bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Efficiency of Transport Infrastructure Connectivity and Trade
Authors: Netirith Narthsirinth , Ji Mingjun
Published: August 2022

Analyzing the efficiency of transport infrastructure connectivity and trade in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is very important for regional integration for international trade in the RCEP. This study aims to significantly measure the efficiency of the connectivity of infrastructure in the RCEP for improving the performance of infrastructure connection and suggest the way to improve the connection of infrastructure. Therefore, the input and output variables of infrastructure connectivity have been inserted to achieve this objective. The inputs are: the number of ports, rail range, and road networks, the number of land borders, the number of maritime borders, number of cross border points, railway linkage with other countries, number of ports connected with railways, and the number of ports connected with road base on the “intermodal and multimodal concept”. On the other hand, the output factors most related to trade and economics are GDP, transport, import, and export volume. The paper applied DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) model by using DEAP software to analyze the data. The result reveals that the efficiency of infrastructures connectivity and international trade in 10 countries were efficient and 5 countries were inefficient. The research study presents ways of development to improve the connectivity by investing in the basic infrastructures, such as increasing the logistics connection points and driving forward for international trade in the RCEP.
Experimental Study on the Shear Mechanical Properties of Anchor Cable with C-Shaped Tube
Authors: Shan Renliang , Liu Weijun , Li Gengzhao , Liang Chen , Shi Shuguo , Chen Ye , Zhang Shupeng
Published: August 2022

Faced with serious tensile–shear fracturing of anchor bolts and cables in deep roadways, it is of great significance to investigate Anchor Cable with C-shaped tube (ACC), a combined structure of a C-shaped tube and an anchor cable with high strength and shear resistance. The shear mechanical properties of the anchor cable and ACC are systematically investigated using the technical means of theoretical analysis and double-shear tests. The improved equipment for a double-shear test not only considers the initial normal stress but also ensures the continuity of the anchor cable’s axial force transmission while considering the influence of the inclination angle on the shear performance of supporting components. The research indicates that the C-shaped tube inhibits the occurrence of stress concentration near the joint surface and improves the stress state of the anchor cable, transforming its failure mode from tensile–shear failure to tensile failure. Compared with the anchor cable, ACC has a higher shear capacity, greater shear stiffness and better ductility in the shear direction. The shear capacity of ACC is higher when it is perpendicular to the joint plane than when inclined to 80°, and the shear capacity of the joint plane is linear with the initial normal stress. Two methods were proposed to contrast the shear capacity between the anchor cable and ACC, including the shear capacity of supporting components and the shear capacity of the joint surface. The former is to evaluate the shear capability of the anchor cable and ACC, while the latter is to evaluate the ability of the anchor cable and ACC to control the shear deformation of the joint surface. The tests results show that the average shear capacity of ACC is 279 kN higher than the anchor cable, with an average increase of 34.9%. The average shear capacity of the joint surface anchored by ACC is 306 kN higher than the anchor cable, with an average increase of 25.2%. ACC can effectively improve the shear capacity of the anchor cable in the free section and has wide application prospects.
Quality Risk Management in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Operations: Case Study for Sterile Product Filling and Final Product Handling Stage
Authors: Alsaidalani Rawidh , Elmadhoun Bassam
Published: August 2022

In the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry, significant risks to products/processes must be formally identified, reduced, and controlled to minimize potential negative impacts on patients. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is one of the well-recognized risk-management tools which is effectively used by the pharmaceutical industry to document and communicate risk control. International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guideline Q9, Quality Risk Management (QRM), represents the first internationally recognized guideline specifically addressing QRM for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. However, Q9 does not provide details on how to use FMEA in real-world pharmaceutical situations. Authors have previously presented a real case study through which various risks were identified and controlled in an early stage of sterile manufacturing process, including (i) procurement/supply chain, (ii) logistics/warehousing, and (iii) raw materials dispensing. This study represents a modeled risk mitigation approach for professionals or regulators in the industry field associated with sterile pharmaceutical production processes such as (a) glass bottle washing and handling, (b) rubber stopper washing and handling, (c) product filling process, (d) final product receiving and handling. The benefits of this case study include providing a proactive means to identify, control, and communicate risks associated with various vital steps, thereby improving decision making and reducing regulatory non-compliant risk. In this study the outcomes of risk assessments associated with every defined step highlighted all critical hazards with risk priority number (RPN) scores equals to or above 105. These hazards are given the priority to be treated and put under control to reduce the RPN to acceptable levels. Although every manufacturer’s product and process are unique, and risk tolerance varies among manufacturers, some processes are generic in nature, and the associated risks are similar. Therefore, our case studies and examples can fit every circumstance in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Determinants of Investment Costs for CDM Projects in the Energy Industry
Authors: Kim Ji-Hoon , Kim Tae-Hwa , Lim Sung-Soo
Published: August 2022

This study reviewed data from 1350 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project design documents for the energy industry; these projects were registered with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from the European Union Emissions Trading System’s second period (December 2012) to the present. This paper contributes to the literature on the energy industry in that it was the first attempt to directly estimate the issuance price based on CDM PDD data. This study extracted and databased effective samples for investment analysis. In addition, carbon emissions pricing analysis in the energy industry (which has the highest proportion in the CDM sector) was conducted to demonstrate which factors, including renewable energy technology, contribute to changing the investment cost per unit of carbon emissions. Cluster analysis shows that business methods and size are unimportant for classifying clusters; after multiple regression analysis, the technology variable was determined to affect investment cost. The issued price was low, in the order of biomass, wind power, hydropower, and waste heat management technology. The empirical results show that biomass technology has the highest investment efficiency, and the carbon emission issuance price of biomass technologies is lower than that of wind and solar technologies, which the Korean government is investing in actively. Therefore, if by-products and natural resources in rural areas are recycled or reused as biomass raw materials, costs can be reduced and linked to rural regeneration channels.
Revisiting Additive Consistency of Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Preference Relations
Authors: Zhang Huimin , Dai Yiyi
Published: August 2022

Consistency has always been a hot topic in the study of decision-making based on preference relations. This paper focuses on the consistency of hesitant fuzzy linguistic preference relations (HFLPRs). Firstly, a new definition of the additive consistency of HFLPRs is given. Secondly, to examine whether an HFLPR is additively consistent, two equivalent programming models are constructed. Thirdly, for inconsistent HFLPRs, the corresponding consistency improvement model is further proposed, where only upper triangular elements in the HFLPRs are considered in view of the symmetry of HFLPRs. Using the consistency improvement model, an inconsistent HFLPR can be adjusted to the consistent one, which retains the original information as much as possible. Fourthly, a hesitant fuzzy linguistic weight vector is introduced and a programming model is constructed to derive the weight vector. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are illustrated by numerical examples and comparative analysis. This result demonstrates that the consistency model proposed considers each element of HFLPRs such that the consistent HFLPRs derived fully retain the original information. Moreover, only some preference values in the HFLPR are adjusted, and no preference value is out of range of the predefined HFLTSs.
Similarity Transformations and Linearization for a Family of Dispersionless Integrable PDEs
Authors: Paliathanasis Andronikos
Published: August 2022

We apply the theory of Lie point symmetries for the study of a family of partial differential equations which are integrable by the hyperbolic reductions method and are reduced to members of the Painlevé transcendents. The main results of this study are that from the application of the similarity transformations provided by the Lie point symmetries, all the members of the family of the partial differential equations are reduced to second-order differential equations, which are maximal symmetric and can be linearized.
A Study of Sentiment Analysis Algorithms for Agricultural Product Reviews Based on Improved BERT Model
Authors: Cao Ying , Sun Zhexing , Li Ling , Mo Weinan
Published: August 2022

With the rise of mobile social networks, an increasing number of consumers are shopping through Internet platforms. The information asymmetry between consumers and producers has caused producers to misjudge the positioning of agricultural products in the market and damaged the interests of consumers. This imbalance between supply and demand is detrimental to the development of the agricultural market. Sentiment tendency analysis of after-sale reviews of agricultural products on the Internet could effectively help consumers evaluate the quality of agricultural products and help enterprises optimize and upgrade their products. Targeting problems such as non-standard expressions and sparse features in agricultural product reviews, this paper proposes a sentiment analysis algorithm based on an improved Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) model with symmetrical structure to obtain sentence-level feature vectors of agricultural product evaluations containing complete semantic information. Specifically, we propose a recognition method based on speech rules to identify the emotional tendencies of consumers when evaluating agricultural products and extract consumer demand for agricultural product attributes from online reviews. Our results showed that the F1 value of the trained model reached 89.86% on the test set, which is an increase of 7.05 compared with that of the original BERT model. The agricultural evaluation classification algorithm proposed in this paper could efficiently determine the emotion expressed by the text, which helps to further analyze network evaluation data, extract effective information, and realize the visualization of emotion.
Stability of Nonlinear Fractional Delay Differential Equations
Authors: Refaai D. A. , El-Sheikh M. M. A. , Ismail Gamal A. F. , Zakarya Mohammed , AlNemer Ghada , Rezk Haytham M.
Published: August 2022

This article discusses several forms of Ulam stability of nonlinear fractional delay differential equations. Our investigation is based on a generalised Gronwall’s inequality and Picard operator theory. Implementations are provided to demonstrate the stability results obtained for finite intervals.
On the Functions of Generalized Marcinkiewicz Integral Operators along Subvarieties via Extrapolation
Authors: Ali Mohammed , Hamadneh Mohammad
Published: August 2022

Under weak conditions assumed on the kernels, appropriate Lp estimates for certain class of generalized Marcinkiewicz integrals over subvarieties are established. By the virtue of the obtained estimates along with Yano’s extrapolation argument, the Lp boundedness of the aforementioned integral operators under weaker conditions on the kernels is proved. The results in this paper represent essential extensions and improvements of many known results on the generalized Marcinkiewicz over symmetric spaces.
A DVA-Beam Element for Dynamic Simulation of DVA-Beam System: Modeling, Validation and Application
Authors: Song Jie , Si Peng , Hua Hongliang , Li Zhongxin
Published: August 2022

The dynamic vibration absorber (DVA) has a broad application background in slender structure vibration reduction, such as in machine gun systems, micro actuators, and so on. Rapid modeling and simulation of the DVA-beam system are of great importance for dynamic performance, evaluation, and finally, the structural design. The primary motivation for this paper is to present a reliable and convenient technique for the modeling and computation of the DVA-beam system. A novel DVA-beam element, which consists of a beam segment and a DVA, is presented. In this element, the DVA position can be arbitrarily allocated, whether on the beam node or within the beam domain. In this way, the beam can be modeled with a few elements to save on computing costs and maintain ideal modeling accuracy. An element deactivating method, which endows the DVA-beam element with the ability to simulate a bare beam and a DVA-beam structure simultaneously, is proposed. Some numerical examples were carried out to validate the reliability of the DVA-beam element in addressing different kinds of boundary conditions by comparing the beam tip responses with those simulated by ADAMS software, and good agreements were observed. Finally, two DVA optimization examples were conducted to investigate the effectiveness and applicability of the DVA-beam element in engineering optimization. The performance was impressive.
Tolerance and Heavy Metal Accumulation Characteristics of Sasa argenteostriata (Regel) E.G. Camus under Zinc Single Stress and Combined Lead–Zinc Stress
Authors: Liao Jiarong , Li Ningfeng , Yang Yixiong , Yang Jing , Tian Yuan , Luo Zhenghua , Jiang Mingyan
Published: August 2022

Sasa argenteostriata (Regel) E.G. Camus is a gramineous plant with the potential for phytoremediation. In this study, we aimed to determine its tolerance to zinc stress and combined lead–zinc stress and the effect of zinc on its absorption and accumulation characteristics of lead. The results showed that S. argenteostriata had good tolerance to zinc stress, and S. argenteostriata was not significantly damaged when the zinc stress concentration was 600 mg/L. Under both zinc stress and combined lead–zinc stress, the root was the main organ that accumulated heavy metals in S. argenteostriata. The presence of zinc promoted the absorption of lead by the root of S. argenteostriata, and the lead content in the root under PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 and PZ4 treatments was 2.15, 4.31, 4.47 and 6.01 times that of PZ0 on the 20 days. In the combined lead–zinc stress treatments, the toxicity of heavy metals to S. argenteostriata was mainly caused by lead. Under high concentrations of combined lead–zinc stress (PZ4), the proportion of zinc in the leaf of S. argenteostriata on the 20 days increased, which was used as a tolerance strategy to alleviate the toxicity of lead.
Growth and Toxigenicity of A. flavus on Resistant and Susceptible Peanut Genotypes
Authors: Tengey Theophilus Kwabla , Kankam Frederick , Ndela Dominic Ngagmayan , Frempong Daniel , Appaw William Ofori
Published: August 2022

Aflatoxin contamination poses serious health concerns to consumers of peanut and peanut products. This study aimed at investigating the response of peanuts to Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin accumulation. Isolates of A. flavus were characterised either as aflatoxigenic or non-aflatoxigenic using multiple cultural techniques. The selected isolates were used in an in vitro seed colonisation (IVSC) experiment on two A. flavus-resistant and susceptible peanut genotypes. Disease incidence, severity, and aflatoxin accumulation were measured. Genotypes differed significantly (p < 0.001) in terms of the incidence and severity of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus infection with the non-aflatoxigenic isolate having significantly higher incidence and severity values. There was no accumulation of aflatoxins in peanut genotypes inoculated with non-aflatoxigenic isolate, indicating its potential as a biocontrol agent. Inoculations with the aflatoxigenic isolate resulted in the accumulation of aflatoxin B1 and G1 in all the peanut genotypes. Aflatoxin B2 was not detected in ICGV–03401 (resistant genotype), while it was present and higher in Manipinta (susceptible genotype) than L027B (resistant genotype). ICGV–03401 can resist fungal infection and aflatoxin accumulation than L027B and Manipinta. Non-aflatoxigenic isolate detected in this study could further be investigated as a biocontrol agent.
Chemical Tracing and the Origin of Carbon in the Galactic Disk
Authors: Gustafsson Bengt
Published: August 2022

A basic problem in studies of the evolution of chemical elements in galaxies is the uncertainties in the yields of elements produced by different types of stars. The possibilities of tracing the sites producing chemical elements and corresponding yields in stellar populations by studying ratios of abundances in stars of different ages and metallicities, with an approach with minimal assumptions concerning the yields, is explored by means of simple models of Galactic chemical evolution. Elemental abundances of carbon and oxygen, obtained by recent observations of samples of solar-type stars with estimated ages in the thin disk of the Galaxy, are analysed. Constraints on the yields from winds of intermediate-mass stars and of hot massive stars, including core-collapse supernovae, are derived. It is found that a dominating contribution of carbon from massive stars is most probable, although stars in the mass interval of two to three solar masses may have provided some amounts of carbon in the Sun. The results are consistent with those obtained by using theoretical yields and more elaborate models of Galactic evolution. The uncertainties as regards the mixing of stellar populations due to migration of stars in the Galactic disk may be important for the conclusions. Variations in the star formation rates, lack of chemical homogeneity in the Galactic gas, the inflow of gas from the intergalactic space and possible variations in the Initial mass function may also limit conclusions about the sites and their yields. Very accurate abundance ratios and the determination of stellar ages provide further important constraints on the yields.
Towards In-Situ Geochemical Analysis of Planetary Rocks and Soils by Laser Ablation/Ionisation Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Tulej Marek , Schmidt Peter Keresztes , Gruchola Salome , de Koning Coenraad P. , Kipfer Kristina A. , Boeren Nikita J. , Ligterink Niels F. W. , Riedo Andreas , Wurz Peter
Published: August 2022

Spectroscopic instruments were a part of payloads on orbiter and lander missions and delivered vast data sets to explore minerals, elements and molecules on air-less rocky planets, asteroids and comets on global and local scales. To answer current space science questions, the chemical composition of planetary rocks and soils at grain scale is required, as well as measurements of element (isotope) concentrations down to the part per million or lower. Only mass spectrometric methods equipped with laser sampling ion sources can deliver the necessary information. Laser sampling techniques can reduce the dimensions of the investigated sample material down to micrometre scale, allowing for the composition analysis of grain-sized objects or thin mineral layers with sufficiently high spatial resolution, such that important geological processes can be recognised and studied as they progressed in time. We describe the performance characteristics, when applied to meteorite and geological samples, of a miniaturised laser ablation/ionisation mass spectrometer (named LMS) system that has been developed in our group. The main advantages of the LMS instrument over competing techniques are illustrated by examples of high spatial (lateral and vertical) resolution studies in different meteorites, terrestrial minerals and fossil-like structures in ancient rocks for most elements of geochemical interest. Top-level parameters, such as dimension, weight, and power consumption of a possible flight design of the LMS system are presented as well.
Expression of NAC1 Restrains the Memory Formation of CD8+ T Cells during Viral Infection
Authors: Wang Liqing , Kumar Anil , Das Jugal Kishore , Ren Yijie , Peng Hao-Yun , Ballard Darby Jane , Xiong Xiaofang , Davis Jacob Rance , Ren Xingcong , Yang Jin-Ming , Song Jianxun
Published: August 2022

Nucleus accumbens-associated protein 1 (NAC1) is a transcription co-factor that has been shown to possess multiple roles in stem cell and cancer biology. However, little is known about its roles in regulation of the immune system. In the current study, we observed that expression of NAC1 impacted the survival of CD8+ T cells in vitro. NAC1−/− CD8+ T cells displayed lower metabolism, including reduced glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. In vivo, compared with wild-type (WT) mice, NAC1−/− mice produced a lower response to vaccinia virus (VACV) infection, and viral antigen (Ag)-specific CD8+ T cells decreased more slowly. Additionally, we observed that the NAC1−/− mice demonstrated a stronger memory formation of viral Ag-specific CD8+ T cells post-viral infection. Mechanically, we identified that compared with WT CD8+ T cells, the Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 (IRF4), a key transcription factor in T cell development, was highly expressed in NAC1−/− CD8+ T cells, insinuating that IRF4 could be a critical regulatory target of NAC1 in the memory formation of CD8+ T cells. Our results indicate that NAC1 restrains the memory formation of CD8+ T cells by modulating IRF4, and targeting NAC1 may be exploited as a new approach to boosting CD8+ T cell memory.
Correlating IgG Levels with Neutralising Antibody Levels to Indicate Clinical Protection in Healthcare Workers at Risk during a Measles Outbreak
Authors: Hu Siyuan , Logan Nicola , Coleman Sarah , Evans Cariad , Willett Brian J. , Hosie Margaret J.
Published: August 2022

The rapid transmission of measles poses a great challenge for measles elimination. Thus, rapid testing is required to screen the health status in the population during measles outbreaks. A pseudotype-based virus neutralisation assay was used to measure neutralising antibody titres in serum samples collected from healthcare workers in Sheffield during the measles outbreak in 2016. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) pseudotypes bearing the haemagglutinin and fusion glycoproteins of measles virus (MeV) and carrying a luciferase marker gene were prepared; the neutralising antibody titre was defined as the dilution resulting in 90% reduction in luciferase activity. Spearman’s correlation coefficients between IgG titres and neutralising antibody levels ranged from 0.40 to 0.55 (p < 0.05) or from 0.71 to 0.79 (p < 0.0001) when the IgG titres were obtained using different testing kits. In addition, the currently used vaccine was observed to cross-neutralise most circulating MeV genotypes. However, the percentage of individuals being “well-protected” was lower than 95%, the target rate of vaccination coverage to eliminate measles. These results demonstrate that the level of clinical protection against measles in individuals could be inferred by IgG titre, as long as a precise correlation has been established between IgG testing and neutralisation assay; moreover, maintaining a high vaccination coverage rate is still necessary for measles elimination.
Enteroviral 2B Interacts with VDAC3 to Regulate Reactive Oxygen Species Generation That Is Essential to Viral Replication
Authors: Cheng Mei-Ling , Wu Chien-Hsiang , Chien Kun-Yi , Lai Chien-Hsueh , Li Guan-Jie , Liu Yuan-Yu , Lin Gigin , Ho Hung-Yao
Published: August 2022

Enterovirus (EV) 71 caused episodes of outbreaks in China and Southeast Asia during the last few decades. We have previously reported that EV71 induces reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Co-immunoprecipitation-proteomic analysis revealed that enteroviral 2B protein interacted with mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel 3 (VDAC3). Knockdown (KD) of VDAC3 expression specifically inhibited enteroviral replication. Single-round viral replication was also inhibited in KD cells, suggesting that VDAC3 plays an essential role in replication. Consistent with this, VDAC3 gene KD significantly reduced the EV71-induced mitochondrial ROS generation. Exogenous 2B expression could induce the mitochondrial ROS generation that was significantly reduced in VDAC3-KD cells or in the Mito-TEMPO-treated cells. Moreover, VDAC3 appears to be necessary for regulation of antioxidant metabolism. VDAC3 gene KD led to the enhancement of such pathways as hypotaurine/taurine synthesis in the infected cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that 2B and VDAC3 interact to enhance mitochondrial ROS generation, which promotes viral replication.
Impact of the Potential m6A Modification Sites at the 3′UTR of Alfalfa Mosaic Virus RNA3 in the Viral Infection
Authors: Alvarado-Marchena Luis , Martínez-Pérez Mireya , Úbeda Jesús R. , Pallas Vicente , Aparicio Frederic
Published: August 2022

We have previously reported the presence of m6A in the AMV (Alfamovirus, Bromoviridae) genome. Interestingly, two of these putative m6A-sites are in hairpin (hp) structures in the 3’UTR of the viral RNA3. One site (2012AAACU2016) is in the loop of hpB, within the coat protein binding site 1 (CPB1), while the other (1900UGACC1904) is in the lower stem of hpE, a loop previously associated with AMV negative-strand RNA synthesis. In this work, we have performed in vivo experiments to assess the role of these two regions, containing the putative m6A-sites in the AMV cycle, by introducing compensatory point mutations to interfere with or abolish the m6A-tag of these sites. Our results suggest that the loop of hpB could be involved in viral replication/accumulation. Meanwhile, in the 1900UGACC1904 motif of the hpE, the maintenance of the adenosine residue and the lower stem hpE structure are necessary for in vivo plus-strand accumulation. These results extend our understanding of the requirements for hpE in the AMV infection cycle, indicating that both the residue identity and the base-pairing capacity in this structure are essential for viral accumulation.
Dynamics of HIV-1/HTLV-I Co-Infection Model with Humoral Immunity and Cellular Infection
Authors: AlShamrani Noura H. , Alshaikh Matuka A. , Elaiw Ahmed M. , Hattaf Khalid
Published: August 2022

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) are two retroviruses which infect the same target, CD4+ T cells. This type of cell is considered the main component of the immune system. Since both viruses have the same means of transmission between individuals, HIV-1-infected patients are more exposed to the chance of co-infection with HTLV-I, and vice versa, compared to the general population. The mathematical modeling and analysis of within-host HIV-1/HTLV-I co-infection dynamics can be considered a robust tool to support biological and medical research. In this study, we have formulated and analyzed an HIV-1/HTLV-I co-infection model with humoral immunity, taking into account both latent HIV-1-infected cells and HTLV-I-infected cells. The model considers two modes of HIV-1 dissemination, virus-to-cell (V-T-C) and cell-to-cell (C-T-C). We prove the nonnegativity and boundedness of the solutions of the model. We find all steady states of the model and establish their existence conditions. We utilize Lyapunov functions and LaSalle’s invariance principle to investigate the global stability of all the steady states of the model. Numerical simulations were performed to illustrate the corresponding theoretical results. The effects of humoral immunity and C-T-C transmission on the HIV-1/HTLV-I co-infection dynamics are discussed. We have shown that humoral immunity does not play the role of clearing an HIV-1 infection but it can control HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, we note that the omission of C-T-C transmission from the HIV-1/HTLV-I co-infection model leads to an under-evaluation of the basic HIV-1 mono-infection reproductive ratio.
Disinfectants against SARS-CoV-2: A Review
Authors: Xiao Shuqi , Yuan Zhiming , Huang Yi
Published: August 2022

The pandemic due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as a serious global public health issue. Besides the high transmission rate from individual to individual, indirect transmission from inanimate objects or surfaces poses a more significant threat. Since the start of the outbreak, the importance of respiratory protection, social distancing, and chemical disinfection to prevent the spread of the virus has been the prime focus for infection control. Health regulatory organizations have produced guidelines for the formulation and application of chemical disinfectants to manufacturing industries and the public. On the other hand, extensive literature on the virucidal efficacy testing of microbicides for SARS-CoV-2 has been published over the past year and a half. This review summarizes the studies on the most common chemical disinfectants and their virucidal efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, including the type and concentration of the chemical disinfectant, the formulation, the presence of excipients, the exposure time, and other critical factors that determine the effectiveness of chemical disinfectants. In this review, we also critically appraise these disinfectants and conduct a discussion on the role they can play in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Female Genital Fibroblasts Diminish the In Vitro Efficacy of PrEP against HIV
Authors: George Ashley F. , McGregor Matthew , Gingrich David , Neidleman Jason , Marquez Rebecca S. , Young Kyrlia C. , Thanigaivelan Kaavya L. , Greene Warner C. , Tien Phyllis C. , Deitchman Amelia N. , Spitzer Trimble L. , Roan Nadia R.
Published: August 2022

The efficacy of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is high in men who have sex with men, but much more variable in women, in a manner largely attributed to low adherence. This reduced efficacy, however, could also reflect biological factors. Transmission to women is typically via the female reproductive tract (FRT), and vaginal dysbiosis, genital inflammation, and other factors specific to the FRT mucosa can all increase transmission risk. We have demonstrated that mucosal fibroblasts from the lower and upper FRT can markedly enhance HIV infection of CD4+ T cells. Given the current testing of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, cabotegravir, and dapivirine regimens as candidate PrEP agents for women, we set out to determine using in vitro assays whether endometrial stromal fibroblasts (eSF) isolated from the FRT can affect the anti-HIV activity of these PrEP drugs. We found that PrEP drugs exhibit significantly reduced antiviral efficacy in the presence of eSFs, not because of decreased PrEP drug availability, but rather of eSF-mediated enhancement of HIV infection. These findings suggest that drug combinations that target both the virus and infection-promoting factors in the FRT—such as mucosal fibroblasts—may be more effective than PrEP alone at preventing sexual transmission of HIV to women.
A Vaccine Based on Asia1 Shamir of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Offers Low Levels of Protection to Pigs against Asia1/MOG/05, Circulating in East Asia
Authors: Kim Heeyeon , Seo Hwi Won , Cho Ho-Seong , Oh Yeonsu
Published: August 2022

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most contagious diseases in cloven hoof animals. Vaccination can prevent or control FMD, and vaccine antigens should be matched against circulating viruses. According to phylogenetic analyses, field isolates in this region belonged to genotype V and showed low genetic similarity with the Asia1 Shamir vaccine, the OIE-recommended vaccine strain. In this study, we investigated whether pigs vaccinated with the Asia1 Shamir vaccine could be protected from challenges with the Asia1/MOG/05 virus, one of the genotype V field isolates. Eight pigs were divided into either vaccinated or nonvaccinated control groups. After two vaccinations with Asia1 Shamir, both groups of pigs were challenged with the Asia1/MOG/05 field isolate at 2 weeks after the second vaccination. In the control group, symptoms appeared at 2 days post-infection (dpi). The clinical sign score peaked at 4 dpi, and this coincided with virus shedding through nasal discharge. Neutralizing antibody titers peaked at 17 dpi. In the vaccinated group, clinical signs were delayed compared with the control group, and the highest score was shown at 10 dpi accompanied with virus nasal shedding, which peaked at 11 dpi. Neutralizing antibodies were induced 2 weeks after the second vaccination and peaked at 17 dpi. In conclusion, Asia1 Shamir vaccination in pigs provided partial protection from Asia1/MOG/05 virus infection.
Multitasking Effects on Perception and Memory in Older Adults
Authors: Contemori Giulio , Saccani Maria Silvia , Bonato Mario
Published: August 2022

Performing multiple tasks in parallel is detrimental to performance, a phenomenon generically referred to as dual-task interference (DTi). Several variables can modulate DTi at the individual level, and increasing age is typically described as negatively affecting response costs. In this study, we investigated, in 252 healthy adults aged between 50 and 89 years, how age modulates the detrimental effect of DTi during the encoding of images. We combined a visual memory task and a sustained attention task (i.e., an auditory version of the continuous performance task, ACPT) in three separate blocks. In the first block, participants had to perform a four-alternative forced-choice recognition of previously memorized images without having attended to ACPT sounds during the encoding. In the second block, during memorization, participants had to press a response key when detecting the letter “X” within a stream of letters (Low Load). In the third block, they had to respond only when the letter “X” was preceded by the letter “A” (High Load). The results showed that overall performance linearly decreased with age. In contrast with our predictions, DTi was stable across different ages. Finally, using a cluster-based approach, we found that participants who paid the highest costs when dual-tasking also demonstrated, on a self-administered cognitive screening significantly lower scores than peers. These new types of tests, which ask for concurrent task performance, might become useful for detecting outlier performance that might anticipate or correlate with aging–related cognitive decline.
Spatially Distributed Overstory and Understory Leaf Area Index Estimated from Forest Inventory Data
Authors: Goeking Sara A. , Tarboton David G.
Published: August 2022

Forest change affects the relative magnitudes of hydrologic fluxes such as evapotranspiration (ET) and streamflow. However, much is unknown about the sensitivity of streamflow response to forest disturbance and recovery. Several physically based models recognize the different influences that overstory versus understory canopies exert on hydrologic processes, yet most input datasets consist of total leaf area index (LAI) rather than individual canopy strata. Here, we developed stratum-specific LAI datasets with the intent of improving the representation of vegetation for ecohydrologic modeling. We applied three pre-existing methods for estimating overstory LAI, and one new method for estimating both overstory and understory LAI, to measurements collected from a probability-based plot network established by the US Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, for a modeling domain in Montana, MT, USA. We then combined plot-level LAI estimates with spatial datasets (i.e., biophysical and remote sensing predictors) in a machine learning algorithm (random forests) to produce annual gridded LAI datasets. Methods that estimate only overstory LAI tended to underestimate LAI relative to Landsat-based LAI (mean bias error ≥ 0.83), while the method that estimated both overstory and understory layers was most strongly correlated with Landsat-based LAI (r2 = 0.80 for total LAI, with mean bias error of -0.99). During 1984-2019, interannual variability of understory LAI exceeded that for overstory LAI; this variability may affect partitioning of precipitation to ET vs. runoff at annual timescales. We anticipate that distinguishing overstory and understory components of LAI will improve the ability of LAI-based models to simulate how forest change influences hydrologic processes.
A Machine Learning-Based Surrogate Model for the Identification of Risk Zones Due to Off-Stream Reservoir Failure
Authors: Silva-Cancino Nathalia , Salazar Fernando , Sanz-Ramos Marcos , Bladé Ernest
Published: August 2022

Approximately 70,000 Spanish off-stream reservoirs, many of them irrigation ponds, need to be evaluated in terms of their potential hazard to comply with the new national Regulation of the Hydraulic Public Domain. This requires a great engineering effort to evaluate different scenarios with two-dimensional hydraulic models, for which many owners lack the necessary resources. This work presents a simplified methodology based on machine learning to identify risk zones at any point in the vicinity of an off-stream reservoir without the need to elaborate and run full two-dimensional hydraulic models. A predictive model based on random forest was created from datasets including the results of synthetic cases computed with an automatic tool based on the two-dimensional numerical software Iber. Once fitted, the model provided an estimate on the potential hazard considering the physical characteristics of the structure, the surrounding terrain and the vulnerable locations. Two approaches were compared for balancing the dataset: the synthetic minority oversampling and the random undersampling. Results from the random forest model adjusted with the random undersampling technique showed to be useful for the estimation of risk zones. On a real application test the simplified method achieved 91% accuracy.
Identifying Flow Eddy Currents in the River System as the Riverbank Scouring Cause: A Case Study of the Mekong River
Authors: Nguyen Tanh , Shih Dong-Sin , Chua Lloyd , Kieu Huyen , Ha Linh , Nguyen Linh , Luu Ninh , Huynh Thai , Duong Linh , Ngo An , Nguyen Hoa , Tran Chau
Published: August 2022

River morphological change is the complex evolution of riverbed states, which can lead to serious riverbank failures, and is a worldwide concern. However, revealing the cause of the evolution, in particular, the potential morphological scouring by eddy currents, is difficult. Accordingly, we propose a comprehensive combination of 2D and 3D simulations to reveal the eddy currents. We selected the Vam Nao, part of the Mekong River, with semi-tidal effects and confluence flows as the case study. We created two unstructured 40 m × 40 m triangular meshes using inverse distance interpolation. This study used the Saint–Venant equations (TELEMAC2D) and Navier–Stokes equations (TELEMAC3D) to reveal the eddy currents for 2009, 2017, and 2018. TELEMAC2D (the simplified form of TELEMAC3D) was assessed for 15 days, 3 months, and 1 year, which met a satisfactory level. The eddy currents’ appearance was verified by local knowledge. We found recirculating currents near the riverbank to the East (right at the riverbank failures), whose velocity was approximately half and 1/3–1/4 of the mainstream flow velocity in the dry and flood seasons, respectively. Our study approach performed well in revealing the eddy currents, which can aid in assessing potential riverbank failures and can be applicable to similar contexts.
An Energy Efficient Process for Degrading Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Using Strip Fountain Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma
Authors: Cheng Jiushan , Fan Yangyang , Pei Xueyun , Tian Di , Liu Zhongwei , Yang Lizhen , Feng Eric , Ji Hai-Feng , Chen Qiang
Published: August 2022

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is an artificially synthesized per-fluorinated chemical widely used in industry. It is often released into the environment without treatment and causes pollution in groundwater. In this paper, we employed a strip fountain dielectric barrier discharge (SF-DBD) plasma source to degrade PFOA from the water. The effects of power supply mode, discharge gases, pH, the conductivity of the solution, concentration, etc., on the degradation efficiency were studied. For a 200 mL sample of 75 mg/L PFOA, a 99% degradation efficiency with a 204.5 μg/kJ energy production rate was achieved using an average power of 43 W negative pulse argon plasma for 50 min at atmospheric pressure. The total organic carbon concentration (TOC) decreased by 63% after a 60 min treatment. The SF-DBD proves to be a promising and energy-saving technique to efficiently remove PFOA from water.
Order Out of Chaos in Soil–Water Retention Curves
Authors: Borges Lucas Parreira de Faria , Cavalcante André Luís Brasil , Ozelim Luan Carlos de Sena Monteiro
Published: August 2022

Water flow in porous media is one of many phenomena in nature that can demonstrate both simple and complex behaviors. A soil–water retention curve (SWRC) is needed to characterize this flow properly. This curve relates the soil water content and the matric potential (or porepressure), being fundamental for simulating unsaturated soil behaviors. This article proposes a new model based on simple assumptions regarding the saturated and unsaturated branches of soil–water retention curves. Despite its simplicity, the modeling capability of the proposed SWRC is shown for two types of soil. This new SWRC is obtained as a logistic function after solving an ordinary differential equation (ODE). This ODE can also be solved numerically using the Finite Difference Method (FDM), which indicates that the discrete version of the SWRC can be represented as the logistic map for specific parameters. On the other hand, this discrete representation is known to encompass chaotic and fractal behaviors. This link is used to investigate the stability and convergence of the FDM scheme, indicating that for values pre-bifurcation, both the FDM and the analytical solution of the ODE represent the new SWRC. This way, the present paper is the first step to better understating how a chaotic framework could be related to SWRCs and geotechnics in general.
Effects of Polyester Microfibers on the Growth and Toxicity Production of Bloom-Forming Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa
Authors: Lu Yufan , Huang Ruohan , Wang Jialin , Wang Liqing , Zhang Wei
Published: August 2022

The global pollution of microplastics (MPs) has attracted wide attention, and many studies have been conducted on the effects of MP qualities or types and particle sizes on aquatic organisms. However, few studies on the impact of polyethylene terephthalate microplastic (mPET) with different colors on phytoplankton in aquatic ecosystems have been carried out. In this study, mPET of three common colors (green, black, and white) in different concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100, and 200 mg/L) were selected to explore effects on a bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The growth, photosynthesis, the number and size of colony, and MC-LR production of M. aeruginosa were studied within a 25-days exposure experiment. The results showed that colors of mPET had significant effects on the growth and photosynthesis of this species but the concentration of mPET had no significant effect. The low concentration of green mPET group promoted algal growth, photosynthesis, and the M. aeruginosa exposed to it was easier to agglomerate into colonies. Moreover, both mPET colors and concentrations have a significant impact on the microcystin production of M. aeruginosa. The low concentration of the green mPET group significantly inhibited the production throughout the experiment, while the white and black mPET significantly increased the concentration of extracellular microcystin (MC-LR). Our results provided new insights into the effects of MPs with different colors and concentrations on the growth and physiology of cyanobacteria and provide basic data for the ecological risk assessment and pollution prevention of MPs.
The Danger of Cultural Erasure in Inter-Ethnic, Inter-Religious, Trans-National Rescue During Genocide: A Comparison of the Shoah and the Bosnian Civil War
Authors: Pierce Elyse
Published: August 2022

International genocide intervention strategies that involve the extended evacuation and/or displacement of refugees often save the physical lives of would-be victims at the expense of psychological and social trauma and cultural erasure. Through a comparison of the international rescue efforts of the Kindertransport program in Great Britain prior to and during the Second World War and the refugee caravans organized by La Benevolencija in Sarajevo during the Bosnian Civil War, the benefits and dangers of inter-ethnic, inter-religious rescue in times of mass violence are examined, along with how the social dynamics of racialized religious identification influenced the occurrence of these intervention strategies. The implications gleaned from this comparison offer guidance for current and future genocide intervention programs, where great care should be taken, whenever possible, to keep family groups intact and together, provide necessary psychological and social services for refugees, and allow for the continued practice of communal cultural and religious traditions without forced assimilation. The moment of physical rescue is only the initial component of a successful intervention into religio-ethnic violence; to truly prevent the genocidal destruction of a people and culture, those people’s ability to identify with their traditions and maintain their way of life is of equal and vital importance.
Status and distribution of Paraguayan Mustelidae
Authors: Smith Paul
Published: August 2022

Five species of Mustelidae are known to occur in Paraguay – Tayra Eira barbara, Lesser Grison Galictis cuja, Greater Grison Galictis vittata, Giant Otter Pteronura brasiliensis and Neotropical Otter Lontra longicaudis. However, Paraguayan data
regarding the distribution and status of these species in Paraguay is not easily obtainable, and scattered amongst numerous, often obscure publications. Paraguayan literature and specimens were reviewed to compile data on the distribution and status of these species in the country and records
are presented in a hierarchical manner reflecting the reliability of each report. Data on these species in Paraguay are sorely lacking and our knowledge of distribution in the country is poor. The specimen record is incomplete and severely biased towards the Chaco region. Most species are
apparently widespread and fairly common in the country. Giant Otter has a more restricted distribution, mainly in the Pantanal region. The precise distribution of the Greater Grison is unclear, probably because of widespread confusion of this species with the Lesser Grison.