bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key Factors for Project Crowdfunding Success: An Empirical Study
Authors: Fernandez-Blanco Aladino , Villanueva-Balsera Joaquin , Rodriguez-Montequin Vicente , Moran-Palacios Henar
Published: January 2020

Crowdfunding is a response to the financing problem of innovative projects in an environment of severe economic crisis. Its competitive advantage lies in its independence from banking institutions and the distribution of risk among a certain number of funders. Since its inception, the number of successfully completed projects has grown to a point where it has started to suffer a downturn that puts its sustainability at risk. This study concerns this particular period of downturn, in order to identify attributes that characterize it, and to define behavioral stereotypes that may be associated with new projects. On a wide data set from sufficiently contrasted projects, and through the use data mining techniques, we extracted the most influential factors in determining the success or failure of the projects, that will subsequently be grouped together using clustering techniques. Six groups of projects have been identified, each with their own characteristics that define them, two of them clearly guide the projects to success and another one allows the modification its characteristics to move away from failure. This achieved strategy allows us to estimate which potential group would be the result of a new project.
Optimal Project Planning for Public Rental Housing in South Korea
Authors: Park Jae Ho , Yu Jung-Suk , Geem Zong Woo
Published: January 2020

Although Korea has made notable progress in the availability of public rental housing, Korea’s public rental housing representing 6.3% of the country’s total housing is still below the 8% OECD average from 2016. The Seoul Metropolitan Area (composed of Seoul City, Incheon City, and Gyeonggi Province) has nearly 50% of the country’s population, but 11% of the nation’s territory, meaning the area suffers from an acute shortage of public rental housing. This is a serious problem which is hampering the sustainability of Korean society in general. We will examine the possibility of improving this public housing problem using certain algorithms to optimize decision making and resource allocation. This study reviews two pioneering studies on optimal investment portfolio for land development projects and optimal project combination for urban regeneration projects, and then optimizes a public housing investment combination to maximize the amount of public rental houses in Gyeonggi province using optimization techniques. Through the optimal investment combination, public rental houses were found to be more efficiently and sustainably planned for the community.
Experiencing Nature: Physical Activity, Beauty and Tension in Tatra National Park—Analysis of TripAdvisor Reviews
Authors: Niezgoda Agnieszka , Nowacki Marek
Published: January 2020

The aim of this article is to analyse the experiences gained by tourists visiting one of the most visited protected areas in Poland—the Tatra National Park (TNP). The authors focused on the following question: does the natural heritage of the national park affect visitors’ unique experiences or is environmentally valuable area not important for their experiences? This article uses mixed quantitative (Text Mining, co-occurrence network analysis) and qualitative (narratives research) methods. Data for analysis—revives posted by users between April 2011 and September 2019—were downloaded from TripAdvisor.co.uk. Reviews on TripAdvisor indicate that the most important for visiting tourists were the experiences of physical activity. This confirms the trend of maintaining health and the desire to regenerate physical strength. The group of reviews related to connection to nature experiences is extremely small, which indicates that tourists probably did not come to TNP as a result of a preference for experiences related to ecological awareness. Some tourists felt tension, which indicates that the carrying capacity was exceeded. There is a doubt as to whether tourists who want to engage in physical activity must necessarily visit the area with the highest degree of nature protection.
Active and Emerging Methodologies for Ubiquitous Education: Potentials of Flipped Learning and Gamification
Authors: Parra-González María Elena , López Belmonte Jesús , Segura-Robles Adrián , Fuentes Cabrera Arturo
Published: January 2020

Introduction: Nowadays, education is immersed in a process of constant renewal due to the inference of two fundamental facts: The emergence of new technologies and the development of new active methodologies that lead the teaching and learning processes. Methods: A case study was developed to analyze the effects caused in these processes by the implementation of “flipped learning” and “gamification” as teaching models; after the implementation of each one, variables such as learning achievement, learning anxiety, motivation, and autonomy were compared. This work was carried out with secondary school subjects (n = 60) of an educational center of the Autonomous City of Ceuta. A descriptive experimental study was carried out. Gamification and flipped learning effects were compared to analyze both their potentials as educational methodologies. Results: The results show the benefits of both methodologies. All measured dimensions increased positively, in accordance with previous studies on the subject. Conclusion: The implementation of both methodologies in the classroom causes an improvement in the students’ learning processes, in their achievements, and in their enthusiasm.
Sustainability Reporting as a Mixture of CSR and Sustainable Development. A Model for Micro-Enterprises within the Romanian Forestry Sector
Authors: Socoliuc Marian , Cosmulese Cristina-Gabriela , Ciubotariu Marius-Sorin , Mihaila Svetlana , Arion Iulia-Diana , Grosu Veronica
Published: January 2020

In the last decades, the issue of the behavior geared towards society and the environment of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has created a new niche for economic researches. Most studies point out that entities operating in the forestry sector, despite having difficulties in applying valid corporate social responsibility (CSR) instruments, are concerned about the role they play in society. Therefore, they tend to develop their business by giving importance to the principles of sustainable development. The aim of the paper was to propose an econometric model to report the sustainability of non-financial performance for the companies operating in the forestry field. The main objectives of the study focused on defining and analyzing the studied problem through the specialized literature, defining and conceptualizing the statistical model in order to identify the risk factors and vulnerability, influencing the forestry sector in Romania. In this context, based on a sample of 248 Romanian active companies in the forestry sector in four distinct sectors, we calculated a number of indicators specific to the forestry sector in order to identify the risks and vulnerabilities and analyze the entities associated with this sector. Our research led us to the conclusion that, as far as the forestry sector is concerned, the companies that operate in Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE) 240 and NACE 210 have registered superior results compared to the average in regards to the vulnerability of the sector, while those that operate in NACE 220 and NACE 230 focus mostly on those vulnerabilities regarding the risk zone of their sustainable development. The study could be useful both to stakeholders by giving them the possibility to identify those entities, classified according to the NACE code, taking into account the sector vulnerabilities and the risks associated with the profile market, as well as to the state that could influence through economic policies the sectors in which vulnerabilities are manifested.
Arctic Arts with Pride: Discourses on Arctic Arts, Culture and Sustainability
Authors: Huhmarniemi Maria , Jokela Timo
Published: January 2020

There has been growing interest in Arctic arts and culture as well as in sustainability among artists, researchers, and policy makers. However, until recently, the comprehension of Arctic arts and culture within the framework of sustainable development has remained vague. In this study, by analysing diverse debates from the Arctic Arts Summit 2019 in Rovaniemi, we investigate how the arts and culture sector promotes Arctic sustainability. An analysis of abstracts, conclusions, blogs and newspaper articles reflecting the presentations, art events, exhibitions and dialogues showed that the discourse on sustainability is organised around five themes: (1) global politics and ecological crises as part of the cultural politics of the Arctic; (2) indigenous and non-indigenous Arctic arts and culture; (3) ‘handmade’ and the material culture of the Arctic; (4) place-making, revitalisation and regional development; and (5) economy and sustainability. These partly interlinked themes have relevance for policy making, defining principles for arts and culture funding, artistic practice and research on the Arctic. In addition, education and artistic training are important for all of the five themes; therefore, resources for educational institutions are crucial for the sustainable future of the Arctic. Arts, culture and education have the potential to empower people in the Arctic, increase cultural pride, educate and inform global audiences and create connectedness between the past, present and future. Arts, culture and education contribute to Arctic sustainability.
Designing Innovative Management for Cultivated Biodiversity: Lessons from a Pioneering Collaboration between French Farmers, Facilitators and Researchers around Participatory Bread Wheat Breeding
Authors: Berthet Elsa T. , Bosshardt Sara , Malicet-Chebbah Lise , van Frank Gaëlle , Weil Benoit , Segrestin Blanche , Rivière Pierre , Bernard Léa , Baritaux Elodie , Goldringer Isabelle
Published: January 2020

The industrialization of farming has significantly threatened cultivated biodiversity. Participatory breeding endeavours to overcome this issue by enabling farmers to select a wide range of crop varieties in different conditions, and to foster genetic mixing through seed exchanges, crosses or mixtures. This necessitates the design of new forms of coordination and organization for the farmers and partners involved. This article reports on an ongoing initiative, aiming to facilitate the participatory design of such forms of coordination and organization. It first outlines the method used (Knowledge–Concept–Proposals or KCP), and how it has been tailored to this highly decentralized context involving politically engaged actors on a quest for autonomy. It then presents the exploratory results of the first two workshops: these include group consolidation, the sharing of heterogeneous knowledge, the generation of innovative ideas, and the elaboration of preliminary projects. Finally, this empirical case is compared with other initiatives supporting the participatory design of natural resource management strategies and tools. Its key original dimensions and benefits are that the workshop protocol is replicable, the data produced can be easily exploited, and it allows for testing hypotheses in the field of design science.
A Social Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Vehicle Restriction Policy for Reducing Overtourism in Udo, Korea
Authors: Kim Suah , Kim Namjo
Published: January 2020

Overtourism has given rise to conflict among various stakeholders. Accordingly, to control overtourism, the public sector has started to implement policies. Recently, Udo off Jeju Island in South Korea has begun experiencing overtourism; to prevent the situation from deteriorating, the public sector implemented a vehicle restriction policy. This study used a cost-benefit analysis framework to assess the social costs and benefits of the public policy to control overtourism in Udo. Through interviews and relevant data and documents, this study classified analysis items related to the policy that could be either a cost or benefit to different stakeholders. The social cost-benefit analysis showed that the net benefit increases, the longer the policy continues, thus ensuring it is adequate and feasible to implement the policy. An effective management public policy for the sustainability of the region’s tourism should always be promoted.
Management Practices and Breeding History of Varieties Strongly Determine the Fine Genetic Structure of Crop Populations: A Case Study Based on European Wheat Populations
Authors: Khan Abdul Rehman , Goldringer Isabelle , Thomas Mathieu
Published: January 2020

As the effects of climate change begin to be felt on yield stability, it is becoming essential to promote the use of genetic diversity in farmers’ fields. The presence of genetic variability in variety could fulfil this purpose. Indeed, the level of intra-varietal genetic diversity influences the spatio-temporal stability of yields and the disease susceptibility of crop species. Breeding history of varieties and their management practices are two factors that should influence intra-varietal genetic diversity. This paper describes the genetic diversity of eight wheat samples covering a gradient from modern single varieties to on-farm mixtures of landraces. This gradient discriminates between landrace, historical and modern varieties, considering the breeding history of varieties, between single-varieties and mixtures of varieties, and between ex situ and in situ de facto strategy in terms of management practices. Genetic diversity of these samples was analyzed with the help of 41 single nucleotide polymorphism markers located in neutral regions, through computing genetic indices at three different levels: Allelic, haplotypic and genetic group level. Population structure and kinship were depicted using discriminant analysis and kinship network analysis. Results revealed an increase in the complexity of the genetic structure as we move on the gradient of variety types (from modern single variety to in situ on-farm mixtures of landraces). For the landraces, the highest levels of genetic diversity have been observed for a landrace (Solina d’Abruzzo) continuously grown on-farm in the region of Abruzzo, in Italy, for many decades. This landrace showed an excess of haplotypic diversity compared to landraces or the historical variety that were stored in genebanks (ex situ conservation). Genetic analyses of the mixtures revealed that, despite a very high selfing rate in wheat, growing in evolutionary mixtures promotes recombination between different genetic components of the mixture, a second way to increase the level of haplotype diversity. When management practices such as growing in mixture and on-farm management are combined, they substantially increase the different levels of genetic diversity of the populations (allelic, haplotypic, genetic group diversity), and consequently promote their adaptability. Our results confirm the need to develop and manage evolving diversified large populations on-farm. These results invite crop diversity managers such as genebank curators, community seed bank managers and farmers’ organizations to adapt their management strategies to the type of variety they wish to manage, because we have shown that their choices have a strong influence on the genetic composition of the crop populations.
In Search of Sustainable Value: A Structured Literature Review
Authors: Cardoni Andrea , Kiseleva Evgeniia , Taticchi Paolo
Published: January 2020

The concept of value, where shareholders are the main recipients of the created value, is changing towards more comprehensive models, which respond to the increased stakeholder awareness and urgent sustainability agenda. Hart and Milstein (2003) elaborated the widely used sustainable value concept in which they characterize temporal and spatial dimensions of value, and suggest strategic drivers for sustainability. Although the framework is highly cited, there is no review on the changes over more than ten years. In this paper, we adopted a structured literature review methodology to discover how the concept of sustainable value has been used by researchers and how it has been developed. Our findings show that sustainable value has mainly been used as the general phrase to describe positive business results instead of using it as a concept. Scholars, who make an in-depth analysis of sustainable value do not emphasize the time horizon of sustainable value as its peculiar characteristic while broad stakeholder surrounding is called to be an important feature of sustainable value. Additionally, strategic drivers for sustainability have moved from being purely environmental as in Hart and Milstein’s (2003) concept: globalization, economic fluctuations, and knowledge innovation have become as important as green technologies and carbon-reduction policies.
The Effect of Social Media-Enabled Mentoring on Online Tacit Knowledge Acquisition within Sustainable Organizations: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Chen Zhenjiao , Vogel Douglas , Yang Tianan , Deng Jianwei
Published: January 2020

Tacit knowledge is an important strategic resource to the sustainable development of organizations. Although scholars and practitioners have noticed the growing use of social media in transferring tacit knowledge, extant empirical research has been fairly mute about this phenomenon. This study is novel in that it explores when and how social media used for mentoring (i.e., an emerging electronic mentoring) promotes tacit knowledge acquisition in sustainable organizations. This study develops a framework and proposes six hypotheses, which predict how social media-enabled mentoring promotes tacit knowledge acquisition through two mediators. Furthermore, two social media characteristics moderate the two mediating processes. The authors conducted a three-wave longitudinal survey in 45 sustainable companies and obtained 156 valid cases. All of the hypotheses are supported. The findings show that the effects of social media-enabled mentoring on tacit knowledge acquisition are mediated by both an affective learning mechanism (i.e., liking) and cognitive learning mechanism (i.e., shared mental model). Moreover, the two mediation processes are moderated by two capabilities of social media (i.e., social presence and synchronicity). This research bridges extant e-mentoring literature and sustainable TK management literature. It also enlightens managers to effectively integrate social media and mentoring to improve TKA in sustainable organizations.
Empirical Modeling Analysis of Potential Commute Demand for Carsharing in Shanghai, China
Authors: Duan Qian , Ye Xin , Li Jian , Wang Ke
Published: January 2020

Carsharing is an emerging commute mode in China, which may produce social and environmental benefits. This paper aims to develop a commute mode choice model to explore influential factors and quantify their impacts on the potential demand for carsharing in Shanghai. The sample data were obtained from a revealed preference (RP) and stated preference (SP) survey and integrated with level-of-service attributes from road and transit networks. The RP survey collected commuters’ trip information and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. In the SP survey, four hypothetical scenarios were designed based on carsharing’s unit price to collect commuters’ willingness to shift to carsharing. Data fusion method was applied to fuse RP and SP models. The joint model identified the target group of choosing carsharing with certain socioeconomic and demographic attributes, such as gender, age, income, household member, household vehicle ownership, and so on. It also indicates that the value of time (VOT) for carsharing is 35.56 RMB Yuan (5.08 US Dollar)/h. The elasticity and marginal effect analysis show that the direct elasticity of carsharing’s fare on its potential demand is −0.660, while the commuters, who have a more urgent plan on car purchase or are more familiar with the carsharing service, have much higher probabilities to choose carsharing as their commute modes. The developed model is expected to be applied to the urban travel demand model, providing references for the formulation of carsharing operation scheme and government policy.
Military Training Areas as Semicommons: The Territorial Valorization of Quirra (Sardinia) from Easements to Ecosystem Services
Authors: Balletto Ginevra , Milesi Alessandra , Fenu Nicolò , Borruso Giuseppe , Mundula Luigi
Published: January 2020

The paper addresses the issue of the concurrent use of coastal areas for military training and civil activities, namely tourism. In the paper, starting from the consideration of publicly owned assets as ‘semi-commons’, we propose a method based on the comparison of planning instruments related to the different uses, and try to model them in a grid, where different weights and degrees of evaluation can be considered, in order to promote, rather than blocking, possible activities, compatible with concurrent use. The military areas in Sardinia (region and island, Italy) are around 234 km2, which constitutes 60% of the national surface affected by military easements. This situation is due to its geographic position, considered centrality in the Mediterranean for strategic reasons. This contribution evaluates the performance of the Local Coastline Plan (LCP) and the Site management plan of Community Interest (SCI) in conditions of military constraint. The case study is the municipality of Villaputzu South Sardinia, Italy), where an important coastal military easement and the use of the coast for recreational tourism purposes coexist together through specific planning, a consequence of institutional agreements between the Municipal Administration of Villaputzu and the Ministry of Defense. The idea is considering the concurrent possible land uses guaranteed by the different planning instruments, instead of focusing, as it is generally the rule, on the sum of constraints provided by the laws. The local coastline plan has been identified as the ideal planning tool, which addresses the co-existence of apparently opposite land uses and interests, as those expressed by the local municipal planning and those expressed by the military. An evaluation of the congruence of the specific objectives of the LCP and SCI shows how their combined action favors the environmental enhancement of Sardinia, contributing to the formation of ecosystem services, even in particular conditions arising from military easements. These are sites that evolve from ‘anticommons’ to ‘semicommons’. In fact, the military release process in Sardinia, together with the promiscuous military and civil use, activates unique governance policies of their kind that find a significant field of application in Sardinia to guarantee sustainable renewal of economic development of the ‘semi-commons’ awaiting to become ‘commons’.
Overview of Rational Design of Binary Alloy for the Synthesis of Two-Dimensional Materials
Authors: Zhu Hongyan , Zhang Chao , Zhang Xuefu , Shi Zhiyuan , Wu Tianru , Yu Guanghui
Published: January 2020

Two-dimensional (2D) materials attracted widespread interest as unique and novel properties different from their bulk crystals, providing great potential for semiconductor devices and applications. Recently, the family of 2D materials has been expanded including but not limited to graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), transition metal carbides (TMCs), and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). Metal-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an effective method to achieve precise synthesis of these 2D materials. In this review, we focus on designing various binary alloys to realize controllable synthesis of multiple CVD-grown 2D materials and their heterostructures for both fundamental research and practical applications. Further investigations indicated that the design of the catalytic substrate is an important issue, which determines the morphology, domain size, thickness and quality of 2D materials and their heterostructures.
A Novel Integrated Subjective-Objective MCDM Model for Alternative Ranking in Order to Achieve Business Excellence and Sustainability
Authors: Marković Vladimir , Stajić Ljubiša , Stević Željko , Mitrović Goran , Novarlić Boris , Radojičić Zoran
Published: January 2020

Achieving sustainability in constant development in every area in today’s modern business has become a challenge on the one hand, and an imperative on the other. If the aspect of business excellence achievement is also added to it, the complexity of the system increases significantly, and it is necessary to model a system considering several parameters and satisfying the multi-criteria function. This paper develops a novel integrated model that involves the application of a subjective-objective model in order to achieve business sustainability and excellence. The model consists of fuzzy PIPRECIA (fuzzy pivot pairwise relative criteria importance Assessment) as a subjective method, CRITIC (criteria importance through intercriteria correlation) and I-distance method as objective methods. The goal is to take the advantages of these approaches and allow for more accurate and balanced (symmetric) decision-making through their integration. The integrated subjective-objective model has been applied in a narrow geographical area to consider and evaluate banks as a significant factor in improving the social aspect of sustainability. An additional contribution of the paper is a critical overview of multi-criteria problems in which the levels of the hierarchical structure contain a different (asymmetric) number of elements. A specific example has also been used to prove that only a hierarchical structure with an equal number of lower-level elements provides precise weights of criteria in accordance with the preferences of decision-makers referring to subjective models. The results obtained are verified throughout the calculation of Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients, and throughout a sensitivity analysis involving a dynamic reverse rank matrix.
A Novel Isomap-SVR Soft Sensor Model and Its Application in Rotary Kiln Calcination Zone Temperature Prediction
Authors: Liu Jialun , Wang Yukun , Zhang Yong
Published: January 2020

Soft sensing technology has been proved to be an effective tool for the online estimation of unmeasured or variables that are difficult to directly measure. The performance of a soft sensor depends heavily on its convergence speed and generalization ability to a great extent. Based on this idea, we propose a new soft sensor model, Isomap-SVR. First, the sample data set is divided into training set and testing set by using self-organizing map (SOM) neural network to ensure the fairness and symmetry of data segmentation. Isometric feature mapping (Isomap) method is used for dimensionality reduction of the model input data, which could not only reduce the structure complexity of the proposed model but speed up learning speed, and then the Support Vector Machine Regression (SVR) is applied to the regression model. A novel bat algorithm based on Cauchy mutation and Lévy flight strategy is used to optimize parameters of Isomap and SVR to improve the accuracy of the proposed model. Finally, the model is applied to the prediction of the temperature of rotary kiln calcination zone, which is difficult to measure directly. The simulation results show that the proposed soft sensor modeling method has higher learning speed and better generalization ability. Compared with other algorithms, this algorithm has obvious advantages and is an effective modeling method.
On Hypergroups with a β-Class of Finite Height
Authors: De Salvo Mario , Fasino Dario , Freni Domenico , Lo Faro Giovanni
Published: January 2020

In every hypergroup, the equivalence classes modulo the fundamental relation β are the union of hyperproducts of element pairs. Making use of this property, we introduce the notion of height of a β -class and we analyze properties of hypergroups where the height of a β -class coincides with its cardinality. As a consequence, we obtain a new characterization of 1-hypergroups. Moreover, we define a hierarchy of classes of hypergroups where at least one β -class has height 1 or cardinality 1, and we enumerate the elements in each class when the size of the hypergroups is n ≤ 4 , apart from isomorphisms.
Cellular Effects of T-2 Toxin on Primary Hepatic Cell Culture Models of Chickens
Authors: Mackei Máté , Orbán Kata , Molnár Andor , Pál László , Dublecz Károly , Husvéth Ferenc , Neogrády Zsuzsanna , Mátis Gábor
Published: January 2020

Trichothecene mycotoxins such as T-2 toxin cause severe problems for agriculture, as well as for veterinary medicine. As liver is one of the key organs in metabolism, the main aim of our study was to investigate the immunomodulatory and cytotoxic effects of T-2 toxin, using primary hepatocyte mono-culture and hepatocyte—nonparenchymal cell (predominantly Kupffer cell) co-culture models of chicken. Cultures were exposed to 10 (T10 group), 100 (T100 group) and 1000 (T1000 group) nmol/L T-2 toxin treatment for 8 or 24 h. Alterations of cellular metabolic activity, the production of reactive oxygen species (extracellular H2O2), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and the concentration of different inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL-)6 and IL-8 were investigated. Metabolic activity was intensely decreased by T-2 toxin administration in all of the cell culture models, in every applied concentration and incubation time. Concentrations of HSP70 and IL-8 were significantly increased in hepatocyte mono-cultures exposed to higher T-2 toxin levels (both in T100 and T1000 groups for HSP70 and in T1000 group for IL-8, respectively) compared to controls after 24 h incubation. Similarly, IL-6 levels were also significantly elevated in the T100 and T1000 groups in both of mono- and co-cultures, but only after 8 h of incubation time. In spite of the general harmful effects of T-2 toxin treatment, no significant differences were observed on reactive oxygen species production. Furthermore, the two cell culture models showed different levels of H2O2, HSP70, and IL-8 concentrations independently of T-2 toxin supplementation. In conclusion, the established primary cell cultures derived from chicken proved to be proper models to study the specific molecular effects caused by T-2 toxin. Metabolic activity and immune status of the different examined cell cultures were intensively affected; however, no changes were found in H2O2 levels.
Characterization of Venom Components and Their Phylogenetic Properties in Some Aculeate Bumblebees and Wasps
Authors: Yoon Kyungjae Andrew , Kim Kyungmun , Kim Woo-Jin , Bang Woo Young , Ahn Neung-Ho , Bae Chang-Hwan , Yeo Joo-Hong , Lee Si Hyeock
Published: January 2020

To identify and compare venom components and expression patterns, venom gland-specific transcriptome analyses were conducted for 14 Aculeate bees and wasps. TPM (transcripts per kilobase million) values were normalized using the average transcription level of a reference housekeeping gene (dimethyladenosine transferase). Orthologous venom component genes across the 14 bee and wasp species were identified, and their relative abundance in each species was determined by comparing normalized TPM values. Based on signal sequences in the transcripts, the genes of novel venom components were identified and characterized to encode potential allergens. Most of the allergens and pain-producing factors (arginine kinase, hyaluronidase, mastoparan, phospholipase A1, phospholipase A2, and venom allergen 5) showed extremely high expression levels in social wasps. Acid phosphatase, neprilysin, and tachykinin, which are known allergens and neurotoxic peptides, were found in the venom glands of solitary wasps more often than in social wasps. In the venom glands of bumblebees, few or no transcripts of major allergens or pain-producing factors were identified. Taken together, these results indicate that differential expression patterns of the venom genes in some Aculeate species imply that some wasps and bumblebee species have unique groups of highly expressed venom components. Some venom components reflected the Aculeate species phylogeny, but others did not. This unique evolution of specific venom components in different groups of some wasps and bumblebee species might have been shaped in response to both ecological and behavioral influences.
Degradation of Aflatoxin B1 by a Sustainable Enzymatic Extract from Spent Mushroom Substrate of Pleurotus eryngii
Authors: Branà Maria , Sergio Lucrezia , Haidukowski Miriam , Logrieco Antonio , Altomare Claudio
Published: January 2020

Ligninolytic enzymes from white-rot fungi, such as laccase (Lac) and Mn-peroxidase (MnP), are able to degrade aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), the most harmful among the known mycotoxins. The high cost of purification of these enzymes has limited their implementation into practical technologies. Every year, tons of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) are produced as a by-product of edible mushroom cultivation, such as Pleurotus spp., and disposed at a cost for farmers. SMS may still bea source of ligninolytic enzymes useful for AFB1 degradation. The in vitro AFB1-degradative activity of an SMS crude extract (SMSE) was investigated. Results show that: (1) in SMSE, high Lac activity (4 U g−1 dry matter) and low MnP activity (0.4 U g−1 dry matter) were present; (2) after 1 d of incubation at 25 °C, the SMSE was able to degrade more than 50% of AFB1, whereas after 3 and 7 d of incubation, the percentage of degradation reached the values of 75% and 90%, respectively; (3) with increasing pH values, the degradation percentage increased, reaching 90% after 3 d at pH 8. Based on these results, SMS proved to be a suitable source of AFB1 degrading enzymes and the use of SMSE to detoxify AFB1 contaminated commodities appears conceivable.
In the Quest for Cosmic Rotation
Authors: Korotky Vladimir A. , Masár Eduard , Obukhov Yuri N.
Published: January 2020

This paper analyzes the problem of global rotation in general relativity (GR) theory. Simple cosmological models with rotation and expansion are presented, which give a natural explanation of the modern values of the acceleration parameter at different red shifts without involving the concepts of “dark energy” and “dark matter”. It is shown that due to the smallness of the cosmological rotation, for its detection one should use observations that do not depend on the magnitude of the angular velocity of the Universe. Such tests include the effects of the cosmic mirror and the cosmic lens. For the first time on the basis of modern electronic catalogs the search on the celestial sphere of images of our Galaxy and other galaxies is made. Viable candidates for both effects have been found.
Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Influenza C Virus
Authors: Sederdahl Bethany K. , Williams John V.
Published: January 2020

Influenza C virus (ICV) is a common yet under-recognized cause of acute respiratory illness. ICV seropositivity has been found to be as high as 90% by 7–10 years of age, suggesting that most people are exposed to ICV at least once during childhood. Due to difficulty detecting ICV by cell culture, epidemiologic studies of ICV likely have underestimated the burden of ICV infection and disease. Recent development of highly sensitive RT-PCR has facilitated epidemiologic studies that provide further insights into the prevalence, seasonality, and course of ICV infection. In this review, we summarize the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of ICV.
Special Issue “Human Picornaviruses”
Authors: Susi Petri
Published: January 2020

The Special Issue “Human Picornaviruses” in “Viruses” (Submission Deadline 30 September 2019, https://www [...]
DEF Cell-Derived Exosomal miR-148a-5p Promotes DTMUV Replication by Negative Regulating TLR3 Expression
Authors: Guo Hongyan , Cheng Anchun , Zhang Xingcui , Pan YuHong , Wang Mingshu , Huang Juan , Zhu Dekang , Chen Shun , Liu Mafeng , Zhao Xinxin , Wu Ying , Yang Qiao , Zhang Shaqiu , Yu Yanling , Pan Leichang , Tian Bin , Rehman Mujeeb Ur , Chen Xiaoyue , Liu Yunya , Zhang Ling , Yin Zhongqiong , Jing Bo , Jia Renyong
Published: January 2020

Duck tembusu virus (DTMUV) is a single-stranded, positive-polarity RNA flavivirus that has caused considerable economic losses in China in recent years. Innate immunity represents the first line of defense against invading pathogens and serves as an important role in resisting viral infections. In this study, we found that the infection of ducks by DTMUV triggers Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs) signaling pathways and inducing abundant of pro-inflammatory factors and type I interferons (IFNs), in which melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) and Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) play important immunity roles, they can inhibit the replication process of DTMUV via inducing type I IFNs. Moreover, we demonstrated that type I IFNs can inhibit the DTMUV replication process in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Exosomes are small membrane vesicles that have important roles in intercellular communication. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that can modulate gene expression and are common substances in exosomes. In our experiment, we successfully isolated DEF cells derived exosome for the first time and explored its function. Firstly, we found the expression of miR-148a-5p is significantly decreased following DTMUV infect. Then we found miR-148a-5p can target TLR3 and down-regulate the expression of TLR3, serving as a negative factor in innate immunity. Unfortunately, we cannot find miRNAs with different expression changes that can target MDA5. Lastly, our experimental results showed that TLR3 was one of the causes of miR-148a-5p reduction, suggesting that the high level of TLR3 after DTMUV infect can both trigger innate immunity and suppress miR-148a-5p to resist DTMUV.
Usefulness of Clinical Definitions of Influenza for Public Health Surveillance Purposes
Authors: Domínguez Àngela , Soldevila Núria , Torner Núria , Martínez Ana , Godoy Pere , Rius Cristina , Jané Mireia , the PIDIRAC Sentinel Surveillance Program of Catalonia
Published: January 2020

This study investigated the performance of various case definitions and influenza symptoms in a primary healthcare sentinel surveillance system. A retrospective study of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the cases reported by a primary healthcare sentinel surveillance network for eleven years in Catalonia was conducted. Crude and adjusted diagnostic odds ratios (aDORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the case definitions and symptoms for all weeks and epidemic weeks were estimated. The most predictive case definition for laboratory-confirmed influenza was the World Health Organization (WHO) case definition for ILI in all weeks (aDOR 2.69; 95% CI 2.42–2.99) and epidemic weeks (aDOR 2.20; 95% CI 1.90–2.54). The symptoms that were significant positive predictors for confirmed influenza were fever, cough, myalgia, headache, malaise, and sudden onset. Fever had the highest aDOR in all weeks (4.03; 95% CI 3.38–4.80) and epidemic weeks (2.78; 95% CI 2.21–3.50). All of the case definitions assessed performed better in patients with comorbidities than in those without. The performance of symptoms varied by age groups, with fever being of high value in older people, and cough being of high value in children. In patients with comorbidities, the performance of fever was the highest (aDOR 5.45; 95% CI 3.43–8.66). No differences in the performance of the case definition or symptoms in influenza cases according to virus type were found.
Origin of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 8 Outbreak in Cyprus, September 2016
Authors: Rajko-Nenow Paulina , Christodoulou Vasiliki , Thurston William , Ropiak Honorata M. , Savva Savvas , Brown Hannah , Qureshi Mehnaz , Alvanitopoulos Konstantinos , Gubbins Simon , Flannery John , Batten Carrie
Published: January 2020

In September 2016, clinical signs, indicative of bluetongue, were observed in sheep in Cyprus. Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) was detected in sheep, indicating the first incursion of this serotype into Cyprus. Following virus propagation, Nextera XT DNA libraries were sequenced on the MiSeq instrument. Full-genome sequences were obtained for five isolates CYP2016/01-05 and the percent of nucleotide sequence (% nt) identity between them ranged from 99.92% to 99.95%, which corresponded to a few (2–5) amino acid changes. Based on the complete coding sequence, the Israeli ISR2008/13 (98.42–98.45%) was recognised as the closest relative to CYP2016/01-05. However, the phylogenetic reconstruction of CYP2016/01-05 revealed that the possibility of reassortment in several segments: 4, 7, 9 and 10. Based on the available sequencing data, the incursion BTV-8 into Cyprus most likely occurred from the neighbouring countries (e.g., Israel, Lebanon, Syria, or Jordan), where multiple BTV serotypes were co-circulating rather than from Europe (e.g., France) where a single BTV-8 serotype was dominant. Supporting this hypothesis, atmospheric dispersion modelling identified wind-transport events during July–September that could have allowed the introduction of BTV-8 infected midges from Lebanon, Syria or Israel coastlines into the Larnaca region of Cyprus.
Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection Associated with Increased Colorectal Cancer Risk in Taiwanese Population
Authors: Su Fu-Hsiung , Le Thi Nga , Muo Chih-Hsin , Te Sister Arlene , Sung Fung-Chang , Yeh Chih-Ching
Published: January 2020

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and colorectal cancer (CRC) are prevalent in Taiwan. We carried out a population-based case-control study to assess the association between HBV infection and CRC risk. Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we identified 69,478 newly diagnosed patients with CRC from 2005 to 2011. We further randomly selected 69,478 age- and gender-matched controls without CRC from the same database. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to evaluate the association between chronic HBV infection and CRC using a logistic regression analysis. HBV infection was found to be associated with the risk of CRC (OR = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.20–1.33). This relationship was similar in men and women. Age-specific analysis revealed that the CRC risk associated with HBV decreased with age. The adjusted ORs for patients aged <55, 55–64, and 65–74 years were 1.63 (95% CI = 1.48–1.79), 1.24 (95% CI = 1.13–1.37), and 1.02 (95% = 0.92–1.13), respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests that chronic HBV infection is significantly associated with an increased risk of CRC. Monitoring the risk of CRC development in young patients with HBV infection is crucial.
Polyacrylate–Peptide Antigen Conjugate as a Single-Dose Oral Vaccine against Group A Streptococcus
Authors: Faruck Mohammad Omer , Zhao Lili , Hussein Waleed M. , Khalil Zeinab G. , Capon Robert J. , Skwarczynski Mariusz , Toth Istvan
Published: January 2020

Group A Streptococcus (GAS)-associated rheumatic heart disease is a leading cause of death caused by GAS infection. While antibiotics can treat the infection in most cases, growing antibiotic resistance, late medical intervention, and recurrent infection are major obstacles to the effective treatment of GAS-associated diseases. As GAS infection typically originates from the bacterial colonization of mucosal tissue in the throat, an oral vaccine that can generate both systemic and mucosal immune responses would solve problems associated with traditional medical interventions. Moreover, orally delivered vaccines are more easily administered and less expensive for mass immunization. In this study, the B-cell epitope J8, derived from GAS M protein, and universal T-helper Pan HLA-DR-binding epitope peptide (PADRE), were conjugated to poly (methyl acrylate) (PMA) to form a self-assembled nanoparticle vaccine candidate (PMA-P-J8). Strong systemic and mucosal immune responses were induced upon single oral immunization of mice with the conjugate. The antibodies generated were opsonic against GAS clinical isolates as measured after boost immunization. Thus, we developed a simple conjugate as an effective, adjuvant-free oral peptide-based vaccine.
Development and Optimization of a GMP-Compliant Manufacturing Process for a Personalized Tumor Lysate Dendritic Cell Vaccine
Authors: Boudousquié Caroline , Boand Valérie , Lingre Emilie , Dutoit Laeticia , Balint Klara , Danilo Maxime , Harari Alexandre , Gannon Philippe O. , Kandalaft Lana E.
Published: January 2020

With the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive T-cell therapies, there is a considerable interest in using personalized autologous dendritic cell (DC) vaccines in combination with T cell-targeting immunotherapies to potentially maximize the therapeutic impact of DC vaccines. Here, we describe the development and optimization of a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant manufacturing process based on tumor lysate as a tumor antigen source for the production of an oxidized tumor cell lysate loaded DC (OC-DC) vaccine. The manufacturing process required one day for lysate preparation and six days for OC-DC vaccine production. Tumor lysate production was standardized based on an optimal tumor digestion protocol and the immunogenicity was improved through oxidation using hypochloric acid prior to freeze-thaw cycles resulting in the oxidized tumor cell lysate (OC-L). Next, monocytes were selected using the CliniMACS prodigy closed system and were placed in culture in cell factories in the presence of IL-4 and GM-CSF. Immature DCs were loaded with OC-L and matured using MPLA-IFNγ. After assessing the functionality of the OC-DC cells (IL12p70 secretion and COSTIM assay), the OC-DC vaccine was cryopreserved in multiple doses for single use. Finally, the stability of the formulated doses was tested and validated. We believe this GMP-compliant DC vaccine manufacturing process will facilitate access of patients to personalized DC vaccines, and allow for multi-center clinical trials.
Potential Impacts of Future Climate Change Scenarios on Ground Subsidence
Authors: Collados-Lara Antonio-Juan , Pulido-Velazquez David , Mateos Rosa María , Ezquerro Pablo
Published: January 2020

In this work, we developed a new method to assess the impact of climate change (CC) scenarios on land subsidence related to groundwater level depletion in detrital aquifers. The main goal of this work was to propose a parsimonious approach that could be applied for any case study. We also evaluated the methodology in a case study, the Vega de Granada aquifer (southern Spain). Historical subsidence rates were estimated using remote sensing techniques (differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar, DInSAR). Local CC scenarios were generated by applying a bias correction approach. An equifeasible ensemble of the generated projections from different climatic models was also proposed. A simple water balance approach was applied to assess CC impacts on lumped global drawdowns due to future potential rainfall recharge and pumping. CC impacts were propagated to drawdowns within piezometers by applying the global delta change observed with the lumped assessment. Regression models were employed to estimate the impacts of these drawdowns in terms of land subsidence, as well as to analyze the influence of the fine-grained material in the aquifer. The results showed that a more linear behavior was observed for the cases with lower percentage of fine-grained material. The mean increase of the maximum subsidence rates in the considered wells for the future horizon (2016–2045) and the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenario 8.5 was 54%. The main advantage of the proposed method is its applicability in cases with limited information. It is also appropriate for the study of wide areas to identify potential hot spots where more exhaustive analyses should be performed. The method will allow sustainable adaptation strategies in vulnerable areas during drought-critical periods to be assessed.