bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Walk the Talk—A Sustainability Management System for Social Acceptance in Nordic Mining
Authors: Ranängen Helena , Lindman Åsa
Published: April 2020

The mining industry has experienced increased stakeholder pressure over the last decades, and the legitimacy of the mining industry and its place in society is sometimes questioned. On the other hand, high corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance can lead to an increased social acceptance, which in the end may give the mining company the social license to operate. This article focuses on stakeholder management within management system thinking in order to enhance the social acceptance for mining. The purpose is to describe a mining company’s existing stakeholder management practice and identify areas for improvement using established stakeholder management models to achieve an efficient and effective stakeholder management practice. The purpose is also to describe how conceptual sustainability management system (SMS) frameworks can be usefully applied and, more specifically, whether and how stakeholder management models and the concept of materiality analysis are useful for the planning step in an SMS for social acceptance. The findings show that the used SMS framework fits well in this context, and that a materiality analysis can beneficially be used for the ‘systemization of stakeholder demands’ in the planning step of an SMS.
A Study on the Relationship between Land Use Change and Water Quality of the Mitidja Watershed in Algeria Based on GIS and RS
Authors: Chen Dechao , Elhadj Acef , Xu Hualian , Xu Xinliang , Qiao Zhi
Published: April 2020

Many catchments in northern Algeria, including the coastal Mitidja Basin in the north central part of the country have been negatively affected by the deterioration of water quality in recent years. This study aims to discover the relationship between land use change and its impact on water quality in the coastal Mitidja river basin. Based on the data of land use and water quality in 2000, 2010 and 2017, the relationship between land use change and surface water quality index in the Mitidja Watershed was discussed through GIS and statistical analysis. The results show that the physical and chemical properties of the Mitidja river basin have obvious spatial heterogeneity. The water quality of upstream was better than that of downstream. There was a significant spatial relationship between the eight water quality indicators and three land use types, including urban residential land, agricultural land and vegetation. In most cases, settlements and agricultural land are the dominant factors leading to river pollution, and higher vegetation coverage helps to improve water quality. The regression model revealed that percentage of urban settlement area was a predictor for NH4-N, BOD5, COD, SS, PO4-P, DO and pH, while vegetation was a predictor for NO3-N. The analysis also showed that during this period, urban settlement areas increased sharply, which has a significant impact on water quality variables. Agricultural land only had a significant positive correlation with PO4-P. The results provide an effective way to evaluate river water quality, control water pollution and land use management by landscape pattern.
A Topological Analysis of Trade Distance: Evidence from the Gravity Model and Complex Flow Networks
Authors: Wu Zongning , Cai Hongbo , Zhao Ruining , Fan Ying , Di Zengru , Zhang Jiang
Published: April 2020

As a classical trade model, the gravity model plays an important role in the trade policy-making process. However, the effect of physical distance fails to capture the effects of globalization and even ignores the multilateral resistance of trade. Here, we propose a general model describing the effective distance of trade according to multilateral trade paths information and the structure of the trade flow network. Quantifying effective trade distance aims to identify the hidden resistance information from trade networks data, and then describe trade barriers. The results show that flow distance, hybrid by multi-path constraint, and international trade network contribute to the forecasting of trade flows. Meanwhile, we also analyze the role of flow distance in international trade from two perspectives of network science and econometric model. At the econometric model level, flow distance can collapse to the predicting results of geographic distance in the proper time lagging variable, which can also reflect that flow distance contains geographical factors. At the international trade network level, community structure detection by flow distances and flow space embedding instructed that the formation of international trade networks is the tradeoff of international specialization in the trade value chain and geographical aggregation. The methodology and results can be generalized to the study of all kinds of product trade systems.
Analysis of the Importance of Job Insecurity, Psychological Safety and Job Satisfaction in the CSR-Performance Link
Authors: Kim Min-Jik , Kim Byung-Jik
Published: April 2020

Existing works on the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and performance have investigated how CSR affects external stakeholders (e.g., shareholders, customers, local communities, and environment). However, the effect of CSR on internal stakeholders such as employees who ultimately determine organizational performance is relatively underexplored. Institutional theory suggests that institutional enablers, e.g., CSR practices, influence macro-level variables, like organizational performance, via micro-level intermediating processes, such as perceptions, attitudes and behaviors of employees. Thus, this paper proposes that internal mechanisms are essential to explain the CSR-performance link. Using a 3-wave time-lagged survey data of 301 workers in South Korean firms (144 men and 157 women, average age: 40.30), this research examines how psychological safety and job satisfaction of an employee function as sequential mediators in the CSR-performance link. Moreover, the current research also investigates how job insecurity negatively moderates the link between CSR and psychological safety. The results demonstrated that psychological safety and job satisfaction function as sequential internal mediators in the link. In addition, job insecurity negatively moderated the influence of CSR on psychological safety. The results suggest that an employee’s perceptions and attitudes, such as job insecurity, psychological safety, and job satisfaction, significantly influence the relationship between CSR and performance.
The Pattern of Non-Roundtrip Travel on Urban Rail and Its Application in Transit Improvement
Authors: Wang Zijia , Tang Hao , Wang Wenjuan , Xi Yang
Published: April 2020

Transit smart card records detail travel information of passengers, which provides abundant data for analyzing public travel patterns. Regular travelers’ information extracted from smart card data (SCD) have been extensively analyzed. However, rare studies have been devoted to non-roundtrips, which account for a relatively large portion of the overall transit ridership, especially in metropolises such as Beijing. This study aimed to reveal the non-roundtrip pattern using the passenger travel data obtained from SCD. Weekly non-roundtrip SCD were used to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of overall and typical non-roundtrips’ origins and destinations (ODs). Also, subway data and bus data were combined and visualized in geographic information system (GIS). The reasons for frequent non-roundtrips generated in the metropolitan city were inferred. The results demonstrate some detected spatiotemporal patterns of non-roundtrips. It is not surprising that a large proportion of non-roundtrips serve as a rail access to intercity, but there are still many trips of this kind showing a commuting pattern. Merging SCD with bus data, the results also reveal that passengers may choose other modes as a substitute return transportation option due to rail fare or overcrowding problem. This study focused on irregular trips normally neglected in the literature and found that the number of these trips is too large to be ignored in a diversified city like Beijing. Meanwhile, the travel patterns of non-roundtrips extracted can be used to direct the operation strategies for both rail and bus. The research framework raised here could be applied in other cities and comparative analysis could be done in the future.
Long-Term Effects of Fertilizers with Regional Climate Variability on Yield Trends of Sweet Corn
Authors: Hou Ping-Fu , Chang Yao-Tsung , Lai Jung-Mao , Chou Kuo-Lung , Tai Shun-Fa , Tseng Kuan-Chieh , Chow Chi-Nga , Jeng Shuen-Lin , Huang Hao-Jen , Chang Wen-Chi
Published: April 2020

Climate change affects global crop production year after year. Exploring the impact of different fertilization methods on crop yield stability has become an extremely important topic in sustainable agriculture. The objective of this study is to explore the effects of various fertilization regimes with climate variability on yield stability for sweet corn production in southern Taiwan. Three fertilization treatments composed of chemical fertilizer only (CF), integrated fertilizer (half organic/half chemical fertilizer) (IF), and organic fertilizer only (OF) were implemented from 2009 to 2018 based on the well-maintained soils since 1988. While the same amounts of these fertilizers were applied during the period, we found that different fertilization changed the marketable yields of fresh fruit (ear), which slightly increased for organic fertilizer, but substantially decreased for both chemical (p = 0.0001) and integrated (p = 0.0061) fertilizer. Thus, based on these 10 years of observation, yields among fertilization treatments were analyzed with weather and soil parameters to determine the possible factors involved. Both multiple linear regression equation (p < 0.0001, adj. R2 > 0.57) and regression tree analysis illustrated significantly negative correlations between average ear weight and relative humidity under the chemical fertilizer treatment. In this study, we show for the first time that chemical fertilizer had the lowest yield resilience in response to regional relative humidity change compared to organic and integrated fertilizers. Our results also indicate that specific soil microbes have the potential to help sweet corn face environmental vulnerability in subtropical regions.
Supply Chain Strategy Analysis of Low Carbon Subsidy Policies Based on Carbon Trading
Authors: Zhang Yinjie , Guo Chunxiang , Wang Liangcheng
Published: April 2020

The low-carbon economy has become the focus of global attention and scientific measurement standards with the concepts of low energy consumption, low pollution, and sustainable development. More and more attentions are paid to the research of low-carbon supply chains. Based on a two-level low-carbon supply chain in the context of carbon trading, a Stackelberg game model was established for government subsidies to determine a coordinated and balanced solution for supply chains in situations dominated by manufacturers. The optimal strategies for low-carbon technology innovation are analyzed within the context of governmental subsidies. This study’s conclusions are as follows: (1) When government subsidies are in place, regardless of who the government subsidies are meant for, manufacturers and retailers that do not generate carbon emissions will transfer the subsidies to the companies that generate carbon emissions by adjusting wholesale prices and retail prices to maximize their own profits. (2) When consumer prices are sensitive, the government’s optimal subsidy intensity increases as consumers’ low-carbon preferences increase. When consumer prices are not sensitive, the government should not provide any subsidies. (3) When consumers’ low-carbon preferences are weak, the retail price of products will decrease with the increase in subsidies; when consumers’ low-carbon preferences are strong, the opposite dynamic occurs.
Different Worldviews as Impediments to Integrated Nature and Cultural Heritage Conservation Management: Experiences from Protected Areas in Northern Sweden
Authors: Österlin Carl , Schlyter Peter , Stjernquist Ingrid
Published: April 2020

In the management of protected nature areas, arguments are being raised for increasingly integrated approaches. Despite an explicit ambition from the responsible managing governmental agencies, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and Swedish National Heritage Board, attempts to initiate and increase the degree of integrated nature and cultural heritage conservation management in the Swedish mountains are failing. The delivery of environmental policy through the Swedish National Environmental Objective called Magnificent Mountains is dependent on increased collaboration between the state and local stakeholders. This study, using a group model building approach, maps out the system’s dynamic interactions between nature perceptions, values and the objectives of managing agencies and local stakeholders. It is identified that the dominance of a wilderness discourse influences both the objectives and management of the protected areas. This wilderness discourse functions as a barrier against including cultural heritage conservation aspects and local stakeholders in management, as wilderness-influenced objectives are defining protected areas as environments “untouched” by humans. A wilderness objective reduces the need for local knowledge and participation in environmental management. In reality, protected areas depend, to varying degrees, on the continuation of traditional land-use practices.
Birds of a Feather Flock Together: The Inclusive Effect of Similarity Patterns in Equity Crowdfunding
Authors: Venturelli Valeria , Pedrazzoli Alessia , Gallo Giovanni
Published: April 2020

Crowdfunding is helping to drive financial inclusion by expanding the availability of funds to traditionally excluded and underserved groups of individuals, such as ethnic minority and female entrepreneurs. This study verifies how ethnic and gender similarity between investor and entrepreneur can affect the invested amount in an equity crowdfunding campaign. Using an integrated approach with linear regression and Shapley decomposition, we analyze 8600 investments made by 5996 unique personal shareholder investors in 81 equity crowdfunding campaigns. Results show that similarity patterns seem to significantly influence the amount invested in a campaign but their effects change according to investor’s gender and ethnic origin. In fact, even if female investors give a higher amount to men-led companies, their preference changes if the company is run by a female founder belonging to the same ethnic minority group. Results emphasize equity crowdfunding’s potential as a tool for the financial inclusion of ethnic minority groups of investors and entrepreneurs.
Temporal Scaling of Water Level Fluctuations in Shallow Lakes and Its Impacts on the Lake Eco-Environments
Authors: Maihemuti Balati , Aishan Tayierjiang , Simayi Zibibula , Alifujiang Yilinuer , Yang Shengtian
Published: April 2020

Managing lake water levels from an ecological perspective has become an urgent issue in recent years in efforts to protect, conserve, and restore lake eco-environments. In this study, we considered the actual situation of Ebinur Lake basin to develop a lake water balance model using a System Dynamics (SD) method. The objective of this study is based on the lake water balance model to sufficiently understand the variation and relationship between the lake depth–area–volume. We combined field investigations and hydrological data analysis to expose the major factors affecting lake water level fluctuations (WLFs), as well as the impact of WLFs on lake eco-environments. All with the aim of providing a theoretical basis to manage Ebinur Lake ecosystems for conservation and restoration. The main findings of this study include: (I) The model’s calculation results agree with the observation value, as the monthly lake surface area was used to validate the model. (II) The factors influencing the dynamic changes in the water level of the lake are ranked in ascending order (from the lowest to the highest) as follows: Precipitation, groundwater recharge, evaporation, river inflow. (III) Fluctuations in water level play a significant role in lake shoreline displacement variation, and when the lake’s water level drops below 1 m, the surface area of the water body decreases to approximately 106 km2. (IV) The magnitude and frequency of WLFs drive major differences in the ecology of lake littoral zones, influencing not only the structure and functioning of benthic assemblages but also littoral habitat structure. These results established a quantitative linkage between hydrological variables and ecosystem health for the Ebinur Lake wetlands. These findings could be widely used in managing the Ebinur Lake basin as well as other similar water bodies, and could provide a useful tool for managing lake ecosystems for conservation and restoration.
Employing Machine Learning for Detection of Invasive Species using Sentinel-2 and AVIRIS Data: The Case of Kudzu in the United States
Authors: Jensen Tobias , Seerup Hass Frederik , Seam Akbar Mohammad , Holm Petersen Philip , Jokar Arsanjani Jamal
Published: April 2020

Invasive plants are causing massive economic and environmental troubles for our societies worldwide. The aim of this study is to employ a set of machine learning classifiers for detecting invasive plant species using remote sensing data. The target species is Kudzu vine, which mostly grows in the south-eastern states of the US and quickly outcompetes other plants, making it a relevant and threatening species to consider. Our study area is Atlanta, Georgia and the surrounding area. Five different algorithms: Boosted Logistic Regression (BLR), Naive Bayes (NB), Neural Network (NN), Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were tested with the aim of testing their performance and identifying the most optimal one. Furthermore, the influence of temporal, spectral and spatial resolution in detecting Kudzu was also tested and reviewed. Our finding shows that random forest, neural network and support vector machine classifiers outperformed. While the achieved internal accuracies were about 97%, an external validation conducted over an expanded area of interest resulted in 79.5% accuracy. Furthermore, the study indicates that high accuracy classification can be achieved using multispectral Sentinel-2 imagery and can be improved while integrating with airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) hyperspectral data. Finally, this study indicates that dimensionality reduction methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) should be applied cautiously to the hyperspectral AVIRIS data to preserve its utility. The applied approach and the utilized set of methods can be of interest for detecting other kinds of invasive species as part of fulfilling UN sustainable development goals, particularly number 12: responsible consumption and production, 13: climate action, and 15: life on land.
Analysis of Practices to Increase the Workforce Agility and to Develop a Sustainable and Competitive Business
Authors: Munteanu Anca-Ioana , Bibu Nicolae , Nastase Marian , Cristache Nicoleta , Matis Cosmin
Published: April 2020

The current business environment is volatile and complex. Companies must constantly identify creative and environmentally friendly solutions. The emphasis on employees and workforce agility has become an attribute of sustainable and competitive organizations simultaneously. The purpose of our study is to validate the hypothesis that there is a direct positive relationship between ranking as important top position of human resources in a company and the extent to which specific practices to increase workforce agility were adopted. Our survey is based on an original questionnaire, with a 92% response rate. We focused on large, independent decision-making companies from Western Romania, for which the implementation of sustainable principles is more difficult than for multinationals. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS23 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The results indicate an average extent of the adoption of management practices aiming to increase workforce agility (45%) and a ranking of human resources in first place as the most important resource (31.7%). Using the Pearson Chi-Square Test, the hypothesis was confirmed (significance = 0.026). Our main conclusion is that if managers intend to develop a sustainable and competitive business, they should attribute a strategic role to employees and adopt practices to increase their agility.
Participatory Food Cities: Scholar Activism and the Co-Production of Food Knowledge
Authors: Sandover Rebecca
Published: April 2020

UK food policy assemblages link a broad range of actors in place-based contexts, working to address increasingly distanciated food supply chains, issues of food justice and more. Academic interest in social movements, such as Sustainable Food Cities, has in recent years taken a participatory turn, with academics seeking to foreground the voices of community-based actors and to work alongside them as part of the movement. Bringing together literatures on multiscalar food governance and participatory methods, this paper investigates the intersection of food policy networks via a place-based case study focused on the co-convening of a community acting to co-produce knowledge of household food insecurity in a UK city. By taking a scholar activist approach, this paper sets out how a place-based cross-sectoral food community mobilised collective knowledge and brought together a community of practice to tackle urgent issues of food justice. Drawing from Borras 2016, it will explore how scholar activism requires the blurring of boundaries between thinking and doing in order to both act with, and reflect on, the food movement. The issues of actively driving forward a food network, along with the tensions and challenges that arise, are investigated, whilst also foregrounding the role academics have in linking food policy and praxis via place-based food communities.
Knowledge Mapping of Corporate Financial Performance Research: A Visual Analysis Using Cite Space and Ucinet
Authors: Xue Wuzhao , Li Hua , Ali Rizwan , Rehman Ramiz Ur
Published: April 2020

Financial performance is an indicator of the financial stability and the health of a firm. It is a measure of how well a firm uses its assets to generate revenues, a firm’s credibility, and its ability to pay off debts. To study the theoretical development, empirical examinations, and growing trend of financial performance research, this study reviewed the financial performance literature based on 875 journal articles sourced from the Web of Science, ACM, and Scopus databases from 2005 to 2019. To carry out the review, we applied Cite Space and Ucinet software for visualization and social network analysis, statistical analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and other research methods. We obtained a panoramic depiction of the posts, authors, journals, and keywords, and also reviewed financial performance using the field of knowledge maps. Accordingly, this study highlighted the recent and future research trends, and found that corporate social responsibility, and the green and sustainable corporate environment are potential research areas. These findings, through the combination of bibliometric methods and a systematic review, provide a better understanding of the development of corporate financial performance for both researchers and practitioners.
Financial Development and Foreign Direct Investment—The Moderating Role of Quality Institutions
Authors: Islam Mollah Aminul , Khan Muhammad Asif , Popp József , Sroka Wlodzimierz , Oláh Judit
Published: April 2020

Considering the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows for the sustainable economic advancement of a host country, this paper investigates the financial development and FDI nexus, using institutional quality as a moderator. The sample consists of 79 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries, as these countries are entering a new age of integration, foreign trade, and mutual development. The empirical findings of conventional and robust estimators show that the financial development of BRI host countries significantly attracts FDI, while the institutional quality plays a significant moderating role in this relation. The in-depth analysis offers the insight that financial markets are less attractive to FDI relative to financial institutions. Thus, policymakers are advised to uphold sound financial institutions to make the country more attractive to overseas investors, while concentration on financial markets may multiply the benefits of FDI. The results are robust to alternative proxies of the key variables and alternative methodologies.
Study on the Health Status and Health Service Utilization for the Rural Elderly in the Metropolitan Suburb During the Urbanization Process: A Case for Mingxing Village, Guangzhou
Authors: Zhong Zhiping , Lin Lin , Yang Ying
Published: April 2020

Rapid urbanization development significantly accelerates residents’ income in China, but there still exists a series of problems in rural areas, especially the health status of the rural elderly in the metropolitan suburb, a crucial matter worthy of attention. Regarding the rural elderly in a suburb of Guangzhou as a research object, this paper focuses on comparison of the health status and health service utilization differences between the national and local rural area, and qualitatively analyze and explain it by the cumulative disadvantage theory during the life course. By random sampling in the study group, 122 seniors from Mingxing village in Guangzhou are selected for structured face-to-face interviews. Data analysis of questionnaires (collected by trained investigators) shows that, except for self-care ability, the elderly in the village exhibit more serious hearing, vision, movement disorder, daily activity, and pain problems than the national average. Regarding mental health, the proportion of anxiety and depression symptoms in Mingxing village is 21%, both over the national countryside average. The two-week prevalence, chronic disease prevalence, and inpatient out of hospital are 78%, 85%, and 53%, respectively, which are still higher than the 2013 national rural average. Research demonstrates that the elderly mainly choose village clinics for outpatient treatment, county hospitals for inpatient treatment. The two-week visiting rate is 33%, lower than that in 2013, and the hospitalization rate is 15%, close to 2013 level. In conclusion, the health status and health service utilization of the elderly in Mingxing village in Guangzhou is generally lower than the national average level. Daily living habits, traditional notions and willingness for medical treatment are indispensable factors in affecting the elderly health. Economic status, living environment and education level continue to be the main factors in influencing the health service utilization for the elderly in Mingxing village.
Analysis of the Effects of Strengthening Building Energy Policy on Multifamily Residential Buildings in South Korea
Authors: Kwag Byung Chang , Han Sanghee , Kim Gil Tae , Kim Beobjeon , Kim Jong Yeob
Published: April 2020

The purposes of this study were to overview the building-energy policy and regulations in South Korea to achieve energy-efficient multifamily residential buildings and analyze the effects of strengthening the building design requirements on their energy performances. The building energy demand intensity showed a linear relationship with the area-weighted average U-values of the building envelope. However, improving the thermal properties of the building envelope was limited to reducing the building-energy demand intensity. In this study, the effects of various energy conservation measures (ECMs) on the building-energy performance were compared. Among the various ECMs, improving the boiler efficiency was found to be the most efficient measure for reducing the building-energy consumption in comparison to other ECMs, whereas the building envelope showed the least impact, because the current U-values are low. However, in terms of the primary energy consumption, the most efficient ECM was the lighting power density because of the different energy sources used by various ECMs and the different conversion factors used to calculate the primary energy consumption based on the source type. This study showed a direction for updating the building-energy policy and regulations, as well as the potential of implementing ECMs, to improve the energy performances of Korean multifamily residential buildings.
Supporting the Sustainable Development of Railway Transport in Developing Countries
Authors: Wangai Agnes Wanjiku , Rohacs Daniel , Boros Anita
Published: April 2020

Generally, the development process of the railway transport system is determined by the market pull effects initiated by the economy and society and the market push effects induced by technological progress. The policymakers can provide a balance between these two effects; this results in more effective, safer, and greener future railway systems. In developing countries, the railway systems lag compared to the developed economies. Therefore, the supporting management tools and legal supports for policymakers and strategic management play significant roles in the development of future sustainable transport systems. This paper deals with such required tools and the potential legal framework that support the development of sustainable railway systems in developing countries. The major novelty and advantages of the introduced methodology is the harmonised interaction between society, economic demands, technological development, and regulation. The proposed tools are applied to the Kenya rail system development.
Influence of Electronic-Docking Stations on China’s Dockless Bikesharing Programs: Evidence from Beijing
Authors: Yang Xiaofang , Jiang Hai
Published: April 2020

Electronic-docking stations have been proposed and tested by some Chinese cities to address the issue of disorderly parking of dockless bikesharing programs. We study the influence of electronic-docking stations on dockless bikesharing programs, and measure and explain riders’ preferences toward dockless bikesharing and electronic-docking stations. These research questions are addressed by a mixed logit model and regression models based on stated preference survey data collected in Beijing. We obtain some interesting empirical results which offer some guidance for governments and operators to facilitate the sustainable development of dockless bikesharing programs. For instance, we find that riders are sensitive to the density for electronic-docking stations, but somewhat indifferent to the rental fee of 1–2 yuan for each ride; the choice probability of riding a dockless shared bike drops by about 8–9% when access or egress time increases by 5 min; the fraction of riders interested in dockless bikesharing programs is close to 100%, while launching electronic-docking stations reduces this number to 88%; riders are willing to pay about 1.0–1.1 yuan to save access or egress time by 5 min; riders who live or work away from public transit stations or who often engage in physical exercises are interested in dockless bikesharing programs; and riders indifferent to the introduction of electronic-docking stations mainly include those who are above 26 years old and those with monthly income less than or equal to 8000 yuan.
Significant Differences in RNA Structure Destabilization by HIV-1 Gag∆p6 and NCp7 Proteins
Authors: McCauley Micah J. , Rouzina Ioulia , Li Jasmine , Núñez Megan E. , Williams Mark C.
Published: April 2020

Retroviral nucleocapsid (NC) proteins are nucleic acid chaperones that play distinct roles in the viral life cycle. During reverse transcription, HIV-1 NC facilitates the rearrangement of nucleic acid secondary structures, allowing the transactivation response (TAR) RNA hairpin to be transiently destabilized and annealed to a complementary RNA hairpin. In contrast, during viral assembly, NC, as a domain of the group-specific antigen (Gag) polyprotein, binds the genomic RNA and facilitates packaging into new virions. It is not clear how the same protein, alone or as part of Gag, performs such different RNA binding functions in the viral life cycle. By combining single-molecule optical tweezers measurements with a quantitative mfold-based model, we characterize the equilibrium stability and unfolding barrier for TAR RNA. Comparing measured results with a model of discrete protein binding allows us to localize affected binding sites, in addition to quantifying hairpin stability. We find that, while both NCp7 and Gag∆p6 destabilize the TAR hairpin, Gag∆p6 binding is localized to two sites in the stem, while NCp7 targets sites near the top loop. Unlike Gag∆p6, NCp7 destabilizes this loop, shifting the location of the reaction barrier toward the folded state and increasing the natural rate of hairpin opening by ~104. Thus, our results explain why Gag cleavage and NC release is an essential prerequisite for reverse transcription within the virion.
Differences in HIV Markers between Infected Individuals Treated with Different ART Regimens: Implications for the Persistence of Viral Reservoirs
Authors: Darcis Gilles , Berkhout Ben , Pasternak Alexander O.
Published: April 2020

In adherent individuals, antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses HIV replication, restores immune function, and prevents the development of AIDS. However, ART is not curative and has to be followed lifelong. Persistence of viral reservoirs forms the major obstacle to an HIV cure. HIV latent reservoirs persist primarily by cell longevity and proliferation, but replenishment by residual virus replication despite ART has been proposed as another potential mechanism of HIV persistence. It is a matter of debate whether different ART regimens are equally potent in suppressing HIV replication. Here, we summarized the current knowledge on the role of ART regimens in HIV persistence, focusing on differences in residual plasma viremia and other virological markers of the HIV reservoir between infected individuals treated with combination ART composed of different antiretroviral drug classes.
Comparison of the Immunogenicity and Safety of Three Enhanced Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccines from Different Manufacturers in Healthy Korean Infants: A Prospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Kwak Byung Ok , Ma Sang Hyuk , Park Su Eun , Shin Seon Hee , Choi Kyung Min , Lee Taek-Jin , Eun Byung Wook , Hong Young Jin , Kim Dong Hyun
Published: April 2020

The enhanced inactivated poliovirus vaccine was first introduced in 2002, and several inactivated poliovirus vaccines are licensed in Korea. Reliable data by a prospective study on the immunogenicity and safety of the inactivated poliovirus vaccines in Korean infants are required. Normal healthy infants aged 6–12 weeks received three doses of the vaccine (IPVAX™, Imovax Polio™ or Poliorix™) in intervals of 2 months. Neutralizing antibody (NTAb) titers were measured before and 4–6 weeks after three-dose primary vaccination. Immunogenicity was evaluated by seroconversion rates and geometric mean titers obtained by analyzing NTAb titers. Local and systemic adverse events were recorded during 7 days after each vaccination. A total of 150 infants were included: 40 in IPVAX™, 52 in Imovax Polio™, and 58 in Poliorix™. The seroconversion rates for the group vaccinated with IPVAX™ were 100% in types 1, 2 and 3, while those of Imovax Polio™ were 98.1%, 96.2%, 96.2% and those of Poliorix™ were 98.3%, 100%, 100%, respectively. In all groups, injection site redness and irritability were the most common local and systemic adverse events. Neither serious adverse events nor adverse events above grade 2 were reported throughout the study. The currently used inactivated poliovirus vaccines was demonstrated to be safe and immunogenic in healthy Korean infants.
CD8+ Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Tumour Microenvironment Immune Types as Biomarkers for Immunotherapy in Sinonasal Intestinal-Type Adenocarcinoma
Authors: García-Marín Rocío , Reda Sara , Riobello Cristina , Cabal Virginia N. , Suárez-Fernández Laura , Vivanco Blanca , López Fernando , Llorente José L. , Hermsen Mario A.
Published: April 2020

Background. Intestinal-type adenocarcinoma (ITAC) is a rare tumour occurring in the ethmoid sinus. Recent years have brought advances in endoscopic surgery and precision radiotherapy; however, five-year overall survival has not improved and remains at 35–80%, depending on tumour stage and histology. Therefore, there is a need for new therapeutic options. Methods. We evaluated CD8+ tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumour microenvironment immune type (TMIT, combining CD8+ TILs and PD-L1) as predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy in a series of 133 ITAC. All results were correlated to clinical and follow-up data. Results. The presence of intratumoural CD8+ TILs was low in 57% of cases and high in 8% of cases. Tumoural PD-L1 positivity was observed in 26% of cases. CD8+ TILs and TMIT correlated with the histological subtype of ITAC and with better overall survival. The presence of stromal PD-L1-positive macrophages was related to intratumoural CD8+ TILs. PD-L1 expression on tumour cells or macrophages did not show prognostic value. Conclusions. TMIT classification did not have additional prognostic value over CD8+ TILs alone. The modest percentage of CD8high/PD-L1pos cases indicates that ITAC is a lowly immunogenic tumour type. Nevertheless, a proportion of ITAC, especially the papillary and colonic subtypes, could benefit from therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
A Review of the Public Health Challenges of Salmonella and Turtles
Authors: Sodagari Hamid Reza , Habib Ihab , Shahabi Majedeh Pakzad , Dybing Narelle A. , Wang Penghao , Bruce Mieghan
Published: April 2020

Non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars are recognized as zoonotic pathogens. Although human salmonellosis is frequently associated with ingestion of contaminated foods of animal origin, contact with animals may also be a significant source of Salmonella infection, especially contact with turtles, which have shown to be an important reservoir of Salmonella, specifically through their intestinal tracts. Turtles are among the most common reptiles kept as house pets that may pose a public health risk associated with Salmonella exposure, especially among infants and young children. This review discusses the literature reporting the link between turtles and Salmonella as well as turtle-associated human salmonellosis in the last ten years. In most outbreaks, a high proportion of patients are children under five years of age, which indicates that children are at the greatest risk of turtle-associated salmonellosis. Therefore, turtles should not be preferred as recommended pets for children under five years of age. Reducing turtle stress to minimise Salmonella shedding as well as providing client education handouts at the points of sale of these animals may reduce the risk of transmitting such significant pathogen to humans. Further studies are required to investigate the role of both direct contact with turtles as well as indirect contact through cross-contamination in the transmission of turtles-associated Salmonella to humans.
HISTORICAL-CRITICAL EXEGESIS OF THE BIBLE FROM THE PROSPECT OF THEOLOGY OF THE 20th AND THE 21st CENTURIES
Authors: Shymanovych Andrii
Published: April 2020

According to the general concepts of modern era, scientific-critical exegesis aims to rationalize the learning process of biblical texts and deal with it on the same level with other literary works of the ancient. The attitude to modern biblical hermeneutics varies from radically negative to carefully positive in the theological and academic world of the 20th century. The philosophic hermeneutics of the 20th century (in particular, Paul Ricoeur) questioned the adequacy and prospects of the fundamental principles of the modern biblical studies and its encroachment on non-distorted objectivity in its researches.
El cambio en sistemas de control de gestión: Estudio de caso en una PYME industrial
Authors: Uc Heredia Lucio Jesús , Marín Hernández Salvador
Published: April 2020

Los esfuerzos dedicados a analizar las causas que influyen en el dinamismo y evolución de los Sistemas de Control de Gestión (SCG), constituyen hoy día una creciente línea de investigación denominada “Cambio en Contabilidad de Gestión”. Siguiendo el modelo de Kasurinen (2002), este trabajo identifica los factores relacionados con el cambio en SCG, en una PYME industrial manufacturera del Estado de Yucatán, México. La identificación y análisis de la influencia de determinados factores y barreras que afectan el cambio en SGC, ayuda a las PYME en el desarrollo de sus propios programas de cambio.
Foundations of Blockchain Technology for Industrial and Societal Applications
Authors: Narang Shivika , Chandra Praphul , Jain Shweta , Y Narahari
Published: April 2020

The blockchain concept forms the backbone of a new wave technology that promises to be deployed extensively in a wide variety of industrial and societal applications. In this article, we present the scientific foundations and technical strengths of this technology. Our emphasis is on blockchains that go beyond the original application to digital currencies such as bitcoin. We focus on the blockchain data structure and its characteristics; distributed consensus and mining; and different types of blockchain architectures. We conclude with a section on applications in industrial and societal settings, elaborating upon a few applications such as land registry ledger, tamper-proof academic transcripts, crowdfunding, and a supply chain B2B platform. We discuss what we believe are the important challenges in deploying the blockchain technology successfully in real-world settings.
Experiential Learning of Networking Technologies: Understanding Web Performance
Authors: Rustagi Ram P. , Kumar Viraj
Published: April 2020

It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of the internet in transforming every aspect of modern life. The number of internet users continues to grow, and users increasingly expect immediate responses while interacting with web content. Any perceived delay can be off-putting for users and can result in loss of business and revenue for the corporation offering the web service. Thus, optimizing web delivery is an increasingly important challenge. In this article we discuss several modern best-practices to improve web performance. As always, we design a series of experiments to help readers gain hands-on experience in web performance enhancement and better understand the underlying mechanisms. The performance mechanisms discussed here are primarily applicable to the HTTP/1.1 protocol, which is the default web protocol used today.
Vascular Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Nowak Kristen L. , Jovanovich Anna , Farmer-Bailey Heather , Bispham Nina , Struemph Taylor , Malaczewski Mikaela , Wang Wei , Chonchol Michel
Published: April 2020

Background

Increased arterial stiffness and vascular endothelial dysfunction are important nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors evident in patients with CKD. Vascular oxidative stress and inflammation may contribute to vascular dysfunction in CKD, but direct evidence is lacking.

Methods

We assessed carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (arterial stiffness) and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (vascular endothelial function) in participants with moderate-to-severe CKD (eGFR 15–59 ml/min per 1.73 m2) and in healthy controls. Change in brachial artery flow-mediated dilation after an acute infusion of ascorbic acid to inhibit vascular oxidative stress (versus saline) was also measured. Protein expression of vascular endothelial cells collected from a peripheral vein and ELISAs to assess circulating markers were also performed.

Results

A total of 64 participants with CKD (mean±SD, 65±8 years) and 17 healthy controls (60±5 years) were included. Carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity was greater in participants with CKD compared with healthy controls (1071±336 versus 732±128 cm/s; P<0.001). Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation was lower in participants with CKD compared with healthy controls (3.5%±2.8% versus 5.5%±3.2%; P=0.02). Circulating inflammation markers (C-reactive protein and IL-6) were elevated in the CKD group (P≤0.02). Endothelial cell protein expression of NADPH (intensity versus human umbilical vein endothelial cell control, 1.48±0.28 versus 1.25±0.31; P=0.05) was greater in participants with CKD. However, ascorbic acid significantly improved brachial artery flow-mediated dilation in control participants (saline, 5.5±3.2; ascorbic acid, 6.8±3.6); as compared with participants with CKD (saline, 3.5±2.8; ascorbic acid, 3.6±3.2) (group×condition interaction P=0.04), suggesting vascular oxidative stress could not be overcome with ascorbic acid in participants with CKD.

Conclusions

Vascular oxidative stress is present in CKD, which cannot be overcome with acute infusion of ascorbic acid.
The Tikiusaaq carbonatite: a new Mesozoic intrusive complex in southern West Greenland
Authors: Steenfelt Agnete , Hollis Julie A. , Secher Karsten
Published: April 2020

Ultrabasic alkaline magmatic rocks are products of melts generated deep within or at the base of the lithospheric mantle. The magmas may reach the surface to form lavas and pyroclastic deposits; alternatively they crystallise at depth to form dykes or central complexes. The rocks are chemically distinct and may contain high concentrations of economically interesting minerals and chemical elements, such as diamonds, niobium, tantalum, rare earth elements, phosphorus, iron, uranium, thorium, and zirconium. Ultrabasic alkaline rocks are known from several provinces in Greenland, but extrusive facies have only been preserved at a few places; e.g. at Qassiarsuk in South Greenland where pyroclastic rocks occur, and in the Maniitsoq region, where a small volcanic breccia (‘Fossilik’) contains fragments of Palaeozoic limestone. Ultramafic lamprophyre and kimberlite are mainly emplaced as dykes, whereas carbonatite forms large intrusive bodies as well as dykes. The ultrabasic alkaline magmas that have been emplaced at certain times during the geological evolution of Greenland can be related to major episodes of continental break-up (Larsen & Rex 1992). The oldest are Archaean and the youngest dated so far are Palaeogene. Figure 1 shows the distribution of known ultrabasic alkaline rocks in West Greenland. The large and well-exposed bodies of alkaline rocks and carbonatites in the Gardar Province were discovered already in the early 1800s (Ussing 1912), while less conspicuous bodies were discovered much later during geological mapping and mineral exploration. Many alkaline rock bodies, particularly dykes, are difficult to identify in the field because they weather more extensively than the country rock gneisses and form vegetated depressions in the landscape. However, their distinct chemistry and mineralogy render alkaline rocks identifiable in geochemical and geophysical survey data. Thus, the Sarfartôq carbonatite complex was discovered during regional airborne gamma-spectrometric surveying owing to its elevated uranium and thorium contents (Secher 1986). The use of kimberlite indicator minerals has led to the discovery of alkaline rocks such as kimberlites and ultramafic lamprophyres that carry fragments of deep lithospheric mantle. Such rocks may also contain diamonds. Kimberlite indicator minerals are high-pressure varieties of minerals, such as garnet, clinopyroxene, chromite and ilmenite that were formed in the lithospheric mantle. Exploration companies have processed thousands of till samples from southern West Greenland for kimberlite indicator minerals and found many new dykes.