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300 | A framework to overcome sustainable supply chain challenges through solution measures of industry 4.0 and circular economy: An automotive case | Adoption of sustainability has become extremely essential aspect over the last decade for the industries to sustain in the global market. However, the adoption of sustainability in supply chain is more concern for the manufacturing organisations. Constantly, changing market has insisted these organisations to revisit their supply chain activities in order to penetrate sustainability effectively through various practices such as lean, green, circular, and industry 4.0 etc. But, the lack of verified Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) frameworks has become a concern for the practitioners. Similarly, solutions required to overcome the SSCM adoption issues also need to be updated accordingly to changing business environments. So, the present study aims to develop a framework to overcome SSCM challenges through industry 4.0 and circular economy based solution measures. This study identifies a unique set of 28 SSCM challenges and 22 solution measures. Further, an automotive case organisation is used to test the applicability of the developed framework through hybrid Best Worst Method (BWM)- ELimination and Choice Expressing REality (ELECTRE) approach. The inputs for BWM-ELECTRE approach is obtained by constructing an expert panel within the case organisation. Initial inputs are taken for BWM comparisons to compute the weight of SSCM challenges; whereas, further a comparison of challenges and solution measures is also obtained for ELECTRE approach to compute the final ranking of the solution measures to overcome SSCM challenges. The case findings reveal that managerial and organisational challenges and economic challenges emerge as most critical to SSCM adoption. The present study outcomes will be beneficial for researchers working in SSCM industry 4.0 and circular economy domain; whereas, the practitioners can use the prioritised solution measures to formulate effective strategies to overcome SSCM adoption failures. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
301 | Study of inorganic elements in different organs and tissues of Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) from Brazil | Multielement concentrations (P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, and Rh) and total mercury (T-Hg) were analyzed in different organs and tissues of Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis). Samples of 27 T. inunguis specimens, maintained in the collection of the Amazonian Center for the Research and Preservation of Aquatic Mammals, were used, situated in an area highly impacted by gold mining in the northern region of the Brazilian Amazon. Samples of aquatic plants used as food by the animals were also analyzed. The elements S, Cl, K, Cr, and Mn accumulated mainly in the musculature, while Fe and Cu were more concentrated in the liver. Trace elements, such as rubidium (Rb) and rhodium (Rh), not previously reported in the organs of animals of the family Trichechidae, were also identified. The averages for T-Hg in the skin, muscle, encephalon, liver, kidney, and lung samples were, respectively, 0.1540 ± 0.1332, 0.0593 ± 0.1044, 0.0517 ± 0.0467, 0.0486 ± 0.0543, 0.0237 ± 0.0336, and 0.0013 ± 0.0032 µg.g-1. The values obtained for the vibrissae samples were below the limit of quantification, which allows for the conclusion that this tissue cannot be used as a contamination marker. It was observed that even when kept in a conservation breeding site, these animals were exposed to non-essential trace elements. Differences in the accumulation of elements were observed between the different organs and tissues analyzed. The presence of contaminants in animals that live in a preservation center, even at low levels, deserves attention. |
302 | Multiscale analysis on spatiotemporal dynamics of energy consumption CO2 emissions in China: Utilizing the integrated of DMSP-OLS and NPP-VIIRS nighttime light datasets | CO2 emissions caused by socioeconomic development and energy consumption in China have put enormous pressure on emissions reduction for Chinese government. In response to CO2 emissions reduction in China, this study integrated the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) stable nighttime light (SNL) data and Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) composite data, and established the integrated nighttime light datasets from 1992 to 2016. The estimated CO2 emissions model utilizing the integrated nighttime light datasets and statistical CO2 emissions at the provincial level from 1995 to 2016 were established. Finally, spatiotemporal dynamics of CO2 emissions were simulated from multiscale. The results clearly showed that: (1) The fitting results of regression relationship between DMSP-OLS SNL data and NPP-VIIRS composite data met the accuracy requirements. The CO2 emissions estimated model was valid. (2) The total amount of energy consumption CO2 emissions in China had increased from 1889.3340 Mt in 1995 to 4683.3165 Mt in 2016, with a total growth of 2.47 times. (3) The high CO2 emissions regions were clearly agglomerated in eastern coastal China from the pixel scale, the highest CO2 emissions provinces were concentrated in Hebei and Shandong, the high CO2 emissions prefecture cities were concentrated in Around Bohai Gulf area, eastern coastal China and some developed cities, and the high CO2 emissions counties were concentrated in eastern coastal China and western energy intensive counties. (4) The relatively-slow growth accounted for the highest proportion among the five growth types, and the CO2 emissions rapid growth regions were concentrated in eastern China at provincial, prefectural and county scale. The western regions accounted for the largest area proportion in five growth types at prefectural scale. We provided policy implications based on the results, which was beneficial to propose mitigation CO2 emissions reduction in China. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
303 | Energy, exergy, and economic analyses of an innovative energy storage system; liquid air energy storage (LAES) combined with high-temperature thermal energy storage (HTES) | Liquid air energy storage is one of the most recent technologies introduced for grid-scale energy storage. As the title implies, this technology offers energy storage through an air liquefaction process. High energy storage density, no geographical limitation, and applicability for large-scale uses are some of the advantages of this technology. To improve the performance and environmental friendliness of the conventional design of this technology, a novel liquid air energy system combined with high-temperature thermal energy storage, thermoelectric generator, and organic Rankine cycle is proposed in the present article. The thermal energy storage unit removes the need for the conventional combustion chamber and thereby reduces greenhouse gas emission. The organic Rankine cycle and the thermoelectric generator recover the generated heat of the system during the charging process to further improve the efficiency of the system. During peak demand periods, around 9.6 MW power and 2.5 kg/s domestic hot water could be generated at round trip energy and exergy efficiencies of 61.13% and 52.84%, improving by 6.59% and 3.28% in comparison to the stand-alone design of this technology. The results indicate that the reference system operates with an air storage energy density and an occupied space energy density of 839 and 104 MJ/m(3). The economic analysis represents a payback period of 3.91 years and a net profit of about 18.6 $M during the useful lifetime of the system. |
304 | COVID-19: A Review on the Role of Trace Elements Present in Saudi Arabian Traditional Dietary Supplements | The novel coronavirus infection is also called COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). The infection has affected millions of people worldwide and caused morbidity as well mortality in patients with pre-existing chronic conditions such as metabolic, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. The severity of the disease is mostly seen in people with low immunity and chronic sufferers of respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. To date, there is no specific treatment available for COVID-19. Precaution and prevention are the most recommended options followed for controlling the spread of infection. Trace elements such as zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium play an important role in boosting the immunity of the host system. These components assist in the development and functioning of lymphocytes, cytokines, free radicals, inflammatory mediators and endothelial functioning. This review summarizes the common dietary supplements that are regularly consumed in Saudi Arabia and are known to contain these vital trace elements. Data available in Google Scholar, NCBI, PUBMED, EMBASE and Web of Science about COVID-19, micronutrients, trace elements and nutritional supplements of Saudi Arabia was collected. By highlighting the traditionally used dietary components containing the essential elements, this review could provide useful knowledge crucial for building immunity in the population. |
305 | Passive and active performance assessment of building integrated hybrid solar photovoltaic/thermal collector prototypes: Energy, comfort, and economic analyses | Solar systems represent a viable way to reduce in a sustainable manner building energy consumptions. Nevertheless, two issues can be underlined: insufficient building surface areas for hosting typical standalone solar devices and related high initial costs. Consequently, growing research and industrial interest in cost-effective building-integrated solar systems is today observed. In this framework, this paper presents a comprehensive analysis of two low-cost building-integrated hybrid photovoltaic/thermal collector prototypes (waterand air-cooled, respectively). Both active and passive effects are investigated employing a purposely developed dynamic simulation tool, able to carry out complete system performance analyses. The capability of such the proposed innovative devices as well as of the presented inhouse code is shown by a novel case study regarding a dwelling unit located into a multi-story residential building for three diverse European weather zones. Here, the investigated prototypes are modelled as integrated into the building South facade. For comparison purposes, a building integrated photovoltaic panel is also modelled as a reference case. Both active and passive effects are assessed. Relevant energy savings (up to 4236 kWhe/y), comfort outcomes (related hours variation range from-190 to thorn 121), and economic results (paybacks are between 3 and 6 years) are achieved. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
306 | Energy investment, economic growth and carbon emissions in China-Empirical analysis based on spatial Durbin model | The international community has reached a consensus on preventing the global climate from deterioration by stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Energy industry is a key field for greenhouse gas emission, and investment in the energy industry plays a crucial part in promoting the low-carbon development of China's energy industry. Energy investment can effectively break the high carbon "lock-in effect" of energy industry and achieve the low-carbon development of energy industry by guiding, regulating and gathering social funds into the field of cleaner production and the field of low-carbon technology. Based on the unified framework of energy, economy and environment, this article takes 30 provinces in China as the research object, and constructs a spatial econometric model to investigate the impact of energy investment and economic growth on carbon emission reduction. The results indicate that both energy investment and economic growth are responsible for the increase of China's provincial CO2 emissions, but their driving mechanisms are significantly different. Furthermore, the increase of carbon emissions in adjacent provinces will bring about the increase of local carbon emissions through spatial spillover effects. Based on these findings, the corresponding countermeasures and policy suggestions are put forward. |
307 | How does urbanization affect carbon emission efficiency? Evidence from China | The complex impact of urbanization and the enormous pressure to reduce carbon emissions are two major challenges facing China. However, few studies have considered how urbanization affects carbon emission efficiency. To explore the impact of urbanization on carbon emission efficiency, this study evaluates the carbon emission efficiency based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2016. The correlations between six factors, including the level of urbanization, and carbon efficiency were analyzed by using a stochastic frontier model that combines with the translog production function. The results suggest that, first, despite the steady improvement in China's carbon efficiency, the average carbon efficiency is 0.5730 in 2016, with room for improvement of 42.70%. Second, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between urbanization and carbon emission efficiency. The coefficient of the urbanization level is -0.6370, and the coefficient of its square is 1.2310. In the early stage, the expansion of the scope of urbanization promotes the improvement of carbon emission efficiency. Once the urbanization level passes the critical point, the economic growth rate will lag behind the growth rate of carbon emissions. Third, economic development level, energy consumption structure, foreign trade, and government intervention are positively correlated with carbon emission efficiency. Industrial structure inhibits the improvement of carbon emission efficiency. The conclusion provides a theoretical reference for urban planning and the green economy for government policymakers. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
308 | Recruitment, Readiness, and Retention of Providers at a Field Hospital During the Pandemic | In response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the State of Maryland established a 250-bed emergency response field hospital at the Baltimore Convention Center to support the existing health care infrastructure. To operationalize this hospital with 65 full-time equivalent clinicians in less than 4 weeks, more than 300 applications were reviewed, 186 candidates were interviewed, and 159 clinicians were credentialed and onboarded. The key steps to achieve this undertaking involved employing multidisciplinary teams with experienced personnel, mass outreach, streamlined candidate tracking, pre-interview screening, utilizing all available expertise, expedited credentialing, and focused onboarding. To ensure staff preparedness, the leadership developed innovative team models, applied principles of effective team building, and provided "just in time" training on COVID-19 and non-COVID-19-related topics to the staff. The leadership focused on staff safety and well-being, offered appropriate financial remuneration, and provided leadership opportunities that allowed retention of staff. |
309 | A structural equation model predicting adults' online learning self-efficacy | We aimed to model the direct effects of the theorized relationships of academic self-efficacy, computer use self-efficacy, learning management system self-efficacy, internet and information-seeking self-efficacy, and online learning self-efficacy using structural equation modeling. The study proves that academic self-efficacy has positive predictive relationships with computer use self-efficacy, learning management system self-efficacy and internet and information self-efficacy. Secondly, modeling revealed that computer use self-efficacy, learning management system self-efficacy and internet and information self-efficacy positively predicts online learning self-efficacy. This study provides empirical evidence on a previously theorized set of relationships and informs policy makers on significant relationships they can employ to inform program development aimed at improving online learning self-efficacy anchored on their particular use cases. |
310 | Impact on Electricity Consumption and Market Pricing of Energy and Ancillary Services during Pandemic of COVID-19 in Italy | At the moment of writing, in Italy, there is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Its outbreak is leading to severe global socioeconomic disruptions impacting on all economic sectors from tourism, industry and the tertiary sector, up to the operational and opening of public offices, the closure of schools and the organization of families. Measures adopted by the Italian government to deal with the COVID-19 emergency have had direct effects both on people's daily lives and on the activity of most industrial and commercial production companies. These changes have been unequivocally reflected also on the Italian electricity system, which has shown unprecedented behavior in terms of both energy consumption and volume-and subsequently, in the observed share of renewable and conventional production technologies. The goal of this study is to show the impact on the power industry of all the restrictions and lockdown of the activities in Italy and to discuss the effects of COVID-19 outbreak on the bulk power system and the entire electricity sector. In particular, the consequences on load profiles, electricity consumption and market prices in Italy, including the environmental aspects, are examined. |
311 | GSH-responsive poly-resveratrol based nanoparticles for effective drug delivery and reversing multidrug resistance | Cancer poses a serious threat to human health and is the most common cause of human death. Polymer-based nanomedicines are presently used to enhance the treatment effectiveness and decrease the systemic toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. However, the disadvantage of currently polymeric carriers is without therapy procedure. Herein, for the first time, glutathione (GSH)-responsive polymer (PRES) with anti-cancer effect was synthesized following the condensation-polymerization method using resveratrol (RES) and 3,3'-dithiodipropionic acid. PRES can not only suppress the tumor cells growth but can also self-assemble into nanoparticles (∼93 nm) for delivering antitumor drugs, such as paclitaxel (PTX@PRES NPs). The system could achieve high drug loading (∼7%) and overcome multidrug resistance (MDR). The results from the in vitro studies revealed that the NPs formed of PRES were stable in the systemic circulation, while could be efficiently degraded in tumor cells high GSH environment. Results from cytotoxicity tests confirmed that PTX@PRES NPs could effectively suppress the growth of cancer cells (A549) and drug-resistant cells (A549/PTX). The NPs could also be used to significantly increase the therapeutic efficacy of the drugs in A549/PTX tumor-bearing mice. In vivo investigations also demonstrated that the PRES-based NPs exhibited tumor inhibition effects. In summary, we report that the GSH-responsive polymer synthesized by us exhibited multiple interesting functions and could be used for effective drug delivery. The polymer exhibited good therapeutic effects and could be used to overcome MDR. Thus, the synthesized system can be used to develop a new strategy for treating cancer. |
312 | Electronic Structure Modulation in MoO2 /MoP Heterostructure to Induce Fast Electronic/Ionic Diffusion Kinetics for Lithium Storage | Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are considered as the prospective anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Nevertheless, the disadvantages, including large volume variation and poor electrical conductivity, obstruct these materials to meet the needs of practical application. Well-designed mesoporous nanostructures and electronic structure modulation can enhance the electron/Li-ions diffusion kinetics. Herein, a unique mesoporous molybdenum dioxide/molybdenum phosphide heterostructure nanobelts (meso-MoO2 /MoP-NBs) composed of uniform nanoparticles is obtained by one-step phosphorization process. The Mott-Schottky tests and density functional theory calculations demonstrated that meso-MoO2 /MoP-NBs possesses superior electronic conductivity. The detailed lithium storage mechanism (solid solution reaction for MoP and partial conversion for MoO2 ), small change ratio of crystal structure and fast electronic/ionic diffusion behavior of meso-MoO2 /MoP-NBs are systematically investigated by operando X-ray diffraction, ex situ transmission electron microscopy, and kinetic analysis. Benefiting from the synergistic effects, the meso-MoO2 /MoP-NBs displays a remarkable cycling performance (515 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g-1 ) and excellent rate capability (291 mAh g-1 at 8 A g-1 ). These findings can shed light on the behavior of the electron/ion regulation in heterostructures and provide a potential route to develop high-performance lithium-ion storage materials. |
313 | Shearing Sulfur Edges of VS2 Electrocatalyst Enhances its Nitrogen Reduction Performance | Electrochemical N2 fixation requires effective electrocatalysts to expedite the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) kinetics and suppress the concomitant hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Although transition metal sulfides have been deemed as efficient NRR electrocatalysts, it remains a great challenge to suppress the serious HER to achieve high Faradaic efficiency (FE). Herein, vanadium disulfide (VS2 ) is deliberately designed by partially shearing its sulfur (S) edges through a simple calcination treatment at 350 °C. The as-prepared VS2 -350 electrocatalyst exhibits a highest NH3 yield of 20.29 µg h-1 mgcat-1 with a promising FE of 3.86%, which is significantly higher than the counterpart of untreated VS2 (VNH3 : 15.92 µg h-1 mgcat-1 , FE: 1.69%). Experimental and computational results reveal that shearing the S edges can substantially inhibit the HER and expose more V atoms as active sites. Meanwhile, the mechanistic analysis shows that the N2 activation at V active sites follows an "acceptance-donation" mechanism, while the N2 conversion to NH3 follows a hybrid 2 pathway at the VS2 -350 electrocatalyst. This work provides a simple strategy of designing high-performance NRR electrocatalysts based on a deep understanding of the atomic sites dependent catalytical activity. |
314 | Untapped renewable energy potential of crop residues in Pakistan: Challenges and future directions | Sustainability in power generation mainly depends on the transition from fossils to sustainable energy resources. Biomass from the crop residue has huge potential for renewable power generation, but it is still not utilized to its full potential. This study presents a comprehensive methodology to evaluate and forecast the current and future availability of selective crop residue to generate renewable energy. A forecast model incorporating historical trends in the crop yield has been developed in MATLAB and implemented for crop residue based biomass resource assessment of five primary crops (wheat straw, rice husk, rice straw, cotton straw, corn stover, and bagasse) in order to estimate the energy generation potential for Pakistan from 2018 till 2035. It was found that about 40 million tonnes of crop residue was available in Pakistan for power generation in the year 2018 considering a residue removal (availability) factor of 50%. This translates to an estimated potential of about 11,000 MW of electricity generation capacity using crop residue derived biomass for 2018. This capacity is predicted to gradually increase up to 16,000 MW by the year 2035 based on the trends in the growth of crop production since 2001. The suitability of a potential region for the installation of 100 MW biomass-fired power plants was also assessed by calculating crop residue density and an equivalent collection radius (R-e) of 50 km (km). Punjab province of Pakistan, being an agricultural province, with relatively better road infrastructure can sustain crop residue based power plants of up to 7000 MW cumulative capacity at various locations. The challenges, such as economic, logistics, regulatory and political barriers, in generating renewable energy from biomass along with their potential solutions were also discussed. The study also provides a baseline for future research to evaluate and forecast the growth in bio-power generation potential of any biomass resource in a region based on crop yield and area of the region. |
315 | Exergoeconomic and multi-objective optimization of a solar thermochemical hydrogen production plant with heat recovery | A solar hydrogen production plant based on a four-step copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle is presented and analyzed in this paper. The integrated system includes a pressurized solar power tower, gas turbine unit, phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage (TES), Cu-Cl cycle, regenerative steam Rankine cycle (SRC), and a heat recovery unit. A predictive model is developed for energy, exergy, and exergo-economic analyses of the proposed system. A parametric study is also conducted to investigate the effect of major parameters on the system performance. The system is optimized with a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) considering exergy efficiency and product cost per unit exergy as the two objective functions. The results indicate that the energy and exergy efficiencies of the overall system are 48.2% and 45%, respectively, while the total product cost per unit of exergy is found to be $10.97/GJ. The integrated solar system produces hydrogen, electricity, and steam at a rate of 0.1 kg/s, 50.49 MW, and 13.93 kg/s, respectively. Pareto solutions for multi-objective optimization indicate that the optimal design point of the system has an exergy efficiency and total product cost per unit of exergy of 50.1% and $11.94/GJ, respectively. |
316 | Effect of institutional quality and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions-an empirical investigation for developing countries | This paper investigates the role of institutional quality in moderating the impact of energy consumption on CO2 emission, with other variables such as trade, capital formation, FDI, financial development and population in 39 developing countries for 1995-2017. We use mean group (MG), augmented mean group (AMG), common correlated effects mean group (CCEMG) estimator, dynamic system GMM, panel grouped-mean FMOLS and panel quantile regression for the empirical results. From the different estimation techniques, we find that institutional quality moderates energy consumption and strengthens its effectiveness in abating carbon emissions. The combined influence of institutional quality and sector wise energy consumption on emissions is significant and negative. Our finding also confirms the Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in the presence of institutional quality. Renewable energy consumption is also found to reduce emissions significantly in the long run. Given the importance of institutional quality and renewable energy in reducing CO2 emission, the policymakers need to improve the quality of institutions and deploy more renewable energy for final consumption to achieve long-term climate goals. |
317 | Exploring the linkage among energy intensity, carbon emission and urbanization in Pakistan: fresh evidence from ecological modernization and environment transition theories | This study uses ecological modernization and environmental transition theories to estimate the interaction among energy intensity, carbon emission and urbanization for the period of 1980-2017. We have systematically examined the empirical connections among emission, urbanization, income per capita, imports, exports, energy use, trade openness and energy intensity. The Johnson co-integration and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) causality methods are employed for the sake of analysis. Overall findings confirm the dynamic and U-shaped relationship between emission and urbanization, and carbon emission and income per capita. The empirical results of urbanization, inflation and financial development illustrate positive association with the energy intensity, whereas trade openness, labour force participation and carbon emission show a negative association with the dependent variable. Moreover, outcomes of causality analysis provide evidence of varied causality link among the variables across the models. The study provides the implications for the decision makers in Pakistan to choose new urbanization patterns that are less reliant on energy consumption. |
318 | Role of renewable energy and globalization on ecological footprint in the USA: implications for environmental sustainability | The role of renewable energy and globalization on ecological footprint is investigated in the USA by controlling for the effects of financial development and real output using quarterly data from 1985:Q1 to 2014:Q4. We apply the minimum Lagrange multiplier unit root test, multiple structural break cointegration test, and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) estimation approach. The empirical evidence suggests that, in the long run, renewable energy and real output exert negative pressure on ecological footprint while financial development and globalization exert positive pressure on ecological footprint. The short-run results indicate that renewable energy, financial development, real output, and globalization are positively linked to ecological footprint. The vector error correction model Granger causality results, in the long run, divulge that ecological footprint, consumption of renewable energy, real output, and globalization Granger-cause financial development while ecological footprint, renewable energy, financial development, and globalization Granger-cause real output. The results also show that, in the short run, renewable energy and globalization cause ecological footprint and real output causes renewable energy, while renewable energy causes globalization. The finding also reveals that the causality between real output and globalization, as well as globalization and financial development, is bidirectional. Therefore, our findings provide insights for policymakers to consider consumption of renewable energy as a surest way to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. |
319 | Inconvenience and adaptation in Japanese adult achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia: A cross-sectional study | The health-related quality of life is reduced in patients with achondroplasia (ACH) and hypochondroplasia (HCH); however, the detailed inconveniences in the daily living and individual adaptations have not been elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the inconvenience and adaptation in patients with ACH/HCH. A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with ACH/HCH aged 20 yr or older. Questionnaires were sent to 567 patients (described 86) with a medical history at the co-authors' institutions or who were registered at the patients' association with ACH in Japan. The questionnaire included a free description format for the inconveniences and adaptations in daily living; a content analysis was performed. The recorded inconveniences included 148 physical, 84 mental, and 52 social problems. Patients who underwent spine surgery had significantly more recorded physical problems than those who did not (p < 0.05). Pain and numbness were significantly higher in patients aged ≥ 50 yr (p < 0.05). The 160 and 1 adaptations were for physical and social problems, respectively. No patient adaptation was found for mental health problems. Individual adaptations by ACH/HCH patients can improve only some aspects of physical and social problems. Multilateral social support is needed to resolve patients' issues. |
320 | The Impact of Energy Consumption and Economic Growth on Carbon Dioxide Emissions | This study explored the effect of energy consumption and economic growth on CO2 emissions. The relationship between energy consumption, economic growth and CO2 emissions was assessed using regression analysis (the pooled OLS regression and fixed effects methods), Granger causality and panel cointegration tests. Data from 70 countries between 1994-2013 were analysed. The result of the Granger causality tests revealed that the study variables (population, capital stock and economic growth) have a bi-directional causal relationship with CO2 emissions, while energy consumption has a uni-directional relationship. Likewise, the outcome of the cointegration tests established that a long-run relationship exists among the study variables (energy consumption and economic growth) with CO2 emissions. However, the pooled OLS and fixed methods both showed that energy consumption and economic growth have a significant positive impact on CO2 emissions. Hence, this study supports the need for a global transition to a low carbon economy primarily through climate finance, which refers to local, national, or transnational financing, that may be drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing. This will help foster large-scale investments in clean energy, that are required to significantly reduce CO2 emissions. |
321 | Circular ecosystem innovation: An initial set of principles | A circular economy maximizes the value of material resources and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, resource use, waste and pollution. We will posit that circularity needs to be understood as a property of a system (e.g., the mobility system of a city), rather than a property of an individual product or service (e.g., a car or a car-sharing service). Hence, there is a need for more knowledge on how to innovate towards 'circular ecosystems'. This study proposes a set of principles for 'circular ecosystem innovation', based on: 1) a concise literature review to retrieve recommended principles on how to successfully innovate in ecosystems, 2) a mobility case of circular ecosystem innovation to investigate how relevant and useful these principles are for circular oriented innovation. The case data include 20 interviews, workshop data and internal background documents. The identified principles can be categorized in three groups: 1) collaboration (i.e., how firms can interact with other organizations in their ecosystem to innovate towards circularity), 2) experimentation (i.e., how firms can organize a structured trial-and-error process to implement greater circularity) and 3) platformization (i.e., how firms can organize social and economic interactions via online platforms to achieve greater circularity). Future research may focus on identifying opportunities and barriers to applying these principles in different contexts than in the one that is investigated in the present study. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
322 | An integrated GIS approach for site selection of floating offshore wind farms in the Atlantic continental European coastline | This study presents a novel method for the selection of sites for floating wind farms based on marine spatial optimization. After providing a review of the present state of the art, a tool based on geographic information systems is presented, consisting of three main stages and built in Python language. The first stage collects and analyses the information of the different regulatory bodies, marine spatial planning, maritime concessions and other sources. The second stage excludes not feasible sites for floating wind farms, based mostly on marine space use and on environmental constraints. The third stage characterises the available locations based on five major categories that are spatially dependent: metocean data, viability data, logistics, facilities, marine environment and techno-economic data. The proposed methodology is implemented at the Europe Atlantic coast, with specific reference to Portugal, Spain and France. These three countries together combine 3.362.408 km(2) of the Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone, where in only 0.22% of that area could host floating offshore wind turbines. While further detailed studies about locations and legislative considerations are required, the effort made has contributed to eliminate unsuitable areas and identify those where sustainability can be maximized. |
323 | The Relationship Between Drinking Behavior and Conversational Processes During a Brief Alcohol Reduction Intervention for People with HIV | People with HIV (PWH) frequently engage in unhealthy alcohol use, which can adversely affect antiretroviral adherence and HIV disease progression. Brief interventions based on Motivational Interviewing (MI), including the Brief Negotiated Interview (BNI), can help to reduce drinking. This study examines MI processes observed during a single 15-20 min BNI session delivered by social workers to PWH with unhealthy alcohol use (N = 59) in the context of a stepped care intervention to reduce alcohol consumption. BNI sessions were coded for technical and relational processes encouraged in MI, such as autonomy support, instructive language, and self-exploration. Multiple regression analyses explored the relationship between: (1) Participants' pre-intervention drinking behaviors (weekly drinks and heavy drinking days) and these MI processes, and (2) MI processes and intervention outcomes. Results indicated that PWH who reported more weekly drinks at baseline engaged in less self-exploration, while social workers delivering the BNI used less instructive language for those who reported more heavy drinking days. PWH who engaged in more self-exploration and received more autonomy support had fewer heavy drinking days 6 months after the intervention. These findings suggest the value of providing more opportunities within BNIs to encourage self-exploration, as it may help to enhance intervention efficacy. |
324 | Peri-operative neurological monitoring with electroencephalography and cerebral oximetry: a narrative review | Surgery and anaesthesia subject the brain to considerable stress in the peri-operative period. This may be caused by potentially neurotoxic anaesthetic drugs, impaired cerebral perfusion and reperfusion injury related to surgery or thromboembolic events. Patient monitoring using electroencephalogram and cerebral oximetry can assist in optimising depth of anaesthesia and assessment of cerebral metabolic activity. However, research findings have been contradictory as to whether these monitors can help ameliorate peri-operative neurocognitive complications. In this narrative review, we will discuss recent evidence in the use of electroencephalography and cerebral oximetry and the underlying scientific principles. It is important to appreciate the raw electroencephalographic changes under anaesthesia and those associated with ageing, in order to interpret depth of anaesthesia indices correctly. Cerebral oximetry is useful not only for the detection of cerebral desaturation but also to identify those patients who are particularly vulnerable to injury, for better risk stratification. An algorithm-based approach may be most effective in managing the episodes of cerebral desaturation. |
325 | Psychiatric-Like Impairments in Mouse Models of Spinocerebellar Ataxias | Many patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) suffer from diverse neuropsychiatric issues, including memory impairments, apathy, depression, or anxiety. These neuropsychiatric aspects contribute per se to the reduced quality of life and worse prognosis. However, the extent to which SCA-related neuropathology directly contributes to these issues remains largely unclear. Behavioral profiling of various SCA mouse models can bring new insight into this question. This paper aims to synthesize recent findings from behavioral studies of SCA patients and mouse models. The role of SCA neuropathology for shaping psychiatric-like impairments may be exemplified in mouse models of SCA1. These mice evince robust cognitive impairments which are shaped by both the cerebellar as well as out-of-cerebellar pathology. Although emotional-related alternations are also present, they seem to be less robust and more affected by the specific distribution and character of the neuropathology. For example, cerebellar-specific pathology seems to provoke behavioral disinhibition, leading to seemingly decreased anxiety, whereas complex SCA1 neuropathology induces anxiety-like phenotype. In SCA1 mice with complex neuropathology, some of the psychiatric-like impairments are present even before marked cerebellar degeneration and ataxia and correlate with hippocampal atrophy. Similarly, complete or partial deletion of the implicated gene (Atxn1) leads to cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-like behavior, respectively, without apparent ataxia and cerebellar degeneration. Altogether, these findings collectively suggest that the neuropsychiatric issues have a biological basis partially independent of the cerebellum. As some neuropsychiatric issues may stem from weakening the function of the implicated gene, therapeutic reduction of its expression by molecular approaches may not necessarily mitigate the neuropsychiatric issues. |
326 | Behavioral and technical perspectives of green supply chain management practices: Empirical evidence from an emerging market | Recently, companies in emerging markets have implemented green supply chain management (GSCM) practices to tackle environmental issues. Drawing upon socio-technical systems theory, this study develops a conceptual model suggesting a sequential effect between two distinct categories of GSCM practices, namely behavioral (human and soft aspects) and technical (tangible and hard aspects) practices, on performance. We employ structural equation modeling method to test hypotheses based on survey responses from 200 Chinese manufacturers. The categorization of behavioral and technical GSCM practices and research findings contribute to the GSCM literature. Statistical results demonstrate the complete mediation effect of technical GSCM practices (e.g., green design, green manufacturing and reverse logistics) on the relationship between behavioral GSCM practices (e.g., relationship with customers and suppliers) and organizational performance. Such results recommend that companies in emerging markets should highlight behavioral GSCM practices first and then implement necessary technical GSCM practices to reap economic, environmental and operational performance. |
327 | Individual differences and the relationship between education and religiosity in longitudinal versus cross-sectional studies | We show that the relationship between education and religiosity is positive in cross-sectional analyses and negative in longitudinal analyses. We explain this discrepancy by suggesting that the former relationship is due to the positive association of both education and religiosity with dispositional conformity, while the latter represents a causal effect of education on apostasy. |
328 | An evaluation of the phytochemical composition, antioxidant and cytotoxicity of the leaves of Litsea elliptica Blume - An ethnomedicinal plant from Brunei Darussalam | Litsea elliptica is traditionally believed to prevent and treat stomach ulcers, cancer, fever and headaches. This study investigates the phytochemical composition, antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of L. elliptica leaf extracts. The phytochemical content was determined via GCMS analysis and total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were analysed using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium-chloride assays. Antioxidant activities were determined using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging and ferric-ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, whereas cytotoxicity was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and calcein/ethidium viability assays. The mechanism of cytotoxicity was investigated using Annexin V/propidium iodide. Modifications in the mitochondria were investigated using MitoTracker Red CMXRos. Ten and twenty-six compounds were characterized in the young-leaf and mixed-leaves extracts, respectively. The young-leaf methanolic extract demonstrated the highest antioxidant capacity of at least four-folds greater than the mixed-leaves and ethanolic extracts. The methanolic extract also had higher TPC and TFC values compared to the ethanolic extract. Although the mixed L. elliptica leaves had lower antioxidant capacities compared to the young leaves, the mixed leaves extract has demonstrated greater cytotoxicity against the A549 cancer cell line. Further investigation revealed that the L. elliptica leaves-induced cytotoxicity on A549 cells was possibly via the non-inflammatory mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway. Overall, our results showed the potential of the L. elliptica leaves possessing cytotoxic activities against carcinoma cells where the compounds present can be further investigated for its therapeutic application. |
329 | Location-aware hazardous litter management for smart emergency governance in urban eco-cyber-physical systems | Smart city management is facing a new challenge from littered face masks during COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the issues of detection and collection of this hazardous waste that is littered in public spaces and outside the controlled environments, usually associated with biomedical waste, is urgent for the safety of the communities around the world. Manual management of this waste is beyond the capabilities of governments worldwide as the geospatial scale of littering is very high and also because this contaminated litter is a health and safety issue for the waste collectors. In this paper, an autonomous biomedical waste management framework that uses edge surveillance and location intelligence for detection of the littered face masks and predictive modelling for emergency response to this problem is proposed. In this research a novel dataset of littered face masks in various conditions and environments is collected. Then, a new deep neural network architecture for rapid detection of discarded face masks on the video surveillance edge nodes is proposed. Furthermore, a location intelligence model for prediction of the areas with higher probability of hazardous litter in the smart city is presented. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the proposed model for detection of littered face masks in various environments is 96%, while the speed of processing is ten times faster than comparable models. The proposed framework can help authorities to plan for timely emergency response to scattering of hazardous material in residential environments. |
330 | Hematological and biochemical investigations on the effect of curcumin and Thymoquinone in male mice exposed to Thioacetamide | Currently, living organisms are increasingly exposed to many toxic chemicals in the environment. These substances pose a threat to human life, other living organisms and ecosystem. In fact, there is an increasing requirement to search for safe therapeutic sources today. Medicinal plants and natural products have become of great importance globally because of their therapeutic potential and medicinal properties, as well as their availability and the absence of harmful side effects for most of them. The present study was designed to explore the potential protective effect of curcumin (CUR) and thymoquinone (TQ) in male rats exposed to thioacetamide (TAA). The experimental mice were divided into eight groups. Group 1 was served as control. Group 2 was exposed to 50 mg/ kg body weight of TAA. Group 3 was exposed to CUR and TAA. Mice of group 4 were treated with TQ and TAA. Mice of group 5 were exposed to CUR plus TQ and TAA. Group 6 was supplemented with CUR. Group 7 was subjected to TQ. Mice of group 8 were treated with CUR and TQ. Hematological and biochemical alterations were evaluated after one month. Significant increases of white blood corpuscles (WBC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) values were observed in group 2, while the values of red blood corpuscles (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb(, hematocrit (Hct), glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were statistically decreased. Treatment with CUR, TQ and their combination inhibited the hematological and biochemical alterations induced by TAA toxicity. Moreover, the most protective effect was observed in mice treated with CUR plus TQ. These new results suggested that the protective effect of CUR and TQ attributed to their antioxidant properties. |
331 | Spatiotemporal Patterns of COVID-19 Impact on Human Activities and Environment in Mainland China Using Nighttime Light and Air Quality Data | The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought drastic changes to people's daily lives, work, and the surrounding environment. Investigations into these changes are very important for decision makers to implement policies on economic loss assessments and stimulation packages, city reopening, resilience of the environment, and arrangement of medical resources. In order to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on people's lives, activities, and the natural environment, this paper investigates the spatial and temporal characteristics of Nighttime Light (NTL) radiance and Air Quality Index (AQI) before and during the pandemic in mainland China. The monthly mean NTL radiance, and daily and monthly mean AQI are calculated over mainland China and compared before and during the pandemic. Our results show that the monthly average NTL brightness is much lower during the quarantine period than before. This study categorizes NTL into three classes: residential area, transportation, and public facilities and commercial centers, with NTL radiance ranges of 5-20, 20-40 and greater than 40 (nW center dot cm(-2)center dot sr(-1)), respectively. We found that the Number of Pixels (NOP) with NTL detection increased in the residential area and decreased in the commercial centers for most of the provinces after the shutdown, while transportation and public facilities generally stayed the same. More specifically, we examined these factors in Wuhan, where the first confirmed cases were reported, and where the earliest quarantine measures were taken. Observations and analysis of pixels associated with commercial centers were observed to have lower NTL radiance values, indicating a dimming behavior, while residential area pixels recorded increased levels of brightness after the beginning of the lockdown. The study also discovered a significant decreasing trend in the daily average AQI for mainland China from January to March 2020, with cleaner air in most provinces during February and March, compared to January 2020. In conclusion, the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 has had a crucial impact on people's daily lives and activity ranges through the increased implementation of lockdown and quarantine policies. On the other hand, the air quality of mainland China has improved with the reduction in non-essential industries and motor vehicle usage. This evidence demonstrates that the Chinese government has executed very stringent quarantine policies to deal with the pandemic. The decisive response to control the spread of COVID-19 provides a reference for other parts of the world. |
332 | The role of renewable energy, alternative and nuclear energy in mitigating carbon emissions in the CPTPP countries | The paper investigates the role of renewable energy and alternative and nuclear energy in mitigating CO2 emissions. Trade openness is added to consider its effect on the environment, as it appears to be a crucial factor in interregional cooperation and development. We adopt a sample of nine signatories to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) from 1971 to 2014. Various time-series econometric methods are utilized including two long-run estimators - fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) - and a Granger-causality test. Several noteworthy findings are achieved from this paper. First, the inverse U-shaped relationship is found in six countries: Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Peru and Vietnam. The U-shaped relationship is found in Japan and Malaysia whereas no evidence is observed in Mexico. Second, the adoption of either renewable energy or alternative and nuclear energy would mitigate CO2 emissions and trade openness plays an important role in facilitating this effect. Third, the directions of Granger causality among the variables of interests including consumption of renewable energy; consumption of alternative and nuclear energy, trade openness and CO2 emissions, do vary across countries and between the short term and the long term. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd. |
333 | An effective three-stage hybrid optimization method for source-network-load power generation of cascade hydropower reservoirs serving multiple interconnected power grids | In China, many cascade hydropower reservoirs are asked to simultaneously respond the peak loads of several interconnected power grids based on the signed agreements. However, by far, there are few reports addressing the brand-new engineering problem with huge optimization difficulty caused by multilateral generation contracts, strong hydraulic-electric relationships, load feature differences and spatial-temporal coupled constraints. Here, a three-stage hybrid method is developed to satisfy this practical requirement, where the domain knowledge is firstly used to build a virtual load curve balancing the load features and electricity contracts of multiple power grids; secondly, the dynamic programming is used to determine the scheduling process of the optimized hydroplant, while the linear programming is chosen to allocate the hydropower generation among multiple power grids; finally, the quality of solution is gradually improved via iterative search. The results in two real-world cascade hydropower systems indicate that the hybrid method can achieve satisfactory scheduling results in different cases. Thus, an effective way to reduce the optimization difficulty of the large and complex problem is to break up into a series of simple and independent subproblems to be addressed by existing mature methods. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
334 | Supramolecular systems chemistry through advanced analytical techniques | Supramolecular chemistry is the quintessential backbone of all biological processes. It encompasses a wide range from the metabolic network to the self-assembled cytoskeletal network. Combining the chemical diversity with the plethora of functional depth that biological systems possess is a daunting task for synthetic chemists to emulate. The only route for approaching such a challenge lies in understanding the complex and dynamic systems through advanced analytical techniques. The supramolecular complexity that can be successfully generated and analyzed is directly dependent on the analytical treatment of the system parameters. In this review, we illustrate advanced analytical techniques that have been used to investigate various supramolecular systems including complex mixtures, dynamic self-assembly, and functional nanomaterials. The underlying theme of such an overview is not only the exceeding detail with which traditional experiments can be probed but also the fact that complex experiments can now be attempted owing to the analytical techniques that can resolve an ensemble in astounding detail. Furthermore, the review critically analyzes the current state of the art analytical techniques and suggests the direction of future development. Finally, we envision that integrating multiple analytical methods into a common platform will open completely new possibilities for developing functional chemical systems. |
335 | CO2 adsorption capacity of zeolites synthesized from coal fly ashes | Given the increase in CO2 emissions, the adsorption process using zeolites are proposed to remove this compound from combustion gases in pulverized coal power plants. Besides it, these materials can also be synthesized using coal fly ash to reconcile environmental and economic concerns. The aim of this study was to measure the adsorption capacity of zeolites synthesized from coal fly ash compared with commercial zeolites and assess their performance in temperature swing adsorption processes. Two pelletized synthetic zeolites were selected, one NaX type (SZX) and one NaA type (SZA), and two commercial zeolites, one NaX (CZX) and one NaA (CZA). Zeolites were characterized by XRF, XRD and textural analysis (BET). Adsorption capacity tests were performed by thermogravimetric analysis using similar CO2 concentrations to those found in pulverized carbon combustion gases, without moisture. Isotherms were also obtained for synthetic and commercial zeolites type X. The XRD results showed substantial similarity between the commercial and synthesized zeolites, indicating a good degree of crystallinity. The CO2 adsorption capacity at 303 K for both samples showed values similar to those reported in the literature (1.97 mmol/g for SZX and 1.37 mmol/g for SZA), demonstrating their potential in commercial applications. After five cycles, the adsorption capacity of all samples remained practically unchanged, indicating the possibility of application in TSA processes. In the adsorption tests at different temperatures and in the isotherms, adsorption capacity declined as temperature increased for both samples, being similar to benchmark commercial 13X and 4A zeolite adsorbents. |
336 | Improving the energy efficiency of room air conditioners in China: Costs and benefits | China is the world's largest consumer of room air conditioners, and it contributes about a quarter of global space cooling CO2 emissions. We model the costs and benefits of recently proposed new room air conditioner minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) in China. Our results suggest that newly proposed MEPS brings accumulative CO2 emissions reductions of 12.8% between 2019 and 2050, and accumulative bill saving of 2620 billion RMB to China's consumers. The benefits of the proposed MEPS decrease with longer MEPS revision intervals and increase with shorter intervals-indicating that the intervals should be balanced to maximize benefits while accommodating constraints due to air conditioner manufacturer design cycles. We also model potential nationwide benefits from higher MEPS. Across two increasingly aggressive MEPS scenarios, China's room air conditioner electricity consumption and CO2 emissions in 2050 are both reduced by 15-53% compared to the proposed MEPS. The highest-efficiency scenario (reaching MEPS of annual performance factor 5.4 in 2025) provides the largest long-term national benefits. These results could inform development of a Chinese regulatory regime that effectively updates room air conditioner MEPS. Because China is the world's largest manufacturer of room air conditioners, the economic, energy, and emissions benefits resulting from higher Chinese MEPS could also have a global reach. |
337 | How green is the "Belt and Road Initiative"? - Evidence from Chinese OFDI in the energy sector | From an analysis of 729 completed energy sector outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) deals by Chinese firms from 2005 to 2016, this paper evaluated the Chinese OFDI greening tendencies and the links to host country energy structures and energy efficiency, for which PSM-DID analysis was used to control the influence of endogeneity resulting from that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) had a strong policy effect on the greening of Chinese OFDI in the related countries and areas and especially in developing countries. Because the Chinese firms chose to invest in clean energy projects as a result of the new BRI policy framework, this research shed light on the Chinese OFDI policy responses. |
338 | Towards a circular and low-carbon economy: Insights from the transitioning to electric vehicles and net zero economy | Road transportation being a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, is now resulting a move away from the traditional internal combustion engine to electric vehicles (EVs), currently powered by battery technology. This paper examines end-of-first-life applications of EVs batteries in a low-carbon circular economy following global transition to EVs and net zero economy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key actors within the EV industry in the UK. Drawing on Stahel closed-loop solutions, a qualitative analysis of the transcripts of these interviews revealed the need for business models towards coherent low-carbon circular economy of the value chains. This paper reveals a whole range of issues relating to: extraction of battery critical raw minerals (e.g. ethical concerns); manufacturing (e.g. lack of policy frameworks addressing value chain emissions); distribution and sale (e.g. gaps in circular built economy strategy and transition plan); use (e.g. lack of a functioning market for end-of-first-life batteries) as well as research and innovation (e.g. lack of infrastructure to deal with end-of- first-life cells). The views on policy weaknesses testifies to the need for close-loop business model to not only focus on recycling battery raw minerals or repurposing battery for energy storage applications. But, should consider many aspects of an innovative policy strategy and product's global value chain, accounting for: equitable jobs, critical raw minerals dependency, circularity governance and industry standards, protecting the natural environment, tackling emissions and ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. The study highlights establishing key trade-offs within policy goals considering the global value chains, as well as, harnessing synergies between social, economic and environmental goals. The paper concludes that a low-carbon close-loop business model should integrate the triple objectives of making positive impact on people, planet and profit, and developed on the basis of legislation, collaboration, research, investment, and incentives guiding to achieve the Global Goals. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
339 | Sectoral-based CO2 emissions of Pakistan: a novel Grey Relation Analysis (GRA) approach | Global warming regarded as the major global issue over the past few decades, whereas carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have been cited as one of the main causes of this problem. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of energy consumption, economic development, and population growth on high CO2 emitting sectors of Pakistan such as transportation, industrial, and household. The data used in this study was taken from multiple databases from 2000 to 2018. We employed novel grey relational analysis (GRA) models to assess the connection between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, population, energy consumption, and CO2 emission. Furthermore, the Hurwicz method was used to analyze which factor contributing more to CO2 emission. Result reveals that CO2 emission, gross domestic product per capita, population, and energy consumption showed a strong association among all sectors. Whereas, population contributes more to intensifying CO2 emissions in the transportation sector of Pakistan. This study provides useful insights for policymakers to take preventive and corrective measures to overcome CO2 emissions as well as sustainable development. |
340 | Waste-to-energy nexus for circular economy and environmental protection: Recent trends in hydrogen energy | The energy demand has increased exponentially worldwide owing to the continuously growing population and urbanization. The conventional fossil fuels are unable to satiate this requirement causing price inflation and significant environmental damage due to unrestrained emission of greenhouse gases. The focus now has shifted towards alternative, economical, renewable and green sources of energy such as hydrogen to deal with this bottleneck. Hydrogen is a clean energy-source having high energy content (122 kJ/g). Recently, biological methods for the hydrogen production have attracted much attention because traditional methods are expensive, energy-exhaustive and not eco-friendly. The employment of biological methods promises utilization of waste or low-value materials for producing energy and building waste-to-energy nexus. Around 94% of the waste is discarded precariously in India and waste generation is growing at an alarming rate of 13% per year. The "waste-to-energy" techniques follow 'Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Recovery and Reclamation' system solving three subjects at once; waste-management, energy-demand and environmental concern. Moreover, these methods have easy operability, cost-effectiveness and they help to shift from linear to circular model of economy for sustainable development. Biological processing of waste materials like agricultural discard (lignocellulosic biomass), food-waste and industrial discharge can be used for biohydrogen production. Dark and photo fermentation are the chief biological processes for the transformation of organic substrates to hydrogen. Dark fermentation is the acidogenic fermentation of carbohydrate-rich materials without light and oxygen. Clostridia, Enterobacter and Bacillus spp. are appropriate heterotrophic bacteria for dark fermentation. Various pretreatment methods like heat treatment, acid or base treatment ultrasonication, aeration, electroporation, etc., can be applied on inoculums to increase H-2 producing bacteria eventually improving the hydrogen yield. However, only around 33% of COD in organic materials is transformed to H-2 by this method. Photofermentation by the photosynthetic non-sulfur bacteria (PNS) converts organic substrate to H-2 and CO2 in the presence of nitrogenase enzyme in ammonium-limited and anoxygenic conditions. Rhodobacter or Rhodopseudomonas strains have been widely examined in this regard. But these methods are only able to produce H-2 with a poor yield. Combining dark and photofermentation is a noteworthy alternative for procuring enhanced hydrogen yields. Two-stage sequential method utilizes volatile fatty adds accumulated as byproducts after dark fermentation ( in the first stage) for photofermentation by suitable bacteria (in the second stage). A proper investigation of the dark fermenter effluents is required before using them as a substrate for photo-fermentation. In a single-stage dark and photofermentation, co-culture of anaerobic and PNS bacteria in a single reactor is carried out for obtaining improved yield. The single stage system is comparatively inexpensive and less laborious; moreover, a limited requirement for an intermediate dilution stage is necessary. Economic analysis of hydrogen production showed that H-2 production by the present methods, save pyrolysis, is reasonably higher than the conventional approaches of fuel production. Probable routes to make H-2 production more cost-effective are reducing the cost of photobioreactor. installing proper storage system. etc. A constructive effort in the area of research and development of biological approaches of H-2 production technologies is vital. The commercial viability of biohydrogen production is imperative for accomplishment of circular economy system and sustainable development. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
341 | The Colonial State, African Dog-Owners, and the Political Economy of Rabies Vaccination Campaigns in Southern Rhodesia in the 1950s and 1960s | This paper examines histories of postvaccinal breaks in immunity to rabies in domestic dogs between 1950 and the 1960s. It utilizes Veterinary and Native Commissioner's reports and newspapers in arguing that there is a gap in current southern African rabies historiography as it is yet to grapple with narratives about vaccine technologies. Current southern African rabies histories overly focus on white South African urban case studies. Focusing on the histories of postvaccinal breaks in immunity to rabies in Southern Rhodesia helps to explain why rabies became an ineradicable canine disease in southern Africa during this period. The paper focuses on the political economy of the mass vaccination of dogs, the costs attached to the Veterinary Department's decision to ignore other canine diseases in African areas, and how this, combined with other policy measures such as dog taxation, in undermining rabies vaccination campaigns. Overall, it shows that African dog-owners resorted to a myriad of responses to coercive rabies regulations. This complexity ultimately resulted in canine rabies becoming a difficult disease to eradicate. |
342 | Signifying the imperative nexus between climate change and information and communication technology development: a case from Pakistan | The globe has faced technological affluence that enormously revolutionized the lives of humankind. Today, the manufacturing process of the energy sector, production sector, agriculture sector, and service sector is exclusively or partially based on ICT tools. The key intention of this investigation is to find out the impacts of the utilization of ICT on CO(2)emission. However, this investigation also evaluates the influence of investment in ICT and the trade of ICT tools on CO(2)emission. Further, the estimation examined the subsistence of environment Kuznets curve (EKC) theory, for the nation of Pakistan. The investigation employed an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and found that the utilization of ICT has a negative impact on CO(2)emission. Moreover, the long-run results revealed that the import of ICT equipment is more beneficial for the environment quality of Pakistan. However, ICT apparatus manufactured in Pakistan might produce electronic waste due to non-utilization of green technology. The study reported bidirectional causality between ICT and CO(2)emission. These results point towards that the emergence of ICT in industries and daily life possesses a significant and positive role in climate change in Pakistan. Also, this study corroborates the veracity of EKC in Pakistan. |
343 | Association between the Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265/G196A) of the BDNF gene and cognitive performance with SSRI use in Arab Alzheimer's disease patients | Brain derived neutrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein and a member of the neurotrophin family of growth factors, supports the survival of existing neurons and encourages the growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses. The BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265/G196A) is responsible for BDNF synthesis that impact BDNF function that includes memory and cognition. This study investigated whether the BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265/G196A) is associated with cognitive function changes in both Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and elderly participants. In addition the impact of SSRI use on cognition improvement will be assessed. Healthy young, middle ages (25-59 years old) and elderly (more than 60 years old) participants (140) as well as 40 AD patients of whom are both of Saudi Arabian origin were recruited. The genotyping for the association study was performed by real-time PCR using Taqman chemistry in the ABI Prism 7900HT Sequence Detection System. Both Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) were used to assess cognitive function of healthy and AD participants, respectively. The findings showed that the BDNF Val66Met genotype distributions and allele frequencies have significant association with cognitive performance in both elderly control group and AD patients. The main findings showed that carriers of GG homozygotes (Val/Val) have superior cognitive performance among AD patients and elderly control subjects. In addition the use of SSRIs in 13 AD patients and 17 elderly participants positively improved cognitive function in elderly (p > 0.001) but not in AD patients (p = 0.1). |
344 | Oil rents and greenhouse gas emissions: spatial analysis of Gulf Cooperation Council countries | The dependence of oil production in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region may have environmental consequences. This research explores the nonlinear effects of oil rents and the economic growth of six GCC countries on their per capita CO2, CH4, N2O, and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, considering spatial linkages through 1980-2014. We apply fixed effects (FE) and corroborate the spatial dependency in all estimated pollution models. Spatial Durbin model (SDM) is utilized to estimate the direct and spillover effects. We find the inverted U-shaped relationship of economic growth with CO2, CH4, N2O and GHG emissions, and of oil rents with CH(4)and GHG emissions. Monotonic positive effects of oil rents on CO(2)emissions and U-shaped relationship between oil rents and N2O emissions are also found. Urbanization has positive effect on the CO2, CH(4)and GHG emissions and has negative effect on N2O emissions. Financial market development (FMD) has negative effects on all types of investigated emissions. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has negative effects on CO(2)and N2O emissions. Energy use has positive effects on CO(2)and N2O emissions. Further, the neighboring spillover effects of economic growth, oil rents, urbanization, FDI, energy use and FMD are found statistically significant for some investigated emissions. Hence, oil rents, energy use, urbanization and economic growth are responsible for environmental degradation of home and neighboring countries in the GCC region, and we recommend implementing tighter laws to protect the environment. |
345 | Partial nephrogenic diabetes insipidus with a novel arginine vasopressin receptor 2 gene variant | X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) is caused by variations in arginine vasopressin receptor 2 (AVPR2). Some patients show partial resistance to arginine vasopressin (AVP). A 19-month-old Japanese boy presented with polydipsia since infancy. His mother had a history of polydipsia during pregnancy, and his maternal granduncle also had polydipsia. Intermediate urine osmolality and markedly high plasma AVP levels were observed in the water deprivation test. Subsequent pitressin administration caused no further elevation in urine osmolality. We diagnosed the patient with partial NDI, initiated therapy with hydrochlorothiazide, and placed him on a low-sodium diet. Although his urine volume decreased by 20-30% after the initiation of therapy, progressive hydronephrosis and growth retardation developed 2 years later. We investigated his genetic background by multiplex targeted sequencing of genes associated with inherited renal diseases, including AVPR2 and aquaporin-2 (AQP2). We identified a hemizygous missense variant in AVPR2 NM_000054:c.371A>G,p.(Tyr124Cys) in the boy and a heterozygous variant in the mother at the same locus. Distinguishing partial NDI from primary polydipsia is difficult because of its mild symptoms. Markedly elevated plasma AVP levels with intermediate urine osmolality may suggest partial NDI, and genetic analysis can be useful for such patients. |
346 | Production of synthetic natural gas from industrial carbon dioxide | The Power-to-Gas strategy has become a mainstream topic for decarbonization and development of renewables and flexibility in energy systems. One of the key arguments for decarbonizing the gas network is to take advantage of existing network infrastructure, gradually transitioning to lower fossil carbon sources of methane from Power-to-Gas. This work proposes the techno-economic investigation of an integrated system considering an advanced CO2 capture process, in terms of solvent and process configuration, to treat about 10% of a cement plant's flue gas and convert the captured CO2 into synthetic natural gas using renewable hydrogen generated from a large-scale wind powered electrolyzer. An optimized heat recovery system is proposed, drastically decreasing the external hot utility demand of the CO2 capture unit. In addition, it leads to the production of complementary electricity (about 1.06 MW), reducing thus also the electrical demand of the integrated process. The synthetic natural gas produced has a composition (CH4 92.9 mol.%, CO2 3.7 mol.%, and H-2 3.4 mol.%) and a Wobbe index (46.72 MJ/m(3)), corresponding to specification for gas grid injection at 50 bar in Germany. With an overall system efficiency of 72.6%, the process produces 0.40 ton synthetic natural gas per ton of captured CO2. The cost of the synthetic natural gas produced is higher when compared to the present natural gas market price, but cost reductions and possible commercial use of coproducts like oxygen, represent a likely alternative. Costs are mainly driven by high capital investments (the electrolyzer), and the price of renewable electricity, which is expected to decrease in the coming years. |
347 | Effects of Home-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Dyspnea, Exercise Capacity, Quality of Life and Impact of the Disease in COPD Patients: A Systematic Review | Conventional pulmonary rehabilitation programs are used as therapies for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, this modality presents barriers that make rehabilitation difficult. For this reason, home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (HBPR) has been used to overcome these barriers. The objective was to systematically compare a structured program with HBPR or a control group for participants with COPD. The primary outcome was an improvement in symptoms in the level of dyspnea and secondary outcomes were parameters in lung function, exercise capacity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the impact of the disease on the individual. The Medline (via PubMed), Virtual Health Library and Cochrane Library databases were searched until May 10, 2021. Randomized controlled trials were included without restrictions on the year of publication or language. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB). Our results showed that there was a significant decrease in the level of dyspnea, (MD: 5.46; 95% CI: 1.97 to 8.96), increased distance covered (MD: 61.75; 95% CI: 42, 94 to 80.56, significant improvement in HRQoL (MD: -11.30; 95% CI: -19.81 to -2.79) and reduction in the impact of the disease (DM: -4.71; 95% CI: -7.95 to -1.47). All results found were comparing the intervention group versus the control group. To conclude we found a reduction in the levels of dyspnea, an increase in the distance covered on the six-minute walk test, improving HRQoL and decreasing the impact of the disease in COPD patients in home-based pulmonary rehabilitation. |
348 | Multi-objective optimization and selection of hybrid combined cooling, heating and power systems considering operational flexibility | This paper proposes a multi-objective optimization model integrated with operational flexibility to optimize a hybrid combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system. The operational flexibility of the hybrid CCHP system is proposed and expressed by the combined indicators to show the capacity to resist performance degradation because of externally variable conditions to increase energy saving and cost saving, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and to enhance renewability, the ability to adjust heat and electricity, and the grid integration level. A Pareto frontier of solutions considering a larger operational flexibility with less performance degradation is obtained in genetic algorithm. The use of a multi-criteria decision making method combined with an entropy weighting method is employed to quantitatively evaluate the composite sustainability index of the Pareto schemes and choose the optimal hybrid CCHP option with the best integrated performance. The results of a case study that considers operational flexibility and optimization indicated that the potential adjustable ability was increased by 438.9%, and the grid integration level and net interaction with the grid were decreased by 3.6%. However, the increase in flexibility reduces the energetic, economic and environmental benefits achieved by the CCHP system by 5.1%, 56.4% and 3.0%, respectively. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
349 | Techno-economic assessment of energy storage systems using annualized life cycle cost of storage (LCCOS) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) metrics | Energy generation from renewable energy sources (RESs) is rapidly developing across the world to improve the performance of power networks and increase the share of RESs in world energy production. In this regard, energy storage (ES) technologies are the key enablers for reliable use of renewables because they introduce many benefits for modern power systems. However, the choice of a suitable technology depends on several technoeconomic metrics, which require the decision-maker to investigate the applicability of the technology and whether it offers promising benefits or not. Hence, this paper presents an ES cost model that considers long-term, medium-term, and short-term ES applications, technologies and technical characteristics in an integrated framework that consider the ES technical and economic characteristics supported by in-market insight, including capital costs of the technologies; operation and maintenance costs; replacement costs during the lifetime of the system; and disposal and recycling costs, based on the current ES costs. Two key metrics, namely the annualized life cycle cost of storage (LCCOS) and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), are used to make proper ES operational choices while complying with their technical and operational performance limits. Further, a sensitivity analysis of the governing factors that affect the storage cost is presented to introduce a powerful decision tool to empower techno-economic assessment of ES systems using the proposed cost models. |
350 | Isolation and identification of the oral bacteria and their characterization for bacteriocin production in the oral cavity | Oral cavity is a diverse ecosystem which harbors immense diversity of microorganisms like fungi, virus and bacteria. Some of these microorganisms are involved in causing multiple infections. Oral flora is continuously changing due to connection with the external environment and produce bacteriocin against each other to compete for nutrient in this mini ecosystem. Current study was aimed to explore and compare the bacterial fauna of both healthy and non-healthy dental samples, by isolation and identification with biochemical tests to characterize the bacteriocin production. During study 120 swabs were taken from both healthy and unhealthy subjects. Samples were collected from the dental clinics of Makkah City, in sterile eppendorfs containing 1 ml nutrient broth, and were incubated overnight using shaking incubator. Bacteria were isolated following identification through Gram staining, microscopy and biochemical test. Total 15 strains of bacteria were isolated during the study amongst which 8 strains were gram positive and 7 strains were gram negative. The most dominant species of the gram positive strains was Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 26). On the other hand, Escherichia coli (n = 26) was the prominent specie amongst the gram negative strains. Overall, the dominated family was Enterobacteriaceae (19.36%) followed by Streptococcaceae with 13.83% abundance. One of the most cariogenic strain Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 14) was also isolated. The bacterial strain diversity between these two type of ecosystem was approximately the same, with slight variation in Shannon (HS:2.627187, NHS:2.653594) and Simpson diversity (HS:0.923461, NHS: 0.92684) index. The current research revealed that bacteriocin production in the Enterobacter species was prominent against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Apart from this other strains like Klebsiella pneumoniae and Exiguobacterium spp were also able to produce bacteriocin against Enterobacter species and Bacillus cereus respectively. |
351 | COVID-19 pandemic and environmental pollution: A blessing in disguise? | In late 2019, a novel infectious disease with human to human transmission (COVID-19) was identified in Wuhan China, which now has turned into a global pandemic. Countries all over the world have implemented some sort of lockdown to slow down its infection and mitigate it. Lockdown due to COVID-19 has drastic effects on social and economic fronts. However, this lockdown also has some positive effect on natural environment. Recent data released by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ESA (European Space Agency) indicates that pollution in some of the epicenters of COVID-19 such as Wuhan, Italy, Spain and USA etc. has reduced up to 30%. This study compiled the environmental data released by NASA and ESA before and after the coronavirus pandemic and discusses its impact on environmental quality. |
352 | Unique and overlapping contributions of sustained attention and working memory to parent and teacher ratings of inattentive behavior | Sustained attention and working memory are two closely intertwined executive functions that may underlie inattentive behavior. However, little research has teased apart their precise contributions in a single study. This study examines the extent to which ratings of children's inattentive behavior are associated with these executive functions. Specifically, we investigated the unique and overlapping statistical contributions of sustained attention capacity and working memory capacity to parent and teacher ratings of inattentive behavior (operationalized as scores on both the Inattentive and Hyperactive/Impulsive scales of the Conners' Rating Scale), while controlling for IQ. Children aged 8-11 years completed measures of sustained attention capacity, working memory capacity and IQ. Parents and teachers completed Conners-3 Parent and Teacher Short Forms, as a measure of inattentive behavior. We found that the unique statistical contribution of sustained attention capacity emerged as the most important factor in both parent and teacher ratings of inattentive behavior, with effects of moderate magnitude. In contrast, working memory capacity accounted for a small amount of variance. The overlap between sustained attention and working memory explained a small but substantive amount of variance in inattentive behavior. These findings support the idea that sustained attention and working memory are distinct executive functions that may contribute to goal-directed behavior both uniquely and through their interactions. |
353 | Lower vitamin D levels and VDR FokI variants are associated with susceptibility to sepsis: a hospital-based case-control study | Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased sepsis incidence and mortality in various populations. Vitamin D exerts its effect through vitamin receptor (VDR), and various single nucleotide polymorphisms have been reported to affects the expression and structure of the VDR. In the present study, we investigated the possible role of vitamin D deficiency and VDR polymorphisms in susceptibility to sepsis.Methods: 576 sepsis patients and 421 healthy controls were enrolled in the present study. Plasma vitamin D levels in patients and healthy controls were quantified by ELISA. Genetic variants in the VDR (FokI, TaqI, BsmI, and ApaI) were genotyped by TaqMan assay.Results: Reduced serum Vitamin D level was observed in subjects with sepsis compared to healthy controls (p ≤ 0.0001). Further, subjects with septic shock had diminished 25(OH) vitamin D compared to severe sepsis cases (p ≤ 0.0001). FokI variants and minor alleles were more prevalent in sepsis patients compared to healthy controls (Ff: p ≤ 0.0001, χ2 =17.39; ff: p=0.001, χ2 =10.79; f: p ≤ 0.0001, χ2 =23.51). Furthermore, combined plasma levels of 25(OH) vitamin D and FokI polymorphism revealed a significant role in a predisposition to sepsis and septic shock. However, the prevalence of other VDR polymorphisms (TaqI, BsmI and ApaI) were comparable among different clinical categories.Conclusions: Low 25(OH) vitamin D levels and FokI mutants are associated with an increased risk of sepsis and septic shock in a Chinese cohort.Clinical significanceLower levels of 25-OH vitamin D are highly prevalent in Sepsis patients.Subjects harbouring VDR FokI variants are predisposed to susceptibility to sepsis in the studied cohort. |
354 | The impact of emricasan on chronic liver diseases: current data | Immoderate caspase-mediated apoptosis in chronic liver injury is a crucial driver of sustained HSC activation and worsening hepatic inflammation as well as fibrosis, with the ultimate outcome of liver cirrhosis and its consequences. Therefore, the inhibition of hepatocyte apoptosis by caspase cascade blockage may be a promising therapeutic strategy to achieve fibrosis regression in chronic liver diseases. Emricasan is a broad-spectrum, liver-targeted caspase inhibitor with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile, characterized by prolonged retention in the liver and low systemic exposure after oral administration. In animal models, emricasan had a clear intrahepatic anti-apoptotic effect with consequent elimination of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and favorable impact in liver fibrogenesis and portal pressure. Even though, this intrahepatic drug effect confirmed in human clinical trials, no clear linkage was emerged with portal hypertension, liver function or liver histology in both non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic patients except from a subgroup of patients with high MELD score (> 15) or severe HVPG (> 16 mmHg). As emricasan treatment appeared safe and well-tolerated, irrespective the severity of liver disease, more studies are required to clarify better these subgroups of patients who may benefit most from this drug. |
355 | Comparative techno-economic study of solar energy integrated hydrogen supply pathways for hydrogen refueling stations in China | To decarbonize transportation sector, one of the most promising solution is using green hydrogen as an alternative transport fuel to gasoline and diesel. For countries with uneven distribution of renewable energy, it is necessary to evaluate both cross-regional and on-site green hydrogen supply pathways. The goal of this paper is to identify the economic, energy and environmental aspects of potential solar energy integrated green hydrogen supply routes including cross-regional and on-site options for hydrogen refueling stations in China. Four green hydrogen supply routes are proposed in our study: 1) northwest solar power integrated methanol production as hydrogen carrier coupled with cross-regional delivery to hydrogen refueling station for onsite hydrogen production pathway (Route I), 2) northwest solar power integrated hydrogen production coupled with gas H-2 crossregional delivery pathway (Route II), 3) northwest solar power integrated hydrogen production coupled with liquid H-2 cross-regional delivery pathway (Route III) and 4) on-site solar energy-powered hydrogen refueling station (Route IV). The results indicate that solar energy integrated hydrogen supply pathways have remarkable CO2 emission reduction effect. Route I, Route II, Route III and Route IV can reduce CO2 emission by 83%, 59%, 96%, and more than 99% respectively, compared with the conventional coal gasification for hydrogen production coupled with gas H-2 delivery to nearby fueling station pathway (coal-H-2 delivery). In term of energy consumption, Route III and Route IV show advantage in energy efficiency, which consumes 27% and 38% less energy compared with coal-H-2 delivery, respectively. In economic aspect, the four routes are not competitive with conventional coal-H-2 delivery, but from the perspective of green hydrogen supply, Route I and Route III are economically competitive compared with on-site solar energy-powered hydrogen refueling station (Route IV). If considering carbon tax in 2030 reported by World Bank, Route I will have potential to be economically competitive with coal-H-2 delivery. Route III is also expected to be economically feasible as the solar energy electricity price and liquefaction cost further decline. |
356 | Novel hybrid solar tower-gas turbine combined power cycles using supercritical carbon dioxide bottoming cycles | In this study, two novel hybrid solar power tower-gas turbine combined power cycles are proposed, in which two supercritical CO2 (s-CO2) power cycles connected in series are driven by waste energy from a gas turbine cycle partially driven by a solar power tower. The solar power tower system provides a high-temperature thermal energy up to 1223 K. Each of the two novel schemes consists of a combined cycle with configuration 1 combining an s-CO2 recompression cycle and an s-CO2 recuperative cycle as bottoming cycles. Configuration 2 replaces the recompression cycle with an s-CO2 partial cooling cycle. Another objective is to evaluate the suitability of the two novel configurations against two conventional combined cycles including a bottoming steam Rankine cycle driven by a single-pressure heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and dual-pressure HRSG. A thermodynamic and economic analysis is conducted for the plants, all sized at 50 MWe, and found that while configuration 1 has the lowest overall cycle efficiency of 0.4608, it exhibits the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of $83.16/MWh, due to its compact components. The highest overall cycle efficiency of 0.5066 is obtained for the configuration that employs a bottoming steam Rankine cycle with dual-pressure HRSG, which exhibits an LCOE of $85.08/MWh. Transient analysis of the cycle configuration 1 further highlighted a high solar share over 0.652 during the month of June. A sensitivity analysis examined the effect of the maximum and minimum pressures and the compressor inlet temperature of the two bottoming s-CO2 cycles, and design direct normal irradiance (DNI) on power plant performance, required field size, and LCOE. The lowest LCOE of $80.90/MWh for configuration 1 is realized when the compressor inlet temperatures approach 308 K for both s-CO2 cycles. Increasing the design DNI levels corresponds to a significant decrease in LCOE but results in lower solar shares. |
357 | Check updates Original Optimization and techno-economic assessment of concentrated solar power (CSP) in South-Western Africa: A case study on Ghana | The techno-economic performance of two different CSP technologies i.e. Solar tower (ST) and parabolic trough (PT) were evaluated in this paper, each at two different locations in Ghana (Navrongo and Tamale) using the System Advisor Model (SAM) software. From the simulated results, levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 13.67 cent/ kWh and 14.73 cent/kWh were recorded for the ST modelled at Navrongo and Tamale, respectively. The PT power plant simulated at Tamale and Navrongo also recorded an LCOE of 28.83 cent/kWh and 25.83 cent/kWh, respectively. It was observed that, the optimum solar multiple (SM) for the ST ranges between 1.4 and 1.9, this is because the least LCOEs for the different thermal energy storage (TES) periods are within that range. In the case of the PT power plants, the SM also depends on the period of the TES and each TES has a distinct SM ranging between 2.4 and 4. Results from the analysis suggests that the ST technology is the optimal system for the Ghanaian weather conditions. The study concludes that the bankability of CSP technology in Ghana depends on the type of financial conditions for the project. Therefore, appropriate policies from government are necessary to help in their development. |
358 | A Primary Care Intervention to Increase HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Uptake in Patients with Syphilis | Identifying candidates for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a barrier to improving PrEP uptake in priority populations. Syphilis infection is an indication for PrEP in all individuals and can be easily assessed by primary care providers (PCP) and health systems. This retrospective study evaluated the impact of a multidisciplinary provider outreach intervention on PrEP uptake in patients with a positive syphilis test result in a safety-net hospital-based primary care practice. The PCPs of PrEP-eligible patients with a positive syphilis result were notified via the electronic medical record (EMR) about potential PrEP eligibility and institutional HIV PrEP resources. Rates of PrEP offers and prescriptions were compared in the pre (8/1/2018-12/31/2018, n = 60) and post (1/1/2019-5/31/2019, n = 86) intervention periods. Secondary analyzes evaluated receipt of appropriate syphilis treatment and contemporaneous screening for HIV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. No significant differences in the overall proportion of patients offered (15% vs 19%) and prescribed (7% vs 5%) PrEP were observed between the pre- and post-periods. Overall, 7% of positive tests represented infectious syphilis. The rate of appropriate syphilis treatment was equivalent (57% vs 56%) and contemporaneous screening for other sexually transmitted infections was suboptimal across the entire study period. Although any positive syphilis test may be an easily abstracted metric from the EMR, this approach was inclusive of many patients without current HIV risk and did not increase PrEP uptake significantly. Future research into population health approaches to increase HIV prevention should focus on patients with infectious syphilis and other current risk factors for incident HIV infection. |
359 | The effect of financial development on renewable energy consumption. A panel data approach | One of the strategic objectives of the European Union is to increase the renewable energy consumption level, in a market which brings together technological, financing and customer engagement innovations. However, little is known about the impact of the financial sector on renewable energy consumption. The aim of the paper is to examine the effect of financial development on renewable energy consumption using a panel data of 28 countries in the European Union (EU) over the period 1990-2015. Our research is based on a panel fixed effects model, where renewable energy consumption is given as a function of income, energy prices, financial development, and foreign direct investments. The results of the empirical analysis show that all three different dimensions of financial development (banking sector, bond market, and capital market) have a positive effect on the share of renewable energy consumption. Additionally, our results show that capital market development does not influence renewable energy consumption in the new EU Member States. Our empirical results give valuable insights into how best to deploy capital in the renewable sector, in order to provide cost-competitive options to customers, with the final objective of expanding higher value-added services. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
360 | Biorefinery of Dunaliella salina: Sustainable recovery of carotenoids, polar lipids and glycerol | Dunaliella salina is well-known for its high content in carotenoids and glycerol. Nevertheless, Dunaliella salina has also a high content in lipids, including polar lipids, which are suitable for nutraceutical/cosmeceutical applications. This work proposes a sustainable process to maximise the potential of Dunaliella salina for the production of distinct fractions of carotenoids, glycerol, polar lipids and proteins, which may contribute to improve the revenues of the microalgae industry. In this work, extraction with non-hazardous solvents and organic solvent nanofiltration are integrated, in order to obtain added-value products and glycerol. Also, aiming to separate carotenoids from glycerides, a saponification process is proposed. High overall recoveries were obtained for carotenoids (85%), glycerol (86%), polar lipids (94%) and proteins (95%). In order to evaluate the profitability of the proposed biorefinery, an economic assessment was accomplished. Both CAPEX and OPEX (Capital and Operating expenditure) were calculated, likewise the Return of Investment (ROI). |
361 | Prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography at diagnosis in untreated multiple myeloma patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis | Multiple myeloma is a clonal B-lymphocyte tumor of terminally differentiated plasma cells. 18F-FDG PET/CT can provide valuable data for the diagnosis, restaging, and evaluate prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM). This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT at diagnosis in MM patients. Related researches came from Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases through a systematic search, and the last one was updated on April 26, 2021. Cochran Q test and I-squared statistics were used to test for heterogeneity among the studies analyzed. The fixed model and random model were used to combine results when appropriate. Stata 12.0 was used to perform statistical analysis, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 16 articles with 2589 patients were included in this study. Our results indicated PET/CT has an excellent prognostic role in MM, that higher SUVmax, more FL and EMD were associated with poor OS and PFS. SUVmax: OS (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.47-2.44), PFS (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.18-1.51); Fl: OS (HR 2.65, 95% CI 1.83-3.79), PFS (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.40-1.86); EMD: OS (HR 2.11, 95% CI 1.41-3.16), PFS (HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.69-2.81). Furthermore, similar results were observed in most subgroup analyzes. Conclusion Pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT examination has prognostic value for myeloma patients and has guiding significance for clinical treatment. |
362 | Assessing the renewable energy investment risk factors for sustainable development in Turkey | In the wake of Paris agreement, global economies have been putting their full efforts in mitigation and adaption to limit the global temperature within 2 degrees C higher than the pre-industrial level. Redirection of investment flows to renewable energy technologies (RETs) is paramount to achieve the goals set in global climate agreement. The Turkish government is determined to attract investment in RETs for cleaner energy production and sustainable socio-economic development in Turkey. However, it is very challenging to substitute environmentally harmful traditional energy systems with renewable energy production and supply. Investing in and developing renewable energy projects (REPs) are posed to various inherent risks. Assessment and analysis of risk factors of renewable energy investments (REIs) are indispensable for a practical and profound policy guideline for mitigation. This study provides a Multi-Criteria Decision Methodology (MCDM) based three-stage decision framework to assess and examine the risk factors of REIs in Turkey. The first stage is the identification of risk factors of REI using the Delphi method. The second stage is the assessment of identified risk factors of REI by using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The third stage is the evaluation and prioritization of strategies to overcome risk factors of REI projects by using Fuzzy Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (FWASPAS). The Delphi method unveiled 6 major risk factors with 23 sub-risk factors. Results of AHP analysis unfolded economic & business risk as a major risk factor. The FWASPAS analysis concluded a comprehensive and explicit explanation of the RET choices to be the most suitable of six strategies to deal with the investment risk factors for sustainable development in Turkey. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
363 | The impact of natural resource depletion on energy use and CO2 emission in Belt & Road Initiative countries: A cross-country analysis | We employ STIRPAT (stochastic impact of regression on population, affluence, and technology) model to investigate the impact of natural resource depletion on energy use and carbon dioxide emissions for a panel of 56 "Belt & Road Initiative" (BRI) countries over 1990-2014. We utilize the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) panel estimator and Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) estimator for estimating our model. The results indicate that increasing natural resource depletion increases CO2 emissions and energy use, which shows that a 1% increase in natural resource depletion for our sample of BRI countries will increase CO2 emissions and energy use by 0.0286% and 0.0117%, respectively. To check the causal relationship among our variables, we employ the VECM Granger causality test. The causality results underscore feedback hypothetical links among CO2 emissions, energy use, economic growth, natural resource depletion, urbanization, and trade openness in the long run. Our results show a significant cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
364 | A patient with pulmonary hypertension waiting for donor lungs during the pandemic: 194 days on extracorporeal life support including 143 days on pulmonary artery to left atrium shunt | Patients with pulmonary hypertension and end-stage lung disease are fraught with high mortality while on a waiting list for lung transplant. With sometimes rapid deterioration they may require veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) as an immediate life-saving technique, which is a time-limited solution. The technique of pulmonary artery to left atrium (PA-LA) shunt fitted with an oxygenator enables bridging the patient to transplant for a longer time period. This low-resistance paracorporeal pumpless lung assist device allows for de-adaptation of the right ventricle back to lower afterload before the lung transplantation is carried out. The PA-LA shunt with an oxygenator also conveys a risk of multiple complications with reported median of 10-26 days until transplant. We report a case of pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis in a 35-year-old female who had to wait for donor lungs during the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 for 143 days on PA-LA shunt with oxygenator following 51 days on VA-ECMO. The extremely long course associated with multiple complications including three cerebral embolisms, episodes of sepsis and ingrowth of the return cannula into the left ventricular wall gives insight into the limits of this bridging technique. |
365 | Sub-micro scale cell segmentation using deep learning | Automated cell segmentation is key for rapid and accurate investigation of cell responses. As instrumentation resolving power increases, clear delineation of newly revealed cellular features at the submicron through nanoscale becomes important. Reliance on the manual investigation of myriad small features retards investigation; however, use of deep learning methods has great potential to reveal cell features both at high accuracy and high speed, which may lead to new discoveries in the near term. In this study, semantic cell segmentation systems were investigated by implementing fully convolutional neural networks called U-nets for the segmentation of astrocytes cultured on poly-l-lysine-functionalized planar glass. The network hyperparameters were determined by changing the number of network layers, loss functions, and input image modalities. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images were selected for investigation as these are inherently nanoscale and are also dimensional. AFM height, deflection, and friction images were used as inputs separately and together, and the segmentation performances were investigated on five-fold cross-validation data. Transfer learning methods, including VGG16, VGG19, and Xception, were used to improve cell segmentation performance. We find that AFM height images inherit more discriminative features than AFM deflection and AFM friction images for cell segmentation. When transfer-learning methods are applied, statistically significant segmentation performance improvements are observed. Segmentation performance was compared to classical image processing algorithms and other algorithms in use by considering both AFM and electron microscopy segmentation. An accuracy of 0.9849, Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.9218, and Dice's similarity coefficient of 0.9306 were obtained on the AFM test images. Performance evaluations show that the proposed system can be successfully used for AFM cell segmentation with high precision. |
366 | Impact of institutional quality on environment and energy consumption: evidence from developing world | This study aimed to examine the role of institutional quality on environment and energy consumption for 66 developing countries by using data from 1991 to 2017. Different environmental indicators such as CO2 emissions, CH4 emissions, forest area, organic water pollutants, and energy consumption. The paper constructs institutional quality index by covering three main aspects: political stability, administrative capacity, and democratic accountability. System generalized method of moments results reveal that institutional quality has a positive impact on most of the environmental indicators such as CO2 emissions, CH4 emissions, and forest area. Institutional quality was having a positive impact on energy consumption based on oil and fossil fuel resources. Furthermore, it results in a signal that economic globalization has not increased environmental quality over time in developing countries. |
367 | A rare case of acute scrotum in a 12-year old boy: torsion of a paradidymal cystic appendage (organ of Giraldes) | Acute scrotum from testicular and epididymal cyst is relatively uncommon, whereas torsion of a cystic paradidymis is exceedingly rare. In this paper, we present the case of a healthy 12-year-old male patient admitted in our emergency room for acute scrotum, in whom diagnosis of torsion of a cystic paradidymis was suggested at color-Doppler US. Surgical exploration after ultrasound examination revealed a cystic paradidymis (Giraldes' organ) (PC) torsion. Immunohistochemical investigations were also performed after cyst excision to confirm the diagnosis. In our experience this is a very rare condition and appears to be only the third case reported in literature and the only one with pre-operative ultrasound (US) images demonstrating the presence of the cyst and its twisted pedicle. |
368 | Automated detection of diabetic retinopathy using custom convolutional neural network | Diabetic retinopathy is an eye deficiency that affects retina as a result of the patient having diabetes mellitus caused by high sugar levels, which may eventually lead to macular edema. The objective of this study is to design and compare several deep learning models that detect severity of diabetic retinopathy, determine risk of leading to macular edema, and segment different types of disease patterns using retina images. Indian Diabetic Retinopathy Image Dataset (IDRiD) dataset was used for disease grading and segmentation. Since images of the dataset have different brightness and contrast, we employed three techniques for generating processed images from the original images, which include brightness, color and, contrast (BCC) enhancing, color jitters (CJ), and contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE). After image preporcessing, we used pre-trained ResNet50, VGG16, and VGG19 models on these different preprocessed images both for determining the severity of the retinopathy and also the chances of macular edema. UNet was also applied to segment different types of diseases. To train and test these models, image dataset was divided into training, testing, and validation data at 70%, 20%, and 10% ratios, respectively. During model training, data augmentation method was also applied to increase the number of training images. Study results show that for detecting the severity of retinopathy and macular edema, ResNet50 showed the best accuracy using BCC and original images with an accuracy of 60.2% and 82.5%, respectively, on validation dataset. In segmenting different types of diseases, UNet yielded the highest testing accuracy of 65.22% and 91.09% for microaneurysms and hard exudates using BCC images, 84.83% for optic disc using CJ images, 59.35% and 89.69% for hemorrhages and soft exudates using CLAHE images, respectively. Thus, image preprocessing can play an important role to improve efficacy and performance of deep learning models. |
369 | Revisiting the Environmental Kuznets Curve in Malaysia: The role of globalization in sustainable environment | The present study examines the presence of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in Malaysia by investigating impact of globalization (including overall, social, economic and political) on ecological footprint in the Malaysian economy using quarterly data from 1970 to 2018. This research utilizes the Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lag (QARDL) method. This approach is useful as it depicts the causality patterns through various quantiles of the globalization and environmental degradation by providing more comprehensive explanations of the over-all dependence among the aforementioned variables almost ignored by the traditional approach (for instance ARDL and OLS). The outcomes of QARDL showed that the error correction coefficient is significant with the anticipated negative sign for all quantiles. This outcome provides evidence on the presence of considerable return to the long-run equilibrium association between the factors of interest and environmental degradation. Overall, the results recommended that overall globalization and economic globalization enhance the level of environmental degradation in the long run, however, political and social globalization help to reduce the level of environmental degradation in the long term. Moreover, the results of QARDL also confirmed the existence of inverted UShape curve in the Malaysian economy. In the shorter-run period, this study found a significant negative impact of overall globalization and political globalization on environmental degradation. The results recommended that the Malaysian government and policymakers need to give more attention to social and political globalization to achieve the goals of sustainable environment in the long-run equilibrium. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
370 | Global Indicators of Sustainable Development: Evaluation of the Influence of the Human Development Index on Consumption and Quality of Energy | The article explores the impact of the quality and volume of energy consumption of the population on the human development index using a sample of a number of countries as an example. The hypothesis concerning the relationship between the amount of energy consumed, the human development index (HDI), and the environment (CO2 emissions into the atmosphere) has been verified. The study results show that the size and rating of the HDI are influenced by such factors as urbanization growth, gross domestic product (GDP), gross national income (GNI) per capita, the share of "clean" energy consumption by the population and business in total energy consumption, the level of socio-economic development, and R&D expenses. In the course of building the model, the recommendations by the United Nations (UN) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) were used. The results show that the volume of energy consumption not only affects the human development index in a particular country, but is also an important factor in determining the level of sustainable development. The results, obtained in the course of the study and described in the article, may be applicable in the practice of research related to the assessment of human development and sustainable development. |
371 | Developments of Economic Growth and Employment in Bioeconomy Sectors across the EU | The development of the bioeconomy-or the substitution of fossil-based materials and energy by bio-based solutions-is considered a strategic economic orientation by the European Commission and its Green Deal. This paper presents a methodology to monitor the contribution of the bioeconomy to jobs and growth within the European Union (EU) and its Member States. Classified as an ''output-based'' approach, the methodology relies on expert estimations of the biomass content of the bio-based materials produced in the EU and the subsequent calculation of ''sectoral'' bio-based shares by using Eurostat statistics on the production of manufactured goods (prom). Sectoral shares are applied to indicators of employment, and value added is reported in Eurostat-Structural business statistics. This paper updates the methodology and time series presented in 2018. The bioeconomy of the EU (post-Brexit composition) employed around 17.5 million people and generated Euro614 billion of value added in 2017. The study evidences structural differences between EU national bioeconomies, which become more pronounced over time, especially in terms of the level of apparent labour productivity of national bioeconomies. Finally, this paper describes cases of transition over the 2008-2017 period. |
372 | Transport CO(2)emissions, drivers, and mitigation: an empirical investigation in India | India has one of the world's largest transport networks, with the dominant share being road transportation. India's transport sector consumes oil products for more than 95% of its energy needs and is a significant contributor to environmental deterioration in urban areas. Therefore, we examine the driving factors of transport CO(2)emissions in India, incorporating road transport energy, economic growth, industrialization, urbanization, oil prices, and road infrastructure, over the period 1980 to 2015. The findings indicate that economic growth and road sector energy use cause an upsurge in transport emissions. Likewise, industrialization and road infrastructure stimulate transport emissions. Urbanization mitigates transport emissions, while oil prices have no influence on transport emissions. One-way causality is shown from economic growth, urbanization, and road sector energy to transport emissions. Finally, suitable policy implications are proposed to reduce transport CO(2)emissions for a sustainable environment. |
373 | Pathways for Low-Carbon Transition of the Steel Industry-A Swedish Case Study | The concept of techno-economic pathways is used to investigate the potential implementation of CO(2)abatement measures over time towards zero-emission steelmaking in Sweden. The following mitigation measures are investigated and combined in three pathways: top gas recycling blast furnace (TGRBF); carbon capture and storage (CCS); substitution of pulverized coal injection (PCI) with biomass; hydrogen direct reduction of iron ore (H-DR); and electric arc furnace (EAF), where fossil fuels are replaced with biomass. The results show that CCS in combination with biomass substitution in the blast furnace and a replacement primary steel production plant with EAF with biomass (Pathway 1) yield CO(2)emission reductions of 83% in 2045 compared to CO(2)emissions with current steel process configurations. Electrification of the primary steel production in terms of H-DR/EAF process (Pathway 2), could result in almost fossil-free steel production, and Sweden could achieve a 10% reduction in total CO(2)emissions. Finally, (Pathway 3) we show that increased production of hot briquetted iron pellets (HBI), could lead to decarbonization of the steel industry outside Sweden, assuming that the exported HBI will be converted via EAF and the receiving country has a decarbonized power sector. |
374 | Aggression, rank and power: why hens (and other animals) do not always peck according to their strength | Thorlief Schjelderup-Ebbe's seminal paper on the 'pecking' order of chickens inspired numerous ethologists to research and debate the phenomenon of dominance. The expansion of dominance to the broader concept of power facilitated disentangling aggression, strength, rank and power. Aggression is only one means of coercing other individuals, and can sometimes highlight a lack of power. The fitness advantages of aggression may only outweigh the costs during periods of uncertainty. Effective instruments of power also include incentives and refusals to act. Moreover, the stability of the power relationship might vary with the instruments used if different means of power vary in the number and types of outcomes achieved, as well as the speed of accomplishing those outcomes. In well-established relationships, actions or physiological responses in the subordinate individual may even be the only indicator of a power differential. A focus on strength, aggression and fighting provides an incomplete understanding of the power landscape that individuals actually experience. Multiple methods for constructing hierarchies exist but greater attention to the implications of the types of data used in these constructions is needed. Many shifts in our understanding of power were foreshadowed in Schjelderup-Ebbe's discussion about deviations from the linear hierarchy in chickens. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'. |
375 | An Argument for Simple Tests of Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease | Two potential disease-modifying approaches for dementia are being vigorously tested: the early targeting of the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and multi-domain lifestyle interventions to promote resilience to neuropathology. We apply the "web of information" model of clinical translation to both approaches to argue firstly that tests of treatments aiming to achieve clinically meaningful outcomes should remain simple, and secondly, that building clinically-meaningful treatments should be kept separate from public health policy which means promoting wide-reaching action against risk factors now with available information. |
376 | A data-driven approach for multi-scale GIS-based building energy modeling for analysis, planning and support decision making | Urban planners, local authorities, and energy policymakers often develop strategic sustainable energy plans for the urban building stock in order to minimize overall energy consumption and emissions. Planning at such scales could be informed by building stock modeling using existing building data and Geographic Information System-based mapping. However, implementing these processes involves several issues, namely, data availability, data inconsistency, data scalability, data integration, geocoding, and data privacy. This research addresses the aforementioned information challenges by proposing a generalized integrated methodology that implements bottom-up, data-driven, and spatial modeling approaches for multi-scale Geographic Information System mapping of building energy modeling. This study uses the Irish building stock to map building energy performance at multiple scales. The generalized data-driven methodology uses approximately 650,000 Irish Energy Performance Certificates buildings data to predict more than 2 million buildings' energy performance. In this case, the approach delivers a prediction accuracy of 88% using deep learning algorithms. These prediction results are then used for spatial modeling at multiple scales from the individual building level to a national level. Furthermore, these maps are coupled with available spatial resources (social, economic, or environmental data) for energy planning, analysis, and support decision-making. The modeling results identify clusters of buildings that have a significant potential for energy savings within any specific region. Geographic Information System-based modeling aids stakeholders in identifying priority areas for implementing energy efficiency measures. Furthermore, the stakeholders could target local communities for retrofit campaigns, which would enhance the implementation of sustainable energy policy decisions. |
377 | Variability and specificity of bone cutting mark properties in cases involving stabbing with knives | Sharp force traumas are frequently encountered in stabbing crime victims. During an examination, the properties of cutting marks in bones are compared with the properties of suspect tools, particularly knives. Therefore, the variation and specificity of knife and cutting mark properties must be known. This article provides the variability and specificity of a set of knife blade and cutting mark properties. Plain and serrated knives are used to create experimental cutting marks in porcine ribs, knife properties are derived from surface acquisitions of the blades and mark properties from Micro-CT data. We consider two conditions, automated stabbing using a motorized stage and manual stabbing. In addition, we study the influence of maceration on marks. For knives, the blade edge angle, blade thickness, and bevel height, and for cutting marks, the shape, the wall angle, the width, and the bevel height are determined and compared. The results show that the relationship between corresponding properties of blades and marks depends on the knife type. For plain knives, the width and wall angle of the marks are dependent on the mark depth and are significantly smaller than the blade properties edge angle and width. For serrated knives, this is not the case. The mark shape only provides slight support for a knife type for marks deeper than the blade bevel height. In conclusion, mark properties are only specific for a particular knife brand and model if the blade properties differ significantly and assuming a specific knife type. |
378 | Pulmonary Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infection in Infants: A Systematic Review | Limited information and literature exist examining pulmonary infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacterial specifically in an infant population. The objective of our study was to summarize clinical characteristics and outcomes of infant patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary infection via systematic literature review to identify common diagnostic and treatment regimens for this infection in infants. A search of MEDLINE and PubMed databases in October 2019 using MeSH search terms "infant," "NTM," "pulmonary," and "Mycobacterium abscessus" yielded 139 articles. Inclusion criteria were i) English-language studies including cases and case series with ii) established nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary infection in iii) a patient population of infants no older than 24 months. Patients with cystic fibrosis and any study which did not contain relevant information such as infection and age were excluded. This yielded data on 37 patients extracted from 28 studies analyzed. The most common strain was Mycobacterium avium complex, isolated in 56.8% of patient diagnoses. Bronchoscopy/thoracoscopy with a subsequent culture were the most common diagnostic techniques, utilized in 64.9% of cases. Drug therapeutic treatment was utilized in 86% of cases, with a median of three drugs administered. Notable limitations of this study are the small sample size and its retrospective nature, which relies on information reported in previous case studies. Although there is limited formal clinician consensus on the treatment of NTM pulmonary infection and how it may differ in an infant population, our findings indicate an informal consensus typically involving diagnostic lung specimen culture and antibiotic therapy. |
379 | Prenatal air pollution exposure and neonatal health | Air pollution has been shown to have adverse effects on many health outcomes including respiratory effects, cardiovascular effects, and mortality. However, evidence on the effects of prenatal exposure is still limited. We investigate the causal impact of prenatal exposure to air pollution on neonatal health in Italy in the 2000s. We exploit variation in rainfall shocks to instrument for non-random air pollution exposure. Our empirical setting combines detailed information on mother's residential location from birth certificates with PM10 concentrations from air pollution monitors. Ten additional units in the average PM10 level (approximately one standard deviation) would decrease birth weight by about 0.5% and gestational age by 0.16%; it would increase the prevalence of low birth weight by 22% and of preterm birth by 16%. The effects are stronger in magnitude for third trimester exposure and for less educated mothers. These findings suggest that the health impacts of air pollution on newborns are unequally distributed in the population. |
380 | Comparison of mucin-1 in human breast cancer and canine mammary gland tumor: a review study | Mucin-1 (MUC-1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein, which bears many similarities between dogs and humans. Since the existence of animal models is essential to understand the significant factors involved in breast cancer mechanisms, canine mammary tumors (CMTs) could be used as a spontaneously occurring tumor model for human studies. Accordingly, this review assessed the comparison of canine and human MUC-1 based on their diagnostic and therapeutic aspects and showed how comparative oncology approaches could provide insights into translating pre-clinical trials from human to veterinary oncology and vice versa which could benefit both humans and dogs. |
381 | Prehospital Pediatric Respiratory Distress and Airway Management Interventions: An NAEMSP Position Statement and Resource Document | Devices and techniques such as bag-valve-mask ventilation, endotracheal intubation, supraglottic airway devices, and noninvasive ventilation offer important tools for airway management in critically ill EMS patients. Over the past decade the tools, technology, and strategies used to assess and manage pediatric respiratory and airway emergencies have evolved, and evidence regarding their use continues to grow.NAEMSP recommends:Methods and tools used to properly size pediatric equipment for ages ranging from newborns to adolescents should be available to all EMS clinicians. All pediatric equipment should be routinely checked and clearly identifiable in EMS equipment supply bags and vehicles.EMS agencies should train and equip their clinicians with age-appropriate pulse oximetry and capnography equipment to aid in the assessment and management of pediatric respiratory distress and airway emergencies.EMS agencies should emphasize noninvasive positive pressure ventilation and effective bag-valve-mask ventilation strategies in children.Supraglottic airways can be used as primary or secondary airway management interventions for pediatric respiratory failure and cardiac arrest in the EMS setting.Pediatric endotracheal intubation has unclear benefit in the EMS setting. Advanced approaches to pediatric ETI including drug-assisted airway management, apneic oxygenation, and use of direct and video laryngoscopy require further research to more clearly define their risks and benefits prior to widespread implementation.If considering the use of pediatric endotracheal intubation, the EMS medical director must ensure the program provides pediatric-specific initial training and ongoing competency and quality management activities to ensure that EMS clinicians attain and maintain mastery of the intervention.Paramedic use of direct laryngoscopy paired with Magill forceps to facilitate foreign body removal in the pediatric patient should be maintained even when pediatric endotracheal intubation is not approved as a local clinical intervention. |
382 | Mid-trimester isolated bilateral rocker bottom feet leading to prenatal diagnosis of 7q11.23 microdeletion: Williams syndrome | Prenatal sonographic depiction of congenital vertical talus (rocker bottom feet), describing a prominent calcaneus and rounded convex appearance of the ventral aspect of the foot, has been reported with fetal Trisomies 18, 13, 9 HOXD10 mutations and recently 2q13 microdeletion. We present a 24 year old in whom mid-trimester sonographic finding of isolated bilateral rocker bottom feet led to diagnosis of 7q11.23 microdeletion-Williams syndrome. This association has not been reported previously. This case emphasizes the critical assessment of detail microarray upon prenatal sonographic notation of abnormal structural fetal features. |
383 | Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment for electrochemical ammonia production using proton conducting membrane | Green ammonia production is facing increasing interest on a global scale as a hydrogen carrier for power generation as well as fertilizer for food production. The conventional Haber-Bosch method for ammonia synthesis is energy demanding, requires high purity hydrogen, and is based on fossil fuels. A preliminary techno-economic model for electrochemical ammonia synthesis at near ambient pressure using feed rates of 32 metric ton/day for hydrogen and 135 metric ton/day for nitrogen is presented in this study. Various pathways using different methods for nitrogen generation and hydrogen production were investigated to gain insight into added energy savings per metric ton of ammonia. Electrochemical synthesis using electrolysis for hydrogen and cryogenic nitrogen was found to be a potentially viable pathway for green ammonia. The profitability metrics including discounted cash flow rate of return, net present value and discounted payback period were estimated to be 8%, $40 MM, and 4-6 years respectively for this pathway. The cost of electricity, conversion rate, and conversion efficiency dominate the tonnage cost of ammonia and were used to assess the feasibility of the model. A life cycle assessment was also conducted to assess the environmental impact of a well to product ammonia process. (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
384 | Sustainable asphalt concrete containing high reclaimed asphalt pavements and recycling agents: Performance assessment, cost analysis, and environmental impact | In this study, mechanical performance, environmental impacts, and economic benefit criteria are considered so as to introduce sustainable asphalt mixtures containing a high content of reclaimed asphalt pavements. The low-temperature cracking, moisture susceptibility, fatigue cracking, and rutting resistance of asphalt concrete are the most common deficiencies of rejuvenated reclaimed asphalt mixtures. Therefore, to analyze the mechanical characteristics, different experimental tests including Marshall Stability, indirect tensile strength, tensile strength ratio, semi-circular bending (at low and intermediate temperatures) are applied, and their results are taken into consideration as determinate mechanical performances in optimizing the mixture. The percentage of landfill embedment, saving in energy consumption, and the amounts of harmful emissions are utilized to compare the environmental influences of eco-friendly and the virgin mixtures. Drawing the results of experimental tests and statistical analysis (i.e., ANOVA, and Tukey pairwise comparison), the mechanical characteristics of mixtures containing various content of reclaimed asphalt pavements (i.e., 30%, 60%, and 100%), waste engine oil, and supplementary binder modified with crumb-rubber simultaneously are better than or equal to that of the conventional mixture. The environmental analysis reveals that the refined mixture is by far valuable than the virgin mixture. The proposed asphalt concrete incorporating the 100% of reclaimed asphalt pavements significantly reduces the pollution generated by the production and preparation of materials to manufacture asphalt mixture. Moreover, the energy consumed to manufacture, the percentage of landfill embedment, and the rate of economic conservation considerably decrease in suggested asphalt concretes containing different content of reclaimed asphalt pavements in comparison with the virgin mixture. This environmental Protection of the examined asphalt concretes enhances as the content of reclaimed asphalt pavements increases. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
385 | Does Internet use reduce chemical fertilizer use? Evidence from rural households in China | Although numerous studies have explored various impacts of Internet use, few have investigated the linkage between Internet use and chemical fertilizer use in developing economies. This study examines the influences of Internet use and related promotion policy on chemical fertilizer use based on a nationwide dataset including China's 7766 rural households. The baseline regression results show that Internet use reduced chemical fertilizer use significantly. The mechanism analysis unveils the mediation role of human capital; Internet use increased farmers' human capital and then reduced chemical fertilizer use. In addition, the difference-in-difference method is employed to examine the effects of Internet promotion policy and the findings reveal that the promotion policy could help reduce farmers' use of chemical fertilizer. Finally, both propensity score matching-DID model and a two-stage instrumental variable model are used to address potential endogeneity issues associated with Internet use, and results indicate that the empirical results are robust. Our findings suggest that improving the availability of broadband access in a rural area, promoting Internet-related training and education, and more government's investment in rural ICTs infrastructure can contribute to the reduction of chemical fertilizer use. |
386 | Bats from the Pedra Branca Forest, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | The Pedra Branca Forest is located in a highly-urbanised region of the central portion of Rio de Janeiro City, comprises the largest urban forest on the continent and is isolated from other Atlantic Forest remnants. The local flora and fauna are protected by three conservation units (Pedra Branca State Park, Prainha Municipal Natural Park and Guaratiba State Biological Reserve) and one biological station (Fiocruz Atlantic Forest Biological Station-EFMA). Here, we provide an updated list of the bat fauna for the remnant. The results are based on samplings at EFMA and literature data from Pedra Branca State Park and Prainha Natural Park. The three sampling sites combined resulted in 31 species, 23 genera and four families. Phyllostomidae was the richest family with 24 species, followed by Vespertilionidae with five species (3%) and Molossidae and Noctilionidae with one species. The local bat fauna was predominantly composed of species with a broad geographic distribution. |
387 | Proposed mechanism for rare thrombotic events after use of some Covid-19 vaccines | Administration of AstraZeneca/Oxford and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Covid-19 vaccines which use an adenovirus vector for DNA delivery has been associated with very rare thromboembolic complications coupled with an immune response to platelet factor 4 protein. The cause of this has not yet been identified. It is known that binding of coagulation factor proteins to the surface of some adenoviruses can protect their function. Here I propose that the thromboembolic events are caused by impairment of coagulation factor X binding to the virus capsid. The unprotected capsid then stimulates an immune response leading to platelet activation, increased thrombogenicity and formation of an antibody complex with platelet factor 4. Impaired binding of factor X may be due to an undiagnosed mutation in affected individuals. Options to test this mechanism experimentally and potential remedial actions to resolve the hazard are described. This mechanism offers a remedial route to address concerns about the safety of these vaccines, which are otherwise well-positioned to deliver global Covid-19 immunity across diverse healthcare economies. |
388 | Characterization of end-of-life LED lamps for the recovery of precious metals and rare earth elements | LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamps have been replacing conventional light bulbs (fluorescent and incandescent) due to their lifetime, luminescence power, and energy saving, and thus, the generation of end-of-life LED lamps is increasing. Unpublished data on their composition, focusing in the precious metals and rare earth elements, is presented and is extremely important for future studies involving recycling processes. From samples comminuted in ring mills, loss-on-ignition as well as digestion in aqua regia and nitric acid were used. The results showed that LED lamps had 8 wt.% and 14 wt.% of inorganics, 34 wt.% and 36 wt.% of polymers, and 50 wt.% and 58 wt.% of metals when leached by aqua regia and nitric acid, respectively. Two traditional e-waste leaching agents were used for comparison purposes, and although aqua regia was reported as efficient for the leaching of precious metals, rare earth elements were only verified for leaching with nitric acid. Antimony, silver, aluminum, and copper presented statistically significant differences between the two leaching agents used. The characterization also allowed for identifying the presence of arsenic, which is considered a harmful substance to health. Compared to other types of lamps (fluorescent and incandescent), only LED lamps contain gold, which makes them economically attractive. In this sense, it was concluded that LED lamps must be recycled both from the environmental point of view, regarding the presence of arsenic and the increasing waste generation, and the economic point of view, due to the presence of critical metals and recovery potential. |
389 | Does trade matter for environmental degradation in developing countries? New evidence in the context of export product diversification | Global warming is a serious problem facing the world today. To minimize it, scholars are trying to find the reasons behind increasing CO2 emissions. This study examines the effects of overall export product diversification, extensive margin, and intensive margin on CO2 emissions as indicators of environmental degradation in 84 developing countries for the period of 1971-2014 in the context of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis using three estimators, namely, autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test, dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS). The empirical findings reveal that EKC hypothesis is valid. The overall empirical findings from various approaches show that overall diversification, extensive margin, and intensive margin have a positive and significant effect on CO2 emissions. |
390 | Transforming mutations in the development of pathogenic B cell clones and autoantibodies | Autoimmune diseases are characterized by serum autoantibodies, some of which are pathogenic, causing severe manifestations and organ injury. However, autoantibodies of the same antigenic reactivity are also present in the serum of asymptomatic people years before they develop any clinical signs of autoimmunity. Autoantibodies can arise during multiple stages of B cell development, and various genetic and environmental factors drive their production. However, what drives the development of pathogenic autoantibodies is poorly understood. Advances in single-cell technology have enabled the deep analysis of rare B cell clones producing pathogenic autoantibodies responsible for vasculitis in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome complicated by mixed cryoglobulinaemia. These findings demonstrated a cascade of genetic events involving stereotypic immunoglobulin V(D)J recombination and transforming somatic mutations in lymphoma genes and V(D)J regions that disrupted antibody quality control mechanisms and decreased autoantibody solubility. Most studies consider V(D)J mutations that enhance autoantibody affinity to drive pathology; however, V(D)J mutations that increase autoantibody propensity to form insoluble complexes could be a major contributor to autoantibody pathogenicity. Defining the molecular characteristics of pathogenic autoantibodies and failed tolerance checkpoints driving their formation will improve prognostication, enabling early treatment to prevent escalating organ damage and B cell malignancy. |
391 | Feline XRCC4 undergoes rapid Ku-dependent recruitment to DNA damage sites | Radiation and chemotherapy resistance remain some of the greatest challenges in human and veterinary cancer therapies. XRCC4, an essential molecule for nonhomologous end joining repair, is a promising target for radiosensitizers. Genetic variants and mutations of XRCC4 contribute to cancer susceptibility, and XRCC4 is also the causative gene of microcephalic primordial dwarfism (MPD) in humans. The development of clinically effective molecular-targeted drugs requires accurate understanding of the functions and regulatory mechanisms of XRCC4. In this study, we cloned and sequenced the cDNA of feline XRCC4. Comparative analysis indicated that sequences and post-translational modification sites that are predicted to be involved in regulating the localization of human XRCC4, including the nuclear localization signal, are mostly conserved in feline XRCC4. All examined target amino acids responsible for human MPD are completely conserved in feline XRCC4. Furthermore, we found that the localization of feline XRCC4 dynamically changes during the cell cycle. Soon after irradiation, feline XRCC4 accumulated at laser-induced DNA double-strand break (DSB) sites in both the interphase and mitotic phase, and this accumulation was dependent on the presence of Ku. Additionally, XRCC4 superfamily proteins XLF and PAXX accumulated at the DSB sites. Collectively, these findings suggest that mechanisms regulating the spatiotemporal localization of XRCC4 are crucial for XRCC4 function in humans and cats. Our findings contribute to elucidating the functions of XRCC4 and the role of abnormal XRCC4 in diseases, including cancers and MPD, and may help in developing XRCC4-targeted drugs, such as radiosensitizers, for humans and cats. |
392 | The Mechanism of Stem Cell Aging | Stem cells have self-renewal ability and multi-directional differentiation potential. They have tissue repair capabilities and are essential for maintaining the tissue homeostasis. The depletion of stem cells is closely related to the occurrence of body aging and aging-related diseases. Therefore, revealing the molecular mechanisms of stem cell aging will set new directions for the therapeutic application of stem cells, the study of aging mechanisms, and the prevention and treatment of aging-related diseases. This review comprehensively describes the molecular mechanisms related to stem cell aging and provides the basis for further investigations aimed at developing new anti-stem cell aging strategies and promoting the clinical application of stem cells. |
393 | Impact of urbanization, economic growth, and population size on residential carbon emissions in the SAARC countries | This study attempts to analyse the influence of urbanization, economic growth, and population size on residential carbon emissions in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member nations for the period 1994 to 2013. To do so, we employ an augmented STIRPAT model in an ecological analytic framework with a fixed effect regression model that incorporates Driscoll and Kraay standard errors. The results show that population size and per capita GDP are leading drivers of high carbon emissions in the SAARC countries. The empirical results show that a U-shaped relationship exists between urbanization and residential carbon emissions: residential carbon emissions initially decrease with an increase in urbanization, reach a turning point at 25.33% and then increase with urbanization. Thus, our findings suggest a need for stronger national policies to control the impact of urbanization and population growth on residential carbon emissions in the SAARC member countries. Graphic abstract |
394 | Responses of ecosystem services to natural and anthropogenic forcings: A spatial regression based assessment in the world's largest mangrove ecosystem | Most of the Earth's Ecosystem Services (ESs) have experienced a decreasing trend in the last few decades, primarily due to increasing human dominance in the natural environment. Identification and categorization of factors that affect the provision of ESs from global to local scales are challenging. This study makes an effort to identify the key driving factors and examine their effects on different ESs in the Sundarbans region, India. We carry out the analysis following five successive steps: (1) quantifying biophysical and economic values of ESs using three valuation approaches; (2) identifying six major driving forces on ESs; (3) categorizing principal data components with dimensionality reduction; (4) constructing multivariate regression models with variance partitioning; (5) implementing six spatial regression models to examine the causal effects of natural and anthropogenic forcings on ESs. Results show that climatic factors, biophysical factors, and environmental stressors significantly affect the ESs. Among the six driving factors, climate factors are highly associated with the ESs variation and explain the maximum model variances (R-2 = 0.75-0.81). Socioeconomic (R-2 = 0.44-0.66) and development R-2 = 27-0.44) factors have weak to moderate effects on the ESs. Furthermore, the joint effects of the driving factors are much higher than their individual effects. Among the six spatial regression models, Geographical Weighted Regression (GWR) performs the most accurately and explains the maximum model variances. The proposed hybrid valuation method aggregates biophysical and economic estimates of ESs and addresses methodological biases existing in the valuation process. The presented framework can be generalized and applied to other ecosystems at different scales. The outcome of this study could be a reference for decision-makers, planners, land administrators in formulating a suitable action plan and adopting relevant management practices to improve the overall socio-ecological status of the region. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
395 | Safety and Technological Characterization of Staphylococcus xylosus and Staphylococcus pseudoxylosus Isolates from Fermented Soybean Foods of Korea | We evaluated the antibiotic susceptibilities, hemolytic activities, and technological properties of 36 Staphylococcus xylosus strains and 49 S. pseudoxylosus strains predominantly isolated from fermented soybean foods from Korea. Most of the strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamycin, kanamycin, lincomycin, oxacillin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim. However, 23 strains exhibited potential phenotypic acquired resistance to erythromycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline. Based on breakpoint values for staphylococci from the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, >30% of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and penicillin G, but the population distributions in minimum inhibitory concentration tests were clearly different from those expected for acquired resistance. None of the strains exhibited clear α- or β-hemolytic activity. S. xylosus and S. pseudoxylosus exhibited salt tolerance on agar medium containing 20% and 22% (w/v) NaCl, respectively. S. xylosus and S. pseudoxylosus strains possessed protease and lipase activities, which were affected by the NaCl concentration. Protease activity of S. pseudoxylosus was strain-specific, but lipase activity might be a characteristic of both species. This study confirms the potential of both species for use in high-salt soybean fermentation, but the safety and technological properties of strains must be determined to select suitable starter candidates. |
396 | Waste-to-resources: Green preparation of magnetic biogas residues-based biochar for effective heavy metal removals | The agricultural wastes disposal and polluted water purification are always the key issues of environmental restoration. In this work, a magnetic biogas residue-based biochar (mBR-C) by direct pyrolysis and sonochemical method was prepared from biogas residue (BR). Response design methodology based on Box-Behnken design was used for the preparation parameters optimization. The characterization results identified that mBR-C had well-developed pore structure and surface area, which was beneficial to diffuse and capture heavy metal ions. Traces of toxic heavy metal in mBR-C was leached ((<)0.04 mg/L) through TCLP method, indicating the environmental safety of the magnetic biochar. Meanwhile, the mBR-C exhibited excellent solid-liquid separation efficiency because of its strong magnetism. The series of adsorption experiments indicated that mBR-C could capture Cu2+ and Pb2+ rapidly, and the maximum adsorption capacity for Cu2+ and Pb2+ was 75.76 and 181.82 mg/g, respectively, which was higher than some other biochars previously reported, mBR-C was further applied in the synthetic wastewater treatment, which could effectively purify at least 600 mL (150 BV) to meet emission standards. After several column adsorption-desorption cycles, the adsorption capacity could still reach 85%, implying that mBR-C has good reusability and stability. Overall, the mBR-C can be used as an eco-friendly, desirable, economic and recyclable biosorbent in heavy metal polluted water treatment, providing a new idea for a combination of biogas residue recycle and wastewater treatment. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
397 | Conspiracy Beliefs Are Associated with Lower Knowledge and Higher Anxiety Levels Regarding COVID-19 among Students at the University of Jordan | The world has been afflicted heavily by the burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that overwhelmed health care systems and caused severe economic and educational deficits, in addition to anxiety among the public. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the mutual effects of belief that the pandemic was the result of a conspiracy on knowledge and anxiety levels among students at the University of Jordan (UJ). An electronic-based survey was conducted between 29 March, 2020 and 31 March, 2020. The targeted population involved all undergraduate and postgraduate students from the health, scientific and humanities schools at UJ. Survey sections included 26 items on: socio-demographic information, knowledge and sources of information about the disease, attitude towards the false notion that COVID-19 stemmed from a conspiracy and items to assess the anxiety level among students during the quarantine period. The total number of participants was 1540 students. The mean age of study participants was 22 years and females predominated the study population (n = 1145, 74.4%). The majority of participants perceived the disease as moderately dangerous (n = 1079, 70.1%). Males, Jordanians and participants with lower income were more inclined to feel that COVID-19 is very dangerous. A lower level of knowledge and a higher level of anxiety about COVID-19 were associated with the belief that the disease is part of a conspiracy. Females and participants with lower income were more likely to believe that the disease is related to conspiracy. Belief in conspiracy regarding the origin of COVID-19 was associated with misinformation about the availability of a vaccine and the therapeutic use of antibiotics for COVID-19 treatment. The Ministry of Health in Jordan was the most common source of information about COVID-19 reported by the participants (n = 1018). The false belief that COVID-19 was the result of a global conspiracy could be the consequence of a lower level of knowledge about the virus and could lead to a higher level of anxiety, which should be considered in the awareness tools of various media platforms about the current pandemic. |
398 | Anxiety and depressive symptoms among adults with obesity and chronic pain: the role of anxiety sensitivity | Obesity and chronic pain frequently co-occur, and this co-occurrence can have potential negative consequences, particularly as it relates to mental health. As such, there is a need to understand potential risk factors for poor mental health among this co-morbid population. Thus, the current study examined the predictive role of anxiety sensitivity (and its sub-facets) on anxiety and depressive symptoms among adults (82.5% female, Mage = 40.2 years, SD = 10.92) with obesity and chronic pain. Results revealed that greater levels of anxiety sensitivity were associated with greater levels of both anxiety and depressive symptoms, with medium to large effect sizes. Post hoc analyses also indicated that specific sub-facets of anxiety sensitivity (cognitive and social concerns) were significant predictors of the criterion variables. The current study highlights the potential clinical utility in targeting anxiety sensitivity among individuals with co-occurring obesity and chronic pain in the treatment of anxiety and depressive symptoms. |
399 | Optimal planning and operation of multi-carrier networked microgrids considering multi-energy hubs in distribution networks | In this paper, we propose a new scheme for designing multi-carrier networked microgrids. Various multi-energy carriers are utilized to form energy hubs which exchange energy with each other and the main electricity and gas networks. The proposed model considers renewable generation, diesel generators, fuel cells, energy storages, combined heat and powers, boilers, combined cooling heat and powers, and power to gas converters. The seasonal load patterns are considered to design the optimal capacity of combined cooling, heating, and powers. The main objective of the proposed model is to operate the integrated hubs with minimum cost, meet the consumer's required energies, reduce the emissions, and create a bi-directional interaction between electricity, and gas networks using power to gas converters. While all electrical, mechanical, and technical constraints are satisfied. To achieve these improvements, industrial and residential hubs interact with other multi-carrier microgrids to determine the optimal operation of hubs. The proposed model is tested on a standard case study and results show when hubs integrate about the total daily cost of each microgrid has been improved about 200 $. Besides, the thermal energy not supply in microgrid 4 has been improved from 4.61 MWh to 0.45 MWh. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
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