bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retinoid Homeostasis and Beyond: How Retinol Binding Protein 4 Contributes to Health and Disease
Authors: Steinhoff Julia S. , Lass Achim , Schupp Michael
Published: March 2022

Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) is the specific transport protein of the lipophilic vitamin A, retinol, in blood. Circulating RBP4 originates from the liver. It is secreted by hepatocytes after it has been loaded with retinol and binding to transthyretin (TTR). TTR association prevents renal filtration due to the formation of a higher molecular weight complex. In the circulation, RBP4 binds to specific membrane receptors, thereby delivering retinol to target cells, rendering liver-secreted RBP4 the major mechanism to distribute hepatic vitamin A stores to extrahepatic tissues. In particular, binding of RBP4 to ‘stimulated by retinoic acid 6’ (STRA6) is required to balance tissue retinoid responses in a highly homeostatic manner. Consequently, defects/mutations in RBP4 can cause a variety of conditions and diseases due to dysregulated retinoid homeostasis and cover embryonic development, vision, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases. Aside from the effects related to retinol transport, non-canonical functions of RBP4 have also been reported. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the regulation and function of RBP4 in health and disease derived from murine models and human mutations.
Obesity-Related Brain Cholinergic System Impairment in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Rats
Authors: Martinelli Ilenia , Tayebati Seyed Khosrow , Roy Proshanta , Micioni Di Bonaventura Maria Vittoria , Moruzzi Michele , Cifani Carlo , Amenta Francesco , Tomassoni Daniele
Published: March 2022

A link between obesity and cerebral health is receiving growing recognition. Here, we investigate in the frontal cortex and hippocampus the potential involvement of cholinergic markers in brain alterations previously reported in rats with obesity induced by diet (DIO) after long-term exposure (17 weeks) to a high-fat diet (HFD) in comparison with animals fed with a standard diet (CHOW). The obesity developed after 5 weeks of HFD. Bodyweight, systolic blood pressure, glycemia, and insulin levels were increased in DIO rats compared to the CHOW group. Measurements of malondialdehyde (MDA) provided lipid peroxidation in HFD-fed rats. Western blot and immunohistochemical techniques were performed. Our results showed a higher expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) in obese rats but not the VAChT expression in the frontal cortex after 17 weeks of HFD. Furthermore, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme was downregulated in HFD both in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. In the brain regions analyzed, it was reported a modulation of certain cholinergic receptors expressed pre- and post-synaptically (alpha7 nicotinic receptor and muscarinic receptor subtype 1). Collectively, these findings point out precise changes of cholinergic markers that can be targeted to prevent cerebral injuries related to obesity.
Phytol and Heptacosane Are Possible Tools to Overcome Multidrug Resistance in an In Vitro Model of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Labbozzetta Manuela , Poma Paola , Tutone Marco , McCubrey James A. , Sajeva Maurizio , Notarbartolo Monica
Published: March 2022

Drug resistance is the ability of cancer cells to gain resistance to both conventional and novel chemotherapy agents, and remains a major problem in cancer therapy. Resistance mechanisms are multifactorial and involve more strictly pharmacological factors, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and biological factors such as inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Possible therapeutic strategies for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have increased in recent years; however, drug resistance remains a problem for most pa-tients. Phytol and heptacosane are the major compounds of Euphorbia intisy essential oil (EO) which were demonstrated to inhibit P-gp in a multidrug resistant in vitro model of AML. This study investigated the mechanism by which phytol and heptacosane improve P-gp-mediated drug transport. Phytol suppresses the P-gp expression via NF-κB inhibition and does not seem to act on the efflux system. Heptacosane acts as a substrate and potent P-gp inhibitor, demonstrating the ability to retain the substrate doxorubicin inside the cell and enhancing its cytotoxic effects. Our results suggest that these compounds act as non-toxic modulators of P-gp through different mechanisms and are able to revert P-gp-mediated drug resistance in tumor cells.
Development of a Population Pharmacokinetic Model of Busulfan in Children and Evaluation of Different Sampling Schedules for Precision Dosing
Authors: Neroutsos Efthymios , Nalda-Molina Ricardo , Paisiou Anna , Zisaki Kalliopi , Goussetis Evgenios , Spyridonidis Alexandros , Kitra Vasiliki , Grafakos Stelios , Valsami Georgia , Dokoumetzidis Aristides
Published: March 2022

We develop a population pharmacokinetic model to describe Busulfan pharmacokinetics in paediatric patients and investigate by simulations the impact of various sampling schedules on the calculation of AUC. Seventy-six children had 2 h infusions every 6 h. A two-compartment linear model was found to adequately describe the data. A lag-time was introduced to account for the delay of the administration of the drug through the infusion pump. The mean values of clearance, central volume of distribution, intercompartmental clearance, and peripheral volume of distribution were 10.7 L/h, 39.5 L, 4.68 L/h and 17.5 L, respectively, normalized for a Body Weight (BW) of 70 kg. BW was found to explain a portion of variability with an allometric relationship and fixed exponents of 0.75 on clearance parameters and 1 on volumes. Interindividual variability for clearance and volume of distribution was found to be 28% and 41%, respectively, and interoccasion variability for clearance was found to be 11%. Three sampling schedules were assessed by simulations for bias and imprecision to calculate AUC by a non-compartmental and a model-based method. The latter was found to be superior in all cases, while the non-compartmental was unbiased only in sampling up to 12 h corresponding to a once-daily dosing regimen.
Sunlight Communication System Built with Tunable 3D-Printed Optical Components
Authors: Shen Ching-Kai , Chen Wei-Ting , Wu Yu-Hsin , Lai Kai-Ying , Tsai Jui-che
Published: March 2022

In this paper, optical components are fabricated using a 3D printing method. The two following strategies are adopted: 1. combining 3D printing, “origami”, and metal coating/attaching to directly manufacture parabolic reflectors; 2. inserting mirrors into 3D-printed frames and assembling the mirrors to form a corner cube retroreflector (CCR). PDLC (polymer dispersed liquid crystal) films are integrated with these optical components to achieve voltage-controlled optical power modulation. The tunable CCR is used to construct a solar light communication system. Using sunlight directly as the light source for communication is rarely seen. In this paper, we demonstrate a proof of concept of sunlight communication, exploring a new route of solar energy utilization, in addition to electricity generation and heating.
A Mild Method for Encapsulation of Citral in Monodispersed Alginate Microcapsules
Authors: Ma Wen-Long , Mou Chuan-Lin , Chen Shi-Hao , Li Ya-Dong , Deng Hong-Bo
Published: March 2022

Citral is a typical UV-irritation and acid-sensitive active and here we develop a mild method for the encapsulation of citral in calcium alginate microcapsules, in which UV irritation or acetic acid is avoided. Monodispersed oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) emulsions are generated in a capillary microfluidic device as precursors. The middle aqueous phase of O/W/O emulsions contains sodium alginate, calcium-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA-Ca) complex as the calcium source, and D-(+)-Gluconic acid δ-lactone (GDL) as the acidifier. Hydrolysis of GDL will decrease the pH value of the middle aqueous solution, which will trigger the calcium ions released from the EDTA-Ca complex to cross-link with alginate molecules. After the gelling process, the O/W/O emulsions will convert to alginate microcapsules with a uniform structure and monodispersed size. The preparation conditions for alginate microcapsules are optimized, including the constituent concentration in the middle aqueous phase of O/W/O emulsions and the mixing manner of GDL with the alginate-contained aqueous solution. Citral-containing alginate microcapsules are successfully prepared by this mild method and the sustained-release characteristic of citral from alginate microcapsules is analyzed. Furthermore, a typical application of citral-containing alginate microcapsules to delay the oxidation of oil is also demonstrated. The mild gelling method provides us a chance to encapsulate sensitive hydrophobic actives with alginate, which takes many potential applications in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic areas.
Advancing Strategies of Biofouling Control in Water-Treated Polymeric Membranes
Authors: Zhang Hongli , Zhu Shilin , Yang Jie , Ma Aijie
Published: March 2022

Polymeric membranes, such as polyamide thin film composite membranes, have gained increasing popularity in wastewater treatment, seawater desalination, as well as the purification and concentration of chemicals for their high salt-rejection and water flux properties. Membrane biofouling originates from the attachment or deposition of organic macromolecules/microorganisms and leads to an increased operating pressure and shortened service life and has greatly limited the application of polymeric membranes. Over the past few years, numerous strategies and materials were developed with the aim to control membrane biofouling. In this review, the formation process, influence factors, and consequences of membrane biofouling are systematically summarized. Additionally, the specific strategies for mitigating membrane biofouling including anchoring of hydrophilic monomers, the incorporation of inorganic antimicrobial nanoparticles, coating/grafting of cationic bactericidal polymers, and the design of multifunctional material integrated multiple anti-biofouling mechanisms, are highlighted. Finally, perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in anti-biofouling polymeric membranes are shared, shedding light on the development of even better anti-biofouling materials in near future.
Special Issue on “Function of Polymers in Encapsulation Process”
Authors: Aboudzadeh M. Ali , Hamzehlou Shaghayegh
Published: March 2022

Encapsulation technology comprises enclosing active agents (core materials) within a homogeneous/heterogeneous matrix (wall material) at the micro/nano scale [...]
Lay-Up Compound Matrices for Application of Medical Protective Clothing: Manufacturing Techniques and Property Evaluations
Authors: Lou Ching-Wen , Lin Jian-Hong , Lai Mei-Feng , Huang Chen-Hung , Shiu Bing-Chiuan , Lin Jia-Horng
Published: March 2022

Medical protective clothing is the first line of defense for medical staff, which makes the acquisition of protection and multiple function challenging. When it comes to contagious diseases, the physical properties of protective clothing are deemed the top priority and, subsequently, they have significant meaning for the structural design, production cost evaluation, convenient production, and innovation. In this study, nonwoven technology is employed to produce matrices in which mechanical properties are supported by Tencel fibers and recycled Kevlar fibers. Next, the electrostatic spinning is conducted to generate breathable and waterproof films. The nonwoven fabrics and membranes are combined to have diverse functions, forming lay-up compound matrices for medical protective clothing. Moreover, measurements are conducted to characterize the lay-up compound matrices in terms of the tensile strength, tearing strength, bursting strength, puncture resistance, stiffness, air-permeable property, surface resistance, comfort performance, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, and the penetration of synthetic blood. As for the nonwoven fabrics, the mechanical properties are significantly improved after Kevlar fibers are incorporated. The tensile strength is (62.6 ± 2.4) N along the machine direction (MD) and (50.1 ± 3.1) N along the cross machine direction (CD); the tearing strength is (29.5 ± 1.6) N along the MD and (43.0 ± 1.7) N along the CD; the bursting strength is (365.8 ± 5.0) kPa; and the puncture resistance is (22.6 ± 1.0) N. Moreover, the lay-up compound matrices exhibit a stiffness of (14.7 ± 0.2) cm along the MD and (14.6 ± 0.1) cm along the CD, a surface resistance of (2.85 × 109 ± 0.37 × 109) Ω, an air-permeable property of (45.4 ± 2.3) cm3/s/cm2, and sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency of over 98%. In the measurement for penetration of synthetic blood, the K40/PAN/TPU group prevents the synthetic blood from penetration. Hence, the incorporation of recycled Kevlar fibers and lay-up compound technique creates good physical properties, an appropriate comfort attribute, and functions, which suggests that this study provides a greater diversity and new concepts for the production of medical protective clothing.
Machine Learning Prediction of Critical Temperature of Organic Refrigerants by Molecular Topology
Authors: Que Yi , Ren Song , Hu Zhiming , Ren Jiahui
Published: March 2022

In this work, molecular structures, combined with machine learning algorithms, were applied to predict the critical temperatures (Tc) of a group of organic refrigerants. Aiming at solving the problem that previous models cannot distinguish isomers, a topological index was introduced. The results indicate that the novel molecular descriptor ‘molecular fingerprint + topological index’ can effectively differentiate isomers. The average absolute average deviation between the predicted and experimental values is 3.99%, which proves a reasonable prediction ability of the present method. In addition, the performance of the proposed model was compared with that of other previously reported methods. The results show that the present model is superior to other approaches with respect to accuracy.
Tutuism and the Moral Universe. Comment on Gasser (2021). Animal Suffering, God and Lessons from the Book of Job. Religions 12: 1047
Authors: Cordeiro-Rodrigues Luis
Published: March 2022

Georg Gasser has recently attempted a new explanation to the problem of animal suffering, i.e., how can a morally perfect, omniscient, and omnipotent God allow the gratuitous suffering of animals? His argument can be interpreted in two ways: (i) creation is amoral and therefore there is no problem of animal suffering; (ii) God’s morality is beyond us and not responsive to humans. In both cases, the problem of animal suffering is, according to Gasser, explained. Grounded on the thought of Desmond Tutu, I contend, however, that both (i) and (ii) imply that God would be immoral, which is an unacceptable implication for Christians. Therefore, Gasser’s explanation fails to solve the problem of suffering. Further, I uphold that if God exists He is necessarily a moral agent and if one wishes to give up such property, then also needs to give up His omnipotence. On top of this, I challenge the idea that there is a naturalistic fallacy in holding a Tutuist conception of God.
A Comparative Study on Classification Features between High-Resolution and Polarimetric SAR Images through Unsupervised Classification Methods
Authors: Qu Junrong , Qiu Xiaolan , Wang Wei , Wang Zezhong , Lei Bin , Ding Chibiao
Published: March 2022

Feature extraction and comparison of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data of different modes such as high resolution and full polarization have important guiding significance for SAR image applications. In terms of image and physical domain for higher spatial resolution single-polarized and coarser spatial resolution quad-pol SAR data, this paper analyzes and compares the feature extraction with unsupervised classification methods. We discover the correlation and complementarity between high-resolution image feature and quad-pol physical scattering information. Therefore, we propose an information fusion strategy, that can conduct unsupervised learning of the landcover classes of SAR images obtained from multiple imaging modes. The medium-resolution polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) data and the high-resolution single-polarized data of the Gaofen-3 satellite are adopted for the selected experiments. First, we conduct the Freeman–Durden decomposition and H/alpha-Wishart classification method on PolSAR data for feature extraction and classification, and use the Deep Convolutional Embedding Clustering (DCEC) algorithm on single-polarized data for unsupervised classification. Then, combined with the quantitative evaluation by confusion matrix and mutual information, we analyze the correlation between characteristics of image domain and physics domain and discuss their respective advantages. Finally, based on the analysis, we propose a refined unsupervised classification method combining image information of high-resolution data and physics information of PolSAR data, that optimizes the classification results of both the urban buildings and the vegetation areas. The main contribution of this comparative study is that it promotes the understanding of the landcover classification ability of different SAR imaging modes and also provides some guidance for future work to combine their respective advantages for better image interpretation.
Space-Based Detection of Significant Water-Depth Increase Induced by Hurricane Irma in the Everglades Wetlands Using Sentinel-1 SAR Backscatter Observations
Authors: Zhang Boya , Wdowinski Shimon , Gann Daniel
Published: March 2022

Extreme rainfall, induced by severe weather events, such as hurricanes, impacts wetlands because rapid water-depth increases can lead to flora and fauna mortality. This study developed an innovative algorithm to detect significant water-depth increases (SWDI, defined as water-depth increases above a threshold) in wetlands, using Sentinel-1 SAR backscatter. We used Hurricane Irma as an example that made landfall in the south Florida Everglades wetlands in September 2017 and produced tremendous rainfall. The algorithm detects SWDI for during- and post-event SAR acquisition dates, using pre-event water-depth as a baseline. The algorithm calculates Normalized Difference Backscatter Index (NDBI), using pre-, during-, and post-event backscatter, at a 20-m SAR resolution, as an indicator of the likelihood of SWDI, and detects SWDI using all NDBI values in a 400-m resolution pixel. The algorithm successfully detected large SWDI areas for the during-event date and progressive expansion of non-SWDI areas (water-depth differences less than the threshold) for five post-event dates in the following two months. The algorithm achieved good performance in both ‘herbaceous dominant’ and ‘trees embedded within herbaceous matrix’ land covers, with an overall accuracy of 81%. This study provides a solution for accurate mapping of SWDI and can be used in global wetlands, vulnerable to extreme rainfall.
Reinforcement Learning Based Relay Selection for Underwater Acoustic Cooperative Networks
Authors: Zhang Yuzhi , Su Yue , Shen Xiaohong , Wang Anyi , Wang Bin , Liu Yang , Bai Weigang
Published: March 2022

In the complex and dynamically varying underwater acoustic (UWA) channel, cooperative communication can improve throughput for UWA sensor networks. In this paper, we design a reasonable relay selection strategy for efficient cooperation with reinforcement learning (RL), considering the characteristics of UWA channel variation and long transmission delay. The proposed scheme establishes effective state and reward expression to better reveal the relationship between RL and UWA environment. Meanwhile, simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is integrated with RL to improve the performance of relay selection, where exploration rate of RL is dynamically adapted by SA optimization through the temperature decline rate. Furthermore, the fast reinforcement learning (FRL) strategy with pre-training process is proposed for practical UWA network implementation. The whole proposed SA-FRL scheme has been evaluated by both simulation and experimental data. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed relay selection scheme can converge more quickly than classical RL and random selection with the increase of the number of iterations. The reward, access delay and data rate of SA-FRL can converge at the highest value and are close to the ideal optimum value. All in all, the proposed SA-FRL relay selection scheme can improve the communication efficiency through the selection of the relay nodes with high link quality and low access delay.
Detection of Apple Valsa Canker Based on Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Kurihara Junichi , Yamana Toshikazu
Published: March 2022

Approximately half of the world’s apple production occurs in East Asia, where apple Valsa canker (AVC) is a prominent disease. This disease affects the bark of the tree, ultimately killing it and resulting in significant economic loss. Visual identification of the diseased area of the bark, particularly in the early stages, is extremely difficult. In this study, we conducted hyperspectral imaging of the trunks and branches of AVC-infected apple trees and revealed that the diseased area can be identified in the near-infrared reflectance, even when it is difficult to distinguish visually. A discriminant analysis using the Mahalanobis distance was performed on the normalized difference spectral index (NDSI) obtained from the measured spectral reflectance. A diagnostic model for discriminating between the healthy and diseased areas was created using the threshold value of NDSI. An accuracy assessment of the diagnostic model presented the overall accuracy as >0.94 for the combinations of spectral bands at 660–690 nm and 720–760 nm. This simple diagnostic model can be applied to other tree bark canker diseases.
A Novel Method for Mapping Lake Bottom Topography Using the GSW Dataset and Measured Water Level
Authors: Li Yuanxi , Yang Wei , Li Junjie , Zhang Zhen , Meng Lingkui
Published: March 2022

Lake bottom topography is a basic parameter that reflects the elevation of all lake bottom geographical locations. In this study, a novel method was proposed for mapping lake bottom topography by combining the water occurrence map from the Global Surface Water (GSW) dataset with long-term measured water levels. This method took advantage of the following feature: the rapid change in water level of a lake’s dynamic inundation area leads to a different water occurrence frequency and, therefore, put forward the concept of lake water level frequency, which refers to the frequency at which the water level is higher than or equal to a specified elevation. As water occurs more frequently in lake bottoms with lower elevations and less frequently in lake bottoms with higher elevations, we assume that lake water level frequency is identical to the water occurrence frequency over a long time. The water level frequency curve of all the measured water level data was generated through the P-III distribution function, and the elevation values from the water level frequency curve were assigned to pixels with the same frequency in the water occurrence map in order to generate the lake bottom topographic map. A case study was conducted on Poyang Lake in China to demonstrate the performance of the method. The derived bottom topographic map of Poyang Lake was verified by four measured sections. The results showed that the proposed method was feasible and could well reflect the bottom topography of Poyang Lake. The absolute error was mostly less than 0.5 m, the mean relative error was 7.4%, and the root mean square error was 0.99 m. The proposed method enriches the mapping means of lake bottom topography and has the potential to become a useful tool with a broad application prospect.
On the Use of Web Mapping Platforms to Support the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Old Urban Areas
Authors: Columbro Cosimo , Eudave Rafael Ramírez , Ferreira Tiago Miguel , Lourenço Paulo B. , Fabbrocino Giovanni
Published: March 2022

European countries are affected by various levels of seismic hazard, including many areas with medium to high seismicity. Heavy damage over large areas has been observed in past earthquakes in these countries, particularly in masonry buildings located in historical centers, confirming the need for enhancing the current knowledge on the seismic vulnerability of these constructions, so more informed technical and political decisions towards the mitigation of the risk can be taken. However, the characterization of building stocks for engineering purposes is still an open issue due to the enormous amount of resources that such a project would require. Nevertheless, the availability of virtual images and maps represents an outstanding opportunity for having remote approaches to urban environments. The role of on-site inspections can be complemented or even substituted by means of these remote approaches, provided it is complemented with suitable approaches. The use of these resources is not new, but the critical assessment of their capabilities and limitations deserves a critical discussion. The present paper aims at assessing the opportunities offered by web-based mapping platforms in the context of seismic vulnerability assessment of masonry buildings in old urban areas. After evaluating the advantages and shortcomings of some of the most popular web-based mapping services, an explanatory application to a set of 39 buildings located in the historic center of the city of Leiria (Portugal) is presented and critically discussed, contrasting the results obtained by using on-site and remote inspections. Two different seismic vulnerability assessment approaches are applied and analyzed herein, confirming that web-based mapping platforms can represent an efficient and cost-effective complement to traditional field surveys when the large-scale seismic vulnerability of old urban areas is of interest.
A New Method for InSAR Stratified Tropospheric Delay Correction Facilitating Refinement of Coseismic Displacement Fields of Small-to-Moderate Earthquakes
Authors: Gong Wenyu , Zhao Dezheng , Zhu Chuanhua , Zhang Yingfeng , Li Chenglong , Zhang Guifang , Shan Xinjian
Published: March 2022

Focusing on stratified tropospheric delay correction in the small-amplitude coseismic displacement field of small-to-moderate earthquakes (<Mw 6.5), we develop a Simple-Stratification-Correction (SSC) approach based on the empirical phase-elevation relationship and spatial properties of the troposphere, via an equal-size window segmentation. We validate our SSC method using 23 real earthquakes that occurred from January 2016 to May 2021 with a moment magnitude (Mw) ranging from 4.5 to 6.5. We conclude that SSC performs well according to the amount of reduction in semi-variance and the root-mean-square value. This method primarily focuses on stratification delay correction; thus, it is especially useful in regions with complex terrain, while it can mitigate partial large-scale turbulence signals. We investigate three parameters that are empirically setup in the correction working flow and inspect their optimal settings, when implementing SSC for quick response after earthquake. Our method is ready to be integrated into an operational InSAR processing chain to produce a reliable atmospheric phase screen map, which can also serve as an auxiliary product to quickly and timely quantify stratification delays in coseismic interferograms. Through improved accuracy of the coseismic displacement field, the focal mechanism could be better constrained to facilitate the building and expansion of the geodesy-based earthquake catalogue.
How Could Nanomedicine Improve the Safety of Contrast Agents for MRI during Pregnancy?
Authors: Difonzo Marinella , Fliedel Louise , Mignet Nathalie , Andrieux Karine , Alhareth Khair
Published: March 2022

Pregnancy is a delicate state, during which timely investigation of possible physiological anomalies is essential to reduce the risk of maternal and fetal complications. Medical imaging encompasses different technologies to image the human body for the diagnosis, course of treatment management, and follow-up of diseases. Ultrasound (US) is currently the imaging system of choice for pregnant patients. However, sonographic evaluations can be non-effective or give ambiguous results. Therefore, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), due to its excellent tissue penetration, the possibility of acquisition of three-dimensional anatomical information, and its high spatial resolution, is considered a valid diagnostical alternative. Nevertheless, currently employed contrast agents to improve the MRI image quality are harmful to the fetus. Because of their ability to cross the placenta, their use on pregnant patients is avoided. This review will firstly recapitulate the most common non-obstetrical, obstetrical, and fetal indications for magnetic resonance imaging on pregnant women. Fetal safety risks, due to the use of strong magnetic fields and exogenous contrast agents, will be presented. Then, possible advantages of nanostructured contrast agents compared to current molecular ones are explored. Nanosystems’ characteristics affecting contrast efficiency, and their potential for improving contrast-enhanced MRI’s safety in pregnant women, are discussed. Lastly, promising examples of nanoparticles as safer alternatives to current MRI contrast agents in pregnancy are discussed.
Deleterious Effect of Ultraviolet Radiation on Glossogobius giuris: A Short Experimental Study
Authors: Ramakrishnan Azhagu Raj , Kumar Krishna , Arunachalam Palavesam , Sankar Muthupandi , Selvaraj Prathap , Jheeta Sohan
Published: March 2022

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a part of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun. The present study was conducted to examine the deleterious effects of UV radiation on the stratum corneum of fish—namely, Glossogobius giuris. In this study, healthy living specimens of G. giuris species weighing (1.20 g) and length (4.06 cm) were collected from Thandavarayankulam lake, Srivaikuntam Taluk, Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu. They were transported to the laboratory in well-aerated containers. During the experiment, the fish G. giuris (n = 6) was introduced into the UV Chamber (UVA and UVB) for one hour. After that, experimental fishes were collected from the UV Chamber were dissected for histological and biochemical studies using standard methodology. The short-term exposure of UVA and UVB rays on freshwater G. giuris muscle tissue showed marked degeneration of the epithelium, the disappearance of striations, thickened septal wall, broken fibre, and the disappearance of striation, followed by branchial arterial rupture. It was also determined that carbohydrate, protein, and lipid contents of the muscle tissue were significantly reduced. This study confirmed the destructive effects of UV radiation on the stratum corneum of fish G. giuris. The ultrastructural and biochemical changes occur depending largely on the energy of the UV rays; in this case, the UVB radiation, with higher destructive energy (4.4 eV), had a greater detrimental effect on the muscles of G. giuris than UVA, with its energy level of 3.9 eV.
Kinetic Analysis of Nitrite Reduction Reactions by Nitrite Reductase Derived from Spinach in the Presence of One-Electron Reduced Riboflavin
Authors: Ikeyama Shusaku , Tabe Hiroyasu
Published: March 2022

The development of methods for converting nitrogen oxides in water into valuable resources such as ammonia and hydrazine has been given some attention. By utilizing the nitrite-reducing catalytic activity of nitrite reductase (NiR), nitrite in water can be converted into ammonium. However, there are few reports in the research that synthesized ammonium from nitrite using nitrite reductase. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of temperature on the nitrite-reducing catalytic activity of NiR from spinach in the presence of one-electron reduced riboflavin by kinetic analysis to find the optimum temperature conditions. The results of this study showed that the reaction temperature does not need to be higher than 296.15 K in order to improve the efficiency of ammonium production from nitrite using NiR.
Prejudice and Cuts to Public Health and Education: A Migration Crisis or a Crisis of the European Welfare State and Its Socio-Political Values?
Authors: Bello Valeria
Published: March 2022

The past few years have witnessed the development of prejudiced attitudes in some places in Europe. Biases alike are often considered a consequence of increased migratory movements to the continent and have also been connected to a more general crisis of the European Union political project. However, societies have diversely responded to migration even in countries presenting similar economic performances and immigrant inflows. Akin different reactions have raised some important questions: is prejudice connected to a broader European crisis and what does the latter consist of? This article responds to these research questions through a multilevel analysis of 24 European countries, and shows that the percentages of migrant population alone are not associated to anti-migrant sentiments. Such a situation has instead been the case only in those countries that have concurrently experienced cuts to the two key public sectors of education and health care, which constituted the pillars of the European Welfare State and one of the cores of the European Union’s political project.
How Data Mining Can Improve Road Safety in Cities
Authors: Butsenko Elena
Published: March 2022

Traffic collisions pose a serious problem for cities due to the annually increasing number of vehicles. Information about incidents that occur on roads is important for the corresponding monitoring bodies, authorities, and emergency services. To ensure traffic safety, the data have to be visible, clean, and transparently displayed. This research was, therefore, aimed at developing a methodology for monitoring motor vehicle collision data and applying visualization techniques to evidence from New York City. The method showed that the largest number of motor vehicle traffic crashes occurred in Lower Manhattan due to its high population and traffic density. With these data, the road agencies of the city can put potentially dangerous road sections under control and make them safer for both drivers and pedestrians. Further development of the system may be associated with data analytics and visualization, resulting in new layers of heatmaps that not only provide details on car collision hotspots, which serve as the main target indicator for traffic safety authorities, but also break them down into social facilities, such as schools. This feature will enable assessment of how safe it is around a school and the evaluation of the impact of an underpass or a traffic enforcement camera on the number of collisions. The motor vehicle traffic crash (MVTC) monitoring system will help in comparing city districts and regions in terms of safety, seeing trends, realizing what exactly is happening at interchanges, and understanding the reasons behind. The methodology, in addition, can be supplemented with an analysis of risk factors for MVTCs, the efficiency of adopted measures and road renovations that are carried out, and many other functions.
Destination Responses to COVID-19 Waves: Is “Green Zone” Initiative a Holy Grail for Tourism Recovery?
Authors: Huynh Da Van , Duong Long Hai , Truong Thuy Thi Kim , Nguyen Nhan Trong
Published: March 2022

Despite the stagnant status of the tourism industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the efforts to reopen the tourism destinations as green zones in Vietnam have paid off with some encouraging achievements. This inspires other green zones to consider a more adaptive approach to the ongoing pandemic crisis. However, little is known about the pandemic crisis management and tourism destination recovery. Therefore, this study selected Can Tho city as a case study to explore how a tourism destination as a green zone can recover during pandemic waves. Different methods were utilized in this study, including document analysis, field observation, and semi-structured interview. The findings generally indicate that a green zone could recover their tourism business under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight the critical relationship among key stakeholders and the leading role of the central government toward pandemic prevention and control. The early response to the crisis from the local governments was found to be decisive, and the policy-related measures facilitated the removal of potential barriers and alleviated the crisis consequences. In addition, the involvement of the tourism industry in an adaptive way has contributed to the quick recovery of the green zones’ tourism business. Importantly, the adaptive transformation from the tourism enterprises in a visionary way was found to be essential to the empowerment of their organizational resilience during the pandemic crisis. The lessons learnt from this study also bring valuable experiences for other tourism destinations and elicit a new approach to co-living with the ongoing pandemic in a sustainable way. Theoretically, this study provides a better understanding of tourism management and destination recovery during the global pandemic crisis. In addition, the research also adds many important practical implications for the tourism industry and the related stakeholders to foster tourism revitalization during and after the pandemic in a more sustainable way.
Evidence from Thailand on Easing COVID-19’s International Travel Restrictions: An Impact on Economic Production, Household Income, and Sustainable Tourism Development
Authors: Klinsrisuk Ratchaphong , Pechdin Watchara
Published: March 2022

Even though international travel restrictions are being used to keep the COVID-19 pandemic under control, these measures cannot be considered as long-term solutions to the ongoing crisis. Limitations on traveling activities have tremendous adverse consequences on a country’s economy, particularly leading in radically expanding economic downturn and a shrinking tourism industry. To overcome this hardship, several countries have eased COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, there are still questions concerning the benefit to society as the impact assessment of this implementation transmitting to an economy has not been explicitly investigated. In response to this, we aim to assess the impacts of this implementation as to provide a guideline to global countries for their future adoption. By calculating the output and household income multipliers from the tourism input–output table, this study utilizes a case study from Thailand to indicate that prolonging the full mobility restrictions of international tourists, which results in a yearly loss of revenue in Thai tourism industry, would cost country production up to 144.97 billion USD and up to 45.4 billion USD for loss of household income. When international travel limitations were relaxed, production and household damage would fall to 142.24 billion USD (+1.88%) and 44.7 billion USD (+1.54%), respectively. At individual sectors level, our calculation identified that the most damage of production activities would exist in public utility, agriculture, and food manufacturing sectors. In the perspective of household income, those in the agricultural sector would have greatest impact. This impact results from the Thai tourism industry positioned as a buyer in an economy, having most impact on sectors selling their products or inputs to the tourism industry. As suggested by the input–output multipliers, we emphasize that strengthening the resilience of tourism-related sectors and reforming the tourism industry in relation to potential consumption and production patterns are critical for sustainable tourism development.
Iron Ore Tailings Dewatering: Measurement of Adhesion and Cohesion for Filter Press Operation
Authors: Fränkle Bernd , Morsch Patrick , Kessler Christoph , Sok Thien , Gleiß Marco , Nirschl Hermann
Published: March 2022

Globally, mining operators focus increasingly on tailings filtration to recover process water and store tailings more safely. Generally, required water contents below 20-w% are reached by using filter presses. To maintain high efficiency, complete cake detachment is needed because incomplete discharge reduces plant performance. However, filter cake discharge can occur in different ways, mainly influenced by adhesion of the filter cake to the filter cloth as well as by cohesion of the cake. Therefore, this study points out different major detachment behaviors and a theoretical approach to describe them. Furthermore, investigations on iron ore tailings filtrations were carried out to show the influences of different filter media, different filtration pressure and cake post-treatment on adhesion and cohesion.
Road Freight Transport Literature and the Achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals—A Systematic Review
Authors: Collaço Flávia Mendes de Almeida , Teixeira Ana Carolina Rodrigues , Machado Pedro Gerber , Borges Raquel Rocha , Brito Thiago Luis Felipe , Mouette Dominique
Published: March 2022

Considering the importance of the road freight transport sector on the sustainability debate, the purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of the road freight transport literature to provide key information on the role that this field of knowledge must play in contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To accomplish this, we performed a state-of-the-art review via systematic literature on 86 documents published during 2015–2020, with an emphasis on environmental, economic, and technical studies. Ultimately, this paper seeks to uncover research gaps and to suggest means in which the freight transport literature and the 17 SDGs may be faced by this field in future studies. the results showed that the SDGs were not target by the analyzed papers, and the sustainable development goals were not quoted at all. The only SDG fully contemplated was number 7—affordable and clean energy. The findings of this study suggest that this field should add research of SDGs 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 17 as priority areas to be further developed by the RFT literature to achieve SDGs goals.
Holistic Case Study on the Explosion of Ammonium Nitrate in Tianjin Port
Authors: Yu Gending , Duh Yih-Shing , Yang Xiaodong , Li Yongzhao , Chen Yangqing , Li Yuqi , Li Jingling , Chen Rongguo , Gong Lingzhu , Yang Bin , Huang Jiulai
Published: March 2022

On 12 August 2015, Tianjin port, Tianjin City, China, a catastrophic explosion of Ruihai International Logistics Co., Ltd. (Tianjin, China) killed 173 and hurt almost 798 people, accompanying a financial loss of almost USD 2 billion. The ignition of the first fire due to the autocatalytic decomposition of nitrocellulose was verified by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) isothermal tests. A crater with a diameter of 97 m was created by the second explosion. For the second catastrophic explosion, an amount of 577 tons of trinitrotoluene was determined by the average through scaling law, crater inverse analysis and blast effects on structures. The overpressure against distance for consequence analysis was conducted using Baker’s, Sadovski’s and Alonso’s methodologies. A distinctive scenario of “two-successive-sympathetic detonations-following-a-fire” was proposed and discussed. Isothermal time-to-maximum-rate was validated to be approximately 9 days for the nitrocellulose inside the containers with an internal temperature of 60 °C stored at Tianjin port. A fatality radius chosen at the overpressure of 0.6 bar was ascertained to be nearly 410 m from the explosion origin.
A Methodology to Qualitatively Select Upcycled Building Materials from Urban and Industrial Waste
Authors: Parece Sara , Rato Vasco , Resende Ricardo , Pinto Pedro , Stellacci Stefania
Published: March 2022

The rising concern about climate change and other challenges faced by the planet led society to look for different design solutions and approaches towards a more balanced relationship between the built and natural environment. The circular economy is an effective alternative to the linear economic model inspired by natural metabolisms and the circular use of resources. This research explores how innovative strategies can be integrated for evaluating local urban and industrial wastes into sustainable building materials. A literature review is conducted focusing on circular design strategies, re-use, recycle, and waste transformation processes. Then, a methodology for the selection of upcycled and re-used building materials is developed based on Ashby’s method. A total of thirty-five types of partition walls, which include plastic, wood, paper, steel, aluminium, and agricultural wastes, are evaluated using a multi-criteria decision aid (M-MACBETH). Among these solutions, ten types of walls show high-performance thermal and sound isolation, fourteen types are effective for coating, and two exhibit structural reliability. Regardless of their functional limitations, the proposed solutions based on waste materials bear great potential within the construction industry.
Social Enterprise as a Broker of Identity Resources
Authors: Schouten John W. , DuFault Beth Leavenworth
Published: March 2022

Social enterprises often transmit pro-social values to their staff, volunteers, stakeholders, and communities. Research also shows that social enterprises can improve aspects of beneficiaries’ identity and self-worth. However, knowledge about identity-construction dynamics among social enterprises, their founders and other stakeholders, and the communities and cultures in which they are situated is undertheorized and fragmented across fields. This is attributable, at least in part, to the lack of a theory that can explain identity construction across micro-individual, meso-organizational, and macro-cultural levels. This study makes two major contributions. First, we advance a novel, multi-level theoretical framework for understanding identity construction based on assemblage theory. Second, we use that framework to interpret data from our ethnographic study of a social enterprise based in a Canadian fishing village. Our study reveals that the social enterprise actively curates identity resources from local culture and heritage and brokers those resources to stakeholders for their personal identity projects. It suggests that the impacts are greater for people with transitional or problematic identities. It also shows that identity-resource brokerage can result in generativity whereby staff and volunteers “pay it forward” with the effect of scaling the social impact of the enterprise. The findings support the usefulness of the identity-as-assemblage construct for understanding complex identity dynamics across multiple levels of analysis. They also open the door to a number of provocative research questions, including the role of narrative transmission in the flow of identity resources and a potential identity-mirroring role for social enterprise in shaping or reinforcing elements of place identity.