bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religious Self-Identification and Culture—About the Role of Religiosity in Cultural Participation
Authors: Lipnicka Magdalena , Peciakowski Tomasz
Published: December 2021

Culture has its source and anchoring in religion, but the presence of religious values in social life takes place in terms of culture and through culture. Religiosity plays a key role in defining the boundaries of cultural differences, and this paper raises questions as to the extent, ways and environments where religiosity may influence active cultural participation. The research paper attempts to identify the impact of religiosity on such activities. This involves determining which dimensions of religiosity should be distinguished and are most relevant for cultural participation in Poland. The study showed that religiosity influences cultural participation, but ambiguously. Religious self-identification and spiritual self-identification turned out to be the most significant factors. Religiosity is relevant for cultural participation, but mainly when it is a significant element of individual identity.
The Role of the Sarva Dharma Ashram in Contributing to the Well-Being of Youth and Their Families in Welbedacht, South Africa
Authors: Gurcharan Yashna , Bhagwan Raisuyah
Published: December 2021

Faith-based organisations act as a powerful source of growth, empowerment and well-being for families in their milieu. This study used a qualitative research approach, specifically a case study design, to explore the role of the Sarva Dharma Ashram in contributing to the wellbeing of youth and their families in the Welbedacht community in South Africa. Three samples, which consisted of 24 participants, were purposively selected. These three samples were made up of the Board members of the Sarva Dharma Ashram, family members who are members of the Sarva Dharma Ashram and community members who live within the milieu of the Ashram. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion were used to collect data. Following a thematic analysis of this data, the study found that the Sarva Dharma Ashram played a central role in empowering and enabling the wellbeing of disadvantaged family and community members. The ashram not only provided assistance when psychosocial or financial distress was encountered but also highlighted the spiritual support offered to families and other community members in order to transcend the socioeconomic ills they faced as a marginalised community.
Stop the Spread: Gossip, COVID-19, and the Theology of Social Life
Authors: Shuman Sam
Published: December 2021

Scholars, journalists, and activists alike have offered a variety of explanations to understand the high incidence of COVID-19 among Haredi Jewish communities in the United States and abroad. Despite their differences, each assumes that Haredi Jews are inherently collectivistic. This article challenges this assumption and contends that COVID-19 has amplified pre-existing anxieties about the lack of proper social cohesion and solidarity within Haredi Jewish communities. It analyzes these dynamics through “Stop the Spread”, a Haredi “anti-gossip” campaign that links the ill health of social relations within the Haredi Jewish body politic to the spread of SARS-CoV-2 within its communities.
The International Activity of Ordo Iuris. The Central European Actor and the Global Christian Right
Authors: Curanović Alicja
Published: December 2021

Much of the research dedicated to recent political changes in Poland emphasises the conservative agenda pursued by the ruling Law and Justice party. Many of the articles briefly mention Ordo Iuris (OI). This non-governmental organisation, established in 2013, deserves a proper analysis as it presents a rare success story of an actor pursuing a pro-life agenda from Poland which is not officially affiliated with the local Catholic Church. Ordo Iuris is not only able to influence domestic socio-political dynamics but has also developed a capacity to act beyond Poland’s borders. This paper focuses on OI’s international activity with two goals in mind. Firstly, it shows how OI—with its narrative, methods and actions—fits into the broader phenomenon of the Global Christian Right. In this regard, the paper draws attention to the similarities as well as the specificities of this Central European NGO. Secondly, it discusses the consequences of entanglement in politics for Ordo Iuris’s agenda.
Religious Identity and Family Practices in a Post-Communist Society: The Case of Division of Labor in Childcare and Housework
Authors: Alisauskiene Milda , Maslauskaite Ausra
Published: December 2021

This paper aims to analyze the way religious identification and practices influence family practices in the division of labor in childcare and housework in contemporary Lithuania. The analysis is based on a quantitative survey (n = 3000) representing the last Soviet generation born between 1970 and 1985. The sample was distributed across five groups according to religious identification and practices—devout religionists, somewhat devout religionists, traditional religionists, cultural religionists and secularists. Statistical data analysis showed devout religionists and secularists were applying equal childcare and housework division practices. Meanwhile, the other three groups were practicing more traditional types of childcare and housework division practice where the main role is played by women. The results also show that religious identity is not relevant in explaining the way couples share housework duties. The results show that religious identification may lead to diverse family practices regarding childcare and housework divisions: reflexive and practiced (non)religious identification leads to more egalitarian family practices.
Animal Suffering, God and Lessons from the Book of Job
Authors: Gasser Georg
Published: December 2021

Nature shows itself to us in ambivalent ways. Breathtaking beauty and cruelty lie close together. A Darwinian image of nature seems to imply that nature is a mere place of violence, cruelty and mercilessness. In this article, I first explore the question of whether such an interpretation of nature is not one-sided by being phrased in overly moral terms. Then, I outline how the problem of animal suffering relates to a specific understanding of God as moral agent. Finally, in the main part of the argumentation, I pursue the question to what extent the problem of animal (and human) suffering does not arise for a concept of God couched in less personalistic terms. If God’s perspective towards creation is rather de-anthropocentric, then moral concerns might be of less importance as we generally assume. Such an understanding of the divine is by no means alien to the biblical-theistic tradition. I argue that it finds strong echoes in the divine speeches in the Book of Job: They aim at teaching us to accept both the beauty and the tragic of existence in a creation that seen in its entirety is rather a-moral. Finally, I address the question what such a concept of God could mean for our existence.
Religious Print in Settler Australia and Oceania
Authors: Stanley Timothy
Published: December 2021

A distinctive feature of the study of religion in Australia and Oceania concerns the influence of European culture. While often associated with private interiority, the European concept of religion was deeply reliant upon the materiality of printed publication practices. Prominent historians of religion have called for a more detailed evaluation of the impact of religious book forms, but little research has explored this aspect of the Australian case. Settler publications include their early Bible importation, pocket English language hymns and psalters, and Indigenous language Bible translations. As elsewhere in Europe, Australian settlers relied on print to publicize their understanding of religion in their new context. Recovering this legacy not only enriches the cultural history of Australian settler religion, it can also foster new avenues through which to appreciate Australia’s multireligious and Indigenous heritage.
‘So, Is It True?’ Time to Embrace the Hermeneutical Turn in Catholic Religious Education in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Kennedy David , Cullen Sandra
Published: December 2021

A key challenge for educational provision in the Republic of Ireland has been the need to develop appropriate approaches to religious education that are effective in terms of meeting the needs and rights of students in a democratic pluralistic society. At the centre of such discussions, although rarely explicitly recognised, is an attempt to grapple with the question of truth in the context of religious education. This paper argues that religious education, in attempting to engage with this evolving context, is challenged in two trajectories: (a) by approaches that operate from the presumption that objective truth exists and (b) by approaches that are sceptical of any claim to objective truth. It will be argued that proposals, such as those offered by active pluralists, to deal with religious truth claims in religious education are limited in terms of their capacity to adequately treat such claims and the demands that these carry for adherents. This paper argues for a hermeneutical treatment of the context for Catholic religious education in the Republic of Ireland, which is considered under the following headings: (1) irruptions from the periphery, (2) the theological matrix, (3) the status of religion, and (4) the position of students and teachers in religious education classes. From this it will be suggested that promoting religious education as a hermeneutic activity allows for a respectful engagement with competing truth claims.
Women Hip-Hop Artists and Womanist Theology
Authors: Mosley Angela M.
Published: December 2021

Hip-Hop is a cultural phenomenon steeped in the conservative ideologies of individualism and capitalism. It sells a lifestyle and its most recent surge of rap music and popular culture spotlights Black women more than ever before. Although Black women have always been significant piece in Hip-Hop culture, their artistry has jolted its systemic capitalism and patriarchy to engage intersectionality through a discourse of classism, sexual orientation, and racism while upending White supremacy’s either:or binary. Applying the principles of Womanism, Black female Hip-Hop artists negotiate cultural identity politics as activists to innovatively expand thought on gender performance and produce a fusion of contemporary Blackness for the 21st century. Their artivism builds a safe environment of differences within society using conscious thought, language, and performative methods to defy the White American ethos of sexism, misogyny, and materialism. By garnering a better knowledge of their existence through Indigenous African spirituality, Black women reclaim ownership of their bodies from Western European standards, including race, and gender to challenge Christianity’s meaning of martyrdom. This act of reclamation provides a reformative tool of inclusion and being fluidity through Hip-Hop music and its culture.
Corporate Fight against the COVID-19 Risks Based on Technologies of Industry 4.0 as a New Direction of Social Responsibility
Authors: Inshakova Agnessa O. , Sozinova Anastasia A. , Litvinova Tatiana N.
Published: December 2021

The purpose of the article: to find new (most effective) directions for the corporate COVID-19 risks management and developing management implications for leading this fight amid the pandemic and crisis for sustainable development. The methods of correlation and regression analysis are used. It is proved that the most perspective method of the corporate fight against the COVID-19 risks is a flexible transformation of business according to the new conditions based on the Industry 4.0 technologies. This paper further develops and supplements the concept of corporate social responsibility, including a new direction—corporate fight against the COVID-19 risks in it. The authors develop management implications on improving the corporate fight against the COVID-19 risks as a new direction of corporate social responsibility amid the pandemic. The advantages of using the Industry 4.0 technologies for the corporate fight against the viral threat include reduction of the share of the population with household expenditures for healthcare above 25% of total expenditures or incomes, reduction of the number of new cases per 1 million people, and an increase of the self-isolation index, the share of responsible employers amid COVID-19 risks.
Leaning against the Bubble: Central Bank Intervention in Walrasian Asset Markets
Authors: Chang Chia-Lin , Ilomäki Jukka , Laurila Hannu
Published: December 2021

The paper presents a two-period Walrasian financial market model composed of informed and uninformed rational investors, and noise traders. The rational investors maximize second period consumption utility from the payoffs of trading risk-free holdings to risky assets in the first period. The central bank reacts directly to asset price movements by selling or buying assets to stabilize the market price. It is found that the intervention makes the risky asset’s market price per share less sensitive to information shocks, which presses the market price towards its average price thus reducing price variance. The informed investors’ prediction coefficient remains unaffected, but that of the uninformed investors is magnified, which cancels out the negative effect on shock sensitivity thus keeping the expected value of the risky asset’s dividend constant. Finally, the introduction of the policy rule does not affect rational investors’ risk per share. A general conclusion is that the central bank’s policy can be regarded as an effective automatic stabilizer of financial markets.
Multi-Objective Swarm Intelligence Trajectory Generation for a 7 Degree of Freedom Robotic Manipulator
Authors: Malik Aryslan , Henderson Troy , Prazenica Richard
Published: December 2021

This work is aimed to demonstrate a multi-objective joint trajectory generation algorithm for a 7 degree of freedom (DoF) robotic manipulator using swarm intelligence (SI)—product of exponentials (PoE) combination. Given a priori knowledge of the end-effector Cartesian trajectory and obstacles in the workspace, the inverse kinematics problem is tackled by SI-PoE subject to multiple constraints. The algorithm is designed to satisfy finite jerk constraint on end-effector, avoid obstacles, and minimize control effort while tracking the Cartesian trajectory. The SI-PoE algorithm is compared with conventional inverse kinematics algorithms and standard particle swarm optimization (PSO). The joint trajectories produced by SI-PoE are experimentally tested on Sawyer 7 DoF robotic arm, and the resulting torque trajectories are compared.
An Improved Swin Transformer-Based Model for Remote Sensing Object Detection and Instance Segmentation
Authors: Xu Xiangkai , Feng Zhejun , Cao Changqing , Li Mengyuan , Wu Jin , Wu Zengyan , Shang Yajie , Ye Shubing
Published: December 2021

Remote sensing image object detection and instance segmentation are widely valued research fields. A convolutional neural network (CNN) has shown defects in the object detection of remote sensing images. In recent years, the number of studies on transformer-based models increased, and these studies achieved good results. However, transformers still suffer from poor small object detection and unsatisfactory edge detail segmentation. In order to solve these problems, we improved the Swin transformer based on the advantages of transformers and CNNs, and designed a local perception Swin transformer (LPSW) backbone to enhance the local perception of the network and to improve the detection accuracy of small-scale objects. We also designed a spatial attention interleaved execution cascade (SAIEC) network framework, which helped to strengthen the segmentation accuracy of the network. Due to the lack of remote sensing mask datasets, the MRS-1800 remote sensing mask dataset was created. Finally, we combined the proposed backbone with the new network framework and conducted experiments on this MRS-1800 dataset. Compared with the Swin transformer, the proposed model improved the mask AP by 1.7%, mask APS by 3.6%, AP by 1.1% and APS by 4.6%, demonstrating its effectiveness and feasibility.
What Is behind Changes in Resting Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability? A Large-Scale Analysis of Longitudinal Measurements Acquired in Free-Living
Authors: Altini Marco , Plews Daniel
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) with respect to individual characteristics and acute stressors. In particular, the relationship between heart rate, HRV, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity level was analyzed cross-sectionally in a large sample of 28,175 individuals. Additionally, the change in heart rate and HRV in response to common acute stressors such as training of different intensities, alcohol intake, the menstrual cycle, and sickness was analyzed longitudinally. Acute stressors were analyzed over a period of 5 years for a total of 9 million measurements (320±374 measurements per person). HRV at the population level reduced with age (p < 0.05, r = −0.35, effect size = moderate) and was weakly associated with physical activity level (p < 0.05, r = 0.21, effect size = small) and not associated with sex (p = 0.35, d = 0.02, effect size = negligible). Heart rate was moderately associated with physical activity level (p < 0.05, r = 0.30, effect size = moderate) and sex (p < 0.05, d = 0.63, effect size = moderate) but not with age (p = 0.35, r = −0.01). Similar relationships between BMI, resting heart rate (p < 0.05, r = 0.19, effect size = small), and HRV (p < 0.05, r = −0.10, effect size = small) are shown. In response to acute stressors, we report a 4.6% change in HRV (p < 0.05, d = 0.36, effect size = small) and a 1.3% change in heart rate (p < 0.05, d = 0.38, effect size = small) in response to training, a 6% increase in heart rate (p < 0.05, d = 0.97, effect size = large) and a 12% reduction in HRV (p < 0.05, d = 0.55, effect size = moderate) after high alcohol intake, a 1.6% change in heart rate (p < 0.05, d = 1.41, effect size = large) and a 3.2% change in HRV (p < 0.05, d = 0.80, effect size = large) between the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle, and a 6% increase in heart rate (p < 0.05, d = 0.97, effect size = large) and 10% reduction in HRV (p < 0.05, d = 0.47, effect size = moderate) during sickness. Acute stressors analysis revealed how HRV is a more sensitive but not specific marker of stress. In conclusion, a short resting heart rate and HRV measurement upon waking using a smartphone app can effectively be used in free-living to quantify individual stress responses across a large range of individuals and stressors.
A Flexible Metamaterial Based Printed Antenna for Wearable Biomedical Applications
Authors: Al-Adhami Ammar , Ercelebi Ergun
Published: December 2021

This paper presents a microstrip antenna based on metamaterials (MTM). The proposed antenna showed several resonances around the BAN and ISM frequency bands. The antenna showed a suitable gain for short and medium wireless communication systems of about 1 dBi, 1.24 dBi, 1.48 dBi, 2.05 dBi, and 4.11 dBi at 403 MHz, 433 MH, 611 Mz, 912 MHz, and 2.45 GHz, respectively. The antenna was printed using silver nanoparticle ink on a polymer substrate. The antenna size was reduced to 20 × 10 mm2 to suit the different miniaturized wireless biomedical devices. The fabricated prototype was tested experimentally on the human body. The main novelty with this design is its ability to suppress the surface wave from the patch edges, significantly reducing the back radiation toward the human body when used close to it. The antenna was located on the human head to specify the specific absorption rate (SAR). It was found in all cases that the proposed antenna showed low SAR effects on the human body.
Communism and Anti-Communist Dissent in Romania as Reflected in Contemporary Textbooks
Authors: Săgeată Radu , Damian Nicoleta , Mitrică Bianca
Published: December 2021

The structural changes brought about by the collapse of the communist system also included the reconfiguration of social memory, so that future generations have a more objective imagining of the impact of the communist period on the societies from Central and Eastern Europe. In this view, the depoliticization of recent history is a top priority. The present study aims to highlight the way in which the schoolbooks in Romania bring into the memory of the young generation a strictly secret episode in recent (pre-1990) history: anti-communist dissent. Two categories of methods were used: researching the data and information contained in history textbooks and other bibliographic sources on anti-communist dissent in Romania in the overall socio-political context of that era; and assessing—with the help of a set of surveys—the degree of assimilation by young people in Romania of the knowledge about communism conveyed through textbooks. Research points to the conclusion that the Romanian curriculum and textbooks provide an objective picture of the communist period in this country, but young people’s perception of communism in general and of Romanian communism in particular tends to be distorted by poor education, poverty and surrounding mentalities rooted in that period.
State Fragility, Social Contracts and the Role of Social Protection: Perspectives from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region
Authors: Loewe Markus , Zintl Tina
Published: December 2021

Social contracts and state fragility represent two sides of one coin. The former concept highlights that governments need to deliver three “Ps”—protection, provision, and political participation—to be acceptable for societies, whereas the latter argues that states can fail due to lack of authority (inhibiting protection), capacity (inhibiting provision), or legitimacy. Defunct social contracts often lead to popular unrest. Using empirical evidence from the Middle East and North Africa, we demonstrate how different notions of state fragility lead to different kinds of grievances and how they can be remedied by measures of social protection. Social protection is always a key element of government provision and hence a cornerstone of all social contracts. It can most easily counteract grievances that were triggered by decreasing provision (e.g., after subsidy reforms in Iran and Morocco) but also partially substitute for deficient protection (e.g., by the Palestinian National Authority, in pre-2011 Yemen) or participation (information campaign accompanying Moroccan subsidy cut; participatory set-ups for cash-for-work programmes in Jordan). It can even help maintain a minimum of state–society relations in states defunct in all three Ps (e.g., Yemen). Hence, social protection can be a powerful instrument to reduce state fragility and mend social contracts. Yet, to be effective, it needs to address grievances in an inclusive, rule-based, and non-discriminatory way. In addition, to gain legitimacy, governments should assume responsibility over social protection instead of outsourcing it to foreign donors.
The Influence of Street Microenvironment on the Walking Activities of Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study Based on the Structural Equation Model and Manipulated Photos
Authors: Gao Wei , Nagai Yukari
Published: December 2021

There is growing evidence of an association between the built environment and walking activity, but knowledge of street microenvironmental factors and older adults’ walking is limited and inconsistent. We used a socio-ecological model as the theoretical framework for this study, aiming to investigate longitudinally the important influences of the street microenvironment on older people’s walking by manipulated street photographs and whether there are different groups of older people with different environmental preferences, and to determine the influence of environmental factors in the socio-ecological model. The clustering analysis method was used to divide the samples into four groups, and those four subgroups were put in a comparative analysis regarding their street environments by methods of semantic differential (SD). The preferences of various subgroups were checked by the variance analysis and post hoc tests, and the structural equation model (SEM) was applied to discuss the relations of correlation and influence among each factor. The results showed that “parking on the sidewalk” was rated the lowest in the pre-intervention photos, and “shaded” and “hedge” were rated the highest in the post-intervention photos, and the environmental requirements were different for the older, poorer and higher income and education subgroups. There was a significant positive relationship between residential status and architectural interventions as well as self-efficacy and physical condition. These findings suggest that when developing environmental interventions to promote walking among older adults, priority should be given to those factors that need to be improved most. In addition, attention should be paid to the differences in walking needs among different groups of older adults, with particular attention on the impact of self-selected living environments on street-level environmental interventions.
Special Issue “Researching Sports Biomechanics for Disabled People”
Authors: Ardigò Luca Paolo , Ouergui Ibrahim , Padulo Johnny , Nobari Hadi , Formenti Damiano
Published: December 2021

Disabled people compete at high levels in several sport disciplines and physical activity for this population has become a high interest area of study in biomechanics [...]
Combined but Not Isolated Ingestion of Caffeine and Taurine Improves Wingate Sprint Performance in Female Team-Sport Athletes Habituated to Caffeine
Authors: Karayigit Raci , Naderi Alireza , Saunders Bryan , Forbes Scott C. , Coso Juan Del , Berjisian Erfan , Yildirim Ulas Can , Suzuki Katsuhiko
Published: December 2021

Previous studies have investigated caffeine (CAF) and taurine (TAU) in isolation and combined during exercise in males. However, the potential synergistic effect during high-intensity exercise remains unknown in female athletes. Seventeen female team-sport athletes participated (age: 23.4 ± 2.1 years; height: 1.68 ± 0.05 m; body mass: 59.5 ± 2.2 kg). All participants were habitual caffeine consumers (340.1 ± 28.6 mg/day). A double-blind randomized crossover design was used. Participants completed four experimental trials: (i) CAF and TAU (6 mg/kg body mass of CAF + 1 g of TAU), (ii) CAF alone; (iii) TAU alone; and (iv) placebo (PLA). Supplements were ingested 60 min before a 30-s Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT). Heart rate and blood lactate (BL) were measured before and immediately after the WAnT; and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded immediately after the WAnT. Peak power (PP) was significantly higher following co-ingestion of CAF+TAU compared to PLA (p = 0.03) and TAU (p = 0.03). Mean power (MP) was significantly higher following co-ingestion of CAF+TAU compared to PLA (p = 0.01). No other differences were found between conditions for PP and MP (p > 0.05). There were also no observed differences in fatigue index (FI), BL; heart rate; and RPE between conditions (p > 0.05). In conclusion, compared to PLA the combined ingestion of 6 mg/kg of CAF and 1 g of TAU improved both PP and MP in female athletes habituated to caffeine; however; CAF and TAU independently failed to augment WAnT performance.
College Students’ Willingness to Separate Municipal Waste and Its Influencing Factors: A Case Study in Chongqing, China
Authors: Yang Xingyu , Chen Xiaoyi , Xiao Xinyue , Xi Haode , Liu Shiwei
Published: December 2021

College students are the engine of the sustainability of the future, and their awareness of environmental protection and waste classification is very important for the sustainable implementation of urban solid waste separation projects. Chongqing is one of the first 46 waste separation pilot cities in China. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the municipal waste separation behavior of college students and its influencing factors. Data from a total of 814 questionnaires among college students from sixteen universities in Chongqing were collected. Results showed that most college students think it is necessary to separate waste, and they have executed it in their daily life. Students have a high accuracy in classifying perishable waste, but they are not familiar with the classification of waste lamps, bulbs (14.00%), expired drugs (30.71%), toilet paper (11.3%), peel (18.80%) and brick kilns (27.76%). Special attention should be paid to distinguishing recyclables and other wastes. The principal factors that affect students’ willingness to classify waste are attitude, situational factors and publicity and education, which are embodied in students’ attitude towards waste separation, the surrounding environmental hygiene, the convenience of waste separation, the ease of understanding of waste separation marks and the degree of publicity and education of the school. Four measures are recommended for improving students’ willingness to separate municipal waste based on this investigation.
Impact of Tourist’s Environmental Awareness on Pro-Environmental Behavior with the Mediating Effect of Tourist’s Environmental Concern and Moderating Effect of Tourist’s Environmental Attachment
Authors: Aman Shahrukh , Hassan Nadir , Khattak Mohammad , Moustafa Mohamed , Fakhri Mahendra , Ahmad Zeeshan
Published: December 2021

Pakistan has been blessed with rich tourism potential because of its rich history, culture, biological and geographical diversity. Travelers have for quite some time been attracted to Pakistan to encounter a nation that flaunts rugged natural beauty, cultural richness, and unparalleled hospitality. Pakistan has various tourist destinations in the northern areas of Pakistan. Kumrat Valley has become a tourist hotspot in recent times after the prime minister of Pakistan, Mr. Imran Khan, visited the valley. To reduce the negative effects on these tourist destinations due to the accelerating increase in tourists, the present study used a quantitative approach to uncover whether there is an environmental awareness–behavior gap among the tourists, with their level of environmental awareness outweighing pro-environmental behavior. Using a sample of 426 tourists who have visited the valley, the analysis of the results indicates that the pro-environmental behavior is positively and significantly affected by the components, environmental awareness, environmental concern, and environmental attachment. Environmental attachment is added as a moderator between environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior. This study suggests that environmental awareness must be promoted among tourists to ensure that they exhibit pro-environmental behavior.
Using POI Data to Identify the Demand for Pedestrian Crossing Facilities at Mid-Block
Authors: Li Weifeng , He Jiawei , Yu Qing , Chang Yujiao , Liu Peng
Published: December 2021

In Chinese cities, the widespread problem of the low density of the road network has seriously damaged the convenience of pedestrian crossing, resulting in an unfriendly pedestrian experience and restricted development of non-motorized traffic within the city. Only by accurately capturing the crossing needs of pedestrians can we adopt a targeted approach to improve the pedestrian crossing experience. In this paper, the demand and supply are considered synthetically, and a method of using point of interest (POI) data to analyze the demand for pedestrian crossing facilities at the mid-block is proposed. First, we developed the method of calculating the pedestrian crossing demand intensity based on POI data. Secondly, based on the appropriate length threshold and pedestrian crossing demand intensity threshold, a series of road sections with strong demand for pedestrian crossing facilities are identified in the study area. Finally, we use mobile phone data to obtain the intensity of residents’ activity in different areas, and find that the distribution of the areas with more activity is basically the same as that of the target road sections. The result shows that the method proposed in this paper can effectively identify the road sections with strong demand for crossing facilities at mid-block, and can provide support for the improvement of urban non-motorized traffic.
The Innovative Response of Cultural and Creative Industries to Major European Societal Challenges: Toward a Knowledge and Competence Base
Authors: Gustafsson Christer , Lazzaro Elisabetta
Published: December 2021

In this paper we highlight the importance of culture, cultural heritage and creative industries (CCI) in current European policies in relation to a number of societal challenges, and how the CCI are called to innovatively respond to such challenges. We distinguish four main societal challenges to which the CCI can strategically respond and significantly unlock the potential for innovation and smart growth in the EU. These societal challenges are addressed by four main pillars of the CCI, namely: (1) Europeans’ creativity, cultural diversity and values; (2) European identity and cohesion; (3) European employment, economic resilience and smart growth; and (4) Europe’s external relations. We address each societal challenge from the CCI perspective, indicating how the CCI can provide innovative responses to such challenges and enable strategic crossovers through networking and collaboration, but also referring to some criticalities. We further discuss how this CCI capacity needs public support and provide an overview of how this is undertaken via the main EU, national and international policies, with a focus on the latest trends.
Cigarette Smoke Extract Produces Superoxide in Aqueous Media by Reacting with Bicarbonate
Authors: Park Jung-Min , Jeong Haerin , Seo Yoon-Seok , Do Van Quan , Choi Seong-Jin , Lee Kyuhong , Choi Kyung-Chul , Choi Won Jun , Lee Moo-Yeol
Published: December 2021

The toxicity of cigarette smoke (CS) is largely attributed to its ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Reportedly, CS generates superoxide in cell culture systems by stimulating the cells to produce superoxide and through direct chemical reactions with components of the culture media. In this study, we investigated CS-induced superoxide formation in biocompatible aqueous media and its characteristics. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and total particulate matter (TPM) were prepared from the mainstream smoke of 3R4F reference cigarettes. CSE and TPM generated superoxide in Hank’s balanced salt solution (HBSS), Dulbecco’s modified Eagle media (DMEM), and blood plasma, but not in distilled water and phosphate-buffered saline. Each constituent of HBSS in solution was tested, and bicarbonate was found to be responsible for the superoxide generation. More than half of the superoxide formation was abolished by pretreating CSE or TPM with peroxidase, indicating that the substrates of peroxidase, presumably peroxides and peroxy acids, mainly contributed to the superoxide production. In conclusion, the presence of bicarbonate in experimental conditions should be considered carefully in studies of the biological activity of CS. Furthermore, the local amount of bicarbonate in exposed tissues may be a determinant of tissue sensitivity to oxidative damage by CS.
The Occurrence, Pathways, and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Raw Milk from Industrial Areas in China
Authors: Su Chuanyou , Gao Yanan , Qu Xueyin , Zhou Xuewei , Yang Xue , Huang Shengnan , Han Lei , Zheng Nan , Wang Jiaqi
Published: December 2021

This study evaluated chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) contamination in raw milk from industrial areas in China, identified the possible pathways of heavy metals from the environment to raw milk, and made a risk assessment of the consumption of heavy metals from milk consumption. The Cr, As, Cd, and Pb concentrations in raw milk, water and silage were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The Cr and As in soil were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry, respectively. Cd and Pb in soil were determined by a Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The Cr and As concentrations in milk from industrial areas were 2.41 ± 2.12 and 0.44 ± 0.31 μg/kg, respectively, which were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than those from non-industrial areas, which had levels of 1.10 ± 0.15 and 0.25 ± 0.09 μg/kg, respectively. Chromium was mainly transferred through the soil-silage-milk pathway, As was transferred through the water-silage-milk pathway, while Cd was mainly transferred through the soil (water)-silage-milk pathway. The contributions of each metal to the overall hazard index (HI) followed a descending order of As, Cr, Pb, and Cd, with values of 46.64%, 25.54%, 24.30%, and 3.52%, respectively. Children were at higher risk than adults.
Cytotoxic and Transcriptomic Effects in Avian Hepatocytes Exposed to a Complex Mixture from Air Samples, and Their Relation to the Organic Flame Retardant Signature
Authors: Ha Kelsey , Xia Pu , Crump Doug , Saini Amandeep , Harner Tom , O’Brien Jason
Published: December 2021

Assessing complex environmental mixtures and their effects is challenging. In this study, we evaluate the utility of an avian in vitro screening approach to determine the effects of passive air sampler extracts collected from different global megacities on cytotoxicity and gene expression. Concentrations of a suite of organic flame retardants (OFRs) were quantified in extracts from a total of 19 megacities/major cities in an earlier study, and levels were highly variable across sites. Chicken embryonic hepatocytes were exposed to serial dilutions of extracts from the 19 cities for 24 h. Cell viability results indicate a high level of variability in cytotoxicity, with extracts from Toronto, Canada, having the lowest LC50 value. Partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis was used to estimate LC50 values from OFR concentrations. PLS modeling of OFRs was moderately predictive of LC50 (p-value = 0.0003, r2 = 0.66, slope = 0.76, when comparing predicted LC50 to actual values), although only after one outlier city was removed from the analysis. A chicken ToxChip PCR array, comprising 43 target genes, was used to determine effects on gene expression, and similar to results for cell viability, gene expression profiles were highly variable among the megacities. PLS modeling was used to determine if gene expression was related to the OFR profiles of the extracts. Weak relationships to the ToxChip expression profiles could be detected for only three of the 35 OFRs (indicated by regression slopes between 0.6 and 0.5 when comparing predicted to actual OFR concentrations). While this in vitro approach shows promise in terms of evaluating effects of complex mixtures, we also identified several limitations that, if addressed in future studies, might improve its performance.
Crotalphine Attenuates Pain and Neuroinflammation Induced by Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Mice
Authors: Giardini Aline C. , Evangelista Bianca G. , Sant’Anna Morena B. , Martins Barbara B. , Lancellotti Carmen L. P. , Ciena Adriano P. , Chacur Marucia , Pagano Rosana L. , Ribeiro Orlando G. , Zambelli Vanessa O. , Picolo Gisele
Published: December 2021

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of inflammatory and autoimmune origin, which induces sensory and progressive motor impairments, including pain. Cells of the immune system actively participate in the pathogenesis and progression of MS by inducing neuroinflammation, tissue damage, and demyelination. Crotalphine (CRO), a structural analogue to a peptide firstly identified in Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom, induces analgesia by endogenous opioid release and type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2) activation. Since CB2 activation downregulates neuroinflammation and ameliorates symptoms in mice models of MS, it was presently investigated whether CRO has a beneficial effect in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). CRO was administered on the 5th day after immunization, in a single dose, or five doses starting at the peak of disease. CRO partially reverted EAE-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and decreased the severity of the clinical signs. In addition, CRO decreases the inflammatory infiltrate and glial cells activation followed by TNF-α and IL-17 downregulation in the spinal cord. Peripherally, CRO recovers the EAE-induced impairment in myelin thickness in the sciatic nerve. Therefore, CRO interferes with central and peripheral neuroinflammation, opening perspectives to MS control.
Reduced Toxicity of Centruroides vittatus (Say, 1821) May Result from Lowered Sodium β Toxin Gene Expression and Toxin Protein Production
Authors: Bowman Aimee , Fitzgerald Chloe , Pummill Jeff F. , Rhoads Douglas D. , Yamashita Tsunemi
Published: December 2021

Body tissue and venom glands from an eastern population of the scorpion Centruroides vittatus (Say, 1821) were homogenized and molecular constituents removed to characterize putative sodium β toxin gene diversity, RT-qPCR, transcriptomic, and proteomic variation. We cloned sodium β toxins from genomic DNA, conducted RT-qPCR experiments with seven sodium β toxin variants, performed venom gland tissue RNA-seq, and isolated venom proteins for mass spectrophotometry. We identified >70 putative novel sodium β toxin genes, 111 toxin gene transcripts, 24 different toxin proteins, and quantified sodium β toxin gene expression variation among individuals and between sexes. Our analyses contribute to the growing evidence that venom toxicity among scorpion taxa and their populations may be associated with toxin gene diversity, specific toxin transcripts variation, and subsequent protein production. Here, slight transcript variation among toxin gene variants may contribute to the major toxin protein variation in individual scorpion venom composition.
Lonomia obliqua Envenoming and Innovative Research
Authors: Alvarez-Flores Miryam Paola , Gomes Renata Nascimento , Trevisan-Silva Dilza , Oliveira Douglas Souza , Batista Isabel de Fátima Correia , Buri Marcus Vinicius , Alvarez Angela Maria , DeOcesano-Pereira Carlos , de Souza Marcelo Medina , Chudzinski-Tavassi Ana Marisa
Published: December 2021

As a tribute to Butantan Institute in its 120th anniversary, this review describes some of the scientific research efforts carried out in the study of Lonomia envenoming in Brazil, a country where accidents with caterpillars reach over 42,000 individuals per year (especially in South and Southeast Brazil). Thus, the promising data regarding the studies with Lonomia’s toxins contributed to the creation of new research centers specialized in toxinology based at Butantan Institute, as well as to the production of the antilonomic serum (ALS), actions which are in line with the Butantan Institute mission “to research, develop, manufacture, and provide products and services for the health of the population”. In addition, the study of the components of the Lonomia obliqua bristle extract led to the discovery of new molecules with peculiar properties, opening a field of knowledge that could lead to the development and innovation of new drugs aimed at cell regeneration and inflammatory diseases.
Practical Application of Novel Test Methods to Evaluate the Potency of Botulinum Toxin: A Comparison Analysis among Widely Used Products in Korea
Authors: Hong Ji-Yeon , Kim Jong-Hee , Jin Jung-Eun , Shin Sun-Hye , Park Kui-Young
Published: December 2021

The safe and effective dosing of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) requires accurate and reliable methods to measure their potency. Several novel methods have been introduced over the past decade; however, only few studies have compared the potency of BoNT products with that of the LD50 and other alternative assays. Therefore, the objective of this study was to comparatively evaluate widely used BoNT products using various test methods. Four types of BoNTs (prabotulinumtoxin A, onabotulinumtoxin A, neubotulinumtoxin A, and letibotulinumtoxin A) were used in this study. The estimated potency was assessed using the LD50 assay, and the total BoNT type A protein levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The in vitro efficacy of the BoNTs was determined using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays. The results showed differences in the total amount of BoNT protein and the cleavage activity of SNAP-25 within all types of BoNTs. The SPR study seemed to be useful for evaluating the potency by specifically measuring intact 19S neurotoxin, and these results provide new insights for assessing different BoNT products.
Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Ameliorates FB1-Induced Meiotic Defects in Porcine Oocytes
Authors: Li Wenhui , He Yijing , Zhao Hongyu , Peng Lei , Li Jia , Rui Rong , Ju Shiqiang
Published: December 2021

Fumonisin B1 (FB1), as the most prevalent and toxic fumonisin, poses a health threat to humans and animals. The cytotoxicity of FB1 is closely related to oxidative stress and apoptosis. The purpose of this study is to explore whether Grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSP), a natural antioxidant, could alleviate the meiotic maturation defects of oocytes caused by FB1 exposure. Porcine cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were treated with 30 μM FB1 alone or cotreated with 100, 200 and 300 μM GSP during in vitro maturation for 44 h. The results show that 200 μM GSP cotreatment observably ameliorated the toxic effects of FB1 exposure, showing to be promoting first polar body extrusion and improving the subsequent cleavage rate and blastocyst development rate. Moreover, 200 μM GSP cotreatment restored cell cycle progression, reduced the proportion of aberrant spindles, improved actin distribution and protected mitochondrial function in FB1-exposed oocytes. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was significantly decreased and the mRNA levels of CAT, SOD2 and GSH-PX were obviously increased in the 200 μM GSP cotreatment group. Notably, the incidence of early apoptosis and autophagy level were also significantly decreased after GSP cotreatment and the mRNA expression levels of BAX, CASPASE3, LC3 and ATG5 were markedly decreased, whereas BCL2 and mTOR were observably increased in the oocytes after GSP cotreatment. Together, these results indicate that GSP could exert significant preventive effects on FB1-induced oocyte defects by ameliorating oxidative stress through repairing mitochondrial dysfunction.