bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COP and the Cloth: Quantitatively and Normatively Assessing Religious NGO Participation at the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Authors: Krantz David
Published: May 2021

How much is religion quantitatively involved in global climate politics? After assessing the role of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from a normative perspective, this descriptive, transdisciplinary and unconventional study offers the first comprehensive quantitative examination of religious nongovernmental organizations that formally participate in its annual meetings, the largest attempts to solve the climate crisis through global governance. This study finds that although their numbers are growing, only about 3 percent of registered nongovernmental organizations accredited to participate in the conference are overtly religious in nature—and that more than 80 percent of those faith-based groups are Christian. Additionally, this study finds that religious nongovernmental organizations that participate in the conference are mostly from the Global North. The results call for greater participation of religious institutions in the international climate negotiations in order for society to address the planetary emergency of climate change.
Wind–Water Experimental Analysis of Small SC-Darrieus Turbine: An Approach for Energy Production in Urban Systems
Authors: Gharib-Yosry Ahmed , Blanco-Marigorta Eduardo , Fernández-Jiménez Aitor , Espina-Valdés Rodolfo , Álvarez-Álvarez Eduardo
Published: May 2021

Smart cities have a significant impact on the future of renewable energies as terms such as sustainability and energy saving steadily become more common. In this regard, both wind and hydrokinetic compact-size turbines can play important roles in urban communities by providing energy to nearby consumption points in an environmentally suitable manner. To evaluate the operation of a Darrieus turbine rotor as a wind or hydro microgenerator, a series of wind tunnel and water current flume tests were performed. Power and characteristic curves were obtained for all test conditions. In the wind tests, all curves seemed to be identical, which means that the turbine rotor works properly under open-field conditions. Two blockage correction equations were applied to the water channel tests that were performed under blockage values ranging from 0.2 to 0.35 to estimate the operational behavior in open water. Finally, it has been demonstrated that, with the condition of maintaining the Reynolds number between experiments in the wind tunnel and water flume, the turbine wind characteristics represents the its operation in open-water conditions.
Scaling the Potential of Compact City Development: The Case of Lahore, Pakistan
Authors: Nadeem Muhammad , Aziz Amer , Al-Rashid Muhammad Ahmad , Tesoriere Giovanni , Asim Muhammad , Campisi Tiziana
Published: May 2021

With increasing urban populations, high vehicle miles have made the concept of a compact city imperative. A compact city is characterized by high-density development and mixed land use with no urban sprawl. City managers are trying hard to make their cities compact and livable. The potential conformance to a compact city development requires scaling before any significant intervention. Several studies have been conducted on the different aspects of the compact city in the developed world, but there is limited understanding in the South Asian context. This study aimed to fill this research gap and proposes a theoretical matrix to gauge the potential compactness of Lahore, Pakistan. It comprises some key attributes, such as landscape ecology, measurement of density, density distribution, transportation network, accessibility, dispersion index, and mixed-use land consumption, which were analyzed in this research. The data were analyzed using Geographical Information System (GIS) and ERDAS IMAGINE software to make a scaling matrix. The research findings show that Lahore is a semi-compact city, with high potential to become a true compact city. The paper recommends that the urban extent should not be extended until targeted colonization is achieved, and the spatial growth of the city should be managed by encouraging infilled development, high-density living, and public transport provision. This research will help policymakers, urban planners, and transport planners devising policies for compact city development.
The Global Development Formula
Authors: Medeiros Eduardo
Published: May 2021

Development remains a central concept for policy design and implementation aimed at improving the quality of life of the world population, despite a manifest rise in neoliberalist economic growth policy strategic guidance rationales. In accepting the relevance of development processes, this paper proposes a global development formula embracing four main pillars and their respective components: (i) global governance; (ii) global wealth; (iii) global resources; and (vi) global sustainability. Ultimately, this global development perspective presents a more comprehensive and holistic lens than current development visions to demonstrate the development status of territories at all territorial scales. By using existing indexes associated with the proposed main pillars of development, the research presents a novel global development index for 2020.
Use of Insulation Based on Nanomaterials to Improve Energy Efficiency of Residential Buildings in a Hot Desert Climate
Authors: Abdelrady Ahmed , Abdelhafez Mohamed Hssan Hassan , Ragab Ayman
Published: May 2021

Building insulation based on nanomaterials is considered one of the most effective means of reducing energy consumption in the hot desert climate. The application of an energy-efficient insulation system can significantly decrease the energy consumed via a building’s air-conditioning system during the summer. Hence, building insulation has become an interesting research topic, especially with regards to the use of insulation based on nanomaterials due to their low U-values. In the present study, the use of nano vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) or polystyrene foam in the walls enabled a significant reduction in the annual energy consumption, a savings of 23% compared to the uninsulated wall in a study in New Aswan City. The application of nanogel glazing to the windows (two layers of clear glass filled with the nanogel) achieved approximately 11% savings in annual energy. This savings, twice that obtained by using double-glazed windows, could be due to the low U-value of nanogel compared to the U-values of argon or air. The embedded nanogel layer between two layers of argon and two layers of single clear glass showed a significant reduction in annual energy consumption, saving 26% compared to the use of a single layer of glass. Moreover, the integration between this window and embedded walls with 50 mm of polystyrene foam exhibited a significant improvement of energy efficiency by 47.6% while presenting the lowest value of simple payback period (SPP). This research provides a way for buildings to be insulated to make them more energy efficient as well as attractive from the economic standpoint.
Research on the Sustainability of the Standard Gauge Railway Construction Project in Tanzania
Authors: Wang Jianmin , Sekei Victor Sifamen , Ganiyu Sherif Abdul , Makwetta Jesse Jackson
Published: May 2021

This exploratory study aimed to examine the validity of the sustainability evaluation model suggested and the sustainability of the standard gauge railway (SGR) construction project in Africa’s developing countries with Tanzania as a case study. By using the proposed railway sustainability evaluation model, the researchers collected data from 300 people, which included workers in the project and people living or conducting businesses along the route of the first phase of the project (Dar-es-salaam to Morogoro). Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and analyzed using the structural equation model (SEM) technique and correlation analysis. The findings validated the model used to be efficient in railway sustainability evaluation, and also, the researchers were able to realize from the data collected that the first phase of the SGR in Tanzania is sustainable for development. The study suggests encouraging and collaborating with local agencies to improve local railway maintenance and operations skills in order to ensure the project’s long-term viability and extension.
Socio-Economic Drivers of Fish Species Consumption Preferences in Kenya’s Urban Informal Food System
Authors: Ayuya Oscar Ingasia , Soma Katrine , Obwanga Benson
Published: May 2021

In an effort to contribute to resilient food and nutritional security in urban slums, a food system approach was applied to understand the key socio-economic factors driving fish species consumption in Kibera, the largest informal settlement in Africa located in Nairobi, Kenya. Data were collected from 385 randomly selected households using a structured questionnaire. A multivariate probit model was applied to estimate the relationship between the variables in order to determine the socio-economic drivers of preferences for different fish species. The results indicated that Lake Victoria sardine (Rastrineobola argentea) had the highest preference (73%) among the respondents, followed by Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) (70%) and Nile perch (Lates niloticus) (23%), respectively, with other fish species at 12%, including African catfish, marbled lungfish, common carp, fulu and tuna (Clarias gariepinus, Protopterus aethiopicus, Cyprinus carpio, Haplochromine cichlids and Thunnus sp., respectively). Large household size showed an increase in preference for the Lake Victoria sardine, while higher income influenced preference for Nile tilapia and Nile perch positively, implying that when more income is available, Nile tilapia is the preferred fish over other fish species. Increased fish prices positively influenced preference for Nile tilapia, which is explained by the willingness to pay extra for quality and origin, for instance, to avoid the cheaply cultivated Chinese fish. In the case of the Lake Victoria sardine, lower prices positively affected the preferences. Religious and cultural practices and beliefs influenced preference for species and consumption of fish. Residents who migrated from western Kenya had a higher preference for the Lake Victoria sardine, while residents born and raised in Kibera had a higher preference for Nile tilapia. Neighbourhood effects reduced the preference for consuming Nile perch. These findings provide insights into future market opportunities for specific target groups. For instance, given that small-sized fish like the Lake Victoria sardine is highly demanded, in order to increase resiliency in food and nutrition security, small-sized cheap Nile tilapia will have a large potential in the future, with ever higher demand specifically from the residents born and raised in Kibera.
Measuring Sustainability with Unweighted TOPSIS: An Application to Sustainable Tourism in Spain
Authors: Vicens-Colom José , Holles Joe , Liern Vicente
Published: May 2021

The measurement of sustainability is complex due to its multiple dimensions of different relative importance and different natures. From the perspective of sustainability, three types of tourism can be established: traditional tourism, sustainable tourism, and sustainable impact tourism. In the context of multiple-criteria decision analysis, this paper presents a flexible method for assess and rank decision alternatives based on their sustainability. The proposal does not require the relative importance of each criterion to be precisely assigned beforehand, which reduces the subjectivity of the decision making and yields results that can be of interest for decision makers. To show the difference between these three sustainability options in tourism and the benefits of the method, the proposal is applied to public and private tourism management in Spain—in particular, to hotel booking and the evaluation and management of sustainability in the autonomous regions.
Improved Radar Composites and Enhanced Value of Meteorological Radar Data Using Different Quality Indices
Authors: Méri Ladislav , Gaál Ladislav , Bartok Juraj , Gažák Martin , Gera Martin , Jurašek Marián , Kelemen Miroslav
Published: May 2021

Radar measurements are inherently affected by various meteorological and non-meteorological factors that may lead to a degradation of their quality, and the unwanted effects are also transferred into composites, i.e., overlapping images from different radars. The paper was aimed at answering the research question whether we could create ‘cleaner’ radar composites without disturbing features, and if yes, how the operational practice could take advantage of the improved results. To achieve these goals, the qRad and qPrec software packages, based on the concept of quality indices, were used. The qRad package estimates the true quality of the C-band radar volume data using various quality indices and attempts to correct some of the adverse effects on the measurements. The qPrec package uses a probabilistic approach to estimate precipitation intensity, based on heterogeneous input data and quality-based outputs of the qRad software. The advantages of the qRad software are improved radar composites, which offer benefits, among others, for aviation meteorology. At the same time, the advantages of the qPrec software are manifested through improved quantitative precipitation estimation, which can be translated into hydrological modeling or climatological precipitation mapping. Beyond this, the developed software indirectly contributes to sustainability and environmental protection—for instance, by enabling fuel savings due to the more effective planning of flight routes or avoiding runway excursions due to information on the increased risk of aquaplaning.
Security Assessment of Taiwan Solid Wood Product Supply
Authors: Chiou Chyi-Rong , Chan Wei-Hsun , Wu Meng-Shan , Lin Jiunn-Cheng
Published: May 2021

Taiwan is highly dependent on imports of solid wood materials. In the past ten years (2009–2018), it imported raw materials for solid wood products from 117 countries. Therefore, the diversity of raw material sources is a serious concern. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the risks of solid wood product supplies. The dispersion and concentration of supply sources are the measures. The SWI and HHI models are used to calculate the six major imported solid wood products. The results show that from the beginning of 2009 to the end of 2018, wood chips and pellets with the highest average annual import quantity had the lowest average performance in SWI and with the highest average HHI value, which indicates that wood chips and pellets are the riskiest items among the 6 solid wood products. While the sawn wood has the highest average SWI value and the lowest HHI value, it offers the smallest supply risk.
Food Security and COVID-19: A Systematic Review of the First-Year Experience
Authors: Éliás Boglárka Anna , Jámbor Attila
Published: May 2021

For decades, global food security has not been able to address the structural problem of economic access to food, resulting in a recent increase in the number of undernourished people from 2014. In addition, the FAO estimates that the number of undernourished people drastically increased by 82–132 million people in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To alleviate this dramatic growth in food insecurity, it is necessary to understand the nature of the increase in the number of malnourished during the pandemic. In order to address this, we gathered and synthesized food-security-related empirical results from the first year of the pandemic in a systematic review. The vast majority (78%) of the 51 included articles reported household food insecurity has increased (access, utilization) and/or disruption to food production (availability) was a result of households having persistently low income and not having an adequate amount of savings. These households could not afford the same quality and/or quantity of food, and a demand shortfall immediately appeared on the producer side. Producers thus had to deal not only with the direct consequences of government measures (disruption in labor flow, lack of demand of the catering sector, etc.) but also with a decline in consumption from low-income households. We conclude that the factor that most negatively affects food security during the COVID-19 pandemic is the same as the deepest structural problem of global food security: low income. Therefore, we argue that there is no need for new global food security objectives, but there is a need for an even stronger emphasis on poverty reduction and raising the wages of low-income households. This structural adjustment is the most fundamental step to recover from the COVID-19 food crises, and to avoid possible future food security crises.
Analysis of Intersection Traffic Safety in the City of San Antonio, 2013–2017
Authors: Billah Khondoker , Adegbite Qasim , Sharif Hatim O. , Dessouky Samer , Simcic Lauren
Published: May 2021

An understanding of the contributing factors to severe intersection crashes is crucial for developing countermeasures to reduce crash numbers and severity at high-risk crash locations. This study examined the variables affecting crash incidence and crash severity at intersections in San Antonio over a five-year period (2013–2017) and identified high-risk locations based on crash frequency and injury severity using data from the Texas Crash Record and Information System database. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression, along with respective odds ratios, were used to identify the most significant variables contributing to severe intersection crashes by quantifying their association with crash severity. Intersection crashes were predominantly clustered in the downtown area with relatively less severe crashes. Males and older drivers, weekend driving, nighttime driving, dark lighting conditions, grade and hillcrest road alignment, and crosswalk, divider and marked lanes used as traffic control significantly increased crash severity risk at intersections. Prioritizing resource allocation to high-risk intersections, separating bicycle lanes and sidewalks from the roadway, improving lighting facilities, increasing law enforcement activity during the late night hours of weekend, and introducing roundabouts at intersections with stops and signals as traffic controls are recommended countermeasures.
Women Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Development: Key Findings from a SWOT–AHP Analysis
Authors: Stefan Daniel , Vasile Valentina , Oltean Anca , Comes Calin-Adrian , Stefan Anamari-Beatrice , Ciucan-Rusu Liviu , Bunduchi Elena , Popa Maria-Alexandra , Timus Mihai
Published: May 2021

This study highlights the perception of women entrepreneurs in Romania regarding specific drivers for a sustainable business model. This study uses a SWOT–AHP method to assess the importance of different factors that enforce or create barriers for the success in women entrepreneurial activities. SWOT analysis was conducted based on an extended literature review. An external expert in risk analysis assessed the importance of the SWOT analysis’ four dimensions—criteria. An AHP survey of 10 women entrepreneurs was conducted to evaluate the impact of each identified factor in sustaining or discouraging the success of their sustainable business model (SBM). The main results of the study present practical implications useful for designing a gender-balanced business environment. In the final part, the paper discusses women’s preference for the sustainable business model, the perceived importance of gender-related stereotypes for the development of sustainable business models, and the relevance of the new digital economy trend to Romanian women entrepreneurship.
A Literature Review of the Impacts of Heat Stress on Human Health across Africa
Authors: Ncongwane Katlego P. , Botai Joel O. , Sivakumar Venkataraman , Botai Christina M.
Published: May 2021

Heat stress-related illness attributed to the changing climate, particularly the more frequent extreme high temperatures, is becoming a theme of public concern, especially in the most vulnerable regions, such as the African continent. Knowledge of the existing research directions and gaps on heat stress and human health is vital for informing future strategic research foci capable of influencing policy development, planning, adaptation, and mitigation efforts. In this regard, a bibliometric analysis was conducted, with an emphasis on Africa, to assess regional research contributions to heat stress impacts on human health. The goals of the study were to review publication growth and patterns of the scientific publications and to identify key players (especially collaborating institutions and countries) and the evolution of research themes on the African continent, while paying attention to global trends and emergent hot topics and methodology of heat stress research. Using the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus core collection databases, a structured keyword search was undertaken, which yielded 463 and 58 research publications from around the world and Africa, respectively. The retrieved scientific documents, published between 1968 and 2020, were analyzed and visualized using a bibliometric analysis technique and the VOSviewer software tool. The results indicate low statistics and slow scientific growth in publication output, with the highest peak having been reached in 2018, resulting in 13 scientific publications. While global research collaborations are successfully reflected in the literature, there is a considerable gap in understanding heat stress and related collaborations between African countries and international institutions. The review study has identified key opportunities that can benefit Africa through the expansion of the scope of heat stress and human health research on the continent. These opportunities can be achieved by closing the following research gaps: (1) vulnerability assessments within demographic classes, such as the elderly, (2) personal exposure and associated risks, (3) Urban Heat Island (UHI) evaluation for urban environments, and (4) heat adaptation research, which will enable informed and targeted preventive actions that will limit future heat health impacts. The authors opine that the pursuit of such studies will be most impactful if the current knowledge gaps are bridged through transdisciplinary research supported by local, regional, and international collaborators.
Spatial and Temporal Measurement of the Interaction between the County Economy and Rural Transformation in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Tan Bo , Wang Hongwei , Ma Chen , Wang Xiaoqin , Zhou Jing
Published: May 2021

Given the background of urbanization and rural revitalization in the new era, it is important to explore the synergy between regional macroeconomics and rural transformation, as a balanced and coordinated urban–rural relationship must be built to promote regional sustainable development and rural revitalization. This paper used the spatial econometric model to study the spatiotemporal synergy and interaction between Xinjiang’s county economy and rural transformation from 2007 to 2017. The conclusions were as follows. A clear spatial difference exists between the county economy and the rural transformation level, and regional bulk agricultural products lack competitiveness. The synergy between the county economy and rural transformation is weak, as the county economy is lagging while rural transformation progresses without collaboration, indicating different types of non-equivalence. The county economy has a stronger spatial dependence on rural transformation and insufficient spillover, a stagnating effect, mainly negative driving effects, and unstable interaction effects; while the unstable changes in rural transformation affect the county economy. The urbanization rate, urban wage level, rural employment structure, and planting area per capita were the main influencing factors. It is necessary to deepen rural transformation, consolidate and enhance its stability, cultivate regional growth poles, promote overall development, and promote regional coordination.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Highway Traffic and Management: The Case Study of an Operator Perspective
Authors: Cruz Carlos Oliveira , Sarmento Joaquim Miranda
Published: May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic created an enormous disruption to the everyday life of the modern society. Among the various urban systems, transportation services were among those that suffered the most significant impacts, particularly severe in the case of highways. This paper addresses the challenges and responses to the pandemic from a private highway operator’s perspective and from a multidisciplinary perspective. Highway operators faced two main challenges: on one hand, the need to cope with the potential disruption caused by the pandemic and a national lockdown for almost three months, the provision of road services, and the requirement to ensure the proper operation and maintenance, and on the other hand, the strong negative impact of the pandemic on levels of traffic. Our case study shows that the operator’s management response in question is essentially characterised by being a first response to short term impacts while balancing for workers health and safety, engineering and management, internal business management, and overall economic impact. Highway operators were hardly prepared for such an event and became more focused on prioritising their employees and clients’ safety to avoid service disruption. Regarding levels of traffic, the pandemic has had severe effects, although to a varying degree, depending on the different types of vehicles (heavy, light, passenger, freight, among other types of vehicles) and the location of highways (coastal vs. interior). The lessons learnt can be valuable in future disruptive events and for other highway concession operators.
Explanatory Analysis of Factors Influencing the Support for Sustainable Food Production and Distribution Systems: Results from a Rural Canadian Community
Authors: Ashtab Sahand , Campbell Robert
Published: May 2021

Investigating the viability of alternative food networks (AFNs) is more important than before because of the disruptions in global supply chains and evolving resident composition in different regions. In this regard, this paper reports on findings of a project aimed at identifying factors influencing support for local, sustainable food production, and distribution systems. In the first phase, local residents and international students in Cape Breton, Canada, were surveyed prior to the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to assess their attitudes and values relative to shopping at farmers markets and buying local. In the second phase, mid-pandemic, text mining of Twitter data was used to gauge sentiments related to these same activities. The results of our explanatory analysis suggest that the top two factors influencing decisions to buy local farm products were food attributes and supporting community economic development. In contrast to previous studies, we included an alternate sample group, namely, international students, and explored the relevance of the social aspect of buying local, e.g., meeting the farmer. Among our findings from the application of a logistics regression model to our survey data (N = 125) is the suggestion that the senior non-international student residents of the Cape Breton Island were more probable to be in the category of consumers whose perception of an authentic buy-local experience was limited to distribution channels that allowed for the social aspect of buying local, e.g., meeting the farmer.
Generalized Eigenvalue Proximal Support Vector Machine for Functional Data Classification
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Yang Zhixia
Published: May 2021

Functional data analysis has become a research hotspot in the field of data mining. Traditional data mining methods regard functional data as a discrete and limited observation sequence, ignoring the continuity. In this paper, the functional data classification is addressed, proposing a functional generalized eigenvalue proximal support vector machine (FGEPSVM). Specifically, we find two nonparallel hyperplanes in function space, a positive functional hyperplane, and a functional negative hyperplane. The former is closest to the positive functional data and furthest from the negative functional data, while the latter has the opposite properties. By introducing the orthonormal basis, the problem in function space is transformed into the ones in vector space. It should be pointed out that the higher-order derivative information is applied from two aspects. We apply the derivatives alone or the weighted linear combination of the original function and the derivatives. It can be expected that to improve the classification accuracy by using more data information. Experiments on artificial datasets and benchmark datasets show the effectiveness of our FGEPSVM for functional data classification.
Gait Symmetry Analysis Based on Dynamic Time Warping
Authors: Błażkiewicz Michalina , Lann Vel Lace Karol , Hadamus Anna
Published: May 2021

Background: Gait deviations may negatively affect the articular surfaces of the lower extremity joints and lead to some minor degenerative changes. The simplest method for gait evaluation is to assess the symmetry of its parameters, assuming that each undisturbed gait should be symmetrical. This study aims to quantify the degree of asymmetry of kinematic and kinetic parameters caused by the presence of different ankle orthosis settings using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). Methods: Barefoot gait and gait with four different walker settings were investigated in eighteen healthy persons. Kinematic and kinetic parameters were measured using the Vicon system and Kistler plates. Symmetry was assessed using the DTW method. Results: It was shown that the presence of different ankle orthosis settings significantly disturbs the symmetry of all lower limb kinematic parameters and only knee and hip torques. The highest values of asymmetry were noted for the walker set at 15° of dorsiflexion (15DF). Conclusions: The DTW method allowed us to quantify the degree of asymmetry throughout the gait cycle in relation to barefoot walking. Our results suggest that each orthosis position analysed in this study fulfills its protective function, but gait 15DF can lead to the overload of knee and hip joints.
The Enabling Role of Digital Technologies in Sustainability Accounting: Findings from Norwegian Manufacturing Companies
Authors: Klymenko Olena , Lillebrygfjeld Halse Lise , Jæger Bjørn
Published: May 2021

Sustainability accounting is an emerging research area receiving growing awareness. This study examines the role of digital technology in manufacturing companies’ sustainability accounting. To guide the research, we use a triple layered business model canvas, which supports the accounting of a manufacturer’s performance for the economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability. We present an explorative case study of four Norwegian manufacturing companies representing different industries. The findings from the study indicate that while accounting for economic values is well taken care of, companies do not perform comprehensive environmental and social accounting. Furthermore, we observed a shift from a focus on sustainability issues related to the internal manufacturing process to a focus on sustainability issues for the life cycle of the product. Even though the manufacturers are at the forefront with regard to automation and control of production, with extensive use of robots giving a large amount of data, these data are not utilized towards sustainability accounting, showing that sustainability and digitalization are seen as two separate phenomena. This study sheds light on how digital data available from applied Industry 4.0 technologies could enhance sustainability accounting with limited efforts, linking sustainability and digitalization. The results provide insights for manufacturers and researchers in moving towards more sustainable operations and products.
Assessing the Real-Time Impact of COVID-19 on TB and HIV Services: The Experience and Response from Selected Health Facilities in Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Mbithi Irene , Thekkur Pruthu , Chakaya Jeremiah Muhwa , Onyango Elizabeth , Owiti Philip , Njeri Ngugi Catherine , Kumar Ajay M.V. , Satyanarayana Srinath , Shewade Hemant D. , Khogali Mohammed , Zachariah Rony , Rusen I. D. , Berger Selma Dar , Harries Anthony D.
Published: May 2021

There was concern that the COVID-19 pandemic would adversely affect TB and HIV programme services in Kenya. We set up real-time monthly surveillance of TB and HIV activities in 18 health facilities in Nairobi so that interventions could be implemented to counteract anticipated declining trends. Aggregate data were collected and reported monthly to programme heads during the COVID-19 period (March 2020–February 2021) using EpiCollect5 and compared with monthly data collected during the pre-COVID period (March 2019–February 2020). During the COVID-19 period, there was an overall decrease in people with presumptive pulmonary TB (31.2%), diagnosed and registered with TB (28.0%) and in those tested for HIV (50.5%). Interventions to improve TB case detection and HIV testing were implemented from August 2020 and were associated with improvements in all parameters during the second six months of the COVID-19 period. During the COVID-19 period, there were small increases in TB treatment success (65.0% to 67.0%) and referral of HIV-positive persons to antiretroviral therapy (91.2% to 92.9%): this was more apparent in the second six months after interventions were implemented. Programmatic interventions were associated with improved case detection and treatment outcomes during the COVID-19 period, suggesting that monthly real-time surveillance is useful during unprecedented events.
A Semiquantitative Scoring System for Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Assessment of Lesions and Tissue Tropism in Avian Influenza
Authors: Landmann Maria , Scheibner David , Graaf Annika , Gischke Marcel , Koethe Susanne , Fatola Olanrewaju , Raddatz Barbara , Mettenleiter Thomas , Beer Martin , Grund Christian , Harder Timm , Abdelwhab Elsayed , Ulrich Reiner
Published: May 2021

The main findings of the post-mortem examination of poultry infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) include necrotizing inflammation and viral antigen in multiple organs. The lesion profile displays marked variability, depending on viral subtype, strain, and host species. Therefore, in this study, a semiquantitative scoring system was developed to compare histopathological findings across a wide range of study conditions. Briefly, the severity of necrotizing lesions in brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, and/or lymphocytic depletion in the spleen is scored on an ordinal four-step scale (0 = unchanged, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe), and the distribution of the viral antigen in parenchymal and endothelial cells is evaluated on a four-step scale (0 = none, 1 = focal, 2 = multifocal, 3 = diffuse). These scores are used for a meta-analysis of experimental infections with H7N7 and H5N8 (clade 2.3.4.4b) HPAIV in chickens, turkeys, and ducks. The meta-analysis highlights the rather unique endotheliotropism of these HPAIV in chickens and a more severe necrotizing encephalitis in H7N7-HPAIV-infected turkeys. In conclusion, the proposed scoring system can be used to condensate HPAIV-typical pathohistological findings into semiquantitative data, thus enabling systematic phenotyping of virus strains and their tissue tropism.
Orthobunyaviruses: From Virus Binding to Penetration into Mammalian Host Cells
Authors: Windhaber Stefan , Xin Qilin , Lozach Pierre-Yves
Published: May 2021

With over 80 members worldwide, Orthobunyavirus is the largest genus in the Peribunyaviridae family. Orthobunyaviruses (OBVs) are arthropod-borne viruses that are structurally simple, with a trisegmented, negative-sense RNA genome and only four structural proteins. OBVs are potential agents of emerging and re-emerging diseases and overall represent a global threat to both public and veterinary health. The focus of this review is on the very first steps of OBV infection in mammalian hosts, from virus binding to penetration and release of the viral genome into the cytosol. Here, we address the most current knowledge and advances regarding OBV receptors, endocytosis, and fusion.
Viruses with U-DNA: New Avenues for Biotechnology
Authors: Nagy Kinga K. , Skurnik Mikael , Vértessy Beáta G.
Published: May 2021

Deoxyuridine in DNA has recently been in the focus of research due to its intriguing roles in several physiological and pathophysiological situations. Although not an orthodox DNA base, uracil may appear in DNA via either cytosine deamination or thymine-replacing incorporations. Since these alterations may induce mutation or may perturb DNA–protein interactions, free living organisms from bacteria to human contain several pathways to counteract uracilation. These efficient and highly specific repair routes uracil-directed excision repair initiated by representative of uracil-DNA glycosylase families. Interestingly, some bacteriophages exist with thymine-lacking uracil-DNA genome. A detailed understanding of the strategy by which such phages can replicate in bacteria where an efficient repair pathway functions for uracil-excision from DNA is expected to reveal novel inhibitors that can also be used for biotechnological applications. Here, we also review the several potential biotechnological applications already implemented based on inhibitors of uracil-excision repair, such as Crispr-base-editing and detection of nascent uracil distribution pattern in complex genomes.
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus: Immune Escape and Application of Reverse Genetics in Attenuated Live Vaccine Development
Authors: Wang Honglei , Xu Yangyang , Feng Wenhai
Published: May 2021

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), an RNA virus widely prevalent in pigs, results in significant economic losses worldwide. PRRSV can escape from the host immune response in several processes. Vaccines, including modified live vaccines and inactivated vaccines, are the best available countermeasures against PRRSV infection. However, challenges still exist as the vaccines are not able to induce broad protection. The reason lies in several facts, mainly the variability of PRRSV and the complexity of the interaction between PRRSV and host immune responses, and overcoming these obstacles will require more exploration. Many novel strategies have been proposed to construct more effective vaccines against this evolving and smart virus. In this review, we will describe the mechanisms of how PRRSV induces weak and delayed immune responses, the current vaccines of PRRSV, and the strategies to develop modified live vaccines using reverse genetics systems.
What Arguments against COVID-19 Vaccines Run on Facebook in Poland: Content Analysis of Comments
Authors: Wawrzuta Dominik , Jaworski Mariusz , Gotlib Joanna , Panczyk Mariusz
Published: May 2021

Social media allow anti-vaxxers to quickly spread misinformation and false statements. This situation may lead to an increase in vaccine hesitancy. We wanted to characterize what arguments against COVID-19 vaccines run on Facebook in Poland. We analyzed Facebook comments related to the five events of the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines—announcements of the efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech (09.11.2020), Moderna (16.11.2020), and AstraZeneca (23.11.2020) vaccines, registration of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the European Medicines Agency (21.12.2020), and the first vaccination in Poland (27.12.2020). We collected the comments from fanpages of the biggest Polish media and then established their main anti-vaccine themes. We found that the negative arguments about COVID-19 vaccines can be divided into 12 categories. Seven of them are universal and also apply to other vaccines but five are new and COVID-19’ specific. The frequency of arguments from a given category varied over time. We also noticed that, while the comments were mostly negative, the reactions were positive. Created codebook of anti-vaccine COVID-19 arguments can be used to monitor the attitude of society towards COVID-19 vaccines. Real-time monitoring of social media is important because the popularity of certain arguments on Facebook changes rapidly over time.
Poly (I:C)-Potentiated Vaccination Enhances T Cell Response in Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) Providing Protection against Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV)
Authors: Chun Jin Hong , Jung Jae Wook , Kim Young Rim , Lazarte Jassy Mary S. , Kim Si Won , Kim Jaesung , Thompson Kim D. , Kim Hyoung Jun , Jung Tae Sung
Published: May 2021

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), caused by viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), is a viral disease affecting teleosts, and is the major cause of virus-related deaths in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Research has focused on ways to control VHS, and recently, the use of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid poly (I:C)-potentiated vaccination has been investigated, whereby fish are injected with poly (I:C) and then with live pathogenic virus, resulting in a significant decrease in VHSV-related mortality. T cell responses were investigated in the present study after vaccinating olive flounder with poly (I:C)-potentiated vaccination to understand the ability of poly (I:C) to induce T cell immunity. Stimulation of T cell responses with the poly (I:C)-potentiated vaccination was confirmed by examining levels of CD3+ T cells, CD4-1+ T cells and CD4-2+ T cells. Higher levels of CD4-2+ T cells were found in vaccinated fish than CD4-1+ T cells, believed to result from a synergistic effect between poly (I:C) administration and pathogenic VHSV immunization. More importantly, the role of CD4-2+ T cells in the antiviral response was clearly evident. The results of this study suggest that the outstanding protection obtained with the poly (I:C)-potentiated vaccination is due to the robust immune response initiated by the CD4-2+ T cells.
Targeting COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Minority Populations in the US: Implications for Herd Immunity
Authors: Hildreth James E. K. , Alcendor Donald J.
Published: May 2021

There has been a continuous underrepresentation of minorities in healthcare research and vaccine trials, along with long-standing systemic racism and discrimination that have been fueling the distrust of the healthcare system among these communities for decades. The history and legacy of racial injustices and negative experiences within a culturally insensitive healthcare system have greatly contributed to vaccine hesitancy among ethnic minorities. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy will impact vaccine uptake in the US, subsequently hindering the establishment of herd immunity (75–85% of the population vaccinated) to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission. Information targeting underserved racial/ethnic minorities in the US in a culturally competent manner has been lacking. This information is crucial for educating these communities about COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution as well as dispelling misinformation regarding vaccine trials, safety, and efficacy. This lack of education has greatly contributed to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and will increase disparities in vaccine uptake. Moreover, timely vaccinations are also essential to curtailing virus transmission and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that may evade the immune response produced by the three existing COVID-19 vaccines.
Will COVID-19 Vaccinations End Discrimination against COVID-19 Patients in China? New Evidence on Recovered COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Li Lu , Wang Jian , Leng Anli , Nicholas Stephen , Maitland Elizabeth , Liu Rugang
Published: May 2021

(1) Background: By April 2021, over 160 million Chinese have been vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study analyzed the impact of vaccination on discrimination against recovered COVID-19 patients and the determinants of discrimination among intended vaccinated people. (2) Methods: A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect data on COVID-19 associated discrimination from nine provinces in China. Pearson chi-square tests and a multivariate ordered logistic regression analyzed the determinants of COVID-19-related discrimination. (3) Results: People who intended to be COVID-19 vaccinated displayed a high level of discrimination against recovered COVID-19 patients, with only 37.74% of the intended vaccinated without any prejudice and 34.11% displaying severe discrimination. However, vaccinations reduced COVID-19-related discrimination against recovered COVID-19 patients from 79.76% to 62.26%. Sex, age, education level, occupation, geographical region, respondents’ awareness of vaccine effectiveness and infection risk, and COVID-19 knowledge score had a significant influence on the COVID-19 related discrimination (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Vaccination significantly reduced COVID-19 associated discrimination, but discrimination rates remained high. Among the intended vaccinated respondents, females, the older aged, people with high school and above education level, retirees, migrant workers, and residents in central China were identified as key targets for information campaigns to reduce COVID-19 related discrimination.
Transformation of primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences of healthcare professionals in eight European countries
Authors: Wanat Marta , Hoste Melanie , Gobat Nina , Anastasaki Marilena , Böhmer Femke , Chlabicz Slawomir , Colliers Annelies , Farrell Karen , Karkana Maria-Nefeli , Kinsman John , Lionis Christos , Marcinowicz Ludmila , Reinhardt Katrin , Skoglund Ingmarie , Sundvall Pär-Daniel , Vellinga Akke , Verheij Theo JM , Goossens Herman , Butler Christopher C , van der Velden Alike , Anthierens Sibyl , Tonkin-Crine Sarah
Published: May 2021

Background

Primary care has a crucial role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as the first point of patient care and gatekeeper to secondary care. Qualitative studies exploring the experiences of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic have mainly focused on secondary care.

Aim

To gain an understanding of the experiences of European primary care professionals (PCPs) working during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design and setting

An exploratory qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews in primary care in England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Greece, and Sweden, between April and July 2020.

Method

Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analysed using a combination of inductive and deductive thematic analysis techniques.

Results

Eighty interviews were conducted with PCPs. PCPs had to make their own decisions on how to rapidly transform services in relation to COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 care. Despite being overwhelmed with guidance, they often lacked access to practical training. Consequently, PCPs turned to their colleagues for moral support and information to try to quickly adjust to new ways of working, including remote care, and to deal with uncertainty.

Conclusion

PCPs rapidly transformed primary care delivery despite a number of challenges. Representation of primary care at policy level and engagement with local primary care champions are needed to facilitate easy and coordinated access to practical information on how to adapt services, ongoing training, and access to appropriate mental health support services for PCPs. Preservation of autonomy and responsiveness of primary care are critical to preserve the ability for rapid transformation in any future crisis of care delivery.