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California es el estado con mayores ingresos por exportación de productos agrícolas en Estados Unidos. En la definición de agua exportada se contabiliza el agua contenida físicamente en los productos agrícolas cultivados y transportados fuera de una frontera geográfica, adicionalmente se incluye la evapotranspiración inducida por el riego del cultivo. Como consecuencia de las condiciones climáticas, el agua evapotranspirada se pierde y no está disponible en el ciclo hidrológico local. En el presente estudio, para la estimación del agua exportada se utilizaron datos de los 50 productos agrícolas más exportados desde California (período 2000-2012). Los resultados muestran que, en promedio, el agua exportada en productos agrícolas corresponde a 2.88×1010 m3 año-1, lo que equivale al 68.3% del agua utilizada en riego del cultivo. La mayor parte del agua exportada (67.7%) está representada en la evapotranspiración inducida por el riego del cultivo. El agua contenida físicamente en los productos agrícolas exportados se calculó en 2.32×108 m3 año-1, esto representa menos del 1% del total anual de agua utilizada en California para riego.

In this study, the applicability of electrocoagulation using iron electrodes in real dyeing wastewater treatment was assessed based on pollutants removal efficiency, sludge generation, energy consumption and operation cost in practice. The effects of current density, pH, conductivity, and reaction time on treatment performance were evaluated. The operation cost of electrocoagulation was calculated including the energy cost, the iron plate cost, generated sludge treatment cost, and added substances cost. The results indicated that the colour, CODcr and TSS removal efficiencies were high and quite stable with short reaction time (reached 92.07 ± 1.21%, 65.7 ± 1.47%, and 89.8 ± 1.2%, respectively, with only 15 min). Average sludge generation, specific energy consumption, and operation cost were determined respectively as 0.645±0.0543 kg/m3, 1.182 kWh/m3 and 0.517 USD/m3. Coagulation-flocculation using FeSO4 was performed as a control experiment as well. Compared to coagulation-flocculation, electrocoagulation has the same removal efficiency but has less generated sludge (only 50%) and little to no added chemicals. Therefore, the operating cost was quite less than the others, with only 0.517 USD/m3 instead of 1.99 USD/m3 (equal to 1/3.5).

Globalization has altered the way we live and earn a livelihood. Consequently, trade and travel have been recognized as significant determinants of the spread of disease. Additionally, the rise in urbanization and the closer integration of the world economy have facilitated global interconnectedness. Therefore, globalization has emerged as an essential mechanism of disease transmission. This paper aims to examine the potential impact of COVID-19 on globalization and global health in terms of mobility, trade, travel, and countries most impacted.The effect of globalization were operationalized in terms of mobility, economy, and healthcare systems. The mobility of individuals and its magnitude was assessed using airline and seaport trade data and travel information. The economic impact was measured based on the workforce, event cancellations, food and agriculture, academic institutions, and supply chain. The healthcare capacity was assessed by considering healthcare system indicators and preparedness of countries. Utilizing a technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), we calculated a pandemic vulnerability index (PVI) by creating a quantitative measure of the potential global health. The pandemic has placed an unprecedented burden on the world economy, healthcare, and globalization through travel, events cancellation, employment workforce, food chain, academia, and healthcare capacity. Based on PVI results, certain countries were more vulnerable than others. In Africa, more vulnerable countries included South Africa and Egypt; in Europe, they were Russia, Germany, and Italy; in Asia and Oceania, they were India, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey; and for the Americas, they were Brazil, USA, Chile, Mexico, and Peru. The impact on mobility, economy, and healthcare systems has only started to manifest. The findings of this study may help in the planning and implementation of strategies at the country level to help ease this emerging burden.

The Asian countries chronically infected with avian influenza A H5N1 are ‘global hotspots’ for biodiversity conservation in terms of species diversity, endemism and levels of threat. Since 2003, avian influenza A H5N1 viruses have naturally infected and killed a range of wild bird species, four felid species and a mustelid. Here, we report fatal disseminated H5N1 infection in a globally threatened viverrid, the Owston's civet, in Vietnam, highlighting the risk that avian influenza H5N1 poses to mammalian and avian biodiversity across its expanding geographic range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve traffic safety in intelligent transportation systems, vehicles formed by vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) conventionally disseminate warning messages to their nearby vehicles as soon as a dangerous situation occurs. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme employing a novel story–carry–forward (SCF) mechanism to tackle the network partition and broadcast storm problems, which are two major challenges in VANETs. The experimental result in the Veins simulation framework shows that the proposed SCF scheme significantly mitigates broadcast storms relative to other schemes, and maintains good coverage across various traffic densities.

As the world tries to cope with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging variants of the virus, COVID-19 vaccination has become an even more critical tool toward normalcy. The effectiveness of the vaccination program and specifically vaccine uptake and coverage, however, is a function of an individual’s knowledge and individual opinion about the disease and available vaccines. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and resulting community practice(s) associated with the new COVID-19 variants and vaccines in Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, and the USA. A cross-sectional web-based Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) survey was administered to respondents living in six different countries using a structured and multi-item questionnaire. Survey questions were translated into English, Spanish, and Malay to accommodate the local language in each country. Associations between KAP and a range of explanatory variables were assessed using univariate and multiple logistic regression. A total of 781 responses were included in the final analysis. The Knowledge score mean was 24 (out of 46), Attitude score 28.9 (out of 55), and Practice score 7.3 (out of 11). Almost 65% of the respondents reported being knowledgeable about COVID-19 variants and vaccination, 55% reported a positive attitude toward available COVID-19 vaccines, and 85% reported engaging in practices that supported COVID-19 vaccination. From the multiple logistic models, we found post-graduate education (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.23–2.74) and an age range 45–54 years (AOR = 5.81, 95% CI: 2.30–14.69) to be significantly associated with reported COVID-19 knowledge. In addition, positive Attitude scores were associated with respondents living in Zimbabwe (AOR = 4.49, 95% CI: 2.04–9.90) and positive Practice scores were found to be associated with people from India (AOR = 3.68, 95% CI: 1.15–11.74) and high school education (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.07–4.38). This study contributes to the identification of socio-demographic factors associated with poor knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to COVID-19 variants and vaccines. It presents an opportunity for collaboration with diverse communities to address COVID-19 misinformation and common sources of vaccine hesitancy (i.e., knowledge, attitudes, and practices).

Development of therapeutic strategies to prevent Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of great importance. We show that mild inhibition of mitochondrial complex I with small molecule CP2 reduces levels of amyloid beta and phospho-Tau and averts cognitive decline in three animal models of familial AD. Low-mass molecular dynamics simulations and biochemical studies confirmed that CP2 competes with flavin mononucleotide for binding to the redox center of complex I leading to elevated AMP/ATP ratio and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase in neurons and mouse brain without inducing oxidative damage or inflammation. Furthermore, modulation of complex I activity augmented mitochondrial bioenergetics increasing coupling efficiency of respiratory chain and neuronal resistance to stress. Concomitant reduction of glycogen synthase kinase 3β activity and restoration of axonal trafficking resulted in elevated levels of neurotrophic factors and synaptic proteins in adult AD mice. Our results suggest that metabolic reprogramming induced by modulation of mitochondrial complex I activity represents promising therapeutic strategy for AD.

In pumping installations, fluid transient computations are necessary to achieve safety, efficiency and economy in design and operation. In some systems, where air content and air entrainment exist, such computations become highly inaccurate when constant wave speed is assumed. In this paper, a numerical model and a computational procedure have been developed to investigate the effects of air entrainment on the pressure transient in pumping systems. Free gas in the fluid and cavitation at the fluid vapour pressure were modeled in the form of variable wave speed model, which was numerically solved by the method of characteristics. This model was tested for the case of pump trips due to power failures. The pressure transient results obtained by this variable wave speed model were analyzed and compared with those results obtained by constant wave speed model and with the experimental results of other investigators.