bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Insights into the Influence of Soil Microstructure Characteristics on the Migration and Residue of Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid
Authors: Li Xiaodong , Zhang Qian , Zhang Xueli , Shen Jialun , Sun Zongquan , Ma Fujun , Wu Bin , Gu Qingbao
Published: December 2022

Understanding the influence of soil microstructure on light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) behavior is critical for predicting the formation of residual LNAPLs under spill condition. However, the roles of soil particle and pore on LNAPLs migration and residue remains unclear. Here, the experiment simulated an LNAPLs (diesel) spill that was performed in fourteen types of soils, and the key factors affecting diesel behavior are revealed. There were significant differences between fourteen types of soils, with regard to the soil particle, soil pore, and diesel migration and residue. After 72 h of leakage, the migration distance of diesel ranged from 3.42 cm to 8.82 cm in the soils. Except for sandy soil, diesel was mainly distributed in the 0–3 cm soil layer, and the residual amounts were 7.85–26.66 g/kg. It was further confirmed from microstructure that the consistency of soil particle and volume of soil macropores (0.05–7.5 μm) are important for diesel residue in the 0–1 cm soil layer and migration distance. The large soil particles corresponding to 90% of volume fraction and volume of soil mesopores (<0.05 μm) are key factors affecting diesel residue in the 1–3 cm soil layer. The result helps to further comprehend the formation mechanism of residual LNAPLs in the soil.
Ultrafine Particles Issued from Gasoline-Fuels and Biofuel Surrogates Combustion: A Comparative Study of the Physicochemical and In Vitro Toxicological Effects
Authors: Juárez-Facio Ana Teresa , Rogez-Florent Tiphaine , Méausoone Clémence , Castilla Clément , Mignot Mélanie , Devouge-Boyer Christine , Lavanant Hélène , Afonso Carlos , Morin Christophe , Merlet-Machour Nadine , Chevalier Laurence , Ouf François-Xavier , Corbière Cécile , Yon Jérôme , Vaugeois Jean-Marie , Monteil Christelle
Published: December 2022

Gasoline emissions contain high levels of pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), which are associated with several health outcomes. Moreover, due to the depletion of fossil fuels, biofuels represent an attractive alternative, particularly second-generation biofuels (B2G) derived from lignocellulosic biomass. Unfortunately, compared to the abundant literature on diesel and gasoline emissions, relatively few studies are devoted to alternative fuels and their health effects. This study aimed to compare the adverse effects of gasoline and B2G emissions on human bronchial epithelial cells. We characterized the emissions generated by propane combustion (CAST1), gasoline Surrogate, and B2G consisting of Surrogate blended with anisole (10%) (S+10A) or ethanol (10%) (S+10E). To study the cellular effects, BEAS-2B cells were cultured at air-liquid interface for seven days and exposed to different emissions. Cell viability, oxidative stress, inflammation, and xenobiotic metabolism were measured. mRNA expression analysis was significantly modified by the Surrogate S+10A and S+10E emissions, especially CYP1A1 and CYP1B1. Inflammation markers, IL-6 and IL-8, were mainly downregulated doubtless due to the PAHs content on PM. Overall, these results demonstrated that ultrafine particles generated from biofuels Surrogates had a toxic effect at least similar to that observed with a gasoline substitute (Surrogate), involving probably different toxicity pathways.
In Vitro Bioaccessibility and Health Risk Assessment of Arsenic and Zinc Contaminated Soil Stabilized by Ferrous Sulfate: Effect of Different Dietary Components
Authors: Fang Yi , Cui Yuxue , Mou Xiaoli , Lu Li , Shentu Jiali , Zhu Min
Published: December 2022

Iron-based materials have good stability in reducing the mobility and toxicity of heavy metals, but the behavior and human health risks of heavy metals could be affected by dietary components. This study investigated the effect of typical diets (lettuce, cooked rice and apples) on the bioaccessibility and morphological changes of arsenic (As) and zinc (Zn) in contaminated site after stabilization by ferrous sulfate (FeSO4). The results showed that the bioaccessibility of As and Zn were increased in a co-digestion system of food. The augmented effect on As bioaccessibility mainly occurred in the gastric phase: apple > lettuce > cooked rice (p < 0.05), while the augmented effect on Zn bioaccessibility mainly occurred in the intestinal phase: lettuce > apple > cooked rice (p < 0.05). FeSO4 weakened the dissolution effect of dietary components on As bioaccessibility, and reduced As bioaccessibility in the gastric and intestinal phases by 34.0% and 37.9% (p < 0.05), respectively. Dietary components and Fe fractions influenced the speciation and distribution of As and Zn. FeSO4 reduced the hazard quotient (HQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR) values of the contaminated soil by 33.97% and 33.59%, respectively. This study provides a reference for a better understanding of more realistic strategies to modulate exposure risks of heavy metal-contaminated sites.
Adsorption of Diclofenac Sodium by Aged Degradable and Non-Degradable Microplastics: Environmental Effects, Adsorption Mechanisms
Authors: Liang Siqi , Wang Kangkang , Wang Kefu , Kou Yuli , Wang Tao , Guo Changyan , Wang Wei , Wang Jide
Published: December 2022

Microplastics (MPs) are novel pollutants, which can carry toxic contaminants and are released in biota and accumulate. The adsorption behavior of MPs and aged MPs has attracted extensive attention. In this paper, the aging process of polystyrene (PS) and poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) plastics under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation at a high temperature and their adsorption properties for the contaminant diclofenac sodium (DCF) before and after aging was investigated. There are many factors affecting the adsorption capacity of MPs. In this experiment, three aspects of MPs, organic pollutants, and environmental factors are explored. The Freundlich model as well as the pseudosecondary kinetic model is more applicable to the process of DCF adsorption by MPs. The main effects of adsorption of organic pollutants by MPs are electrostatic interactions, hydrogen-halogen bonds, and hydrophobic interactions. The adsorption capacity of the UV-aged MPs on DCF is significantly enhanced, and the order of adsorption capacity is Q(A-PBAT) (27.65 mg/g) > Q (A-PS) (23.91 mg/g) > Q (PBAT) (9.30 mg/g) > Q (PS) (9.21 mg/g). The results show that more active sites are generated on the surface of MPs after aging, which can enhance their adsorption capacity for organic pollutants. This adsorption mechanism will increase their role as contaminant carriers in the aquatic food chain.
Organotin Antifouling Compounds and Sex-Steroid Nuclear Receptor Perturbation: Some Structural Insights
Authors: Beg Mohd A. , Beg Md A. , Zargar Ummer R. , Sheikh Ishfaq A. , Bajouh Osama S. , Abuzenadah Adel M. , Rehan Mohd
Published: December 2022

Organotin compounds (OTCs) are a commercially important group of organometallic compounds of tin used globally as polyvinyl chloride stabilizers and marine antifouling biocides. Worldwide use of OTCs has resulted in their ubiquitous presence in ecosystems across all the continents. OTCs have metabolic and endocrine disrupting effects in marine and terrestrial organisms. Thus, harmful OTCs (tributyltin) have been banned by the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Antifouling Systems since 2008. However, continued manufacturing by non-member countries poses a substantial risk for animal and human health. In this study, structural binding of common commercial OTCs, tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT), monobutyltin (MBT), triphenyltin (TPT), diphenyltin (DPT), monophenyltin (MPT), and azocyclotin (ACT) against sex-steroid nuclear receptors, androgen receptor (AR), and estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ) was performed using molecular docking and MD simulation. TBT, DBT, DPT, and MPT bound deep within the binding sites of AR, ERα, and Erβ, showing good dock score, binding energy and dissociation constants that were comparable to bound native ligands, testosterone and estradiol. The stability of docking complex was shown by MD simulation of organotin/receptor complex with RMSD, RMSF, Rg, and SASA plots showing stable interaction, low deviation, and compactness of the complex. A high commonality (50–100%) of interacting residues of ERα and ERβ for the docked ligands and bound native ligand (estradiol) indicated that the organotin compounds bound in the same binding site of the receptor as the native ligand. The results suggested that organotins may interfere with the natural steroid/receptor binding and perturb steroid signaling.
A Dynamic Compartmental Model to Explore the Optimal Strategy of Varicella Vaccination: An Epidemiological Study in Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Sun Xiang , Dai Chenxi , Wang Kai , Liu Yuanbao , Jin Xinye , Wang Congyue , Yin Yi , Ding Zhongxing , Lu Zhenzhen , Wang Weiming , Wang Zhiguo , Tang Fenyang , Wang Kaifa , Peng Zhihang
Published: December 2022

Varicella (chickenpox) is highly contagious among children and frequently breaks out in schools. In this study, we developed a dynamic compartment model to explore the optimal schedule for varicella vaccination in Jiangsu Province, China. A susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model was proposed to simulate the transmission of varicella in different age groups. The basic reproduction number was computed by the kinetic model, and the impact of three prevention factors was assessed through the global sensitivity analysis. Finally, the effect of various vaccination scenarios was qualitatively evaluated by numerical simulation. The estimated basic reproduction number was 1.831 ± 0.078, and the greatest contributor was the 5–10 year-old group (0.747 ± 0.042, 40.80%). Sensitivity analysis indicated that there was a strong negative correlation between the second dose vaccination coverage rate and basic reproduction number. In addition, we qualitatively found that the incidence would significantly decrease as the second dose vaccine coverage expands. The results suggest that two-dose varicella vaccination should be mandatory, and the optimal age of second dose vaccination is the 5–10 year-old group. Optimal vaccination time, wide vaccine coverage along with other measures, could enhance the effectiveness of prevention and control of varicella in China.
Reduction in Anti-Dengue Virus IgG Antibody Levels with the Use of a Larvicide for Vector Control in Rural Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Authors: Lamaningao Pheophet , Kanda Seiji , Shimono Takaki , Kuroda Mariko , Inthavongsack Somchit , Xaypangna Thonelakhanh , Nishiyama Toshimasa
Published: December 2022

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is an endemic area of dengue, with cases reported in urban and rural areas every year. In this study, we indirectly evaluated the efficacy of a larvicide (SumiLarvTM 2MR discs) that was used for vector control against Aedes mosquitoes. Villages in a rural area of Lao PDR were selected as study areas, non-intervention and intervention villages. At the intervention village, the larvicide was used to treat refillable water containers for 27 months (October 2017 to February 2020), while at the non-intervention villages were no treatment. The serum samples of villagers from both villages were randomized to collect in the pre-intervention and in post-intervention periods. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine anti-dengue virus (DENV) IgG antibody levels in serum samples. Recombinant DENV serotype 2 non-structural protein1 was used as an antigen for the ELISA, the optical density (OD) values were analyzed for comparison. The results showed that the OD values decreased significantly (p < 0.01) between the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods at the intervention site. The treatment of water storage containers in rural areas with SumiLarvTM 2MR discs may help to protect residents from Aedes mosquito bites, and hence, reduce DENV infections.
No Evidence of Ntwetwe Virus Infections in Children Presenting to Kiboga Hospital, Uganda
Authors: Edridge Arthur W. D. , van den Brekel Nathalie , Mukungu Philly , Nakayima Rachael , Bbosa Samuel , Isagara Peter , van Boele Hensbroek Michael , van der Hoek Lia , Kayiwa John , Lutwama Julius J. , Idro Richard
Published: December 2022

We investigated whether Ntwetwe virus—a novel orthobunyavirus discovered in a Ugandan girl with a fatal encephalopathy—was a common reason for hospital admission for children to Kiboga hospital, Uganda. A case–control was conducted between September 2019 and September 2020, including cases with severe neurological disease and mild febrile illness, matched to a healthy control without fever. Among 143 subjects, no cases with an acute infection were identified. This result suggests that Ntwetwe virus does not cause a major burden of disease amongst children presenting to Kiboga hospital during the study period.
Bulk Viscous Fluid in Symmetric Teleparallel Cosmology: Theory versus Experiment
Authors: Solanki Raja , Arora Simran , Sahoo Pradyumn Kumar , Moraes Pedro H. R. S.
Published: December 2022

The standard formulation of General Relativity Theory, in the absence of a cosmological constant, is unable to explain the responsible mechanism for the observed late-time cosmic acceleration. On the other hand, by inserting the cosmological constant in Einstein’s field equations, it is possible to describe the cosmic acceleration, but the cosmological constant suffers from an unprecedented fine-tuning problem. This motivates one to modify Einstein’s spacetime geometry of General Relativity. The f(Q) modified theory of gravity is an alternative theory to General Relativity, where the non-metricity scalar Q is the responsible candidate for gravitational interactions. In the present work, we consider a Friedmann–Lemâitre–Robertson–Walker cosmological model dominated by bulk viscous cosmic fluid in f(Q) gravity with the functional form f(Q)=αQn, where α and n are free parameters of the model. We constrain our model with the Pantheon supernovae dataset of 1048 data points, the Hubble dataset of 31 data points, and the baryon acoustic oscillations dataset consisting of 6 data points. We find that our f(Q) cosmological model efficiently describes the observational data. We present the evolution of our deceleration parameter with redshift, and it properly predicts a transition from decelerated to accelerated phases of the universe’s expansion. Furthermore, we present the evolution of density, bulk viscous pressure, and the effective equation of state parameter with redshift. Those show that bulk viscosity in a cosmic fluid is a valid candidate to acquire the negative pressure to drive the cosmic expansion efficiently. We also examine the behavior of different energy conditions to test the viability of our cosmological f(Q) model. Furthermore, the statefinder diagnostics are also investigated in order to distinguish among different dark energy models.
Management Strategies in the Comprehensive Rehabilitation of the Historic Centers of Quito and Havana
Authors: Serra Juan Carlos Martínez , González Enrique Fernández-Vivancos
Published: December 2022

Historical centers are structural elements in contemporary cities which preserve identity and collective memory. Despite being lubricants of social cohesion, intense processes of urban growth, fragmentation, and degradation put these city centers at great risk. Thus, they have been considered priority spaces in public renewal policies affected by inaccurate interventions which must contend with changing and complex realities in the Latin American and Caribbean contexts. This article approaches the main management strategies used in the comprehensive urban rehabilitation of historical centers through critical and comparative analysis of the historic centers of Quito and Old Havana, which are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The study ultimately aims to determine the main successes and failures of the management strategies used and proposes measures to support decision-making processes, optimizing the type of urban intervention employed.
A Bivalent Live Attenuated Influenza Virus Vaccine Protects against Drifted H1N2 and H3N2 Clinical Isolates in Swine
Authors: Aubrey Lauren , Barron-Castillo Ulises , Detmer Susan , Zhou Yan
Published: December 2022

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) can cause a highly contagious respiratory disease for many mammalian species. In pigs, IAVs cause high morbidity and low mortality disease in susceptible populations that can have significant financial and production impacts. They can also present opportunities for mutations and gene reassortment, producing influenza strains with pandemic potential. Therefore, it is very important to prevent and control influenza infection in pigs, and the chief way to do so is through vaccination. The subtypes of IAV most prevalent in swine across the world are H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2; however, genetic diversity of these viruses can vary greatly by region. We previously developed an elastase-dependent bivalent live attenuated vaccine using two Canadian swine influenza A virus (swIAV) isolates, A/Swine/Alberta/SD0191/2016 (H1N2) [SD191] and A/Swine/Saskatchewan/SD0069/2015 (H3N2) [SD69], which provided protection against homologous strains. In this study, we demonstrate that this vaccine extends protection in pigs to more current, drifted non-homologous H1N2 and H3N2 strains, A/Swine/MB/SD0467/2019 (H1N2) [SD467] and A/Swine/AB/SD0435/2019 (H3N2) [SD435]. The vaccine elicited a robust immune response in the serum and the lung and reduced viral replication as well as lung pathology associated with these strains. Therefore, this bivalent vaccine remains a strong candidate that would be beneficial to the swine influenza vaccine market in North America.
Influence of Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans and Factor X on species D Human Adenovirus Uptake and Transduction
Authors: Schröer Katrin , Alshawabkeh Montaha , Schellhorn Sebastian , Bronder Katrin , Zhang Wenli , Ehrhardt Anja
Published: December 2022

More than 100 human adenovirus (Ad) types were identified, of which species D comprises the largest group. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) were shown to function as cell surface receptors for cell binding and uptake of some Ads, but a systematic analysis of species D Ads is lacking. Previous research focused on Ad5 and blood coagulation factor X (FX) complexes, which revealed that Ad5 can transduce cells with low expression levels of its main coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor in the presence of high HSPG expression levels in a FX dependent manner. Based on our reporter gene-tagged Ad-library, we explored for the first time a broad spectrum of species D Ads to study the role of HSPG on their cellular uptake. This study was performed on three Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines with different forms of HSPG (only proteoglycan (745), non-sulfated HSPG (606) or sulfated HSPG (K1)). The effect of Ad:FX complexes on Ad uptake was explored in the presence of physiological levels of FX in blood (6–10 µg/mL). We found that sulfation of HSPG plays an important role in cellular uptake and transduction of FX-bound Ad5 but neither HSPG nor FX influenced uptake of all tested species D Ads. Because FX has no influence on transduction efficiencies of species D Ads and therefore may not bind to them, these Ads may not be protected from attack by neutralizing IgM antibodies or the complement pathway, which may have implications for species D Ads used as vaccine and gene therapy vectors.
The Virus-Induced Transcription Factor SHE1 Interacts with and Regulates Expression of the Inhibitor of Virus Replication (IVR) in N Gene Tobacco
Authors: Yoon Ju-Yeon , Baek Eseul , Kim Mira , Palukaitis Peter
Published: December 2022

The transcription factor SHE1 was induced by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection in tobacco cv. Samsun NN (SNN) and SHE1 inhibited TMV accumulation when expressed constitutively. To better understand the role of SHE1 in virus infection, transgenic SNN tobacco plants generated to over-express SHE1 (OEx-SHE1) or silence expression of SHE1 (si-SHE1) were infected with TMV. OEx-SHE1 affected the local lesion resistance response to TMV, whereas si-SHE1 did not. However, si-SHE1 allowed a slow systemic infection to occur in SNN tobacco. An inhibitor of virus replication (IVR) was known to reduce the accumulation of TMV in SNN tobacco. Analysis of SHE1 and IVR mRNA levels in OEx-SHE1 plants showed constitutive expression of both mRNAs, whereas both mRNAs were less expressed in si-SHE1 plants, even after TMV infection, indicating that SHE1 and IVR were associated with a common signaling pathway. SHE1 and IVR interacted with each other in four different assay systems. The yeast two-hybrid assay also delimited sequences required for the interaction of these two proteins to the SHE1 central 58-79% region and the IVR C-terminal 50% of the protein sequences. This suggests that SHE is a transcription factor involved in the induction of IVR and that IVR binds to SHE1 to regulate its own synthesis.
High-Level rAAV Vector Production by rAdV-Mediated Amplification of Small Amounts of Input Vector
Authors: Weger Stefan
Published: December 2022

The successful application of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors for long-term transgene expression in clinical studies requires scalable production methods with genetically stable components. Due to their simple production scheme and the high viral titers achievable, first generation recombinant adenoviruses (rAdV) have long been taken into consideration as suitable tools for simultaneously providing both the helper functions and the AAV rep and cap genes for rAAV packaging. So far, however, such rAdV-rep/cap vectors have been difficult to generate and often turned out to be genetically unstable. Through ablation of cis and trans inhibitory function in the AAV-2 genome we have succeeded in establishing separate and stable rAdVs for high-level AAV serotype 2 Rep and Cap expression. These allowed rAAV-2 production at high burst sizes by simple coinfection protocols after providing the AAV-ITR flanked transgene vector genome either as rAAV-2 particles at low input concentrations or in form of an additional rAdV. With characteristics such as the ease of producing the required components, the straightforward adaption to other transgenes and the possible extension to further serotypes or capsid variants, especially the rAdV-mediated rAAV amplification system presents a very promising candidate for up-scaling to clinical grade vector preparations.
Impact of Early SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral Therapy on Disease Progression
Authors: De Vito Andrea , Colpani Agnese , Saderi Laura , Puci Mariangela , Zauli Beatrice , Fiore Vito , Fois Marco , Meloni Maria Chiara , Bitti Alessandra , Di Castri Cosimo , Maida Ivana , Babudieri Sergio , Sotgiu Giovanni , Madeddu Giordano
Published: December 2022

Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several treatments have been proposed to prevent the progression of the disease. Currently, three antiviral (molnupiravir, nirmaltrevir/r, remdesivir) and two monoclonal antibodies (casirivimab/imdevimab and sotrovimab) are available in Italy. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the presence of risk factors associated with disease progression. We conducted a retrospective cohort study, including all patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 evaluated between 01/01/2022 ad 10/05/2022 by our Unit of Infectious Diseases in Sassari. We defined disease progression as the necessity of starting O2 therapy. According to AIFA (Italian Medicines Agency) indications, preventive treatment was prescribed in patients with recent symptoms onset (≤five days), no need for oxygen supplementation, and risk factors for disease progression. Subgroup differences in quantitative variables were evaluated using Student’s t-test. Pearson chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests were used to assess differences for qualitative variables. Multivariate logistic regression modelling was performed to determine factors associated with progression. A two-tailed p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All statistical analyses were performed with STATA version 17 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA). We included 1145 people with SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, of which 336 (29.3%) developed severe disease with oxygen supplementation. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age, dementia, haematologic tumors, heart failure, dyspnoea or fever at first evaluation, having ground glass opacities or consolidation at the first CT scan, and bacteria coinfection were associated with an increased risk of disease progression. Vaccination (at least two doses) and early treatment with antiviral or monoclonal antibodies were associated with a lower risk of disease progression. In conclusion, our study showed that vaccination and early treatment with antiviral and/or monoclonal antibodies significantly reduce the risk of disease progression.
Integrative Bioinformatics Approaches Indicate a Particular Pattern of Some SARS-CoV-2 and Non-SARS-CoV-2 Proteins
Authors: Chakraborty Chiranjib , Bhattacharya Manojit , Chatterjee Srijan , Sharma Ashish Ranjan , Saha Rudra P. , Dhama Kuldeep , Agoramoorthy Govindasamy
Published: December 2022

Pattern recognition plays a critical role in integrative bioinformatics to determine the structural patterns of proteins of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. This study identifies the pattern of SARS-CoV-2 proteins to depict the structure–function relationships of the protein alphabets of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. The assembly enumeration algorithm, Anisotropic Network Model, Gaussian Network Model, Markovian Stochastic Model, and image comparison protein-like alphabets were used. The distance score was the lowest with 22 for “I” and highest with 40 for “9”. For post-processing and decision, two protein alphabets “C” (PDB ID: 6XC3) and “S” (PDB ID: 7OYG) were evaluated to understand the structural, functional, and evolutionary relationships, and we found uniqueness in the functionality of proteins. Here, models were constructed using “SARS-CoV-2 proteins” (12 numbers) and “non-SARS-CoV-2 proteins” (14 numbers) to create two words, “SARS-CoV-2” and “COVID-19”. Similarly, we developed two slogans: “Vaccinate the world against COVID-19” and “Say no to SARS-CoV-2”, which were made with the proteins structure. It might generate vaccine-related interest to broad reader categories. Finally, the evolutionary process appears to enhance the protein structure smoothly to provide suitable functionality shaped by natural selection.
Social Support Mediates the Relationship between COVID-19-Related Burnout and Booster Vaccination Willingness among Fully Vaccinated Nurses
Authors: Galanis Petros , Katsiroumpa Aglaia , Sourtzi Panayota , Siskou Olga , Konstantakopoulou Olympia , Katsoulas Theodoros , Kaitelidou Daphne
Published: December 2022

COVID-19 booster doses for high-risk groups such as nurses are necessary to reduce the impacts of the pandemic and promote public health. We examined the relationship between COVID-19-related burnout and booster vaccination willingness among nurses, and we assessed whether social support can buffer this relationship. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 963 fully vaccinated nurses working in healthcare settings in Greece. We used the multidimensional scale of perceived social support to measure social support and the COVID-19 burnout scale to measure COVID-19-related burnout. We measured vaccination willingness with a scale from 0 (extremely unlikely to take a booster dose) to 10 (extremely likely). Among nurses, 37.1% reported being very likely to be vaccinated, 34.4% reported being uncertain about their likelihood of vaccination, and 28.6% reported being very unlikely to be vaccinated with a booster dose. We found that COVID-19-related burnout reduced vaccination willingness, while social support functioned as a partial mediator of this relationship. In conclusion, nurses who experienced burnout were less likely to accept a booster dose. Furthermore, increasing nurses’ social support reduced the negative effects of burnout, resulting in improved booster vaccination willingness. Immunization awareness programs should be implemented in order to address nurses’ concerns and support booster doses.
Nature-Inspired Optimal Route Network Design for Shared Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Alpos Theodoros , Iliopoulou Christina , Kepaptsoglou Konstantinos
Published: December 2022

Emerging forms of shared mobility call for new vehicle routing models that take into account vehicle sharing, ride sharing and autonomous vehicle fleets. This study deals with the design of an optimal route network for autonomous vehicles, considering both vehicle sharing and ride sharing. The problem is modeled as a one-to-many-to-one vehicle routing problem with vehicle capacity and range constraints. An ant colony optimization algorithm is applied to the problem in order to construct a set of routes that satisfies user requests under operational constraints. Results show that the algorithm is able to produce solutions in relatively short computational times, while exploiting the possibility of ride sharing to reduce operating costs. Results also underline the potential of exploiting shared autonomous vehicles in the context of a taxi service for booking trips through electronic reservation systems.
Whole Genome Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in Cats and Dogs in South Korea in 2021
Authors: Shin Yeun-Kyung , Kwon Oh-Kyu , Heo Jinhwa , Nah Jinju , Kang Hae-Eun , Kang Yunhee , Song In Jun , Sung Ho-Kyung
Published: December 2022

SARS-CoV-2 infections have caused unprecedented damage worldwide by affecting humans and various animals. The first reported animal infection was observed in a pet dog in Hong Kong in March 2020. 36 countries reported 692 SARS-CoV-2 infections in 25 different animal species by 31 August 2022. Most outbreaks were caused by contact with SARS-CoV-2 infected humans. In South Korea, the first SARS-CoV-2 infection in an animal was reported in a cat in February 2021. As of 31 December 2021, 74 dogs and 42 cats have been confirmed to have SARS-CoV-2 in South Korea. Here, we identified various SARS-CoV-2 genomic lineages in SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cats and dogs. Among the 40 animal samples sequenced for lineage identification, a total of eight Pango lineages (B.1.1.7 (Alpha variant), B.1.429 (Epsilon variant), B.1.470, B.1.497, B.1.619.1, B.1.620, AY.69 (Delta variant), and AY.122.5 (Delta variant)) were identified. The dominant lineages were AY.69 (Delta variant; 37.5%), B.1.497 (35.0%), and B.1.619.1 (12.5%). This study provides the first reported cases of six lineages (B.1.470, B.1.497, B.1.620, B.1.619.1, AY.69 (Delta variant)), and AY.122.5 (Delta variant) in cats and dogs. Our results emphasize the importance of monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in pets because they are dynamic hosts of variant Pango lineages of SARS-CoV-2.
Two Multiplex PCR Methods for Detecting Several Pathogens Associated with Feline Respiratory and Intestinal Tracts
Authors: Xiao Xiangyu , Hao Xiangqi , Chen Bo , Zhou Pei , Li Shoujun
Published: December 2022

Respiratory tract and intestinal diseases are common threats to feline health. Coinfection with multiple pathogens is not rare among clinical infectious cases. Rapid diagnosis of these coinfections is of great significance for timely and effective clinical treatment. In this study, two novel multiplex polymerase chain reactions (mPCRs) were established for simultaneous detection of four pathogens associated with the feline intestinal tract (feline coronavirus (FCoV), feline astrovirus (FeAstV), feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and feline kobuvirus (FeKoV)) and five pathogens associated with the respiratory tract (feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), Chlamydia felis (C. felis) and influenza A virus (IAV)). The results of sensitivity analysis revealed that the detection limits for FeKoV, FPV, FeAstV, FCoV, IAV, C. felis, FeLV, FHV-1 and FCV were 103, 104, 103, 103, 103, 104, 104, 105 and 105 copies/µL, respectively. Moreover, the specificity of the two mPCRs was high. When the two mPCRs were applied to clinical samples, the assay worked well. In conclusion, we established two mPCR methods that provide an excellent tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of pathogens associated with the feline respiratory and intestinal tracts.
Ecosystems of Inland Saline Waters in the World of Change
Authors: Shadrin Nickolai , Anufriieva Elena , Gajardo Gonzalo
Published: December 2022

Ecosystems of inland saline waters play a significant role in the biosphere and human life. Various articles of this Special Issue are devoted to a wide range of issues of their study and management. This introductory article gives a general overview of the types of inland waters on the planet, as well as the features of their ecosystems, reflected in 18 articles of this Special Issue. Attention is also paid to modern problems of conservation and integrated sustainable use of aquatic ecosystems in a changing climate and increasing anthropogenic pressure on water bodies.
Method for Measuring the Surface Velocity Field of a River Using Images Acquired by a Moving Drone
Authors: Yu Kwonkyu , Lee Junhyeong
Published: December 2022

Hovering drones use ground control points to measure the surface flow velocity of rivers. This study aims to use only GPS data and images captured by a drone to extract the flowrate at a designated absolute position. Using GPS data, the moving directions of the drone and of the image were calculated, and each image point was converted into a physical UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) coordinate system. After determining the range of observation by selecting the start and end frames, all images of the measurement cross section were divided into reference frames (measurement subsections), and the flowrate was calculated with spatiotemporal volume obtained by gathering images for 1 sec (30 frames) for all measurement subsections. The results were comparable with those obtained using the existing hovering drone image analysis method.
Trends, Cycles, and Spatial Distribution of the Precipitation, Potential Evapotranspiration and Aridity Index in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Zhang Yunlei , Long Aihua , Lv Tingbo , Deng Xiaoya , Wang Yanyun , Pang Ning , Lai Xiaoying , Gu Xinchen
Published: December 2022

Xinjiang is a typical continental arid climate zone and ecologically fragile zone. Drought has caused damage to the local social economy, agricultural production, and the ecological environment. However, the study of drought is more difficult due to the complex topography and the lack of monitoring information. In this paper, based on the meteorological data of 94 meteorological stations in Xinjiang from 1961 to 2020, we used the precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (ET0) to calculate the aridity index (AI); the Mann–Kendall test, Morlet wavelet analysis, and Kriging interpolation were used to identify the trend, period, and spatial distribution. The results showed that (1) the average change rate of the precipitation in Xinjiang was 8.58 mm/10a, the average change rate of the ET0 was −14.84 mm/10a, and the average change rate of the AI was −1.94/10a; (2) the periods of precipitation, ET0, and AI in Xinjiang were 39, 29, and 14 years, respectively, and the abrupt changes occurred in 1986, 1971, and 1987, respectively; (3) The Moran index of precipitation and temperature are 0.41 and 0.33, respectively, indicating that precipitation and temperature in Xinjiang are positively correlated in spatial distribution and have spatial clustering characteristics; and the z-values are both greater than 2.58 (p < 0.01), indicating that the spatial autocorrelation of precipitation and temperature in Xinjiang is significant. This study can provide a reference for the diagnosis of the meteorological drought mechanism and the coping with climate change in Xinjiang.
Dam Crack Image Detection Model on Feature Enhancement and Attention Mechanism
Authors: Xu Guoyan , Han Xu , Zhang Yuwei , Wu Chunyan
Published: December 2022

Dam crack detection can effectively avoid safety accidents of dams. To solve the problem that the dam crack image samples are not available and the traditional algorithm detects cracks with low accuracy, we provide a dam crack image detection model based on crack feature enhancement and attention mechanism. Firstly, we expand the dam crack image dataset through a generative adversarial network based on crack feature enhancement (Cracks Enhancements GAN, CE-GAN). It can fully expand the dam crack data samples and improve the quality of the training data. Secondly, we propose a crack image detection model based on the attention mechanism (Attention-based Faster-RCNN, AF-RCNN). The attention mechanism is added in the crack detection module to give different weights to the proposal boxes around the crack target and fuse the candidate boxes with high weights to accurately detect the crack target location. The experimental results show that our algorithm achieves 81.07% mAP on the expanded dam crack dataset, which is 8.39% higher than the original Faster-RCNN algorithm. The detection accuracy is significantly improved compared with other traditional dam crack detection algorithm models.
Influence of Salinity on Copper Toxicity in Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula Embryos
Authors: Morroni Lorenzo , Gaion Andrea , Broccoli Andrea , Ferrari Stefano , Pellegrini David , Sartori Davide
Published: December 2022

The sea urchins Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula have a key role in benthic dynamics and they are often used to assess the toxicity of environmental contaminants. The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of salinity on copper toxicity on P. lividus and A. lixula embryos, evaluating the impact of future ocean salinity variations and estimating an optimum range for embryos. For this purpose, sea urchin embryos were exposed to different copper concentrations under varying salinity regimes, estimating the toxic effects with the percentage of abnormal embryos and the Integrative Toxicity Index (ITI). Results revealed acceptable levels of anomalies in a salinity range of 33–36‰ for A. lixula and 33–39‰ for P. lividus. The effect concentrations (EC50) of copper reveals increasing toxicity at increasing salinity for both sea urchin species, but between 33–36‰ (A. lixula) and 36–39‰ (P. lividus) the toxicity appear inversely related with salinity. This study illustrates the difficulty in relating a biological response to bioavailability, because the uptake and the sensitivity to copper across salinities is influenced by differences in osmoregulation, enhancing our knowledge about optimal salinity ranges and the potential impact of climate change on sea urchin embryo development.
A Unique Application Methodology for the Use of Phosphorus Inactivation Agents and Its Effect on Phosphorus Speciation in Lakes with Contrasting Mixing Regimes
Authors: Kowalski Hubert , Grochowska Jolanta Katarzyna , Łopata Michał , Augustyniak-Tunowska Renata , Tandyrak Renata
Published: December 2022

The efficiencies of the restoration of two lakes of varied morphometries and trophic states—meromictic, hypertrophic Lake Klasztorne Małe, and dimictic, eutrophic Lake Klasztorne Duże—with the use of the phosphorus inactivation method with sequential application of iron and aluminum compounds have been compared. The total dose of the agents applied for Lake Klasztorne Małe was 38 tons of PAX 18 (aluminum polychloride) and 14 tons of PIX 111 (iron chloride), and for Lake Klasztorne Duże, it was 74 tons of PAX 18 and 46 tons of PIX 111. After the application of the compounds, better efficiency of phosphate removal from the surface water layers was obtained in the case of the dimictic, eutrophic Lake Klasztorne Duże. The use of two doses of compounds did not lead to complete precipitation of phosphates from the bottom water layers of either lake. It is noteworthy that in the case of both lakes, inhibition of the internal loading process was observed. The obtained results for the Klasztorne lakes showed that the use of two types of compounds makes it possible to reduce the cost of restoration, and moreover, the dosing of iron salts in the coastal areas of the lakes ensures a higher level of ecological safety.
Environmental DNA Captures Variations in Fish Assemblages with Distance from Dams in Karst Reservoirs
Authors: Xu Longfei , Yang Dandan , Wang Yizhou , Li Junyi , Guo Xingchen , Zeng Cong , Jiang Haibo , An Miao , Shao Jian
Published: December 2022

Dam impoundment can cause many adverse impacts on fish assemblages upstream of dams. Here, we investigated fish diversity in one plateau riverine reservoir (Wanfeng Reservoir) using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding technology. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) 39 species of fish were monitored belonging to 9 orders and 13 families in the Wanfeng Reservoir, most of which were Cypriniformes and included a variety of common farmed fish belonging to Culter, Oreochromis, Acipenser, and Clarias; (2) the fish assemblage structures in the Up (upstream section), Mid (midstream section), and RA (reservoir area section) of this reservoir was significantly different (p-value < 0.01); (3) among the 7 environmental variables that were measured (Tem, TDS, Sal, pH, DO, NH4+, and Tra), DO (p-value < 0.01) and pH (p-value < 0.05) were the main environmental stressors causing differences in fish assemblages in different sites of the Wanfeng Reservoir. This study concluded that dam construction in the karst region provided habitats for the establishment and dispersal of exotic fish.
The Species Structure of Plankton Communities as a Response to Changes in the Trophic Gradient of the Mouth Areas of Large Tributaries to a Lowland Reservoir
Authors: Zhikharev Vyacheslav , Vodeneeva Ekaterina , Kudrin Ivan , Gavrilko Dmitry , Startseva Natalia , Kulizin Pavel , Erina Oxana , Tereshina Maria , Okhapkin Alexander , Shurganova Galina
Published: December 2022

The mouth areas of large rivers can serve as a good model of heterogeneity sites with a pronounced trophic gradient to assess the impact of the degree of eutrophication on different plankton communities. The aim of this research was to identify the possible response of the diversity indicators of phyto- and zooplankton communities to trophic gradients in the mouth area of two large tributaries of the reservoir, formed in the Middle Volga River (Russia). Both linear regression models and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) were used to assess the role of abiotic and biotic predictors in the structural organization of plankton communities and to assess the changes in the parameters of the species plankton community structure in the trophic gradient. It was found that the species diversity (Adjusted R2 = 0.116) and evenness (Adjusted R2 = 0.114) of phytoplankton significantly decreased with an increase in the degree of eutrophication, while the species diversity (Adjusted R2 = 0.059) and evenness (Adjusted R2 = 0.073) of zooplankton increased. According to the CCA models, electrical conductivity (EC) explained the largest proportion of the observed dispersion. The Trophic State Index (TSI) explained 3.0% of the total variance in the phytoplankton community species structure and 7.8% in the zooplankton one. The variation in phyto- and zooplankton dominant complexes generally corresponded to the well-known patterns of plankton species succession in the gradient of trophic conditions and can be considered as a classic manifestation of the cascade effect in the food chains of freshwater plankton communities. Our results highlight the necessity of studying the mouth river areas, as well as applying an integrated approach to investigating the response of plankton communities to eutrophication processes of continental water bodies.
Heavy Metal Estimation and Quality Assurance Parameters for Water Resources in the Northern Region of Pakistan
Authors: Hayder Rizwan , Hafeez Muhammad , Ahmad Pervaiz , Memon Najma , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin , Elqahtani Zainab Mufarreh , Al-Buriahi M. S. , Mahmoud Zakaria M. M. , Ahmed Muhammad Naeem
Published: December 2022

The current study investigates the water quality parameters of drinking water resources in District Neelam (DNLM), Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Northwestern Pakistan. The studied area has been recently reported with many waterborne diseases, which probed this analytical study. The samples were aseptically collected from springs, taps, and surface water bodies. The water quality parameters, such as physical, microbiological, anions, and heavy metals, were tested. Results showed that the electrical conductance (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS), were 974.60 µS/cm and 912.10 mg/L, respectively, exacerbating the quality of drinking water in DNLM. For microbial water testing, we used 3M-Petrifilms as a detection source, which could separate coliform bacteria from E. coli by creating unique surface chromophores. Out of sixty collected samples, 76% had bacterial contamination. Nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate (9.8, 15.0, and 15.1 mg/L), were also surpassing the safe limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for water quality measurement. The heavy metals, i.e., As, Cr, Cu, and Pb were also tested in current analysis. Pb and Cr (0.04 mg/L and 0.06 mg/L) exceeded from safe drinking water guidelines of the WHO and more than 50% of the collected samples had Pb as a major water pollutant in DNLM. Poor waste management, open sludge discharge, lack of municipality measures, and mineral leaching into the freshwaters of DNLM due to mining and metal extraction processes were the main sources of water pollution in the region. The inorganic pollutants were responsible for the sudden rise of different malignancies and other fatal diseases (vital organ failures and reproductive disorders) in the region, which has not been reported in the past. The current investigation yielded useful baseline data of the drinking water reserves of NW Pakistan that could help to develop techniques for the mitigation of water pollutants present in the region.
Assessment of Coastal Morphology on the South-Eastern Baltic Sea Coast: The Case of Lithuania
Authors: Šakurova Ilona , Kondrat Vitalijus , Baltranaitė Eglė , Vasiliauskienė Erika , Kelpšaitė-Rimkienė Loreta
Published: December 2022

The Port of Klaipėda, located at the Klaipėda strait, divides the Lithuanian coast into two different geomorphological parts: southern—the coast of the Curonian Spit, and northern—the mainland coast. Port jetties interrupt the main sediment transport path along the South-Eastern Baltic Sea’s coast. Port of Klaipėda reconstruction in 2002 and the beach nourishment project which started in 2014 significantly influenced the northern part of the coast, which led to changes in the coastal zone evolution. The measurements in various periods are essential for cross-shore profile elevation to analyze seabed morphology and sedimentation patterns. These data highlight our understanding of the scale and timing of seabed erosion or sedimentation processes scale and timing. This study evaluates the impact of anthropogenic pressure and natural factors on coastal geomorphology and dynamics. In order to assess the latter changes, the cross-shore profile evolution and sediment budget were analyzed as well as nearshore bathymetry changes. The data illustrated a changing picture of the entire shore profile—on land and underwater.