bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intelligent Analysis Cloud Platform for Soil Moisture-Nutrients-Salinity Content Based on Quantitative Remote Sensing
Authors: Zhang Teng , Zhang Yong , Wang Ao , Wang Ruilin , Chen Hongyan , Liu Peng
Published: December 2022

Quickly obtaining accurate soil quality information is the premise for accurate agricultural production and increased crop yield. With the development of the digital information industry, smart agriculture has become a new trend in agricultural development and there is increasing demand for efficiently and intelligently acquiring good soil quality information. Scientists worldwide have developed many remote sensing quantitative inversion models, which need to be systematized and intelligent for agricultural personnel to enjoy the dividends of information technology such as 3S (remote sensing, geographic information system, and global navigation satellite system) techniques. Accordingly, to meet the need of farmers, agricultural managers, and agricultural researchers to acquire timely information on regional soil quality, in this paper, we designed a cloud platform for inversion analysis of moisture, nutrient, salinity, and other important soil quality indicators. The platform was developed using ArcGIS (The software is produced by the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. of America in Redlands, CL, USA) and GeoScene (The software is produced by GeoScene Information Technology Co.,Ltd., Beijing, China) software, with Java and JavaScript as programing languages and SQL Server as the database management system with a PC client, a web client, and a mobile app. On the basis of the existing quantitative remote sensing models, the platform realizes mapping functions, intelligent inversion of soil moisture–nutrient–salinity (SMNS) content, data analysis mining, soil knowledge base, platform management, and so on. It can help different users acquire, manage, and analyze data and make decisions based on the data. In addition, the platform can customize model parameters according to regional characteristics, improving analysis accuracy and expanding the application area. Overall, the platform employs 3S techniques, Internet technology, and mobile communication technology synthetically and realizes intelligent inversion and decision analysis of significant soil quality information, such as moisture–nutrient–salinity content. This platform has been applied to the analysis of soil indicators in several areas and has produced good operational results and benefits. This study will enable rapid data analysis and provide technical support for regional agriculture production, contributing to the development of smart agriculture.
NMVOC Emissions from Solvents Use in Greece: Monitoring and Assessment
Authors: Sebos Ioannis , Kallinikos Leonidas
Published: December 2022

The use of solvents and other volatile organic chemicals is a significant source of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs) emissions. Due to the wide spectrum of applications of solvents and numerous locations where these occur, the estimation of NMVOCs emissions can be challenging. The aim of this paper is to present the methodological framework used in Greece for the estimation of NMVOCs emissions. It covers processes and products that use solvents and other volatile organic chemicals in several industries, as well as in households. The framework is based both on existing methods found in the literature and on new emission factors developed in order to reflect the mitigation potential of EU Directives and national legislation aiming at the reduction of NMVOCs emissions. The developed framework was used to forecast future NMVOCs emissions and assess the implemented mitigation actions. Results were verified by comparison with solvent emission estimates from the European Solvent Industry Group.
CSIP-Net: Convolutional Satellite Image Prediction Network for Meteorological Satellite Infrared Observation Imaging
Authors: Jiang Yuhang , Cheng Wei , Gao Feng , Zhang Shaoqing , Liu Chang , Sun Jingzhe
Published: December 2022

Geosynchronous satellite observation images have the advantages of a wide observation range and high temporal resolution, which are critical for understanding atmospheric motion and change patterns. The realization of geosynchronous satellite observation image prediction will provide significant support for short-term forecasting, including precipitation forecasting. Here, this paper proposes a deep learning method for predicting satellite observation images that can perform the task of predicting satellite observation sequences. In the study of predicting the observed images for Band 9 of the FY-4A satellite, the average mean square error of the network’s 2-h prediction is 4.77 Kelvin. The network’s predictive performance is the best among multiple deep learning models. We also used the model to predict Bands 10–14 of the FY-4A satellite and combined the multi-band prediction results. To test the application potential of the network prediction performance, we ran a precipitation area detection task on the multi-band prediction results. After 2 h of prediction, the detection results from satellite infrared images still achieved an accuracy of 0.855.
Deterministic–Probabilistic Prediction of Forest Fires from Lightning Activity Taking into Account Aerosol Emissions
Authors: Baranovskiy Nikolay Viktorovich , Vyatkina Viktoriya Andreevna , Chernyshov Aleksey Mikhailovich
Published: December 2022

Forest fires arise from anthropogenic load and lightning activity. The formation of a thunderstorm front is due to the influence of a number of factors, including the emission of aerosol particles from forest fires. The purpose of this study is mathematical modeling of heat and mass transfer in vegetation firebrand carried out from a forest fire front, taking into account the formation of soot particles to predict forest fire danger from thunderstorm activity. Research objectives: (1) development of a deterministic mathematical model of heat and mass transfer in a pyrolyzed firebrand of vegetation, taking into account soot formation; (2) development of a probabilistic criterion for assessing forest fire danger from thunderstorms, taking into account aerosol emissions; (3) scenario modeling of heat and mass transfer and the formation of a thunderstorm front; (4) and the formulation of conclusions and proposals for the practical application of the developed deterministic–probabilistic approach to the prediction of forest fires from thunderstorms, taking into account aerosol emissions. The novelty of this study lies in the development of a new model of heat and mass transfer in a pyrolyzed vegetation firebrand and a new probabilistic criterion for forest fire danger due to thunderstorm activity, taking into account aerosol emission. The distributions of temperature and volume fractions of phases in a firebrand are obtained for various scenarios. Scenarios of surface fires, crown forest fires, and a fire storm are considered for typical types of coniferous vegetation. Cubic firebrands are considered in the approximation of a two-dimensional mathematical model. To describe the heat and mass transfer in the firebrand structure, a differential heat conduction equation is used with the corresponding initial and boundary conditions, taking into account the kinetic scheme of pyrolysis and soot formation. Variants of using the developed mathematical model and probabilistic criterion in the practice of protecting forests from fires are proposed. Key findings: (1) linear deterministic–probabilistic mathematical model to assess forest fire occurrence probability taking into account aerosol emission and lightning activity; (2) results of mathematical modeling of heat and mass transfer in firebrand taking into account soot formation; (3) and results of scenario modeling of forest fire occurrence probability for different conditions of lightning activity and aerosol emission.
Contribution of Cold Starts to Real-World Trip Emissions for Light-Duty Gasoline Vehicles
Authors: Hu Jiangchuan , Frey H. Christopher , Boroujeni Behdad Yazdani
Published: December 2022

For catalytic converter-equipped light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDGV), the hot-stabilized tailpipe emissions for pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are well controlled. However, there are few reported real-world measurements of cold starts. Idling cold start and hot-stabilized trip exhaust emissions were measured for 37 LDGVs using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS). Five vehicles were also measured for transient driving cold starts. On average, it took approximately 400, 150, 330, and 120 s to accumulate 90 percent of the idle cold start increments for fuel use, CO, HC, and NOx, respectively. Driving cold start increments were substantially higher than idling cold start increments, whereas cold start duration was typically shorter. For example, driving cold start contributed approximately 64%, 68%, 58%, and 4.5% of the trip total CO, HC, NOx, and carbon dioxide (CO2), respectively. This study is unique in quantifying the cold start contribution on a trip basis with real-world data. Although the cold start increment is sensitive to driving compared to idling, in either case, cold starts contribute substantially to total exhaust mass emissions. Furthermore, driver decisions regarding driving versus idle can substantially affect the contribution of cold starts, especially for CO and NOx.
Prediction of a Pilot’s Invisible Foe: The Severe Low-Level Wind Shear
Authors: Khattak Afaq , Chan Pak-Wai , Chen Feng , Peng Haorong
Published: December 2022

Severe low-level wind shear (S-LLWS) in the vicinity of airport runways (25 knots or more) is a growing concern for the safety of civil aviation. By comprehending the causes of S-LLWS events, aviation safety can be enhanced. S-LLWS is a rare occurrence, but it is hazardous for approaching and departing aircraft. This study introduced the self-paced ensemble (SPE) framework and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) interpretation system for the classification, prediction, and interpretation of LLWS severity. Doppler LiDAR- and PIREPs-based LLWS data from Hong Kong International Airport were obtained, trained, and evaluated to predict LLWS severity. The SPE framework was also compared to state-of-the-art tree-based models, including light gradient boosting machine, adaptive boosting, and classification and regression tree models. The SPE does not require prior data treatment; however, SMOTE-ENN was utilized to treat highly imbalanced LLWS training data for tree-based models. In terms of prediction performance, the SPE framework outperforms all tree-based models. Using SHAP analysis, the SPE was interpreted. It was determined that “runway 25LD”, “mean hourly temperature”, and “mean wind speed” were the most significant contributors to the occurrence of S-LLWS. The most optimistic projections for the occurrence of S-LLWS events at runway 25LD were during periods of low-to-moderate temperatures and relatively medium-to-high wind speeds. Similarly, the majority of S-LLWS events took place on the runway. Without the need for data augmentation during preprocessing, the SPE framework coupled with the SHAP interpretation system could be utilized effectively for the prediction and interpretation of LLWS severity. This study is an invaluable resource for aviation policymakers and air traffic safety analysts.
Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of Diurnal Temperature Range: Russian Far East as a Case Study
Authors: Grigorieva Elena
Published: December 2022

Short-term fluctuations in air temperature, called the daily temperature range (DTR), or its daily amplitude, have a strong impact on ecosystems, as well as on the health and well-being of people. The pronounced effect of DTR on mortality from all causes and especially on cardiovascular mortality is well documented in the scientific literature, but little is known about spatial, inter-annual, and inter-seasonal fluctuations of DTR in the Russian Far East (RFE), an area with high annual dynamics of air temperature. Data from 99 weather stations for the period from 2000 to 2019 was used to evaluate spatial and temporal DTR patterns at the RFE. A higher DTR, up to 16 °C in Toko on the border with Sakha (Yakutia) as a mean for the entire period, is typical for continental areas further to the north. Lower values are observed at continental weather stations in the south and in coastal climates (4.7 °C in Mys Alevina, Magadan Region). In general, a distinct seasonal change in DTR was found for continental locations with a significant difference from month to month throughout the year. On the annual cycle, the maximum DTR at the continental northern stations is observed in April and June–July, and at the continental southern areas in February; the minimum DTR is shown in November and December. The DTR ranges as much as from 6 °C in December to 17 °C in April in the continental Korkodon in the far north. Locations with a marine climate are characterized by a smoothed seasonal change in DTR, with obvious peaks in February–March and October, and a minimum in July–August. The downward trend in DTR for the period from 2000 to 2019, up to −0.7 °C in coastal Bolsheretsk, is based on a faster increase in the minimum daily temperature compared to the maximum, which is typical for most weather stations at the RFE and is known worldwide as a diurnal asymmetry of global warming. At the same time, an increase in the daily amplitude of air temperature (up to +0.6 °C in continental Dolinovka) was found for some localities, associated with a higher positive trend of maximum temperatures, which contradicts global patterns.
Resilience of Pinus durangensis Martínez in Extreme Drought Periods: Vertical and Horizontal Response of Tree Rings
Authors: Cabral-Alemán Citlalli , Villanueva-Díaz José , Quiñonez-Barraza Gerónimo , Gómez-Guerrero Armando
Published: December 2022

Extreme drought events reduce the productivity of forest ecosystems. One approach for estimating the effects of drought on forests is by assessing their resilience. The objective of this study was to estimate resilience rates at different heights along the tree stem of Pinus durangensis Martínez. The radial growth of 200 cross sections extracted at four heights of tree stems (0.07–0.15, 1.3, 6.3, and 11.0–12.0 m) was analyzed and subsequently transformed into ring-width indices (RWI). These indices were correlated with the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index on a six-month time scale (accumulated drought of six months in the period February–May; SPEI06FM). Seven extreme drought events were identified (1890, 1902, 1956, 1974, 1999, 2006, 2011), and radial growth before, during, and after each event was determined. Based on ring-width index values, resistance, recovery, and resilience indices were calculated. The results indicated a significant correlation (p ≤ 0.05) between annual radial increment and climate indices along the stem (0.56 to 0.80). Climatic sensitivity was higher in the lower part of the stem, with mean sensitivity (MS) and expressed population signal (EPS) values of 0.38 and 0.97, respectively. Resistance index values ranged from 0.44 to 0.76 and were better expressed in higher sections of the stem. Resilience indices changed over time. Regardless of the height of the tree stem, the latest extreme drought events (1999, 2006, and 2011) have led to a lower resilience of trees, indicating that their recovery capacity has decreased. Therefore, forestry practices in the study area may consider managing tree density as a strategy to regulate the stress in competition and to increase the tolerance of trees to drought.
A Comparative Study on the Vertical Structures and Microphysical Properties of a Mixed Precipitation Process over Different Topographic Positions of the Liupan Mountains in Northwest China
Authors: He Ying , Shu Zhiliang , Zheng Jiafeng , Jia Xingcan , Qiu Yujun , Deng Peiyun , Yan Xue , Lin Tong , Dang Zhangli , Lu Chunsong
Published: December 2022

A field campaign in Liupan Mountains was carried out by the Weather Modification Center of the China Meteorological Administration to study the impact of terrain on precipitation in Northwest China. The vertical structures and microphysical characteristics of a mixed cloud and precipitation process, which means stratiform clouds with embedded convection, over three topographic positions of the Liupan Mountains, namely, the Longde (LD, located on the windward slope), Liupan (LP, located on the mountain top), and Dawan sites (DW, located on the leeward slope), are compared using measurements from ground-based cloud radar (CR), micro rain radar (MRR), and disdrometer (OTT). The 17 h process is classified into cumulus mixed (1149 min), shallow (528 min), and stratiform (570 min) cloud and precipitation stages. Among them, the vertical structures over the three sites are relatively similar in the third stage, while the differences, mainly in cloud-top heights (CTHs) and rain rates (Rs), are significant in the second stage due to the strong instability. Overall, the characteristics of higher concentrations and smaller diameters of raindrops are found in this study, especially at the LP site. Topographic forcing makes the microphysical and dynamic processes of mountaintop clouds and precipitation more intense. The updrafts are the strongest at the LP, caused by orographic uplifting, and the DW is dominated by the downdrafts due to the topography impact on the dynamic structure. Meanwhile, particle falling velocities (Vts) and downdrafts rapidly increase within 0.6 km near the ground over the LP, forming positive feedback, and the collision–coalescence process is dominant.
Impact of Assimilating Conventional Observations on Short-Term Nearshore Wind Forecast over the East China Sea
Authors: Dong Xue , Tang Xiaowen , Tang Jiajia , Zhao Shengxiao , Lu Yanyan , Chen Xiaofeng
Published: December 2022

This study investigates the impact of assimilating conventional weather observations on the wind forecast over the nearshore region of the East China Sea. Multi-level wind measurements in the boundary layer from five masts near the coast were used to verify the numerical model forecasts. Four numerical experiments with a rapid update cycle were performed to forecast the wind field over the masts. The observation shows that the characteristics of the wind field are distinct between the onshore and offshore masts. The numerical forecasts were able to reproduce the main features of the observed wind field both onshore and offshore. However, the wind forecasts of the offshore masts showed larger BIAS and MAE than those onshore. The forecast skill was shown to be sensitive to different weather events and the choice of control variables in the assimilation. The use of new momentum control variables allows a smaller observation-minus-analysis field compared with the traditional control variables, and the resultant wind forecast showed significant improvements. Further tuning of the new control variable scheme showed little improvement of the wind forecast which demonstrates the importance of maintaining the balance between large-scale and small-scale fields in the analysis. The larger forecast error at the offshore masts was likely due to the distribution of conventional observations and the uncertainties in representing the marine boundary layer in numerical models.
Vestibular Migraine versus Méniere’s Disease: Diagnostic Utility of Electrocochleography
Authors: Tabet Paul , Elblidi Ahlem , Saliba Issam
Published: December 2022

Objectives: The diagnostic criteria for vestibular migraine (VM) and Méniere’s disease (MD) present an important overlap, which leads to a difficult diagnosis in patients presenting with headache, vertigo, hearing loss, ear fullness, and tinnitus. The objective of our study is to determine whether the area-under-the-curve ratio of the summating potentials (SP) and action potentials (AP) curves on electrocochleography (ECoG) helps differentiate VM from MD with or without the use of the well-established clinical criteria. Method: A retrospective review of patients filling either VM or MD criteria was undertaken between September 2015 and December 2018. All patients underwent ECoG before the introduction of anti-migraine therapy. The prediction of symptom improvement between the clinical criteria and ECoG results was compared by using the Vertigo Symptom Scale. Results: In total, 119 patients were included. An overlap of 36% exists between patients filling VM and MD criteria. Clinical criteria alone did not demonstrate a significant prediction of symptom response to anti-migraine therapy (VM 83%, MD 51%; p = 0.10). However, ECoG results alone did demonstrate adequate prediction (VM 94%, MD 32%; p < 0.001). A negative ECoG result combined with the clinical criteria of VM (100% symptom improvement) was shown to be more predictive of treatment response when compared to clinical criteria alone (83% symptom improvement) (p = 0.017). Finally, when used in patients filling both the VM and MD criteria (VMMD), ECoG was able to predict symptom improvement, thus better differentiating both diseases (normal ECoG: 95%, abnormal ECoG 29%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Combining VM criteria with normal ECoG using the AUC ratio seems superior in predicting adequate symptom improvement than VM criteria alone.
Convergence of Inexact Iterates of Monotone Nonexpansive Mappings with Summable Errors
Authors: Reich Simeon , Zaslavski Alexander J.
Published: December 2022

In our 2006 paper with D. Butnariu, it was shown that the convergence of iterates of a nonexpansive self-mapping of a complete metric space is stable in the presence of summable computational errors. In the present paper, we establish such results for monotone nonexpansive mappings.
New Classes of Degenerate Unified Polynomials
Authors: Bedoya Daniel , Cesarano Clemente , Díaz Stiven , Ramírez William
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we introduce a class of new classes of degenerate unified polynomials and we show some algebraic and differential properties. This class includes the Appell-type classical polynomials and their most relevant generalizations. Most of the results are proved by using generating function methods and we illustrate our results with some examples.
Conditional Expanding of Functions by q-Lidstone Series
Authors: Al-Towailb Maryam , Mansour Zeinab S. I.
Published: December 2022

This paper characterizes those functions given by convergent q-Lidstone series expansion. We give the necessary and sufficient conditions so that the entire function f(z) has such an expansion, in which case convergence is uniform on compact sets.
Pitch Control of Wind Turbine Blades Using Fractional Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Karami-Mollaee Ali , Barambones Oscar
Published: December 2022

To achieve the maximum power from wind in variable-speed regions of wind turbines (WTs), a suitable control signal should be applied to the pitch angle of the blades. However, the available uncertainty in the modeling of WTs complicates calculations of these signals. To cope with this problem, an optimal controller is suitable, such as particle swarm optimization (PSO). To improve the performance of the controller, fractional order PSO (FPSO) is proposed and implemented. In order to construct this approach for a two-mass WT, we propose a new state feedback, which was first applied to the turbine. The idea behind this state feedback was based on the Taylor series. Then, a linear model with uncertainty was obtained with a new input control signal. Thereafter, the conventional PSO (CPSO) and FPSO were used as optimal controllers for the resulting linear model. Finally, a comparison was performed between CPSO and FPSO and the fuzzy Takagi–Sugeno–Kang (TSK) inference system. The provided comparison demonstrates the advantages of the Taylor series with combination to these controllers. Notably, without the state feedback, CPSO, FPSO, and TSK fuzzy systems cannot stabilize WTs in tracking the desired trajectory.
Population Genomic Evidence for the Diversification of Bellamya aeruginosa in Different River Systems in China
Authors: Zeng Qianqian , Sun Yaxian , Zhong Hui , Yang Conghui , Qin Qinbo , Gu Qianhong
Published: December 2022

Clarifying the genetic structure can facilitate the understanding of a species evolution history. It is crucial for the management of germplasm resources and providing useful guidance for effective selective breeding. Bellamya is an economically and ecologically important freshwater snail for fish, birds and even humans. Population genetic structures of the Bellamya species, however, were unknown in previous studies. Population genomics approaches with tens to hundreds of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) make it possible to detect previously unidentified structures. The population genomic study of seven populations of B. aeruginosa across three river systems (Yellow River, Yangtze River and Pearl River) in China was conducted by SLAF-seq. SLAF-seq obtained a total of 4737 polymorphisms SLAF-tags and 25,999 high-consistency genome-wide SNPs. The population genetic structure showed a clear division among populations from the Yellow River basin (YH and WL) and the Pearl River basin (QSH and LB), as well as population YC from the Yangtze River basin using the SNPs data. However, there existed no distinct population structure using the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The anthropogenic translocation from the Yangtze River basin to the Pearl River basin and the passive dispersion from the Yangtze River basin to the Yellow River basin by flooding have weakened the phylogeographic pattern of B. aeruginosa. The divergence of B. aeruginosa in the three river systems suggests that the anthropogenic dispersal for aquaculture and breeding requires serious consideration of the population structure for the preservation of genetic diversity and effective utilization of germplasm resources.
Phylogeography of the Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus (Brachyura: Portunidae) in the Americas versus the Mediterranean Sea: Determining Origins and Genetic Connectivity of a Large-Scale Invasion
Authors: Schubart Christoph D. , Deli Temim , Mancinelli Giorgio , Cilenti Lucrezia , Gil Fernández Alberto , Falco Silvia , Berger Selina
Published: December 2022

The American blue crab Callinectes sapidus is a particularly successful invader in estuarine ecosystems worldwide. Despite increasing awareness of its potential harm, the invasion history and underlying genetic diversity of this species within the Mediterranean Sea remain unknown. This study constitutes the first large-scale approach to study phylogeographic patterns of C. sapidus in Europe, facilitated by the first comparison of all currently available COI sequence data. For this investigation, 71 individuals of C. sapidus were newly analyzed and the entire COI gene was sequenced and used for a comparative phylogeographic analyses. For the first time, two separately used adjacent regions of this gene were combined in a single dataset. This allowed emphasizing the prevalence of three geographically defined lineages within the native range: (1) eastern North America, including the Gulf of Mexico, (2) the Caribbean, and (3) Brazil. New data from the Mediterranean reveal that non-native populations of C. sapidus are characterized by a conspicuously low genetic diversity (except for Turkey, where stocking took place), and that there is surprisingly low connectivity among established populations. The occurrence of strong genetic bottlenecks suggests few founder individuals. This confirms that, even under a scenario of restricted large-scale gene flow, a very limited number of invasive individuals is sufficient for a massive impact.
Cytoskeletal Responses and Aif-1 Expression in Caco-2 Monolayers Exposed to Phorbol-12-Myristate-13-Acetate and Carnosine
Authors: Mazzei Aurora , Pagliara Patrizia , Del Vecchio Gianmarco , Giampetruzzi Lucia , Croce Francesca , Schiavone Roberta , Verri Tiziano , Barca Amilcare
Published: December 2022

The dis(re)organization of the cytoskeletal actin in enterocytes mediates epithelial barrier dys(re)function, playing a key role in modulating epithelial monolayer’s integrity and remodeling under transition from physiological to pathological states. Here, by fluorescence-based morphological and morphometric analyses, we detected differential responses of cytoskeletal actin in intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cell monolayers at two different stages of their spontaneous differentiation, i.e., undifferentiated cells at 7 days post-seeding (dps) and differentiated enterocyte-like cells at 21 dps, upon challenge in vitro with the inflammation-mimicking stimulus of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). In addition, specific responses were found in the presence of the natural dipeptide carnosine detecting its potential counteraction against PMA-induced cytoskeletal alterations and remodeling in differentiated Caco-2 monolayers. In such an experimental context, by both immunocytochemistry and Western blot assays in Caco-2 monolayers, we identified the expression of the allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF-1) as protein functionally related to both inflammatory and cytoskeletal pathways. In 21 dps monolayers, particularly, we detected variations of its intracellular localization associated with the inflammatory stimulus and its mRNA/protein increase associated with the differentiated 21 dps enterocyte-like monolayer compared to the undifferentiated cells.
An Overview of D7 Protein Structure and Physiological Roles in Blood-Feeding Nematocera
Authors: Alvarenga Patricia H. , Andersen John F.
Published: December 2022

Each time an insect bites a vertebrate host, skin and vascular injury caused by piercing triggers a series of responses including hemostasis, inflammation and immunity. In place, this set of redundant and interconnected responses would ultimately cause blood coagulation, itching and pain leading to host awareness, resulting in feeding interruption in the best-case scenario. Nevertheless, hematophagous arthropod saliva contains a complex cocktail of molecules that are crucial to the success of blood-feeding. Among important protein families described so far in the saliva of blood sucking arthropods, is the D7, abundantly expressed in blood feeding Nematocera. D7 proteins are distantly related to insect Odorant-Binding Proteins (OBP), and despite low sequence identity, observation of structural similarity led to the suggestion that like OBPs, they should bind/sequester small hydrophobic compounds. Members belonging to this family are divided in short forms and long forms, containing one or two OBP-like domains, respectively. Here, we provide a review of D7 proteins structure and function, discussing how gene duplication and some modifications in their OBP-like domains during the course of evolution lead to gain and loss of function among different hematophagous Diptera species.
Mitogenomic Features and Evolution of the Nile River Dominant Tilapiine Species (Perciformes: Cichlidae)
Authors: Fiteha Yosur G. , Rashed Mohamed A. , Ali Ramadan A. , Abd El-Moneim Diaa , Alshanbari Fahad A. , Magdy Mahmoud
Published: December 2022

To better understand the diversity and evolution of cichlids, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the complete mitochondrial genomes of three Nile tilapiine species (Coptodon zillii, Oreochromis niloticus, and Sarotherodon galilaeus) dominating the Nile River waters. Our results showed that the general mitogenomic features were conserved among the Nile tilapiine species. The genome length ranged from 16,436 to 16,631 bp and a total of 37 genes were identified (two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and 1 control region). The ND6 was the only CDS that presented a negative AT skew and a positive GC skew. The most extended repeat sequences were in the D-loop followed by the pseudogenes (trnSGCU). The ND5 showed relatively high substitution rates whereas ATP8 had the lowest substitution rate. The codon usage bias displayed a greater quantity of NNA and NNC at the third position and anti-bias against NNG. The phylogenetic relationship based on the complete mitogenomes and CDS was able to differentiate the three species as previously reported. This study provides new insight into the evolutionary connections between various subfamilies within cichlids while providing new molecular data that can be applied to discriminate between Nile tilapiine species and their populations.
MFIDMA: A Multiple Information Integration Model for the Prediction of Drug–miRNA Associations
Authors: Guan Yong-Jian , Yu Chang-Qing , Qiao Yan , Li Li-Ping , You Zhu-Hong , Ren Zhong-Hao , Li Yue-Chao , Pan Jie
Published: December 2022

Abnormal microRNA (miRNA) functions play significant roles in various pathological processes. Thus, predicting drug–miRNA associations (DMA) may hold great promise for identifying the potential targets of drugs. However, discovering the associations between drugs and miRNAs through wet experiments is time-consuming and laborious. Therefore, it is significant to develop computational prediction methods to improve the efficiency of identifying DMA on a large scale. In this paper, a multiple features integration model (MFIDMA) is proposed to predict drug–miRNA association. Specifically, we first formulated known DMA as a bipartite graph and utilized structural deep network embedding (SDNE) to learn the topological features from the graph. Second, the Word2vec algorithm was utilized to construct the attribute features of the miRNAs and drugs. Third, two kinds of features were entered into the convolution neural network (CNN) and deep neural network (DNN) to integrate features and predict potential target miRNAs for the drugs. To evaluate the MFIDMA model, it was implemented on three different datasets under a five-fold cross-validation and achieved average AUCs of 0.9407, 0.9444 and 0.8919. In addition, the MFIDMA model showed reliable results in the case studies of Verapamil and hsa-let-7c-5p, confirming that the proposed model can also predict DMA in real-world situations. The model was effective in analyzing the neighbors and topological features of the drug–miRNA network by SDNE. The experimental results indicated that the MFIDMA is an accurate and robust model for predicting potential DMA, which is significant for miRNA therapeutics research and drug discovery.
Impact of c-di-GMP on the Extracellular Proteome of Rhizobium etli
Authors: Lorite María J. , Casas-Román Ariana , Girard Lourdes , Encarnación Sergio , Díaz-Garrido Natalia , Badía Josefa , Baldomá Laura , Pérez-Mendoza Daniel , Sanjuán Juan
Published: December 2022

Extracellular matrix components of bacterial biofilms include biopolymers such as polysaccharides, nucleic acids and proteins. Similar to polysaccharides, the secretion of adhesins and other matrix proteins can be regulated by the second messenger cyclic diguanylate (cdG). We have performed quantitative proteomics to determine the extracellular protein contents of a Rhizobium etli strain expressing high cdG intracellular levels. cdG promoted the exportation of proteins that likely participate in adhesion and biofilm formation: the rhizobial adhesion protein RapA and two previously undescribed likely adhesins, along with flagellins. Unexpectedly, cdG also promoted the selective exportation of cytoplasmic proteins. Nearly 50% of these cytoplasmic proteins have been previously described as moonlighting or candidate moonlighting proteins in other organisms, often found extracellularly. Western blot assays confirmed cdG-promoted export of two of these cytoplasmic proteins, the translation elongation factor (EF-Tu) and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (Gap). Transmission Electron Microscopy immunolabeling located the Gap protein in the cytoplasm but was also associated with cell membranes and extracellularly, indicative of an active process of exportation that would be enhanced by cdG. We also obtained evidence that cdG increases the number of extracellular Gap proteoforms, suggesting a link between cdG, the post-translational modification and the export of cytoplasmic proteins.
A New Fossil Species of Nothotsuga from the Mula Basin, Litang County, Sichuan Province and Its Paleoclimate and Paleoecology Significance
Authors: Dong Junling , Li Zhe , Gao Jingxin , Wang Qian , Sun Bainian
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we describe a new fossil species, Nothotsuga mulaensis Z. Li & J.L. Dong sp. nov. The discovery of the fossil species was based on well-preserved fossil seed cones that were found in the Mula Basin in Xiamula village, Litang County, Sichuan Province, southwestern China. The shapes of these fossils were characterized by ovate seed cones, rhombic or suborbicular scales with auriculate bases, and the bracts were ligulate-spathulate in shape. This finding suggests that Nothotsuga once had a wide distribution range in China and that it also inhabited the eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP). Nothotsuga mulaensis was distributed in an intermountain lake basin, at altitudes from 2000 to 2300 m, in a warm and humid environment. This finding also suggests that the eastern TP may have provided good habitat for Nothotsuga during the Miocene. In addition, we propose that the uplift, accompanied by the severe cooling and aridification that occurred after the Miocene, caused the disappearance of this species of Nothotsuga in the eastern TP.
Analysis of Vibration Frequency and Direction for Facilitating Upper-Limb Muscle Activity
Authors: Ni Cheng-Hua , Lu Yueh-Hsun , Chou Li-Wei , Kuo Shu-Fen , Lin Chia-Huei , Chiang Shang-Lin , Lu Liang-Hsuan , Wang Xin-Miao , Chang Jia-Lan , Lin Chueh-Ho
Published: December 2022

We aimed to determine the effect of vibration frequency and direction on upper-limb muscle activation using a handheld vibrator. We recruited 19 healthy participants who were instructed to hold a handheld vibrator in their dominant hand and maintain the elbow at 90° flexion, while vertical and horizontal vibrations were applied with frequencies of 15, 30, 45, and 60 Hz for 60 s each. Surface electromyography (EMG) measured the activities of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), flexor carpi radialis (FCR), extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU), extensor carpi radialis (ECR), biceps, triceps, and deltoid anterior muscles. EMG changes were evaluated as the difference in muscle activity between vibration and no-vibration (0 Hz) conditions. Muscle activity was induced under vibration conditions in both vertical and horizontal (p < 0.05) directions. At 45 Hz, FDS and FCR activities increased during horizontal vibrations, compared with those during vertical vibrations. ECU activity significantly increased under 15-Hz vertical vibrations compared with that during horizontal vibrations. Vibrations from the handheld vibrator significantly induced upper-limb muscle activity. The maximum muscle activations for FDS, ECR, ECU, biceps, and triceps were induced by 45-Hz horizontal vibration. The 60-Hz vertical and 30-Hz horizontal vibrations facilitated maximum muscle activations for the FCR and deltoid anterior, respectively.
The Photobiomodulation of MAO-A Affects the Contractile Activity of Smooth Muscle Gastric Tissues
Authors: Xenodochidis Charilaos , Staneva Dessislava , Vasileva Bela , Draganova Milena , Miloshev George , Georgieva Milena , Zagorchev Plamen
Published: December 2022

Nowadays, the utilized electromagnetic radiation (ER) in modalities such as photobiomodulation (PBM) finds broader applications in medical practice due to the promising results suggested by numerous reports. To date, the published data do not allow for the in-depth elucidation of the molecular mechanisms through which ER impacts the human organism. Furthermore, there is a total lack of evidence justifying the relation between the enzymatic activity of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and the effect of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on the spontaneous contractile activity of smooth muscle gastric tissues exposed to various light sources. We found that exposure of these tissues to lamps, emitting light with wavelengths of 254 nm and 350 nm, lasers, emitting light with 532 nm and 808 nm, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with ER at a wavelength of 660 nm, increased the 5-HT effect on the contractility. On the other hand, LEDs at 365 nm and 470 nm reduced it. The analysis of MAO-A enzymatic activity after exposure to the employed light emitters endorsed these findings. Furthermore, MAOA gene expression studies confirmed the possibility of its optogenetic regulation. Therefore, we concluded that the utilized emitters could alternate the functions of significant neuromediators by modulating the activity and gene transcription levels of enzymes that degrade them. Our investigations will help to disclose the selective conditions upon which PBM can effectively treat gastrointestinal and neurological disorders.
Urinary Proteome Changes during Pregnancy in Rats
Authors: Tang Shuxuan , Gao Youhe
Published: December 2022

Pregnancy involves a significant number of physiological changes. A normal pregnancy is essential to ensure healthy maternal and fetal development. We sought to explore whether the urinary proteome could reflect the pregnancy process. Urine samples were collected from pregnant and control rats on various gestational days. The urinary proteome was profiled by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), and differential proteins were obtained by comparing to the gestational day 1 of the same group at each time point. Many pathways related to embryo implantation and trophoblast differentiation were enriched in the early days in urine. Liver, kidney, and bone development started early to be enriched in the pregnant group, but not in the control group. Interestingly, the developmental processes of the fetal heart such as heart looping and endocardial cushion formation could be seen in urine of pregnant rats. Moreover, the timings were consistent with those of embryological studies. The timing of the surfactant appearance in urine was right before birth. The differential proteins related to pancreas development appeared in urine at the time during reported time of pancreatic cell proliferation and differentiation. These processes were enriched only in the pregnant group and not in the control group. Furthermore, coagulation-associated pathways were found to be increasingly prominent before labor. Our results indicated that the urine proteome of pregnant rats can reflect the process of pregnancy, even fetal embryonic development. Maternal urinary proteome detection was earlier than the developmental time point of tissue sections observed by microscopy.
Biological Effects of Human Exposure to Environmental Cadmium
Authors: Peana Massimiliano , Pelucelli Alessio , Chasapis Christos T. , Perlepes Spyros P. , Bekiari Vlasoula , Medici Serenella , Zoroddu Maria Antonietta
Published: December 2022

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal for the human organism and for all ecosystems. Cd is naturally found at low levels; however, higher amounts of Cd in the environment result from human activities as it spreads into the air and water in the form of micropollutants as a consequence of industrial processes, pollution, waste incineration, and electronic waste recycling. The human body has a limited ability to respond to Cd exposure since the metal does not undergo metabolic degradation into less toxic species and is only poorly excreted. The extremely long biological half-life of Cd essentially makes it a cumulative toxin; chronic exposure causes harmful effects from the metal stored in the organs. The present paper considers exposure and potential health concerns due to environmental cadmium. Exposure to Cd compounds is primarily associated with an elevated risk of lung, kidney, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. Cd has also been linked to cancers of the breast, urinary system, and bladder. The multiple mechanisms of Cd-induced carcinogenesis include oxidative stress with the inhibition of antioxidant enzymes, the promotion of lipid peroxidation, and interference with DNA repair systems. Cd2+ can also replace essential metal ions, including redox-active ones. A total of 12 cancer types associated with specific genes coding for the Cd-metalloproteome were identified in this work. In addition, we summarize the proper treatments of Cd poisoning, based on the use of selected Cd detoxifying agents and chelators, and the potential for preventive approaches to counteract its chronic exposure.
Approaches and Vectors for Efficient Cochlear Gene Transfer in Adult Mouse Models
Authors: Zhao Yu , Zhang Longlong , Wang Daqi , Chen Bing , Shu Yilai
Published: December 2022

Inner ear gene therapy using adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) in neonatal mice can alleviate hearing loss in mouse models of deafness. However, efficient and safe transgene delivery to the adult mouse cochlea is critical for the effectiveness of AAV-mediated therapy. Here, we examined three gene delivery approaches including posterior semicircular canal (PSCC) canalostomy, round window membrane (RWM) injection, and tubing-RWM+PSCC (t-RP) in adult mice. Transduction rates and survival rates of cochlear hair cells were analyzed, hearing function was recorded, AAV distribution in the sagittal brain sections was evaluated, and cochlear histopathologic images were appraised. We found that an injection volume of 1 μL AAV through the PSCC is safe and highly efficient and does not impair hearing function in adult mice, but local injection allows AAV vectors to spread slightly into the brain. We then tested five AAV serotypes (PHP.eB, IE, Anc80L65, AAV2, and PHP.s) in parallel and observed the most robust eGFP expression in inner hair cells, outer hair cells, and spiral ganglion neurons throughout the cochlea after AAV-Anc80L65 injection. Thus, PSCC-injected Anc80L65 provides a foundation for gene therapy in the adult cochlea and will facilitate the development of inner ear gene therapy.
The Regulatory Mechanism of miR-574-5p Expression in Cancer
Authors: Huang Wei , Zhao Yifan , Xu Zhengyi , Wu Xiaoyue , Qiao Mingxin , Zhu Zhou , Zhao Zhihe
Published: December 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small, single-stranded, non-coding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length. The dysregulation of miRNAs has been widely investigated in various pathological processes, including tumorigenesis, providing a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. As a member of the miRNA family, miR-574-5p is located on the human chromosome 4p14 and is highly correlated with a high incidence of human cancers. Functional pathways as well as underlying novel mechanisms upregulate or downregulate miR-574-5p, which plays an important regulatory role in tumorigenesis and progression. In this review, we systematically summarize the context-dependent implications of miR-574-5p and review differences in miR-574-5p expression in cancer. We also investigate the intricate functions exerted by miR-574-5p in diverse pathological processes and highlight regulatory pathways, networks, and other underlying novel mechanisms. The clinical applications of miR-574-5p as a diagnostic biomarker, prognostic biomarker, and therapeutic mechanism are also discussed in this paper. On this basis, we anticipate that miR-574-5p will be a promising and effective biomarker and therapeutic target.