bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Eating and Purchasing Behaviours of People Living in England
Authors: Ogundijo Daniel A. , Tas Ayten A. , Onarinde Bukola A.
Published: April 2021

Consumers’ eating habits have changed significantly due to the anxiety and boredom from the reported cases and deaths of COVID-19, the change in work patterns, controlled food shopping, and the inability to meet loved ones during the lockdown. The magnitude of these changes in the eating behaviours and purchasing habits of consumers varies across different groups of people. This study provides empirical evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on the eating and purchasing behaviours of people living in England, which was assessed based on sociodemographic variables. A total of 911 participants were recruited by a market research company, while only 792 useable responses were included in this study. The participants, aged between 18 and 91 years, completed an online questionnaire, and the data were analysed using ordinal regression. Data were collected between October and December 2020. Male participants constituted 34.60%, females 63.89%, and others (other gender and those who prefer not to declare their gender) were 0.63%. The majority of participants’ ages fell into the ranges of 23–38 and 39–54. Participants aged 23 to 38 years had the greatest effect of COVID-19 on their purchasing decision of healthier foods, while participants in the age groups 55–73 and 74–91 were least affected. The amount of foods purchased during the pandemic decreased with increasing age. The amount of foods purchased by students, people in employment, and people from minority ethnic groups were greatly affected by the pandemic. All participants who stated that taking food supplements is not important during the pandemic were from the White ethnic group. The effects of the pandemic on purchasing healthier foods were greater in younger generations and participants in full- or part-time employment than participants who were retired and who were aged above 55. The participants with higher educational qualifications and those from minority ethnic groups were also more affected by the pandemic. We suggest further studies to monitor any changes in the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the eating and purchasing behaviours of consumers.
The Effects of Short-Term Changes in Sodium Intake on Plasma Marinobufagenin Levels in Patients with Primary Salt-Sensitive and Salt-Insensitive Hypertension
Authors: Łabno-Kirszniok Katarzyna , Kujawa-Szewieczek Agata , Wiecek Andrzej , Piecha Grzegorz
Published: April 2021

Increased marinobufagenin (MBG) synthesis has been suggested in response to high dietary salt intake. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of short-term changes in sodium intake on plasma MBG levels in patients with primary salt-sensitive and salt-insensitive hypertension. In total, 51 patients with primary hypertension were evaluated during acute sodium restriction and sodium loading. Plasma or serum concentrations of MBG, natriuretic pro-peptides, aldosterone, sodium, potassium, as well as hematocrit (Hct) value, plasma renin activity (PRA) and urinary sodium and potassium excretion were measured. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and echocardiography were performed at baseline. In salt-sensitive patients with primary hypertension plasma MBG correlated positively with diastolic blood pressure (ABPM) and serum NT-proANP concentration at baseline and with serum NT-proANP concentration after dietary sodium restriction. In this subgroup plasma MBG concentration decreased during sodium restriction, and a parallel increase of PRA was observed. Acute salt loading further decreased plasma MBG concentration in salt-sensitive subjects in contrast to salt insensitive patients. No correlation was found between plasma MBG concentration and left ventricular mass index. In conclusion, in salt-sensitive hypertensive patients plasma MBG concentration correlates with 24-h diastolic blood pressure and dietary sodium restriction reduces plasma MBG levels. Decreased MBG secretion in response to acute salt loading may play an important role in the pathogenesis of salt sensitivity.
Oral and Topical Vitamin D, Sunshine, and UVB Phototherapy Safely Control Psoriasis in Patients with Normal Pretreatment Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations: A Literature Review and Discussion of Health Implications
Authors: McCullough Patrick J. , McCullough William P. , Lehrer Douglas , Travers Jeffrey B. , Repas Steven J.
Published: April 2021

Vitamin D, sunshine and UVB phototherapy were first reported in the early 1900s to control psoriasis, cure rickets and cure tuberculosis (TB). Vitamin D also controlled asthma and rheumatoid arthritis with intakes ranging from 60,000 to 600,000 International Units (IU)/day. In the 1980s, interest in treating psoriasis with vitamin D rekindled. Since 1985 four different oral forms of vitamin D (D2, D3, 1-hydroxyvitaminD3 (1(OH)D3) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitaminD3 (calcitriol)) and several topical formulations have been reported safe and effective treatments for psoriasis—as has UVB phototherapy and sunshine. In this review we show that many pre-treatment serum 25(OH)D concentrations fall within the current range of normal, while many post-treatment concentrations fall outside the upper limit of this normal (100 ng/mL). Yet, psoriasis patients showed significant clinical improvement without complications using these treatments. Current estimates of vitamin D sufficiency appear to underestimate serum 25(OH)D concentrations required for optimal health in psoriasis patients, while concentrations associated with adverse events appear to be much higher than current estimates of safe serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Based on these observations, the therapeutic index for vitamin D needs to be reexamined in the treatment of psoriasis and other diseases strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency, including COVID-19 infections, which may also improve safely with sufficient vitamin D intake or UVB exposure.
Antimicrobial and Immunomodulating Activities of Two Endemic Nepeta Species and Their Major Iridoids Isolated from Natural Sources
Authors: Aničić Neda , Gašić Uroš , Lu Feng , Ćirić Ana , Ivanov Marija , Jevtić Bojan , Dimitrijević Milena , Anđelković Boban , Skorić Marijana , Nestorović Živković Jasmina , Mao Yingle , Liu Jia , Tang Chunping , Soković Marina , Ye Yang , Mišić Danijela
Published: April 2021

Two Balkan Peninsula endemics, Nepeta rtanjensis and N. argolica subsp. argolica, both characterized by specialized metabolite profiles predominated by iridoids and phenolics, are differentiated according to the stereochemistry of major iridoid aglycone nepetalactone (NL). For the first time, the present study provides a comparative analysis of antimicrobial and immunomodulating activities of the two Nepeta species and their major iridoids isolated from natural sources—cis,trans-NL, trans,cis-NL, and 1,5,9-epideoxyloganic acid (1,5,9-eDLA), as well as of phenolic acid rosmarinic acid (RA). Methanol extracts and pure iridoids displayed excellent antimicrobial activity against eight strains of bacteria and seven strains of fungi. They were especially potent against food-borne pathogens such as L. monocytogenes, E. coli, S. aureus, Penicillium sp., and Aspergillus sp. Targeted iridoids were efficient agents in preventing biofilm formation of resistant P. aeruginosa strain, and they displayed additive antimicrobial interaction. Iridoids are, to a great extent, responsible for the prominent antimicrobial activities of the two Nepeta species, although are probably minor contributors to the moderate immunomodulatory effects. The analyzed iridoids and RA, individually or in mixtures, have the potential to be used in the pharmaceutical industry as potent antimicrobials, and in the food industry to increase the shelf life and safety of food products.
Photochem—A New Multidisciplinary Open Access Journal for Photochemistry
Authors: Guldi Dirk M.
Published: April 2021

Welcome to the journal Photochem [...]
Implementation of a Modified Faster R-CNN for Target Detection Technology of Coastal Defense Radar
Authors: Yan He , Chen Chao , Jin Guodong , Zhang Jindong , Wang Xudong , Zhu Daiyin
Published: April 2021

The traditional method of constant false-alarm rate detection is based on the assumption of an echo statistical model. The target recognition accuracy rate and the high false-alarm rate under the background of sea clutter and other interferences are very low. Therefore, computer vision technology is widely discussed to improve the detection performance. However, the majority of studies have focused on the synthetic aperture radar because of its high resolution. For the defense radar, the detection performance is not satisfactory because of its low resolution. To this end, we herein propose a novel target detection method for the coastal defense radar based on faster region-based convolutional neural network (Faster R-CNN). The main processing steps are as follows: (1) the Faster R-CNN is selected as the sea-surface target detector because of its high target detection accuracy; (2) a modified Faster R-CNN based on the characteristics of sparsity and small target size in the data set is employed; and (3) soft non-maximum suppression is exploited to eliminate the possible overlapped detection boxes. Furthermore, detailed comparative experiments based on a real data set of coastal defense radar are performed. The mean average precision of the proposed method is improved by 10.86% compared with that of the original Faster R-CNN.
Handheld Laser Scanning Detects Spatiotemporal Differences in the Development of Structural Traits among Species in Restoration Plantings
Authors: Camarretta Nicolò , Harrison Peter A. , Lucieer Arko , Potts Brad M. , Davidson Neil , Hunt Mark
Published: April 2021

A major challenge in ecological restoration is assessing the success of restoration plantings in producing habitats that provide the desired ecosystem functions and services. Forest structural complexity and biomass accumulation are key measures used to monitor restoration success and are important factors determining animal habitat availability and carbon sequestration. Monitoring their development through time using traditional field measurements can be costly and impractical, particularly at the landscape-scale, which is a common requirement in ecological restoration. We explored the application of proximal sensing technology as an alternative to traditional field surveys to capture the development of key forest structural traits in a restoration planting in the Midlands of Tasmania, Australia. We report the use of a hand-held laser scanner (ZEB1) to measure annual changes in structural traits at the tree-level, in a mixed species common-garden experiment from seven- to nine-years after planting. Using very dense point clouds, we derived estimates of multiple structural traits, including above ground biomass, tree height, stem diameter, crown dimensions, and crown properties. We detected annual increases in most LiDAR-derived traits, with individual crowns becoming increasingly interconnected. Time by species interaction were detected, and were associated with differences in productivity between species. We show the potential for remote sensing technology to monitor temporal changes in forest structural traits, as well as to provide base-line measures from which to assess the restoration trajectory towards a desired state.
Assessing Spatial Variation in Algal Productivity in a Tropical River Floodplain Using Satellite Remote Sensing
Authors: Molinari Bianca , Stewart-Koster Ben , Malthus Tim , Bunn Stuart
Published: April 2021

Studies of tropical floodplains have shown that algae are the primary source material for higher consumers in freshwater aquatic habitats. Thus, methods that can predict the spatial variation of algal productivity provide an important input to better inform management and conservation of floodplains. In this study, a prediction of the spatial variability in algal productivity was made for the Mitchell River floodplain in northern Australia. The spatial variation of aquatic habitat types and turbidity were estimated using satellite remote sensing and then combined with statistical modelling to map the spatial variation in algal primary productivity. Open water and submerged plants habitats, covering 79% of the freshwater flooded floodplain extent, had higher rates of algal production compared to the 21% cover of emergent and floating aquatic plant habitats. Across the floodplain, the predicted average algal productivity was 150.9 ± 95.47 SD mg C m−2 d−1 and the total daily algal production was estimated to be 85.02 ± 0.07 SD ton C. This study provides a spatially explicit representation of habitat types, turbidity, and algal productivity on a tropical floodplain and presents an approach to map ‘hotspots’ of algal production and provide key insights into the functioning of complex floodplain–river ecosystems. As this approach uses satellite remotely sensed data, it can be applied in different floodplains worldwide to identify areas of high ecological value that may be sensitive to development and be used by decision makers and river managers to protect these important ecological assets.
Deep Learning for Monitoring Agricultural Drought in South Asia Using Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Prodhan Foyez Ahmed , Zhang Jiahua , Yao Fengmei , Shi Lamei , Pangali Sharma Til Prasad , Zhang Da , Cao Dan , Zheng Minxuan , Ahmed Naveed , Mohana Hasiba Pervin
Published: April 2021

Drought, a climate-related disaster impacting a variety of sectors, poses challenges for millions of people in South Asia. Accurate and complete drought information with a proper monitoring system is very important in revealing the complex nature of drought and its associated factors. In this regard, deep learning is a very promising approach for delineating the non-linear characteristics of drought factors. Therefore, this study aims to monitor drought by employing a deep learning approach with remote sensing data over South Asia from 2001–2016. We considered the precipitation, vegetation, and soil factors for the deep forwarded neural network (DFNN) as model input parameters. The study evaluated agricultural drought using the soil moisture deficit index (SMDI) as a response variable during three crop phenology stages. For a better comparison of deep learning model performance, we adopted two machine learning models, distributed random forest (DRF) and gradient boosting machine (GBM). Results show that the DFNN model outperformed the other two models for SMDI prediction. Furthermore, the results indicated that DFNN captured the drought pattern with high spatial variability across three penology stages. Additionally, the DFNN model showed good stability with its cross-validated data in the training phase, and the estimated SMDI had high correlation coefficient R2 ranges from 0.57~0.90, 0.52~0.94, and 0.49~0.82 during the start of the season (SOS), length of the season (LOS), and end of the season (EOS) respectively. The comparison between inter-annual variability of estimated SMDI and in-situ SPEI (standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index) showed that the estimated SMDI was almost similar to in-situ SPEI. The DFNN model provides comprehensive drought information by producing a consistent spatial distribution of SMDI which establishes the applicability of the DFNN model for drought monitoring.
Regionalization of an Existing Global Forest Canopy Height Model for Forests of the Southern United States
Authors: Ku Nian-Wei , Popescu Sorin , Eriksson Marian
Published: April 2021

A large-scale global canopy height map (GCHM) is essential for global forest aboveground biomass estimation. Four GCHMs have recently been built using data from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) sensor aboard the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), along with auxiliary spatial and climate information. The main objectives of this research were to find out how well a selected GCHM agrees with airborne lidar data from locations in the southern United States and to recalibrate that GCHM to more closely match the forest canopy heights found in the region. The airborne lidar resource was built from data collected between 2010 and 2012, available from in-house and publicly available sources, for sites that included a variety of vegetation types across the southern United States. EPA ecoregions were used to provide ecosystem information for the southern United States. The airborne lidar data were pre-processed to provide lidar-derived metrics, and assigned to four height categories—namely, returns from above 0 m, 1 m, 3 m, and 5 m. The assessment phase results indicated that the 90th and 95th percentiles of the airborne lidar height values were well-suited for use in the recalibration phase of the study. Simple linear regression was used to generate a new, recalibrated GCHM. It was concluded that the characterization of the agreement of a selected GCHM with local data, followed by the recalibration of the existing GCHM to the local region, is both viable and essential for future GCHMs in studies conducted at large scales.
Detection of European Aspen (Populus tremula L.) Based on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Approach in Boreal Forests
Authors: Kuzmin Anton , Korhonen Lauri , Kivinen Sonja , Hurskainen Pekka , Korpelainen Pasi , Tanhuanpää Topi , Maltamo Matti , Vihervaara Petteri , Kumpula Timo
Published: April 2021

European aspen (Populus tremula L.) is a keystone species for biodiversity of boreal forests. Large-diameter aspens maintain the diversity of hundreds of species, many of which are threatened in Fennoscandia. Due to a low economic value and relatively sparse and scattered occurrence of aspen in boreal forests, there is a lack of information of the spatial and temporal distribution of aspen, which hampers efficient planning and implementation of sustainable forest management practices and conservation efforts. Our objective was to assess identification of European aspen at the individual tree level in a southern boreal forest using high-resolution photogrammetric point cloud (PPC) and multispectral (MSP) orthomosaics acquired with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The structure-from-motion approach was applied to generate RGB imagery-based PPC to be used for individual tree-crown delineation. Multispectral data were collected using two UAV cameras: Parrot Sequoia and MicaSense RedEdge-M. Tree-crown outlines were obtained from watershed segmentation of PPC data and intersected with multispectral mosaics to extract and calculate spectral metrics for individual trees. We assessed the role of spectral data features extracted from PPC and multispectral mosaics and a combination of it, using a machine learning classifier—Support Vector Machine (SVM) to perform two different classifications: discrimination of aspen from the other species combined into one class and classification of all four species (aspen, birch, pine, spruce) simultaneously. In the first scenario, the highest classification accuracy of 84% (F1-score) for aspen and overall accuracy of 90.1% was achieved using only RGB features from PPC, whereas in the second scenario, the highest classification accuracy of 86 % (F1-score) for aspen and overall accuracy of 83.3% was achieved using the combination of RGB and MSP features. The proposed method provides a new possibility for the rapid assessment of aspen occurrence to enable more efficient forest management as well as contribute to biodiversity monitoring and conservation efforts in boreal forests.
Food Festival Exhibitors’ Business Motivation
Authors: Janiszewska Dorota , Ossowska Luiza
Published: April 2021

This paper aims to present the motivation of exhibitors participating in food festivals to establish and run a business. The conducted research is an attempt to fill the gap in research on exhibitors who participate in food festivals. During three different Polish culinary festivals, 58 in-depth interviews with exhibitors were conducted. Based on the research, the main startup business motives were identified. The current goals of exhibitors’ participation in culinary festivals were also analyzed. Based on the list of motives and goals, three groups of exhibitors were distinguished with similar characteristics (starting own business, continuation of family traditions, and culinary interest). The study also takes into account the changes that have occurred between the startup’s business motives and the goals of participation in the festival (“business-business”, “business-business-business-family”, and “business-passion-passion-business”). The comparison of the initial motives for setting up a business with the current goals of participating in food festivals shows that, regardless of the initial motives, the exhibitors currently focus on business goals.
From Pilot Projects to Transformative Infrastructures, Exploring Market Receptivity for Permeable Pavement in The Netherlands
Authors: de Graaf-van Dinther Rutger , Leskens Anne , Veldkamp Ted , Kluck Jeroen , Boogaard Floris
Published: April 2021

Climate change and changing land use challenge the livability and flood safety of Dutch cities. One option cities have to become more climate-proof is to increase infiltration of stormwater into soil through permeable pavement and thus reduce discharge of stormwater into sewer systems. To analyze the market receptivity for permeable pavements in the Netherlands, this article focuses on the perception of end-users towards key transition factors in the infrastructure transformation processes. Market receptivity was studied on two levels: (1) on the system level, by analyzing 20 key factors in the Dutch urban water sector that enable wider application of permeable pavements; and (2) on the technology level, by analyzing 12 key factors that explain why decision makers select permeable pavements or not. Results show that trust between cooperating partners was perceived as the system level key factor that needs to be improved most to facilitate the wider uptake of permeable pavements. Additionally, the association of end-users with permeable pavement, particularly their willingness to apply these technologies and their understanding of what kinds of benefits these technologies could bring, was regarded the most important receptivity attribute. On the technology level, the reliability of permeable pavement was regarded as the most important end-user consideration for selecting this technology.
Measuring System Competence in Education for Sustainable Development
Authors: Roczen Nina , Fischer Frank , Fögele Janis , Hartig Johannes , Mehren Rainer
Published: April 2021

This paper presents the development of an instrument for the assessment of system competence in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Based on an already existing, more complex model of system competence for the school subject geography, we have developed a test that refers to central themes and principles of ESD using exclusively closed answer formats. Building on the results of cognitive laboratories and expert feedback from various fields, the instrument was (further) developed in an iterative process of feedback and revision. We conducted a quantitative pilot study with N = 366 8th and 9th grade students. The results indicate that the development of our system competence test was successful—the overall test yielded a high reliability and only very few items were not working as intended. Furthermore, the difficulties of the items were appropriate for the ability levels of the students and the results of a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggest that the newly developed test measures system competence with one dimension. As the test is compact, easy to interpret, and yet reliable, it is particularly suitable for monitoring purposes in the field of ESD.
Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES)
Authors: Wołosz Krzysztof J. , Urbaniec Krzysztof , Duić Neven
Published: April 2021

Sustainable development is a highly interdisciplinary concept that involves the interaction of various systems, such as energy, water, and environment, by using waste from one, as a resource in another, and in the exact moment when it is beneficial to all [...]
The 10 Most Crucial Circular Economy Challenge Patterns in Tourism and the Effects of COVID-19
Authors: Martínez-Cabrera Julia , López-del-Pino Francisco
Published: April 2021

This paper makes a new contribution to the understanding of challenges for the transition toward the circular economy (CE) by identifying the main CE challenge patterns (CECPs) and analyzing their relevance for the tourism sector. Our work is based on a previous systematic literature review of 42 articles on CE through open coding following grounded theory. This allowed us to identify 68 CECPs and classify them into three levels of abstraction: microenvironmental, macroenvironmental, and organizational. To make this general research relevant to the tourism industry we conducted semi-structured interviews with 33 experts in CE and tourism, ensuring that theoretical saturation was reached. The data was analyzed in two coding phases, identifying which general CECPs are applicable to the tourism industry and which of them need further specification. The result shows that 34 of the 68 CECPs are applicable to tourism, of which 41% need to be specified to be relevant to the sector. Especially at the microenvironmental level, 53% of the general CECPs needed to be specified for the case of tourism. The analysis allowed to identify the 10 most crucial CECPs for the tourism industry and which of them have been most affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Teaching Competencies of Language Teachers in Research Universities in Beijing: Perspectives from SoTL and Institutional Theory
Authors: Zhang Yi , Ye Fugui , Liu Xiumei
Published: April 2021

Though professional development of language teachers has received increasing attention over the past decade, there is a lack of research on development of language teachers’ teaching competencies in research universities. Informed by the institutional perspective and the framework of Scholarship of Teaching, this study investigates the development of 16 language teachers’ teaching competencies in Beijing research universities. The findings show that language teachers’ teaching competencies include English proficiency, professional ethics, pedagogical content knowledge, reflective thinking, and research-informed teaching. Factors influencing language teachers’ teaching competencies range from the department level to the university level and the academia level. Pathways are proposed from the cultural-cognitive perspective, the normative perspective, and the regulative perspective to develop teaching competencies of language teachers.
Sustainable Valorisation of Silane-Treated Waste Glass Powder in Concrete Pavement
Authors: Al-Kheetan Mazen J. , Byzyka Juliana , Ghaffar Seyed Hamidreza
Published: April 2021

This research presents new insights into the utilisation of waste glass powder in concrete pavements. Two different types of glass powder were used as a partial replacement for sand: 10% neat glass powder (untreated) and 10% silane-treated glass powder. The interfacial bonding properties, physical properties, and mechanical properties of concrete pavement were assessed at 7 and 28 days. Results exposed a reduction of 5% and 2% in the compressive and flexural strengths, respectively, and an increase of 15% in water absorption after the addition of neat glass powder to concrete after 7 days of curing. This is due to weak interfacial bonding between the glass powder and cementitious matrix. However, the incorporation of silane-coated glass powder led to an increase in the compressive and flexural strengths by more than 22% and 28%, respectively, and reduced the water absorption of concrete by 8%, due to the coupling functionality of silane. After 28 days of curing, the compressive strength of concrete increased by 15% and 22% after the addition of neat glass powder and silane-treated glass powder, respectively. In addition, water absorption dropped by 5% and 7% after the incorporation of neat glass powder and silane-treated glass powder.
Gene Editing for Improved Animal Welfare and Production Traits in Cattle: Will This Technology Be Embraced or Rejected by the Public?
Authors: Yunes Maria Cristina , Osório-Santos Zimbábwe , von Keyserlingk Marina A. G. , Hötzel Maria José
Published: April 2021

Integrating technology into agricultural systems has gained considerable traction, particularly over the last half century. Agricultural systems that incorporate the public’s concerns regarding farm animal welfare are more likely to be socially accepted in the long term, a key but often forgotten component of sustainability. Gene editing is a tool that has received considerable attention in the last five years, given its potential capacity to improve farm animal health, welfare, and production efficiency. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of Brazilian citizens regarding the applications of gene editing in cattle that generate offspring without horns; are more resistant to heat; and have increased muscle tissue. Using a mixed-methods approach, we surveyed participants via face-to-face, using in-depth interviews (Study 1) and an online questionnaire containing closed-ended questions (Study 2). Overall, the acceptability of gene editing was low and in cases where support was given it was highly dependent on the type and purpose of the application proposed. Using gene editing to improve muscle tissue growth was viewed as less acceptable compared to using gene editing to reduce heat stress or to produce hornless cattle. Support declined when the application was perceived to harm animal welfare, to be profit motivated or to reinforce the status quo of intensive livestock systems. The acceptability of gene editing was reduced when perceptions of risks and benefits were viewed as unevenly or unfairly distributed among consumers, corporations, different types of farmers, and the animals. Interviewees did not consider gene editing a “natural” process, citing dissenting reasons such as the high degree of human interference and the acceleration of natural processes. Our findings raised several issues that may need to be addressed for gene editing to comply with the social pillar of sustainable agriculture.
The Effects of the Economic Adjustment Programmes for Greece: A Quasi-Experimental Approach
Authors: Revuelta Julio
Published: April 2021

Three Economic Adjustment Programmes (EAPs) were implemented in Greece, between 2010 and 2015, without achieving the proposed economic objectives. This article analyses the impact of the EAPs in Greece using the synthetic control method (SCM) and has three main contributions. First, it identifies a long-term negative impact worth 35.3 per cent of the Greek GDP per capita caused by the application of the EAPs. Second, it finds that three-quarters of the estimated negative and unsustainable impact accumulated over the 2010–2012 period. Third, it identifies a regressive effect of the EAPs on income distribution, the Greek population with lower incomes experienced a greater negative effect caused by the adjustment programmes. These results underscore the need to review and correct the conditional financial assistance framework currently in force in the European Union.
Sustainable Innovation in Higher Education: The Impact of Gender on Innovation Competences
Authors: Ferreras-Garcia Raquel , Sales-Zaguirre Jordi , Serradell-López Enric
Published: April 2021

There is currently an increasing interest for sustainable innovation in our society. The European agendas highlight the role of higher education institutions in the formation and development of innovation competences among students. Our study aimed to contribute to the analysis of the level of achievement of students’ innovation competences by considering two sustainable development goals (SDG) of the 2030 United Nations’ Agenda: Gender Equality (SDG 5) and Quality Education (SDG 4). This article tries to answer how business students perceive their own innovation competences and which innovative competences are best achieved by students, as well as if there are differences in the achievement of these competences depending on the students’ gender. Our results, from a sample of 360 students in the Business Administration and Management Bachelor’s Degree at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, confirm the extensive development of innovation competences. Moreover, female students present a high level of preparation for innovation-oriented action. These findings have educational implications for potentiating the innovation competences and environments where females can attain innovation skills.
The Sustainable Success and Growth of Social Ventures: Their Internal and External Factors
Authors: Kim Jisong , Lee Jinhee , Lee Timothy J.
Published: April 2021

The social venture ecosystem is important for the growth and sustainability of social ventures. This study aims to expand our understanding of the sustainable success and growth of social ventures by analyzing both their internal and external factors using interviews with social venture entrepreneurs and stakeholders in the ecosystem. A qualitative research method is employed to examine the interviewees’ perspectives, and the data were analyzed using the framework of grounded theory. The three-step grounded theory process was performed via open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The study findings are drawn by organizing the outline according to this coding method. Entrepreneurs’ awareness and willingness to solve social problems led to a sense of challenge, and the formation and maintenance of business models in the preparation stage positively affected the performance of social ventures through internal corporate resources and external cooperation. The study is of academic significance in that it presents a diversified dynamic concept of sustainability of social ventures compared to previous studies, which have been only fragmented studies. It also presents a number of managerial implications for sustainable development and the constant growth of social ventures.
Robust Scheduling of Waste Wood Processing Plants with Uncertain Delivery Sources and Quality
Authors: Dávid Balázs , Ősz Olivér , Hegyháti Máté
Published: April 2021

While the study of reverse wood value chains has become an important topic recently, optimization-focused studies usually consider network-level problems and decisions, and do not address the individual processes in the network. In the case of waste wood, one such important process is the scheduling of the various machines in a waste wood processing facility to treat incoming wood deliveries with multiple sources and varying quality. This paper proposes a robust multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model for the optimization of this process that considers the uncertain origins and compositions of the incoming deliveries, while aiming to minimize both lateness and energy consumption. An exhaustive study is performed on instance sets of different sizes and structures to show the efficiency and the limits of the proposed model both in single- and multi-objective cases.
The Roles of IL-17, IL-21, and IL-23 in the Helicobacter pylori Infection and Gastrointestinal Inflammation: A Review
Authors: Dewayani Astri , Fauzia Kartika Afrida , Alfaray Ricky Indra , Waskito Langgeng Agung , Doohan Dalla , Rezkitha Yudith Annisa Ayu , Abdurachman Abdurachman , Kobayashi Takashi , I’tishom Reny , Yamaoka Yoshio , Miftahussurur Muhammad
Published: April 2021

Although millions of people have been infected by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), only a small proportion of infected individuals will develop adverse outcomes, ranging from chronic gastritis to gastric cancer. Advanced development of the disease has been well-linked with chronic inflammation, which is significantly impacted by the adaptive and humoral immunity response. From the perspective of cellular immunity, this review aims to clarify the intricate axis between IL-17, IL-21, and IL-23 in H. pylori-related diseases and the pathogenesis of inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases. CD4+ helper T (Th)-17 cells, with the hallmark pleiotropic cytokine IL-17, can affect antimicrobial activity and the pathogenic immune response in the gut environment. These circumstances cannot be separated, as the existence of affiliated cytokines, including IL-21 and IL-23, help maintain Th17 and accommodate humoral immune cells. Comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interaction between molecular host responses in H. pylori-related diseases and the inflammation process may facilitate further development of immune-based therapy.
Risky Business: The Function of Play in a Venomous Mammal—The Javan Slow Loris (Nycticebus javanicus)
Authors: Barrett Meg , Campera Marco , Morcatty Thais Q. , Weldon Ariana V. , Hedger Katherine , Maynard Keely Q. , Imron Muhammad Ali , Nekaris K. A. I.
Published: April 2021

Immature mammals require opportunities to develop skills that will affect their competitive abilities and reproductive success as adults. One way these benefits may be achieved is through play behavior. While skills in developing use of tusks, antlers, and other weapons mammals have been linked to play, play in venomous animals has rarely been studied. Javan slow lorises (Nycticebus javanicus) use venom to aid in intraspecific competition, yet whether individuals use any behavioral mechanisms to develop the ability to use venom remains unclear. From April 2012 to December 2020, we recorded 663 play events and studied the factors influencing the frequency of play and the postures used during play in wild Javan slow lorises. Regardless of the presence of siblings, two thirds of play partners of young slow lorises were older and more experienced adults. Young lorises engaged in riskier behaviors during play, including using more strenuous postures and playing more in riskier conditions with increased rain and moonlight. We found that play patterns in immature lorises bear resemblance to venom postures used by adults. We suggest that play functions to train immature lorises to deal with future unexpected events, such as random attacks, as seen in other mammalian taxa with weapons. Given the importance of venom use for highly territorial slow lorises throughout their adult lives and the similarities between venom and play postures, we cannot rule out the possibility that play also prepares animals for future venomous fights. We provide here a baseline for the further exploration of the development of this unique behavior in one of the few venomous mammals.
Burden, Antibiotic Resistance, and Clonality of Shigella spp. Implicated in Community-Acquired Acute Diarrhoea in Lilongwe, Malawi
Authors: Phiri Abel F.N.D. , Abia Akebe Luther King , Amoako Daniel Gyamfi , Mkakosya Rajab , Sundsfjord Arnfinn , Essack Sabiha Y. , Simonsen Gunnar Skov
Published: April 2021

Although numerous studies have investigated diarrhoea aetiology in many sub-Saharan African countries, recent data on Shigella species’ involvement in community-acquired acute diarrhoea (CA-AD) in Malawi are scarce. This study investigated the incidence, antibiotic susceptibility profile, genotypic characteristics, and clonal relationships of Shigella flexneri among 243 patients presenting with acute diarrhoea at a District Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi. Shigella spp. were isolated and identified using standard microbiological and serological methods and confirmed by identifying the ipaH gene using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The isolates’ antibiotic susceptibility to 20 antibiotics was determined using the VITEK 2 system according to EUCAST guidelines. Genes conferring resistance to sulfamethoxazole (sul1, sul2 and sul3), trimethoprim (dfrA1, dfrA12 and dfrA17) and ampicillin (oxa-1 and oxa-2), and virulence genes (ipaBCD, sat, ial, virA, sen, set1A and set1B) were detected by real-time PCR. Clonal relatedness was assessed using ERIC-PCR. Thirty-four Shigella flexneri isolates were isolated (an overall incidence of 14.0%). All the isolates were fully resistant to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (100%) and ampicillin (100%) but susceptible to the other antibiotics tested. The sul1 (79%), sul2 (79%), sul3 (47%), dfrA12 (71%) and dfrA17 (56%) sulfonamide and trimethoprim resistance genes were identified; Oxa-1, oxa-2 and dfrA1 were not detected. The virulence genes ipaBCD (85%), sat (85%), ial (82%), virA (76%), sen (71%), stx (71%), set1A (26%) and set1B (18%) were detected. ERIC-PCR profiling revealed that the Shigella isolates were genetically distinct and clonally unrelated, indicating the potential involvement of genetically distinct S. flexneri in CA-AD in Malawi. The high percentage resistance to ampicillin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and the presence of several virulence determinants in these isolates emphasises a need for continuous molecular surveillance studies to inform preventive measures and management of Shigella-associated diarrhoeal infections in Malawi.
CRISPR Interference Efficiently Silences Latent and Lytic Viral Genes in Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Infected Cells
Authors: Brackett Kevin , Mungale Ameera , Lopez-Isidro Mary , Proctor Duncan A. , Najarro Guillermo , Arias Carolina
Published: April 2021

Uncovering viral gene functions requires the modulation of gene expression through overexpression or loss-of-function. CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), a modification of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, allows specific and efficient transcriptional silencing without genetic ablation. CRISPRi has been used to silence eukaryotic and prokaryotic genes at the single-gene and genome-wide levels. Here, we report the use of CRISPRi to silence latent and lytic viral genes, with an efficiency of ~80–90%, in epithelial and B-cells carrying multiple copies of the Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) genome. Our results validate CRISPRi for the analysis of KSHV viral elements, providing a functional genomics tool for studying virus–host interactions.
Corticosteroids May Have Negative Effects on the Management of Patients with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome: A Case–Control Study
Authors: Kawaguchi Takeshi , Umekita Kunihiko , Yamanaka Atsushi , Hara Seiichiro , Yamaguchi Tetsuro , Inoue Eisuke , Okayama Akihiko
Published: April 2021

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging viral hemorrhagic fever in China, Korea, and Japan. To date, no standardized treatment protocol for SFTS has been established. Corticosteroids (CS) may be administered to patients with SFTS and hemophagocytic syndrome, but its effectiveness and safety are still debatable. We conducted a retrospective case series review at four medical facilities in Miyazaki, Japan. Based on the medical records, clinical data, including the patients background, symptoms, physical findings, laboratory data at initial presentation, treatment, and outcome, were compared between the CS-treated and the non-CS-treated group. A total of 47 patients with confirmed SFTS in each hospital were enrolled in this study; there were 14 fatal cases and 33 nonfatal cases. The case fatality ratio was 29.8%. After adjusting patients’ background by propensity score matching, the case fatality ratio was higher (p = 0.04) and complications of secondary infections, including invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, tended to be more frequent (p = 0.07) in the CS-treated group than in the non-CS-treated group. These data suggested that administration of CS to patients with SFTS should be carefully considered.
Emergence and Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages B.1.1.7 and P.1 in Italy
Authors: Di Giallonardo Francesca , Puglia Ilaria , Curini Valentina , Cammà Cesare , Mangone Iolanda , Calistri Paolo , Cobbin Joanna C. A. , Holmes Edward C. , Lorusso Alessio
Published: April 2021

Italy’s second wave of SARS-CoV-2 has hit hard, with more than three million cases and over 100,000 deaths, representing an almost ten-fold increase in the numbers reported by August 2020. Herein, we present an analysis of 6515 SARS-CoV-2 sequences sampled in Italy between 29 January 2020 and 1 March 2021 and show how different lineages emerged multiple times independently despite lockdown restrictions. Virus lineage B.1.177 became the dominant variant in November 2020, when cases peaked at 40,000 a day, but since January 2021 this is being replaced by the B.1.1.7 ‘variant of concern’. In addition, we report a sudden increase in another documented variant of concern—lineage P.1—from December 2020 onwards, most likely caused by a single introduction into Italy. We again highlight how international importations drive the emergence of new lineages and that genome sequencing should remain a top priority for ongoing surveillance in Italy.
Visual Perception in Migraine: A Narrative Review
Authors: Hadjikhani Nouchine , Vincent Maurice
Published: April 2021

Migraine, the most frequent neurological ailment, affects visual processing during and between attacks. Most visual disturbances associated with migraine can be explained by increased neural hyperexcitability, as suggested by clinical, physiological and neuroimaging evidence. Here, we review how simple (e.g., patterns, color) visual functions can be affected in patients with migraine, describe the different complex manifestations of the so-called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, and discuss how visual stimuli can trigger migraine attacks. We also reinforce the importance of a thorough, proactive examination of visual function in people with migraine.
Mapping Contaminant Plume at a Landfill in a Crystalline Basement Terrain in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Using Self-Potential Geophysical Technique
Authors: Barry Abdoul , Yameogo Suzanne , Ayach Meryem , Jabrane Meryem , Tiouiouine Abdessamad , Nakolendousse Samuel , Lazar Hajar , Filki Ahlam , Touzani Meryem , Mohsine Ismail
Published: April 2021

The delineation of pollution plumes generated by household waste landfills is not easy, particularly in the case of discontinuous or intricately extending water tables, such as those developed in a fractured crystalline bedrock context. In Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), there are many uncontrolled landfills throughout the urban area. The water table, generally located between 3 and 10 m deep, is likely to be contaminated by the leachate from these landfills. More than 1000 measurements of spontaneous potential (self-potential), referenced by GPS, have been carried out on a landfill and its immediate surroundings to the south of the urban area. The geostatistical processing by analysis of variograms and correlograms highlights an adapted prospecting technique and reliable cartography. The response seems to be mainly due to the electrochemical component with hot spots within the landfill and a plume heading towards the North-East. The distribution of the spontaneous potential seems to be controlled, not by the topography of the site, but by the fracturing of the mother rock of dominant direction 15° N, and by the mother rock/saprolite contact. Thus, the plume does not flow to the market gardening just below the landfill but rather to a residential area where monitoring of the quality of the borehole water is required.
«Culturologist in the labor market»: results of the international scientific-practical conference
Authors: Dokuchaev I.
Published: April 2021

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the development prospects of cultural studies in modern Russia. It is shown that cultural studies should become not only the training of scientists and teachers, but also specialists in the field of cultural industries and the examination of intangible cultural heritage. At the conference “Culturologist on the labor market”, which ended in St. Petersburg, the key plenary report of which is the basis of this article, the issues of employment of culturologists, the prospects for approving professional standards, the role of cultural studies in shaping Russian cultural policy, the demand for cultural experts in central and remote regions of the Russian Federation.