bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Agriculture and Non-Farm Economy in Addressing Food Insecurity in Ethiopia: A Review
Authors: Neglo Komikouma Apelike Wobuibe , Gebrekidan Tnsue , Lyu Kaiyu
Published: April 2021

In Ethiopia, famine and extreme poverty are a result of insufficient food relief, poor macroeconomic factors, climate shocks, undiversified livelihoods based on low productivity in rain-fed agriculture, coupled with institutional incapacity. To serve as a context, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the conceptual framework of human development and capability paradigm to food security. In addition, it highlights evidence and a comparative analysis of the Asian green revolution experience, and places emphasis on sustainable and intersectoral growth through agricultural transformation and promotion of rural non-farm economy agenda to reverse the trends of protracted food crises in Ethiopia. Rapid, science-led, and employment-intensive agricultural growth, accompanied by the promotion of the rural non-farm sector, is of great importance to the rural economy. These will bring about farm sector competitiveness and enhanced productivity, environmental outcomes, acceleration of human development, new opportunities provided to the small-scale food producers, and desirable changes to the rural landscape. The study further introduces a brief analysis of the prominent role of social protection instruments in strengthening food entitlements and basic capabilities, including individual agencies. It suggests that actualizing sustainable food security and hastening human development under Ethiopia’s exclusive settings require the recognition of the rural economic heterogeneity as well as holistic and pragmatic policies, which promote sustainable and inclusive growth.
Mapping the Research Landscape of Nature-Based Solutions in Urbanism
Authors: Li Lei , Cheshmehzangi Ali , Chan Faith Ka Shun , Ives Christopher D.
Published: April 2021

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are an innovative concept that mimics the processes of natural ecosystems, popularized principally in the European Union. With a substantial body of literature amassed since the term’s inception in 2015, there is a need to systematically review existing literature to identify overarching gaps and trends, according to disciplinary focus, geographic scope, and key themes, and direct future research inquiry and policy recommendations. This review consists of bibliometric analysis and thematic analysis for NBS studies in urbanism. NBS studies were found to relate strongly with other concepts of ‘Ecosystem Services’, ‘Green Infrastructure’, ‘Climate Change’, and ‘Risk management and Resilience’, which align with four major thematic goals set by the European Commission. Within NBS scholarship, various sub-themes have emerged, namely, ‘Greening’, ‘Urban Development’, ‘Water’, ‘Wellbeing’, and ‘Governance’. Furthermore, we illustrate that the amount and thematic focus of NBS research have been unevenly distributed worldwide. Analysis of emerging trends shows a recent increase in topics, such as adaptive governance of NBS, and the incorporation of social justice in sustainability transitions. Based on an assessment of extant NBS literature, we offer some recommendations for the future direction of the research fields.
The Potential of Sustainable Biomass Producer Gas as a Waste-to-Energy Alternative in Malaysia
Authors: Teh Jun Sheng , Teoh Yew Heng , How Heoy Geok , Le Thanh Danh , Jason Yeoh Jun Jie , Nguyen Huu Tho , Loo Dong Lin
Published: April 2021

It has been widely accepted worldwide, that the greenhouse effect is by far the most challenging threat in the new century. Renewable energy has been adopted to prevent excessive greenhouse effects, and to enhance sustainable development. Malaysia has a large amount of biomass residue, which provides the country with the much needed support the foreseeable future. This investigation aims to analyze potentials biomass gases from major biomass residues in Malaysia. The potential biomass gasses can be obtained using biomass conversion technologies, including biological and thermo-chemical technologies. The thermo-chemical conversion technology includes four major biomass conversion technologies such as gasification, combustion, pyrolysis, and liquefaction. Biomass wastes can be attained through solid biomass technologies to obtain syngas which includes carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. The formation of tar occurs during the main of biomass conversion reaction such as gasification and pyrolysis. The formation of tar hinders equipment or infrastructure from catalytic aspects, which will be applied to prevent the formation of tar. The emission, combustion, and produced gas reactions were investigated. It will help to contribute the potential challenges and strategies, due to sustainable biomass, to harness resources management systems in Malaysia to reduce the problem of biomass residues and waste.
The Timber Footprint of the German Bioeconomy—State of the Art and Past Development
Authors: Egenolf Vincent , Vita Gibran , Distelkamp Martin , Schier Franziska , Hüfner Rebekka , Bringezu Stefan
Published: April 2021

The article gives a comprehensive overview of the roundwood equivalents (RE) consumed in the German bioeconomy from Germany and abroad between 1995 and 2015, i.e., the Timber Footprint of final Consumption (TFPcon). The calculation is based on an adapted version of Exiobase 3.4. The sustainability of roundwood procurement for the TFPcon is assessed. A systematic embedding of the tree compartments considered in the TFP in the context of national forest inventories and material flow analysis is presented. The results show that, in 2015, the total volume of the TFPcon of Germany is 90 Mm3 (slightly above the 1995 level) and is composed of 61% coniferous and 39% non-coniferous wood. Germany is strongly dependent on roundwood sourced from abroad and thus was a net importer of RE in 2015. Among the 17 countries with the largest supply of RE for the TFPcon, around one third very likely include large shares of roundwood procured from deforestation or clear-cutting. The self-sufficiency rate in 2015 was only 76%. It would be possible to increase domestic roundwood production by 8–41% (mainly in the hardwood sector) without exceeding the sustainability limits as defined in the WEHAM scenarios.
Social Capital: Higher Resilience in Slums in the Lagos Metropolis
Authors: Obaitor Olabisi S. , Lawanson Taibat O. , Stellmes Marion , Lakes Tobia
Published: April 2021

Different slums exhibit different levels of resilience against the threat of eviction. However, little is known about the role of the social capital of the slum community in this context. This study investigates the factors contributing to slum resilience in the Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria, through a social capital lens. This study first investigates land allocation in slums, then the available social capital, and subsequently how this capital influences resilience to the threat of eviction in slums. Data were collected in two slum communities, in Lagos, through in-depth interviews and focus groups discussion. This study shows that land allocation is done by the traditional heads, contrarily to the mandate of the Nigeria Land Use Act of 1978. Furthermore, there is a form of structural social capital through the presence of government registered community development associations in the slums; however, their activities, decision-making process and the perception of the residents’ towards their respective associations, differs. This led to differences in trust, social cohesion and bonding ties among residents of the slum, thereby influencing resilience to the threat of eviction in slums. Since community group associations, through the appointed executives, drive the efficient utilization of social capital in slums, this study therefore recommends their restructuring in order to support a sustainable solution to the threat of eviction in slums in Lagos.
Emotional and Behavioural Engagement among Spanish Students in Vocational Education and Training
Authors: Sureda-García Inmaculada , Jiménez-López Rafael , Álvarez-García Olaya , Quintana-Murci Elena
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyse the importance of student engagement in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Spain. In accordance with this concept, we analyse how emotional engagement (relations with teachers, relations with peers, family support for learning, and perception of family commitment) influences the behavioural engagement (school effort and commitment, school indiscipline) in academic activities of students in basic and intermediate VET. The sample comprises 1180 students (65.4% male), 28.8% in basic VET and 71.2% in intermediate VET, ranging in age from 14 to 19 years. Data analysis bases on linear regression and regression trees enable the prediction of behavioural engagement according to the subdimensions of emotional engagement, sociodemographic characteristics of the subpopulations, and level of studies. Significant differences were found (t(1013.8) = 8.37, p < 0.001) for the variable of sex (a higher value in females), and variable of the level of studies (t(579.1) = 3.60, p < 0.001) in behavioural engagement. All correlations between the indicators for the behavioural and emotional dimensions were significant. The results provide favourable profiles of behavioural engagement related to having good relationships with the teaching staff, being female, and being enrolled in intermediate VET. These findings imply the reorientation of educational intervention.
Classifying the Level of Bid Price Volatility Based on Machine Learning with Parameters from Bid Documents as Risk Factors
Authors: Jang YeEun , Son JeongWook , Yi June-Seong
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study is to classify the bid price volatility level with machine learning and parameters from bid documents as risk factors. To this end, we studied project-oriented risk factors affecting the bid price and pre-bid clarification document as the uncertainty of bid documents through preliminary research. The authors collected Caltrans’s bid summary and pre-bid clarification document from 2011–2018 as data samples. To train the classification model, the data were preprocessed to create a final dataset of 269 projects consisting of input and output parameters. The projects in which the bid inquiries were not resolved in the pre-bid clarification had higher bid averages and bid ranges than the risk-resolved projects. Besides this, regarding the two classification models with neural network (NN) algorithms, Model 2, which included the uncertainty in the bid documents as a parameter, predicted the bid average risk and bid range risk more accurately (52.5% and 72.5%, respectively) than Model 1 (26.4% and 23.3%, respectively). The accuracy of Model 2 was verified with 40 verification test datasets.
A GIS-Based Method of the Assessment of Spatial Integration of Bike-Sharing Stations
Authors: Żochowska Renata , Jacyna Marianna , Kłos Marcin Jacek , Soczówka Piotr
Published: April 2021

The paper presents a method of the assessment of spatial integration of bike-sharing stations in urban agglomerations based on GIS tools for analyses. The method uses four sub-models: system of bike-sharing stations, road and street network, demand for bike-sharing ridership, bike-sharing ridership routing, and value matrix of spatial integration measures. The presented method allows the identification of different categories of segments of the road and street network used for bike travels and enables the identification of the set of segments that should be upgraded into bike-friendly infrastructure offering bike lanes or cycle paths in order to ensure the appropriate level of spatial integration of bike-sharing stations. The possibility of the application of the method has been studied on the example of the existing bike-sharing system in Katowice, a city in southern Poland. The research presented in the paper has been conducted based on data on bike rentals and bike trips from eight months of 2018. Selected results of the spatial integration assessment of bike-sharing stations, which may be useful for making investment decisions in the bike-sharing system development, are presented.
Renewable On-Site Power Generation for Manufacturing Companies—Technologies, Modeling, and Dimensioning
Authors: Schulz Julia , Leinmüller Daniel , Misik Adam , Zaeh Michael F.
Published: April 2021

The expansion of renewable energies and the concomitant compensatory measures, such as the expansion of the electricity grid, the installation of energy storage facilities, or the flexibilization of demand, lead to a more elaborated energy supply system. Furthermore, the technological development of small power plants has further progressed, and many novel technologies have achieved grid parity. For manufacturing companies, the integration of renewable generation plants at their own site therefore represents a promising strategy for being both technically independent of the electricity grid and autonomous of price policy decisions and volatile market prices. This paper outlines the existing decentralized, renewable power generation technologies, their energetic modeling, and a hybrid optimization methodology for their dimensioning that uses mixed integer linear programming (MILP) and linear programming (LP) problem formulation. Finally, the introduced dimensioning method is applied to an exemplary manufacturing company that is assumed to be in the central part of Germany and located in the metalworking sector. The company has an electricity demand of approximately 20,000 MWh/a. The optimization results in a maximum expansion of PV and the use of CHP to cover the base load leading to a promising energy cost reduction of almost 20%.
Travelers’ Bi-Attribute Decision Making on the Risky Mode Choice with Flow-Dependent Salience Theory
Authors: Ji Xiangfeng , Ao Xiaoyu
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this paper is to provide new insights into travelers’ bi-attribute (travel time and travel cost) risky mode choice behavior with one risky option (i.e., the highway) and one non-risky option (i.e., the transit) from the long-term planning perspective. In the classical Wardropian User Equilibrium principle, travelers make their choice decisions only based on the mean travel times, which might be an unrealistic behavioral assumption. In this paper, an alternative approach is proposed to partially remedy this unrealistic behavioral assumption with flow-dependent salience theory, based on which we study travelers’ context-dependent bi-attribute mode choice behavior, focusing on the effect of travelers’ salience characteristic. Travelers’ attention is drawn to the bi-attribute salient travel utility, and then the objective probability of each state for the risky world is distorted in favor of this bi-attribute salient travel utility. A long-term bi-attribute salient user equilibrium will be achieved when no traveler can improve their bi-attribute salient travel utility by unilaterally changing the choice decisions. Conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the bi-attribute salient user equilibrium are presented, and based on the equilibrium results, we analyze travelers’ risk attitudes in this bi-attribute risky choice problem. Finally, numerical examples are conducted to examine the sensitivity of equilibrium solutions to the input parameters, which are cost difference and salience bias.
COVID-19 and Financial Sustainability of Academic Institutions
Authors: Pavlov Oleg V. , Katsamakas Evangelos
Published: April 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on higher education. Steering academic institutions through the pandemic is a complex and multifaceted task that can be supported with model-based scenario analysis. This article studies the short-term and long-term effects of the pandemic on the financial health of a college using scenario analysis and stress testing with a system dynamics model of a representative tuition-dependent college. We find that different combinations of the pandemic mitigation protocols have varying effects on the financial sustainability of an academic institution. By simulating six individual components of the COVID-19 shock, we learn that due to the causal complexity, nonlinear responses and delays in the system, the negative shocks can propagate widely through the college, sometimes with considerable delays and disproportionate effects. Scenario analysis shows that some pandemic mitigation choices may destabilize even financially healthy institutions. The article concludes that higher education needs new sustainable business models.
Digital Plan of Brickwork Layout for Robotic Bricklaying Technology
Authors: Usmanov Vjačeslav , Illetško Jan , Šulc Rostislav
Published: April 2021

The trend of using modern technologies in the construction industry has been growing stronger recently, particularly in the fields of additive construction or robotic bricklaying. Therefore, specifically for the purpose of robotic bricklaying, we created a digital layout plan for robotic construction works. This article presents a universal methodology for creating a bricklaying plan for various variations of wall building systems. The method is based on the conversion of drawings from the BIM (Building Information Model) environment to the BREP (Boundary Representation) model through use of the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) format, which simultaneously divides object models into layers and connects discontinuous wall axes by means of an orthogonal arrangement and inserting details into critical structural points. Among other aspects, the developed algorithm proposes the optimal placement of the robotic system inside objects under construction, in order to minimize the distance of the robot’s movement and to reduce its electricity consumption. Digital layout plans created in this way are expected to serve as a stepping stone for robotic bricklaying.
City of Waste—Importance of Scale
Authors: Wowrzeczka Bogusław
Published: April 2021

By 2050, the world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion, almost 90% of which will live in urban areas. With such a fast growth in population and urbanization, it is anticipated that the annual waste generation will increase by 70% in comparison with current levels, and will reach 3.40 billion tons in 2050. A key question regarding the sustainability of the planet is the effect of city size on waste production. Are larger cities more efficient at generating waste than smaller cities? Do larger cities show economies of scale over waste? This article examines the allometric relationship between the amount of municipal waste (total and per capita) and the populations, city area, density, and wealth of city residents. The scope of the research concerned 930 Polish cities. Using the allometric equation, the waste scaling factors were calculated for selected parameters, and the Hellwig method was used to optimize their selection for cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. The calculations show that the parameter population (1.059) and then the city area (0.934) are important elements influencing the scaling of the amount of municipal waste in cities of all sizes, but none came close to the value of the animal metabolism model (0.75). In response to the question of whether larger cities show benefits from economies of scale, it should be stated that, for the model of city size in Poland, such a regularity does not exist.
Challenges for Landscape Architecture: Designed Urban Ecosystems and Social Acceptance
Authors: Salizzoni Emma
Published: April 2021

The creation of new ecosystems within urban contexts has undeniable benefits for city dwellers in terms of increased urban biodiversity and related provisioning of ecosystem services. However, designing new ecosystems in areas with a high population density or which are subject to intensive use may also generate negative impacts on the anthropic dimension and cause social conflicts that, in turn, can undermine the project’s effectiveness. This article focuses on the quite unexplored issue of anthropic “costs” that new urban ecosystems can generate, and on design and management challenges that they open up in terms of social acceptance. Landscape architecture, as a synthesis of ecological, aesthetic, and ethical aspects, seems to be the most appropriate framework for adopting a holistic approach to the design of new urban ecosystems. The article analyzes three Italian landscape architecture projects. All projects adopted spatial measures oriented at fostering perception, understanding, and acceptance of the recreated ecosystems, while preserving them from anthropic impacts. However, these efforts are sometimes jeopardized by a lack of concomitant operational measures, such as stakeholder involvement and site maintenance. Co-existence of delicate habitats and urban functions is thus not utopic but asks that projects effectively integrate ecological sciences, landscape design and management, as well as social-oriented practices.
Life Cycle Assessment of Electrodialytic Technologies to Recover Raw Materials from Mine Tailings
Authors: Almeida Joana , Magro Cátia , P. Mateus Eduardo , Ribeiro Alexandra B.
Published: April 2021

Currently, the development of new sustainable technologies to recover raw materials from secondary resources has shown a lack of available data on the processes and supplies involved, as well as their environmental impacts. The present research has conducted a life cycle assessment of electrodialytic (ED) technologies to improve critical raw materials recovery in the Portuguese mining industry. To critically appraise the activities from the mining sector and gather data on technical and environmental issues, three waste management scenarios were considered: (1) ED treatment with a deep eutectic solvent as an adjuvant; (2) ED treatment with simultaneous H2 recovery; and (3) ED treatment with sodium chloride as an enhancement. The data presented were based on global databases, technical reports from official sources, and peer-reviewed published experimental outcomes. The estimated results indicated that one of the constraints in applying ED technologies is energy consumption and thus the impacts are highly dependent on energy source choices. On the other hand, as a consequence of the H2 inherently produced by ED technologies, there is a direct potential for energy recovery. Therefore, considering an upscale approach of the ED reactor based on bench scale experimental results, the H2 could be reused in the ED facility or stored. Additionally, according to experimental data, 22% of the tungsten from the fine mine tailings could be recovered. Finally, the possibility to remove 63% of arsenic from mine tailings could decrease contamination risks while creating additional marketable co-products.
Leadership and Motivation as Important Aspects of the International Company’s Corporate Culture
Authors: Košičiarová Ingrida , Kádeková Zdenka , Štarchoň Peter
Published: April 2021

Although the issue of corporate culture has been taken over and addressed in the literature from various perspectives, there are very few researchers about the role of leadership and motivation in it, respectively very few researchers have addressed them as important components of the international company’s corporate culture. The present paper aims to point out that leadership and motivation can be perceived as important aspects of the international company’s corporate culture. The object of the investigation was an international company (situated in Italy) and its five subsidiaries (situated in Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, and Turkey). As the main research method, there was chosen the method of the questionnaire survey, which was attempted by all the company’s employees (totally 270 respondents). The questionnaire was divided into three separate, but logically related parts—leadership, motivation, and corporate culture, and submitted to two groups of respondents—the company’s management and its employees. In total 11 hypotheses were formulated and further evaluated by the methods of Pearson Chi-square Test, Fisher’s Exact Test, Cramer’s V coefficient, Kendall rank correlation coefficient, Eta coefficient, Spearman coefficient, Mann–Whitney U test and Wilcoxon W statistics, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Friedman’s test. The results of the research have proven that leadership and motivation are important parts of the corporate culture.
Assessment of the Impacts of Climate and LULC Changes on the Water Yield in the Citarum River Basin, West Java Province, Indonesia
Authors: Nahib Irmadi , Ambarwulan Wiwin , Rahadiati Ati , Munajati Sri Lestari , Prihanto Yosef , Suryanta Jaka , Turmudi Turmudi , Nuswantoro Anggit Cahyo
Published: April 2021

Changes in climate and land use land cover (LULC) are important factors that affect water yield (WY). This study explores which factors have more significant impact on changes in WY, spatially and temporally, within the Citarum River Basin Unit (RBU), West Java Province, Indonesia with an area of ±11.317 km2. The climate in the area of Citarum RBU belongs to the Am climate type, which is characterized by the presence of one or more dry months. The objectives of the study were: (1) To estimate a water yield model using integrated valuation of ecosystem services and tradeoffs (InVEST), and (2) to test the sensitivity of water yield (WY) to changes in climate variables (rainfall and evapotranspiration) and in LULC. The integration of remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS), and the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and tradeoffs (InVEST) approach were used in this study. InVEST is a suite of models used to map and value the goods and services from nature that sustain and fulfill human life. The parameters used for determining the WY are LULC, precipitation, average annual potential evapotranspiration, soil depth, and plant available water content (PAWC). The results showed that the WY within the territory of Citarum RBU was 12.17 billion m3/year, with mean WY (MWY) of 935.26 mm/year. The results also show that the magnitude of MWY in Citarum RBU is lower than the results obtained in Lake Rawa Pening Catchment Areas, Semarang Regency and Salatiga City, Central Java (1.137 mm/year) and in the Patuha Mountain region, Bandung Regency, West Java (2.163 mm/year), which have the same climatic conditions. The WY volume decreased from 2006, to 2012, and 2018. Based on the results of the simulation, climatic parameters played a major role affecting WY compared to changes in LULC in the Citarum RBU. This model also shows that the effect of changes in rainfall (14.06–27.53%) is more dominant followed by the effect of evapotranspiration (10.97–23.86%) and LULC (10.29–12.96%). The InVEST model is very effective and robust for estimating WY in Citarum RBU, which was indicated by high coefficient of determination (R2) 0.9942 and the RSME value of 0.70.
Aiming Strategy on a Prototype-Scale Solar Receiver: Coupling of Tabu Search, Ray-Tracing and Thermal Models
Authors: Grange Benjamin , Flamant Gilles
Published: April 2021

An aiming point strategy applied to a prototype-scale power tower is analyzed in this paper to define the operation conditions and to preserve the lifetime of the solar receiver developed in the framework of the Next-commercial solar power (CSP) H2020 project. This innovative solar receiver involves the fluidized particle-in-tube concept. The aiming solution is compared to the case without the aiming strategy. Due to the complex tubular geometry of the receiver, results of the Tabu search for the aiming point strategy are combined with a ray-tracing software, and these results are then coupled with a simplified thermal model of the receiver to evaluate its performance. Daily and hourly aiming strategies are compared, and different objective normalized flux distributions are applied to quantify their influence on the receiver wall temperature distribution, thermal efficiency and particle outlet temperature. A gradual increase in the solar incident power on the receiver is analyzed in order to keep a uniform outlet particle temperature during the start-up. Results show that a tradeoff must be respected between wall temperature and particle outlet temperature.
The Greenery of Early Modernist Housing Estates: The 1919–1927 Wałbrzych Agglomeration
Authors: Ludwig Bogna
Published: April 2021

Using the Wałbrzych agglomeration housing estates—once the most important mining and industrial region in Lower Silesia—as an example, this article illustrates the specific significance of the design of green spaces, including urban layouts, and the issue of protecting unique trees and green spaces in the concepts of estates from the early modernism period after the First World War in the years 1919–1927. This article tries to deepen the knowledge on the origins of the design solutions of public and private greenery systems while considering natural, landscape, and social needs. This study complements the information gathered so far in the field of forming green areas in modernist housing estates and highlights the importance of this issue in complex urban design. The Wałbrzych housing settlements are crucial because they were among the first of their kind, not only in Lower Silesia but also in the whole of the Weimar Republic. Based on literature and source studies, it was possible to reconstruct design ideas concerning the composition of green areas in most housing estates in the discussed area. The most interesting ones were presented and broken down into the landscape-related and functional aspects of the use of greenery in housing estates. This made it possible to select specific solutions applied by designers in order to indicate sources of inspiration and theoretically developed rules which then and now seem to be extremely adequate.
Public Opinion about Climate Change in United States, Partisan View and Media Coverage of the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25) in Madrid
Authors: Castillo Esparcia Antonio , López Gómez Sara
Published: April 2021

The research examines the news on climate change in different media, through the analysis of agenda setting and framing, in the context of a construction of media discourse. The role of the media has been relevant in the symbolic struggle of climate change images. The polarized public opinion on climate change in the USA, which has led the Trump government to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, as well as the revocation of environmental policies, is analyzed by the coverage that media with Republican and Democratic political tendencies gave to the climate crisis during the 12 days of the 2019 Climate Summit. The 189 news articles broadcast by Fox News, Breitbart, CNN, and the New York Times were identified, analyzed, and contrasted. The results reveal that media with a Republican political tendency were the only ones that broadcast denial news of climate change. Breitbart reported the largest number of news items throughout the sample, mostly denialists, at 71%, using tactics related to the spectacularization of the climate phenomenon, ad hominem attacks on ecologists and politicians, the connection between environmental initiatives and “eco-fascism” or the “radical left”, as well as use of the half-truth fallacy and questionable sources associated with the fossil fuel industry. Fox News practically did not address the issue during the summit. The Democratic political tendency media did not report any kind of denial news; their information and opinions communicated environmental initiatives and climate change consequences.
The Impact of the Ring Roads on the Location Pattern of Shops in Town and City Centres. A Space Syntax Approach
Authors: van Nes Akkelies
Published: April 2021

This contribution demonstrates how inner ring roads change the location pattern of shops in urban areas with the application of the space syntax method. A market rational behaviour persists, in that shop owners always search for an optimal location to reach as many customers as possible. If the accessibility to this optimal location is affected by changes in a city’s road and street structure, it will affect the location pattern of shops. Initially, case studies of inner ring road projects in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Bristol, Tampere, and Mannheim show how their realisation affect the spatial structure of the street network of these cities and the location pattern of shops. The results of the spatial integration analyses of the street and road network are discussed with reference to changes in land-use before and after the implementation of ring roads, and current space syntax theories. As the results show, how an inner ring road is connected to and the type of the street network it is imposed upon dictates the resulting location pattern of shops. Shops locate and relocate themselves along the most spatially-integrated streets. Evidence on how new road projects influence the location pattern of shops in urban centres are useful for planning sustainable city centres.
Agricultural Radio Programmes in Indigenous Languages and Agricultural Productivity in North-Central Nigeria
Authors: Adeyeye Babatunde , Amodu Lanre , Odiboh Oscar , Oyesomi Kehinde , Adesina Evaristus , Yartey Darlynton
Published: April 2021

This study investigated the influence of agricultural radio programmes in indigenous languages on farmers’ productivity and their implications for agricultural productivity in North-Central Nigeria. It specifically explored how farmers’ knowledge of agricultural radio programmes produced in indigenous languages influences their productivity; how farmers’ acceptance of agricultural radio programmes produced in indigenous languages influences productivity; and whether behavioural changes result from agricultural radio programmes aired in indigenous languages affect farmers’ productivity. Data were gathered through a survey of 663 farmers selected through the three states’ multi-stage sampling technique (Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau). The hypotheses were tested using regression analysis and structural equation modelling. They revealed that the R value was 0.677, suggesting a highly significant relationship between farmers’ knowledge of agricultural radio programmes in indigenous languages and farmers’ productivity. Results also revealed that farmers’ behavioural changes resulting from agricultural radio programmes in indigenous languages greatly influence farmers’ productivity (F value was 558.358 at the 0.000 significant level). The study concludes that farmers’ knowledge, acceptance and behavioural change towards agricultural radio programmes in indigenous languages significantly influence farmers’ productivity in agriculture. Thus, farmers should be encouraged to continue participating in agricultural radio programmes in indigenous languages to be kept abreast of happenings in the field.
Boundary Conditions that Remove Certain Ultraviolet Divergences
Authors: Tumulka Roderich
Published: April 2021

In quantum field theory, Hamiltonians contain particle creation and annihilation terms that are usually ultraviolet (UV) divergent. It is well known that these divergences can sometimes be removed by adding counter-terms and by taking limits in which a UV cutoff tends toward infinity. Here, I review a novel way of removing UV divergences: by imposing a type of boundary condition on the wave function. These conditions, called interior-boundary conditions (IBCs), relate the values of the wave function at two configurations linked by the creation or annihilation of a particle. They allow for a direct definition of the Hamiltonian without renormalization or limiting procedures. In the last section, I review another boundary condition that serves to determine the probability distribution of detection times and places on a time-like 3-surface.
High-Capacity Embedding Method Based on Double-Layer Octagon-Shaped Shell Matrix
Authors: Lee Chin-Feng , Shen Jau-Ji , Agrawal Somya , Li Yen-Hsi
Published: April 2021

Data hiding is a technique that embeds a secret message into a cover medium and transfers the hidden information in the secret message to the recipient. In the past, several data hiding methods based on magic matrix have used various geometrical shapes to transmit secret data. The embedding capacity achieved in these methods was often limited due to simple geometrical layouts. This paper proposes a data hiding scheme based on a double-layer octagon-shaped shell matrix. Compared to previous octagon-shaped data hiding methods, the proposed method embeds a total of 7 bits in each pixel pair, reaching an embedding capacity of 3.5 bits per pixel (bpp). Experimental results show that the proposed scheme has a higher embedding capacity compared to other irreversible data hiding schemes. Using the proposed method, it is possible to maintain the Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) within an acceptable range with the embedding time less than 2 s.
Fertility and Pregnancy in End Stage Kidney Failure Patients and after Renal Transplantation: An Update
Authors: Salvadori Maurizio , Tsalouchos Aris
Published: April 2021

Sexual life and fertility are compromised in end stage kidney disease both in men and in women. Successful renal transplantation may rapidly recover fertility in the vast majority of patients. Pregnancy modifies anatomical and functional aspects in the kidney and represents a risk of sensitization that may cause acute rejection. Independently from the risks for the graft, pregnancy in kidney transplant may cause preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm delivery, and low birth weight. The nephrologist has a fundamental role in correct counseling, in a correct evaluation of the mother conditions, and in establishing a correct time lapse between transplantation and conception. Additionally, careful attention must be given to the antirejection therapy, avoiding drugs that could be dangerous to the newborn. Due to the possibility of medical complications during pregnancy, a correct follow-up should be exerted. Even if pregnancy in transplant is considered a high risk one, several data and studies document that in the majority of patients, the long-term follow-up and outcomes for the graft may be similar to that of non-pregnant women.
Phylogenetic Clustering among Asylum Seekers with New HIV-1 Diagnoses in Montreal, QC, Canada
Authors: Park Hyejin , Brenner Bluma , Ibanescu Ruxandra-Ilinca , Cox Joseph , Weiss Karl , Klein Marina B. , Hardy Isabelle , Narasiah Lavanya , Roger Michel , Kronfli Nadine
Published: April 2021

Migrants are at an increased risk of HIV acquisition. We aimed to use phylogenetics to characterize transmission clusters among newly-diagnosed asylum seekers and to understand the role of networks in local HIV transmission. Retrospective chart reviews of asylum seekers linked to HIV care between 1 June 2017 and 31 December 2018 at the McGill University Health Centre and the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal were performed. HIV-1 partial pol sequences were analyzed among study participants and individuals in the provincial genotyping database. Trees were reconstructed using MEGA10 neighbor-joining analysis. Clustering of linked viral sequences was based on a strong bootstrap support (>97%) and a short genetic distance (<0.01). Overall, 10,645 provincial sequences and 105 asylum seekers were included. A total of 13/105 participant sequences (12%; n = 7 males) formed part of eight clusters. Four clusters (two to three people) included only study participants (n = 9) and four clusters (two to three people) included four study participants clustered with six individuals from the provincial genotyping database. Six (75%) clusters were HIV subtype B. We identified the presence of HIV-1 phylogenetic clusters among asylum seekers and at a population-level. Our findings highlight the complementary role of cohort data and population-level genotypic surveillance to better characterize transmission clusters in Quebec.
The Microcephaly Epidemic Research Group Paediatric Cohort (MERG–PC): A Cohort Profile
Authors: de Barros Miranda-Filho Demócrito , Brickley Elizabeth , Ramond Anna , Martelli Celina , Sanchez Clemente Nuria , Velho Barreto de Araújo Thália , Rodrigues Laura , Montarroyos Ulisses , de Souza Wayner , de Albuquerque Maria , Ventura Liana , Marques Ernesto , Leal Mariana , Eickmann Sophie , Wanderley Rocha Maria , Sobral da Silva Paula , Gomes Carvalho Maria , Ramos Regina , da Silva Oliveira Danielle , Xavier Morgana , Vasconcelos Rômulo , Veras Gonçalves Andreia , Brainer Alessandra , Tenório Cordeiro Marli , Arraes de Alencar Ximenes Ricardo ,   on behalf of the Microcephaly Epidemic Research Group
Published: April 2021

This cohort profile aims to describe the ongoing follow-up of children in the Microcephaly Epidemic Research Group Paediatric Cohort (MERG–PC). The profile details the context and aims of the study, study population, methodology including assessments, and key results and publications to date. The children that make up MERG–PC were born in Recife or within 120 km of the city, in Pernambuco/Brazil, the epicentre of the microcephaly epidemic. MERG–PC includes children from four groups recruited at different stages of the ZIKV microcephaly epidemic in Pernambuco, i.e., the Outpatient Group (OG/n = 195), the Microcephaly Case–Control Study (MCCS/n = 80), the MERG Pregnant Women Cohort (MERG-PWC/n = 336), and the Control Group (CG/n = 100). We developed a comprehensive array of clinical, laboratory, and imaging assessments that were undertaken by a ‘task force’ of clinical specialists in a single day at 3, 6, 12, 18 months of age, and annually from 24 months. Children from MCCS and CG had their baseline assessment at birth and children from the other groups, at the first evaluation by the task force. The baseline cohort includes 711 children born between February 2015 and February 2019. Children’s characteristics at baseline, excluding CG, were as follows: 32.6% (184/565) had microcephaly, 47% (263/559) had at least one physical abnormality, 29.5% (160/543) had at least one neurological abnormality, and 46.2% (257/556) had at least one ophthalmological abnormality. This ongoing cohort has contributed to the understanding of the congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) spectrum. The cohort has provided descriptions of paediatric neurodevelopment and early epilepsy, including EEG patterns and treatment response, and information on the frequency and characteristics of oropharyngeal dysphagia; cryptorchidism and its surgical findings; endocrine dysfunction; and adenoid hypertrophy in children with Zika-related microcephaly. The study protocols and questionnaires were shared across Brazilian states to enable harmonization across the different studies investigating microcephaly and CZS, providing the opportunity for the Zika Brazilian Cohorts Consortium to be formed, uniting all the ZIKV clinical cohorts in Brazil.
Rescue of Infectious Sindbis Virus by Yeast Spheroplast-Mammalian Cell Fusion
Authors: Ding Lin , Brown David M. , Glass John I.
Published: April 2021

Sindbis virus (SINV), a positive-sense single stranded RNA virus that causes mild symptoms in humans, is transmitted by mosquito bites. SINV reverse genetics have many implications, not only in understanding alphavirus transmission, replication cycle, and virus-host interactions, but also in biotechnology and biomedical applications. The rescue of SINV infectious particles is usually achieved by transfecting susceptible cells (BHK-21) with SINV-infectious mRNA genomes generated from cDNA constructed via in vitro translation (IVT). That procedure is time consuming, costly, and relies heavily on reagent quality. Here, we constructed a novel infectious SINV cDNA construct that expresses its genomic RNA in yeast cells controlled by galactose induction. Using spheroplasts made from this yeast, we established a robust polyethylene glycol-mediated yeast: BHK-21 fusion protocol to rescue infectious SINV particles. Our approach is timesaving and utilizes common lab reagents for SINV rescue. It could be a useful tool for the rescue of large single strand RNA viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2.
Dissolvable Microneedle Patches to Enable Increased Access to Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and Future Pandemic Outbreaks
Authors: O’Shea Jesse , Prausnitz Mark R. , Rouphael Nadine
Published: April 2021

Vaccines are an essential component of pandemic preparedness but can be limited due to challenges in production and logistical implementation. While vaccine candidates were rapidly developed against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), immunization campaigns remain an obstacle to achieving herd immunity. Dissolvable microneedle patches are advantageous for many possible reasons: improved immunogenicity; dose-sparing effects; expected low manufacturing cost; elimination of sharps; reduction of vaccine wastage; no need for reconstitution; simplified supply chain, with reduction of cold chain supply through increased thermostability; ease of use, reducing the need for healthcare providers; and greater acceptability compared to traditional hypodermic injections. When applied to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and future pandemic outbreaks, microneedle patches have great potential to improve vaccination globally and save many lives.
Epidemiological and Clinical Observations of Gonococcal Infections in Women and Prevention Strategies
Authors: Costa-Lourenço Ana Paula R. , Su Xiaohong , Le Wenjing , Yang Zhaoyan , Patts Gregory J. , Massari Paola , Genco Caroline A.
Published: April 2021

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is rapidly developing antimicrobial resistance. There is an urgent need for an effective gonococcal vaccine. In this study we examined epidemiological and clinical factors associated with gonorrhea in a cohort of women exposed to men with gonococcal urethritis attending the National Center for STD Control clinic in Nanjing, China, to understand the natural history and the risk factors for gonorrhea in this vulnerable population. This analysis will help identify the best target populations for vaccination, which is essential information for the development of vaccine strategies. We observed that 75% of the women in our cohort yielded a N. gonorrhoeae positive culture (infected women) and reported multiple sexual exposures to their infected partner. Infected women were younger than exposed but uninfected women. Contrary to the general belief that gonorrhea is asymptomatic in most women, 68% of the infected women acknowledged symptoms during their STD clinic visit, and overt inflammatory responses were detected upon medical examination in 88% of subjects. Other sexually transmitted infections were detected in 85% of subjects. This study confirmed that N. gonorrhoeae infections are underdiagnosed in women and, consequentially, untreated. Thus, our analysis reinforces the need to establish strategies for gonococcal prevention through the determination of the target population for a gonococcal vaccine.