bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of B Corp Certification on Short-Term Growth: European Evidence
Authors: Paelman Valerie , Van Cauwenberge Philippe , Vander Bauwhede Heidi
Published: October 2020

This paper investigates the effect of sustainability certification on the short-term growth rates of socially responsible companies. A changing business environment in which stakeholders became more sensitive to the sustainability practices of companies induced a growing popularity of hybrid firms, which use market-based approaches to pursue environmental and social goals. However, stakeholders do not take unsubstantiated claims about companies’ sustainability efforts for granted, creating a potential economic role for independent certification organizations. In addition, the internal processes brought about by the external verification procedure could turn the social mission, which is often creating tension with financial goals, into a strategic advantage. B Lab is one such well-known and rapidly growing organization, granting so-called B Corp certificates across many countries around the world. This paper contributes to the hybrid firm literature by ascertaining the benefit of certification as measured by firm growth. Using a panel dataset of financial data of European firms that obtained B Corp certification between 2012 and 2018 and a quasi-experimental difference-in-difference research design, this paper empirically shows that B Corp certification positively impacts the turnover growth rates one year pre versus one year post certification. No significant effects on employee growth rates or total asset growth rates are found.
Understanding Smart City—A Data-Driven Literature Review
Authors: Stübinger Johannes , Schneider Lucas
Published: October 2020

This paper systematically reviews the top 200 Google Scholar publications in the area of smart city with the aid of data-driven methods from the fields natural language processing and time series forecasting. Specifically, our algorithm crawls the textual information of the considered articles and uses the created ad-hoc database to identify the most relevant streams “smart infrastructure”, “smart economy & policy”, “smart technology”, “smart sustainability”, and “smart health”. Next, we automatically assign each manuscript into these subject areas by dint of several interdisciplinary scientific methods. Each stream is evaluated in a deep-dive analysis by (i) creating a word cloud to find the most important keywords, (ii) examining the main contributions, and (iii) applying time series methodologies to determine the past and future relevance. Due to our large-scaled literature, an in-depth evaluation of each stream is possible, which ultimately reveals strengths and weaknesses. We hereby acknowledge that smart sustainability will come to the fore in the next years—this fact confirms the current trend, as minimizing the required input of energy, water, food, waste, heat output and air pollution is becoming increasingly important.
Synergic Sustainability Implications of Additive Manufacturing in Automotive Spare Parts: A Case Analysis
Authors: Isasi-Sanchez Luis , Morcillo-Bellido Jesus , Ortiz-Gonzalez Jose Ignacio , Duran-Heras Alfonso
Published: October 2020

Triple bottom line (3BL) approaches to sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) often involve trade-offs between their three dimensions (economic, environmental, and social), thus curtailing its application and leading to goal unalignment among stakeholders. Under some circumstances, however, synergic approaches (typically involving disruptive innovations) might allow simultaneous improvement in one or more dimensions without compromising the others. This paper analyzes one such case: the potential of properly designed additive manufacturing approaches in the automotive spare parts industry to simultaneously boost profits and reduce environmental impact. It is based on the systematic analysis of the real spare parts business of a mid-size automotive brand in Spain. Its results suggest that such synergic, self-reinforcing opportunities do indeed exist, and might even be further developed by strategically integrating sustainability constituents such as circularity.
Social Entrepreneurship as a Form of Cross-Border Cooperation: Complementarity in EU Border Regions
Authors: Wevers Herman T. , Voinea Cosmina L. , de Langen Frank
Published: October 2020

EU border regions continue to face economic and social disadvantages compared to other regions in the same country. Since 1990, the European Commission has been implementing extensive territorial cooperation programs to support EU border regions in solving regional problems and building social cohesion. This study offers a contribution for decreasing the economic and social disadvantages of EU border regions by investigating the complementarity between institutional EU cross-border cooperation and social entrepreneurship. We argue that both concepts build upon similar drivers and characteristics with the aim of creating impact and bringing about change. We test and improve our initially literature-based framework to provide a better insight into how institutional and entrepreneurial processes could benefit from each other. We conduct interviews with experts operating at different governance levels and in various EU countries and border regions. The complementarity between both concepts is confirmed considering a differentiation between governance levels and fields of expertise. The results show that complementarity between the concepts mainly exists in terms of taking advantage of opportunities for a certain effect. The commercial activities of social enterprises are seen as effective, but it is necessary for social enterprises to establish sustainable EU cross-border cooperation and to improve regional social and economic development.
Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in Times of Rising Right-Wing Populism in Europe
Authors: Gottenhuber Sara , Mulholland Eric
Published: October 2020

This article discusses two ostensibly antagonistic themes: right-wing populism (RWP) and the UN 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). European politics has seen a sharp increase in right-wing populist influence over the last few election periods. More recently, such political influence has led to questions about right-wing populism’s impact on environmental and sustainable development policy. This paper takes a novel approach to understanding the potential connections between the rise of RWP in Europe and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs in two ways. First, the paper is based on two workshops, informed by a preceding literature review on the topic of RWP in Europe, requested and organised by the European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN). Secondly, the results from the workshops are used to discuss and interpret the role of potentially differing worldviews (ontology, axiology, epistemology and societal vision) and how these relate to specific policy and governance responses, thereby impacting upon the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs in European countries.
Assessment of Geomorphosites for Geotourism in the Northern Part of the “Ruta Escondida” (Quito, Ecuador)
Authors: Carrión-Mero Paúl , Ayala-Granda Alicia , Serrano-Ayala Sthefano , Morante-Carballo Fernando , Aguilar-Aguilar Maribel , Gurumendi-Noriega Miguel , Paz-Salas Nataly , Herrera-Franco Gricelda , Berrezueta Edgar
Published: October 2020

The relevant geomorphological characteristics of territory represent an essential part of its natural heritage. They are also an asset to be exploited for stimulating socio-economic development. The “Ruta Escondida” in Ecuador constitutes a historical place full of culture and landscapes that have been shaped over time by geological and geomorphological processes. Among the geomorphological features of the study area, volcanic cones, hilltops, terraces, foothills and glacial valleys stand out. The aims of this work were: (1) to characterize 18 places of geomorphological interest, located in the northern part of the Ruta Escondida and (2) to propose alternatives (geotourism) to contribute to the local development of the area. The applied methodology included: (1) the compilation of geomorphological elements; (2) the assessment of geomorphosites using the Inventario Español de Lugares de Interés Geológico (IELIG) method and (3) a strengths–opportunities–weaknesses–threats analysis of the contribution and influence of geomorphosites in the development of the study area. With this work, it was possible to determine that all the analyzed geomorphological sites have a high and very high interest. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis revealed that the geomorphosites could provide significant added value to the development of geotourism on the route, complementing the already known cultural and historical attractions.
Students’ Views on Public Transport: Satisfaction and Emission
Authors: Stojic Dragan , Ciric Zoran , Sedlak Otilija , Marcikic Horvat Aleksandra
Published: October 2020

Overall satisfaction is an emotional response to a perceived discrepancy between expectations and perceptions. Overall satisfaction is more of a holistic affective construct after a service delivery experience, while transaction-specific satisfaction refers to attribute-based cognitive evaluation of service encounters. The authors investigated which particular attributes of public transport service drive satisfaction of customers, contributing to public transport becoming more sustainable. The questionnaire used in this research was constructed based on Benchmarking in European Service of Public Transport (BEST). The respondents belonged to the group of younger users of public transport services. Correlation analysis, factor analysis, and regression analysis were used in data processing and interpretation. Results obtained from the research show that young people emphasize the importance of on-line information, comfort, and prices of the public transportation. This paper not only provides insight into expectations of public transport users, but also investigated the potential decrease in CO2 and PM emissions when private vehicles are substituted with the public transport.
Design and Evaluation of a Collaborative Educational Game: BECO Games
Authors: Martin Sergio , Ruiz-Rube Ivan , López-Martín Esther , Calvo Jose L. , Lopez Rafael
Published: October 2020

This paper describes the design and validation of a game based on a platform for easy deployment of collaborative educational games, named BECO Games platform. As an example of its potential, a learning experience for an Economics subject was created through a collaborative game to understand the concept of common goods. The effectiveness of the game was tested by comparing the performance of Bachelor students who used the platform and those who did not (137 students vs. 92 students). In addition, it was controlled that in previous years when students played the game through forums and an Excel sheet, these differences did not exist. Results indicate that the performance differences between students who participated in the online game and those who did not were greater than in previous years. In addition, a satisfaction survey was delivered to the students to understand their impressions better. This survey assessed student opinion about the platform, about the educational experience, and about their behavior during the game.
An Evolving Agricultural Extension Model for Lasting Impact: How Willing Are Tanzanian Farmers to Pay for Extension Services?
Authors: Abed Rodrigo , Sseguya Haroon , Flock James , Mruma Silvanus , Mwango Hamisi
Published: October 2020

Community-based extension services (CES) are vital for improving farmers’ livelihoods, but most of them face a challenge of sustainability after phasing out of the externally funded initiatives that they are part of. This study estimated farmer’s willingness to pay (WTP) for four types of agricultural extension services (AES) in the cereals’ value chains provided as a part of two United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Feed the Future initiatives in Tanzania. Data were collected from 595 smallholder cereal farmers using a primary survey in four districts of the Southern Highlands. We implemented a double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method. Average WTP figures ranged from 20,000 to 24,000 TZS (8–10 USD) depending on the type of AES. Several socioeconomic and agriculture-related variables influenced smallholders’ WTP for the extension services. This research explored the feasibility of a farmer-led model as a pathway to delink extension services from public and donor funding to achieve sustainable rural development. Farmers place a monetary value on extension services indicating that policymakers and practitioners should make further efforts to enhance a community’s ability to achieve self-reliance through investments in CES.
Summertime Overheating Risk Assessment of a Flexible Plug-In Modular Unit in Luxembourg
Authors: Rakotonjanahary Michaël , Scholzen Frank , Waldmann Daniele
Published: October 2020

Modular buildings offer faster construction process, provide better construction quality, allow reducing construction waste and are potentially flexible. Frames of modular units can be made of metal, timber, concrete or mixed materials but lightweight structures do not always allow erecting high-rise buildings and generally present a higher risk of overheating and/or overcooling. To reconcile these pros and cons, a typology of modular building called Slab was designed by a group of architects. The building is composed on the one hand of a permanent concrete structure named shelf-structure and on the other hand of several flexible removable timber modular units, also known as modules. The shelf-structure will host the common utility rooms and will serve as docking infrastructure for the housing modules. To provide high flexibility, the Slab building was designed to adapt to any orientation and location in Luxembourg. An energy concept and a HVAC systems design has been developed for the Slab building. Furthermore, a two-fold sustainability analysis was carried out. The first part of the analysis regards the determination of the minimum required wall thicknesses of the modules in accordance with Luxembourgish regulatory requirements, although the current regulation does not yet consider the Slab building typology. The second part, which is the subject of this paper, is thermal comfort assessment, more precisely, summertime overheating risk assessment of these modules, in compliance with Luxembourgish standard. In this regard, dynamic thermal simulations have been realized on two module variants; the first fulfills the passive house requirements, and the second—the current requirements for building permit application, which in principle corresponds to low energy house requirements. Simulations showed that with adequate solar shading and reinforced natural ventilation by window opening, overheating risk could be avoided for the normal residential use scenario for both module variants.
Ecological Analyses of Social Sustainability for International Production with Fixed and Moveable Technologies
Authors: Fox Stephen , Mubarak Yusuf , Adam Abdurasak
Published: October 2020

Mutualism is an ecological concept. Mutualistic relationships are mutually beneficial. However, as found in development geography studies, relationships between different peoples in different parts of the world are often not mutually beneficial. For example, there is lack of mutualism in international production that is dominated by companies that dictate where production is and is not carried out. This lack of mutualism leaves many other countries with little production capacity and persistent widespread unemployment. Thus, international production is not characterized by mutualistic social sustainability. International production has long been framed as being an ecological phenomenon that requires ecological analyses. However, previous social sustainability studies concerned with production have not provided ecological analyses of social sustainability. Rather, previous studies have focused on social theory and related operational practices. By contrast, in this paper, findings are reported from action research concerned with facilitating mutual prosperity growth between a Northern-European country, Finland, and an African fragile state, Somalia. The action research encompassed business development processes and moveable production technologies for mutual prosperity growth between the two countries. Ecological analyses, which were carried out during the action research, are provided of current international production and alternative production with moveable production technologies.
Sound Absorption Properties of Natural Fibers: A Review
Authors: Yang Tao , Hu Lizhu , Xiong Xiaoman , Petrů Michal , Noman Muhammad Tayyab , Mishra Rajesh , Militký Jiří
Published: October 2020

In recent years, in an attempt to substitute the conventional synthetic sound absorption material, natural fibers and their sound absorption properties have been increasingly studied. This is due to the fact that conventional synthetic fiber has potential health risks for human beings and significant environmental impact. In this review, existing and newly emerging natural fiber sound absorbers are summarized and highlighted in three categories: raw material, fiber assembly and composite. The sound absorption mechanism, several widely used prediction models and the popular acoustic characterization methods are presented. The comparison of sound absorption properties between some natural sound absorbers and glass fiber is conducted in two groups, i.e., thin material and thick material. It is found that many natural fibers have comparable sound absorption performance, some of them can be the ideal alternatives to glass fiber, such as kapok fiber, pineapple-leaf fiber and hemp fiber. Last, the conclusion part of this review gives an outlook regarding the promotion of the commercial use of natural fiber by means of theoretical study, efficient and environmentally friendly pretreatment and Life Cycle Assessment.
The North Korean Economy: Sustainable or Muddling-Through?
Authors: Kim Soohyon , Sohn Wook , Choi Changyong
Published: October 2020

Confronting the continuing economic sanctions, the flood disaster, and the COVID 19, North Korea is now in a critical phase whether the North Korean economy will shift to a sustainable economy or, as it has done in the past three decades, barely manage to maintain at a survival level. To explore the question, this study investigates North Korea’s economic policy changes by extracting the keywords from the North Korean economic journal Economic Research, which is a representative state published document. We use a text mining approach to overcome limitations, such as the lack of objectivity and accuracy of the classification of topics in manual text analysis for North Korean studies. Contrary to the conventional assumption that the North Korean economic policies are driven by dogmatic Juche (self-reliance) ideology, we find that the strategy of economic policies differs depending on the leader and political and economic circumstances at the time. In particular, since Kim Jong-un assumed office in 2011, the topics have diversified, and now cover a wide range of subjects on capitalism. Nevertheless, without North Korea’s decisive reform measures and international cooperation, it will be hard to observe that the North Korean economy can go beyond ‘muddling-through’ for sustainable development.
Study of Past and Future Spatiotemporal Patterns and Impact on Electricity Consumption for Sustainable Planning: A Case Study of El Paso, Texas
Authors: Moyer Joanne M. , Raheem Adeeba A.
Published: October 2020

As cities continue to grow, their urban form continues to evolve. As a consequence of urban growth, the demand for infrastructure increases to meet the needs of a growing population. Understanding this evolution and its subsequent impingement on resources allows for planners, engineers, and decision-makers to plan for a sustainable community. Patterns and rate of urban expansion have been studied extensively in various cities throughout the United States (U.S.), utilizing remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS). However, minimal research has been conducted to understand urban growth rates and patterns for cities that possess borders, geological attributes, and/or protected areas that confine and direct the cities’ urban growth, such as El Paso, Texas. This study utilizes El Paso, Texas, as a case study to provide a basis for examining growth patterns and their possible impact on the electricity consumption resource, which lies on the U.S./Mexico and New Mexico borders, contains the largest urban park in the nation (Franklin Mountains State Park), and Ft. Bliss military base. This study conducted a change analysis for El Paso County to analyze specific areas of concentrated growth within the past 15-years (2001–2016). The results indicate that county growth has primarily occurred within the city of El Paso, in particular, Districts 5 (east side), 1 (west side), and 4 (northeast), with District 5 experiencing substantial growth. As the districts expanded, fragmentation and shape irregularity of developed areas decreased. Utilizing past growth trends, the counties’ 2031 land-use was predicted employing the Cellular Automata (CA)-Markov method. The counties’ projected growth was evenly distributed within El Paso city and outside city limits. Future growth within the city continues to be directed within the same districts that experienced past growth, Districts 1, 4, and 5. Whereas projected growth occurring outside the city limits, primarily focused within potential city annexation areas in accordance with the cities’ comprehensive plan, Plan El Paso. Panel data analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between urban dynamic growth patterns and electricity consumption. The findings suggest that, as urban areas expanded and fragmentation decreased, electricity consumption increased. Further investigation to include an expansion of urban pattern metrics, an extension of the time period studied, and their influence on electricity consumption is recommended. The results of this study provided a basis for decision-makers and planners with an understanding of El Paso’s concentrated areas of past and projected urban growth patterns and their influence on electricity consumption to mitigate possible fragmentation growth through informed decisions and policies to provide a sustainable environment for the community.
A Sensorless Wind Speed and Rotor Position Control of PMSG in Wind Power Generation Systems
Authors: Abo-Khalil Ahmed G. , Eltamaly Ali M. , R.P. Praveen , Alghamdi Ali S. , Tlili Iskander
Published: October 2020

Currently, among the topologies of wind energy conversion systems, those based on full power converters are growing. The permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) uses full power converter to allow wide speed ranges to extract the maximum power from the wind. In order to obtain efficient vector control in a synchronous generator with permanent magnets, it is necessary to know the position of the rotor. The PMSGs work over a wide range of speed, and it is mandatory to measure or estimate their speed and position. Usually, the position of the rotor is obtained through Resolver or Encoder. However, the presence of these sensor elements increases the cost, in addition to reducing the system’s reliability. Moreover, in high wind power turbine, the measured wind speed by the anemometer is taken at the level of the blades which makes the measurement of the wind speed at a single point inaccurate. This paper is a study on the sensorless control that removes the rotor position, speed sensors and anemometer from the speed control. The estimation of the rotor position is based on the output of a rotor current controller and the wind speed estimator is based on the opposition-based learning (OBL), particle swarm optimization and support vector regression.
Intergenerational Transmission of Occupation: A Qualitative Inquiry into Frontline Factory Workers in China
Authors: Ye Ye , Omar Rosmini , Ning Binyao , Ting Hiram
Published: October 2020

The intergenerational transmission of an occupation between two generations of frontline workers in Chinese factories shows a copy–paste phenomenon, whereby a new generation of workers not only undertakes the same work as their parents but also remains at the same level of technical ability. This phenomenon runs contrary to the literature on the intergenerational transmission of occupations and is unsuitable for China’s national conditions. More importantly, it restricts the sustainable development of the manufacturing industry in China. This study used a grounded theory approach to interview 30 workers to identify and analyze the factors and influences that created this new generation. The results show that the workers’ drawing of comparisons between and within generations not only limits their technical skills but also affects subsequent generations of workers through the intergenerational transmission of occupation. We draw on our findings to discuss the reasons for and impacts of these comparisons and make suggestions for future research.
Transforming a Theoretical Framework to Design Cards: LEAGUE Ideation Toolkit for Game-Based Learning Design
Authors: Tahir Rabail , Wang Alf Inge
Published: October 2020

Educational game design is a complex process demanding multi-dimensional focus in a heterogeneous team to balance multiple aspects. The existing Game-based learning (GBL) frameworks detail the required knowledge but are hard to use in design practice. Conversely, card-based design tools are a lightweight approach used to assist the early design phase. While several game design cards exist, none is specific for informing GBL knowledge. There is a lack of operationalizable approaches for designing learning games that integrate research based GBL knowledge into the actual ideation process. This paper presents a card-based GBL ideation toolkit to reduce the complexity of framework application and introduction of key GBL concepts in the design process as a tangible reference point to facilitate multi-dimensional focus, supporting idea generation, critical reflection, and creation of a shared understanding in the collaborative design process. The paper describes a ten-step process of transforming the LEAGUE framework into the LEAGUE toolkit (GBL ideation cards), an evaluation of the toolkit with design workshop participants, and design lessons detailing strengths and limitations to support GBL design practices.
Bio-Electrochemical Enhancement of Hydrogen and Methane Production in a Combined Anaerobic Digester (AD) and Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC) from Dairy Manure
Authors: Hassanein Amro , Witarsa Freddy , Lansing Stephanie , Qiu Ling , Liang Yong
Published: October 2020

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a biological-based technology that generates methane-enriched biogas. A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) uses electricity to initiate bacterial oxidization of organic matter to produce hydrogen. This study determined the effect of energy production and waste treatment when using dairy manure in a combined AD and MEC (AD-MEC) system compared to AD without MEC (AD-only). In the AD-MEC system, a single chamber MEC (150 mL) was placed inside a 10 L digester on day 20 of the digestion process and run for 272 h (11 days) to determine residual treatment and energy capacity with an MEC included. Cumulative H2 and CH4 production in the AD-MEC (2.43 L H2 and 23.6 L CH4) was higher than AD-only (0.00 L H2 and 10.9 L CH4). Hydrogen concentration during the first 24 h of MEC introduction constituted 20% of the produced biogas, after which time the H2 decreased as the CH4 concentration increased from 50% to 63%. The efficiency of electrical energy recovery (ηE) in the MEC was 73% (ηE min.) to 324% (ηE max.), with an average increase of 170% in total energy compared to AD-only. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was higher in the AD-MEC (7.09 kJ/g COD removed) system compared to AD-only (6.19 kJ/g COD removed). This study showed that adding an MEC during the digestion process could increase overall energy production and organic removal from dairy manure.
A Review of 3D Printing in Construction and its Impact on the Labor Market
Authors: Hossain Md. Aslam , Zhumabekova Altynay , Paul Suvash Chandra , Kim Jong Ryeol
Published: October 2020

Construction industry is very labor-intensive and one of the major sources of employment in the world. The industry is experiencing low productivity with minimum technological innovations for decades. In recent times, various automation technologies including 3D printing have received increasing interests in construction. 3D printing in construction is found to be very promising to automate the construction processes and have the potential of saving laborious work, material waste, construction time, risky operation for humans, etc. There has been a comprehensive body of research conducted to understand the recent advances, future prospects and challenges of large-scale adoption of 3D printing in construction projects. Being one the labor-intensive industries, this study also investigates the possible impact on the labor market with increasing adoption of 3D printing in construction. It is found that 3D printing can reduce significant number of labors which can solve the labor shortage problem, especially for the countries where construction is heavily dependent on immigrant workers. In contrast, 3D printing might not be favorable for the countries where construction is one of the main workforces and labor is less expensive. Moreover, 3D construction printing will also require people with special skills related to this new technology.
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sports Entrepreneurship
Authors: Escamilla-Fajardo Paloma , Núñez-Pomar Juan M. , Calabuig-Moreno Ferran , Gómez-Tafalla Ana M.
Published: October 2020

Sports entrepreneurship has been considered an important part of sports organisations when overcoming crisis situations. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of the crisis derived from COVID-19 on sports entrepreneurship and whether there are differences in the prediction of entrepreneurship on service quality in non-profit sports clubs. To this end, 145 sports clubs were analysed before and after the outbreak of the virus in society. Paired sample-t tests were carried out to determine the differences in variables studied before (Time I) and after (Time II) the COVID-19 outbreak, and correlations and hierarchical linear regressions were used to analyse the relationship between the variables studied in the two different stages. The results obtained show that risk-taking and innovation are significantly higher after the appearance of COVID-19, while proactivity has not undergone significant changes. Finally, the relationship between sports entrepreneurship and service quality is positive and significant in both stages but stronger before the crisis.
A Survey of Mycoviral Infection in Fusarium spp. Isolated from Maize and Sorghum in Argentina Identifies the First Mycovirus from Fusarium verticillioides
Authors: Jacquat Andrés Gustavo , Theumer Martín Gustavo , Cañizares María Carmen , Debat Humberto Julio , Iglesias Juliana , García Pedrajas María Dolores , Dambolena José Sebastián
Published: October 2020

Mycoviruses appear to be widespread in Fusarium species worldwide. The aim of this work was to identify mycoviral infections in Fusarium spp., isolated from maize and sorghum grown in Argentina, and to estimate their potential effects on the pathogenicity and toxigenesis of the host fungus towards maize. Mycoviruses were identified in 2 out of 105 isolates analyzed; Fusarium verticillioides strain Sec505 and Fusarium andiyazi strain 162. They were characterized as members of the genus Mitovirus by high-throughput sequencing and sequence analysis. The F. verticillioides mitovirus was a novel mycovirus whereas the F. andiyazi mitovirus was found to be a new strain of a previously identified mitovirus. We have named these mitoviruses, Fusarium verticillioides mitovirus 1 (FvMV1) and Fusarium andiyazi mitovirus 1 strain 162 (FaMV1-162). To our knowledge, FvMV1 is the first mycovirus reported as naturally infecting F. verticillioides, the major causal agent of ear rot and fumonisin producer in corn. Both mitoviruses exhibited 100% vertical transmission rate to microconidia. The Fa162 strain infected with FaMV1-162 did not show phenotypic alterations. In contract, F. verticillioides Sec505 infected with FvMV1 showed increased virulence as well as microconidia and fumonisin-B1 production, compared with two uninfected strains. These results suggest that FvMV1 could have a role in modulating F. verticillioides pathogenicity and toxin production worth further exploring.
Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Large T Antigen is Dispensable in G2 and M-Phase to Promote Proliferation of Merkel Cell Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Houben Roland , Ebert Marlies , Hesbacher Sonja , Kervarrec Thibault , Schrama David
Published: October 2020

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer frequently caused by the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), and proliferation of MCPyV-positive MCC tumor cells depends on the expression of a virus-encoded truncated Large T antigen (LT) oncoprotein. Here, we asked in which phases of the cell cycle LT activity is required for MCC cell proliferation. Hence, we generated fusion-proteins of MCPyV-LT and parts of geminin (GMMN) or chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor1 (CDT1). This allowed us to ectopically express an LT, which is degraded either in the G1 or G2 phase of the cell cycle, respectively, in MCC cells with inducible T antigen knockdown. We demonstrate that LT expressed only in G1 is capable of rescuing LT knockdown-induced growth suppression while LT expressed in S and G2/M phases fails to support proliferation of MCC cells. These results suggest that the crucial function of LT, which has been demonstrated to be inactivation of the cellular Retinoblastoma protein 1 (RB1) is only required to initiate S phase entry.
Amplicon-Based Detection and Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in Nasopharyngeal Swabs from Patients With COVID-19 and Identification of Deletions in the Viral Genome That Encode Proteins Involved in Interferon Antagonism
Authors: Moore Shona C. , Penrice-Randal Rebekah , Alruwaili Muhannad , Randle Nadine , Armstrong Stuart , Hartley Catherine , Haldenby Sam , Dong Xiaofeng , Alrezaihi Abdulrahman , Almsaud Mai , Bentley Eleanor , Clark Jordan , García-Dorival Isabel , Gilmore Paul , Han Ximeng , Jones Benjamin , Luu Lisa , Sharma Parul , Shawli Ghada , Sun Yani , Zhao Qin , Pullan Steven T. , Carter Daniel P. , Bewley Kevin , Dunning Jake , Zhou En-min , Solomon Tom , Beadsworth Michael , Cruise James , Crook Derrick W. , Matthews David A. , Davidson Andrew D. , Mahmood Zana , Aljabr Waleed , Druce Julian , Vipond Richard , Ng Lisa , Renia Laurent , Openshaw Peter J. M. , Baillie J. Kenneth , Carroll Miles W. , Stewart James , Darby Alistair , Semple Malcolm , Turtle Lance , Hiscox Julian A.
Published: October 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Sequencing the viral genome as the outbreak progresses is important, particularly in the identification of emerging isolates with different pathogenic potential and to identify whether nucleotide changes in the genome will impair clinical diagnostic tools such as real-time PCR assays. Although single nucleotide polymorphisms and point mutations occur during the replication of coronaviruses, one of the biggest drivers in genetic change is recombination. This can manifest itself in insertions and/or deletions in the viral genome. Therefore, sequencing strategies that underpin molecular epidemiology and inform virus biology in patients should take these factors into account. A long amplicon/read length-based RT-PCR sequencing approach focused on the Oxford Nanopore MinION/GridION platforms was developed to identify and sequence the SARS-CoV-2 genome in samples from patients with or suspected of COVID-19. The protocol, termed Rapid Sequencing Long Amplicons (RSLAs) used random primers to generate cDNA from RNA purified from a sample from a patient, followed by single or multiplex PCRs to generate longer amplicons of the viral genome. The base protocol was used to identify SARS-CoV-2 in a variety of clinical samples and proved sensitive in identifying viral RNA in samples from patients that had been declared negative using other nucleic acid-based assays (false negative). Sequencing the amplicons revealed that a number of patients had a proportion of viral genomes with deletions.
Emergence and Full Genome Analysis of Tomato Torrado Virus in South Africa
Authors: Moodley Vaneson , Gubba Augustine , Mafongoya Paramu L.
Published: October 2020

Emerging pests and diseases are a major threat to food production worldwide. In a recent survey, Tomato torrado virus (ToTV) was identified on tomato crops in the Limpopo province of South Africa and a first report of the disease was published. In this follow-up study, the full genome sequence of a tomato-infecting isolate of ToTV from South Africa was elucidated. High-throughput sequencing was used to generate the full genome of ToTV infecting tomato crops in South Africa. The longest contig obtained for the RNA-1 and RNA-2 genome of ToTV was comprised of 7420 and 5381 nucleotides (nt), respectively. Blast analysis of the RNA-1 sequence of ToTV from South Africa (ToT-186) matched 99% to a Spanish and Polish isolate; the RNA-2 segment of ToTV from South Africa (ToT-186) matched 99% to ToTV isolates from Italy and Poland, respectively. The information presented in this study will go a long way towards better understanding the emergence and spread of ToTV and devising sustainable management of ToTV diseases.
An Outbreak of a Respiratory Disorder at a Russian Swine Farm Associated with the Co-Circulation of PRRSV1 and PRRSV2
Authors: Raev Sergei , Yuzhakov Anton , Bulgakov Alexandr , Kostina Ludmila , Gerasianinov Alexei , Verkhovsky Oleg , Zaberezhny Alexei , Aliper Taras
Published: October 2020

We conducted a cross-sectional study to identify the major respiratory pathogen responsible for an outbreak of respiratory disease at a swine farm in West Siberia in 2019. We discovered that the peak of morbidity and mortality coincided with a high level of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) 1 and 2-related viremia. Based on longer PRRSV2 viremia, the dominant role of PRRSV2 over PRRSV1 in the outbreak was assumed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the PRRSV1 strain belonged to sub-genotype 2—one of the predominant groups of genotype 1 PRRSVs in Russia. A partial open reading frame 7 sequence of the PRRSV2 isolate demonstrated a high identity with modified live vaccine-related strains from Denmark (93%) and wild-type VR2332 (92%). We identified the first instance of PRRSV1/PRRSV2 mixed infection in Russia. This finding indicates that further field investigations are needed to access PRRSV2 epidemiology in eastern Europe.
And Then Suddenly
Authors: Dodd Jeffrey
Published: October 2020

The story of how this relaunch of The Review Review took shape feels like a minor saga.
Penerapan Model Rapid Application Development Mengunakan Social Media Content Marketing Bagi UMKM dalam Menghadapi Persaingan Masyarakat Ekonomi Asean (MEA)
Authors:   Universitas Muria Kudus, Wijayanti Esti
Published: October 2020

Marketing is important for the entrepreneur who produces the good produced. In this global competition, entrepreneurs have to find solutions to face the market how to market the production goods in order to be sold and received to the outside community. One solution to disseminate information is by sticking advertisement whose contents concern the quality of production goods, information from neighbors and benner. The current title is advertisement in society is by utilizing internet technology, that is through the website (website) that can be accessed around the world. This website can be used as marketing promotion tool of umkm production in Kudus. Before building the website is required analysis and design so that the resulting system can be as much as possible. With the modeling of Unified Modeling Language and php programming language and mysql database, and social media content marketing (SMCM) is a research approach to explore variations in the marketing experience of the community about using information, the development of information based information systems can provide information generated website that can be used as media information to find out the umkm goods product in Kudus.
Patency of ePTFE Arteriovenous Graft Placements in Hemodialysis Patients: Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Halbert Ronald J. , Nicholson Gina , Nordyke Robert J. , Pilgrim Alison , Niklason Laura
Published: October 2020

Arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) are an appropriate option for vascular access in certain hemodialysis patients. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) has become the dominant material for such grafts, due in part to innovations in graft design and surgical interventions to reduce complications and improve patency rates. Comprehensive evidence syntheses have not been conducted to update AVG performance in an era in which both access choice and ePTFE graft functioning may have changed. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis summarizing outcomes from recent studies of ePTFE AVGs in hemodialysis, following PRISMA standards. Literature searches were conducted in multiple databases to identify observational and interventional studies of AVG patency and infection risk. Primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency rates were analyzed at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postplacement. Kaplan–Meier graft survival plots were digitized to recreate individual patient-level data. Patency rates were pooled using a random effects model. We identified 32 studies meeting our selection criteria that were published from 2004 through 2019. A total of 38 study arms of ePTFE grafts were included, representing 3381 AVG accesses placed. The mean primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency rates at 1 year were 41% (95% CI, 35% to 47%), 46% (95% CI, 41% to 51%), and 70% (95% CI, 64% to 75%), respectively. Mean 24-month patency rates were 28% (95% CI, 22% to 33%), 34% (95% CI, 27% to 41%), and 54% (95% CI, 47% to 61%), respectively. A high degree of heterogeneity across studies was observed. Overall risk of infection was not consistently reported, but among available studies the pooled estimate was 9% per patient-year (95% CI, 6% to 12%). This meta-analysis provides an up-to-date estimate of the performance of ePTFE AVGs, within the context of improved graft designs and improved interventional techniques.
Combination Hydralazine and Isosorbide Dinitrate in Dialysis-Dependent ESRD (HIDE): A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Pilot Trial
Authors: Charytan David M. , Hsu Jesse Y. , Mc Causland Finnian R. , Waikar Sushrut S. , Ikizler T. Alp , Raj Dominic S. , Landis J. Richard , Mehrotra Rajnish , Williams Mark , DiCarli Marcelo , Skali Hicham , Kimmel Paul L. , Kliger Alan S. , Dember Laura M. ,   for the Hemodialysis Novel Therapies Consortium,   Hemodialysis Novel Therapies Consortium, Himmelfarb Jonathan , Anderson Amanda H , Hung Adriana M , Sharma Shailendra , Weiner Daniel E.
Published: October 2020

Background

Combination therapy with isosorbide dinitrate (ISD) and hydralazine (HY) reduces heart failure mortality. The safety and tolerability in individuals requiring maintenance hemodialysis (HD) is unknown.

Methods

Single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot trial to explore safety and tolerability of ISD/HY in maintenance HD. Participants were randomized to placebo or combination ISD/HY. Dose was escalated over 3 weeks from ISD 10 mg/HY 10 mg to ISD 40 mg/HY 75 mg three times per day with the maximum tolerated dose maintained for the subsequent 21 weeks. Primary endpoints included adverse events, adverse events precluding further treatment with study medication, serious hypotension (i.e., requiring hospitalization or emergency room visit), and recurrent intra-dialytic hypotension. Efficacy signals included change in mitral annular E’ velocity by tissue Doppler echocardiography and change in left ventricular coronary flow reserve on positron emission tomography.

Results

A total of 17 individuals were randomized to ISD/HY (N=7) or placebo (N=10). All participants assigned to ISD/HY completed dose escalation to 40/75 mg, but dose reductions were required in two participants. No participants discontinued therapy. There were no serious hypotension events. Recurrent intradialytic hypotension was less frequent with ISD/HY (0.47 events/patient-year) than placebo (1.83 events/patient-year, P=0.04). In contrast, nausea (ISD/HY, 1.90 events/patient-year; placebo, 0.50 events/patient-year, P=0.03) was significantly more frequent, and headache and diarrhea were numerically but not significantly more frequent with ISD/HY. Adverse events were more frequent with ISD/HY (11.4 events/patient-year) than placebo (6.31 events/patient-year). We did not detect between-group differences in the change in E’ (P=0.34); ISD/HY showed a mean increase of 0.6 cm/s (SD 1.1), and placebo showed a mean decrease of 0.04 cm/s (SD 0.9). Changes in coronary flow reserve were minimal, −0.3 (0.2) with ISD/HY and −0.03 (0.5) in the placebo group, P=0.19.

Conclusions

ISD/HY appears to be well tolerated in patients being treated with maintenance HD, but headache and gastrointestinal side effects occur more frequently with ISD/HY compared with placebo.
JadeWeserPort – Stand und Perspektiven des Containerumschlags in Wilhelmshaven
Authors: Holocher Klaus Harald
Published: October 2020

Der Containerterminal auf dem JadeWeserPort in Wilhelmshaven schlug 2018 mit 8 Containerbrücken 656.000 TEU um. Werden weitere 8 Brücken installiert, erreicht seine Kapazität gut 3 Mio. TEU. Auf Basis einer Umschlagprognose wird untersucht, wann der Terminal in der aktuellen Geräteausstattung bzw. in der Endausbaustufe seine Kapazitätsgrenze erreichen wird. Nach den Analysen müssten zusätzliche Containerbrücken etwa in 2022 bereitstehen. Die Umschlagkapazität in der Endausbaustufe dürfte bis 2030 ausreichen. Vorbereitungen für einen zweiten Containerterminal müssten allerdings früher beginnen.
Perspektiven additiver Fertigungsverfahren in der maritimen Industrie
Authors: Ninnemann Jan
Published: October 2020

Additive Fertigungsverfahren dürften schon in den nächsten Jahren gravierende Auswirkungen auf Branchengrenzen, Wettbewerbsformen und Geschäftsmodelle nach sich ziehen. Allerdings ist die Durchsetzung dieser neuen Technologie in den unterschiedlichen Industrien z. T. noch sehr unterschiedlich. Während im Bereich Aviation bereits konkrete Anwendungsfälle bestehen, befindet sich der 3D-Druck in der maritimen Wirtschaft zumindest in Deutschland noch in einer sehr frühen Phase. Anwendungsbeispiele finden sich u. a. in der Ersatzteillogistik und bei Sonderanfertigungen. Mit Blick auf die Seeverkehrs- und Hafenwirtschaft ist insbesondere der Aspekt einer möglichen Verkürzung globaler Herstellungsketten bzw. einer Dezentralisierung der Produktion durch additive Fertigungsmethoden relevant. Hier gilt es frühzeitig mögliche Rückwirkungen aus einer sinkenden Transportintensität zu antizipieren und die entsprechenden strategischen Weichenstellungen vorzunehmen.
Cyber-Security – neue Herausforderung im Hafenmanagement
Authors: Vasterling-Will Andrea , Krämer Iven
Published: October 2020

Schleusentore verweigern ihren Dienst, Kommunikationssysteme werden gestört oder fallen aus, komplexe Terminal-Steuerungssysteme weisen Fehlfunktionen auf, Schiffe, Trucks und Züge können nicht mehr be- und entladen werden. Szenarien wie diese mit ihren negativen Folgen für die intensiv vernetzten maritimen Logistikketten sind real. Cyber-Attacken stellen eine neue, rasant an Bedeutung gewinnende Gefahr für Häfen und Schifffahrt dar. Wie dieser Herausforderung im Hafenmanagement begegnet wird, ist Gegenstand dieser Analyse.