bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of a Flexible X-Band Radar-Wave-Absorbing Composite Material by Using Beta-Silicon Carbide and Polyurethane as Substrates and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Additives
Authors: Hu Shao-Hwa , Yuan Jiao-Jiao , Dai Hang , Liu Yang-Yang , He Jing , Tu Jun-Ling
Published: October 2022

Silicon carbide (SiC) has good chemical resistance, excellent mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, especially in extreme conditions of application, and has proved to be a very promising electromagnetic absorption material. However, single silicon carbide cannot meet the increasing demand for high performance of absorbing materials. It has become an important research direction to combine it with other absorbing materials to improve its absorbing performance. In this study, a composite absorber material was prepared by 50 wt.% micron-sized beta-silicon carbide (β-sic) powder, mixed with a 0.2 wt.% multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and 50 wt.% polyurethane (PU) substrate. The mixture was stirred and deaerated to form a slurry, and sprayed onto synthetic fabric. The results showed that the composite material was flexible, with a thickness of less than 2 mm and favorable adhesion. The results obtained by reflection graph of the radar waves, indicated that the return loss within the X-band range (8–12 GHz) was less than −40 dB, indicating favorable radar wave absorption. Therefore, composite materials could thus be used successfully as radar wave absorbers, and was suitable for stealth materials in “asymmetric warfare”.
Analysis of Adaptive Progressive Type-II Hybrid Censored Dagum Data with Applications
Authors: Mohammed Heba S. , Nassar Mazen , Alotaibi Refah , Elshahhat Ahmed
Published: October 2022

In life testing and reliability studies, obtaining whole data always takes a long time and lots of monetary and human resources. In this case, the experimenters prefer to gather data using censoring schemes that make a balance between the length of the test, the desired sample size, and the cost. Lately, an adaptive progressive type-II hybrid censoring scheme is suggested to enhance the efficiency of the statistical inference. By utilizing this scheme, this paper seeks to investigate classical and Bayesian estimations of the Dagum distribution. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation methods are considered to estimate the distribution parameters and some reliability indices. The Bayesian estimation is developed under the assumption of independent gamma priors and by employing symmetric and asymmetric loss functions. Due to the tough form of the joint posterior distribution, the Markov chain Monte Carlo technique is implemented to gather samples from the full conditional distributions and in turn obtain the Bayes estimates. The approximate confidence intervals and the highest posterior density credible intervals are also obtained. The effectiveness of the various suggested methods is compared through a simulated study. The optimal progressive censoring plans are also shown, and number of optimality criteria are explored. To demonstrate the applicability of the suggested point and interval estimators, two real data sets are also examined. The outcomes of the simulation study and data analysis demonstrated that the proposed scheme is adaptable and very helpful in ending the experiment when the experimenter’s primary concern is the number of failures.
On Neighborhood Inverse Sum Indeg Energy of Molecular Graphs
Authors: Mondal Sourav , Some Biswajit , Pal Anita , Das Kinkar Chandra
Published: October 2022

The spectral graph theory explores connections between combinatorial features of graphs and algebraic properties of associated matrices. The neighborhood inverse sum indeg (NI) index was recently proposed and explored to be a significant molecular descriptor. Our aim is to investigate the NI index from a spectral standpoint, for which a suitable matrix is proposed. The matrix is symmetric since it is generated from the edge connection information of undirected graphs. A novel graph energy is introduced based on the eigenvalues of that matrix. The usefulness of the energy as a molecular structural descriptor is analyzed by investigating predictive potential and isomer discrimination ability. Fundamental mathematical properties of the present spectrum and energy are investigated. The spectrum of the bipartite class of graphs is identified to be symmetric about the origin of the real line. Bounds of the spectral radius and the energy are explained by identifying the respective extremal graphs.
Large Mask Image Completion with Conditional GAN
Authors: Shao Changcheng , Li Xiaolin , Li Fang , Zhou Yifan
Published: October 2022

Recently, learning-based image completion methods have made encouraging progress on square or irregular masks. The generative adversarial networks (GANs) have been able to produce visually realistic and semantically correct results. However, much texture and structure information will be lost in the completion process. If the missing part is too large to provide useful information, the result will be ambiguity, residual shadow, and object confusion. In order to complete large mask images, we present a novel model using conditional GAN called coarse-to-fine condition GAN (CF CGAN). We use a coarse-to-fine generator with symmetry and new perceptual loss based on VGG-16. The generator is symmetric in structure. For large mask image completion, our method produces visually realistic and semantically correct results. The generalization ability of our model is also excellent. We evaluate our model on the CelebA dataset and use FID, LPIPS, and SSIM as the metrics. Experiments demonstrate superior performance in terms of both quality and reality in free-form image completion.
Orientation of Chiral Molecules by External Electric Fields: Focus on Photodissociation Dynamics
Authors: Tsai Po-Yu , Palazzetti Federico
Published: October 2022

Molecular orientation is a fundamental requirement to study and control photoinitiated reactions. Experimental setups that make use of hexapolar electric filters combined with slice-ion imaging detectors were employed in these last years to investigate the photodissociation dynamics of chiral molecules. The final goal is the on-the-fly discrimination of oriented enantiomers, revealed by the different angular distributions in photofragment ion-imaging, as predicted from vector correlation studies. Here, we review experiments of photodissociation of oriented chiral molecules, with the aim of presenting limits emerging from these investigations and perspectives toward the achievement of the ultimate objective.
Pseudo-Conformal Sound Speed in the Core of Compact Stars
Authors: Rho Mannque
Published: October 2022

By implementing the putative “hadron-quark continuity” conjectured in QCD in terms of skyrmion-half-skyrmion topological change in an effective field theory for dense matter, we argue that (quasi-)baryons could “masquerade” deconfined quarks in the interior of compact stars. We interpret this phenomenon as a consequence of possible interplay between hidden scale symmetry and hidden local symmetry at high density. A surprising spin-off of the emerging symmetry that we call “pseudo-conformality” is that the long-standing puzzle of the quenched gA≈1 in nuclei can be given a simple resolution by the way the hidden symmetries impact nuclear dynamics at low density.
Crowd Density Estimation in Spatial and Temporal Distortion Environment Using Parallel Multi-Size Receptive Fields and Stack Ensemble Meta-Learning
Authors: Assefa Addis Abebe , Tian Wenhong , Hundera Negalign Wake , Aftab Muhammad Umar
Published: October 2022

The estimation of crowd density is crucial for applications such as autonomous driving, visual surveillance, crowd control, public space planning, and warning visually distracted drivers prior to an accident. Having strong translational, reflective, and scale symmetry, models for estimating the density of a crowd yield an encouraging result. However, dynamic scenes with perspective distortions and rapidly changing spatial and temporal domains still present obstacles. The main reasons for this are the dynamic nature of a scene and the difficulty of representing and incorporating the feature space of objects of varying sizes into a prediction model. To overcome the aforementioned issues, this paper proposes a parallel multi-size receptive field units framework that leverages the majority of the CNN layer’s features, allowing for the representation and participation in the model prediction of the features of objects of all sizes. The proposed method utilizes features generated from lower to higher layers. As a result, different object scales can be handled at different framework depths, and various environmental densities can be estimated. However, the inclusion of the vast majority of layer features in the prediction model has a number of negative effects on the prediction’s outcome. Asymmetric non-local attention and the channel weighting module of a feature map are proposed to handle noise and background details and re-weight each channel to make it more sensitive to important features while ignoring irrelevant ones, respectively. While the output predictions of some layers have high bias and low variance, those of other layers have low bias and high variance. Using stack ensemble meta-learning, we combine individual predictions made with lower-layer features and higher-layer features to improve prediction while balancing the tradeoff between bias and variance. The UCF CC 50 dataset and the ShanghaiTech dataset have both been subjected to extensive testing. The results of the experiments indicate that the proposed method is effective for dense distributions and objects of various sizes.
Special Issue on Symmetry in Classical and Fuzzy Algebraic Hypercompositional Structures
Authors: Cristea Irina
Published: October 2022

Symmetry plays a fundamental role in our daily lives and in the study of the structure of different objects in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, architecture, arts, sociology, linguistics, etc [...]
Born to Score? The Relationship between Left-Handedness and Success from the 7-Meter Line
Authors: Laxdal Aron , Ivarsson Andreas , Thorgeirsson Sveinn , Haugen Tommy
Published: October 2022

An asymmetry in the prevalence of left-handedness vs. right-handedness in society has supposedly resulted in negative frequency-dependent advantages for left-handers in interactive sports. The aim of this study was to test whether these advantages apply to handball by examining whether being left-handed is beneficial when executing 7 m shots, a highly unimanual movement. All 1,625 7 m shots at the men’s 2016–2022 European championships were analyzed using a Bayesian two-level analysis. While the results did not indicate that left-handers were more likely to score from any single 7 m shot, left-handers were overrepresented among the designated shooters compared to both the population as a whole (38% vs. 11.6%) and left-handers on any given handball team (38% vs. 25%). The implication here was that handedness plays no role in the outcome of 7 m shots at the world-class level, but handedness does appear to play a role in who becomes a world-class 7 m shooter.
A Digital Media Subscription Management System Combined with Blockchain and Proxy Re-Encryption Mechanisms
Authors: Huang Der-Chen , Liu Ling-Chun , Deng Yong-Yuan , Chen Chin-Ling
Published: October 2022

The subscription economy was born because the relationship between creators and customers is different than it used to be. The era of the creator economy seems to be filled with boundless promise, but at the end of the day, creators are just slaves to tech giants. Neither the control of the content created, nor the money made in their pockets is in complete control of the creator. The blockchain can completely solve these injustices monopolized by enterprises. In the blockchain era, all kinds of creations from music, and video-to-text can be turned into assets that can be purchased and traded through smart contracts. In the music industry, for example, creators do not need to share profits with streaming platforms and record labels and get all the benefits directly. In addition, when the content created is on the chain, every transaction will be recorded on the blockchain, and everyone can inquire about it, avoiding opacity or causing disputes in the future. However, with the structure of the standard blockchain, as long as the registration is successful, each role in the chain will have permanent data access rights, and the flexibility of access control is poor. Therefore, this study proposes a digital media subscription mechanism based on the Hyperledger blockchain architecture combined with proxy re-encryption. We use symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, smart contracts, and algorithms to design our protocol. When the licensee violates the agreement with the creator, the creator can revoke the access rights to the digital media of the licensee at any time, to realize more secure and convenient digital media transmission. The proposed scheme meets various security requirements of blockchain architecture, and we have also applied the BAN logic proof model to evaluate the correctness of the proposed scheme. This study also proposes an arbitration mechanism when the dispute occurs, and performed well in terms of communication and computational costs.
Entropy Correct Spatial Discretizations for 1D Regularized Systems of Equations for Gas Mixture Dynamics
Authors: Zlotnik Alexander , Fedchenko Anna , Lomonosov Timofey
Published: October 2022

One-dimensional regularized systems of equations for the general (multi-velocity and multi-temperature) and one-velocity and one-temperature compressible multicomponent gas mixture dynamics are considered in the absence of chemical reactions. Two types of the regularization are taken. For the latter system, diffusion fluxes between the components of the mixture are taken into account. For both the systems, the important mixture entropy balance equations with non-negative entropy productions are valid. By generalizing a discretization constructed previously in the case of a single-component gas, we suggest new nonstandard symmetric three-point spatial discretizations for both the systems which are not only conservative in mass, momentum, and total energy but also satisfy semi-discrete counterparts of the mentioned entropy balance equations with non-negative entropy productions. Importantly, the basic discretization in the one-velocity and one-temperature case is not constructed directly but by aggregation of the discretization in the case of general mixture, and that is a new approach. In this case, the results of numerical experiments are also presented for contact problems between two different gases for initial pressure jumps up to 2500.
Unravelling the Portuguese Coastal and Transitional Waters’ Microbial Resistome as a Biomarker of Differential Anthropogenic Impact
Authors: Duarte Bernardo , Figueiredo Andreia , Ramalhosa Patrício , Canning-Clode João , Caçador Isabel , Fonseca Vanessa F.
Published: October 2022

Portugal mainland and Atlantic archipelagos (Madeira and Azores) provide a wide array of coastal ecosystems with varying typology and degrees of human pressure, which shape the microbial communities thriving in these habitats, leading to the development of microbial resistance traits. The samples collected on the Portuguese northeast Atlantic coast waters show an unequivocal prevalence of Bacteria over Archaea with a high prevalence of Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. Several taxa, such as the Vibrio genus, showed significant correlations with anthropogenic pollution. These anthropogenic pressures, along with the differences in species diversity among the surveyed sites, lead to observed differences in the presence and resistance-related sequences’ abundance (set of all metal and antibiotic resistant genes and their precursors in pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria). Gene ontology terms such as antibiotic resistance, redox regulation and oxidative stress response were prevalent. A higher number of significant correlations were found between the abundance of resistance-related sequences and pollution, inorganic pressures and density of nearby population centres when compared to the number of significant correlations between taxa abundance at different phylogenetic levels and the same environmental traits. This points towards predominance of the environmental conditions over the sequence abundance rather than the taxa abundance. Our data suggest that the whole resistome profile can provide more relevant or integrative answers in terms of anthropogenic disturbance of the environment, either as a whole or grouped in gene ontology groups, appearing as a promising tool for impact assessment studies which, due to the ubiquity of the sequences across microbes, can be surveyed independently of the taxa present in the samples.
Mechanisms of Action of the Peptide Toxins Targeting Human and Rodent Acid-Sensing Ion Channels and Relevance to Their In Vivo Analgesic Effects
Authors: Verkest Clément , Salinas Miguel , Diochot Sylvie , Deval Emmanuel , Lingueglia Eric , Baron Anne
Published: October 2022

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are voltage-independent H+-gated cation channels largely expressed in the nervous system of rodents and humans. At least six isoforms (ASIC1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3 and 4) associate into homotrimers or heterotrimers to form functional channels with highly pH-dependent gating properties. This review provides an update on the pharmacological profiles of animal peptide toxins targeting ASICs, including PcTx1 from tarantula and related spider toxins, APETx2 and APETx-like peptides from sea anemone, and mambalgin from snake, as well as the dimeric protein snake toxin MitTx that have all been instrumental to understanding the structure and the pH-dependent gating of rodent and human cloned ASICs and to study the physiological and pathological roles of native ASICs in vitro and in vivo. ASICs are expressed all along the pain pathways and the pharmacological data clearly support a role for these channels in pain. ASIC-targeting peptide toxins interfere with ASIC gating by complex and pH-dependent mechanisms sometimes leading to opposite effects. However, these dual pH-dependent effects of ASIC-inhibiting toxins (PcTx1, mambalgin and APETx2) are fully compatible with, and even support, their analgesic effects in vivo, both in the central and the peripheral nervous system, as well as potential effects in humans.
Community Health Nurses’ Perspective on the Introduced Rational Drug Use Policy in Primary Care Settings in Thailand: A Descriptive Qualitative Study
Authors: Intahphuak Sophaphan , Lorga Thaworn , Tipwareerom Worawan
Published: October 2022

Background: To address the problems related to drug resistance and medication safety, the rational drug use (RDU) policy has been implemented in Thailand since 2014. Theoretically, the policy was supposed to bring drastic changes to the way clinicians prescribe medications and its impacts on clinical practice, however, it has not yet been investigated. The study aimed to describe the experience of community health nurses with regard to the impact of RDU policy implementation on their practices. Methods: Focus group interviews and in-depth interviews with community nurses were conducted. Thematic analysis was performed. Results: Five themes emerged from the analysis, namely, (1) a welcome opportunity, (2) RDU as the quality of healthcare, (3) multidisciplinary collaboration, (4) reinventing productive interactions between nurses and patients, and (5) challenges over control of medications prescribed or purchased elsewhere. Conclusions: Implementing RDU in primary care provides opportunities for protecting individual patients and public health as well as safeguarding against professional prescription error. This can be made possible by adopting a systemic approach to changes. Additional educational and organizational support will optimize health professionals’ contribution to the implementation and hence optimal outcomes of this important policy.
Antibody Response to Rotavirus C Pre-Farrow Natural Planned Exposure to Gilts and Their Piglets
Authors: Kumar Deepak , Anderson Amanda V. , Pittman Jeremy , Springer Nora L. , Marthaler Douglas G. , Mwangi Waithaka
Published: October 2022

A longitudinal study was conducted to investigate the dynamics of genotype-specific (G6 and P[5]) antibody response to different doses (3, 2 and 1) of rotavirus C (RVC) natural planned exposure (NPE) in gilt serum, colostrum/milk and piglet serum, and compare with antibody response to rotavirus A NPE (RVA genotypes G4, G5, P[7] and P[23]). G6 and P[5] antigens of RVC were expressed in mammalian and bacterial cells, and used to develop individual indirect ELISAs. For both antigens, group 1 with 3 doses of NPE resulted in significantly higher IgG and IgA levels in colostrum compared to other groups. In piglet serum, group 1 P[5] IgG levels were significantly higher than other study groups at day 0 and 7. Piglet serum had higher IgA levels for group 1 piglets compared to other groups for both antigens. A comparison of colostrum antibody levels to rotavirus A (RVA) and RVC revealed that colostrum RVC IgG and IgA titers were lower than RVA titers irrespective of the G and P-type. Next generation sequencing (NGS) detected same RVC genotypes (G6 and P[5]) circulating in the piglet population under the window of lactogenic immunity. We conclude that the low RVC load in NPE material (real-time PCR Ct-values 32.55, 29.32 and 30.30) failed to induce sufficient maternal immunity in gilts (low colostrum RVC antibody levels) and passively prevent piglets from natural RVC infection in the farrowing room. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study comparing differences in antibody response to porcine RVA and RVC in a commercial setting.
COVID-19 in Infants Less than 3 Months: Severe or Not Severe Disease?
Authors: Dona’ Daniele , Montagnani Carlotta , Di Chiara Costanza , Venturini Elisabetta , Galli Luisa , Lo Vecchio Andrea , Denina Marco , Olivini Nicole , Bruzzese Eugenia , Campana Andrea , Giacchero Roberta , Salvini Filippo , Meini Antonella , Ponzoni Matteo , Trapani Sandra , Rossi Elena , Lombardi Mary Haywood , Badolato Raffaele , Pierri Luca , Pruccoli Giulia , Rossin Sara , Colomba Claudia , Cazzato Salvatore , Pacati Ilaria , Nicolini Giangiacomo , Pierantoni Luca , Bianchini Sonia , Krzysztofiak Andrzej , Garazzino Silvia , Giaquinto Carlo , Castelli Gattinara Guido ,   on behalf of The Italian SITIP-SIP Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Infection Study Group
Published: October 2022

Compared to adults, severe or fatal COVID-19 disease is much less common in children. However, a higher risk for progression has been reported in infants. Different pediatric COVID-19 severity scores are reported in the literature. Methods: Subjects under 90 days of age admitted to 35 Italian institutions for COVID-19 were included. The severity of COVID-19 was scored as mild/moderate or severe/critical following the classification reported in the literature by Venturini, Dong, Kanburoglu, and Gale. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of each classification system, we stratified all enrolled patients developing a posteriori severity score based on clinical presentation and outcomes and then compared all different scores analyzed. Results: We included 216 infants below 90 days of age. The most common symptom was fever, followed by coryza, poor feeding, cough, and gastrointestinal manifestations. According to Venturini, Dong, Kanburoglu, and Gale’s severity scores, 18%, 6%, 4.2%, and 29.6% of infants presented with severe/critical disease, respectively. A correlation analysis between these four scores and the a posteriori severity score assigned to all enrolled subjects was performed, and a crescent strength of correlation from Gale (R = 0.355, p < 0.001) to Venturini (R = 0.425, p < 0.001), Dong (R = 0.734, p < 0.001), and Kanburoglu (R = 0.859, p < 0.001) was observed. Conclusions: The percentage of infants with severe COVID-19 varies widely according to the score systems. A unique clinical score should be designed for neonates and infants with COVID-19.
Antiviral Activity of Ficus rubiginosa Leaf Extracts against HSV-1, HCoV-229E and PV-1
Authors: Dell’Annunziata Federica , Sellitto Carmine , Franci Gianluigi , Marcotullio Maria Carla , Piovan Anna , Della Marca Roberta , Folliero Veronica , Galdiero Massimiliano , Filippelli Amelia , Conti Valeria , Delfino Domenico Vittorio
Published: October 2022

Ficus rubiginosa plant extract showed antimicrobial activity, but no evidence concerning its antiviral properties was reported. The antiviral activity of the methanolic extract (MeOH) and its n-hexane (H) and ethyl acetate (EA) fractions against Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), Human coronavirus (HCoV) -229E, and Poliovirus-1 (PV-1) was investigated in the different phases of viral infection in the VERO CCL-81 cell line. To confirm the antiviral efficacy, a qPCR was conducted. The recorded cytotoxic concentration 50% was 513.1, 298.6, and 56.45 µg/mL for MeOH, H, and EA, respectively, assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay after 72 h of treatment. The Ficus rubiginosa leaf extract inhibited the replication of HSV-1 in the early stages of infection, showing a complete inhibition up to 0.62, 0.31, and 1.25 µg/mL. Against HCoV-229E, a total inhibition up to 1.25 µg/mL for MeOH and H as well as 5 µg/mL for EA was observed. Otherwise, no activity was recorded against PV-1. The leaf extract could act directly on the viral envelope, destructuring the lipid membrane and/or directly blocking the enriched proteins on the viral surface. The verified gene inhibition suggested that the treatments with M, H, and EA impaired HSV-1 and HCoV-229E replication, with a greater antiviral efficiency against HSV-1 compared to HCoV-229E, possibly due to a greater affinity of Ficus rubiginosa towards membrane glycoproteins and/or the different lipid envelopes.
A Review of Vector-Borne Rice Viruses
Authors: Wang Pengyue , Liu Jianjian , Lyu Yajing , Huang Ziting , Zhang Xiaoli , Sun Bingjian , Li Pengbai , Jing Xinxin , Li Honglian , Zhang Chao
Published: October 2022

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the major staple foods for global consumption. A major roadblock to global rice production is persistent loss of crops caused by plant diseases, including rice blast, sheath blight, bacterial blight, and particularly various vector-borne rice viral diseases. Since the late 19th century, 19 species of rice viruses have been recorded in rice-producing areas worldwide and cause varying degrees of damage on the rice production. Among them, southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) and rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) in Asia, rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) in Africa, and rice stripe necrosis virus (RSNV) in America currently pose serious threats to rice yields. This review systematizes the emergence and damage of rice viral diseases, the symptomatology and transmission biology of rice viruses, the arm races between viruses and rice plants as well as their insect vectors, and the strategies for the prevention and control of rice viral diseases.
Pre-Pandemic Cross-Reactive Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 among Central and West African Populations
Authors: Souris Marc , Tshilolo Léon , Parzy Daniel , Lobaloba Ingoba Line , Ntoumi Francine , Kamgaing Rachel , Ndour Moussa , Mbongi Destin , Phoba Balthazar , Tshilolo Marie-Anasthasie , Mbungu René , Sosso Martin Samuel , Fainguem Nadine , Ndiaye Dieye Tandakha , Sylla Massamba , Morand Pierre , Gonzalez Jean-Paul
Published: October 2022

For more than two years after the emergence of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019), significant regional differences in morbidity persist. These differences clearly show lower incidence rates in several regions of the African and Asian continents. The work reported here aimed to test the hypothesis of a pre-pandemic natural immunity acquired by some human populations in central and western Africa, which would, therefore, pose the hypothesis of an original antigenic sin with a virus antigenically close to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To identify such pre-existing immunity, sera samples collected before the emergence of COVID-19 were tested to detect the presence of IgG reacting antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 proteins of major significance. Sera samples from French blood donors collected before the pandemic served as a control. The results showed a statistically significant difference of antibodies prevalence between the collected samples in Africa and the control samples collected in France. Given the novelty of our results, our next step consists in highlighting neutralizing antibodies to evaluate their potential for pre-pandemic protective acquired immunity against SARS-CoV-2. In conclusion, our results suggest that, in the investigated African sub-regions, the tested populations could have been potentially and partially pre-exposed, before the COVID-19 pandemic, to the antigens of a yet non-identified Coronaviruses.
Small-Molecule RAF265 as an Antiviral Therapy Acts against PEDV Infection
Authors: Wang Jing , Tian Wen-Jun , Li Cui-Cui , Zhang Xiu-Zhong , Fan Kai , Li Song-Li , Wang Xiao-Jia
Published: October 2022

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), a member of the family Coronaviridae, causes acute diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and high mortality in newborn piglets, and has caused significant economic losses in the pig industry. There are currently no specific drugs available to treat PEDV. Viruses depend exclusively on the cellular machinery to ensure an efficient replication cycle. In the present study, we found that small-molecule RAF265, an anticancer drug that has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of RAF, reduced viral loads of PEDV by 4 orders of magnitude in Vero cells, and protected piglets from virus challenge. RAF265 reduced PEDV production by mediating cytoskeleton arrangement and targeting the host cell’s translation machinery. Treatment with RAF265 inhibited viral entry of PEDV S-glycoprotein pseudotyped viral vector particle (PEDV-pp), at half maximal effective concentrations (EC50) of 79.1 nM. RAF265 also presented potent inhibitory activity against viral infection by SARS-CoV-2-pp and SARS-CoV-pp. The present work may provide a starting point for further progress toward the development of antiviral strategies effective against coronavirus PEDV.
The Network of Interactions between the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Nucleocapsid and Host Cellular Proteins
Authors: Zhou Jianwei , Qiu Yonghui , Zhao Jie , Wang Yongxia , Zhu Ning , Wang Dedong , Cui Yongqiu , Guo Jinshuo , Sun Tong , Ji Ying , Wu Zhi , Zeng Penghui , Li Jingyi , Feng Xufei , Hou Lei , Liu Jue
Published: October 2022

Host–virus protein interactions are critical for intracellular viral propagation. Understanding the interactions between cellular and viral proteins may help us develop new antiviral strategies. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a highly contagious coronavirus that causes severe damage to the global swine industry. Here, we employed co-immunoprecipitation and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to characterize 426 unique PEDV nucleocapsid (N) protein-binding proteins in infected Vero cells. A protein–protein interaction network (PPI) was created, and gene ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database analyses revealed that the PEDV N-bound proteins belong to different cellular pathways, such as nucleic acid binding, ribonucleoprotein complex binding, RNA methyltransferase, and polymerase activities. Interactions of the PEDV N protein with 11 putative proteins: tripartite motif containing 21, DEAD-box RNA helicase 24, G3BP stress granule assembly factor 1, heat shock protein family A member 8, heat shock protein 90 alpha family class B member 1, YTH domain containing 1, nucleolin, Y-box binding protein 1, vimentin, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1, and karyopherin subunit alpha 1, were further confirmed by in vitro co-immunoprecipitation assay. In summary, studying an interaction network can facilitate the identification of antiviral therapeutic strategies and novel targets for PEDV infection.
SARS-CoV-2 Variant-Specific Infectivity and Immune Profiles Are Detectable in a Humanized Lung Mouse Model
Authors: Di Yunyun , Lew Jocelyne , Goncin Una , Radomska Anna , Rout Saurav S. , Gray Bridget E. T. , Machtaler Steven , Falzarano Darryl , Lavender Kerry J.
Published: October 2022

Small animal models that accurately model pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 variants are required for ongoing research efforts. We modified our human immune system mouse model to support replication of SARS-CoV-2 by implantation of human lung tissue into the mice to create TKO-BLT-Lung (L) mice and compared infection with two different variants in a humanized lung model. Infection of TKO-BLT-L mice with SARS-CoV-2 recapitulated the higher infectivity of the B.1.1.7 variant with more animals becoming infected and higher sustained viral loads compared to mice challenged with an early B lineage (614D) virus. Viral lesions were observed in lung organoids but no differences were detected between the viral variants as expected. Partially overlapping but distinct immune profiles were also observed between the variants with a greater Th1 profile in VIDO-01 and greater Th2 profile in B.1.1.7 infection. Overall, the TKO-BLT-L mouse supported SARS-CoV-2 infection, recapitulated key known similarities and differences in infectivity and pathogenesis as well as revealing previously unreported differences in immune responses between the two viral variants. Thus, the TKO-BLT-L model may serve as a useful animal model to study the immunopathobiology of newly emerging variants in the context of genuine human lung tissue and immune cells.
Impact of Technological Changes and Taxi Market Regulation on the Taxi Vehicle Fleets—The Case Study of Slovakia
Authors: Čulík Kristián , Hrudkay Karol , Kalašová Alica , Štefancová Vladimíra , Nedeliaková Eva
Published: October 2022

This paper aims to analyze the recent development of taxi services in Slovakia on two levels. The first is the area of technological change, which includes the use of digital platforms for the closing of the contract between the passenger and the taxi operator. The second level of perspective is the legislative change. Commonly used taxi digital platforms (applications) have started to require a taxi concession from self-employed drivers, and many other requirements. We will also analyze the issue of value-added tax. This article processes quantitative data on the number of valid taxi concessions. The data were obtained from the unified information system in road transport and supplemented with other statistical inputs. The article describes the distribution of more than 6819 issued concessions in individual regions and analyzes 12,477 taxi vehicles registered in these licenses for operating a taxi service. This article also includes the numbers of performed technical and emission inspections of taxi vehicles. With these data, it is possible to prove a sharp increase in interest in the concession due to the introduction of digital applications. A significant change in business conditions in this area can lead to an increase in the number of businesses by 70% in larger cities, while the issue of sustainability is questionable. In the last part, the article also deals with the issue of electromobility, and environmental aspects connected with taxi legislation changes.
Prediction of the Effect of Methylation in the Promoter Region of ZP2 Gene on Egg Production in Jinghai Yellow Chickens
Authors: Zhang Jin , Zhang Xiang-Qian , Ling Xuan-Ze , Zhao Xiu-Hua , Zhou Kai-Zhi , Wang Jin-Yu , Zhang Gen-Xi
Published: October 2022

Egg production in chickens is a quantitative trait. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of promoter methylation of the Zona pellucida 2 (ZP2) gene on egg production. Real-time fluorescence quantification showed that the expression of the ZP2 gene in the ovaries of 300-day-old Jinghai yellow chickens in the high-laying group was significantly higher than that in the low-laying group (p < 0.01). A series of deletion fragments of the ZP2 gene promoter in Jinghai yellow chickens had different promoter activities in DF-1 cells, and the core region of the ZP2 gene promoter was found to be between −1552 and −1348. Four CpG islands in the promoter region of the ZP2 gene were detected by software prediction. The overall degree of methylation of the ZP2-1 amplified fragment was negatively correlated with mRNA expression to some extent (R = −0.197); the overall degree of methylation of the ZP2-2 amplified fragment was also negatively correlated with mRNA expression to some extent (R = −0.264), in which the methylation of methylcytosine (mC)-9, mC-20, and mC-21 sites was significantly negatively correlated with mRNA expression (p < 0.05). In addition, the mC-20 and mC-21 sites are located on the Sp1 transcription factor binding site, and it is speculated that these two sites may be the main sites for regulating transcription. In summary, the methylation sites mC-20 and mC-21 of the ZP2 gene may inhibit the binding of Sp1 and DNA, affect the transcription of the ZP2 gene, and then affect the number of eggs produced by the Jinghai yellow chickens.
Concentrations and Retention Efficiency of Tire Wear Particles from Road Runoff in Bioretention Cells
Authors: Mengistu Demmelash , Coutris Claire , Paus Kim Aleksander Haukeland , Heistad Arve
Published: October 2022

Bioretention cells are popular stormwater management systems for controlling peak runoff and improving runoff water quality. A case study on a functional large-scale bioretention cell and a laboratory column experiment was conducted to evaluate the concentrations and retention efficiency of bioretention cells towards tire wear particles (TWP). The presence of TWP was observed in all soil fractions (<50 µm, 50–100 µm, 100–500 µm, and >500 µm) of the functional bioretention cell. TWP concentrations were higher (30.9 ± 4.1 mg/g) close to the inlet to the bioretention cell than 5 m away (19.8 ± 2.4 mg/g), demonstrating the influence of the bioretention cell design. The column experiment showed a high retention efficiency of TWP (99.6 ± 0.5%) in engineered soil consisting of sand, silty-sand, and garden waste compost. This study confirmed that bioretention cells built with engineered soil effectively retained TWP > 25 µm in size, demonstrating their potential as control measures along roads.
Content and Speciation of Phosphorus in Lake Kórnickie
Authors: Janicka Ewelina , Kanclerz Jolanta , Wiatrowska Katarzyna
Published: October 2022

This paper presents the speciation of phosphorus in bottom sediments and its spatial variability in Lake Kórnickie. This study provides a quantitative determination of the abundance and chemical speciation of P and potential P-release rates from Lake Kórnickie. Phosphorus (P) is an important macronutrient that can limit primary productivity in fresh water ecosystems. The study was conducted during the hydrological years 2016–2018. The speciation analysis was carried out using Visual Minteq software. The predominant form of orthophosphate (V) in the waters of Lake Kórnickie was the HPO42− anion, which was related to the reaction of the studied waters. Conditions favoring the precipitation of orthophosphates to hydroxyapatite, aragonite, and calcite prevailed in the lake waters. No cyclic periods of deposition of minerals and release of phosphorus from bottom sediments were observed and, for most of the study period, the lake acted as a “trap” for phosphorus at point JK1. The findings of this study suggest that the internal sedimentary P loading contributes substantial bioavailable P to the water column at one of sampling points (JK2). The accumulation of phosphorus in bottom sediments meant that the lake restoration processes carried out in various lakes may not have had the intended results. At the same time, bottom sediments can be a secondary source of pollution of river waters with this element despite the reduction of inflow from the catchment area of this element.
A New Optical Method for Quantitative Detection of Microplastics in Water Based on Real-Time Fluorescence Analysis
Authors: Nicolai Eleonora , Pizzoferrato Roberto , Li Yuliu , Frattegiani Simona , Nucara Alessandro , Costa Giulia
Published: October 2022

Microplastics (MPs) have recently emerged as a new major and ubiquitous environmental pollutant with still undefined, yet potentially high risks for human health and ecosystems. This has prompted growing public concern along with an increasing number of scientific studies. In particular, recent research has highlighted the need for a standardized methodology to monitor microplastics in different media, particularly in water. This study reports on the use of a new particle counter for the quantitative detection of MPs in water samples based on real-time analysis of fluorescence emissions. The instrument was calibrated using two types of plastic particles, i.e., polyvinyl chloride and high-density polyethylene, selected as examples of high- and low-density plastics, respectively. Specific solvents were used to match the different plastic densities. Measurements were also carried out on particles obtained from wastewater samples collected at the inlet and outlet of specific units of a municipal wastewater treatment plant after sieving, filtering, digestion with hydrogen peroxide to remove degradable organic matter and resuspension in the solvents employed during the calibration step. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis performed on the same wastewater samples confirmed the presence of MPs, and, in particular, of polyethylene, in some of the samples in which the highest concentrations were measured applying the proposed method. Therefore, the novel particle counter described in this paper could represent a promising method to quantitatively measure MP concentrations in water samples.
Analysis of Floating Macroalgae Distribution around Japan Using Global Change Observation Mission-Climate/Second-Generation Global Imager Data
Authors: Taniguchi Naokazu , Sakuno Yuji , Sun Haoran , Song Shilin , Shimabukuro Hiromori , Hori Masakazu
Published: October 2022

Floating macroalgae information is required to manage coastal environments and fishery resources effectively. In situ observations and analyses can result in under-sampling, thereby challenging the comprehension of the floating macroalgae abundance and spatiotemporal alterations. This study reports the spatiotemporal variation of floating macroalgae distribution around Japan from 2018 to 2021 using Global Change Observation Mission-Climate/second-generation Global Imager data. We employed the floating algae index (FAI) scaled from local ocean FAI to minimize the effect of spatial variation in ocean color. Fractional macroalgae coverage in a pixel was determined using a linear unmixing algorithm with lower and upper thresholds. The lower threshold was determined using the cumulative frequency of the scaled FAI, and the upper threshold was modified based on the more precise Sentinel-2 data. The results revealed that monthly macroalgae coverage varies spatially and seasonally, peaking in the spring and summer in the southwestern area. The macroalgae distribution particularly expanded from the East China Sea to west Japan during spring. In 2018–2021, the total biomass of the offshore floating macroalgae was estimated to be 8880–133,790, 8460–141,900, 3910–70,380, and 4620–61,870 tons. The findings of this study validated the empirical knowledge about specific locations and can serve as a reference to analyze temporal and spatial variations in future studies.
Learning from Floods—How a Community Develops Future Resilience
Authors: Auliagisni Widi , Wilkinson Suzanne , Elkharboutly Mohamed
Published: October 2022

Settlements close to rivers, the sea, and hills are among those most vulnerable to floods. The hilly terrain region experiences higher rainfall than the lowlands due to the orographic effect. As a result, excessive rains feeding major rivers cause a rapid rise in water level resulting in frequent breaks of the riverbanks. The flood hence covers the inhabited lowlands with water and silt, causing loss of lives and properties. The affected communities need practical coping alternatives to deal with the intensity and the increasing exposure to floods. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG6) identify the sustainable management of water and sanitation as one of their key objectives. This study identifies resilience in practice focusing on how communities create resilience and develop sustainable river catchment management. A qualitative method was used, involving observations, interviews, and community surveys with one of the most flood-prone populations, the New Zealand Northland community. A desktop study containing government publications and flood records compliments the thematic analysis result and strengthens the discussions. Social connections, participation in self-protection training, and maintaining the catchment were among the main findings of the study. This study recommends for community-led response plans integrated with infrastructure improvements and collaboration with councils to reduce the risk of future floods.
Energy Optimization Techniques in Underwater Internet of Things: Issues, State-of-the-Art, and Future Directions
Authors: Kesari Mary Delphin Raj , Ko Eunbi , Yoon Dong Jin , Shin Soo-Young , Park Soo-Hyun
Published: October 2022

The underwater internet of things (UIoT) has emerged as a booming technology in today’s digital world due to the enhancement of a wide range of underwater applications concerning ocean exploration, deep-sea monitoring, underwater surveillance, diver network monitoring, location and object tracking, etc. Generally, acoustic, infrared (IR), visible light (VL), radiofrequency (RF), and magnet induction (MI) are used as the medium of communication in order to transfer information among digitally linked underwater devices. However, each communication medium has its advantages and limitations: for example, the acoustic communication medium is suitable for long-range data transmission but has challenges such as narrow bandwidth, long delay, and high cost, etc., and the optical medium is suitable for short-range data transmission but has challenges such as high attenuation, and optical scattering due to water particles, etc. Furthermore, UIoT devices are operated using batteries with limited capacity and high energy consumption; hence, energy consumption is considered as one of the most significant challenges in UIoT networks. Therefore, to support reliable and energy-efficient communication in UIoT networks, it is necessary to adopt robust energy optimization techniques for UIoT networks. Hence, this paper focuses on identifying the various issues concerning energy optimization in the underwater internet of things and state-of-the-art contributions relevant to inducement techniques of energy optimization in the underwater internet of things; that provides a systematic literature review (SLR) on various power-saving and optimization techniques of UIoT networks since 2010, along with core applications, and research gaps. Finally, future directions are proposed based on the analysis of various energy optimization issues and techniques of UIoT networks. This research contributes much to the profit of researchers and developers to build smart, energy-efficient, auto-rechargeable, and battery-less communication systems for UIoT networks.