bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can Energy Efficiency Promote Human Development in a Developing Economy?
Authors: Gangopadhyay Partha , Das Narasingha
Published: November 2022

It has recently been underscored that access to energy has adverse impacts upon human development in South Asia. In this paper, we apply different variants of the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to explain how improved access to energy might adversely impact human development in India over 1980–2018. From the basic ARDL model, a 1% increase (decrease) in energy efficiency will increase (lower) human development by 6.1% in the long run. We note that the causality runs from energy efficiency to human development. The application of the novel dynamic ARDL simulations offers two insights; first, it confirms the importance of energy efficiency for driving human development. Secondly, it shows asymmetric effects: we find that a 10% increase in energy efficiency boosts human development from 7% to 12% in the long run, while a 10% decrease in energy efficiency lowers human development from 7% to 3%. Using the frequency domain causality analysis, we establish that energy efficiency drives human development in India. We also explore the symmetric and asymmetric impacts of several control variables on human development in India. Our findings establish that energy efficiency will not only help India reduce its environmental footprint but also propel human development.
Power System Stability Improvement of FACTS Controller and PSS Design: A Time-Delay Approach
Authors: Sahu Preeti Ranjan , Lenka Rajesh Kumar , Khadanga Rajendra Kumar , Hota Prakash Kumar , Panda Sidhartha , Ustun Taha Selim
Published: November 2022

The existence of low-frequency oscillations in power systems is the cause of power angle instability, limiting the transmission of maximum tie-line power. One of the effective ways to improve the stability limits is by installing a power system stabilizer and supplementary excitation control to augment with an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) supplemental feedback stabilizing signal. This paper proposes a new strategy for simultaneously tuning the power system stabilizer (PSS) and FACTS controller, considering time delays. The design of the proposed controller is modeled as an optimization problem, and the parameters of the controller are optimized through the grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA). The suggested controller’s efficacy is evaluated for both single-machine infinite bus systems and multi-machine power systems under various disturbances. It also investigated the performance of the proposed controller with variations in signal transmission delays. The results obtained from GOA optimized proposed controller are compared with those obtained from the differential evolution algorithm, genetic algorithm, and whale optimization algorithm. In this context, the proposed GOA optimized controller reduced the objective function value by 16.32%, 14.56%, and 13.72%, respectively, in the SMIB system and 1.41%, 9.98%, and 13.31%, respectively, for the multi-machine system compared with the recently published WOA, and the well-established GA and DE. Further, the proposed controller is found to be stable and effectively increases stability even under small disturbances.
The Impact of Industry 4.0 on the Medical Device Regulatory Product Life Cycle Compliance
Authors: McDermott Olivia , Foley Ida , Antony Jiju , Sony Michael , Butler Mary
Published: November 2022

The fourth industrial revolution, also referred to as Industry 4.0, has resulted in many changes within the MedTech Industry. The MedTech industry is changing from interconnected manufacturing systems using cyber-physical systems to digital health technologies. The purpose of the study is to establish how Industry 4.0 can understand the impact Industry 4.0 is having on product lifecycle regulatory compliance and determine the effect Industry 4.0 is having on product lifecycle regulatory compliance. A qualitative research approach was utilised to gather data from the MedTech industry by conducting interviews with Medtech industry leaders. This research demonstrates that Industry 4.0 is easing product lifecycle regulatory compliance and that the impact is more positive than negative. Industry 4.0 offers many benefits to the MedTech Industry. This research will support organisations in demonstrating how digital technologies can positively impact product lifecycle regulatory compliance and support the industry in building a business case for future implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies.
Enhancement of Dye Separation Performance of Eco-Friendly Cellulose Acetate-Based Membranes
Authors: Koriem Omneya A. , Kamel Alaa Mostafa , Shaaban Waleed , Elkady Marwa F.
Published: November 2022

Many reasons have caused a worldwide water stress problem. Thus, the recycling of wastewater streams has been extensively studied. In this work, eco-friendly mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated, characterized, and tested for the removal of two separate dyes from simulated waste streams. The environmentally friendly nano activated carbon (NAC) was extracted from water hyacinth to be impregnated as a membrane nano-filler to enhance the neat membrane performance. The extracted NAC was further studied and characterized. Cellulose acetate (CA)-based membranes were obtained by phase inversion and electrospinning mechanisms. All four synthesized blank and MMMs were characterized via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and contact angle to study their structure and hydrophilic nature, respectively. However, the membrane with optimum performance was further characterized using Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The four prepared cast and electro-spun, blank, and mixed matrix CA-based membranes showed an acceptable performance in the removal and selectivity of methylene blue (MB) dye over Congo red (CR) dye with a removal percentage ranging from 31 to 70% depending on the membrane used. It was found that the CA/NAC hybrid nanofiber membrane possessed the highest removal efficiency for MB, where the dye concentration declined from 10 to 2.92 mg/L. In contrast, the cast blank CA membrane showed the least removal percentage among the synthesized membranes with only 30% removal. As a result, this paper suggests the use of the CA/NAC hybrid membrane as an alternative and cost-effective solution for MB dye removal.
(Un)Heard Voices of Ecosystem Degradation: Stories from the Nexus of Settler-Colonialism and Slow Violence
Authors: Makey Leane , Parsons Meg , Fisher Karen , Te Huna Alyssce , Henare Mina , Miru Vicky , Ruka Millan , Miru Mikaera
Published: November 2022

We examine the ecosystem degradation of the Kaipara moana as an example of the nexus of settler colonialism and slow violence. Settler colonialism is a type of domination that violently interrupts Indigenous people’s interactions and relationships with their land-, sea-, and water-scapes. Slow violence provides a conceptual framework to explore the slow and invisible erosion of ecosystems and to make visible how unseen violence inflicted upon nature (such as deforestation and sedimentation pollution) also unfolds at the intimate scale of the Indigenous body and household. Here, we present how the structural violence of settler colonialism and ecological transformations created a form of settler colonial slow violence for humans and more-than-humans which highlights the ethical and justice features of sustainability because of the link with settler-colonialism. We argue for the need to include local knowledge and lived experiences of slow violence to ensure ethical and just ensuring practices that better attend to the relationships between Indigenous peoples and their more-than-human kin (including plants, animals, rivers, mountains, and seas). We build on this argument using auto- and duo-ethnographic research to identify possibilities for making sense of and making visible those forms of harm, loss and dispossession that frequently remain intangible in public, political and academic representations of land-, sea-, and water-scapes. Situated in the Kaipara moana, Aotearoa New Zealand, narratives are rescued from invisibility and representational bias and stories of water pollution, deforestation, institutional racism, species and habitat loss form the narratives of slow violence. (Please see Glossary for translation of Māori language, terms and names.)
Floods and Their Impact on Cultural Heritage—A Case Study of Southern and Eastern Serbia
Authors: Momčilović Petronijević Ana , Petronijević Predrag
Published: November 2022

This paper analyzes flood impact on the historical objects and cultural heritage in Southern and Eastern Serbia. The basic research problem is the lack of systematized databases regarding the flood impact on the cultural heritage, in addition to the lack of official manuals or other types of educational material dealing with the management of the assets with monumental properties in flood situations. The goal of the paper is to indicate this problem to the professional and wider public through systematization and classification of the observed damages on the buildings. The paper first provides a brief overview of the development of flood protection throughout history with particular reference to the research area. In addition, the history of floods in Serbia is also analyzed in order to point to the frequency and scale of this problem in the researched area. Through the research of archival materials in the appropriate institutions as well as direct recording of assets in the field, the degree of flood impact on historical objects in the territories of Southern and Eastern Serbia is determined. It refers to both declared cultural monuments and those that are still undeclared but possess certain monumental properties. Only the material damages on the immovable cultural assets have been analyzed. The protection of the movable cultural assets has not been taken into consideration, although it represents a very important aspect of every flood damage. A classification of the damages observed on these types of buildings, which occur as a direct or indirect consequence of floods, has been carried out. Examples of structural damage are presented in the paper (such as fissures, cracks, bucklings and collapse of parts or overall objects). Examples of the damages that do not threaten the stability of buildings are also presented. Here, they are divided into two groups—moisture-induced damages and biodegradation. The paper also gives examples of the damages induced by direct or indirect impacts of floods. It is from these examples that general lessons can be drawn, namely those that would be applicable to the endangered categories of cultural heritage. The classification is conducted for the purpose of better planning of preventive or rehabilitation strategies and measures for the preservation of architectural cultural heritage. Recommendations for dealing with heritage assets in the case of floods are also given.
Urban Growth and Habitat Connectivity: A Study on European Countries
Authors: Zullo Francesco , Montaldi Cristina , Di Pietro Gianni , Romano Bernardino
Published: November 2022

The main tool for biodiversity conservation at the European level is the Natura 2000 network. The identification of Natura 2000 as an “ecological network spread over the entire European Union territory” is the symbolic image launched by the Habitat Directive (92/43/EEC) even though many considerations focused on the contradiction between the shared model of the ecological network—based on spatial continuity—and the fragmented geographical configuration of the Natura 2000 sites. Currently, it stretches across all 28 European countries, both on land and at sea, and it is made up of over 27,000 sites for a total extension of approximately 1,150,000 km2. The land area covered by N2000 corresponds to approximately 18% of the total EU, with the national coverage ratio ranging from a minimum of 9% to a maximum of 38% in the various European countries. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of landscape fragmentation caused by the urban areas towards the Natura 2000 network, with the aim of analyzing how the current urban settlements’ geography could compromise their functionality. The proximity analysis carried out provides the necessary information to achieve full efficiency in the connections between the different habitats. In addition, these results give indications on which planning scale is most appropriate to intervene to reduce environmental fragmentation.
Identifying Villages for Land Consolidation: A New Agricultural Land Erosion Indicator
Authors: Postek Paweł , Wójcik-Leń Justyna , Leń Przemysław , Stręk Żanna
Published: November 2022

Among the priorities of the European Union’s (EU) Common Agricultural Policy are the willingness to improve the quality of life in rural areas and effectively utilise their resources. Soil quality is one of the major factors that impact the potential level of agricultural crops. Therefore, it is a key determinant of income from agricultural production in a specific area. The awareness that spatial variations exist in soil quality classes in the study area directly affects the planning of the development of agricultural land and efficient allocation of funds for the spatial redevelopment of rural areas. These data can be used over a very long time in connection with a few changes in land quality. The data on the quality and suitability of soil in the study area were derived from an analysis of map information on land quality and use. The analyses were conducted in 299 villages of the Zamość district, Lublin voivodeship, in the eastern part of Poland. The study area, extending over more than 187,181 hectares (ha), was divided into more than 280,000 plots for administrative purposes. The paper presents a self-designed agricultural land quality indicator to identify precincts featuring the best soils used in agricultural production. The value of the indicator will oscillate from 0 to 1. The value for an object will be close to or equal to 0 when the area comprises only land showing a high degree of erosion, e.g., light soils with a significant slope gradient. The value for an object will be close to or equal to 1 if its area is exclusively or predominantly flat. The highest value of the indicator in the study area was 0.75 and the lowest was 0.26.
Incremental Innovation: Long-Term Impetus for Design Business Creativity
Authors: Zhang Xi
Published: November 2022

In business, innovation thinking is expanding beyond product innovation, and it is being marketed as a catalyst for unique user experiences, businesses, and organizational and cultural change. Product design and design-driven business operations require an innovative mindset. In this study, we examined how progressive innovation thinking can be applied to three aspects using a combination of case studies: idea genesis, process, and decision making. We also examined thinking studies from relevant companies to investigate how to create user-pleasing experiences and details in products and to develop a framework for progressive innovation thinking strategies and implementation methods for designers. Our findings will help designers and corporate design teams find a steady flow direction in the execution of their design business, capture the first moments of brilliance and replicate ideas, generate a constant stream of creative ideas, maintain a constant flow of innovation in their design business, and enhance the overall business capability of the design team. This framework has academic and business ramifications: it can provide guidance and ideas to other design teams looking to execute their design business and act as a reference for adopting progressive, original thinking work and creative businesses.
Study on the Mechanical Performance of H-Shaped Steel-Concrete Laminated Plate Composite Beams under Negative Bending Moment
Authors: Liu Jianhua , Yu Dehu , Ding Kewei
Published: November 2022

To make the construction of assembled steel-reinforced truss concrete laminated plate composite structure faster, safer, and more efficient, this paper proposes an H-shaped steel-reinforced truss concrete laminated plate composite structure with new angle connectors embedded in the precast bottom panel. Through experimental studies on the H-shaped steel-concrete laminated plate composite beams with precast bottom panels protruding from the bent-up bars, precast bottom panels with embedded new angle connectors and laminated whole cast slab, the similarities and differences of load-deflection, deflection distribution, interface slip, crack distribution and cross-section strain distribution of three groups of composite beams under negative bending moment were analyzed and compared. Using ABAQUS finite element software, we established a finite element model and found the numerical simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental results. Based on this, five groups of finite element models were established for parametric analysis to investigate the effect of concrete strength on the flexural load capacity and flexural stiffness of the steel-laminated plate composite beams with embedded angle connectors. The results of the study show that the combined performance of the H-shaped steel-concrete laminated plate composite beams with the new angle connection embedded in the precast bottom panel was better and the flexural stiffness was greater. The slippage of the H-shaped steel-concrete laminated plate composite beams with embedded new angle connectors in the precast bottom panel was less than the slippage of the precast bottom slab bent-up bars protruding and the laminated cast plate, with the maximum slippage being only 1/2 of the precast bottom panel bent-up bars protruding. In the composite structure of H-shaped steel-concrete composite slabs under negative bending moment, shear angle connectors can replace the bent-up bars protruding from the laminated bottom panel to achieve without extending the reinforcement of the laminated bottom panel.
An Improved Publicness Assessment Tool Based on a Combined Spatial Model: Case Study of Guangzhou, China
Authors: Wu Yunjing , Wang Jing , Lau Sunnie Sing-Yeung , Lau Stephen Siu Yu , Miao Yijia
Published: November 2022

By 2021, the urbanization rate of China had reached as high as 64.72%. At the same time, the efficiency-driven urban planning paradigm had shifted to that of an efficiency-and-fairness intent. Fairness refers to the publicness of public open spaces (POS) as an indicator of an inclusive and fair city. The authors are interested in the measure of POS. However, few studies evaluated POS by effective assessment frameworks and tools. Based on this critique, the authors propose to integrate a qualitative assessment tool—the Star Model, with that of a quantitative assessment tool—the Space Syntax, for assessing publicness and enhancing the understanding of POS (streets and squares). There are two conclusions: (1) The combined use of the quantitative and qualitative tools provides accuracy and enables a comprehensive understanding of public spaces, namely, the mechanism of publicness—of both bottom-up POS and top-down POS. On the one hand, bottom-up POS is an outcome of the spatial system enabled by a networked structure of space. On the other, the publicness of top-down POS can be largely twisted by the government and urban designers rather than the residents. (2) This research has introduced an improved combined tool for the benefits of both policymakers and planners.
Deflection Analysis of a Nonlocal Euler–Bernoulli Nanobeam Model Resting on Two Elastic Foundations: A Generalized Differential Quadrature Approach
Authors: Abumandour Ramzy M. , El-Shorbagy Mohammed A. , Eldesoky Islam M. , Kamel Mohamed H. , Alotaibi Hammad , Felila Ahmed L.
Published: November 2022

This paper provides a general formularization of the nonlocal Euler–Bernoulli nanobeam model for a bending examination of the symmetric and asymmetric cross-sectional area of a nanobeam resting over two linear elastic foundations under the effects of different forces, such as axial and shear forces, by considering various boundary conditions’ effects. The governing formulations are determined numerically by the Generalized Differential Quadrature Method (GDQM). A deep search is used to analyze parameters—such as the nonlocal (scaling effect) parameter, nonuniformity of area, the presence of two linear elastic foundations (Winkler–Pasternak elastic foundations), axial force, and the distributed load on the nanobeam’s deflection—with three different types of supports. The significant deductions can be abbreviated as follows: It was found that the nondimensional deflection of the nanobeam was fine while decreasing the scaling effect parameter of the nanobeams. Moreover, when the nanobeam is not resting on any elastic foundations, the nondimensional deflection increases when increasing the scaling effect parameter. Conversely, when the nanobeam is resting on an elastic foundation, the nondimensional deflection of the nanobeam decreases as the scaling effect parameter is increased. In addition, when the cross-sectional area of the nanobeam varies parabolically, the nondimensional deflection of the nonuniform nanobeam decreases in comparison to when the cross-sectional area varies linearly.
Heat Transfer on Micro and Nanostructured Rough Surfaces Synthesized by Plasma
Authors: Dedov Alexey Victorovich , Budaev Viacheslav Petrovich
Published: November 2022

The review summarizes recent experimental results of studying heat transfer on rough surfaces synthesized by plasma. The plasma-surface interaction leads to the stochastic clustering of the surface roughness with a high specific area breaking the symmetry of the virgin surface of the initial crystalline materials. Such a surface is qualitatively different from the ordinary Brownian surface. The micro- and nanostructured surface consist of pores, craters, and nanofibers of size from tens of nanometers to tens of microns, which can provide new heat transfer properties related to a violation of the symmetry of the initial materials. In recent years, new results have been obtained in the study of heat transfer during phase change on plasma-modified surfaces in relation to energy, chemical, and cryogenic technologies. The objective of the review is to describe the specific structure of refractory metals after high-temperature plasma irradiation and the potential application of plasma processing of materials in order to create heat exchange surfaces that provide a significant intensification of two-phase heat transfer. Refractory metals with such a highly porous rough surface can be used as plasma-facing components for operation under extreme heat and plasma loads in thermonuclear and nuclear reactors, as catalysts for hydrogen production, as well as in biotechnology and biomedical applications.
Bimodal Cell Size and Fusing Cells Observed in a Clonal Culture of the Ciguatoxin-Producing Benthic Dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus (WC1/1)
Authors: Holmes Michael J. , Lewis Richard J.
Published: November 2022

Cells in a clonal culture of the WC1/1 strain of Gambierdiscus that produced ciguatoxin and maitotoxin-3 were observed to spontaneously fuse during the light phase of culture growth. Cells in the process of fusion were indistinguishable from other cells under the light microscope, except that at least one (often both) of the fusing cells displayed an extendible, finger-like protrusion (presumed peduncle) arising from near the sulcul region. Fusion started with one of the cells turning 90° to place the planes of the girdles approximately at right angles to each other, and movement of the transverse flagella ceased in both cells, or in the cell seen in girdle (lateral) view. The cell in girdle view appeared to fuse into the theca of the other cell. The cell that had turned 90° often rounded up and become egg shaped (obovoid) during early fusion. Fusion can be quick (<10 min) or can take more than an hour. We saw no evidence of the theca being shed during fusion. Measurement of the dorsoventral and transdiameters revealed a wide range for cell sizes that were distributed as a bimodal population in the clonal culture. This bimodal cell population structure was maintained in clonal cultures reisolated from a small or large cell from the original WC1/1 culture. Cellular production of ciguatoxins by the WC1/1 clone increased during the first two years in culture with a corresponding decrease in production of maitotoxin-3, but this inverse relationship was not maintained over the following ~1.5 years.
Multifunctional Properties of a Bacillus thuringiensis Strain (BST-122): Beyond the Parasporal Crystal
Authors: Unzue Argine , Caballero Carlos , Villanueva Maite , Fernández Ana , Caballero Primitivo
Published: November 2022

Chemical products still represent the most common form of controlling crop pests and diseases. However, their extensive use has led to the selection of resistances. This makes the finding of new solutions paramount to countering the economic losses that pests and diseases represent in modern agriculture. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is one of the most reliable alternatives to chemical-based solutions. In this study, we aimed to further expand the global applicability of Bt strains beyond their spores and crystals. To this end, we selected a new Bt strain (BST-122) with relevant toxicity factors and tested its activity against species belonging to different phyla. The spore and crystal mixture showed toxicity to coleopterans. Additionally, a novel Cry5-like protein proved active against the two-spotted spider mite. In vivo and plant assays revealed significant control of the parasitic nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. Surprisingly, our data indicated that the nematocidal determinants may be secreted. When evaluated against phytopathogenic fungi, the strain seemed to decelerate their growth. Overall, our research has highlighted the potential of Bt strains, expanding their use beyond the confinements of spores and crystals. However, further studies are required to pinpoint the factors responsible for the wide host range properties of the BST-122 strain.
Ivermectin Inhibits HBV Entry into the Nucleus by Suppressing KPNA2
Authors: Nakanishi Anna , Okumura Hiroki , Hashita Tadahiro , Yamashita Aya , Nishimura Yuka , Watanabe Chihiro , Kamimura Sakina , Hayashi Sanae , Murakami Shuko , Ito Kyoko , Iwao Takahiro , Ikeda Akari , Hirose Tomoyasu , Sunazuka Toshiaki , Tanaka Yasuhito , Matsunaga Tamihide
Published: November 2022

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) specifically infects human hepatocytes and increases the risks of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Currently, nucleic acid analogs are the main therapeutics for chronic hepatitis caused by HBV infection. Although nucleic acid analogs can eliminate HBV DNA by inhibiting HBV reverse transcriptase, they cannot lead to negative conversion of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). In this study, we revealed that the antifilarial drug ivermectin suppresses HBV production by a different mechanism from the nucleic acid analog entecavir or Na+ taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide-mediated entry inhibitor cyclosporin A. Ivermectin reduced the levels of several HBV markers, including HBsAg, in HBV-infected human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2-hNTCP-C4 cells) and humanized mouse hepatocytes (PXB hepatocytes). In addition, ivermectin significantly decreased the expression of HBV core protein and the nuclear transporter karyopherin α2 (KPNA2) in the nuclei of HepG2-hNTCP-C4 cells. Furthermore, depletion of KPNA1–6 suppressed the production of cccDNA. These results suggest that KPNA1–6 is involved in the nuclear import of HBV and that ivermectin suppresses the nuclear import of HBV by inhibiting KPNA2. This study demonstrates the potential of ivermectin as a novel treatment for hepatitis B.
A Hydrograph-Based Approach to Improve Satellite-Derived Snow Water Equivalent at the Watershed Scale
Authors: Whittaker Charles , Leconte Robert
Published: November 2022

For the past few decades, remote sensing has been a valuable tool for deriving global information on snow water equivalent (SWE), where products derived from space-borne passive microwave radiometers are favoured as they respond to snow depth, an important component of SWE. GlobSnow, a novel SWE product, has increased the accuracy of global-scale SWE estimates by combining remotely sensed radiometric data with other physiographic characteristics, such as snow depth, as quantified by climatic stations. However, research has demonstrated that passive microwaves algorithms tend to underestimate SWE for deep snowpack. Approaches were proposed to correct for such underestimation; however, they are computer intensive and complex to implement at the watershed scale. In this study, SWEmax information from the near real time 5-km GlobSnow product, provided by Copernicus and the European Space Agency (ESA) and GlobSnow product at 25 km resolution were corrected using a simple bias correction approach for watershed scale applications. This method, referred to as the Watershed Scale Correction (WSC) approach, estimates the bias based on the direct runoff that occurs during the spring melt season. Direct runoff is estimated on the one hand from SWEmax information as main input. Infiltration is also considered in computing direct runoff. An independent estimation of direct runoff from gauged stations is also performed. Discrepancy between these estimates allows for estimating the bias correction factor. This approach is advantageous as it exploits data that commonly exists i.e., flow at gauged stations and remotely sensed/reanalysis data such as snow cover and precipitation. The WSC approach was applied to watersheds located in Eastern Canada. It was found that the average bias moved from 33.5% with existing GlobSnow product to 18% with the corrected product, using the recommended recursive filter coefficient β of 0.925 for baseflow separation. Results show the usefulness of integrating direct runoff for bias correction of existing GlobSnow product at the watershed scale. In addition, potential benefits are offered using the recursive filter approach for baseflow separation of watersheds with limited in situ SWE measurements, to further reduce overall uncertainties and bias. The WSC approach should be appealing for poorly monitored watersheds where SWE measurements are critical for hydropower production and where snowmelt can pose serious flood-related damages.
Coastal Groundwater Quality Evaluation and Hydrogeochemical Characterization Using Chemometric Techniques
Authors: Ullah Hidayat , Naz Iffat , Alhodaib Aiyeshah , Abdullah Muhammad , Muddassar Muhammad
Published: November 2022

The physicochemical parameters and heavy metals concentration in the groundwater of the coastal region of Lasbela, Baluchistan were investigated. Cations and anions were determined through ion chromatography. The concentration levels of eight heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn) in the groundwater were analyzed through the analytical procedures of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The cations were present in the descending order of magnesium > sodium > calcium > potassium and anions as bicarbonate > sulfate > chloride. Two parameters (bicarbonate and total dissolved solids) were above and other physicochemical indices of groundwater were below the threshold limits of the WHO. Positive correlations of pH and electrical conductivity were observed with cations and anions. The significant positive correlation between sodium and bicarbonate (0.427) indicated the dissolution of carbonate rocks. The concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Mn, Cr, Pb, Fe, Zn, and Ni) ranged from 0.1 to 0.4, 0.02 to 0.09, 0.04 to 0.9, 0.03 to 0.5, 0.01 to 0.91, 0.05 to 1.30, 0.01 to 0.60, and 0.02 to 0.90 mg/L. The highest concentration of Pb (0.21 mg/L) and Cd (0.16 mg/L) were approximately 20 and 50 times higher than the permissible limits of the WHO. Hierarchical cluster analysis classified the twelve physicochemical parameters into four clusters and the eight heavy metals into seven clusters. Principal component analysis extracted eight latent components for physicochemical properties and heavy metals with eigenvalues greater than 1.0 that had positive loads of fluoride, iron, electrical conductivity, sodium, cadmium, and sulfate. Major pollutants in the groundwater were accounted for by PC 1, and the main factors that affected the water quality were Pb, Cr, and Cu. Fe had a modest impact on the water quality in this region. From the findings, it can be concluded that the coastal groundwater of the region has a higher concentration of heavy metals, which makes it unfit for drinking purposes.
Correction: Verlicchi, P.; Grillini, V. Surface Water and Groundwater Quality in South Africa and Mozambique—Analysis of the Most Critical Pollutants for Drinking Purposes and Challenges in Water Treatment Selection. Water 2020, 12, 305
Authors: Verlicchi Paola , Grillini Vittoria
Published: November 2022

In the original publication [...]
Research Progress of Microplastic Pollution in the Vadose Zone
Authors: Liu Rui-Ping , Liu Fei , Sun Ping-Ping , R.M. El-Wardany , Dong Ying , Zhang Yi-Bing , Chen Hua-Qing , Jiao Jian-Gang
Published: November 2022

Microplastics (MPs) are widely distributed in the environment. MP pollution has been found in the environment globally, which directly threatens human health. It is of great importance to study the influencing factors and mechanism of MP migration in the vadose zone to evaluate its distribution and environmental risk accurately. Through a literature review, the source, migration, and transformation of MPs in the vadose zone were summarized, and the influencing factors of MP migration in the vadose zone were systematically expounded. The mechanism of MP migration was analyzed, and future research was suggested. The factors affecting the migration of MPs can be divided into chemical, physical, and biological categories. At present, research on the migration of MPs in the vadose zone is in its infancy. In a further study, the migration of MPs at the field scale, the synergistic migration and transformation of MPs with other pollutants and the mutual feedback mechanism, and the use of the properties and biological functions of the vadose zone to study the role and mechanism of MPs in global carbon neutralization are worthy of attention.
Analysis of Climate-Related Risks for Chile’s Coastal Settlements in the ARClim Web Platform
Authors: Winckler Patricio , Contreras-López Manuel , Garreaud René , Meza Francisco , Larraguibel Cristián , Esparza César , Gelcich Stefan , Falvey Mark , Mora Javiera
Published: November 2022

The web-based tool ARClim provides an atlas of climate change-related risk assessments spanning over 50 environmental and productive sectors in Chile. This paper illustrates the implementation of ARClim on two coastal sectors, operational downtime in fishing coves and flooding in coastal settlements, aiming to provide a tool to visualize comparative estimates of risk, which may enable decision makers and stakeholders to prioritize adaptation measures. The risk is calculated as a function of the hazard, exposure, and sensitivity. Exposure and sensitivity are characterized using present day information. To assess the hazard, wave climate for a historical period (1985–2004) and a projection (2026–2045) were modeled with six general circulation models (GCMs) for an RCP8.5 scenario. Similarly, sea-level rise was computed from 21 GCMs. Results show that the flooding hazard is mostly dependent on sea-level rise, with waves playing a minor role. However, the flooding risk is highly variable along the coast, due to differences in the exposure, which strongly depends on the population of each settlement. The analysis of increased operational downtime in fishing coves also shows risk, which is dependent of the size of each site. Lastly, limitations of the analysis and opportunities for improvement are discussed.
Plastic Pollution: Are Bioplastics the Right Solution?
Authors: Mastrolia Cristina , Giaquinto Domenico , Gatz Christoph , Pervez Md. , Hasan Shadi , Zarra Tiziano , Li Chi-Wang , Belgiorno Vincenzo , Naddeo Vincenzo
Published: November 2022

The adverse effects of the accumulation of plastic on our planet are no longer sustainable; plastic is a major threat to all forms of life in all environments in addition to contributing to global warming. The academic world has been focusing on registering the damages caused by plastic pollution and finding solutions to refrain from and substitute plastic and its usages, which our consumer society is so heavily dependent on. A pathway towards limiting the use of plastic comes from the European Union 2019/904 Directive for limiting the production of single-use and oxo-degradable plastics. Currently, bioplastics are one of the major alternatives in substituting fossil-based plastics, but question remain about its use. as too what extent could bioplastics be a long-term solution to plastic pollution? Is it a misconception to consider bioplastics completely harmless to the environment? This short review article aims to draw attention to the counter effects connected to the limitations and mismanagement of bioplastics through their life cycle by collecting data not published until now. A review of several cradle-to-Grave Life Cycle Assessments has been made to analyse bioplastics from production to end-of-life options. The result produced from this review article shows that bioplastics do not represent a long-term solution to plastic pollution and, on the contrary, may seem to contribute to overall environmental endangerment. The novelty of this work lies in pointing out the misconception of bioplastics’ healthy effects on the environment by thoroughly analysing all environmental impacts of current production and disposal of bioplastics and by providing a more sustainable production of bioplastic through wastewater treatment plants.
Implementation of FeSO4·H2O as an Eco-Friendly Coagulant for the Elimination of Organic Pollutants from Tertiary Palm Oil Mill Effluent: Process Optimization, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics Studies
Authors: Hossain Md. Sohrab , Rashdi Shabib Al , Hamed Yaman , Al-Gheethi Adel , Omar Fatehah Mohd , Zulkifli Muzafar , Ahmad Yahaya Ahmad Naim
Published: November 2022

The biologically treated palm oil mill effluent (POME) urges further treatment to minimize the residual pollutant concentration for safe discharge in the nearest watercourse. In the present study, the post-treatment of biologically treated POME was conducted using ferrous sulfate monohydrate (FeSO4·H2O) as a coagulant. The influence of the FeSO4·H2O coagulation of POME was determined on the elimination of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) with varying flocculation time (min), slow mixing speed (rpm), coagulant doses (g/L) and pH. The FeSO4·H2O coagulation–flocculation experimental conditions were designed following the central composite design (CCD) of experiments and optimized by employing response surface methodology (RSM) based on the optimal SS, COD, and BOD elimination from POME. The maximum BOD, SS, and COD elimination achieved were about 96%, 97%, and 98%, respectively, at the optimized experimental condition. The surface morphology and elemental composition analyses of raw FeSO4·H2O and sludge generated after coagulation revealed that the FeSO4·H2O effectively removed the colloidal and suspended particles from POME. The well-fitted kinetic model equation was the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation to describe the FeSO4·H2O coagulation–flocculation behavior. The thermodynamics properties analyses revealed that the FeSO4·H2O coagulation of POME was non-spontaneous and endothermic. The residual SS, COD, and BOD in treated POME were determined to be 28.27 ± 5 mg/L, 147 ± 3 mg/L, and 6.36 ± 0.5 mg/L, respectively, lower the recommended discharged limits as reported by the Department of Environment (DoE), Malaysia.
Análise do equilíbrio, força muscular e medo de queda pós acidente vascular cerebral
Authors: Gomes Valença Beatriz , Oliveira Letícia Defendi , Mucci-Casanova Manuela Amaral , Cannonieri-Nonose Gianna Carla
Published: November 2022

Introdução. O acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) é uma doença causada por alterações no suprimento sanguíneo cerebral, que pode resultar em hemiplegia ou hemiparesia, levando à diminuição do controle postural e perda de equilíbrio. Objetivo. Avaliar se há relação entre a fraqueza do músculo tríceps sural do membro parético, o equilíbrio postural e o medo de queda. Método. Foram selecionados indivíduos com AVC, capazes de deambular com ou sem dispositivo de auxílio. Os sujeitos foram submetidos às avaliações: Medida de Independência Funcional motora (MIF m); Teste de Alcance Funcional (FRT); timed up and go (TUG); Teste Manual e Teste Funcional de força do tríceps sural, Teste de Tônus e Escala Internacional de Eficácia de Quedas (FES-I). Resultados. Participaram do estudo 21 sujeitos. A variável FES-I apresentou relação significante com a variável Teste de Força Manual de Tríceps Sural do lado acometido e com a Força Funcional do lado acometido, assim como as variáveis TUG e FRT mostraram estar correlacionadas entre si. Demais variáveis (Teste de Força Manual de Tríceps Sural do lado não acometido, TUG e FRT) não apresentaram correlação significante com a FES-I. A presença de quedas nos últimos 6 meses não apresentou relação com nenhuma das variáveis analisadas. Conclusão. O presente estudo demonstrou relação significante entre a força muscular do tríceps sural do lado acometido, o medo de queda e o risco de quedas em pacientes com AVC.
Função muscular ventilatória em hemiparéticos por acidente vascular cerebral agudo
Authors: Naranjo Quijada Darla , William Otero Darcio , Paula Marcelino de Aquino Ana , Cadorin de Castilho Bruna , Maria Klitzke dos Santos Fabiane , Eckermann da Silva Helton
Published: November 2022

Introdução. O acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) é uma das principais causas de incapacidades no mundo. Entre as alterações geradas pela doença está a hemiparesia, que além de causar alterações motoras, pode gerar alterações de função respiratória, causando impactos sobre a qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Objetivo. Avaliar a função muscular ventilatória em indivíduos hemiparéticos por AVC em fase aguda e sua associação com variáveis que expressam limitações funcionais motoras. Método. Trata-se de um estudo transversal e descritivo. Amostra por livre demanda, envolvendo 30 pacientes, no período de abril a setembro de 2021. As avaliações foram compostas por testes e escalas específicas para funcionalidade, mobilidade e funções respiratórias, através do Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), 5-repetition sit-to-stand test (5xSTS), Peak Flow (PF) e a manovacuometria. Resultados. Foi obtido uma média de 67,50±30,08 em PIMáx e em PEMáx 75,33±29,48, PFE em 335,67±151,25 foram comparados com os valores preditos e limite inferior de normalidade, não apresentando redução de força muscular respiratória, quando comparada por gênero observou-se que mulheres apresentaram redução dos valores de PIMáx e obteve-se correlações consideradas fracas com funções motoras. Conclusão. O PFE apresentou-se alterado em ambos os gêneros e as mulheres apresentaram valores inferiores da PIMáx correlacionando-se significantemente com as limitações funcionais motoras encontradas.
Autoconhecimento e saúde: a meditação e o uso irracional de medicamentos
Authors: Rodrigues de Menezes Frederico , Ferreira Gomides Lindisley , Soares de Souza Lima Bruna
Published: November 2022

Introdução. A prática da meditação tem apresentado inúmeras vantagens no cenário terapêutico e preventivo. Estudos apontam a técnica como ferramenta para minimizar a dependência farmacológica, importante em casos de uso irracional. Objetivo. O presente estudo destaca exercícios meditativos e seus principais benefícios associados. Método. Para tal, foi realizada uma revisão da literatura nas bases de dados: Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Pubmed) e Directory of Open Acess Journals (DOAJ), em inglês, com os descritores “meditation” e “pharmacotherapy”. Resultado. Foram incluídos 14 estudos, publicados entre 2018 e 2020, permitindo a análise por três categorias: o processo de autoconhecimento humano; o uso de diferentes técnicas na clínica; a associação à terapia medicamentosa no processo de cura. Conclusão. A partir da análise, foram apresentados particularidades e benefícios das técnicas meditativas Heartfulness e Mindfulness-Based, como: opção terapêutica isolada ou adjuvante, redução da frequência e dosagem de medicamentos e ampliação do autoconhecimento. Os achados sugerem o potencial de reescrever o caminho de cuidado em saúde através da meditação, reduzindo efeitos adversos das terapias convencionais e intensificando a exclusão de maus hábitos inconscientes.
L’Accord de Vienne sur le nucléaire iranien et le rôle quasi législatif du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies
Authors: Iovane Massimo
Published: November 2022

On May 8, 2018, the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA), signed in Vienna on July 14, 2015), also involving Iran -which undertook to limit its activities aimed at enriching uranium, and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Germany and the European Union (EU), who, for their part, pledged to abolish the sanctions against Teheran. In the present paper, the author tries to demonstrate that the JCPA was conceived from the beginning, at least partially, as a binding international treaty. Having analysed the UN Security Council from the entry into force of the UN Charter to present days, the author also illustrates how international law is integrated into the sanctioning powers of the SC, this integration being one of the most important and legally relevant functions of that organ’s activity. Indeed, resolution 2231 has mainly been adopted to strengthen respect for legal engagements that had already been agreed upon by the parties, as well as to strengthen respect by Iran for international obligations in the field of nuclear nonproliferation

already in force for it.
Le rôle des organisations régionales de gestion des pêches dans la lutte contre la pêche illicite, non déclarée et non réglementée
Authors: Gambardella Sophie
Published: November 2022

Sustainable Development Goal 14 calls on States “ by 2020, [ to] effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices”. The fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the main current challenges in achieving sustainable fisheries. The IUU fishing represents today between 11 and 26 million tonnes of fish caught, 12 to 28% of the world’s fishing. At the international level, Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO), which are responsible for the management and the conservation of the fisheries, are the main actors in the fight against IUU fishing. However, to be effective, this fight implies coherence in the action carried out by these organizations but also a cooperation with other international organizations involved in this field. But it is clear that the network against IUU fishing that has been built so far remains insufficient to put an end to these activities harmful to marine biodiversity.