bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Making Sustainable Regional Design Strategies Successful
Authors: Nikologianni Anastasia , Moore Kathryn , Larkham Peter J.
Published: February 2019

This paper identifies innovative methods of strategic spatial design to demonstrate the sustainable outcomes that can be achieved by adopting landscape practices to future-proof our cities and regions. A range of strategic landscape-led models and methodologies are investigated to reveal the structure, administrative processes and key elements that have been adopted in order to facilitate the integration of climate change environmental design and landscape quality. We have found that a strong established framework that demonstrates innovative project management and early integration of environmental ideas is critical in order to be able to deliver landscape schemes that appropriately identify and address current climatic and social challenges. Furthermore, to make a real difference in the way that professional practice and politics deal with landscape infrastructure, the project framework and key concepts related to landscape design and planning, such as low carbon design and spatial quality, need to be clearly supported by legislation and policy at all levels. Together with close attention to the importance of design, this approach is more likely to ensure effective implementation and smooth communication during the development of a landscape scheme, leading to higher levels of sustainability and resilience in the future.
A Sustainability Innovation Experiential Learning Model for Virtual Reality Chemistry Laboratory: An Empirical Study with PLS-SEM and IPMA
Authors: Su Chung-Ho , Cheng Ting-Wen
Published: February 2019

This study focuses on serious virtual reality games, and how users can increase their understanding of the sustainable innovation learning (SIL) model and their familiarity with sustainable development strategies. “Users” of serious games consists of all possible target groups that are interested in attaining knowledge of sustainability through the use of games that are designed for a purpose beyond entertainment, in this case, for sustainable education. This research investigates the sustainable innovation experiential learning model by using a virtual chemistry laboratory to affect academic achievement. A questionnaire was completed by students who had used the virtual lab, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied for analysis. Importance-performance matrix analysis (IPMA) was able to help expand the basic partial least square (PLS)-SEM result with the fraction. The results show that experiential learning significantly affects learning motivation and academic achievement. Cognitive load and self-efficacy significantly affect learning motivation. Involvement significantly affects academic achievement. The virtual chemistry laboratory significantly affects academic achievement. Students who used the sustainability innovation experiential learning model obtained a better understanding of the chemical concepts. Moreover, a virtual lab promotes students’ motivation in regard to chemistry.
Framework for Assessing Public Transportation Sustainability in Planning and Policy-Making
Authors: Karjalainen Linda E. , Juhola Sirkku
Published: February 2019

Transportation plays a key role in urban sustainability planning and urban greenhouse gas emission reductions. Globally, cities have established sustainability agendas and policies to guide the shift from traditional private automobile dependent transportation systems towards an increased use of public transportation, cycling, and walking. While the surrounding physical urban form and governance structures condition public transportation services, there are also many other factors to consider when discussing sustainability. As such, comprehensive planning and policy-oriented assessment frameworks that are independent of local conditions are still largely missing in literature. This paper presents a Public Transportation Sustainability Indicator List (PTSIL) that provides a platform for an integrated assessment of environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability through an indicator-based approach. To demonstrate its use, the PTSIL is applied to analyze the policy documents of public transportation agencies in Helsinki, Finland, and Toronto, Canada. The results show that while both cities achieve relatively high scores in all dimensions, there is still high variability among individual indicators. The PTSIL presents a missed stepping stone between descriptive definitions of transportation sustainability and case specific sustainability performance assessments, offering an opportunity within the planning and policy-making sectors to review, assess, and develop public transportation services comprehensively.
A Geoarchaeological Reading of the City-Overlap-City Phenomenon in the Lower Yellow River Floodplain: A Case Study of Kaifeng City, China
Authors: Wu Pengfei , Liu Dexin , Ma Jianhua , Miao Changhong , Chen Lingling , Gu Lei , Tong Jiahuan
Published: February 2019

The unique urban form on the ground and the “city overlap city” phenomenon occurring underground at Kaifeng city, on the Yellow River floodplain, is investigated. Archaeological data and historical geographical analysis were used to study the form of surface remains. Primary data were collected from four 25 m long drill cores which were obtained from different locations at Kaifeng city and the sedimentary cycles were quantitatively divided-out and dated. The results show that the evolution of Kaifeng’s surface urban form mainly occurred over four periods, the first of which was before 225 BC; the second took place between 225 BC and 956 AD; the third between 956 AD and 1219 AD; and the fourth between 1219 AD and 1907 AD. The results support the view that the city wall of today has undergone continuous reconstruction on the basis of previous city walls and thus forming the special landscape sequence of overlapped walls as a result of the 1642 AD and 1841 AD floods. The results also substantiate the “city overlap city” phenomenon at Kaifeng city where there are at least “three and a half ancient cities” located underground today, and suggests the “city overlap city” landscape is a harmonious production comprising both natural and human heritages that are of worldwide significance in terms of authenticity and integrity. Our results contribute to understanding the effects of Yellow River flooding on shaping adaptive landscapes and human beings, and suggest that Kaifeng city as well as other lower Yellow River sites become World Heritage sites.
Climatic and Socioeconomic Aspects of Mushrooms: The Case of Spain
Authors: Martínez-Ibarra Emilio , Gómez-Martín María Belén , Armesto-López Xosé Anton
Published: February 2019

Fungi are some of the most diverse organisms on earth and since prehistoric times have played an important role in human society. In recent years they have become a strategic asset not only in the conservation and management of ecosystems but also as a resource for halting the exodus from rural areas in peripheral Mediterranean regions, such as inland eastern Spain. In view of this important ecological and socioeconomic role, in this paper we present a geographical analysis of edible fungi, paying particular attention to the Spanish case. To this end we carried out a bibliographic review of the climatic factors affecting the fruiting of these fungi and the socioeconomic aspects of their commercial exploitation. We also performed an online search for mycotourism-related activities and explored the statistical data on the cultivation of edible mushrooms and its economic impact. Our main findings include a synthesis of the international research on the effects of climatic variability on the natural production of macrofungi, and an assessment of the economic viability and the social importance of mushrooms in Spain, in particular in relation to the current and future potential of mushroom cultivation and the multifunctional management and use of forests.
Telecoupling Research: The First Five Years
Authors: Kapsar Kelly E. , Hovis Ciara L. , Bicudo da Silva Ramon Felipe , Buchholtz Erin K. , Carlson Andrew K. , Dou Yue , Du Yueyue , Furumo Paul R. , Li Yingjie , Torres Aurora , Yang Di , Wan Ho Yi , Zaehringer Julie G. , Liu Jianguo
Published: February 2019

In an increasingly interconnected world, human–environment interactions involving flows of people, organisms, goods, information, and energy are expanding in magnitude and extent, often over long distances. As a universal paradigm for examining these interactions, the telecoupling framework (published in 2013) has been broadly implemented across the world by researchers from diverse disciplines. We conducted a systematic review of the first five years of telecoupling research to evaluate the state of telecoupling science and identify strengths, areas to be improved, and promising avenues for future study. We identified 89 studies using any derivation of the term telecoupling. These works emphasize trade flows, information transfer, and species dispersal at international, national, and regional scales involving one or a few countries, with China, Brazil, and the United States being the most frequently studied countries. Our review showed a rising trend in publications and citations on telecoupling, with 63% of identified telecoupling studies using the framework’s specific language (e.g., “flows”, “agents”). This result suggests that future telecoupling studies could apply the standardized telecoupling language and terminology to better coordinate, synthesize, and operationalize interdisciplinary research. Compelling topics for future research include operationalization of the telecoupling framework, commonalities among telecouplings, telecoupling mechanisms and causality, and telecoupled systems governance. Overall, the first five years of telecoupling research have improved our understanding of human–environment interactions, laying a promising foundation for future social–ecological research in a telecoupled world.
Multi-Criteria, Cost-Benefit, and Life-Cycle Analyses for Decision-Making to Support Responsible, Sustainable, and Alternative Tourism
Authors: Zagonari Fabio
Published: February 2019

This paper combines the most popular tourism typologies or goals (i.e., RT, responsible tourism, to represent impact minimisation; ST, sustainable tourism, to represent welfare maximisation; AT, alternative tourism, to represent continuity maximisation) and decision-making methodologies (i.e., MCA, multi-criteria analysis; CBA, cost-benefit analysis; WLCA, weighted life-cycle assessment; MLCA, monetary life-cycle assessment) in a single dynamic framework to operationally match the former with the latter. Normative insights show that MCA and WLCA are most suitable for RT and AT, respectively, whereas CBA and MLCA are most suitable for ST. Management recommendations (i.e., if a wrong static instead of a right dynamic approach must be adopted due to a lack of data, once chosen a tourism typology or goal, ST is the best in terms of level, correlation and likelihood of errors) are provided, and policy recommendations (i.e., if a right dynamic approach is adopted, in choosing among tourism typologies or goals, AT is the best in terms of precaution, ST is the best in terms of correlation, and RT is the best in terms of risk of investments) are suggested for a case study characterized by negative environmental and cultural dynamics. Positive insights show that two and many papers have applied WLCA and MLCA, respectively, to RT, but they did not account for cultural features; many papers have applied CBA to ST, but only one paper applied MLCA; few and no papers have applied MCA and WLCA, respectively, to AT.
The Relationships among Experiential Marketing, Service Innovation, and Customer Satisfaction—A Case Study of Tourism Factories in Taiwan
Authors: Yeh Tsu-Ming , Chen Shun-Hsing , Chen Tsen-Fei
Published: February 2019

Tourism factories are tourist attractions with values of manufacturing, culture, history, tourism, and recreation, providing a series of activities for tourists to experience the products and the manufacturing process in the mode of experiential marketing so as to enhance their cognition for the products and the corporate image. With the establishment of numerous tourism factories in Taiwan, to be competitive it is essential for the factories to develop unique and innovative modes that are difficult to imitate. This study explores experiential marketing, service innovation, customer satisfaction, and other related issues through research on the tourists of a certain tourism factory. It notes that experiential marketing and service innovation have positive effects on customer satisfaction. Tourists’ levels of consciousness of sensual and emotional experience in experiential marketing is very high. Therefore, to strengthen experiential marketing towards customers, applying electronic media to reinforce knowledge of the corporation and products will promote the corporation’s image and product packaging. It will also familiarize customers with the operating philosophy of the corporation and the characteristics of the products so that their purchase intentions will increase, resulting in sustainable development of the business.
Examining Social Vulnerability and Inequality: A Joint Analysis through a Connectivity Lens in the Urban Agglomerations of China
Authors: Ge Yi , Yang Guangfei , Chen Yi , Dou Wen
Published: February 2019

China is vulnerable to climate change. Developing the ability to assess social vulnerability and inequality amid climate change will be imperative to ensure that adjustment policies can be developed for various groups and build resilient livelihoods in China. This paper examines social vulnerability and inequality through a joint analysis of urban agglomerations. Based on a conceptual framework of social vulnerability from a network perspective, the social vulnerability index of individual cities is quantified with a projection pursuit cluster model, the social vulnerability index of cities in urban networks is calculated with the Baidu Index, and an inequality analysis is measured by the Theil index. We pilot this study in three urban agglomerations: the Jing-Jin-Ji region, the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Pearl River Delta. Our results show the following: (1) The indicator of “GDP” with the weight value reaching 0.42 has the most influence on social vulnerability. Three indicators, which are fully described herein—“Children”, “Illiterate”, and “Higher education graduated”—contribute much to social vulnerability index with values between 0.3 and 0.4. These three indicators should receive more attention in integrated risk management. (2) In the Jing-Jin-Ji region, the Theil indexes of two indicators, “Ethnic minorities” and “Green”, exceed 0.65 and have the most influence on inequality. In the Yangtze River Delta, three indicators of “Poor”, “GDP”, and “Green” contribute much to inequality. In the Pearl River Delta, the inequalities of “Green”, “Houses with no tap water” and “Higher education graduated” are high. These indicators give advance warning of potential problems, so adjustment is recommended for reducing inequality. (3) Though the connectivity structure of the Yangtze River Delta is more complicated and stronger than that of the other two agglomerations, its inequality of connectivity is higher than the others. (4) Connectivity is key for reducing social vulnerability, on the one hand, but can result in more inequality of social vulnerability, on the other hand. Therefore, it’s crucial for government to attach more significance and provide more support to cities with a higher social vulnerability index.
Tax Policy, Environmental Concern and Level of Emission Reduction
Authors: Gao Xuexian , Zheng Haidong , Zhang Yan , Golsanami Naser
Published: February 2019

Regulators often use environmental policy to induce green initiatives by firms. This paper examines the emission-reduction-inducement effect of the environmental tax deduction (ETD) incentive by Stackelberg game models between an environmental regulator and a profit-maximizing monopolistic firm facing emission-dependent demand. Different cases, i.e., with/without considering the regulator’s environmental concerns, were used to investigate the ETD policy effects with a numerical example. This paper shows that the regulator’s tax policy will only affect the emission reduction level, but cannot influence the output, which combined with the firm’s operation factors mainly depends the consumers’ attitude toward green products and price sensitivity. Numerical simulation results showed that for the cases with a moderate level of environmental concern and emission standard, the regulator can set an ETD incentive to motivate the choice of a higher level of emission reduction and simultaneously increase social welfare; otherwise, the increase in environmental quality is at the expense of social welfare. When the market’s environmental consciousness increases, it is easier for the regulator to guide the firm to adopt an ETD solution. Therefore, improving consumers’ awareness of environmental protection is an effective way to promote green investment of firms.
A Programming-Based Algorithm for Probabilistic Uncertain Linguistic Intuitionistic Fuzzy Group Decision-Making
Authors: Gong Kaixin , Chen Chunfang
Published: February 2019

As an effective tool to express the subjective preferences of decision makers, the linguistic term sets (LTS) have been widely used in group decision-making (GDM) problems, such as hesitant fuzzy LTS, linguistic hesitant fuzzy sets, probabilistic LTS, etc. However, due to the increasing complexity of practical decision-making (DM) problems, LTS still has a lot of room to expand in fuzzy theory. Qualitative uncertainty information in the application of GDM is yet to be improved. Therefore, in order to improve the applicability of linguistic terms in DM problems, a probabilistic uncertain linguistic intuitionistic fuzzy set (PULIFS) that can fully express the decision-maker’s (DM’s) evaluation information is first proposed. To improve the rationality of DM results, we give a method for determining individual weights in the probabilistic uncertain linguistic intuitionistic fuzzy preference relation (PULIFPR) environment. In addition, we present two consistency definitions of PULIFPR to reflect both the assessment information and risk attitudes of decision makers. Subsequently, a series of goal programming models (GPMs) are established, which effectively avoid the consistency check and correction process of existing methods. Finally, the developed method is applied to an empirical example concerning the selection of a virtual reality (VR) project. The advantages of the proposed method are demonstrated by comparative analysis.
Dynamics Models of Synchronized Piecewise Linear Discrete Chaotic Systems of High Order
Authors: Sokolov Sergei , Zhilenkov Anton , Chernyi Sergei , Nyrkov Anatoliy , Mamunts David
Published: February 2019

This paper deals with the methods for investigating the nonlinear dynamics of discrete chaotic systems (DCS) applied to piecewise linear systems of the third order. The paper proposes an approach to the analysis of the systems under research and their improvement. Thus, effective and mathematically sound methods for the analysis of nonlinear motions in the models under consideration are proposed. It makes it possible to obtain simple calculated relations for determining the basic dynamic characteristics of systems. Based on these methods, the authors developed algorithms for calculating the dynamic characteristics of discrete systems, i.e. areas of the existence of steady-state motion, areas of stability, capture band, and parameters of transients. By virtue of the developed methods and algorithms, the dynamic modes of several models of discrete phase synchronization systems can be analyzed. They are as follows: Pulsed and digital different orders, dual-ring systems of various types, including combined ones, and systems with cyclic interruption of auto-tuning. The efficiency of various devices for information processing, generation and stabilization could be increased by using the mentioned discrete synchronization systems on the grounds of the results of the analysis. We are now developing original software for analyzing the dynamic characteristics of various classes of discrete phase synchronization systems, based on the developed methods and algorithms.
An Intelligent and Interactive Interface to Support Symmetrical Collaborative Educational Writing among Visually Impaired and Sighted Users
Authors: Waqar Mirza Muhammad , Aslam Muhammad , Farhan Muhammad
Published: February 2019

It is often uncomfortable for disabled individuals, especially those with vision impairment, to conduct educational activities in collaboration with people that have perfect vision. This can be because of the former’s lack of confidence, vision capability, and acceptance. Information and communications technology (ICT) has played a vital role in giving support to people with visual impairments so that they can overcome their issues. This study proposes innovative solutions that address the challenges faced by partially or completely visually impaired people. It provides an interactive and intelligent interface, which they may use to perform educational activities, such as editing, writing, or reviewing documents, in collaboration with people without visual impairments. The system provides high-quality awareness features by sending them instant voice notifications about the actions and events occurring in the shared environment. A speech-recognition engine has been integrated into the system to allow users to interact with the application through voice commands. The system is evaluated through experiments, where people with visual impairment and people without visual impairment were engaged in collaborative writing. The obtained results are encouraging. The users showed curiosity in the system and were able to focus on the productive task instead of their disability.
Advances in Future Internet and the Industrial Internet of Things
Authors: Park Jong Hyuk
Published: February 2019

After the emergence of the Internet and mobile communication networks, the IoT has been considered as the third wave of information technology. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in manufacturing. IIoT incorporates machine learning and big data technology, sensor data, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications that have existed in industrial areas for years. In the future, people and objects will be connected at any time, any place, with anything and anyone and will utilize any network and services. IIoT is creating a new world in which people and businesses can manage their assets in more informed ways and can make more opportune and better-informed decisions. Many advanced IIoT and 5G technologies have been successfully applied in everyday life, but there are still many practical problems tackled by traditional methods which are generally difficult to experimentally solve in the advanced Industrial Internet of Things. Therefore, in this special issue, we accepted five articles in three different dimensions: communication networks, optimized resource provisioning and data forwarding, privacy and security.
Neutrosophic Cubic Einstein Geometric Aggregation Operators with Application to Multi-Criteria Decision Making Method
Authors: Khan Majid , Gulistan Muhammad , Yaqoob Naveed , Khan Madad , Smarandache Florentin
Published: February 2019

Neutrosophic cubic sets (NCs) are amore generalized version of neutrosophic sets(Ns) and interval neutrosophic sets (INs). Neutrosophic cubic setsare better placed to express consistent, indeterminate and inconsistent information, which provides a better platform to deal with incomplete, inconsistent and vague data. Aggregation operators play a key role in daily life, and in relation to science and engineering problems. In this paper we defined the algebraic and Einstein sum, multiplication and scalar multiplication, score and accuracy functions. Using these operations we defined geometric aggregation operators and Einstein geometric aggregation operators. First, we defined the algebraic and Einstein operators of addition, multiplication and scalar multiplication. We defined score and accuracy function to compare neutrosophic cubic values. Then we definedthe neutrosophic cubic weighted geometric operator (NCWG), neutrosophic cubic ordered weighted geometric operator (NCOWG), neutrosophic cubic Einstein weighted geometric operator (NCEWG), and neutrosophic cubic Einstein ordered weighted geometric operator (NCEOWG) over neutrosophic cubic sets. A multi-criteria decision making method is developed as an application to these operators. This method is then applied to a daily life problem.
Opioid Use in Pregnant Women and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome—A Review of the Literature
Authors: Martins Fábio , Oppolzer David , Santos Catarina , Barroso Mário , Gallardo Eugenia
Published: February 2019

Opiate use during pregnancy has been an increasing problem over the last two decades, making it an important social and health concern. The use of such substances may have serious negative outcomes in the newborn, and clinical and cognitive conditions have been reported, including neonatal abstinence syndrome, developmental problems, and lower cognitive performance. These conditions are common when opiates are used during pregnancy, making the prescription of these kinds of drugs problematic. Moreover, the mother may develop opiate addiction, thus, increasing the likelihood of the infant being born with any of those conditions. This paper reviews the use of opiates during pregnancy and focuses mainly on the neonatal abstinence syndrome. First, the commonly prescribed opiates will be identified, namely those usually involved in cases of addiction and/or neonatal abstinence syndrome. Second, published approaches to deal with those problems will be presented and discussed, including the treatment of both the mother and the infant. Finally, we will outline the treatments that are safest and most efficient, and will define future goals, approaches, and research directions for the scientific community regarding this problem.
Investigating Common Pathogenic Mechanisms between Homo sapiens and Different Strains of Candida albicans for Drug Design: Systems Biology Approach via Two-Sided NGS Data Identification
Authors: Yeh Shan-Ju , Yeh Chun-Chieh , Lan Chung-Yu , Chen Bor-Sen
Published: February 2019

Candida albicans (C. albicans) is the most prevalent fungal species. Although it is a healthy microbiota, genetic and epigenetic alterations in host and pathogen, and microenvironment changes would lead to thrush, vaginal yeast infection, and even hematogenously disseminated infection. Despite the fact that cytotoxicity is well-characterized, few studies discuss the genome-wide genetic and epigenetic molecular mechanisms between host and C. albicans. The aim of this study is to identify drug targets and design a multiple-molecule drug to prevent the infection from C. albicans. To investigate the common and specific pathogenic mechanisms in human oral epithelial OKF6/TERT-2 cells during the C. albicans infection in different strains, systems modeling and big databases mining were used to construct candidate host–pathogen genetic and epigenetic interspecies network (GEIN). System identification and system order detection are applied on two-sided next generation sequencing (NGS) data to build real host–pathogen cross-talk GEINs. Core host–pathogen cross-talk networks (HPCNs) are extracted by principal network projection (PNP) method. By comparing with core HPCNs in different strains of C. albicans, common pathogenic mechanisms were investigated and several drug targets were suggested as follows: orf19.5034 (YBP1) with the ability of anti-ROS; orf19.939 (NAM7), orf19.2087 (SAS2), orf19.1093 (FLO8) and orf19.1854 (HHF22) with high correlation to the hyphae growth and pathogen protein interaction; orf19.5585 (SAP5), orf19.5542 (SAP6) and orf19.4519 (SUV3) with the cause of biofilm formation. Eventually, five corresponding compounds—Tunicamycin, Terbinafine, Cerulenin, Tetracycline and Tetrandrine—with three known drugs could be considered as a potential multiple-molecule drug for therapeutic treatment of C. albicans.
The Toxins of Nemertean Worms
Authors: Göransson Ulf , Jacobsson Erik , Strand Malin , Andersson Håkan S.
Published: February 2019

Most ribbon worms (phylum: Nemertea) are found in marine environments, where they act as predators and scavengers. They are characterized by an eversible proboscis that is used to hunt for prey and thick mucus covering their skin. Both proboscis and epidermal mucus mediate toxicity to predators and preys. Research into the chemical nature of the substances that render toxicity has not been extensive, but it has nevertheless led to the identification of several compounds of potential medicinal use or for application in biotechnology. This review provides a complete account of the current status of research into nemertean toxins.
A Novel MVA-Based HIV Vaccine Candidate (MVA-gp145-GPN) Co-Expressing Clade C Membrane-Bound Trimeric gp145 Env and Gag-Induced Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) Triggered Broad and Multifunctional HIV-1-Specific T Cell and Antibody Responses
Authors: Perdiguero Beatriz , Sánchez-Corzo Cristina , Sorzano Carlos Oscar S. , Saiz Lidia , Mediavilla Pilar , Esteban Mariano , Gómez Carmen Elena
Published: February 2019

The development of an effective Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) vaccine that is able to stimulate both the humoral and cellular HIV-1-specific immune responses remains a major priority challenge. In this study, we described the generation and preclinical evaluation of single and double modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)-based candidates expressing the HIV-1 clade C membrane-bound gp145(ZM96) trimeric protein and/or the Gag(ZM96)-Pol-Nef(CN54) (GPN) polyprotein that was processed to form Gag-induced virus-like particles (VLPs). In vitro characterization of MVA recombinants revealed the stable integration of HIV-1 genes without affecting its replication capacity. In cells that were infected with Env-expressing viruses, the gp145 protein was inserted into the plasma membrane exposing critical epitopes that were recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), whereas Gag-induced VLPs were released from cells that were infected with GPN-expressing viruses. VLP particles as well as purified MVA virions contain Env and Gag visualized by immunoelectron microscopy and western-blot of fractions that were obtained after detergent treatments of purified virus particles. In BALB/c mice, homologous MVA-gp145-GPN prime/boost regimen induced broad and polyfunctional Env- and Gag-specific CD4 T cells and antigen-specific T follicular helper (Tfh) and Germinal Center (GC) B cells, which correlated with robust HIV-1-specific humoral responses. Overall, these results support the consideration of MVA-gp145-GPN vector as a potential vaccine candidate against HIV-1.
Integrated MicroRNA and mRNA Profiling in Zika Virus-Infected Neurons
Authors: Azouz Francine , Arora Komal , Krause Keeton , Nerurkar Vivek R. , Kumar Mukesh
Published: February 2019

Zika virus (ZIKV) infections have caused a wide spectrum of neurological diseases, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, myelitis, meningoencephalitis, and congenital microcephaly. No effective therapies currently exist for treating patients infected with ZIKV. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small RNAs involved in the regulation of a wide variety of cellular and physiological processes. In this study, we analyzed digital miRNA and mRNA profiles in ZIKV-infected primary mouse neurons using the nCounter technology. A total of 599 miRNAs and 770 mRNAs were examined. We demonstrate that ZIKV infection causes global downregulation of miRNAs with only few upregulated miRNAs. ZIKV-modulated miRNAs including miR-155, miR-203, miR-29a, and miR-124-3p are known to play critical role in flavivirus infection, anti-viral immunity and brain injury. ZIKV infection also results in downregulation of miRNA processing enzymes. In contrast, ZIKV infection induces dramatic upregulation of anti-viral, inflammatory and apoptotic genes. Furthermore, our data demonstrate an inverse correlation between ZIKV-modulated miRNAs and target host mRNAs induced by ZIKV. Biofunctional analysis revealed that ZIKV-modulated miRNAs and mRNAs regulate the pathways related to neurological development and neuroinflammatory responses. Functional studies targeting specific miRNA are warranted to develop therapeutics for the management of ZIKV neurological disease.
Pathogenicity and Transmissibility of North American H7 Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses in Chickens and Turkeys
Authors: Roy Chowdhury Ishita , Yeddula Sai Goutham Reddy , Kim Shin-Hee
Published: February 2019

Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses can silently circulate in poultry and wild aquatic birds and potentially mutate into highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses. In the U.S., recent emergence and spread of H7N8 and H7N9 HPAI viruses not only caused devastating losses to domestic poultry but also underscored the capability of LPAI viruses to mutate into HPAI viruses. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated pathogenicity and transmissibility of H7N8 and H7N9 LPAI viruses (the progenitors of HPAI viruses) in chickens and turkeys. We also included H7N2 isolated from an outbreak of LPAI in commercial chickens. H7 viruses replicated more efficiently in the respiratory tract than in the gastrointestinal tract, suggesting that their replication is restricted to the upper respiratory tract. Specifically, H7N2 replicated most efficiently in two-week-old chickens and turkeys. In contrast, H7N8 replicated least efficiently in those birds. Further, replication of H7N2 and H7N9 was restricted in the upper respiratory tract of four-week-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) and broiler chickens. Despite their restricted replication, the two viruses efficiently transmitted from infected to naïve birds by direct contact, leading to seroconversion of contacted chickens. Our findings suggest the importance of continuous monitoring and surveillance of LPAI viruses in the fields.
The Role of Winter Rain in the Glacial System on Svalbard
Authors: Łupikasza Ewa B. , Ignatiuk Dariusz , Grabiec Mariusz , Cielecka-Nowak Katarzyna , Laska Michał , Jania Jacek , Luks Bartłomiej , Uszczyk Aleksander , Budzik Tomasz
Published: February 2019

Rapid Arctic warming results in increased winter rain frequencies, which may impact glacial systems. In this paper, we discuss climatology and precipitation form trends, followed by examining the influence of winter rainfall (Oct–May) on both the mass balance and dynamics of Hansbreen (Svalbard). We used data from the Hornsund meteorological station (01003 WMO), in addition to the original meteorological and glaciological data from three measurement points on Hansbreen. Precipitation phases were identified based on records of weather phenomena and used—along with information on lapse rate—to estimate the occurrence and altitudinal extent of winter rainfall over the glacier. We found an increase in the frequency of winter rain in Hornsund, and that these events impact both glacier mass balance and glacier dynamics. However, the latter varied depending on the degree of snow cover and drainage systems development. In early winter, given the initial, thin snow cover and an inefficient drainage system, rainfall increased glacier velocity. Full-season winter rainfall on well-developed snow was effectively stored in the glacier, contributing on average to 9% of the winter accumulation.
How to Overcome Barriers for Wastewater Agricultural Reuse in Sicily (Italy)?
Authors: Ventura Delia , Consoli Simona , Barbagallo Salvatore , Marzo Alessia , Vanella Daniela , Licciardello Feliciana , Cirelli Giuseppe L.
Published: February 2019

This study reports an up-to-date summary of the principal barriers still limiting reclaimed water use for agriculture in Italy, and particularly in Sicily. Moreover, it provides a geographic informative system (GIS)-based procedure for evaluating the potential treated wastewater (TW) reuse in the Sicilian region as a decision support system for its management. The survey, based on possible economic, morphologic, and design solutions, evidenced a feasible integration of several wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with irrigation areas, allowing the water availability enhancement. Overall, the potential volume of TW by WWTPs (connected to irrigation districts) is 163 × 106 m3 year−1, while the water deficit is 66 × 106 m3 year−1. The feasibility of TW reuse in Sicily was also analysed at the light of the World Health Organization microbial risk assessment. Escherichia coli (E. coli) analyses mostly accomplished these guidelines while conflicting with the restrictive Italian standards. Despite several limiting factors (restrictive legislations, high distance and unfavourable slope between WWTPs and irrigable areas, high monitoring and distribution costs) still hamper the exploitation of reclaimed water use in Sicilian agriculture, some solutions were identified to implement this practice.
Biological Treatment of Wastewater from Pyrolysis Plant: Effect of Organics Concentration, pH and Temperature
Authors: Di Palma Luca , Bavasso Irene , Capocelli Mauro , De Filippis Paolo , Piemonte Vincenzo
Published: February 2019

The biological treatment of the aqueous residue produced during poplar wood pyrolysis was investigated. The biological treatment experiments were carried out at two different pH conditions (controlled at 7, uncontrolled) in batch mode at three different temperatures (15 °C, 25 °C and 30 °C) and initial total organic carbon of the water ranging from 800 mg/L to 2800 mg/L. Results show that a substantial removal of organic carbon could be achieved in aerobic conditions after biomass acclimation. After 72 h of treatment, total organic carbon (TOC) removal mean values of 49.47% and 53.03% were observed at 30 °C for solution at 1400 and 2000 mg/L initial TOC, respectively. In the case of 1400 mg/L, a further mineralization (61.80%) was achieved during 144 h of treatment, by using a two-step process. A kinetic study of the process was also made, showing that organics mineralization followed a first-order kinetic model.
ANALYSIS OF DISTRICT HEATING NETWORK MONITORING BY NEURAL NETWORKS CLASSIFICATION
Authors: Malinowski Paweł , Ziembicki Piotr
Published: February 2019

The paper proposes an alternative approach to the problem of district heating monitoring parameters selection, based on conditions, taken, for instance, from a specific real district heating network supplemented with tests data and expert knowledge.
EXPERIMENTAL BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED CONCRETE COLUMN MODELS STRENGTHENED BY CFRP MATERIALS
Authors: Kamiński Mieczysław , Trapko Tomasz
Published: February 2019

Strengthening of the reinforced concrete structures is one of the most difficult and important tasks of civil engineering. The paper presents the problem of strengthening of reinforced concrete structures. Experimental tests of load‐carrying capacity of reinforced concrete columns strengthened with CFRP strips and wraps have been carried out. The first objective of this research was to determine the influence of the type of reinforcement on load‐carrying capacity and strain. The second objective was to determine interdependence of the intensity of external reinforcement and load‐carrying capacity of element. Tests results have shown that the subject was worth investigating. Relations between external reinforcement ratio and load‐carrying capacity of small models of RC columns with various reinforcement ratio (from 1,4 % to 4,2 %) have been examined.
THE WOOD‐FRAMED WITH SHEATHING BUILDINGS ‐ ALTERNATIVE FOR HOUSING CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Malesza Mikołaj , Miedziałowski Czesław
Published: February 2019

Numerical model of the wood‐framed with sheathing structure and selected results of experimental tests are presented in the paper. Wall and floor diaphragms as the three‐dimensional composite structure are modeled applying plane shell elements representing framing and sheathing and beam element describing the fasteners. Experimental tests were conducted on typically disposed the wood‐framed wall and floor diaphragms in residential housing in Poland. Associated tests of materials and connections and their results are also included in the paper. Non‐linear behaviour of fasteners is examined in the numerical model. Results obtained from model and experiments are coincident.
Simple but long-lasting: A specimen imaging method applicable for small- and medium-sized herbaria
Authors: Takano Atsuko , Horiuchi Yasuhiko , Fujimoto Yu , Aoki Kouta , Mitsuhashi Hiromune , Takahashi Akira
Published: February 2019

Major international herbaria, natural history museums and universities have recently begun to digitise their collections to facilitate studies and improve access to collections. In Japan, more than 10 million herbarium specimens are housed in various universities/museums; however, only 1% of these have been digitised. In this paper, we describe a new method for imaging herbarium specimens that is applicable to local/small herbaria. It is safe, fast, simple and inexpensive, but also satisfies usage guidelines for minimum image quality and can produce digital files suitable for long-term storage and future post production. During an eight-month trial at the Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo, with three part-time workers using a custom-made copy stand and a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a large LED light bank system, we were able to image 73,180 herbarium specimens (571 per day on average), obtaining two RAW and two JPEG files for each specimen.
First record of subterranean freshwater gastropods (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Cochliopidae) from the cenotes of Yucatán state
Authors: Grego Jozef , Angyal Dorottya , Beltrán Luis Arturo Liévano
Published: February 2019

The biospeleological investigations of several cenotes in the eastern region of Yucatán state, Mexico, during January 2018 yielded, among other invertebrates, two new truncatelloid gastropod species described herein as Mexicenoticaxochiigen. n. et sp. n. and Pyrgophorusthompsonisp. n. Both species represent the first record of stygobiont gastropod species from the cenotes of Yucatán indicating the high biodiversity potential of the studied area.
Two new species and one new regional record of Indonemoura from Guangxi, China, with additions to larval characters (Plecoptera, Nemouridae)
Authors: Mo Raorao , Wang Guoquan , Yang Ding , Li Weihai , Murányi Dávid
Published: February 2019

Two new species of Nemouridae of the genusIndonemouraBaumann, 1975,Indonemouraquadratasp. n.andIndonemouraquadrispinasp. n., are described from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China, on the basis of both sexes and larval stage. The affinities towards related species are discussed, together with generic characters of the larvae.Indonemourascalprata(Li & Yang, 2007) is recorded from Guangxi for the first time, and its hitherto unknown female is described.
Voluntary wheel running reduces colon inflammation in female but not male mice fed a high-fat diet
Authors: Wisniewski P.J. , Wahler G. , Gardner C. , Lightfoot S.A. , Joseph L.B. , Campbell S.C.
Published: February 2019

The influence of diet and exercise on intestinal mucus and the spatial organisation of the microbiota is poorly understood. Though, it has been observed that the spatial organisation of the microbiota can be altered extensively in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. This study aims to investigate the pathophysiological events in mouse colon that are associated with a high fat diet and lack of exercise. Forty-eight, 6-week old C57BL/6NTac male and female mice were fed a normal or high-fat diet for 12 weeks and randomly assigned to free wheel running or sedentary groups. After 12 weeks, animals were sacrificed and distal colon tissue sections with and without faecal material were fixed for histomorphometric analysis, immunohistochemistry for cyclooxygenase-2 and mucin-2, or fluorescent in situ hybridization with the universal bacterial probe EUB338 (5’-GCTGCCTCCCGTAGGAGT-3’). Goblet cell counts and distance between the microbiota and epithelial surface were determined using ImageJ software. All mice had a normal colon morphology except for high-fat fed female mice who ran, demonstrating a reduction of goblet cells that approached significance and a reduced mucin-2 expression. Voluntary wheel running attenuated high-fat diet induced COX-2 expression in female mice only. The distance between the microbiota and epithelial surface remained the same. Taken together, these results show that voluntary wheel running protect against high-fat diet-induced inflammation in the distal colon of female mice and responses to changes in host behaviour may differ between sex.
Alterations in red blood cell parameters, plasma amino acids, total cholesterol and fatty acids in Standardbred horses undergoing fitness training
Authors: Dunstan R.H. , Macdonald M.M. , Marks A. , Sparkes D.L. , Roberts T.K.
Published: February 2019

Maintenance of metabolic homeostasis is vital to optimise the supply of nutrients to support exercise and facilitate recovery and repair processes in horses. This study assessed the effects of exercise on resting plasma homeostasis in horses upon initiation of a training program to attain fitness in preparation for competitive harness racing. Four Standardbred horses (three males and one female) that had not been in work for at least 6 months were assessed prior to the commencement of the training program and then progressively on a weekly basis for 8 weeks. Resting plasma samples were collected in the early morning prior to exercise training and feeding. Samples were analysed for amino acid composition, cholesterol, palmitic acid and stearic acid on a weekly basis, and red blood cell counts and haemoglobin were analysed at weeks 0, 4 and 8. The red cell counts and levels of haemoglobin increased progressively over the training period (P<0.05). Specific amino acids in the plasma displayed temporal variations during the training period. Glycine was the most abundant amino acid in resting horse plasma and together with serine was reduced throughout the first half of the training period, eventually returning to initial levels at weeks 7 and 8 (P<0.05). A number of amino acids were noted to increase in concentration throughout the 8 week training period including ornithine, histidine and hydroxyproline (P<0.05). Cholesterol fell to substantially lower levels after 8 weeks of exercise (P<0.05). Palmitic acid showed three ‘peaks’ of elevated concentrations in plasma (P<0.05) following the initiation of exercise and then again at the transitions into harder fast work sessions. Stearic acid was relatively constant throughout the exercise period. Adjustments in the plasma composition of these key metabolites were consistent with supporting the increased metabolic demands associated with the higher levels of exercise training.