bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ecological Footprint, Foreign Direct Investment, and Gross Domestic Production: Evidence of Belt & Road Initiative Countries
Authors: Liu Hongbo , Kim Hanho
Published: October 2018

This research is employed to examine the environmental issues embedded in Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), to be more specific: testify which of these hypotheses: Pollution Havens Hypothesis, Pollution Halo Hypothesis, Environmental Kuznets Curve is in accordance with the current development condition of BRI counties; whether there exists a bidirectional relationship among Ecological Footprint, Gross Domestic Production, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Belt & Road Initiative countries. In this paper, Panel Vector Autoregression is utilized to analyze a dataset of 44-member countries in this initiative, ranges from 1990 to 2016, to empirically testify the environmental evaluation of this project. Results are analyzed on both long-run and short-run cases through Orthogonalized Impulse-Response Functions (IRF). This research displays a great heterogeneity among different target variables, FDI as a main variable of interest does not expose a bidirectional relationship with Ecological Footprint, only Ecological Footprint demonstrates robust influence on FDI. In addition, Pollution Havens Hypothesis is certified to be true for FDI and GDP among Belt & Road Initiative member countries.
Energy Life-Cycle Assessment of Fruit Products—Case Study of Beira Interior’s Peach (Portugal)
Authors: Pires Gaspar João , Dinis Gaspar Pedro , Dinho da Silva Pedro , Simões Maria Paula , Santo Christophe Espírito
Published: October 2018

Currently, there is a growing demand for cleaner and sustainable technologies due to environmental issues. In this sense, there is a necessity to manage the assessment of production processes and the rationalization of energy consumption. In this study, an Energy Life-Cycle Assessment (ELCA) was carried out through energy efficiency indicators, directed to the characterization and renewability of the peach production system life-cycle in the Portuguese region of Beira Interior. The study intends to investigate the non-renewable energy inputs from fossil fuels, as well as the emissions resulting from machinery. In addition, warehouse energy inputs are analyzed, mainly cooling systems of refrigerated chambers where fruits are preserved. This analysis aims to find opportunities for technological, environmental and best practices improvements. Test scenarios were analyzed and revealing soil groundcover maintenance is the operation with the largest impact in the energy consumption of the production process (3176 MJ·ha−1). In the post-harvest processes, the energy consumption largest impact is given by the warehouse’s operations (35,700 MJ·ha−1), followed by transportation (6180 MJ·ha−1). Concerning the emissions resulting from the fuels consumption, the largest impact is due to the plantation machinery and the transportation from warehouse to retailers.
Synthesis of Climate, Soil Factors, and Nitrogen Management Practices Affecting the Responses of Wheat Productivity and Nitrogen Use Efficiency to Nitrogen Fertilizer in China
Authors: Wang Yunqi , Yang Jiapeng , Zhang Rui , Jia Zhikuan
Published: October 2018

The reported effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on wheat yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) vary greatly, due to differences in climate, soil factors, and N management practices in different regions of China. We collected literature published during 1950–2017 that reported the yield and NUE for wheat in China, under N application and control treatments, and analyzed the data therein. A significant increase in yield was observed with N application, and varied with climate, soil factors, and N management practices in different regions. A larger increase in yield was observed under an average annual temperature of 13–15 °C, an average annual precipitation of >800 mm, respectively. Greater yield-increasing effects were observed in soil with a coarse soil texture, lower soil total N, available N, and a soil pH of ≤7 and >8, respectively. In Northwest China, the yield increase was greater under multiple coated urea applications after anthesis, while the higher NUE was observed under single coated urea application before anthesis. In North China, the yield and NUE were greater under multiple coated urea applications before anthesis. In South China, the yield and NUE were greater under multiple N applications. Consequently, to improve wheat yield and NUE, site-specific N management practices should be adopted.
The Effect of Food Tourism Behavior on Food Festival Visitor’s Revisit Intention
Authors: Chang Meehyang , Kim Jung-Hoon , Kim Daecheol
Published: October 2018

In this paper, the effects of novelty-seeking and food involvement on food tourism behavior and the effect of food tourism behavior on intention to revisit the Jeonju Bibimbab Food Festival are studied. Additionally, the effects of attitude, anticipated emotions, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms on intention to revisit through desire are identified. Three hundred and forty questionnaires are used for the study. These are analyzed with partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 2.0. The results show that two variables of novelty-seeking and food involvement have positive effects on food tourism behavior. It is also found that the effect of food involvement is higher on the food tourism behavior than that of novelty-seeking. This is because survey respondents are mostly domestic visitors, and for them, Bibimbab itself is familiar. In addition, the food tourism behavior has a significant effect on the intention to revisit the Jeonju Bibimbab festival. It implies that people who like to travel to enjoy food are also interested in the food festival.
Microclimatic Volatility and Elasticity of Glacier Skiing Demand
Authors: Mayer Marius , Demiroglu O. Cenk , Ozcelebi Oguzhan
Published: October 2018

The effects of climate conditions and weather on ski tourism have become a hot topic as the negative impacts of climate change on ski tourism become increasingly visible. This study aims at measuring the significance and magnitude of long-term diurnal and daily weather conditions on lift frequentation at an Austrian glacier ski area in terms of the winter and the summer skiing offers. In doing so, it utilizes an autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH) model to reveal and quantify any volatility associated with ski area visitation and then employs regression models to account for any microclimatic elasticity of glacier skiing demand. The main findings reveal a significant volatility in ski area visitation, especially during the summer seasons. While this study does not aim for an ultimate determination on the reasons for such volatility, skiing demand models illustrate the importance of thermal comfort, especially wind chill factor (WCF), as a major determinant of demand sensitivity for glacier skiing as well as non-skier visits during the summer season. Significant, albeit inelastic, relationships between other microclimatic characteristics, such as snow depth and relative humidity, with visitation and lift frequentation are also identified. Based on these findings, implications according to a changing climate and practical suggestions on the sustainability of winter and summer skiing activities are provided.
Developing a Professional Performance Evaluation System for Pre-Service Automobile Repair Vocational High School Teachers in Taiwan
Authors: Wu Ming-Jenn , Huang Chi-Yo , Kao Yu-Sheng , Lue Yeou-Feng , Chen Liang-Chu
Published: October 2018

Educational quality is one of the most important factors for having well-trained human resources that support the productivity, competitiveness, and economic growth of a nation. Teachers have always played dominant roles in ensuring education quality. Thus, teacher education is becoming ever more important. However, scholars have long warned about the ineffectiveness of teacher preparation. Indeed, a significant gap still exists between current pre-service teacher education and ideal training. Thus, a new professional performance evaluation system for pre-service teachers will be very helpful in resolving long-term public dissatisfaction with schools. To resolve this problem, developing a performance evaluation system that contains professional standards, performance evaluation criteria, and a precise performance evaluation mechanism is essential to guarantee the highest teacher quality in Taiwan. The authors designed a two-stage research effort for a professional performance evaluation system for Taiwanese pre-service teachers of automobile repair. In the first stage, the Delphi method is introduced to develop pre-service teachers’ professional standards and key evaluation criteria using two iterations of Delphi processes and 14 iterations of focus group meetings based on experts’ opinions. In the second stage, a professional performance evaluation and review mechanism for pre-service teachers is developed using focus group meetings to collect opinions from six vocational education experts. The final performance evaluation system will enhance the quality of pre-service teachers in vocational high schools and serve as a useful model for other countries and economies.
A Regionalized Study on the Spatial-Temporal Changes of Grassland Cover in the Three-River Headwaters Region from 2000 to 2016
Authors: Liu Naijing , Yang Yaping , Yao Ling , Yue Xiafang
Published: October 2018

The Three-River Headwaters Region (TRHR) is located in the interior of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is a typical research area in East Asia and is of fragile environment. This paper studied the characteristics of grassland cover changes in the TRHR between 2000 and 2016 using methods of area division (AD) based on natural conditions and tabulate area (TA) dependent on Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 44B product. Further investigations were conducted on some of the typical areas to determine the characteristics of the changes and discuss the driving factors behind these changes. Classification and Regression Trees (CART), Random Forest (RF), Bayesian (BAYE), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) Machine Learning (ML) methods were employed to evaluate the correlation between grassland cover changes and corresponding variables. The overall trend for grassland cover in the TRHR towards recovery that rose 0.91% during the 17-year study period. The results showed that: (1) The change in grassland cover was more divisive in similar elevation and temperature conditions when the precipitation was stronger. The higher the temperature was, the more significant the rise of grassland cover was in comparable elevation and precipitation conditions. (2) There was a distinct decline and high change standard deviation of grassland cover in some divided areas, and strong correlations were found between grassland cover change and aspect, slope, or elevation in these areas. (3) The study methods of AD and TA achieved enhancing performance in interpretation of grassland cover changes in the broad and high elevation variation areas. (4) RF and CART methods showed higher stability and accuracy in application of grassland cover change study in TRHR among the four ML methods utilized in this study.
Green Economy and Sustainable Development: The Economic Impact of Innovation on Employment
Authors: Aldieri Luigi , Vinci Concetto Paolo
Published: October 2018

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of the knowledge diffusion process in employment effects of sustainable development investments for large international firms. We present an empirical analysis based upon a dataset composed of worldwide Research and Development (R&D) -intensive firms over the period 2002–2010. In order to identify the technological relatedness measure between the firms, we use the friendly environmental patents’ distribution. The drivers of labor innovation effects are identified as a complex combination of job displacement and compensation forces of innovation. Two research questions are investigated: first, we wonder whether green economy investments stimulate firm-level jobs within three different environmental contexts: water, waste and energy; second, we would like to learn the extent to which the knowledge diffusion is an important channel supporting labor in the environmental context, by analysing the impact of intra-industry externalities. From the empirical results, we can observe that environmental spillovers have a negative impact, by confirming the prevalence of the displacement effect. This finding is extremely important for policy implications. Indeed, not only economic incentives to allow the transition to cleaner technologies are required, but also stronger actions to favor job creation relative to environmental activities are needed for a full sustainable achievement of firms.
Online Voluntary Transparency in Spanish Retail Firms. Measurement Index and CSR-Related Factors as Determinants
Authors: Álvarez-González Luis Ignacio , García-Rodríguez Nuria , Sanzo-Pérez María José
Published: October 2018

Information transparency is a key aspect of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy. The new information and communication technologies, such as the Internet, allow companies to disseminate relevant corporate information to different stakeholders and society, promoting voluntary online transparency. The analysis of social responsibility information published on corporate websites permits, among other issues, the development of disclosure and transparency indexes that facilitate comparisons between companies, and the assessment of potential drivers of the transparency strategy. In this sense, this study has two main objectives: (1) To develop a measurement index of voluntary online transparency, and (2) to identify relevant factors that influence on such transparency. The empirical research was carried out by analyzing the websites of a 176 large Spanish retail companies. Regression analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses. The results obtained show that online voluntary transparency is encouraged by the implementation of CSR principles in store management and by the particular type of contributions in which the social commitment of the retail is materialized (monetary versus non-monetary), as well as by the fact that employees and/or society as a whole represent the main beneficiaries of CSR activities.
Eventually DSDD Matrices and Eigenvalue Localization
Authors: Sang Caili , Zhao Jianxing
Published: October 2018

Firstly, the relationships among strictly diagonally dominant ( S D D ) matrices, doubly strictly diagonally dominant ( D S D D ) matrices, eventually S D D matrices and eventually D S D D matrices are considered. Secondly, by excluding some proper subsets of an existing eigenvalue inclusion set for matrices, which do not contain any eigenvalues of matrices, a tighter eigenvalue inclusion set of matrices is derived. As its application, a sufficient condition of determining non-singularity of matrices is obtained. Finally, the infinity norm estimation of the inverse of eventually D S D D matrices is derived.
Path Planning for the Mobile Robot: A Review
Authors: Zhang Han-ye , Lin Wei-ming , Chen Ai-xia
Published: October 2018

Good path planning technology of mobile robot can not only save a lot of time, but also reduce the wear and capital investment of mobile robot. Several methodologies have been proposed and reported in the literature for the path planning of mobile robot. Although these methodologies do not guarantee an optimal solution, they have been successfully applied in their works. The purpose of this paper is to review the modeling, optimization criteria and solution algorithms for the path planning of mobile robot. The survey shows GA (genetic algorithm), PSO (particle swarm optimization algorithm), APF (artificial potential field), and ACO (ant colony optimization algorithm) are the most used approaches to solve the path planning of mobile robot. Finally, future research is discussed which could provide reference for the path planning of mobile robot.
On p-adic Integral Representation of q-Bernoulli Numbers Arising from Two Variable q-Bernstein Polynomials
Authors: Kim Dae , Kim Taekyun , Ryoo Cheon , Yao Yonghong
Published: October 2018

The q-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials can be given by Witt’s type formulas as p-adic invariant integrals on Z p . We investigate some properties for them. In addition, we consider two variable q-Bernstein polynomials and operators and derive several properties for these polynomials and operators. Next, we study the evaluation problem for the double integrals on Z p of two variable q-Bernstein polynomials and show that they can be expressed in terms of the q-Bernoulli numbers and some special values of q-Bernoulli polynomials. This is generalized to the problem of evaluating any finite product of two variable q-Bernstein polynomials. Furthermore, some identities for q-Bernoulli numbers are found.
Assessment of Pattern and Shape Symmetry of Bilateral Normal Corneas by Scheimpflug Technology
Authors: Cavas-Martínez Francisco , Piñero David , Fernández-Pacheco Daniel , Mira Jorge , Cañavate Francisco , Alió Jorge
Published: October 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess bilateral symmetry in normal fellow eyes by using optical and geometric morphometric parameters. Methods: All participants underwent complete biocular examinations. Scheimpflug tomography data from 66 eyes of 33 patients were registered. The interocular symmetry was based on five patterns: morphogeometric symmetry, axial symmetry at the corneal vertex, angular-spatial symmetry, direct symmetry (equal octants), and enantiomorphism (mirror octants). Results: No statistically significant differences were found between right and left eyes in corneal morphogeometric (p ≥ 0.488) and aberrometric parameters (p ≥ 0.102). Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found in any of the axial symmetry parameters analyzed (p ≥ 0.229), except in the surface rotation angle beta (p = 0.102) and translation coordinates X0 and Y0 (p < 0.001) for the anterior corneal surface, and the rotation angle gamma (p < 0.001) for the posterior surface. Similarly, no statistically significant differences were identified for direct symmetry (p ≥ 0.20) and enantiomorphism (p ≥ 0.75), except for some elevation data in the posterior surface (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The level of symmetry of both corneas of a healthy individual is high, with only some level of disparity between fellow corneas in rotation and translation references. Abnormalities in this pattern of interocular asymmetry may be useful as a diagnostic tool.
An Automatic Algorithm to Generate a Reachability Tree for Large-Scale Fuzzy Petri Net by And/Or Graph
Authors: Zhou Kai-Qing , Mo Li-Ping , Ding Lei , Gui Wei-Hua
Published: October 2018

Fuzzy Petri net (FPN) is widely used to repre sent, model and analyse knowledge-based systems (KBSs). Meanwhile, a reachability tree is an important tool to fully represent the flow relationship of FPN and is widely applied to implement inference in industrial areas. However, the traditional reachability ignores recording the dependence relationships (‘and/or’ relationship) among the places in the neighbouring layers. This paper develops a modified reachability tree based on an and/or graph and presents a three-phase generation algorithm to model the reachability tree for the corresponding FPN automatically via fuzzy production rules (FPRs). Four cases are used to verify the correctness and feasibility of the proposed algorithm from different viewpoints, such as general FPRs, FPRs with a condition-sharing situation, FPRs with a conclusion-sharing situation, and FPRs with multi-conclusions. Simulation results reveal that the proposed approach has the ability to automatically generate the reachability tree for the corresponding FPN correctly.
Geometric Properties of Lommel Functions of the First Kind
Authors: Sim Young Jae , Kwon Oh Sang , Cho Nak Eun
Published: October 2018

In the present paper, we find sufficient conditions for starlikeness and convexity of normalized Lommel functions of the first kind using the admissible function methods. Additionally, we investigate some inclusion relationships for various classes associated with the Lommel functions. The functions belonging to these classes are related to the starlike functions, convex functions, close-to-convex functions and quasi-convex functions.
Multi-Scale Adversarial Feature Learning for Saliency Detection
Authors: Zhu Dandan , Dai Lei , Luo Ye , Zhang Guokai , Shao Xuan , Itti Laurent , Lu Jianwei
Published: October 2018

Previous saliency detection methods usually focused on extracting powerful discriminative features to describe images with a complex background. Recently, the generative adversarial network (GAN) has shown a great ability in feature learning for synthesizing high quality natural images. Since the GAN shows a superior feature learning ability, we present a new multi-scale adversarial feature learning (MAFL) model for image saliency detection. In particular, we build this model, which is composed of two convolutional neural network (CNN) modules: the multi-scale G-network takes natural images as inputs and generates the corresponding synthetic saliency map, and we design a novel layer in the D-network, namely a correlation layer, which is used to determine whether one image is a synthetic saliency map or ground-truth saliency map. Quantitative and qualitative comparisons on several public datasets show the superiority of our approach.
Pattern of Paracetamol Poisoning: Influence on Outcome and Complications
Authors: Castanares-Zapatero Diego , Dinant Valérie , Ruggiano Ilaria , Willem Harold , Laterre Pierre-François , Hantson Philippe
Published: October 2018

Acute paracetamol poisoning due to a single overdose may be effectively treated by the early administration of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as an antidote. The prognosis may be different in the case of intoxication due to multiple ingestions or when the antidote is started with delay. The aim of this work was to investigate the outcome of paracetamol poisoning according to the pattern of ingestion and determine the factors associated with the outcome. We performed a retrospective analysis over the period 2007–2017 of the patients who were referred to a tertiary hospital for paracetamol-related hepatotoxicity. Inclusion criteria were: accidental or voluntary ingestion of paracetamol, delay for NAC therapy of 12 h or more, liver enzymes (ALT) >1000 IU/L on admission. Ninety patients were considered. Poisoned patients following multiple ingestion were significantly older (45 ± 12 vs. 33 ± 14) (p = 0.001), with a higher incidence of liver steatosis (p = 0.016) or chronic ethanol abuse (p = 0.04). In comparison with the subgroup of favorable outcome, the patients with poor outcome were older, had higher values for ALT, bilirubin, lactate, and lower values for factor V and arterial pH. In multivariate analysis, the arterial lactate value was associated with a bad prognosis (p < 0.02) (adjusted odds ratio 1.74 and CI 95:1.09–2.77). The risk of poor outcome was greater in the subgroup with staggered overdose (p = 0.02), which had a higher mortality rate (p = 0.01). This retrospective analysis illustrates the different population patterns of patients who were admitted for a single ingestion of a paracetamol overdose versus multiple ingestions. This last subgroup was mainly represented by older patients with additional risk factors for hepatotoxicity; arterial lactate was a good predictor of severity.
Botulinum Toxin in Restless Legs Syndrome—A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study
Authors: Mittal Shivam Om , Machado Duarte , Richardson Diana , Dubey Divyanshu , Jabbari Bahman
Published: October 2018

Background: Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common movement disorder with an estimated prevalence of up to 12%. Previous small studies with onabotulinumtoxin A (OnaA) for RLS have shown inconsistent results. Methods: Twenty-four patients with an International RLS score (IRLS) of >11 (moderate-severe) were enrolled in this blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study. Twenty-one patients completed the evaluations at 4, 6, and 8 weeks after each injection. One-hundred units of Incobotulinumtoxin A (IncoA) or normal saline were injected into tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, and biceps femoris muscles each side. Results: Improvement from a severe (IRLS >21) to a mild/moderate (IRLS ≤20) score was significant at four weeks (p = 0.0036) and six weeks (p = 0.0325) following IncoA administration compared to placebo. Additionally, there was significant improvement in pain score at six weeks as measured by Visual Analogue Scale (p = 0.04) and the Johns Hopkins Quality of Life Questionnaire (p = 0.01) in the IncoA group. Definite or marked improvement on Patient Global Impression of Change was seen in 7 out of 21 patients in the IncoA group vs. 1 out of 21 patients in the placebo group at 4 weeks (p = 0.012). Conclusion: IncoA injection lead to a reduction in severity of RLS symptoms, pain score, and quality of life, without any adverse effects.
Extensive Contamination of Water with Saxitoxin Near the Dam of the Irkutsk Hydropower Station Reservoir (East Siberia, Russia)
Authors: Grachev Mikhail , Zubkov Ilya , Tikhonova Irina , Ivacheva Maria , Kuzmin Anton , Sukhanova Elena , Sorokovikova Ekaterina , Fedorova Galina , Galkin Aleksandr , Suslova Maria , Netsvetayeva Olga , Eletskaya Elena , Pogadaeva Tatyana , Smirnov Vladimir , Ivanov Andrey , Shagun Vladimir , Minaev Viktor , Belykh Olga
Published: October 2018

An area of discolored water 50 m wide and 30 m long was found in September 2017 close to the dam of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station. Water from this spot was sampled for investigation in the present study. Microscopic analysis revealed that the suspended matter in the sample was composed of clumps of filaments, vegetative cells, akinetes and heterocysts that formed short filaments and solitary cells. This matter was found to consist of partially degraded cells of the cyanobacterium Dolichospermum lemmermannii. Nucleotide sequencing of DNA isolated from the biomass revealed the presence of the sxtA gene which is involved in the synthesis of saxitoxin. Water from the polluted area contained 600 ± 100 μg L−1 saxitoxin as measured by HPLC-MS with pre-column modification of the toxin with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. Immunoassay analysis (ELISA) showed a concentration of saxitoxins in the water of 2900 ± 900 μg L−1. Hydrochemical and microbiological analyses suggested the contaminated area appeared as a result of a D. lemmermannii bloom, followed by its decay and release of saxitoxin and nutrients. The present paper describes the results of a case study. Better understanding of the phenomenon will depend on the possibility to perform implementation of a large-scale monitoring program.
Inconsistencies of the New No-Boundary Proposal
Authors: Feldbrugge Job , Lehners Jean-Luc , Turok Neil
Published: October 2018

In previous works, we have demonstrated that the path integral for real, Lorentzian four-geometries in Einstein gravity yields sensible results in well-understood physical situations, but leads to uncontrolled fluctuations when the “no boundary” condition proposed by Hartle and Hawking is imposed. In order to circumvent our result, new definitions for the gravitational path integral have been sought, involving specific choices for a class of complex four-geometries to be included. In their latest proposal, Diaz Dorronsoro et al. advocate for integrating the lapse over a complex circular contour enclosing the origin. In this note, we show that, like their earlier proposal, this leads to mathematical and physical inconsistencies and thus cannot be regarded as a basis for quantum cosmology. We also comment on Vilenkin and Yamada’s recent modification of the “tunneling" proposal, made in order to avoid the same problems. We show that it leads to the breakdown of perturbation theory in a strong coupling regime.
The Belle II Experiment: Status and Prospects
Authors: Branchini Paolo
Published: October 2018

The Belle II experiment is a substantial upgrade of the Belle detector and will operate at the SuperKEKBenergy-asymmetric e + e − collider. The accelerator has already successfully completed the first phase of commissioning in 2016. The first electron versus positron collisions in Belle II were delivered in April 2018. The design luminosity of SuperKEKB is 8 × 10 35 cm−2s−1, and the Belle II experiment aims to record 50 ab−1 of data, a factor of 50 more than the Belle experiment. This large dataset will be accumulated with low backgrounds and high trigger efficiencies in a clean e + e − environment. This contribution will review the detector upgrade, the achieved detector performance and the plans for the commissioning of Belle II.
Photodynamic Inactivation of Herpes Simplex Viruses
Authors: Monjo Andrea L.-A. , Pringle Eric S. , Thornbury Mackenzie , Duguay Brett A. , Monro Susan M. A. , Hetu Marc , Knight Danika , Cameron Colin G. , McFarland Sherri A. , McCormick Craig
Published: October 2018

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections can be treated with direct acting antivirals like acyclovir and foscarnet, but long-term use can lead to drug resistance, which motivates research into broadly-acting antivirals that can provide a greater genetic barrier to resistance. Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) employs a photosensitizer, light, and oxygen to create a local burst of reactive oxygen species that inactivate microorganisms. The botanical plant extract OrthoquinTM is a powerful photosensitizer with antimicrobial properties. Here we report that Orthoquin also has antiviral properties. Photoactivated Orthoquin inhibited herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection of target cells in a dose-dependent manner across a broad range of sub-cytotoxic concentrations. HSV inactivation required direct contact between Orthoquin and the inoculum, whereas pre-treatment of target cells had no effect. Orthoquin did not cause appreciable damage to viral capsids or premature release of viral genomes, as measured by qPCR for the HSV-1 genome. By contrast, immunoblotting for HSV-1 antigens in purified virion preparations suggested that higher doses of Orthoquin had a physical impact on certain HSV-1 proteins that altered protein mobility or antigen detection. Orthoquin PDI also inhibited the non-enveloped adenovirus (AdV) in a dose-dependent manner, whereas Orthoquin-mediated inhibition of the enveloped vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was light-independent. Together, these findings suggest that the broad antiviral effects of Orthoquin-mediated PDI may stem from damage to viral attachment proteins.
Visualization of HIV-1 RNA Transcription from Integrated HIV-1 DNA in Reactivated Latently Infected Cells
Authors: Ukah Obiaara B. , Puray-Chavez Maritza , Tedbury Philip R. , Herschhorn Alon , Sodroski Joseph G. , Sarafianos Stefan G.
Published: October 2018

We have recently developed the first microscopy-based strategy that enables simultaneous multiplex detection of viral RNA (vRNA), viral DNA (vDNA), and viral protein. Here, we used this approach to study the kinetics of latency reactivation in cells infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We showed the transcription of nascent vRNA from individual latently integrated and reactivated vDNA sites appearing earlier than viral protein. We further demonstrated that this method can be used to quantitatively assess the efficacy of a variety of latency reactivating agents. Finally, this microscopy-based strategy was augmented with a flow-cytometry-based approach, enabling the detection of transcriptional reactivation of large numbers of latently infected cells. Hence, these approaches are shown to be suitable for qualitative and quantitative studies of HIV-1 latency and reactivation.
Identification of a cis-Acting Element Derived from Tomato Leaf Curl Yunnan Virus that Mediates the Replication of a Deficient Yeast Plasmid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Li Fangfang , Xu Xiongbiao , Yang Xiuling , Li Zhenghe , Zhou Xueping
Published: October 2018

Geminiviruses are a group of small single-stranded DNA viruses that replicate in the host cell nucleus. It has been reported that the viral replication initiator protein (Rep) and the conserved common region (CR) are required for rolling circle replication (RCR)-dependent geminivirus replication, but the detailed mechanisms of geminivirus replication are still obscure owing to a lack of a eukaryotic model system. In this study, we constructed a bacterial–yeast shuttle plasmid with the autonomous replication sequence (ARS) deleted, which failed to replicate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and could not survive in selective media either. Tandemly repeated copies of 10 geminivirus genomic DNAs were inserted into this deficient plasmid to test whether they were able to replace the ARS to execute genomic DNA replication in yeast cells. We found that yeast cells consisting of the recombinant plasmid with 1.9 tandemly repeated copies of tomato leaf curl Yunnan virus isolate Y194 (TLCYnV-Y194, hereafter referred to as Y194) can replicate well and survive in selective plates. Furthermore, we showed that the recombinant plasmid harboring the Y194 genome with the mutation of the viral Rep or CR was still able to replicate in yeast cells, indicating the existence of a non-canonic RCR model. By a series of mutations, we mapped a short fragment of 174 nucleotides (nts) between the V1 and C3 open reading frames (ORFs), including an ARS-like element that can substitute the function of the ARS responsible for stable replication of extrachromosomal DNAs in yeast. The results of this study established a geminivirus replication system in yeast cells and revealed that Y194 consisting of an ARS-like element was able to support the replication a bacterial–yeast shuttle plasmid in yeast cells.
High Throughput Manufacturing of Bacteriophages Using Continuous Stirred Tank Bioreactors Connected in Series to Ensure Optimum Host Bacteria Physiology for Phage Production
Authors: Mancuso Francesco , Shi Jiahui , Malik Danish J.
Published: October 2018

Future industrial demand for large quantities of bacteriophages e.g., for phage therapy, necessitates the development of scalable Good Manufacturing Practice compliant (cGMP) production platforms. The continuous production of high titres of E coli T3 phages (1011 PFU mL−1) was achieved using two continuous stirred tank bioreactors connected in series, and a third bioreactor was used as a final holding tank operated in semi-batch mode to finish the infection process. The first bioreactor allowed the steady-state propagation of host bacteria using a fully synthetic medium with glucose as the limiting substrate. Host bacterial growth was decoupled from the phage production reactor downstream of it to suppress the production of phage-resistant mutants, thereby allowing stable operation over a period of several days. The novelty of this process is that the manipulation of the host reactor dilution rates (range 0.1–0.6 hr−1) allows control over the physiological state of the bacterial population. This results in bacteria with considerably higher intracellular phage production capability whilst operating at high dilution rates yielding significantly higher overall phage process productivity. Using a pilot-scale chemostat system allowed optimisation of the upstream phage amplification conditions conducive for high intracellular phage production in the host bacteria. The effect of the host reactor dilution rates on the phage burst size, lag time, and adsorption rate were evaluated. The host bacterium physiology was found to influence phage burst size, thereby affecting the productivity of the overall process. Mathematical modelling of the dynamics of the process allowed parameter sensitivity evaluation and provided valuable insights into the factors affecting the phage production process. The approach presented here may be used at an industrial scale to significantly improve process control, increase productivity via process intensification, and reduce process manufacturing costs through process footprint reduction.
Oncogenic Signaling Induced by HCV Infection
Authors: Virzì Alessia , Roca Suarez Armando Andres , Baumert Thomas F. , Lupberger Joachim
Published: October 2018

The liver is frequently exposed to toxins, metabolites, and oxidative stress, which can challenge organ function and genomic stability. Liver regeneration is therefore a highly regulated process involving several sequential signaling events. It is thus not surprising that individual oncogenic mutations in hepatocytes do not necessarily lead to cancer and that the genetic profiles of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are highly heterogeneous. Long-term infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) creates an oncogenic environment by a combination of viral protein expression, persistent liver inflammation, oxidative stress, and chronically deregulated signaling events that cumulate as a tipping point for genetic stability. Although novel direct-acting antivirals (DAA)-based treatments efficiently eradicate HCV, the associated HCC risk cannot be fully eliminated by viral cure in patients with advanced liver disease. This suggests that HCV may persistently deregulate signaling pathways beyond viral cure and thereby continue to perturb cancer-relevant gene function. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about oncogenic signaling pathways derailed by chronic HCV infection. This will not only help to understand the mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis but will also highlight potential chemopreventive strategies to help patients with a high-risk profile of developing HCC.
The Effect of Aspergillus Thermomutatus Chrysovirus 1 on the Biology of Three Aspergillus Species
Authors: Ejmal Mahjoub A. , Holland David J. , MacDiarmid Robin M. , Pearson Michael N.
Published: October 2018

This study determined the effects of Aspergillus thermomutatus chrysovirus 1 (AthCV1), isolated from Aspergillus thermomutatus, on A. fumigatus, A. nidulans and A. niger. Protoplasts of virus-free isolates of A. fumigatus, A. nidulans and A. niger were transfected with purified AthCV1 particles and the phenotype, growth and sporulation of the isogenic AthCV1-free and AthCV1-infected lines assessed at 20 °C and 37 °C and gene expression data collected at 37 °C. AthCV1-free and AthCV1-infected A. fumigatus produced only conidia at both temperatures but more than ten-fold reduced compared to the AthCV1-infected line. Conidiation was also significantly reduced in infected lines of A. nidulans and A. niger at 37 °C. AthCV1-infected lines of A. thermomutatus and A. nidulans produced large numbers of ascospores at both temperatures, whereas the AthCV1-free line of the former did not produce ascospores. AthCV1-infected lines of all species developed sectoring phenotypes with sclerotia produced in aconidial sectors of A. niger at 37 °C. AthCV1 was detected in 18% of sclerotia produced by AthCV1-infected A. niger and 31% of ascospores from AthCV1-infected A. nidulans. Transcriptome analysis of the naturally AthCV1-infected A. thermomutatus and the three AthCV1-transfected Aspergillus species showed altered gene expression as a result of AthCV1-infection. The results demonstrate that AthCV1 can infect a range of Aspergillus species resulting in reduced sporulation, a potentially useful attribute for a biological control agent.
Experimental Study on the Fracturing Behaviors and Mechanical Properties of Cracks under Coupled Hydro-Mechanical Effects in Rock-like Specimens
Authors: Zhou Yimeng , Zhao Cheng , Zhao Chunfeng , Ma Chuangchuang , Xie Junfei
Published: October 2018

The artificial fracturing technique under coupled hydro-mechanical effects is widely used in many rock engineering. Therefore, the study on the fracturing behaviors and mechanical properties of hydro-mechanical coupled cracks is very crucial. In this study, a series of fracturing tests were conducted on the cylinder gypsum specimens with single pre-existing cracks using triaxial compression loading system. Water pressure was applied inside the pre-existing cracks and led to the specimen failure with external compression loading. A new type of cracks, namely horizontal coupled cracks (HCC), were found in some specimens. Macroscopic observations reveal that HCC, which were mainly caused by the hydraulic pressure, were different from any tensile wing cracks, shear secondary cracks, or shear anti-wing cracks. Subsequently, a microscopic study was performed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), the outcomes suggest that: (1) Shear fracturing zones (SFZ) and tensile fracturing zones (TFZ) under coupled hydro-mechanical effects displayed distinct characteristics on orientations, length, and independence of gypsum grains; and (2) the HCC were tensile cracks when they just initiated from outer tips of pre-existing cracks. While tensile stress made major contribution to the specimen failure during the whole fracturing processes, the HCC became tensile and shear mixed cracks when the specimen was about to fail.
Resilience to Cope with Climate Change in Urban Areas—A Multisectorial Approach Focusing on Water—The RESCCUE Project
Authors: Velasco Marc , Russo Beniamino , Martínez Montserrat , Malgrat Pere , Monjo Robert , Djordjevic Slobodan , Fontanals Ignasi , Vela Salvador , Cardoso Maria , Buskute Aira
Published: October 2018

The RESCCUE Project is an H2020 research project that aims to help cities around the world to become more resilient to physical, social, and economic challenges, using the water sector as the central point of the approach. RESCCUE will generate models and tools to bring this objective to practice, while delivering a framework enabling city resilience assessment, planning and management. This will be achieved by integrating software tools, methods, and new knowledge related to the detailed urban services performance into novel and promising loosely coupled models (integrated models), multi-risk assessment method, and a comprehensive resilience platform. These tools will allow urban resilience assessment from a multisectorial approach, for current and future climate change scenarios, including multiple hazards and cascading effects. The RESCCUE approach will be implemented in three EU cities (Barcelona, Bristol, and Lisbon) and, with the support of UN-Habitat, disseminate their results among other cities belonging to major international networks. The aim of this paper is to present the main goals of this project, as well as the approach followed and the main expected results after the four years of implementation, so other cities around the world can use the RESCCUE approach to increase their resilience.
Flood Vulnerability, Environmental Land Use Conflicts, and Conservation of Soil and Water: A Study in the Batatais SP Municipality, Brazil
Authors: Caldas Anildo Monteiro , Pissarra Teresa Cristina Tarlé , Costa Renata Cristina Araújo , Neto Fernando Cartaxo Rolim , Zanata Marcelo , Parahyba Roberto da Boa Viagem , Sanches Fernandes Luis Filipe , Pacheco Fernando António Leal
Published: October 2018

In many regions across the planet, flood events are now more frequent and intense because of climate change and improper land use, resulting in risks to the population. However, the procedures to accurately determine the areas at risk in regions influenced by inadequate land uses are still inefficient. In rural watersheds, inadequate uses occur when actual uses deviate from land capability, and are termed environmental land use conflicts. To overcome the difficulty to evaluate flood vulnerability under these settings, in this study a method was developed to delineate flood vulnerability areas in a land use conflict landscape: the Batatais municipality, located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The method and its implementation resorted to remote sensed data, geographic information systems and geo-processing. Satellite images and their processing provided data for environmental factors such as altitude, land use, slope, and soil class in the study area. The importance of each factor for flood vulnerability was evaluated through the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). According to the results, vast areas of medium to high flood vulnerability are located in agricultural lands affected by environmental land use conflicts. In these areas, amplified flood intensities, soil erosion, crop productivity loss and stream water deterioration are expected. The coverage of Batatais SP municipality by these vulnerable areas is so extensive (60%) that preventive and recovery measures were proposed in the context of a land consolidation–water management plan aiming flood control and soil and water conservation.
A Case Study of a Small Diameter Gravity Sewerage System in Zolkiewka Commune, Poland
Authors: Nawrot Tadeusz , Matz Radosław , Błażejewski Ryszard , Spychała Marcin
Published: October 2018

This article presents a small diameter gravity sewerage system in a rural area. In this system, domestic wastewater was preliminarily treated in septic tanks equipped with outlet filters, so the effluent features were similar to those of clear water. Additionally, some outlets were equipped with floating-ball check valves to avoid backflow. One of the pressure mains was used as a gravity collector conveying septic tank effluent in the direction of the pumping station during pump idle time. The operation of the system was simulated using SWMM computer code. The simulation results were validated for data obtained from part of a sewerage system in Kolonia Zolkiew and Rozki village consisting of two pumping stations and 86 serviced households using polyethylene pipes of outer diameter 50–63 mm. The results of the measurement of the outflows from one pumping station are presented. The simulation results showed good agreement with the empirical data, especially after several simulation days. The greatest discrepancy during the start-up period was the consequence of the initial conditions describing the empty pipework. Thanks to storage in the pump sumps, septic tank and pipes, as well as their smart operation, a relatively uniform inflow to the pumping stations was achieved. Simulations in SWMM showed that there is still potential to optimize the sewerage system through more adequate pump selection and pipe diameters.