bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Do Freshmen Know about Sustainability? Analysing the Skill Gap among University Business Administration Students
Authors: Manresa Alba , Berbegal-Mirabent Jasmina , Faura-Martínez Úrsula , Llinares-Ciscar Juan-Vicente
Published: August 2021

This study aims at creating and validating an instrument to assess the level of mastery in sustainability competencies of freshmen students in business-related studies. To reach this goal, a questionnaire that captures the level of acquisition of the competencies in sustainability is provided. A three-step process has been followed to analyse the results gathered among first-year students in two Spanish universities. First, eight confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to verify the grouping of the dimensions included in the questionnaire, resulting in 10 competency units in sustainability (CU). Next, we averaged the values of the items included in each CU to facilitate interpretation and then calculated the skill gap; that is, the difference between the level that CU students are expected to achieve on graduation compared to the current level. Third, a series of ANOVA tests were run to investigate potential differences in the level of acquisition due to gender, prior training and educational background, which according to the literature might influence current student knowledge of sustainability. Our results reveal that freshmen enter university with a heterogeneous level of development, both in terms of breadth (different CUs) and depth (the extent to which each CU is developed). The original value of this work stems from the creation of an instrument which is expected to be applicable in a variety of contexts. Additionally, the information it provides assists us in the identification of the CUs that should be further emphasized at university level, and therefore helps professors to prioritise those teaching strategies targeted at overcoming this deficit.
Industrial Energy Management and Sustainability
Authors: Benedetti Miriam , Introna Vito
Published: August 2021

Increasing the sustainability of industrial activities is a top priority for national and supranational governmental institutions [...]
The Three E’s Revisited: How Do Community-Based Organizations Define Sustainable Communities and Their Role in Pursuit of?
Authors: Reames Tony G. , Wright Nathaniel S.
Published: August 2021

A sustainable community seeks to protect and enhance the environment, meet social needs, and promote economic success. On average, local governments lack meaningfully connecting their environmental and economic sustainability efforts to equity and social justice. Community-based organizations (CBOs) have emerged as local leaders with a growing capacity for pursuing community sustainability. Based on data from a national survey National Community Action Partnership member organizations, this study explores (1) how CBO leaders define sustainable communities; (2) how important each of the three pillars of sustainability are to their mission; and (3) with what organizations do CBOs collaborate in their pursuit of sustainable communities. A content analysis of responses to an open-ended query to define sustainable communities revealed a significant focus on the social equity pillar of sustainability which is closely linked to economic sustainability. Similarly, CBO leaders ranked social equity and economic sustainability as the highest priority for their core mission. Lastly, CBO leaders heavily engaged in local collaboration in their sustainable community efforts. Therefore, serious pursuit of sustainable cities and communities must shift from a go-at-it-alone, centralized government approach to more inclusive, collaborative efforts that take advantage of the economic-social equity sustainability focus of CBOs in both planning and implementation.
Physical Self-Concept and Motor Self-Efficacy Are Related to Satisfaction/Enjoyment and Boredom in Physical Education Classes
Authors: Morales-Sánchez Verónica , Hernández-Martos Jacobo , Reigal Rafael E. , Morillo-Baro Juan P. , Caballero-Cerbán Montserrat , Hernández-Mendo Antonio
Published: August 2021

Physical education (PE) classes promote extracurricular physical activity (PA). Therefore, having fun in this context is important for developing active lifestyles. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between motor self-efficacy and physical self-concept with enjoyment/satisfaction and boredom in school PE lessons. A total of 195 adolescents aged 14 to 15 years (M = 14.65; SD = 0.48) from the city of Malaga participated. The Motor Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES), the Children Physical Self Questionnaire (C-PSQ) and the Sport Satisfaction Instrument (SSI) were used to evaluate the variables under study. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed, finding positive and statistically significant associations between motor self-efficacy and physical self-concept with enjoyment/satisfaction in PE, as well as negative relationships with boredom. Specifically, motor self-efficacy and perceived physical competence were predictors of satisfaction or boredom in PE. The results suggest that some physical and motor self-perceptions at these ages could contribute to developing attitudes towards physical practice in this type of educational context, in addition to the importance that their extrapolation to other contexts of PA outside school hours could have.
Towards an Integrated Approach to Urban Decarbonisation in Practice: The Case of Vitoria-Gasteiz
Authors: Urrutia-Azcona Koldo , Molina-Costa Patricia , Muñoz Iñigo , Maya-Drysdale David , Garcia-Madruga Carolina , Flores-Abascal Iván
Published: August 2021

How can local authorities effectively approach the decarbonisation of urban environments? Recent efforts to redirect cities into a less energy-intensive model have been mostly approached from a sectoral perspective, with specific energy policies and plans being issued without deeply considering their ties with other urban aspects. In this sense, well-established urban planning procedures have not been part of those, with the consequence of barriers in the implementation phase of those energy plans. The Cities4ZERO methodology was developed to guide effective integration between urban planning and energy policies, plans, and practices. It provides a holistic approach to strategic municipal processes for urban decarbonisation in the mid-long term, which includes key local stakeholders’ engagement into integrated energy planning processes, as well as tools for effective energy decarbonisation modelling. This paper analyses the application of the Cities4ZERO decarbonisation methodology on its strategic stage in the development of Vitoria-Gasteiz’s Action Plan for an Integrated Energy Transition 2030 (APIET 2030). It suggests that in order to accelerate urban decarbonisation, it is critical to: (a) foster interdepartmental collaboration; (b) allow for flexibility on the land-use planning regulations; (c) back decisions with detailed urban-energy models; and (d) truly engage key local stakeholders in the planning and implementation processes.
A Holistic Analysis of Train-Vehicle Accidents at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings in Florida
Authors: Singh Prashant , Pasha Junayed , Khorram-Manesh Amir , Goniewicz Krzysztof , Roshani Abdolreza , Dulebenets Maxim A.
Published: August 2021

Highway-rail grade crossing (HRGC) accidents pose a serious risk of safety to highway users, including pedestrians trying to cross HRGCs. A significant increase in the number of HRGC accidents globally calls for greater research efforts, which are not limited to the analysis of accidents at HRGCs but also understanding user perception, driver behavior, potential conflicting areas at crossings, effectiveness of countermeasures and user perception towards them. HRGC safety is one of the priority areas in the State of Florida, since the state HRGCs experienced a total of 429 injuries and 146 fatalities between 2010 and 2019 with a significant increase in HRGC accidents over the last years. The present study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the HRGCs that experienced accidents in Florida over the last years. The databases maintained by the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) are used to gather the relevant information for a total of 578 crossings that experienced at least one accident from 2010 to 2019. In contrast with many of the previous efforts, this study investigates a wide range of various factors, including physical and operational characteristics of crossings, vehicle and train characteristics, spatial characteristics, temporal and environmental characteristics, driver actions and related characteristics, and other relevant information. The outcomes of this research will help better understanding the major causes behind accidents at the HRGCs in the State of Florida in a holistic way by considering a variety of relevant factors, which will assist the appropriate stakeholders with implementation of safety improvement projects across the state.
Estimation of Urban Land-Use Efficiency for Sustainable Development by Integrating over 30-Year Landsat Imagery with Population Data: A Case Study of Ha Long, Vietnam
Authors: Jalilov Shokhrukh-Mirzo , Chen Yun , Quang Nguyen Hong , Nguyen Minh Nguyen , Leighton Ben , Paget Matt , Lazarow Neil
Published: August 2021

Humans are moving into urban areas at an accelerated pace. An increasing urban population fuels urban expansion and reduces nearby agricultural lands and natural environments such as forests, swamps, other water-pervious areas. Unsustainable development creates a disproportion between the growth of urban areas and the growth in urban population. The UN SDG indicator 11.3.1 specifically addresses the issue of the measurement of land-use efficiency. While the metric and methodology to estimate the indicator are straightforward, it faces problems of data unavailability and inconsistency. Vietnam has a record of tremendous economic growth that has translated into more urban settlements of size. Consequently, rural population movement into urban areas has led to many urban sustainable planning and development challenges. In the absence of previous work on estimating land-use efficiency in Vietnamese cities, this study makes the first attempt to examine land-use efficiency in Ha Long, one of the country’s fast-growing cities in recent decades. We mapped land use from high-resolution Landsat imagery (30 m) spanning multi-decadal observations from 1986 to 2020. An advanced machine learning approach, the Support Vector Machine algorithm, was applied to estimate the built-up area, which, by integration with census data, is essential for calculating SDG indicator 11.3.1. This study shows that the land-use efficiency metric was positive but small at the beginning of the considered period but increased in 2000–2020. These results suggest that before 2000, the urban land consumption rate in Ha Long was lower than the population growth rate, implying denser urban land use. The situation changed to the opposite when the urban land consumption rate exceeded the population growth rate in the past two decades. The study’s approach is applicable to regional and district levels to provide comparative analyses between cities or parts of a region or districts of the city. These analyses are valuable tools for assessing the impact of local urban and municipal planning policies on urban development.
Shaping Aquaculture Management—An Interest Tug O’ War
Authors: Sønvisen Signe A. , Vik Christian
Published: August 2021

(1) Background: Although Norwegian aquaculture has experienced tremendous development, environmental challenges limit opportunities for growth. To promote environmentally sustainable industry growth, a new spatial management regime was introduced: the Traffic Light System (TLS). However, with a focus on environmental sustainability and economic growth, the new regime largely ignores important factors for industry development: legitimacy and acceptance. (2) Methods: This study used qualitative methods such as interviews and document analysis. (3) Results: The results showed how aquaculture stakeholders perceive and weigh the dimensions of sustainability. Low social sustainability, owing to low content legitimacy and acceptance, places stakeholders in an interest tug o’ war. (4) Conclusions: Legitimacy and acceptance are prerequisites for industry growth, which may ultimately affect the objective of sustainable growth. In particular, a lack of legitimacy and acceptance may affect procedural legitimacy and thus the long-standing institutional setup in Norway.
A Centralized Power Flow Control Scheme of EV-Connected DC Microgrid to Satisfy Multi-Objective Problems under Several Constraints
Authors: Padhilah Faris Adnan , Kim Kyeong-Hwa
Published: August 2021

Integrating electric vehicles (EVs) into a microgrid improves the efficiency, flexibility, and robustness of microgrids. Unfortunately, the uncertainties of EVs, in terms of their connection/disconnection times and their initial SOC values, make integrating EVs into microgrids a more challenging issue. Contrary to the standard energy management system (EMS), integrating EVs into microgrids raises several multi-objective problems that need to be solved. In this study, a centralized power flow control scheme for an EV-connected DC microgrid (DCMG) is proposed to satisfy these multi-objective problems under several constraints. Two prime objective functions of the DCMG are presented to demonstrate the benefits to both the DCMG system and EV owners. Then, a reliable and optimized DCMG system is constructed to satisfy the selected prime objective function. The operating modes of each agent in the DCMG are defined based on information regarding the EV connection/disconnection status, the initial EV SOC values, the generation power of the wind power agent, the battery SOC levels, and the grid availability. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed scheme have been validated by in-depth simulations and experimental tests under the uncertainties of DG power, grid availability, electricity price conditions, and EV connections. In addition, the proposed scheme reliably regulates the DC-link voltage without severe transience, even if these uncertainties cause the task of controlling the DC-link voltage to be transferred from one agent to another.
Walking along the Sheeptrack…Rural Tourism, Ecomuseums, and Bio-Cultural Heritage
Authors: Belliggiano Angelo , Bindi Letizia , Ievoli Corrado
Published: August 2021

The paper deals with the issue of responsible and sustainable tourism starting from a series of Italian (and only partially French) cases of ecomuseums of pastoralism and transhumance as potential drivers for development and territorial regeneration, as well as for the promotion of experiential tourism with low environmental impact, capable of triggering participatory processes of inclusion and social innovation. Through the analysis of two Italian regions (Piedmont and Molise) and three cases (Ecomuseum of Pastoralism in Pontebernardo, Cuneo; Ecomuseum Itinerari Frentani, Larino; and the ongoing program of the Institutional Contract of Development in Campodipietra, Molise) the authors propose an interpretative model based on three main issues: the awareness, agenda, and action of a responsustainable tourism concept and on the three different subjects of local actors, tourists and policy-makers, obtaining as the main result the pre-eminence of intangible actions for development over environmental recovery and conservation activities.
Semantic Indexing of 19th-Century Greek Literature Using 21st-Century Linguistic Resources
Authors: Dimitriadis Dimitris , Zapounidou Sofia , Tsoumakas Grigorios
Published: August 2021

Manual classification of works of literature with genre/form concepts is a time-consuming task requiring domain expertise. Building automated systems based on language understanding can help humans to achieve this work faster and more consistently. Towards this direction, we present a case study on automatic classification of Greek literature books of the 19th century. The main challenges in this problem are the limited number of literature books and resources of that age and the quality of the source text. We propose an automated classification system based on the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) model trained on books from the 20th and 21st century. We also dealt with BERT’s constraint on the maximum sequence length of the input, leveraging the TextRank algorithm to construct representative sentences or phrases from each book. The results show that BERT trained on recent literature books correctly classifies most of the books of the 19th century despite the disparity between the two collections. Additionally, the TextRank algorithm improves the performance of BERT.
Selected Determinants of Stakeholder Influence on Project Management in Non-Profit Organizations
Authors: Brajer-Marczak Renata , Marciszewska Anna , Nadolny Michał
Published: August 2021

The article concerns the impact of stakeholders on project management in non-profit organizations. This issue was presented from the perspective of the organization’s project management maturity. It seems that this issue has not yet been adequately researched by scientists. Contribution was made to the theory of project management by highlighting the need to adjust the level of project management maturity and stakeholder management maturity, and by recommending areas for further research. It has been noted that stakeholder management and risk assessment are just as important as the issues of financing projects and planning their purpose, scope and selection of project teams. The conclusions were based on the analysis of the results of empirical research. The empirical material came from a study based on a sample of 93 non-profit organizations operating in Poland.
Optimization of Groundwater Exploitation in an Irrigation Area in the Arid Upper Peacock River, NW China: Implications for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecology
Authors: Su Yujuan , Yang Fengtian , Chen Yaoxuan , Zhang Pan , Zhang Xue
Published: August 2021

Groundwater is the main irrigation water source in the Upper Peacock River. As fast enlargement of irrigation areas continues in recent years, the groundwater level declines continuously and has posed a threat to the sustainability of local agriculture and ecology. A numerical model was established with the code MODFLOW–2000 in order to predict the declining trend of groundwater level and formulate measures to counter the overexploitation, in which the river–aquifer interaction was elaborated and characterized by field survey. The results show that under current intensity of groundwater withdrawal, the levels of both unconfined and confined waters would decline continuously in 7 years from 2015. To stop the groundwater level from declining on the regional scale, the withdrawal rate should be compressed by 45% with respect to that in 2015. Moreover, taking consideration of the constraint of maintaining the ecological water level in the vicinity of the Euphrates Poplar forest in the study area, the withdrawal rate should be compressed 70% for seven towns around the forest.
Counter-Mapping through Digital Tools as an Approach to Urban History: Investigating the Spatial Condition of Activism
Authors: Dinler Mesut
Published: August 2021

Cultural heritage has a central role in sustainable development, and it has the potential to re-imagine more democratic cities. Yet, critical theory has framed cultural heritage not only as the material remains of the past, but also as a dynamic interaction of humans with their past that encompasses tangible and intangible entities. Thus, it is necessary to research these dynamics to understand the role of cultural heritage as a resource for sustainable development. In this context, the main research question of this article is: “How does heritage is shaped and managed by the ‘present’? Can we understand this process through the opportunities of digital humanities?”. To confront this question, the research adapts the counter-mapping methodology with the digital humanities perspective focusing on the urban protest movements that took place in the historic areas of Istanbul throughout the 1960s. It is seen that the spatial pattern of these movements was the result of the urban operations of the 1950s. In the 1950s, an autocratic government shaped the urban space and redefined the urban heritage to concentrate more power. However, in the 1960s, workers and students used the very same spaces and again redefined the urban heritage by exercising their social rights. Based on these results, the main conclusion is that for revealing the full potential of cultural heritage in sustainable development, it is necessary to deepen our knowledge on how heritage operates in a society, considering that heritage changes meaning depending on the socio-political context of the period.
A Method for Responsibility Division of Multi-Harmonic Sources Based on Canonical Correlation Analysis
Authors: Zhang Yi , Wang Youran , Guo Junyu , Shao Zhenguo
Published: August 2021

The variable background harmonic data and incomplete phasor information make multi-harmonic source responsibility division in three-phase symmetrical power system a significant challenge. In this paper, a background harmonic data selection method based on canonical correlation analysis is proposed to deal with multi-harmonic source responsibility division without phasor information. Firstly, the canonical correlation coefficient between harmonic voltage and harmonic current is used to characterize the fluctuations of background harmonic voltage. Then, the sliding window method is adopted to select the harmonic voltage and harmonic current with small fluctuations. Next, the canonical correlation results for selected data are used to calculate the harmonic responsibility index via the linear regression method. The harmonic responsibility index in the form of percentage represents the harmonic responsibility division. Finally, several experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method has a high accuracy in calculating the harmonic responsibility division, particularly when the user side contains fluctuations of unknown harmonic sources.
Network Intrusion Detection Based on an Efficient Neural Architecture Search
Authors: Lyu Renjian , He Mingshu , Zhang Yu , Jin Lei , Wang Xinlei
Published: August 2021

Deep learning has been applied in the field of network intrusion detection and has yielded good results. In malicious network traffic classification tasks, many studies have achieved good performance with respect to the accuracy and recall rate of classification through self-designed models. In deep learning, the design of the model architecture greatly influences the results. However, the design of the network model architecture usually requires substantial professional knowledge. At present, the focus of research in the field of traffic monitoring is often directed elsewhere. Therefore, in the classification task of the network intrusion detection field, there is much room for improvement in the design and optimization of the model architecture. A neural architecture search (NAS) can automatically search the architecture of the model under the premise of a given optimization goal. For this reason, we propose a model that can perform NAS in the field of network traffic classification and search for the optimal architecture suitable for traffic detection based on the network traffic dataset. Each layer of our depth model is constructed according to the principle of maximum coding rate attenuation, which has strong consistency and symmetry in structure. Compared with some manually designed network architectures, classification indicators, such as Top-1 accuracy and F1 score, are also greatly improved while ensuring the lightweight nature of the model. In addition, we introduce a surrogate model in the search task. Compared to using the traditional NAS model to search the network traffic classification model, our NAS model greatly improves the search efficiency under the premise of ensuring that the results are not substantially different. We also manually adjust some operations in the search space of the architecture search to find a set of model operations that are more suitable for traffic classification. Finally, we apply the searched model to other traffic datasets to verify the universality of the model. Compared with several common network models in the traffic field, the searched model (NAS-Net) performs better, and the classification effect is more accurate.
COVID-19 Case Rates in the UK: Modelling Uncertainties as Lockdown Lifts
Authors: Brereton Claire , Pedercini Matteo
Published: August 2021

Background: The UK was one of the countries worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. A strict lockdown from early 2021 combined with an aggressive vaccination programme enabled a gradual easing of lockdown measures to be introduced whilst both deaths and reported case numbers reduced to less than 3% of their peak. The emergence of the Delta variant in April 2021 has reversed this trend, and the UK is once again experiencing surging cases, albeit with reduced average severity due to the success of the vaccination rollout. This study presents the results of a modelling exercise which simulates the progression of the pandemic in the UK through projection of daily case numbers as lockdown lifts. Methods: A simulation model based on the Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered structure was built. A timeline of UK lockdown measures was used to simulate the changing restrictions. The model was tailored for the UK, with some values set based on research and others obtained through calibration against 16 months of historical data. Results: The model projects that if lockdown restrictions are lifted in July 2021, UK COVID-19 cases will peak at hundreds of thousands daily in most viable scenarios, reducing in late 2021 as immunity acquired through both vaccination and infection reduces the susceptible population percentage. Further lockdown measures can be used to reduce daily cases. Other than the ever-present threat of the emergence of new variants, the most significant unknown factors affecting the profile of the pandemic in the UK are the length and strength of immunity, with daily peak cases over 50% higher if immunity lasts 8 months compared to 12 months. Another significant factor is the percentage of unreported cases. The reduced case severity associated with vaccination may lead to a higher proportion of unreported mild or asymptomatic cases, meaning that unmanaged infections resulting from unknown cases will continue to be a major source of infection. Conclusions: Further research into the length and strength of both recovered and vaccinated COVID-19 immunity is critical to delivering more accurate projections from models, thus enabling more finely tuned policy decisions. The model presented in this article, whilst by no means perfect, aims to contribute to greater transparency of the modelling process, which can only increase trust between policy makers, journalists and the general public.
From Understanding to Impactful Action: Systems Thinking for Systems Change in Chronic Disease Prevention Research
Authors: Pescud Melanie , Rychetnik Lucie , Allender Steven , Irving Michelle J. , Finegood Diane T. , Riley Therese , Ison Ray , Rutter Harry , Friel Sharon
Published: August 2021

Within the field of chronic disease prevention, research efforts have moved to better understand, describe, and address the complex drivers of various health conditions. Change-making is prominent in this paper, and systems thinking and systems change are prioritised as core elements of prevention research. We report how the process of developing a theory of systems change can assist prevention research to progress from understanding systems, towards impactful action within those systems. Based on Foster-Fishman and Watson’s ABLe change framework, a Prevention Systems Change Framework (PSCF) was adapted and applied to an Australian case study of the drivers of healthy and equitable eating as a structured reflective practice. The PSCF comprises four components: building a systemic lens on prevention, holding a continual implementation focus, integrating the systemic lens and implementation focus, and developing a theory of change. Application of the framework as part of a systemic evaluation process enabled a detailed and critical assessment of the healthy and equitable eating project goals and culminated in the development of a theory of prevention systems change specific to that project, to guide future research and action. Arguably, if prevention research is to support improved health outcomes, it must be more explicitly linked to creating systems change.
Effect of Ambient pH on Growth, Pathogenicity, and Patulin Production of Penicillium expansum
Authors: Jimdjio Carelle Kouasseu , Xue Huali , Bi Yang , Nan Mina , Li Lan , Zhang Rui , Liu Qili , Pu Lumei
Published: August 2021

Penicillium expansum is an important postharvest pathogen of pomaceous fruit and a causal agent of blue mold or soft rot. In this study, we investigated the effect of ambient pH on growth, ultrastructure alteration, and pathogenicity of P. expansum, as well as accumulation of patulin and expression of genes involved in patulin biosynthesis. Under different pH, the fungus was routinely cultured and collected for growth, pathogenicity, patulin production, and gene expression studies using transmission electron microscopy, apple inoculation, HPLC, and RT-qPCR methods. Different ambient pH had significant impact on expression of genes and growth factors involved in patulin biosynthesis. Under same range of pH, gene expression profile, growth factors, and patulin accumulation (in vivo and in vitro) all showed similar changing trends. A well-developed cell was observed in addition to upregulation of genes at pH between pH 5.0 and 7.0, while the opposite was observed when pH was too basic (8.5) or too acid (2.5). Additionally, ambient pH had direct or indirect influence on expression of PecreaA, PelaeA, and PepacC. These findings will help in understanding the effect of ambient pH on growth, pathogenicity, and patulin production and support the development of successful methods for combating P. expansum infection on apple fruits.
A New Ionospheric Index to Investigate Electron Temperature Small-Scale Variations in the Topside Ionosphere
Authors: Pignalberi Alessio , Coco Igino , Giannattasio Fabio , Pezzopane Michael , De Michelis Paola , Consolini Giuseppe , Tozzi Roberta
Published: August 2021

The electron temperature (Te) behavior at small scales (both spatial and temporal) in the topside ionosphere is investigated through in situ observations collected by Langmuir Probes on-board the European Space Agency Swarm satellites from the beginning of 2014 to the end of 2020. Te observations are employed to calculate the Rate Of change of electron TEmperature Index (ROTEI), which represents the standard deviation of the Te time derivative calculated over a window of fixed width. As a consequence, ROTEI provides a description of the small-scale variations of Te along the Swarm satellites orbit. The extension of the dataset and the orbital configuration of the Swarm satellites allowed us to perform a statistical analysis of ROTEI to unveil its mean spatial, diurnal, seasonal, and solar activity variations. The main ROTEI statistical trends are presented and discussed in the light of the current knowledge of the phenomena affecting the distribution and dynamics of the ionospheric plasma, which play a key role in triggering Te small-scale variations. The appearance of unexpected high values of ROTEI at mid and low latitudes for specific magnetic local time sectors is revealed and discussed in association with the presence of Te spikes recorded by Swarm satellites under very specific conditions.
Confinement in 4D: An Attempt at Classical Understanding
Authors: Ilhan Ibrahim Burak , Kovner Alex
Published: August 2021

In this review, we revisit our approach to constructing an effective theory for Abelian and Non-Abelian gauge theories in 4D. Our goal is to have an effective theory that provides a simple classical picture of the main qualitatively important features of these theories. We set out to ensure the presence of the massless photons—Goldstone bosons in Abelian theory and their disappearance in the Non-Abelian case—accompanied by the formation of confining strings between charged states. Our formulation avoids using vector fields and instead operates with the basic degrees of freedom that are the scalar fields of a nonlinear σ-model. The Mark 1 model we study turns out to have a large global symmetry group-the 2D diffeomorphism invariance in the Abelian limit, which is isomorphic to the group of all canonical transformations in the classical two dimensional phase space. This symmetry is not present in QED, and we eliminate it by “gauging” this infinite dimensional global group. Introducing additional modifications to the model (Mark 2), we are able to prove that the “Abelian” version is equivalent to the theory of a free photon. Achieving the desired property in the “Non-Abelian” regime turns out to be tricky. We are able to introduce a perturbation that leads to the formation of confining strings in our Mark 1 model. These strings have somewhat unusual properties, in that their profile does not decay exponentially away from the center of the string. In addition, the perturbation explicitly breaks the diffeomorphism invariance. Preserving this invariance in the gauged model as well as achieving confining strings in Mark 2 model remains an open question.
New Latency Reversing Agents for HIV-1 Cure: Insights from Nonhuman Primate Models
Authors: Bricker Katherine M. , Chahroudi Ann , Mavigner Maud
Published: August 2021

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) controls human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) replication and prevents disease progression but does not eradicate HIV-1. The persistence of a reservoir of latently infected cells represents the main barrier to a cure. “Shock and kill” is a promising strategy involving latency reversing agents (LRAs) to reactivate HIV-1 from latently infected cells, thus exposing the infected cells to killing by the immune system or clearance agents. Here, we review advances to the “shock and kill” strategy made through the nonhuman primate (NHP) model, highlighting recently identified latency reversing agents and approaches such as mimetics of the second mitochondrial activator of caspase (SMACm), experimental CD8+ T cell depletion, immune checkpoint blockade (ICI), and toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. We also discuss the advantages and limits of the NHP model for HIV cure research and methods developed to evaluate the efficacy of in vivo treatment with LRAs in NHPs.
Comparative Characterization and Pathogenicity of a Novel Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) with a Naturally Occurring Truncated ORF3 Gene Coinfected with PEDVs Possessing an Intact ORF3 Gene in Piglets
Authors: Lu Ying , Huang Weijian , Zhong Lian , Qin Yibin , Liu Xueting , Yang Chunjie , Wang Ruomu , Su Xueli , Du Chen , Mi Xue , Wang Hejie , He Ying , Zhao Wu , Chen Ying , Wei Zuzhang , Ouyang Kang
Published: August 2021

Coinfection caused by various genotypes of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a new disease situation. We previously reported the coexistence of PEDV strains containing different ORF3 genotypes in China. In this study, the PEDV strains 17GXCZ-1ORF3d and 17GXCZ-1ORF3c were isolated and plaque-purified from the same piglet, which had a natural large deletion at the 172–554 bp position of the ORF3 gene or possessed a complete ORF3 gene, respectively. Meanwhile, 17GXCZ-1ORF3d had >99% nt identity with 17GXCZ-1ORF3c in the 5′UTR, ORF1a/1b, S, E, M, N and 3′UTR regions but only demonstrated low nucleotide identities (80.5%) in the ORF3 gene. To elucidate the pathogenicity, 7-day-old piglets were infected. Piglets infected with these two PEDV strains exhibited severe clinical signs and shed the virus at the highest level within 96 hpi. Compared with the piglets inoculated with the 17GXCZ-1ORF3c strain, the piglets inoculated with the 17GXCZ-1ORF3d strain had higher mortality rates (75% vs. 50%), an earlier onset of clinical signs with a significantly higher diarrhea score, lower VH:CD ratios and a higher percentage of PEDV-positive enterocytes. This study is the first to report PEDV coinfections with different ORF3 genotypes, and a PEDV strain with a large deletion in the ORF3 gene might have the advantage of a potential genetic marker, which would be useful during vaccine development.
The Endogenous RIG-I Ligand Is Generated in Influenza A-Virus Infected Cells
Authors: Steinberg Julia , Wadenpohl Timo , Jung Stephanie
Published: August 2021

As a result of a viral infection, viral genomes are not only recognized by RIG-I, but also lead to the activation of RNase L, which cleaves cellular RNA to generate the endogenous RIG-I ligand (eRL). The eRL was previously identified as a specific sequence derived from the internal transcribed spacer region 2, which bears a 2′3′ cyclic phosphate instead of the common 5′ triphosphate. By now, the generation of the eRL and its immunostimulatory effect were shown both in vitro and in reporter systems. In this work, we aimed to elucidate whether the eRL is also generated in Influenza A (IAV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infected cells. RNA was extracted from virus-infected cells and used for immunostimulations as well as specific PCR-strategies to detect eRL cleavage. We show that the eRL is generated in IAV infected HEK293 cells, but we could not detect specific eRL fragments in VSV infected cells. Further, RIG-I mediated IFN-response depends not only on viral genomes but also on the eRL, as immunostimulatory properties remain present under 5′triphosphate degrading conditions. In summary, we prove the IAV infection induced eRL generation in HEK293 cells, amplifying the innate immune response.
Vaccine-Induced Cellular Immunity against Bordetella pertussis: Harnessing Lessons from Animal and Human Studies to Improve Design and Testing of Novel Pertussis Vaccines
Authors: Saso Anja , Kampmann Beate , Roetynck Sophie
Published: August 2021

Pertussis (‘whooping cough’) is a severe respiratory tract infection that primarily affects young children and unimmunised infants. Despite widespread vaccine coverage, it remains one of the least well-controlled vaccine-preventable diseases, with a recent resurgence even in highly vaccinated populations. Although the exact underlying reasons are still not clear, emerging evidence suggests that a key factor is the replacement of the whole-cell (wP) by the acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine, which is less reactogenic but may induce suboptimal and waning immunity. Differences between vaccines are hypothesised to be cell-mediated, with polarisation of Th1/Th2/Th17 responses determined by the composition of the pertussis vaccine given in infancy. Moreover, aP vaccines elicit strong antibody responses but fail to protect against nasal colonisation and/or transmission, in animal models, thereby potentially leading to inadequate herd immunity. Our review summarises current knowledge on vaccine-induced cellular immune responses, based on mucosal and systemic data collected within experimental animal and human vaccine studies. In addition, we describe key factors that may influence cell-mediated immunity and how antigen-specific responses are measured quantitatively and qualitatively, at both cellular and molecular levels. Finally, we discuss how we can harness this emerging knowledge and novel tools to inform the design and testing of the next generation of improved infant pertussis vaccines.
Single-Dose Intranasal Administration of AdCOVID Elicits Systemic and Mucosal Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and Fully Protects Mice from Lethal Challenge
Authors: King R. Glenn , Silva-Sanchez Aaron , Peel Jessica N. , Botta Davide , Dickson Alexandria M. , Pinto Amelia K. , Meza-Perez Selene , Allie S. Rameeza , Schultz Michael D. , Liu Mingyong , Bradley John E. , Qiu Shihong , Yang Guang , Zhou Fen , Zumaquero Esther , Simpler Thomas S. , Mousseau Betty , Killian John T. , Dean Brittany , Shang Qiao , Tipper Jennifer L. , Risley Christopher A. , Harrod Kevin S. , Feng Tsungwei , Lee Young , Shiberu Bethlehem , Krishnan Vyjayanthi , Peguillet Isabelle , Zhang Jianfeng , Green Todd J. , Randall Troy D. , Suschak John J. , Georges Bertrand , Brien James D. , Lund Frances E. , Roberts M. Scot
Published: August 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for effective prophylactic vaccination to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Intranasal vaccination is an attractive strategy to prevent COVID-19 as the nasal mucosa represents the first-line barrier to SARS-CoV-2 entry. The current intramuscular vaccines elicit systemic immunity but not necessarily high-level mucosal immunity. Here, we tested a single intranasal dose of our candidate adenovirus type 5-vectored vaccine encoding the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (AdCOVID) in inbred, outbred, and transgenic mice. A single intranasal vaccination with AdCOVID elicited a strong and focused immune response against RBD through the induction of mucosal IgA in the respiratory tract, serum neutralizing antibodies, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with a Th1-like cytokine expression profile. A single AdCOVID dose resulted in immunity that was sustained for over six months. Moreover, a single intranasal dose completely protected K18-hACE2 mice from lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge, preventing weight loss and mortality. These data show that AdCOVID promotes concomitant systemic and mucosal immunity and represents a promising vaccine candidate.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: A Case Study in Cultivation of Watermelons and Canning Tomatoes
Authors: Isari Ekavi A. , Papaioannou Dimitrios , Kalavrouziotis Ioannis K. , Karapanagioti Hrissi K.
Published: August 2021

Thirty soil samples were collected from fields that have been used for cultivating watermelons and canning tomatoes for over 10 years. The microplastics (MPs) within these samples were separated with a density floatation method and the use of sieves and filters. The microplastics found were black and originated from the black agricultural mulch film (BMF) used in these cultivations. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy revealed that these microplastics are of the same material as the virgin BMF and as a virgin polyethylene film used as blank. SEM images showed that used BMF and MPs found in soil were oxidized by their exposure to sunlight and create fibrous edges that lead to the creation of smaller size MPs. The number of MPs found in fields with watermelon (301 ± 140 items kg−1) were more than four times higher than in fields with canning tomatoes (69 ± 38 items kg−1) due to the double planting each year and to the second planting last year being closer to the sampling episode. All the sample sites were collected from agricultural fields away from the industrial area; therefore, these results prove that agricultural activities might have caused contamination of soils with MPs. This is corroborated even more by the fact that no MPs were found in five extra samples that were taken from uncultivated areas as blanks.
Assessment of the Coastal Vulnerability to the Ongoing Sea Level Rise for the Exquisite Rhodes Island (SE Aegean Sea, Greece)
Authors: Vandarakis Dimitrios , Panagiotopoulos Ioannis P. , Loukaidi Vassiliki , Hatiris Georgios-Angelos , Drakopoulou Paraskevi , Kikaki Aikaterini , Gad Fragkiska-Karmela , Petrakis Stelios , Malliouri Dimitra I. , Chatzinaki Maria , Morfis Ioannis , Kanellopoulos Theodore D. , Kapsimalis Vasilios
Published: August 2021

The foreseeable acceleration of global sea level rise could potentially pose a major threat to the natural charm and functional integrity of the world-renowned tourist coastal attractions of Rhodes Island, as a result of the anticipated increasing frequency of flooding and erosion events. Hence, this study aims to determine the most vulnerable segments (in terms of physical impact) of the Rhodes coastline through the widely accepted coastal vulnerability index (CVI), applying a combination of well-known, broadly used approaches and methods. The frequency distribution of the current CVI along the island’s coastline suggests a rather worrying high to very high vulnerability of 40%. In addition, a CVI projection to the end of the 21st century (based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predictive scenarios) indicates an enhancement of the total vulnerability by 48%, mainly focused on the majority of the western coastline. Hence, a considerable number of popular coastal destinations in the island shall remain under unignorable threat and, therefore, coastal managers and decision-makers need to hatch an integrated plan to minimize economic and natural losses, private property damage and tourism infrastructure deterioration from flooding and erosion episodes, which will most likely be intensified in the future.
Landscape Preferences of Visitors to the Danube Floodplains National Park, Vienna
Authors: Arnberger Arne , Eder Renate , Preiner Stefan , Hein Thomas , Nopp-Mayr Ursula
Published: August 2021

Successfully managing heavily visited protected riverscapes requires information about visitor preferences for the social, biophysical and infrastructural attributes of river landscapes. This study analyzed the landscape preferences of 520 on-site visitors to the peri-urban Danube Floodplains National Park using an image-based discrete choice experiment. The study explored the effects of various landscape types (water bodies, terrestrial landscapes), recreational infrastructures (trail types, facilities) and trail use conditions (trail user numbers, activities) on respondents’ preferences. The results indicated that natural features, such as floodplain forests in combination with meadows or xeric alluvial biotopes, were preferred, while dense forests and, particularly, open agrarian structures were less preferred. Water bodies with 50% reed cover, few people on the trail, alleys of trees and gravel trails were favored. The outcomes serve as the basis for design recommendations for planned recreational areas surrounding the national park with the aim of absorbing visitors and reducing use pressure on the protected area.
Hygienic substantiation of the mode of intense mental work of middle-schoolchildren at the performance of educational tasks
Authors: Mavrina Liana Nikolaevna , Timeryanova Liliya Nikolaevna
Published: August 2021

The article is devoted to the analysis and generalization of the results of research on the study of mental performance and fatigue of students. The aim is to assess the mental working ability of middle-aged schoolchildren when actively solving mathematical problems and problems in order to develop a hygienically rational mode of work in the conditions of mental activity. The core samples of the letter table of V. Ya. Anfimov were selected as the methodological tools. According to the results of the study, the values of the daily adaptability index indicated a pronounced fatigue of the children during the school day. The performance of educational tasks in mathematics, associated with the active solution of examples and problems, causes a significant strain on the functions of the organ and leads to rapid mental fatigue of students. The conducted research showed that 20–30 min. intensive intellectual activity followed by 10–15 minutes active recreation in the fresh air are the optimal periods of work for schoolchildren. Sedentary rest in the corridors of the school does not provide a sufficient recovery of mental performance of students. Thus, the educational process should be structured in such a way as to prevent the occurrence of overwork, which creates the prerequisites for the development of acute and chronic health disorders, the development of nervous, psychosomatic and other diseases.
The problem of staff turnover and ways to solve it
Authors: Udodova E.P. , Kolesnikov A.V.
Published: August 2021

The article deals with the problem of staff turnover in an organization. The reasons for the high turnover of personnel are analyzed, and recommendations are given to reduce this negative phenomenon.