bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global Intercomparison of Hyper-Resolution ECOSTRESS Coastal Sea Surface Temperature Measurements from the Space Station with VIIRS-N20
Authors: Weidberg Nicolas , Wethey David S. , Woodin Sarah A.
Published: December 2021

The ECOSTRESS multi-channel thermal radiometer on the Space Station has an unprecedented spatial resolution of 70 m and a return time of hours to 5 days. It resolves details of oceanographic features not detectable in imagery from MODIS or VIIRS, and has open-ocean coverage, unlike Landsat. We calibrated two years of ECOSTRESS sea surface temperature observations with L2 data from VIIRS-N20 (2019–2020) worldwide but especially focused on important upwelling systems currently undergoing climate change forcing. Unlike operational SST products from VIIRS-N20, the ECOSTRESS surface temperature algorithm does not use a regression approach to determine temperature, but solves a set of simultaneous equations based on first principles for both surface temperature and emissivity. We compared ECOSTRESS ocean temperatures to well-calibrated clear sky satellite measurements from VIIRS-N20. Data comparisons were constrained to those within 90 min of one another using co-located clear sky VIIRS and ECOSTRESS pixels. ECOSTRESS ocean temperatures have a consistent 1.01 °C negative bias relative to VIIRS-N20, although deviation in brightness temperatures within the 10.49 and 12.01 µm bands were much smaller. As an alternative, we compared the performance of NOAA, NASA, and U.S. Navy operational split-window SST regression algorithms taking into consideration the statistical limitations imposed by intrinsic SST spatial autocorrelation and applying corrections on brightness temperatures. We conclude that standard bias-correction methods using already validated and well-known algorithms can be applied to ECOSTRESS SST data, yielding highly accurate products of ultra-high spatial resolution for studies of biological and physical oceanography in a time when these are needed to properly evaluate regional and even local impacts of climate change.
Cross-Sensor Nighttime Lights Image Calibration for DMSP/OLS and SNPP/VIIRS with Residual U-Net
Authors: Nechaev Dmitry , Zhizhin Mikhail , Poyda Alexey , Ghosh Tilottama , Hsu Feng-Chi , Elvidge Christopher
Published: December 2021

Remote sensing of nighttime lights (NTL) is widely used in socio-economic studies of economic growth, urbanization, stability of power grid, environmental light pollution, pandemics and military conflicts. Currently, NTL data are collected with two sensors: (1) Operational Line-scan System (OLS) onboard the satellites from the Defense Meteorology Satellite Program (DMSP) and (2) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi NPP (SNPP) and NOAA-20 satellites from the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). However, the nighttime images acquired by these two sensors are incompatible in spatial resolution and dynamic range. To address this problem, we propose a method for the cross-sensor calibration with residual U-net convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN produces DMSP-like NTL composites from the VIIRS annual NTL composites. The pixel radiances predicted from VIIRS are highly correlated with NTL observed with OLS (0.96 < R2 < 0.99). The method can be used to extend long-term series of annual NTL after the end of DMSP mission or to cross-calibrate same year NTL from different satellites to study diurnal variations.
A Brief Report of Hotel Collapse Causing Casualties in Suzhou, China
Authors: Chen Yu-Lin , Njock Pierre Guy Atangana , Zhao Lin-Shuang
Published: December 2021

The collapse of a 30-year-old hotel building in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province on 12 July 2021 raised legitimate questions about the identification of old buildings’ condition and risks stemming from remedial operations. This short communication reports and investigates the causes of this accident, which led to 17 deaths and 5 injuries. Subsequently, it describes the rescue actions undertaken, including logistic means, operational strategies, and procedure sequencing. The causes of the accident were attributed to: (i) the poor quality and fragility of the building, (ii) illegal renovations and extensions, as well as (iii) the laxism of relevant departments that failed to timely check the risk level of the building before these renovations. Thanks to efficient organization and management, the rescue operations were completed within 42 h. Based on this preliminary analysis, some recommendations are proposed to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Portfolio Management of Copula-Dependent Assets Based on P(Y < X) Reliability Models: Revisiting Frank Copula and Dagum Distributions
Authors: Rathie Pushpa Narayan , de Sena Monteiro Ozelim Luan Carlos , de Andrade Bernardo Borba
Published: December 2021

Modern portfolio theory indicates that portfolio optimization can be carried out based on the mean-variance model, where returns and risk are represented as the average and variance of the historical data of the stock’s returns, respectively. Several studies have been carried out to find better risk proxies, as variance was not that accurate. On the other hand, fewer papers are devoted to better model/characterize returns. In the present paper, we explore the use of the reliability measure P(Y<X) to choose between portfolios with returns given by the distributions X and Y. Thus, instead of comparing the expected values of X and Y, we will explore the metric P(Y<X) as a proxy parameter for return. The dependence between such distributions shall be modelled by copulas. At first, we derive some general results which allows us to split the value of P(Y<X) as the sum of independent and dependent parts, in general, for copula-dependent assets. Then, to further develop our mathematical framework, we chose Frank copula to model the dependency between assets. In the process, we derive a new polynomial representation for Frank copulas. To perform a study case, we considered assets whose returns’ distributions follow Dagum distributions or their transformations. We carried out a parametric analysis, indicating the relative effect of the dependency of return distributions over the reliability index P(Y<X). Finally, we illustrate our methodology by performing a comparison between stock returns, which could be used to build portfolios based on the value of the the reliability index P(Y<X).
State Incentives and Sustainable Motivation System in the Health Sector
Authors: Ćulafić Slobodan , Janovac Tatjana , Jovanović Saša Virijević , Tadić Jelena , Jaganjac Jamila , Milošević Aleksandra , Bibić Aleksandra
Published: December 2021

Now that the pandemic has entered the second phase, in which countries are adapting to the crisis, governments need to determine incentives that will contribute to the sustainability of the health system and human health. Regarding this, human resources are a significant factor, which affects the sustainability of any system, and it is important to establish a relevant motivation system that will withstand the challenges that society will face in the coming period. The aim of this paper is to analyse three dimensions of state incentives (employment program, COVID-19 bonus, training opportunities) and to examine their influence on healthcare workers’ motivation and the sustainability of the health system in the Republic of Serbia. The empirical research was conducted on a sample of 207 respondents employed in the tertiary level of healthcare. Data analysis included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). The research results confirmed the existence of all three incentives and indicated that state incentive “training opportunities” has the strongest effect on the motivation of health workers and the sustainability of the healthcare system.
David against Goliath: Diagnosis and Strategies for a Niche Sport to Develop a Sustainable Fan Community
Authors: Sanahuja-Peris Guillermo , Agulló-Calatayud Víctor , Blay-Arráez Rocío
Published: December 2021

Pilota, played using the hands, is a niche sport with origins dating back to Greco-Roman times. In the Valencian region of Spain, an indigenous version of the sport is played with healthy participation rates despite having to compete with the major global sports. This study is aimed at understanding the current situation of this sport in terms of knowledge, transmission channels, fan experience and media consumption, as well as the brand strategy challenges it faces for building a stable and sustainable fan community. The methodology consists of a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques. Nearly 1500questionnaires completed across three study universes, four focus groups and 33 in-depth interviews with stakeholder representatives have served to check the data obtained and discuss the challenges facing the sport in a process of dialogue. The main finding lies in the management proposals that can be applied to most of the world’s surviving traditional sports. On a theoretical level, the study presents an analysis of niche sports in Europe from the point of view of branding and sustainability.
Conditions for Development of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Tourism in the Border Area of the European Union: The Example of the Tri-Border Area of Poland–Belarus–Ukraine
Authors: Anisiewicz Renata
Published: December 2021

The aim of this work is to study the conditions for developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem of regional tourism at the external border of the European Union, in Poland, and its contact points with two non-Union countries (Belarus, Ukraine). The research used a literature review, qualitative and quantitative analyses of the conditions for the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems, interviews with local ecosystem actors and the author’s own observations. The eastern border of Poland (formerly with the USSR) created a barrier to the socio-economic development of adjacent regions. Their peripheral nature has allowed preserving their precious nature value and multicultural heritage. Currently, this preservation constitutes grounds for sustainably developing the region’s tourism. The primary actors of the tourism-based entrepreneurial ecosystem are local governments, public institutions, non-governmental organisations and entrepreneurs. An impetus for activities thereof was granted by Poland’s accession to the EU and its access to Union funds, which has reinforced tourism infrastructure by contributing to the establishment of new tourism enterprises. Furthermore, the development of tourism in the region could also be favoured by the close neighbourhood of as many as two other countries; however, and unfortunately, the border is still a barrier. Apart from the lack of infrastructure allowing borders crossings, political instability in neighbouring countries—made explicitly visible at the border with Belarus in 2021—threatens border-driven tourism by restricting tourism entrepreneurship, especially in those activities based on the access to the border.
Almoravid Works on Defensive Architecture in Southeast Al-Andalus: Analysis of Their Remains and Proposal for Preventive Conservation
Authors: Marcos Cobaleda María , Gutiérrez-Carrillo Mª Lourdes
Published: December 2021

In the first half of the 12th century, several military works were developed throughout the territories under Almoravid rule, above all after 1126, both in the main towns and the rural areas of the Empire. Within this context, the aim of this paper is to present the results achieved in the framework of the PREFORTI R&D Project (BIA2015-69938-R) concerning the particular case of these military constructions built in the region of Southeast Al-Andalus (Granada and Almeria, Spain). To achieve this aim, we have studied their remains during field work, as well as documentation contained in archives, written sources and historiography, focusing on the risks that affect their conservation. The analysis of six cases of study has been included, where a sample of the systematic method based on preventive conservation measures has been detailed in two particular cases: the walls of the Alcazaba Qadīma (Granada) and the walls of La Hoya and Cerro de San Cristóbal (Almeria). The proposed method has been validated by the public bodies responsible for the protection of this heritage. Its importance lies in the guarantee to slow down the deterioration of this heritage, which facilitates the implementation of effective and economic strategies for its conservation.
Evolution of Short Food Supply Chain Innovation Niches and Its Anchoring to the Socio-Technical Regime: The Case of Direct Selling through Collective Action in North-West Portugal
Authors: Polita Fabíola Sostmeyer , Madureira Lívia
Published: December 2021

This paper employs MLP (Multi Level Perspective) applied to a study on the transition to SFSC (short food supply chain) innovation taking place in North-West Portugal. MLP allows capturing transition phenomena and analysing them from a perspective that posits intervening factors and events on a three-level scale. Emphasis is laid on the institutional actors and factors that influence these processes, namely the Three Interrelated Analytic Dimensions and Types of Anchoring. Methodologically, personal interviews were conducted with 34 farmers who either are carrying out SFSC initiatives, or have dropped out, or even have never considered participating in them. A process of anchoring the innovation to the local socio-technical regime has been identified, characterised by a low buy-in from institutions and stakeholders. The anchoring that has been found has the peculiarity of occurring only in some points of the intersection between niche and regime, in a process in which it survives bordering this threshold, thanks to the mobilisation of multiple innovations. This type of anchoring, not yet described in the literature, draws attention to a possible pathway that innovations can follow, and brings implications for projects and for policy proposals to support the agroecological transition.
Application of a Novel Hybrid f-SC Risk Analysis Method in the Paint Industry
Authors: Hacibektasoglu Suleyman Enes , Mertoglu Bulent , Tozan Hakan
Published: December 2021

Occupational health and safety (OHS) activities aim to ensure the full mental and physical well-being of employees in the workplace. For this reason, it is essential to determine the precautions to be taken and the suitability of risk assessments. In this study, f-SC, a novel hybrid risk analysis method using Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) multi-criteria decision making methods (MCDM) based on fuzzy logic, was developed to perform a classical Fine–Kinney risk analysis method. There are few studies in the literature about the Fine–Kinney method compared to other risk analysis methods such as FMEA and FTA. Therefore, this work aimed to integrate this classical method with the proposed method to obtain more accurate and sensitive results in risk analyses. First, the criteria used in determining the risk score were weighted with the help of 10 OHS experts. As the criteria used in the classical method are evaluated with equal importance, this situation can cause serious errors in the risk scores obtained with the relevant calculations and in the risk priorities based on these calculations. We aimed to minimize the occurrence of such errors by determining the weights of the criteria with the proposed method. f-SWARA was used for this process. The weights of probability, exposure, and severity criteria were obtained as 0.196, 0.285, and 0.518, respectively. Thus, it was determined that severity is an important and effective criterion for calculating the risk score. In the proposed method, after the criterion weights were determined, an analysis of the hazards was conducted with the f-COPRAS method instead of the classical Fine–Kinney method. Contrary to the numerical values used in the classical method, in this method, decision makers use linguistic terms that are more intuitive than numerical values. These linguistic terms were converted into numerical values using this method based on fuzzy logic, and a ranking of hazards was obtained. As a result of the analyses, it was seen that the case study, H7, which had a 0.557 Ni value, was the most dangerous scenario and that H11, which had a 1.000 Ni value, was the least dangerous. In addition, for the same data, analyses were conducted using the fuzzy Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method, which has been previously used in the literature, and a comparison was made with the f-SC method to demonstrate the validity of the study. The results of the f-VIKOR and classical Fine–Kinney methods were similar to the developed f-SC method. This research provides three contributions: (1) criteria must be weighted to determine risk scores, (2) using intuitive linguistic terms in scoring criteria made the risk analysis method more sensitive and appropriate, and (3) using MCDM methods instead of classical methods for the risk analyses in the OHS field removes uncertainties.
Experimental Study on Local Scour Depth around Monopile Foundation in Combined Waves and Current
Authors: Li Junhan , Zhang Bin , Shen Chao , Fu Xiaoli , Li Weichao
Published: December 2021

Local scour is one of the key factors that cause the collapse of structures. To avoid structure failures and economic losses in water, it is usually essential to predict the equilibrium scour depth of the foundation. In this study, several design models which were presented to predict the equilibrium scour depth either under steady clear water conditions and combined waves and current conditions were recommended. These models from China, the United States and Norway were analyzed and compared through experiments. Moreover, flume tests for monopile foundation embedded in sand under different flow conditions were carried out to observe the process and gauge the maximum depth around the pile. Based on this study, for predicting the equilibrium scour depth around bridge piers, the computational results of three design methods are all conservative, as expected. For the foundation of offshore structures in marine environment, most of the predicted scour depths by design methods are different from field data; in particular, the mean relative error with these design methods proposed may reach up to 966.5%, which may lead to underestimation of the problem, overdesign and consequently high construction cost. To further improve the ability of the scour prediction in a marine environment, data from flume tests and some field data from a previous study were used to derive the major factors of scour. Based on the dimensional analysis method, a new model to estimate the equilibrium scour depth induced by either current or waves is proposed. The mean relative error of the new formula is 49.1%, and it gives more accurate scour depth predictions than the existing methods.
The Role of Land Ownership and Non-Farm Livelihoods on Household Food and Nutrition Security in Rural India
Authors: Vu Loan , Rammohan Anu , Goli Srinivas
Published: December 2021

South Asia remains the region with the highest prevalence of undernourishment with India accounting for 255 million food insecure people. A worsening of child nutritional outcomes has been observed in many Indian states recently and children in rural areas have poorer nutrition compared to those in urban areas. This paper investigates the relationship between land ownership, non-farm livelihoods, food security, and child nutrition in rural India, using the Young Lives Survey. The survey covers the same rural households and children over the period 2002–2013 in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Our empirical analysis uses a sample of 1209 children (and their households) who were aged around 1 year in 2002. Our results show that large agricultural land ownership is significantly associated with better child nutrition (measured using height-for-age and stunting) and household food security. A transition from farm to non-farm work improves child nutrition, but only among landless households. While access to land is still critical for improving household food and nutrition security among rural households, there is a trend towards greater non-farm livelihoods, and a decline in reliance on farming, particularly among landless and marginal farmers.
Are Credit-Based Internet Consumer Finance Platforms Sustainable? A Study on Continuous Use Intention of Chinese Users
Authors: Chen Ming , Yang Fan , Choi Yongrok
Published: December 2021

Internet consumer finance platforms (ICFPs), as a new Internet financial model, have emerged and been widely adopted by Chinese as well as global online shoppers following the rapid growth of e-commerce. This emerging financial tool is, however, luring younger generations deep into debt. It jeopardizes the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1—No poverty, bringing the sustainability of this consumer financial model into question. To aid the sustainable development of ICFP industry, this paper distinguishes two antecedents of continuous use intention for ICFP users: (1) satisfaction, as a sustainable determinant; and (2) impulsive buying, as a non-sustainable determinant. We found satisfaction (b = 0.452) has a larger positive effect on continuous use intention compared to impulsive buying (b = 0.229). Therefore, ICFPs should weigh heavier on technology innovation instead of seducing consumers’ impulsive buying behavior. We also found that credit limit misconception poses the largest impact (b = 0.483) on impulsive buying. In the near term, governments and ICFPs may initiate public programs to improve ICFP users’ financial literacy in order to restrain their unsustainable impulsive buying behavior and cultivate their sustainable satisfaction on ICFP technology and service. Market regulators may build up institutional frameworks to tighten the abuse of financial platforms on credit issuing power and better foster sustainable entrepreneurship in this new financial platform business.
Factors Controlling the Hydraulic Efficiency of Green Roofs in the Metropolitan Area of Milan (Italy)
Authors: Salerno Franco , Valsecchi Lucia , Minoia Riccardo , Copetti Diego , Tartari Gianni , Guyennon Nicolas , Colombo Nicola , Pirola Niccolò , Barozzi Benedetta , Bellazzi Alice , Marziali Laura
Published: December 2021

Green roofs (GRs) are considered sustainable solutions for the adaptation of urban water management to climate change. The use of GRs is particularly promising in urban environments like the Metropolitan Area of Milan, the most urbanized area in Italy. In this work, we evaluated the subsurface runoff coefficient at the event-time scale, for more than one year of observations, of 68 small-scale test beds comprising different configurations of green roofs (e.g., different vegetations, types and depths of growing media, and different slopes) installed in the Metropolitan Area of Milan. The objectives of this study are three-fold. Firstly, the controlling factors of the hydraulic have been assessed for efficiency. We calculated a mean drainage flow rate of 51%, finding that growing media play a significant role in determining the drainage flow during the spring, at the beginning of the vegetative period. During this season, water retention in fertilized beds increases significantly. At the beginning of the summer, the vegetation cover is able to significantly reduce the drainage flow, playing an even more crucial role with respect to the growing medium material. However, we found that the vegetation type (grass field and Sedum) does not play a significant role in the retention processes. Secondly, the delay of the peak flow rate was determined. We found a precipitation peak delay from 1 to 2 h, which would be sufficient to guarantee environmental benefits for urban drainage. Finally, the factors controlling the hydraulic efficiency of GRs for individual precipitation events were assessed. We found that soil moisture and cumulated precipitation are both significant factors determining the drainage flow rate. In conclusion, we point out that soil moisture is one of the main parameters characterizing GR drainage and should be further considered in future research efforts devoted to the analysis of GR performance.
Urban Retail Systems: Vulnerability, Resilience and Sustainability. Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Barata-Salgueiro Teresa , Cachinho Herculano
Published: December 2021

Contemporary urbanization process threatens our environment, challenges the livability of cities, their ability to build localized competitive advantages, to attract investment, to create jobs and ensure the well-being of people in a sustainable development path [...]
Adoption Drivers of Improved Open-Pollinated (OPVs) Maize Varieties by Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
Authors: Sigigaba Masithembe , Mdoda Lelethu , Mditshwa Asanda
Published: December 2021

This study assesses the determinants of adoption drivers of improved open-pollinated (OPVs) maize varieties by smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Cross-sectional data of multi-stage random sampling was used to randomly select 150 smallholder farmers in the province. Data collection was conducted through a well-structured questionnaire administered to 150 smallholder farmers. Descriptive statistics and a logistic regression model were used for the analyses. The inferential results reveal that the majority of farmers in the study area were females (70%) with an average age of 45 years and had six people in the households. Smallholder maize farmers spent an average of 10 years in school. The results show that smallholder maize farmers had a farm size of 3 ha and a household income of R 3565.00, which contributes highly to household and farm operations. Farmers had access to extension services and were members of farm organizations. The results show that hybrid is the most used maize variety rather than OPVs. The main reason, among other things, for the poor use and adoption of OPVs is the lack of knowledge about the seeds. The results drawn from the estimations show that socio-economic and institutional factors influenced the adoption of OPVs by farmers in the study area. Therefore, the study recommends strengthening the existing extension services to highlight the benefits of OPVs through training and farmers’ information days.
Applying Storytelling Approach to Analyze Kojima Jeans District Based on Slow Fashion Perspectives
Authors: Nagano Aki
Published: December 2021

This study conducted a case study of Kojima district in Japan, which underwent a rise and fall through the past booms, disruptive innovation, international politics, and changes in government policy. Today, the district has successfully regenerated, and the regeneration is linked to fashion localism. This study aimed to explore how the Kojima district sustained community-based fashion business and analyzed the factors that contributed to its regeneration from the slow fashion viewpoint. This study employed a case study analysis, using the storytelling approach, and established an analytical framework based on keywords derived from slow fashion, namely localism, quality, and value. The results indicate that the strategies of business leadership, improvement in quality, a willingness to address new challenges, success in authenticating strategies, clustering fashion business, path dependency, and maintaining workers and the fashion business community contributed to promoting a series of industrial structural adjustments in Kojima and sustaining the community-based fashion business.
From Contractual Flexibility to Contractor’s Cooperative Behavior in Construction Projects: The Multiple Mediation Effects of Ongoing Trust and Justice Perception
Authors: Song Haoyang , Hou Jianhua , Tang Shiqi
Published: December 2021

The flexible contract is an important mechanism for owners to govern contractors in construction projects. Given the limited explanatory power of the justice mechanism and the important role of relational factors, this study explored the role of ongoing trust and justice perception in the relationship between contractual flexibility and the contractor’s cooperative behavior and aimed to further reveal the potential influence paths through an empirical analysis. We found the following: (1) apart from justice perception, ongoing trust is another crucial mediation factor in the relationship. (2) Together with the former, ongoing trust plays significantly multiple mediation effects and constitutes the main indirect influence paths, among which the parallel one is strongest and the chain one comes third. (3) Moreover, both factors are more likely to be impacted by contract executing flexibility, compared with contract content flexibility. These findings enrich relational mechanism research and provide some guidance for the owner to build contractual flexibility to govern contractors’ behavior.
Blockchain Technology for Enhancing Traceability and Efficiency in Automobile Supply Chain—A Case Study
Authors: Ada Nesrin , Ethirajan Manavalan , Kumar Anil , K.E.K Vimal , Nadeem Simon Peter , Kazancoglu Yigit , Kandasamy Jayakrishna
Published: December 2021

A robust traceability system would help organizations in inventory optimization reduce lead time and improve customer service and quality which further enables the organizations to be a leader in their industry sector. This research study analyzes the challenges faced by the automotive industry in its supply chain operations. Further, the traceability issues and waiting time at different nodes of the supply chain are considered to be priority issues that affect the overall supply chain efficiency in the automotive supply chain. After studying the existing blockchain architectures and their implementation methodology, this study proposes a new blockchain-based architecture to improve traceability and reduce waiting time for the automotive supply chain. A hyper ledger fabric-based blockchain architecture is developed to track the ownership transfers in inbound and outbound logistics. The simulation results of the proposed hyper ledger fabric-based blockchain architecture show that there is an improvement in the traceability of items at different nodes of the supply chain that enhances the Inventory Quality Ratio (IQR) and the mean waiting time is reduced at the factory, wholesaler, and retailer, which thereby improves the overall supply chain efficiency. The blockchain embedded supply chain is more capable to eliminate the risks and uncertainties associated with the automotive supply chain. The benefits of adopting blockchain technology in the automotive supply chain are also described. The developed blockchain-based framework is capable to get more visibility into goods movement and inventory status in automotive supply chains.
Conceptualizing Cuvée Organizations: Characteristics Leading towards Sustainable Decision-Making Practices
Authors: Köves Alexandra , Veress Tamás , Gáspár Judit , Matolay Réka
Published: December 2021

This paper discusses the role and responsibility of business organizations in a sustainability transition with a thought-provoking hypothetical construct, the cuvée organization. The aim of the paper is to introduce and conceptualize this normative concept on what sustainable and responsible business would look like in an ideal world—more specifically, which meta features should characterize a business organization that is designed for sustainability? It also tests the concept’s applicability to a micro-process, an everyday challenge any organization aiming for sustainability would face, namely discounting. The concept of the cuvée organization emerged from participatory backcasting, a normative scenario-building exercise conducted with a sustainability expert panel. In this co-creative process, the panel capitalized on the metaphor of cuvée wine and winemaking, which provided the cognitive means to chart the unknown. The emerged concept of the cuvée organization stands for a business archetype which is designed to serve a prosocial cause, subordinating activities and structural features accordingly. When applying this construct to discounting, our approach lies with ecological rationality in behavioral decision making as well as the practice-based approach of corporate strategy research. In this theoretically rigorous effort, we aim to show which meta-characteristics could support an organizational structure leading to better decision making, aiming to avoid various forms of temporal and spatial discounting. The originality of the research is filling the normative vision with details through the conceptualization of the cuvée organization. On the level of methodologies, our research contributes to understanding the novelty and applicability of backcasting processes and provides an astounding example for the use of metaphors in future studies.
Effective Hamiltonians in Nonrelativistic Quantum Electrodynamics
Authors: Passante Roberto , Rizzuto Lucia
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we consider some second-order effective Hamiltonians describing the interaction of the quantum electromagnetic field with atoms or molecules in the nonrelativistic limit. Our procedure is valid only for off-energy-shell processes, specifically virtual processes such as those relevant for ground-state energy shifts and dispersion van der Waals and Casimir-Polder interactions, while on-energy-shell processes are excluded. These effective Hamiltonians allow for a considerable simplification of the calculation of radiative energy shifts, dispersion, and Casimir-Polder interactions, including in the presence of boundary conditions. They can also provide clear physical insights into the processes involved. We clarify that the form of the effective Hamiltonian depends on the field states considered, and consequently different expressions can be obtained, each of them with a well-defined range of validity and possible applications. We also apply our results to some specific cases, mainly the Lamb shift, the Casimir-Polder atom-surface interaction, and the dispersion interactions between atoms, molecules, or, in general, polarizable bodies.
A Full-Period Mathematical Model for a Hybrid-Rotor Bearingless Switched Reluctance Motor
Authors: Liu Zeyuan , Chen Mei , Yang Yan , Liu Chengzi , Gao Hui
Published: December 2021

A bearingless switched reluctance motor (BSRM) has the combined characteristics of a switched reluctance motor (SRM) and a magnetic bearing. The hybrid-rotor BSRM (HBSRM) discussed in the paper has a twelve-pole stator and an eight-pole hybrid rotor, which is composed of a cylindrical rotor and a salient-pole rotor. Although the asymmetry of the hybrid rotor makes the structure and magnetic field of the HBSRM more complex, it can always produce a significant amount of magnetic pulling force to levitate a rotor shaft at all the rotor angular positions of each phase, which is not available in a traditional BSRM. The classical mathematical model for a conventional BSRM is valid only when its rotor rotates from the start of the overlap position to the aligned position, and the radial force and torque derived from this model are discontinuous at the aligned positon, which is harmful to the motor’s stable operation. In this paper, a full-period mathematical model on the assumption that the gap permeance is cut apart by straight lines or improved elliptical lines for a 12/8-pole HBSRM is provided. On the basis of this mathematical model, the continuity of the radial force and torque at all the rotor angular positions can be guaranteed, and the fine characteristics of this mathematical model have been verified by simulations.
Efficient Estimation for the Derivative of Nonparametric Function by Optimally Combining Quantile Information
Authors: Zhou Xiaoshuang , Gao Xiulian , Zhang Yukun , Yin Xiuling , Shen Yanfeng
Published: December 2021

In this article, we focus on the efficient estimators of the derivative of the nonparametric function in the nonparametric quantile regression model. We develop two ways of combining quantile regression information to derive the estimators. One is the weighted composite quantile regression estimator based on the quantile weighted loss function; the other is the weighted quantile average estimator based on the weighted average of quantile regression estimators at a single quantile. Furthermore, by minimizing the asymptotic variance, the optimal weight vector is computed, and consequently, the optimal estimator is obtained. Furthermore, we conduct some simulations to evaluate the performance of our proposed estimators under different symmetric error distributions. Simulation studies further illustrate that both estimators work better than the local linear least square estimator for all the symmetric errors considered except the normal error, and the weighted quantile average estimator performs better than the weighted composite quantile regression estimator in most situations.
Assessment of the Optimum Linker Tethering Site of Alternariol Haptens for Antibody Generation and Immunoassay Development
Authors: Addante-Moya Luis G. , Abad-Somovilla Antonio , Abad-Fuentes Antonio , Agulló Consuelo , Mercader Josep V.
Published: December 2021

Immunochemical methods for mycotoxin analysis require antigens with well-defined structures and antibodies with outstanding binding properties. Immunoreagents for the mycotoxins alternariol and/or alternariol monomethyl ether have typically been obtained with chemically uncharacterized haptens, and antigen conjugates have most likely been prepared with mixtures of functionalized molecules. For the first time, total synthesis was performed, in the present study, to obtain two haptens with opposite linker attachment locations. The functionalized synthetic haptens were purified and deeply characterized by different spectrometric methods, allowing the preparation of bioconjugates with unequivocal structures. Direct and indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, using homologous and heterologous conjugates, were employed to extensively evaluate the generated immunoreagents. Antibodies with high affinity were raised from conjugates of both haptens, and a structure-activity relationship between the synthetic haptens and the specificity of the generated antibodies could be established. These results pave the way for the development of novel highly sensitive immunoassays selective of one or two of these Alternaria mycotoxins.
Characteristics and Factors Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Individuals That Attended Referral Hospitals from Southern Region of Bahia State, Brazil: A Surveillance Network Retrospective Study
Authors: Ferreira Fabrício Barbosa , Barbosa Costa Galileu , Sevá Anaiá da Paixão , Albuquerque George Rego , Mariano Ana Paula Melo , Sampaio Lopes Amanda Teixeira , Fehlberg Hllytchaikra Ferraz , Santos de Santana Íris Terezinha , dos Santos Pérola Rodrigues , Santos Luciano Cardoso , Silva de Jesus Laine Lopes , Fontana Renato , Maciel Bianca Mendes , Silva Mylene de Melo , Barreto Luane Etienne , Gadelha Sandra Rocha
Published: December 2021

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, China, and rapidly spread worldwide. In Brazil, to date, there have been more than 20,000,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 550,000 deaths. The purpose of the current study was to determine the clinical and epidemiological profile of the population affected by COVID-19 that have attended referral hospitals in Southern region of Bahia State, to better understand the disease and its risk factors in order to enable more appropriate conduct for patients. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, exploratory study was conducted using secondary data collected from the Laboratório de Farmacogenômica e Epidemiologia Molecular, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (LAFEM/UESC). Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were applied to determine the association between clinical symptoms and laboratory results, and to identify risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 3135 individuals with suspected severe respiratory illness were analyzed and 41.4% of them tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Male individuals and having comorbidities were risk factors significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 1.17 and OR = 1.37, respectively). Interestingly, being a healthcare professional was a significantly protective factor (OR = 0.81, p < 0.001). Our findings highlight the importance of routinely testing the population for early identification of infected individuals, and also provide important information to health authorities and police makers to improve control measures, management, and screening protocols.
Metatranscriptomic Sequencing Suggests the Presence of Novel RNA Viruses in Rice Transmitted by Brown Planthopper
Authors: Chao Shufen , Wang Haoran , Yan Qing , Chen Long , Chen Guoqing , Wu Yihong , Meng Baozhong , Jin Lixin , Zhu Xudong , Feng Guozhong
Published: December 2021

Viral pathogens are a major threat to stable crop production. Using a backcross strategy, we find that integrating a dominant brown planthopper (BPH) resistance gene Bph3 into a high-yield and BPH-susceptible indica rice variety significantly enhances BPH resistance. However, when Bph3-carrying backcross lines are infested with BPH, these BPH-resistant lines exhibit sterile characteristics, displaying panicle enclosure and failure of seed production at their mature stage. As we suspected, BPH-mediated viral infections could cause the observed sterile symptoms, and we characterized rice-infecting viruses using deep metatranscriptomic sequencing. Our analyses revealed eight novel virus species and five known viruses, including a highly divergent virus clustered within a currently unclassified family. Additionally, we characterized rice plant antiviral responses using small RNA sequencing. The results revealed abundant virus-derived small interfering RNAs in sterile rice plants, providing evidence for Dicer-like and Argonaute-mediated immune responses in rice plants. Together, our results provide insights into the diversity of viruses in rice plants, and our findings suggest that multiple virus infections occur in rice plants.
The Nucleocapsid of Paramyxoviruses: Structure and Function of an Encapsidated Template
Authors: Bloyet Louis-Marie
Published: December 2021

Viruses of the Paramyxoviridae family share a common and complex molecular machinery for transcribing and replicating their genomes. Their non-segmented, negative-strand RNA genome is encased in a tight homopolymer of viral nucleoproteins (N). This ribonucleoprotein complex, termed a nucleocapsid, is the template of the viral polymerase complex made of the large protein (L) and its co-factor, the phosphoprotein (P). This review summarizes the current knowledge on several aspects of paramyxovirus transcription and replication, including structural and functional data on (1) the architecture of the nucleocapsid (structure of the nucleoprotein, interprotomer contacts, interaction with RNA, and organization of the disordered C-terminal tail of N), (2) the encapsidation of the genomic RNAs (structure of the nucleoprotein in complex with its chaperon P and kinetics of RNA encapsidation in vitro), and (3) the use of the nucleocapsid as a template for the polymerase complex (release of the encased RNA and interaction network allowing the progress of the polymerase complex). Finally, this review presents models of paramyxovirus transcription and replication.
Exogenous Vimentin Supplementation Transiently Affects Early Steps during HPV16 Pseudovirus Infection
Authors: Carse Sinead , Lang Dirk , Katz Arieh A. , Schäfer Georgia
Published: December 2021

Understanding and modulating the early steps in oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection has great cancer-preventative potential, as this virus is the etiological agent of virtually all cervical cancer cases and is associated with many other anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. Previous work from our laboratory has identified cell-surface-expressed vimentin as a novel HPV16 pseudovirus (HPV16-PsVs)-binding molecule modulating its infectious potential. To further explore its mode of inhibiting HPV16-PsVs internalisation, we supplemented it with exogenous recombinant human vimentin and show that only the globular form of the molecule (as opposed to the filamentous form) inhibited HPV16-PsVs internalisation in vitro. Further, this inhibitory effect was only transient and not sustained over prolonged incubation times, as demonstrated in vitro and in vivo, possibly due to full-entry molecule engagement by the virions once saturation levels have been reached. The vimentin-mediated delay of HPV16-PsVs internalisation could be narrowed down to affecting multiple steps during the virus’ interaction with the host cell and was found to affect both heparan sulphate proteoglycan (HSPG) binding as well as the subsequent entry receptor complex engagement. Interestingly, decreased pseudovirus internalisation (but not infection) in the presence of vimentin was also demonstrated for oncogenic HPV types 18, 31 and 45. Together, these data demonstrate the potential of vimentin as a modulator of HPV infection which can be used as a tool to study early mechanisms in infectious internalisation. However, further refinement is needed with regard to vimentin’s stabilisation and formulation before its development as an alternative prophylactic means.
Aerobic Denitrification Is Enhanced Using Biocathode of SMFC in Low-Organic Matter Wastewater
Authors: Zhang Haochi , Hou Dengfeng , Zhang Shuai , Cao Xian , Wang Hui , Li Xianning
Published: December 2021

Nitrate (NO3−) in wastewater is a rising global threat to ecological and health safety. A sufficient carbon source, as the electron donor, is essential in the conventional biological denitrification process. It is not appropriate to add extra carbon sources into specific water bodies in terms of material cost and secondary pollution. Thus, innovative NO3− removal technologies that are independent of carbon sources, are urgently needed. This study constructed sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) for aerobic denitrification in low-organic matter wastewater and explored the key factors affecting denitrification efficiencies. The SMFC treatments removed 72–91% NO3− through two main denitrifying stages which were driven by carbon sources (COD) and generated electrons, respectively. After COD was fully consumed, denitrification efficiencies were enhanced in SMFC treatments by 24–47% using the generated electrons within 3 days. In this stage, the NO3− removal efficiencies were positively correlated with external current intensities (p < 0.05). The improved denitrification efficiencies were attributed to two enriched phyla in the SMFC cathode. The dominant genera also demonstrated the heterotrophic denitrifying capacity of the SMFC biocathode. Furthermore, electrical characteristics could be used to monitor or regulate the denitrification process in the SMFC system. In conclusion, this study presents an innovative treatment strategy that is economical and eco-friendly compared with conventional physicochemical methods.