bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Data-Driven Dietary Patterns and Diet Quality Scores: Reproducibility and Consistency in Sex and Age Subgroups of Poles Aged 15–65 Years
Authors: Kowalkowska Joanna , Wadolowska Lidia , Czarnocinska Jolanta , Galinski Grzegorz , Dlugosz Anna , Loboda Dorota , Czlapka-Matyasik Magdalena
Published: November 2020

This study aimed to assess: (i) the test–retest reproducibility of identification of data-driven dietary patterns (DPs) derived using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and hypothesis-driven DPs (diet quality scores); (ii) the consistency of data-driven DPs with diet quality scores in sex and age subgroups of Poles aged 15–65 years. The study involved 504 subjects (55.6% of females). Data on food consumption frequency (33 food items) were collected twice with a two-week interval using the Dietary Habits and Nutrition Beliefs Questionnaire (KomPAN®) in a self-administered version (test and retest). Two major data-driven DPs (‘Prudent’ and ‘Western’) were identified in the total sample, sex groups and four age groups separately from test and retest data. Two diet quality scores were analysed: Pro-Healthy-Diet-Index-10 (pHDI-10) and Non-Healthy-Diet-Index-14 (nHDI-14). Tucker’s congruence coefficient indicated fair-to-good similarity of data-driven DPs between test and retest for all study subgroups, except for males. Across study subgroups, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between the test and retest ranged from 0.56 to 0.86 for ‘Prudent’ DP and 0.57 to 0.82 for ‘Western’ DP, with the lowest values in males. The ICC (test vs. retest) ranged from 0.84 to 0.88 for pHDI-10 and 0.75 to 0.88 for nHDI-14. Comparing the data-driven DPs and diet quality scores, the Spearman’s correlations ranged from 0.63 to 0.93 between ‘Prudent’ DP and pHDI-10, and from 0.60 to 0.81 between ‘Western’ DP and nHDI-14. The test–retest reproducibility of data-driven DPs and diet quality scores and their consistency were acceptable in most of the study subgroups, with a tendency to be higher for pro-health than unhealthy DPs. Data-driven DPs were more reproducible in females than males. The reproducibility of diet quality scores tended to be better in males than females and was the highest in 25–44-year-olds. The KomPAN® questionnaire can be recommended to use data-driven DPs and diet quality scores to describe the habitual diet in people aged 15–65 years.
Se Status Prediction by Food Intake as Compared to Circulating Biomarkers in a West Algerian Population
Authors: Belhadj Moussa , Kazi Tani Latifa Sarra , Dennouni Medjati Nouria , Harek Yahia , Dali Sahi Majda , Sun Qian , Heller Raban , Behar Ammaria , Charlet Laurent , Schomburg Lutz
Published: November 2020

Algeria is the largest country in Africa, located close to the Mediterranean coastal area, where nutrients consumption varies widely. Local data on selenium composition of foods are not available. We postulated a close correlation between selenium status predictions from food consumption analysis with a quantitative analysis of circulating biomarkers of selenium status. Population characteristics were recorded from 158 participants and dietary selenium intake was calculated by 24-h recall. The average total plasma selenium was 92.4 ± 18.5 µg/L and the mean of selenium intake was 62.7 µg/day. The selenoprotein P concentration was 5.5 ± 2.0 mg/L and glutathione peroxidase 3 activity was 247.3 ± 41.5 U/L. A direct comparison of the dietary-derived selenium status to the circulating selenium biomarkers showed no significant interrelation. Based on absolute intakes of meat, potato and eggs, a model was deduced that outperforms the intake composition-based prediction from all food components significantly (DeLong’s test, p = 0.029), yielding an area under the curve of 82%. Selenium status prediction from food intake remains a challenge. Imprecision of survey method or information on nutrient composition makes extrapolating selenium intake from food data providing incorrect insights into the nutritional status of a given population, and laboratory analyses are needed for reliable information.
The Influence of Response Inhibition Training on Food Consumption and Implicit Attitudes toward Food among Female Restrained Eaters
Authors: Weinbach Noam , Keha Eldad , Leib Hila , Kalanthroff Eyal
Published: November 2020

Restrained eaters display difficulties engaging in self-control in the presence of food. Undergoing cognitive training to form associations between palatable food and response inhibition was found to improve self-control and influence eating behaviors. The present study assessed the impact of two such response inhibition trainings on food consumption, food-related anxiety, and implicit attitudes toward food among female restrained eaters (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire-restrained eating subscale ≥ 2.5). In Experiment 1, 64 restrained eaters completed either one of two training procedures in which they were asked to classify food vs. non-food images: a food-response training, in which stop cues were always associated with non-food images, or a balanced food-response/inhibition training, in which participants inhibited motor actions to food and non-food stimuli equally. The results revealed reduced snack consumption following the food-response/inhibition training compared to the food-response training. The food-response training was associated with increased levels of food-related anxiety. In Experiment 2, the same training procedures were administered to 47 restrained eaters, and implicit attitudes toward palatable foods were assessed. The results revealed an increase in positive implicit attitudes toward palatable foods in the food-response/inhibition group but not in the food-response training group. The results suggest that balancing response inhibition and execution across food and non-food stimuli may reduce overeating while retaining positive attitudes toward food among female restrained eaters.
Role of Oral and Gut Microbiota in Dietary Nitrate Metabolism and Its Impact on Sports Performance
Authors: González-Soltero Rocío , Bailén María , de Lucas Beatriz , Ramírez-Goercke Maria Isabel , Pareja-Galeano Helios , Larrosa Mar
Published: November 2020

Nitrate supplementation is an effective, evidence-based dietary strategy for enhancing sports performance. The effects of dietary nitrate seem to be mediated by the ability of oral bacteria to reduce nitrate to nitrite, thus increasing the levels of nitrite in circulation that may be further reduced to nitric oxide in the body. The gut microbiota has been recently implicated in sports performance by improving muscle function through the supply of certain metabolites. In this line, skeletal muscle can also serve as a reservoir of nitrate. Here we review the bacteria of the oral cavity involved in the reduction of nitrate to nitrite and the possible changes induced by nitrite and their effect on gastrointestinal balance and gut microbiota homeostasis. The potential role of gut bacteria in the reduction of nitrate to nitrite and as a supplier of the signaling molecule nitric oxide to the blood circulation and muscles has not been explored in any great detail.
Proteomic Profiling of the Liver, Hepatic Lymph Nodes, and Spleen of Buffaloes Infected with Fasciola gigantica
Authors: Hu Rui-Si , Zhang Fu-Kai , Elsheikha Hany M. , Ma Qiao-Ni , Ehsan Muhammad , Zhao Quan , Zhu Xing-Quan
Published: November 2020

In the present study, we used an isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) proteomics technology to characterize the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the liver, hepatic lymph nodes (hLNs), and spleen of buffaloes infected with Fasciola gigantica (F. gigantica). We also used the parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) method to verify the expression levels of the DEPs in the three infected tissues. At three days post-infection (dpi), 225, 1821, and 364 DEPs were detected in the liver, hLNs, and spleen, respectively. At 42 dpi, 384, 252, and 214 DEPs were detected in the liver, hLNs, and spleen, respectively. At 70 dpi, 125, 829, and 247 DEPs were detected in the liver, hLNs, and spleen, respectively. Downregulation of metabolism was prominent in infected livers at all time points, and upregulation of immune responses was marked in the hLNs during early infection (three dpi); however, no changes in the immune response were detected at the late stages of infection (42 and 70 dpi). Compared to the hLNs, there was no significant upregulation in the levels of immune responses in the infected spleen. All the identified DEPs were used to predict the subcellular localization of the proteins, which were related to extracellular space and membrane and were involved in host immune responses. Further PRM analysis confirmed the expression of 18 proteins. These data provide the first simultaneous proteomic profiles of multiple organs of buffaloes experimentally infected with F. gigantica.
Logic Gates Based on DNA Aptamers
Authors: Andrianova Mariia , Kuznetsov Alexander
Published: November 2020

DNA bio-computing is an emerging trend in modern science that is based on interactions among biomolecules. Special types of DNAs are aptamers that are capable of selectively forming complexes with target compounds. This review is devoted to a discussion of logic gates based on aptamers for the purposes of medicine and analytical chemistry. The review considers different approaches to the creation of logic gates and identifies the general algorithms of their creation, as well as describes the methods of obtaining an output signal which can be divided into optical and electrochemical. Aptameric logic gates based on DNA origami and DNA nanorobots are also shown. The information presented in this article can be useful when creating new logic gates using existing aptamers and aptamers that will be selected in the future.
Novel mTORC1 Inhibitors Kill Glioblastoma Stem Cells
Authors: Sandoval Jose A. , Tomilov Alexey , Datta Sandipan , Allen Sonia , O’Donnell Robert , Sears Thomas , Woolard Kevin , Kovalskyy Dmytro , Angelastro James M. , Cortopassi Gino
Published: November 2020

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive tumor of the brain, with an average post-diagnosis survival of 15 months. GBM stem cells (GBMSC) resist the standard-of-care therapy, temozolomide, and are considered a major contributor to tumor resistance. Mammalian target of rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) regulates cell proliferation and has been shown by others to have reduced activity in GBMSC. We recently identified a novel chemical series of human-safe piperazine-based brain-penetrant mTORC1-specific inhibitors. We assayed the piperazine-mTOR binding strength by two biophysical measurements, biolayer interferometry and field-effect biosensing, and these confirmed each other and demonstrated a structure–activity relationship. As mTORC1 is altered in human GBMSC, and as mTORC1 inhibitors have been tested in previous GBM clinical trials, we tested the killing potency of the tightest-binding piperazines and observed that these were potent GBMSC killers. GBMSCs are resistant to the standard-of-care temozolomide therapy, but temozolomide supplemented with tight-binding piperazine meclizine and flunarizine greatly enhanced GBMSC death over temozolomide alone. Lastly, we investigated IDH1-mutated GBMSC mutations that are known to affect mitochondrial and mTORC1 metabolism, and the tight-binding meclizine provoked ‘synthetic lethality’ in IDH1-mutant GBMSCs. In other words, IDH1-mutated GBMSC showed greater sensitivity to the coadministration of temozolomide and meclizine. These data tend to support a novel clinical strategy for GBM, i.e., the co-administration of meclizine or flunarizine as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of GBM and IDH1-mutant GBM.
ADP-Mediated Upregulation of Expression of CD62P on Human Platelets Is Critically Dependent on Co-Activation of P2Y1 and P2Y12 Receptors
Authors: Anderson Ronald , Theron Annette J. , Steel Helen C. , Nel Jan G. , Tintinger Gregory R.
Published: November 2020

This study probed the differential utilization of P2Y1 and P2Y12 receptors in mobilizing CD62P (P-selectin) from intracellular granules following activation of human platelets with adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP, 100 µmol·L−1) Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was prepared from the blood of adult humans. CD62P was measured by flow cytometry following activation of PRP with ADP in the absence and presence of the selective antagonists of P2Y1 and P2Y12 receptors, MRS2500 and PSB0739 (both 0.155–10 µmol·L−1), respectively. Effects of the test agents on ADP-activated, CD62P-dependent formation of neutrophil:platelet (NP) aggregates were also measured by flow cytometry, while phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity was measured according to Akt1 phosphorylation in platelet lysates. Treatment with MRS2500 or PSB0739 at 10 µmol·L−1 almost completely attenuated (94.6% and 86% inhibition, respectively) ADP-activated expression of CD62P and also inhibited NP aggregate formation. To probe the mechanisms involved in P2Y1/P2Y12 receptor-mediated expression of CD62P, PRP was pre-treated with U73122 (phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor), 2-aminoethoxy-diphenyl borate (2-APB, inositol triphosphate receptor antagonist), calmidazolium chloride (calmodulin inhibitor), or wortmannin (PI3K inhibitor). U73122, 2-APB, and wortmannin caused almost complete inhibition of ADP-activated expression of CD62P, while calmidazolium chloride caused statistically significant, partial inhibition. PSB0739, but not MRS2500, caused potent inhibition of PI3K-mediated phosphorylation of Akt1. Optimal mobilization of CD62P by ADP-stimulated platelets is critically dependent on the co-activation of platelet P2Y1 and P2Y12 receptors. P2Y12 receptor activation is the key event in activation of PI3K, while activation of the P2Y1 receptor appears to create a high cytosolic Ca2+ environment conducive to optimum PI3K activity.
Genomic Regions Associated with the Control of Flowering Time in Durum Wheat
Authors: Gupta Priyanka , Kabbaj Hafssa , El Hassouni Khaoula , Maccaferri Marco , Sanchez-Garcia Miguel , Tuberosa Roberto , Bassi Filippo Maria
Published: November 2020

Flowering time is a critical stage for crop development as it regulates the ability of plants to adapt to an environment. To understand the genetic control of flowering time, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify the genomic regions associated with the control of this trait in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). A total of 96 landraces and 288 modern lines were evaluated for days to heading, growing degree days, and accumulated day length at flowering across 13 environments spread across Morocco, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Senegal. These environments were grouped into four pheno-environments based on temperature, day length, and other climatic variables. Genotyping with a 35K Axiom array generated 7652 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in addition to 3 KASP markers associated with known flowering genes. In total, 32 significant QTLs were identified in both landraces and modern lines. Some QTLs had a strong association with already known regulatory photoperiod genes, Ppd-A and Ppd-B, and vernalization genes Vrn-A1 and VrnA7. However, these loci explained only 5% to 20% of variance for days to heading. Seven QTLs overlapped between the two germplasm groups in which Q.ICD.Eps-03 and Q.ICD.Vrn-15 consistently affected flowering time in all the pheno-environments, while Q.ICD.Eps-09 and Q.ICD.Ppd-10 were significant only in two pheno-environments and the combined analysis across all environments. These results help clarify the genetic mechanism controlling flowering time in durum wheat and show some clear distinctions to what is known for common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
Desert Soil Microbes as a Mineral Nutrient Acquisition Tool for Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Productivity at Different Moisture Regimes
Authors: Mahmood Aulakh Azhar , Qadir Ghulam , Hassan Fayyaz Ul , Hayat Rifat , Sultan Tariq , Billah Motsim , Hussain Manzoor , Khan Naeem
Published: November 2020

Drought is a major constraint in drylands for crop production. Plant associated microbes can help plants in acquisition of soil nutrients to enhance productivity in stressful conditions. The current study was designed to illuminate the effectiveness of desert rhizobacterial strains on growth and net-return of chickpeas grown in pots by using sandy loam soil of Thal Pakistan desert. A total of 125 rhizobacterial strains were isolated, out of which 72 strains were inoculated with chickpeas in the growth chamber for 75 days to screen most efficient isolates. Amongst all, six bacterial strains (two rhizobia and four plant growth promoting rhizobacterial strains) significantly enhanced nodulation and shoot-root length as compared to other treatments. These promising strains were morphologically and biochemically characterized and identified through 16sRNA sequencing. Then, eight consortia of the identified isolates were formulated to evaluate the growth and development of chickpea at three moisture levels (55%, 75% and 95% of field capacity) in a glass house experiment. The trend for best performing consortia in terms of growth and development of chickpea remained T2 at moisture level 1 > T7 at moisture level 2 > T4 at moisture level 3. The present study indicates the vital role of co-inoculated bacterial strains in growth enhancement of chickpea under low moisture availability. It is concluded from the results that the consortium T2 (Mesorhizobium ciceri RZ-11 + Bacillus subtilis RP-01 + Bacillus mojavensis RS-14) can perform best in drought conditions (55% field capacity) and T4 (Mesorhizobium ciceri RZ-11 + Enterobacter Cloacae RP-08 + Providencia vermicola RS-15) can be adopted in irrigated areas (95% field capacity) for maximum productivity of chickpea.
Celery (Apium graveolens L.) Performances as Subjected to Different Sources of Protein Hydrolysates
Authors: Consentino Beppe Benedetto , Virga Giuseppe , La Placa Gaetano Giuseppe , Sabatino Leo , Rouphael Youssef , Ntatsi Georgia , Iapichino Giovanni , La Bella Salvatore , Mauro Rosario Paolo , D’Anna Fabio , Tuttolomondo Teresa , De Pasquale Claudio
Published: November 2020

The vegetable production sector is currently fronting several issues mainly connected to the increasing demand of high quality food produced in accordance with sustainable horticultural technologies. The application of biostimulants, particularly protein hydrolysates (PHs), might be favorable to optimize water and mineral uptake and plant utilization and to increase both production performance and quality feature of vegetable crops. The present study was carried out on celery plants grown in a tunnel to appraise the influence of two PHs, a plant-derived PH (P-PH), obtained from soy extract and an animal PH (A-PH), derived from hydrolyzed animal epithelium (waste from bovine tanneries) on yield, yield components (head height, root collar diameter, and number of stalks), mineral composition, nutritional and functional features, as well as the economic profitability of PHs applications. Fresh weight in A-PH and P-PH treated plants was 8.3% and 38.2% higher, respectively than in untreated control plants. However, no significant difference was found between A-PH treated plants and control plants in terms of fresh weight. Head height significantly increased by 5.5% and 16.3% in A-PH and P-PH treated plants, respectively compared with untreated control (p ≤ 0.05). N content was inferior in PHs treated plants than in untreated control. Conversely, K and Mg content was higher in A-PH and P-PH treated plants as compared to the untreated ones. Furthermore, A-PH and P-PH improved ascorbic acid content by 8.2% and 8.7%, respectively compared with the non-treated control (p ≤ 0.001). Our results confirmed, also, that PHs application is an eco-friendly technique to improve total phenolic content in celery plants. In support of this, our findings revealed that animal or plants PH applications increased total phenolics by 36.9% and 20.8%, respectively compared with untreated plants (p ≤ 0.001).
Can Cerenkov Light Really Induce an Effective Photodynamic Therapy?
Authors: Daouk Joël , Dhaini Batoul , Petit Jérôme , Frochot Céline , Barberi-Heyob Muriel , Schohn Hervé
Published: November 2020

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising therapeutic strategy for cancers where surgery and radiotherapy cannot be effective. PDT relies on the photoactivation of photosensitizers, most of the time by lasers to produced reactive oxygen species and notably singlet oxygen. The major drawback of this strategy is the weak light penetration in the tissues. To overcome this issue, recent studies proposed to generate visible light in situ with radioactive isotopes emitting charged particles able to produce Cerenkov radiation. In vitro and preclinical results are appealing, but the existence of a true, lethal phototherapeutic effect is still controversial. In this article, we have reviewed previous original works dealing with Cerenkov-induced PDT (CR-PDT). Moreover, we propose a simple analytical equation resolution to demonstrate that Cerenkov light can potentially generate a photo-therapeutic effect, although most of the Cerenkov photons are emitted in the UV-B and UV-C domains. We suggest that CR-PDT and direct UV-tissue interaction act synergistically to yield the therapeutic effect observed in the literature. Moreover, adding a nanoscintillator in the photosensitizer vicinity would increase the PDT efficacy, as it will convert Cerenkov UV photons to light absorbed by the photosensitizer.
The Oil Price and Trade Nexus in the Gulf Co-Operation Council Countries
Authors: Alkhateeb Tarek Tawfik Yousef , Mahmood Haider
Published: November 2020

The present study investigates the asymmetrical impacts of oil prices and real exchange rates on the trade balances in the Gulf Co-operation Council countries. Using panel estimates, we found the symmetrical positive effect from the oil prices and the asymmetrical positive effect from the real exchange rates on the trade balances. For country-specific results, increasing oil prices showed a positive effect on the trade balances in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE and a negative effect in Kuwait. Decreasing oil prices carried a positive relationship with the trade balances in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE. The oil prices showed an asymmetrical impact on the trade balances in all countries, except Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the depreciation helped to improve the trade balances in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE. The appreciation worsened the trade balances in Oman, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia and improved the trade balance in Kuwait. Moreover, the asymmetrical relationships between the real exchange rates and the trade balances were corroborated in all of the investigated countries.
Characterizing Humic Substances from Native Halophyte Soils by Fluorescence Spectroscopy Combined with Parallel Factor Analysis and Canonical Correlation Analysis
Authors: Liu Dongping , Yu Huibin , Yang Fang , Liu Li , Gao Hongjie , Cui Bing
Published: November 2020

Soil is one of the principal substrates of human life and can serve as a reservoir of water and nutrients. Humic substances, indicators of soil fertility, are dominant in soil organic matter. However, soil degradation has been occurring all over the world, usually by soil salinization. Sustainable soil productivity has become an urgent problem to be solved. In this study, fluorescence excitation-emission matrices integrated with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) were applied to characterize the components of fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) substances extracted from soils from the Liaohe River Delta, China. Along the saline gradient, soil samples with four disparate depths were gathered from four aboriginal halophyte communities, i.e., the Suaeda salsa Community (SSC), Chenopodium album Community (CAC), Phragmites australis Community (PAC), and Artemisia selengensis Community (ASC). Six components (C1 to C6) were identified in the FA and HA substances. The FA dominant fractions accounted for an average of 45.81% of the samples, whereas the HA dominant fractions accounted for an average of 42.72%. Mature levels of the HA fractions were higher than those of the FA fractions, so was the condensation degree, microbial activity, and humification degree of the FA fractions. C1 was associated with the ultraviolet FA, C2 was referred to as visible FA, C3 and C4 were relative to ultraviolet HA, C5 represented microbial humic-like substances (MH), and C6 referred to visible HA. C1, C2, C5 and C6 were latent factors of the FA fractions, determined using the CCA method and could possibly be used to differentiate among the SSC, CAC, PAC and ASC samples. C3, C4, C6 and C5 were latent factors of the HA fractions, which might be able to distinguish the ASC samples from the SSC, CAC and PAC samples. Fluorescence spectroscopy combined with the PARAFAC and CCA is a practical technique that is applied to assess the humic substance content of salinized soils.
The Effect of Willow (Salix sp.) on Soil Moisture and Matric Suction at a Slope Scale
Authors: Gonzalez-Ollauri Alejandro , Mickovski Slobodan B.
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study is to provide new knowledge on the effect of willow on hillslope hydrology at a slope scale. Soil moisture and matric suction were monitored in situ under willow-vegetated and fallow ground covers on a small-scale hillslope in Northeast Scotland for 21 months. The retrieved time series were analysed statistically to evaluate whether the dynamics of soil moisture and matric suction changed with the hillslope zone (i.e., toe, middle, and crest) under the two ground covers. The effect of air temperature and rainfall on the dynamics of soil moisture and matric suction, as well as the relationship between the two soil-water variables, under both ground covers, were also investigated by analysing the cross-correlation between time series. The results of 21 months of monitoring showed that willow contributed substantially to reduce soil moisture and to increase matric suction with respect to fallow soil. Additionally, willow-vegetated soil exhibited higher water retention and moisture buffering capacity than fallow soil. The effect of willow was highest at the hillslope toe due to a denser vegetation cover present within this zone. Both air temperature and rainfall had a strong effect on soil moisture and matric suction. However, the effect of air temperature was more consistent and easier to interpret than that of rainfall. Soil moisture and matric suction were shown to have a complex relationship and the soil water characteristic curve for vegetated soil requires further research. This study provides novel, field-based information supporting the positive effect of willow on hillslope hydrology. The results gathered herein will undoubtedly enhance the confidence of using woody vegetation in Nature-based Solutions (NBS) against geo-climatic hazards.
Integration of Land Use and Transport to Reach Sustainable Development Goals: Will Radical Scenarios Actually Get Us There?
Authors: Llorca Carlos , Silva Cat , Kuehnel Nico , Moreno Ana , Zhang Qin , Kii Masanobu , Moeckel Rolf
Published: November 2020

The United Nations have developed Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to guide countries’ development in the next decades. In this paper, we first propose a set of measurable indicators that define the degree of achievement of SDG. Secondly, we use a microscopic integrated land use and transportation model to define future scenarios and measure SDG in the future with radical policies. The model is implemented in Munich and Kagawa. The results are not uniform across policies: while the core cities scenario limits urban sprawl and consumption of greenfield land, traffic conditions and GHG emissions worsened. Furthermore, the scenarios also show the relevance of testing policies in different study areas: the core city scenario and the draconic resettlement scenario showed some impact on vehicle-kilometers traveled in Munich, while the impact in the Kagawa region was almost negligible. In general, only strong (and perhaps implausible) relocation policies result in overall significant changes in the SDG indicators.
The Geomechanical and Fault Activation Modeling during CO2 Injection into Deep Minjur Reservoir, Eastern Saudi Arabia
Authors: Khan Sikandar , Khulief Yehia , Al-Shuhail Abdullatif , Bashmal Salem , Iqbal Naveed
Published: November 2020

The release of large quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere is one of the major causes of global warming. The most viable method to control the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is to capture and permanently sequestrate the excess amount of CO2 in subsurface geological reservoirs. The injection of CO2 gives rise to pore pressure buildup. It is crucial to monitor the rising pore pressure in order to prevent the potential failure of the reservoir and the subsequent leakage of the stored CO2 into the overburden layers, and then back to the atmosphere. In this paper, the Minjur sandstone reservoir in eastern Saudi Arabia was considered for establishing a coupled geomechanical model and performing the corresponding stability analysis. During the geomechanical modeling process, the fault passing through the Minjur and Marrat layers was also considered. The injection-induced pore-pressure and ground uplift profiles were calculated for the case of absence of a fault across the reservoir, as well as the case with a fault. The stability analysis was performed using the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion. In the current study, the excessive increase in pore pressure, in the absence of geological faults, moved the reservoir closer to the failure envelope, but in the presence of geological faults, the reservoir reached to the failure envelope and the faults were activated. The developed geomechanical model provided estimates for the safe injection parameters of CO2 based on the magnitudes of the reservoir pore pressure and stresses in the reservoir.
Effect of Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Strips on the Mechanical Properties of Cement-Treated Lateritic Sandy Soil
Authors: Silveira Maitê Rocha , Lodi Paulo César , Correia Natália de Souza , Rodrigues Roger Augusto , Giacheti Heraldo Luiz
Published: November 2020

The civil engineering construction industry is nowadays one of the largest consumers of natural resources. Therefore, the proposal of using alternative materials that seek to reduce waste production or the use of previously generated waste is becoming increasingly necessary. This paper evaluated the effect of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) strips on the mechanical properties of a cement-treated lateritic sandy soil. Unconfined compression strength (UCS) tests were conducted in natural and PET strips mixtures in different strips lengths and contents. In addition to UCS tests, compaction tests were also conducted in order to analyze the effect of these inclusions on the properties of a lateritic sandy soil. Lastly, direct shear tests were conducted on natural soil-strip, soil-cement, and soil-cement-strip composites using optimum UCS results. The addition of strips to the soil-cement composite showed an increase in the soil cohesion parameter. The inclusion of strips also provided a more ductile behavior to the soil, presenting greater deformations with fewer stress peaks. Results showed that the recycled strips’ inclusion in soil-cement can provide a material with high strength, ductility, and a highly sustainable alternative.
Social Isolation and Stress as Predictors of Productivity Perception and Remote Work Satisfaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Concern about the Virus in a Moderated Double Mediation
Authors: Toscano Ferdinando , Zappalà Salvatore
Published: November 2020

From mid-March to the end of May 2020, millions of Italians were forced to work from home because of the lockdown provisions imposed by the Italian government to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. As a result, many employees had to suddenly switch to remote work, experiencing both troubles and opportunities. Social isolation from colleagues and the workplace represents a typical aspect of remote work which increased significantly during the social confinement imposed by the government. This study investigates the correlates of social isolation in terms of stress, perceived remote work productivity and remote work satisfaction, proposing the sequential mediation of stress and perceived remote work productivity, and the moderating role of concern about the new coronavirus. An online survey was conducted, and the responses of 265 employees showed the deleterious role of social isolation in stress, which leads to decreased perceived remote work productivity that, in turn, is related to remote work satisfaction. Furthermore, the results suggest that concern about the virus moderates the relationships between social isolation and remote work satisfaction, from one side, and remote work perceived productivity and remote work satisfaction from the other. This latter result suggests that the indirect sequential effect of social isolation on remote work satisfaction is conditional on concern about the virus. Some conclusions are drawn to support managers and HR officers in the choices to better manage employees’ work during the health emergency.
Reliability Optimization of a Railway Network
Authors: Meng Xuelei , Wang Yahui , Jia Limin , Li Lei
Published: November 2020

With the increase of the railway operating mileage, the railway network is becoming more and more complicated. We expect to build more railway lines to offer the possibility to offer more high quality service for the passengers, while the investment is often limited. Therefore, it is very important to decide the pairs of cities to add new railway lines under the condition of limited construction investment in order to optimize the railway line network to maximize the reliability of the railway network to deal with the railway passenger transport task under emergency conditions. In this paper, we firstly define the reliability of the railway networks based on probability theory by analyzing three minor cases. Then we construct a reliability optimization model for the railway network to solve the problem, expecting to enhance the railway network with the limited investment. The goal is to make an optimal decision when choosing where to add new railway lines to maximize the reliability of the whole railway network, taking the construction investment as the main constraint, which is turned to the building mileage limit. A computing case is presented based on the railway network of Shandong Province, China. The computing results prove the effectiveness of the model and the efficiency of the algorithm. The approach presented in this paper can provide a reference for the railway investors and builders to make an optimal decision.
When Circular Economy Meets Inclusive Development. Insights from Urban Recycling and Rural Water Access in Argentina
Authors: Becerra Lucas , Carenzo Sebastián , Juarez Paula
Published: November 2020

How is it possible to design and deploy circular economy (CE) strategies oriented to inclusive development? How can non-traditional units of production and consumption (i.e., actual productive actors such as waste picker cooperatives and peasant organizations) be integrated into these strategies? Using data collected as a result of two long-term participatory action research projects carried out with a waste picker cooperative in Buenos Aires and 65 peasant families in Chaco (both located in Argentina) the paper opens the door to a proactive critical debate in terms of how to integrate circular economy principles with the development of technological solutions (artifacts, processes and methods of organization). We show that CE holds great potential, both in terms of its contribution to the generation of new interpretive frameworks and also, in terms of nurturing local and inclusive development strategies when it is integrated with collaborative, bottom-up and innovative dynamics. Based on the idea of working with heterogeneous traditional production units (not only with profit-maximizing firms), it is possible to think of social development avenues for vulnerable populations, where the CE principles build up mechanisms capable of maximizing the transformative potential of the resources (including those understood as waste) presented in actual techno-economic matrices.
Application of Biomimetics to Architectural and Urban Design: A Review across Scales
Authors: Uchiyama Yuta , Blanco Eduardo , Kohsaka Ryo
Published: November 2020

Application of biomimetics has expanded progressively to other fields in recent years, including urban and architectural design, scaling up from materials to a larger scale. Besides its contribution to design and functionality through a long evolutionary process, the philosophy of biomimetics contributes to a sustainable society at the conceptual level. The aim of this review is to shed light on trends in the application of biomimetics to architectural and urban design, in order to identify potential issues and successes resulting from implementation. In the application of biomimetics to architectural design, parts of individual “organisms”, including their form and surface structure, are frequently mimicked, whereas in urban design, on a larger scale, biomimetics is applied to mimic whole ecosystems. The overall trends of the reviewed research indicate future research necessity in the field of on biomimetic application in architectural and urban design, including Biophilia and Material. As for the scale of the applications, the urban-scale research is limited and it is a promising research which can facilitate the social implementation of biomimetics. As for facilitating methods of applications, it is instrumental to utilize different types of knowledge, such as traditional knowledge, and providing scientific clarification of functions and systems based on reviews. Thus, interdisciplinary research is required additionally to reach such goals.
The Development of the Cooperative Movement and Civil Society in Almeria, Spain: Something from Nothing?
Authors: Giagnocavo Cynthia
Published: November 2020

Cooperatives fulfilled a broad and central role not only in the economic development, but also in the creation of civil society, in a population decimated and fragmented by the politics and culture of the Franco dictatorship. The province of Almeria, Spain, is an example of smallholding rapid development due to the expansion of intensive greenhouse horticulture. It was the poorest Spanish province per capita in 1955, semi-arid, drought-ridden, and devoid of significant infrastructure. Its undereducated population held little promise for economic growth and a massive migration out of the province left it depopulated. Subsequent economic and social development of Almeria was closely tied to the establishment of both credit and agricultural cooperatives, which supported a new greenhouse agriculture for small plot family farmers organized around cooperatives. This paper focuses on how cooperatives were fundamental in constructing civil society for the benefit of poor rural people, even in the presence of significant negative social capital and undemocratic institutions during the Franco dictatorship. As the sector has modernized and matured, cooperatives have led the sustainable transformation of the business ecosystem. However, current shortcomings in the Almeria cooperative movement and civil society and challenges yet to be met are also raised.
Impacts of Land Use Changes on Wetland Ecosystem Services in the Tumen River Basin
Authors: Zhang Yanan , Jin Ri , Zhu Weihong , Zhang Da , Zhang Xiaoxue
Published: November 2020

Climate change and global rapid agricultural expansion have drastically reduced the area of wetlands globally recently, so that the ecosystem functions of wetlands have been impacted severely. Therefore, this study integrated the land use data and the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and tradeoffs (InVEST) model to evaluate the impacts of the land-use change (LUC) on wetland ecosystem services (ES) from 1976 to 2016 in the Tumen River Basin (TRB). Results reveal that the area of wetlands in TRB had decreased by 22.39% since 1976, mainly due to the rapid conversion of wetlands to dry fields and construction lands, and the LUC had induced notable geospatial changes in wetland ES consequently. A marked decrease in carbon storage and water yield was observed, while the habitat quality was enhanced slightly. Specifically, the conversion of rivers and paddy fields to ponds and reservoirs were the main reasons for the increase in habitat quality and caused the habitat quality to increase by 0.09. The conversion of marshes to lakes, paddy fields, grasslands, dry fields, and artificial surfaces were the key points for the decline in carbon storage; the conversion of marshes to lakes (5.38 km2) and reservoir ponds (1.69 km2) were the dominant factors driving the losses of water yield. According to our results, we should center on the conservation of wetlands and rethink the construction of the land use. The findings are expected to provide a theoretical reference and basis for promoting environmental protection in TRB and the construction of ecological civilization in border areas.
Rational Herding in Reward-Based Crowdfunding: An MTurk Experiment
Authors: Comeig Irene , Mesa-Vázquez Ernesto , Sendra-Pons Pau , Urbano Amparo
Published: November 2020

Crowdfunding is gaining popularity as a way of financing social sustainable initiatives. We performed a controlled economic experiment in MTurk by simulating a crowdfunding platform and developed a theoretical model that rationalizes herding behavior. The experiment was designed to test and quantify the causal effects of revealing specific information to prospective backers: (i) the number of early contributors already financing the project and (ii) positive opinions of other backers versus those of experts. The results show that early contributions to the campaign and positive opinions of peers act as a reinforcing signal to potential backers and affect backers’ beliefs about the probability of success, increasing contributions to the campaign. Furthermore, we show that herding is rational and set expectations on when we should observe rational herding and when not. The theoretical model captures the rational herding, which may be the main information aggregation path in reward-based crowdfunding platforms, and can help managers increase the likelihood of success in crowdfunding campaigns.
DESCRIPCIÓN DE LA CALIDAD FISICOQUÍMICA DE LOS RESIDUOS DE SABILA (Aloe vera) (L.) Burm. f.
Authors: Torres-Gómez Guillermo Andrés , Marulanda-Raigoso Johan Sebastián , Villa-Ramirez Rigoberto
Published: November 2020

Esta investigación permitió realizar un análisis bromatológico a los residuos sólidos orgánicos generados en la planta procesadora de Aloe Vera de la empresa Sabimax loe S.A.S ubicada en el municipio de Montenegro Quindío, los cuales son el producto desechado de los procesos agroindustriales que realizan. Se realizaron pruebas bromatológicas como porcentaje de humedad, cenizas, grasa, fibra, actividad de agua y pH, y. Los análisis realizados a los residuos sólidos orgánicos determinaron que el porcentaje de humedad es del 92,4%. Las demás pruebas fisicoquímicas realizadas sobre materia seca indicaron que el 0,43% corresponde a cenizas, el 39,6% a fibra, el 1,25% a extracto etéreo o grasa y el 0.95% es de actividad de agua, así mismo; se determinó un pH de 4,98. Por lo que se encontraron en un promedio dentro de los rangos teóricos.
EVALUACIÓN DE LA SUSCEPTIBILIDAD DEL TERRENO POR MOVIMIENTOS EN MASA. ANÁLISIS CASO DE ESTUDIO: MICROCUENCA RÍO-TIMBÍO
Authors: González-Quijano Dayan , Salcedo-Hurtado Elkin de Jesús
Published: November 2020

En este artículo de investigación se evaluó la susceptibilidad del terreno ante movimientos en masa en la microcuenca del río Timbío - Cauca, mediante el uso de una metodología mixta basada en encuestas, entrevistas, estructuración de información cartográfica y el modelamiento espacial con el método bivariado. Los principales resultados de la investigación indican que los altos niveles de susceptibilidad se distribuyen por toda la microcuenca, además para el periodo comprendido entre 2012 – 2018 se registraron movimientos en masa que han ocasionado daños estructurales y ambientales. Los resultados obtenidos en la investigación se constituyen en un insumo base para fortalecer los procesos de planificación, direccionando así, el actuar de la comunidad y la institucionalidad frente a la gestión local del riesgo.
Locus
Authors: Pereira Gonçalves Leandro
Published: November 2020

Editorial do volume 26, número 2 (2020) da revista Locus.
As relações internacionais ligadas à preservação do patrimônio mudarão em um mundo pós pandemia?
Authors: Christofoletti Rodrigo , Botelho Maria Leonor
Published: November 2020

Apresentação do Dossiê Patrimônio e Relações Internacionais
Human Language as a Natural Artifact of Planetary-Noospheric Mind: Coevolutionary-Macromutational Reinterpretation
Authors: Vasko Roman , Korolyova Alla , Tolcheyeva Tetiana , Kapranov Yan
Published: November 2020

The article discusses a new hypothesis of coevolutionary-macromutational origin of human language, through the prism of which this planetary-noospheric phenomenon is proposed to be considered as a natural artifact of holisticsynergetic coevolution of nature, society and culture. The following assumption has been suggested: the proposed hypothetical idea is a resonance of the former two philosophical theories: the fusion theory and the thesis theory, which were regarded by scientists either as natural or artificial (conventional / conditional) nature of human language. At the same time, they did not completely deny the origin of the human language as a result of various types of activities. The represented arguments helped to confirm the views of anthropologists, culturologists and other scholars. The creation of various artifacts (tangible and intangible) took place in all stages of evolution: geogenesis – biogenesis – psychogenesis – anthropogenesis and at a subsequent stage of Homo sapiens. However, language as the most important product of global evolutionism was formed at the stage of anthropogenesis, in particular as a corollary to the molecular mutations of human brain. The term “coevolution” has been transferred to the sphere of linguoanthropogenesis. In conjunction with the hypothesis of macromutation the natural artifact origin of human language is consistently explained under the scenario of biogenesis – sociogenesis – culturogenesis. The essence of the hypothetical result is that a qualitatively new driving force for the continuation of this scenario can be noospherogenesis, which is determined by historical and cultural development of mankind, its activities in all spheres of life and, most importantly, by the planetary high-tech mind.