bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy efficiency of Greek school buildings and cost of bioclimatic interventions
Authors: Galanaki T , Giannarou S , Zervas E
Published: December 2022

Energy consumption in school buildings and improving their energy efficiency is an important research issue. This study aims to investigate the energy behaviour of school buildings in Greece, based on their date of construction and technical characteristics, before and after the implementation of various bioclimatic intervention scenarios on them and the subsequent estimation of their cost according to their typology. The method followed is the research and collection of data on the evolution of school buildings over time and their classification into three categories, to determine the most representative in regards to their time period and their technical characteristics. Based on this standardization, their energy situation is assessed with the program of TEE-KENAK and the implementation of the Technical Instructions TOTEE / 2017. Then, scenarios regarding bioclimatic passive interventions in the shell of the buildings and in their electromechanical installation are applied and their energy efficiency is investigated, which improves significantly, especially in older buildings, with a respective reduction in their energy consumption. Finally, the cost of these interventions is calculated, depending on the category of the building and the type of intervention.
Development of transport in Albania and opportunities for a sustainable transport
Authors: Cacaj P
Published: December 2022

Transport in the Republic of Albania, with all efforts for its development, has not yet reached the contemporary levels and standards. While the transport of passengers and goods, carried out by road transport, has undergone a great development, the same can’t be said for rail transport.

Rail transport is a great untapped potential, low cost, with low levels of pollution and no traffic jams. Through this paper we’ll try to provide an analyse of the total demand for freight and passenger transport as well as the possibilities of developing rail transport by comparing it with road transport.

The methodology of the study is based on the classical model of transport. Graphs of traffic flows as well as analysis of official statistical data will be the basis for drawing conclusions.

The need for the development of rail freight and passenger transport is urgent, as the capacities of national road axes are reaching maximum traffic values.

The connections of Rail transport with the countries of the region would affect the reduction of means of transport and would meet the needs of different passengers. Based on the results, we will give some suggestions regarding the development of rail transport.
Evaluating transport sustainability in metropolitan Athens through a cable car proposal as a partial alternative to the announced metro Line 4.
Authors: Papadopoulou Iris , Tzanetatos Dionisis
Published: December 2022

Transport sector bears a significant share of responsibility for today’s society environmental issues. In this context, transport ought to include sustainable design principles in the early stages of development of each project. The present work examines an alternative proposal for Metropolitan Athens urban transport, introducing an innovative solution that has recently emerged, urban cable cars. Through literature study and the review of other cities’ best practices, cable cars’ technical characteristics as well as favourable and limiting factors are analysed. A new cable car line is proposed as a partial alternative to line 4 of the Athens metro, which construction has been announced to begin soon. The area of interest covers Zografou and Kaisariani Municipalities, located just a throw stone away from the center of Athens. Comparison factors include capacity, travel time, accessibility, safety, construction time and cost, operating and maintenance costs, environmental impacts, social acceptance and travel quality. Results indicate that cable cars provide sufficient capacity for the specific area offering many environmental advantages and also better coverage, lower cost (both construction and maintenance), lower energy consumption and better travel quality. On the other hand, Athens metro line 4 is evaluated as over-designed according to the expected ridership. As the latest developments in technology show, cable cars are sustainable means of transport with great potential within the urban fabric, under certain circumstances. The contribution of this work relies on revealing alternative solutions to cities’ transit problems, which in terms of environmental design can be resolved without the need to invest in large-scale projects such as metros.
Prediction and environmental appraisal of traffic noise intensity by auto-regressive integrated moving average technique
Authors: Kontoni D-P N , Ihemeje J , Onyelowe K C , Ebid A M
Published: December 2022

Auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) assessment of traffic noise was conducted on different routes in Port Harcourt, Nigerian metropolis. This was achieved by measuring the traffic noise on the various routes of asphalt flexible and concrete rigid pavement structures with a meter for sound measurement with regards to the volume of traffic, vehicle movement rate, and location away from the midpoint of the highway. The average peak noise of traffic was obtained at selected distances of 5m, 10m, and 15m from the middle of the highway, for locations 1, 2, 3 and their mean average case 4 (Trunk A flexible pavement), for location 5 (Trunk C flexible pavement), and for location 6 (Trunk C rigid pavement). The results of the investigation show that the values of traffic noise at locations 1 to 3 and their mean average case 4 had the same range of high noise intensity as Trunk A flexible pavement and classified as heavy-traveled roads; while conversely, location 5 (Trunk C) had the same range of lower noise intensity, which was classified as light-traveled road. For Trunk C, the noise generated in a flexible pavement was less than that from a rigid pavement. Generally, the R2 values of the ARIMA models showed very good performance along selected travel routes. For case-specific distances, the ARIMA models performed very efficiently and had very high R2 values.
Evaluation of the functionality, safety, and environmental impact of the new pop-up bicycle lane on Konstantinos Karamanlis Avenue in Thessaloniki, Greece
Authors: Kinis Dionysios , Palantzas Georgios , Nalmpantis Dimitrios
Published: December 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic had some positive results regarding the established policy of the European Union (EU) of promoting active mobility, such as the creation of temporary bicycle lanes and paths, to facilitate mobility in the era of social distancing. Such a bicycle lane was constructed in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Konstantinos Karamanlis Avenue. In the summer of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a bicycle lane was constructed on Konstantinos Karamanlis Avenue. In the present paper, a questionnaire survey is presented regarding the functionality, effectiveness, safety, and environmental impact of this specific bicycle lane. In total, 228 people participated in the survey. They were able to evaluate the different problems encountered on the bicycle lane and the behavior of the other road users and to make judgments and suggestions for its improvement. Important conclusions emerge from the collected data, such as that the citizens believe that there are significant problems with the safety of the bicycle lane and less important problems with its operation. Finally, it seems that there is a great desire to strengthen active mobility and especially cycling in the city of Thessaloniki, given that the infrastructure will provide the appropriate safety.
A review on best practices using hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles in public transport
Authors: Akac Attila , Tsiatsiou Konstantina , Angelakakis Angelos
Published: December 2022

Road transportation sector is responsible for 21.8% of EU’s CO2eq emissions forcing the shift to a de-carbonised mobility scheme, whilst maintaining competitiveness and satisfying the increasing demand mobility needs. Thus, the development of electric vehicles (EVs) and the investigation of alternative fuels by the research community have emerged. Hydrogen is considered a good substitute fuel for the road transport sector if it is produced from renewable energy sources. Several cities have already started to replace a percentage of their conventional public transport fleet with fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV). This paper provides a detailed presentation of several best practices applied in small-medium scale European cities and regions. Best practices are investigated from a city-centred point of view to provide a clearer understanding of the hydrogen initiatives performed in the specific areas. The selected scenarios have demonstrated and implemented different state-of-the-art hydrogen applications in the hydrogen mobility supply chain, which could be potentially tested in other regions with similar geographical, economical and transport activities. Finally, the outcomes of this review study identify different challenges, barriers and opportunities of hydrogen mobility applications which other cities should take into consideration before investing in this technology.
Evaluation of alternative mobility scenarios in the post-COVID-19 period with the use of Multi-Actor Multi-Criteria Analysis (MAMCA)
Authors: Chrysanidis Theodoros , Nalmpantis Dimitrios
Published: December 2022

The emergence, spread, and outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, first in the Wuhan city of China but later in the rest of the world, has affected the lives of people all over the world. This inevitable influence has not left the transportation sector unaffected. Therefore, there is a need to examine whether the choices of citizens have been influenced in terms of their mobility. The choice of the optimal solution for each citizen depends on many factors, such as the price of transportation fuel, the safety of going to work, the availability of public transport, the possibility of risk of infection, etc. The mobility choices of the citizens in the pre-COVID-19 era in comparison with the post-COVID-19 era have changed due to the increased vigilance of the citizens. In addition to citizens, other stakeholders are infectious disease experts/epidemiologists, transportation engineers, etc. This is, therefore, a problem that is offered for analysis using Multi-Actor Multi-Criteria Analysis (MAMCA). This research investigates the mobility choices of people in the post-COVID-19 era using the different stakeholder groups and the MAMCA methodology. Useful results arise concerning the influencing factors of the mobility choices of different stakeholder groups in the post-COVID-19 era.
Characterization of Porous Geopolymers Mortars for the Production of a Sustainable Material
Authors: Ghauch A. , Saba M. , Sayet T.
Published: December 2022

Portland cement is the most popular material used in construction. It is characterized by exceptional thermal, mechanical, and durability properties. However, an alarming amount of pollution and energy consumption is generated during its production [1]. Scientists are in continuous search to find new environmentally friendly cementitious materials, exhibiting good mechanical properties. Geopolymer is looked at as the new inorganic binders fulfilling these specifications. The work suggested by scientists shows that geopolymer has very good mechanical properties when compared to concrete, and has a lower carbon footprint, leading to a great potential for using it as a full or partial replacement for ordinary Portland cement [2]. However, few tests have been done on geopolymer specimens with various porosities, especially geopolymer concrete made using Lebanese metakaolin. This study aims to create Lebanese metakaolin-based geopolymer mixes having dissimilar porosities and test their mechanical properties to assess if they can be used as environmentally friendly materials. This will determine the effect of porosity on the mechanical performance of GPC made with Lebanese metakaolin. Assessing these properties can support the elaboration of materials that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly as some applications require a permeable medium. Results indicated very promising values when comparing the compressive strength of the tested Geopolymer with respect to Ordinary Portland Cement. Therefore, geopolymer mortars are less affected by porosity than OPC and reliably elaborating a material that has gained its place as a feasible and sustainable building material.
Investigation of the fire effect on the behavior of corrugated steel plate shear walls considering environmental aspects
Authors: Kontoni D-P N , Ghamari A , Mahmudi S
Published: December 2022

Fire can be an adverse event with tangible costs for property and human life. In addition to its physical costs, fire has a range of obvious adverse consequences on the environment. One of the fire’s adverse outcomes is its effect on the structures. Corrugated Steel Plate Shear Walls (SPSWs) are environmentally friendly since they can be manufactured in the factory, reducing the environmental disturbance around the construction site, and also, they can be easily dismounted and recycled. In this paper, the effect of fire on the behavior of corrugated SPSWs was investigated numerically and parametrically. In so doing, the hysteresis of the system before (at the ambient temperature) and after applying the fire was investigated. For the parametrical study, the effect of the thickness (t) and the length-to-height ratio (ω=L/H) of the infill plate were investigated on the ultimate strength, stiffness, and yielding of the corrugated SPSW system. The finite element (FE) results showed that by increasing the thickness as well as the length-to-height ratio, the behavior of the corrugated SPSWs was improved. Also, the results indicated that fire affects the ultimate strength, yielding over the wall and hysteresis curve; additionally, the stiffness is affected by the fire. It was proposed to account for the fire by applying the reduction factor of 0.4 to the ultimate strength.
Polymer-functionalized nanoparticles as agents for the in situ remediation of oil-contaminated soils
Authors: Ntente C , Strekla A , Iatridi Z , Theodoropoulou M , Bokias G , Tsakiroglou C D
Published: December 2022

In-situ flushing of chemicals, such as nanoparticle (NP) suspensions, and NP-based Pickering emulsions, is a well-promising method for the remediation of soils and aquifers contaminated with non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) and the enhanced oil recovery from reservoir rocks. Linear and comb-type copolymers were synthesized by combining (i) hydrophilic, anionic monomers like 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPSA) and acrylic acid (AA) with (ii) hydrophobic monomers like dodecyl methacrylate (DMA). Moreover, polymer-coated nanoparticles (PNPs) was prepared by post-grafting and surface initiated free radical polymerization (FRP) on commercial silica nanoparticles. Dilute dispersions of polymers and PNPs were mixed with salts (NaCl, CaCl2), their dynamic surface and oil/water interfacial tensions were measured by the pendant drop method, and the wettability of all fluid systems to glass surface was quantified by measuring the contact angle. Oil-in-water Pickering emulsions were prepared by dispersing n-dodecane in polymers and n-decane in PNP-colloid with ultrasound probe, and their stability was evaluated by tracking the phase separation and changes of rheological properties, as functions of time. Furthermore, the most stable polymers and PNP-based dispersions and emulsions were chosen and tested as chemicals for the removal of residual oil from a transparent glass-etched pore network.
Determination of aspirin in municipal wastewaters of Nur-Sultan City, Kazakhstan
Authors: Satayeva A , Kerim T , Kamal A , Issayev J , Inglezakis V , Kim J , Arkhangelsky E
Published: December 2022

The presence of aspirin in the municipal wastewater of Nur-Sultan city, Kazakhstan, was studied in this research. Aqueous phase samples were collected before any treatment [1] and in the end of treatment process of Nur-Sultan wastewater treatment plant [2]. The study was conducted from April to December 2021. The concentrations of target compound were measured using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC).

The obtained results showed that the concentration of aspirin was generally higher than those reported in the literature. For instance, influent and effluent concentrations of aspirin were equal to 42.8 – 60.4 ppb and 1.4 – 6.5 ppb, respectively (October – December period). The removal of aspirin by wastewater treatment process was equal to 50 - 90.2%. Aspirin was not detected in the spring-summer period of 2021. This could be due to usage of aspirin as a medicine for the treatment and prevention of seasonal flu in the autumn-winter period by the population of the city of Nur-Sultan. Currently, our research team is working on investigation of other potential contaminants of emerging concern in municipal wastewaters of Nur-Sultan city and on treatment methods that could efficiently remove the contaminants of emerging concern.
Waste collection and treatment networks with source separation from Mobile Green Points (MGP): Citizens awareness and spatial planning for the collection of clean recyclable materials
Authors: Tsimnadis Konstantinos , Kyriakopoulos Grigorios L. , Arabatzis Garyfallos , Zervas Efthimios
Published: December 2022

This paper studied the recycling and the reuse of Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) with Source Separation. These practices are commonly utilized in the European Union (EU) and internationally, giving successful recycling and treatment examples mainly for 7 selected - segregated household waste streams: a) paper and cardboard b) plastics, c) metals, d) glass, e) clothing and textiles, f) Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and g) Edible Oil Wastes (EOW). Greece implements lower recycling levels, 21%, of the annually produced MSW comparing to the EU. In 2021 the Regional Government of Attica launched a pilot program of rewarding recycling with Source Separation called “THE GREEN CITY”. This program consists of 60 Mobile Green Points (MGPs) that serve a unified citizen awareness and waste collection (7 MSW streams) network throughout Attica. This network includes numerous temporary parking and operation spots for the MGPs. A 56% of them is located next to recreation and green areas, registering at least 70,000 citizens in the program and collecting approximately 400 tons of clean recyclable MSW (April 2022). Therefore, “THE GREEN CITY” program serves the setting target of Directive 2018/851 for at least 55% by weight recycling and reuse of the Greek MSW by 2025.
Integration of LCA and LCC for decision making in biocomposite production
Authors: Gkoloni N. , Golonis Ch. , Kostopoulos V.
Published: December 2022

Natural fibers reinforced composites have gradually increased their application in industrial domains such as automotive, wind energy, aeronautics, etc., during the last 20 years. In a way, this is a response by the industry to global warming and the pollution of the environment and represents a shift from fossil fuel base composites to materials made of renewable, biodegradable, and recyclable substances. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used widely in product design decision-making as an evaluation tool for environmental performance. However, it is not sufficient for profit-directed organizations to make final decisions only depending on environmental results. This study intends to evaluate the environmental impacts and the economic viability of manufacturing four different composite laminated plates reinforced with glass or flax fibers that focus on serving the needs of aircraft interiors in the early planning stage, using models for LCA and life cycle cost (LCC). The results depict that at the production stage, without taking into consideration the use stage and end-of-life, flax fiber-reinforced plates made of bio-resin as matrix material and cured using microwaves, reduce both the environmental and economic impacts, compared to their competitor, made from glass fiber-reinforced resin
Waste management strategies effects on GHG emission: Case study of Serbia
Authors: Mihajlović M , Dajić A , Svetozarević M
Published: December 2022

Landfilling is a dominant method of waste management in most developing countries. Moreover, a significant quantity of waste has been disposed on open dumps and unmanaged disposal sites. Landfill gas (LFG) can be considerable source of GHG emissions, as it consists of 50 % methane and 50 % carbon dioxide. Republic of Serbia is a developing country. Its waste management legislation is based on EU legislation. In the first decade of 2000s a set of laws was passed in this area. Unfortunately, the majority of goals were not fulfilled. An updated version of Waste management program is active since 2022. In Serbia, 2.95 million tons of waste is generated every year. It is estimated that 15-20 % is disposed on dumps, while 80 % is collected and disposed on the landfills. Waste treatment does not exist. Recycling rate is a very low, around 15%. Different waste management scenarios of impact on GHG emissions have been analysed. The analysis was performed using the software “Tool for Calculating Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in Solid Waste Management (SWM-GHG calculator)” developed by the German IFEU (ger. Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg). The base scenario describes the current situation. Scenarios 1 and 2 describe goals set for 2025 and 2030 by Waste management program in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2022 - 2031. Scenario 3 describes best case scenario, with fully functional modern waste management system. The analysis includes several parameters, such as landfill type, recycling rate, LFG collection efficiency and use of waste incineration technology.
Modelling the atmospheric dispersion of ammonia in an industrial area in northern Greece
Authors: Petrou I , Psistaki K , Dokas I M , Paschalidou A K
Published: December 2022

Air pollution is one of the greatest challenges for ecosystems globally, as it adversely affects not only human health, but also water resources, land, animals and plants. The composition of atmospheric air is changing due to urbanization, industry, land surface alteration, climate change and global population increase. Studying the dispersion of atmospheric pollutants is a crucial issue for better urban, regional and global predictions of air quality. Dispersion models have proven a valuable tool in estimating the concentration of air pollutants produced by industrial facilities, as well as predicting future concentrations under specific scenarios (e.g., changes in emission sources or emission rates). The objective of this research was to examine a number of hypothetical industrial accident scenarios, including the local spread of ammonia from an industrial zone located 5 km east of the coastal city of Kavala in northern Greece. For that, the Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling System 5 (ADMS-5) was used as a safety and emergency planning tool, in order to model instantaneous releases (puffs) of ammonia and to investigate changes in ground-level concentration. To determine the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer, seven different meteorological conditions which correspond to the Pasquill-Gifford stability categories A-G were considered. The maximum ground-level concentration (1400 - 2400 μg/m3) occurred in slightly stable and moderately stable conditions (categories E and F) very close to the source, while in extremely stable conditions (category G) the puff remained stagnant for over 600 s after release. The lowest ground-level concentration (300 μg/m3) occurred with slightly unstable conditions (category C). The obtained results can be used for safety and emergency planning reasons and highlight the importance of atmospheric stability on the fate of accidental industrial releases.
Degradation of the persistent organic pollutant-lindane in fixed-bed photoreactor packed with immobilized Zinc Oxide and Iron oxide-doped Zinc Oxide photocatalysts
Authors: Karavasilis M V , Theodoropoulou M A , Tsakiroglou C D
Published: December 2022

The potential for the photocatalytic degradation of lindane, used as agricultural insecticide and pharmaceutical product, is investigated. Two types of photocatalysts, immobilized on 5 mm sodalime beads are synthesised using an easy and economical process: (1) Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and (2) Iron oxide-doped Zinc Oxide (Fe-ZnO). Tests of lindane degradation under continuous flow conditions are conducted on a stainless steel fixed bed photoreactor using a 6W UV-A lamp operating at 375 nm. The lindane sorption onto photocatalysts is examined with equilibrium and kinetic tests at batch mode. The experimental datasets are fitted with a 1-dimensional advection-dispersion-sorption-reaction numerical model to estimate the parameters controlling the lindane degradation rate: the apparent sorption capacity of the catalyst, and the surface reaction kinetic constant. Based on estimated parameter values, a comparative analysis of the performance of the two catalysts is done.
Urban traffic air pollution - case study City of Vranje, Serbia
Authors: Dzoljic Jovana , Popovic Vladimir , Jovkovic Srdjan , Misic Jovan
Published: December 2022

The expansion of urban areas with unequal, rapidly growing population results in higher vehicle numbers in the cities. Traffic in the urban environment is one of the main concerns, since it is one of the most prominent sources of air pollution, connected to the mortality rate. Regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and SDG 11, urban areas should meet environmental needs following the process of environmental transition. The Vranje city, Serbia follows the global trend of vehicle number increment. Regarding the specific geomorphological and climate conditions, it is of importance to emphasize the traffic air pollution control in the urban environment. Numerous studies found that vehicular exhaust emissions near traffic intersections are largely dependent on fleet speed, queuing time in idle mode with a red signal time, traffic-flow rate, ambient conditions, etc. Traffic management has the key role, especially regarding the intersection of traffic flows, since there are time losses on the intersections’ driveways that increase the energy consumption to overcome certain conflict flows. The scope of this study should point out the importance of traffic planning and management, especially at the traffic flows for reducing air pollution in the urban environment.
Parametric study of the remediation efficiency of oil-drilling cuttings by ozonation
Authors: Christodoulis K F , Nikolakopoulou D. , Karavasilis M. , Theodoropoulou M A , Tsakiroglou C D
Published: December 2022

By-products and wastes generated by the oil and gas industry must be properly managed and treated. Oil-drilling cuttings (ODCs) are the major wastes generated during the process of oil/gas exploration and extraction. ODCsispre-treated in a sonicator by mixing it with synthetic seawater of pre-specified composition at varying volume ratios, with the presence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) at various concentrations (0%, 0.2%, and 0.5%). The pre-treated solution is placed in a poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) column where an ozone-rich gas is bubbled through a porous diffuser. During the ozonation process, a number of parameters (pressure drop, pH, redox-potential, temperature) are monitored on-line, while solid and liquid samples are collected to detect the changes of the total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH).
Zeolite supported TiO2 for the degradation and mineralization of sulfamethoxazole under UV light irradiation
Authors: Mergenbayeva S , Abitayev Zh , Batyrbayeva M , Vakros J , Poulopoulos S G
Published: December 2022

Zeolites have been widely regarded as promising supporting host materials for the catalyst due to their unique structure, high surface area and excellent adsorption capacity. In this work, TiO2 particles were deposited on the surface of zeolite and used as catalyst for photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole in water under UV light irradiation (365 nm). XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM/EDS, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and BET analysis were used to investigate the physico-chemical properties of prepared catalysts. Among prepared catalysts, TiO2/Z-500 exhibited better photocatalytic performance by achieving complete sulfamethoxazole (30 mg/L) degradation after 20 min of reaction and ~18% of TOC removal after 120 min.
Decompose worldwide energy demand and its decoupling from global economic growth
Authors: Brilakis Demetrios S , Tsesmelis Demetrios , Zervas Efthimios
Published: December 2022

Decomposition Analysis is widely applied to break down the total energy demand into components linked to factors, describing how energy changes occur and how the energy consumption mechanism works. The study analyzes worldwide energy trends and driving factors over the years 1990 to 2014. In Index Decomposition Analysis on a regional scale, we examine the factors of energy intensity, GDP per Capita, and population size, while on a global scale, we examine energy intensity, global distribution of GDP to regions, and GDP as a total. A Decomposed Decoupling Index is estimated from global data. According to our empirical findings, the unprecedented energy demand from 1990 to 2014 was due to uneven economic and demographic changes between historic developed and emerging economies that led to dramatic regional changes in the distribution of GDP and energy use. Overall, we conclude that despite recent technological advances in energy intensity the global economy is set to a weak decoupling suggesting that energy needs should be satisfied with the alternative of renewable energy resources.
Dementia and hearing-aid use: a two-way street
Authors: Naylor Graham , Dillard Lauren , Orrell Martin , Stephan Blossom C M , Zobay Oliver , Saunders Gabrielle H
Published: December 2022

Objectives

Hearing-aid use may reduce risk of dementia, but cognitive impairment makes use more challenging. An observed association between reduced hearing-aid use and incident dementia could reflect either or both of these causal paths. The objective was to examine the effects of each path while minimising contamination between paths.

Methods

Health records data from 380,794 Veterans who obtained hearing aids from the US Veterans Affairs healthcare system were analysed. Analysis 1 (n = 72,180) used multivariable logistic regression to model the likelihood of incident dementia 3.5–5 years post hearing-aid fitting for patients free of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Analysis 2 (n = 272,748) modelled the likelihood of being a persistent hearing-aid user at 3 years 2 months after fitting, contrasting subgroups by level of cognitive function at the time of fitting. Analysis time windows were optimized relative to dataset constraints. Models were controlled for available relevant predictors.

Results

The adjusted OR for incident dementia was 0.73 (95% CI 0.66–0.81) for persistent (versus non-persistent) hearing-aid users. The adjusted OR for hearing-aid use persistence was 0.46 (95% CI 0.43–0.48) in those with pre-existing dementia (versus those remaining free of MCI and dementia).

Conclusion

Substantial independent associations are observed in both directions, suggesting that hearing-aid use decreases risk of dementia and that better cognitive function predisposes towards persistent use. Research studying protective effects of hearing-aid use against dementia needs to account for cognitive status. Clinically, hearing devices and hearing care processes must be accessible and usable for all, regardless of their cognitive status.
Use of prescription benzodiazepines and related drugs in family caregivers: a nation-wide register-based study
Authors: Mikkola Tuija M , Mänty Minna , Kautiainen Hannu , von Bonsdorff Mikaela B , Koponen Hannu , Kröger Teppo , Eriksson Johan G
Published: December 2022

Background

objective indicators of sleep and mental health problems in family caregivers have rarely been reported.

Objective

to study the use of prescription benzodiazepines and related drugs (BZDRD) in Finnish family caregivers and matched controls.

Design

prospective follow-up in 2012–17.

Setting

nationwide register-linkage study.

Subjects

all individuals who received family caregiver’s allowance in Finland in 2012 (N = 42,256; mean age 67 years; 71% women) and controls matched for age, sex and municipality of residence (N = 83,618).

Methods

information on purchases of prescription BZDRD, including the number of defined daily doses (DDDs), between 2012 and 2017 was obtained from the Dispensations Reimbursable under the National Health Insurance Scheme register. Background information was obtained from national registers.

Results

more caregivers than controls used BZDRD, both among women (users per 100 person-years: 17.2 versus 15.2, P < 0.001) and men (14.6 versus 11.8, P < 0.001). These differences were largely explained by hypnotic BZDRD use. There were also more long-term BZDRD users per 100 person-years among caregivers than controls, both among women (5.0 versus 4.3, P = 0.001) and men (5.3 versus 3.8, P < 0.001). Use of hypnotic BZDRD in number of DDDs was higher in caregivers than in controls, particularly among men above 50 years. Caregivers used more anxiolytic BZDRD than controls from middle age to 75 years but less in the oldest age groups.

Conclusions

higher level of BZDRD use among caregivers indicates that caregivers have more sleep and mental health problems than non-caregivers. Adequate treatment of these problems and support for caregiving should be ensured for caregivers.
Asymptomatic orthostatic hypotension and risk of falls in community-dwelling older people
Authors: Claffey Paul , Pérez-Denia Laura , Lavan Amanda , Kenny Rose Anne , Finucane Ciarán , Briggs Robert
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Many older people with orthostatic hypotension (OH) may not report typical symptoms of dizziness, light-headedness or unsteadiness. However, the relationships between OH and falls in the absence of typical symptoms are not yet established.

Methods

Continuous orthostatic blood pressure (BP) was measured during active stand using a Finometer at Wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing in participants aged ≥ 70 years.

OH, with and without dizziness, was defined as a sustained drop in systolic BP ≥ 20 and/or diastolic BP ≥ 10 mm Hg at 30, 60 and 90 seconds post-standing.

The association between symptoms of dizziness and orthostatic BP was assessed with multi-level mixed-effects linear regression; logistic regression models assessed the longitudinal relationship between OH and falls at 6-year follow-up (Waves 2–5).

Results

Almost 11% (n = 934, mean age 75 years, 51% female) had OH, two-thirds of whom were asymptomatic.

Dizziness was not associated with systolic BP drop at 30 (β = 1.54 (−1.27, 4.36); p = 0.256), 60 (β = 2.64 (−0.19, 5.47); p = 0.476) or 90 seconds (β = 2.02 (−0.91, 4.95); p = 0.176) after standing in adjusted models.

Asymptomatic OH was independently associated with unexplained falls (odds ratio 2.01 [1.11, 3.65]; p = 0.022) but not explained falls (OR 0.93 [0.53, 1.62]; p = 0.797) during follow-up.

Conclusions

Two-thirds of older people with OH did not report typical symptoms of light-headedness. Dizziness or unsteadiness after standing did not correlate with the degree of orthostatic BP drop or recovery. Participants with asymptomatic OH had a significantly higher risk of unexplained falls during follow-up, and this has important clinical implications for the assessment of older people with falls.
Is a seasonally reduced growth potential a convergent strategy to survive drought and frost in plants?
Authors: Volaire Florence , Barkaoui Karim , Grémillet David , Charrier Guillaume , Dangles Olivier , Lamarque Laurent J , Martin-StPaul Nicolas , Chuine Isabelle
Published: December 2022

Background

Plants have adapted to survive seasonal life-threatening frost and drought. However, the timing and frequency of such events are impacted by climate change, jeopardizing plant survival. Understanding better the strategies of survival to dehydration stress is therefore timely and can be enhanced by the cross-fertilization of research between disciplines (ecology, physiology), models (woody, herbaceous species) and types of stress (drought, frost).

Scope

We build upon the ‘growth–stress survival’ trade-off, which underpins the identification of global plant strategies across environments along a ‘fast–slow’ economics spectrum. Although phenological adaptations such as dormancy are crucial to survive stress, plant global strategies along the fast–slow economic spectrum rarely integrate growth variations across seasons. We argue that the growth–stress survival trade-off can be a useful framework to identify convergent plant ecophysiological strategies to survive both frost and drought. We review evidence that reduced physiological activity, embolism resistance and dehydration tolerance of meristematic tissues are interdependent strategies that determine thresholds of mortality among plants under severe frost and drought. We show that complete dormancy, i.e. programmed growth cessation, before stress occurrence, minimizes water flows and maximizes dehydration tolerance during seasonal life-threatening stresses. We propose that incomplete dormancy, i.e. the programmed reduction of growth potential during the harshest seasons, could be an overlooked but major adaptation across plants. Quantifying stress survival in a range of non-dormant versus winter- or summer-dormant plants, should reveal to what extent incomplete to complete dormancy could represent a proxy for dehydration tolerance and stress survival.

Conclusions

Our review of the strategies involved in dehydration stress survival suggests that winter and summer dormancy are insufficiently acknowledged as plant ecological strategies. Incorporating a seasonal fast–slow economics spectrum into global plant strategies improves our understanding of plant resilience to seasonal stress and refines our prevision of plant adaptation to extreme climatic events.
Interpretable artificial intelligence model for accurate identification of medical conditions using immune repertoire
Authors: Zhao Yu , He Bing , Xu Zhimeng , Zhang Yidan , Zhao Xuan , Huang Zhi-An , Yang Fan , Wang Liang , Duan Lei , Song Jiangning , Yao Jianhua
Published: December 2022

Underlying medical conditions, such as cancer, kidney disease and heart failure, are associated with a higher risk for severe COVID-19. Accurate classification of COVID-19 patients with underlying medical conditions is critical for personalized treatment decision and prognosis estimation. In this study, we propose an interpretable artificial intelligence model termed VDJMiner to mine the underlying medical conditions and predict the prognosis of COVID-19 patients according to their immune repertoires. In a cohort of more than 1400 COVID-19 patients, VDJMiner accurately identifies multiple underlying medical conditions, including cancers, chronic kidney disease, autoimmune disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with an average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.961. Meanwhile, in this same cohort, VDJMiner achieves an AUC of 0.922 in predicting severe COVID-19. Moreover, VDJMiner achieves an accuracy of 0.857 in predicting the response of COVID-19 patients to tocilizumab treatment on the leave-one-out test. Additionally, VDJMiner interpretively mines and scores V(D)J gene segments of the T-cell receptors that are associated with the disease. The identified associations between single-cell V(D)J gene segments and COVID-19 are highly consistent with previous studies. The source code of VDJMiner is publicly accessible at https://github.com/TencentAILabHealthcare/VDJMiner. The web server of VDJMiner is available at https://gene.ai.tencent.com/VDJMiner/.
Matrix reconstruction with reliable neighbors for predicting potential MiRNA–disease associations
Authors: Feng Hailin , Jin Dongdong , Li Jian , Li Yane , Zou Quan , Liu Tongcun
Published: December 2022

Numerous experimental studies have indicated that alteration and dysregulation in mircroRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with serious diseases. Identifying disease-related miRNAs is therefore an essential and challenging task in bioinformatics research. Computational methods are an efficient and economical alternative to conventional biomedical studies and can reveal underlying miRNA–disease associations for subsequent experimental confirmation with reasonable confidence. Despite the success of existing computational approaches, most of them only rely on the known miRNA–disease associations to predict associations without adding other data to increase the prediction accuracy, and they are affected by issues of data sparsity. In this paper, we present MRRN, a model that combines matrix reconstruction with node reliability to predict probable miRNA–disease associations. In MRRN, the most reliable neighbors of miRNA and disease are used to update the original miRNA–disease association matrix, which significantly reduces data sparsity. Unknown miRNA–disease associations are reconstructed by aggregating the most reliable first-order neighbors to increase prediction accuracy by representing the local and global structure of the heterogeneous network. Five-fold cross-validation of MRRN produced an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9355 and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPR) of 0.2646, values that were greater than those produced by comparable models. Two different types of case studies using three diseases were conducted to demonstrate the accuracy of MRRN, and all top 30 predicted miRNAs were verified.
ASTER: accurately estimating the number of cell types in single-cell chromatin accessibility data
Authors: Chen Shengquan , Wang Rongxiang , Long Wenxin , Jiang Rui
Published: December 2022

Recent innovations in single-cell chromatin accessibility sequencing (scCAS) have revolutionized the characterization of epigenomic heterogeneity. Estimation of the number of cell types is a crucial step for downstream analyses and biological implications. However, efforts to perform estimation specifically for scCAS data are limited. Here, we propose ASTER, an ensemble learning-based tool for accurately estimating the number of cell types in scCAS data. ASTER outperformed baseline methods in systematic evaluation on 27 datasets of various protocols, sizes, numbers of cell types, degrees of cell-type imbalance, cell states and qualities, providing valuable guidance for scCAS data analysis.

Availability and implementation

ASTER along with detailed documentation is freely accessible at https://aster.readthedocs.io/ under the MIT License. It can be seamlessly integrated into existing scCAS analysis workflows. The source code is available at https://github.com/biox-nku/aster.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Identification of novel NFKB1 and ICOS frameshift variants in patients with CVID
Authors: Liu Anli , Liu Qiang , Leng Shaoqiu , Zhang Xiaoyu , Feng Qi , Peng Jun , Feng Gege
Published: December 2022

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a ‘late-onset’ primary immunodeficiency characterized by variable manifestations and genetic heterogeneity. A monogenic cause of CVID has been reported in 10% of patients. In this study, we identified two novel pathogenic variants implicated in monogenic CVID by whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis: a heterozygous nuclear factor κB subunit 1 (NFKB1) p.G686fs mutation and a homozygous inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS) p.L96Sfs mutation. The predicted crystal models indicated premature truncation of the two mutated proteins. Both variants were demonstrated as loss-of-function mutations and were associated with overlapped manifestations of respiratory fungal infection and splenomegaly. We further performed a detailed assessment of immunologic phenotypes and impaired lymphocyte functions in patients. Moreover, we discovered an association between monoclonal T-large granular lymphocyte proliferation and ICOS-deficient CVID for the first time. These observations lead to a new perspective on the underlying genetic heterogeneity of CVID.
Reproductive biology of harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones): a review of a rapidly evolving research field
Authors: Machado Glauco , Burns Mercedes
Published: December 2022

Harvestmen are a major arachnid order that has experienced a dramatic increase in biological knowledge in the 21st century. The publication of the book Harvestmen: The Biology of Opiliones in 2007 stimulated the development of many behavioral studies. Although the book is relatively recent, our understanding of the reproductive biology of harvestmen is already outdated due to the fast accumulation of new data. Our goal is to provide an updated review of the subject to serve as a benchmark for the following years. In the pre-copulatory phase, we explore the evolution of facultative parthenogenesis, the factors that may affect the types of mating system, and the role of nuptial gifts in courtship. Regarding the copulatory phase, harvestmen are unique arachnids because they have aflagellate spermatozoa and a penis with complex morphology. We discuss the implications of these two features for sperm competition and cryptic female choice. In the post-copulatory phase, we connect oviposition site selection and climate conditions to the widespread occurrence of resource defense polygyny, alternative reproductive tactics, and sexual dimorphism in several clades of tropical harvestmen. Finally, we present the different forms of parental care in the order, and discuss the benefits and costs of this behavior, which can be performed either by females or males. Throughout the review, we indicate gaps in our knowledge and subjects that deserve further studies. Hopefully, the information synthesized here will stimulate researchers worldwide to embrace harvestmen as a study system and to improve our effort to unravel the mysteries of their reproductive biology.
Value of 96-hour ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring in the assessment of patients with refractory acid reflux symptoms and their response to anti-reflux diet
Authors: Triadafilopoulos George , Kamal Afrin , Clarke John O
Published: December 2022

Ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring is a diagnostic tool in patients with heartburn and regurgitation. The aim of this study is to evaluate 96-hour esophageal pH monitoring in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), at baseline and under diet that impedes GER. We hypothesized that diet would potentially reduce pathologic acid exposure time (AET). Retrospective series of 88 patients with GERD undergoing wireless 96-hour pH monitoring. Two-day (48 hours) tandem periods, one on liberal, followed by another on restricted diet assessed esophageal AET. Primary end point was >30% reduction in AET while on anti-GER diet. Of the 88 patients, 16 were excluded because of probe migration. Endoscopy and biopsies assessed erosive esophagitis (EE) and Barrett’s esophagus (BE), or normal esophagus. Abnormal AET (% pH < 4.0 ≥ 6) further defined nonerosive reflux disease (NERD), whereas normal AET (% pH < 4.0 < 6) with normal endoscopy defined patients as functional heartburn (FH). There were 6 patients with EE (n = 5) and BE (n = 1), 23 with NERD and 43 with FH. Anti-GER diet led to >30% reduction in AET in EE and NERD patients, but not in those with FH. Most patients (n = 43/72; 60%) had FH and could have avoided acid suppression. Furthermore, (14/23; 61%) of patients with NERD completely normalized AET with diet, potentially negating acid suppression. Ninety-six-hour esophageal pH distinguishes GERD patients from those with FH. Fifty percent of EE/BE patients and 61% of those with NERD completely normalize AET with diet. If pathologic AET occurs despite diet, acid suppression is indicated.