bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Lights
Authors: Määttä Ilari , Lessmann Christian
Published: September 2019

Satellite nighttime light data open new opportunities for economic research. The data are objective and suitable for the study of regions at various territorial levels. Given the lack of reliable official data, nightlights are often a proxy for economic activity, particularly in developing countries. However, the commonly used product, Stable Lights, has difficulty separating background noise from economic activity at lower levels of light intensity. The problem is rooted in the aim of separating transient light from stable lights, even though light from economic activity can also be transient. We propose an alternative filtering process that aims to identify lights emitted by human beings. We train a machine learning algorithm to learn light patterns in and outside built-up areas using Global Human Settlements Layer (GHSL) data. Based on predicted probabilities, we include lights in those places with a high likelihood of being man-made. We show that using regional light characteristics in the process increases the accuracy of predictions at the cost of introducing a mechanical spatial correlation. We create two alternative products as proxies of economic activity. Global Human Lights minimizes the bias from using regional information, while Local Human Lights maximizes accuracy. The latter shows that we can improve the detection of human-generated light, especially in Africa.
GNSS Radio Occultation Advances the Monitoring of Volcanic Clouds: The Case of the 2008 Kasatochi Eruption
Authors: Cigala Valeria , Biondi Riccardo , Prata Alfredo J. , Steiner Andrea K. , Kirchengast Gottfried , Brenot Hugues
Published: September 2019

The products of explosive volcanic eruptions, in particular, volcanic ash, can pose a severe hazard to, for example, international aviation. Detecting volcanic clouds and monitoring their dispersal is hence, the subject of intensive current research. However, the discrepancies between the different available methods lead to detected cloud altitude with significant uncertainties. Here we show the results of an algorithm developed explicitly for high vertical resolution detection of volcanic cloud altitude by using the Global Navigation Satellite System radio occultation (RO) observations. Analyzing the energetic Kasatochi eruption of August 2008 in a case study, we find the volcanic cloud altitudes detected with RO in good agreement (within ~1 km) with cloud altitude estimations from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) lidar backscatter images in the 4 h range between RO and CALIOP acquisitions. The tracking by combined RO and imaging of the volcanic cloud evolution during the weeks after the eruption indicates a promising potential for operational global cloud altitude monitoring.
An Empirical Assessment of the MODIS Land Cover Dynamics and TIMESAT Land Surface Phenology Algorithms
Authors: Stanimirova Radost , Cai Zhanzhang , Melaas Eli K. , Gray Josh M. , Eklundh Lars , Jönsson Per , Friedl Mark A.
Published: September 2019

Observations of vegetation phenology at regional-to-global scales provide important information regarding seasonal variation in the fluxes of energy, carbon, and water between the biosphere and the atmosphere. Numerous algorithms have been developed to estimate phenological transition dates using time series of remotely sensed spectral vegetation indices. A key challenge, however, is that different algorithms provide inconsistent results. This study provides a comprehensive comparison of start of season (SOS) and end of season (EOS) phenological transition dates estimated from 500 m MODIS data based on two widely used sources of such data: the TIMESAT program and the MODIS Global Land Cover Dynamics (MLCD) product. Specifically, we evaluate the impact of land cover class, criteria used to identify SOS and EOS, and fitting algorithm (local versus global) on the transition dates estimated from time series of MODIS enhanced vegetation index (EVI). Satellite-derived transition dates from each source are compared against each other and against SOS and EOS dates estimated from PhenoCams distributed across the Northeastern United States and Canada. Our results show that TIMESAT and MLCD SOS transition dates are generally highly correlated (r = 0.51-0.97), except in Central Canada where correlation coefficients are as low as 0.25. Relative to SOS, EOS comparison shows lower agreement and higher magnitude of deviations. SOS and EOS dates are impacted by noise arising from snow and cloud contamination, and there is low agreement among results from TIMESAT, the MLCD product, and PhenoCams in vegetation types with low seasonal EVI amplitude or with irregular EVI time series. In deciduous forests, SOS dates from the MLCD product and TIMESAT agree closely with SOS dates from PhenoCams, with correlations as high as 0.76. Overall, our results suggest that TIMESAT is well-suited for local-to-regional scale studies because of its ability to tune algorithm parameters, which makes it more flexible than the MLCD product. At large spatial scales, where local tuning is not feasible, the MLCD product provides a readily available data set based on a globally consistent approach that provides SOS and EOS dates that are comparable to results from TIMESAT.
Editorial of Special Issue “Remote Sensing for Land Cover/Land Use Mapping at Local and Regional Scales”
Authors: Mallinis Giorgios , Georgiadis Charalampos
Published: September 2019

More than ever, there is a need from policy and decision makers, national governments, non-governmental organizations, international initiatives, scientists, and individual citizens for timely and accurate spatially-explicit information on Earth’s physical surface cover and the socio-economic function of land at multiple scales [...]
Spatial–Spectral Fusion in Different Swath Widths by a Recurrent Expanding Residual Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: He Jiang , Li Jie , Yuan Qiangqiang , Li Huifang , Shen Huanfeng
Published: September 2019

The quality of remotely sensed images is usually determined by their spatial resolution, spectral resolution, and coverage. However, due to limitations in the sensor hardware, the spectral resolution, spatial resolution, and swath width of the coverage are mutually constrained. Remote sensing image fusion aims at overcoming the different constraints of remote sensing images, to achieve the purpose of combining the useful information in the different images. However, the traditional spatial–spectral fusion approach is to use data in the same swath width that covers the same area and only considers the mutually constrained conditions between the spectral resolution and spatial resolution. To simultaneously solve the image fusion problems of the swath width, spatial resolution, and spectral resolution, this paper introduces a method with multi-scale feature extraction and residual learning with recurrent expanding. To discuss the sensitivity of convolution operation to different variables of images in different swath widths, we set the sensitivity experiments in the coverage ratio and offset position. We also performed the simulation and real experiments to verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework with the Sentinel-2 data, which simulated the different widths.
Commenting on Top Spanish YouTubers: “No Comment”
Authors: Tur-Viñes Victoria , Castelló-Martínez Araceli
Published: September 2019

The aim of this paper was to analyze commenting activity and sentiment (polarity and subjectivity) in interactions in response to videos by Spain’s most-subscribed YouTubers. An exploratory study was conducted on the content of the comments, their relationship with other social media actions, subjectivity, and polarity, as well as from the perspective of the participatory culture. The results show that commenting is a potential option for interaction that is underused by the communities of users. Replies to comments are found to be limited to the user–user level, while YouTubers themselves and the moderators that YouTube allows them to designate rarely comment or reply on social networks. However, creators do monitor comments and provide feedback to a limited selection thereof in subsequent videos. There thus appears to be a strategic, exploitative use of comments, marked by a delayed response aimed at attracting audiences to new content.
A Tale of Two Subjectivities: An Academic Life Story
Authors: Gil-Juárez Adriana
Published: September 2019

In this article I present an autobiographical account as someone who has been an academic in both Mexico and Spain for the last thirty years. My life story shows the transition from a life centred on an academic project to a life centred on mere survival in the system. These are two subjectivities that do not neatly appear consecutively but that are intertwined. The first starts from the traditional but exciting idea that an academic career must progress linearly to the achievement of a solid and stable identity, with a permanent contract as a symbolic and material destination. The second subjectivity, which starts from neo-liberalism demanding permanent mobilization, constant change, and absolute flexibility, is accompanied by pain and resignation, as precarity has already occupied the greatest part of my academic life. The story has the modest mission of exemplifying, in the flesh, without hiding class and gender marks, the neo-liberal transformation of the academy and its inhabitants. Yet it is also an example of how difficult it can be to resist this dynamic, given that we, the teaching and research staff, are more or less forced accomplices of this transformation. I write this narrative in the hope that the story may help others to visualize and plan a different future for academia and for themselves: a future based on more engaged personal relationships and built on an ethics of care which can help resist injustice, as feminist literature suggests.
A Multivariate Geomorphometric Approach to Prioritize Erosion-Prone Watersheds
Authors: Prieto-Amparán Jesús A. , Pinedo-Alvarez Alfredo , Vázquez-Quintero Griselda , Valles-Aragón María C. , Rascón-Ramos Argelia E. , Martinez-Salvador Martin , Villarreal-Guerrero Federico
Published: September 2019

Soil erosion is considered one of the main degradation processes in ecosystems located in developing countries. In northern Mexico, one of the most important hydrological regions is the Conchos River Basin (CRB) due to its utilization as a runoff source. However, the CRB is subjected to significant erosion processes due to natural and anthropogenic causes. Thus, classifying the CRB’s watersheds based on their erosion susceptibility is of great importance. This study classified and then prioritized the 31 watersheds composing the CRB. For that, multivariate techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA), group analysis (GA), and the ranking methodology known as compound parameter (Cp) were used. After a correlation analysis, the values of 26 from 33 geomorphometric parameters estimated from each watershed served for the evaluation. The PCA defined linear-type parameters as the main source of variability among the watersheds. The GA and the Cp were effective for grouping the watersheds in five groups, and provided the information for the spatial analysis. The GA methodology best classified the watersheds based on the variance of their parameters. The group with the highest prioritization and erosion susceptibility included watersheds RH24Lf, RH24Lb, RH24Nc, and RH24Jb. These watersheds are potential candidates for the implementation of soil conservation practices.
Green Concrete: By-Products Utilization and Advanced Approaches
Authors: Al-Mansour Ahmed , Chow Cheuk Lun , Feo Luciano , Penna Rosa , Lau Denvid
Published: September 2019

The popularity of concrete has been accompanied with dreadful consumptions that have led to huge carbon footprint in our environment. The exhaustion of natural resources is not yet the problem, but also the energy that is needed for the fabrication of the natural materials, in which this process releases significant amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the air. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and natural aggregates, which are the key constituents of concrete, are suggested to be recycled or substituted in order to address the sustainability concern. Here, by-products have been targeted to reduce the carbon footprint, including, but not limited to, fly ash, rice husk ash, silica fume, recycled coarse aggregates, ground granular blast-furnace slag, waste glass, and plastic. Moreover, advanced approaches with an emphasis on sustainability are highlighted, which include the enhancement of the hydration process in cement (calcium-silicate hydrate) and the development of new materials that can be used in concrete (e.g., carbon nanotube). This review paper provides a comprehensive discussion upon the utilization of the reviewed materials, as well as the challenges and the knowledge gaps in producing green and sustainable concrete.
Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance and Business Performance: Limits and Challenges Imposed by the Implementation of Directive 2013/34/EU in Romania
Authors: Popescu Cristina Raluca Gh.
Published: September 2019

In order to identify the factors that have influenced the Romanian companies’ level of compliance required by the Directive 2013/34/EU with respect to publishing, alongside the annual financial statements for 2017, a report containing non-financial information regarding environmental, social, and personal aspects, and business ethics, the following steps were taken in our groundbreaking study: firstly, we analyzed whether there are statistical associations between the level of compliance and the legal forms of organization, the forms of ownership of capital, the branch of activity, the number of employees, the turnover, and the company location; secondly, we evaluated the meaning and intensity of these associations with the help of non-parametric correlation coefficients; thirdly, we identified and presented the economic and social causes of the results obtained; and fourthly, we proposed measures that can contribute to increasing the degree of compliance. What is more, this rigorous scientific work highlights the need to enhance corporate governance and corporate social responsibility in order to create an appropriate balance between sustainability, competitiveness, productivity, and businesses’ financial and non-financial performance, while taking into consideration the benefits brought by the tangible value of businesses (such as, cash flow and earnings) as well as the intangible value of businesses (such as, brand, customer experience, intellectual capital, organizational culture and reputation).
Expansion of Rural Settlements on High-Quality Arable Land in Tongzhou District in Beijing, China
Authors: Li Huanhuan , Song Wei
Published: September 2019

Settlement expansion caused by urbanization is an important factor leading to the loss of arable land across the world. Due to various factors in China, such as institutional problems, the total number of rural settlements is decreasing, while the total area continues to increase. Rural settlements expand mainly into arable land, resulting in a significant loss of high-quality farmland, thus threatening long-term food security. However, research on this subject is relatively scarce. In this study, using KeyHole and RESURS F1 satellite remote sensing images, we examined the spatial expansion of rural settlements in Tongzhou District, Beijing, in 1972 and 1991. Then, the consumption of high-quality arable land by rural settlements expansion was assessed. It was found that the overall accuracy of the produced maps for 1972 and 1991 were 93% and 90%, respectively. The accuracy of mapped changes from 1972 to 1991 was as high as 90%. From 1972 to 1991 and from 1991 to 2015, the rural settlements in Tongzhou District expanded by 51.54% and 79.91% respectively, with 53.72% and 60.64% of the expanded rural settlements being on arable land. Rural settlements expanded mainly into high-quality arable land at the beginning of the study period, whereas later on, medium- and low-quality farmland was also occupied, albeit to a lesser degree.
How Does Sustainability Become Professionally Relevant? Exploring the Role of Sustainability Conceptions in First Year Students
Authors: Sundermann Anna , Fischer Daniel
Published: September 2019

One of the main objectives of higher education for sustainable development is to nurture holistic conceptions of sustainability in students, so that they can use sustainability as an approach to analyze and solve complex problems in their future professional fields. Existing studies have shown that students differ substantially in how relevant they consider the concept of sustainable development to their future careers. Previous studies have identified socio-demographic characteristics, disciplinary background and past experiences with sustainability education as potential influencing factors. To date, the relationships between one’s own “understanding” of sustainability (sustainability conception) and the importance students attach to sustainability has hardly been investigated. This case study offers a first systematic examination of how the perceived professional relevance of sustainability is influenced by different individual characteristics and sustainability conceptions. Based on data from a recent survey of n = 1364 first year undergraduate students from 14 different major subjects, our findings indicate that in addition to the previously reported individual characteristics like sex and academic affiliation, sociocultural sustainability conceptions are an important influential factor for the perceived importance of sustainability for their professional contexts. However, the regression analysis shows that the model based on predictors found in the literature lacks incremental power. This paper unveils that further research is needed on the underlying factors that explain the strength of perceived relevance of sustainability in students and that these influences need to be taken more into account in curriculum development.
Determining Environmental Costs: A Challenge in A Governmental E-Waste Recycling Scheme
Authors: Cheng Chii-pwu , Lin Chun-hsu , Wen Lih-chyi , Chang Tien-chin
Published: September 2019

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concept involves having producers take environmental responsibility for post-consumer products. Based on this principle, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive of the European Union, enacted in 2006, is the most representative management program in the world and the most popular recycling policy many countries follow. Taiwan’s version of EPR for WEEE recycling, set up in 1998, had a focus on recycling fees determined by a recycling fee equation. Nowadays, the equation takes into account the consideration of the environment in the designs of products, in addition to the cost needed for recycling. The environmental performance upgrades in products, encouraged by the financial incentives from these considerations, is a side-benefit of this program. In this paper, the functions of the recycling fee equation that consider environmental costs are reviewed. It was found that in spite of the difficulty in determining the real environmental costs in practice, pricing is a mechanism which helps us to consider the cost of e-waste recycling, not only in terms of labor and administration, but also environmental quality.
Environmental Impacts of University Restaurant Menus: A Case Study in Brazil
Authors: Hatjiathanassiadou Maria , Souza Sthephany Rayanne Gomes de , Nogueira Josimara Pereira , Oliveira Luciana de Medeiros , Strasburg Virgílio José , Rolim Priscilla Moura , Seabra Larissa Mont’Alverne Jucá
Published: September 2019

The production of collective meals in institutional restaurants demands a great use of natural resources. The search for strategies to reduce negative environmental impacts in this sector is essential to offer meals that are not only healthy but also sustainable. In this study the evaluation of water footprint (WF) of menus offered in a public university restaurant located in the northeast of Brazil and the verification of the origin of foodstuff purchased to compose the menus in 2 months were carried out. The study is transversal, descriptive, and exploratory and the data were collected between March and April 2018. Water footprint of 112 traditional and vegetarian menus was calculated and the results showed that the WF of traditional menus was higher (p < 0.0001) than the vegetarian menus. Weekly average per capita of WF was 2752.0 L for traditional menus and 1113.9 L for the vegetarian option, with animal protein intake in the traditional version being the main factor for this difference. It was identified that 49.47% of the foods used in the studied period originated from the same state where the restaurant is located, with fresh vegetables being the food group with the highest contribution. Thus, we conclude that although the restaurant purchases local food products, the environmental impact of the choice of foods that is included in the menus must be taken into account. The utilization of local foodstuff and the decrease of animal protein in the menus can be a good strategy to encourage sustainable actions in food services meal production.
Community-Based Governance and Sustainability in the Paraguayan Pantanal
Authors: Eufemia Luca , Schlindwein Izabela , Bonatti Michelle , Bayer Sabeth Tara , Sieber Stefan
Published: September 2019

The megadiverse biome of the Paraguayan Pantanal is in danger due to the expansion of cattle ranching and agricultural frontiers that threaten not only the fragile equilibrium of natural resources, but also that of local governance and cultural identities. As a consequence, weak governance stresses the relations between natural resource-dependent communities, generating socio-environmental conflicts. This perception study seeks to find community-based governance models for sustainability in the context of Paraguayan wetlands. According to the organizational principles of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM), we applied qualitative approaches with the use of the Governance Analytical Framework (GAF) to identify problems and social norms. Our findings suggest that the Yshiro indigenous self-organized group (Unión de las Comunidades Indígenas de la Nación Yshiro (UCINY)) can be considered as a model for community-based governance. Besides, we discovered that this specific governance model is highly threatened by the impact of the national neo-extractive economy.
Future Grain Consumption Trends and Implications on Grain Security in China
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Lu Changhe
Published: September 2019

Associated with population and income growth, grain consumption in China is expected to increase, and thus has inevitably influenced the food security. Using statistical data of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from 1978 to 2017, this study adopting the vector auto-regression (VAR) model and implied demand approach, projected the future consumption of major grains (rice, wheat, maize, and soybean) for food, feed, and other uses in China during 2018–2030. On this basis, it further discussed their implications on grain security. The results showed that during 2018–2030, the Chinese dietary structure would continue to shift from food grain to animal foods. As a result, the grain’s food consumption will decrease slightly (1.5%), while the feed consumption will increase significantly (31.4%), contributing 71.4% to the total increase of grain consumption. By 2030, the total grain consumption will increase by 20.2% to 846.2 million tons, of which 50.2% will be consumed for feeding animals. In the total consumption, maize will be the largest consumed grain variety, accounting for 39.2%. The security of rice and wheat would be optimistic in the future, while the security of maize and soybeans is likely to decline, and thus needs to be given high priority. These findings have great policy implications for improving the grain security, suggesting that in addition to promote the expansion of maize and soybean growing area by adjusting the cropping structure of the arable land, great efforts should be paid to improve the yield of both crops. In addition, residents should be guided to adjust the dietary structure, and also, it is important to improve the animal feeding efficiency.
Environmental and Health Risks of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soils of Drinking Water Protection Areas and a Contaminated Paddy Field in Taiwan
Authors: Huang Shih-Han , Wang Ying-Lin , Li Sheng-Hsien , Chien Ling-Chu , Chang Tien-Chin , Hseu Zeng-Yei , Hsi Hsing-Cheng
Published: September 2019

This study assessed heavy metal contents and their mobility, bioaccessibility, environmental risk, and health effects in the farmland soils of Drinking Water Source Quality Protection (DWSQP) areas contaminated by livestock manure and a paddy field contaminated by co-use of irrigation and drainage canals in Taiwan. The risk assessment code (RAC) and synthesis toxicity index (STI) for the soils were obtained. The potential health effects caused from soil direct ingestion by hand-to-mouth activity and dermal contact frequently occurring to farmers were further evaluated. The Cu, Zn, and Cr levels in DWSQP areas and the Changhwa (CH) paddy field exceeded the standards promulgated by Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (EPA). Nevertheless, RAC in DWSQP areas was in low risk levels. In contrast, RAC from Cu and Zn in CH paddy soils was in medium levels. Non-carcinogenic risks for farmers based on the total and bioaccessible metals in DWSQP areas and CH soils were all <1. However, carcinogenic risks based on bioaccessible Cr still exceeded 10−6 in several soils, indicating that the potential impacts on environmental and human health due to direct and indirect exposures to these contaminated soils should be concerned.
Role of Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMAs) in Apparel Brands Customer Response: A Moderated Mediation Analysis
Authors: Khan Zobi , Yang Yongzhong , Shafi Mohsin , Yang Ruo
Published: September 2019

This study analyzes the influence of apparel/clothing brand social media marketing activities (SMMAs) on brand equity and customer response in Pakistan. First, the current SMMAs are examined; then, we propose new attributes, i.e., fundamental social media marketing activities (FSMMAs) and sophisticated social media marketing activities (SSMMAs) such as interactions, sharing, and trendiness. Second, the influence of innovative components, i.e., FSMMAs and SSMMAs, are analyzed regarding brand equity and customer response toward apparel brands. A survey was conducted with a total of 406 Pakistani customers who used apparel brands, and the collected data were analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Hayes PROCESS macro in SPSS. From the empirical results, we concluded that apparel brand equity (i.e., brand awareness, brand image) significantly mediates the relationship between FSMMAs and customer response (price premium willingness, customer loyalty). Moreover, it is also determined that SSMMAs moderate the indirect association of FSMMAs and customer response via brand equity.
Erratum: Li, P.; Zhang, X.; et al. Effects of Vegetation Restoration on Soil Bacterial Communities, Enzyme Activities, and Nutrients of Reconstructed Soil in a Mining Area on the Loess Plateau, China. Sustainability 2019, 11, 2295
Authors: Li Pengfei , Zhang Xingchang , Hao Mingde , Cui Yongxing , Zhu Shilei , Zhang Yanjiang
Published: September 2019

The authors would like to make the following corrections about the published paper [...]
Academic Collaboration in Entrepreneurship Research from 2009 to 2018: A Multilevel Collaboration Network Analysis
Authors: Song Rui , Xu Hao , Cai Li
Published: September 2019

Entrepreneurship research is widely regarded as an important basis for competitive advantage in a rapidly changing international business environment, enhancing capacities for sustainable business growth, economic activity, and the wealth of nations. In recent years, international cooperation has been considered to be one of the key factors promoting the sustainable development of entrepreneurial research. However, the evolution of the cooperative network of entrepreneurial research and the relationship between international cooperation and entrepreneurial research performance has not received the attention of most researchers. Therefore, we used a multilevel collaborative analysis method, i.e., country, city, institution and scholar, analyzing 2037 studies in this area from 2009 to 2018 from the Business Source Complete database by collaboration network analysis and bibliometric analysis. Our study tracked the evolution and cooperation trends in entrepreneurship research and detailed characteristics of international academic cooperation over the past decade, and we found the following: (1) The four types of cooperative networks have evolved over time, and generally conform to the distribution characteristics of the core periphery; cities, institutions, and researchers from central countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Germany occupy central positions in cooperation; they are scale-free networks and subject to the principle of priority connection. (2) The evolution of cooperative networks at different levels are non-conformal, there is a subtle relationship between micro-networks that can explain the distribution and changes in macro-networks. (3) International academic cooperation can promote the performance of entrepreneurial research, and cooperation has become the main theme of entrepreneurial research. These findings can help researchers to better study cooperative relationships in entrepreneurship research. Moreover, they can provide entrepreneurial decision support for national and local governments and contribute to the sustainable development of entrepreneurial research.
MADM Based on Generalized Interval Neutrosophic Schweizer-Sklar Prioritized Aggregation Operators
Authors: Khan Qaisar , Abdullah Lazim , Mahmood Tahir , Naeem Muhammad , Rashid Saima
Published: September 2019

The interval neutrosophic set (INS) can make it easier to articulate incomplete, indeterminate, and inconsistent information, and the Schweizer-Sklar (Sh-Sk) t-norm (tm) and t-conorm (tcm) can make the information aggregation process more flexible due to a variable parameter. To take full advantage of INS and Sh-Sk operations, in this article, we expanded the Sh-Sk and to IN numbers (INNs) in which the variable parameter takes values from [ ∞ − , 0 ) , develop the Sh-Sk operational laws for INNs and discussed its desirable properties. After that, based on these newly developed operational laws, two types of generalized prioritized aggregation operators are established, the generalized IN Sh-Sk prioritized weighted averaging (INSh-SkPWA) operator and the generalized IN Sh-Sk prioritized weighted geometric (INSh-SkPWG) operator. Additionally, we swot a number of valuable characteristics of these intended aggregation operators (AGOs) and created two novel decision-making models to match with multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM) problems under IN information established on INSh-SkPWA and INSh-SkPRWG operators. Finally, an expressive example regarding evaluating the technological innovation capability for the high-tech enterprises is specified to confirm the efficacy of the intended models.
Graphene-Based Sensing Platform for On-Chip Ochratoxin A Detection
Authors: Nekrasov Nikita , Kireev Dmitry , Emelianov Aleksei , Bobrinetskiy Ivan
Published: September 2019

In this work, we report an on-chip aptasensor for ochratoxin A (OTA) toxin detection that is based on a graphene field-effect transistor (GFET). Graphene-based devices are fabricated via large-scale technology, allowing for upscaling the sensor fabrication and lowering the device cost. The sensor assembly was performed through covalent bonding of graphene’s surface with an aptamer specifically sensitive towards OTA. The results demonstrate fast (within 5 min) response to OTA exposure with a linear range of detection between 4 ng/mL and 10 pg/mL, with a detection limit of 4 pg/mL. The regeneration time constant of the sensor was found to be rather small, only 5.6 s, meaning fast sensor regeneration for multiple usages. The high reproducibility of the sensing response was demonstrated via using several recycling procedures as well as various GFETs. The applicability of the aptasensor to real samples was demonstrated for spiked red wine samples with recovery of about 105% for a 100 pM OTA concentration; the selectivity of the sensor was also confirmed via addition of another toxin, zearalenone. The developed platform opens the way for multiplex sensing of different toxins using an on-chip array of graphene sensors.
Novel Polyclonal Antibody Raised against Tetrodotoxin Using Its Haptenic Antigen Prepared from 4,9-anhydrotetrodotoxin Reacted with 1,2-Ethaneditiol and Further Reacted with Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin
Authors: Sato Shigeru , Takaishi Suzuka , Yasumoto Ko , Watabe Shugo
Published: September 2019

A novel polyclonal antibody against tetrodotoxin (TTX) was raised using its haptenic antigen, where 4,9-anhydroTTX was reacted with 1,2-ethanedithiol and this derivative was further reacted with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). This newly designed antigen (KLH-TTX) was inoculated into rabbits, resulting in the production of the specific polyclonal antibody, which reacted well with TTX and its analogs, 4-epiTTX, 11-oxoTTX and 5,6,11-trideoxyTTX, except for 4,9-anhydroTTX. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system using this specific antibody was also developed in the present study. This newly developed polyclonal antibody with analytical procedures using direct one-step ELISA is useful to detect TTX and its analogs in toxic organisms and also disclose the mechanisms involved in their metabolic pathways and accumulation of TTX.
Zearalenone Biodegradation by the Combination of Probiotics with Cell-Free Extracts of Aspergillus oryzae and Its Mycotoxin-Alleviating Effect on Pig Production Performance
Authors: Liu Chaoqi , Chang Juan , Wang Ping , Yin Qingqiang , Huang Weiwei , Dang Xiaowei , Lu Fushan , Gao Tianzeng
Published: September 2019

In order to remove zearalenone (ZEA) detriment—Bacillus subtilis, Candida utilis, and cell-free extracts from Aspergillus oryzae were used to degrade ZEA in this study. The orthogonal experiment in vitro showed that the ZEA degradation rate was 92.27% (p < 0.05) under the conditions that Candida utilis, Bacillus subtilis SP1, and Bacillus subtilis SP2 were mixed together at 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.0%. When cell-free extracts from Aspergillus oryzae were combined with the above probiotics at a ratio of 2:1 to make mycotoxin-biodegradation preparation (MBP), the ZEA degradation rate reached 95.15% (p < 0.05). In order to further investigate the MBP effect on relieving the negative impact of ZEA for pig production performance, 120 young pigs were randomly divided into 5 groups, with 3 replicates in each group and 8 pigs for each replicate. Group A was given the basal diet with 86.19 μg/kg ZEA; group B contained 300 μg/kg ZEA without MBP addition; and groups C, D, and E contained 300 μg/kg ZEA added with 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.15% MBP, respectively. The results showed that MBP addition was able to keep gut microbiota stable. ZEA concentrations in jejunal contents in groups A and D were 89.47% and 80.07% lower than that in group B (p < 0.05), indicating that MBP was effective in ZEA biodegradation. In addition, MBP had no significant effect on pig growth, nutrient digestibility, and the relative mRNA abundance of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) genes in ovaries and the uterus (p > 0.05).
Insight into the Lytic Functions of the Lactococcal Prophage TP712
Authors: Escobedo Susana , Campelo Ana Belén , Wegmann Udo , García Pilar , Rodríguez Ana , Martínez Beatriz
Published: September 2019

The lytic cassette of Lactococcus lactis prophage TP712 contains a putative membrane protein of unknown function (Orf54), a holin (Orf55), and a modular endolysin with a N-terminal glycoside hydrolase (GH_25) catalytic domain and two C-terminal LysM domains (Orf56, LysTP712). In this work, we aimed to study the mode of action of the endolysin LysTP712. Inducible expression of the holin-endolysin genes seriously impaired growth. The growth of lactococcal cells overproducing the endolysin LysTP712 alone was only inhibited upon the dissipation of the proton motive force by the pore-forming bacteriocin nisin. Processing of a 26-residues signal peptide is required for LysTP712 activation, since a truncated version without the signal peptide did not impair growth after membrane depolarization. Moreover, only the mature enzyme displayed lytic activity in zymograms, while no lytic bands were observed after treatment with the Sec inhibitor sodium azide. LysTP712 might belong to the growing family of multimeric endolysins. A C-terminal fragment was detected during the purification of LysTP712. It is likely to be synthesized from an alternative internal translational start site located upstream of the cell wall binding domain in the lysin gene. Fractions containing this fragment exhibited enhanced activity against lactococcal cells. However, under our experimental conditions, improved in vitro inhibitory activity of the enzyme was not observed upon the supplementation of additional cell wall binding domains in. Finally, our data pointed out that changes in the lactococcal cell wall, such as the degree of peptidoglycan O-acetylation, might hinder the activity of LysTP712. LysTP712 is the first secretory endolysin from a lactococcal phage described so far. The results also revealed how the activity of LysTP712 might be counteracted by modifications of the bacterial peptidoglycan, providing guidelines to exploit the biotechnological potential of phage endolysins within industrially relevant lactococci and, by extension, other bacteria.
Serum-Derived Extracellular Vesicles from African Swine Fever Virus-Infected Pigs Selectively Recruit Viral and Porcine Proteins
Authors: Montaner-Tarbes Sergio , Pujol Myriam , Jabbar Tamara , Hawes Philippa , Chapman Dave , Portillo Hernando del , Fraile Lorenzo , Sánchez-Cordón Pedro J. , Dixon Linda , Montoya Maria
Published: September 2019

: African swine fever is a devastating hemorrhagic infectious disease, which affects domestic and wild swines (Sus scrofa) of all breeds and ages, with a high lethality of up to 90–100% in naïve animals. The causative agent, African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a large and complex double-stranded DNA arbovirus which is currently spreading worldwide, with serious socioeconomic consequences. There is no treatment or effective vaccine commercially available, and most of the current research is focused on attenuated viral models, with limited success so far. Thus, new strategies are under investigation. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have proven to be a promising new vaccination platform for veterinary diseases in situations in which conventional approaches have not been completely successful. Here, serum extracellular vesicles from infected pigs using two different ASFV viruses (OURT 88/3 and Benin ΔMGF), corresponding to a naturally attenuated virus and a deletion mutant, respectively, were characterized in order to determine possible differences in the content of swine and viral proteins in EV-enriched fractions. Firstly, EVs were characterized by their CD5, CD63, CD81 and CD163 surface expression. Secondly, ASFV proteins were detected on the surface of EVs from ASFV-infected pig serum. Finally, proteomic analysis revealed few specific proteins from ASFV in the EVs, but 942 swine proteins were detected in all EV preparations (negative controls, and OURT 88/3 and Benin ΔMGF-infected preparations). However, in samples from OURT 88/3-infected animals, only a small number of proteins were differentially identified compared to control uninfected animals. Fifty-six swine proteins (Group Benin) and seven proteins (Group OURT 88/3) were differentially detected on EVs when compared to the EV control group. Most of these were related to coagulation cascades. The results presented here could contribute to a better understanding of ASFV pathogenesis and immune/protective responses in the host.
Hepatitis E Virus Entry
Authors: Yin Xin , Feng Zongdi
Published: September 2019

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a major cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. It is transmitted enterically but replicates in the liver. Recent studies indicate that HEV exists in two forms: naked, nonenveloped virions that are shed into feces to mediate inter-host transmission, and membrane-cloaked, quasienveloped virions that circulate in the bloodstream to mediate virus spread within a host. Both virion types are infectious, but differ in the way they infect cells. Elucidating the entry mechanism for both virion types is essential to understand HEV biology and pathogenesis, and is relevant to the development of treatments and preventions for HEV. This review summarizes the current understanding of the cell entry mechanism for these two HEV virion types.
Enlisting the mRNA Vaccine Platform to Combat Parasitic Infections
Authors: Versteeg Leroy , Almutairi Mashal M. , Hotez Peter J. , Pollet Jeroen
Published: September 2019

Despite medical progress, more than a billion people still suffer daily from parasitic infections. Vaccination is recognized as one of the most sustainable options to control parasitic diseases. However, the development of protective and therapeutic vaccines against tropical parasites has proven to be exceptionally challenging for both scientific and economic reasons. For certain parasitic diseases, traditional vaccine platforms are not well-suited, due to the complexity of the parasite life cycles and the parasite’s ability to evade the human immune system. An effective anti-parasite vaccine platform needs to have the ability to develop and test novel candidate antigens fast and at high-throughput; it further needs to allow for multivalent combinations and must evoke a strong and well-defined immune response. Anti-parasitic vaccines need to be safe and economically attractive, especially in the world’s low- and middle-income countries. This review evaluates the potential of in vitro transcribed mRNA vaccines as a new class of preventive and therapeutic vaccine technologies for parasitic infections.
Genetic Variation in the Magnitude and Longevity of the IgG Subclass Response to a Diphtheria-Tetanus-Acellular Pertussis (DTaP) Vaccine in Mice
Authors: Mosley Yung-Yi C. , Radder Josiah E. , HogenEsch Harm
Published: September 2019

The type of IgG subclasses induced by vaccination is an important determinant of vaccine efficacy because the IgG subclasses vary in their biological function. The goal of this study was to determine the influence of the genetic background on the production and duration of vaccine-induced IgG subclasses. IgG1, IgG2b, and IgG3 titers against diphtheria toxoid (DT), pertussis toxin (PT), filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), and pertactin (Prn) were measured in mice from 28 different inbred and wild-derived strains vaccinated with an aluminum hydroxide-adjuvanted DTaP vaccine. The titers and duration of vaccine-specific IgG subclass responses were different among mouse strains, indicating that genetic factors contribute to this variation. Statistical associations were used to identify potential mechanisms that contribute to antibody production and longevity. This analysis showed that the mechanisms guiding the magnitude of antibody production were antigen-dependent for IgG1 but antigen-independent for IgG2b and IgG3. However, the mechanisms driving the longevity of antibody titers were antigen-independent for IgG1, IgG2b, and IgG3. The ratio of IgG1 and IgG3 titers identified Th1 and Th2-prone mouse strains. TLR4-deficient C3H/HeJ mice had an enhanced IgG1 response compared with C3H/HeOuJ mice with intact TLR4. This work demonstrates that the genetic background contributes significantly to the magnitude and longevity of vaccine-induced IgG1, IgG2b, and IgG3 titers in mice.
Immune Modulation and Immune-Mediated Pathogenesis of Emerging Tickborne Banyangviruses
Authors: Mendoza Crystal A. , Ebihara Hideki , Yamaoka Satoko
Published: September 2019

In the last decade, the emergence of several, novel tickborne viruses have caused significant disease in humans. Of interest are the tickborne banyangviruses: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), Heartland virus (HRTV), and Guertu virus (GTV). SFTSV and HRTV infection in humans cause viral hemorrhagic fever-like disease leading to mortality rates ranging from 6–30% of the cases. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) associated with SFTSV infection is hypothesized to contribute significantly to pathology seen in patients. Despite the severe disease caused by HRTV and SFTSV, there are no approved therapeutics or vaccines. Investigation of the immune response during and following infection is critical to the generation of fully protective vaccines and/or supportive treatments, and overall understanding of viral immune evasion mechanisms may aid in the development of a new class of therapeutics.
A Numerical Simulator for Modeling the Coupling Processes of Subsurface Fluid Flow and Reactive Transport Processes in Fractured Carbonate Rocks
Authors: Yuan Tao , Wei Chenji , Zhang Chen-Song , Qin Guan
Published: September 2019

Water–rock interactions can alter rock properties through chemical reactions during subsurface transport processes like geological CO2 sequestration (GCS), matrix acidizing, and waterflooding in carbonate formations. Dynamic changes in rock properties cause a failure of waterflooding and GCS and could also dramatically affect the efficiency of the acidizing. Efficient numerical simulations are thus essential to the optimized design of those subsurface processes. In this paper, we develop a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model for simulating the coupled processes of fluid flow and chemical reactions in fractured carbonate formations. In the proposed model, we employ the Stokes–Brinkman equation for momentum balance, which is a single-domain formulation for modeling fluid flow in fractured porous media. We then couple the Stokes–Brinkman equation with reactive-transport equations. The model can be formulated to describe linear as well as radial flow. We employ a decoupling procedure that sequentially solves the Stokes–Brinkman equation and the reactive transport equations. Numerical experiments show that the proposed method can model the coupled processes of fluid flow, solute transport, chemical reactions, and alterations of rock properties in both linear and radial flow scenarios. The rock heterogeneity and the mineral volume fractions are two important factors that significantly affect the structure of conductive channels.
У ПОШУКАХ «ІДЕАЛЬНОЇ» В’ЯЗНИЦІ (ВІД ЗАРОДЖЕННЯ ІДЕЇ ДО ЇЇ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ)
Authors: Лазаренко Л.
Published: September 2019

У статті з’ясовано зміст концепту «ідеальної» в’язниці в історичному дискурсі та його реалізацію на практиці в межах в’язничних перетворень у зарубіжних країнах упродовж XVIII–XX ст., проаналізовано вплив пенітенціарних ідей І. Бентама на практику виконання покарань та тюремну архітектуру, а також трансформацію концепту нагляду в сучасному світі.
ІМПЛЕМЕНТАЦІЯ ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОГО ДОСВІДУ В ПРАКТИКУ КРИМІНОЛОГІЧНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ УКРАЇНИ
Authors: Сазонов В.
Published: September 2019

Стаття присвячена дослідженню міжнародного аспекту забезпечення економічної безпеки України на підставі аналізу різних форм імплементації європейського досвіду в практику її кримінологічного забезпечення. Наголошено, що цей процес здійснюється в різних формах: дотримання, виконання, використання і застосування права. Кожній з наведених форм притаманні специфічні способи їх реалізації: трансформація, відсилання, інкорпорація, легітимація, адаптація і рецепція. Вибір національним законодавцем наведених способів імплементації безпосередньо впливає на якість законодавства у сфері кримінологічного забезпечення економічної безпеки нашої держави і вимагає його своєчасного вдосконалення з огляду на постійні зміни соціальних умов життєдіяльності людей.