bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Snow Phenology over the Large Part of Eurasia Using Satellite Observations from 2000 to 2016
Authors: Sun Yanhua , Zhang Tingjun , Liu Yijing , Zhao Wenyu , Huang Xiaodong
Published: June 2020

Snow plays an important role in meteorological, hydrological and ecological processes, and snow phenology variation is critical for improved understanding of climate feedback on snow cover. The main purpose of the study is to explore spatial-temporal changes and variabilities of the extent, timing and duration, as well as phenology of seasonal snow cover across the large part of Eurasia from 2000 through 2016 using a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud-free snow product produced in this study. The results indicate that there are no significant positive or negative interannual trends of snow cover extent (SCE) from 2000 to 2016, but there are large seasonal differences. SCE shows a significant negative trend in spring (p = 0.01) and a positive trend in winter. The stable snow cover areas accounting for 78.8% of the large part of Eurasia, are mainly located north of latitude 45° N and in the mountainous areas. In this stable area, the number of snow-covered days is significantly increasing (p < 0.05) in 6.4% of the region and decreasing in 9.1% of the region, with the decreasing areas being mainly located in high altitude mountain areas and the increasing area occurring mainly in the ephemeral snow cover areas of northeastern and southern China. In central Siberia, Pamir and the Tibetan Plateau, the snow onset date tends to be delayed while the end date is becoming earlier from 2000 to 2016. While in the relatively low altitude plain areas, such as the West Siberian Plain and the Eastern European Plain region, the snow onset date is tending to advance, the end date tends to be delayed, but the increase is not significant.
Near Real-Time Automated Early Mapping of the Perimeter of Large Forest Fires from the Aggregation of VIIRS and MODIS Active Fires in Mexico
Authors: Briones-Herrera Carlos Ivan , Vega-Nieva Daniel José , Monjarás-Vega Norma Angélica , Briseño-Reyes Jaime , López-Serrano Pablito Marcelo , Corral-Rivas José Javier , Alvarado-Celestino Ernesto , Arellano-Pérez Stéfano , Álvarez-González Juan Gabriel , Ruiz-González Ana Daría , Jolly William Mathew , Parks Sean A.
Published: June 2020

In contrast with current operational products of burned area, which are generally available one month after the fire, active fires are readily available, with potential application for early evaluation of approximate fire perimeters to support fire management decision making in near real time. While previous coarse-scale studies have focused on relating the number of active fires to a burned area, some local-scale studies have proposed the spatial aggregation of active fires to directly obtain early estimate perimeters from active fires. Nevertheless, further analysis of this latter technique, including the definition of aggregation distance and large-scale testing, is still required. There is a need for studies that evaluate the potential of active fire aggregation for rapid initial fire perimeter delineation, particularly taking advantage of the improved spatial resolution of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer (VIIRS) 375 m, over large areas and long periods of study. The current study tested the use of convex hull algorithms for deriving coarse-scale perimeters from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) active fire detections, compared against the mapped perimeter of the MODIS collection 6 (MCD64A1) burned area. We analyzed the effect of aggregation distance (750, 1000, 1125 and 1500 m) on the relationships of active fire perimeters with MCD64A1, for both individual fire perimeter prediction and total burned area estimation, for the period 2012–2108 in Mexico. The aggregation of active fire detections from MODIS and VIIRS demonstrated a potential to offer coarse-scale early estimates of the perimeters of large fires, which can be available to support fire monitoring and management in near real time. Total burned area predicted from aggregated active fires followed the same temporal behavior as the standard MCD64A1 burned area, with potential to also account for the role of smaller fires detected by the thermal anomalies. The proposed methodology, based on easily available algorithms of point aggregation, is susceptible to be utilized both for near real-time and historical fire perimeter evaluation elsewhere. Future studies might test active fires aggregation between regions or biomes with contrasting fuel characteristics and human activity patterns against medium resolution (e.g., Landsat and Sentinel) fire perimeters. Furthermore, coarse-scale active fire perimeters might be utilized to locate areas where such higher-resolution imagery can be downloaded to improve the evaluation of fire extent and impact.
Comparison of Sentinel-2 and High-Resolution Imagery for Mapping Land Abandonment in Fragmented Areas
Authors: Morell-Monzó Sergio , Estornell Javier , Sebastiá-Frasquet María-Teresa
Published: June 2020

Agricultural land abandonment is an important environmental issue in Europe. The proper management of agricultural areas has important implications for ecosystem services (food production, biodiversity, climate regulation and the landscape). In the coming years, an increase of abandoned areas is expected due to socio-economic changes. The identification and quantification of abandoned agricultural plots is key for monitoring this process and for applying management measures. The Valencian Region (Spain) is an important fruit and vegetable producing area in Europe, and it has the most important citrus industry. However, this agricultural sector is highly threatened by diverse factors, which have accelerated land abandonment. Landsat and MODIS satellite images have been used to map land abandonment. However, these images do not give good results in areas with high spatial fragmentation and small-sized agricultural plots. Sentinel-2 and airborne imagery shows unexplored potential to overcome this thanks to higher spatial resolutions. In this work, three models were compared for mapping abandoned plots using Sentinel-2 with 10 m bands, Sentinel-2 with 10 m and 20 m bands, and airborne imagery with 1 m visible and near-infrared bands. A pixel-based classification approach was used, applying the Random Forests algorithm. The algorithm was trained with 144 plots and 100 decision trees. The results were validated using the hold-out method with 96 independent plots. The most accurate map was obtained using airborne images, the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and Thiam’s Transformed Vegetation Index (TTVI), with an overall accuracy of 88.5%. The map generated from Sentinel-2 images (10 m bands and the EVI and TTVI spectral indices) had an overall accuracy of 77.1%. Adding 20 m Sentinel-2 bands and the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) did not improve the classification accuracy. According to the most accurate map, 4310 abandoned plots were detected in our study area, representing 32.5% of its agricultural surface. The proposed methodology proved to be useful for mapping citrus in highly fragmented areas, and it can be adapted to other crops.
Rapid Flood Mapping and Evaluation with a Supervised Classifier and Change Detection in Shouguang Using Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 Optical Data
Authors: Huang Minmin , Jin Shuanggen
Published: June 2020

Rapid flood mapping is crucial in hazard evaluation and forecasting, especially in the early stage of hazards. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images are able to penetrate clouds and heavy rainfall, which is of special importance for flood mapping. However, change detection is a key part and the threshold selection is very complex in flood mapping with SAR. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to rapidly map flood regions and estimate the flood degree, avoiding the critical step of thresholding. It converts the change detection of thresholds to land cover backscatter classifications. Sentinel-1 SAR images are used to get the land cover backscatter classifications with the help of Sentinel-2 optical images using a supervised classifier. A pixel-based change detection is used for change detection. Backscatter characteristics and variation rules of different ground objects are essential prior knowledge for flood analysis. SAR image classifications of pre-flood and flooding periods both take the same input to make sense of the change detection between them. This method avoids the inaccuracy caused by a single threshold. A case study in Shouguang is tested by this new method, which is compared with the flood map extracted by Otsu thresholding and normalized difference water index (NDWI) methods. The results show that our approach can identify the flood beneath vegetation well. Moreover, all required data and data processing are simple, so it can be popularized in rapid flooding mapping in early disaster relief.
Classification of Oil Slicks and Look-Alike Slicks: A Linear Discriminant Analysis of Microwave, Infrared, and Optical Satellite Measurements
Authors: Carvalho Gustavo de Araújo , Minnett Peter J. , Ebecken Nelson F. F. , Landau Luiz
Published: June 2020

We classify low-backscatter regions observed in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) measurements of the surface of the ocean as either oil slicks or look-alike slicks (radar false targets). Our proposed classification algorithm is based on Linear Discriminant Analyses (LDAs) of RADARSAT-1 measurements (402 scenes off the southeast coast of Brazil from July 2001 to June 2003) and Meteorological-Oceanographic (MetOc) data from other earth observation sensors: Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT). Oil slicks are sea-surface expressions of exploration and production oil, ship- and orphan-spills. False targets are associated with environmental phenomena, such as biogenic films, algal blooms, upwelling, low wind, or rain cells. Both categories have been interpreted by domain-experts: mineral oil (n = 350; 45.5%) and petroleum free (n = 419; 54.5%). We explore nine size variables (area, perimeter, etc.) and three types of MetOc information (sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a, and wind speed) that describe the 769 samples analyzed. Seven attribute–domain combinations are tested with three non-linear transformations (none, cube root, log10), with and without MetOc, adding to 39 attribute subdivisions. Classification accuracies are independent of data transformation and improve when selected size attributes are combined with MetOc, leading to overall accuracies of ~80% and sound levels of sensitivity (~90%), specificity (~80%), positive (~80%) and negative (~90%) predictive values. The effectiveness of this data-driven attempt supports further commercial or academic implementation of our LDA algorithm.
Assessment of the Extreme Precipitation by Satellite Estimates over South America
Authors: Palharini Rayana Santos Araujo , Vila Daniel Alejandro , Rodrigues Daniele Tôrres , Quispe David Pareja , Palharini Rodrigo Cassineli , de Siqueira Ricardo Almeida , de Sousa Afonso João Maria
Published: June 2020

In developing countries, accurate rainfall estimation with adequate spatial distribution is limited due to sparse rain gauge networks. One way to solve this problem is the use of satellite-based precipitation products. These satellite products have significant spatial coverage of rainfall estimates and it is of fundamental importance to investigate their performance across space–time scales and the factors that affect their uncertainties. In the open literature, some studies have already analyzed the ability of satellite-based rain estimation products to estimate average rainfall values. These investigations have found very close agreement between the estimates and observed data. However, further evaluation of the satellite precipitation products is necessary to improve their reliability to estimate extreme values. In this scenario, the main goal of this work is to evaluate the ability of satellite-based precipitation products to capture the characteristics of extreme precipitation over the tropical region of South America. The products evaluated in this investigation were 3B42 RT v7.0, 3B42 RT v7.0 uncalibrated, CMORPH V1.0 RAW, CMORPH V1.0 CRT, GSMAP-NRT-no gauge v6.0, GSMAP-NRT- gauge v6.0, CHIRP V2.0, CHIRPS V2.0, PERSIANN CDR v1 r1, CoSch and TAPEER v1.5 from Frequent Rainfall Observations on GridS (FROGS) database. Some products considered in this investigation are adjusted with rain gauge values and others only with satellite information. In this study, these two sets of products were considered. In addition, gauge-based daily precipitation data, provided by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, were used as reference in the analyses. In order to compare gauge-based daily precipitation and satellite-based data for extreme values, statistical techniques were used to evaluate the performance the selected satellite products over the tropical region of South America. According to the results, the threshold for rain to be considered an extreme event in South America presented high variability, ranging from 20 to 150 mm/day, depending on the region and the percentile threshold chosen for analysis. In addition, the results showed that the ability of the satellite estimates to retrieve rainfall extremes depends on the geographical location and large-scale rainfall regimes.
Land Cover Changes and Flows in the Polish Baltic Coastal Zone: A Qualitative and Quantitative Approach
Authors: Bielecka Elzbieta , Jenerowicz Agnieszka , Pokonieczny Krzysztof , Borkowska Sylwia
Published: June 2020

Detecting land cover changes requires timely and accurate information, which can be assured by using remotely sensed data and Geographic Information System(GIS). This paper examines spatiotemporal trends in land cover changes in the Polish Baltic coastal zone, especially the urbanisation, loss of agricultural land, afforestation, and deforestation. The dynamics of land cover change and its impact were discussed as the major findings. The analysis revealed that land cover changes on the Polish Baltic coast have been consistent throughout the 1990–2018 period, and in the consecutive inventories of land cover, they have changed faster. As shown in the research, the area of agricultural land was subject to significant change, i.e., about 40% of the initial 8% of the land area in heterogeneous agriculture was either developed or abandoned at about equal rates. Next, the steady growth of the forest and semi-natural area also changed the land cover. The enlargement of the artificial surface was the third observed trend of land cover changes. However, the pace of land cover changes on the Baltic coast is slightly slower than in the rest of Poland and the European average. The region is very diverse both in terms of land cover, types of land transformation, and the pace of change. Hence, the Polish national authorities classified the Baltic coast as an area of strategic intervention requiring additional action to achieve territorial cohesion and the goals of sustainable development.
On the Hunt for Noble Savages: Romance Tourism and Ageing Femininities
Authors: Stončikaitė Ieva
Published: June 2020

Casual sexual encounters are closely wedded to leisure travel, and have received a lot of attention in both theoretical and empirical work. However, the relationship between romance tourism and female ageing remains largely under-researched. This article offers critical insights into the interplay of the successful ageing and sexual relationships abroad of older women travellers. It shows that romance tourism has both positive and negative implications for women’s physical and psychological health and wellbeing. Although exotic escapes help reconnect women with their youthful selves, enhancing a sense of self-confidence and challenging the narrative of decline, casual sex may also generate conflicting feelings once the travel romance is over. This article also encourages the rethinking of the complexities of ageing femininities, sexual activity and health risk in ‘silver’ romance tourism today. Additionally, it argues that the sexual health guidelines and information campaigns should adopt a more multifaceted approach to sexual expressions, and encourage alternative views towards sex and sexuality in later life, in order to not create a rather oppressive ideology among older women.
A Comparison among Synthetic Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) as Effective Adsorbents of Inorganic Arsenic from Contaminated Soil–Water Systems
Authors: Pigna Massimo , Violante Antonio , Caporale Antonio Giandonato
Published: June 2020

The need for cost-effective adsorbents of inorganic arsenic (As(III) and As(V)) stimulates the academia to synthesize and test novel materials that can be profitably applied at large-scale in most affected areas worldwide. In this study, four different layered double hydroxides (Cu-Al-, Mg-Al-, Mg-Fe- and Zn-Al-LDH), previously synthesized and studied for As(III) removal capacity, were evaluated as potential adsorbents of As(V) from contaminated systems, in absence or presence of common inorganic anions (Cl−, F−, SO42−, HCO3− and H2PO4−). The As(V) desorption by H2PO4− was also assessed. Lastly, the As(V) adsorption capacities of the four layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were compared with those observed with As(III) in a complementary paper. All the LDHs adsorbed higher amounts of As(V) than As(III). Fe-Mg-LDH and Cu-Al-LDH showed higher adsorption capacities in comparison to Mg-Al-LDH and Zn-Al-LDH. The presence of competing anions inhibited the adsorption of two toxic anions according to the sequence: Cl− < F− < SO42− < HCO3− < < H2PO4−, in particular on Mg-Al-LDH and Zn-Al-LDH. The kinetics of As(V) desorption by H2PO4− indicated a higher occurrence of more easily desorbable As(V) on Zn-Al-LDH vs. Cu-Al-LDH. In conclusion, synthetic Cu- and Fe-based LDHs can be good candidates for an efficient removal of inorganic As, however, further studies are necessary to prove their real feasibility and safety.
Evaluation of Epidemic-Based Information Dissemination in a Wireless Network Testbed
Authors: Stylidou Andreana , Zervopoulos Alexandros , Alvanou Aikaterini Georgia , Koufoudakis George , Tsoumanis Georgios , Oikonomou Konstantinos
Published: June 2020

Information dissemination is an integral part of modern networking environments, such as Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Probabilistic flooding, a common epidemic-based approach, is used as an efficient alternative to traditional blind flooding as it minimizes redundant transmissions and energy consumption. It shares some similarities with the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) epidemic model, in the sense that the dissemination process and the epidemic thresholds, which achieve maximum coverage with the minimum required transmissions, have been found to be common in certain cases. In this paper, some of these similarities between probabilistic flooding and the SIR epidemic model are identified, particularly with respect to the epidemic thresholds. Both of these epidemic algorithms are experimentally evaluated on a university campus testbed, where a low-cost WSN, consisting of 25 nodes, is deployed. Both algorithm implementations are shown to be efficient at covering a large portion of the network’s nodes, with probabilistic flooding behaving largely in accordance with the considered epidemic thresholds. On the other hand, the implementation of the SIR epidemic model behaves quite unexpectedly, as the epidemic thresholds underestimate sufficient network coverage, a fact that can be attributed to implementation limitations.
The Emergence of Chikungunya ECSA Lineage in a Mayaro Endemic Region on the Southern Border of the Amazon Forest
Authors: Julia da Silva Pessoa Vieira Carla , José Ferreira da Silva David , Rigotti Kubiszeski Janaína , Ceschini Machado Laís , Pena Lindomar José , Vieira de Morais Bronzoni Roberta , da Luz Wallau Gabriel
Published: June 2020

Anthropic changes on the edges of the tropical forests may facilitate the emergence of new viruses from the sylvatic environment and the simultaneous circulation of sylvatic and urban viruses in the human population. In this study, we investigated the presence of arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) in the sera of 354 patients, sampled from February 2014 to October 2018 in Sinop city. We sequenced the complete genomes of one chikungunya virus (CHIKV)-positive and one out of the 33 Mayaro virus (MAYV)-positive samples. The CHIKV genome obtained here belongs to the East/Central/South African (ECSA) genotype and the MAYV genome belongs to the L genotype. These genomes clustered with other viral strains from different Brazilian states, but the CHIKV strain circulating in Sinop did not cluster with other genomes from the Mato Grosso state, suggesting that at least two independent introductions of this virus occurred in Mato Grosso. Interestingly, the arrival of CHIKV in Sinop seems to not have caused a surge in human cases in the following years, as observed in the rest of the state, suggesting that cross immunity from MAYV infection might be protecting the population from CHIKV infection. These findings reinforce the need for continued genomic surveillance in order to evaluate how simultaneously circulating alphaviruses infecting the human population will unfold.
Discovery of Two Novel Negeviruses in a Dungfly Collected from the Arctic
Authors: Lu Gang , Ye Zhuang-Xin , He Yu-Juan , Zhang Yan , Wang Xin , Huang Hai-Jian , Zhuo Ji-Chong , Sun Zong-Tao , Yan Fei , Chen Jian-Ping , Zhang Chuan-Xi , Li Jun-Min
Published: June 2020

Negeviruses are a proposed group of insect-specific viruses that can be separated into two distinct phylogenetic clades, Nelorpivirus and Sandewavirus. Negeviruses are well-known for their wide geographic distribution and broad host range among hematophagous insects. In this study, the full genomes of two novel negeviruses from each of these clades were identified by RNA extraction and sequencing from a single dungfly (Scathophaga furcata) collected from the Arctic Yellow River Station, where these genomes are the first negeviruses from cold zone regions to be discovered. Nelorpivirus dungfly1 (NVD1) and Sandewavirus dungfly1 (SVD1) have the typical negevirus genome organization and there was a very high coverage of viral transcripts. Small interfering RNAs derived from both viruses were readily detected in S. furcata, clearly showing that negeviruses are targeted by the host antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. These results and subsequent in silico analysis (studies) of public database and published virome data showed that the hosts of nege-like viruses include insects belonging to many orders as well as various non-insects in addition to the hematophagous insects previously reported. Phylogenetic analysis reveals at least three further groups of negeviruses, as well as several poorly resolved solitary branches, filling in the gaps within the two sub-groups of negeviruses and plant-associated viruses in the Kitaviridae. The results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the geographic distribution, host range, evolution and host antiviral immune responses of negeviruses.
Saxifraga spinulosa-Derived Components Rapidly Inactivate Multiple Viruses Including SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Takeda Yohei , Murata Toshihiro , Jamsransuren Dulamjav , Suganuma Keisuke , Kazami Yuta , Batkhuu Javzan , Badral Duger , Ogawa Haruko
Published: June 2020

Novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza A virus (IAV), and norovirus (NV) are highly contagious pathogens that threaten human health. Here we focused on the antiviral potential of the medicinal herb, Saxifraga spinulosa (SS). Water-soluble extracts of SS were prepared, and their virus-inactivating activity was evaluated against the human virus pathogens SARS-CoV-2 and IAV; we also examined virucidal activity against feline calicivirus and murine norovirus, which are surrogates for human NV. Among our findings, we found that SS-derived gallocatechin gallate compounds were capable of inactivating all viruses tested. Interestingly, a pyrogallol-enriched fraction (Fr 1C) inactivated all viruses more rapidly and effectively than did any of the component compounds used alone. We found that 25 µg/mL of Fr 1C inactivated >99.6% of SARS-CoV-2 within 10 s (reduction of ≥2.33 log10 TCID50/mL). Fr 1C resulted in the disruption of viral genomes and proteins as determined by gel electrophoresis, electron microscopy, and reverse transcription–PCR. Taken together, our results reveal the potential of Fr 1C for development as a novel antiviral disinfectant.
The Effect of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) Strains and the Corresponding Infected-Macrophages’ Supernatant on Macrophage Inflammatory Function and Lymphocyte Apoptosis
Authors: Abdelsalam Karim , Rajput Mrigendra , Elmowalid Gamal , Sobraske Jacob , Thakur Neelu , Abdallah Hossam , Ali Ahmed A. H. , Chase Christopher C. L.
Published: June 2020

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an important viral disease of cattle that causes immune dysfunction. Macrophages are the key cells for the initiation of the innate immunity and play an important role in viral pathogenesis. In this in vitro study, we studied the effect of the supernatant of BVDV-infected macrophage on immune dysfunction. We infected bovine monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) with high or low virulence strains of BVDV. The supernatant recovered from BVDV-infected MDM was used to examine the functional activity and surface marker expression of normal macrophages as well as lymphocyte apoptosis. Supernatants from the highly virulent 1373-infected MDM reduced phagocytosis, bactericidal activity and downregulated MHC II and CD14 expression of macrophages. Supernatants from 1373-infected MDM induced apoptosis in MDBK cells, lymphocytes or BL-3 cells. By protein electrophoresis, several protein bands were unique for high-virulence, 1373-infected MDM supernatant. There was no significant difference in the apoptosis-related cytokine mRNA (IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-a) of infected MDM. These data suggest that BVDV has an indirect negative effect on macrophage functions that is strain-specific. Further studies are required to determine the identity and mechanism of action of these virulence factors present in the supernatant of the infected macrophages.
Polycistronic Genome Segment Evolution and Gain and Loss of FAST Protein Function during Fusogenic Orthoreovirus Speciation
Authors: Yang Yiming , Gaspard Gerard , McMullen Nichole , Duncan Roy
Published: June 2020

The Reoviridae family is the only non-enveloped virus family with members that use syncytium formation to promote cell–cell virus transmission. Syncytiogenesis is mediated by a fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) protein, a novel family of viral membrane fusion proteins. Previous evidence suggested the fusogenic reoviruses arose from an ancestral non-fusogenic virus, with the preponderance of fusogenic species suggesting positive evolutionary pressure to acquire and maintain the fusion phenotype. New phylogenetic analyses that included the atypical waterfowl subgroup of avian reoviruses and recently identified new orthoreovirus species indicate a more complex relationship between reovirus speciation and fusogenic capacity, with numerous predicted internal indels and 5’-terminal extensions driving the evolution of the orthoreovirus’ polycistronic genome segments and their encoded FAST and fiber proteins. These inferred recombination events generated bi- and tricistronic genome segments with diverse gene constellations, they occurred pre- and post-orthoreovirus speciation, and they directly contributed to the evolution of the four extant orthoreovirus FAST proteins by driving both the gain and loss of fusion capability. We further show that two distinct post-speciation genetic events led to the loss of fusion in the waterfowl isolates of avian reovirus, a recombination event that replaced the p10 FAST protein with a heterologous, non-fusogenic protein and point substitutions in a conserved motif that destroyed the p10 assembly into multimeric fusion platforms.
Cross-Sectional Study on the Sero- and Viral Dynamics of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 in the Field
Authors: Lin Chao-Nan , Ke Ni-Jyun , Chiou Ming-Tang
Published: June 2020

Porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVADs) cause considerable economic losses in industrial pork production in the field. To minimize the economic losses due to PCVAD, porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccines have been developed, and there is widespread vaccination worldwide today. However, limited information is available concerning the current status of PCV2 infection in the field on the Asian continent. The present study aimed to assess sero- and viral dynamics of PCV2 from 12 PCV2-contaminated pig herds with vaccination against PCV2 in Southern and Central Taiwan. In particular, the level of PCV2 load during the window period for seroconversion using real-time polymerase chain reaction and a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Our results revealed that pig herds showed slight or no seroconversion after three to four weeks post-PCV2 immunization. The presence of PCV2 was observed during the window period for seroconversion in all herds. In conclusion, natural exposure of PCV2 occurs in the growing to fattening period, and viremia can last until slaughter. Additionally, our findings indicate that using ELISA showed the level of antibodies and aided in the understanding and surveillance of the current PCV2 status in the field.
CD19+ CD24hi CD38hi Regulatory B Cells and Memory B Cells in Periodontitis: Association with Pro-Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines
Authors: Hetta Helal F. , Mwafey Ibrahim M. , Batiha Gaber El-Saber , Alomar Suliman Y. , Mohamed Nahed A. , Ibrahim Maggie A. , Elkady Abeer , Meshaal Ahmed Kh. , Alrefai Hani , Khodeer Dina M. , Zahran Asmaa M.
Published: June 2020

Regulatory B cells (Bregs) are unique subpopulations of B cells with immune-regulating or immune-suppressing properties and play a role in peripheral tolerance. Due to the current limitations of human Breg studies among periodontal diseases, in the present study, we tried to analyze the change in circulating Bregs, pro-inflammatory, and anti-inflammatory cytokines in patients with periodontitis. Peripheral blood from 55 patients with stage 2 periodontitis and 20 healthy controls was analyzed using flow cytometry to evaluate the frequency of CD19+CD24+CD38+ Breg cells. ELISA was used to assess the serum levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukins (IL)-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and anti-inflammatory cytokines including IL-10, IL-35, and TGF-β. Increased proportions of Breg cells were observed in patients with stage 2 periodontitis compared to controls. Serum levels of cytokines were significantly higher in patients with periodontitis compared to controls. A significant positive correlation was observed between the frequencies of Breg cells and IL35 levels, IL10 levels, and TGF-β. In conclusion, our results suggest that the increase in peripheral Breg cells and serum cytokine levels among periodontitis patients seems to be closely associated with disease progression, a possible link between periodontitis, and systemic inflammatory process.
Preventing the Risk of Hospitalization for Respiratory Complications of Influenza among the Elderly: Is There a Better Influenza Vaccination Strategy? A Retrospective Population Study
Authors: Cocchio Silvia , Gallo Tolinda , Del Zotto Stefania , Clagnan Elena , Iob Andrea , Furlan Patrizia , Fonzo Marco , Bertoncello Chiara , Baldo Vincenzo
Published: June 2020

Influenza and its complications are an important public health concern, and vaccination remains the most effective prevention measure. However, the efficacy of vaccination depends on several variables, including the type of strategy adopted. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of different influenza vaccination strategies in preventing hospitalizations for influenza and its related respiratory complications. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on data routinely collected by the health services for six consecutive influenza seasons, considering the population aged 65 years or more at the time of their vaccination and living in northeastern Italy. Our analysis concerns 987,266 individuals vaccinated against influenza during the study period. The sample was a mean 78.0 ± 7.7 years old, and 5681 individuals (0.58%) were hospitalized for potentially influenza-related reasons. The hospitalization rate tended to increase over the years, not-significantly peaking in the 2016–2017 flu season (0.8%). Our main findings revealed that hospitalizations related to seasonal respiratory diseases were reduced as the use of the enhanced vaccine increased (R2 = 0.5234; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed the significantly greater protective role of the enhanced vaccine over the conventional vaccination strategy, with adjusted Odds Ratio (adj OR) = 0.62 (95% CI: 0.59–0.66). A prior flu vaccination also had a protective role (adj OR: 0.752 (95% CI: 0.70–0.81)). Age, male sex, and H3N2 mismatch were directly associated with a higher risk of hospitalization for pneumonia. In the second part of our analysis, comparing MF59-adjuvanted trivalent inactivated vaccine (MF59-TIV) with conventional vaccines, we considered 479,397 individuals, of which 3176 (0.66%) were admitted to a hospital. The results show that using the former vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalization by 33% (adj OR: 0.67 (95% CI: 0.59–0.75)). This study contributes to the body of evidence of a greater efficacy of enhanced vaccines, and MF59-adjuvanted TIV in particular, over conventional vaccination strategies in the elderly.
150 Years of Choro – Where Are We Now?
Authors: KÖRVER Ines
Published: June 2020

According to a Brazilian saying, choro is the father of samba and the grandfather of bossa nova. Starting off as a way of interpreting European music with an African twist, it developed from a lower middle-class style played for fun and without monetary ambition to one of Brazil’s most revered genres, played by all classes. Choro fell in and out of fashion various times: It was declared to be the embodiment of Brazilianness in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1970s, and almost vanished twice (in the 1950s and 1960s, and from the 1980s into the early 1990s), because it was considered old-fashioned. When exactly choro saw the light of day, is a matter of discussion. This will be described in the article. We come to the conclusion that choro can claim to be 150 years old and has now reached its most diverse stage so far. It boasts a fairly good infrastructure with institutes, schools, concerts, jam sessions, sheet music, method books, books, an online magazine, CDs, films, radio broadcasts, TV productions, websites, and diligent studies, both by instrumentalists and scholars. Furthermore, it is by now played on all inhabited continents.
Relationship between satisfaction with learning outcomes and mental health among medical and engineering students
Authors: Bukhanovskaya O. , Demcheva N.
Published: June 2020

Method of calculating the index of crisis of gratification has been developed on the basis of the complete survey of 995 students of medical university and 804 students of engineering university, determination of clinical and social parameters and factors related to the process of education in the specialized university. It included: a scale for the assessment of the degree of intellectual intensity, academic performance, stress situations related to the peculiarities of education. Reliable differences in values between groups of healthy students, students with preclinical and clinical forms of mental disorders are revealed as a result of calculation of the index of gratification. The authors conclude that satisfaction with the results of education has a significant impact on the mental health of university students.
To the question of relevance of outpatient psychiatric unit (sociological aspect)
Authors: Ter-Israelyan A. , Belokrylov I. , Evdokimova T. , Suetin M.
Published: June 2020

Results of a sociological survey among doctors and patients on the implementation and operation of a new organizational form — outpatient psychiatric unit — operating on the basis of the Psychiatric clinical hospital No. 13, Moscow Healthcare Department, is presented in the article. Advantages of this organizational form in comparison with hospital treatment are shown: reduced treatment period, proximity, volumes of treatment comparable with hospital treatment, maximum social adaptation of patients. Some problematic issues of the unit’s operation are identified: lack of continuity in the interaction between the individual structures of the new organizational form, as well as with other health care organizations.
The features of viability and social adaptation of patients who underwent revisional hip replacement
Authors: Senina Elena
Published: June 2020

The author analyzes the category of viability as a structural element of social adaptation of patients who underwent revisional hip replacement. Considering the process of postoperative rehabilitation, the author focuses on viability as an individual characteristic of patients, which determines the effectiveness of physical recovery and social adaptation after hip replacement. The article observes the results of an empirical study conducted on the basis of Saratov Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics of Minzdrav of Russia, aimed at studying the criteria of viability and social viability of adaptation and social adaptation.
Self-control as a personal resource for restoring social activity in patients after endoprosthetics of major joints
Authors: Sevostyanova O.
Published: June 2020

Limitations of the motor sphere as the most severe consequences of diseases of the musculoskeletal system drastically reduce the quality of life. The WHO statistics shows that 80 % of the population, the majority of which are the people of working age, suffer from various diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The proportion of patients of working age who have limitations of the musculoskeletal system increased after the adoption of the law on raising the retirement age, which makes the problem of their treatment and rehabilitation even more important. Great economic damage requires the search for new approaches to repairing a defect of the locomotor system. Total joint replacement is acknowledged effective method of treating patients. However, the results of arthroplasty do not always satisfy the patient and the surgeon. The reason for this is the lack of rehabilitation programs, which have a negative impact on the treatment process. The purpose of this study is to analyze self-control as a personal resource for restoring the social functioning of patients after endoprosthetics of major joints.
RESEARCH OF EFFICIENCY OF NANOSIZED POWDERED ICE-FORMING REAGENTS
Authors: Kim N.S. , Korneev V.P. , Petrunin A.M. , Chastuhin A.V. , Voronin E.F.
Published: June 2020

The article discusses nanosized powdery ice-forming reagents, which are supposed to be used in the works on active action on clouds in order to regulate precipitation and hail suppression, as well as to dissipate supercooled fog. These ice-forming reagents have been obtained by the levilite method, in which a layer of silver iodide is deposited on the surface of nanosilica particles. Description of the methodology for studying the effectiveness of nanosized powdery ice-forming reagents, as well as the results of laboratory studies of their effectiveness obtained in different organizations is given. The results of studies of ice-forming reagents carried out at laboratories of RPA “Typhoon”, High-Mountain Geophysical Institute, JSC “Cheboksary production association n.a. V.I. Chapaev” and ANO “Agency of atmospheric technologies” have shown that the efficiency of these reagents differs significantly from those obtained earlier in
the Central Aerological Observatory. It has been suggested that the low efficiency of nanosized ice-forming reagents is due to the high aggregation of the original nanosilicum particles, resulting from the high surface activity of these particles. Possible ways to reduce the degree of aggregation of powders by modifying the
surface of the original nanoparticles aimed at decreasing the high activity of the nanosilica particles surface are discussed.
ANTHROPOGENIC COMPONENT OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM THE TERRITORY
OF THE KALININGRAD REGION
Authors: Dvoeglazova N.V. , Chubarenko B.V. , Kozlova Y.A.
Published: June 2020

The increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is influenced to a greater extent by a degree of development of industry, a growth of electrification, deforestation, and the burning of fuel for the production of heating and electricity. The contribution of emissions of each of these factors and the ratio of greenhouse gases in them should be taken into account when developing the measures to prevent climate change. According to calculations of emissions from the territory of the Kaliningrad region the burning of fuel and energy resources are supposed to be playing the main role in the greenhouse gas emission from the territory of the Kaliningrad region. In statistical reference books this activity is described as the “activities for the production and distribution of electricity, gas and water.” The usage of this fuel in the energy sector
is increasing: from 1742.4 thousand tons of standard fuel in 1991 up to 2193.9 in 2016. Such little increase in total emissions is due to the general technology improvement in the country. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions from the territory of the Kaliningrad region. The percentage of the gases in the total volume is as follows: CO2 - 96.7%, CH4 - 1%, N2 O - 2.3%. Its emissions for the period from 2013 to 2016 varied from 3,757.4 in 2014 to 4,091.7 in 2015 thousand tons of standard fuel, reaching its maximum value in 2015. The estimate presented in this paper is a lower estimate, since it does not take into account emissions from industrial processes, leaks, land use, waste, etc., as well as from some categories of emission sources due to the lack of data on the use of fuel in the Kaliningrad region. Among other things, the calculations of emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from the use of fuel by vehicles in 2016, which have shown to be 1.86 times less than from burning of fossil fuels for the same year (2032.87 Gg CO2 eq. and 3914.79 Gg CO2 eq., respectively) and to account for 34.5% of the total emissions, have been made. Moreover, according to the methodology for calculating emissions the factor of carbon dioxide absorption by the region’s forests has been taken into account. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by forests has shown to be only 11.9% of the emissions of this gas during the combustion of boiler and furnace fuel.
MANAJEMEN PROGRAM REALITY COMPETITION SHOW DI TELEVISI
Authors: Susanti Santi , Suryana Asep , Nugraha I Gusti Wayan Albar
Published: June 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkapkan pengelolaan program hiburan televisi berbentuk reality competition show yang berhasil menarik perhatian penonton melalui tujuh aspek, yakni konflik, durasi, kesukaan, konsistensi, energi, timing dan tren. Metode kualitatif pendekatan studi kasus digunakan dengan subjek penelitian orang-orang yang terlibat dalam produksi D’Academy dan D’Star Indosiar, yaitu tim produksi, pengisi acara dan penonton. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan, D'Academy dan D'Star memenuhi tujuh aspek keberhasilan program hiburan dengan treatment yang hampir serupa sebagai suatu program kompetisi dangdut. Tim produksi pun melakukan komodifikasi pada kedua program tersebut, berupa komodifikasi isi maupun komodifikasi khlayak yang berhubungan dnegan aspek-aspek keberhasilan program hiburan televisi pada D’Academy dan D’Star. Kesimpulan penelitian ini, program D’Academy dan D’Star melakukan proses pembentukan yang hampir sama terhadap aspek-aspek kesuksesan suatu program dan hanya memiliki sedikit perbedaan yang disesuaikan dengan inovasi yang diusung.
PRINCIPLES OF SOVIET MODERNISM IN THE ENSEMBLE OF THE SQUARE NAMED AFTER PLEVEN IN ROSTOV-ON-DON
Authors: Ivanova-Ilyicheva A. , Sidorenko N.
Published: June 2020

The current desire for compaction of the urban environment is dictated primarily by economic considerations that have changed perceptions of the value of urban development. This leads to the gradual destruction of one of the most important characteristics of Soviet modernism architecture – the aesthetic and functional relationship between the architectural object and the natural environment. Over the past decades, in the regions, including in the South of Russia, the loss of individual structures with artistic value and the entire urban planning solutions occurs. The example is the ensemble of the park named after the Pleven city (Pleven’s ensemble) in Rostov-on-Don. The article is devoted to its studying. The paper provides a retrospective analysis of the gradual formation of the Pleven’s ensemble. The author reveals the architectural, artistic and volume-compositional features of the structures that form it: the square, the park named after the town of Pleven, Bulvar Druzhby, Museum of international friendship, “Pleven” cinema and the supermarket. Spatial relationships between the studied objects and the environment are determined. The field studies define the modern state within the ensemble of objects, and the existing town-planning situation is fixed. It reflects the loss of spatial relations and features of the formation of the urban environment, which are characteristic of Soviet modernism.
FORMATION OF THE STRUCTURE OF REGIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM REGULATIONS AND THE INTERAGENCY UNIFORM STANDARDS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF BUILDINGS OF GENERAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN BELGOROD REGION
Authors: Chechel' I.
Published: June 2020

The article discusses the main aspects of the architect's work with the normative documents used in technical regulation in the construction of buildings of educational institutions in the Russian Federation and the Belgorod region. The analysis of the current standardization system confirmed the relevance of the studied problem, which is determined by the need to solve an important state task – the creation of a safe and high-quality modern building of secondary schools for construction in the Belgorod region and the justification of a fundamentally new system of views on the process of architectural design of buildings of general education schools in modern conditions of the Belgorod region. The author considers the improvement of information support for working with the regulatory framework in the architectural design of buildings of secondary schools in the Belgorod region as an important resource and potentially effective tool for the work of an architect. For this purpose, the author has developed proposals for creating an interdepartmental regional information system of normative documents (RISND) for architects of the Belgorod region.