bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Sustainable Development: Examining Factors That Foster Creativity and Productivity in Organizations
Authors: Marić Ivana , Aleksić Ana , Knežević Maja
Published: July 2022

Innovation and creativity in organizations are becoming imperative to their advancement. These two categories are shaping the new culture of innovation, which managers should take into account when trying to maintain the sustainable development of their organizations. This paper examines the contribution of management practice, organizational motivation and resources as the important factors for fostering creativity and innovation in organizations and their effects on productivity. Empirical research using the KEYS methodology was conducted on a sample of employees from innovation-driven organizations. The research results show a positive and significant effect of creativity on organizational productivity. At the same time, the research reveals that challenging tasks, as an element of management practice, and realistic workload pressure, as a resource, strongly contribute to organizational productivity. The paper extends current knowledge on the contribution of management practice, organizational motivation, and resources as factors important for fostering creativity in organizations. Furthermore, the paper contributes by providing a deeper theoretical insight into the concept of the culture of innovation and creativity in an organizational environment.
The Value Relevance of Corporate Sustainability Performance (CSP)
Authors: Ali Akhtar , Jadoon Imran Abbas
Published: July 2022

There are two opposite views about corporate sustainability in the existing literature. Sustainability activities are considered as a source of long-term value creation for the shareholders’ interest whereas they also occupy scarce corporate resources and become an extra burden at the expense of shareholders. To examine these contradictory views, this study investigated the value relevance of CSP using a sample of 113 firms belonging to twelve (12) highly sustainable economies as ranked by the Global Sustainability Competiveness Index for the period 2015–2020. The CSP was measured through a Sustainability Index (SI) developed in this study using the GRI framework which takes into account all the three dimensions of sustainability, i.e., economic, environmental, and social. The results of the study showed that CSP significantly explains the variation in stock market prices and hence is value relevant in supporting the shareholders’ value-enhancing role of corporate sustainability. The results are useful for practitioners and policy makers in the field of corporate sustainability.
Compressive and Shear Strengths of Coir Fibre Reinforced Activated Carbon Stabilised Lateritic Soil
Authors: Tamassoki Sakina , Daud Nik Norsyahariati Nik , Jakarni Fauzan Mohd , Kusin Faradiella Mohd. , Rashid Ahmad Safuan A. , Roshan Mohammad Jawed
Published: July 2022

Constructing structures on lateritic soil is challenging in geotechnical engineering due to the various physical and geotechnical characteristics. Many studies investigated different stabiliser materials to strengthen the geotechnical parameters of lateritic soil. This study used activated carbon and coir fibre (ACF) to stabilise lateritic soils as an environmentally friendly binder. Experiments including the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test and the direct shear test (DST) are performed to investigate the mechanical properties of ACF-stabilised soil for different percentages of activated carbon (AC). Before and after ACF stabilisation, microstructural characterisations of soil samples were performed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and surface-area analysis (BET). The experimental results demonstrate that 3% ACF can considerably enhance the compressive strength, while 2% ACF significantly improves the shear strength, of lateritic soil. Accordant to the UCS results, using fibre in AC-stabilised soil improves post-peak behaviour and residual strength. Moreover, 2% ACF can significantly improve shear strength by creating an interlocking matrix among AC, soil particles, and fibre. The microstructural characterisation based on the findings obtained by FESEM and BET analysis confirms that AC particles fill soil voids. AC restrains the soil movement when exposed to external stresses. In addition, the formation of gel in the stabilised soil matrix binds the soil particles, increasing the strength of the ACF-stabilised soil in comparison with untreated soil.
Intermediate Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Prices of Housing near Light Rail Transit: A Case Study of the Portland Metropolitan Area
Authors: Lee Sangwan , Wang Liming
Published: July 2022

This study explored the dynamics of a residential property value premium for proximity to a light rail transit (LRT) station in the intermediate term (roughly two years) since the pandemic. We applied a longitudinal quasi-experimental design using repeat sales data from the Portland Metropolitan Area, Oregon. Our results indicate that the effect of the pandemic on prices of housing near LRT stations differs between single-family and multi-family markets. Since the pandemic outbreak, there has been no statically significant difference in the price appreciation between single-family (SF) housing within an LRT service area and otherwise similar SF homes; however, for multi-family (MF) homes, those within an LRT service area have experienced a 3.0% lower price appreciation rate than MFs outside such areas with similar characteristics. Our findings help better highlight the impact of the pandemic on the real estate market and can inform discussions about longer-term changes in post-COVID cities and their planning.
Measurement and Evaluation of Convergence of Japan’s Marine Fisheries and Marine Tourism
Authors: Yao Wei , Zhang Weikun , Li Wenxiu , Li Penglong
Published: July 2022

This study attempts to examine the convergence development of the marine fishery (MF) and marine tourism (MT) industries of Japan through the theory of industrial relevance. First, the current MF and MT situation in Japan is introduced to analyze the mechanism of the integration of the two industries. Second, a Vector Autoregression Model (VAR) is built to examine the relationship between MF and MT. In addition, the shock potential contributions of the MF and MT industries are identified using impulse response and variance decomposition. Results show that the impact of MF on MT is more significant than that of MT on MF. However, the interaction between MF and MT tends to stabilize in the long run. Third, the industrial integration case of Japan’s Himakajima Island is selected to analyze the MF and MT integration mechanism. The integration of MF and MT can reduce transaction costs, make full use of labor, and promote the development of the local economy. Therefore, attention should be paid to the integration of the MF and MT industries, rather than partial implementation, to balance the development of the marine economy. Finally, relevant suggestions and measures are presented for marine industry transformation and upgrading, industrial integration, and green ecological development.
Off-Farm Employment and Agricultural Credit Fungibility Nexus in Rural Ghana
Authors: Ankrah Twumasi Martinson , Chandio Abbas Ali , Sargani Ghulam Raza , Asare Isaac , Zhang Huaquan
Published: July 2022

This study examined the impact of off-farm employment on rural household agriculture credit fungibility (CF) using survey data collected from four regions in Ghana; however, the study paid more attention to agriculture credit received from different sources. By employing the endogenous switching regression (ESR) model, we solved the endogenous issue of off-farm employment. The econometrics model result revealed that off-farm employment negatively influences the household’s probability of practicing agriculture CF. Our results discovered the importance of off-farm employment on agriculture CF and recommended policy implications capable of alleviating agriculture CF.
Determinants Affecting Public Intention to Use Micro-Vertical Farming: A Survey Investigation
Authors: Shao Yiming , Wang Zhugen , Zhou Zhiwei , Chen Haojing , Cui Yuanlong , Zhou Zhenghuan
Published: July 2022

Vertical farming is a new branch of urban agriculture using indoor vertical space and soil-less cultivation technology to obtain agricultural products. Despite its many advantages over traditional farming, it still faces some challenges and obstacles, including high energy consumption and costs, as well as uncertainty and a lack of social acceptance. This study aims to investigate the influence of public acceptance on micro-vertical farming based on the deconstructed theory of planned behavior model. This model is adopted for statistical analysis to reveal the factors and their weights in influencing people’s behavioral intentions. The results indicate that the overall mean of the public’s behavioral intentions to use vertical farming is 3.9, which is above neutral (M = 3.00) but less than positive (M = 4.00). Differences in age, education level, and the living area of the public have significantly impacted behavioral intentions. Meanwhile, the statistical results support the hypotheses concerning the behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control of the model, and also demonstrate that their decomposed belief structures considerably influence the public’s behavioral intentions to use vertical farming. Notably, perceived usefulness is the most critical driving factor in planting using vertical farming. The findings of this study contribute to better predictions of the effects of different elements of behavioral intention on vertical farming at the urban scale, which may provide a basis for decision making in the development of sustainable urban agriculture.
The Missing Link? Insights from an Innovative Feedback Exercise for Household Electricity and Travel Behaviour
Authors: Al-Chalabi Malek , Banister David
Published: July 2022

The objective of this study was to explore how individuals perceive their different types of energy use and evaluate if this information could be useful for further understanding energy demand reduction. Based on a literature review, an innovative feedback exercise was developed that gave participants feedback on electricity use, travel, and then both electricity use and travel simultaneously. Through the use of an interdisciplinary mixed methods research approach, the findings indicate that electricity use and travel are viewed as being very different, there is an opportunity to improve travel-related feedback when compared to electricity, and most do not see a link between electricity and travel. A small number of participants did see a link between electricity and travel, and this was also explored. These findings, which until now have not been explored in the literature, take a first attempt at comparing how individuals perceive their different types of energy use and highlight the relevance of this type of research in order to further advance energy demand management. Implications for a low carbon energy transition and future areas of research were identified and discussed, including decreasing travel in a way that is perceived as being advantageous, improving feedback that illustrates the importance of individual choices, and the importance of examining multiple energy behaviours simultaneously.
Digital Experiential Learning for Sustainable Horticulture and Landscape Management Education
Authors: Kee Tris , Zhang Hao
Published: July 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic, horticulture and landscape management programmes in higher education experienced a huge drawback because of the impossibility of organising field studies and conducting site research. To pursue a more sustainable method of teaching, immersive technology such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) has been increasingly adopted as an effective approach for multimodal experiential learning. This study examines student perceptions on the use of digital technology in team-based hybrid learning to achieve sustainability in tree management using data collected from students of horticulture and landscape management in a higher education institute in Hong Kong. Key theoretical principles on Kolb’s experiential learning cycle as an interactive process are discussed, followed by an empirical analysis of student survey results. This research deepens the understanding of how immersive technology enhances both environmental sustainability and learning innovation. The results demonstrate that innovative ideas in instructional methods such as ARVR simulation can enhance the environmental sustainability of how tree management can be conducted, promoting a more environmentally conscious, experiential, collaborative and digital learning experience in higher education.
COVID-19: Evaluation of Fever Clinic and Fever Sentinel Configuration—A Case Study of Harbin, China
Authors: Xu Daming , Wu Qian , Feng Yingkun , Wu Songtao
Published: July 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed the inequalities in health services in countries around the world under severe pressure. As crucial pillars in the prevention and control of COVID-19, fever clinics and fever sentinels are important sites for the screening, diagnosis, and isolation of patients. This study comprehensively evaluated the spatial-layout characteristics, configuration quantity, and service capacity of 42 fever clinics and 418 fever sentinels in Harbin from the perspective of supply by using GIS spatial-analysis methods such as kernel density analysis. From the perspective of demand, we evaluated the accessibility of fever clinics with the modified two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method; the OD cost matrix method and Voronoi diagram method were used to evaluate the accessibility and service pressure of fever sentinels. This study found that a monocentric clustering characterizes the spatial layout of fever clinics, and the design of fever clinics in new urban areas and marginal rural areas is relatively lacking. The spatial layout of fever sentinels includes blank areas, and the service pressure in the central city area is relatively high. Combined with the assessment results, the study discussed optimization strategies and implementation paths for improving the public health and epidemic prevention system for COVID-19 in terms of four aspects: the transformation of governance practice, the spatial-planning response, the digital infrastructure response, and guarantees of policies and regulations.
Economic-Environmental-Social Benefits Assessment of Wind Power Hydrogen Production Project Based on Cloud-MULTIMOORA Approach
Authors: Chu Han , He Jiaming , Yang Yisheng , Huang Yong , Wang Shiman , Wu Yunna
Published: July 2022

This study explores methods to assess the benefits of WPHPP from three aspects: economic, environmental, and social. Decarbonization has become an inevitable trend in the electricity generation industry. Storage integrated renewable energy generation plants have enhanced the stability of the output of renewable energy to a certain degree. Wind power hydrogen production projects (WPHPPs) could be a promising solution to the Chinese government’s peak carbon dioxide emissions goal. To achieve this goal, an evaluation system consisting of 12 main benefits factors is established. Then, an assessment approach based on Cloud-MULTIMOORA is proposed to select the best alternative. Specifically, HELTS-Cloud model is used to describe the information given by decision-makers and experts. Then, the SWARA and CRITIC methods are applied to obtain the subjective and objective weights. Additionally, a constrained optimization model is introduced to obtain the comprehensive weights. Finally, the MULTIMOORA-EDA method is used to obtain the final ranking of alternatives. Additionally, a case study is made to certify the usability and feasibility of the proposed method. This paper provides a method for assessing the benefits of WPHPP and promotes the application of this new kind of green energy project in the future.
Carbon Emissions from Manufacturing Sector in Jiangsu Province: Regional Differences and Decomposition of Driving Factors
Authors: Zhou Ping , Li Hailing
Published: July 2022

Based on the Tapio decoupling model, this paper discusses the decoupling relationship between the economic growth and carbon emissions of the manufacturing sector in southern Jiangsu, northern Jiangsu and middle Jiangsu during the 13th Five-Year-Plan period. By using the LMDI method, the carbon emissions and influencing factors of 31 subindustries of the manufacturing sector in Jiangsu Province from 2016 to 2020 were quantitatively analyzed by region and industry. The main findings are as follows: (1) during the 13th Five-Year-Plan period, the growth rate of the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the manufacturing sectors in southern Jiangsu, northern Jiangsu and middle Jiangsu slowed down, and the industrial structure was increasingly optimized; (2) economic growth is the primary driving force behind the manufacturing carbon emissions in the three regions of Jiangsu Province, while energy intensity is the main factor that affects the carbon-emission differences among the manufacturing subsectors in the different regions; (3) improving the energy efficiency of high-emission-intensity industries, such as the ferrous metal smelting and calendering industry, chemical industry and textile industry, is the key to reducing the carbon emissions of the manufacturing sector in the different regions of Jiangsu in the future. Jiangsu Province should promote the upgrading of the manufacturing-industry structure, and it should encourage the high-energy-consumption industry to reduce its energy intensity by technological innovation to achieve the goal of emission reduction and economic growth.
The Effect of Perceived Organizational Support and Employee Care on Turnover Intention and Work Engagement: A Mediated Moderation Model Using Age in the Post Pandemic Period
Authors: Li Qin , Mohamed Rosmah , Mahomed Anuar , Khan Hanna
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this study was to adopt the well-established and mature job demands–resources model (JD-R), and to extend its model to work engagement and turnover intention of frontline healthcare personnel. Using the cross-sectional survey and partial least squares path modeling tools, the results showed that perceived organizational support had a negative impact on the turnover intention of frontline healthcare staff. This finding is important because it shows how the medical system managers can buffer the negative impact of a lack of job resources on the work engagement of employees in terms of personal strategies, such as the psychological pressure in coping with a high workload. Compared with employee care, perceived organizational support for the respondents had a positive impact on work engagement, whereas work engagement had a negative impact on turnover intention. This study successfully integrated the literature on job resources, work engagement, and turnover intention to determine the real needs of frontline medical personnel.
Improved Operation Strategy of the Pumping System Implemented in Timisoara Municipal Water Treatment Station
Authors: Drăghici Ionel Aurel , Rus Ionuţ-Daniel , Cococeanu Adrian , Muntean Sebastian
Published: July 2022

Water treatment stations (WTSs) provide drinking water to the community and are critical infrastructures of any village or city. The main energy consumption of WTSs is associated with the operation of the pumping units installed in the water supply stations (WSSs). The parameters of the pumping units installed in the WSSs are continuously adjusted during service to meet the requirements of the customers. Therefore, variable-speed pumping units (VSPUs) are feasible technical solutions implemented in WSSs. Several strategies combining VSPUs and constant-speed pumping units (CSPUs) have been developed to operate in WSSs. A technical solution with four pumping units (two VSPUs and two CSPUs) is implemented in Timisoara pumping station No. 1 (TPS1) in the Bega municipal water treatment station (MWTS). The layout of TPS1 is detailed, and its energy consumption from the budget of the Bega MWTS is quantified. The operation strategy with four pumping units selected in TPS1 is investigated. The number of hours in service of each pumping unit and the total operating time of all pumping units in the last six years are examined. The specific power consumption associated with the operation of the pumping units installed in TSP1 is detailed. The failure incidents of the pumping units counted in service are enumerated and correlated with the operating conditions of the pumping units. A new strategy developed for the operation of the pumping units installed in TPS1 is proposed to better adapt to the operating conditions, improving the specific power consumption as well as diminishing the failure incidents. The new operation strategy is presented and assessed based on the data acquired from TPS1 over one year. The conclusions and the lessons learned in this case study are drawn in the last section.
Computer Simulation of the Seismic Wave Propagation in Poroelastic Medium
Authors: Bliyeva Dana , Baigereyev Dossan , Imomnazarov Kholmatzhon
Published: July 2022

This article presents an algorithm for the numerical solution of an initial-boundary value problem for a symmetric t-hyperbolic system of partial differential equations. This problem is based on continual filtration model, which describes the propagation of seismic waves in a poroelastic medium saturated with a fluid characterized by such physical parameters as the propagation velocities of longitudinal P- (fast and slow) and transverse S-waves, the density of the medium materials, and porosity. The system of linearized equations of saturated porous media is formulated in terms of physical variables of the velocity–stress tensor of the porous matrix and the velocity–pressure of the saturating fluid in the absence of energy dissipation. The solution is implemented numerically using an explicit finite difference upwind scheme built on a staggered grid to avoid the appearance of oscillations in the solution functions. The program code implementing parallel computing is developed in the high-performance Julia programming language. The possibility of using the approach is demonstrated by the example of solving the problem of propagation of seismic waves from a source located in the formation. Computational experiments based on real data from oil reservoirs have been implemented, and dynamic visualization of solutions consistent with the first waves arrival times has been obtained.
Modified Fractional Difference Operators Defined Using Mittag-Leffler Kernels
Authors: Mohammed Pshtiwan Othman , Srivastava Hari Mohan , Baleanu Dumitru , Abualnaja Khadijah M.
Published: July 2022

The discrete fractional operators of Riemann–Liouville and Liouville–Caputo are omnipresent due to the singularity of the kernels. Therefore, convexity analysis of discrete fractional differences of these types plays a vital role in maintaining the safe operation of kernels and symmetry of discrete delta and nabla distribution. In their discrete version, the generalized or modified forms of various operators of fractional calculus are becoming increasingly important from the viewpoints of both pure and applied mathematical sciences. In this paper, we present the discrete version of the recently modified fractional calculus operator with the Mittag-Leffler-type kernel. Here, in this article, the expressions of both the discrete nabla derivative and its counterpart nabla integral are obtained. Some applications and illustrative examples are given to support the theoretical results.
Sufficiency for Weak Minima in Optimal Control Subject to Mixed Constraints
Authors: Licea Gerardo Sánchez
Published: July 2022

For optimal control problems of Bolza involving time-state-control mixed constraints, containing inequalities and equalities, fixed initial end-point, variable final end-point, and nonlinear dynamics, sufficient conditions for weak minima are derived. The proposed algorithm allows us to avoid hypotheses such as the continuity of the second derivatives of the functions delimiting the problems, the continuity of the optimal controls or the parametrization of the final variable end-point. We also present a relaxation relative to some similar works, in the sense that we arrive essentially to the same conclusions but making weaker assumptions.
Probability Calculation Method for Shear Stirrup Area of Steel-Reinforced Concrete Symmetry Frame Joint
Authors: Yu Zinan , Dong Fenghui
Published: July 2022

This paper presents a new method for calculating the area of shear stirrups of steel-reinforced concrete frame joints based on inverse reliability theory. The method can calculate the shear stirrup area of steel-reinforced concrete frame joints by using inverse reliability analysis theory on the premise that the target reliability index and the randomness of structural parameters are given. The method is used to calculate the shear stirrup area of a steel-reinforced concrete frame joint, and the sensitivity of the parameters is analyzed. The rationality of the area of the shear stirrup is also discussed. The results show that the randomness of parameters has a great influence on the area of shear stirrups of steel-reinforced concrete frame joints. Ignoring the randomness of parameters will affect the shear safety of steel-reinforced concrete frame joints.
Multimodal Semantic Segmentation in Autonomous Driving: A Review of Current Approaches and Future Perspectives
Authors: Rizzoli Giulia , Barbato Francesco , Zanuttigh Pietro
Published: July 2022

The perception of the surrounding environment is a key requirement for autonomous driving systems, yet the computation of an accurate semantic representation of the scene starting from RGB information alone is very challenging. In particular, the lack of geometric information and the strong dependence on weather and illumination conditions introduce critical challenges for approaches tackling this task. For this reason, most autonomous cars exploit a variety of sensors, including color, depth or thermal cameras, LiDARs, and RADARs. How to efficiently combine all these sources of information to compute an accurate semantic description of the scene is still an unsolved task, leading to an active research field. In this survey, we start by presenting the most commonly employed acquisition setups and datasets. Then we review several different deep learning architectures for multimodal semantic segmentation. We will discuss the various techniques to combine color, depth, LiDAR, and other modalities of data at different stages of the learning architectures, and we will show how smart fusion strategies allow us to improve performances with respect to the exploitation of a single source of information.
Neurotoxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A Systematic Mapping and Review of Neuropathological Mechanisms
Authors: Olasehinde Tosin A. , Olaniran Ademola O.
Published: July 2022

Several studies present the neurotoxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of environmental pollutants capable of causing neurological deficits. However, a collective review approach to this research topic is scarce. This study presents the effect of PAHs on the central nervous system using a bibliometric approach. The neuropathological mechanisms of PAHs are also highlighted. Published articles were searched for in the Scopus and Web of Science databases from January 1979 to December 2020 using the keywords ‘polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons’ and ‘neurotoxicity’. The total number of documents retrieved from both databases was 338. Duplicated documents (80) were excluded and 258 articles were used for the final analysis. Our findings revealed that there has been a significant increase in research outputs on this topic in the last ten years. The countries with the highest scientific productivity in this area are USA, China, France and Italy. The result also showed that, in the past few years, global scientific output in research relating to PAH neurotoxicity focused on neurodegeneration, cholinergic function, neurodevelopmental toxicity, behavioural studies, oxidative stress, neuroprotection and therapeutic intervention using different experimental models, including zebrafish, neuronal cell lines, Caenorhabditis elegans and rats. Recent studies also revealed the neuroprotective roles of some natural products against PAH-induced neurotoxicity. However, more investigation involving clinical trials is required to emphasize the observed neurotoxic effects.
Intergrated Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis Revealed the Differential Responses to Novel Duck Reovirus Infection in the Bursa of Fabricius of Cairna moschata
Authors: Yun Tao , Hua Jionggang , Ye Weicheng , Ni Zheng , Chen Liu , Zhu Yinchu , Zhang Cun
Published: July 2022

The bursa of Fabricius is an immunologically organ against the invasion of duck reovirus (DRV), which is a fatal bird virus belonging to the Reoviridae family. However, responses of the bursa of Fabricius of Cairna moschata to novel DRV (NDRV) infection are largely unknown. Transcriptomes and proteomes of the samples from control and two NDRV strain (HN10 and JDm10) with different virulence were analyzed. Differentially expressed genes and differential accumulated proteins were enriched in the serine protease system and innate immune response clusters. Most of the immune-related genes were up-regulated under both JDm10/HN10 infections. However, the immune-related proteins were only accumulated under HN10 infection. For the serine protease system, coagulation factor IX, three chains of fibrinogen, and complements C8, C5, and C2s were significantly up-regulated by the HN10 infection, suggesting that the serine protease-mediated immune system might be involved in the resistance to NDRV infection. For the innate and adaptive immune system, RIG-I, MDA5, MAPK20, and IRF3 were significantly up-regulated, indicating their important roles against invaded virus. TLR-3 and IKBKB were only up-regulated in the liver cells, MAPK20 was only up-regulated in the bursa of Fabricius cells, and IRAK2 was only up-regulated in the spleen samples. Coagulation factor IX was increased in the bursa of Fabricius, not in the liver and spleen samples. The data provides a detailed resource for studying the proteins participating in the resistances of the bursa of Fabricius of duck to NDRV infections.
Usutu Virus Infects Human Placental Explants and Induces Congenital Defects in Mice
Authors: Martin Hélène , Barthelemy Jonathan , Chin Yamileth , Bergamelli Mathilde , Moinard Nathalie , Cartron Géraldine , Tanguy Le Gac Yann , Malnou Cécile E. , Simonin Yannick
Published: July 2022

Usutu virus (USUV) is a neurotropic mosquito-borne flavivirus that has dispersed quickly in Europe these past years. This arbovirus mainly follows an enzootic cycle involving mosquitoes and birds, but can also infect other mammals, causing notably sporadic cases in humans. Although it is mainly asymptomatic or responsible for mild clinical symptoms, USUV has been associated with neurological disorders, such as encephalitis and meningoencephalitis, highlighting the potential health threat of this virus. Among the different transmission routes described for other flaviviruses, the capacity for some of them to be transmitted vertically has been demonstrated, notably for Zika virus or West Nile virus, which are closely related to USUV. To evaluate the ability of USUV to replicate in the placenta and gain access to the fetus, we combined the use of several trophoblast model cell lines, ex vivo human placental explant cultures from first and third trimester of pregnancy, and in vivo USUV-infected pregnant mice. Our data demonstrate that human placental cells and tissues are permissive to USUV replication, and suggest that viral transmission can occur in mice during gestation. Hence, our observations suggest that USUV could be efficiently transmitted by the vertical route.
Protectivity of COVID-19 Vaccines and Its Relationship with Humoral Immune Response and Vaccination Strategy: A One-Year Cohort Study
Authors: Tanir Ferdi , Mete Burak , Demirhindi Hakan , Kara Ertan , Nazlican Ersin , Dağlıoğlu Gülçin , Kibar Filiz , Çetiner Salih , Kanat Ceren
Published: July 2022

This prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine schemes, homologous versus heterologous vaccine strategies, and vaccine-induced anti-S-RBD-IgG antibody response in preventing COVID-19 among 942 healthcare workers 1 year after vaccination with the inactivated and/or mRNA vaccines. All participants received the first two primary doses of vaccines, 13.6% of them lacked dose 3, 50.5% dose 4, and 90.3% dose 5. Antibody levels increased with the increase in number of vaccine doses and also in heterologous vaccine regimens. In both inactive, mRNA vaccines and mixed vaccination, infection rates were significantly higher in two-dose-receivers, but lower in four- or five-dose receivers and increasing the total number of vaccine doses resulted in more protection against infection: the three-dose regimen yielded 3.67 times more protection, the four-dose 8 times, and five-dose 27.77 times more protection from COVID-19 infection, compared to any two-dose vaccination regimens. Antibody levels at the end of the first year of four- or five-dose-receivers were significantly higher than two- or three-dose receivers. To conclude, an increased number of total vaccine doses and anti-S-RBD antibody levels increased the protection from COVID-19 infection. Therefore, four or more doses are recommended in 1 year for effective protection, especially in risk groups.
A Novel Efficient Piscine Oral Nano-Vaccine Delivery System: Modified Halloysite Nanotubes (HNTs) Preventing Streptococcosis Disease in Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.)
Authors: Pumchan Ansaya , Sae-Ueng Udom , Prasittichai Chaiya , Sirisuay Soranuth , Areechon Nontawith , Unajak Sasimanas
Published: July 2022

Generally, the injection method is recommended as the best efficient method for vaccine applications in fish. However, labor-intensive and difficult injection for certain fish sizes is always considered as a limitation to aquatic animals. To demonstrate the effectiveness of a novel oral delivery system for the piscine vaccine with nano-delivery made from nano clay, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and their modified forms were loaded with killed vaccines, and we determined the ability of the system in releasing vaccines in a mimic digestive system. The efficaciousness of the oral piscine vaccine nano-delivery system was evaluated for its level of antibody production and for the level of disease prevention in tilapia. Herein, unmodified HNTs (H) and modified HNTs [HNT-Chitosan (HC), HNT-APTES (HA) and HNT-APTES-Chitosan (HAC)] successfully harbored streptococcal bivalent vaccine with inactivated S. agalactiae, designated as HF, HAF, HCF and HACF. The releasing of the loading antigens in the mimic digestive tract demonstrated a diverse pattern of protein releasing depending on the types of HNTs. Remarkably, HCF could properly release loading antigens with relevance to the increasing pH buffer. The oral vaccines revealed the greatest elevation of specific antibodies to S. agalactiae serotype Ia in HCF orally administered fish and to some extent in serotype III. The efficacy of streptococcal disease protection was determined by continually feeding with HF-, HAF-, HCF- and HACF-coated feed pellets for 7 days in the 1st and 3rd week. HCF showed significant RPS (75.00 ± 10.83%) among the other tested groups. Interestingly, the HCF-treated group exhibited noticeable efficacy similar to the bivalent-vaccine-injected group (RPS 81.25 ± 0.00%). This novel nano-delivery system for the fish vaccine was successfully developed and exhibited appropriated immune stimulation and promised disease prevention through oral administration. This delivery system can greatly support animals’ immune stimulation, which conquers the limitation in vaccine applications in aquaculture systems. Moreover, this delivery system can be applied to carrying diverse types of biologics, including DNA, RNA and subunit protein vaccines.
Clinical and Virological Features of Patients Hospitalized with Different Types of COVID-19 Vaccination in Mexico City
Authors: Hernández-Terán Alejandra , Garcíadiego-Fossas Pamela , Villanueva-Reza Marco , Boukadida Celia , Taboada Blanca , Porras Eduardo , Ahumada-Topete Victor , Tapia-Diaz Kathia Elizabeth , Matías-Florentino Margarita , Pérez-García Marissa , Ávila-Ríos Santiago , Mejía-Nepomuceno Fidencio , Serna-Muñoz Ricardo , Juárez-Hernández Fortunato , Jiménez-Corona María Eugenia , Becerril-Vargas Eduardo , Barreto Omar , Martínez-Orozco Jose Arturo , Pérez-Padilla Rogelio , Arias Carlos F. , Vázquez-Pérez Joel Armando
Published: July 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines effectively protect against severe disease and death. However, the impact of the vaccine used, viral variants, and host factors on disease severity remain poorly understood. This work aimed to compare COVID-19 clinical presentations and outcomes in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients in Mexico City. From March to September 2021, clinical, demographic characteristics, and viral variants were obtained from 1014 individuals with a documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. We compared unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and fully vaccinated patients, stratifying by age groups. We also fitted multivariate statistical models to evaluate the impact of vaccination status, SARS-CoV-2 lineages, vaccine types, and clinical parameters. Most hospitalized patients were unvaccinated. In patients over 61 years old, mortality was significantly higher in unvaccinated compared to fully vaccinated individuals. In patients aged 31 to 60 years, vaccinated patients were more likely to be outpatients (46%) than unvaccinated individuals (6.1%). We found immune disease and age above 61 years old to be risk factors, while full vaccination was found to be the most protective factor against in-hospital death. This study suggests that vaccination is essential to reduce mortality in a comorbid population such as that of Mexico.
Association of Lactoferrin and Toll-like Receptor 2 Genotypes with Mastitis and Milk Components in Vietnamese Holstein Cattle
Authors: Pham Lan Doan , Ba Nguyen Van , Nam Le Quang , Tuan Phong Vuong , Do Duy Ngoc
Published: July 2022

Mastitis is one of the most widespread diseases in dairy cows and causes huge losses for the dairy industry. Molecular markers can be used for the quick diagnosis of mastitis infection, consequently reducing the loss caused by this disease. Lactoferrin (LTF) and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) have been suggested as candidate genes for mastitis; however, their associations with the mastitis incidence and milk components have not been reported in Vietnamese Holstein cows. This study examined the association of TLR2 and LTF polymorphisms with subclinical mastitis and milk components in the Holstein breed raised in Vietnam. Among 192 samples, we identified 44 mastitis-positive samples (22.92%). The mastitis significantly reduced the fat and lactose components in milk (p < 0.001) but increased the protein concentration in milk. A total of 94 (49%) and 98 (51%) cows had AA and AB genotypes for the LTF gene, respectively. No significant association was found between the LTF genotypes and the milk component traits or mastitis incidence (p > 0.05). The interaction between LTF and mastitis incidence was significantly associated with the protein percentage (p = 0.01). A total of 78, 76, and 38 cows had genotypes GG, GT, and TT for the TLR2 gene, respectively. TLR2 genotypes were not significantly associated with mastitis incidence (p > 0.05) but were significantly associated with pH value (p = 0.03). The interaction between TLR2 and mastitis incidence was significantly associated with the fat (p = 0.02) and protein percentage (p = 0.04). Further studies are required to confirm the roles of LTF and TFL2 in mastitis in the Holstein breed in Vietnam.
Novel Sources of Bioactive Molecules: Gut Microbiome of Species Routinely Exposed to Microorganisms
Authors: Siddiqui Ruqaiyyah , Soopramanien Morhanavallee , Alharbi Ahmad M. , Alfahemi Hasan , Khan Naveed Ahmed
Published: July 2022

The development of novel bioactive molecules is urgently needed, especially with increasing fatalities occurring due to infections by bacteria and escalating numbers of multiple-drug-resistant bacteria. Several lines of evidence show that the gut microbiome of cockroaches, snakes, crocodiles, water monitor lizards, and other species may possess molecules that are bioactive. As these animals are routinely exposed to a variety of microorganisms in their natural environments, it is likely that they have developed methods to counter these microbes, which may be a contributing factor in their persistence on the planet for millions of years. In addition to the immune system, the gut microbiota of a host may thwart colonization of the gastro-intestine by pathogenic and/or foreign microorganisms through two mechanisms: (i) production of molecules with antibacterial potential targeting foreign microorganisms, or (ii) production of molecules that trigger host immunity targeting foreign microorganisms that penetrate the host. Herein, we discuss and deliberate on the current literature examining antibacterial activities that stem from the gut bacteria of animals such as crocodiles, cockroaches, and water monitor lizards, amongst other interesting species, which likely encounter a plethora of microorganisms in their natural environments. The overall aim is to unveil a potential library of novel bioactive molecules for the benefit of human health and for utilization against infectious diseases.
Effects of Artemisinin on Escherichia coli–Induced Mastitis in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells and Mice
Authors: Li Zhaoming , Hu Jiaqing , Wang Xiaozhou , Du Yongzhen , Yin Jinhua , Gao Jian , Han Bo , Cui Shuai , Liu Yongxia , Liu Jianzhu
Published: July 2022

Bovine mastitis is an important disease affecting dairy farming, and it causes large economic losses to the dairy industry. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is considered to be a causative environmental pathogen and frequently enters into mammary glands, causing inflammation. Artemisinin is a highly effective malaria remedy and is not easy to develop drug resistance to. In recent years, other effects of artemisinin (including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, etc.) have been increasingly discovered and applied. The current study aimed to investigate whether artemisinin could attenuate E. coli–induced inflammation. Through the E. coli mastitis model in MAC-T cells and mice, the protective effects of artemisinin were analyzed by CCK-8 (Cell Counting Kit-8), Western blot, and RT-qPCR. The results showed that artemisinin reversed the decrease of cell viability and upregulated TLR4 (toll-like receptor 4)/NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) and MAPK (mitogen activated protein kinase)/p38 signaling pathways, as well as restrained the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β mRNA caused by E. coli. Meanwhile, artemisinin also alleviated mammary tissue damage, reduced inflammatory cells’ infiltration, and decreased the levels of inflammatory factors in a mice mastitis model. This study demonstrated that artemisinin alleviated the inflammatory response of mouse mastitis and MAC-T cells induced by E. coli, thus providing a practical approach for the clinical control of mastitis.
Optimizing Public Charging: An Integrated Approach Based on GIS and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
Authors: Khalife Ali , Fay Tu-Anh , Göhlich Dietmar
Published: July 2022

The rise in electric vehicle uptake has reshaped the German mobility landscape at unprecedented speed and scale. While public charging is pivotal to growing the electric vehicle market, municipalities can play a crucial role in accelerating the energy transition in transport. This research aims to assist municipalities in planning their strategic rollouts of public charging infrastructure in size and location. In the first step, charging demand is estimated based on four development scenarios in 2030 of EV adoption and public charging. In a second step, a geospatial analysis was performed on the study area. Supply and demand criteria were considered to reflect the attractiveness of each location on a grid map. While the supply criteria represent constraints related to infrastructure availability, the demand criteria are categorized into three dimensions: residential, commercial, and leisure. The prioritization of demand criteria was derived from the municipality’s input using the analytical hierarchy process method to reflect its strategy. After obtaining the suitability index map, a cluster analysis was performed using a k-means clustering algorithm to ensure adequate geographical coverage of the charging network. Finally, the proposed charging stations in each scenario were allocated to the top-scoring locations, establishing a municipal public charging network.
DEVELOPING SPEED AMONG 10-11 YEARS OLD CHILDREN PLAYING INTERNATIONAL SOCCER IN ADDITIONAL EDUCATION FACILITIES
Authors: Musin Oleg A. , Grigoryeva Elena L. , Zhemchug Yuri S. , Lebedkina Maria V. , Sokolov Vasily V.
Published: July 2022

This article reviews the speed of development among 10-11 years old children playing international soccer in additional education facilities problem. Since these facilities are paying much attention to the technical and tactical part of the game during the training process, there is not much time to develop the qualities that players need. Due to this fact, it is imperative to implement some exercises that help develop young players’ speed in the training course. The goal is to develop the complex of exercises to increase children’s 10-11 years old’s speed using coordination development means. The main approach of the soccer referees training research is structural analysis. The research methods are scientific and methodological literature and information environment on speed development based on coordination development means analysis and generalization, pedagogical surveillance, pedagogical experiment, and mathematical data processing methods. The results of the pedagogical experiment with control and experimental groups comparing in different speed development tests are shown. Speed improving training exercises complexes are developed, including no item exercises, ladder exercises, ball exercises. The results are genuine, proven by Student’s t-test statistic method. This article can be useful for beginner and skilled soccer coaches to implement different exercises in their training process to make the training process more exciting for their trainees and create favorable conditions for speed development.
ARTS SYNTHESIS IN THE DESIGN THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
Authors: Tetiana Rosul , Halyna Rusyn , Tetiana Strohal , Tetyana Mochan , Galyna Rozlutska , Kutsyn Kutsyn , Sokol Mariana
Published: July 2022

The article outlines the essence of the concept of the educational environment, reveals its structure, and clarifies its key role in the system of future primary school teachers’ training. To meet that aim, several theoretical methods, including analysis of sources and literature on the research; structural and functional to justify the structure, content, and principles of building a training system; and theoretical modeling, are utilized. The interconnected components of the researched professional training have been described. They provide a positive result for the professional development of the future primary school teacher: axiological, socio-cultural, epistemological, cognitive, creative, personal-activity, and communicative. It has been proved that the educational environment design utilizing art synthesis allows: for more accurately predicting and controlling the teaching process, solving educational and training tasks, ensuring favorable conditions for the development of creative personality, and optimal use of available resources.