bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Similarities and Differences between International REDD+ and Transnational Deforestation-Free Supply Chain Initiatives—A Review
Authors: Hargita Yvonne , Giessen Lukas , Günter Sven
Published: January 2020

After years of multilateral deliberations on how to stop global deforestation, such as REDD+ under the UNFCCC, deforestation-free supply chain (DFSC) initiatives emerged from the private sector. Linking both concepts conceptually and in policy practice could provide for synergies and enable more effective approaches against global deforestation. To operationalise such a linkage, a prerequisite is the knowledge of both concepts’ key characteristics, as well as resulting similarities and differences. This literature review firstly identifies key characteristics that affects the potential impact of such concepts, secondly analyses if and how REDD+ and DFSC define these characteristics, and thirdly compares both concepts towards a potential linkage. The results show that a linkage of REDD+ and DFSC provides numerous complementarities which could foster the goal of halting deforestation. This includes for example the driver commercial agriculture, and in terms of permanence, leakage, and degradation. But close coordination is needed to avoid unintended negative consequences, especially for subsistence and smallholder agriculture. The comparison shows that the political consensus found under REDD+ provides a good basis to be supplemented with private sectors’ DFSC initiatives, but additional initiatives like the Bonn Challenge and investments in agroforestry are needed in order to ensure the long-term effect on forest conversion.
The EMAS Registration of the Livenza Furniture District in the Province of Pordenone (Italy)
Authors: Novelli Veronica , Geatti Paola , Bianco Francesco , Ceccon Luciano , Del Frate Stefania , Badin Paolo
Published: January 2020

One of the most important manufacturing areas of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region is the territory close to Pordenone, the Livenza furniture district. This industrial district, consisting of industries of wood, wood and cork products, furniture, straw articles, and weave materials, located in 11 municipalities of that area, was the first Italian district to obtain the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Registration in 2006. Data and information from a questionnaire compiled by more than 100 firms and 11 municipalities of the district were used to draw up the territorial environmental analysis (TEA). For the EMAS registration renewal, obtained in 2016, the TEA was updated by reviewing the methodology of the environmental impact evaluation: the ecological footprint (EF) was compared with the carrying capacity (CC) of that area. The results put in light that the EF was greater than the CC. Several actions for reducing the environmental impacts of the district activities were highlighted.
Impact of Participation in Contract Farming on Smallholder Farmers’ Income and Food Security in Rural Benin: PSM and LATE Parameter Combined
Authors: Olounlade Odountan Ambaliou , Li Gu-Cheng , Kokoye Sènakpon E. Haroll , Dossouhoui François Vihôdé , Akpa Kuassi Auxence Aristide , Anshiso Dessalegn , Biaou Gauthier
Published: January 2020

Investigated in this work is the impact of contract farming participation on smallholder farmers’ income and food security in rice crop production in Northern Benin using 400 randomly selected rice farmer households. Unlike previous studies, we corrected for both observed and unobserved biases by combining propensity score matching (PSM) and the local average treatment effect parameter (LATE). The results showed significant negative consequences of partaking in rice contract farming. We found evidence of significant negative effects on rice production income at a 1% level. The more the rice farmers join in contract farming, the lower the farm income became. Decreased food consumption was also a result of contract farming participation for potential participants by a score of 60.64, placing their households at the food security status level of poor food consumption because the quantity and nutritional quality of the food consumed were inadequate. Contract farming is, therefore, not a reasonable policy instrument that can help farmers increase their income and improve their food security level in the Alibori Department, Benin if farmers do not diversify their crops. The necessary resources and economic environment are not yet in place to allow contract farming to take full advantage of its potential benefits. To prevent the wasting of scarce public resources, expanding contract farming would not be appropriate in marginal areas with markets and other infrastructure. Additional measures are needed for contract farming to be profitable for contracting actors and to ensure sustainability and the large-scale participation of farmers.
Strengthening the Social Sustainability of Super-Blocks: Belgrade’s Emerging Urban Hubs
Authors: Stupar Aleksandra , Jovanović Predrag , Ivanović Vojvodić Jelena
Published: January 2020

Focusing on the social aspect of sustainability, this article provides insight into the process of spatial and functional reconsideration of open public spaces in two selected super-blocks in Belgrade, Serbia. Although their spatial typology is similar, one of them was created during the 1960s in New Belgrade, a new administrative center of the city based on the principles of functionalism, while the other one was built during the 1970s, as a part of urban reconstruction conducted in the central areas of Belgrade (Vračar municipality). The beginning of the 21st century has brought new challenges to open public spaces, reflecting the post-transitional changes of the Serbian socio-economic context, as well as the contemporary urban needs of inhabitants. Consequently, both blocks have developed new gathering places for their local communities, although applying two different approaches, spontaneous/informal (New Belgrade) and formal (Vračar). Considering the specificities of both initiatives and the relationship between local communities and the open public spaces of super-blocks, the comparative analysis is conducted in order to identify the occurring social, spatial, and functional modifications, and the achieved level of social sustainability.
Strategic Planning of Offshore Wind Farms in Greece
Authors: Spyridonidou Sofia , Vagiona Dimitra G. , Loukogeorgaki Eva
Published: January 2020

In the present article, a new methodological framework for the efficient and sustainable exploitation of offshore wind potential was developed. The proposed integrated strategic plan was implemented for the first time at national spatial planning scale in Greece. The methodological approach is performed through geographical information systems (GIS) and Microsoft Project Server Software and includes five distinct stages: (i) definition of vision/mission, (ii) identification of appropriate areas for offshore wind farms’ (OWFs) siting, (iii) determination of the OWFs’ layout, (iv) calculation of the OWFs’ (projects) total investment cost and, finally, (v) portfolio analysis. The final outcome of the proposed strategic planning is the prioritization of the proposed sixteen offshore wind projects based on their strategic value, as well as the estimation of the overall investment cost of the entire portfolio. High economic, socio-political and environmental benefits could be achieved through the implementation of only 60% of the total investment capital of the proposed strategic plan.
The Role of Social and Institutional Contexts in Social Innovations of Spanish Academic Spinoffs
Authors: Franco-Leal Noelia , Camelo-Ordaz Carmen , Dianez-Gonzalez Juan Pablo , Sousa-Ginel Elena
Published: January 2020

Social innovations developed by academic spinoffs (ASOs) are acquiring an ever-increasing relevance in the literature on academic entrepreneurship. Previous studies have considered the importance of the social and institutional contexts of entrepreneurial ecosystems for the development of these innovations, although a greater depth of analysis is required in this field of study. This research analyzes the influence of the frequency of contact with agents of social and institutional contexts of the entrepreneurial ecosystem on the social innovations of ASOs. From a sample of 173 Spanish ASOs, the results indicate that frequent contact with government and academic support units improves this type of innovation of ASOs. Regarding social context, an increase in the frequency of contact with customers, suppliers, and competitors favors the development of social innovation. However, frequent contact with venture capital firms inhibits the development of this type of innovation.
A Regression Tree Approach for Investigating the Impact of High Speed Rail on Tourists’ Choices
Authors: Pagliara Francesca , Mauriello Filomena , Russo Lucia
Published: January 2020

This paper provides a contribution to the international literature by applying regression tree methods to the analysis of the expected effects of the High Speed Rail project in Italy on the tourism market. This approach, as far as the author knows, has never been applied in this context. Tourism and transport information have been gathered for 99 Italian provinces during the 2006–2016 period. Tree-structured methods have been chosen as an application of regression models in which some explanatory variables are used as covariates to predict the dependent variable values on the basis of some decision rules. This approach establishes a casual effect between dependent and independent variables. The dependent variables chosen are the Italian and foreign tourists, and the number of overnights spent by Italians and foreigners. Among the independent variables are the presence of HSR, the presence of first-level airport hubs and the number of operating bases of low-cost airlines; among the attractiveness variables are the GDP, the number of attractions in a given province, the presence of the sea, the population and the percentage of unemployment. The main outcome of this study is that HSR affects the tourism market.
Resource-Based Product and Process Innovation Model: Theory Development and Empirical Validation
Authors: Cho Young Sik , Linderman Kevin
Published: January 2020

Using a resource-based approach to innovation, this study proposes an alternative innovation model to the existing market-based Product Life Cycle (PLC) model. In particular, this study explores how the attributes of corporate strategic resources affect product and process innovation patterns. This study covers the development of new theory, as well as the empirical validation of the innovation model proposed in this study. Based on survey data from 257 chief operations officers in the United States, the ‘resource-based innovation model’ was tested and validated through various analytical methods, such as clustering, discriminant, and structural equation modeling analysis. The main findings are that (1) companies relying on both knowledge-based resources (KBR) and property-based resources (PBR) tend to focus on product and process innovation at the same time, (2) companies relying heavily on KBR tend to centralize their efforts for process innovation rather than product innovation, (3) companies with low reliance on KBR and PBR tend to minimize R&D efforts in product and process innovation, and (4) in a dynamic market condition, process innovations serves as order winners, while product innovations serves as order winners in a stable market. This research contributes to the operational management literature by proposing a new resource-based innovation algorithm that helps to understand innovation phenomena that are difficult to explain through the lens of the PLC-based innovation paradigm.
Flood Resilient and Sustainable Urban Regeneration Using the Example of an Industrial Compound Conversion in Seoul, South Korea
Authors: Hwang Kyoyoung , Schuetze Thorsten , Amoruso Fabrizio
Published: January 2020

The objective of this study was to illustrate the urban flood resilience and sustainability improvement potential by integration of decentralized water management systems in sustainable urban regeneration projects. This paper discusses sustainable and resilient urban regeneration potentials using the example of an industrial compound (ICs) conversion in Seoul, South Korea. Urban flood vulnerability has been a concern globally due to land use changes, limited capacity of existing stormwater management infrastructures and the effects of climate change. Due to their comparably low building density, ICs can effectively contribute to the separation and decentralized retention and infiltration of stormwater. However, no sustainable and resilient conversion examples of ICs have been realized in Seoul so far. After identification of a representative IC, its exemplary sustainable conversion with implementation of decentralized water management infrastructures were designed. The rainwater collection, retention and infiltration system was dimensioned in order to create a stormwater discharge-free property. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the improvement potentials before and after the conversion unveiled that this conversion contributes also to the improvement of the neighborhoods’ sustainability, spatial quality and resilience to disasters. The research results are transferable to other urban ICs and are a good practice example for sustainable and resilient regeneration of existing urban districts.
Sharing Economy: Promote Its Potential to Sustainability by Regulation
Authors: Liu Xufeng , Chen Hongmin
Published: January 2020

The sharing economy is an emerging economic form with the potential to promote sustainable development; it is highly malleable but tends to not be environmentally friendly or necessarily lead to saving resources. Therefore, to give it the inherent logic of sustainable development and realize its great potential, the sharing economy must be made to meet the necessary conditions and be appropriately regulated in the current window of opportunity. This paper proposes that the potential factors of the sharing economy that can promote sustainable development are mainly improving resource utilization efficiency, market impetus and plasticity and transforming consumption patterns and concepts, while the main limiting factors are the excessive demand that is likely to result from to the descending consumption threshold, lack of maintenance motivation due to the sharing of property rights, and uncertainty in the proportions of increased welfare levels and resource consumption. Then, the paper explores the necessary conditions to promote sustainable development in the sharing economy, namely, the required characteristics of shared products and the need to place constraints on consumers. Next, it discusses how to incorporate these conditional factors into the regulatory framework for the future development of the sharing economy and proposes overall principles and ideas for the governance and regulation of producers, consumers, and platform operators in the operation of and participation in the sharing economy. Finally, the paper emphasizes that the line of regulatory thinking should change because the sharing economy differs from traditional economic forms, and it also emphasizes the importance of exploring conditions and explores the related research prospects for studying regulation with environmental sustainability as the regulatory objective.
Biomass Torrefaction as a Key Driver for the Sustainable Development and Decarbonization of Energy Production
Authors: Nunes Leonel J. R. , Matias João C. O.
Published: January 2020

Climate change is a reality that affects the daily lives of people around the world, with a set of effects that are systematically felt. If there is still discussion about the real cause behind these phenomena, with differing opinions defending the anthropic origin or the origin in terrestrial cycles of geological scale, it seems to be unanimously attributed to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases—particularly to CO2. That is, whatever the source of CO2, it is commonly accepted that this is the cause of the acceleration of the climate change process, and the occurrence of extreme climate phenomena. The use of energy from renewable sources, such as solar or wind, can contribute to the replacement of energy generated from fossil sources. However, these forms of energy are dependent on uncontrollable climatic factors and are, therefore, dependent on the existence of alternatives that, when in reserve, can be activated at any time as soon as the power grid requests their activation. Thus, biomass emerges as an alternative capable of providing this answer, although it also has numerous disadvantages. Torrefaction may be the technology that corrects these drawbacks and allows for the successful use of biomass in the replacement the coal used in power generation, contributing significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions. In addition to this possibility, it is necessary to introduce forest management models that effectively make use of all material flows generated during forestry operations, creating value-added chains, with a view toward a circular economy and resource sustainability.
Community Development through Supply Chain Responsibility: A Case Study of Rice Supply Chains and Connected Rural Communities in Central China
Authors: Liu Li , Ross Helen , Ariyawardana Anoma
Published: January 2020

Supply chains depend on community resources such as entrepreneurs, natural resources, and facilities in value creation and successful operation, while communities need development opportunities from supply chains to build and maintain prosperity. The mutual influence between supply chains and communities offers opportunities to integrate sustainability initiatives into the chain. The concept of supply chain responsibility (SCR) represents a new philosophy that helps create value for communities, but so far does not link well with the idea of community and is viewed one chain at a time. A more integrated and holistic consideration of supply chain-community interactions incorporating multiple supply chains and communities adds to the perspective of community development through SCR. It not only leverages community development as a significant level of analysis in supply chains, but also considers all chains that interact with a community. We use a case study in China’s rice industry to examine the complex and multifaceted supply chain-community interactions in a network of three types of rice supply chain and two rural communities, to understand the theoretical and practical potential in an enriched conceptualization of SCR. The interactions among the supply chains and communities provide significant insights into how to create sustainability for both.
Framework for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Ribeiro Inês , Matos Florinda , Jacinto Celeste , Salman Hafiz , Cardeal Gonçalo , Carvalho Helena , Godina Radu , Peças Paulo
Published: January 2020

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a group of technologies that create objects by adding material layer upon layer, in precise geometric shapes. They are amongst the most disruptive technologies nowadays, potentially changing value chains from the design process to the end-of-life, providing significant advantages over traditional manufacturing processes in terms of flexibility in design and production and waste minimization. Nevertheless, sustainability assessment should also be included in the research agenda as these technologies affect the People, the Planet and the Profit: the three-bottom line (3BL) assessment framework. Moreover, AM sustainability depends on each product and context that strengthens the need for its assessment through the 3BL framework. This paper explores the literature on AM sustainability, and the results are mapped in a framework aiming to support comprehensive assessments of the AM impacts in the 3BL dimensions by companies and researchers. To sustain the coherence of boundaries, three life cycle methods are proposed, each one for a specific dimension of the 3BL analysis, and two illustrative case studies are shown to exemplify the model.
Cultural Heritage and Methodological Approaches—An Analysis through Initial Training of History Teachers (Spain–England)
Authors: Gómez-Carrasco Cosme J. , Miralles-Martinez Pedro , Fontal Olaia , Ibañez-Etxeberria Alex
Published: January 2020

Research on heritage education has progressed remarkably and a large number of studies point to a greater presence of active methodologies and the use of resources and primary sources in the classroom. At this point it seems important to investigate the perceptions and experiences of future history and social science teachers. Thus, this paper studies the value that 506 Spanish and English teachers in initial training place on heritage and its presence in the teaching-learning process of history, as well as their views on the existing connections between methodological perceptions and the use of cultural heritage in the classroom. It is a non-experimental descriptive and quantitative study with data collected through questionnaire. This questionnaire was built ad hoc to analyze the opinions and perceptions of teachers in initial training about history education in Secondary Education. The results show that teachers in initial training value highly or very highly the use of cultural heritage in Secondary Education to promote active methodologies, the critical teaching of history, and the development of historical skills. Teachers in training in Spain value more highly the use of heritage than English teachers. While English teachers in training value more highly the resolution of problems through historical documentary sources, Spanish teachers rate the emotional and motivational aspects higher.
Spatial Evolution and Critical Factors of Urban Innovation: Evidence from Shanghai, China
Authors: Li Lingyue , Zhang Xiaohu
Published: January 2020

The critical role of urban innovation in sustaining urban economic resilience has been widely acknowledged by scholars. Yet there is far from a full spectrum of understanding about how innovation performs, despite China’s innovation outputs having far outweighed most countries’. The perennial concern regarding the spatial patterns of innovation has been biased towards the macroscale, and long-standing efforts to explore the determinants of innovative vitality are focused on internal factors (e.g., research and development activities, and firm size). Considering these inadequacies, this research investigates how innovative activities are spatially distributed and how the pattern evolves in cities at the microscale, and examines influencing factors of the external environment. The patent data from 2000 to 2015 in Shanghai are geocoded and mapped into 1 km2 hexagon grids to identify local clustering. Gini coefficient is computed to show the high concentration of innovation activities across space. The hot spot analysis based on the Getis–Ord (Gi*) statistic shows that innovation exhibits a strong concentration propensity at the microscale and gradually moves toward a polycentric pattern. However, the extent of concentration decreases over the study period. Firms dictate innovation activities, and individuals and universities also play a role in downtown innovation growth. The regression using random effect model shows heterogeneous effects on different innovation actors. The overall urban innovation output, dominated by firms, is significantly influenced by public budget expenditures and green space areas. The science and technology grant has a positive impact on authorities but not university and research institutes. This research not only contributes to a methodological innovation for measuring and visualizing an innovation pattern but also enriches our understanding of spatial evolution and critical factors of innovation activities in urban China.
Patent Automatic Classification Based on Symmetric Hierarchical Convolution Neural Network
Authors: Zhu Huiming , He Chunhui , Fang Yang , Ge Bin , Xing Meng , Xiao Weidong
Published: January 2020

With the rapid growth of patent applications, it has become an urgent problem to automatically classify the accepted patent application documents accurately and quickly. Most previous patent automatic classification studies are based on feature engineering and traditional machine learning methods like SVM, and some even rely on the knowledge of domain experts, hence they suffer from low accuracy problem and have poor generalization ability. In this paper, we propose a patent automatic classification method via the symmetric hierarchical convolution neural network (CNN) named PAC-HCNN. We use the title and abstract of the patent as the input data, and then apply the word embedding technique to segment and vectorize the input data. Then we design a symmetric hierarchical CNN framework to classify the patents based on the word embeddings, which is much more efficient than traditional RNN models dealing with texts, meanwhile keeping the history and future information of the input sequence. We also add gated linear units (GLUs) and residual connection to help realize the deep CNN. Additionally, we equip our model with a self attention mechanism to address the long-term dependency problem. Experiments are performed on large-scale datasets for Chinese short text patent classification. Experimental results prove our proposed model’s effectiveness, and it performs better than other state-of-the-art models significantly and consistently on both fine-grained and coarse-grained classification.
On Single-Valued Neutrosophic Ideals in Šostak Sense
Authors: Saber Yaser , Alsharari Fahad , Smarandache Florentin
Published: January 2020

Neutrosophy is a recent section of philosophy. It was initiated in 1980 by Smarandache. It was presented as the study of origin, nature, and scope of neutralities, as well as their interactions with different ideational spectra. In this paper, we introduce the notion of single-valued neutrosophic ideals sets in Šostak’s sense, which is considered as a generalization of fuzzy ideals in Šostak’s sense and intuitionistic fuzzy ideals. The concept of single-valued neutrosophic ideal open local function is also introduced for a single-valued neutrosophic topological space. The basic structure, especially a basis for such generated single-valued neutrosophic topologies and several relations between different single-valued neutrosophic ideals and single-valued neutrosophic topologies, are also studied here. Finally, for the purpose of symmetry, we also define the so-called single-valued neutrosophic relations.
Mechanical Behavior of Tunnel Lining with Cracks at Different Positions
Authors: Su Jie , Jie Yinming , Niu Xiaokai , Liu Chang , Liu Xuan
Published: January 2020

Cracks in the lining significantly reduce the safety of a tunnel during operation. It is urgent to figure out the influence of cracks on tunnel carrying capacity. In this paper, three-dimensional model tests were conducted to investigate deformation, internal force, and deterioration laws of the lining with prefabricated cracks at different positions. The main conclusions were obtained as follows: (1) The carrying capacity of the lining structure with prefabricated cracks was reduced, and the deformation of the lining structure increased. The penetration of the vault crown crack accelerated the damage of the lining structure, and structural failure occurred when the crack went through at the left arch spring. (2) The internal force of the lining was greatly affected by the positions of prefabricated cracks. The internal forces of the lining structure decreased with the existence of prefabricated cracks. Whether or not there were prefabricated cracks, tension cracks appeared in the inside fiber of the vault and inverted arch. (3) The deformation of the lining structure with the existence of prefabricated cracks increased. When the prefabricated crack was located at the vault, the deformation was the largest, followed by the arch spring, side wall, and arch shoulder. (4) The analysis shows that prefabricated cracks at the vault are the most damaging under stress and deformation of the lining structure, so longitudinal cracks at the vault should be strengthened.
Systems Engineering Approach to Food Loss Reduction in Norwegian Farmed Salmon Post-Harvest Processing
Authors: Abualtaher Mohd , Bar Eirin Skjøndal
Published: January 2020

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development set the target of halving per capita global food waste and reducing food losses, including post-harvest losses. Food loss is a significant global challenge rising from the decrease in food quantities available for human consumption because of decisions and actions taken by food manufacturers and suppliers before it even reaches the retail market. Food loss within the Norwegian farmed salmon post-harvest processing system could be reduced by making change in the system’s behavior. This study, by following systems engineering principles, aimed to develop insight into the salmon post-harvest processing system’s behavioral dynamics causing current food loss and to consider conceptual keys to solutions. This study tied the food loss problem to systemic behavior of byproducts downgrading to non-food uses as the major cause. The decisions made on the materials flow are based on product design, quality control, and environmental solutions. Making a decision to conserve byproduct materials by prioritizing keeping them within the human food chain requires supportive data on their true potential as a food source. The system’s information pool that decision makers rely on can be fortified with the system’s engineering multidisciplinary outcomes that will enable the necessary paradigm shift to achieve the quested food loss reduction.
A Stochastic Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) Method for Assessing Material and Geometric Uncertainties in Rectangular Objects
Authors: Salis Christos , Kantartzis Nikolaos , Zygiridis Theodoros
Published: January 2020

The uncertainties present in a variety of electromagnetic (EM) problems may have important effects on the output parameters of interest. Unfortunately, deterministic schemes are not applicable in such cases, as they only utilize the nominal value of each random variable. In this work, a two-dimensional (2D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm is presented, which is suitable for assessing randomness in the electrical properties, as well as in the dimensions of orthogonal objects. The proposed technique is based on the stochastic FDTD method and manages to extract the mean and the standard deviation of the involved field quantities in one realization. This approach is applied to three test cases, where uncertainty exists in the electrical and geometrical parameters of various materials. The numerical results demonstrate the validity of our scheme, as similar outcomes are extracted compared to the Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm.
Shiga Toxin-Associated Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome: A Narrative Review
Authors: Joseph Adrien , Cointe Aurélie , Mariani Kurkdjian Patricia , Rafat Cédric , Hertig Alexandre
Published: January 2020

The severity of human infection by one of the many Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is determined by a number of factors: the bacterial genome, the capacity of human societies to prevent foodborne epidemics, the medical condition of infected patients (in particular their hydration status, often compromised by severe diarrhea), and by our capacity to devise new therapeutic approaches, most specifically to combat the bacterial virulence factors, as opposed to our current strategies that essentially aim to palliate organ deficiencies. The last major outbreak in 2011 in Germany, which killed more than 50 people in Europe, was evidence that an effective treatment was still lacking. Herein, we review the current knowledge of STEC virulence, how societies organize the prevention of human disease, and how physicians treat (and, hopefully, will treat) its potentially fatal complications. In particular, we focus on STEC-induced hemolytic and uremic syndrome (HUS), where the intrusion of toxins inside endothelial cells results in massive cell death, activation of the coagulation within capillaries, and eventually organ failure.
Ostreopsis cf. ovata (Dinophyceae) Molecular Phylogeny, Morphology, and Detection of Ovatoxins in Strains and Field Samples from Brazil
Authors: Nascimento Silvia , Neves Raquel , De’Carli Gabriela , Borsato Geovanna , da Silva Rodrigo , Melo Guilherme , de Morais Agatha , Cockell Thais , Fraga Santiago , Menezes-Salgueiro Adriana , Mafra Luiz , Hess Philipp , Salgueiro Fabiano
Published: January 2020

Recurrent blooms of Ostreopsis cf. ovata have been reported in Brazil and the Mediterranean Sea with associated ecological, and in the latter case, health impacts. Molecular data based on the D1–D3 and D8–D10 regions of the LSU rDNA and ITS loci, and the morphology of O. cf. ovata isolates and field populations from locations along the Brazilian tropical and subtropical coastal regions and three oceanic islands are presented. Additional ITS sequences from three single cells from the tropical coast are provided. Toxin profiles and quantities of PLTX and their analogues; OVTXs; contained in cells from two clonal cultures and two field blooms from Rio de Janeiro were investigated. Morphology was examined using both light and epifluorescence microscopy. Morphometric analysis of different strains and field populations from diverse locations were compared. Molecular analysis showed that six of the seven sequences grouped at the large “Atlantic/Mediterranean/Pacific” sub-clade, while one sequence branched in a sister clade with sequences from Madeira Island and Greece. The toxin profile of strains and bloom field samples from Rio de Janeiro were dominated by OVTX-a and -b, with total cell quotas (31.3 and 39.3 pg cell−1) in the range of that previously reported for strains of O. cf. ovata.
Dual Function of a Novel Bacterium, Slackia sp. D-G6: Detoxifying Deoxynivalenol and Producing the Natural Estrogen Analogue, Equol
Authors: Gao Xiaojuan , Mu Peiqiang , Zhu Xunhua , Chen Xiaoxuan , Tang Shulin , Wu Yuting , Miao Xiang , Wang Xiaohan , Wen Jikai , Deng Yiqun
Published: January 2020

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a highly abundant mycotoxin that exerts many adverse effects on humans and animals. Much effort has been made to control DON in the past, and bio-transformation has emerged as the most promising method. However, useful and effective application of bacterial bio-transformation for the purpose of inhibiting DON remains urgently needed. The current study isolated a novel DON detoxifying bacterium, Slackia sp. D-G6 (D-G6), from chicken intestines. D-G6 is a Gram-positive, non-sporulating bacterium, which ranges in size from 0.2–0.4 μm × 0.6–1.0 μm. D-G6 de-epoxidizes DON into a non-toxic form called DOM-1. Optimum conditions required for degradation of DON are 37–47 °C and a pH of 6–10 in WCA medium containing 50% chicken intestinal extract. Besides DON detoxification, D-G6 also produces equol (EQL) from daidzein (DZN), which shows high estrogenic activity, and prevents estrogen-dependent and age-related diseases effectively. Furthermore, the genome of D-G6 was sequenced and characterized. Thirteen genes that show potential for DON de-epoxidation were identified via comparative genomics. In conclusion, a novel bacterium that exhibits the dual function of detoxifying DON and producing the beneficial natural estrogen analogue, EQL, was identified.
Black Holes and Wormholes in Extended Gravity
Authors: Alexeyev Stanislav , Sendyuk Maxim
Published: January 2020

We discuss black hole type solutions and wormhole type ones in the effective gravity models. Such models appear during the attempts to construct the quantum theory of gravity. The mentioned solutions, being, mostly, the perturbative generalisations of well-known ones in general relativity, carry out additional set of parameters and, therefore could help, for example, in the studying of the last stages of Hawking evaporation, in extracting the possibilities for the experimental or observational search and in helping to constrain by astrophysical data.
Determining Factors for Pertussis Vaccination Policy: A Study in Five EU Countries
Authors: Wong Anabelle , Opinel Annick , Combes Simon Jean-Baptiste , Toubiana Julie , Brisse Sylvain
Published: January 2020

Pertussis vaccination policy varies across Europe, not only in the type of vaccine—whole cell (wP) vs. acellular (aP1/2/3/5)—but also in the schedule and recommendation for parents. This study aims to investigate the determining factors for the type of vaccine, immunization schedule and maternal immunization recommendation. From March to May 2019, experts in national health agencies and major academic or research institutions from Denmark, France, Poland, Sweden and the UK were invited to a semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis was performed on the transcripts using a codebook formulated by three coders. Inter-coder agreement was assessed. Fifteen expert interviews were conducted. The identified driving factors for pertussis vaccine policy were classified into three domains: scientific factors, sociological factors, and pragmatic factors. The determining factors for the type of vaccine were prescriber’s preference, concern of adverse events following immunization (AEFI), effectiveness, and consideration of other vaccine components in combined vaccines. The determining factors for infant schedule were immunity response and the potential to improve coverage and timeliness. The determining factors for maternal immunization were infant mortality and public acceptability. To conclude, socio-political and pragmatic factors were, besides scientific factors, important in determining the pertussis vaccine type, schedule of childhood immunization and recommendations for parents.
Identification of the Optimal Passenger Car Vehicle Fleet Transition for Mitigating the Cumulative Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions until 2050
Authors: Blat Belmonte Benjamin , Esser Arved , Weyand Steffi , Franke Georg , Schebek Liselotte , Rinderknecht Stephan
Published: January 2020

We present an optimization model for the passenger car vehicle fleet transition—the time-dependent fleet composition—in Germany until 2050. The goal was to minimize the cumulative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the vehicle fleet taking into account life-cycle assessment (LCA) data. LCAs provide information on the global warming potential (GWP) of different powertrain concepts. Meta-analyses of batteries, of different fuel types, and of the German energy sector are conducted to support the model. Furthermore, a sensitivity-analysis is performed on four key influence parameters: the battery production emissions trend, the German energy sector trend, the hydrogen production path trend, and the mobility sector trend. Overall, we draw the conclusion that—in any scenario—future vehicles should have a plug-in option, allowing their usage as fully or partly electrical vehicles. For short distance trips, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with a small battery size are the most reasonable choice throughout the transition. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) emerge as promising long-range capable solution. Starting in 2040, long-range capable BEVs and fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (FCPHEVs) have similar life-cycle emissions as PHEV-CNG.
Influence of Small Hydroelectric Power Stations on River Water Quality
Authors: Álvarez Xana , Valero Enrique , Torre-Rodríguez Natalia de la , Acuña-Alonso Carolina
Published: January 2020

Hydropower electricity generation is considered one of the cheapest technologies regarding electricity generation costs, and it is the most traditional, clean, renewable energy source. However, despite the environmental benefits offered by hydropower, they also can have negative impacts and consequences in the environment affecting water quality and disrupting river ecology. We investigated the environmental effects of four small hydropower plants (SPH) in north-west Spain by looking at the water quality of the four river stretches where the SPH plants are located. The physicochemical and biological characteristics of the water streams were analyzed, as well as the riparian ecological quality. Results showed that the presence of the hydropower plants did not significantly influence the physical and chemical characteristics of the water. There were no alterations of the benthic macroinvertebrate community at any of the plants except for one, and the riparian habitat was in general classified as good quality or close to natural conditions for all plants.
Measurement and Modelling of Moisture Sorption Isotherm and Heat of Sorption of Fresh Feces
Authors: Remington Claire , Bourgault Catherine , Dorea Caetano C.
Published: January 2020

The drying (or dewatering) of fresh feces and fecal sludge is a productive step in the management of sanitation, waste treatment, and resource recovery services. An improved understanding of fresh feces and fecal sludge drying would contribute to the development and deployment of fecal sludge management services. However, there is a lack of available literature on the fundamental drying characteristics of fresh feces. In response to this gap, this work shares experimental results for equilibrium moisture content of fresh feces at different water activity levels (aw) and proposes the use of the Guggenheim, Anderson, and de Boer (GAB) model for predicting aw, calculating the heat of sorption, and estimating the corresponding energy requirements for drying of fresh feces. This is the first time this work has been done with fresh feces. The total heat of evaporation was significant up to a moisture content of about 0.2 kg water per kg dry solids. In addition to informing drying process design, the sorption isotherm can be used to predict microbial activity, which could improve the management of feces and fecal sludge from a public health perspective. These data in turn will be used to promote access to dignified, safe, and sustainable sanitation.
Human Health Risks Associated with Recreational Waters: Preliminary Approach of Integrating Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment with Microbial Source Tracking
Authors: Gitter Anna , Mena Kristina , Wagner Kevin , Boellstorff Diane , Borel Kyna , Gregory Lucas , Gentry Terry , Karthikeyan Raghupathy
Published: January 2020

Gastrointestinal (GI) illness risks associated with exposure to waters impacted by human and nonhuman fecal sources were estimated using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). Microbial source tracking (MST) results had identified Escherichia coli (E. coli) contributors to the waterbody as human and unidentified (10%), cattle and domestic animals (25%), and wildlife (65%) in a rural watershed. The illness risks associated with ingestion during recreation were calculated by assigning reference pathogens for each contributing source and using pathogen dose–response relationships. The risk of GI illness was calculated for a specific sampling site with a geometric mean of E. coli of 163 colony forming units (cfu) 100 mL−1, and the recreational standard of E. coli, 126 cfu 100 mL−1. While the most frequent sources of fecal indicator bacteria at the sampling site were nonhuman, the risk of illness from norovirus, the reference pathogen representing human waste, contributed the greatest risk to human health. This study serves as a preliminary review regarding the potential for incorporating results from library-dependent MST to inform a QMRA for recreational waters. The simulations indicated that identifying the sources contributing to the bacterial impairment is critical to estimate the human health risk associated with recreation in a waterbody.
Photochemically Induced Changes of Dissolved Organic Matter in a Humic-Rich and Forested Stream
Authors: Wilske Christin , Herzsprung Peter , Lechtenfeld Oliver J. , Kamjunke Norbert , von Tümpling Wolf
Published: January 2020

Photochemical processing is an important way to transform terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM) but was rarely investigated by ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry. We performed an irradiation experiment with water from a shaded forest stream flowing into a lit reservoir. Bacterial activity explained only 1% of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) decline in a combined bacterial and photodegradation approach. Photodegradation decreased the DOC concentration by 30%, the specific ultraviolet (UV) absorption by 40%–50%, and fluorescence intensity by 80% during six days. The humification index (HIX) decreased whereas the fluorescence index (FI) did not change. Two humic-like components identified by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) of excitation–emission matrices followed the decrease of fluorescent DOM. Changes of relative peak intensities of Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy (FT-ICR MS) elemental formula components as a function of cumulated radiation were evaluated both by Spearman’s rank correlation and linear regression. The FT-ICR MS intensity changes indicate that high aromatic material was photochemically converted into smaller non-fluorescent molecules or degraded by the release of CO2. This study shows the molecular change of terrestrial DOM before the preparation of drinking water from reservoirs.
Roof-Harvested Rainwater Use in Household Agriculture: Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Amos Caleb , Rahman Ataur , Gathenya John , Friedler Eran , Karim Fazlul , Renzaho Andre
Published: January 2020

Food and water are at the heart of sustainable development. Roof-harvested rainwater kept in rainwater storage systems (RSS) and used in household agriculture (HA) has the potential to increase yields and supplement household nutrition. Combined systems may contribute to at least eight of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this paper, a daily analysis tool, ERain, is used to assess what area of vegetables can be reliably irrigated by roof-harvested rainwater. A socio-economic context is built around an orphanage in the semi-humid region of Nakuru, Kenya. Comparisons are made with the semi-arid region of East Pokot. A 225 kL closed masonry tank and a 1 ML open reservoir with an additional 8 kL/day of recycled water entering are analyzed for various roof sizes. The 225 kL RSS connected to 1000 m2 of roof and irrigating 1000 m2 could increase yields from 1850 to 4200 kg/year in Nakuru. If evaporation was controlled, the 1 mL RSS and recycled water system could support 4000 m2 of land, yielding nearly 20,000 kg/year, which is enough to meet the WHO recommended vegetable dietary requirements of the orphanage. A combination of crops, some for consumption and some for sale, could be grown.
A Screening Model to Predict Entrapped LNAPL Depletion
Authors: Teramoto Elias Hideo , Chang Hung Kiang
Published: January 2020

Accidental leakage of hydrocarbons is a common subsurface contamination scenario. Once released, the hydrocarbons migrate until they reach the vicinity of the uppermost portion of the saturated zone, where it accumulates. Whenever the amplitude of the water table fluctuation is high, the light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) may be completely entrapped in the saturated zone. The entrapped LNAPL, comprised of multicomponent products (e.g., gasoline, jet fuel, diesel), is responsible for the release of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) into the water, thus generating the dissolved phase plumes of these compounds. In order to estimate the time required for source-zone depletion, we developed an algorithm that calculates the mass loss of BTEX compounds in LNAPL over time. The simulations performed with our algorithm provided results akin to those observed in the field and demonstrated that the depletion rate will be more pronounced in regions with high LNAPL saturation. Further, the LNAPL depletion rate is mostly controlled by flow rate and is less sensible to the biodegradation rate in the aqueous phase.