bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous Environmental Regulation, Foreign Direct Investment, and Regional Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Evidence from China
Authors: Yang Xiaodi , Wang Di
Published: May 2022

As an important means to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, environmental regulation (ER) and foreign direct investment (FDI) have become popular research topics in recent years. Most studies have examined the single impact of ER or FDI on CO2 emissions, while few investigated the regional heterogeneity and the spillover effect of different environmental regulations (ERs) on CO2 emissions and neglected the impact of the interaction mechanism between ER and FDI on CO2 emissions. This paper applies the spatial Durbin model (SDM) to explore the impact of different ERs and FDIs on regional CO2 emissions in China’s 30 provinces from 2003 to 2019. The results indicate that there are significant differences and regional heterogeneity in the effects of different environmental regulations on CO2 emissions at the national level. FDI has a significant promoting effect on CO2 emissions in the early years (2003–2009), especially in the eastern and western regions, but its effect is not significant in the late period (2010–2019). At the regional level, the abatement effects of the interaction term between FDIs and ERs are generally significant, indicating that ERs can influence the reduction effect of FDIs. Regulatory environmental regulation (RER) in the eastern region, command environmental regulation (CER), and economic environmental regulation (EER) in the central region can significantly affect the emission reduction effect of local FDI.
Intensification in Olive Growing Reduces Global Warming Potential under Both Integrated and Organic Farming
Authors: Camposeo Salvatore , Vivaldi Gaetano Alessandro , Russo Giovanni , Melucci Francesca Maria
Published: May 2022

The relationship between agriculture and climate change is gaining prominence year by year in due to both adaptation and mitigation issues, because agriculture contributes to carbon emissions and acts as a carbon sink. Innovation on olive growing may help improve production systems for a more sustainable agriculture. In recent years, the olive sector is shifting towards intensification via a new growing system implementation with a strong economic impact. Indeed, the olive-growing systems are moving from low-density (<250 trees/ha) to medium-density (300–500 trees/ha), and mostly to super-high-density (>1200 trees/ha) systems. The aims of the present study were to compare these different olive-growing systems, managed by both integrated and organic farming, and to assess the effects of different agricultural practices on global warming potential (GWP), referring to one hectare and to one ton of olives as functional units. For both functional units and for all olive-growing systems, in the organic farming method, there is a greater environmental impact compared to integrated farming because of the higher number of mechanical operations (e.g., for weed control) in the former. The super-high-density growing system exhibited a lower GWP, considering both one hectare and one ton for both farming methods.
Fairness-Enabling Practices in Agro-Food Chain
Authors: Samoggia Antonella , Beyhan Zeynep
Published: May 2022

Fairness in the agro-food system is an increasingly important issue. Ensuring fair and ethical practices in the agro-food chain is essential for sustainable, effective, and resilient agro-food systems. Identifying and understanding fairness-enabling practices and existing business applications in the agro-food chain is crucial to create a sustainable system. This research study is an extensive literature review analyzing academic and grey literature. Thus, this study aims: (i) to conceptualize fairness in the agro-food system; (ii) to identify the fairness-enabling practices contributing to a fair agro-food system; and (iii) to explore existing agro-food chain business applications relevant to achieving a sustainable and fair agro-food chain. Fairness-enabling practices have a vital role in achieving fairness in the upstream and downstream operational stages of the agro-food chain. On the one hand, the upstream cycle includes many elements, from a ban on unfair trading practices to ethical treatment to farmers, from transparency through technology and innovation to ensuring fair remuneration. The key goal is to improve the position of farmers in the chain. The study considers the following five upstream focused business applications to enable fairness practices: blockchain, cooperatives, interbranch organizations, business applications for small-scale farmers, and Fairtrade. On the other hand, achieving success in the downstream operational stage of the chain depends on fairness-oriented consumer food choice, consumer intention to buy fair food, consumer perceived value of fair food, and increased information and transparency on agro-food costs and price. This paper takes into account two consumer-focused business applications which provide downstream fairness practices: dual entitlement and dynamic pricing. To conclude, agro-food chain actors should learn how to find profit in fairness, and turn fairness-related costs into profitable business models.
Intellectual Capital: A System Thinking Analysis in Revamping the Exchanging Information in University-Industry Research Collaboration
Authors: Iqbal Abeda Muhammad , Kulathuramaiyer Narayanan , Khan Adnan Shahid , Abdullah Johari , Khan Mussadiq Ali
Published: May 2022

University-industry research collaboration (UIRC) is a major source for research, innovations and sustainable economic growth. Despite the extensive evidence on the importance of such collaboration in developed and developing countries, literature related to the strengthening of this collaboration, along with its innovation performance, is still scarce. Scholars believe that the impact of exchanging information has a vigorous influence on researcher’s innovative activities as well as research and innovations. Moreover, to flatten the flow of exchanging information between researchers, it is mandatory to refurbish human capital in conjunction with intellectual capital, along with their reinforcing factors i.e., communication and networking, respectively. In this paper, we evaluate the influence of human capital and intellectual capital along with their corresponding reinforcing factors on exchanging information using the system thinking method. Evidence from UIRC in Malaysia provides empirical corroboration that intellectual capital along with its reinforcing factors has a significant influence on exchanging information. Thus, the findings of this research suggest that intensifying the capabilities of intellectual capital with a reinforcing effect can sustain the circulation of exchanging information.
Research on the Impact of the County-to-District Reform on Environmental Pollution in China
Authors: Jin Jing , Chen Duozhang
Published: May 2022

Based on the panel data of 267 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2016, this paper adopts propensity score matching (PSM) and difference-in-difference (DID) as research methods to test and analyze the impact effect of the county-to-district reform on the environmental pollution. The results show that: (1) The county-to-district reforms have significantly increased the urban environmental pollution. After changing the time and space sample size of the reformed cities, there is no obvious difference in the estimated results; (2) In terms of time, the impact of the county-to-district reforms on environmental pollution has a short-term dynamic, and there is a difference between industrial wastewater pollution and industrial waste-gas pollution; (3) By region, the eastern cities have significantly increased the level of environmental pollution after the county-to-district reforms, both the coefficient and the significance level of the cities in the Mid-West are weaker than those in the East, and presents Eastern > Central > Western; (4) Mechanism testing shows that the county-to-district reforms significantly expand urban space and agglomerate population. The former exacerbates the effects of environmental pollution, while the latter suppresses the growth of environmental pollution. Therefore, it is necessary for the government to reduce the institutional constraints of population migration to big cities and blind land expansion so as to promote pollution reduction.
Detection and Prevention of False Data Injection Attacks in the Measurement Infrastructure of Smart Grids
Authors: Shahid Muhammad Awais , Ahmad Fiaz , Albogamy Fahad R. , Hafeez Ghulam , Ullah Zahid
Published: May 2022

The smart grid has become a cyber-physical system and the more cyber it becomes, the more prone it is to cyber-attacks. One of the most important cyber-attacks in smart grids is false data injection (FDI) into its measurement infrastructure. This attack could manipulate the control center in a way to execute wrong control actions on various generating units, causing system instabilities that could ultimately lead to power system blackouts. In this study, a novel false data detection and prevention paradigm was proposed for the measurement infrastructure in smart grids. Two techniques were devised to manage cyber-attacks, namely, the fixed dummy value model and the variable dummy value model. Limitations of the fixed dummy value model were identified and addressed in the variable dummy value model. Both methods were tested on an IEEE 14 bus system and it was shown through the results that an FDI attack that easily bypassed the bad data filter of the state estimator was successfully identified by the fixed dummy model. Second, attacks that were overlooked by the fixed dummy model were identified by the variable dummy method. In this way, the power system was protected from FDI attacks.
Smart Academic and Professional Education
Authors: Silvestru Cătălin-Ionuț , Firulescu Alexandru-Cristian , Iordoc Dumitru-Georgian , Icociu Vasilica-Cristina , Stoica Mihai-Alexandru , Platon Otilia-Elena , Orzan Anca-Olguța
Published: May 2022

The evolution of technology brings closer the endless possibilities of education, allowing a human to learn something new anywhere and anytime. With the crisis created by the pandemic situation for the last two years, new ways of education have taken form to maintain the flow of learning and qualification; thus, the term “distance learning” has been implemented in all types of learning, from primary education all the way to tertiary education. This paper covers the image of tertiary education, mostly at the level of universities. Many changes took form at this level, such as developing new ways for the distance learning implementation by creating new programs dedicated for this new method of education. We will present to you how these changes took form and how they can evolve with the help of various technologies such as Blockchain and XR, and other strategic learning methods such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and gamification. Universities start to create new programs based on their unique crypto coin, which help students pay for their studies, such as articles, new disciplines, and exchange programs. The gamification of these programs raises the interactivity that students have during class hours, thus motivating them and creating an optimal curve of learning, combined with the implementation of XR technology.
International Migration Drivers: Economic, Environmental, Social, and Political Effects
Authors: Kwilinski Aleksy , Lyulyov Oleksii , Pimonenko Tetyana , Dzwigol Henryk , Abazov Rafis , Pudryk Denys
Published: May 2022

This paper evaluates the recent trends in international migration and different viewpoints (arguments and counterarguments) on global population movement and examines the impacts of the social, economic, ecological, and political determinants of regional and international migration. The paper aims to analyse and compare the causal relationships between international migration, on the one hand, and economic, ecological, and socio-politic dimensions of EU countries’ development, on the other. The authors consider the impact power of the above-mentioned dimensions on the long-term net migration for the potential candidates to access the EU. First, it identifies and justifies the object of research as the EU countries and the potential EU candidates. Second, the article provides a short literature review as the authors highlight that the EU countries had the highest share of all world migrants, according to the report of the U.N. Population Division. Third, it provides the background of materials collection and methods of the study of the analyses of the panel data for 2000–2018 using the FMOLS and DOLS. Fourth, it presents the results of the study having analysed the different concepts and theories, the authors single out the core economic, ecological, and socio-politic determinants of international migration: wages, unemployment rate, income inequality (measured by the Gini coefficient), corruption, and political stability (measured by World Government Indicators), CO2 emissions and material footprint per capita (measured by Sustainable Development Index). The discussion and conclusion section summarizes the findings of the research and evaluates the structural similarities and differences among the EU countries and potential candidates and if these similarities (or differences) cause them to respond similarly to the economic conditions and changes.
Digital Transformation and Sustainable Business Models
Authors: Katsamakas Evangelos
Published: May 2022

This article explores several aspects of digital transformation, including definition, enabling technologies, and strategies. It argues that firms seeking to maximize the impact of their digital transformation strategy should aim to build a Sustainable Business Model (SBM). In addition, it introduces the seven articles of the Special Issue. Overall, the article takes a systems approach that appreciates the dynamic complexity of digital transformation and suggests some directions for future research.
Managing Sustainability Projects for Social Impact from a Corporate Social Responsibility Perspective
Authors: Al-Marri Meera , Pinnington Ashly H.
Published: May 2022

Initiatives in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can contribute to many programs for sustainable development. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is considered to have been slower to change in CSR than have other Western developed countries. The purpose of this research is to explore examples in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of how project initiatives in CSR and sustainable development can facilitate heightened awareness, engagement, and execution of action for sustainability. This research utilizes qualitative case study methods analysing a United Nations (UN) supported annual youth engagement program focused on implementation of sustainable development projects in the UAE. The varying degrees of project complexity and “programmification” of sustainability activities in the UAE reveals a more systematic and mature stage of CSR and sustainable development projects and programs than is reported in the literature. The application of project management to organize, implement, align, and monitor sustainability-centred programs provides knowledge relevant to the UAE and other countries interested in the strategic management of change. The study demonstrates the application and value of project management for implementing sustainable development initiatives and highlights the collaborative contribution of corporate and governmental stakeholders to project management in organizations. An important area for future research on sustainable development in the MENA region is to study corporate and public sector partnerships in CSR projects and sustainability programs.
Evaluation of Land Use Adaptation by Sequential Extraction of Soil Trace Elements at an Abandoned Gold and Copper Refinery Site in Northern Taiwan
Authors: Wu Shang-Feng , Lai Yun-Jie , Hseu Zeng-Yei , Chern Yaw-Terng
Published: May 2022

This study site is located at an abandoned factory of mining, smelting, and refining of gold and copper in north Taiwan for more than one hundred years. The present study used soil background investigation out of the site and the sequential extraction procedures for arsenic and copper to assess the reutilization potential of brownfields at the site. The upper limit of background concentration out of the site was 300 mg/kg for arsenic and 700 mg/kg for copper. The soil arsenic within the site was mainly in the immobile fraction, such as forms fixed by layer silicates, that were very low risk for environmental releases. The soil copper in the abandoned sedimentation basin, gold refinery, and copper refinery was in the mobile fractions such as acid extractable, reducible, and oxidizable forms with higher release risk; therefore, except merely those three zones in the entire site with higher risk for environmental releases of copper, the release risks of trace elements are quite low in the rest of the areas, and land reuse without contact with soil or plant non-edible plants is possible. Therefore, in response to public demand for opening part of the site to promote local tourism development, appropriate control and isolation measures can be implemented to prevent the toxic elements from affecting human health through soil ingestion, skin contact, and other exposure pathways. In terms of pollution control, reducing dust inhalation is also an option to efficiently reduce health risks to an acceptable level and achieve the goal of sustainable land use at the contaminated site.
Nonviolence and Sustainability: An Indivisible Connection
Authors: Branagan Marty
Published: May 2022

Nonviolence is an important element of sustainability for three main reasons. One is that nonviolent actions, including Australia’s Franklin River campaign, anti-nuclear blockades at Roxby Downs and Jabiluka, northern NSW old-growth forest blockades, and climate actions against coal seam gas and coal extraction, have long been effectively used by environmentalists, conservationists, and preservationists to protect environments from damage and to advocate for more sustainable societies, institutions, systems, and processes. Nonviolent environmental action has also opposed militarism for a range of reasons, one of which is concern about the large environmental footprint of militarism. The third reason why nonviolence is important for sustainability is because it offers an alternative to militarism as a means of national and regional self-defence and the removal of dictatorships, genocidal regimes, and military juntas. This alternative has much lower environmental, economic, and social costs. The article begins with the introduction and methods sections, introduces the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and ‘sustainability’ and defines ‘nonviolence’ and introduces its connection to sustainability. This is followed by the case studies and a discussion of how these nonviolent actions contributed to environmental sustainability. Militarism and its impacts on the environment are described, and nonviolent defence and regime change are presented as viable and less environmentally-damaging alternatives.
New Calculation Technique for Assessment of Smoke Layer Interface in Large Buildings in Connection with the Design of Buildings in the Czech Republic
Authors: Podkul Marek , Pokorny Jiri , Brumarova Lenka , Dlouha Dagmar , Heinzova Zuzana , Kubricka Katerina , Szurgacz Dawid , Fanta Miroslav
Published: May 2022

The sustainability of the indoor environment of buildings is also related to the conditions that arise in the case of fires. Fires in buildings are characterized by the formation of combustion products, which can significantly endanger the life and health of people. One of the major sources of danger is smoke. If there is no smoke exhaust into the outside environment during the development of the fire, the building is gradually filled with smoke. The important characteristic of the smoke layer is the level of the smoke layer, which changes over time. Several methods have been derived for determining the descent of the smoke layer in an enclosed area of space, which mainly differ in terms of the application area and limits of use. The methods used in the Czech Republic for the assessment of smoke layer descent in the case of fires do not have a clear rationale and in many cases lead to completely misleading results. For this reason, in connection with the standards for the assessment of the buildings in the Czech Republic, a new calculation technique (CSN) has been derived, which has been compared with the selected simple calculation techniques in large buildings. The deviations between the results have been evaluated by the percentage bias method (PBIAS), while the largest deviation, compared to the ISO standard technique, did not exceed 20%. The CSN calculation technique shows a favourable compliance with the technique presented by the ISO standard, where the deviation did not exceed 1.6%. In response to the proposed standards in the Czech Republic, the CSN calculation technique enables the assessment of safe evacuation in relation to the smoke layer interface and can be a considered perspective.
Classification of Arc-Transitive Elementary Abelian Covers of the C13 Graph
Authors: Xiao Qianru , Khan Aysha , Mehdipoor Narges , Talebi Ali Asghar
Published: May 2022

Let Γ be a graph and G⩽Aut(Γ). A graph Γ can be called G-arc-transitive (GAT) if G acts transitively on its arc set. A regular covering projection p:Γ¯→Γ is arc-transitive (AT) if an AT subgroup of Aut(Γ) lifts under p. In this study, by applying a number of concepts in linear algebra such as invariant subspaces (IVs) of matrix groups (MGs), we discuss regular AT elementary abelian covers (R-AT-EA-covers) of the C13 graph.
New Conditions for Testing the Oscillation of Fourth-Order Differential Equations with Several Delays
Authors: Muhib Ali , Moaaz Osama , Cesarano Clemente , Askar Sameh S.
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we establish oscillation theorems for all solutions to fourth-order neutral differential equations using the Riccati transformation approach and some inequalities. Some new criteria are established that can be used in cases where known theorems fail to apply. The approach followed depends on finding conditions that guarantee the exclusion of positive solutions, and as a result of the symmetry between the positive and negative solutions of the studied equation, we therefore exclude negative solutions. An illustrative example is given.
Sombor Index over the Tensor and Cartesian Products of Monogenic Semigroup Graphs
Authors: Oğuz Ünal Seda
Published: May 2022

Consider a simple graph G with vertex set V(G) and edge set E(G). A graph invariant for G is a number related to the structure of G, which is invariant under the symmetry of G. The Sombor index of G is a new graph invariant defined as SO(G)=∑uv∈E(G)(du)2+(dv)2. In this work, we connected the theory of the Sombor index with abstract algebra. We computed this topological index over the tensor and Cartesian products of a monogenic semigroup graph by presenting two different algorithms; the obtained results are illustrated by examples.
A Neural Beamspace-Domain Filter for Real-Time Multi-Channel Speech Enhancement
Authors: Liu Wenzhe , Li Andong , Wang Xiao , Yuan Minmin , Chen Yi , Zheng Chengshi , Li Xiaodong
Published: May 2022

Most deep-learning-based multi-channel speech enhancement methods focus on designing a set of beamforming coefficients, to directly filter the low signal-to-noise ratio signals received by microphones, which hinders the performance of these approaches. To handle these problems, this paper designs a causal neural filter that fully exploits the spectro-temporal-spatial information in the beamspace domain. Specifically, multiple beams are designed to steer towards all directions, using a parameterized super-directive beamformer in the first stage. After that, a deep-learning-based filter is learned by, simultaneously, modeling the spectro-temporal-spatial discriminability of the speech and the interference, so as to extract the desired speech, coarsely, in the second stage. Finally, to further suppress the interference components, especially at low frequencies, a residual estimation module is adopted, to refine the output of the second stage. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms many state-of-the-art (SOTA) multi-channel methods, on the generated multi-channel speech dataset based on the DNS-Challenge dataset.
Evaluating Interventions in Response to COVID-19 Outbreak by Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making Models
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Nguyen Hoang-Phu , Huang Ching-Chien , Wang Yen-Hui
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 outbreak has currently led to serious social and economic consequences. In poor and developing countries, there are more challenges and barriers to tackling the pandemic. The study’s aim is to propose a hybrid approach to multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) models for determining the most efficient intervention strategies. The methodology is a combination between the Best-Worst Model (BWM) and Group Best-Worst Model (GBWM) to estimate the efficiency score of intervention. Based on the background of knowledge, five groups of stakeholders including Academicians, Entrepreneurs, Commons Residents, Social Workers, Health Workers are considered decision-makers (DMs). A set of nine potential strategies was evaluated and prioritized by all DMs. The findings have shown that different groups of stakeholders prioritized differently the importance of criteria due to their interests. In the context of Vietnam, however, the Availability of Health Systems is prioritized as the most important intervention. The results and proposed model of this paper contributed to MCDM literature as well as a good reference to apply practically in many different countries.
Study of Joint Symmetry in Gait Evolution for Quadrupedal Robots Using a Neural Network
Authors: Khan Zainullah , Naseer Farhat , Khan Yousuf , Bilal Muhammad , Butt Muhammad A.
Published: May 2022

Bio-inspired legged robots have the potential to traverse uneven terrains in a very efficient way. The effectiveness of the robot gait depends on the joint symmetry of the robot; variations in joint symmetries can result in different types of gaits suitable for different scenarios. In the literature, symmetric and asymmetric gaits have been synthesized for legged robots; however, no relation between the gait effectiveness and joint symmetry has been studied. In this research work, the effect of joint symmetry on the robot gait is studied. To test the suggested algorithm, spider-like robot morphology was created in a simulator. The simulation environment was set to a flat surface where the robots could be tested. The simulations were performed on the PyroSim software platform, a physics engine built on top of the Open Dynamics Engine. The quadrupedal robot was created with eight joints, and it is controlled using an artificial neural network. The artificial neural network was optimized using a genetic algorithm. Different robot symmetries were tested, i.e., diagonal joint symmetry, diagonal joint reverse symmetry, adjacent joint symmetry, adjacent joint reverse symmetry and random joint symmetry or joint asymmetry. The robot controllers for each joint symmetry were evolved for a set number of generations and the robot controllers were evaluated using a fitness function that we designed. Our results showed that symmetry in joint movement could help in generating optimal gaits for our test terrain, and joint symmetry produced gaits that were already present in nature. Moreover, our results also showed that certain joint symmetries tended to perform better than others in terms of stability, speed, and distance traveled.
Evaluating the Quality of Optimal MRCP Image Using RT-2D-Compressed SENSE(CS)Turbo Spin Echo: Comparing Respiratory Triggering(RT)-2D-SENSE Turbo Spin Echo and Breath Hold-2D-Single-Shot Turbo Spin Echo
Authors: Goo Eun-Hoe , Kim Sung-Soo
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to select the pulse sequence providing the optimal MRCP image quality by applying various reduction and denoising level parameters—which could improve image quality and shorten examination time—to BH-2D-SSh TSE, RT- 2D-SENSE TSE, and RT-2D-Compressed SENSE(CS) TSE and then comparing and analyzing the obtained images. This study was carried out using 30 subjects (15 men and 15 women with a mean age of 53 ± 8.76 years) who underwent an MRCP test using 3.0T MRI equipment. These 30 subjects were composed of 20 patients (CHDD: 7; LC: 6; and IPMN: 7) and 10 volunteers without a disease. When the CS technique was used, five reduction values (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5) were used and four denoising levels (No, Weak, Medium, and Strong) were used. The existing SENSE method was based on a reduction value of 1, and other parameters were set the same. The image data of BH-2D-SSh TSE, RT-2D-SENSE TSE, and RT-CS-2D TSE used for the analysis were acquired in the coronal plane, and the acquired data underwent MIP post-processing for analysis. To compare these techniques, SNR and CNR were measured for six biliary duct images for the purpose of quantitative analysis, and qualitative analysis was performed on the sharpness of the duct, the overall quality of the image, and the motion artifact. The results of the quantitative and standard analyses showed that the RT-2D-CS TSE technique had the highest results for all IPMN, LC, and CHDD diseases (p < 0.05). Moreover, SNR and CNR were the highest when the reduction value was set to 1.3 and the denoising level was set to medium as the CS setting values (p < 0.05). Compared with the conventional RT-2D-SENSE TSE, the test time decreased by 20% and SNR and CNR increased by 14% on average. When conducting RT-2D-CS TSE, we found that it shortened the examination time and improved the image quality compared to the existing RT-2D-SENSE TSE. Unlike previous studies, this study using the RT technique shows that it is a useful MRI Pulse Sequence technique able to replace the BH-2D-SSh TSE and BH-3D-SENSE GRASE techniques, which require the patient to hold their breath during the test.
Modulation of Ricin Intoxication by the Autophagy Inhibitor EACC
Authors: Sandvig Kirsten , Kavaliauskiene Simona , Myrann Anne Grethe , Iversen Tore Geir , Skotland Tore
Published: May 2022

The compound EACC (ethyl (2-(5-nitrothiophene-2-carboxamido) thiophene-3-carbonyl) carbamate) was recently reported to inhibit fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes in a reversible manner by inhibiting recruitment of syntaxin 17 to autophagosomes. We report here that this compound also provides a strong protection against the protein toxin ricin as well as against other plant toxins such as abrin and modeccin. The protection did not seem to be caused by inhibition of endocytosis and retrograde transport, but rather by inhibited release of the enzymatically active A-moiety to the cytosol. The TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) has been reported to phosphorylate syntaxin 17 and be required for initiation of autophagy. The inhibitor of TBK1, MRT68601, induced in itself a strong sensitization to ricin, apparently by increasing transport to the Golgi apparatus. Importantly, MRT68601 increased Golgi transport of ricin even in the presence of EACC, but EACC was still able to inhibit intoxication, supporting the idea that EACC protects at a late step along the retrograde pathway. These results also indicate that phosphorylation of syntaxin 17 is not required for the protection observed.
Characteristics of COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections among Vaccinated Individuals and Associated Risk Factors: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gopinath Shilpa , Ishak Angela , Dhawan Naveen , Poudel Sujan , Shrestha Prakriti Singh , Singh Prabhjeet , Xie Emily , Tahir Peggy , Marzaban Sima , Michel Jack , Michel George
Published: May 2022

We sought to assess breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections in vaccinated individuals by variant distribution and to identify the common risk associations. The PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Embase databases were searched from 2019 to 30 January 2022. The outcome of interest was breakthrough infections (BTIs) in individuals who had completed a primary COVID-19 vaccination series. Thirty-three papers were included in the review. BTIs were more common among variants of concern (VOC) of which Delta accounted for the largest number of BTIs (96%), followed by Alpha (0.94%). In addition, 90% of patients with BTIs recovered, 11.6% were hospitalized with mechanical ventilation, and 0.6% resulted in mortality. BTIs were more common in healthcare workers (HCWs) and immunodeficient individuals with a small percentage found in fully vaccinated healthy individuals. VOC mutations were the primary cause of BTIs. Continued mitigation approaches (e.g., wearing masks and social distancing) are warranted even in fully vaccinated individuals to prevent transmission. Further studies utilizing genomic surveillance and heterologous vaccine regimens to boost the immune response are needed to better understand and control BTIs.
Identifying Hotspots of People Diagnosed of Tuberculosis with Addiction to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs through a Geospatial Intelligence Application in Communities from Southern Brazil
Authors: Scholze Alessandro Rolim , Delpino Felipe Mendes , Alves Luana Seles , Alves Josilene Dália , Berra Thaís Zamboni , Ramos Antônio Carlos Vieira , Fuentealba-Torres Miguel , Fronteira Inês , Arcêncio Ricardo Alexandre
Published: May 2022

(1) Background: tuberculosis (TB) is considered one of the leading causes of death worldwide by a single infectious agent. This study aimed to identify hotspots of people diagnosed with tuberculosis and abusive use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in communities through a geospatial intelligence application; (2) Methods: an ecological study with a spatio-temporal approach. We considered tuberculosis cases diagnosed and registered in the Notifiable Diseases Information System, which presented information on alcoholism, smoking, and drug abuse. Spatial Variations in Temporal Trends (SVTT) and scan statistics were applied for the identification of Hotspots; (3) Results: between the study period, about 29,499 cases of tuberculosis were reported. When we applied the SVTT for alcoholism, three Hotspots were detected, one of which was protective (RR: 0.08–CI95%: 0.02–0.32) and two at risk (RR: 1.42–CI95%: 1.11–1.73; RR: 1.39–CI95%: 1.28–1.50). Regarding smoking, two risk clusters were identified (RR: 1.15–CI95%: 1.01–1.30; RR: 1.68–CI95%: 1.54–1.83). For other drugs, a risk cluster was found (RR: 1.13–CI95%: 0.99–1.29) and two protections (RR: 0.70–CI95%: 0.63–0.77; RR: 0.76–CI95%: 0.65–0.89); (4) Conclusion: it was evidenced that in the communities being studied, there exists a problem of TB with drug addiction. The disordered use of these substances may harm a person’s brain and behavior and lead to an inability to continue their treatment, putting the community at further risk for TB.
Gasflows in Barred Galaxies with Big Orbital Loops—A Comparative Study of Two Hydrocodes
Authors: Pastras Stavros , Patsis Panos A. , Athanassoula E.
Published: May 2022

We study the flow of gas in a barred-galaxy model, in which a considerable part of the underlying stable periodic orbits have loops where, close to the ends of the bar, several orbital families coexist and chaos dominates. Such conditions are typically encountered in a zone between the 4:1 resonance and corotation. The purpose of our study is to understand the gaseous flow in the aforementioned environment and trace the morphology of the shocks that form. We use two conceptually different hydrodynamic schemes for our calculations, namely, the mesh-free Lagrangian SPH method and the adaptive mesh refinement code RAMSES. This allows us to compare responses by means of the two algorithms. We find that the big loops of the orbits, mainly belonging to the x1 stable periodic orbits, do not help the shock loci to approach corotation. They deviate away from the regions occupied by the loops, bypass them and form extensions at an angle with the straight-line shocks. Roughly at the distance from the center at which we start to observe the big loops, we find characteristic “tails” of dense gas streaming towards the straight-line shocks. The two codes give complementary information for understanding the hydrodynamics of the models.
An Inspiring Journey of Hope and Persistence: Life Lessons with Françoise Barré-Sinoussi
Authors: Tanaka Kiho , Cevaal Paula M. , Pascoe Rachel D.
Published: May 2022

Three early-career female virologists sat down with a distinguished Nobel laureate to discuss two pandemics, 39 years apart [...]
HuH-7-Lunet BLR Cells Propagate Rat Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) in a Cell Culture System Optimized for HEV
Authors: Schemmerer Mathias , Erl Monika , Wenzel Jürgen J.
Published: May 2022

The family Hepeviridae comprises the species Orthohepevirus A–D (HEV-A to -D). HEV-C genotype 1 (HEV-C1, rat HEV) is able to infect humans. This study investigated whether an optimized HEV-A cell culture system is able to propagate the cell culture-derived rat HEV, and if de novo isolation of the virus from rat liver is possible. We tested the liver carcinoma cell lines PLC/PRF/5, HuH-7, and HuH-7-Lunet BLR for their susceptibility to HEV-C1 strains. Cells were infected with the cell culture-derived HEV-C1 strain R63 and rat liver-derived strain R68. Cells were maintained in MEMM medium, which was refreshed every 3–4 days. The viral load of HEV-C1 was determined by RT-qPCR in the supernatant and expressed as genome copies per mL (c/mL). Rat HEV replication was most efficient in the newly introduced HuH-7-Lunet BLR cell line. Even if the rat HEV isolate had been pre-adapted to PLC/PRF/5 by multiple passages, replication in HuH-7-Lunet BLR was still at least equally effective. Only HuH-7-Lunet BLR cells were susceptible to the isolation of HEV-C1 from the liver homogenate. These results suggest HuH-7-Lunet BLR as the most permissive cell line for rat HEV. Our HEV-C1 cell culture system may be useful for basic research, the animal-free generation of large amounts of the virus as well as for the testing of antiviral compounds and drugs.
Frequent Occurrence of Simultaneous Infection with Multiple Rotaviruses in Swiss Pigs
Authors: Baumann Sibylle , Sydler Titus , Rosato Giuliana , Hilbe Monika , Kümmerlen Dolf , Sidler Xaver , Bachofen Claudia
Published: May 2022

Rotavirus (RV) infections are the most important viral cause of diarrhea in piglets in Switzerland and are thought to cause substantial economic losses to the pig industry. However, no data are available on the occurrence and dynamics of the main porcine RV species, namely RVA, RVB, and RVC, and the diversity of the circulating strains. We therefore tested fecal samples from a cross-sectional (n = 95) and a longitudinal (n = 48) study for RVA, RVB, and RVC by real-time RT-PCR and compared the results of the cross-sectional study to postmortem findings. In addition, eight samples were fully genotyped by using next-generation sequencing. In the cross-sectional study, triple RV infections significantly correlated with diarrhea and wasting and were most frequent in the weaned age group. In the longitudinal study, the shedding of RV peaked one week after weaning and decreased thereafter. Here, mainly double infections were seen, and only a few animals showed diarrhea. The full-genome sequencing revealed a genotype pattern similar to other European countries and, importantly, co-infection by up to four RVA strains. Our results imply that the weaning of piglets may trigger not only RV shedding but facilitate co-infection of multiple RV species and strains in the same host.
CD38 Enhances TLR9 Expression and Activates NLRP3 Inflammasome after Porcine Parvovirus Infection
Authors: Zheng Yi , Xu Yixuan , Xu Weimin , Cao Sanjie , Yan Qigui , Huang Xiaobo , Wen Yiping , Zhao Qin , Du Senyan , Lang Yifei , Zhao Shan , Wu Rui
Published: May 2022

(1) Background: Porcine Parvovirus (PPV) is a single-stranded DNA virus without envelope which causes great harm in relation to porcine reproductive disorders in clinic. Cluster of Differentiation 38 (CD38) is a transmembrane protein widely existing in mammals. Its various functions make it a very popular research object, including in the viral infection field. (2) Methods: Western blotting and an EdU Cell Proliferation Kit were used to evaluate the effect of CD38-deficient cells. Relative quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to detect the transcription levels of cytokines after PPV infection. The renilla luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the activation function of CD38 on downstream factors. The fluorescence probe method was used to detect the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). (3) Results: This study found that the loss of CD38 function inhibited the up-regulated state of Toll-like Receptor 9 (TLR9), Interferon-α (IFN-α), and Myxovirus Resistance 1 (Mx1) after PPV infection. The luminescence of the group transfected with both CD38 expression plasmid and TLR9 promoter renilla luciferase reporter plasmid was significantly up-regulated compared with the control, suggesting that CD38 may activate the promoter of TLR9. In addition, CD38 deficiency not only activated the transcription of Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), but also inhibited ROS level and the transcription of NLR Family Pyrin Domain Containing 3 (NLRP3). (4) Conclusion: (i) CD38 may participate in the TLR9/IFN-α/Mx1 pathway by activating the expression of TLR9 after PPV infected PK-15 cells; (ii) CD38 may activate the NLRP3/CASP1 pathway by increasing ROS level; (iii) CD38 deficiency activates the expression of SIRT1 and can prevent the normal proliferation of PPV.
Out-of-Season Influenza during a COVID-19 Void in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Temperature Matters
Authors: Nott Rohini , Fuller Trevon L. , Brasil Patrícia , Nielsen-Saines Karin
Published: May 2022

An out-of-season H3N2 type A influenza epidemic occurred in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during October–November 2021, in between the Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 surges, which occurred in July–October 2021 and January–April 2022, respectively. We assessed the contribution of climate change and influenza immunization coverage in this unique, little publicized phenomenon. State weather patterns during the influenza epidemic were significantly different from the five preceding years, matching typical winter temperatures, associated with the out-of-season influenza. We also found a mismatch between influenza vaccine strains used in the winter of 2021 (trivalent vaccine with two type A strains (Victoria/2570/2019 H1N1, Hong Kong/2671/2019 H3N2) and one type B strain (Washington/02/2019, wild type) and the circulating influenza strain responsible for the epidemic (H3N2 Darwin type A influenza strain). In addition, in 2021, there was poor influenza vaccine coverage with only 56% of the population over 6 months old immunized. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we should be prepared for out-of-season outbreaks of other respiratory viruses in periods of COVID-19 remission, which underscore novel disease dynamics in the pandemic era. The availability of year-round influenza vaccines could help avoid unnecessary morbidity and mortality given that antibodies rapidly wane. Moreover, this would enable unimmunized individuals to have additional opportunities to vaccinate during out-of-season outbreaks.
COVID-19 Vaccination Might Induce Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome Attacks: A Case Report
Authors: Lund Anne , Al-Karagholi Mohammad Al-Mahdi
Published: May 2022

A 30-year-old male diagnosed three years previously with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) presented to the department of neurology with an accumulation of attacks mimicking previous RCVS attacks and fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for RCVS after receiving the first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The neurologic exam, blood samples, electrocardiogram (ECG), and computer tomography of the head (CTC) were normal. The patient was treated with the angiotensin 2 receptor antagonist, losartan, with a good response and was discharged with a prescription for losartan lasting until three days after the second Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. No further RCVS attacks were reported. These findings indicate that the COVID-19 vaccine might induce RCVS attacks in susceptible individuals, and targeting the angiotensin 2 receptor could be a preventive option.
Recombinant BCG to Enhance Its Immunomodulatory Activities
Authors: Kowalewicz-Kulbat Magdalena , Locht Camille
Published: May 2022

The bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is an attenuated Mycobacterium bovis derivative that has been widely used as a live vaccine against tuberculosis for a century. In addition to its use as a tuberculosis vaccine, BCG has also been found to have utility in the prevention or treatment of unrelated diseases, including cancer. However, the protective and therapeutic efficacy of BCG against tuberculosis and other diseases is not perfect. For three decades, it has been possible to genetically modify BCG in an attempt to improve its efficacy. Various immune-modulatory molecules have been produced in recombinant BCG strains and tested for protection against tuberculosis or treatment of several cancers or inflammatory diseases. These molecules include cytokines, bacterial toxins or toxin fragments, as well as other protein and non-protein immune-modulatory molecules. The deletion of genes responsible for the immune-suppressive properties of BCG has also been explored for their effect on BCG-induced innate and adaptive immune responses. Most studies limited their investigations to the description of T cell immune responses that were modified by the genetic modifications of BCG. Some studies also reported improved protection by recombinant BCG against tuberculosis or enhanced therapeutic efficacy against various cancer forms or allergies. However, so far, these investigations have been limited to mouse models, and the prophylactic or therapeutic potential of recombinant BCG strains has not yet been illustrated in other species, including humans, with the exception of a genetically modified BCG strain that is now in late-stage clinical development as a vaccine against tuberculosis. In this review, we provide an overview of the different molecular engineering strategies adopted over the last three decades in order to enhance the immune-modulatory potential of BCG.