bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of COVID-19 on Financial Performance and Profitability of Banking Sector in Special Reference to Private Commercial Banks: Empirical Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Gazi Md. Abu Issa , Nahiduzzaman Md. , Harymawan Iman , Masud Abdullah Al , Dhar Bablu Kumar
Published: May 2022

The current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the global economy hard, causing significant damage to every aspect of the global banking system, and Bangladesh is no exception. For that reason, its performance and profitability have been affected. In this study, we investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the financial performance and profitability of the listed private commercial banks in Bangladesh. We initially compute each bank’s financial performance index (FPI) to determine the position according to their financial performance individually before and the current period of COVID-19 by the standardized CAMELS rating system. After assessing the position, the fixed-effect regression model is used to explore the impact of the bank’s specific variables and macroeconomic variables along with the banks’ variables on the banks’ profitability. The banks that performed better during the pre-pandemic period of COVID-19 also performed better during the pandemic period of COVID-19. The performance of AIBL, EBL, and BBL was almost autonomously higher during both periods. In the case of bank profitability, our paper discovered that during the pandemic period of COVID-19, high non-performing loan rates, holding more liquid assets, a high amount of hedging capital, and inappropriate bank size lessened the banks’ profitability. In contrast, a low leverage position and inflation rate enhanced the bank’s profitability during this period. The outcome of this study will help bank authorities detect the loopholes and take preventive measures that can improve their profitability during a crisis period like COVID-19. The investors and depositors who invest money in banks can precisely decide their portfolios.
Contract Design of Logistics Service Supply Chain Based on Smart Transformation
Authors: Liu Hao , Chen Haodong , Zhang Hengyi , Liu Haibin , Yu Xingwang , Zhang Shiqing
Published: May 2022

A logistics service integrator (LSI) usually requires a logistics service provider (LSP) to carry out smart transformation in order to improve the level of logistics service. However, LSP’s smart transformation faces uncertainty in terms of investments and income, which seriously hinders LSP’s enthusiasm for logistics service innovation. In this paper, we construct a logistics service supply chain (LSSC) consisting of an LSI and an LSP to explore the incentive mechanism for LSPs to undergo smart transformation. As a benchmark for comparison, we first obtain the equilibrium results under centralized decision making and wholesale price (WP) contracts. Then, cost-sharing (CS), revenue-sharing (RS), and cost sharing–revenue sharing (CS-RS) hybrid contracts are proposed. It is found that when the CS coefficient is in a certain interval, the CS contract can increase the profit of LSI and the smart level of logistics service, but it will decrease the profit of LSP. With the exception that the wholesale price of logistics services will decrease, the equilibrium results under the RS contract and WP contract remain consistent. Only the CS-RS hybrid contract can achieve the perfect coordination of LSSC. In addition, by conducting numerical analysis, we find that the enhancement of the smart effect can encourage LSP to improve the smart level and increase the overall revenue of LSSC. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first study to explore the incentive mechanism between LSI and LSP in the context of logistics service smart transformation. Our findings guide the LSI in implementing an effective contract.
Using Regression Model to Develop Green Building Energy Simulation by BIM Tools
Authors: Tahmasebinia Faham , Jiang Ruifeng , Sepasgozar Samad , Wei Jinlin , Ding Yilin , Ma Hongyi
Published: May 2022

Energy consumption in the building sector poses a huge burden in terms of global energy and pollution. Recent advancements in building information modelling and simulating building energy performance (BEP) have provided opportunities for energy optimization. The use of building information modelling (BIM) also has increased significantly in the last decade based on the requirement to accommodate and manage data in buildings. By using the data, some building information modelling tools have developed the function of energy analysis. This paper aims to identify design parameters critical to BEP to assist architects in the initial stages of building design and to investigate their relationship. The outcomes of the prototype model’s energy simulations were then used to construct multilinear regression models. For the rest of the independent building design variables, linear regression models are used to analyse the relationship between it and energy consumption. It was concluded that, in the same building conditions, diamond-shaped buildings have the highest energy consumption, while triangle-shaped buildings showed the most efficient energy performance through energy simulations for seven fundamental prototype building models based on Autodesk Kits, Green Building Studio (GBS) with a Doe-2 engine. In addition, the developed regression models are validated to within 10% error via a case study of the ABS building. At the end of this paper, recommendations are provided on energy optimisation for the initial stages of building design. The parametric analysis of design variables in this study contributed to the total energy consumption at the early phases of design and recommendations on energy optimization.
Digital Twin for Urban Planning in the Green Deal Era: A State of the Art and Future Perspectives
Authors: Caprari Giorgio , Castelli Giordana , Montuori Marco , Camardelli Marialucia , Malvezzi Roberto
Published: May 2022

This paper provides a state of the art of contemporary Digital Twins (DTs) projects for urban planning at an international level. The contribution investigates the evolution of the DT concept and contextualises this tool within the scientific-cultural debate, highlighting the interconnection between global policies and local needs/wishes. Specifically, six case studies of DTs are compared, illustrating their application, content, technological infrastructure, and priority results. The projects presented provide an overview of the existing DT typologies, focusing on the evaluative/prefigurative use and the limits/potential of the tool in light of the socio-health, climate, and environmental crises. Reflections on DT reveal, on the one hand, its potential role in supporting decision-making and participatory processes and, on the other, the potential utopian trend of data-driven planning encouraged by public–private investments in the smart city/twin city sector. In conclusion, the study underlines the innovative role of DT as a cutting-edge scientific format in the disciplinary framework but highlights that the practical use of the tool is still in an experimental research-action phase. From this theoretical-critical review, it is possible to hypothesise new research paths to implement the realism and application potential of DTs for urban planning and urban governance.
Energy-Efficient Scheduling in Job Shop Manufacturing Systems: A Literature Review
Authors: Fernandes João M. R. C. , Homayouni Seyed Mahdi , Fontes Dalila B. M. M.
Published: May 2022

Energy efficiency has become a major concern for manufacturing companies not only due to environmental concerns and stringent regulations, but also due to large and incremental energy costs. Energy-efficient scheduling can be effective at improving energy efficiency and thus reducing energy consumption and associated costs, as well as pollutant emissions. This work reviews recent literature on energy-efficient scheduling in job shop manufacturing systems, with a particular focus on metaheuristics. We review 172 papers published between 2013 and 2022, by analyzing the shop floor type, the energy efficiency strategy, the objective function(s), the newly added problem feature(s), and the solution approach(es). We also report on the existing data sets and make them available to the research community. The paper is concluded by pointing out potential directions for future research, namely developing integrated scheduling approaches for interconnected problems, fast metaheuristic methods to respond to dynamic scheduling problems, and hybrid metaheuristic and big data methods for cyber-physical production systems.
Research on a Framework for Sustainable Campus Eco-Architecture Selection: Taking a Taiwan High School as an Example
Authors: Liao Chin-Wen , Lin Jen-Hui , Chen Tzu-Wen
Published: May 2022

With the advancement of human science and technology, the continuous increase in the construction and functional improvement of campus buildings and school teaching infrastructure cannot avoid adverse impacts on the overall environment. Therefore, sustainability assessments of buildings are indispensable for the sustainable development of the surrounding region. The main goal of the sustainable design of campus buildings is to reduce the depletion of key resources, such as water and energy, as well as to lower carbon emissions; this, in turn, creates a safe and effective campus environment. Comprehensive assessments of campus buildings have become critical to achieving national and regional sustainability. Therefore, this study compiles a set of building construction indicators suitable for a framework for high school campus architecture and ecological development in Taiwan, conforms these indicators to climatic characteristics, and considers an evaluation model for sustainable building concepts. This research uses the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) and the Fuzzy Analysis Hierarchical Procedure Method (FAHP) to gather data using expert questionnaires. We examine three relevant factors: (1) the main factor, campus space architecture, is the most important measure of sustainable buildings; (2) the second factor is the campus ecological environment; (3) the third measure of the sustainable campus buildings is a healthy environment. The top 20 elements of the sustainable campus building evaluation index were obtained through FAHP analysis, with an overall cumulative weight value of 81.06%. This research may provide a resource allocation reference for government bodies or the construction industry, assisting them in building sustainable buildings in the future.
Innovation from Spatial Spillovers of FDI and the Threshold Effect of Urbanization: Evidence from Chinese Cities
Authors: Liu Lishi , Meng Shuang , Yu Jiajie
Published: May 2022

The trends in the globalization and spatial agglomeration of economic activities offer new perspectives to study the determinants of innovation. To examine the spatial spillovers of foreign direct investment (FDI) in promoting regional innovation and explore the underlying mechanisms, this study employed a spatial autoregressive model and a threshold regression model to analyze a panel dataset of 253 cities in China from 2003 to 2017. It was found that FDI significantly promotes regional innovation and that there are positive and significant spatial spillovers among cities. The results indicate that innovation is characterized by spatial agglomeration and that the diffusion of technology and knowledge from FDI contributes to the formation of coordinated innovation and development among neighboring cities. Furthermore, the threshold regression analysis indicates that the relationship between FDI and regional innovation depends on the urbanization level. FDI has a positive effect on regional innovation in China once above a certain threshold of urbanization, which demonstrates the heterogeneous effect of FDI spillovers on innovation in China. This study deepens the understanding of how FDI spurs innovation that leads to an increase in the sustainable competitive advantages across regions in emerging markets.
Impact Hospitality: Creating Social Impact through Hospitality
Authors: Mitchell Clinton W.
Published: May 2022

Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. At the outset of the pandemic, it was clear that the hospitality industry that has been around for centuries would need to be reimagined to survive and perhaps come out stronger. Enter trailblazers Donte Johnson and Jason Bass of Hotel Revival in Baltimore. Their creativity, ingenuity, and compassion sought to effect significant positive change to address the pressing issue of COVID-19 and its devastating effects. The two define hospitality as “just taking care of people,” which is what they decided to do when the world closed its doors and they opened theirs. This case study seeks to define a new form of hospitality designed to serve the double bottom line of profit and people. This body of work chronicles the stories, lessons learned, and the path ahead for an industry in need of a way forward to create Impact Hospitality.
Aligning to the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Assessing Contributions of UBC Botanical Garden
Authors: Lopez-Villalobos Adriana , Bunsha Dionne , Austin Delanie , Caddy Laura , Douglas Jennifer , Hill Andy , Kubeck Kevin , Lewis Patrick , Stormes Ben , Sugiyama Ryo , Moreau Tara
Published: May 2022

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outlines 17 goals for the wellbeing of people and the planet. The purpose of this study was to understand how University of British Columbia Botanical Garden (UBCBG) contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) and to identify opportunities for future action. To address this, we worked across departments to assess our programs and activities against the UN-SDG 17 goals and 169 targets. The UN-SDG indicators were only used to identify potential metrics that could be consider for future tracking. The main activities of UBCBG include ex situ plant conservation, sustainability education and community engagement. Our results found that UBCBG contributes to 12 of the 17 goals and 24 of the 169 targets. The two UN-SDGs with more targets aligned to UBCBG’s activities were Goal 15—Life on Land and Goal 12—Responsible Consumption and Production. Through its partnerships with other botanical gardens, research institutions and the regional government, the Garden amplifies its work at a global, national and regional level. We are re-imagining the role of botanical gardens in an age of equity, decolonization, the biodiversity crisis and the climate emergency. Since the UN-SDGs address both nature and people, they are an appropriate framework to guide our work.
Development and Application of Intelligent Assessment System for Metacognition in Learning Mathematics among Junior High School Students
Authors: Wang Guangming , Kang Yueyuan , Jiao Zicong , Chen Xia , Zhen Yiming , Zhang Dongli , Su Mingyu
Published: May 2022

Metacognition is one of the key factors that determine students’ mathematics learning and affects students’ sustainable development. Metacognition assessment has attracted more and more attention from researchers, but how to effectively assess and improve students’ metacognition is still unknown. Based on the theoretical basis and practical verification, a mathematics metacognitive intelligence assessment and strategy implementation system for middle school students was developed from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. This system features the mix of an assessment structural model, assessment scales, a set of norms, improvement strategies and the intelligent assessment and strategy implementation program, which can intelligently output students’ mathematical metacognition level and propose targeted improvement strategies. Through the application of the system to 2100 students in Tianjin, China, the results show that the subjects have advantages in mathematical metacognitive knowledge and mathematical metacognitive management. The mathematical metacognitive experience needs to be improved. After intervening with the subjects, according to the improvement strategy provided by the system, it was found that their mathematical metacognition was improved, indicating that the system has a good effect.
Determination of Empirical Environmental Indices for the Location of Cemeteries—An Innovative Proposal for Worldwide Use
Authors: Crisanto-Perrazo Tania , Guayasamín-Vergara Jonathan , Mayorga-Llerena Eduardo , Sinde-Gonzalez Izar , Vizuete-Freire Diego , Toulkeridis Theofilos , Flores Gomez Geomara , Fierro-Naranjo Greta
Published: May 2022

Cemeteries are a source of environmental contamination, as they hold hundreds of human corpses in different stages of decomposition. Therefore, the current research developed a new tool, which is easily applied, to determine the potential environmental contamination generated by current cemeteries within their ecosystems. The linear equations developed, with a number of variables between 10 and 3, allow for obtaining empirical indices to evaluate the suitability of a site, regardless of the geographical area in which it is located, through a variety of sources. In order to obtain the equations and, therefore, the indices, a hierarchy was performed using the Saaty matrix. With such a matrix, different ranges of affectation were established for each variable and relative values were assigned that cover all probabilities quantitatively, from the least probable to the most likely. With the linear equations, three verification runs were conducted, obtaining satisfactory results compared with the location map of cemeteries obtained in previous studies. These equations will constitute a tool of fundamental use for local governments, which will allow for the evaluation of existing cemeteries and use of the methodology described in preliminary analysis, to save resources and have a starting point for an efficient land use plan.
Ten-Year Changes in Global Warming Potential of Dietary Patterns Based on Food Consumption in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Topcu Basak , Dias Goretty M. , Mollaei Sadaf
Published: May 2022

Many studies have evaluated the life cycle environmental impacts of diets based on a single period, but few studies have considered how environmental impacts of diets change over time, even though dietary patterns (DPs) change due to policy and socio-demographic factors. This study evaluated changes in the global warming potential (GWP) of DPs in the province of Ontario, Canada, using a life cycle assessment. We quantified the farm-to-fork GWP of six DPs (Omnivorous, No Pork, No Beef, No Red Meat, Pescatarian, and Vegetarian), using dietary intake data from a 2014 and 2015 survey. Throughout this period, the biggest decrease in GWP was for DPs containing beef, even though these DPs still have the highest GWP (3203 and 2308 kg CO2e, respectively, based on the annual energy intake of one individual). Across all DPs, plant-based proteins contributed less than 5% to GWP, while meat and fish contributed up to 62% of the total GWP. Ten-year GWP reductions are insufficient to meet climate change and other sustainability goals, and major dietary shifts are needed, particularly substituting animal-based proteins with plant-based proteins. To design effective interventions for shifting towards sustainable diets, research is needed to understand how socio-demographic and regional differences influence individuals’ food choices.
Supporting the Development of Gendered Energy Innovations for Informal Urban Settlements: GENS Codesign Toolkit for Multistakeholder Collaboration
Authors: Petrulaityte Aine , Ceschin Fabrizio , Musango Josephine Kaviti , Mwiti Betty Karimi , Anditi Christer , Njoroge Peris
Published: May 2022

There is still little knowledge about the link between gender mainstreaming and energy security in informal urban settlements and there is limited design support to address this linkage. This paper presents the development and evaluation of the Gender for Energy Security (GENS) codesign toolkit, which was made to facilitate the design of gendered energy innovations for informal urban settlements. The toolkit was developed by applying the Design Research Methodology (DRM) and is grounded in the findings of a literature review, semi-structured interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in two informal urban settlements. The toolkit aimed to support codesign processes by providing its users with knowledge about the gendered energy scene in informal urban settlements and facilitating idea generation for gendered urban energy innovations. The evaluation of the GENS codesign toolkit was conducted during a one-day multistakeholder codesign workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. During the testing, we found that the toolkit was successful in facilitating energetic discussions, helping its users to learn about the gender–energy nexus in informal urban settlements and generate original ideas for gendered energy innovations. The toolkit is an addition to the current tools, handbooks and manuals on mainstreaming gender in the energy sector, with a unique focus on informal urban settlements and supporting idea generation.
Jumping on the Bandwagon of Responsibility—Or Not? Consumers’ Perceived Role in the Meat Sector
Authors: Klink-Lehmann Jeanette , Langen Nina , Simons Johannes , Hartmann Monika
Published: May 2022

It is evident that sustainable meat consumption and production require shared responsibility for actions and consequences by consumers and producers. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the relevant focus areas within the meat food value chain that consumers attach relevance to. Furthermore, the study provides an understanding of potential actions of consumer social responsibility (CNSR) and reasons for not taking responsibility. The study is based on an online consumer survey (n = 1003) including standardized and open-ended questions. Data were analyzed via content analysis using a combination of inductive and deductive analyses in an iterative process. Results reveal that consumers consider animal husbandry as the core area where there is a need to take responsibility. This is followed by food safety, slaughtering, and transport, while environment and social issues related to the working conditions of employees are judged to have lower relevance. In most focus areas, the large majority of respondents attribute responsibility to one or several of the other stakeholder groups but not to consumers of meat products. Recommendations for the meat sector as well as for policymakers are derived in this paper to further encourage meat consumers to take their part of the overall responsibility.
Trialectics of Spatiality: The Negotiation Process between Winter Swimmers and the Municipal Government of Beijing
Authors: An Zhuolin , Zhou Shangyi
Published: May 2022

Different cultural groups establish different usage habits while using public spaces and there are contradictions between them. For instance, the issue of whether Beijing’s public waters can be used as winter swimming spaces is controversial. Based on Edward William Soja’s Trialectics of Spatiality, we analysed the literature analysis, semi-structured interviews and participatory observations to conduct the survey, and the following conclusions were drawn. First, the contradictions between winter swimmers and public water administrators in Beijing are divided into three stages, and the turning points of these stages are based on the changes in Secondspace. Second, after three rounds of gradual progress in the Trialectics of Spatiality, Firstspace not only preserves the winter swimming areas for Beijingers but also avoids the current contradictions due to different usages of public waters between different subjects. Third, winter swimmers and urban managers may not be aware of the potential contradictions of public waters in the future without using Soja’s concept of Thirdspace (or Lefebvre’s concept of “representation of space”).
Certain Subclasses of Analytic Functions Associated with Generalized Telephone Numbers
Authors: Murugusundaramoorthy Gangadharan , Vijaya Kaliappan
Published: May 2022

The goal of this article is to contemplate coefficient estimates for a new class of analytic functions f associated with generalized telephone numbers to originate certain initial Taylor coefficient estimates and Fekete–Szegö inequality for f in the new function class. Comparable results have been attained for the function f−1. Further application of our outcomes to certain functions demarcated by convolution products with certain normalized analytic functions in the open unit disk are specified, and we obtain Fekete–Szegö variations for this new function class defined over Poisson and Borel distribution series.
Kantorovich Type Generalization of Bernstein Type Rational Functions Based on (p,q)-Integers
Authors: Hamal Hayatem , Sabancigil Pembe
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we define a new Kantorovich-type (p,q)-generalization of the Balázs–Szabados operators. We derive a recurrence formula, and with the help of this formula, we give explicit formulas for the first and second-order moments, which follow a symmetric pattern. We estimate the second and fourth-order central moments. We examine the local approximation properties in terms of modulus of continuity, we give a Voronovskaja type theorem, and we give the weighted approximation properties of the operators.
A Method for Solving Approximate Partition Boundaries of Spatial Big Data Based on Histogram Bucket Sampling
Authors: Tian Ruijie , Chen Tiansheng , Zhai Huawei , Zhang Weishi , Wang Fei
Published: May 2022

In recent years, the volume of spatial data has rapidly grown, so it is crucial to process them in an efficient manner. The level of parallel processing in big data platforms such as Hadoop and Spark is determined by partitioning the dataset. A common approach is to split the data into chunks based on the number of bytes. While this approach works well for text-based batch processing, in many cases, it is preferable to take advantage of the structured information contained in the dataset (e.g., spatial coordinates) to plan data partitioning. In view of the huge amount of data and the impossibility of quickly establishing partitions, this paper designs a method for approximate partition boundary solving, which divides the data space into multiple non-overlapping symmetric bins and samples each bin, making the probability density of the sampling set bounded by the deviation of the probability density of the original data. The sampling set is read into the memory at one time for calculation, and the established partition boundary satisfies the partition threshold-setting. Only a few boundary adjustment operations are required, which greatly shortens the partition time. In this paper, the method proposed in the paper is tested on the synthetic dataset, the bus trajectory dataset, and six common spatial partitioning methods (Grid, Z-curve, H-curve, STR, Kd-tree, and R*-Grove) are selected for comparison. The results show that the symmetric bin sampling method can describe the spatial data distribution well and can be directly used for partition boundary division.
Solving a System of Sylvester-like Quaternion Matrix Equations
Authors: Wang Ruo-Nan , Wang Qing-Wen , Liu Long-Sheng
Published: May 2022

Using the ranks and Moore-Penrose inverses of involved matrices, in this paper we establish some necessary and sufficient solvability conditions for a system of Sylvester-type quaternion matrix equations, and give an expression of the general solution to the system when it is solvable. As an application of the system, we consider a special symmetry solution, named the η-Hermitian solution, for a system of quaternion matrix equations. Moreover, we present an algorithm and a numerical example to verify the main results of this paper.
A Hierarchical Universal Algorithm for Geometric Objects’ Reflection Symmetry Detection
Authors: Žalik Borut , Strnad Damjan , Kohek Štefan , Kolingerová Ivana , Nerat Andrej , Lukač Niko , Podgorelec David
Published: May 2022

A new algorithm is presented for detecting the global reflection symmetry of geometric objects. The algorithm works for 2D and 3D objects which may be open or closed and may or may not contain holes. The algorithm accepts a point cloud obtained by sampling the object’s surface at the input. The points are inserted into a uniform grid and so-called boundary cells are identified. The centroid of the boundary cells is determined, and a testing symmetry axis/plane is set through it. In this way, the boundary cells are split into two parts and they are faced with the symmetry estimation function. If the function estimates the symmetric case, the boundary cells are further split until a given threshold is reached or a non-symmetric result is obtained. The new testing axis/plane is then derived and tested by rotation around the centroid. This paper introduces three techniques to accelerate the computation. Competitive results were obtained when the algorithm was compared against the state of the art.
Prioritization of Environmental Uncertainty and Manufacturing Flexibility for Labor-Intensive Industry: A Case Study on Ready-Made Garment Industries in Bangladesh
Authors: Moin Chowdhury Jony , Iqbal Mohammad , Malek A. B. M. Abdul , Khan Mohammad Muhshin Aziz , Haque Rezwanul
Published: May 2022

Manufacturing flexibility is a widely accepted manufacturing strategy for mitigating the negative impacts of environmental uncertainty on firm performance and is also a required strategic attribute to acclimatize mass customization and agile manufacturing. Manufacturing flexibility has been adequately studied for technology-intensive industries but remains inadequately addressed for labor-intensive industries. In this study, a framework is proposed for sorting the relevant manufacturing flexibility types for the relevant environmental uncertainty types as an initial step towards implementing manufacturing flexibility in labor-intensive industries. This study considered the RMG (ready-made garment) industries in Bangladesh, which are mostly labor-intensive, as a case. Different types of manufacturing flexibility and environmental uncertainty were identified through a deductive approach from the existing literature and theory. Then, final sorting was conducted through a focus group discussion using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) techniques. This study revealed that demand, competitor, supplier, and technology uncertainty were ranked sequentially from first to fourth. This study also revealed that demand and competitor uncertainty would be the first-line focus, and supplier uncertainty the second-line focus, of decision makers. Similarly, new product, volume, workforce, and modification flexibility were ranked sequentially from first to fourth, and these would be considered first-line focuses by decision makers. This study also showed that all types of environmental uncertainties had an internal effect (one type affects another type within the types of environmental uncertainty). Internal effects among the different types of manufacturing flexibility were also identified. This study contributes to the theory of manufacturing flexibility for labor-intensive industries and will help decision makers gradually implement manufacturing flexibility based on their capacity and goal.
Sensory and Tactile Comfort Assessment of Sub-Clinical and Clinical Compression Socks on Individuals with Ankle Instability
Authors: Talukder Amit , Derby Hunter , Freeman Charles , Burch Reuben , Knight Adam , Chander Harish
Published: May 2022

This study aims to quantify wearers’ perceived sensory/tactile comfort responses to clinical and sub-clinical compression socks before, during, and after several activities (postural stability tasks, donning, and doffing). Through purposive sampling, the researchers recruited 20 participants (11 male and 9 female) aged 21.5 ± 2 years. Among all participants, 40% had chronic ankle instability, 30% were copers, and 30% were healthy control groups. Sensory/tactile and movement comfort were assessed using a comfort 8-item questionnaire in a wear trial. The findings exhibit that the tested clinical socks are more comfortable than subclinical socks regardless of the participant types. The strongest positive correlation was between material appearance and hand feel (r = 0.84, ** p < 0.01) and between ‘no red marks’ and non-itchiness (r = 0.72, ** p < 0.01). Additionally, no statistically significant differences in comparisons of comfort assessment measures were reported. However, due to the consistency of the trends in differences, the researchers suggest that these findings warrant additional research using a more robust sampling technique. According to the findings of this study, a higher-pressure level compression sock may be preferable for patients with ankle stability issues, as there is no significant evidence for a comforting outcome.
Analysis of Spatial Heterogeneity of Responses in Metastatic Sites in Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated with Nivolumab
Authors: Jajodia Ankush , Goel Varun , Patnaik Nivedita , Pasricha Sunil , Gupta Gurudutt , Batra Ullas , Talwar Vineet
Published: May 2022

Background: The purpose was to determine whether tumor response to CPI varies by organ and to characterize response patterns in a group of surgically treated metastatic RCC patients treated with Nivolumab. Methods: A retrospective analysis was undertaken between January 2016 and March 2020 on patients receiving Nivolumab for metastatic RCC, following first-line therapy and having at least one baseline and two follow-up scans. A Fisher’s exact test was used to compare categorical variables, and a Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare continuous variables. Results: Twenty-one out of thirty patients evaluated were eligible, and they were divided into two groups: responders (n = 11) and non-responders (n = 10). According to all iRECIST standards, 18 (85.7 percent) of the 21 patients had PD (10 patients), PR (3 patients), or SD (8 patients). At baseline, 7, 15, 4, 13, 7, and 7 patients, respectively, had detectable hepatic metastasis and lung, brain, lymph node, soft tissue, and other intra-abdominal metastases; these patients were evaluated for organ-specific response. The ORRs for hepatic metastasis and lung, brain, lymph node, soft tissue, adrenals, and other intraperitoneal metastases were correspondingly 10%, 20%, 35%, 0%, and 25%. In total, 13 (61.9%) of them demonstrated varied responses to CPI therapy, with 6 (28.5%) demonstrating intra-organ differential responses. The lymph nodes (35%) had the best objective response (BOR), followed by the adrenals and peritoneum (both 25%), the brain (20%), and the lung (20%). The response rate was highest in adrenal gland lesions (2/4; 50%), followed by lymph nodes (13/19; 68.4 percent) and liver (5/10; 50%), whereas rates were lowest for lesions in the lung (9/25; 36%), intraperitoneal metastases (1/4; 25%), and brain (1/5; 20%). Conclusions: In renal cell carcinoma, checkpoint inhibitors have a variable response at different metastatic sites, with the best response occurring in lymph nodes and the least occurring in soft tissue.
Venomics of the Central European Myrmicine Ants Myrmica rubra and Myrmica ruginodis
Authors: Hurka Sabine , Brinkrolf Karina , Özbek Rabia , Förster Frank , Billion André , Heep John , Timm Thomas , Lochnit Günter , Vilcinskas Andreas , Lüddecke Tim
Published: May 2022

Animal venoms are a rich source of novel biomolecules with potential applications in medicine and agriculture. Ants are one of the most species-rich lineages of venomous animals. However, only a fraction of their biodiversity has been studied so far. Here, we investigated the venom components of two myrmicine (subfamily Myrmicinae) ants: Myrmica rubra and Myrmica ruginodis. We applied a venomics workflow based on proteotranscriptomics and found that the venoms of both species are composed of several protein classes, including venom serine proteases, cysteine-rich secretory protein, antigen 5 and pathogenesis-related 1 (CAP) superfamily proteins, Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitors and venom acid phosphatases. Several of these protein classes are known venom allergens, and for the first time we detected phospholipase A1 in the venom of M. ruginodis. We also identified two novel epidermal growth factor (EGF) family toxins in the M. ruginodis venom proteome and an array of additional EGF-like toxins in the venom gland transcriptomes of both species. These are similar to known toxins from the related myrmicine ant, Manica rubida, and the myrmecine (subfamily Myrmeciinae) Australian red bulldog ant Myrmecia gullosa, and are possibly deployed as weapons in defensive scenarios or to subdue prey. Our work suggests that M.rubra and M. ruginodis venoms contain many enzymes and other high-molecular-weight proteins that cause cell damage. Nevertheless, the presence of EGF-like toxins suggests that myrmicine ants have also recruited smaller peptide components into their venom arsenal. Although little is known about the bioactivity and function of EGF-like toxins, their presence in myrmicine and myrmecine ants suggests they play a key role in the venom systems of the superfamily Formicoidea. Our work adds to the emerging picture of ant venoms as a source of novel bioactive molecules and highlights the need to incorporate such taxa in future venom bioprospecting programs.
Genotoxicity of Natural Water during the Mass Development of Cyanobacteria Evaluated by the Allium Test Method: A Model Experiment with Microcosms
Authors: Pesnya Dmitry S. , Kurbatova Svetlana A. , Sharov Andrey N. , Chernova Ekaterina N. , Yershov Igor Y. , Shurganova Galina V. , Vodeneeva Ekaterina L.
Published: May 2022

Cyanobacteria, which develop abundantly in aquatic ecosystems, can be harmful to humans and animals not only by releasing toxins that cause poisoning but also by provoking cytogenetic effects. The influence of the mass development of cyanobacteria on the genotoxic properties of natural water has been studied in model ecosystems (microcosms) with different compositions of biotic components (zooplankton, amphipods and fish). The validated plant test system “Allium test” was used in this study. Genotoxic effects were detected at microcystin concentrations below those established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. In all experimental treatments, cells with disorders such as polyploidy and mitotic abnormalities associated with damage to the mitotic spindle, including c-mitosis, as well as lagging chromosomes were found. Genotoxic effects were associated with the abundance of cyanobacteria, which, in turn, depended on the composition of aquatic organisms in the experimental ecosystem. Fish, to a greater extent than other aquatic animals, maintain an abundance of cyanobacteria. After one month, in microcosms with fish, mitotic abnormalities and polyploidy continued to be detected, whereas in other treatments, there were no statistically significant genotoxic effects. In microcosms with amphipods, the number and biomass of cyanobacteria decreased to the greatest extent, and only one parameter of genotoxic activity (frequency of polyploidy) significantly differed from the control.
Prevalence and Predictors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms in Residents of Fort McMurray Five Years after the Devastating Wildfires
Authors: Owusu Ernest , Shalaby Reham , Eboreime Ejemai , Nkire Nnamdi , Agyapong Belinda , Obuobi-Donkor Gloria , Adu Medard K. , Mao Wanying , Oluwasina Folajinmi , Lawal Mobolaji A. , Agyapong Vincent I. O.
Published: May 2022

Background: Natural disasters adversely impact individuals living in places where they occur, resulting in emotional distress. The wildfire that occurred in Fort McMurray (FMM), Alberta in 2016 is no different. Objective: This study aims to identify the prevalence and predictors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms in residents of FMM five years after the devastating wildfires. Methods: Data for the study were collected through a cross-sectional survey conducted online from the 24th of April to the 2nd of June 2021. A validated instrument, the GAD-7 scale, was used to collect information on anxiety. Results: This study involved 186 residents of FMM, of which the majority were females (85.5%), employed (94.1%), working at school boards (50.0%), and were either married, cohabiting, or partnered (71.0%). The prevalence of likely GAD among the study sample was 42.5%. Unemployed respondents were seventeen times more likely to develop GAD symptoms (OR = 16.62; 95% C.I. 1.23–223.67) while respondents who would like to receive mental health counseling were five times more likely to experience GAD symptoms (OR = 5.35; 95% C.I. 2.03–14.15). Respondents who suffered a loss of property because of the wildfire were two times more likely to develop GAD symptoms (OR = 2.36; 95% C.I. 1.01–22.62). Conclusion: Policymakers may mitigate GAD symptoms, particularly after natural disasters, by making long-term mental health counseling available and a key component of post-disaster management, and by investing in the social capital of the people to build resilience and support to deal with the post-disaster mental health effects.
GeV Proton Detection in the 8 November 2000 Solar Event
Authors: Wang Ruiguang , Yu Zhongqiang , Ma Yuqian , Ding Linkai , Zhu Qingqi , Yao Zhiguo , Ma Xinhua , Xu Yupeng , Yang Changgen
Published: May 2022

In this study, we analyze the L3 precision muon spectrometer data from November 2000. The results showed that a 4.7σ muon excess appeared at a time coincident with the solar flare of 8 November 2000. This muon excess corresponded to primary protons above 40 GeV, coming from a sky cell of solid angle 0.048 sr. The probability of being a background fluctuation was estimated to be about 0.1%. It is interesting and noteworthy that an M-class solar flare may also accelerate solar protons to such high energies.
Multi-Messenger Constraints on the Hubble Constant through Combination of Gravitational Waves, Gamma-Ray Bursts and Kilonovae from Neutron Star Mergers
Authors: Bulla Mattia , Coughlin Michael W. , Dhawan Suhail , Dietrich Tim
Published: May 2022

The simultaneous detection of gravitational waves and light from the binary neutron star merger GW170817 led to independent measurements of distance and redshift, providing a direct estimate of the Hubble constant H0 that does not rely on a cosmic distance ladder, nor assumes a specific cosmological model. By using gravitational waves as “standard sirens”, this approach holds promise to arbitrate the existing tension between the H0 value inferred from the cosmic microwave background and those obtained from local measurements. However, the known degeneracy in the gravitational-wave analysis between distance and inclination of the source led to a H0 value from GW170817 that was not precise enough to resolve the existing tension. In this review, we summarize recent works exploiting the viewing-angle dependence of the electromagnetic signal, namely the associated short gamma-ray burst and kilonova, to constrain the system inclination and improve on H0. We outline the key ingredients of the different methods, summarize the results obtained in the aftermath of GW170817 and discuss the possible systematics introduced by each of these methods.
Evaluation of Vector Competence of Ixodes Ticks for Kemerovo Virus
Authors: Migné Camille Victoire , Braga de Seixas Hélène , Heckmann Aurélie , Galon Clémence , Mohd Jaafar Fauziah , Monsion Baptiste , Attoui Houssam , Moutailler Sara
Published: May 2022

Tick-borne viruses are responsible for various symptoms in humans and animals, ranging from simple fever to neurological disorders or haemorrhagic fevers. The Kemerovo virus (KEMV) is a tick-borne orbivirus, and it has been suspected to be responsible for human encephalitis cases in Russia and central Europe. It has been isolated from Ixodes persulcatus and Ixodes ricinus ticks. In a previous study, we assessed the vector competence of I. ricinus larvae from Slovakia for KEMV, using an artificial feeding system. In the current study, we used the same system to infect different tick population/species, including I. ricinus larvae from France and nymphs from Slovakia, and I. persulcatus larvae from Russia. We successfully confirmed the first two criteria of vector competence, namely, virus acquisition and trans-stadial transmission, for both tick species that we tested. The estimated infection rates of engorged and moulted ticks suggest specificities between viral strains and tick species/developmental stages.
Differential Transmission of Old and New World Begomoviruses by Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) Cryptic Species of Bemisia tabaci
Authors: Gautam Saurabh , Mugerwa Habibu , Buck James , Dutta Bhabesh , Coolong Tim , Adkins Scott , Srinivasan Rajagopalbabu
Published: May 2022

Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) are two of the most invasive members of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, cryptic species complexes and are efficient vectors of begomoviruses. Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 is the predominant vector of begomoviruses in open-field vegetable crops in the southeastern United States. However, recently B. tabaci MED also has been detected in the landscape outside of greenhouses in Florida and Georgia. This study compared the transmission efficiency of one Old-World (OW) and two New-World (NW) begomoviruses prevalent in the southeastern United States, viz., tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), cucurbit leaf crumple virus (CuLCrV), and sida golden mosaic virus (SiGMV) between B. tabaci MEAM1 and B. tabaci MED. Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 efficiently transmitted TYLCV, CuLCrV, or SiGMV, whereas B. tabaci MED only transmitted TYLCV. Percent acquisition and retention of OW TYLCV following a 72 h acquisition access period was significantly higher for B. tabaci MED than B. tabaci MEAM1. In contrast, B. tabaci MEAM1 acquired and retained significantly more NW bipartite begomoviruses, CuLCrV or SiGMV, than B. tabaci MED. Quantitative analysis (qPCR) of virus DNA in whitefly internal tissues revealed reduced accumulation of CuLCrV or SiGMV in B. tabaci MED than in B. tabaci MEAM1. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) showed localization of CuLCrV or SiGMV in the midgut of B. tabaci MED and B. tabaci MEAM1. However, localization of CuLCrV or SiGMV was only observed in the primary salivary glands of B. tabaci MEAM1 and not B. tabaci MED. TYLCV localization was observed in all internal tissues of B. tabaci MEAM1 and B. tabaci MED. Overall, results demonstrate that both B. tabaci MEAM1 and B. tabaci MED are efficient vectors of OW TYLCV. However, for the NW begomoviruses, CuLCrV and SiGMV, B. tabaci MEAM1 seems to a better vector.