bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between Atrial Fibrillation Incidence and Temperatures, Wind Scale and Air Quality: An Exploratory Study for Shanghai and Kunming
Authors: Lu Sha , Zhao Yiyun , Chen Zhouqi , Dou Mengke , Zhang Qingchun , Yang Weixin
Published: May 2021

As a common cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation has the characteristics of high morbidity, high disability, and high fatality rates, seriously endangering human health and sustainability. Some research has confirmed that environmental factors are related to the risk of illness and death from cardiovascular diseases (including atrial fibrillation), while there is still little comparison on the situation of the two cities in China. This research uses medical data in Shanghai and Kunming establishing, through two-step research, logistic models to compare the impacts on atrial fibrillation incidence to figure out the association between environmental factors (including air pollution, weather, temperature, and wind scales) and atrial fibrillation. Finally, this research shows that environmental impacts on atrial fibrillation prevalence have generality, regionality, and lagging characteristics. The result is significant for atrial fibrillation patients and provides a reliable medical theory basis for nursing measures. Besides, this research provides a prospective method of offering early warning for potential atrial fibrillation patients, helping to maintain human beings’ sustainable development.
Review on Machine Learning Techniques for Developing Pavement Performance Prediction Models
Authors: Justo-Silva Rita , Ferreira Adelino , Flintsch Gerardo
Published: May 2021

Road transportation has always been inherent in developing societies, impacting between 10–20% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is responsible for personal mobility (access to services, goods, and leisure), and that is why world economies rely upon the efficient and safe functioning of transportation facilities. Road maintenance is vital since the need for maintenance increases as road infrastructure ages and is based on sustainability, meaning that spending money now saves much more in the future. Furthermore, road maintenance plays a significant role in road safety. However, pavement management is a challenging task because available budgets are limited. Road agencies need to set programming plans for the short term and the long term to select and schedule maintenance and rehabilitation operations. Pavement performance prediction models (PPPMs) are a crucial element in pavement management systems (PMSs), providing the prediction of distresses and, therefore, allowing active and efficient management. This work aims to review the modeling techniques that are commonly used in the development of these models. The pavement deterioration process is stochastic by nature. It requires complex deterministic or probabilistic modeling techniques, which will be presented here, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. Finally, conclusions will be drawn, and some guidelines to support the development of PPPMs will be proposed.
Life Cycle Assessments on Battery Electric Vehicles and Electrolytic Hydrogen: The Need for Calculation Rules and Better Databases on Electricity
Authors: Olindo Roberta , Schmitt Nathalie , Vogtländer Joost
Published: May 2021

LCAs of electric cars and electrolytic hydrogen production are governed by the consumption of electricity. Therefore, LCA benchmarking is prone to choices on electricity data. There are four issues: (1) leading Life Cycle Impact (LCI) databases suffer from inconvenient uncertainties and inaccuracies, (2) electricity mix in countries is rapidly changing, year after year, (3) the electricity mix is strongly fluctuating on an hourly and daily basis, which requires time-based allocation approaches, and (4) how to deal with nuclear power in benchmarking. This analysis shows that: (a) the differences of the GHG emissions of the country production mix in leading databases are rather high (30%), (b) in LCA, a distinction must be made between bundled and unbundled registered electricity certificates (RECs) and guarantees of origin (GOs); the residual mix should not be applied in LCA because of its huge inaccuracy, (c) time-based allocation rules for renewables are required to cope with periods of overproduction, (d) benchmarking of electricity is highly affected by the choice of midpoints and/or endpoint systems, and (e) there is an urgent need for a new LCI database, based on measured emission data, continuously kept up-to-date, transparent, and open access.
Synthesis and Characterization of a New Organocatalytic Biosourced Surfactant
Authors: Giry Clément , Bertrand David , Pierret Alexandre , Vedrenne Emeline , Lacaze-Dufaure Corinne , Fabre Jean-François , Thiebaud-Roux Sophie , Vaca Garcia Carlos , Cecutti Christine
Published: May 2021

This article describes the synthesis of a new bio-based organocatalytic surfactant. The nine steps of the synthesis were optimized, fully respecting the principles of green chemistry. The surfactant aspect was then evaluated with the use of tensiometric studies. The molecular organization of the surfactant in vesicles in an aqueous medium was characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and confirmed using Density Functional Theory (DFT) modelling.
Generalized Fuzzy Soft Power Bonferroni Mean Operators and Their Application in Decision Making
Authors: Xu Zitai , Chen Chunfang , Yang Yutao
Published: May 2021

In decision-making process, decision-makers may make different decisions because of their different experiences and knowledge. The abnormal preference value given by the biased decision-maker (the value that is too large or too small in the original data) may affect the decision result. To make the decision fair and objective, this paper combines the advantages of the power average (PA) operator and the Bonferroni mean (BM) operator to define the generalized fuzzy soft power Bonferroni mean (GFSPBM) operator and the generalized fuzzy soft weighted power Bonferroni mean (GFSWPBM) operator. The new operator not only considers the overall balance between data and information but also considers the possible interrelationships between attributes. The excellent properties and special cases of these ensemble operators are studied. On this basis, the idea of the bidirectional projection method based on the GFSWPBM operator is introduced, and a multi-attribute decision-making method, with a correlation between attributes, is proposed. The decision method proposed in this paper is applied to a software selection problem and compared to the existing methods to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.
The Development of a Heterogeneous MP Data Model Based on the Ontological Approach
Authors: Porshnev Sergey , Borodin Andrey , Ponomareva Olga , Mirvoda Sergey , Chernova Olga
Published: May 2021

The article discusses the approaches providing symmetric access of all industrial production services to the data of business processes of the enterprise by building a single warehouse of heterogeneous data of a metallurgical production. The warehouse is a part of an automated statistic quality control system for the products of a metallurgical enterprise. The article describes an ontological storage model of data coming from various sources of information in the production process. The concept of “a unit of production of metallurgical production” is introduced that is the connecting component of the entire production life cycle of a metallurgical production. The authors propose an ontological model of the production process, in terms of information flows which are formed in an enterprise at each stage of production. Based on the constructed ontological model, the structure of recording an array of information in the heterogeneous data warehouse is justified and formed. Heterogeneous data warehouse forms a single information space of the enterprise, which serves as the basis for analytical analysis throughout the production and decision—making process. For example, timely response to the deviation reasons from the given physical and chemical properties of the finished product.
Automatic Lung Segmentation Algorithm on Chest X-ray Images Based on Fusion Variational Auto-Encoder and Three-Terminal Attention Mechanism
Authors: Cao Feidao , Zhao Huaici
Published: May 2021

Automatic segmentation of the lungs in Chest X-ray images (CXRs) is a key step in the screening and diagnosis of related diseases. There are many opacities in the lungs in the CXRs of patients, which makes the lungs difficult to segment. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a segmentation algorithm based on U-Net. This article introduces variational auto-encoder (VAE) in each layer of the decoder-encoder. VAE can extract high-level semantic information, such as the symmetrical relationship between the left and right thoraxes in most cases. The fusion of the features of VAE and the features of convolution can improve the ability of the network to extract features. This paper proposes a three-terminal attention mechanism. The attention mechanism uses the channel and spatial attention module to automatically highlight the target area and improve the performance of lung segmentation. At the same time, the three-terminal attention mechanism uses the advanced semantics of high-scale features to improve the positioning and recognition capabilities of the attention mechanism, suppress background noise, and highlight target features. Experimental results on two different datasets show that the accuracy (ACC), recall (R), F1-Score and Jaccard values of the algorithm proposed in this paper are the highest on the two datasets, indicating that the algorithm in this paper is better than other state-of-the-art algorithms.
Development and Evaluation of Speech Synthesis System Based on Deep Learning Models
Authors: Valizada Alakbar , Jafarova Sevil , Sultanov Emin , Rustamov Samir
Published: May 2021

This study concentrates on the investigation, development, and evaluation of Text-to-Speech Synthesis systems based on Deep Learning models for the Azerbaijani Language. We have selected and compared state-of-the-art models-Tacotron and Deep Convolutional Text-to-Speech (DC TTS) systems to achieve the most optimal model. Both systems were trained on the 24 h speech dataset of the Azerbaijani language collected and processed from the news website. To analyze the quality and intelligibility of the speech signals produced by two systems, 34 listeners participated in an online survey containing subjective evaluation tests. The results of the study indicated that according to the Mean Opinion Score, Tacotron demonstrated better results for the In-Vocabulary words; however, DC TTS indicated a higher performance of the Out-Of-Vocabulary words synthesis.
Baseline Susceptibility and Laboratory Selection of Resistance to Bt Cry1Ab Protein of Chinese Populations of Yellow Peach Moth, Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée)
Authors: Shwe Su Mon , Prabu Sivaprasath , Chen Yu , Li Qincheng , Jing Dapeng , Bai Shuxiong , He Kanglai , Wang Zhenying
Published: May 2021

Yellow Peach Moth (YPM), Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée), is one of the most destructive maize pests in the Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize region of China. Transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize provides an effective means to control this insect pest in field trials. However, the establishment of Bt resistance to target pests is endangering the continued success of Bt crops. To use Bt maize against YPM, the baseline susceptibility of the local populations in the targeted areas needs to be verified. Diet-overlay bioassay results showed that all the fourteen YPM populations in China are highly susceptible to Cry1Ab. The LC50 values ranged from 0.35 to 2.38 ng/cm2 over the two years of the collection, and the difference between the most susceptible and most tolerant populations was sevenfold. The upper limit of the LC99 estimates of six pooled populations produced >99% larval mortality for representative eight populations collected in 2020 and was designated as diagnostic concentrations for monitoring susceptibility in YPM populations in China. Hence, we evaluated the laboratory selection of resistance in YPM to Cry1Ab using the diet-overlay bioassay method. Although the resistant ratio was generally low, YPM potentially could evolve resistance to Cry1Ab. The potential developmentof resistance by target pests points out the necessity to implement resistance management strategies for delaying the establishment of pest resistance to Bt crops.
Duvernoy’s Gland Transcriptomics of the Plains Black-Headed Snake, Tantilla nigriceps (Squamata, Colubridae): Unearthing the Venom of Small Rear-Fanged Snakes
Authors: Hofmann Erich P. , Rautsaw Rhett M. , Mason Andrew J. , Strickland Jason L. , Parkinson Christopher L.
Published: May 2021

The venoms of small rear-fanged snakes (RFS) remain largely unexplored, despite increased recognition of their importance in understanding venom evolution more broadly. Sequencing the transcriptome of venom-producing glands has greatly increased the ability of researchers to examine and characterize the toxin repertoire of small taxa with low venom yields. Here, we use RNA-seq to characterize the Duvernoy’s gland transcriptome of the Plains Black-headed Snake, Tantilla nigriceps, a small, semi-fossorial colubrid that feeds on a variety of potentially dangerous arthropods including centipedes and spiders. We generated transcriptomes of six individuals from three localities in order to both characterize the toxin expression of this species for the first time, and to look for initial evidence of venom variation in the species. Three toxin families—three-finger neurotoxins (3FTxs), cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs), and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPIIIs)—dominated the transcriptome of T. nigriceps; 3FTx themselves were the dominant toxin family in most individuals, accounting for as much as 86.4% of an individual’s toxin expression. Variation in toxin expression between individuals was also noted, with two specimens exhibiting higher relative expression of c-type lectins than any other sample (8.7–11.9% compared to <1%), and another expressed CRISPs higher than any other toxin. This study provides the first Duvernoy’s gland transcriptomes of any species of Tantilla, and one of the few transcriptomic studies of RFS not predicated on a single individual. This initial characterization demonstrates the need for further study of toxin expression variation in this species, as well as the need for further exploration of small RFS venoms.
Influential Factors of Local Tissue Necrosis after Taiwan Cobra Bites: A Secondary Analysis of the Clinical Significance of Venom Detection in Patients of Cobra Snakebites
Authors: Lin Chih-Chuan , Chaou Chung-Hsien , Gao Shi-Ying
Published: May 2021

Local tissue swelling, inflammation, and wound necrosis are observed in Taiwan cobra bites. Knowledge of the factors influencing local tissue necrosis after cobra bites might improve the cobra bite treatment strategy. Therefore, we aimed to explore the factors influencing local tissue necrosis after cobra bites. This was a retrospective observational cohort study. All patients clinical presentations including serum venom levels for determining the influential factors in this study were obtained from Hung et al.’s previous study. Clinical features, such as bite information, initial swelling, patient presentation time, serum venom levels, and antivenom, use were extracted. The measurement outcome was the development of wound necrosis. The factors influencing wound necrosis were investigated using univariate and logistic regression analyses. The influential factors of local tissue necrosis and their areas under the curve were: initial limb swelling, 0.88; presentation time × serum level, 0.80; initial necrosis, 0.75; patient presentation time, 0.70. Serum venom level alone cannot be used as a predictive factor. The development of tissue necrosis might be associated with the venom factor, time factor, and their interaction. These influential factors can be used in future studies to evaluate antivenom efficacy.
Blood Culture Testing Outcomes among Non-Malarial Febrile Children at Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Sites in Uganda, 2017–2018
Authors: Kisame Rogers , Najjemba Robinah , van Griensven Johan , Kitutu Freddy Eric , Takarinda Kudakwashe , Thekkur Pruthu , Delamou Alexandre , Walwema Richard , Kakooza Francis , Mugerwa Ibrahim , Sekamatte Musa , Robert Kimera , Katairo Thomas , Opollo Marc Sam , Otita Morgan , Lamorde Mohammed
Published: May 2021

Blood culture (BC) processes are critical to the utility of diagnostic testing, bloodstream infection (BSI) management, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance. While Uganda has established BC guidelines, often laboratory practice does not meet the desired standards. This compromises pathogen recovery, reliability of antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and diagnostic test utility. This study assessed laboratory BC process outcomes among non-malarial febrile children below five years of age at five AMR surveillance sites in Uganda between 2017 and 2018. Secondary BC testing data was reviewed against established standards. Overall, 959 BC specimens were processed. Of these, 91% were from female patients, neonates, infants, and young children (1–48 months). A total of 37 AMR priority pathogens were identified; Staphylococcus aureus was predominant (54%), followed by Escherichia coli (19%). The diagnostic yield was low (4.9%). Only 6.3% of isolates were identified. AST was performed on 70% (18/26) of identified AMR priority isolates, and only 40% of these tests adhered to recommended standards. Interventions are needed to improve laboratory BC practices for effective patient management through targeted antimicrobial therapy and AMR surveillance in Uganda. Further research on process documentation, diagnostic yield, and a review of patient outcomes for all hospitalized febrile patients is needed.
INTEGRAL View of TeV Sources: A Legacy for the CTA Project
Authors: Malizia Angela , Fiocchi Mariateresa , Natalucci Lorenzo , Sguera Vito , Stephen John , Bassani Loredana , Bazzano Angela , Ubertini Pietro , Pian Elena , Bird Antony
Published: May 2021

Investigations that were carried out over the last two decades with novel and more sensitive instrumentation have dramatically improved our knowledge of the more violent physical processes taking place in galactic and extra-galactic Black-Holes, Neutron Stars, Supernova Remnants/Pulsar Wind Nebulae, and other regions of the Universe where relativistic acceleration processes are in place. In particular, simultaneous and/or combined observations with γ-ray satellites and ground based high-energy telescopes, have clarified the scenario of the mechanisms responsible for high energy photon emission by leptonic and hadronic accelerated particles in the presence of magnetic fields. Specifically, the European Space Agency INTEGRAL soft γ-ray observatory has detected more than 1000 sources in the soft γ-ray band, providing accurate positions, light curves and time resolved spectral data for them. Space observations with Fermi-LAT and observations that were carried out from the ground with H.E.S.S., MAGIC, VERITAS, and other telescopes sensitive in the GeV-TeV domain have, at the same time, provided evidence that a substantial fraction of the cosmic sources detected are emitting in the keV to TeV band via Synchrotron-Inverse Compton processes, in particular from stellar galactic BH systems as well as from distant black holes. In this work, employing a spatial cross correlation technique, we compare the INTEGRAL/IBIS and TeV all-sky data in search of secure or likely associations. Although this analysis is based on a subset of the INTEGRAL all-sky observations (1000 orbits), we find that there is a significant correlation: 39 objects (∼20% of the VHE γ-ray catalogue) show emission in both soft γ-ray and TeV wavebands. The full INTEGRAL database, now comprising almost 19 years of public data available, will represent an important legacy that will be useful for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) and other ground based large projects.
Geminivirus–Host Interactions: Action and Reaction in Receptor-Mediated Antiviral Immunity
Authors: Ferreira Marco Aurélio , Teixeira Ruan M. , Fontes Elizabeth P. B.
Published: May 2021

In plant−virus interactions, the plant immune system and virulence strategies are under constant pressure for dominance, and the balance of these opposing selection pressures can result in disease or resistance. The naturally evolving plant antiviral immune defense consists of a multilayered perception system represented by pattern recognition receptors (PRR) and resistance (R) proteins similarly to the nonviral pathogen innate defenses. Another layer of antiviral immunity, signaling via a cell surface receptor-like kinase to inhibit host and viral mRNA translation, has been identified as a virulence target of the geminivirus nuclear shuttle protein. The Geminiviridae family comprises broad-host range viruses that cause devastating plant diseases in a large variety of relevant crops and vegetables and hence have evolved a repertoire of immune-suppressing functions. In this review, we discuss the primary layers of the receptor-mediated antiviral immune system, focusing on the mechanisms developed by geminiviruses to overcome plant immunity.
Small Molecule HIV-1 Attachment Inhibitors: Discovery, Mode of Action and Structural Basis of Inhibition
Authors: Lai Yen-Ting
Published: May 2021

Viral entry into host cells is a critical step in the viral life cycle. HIV-1 entry is mediated by the sole surface envelope glycoprotein Env and is initiated by the interaction between Env and the host receptor CD4. This interaction, referred to as the attachment step, has long been considered an attractive target for inhibitor discovery and development. Fostemsavir, recently approved by the FDA, represents the first-in-class drug in the attachment inhibitor class. This review focuses on the discovery of temsavir (the active compound of fostemsavir) and analogs, mechanistic studies that elucidated the mode of action, and structural studies that revealed atomic details of the interaction between HIV-1 Env and attachment inhibitors. Challenges associated with emerging resistance mutations to the attachment inhibitors and the development of next-generation attachment inhibitors are also highlighted.
Multiplex PCR-Based Nanopore Sequencing and Epidemiological Surveillance of Hantaan orthohantavirus in Apodemus agrarius, Republic of Korea
Authors: Park Kyungmin , Lee Seung-Ho , Kim Jongwoo , Lee Jingyeong , Lee Geum-Young , Cho Seungchan , Lee Seung Ho , Park Kkothanahreum , No Jin Sun , Budhathoki Shailesh , Kim Yu-Jin , Kim Young-Su , Kim Heung-Chul , Klein Terry A. , Kim Won-Keun , Song Jin-Won
Published: May 2021

Whole-genome sequencing of infectious agents enables the identification and characterization of emerging viruses. The MinION device is a portable sequencer that allows real-time sequencing in fields or hospitals. Hantaan orthohantavirus (Hantaan virus, HTNV), harbored by Apodemus agrarius, causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and poses a critical public health threat worldwide. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using nanopore sequencing for whole-genome sequencing of HTNV from samples having different viral copy numbers. Amplicon-based next-generation sequencing was performed in A. agrarius lung tissues collected from the Republic of Korea. Genomic sequences of HTNV were analyzed based on the viral RNA copy numbers. Amplicon-based nanopore sequencing provided nearly full-length genomic sequences of HTNV and showed sufficient read depth for phylogenetic analysis after 8 h of sequencing. The average identity of the HTNV genome sequences for the nanopore sequencer compared to those of generated from Illumina MiSeq revealed 99.8% (L and M segments) and 99.7% (S segment) identities, respectively. This study highlights the potential of the portable nanopore sequencer for rapid generation of accurate genomic sequences of HTNV for quicker decision making in point-of-care testing of HFRS patients during a hantavirus outbreak.
In Vivo Models to Study the Pathogenesis of Extra-Respiratory Complications of Influenza A Virus Infection
Authors: Veldhuis Kroeze Edwin , Bauer Lisa , Caliendo Valentina , van Riel Debby
Published: May 2021

Animal models are an inimitable method to study the systemic pathogenesis of virus-induced disease. Extra-respiratory complications of influenza A virus infections are not extensively studied even though they are often associated with severe disease and mortality. Here we review and recommend mammalian animal models that can be used to study extra-respiratory complications of the central nervous system and cardiovascular system as well as involvement of the eye, placenta, fetus, lacteal gland, liver, pancreas, intestinal tract, and lymphoid tissues during influenza A virus infections.
Convalescent Plasma Transfusion for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Adults: A Global Perspective
Authors: Kanj Saly , Al-Omari Basem
Published: May 2021

More than one year into the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare systems across the world continue to be overwhelmed with soaring daily cases. The treatment spectrum primarily includes ventilation support augmented with repurposed drugs and/or convalescent plasma transfusion (CPT) from recovered COVID-19 patients. Despite vaccine variants being recently developed and administered in several countries, challenges in global supply chain logistics limit their timely availability to the wider world population, particularly in developing countries. Given the measured success of conventional CPT in treating several infections over the past decade, recent studies have reported its effectiveness in decreasing the duration and severity of COVID-19 symptoms. In this review, we conduct a literature search of published studies investigating the use of CPT to treat COVID-19 patients from January 2020 to January 2021. The literature search identified 181 records of which 39 were included in this review. A random-effects model was used to aggregate data across studies, and mortality rates of 17 vs. 32% were estimated for the CPT and control patient groups, respectively, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.49. The findings indicate that CPT shows potential in reducing the severity and duration of COVID-19 symptoms. However, early intervention (preferably within 3 days), recruitment of donors, and plasma potency introduce major challenges for its scaled-up implementation. Given the low number of existing randomized clinical trials (RCTs, four with a total of 319 patients), unanticipated risks to CPT recipients are highlighted and discussed. Nevertheless, CPT remains a promising COVID-19 therapeutic option that merits internationally coordinated RCTs to achieve a scientific risk–benefit consensus.
HIV-1 Envelope Conformation, Allostery, and Dynamics
Authors: Bennett Ashley Lauren , Henderson Rory
Published: May 2021

The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) mediates host cell fusion and is the primary target for HIV-1 vaccine design. The Env undergoes a series of functionally important conformational rearrangements upon engagement of its host cell receptor, CD4. As the sole target for broadly neutralizing antibodies, our understanding of these transitions plays a critical role in vaccine immunogen design. Here, we review available experimental data interrogating the HIV-1 Env conformation and detail computational efforts aimed at delineating the series of conformational changes connecting these rearrangements. These studies have provided a structural mapping of prefusion closed, open, and transition intermediate structures, the allosteric elements controlling rearrangements, and state-to-state transition dynamics. The combination of these investigations and innovations in molecular modeling set the stage for advanced studies examining rearrangements at greater spatial and temporal resolution.
Will SARS-CoV-2 Become Just Another Seasonal Coronavirus?
Authors: Beams Alexander B. , Bateman Rebecca , Adler Frederick R.
Published: May 2021

The future prevalence and virulence of SARS-CoV-2 is uncertain. Some emerging pathogens become avirulent as populations approach herd immunity. Although not all viruses follow this path, the fact that the seasonal coronaviruses are benign gives some hope. We develop a general mathematical model to predict when the interplay among three factors, correlation of severity in consecutive infections, population heterogeneity in susceptibility due to age, and reduced severity due to partial immunity, will promote avirulence as SARS-CoV-2 becomes endemic. Each of these components has the potential to limit severe, high-shedding cases over time under the right circumstances, but in combination they can rapidly reduce the frequency of more severe and infectious manifestation of disease over a wide range of conditions. As more reinfections are captured in data over the next several years, these models will help to test if COVID-19 severity is beginning to attenuate in the ways our model predicts, and to predict the disease.
Sir Peter J. Lachmann and Prof. Robert B. Sim: Gone but Will Never Be Forgotten!
Authors: Ghebrehiwet Berhane
Published: May 2021

In addition to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought an unexpected global gloom, the beginning of this year was also particularly cruel to the complement field, as two of our greatest and dearest members—Sir Peter Lachmann and Prof [...]
Early and Solid Protection Afforded by the Thiverval Vaccine Provides Novel Vaccination Alternatives Against Classical Swine Fever Virus
Authors: Lamothe-Reyes Yaneysis , Bohórquez José Alejandro , Wang Miaomiao , Alberch Mònica , Pérez-Simó Marta , Rosell Rosa , Ganges Llilianne
Published: May 2021

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) remains a challenge for the porcine industry. Inefficient vaccination programs in some endemic areas may have contributed to the emergence of low and moderate virulence CSFV variants. This work aimed to expand and update the information about the safety and efficacy of the CSFV Thiverval-strain vaccine. Two groups of pigs were vaccinated, and a contact and control groups were also included. Animals were challenged with a highly virulent CSFV strain at 21- or 5-days post vaccination (dpv). The vaccine induced rapid and strong IFN-α response, mainly in the 5-day immunized group, and no vaccine virus transmission was detected. Vaccinated pigs showed humoral response against CSFV E2 and Erns glycoproteins, with neutralising activity, starting at 14 days post vaccination (dpv). Strong clinical protection was afforded in all the vaccinated pigs as early as 5 dpv. The vaccine controlled viral replication after challenge, showing efficient virological protection in the 21-day immunized pigs despite being housed with animals excreting high CSFV titres. These results demonstrate the high efficacy of the Thiverval strain against CSFV replication. Its early protection capacity makes it a useful alternative for emergency vaccination and a consistent tool for CSFV control worldwide.
Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccination among Hospital Staff—Understanding What Matters to Hesitant People
Authors: Spinewine Anne , Pétein Catherine , Evrard Perrine , Vastrade Christelle , Laurent Christine , Delaere Bénédicte , Henrard Séverine
Published: May 2021

Hospital staff are a priority target group in the European COVID-19 vaccination strategy. Measuring the extent of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and understanding the reasons behind it are essential to be able to tailor effective communication campaigns. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a theoretical framework, a survey was conducted among staff members of a Belgian three-site hospital center between 6 and 20 January 2021. Multivariable logistic ordinal regression was performed to assess determinants of the attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. Reasons for and against COVID-19 vaccination and the need for information were explored among hesitant staff members. Among the respondents (N = 1132), 58% and 4.9% said that they would certainly and certainly not get vaccinated, respectively; 37.1% were hesitant, with different degrees of certainty. A positive attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination was associated with being older, being a physician, being vaccinated against seasonal flu, and with several HBM factors (including perceived benefits and cues to actions). Among hesitant staff, concerns about potential side effects and the impression that the vaccine was developed too quickly were the main reasons against COVID-19 vaccination. The key factors in the decision process were data on vaccine efficacy and safety, and knowing that vaccination went well in others. These data are helpful to further tailor the communication campaign and ensure sufficient vaccination coverage among hospital staff.
Interactions of Solitary Wave with a Submerged Step: Experiments and Simulations
Authors: Chao Wei-Ting , Liang Shin-Jye , Young Chih-Chieh , Ting Chao-Lung
Published: May 2021

A series of experiments exploring the propagation of a solitary wave over a submerged step were performed using a flow-field visualization measurement system, an image-connection technique as well as model simulations. The experimental data were used to validate a one-layer finite-element non-hydrostatic model and a multi-layer finite-difference non-hydrostatic σ model for various submerged step configurations and wave conditions—combinations of step height ratios d/h, width ratios B/h and solitary wave height ratios H/h, where d denotes the step height, B the step width, H the solitary wave height, and h the still water depth. The main differences between the numerical results and the experimental data are highlighted. The effect of the height and width of the submerged step as well as the wave height of the solitary wave are quantified in terms of reflection (R), transmission (T), and energy dissipation (D). Through a series of numerical experiments, an optimal combination of the height ratio d/h, width ratio B/h, and solitary wave height ratio H/h for breakwater design for coastal protection is suggested.
Analysis of Seepage Characteristics of a Foundation Pit with Horizontal Waterproof Curtain in Highly Permeable Strata
Authors: Shi Chenghua , Sun Xiaohe , Liu Shengli , Cao Chengyong , Liu Linghui , Lei Mingfeng
Published: May 2021

At present, jet-grouted horizontal waterproof curtain reinforcement has become an essential method for deep foundation pit groundwater control. However, there is still a lack of an effective theoretical calculation method for horizontal waterproof curtain reinforcement, and there is little research on the seepage laws of foundation pits under different horizontal waterproof curtain conditions. Based on Darcy’s seepage theory, theoretical analysis models of deep foundation pit seepage were established considering the effect of a horizontal curtain in a highly permeable formation. Through the established models, the calculation method of the water inflow and the water pressure under the condition of a horizontal curtain was derived. Then through indoor tests, the reliability of the theoretical calculation method was verified. Furthermore, the established theoretical calculation method is used to analyze the influence of various factors on the water inflow and the water pressure, such as the ratio of hydraulic conductivity of the horizontal curtain to surrounding soil, thickness, and reinforcement position of the horizontal curtain. It is found that the hydraulic conductivity ratio has the most significant influence on the seepage characteristics of the foundation pit. Finally, the design method was applied to an example of the horizontal waterproof curtain of the foundation pit, which is located at Juyuanzhou Station in Fuzhou (China). The water inflow per unit area is 0.36 m3/d in the foundation pit, and this implies that the design method of the horizontal waterproof curtain applied for the excavation case is good and meets the requirements of design and safety.
Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water and Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Lucas Marco S. , Peres José A. , Li Puma Gianluca
Published: May 2021

Technical and scientific developments have facilitated an increase in human life expectancy and quality, which is reflected in a large growth of global population [...]
Micropollutants in Urban Stormwater Runoff of Different Land Uses
Authors: Wicke Daniel , Matzinger Andreas , Sonnenberg Hauke , Caradot Nicolas , Schubert Rabea-Luisa , Dick Robert , Heinzmann Bernd , Dünnbier Uwe , von Seggern Dörthe , Rouault Pascale
Published: May 2021

The main aim of this study was a survey of micropollutants in stormwater runoff of Berlin (Germany) and its dependence on land-use types. In a one-year monitoring program, event mean concentrations were measured for a set of 106 parameters, including 85 organic micropollutants (e.g., flame retardants, phthalates, pesticides/biocides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)), heavy metals and standard parameters. Monitoring points were selected in five catchments of different urban land-use types, and at one urban river. We detected 77 of the 106 parameters at least once in stormwater runoff of the investigated catchment types. On average, stormwater runoff contained a mix of 24 µg L−1 organic micropollutants and 1.3 mg L−1 heavy metals. For organic micropollutants, concentrations were highest in all catchments for the plasticizer diisodecyl phthalate. Concentrations of all but five parameters showed significant differences among the five land-use types. While major roads were the dominant source of traffic-related substances such as PAH, each of the other land-use types showed the highest concentrations for some substances (e.g., flame retardants in commercial area, pesticides in catchment dominated by one family homes). Comparison with environmental quality standards (EQS) for surface waters shows that 13 micropollutants in stormwater runoff and 8 micropollutants in the receiving river exceeded German quality standards for receiving surface waters during storm events, highlighting the relevance of stormwater inputs for urban surface waters.
Requerimientos de la cadena de suministro para el abastecimiento de materia prima
Authors: Escalona Maria
Published: May 2021

El estudio forma parte de una investigación de mayor alcance, cuyo objetivo general es analizar la gestión logística para el abastecimiento de materia prima en las empresas siderúrgicas de la zona occidental de Venezuela. Este avance tuvo como propósito determinar los requerimientos de la cadena de suministro aplicados en la gestión logística. La investigación fue descriptiva, con un diseño no experimental, transeccional y de campo. Participaron dos empresas, cuyas unidades informantes fueron los gerentes del área metálico, supervisores y clasificadores del patio de chatarra. La técnica aplicada fue la encuesta y el instrumento un cuestionario, conformado por 9 ítems; validado por el juicio de expertos, con una confiabilidad de 0.94 según el Alfa Cronbach. El análisis de los datos se realizó con base en la media aritmética. Se concluye alta aplicación de los requerimientos de la cadena de suministro, siendo estos: mediciones de inventarios, mediciones financieras y sensibilidad de respuesta.
Elementos de la calidad del servicio en las empresas mixtas venezolanas
Authors: Rangel Alexandra
Published: May 2021

Bajo una metodología descriptiva, con diseño no experimental, transeccional y de campo, en la presente investigación, se determinaron los elementos de la calidad del servicio en las empresas mixtas venezolanas. La población quedó conformada por los gerentes, líderes y supervisores adscritos a las gerencias de contratación de las empresas mixtas de la industria petrolera del municipio Maracaibo, a quienes se les aplico una encuesta mediante un cuestionario, conformado por 12 ítems con escala Likert. La validez se realizó a través del juicio de expertos, y para calcular su confiabilidad se empleó el método Alfa de Cronbach, resultando 0,91. El análisis de los datos se realizó mediante la estadística descriptiva, con base en la media aritmética, apoyada en las frecuencias relativas. Los resultados demostraron alta presencia del costo de la mala calidad, posición del mercado, cultura de la calidad y operación del sistema, como elementos de la calidad del servicio.
Análisis de los gastos operativos-financieros y su incidencia en la rentabilidad de empresa transporte
Authors: Hernández Laura
Published: May 2021

El objetivo del estudio fue analizar los gastos operativos-financieros y su incidencia en la rentabilidad de la empresa Transporte Respalfianza, C.A. en el período 2015-2017. Los objetivos específicos consistieron en describir la estructura de costos operativos y financieros durante el período de estudio, analizar los Estados Financieros de la Empresa durante el período en cuestión utilizando las razones de rentabilidad financiera. Por otro lado, a nivel metodológico, la investigación fue cuantitativa y el diseño de investigación fue no experimental, apoyada en un diseño de campo. La metodología empleada estuvo constituida por un tipo de investigación documental y un nivel de carácter descriptivo. Se concluye que la empresa Transporte Respalfianza, C.A. en el período 2015-2017, tiene una estructura de costos muy poco definida, donde, los costos fijos representaron un promedio del 42,93% y los costos variables promediaron el 39,11%, con respecto a los ingresos.
Mathematical Analysis of the Effect of Control on the Dynamics of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications
Authors: Aye Patrick Olabanji
Published: May 2021

Diabetes is a disorder in which the body becomes unable to control the amount of sugar in the blood. The pancreas (beta-cells) is not functioning normally, resulting in a partial or total lack of insulin which is the key to the mechanism converting sugar to energy. In this study, mathematical model for the dynamics of diabetes mellitus and its complications incorporating control is developed and analyzed. Positive lifestyle, which includes abstinence from alcohol, smoking and glutoning, and effective management of diabetes condition are incorporated as controls. The analytical solution of the model equations is obtained using Homotopy Perturbation Method. Numerical simulation of the model solution was done using Maple 18 Mathematical software. The parameters are varied and their effects on the model dynamics are presented graphically. The results showed that the two control measures can effectively be used to reduce the evolution of incidence of diabetes and occurrence of complications of diabetes thereby reducing the rate of morbidity and mortality due to diabetes complications.
THE EFFICIENCY OF USING CAM MECHANISMS TO OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT FOR OPENING AND INTERRUPTING WATERING FURROWS
Authors: Oprescu Remus Marius , Biris Sorin-Stefan , Voicea Iulian , Ungureanu Liviu-Marian , Ungureanu Nicoleta , Gradila Marga
Published: May 2021

Due to climate change, there have been changes in temperature, distribution and precipitation, phenomena that have led to the development of technologies that increase the efficiency of precipitation water use and support the preservation of soil quality. The paper presents some theoretical considerations on the cam mechanisms for actuating the working parts the equipment for opening and interrupting watering furrows are provided with; setting the optimal dimensions of the blades of the equipment for furrow opening through the experiments performed is also made. By using the cam mechanisms in the equipment for opening and interrupting watering furrows both superior quality indices in the execution of the work but also a quiet operation of the equipment are obtained and by optimizing the size of the working part, the volume of water accumulated between furrows increases significantly.
تطور السياسات العامة البيئية في الجزائر
Authors: زاوش حسين
Published: May 2021

تعرف السياسة العامة البيئية بأنها مجموعة الوسائل والطرق والإجراءات التي تستخدمها أو تسنها السلطات من اجل تنظيم علاقة الإنسان بالبيئة ، وهذه العلاقة تشمل كافة الأنشطة والعمليات سواء المتعلقة بالإنتاج أو الاستهلاك أو التوزيع أو المخلفات. تتناول هذه الدراسة تطور السياسات العامة البيئية في الجزائر من خلال تتبع الاطار التشريعي والتنظيمي المتعلق بالبيئة. الكلمات المفتاحية:سياسة عامة،بيئة،تنظيمي،تشريعي،انتاج .
لاستخدام الاجتماعي لتكنولوجيا الاتصال الانترنت نموذجا: مقاربة نظرية.
Authors: عبدلي احمد
Published: May 2021

يشكل " الاستخدام الاجتماعي لتكنولوجيا الاتصال " حقلا معرفيا مميزا قائما بذاته، ذي بعد نظري ومنهجي يهتم بالأساس بتوصيف طبيعة العلاقة التي تجمع بين "الإنسان" المستخدم  والأداة الاتصالية  الجديدة، وهو مفهوم يقابله مفهوم "التعرض" لوسائل الإعلام التقليدية .  تهتم الأبحاث المتعلقة بهذه الظاهرة عادة بتحليلها مفاهيميا بتحديد الخصائص والصفات والسمات العامة والخاصة لهذا المفهوم، ومحاولة استخلاص المعنى الاجتماعي والثقافي من المعطى التقني، وكذا وضع اطر عامة لاتجاهات البحث فيها، وأخير تحليل الإطار الكلي الذي تتم فيه العملية، بهدف الوصول إلى تبصرات بها في الحال والمآل، وهو ما تسعى هذه الورقة إلى تفصيله وبيانه.

الكلمات المفتاحية:تكنلوجيا،إنصال ،إعلام جديد،إجتماعي،تحليل.
إصلاح الأمم المتحدة
Authors: شطاب غانية
Published: May 2021

لقد شاهد العالم مع نهاية الحرب الباردة كثير من التغيرات الجذرية والسريعة على الصعيد السياسة والاقتصادية والأمنية والفكرية ،التي أذنت بنشوء نظام علمي جديد أو حقبة جديدة في تاريخ العلاقات الدولية، مما فرض السعي إلى إقرار مقاصد ومبادئ جديدة، و نظم ملائمة لإدارة العلاقات الدولية ومعالجة مشكلاتها في إطار من العمل الجماعي، الذي تجسده منظمة أممية دولية حديثة وفعالة، تستوجب كل الفاعلين والقوى الموجودة على الساحة الدولية.

الكلمات المفتاحية:حرب باردة،مشكلة،فكرية،جماعي،دولي
الحركات الإسلامية في الجزائر المعاصرة
Authors: محمد آدم ابراهيم
Published: May 2021

كان الاستعمار الفرنسي للجزائر استيطانيا سعى لإدماج المجتمع الجزائري في المجتمع الفرنسي بالكامل واعتبرت البلاد جزءاً من فرنسا حيث أعلن الدستور الفرنسي لعام 1848م أن ولايات الجزائر الثلاث ولايات فرنسية(2). كما أصدرت فرنسا في عام 1881م قانون التبعية الأهلية الذي منح الإداريين الفرنسيين صلاحيات واسعة لفرض سيطرتهم على الشعب الجزائري ومواصلة سياسة الإدماج من خلال محاربة المؤسسات الإسلامية كالقضاء الشرعي والتعليم الديني مع خلق طبقة إسلامية رسمية مدعومة من السلطة الغازية للإشراف على العبادة في المساجد . لم يقف الجزائريون مكتوفي الأيدي حيال ما جرى بهم وببلادهم ولكنهم انخرطوا في حركة مقاومة شرسة انطلقت منذ عام 1881م بصورة مقاومات متقطعة ومتجددة حتى بلغت قمتها باندلاع الثورة الجزائرية المسلحة عام 1954م والتي امتدت لسبع أعوام ونصف وانتهت بخروج المستعمر الفرنسي عام 1962م .

الكلمات المفتاحية:إستعمار،إسلام،ثورة،مجتمع،مقاومة

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An Extensive Review on Image Segmentation Techniques
Authors:   Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research & Studies, Faridabad, India., Sharma Dr. Kamlesh , Garg Nidhi ,   Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research & Studies, Faridabad, India.
Published: May 2021

Image processing is the use of algorithms to perform various operations on digital images. The techniques that are explained further are image segmentation and image enhancement. Image Segmentation is a method to partition an image into multiple segments, to change the presentation of an image into something more meaningful and easier to analyze. The current image segmentation techniques include region-based segmentation and edge detection segmentation. Image Enhancement is the process of improving the quality of image. Under this section there are two broad divisions- Spatial Domain Technique and Frequency Domain Technique.