bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Portuguese Wood Pellets Market: Organization, Production and Consumption Analysis
Authors: Nunes Leonel J. R. , Casau Margarida , Ferreira Dias Marta
Published: December 2021

Wood pellets are a form of energy that can be seen as an alternative to fossil fuels, thus contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, wood pellets can be considered a solution contributing to the mitigation of climate change. The use of wood pellets has grown significantly in recent years, with different markets emerging, such as Portugal, both from production and consumption perspectives. The wood pellet industry in Portugal began its development about 15 years ago, with the companies installed in the country initially almost exclusively dedicated to the production of wood pellets for export to central and northern European markets. However, over the years, the domestic market, initially considered insignificant, began to develop; it recently reached a considerable consuming share of the national production. This study presents an analysis of the Portuguese wood pellet market using data collected on the sector, and specifically on producers and consumers. The information was gathered using surveys presented directly to consumers and producers and through interviews with other stakeholders in the sector. From the analysis of the information, it was possible to understand the market’s dynamics, its current evolution and its prospects for the upcoming years, since it can already be considered mature and consolidated.
Relationships between Burn Severity and Environmental Drivers in the Temperate Coniferous Forest of Northern China
Authors: Yin Changming , Xing Minfeng , Yebra Marta , Liu Xiangzhuo
Published: December 2021

Burn severity is a key component of fire regimes and is critical for quantifying fires’ impacts on key ecological processes. The spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of forest burn severity are closely related to its environmental drivers prior to the fire occurrence. The temperate coniferous forest of northern China is an important part of China’s forest resources and has suffered frequent forest fires in recent years. However, the understanding of environmental drivers controlling burn severity in this fire-prone region is still limited. To fill the gap, spatial pattern metrics including pre-fire fuel variables (tree canopy cover (TCC), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and live fuel moisture content (LFMC)), topographic variables (elevation, slope, and topographic radiation aspect index (TRASP)), and weather variables (relative humidity, maximum air temperature, cumulative precipitation, and maximum wind speed) were correlated with a remote sensing-derived burn severity index, the composite burn index (CBI). A random forest (RF) machine learning algorithm was applied to reveal the relative importance of the environmental drivers mentioned above to burn severity for a fire. The model achieved CBI prediction accuracy with a correlation coefficient (R) equal to 0.76, root mean square error (RMSE) equal to 0.16, and fitting line slope equal to 0.64. The results showed that burn severity was mostly influenced by flammable live fuels and LFMC. The elevation was the most important topographic driver, and meteorological variables had no obvious effect on burn severity. Our findings suggest that in addition to conducting strategic fuel reduction management activities, planning the landscapes with fire-resistant plants with higher LFMC when possible (e.g., “Green firebreaks”) is also indispensable for lowering the burn severity caused by wildfires in the temperate coniferous forests of northern China.
Mapping Cropland Burned Area in Northeastern China by Integrating Landsat Time Series and Multi-Harmonic Model
Authors: Liu Jinxiu , Wang Du , Maeda Eduardo Eiji , Pellikka Petri K. E. , Heiskanen Janne
Published: December 2021

Accurate cropland burned area estimation is crucial for air quality modeling and cropland management. However, current global burned area products have been primarily derived from coarse spatial resolution images which cannot fulfill the spatial requirement for fire monitoring at local levels. In addition, there is an overall lack of accurate cropland straw burning identification approaches at high temporal and spatial resolution. In this study, we propose a novel algorithm to capture burned area in croplands using dense Landsat time series image stacks. Cropland burning shows a short-term seasonal variation and a long-term dynamic trend, so a multi-harmonic model is applied to characterize fire dynamics in cropland areas. By assessing a time series of the Burned Area Index (BAI), our algorithm detects all potential burned areas in croplands. A land cover mask is used on the primary burned area map to remove false detections, and the spatial information with a moving window based on a majority vote is employed to further reduce salt-and-pepper noise and improve the mapping accuracy. Compared with the accuracy of 67.3% of MODIS products and that of 68.5% of Global Annual Burned Area Map (GABAM) products, a superior overall accuracy of 92.9% was obtained by our algorithm using Landsat time series and multi-harmonic model. Our approach represents a flexible and robust way of detecting straw burning in complex agriculture landscapes. In future studies, the effectiveness of combining different spectral indices and satellite images can be further investigated.
Business Circle Identification and Spatiotemporal Characteristics in the Main Urban Area of Yiwu City Based on POI and Night-Time Light Data
Authors: Zhou Liangliang , Shi Yishao , Zheng Jianwen
Published: December 2021

The activity of the urban night-time economy is one of the most important indicators reflecting the prosperity of an urban economy. The business circle is an important carrier of urban commercial activities and the core area of urban nightlife. This paper takes the main urban area of Yiwu city as the research object. Based on POI data and night-time light remote sensing data, two-factor mapping, kernel density analysis, DBSCAN clustering, and local contour tree methods are adopted to identify the business circle structure of the main urban area of Yiwu city and analyse the relationship between business circle characteristics and the night-time economy. The following conclusions can be drawn. (1) The spatial superimposition relationship between the night-time remote sensing data and points of interest (POI) data in the main urban area of Yiwu city is good, and the overall coupling results show obvious circle structure characteristics. (2) The spatial distribution of different business combinations has obvious regularity: comprehensive shopping business shows a multicentre distribution pattern and has a hierarchical feature. In contrast, professional food and beverage and leisure and entertainment businesses are close to urban residential areas, and different groups of people live in different places with their own characteristics. (3) From 2015 to 2019, the brightness value of each business circle showed a continuously increasing trend. In 2020, due to the impact of COVID-19, most of them declined. (4) Overall, the difference in business circle tiers reflects the difference in the level of night-time economic activities.
Radiative Transfer Model Simulations for Ground-Based Microwave Radiometers in North China
Authors: He Wenying , Cheng Yunchu , Zou Rongshi , Wang Pucai , Chen Hongbin , Li Jun , Xia Xiangao
Published: December 2021

Ground-based microwave radiometer profilers (MWRPs) are widely used to provide high-temporal resolution atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles. The quality of the observed brightness temperature (TB) from MWRPs is key for retrieving accurate atmospheric profiles. In this study, TB simulations derived from a radiative transfer model (RTM) were used to assess the quality of TB observations. Two types of atmospheric profile data (conventional radiosonde and ERA5 reanalysis) were combined with the RTM to obtain TB simulations, then compared with corresponding observations from three MWRPs located in different places in North China to investigate the influence of input atmospheric profiles on TB simulations and evaluate the quality of TB observations from the three MWRPs. The comparisons of the matching samples under clear-sky conditions showed that TB simulations derived from both radiosonde and ERA5 profiles were very close to the TB observations from most of the MWRP channels; however, the correlation was lower and the bias was obvious at 51.26 GHz and 52.28 GHz, which indicates that the oxygen absorption component in the RTM needs to be improved for lower-frequency temperature channels. The difference in location of the radiosonde and MWRP sites affected the TB simulations for the water vapor channels, but had little impact on temperature channels that are insensitive to humidity. Comparisons of both simulations (ERA5 and Radiosonde) and the corresponding TB observations from the three sites indicated that the water vapor channels observation quality for the MWRP located in southern Beijing needs improvement. For the two types of profile data, ERA5 profiles have a more positive effect on TB simulations in the water vapor channels, such as enhanced consistence, reduced bias and standard deviation between simulations and observations for those MWRPs located away from the radiosonde station. Therefore, hourly ERA5 data are an optimal option in terms of compensating for limited radiosonde measurements and enhancing the monitoring quality of MWRP observations within 24 h.
Towards the Sea Wind Measurement with the Airborne Scatterometer Having the Rotating-Beam Antenna Mounted over Fuselage
Authors: Nekrasov Alexey , Khachaturian Alena
Published: December 2021

Extension of the existing airborne radars’ applicability is a perspective approach to the remote sensing of the environment. Here we investigate the capability of the rotating-beam radar installed over the fuselage for the sea surface wind measurement based on the comparison of the backscatter with the respective geophysical model function (GMF). We also consider the robustness of the proposed approach to the partial shading of the underlying water surface by the aircraft nose, tail, and wings. The wind retrieval algorithms have been developed and evaluated using Monte-Carlo simulations. We find our results promising both for the development of new remote sensing systems as well as the functional enhancement of existing airborne radars.
UAV- and Machine Learning-Based Retrieval of Wheat SPAD Values at the Overwintering Stage for Variety Screening
Authors: Wang Jianjun , Zhou Qi , Shang Jiali , Liu Chang , Zhuang Tingxuan , Ding Junjie , Xian Yunyu , Zhao Lingtian , Wang Weiling , Zhou Guisheng , Tan Changwei , Huo Zhongyang
Published: December 2021

In recent years, the delay in sowing has become a major obstacle to high wheat yield in Jiangsu Province, one of the major wheat producing areas in China; hence, it is necessary to screen wheat varieties are resilient for late sowing. This study aimed to provide an effective, fast, and non-destructive monitoring method of soil plant analysis development (SPAD) values, which can represent leaf chlorophyll contents, for late-sown winter wheat variety screening. This study acquired multispectral images using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the overwintering stage of winter wheat growth, and further processed these images to extract reflectance of five single spectral bands and calculated 26 spectral vegetation indices. Based on these 31 variables, this study combined three variable selection methods (i.e., recursive feature elimination (RFE), random forest (RF), and Pearson correlation coefficient (r)) with four machine learning algorithms (i.e., random forest regression (RFR), linear kernel-based support vector regression (SVR), radial basis function (RBF) kernel-based SVR, and sigmoid kernel-based SVR), resulted in seven SVR models (i.e., RFE-SVR_linear, RF-SVR_linear, RF-SVR_RBF, RF-SVR_sigmoid, r-SVR_linear, r-SVR_RBF, and r-SVR_sigmoid) and three RFR models (i.e., RFE-RFR, RF-RFR, and r-RFR). The performances of the 10 machine learning models were evaluated and compared with each other according to the achieved coefficient of determination (R2), residual prediction deviation (RPD), root mean square error (RMSE), and relative RMSE (RRMSE) in SPAD estimation. Of the 10 models, the best one was the RF-SVR_sigmoid model, which was the combination of the RF variable selection method and the sigmoid kernel-based SVR algorithm. It achieved high accuracy in estimating SPAD values of the wheat canopy (R2 = 0.754, RPD = 2.017, RMSE = 1.716 and RRMSE = 4.504%). The newly developed UAV- and machine learning-based model provided a promising and real time method to monitor chlorophyll contents at the overwintering stage, which can benefit late-sown winter wheat variety screening.
Conversational Agents: Goals, Technologies, Vision and Challenges
Authors: Allouch Merav , Azaria Amos , Azoulay Rina
Published: December 2021

In recent years, conversational agents (CAs) have become ubiquitous and are a presence in our daily routines. It seems that the technology has finally ripened to advance the use of CAs in various domains, including commercial, healthcare, educational, political, industrial, and personal domains. In this study, the main areas in which CAs are successful are described along with the main technologies that enable the creation of CAs. Capable of conducting ongoing communication with humans, CAs are encountered in natural-language processing, deep learning, and technologies that integrate emotional aspects. The technologies used for the evaluation of CAs and publicly available datasets are outlined. In addition, several areas for future research are identified to address moral and security issues, given the current state of CA-related technological developments. The uniqueness of our review is that an overview of the concepts and building blocks of CAs is provided, and CAs are categorized according to their abilities and main application domains. In addition, the primary tools and datasets that may be useful for the development and evaluation of CAs of different categories are described. Finally, some thoughts and directions for future research are provided, and domains that may benefit from conversational agents are introduced.
Vale Professor Michael John McAleer
Authors: Allen David , Chang Chia-Lin
Published: December 2021

Professor Michael John McAleer passed away on 8 July 2021, at the age of 68 [...]
Securing Swiss Futurity: The Gefährder Figure and Switzerland’s Counterterrorism Regime
Authors: Naji Nora , Schildknecht Darja
Published: December 2021

This article explores the notion of the Gefährder, the German term for a ‘potentially threatening individual’, in the context of the latest expansion of both the spaces of prevention and preemption, particularly through the new anti-terror law (PMT) in Switzerland that drew widespread criticism from the international community for its wide judicial reach and vague terminology around terrorist activities, thereby breaching a series of international legal norms and treaties. The term Gefährder represents a historical and political assemblage that exists across space and time in various iterations based on the colonial and racialized Other. This article argues that the latest prototype emerging out of the current Swiss counterterrorism architecture has unique qualities. The Gefährder serves as a bio- and ontopolitical governance tool, through its bodily and affective qualities, that exerts Swiss state control, and reaffirms Swiss national identity and national conservative underpinnings to preserve a particular kind of Swiss futurity. This research aspires to contribute to a body of research on counterterrorism regimes and its affective and bodily subjects in post-imperial nation-states.
Flood Hazard Zonation Using an Artificial Neural Network Model: A Case Study of Kabul River Basin, Pakistan
Authors: Saeed Muhammad , Li Huan , Ullah Sami , Rahman Atta-ur , Ali Amjad , Khan Rehan , Hassan Waqas , Munir Iqra , Alam Shuaib
Published: December 2021

Floods are the most frequent and destructive natural disasters causing damages to human lives and their properties every year around the world. Pakistan in general and the Peshawar Vale, in particular, is vulnerable to recurrent floods due to its unique physiography. Peshawar Vale is drained by River Kabul and its major tributaries namely, River Swat, River Jindi, River Kalpani, River Budhni and River Bara. Kabul River has a length of approximately 700 km, out of which 560 km is in Afghanistan and the rest falls in Pakistan. Looking at the physiography and prevailing flood characteristics, the development of a flood hazard model is required to provide feedback to decision-makers for the sustainability of the livelihoods of the inhabitants. Peshawar Vale is a flood-prone area, where recurrent flood events have caused damages to standing crops, agricultural land, sources of livelihood earnings and infrastructure. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the ANN algorithm in the determination of flood inundated areas. The ANN algorithm was implemented in C# for the prediction of inundated areas using nine flood causative factors, that is, drainage network, river discharge, rainfall, slope, flow accumulation, soil, surface geology, flood depth and land use. For the preparation of spatial geodatabases, thematic layers of the drainage network, river discharge, rainfall, slope, flow accumulation, soil, surface geology, flood depth and land use were generated in the GIS environment. A Neural Network of nine, six and one neurons for the first, second and output layers, respectively, were designed and subsequently developed. The output and the resultant product of the Neural Network approach include flood hazard mapping and zonation of the study area. Parallel to this, the performance of the model was evaluated using Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Correlation coefficient (R2). This study has further highlighted the applicability and capability of the ANN in flood hazard mapping and zonation. The analysis revealed that the proposed model is an effective and viable approach for flood hazard analysis and zonation.
Does COVID-19 Change CSR? A Family Business Perspective
Authors: Rivo-López Elena , Villanueva-Villar Mónica , Novoa-Santos Sofía , Doval-Ruiz María Isabel
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study was to analyze the #Damos La Cara (“Let’s show our face”) initiative, which is an initiative promoted by the Instituto de la Empresa Familiar, the most representative organization of family businesses in Spain. This analysis allowed us to characterize the Spanish family business and to analyze their reactions and interventions in the face of the crisis posed by COVID-19 from the perspective of CSR. The methodology used consisted of a content analysis, viewing 127 videos wherein family members presented their companies and the activities carried out to improve their relations with their employees and their environment. The conclusions reached allowed us to affirm that they were mostly second- and third-generation companies from the manufacturing sector; the most repeated actions were social commitment to their workers (internal) and the donation of medical materials (corporate). To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time that an analysis of these characteristics had been carried out in the field of family businesses. This analysis showed the intense philanthropic activity carried out by Spanish family businesses, not only in emergencies but also as a regular activity and as a consequence of their values and long-term vision.
Perceptions of Urban Pollution of River Dependent Rural Communities and Their Impact: A Case Study in Bangladesh
Authors: Deb Dibash , Schneider Petra , Dudayev Zawhar , Emon Arian , Areng Songa Scholastica , Mozumder Mohammad Mojibul Hoque
Published: December 2021

This study considers the Old Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh, as a case study regarding community perceptions on urban pollution and its impact on rural communities. In doing so, in-depth individual interviews (n = 195), key informant interviews (n = 7), and focus group discussions (n = 7) were conducted by emphasizing different perspectives on urban pollution and its effects on people related to losses of fisheries resources, agricultural production, human health, and livelihood transformation. The findings illustrate that poor urban solid waste management and direct sewage discharge degrade rivers daily. The most vulnerable rural communities are directly dependent upon the river, including fishermen, farmers, and boatmen. Specific measures such as an effluent treatment plant should be established near the river, and households and commercial drains should be cut off from the direct connection with the river. Alternative income-generating activities for the stakeholders are suggested to safeguard the river from urban pollution and the wellbeing of the stakeholders.
Hospital Effluents and Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Source of Oxytetracycline and Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria in Seafood
Authors: McCarthy Bozena , Apori Samuel Obeng , Giltrap Michelle , Bhat Abhijnan , Curtin James , Tian Furong
Published: December 2021

The present study employs a data review on the presence and aggregation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and resistance (AMR) bacteria in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and the distribution of the contaminated effluent with the aid of shallow and deep ocean currents. The study aims to determine the fate of OTC and AMR bacteria in seafood, and demonstrate a relationship between AMR levels and human health. This review includes (1) OTC, (2) AMR bacteria, (3) heavy metals in aquatic environments, and their relationship. Few publications describe OCT in surface waters. Although OTC and other tetracyclines were found in 10 countries in relatively low concentrations, the continuous water mass movement poses a contamination risk for mariculture and aquaculture. There are 10 locations showing AMR bacteria in treated and untreated hospital effluent. Special effort was made to define the geography distribution of OTC, AMR bacteria, and heavy metals detected in WWTPs to show the likely dissemination in an aquatic environment. The presence of OTC in surface waters in Asia, USA, and Europe can potentially impact seafood globally with the aid of ocean currents. Moreover, low concentrations of heavy metals exert environmental pressure and contribute to AMR dissemination. Recommended solutions are (1) quantitative analysis of OTC, heavy metals, and AMR bacteria to define their main sources; (2) employing effective technologies in urban and industrial wastewater treatment; and (3) selecting appropriate modelling from Global Ocean Observing System to predict the OTC, heavy metals, and AMR bacteria distribution.
Diversity of the Seed Material of Selected Plant Species of Naturally Valuable Grassland Habitats in Terms of the Prognosis of Introduction Success
Authors: Janicka Maria , Pawluśkiewicz Bogumiła , Małuszyńska Elżbieta , Gnatowski Tomasz
Published: December 2021

The current conservation status of semi-natural grassland habitats in Poland indicates that actions for their restoration are necessary. Many of the degraded sites require the introduction of diaspores of representative species because other methods of improving their condition are not sufficiently effective. Meanwhile, little is known about the diaspores of native wild-flower species and the biology of their seeds. The aim of the present study was to find an answer to the question of which features of the seed material can guarantee the success of the introduction. The study covered 28 plant species of 4 non-forest natural habitats (codes: 6440, 6410, 6510, 6210) occurring in river valleys. Diaspores were collected in 2015–2017. Morphometric measurements of diaspores were performed, the weight of 1000 diaspores was determined and the germination capacity analysis was carried out in accordance with ISTA Rules. The analysis was made with the division into normal seedlings, abnormal seedlings, dead seeds and fresh ungerminated seeds. Species with similar parameters of seed material were selected using the method of hierarchical clustering and PCA analysis. Three groups of species were distinguished: (1) with good seed germination capacity (above 65%), which, regardless of weather conditions during the generative development, and despite the small size of diaspores, can guarantee successful introductions (Verbascum thapsus, Veronica longifolia, Daucus carota, Plantago lanceolata); (2) species of little suitability for introduction, due to the large proportion (over 50%) of dead seeds (Armeria maritima, Linaria vulgaris, Potentilla erecta, Centaurea stoebe, Sanguisorba officinalis, Cnidium dubium); (3) species with relatively large size of diaspores and low seed germination capacity, due to the high proportion of fresh ungerminated seeds which means dormant seeds (Lathyrus pratensis, Geranium pratense).
Comparative LCAs of Conventional and Mass Timber Buildings in Regions with Potential for Mass Timber Penetration
Authors: Puettmann Maureen , Pierobon Francesca , Ganguly Indroneil , Gu Hongmei , Chen Cindy , Liang Shaobo , Jones Susan , Maples Ian , Wishnie Mark
Published: December 2021

Manufacturing of building materials and construction of buildings make up 11% of the global greenhouse gas emission by sector. Mass timber construction has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by moving wood into buildings with designs that have traditionally been dominated by steel and concrete. The environmental impacts of mass timber buildings were compared against those of functionally equivalent conventional buildings. Three pairs of buildings were designed for the Pacific Northwest, Northeast and Southeast regions in the United States to conform to mass timber building types with 8, 12, or 18 stories. Conventional buildings constructed with concrete and steel were designed for comparisons with the mass timber buildings. Over all regions and building heights, the mass timber buildings exhibited a reduction in the embodied carbon varying between 22% and 50% compared to the concrete buildings. Embodied carbon per unit of area increased with building height as the quantity of concrete, metals, and other nonrenewable materials increased. Total embodied energy to produce, transport, and construct A1–A5 materials was higher in all mass timber buildings compared to equivalent concrete. Further research is needed to predict the long-term carbon emissions and carbon mitigation potential of mass timber buildings to conventional building materials.
Standing Crop Biomass and Carbon Content of Mangrove Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. along the Red Sea Coast of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Shaltout Kamal H. , Ahmed Mohamed T. , Alrumman Sulaiman A. , Ahmed Dalia A. , Eid Ebrahem M.
Published: December 2021

A number of Avicennia marina mangrove forests exist along the 1134 km stretch of the Saudi Red Sea coast. Three areas, one in each of the north, centre, and south of the coast, were selected for this investigation into the relationship between total biomass (above-ground, AGB, and below-ground, BGB), and biomass carbon stocks of A. marina, along the nutrient availability (combined with a salinity gradient). To estimate the total biomass stock, this research employed equations formulated through a regression approach. Various population characteristics (tree crown diameter, height, and density) and measurements of carbon (C) in the trees were captured, and other measurements were gathered to represent the environmental properties: electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) levels. With this data from the 21 stands and 7 sites of A. marina covered by the three locations chosen along the coast, it was concluded that a discernible influence is exerted by the concentrations of TP and TN in the sea water and sediments over the population characteristics of this plant. The resulting estimates also demonstrated a steady increase in total biomass and total biomass carbon storage from the mangroves in the north toward the south, with values changing overall from 197.9 to 1188.2 Mg DM ha−1 and from 87.6 to 412.5 Mg C ha−1 respectively. This illustrates that the biomasses held by the southern mangroves are 6 times (total) and 4.7 times (total carbon storage) higher than those in the north.
Recycling REEs from the Waste Products of Silius Mine (SE Sardinia, Italy): A Preliminary Study
Authors: Balassone Giuseppina , Manfredi Carla , Vasca Ermanno , Bianco Mariacristina , Boni Maria , Di Nunzio Aldo , Lombardo Francesco , Mozzillo Rosaria , Marino Antonio , Mormone Angela , Mura Guido , Trifuoggi Marco , Mondillo Nicola
Published: December 2021

The present research represents an approach toward the recycling of extractive waste inspired by circular economy and sustainability that is developed in accordance with Goal 12 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. A new procedure for the recovery of REEs from fluorite–barite–galena ores with calcite gangue from the Silius mine (Sardinia, Italy) is presented. The considered samples are waste materials of Silius mineralization, collected in the old processing plant of Assemini (near Cagliari). In this orebody, REE minerals consist of prevailing synchysite (a REE-bearing fluorocarbonate) and subordinate xenotime-Y (a Y-bearing phosphate). REE fluorocarbonates are extracted using 50% K2CO3 as the leaching solution, at 100 °C. Using a solution (mL)/sample (g) ratio of 25, about 10% of the total REE content of the considered sample is extracted within 1 h. At the laboratory scale, such alkaline leaching of REE from the waste materials allows the recovery of the CO2 produced as K2CO3 from concentrated KOH, in accordance with a circular flow. Further work is ongoing to scale up the process into a pilot plant, to prove that the method developed within this research can be economically feasible, socially suitable, and environmentally respectful.
Modern Methods of Diaphragm Walls Design
Authors: Frydrych Mateusz , Kacprzak Grzegorz , Nowak Paweł
Published: December 2021

This article addresses hazard reduction in deep excavations. The authors present a possible combination of prestressing of concrete structures (from bridge engineering) and prestressed structures of diaphragm walls from geotechnical engineering science. This innovative concept has not yet been shown in scientific articles. The “Sofistik” software (with TENDON module–SYSP/AXES/TOPP/TGEO) and its use is shown, with graphical presentations of the suggested solution. The authors compare the provided solution through usage of Sofistik and Plaxis software. The results show possible strengthening of sustainable construction by limitation of hazards and decreasing costs (via limitation of use of expensive steel reinforcement).
Coupling Remote Sensing and Hydrological Model for Evaluating the Impacts of Climate Change on Streamflow in Data-Scarce Environment
Authors: Akhtar Fazlullah , Awan Usman Khalid , Borgemeister Christian , Tischbein Bernhard
Published: December 2021

The Kabul River Basin (KRB) in Afghanistan is densely inhabited and heterogenic. The basin’s water resources are limited, and climate change is anticipated to worsen this problem. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of data to measure the impacts of climate change on the KRB’s current water resources. The objective of the current study is to introduce a methodology that couples remote sensing and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for simulating the impact of climate change on the existing water resources of the KRB. Most of the biophysical parameters required for the SWAT model were derived from remote sensing-based algorithms. The SUFI-2 technique was used for calibrating and validating the SWAT model with streamflow data. The stream-gauge stations for monitoring the streamflow are not only sparse, but the streamflow data are also scarce and limited. Therefore, we selected only the stations that are properly being monitored. During the calibration period, the coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) were 0.75–0.86 and 0.62–0.81, respectively. During the validation period (2011–2013), the NSE and R2 values were 0.52–0.73 and 0.65–0.86, respectively. The validated SWAT model was then used to evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on streamflow. Regional Climate Model (RegCM4-4) was used to extract the data for the climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and 8.5) from the CORDEX domain. The results show that streamflow in most tributaries of the KRB would decrease by a maximum of 5% and 8.5% under the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. However, streamflow for the Nawabad tributary would increase by 2.4% and 3.3% under the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. To mitigate the impact of climate change on reduced/increased surface water availability, the SWAT model, when combined with remote sensing data, can be an effective tool to support the sustainable management and strategic planning of water resources. Furthermore, the methodological approach used in this study can be applied in any of the data-scarce regions around the world.
The Implementation of the Precautionary Principle in Nuclear Safety Regulation: Challenges and Prospects
Authors: Yin Miaomiao , Zou Keyuan
Published: December 2021

The precautionary principle has been implemented in many fields including environment protection, biological diversity, and climate change. In the field of international nuclear safety regulation, the implementation of this principle is in an ongoing process. Since Japan declared to discharge Fukushima nuclear waste water into the ocean, the precautionary principle was put on the stage, and some debates are invoked on it. As is observed by this article, the precautionary principle has not been effectively implemented in nuclear safety regulation, specifically in nuclear safety law making, law enforcement, and judicial application. The reasons can be found from two main challenges: indeterminacy of perceived risk level required to justify precautionary action and hard balance of national interest and community interest in nuclear safety. In a long-term perspective, the framework of international nuclear safety regulation has to respond to these challenges, both by clarifying the precautionary principle in legal binding nuclear safety documents and moving towards a more transparent, fair, and effective enforcement regime in order to promote safer, more sustainable, and efficient civilian nuclear utilization around the world.
A Design of Multi-Purpose Image-Based QR Code
Authors: Chen Shang-Kuan , Ti Yen-Wu
Published: December 2021

A multi-purpose image-based QR code is designed in this paper. There are four purposes for the generated image-based QR code. In the first purpose, the basic image-based QR code with the look of a host image is with an ingenious layout to be identified easier. In the second one, a saliency region detection method is adopted for enhancing the quality of the image-based QR code. In the third one, the host image is embedded into the image-based QR code for further access to the host image; Finally, the visual cryptography-based watermarking method is applied to the host image embedded image-based QR code. In the case that the specific users need verification from the image-based QR code, the binary verified image can be retrieved when the public share is available. The experimental results demonstrate that the generated image-based QR code not only looked better than some previous works but also had high quality host image embedded and identification ability.
On Baryogenesis from a Complex Inflaton
Authors: Unwin James
Published: December 2021

We derive the particle asymmetry due to inflationary baryogenesis involving a complex inflaton, obtaining a different result to that in the literature. While asymmetries were found to be significantly smaller than previously calculated, in certain parameter regions, baryogenesis can still be achieved.
Genomic Analysis of the First European Bacteriophages with Depolymerase Activity and Biocontrol Efficacy against the Phytopathogen Ralstonia solanacearum
Authors: Biosca Elena G. , Català-Senent José Francisco , Figàs-Segura Àngela , Bertolini Edson , López María M. , Álvarez Belén
Published: December 2021

Ralstonia solanacearum is the causative agent of bacterial wilt, one of the most destructive plant diseases. While chemical control has an environmental impact, biological control strategies can allow sustainable agrosystems. Three lytic bacteriophages (phages) of R. solanacearum with biocontrol capacity in environmental water and plants were isolated from river water in Europe but not fully analysed, their genomic characterization being fundamental to understand their biology. In this work, the phage genomes were sequenced and subjected to bioinformatic analysis. The morphology was also observed by electron microscopy. Phylogenetic analyses were performed with a selection of phages able to infect R. solanacearum and the closely related phytopathogenic species R. pseudosolanacearum. The results indicated that the genomes of vRsoP-WF2, vRsoP-WM2 and vRsoP-WR2 range from 40,688 to 41,158 bp with almost 59% GC-contents, 52 ORFs in vRsoP-WF2 and vRsoP-WM2, and 53 in vRsoP-WR2 but, with only 22 or 23 predicted proteins with functional homologs in databases. Among them, two lysins and one exopolysaccharide (EPS) depolymerase, this type of depolymerase being identified in R. solanacearum phages for the first time. These three European phages belong to the same novel species within the Gyeongsanvirus, Autographiviridae family (formerly Podoviridae). These genomic data will contribute to a better understanding of the abilities of these phages to damage host cells and, consequently, to an improvement in the biological control of R. solanacearum.
Distinguishing Features Common to Dual Fatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infections That Occur in Both a Pregnant Woman and Her Newborn Infant
Authors: Price Nathan B. , Wood Kelly E.
Published: December 2021

Deaths from herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) are rare. A major exception is perinatally acquired HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection where the neonatal death rate is substantial. Fatal HSV infection also occurs occasionally in pregnant women. The goal of this review is to enumerate the reports that describe dual deaths of both a pregnant woman and her newborn from a herpesvirus infection. A total of 15 reports were found in the medical literature, of which five described pregnant women with HSV encephalitis and 10 described women with disseminated HSV infection. When the virus was typed, most cases of dual mother/newborn deaths were caused by HSV-2. Of interest, in two situations caused by HSV-1, the pregnant woman probably acquired her primary HSV-1 infection from one of her children and not by sexual transmission. Complete genomic sequencing was performed on one set of HSV-1 isolates collected from mother (blood) and newborn (blood and skin). The mother’s strain and the newborn’s skin strain were 98.9% identical. When the newborn’s two strains were compared, they were 97.4% identical. Only one mother was tested by the HerpeSelect IgG antibody kit. During the nine days of her undiagnosed disseminated infection preceding her death, her serology was negative. In summary, although dual mother/newborn deaths from HSV infection are rare, they continue to be reported as recently as 2017.
Prediction of SARS-CoV-2 Variant Lineages Using the S1-Encoding Region Sequence Obtained by PacBio Single-Molecule Real-Time Sequencing
Authors: Lhomme Sébastien , Latour Justine , Jeanne Nicolas , Trémeaux Pauline , Ranger Noémie , Migueres Marion , Salin Gérald , Donnadieu Cécile , Izopet Jacques
Published: December 2021

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the causal agent of the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in late 2019. The outbreak of variants with mutations in the region encoding the spike protein S1 sub-unit that can make them more resistant to neutralizing or monoclonal antibodies is the main point of the current monitoring. This study examines the feasibility of predicting the variant lineage and monitoring the appearance of reported mutations by sequencing only the region encoding the S1 domain by Pacific Bioscience Single Molecule Real-Time sequencing (PacBio SMRT). Using the PacBio SMRT system, we successfully sequenced 186 of the 200 samples previously sequenced with the Illumina COVIDSeq (whole genome) system. PacBio SMRT detected mutations in the S1 domain that were missed by the COVIDseq system in 27/186 samples (14.5%), due to amplification failure. These missing positions included mutations that are decisive for lineage assignation, such as G142D (n = 11), N501Y (n = 6), or E484K (n = 2). The lineage of 172/186 (92.5%) samples was accurately determined by analyzing the region encoding the S1 domain with a pipeline that uses key positions in S1. Thus, the PacBio SMRT protocol is appropriate for determining virus lineages and detecting key mutations.
Modeling the Influence of Vaccine Administration on COVID-19 Testing Strategies
Authors: Forde Jonathan E. , Ciupe Stanca M.
Published: December 2021

Vaccination is considered the best strategy for limiting and eliminating the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of this strategy relies on the rate of vaccine deployment and acceptance across the globe. As these efforts are being conducted, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is continuously mutating, which leads to the emergence of variants with increased transmissibility, virulence, and resistance to vaccines. One important question is whether surveillance testing is still needed in order to limit SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a vaccinated population. In this study, we developed a multi-scale mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a vaccinated population and used it to predict the role of testing in an outbreak with variants of increased transmissibility. We found that, for low transmissibility variants, testing was most effective when vaccination levels were low to moderate and its impact was diminished when vaccination levels were high. For high transmissibility variants, widespread vaccination was necessary in order for testing to have a significant impact on preventing outbreaks, with the impact of testing having maximum effects when focused on the non-vaccinated population.
Nasal and Salivary Mucosal Humoral Immune Response Elicited by mRNA BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine Compared to SARS-CoV-2 Natural Infection
Authors: Guerrieri Mariapia , Francavilla Beatrice , Fiorelli Denise , Nuccetelli Marzia , Passali Francesco , Coppeta Luca , Somma Giuseppina , Bernardini Sergio , Magrini Andrea , Di Girolamo Stefano
Published: December 2021

SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays are crucial in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Approved mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are well known to induce a serum antibody responses against the spike protein and its RBD. Mucosal immunity plays a major role in the fight against COVID-19 directly at the site of virus entry; however, vaccine abilities to elicit mucosal immune responses have not been reported. We detected anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA-S1 and IgG-RBD in three study populations (healthy controls, vaccinated subjects, and subjects recovered from COVID-19 infection) on serum, saliva, and nasal secretions using two commercial immunoassays (ELISA for IgA-S1 and chemiluminescent assay for IgG-RBD). Our results show that the mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech, New York, NY, USA) determines the production of nasal and salivary IgA-S1 and IgG-RBD against SARS-CoV-2. This mucosal humoral immune response is stronger after the injection of the second vaccine dose compared to subjects recovered from COVID-19. Since there is a lack of validated assays on saliva and nasal secretions, this study shows that our pre-analytical and analytical procedures are consistent with the data. Our findings indicate that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine elicits antigen-specific nasal and salivary immune responses, and that mucosal antibody assays could be used as candidates for non-invasive monitoring of vaccine-induced protection against viral infection.
Formation of a new industrial landscape in the context of innovative risks
Authors: Levina E.
Published: December 2021

The problem of risk management, especially in the new conditions associated with global challenges and threats and the transformation of the economy, is of an urgent nature. The aim of the study is to expand the possibilities of minimizing risks for enterprises in the conditions of the formation of a new industrial landscape. The object of the study is the risks of industrial enterprises. The subject of the study is the features of minimizing the risks of industrial enterprises in the conditions of economic transformation. The methodology of the study consisted of the following general scientific and private scientific methods and approaches: the method of analysis and synthesis for studying the features of management and risk minimization in organizations of different levels, methods of classification and generalization for expanding the typologies of risks of industrial enterprises, structural and functional, systemic and situational approaches for risk analysis and the development of proposals for their minimization, as well as mathematical and statistical methods of analysis of open empirical data. The results of the study. The paper presents theoretical and applied aspects of using platform solutions and artificial intelligence elements to minimize the risks of industrial enterprises in the development of a new economic landscape. Conclusions. The author of the article supplemented the typologies of risks of industrial enterprises and proposed solutions to minimize them. Application. The results of the study can be used for further studies of this problem.
Strategy for achieving low carbon content in the Arkhangelsk region
Authors: Nikonorov S. , Gimranova Z. , Koroleva N.
Published: December 2021

In the Arkhangelsk region, there are many enterprises that have an impact on the ecological state of the region. Most of the enterprises are concentrated in the wood processing industry. To develop a strategy to achieve low carbon content for the region, the low-carbon strategies of the three largest enterprises in the Arkhangelsk industry are analyzed. The strategy focuses on compliance with standards for greenhouse gas emissions, the introduction of energy-intensive technologies used in production, as well as the generation of energy from its own energy sources.
educación virtual en época de pandemia: Los más desfavorecidos en Perú
Authors: Ortega Murga Oscar Jesús , Quispe Ávalos Angélica María , Consuelo Navarro Bertha , Tello Sifuentes Yolanda
Published: December 2021

El presente artículo de revisión descriptiva se desarrolla durante la pandemia de la Covid-19 en el Perú donde se implementó la educación virtual, para dar continuidad a los estudios de niños, adolescentes y jóvenes. Sin embargo, esta modalidad no llegó a todos los peruanos. El objetivo planteado es identificar a  los menos favorecidos en la educación virtual. Se revisó publicaciones en la base datos Scielo y en repositorios universitarios entre los años 2020 -2021. Los resultados evidencian que, entre los menos favorecidos, están los que carecen de dispositivos con internet, tienen alguna discapacidad, tienen necesidades educativas especiales, no interactúan con sus docentes y compañeros, tienen docentes que no utilizan los recursos virtuales, utilizan material educativo ajeno a sus necesidades y aquellos que se encuentran en la educación superior sin poder realizar sus prácticas en laboratorios. Se concluye, que en  el Perú durante esta pandemia aún no se garantiza la educación como un derecho fundamental.