Contribution Of Activity Research Articles

A novel Hyperledger blockchain-enabled decentralized application for drug discovery chain management

The aim of the drug discovery process is to create a brand-new drug that is both safe and useful for treating disease in patients. The trustworthy collaboration of the organisations involved in the drug discovery process and the integrity of their contributions are essential for this process. Current drug discovery chains use centralised systems, which are susceptible to lockdown by cyberattacks. Blockchain, with its many characteristics such as accountability, immutability, integrity, privacy, and security, has the potential to be extremely useful in drug discovery chain management. The purpose of this work is to create a drug discovery framework utilizing the strengths of blockchain technology in combination with machine learning (ML). Such a system would provide a secure, efficient, and faster drug development life cycle. This study presents a novel Hyperledger fabric-based drug discovery application that empowers the permissioned organisations to upload, update, view, and verify contributions. ML is used to preprocess data and visualise features. In the proposed work, a unique identifier is assigned to each contribution asset using the secure hash algorithm (SHA-256). The proposed design also enables the regulatory authority to issue certificates proving the ownership of contributions to the contributing organisations. The blockchain ledger has been used to store the meta-data and InChIKey of drug contributions, and actual contributions are in off-chain storage. In this work, we have successfully built an end-to-end decentralised drug discovery application with a front-end interface and demonstrated chaincode algorithms. The end-to-end application is not available in any previous work. The Caliper tool has been used to investigate throughput, latency, and resource statistics. The performance and comparative analysis show that the proposed design is scalable and promising for drug discovery chain management.

Measuring Anatomical Distributions of Ventilation and Aerosol Deposition with PET-CT.

In disease, lung function and structure are heterogeneous, and aerosol transport and local deposition vary significantly among parts of the lung. Understanding such heterogeneity is relevant to aerosol medicine and for quantifying mucociliary clearance from different parts of the lung. In this chapter, we describe positron emission tomography (PET) imaging methods to quantitatively assess the deposition of aerosol and ventilation distribution within the lung. The anatomical information from computed tomography (CT) combined with the PET-deposition data allows estimates of airway surface concentration and peripheral tissue dosing in bronchoconstricted asthmatic subjects. A theoretical framework is formulated to quantify the effects of heterogeneous ventilation, uneven aerosol ventilation distribution in bifurcations, and varying escape from individual airways along a path of the airway tree. The framework is applied to imaging data from bronchoconstricted asthmatics to assess the contributions of these factors to the unevenness in lobar deposition. Results from this analysis show that the heterogeneity of ventilation contributes on average to more than one-third of the variability in interlobar deposition. Actual contribution of ventilation in individual lungs was variable and dependent on the breathing rate used by the subject during aerosol inhalation; the highest contribution was in patients breathing slowly. In subjects breathing faster, contribution of ventilation was reduced, with more expanded lobes showing lower deposition per unit ventilation than less expanded ones in these subjects. The lobar change in expansion measured from two static CT scans, which is commonly used as a surrogate for ventilation, did not correlate with aerosol deposition or with PET-measured ventilation. This suggests that dynamic information is needed to provide proper estimates of ventilation for asthmatic subjects. We hope that the enhanced understanding of the causes of heterogeneity in airway and tissue dosing using the tools presented here will help to optimize therapeutic effectiveness of inhalation therapy while minimizing toxicity.

Assessing the potential of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) for contributing to conservation targets: A global scoping review protocol.

This scoping review (ScR) protocol aims to establish the methodological approach for identifying and mapping the evidence regarding the actual contribution of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to spatial conservation targets. Emphasis will be placed on examining the research conducted, including the methodologies applied. OECMs, introduced by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2010, refer to areas outside of protected areas, such as fisheries restricted areas, archaeological sites, and military areas, that effectively conserve biodiversity in-situ over the long term. OECMs are recognized rather than designated. Many countries currently endeavor to identify, recognize and report OECMs to the CBD for formal acceptance to support the implementation of spatial conservation targets. Studies that assess the contribution of OECMs to spatial conservation targets will be considered. Potential OECMs with primary, secondary or ancillary conservation objectives established by all sectors in the terrestrial, freshwater and marine realm worldwide will be considered. Peer-reviewed and grey literature will be considered without imposing limitations based on publication year, stage, subject area and source type. Both experimental and observational studies in English, French, German, Greek, Italian, and Spanish will be reviewed. The ScR will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. The protocol will be guided by the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) extension for scoping reviews. The search will encompass bibliographic databases such as Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Grey literature sources will include databases, pre-print archives and organizational websites. The Covidence platform will be utilized for data management and extraction.

The role of institutional efficiency in achieving the SDGs: evidence from Africa

PurposeThe objective of this study is to analyze the influence of institutional quality on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using a data set comprising 45 African nations during the timeframe 2000 to 2020.Design/methodology/approachThe data are divided into two periods, with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) data covering the years 2000–2015 and the SDGs data spanning from 2015 to 2020. Controlling for other factors, the researcher employs an index of institutional quality and applies the generalized method of moments (GMM) method to analyze the data.FindingsThe findings demonstrate a noteworthy inverse relationship between institutional quality and the achievement of both the MDGs and SDGs. The findings reveal a significant and positive link between economic growth and the achievement of the MDGs, while the impact on the SDGs is shown to be insignificant. Population growth significantly drives the SDGs. The results further reveal that trade openness and industrialization contribute positively to the achievement of both the MDGs and SDGs.Practical implicationsThe findings emphasize the importance of improving institutional quality, promoting economic growth and supporting trade openness and industrialization for sustainable development in African countries.Originality/valueThe contribution of the study is twofold. Firstly and to the best of the author’s understanding, this research marks an initial endeavor to empirically investigate the nexus between institutional quality and the SDGs in the context of Africa. Secondly, it adds novelty to the literature by examining how institutional quality influences both the SDGs and their precursor the MDGs, providing insights into the actual contribution of institutions to development within the framework of these two major global compacts.

Analysis of interest theory and profit-sharing in the Islamic financial system

This article examines the comparison between interest theory in conventional financial systems and profit-sharing theory in Islamic financial systems by integrating religious and economic perspectives. The purpose of this study is to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the practical and ethical implications of both financial systems and how they can be applied to support fair and sustainable economic development. The methodology used is a literature review with in-depth content analysis related to the concepts of interest and profit-sharing from various religious perspectives, including Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The results show that interest theory dominates conventional financial systems with its various applications, while profit-sharing theory in Islamic financial systems offers a fairer and more efficient alternative with profit and loss distribution based on the actual contributions of each party. This study provides significant insights into understanding the fundamental differences between interest and profit-sharing and offers recommendations for creating a more inclusive and sustainable financial system. However, this research has limitations in terms of empirical analysis and variations in the implementation of the profit-sharing system that need to be further explored in future studies.Keywords: interest theory; profit-sharing; conventional finance; Islamic finance; religious perspective.

Multi-affiliation: a growing problem of scientific integrity

The past decade has witnessed a substantial increase in the number of affiliations listed by individual authors of scientific papers. Some authors now list an astonishing number of institutions, sometimes exceeding 20, 30, or more. This trend raises concerns regarding the genuine scientific contributions these authors make at each institution they claim to be affiliated with. To address this issue, our study conducted a comprehensive regional analysis of the growth of both domestic and international multi-affiliations over the past decade. Our findings reveal certain countries that have experienced an abnormal surge in international multi-affiliation authorships. Coupled with the high numbers of affiliations involved, this emphasizes the need for careful scrutiny of the actual scientific contributions made by these authors and the importance of safeguarding the integrity of scientific output and networks.

GenderJourney: Participatory development of an ethics support tool to foster dialogue and reflection on shared decision-making in gender-affirming medical care

ObjectiveTo describe and reflect on the development process of GenderJourney: an ethics support tool that seeks to foster (dialogue and reflection on) shared decision-making (SDM) in gender-affirming medical care (GAMC). MethodsPart of a larger project, this study used a participatory design. We included transgender and gender diverse (TGD) clients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) throughout the study in co-creation workshops. In an iterative process, we (1) established stakeholders’ needs, (2) reached a consensus on the aims, content, and design, (3) developed and tested successive renditions, and (4) presented the final version of the tool. ResultsThe final tool aims to (A) elucidate the client’s care request and corresponding treatment preferences, (B) foster an explicit dialogue between TGD client and HCP about expected/preferred decisional roles and collaboration, (C) stimulate a systematic joint reflection on and handling of SDM-related ethical challenges. ConclusionThe GenderJourney provides non-directive ethics support to jointly reflect on and foster good SDM, including its inherent ethical challenges. Future studies should focus on its implementation and actual contribution to good SDM. Practice implicationsGenderJourney may be used in GAMC to support the dialogue on what good SDM entails and the identification, discussion, and handling of SDM-related ethical challenges.

Collagen VI promotes recovery from colitis by inducing lymphangiogenesis and drainage of inflammatory cells.

Despite a number of studies providing evidence that the extracellular matrix (ECM) is an active player in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation, knowledge on the actual contribution of specific ECM molecules in the progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains scant. Here, we investigated the role of a major ECM protein, collagen VI (ColVI), in gut homeostasis and elucidated the impact of its deregulation on the pathophysiology of IBD. To this end, we combined in vivo and ex vivo studies on wild type and ColVI-deficient (Col6a1-/- ) mice both under physiological conditions and during experimentally induced acute colitis and its subsequent recovery, by means of gut histology and immunostaining, gene expression, bone marrow transplantation, flow cytometry of immune cell subpopulations, and lymph flow assessment. We found that ColVI displayed dynamic expression and ECM deposition during the acute inflammatory and recovery phases of experimentally induced colitis, whereas the genetic ablation of ColVI in Col6a1 null mice impaired the functionality of lymphatic vessels, which in turn affected the resolution of inflammation during colitis. Based on these findings, we investigated ColVI expression and deposition in ileal specimens from two cohorts of patients affected by Crohn's disease (CD) and correlated ColVI abundance to clinical outcome. Our results show that high ColVI immunoreactivity in ileal biopsies of CD patients at diagnosis correlates with increased risk of surgery and that ColVI expression in biopsies taken at the resection margin during surgery, and showing inactive disease, predict disease recurrence. Our data unveil a key role for ColVI in the intestinal microenvironment, where it is involved in lymphangiogenesis and intestinal inflammation. Altogether, these findings point at the dysregulation of ColVI expression as a novel factor contributing to the onset and maintenance of inflammation in CD via mechanisms impinging on the modulation of inflammatory cell recruitment and function. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Theoretical Description of Attosecond X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Frenkel Exciton Dynamics.

Frenkel excitons are responsible for the transport of light energy in many molecular systems. Coherent electron dynamics govern the initial stage of Frenkel-exciton transfer. Capability to follow coherent exciton dynamics in real time will help to reveal their actual contribution to the efficiency of light-harvesting. Attosecond X-ray pulses are the tool with the necessary temporal resolution to resolve pure electronic processes with atomic sensitivity. We describe how attosecond X-ray pulses can probe coherent electronic processes during Frenkel-exciton transport in molecular aggregates. We analyze time-resolved absorption cross section taking broad spectral bandwidth of an attosecond pulse into account. We demonstrate that attosecond X-ray absorption spectra can reveal delocalization degree of coherent exciton transfer dynamics.

Superexchange Interactions and Magnetic Anisotropy in MnPSe3 Monolayer

Two-dimensional van der Waals magnetic materials are of great current interest for their promising applications in spintronics. Using density functional theory calculations in combination with the maximally localized Wannier functions method and the magnetic anisotropy analyses, we study the electronic and magnetic properties of MnPSe3 monolayer. Our results show that it is a charge transfer antiferromagnetic (AF) insulator. For this Mn2+ 3d 5 system, although it seems straightforward to explain the AF ground state using the direct exchange, we find that the nearly 90° Mn–Se–Mn charge transfer type superexchange plays a dominant role in stabilizing the AF ground state. Moreover, our results indicate that, although the shape anisotropy favors an out-of-plane spin orientation, the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) leads to the experimentally observed in-plane spin orientation. We prove that the actual dominant contribution to the magnetic anisotropy comes from the second-order perturbation of the SOC, by analyzing its distribution over the reciprocal space. Using the AF exchange and anisotropy parameters obtained from our calculations, our Monte Carlo simulations give the Néel temperature T N = 47 K for MnPSe3 monolayer, which agrees with the experimental 40 K. Furthermore, our calculations show that under a uniaxial tensile (compressive) strain, Néel vector would be parallel (perpendicular) to the strain direction, which well reproduces the recent experiments. We also predict that T N would be increased by a compressive strain.

Individuation of the best agronomic practices for organic durum wheat cultivation in the Mediterranean environment: a multivariate approach

BackgroundThe main challenge of organic cereal systems is ensuring high yields and grain quality while maintaining pedo-environmental sustainability. Despite the potential benefits of organic farming systems, a debated limitation is their actual contribution to food security. Durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn.], one of the most important staple food crops, is mainly grown in the Mediterranean environments, where farmers have to face profound inter-annual fluctuations in productions, expecially under organic system, due to prolonged drought and heat spells. With the overarching objective of deriving practical indications to support organic wheat production in the Mediterranean region, we tested the effect of nitrogen and sulphur-based organic foliar fertilizers on two ancient and two modern durum wheat varieties grown in two seasons (2018–2019) characterized by different weather conditions. Moreover, we evaluated the effect of a foliar application of Selenium at booting on grain yield and quality.ResultsResults from the Principal Component analysis revealed that seasonal weather and the varietal choice determined most of the variability of yield and quality traits, while Selenium application markedly affected the performance of organic durum wheat, especially in the milder season. The Cluster Analysis computed on the Principal Components revealed three groups, representative of (i) the modern variety, Marco Aurelio, grown in the dryest season (average yield, low protein content), (ii) all varieties grown in 2018, with the addition of sodium selenate (high yield, high protein content), and (iii) the ancient variety, Cappelli, grown in both seasons (low yield, average protein content).ConclusionsThis study evidenced that tailored agronomic practices are needed to sustain the organic durum wheat systems in the Mediterranean area. The promising beneficial effect of Selenium would deserve a dedicated research program, where additional experiments should further investigate its impact on organic durum wheat yield and quality. The multivariate approach permitted us to identify the most effective agronomic practices in relation to different environmental conditions; the outputs from this study are ready to be transferred to organic farmers aiming at improving the performance of durum wheat systems and at providing an effective contribution to food security.

The Contribution of Village Land Forest Reserves in Livelihood Improvement: The Case of Songea and Liwale Districts in Tanzania

Village land forest reserves (VLFRs) are recognized as an important base for rural community development. This study used timber and honey production activities to assess the actual contribution of three Village land forest reserves of Lupagalo VLFR from Songea District in Ruvuma Region, and Liboya and Luhangino VLFRs from Liwale District in Lindi Region on livelihood improvement rural communities living adjacent to these forests. This study assessed livelihood improvement based on financial, human, physical, and social assets. Data were collected using household structured interviews and focused group discussions. A total of 71 timber dealers (38 in Songea and 33 in Liwale District) and 37 honey dealers (23 in Songea and 14 in Liwale District) were interviewed in this study. Inferential statistics and Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were used to report the results of this study. Results show that there is gain in livelihood assets due to timber and honey production. In addition, findings reveal that, physical capital indicators including better education, better health care, and food security had significant influence on livelihood of timber and honey dealer as the p-value (p<0.05). In financial capital, savings had a significant influence on the livelihood of honey and timber dealers. Also, training as an indicator of human capital had a significant contribution on the livelihood of honey and timber dealers. Further, based on social capital, membership status had a significant influence on livelihood contribution p<0.05. Since this study considered only two products, other forest products such as firewood, charcoal, and medicinal plants should be assessed.

Examining the Potential of Marine Renewable Energy: A Net Energy Perspective

It is often claimed that marine renewable energy alone could meet the electricity demand of current and future human societies. However, such claims are based on highly uncertain estimations of the global potentials of marine renewable energy sources (including tidal, ocean currents, wave, offshore wind and salinity and thermal gradients), and do not take into account the embedded energy of current technologies. To better understand the effective potential of marine energy, we conducted a literature review of its gross, technical, economic and sustainable potentials, as well as the energy return on investment (EROI), and estimated the net energy potential. We found that all marine technologies could provide a maximum energy surplus of 57,000 TWh/yr. This figure goes down to ∼5000TWh/yr when excluding offshore wind. The previous figures do not include the contribution from ocean currents, for which no reliable estimates of global potentials and EROIs could be obtained. Due to its high upfront costs and environmental impacts and low social acceptance, no additional tidal range capacity expansion is envisioned. Similarly, the combination of a low sustainable potential and the low EROI makes the large-scale exploitation of salinity gradients unlikely with current technologies. Including all technologies, the average EROI of marine energy is ∼20, but excluding offshore wind reduces the average EROI to ∼8. While we did consider sustainability constraints for some marine energy sources, our estimation of marine net energy potential primarily relied on technical factors and did not account for economic and legal constraints. Therefore, the results presented here should be interpreted as an upper bound for the actual net energy contribution of marine energy sources to the global energy mix.

Regulating corporate social responsibility in energy and extractive industries: The case of international oil companies in a developing country

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of business enterprises to reduce and redress the adverse impacts of their operations on the environment and local communities is a controversial topic, especially in developing countries. Drawing lessons from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), this article aims to know the role of laws and regulations at the local level in promoting the practice of CSR in energy and extractive industries. The research also seeks to know to what extent International Oil Companies (IOCs) have considered social and environmental problems in the communities where they operate. To achieve these aims, an online survey questionnaire was conducted with major IOCs in the Kurdistan region to know their perspectives on CSR and the scope and extent of their legal obligations in this regard. Then, we analysed annual reports, social responsibility reports, and other publicly available documents to support our arguments and investigate the issue deeply. The article found that while there are broad legal provisions relating to CSR with respect to social and environmental protection, enforcement of such legal requirements remains the main challenge in adapting CSR in developing countries, including the KRI. The results revealed that CSR had been used as a mask by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to convince the public, opposition parties, and the federal government regarding the transparency and legitimacy of KRG's oil and gas policy in the region. On the other hand, the IOCs highlighted CSR in their reports to convince their shareholders and enhance their reputation. However, their actual contribution to the Kurdistan region's social and environmental condition is minimal.

Evaluation of a Novel FKS1 R1354H Mutation Associated with Caspofungin Resistance in Candida auris Using the CRISPR-Cas9 System.

Outbreaks of invasive infections, with high mortality rates, caused by multidrug-resistant Candida auris have been reported worldwide. Although hotspot mutations in FKS1 are an established cause of echinocandin resistance, the actual contribution of these mutations to echinocandin resistance remains unknown. Here, we sequenced the FKS1 gene of a caspofungin-resistant clinical isolate (clade I) and identified a novel resistance mutation (G4061A inducing R1354H). We applied the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 system to generate a recovered strain (H1354R) in which only this single nucleotide mutation was reverted to its wild-type sequence. We also generated mutant strains with only the R1354H mutation introduced into C. auris wild-type strains (clade I and II) and analyzed their antifungal susceptibility. Compared to their parental strains, the R1354H mutants exhibited a 4- to 16-fold increase in caspofungin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) while the H1354R reverted strain exhibited a 4-fold decrease in caspofungin MIC. In a mouse model of disseminated candidiasis, the in vivo therapeutic effect of caspofungin was more closely related to the FKS1 R1354H mutation and the virulence of the strain than its in vitro MIC. The CRISPR-Cas9 system could thus aid in elucidating the mechanism underlying drug resistance in C. auris.

Sita: The Hero of Nandini Sahu’s Retelling of Ramayana

Generation after generation has heard the story of Ramayana as the epic battle or dharmayudh between Rama and Ravana. Sita is mostly presented as the damsel in distress whose honour is protected by her husband and who is supposed to prove her chastity in order to find a place in society. However, her life before marriage, her natural gift, resilience, courage, and ability to detach from everything that is close to her are many times overlooked. The hero is Rama, and the villain is Ravana. Sita is the victim. Nandini Sahu’s Sita is not a victim. She is the true warrior of the epic Ramayana who deserves to be called the hero. She is the faithful daughter, wife, and mother who performs all the three roles with devotion and dedication. However, most importantly, she is a woman of substance who never loses hope in adverse circumstances and resiliently faces every challenge that life throws her way. This paper is an attempt to reconstruct Sita’s identity as the warrior of the epic instead of the victim by referring to Nandini Sahu’s rendering of the story of Ramayana from Sita’s perspective. This analysis will be done from the postcolonial perspective in which the story of the subaltern Sita will be the highlight, and her actual contribution to the action of the epic will be brought to the forefront to show that she is the hero and not the victim.

Corporate strategy, political contributions and corporate risk-taking

Purpose Despite the importance and prevalence of corporate political activities in modern organizations, there remains limited insight on the potential relationship between political contributions and companies’ risk-taking activities. This study aims to examine the relationship between monetary political contributions of firms and corporate risk-taking activities in the context of unstable political and economic environments. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a two-step system GMM estimation to investigate the subject using a cross-country sample of 307 firms from 22 countries covered over 2002–2017. In line with previous studies, the authors control for various corporate governance mechanisms, firm-level factors and country-level characteristics. Findings The findings demonstrate that firms that make monetary political contributions exhibit lower levels of risk as measured by different proxies for risks, namely, systematic, idiosyncratic and total risk. Practical implications The results suggest that political contributions can be a useful mechanism to mitigate risk exposure. Also, the use of different risk measures and other factors for robustness fosters a better understanding of political connectedness in a more contextualized and dynamic manner. Originality/value This study seeks to contribute to the debate surrounding corporate strategy, political connectedness and corporate risk-taking by using actual monetary political contributions as an explicit measure of political connection. This study furthers scholarly understanding on the dynamics of corporate political activities using political contributions in monetary terms as a measure of political connectedness and its impact on risk-taking. Furthermore, the authors explore this topic using insights from nonmarket strategy literature and studies on political contributions.

Effect of aging and blending duration on the degree of blending and performance of recycled hot-mix asphalt (HMA)

ABSTRACT This research explored the effect of aging and blending duration on the degree of blending (DoB) and performance of recycled HMAs, as well as the actual contribution of DoBs to the performance of recycled HMA. Nine groups were designed, including one group designed as “full blending group”; one group designed as “no blending group”; and seven experimental groups designed as “partial blending groups” under the different combinations of RAP materials and blending durations. The volumetric indicators, DoB, moisture susceptibility, high- and low-temperature performance of each group were assessed. It was found that prolonging the blending duration can effectively restore the performance of recycled HMAs containing RAP with serious aging. With the extension of blending duration by 180s, more RAP binder was activated, and the DoB of blended mixes enhanced by around 5%~30%, resulting in about 2%~16%, 8%~21%, and 7%~15% improved in the tensile strength ratio, shear strength, and fracture energy of recycled HMAs. In addition, the result also showed that about 10% increase in DoBs, corresponding to RAP binder activated by about 0.15% in this research, can contribute to around 1%~25%, 5%~16%, and 3%~24% improve in the water stability, high- and low-temperature performance of recycled HMAs, respectively.

Influence of Closure External Panels Modelling on the Seismic Response of Non-Residential Precast Buildings

ABSTRACT Following recent earthquakes, precast buildings exhibited a strong seismic vulnerability related to the presence of closure external panels. The aim of this work is to simulate the seismic response of existing single-storey precast buildings in the case of explicit modelling of external panels. The considered case studies are precast buildings representative of the Italian building stock in the 1970s and 1990s, characterised by two different cladding systems, namely, masonry infills and reinforced concrete precast panels, respectively. The explicit modelling of infills and panels, typically introduced solely as participating masses, provided insights into their actual contribution on the global structural behavior.

Viral Replicon Systems and Their Biosafety Aspects.

Viral RNA replicons are self-amplifying RNA molecules generated by deleting genetic information of one or multiple structural proteins of wild-type viruses. Remaining viral RNA is used as such (naked replicon) or packaged into a viral replicon particle (VRP), whereby missing genes or proteins are supplied via production cells. Since replicons mostly originate from pathogenic wild-type viruses, careful risk consideration is crucial. A literature review was performed compiling information on potential biosafety risks of replicons originating from positive- and negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses (except retroviruses). For naked replicons, risk considerations included genome integration, persistence in host cells, generation of virus-like vesicles, and off-target effects. For VRP, the main risk consideration was formation of primary replication competent virus (RCV) as a result of recombination or complementation. To limit the risks, mostly measures aiming at reducing the likelihood of RCV formation have been described. Also, modifying viral proteins in such a way that they do not exhibit hazardous characteristics in the unlikely event of RCV formation has been reported. Despite multiple approaches developed to reduce the likelihood of RCV formation, scientific uncertainty remains on the actual contribution of the measures and on limitations to test their effectiveness. In contrast, even though effectiveness of each individual measure is unclear, using multiple measures on different aspects of the system may create a solid barrier. Risk considerations identified in the current study can also be used to support risk group assignment of replicon constructs based on a purely synthetic design.