bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macroeconomic Determinants of Nonperforming Loans of Romanian Banks
Authors: Hada Teodor , Bărbuță-Mișu Nicoleta , Iuga Iulia Cristina , Wainberg Dorin
Published: September 2020

The banking sector plays an important role in the development of any economy. The performance of the loans in bank portfolios is a critical issue for the banking sector. The increased number of nonperforming loans (NPLs) after the financial crisis of 2008 has questioned the robustness of many banks and the stability of the entire sector. Our study aims to present the most important aspects related to NPLs and to investigate some macroeconomic determinant factors affecting the rate of NPLs in Romania. Based on a set of data for the period 2009–2019, the analysis of NPLs was made using linear regression. The results showed that all selected independent variables (exchange rates of the most used currencies (EUR, USD and CHF), unemployment rate, and inflation rate) have a significant impact on the dependent variable NPL. The study reveals strong correlations between NPLs and the macroeconomic factors studied and that the Romanian economy is clearly connected to the quality of the loan portfolios. Additionally, an econometric analysis of the empirical causes of NPLs shows that the RON–CHF exchange rate has been the main factor in increasing the NPL ratio in the last 5 years in Romania.
Accelerating Climate Service Development for Renewable Energy, Finance and Cities
Authors: Halsnæs Kirsten , Bay Lisa , Dømgaard Mads Lykke , Kaspersen Per Skougaard , Larsen Morten Andreas Dahl
Published: September 2020

Wider applications of climate services within the management of climate risks face significant challenges. This paper presents a forecasting approach, to assess the development trends in climate service needs and thereby potential demand in key sectors that are essential to the green solution and will face a general growth in activity and key climate vulnerabilities towards 2050. These sectors are renewable energy, international climate finance, and cities. The geographical scope focuses on Europe, but global trends are included. We here suggest scenarios for growth in future climate services based on baseline development trends and policy scenarios reflecting future low-emission and SDG targets. Barriers and specific needs for climate service development within these sectors are discussed, and alignment of supply and demand within the climate service market is particularly emphasized. We find that several complexities influence the climate service market, including policy frameworks aimed at facilitating climate risk management as well as a lack of fit between the supply and demand sides of the market. Other barriers include uncertainties related to available climate information and socioeconomic climate risk information. Based on the forecasting, we find that substantial benefits can be seen with increased climate service development and deployment across the three sectors.
Feasibility of Stochastic Models for Evaluation of Potential Factors for Safety: A Case Study in Southern Italy
Authors: Guido Giuseppe , Haghshenas Sina Shaffiee , Haghshenas Sami Shaffiee , Vitale Alessandro , Astarita Vittorio , Haghshenas Ashkan Shafiee
Published: September 2020

There is no definite conclusion about what the main variables that play a fundamental role in road safety are. Therefore, the identification of significant factors in road accidents has been a primary concern of the transportation safety research community for many years. Every accident is influenced by multiple variables that, in a given time interval, concur to cause a crash scenario. Information coming from crash reports is very useful in traffic safety research, and several reported crash variables can be analyzed with modern statistical methods to establish whether a classification or clustering of different crash variables is possible. Hence, this study aims to use stochastic techniques for evaluating the role of some variables in accidents with a clustering analysis. The variables that are considered in this paper are light conditions, weekday, average speed, annual average daily traffic, number of vehicles, and type of accident. For this purpose, a combination of particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the genetic algorithm (GA) with the k-means algorithm was used as the machine-learning technique to cluster and evaluate road safety data. According to a multiscale approach, based on a set of data from two years of crash records collected from rural and urban roads in the province of Cosenza, 154 accident cases were accurately investigated and selected for three categories of accident places, including straight, intersection, and other, in each urban and rural network. PSO had a superior performance, with 0.87% accuracy on urban and rural roads in comparison with GA, although the results of GA had an acceptable degree of accuracy. In addition, the results show that, on urban roads, social cost and type of accident had the most and least influence for all accident places, while, on rural roads, although the social cost was the most notable factor for all accident places, the type of accident had the least effect on the straight sections and curves, and the number of vehicles had the least influence at intersections.
Study on Evolutionary Characteristics of Toppling Deformation of Anti-Dip Bank Slope Based on Energy Field
Authors: Xie Liangfu , Zhu Qingyang , Qin Yongjun , Wang Jianhu , Qian Jiangu
Published: September 2020

The evolution of toppling deformation of anti-dip slope is essentially a process of energy dissipation and transformation. Aiming to study the characteristics of energy evolution in different stages, the DEM (discrete element method) software PFC (Particle Flow Code) was utilized to establish a two-dimensional numerical model for a bank slope in Chongqing based on geological background data and field investigation. The DEM model was proven to be reliable not only because the deformation discrepancy between the numerical model and actual bank slope was not large but also because some obvious fractures in the actual bank slope can readily be found in the numerical model as well. In this article, content about displacement in the shallow layer was analyzed briefly. Special effort was made to analyze the energy field and divide the toppling deformation process into three stages. (1) Shear deformation stage: this is an energy accumulating stage in which the strain energy, friction energy, and kinetic energy are all small and the deformation is mainly shear deformation in the slope toe. (2) Stage of main toppling fracture surface hole-through: all three kinds of energy present the increasing trend. The shear deformation in the slope toe expands further, and the toppling deformation also appears in the middle and rear parts of the bank slope. (3) Stage of secondary toppling and fracture surface development: strain energy and friction energy increase steadily but kinetic energy remains constant. Deformation consists mainly of secondary shearing and a fracture surface in the shallow layer. Secondary toppling and fracture surface develop densely.
Effect of 1-Methyl Cyclopropane and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on the Storage of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.): Theory and Experiments
Authors: Kanwal Rabia , Ashraf Hadeed , Sultan Muhammad , Babu Irrum , Yasmin Zarina , Nadeem Muhammad , Asghar Muhammad , Shamshiri Redmond R. , Ibrahim Sobhy M. , Ahmad Nisar , Imran Muhammad A. , Zhou Yuguang , Ahmad Riaz
Published: September 2020

Okra possesses a short shelf-life which limits its marketability, thereby, the present study investigates the individual and combined effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the postharvest storage life of okra. The treated/ untreated okra samples were stored at ambient (i.e., 27 °C) and low (i.e., 7 °C) temperatures for eight and 20 days, respectively. Results revealed that the 1-MCP and/or MAP treatment successfully inhibited fruit softening, reduction in mucilage viscosity, and color degradation (hue angle, ∆E, and BI) in the product resulting in a longer period of shelf-life. However, MAP with or without 1-MCP was more effective to reduce weight loss in okra stored at both ambient and cold storage conditions. Additionally, ascorbic acid and total antioxidants were also retained in 1-MCP with MAP during cold storage. The 1-MCP in combination with MAP effectively suppressed respiration rate and ethylene production for four days and eight days at 27 °C and 7 °C temperature conditions, respectively. According to the results, relatively less chilling injury stress also resulted when 1-MCP combined with MAP. The combined treatment of okra pods with 1-MCP and MAP maintained the visual quality of the product in terms of overall acceptability for four days at 20 °C and 20 days at 7 °C.
Traditional or Fast Foods, Which One Do You Choose? The Roles of Traditional Value, Modern Value, and Promotion Focus
Authors: Bu Xiangzhi , Nguyen Hoang , Nguyen Quang , Chen Chia-Pin , Chou Tsung
Published: September 2020

Eating behaviors and food consumption motivations have been important research topics in consumer, nutrition, and food literature. This study aims to examine the impact of some key factors (i.e., nationalism, materialism, cultural values, and promotion focus) on the consumption of traditional food and fast food in an emerging market. Using a sample data of 691 urban consumers in China, results of structural equation modeling reveal that nationalism appears to be an important predictor of traditional personal value, while materialism is a major factor that enhances modern personal value. Additionally, promotion focus has a positive mediating effect on the relationship between traditional personal value and traditional food purchase intention and that between modern personal value and fast food purchase intention. Notably, the total effect of modern personal value on fast food purchase intention is stronger than the total impact of traditional personal value on traditional food purchase intention. This study provides fresh insights into motivations for traditional food and fast food consumption in China and have important implications for food marketers and policymakers who aim at promoting favorable eating behaviors.
Reframing and Transforming Economics around Life
Authors: Waddock Sandra
Published: September 2020

This article offers a framework for economics that affirms life to replace the flawed yet dominant paradigm of neoliberal economics. Building an argument for a new set of core memes—core ideas that are the building blocks of stories and narratives (like neoliberalism)—this article presents a proposed set of economics memes that support life drawn from a wide range of sources. The framework’s six memes are: stewardship of the whole; co-creating collective value; governance through cosmopolitan-localism; regeneration, reciprocity, and circularity; relationship and connectedness; and equitable markets and trade, all of which are consistent in supporting other recent economics framings like ‘doughnut economics’.
Major European Stressors and Potential of Available Tools for Assessment of Urban and Buildings Resilience
Authors: Felicioni Licia , Lupíšek Antonín , Hájek Petr
Published: September 2020

Recent data show that there are intensifications of phenomena related to climate change, such as the increasing of heavy rains, more frequent and intense droughts connected with fires, and alterations of the local climatic conditions, including heat islands with consequent impacts on cities, districts, and buildings. Not only are natural hazards stressing Europe but also human-induced events like low-magnitude earthquakes as a direct cause of fracking or mining. This study aimed to investigate the significant stressors and summarize what impact is the most dangerous in each European country. There is a need to secure the operating conditions of urban infrastructures and to preserve a high-quality indoor environment of buildings. The main scope of this paper is to compare selected tools that evaluate the urban and building resilience and to assess their suitability, based on an analysis of natural and human-induced hazards in the European countries. The results represent a contribution to urban and architectural planning practice, and to the consistent implementation of measures to improve the resilience of the built environment by providing guidance as to which assessment tool is most suitable for each country.
Photogrammetric Measurement of Erosion at the Sabbath Point Beothuk Site in Central Newfoundland, Canada
Authors: Williamson James , Nicu Ionut Cristi
Published: September 2020

Erosion at archaeological sites in Central Newfoundland, Canada is a major concern, which is compounded by the fact that there has been a dearth of archaeological research in this region. While more than 70 house pits are known, very few excavations have examined whole features in the Exploits River Valley (ERV), and the archaeology of many has not been examined yet. The aim of this study is to examine the rate of erosion at the Sabbath Point house pit, a recently recorded archaeological site, located on the bank of Red Indian Lake (RIL), and to describe a low-cost methodology for analysing site level bank changes. This site is particularly important, as it represents an example of a late Beothuk residential feature about lifeways practiced in this region. The surveys employed here were carried out using image-based modelling. GRASS GIS was used to measure the diachronic difference between bank edges. The Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) were then compared, and the differences were measured using a transect based method. The erosion measurement has shown that Sabbath Point is in danger of being completely eroded. This shows that a salvage excavation program covering the entire feature is necessary within the next few years, as the feature itself will begin to erode.
Turning the Tap or Buying the Bottle? Consumers’ Personality, Understanding of Risk, Trust and Conspicuous Consumption of Drinking Water in Norway
Authors: Gustavsen Geir Wæhler , Hegnes Atle Wehn
Published: September 2020

This paper contributes to the debate on sustainable water consumption by exploring the relation between consumers’ personality, understanding of risk/trust and social distinction in water drinking practices in Norway. Our main research question, how can we understand preferences for water consumption?, is approached by answering a set of hypotheses inspired by a combination of three theoretical approaches. Latent variables measuring personality and conspicuous attitudes are included in frequency models based on the statistical beta distribution together with other predictors. Statistical tests were performed to find the connection between expected frequency of water consumption, personality, risk/trust and conspicuous attitudes. The conclusion is that the consequence of the connections between consumers’ personality, understanding of risk and conspicuous consumption of water should be considered by Norwegian stakeholders when planning future strategies and methods for more sustainable water consumption.
Hardiness and Coping Strategies as Mediators of Stress and Secondary Trauma in Emergency Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Vagni Monia , Maiorano Tiziana , Giostra Valeria , Pajardi Daniela
Published: September 2020

The work environment of emergency workers is an important factor related to stress. Coping with the COVID-19 emergency is a factor that is highly related to stress, and severe stress is a risk factor for developing secondary trauma. Coping and resilience can help rescue workers to better respond in emergency situations and could protect them from secondary trauma. We aimed to explore the relationship of emergency stress, hardiness, coping strategies, and secondary trauma among emergency workers and the mediating roles of coping strategies and hardiness on the effect of stress in producing secondary trauma. The study involved 513 emergency workers from the Red Cross Committee in Veneto, one of the Italian regions most affected by the COVID-19. Participants completed questionnaires online to measure emergency stress (physical, emotional, cognitive, organizational‒relational, COVID-19, and inefficacy decisional), hardiness, coping strategies, and secondary trauma. Other variables analyzed were age, gender, weekly hours of service, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE). We performed t-tests, a correlational analysis, regressions, and a mediation analysis. Hardiness and coping strategies, in particular, which stop unpleasant emotions and thoughts and problem-focused, emerged as mediators in reducing the predicted effect of stress on secondary trauma. The mediating effects of hardiness and coping strategies were found to reduce the effect of stress on arousal by 15% and the effect on avoidance by 25%.
Industrialization and Thermal Performance of a New Unitized Water Flow Glazing Facade
Authors: Moreno Santamaria Belen , Gonzalo Fernando del Ama , Pinette Danielle , Lauret Aguirregabiria Benito , Hernandez Ramos Juan A.
Published: September 2020

New light envelopes for buildings need a holistic vision based on the integration of architectural design, building simulation, energy management, and the curtain wall industry. Water flow glazing (WFG)-unitized facades work as transparent and translucent facades with new features, such as heat absorption and renewable energy production. The main objective of this paper was to assess the performance of a new WFG-unitized facade as a high-performance envelope with dynamic thermal properties. Outdoor temperature, variable mass flow rate, and solar radiation were considered as transient boundary conditions at the simulation stage. The thermal performance of different WFGs was carried out using simulation tools and real data. The test facility included temperature sensors and pyranometers to validate simulation results. The dynamic thermal transmittance ranged from 1 W/m2K when the mass flow rate is stopped to 0.06 W/m2K when the mass flow rate is above 2 L/min m2. Selecting the right glazing in each orientation had an impact on energy savings, renewable energy production, and CO2 emissions. Energy savings ranged from 5.43 to 6.46 KWh/m2 day in non-renewable energy consumption, whereas the renewable primary energy production ranged from 3 to 3.42 KWh/m2 day. The CO2 emissions were reduced at a rate of 1 Kg/m2 day. The disadvantages of WFG are the high up-front cost and more demanding assembly process.
Technology to Address Food Deserts: Low Energy Corner Store Groceries with Integrated Agriculture Greenhouse
Authors: Awjah Almehmadi Fahad , Hallinan Kevin P. , Mulford Rydge B. , Alqaed Saeed A.
Published: September 2020

Food deserts have emerged as sources of urban crises around the world. The lack of access to healthy food has rendered health inequities that have been made more visible by the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the populations experiencing food insecurity and healthy food access. Research is posed to fight food deserts through innovation and technology; specifically, through the development of corner store grocery markets with integrated agricultural greenhouses in such a way as to both provide access to healthy foods at reasonable cost to better meet nutritional needs, and significantly reduce operating costs. The posed technology includes a combined heat and power (CHP) system to reduce overall energy costs by meeting the partial electric and thermal loads required within the store and the connected greenhouse. A mathematical model is developed to control the operation of the CHP system and to dispatch the generated electric power to the store and the thermal energy to the greenhouse to minimize overall energy requirements. The model is applied to an ambient environment representing a heating-dominant climate. Results indicate the potential to reduce operating costs by 55% in a heating-dominant climate.
The Process of Separation of Husked Soybean in Oblique Airflow
Authors: Panasiewicz Marian , Mazur Jacek , Zawiślak Kazimierz , Kulig Ryszard , Łysiak Grzegorz
Published: September 2020

The study concerns an evaluation of the effect of selected parameters on the course of horizontal pneumatic separation of unsorted husked soybean and the process efficiency. The efficiency of the process of isolating endosperm fraction from husks and other impurities was evaluated by determining the separation efficiency indicator η. It was shown that increased moisture content of the mixture results in a significant decrease in the η indicator. For example, with the 2.2% increase of moisture content (from W1 = 10.1% to W2 = 12.3%), the separation efficiency indicator decreased, on average, by 6.8%. The value of the η indicator rose with the increased velocity of the airstream, but the amount of valuable fraction that is picked up by the airstream is higher as well. It was found that, when the air velocity increased from V1 = 7.8 m·s−1 to V2 = 10.5 m·s−1 (for the moisture content W1 = 10.1% and W4 = 15.7%), the increment in the efficiency was the highest and reached 14.9–34.3%. A parametric model of the separation process of fragmented mixtures of biological origin was developed based on the analysis of the obtained results observation undertaken. This model can be used in designing and carrying out operations of separation into particular size fractions and cleaning of various feed mixtures, or in determining parameters of the movement of specific mixture components within pneumatic channels.
Safety Analysis of a Modified Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Algorithm Accounting for Communication Delay
Authors: Liu Yi , Wang Wei , Hua Xuedong , Wang Shunchao
Published: September 2020

Cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) is a promising technology to improve traffic efficiency and enhance road safety. In this paper, a modified CACC control model considering the communication time delay is proposed, which is used to investigate the longitudinal safety impacts of the communication time delay to the CACC platoon. Then, the communication time delay model is integrated into the CACC model to simulate the realistic information transfer process in the CACC platoon. Then a microscopic CACC platoon simulation is designed and conducted to verify the feasibility and reliability of the modified CACC control algorithm. The obtained results reveal that the modified CACC control algorithm can not only reduce about 96.6% of inter-vehicle spacing error, but also enhance the vehicles’ ability to sense the upstream traffic changes. Furthermore, to quantitatively analyze the longitudinal safety influence of the time delay caused by representative communication systems, sensitivity analysis experiments of headway time were designed and conducted. In the sensitivity analysis, the time exposed time-to-collision (TET) and the time-integrated time-to-collision (TIT) were introduced as the key performance indicators (KPIs) to quantify the rear-end collision risks. Sensitivity analysis results demonstrate that the performance of the CACC platoon is strictly related to the applied wireless communication style. Furthermore, the CACC system supported by the 5th generation (5G) communication system shows great advantages in narrowing the minimal headway time gap and reducing the rear-end collision risks.
A Novel Information Theoretical Criterion for Climate Network Construction
Authors: Cornejo-Bueno Sara , Chidean Mihaela I. , Caamaño Antonio J. , Prieto-Godino Luis , Salcedo-Sanz Sancho
Published: September 2020

This paper presents a novel methodology for Climate Network (CN) construction based on the Kullback-Leibler divergence (KLD) among Membership Probability (MP) distributions, obtained from the Second Order Data-Coupled Clustering (SODCC) algorithm. The proposed method is able to obtain CNs with emergent behaviour adapted to the variables being analyzed, and with a low number of spurious or missing links. We evaluate the proposed method in a problem of CN construction to assess differences in wind speed prediction at different wind farms in Spain. The considered problem presents strong local and mesoscale relationships, but low synoptic scale relationships, which have a direct influence in the CN obtained. We carry out a comparison of the proposed approach with a classical correlation-based CN construction method. We show that the proposed approach based on the SODCC algorithm and the KLD constructs CNs with an emergent behaviour according to underlying wind speed prediction data physics, unlike the correlation-based method that produces spurious and missing links. Furthermore, it is shown that the climate network construction method facilitates the evaluation of symmetry properties in the resulting complex networks.
Tele-Education under the COVID-19 Crisis: Asymmetries in Romanian Education
Authors: Nicolau Cristina , Henter Ramona , Roman Nadinne , Neculau Andrea , Miclaus Roxana
Published: September 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened social and educational asymmetries in some developing countries, such as Romania. Tele-education failed to replace face-to-face education due to the lack of symmetrical policy, connectivity, infrastructure, digitalized educational materials and digital competences. Was this issue predictable and, hence, the stakeholders’ mission failed? Our qualitative research aims at analyzing, in depth, these digitalization asymmetries, with a sample formed of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialists working for/with Romanian 1–4 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) schools. The collected primary data were processed with Atlas.ti 8. The results emphasize major key areas to be addressed with future public symmetrical policy and change management strategies: equal access to infrastructure, as well as development of compulsory and complementary digital skills (for teachers and students). The necessity to support school management in accessing funding is also required to enhance digitalization.
Constraints on the Anomalous Wtb Couplings from B-Physics Experiments
Authors: Kozachuk Anastasiia , Melikhov Dmitri
Published: September 2020

We analyze constraints on the anomalous Wtb couplings from B-physics experiments, performing a correlated analysis and allowing all anomalous couplings to differ simultaneously from their Standard Model (SM) values. The B-physics observables allow one to probe three linear combinations out of the four anomalous couplings, which parameterize the Wtb vertex under the assumption that the SM symmetries remain the symmetries of the effective theory. The constraints in this work are obtained by taking into account the following B-physics observables: the B¯0−B0 oscillations, the leptonic B→μ+μ− decays, the inclusive radiative B→Xsγ decays, and the differential branching fractions in the semileptonic inclusive B→Xsμ+μ− and exclusive B→(K,K*)μ+μ− decays at small q2, with q the momentum of the μ+μ− pair. We find that the SM values of the anomalous couplings belong to the 95% CL allowed region obtained this way, but lie beyond the 68% allowed region. We also report that the distributions of the anomalous couplings obtained within our scenario differ from the results of the 1D scenario, when only one of the couplings is allowed to deviate from its SM value.
An Extended VIKOR Method Based on q-Rung Orthopair Shadowed Set and Its Application to Multi-Attribute Decision Making
Authors: Wang Huidong , Zhang Yao , Yao Jinli
Published: September 2020

In the multi-attribute decision making (MADM) process, the attribute values are sometimes provided by experts or the public in the form of words. To model the linguistic evaluation more accurately, this paper proposes the q-rung orthopair shadowed set (q-ROSS) to represent attribute values and extends the VIKOR (VIsekriterijumska optimizacija i KOmpromisno Resenje) method to solve MADM problems in the q-ROSS context. First, we propose the q-ROSS to express evaluation information. Some basic operation rules and distance measures are investigated accordingly. When the amount of data is large, the left and right endpoints of the collected interval numbers will obey symmetric normal distribution. Secondly, based on the normal distribution assumption, the collected data intervals are mapped to shadowed sets through a data processing approach. Furthermore, we extend the VIKOR model to tackle the MADM problem where the evaluation values are expressed by q-rung orthopair shadowed numbers. A location selection problem verifies the practicability of our method, and the effectiveness and superiority of the presented approach are reflected through comparative analysis.
Effect and Scientific Verification of Innovative English Teaching and Learning through an International Networking Instructional System
Authors: Wang Shiow-Luan , Batbileg Erdenetuya
Published: September 2020

International networking offers a teacher/learner an additional platform for promoting self-learning, as well as another way of generating social benefits by attracting more people for discussion and sharing. In this study, Taiwan is used as the instructional center to study international networking for innovative teaching efficiency, and Mongolia is the research object. A strategy inventory for language learning (SILL) questionnaire was used to estimate how often Mongolian students employ specific strategies for language learning. This assessment allows teachers to determine their students’ profiles and strategies, thereby enabling them to design suitable approaches for teaching English. The SILL answers were analyzed in SPSS, and a descriptive statistics procedure was applied. In the SILL results, standard deviations were calculated using the SPSS statistical package. The SPSS general linear model was used to conduct an analysis of variance with gender and strategic ability as the independent variables. The results provided the Cronbach’s alpha, which indicates the correlation of a set of items that measure the same constructs, providing an average correlation of all items. The result of the Cronbach’s alpha was 0.741, which was acceptable. The analysis also provided the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy, with a value of 0.667, which meant that the degree of common variance was minimal. Innovative teaching and learning via international networking in English were verified through a reliability analysis. This produced values of 5% for α and a 95% confidence index, with the learner’s effectiveness greater than 81%. Among the six indicators—Memory, Cognitive, Compensation, Metacognitive, Affective, and Social. Memory and Cognitive levels were the highest, but remained behind the confidence level. The results showed that essential features can provide enhanced opportunities for teachers and students to teach and learn English. Therefore, this research suggests using IT in English classes motivates students to learn in class and to make the learning process more interesting and productive.
Convolutional Attention Network with Maximizing Mutual Information for Fine-Grained Image Classification
Authors: Wang Fenglei , Zhou Hao , Li Shuohao , Lei Jun , Zhang Jun
Published: September 2020

Fine-grained image classification has seen a great improvement benefiting from the advantages of deep learning techniques. Most fine-grained image classification methods focus on extracting discriminative features and combining the global features with the local ones. However, the accuracy is limited due to the inter-class similarity and the inner-class divergence as well as the lack of enough labelled images to train a deep network which can generalize to fine-grained classes. To deal with these problems, we develop an algorithm which combines Maximizing the Mutual Information (MMI) with the Learning Attention (LA). We make use of MMI to distill knowledge from the image pairs which contain the same object. Meanwhile we take advantage of the LA mechanism to find the salient region of the image to enhance the information distillation. Our model can extract more discriminative semantic features and improve the performance on fine-grained image classification. Our model has a symmetric structure, in which the paired images are inputted into the same network to extract the local and global features for the subsequent MMI and LA modules. We train the model by maximizing the mutual information and minimizing the cross-entropy stage by stage alternatively. Experiments show that our model can improve the performance of the fine-grained image classification effectively.
A New Model for Determining the EOQ under Changing Price Parameters and Reordering Time
Authors: Nestorenko Tetyana , Morkunas Mangirdas , Peliova Jana , Volkov Artiom , Balezentis Tomas , Streimkiene Dalia
Published: September 2020

The present study deals with the modification of Wilson’s formulation by taking into account changes in the supply chain represented by the parameters of the model, namely varying delivery costs and price of goods stored. The four different models are presented. The proposed models avoid the main drawbacks of Wilson’s formulation—the constant price and reordering time—and discuss the case where varying parameters are used alongside discounting. The proposed models render lower costs under particular settings.
Genetic Diversity, Ochratoxin A and Fumonisin Profiles of Strains of Aspergillus Section Nigri Isolated from Dried Vine Fruits
Authors: Mikušová Petra , Caboň Miroslav , Melichárková Andrea , Urík Martin , Ritieni Alberto , Slovák Marek
Published: September 2020

We investigated ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in raisin samples purchased from Slovak markets and determined the diversity of black-spored aspergilli as potential OTA and fumonisin (FB1 and FB2) producers. The taxonomic identification was performed using sequences of the nuclear ITS1-5.8s-ITS2 region, the calmodulin and beta-tubulin genes. We obtained 239 isolates from eight fungal genera, of which 197 belonged to Aspergillus (82%) and 42 strains (18%) to other fungal genera. OTA contamination was evidenced in 75% of the samples and its level ranged from 0.8 to 10.6 µg/kg. The combination of all three markers used enabled unambiguous identification of A. carbonarius, A. luchuensis, A. niger, A. tubingensis and A. welwitschiae. The dominant coloniser, simultaneously having the highest within-species diversity isolated from our raisin samples, was A. tubingensis. Out of all analysed strains, only A. carbonarius was found to produce OTA, but in relatively high quantity (2477–4382 µg/kg). The production of FB1 and FB2 was evidenced in A. niger strains only.
Enhanced Private Sector Engagement for Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Reporting through an Intermediary Agency in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Authors: Vo Luan Nguyen Quang , Codlin Andrew James , Huynh Huy Ba , Mai Thuy Doan To , Forse Rachel Jeanette , Truong Vinh Van , Dang Ha Minh Thi , Nguyen Bang Duc , Nguyen Lan Huu , Nguyen Tuan Dinh , Nguyen Hoa Binh , Nguyen Nhung Viet , Caws Maxine , Lonnroth Knut , Creswell Jacob
Published: September 2020

Under-detection and -reporting in the private sector constitute a major barrier in Viet Nam’s fight to end tuberculosis (TB). Effective private-sector engagement requires innovative approaches. We established an intermediary agency that incentivized private providers in two districts of Ho Chi Minh City to refer persons with presumptive TB and share data of unreported TB treatment from July 2017 to March 2019. We subsidized chest x-ray screening and Xpert MTB/RIF testing, and supported test logistics, recording, and reporting. Among 393 participating private providers, 32.1% (126/393) referred at least one symptomatic person, and 3.6% (14/393) reported TB patients treated in their practice. In total, the study identified 1203 people with TB through private provider engagement. Of these, 7.6% (91/1203) were referred for treatment in government facilities. The referrals led to a post-intervention increase of +8.5% in All Forms TB notifications in the intervention districts. The remaining 92.4% (1112/1203) of identified people with TB elected private-sector treatment and were not notified to the NTP. Had this private TB treatment been included in official notifications, the increase in All Forms TB notifications would have been +68.3%. Our evaluation showed that an intermediary agency model can potentially engage private providers in Viet Nam to notify many people with TB who are not being captured by the current system. This could have a substantial impact on transparency into disease burden and contribute significantly to the progress towards ending TB.
Clinical, Virological, and Immunological Findings in Patients with Toscana Neuroinvasive Disease in Croatia: Report of Three Cases
Authors: Vilibic-Cavlek Tatjana , Zidovec-Lepej Snjezana , Ledina Dragan , Knezevic Samira , Savic Vladimir , Tabain Irena , Ivic Ivo , Slavuljica Irena , Bogdanic Maja , Grgic Ivana , Gorenec Lana , Stevanovic Vladimir , Barbic Ljubo
Published: September 2020

Toscana virus (TOSV) is an arthropod-borne virus, transmitted to humans by phlebotomine sandflies. Although the majority of infections are asymptomatic, neuroinvasive disease may occur. We report three cases of neuroinvasive TOSV infection detected in Croatia. Two patients aged 21 and 54 years presented with meningitis, while a 22-year old patient presented with meningoencephalitis and right-sided brachial plexitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum, and urine samples were collected and tested for neuroinvasive arboviruses: tick-borne encephalitis, West Nile, Usutu, TOSV, Tahyna, and Bhanja virus. In addition, CSF and serum samples were tested for the anti-viral cytokine response. High titers of TOSV IgM (1000–3200) and IgG (3200−10,000) antibodies in serum samples confirmed TOSV infection. Antibodies to other phleboviruses (sandfly fever Sicilian/Naples/Cyprus virus) were negative. CSF samples showed high concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6; range 162.32−2683.90 pg/mL), interferon gamma (IFN-γ; range 110.12−1568.07 pg/mL), and IL-10 (range 28.08−858.91 pg/mL), while significantly lower cytokine production was observed in serum. Two patients recovered fully. The patient with a brachial plexitis improved significantly at discharge. The presented cases highlight the need of increasing awareness of a TOSV as a possible cause of aseptic meningitis/meningoencephalitis during summer months. Association of TOSV and brachial plexitis with long-term sequelae detected in one patient indicates the possibility of more severe disease, even in young patients.
Lentiviral Vector Pseudotypes: Precious Tools to Improve Gene Modification of Hematopoietic Cells for Research and Gene Therapy
Authors: Gutierrez-Guerrero Alejandra , Cosset François-Loïc , Verhoeyen Els
Published: September 2020

Viruses have been repurposed into tools for gene delivery by transforming them into viral vectors. The most frequently used vectors are lentiviral vectors (LVs), derived from the human immune deficiency virus allowing efficient gene transfer in mammalian cells. They represent one of the safest and most efficient treatments for monogenic diseases affecting the hematopoietic system. LVs are modified with different viral envelopes (pseudotyping) to alter and improve their tropism for different primary cell types. The vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) is commonly used for pseudotyping as it enhances gene transfer into multiple hematopoietic cell types. However, VSV-G pseudotyped LVs are not able to confer efficient transduction in quiescent blood cells, such as hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), B and T cells. To solve this problem, VSV-G can be exchanged for other heterologous viral envelopes glycoproteins, such as those from the Measles virus, Baboon endogenous retrovirus, Cocal virus, Nipah virus or Sendai virus. Here, we provide an overview of how these LV pseudotypes improved transduction efficiency of HSC, B, T and natural killer (NK) cells, underlined by multiple in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrating how pseudotyped LVs deliver therapeutic genes or gene editing tools to treat different genetic diseases and efficiently generate CAR T cells for cancer treatment.
Discoveries of Exoribonuclease-Resistant Structures of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Isolated in Zambia
Authors: Wastika Christida E. , Harima Hayato , Sasaki Michihito , Hang’ombe Bernard M. , Eshita Yuki , Qiu Yongjin , Hall William W. , Wolfinger Michael T. , Sawa Hirofumi , Orba Yasuko
Published: September 2020

To monitor the arthropod-borne virus transmission in mosquitoes, we have attempted both to detect and isolate viruses from 3304 wild-caught female mosquitoes in the Livingstone (Southern Province) and Mongu (Western Province) regions in Zambia in 2017. A pan-flavivirus RT-PCR assay was performed to identify flavivirus genomes in total RNA extracted from mosquito lysates, followed by virus isolation and full genome sequence analysis using next-generation sequencing and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. We isolated a newly identified Barkedji virus (BJV Zambia) (10,899 nt) and a novel flavivirus, tentatively termed Barkedji-like virus (BJLV) (10,885 nt) from Culex spp. mosquitoes which shared 96% and 75% nucleotide identity with BJV which has been isolated in Israel, respectively. These viruses could replicate in C6/36 cells but not in mammalian and avian cell lines. In parallel, a comparative genomics screening was conducted to study evolutionary traits of the 5′- and 3′-untranslated regions (UTRs) of isolated viruses. Bioinformatic analyses of the secondary structures in the UTRs of both viruses revealed that the 5′-UTRs exhibit canonical stem-loop structures, while the 3′-UTRs contain structural homologs to exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs (xrRNAs), SL-III, dumbbell, and terminal stem-loop (3′SL) structures. The function of predicted xrRNA structures to stop RNA degradation by Xrn1 exoribonuclease was further proved by the in vitro Xrn1 resistance assay.
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus nsP3 Phosphorylation Can Be Mediated by IKKβ Kinase Activity and Abrogation of Phosphorylation Inhibits Negative-Strand Synthesis
Authors: Bakovic Allison , Bhalla Nishank , Kortchak Stephanie , Sun Chengqun , Zhou Weidong , Ahmed Aslaa , Risner Kenneth , Klimstra William B. , Narayanan Aarthi
Published: September 2020

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), a mosquito transmitted alphavirus of the Togaviridae family, can cause a highly inflammatory and encephalitic disease upon infection. Although a category B select agent, no FDA-approved vaccines or therapeutics against VEEV currently exist. We previously demonstrated NF-κB activation and macromolecular reorganization of the IKK complex upon VEEV infection in vitro, with IKKβ inhibition reducing viral replication. Mass spectrometry and confocal microscopy revealed an interaction between IKKβ and VEEV non-structural protein 3 (nsP3). Here, using western blotting, a cell-free kinase activity assay, and mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that IKKβ kinase activity can directly phosphorylate VEEV nsP3 at sites 204/5, 142, and 134/5. Alanine substitution mutations at sites 204/5, 142, or 134/5 reduced VEEV replication by >30-100,000-fold corresponding to a severe decrease in negative-strand synthesis. Serial passaging rescued viral replication and negative-strand synthesis, and sequencing of revertant viruses revealed reversion to the wild-type TC-83 phosphorylation capable amino acid sequences at nsP3 sites 204/5, 142, and 135. Generation of phosphomimetic mutants using aspartic acid substitutions at site 204/5 resulted in rescue of both viral replication and negative-strand RNA production, whereas phosphomimetic mutant 134/5 rescued viral replication but failed to restore negative-strand RNA levels, and phosphomimetic mutant 142 did not rescue VEEV replication. Together, these data demonstrate that IKKβ can phosphorylate VEEV nsP3 at sites 204/5, 142, and 134/5, and suggest that phosphorylation is essential for negative-strand RNA synthesis at site 204/5, but may be important for infectious particle production at site 134/5.
Old Drugs with New Tricks: Efficacy of Fluoroquinolones to Suppress Replication of Flaviviruses
Authors: Scroggs Stacey L. P. , Andrade Christy C. , Chinnasamy Ramesh , Azar Sasha R. , Schirtzinger Erin E. , Garcia Erin I. , Arterburn Jeffrey B. , Hanley Kathryn A. , Rossi Shannan L.
Published: September 2020

Repurposing FDA-approved compounds could provide the fastest route to alleviate the burden of disease caused by flaviviruses. In this study, three fluoroquinolones, enoxacin, difloxacin and ciprofloxacin, curtailed replication of flaviviruses Zika (ZIKV), dengue (DENV), Langat (LGTV) and Modoc (MODV) in HEK-293 cells at low micromolar concentrations. Time-of-addition assays suggested that enoxacin suppressed ZIKV replication at an intermediate step in the virus life cycle, whereas ciprofloxacin and difloxacin had a wider window of efficacy. A129 mice infected with 1 × 105 plaque-forming units (pfu) ZIKV FSS13025 (n = 20) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (n = 11) on day 0 and treated with enoxacin at 10 mg/kg or 15 mg/kg or diluent orally twice daily on days 1–5 did not differ in weight change or virus titer in serum or brain. However, mice treated with enoxacin showed a significant, five-fold decrease in ZIKV titer in testes relative to controls. Mice infected with 1 × 102 pfu ZIKV (n = 13) or PBS (n = 13) on day 0 and treated with 15 mg/kg oral enoxacin or diluent twice daily pre-treatment and days 1–5 post-treatment also did not differ in weight and viral load in the serum, brain, and liver, but mice treated with enoxacin showed a significant, 2.5-fold decrease in ZIKV titer in testes relative to controls. ZIKV can be sexually transmitted, so reduction of titer in the testes by enoxacin should be further investigated.
Coronavirus Infections in Companion Animals: Virology, Epidemiology, Clinical and Pathologic Features
Authors: Haake Christine , Cook Sarah , Pusterla Nicola , Murphy Brian
Published: September 2020

Coronaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses capable of causing respiratory, enteric, or systemic diseases in a variety of mammalian hosts that vary in clinical severity from subclinical to fatal. The host range and tissue tropism are largely determined by the coronaviral spike protein, which initiates cellular infection by promoting fusion of the viral and host cell membranes. Companion animal coronaviruses responsible for causing enteric infection include feline enteric coronavirus, ferret enteric coronavirus, canine enteric coronavirus, equine coronavirus, and alpaca enteric coronavirus, while canine respiratory coronavirus and alpaca respiratory coronavirus result in respiratory infection. Ferret systemic coronavirus and feline infectious peritonitis virus, a mutated feline enteric coronavirus, can lead to lethal immuno-inflammatory systemic disease. Recent human viral pandemics, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and most recently, COVID-19, all thought to originate from bat coronaviruses, demonstrate the zoonotic potential of coronaviruses and their potential to have devastating impacts. A better understanding of the coronaviruses of companion animals, their capacity for cross-species transmission, and the sharing of genetic information may facilitate improved prevention and control strategies for future emerging zoonotic coronaviruses. This article reviews the clinical, epidemiologic, virologic, and pathologic characteristics of nine important coronaviruses of companion animals.