bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introducing Twitter Daily Estimates of Residents and Non-Residents at the County Level
Authors: Martín Yago , Li Zhenlong , Ge Yue , Huang Xiao
Published: June 2021

The study of migrations and mobility has historically been severely limited by the absence of reliable data or the temporal sparsity of available data. Using geospatial digital trace data, the study of population movements can be much more precisely and dynamically measured. Our research seeks to develop a near real-time (one-day lag) Twitter census that gives a more temporally granular picture of local and non-local population at the county level. Internal validation reveals over 80% accuracy when compared with users’ self-reported home location. External validation results suggest these stocks correlate with available statistics of residents/non-residents at the county level and can accurately reflect regular (seasonal tourism) and non-regular events such as the Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017. The findings demonstrate that Twitter holds the potential to introduce the dynamic component often lacking in population estimates. This study could potentially benefit various fields such as demography, tourism, emergency management, and public health and create new opportunities for large-scale mobility analyses.
Embedding Sustainability in the Consumer Goods Innovation Cycle and Enabling Tools to Measure Progress and Capabilities
Authors: Jain Prateek , Chou Mabel C. , Fan Faith , Santoso Michelle Permata
Published: June 2021

This paper highlights the mutual relationship and crucial need for sustainability in innovation and vice versa, with a focus on various companies that are leading in this aspect. Together with certain conditions in place, growing awareness of this need has led to these companies achieving groundbreaking progress in embedding sustainability into the new product innovation space via the development of an overarching roadmap supported by strategic partnerships and robust quantitative tools, to proactively expand the sustainability mindset and way of life into the company culture and ways of working. Case studies of these companies are examined, and based on the findings, the paper concludes with recommendations and next steps for businesses to take to succeed in sustainability-centric innovation.
Towards an Understanding of the Behavioral Intentions and Actual Use of Smart Products among German Farmers
Authors: Schukat Sirkka , Heise Heinke
Published: June 2021

Innovative technologies in the context of smart farming are expected to play a significant role in the adaptation of the agricultural sector to climate change and sustainable agriculture. However, the adoption of smart farming solutions, in this case so-called smart products, depends indispensably on the acceptance of farmers. For this reason, it is important to develop an understanding of what determinants are decisive for farmers in the adoption of these technologies. In order to address this research gap, farmers in Germany were surveyed via a large-scale online survey in 2020 (n = 523). Based on an extended version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, a Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was performed. The results indicate that hedonic motivation significantly influences farmers’ behavioral intention to use smart products. In addition, behavioral intention is affected by social determinants and the personal performance expectations of smart products. Trust, as well as facilitating conditions, also has an impact on behavioral intention. Furthermore, facilitating conditions are an important determinant of the actual use behavior. In addition, use behavior is influenced by behavioral intention. It was further found that technology readiness plays a significant role in the adoption of smart products. Moderating effects of age, work experience, and farm size were identified that influence farmers’ willingness to use smart products. The study holds important managerial implications for technology companies in the field of smart farming and can help develop approaches for tailored technical solutions that meet farmers’ needs.
Thermal Performance Measurement Procedure and Its Accuracy for Shape-Stabilized Phase-Change Material and Microcapsule Phase-Change Material Combined with Building Materials
Authors: Kim Hyun Bae , Mae Masayuki , Choi Youngjin
Published: June 2021

The accuracy of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) used in the dynamic method, which is the method most widely used to measure the thermal performance of existing phase-change materials (PCMs), is limited when measuring the phase-change range and peak temperature of PCMs combined with building materials. Therefore, we measured the thermal performance in a thermochamber; the samples were a sheet of shape-stabilized phase-change material (SSPCM) and a microencapsulated PCM-impregnated gypsum board fabricated by combining PCM building materials with paraffin. Then, we investigated ways to improve the measurement accuracy. We confirmed the setting time of the thermochamber temperature change based on the internal temperature of the PCM and the effect of the PCM capacity on its thermal performance using the dynamic method. The temperature was increased or decreased in uniform steps at regular time intervals. The error of the heat absorption and release was less than 2% when a stabilization time of at least 4 h elapsed before the start of the heating or cooling process. Overall trends in the specific heat and enthalpy, such as the phase-change section and peak temperature of the PCM, were similar regardless of the setting time. Thus, it was confirmed that the latent heat performance did not increase proportionally with the increase in the PCM capacity. The proposed approach can be used to measure the specific heat and enthalpy of various types of PCMs and building materials.
Hybrid Forecasting Methodology for Wind Power-Photovoltaic-Concentrating Solar Power Generation Clustered Renewable Energy Systems
Authors: Pang Simian , Zheng Zixuan , Luo Fan , Xiao Xianyong , Xu Lanlan
Published: June 2021

Forecasting of large-scale renewable energy clusters composed of wind power generation, photovoltaic and concentrating solar power (CSP) generation encounters complex uncertainties due to spatial scale dispersion and time scale random fluctuation. In response to this, a short-term forecasting method is proposed to improve the hybrid forecasting accuracy of multiple generation types in the same region. It is formed through training the long short-term memory (LSTM) network using spatial panel data. Historical power data and meteorological data for CSP plant, wind farm and photovoltaic (PV) plant are included in the dataset. Based on the data set, the correlation between these three types of power generation is proved by Pearson coefficient, and the feasibility of improving the forecasting ability through the hybrid renewable energy clusters is analyzed. Moreover, cases study indicates that the uncertainty of renewable energy cluster power tends to weaken due to partial controllability of CSP generation. Compared with the traditional prediction method, the hybrid prediction method has better prediction accuracy in the real case of renewable energy cluster in Northwest China.
Modeling Traffic Flow, Energy Use, and Emissions Using Google Maps and Google Street View: The Case of EDSA, Philippines
Authors: Rito Joshua Ezekiel , Lopez Neil Stephen , Biona Jose Bienvenido Manuel
Published: June 2021

The general framework of the bottom-up approach for modeling mobile emissions and energy use involves the following major components: (1) quantifying traffic flow and (2) calculating emission and energy consumption factors. In most cases, researchers deal with complex and arduous tasks, especially when conducting actual surveys in order to calculate traffic flow. In this regard, the authors are introducing a novel method in estimating mobile emissions and energy use from road traffic flow utilizing crowdsourced data from Google Maps. The method was applied on a major highway in the Philippines commonly known as EDSA. Results showed that a total of 370,855 vehicles traveled along EDSA on average per day in June 2019. In comparison to a government survey, only an 8.63% error was found with respect to the total vehicle count. However, the approximation error can be further reduced to 4.63% if cars and utility vehicles are combined into one vehicle category. The study concludes by providing the limitations and opportunities for future work of the proposed methodology.
What Can Urban Buses Learn about Sunshine Regulation Adopted in Other Sectors?
Authors: de Carvalho Gabriel Stumpf Duarte , Marques Rui Cunha
Published: June 2021

Since 2014, the Portuguese bus market has been experiencing substantial competition and regulatory environment changes. Nevertheless, further improvements in governance and particularly transparency are still needed. This paper intends to explore how the health and water sectors currently apply sunshine regulation to promote healthy competition and improve service quality and how good practices can be replicated into the Portuguese bus sector. We explore the strategies and tools used by the regulators from these two sectors and propose a simplified template to integrate sunshine regulation in public bus operations. The first steps for applying sunshine regulation were taken by recently enacted laws and regulations that impose the need to monitor contracts using performance indicators or other metrics. With this paper, we intend to take a further step suggesting a framework that uses these performance metrics to increase transparency and accountability in the sector.
On the Identification of the Key Factors for a Successful Use of Twitter as a Medium from a Social Marketing Perspective
Authors: Guijarro Ester , Santadreu-Mascarell Cristina , Blasco-Gallego Beatriz , Canós-Darós Lourdes , Babiloni Eugenia
Published: June 2021

Public administrations are organizations whose mission is to serve the interests of society by providing efficient and sustainable services. Much of the information received from public administrations uses social media due to their versatility and capacity to reach a large number of citizens. Among them, Twitter is the most widely used, especially to disseminate messages with a high social content. This type of messages falls within the discipline of social marketing. However, when public administrations use Twitter for social marketing communication, it is not known which factors are the most decisive to achieve the social objective for which they are issued. This article provides an answer to this question, using the Analytic Network Process Multicriteria method to determine which factors matter and how they are interrelated when issuing social marketing messages through Twitter. The result of this research reveals that from the 22 factors analyzed, the most influential from a social marketing point of view are the average age of population, the existence of a strategic communication plan, the number of tweets and the average number of tweets per day, the number of followers, retweets and mentions, as well as the efficiency of the account.
Adaptive or Absent: A Critical Review of Building System Resilience in the LEED Rating System
Authors: De Castro Danielle , Kim Amy
Published: June 2021

Since people living in developed nations across Europe, North America, and Australia spend most of their lives indoors, protecting indoor environmental quality is critical for protecting human health. As stressors such as COVID-19 and climate change further complicate living conditions, conflicting system priorities underscore the need for resilience in all building systems. In the engineering and architectural fields, sustainability rating frameworks are used to note, reward, and motivate the use of sustainable practices. As such, it is crucial to ensure that these frameworks genuinely encourage resilience in building systems. This paper conducts a review of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design–Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C v4.1) framework for New Construction through a credit-level analysis, to determine the extent to which the framework encourages the resilience of building systems beyond the scope of structure. Researchers identified, tabulated, and deconstructed relevant credits according to four key resilience factors: diversity, efficiency, adaptability, and cohesion. Findings indicated that, while efficiency is well supported, diversity, adaptability, and cohesion can be enhanced. The existing rating system provides a strong base upon which improvements can be made, but falls short of adequately encouraging the wide adoption of resilience needed for long-term sustainability. In short, while the LEED credits do reward resilient designs, they do not yet actively inspire them.
Residential Location and Travel in the Reykjavik Capital Region
Authors: Næss Petter , Stefansdottir Harpa , Peters Sebastian , Czepkiewicz Michał , Heinonen Jukka
Published: June 2021

This article presents findings from a mixed-methods study on residential location and travel in the Reykjavik capital region, Iceland, drawing on a combination of a tailor-made questionnaire survey and in-depth qualitative interviews, including cross-sectional and before–after analyses. A residential location close to the main city center of Reykjavik contributes to shorter travel distances and lower shares of car travel. The effect of proximity to the city center is particularly strong for commuting but exists for non-work travel and overall car-driving distances too. There are also effects of proximity to a main second-order center and local centers and of local-area population density, but these effects apply to fewer aspects of travel. The rationales for location of activities and travel mode choice identified in the qualitative interviews explain why travel distances and modes tend to depend more on proximity to the main city center than on neighborhood-scale built environment characteristics. The main patterns found in the Reykjavik area are in line with findings in several earlier studies in the Nordic countries and elsewhere. However, through its methodological approach, the investigation adds to the few studies on the topic where results are underpinned by combined qualitative and quantitative methods and inclusion of before–after analyses.
Research on Environmental Issue and Sustainable Consumption of Online Takeout Food—Practice and Enlightenment Based on China’s Meituan
Authors: Guo Meiwen , Wu Liang , Peng Jianping , Chiu Chun-Hung
Published: June 2021

In today’s society, consumers’ food needs can be satisfied by catering e-commerce platforms. However, the plastic pollution of tableware and packaging caused by a large number of catering orders every day has always been an unsolved environmental problem. (1) Background: At present, China’s three largest catering platforms, Meituan, Eleme and Baidu, receive 20 million takeout orders daily and consume about 60 million plastic products. Plastic pollution will have a sustained impact on the environment. (2) Methods: In this study, we use literature research and case analysis. We use Meituan’s takeout food as an example. We studied the takeout business growth, status of online takeout in the treatment of plastic packaging, harm to environment, humans and animals, as well as specific solutions. (3) Results: There are four main reasons which contribute to the plastic packaging pollution (i.e., high recycling cost, difficulty to deal with mixed plastic packaging, low effectiveness of collecting plastic packing, and immature technology and treatment to incinerate and landfill catering plastic waste). (4) Conclusion: Our findings suggest that regulators, takeout platforms and consumers, which have corresponding responsibilities in the environmental protection consumption of online food, are supposed to work together to get rid of the online takeout pollution for achieving sustainable consumption. Not only is government legislation needed to improve the waste management system and encourage the exploration of new intelligent waste classification tools, but platforms, businesses and users should enhance the environmental awareness of online takeout packaging pollution as well. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are also discussed.
The Challenge of Sustainable Consumption for Governance and Policy Development—A Systematic Review
Authors: Byers Vivienne , Gilmer Alan
Published: June 2021

The modern industry discourse on sustainability is the idea of ‘green growth’, which is described as the paradox of the continuation of increased economic growth, at the same time as increasing sustainability. Policy makers face the challenge of how to encourage and sustain appropriate levels of individual behavioural change to manage consumption in a changing environment. In addressing this challenge, this study seeks to move beyond discrete elements of human consumption behaviour and develop a better understand of the wider inputs including culture, societal norms, institutions and governance. The research methodology adopted uses a systematic literature review approach coupled with thematic analysis. The study presents a new understanding of the interrelatedness of consumption policy, social structures, and the boundary arrangements of governance. What emerges is a focus on the role of governance and societal context in influencing outcomes. A fundamental output of the study is the designation of 27 evidence-based principles of change. These principles represent a new framework: the Governance and Sustainable Policy Development (GSPD) framework or ‘Road Map’, designed to guide decision making and aid the understanding of what motivates individuals and institutions within a wider neo-liberal societal system to manage their consumption from a more sustainable policy and governance perspective.
Towards Sustainable Soil Stabilization in Peatlands: Secondary Raw Materials as an Alternative
Authors: Vincevica-Gaile Zane , Teppand Tonis , Kriipsalu Mait , Krievans Maris , Jani Yahya , Klavins Maris , Hendroko Setyobudi Roy , Grinfelde Inga , Rudovica Vita , Tamm Toomas , Shanskiy Merrit , Saaremae Egle , Zekker Ivar , Burlakovs Juris
Published: June 2021

Implementation of construction works on weak (e.g., compressible, collapsible, expansive) soils such as peatlands often is limited by logistics of equipment and shortage of available and applicable materials. If preloading or floating roads on geogrid reinforcement or piled embankments cannot be implemented, then soil stabilization is needed. Sustainable soil stabilization in an environmentally friendly way is recommended instead of applying known conventional methods such as pure cementing or excavation and a single replacement of soils. Substitution of conventional material (cement) and primary raw material (lime) with secondary raw material (waste and byproducts from industries) corresponds to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, preserves resources, saves energy, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Besides traditional material usage, soil stabilization is achievable through various secondary raw materials (listed according to their groups and subgroups): 1. thermally treated waste products: 1.1. ashes from agriculture production; 1.2. ashes from energy production; 1.3. ashes from various manufacturing; 1.4. ashes from waste processing; 1.5. high carbon content pyrolysis products; 2. untreated waste and new products made from secondary raw materials: 2.1. waste from municipal waste biological treatment and landfills; 2.2. waste from industries; 3. new products made from secondary raw materials: 3.1. composite materials. Efficient solutions in environmental engineering may eliminate excessive amounts of waste and support innovation in the circular economy for sustainable future.
The Effect of ESG Performance on Tax Avoidance—Evidence from Korea
Authors: Yoon Bohyun , Lee Jeong-Hwan , Cho Jin-Hyung
Published: June 2021

We analyzed whether a firm’s engagement in socially responsible activities, as measured by environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) scores, influences their tendency to avoid tax in the Korean financial market. We found a negative relationship between Korean firms’ ESG scores and tax avoidance in terms of book-tax income difference during the sample period between 2011 and 2017. This result implies that firms with good CSR performance would tend not to manipulate taxable profits, which is in line with corporate culture theory. More interestingly, this trend has become more apparent for chaebol-affiliated firms, a special type of Korean conglomerate, than non-chaebol firms.
A Comparative Analysis of Co-Production in Public Services
Authors: Khine Pwint Kay , Mi Jianing , Shahid Raza
Published: June 2021

This study investigates current research trends in co-production studies and discusses conceptual approaches. The conceptual paper contains studies on co-production in the field of public administration. This study identifies significant gaps in the field of study by systematically examining 32 co-production research works. The study’s contributions include (1) defining two common characteristics of co-production, (2) classifying three forms of co-production by end-users, and (3) discovering that the aims and performance of co-production are more effective for service providers when the strategy is citizen-centric. Future research should (1) concentrate on the reasons for co-production failures or successes, (2) identify additional barriers to co-production in service production, (3) investigate influences on service providers as well as structural impacts on the co-production process, and (4) provide practical assessments of co-production research.
Systematic Review of the Integrative Medicine Recommendations for Patients with Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Gumbs Andrew A. , Gogol Manana , Spolverato Gaya , Taher Hebatallah , Chouillard Elie K.
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Integrative medicine (IM) is a relatively new field where non-traditional therapies with peer-reviewed evidence are incorporated or integrated with more traditional approaches. Methods: A systematic review of the literature from the last 10 years was done by searching clinical trials and randomized-controlled trials on Pubmed that discuss nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle changes associated with “Pancreatic Cancer.” Results: Only 50 articles ultimately met the inclusion criteria for this review. A total of 15 articles discussed the role of obesity and 10 discussed the influence of stress in increasing the risk of pancreatic cancer. Six discussed the potential beneficial role of Vitamins, 5 of cannabinoids, 4 an anti-inflammatory diet, 3 of nut consumption, 2 of green tea consumption, 2 of curcumin supplementation, 1 role of melatonin, and 1 of probiotics. One article each was found on the theoretical benefits of adhering to either a Mediterranean or ketogenic diet. Discussion: As more surgeons become interested in IM, it is hoped that more diseases where the curative treatment is mainly surgical can benefit from the all-encompassing principles of IM in an effort to improve quality of life and survival in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Multistage Asymmetric Rotors Coaxial Measurement Stacking Method Based on Minimization of Exciting Force
Authors: Liu Yongmeng , Mei Yingjie , Sun Chuanzhi , Xiao Pinghuan , Li Ruirui , Wang Xiaoming , Li Chengtian
Published: June 2021

The unbalanced exciting force of high-speed rotary asymmetric rotor equipment is the main factor causing rotor vibration. In order to effectively suppress the vibration of the asymmetric rotor equipment, the paper establishes a multistage asymmetric rotor coaxial measurement stacking method that minimizes the exciting force. By analyzing the propagation process of the centroid of the multistage asymmetric rotor assembly and analyzing the relationship between the geometric center and the centroid of a single asymmetric rotor, a multistage asymmetric unbalanced rotor propagation model based on geometric center stacking is established. The genetic algorithm is used to optimize the unbalance of the multistage asymmetric rotors. Combined with the vibration principle under the exciting force, the vibration amplitude of the left bearing at different rotation speeds under the minimization of the exciting force and the random assembly phase is analyzed. Finally, the experimental asymmetric rotors are dynamically measured, combined with the asymmetric rotors’ geometric error measurement experiment. The experimental results confirm that the vibration amplitude of the assembly phase with the minimum exciting force is smaller than the vibration amplitude under the random assembly phase at three-speed modes, and the optimization rate reached 73.2% at 9000 rpm, which proves the effectiveness of the assembly method in minimizing the exciting force.
Multivariate Skew t-Distribution: Asymptotics for Parameter Estimators and Extension to Skew t-Copula
Authors: Kollo Tõnu , Käärik Meelis , Selart Anne
Published: June 2021

Symmetric elliptical distributions have been intensively used in data modeling and robustness studies. The area of applications was considerably widened after transforming elliptical distributions into the skew elliptical ones that preserve several good properties of the corresponding symmetric distributions and increase possibilities of data modeling. We consider three-parameter p-variate skew t-distribution where p-vector μ is the location parameter, Σ:p×p is the positive definite scale parameter, p-vector α is the skewness or shape parameter, and the number of degrees of freedom ν is fixed. Special attention is paid to the two-parameter distribution when μ=0 that is useful for construction of the skew t-copula. Expressions of the parameters are presented through the moments and parameter estimates are found by the method of moments. Asymptotic normality is established for the estimators of Σ and α. Convergence to the asymptotic distributions is examined in simulation experiments.
Lensing Effects in Retarded Gravity
Authors: Yahalom Asher
Published: June 2021

Galaxies are gigantic physical systems having a typical size of many tens of thousands of light years. Thus, any change at the center of the galaxy will affect the rim only tens of millennia later. Those retardation effects seem to be ignored in present day modelling used to calculate rotational velocities of matter in the outskirts of the galaxy and the surrounding gas. The significant discrepancies between the velocities predicted by Newtonian theory and observed velocities are usually handled by either assuming an unobservable type of matter denoted “dark matter” or by modifying the laws of gravity (MOND as an example). Here, we will show that considering general relativistic effects without neglecting retardation can explain the apparent excess matter leading to gravitational lensing in both galaxies and galaxy clusters.
Estimation of the Inhaled Dose of Pollutants in Different Micro-Environments: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Borghi Francesca , Spinazzè Andrea , Mandaglio Simone , Fanti Giacomo , Campagnolo Davide , Rovelli Sabrina , Keller Marta , Cattaneo Andrea , Cavallo Domenico Maria
Published: June 2021

Recently, the need to assess personal exposure in different micro-environments has been highlighted. Further, estimating the inhaled dose of pollutants is considerably one of the most interesting parameters to be explored to complete the fundamental information obtained through exposure assessment, especially if associated with a dose-response approach. To analyze the main results obtained from the studies related to the estimation of the inhaled dose of pollutants in different micro-environments (environments in which an individual spends a part of his day), and to identify the influence of different parameters on it, a systematic review of the literature was performed. The principal outcomes from the considered studies outlined that (i) exposure concentration and residence time are among the most important parameters to be evaluated in the estimation of the inhaled dose, especially in transport environments. Further, (ii) the pulmonary ventilation rate can be of particular interest during active commuting because of its increase, which increases the inhalation of pollutants. From a methodological point of view, the advent of increasingly miniaturized, portable and low-cost technologies could favor these kinds of studies, both for the measurement of atmospheric pollutants and the real-time evaluation of physiological parameters used for estimation of the inhaled dose. The main results of this review also show some knowledge gaps. In particular, numerous studies have been conducted for the evaluation (in terms of personal exposure and estimation of the inhaled dose) of different PM fractions: other airborne pollutants, although harmful to human health, are less represented in studies of this type: for this reason, future studies should be conducted, also considering other air pollutants, not neglecting the assessment of exposure to PM. Moreover, many studies have been conducted indoors, where the population spends most of their daily time. However, it has been highlighted how particular environments, even if characterized by a shorter residence time, can contribute significantly to the dose of inhaled pollutants. These environments are, therefore, of particular importance and should be better evaluated in future studies, as well as occupational environments, where the work results in a high pulmonary ventilation rate. The attention of future studies should also be focused on these categories of subjects and occupational studies.
Novel Kidney Auto Transplantation Technique for Ischemia-Reperfusion Studies
Authors: Olausson Michael , Antony Deepti , Travnikova Galina , Banerjee Debashish , Premaratne Goditha U.
Published: June 2021

Large animal studies of long-term ischemia reperfusion are hampered by the use of immunosuppressive drugs to inhibit the influence of the allogeneic response. In small animals, this can be controlled by using inbred strains of the animal. For obvious reasons, this is not possible in large animals such as pigs. Since studies in pigs usually are the last step before first-in-man studies, this remains a problem trying to resemble a clinical situation. In the following short paper, we describe a novel auto kidney transplantation model that can be used for long term ischemia reperfusion studies. We also suggest a control setting to balance out the possible influence of an increased surgical trauma.
Oncolytic Virotherapy Treatment of Breast Cancer: Barriers and Recent Advances
Authors: Kwan Amy , Winder Natalie , Muthana Munitta
Published: June 2021

Oncolytic virotherapy (OV) is an emerging class of immunotherapeutic drugs. Their mechanism of action is two-fold: direct cell lysis and unmasking of the cancer through immunogenic cell death, which allows the immune system to recognize and eradicate tumours. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is challenging to treat with immunotherapy modalities because it is classically an immunogenically “cold” tumour type. This provides an attractive niche for OV, given viruses have been shown to turn “cold” tumours “hot,” thereby opening a plethora of treatment opportunities. There has been a number of pre-clinical attempts to explore the use of OV in breast cancer; however, these have not led to any meaningful clinical trials. This review considers both the potential and the barriers to OV in breast cancer, namely, the limitations of monotherapy and the scope for combination therapy, improving viral delivery and challenges specific to the breast cancer population (e.g., tumour subtype, menopausal status, age).
Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection Increases B.1.1.7 Cross-Neutralization by Vaccinated Individuals
Authors: Trinité Benjamin , Pradenas Edwards , Marfil Silvia , Rovirosa Carla , Urrea Víctor , Tarrés-Freixas Ferran , Ortiz Raquel , Rodon Jordi , Vergara-Alert Júlia , Segalés Joaquim , Guallar Victor , Lepore Rosalba , Izquierdo-Useros Nuria , Trujillo Glòria , Trapé Jaume , González-Fernández Carolina , Flor Antonia , Pérez-Vidal Rafel , Toledo Ruth , Chamorro Anna , Paredes Roger , Blanco Ignacio , Grau Eulàlia , Massanella Marta , Carrillo Jorge , Clotet Bonaventura , Blanco Julià
Published: June 2021

With the spread of new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is a need to assess the protection conferred by both previous infections and current vaccination. Here we tested the neutralizing activity of infected and/or vaccinated individuals against pseudoviruses expressing the spike of the original SARS-CoV-2 isolate Wuhan-Hu-1 (WH1), the D614G mutant and the B.1.1.7 variant. Our data show that parameters of natural infection (time from infection and nature of the infecting variant) determined cross-neutralization. Uninfected vaccinees showed a small reduction in neutralization against the B.1.1.7 variant compared to both the WH1 strain and the D614G mutant. Interestingly, upon vaccination, previously infected individuals developed more robust neutralizing responses against B.1.1.7, suggesting that vaccines can boost the neutralization breadth conferred by natural infection.
Augmenting the Immune Response against a Stabilized HIV-1 Clade C Envelope Trimer by Silica Nanoparticle Delivery
Authors: Peterhoff David , Thalhauser Stefanie , Sobczak Jan M. , Mohsen Mona O. , Voigt Christoph , Seifert Nicole , Neckermann Patrick , Hauser Alexandra , Ding Song , Sattentau Quentin , Bachmann Martin F. , Breunig Miriam , Wagner Ralf
Published: June 2021

The delivery of HIV-1 envelope (Env) trimer-based immunogens on the surface of nanoparticles holds promise to promote immunogenicity with the aim of inducing a potent, durable and broad neutralizing antibody (bnAb) response. Towards that goal, we examined the covalent conjugation of Env to 100 nm and 200 nm silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) to optimize conjugation density and attachment stability. Env was redesigned to enable site-specific cysteine-mediated covalent conjugation while maintaining its structural integrity and antigenicity. Env was anchored to different sized SiNPs with a calculated spacing of 15 nm between adjacent trimers. Both particle sizes exhibited high in vitro stability over a seven-day period. After attachment, 100 nm particles showed better colloidal stability compared to 200 nm particles. Importantly, the antigenic profile of Env was not impaired by surface attachment, indicating that the quaternary structure was maintained. In vitro Env uptake by dendritic cells was significantly enhanced when Env was delivered on the surface of nanoparticles compared to soluble Env. Furthermore, multivalent Env displayed efficiently activated B cells even at Env concentrations in the low nanomolar range. In mice, antibody responses to nanoparticle-coupled Env were stronger compared to the free protein and had equivalent effects at lower doses and without adjuvant.
HPV and Cytology Testing in Women Undergoing 9-Valent HPV Opportunistic Vaccination: A Single-Cohort Follow Up Study
Authors: De Vincenzo Rosa , Caporale Nicola , Bertoldo Valentina , Ricci Caterina , Evangelista Maria Teresa , Bizzarri Nicolò , Pedone Anchora Luigi , Scambia Giovanni , Capelli Giovanni
Published: June 2021

Background: This study evaluates the possible effect of 9-valent (9vHPV) vaccination on the results of HPV and cytological tests in a cohort of adult women. Methods: This study is a retrospective, single-cohort, monocentric study. Sexually active women aged 14–70 years, who underwent 9vHPV vaccination, were enrolled. Dose administration dates, side effects and data on Pap smears and HPV tests performed before and after the first vaccine dose were collected. Subjects were considered “unexposed” to the vaccine for all time intervals before the first dose administration, and “exposed” to the first, second and third vaccine doses in all time intervals following each specific dose. Results: A total of 512 women underwent the first 9vHPV dose administration and were enrolled in the study. Median age at vaccination was 30.5 (14–70). Log-rank tests and Cox regression analyses showed a highly statistically significant (p < 0.0001) difference in the time to negativization after the exposure to the third vaccine dose in the 207 women starting with a Pap+ smear (HR (95% C.I.), 2.66 (1.83–3.86)) and in the 198 women starting with an HPV HR+ test (HR (95% C.I.), 7.80 (4.83–12.60)). Conclusions: 9vHPV vaccination may play a role in shortening the clearance time of HPV HR+ or Pap positivity in sexually active adult women.
Vibration Transmission during Manual Wheelchair Propulsion: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lariviere Ophélie , Chadefaux Delphine , Sauret Christophe , Thoreux Patricia
Published: June 2021

Manual wheelchair (MWC) propulsion can expose the user to significant vibration. Human body exposure to certain vibrations can be detrimental to health, and a source of discomfort and fatigue. Therefore, identifying vibration exposure and key parameters influencing vibration transmissibility during MWC propulsion is crucial to protect MWC users from vibration risks. For that purpose, a systematic review using PRISMA recommendations was realized to synthesize the current knowledge regarding vibration transmissibility during MWC propulsion. The 35 retrieved articles were classified into three groups: Vibration content, parameters influencing vibration transmission, and vibration transmission modeling. The review highlighted that MWC users experience vibration in the frequency range detrimental/uncomfortable for human vibration transmission during MWC propulsion depends on many parameters and is still scarcely studied and understood. A modeling and simulation approach would be an interesting way to assist physicians in selecting the best settings for a specific user, but many works (modeling, properties identification, etc.) must be done before being effective for clinical and industrial purposes.
A New Method for Optimization of Water Distribution Networks While Considering Accidents
Authors: Liu Ruizhe , Guo Fangcheng , Sun Weiqian , Wang Yue , Zhang Zihan , Ma Xiaoyi
Published: June 2021

Optimization of water distribution networks can effectively reduce their annual cost, which includes the average investment for each year the operational costs and depreciation costs. However, the existing optimization models rarely directly consider the basic flow of each node in case of accidents, such as pipe bursts. Therefore, it is necessary to check the flow requirements under accident conditions. In order to deal with these drawbacks, two optimization models are established considering accident conditions: a single-objective optimization model considering annual cost as an economic objective, and a multi-objective optimization model with a reliability objective defined by the surplus water head. These models are solved based on the genetic algorithm, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II algorithm and Levenberg-Marquardt iterative method. Applying two cases of a single pump station and a multi pump water station water supply, it is shown that the annual cost when considering the accident conditions is higher than that without considering the accident conditions. Moreover, the annual cost obtained with the multi-objective optimization model is slightly higher than that obtained with the single-objective optimization model. The cost is higher because the former model reduces the average surplus water head, which can improve the water distribution network reliability. Therefore, the model and optimization algorithm proposed in this paper can provide a general and fast optimization tool for water distribution network optimization.
Results of minimally invasive treatment of scar degeneration of palmar aponeurosis
Authors: Fedosova Natal’ya , Abramenkov Andrey , Ezhov Igor
Published: June 2021

An analysis of the results of surgical treatment of patients with Dupuytren’s contracture using tactics of minimally invasive percutaneous aponeurotomy and open aponeurectomy is presented. Dupuytren’s contracture (CD) is a chronic disease characterized by cicatricial degeneration of the palmar aponeurosis with a predominant lesion of the working population. The need to quickly restore the function of the upper limb in the postoperative period in patients with CD leads to the need to develop new and modernize the existing minimally invasive tactics of surgical treatment, allowing to minimize the duration of treatment and the risks of various complications.
The dynamics of attitudes towards hygiene after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — results of an international study
Authors: Aleksandrova Ekaterina
Published: June 2021

GSK Consumer Healthcare and IPSOS conducted an international survey to examine how people in different countries changed their lifestyle as well as health and hygiene habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous respondents reported more frequent mouthwash usage, brushing their teeth, washing their face and hands.
Comparative characteristics of risk factors in children in the first year of life
Authors: Zapisnaya Alla Alekseevna , Sharafanova Elena Iliynichna
Published: June 2021

The article is devoted to studying the influence of risk factors on the development of hearing loss and deafness in children in the first year of life, their frequency and structure. Results. The article shows the results of audiological screening (stage 2) in children aged 1 month to 1 year. Factors affecting hearing pathology in children in the first year of life are discussed. Untimely detection of hearing loss in children at an early age leads to deafness and, as a result, to disability of children [1]. Conclusion. Carrying out mass audiological screening of newborns at stage 1 — in a maternity hospital or perinatal center, and a comprehensive audiological examination of children at risk of hearing loss at stage 2 — in surdology centers and offices contributes to the timely detection of disorders in young children and to the implementation of corrective measures necessary for the child's speech and psycho-emotional development.
Application of the registration template for in-laboratory quality control data analysis in the MS Excel program in the activities of a medical laboratory technician
Authors: Plyashkova Svetlana Anatolyevna , Motorina Lilia Vladimirovna , Glukhova Vlada Vladimirovna
Published: June 2021

The article provides information on the creation and application of a template for registration and analysis of intralaboratory quality control data. The reasons for creating a template are considered; the activities of a medical laboratory technician without using a template and with its application are analyzed. The study confirms that the use of a ready-made template created in a spreadsheet processor greatly facilitates and optimizes the work of a medical laboratory technician.
Kemuliaan Jabatan Seorang Imam Menurut John Chrysostom
Authors: Cahyani Eka Nur , Hendi Hendi
Published: June 2021

Di abad ke-21 yang serba cepat, Gereja umumnya dilihat dari perspektif perusahaan. Model bisnis dengan fungsi sebagai manajer tampaknya lebih unggul daripada model alkitabiah dengan fungsi sakramental. Banyak gereja yang pindah jauh dari terminologi keimamatan, dan telah mengusulkan prinsip-prinsip lain yang tidak alkitabiah dalam menyeleksi calon imam. Gereja dalam merekrut calon imam harus mengutamakan fungsi sakramental yang juga diimbangi dengan fungsi manajemen. Penulis mensintesa ide dari buku Six Books on the Priesthood sebagai buku yang menjadi landasan teori dalam membahas kemuliaan jabatan seorang imam dalam menjalankan pelayanan pastoral bagi kaum awam. Tujuannya adalah memberikan alternatif kepada Gereja dalam merekrut calon iman. Hasilnya adalah Chrysostom menekankan kemuliaan jabatan keimamatan dan membutuhkan kualifikasi khusus, penumpangan tangan dan nafas suci, yang tidak diberikan oleh semua orang. Pertama, seorang imam memengang fungsi sakramental. Kedua, seorang imam adalah pelayanan seperti malaikat. Ketiga, seorang imam harus berkarakter seperti Kristus. Keempat, seorang imam atau gembala adalah pelayanan yang sangat sulit. Jabatan seorang imam adalah mulia sebab berhubungan dengan altar, tempat suci pengorbanan dan wewenang untuk mengikat dan melepaskan seperti teladan dari Sang Gembala Agung Yesus Kristus.
Emerging Religious Trends through the Ages
Authors: S Stalin
Published: June 2021

All religious movement have become a social movement in the country. These movements play a major role in monarchy to democracy. Religion had major impacts on the community. These permeate into the literature and shows its reflection in the community. Religions get progressed and travels parallel through the literature and its transformation. Similarly, the purpose of the religious literature has been changed through times. Doctrines, rites of worship, existence of tradition are seen common in all religions. But some religious literatures have sung to inimical of other religions. It is necessary to look comparatively from Sangam literature period that how the religious literature have undergone change and how purpose and course of cult are written in the texts. Religions such as Jainism, Buddhism, vaishnavism, saivam, Christianity and Islam are also explored. Finally, it is possible to find out that in each period religious beliefs and hatreds have travelled into the literature along with the worships and divinity.it is also possible to learn about generality, philosophy and charitable works done by individuals through the religion. It is established that the gods were sung from ancient to modern genres and earlier religious conflict did not have major impact on contemporary literature.
Bharathi and Advaita
Authors: S Senthamzil Pavai
Published: June 2021

Bharati is the twentieth-century non-recipient. The English of India; During the year, poetry was written in the form of poetry, liberation, social liberation, and the unity of the people with regards to the separation of religions and religions. These songs, legends, myths, and philosophies were completely different and gave new meaning to various god ideas. Bharati, who is the best spiritual poet, has established himself as the Advaita Vedanta by placing himself in the words of the Gita, who sees the soul in all things and sees everything in the soul. The purpose of this article is to explain Bharati's Advaita principle. Gnanika Kavi Bharati, the principle of the best of the Naradharata Bharatam, has manifested himself as an Advaita Vedantic. One that is not two is Brahman. It has penetrated the universe and the cosmos, the myths and the lives. Hiding this state of affairs is a delusion, a world, and a trap. The conqueror of illusion; Bharati's Advaita principle is that Jeevanmukthan is. It is the clear thought of Bharatiya. He emphasizes oneness among many deities. Bharatiya had a great sense of unity within the religion. That is why the rule of Brahman in the soil and sky is the realization of the sovereignty of Brahman in the Panchabhutas. Realizing that the sovereignty of the Brahman is frozen in all life, the poet realizes that the Brahman is also in the Paramatma jivatmas. Bharatiya illuminating the Advaita light is illusory. She refuses to fear death. He cautioned against the possibility of differences due to the illusion of inner turmoil. Your business is here to love people in an effort to inspire them! This is the way to see the differences; The Advaita Principle of Bharati is that humanity will excel if everyone has the sense of "I am everything".
Tamil Theology and Ancestor Worship
Authors: V Ramarajapandian
Published: June 2021

In ancient times, the loved ones had the tradition of worshipping their virtues after their demise. The practice of growing more and more family was practiced when those who worked for their family to progress were worshipped after their deaths. One of the rituals is to make the dead sieve. The ancestral worship is to pay tribute to the experiences of the ancestors who have been with us in the relationship and blood of the tribes. This cult was associated with the middle stone worship of the people of this group over time. These are the foundations of the study of the ancient cult sculptors and theories of the present day.