bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Participation in Group Companies as a Source of External Knowledge in Obtaining and Making Profitable Radical Innovations
Authors: Alonso-Muñoz Sara , Pelechano-Barahona Eva , González-Sánchez Rocío
Published: September 2020

In the context of potential absorptive capacity, the present work analyzes sources of knowledge through the adjustment between the typology of sources and innovative results. Different external sources can condition the later phases of knowledge absorption. In relation to external sources of knowledge, we enrich their treatment by considering other companies in the same group as deeper relationships. In addition, we analyzed the results regarding the generation of radical innovations with impact on income. The results show that company groups can reduce costs in the exchange of technological knowledge, not only to develop radical innovations but also to improve their economic performance. Furthermore, membership in a group allows a company to obtain a greater economic return when combined with assimilation resources.
Stream Flow Changes and the Sustainability of Cruise Tourism on the Lijiang River, China
Authors: Yao Yuefeng , Mallik Azim
Published: September 2020

Water resources play a critical role in the sustainable development of river-based tourism. Reduced stream flow on the Lijiang River, south China, may negatively impact the development of cruise tourism. We explored the effects of stream flow changes on cruise tourism by determining (1) cruise tourism development indicators, (2) stream flow regime characteristics and their impacts on cruise tourism development indicators, and (3) climate variability and socio-economic factors effecting stream flow. Cruise tourism on the river has experienced rapid growth in recent decades. Stream flow regimes displayed no significant changes between 1960 and 2016, although dry season stream flow was significantly lower than in other seasons. We found that stream flow changes did not have a significant impact on the development of cruise tourism. As precipitation has not changed significantly, policies, including regulated stream flow from hydroelectric reservoirs, are assumed to mitigate reduced stream flow. However, increased irrigation and economic development, combined with future climate change, may increase challenges to cruise tourism. Future reservoir operations should prepare for climate change-related increases in temperature and insignificant changes in precipitation, and adopt adaptive measures, such as rationing water use in various sectors, to mitigate water shortages for supporting sustainable tourism development.
Public Participation and Information Disclosure for Environmental Sustainability of 2022 Winter Olympics
Authors: He Guizhen , Yeerkenbieke Gulijiazi , Baninla Yvette
Published: September 2020

As China prepares to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee has committed to making public participation a fundamental part of its broader sustainability objectives. Unfortunately, the existing research on information openness and public participation towards Winter Olympic Games is limited in the perspective of host residents. Therefore, this article aims to understand the information disclosure and public participation, as well as the roles information and technologies (ICTs) play in achieving environmental sustainability. With the help of self-administered questionnaires, data were compiled. The survey was conducted in April 2017 with 650 residents in Beijing and Zhangjiakou via face-to-face interviews to obtain a random and statistically representative sample of host residents. Our findings indicated that only few respondents participated in the limited activities of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The respondents’ views on important issues of public participation varied obviously including the participating level, principles, time, ways, mechanism, and influencing factor. The analysis illustrated over 70% of respondents had the positive attitudes towards ICTs roles and functions in Beijing 2022. ICTs have helped the public to obtain information about environmental management and sustainability issues, and to facilitate public awareness and collective action by building new management practices. This study has implications and contributes to the burgeoning literature surrounding the Olympic Games by providing an in-depth analysis of public participation in relation to the theory.
Can Green Building Promote Pro-Environmental Behaviours? The Psychological Model and Design Strategy
Authors: Xie Xiaohuan , Qin Shiyu , Gou Zhonghua , Yi Ming
Published: September 2020

A green building has a long lasting benefit through cultivating the occupants’ energy and resource-saving behaviours. To understand how green buildings can cultivate occupants’ pro-environment behaviours, the research applied the value–belief–norm model to investigate 17 pro-environmental behaviours which are related to a variety of green building design strategies. Two green and two non-green certified office buildings in the city of Shenzhen in China were surveyed, based on which structural equation modelling was established to confirm the relationship between personal values, environmental beliefs and norms that lead to pro-environment behaviours. Green and non-green building occupants showed significant differences in altruistic values, environmental awareness, personal norms, and pro-environmental behaviours. Green building users had more frequent pro-environmental behaviours than those in non-green buildings. The strategies that require fewer additional efforts were more likely to be adopted as pro-environmental behaviours, such as meeting daily needs within walking distance and adjusting sunshades, while the strategies that need extra physical efforts (taking stairs) or knowledge (garbage sorting) were less likely to be adopted as pro-environmental behaviours. This study pointed out important intervention opportunities and discussed the possible design implications for green building guidelines and programmes to cultivate green occupants and their corresponding pro-environmental behaviours.
Evaluation of the Temporal and Spatial Changes of Ecological Quality in the Hami Oasis Based on RSEI
Authors: Gao Pengwen , Kasimu Alimujiang , Zhao Yongyu , Lin Bing , Chai Jinpeng , Ruzi Tuersunayi , Zhao Hemiao
Published: September 2020

Given the restrictions on special geographic locations in development processes, the measurement and analysis of the ecological quality of the Hami Oasis are of great significance for the protection of this fragile oasis. In this study, the ecological quality of the Hami Oasis was monitored by constructing a remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) for arid areas. Using the standard deviation ellipse and moving window method, the ecological status and space–time changes were explored for both their external and internal factors in the Hami Oasis. Finally, a geo-detector was employed to determine the driving factors of the ecological quality of the Hami Oasis. The results revealed that: (1) In the remote sensing ecological index constructed in the Hami Oasis, the main influencing factors were dryness and wetness. The average value of the ecological quality of the oasis was less than 0.5, and the ecological quality level was relatively poor. Among the five grades of ecological quality in the Hami Oasis, the poor grade and the good grade showed the largest changes, decreasing by 200 and increasing by 300, respectively, which were mainly concentrated in the periphery of the oasis. (2) The improved ecological quality of the Hami Oasis was mainly manifested in the expansion of the artificial oasis, while the deteriorated area was manifested as an increase in the built-up area. Moreover, the ecological quality of the Hami Oasis presented a ringlike nesting distribution pattern from the internal built-up area to the artificial oasis periphery. (3) The external expansion direction of the ecological quality of the Hami Oasis featured southeast–northwest expansion, which was consistent with the direction of the rivers and traffic roads. The transformation between different ecological qualities in the oasis and the expansion of the built-up area were the reasons for the fragmentation of the Hami Oasis’ landscape. (4) Compared to a single factor, the dual-factor for the ecological quality of the Hami Oasis had stronger explanatory power. Moreover, changes in land use types caused changes in the ecological quality of the Hami Oasis. During the study period, we found that human activities had a more significant impact than natural factors on the development of the Hami Oasis. (5) The Moran’s I Index increased from 0.835268 in 2000 to 0.923976 in 2018, and the p values in the study area all reached a 0.05 significant level. At the same time, the areas with p values above the 0.01 and 0.001 significant levels have also increased significantly in the past 18 years.
Assessing the Relationship between Social Vulnerability, Social Capital, and Housing Resilience
Authors: Rowan Sebastian , Kwiatkowski Kyle
Published: September 2020

Social vulnerability and social capital have been shown to influence how severely communities are impacted by natural hazards and how quickly they recover. Indices exist to quantify these factors using publicly available data; however, more empirical research is needed to validate these indices and support their use in pre-disaster planning and decision making. Using data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and data gathered through imagery analysis in Google Earth, this study evaluates the effectiveness of two indices of social vulnerability and social capital to predict housing impacts and rates of recovery in Florida and Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. We found the social vulnerability index to be statistically significant in explaining the variation of housing impacts in both case studies, with varying results for the sub-indices of social vulnerability. Results for the social capital index were mixed between the case studies, and we found no statistically significant relationship between any of the indices and rates of housing recovery. Our results show that indices such as these can be useful, with an awareness of limitations, for researchers and emergency practitioners, and additional empirical analysis is needed to more fully support their efficacy for resilience assessment.
Sustainable Cooking Based on a 3 kW Air-Forced Multifuel Gasification Stove Using Alternative Fuels Obtained from Agricultural Wastes
Authors: Hurtado Pérez Elías , Mulumba Ilunga Oscar , Alfonso Solar David , Moros Gómez María Cristina , Bastida-Molina Paula
Published: September 2020

In this research work, a 3 kW stove based on biomass gasification, together with a fuel obtained from agriculture wastes as an alternative to the commonly used charcoal, have been developed looking for sustainable cooking in poor communities. Alternative fuel (BSW) are briquettes obtained by carbonization and densification of agricultural solid wastes. Two laboratory methods, water boil test (WBT) and controlled kitchen test (CCT) were used to analyze the performance of this approach by comparing the proposed improved stove (ICS-G) with the traditional one (TCS), when using both types of fuels: charcoal and BSW. Results indicate that consumption of charcoal decreases by 61% using the improved ICS-G stove instead of the traditional TCS. Similar fuel savings are obtained when using BSW fuels. BSW fuel allows for a carbon monoxide (CO) emission reduction of 41% and 67%, and fine particles (PM) in a 84% and 93%, during the high and low power phases of the tests, respectively. Use of BSW fuel and ICS-G stove instead of the TCS stove with charcoal, provides a cooking time reduction of 18%, savings of $353.5 per year per family in the purchase of fuel, and an emission reduction of 3.2 t CO2/year.family.
Quality Management Practices of Food Manufacturers: A Comparative Study between Small, Medium and Large Companies in Malaysia
Authors: Kim-Soon Ng , Mostafa Salama A. , Nurunnabi Mohammad , Chin Lim Hui , Kumar Nallapaneni Manoj , Ali Rabei Raad , Subramaniam Umashankar
Published: September 2020

Quality management (QM) has been intensively studied from the perspective of quality management practices (QMP) and market performance in the food manufacturing industry. However, in Asian countries, studies as regards to the sizes of food manufacturing companies are being neglected. Hence, this quantitative study investigates several aspects and focuses on the extent and level of QMP implementation among small, medium, and large food manufacturing companies in Malaysia. A survey questionnaire has been used to collect the data. In general, the results show that the components and types of QMP have the highest impact on large companies and medium companies than the smallest companies. It was found that QMP significantly related to the operational performance and market performance of the food manufacturing companies in Malaysia. Moreover, the verified QMP was particularly important to improve the effectiveness of resource control of small-sized and medium-sized enterprises. The outcome of this study serves as a framework to bring an understanding of QMP and promote continuous QM improvement means to the food manufacturing industries in Malaysia and other countries of the region.
Research on Splitting Optimization Considering the Planning of Wind Power Integration
Authors: Tang Fei , Liang Weiqiang , Wang Chenxu , Gao Xin , Hu Benxi , Qin Fanghua
Published: September 2020

With the continuous expansion of wind power integration scale, the stability of the power system has been greatly affected, especially the changes of the traditional grid structure, which makes the system splitting face major challenges. In the context of the widespread use of wind energy, a bi-level planning method considering optimal location-allocation of wind power to reduce the difficulty of splitting was proposed. Based on the slow coherence theory, a correlation model that reflects the coherence degree of system buses was constructed. Furthermore, an improved intelligent optimization algorithm was proposed to solve the optimal location-allocation of wind power. The proposed method was conducted in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) 39-bus system to centralize the splitting scope. It is verified that the proposed method can reduce the system’s possible oscillation modes to realize that less instability occurs under small disturbances, and restrict the range of splitting sections under large disturbances, which ensures the effectiveness of splitting devices to maintain the stable operation of the power grid.
Evaluating the Adaptability of Reinforcement Learning Based HVAC Control for Residential Houses
Authors: Kurte Kuldeep , Munk Jeffrey , Kotevska Olivera , Amasyali Kadir , Smith Robert , McKee Evan , Du Yan , Cui Borui , Kuruganti Teja , Zandi Helia
Published: September 2020

Intelligent Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) control using deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has recently gained a lot of attention due to its ability to optimally control the complex behavior of the HVAC system. However, more exploration is needed on understanding the adaptability challenges that the DRL agent could face during the deployment phase. Using online learning for such applications is not realistic due to the long learning period and likely poor comfort control during the learning process. Alternatively, DRL can be pre-trained using a building model prior to deployment. However, developing an accurate building model for every house and deploying a pre-trained DRL model for HVAC control would not be cost-effective. In this study, we focus on evaluating the ability of DRL-based HVAC control to provide cost savings when pre-trained on one building model and deployed on different house models with varying user comforts. We observed around 30% of cost reduction by pre-trained model over baseline when validated in a simulation environment and achieved up to 21% cost reduction when deployed in the real house. This finding provides experimental evidence that the pre-trained DRL has the potential to adapt to different house environments and comfort settings.
The New Ecological Paradigm, Pro-Environmental Behaviour, and the Moderating Effects of Locus of Control and Self-Construal
Authors: Derdowski Lukasz Andrzej , Grahn Åsa Helen , Hansen Håvard , Skeiseid Heidi
Published: September 2020

Acquiring a better understanding of what drives pro-environmental and sustainable behaviour is important for both researchers and practitioners alike. The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating role of locus of control and self-construal on the relationship between pro-environmental beliefs and pro-environmental consumer behaviour. We explicitly model the endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) as a predictor of three specific types of environmental behaviour—travel, purchasing and day to day activities. The results show a positive and significant association between the endorsement of NEP and a person’s pro-environmental traveling behaviour, purchasing behaviour and day to day activities. Moreover, we find that the effects are moderated by a person’s locus of control, specifically, it remains positive and significant only for people with an internal locus of control. However, we found no moderating effect of a person’s self-construal on the association between NEP and pro-environmental behaviour. The findings are important in the continuing work to understand what is limiting consumers to behave according to their beliefs. Practical and theoretical implications of the results as well as suggestions for future research are presented.
The Relationship between Female Top Managers and Corporate Social Responsibility in China: The Moderating Role of the Marketization Level
Authors: Lu Qianwen , Chen Shouming , Chen Peien
Published: September 2020

This study links the gender diversity of the top management team (TMT) to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and examines the moderating role of the marketization level in their relationship. According to the token theory, females are “tokens” and have difficulty playing their roles when they are rare in groups, where their presence is used for providing legitimacy. Meanwhile, CSR is implemented to gain legitimacy. Therefore, we predicted that there was a negative relationship between female top managers and CSR, and that the marketization level positively moderated their relationship. The hypotheses were supported by the data from 17,032 manager-year observations of listed companies in China. The results indicated that the female top managers’ presence and CSR performance had the same function of gaining legitimacy. With limited resources, firms added females at the expense of decreasing investment in CSR when under the external pressure of increasing female top managers. Furthermore, this negative relationship was stronger in firms with a less-developed institutional environment because firms with weak institutions have strong incentives to find alternatives to fill the institutional void, which helps to gain access to resources and reduce transaction costs.
Social Networks Consumption and Addiction in College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Educational Approach to Responsible Use
Authors: Gómez-Galán José , Martínez-López José Ángel , Lázaro-Pérez Cristina , Sarasola Sánchez-Serrano José Luis
Published: September 2020

Within the framework of digital sustainability, the increase in Internet consumption, and especially online social networks, offers social benefits, but is not without its drawbacks. For example, it can lead to psychological and/or psychiatric disorders in some people. Numerous researches are highlighting the similarities of these addictions with the consumption of toxic substances. University students are heavy users of the Internet and, in certain situations, addiction to online social networks can be the result of depression, harassment, and anxiety, among others, affecting their daily life, including their academic responsibilities. In recent months, an anomaly has occurred that may have contributed to intensifying this problem, namely the confinement produced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the whole world to a greater or lesser extent. In this cross-sectional study, with a descriptive and quantitative methodology, students from 14 Spanish universities were investigated in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to understand the effects of this situation on the problem described. The results show a high consumption of social networks during that time, with significant incidences of addiction. In parallel, the presence of comorbidity has been determined. In this scenario, it would be necessary to implement university educational programs to redirect these addictive behaviors, as well as preventative recommendations and actions to minimize negative impacts. This is a major problem that is growing, exacerbated by the global pandemic produced by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Situations of this gravity call for the development of preventive and educational measures for the responsible and sustainable use of ICT.
Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in Russia
Authors: Shutaleva Anna , Nikonova Zhanna , Savchenko Irina , Martyushev Nikita
Published: September 2020

The article is devoted to one of the crucial aspects of sustainable development, with the example of analyzing the possibilities for the development of environmental education in the Russian Federation. The article analyzes the possibilities of the current Russian Federal State Educational Standard for general and higher education in implementing the ideas of education in the interests of sustainable development. The methodological principles and philosophical foundations of environmental education are considered to designate the worldview guideline of ecological thinking. The tasks of the state educational policy of the Russian Federation in the field of environmental education and the implementation of the concept of sustainable development are considered. The article describes the representation of the concept of sustainable development in the state policy of the Russian Federation, in the field of environmental education in the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard for various subject areas and training courses related to the topic of environmental development in school and university education. The strategic goal of environmental education in Russia is the formation and development of an environmental outlook among students of all ages, which is based on scientific knowledge, environmental culture, and ethics. The continuity, basic principles, and trends of the implementation of environmental education in the Russian Federation are shown.
Physicochemical Characterization and SEM-EDX Analysis of Brewer’s Spent Grain from the Craft Brewery Industry
Authors: Coronado Marcos A. , Montero Gisela , Montes Daniela G. , Valdez-Salas Benjamín , Ayala José R. , García Conrado , Carrillo Mónica , León José A. , Moreno Abigail
Published: September 2020

The brewing industry generates, as the primary coproduct, brewers’ spent grain (BSG). In Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, there are 17 companies that generated 282 tons of BSG by 2016. Cattle feeding is the most common type of disposal for this waste. However, it can be valorized for the production of bioenergy or as a source of added-value products. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to assess the physicochemical properties of the brewers’ spent grain from a local craft brewery, to choose the most appropriate exploitation route. Chemical and morphological analyses were carried out by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy, and the higher heating value determination. The results of the proximate analyses were 72.32% moisture, 78.47% volatile matter, 17.48% fixed carbon, and 4.05% ash. The results of the chemical analysis for extractables were 5.23% using organic solvent and 50.25% using hot water. The content determination were 17.13% lignin, 26.80% cellulose, and 37.17% hemicellulose. The results of the ultimate analysis were 43.59% C, 6.18% H, 3.46% N, and 37.22% O. The higher heating value experimentally obtained was 18.70 MJ/kg. Moreover, in the EDX analysis, Ca, P, K, and S were mainly found. It is recommendable to valorize the BSG through the xylitol, bioethanol or biogas production, because of its high moisture, hemicellulose and cellulose content.
The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle as an Endogenous Equilibrium Property of Stochastic Optimal Control Systems in Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Lindgren Jussi , Liukkonen Jukka
Published: September 2020

We provide a natural derivation and interpretation for the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics from the stochastic optimal control approach. We show that, in particular, the stochastic approach to quantum mechanics allows one to understand the uncertainty principle through the “thermodynamic equilibrium”. A stochastic process with a gradient structure is key in terms of understanding the uncertainty principle and such a framework comes naturally from the stochastic optimal control approach to quantum mechanics. The symmetry of the system is manifested in certain non-vanishing and invariant covariances between the four-position and the four-momentum. In terms of interpretation, the results allow one to understand the uncertainty principle through the lens of scientific realism, in accordance with empirical evidence, contesting the original interpretation given by Heisenberg.
Hyperbolic Equations with Unknown Coefficients
Authors: Kozhanov Aleksandr I.
Published: September 2020

We study the solvability of nonlinear inverse problems of determining the low order coefficients in the second order hyperbolic equation. The overdetermination condition is specified as an integral condition with final data. Existence and uniqueness theorems for regular solutions are proved (i.e., for solutions having all weak derivatives in the sense of Sobolev, occuring in the equation).
Distance Fibonacci Polynomials
Authors: Bednarz Urszula , Wołowiec-Musiał Małgorzata
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we introduce a new kind of generalized Fibonacci polynomials in the distance sense. We give a direct formula, a generating function and matrix generators for these polynomials. Moreover, we present a graph interpretation of these polynomials, their connections with Pascal’s triangle and we prove some identities for them.
Indirect Contributions to Tumor Dynamics in the First Stage of the Avascular Phase
Authors: Amoddeo Antonino
Published: September 2020

A continuum model for tumor invasion in a two-dimensional spatial domain based on the interaction of the urokinase plasminogen activation system with a model for cancer cell dynamics is proposed. The arising system of partial differential equations is numerically solved using the finite element method. We simulated a portion of biological tissue imposing no flux boundary conditions. We monitored the cancer cell dynamics, as well the degradation of an extra cellular matrix representative, vitronectin, and the evolution of a specific degrading enzyme, plasmin, inside the biological tissue. The computations were parameterized as a function of the indirect cell proliferation induced by a plasminogen activator inhibitor binding to vitronectin and of the indirect plasmin deactivation due to the plasminogen activator inhibitor binding to the urokinase plasminogen activator. Their role during the cancer dynamical evolution was identified, together with a possible marker helping the mapping of the cancer invasive front. Our results indicate that indirect cancer cell proliferation biases the speed of the tumor invasive front as well as the heterogeneity of the cancer cell clustering and networking, as it ultimately acts on the proteolytic activity supporting cancer formation. Because of the initial conditions imposed, the numerical solutions of the model show a symmetrical dynamical evolution of heterogeneities inside the simulated domain. Moreover, an increase of up to about 12% in the invasion speed was observed, increasing the rate of indirect cancer cell proliferation, while increasing the plasmin deactivation rate inhibits heterogeneities and networking. As cancer cell proliferation causes vitronectin consumption and plasmin formation, the intensities of the concentration maps of both vitronectin and plasmin are superimposable to the cancer cell concentration maps. The qualitative imprinting that cancer cells leave on the extra cellular matrix during the time evolution as well their activity area is identified, framing the numerical results in the context of a methodology aimed at diagnostic and therapeutic improvement.
Influences of Culture in the Built Environment; Assessing Living Convenience in Kabul City
Authors: Hidayat Osama , Kajita Yoshitaka
Published: September 2020

During Afghanistan’s rapid urban growth, development diversified from state-run initiatives to ones led by local municipalities or nongovernmental entities such as private enterprises. Owing to these various efforts, cities face environmental challenges, squatter settlements, and unbalanced development. Responding to these interconnected challenges, cities need to increase their resilience to deal with the combined effects of urbanization, changing geopolitical contexts, and culture. In this study, we focused on dimensions of culturally responsive solutions for the built environment in Kabul, Afghanistan. Culture, as a key element in the concept of sustainable development, refers herein to the relationship between Afghan customs and belief systems as it influences and shapes the architecture of the urban environment. Initially, the study provides a conceptual understanding of sustainable urban development and the importance of culture. We have attempted to approach urban segregation in Kabul based on socioeconomic factors and address the essential role of culture in this unique context. Such segregation can be hazardous to both the current and future sustainability of urban development. To conclude, we provide in-depth insights into the contribution of culture and propose culture as a possible dimension of sustainability and an integral part of environmental, economic, and social dimensions of development.
Functional Characterization of Pepper Vein Banding Virus-Encoded Proteins and Their Interactions: Implications in Potyvirus Infection
Authors: Sabharwal Pallavi , Savithri Handanahal S.
Published: September 2020

Pepper vein banding virus (PVBV) is a distinct species in the Potyvirus genus which infects economically important plants in several parts of India. Like other potyviruses, PVBV encodes multifunctional proteins, with several interaction partners, having implications at different stages of the potyviral infection. In this review, we summarize the functional characterization of different PVBV-encoded proteins with an emphasis on their interaction partners governing the multifunctionality of potyviral proteins. Intrinsically disordered domains/regions of these proteins play an important role in their interactions with other proteins. Deciphering the function of PVBV-encoded proteins and their interactions with cognitive partners will help in understanding the putative mechanisms by which the potyviral proteins are regulated at different stages of the viral life-cycle. This review also discusses PVBV virus-like particles (VLPs) and their potential applications in nanotechnology. Further, virus-like nanoparticle-cell interactions and intracellular fate of PVBV VLPs are also discussed.
Induction of the Antiviral Immune Response and Its Circumvention by Coronaviruses
Authors: Liu Ping , Hong Yan , Yang Bincai , Shrestha Prasha , Sajjad Nelam , Chen Ji-Long
Published: September 2020

Some coronaviruses are zoonotic viruses of human and veterinary medical importance. The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory symptoms coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), associated with the current global pandemic, is characterized by pneumonia, lymphopenia, and a cytokine storm in humans that has caused catastrophic impacts on public health worldwide. Coronaviruses are known for their ability to evade innate immune surveillance exerted by the host during the early phase of infection. It is important to comprehensively investigate the interaction between highly pathogenic coronaviruses and their hosts. In this review, we summarize the existing knowledge about coronaviruses with a focus on antiviral immune responses in the respiratory and intestinal tracts to infection with severe coronaviruses that have caused epidemic diseases in humans and domestic animals. We emphasize, in particular, the strategies used by these coronaviruses to circumvent host immune surveillance, mainly including the hijack of antigen-presenting cells, shielding RNA intermediates in replication organelles, 2′-O-methylation modification for the evasion of RNA sensors, and blocking of interferon signaling cascades. We also provide information about the potential development of coronavirus vaccines and antiviral drugs.
Divergent Influenza-Like Viruses of Amphibians and Fish Support an Ancient Evolutionary Association
Authors: Parry Rhys , Wille Michelle , Turnbull Olivia , Geoghegan Jemma , Holmes Edward
Published: September 2020

Influenza viruses (family Orthomyxoviridae) infect a variety of vertebrates, including birds, humans, and other mammals. Recent metatranscriptomic studies have uncovered divergent influenza viruses in amphibians, fish and jawless vertebrates, suggesting that these viruses may be widely distributed. We sought to identify additional vertebrate influenza-like viruses through the analysis of publicly available RNA sequencing data. Accordingly, by data mining, we identified the complete coding segments of five divergent vertebrate influenza-like viruses. Three fell as sister lineages to influenza B virus: salamander influenza-like virus in Mexican walking fish (Ambystoma mexicanum) and plateau tiger salamander (Ambystoma velasci), Siamese algae-eater influenza-like virus in Siamese algae-eater fish (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) and chum salmon influenza-like virus in chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta). Similarly, we identified two influenza-like viruses of amphibians that fell as sister lineages to influenza D virus: cane toad influenza-like virus and the ornate chorus frog influenza-like virus, in the cane toad (Rhinella marina) and ornate chorus frog (Microhyla fissipes), respectively. Despite their divergent phylogenetic positions, these viruses retained segment conservation and splicing consistent with transcriptional regulation in influenza B and influenza D viruses, and were detected in respiratory tissues. These data suggest that influenza viruses have been associated with vertebrates for their entire evolutionary history.
RNAemia Corresponds to Disease Severity and Antibody Response in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Eberhardt Kirsten Alexandra , Meyer-Schwickerath Charlotte , Heger Eva , Knops Elena , Lehmann Clara , Rybniker Jan , Schommers Philipp , Eichenauer Dennis A. , Kurth Florian , Ramharter Michael , Kaiser Rolf , Holtick Udo , Klein Florian , Jung Norma , Di Cristanziano Veronica
Published: September 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) represents a global health emergency. To improve the understanding of the systemic component of SARS-CoV-2, we investigated if viral load dynamics in plasma and respiratory samples are associated with antibody response and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in plasma samples from 14 (44%) out of 32 patients. RNAemia was detected in 5 out of 6 fatal cases. Peak IgG values were significantly lower in mild/moderate than in severe (0.6 (interquartile range, IQR, 0.4–3.2) vs. 11.8 (IQR, 9.9–13.0), adjusted p = 0.003) or critical cases (11.29 (IQR, 8.3–12.0), adjusted p = 0.042). IgG titers were significantly associated with virus Ct (Cycle threshold) value in plasma and respiratory specimens ((ß = 0.4, 95% CI (confidence interval, 0.2; 0.5), p < 0.001 and ß = 0.5, 95% CI (0.2; 0.6), p = 0.002). A classification as severe or a critical case was additionally inversely associated with Ct values in plasma in comparison to mild/moderate cases (ß = −3.3, 95% CI (−5.8; 0.8), p = 0.024 and ß = −4.4, 95% CI (−7.2; 1.6), p = 0.007, respectively). Based on the present data, our hypothesis is that the early stage of SARS-CoV-2 infection is characterized by a primary RNAemia, as a potential manifestation of a systemic infection. Additionally, the viral load in plasma seems to be associated with a worse disease outcome.
Coastal Vulnerability and Mitigation Strategies: From Monitoring to Applied Research
Authors: Contestabile Pasquale , Vicinanza Diego
Published: September 2020

This paper intends to offer the readers an overview of the Special Issue on Coastal Vulnerability and Mitigation Strategies: From Monitoring to Applied Research. The main focus of this Special Issue is to provide the state-of-the-art and the recent research updates on the sustainable management strategies for protecting vulnerable coastal areas. Based on 28 contributions from authors from 17 different countries (Australia, China, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, UK, USA), an ensemble of interdisciplinary articles has been collected, emphasizing the importance of tackling technical and scientific problems at different scales and from different point of views.
Changes in Geochemical Composition of Groundwater Due to CO2 Leakage in Various Geological Media
Authors: Jeong Jisu , Jeen Sung-Wook , Hwang Hyoun-Tae , Lee Kang-Kun
Published: September 2020

This study evaluated the effects of CO2 leakage on the geochemical composition of groundwater in various geological media through long-term column experiments. Four columns were set up with soil representing a silicate aquifer; clean sand; a sand and limestone mixture; and alluvium soil, respectively. The experiments were conducted under the same experimental conditions for approximately one year. As the CO2-saturated synthetic groundwater was introduced into the columns, a decrease in pH and increases in electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, and concentrations of cations and trace elements were observed in all geological media. However, different patterns of changes were also observed depending on the mineralogical and physico-chemical characteristics of each material. As the column operation continued, while the pH decreased and low alkalinity values were more evident in the silicate soil and clean sand columns, the carbonate column continued to show high alkalinity and EC values in addition to high concentrations of most cations. The alluvium soil showed distinctive cation-exchange behaviors during the initial introduction of CO2. The results indicate that changes in the geochemical composition of groundwater will depend on the characteristic of the geological medium such as pH buffering capacity and cation exchange capacity. This study can be useful for monitoring and managing the impacts of CO2 leakage in various aquifer environments.
Drought Frequency Analysis Based on the Development of a Two-Variate Standardized Index (Rainfall-Runoff)
Authors: Nikravesh Gholamreza , Aghababaei Mohammad , Nazari-Sharabian Mohammad , Karakouzian Moses
Published: September 2020

Drought is one of the most drastic events, which has imposed irreparable damages on human societies and may occur in any climate regime. To define drought, given its properties of multidimensionality and randomity, one cannot rely on a single variable/index (e.g., precipitation, soil moisture, and runoff). Accordingly, implementing a novel approach, this study investigated drought events in two basins with different climatic regimes, using multivariate frequency analyses of drought duration, severity, and severity peak, based on developing a Two-variate Standardized Index (TSI). The index was developed based on the concept of copula, by applying rainfall-runoff data (1974–2019) and comparing them with two popular drought indices, the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Stream Flow Index (SSFI), in terms of derived drought characteristics. The results show that TSI determined more severe drought conditions with fewer return periods than SPI and SSFI in a specific drought event. This implies that the disadvantages of SPI and SSFI might not be found in TSI. The developed index can be employed by policymakers and planners to protect water resources from drought.
Household-Reported Availability of Drinking Water in Africa: A Systematic Review
Authors: Thomas Mair L. H. , Channon Andrew A. , Bain Robert E. S. , Nyamai Mutono , Wright Jim A.
Published: September 2020

Domestic drinking water supplies prone to interruptions and low per capita domestic water availability have been frequently reported among African households. Despite expanded international monitoring indicators that now include metrics of water availability, the range of methods used for measuring and monitoring availability remains unclear in Africa. Few household surveys have historically assessed water continuity and per capita availability, and both pose measurement challenges. This paper aims to examine the methods used to measure availability and synthesise evidence on African domestic water availability by systematically reviewing the literature from 2000–2019. Structured searches were conducted in five databases: Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, GEOBASE, Compendex and PubMed/Medline. A total of 47 of 2406 reports met all inclusion criteria. Included studies were based on empirical research which reported the household’s perspective on a water availability measure. Most studies had methodological problems such as small sample sizes, non-representative sampling and incomplete reporting of methods and measures of uncertainty. Measurement of drinking water availability is primarily reliant on quantifying litres/capita/day (LPCD). Only four (9%) of the included studies reported an average water availability over the international benchmark of 50 LPCD. This pattern of water insufficiency is broadly consistent with previous studies of domestic water availability in Africa. The review highlights the need for high-quality and representative studies to better understand the uncertainties and differences in household water availability across Africa, and the methods used to measure it.
A Retrospective Ecological Status Assessment of the Lakes Based on Historical and Current Maps of Submerged Vegetation—A Case Study from Five Stratified Lakes in Poland
Authors: Hutorowicz Andrzej
Published: September 2020

This article presents and tests a new method for the retrospective assessment of ecological status assessment of the lakes in accordance with the Ecological State Macophyte Index (ESMI), which is formally used in biological monitoring in Poland. The proposed method is based on three metrics, the Z colonization index, the average maximum depth of lake vegetation Cmax, and the Secchi disk depth. Mathematical functions of ecological class were developed on the basis of the mean values of these three indicators in summer for different ecological status classes in 88 stratified lakes in northern Poland and the Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lake District and five lakes in the catchment area of the Wel River (published data). The new metrics were validated on the basis of literature data—ESMI, Cmax, Z and SD values from 11 lakes near Olsztyn (Poland). The obtained results are similar to those calculated based on macrophyte field surveys and can be an alternative of the Ecological State Macophyte Index (ESMI), which is formally used in biological monitoring in Poland. The proposed method makes it possible to compare long-term changes in the ecological state of lakes, because it enables an analogous assessment on the basis of data calculated from historical bathymetric maps showing the distribution of hydro macrophytes (parameters Z and Cmax) as well as contemporary data, collected, among others, during hydroacoustic research.
Trust in Drinking Water Quality: Understanding the Role of Risk Perception and Transparency
Authors: Brouwer Stijn , Hofman-Caris Roberta , van Aalderen Nicolien
Published: September 2020

In the context of an increasing societal demand for transparency in parallel with rapidly increasing numbers and concentrations of substances found in drinking water, this paper investigates how different drinking water customers perceive their tap water quality, and possible risks involved. Empirically, the paper draws on results from a representative survey, a series of interviews and focus groups conducted in the Netherlands, applying both a traditional and modern segmentation approach based on four types of perspectives (“aware and committed”, “down to earth and confident”, “egalitarian and solidary”, and “quality and health concerned”). Although in general it was found that people’s trust in tap water is high, certain groups are more concerned about water quality and health effects than others. It was shown that transparency and the availability of more information about water treatment and quality would contribute to increasing customer trust. It was also observed that, at least in the Netherlands, people have a larger trust in drinking water companies than in other institutions. Therefore, instead of referring to standards made by other institutions, it is recommended that water companies themselves provide information on water quality and emphasize their treatment procedures.