bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does Administrative Approval Impede Low-Quality Innovation? Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Jiang Haiwei , Pan Shiyuan , Ren Xiaomeng
Published: March 2020

Sustainable economic development is tightly connected to substantial innovation which can be improved by reducing low-quality innovation. This paper constructs a theoretical framework to present the ultimate relationship between administrative approval and sustainability. In order to verify the research hypotheses, we define the dormant patents whose patent rights are terminated due to non-payment of renewal fees to measure the low-quality innovation of Chinese manufacturing firms. By using the merged firm-level data between 1998 and 2007 and collected information on whether a city establishes the administrative approval center (AAC), and employing a difference-in-difference (DID) approach, we identify the impacts of administrative approval and firms’ low-quality innovation. First, the results reveal that administrative approval reduces the firms’ low-quality innovation. Second, administrative approval has a smaller impact on the low-quality innovation for state-owned enterprises (SOE). Third, three mechanisms are uncovered through which administrative approval impedes low-quality innovation: enhancing market competition, changing the direction of innovation, and optimizing research and development (R&D) investment strategy.
Impact of Logistics Capacity on Economic Sustainability of SMEs
Authors: Arsić Miloš , Jovanović Zoran , Tomić Radoljub , Tomović Nena , Arsić Siniša , Bodolo Ištvan
Published: March 2020

In this research paper, various impacts on economic sustainability of small and medium-sized companies are analyzed. This research determined a research gap, by defining a statistically significant difference in business performance between SMEs (small and medium sized businesses) with their own logistics capacities and those which decided to outsource capacities. Impacts of key business factors were measured by quantitative research by using linear regression, on a sample of 340 SMEs from Serbia. These factors are related to market aspects, SME position within a supply chain, but also to internal aspects of the company itself. Empirical research findings suggested that ownership of logistics capacity can have an impact on economic sustainability of SMEs, measured through solvency and profitability. Future research regarding this topic can be diversified through efforts of internationalization of SMEs, or through comparison with large companies in terms of impacts on economic sustainability.
Saline and Alkaline Tolerance of Wetland Plants—What are the Most Representative Evaluation Indicators?
Authors: Cheng Rui , Zhu Hui , Cheng Xianwei , Shutes Brian , Yan Baixing
Published: March 2020

The increasing discharge of wastewater containing inorganic salts, sometimes accompanied by high pH, has been a worldwide environmental problem. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are considered a viable technology for treating saline and/or alkaline wastewater provided that saline-alkaline tolerant plant species are selected and applied. The influence of both saline and alkaline stress on four wetland plant species during their seed germination, early growth, vegetative propagation and continued growth stages was evaluated by three experiments. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted for selecting representative indicators for evaluating the saline and alkaline tolerance of plants during vegetative propagation and plant growth stages. The saline and alkaline stress inhibited the vegetative propagation and plant growth of all tested plant species to varying degrees, therein the influences of saline-alkaline stress on plants were more marked than saline stress. The length of new roots, Na+ accumulation in plant tissue, Na+/K+ ratios in aerial tissue and the total dry biomass were selected as most representative indicators for evaluating the saline and alkaline tolerance of plants. Iris sibirica and Lythrum salicaria showed better saline and alkaline tolerance ability among tested species and could be grown in CWs for treating saline and/or alkaline wastewater.
A Mixed Rough Sets/Fuzzy Logic Approach for Modelling Systemic Performance Variability with FRAM
Authors: Slim Hussein , Nadeau Sylvie
Published: March 2020

The task to understand systemic functioning and predict the behavior of today’s sociotechnical systems is a major challenge facing researchers due to the nonlinearity, dynamicity, and uncertainty of such systems. Many variables can only be evaluated in terms of qualitative terms due to their vague nature and uncertainty. In the first stage of our project, we proposed the application of the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM), a recently emerging technique, to evaluate aircraft deicing operations from a systemic perspective. In the second stage, we proposed the integration of fuzzy logic into FRAM to construct a predictive assessment model capable of providing quantified outcomes to present more intersubjective and comprehensible results. The integration process of fuzzy logic was thorough and required significant effort due to the high number of input variables and the consequent large number of rules. In this paper, we aim to further improve the proposed prototype in the second stage by integrating rough sets as a data-mining tool to generate and reduce the size of the rule base and classify outcomes. Rough sets provide a mathematical framework suitable for deriving rules and decisions from uncertain and incomplete data. The mixed rough sets/fuzzy logic model was applied again here to the context of aircraft deicing operations, keeping the same settings as in the second stage to better compare both results. The obtained results were identical to the results of the second stage despite the significant reduction in size of the rule base. However, the presented model here is a simulated one constructed with ideal data sets accounting for all possible combinations of input variables, which resulted in maximum accuracy. The same should be further optimized and examined using real-world data to validate the results.
Smart Wifi Thermostat-Enabled Thermal Comfort Control in Residences
Authors: Lou Robert , Hallinan Kevin P. , Huang Kefan , Reissman Timothy
Published: March 2020

The present research leverages prior works to automatically estimate wall and ceiling R-values using a combination of a smart WiFi thermostat, building geometry, and historical energy consumption data to improve the calculation of the mean radiant temperature (MRT), which is integral to the determination of thermal comfort in buildings. To assess the potential of this approach for realizing energy savings in any residence, machine learning predictive models of indoor temperature and humidity, based upon a nonlinear autoregressive exogenous model (NARX), were developed. The developed models were used to calculate the temperature and humidity set-points needed to achieve minimum thermal comfort at all times. The initial results showed cooling energy savings in excess of 83% and 95%, respectively, for high- and low-efficiency residences. The significance of this research is that thermal comfort control can be employed to realize significant heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) savings using readily available data and systems.
Energy Performance Evaluation of a Desiccant Air Handling System to Maximize Solar Thermal Energy Use in a Hot and Humid Climate
Authors: Ukai Makiko , Okumiya Masaya , Tanaka Hideki
Published: March 2020

A desiccant air handling unit is one of the major types of dehumidification handling systems and requires hot water or hot air to regenerate sorption materials. If solar thermal energy is used as the heat source for regeneration, in general, a backup electrical heater, backup boiler, or combined heat and power (CHP) is installed in order to maintain a stable hot water supply. In this study, effective control is proposed for a desiccant air handling system that uses solar thermal energy (flexible control), and its energy performance is compared to that of a traditional control (the fixed control) through a system simulation. The diurnal behavior shows that the system with a fixed control without a backup boiler cannot process the latent load properly (28 GJ of unprocessed latent load for July and August). On the other hand, the system with a flexible control without a backup boiler is able to process required latent heat load. Based on the fact that the fixed control needs a backup boiler to process the latent load, the system with a fixed control with a backup boiler is considered for the energy performance comparison. The simulation results show that the primary energy-based coefficient of performance (hereafter, COP) of the system with a flexible control without a backup boiler reaches 1.56. On the other hand, the primary energy-based COP of the system with a fixed control with a backup boiler reaches only 1.43. This proves that the flexible control contributes to the higher energy performance of the system and maximizes the use of solar thermal energy more than the fixed control.
Research and Application of Biochar in Soil CO2 Emission, Fertility, and Microorganisms: A Sustainable Solution to Solve China’s Agricultural Straw Burning Problem
Authors: Wang Huanhuan , Ren Tianbao , Yang Huijuan , Feng Yuqing , Feng Huilin , Liu Guoshun , Yin Quanyu , Shi Hongzhi
Published: March 2020

This study aimed to explore a new way to address the burning of agricultural waste in China while achieving the sustainable use of it. Three agricultural wastes (Wheat straw, peanut shell, and rice husk) were slowly pyrolyzed into biochar, which was subsequently added to the soil to reduce CO2 emissions from the soil, and to improve soil fertility as well as microbial community structure. The biochar and raw materials were added to the soil and cultured under controlled conditions, and then the CO2 emissions produced from the mixing. At the same time, this study used pot experiments to determine the effects of biochar on tobacco soil physical and chemical properties and, therefore, the microbial communities of the soil. This study suggests that (1) biochar can effectively reduce soil CO2 emission rate. Compared with the control, peanut shell biochar could reduce the total CO2 emissions of soil by 33.41%, and the total CO2 emissions of wheat straw biochar treatment was 90.25% lower than that of wheat straw treatment. (2) The soil’s physical and chemical properties were improved. The soil bulk density of wheat straw biochar treatment kept 34.57% lower than that of the control as well as 21.15% lower than that of wheat straw treatment. The soil’s organic carbon of peanut shell biochar treatment was 87.62% more than that of peanut shell treatment. (3) Biochar changed soil microbial community structure. (4) Biochar is suitable for tobacco growth. Peanut husk biochar significantly increased the total biomass of tobacco, and wheat straw biochar significantly increased tobacco root vigor. This study concluded that processing Chinese agricultural waste into biochar and adding it to the soil instead of burning it directly would be an effective means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to improve soil, and to promote crop growth.
Socio-economic Study to Improve the Electrical Sustainability of the North Tower of Instituto Superior Técnico
Authors: Durão Beatriz , N. Torres João Paulo , F. Fernandes Carlos A. , Marques Lameirinhas Ricardo A.
Published: March 2020

In this paper, an autonomous photovoltaic system is going to be designed for the North Tower of Instituto Superior Técnico through the application of solar panels on its windows, using them as producers of electricity based on solar energy. The main objectives of this paper are: (1) to make the building energetically autonomous, using an integrated system of solar photovoltaic technology; (2) check the system behaviour and comment on possible system impacts on the user’s lifestyle. Two solutions are going to be proposed to cover/substitute the windows of the Tower, one using amorphous silicon panels and the other using crystalline silicon panels. Taking into account this type of solution, it is possible to recognize that there are positive impacts, such as the reduction of transmission lines/grids or the decentralisation of energy supplies. However, there are also disadvantages such as the need to have an energy storage system to guarantee the continuous supply. This study, for this building in particular, shows that organic photovoltaic cells have enormous advantages in the future in terms of our environment and social needs, but they do not yet produce the energy needed to meet today’s needs. Both solutions present a return estimative time of seven years, with an initial investment of approximately two million euros, but the produced energy will not be enough to create an off-grid system.
Systems Thinking to Understand National Well-Being from a Human Capital Perspective
Authors: Eker Sibel , Ilmola-Sheppard Leena
Published: March 2020

Well-being has become an important policy goal to replace gross domestic product (GDP) as an indicator of national progress. Several multidimensional metrics and indicators of well-being have been developed mostly based on the four-capital model that includes natural, economic, human and social capital. These multidimensional measures of well-being, however, are highly categorical and lack a systems perspective that focuses on underlying mechanisms of the metrics and the interconnections between them. This study aims at bringing a systems thinking approach to understanding and measuring national well-being, particularly from a human capital perspective. For this purpose, we employ a qualitative systems mapping approach and identify the direct or indirect relationships between the well-being indicators related to human capital. The results show that the human capital system is governed by several reinforcing feedback loops through economic progress, health and life expectancy, which gives a central role to human capital to enhance well-being. There are balancing loops, however, that may have adverse effects on human capital formation and well-being, for instance through migration and ageing. Future studies can focus on the other three subsystems in the four-capital model, and on quantifying the relationships between different dimensions of well-being.
ESDA (Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis) of Vegetation Cover in Urban Areas—Recognition of Vulnerabilities for the Management of Resources in Urban Green Infrastructure
Authors: Moura Ana Clara M. , Fonseca Bráulio M.
Published: March 2020

From the mapping of urban vegetation cover by high-resolution orthoimages, using IR band and NDVI classification (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), added to three-dimensional representation obtained by LiDAR capture (Light Detection and Ranging), the volumetric values of vegetal cover are obtained as a base to construct spatial analysis in the district of Pampulha, in Belo Horizonte, investigating the role it plays in the neighborhood. The article aims to analyze the relationship between vegetation cover, income distribution and population density, as a support to urban environmental quality management. It applies Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) to identify the presence of clusters and patterns of spatial distribution and to examine spatial autocorrelation. The results confirm the concentration of vegetation cover in areas of high income and lower population density but the main contribution of the study is the use of a method to analyze the spatial behavior of this distribution. Calculating Moran global index and local index (LISA), these spatial combinations are mainly used to identify transformation pressures, which may result in the definition of priorities for public actions and the construction of proposals for parameterization of vegetation cover to support plans related to green infrastructure in urban areas.
Insights on Multi-Agent Systems Applications for Supply Chain Management
Authors: Dominguez Roberto , Cannella Salvatore
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we review relevant literature on the development of multi-agent systems applications for supply chain management. We give a general picture of the state of the art, showing the main applications developed using this novel methodology for analyzing diverse problems in industry. We also analyze generic frameworks for supply chain modelling, showing their main characteristics. We discuss the main topics addressed with this technique and the degree of development of the contributions.
Identifying the Carbon Emissions Damage to International Tourism: Turn a Blind Eye
Authors: Anser Muhammad Khalid , Yousaf Zahid , Awan Usama , Nassani Abdelmohsen A. , Qazi Abro Muhammad Moinuddin , Zaman Khalid
Published: March 2020

The importance of sustainable tourism is largely discussed in environmental literature under two different main streams: first, an ample amount of literature is available on the role of international tourism in economic development; second, the existing literature mainly focused on estimating tourism carbon footprints across countries. Limited work has been done on identifying the cost of carbon emissions on the tourism industry, which is evaluated in this study to fill the existing literature gap by using a large panel of 132 countries between 1995 and 2018. The results show that carbon emissions damage, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and population density substantially decrease inbound tourism and international tourism receipts that result in an impact on the increase in international tourism expenditures across countries. The ex-ante analysis shows that inbound tourism will likely decrease from 19.546% to 16.854% due to an increase in carbon emissions damage of 0.357% to 1.349% for the period 2020–2028. Subsequently, international tourism expenditures will decrease from 19.758% to 12.384% by increasing carbon emissions damage from0.832% to 1.025%. Finally, international tourism revenues will subsequently decline from23.362% to 18.197% due to lowering carbon emissions damage from 0.397% to −0.113% over a time horizon.
The Impact of R&D Expenditures on Corporate Performance: Evidence from Slovenian and World R&D Companies
Authors: Ravšelj Dejan , Aristovnik Aleksander
Published: March 2020

Research and development (R&D) investment is widely recognised as one of the crucial elements of generating the competitive advantage of contemporary companies. At the same time, it is also considered to represent one of the key determinants of overall sustainable development. Global competition, which is becoming increasingly harsh and forces companies to provide value-added products, processes and services, constitutes a reason why R&D investment is indispensable in contemporary business operations as they facilitate keeping the companies’ position in the market in terms of their competitiveness. The main aim of this paper is therefore to examine the impact of R&D expenditures on corporate performance. Using a multiple regression analysis, two different panel datasets covering Slovenian and world R&D companies are analysed. This gives a unique opportunity to obtain comprehensive and interesting findings, representing the main originality and value of the paper. The empirical results reveal that R&D expenditures are not effective in the short-term period and bring certain benefits in the long-term period. The findings of this paper provide several important theoretical and practical implications.
Molecular Epidemiology of HIV-1 Infected Migrants Followed Up in Portugal: Trends between 2001–2017
Authors: Pimentel Victor , Pingarilho Marta , Alves Daniela , Diogo Isabel , Fernandes Sandra , Miranda Mafalda , Pineda-Peña Andrea-Clemencia , Libin Pieter , Martins M. Rosário O. , Vandamme Anne-Mieke , Camacho Ricardo , Gomes Perpétua , Abecasis Ana
Published: March 2020

Migration is associated with HIV-1 vulnerability. Objectives: To identify long-term trends in HIV-1 molecular epidemiology and antiretroviral drug resistance (ARV) among migrants followed up in Portugal Methods: 5177 patients were included between 2001 and 2017. Rega, Scuel, Comet, and jPHMM algorithms were used for subtyping. Transmitted drug resistance (TDR) and Acquired drug resistance (ADR) were defined as the presence of surveillance drug resistance mutations (SDRMs) and as mutations of the IAS-USA 2015 algorithm, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed. Results: HIV-1 subtypes infecting migrants were consistent with the ones prevailing in their countries of origin. Over time, overall TDR significantly increased and specifically for Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTIs) and Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTIs). TDR was higher in patients from Mozambique. Country of origin Mozambique and subtype B were independently associated with TDR. Overall, ADR significantly decreased over time and specifically for NRTIs and Protease Inhibitors (PIs). Age, subtype B, and viral load were independently associated with ADR. Conclusions: HIV-1 molecular epidemiology in migrants suggests high levels of connectivity with their country of origin. The increasing levels of TDR in migrants could indicate an increase also in their countries of origin, where more efficient surveillance should occur.
Recent Advances in the Use of Plant Virus-Like Particles as Vaccines
Authors: Balke Ina , Zeltins Andris
Published: March 2020

Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions of the 20th century. All vaccines can be classified into different types, such as vaccines against infectious diseases, anticancer vaccines and vaccines against autoimmune diseases. In recent decades, recombinant technologies have enabled the design of experimental vaccines against a wide range of diseases using plant viruses and virus-like particles as central elements to stimulate protective and long-lasting immune responses. The analysis of recent publications shows that at least 97 experimental vaccines have been constructed based on plant viruses, including 71 vaccines against infectious agents, 16 anticancer vaccines and 10 therapeutic vaccines against autoimmune disorders. Several plant viruses have already been used for the development of vaccine platforms and have been tested in human and veterinary studies, suggesting that plant virus-based vaccines will be introduced into clinical and veterinary practice in the near future.
Serological Survey of Lyssaviruses in Polish Bats in the Frame of Passive Rabies Surveillance Using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Authors: Orłowska Anna , Smreczak Marcin , Freuling Conrad Martin , Müller Thomas , Trębas Paweł , Rola Jerzy
Published: March 2020

Background: Bats are known to host a number of nonpathogenic viruses, as well as highly pathogenic viruses causing fatal diseases like rabies. Serological surveys as part of active and passive bat rabies surveillance mainly use seroneutralization assays, demonstrating the presence of lyssavirus-specific antibodies in a variety of European bats, particularly against European bat lyssaviruses type 1 (EBLV-1). Here, we present the first serological survey in European bats of this kind during which European bats from Poland collected in the frame of passive rabies surveillance between 2012 and 2018, as well as Serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus) and North American Big Brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) from previous experimental studies, were tested using a commercial ELISA kit for the detection of anti-lyssavirus antibodies. Results: Lyssavirus-specific antibodies were detected in 35 (30.4%) out of 115 Polish bats of both sexes, representing nine out of 13 identified bat species endemic mainly to Central Southern Europe and Western Asia, i.e., Eptesicus serotinus, Nyctalus noctula, Myotis daubentonii, Plecotus auritus, Vespertillo murinus,Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pipilstrellus/Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Myotis brandtii, and Barbastella barbastellus. Seroprevalence was highest in bat species of Nyctalus noctula, Eptesicus serotinus, Plecotus auritus, and Myotis daubentonii. More than 60% of the ELISA seropositive bats originated from the voivodeships of Silesia, Lower-Silesian, Warmian-Mazurian, and Mazowian. Rabies-specific antibodies were also found in Eptesicus fuscus bats from North America. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the principal application of the BioPro Rabies ELISA Ab Kit for the detection of anti-lyssavirus specific antibodies in body fluids and serum samples of bats. However, results may only be reliable for North American bats, whereas interpretation of results for European bats per se is difficult because proper validation of the test is hampered by the protected status of these species.
SOX2 Represses Hepatitis B Virus Replication by Binding to the Viral EnhII/Cp and Inhibiting the Promoter Activation
Authors: Yang Hua , Mo Jiayin , Xiang Qi , Zhao Peiyi , Song Yunting , Yang Ge , Wu Kailang , Liu Yingle , Liu Weiyong , Wu Jianguo
Published: March 2020

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication is controlled by four promoters (preS1, preS2, Cp, and Xp) and two enhancers (EnhI and EnhII). EnhII stimulates Cp activity to regulate the transcriptions of precore, core, polymerase, and pregenomic RNAs, and therefore, EnhII/Cp is essential for the regulation of HBV replication. This study revealed a distinct mechanism underlying the suppression of EnhII/Cp activation and HBV replication. On the one hand, the sex determining region Y box2 (SOX2), a transcription factor, is induced by HBV. On the other hand, SOX2, in turn, represses the expression levels of HBV RNAs, HBV core-associated DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), thereby playing an inhibitory role during HBV replication. Further studies indicated that SOX2 bound to the EnhII/Cp DNA and repressed the promoter activation. With the deletion of the high mobility group (HMG) domain, SOX2 loses the ability to repress EnhII/Cp activation, viral RNA transcription, HBV core-associated DNA replication, HBsAg and HBeAg production, as well as fails to enter the nucleus, demonstrating that the HMG domain is required for the SOX2-mediated repression of HBV replication. Moreover, SOX2 represses HBsAg and HBeAg secretion in BALB/c mice sera, and attenuates HBV 3.5 kb RNA transcription and hepatitis B virus core protein (HBc) production in the liver tissues, demonstrating that SOX2 suppresses HBV replication in mice. Furthermore, the results revealed that the HMG domain was required for SOX2-mediated repression of HBV replication in the mice. Taken together, the above facts indicate that SOX2 acts as a new host restriction factor to repress HBV replication by binding to the viral EnhII/Cp and inhibiting the promoter activation through the HMG domain.
Oxygen Levels Affect Macrophage HIV-1 Gene Expression and Delay Resolution of Inflammation in HIV-Tg Mice
Authors: Jerebtsova Marina , Ahmad Asrar , Kumari Namita , Rutagarama Ornela , Nekhai Sergei
Published: March 2020

While antiretroviral therapy increases the longevity of people living with HIV (PLWH), about 30% of this population suffers from three or more concurrent comorbidities, whose mechanisms are not well understood. Chronic activation and dysfunction of the immune system could be one potential cause of these comorbidities. We recently demonstrated reduced macrophage infiltration and delayed resolution of inflammation in the lungs of HIV-transgenic mice. Additionally, trans-endothelial migration of HIV-positive macrophages was reduced in vitro. Here, we analyze macrophages’ response to LPS challenge in the kidney and peritoneum of HIV-Tg mice. In contrast to the lung infiltration, renal and peritoneal macrophage infiltrations were similar in WT and HIV-Tg mice. Higher levels of HIV-1 gene expression were detected in lung macrophages compared to peritoneal macrophages. In peritoneal macrophages, HIV-1 gene expression was increased when they were cultured at 21% O2 compared to 5% O2, inversely correlating with reduced trans-endothelial migration at higher oxygen levels in vitro. The resolution of macrophage infiltration was reduced in both the lung and the peritoneal cavity of HIV-Tg mice. Taken together, our study described the organ-specific alteration of macrophage dynamics in HIV-Tg mice. The delayed resolution of macrophage infiltration might constitute a risk factor for the development of multiple comorbidities in PLWH.
Characterization and Incidence of the First Member of the Genus Mitovirus Identified in the Phytopathogenic Species Fusarium oxysporum
Authors: Torres-Trenas Almudena , Pérez-Artés Encarnación
Published: March 2020

A novel mycovirus named Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi mitovirus 1 (FodMV1) has been identified infecting a strain of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi from Colombia. The genome of FodMV1 is 2313 nt long, and comprises a 172-nt 5’-UTR, a 2025-nt single ORF encoding an RdRp of 675 amino acid residues, and a 113-nt 3´-UTR. Homology BlastX searches identifies FodMV1 as a novel member of the genus Mitovirus in the family Narnaviridae. As the rest of mitoviruses, the genome of FodMV1 presents a high percentage of A+U (58.8%) and contains a number of UGA codons that encode the amino acid tryptophan rather than acting as stop codons as in the universal genetic code. Another common feature with other mitoviruses is that the 5′- and 3′-UTR regions of FodMV1 can be folded into potentially stable stem-loop structures. Result from phylogenetic analysis place FodMV1 in a different clade than the rest of mitoviruses described in other Fusarium spp. Incidence of FodMV1-infections in the collection of F. oxysporum f. sp. dianthi isolates analyzed is relatively high. Of particular interest is the fact that FodMV1 has been detected infecting isolates from two geographical areas as distant as Spain and Colombia.
Effective Activation of Human Antigen-Presenting Cells and Cytotoxic CD8+ T Cells by a Calcium Phosphate-Based Nanoparticle Vaccine Delivery System
Authors: Scheffel Florian , Knuschke Torben , Otto Lucas , Kollenda Sebastian , Sokolova Viktoriya , Cosmovici Christine , Buer Jan , Timm Jörg , Epple Matthias , Westendorf Astrid M.
Published: March 2020

The ability of vaccines to induce T cell responses is crucial for preventing diseases caused by viruses. Nanoparticles (NPs) are considered to be efficient tools for the initiation of potent immune responses. Calcium phosphate (CaP) NPs are a class of biodegradable nanocarriers that are able to deliver immune activating molecules across physiological barriers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess whether Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand and viral antigen functionalized CaP NPs are capable of inducing efficient maturation of human antigen presenting cells (APC). To achieve this, we generated primary human dendritic cells (DCs) and stimulated them with CpG or poly(I:C) functionalized CaP NPs. DCs were profoundly stronger when activated upon NP stimulation compared to treatment with soluble TLR ligands. This is indicated by increased levels of costimulatory molecules and the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Consequently, coculture of NP-stimulated APCs with CD8+ T cells resulted in a significant expansion of virus-specific T cells. In summary, our data suggest that functionalized CaP NPs are a suitable tool for activating human virus-specific CD8+ T cells and may represent an excellent vaccine delivery system.
Development of Tumor Cell-Based Vaccine with IL-12 Gene Electrotransfer as Adjuvant
Authors: Remic Tinkara , Sersa Gregor , Ursic Katja , Cemazar Maja , Kamensek Urska
Published: March 2020

Tumor cell-based vaccines use tumor cells as a source of tumor-associated antigens. In our study, we aimed to develop and test a tumor vaccine composed of tumor cells killed by irradiation combined with in vivo interleukin-12 gene electrotransfer as an adjuvant. Vaccination was performed in the skin of B16-F10 malignant melanoma or CT26 colorectal carcinoma tumor-bearing mice, distant from the tumor site and combined with concurrent tumor irradiation. Vaccination was also performed before tumor inoculation in both tumor models and tumor outgrowth was followed. The antitumor efficacy of vaccination in combination with tumor irradiation or preventative vaccination varied between the tumor models. A synergistic effect between vaccination and irradiation was observed in the B16-F10, but not in the CT26 tumor model. In contrast, up to 56% of mice were protected from tumor outgrowth in the CT26 tumor model and none were protected in the B16-F10 tumor model. The results suggest a greater contribution of the therapeutic vaccination to tumor irradiation in a less immunogenic B16-F10 tumor model, in contrast to preventative vaccination, which has shown greater efficacy in a more immunogenic CT26 tumor model. Upon further optimization of the vaccination and irradiation regimen, our vaccine could present an alternative tumor cell-based vaccine.
Horses as a Crucial Part of One Health
Authors: Lönker Nelly Sophie , Fechner Kim , Abd El Wahed Ahmed
Published: March 2020

One Health (OH) is a crucial concept, where the interference between humans, animals and the environment matters. This review article focusses on the role of horses in maintaining the health of humans and the environment. Horses’ impact on environmental health includes their influence on soil and the biodiversity of animal and plant species. Nevertheless, the effect of horses is not usually linear and several factors like plant–animal coevolutionary history, climate and animal density play significant roles. The long history of the relationship between horses and humans is shaped by the service of horses in wars or even in mines. Moreover, horses were essential in developing the first antidote to cure diphtheria. Nowadays, horses do have an influential role in animal assisted therapy, in supporting livelihoods in low income countries and as a leisure partner. Horses are of relevance in the spillover of zoonotic and emerging diseases from wildlife to human (e.g., Hendra Virus), and in non-communicable diseases (e.g., post-traumatic osteoarthritis in horses and back pain in horse riders). Furthermore, many risk factors—such as climate change and antimicrobial resistance—threaten the health of both horses and humans. Finally, the horse is a valuable factor in sustaining the health of humans and the environment, and must be incorporated in any roadmap to achieve OH.
Stimulus Onset Modulates Auditory and Visual Dominance
Authors: Ciraolo Margeaux , O’Hanlon Samantha , Robinson Christopher , Sinnett Scott
Published: March 2020

Investigations of multisensory integration have demonstrated that, under certain conditions, one modality is more likely to dominate the other. While the direction of this relationship typically favors the visual modality, the effect can be reversed to show auditory dominance under some conditions. The experiments presented here use an oddball detection paradigm with variable stimulus timings to test the hypothesis that a stimulus that is presented earlier will be processed first and therefore contribute to sensory dominance. Additionally, we compared two measures of sensory dominance (slowdown scores and error rate) to determine whether the type of measure used can affect which modality appears to dominate. When stimuli were presented asynchronously, analysis of slowdown scores and error rates yielded the same result; for both the 1- and 3-button versions of the task, participants were more likely to show auditory dominance when the auditory stimulus preceded the visual stimulus, whereas evidence for visual dominance was observed as the auditory stimulus was delayed. In contrast, for the simultaneous condition, slowdown scores indicated auditory dominance, whereas error rates indicated visual dominance. Overall, these results provide empirical support for the hypothesis that the modality that engages processing first is more likely to show dominance, and suggest that more explicit measures of sensory dominance may favor the visual modality.
Analisis Faktor-Faktor Meal Experience dalam Menciptakan Perilaku Konsumen Pasca Pembelian di Jubilare Dine and Wine Bandung
Authors: Iskandar Ridwan , Wardhana Wishnu
Published: March 2020

Restaurant and cafe industry competition is getting tougher. Implementation of the strategy is not right, causing not guaranteed of loyal consumers. When loyalty is difficult to form, at least marketers should pay attention to post purchase consumer behaviour. Consumers relate to a product, there are important elements involved in this interaction process, namely the consumer experience. Therefore, marketers should be able to pack the elements that can be controlled by the marketer that can create a positive meal experience. The presence of the stimuli provided by the organizer restaurant / cafe to create a memorable meal experience in order to stimulate the post purchase behaviour of consumers, the formulation of the problem and the purpose of this study is: How meal experience gained consumers restaurant / cafe. How consumer behaviour and how the influence of post purchase experience meal consisting of food and drinks, atmosphere, cleanliness, service levels and prices obtained by the consumer in the creation of post purchase consumer behaviour. With 110 respondents, researchers used a non-random sampling technique that is accidental sampling in selecting samples and processed using computer software SPSS 17.00. Based on the results of the correlation matrix between the sub variables meal experience of the post purchase behaviour obtained correlation results sequentially, namely, food and beverages (0.77), atmosphere (0.68), hygiene (0.65), service level (0.72) and the price (0.75). Effect of meal experience of the post purchase behaviour has a very strong relationship, which with a correlation coefficient of 0.764, this shows that the meal experience. is able to make a positive contribution then post-purchase behaviour will tend to be positive anyway.
EXTRACTION OPTIMIZATION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS FROM AVOCADO PEEL
Authors: Ton Nu Linh Giang , Nguyen Thi Hoai , Vo Quoc Hung
Published: March 2020

Avocado peel has been considered as a potential source of natural antioxidants in which phenolics are among the most important compounds. Therefore, this study aims to optimize the extraction process of phenolics using response surface methodology and evaluate the corresponding antioxidant activity. From the quadratic model, the optimal condition was determined including the ethanol concentration 54.55% (v/v), the solvent/solute ratio 71.82/1 (mL/g), temperature 53.03 oC and extraction time 99.09 min. The total phenolic content and the total antioxidant capacity at this condition with minor modifications were 26,74 ± 0,04 (mg GAE/g DW) and 188.06 ± 1.41 (mg AAE/g DW), respectively. The significant correlation between total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity was also confirmed.

Key words: response surface methodology, central composite rotatable design, total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity, avocado peel
Sadržajni odmak i metodološka vjernost
Authors: Grgić Miljenka
Published: March 2020

Studija osvjetljuje čuvanje Pavlove nauke u Pastoralnim poslanicama, analizirajući govor o Pavlovu evanđelju u 2 Tim 1,8-11 (1.) i Pavlovu pologu u 2 Tim 1,12-14 (2.). Prvi dio studije utvrđuje da evanđelje Pastoralnih poslanica govori o trima etapama i trima protagonistima povijesti spasenja: Božjem planu prije vremena, Kristovu povijesnom pojavku i naviještaju evanđelja, koji je utemeljen Kristovim ukazanjem Pavlu. Analiza otkriva da to evanđelje karakteriziraju monoteizam i pavlinizam: Bog djeluje u svim trima etapama spasenja, Krist samo u vrijeme svoga povijesnog pojavka, a Pavao je dionik Kristova događaja i ima apostolski prioritet u vremenu navještaja evanđelja. Drugi dio studije utvrđuje da se Pavlov polog odnosi na tradiciju koja se razvila nakon Pavla i koja je našla svoj izričaj u Pastoralnim poslanicama. Toj tradiciji autor daje normativnost, nazivajući je tehničkim terminom iz prava o depozitu i pokazujući da predstavlja legitimni razvoj Pavlove usmene predaje. U zaključku studije pokazuje se da govor o Pavlovu evanđelju i pologu služi tomu da obrani autorovo prihvaćanje kasnijih tradicija i odmak od Pavlove nauke. Pred dilemom „Pavlova norma ili novost“ autor Pastoralnih poslanica izabrao je kompromis „sadržajni odmak i metodološka vjernost Pavlu“, te je predložio taj model kao Pavlov model crkvenim upraviteljima.
CARACTERIZACIÓN FENOLÓGICA Y FISIOLÓGICA DE VARIEDADES EXPERIMENTALES DE CHILE HABANERO CON ALTO POTENCIAL AGRONÓMICO
Authors: Meneses-Lazo Rocío E. , Garruña-Hernández René , Latournerie-Moreno Luis , Andrade-Torres José L. , Pérez-Gutiérrez Alfonzo
Published: March 2020

El chile habanero (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) es una hortaliza de alta importancia económica en México; sin embargo, no hay suficientes variedades que cubran las necesidades del mercado. El Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal ha generado variedades experimentales con potencial agronómico. No obstante, se requieren estudios de caracterización fenológica y fisiológica que permitan reconocer y garantizar su verdadero potencial. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la fenología reproductiva y los procesos fotosintéticos de dos variedades experimentales de chile habanero (H241 y H224) y compararlos con la variedad comercial más cultivada en México (Jaguar). Se evaluaron parámetros de fenología reproductiva y variables fisiológicas. Los resultados mostraron que la variedad H241 adelantó en 5 d floración y 6 d fructificación con respecto a H224. La variedad Jaguar estadísticamente tuvo igual número de frutos por planta que H241, pero superó por 35 % a H224. La variedad H241 tuvo 44 y 25 % menos abortos florales que H224 y Jaguar, respectivamente, lo que representa menor costo energético reproductivo (0.63 flores abortadas/fruto cosechado). En el rendimiento cuántico máximo del fotosistema II (Fv/Fm), la actividad potencial del FSII (Fv/F0) y el coeficiente de extinción no fotoquímico (NPQ) no se observaron diferencias significativas entre las variedades; sin embargo, la variedad H241 superó 17 % a Jaguar tanto en el coeficiente de extinción fotoquímico (qP) como en la tasa de asimilación neta (AN), pero fue estadísticamente similar a H224. La variedad Jaguar tuvo una transpiración 12 % mayor que H241, lo que se reflejó en una mayor eficiencia de uso de agua de H241 en relación con H224 y Jaguar (16 y 27 %, respectivamente). La variedad H241 puede competir contra una variedad comercial posicionada en el mercado y debería usarse en futuras investigaciones sobre tolerancia al estrés hídrico.
Multilevel Design Parameters to Plan Cluster-Randomized Intervention Studies on Student Achievement in Elementary and Secondary School
Authors: Stallasch Sophie Elise , Lüdtke Oliver , Artelt Cordula , Brunner Martin
Published: March 2020

To plan cluster-randomized trials with sufficient statistical power to detect intervention effects on student achievement, researchers need multilevel design parameters, including measures of between-classroom and between-school differences and the amounts of variance explained by covariates at the student, classroom, and school level. Previous research has mostly been conducted in the U.S., focused on two-level designs, and limited to core achievement domains (i.e., mathematics, science, reading). Using representative data of students attending grades 1 to 12 from three German longitudinal large-scale assessments (3,963 ≤ N ≤ 14,640), we used three- and two-level latent (covariate) models to provide design parameters and corresponding standard errors for a broad array of domain-specific (e.g., mathematics, science, verbal skills) and domain-general (e.g., basic cognitive functions) achievement outcomes. Three covariate sets were applied comprising (a) pretest scores, (b) sociodemographic characteristics, and (c) their combination. Design parameters varied considerably as a function of the hierarchical level, achievement outcome, and grade level. Our findings demonstrate the need to strive for an optimal fit between design parameters and target research context. We illustrate the application of design parameters in power analyses.
A NEUROCIÊNCIA COMO FERRAMENTA NO PROCESSO ENSINO-APRENDIZAGEM
Authors: Aparecida Alves Ferreira de Souza Laura , Vergilio da Silva Sidney
Published: March 2020

Os estudos em Neurociências abrangem as doenças do sistema nervoso e seus reflexos nas funções do ser humano, procurando métodos de diagnóstico, prevenção e tratamento. Os estudos aprofundam-se sobre temas como o controle neural das funções vegetativas, das funções sensoriais e motoras, os mecanismos da atenção e memória, aprendizagem, emoção, linguagem e comunicação. Não existe aprendizagem que não passe pelo cérebro, portanto, conhecer o funcionamento do cérebro e do Sistema Nervoso Central é fundamental para entender o processo da aprendizagem. Este artigo tem como objetivos descrever o processo ensino-aprendizagem, identificar o papel que a Neurociência desempenha neste processo e qual a relação entre a Neurociência e a Neuropsicopedagogia na aprendizagem. Como justificativa, destaque-se que esta nova área, dedicada à pesquisa interdisciplinar e transdisciplinar, concentrando-se em pensar sobre o processo ensino-aprendizagem, muito pode oferecer à área da educação. Como fundamentação, utilizou-se o estudo de publicações literárias de autores que entendem a Neuropsicopedagogia como uma práxis capaz de contribuir para o processo ensino-aprendizagem. Os resultados apontaram que esta pode contribuir com técnicas mais adequadas à aprendizagem, na avaliação, no diagnóstico, na intervenção baseada na análise comportamental do aluno e sua família, da escola e da sociedade
An Analysis of the Asymmetric Volatility under Asymmetric Information and Ambiguity
Authors: Kim Min-Jik , Cho Jaeho
Published: March 2020

The asymmetric volatility phenomenon (‘the phenomenon’, henceforth), documented first by Black (1976), refers to the fact that the stock return and its conditional volatility are negatively correlated. To explain ‘the phenomenon’, this paper presents an asymmetric information model under ambiguity, and provides an empirical test of its result as well. We assume that in the Grossman and Stiglitz (1980), uninformed liquidity traders face ambiguity about the distribution of asset payoffs, and that their attitudes toward ambiguity vary depending on the state of the economy. In model I, their utility functions exhibit ambiguity aversion in the bad state and ambiguity neutrality in the good state. In model II, liquidity traders are still ambiguity-averse in the bad state but ambiguity-seeking in the good state. We find that ‘the phenomenon’ appears in model II when the degree of ambiguity is not large. Furthermore, we show that the possibility of ‘the phenomenon’ is higher as the proportion of liquidity traders increases. To perform an empirical analysis, we measure the degree of ambiguity by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic and show that this measure has a positive relationship with the difference between the volatilities in the good and bad states. In addition, we find that the risk factor constructed by the ambiguity measure has explanatory power about returns on 25 portfolios of the Fama-French type in the Korean market.