bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human-like Decision Making for Autonomous Vehicles at the Intersection Using Inverse Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Wu Zheng , Qu Fangbing , Yang Lin , Gong Jianwei
Published: June 2022

With the rapid development of autonomous driving technology, both self-driven and human-driven vehicles will share roads in the future and complex information exchange among vehicles will be required. Therefore, autonomous vehicles need to behave as similar to human drivers as possible, to ensure that their behavior can be effectively understood by the drivers of other vehicles and be more in line with the cognition of humans on driving behavior. Therefore, this paper studies the evaluation function of human drivers, using the method of inverse reinforcement learning, aiming for the learned behavior to better imitate the behavior of human drivers. At the same time, this paper proposes a semi-Markov model, to extract the intentions of surrounding related vehicles and divides them into defensive and cooperative, leading the vehicle to adopt a reasonable response to different types of driving scenarios.
Weak Fault Feature Extraction of Rolling Bearings Based on Adaptive Variational Modal Decomposition and Multiscale Fuzzy Entropy
Authors: Lv Zhongliang , Han Senping , Peng Linhao , Yang Lin , Cao Yujiang
Published: June 2022

The working environment of rotating machines is complex, and their key components are prone to failure. The early fault diagnosis of rolling bearings is of great significance; however, extracting the single scale fault feature of the early weak fault of rolling bearings is not enough to fully characterize the fault feature information of a weak signal. Therefore, aiming at the problem that the early fault feature information of rolling bearings in a complex environment is weak and the important parameters of Variational Modal Decomposition (VMD) depend on engineering experience, a fault feature extraction method based on the combination of Adaptive Variational Modal Decomposition (AVMD) and optimized Multiscale Fuzzy Entropy (MFE) is proposed in this study. Firstly, the correlation coefficient is used to calculate the correlation between the modal components decomposed by VMD and the original signal, and the threshold of the correlation coefficient is set to optimize the selection of the modal number K. Secondly, taking Skewness (Ske) as the objective function, the parameters of MFE embedding dimension M, scale factor S and time delay T are optimized by the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. Using optimized MFE to calculate the modal components obtained by AVMD, the MFE feature vector of each frequency band is obtained, and the MFE feature set is constructed. Finally, the simulation signals are used to verify the effectiveness of the Adaptive Variational Modal Decomposition, and the Drivetrain Dynamics Simulator (DDS) are used to complete the comparison test between the proposed method and the traditional method. The experimental results show that this method can effectively extract the fault features of rolling bearings in multiple frequency bands, characterize more weak fault information, and has higher fault diagnosis accuracy.
Study on the Performance of Collaborative Production Mode for Gas Wave Ejector
Authors: Zhao Yiming , Li Haoran , Hu Dapeng , Liu Minghao , Feng Qing
Published: June 2022

Gas wave ejector (GWE) is an efficient ejection equipment using pressure waves to extract and transfer energy. However, at present, GWE is designed only for single condition, not fully utilizing the production capacity. The collaborative production mode using one equipment to work simultaneously under two different conditions was proposed to resolve this issue in this study, and was analyzed by combining numerical simulation and experimental test. The research results show that the collaborative mode almost has no effects on average total efficiency compared to single mode. In the range of tests, the efficiency difference between two modes is within 4.4%. The state parameters of the stable-pressure region (where channels are closed at both ends) on one condition are the initial parameters of the functional region on the other condition in collaborative mode, accounting for the difference between single and collaborative mode. The variations of performance parameters (ejection rate and the isentropic efficiency) with the medium-port pressure in collaborative mode was similar to that of the single mode. Thus, the performance parameters difference between two modes can be predicted by the relative relationship between the medium-port pressure and the average pressure in stable-pressure region of GWE in single mode. In conclusion, the collaborative mode improves the utilization of equipment while maintaining total efficiency, which can promote the popularization and application of GWE.
Almond Shells and Exhausted Olive Cake as Fuels for Biomass Domestic Boilers: Optimization, Performance and Pollutant Emissions
Authors: Collado Rocío , Monedero Esperanza , Casero-Alonso Víctor Manuel , Rodríguez-Aragón Licesio J. , Hernández Juan José
Published: June 2022

The combustion of two non-woody types of biomass (almond shells and exhausted olive cake) in a domestic boiler at different loads was studied in order to evaluate their suitability as fuels. To select the optimal boiler operating conditions (excess air, primary/secondary air ratio and grate vibration), which allows for lower CO and particulate matter emissions for each biomass and load, a statistical design of experiments was performed. Similar optimal operating conditions were found for both fuels at nominal load (excess air: 1.5, primary/secondary air ratio: 20/80), the grate vibration being the only parameter to be modified due to the different ash content (45 and 20 s for almond shells and exhausted olive cake, respectively). At partial load, a slightly higher excess air (1.6) and a higher proportion of primary air (50/50) were needed in the case of almond shells. Results showed higher CO and lower NOx and PM emissions at partial load for both fuels. The high ash content of exhausted olive cake deteriorated its combustion process (accumulated ashes were observed in the fireplace). Gaseous and solid emissions did not fulfil the UNE-EN 303-5 limits for any fuel or condition; although, almond shells seem to be a much more suitable fuel since they could be used just blended with a small quantity of a high-quality biomass or additive. However, exhausted olive cake not only led to a very poor efficiency at partial load (74%), clearly below the minimum required by the standard (77%), but also to an unacceptable pollutant emission level. So, this latter fuel would require a high blending ratio with another type of biomass, pre-treatments for reducing the alkali compounds and/or significant technological modifications allowing for a proper ash handling.
Impact of Environmental Regulation on the Green Total Factor Productivity of Dairy Farming: Evidence from China
Authors: Liu Chenyang , Cui Lihang , Li Cuixia
Published: June 2022

Environmental regulation is essential to promote green and sustainable development in dairy farming. Nevertheless, limited studies have focused on the impact of environmental regulation on the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of dairy farming. This study measures the GTFP of dairy farming in 27 provinces in China during 2009–2020 using the Slack Based Measure (SBM) model and the Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) productivity index. In addition, random effects and threshold regression models are used to measure the impact of environmental regulations on the GTFP of dairy farming. The results demonstrate the fluctuating growth of the GTFP of dairy farming and that technical efficiency is the primary driver of the GTFP growth. The annual growth rate of GTFP is the highest in large-scale dairy farming (3.27%), followed by medium-scale dairy farming (2.73%) and small-scale dairy farming (1.98%). Furthermore, environmental regulation positively affects the GTFP and has a threshold effect on the GTFP, with the urban–rural income gap as the threshold variable in medium-scale dairy farming and small-scale dairy farming. The impact on the GTFP can be significantly negative if the urban–rural income gap crosses the threshold value. Overall, this study provides some policy recommendations for attaining green and sustainable dairy farming development in China.
Evaluation of Priority Control District Metered Area for Water Distribution Networks Using Water Quality-Related Big Data
Authors: Kim Taehyeon , Oh Yoojin , Koo Jayong , Yoo Doguen
Published: June 2022

Partitioning methodologies such as district metered areas (DMAs) are being applied to the stable maintenance of water distribution network systems in normal conditions such as daily operation and abnormal conditions such as water quality and leakage accidents. However, management and evaluation through the use of existing DMAs generally only have the primary goal of stable water quantity and pressure management. Therefore, the methodology can be limited to achieving the direct effects of water quality parameters such as decreased water age, proper management of residual chlorine, and decreased water quality complaints. This study uses a methodology for determining and prioritizing water quality-oriented Priority Control District Metered Areas (PCDMAs) for stable water quality management to respond to the recent large-scale rusty (red) water crisis in Korea. First, 4 evaluation criteria and 11 evaluation indicators were derived using various water quality-related structured data (water quality measurement data, pipeline data, etc.) and unstructured data (water quality complaints, etc.) based on the Geographic Information System (GIS). A comprehensive prioritization assessment was carried out with multi-criteria decision-making methods based on the analytic hierarchy process. As a result, particular indicators of complaint of water quality and the existence of vulnerable facilities (hospitals, school, etc.) were analyzed as the top five priorities, and it was shown that to be important criteria in determining water quality-oriented PCMDAs. Finally, the proposed methodology was applied to the B metropolitan city of the Republic of Korea, and the evaluation results of all the districts were derived and analyzed. The study shows that the data-based water distribution network PCDMAs selection methodology can be used as a decision-making tool to improve the accuracy and reliability of the operation and management (O&M) of the water distribution operator’s water distribution network. In future research, it will be necessary to evaluate PDDMA with detailed data related to the pipe deterioration (buried environment, the condition of internal/external of the pipe, etc.), which had a significant threshold due to data limitations. And it would be possible to make a real-time evaluation of PCDMA with the real-time water quality test data.
Shaping the Optimal Technology for Servicing the Long-Distance Deliveries of Packaged Cargo by Road Transport
Authors: Naumov Vitalii , Shulika Olha , Orda Oleksandra , Vasiutina Hanna , Bauer Marek , Oliskevych Myroslav
Published: June 2022

The concept of sustainable transportation of goods as the primary paradigm for designing contemporary logistics systems assumes the use of energy-efficient and affordable modes of transport in a way that guarantees the most cost-efficient variant of the delivery scheme. That especially applies to road transport deliveries, where the number of alternatives for organizing the transportation process is numerous and the choice of the optimal solution is complicated by the multiple stochastic influences of the environment on the technological processes. In this paper, we contribute to solving the problem of shaping the sustainable delivery schemes by proposing an approach to shape the complete set of alternative transport and technological schemes for packaged cargo delivery by road transport. The developed mathematical model allows estimating the efficiency of each alternative delivery scheme for the given request and chooses the best variant that minimizes the total costs of all participants in the delivery process. The proposed algorithms are implemented in the C# programming language within the frame of a class library for modeling transport delivery processes. A case of transport processes for Delivery Ltd. (Kharkiv, Ukraine) is applied to illustrate the procedure of using the developed approach to choose the optimal transport and technological schemes for long-distance deliveries. As the result of simulating the goods transportation processes, we show the regression models that represent dependencies of the total costs for the implementation of a delivery scheme from the parameters of demand for the transportation of goods. These regression models allow estimating the most efficient delivery schemes based on the functional analysis of the obtained dependencies for the given demand parameters.
A Regional View of Passenger Air Link Evolution in Brazil
Authors: Aprigliano Fernandes Vicente , Pacheco Ricardo Rodrigues , Fernandes Elton , Cabo Manoela , Ventura Rodrigo V.
Published: June 2022

Passenger flows among cities, at both the domestic and international levels and in different countries and regions, have been studied for forecasting purposes. This paper seeks not a forecasting mechanism, but to understand, by analyzing passenger origins and destinations by Brazilian sub-region, how Brazil’s domestic air passenger network links have evolved. Using income, population, and fare price as inputs, and seats sold as output, air link performance is examined by data envelopment analysis to discuss the regional link of domestic passenger traffic in Brazil and its dynamics, considering two specific years. The findings indicate that, although the highest passenger flow density is concentrated in Brazil’s Southeast region, performance by emerging origins and destinations (O-Ds), such as those connecting the Northeast, display more substantial strength indices and advances (Malmquist analysis). The analysis of specific links was also important, which showed that important Brazilian airports are not necessarily more competent in generating trips. The Catch-Up indicator for innovation reveals the weak point in Brazil’s air transport network. Although some airports enjoy strong networkability, they do not correspond in passenger origin or destination strength.
Sustainability-Related Strategic Evaluation of Business Models
Authors: Höse Kristina , Süß Anika , Götze Uwe
Published: June 2022

Recent developments, such as climate change, demographic change and resource scarcity, have forced companies to turn towards more sustainable resources, processes and products. Thus, their business models should be developed in a way that meets social, ecological and economic challenges. A vital part of this development process is the evaluation of business models against the background of sustainability targets during different phases of this process. This paper addresses the, thus far, largely neglected sustainability-related strategic evaluation in the earlier phases of business model development. Based on a sustainability-related canvas approach and concepts from strategic management theory, it suggests a method for sustainability-related strategic evaluation of business models as well as business model ideas and options. Therefore, a procedure for evaluation is presented and five main criteria are developed that should be taken into account: eligibility to create stakeholder’s benefit, market attractiveness, heterogeneity/singularity, permanence and eligibility to generate sustainability-oriented value.
Fractals for the Sustainable Design of Engineered Particulate Systems
Authors: Assadi-Langroudi Arya , Abdalla Hassan , Ghadr Soheil
Published: June 2022

The engineering properties of particulate materials are the collective manifestation of interactions among their constituent particles and are structures within which particles adopt their spatial arrangement. For the first time in the literature, this paper employs an extended concept of ‘fractals’ to show that materials constituting particles of a certain size can be rationalized in three universal fractals. Within each fractal, materials build repeatable, reproducible, and predictable traits, and exhibit the stress-strain behaviors of nondifferentiable, self-similar trajectories. We present experimental evidence for such repeatable traits by subjecting six different particulate materials to static undrained isotropic, static undrained anisotropic, and cyclic undrained isotropic stresses. This paper shows that universal fractals are associated with fractal structures; herein, we explore the matters that influence their spatial arrangement. Within the context of sustainable design, ways of engineering natural particulate systems to improve a product’s physical and hydromechanical properties are already well established. In this review, a novel extended concept of fractals is introduced to inform the biomimetic design of particulate systems, to show how biomimicry can benefit in preserving general behavioral traits, and how biomimicry can offer predicated forms, thereby enhancing the design efficiency. To pursue such an ideal, processes that lead to the engineering of natural materials should not compromise their loyalty to the parent universal fractal.
Thermal Conductivity Evaluation and Road Performance Test of Steel Slag Asphalt Mixture
Authors: Cao Yangsen , Sha Aimin , Liu Zhuangzhuang , Zhang Fan , Li Jiarong , Liu Hai
Published: June 2022

Substituting steel slag for mineral materials in road construction has potential economic and environmental benefits. Due to the excellent thermal conductivity of steel slag, it is often used in functional pavements. However, there are few studies on the thermal conductivity characterization of steel slag asphalt mixture (SSAM). For this reason, the thermal conductivity of SSAM was first qualitatively evaluated by microscopic characterizations. The thermal conductivity was the quantitatively evaluated by the heating wire method. Theoretical calculations were used to verify the reliability of the quantitative characterization. Finally, the effects of steel slag on the volume indices and the road performance of SSAM were studied. Results showed that active minerals such as iron oxides make the steel slag thermally conductive, while a large number of protrusions and micropores on the surface of the steel slag may be detrimental to thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity first increases and then decreases with the steel slag content. The asphalt mixture with 60% steel slag replacing aggregate of 3–5 mm (6.6% of the mixture) had the highest thermal coefficient of 1.746 W/(m·°C), which is only 4.78% different from the theoretical value. The porosity and water absorption of SSAM gradually increased with the content of steel slag. The road performance test indicated that steel slag increased the high-temperature performance of the asphalt mixture to a certain extent, but weakened the low-temperature performance and moisture resistance. After comprehensive consideration of the thermal conductivity and road performance, it is recommended that the optimum content of steel slag is not more than 60%.
Modelling Radiative and Convective Thermal Exchanges over a European City Center and Their Effects on Atmospheric Dispersion
Authors: Qu Yongfeng , Milliez Maya , Musson-Genon Luc , Carissimo Bertrand
Published: June 2022

Micro-meteorological studies of urban flow and pollution dispersion often assume a neutral atmosphere and often the three-dimensional variation in temperature fields and flow around buildings is neglected in most building energy balance models. The aim of this work is to present the results of development and validation of a three-dimensional tool coupling thermal energy balance of the buildings and modelling of the atmospheric flow and dispersion in urban areas. To do so, a 3D microscale atmospheric radiative scheme has been developed in the atmospheric module of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Code_Saturne adapted to detailed building geometries. The full coupling of the radiative transfer and fluid dynamics models has been validated with idealized cases. In this paper, our focus is to simulate and compare with measurements the diurnal evolution of the brightness surface temperatures and the momentum and energy fluxes for a neighborhood in the city center of Toulouse, in the southwest part of France. This is performed by taking into account the 3D effects of the flow around the buildings and all thermal exchanges, in real meteorological conditions, and compare them to aircraft infrared images and in situ measurements on a meteorological mast. The calculation mesh developed for the city center and the simulation conditions for the selected day of the field campaign are presented. The results are evaluated with the measurements from the Canopy and Aerosol Particles Interactions in TOulouse Urban Layer experiment (CAPITOUL). In addition, the second purpose of this work is to investigate a hypothetical release of passive pollutant dispersion in the same area of Toulouse under different thermal transfer conditions for the street and the buildings surfaces: neutral and 3D radiative transfer heating. The presence of heat transfer continually modifies the airflow field while the airflow in the neutral case reaches a stationary state. Compared to the neutral case, taking into account the thermal transfer enhances the turbulence kinetic energy and vertical velocity (especially at the roof level) due to buoyancy forces. The simulation results also show that the thermal effects considerably alter the plume shape.
Techno-Economic Analysis and Optimization of an Off-Grid Hybrid Photovoltaic–Diesel–Battery System: Effect of Solar Tracker
Authors: Maleki Akbar , Eskandar Filabi Zahra , Nazari Mohammad Alhuyi
Published: June 2022

Increment in energy demand, limitation of fossil fuels and fluctuations in their price, in addition to their pollution, necessitate development of renewable energy systems. Regarding the considerable potential of solar energy in Iran, this type of renewable energy has developed more compared with other renewable energies. Hybrid technologies consisting of photovoltaic (PV) cells, diesel generator, and battery are one of the efficient solutions to resolve the issues related to the energy supply of rural areas. In this study, a hybrid PV/diesel/battery system composed of the mentioned components is applied to supply the off-grid power with capacity of 233.10 kWh/day with peak load of 38.38 kW in a rural region in South Khorasan, Iran. The purpose of this study is to reduce the net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of energy (LCOE), CO2 reduction, renewable fraction (RF) enhancement and increase reliability. In order to improve the performance of the system, different tracking system, including fixed system, horizontal axis with monthly and continuous adjustment, vertical axis with continuous adjustment and two-axis tracker, are analyzed and assessed. The results indicate that the vertical axis with continuous adjustment tracker is the most suitable option in terms of economic and technical requirements. In this work, a sensitivity analysis is performed on different parameters such as PV cost, interest rate, diesel generator cost, battery cost, and price of fuel, and the outcomes reveal that the hybrid system with vertical axis continuous adjustment is very sensitive to costs of fuel and the battery, i.e., NPC decreases by 5% in case of 20% variations in costs of battery and fuel. In addition, it is found that diesel generator and inverter costs significantly influence NPC of the system.
Regional Ecology Supporting Sustainable Development
Authors: Mao Shuxin , Deng Hongbing
Published: June 2022

Regional sustainable development is the primary goal of regional ecological research. Regional ecology aims to support sustainable development from an ecological perspective at the regional scale. In nearly half a century of the development of the discipline, regional ecology has developed into an essential branch of ecology. However, due to the complexity of regional ecosystems and ecological problems, regional ecology does not define clear research methods and research objects. This editorial sorts out the definition, research methods, and important research contents of regional ecology, including regional ecological security evaluation, regional sustainable development evaluation, regional resource analysis represented by water-food-energy relationship, and ecosystem service value evaluation.
Cluster-Based Routing Protocol with Static Hub (CRPSH) for WSN-Assisted IoT Networks
Authors: Lenka Rakesh Kumar , Kolhar Manjur , Mohapatra Hitesh , Al-Turjman Fadi , Altrjman Chadi
Published: June 2022

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an evolving concept that has achieved prominence in the modern era. An autonomous sensor-equipped device is the major component of WSN-assisted IoT infrastructure. These devices intelligently sense the environment, automatically collect the data, and deliver the information to paired devices. However, in WSN-assisted IoT networks, energy depletion and hardware faults might result in device failures. Additionally, this might affect data transmission. A reliable route significantly reduces data retransmissions, which can help in congestion reduction and energy conservation. Generally, the sensor devices are typically deployed densely throughout the WSN-assisted IoT networks. A high number of sensor devices covering a monitoring area might result in duplicate data. The clustering method can be used to overcome this problem. The clustering technique reduces network traffic, whereas the multipath technique ensures path reliability. In CRPSH, we used the clustering technique to reduce the duplicate data. Moreover, the multipath approach can increase the reliability of the proposed protocol. CRPSH is intended to minimize the overhead associated with control packets and extend the network’s lifetime. The complete set of simulations is carried out using the Castalia simulator. The proposed protocol is found to reduce energy consumption and increase the lifetime of IoT infrastructure networks.
EBAS: An Efficient Blockchain-Based Authentication Scheme for Secure Communication in Vehicular Ad Hoc Network
Authors: Feng Xia , Cui Kaiping , Jiang Haobin , Li Ze
Published: June 2022

A vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is essential in building an intelligent transportation system that optimizes traffic conditions and makes traffic information conveniently accessible. However, malicious vehicles may disrupt the traffic order via propagating forged traffic/road information. Therefore, using digital certificates based on cryptography, some existing authentication schemes were proposed to manage vehicles’ identities. At first glance, these schemes can effectively identify malicious vehicles. However, these schemes require more computation and storage resources to maintain certificates. This is because the data storage of the database increases in a near-linear trend as the number of certificates grows. In this paper, we propose an efficient blockchain-based authentication scheme for secure communication in VANET (EBAS) to address the aforementioned issues. In EBAS, the regional trusted authority (RTA) receives traffic messages uploaded by the vehicle, together with transactions constructed via the unspent transaction output (UTXO) model. The verifier checks the legitimacy of the single input contained in the uploaded transaction to verify the legitimacy of the message sender’s identity. In terms of privacy preservation, a asymmetric key encryption technique, elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), is applied for constructing the transaction pseudonym, and users participate in the authentication process anonymously. In addition, our scheme guarantees the scalability of EBAS by proposing a transaction update mechanism, which can keep data storage at a stable level rather than near-linear growth. Under the simulation, the retrieving overhead remains at approximately 0.32 ms while the storage cost is stable at around 32.7 M for the blockchain state database. In terms of authentication efficiency, the average overhead of the proposed scheme is around 0.942 ms, which outperforms the existing schemes.
Canid herpesvirus 1 Preferentially Infects Polarized Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Cells from the Basolateral Surface
Authors: Eisa Mohamed , Micky Samar , Pearson Angela
Published: June 2022

Canid herpesvirus 1 (CHV-1) infects polarized canine epithelia. Herein, we present our initial work characterizing CHV-1 infection of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells that were polarized on trans-wells. We previously showed that infection of these cells in non-polarized cultures stimulated the formation of extensive lamellipodial membrane protrusions. Uninfected polarized MDCK cells already form extensive lamellipodial membrane protrusions on the apical surface in the absence of virus. Using scanning electron microscopy, we found that CHV-1 infection does not lead to a change in the form of the lamellipodial membrane protrusions on the apical surface of polarized MDCK cells. We found that CHV-1 was able to infect polarized cultures from either the apical or basolateral side; however, higher viral titers were produced upon infection of the basolateral side. Regardless of the side infected, titers of virus were higher in the apical compartment compared to the basal compartment; however, these differences were not statistically significant. In addition to cell-free virus that was recovered in the media, the highest amount of virus produced remained cell-associated over the course of the experiment. The efficiency of CHV-1 infection of the basolateral side of polarized epithelial cells is consistent with the pathobiology of this varicellovirus.
Clinical Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Compared with Delta among Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in Belgium during Autumn and Winter Season 2021–2022
Authors: Van Goethem Nina , Chung Pui Yan Jenny , Meurisse Marjan , Vandromme Mathil , De Mot Laurane , Brondeel Ruben , Stouten Veerle , Klamer Sofieke , Cuypers Lize , Braeye Toon , Catteau Lucy , Nevejan Louis , van Loenhout Joris A. F. , Blot Koen
Published: June 2022

This retrospective multi-center matched cohort study assessed the risk for severe COVID-19 (combination of severity indicators), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients when infected with the Omicron variant compared to when infected with the Delta variant. The study is based on a causal framework using individually-linked data from national COVID-19 registries. The study population consisted of 954 COVID-19 patients (of which, 445 were infected with Omicron) above 18 years old admitted to a Belgian hospital during the autumn and winter season 2021–2022, and with available viral genomic data. Patients were matched based on the hospital, whereas other possible confounders (demographics, comorbidities, vaccination status, socio-economic status, and ICU occupancy) were adjusted for by using a multivariable logistic regression analysis. The estimated standardized risk for severe COVID-19 and ICU admission in hospitalized patients was significantly lower (RR = 0.63; 95% CI (0.30; 0.97) and RR = 0.56; 95% CI (0.14; 0.99), respectively) when infected with the Omicron variant, whereas in-hospital mortality was not significantly different according to the SARS-CoV-2 variant (RR = 0.78, 95% CI (0.28–1.29)). This study demonstrates the added value of integrated genomic and clinical surveillance to recognize the multifactorial nature of COVID-19 pathogenesis.
In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of a New Strain of Mosquito Flavivirus Derived from Culicoides
Authors: Huang Yi , Zhang Hongqing , Li Xiaodan , Zhao Lu , Cai Dirui , Wang Shunlong , Ren Nanjie , Ma Haixia , Huang Doudou , Wang Fei , Yuan Zhiming , Zhang Bo , Xia Han
Published: June 2022

Mosquito-specific flaviviruses comprise a group of insect-specific viruses with a single positive RNA, which can affect the duplication of mosquito-borne viruses and the life growth of mosquitoes, and which have the potential to be developed as a vaccine platform for mosquito-borne viruses. In this study, a strain of mosquito flavivirus (MFV) YN15-283-02 was detected in Culicoides collected from Yunnan, China. The isolation of the purified MFV YN15-283-02 from cell culture failed, and the virus was then rescued by an infectious clone. To study the biological features of MFV YN15-283-02 in vitro and in vivo, electron microscopy, phylogenetic tree, and viral growth kinetic analyses were performed in both cell lines and mosquitoes. The rescued MFV (rMFV) YN15-283-02 duplicated and reached a peak in C6/36 cells at 6 d.p.i. with approximately 2 × 106 RNA copies/μL (RNA to cell ratio of 0.1), but without displaying a cytopathic effect. In addition, the infection rate for the rMFV in Ae.aegypti show a low level in both larvae (≤15%) and adult mosquitoes (≤12%).
Expanding Mouse-Adapted Yamagata-like Influenza B Viruses in Eggs Enhances In Vivo Lethality in BALB/c Mice
Authors: Pekarek Matthew J. , Petro-Turnquist Erika M. , Rubrum Adam , Webby Richard J. , Weaver Eric A.
Published: June 2022

Despite the yearly global impact of influenza B viruses (IBVs), limited host range has been a hurdle to developing a readily accessible small animal disease model for vaccine studies. Mouse-adapting IBV can produce highly pathogenic viruses through serial lung passaging in mice. Previous studies have highlighted amino acid changes throughout the viral genome correlating with increased pathogenicity, but no consensus mutations have been determined. We aimed to show that growth system can play a role in mouse-adapted IBV lethality. Two Yamagata-lineage IBVs were serially passaged 10 times in mouse lungs before expansion in embryonated eggs or Madin–Darby canine kidney cells (London line) for use in challenge studies. We observed that virus grown in embryonated eggs was significantly more lethal in mice than the same virus grown in cell culture. Ten additional serial lung passages of one strain again showed virus grown in eggs was more lethal than virus grown in cells. Additionally, no mutations in the surface glycoprotein amino acid sequences correlated to differences in lethality. Our results suggest growth system can influence lethality of mouse-adapted IBVs after serial lung passaging. Further research can highlight improved mechanisms for developing animal disease models for IBV vaccine research.
Evaluation of Screening Program and Phylogenetic Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Infections among Hospital Healthcare Workers in Liège, Belgium
Authors: El Moussaoui Majdouline , Maes Nathalie , Hong Samuel L. , Lambert Nicolas , Gofflot Stéphanie , Dellot Patricia , Belhadj Yasmine , Huynen Pascale , Hayette Marie-Pierre , Meex Cécile , Bontems Sébastien , Defêche Justine , Godderis Lode , Molenberghs Geert , Meuris Christelle , Artesi Maria , Durkin Keith , Rahmouni Souad , Grégoire Céline , Beguin Yves , Moutschen Michel , Dellicour Simon , Darcis Gilles
Published: June 2022

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are known to be at higher risk of developing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections although whether these risks are equal across all occupational roles is uncertain. Identifying these risk factors and understand SARS-CoV-2 transmission pathways in healthcare settings are of high importance to achieve optimal protection measures. We aimed to investigate the implementation of a voluntary screening program for SARS-CoV-2 infections among hospital HCWs and to elucidate potential transmission pathways though phylogenetic analysis before the vaccination era. HCWs of the University Hospital of Liège, Belgium, were invited to participate in voluntary reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays performed every week from April to December 2020. Phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes were performed for a subgroup of 45 HCWs. 5095 samples were collected from 703 HCWs. 212 test results were positive, 15 were indeterminate, and 4868 returned negative. 156 HCWs (22.2%) tested positive at least once during the study period. All SARS-CoV-2 test results returned negative for 547 HCWs (77.8%). Nurses (p < 0.05), paramedics (p < 0.05), and laboratory staff handling respiratory samples (p < 0.01) were at higher risk for being infected compared to the control non-patient facing group. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that most positive samples corresponded to independent introduction events into the hospital. Our findings add to the growing evidence of differential risks of being infected among HCWs and support the need to implement appropriate protection measures based on each individual’s risk profile to guarantee the protection of both HCWs and patients. Furthermore, our phylogenetic investigations highlight that most positive samples correspond to distinct introduction events into the hospital.
Insight into the Epidemiology and Evolutionary History of Novel Goose Astrovirus-Associated Gout in Goslings in Southern China
Authors: Fu Xinliang , Hou Zhanpeng , Liu Wenjun , Cao Nan , Liang Yu , Li Bingxin , Jiang Danli , Li Wanyan , Xu Danning , Tian Yunbo , Huang Yunmao
Published: June 2022

A novel gout disease, characterized by visceral urate deposition with high-mortality, with outbreaks in goslings in China since 2016 was caused by a novel goose astrovirus (GoAstV) and resulted in serious economic loss. However, the epidemiology and variation of the GoAstV in goslings in southern China and its evolutionary history as well as the classification of the GoAstV are unclear. In the present study, systematic molecular epidemiology, and phylogenetic analyses of the GoAstV were conducted to address these issues. Our results showed that the GoAstV is widespread in goslings in southern China, and the genomes of six GoAstV strains were obtained. Two amino acid mutations (Y36H and E456D) were identified in capsid proteins in this study, which is the dominant antigen for the GoAstV. In addition, the GoAstV could be divided into two distinct clades, GoAstV-1 and GoAstV-2, and GoAstV-2 is responsible for gout outbreaks in goslings and could be classified into Avastrovirus 3 (AAstV-3), while GoAstV-1 belongs to Avastrovirus 1 (AAstV-1). Moreover, the emergence of GoAstV-2 in geese was estimated to have occurred in January 2010, approximately 12 years ago, while GoAstV-1 emerged earlier than GoAstV-2 and was estimated to have emerged in April 1985 based on Bayesian analysis. The mean evolutionary rate for the GoAstV was also calculated to be approximately 1.42 × 10−3 nucleotide substitutions per site per year. In conclusion, this study provides insight into the epidemiology of the GoAstV in goslings in southern China and is helpful for understanding the origin and evolutionary history as well as the classification of the GoAstV in geese.
Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions among South Carolina Residents
Authors: Kanyangarara Mufaro , McAbee Lauren , Daguise Virginie G. , Nolan Melissa S.
Published: June 2022

Despite evidence of vaccine safety and efficacy, vaccine hesitancy remains a major global health threat. The COVID-19 vaccine has presented unique vaccine hesitancy concerns compared to parental vaccine hesitancy towards childhood vaccines. South Carolina (SC) is home to a largely conservative population and historically has some of the lowest vaccination coverage rates in the United States of America. The goal of the current study was to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine intentions among SC residents. From November 2020 to September 2021, 300,000 invitations to participate in community testing and complete an online survey were mailed to randomly selected SC residents. The survey collected data about behaviors and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines, as well as demographic and health characteristics. Of the 10,626 survey participants, 69.9% reported being vaccinated against COVID-19. Among those not vaccinated, 65.5% reported vaccine intentions. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine intentions. Multivariate logistic regression results indicated that confidence in the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines increased the likelihood of vaccine intentions, while younger age (<60 years) decreased the likelihood of vaccine intentions. To increase vaccine intentions and uptake, public health and government officials in South Carolina and other conservative states should target younger populations and address concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety.
The Toxic Effects of Lindane via the Impact of pH and Dissolved Organic Matter on Microcystis aeruginosa
Authors: Deng Xiru , Jiang Yingnan , Xian Qiming
Published: June 2022

The toxic effects of Lindane (γ-BHC) on Microcystis aeruginosa were studied under lab culture conditions. Total protein levels, as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity, in algal cells, were determined after exposure to different concentrations of Lindane. The bioaccumulation of Lindane, as well as the influence of pH and dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the toxic effects, was also evaluated in algal cells. The growth of M. aeruginosa was inhibited by the Lindane treatment (96 h), resulting in a 50% maximal effect (EC50) concentration of 442 μg/L. In addition, the lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) was found to be 120 μg/L; the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) was found to be 60 μg/L, and the maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) was 85 μg/L. With increasing concentrations of Lindane and exposure time, M. aeruginosa growth was significantly inhibited; in addition, the total protein levels and SOD activity significantly decreased. MDA concentration, however, showed an insignificant increase after 96 h. Lindane has the potential for bioaccumulation in algal cells with a bioconcentration factor (BCF) of 340. Furthermore, the toxic effects of Lindane on M. aeruginosa were influenced by environmental factors, such as pH and DOM. The toxic effects decreased with increasing pH and humic acid concentrations. Ultrastructure cell images were used to depict Lindane-induced apoptosis.
Impact of Climate Change on Soil Water Content in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada
Authors: Zare Mohammad , Azam Shahid , Sauchyn David
Published: June 2022

The main objective of this research was to understand the effects of climate change on soil water content (SWC) across the Qu’Appelle River basin in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and output from 11 high-resolution (0.22°) regional climate models (RCM) were used over three 30-year periods: the near future (2021–2050) and distant future (2051–2080) and the historical reference (1975–2005). The RCM data are from the CORDEX North American domain, which employs the RCP8.5 high-emission scenario. SWC was modeled at the hydrological response units (HRU) level and at daily and monthly (warm season only) intervals for 2015–2020. The model was calibrated and validated using SUFI-2 in SWAT-CUP based on observations for streamflow and SWC, including measured data and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Level 4 for surface (up to 5 cm deep) soil moisture. Values of the Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency (NS) ranged from 0.616 and 0.784 and the coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.8 for calibration and 0.82 for validation. Likewise, the correlation coefficients between ground measurements and SWAT were 0.698 and 0.633, respectively. Future climate forcing of the calibrated SWAT model revealed that warmer and drier growing seasons will prevail in the region. Similarly, the ensemble of all RCMs indicated that the mean temperature will increase by 2.1 °C and 3.4 °C for the middle and late periods, respectively, along with a precipitation increase of 10% and 11.2%. SWC is expected to decrease with an increase in potential evapotranspiration, despite an increase in precipitation. Likewise, the annual SWC is expected to decrease by 3.6% and 4% in the middle and late periods, respectively. The monthly SWC changes showed the highest decreases (5.4%) in April in the late period. The spatial pattern of SWC for 11 RCMs was similar such that the northwest and west of the river basin are wetter than the south and east. SWC projections suggest that southern Saskatchewan could experience significant SWC deficiencies in the summer by the end of this century.
Expanding the range of gluten-free flour confectionery products based on the analysis of consumer preferences
Authors: Matunina A.V. , Zaytseva L.V.
Published: June 2022

The relevance of the chosen topic is due to the need to expand the range of enriched flour confectionery products without gluten. A recipe for gluten-free cookies enriched with dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, with a balanced amino acid composition without additional food additives with a minimum set of ingredients characteristic of a “Clean Label” has been developed.
Management of fat and moisture migration processes during confectionery storage
Authors: Kondratiev N.B. , Osipov M.V. , Petrova N.A.
Published: June 2022

Changes in the quality of confectionery products during storage are associated with the processes of moisture transfer and fat migration. Moisture transfer processes are the cause of staleness or humidification, the development of microbiological spoilage of products. The fat migration during storage of glazed confectionery products is the main cause of the surface bloom and glaze softening. Studies have been carried out on changes in the plastic strength of the glaze during storage of sweets with glaze based on cocoa butter substitutes of lauric and non-lauric types. It has been established that the rate of change in the plastic strength of the glaze based on non-lauric type cocoa butter substitutes (using transisomerized fats) is 3–5% less compared to the glaze based on lauric-type cocoa butter substitutes for sweets with almond and cashew core and less by 23–29% compared to core based on hazelnuts and peanuts. Changes in viscosity and plastic strength during storage of products are due to the chemical composition of the glaze and candy cores. With an increase in the storage temperature of products, the rate of such processes increases. The regularities of mass transfer processes make it possible to predict the safety of confectionery products, for the manufacture of which several semi-finished products are used.
La utopía de la escuela rural en Lambayeque desde la Chakana pregunta y la covid-19
Authors: Pérez García Esmeralda , Bocanegra Vilcamango Beder , Villalobos Vera Celeine , Dejo Aguinaga Susan Fabiola
Published: June 2022

El estudio tiene como objetivo caracterizar la gestión escolar en el contexto de la escuela rural considerando la Chakana pregunta en base a un caso expuesto, el mismo que manifiesta un austero manejo y apoyo por parte de las autoridades responsables, haciéndose evidente la deficiente gestión escolar. Se trata de un estudio cualitativo con énfasis en la narrativa-biográfica. Se ha empleado la Chakana pregunta como estrategia para redactar este documento con base en tres preguntas y sus implicancias en la escuela rural desde sus propias diferencias, considerando que el docente encara lo circunstancia y que también la deficiente infraestructura limita el desarrollo de competencias. El resultado es significativo porque la Chakana pregunta es una estrategia que permite redactar textos académicos. Se concluye que la escuela rural sufre una fuerte discriminación por parte del Estado.