bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Six-Weeks Change of Direction Speed and Technique Modification Training on Cutting Performance and Movement Quality in Male Youth Soccer Players
Authors: Dos’Santos Thomas , McBurnie Alistair , Comfort Paul , Jones Paul A.
Published: September 2019

Cutting manoeuvres are important actions associated with soccer performance and a key action associated with non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injury; thus, training interventions that can improve cutting performance and movement quality are of great interest. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the effects of a six-week change of dire[ction (COD) speed and technique modification training intervention on cutting performance and movement quality in male youth soccer players (U17s, n = 8) in comparison to a control group (CG) (U18s, n = 11) who continued ‘normal’ training. Cutting performance was assessed based on completion time and COD deficit, and the field-based cutting movement assessment score (CMAS) qualitative screening tool was used to assess cutting movement quality. Significant main effects for time (pre-to-post changes) (p ≤ 0.041, η2 = 0.224–0.839) and significant interaction effects of time and group were observed for cutting completion times, COD deficits, and CMASs. Improvements in completion time (p < 0.001, g = 1.63–1.90, −9% to −11% vs. −5% to 6%) and COD deficit (p ≤ 0.012, g = −1.63 to −2.43, −40–52% vs. −22% to −28%) for the COD intervention group (IG) were approximately two-times greater than the CG. Furthermore, lower CMASs (i.e., improved cutting movement quality) were only observed in the IG (p ≤ 0.025, g = −0.85 to −1.46, −23% to −34% vs. 6–19%) compared to the CG. The positive changes in CMASs were attributed to improved cutting technique and reduced incidences of high-risk deficits such as lateral trunk flexion, extended knee postures, knee valgus, hip internal rotation, and improved braking strategies. The results of this study indicate that COD speed and technique modification training, in addition to normal skills and strength training, improves cutting performance and movement quality in male youth soccer players. Practitioners working with male youth soccer players should implement COD speed and technique modification training to improve cutting performance and movement quality, which may decrease potential injury-risk.
What Determines the Success of Culture-Led Regeneration Projects in China?
Authors: Yu Tao , Tang Qi , Wu Yongxiang , Wang Yaowu , Wu Zezhou
Published: September 2019

Culture-led regeneration projects (CRPs) have been identified as an effective means for enhancing the sustainable development of cities. Related topics have been investigated; however, relatively little information is known about what factors are critical for achieving success in these kinds of regeneration projects. Based on a literature review and five case studies, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying 25 critical success factors (CSFs) for managing CRPs in China. A questionnaire survey was designed to evaluate the relative importance of these factors from practitioners’ and researchers’ perspectives. In addition, a factor analysis was carried out to group these CSFs into five categories, namely government policies and culture-led regeneration strategies, stakeholder management and financing support, technical solutions for CRPs, social security, and industry development. The results demonstrated that cultural value management, integrating cultural development with urban planning, adopting sustainable development principles, reconstructing the city image and brand, and the availability of culture-led planning methods played the most important roles in the success of CRPs. The findings of this study can help practitioners enhance their regeneration project performance.
Coupling Influences of ENSO and PDO on the Inter-Decadal SST Variability of the ACC around the Western South Atlantic
Authors: Wang You-Lin , Hsu Yu-Chen , Lee Chung-Pan , Wu Chau-Ron
Published: September 2019

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) plays an important role in the climate as it balances heat energy and water mass between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through the Drake Passage. However, because the historical measurements and observations are extremely limited, the decadal and long-term variations of the ACC around the western South Atlantic Ocean are rarely studied. By analyzing reconstructed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in a 147-year period (1870–2016), previous studies have shown that SST anomalies (SSTAs) around the Antarctic Peninsula and South America had the same phase change as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This study further showed that changes in SSTAs in the regions mentioned above were enlarged when the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the ENSO were in the same warm or cold phase, implying that changes in the SST of higher latitude oceans could be enhanced when the influence of the ENSO is considered along with the PDO.
Using Sustainable Oil Shale Waste Powder Treated with Silane Coupling Agent for Enriching the Performance of Asphalt and Asphalt Mixture
Authors: Guo Xuedong , Chen Xing , Li Yingsong , Li Zhun , Guo Wei
Published: September 2019

The increase in cost of bitumen and polymer modifiers and the importance of silicon waste material management have encouraged pavement researchers to use reusable sustainable sources. Oil shale waste powder (OSP) is considered a silicon waste material, and when used in pavement prevents leaching. However, OSP, as an acidic inorganic material, has compatibility issues with asphalt, and its use with ashpalt should be considered carefully. This paper investigates the pavement performance and modification mechanism of OSP and silane coupling agent (SCA) composite modified asphalt and asphalt mixture according to conventional physical property tests: thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and a pavement performance test. The test results showed that the incorporation of OSP and SCA improved the overall properties of asphalt and asphalt mixture and the direct mixing method is more effective than the surface pretreatment method for the modification of composite modification of asphalt. Moreover, the FTIR test and DSC test indicated that the incorporation of OSP and SCA creates new chemical bonds and changes the form and quantity of the crystalline component and the transformation of components in the bitumen.
A Stochastic Optimization Approach to the Design of Shale Gas/Oil Wastewater Treatment Systems with Multiple Energy Sources under Uncertainty
Authors: Al-Aboosi Fadhil Y. , El-Halwagi Mahmoud M.
Published: September 2019

The production of shale gas and oil is associated with the generation of substantial amounts of wastewater. With the growing emphasis on sustainable development, the energy sector has been intensifying efforts to manage water resources while diversifying the energy portfolio used in treating wastewater to include fossil and renewable energy. The nexus of water and energy introduces complexity in the optimization of the water management systems. Furthermore, the uncertainty in the data for energy (e.g., solar intensity) and cost (e.g., price fluctuation) introduce additional complexities. The objective of this work is to develop a novel framework for the optimizing wastewater treatment and water-management systems in shale gas production while incorporating fossil and solar energy and accounting for uncertainties. Solar energy is utilized via collection, recovery, storage, and dispatch of heat. Heat integration with an adjacent industrial facility is considered. Additionally, electric power production is intended to supply a reverse osmosis (RO) plant and the local electric grid. The optimization problem is formulated as a multi-scenario mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) problem that is a deterministic equivalent of a two-stage stochastic programming model for handling uncertainty in operational conditions through a finite set of scenarios. The results show the capability of the system to address water-energy nexus problems in shale gas production based on the system’s economic and environmental merits. A case study for Eagle Ford Basin in Texas is solved by enabling effective water treatment and energy management strategies to attain the maximum annual profit of the entire system while achieving minimum environmental impact.
Open Educational Resources and Practices in China: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Tlili Ahmed , Huang Ronghuai , Chang Ting-Wen , Nascimbeni Fabio , Burgos Daniel
Published: September 2019

The concepts of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP), regarded as two pillars of the broader open education movement, have been evolving since the concept of OER was first coined in the 2012 Paris Declaration. Several research studies have been conducted to investigate the impacts of OER and OEP adoption and implementation in universities. However, most of those studies have focused on western and developed countries, and little information is known about developing countries, especially Asian ones. Particularly, China was one of the first Asian countries to adopt open education and its related strategies following the MIT OpenCourseWare conference in Beijing in 2003. This study conducts a systematic literature review to investigate the current state of the art of OER and OEP in China. The findings show that several governmental, organizational, and institutional initiatives have been launched to facilitate OER adoption in China. They also show that while several OEPs have been implemented, there is still a continuous need to work on these practices and further investigate their impacts on learning outcomes and behaviors, as no current reviewed study has done so. Finally, a generic framework of OER and OEP challenges is presented along with recommendations to further enhance the adoption of OER and OEP in China.
Policy Evolution in the Chinese PPP Market: The Shifting Strategies of Governmental Support Measures
Authors: Guo Yubo , Martek Igor , Chen Chuan
Published: September 2019

Much attention has been paid world-wide to the advancement of policy with regard to public–private partnerships (PPPs). Though PPPs continue to play a major role in the development of China’s national economy, capital projects and infrastructure upgrade, little work has been done to understand the evolution of Chinese governmental policy with regard to PPPs. This paper addresses this lack and sets out the trajectory of Chinese PPP policy maturation over the period of 1986 to 2018. Policy documents were retrieved from official government websites, such as the Ministry of Finance and National Development and Reform Commission, with some 205 policy statements deemed relevant to PPPs. These were then classified by type and submitted to regression analysis. Five major instruments in support of PPPs were identified, including fiscal, financial, taxation, land and operations support. Moreover, four historical policy phases can be identified in the Chinese PPP market, including ‘try’, ‘explore’, ‘expand’ and ‘consolidate’. While governmental policy may now be considered sophisticated, deficiencies remain, including insufficient policy coordination between departments, lack of financial incentives and poor transparency and disclosure supervision. These observations will inform policy makers as they look to continue advancement of PPP policy measures, and help practitioners in assessing the pitfalls of operating in the Chinese PPP market.
Modeling and Simulation of Particle Motion in the Operation Area of a Centrifugal Rotary Chopper Machine
Authors: Marczuk Andrzej , Caban Jacek , Aleshkin Alexey V. , Savinykh Petr A. , Isupov Alexey Y. , Ivanov Ilya I.
Published: September 2019

The article presents approaches to the formation of a general computational scheme for modeling (simulating) the particle motion on an axisymmetric rotating curved surface with a vertical axis of rotation. To describe the complex particle motion over a given surface, the fundamental equation of particle dynamics in a non-inertial reference frame was used, and by projecting it onto the axes of cylindrical coordinates, the Lagrange’s differential equations of the first kind were obtained. According to the proposed algorithm in C#, an application was developed that enables graphical and numerical control of the calculation results. The program interface contains six screen forms with tabular baseline data (input) and a table of a step-by-step calculation of results (output); particle displacement, velocity, and acceleration diagrams constructed along the axes of the system of cylindrical coordinates ρ and z; graphical presentation of the generate of the surface of revolution and the trajectory of the absolute motion of a particle over the axisymmetric rotating surface developed in polar coordinates. Examples of the calculation of the particle motion are presented. The obtained results can be used for the study and design of machines, for example, centrifugal rotary chopper machines.
Carbon Mitigation Strategies of Port Selection and Multimodal Transport Operations—A Case Study of Northeast China
Authors: Li Xiaodong , Kuang Haibo , Hu Yan
Published: September 2019

In the last few decades, the progression of climate change has made people aware of the need to reduce CO2 emissions. In this study, the effect of this awareness on container transport in Northeast China is used as an empirical case study. Firstly, we propose that the freight demand index, calculated by the entropy weight TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution) method, reflects the degree of container demand in destination cities. Then, we describe five scenarios against the background of China’s container development plan and use them to evaluate the cost and carbon emissions of container rerouting. The overall objective of the study is to assess the effects of changes in port selection on the formation of new routes and multimodal transport. The results show that carbon taxes do not significantly affect multimodal transport networks, and the impact of loading and unloading costs on the total cost is far greater than that of corresponding carbon emissions. Despite the railway transportation capacity of Dalian Port, the results show that Yingkou Port and Dandong Port will expand by 227.8% and 191.4% over 2017, respectively. Therefore, Liaoning Port Group needs to reposition its different ports.
Built Heritage, Sustainable Development, and Natural Hazards: Flood Protection and UNESCO World Heritage Site Protection Strategies in Krakow, Poland
Authors: Porębska Anna , Godyń Izabela , Radzicki Krzysztof , Nachlik Elżbieta , Rizzi Paola
Published: September 2019

The protection of larger built-up areas that constitute sections of actively functioning urban zones is a challenge, even under favourable political and economic conditions. The case of Krakow’s historical town centre, which is protected as a historical site by national law and it was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 1978, clearly demonstrates how difficult it is to reconcile the passive character of current conservation doctrines with the demands of the free market and growth-oriented economy, when developer pressure is not sufficiently balanced out by public opinion and urban activist movements, when planning tools are incomplete or insufficient, and the criteria according to which strategic decisions are made are of a quantitative rather than a qualitative character. Apart from commonly encountered problems that are associated with the gentrification of town centres or the negative impact of mass tourism, Krakow must also face a growing flood hazard that stems from its specific and unfavourable hydrological and hydrogeological conditions that are compounded by the uncontrolled and uncoordinated expansion of urbanised areas, the decay of the natural environment, and the consequences of climate change. This article presents the multi-aspect site-specific conditions of the historical centre of Krakow, as well as the analysis of its protection as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the context of flood protection, while taking into consideration the environmental, economic, and social dimension of heritage. The critical conclusions that are featured in the work indicate both areas of possible immediate remedial action and the potential directions that new integrated protection strategies would take.
Multiple Conjunctural Impact on Digital Social Innovation: Focusing on the OECD Countries
Authors: Huh Taewook , Kim Jiyoung Hailiey
Published: September 2019

This study aims to explore the influencing factors of multidisciplinary digital social innovation (DSI) in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) member countries in light of the socio-technical system transition theory. It sets up the eight variables of the four areas that comprise the DSI, and then identifies the causal conditions (arrangements) based on the empirical findings through the fuzzy-set multi-conjunctural analysis. In short, it concludes that, if OECD member countries have high level of democracy and e-participation, high GDP and business-friendly environment, high social expenditure, and high level of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) development and patent applications, they are highly likely to achieve a sufficient level of digital social innovation. This study underlines that the result of combined arrangement explains that the DSI can be more properly characterized by the multi-level and structured approach of the socio-technical system transition that goes beyond the fragmentary approach of existing innovation theories and the current related academic field. Moreover, this study reveals that the social factors (including the social capital variable) that have attracted attention from previous studies may have little effect on the DSI. In essence, it suggests that citizen interaction and social change can be newly formed through technological innovation in a multi-dimensional way, and that more in-depth discussion regarding the new context of ‘digital citizen’ might be required.
Accessibility for All in Public Transport and the Overlooked (Social) Dimension—A Case Study of Stockholm
Authors: Stjernborg Vanessa
Published: September 2019

Sweden was early to develop legislation related to accessible public transport for disabled people in 1979 and can therefore be seen as a forerunner. However, recent findings reveal widespread barriers in the Swedish public transport system and large variations between different parts of the country. This paper draws on empirical material consisting of complaints regarding accessibility left by travellers in Stockholm to a local transit company and aims to provide an overview of the character of complaints and to identify common themes through a qualitative content analysis. The results show that the most commonly reported challenge relates to boarding or getting off the vehicles, where the drivers are mostly described as the underlying reason for those difficulties. The narratives describe how some drivers misuse (or do not use) the accessibility equipment or show an abusive or attitudinal behaviour. The results support the body of literature on the meaning of continuous work with accessibility issues in public transport. Varying views on disability may have had a substantial impact on the development of our societies and on how the issues of accessibility in the public transport system have been prioritised or handled. Thus, this study highlights existing social barriers and variations in individual capacities as important factors that influence the experiences of public transport users. The study recommends an increased focus on educating drivers and staff about how to accommodate different groups of travellers. The study also recommends that transport providers consider drivers’ working conditions (i.e., with the consideration of timetables and high time-pressure). Further research on how well accessibility adaptations in public transport actually work and how the users perceive them is necessary.
Return on Education in Two Major Vietnamese Cities
Authors: Choi Daeheon , Chung Chune Young , Truong Ha
Published: September 2019

To maintain its sustainable productivity growth, Vietnam needs to upgrade its education system. Although studies have examined the return on schooling in Vietnam, none have focused on Hanoi (the capital) or Ho Chi Minh (the biggest economy), which differ markedly from the rest of the country in terms of their levels of education and development. We address this gap in the literature using an extended version of the classic Mincerian human capital equation and data from the latest Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey (2016). The Heckman two-stage method is used to address selection bias. In the two cities, there is no wage premium for people with a general education. Thus, workers need to earn at least a vocational degree to increase their wages significantly over those of people with a general education. In general, Ho Chi Minh offers higher salaries (4.45%) and tends to reward experience, whereas Hanoi pays more for an additional year of education (1.95%). Therefore, Vietnam should promote vocational education and develop a more open, flexible system that is less dependent on credential hiring, especially in the public sector. Lastly, we highlight the need to study returns on sustainable education in specific economic regions in Vietnam.
Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting Technology: Key to Sustainability in Transportation Systems
Authors: Gholikhani Mohammadreza , Tahami Seyed Amid , Khalili Mohammadreza , Dessouky Samer
Published: September 2019

The convergence of concerns about environmental quality, economic vitality, social equity, and climate change have led to vast interest in the concept of sustainability. Energy harvesting from roadways is an innovative way to provide green and renewable energy for sustainable transportation. However, energy harvesting technologies are in their infancy, so limited studies were conducted to evaluate their performance. This article introduces innovative electromagnetic energy harvesting technology that includes two different mechanisms to generate electrical power: a cantilever generator mechanism and a rotational mechanism. Laboratory experimental tests were conducted to examine the performance of the two mechanisms in generating power under different simulated traffic conditions. The experimental results had approximately root mean square power 0.43 W and 0.04 W and maximum power of 2.8 W and 0.25 W for cantilever and rotational, respectively. These results showed promising capability for both mechanisms in generating power under real traffic conditions. In addition, the study revealed the potential benefits of energy harvesting from roadways to support sustainability in transportation systems. Overall, the findings show that energy harvesting can impact sustainable transportation systems significantly. However, further examination of the large-scale effects of energy harvesting from roadways on sustainability is needed.
The Influence of Enterprises’ Bargaining Power on the Green Total Factor Productivity Effect of Environmental Regulation—Evidence from China
Authors: Li Pengsheng , Chen Yanying
Published: September 2019

In response to the ecological and environmental problems caused by high energy consumption and pollution, Chinese governments have raised their concerns and tighten the regulations. Even though local governments have achieved certain degree of success during policy implementation, it is still far from realizing the ultimate goal. Our study fills the gap in the existing literature by exploring the dynamic effects of environmental regulations on enterprises’ green total factor productivity (GTFP) from the perspective of enterprise bargaining power. With data obtained from the industrial pollution database and the Chinese industrial enterprise database, we calculated the GTFP at enterprise level using the Luenberger productivity index. The results from balanced panel data models show that environmental regulations would have negative impacts on enterprise’s GTFP in the short run. However, in the long run, the implementation of environmental policies would achieve the win-win goal in terms of enterprises competitiveness and environmental protection. In addition, indicated by industrial output, tax revenue and number of employees, enterprise bargaining power could weaken the dynamic effects of environmental regulations. Moreover, state ownership, local official changes and weak political constraints would enhance enterprise’s bargaining power and thus reduce the dynamic effects. By focusing on the enterprise’s bargaining power and its heterogeneous factors during policy implementation, our study provides implications for mitigating distortions and improving GTFP.
Challenges and Opportunities for Land Use Transformation: Insights from the Central Plains Water Scheme in New Zealand
Authors: Renwick Alan , Dynes Robyn , Johnstone Paul , King Warren , Holt Lania , Penelope Jemma
Published: September 2019

Agricultural systems in New Zealand, as elsewhere in the world, are subject to increasing environmental (and associated social) pressures, for example, around water quality and greenhouse gas emissions. Whilst novel, knowledge-based, alternative land use systems, exist that could relieve these pressures, the challenge facing New Zealand is how to achieve a timely transition to these systems at any meaningful scale. This paper considers the factors that are important to land managers in determining whether or not to change their land use system when the development of an irrigation scheme provides an opportunity for transformative change. A multicriteria decision-making framework using the analytical hierarchy process is used to assess the factors influencing decision makers who are shareholders in the Central Plains Water Scheme in the South Island of New Zealand. As expected, financial factors generally were weighted above other factors in terms of importance. Social, environmental and market factors were rated similarly, whilst regulatory and knowledge factors appeared generally less important. In addition to profitability, the study identified the desire of land managers to simplify complex agricultural systems, their need for scale, their concerns over knowledge competition, their willingness to collaborate and the challenge brought about by ‘cultural path dependency’ as being important. This suggests that if novel systems can be developed that better meet these needs and concerns as well as addressing the wider environmental and social challenges, then there may be a greater chance of engendering a land use transition.
Olfactory Laterality Is Valence-Dependent in Mice
Authors: Jozet-Alves Christelle , Percelay Solenn , Bouet Valentine
Published: September 2019

(1) Background: Although olfaction is the predominant sensory modality in rodents, studies focusing on lateralisation of olfactory processing remain scarce, and they are limited to the exploration of brain asymmetries. This study aimed to test whether outbred and inbred mice (NMRI and C57BL/6J mice strains) show nostril-use preference in processing olfactory stimuli differing in terms of emotional valence under unrestrained conditions. (2) Methods: Five odour stimuli were used in the study: vanilla, female urine, garlic, rat, distilled water. We measured the number of times mice used their left or right nostril for each testing session. (3) Results: We here showed that mice preferentially used their right nostril when sniffing attractive stimuli (female urine, vanilla), and their left nostril when sniffing aversive stimuli (rat odour). Results were consistent for both strains. (4) Conclusions: Surprisingly, the results obtained seem opposite to the valence theory assessing that the left and the right hemispheres are dominant in processing stimuli with a positive and a negative valence, respectively. It remains to be determined whether this valence-dependent pattern is specific or not to olfaction in mice. These new findings will be important to better understand how both hemispheres contribute to odour processing in rodents.
On the Effectiveness of Using Elitist Genetic Algorithm in Mutation Testing
Authors: Rani Shweta , Suri Bharti , Goyal Rinkaj
Published: September 2019

Manual test case generation is an exhaustive and time-consuming process. However, automated test data generation may reduce the efforts and assist in creating an adequate test suite embracing predefined goals. The quality of a test suite depends on its fault-finding behavior. Mutants have been widely accepted for simulating the artificial faults that behave similarly to realistic ones for test data generation. In prior studies, the use of search-based techniques has been extensively reported to enhance the quality of test suites. Symmetry, however, can have a detrimental impact on the dynamics of a search-based algorithm, whose performance strongly depends on breaking the “symmetry” of search space by the evolving population. This study implements an elitist Genetic Algorithm (GA) with an improved fitness function to expose maximum faults while also minimizing the cost of testing by generating less complex and asymmetric test cases. It uses the selective mutation strategy to create low-cost artificial faults that result in a lesser number of redundant and equivalent mutants. For evolution, reproduction operator selection is repeatedly guided by the traces of test execution and mutant detection that decides whether to diversify or intensify the previous population of test cases. An iterative elimination of redundant test cases further minimizes the size of the test suite. This study uses 14 Java programs of significant sizes to validate the efficacy of the proposed approach in comparison to Initial Random tests and a widely used evolutionary framework in academia, namely Evosuite. Empirically, our approach is found to be more stable with significant improvement in the test case efficiency of the optimized test suite.
Open-Charm Hadron Measurements in Au+Au Collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV by the STAR Experiment
Authors: Vanek Jan
Published: September 2019

Study of the open-charm hadron production in heavy-ion collisions is crucial for understanding the properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma. In these papers, we report on a selection of recent STAR measurements of open-charm hadrons in Au+Au collisions at s NN = 200 GeV , using the Heavy-Flavor Tracker. In particular, the nuclear modification factors of D 0 and D ± mesons, elliptic and directed flow of D 0 mesons, D s /D 0 and Λ c / D 0 yield ratios are discussed. The observed suppression of D 0 and D ± mesons suggests strong interactions of the charm quarks with the QGP. The measured elliptic flow of D 0 mesons is large and follows the NCQ scaling, suggesting that charm quarks may be close to thermal equilibrium with the QGP medium. Both D s /D 0 and Λ c / D 0 yield ratios are found to be enhanced in Au+Au collisions. The enhancement can be explained by models incorporating coalescence hadronization of charm quarks. In addition, the directed flow of the D 0 mesons is measured to be negative and larger than that of light-flavor mesons which is in a qualitative agreement with hydrodynamic model predictions with a tilted QGP bulk.
A Parallel Phenotypic Versus Target-Based Screening Strategy for RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Inhibitors of the Influenza A Virus
Authors: Zhao Xiujuan , Wang Yanyan , Cui Qinghua , Li Ping , Wang Lin , Chen Zinuo , Rong Lijun , Du Ruikun
Published: September 2019

Influenza A virus infections cause significant morbidity and mortality, and novel antivirals are urgently needed. Influenza RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity has been acknowledged as a promising target for novel antivirals. In this study, a phenotypic versus target-based screening strategy was established to identify the influenza A virus inhibitors targeting the virus RNA transcription/replication steps by sequentially using an RdRp-targeted screen and a replication-competent reporter virus-based approach using the same compounds. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, a pilot screen of a library of 891 compounds derived from natural products was carried out. Quality control analysis indicates that the primary screen was robust for identification of influenza A virus inhibitors targeting RdRp activity. Finally, two hit candidates were identified, and one was validated as a putative RdRp inhibitor. This strategy can greatly reduce the number of false positives and improve the accuracy and efficacy of primary screening, thereby providing a powerful tool for antiviral discovery.
Roles of Small RNAs in Virus-Plant Interactions
Authors: Zhang Baogang , Li Wenji , Zhang Jialin , Wang Lu , Wu Jianguo
Published: September 2019

Small RNAs (sRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), are non-coding but powerful RNA molecules of 20–30 nucleotides in length. sRNAs play crucial regulatory roles in diverse plant biological processes. Recently, many studies on sRNAs have been reported. We summarize new findings of sRNAs in virus-plant interactions to accelerate the function analysis of sRNAs. The main content of this review article includes three parts: virus-responsive sRNAs, function analysis of sRNAs in virus pathogenicity or host resistance, and some sRNAs-mediated underlying mechanisms in virus-plant interactions. New findings of sRNAs deepen our understanding about sRNAs’ roles, which might contribute to the design of novel control measures against plant viruses.
No Evidence for a Role for Antibodies during Vaccination-Induced Enhancement of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome
Authors: Sautter Carmen A. , Trus Ivan , Nauwynck Hans , Summerfield Artur
Published: September 2019

Vaccination is one of the most important tools to protect pigs against infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus 1 (PRRSV-1). Although neutralizing antibodies are considered to represent an important mechanism of protective immunity, anti-PRRSV antibodies, in particular at subneutralizing concentrations, have also been reported to exacerbate PRRSV infection, probably through FcγR-mediated uptake of antibody-opsonized PRRSV, resulting in enhanced infection of, and replication in, target cells. Therefore, we investigated this pathway using sera from an animal experiment in which vaccine-mediated enhancement of clinical symptoms was observed. Three groups of six pigs were vaccinated with an inactivated PRRSV vaccine based on the PRRSV-1 subtype 3 strain Lena and challenged after a single or a prime-boost immunization protocol, or injected with PBS. We specifically tested if sera obtained from these animals can enhance macrophage infections, viral shedding, or cytokine release at different dilutions. Neither the presence of neutralizing antibodies nor general anti-PRRSV antibodies, mediated an enhanced infection, increased viral release or cytokine production by macrophages. Taken together, our data indicate that the exacerbated disease was not caused by antibodies.
On Some Properties of the Glacial Isostatic Adjustment Fingerprints
Authors: Spada Giorgio , Melini Daniele
Published: September 2019

Along with density and mass variations of the oceans driven by global warming, Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) in response to the last deglaciation still contributes significantly to present-day sea-level change. Indeed, in order to reveal the impacts of climate change, long term observations at tide gauges and recent absolute altimetry data need to be decontaminated from the effects of GIA. This is now accomplished by means of global models constrained by the observed evolution of the paleo-shorelines since the Last Glacial Maximum, which account for the complex interactions between the solid Earth, the cryosphere and the oceans. In the recent literature, past and present-day effects of GIA have been often expressed in terms of fingerprints describing the spatial variations of several geodetic quantities like crustal deformation, the harmonic components of the Earth’s gravity field, relative and absolute sea level. However, since it is driven by the delayed readjustment occurring within the viscous mantle, GIA shall taint the pattern of sea-level variability also during the forthcoming centuries. The shapes of the GIA fingerprints reflect inextricable deformational, gravitational, and rotational interactions occurring within the Earth system. Using up-to-date numerical modeling tools, our purpose is to revisit and to explore some of the physical and geometrical features of the fingerprints, their symmetries and intercorrelations, also illustrating how they stem from the fundamental equation that governs GIA, i.e., the Sea Level Equation.
Estimating Errors in Sizing LID Device and Overflow Prediction Using the Intensity-Duration-Frequency Method
Authors: Tang Shuangcheng , Xu Qing , Jia Zhonghua , Luo Wan , Shao Zhengxiao
Published: September 2019

Low impact development (LID) devices or green infrastructures have been advocated for urban stormwater management worldwide. Currently, the design and evaluation of LID devices adopt the Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) method, which employs the average rainfall intensity. However, due to variations of rainfall intensity during a storm event, using average rainfall intensity may generate certain errors when designing a LID device. This paper presents an analytical study to calculate the magnitude of such errors with respect to LID device design and associated device performance evaluation. The normal distribution rainfall (NDR) with different standard deviations was employed to represent realistic rainfall processes. Compared with NDR method, the error in sizing the LID device was determined using the IDF method. Moreover, the overflow difference calculated using the IDF method was evaluated. We employed a programmed hydrological model to simulate different design scenarios. Using storm data from 31 regions with different climatic conditions in continental China, the results showed that different rainfall distributions (as represented by standard deviations (σ) of 5, 3, and 2) have little influence on the design depth of LID devices in most regions. The relative difference in design depth using IDF method was less than 1.00% in humid areas, −0.61% to 3.97% in semi-humid areas, and the significant error was 46.13% in arid areas. The maximum absolute difference in design depth resulting from the IDF method was 2.8 cm. For a LID device designed for storms with a 2-year recurrence interval, when meeting for the 5-year storm, the relative differences in calculated overflow volume using IDF method ranged from 19.8% to 95.3%, while those for the 20-year storm ranged from 7.4% to 40.5%. The average relative difference of the estimated overflow volume was 29.9% under a 5-year storm, and 12.0% under a 20-year storm. The relative difference in calculated overflow volumes using IDF method showed a decreasing tendency from northwest to southeast. Findings from this study suggest that the existing IDF method is adequate for use in sizing LID devices when the design storm is not usually very intense. However, accurate rainfall process data are required to estimate the overflow volume under large storms.
Statistical Analysis and Stochastic Modelling of Hydrological Extremes
Authors: Tabari Hossein
Published: September 2019

Analysis of hydrological extremes is challenging due to their rarity and small sample size and the interconnections between different types of extremes and gets further complicated by an untrustworthy representation of meso-scale processes involved in extreme events by coarse spatial and temporal scale models as well as biased or missing observations due to technical difficulties during extreme conditions. The special issue “Statistical Analysis and Stochastic Modelling of Hydrological Extremes”—motivated by the need to apply and develop innovative stochastic and statistical approaches to analyze hydrological extremes under current and future climate conditions —encompass 13 research papers. Case studies presented in the papers exploit a wide range of innovative techniques for hydrological extremes analyses. The papers focus on six topics: Historical changes in hydrological extremes, projected changes in hydrological extremes, downscaling of hydrological extremes, early warning and forecasting systems for drought and flood, interconnections of hydrological extremes and applicability of satellite data for hydrological studies. This Editorial provides an overview of the covered topics and reviews the case studies relevant for each topic.
Source Identification and Quantification of Seepage Water in a Coastal Mine, in China
Authors: Duan Xueliang , Ma Fengshan , Guo Jie , Zhao Haijun , Gu Hongyu , Liu Shuaiqi , Sun Qihao
Published: September 2019

The Sanshandao gold mine, which is the largest coastal mine in China, is under threat from seawater intrusion and water inrush. The objective of this study is to determine the water end-members (seawater, freshwater, and brine) of the seepage water in the mine and quantify the proportion of end-members. Non-conservative ions and ion exchange were identified by using hydrogeochemical analysis. Then, the principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the end-members of mine water. Three end-members were identified, so a ternary mixture model was applied to compute the mixing ratios. The potential water flow channels and the prevailing supply patterns were inferred by combining the results of mixing ratios with the tectonic and engineering geological conditions. The results indicate that the proportion of seawater in mine water is about 57%, the freshwater is about 16% and the brine is about 27% for the entire mine area, the prevailing supply pattern of seawater was lateral recharge, the water samples which were located in −510 m sublevel or in the northeast of prospecting line 2260 had high proportions of seawater, the freshwater supplied the groundwater mainly through the secondary fractures developed area in a vertical recharge and the influence depth was about −500 m, and F3 was the largest tensile-shear fault in the study area and it was both a watercourse for seawater and fresh water.
Experience is Key: Examining the Relative Importance of Factors Influencing Individuals’ Water Conservation
Authors: Holland Derrick , Janét Kristina , Landrum Asheley
Published: September 2019

Conservation of our global natural resources is one of the most pressing concerns facing our international society. One of these crucial resources is water. The current study sought to understand how individual factors such as experience with water scarcity, message framing, and ideology can impact perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related to water conservation. Through the utilization of an online experiment, the current findings suggest that higher levels of experience with water scarcity predict more concern, more positive credibility perceptions of water conservation messages, and a higher likelihood of conserving water in the future. Message framing, specifically gain frames, predicted more concern and more positive perceptions of message credibility, and ideology only predicted perceptions of message credibility. Implications for global communities, resource managers, and policy decision-makers are discussed.
Os diferentes diagnósticos sobre a organização da assistência pública no Distrito Federal à luz dos princípios liberais (1891-1930)
Authors: Freitas Pinto Silva Soares Lívia
Published: September 2019

Este artigo tem como escopo analisar as propostas e os diagnósticos apresentados por importantes atores que estiveram à frente da organização e gestão da assistência social, no Rio de Janeiro, então capital federal, o jurista Ataulfo Nápoles de Paiva, o médico Luiz Barbosa e o criminólogo Evaristo de Moraes. Objetiva-se recuperar os modelos institucionais de amparo social, propostos por essas importantes referências na medicina e no setor jurídico, as quais apoiaram ações voltadas para a construção de um sistema de socorros aos desvalidos no Distrito Federal. De igual maneira, procuramos avaliar as práticas médico-assistenciais hegemônicas durante os primeiros anos do século XX e identificar como esses reformadores sociais pensaram os papéis que competiam ao Estado liberal e à filantropia na gestão da assistência.
Em torno das aparências
Authors: Maria Gonçalves Julia
Published: September 2019

Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar aspectos referentes às vestimentas e às aparências dos habitantes da Vila de Curitiba durante o século XVIII. A dita Vila, em meados dos setecentos, foi marcada por um período de prosperidade econômica. A pecuária e o tropeirismo, principais atividades econômicas da Vila no momento, permitiram o contato da região com importantes centros econômicos da América portuguesa. Devido a essa integração, levantamos a hipótese que o contato com outras localidades possibilitou uma maior circularidade e diversidade de mercadorias. Nesse sentido, pretendemos compreender como aqueles indivíduos se vestiam durante os setecentos e buscamos perceber qual era a importância econômica e simbólica das vestimentas. Para isso, iremos nos apoiar nos inventários post mortem, especificamente nos bens materiais que compunham esses documentos.
Trabalhadores rurais e movimentos reivindicatórios no Regime Militar:
Authors: Laysa Andrade Teixeira Raposo Cristhiane
Published: September 2019

Este artigo descreve as experiências trabalhistas coletivas no mundo dos engenhos e usinas da zona canavieira de Pernambuco através das paralisações e mobilizações trabalhistas do final da década de 1970. Para tal abordagem, utilizamos prontuários arquivados pelo Delegacia de Ordem Política e Social de Pernambuco, os processos trabalhistas impetrados na Junta de Conciliação e Julgamento de Jaboatão e os registros na imprensa local e nacional sobre a paralisação no campo para pensar a organização dos trabalhadores rurais, suas reivindicações por espaços de luta e a repercussão legal do movimento com a primeira Convenção Coletiva do Trabalho no campo em meio ao regime autoritário instaurado com o golpe civil-militar de 1964.
O Antiliberalismo de Alberto Torres e Andrés Molina Enríquez:
Authors: Eschriqui Vieira Pinto Jorge
Published: September 2019

Alberto Torres e Andrés Molina Enríquez foram dois autores que, nas primeiras décadas do século XX, esforçaram-se no sentido de um autoconhecimento de suas respectivas sociedades nacionais e, a partir desse, elaborar um projeto de política nacional para a promoção do desenvolvimento e a construção de uma unidade nacional por meio de uma ação efetiva de um governo central forte. Este artigo analisa a existência de uma corrente de pensamento autoritário no Brasil e no México a partir do entendimento e da reflexão das ideias de Alberto Torres e Andrés Molina Enríquez, que contestavam a ordem estabelecida e as políticas adotadas pelos regimes liberal-oligárquicos nos dois países.
Nacionalismo, Educação e Conflitos Religiosos Durante o Período Estadonovista no Rio Grande do Sul
Authors: Luis dos Santos Rodrigo
Published: September 2019

Objetivamos neste artigo analisar os conflitos políticos que envolveram os campos educacionais e religiosos no Rio Grande do Sul, entre os anos de 1937 e 1945, permeados pelo pensamento e discurso nacionalista impetrado pelo regime do Estado Novo. Para tanto, nosso recorte espacial se dará no município de Novo Hamburgo, localizado próximo da capital do estado, Porto Alegre. Novo Hamburgo tem forte presença de imigrantes alemães e, sendo muitos destes de confissão religiosa evangélico-luterana. Nosso laboratório de estudo é a Escola Evangélica Oswaldo Cruz, por ocorrerem neste espaço educacional diversos conflitos, onde os interesses políticos e religiosos se imbricavam diretamente com a conjuntura histórica daquele momento da sociedade mundial e brasileira.