improve efficacy without eliciting unnecessary toxicity.
Do Political Economy Factors Influence Funding Allocations for Disaster Risk Reduction?
Authors: Islam Shafiqul , Zobair Khondker , Chu Cordia , Smart James , Alam Md
Published: February 2021

Considering the importance of political economy in implementing Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), this research investigates the significance of political economy in the distribution of DRR funding in Bangladesh. The study analysed data from self-reported surveys from 133 members of the sub-district level disaster management committee and government officials working with DRR. Employing the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method, we find that political economy factors explain 68% of the variance in funding allocations. We also show that four categories of political economy factors—power and authority, interest and incentives, institutions, and values and ideas—are significantly influential over the distribution of DRR funding across subdistricts of Bangladesh. Our findings offer important policy implications to reduce the potential risks surrounding political economy influences in fund allocation and advance climate finance literature.
Crowdsourcing in Sustainable Retail—A Theoretical Framework of Success Criteria
Authors: Konhäusner Peter
Published: February 2021

Current research about crowdsourcing covers industries like food systems or logistics, leaving out the possible impact of crowdsourcing on sustainable retail. The debate about the sustainable impact of different industries is ongoing, especially discussing the adaption to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations critically. This paper examines the influence of crowdsourcing on the sustainable aspects of retailing by applying a theoretical derivation as well as an empirical observation. After theoretically discussing the linkage between crowdfunding as a crowdsourcing category and sustainable retail utilizing a literature review, a theoretical framework employing the grounded theory approach is constructed. A total of 24 crowdfunding campaigns aiming at the market introduction of new products or services, each worth over 5 million USD funding volume and run on international crowdfunding platforms, have been taken into consideration. The outcome of the analysis is a theoretical framework presenting three different categories, in which successful crowdfunding campaigns impacting sustainable retail excel: sustainable economic behavior, sustainable community management and sustainable market adaptation. The derived model contributes to the theoretical discussion about the impact of crowdfunding and assists practitioners in reflecting about their approach and goal setting prior to and while crowdfunding.
Beyond Supporting Access to Land in Socio-Technical Transitions. How Polish Grassroots Initiatives Help Farmers and New Entrants in Transitioning to Sustainable Models of Agriculture
Authors: Skrzypczyński Robert , Dołzbłasz Sylwia , Janc Krzysztof , Raczyk Andrzej
Published: February 2021

The importance of agri-food systems for global sustainability calls for researching and advancing socio-technical transitions towards environmentally friendly models of farming. These transitions hinge on many prerequisites, one of which is providing access to land for farmers and new entrants who experiment with sustainable farming models. However, for socio-technical transitions in farming to be viable, access to land should be complemented with securing access to “intangible” resources such as skills, knowledge or networks. It seems that increasingly often these resources are being provided by various grassroots initiatives. The goal of this paper is to identify how the strategies employed by grassroots initiatives support farmers and new entrants in transitioning to sustainable farming models. In order to answer that question, we perform case studies of three Polish initiatives—Agro-Perma-Lab, PermaKultura.Edu.PL and the Ecological Folk High School in Grzybów—active in promoting agroecology, permaculture and organic farming. The results show a diversity of strategies employed by these initiatives that reflect the frameworks in which they operate. Considering these strategies from the perspective of transition studies suggests that they can be replicated in other contexts and potentially contribute to advancing socio-technical transitions of agri-food systems.
Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Supports Identification of the Origin of Organic Matter in Soils
Authors: Dudek Michał , Kabała Cezary , Łabaz Beata , Mituła Paweł , Bednik Magdalena , Medyńska-Juraszek Agnieszka
Published: February 2021

Spectroscopic methods combined with statistics have recently gathered substantial interest in pedological studies. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been utilized, for example, for reconstructions of the history and transformations of Chernozems, although no similar research was conducted based on mid-infrared (MIR). In this paper, the relevance of MIR spectroscopy was tested in studies on the origin/affinity of organic matter from chernozemic soils. Samples collected from three vegetation classes (grasslands, forests and arable lands) were investigated using MIR spectroscopy in order to create a statistical model, which was applied on buried profiles of unknown origin. The results showed a clear disjunction of vegetation classes. Samples of buried soil were placed in the space between all classes, indicating the relation to variable vegetation. Therefore, arable lands should not be omitted in paleoecological reconstructions, because we cannot exclude the cultivation of fertile soils before their burial. It was concluded that MIR methods may have similar applicability to NIR spectroscopy. Additionally, MIR spectra may also be discriminated according to the recognized soil type, which allows for direct reconstructions of the transformation trends in buried profiles.
Framing the Hierarchy of Cultural Tourism Attractiveness of Chinese Historic Districts under the Premise of Landscape Conservation
Authors: Luo Haifeng , Chiou Bor-Shuenn
Published: February 2021

While empowering the revitalization of Chinese historic districts, the rapid development of the tourism industry may also endanger local cultures and streetscapes. To achieve the goal of sustainable development and find an approach for the Chinese historic districts to develop tourism while taking into account landscape conservation, district management, and living convenience, this paper uses expert interviews (including in-depth and Modified Delphi interviews) and structural observation to explore redefining Chinese historic districts and cultural tourism attractiveness in order to provide a hierarchical framework. The research results reveal: 1. The respective redefinitions of a Chinese historic district and cultural tourism attractiveness; 2. A hierarchical framework for the cultural tourism attractiveness of Chinese historic districts, using two aspects—the physical environment and the cultural and natural environments—and five criteria including the morphology of the landscape and tourism infrastructure, along with 21 elements, including the natural and cultural landscapes. This research is expected to provide a theoretical reference for the planning and management of tourism and landscapes in Chinese historic districts.
Hybrid Approaches for Smart Contracts in Land Administration: Lessons from Three Blockchain Proofs-of-Concept
Authors: Bennett Rohan , Miller Todd , Pickering Mark , Kara Al-Karim
Published: February 2021

The emergence of “blockchain” technology as an alternative data management technique has spawned a myriad of conceptual and logical design work across multiple industries and sectors. It is also argued to enable operationalisation of the earlier “smart contract” concept. The domain of land administration has actively investigated these opportunities, albeit also largely at the conceptual level, and usually with a whole-of-sector or “big bang” industry transformation perspective. Less reporting of applied case applications is evident, particularly those undertaken in collaboration with practicing land sector actors. That said, pilots and test cases continue to act as a basis for understanding the relative merits, drawbacks, and implementation challenges of the smart contract concept in land administration. In this vein, this paper extends upon and further refines the existing discourse on smart contracts within the land sector, by giving an updated, if not more nuanced, view of example applications, opportunities, and barriers. In contrast to the earlier works, a hybrid solution that mixes smart contract use with existing technology infrastructure—enabling preservation of the role of a land registry agency as the ultimate arbiter of valid claims—is proposed. This is hypothesised to minimise disruptions, whilst maximising the benefits. Examination of proof-of-concept work on smart contract and blockchain applications in Sweden, Australia (State of New South Wales), and Canada (Province of British Columbia) is undertaken. Comparative analysis is undertaken using several frameworks including: (i) business requirements adherence, (ii) technology readiness and maturity assessment, and (iii) strategic grid analysis. Results show that the hybrid approach enables adherence to land dealing business requirements and that the proofs-of-concept are a necessary step in the development trajectory. Furthering the uptake will likely depend on again taking a whole-of-sector perspective, and attending to remaining issues around business models, stakeholder acceptance, partnerships and trust building, and legal issues linked to data decentralisation and security.
Where Are the Goalposts? Generational Change in the Use of Grammatical Gender in Irish
Authors: Nic Fhlannchadha Siobhán , Hickey Tina M.
Published: February 2021

The Irish language is an indigenous minority language undergoing accelerated convergence with English against a backdrop of declining intergenerational transmission, universal bilingualism, and exposure to large numbers of L2 speakers. Recent studies indicate that the interaction of complex morphosyntax and variable levels of consistent input result in some aspects of Irish grammar having a long trajectory of acquisition or not being fully acquired. Indeed, for the small group of children who are L1 speakers of Irish, identifying which “end point” of this trajectory is appropriate against which to assess these children’s acquisition of Irish is difficult. In this study, data were collected from 135 proficient adult speakers and 306 children (aged 6–13 years) living in Irish-speaking (Gaeltacht) communities, using specially designed measures of grammatical gender. The results show that both quality and quantity of input appear to impact on acquisition of this aspect of Irish morphosyntax: even the children acquiring Irish in homes where Irish is the dominant language showed poor performance on tests of grammatical gender marking, and the adult performance on these tests indicate that children in Irish-speaking communities are likely to be exposed to input showing significant grammatical variability in Irish gender marking. The implications of these results will be discussed in terms of language convergence, and the need for intensive support for mother-tongue speakers of Irish.
Spatio-Temporal Expression Pattern of Ki-67, pRB, MMP-9 and Bax in Human Secondary Palate Development
Authors: Šimić Bilandžija Tanja , Vukojević Katarina , Ćorić Anka , Vuković Kekez Ivna , Medvedec Mikić Ivana , Lasić Arapović Lidija , Filipović Natalija , Anđelić Jasminka , Saraga-Babić Mirna , Kalibović Govorko Danijela
Published: February 2021

We analyzed the immunohistochemical expression of Ki-67, pRb, Bax, and MMP-9 during the human secondary palate formation (7th to 12th developmental weeks (DWs). The most significant proliferation was observed in the seventh DW with 32% of Ki-67-positive cells in the epithelium, while loose ectomesenchyme condensations (lec) and loose non-condensing ectomesenchyme (lnc) had only 18 and 11%, respectively (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.001), and diminished afterwards. Contrarily, pRb-positive cells were mostly located in the lnc (67%), with significant difference in comparison to epithelium and lec in all investigated periods (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.001). Ki-67- and pRb-positive cells co-expressed occasionally in all investigated periods. MMP-9 displayed a strong expression pattern with the highest number of positive cells during the seventh DW in the epithelium, with significant difference in comparison to lec and lnc (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.0001). The ninth DW is particularly important for the Bax expression, especially in the epithelium (84%), in comparison to lec (58%) and lnc (47%) (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.001). The co-expression of Bax and MMP-9 was seen only in the epithelium during seventh and ninth DWs. Our study indicates the parallel persistence of proliferation (Ki-67, pRb) and remodeling (MMP-9) that enables growth and apoptotic activity (Bax) that enable the removal of the epithelial cells at the fusion point during secondary palate formation.
Radiomics Analysis for 177Lu-DOTAGA-(l-y)fk(Sub-KuE) Targeted Radioligand Therapy Dosimetry in Metastatic Prostate Cancer—A Model Based on Clinical Example
Authors: Kelk Eve , Ruuge Priit , Rohtla Kristi , Poksi Anne , Kairemo Kalevi
Published: February 2021

177Lu-DOTAGA-(l-y)fk(Sub-KuE) a.k.a. 177Lu-PSMA I&T is currently used for radioligand therapy (RLT) of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in several centers in Europe. Background: Dosimetry is mandatory according to EU guidelines, although routine methods for dosimetry, i.e., absorbed radiation dose calculations for radiopharmaceuticals, are missing. Methods: We created a model of dosimetric analysis utilizing voxel-based dosimetry and intra-lesion radiomics to assess their practicality in routine dosimetry. Results: As an example for the model, our patient with mCRPC had excellent therapy response; quantitatively more than 97% of the metastatic tumor burden in local and distant lymph nodes and skeleton was destroyed by four cycles of RLT. The absorbed radiation doses in metastases decreased towards later cycles of RLT. Besides the change of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) concentration and absorbed doses in the tumor, further response to RLT could be predicted from biomarker changes, such as LDH and PSA. Conclusions: Individual dosimetry is needed to understand large variations in tumor doses and mixed responses; for that purpose, routine tools should be developed. The Dosimetry Research Tool (DRT) fluently performed automated organ delineation and absorbed radiation dose calculations in normal organs, and the results in our patient were in good concordance with the published studies on 177Lu-PSMA dosimetry. At the same time, we experienced considerable challenges in voxel-based dosimetry of tumor lesions. Measurements of 177Lu-PSMA activity concentrations instead of absorbed radiation dose calculations could make routine dosimetry more flexible. The first cycle of RLT seems to have quantitatively the biggest impact on the therapy effect. Radiomics analyses could probably aid in the treatment optimization, but it should be tested in large patient populations.
Management of Infants with Brief Resolved Unexplained Events (BRUE) and Apparent Life-Threatening Events (ALTE): A RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Approach
Authors: Prezioso Giovanni , Perrone Serafina , Biasucci Giacomo , Pisi Giovanna , Fainardi Valentina , Strisciuglio Caterina , Marzano Francesco Nonnis , Moretti Sabrina , Pisani Francesco , Tchana Bertrand , Argentiero Alberto , Neglia Cosimo , Caffarelli Carlo , Bertolini Patrizia , Bersini Maria Teresa , Canali Andrea , Voccia Emanuele , Squarcia Antonella , Ghi Tullio , Verrotti Carla , Frusca Tiziana , Cecchi Rossana , Giordano Giovanna , Colasanti Filomena , Roccia Ilenia , Palanza Paola , Esposito Susanna
Published: February 2021

Unexpected events of breath, tone, and skin color change in infants are a cause of considerable distress to the caregiver and there is still debate on their appropriate management. The aim of this study is to survey the trend in prevention, decision-making, and management of brief resolved unexplained events (BRUE)/apparent life-threatening events (ALTE) and to develop a shared protocol among hospitals and primary care pediatricians regarding hospital admission criteria, work-up and post-discharge monitoring of patients with BRUE/ALTE. For the study purpose, a panel of 54 experts was selected to achieve consensus using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method. Twelve scenarios were developed: one addressed to primary prevention of ALTE and BRUE, and 11 focused on hospital management of BRUE and ALTE. For each scenario, participants were asked to rank each option from ‘1’ (extremely inappropriate) to ‘9’ (extremely appropriate). Results derived from panel meeting and discussion showed several points of agreement but also disagreement with different opinion emerged and the need of focused education on some areas. However, by combining previous recommendations with expert opinion, the application of the RAND/UCLA appropriateness permitted us to drive pediatricians to reasoned and informed decisions in term of evaluation, treatment and follow-up of infants with BRUE/ALTE, reducing inappropriate exams and hospitalisation and highlighting priorities for educational interventions.
Study of Tank Containers for Foodstuffs
Authors: Liguori Aurelio , Formato Andrea , Pellegrino Arcangelo , Villecco Francesco
Published: February 2021

In this study, we examined a tank container for foodstuff that is generally used for the transport of foodstuffs. With the aid of the “ANSYS R17.0” program code, a numerical model of the tank container for foodstuffs was realized. Further, to validate the considered model, the tank container considered was submitted to the most important ISO tests concerning both its support frame and the tank. The results obtained from the FEM analysis, in terms of displacement for each test, were compared with those provided by the manufacturer and related to the tank container considered, evaluating the difference between the numerical results with the experimental ones. This allowed us to validate the model examined. Furthermore, the results obtained from each test, in terms of stress, have made it possible to locate the areas with the highest equivalent stress and quantify the maximum value, comparing it with the allowable stress. In this way, a better understanding of the structure was achieved, and it was detected that the most stressed area is that of the connections between the container and the frame. Furthermore, modal analysis was carried out, in which the natural frequencies relating to the most dangerous modes of vibrations were found, that is, with the lowest frequency values. Finally, changes for the considered tank container were examined, and it was found that, by changing parameters, such as the thickness of the plate and skirt, and subsequently acting on the arrangement of the corner supports, the highest value of the stresses generated by the loads related to the ISO tests, it is significantly lowered, resulting in a better distributed stiffening of the structure and a reduction, although minimal, of weight. It is evident that this modeling and validation method, suitably integrated by further calculation modules, can be used in an iterative optimization process.
Design for the Automation of an AMBU Spur II Manual Respirator
Authors: Domènech-Mestres Carles , Blanco-Romero Elena , de la Fuente-Morató Albert , Ayala-Chauvin Manuel
Published: February 2021

This article shows the design of a device to automatize an Ambu Spur II manual respirator. The aim of this compassionate medicine device is to provide an emergency alternative to conventional electric respirators—which are in much shortage—during the present COVID-19 pandemic. To develop the device, the classical method of product design based on concurrent engineering has been employed. First, the specifications of the machine have been determined, including the function determining the air volume provided at every moment of the breathing cycle; second, an adequate compression mechanism has been designed; third, the control circuit of the motor has been determined, which can be operated via a touchscreen and which includes sensor feedback; fourth, the device has been materialized with readily available materials and market components, mostly of low cost; and fifth, the machine has been successfully tested, complying with sanitary regulations and operating within desirable ranges. The device has been already manufactured to supply respirators to several hospitals around the Catalan Autonomous Community in Spain, but can also be replicated in developing countries such as Ecuador.
Thermodynamics of General Heisenberg Spin Tetramers Composed of Coupled Quantum Dimers
Authors: Dyszel Peter , Haraldsen Jason T.
Published: February 2021

Advances in quantum computing technology have been made in recent years due to the evolution of spin clusters. Recent studies have tended towards spin cluster subgeometries to understand more complex structures better. These molecular magnets provide a multitude of phenomena via exchange interactions that allow for advancements in spintronics and other magnetic system applications due to the possibility of increasing speed, data storage, memory, and stability of quantum computing systems. Using the Heisenberg spin–spin exchange Hamiltonian and exact diagonalization, we examine the evolution of quantum energy levels and thermodynamic properties for various spin configurations and exchange interactions. The XXYY quantum spin tetramer considered in this study consists of two coupled dimers with exchange interactions α1J and α1′J and a dimer–dimer exchange interaction α2J. By varying spin values and interaction strengths, we determine the exact energy eigenstates that are used to determine closed-form analytic solutions for the heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility of the system and further analyze the evolution of the properties of the system based on the parameter values chosen. Furthermore, this study shows that the Schottky anomaly shifts towards zero as the ground-state of the system approaches a quantum phase transition between spin states. Additionally, we investigate the development of phase transitions produced by the convergence of the Schottky anomaly with both variable exchange interactions and external magnetic field.
Stability Analysis of Discrete-Time Stochastic Delay Systems with Impulses
Authors: Cai Ting , Cheng Pei
Published: February 2021

This paper is concerned with stability analysis of discrete-time stochastic delay systems with impulses. By using the sums average value of the time-varying coefficients and the average impulsive interval, two sufficient criteria for exponential stability of discrete-time impulsive stochastic delay systems are derived, which are more convenient to be applied than those Razumikhin-type conditions in previous literature. Both pth moment asymptotic stability and pth moment exponential stability are considered. Finally, two numerical examples to illustrate the effectiveness.
Web Traffic Time Series Forecasting Using LSTM Neural Networks with Distributed Asynchronous Training
Authors: Casado-Vara Roberto , Martin del Rey Angel , Pérez-Palau Daniel , de-la-Fuente-Valentín Luis , Corchado Juan M.
Published: February 2021

Evaluating web traffic on a web server is highly critical for web service providers since, without a proper demand forecast, customers could have lengthy waiting times and abandon that website. However, this is a challenging task since it requires making reliable predictions based on the arbitrary nature of human behavior. We introduce an architecture that collects source data and in a supervised way performs the forecasting of the time series of the page views. Based on the Wikipedia page views dataset proposed in a competition by Kaggle in 2017, we created an updated version of it for the years 2018–2020. This dataset is processed and the features and hidden patterns in data are obtained for later designing an advanced version of a recurrent neural network called Long Short-Term Memory. This AI model is distributed training, according to the paradigm called data parallelism and using the Downpour training strategy. Predictions made for the seven dominant languages in the dataset are accurate with loss function and measurement error in reasonable ranges. Despite the fact that the analyzed time series have fairly bad patterns of seasonality and trend, the predictions have been quite good, evidencing that an analysis of the hidden patterns and the features extraction before the design of the AI model enhances the model accuracy. In addition, the improvement of the accuracy of the model with the distributed training is remarkable. Since the task of predicting web traffic in as precise quantities as possible requires large datasets, we designed a forecasting system to be accurate despite having limited data in the dataset. We tested the proposed model on the new Wikipedia page views dataset we created and obtained a highly accurate prediction; actually, the mean absolute error of predictions regarding the original one on average is below 30. This represents a significant step forward in the field of time series prediction for web traffic forecasting.
Wavelet Energy Accumulation Method Applied on the Rio Papaloapan Bridge for Damage Identification
Authors: Machorro-Lopez Jose M. , Amezquita-Sanchez Juan P. , Valtierra-Rodriguez Martin , Carrion-Viramontes Francisco J. , Quintana-Rodriguez Juan A. , Valenzuela-Delgado Jesus I.
Published: February 2021

Large civil structures such as bridges must be permanently monitored to ensure integrity and avoid collapses due to damage resulting in devastating human fatalities and economic losses. In this article, a wavelet-based method called the Wavelet Energy Accumulation Method (WEAM) is developed in order to detect, locate and quantify damage in vehicular bridges. The WEAM consists of measuring the vibration signals on different points along the bridge while a vehicle crosses it, then those signals and the corresponding ones of the healthy bridge are subtracted and the Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) is applied on both, the healthy and the subtracted signals, to obtain the corresponding diagrams, which provide a clue about where the damage is located; then, the border effects must be eliminated. Finally, the Wavelet Energy (WE) is obtained by calculating the area under the curve along the selected range of scale for each point of the bridge deck. The energy of a healthy bridge is low and flat, whereas for a damaged bridge there is a WE accumulation at the damage location. The Rio Papaloapan Bridge (RPB) is considered for this research and the results obtained numerically and experimentally are very promissory to apply this method and avoid accidents.
Long Dimodules and Quasitriangular Weak Hopf Monoids
Authors: Alonso Álvarez José Nicanor , Fernández Vilaboa José Manuel , González Rodríguez Ramón
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we prove that for any pair of weak Hopf monoids H and B in a symmetric monoidal category where every idempotent morphism splits, the category of H-B-Long dimodules HBLong is monoidal. Moreover, if H is quasitriangular and B coquasitriangular, we also prove that HBLong is braided. As a consequence of this result, we obtain that if H is triangular and B cotriangular, HBLong is an example of a symmetric monoidal category.
An Enhanced Adaptive Bernstein Collocation Method for Solving Systems of ODEs
Authors: Bataineh Ahmad Sami , Isik Osman Rasit , Oqielat Moa’ath , Hashim Ishak
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we introduce two new methods to solve systems of ordinary differential equations. The first method is constituted of the generalized Bernstein functions, which are obtained by Bernstein polynomials, and operational matrix of differentiation with collocation method. The second method depends on tau method, the generalized Bernstein functions and operational matrix of differentiation. These methods produce a series which is obtained by non-polynomial functions set. We give the standard Bernstein polynomials to explain the generalizations for both methods. By applying the residual correction procedure to the methods, one can estimate the absolute errors for both methods and may obtain more accurate results. We apply the methods to some test examples including linear system, non-homogeneous linear system, nonlinear stiff systems, non-homogeneous nonlinear system and chaotic Genesio system. The numerical shows that the methods are efficient and work well. Increasing m yields a decrease on the errors for all methods. One can estimate the errors by using the residual correction procedure.
Multidimensional Fairness Equilibrium Evaluation of Urban Housing Expropriation Compensation Based on VIKOR
Authors: Cao Zhaoyu , Zou Yucheng , Zhao Xu , Hong Kairong , Zhang Yanwei
Published: February 2021

Against the backdrop of emerging markets and the transitional society, the large-scale start-up of real estate development projects has brought about rapid economic growth and accelerated urban expansion, followed by extreme disputes between social groups. This paper aims to effectively solve the real dilemma of urban housing expropriation by obtaining a consensus regarding the fairness of compensation standards among expropriation compensation-related subjects. Three behavioral preferences—profit-seeking fairness, loss aversion and interactive fairness—were added to a multidimensional fairness equilibrium evaluation indicator system of urban housing expropriation compensation. The entropy method was used to calculate their weights. A multidimensional fairness game model and a multidimensional fairness equilibrium evaluation method based on compromise multi-criteria decision-making VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) of urban housing expropriation compensation were constructed to combine different strategic schemes of related subjects for the purpose of obtaining the compromise optimal solution, that is, the multidimensional fairness game equilibrium solution. The stability of the multidimensional fairness game model and the objectivity of the multidimensional fairness equilibrium evaluation were tested and verified through case data analysis and sensitivity analysis. The conclusion is drawn that the multidimensional fairness game equilibrium solution can effectively resolve extreme disputes regarding urban housing expropriation.
Antibiotics Use in Food Animal Production: Escalation of Antimicrobial Resistance: Where Are We Now in Combating AMR?
Authors: Kasimanickam Vanmathy , Kasimanickam Maadhanki , Kasimanickam Ramanathan
Published: February 2021

The use of antibiotics has been very beneficial to human health, animal wellbeing, and food production, however, there are no alternatives to antimicrobials in treating infectious diseases. Their use can contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance, but the world has realized the need to combat antimicrobial resistance in recent decades due to the continued escalation of the problem jeopardizing human and veterinary medicine and food and environmental safety. Understanding the AMR and judicious use of antimicrobials are critical, and one health approach involving several sectors and multiple disciplines is important to tackle the problem. National, regional, and global action plans have been instigated to tackle the escalation of AMR. Antimicrobials are frequently used in food animal production. Therefore, food animal producers are important participants to prevent overuse and misuse of antimicrobials. Recent regulations to address the challenges have not been perceived well in animal farming communities. More awareness regarding these action plans and understanding the impact of AMR are needed. A nationwide survey of perceptions of food animal producers regarding AMR mitigation approaches should be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the current policies regarding antibiotics use and AMR. These outcomes should be incorporated in future policies and awareness campaigns targeting food animal producers.
A Molecular Model of PEMFC Catalyst Layer: Simulation on Reactant Transport and Thermal Conduction
Authors: Wang Wenkai , Qu Zhiguo , Wang Xueliang , Zhang Jianfei
Published: February 2021

Minimizing platinum (Pt) loading while reserving high reaction efficiency in the catalyst layer (CL) has been confirmed as one of the key issues in improving the performance and application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). To enhance the reaction efficiency of Pt catalyst in CL, the interfacial interactions in the three-phase interface, i.e., carbon, Pt, and ionomer should be first clarified. In this study, a molecular model containing carbon, Pt, and ionomer compositions is built and the radial distribution functions (RDFs), diffusion coefficient, water cluster morphology, and thermal conductivity are investigated after the equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) and nonequilibrium MD simulations. The results indicate that increasing water content improves water aggregation and cluster interconnection, both of which benefit the transport of oxygen and proton in the CL. The growing amount of ionomer promotes proton transport but generates additional resistance to oxygen. Both the increase of water and ionomer improve the thermal conductivity of the C. The above-mentioned findings are expected to help design catalyst layers with optimized Pt content and enhanced reaction efficiency, and further improve the performance of PEMFCs.
Electromembrane Processes: Experiments and Modelling
Authors: Gurreri Luigi , Tamburini Alessandro , Micale Giorgio
Published: February 2021

This Special Issue of Membranes journal focuses on electromembrane processes and is motivated by the increasing interest of the scientific community towards their characterization by experiments and modelling for several applications [...]
Hot Deformation Characteristics and Processing Parameter Optimization of Al–6.32Zn–2.10Mg Alloy Using Constitutive Equation and Processing Map
Authors: Xiao Zhengbing , Wang Qiang , Huang Yuanchun , Hu Jiawei , Li Ming
Published: February 2021

Hot compression tests over the temperature range from 350 °C to 500 °C and strain rates range from 0.001 s−1 to 1 s−1 for homogenized Al–6.32Zn–2.10Mg alloy were carried out on a Gleeble-3800 thermal simulation machine to characterize its hot deformation behavior. At the same time, a modified Arrhenius constitutive equation was established to describe the flow behavior of the alloy, whose average absolute error is 2.89%, which proved to have an excellent predictive effect on the flow stress of the alloy. The hot processing map of the alloy was established, and the stability processing parameters were 460–500 °C and 0.01–0.08 s−1. Then, the Z parameter processing map and activation energy processing (AEP) maps were established for further optimization. Eventually, the optimal processing parameters of the alloy was 460–500 °C (0.03–0.08 s−1). Then, the microstructure of specimens was observed using electron backscatter diffraction. Based on the findings the reasonability of the AEP map and Z parameter map was verified. Finally, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques were used to analyze the evolution of the grain structure during the deformation process. It was found that dynamic recovery (DRV) was the main softening mechanism of Al–6.32Zn–2.10Mg. Continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) operated together with the increase of strain, but CDRX was confirmed as the dominant DRX mechanism.
NMR Metabolite Profiles in Male Meat-Eaters, Fish-Eaters, Vegetarians and Vegans, and Comparison with MS Metabolite Profiles
Authors: Schmidt Julie A. , Fensom Georgina K. , Rinaldi Sabina , Scalbert Augustin , Gunter Marc J. , Holmes Michael V. , Key Timothy J. , Travis Ruth C.
Published: February 2021

Metabolomics may help to elucidate mechanisms underlying diet-disease relationships and identify novel risk factors for disease. To inform the design and interpretation of such research, evidence on diet-metabolite associations and cross-assay comparisons is needed. We aimed to compare nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolite profiles between meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans, and to compare NMR measurements to those from mass spectrometry (MS), clinical chemistry and capillary gas-liquid chromatography (GC). We quantified 207 serum NMR metabolite measures in 286 male participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Oxford cohort. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, we found that metabolite profiles varied by diet group, especially for vegans; the main differences compared to meat-eaters were lower levels of docosahexaenoic acid, total n-3 and saturated fatty acids, cholesterol and triglycerides in very-low-density lipoproteins, various lipid factions in high-density lipoprotein, sphingomyelins, tyrosine and creatinine, and higher levels of linoleic acid, total n-6, polyunsaturated fatty acids and alanine. Levels in fish-eaters and vegetarians differed by metabolite measure. Concentrations of 13 metabolites measured using both NMR and MS, clinical chemistry or GC were mostly similar. In summary, vegans’ metabolite profiles were markedly different to those of men consuming animal products. The studied metabolomics platforms are complementary, with limited overlap between metabolite classes.
Potential of Drug Efficacy Evaluation in Lung and Kidney Cancer Models Using Organ-on-a-Chip Technology
Authors: Hwang Seong-Hye , Lee Sangchul , Park Jee Yoon , Jeon Jessie Sungyun , Cho Young-Jae , Kim Sejoong
Published: February 2021

Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) is an exponential technology with the potential to revolutionize disease, toxicology research, and drug discovery. Recent advances in OoC could be utilized for drug screening in disease models to evaluate the efficacy of new therapies and support new tools for the understanding of disease mechanisms. Rigorous validation of this technology is required to determine whether OoC models may represent human-relevant physiology and predict clinical outcomes in target disease models. Achievements in the OoC field could reveal exciting new avenues for drug development and discovery. This review attempts to highlight the benefits of OoC as per our understanding of the cellular and molecular pathways in lung and kidney cancer models, and discusses the challenges in evaluating drug efficacy.
Endless Single-Mode Photonics Crystal Fiber Metalens for Broadband and Efficient Focusing in Near-Infrared Range
Authors: Zhao Qiancheng , Qu Jiaqi , Peng Gangding , Yu Changyuan
Published: February 2021

The advent of the ‘lab-on-fiber’ concept has boosted the prosperity of optical fiber-based platforms integrated with nanostructured metasurface technology which are capable of controlling the light at the nanoscale for multifunctional applications. Here, we propose an endless single-mode large-mode-area photonic crystal fiber (LMA-PCF) integrated metalens for broadband and efficient focusing from 800 to 1550 nm. In the present work, the optical properties of the substrate LMA-PCF were investigated, and the metalens, consisting of dielectric TiO2 nanorods with varying radii, was elaborately designed in the fiber core region with a diameter of 48 μm to cover the required phase profile for efficient focusing with a high transmission. The focusing characteristics of the designed metalens were also investigated in detail over a wide wavelength range. It is shown that the in-fiber metalens is capable of converging the incident beams into the bright, symmetric, and legible focal spots with a large focal length of 315–380 μm depending on the operating wavelength. A high and average focusing efficiency of 70% was also obtained with varying wavelengths. It is believed the proposed fiber metalens may show great potential in applications including fiber laser configuration, machining, and fiber communication.
Emerging Human Babesiosis with “Ground Zero” in North America
Authors: Yang Yi , Christie Jevan , Köster Liza , Du Aifang , Yao Chaoqun
Published: February 2021

The first case of human babesiosis was reported in the literature in 1957. The clinical disease has sporadically occurred as rare case reports in North America and Europe in the subsequent decades. Since the new millennium, especially in the last decade, many more cases have apparently appeared not only in these regions but also in Asia, South America, and Africa. More than 20,000 cases of human babesiosis have been reported in North America alone. In several cross-sectional surveys, exposure to Babesia spp. has been demonstrated within urban and rural human populations with clinical babesiosis reported in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent humans. This review serves to highlight the widespread distribution of these tick-borne pathogens in humans, their tick vectors in readily accessible environments such as parks and recreational areas, and their phylogenetic relationships.
Co-Cultivation of Fusarium, Alternaria, and Pseudomonas on Wheat-Ears Affects Microbial Growth and Mycotoxin Production
Authors: Hoffmann Annika , Lischeid Gunnar , Koch Matthias , Lentzsch Peter , Sommerfeld Thomas , Müller Marina
Published: February 2021

Mycotoxigenic fungal pathogens Fusarium and Alternaria are a leading cause of loss in cereal production. On wheat-ears, they are confronted by bacterial antagonists such as pseudomonads. Studies on these groups’ interactions often neglect the infection process’s temporal aspects and the associated priority effects. In the present study, the focus was on how the first colonizer affects the subsequent ones. In a climate chamber experiment, wheat-ears were successively inoculated with two different strains (Alternaria tenuissima At625, Fusarium graminearum Fg23, or Pseudomonas simiae Ps9). Over three weeks, microbial abundances and mycotoxin concentrations were analyzed and visualized via Self Organizing Maps with Sammon Mapping (SOM-SM). All three strains revealed different characteristics and strategies to deal with co-inoculation: Fg23, as the first colonizer, suppressed the establishment of At625 and Ps9. Nevertheless, primary inoculation of At625 reduced all of the Fusarium toxins and stopped Ps9 from establishing. Ps9 showed priority effects in delaying and blocking the production of the fungal mycotoxins. The SOM-SM analysis visualized the competitive strengths: Fg23 ranked first, At625 second, Ps9 third. Our findings of species-specific priority effects in a natural environment and the role of the mycotoxins involved are relevant for developing biocontrol strategies.
Changes in Energy Status of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cells during Dehydration and Rehydration
Authors: Kuliešienė Neringa , Žūkienė Rasa , Khroustalyova Galina , Chang Chuang-Rung , Rapoport Alexander , Daugelavičius Rimantas
Published: February 2021

Anhydrobiosis is the state of life when cells are exposed to waterless conditions and gradually cease their metabolism. In this study, we determined the sequence of events in Saccharomyces cerevisiae energy metabolism during processes of dehydration and rehydration. The intensities of respiration and acidification of the medium, the amounts of phenyldicarbaundecaborane (PCB−) bound to yeast membranes, and the capabilities of cells to accumulate K+ were assayed using an electrochemical monitoring system, and the intracellular content of ATP was measured using a bioluminescence assay. Mesophilic, semi-resistant to desiccation S. cerevisiae strain 14 and thermotolerant, very resistant to desiccation S. cerevisiae strain 77 cells were compared. After 22 h of drying, it was possible to restore the respiration activity of very resistant to desiccation strain 77 cells, especially when glucose was available. PCB− binding also indicated considerably higher metabolic activity of dehydrated S. cerevisiae strain 77 cells. Electrochemical K+ content and medium acidification assays indicated that permeabilization of the plasma membrane in cells of both strains started almost simultaneously, after 8–10 h of desiccation, but semi-resistant strain 14 cells maintained the K+ gradient for longer and more strongly acidified the medium. For both cells, the fast rehydration in water was less efficient compared to reactivation in the growth medium, indicating the need for nutrients for the recovery. Higher viability of strain 77 cells after rehydration could be due to the higher stability of their mitochondria.
Beyond the Wall: Exopolysaccharides in the Biofilm Lifestyle of Pathogenic and Beneficial Plant-Associated Pseudomonas
Authors: Heredia-Ponce Zaira , de Vicente Antonio , Cazorla Francisco M. , Gutiérrez-Barranquero José Antonio
Published: February 2021

The formation of biofilms results from a multicellular mode of growth, in which bacteria remain enwrapped by an extracellular matrix of their own production. Many different bacteria form biofilms, but among the most studied species are those that belong to the Pseudomonas genus due to the metabolic versatility, ubiquity, and ecological significance of members of this group of microorganisms. Within the Pseudomonas genus, biofilm studies have mainly focused on the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa due to its clinical importance. The extracellular matrix of P. aeruginosa is mainly composed of exopolysaccharides, which have been shown to be important for the biofilm architecture and pathogenic features of this bacterium. Notably, some of the exopolysaccharides recurrently used by P. aeruginosa during biofilm formation, such as the alginate and polysaccharide synthesis loci (Psl) polysaccharides, are also used by pathogenic and beneficial plant-associated Pseudomonas during their interaction with plants. Interestingly, their functions are multifaceted and seem to be highly dependent on the bacterial lifestyle and genetic context of production. This paper reviews the functions and significance of the exopolysaccharides produced by plant-associated Pseudomonas, particularly the alginate, Psl, and cellulose polysaccharides, focusing on their equivalents produced in P. aeruginosa within the context of pathogenic and beneficial interactions.