bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prospects for the Development of Sustainable Tourism in the Okinsky District of the Republic of Buryatia
Authors: Kuklina Maria , Trufanov Andrey , Krasnoshtanova Natalia , Urazova Nina , Kobylkin Dmitrii , Bogatyreva Marina
Published: July 2021

This article discusses the prospects for the development of sustainable tourism as an element of the network system in Okinsky District, Republic of Buryatia, RF. Before COVID-19-related restrictions, the number of tourists in this area increased annually, which was associated with the attractiveness of this terrain for visitors. The potential of the tourism sector of Okinsky District comes from the combination of a large number of natural resources. The area has rich water resources, including rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and mineral springs, with well-preserved mountainous landscapes accompanied by a centuries-old cultural and ethnic heritage. Due to Okinsky District’s specific border location and remoteness, the area has a very large number of places for recreation. The objective of our work is to clarify key factors hindering the development of tourism in the district. The study is aimed at examining the state of natural objects and determining their importance for locals, vacationers, and the district as a whole. In this regard, a problem integrity scope and a networked approach to the accompanying analysis reveal the mechanisms that contribute to the conservation of biological diversity of natural objects and their rational, scientifically grounded use in the tourism industry in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The set of problems that impede the active promotion of tourism were identified. However, these problems are typical not only for the studied district but also many other remote areas of the Russian Federation.
Integration of Sustainability in Engineering and Architectural Studies in Spanish Universities
Authors: Guerenabarrena-Cortazar Leire , Olaskoaga-Larrauri Jon , Cilleruelo-Carrasco Ernesto
Published: July 2021

The recommendations of the UN and other international bodies on the need to transform university curricula to incorporate sustainability values, content and competencies have met with a warm reception from universities all over the world. However, the actual state of the integration of sustainability in higher education is, in general, somewhat more modest than one would expect. This article proposes a method of measuring the extent of sustainability-oriented curricular change in the Spanish University as a whole and applies it to the degrees in engineering and architecture. The method entails a documentary analysis of the teaching guides related to 1050 subjects. The results obtained do not invite optimism: curricular transformation is slow and insufficient and its results are still incomplete.
Analysis of Rainfall Time Series with Application to Calculation of Return Periods
Authors: Egea Pérez Ramón Egea , Cortés-Molina Mónica , Navarro-González Francisco J.
Published: July 2021

This paper presents a study of the characteristics of rainfall in a typical Mediterranean climate, characterized by infrequent and irregular rain in the territorial area and its intensity. One of the main components of this type of climate is short-duration and high-intensity rain events that cause a large amount of damage to property and human lives, seriously affecting the operation of infrastructure and the activity of society in general. The objective of this study was to design a methodology based on peak over threshold (POT) analysis. This methodology allows us to establish reference precipitation values and more approximate return periods in the absence of sufficiently extensive historical precipitation series. In addition, the frequency of these extreme events or return periods is established. The characteristics of the precipitation regime make direct analysis difficult. Thus, the functions of the probability distributions underlying the described phenomena are improved.
Relationships between Environmental Initiatives and Impact Reductions for Construction Companies
Authors: Chang Andrew S. , Canelas Claudia , Chen Yi-Ling
Published: July 2021

A company undertakes environmental initiatives to reduce environmental impact from their activities; however, the impact reduction effect of these initiatives is not clear. This study investigated the environmental initiatives and impact indicators disclosed in forty corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports of construction companies and determined the relationships between the initiatives and indicators. The results demonstrated that the likelihood of an initiative reducing environmental impacts was approximately 25% on average, meaning that one in four companies was able to successfully implement initiatives. The energy consumption reduction from initiatives had the highest probability, at 40%, and water consumption reduction had only 9.4%. This study contributes to making explicit relationships between initiatives and impact reductions possible. A company can verify the effectiveness of initiatives by examining the values of their corresponding indicators before implementing environmental initiatives.
The Third-Order Hermitian Toeplitz Determinant for Alpha-Convex Functions
Authors: Dobosz Anna
Published: July 2021

Sharp lower and upper bounds of the second- and third-order Hermitian Toeplitz determinants for the class of α-convex functions were found. The symmetry properties of the arithmetic mean underlying the definition of α-convexity and the symmetry properties of Hermitian matrices were used.
Biochemical Responses of Medicinal Plant Tussilago farfara L. to Elevated Heavy Metal Concentrations in Soils of Urban Areas
Authors: Petukhov Alexander , Kremleva Tatyana , Petukhova Galina , Khritokhin Nikolay
Published: July 2021

This study was conducted in Tyumen (Russian Federation) to establish the effects of heavy metals’ (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Cd) accumulation in soil and coltsfoot, as well as plants’ biochemical responses to such an accumulation. The mobile and acid-soluble heavy metal fractions in soils, and the heavy metal contents in plants, were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Pb concentrations in soils exceeded background values. Pb content at the battery manufacturing plant was above the maximum permitted concentration. The percentages of the mobile heavy metal fractions decreased in the following order: Mn > Zn > Cu > Fe. The greatest heavy metal accumulation in soils and plants was found at the battery manufacturing and metallurgical plants examined in our study. Heavy metals’ accumulation in the aboveground part of Tussilago farfara decreased in the following order: Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Pb > Cd. The accumulation of heavy metals stimulated the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments by 6–30%. Heavy metals provoked oxidative stress in cells, increasing the concentration of lipid peroxidation in products by up to 80%. Plant phenolics and flavonoids in the urban area of our study decreased compared to those in the control by 1.05, reaching up to 6.5 times. The change in coltsfoot catalase activity both increased and declined. Biochemical responses and heavy metal accumulation in coltsfoot from urban areas limit its use for medicinal purposes.
Phthalic Acid Esters: Natural Sources and Biological Activities
Authors: Huang Ling , Zhu Xunzhi , Zhou Shixing , Cheng Zhenrui , Shi Kai , Zhang Chi , Shao Hua
Published: July 2021

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are a class of lipophilic chemicals widely used as plasticizers and additives to improve various products’ mechanical extensibility and flexibility. At present, synthesized PAEs, which are considered to cause potential hazards to ecosystem functioning and public health, have been easily detected in the atmosphere, water, soil, and sediments; PAEs are also frequently discovered in plant and microorganism sources, suggesting the possibility that they might be biosynthesized in nature. In this review, we summarize that PAEs have not only been identified in the organic solvent extracts, root exudates, and essential oils of a large number of different plant species, but also isolated and purified from various algae, bacteria, and fungi. Dominant PAEs identified from natural sources generally include di-n-butyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, diisooctyl phthalate, etc. Further studies reveal that PAEs can be biosynthesized by at least several algae. PAEs are reported to possess allelopathic, antimicrobial, insecticidal, and other biological activities, which might enhance the competitiveness of plants, algae, and microorganisms to better accommodate biotic and abiotic stress. These findings suggest that PAEs should not be treated solely as a “human-made pollutant” simply because they have been extensively synthesized and utilized; on the other hand, synthesized PAEs entering the ecosystem might disrupt the metabolic process of certain plant, algal, and microbial communities. Therefore, further studies are required to elucidate the relevant mechanisms and ecological consequences.
The Protein-Independent Role of Phosphate in the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Duayer Irene Faria , Duque Eduardo Jorge , Fujihara Clarice Kazue , de Oliveira Ivone Braga , dos Reis Luciene Machado , Machado Flavia Gomes , Graciolli Fabiana Giorgetti , Jorgetti Vanda , Zatz Roberto , Elias Rosilene Motta , Moysés Rosa Maria Affonso
Published: July 2021

Several factors contribute to renal-function decline in CKD patients, and the role of phosphate content in the diet is still a matter of debate. This study aims to analyze the mechanism by which phosphate, independent of protein, is associated with the progression of CKD. Adult Munich-Wistar rats were submitted to 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx), fed with a low-protein diet, and divided into two groups. Only phosphate content (low phosphate, LoP, 0.2%; high phosphate, HiP, 0.95%) differentiated diets. After sixty days, biochemical parameters and kidney histology were analyzed. The HiP group presented worse renal function, with higher levels of PTH, FGF-23, and fractional excretion of phosphate. In the histological analysis of the kidney tissue, they also showed a higher percentage of interstitial fibrosis, expression of α-actin, PCNA, and renal infiltration by macrophages. The LoP group presented higher expression of beclin-1 in renal tubule cells, a marker of autophagic flux, when compared to the HiP group. Our findings highlight the action of phosphate in the induction of kidney interstitial inflammation and fibrosis, contributing to the progression of renal disease. A possible effect of phosphate on the dysregulation of the renal cell autophagy mechanism needs further investigation with clinical studies.
New Model of 4D Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet Gravity Coupled with Nonlinear Electrodynamics
Authors: Kruglov Sergey Il’ich
Published: July 2021

New spherically symmetric solution in 4D Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity coupled with nonlinear electrodynamics is obtained. At infinity, this solution has the Reissner–Nordström behavior of the charged black hole. The black hole thermodynamics, entropy, shadow, energy emission rate, and quasinormal modes of black holes are investigated.
Bacteriophages fEV-1 and fD1 Infect Yersinia pestis
Authors: Skurnik Mikael , Jaakkola Salla , Mattinen Laura , von Ossowski Lotta , Nawaz Ayesha , Pajunen Maria I. , Happonen Lotta J.
Published: July 2021

Bacteriophages vB_YpeM_fEV-1 (fEV-1) and vB_YpeM_fD1 (fD1) were isolated from incoming sewage water samples in Turku, Finland, using Yersinia pestis strains EV76 and KIM D27 as enrichment hosts, respectively. Genomic analysis and transmission electron microscopy established that fEV-1 is a novel type of dwarf myovirus, while fD1 is a T4-like myovirus. The genome sizes are 38 and 167 kb, respectively. To date, the morphology and genome sequences of some dwarf myoviruses have been described; however, a proteome characterization such as the one presented here, has currently been lacking for this group of viruses. Notably, fEV-1 is the first dwarf myovirus described for Y. pestis. The host range of fEV-1 was restricted strictly to Y. pestis strains, while that of fD1 also included other members of Enterobacterales such as Escherichia coli and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. In this study, we present the life cycles, genomes, and proteomes of two Yersinia myoviruses, fEV-1 and fD1.
Ecological Approach to Understanding Superinfection Inhibition in Bacteriophage
Authors: Biggs Karin R. H. , Bailes Clayton L. , Scott LuAnn , Wichman Holly A. , Schwartz Elissa J.
Published: July 2021

In microbial communities, viruses compete with each other for host cells to infect. As a consequence of competition for hosts, viruses evolve inhibitory mechanisms to suppress their competitors. One such mechanism is superinfection exclusion, in which a preexisting viral infection prevents a secondary infection. The bacteriophage ΦX174 exhibits a potential superinfection inhibition mechanism (in which secondary infections are either blocked or resisted) known as the reduction effect. In this auto-inhibitory phenomenon, a plasmid containing a fragment of the ΦX174 genome confers resistance to infection among cells that were once permissive to ΦX174. Taking advantage of this plasmid system, we examine the inhibitory properties of the ΦX174 reduction effect on a range of wild ΦX174-like phages. We then assess how closely the reduction effect in the plasmid system mimics natural superinfection inhibition by carrying out phage–phage competitions in continuous culture, and we evaluate whether the overall competitive advantage can be predicted by phage fitness or by a combination of fitness and reduction effect inhibition. Our results show that viral fitness often correctly predicts the winner. However, a phage’s reduction sequence also provides an advantage to the phage in some cases, modulating phage–phage competition and allowing for persistence where competitive exclusion was expected. These findings provide strong evidence for more complex dynamics than were previously thought, in which the reduction effect may inhibit fast-growing viruses, thereby helping to facilitate coexistence.
Human Papillomaviruses Target the DNA Damage Repair and Innate Immune Response Pathways to Allow for Persistent Infection
Authors: Gusho Elona , Laimins Laimonis
Published: July 2021

Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is the major risk factor associated with development of anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. Initial infection by HPVs occurs into basal epithelial cells where viral genomes are established as nuclear episomes and persist until cleared by the immune response. Productive replication or amplification occurs upon differentiation and is dependent upon activation of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), ataxia telangiectasia and RAD3-related (ATR) DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways. In addition to activating DDR pathways, HPVs must escape innate immune surveillance mechanisms by antagonizing sensors, adaptors, interferons and antiviral gene expression. Both DDR and innate immune pathways are key host mechanisms that crosstalk with each other to maintain homeostasis of cells persistently infected with HPVs. Interestingly, it is still not fully understood why some HPV infections get cleared while others do not. Targeting of these two processes with antiviral therapies may provide opportunities for treatment of cancers caused by high-risk HPVs.
The Neural Gut–Brain Axis of Pathological Protein Aggregation in Parkinson’s Disease and Its Counterpart in Peroral Prion Infections
Authors: Beekes Michael
Published: July 2021

A neuropathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the cerebral deposition of abnormally aggregated α-synuclein (αSyn). PD-associated αSyn (αSynPD) aggregates are assumed to act, in a prion-like manner, as proteinaceous nuclei (“seeds”) capable of self-templated propagation. Braak and colleagues put forward the idea of a neural gut-brain axis mediating the centripetal spread of αSynPD pathology from the enteric nervous system (ENS) to the brain in PD. This has sparked great interest and initiated passionate discussions both in support of and opposing the suggested hypothesis. A precedent for the spread of protein seeds or seeding from the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract to the central nervous system (CNS) had been previously revealed for pathological prion protein in peroral prion infections. This article scrutinizes the similarities and dissimilarities between the pathophysiological spread of disease-associated protein aggregation along the neural gut–brain axis in peroral prion infections and PD. On this basis, evidence supporting the proposed neural gut–brain axis in PD is concluded to be not as robust as that established for peroral prion infections. New tools for the ultrasensitive detection of αSynPD-associated seeding activity in archived or fresh human tissue samples such as real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) or protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assays can possibly help to address this deficit in the future.
Modeling of CCR5 Recognition by HIV-1 gp120: How the Viral Protein Exploits the Conformational Plasticity of the Coreceptor
Authors: Jacquemard Célien , Koensgen Florian , Colin Philippe , Lagane Bernard , Kellenberger Esther
Published: July 2021

The chemokine receptor CCR5 is a key player in HIV-1 infection. The cryo-EM 3D structure of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) subunit gp120 in complex with CD4 and CCR5 has provided important structural insights into HIV-1/host cell interaction, yet it has not explained the signaling properties of Env nor the fact that CCR5 exists in distinct forms that show distinct Env binding properties. We used classical molecular dynamics and site-directed mutagenesis to characterize the CCR5 conformations stabilized by four gp120s, from laboratory-adapted and primary HIV-1 strains, and which were previously shown to bind differentially to distinct CCR5 forms and to exhibit distinct cellular tropisms. The comparative analysis of the simulated structures reveals that the different gp120s do indeed stabilize CCR5 in different conformational ensembles. They differentially reorient extracellular loops 2 and 3 of CCR5 and thus accessibility to the transmembrane binding cavity. They also reshape this cavity differently and give rise to different positions of intracellular ends of transmembrane helices 5, 6 and 7 of the receptor and of its third intracellular loop, which may in turn influence the G protein binding region differently. These results suggest that the binding of gp120s to CCR5 may have different functional outcomes, which could result in different properties for viruses.
Laboratory Findings in Patients with Probable Dengue Diagnosis from an Endemic Area in Colombia in 2018
Authors: Cardenas Jenny , Giraldo-Parra Sandra , Gonzalez Maria , Gutierrez-Silva Lady , Jaimes-Villamizar Lucy , Roa-Parra Alba , Carvajal Daisy , Valdivia Hugo , Sanchez Juan , Colpitts Tonya , Londono-Renteria Berlin
Published: July 2021

As demonstrated with the novel coronavirus pandemic, rapid and accurate diagnosis is key to determine the clinical characteristic of a disease and to improve vaccine development. Once the infected person is identified, hematological findings may be used to predict disease outcome and offer the correct treatment. Rapid and accurate diagnosis and clinical parameters are pivotal to track infections during clinical trials and set protection status. This is also applicable for re-emerging diseases like dengue fever, which causes outbreaks in Asia and Latin America every 4 to 5 years. Some areas in the US are also endemic for the transmission of dengue virus (DENV), the causal agent of dengue fever. However, significant number of DENV infections in rural areas are diagnosed solely by clinical and hematological findings because of the lack of availability of ELISA or PCR-based tests or the infrastructure to implement them in the near future. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) are a less sensitive, yet they represent a timely way of detecting DENV infections. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an association between hematological findings and the probability for an NS1-based DENV RDT to detect the DENV NS1 antigen. We also aimed to describe the hematological parameters that are associated with the diagnosis through each test.
Impact of Analytical Treatment Interruption on Burden and Diversification of HIV Peripheral Reservoir: A Pilot Study
Authors: Scutari Rossana , Costabile Valentino , Galli Laura , Bellocchi Maria Concetta , Carioti Luca , Barbaliscia Silvia , Poli Andrea , Galli Andrea , Perno Carlo Federico , Santoro Maria Mercedes , Castagna Antonella , Ceccherini-Silberstein Francesca , Alteri Claudia , Spagnuolo Vincenzo
Published: July 2021

Background: If analytical antiretroviral-treatment (ART) interruption (ATI) might significantly impact quantitative or qualitative peripheral-total HIV-DNA is still debated. Methods: Six chronically HIV-1 infected patients enrolled in APACHE-study were analysed for peripheral-total HIV-DNA and residual viremia, major-resistance-mutations (MRMs) and C2-V3-C3 evolution at pre-ATI (T1), during ATI (T2) and at achievement of virological success after ART-resumption (post-ATI, T3). These data were obtained at three comparable time-points in five chronically HIV-1 infected patients on suppressive ART for ≥1 year, enrolled in MODAt-study. Results: At T1, APACHE and MODAt individuals had similar peripheral-total HIV-DNA and residual viremia (p = 0.792 and 0.662, respectively), and no significant changes for these parameters were observed between T1 and T3 in both groups. At T1, 4/6 APACHE and 2/5 MODAt carried HIV-DNA MRMs. MRMs disappeared at T3 in 3/4 APACHE. All disappearing MRMs were characterized by T1 intra-patient prevalence <80%, and mainly occurred in APOBEC3-related sites. All MRMs persisted over-time in the 2 MODAt. C2-V3-C3 genetic-distance significantly changed from T1 to T3 in APACHE individuals (+0.36[0.11–0.41], p = 0.04), while no significant changes were found in MODAt. Accordingly, maximum likelihood trees (bootstrap > 70%) and genealogical sorting indices (GSI > 0.50 with p-value < 0.05) showed that T1 C2-V3-C3 DNA sequences were distinct from T2 and T3 viruses in 4/6 APACHE. Virus populations at all three time-points were highly interspersed in MODAt. Conclusions: This pilot study indicates that short ATI does not alter peripheral-total HIV-DNA burden and residual viremia, but in some cases could cause a genetic diversification of peripheral viral reservoir in term of both MRMs rearrangement and viral evolution.
Incidence of Vaccine-Preventable Childhood Diseases in the European Union and in the European Free Trade Association Countries
Authors: Jachowicz Estera , Gębicka Magdalena , Plakhtyr Daria , Shynkarenko Myroslav , Urbanowicz Juri , Mach Maciej , Czepiel Jacek , Marchewka Jakub , Wójkowska-Mach Jadwiga
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Despite the widespread availability of vaccines, the incidence of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases (VPCD) started to grow in recent years. The aim of the study was to compare the annual incidence of selected VPCDs in the EU (European Union) and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries in the period of the last 5 years (2014–2019 or other intervals, depending on data availability), and the country-specific vaccine schedules. Methods: VPCD incidence rates in Europe were based on “The Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases” by the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control); vaccination schedules were based on ECDC reports. Results: The obligation to vaccinate was not universal, and it generally only applied to two preparations: the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and the one against polio. During the study, the situation associated with mumps did not change or improve in individual countries; the median incidence amounted to 30 cases. The median incidence associated with rubella amounted to 1 case, but in a few countries, it grew very rapidly, i.e., in Germany, Italy, and Romania; in Poland, the incidence was clearly decreasing, from 5923 to 1532 cases. The most dynamic situation concerned measles. The total median was 2.4 cases per 100,000 population; the only one country with falling incidence was Germany. The diseases associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis remained at a stable level in all analyzed countries. Conclusion: Vaccine schedules differ among the countries, so does the epidemiological situation of selected diseases. Morbidity on measles was the most disturbing phenomenon: the incidence rate increased in almost 40% of all countries, regardless of the obligation to vaccinate. The increasing incidence of VPCD may be due to anti-vaccine movements, the activity of which is often caused by mistrust and spreading misinformation. In order to better prevent the increase in morbidity, standardization of vaccine schedules and documentation should be considered in the EU countries.
Association of Transcriptomic Signatures of Inflammatory Response with Viral Control after Dendritic Cell-Based Therapeutic Vaccination in HIV-1 Infected Individuals
Authors: Fehér Csaba , Pastor-lbáñez Roque , Leal Lorna , Plana Montserrat , Arnedo Mireia , van den Ham Henk-Jan , Andeweg Arno C. , Gruters Rob A. , Díez-Fuertes Francisco , Alcamí José , Aloy Patrick , García Felipe
Published: July 2021

Systems vaccinology has seldomly been used in therapeutic HIV-1 vaccine research. Our aim was to identify early gene ‘signatures’ that predicted virus load control after analytical therapy interruption (ATI) in participants of a dendritic cell-based HIV-1 vaccine trial (DCV2). mRNA and miRNA were extracted from frozen post-vaccination PBMC samples; gene expression was determined by microarray method. In gene set enrichment analysis, responders showed an up-regulation of 14 gene sets (TNF-alpha/NFkB pathway, inflammatory response, the complement system, Il6 and Il2 JAK-STAT signaling, among others) and a down-regulation of 7 gene sets (such as E2F targets or interferon alpha response). The expression of genes regulated by three (miR-223-3p, miR-1183 and miR-8063) of the 9 differentially expressed miRNAs was significantly down-regulated in responders. The deregulation of certain gene sets related to inflammatory processes seems fundamental for viral control, and certain miRNAs may be important in fine-tuning these processes.
Reverse Transcription Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay for Rapid Detection of Avian Influenza Virus H9N2 HA Gene
Authors: Yehia Nahed , Eldemery Fatma , Arafa Abdel-Satar , Abd El Wahed Ahmed , El Sanousi Ahmed , Weidmann Manfred , Shalaby Mohamed
Published: July 2021

The H9N2 subtype of avian influenza A virus (aIAV) is circulating among birds worldwide, leading to severe economic losses. H9N2 cocirculation with other highly pathogenic aIAVs has the potential to contribute to the rise of new strains with pandemic potential. Therefore, rapid detection of H9 aIAVs infection is crucial to control virus spread. A qualitative reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) assay for the detection of aIAV subtype H9N2 was developed. All results were compared to the gold standard (real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)). The RT-RPA assay was designed to detect the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of H9N2 by testing three pairs of primers and a probe. A serial concentration between 106 and 100 EID50 (50% embryo infective dose)/mL was applied to calculate the analytical sensitivity. The H9 RT-RPA assay was highly sensitive as the lowest concentration point of a standard range at one EID50/mL was detected after 5 to 8 min. The H9N2 RT-RPA assay was highly specific as nucleic acid extracted from H9 negative samples and from other avian pathogens were not cross detected. The diagnostic sensitivity when testing clinical samples was 100% for RT-RPA and RT-PCR. In conclusion, H9N2 RT-RPA is a rapid sensitive and specific assay that easily operable in a portable device for field diagnosis of aIAV H9N2.
Seroprevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Brucella Infection in Camels in the Puntland State of Somalia
Authors: Mohamud Ahmed Said , Kothowa John Pilate , Mfune Ruth Lindizyani , Mubanga Melai , Godfroid Jacques , Muma John B.
Published: July 2021

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by members of the genus Brucella. Camel brucellosis has been reported in almost all camel-rearing countries in Africa and Asia. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2020 and February 2021 in Galkayo, Garowe, and Bosaso districts in the Puntland State of Somalia to investigate the seroprevalence and risk factors of brucellosis in camels. A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) was used to detect anti-Brucella antibodies, while a structured questionnaire was used to collect epidemiological data. A total of 441 camel sera were screened against Brucella antibodies. Thirty-one (7%; 95% CI: 4.8–9.8%) samples were positive, and thirteen (54.2%; 95% CI: 32.8–74.4%) out of the twenty-four farms sampled had at least one seropositive animal. Galkayo district had the highest number of Brucella-seropositive camels (10.3%), followed by Bosaso district (8.6%), while Garowe district had the lowest number of seropositive camels (1.4%). The binary logistic regression model revealed that camels in Galkayo district (p = 0.015; OR: 9.428; 95% CI: 1.539–57.755), camels from large herd sizes of >50 animals (p = 0.019; OR: 5.822; 95% CI: 1.336–25.371), and those in contact with small ruminants (p = 0.011; OR: 10.941; 95% CI: 1.728–69.285) were significantly associated with seropositive cases of camel brucellosis in the Puntland State of Somalia. The present study shows that Brucella infections in camels are prevalent in the three districts covered by the study. This poses a public health risk, because milk from these camels is used for human consumption. Studies focusing on the isolation of Brucella strains in camels and investigating brucellosis in ruminants and humans are recommended in the study area. Validation of serological tests—including c-ELISA—for Brucella antibody detection in camels is also needed.
Accessing Dietary Effects on the Rumen Microbiome: Different Sequencing Methods Tell Different Stories
Authors: Zhou Mi , O’Hara Eóin , Tang Shaoxun , Chen Yanhong , Walpole Matthew , Górka Paweł , Penner Gregory , Guan Le
Published: July 2021

The current study employed both amplicon and shotgun sequencing to examine and compare the rumen microbiome in Angus bulls fed with either a backgrounding diet (BCK) or finishing diet (HG), to assess if both methods produce comparable results. Rumen digesta samples from 16 bulls were subjected for microbial profiling. Distinctive microbial profiles were revealed by the two methods, indicating that choice of sequencing approach may be a critical facet in studies of the rumen microbiome. Shotgun-sequencing identified the presence of 303 bacterial genera and 171 archaeal species, several of which exhibited differential abundance. Amplicon-sequencing identified 48 bacterial genera, 4 archaeal species, and 9 protozoal species. Among them, 20 bacterial genera and 5 protozoal species were differentially abundant between the two diets. Overall, amplicon-sequencing showed a more drastic diet-derived effect on the ruminal microbial profile compared to shotgun-sequencing. While both methods detected dietary differences at various taxonomic levels, few consistent patterns were evident. Opposite results were seen for the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and the genus Selenomonas. This study showcases the importance of sequencing platform choice and suggests a need for integrative methods that allow robust comparisons of microbial data drawn from various omic approaches, allowing for comprehensive comparisons across studies.
Estimating the Reducing Power of Carbon Nanotubes and Granular Activated Carbon Using Various Compounds
Authors: Woo Heesoo , Kim Ilho , Park Saerom
Published: July 2021

Determining the degree of the reducing power of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and granular activated carbon (GAC) enables their effective application in various fields. In this study, we estimate the reducing power of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and GAC by measuring the reduction degree of various compounds with different reduction potentials. MWCNTs and GAC materials can reduce Cr(VI), Fe(III) and PMo12O403−, where the reduction potentials range from +1.33 V to +0.65 V. However, no reduced forms of PW12O403− and SiW12O404− compounds were detected, indicating that the reducing power of MWCNTs and GAC is insufficient for reduction potentials in the range +0.218 V to +0.054 V. MWCNTs exhibit a short reduction time (5 min), whereas GAC exhibits a gradually increasing reduction degree of all the compounds assessed until the end of the reaction. This indicates a higher reduction degree than that of MWCNTs systems. Acidic initial pH values favor reduction, and the reduction degree increases as the pH becomes lower than 4.0. Moreover, large quantities of MWCNTs and GAC increase the concentrations of the reduced compounds.
Weather Risk Assessment for Collective Water Supply and Sewerage Systems
Authors: Rak Janusz R. , Wartalska Katarzyna , Kaźmierczak Bartosz
Published: July 2021

The weather derivatives market as an instrument of effective weather risk management is still not flexible enough for many industries. The water supply and sewerage industry is sensitive primarily to heavy rainfalls and periods of high and low temperatures: days with heavy rainfall may cause a hydraulic overload of the sewerage systems; on hot days, the water demand increases significantly; on frost days, the risk of water pipe failure grows. The work aimed to summarise methods of weather risk management and propose indices that will help to protect the interests of the water supply and sewerage industry in Poland. Three indices were proposed: a daily precipitation index, frost day index, and hot day index. The frequency of reaching these indices in Poland was verified with the use of meteorological data from 1970–2019, for 19 locations. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall test was used to determine the climate change impact on the exceedance frequency of the proposed indicators. The results showed that the indexes were exceeded in the past once every 6 years, on average. The hot day index was exceeded the least often, but it was the only one with a clear (growing) trend observed.
Implementasi Natural Language Processing Dalam Pembuatan Chatbot Pada Program Information Technology Universitas Surabaya
Authors: Prasetyo Vincentius Riandaru , Benarkah Njoto , Chrisintha Vioni Jannet
Published: July 2021

Program Information Technology di Jurusan Teknik Informatika, Universitas Surabaya, merupakan salah satu program yang menggunakan bahasa Inggris sebagai pengantar pada saat perkuliahan berlangsung. Akan tetapi, kurangnya informasi mengenai Program Information Technology menyebabkan kurangnya minat calon mahasiswa terhadap program tersebut. Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuat sebuah aplikasi chatbot yang dapat membantu user untuk memperoleh informasi-informasi terkait dengan Program Information Technology pada Jurusan Teknik Informatika, Universitas Surabaya. Chatbot yang dibangun hanya akan memproses pertanyaan dengan bahasa Inggris saja. Chatbot yang dibuat pada penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan Natural Language Processing (NLP) untuk memproses pertanyaan yang disampaikan user dan untuk mendapatkan kata kunci dari informasi yang diinginkan user. Sistem akan melakukan pencarian informasi pada kamus informasi yang ada. Apabila informasi tidak ditemukan, maka sistem akan melakukan proses crawling untuk memperoleh informasi yang dibutuhkan user. Pada penelitian ini, validasi sistem dilakukan dengan dua metode yaitu cross validation dan user validation. Berdasarkan validasi dengan metode cross validation didapatkan akurasi sebesar 83,33%. User validation dilakukan dengan cara meminta 10 user untuk melakukan uji coba sistem dan didapatkan akurasi sebesar 76%.
Morphology and properties of hollow glass microspheres. Part 4. On the kinetics of the destruction of hollow glass microspheres under the action of hydrostatic pressure and methods for increasing their strength
Authors: Trofimov A. N. , Pleshkov L. V. , Baykov A. V.
Published: July 2021

The kinetics of destruction of hollow glass microspheres (HGM) of various size groups is investigated. It is shown that removing a certain part of large-diameter microspheres from the initial batch by sieving can significantly increase the specific strength of the remaining HGM.
The variations of wear readings study according to EN 295-3 method using the ISO 6133 standard for analysis of multi-peak curves
Authors: Kovriga V. V. , Kurmanina L. G. , Sevastyanov V. V. , Gumen V. R.
Published: July 2021

It is shown that the set of data on the loss of wall thickness when determining the magnitude of hydroabrasive wear is a multipeak curve. An attempt was made to determine the amount of wear in accordance with the requirements of ISO 6133 "Analysis of multipeak traces". It has been shown that this treatment reveals higher wear values than those applied according to EN 295-3.
Notificação de agravos e a tomada de decisão de enfermeiros relacionada ao HIV/AIDS
Authors: Cunha Machado Tavares Rosangela , De Souza Braga André Luiz , Consuelo Ortiz Sanchez Maritza , Ruiz Barbosa Nassar Pedro , Lopes de Azevedo Suely
Published: July 2021

Objetivo: Refletir sobre a correlação entre os dados dos sistemas de informação em saúde e o processo de tomada de decisão; Compreender os conceitos de gerência e gerenciamento aplicados à enfermagem; Discutir possíveis implicações para a tomada de decisão na vigilância epidemiológica do HIV/AIDS e as ações de saúde implementadas. Método: Revisão Integrativa de Literatura, realizada entre setembro de 2019 e setembro de 2020 nas bases LILACS, BDENF, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus e SciELO. Resultados principais: Identificou-se diferentes percepções quanto aos conceitos de gerência e gerenciamento, notando-se uma influência de concepções pessoais dos autores. O SINAN mostrou que deve ser um dos principais meios para subsidiar o planejamento de ações relacionadas ao HIV/AIDS. Em relação ao agravo, notou-se uma mudança de paradigma acerca das características populacionais na década de 80 e na atual, refletindo uma necessidade de reformulação das políticas de saúde, para que sejam, verdadeiramente, efetivas. Conclusão geral: A tomada de decisão oportuna e com embasamento é primordial na transcendência das barreiras que interferem no planejamento das ações referentes ao agravo apresentado. Necessidade de análise e avaliação rotineira da população, a fim de, além de formular políticas e ações de saúde específicas para cada realidade local, seja também possível conscientizar a sociedade da constante transição populacional da epidemia. Fortalecendo assim, a autonomia, corresponsabilidade e protagonismo dos sujeitos e coletivos, na manutenção da sua saúde.

Descritores (indicando identificador único): Enfermagem; HIV; Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida; Tomada de Decisão; Gerência; Sistemas de Informação em Saúde; Doenças de Notificação Compulsória.
Students’ Development of a Logarithm Function in Python Using Taylor Expansions: A Teaching Design Case Study
Authors: Sand Odd Petter , Lockwood Elise , Caballero Marcos Daniel , Mørken Knut
Published: July 2021

We present here the lessons learned by iteratively designing a tutorial for first-year university students using computer programming to work with mathematical models. Alternating between design and implementation, we used video-taped task interviews and classroom observations to ensure that the design promoted student understanding. The final version of the tutorial we present here has students make their own logarithm function from scratch, using Taylor polynomials. To ensure that the resulting function is accurate and reasonably fast, the students have to understand and apply concepts from both computing and mathematics. We identify four categories of such concepts and identify three design features that students attended to when demonstrating such understandings. Additionally, we describe seven important take-aways from a teaching design point of view that resulted from this iterative design process.
Preventive Behavior of Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDS Among Female Sex Workers in Gianyar Regency
Authors: Luh Gede Pradnyawati
Published: July 2021

Research conducted in 2018 regarding the use of condoms among female sex workers (FSW) in Sanur, Denpasar City, found that condom use had beed promoted, but there were still FSW who did not use condoms when dealing with customers. Gianyar Regency is an area with the second highest direct FSW after Denpasar City. Gianyar Regency has many locations and points of sexual transactions. One of the wellknown locaizations in Gianyar Regency is the one along the Baypass Ida Bagus Mantra. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct an exploratory study of STIs and HIV/AIDS prevention behavior in female sex workers in Gianyar Regency. This study used a qualitative method with purposive sampling technique on 15 informants consisting of female sex workers, pimps and friends/customers by conducting indepth interviews. The results showed that even though the use of condoms had been encouraged, there were also participants who did not use condoms when dealing with custumors. They mostly argued that their partners did not like the use of condoms in sexual intercourse. The low use of condoms is related to economic factors. If they use a condoms for sexual intercourse, it will reduce the income of FSW. In the prevention of STIs and HIV/AIDS, most FSW never did an HIV test
The Effect of Pregnancy Exercise on the Depression Level of the Third Trimester of Pregnant Woman in the Kecamatan Sukawati
Authors: Ni Wayan Noviani
Published: July 2021

This study aims to know the effect of pregnancy exercise on the depression level of the third trimester of pregnant woman in the Kecamatan Sukawati.

This type of research is analytic with a one group pre-test post-test design without control, the number of samples is 50 pregnant women who meet the inclusion criteria by using purposive sampling technique. The instrument data collection using depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS) questionnaire. Bivariate analysis using Wilcoxon test.

The result of the data shows p value of depression level of pregnant women before and after the implementation of pregnancy exercise is 0.102 (>0.05), it can be concluded that there is an no effect of the implementation of pregnancy exercise on the depression level of pregnant women in the third trimester.

From the result of research conducted, the effect of the implementation of pregnancy exercise on the depression level of pregnant women before and after of pregnant women in the third trimester.
Can Radar Remote Life Sensing Technology Help Combat COVID-19?
Authors: Islam Shekh Md Mahmudul
Published: July 2021

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is now a global pandemic disease. This outbreak has affected every aspect of life from work, leisure, and interaction with technology. Governments around the world have issued orders for travel bans, social distancing, and lockdown to control the spread of the virus and prevent strain on hospitals. This paper explores potential applications for radar-based non-contact remote respiration sensing technology that may help to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and outlines potential advantages that may also help to reduce the spread of the virus. Based on the state of the art engineering technologies, several emerging applications related to COVID-19 monitoring/or protection will be discussed with their technical implications. These applications include remote breathing rate monitoring, continuous identity authentication, occupancy detection, and hand gesture recognition. The paper also highlights future research directions that must be explored further to bring this innovative non-contact sensor technology into real-world implementation.
Stabilization with Prescribed Instant for High-Order Integrator Systems
Authors: Kuang Jiyuan , Liu Jianxing , Gao Yabin , Chen Chih-Chiang , Zhang Xiaoju , Sun Guanghui
Published: July 2021

This paper is a research related to finite-time stability. Different from traditional fixed-time, predefined-time, and prescribed time stability that more or less have some conservativeness, we manage to stabilize system states onto the equilibrium at an arbitrarily selected time instant irrespective of initial system states and parameters. In another word, the conservativeness of convergence time in our proposed control method is proved to be zero. Moreover, the control is bounded and also gradually goes to zero at the selected instant. It is obviously an improvement compared with the existing finite-time stabilization (FNTS), such as fixed-time stabilization (FTS), predefined-time stabilization (PDTS), and prescribed-time stabilization (PSTS).

The FNTS property is of great interest for scenarios where real-time constraints need to be satisfied, e.g., in missile guidance, the impact time control guidance laws require stabilization in a desired time. Our proposed PSIS can deal with the FNTS problems.

For other tasks with more accurate requirement on time, the FTS, the PDTS, and the PSTS are insufficient. For instant, two robot arms playing the piano. Music has its’ rhythm, each note is expected to appear at a specific time instant, or the music will sounds terrible. There are many other tasks that are easy for human beings but difficult for robots, e.g.. dancing and sports. The author think it is because human have rhythm feeling, while robots have not. Hence, it is important to develop such control methodologies.
Concepts and characteristics of bringing to administrative responsibility for non-compliance with the customs transit procedure
Authors: Molkova Victoria
Published: July 2021

The article analyzes modern views on the method of legal of offenses committed in the sphere of customs transit procedures. The author pays special attention to the content of the concept and the legal aspects of compliance with the customs transit procedure, in particular, to the subjects of these legal relations. On the basis of the study, the author proposes his own definition of the concept of “administrative responsibility for violation of the customs transit procedure”.
On the question of the need to determine the place and role of the head of the territorial body of internal affairs in the process of operational search activities
Authors: Svinov Dmitriy
Published: July 2021

The study of the problems of the theory and practice of the functioning of the head of the territorial body of internal affairs, the definition of his role in the process of operational-search activities is a key factor in the process of organizing operational-search activities. Within the framework of this article, the author points out the shortcomings of the legal framework and the lack of knowledge of the ways of coordinating operational and investigative activities that directly affect the deterrence of crime. In addition, there is a lack of efficiency in the exercise of their powers by the heads of operational-search activity bodies, including the inconsistency of its organization and functioning with the trends in the development of society.