bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discovering Energy Consumption Patterns with Unsupervised Machine Learning for Canadian In Situ Oil Sands Operations
Authors: Si Minxing , Bai Ling , Du Ke
Published: February 2021

Canada’s in situ oil sands can help meet the global oil demand. Because of the energy-intensive extraction processes, in situ oil sands operations also play a critical role in meeting the global carbon budget. The steam oil ratio (SOR) is an indicator used to measure energy efficiency and assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the in situ oil sands industry. A low SOR indicates an extraction process that is more energy efficient and less carbon intensive. In this study, we applied machine learning methods for data-driven discovery to a public database, Petrinex, containing operating data from 2015 to 2019 extracted from over 35 million records for 20 in situ oil sands extraction operations. Two unsupervised machine learning methods, including clustering and association rules, showed that the cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) recovery method was less efficient than the steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) recovery method. Chi-square tests showed a statistically significant association between the CSS recovery method and high SOR (p < 0.005). Two association rules suggested that the occurrence of non-condensable gas (NCG) co-injection produced a low SOR. Chi-square tests on the two rules identified a statistically significant relationship between gas co-injection and low SOR (p < 0.005). Association rules also indicated that there was no association between the production regions and SORs. For future in situ oil sands development, decision-makers should consider SAGD as the preferred method because it is less carbon intensive. Existing in situ oil sands projects and future development should explore the possibility of NCG co-injection with steam to reduce steam consumption and consequently reduce GHG emissions from the extraction processes.
Addressing the Water–Energy–Food Nexus through Enhanced Green Roof Performance
Authors: Wright Jeremy , Lytle Jeremy , Santillo Devon , Marcos Luzalen , Mai Kristiina Valter
Published: February 2021

Urban densification and climate change are creating a multitude of issues for cities around the globe. Contributing factors include increased impervious surfaces that result in poor stormwater management, rising urban temperatures, poor air quality, and a lack of available green space. In the context of volatile weather, there are growing concerns regarding the effects of increased intense rainfalls and how they affect highly populated areas. Green roofs are becoming a stormwater management tool, occupying a growing area of urban roof space in many developed cities. In addition to the water-centric approach to the implementation of green roofs, these systems offer a multitude of benefits across the urban water–energy–food nexus. This paper provides insight to green roof systems available that can be utilized as tools to mitigate the effects of climate change in urbanized areas. A new array of green roof testing modules is presented along with research methods employed to address current issues related to food, energy and water performance optimization. Rainwater runoff after three rain events was observed to be reduced commensurate with the presence of a blue roof retention membrane in the testbed, the growing media depth and type, as well as the productive nature of the plants in the testbed. Preliminary observations indicate that more productive green roof systems may have increasingly positive benefits across the water–energy–food nexus in dense urban areas that are vulnerable to climate disruption.
Co-Operative Learning and Resilience to COVID-19 in a Small-Sized South African Enterprise
Authors: Habiyaremye Alexis
Published: February 2021

Constraints imposed by the shrinking resources and the climate change dynamics necessitate a behavioral change to increase knowledge exchange and optimize resource utilization. Existing entrepreneurship and innovation practices are therefore undergoing transformation to adapt production systems to the post-COVID-19 reality of increased risks of calamities within a context of shrinking resources. This paper uses a knowledge-centered crisis management framework to examine how enhanced knowledge sharing through co-operative learning can be applied to induce higher innovation performance and more efficient resource utilization structures during crises comparable to the current pandemic. Using the collaborative learning experiences of a small enterprise producing ecological fertilizers, this study was able to link crisis resilience enhancement to increased knowledge exchange between business entities connected through the agro-ecological value chain. New insights generated through the co-learning process were found to constitute a key input for strengthening the required capability endowments that enable the organization and its partners to weather the COVID-19 crisis and lay the foundation for the sustainability of post-COVID-19 operations.
Corporate Sustainability: Impact Factors on Organizational Innovation in the Industrial Area
Authors: Fan Yao-Jen , Liu Shuo-Fang , Luh Ding-Bang , Teng Pei-Shan
Published: February 2021

In recent years, the principle of sustainability has received increasing attention in corporate governance, and corporate sustainability is usually achieved through organizational innovation. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that are critical for companies to influence organizational innovation when promoting Industry 4.0. Our research analyzes the relationship between these factors and Industry 4.0, human resources, and corporate sustainability to investigate organizational innovation and its formative factors against the backdrop of the new industrial era. Integrating partial least squares-structured equation modeling (PLS-SEM), bootstrapping, and other methods, we discover that for companies focusing on promoting Industry 4.0, the most important organizational innovation that affects sustainability is influenced by customer orientation, organizational culture, and leadership style in descending order of influence. Meanwhile, knowledge integration capability (KIC) is more important than knowledge absorptivity. It indicates that in the promotion of Industry 4.0, the trend of sustainability led by the leaders is fading, and the customer-driven trend will become more and more obvious in the future.
European Green Deal: Environmental Taxation and Its Sustainability in Conditions of High Levels of Corruption
Authors: Kotlán Igor , Němec Daniel , Kotlánová Eva , Skalka Petr , Macek Rudolf , Machová Zuzana
Published: February 2021

Despite environmental taxation’s presumed advantages for long-term sustainable development goals, the problematic institutional conditions associated with high levels of corruption could become a significant obstacle undermining these efforts. Taking the example of the Czech Republic as a benchmark, the aim of this article is to evaluate the impact of corruption and its implications on the size of the official and the shadow economy in the sector burdened with environmental excise tax while confronting it with the sector not burdened with such tax. In terms of methodology, an extended DSGE (Dynamic stochastic general equilibrium) model has been used. In the case of the shadow economy, the two sectors, burdened and not burdened with environmental taxes, followed a similar trend. However, concerning the official economy, this research found out that if environmental taxation is not applied, then lower, non-systemic corruption has a positive effect on the size of production as the effect of increased workforce motivation clearly dominates, suppressing the effect of reduced capital accumulation. Conversely, in the sector burdened with environmental taxation, corruption has an almost unequivocally negative effect on the production economy. In this sense, corruption has the capacity to limit the implementation of sustainable development policies including the European Green Deal, especially if it is systemic in nature.
Social Sustainability on Corporate Boards: The Effects of Female Family Members on R&D
Authors: Hernández-Lara Ana Beatriz , Gonzales-Bustos Juan Pablo , Alarcón-Alarcón Amado
Published: February 2021

There is growing institutional and social pressure for greater balance, parity, and equality at the highest levels of corporations. This is coupled with an increasing interest in analysing the effects of gender diversity on corporate boards. However, companies may only reap the benefits of gender diversity by achieving better qualified and more independent boards. This study aims to contribute to the open debate on the effects of board gender diversity on R&D, by taking into account the independence of female directors. Panel regression analyses were performed with data for 67 Spanish-listed companies during the 2003–2019 period. Our results confirm the positive effects of gender diversity on R&D. However, this positive influence is lower if female directors have family links with male members on the board. These findings have policy implications, regarding the need to increase gender equality in corporate boards for social and sustainability purposes, while the benefits are conditioned by the independence of female directors. The value of this research rests on the study of the effects, beyond the mere analysis of financial performance of the gender diversity of boards.
The Impact of Ecological Knowledge on Young Consumers’ Attitudes and Behaviours towards the Food Market
Authors: Kuźniar Wiesława , Surmacz Tomasz , Wierzbiński Bogdan
Published: February 2021

The subject literature around the world puts a strong emphasis on the discrepancy between the positive attitude towards the idea of sustainability and consumer behaviour. These issues are the subject matter of this paper, which aims at both the identification and evaluation of selected aspects of knowledge, attitudes and eco-friendly behaviour of consumers connected with their choice of foods. The authors made an attempt of answering the question, to what extent do the level of knowledge and the declared eco-friendly attitudes have an impact on specific purchasing decisions. In the empirical observations, the conceptual model of the effects of the environment (knowledge, attitude, behaviour) on the customers’ ecological awareness was used. The analysis conducted on the basis of this model indicated that stimulating the demand for ecological products is implemented mainly by the processes of raising awareness, which leads to expanding the consumers’ knowledge concerning ecological farming and eco-friendly foods. In such a way the consumer awareness is built, especially by educational campaigns and promoting/endorsing the ecological foods targeted at young consumers.
Assortative Matching of Tourists and Destinations: Agents or Algorithms?
Authors: Buckley Ralf , Cooper Mary-Ann
Published: February 2021

We propose that assortative matching, a well-established paradigm in other industry sectors and academic disciplines, can underpin the concept of destination matching. This provides a new foundation to integrate research concepts and terminology in destination marketing and destination choice. We argue that the commercial tourism industry already applies destination matching approaches, with three historical phases. Initially, matching of tourists and destinations relied on the tacit expertise of specialist agents. This still applies in specialist subsectors. For generalist travel and accommodation, human agents were partially replaced by online travel agents, OTAs, which are customised algorithms operating only in the travel sector. These still exist, but their share price trends suggest decreasing significance. Currently, automated assortative algorithms use multiple sources of digital data to push appealing offers to potential purchasers, across all retail sectors. Digital marketing strategies for tourism products, enterprises, and destinations are now just one category of generalised product–purchaser matching, using entirely automated algorithms. Researchers do not have access to proprietary algorithms, but we can identify which components they incorporate by analysing their underlying patents. We propose that theories of destination marketing and choice need to reflect these recent and rapid real-world changes via deliberate analysis of destination matching.
The Influence of Social Presence in Online Classes Using Virtual Conferencing: Relationships between Group Cohesion, Group Efficacy, and Academic Performance
Authors: Yoon Pilhyoun , Leem Junghoon
Published: February 2021

One of the important issues that computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and human-computer interaction (HCI) researchers want to solve through cooperative system design is the improvement of performance. The same is true for virtual learning environments. The role and importance of technology in education have increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the need to explore factors that influence social and academic efficacy in virtual environments has increased based on the explosion in online virtual teaching environments and virtual conference apps. Based on the theoretical description of group cohesion for the purpose of enhancing further collaboration, this paper asks what role group cohesion plays and how significant it is to group efficacy and performance in virtual learning environments, and also whether a sense of social presence in a virtual learning environment plays a significant role in optimizing group cohesion and, thus, group performance. Experimental studies were conducted on a total of 121 people consisting of 35 virtual learning groups. Results show that a sense of social presence has a positive effect on group efficacy, and that the adjustment effect of social presence has significant positive effects on group cohesion and group efficacy. This study provides a theoretical and empirical basis for the design of methods that can maximize positive effects in support of group learning and collaboration in virtual learning environments.
Development of Sustainable Production Technology of Free-Form Concrete Panels Using a Multi-Point Press CNC Machine
Authors: Kim Sunkuk , Son Seunghyun , Lee Donghoon
Published: February 2021

Maintaining shape accuracy in the production of concrete panels of free-form buildings is time-consuming and costly. In addition, disposable molds used for free-form panels are not sustainable. Such problems can be solved by developing a suitable computerized numeric control (CNC) machine that can produce an accurately shaped reusable form for free-form concrete materials in a short period of time. This project develops a production technology of quality free-form concrete panels using a CNC machine and verifies the shape quality through an experiment. We designed a multi-point press CNC machine and verified its quality. The CNC machine implements a smooth free-form shape by changing the shape of the silicon plate by movement of the rods. The silicone plate for the CNC machine generates a slight error due to the elastic cover and mechanical clearance. The mean error rate was within 3%, based on the thickness of the panels, at the 95% confidence level. Verification of these errors will provide meaningful information to a similar type of machine development. In addition, the project results will be helpful in technological development for the production of free-form concrete panels of uniform quality, whose shape accuracy is not influenced by the skills and competence of the workers producing the panels.
Effect of Soil Management on Erosion in Mountain Vineyards (N-W Italy)
Authors: Stanchi Silvia , Zecca Odoardo , Hudek Csilla , Pintaldi Emanuele , Viglietti Davide , D’Amico Michele E. , Colombo Nicola , Goslino Davide , Letey Marilisa , Freppaz Michele
Published: February 2021

We studied the effects of three soil management approaches (permanent grassing, chemical weeding, and buffer strips), and the additional impact of tractor passage on soil erosion in a sloping vineyard located in the inner part of Aosta Valley (N-W Italian Alps). The vineyard rows were equipped with a sediment collection system with channels and barrel tanks. A total of 12 events with sediment production were observed across 6 years, and the collected sediments were weighted and analyzed. Average erosion rates ranged from negligible (mainly in grassed rows) to 1.1 t ha−1 per event (after weeding). The most erosive event occurred in July 2015, with a total rainfall of 32.2 mm, of which 20.1 were recorded in 1 h. Despite the limited number of erosive events observed, and the low measured erosion rates, permanent grassing reduced soil erosion considerably with respect to weeding; buffering had a comparable effect to grassing. The tractor passage, independent of the soil management approaches adopted, visibly accelerated the erosion process. The collected sediments were highly enriched in organic C, total N, and fine size fractions, indicating a potential loss of fertility over time. Despite the measured erosion rates being low over the experiment’s duration, more severe events are well documented in the recent past, and the number of intense storms is likely to increase due to climate change. Thus, the potential effects of erosion in the medium and long term need to be limited to a minimum rate of soil loss. Our experiment helped to compare soil losses by erosion under different soil management practices, including permanent grassing, i.e., a nature-based erosion mitigation measure. The results of the research can provide useful indications for planners and practitioners in similar regions, for sustainable, cross-sectoral soil management, and the enhancement of soil ecosystem services.
Development of Coloured Stoneware Bodies through the Incorporation of Industrial Cr/Ni Electroplating Sludge
Authors: Vilarinho Inês Silveirinha , Carneiro Jorge , Pinto Carlos , Labrincha João António , Seabra Maria Paula
Published: February 2021

Electroplating sludge (ES) is currently disposed in landfills and, because of its heavy metal content, poses serious threats to the environment and human health. However, ES might have potential use as colouring agent due to its high concentration of chromium and nickel. Thus, the present work aims at studying the effect of ES incorporation into stoneware bodies. The influence on the final characteristics of fired samples, ES amount and pre-treatment were analysed. It was found that stoneware pastes having uniform brownish hues can be obtained with only 3 wt.% of sieved (<212 μm) ES. The obtained specimens have, once fired, the desired technical and aesthetical characteristics. Further, leaching tests confirmed the immobilisation of hazardous ES species in the ceramic matrix. Hence, it can be concluded that this waste can be used as colouring agent of stoneware pastes substituting commercial pigments and contributing to more sustainable consumption and production in the ceramic sector.
(2, k)-Distance Fibonacci Polynomials
Authors: Bród Dorota , Włoch Andrzej
Published: February 2021

In this paper we introduce and study (2,k)-distance Fibonacci polynomials which are natural extensions of (2,k)-Fibonacci numbers. We give some properties of these polynomials—among others, a graph interpretation and matrix generators. Moreover, we present some connections of (2,k)-distance Fibonacci polynomials with Pascal’s triangle.
Recapturing the Structure of Group of Units of Any Finite Commutative Chain Ring
Authors: Alabiad Sami , Alkhamees Yousef
Published: February 2021

A finite ring with an identity whose lattice of ideals forms a unique chain is called a finite chain ring. Let R be a commutative chain ring with invariants p,n,r,k,m. It is known that R is an Eisenstein extension of degree k of a Galois ring S=GR(pn,r). If p−1 does not divide k, the structure of the unit group U(R) is known. The case (p−1)∣k was partially considered by M. Luis (1991) by providing counterexamples demonstrated that the results of Ayoub failed to capture the direct decomposition of U(R). In this article, we manage to determine the structure of U(R) when (p−1)∣k by fixing Ayoub’s approach. We also sharpen our results by introducing a system of generators for the unit group and enumerating the generators of the same order.
Ship Detection and Tracking in Inland Waterways Using Improved YOLOv3 and Deep SORT
Authors: Jie Yang , Leonidas LilianAsimwe , Mumtaz Farhan , Ali Munsif
Published: February 2021

Ship detection and tracking is an important task in video surveillance in inland waterways. However, ships in inland navigation are faced with accidents such as collisions. For collision avoidance, we should strengthen the monitoring of navigation and the robustness of the entire system. Hence, this paper presents ship detection and tracking of ships using the improved You Only Look Once version 3 (YOLOv3) detection algorithm and Deep Simple Online and Real-time Tracking (Deep SORT) tracking algorithm. Three improvements are made to the YOLOv3 target detection algorithm. Firstly, the Kmeans clustering algorithm is used to optimize the initial value of the anchor frame to make it more suitable for ship application scenarios. Secondly, the output classifier is modified to a single Softmax classifier to suit our ship dataset which has three ship categories and mutual exclusion. Finally, Soft Non-Maximum Suppression (Soft-NMS) is introduced to solve the deficiencies of the Non-Maximum Suppression (NMS) algorithm when screening candidate frames. Results showed the mean Average Precision (mAP) and Frame Per Second (FPS) of the improved algorithm are increased by about 5% and 2, respectively, compared with the existing YOLOv3 detecting Algorithm. Then the improved YOLOv3 is applied in Deep Sort and the performance result of Deep Sort showed that, it has greater performance in complex scenes, and is robust to interference such as occlusion and camera movement, compared to state of art algorithms such as KCF, MIL, MOSSE, TLD, and Median Flow. With this improvement, it will help in the safety of inland navigation and protection from collisions and accidents.
Coffee Silverskin and Spent Coffee Suitable as Neuroprotectors against Cell Death by Beauvericin and α-Zearalenol: Evaluating Strategies of Treatment
Authors: Juan-García Ana , Caprioli Giovanni , Sagratini Gianni , Mañes Jordi , Juan Cristina
Published: February 2021

Coffee silverskin and spent coffee have been evaluated in a neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y cells) against beauvericin (BEA) and α-zearalenol (α-ZEL)-induced cytotoxicity with different strategies of treatment. First, the direct treatment of mycotoxins and coffee by-products extracts in SH-SY5Y cells was assayed. IC50 values for α-ZEL were 20.8 and 14.0 µM for 48 h and 72 h, respectively and, for BEA only at 72 h, it was 2.5 µM. Afterwards, the pre-treatment with spent coffee obtained by boiling water increased cell viability for α-ZEL at 24 h and 48 h from 10% to 16% and from 25% to 30%, respectively; while with silverskin coffee, a decrease was observed. Opposite effects were observed for BEA where an increase for silverskin coffee was observed at 24 h and 48 h, from 14% to 23% and from 25% to 44%, respectively; however, a decrease below 50% was observed for spent coffee. Finally, the simultaneous treatment strategy for the highest concentration assayed in SH-SY5Y cells provided higher cytoprotection for α-ZEL (from 44% to 56% for 24 h and 48 h, respectively) than BEA (30% for 24 h and 48 h). Considering the high viability of coffee silverskin extracts for SH-SY5Y cells, there is a forthcoming promising use of these unexploited residues in the near future against mycotoxins effects.
Transformation of Selected Trichothecenes during the Wheat Malting Production
Authors: Bryła Marcin , Ksieniewicz-Woźniak Edyta , Michałowska Dorota , Waśkiewicz Agnieszka , Yoshinari Tomoya , Gwiazdowski Romuald
Published: February 2021

The transformation of deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), and their glucosides (DON3G and NIV3G) during the malting of grains of two wheat varieties was studied. The concentration of DON3G and NIV3G started to increase significantly before the concentration of DON and NIV increased. This may reflect the transformation of the parent mycotoxin forms into their glucosides due to xenobiotic detoxification reactions. After a sharp rise during the last 2 days of the process (day 6 and 7), the DON concentration reached 3010 ± 338 µg/kg in the Legenda wheat-based malt and 4678 ± 963 µg/kg in the Pokusa wheat-based malt. The NIV concentration, at 691 ± 65 µg/kg, remained the same as that in the dry grain. The concentration of DON3G in the Legenda and Pokusa wheat-based malt was five and three times higher, respectively, than that in the steeped grain. The concentration of NIV3G in the Legenda wheat-based malt was more than twice as high as that in the steeped grain. The sharp increase in the concentration of DON at the end of the malting process reflected the high pathogen activity. We set aside some samples to study a batch that was left undisturbed without turning and aeration, for the entire period of malting. The concentration of DON in the malt produced from the latter batch was 135% and 337% higher, for Legenda and Pokusa, respectively, than that in the malt produced from the batch that was turned and aerated. The NIV concentration was 22% higher in the latter batch.
Pull-Down Assay-Guided Insights into the Effects of Latroeggtoxin-VI on Nerve Cells
Authors: Tang Xiaochao , Yu Dianmei , Wang Haiyan , Meng Wenwen , Zhai Yiwen , Lei Zhixiang , Liu Zhen , Wang Xianchun
Published: February 2021

Latroeggtoxin-VI (LETX-VI) is a peptide neurotoxin newly found from the eggs of spider L. tredecimguttatus. To explore the mechanism of action of the LETX-VI on nerve cells, the effects of LETX-VI on PC12 cells, a commonly used neuron model, were analyzed using a pull-down assay-guided strategy. LETX-VI was shown to interact with 164 PC12 cell proteins that have diverse molecular functions such as binding, catalysis, regulation, structural activity, etc., thereby extensively affecting the biological processes in the PC12 cells, particularly protein metabolism, response to stimulus, substance transport, and nucleic acid metabolism, with 56.71%, 42.07%, 29.88% and 28.66% of the identified proteins being involved in these biological processes, respectively. By interacting with the relevant proteins, LETX-VI enhanced the synthesis of dopamine; positively regulated cell division and proliferation; and negatively regulated cell cycle arrest, cell death, and apoptotic processes, and therefore has limited cytotoxicity against the PC12 cells, which were further experimentally confirmed. In general, the effects of LETX-VI on PC12 cells are more regulatory than cytotoxic. These findings have deepened our understanding of the action mechanism of LETX-VI on nerve cells and provided valuable clues for further related researches including those on Parkinson’s disease.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection and CMV Dissemination in Transplant Recipients as a Treatment for Chagas Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report
Authors: Gozzi-Silva Sarah Cristina , Benard Gil , Alberca Ricardo Wesley , Yendo Tatiana Mina , Teixeira Franciane Mouradian Emidio , Oliveira Luana de Mendonça , Beserra Danielle Rosa , Pietrobon Anna Julia , Oliveira Emily Araujo de , Branco Anna Cláudia Calvielli Castelo , Andrade Milena Mary de Souza , Fernandes Iara Grigoletto , Pereira Nátalli Zanete , Ramos Yasmim Álefe Leuzzi , Lima Julia Cataldo , Provenci Bruna , Mangini Sandrigo , Duarte Alberto José da Silva , Sato Maria Notomi
Published: February 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 has infected over 90 million people worldwide, therefore it is considered a pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), septic shock, and/or organ failure. Individuals receiving a heart transplantation (HT) may be at higher risk of adverse outcomes attributable to COVID-19 due to immunosuppressives, as well as concomitant infections that may also influence the prognoses. Herein, we describe the first report of two cases of HT recipients with concomitant infections by SARS-CoV-2, Trypanosoma cruzi, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) dissemination, from the first day of hospitalization due to COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU) until the death of the patients.
New Contributions to the Elimination of Chagas Disease as a Public Health Problem: Towards the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030
Authors: Heukelbach Jorg , Sousa Andréa Silvestre de , Ramos Alberto Novaes
Published: February 2021

Despite being described for the first time more than 110 years ago, Chagas disease persists as one of the most neglected tropical diseases [...]
Innovations and Economic Output Scale with Social Interactions in the Workforce
Authors: Painter Deryc T. , Shutters Shade T. , Wentz Elizabeth
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 fundamentally changed the way we interact with and engage in commerce. Social distancing and stay-at-home orders leave businesses and cities wondering how future economic activity moves forward. The reduction in face-to-face interactions creates an impetus to understand how social interactivity influences economic efficiency and rates of innovation. Here, we create a measure of the degree to which a workforce engages in social interactions, analyzing its relationships to economic innovation and efficiency. We do this by decomposing U.S. occupations into individual work activities, determining which of those activities are associated with face-to-face interactions. We then re-aggregate the labor forces of U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) into a metric of urban social interactiveness. Using a novel measure of urbanized area, we then calculate each MSA’s density of social work activities. We find that our metric of urban socialness is positively correlated with a city’s per worker patent production. Furthermore, we use our set of social work activities to reaggregate the workforces of U.S. industries into a metric of industry social interactivness, finding that this measure scales superlinearly with an industry’s per worker GDP. Together, the results suggest that social interaction among workers is an important driver of both a city’s rate of invention and an industry’s economic efficiency. Finally, we briefly highlight analogies between cities and stars and discuss their potential to guide further research, vis-à-vis the density of social interactions “igniting” a city or industry.
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Subtype H5N8 in Poultry Farms, South Korea
Authors: Kim Woo-Hyun , Bae Sun , Cho Seongbeom
Published: February 2021

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), a zoonotic disease, is a major threat to humans and poultry health worldwide. In January 2014, HPAI virus subtype H5N8 first infected poultry farms in South Korea, and 393 outbreaks, overall, were reported with enormous economic damage in the poultry industry. We analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution of HPAI H5N8 outbreaks in poultry farms using the global and local spatiotemporal interaction analyses in the first (January to July 2014) and second (September 2014 to June 2015) outbreak waves. The space–time K-function analyses revealed significant interactions within three days and in an over-40 km space–time window between the two study periods. The excess risk attributable value (D0) was maintained despite the distance in the case of HPAI H5N8 in South Korea. Eleven spatiotemporal clusters were identified, and the results showed that the HPAI introduction was from the southwestern region, and spread to the middle region, in South Korea. This spatiotemporal interaction indicates that the HPAI epidemic in South Korea was mostly characterized by short period transmission, regardless of the distance. This finding supports strict control strategies such as preemptive depopulation, and poultry movement tracking. Further studies are needed to understand HPAI disease transmission patterns.
Viral Infections and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: New Players in an Old Story
Authors: Quaglia Marco , Merlotti Guido , De Andrea Marco , Borgogna Cinzia , Cantaluppi Vincenzo
Published: February 2021

A causal link between viral infections and autoimmunity has been studied for a long time and the role of some viruses in the induction or exacerbation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in genetically predisposed patients has been proved. The strength of the association between different viral agents and SLE is variable. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), parvovirus B19 (B19V), and human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are involved in SLE pathogenesis, whereas other viruses such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV) probably play a less prominent role. However, the mechanisms of viral–host interactions and the impact of viruses on disease course have yet to be elucidated. In addition to classical mechanisms of viral-triggered autoimmunity, such as molecular mimicry and epitope spreading, there has been a growing appreciation of the role of direct activation of innate response by viral nucleic acids and epigenetic modulation of interferon-related immune response. The latter is especially important for HERVs, which may represent the molecular link between environmental triggers and critical immune genes. Virus-specific proteins modulating interaction with the host immune system have been characterized especially for Epstein–Barr virus and explain immune evasion, persistent infection and self-reactive B-cell “immortalization”. Knowledge has also been expanding on key viral proteins of B19-V and CMV and their possible association with specific phenotypes such as antiphospholipid syndrome. This progress may pave the way to new therapeutic perspectives, including the use of known or new antiviral drugs, postviral immune response modulation and innate immunity inhibition. We herein describe the state-of-the-art knowledge on the role of viral infections in SLE, with a focus on their mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic targets.
Antiviral Activity of 3D, a Butene Lactone Derivative Against Influenza A Virus In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Wang Zhenya , Fang Jieyu , Luo Jiao , Hou Duoduo , Tan Yayun , Gu Zichen , Ge Yongzhuang , Mao Lu , Liu Luyang , Liu Hongmin , Wei Zhanyong , Xu Haiwei
Published: February 2021

Influenza A virus is a highly variable and contagious respiratory pathogen that can cause annual epidemics and it poses an enormous threat to public health. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new generation of antiviral drugs to combat the emergence of drug-resistant strains of the influenza virus. A novel series of butene lactone derivatives were screened and the compound 3D was selected, as it exhibited in vitro potential antiviral activity against A/Weiss/43 H1N1 virus with low toxicity. In addition, 3D dose-dependently inhibited the viral replication, expression of viral mRNA and viral proteins. 3D exerted a suppressive effect on A/Virginia/ATCC2/2009 H1N1 and A/California/2/2014 H3N2 in vitro. The time-of-addition analysis indicated that 3D suppressed H1N1 in the early stage of its life cycle. A/Weiss/43 H1N1-induced apoptosis in A549 cells was reduced by 3D via the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. 3D could decrease the production of H1N1-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines that are induced by H1N1 in vitro and in vivo. The administration of 3D reduced lung lesions and virus load in vivo. These results suggest that 3D, which is a butene lactone derivative, is a promising agent for the treatment of influenza A virus infection.
TRIMming Type I Interferon-Mediated Innate Immune Response in Antiviral and Antitumor Defense
Authors: Wang Ling , Ning Shunbin
Published: February 2021

The tripartite motif (TRIM) family comprises at least 80 members in humans, with most having ubiquitin or SUMO E3 ligase activity conferred by their N-terminal RING domain. TRIMs regulate a wide range of processes in ubiquitination- or sumoylation-dependent manners in most cases, and fewer as adaptors. Their roles in the regulation of viral infections, autophagy, cell cycle progression, DNA damage and other stress responses, and carcinogenesis are being increasingly appreciated, and their E3 ligase activities are attractive targets for developing specific immunotherapeutic strategies for immune diseases and cancers. Given their importance in antiviral immune response, viruses have evolved sophisticated immune escape strategies to subvert TRIM-mediated mechanisms. In this review, we focus on their regulation of IFN-I-mediated innate immune response, which plays key roles in antiviral and antitumor defense.
Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Is Omnipresent in Elephants in European Zoos and an Asian Elephant Range Country
Authors: Hoornweg Tabitha E. , Schaftenaar Willem , Maurer Gilles , van den Doel Petra B. , Molenaar Fieke M. , Chamouard-Galante Alexandre , Vercammen Francis , Rutten Victor P. M. G. , de Haan Cornelis A. M.
Published: February 2021

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHVs) may cause acute, often lethal, hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) in young elephants. Prevalence of EEHV in different elephant populations is still largely unknown. In order to improve diagnostic tools for the detection of EEHV infections and to obtain insight into its spread among elephants, we developed novel ELISAs based on EEHV1A gB and gH/gL. Performance of the ELISAs was assessed using sera from 41 European zoo elephants and 69 semi-captive elephants from Laos, one of the Asian elephant range countries. Sera from all (sub)adult animals tested (≥5 years of age) showed high reactivity with both gB and gH/gL, indicating that EEHV prevalence has been highly underestimated so far. Reactivity towards the antigens was generally lower for sera of juvenile animals (1 > 5 years). Only one (juvenile) animal, which was sampled directly after succumbing to EEHV-HD, was found to be seronegative for EEHV. The two other EEHV-HD cases tested showed low antibody levels, suggesting that all three cases died upon a primary EEHV infection. In conclusion, our study suggests that essentially all (semi-)captive (sub)adult elephants in European zoos and in Laos carry EEHV, and that young elephants with low antibody levels are at risk of dying from EEHV-HD.
Titers of Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Are Independent of Symptoms of Non-Severe COVID-19 in Young Adults
Authors: Jonsdottir Hulda R. , Bielecki Michel , Siegrist Denise , Buehrer Thomas W. , Züst Roland , Deuel Jeremy W.
Published: February 2021

Neutralizing antibodies are an important part of the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2. It is currently unclear to what extent such antibodies are produced after non-severe disease or asymptomatic infection. We studied a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections among a homogeneous population of 332 predominantly male Swiss soldiers and determined the neutralizing antibody response with a serum neutralization assay using a recombinant SARS-CoV-2-GFP. All patients with non-severe COVID-19 showed a swift humoral response within two weeks after the onset of symptoms, which remained stable for the duration of the study. One month after the outbreak, titers in COVID-19 convalescents did not differ from the titers of asymptomatically infected individuals. Furthermore, symptoms of COVID-19 did not correlate with neutralizing antibody titers. Therefore, we conclude that asymptomatic infection can induce the same humoral immunity as non-severe COVID-19 in young adults.
Ubiquitin Ligase SMURF2 Interacts with Filovirus VP40 and Promotes Egress of VP40 VLPs
Authors: Shepley-McTaggart Ariel , Schwoerer Michael Patrick , Sagum Cari A. , Bedford Mark T. , Jaladanki Chaitanya K. , Fan Hao , Cassel Joel , Harty Ronald N.
Published: February 2021

Filoviruses Ebola (EBOV) and Marburg (MARV) are devastating high-priority pathogens capable of causing explosive outbreaks with high human mortality rates. The matrix proteins of EBOV and MARV, as well as eVP40 and mVP40, respectively, are the key viral proteins that drive virus assembly and egress and can bud independently from cells in the form of virus-like particles (VLPs). The matrix proteins utilize proline-rich Late (L) domain motifs (e.g., PPxY) to hijack specific host proteins that contain WW domains, such as the HECT family E3 ligases, to facilitate the last step of virus–cell separation. We identified E3 ubiquitin ligase Smad Ubiquitin Regulatory Factor 2 (SMURF2) as a novel interactor with VP40 that positively regulates VP40 VLP release. Our results show that eVP40 and mVP40 interact with the three WW domains of SMURF2 via their PPxY motifs. We provide evidence that the eVP40–SMURF2 interaction is functional as the expression of SMURF2 positively regulates VLP egress, while siRNA knockdown of endogenous SMURF2 decreases VLP budding compared to controls. In sum, our identification of novel interactor SMURF2 adds to the growing list of identified host proteins that can regulate PPxY-mediated egress of VP40 VLPs. A more comprehensive understanding of the modular interplay between filovirus VP40 and host proteins may lead to the development of new therapies to combat these deadly infections.
A Single Point Mutation, Asn16→Lys, Dictates the Temperature-Sensitivity of the Reovirus tsG453 Mutant
Authors: Glover Kathleen K. M. , Sutherland Danica M. , Dermody Terence S. , Coombs Kevin M.
Published: February 2021

Studies of conditionally lethal mutants can help delineate the structure-function relationships of biomolecules. Temperature-sensitive (ts) mammalian reovirus (MRV) mutants were isolated and characterized many years ago. Two of the most well-defined MRV ts mutants are tsC447, which contains mutations in the S2 gene encoding viral core protein σ2, and tsG453, which contains mutations in the S4 gene encoding major outer-capsid protein σ3. Because many MRV ts mutants, including both tsC447 and tsG453, encode multiple amino acid substitutions, the specific amino acid substitutions responsible for the ts phenotype are unknown. We used reverse genetics to recover recombinant reoviruses containing the single amino acid polymorphisms present in ts mutants tsC447 and tsG453 and assessed the recombinant viruses for temperature-sensitivity by efficiency-of-plating assays. Of the three amino acid substitutions in the tsG453 S4 gene, Asn16-Lys was solely responsible for the tsG453ts phenotype. Additionally, the mutant tsC447 Ala188-Val mutation did not induce a temperature-sensitive phenotype. This study is the first to employ reverse genetics to identify the dominant amino acid substitutions responsible for the tsC447 and tsG453 mutations and relate these substitutions to respective phenotypes. Further studies of other MRV ts mutants are warranted to define the sequence polymorphisms responsible for temperature sensitivity.
State-of-the-Art Vaccine Research for Aquaculture Use: The Case of Three Economically Relevant Fish Species
Authors: Miccoli Andrea , Manni Matteo , Picchietti Simona , Scapigliati Giuseppe
Published: February 2021

In the last three decades, the aquaculture sector has experienced a 527% growth, producing 82 million tons for a first sale value estimated at 250 billion USD. Infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites are the major causes of mortality and economic losses in commercial aquaculture. Some pathologies, especially those of bacterial origin, can be treated with commercially available drugs, while others are poorly managed. In fact, despite having been recognized as a useful preventive measure, no effective vaccination against many economically relevant diseases exist yet, such as for viral and parasitic infections. The objective of the present review is to provide the reader with an updated perspective on the most significant and innovative vaccine research on three key aquaculture commodities. European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were chosen because of their economic relevance, geographical distinctiveness, and representativeness of different culture systems. Scientific papers about vaccines against bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases will be objectively presented; their results critically discussed and compared; and suggestions for future directions given.
Engineering a Human Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell-Based Vaccine to Prime and Expand Multispecific Viral and Tumor Antigen-Specific T-Cells
Authors: Lenogue Kevin , Walencik Alexandre , Laulagnier Karine , Molens Jean-Paul , Benlalam Houssem , Dreno Brigitte , Coulie Pierre , Pule Martin , Chaperot Laurence , Plumas Joël
Published: February 2021

Because dendritic cells are crucial to prime and expand antigen-specific CD8+ T-cells, several strategies are designed to use them in therapeutic vaccines against infectious diseases or cancer. In this context, off-the-shelf allogeneic dendritic cell-based platforms are more attractive than individualized autologous vaccines tailored to each patient. In the present study, a unique dendritic cell line (PDC*line) platform of plasmacytoid origin, already used to prime and expand antitumor immunity in melanoma patients, was improved thanks to retroviral engineering. We demonstrated that the clinical-grade PDC*line, transduced with genes encoding viral or tumoral whole proteins, efficiently processed and stably presented the transduced antigens in different human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I contexts. Moreover, the use of polyepitope constructs allowed the presentation of immunogenic peptides and the expansion of specific cytotoxic effectors. We also demonstrated that the addition of the Lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP-1) sequence greatly improved the presentation of some peptides. Lastly, thanks to transduction of new HLA molecules, the PDC platform can benefit many patients through the easy addition of matched HLA-I molecules. The demonstration of the effective retroviral transduction of PDC*line cells strengthens and broadens the scope of the PDC*line platform, which can be used in adoptive or active immunotherapy for the treatment of infectious diseases or cancer.
Rotavirus Vaccination of Infants Delayed and Limited within the National Immunization Programme in the Netherlands: An Opportunity Lost
Authors: Zeevat Florian , Dvortsin Evgeni , Wondimu Abrham , Wilschut Jan C. , Boersma Cornelis , Postma Maarten J.
Published: February 2021

In this study, we estimated the benefits of rotavirus vaccination for infants had the rotavirus vaccine been introduced in the Netherlands as of its market authorization in 2006. An age-structured, deterministic cohort model was developed to simulate different birth cohorts over a period of 15 years from 2006 until 2021, comparing both universal and targeted high-risk group vaccination to no vaccination. Different scenarios for the duration of protection (5 or 7 years) and herd immunity (only for universal vaccination) were analyzed. All birth cohorts together included 2.6 million infants, of which 7.9% were high-risk individuals, and an additional 13.2 million children between 1–15 years born prior to the first cohort in 2006. The costs and health outcomes associated with rotavirus vaccination were calculated per model scenario and discounted at 4% and 1.5%, respectively. Our analysis reveals that, had rotavirus vaccination been implemented in 2006, it would have prevented 356,800 (51% decrease) and 32,200 (5% decrease) cases of rotavirus gastroenteritis after universal and targeted vaccination, respectively. Over the last 15 years, this would have led to significant avoided costs and quality-adjusted life year losses for either vaccination strategy with the most favorable outcomes for universal vaccination. Clearly, an opportunity has been lost.