bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-Dose Vitamin C for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Mussa Ali , Mohd Idris Ros Akmal , Ahmed Naveed , Ahmad Suhana , Murtadha Ahmad Hafiz , Tengku Din Tengku Ahmad Damitri Al Astani , Yean Chan Yean , Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Faiziah , Mat Lazim Norhafiza , Uskoković Vuk , Hajissa Khalid , Mokhtar Noor Fatmawati , Mohamud Rohimah , Hassan Rosline
Published: June 2022

In recent years, the idea that Vitamin C (Vit-C) could be utilized as a form of anti-cancer therapy has generated many contradictory arguments. Recent insights into the physiological characteristics of Vit-C, its pharmacokinetics, and results from preclinical reports, however, suggest that high-dose Vit-C could be effectively utilized in the management of various tumor types. Studies have shown that the pharmacological action of Vit-C can attack various processes that cancerous cells use for their growth and development. Here, we discuss the anti-cancer functions of Vit-C, but also the potential for the use of Vit-C as an epigenetic regulator and immunotherapy enhancer. We also provide a short overview of the current state of systems for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially in the context of their influencing high-dose Vit-C toxicity for the inhibition of cancer growth. Even though the mechanisms of Vit-C action are promising, they need to be supported with robust randomized and controlled clinical trials. Moreover, upcoming studies should focus on how to define the most suitable cancer patient populations for high-dose Vit-C treatments and develop effective strategies that combine Vit-C with various concurrent cancer treatment regimens.
An Evaluation of Two Decades of Aerosol Optical Depth Retrievals from MODIS over Australia
Authors: Shaylor Marie , Brindley Helen , Sellar Alistair
Published: June 2022

We present an evaluation of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) over Australia covering the period 2001–2020. We focus on retrievals from the Deep Blue (DB) and Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithms, showing how these compare to one another in time and space. We further employ speciated AOD estimates from Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) reanalyses to help diagnose aerosol types and hence sources. Considering Australia as a whole, monthly mean AODs show similar temporal behaviour, with a well-defined seasonal peak in the Austral summer. However, excepting periods of intense biomass burning activity, MAIAC values are systematically higher than their DB counterparts by, on average, 50%. Decomposing into seasonal maps, the patterns of behaviour show distinct differences, with DB showing a larger dynamic range in AOD, with markedly higher AODs (ΔAOD∼0.1) in northern and southeastern regions during Austral winter and summer. This is counter-balanced by typically smaller DB values across the Australian interior. Site level comparisons with all available level 2 AOD data from Australian Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites operational during the study period show that MAIAC tends to marginally outperform DB in terms of correlation (RMAIAC = 0.71, RDB = 0.65) and root-mean-square error (RMSEMAIAC = 0.065, RMSEDB = 0.072). To probe this behaviour further, we classify the sites according to the predominant surface type within a 25 km radius. This analysis shows that MAIAC’s advantage is retained across all surface types for R and all but one for RMSE. For this surface type (Bare, comprising just 1.2% of Australia) the performance of both algorithms is relatively poor, (RMAIAC = 0.403, RDB = 0.332).
Observing the Microwave Radiation of the Sun during a Solar Eclipse with a Ground-Based Multichannel Microwave Radiometer
Authors: Lei Lianfa , Wang Zhenhui , Ma Yingying , Qin Jiang , Zhu Lei , Chen Rui , Lu Jianping
Published: June 2022

A ground-based multichannel microwave radiometer (GMR) is commonly used to observe the atmospheric radiation brightness temperature (TB) in order to retrieve atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles. At present, GMRs are used only in meteorology and climate monitoring. However, theoretical analysis showed that GMRs can be also used to observe the solar radiation. Therefore, we tried to improve the antenna servo control system of a GMR so that it could track and observe the sun, and the results showed that the GMR could respond to the variation of solar radiation. A further question was: can a GMR observe the variation of the sun during a solar eclipse? Fortunately, two solar eclipse events were captured by the GMR on 26 December 2019 and 21 June 2020 in Xi’an, China. We used the upgraded GMR to observe the variation of solar radiation during the two solar eclipses. The observation and analysis results showed that (1) the GMR could accurately track the sun and respond to the variation of solar radiation during the solar eclipse. We analyzed the variation features of the solar radiation by combining the solar phase during the two solar eclipses. (2) We found that the GMR could respond to the variation of the solar radiation arising from the Earth–Sun distance, and we further propose a novel method to measure the eccentricity of earth orbit with the GMR by using the passive solar observation. The results show that the eccentricity measured was 0.0169, which agreed quite well with the value of 0.0167 in the literature. (3) The average variation percentages of both the Earth–Sun distance and the intensity of the incident solar radiation throughout the year were estimated to be 3.44% and 6.6%, respectively. According to these results, the solar observation techniques can broaden the field usage of GMR.
Automatic Extraction of Potential Landslides by Integrating an Optical Remote Sensing Image with an InSAR-Derived Deformation Map
Authors: Xun Zhangyuan , Zhao Chaoying , Kang Ya , Liu Xiaojie , Liu Yuanyuan , Du Chengyan
Published: June 2022

Landslide extraction is one of the most popular topics in remote sensing. Numerous techniques have been proposed to manage the landslide identification problem. However, most aim to extract landslides that have already occurred or delineate the potential landslide manually. It is greatly important to identify and delineate potential landslides automatically, which has not been investigated. In this paper, we propose an automatic identification and delineation method, i.e., object-based image analysis (OBIA) of potential landslides by integrating optical imagery with a deformation map. We applied a deformation map generated by the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique, rather than the digital elevation model (DEM) for landslide segmentation. Then, we used a classification and regression tree (CART) model with the spectral, spatial, contextual and deformation characteristics for landslide classification. For accuracy assessment, we implemented the evaluation indicators of recall and precision. The proposed method is verified in both specific landslide-prone regions (Jinpingzi and Shuanglongtan landslides) and a large catchment of the Jinsha River, China. By comparing our results with the ones using purely optical imagery, the precision of the Jinpingzi landslide is improved by 14.12%, and the recall and precision of the Shuanglongtan landslide are improved by 3.1% and 3.6%, respectively, and the recall for the large catchment is improved by 9.95%. Our method can improve delineation of potential landslides significantly, which is crucial for landslide early warning and prevention.
Georeferencing Urban Nighttime Lights Imagery Using Street Network Maps
Authors: Schwind Peter , Storch Tobias
Published: June 2022

Astronaut photography acquired from the International Space Station presently is the only available option for free global high-resolution nighttime light (NTL) imagery. Unfortunately, these data are not georeferenced, meaning they cannot easily be used for many remote sensing applications such as change detection or fusion. Georeferencing such NTL data manually, for example, by finding tie points, is difficult due to the strongly differing appearance of any potential references. Therefore, realizing an automatic method for georeferencing NTL imagery is preferable. In this article, such an automatic processing chain for the georeferencing of NTL imagery is presented. The novel approach works by simulating reference NTL images from vector-based street network maps and finding tie points between these references and the NTL imagery. To test this approach, here, publicly available open street maps are used. The tie points identified in the reference and NTL imagery are then used for rectification and thereby for georeferencing. The presented processing chain is tested using nine different astronaut photographs of urban areas, illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of the algorithm. To evaluate the geometric accuracy, the photography is finally matched manually against an independent reference. The results of this evaluation depict that all nine astronaut photographs are georeferenced with accuracies between 2.03 px and 6.70 px. This analysis demonstrates that an automatic georeferencing of high-resolution urban NTL imagery is feasible even with limited attitude and orbit determination (AOD). Furthermore, especially for future spaceborne NTL missions with precise AOD, the algorithm’s performance will increase and could also be used for quality-control purposes.
Two-Step Alignment of Mixed Reality Devices to Existing Building Data
Authors: Vermandere Jelle , Bassier Maarten , Vergauwen Maarten
Published: June 2022

With the emergence of XR technologies, the demand for new time- and cost-saving applications in the AEC industry based on these new technologies is rapidly increasing. Their real-time feedback and digital interaction in the field makes these systems very well suited for construction site monitoring, maintenance, project planning, and so on. However, the continuously changing environments of construction sites and facilities requires extraordinary robust and dynamic data acquisition technologies to capture and update the built environment. New XR devices already have the hardware to accomplish these tasks, but the framework to document and geolocate multi-temporal mappings of a changing environment is still very much the subject of ongoing research. The goal of this research is, therefore, to study whether Lidar and photogrammetric technologies can be adapted to process XR sensory data and align multiple time series in the same coordinate system. Given the sometimes drastic changes on sites, we do not only use the sensory data but also any preexisting remote sensing data and as-is or as-designed BIM to aid the registration. In this work, we specifically study the low-resolution geometry and image matching of the Hololens 2 during consecutive stages of a construction. During the experiments, multiple time series of constructions are captured and registered. The experiments show that XR-captured data can be reliably registered to preexisting datasets with an accuracy that matches or exceeds the resolution of the sensory data. These results indicate that this method is an excellent way to align generic XR devices to a wide variety of existing reference data.
Estimating Grass Sward Quality and Quantity Parameters Using Drone Remote Sensing with Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Karila Kirsi , Alves Oliveira Raquel , Ek Johannes , Kaivosoja Jere , Koivumäki Niko , Korhonen Panu , Niemeläinen Oiva , Nyholm Laura , Näsi Roope , Pölönen Ilkka , Honkavaara Eija
Published: June 2022

The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of novel neural network architectures for measuring the quality and quantity parameters of silage grass swards, using drone RGB and hyperspectral images (HSI), and compare the results with the random forest (RF) method and handcrafted features. The parameters included fresh and dry biomass (FY, DMY), the digestibility of organic matter in dry matter (D-value), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), nitrogen concentration (Ncont) and nitrogen uptake (NU); datasets from spring and summer growth were used. Deep pre-trained neural network architectures, the VGG16 and the Vision Transformer (ViT), and simple 2D and 3D convolutional neural networks (CNN) were studied. In most cases, the neural networks outperformed RF. The normalized root-mean-square errors (NRMSE) of the best models were for FY 19% (2104 kg/ha), DMY 21% (512 kg DM/ha), D-value 1.2% (8.6 g/kg DM), iNDF 12% (5.1 g/kg DM), NDF 1.1% (6.2 g/kg DM), WSC 10% (10.5 g/kg DM), Ncont 9% (2 g N/kg DM), and NU 22% (11.9 N kg/ha) using independent test dataset. The RGB data provided good results, particularly for the FY, DMY, WSC and NU. The HSI datasets provided advantages for some parameters. The ViT and VGG provided the best results with the RGB data, whereas the simple 3D-CNN was the most consistent with the HSI data.
Inverse Synthetic Aperture LiDAR Imaging of Rough Targets under Small Rotation Angles
Authors: Xue Jiyu , Cao Yunhua , Qu Tan , Wu Zhensen , Li Yanhui , Zhang Geng , Yang Kai
Published: June 2022

Inverse synthetic aperture LiDAR (ISAL) breaks through the limitations of the diffraction limit and achieves ultra-long-distance radar imaging with centimeter-level resolution. However, because ISAL obtains a high resolution, it is accompanied by a high sampling rate and a large data volume, and the processing process is complicated, which is not conducive to fast real-time imaging of ISAL targets. At the same time, considering that actual non-cooperative targets cannot obtain full-angle ISAL images during movement, in this paper, the Kirchhoff approximation method based on two-dimensional Fourier transform is used to calculate the scattering echo of the rough surface of the target, and then, the rough surface scattering echo of the target coordinate system is obtained through coordinate transformation. After vector superposition, the scattered echo and ISAL image of the rough target are finally obtained, and then the influence of the rotation angle on the ISAL imaging of the rough plate and the rough target is discussed. It is found that a small rotation angle range can also achieve clear ISAL imaging of rough targets, and the influence of different roughness on the ISAL imaging results of different rough targets under a small rotation angle is analyzed. When the roughness is decreased, the target scattering mainly comes from coherent scattering, and the target edge becomes sharper. As the roughness increases, the image energy distribution becomes more uniform. Theoretical and simulation experiments verify the feasibility of ISAL imaging of rough targets under small rotation angles.
Meandering Characteristics of the Yimin River in Hulun Buir Grassland, Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Zhou Yuanyuan , Tang Qiuhong
Published: June 2022

The evolution of meandering rivers continues to attract considerable attention in research and for practical applications, given that it is closely associated with the safety of river systems and riparian zones. There has been much discussion regarding the various channel planform features exhibited by meandering rivers under different river systems and riparian conditions. The Yimin River is a good example and is located southeast of the Hulun Buir Grassland, which is characterised by a fragile ecosystem and little anthropological activity along with active flow during the non-frozen season from May to November each year and relatively low sediment discharge compared with the Yellow River and Mississippi River. Improved analysis of the evolution of the Yimin River from 1975 to 2019 can support increased local species diversity and more effective flood risk and river management. With the combined Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technique, remote sensing images, including Landsat images and global surface water data, are used to analyse the channel planform features of the freely meandering river channel in the middle and lower Yimin River. The results show that the percentage of low sinuosity channel bends was higher than that of high-sinuosity bends. Although the bends with an amplitude greater than 0.48 km and sinuosity greater than 2.3 have an evident upstream-skewed trend, the main channel planform features were downstream skewed with 1499 such bends. The river system conditions in the Yimin River, including lower sediment discharge and vegetation cover, are conducive to the development of downstream-skewed bends. The high-sinuosity bends were found to have a relatively larger ratio during 1981–2000, a period with higher mean annual streamflow compared with other time periods.
Understanding the Factors Associated with the Temporal Variability in Crash Severity before, during, and after the COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place Order
Authors: Adanu Emmanuel Kofi , Okafor Sunday , Penmetsa Praveena , Jones Steven
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 travel restriction orders have significantly reduced travel and generally lowered the risk of road traffic collisions, but many accounts suggest an increase in risky driving behaviors and consequent fatal crashes during the shelter-in-place period. Risky driving behaviors including failure to wear a seatbelt, speeding, and drunk driving were observed to be the leading contributing factors of the fatalities. Whereas the fatal crashes that characterized the shelter-in-place period has become a topical issue, the high number of crashes that occurred as a result of the panic shopping and increased travel activities in the weeks before the shelter-in-place order have not received much attention. In this study, we investigated the differences and similarities in the effects of the factors that were associated with crash injury severity before, during, and after the shelter-in-place order. The study used crash data from the state of Alabama for the 2020 calendar year. Preliminary data analysis revealed interesting variations in crash trends across the three periods. It was found that the highest weekly crash frequency occurred in the immediate week before the shelter-in-place order, and a higher proportion of crashes that occurred between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. and those that occurred in residential areas happened during the shelter-in-place period while shopping area crashes, manufacturing/industrial area crashes, rear-end collisions, and crashes involving female drivers occurred mostly before the shelter-in-place period. Three injury severity models were developed using random parameters logit with heterogeneity in means and variances approach. The results showed that major injury crashes occurred mainly in rural areas and occurred due to speeding, fatigue driving, and failure to use a seatbelt. The effects of these factors on crash outcome did not vary across the year, indicating that the shelter-in-place order did not impact the driving behaviors of the driver population that got into major injury crashes. The results further revealed that the effects of some crash factors, such as road type and manner of collision, varied across the periods. The findings of the study provide a deeper, data-driven understanding of how driving behaviors and associated crash outcomes may be affected by extreme events such as the COVID-19 shelter-in-place.
Economic Sustainability and ‘Missing Middle Housing’: Associations between Housing Stock Diversity and Unemployment in Mid-Size U.S. Cities
Authors: Frederick Chad
Published: June 2022

Single-family detached homes—the lowest-density housing type—continue to dominate the U.S. home construction industry. These homes are carbon-intensive and automobile dependent; the built environments they produce militate against civic relations and attitudes. Cities need to increase density, support multimodality, and develop social capital, but these issues are not propelling cities to diversify their housing stock. The objective of this research is to facilitate this shift by establishing economic arguments for increased density and housing diversity. Municipal-level U.S. Census data is used to explore the interurban relationships between diversity in housing stocks and unemployment rates in 146 mid-size American cities. A measure of diversity, Shannon’s H, is applied to housing stock and found to be strongly associated with lower unemployment for workers over 25 years old after controlling for measures of urban social burden. In contrast to the much-heralded “trade-offs” between environmental quality, social equity, and economic development, these findings suggest that the dense, walkable, low-carbon city, and the economically sustainable city might be the same place.
Effect of Electrolysis on Activated Sludge during the Hydrolysis and Acidogenesis Stages in the Anaerobic Digestion of Poultry Manure
Authors: Chernysh Yelizaveta , Balintova Magdalena , Shtepa Vladimir , Chubur Viktoriia , Junakova Natalia
Published: June 2022

This paper focuses on the study of the effect of electrolysis on activated sludge in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) under the anaerobic digestion of poultry manure. This study was conducted using a bioreactor design with and without electrodes (conventional condition). Measurements of pH, redox potential (ORP), and total dissolved solids were carried out, as was the microscopy of activated sludge during treatment and gasometry. There was an increase in the yields of CH4 and CO2 compared to conventional conditions. Thus, on the 14th day, there was an increase in the CH4 yield to 35.1% compared with the conventional conditions—31.6%—as well as in the CO2 yield to 53.5% compared with the cell without electrodes—37.7%. Visually, the microscopy of anaerobic activated sludge showed changes in the aggregation process itself, with the formation of cells of clusters of microorganism colonies with branches of a delineated shape. ORP fluctuations were related to the process of the dissociation into ions during the passage of an electric current through the electrodes, and were observed before and after the inclusion of a current into the system. A model of the effect of electrolysis during anaerobic digestion was developed, taking into account the influencing factors on the condition of the activated sludge.
An Evaluation Model for the Comfort of Vehicle Intelligent Cockpits Based on Passenger Experience
Authors: Yang Jianjun , Xing Shanshan , Chen Yimeng , Qiu Ruizhi , Hua Chunrong , Dong Dawei
Published: June 2022

With the development of intelligence and network connectivity, the development of the automotive industry is also moving toward intelligent systems. For passengers, the utility of intelligence is to achieve more convenience and comfort. The intelligent cockpit is the place where passengers directly interact with the car, which directly affects the experience of passengers in the car. For the intelligent cockpits that have emerged in recent years, a reasonable and accurate comfort evaluation model is urgently needed. Therefore, in this article, from the passenger’s perspective, a subjective evaluation experiment was set up to collect data on four important indicators affecting the comfort of the intelligent cockpit: sound, light, heat, and human–computer interaction. The subjective evaluation weights were derived from a questionnaire, and the entropy weighting method was used to obtain the objective weights. Finally, the two weights were combined using the idea of game theory combination assignment to get the final accurate weights. Using the idea of penalty type substitution, the four index models were then synthesized to get the final evaluation model. The feasibility of the model was verified when measuring the car cockpit. The feasibility of the method means it can evaluate the comfort level of an intelligent cockpit more reasonably, facilitate the enhancement and improvement of the model, and promote the development of the model to achieve maximum passenger comfort.
Research on Construction Suggestions of China’s Endowment Service Supply Model from the Perspective of Welfare Pluralism
Authors: Ni Zhiping , Xi Yongqin
Published: June 2022

Under the background of an accelerating population aging process, China is facing the issues of a weakening household pension function and an insufficient social pension service supply. It is urgent to establish a perfect diversified pension service supply model. The theory of welfare pluralism advocates the participation of multiple subjects in social old-age services and emphasizes that social organizations play an important role in the provision of old-age services. This paper, under the perspective of welfare pluralism, discusses the problems and reasons existing in the endowment service supply in our country, and on the basis of the advanced international experience, it puts forward a new mode for resolving the problems in the endowment service supply, namely the “116 endowment service supply model”. This mode advocates that a top-level design at the national level is necessary, together with cooperation among the community, family, workplace, folk society, market and school in the national endowment service information platform, aiming at building a unified, coordinated and complementary model of diversified elderly care service supply.
Inheritance and Fitness Costs of Vip3Aa19 Resistance in Mythimna separata
Authors: Wang Yueqin , Yang Jing , Zhang Tiantao , Bai Shuxiong , Wang Zhenying , He Kanglai
Published: June 2022

The “high-dose/refuge” strategy is expected to work most effectively when resistance is inherited as a functionally recessive trait and the fitness costs associated with resistance are present. In the present study, a laboratory selected Mythimna separata strain that have evolved >634.5-fold resistance to Vip3Aa19 was used to determine the mode of inheritance. To determine if fitness costs were associated with the resistance, life history parameters (larva stage, pupa stage, pupal weight, adult longevity and fecundity) of resistant (RR), -susceptible (SS) and heterozygous (R♂S♀ and R♀S♂) strains on nontoxic diet were assayed. The LC50 values of R♀S♂ were significantly higher than that of R♂S♀ (254.58 μg/g vs. 14.75 μg/g), suggesting that maternal effects or sex linkage were present. The effective dominance h of F1 offspring decreased as concentration increased, suggesting the resistance was functionally dominant at low concentration and recessive at high concentration. The analysis of observed and expected mortality of the progeny from a backcross suggested that more than one locus is involved in conferring Vip3Aa19 resistance. The results showed that significant differences in many life history traits were observed among the four insect genotypes. In short, resistance to Vip3Aa19 in M. separata was inherited as maternal and multigene and the resistance in the strain was associated with significant fitness costs. The results described here provide useful information for understanding resistance evolution and for developing resistance management strategies.
EGR1 Upregulation during Encephalitic Viral Infections Contributes to Inflammation and Cell Death
Authors: Lehman Caitlin W. , Smith Amy , Kelly Jamie , Jacobs Jonathan L. , Dinman Jonathan D. , Kehn-Hall Kylene
Published: June 2022

Early growth response 1 (EGR1) is an immediate early gene and transcription factor previously found to be significantly upregulated in human astrocytoma cells infected with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV). The loss of EGR1 resulted in decreased cell death but had no significant impact on viral replication. Here, we extend these studies to determine the impacts of EGR1 on gene expression following viral infection. Inflammatory genes CXCL3, CXCL8, CXCL10, TNF, and PTGS2 were upregulated in VEEV-infected cells, which was partially dependent on EGR1. Additionally, transcription factors, including EGR1 itself, as well as ATF3, FOS, JUN, KLF4, EGR2, and EGR4 were found to be partially transcriptionally dependent on EGR1. We also examined the role of EGR1 and the changes in gene expression in response to infection with other alphaviruses, including eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), Sindbis virus (SINV), and chikungunya virus (CHIKV), as well as Zika virus (ZIKV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), members of the Flaviviridae and Phenuiviridae families, respectively. EGR1 was significantly upregulated to varying degrees in EEEV-, CHIKV-, RVFV-, SINV-, and ZIKV-infected astrocytoma cells. Genes that were identified as being partially transcriptionally dependent on EGR1 in infected cells included ATF3 (EEEV, CHIKV, ZIKV), JUN (EEEV), KLF4 (SINV, ZIKV, RVFV), CXCL3 (EEEV, CHIKV, ZIKV), CXCL8 (EEEV, CHIKV, ZIKV, RVFV), CXCL10 (EEEV, RVFV), TNF-α (EEEV, ZIKV, RVFV), and PTGS2 (EEEV, CHIKV, ZIKV). Additionally, inhibition of the inflammatory gene PTGS2 with Celecoxib, a small molecule inhibitor, rescued astrocytoma cells from VEEV-induced cell death but had no impact on viral titers. Collectively, these results suggest that EGR1 induction following viral infection stimulates multiple inflammatory mediators. Managing inflammation and cell death in response to viral infection is of utmost importance, especially during VEEV infection where survivors are at-risk for neurological sequalae.
A Single-Round Infection Fluorescent SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Test for COVID-19 Serological Testing at a Biosafety Level-2 Laboratory
Authors: Zou Jing , Xia Hongjie , Shi Pei-Yong , Xie Xuping , Ren Ping
Published: June 2022

A robust serological test to measure neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in biosafety level-2 (BSL-2) laboratories is useful for monitoring antibody response after vaccination or natural infection. The gold standard assay is the conventional plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) which requires extensive labor, live viruses, and BSL-3 facilities. Recently, we developed a novel single-round infection fluorescent SARS-CoV-2 virus (SFV) that can be safely used at BSL-2 laboratories for high-throughput neutralization and antiviral testing. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the neutralization test using this SFV with 80 PRNT-positive and 92 PRNT-negative clinical serum or plasma specimens. The SFV neutralization test (SFVNT) has 100% sensitivity and specificity compared to the PRNT. Furthermore, the neutralizing titers generated by the SFVNT and PRNT are highly correlated, with R2 = 0.903 (p < 0.0001). Due to high sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and reproducibility, the SFVNT can be deployed for the large-scale testing of COVID-19 patients or vaccinated people in general lab settings.
Occurrence and Characterization of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Found in Mono- and Mixed Infection with High Plains Wheat Mosaic Virus in Winter Wheat in Ukraine
Authors: Pozhylov Illia , Snihur Halyna , Shevchenko Tetiana , Budzanivska Irena , Liu Wenwen , Wang Xifeng , Shevchenko Oleksiy
Published: June 2022

Although wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is a well-known pathogen inducing significant crop losses and endangering wheat production worldwide, the recent discovery of High Plains wheat mosaic virus (HPWMoV) in Ukraine raises questions on the co-existence of these two viruses having a similar host range and the same mite vector. Here we report on the screening of winter wheat industrial plantings in several important regions of Ukraine for WSMV and HPWMoV. WSMV was identified in an extremely high number of symptomatic plants (>85%) as compared to HPWMoV detected in 40% of wheat samples. Importantly, the preferred mode of HPWMoV circulation in Ukraine was mixed infection with WSMV (>30%) as opposed to WSMV, which was typically found in monoinfection (60%). Screening wheat varieties for possible virus resistance indicated that all but one were susceptible to WSMV, whereas over 50% of the same varieties were not naturally infected with HPWMoV. Overall, phylogenetic analysis of the collected WSMV and HPWMoV isolates indicated their high identity and similarity to other known isolates of the respective viruses. Here we first characterize WSMV isolates found in winter wheat plants in mono- or mixed infection with HPWMoV, which was recently reported as a typical wheat pathogen in Ukraine.
Filling Gaps in Daily Precipitation Series Using Regression and Machine Learning in Inter-Andean Watersheds
Authors: Portuguez-Maurtua Marcelo , Arumi José Luis , Lagos Octavio , Stehr Alejandra , Montalvo Arquiñigo Nestor
Published: June 2022

As precipitation is a fundamental component of the global hydrological cycle that governs water resource distribution, the understanding of its temporal and spatial behavior is of great interest, and exact estimates of it are crucial in multiple lines of research. Meteorological data provide input for hydroclimatic models and predictions, which generally lack complete series. Many studies have addressed techniques to fill gaps in precipitation series at annual and monthly scales, but few have provided results at a daily scale due to the complexity of orographic characteristics and in some cases the non-linearity of precipitation. The objective of this study was to assess different methods of filling gaps in daily precipitation data using regression model (RM) and machine learning (ML) techniques. RM included linear regression (LRM) and multiple regression (MRM) algorithms, while ML included multiple regression algorithms (ML-MRM), K-nearest neighbors (ML-KNN), gradient boosting trees (ML-GBT), and random forest (ML-RF). This study covered the Malas, Omas, and Cañete River (MOC) watersheds, which are located on the Pacific Slope of central Peru, and a nineteen-year period of records (2001–2019). To assess model performance, different statistical metrics were applied. The results showed that the optimized machine learning (OML) models presented the least variability in estimation errors and the best approximation of the actual data from the study zone. In addition, this investigation shows that ML interprets and analyzes non-linear relationships between rain gauges at a daily scale and can be used as an efficient method of filling gaps in daily precipitation series.
Effect of Shelterbelt Construction on Soil Water Characteristic Curves in an Extreme Arid Shifting Desert
Authors: Ma Chuanyu , Tang Luobin , Chang Wenqian , Jaffar Muhammad Tauseef , Zhang Jianguo , Li Xiong , Chang Qing , Fan Jinglong
Published: June 2022

To explore the impact of artificial shelterbelt construction with saline irrigation on the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) of shifting sandy soil in extreme arid desert areas, three treatments including under the shelterbelt (US), bare land in the shelterbelt (BL) and shifting sandy land (CK) in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert were selected. The age of the shelterbelt is 16, and the vegetation cover is mainly Calligonum mongolicum. The soils from different depths of 0–30 cm were taken keeping in view the objective of the study. The SWCCs were determined by the centrifugal method and fitting was performed using various models such as the Gardner (G) model, Brooks–Corey (BC) model and Van Genuchten (VG) model. Then, the most suitable SWCC model was selected. The results showed that electrical conductivity (EC) and organic matter content of BL and US decreased with the increasing soil depth, while the EC and organic matter content of CK increased with the soil depth. The changes in soil bulk density, EC and organic matter of 0–5 cm soil were mostly significant (p < 0.05) for different treatments, and the differences in SWCCs were also significant among different treatments. Moreover, the construction of an artificial shelterbelt improved soil water-holding capacity and had the most significant impacts on the surface soil. The increase in soil water-holding capacity decreased with increasing soil depth, and the available soil water existed in the form of readily available water. The BC model and VG model were found to be better than the G model in fitting results, and the BC model had the best fitting result on CK, while the VG Model had the best fitting result on BL with higher organic matter and salt contents. Comparing the fitting results of the three models, we concluded that although the fitting accuracy of the VG model tended to decrease with increasing organic matter and salinity, the VG model had the highest fitting accuracy when comparing with BC and G models for the BL treatment with high organic matter and salinity. Therefore, the influence of organic matter and salinity should be considered when establishing soil water transfer function.
The Method of Interpreting the verses of the Qur’ān in works of Ethics and Morality Genre: An Analysis of Kitab al-Adab al-Dunya w'al-Din by al-Māwardī
Authors: KANCA Fatih
Published: June 2022

Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī Ibn Muḥammad al-Māwardī, born in Basra, was an eleventh-century Muslim jurist who lived during the reign of Abbasid Caliphate. He wrote one of his famous books, Kitab Adab al-Dunya w'al-Din (The Ethics of Religion and of this World) at a time when the domination of the Shia-Buyid Emirs over the Abbasid Caliphate began weakening. Though this is not considered to be a tafsir book, it draws our attention, since it contains valuable views and insights regarding the field of tafsir. This work deals with the topics of theoretical and practical akhlaq (moral values) in great systematic details. Nearly every topic in this work appears to have been supported through the verses of the Qur’ān. The main method of tafsir employed in this work is such that it interprets a verse of the Qur’ān with another verse or a hadith, while also taking into account interpretive views and comments of the Companions (al-Ashab), the Successors (al-Tabi’in), as well as those of the scholars following them. In addition to his own opinions on the subject, al-Māwardī demonstrates in this work how the Qur’ān and the Sunnah determine the general boundaries of the individual and social morality. According to him, it is the Qur’ān and the Hadith that define the fundamental virtues and values necessary for the ultimate success of individuals and the society both in this world and the hereafter. In his other works, such as Al-Nukat wa’l ‘Uyun, al-Māwardī generally adopts the methodology of narration in interpreting the verses of the Qur’an. In the present work, too, we find him employing the same method of narration but further to it his own substantial reflections. Therefore, this work is worth examining from the perspective of the tafsir methods, as it combines both of the two methods; that of narration (riwayah) and that of reflection (dirayah).
PROGRAM LATIHAN KESEIMBANGAN UNTUK PENINGKATAN PROFIL KESEIMBANGAN INDIVIDU LANJUT USIA: CRITICAL REVIEW
Authors: Rahman Farid , Budi Ilham Setya , Al Athfal Muhammad Angga , Hisanah Hilya Alifiah , Haya Aqilla Fadia
Published: June 2022

Latar belakang: Prevalensi penduduk lansia di Indonesia pada tahun 2018 sebanyak 22,4 juta jiwa, dan di perkirakan populasi lansia di Indonesia pada tahun 2025 akan meningkat sebanyak 33,69 juta jiwa. Permasalahan utama pada lansia adalah resiko jatuh. Jatuh merupakan dampak yang dapat terjadi karena penurunan keseimbangan, dimana dapat mengakibatkan cedera serius seperti patah tulang dan cedera tulang belakang yang menyebabkan keterbatasan dalam beraktivitas. Balance exercise adalah suatu latihan khusus yang diberikan guna meningkatkan kekuatan otot ekstremitas bawah dan sistem vestibular. Tujuan: Untuk mereview pengaruh balance exercise terhadap keseimbangan pada lansia. Metode: Menggunakan sistem critical review pada 7 buah artikel terpilih dengan studi Randomized Controlled Trial dan artikel minimal quartile 3. Hasil: Program balance exercise terbukti bermanfaat bagi lansia untuk meningkatkan kemampuan keseimbangan sehingga menurunkan risiko jatuh pada individu lansia. Kesimpulan: Program balance exercise direkomendasikan untuk meningkatkan keseimbangan lansia yang dilakukan 3x per minggu selama 12 minggu dengan durasi per sesi 45 menit dan 6-8 repetisi. Bentuk latihan dengan prinsip latihan penguatan, koordinasi dan propioseptif seperti tandem stance, heel stand, heel-toe walking, one leg standing, heel walking, side walking, toe walking, knee marching, single limb stance, sit-to-stand exercise, dan stepping progress. Serta combined balance exercise dengan biodex balance system dengan menggunakan alat yang digunakan untuk melatih keseimbangan dinamis yang berfokus pada perubahan pusat gravitasi dan perubahan berat.

Kata kunci: Latihan keseimbangan, lansia, keseimbangan lansia, risiko jatuh
Adapting wastewater treatment plants to sea level rise: A case study of Half Moon Bay, California
Authors: Cozzolino Brittney
Published: June 2022

Wastewater treatment plants around the world are becoming increasingly at risk of sea level rise impacts as these facilities are typically located in low-lying areas to utilize gravity flow for influent (incoming sewage) and effluent (discharged treated sewage). As these risks become realized, treatment plant managers and decision-makers must know when and how to adapt their facilities so that this critical service goes uninterrupted. This research highlights the Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) wastewater treatment plant in Half Moon Bay, California, as a case study of assessing vulnerability and analyzing adaptation alternatives with an approach that may be replicated for adaptation studies of other treatment plants. The vulnerability assessment is based on a worst-case greenhouse gas emissions scenario and corresponding sea level rise projection data from the California Ocean Protection Council and U.S. Geological Survey. Adaptation strategies are analyzed based on their likelihood of success considering the site-specific risks posed to the SAM plant. At only 15-20 feet elevation NAVD88 and surrounded by creeks, the SAM plant is currently at risk of groundwater inundation and creek flooding during storm events and is expected to be subject to tidal flooding with 6.6 feet of sea level rise and an annual storm event as soon as the year 2080. Nature-based solutions for sea level rise adaptation are both strongly preferred by regulatory agencies and more suitable for the SAM plant due to the surrounding sensitive habitat, including the riparian corridors, dune scrub, and coastal marsh. A phased adaptation approach will be most successful for addressing short- and long-term risks of sea level rise, with an ultimate recommendation for managed retreat of the plant to avoid inevitable flooding impacts and accommodate future sewage treatment capacity needs.
Disposable or readily relocatable infrastructure to aid managed coastal retreat
Authors: Gordon Angus
Published: June 2022

Infrastructure can become a major determinant as to whether a defense or a retreat strategy is adopted at a coastal location. A significant investment in expensive networks of roads, water supply, and sewerage systems, along with power and telecommunications distribution infrastructure, can tip the defense/retreat debate and the associated cost-benefit analysis in favour of a defense approach. Often the increasingly expensive and sophisticated infrastructure servicing a coastal community has evolved over time, from simple beginnings. However, with upgrades and expansions coastal communities have become totally dependent on complex centralized systems that are vulnerable to disruption by erosion, shoreline recession, and/or oceanic overwash. For a strategy of managed retreat to be practical and achievable at any location, a policy which encourages self-sufficient or low-cost infrastructure that can be readily abandoned or relocated is desirable. There is also a need to re-think the forms of coastal subdivision layout and infrastructure provision that are most amenable to progressive retreat.
Sea level rise planning for resilient coastal infrastructure in California’s coastal zone
Authors: Matella Mary
Published: June 2022

Climate change is here. Impacts already demonstrate the interconnected nature and rippling effect of extreme events in wildfires, droughts, floods, and erosion — from coastal to inland areas. Coastal California is especially at risk to impacts of sea level rise, with the potential to displace over 100,000 people and put billions in property value at risk by 2050. Sea level rise in concert with large storms can far exceed damages wrought by other natural disasters in California history, and damage will occur more frequently and extensively in the same coastal areas. The California Coastal Commission, in partnership with local governments, can address the vulnerabilities of communities to climate impacts, including sea level rise, through the land use policies and zoning ordinances that comprise their Local Coastal Programs (LCPs). As infrastructure often guides and directs land use development, so can infrastructure adaptation lead communities in preparing for the impacts of sea level rise. The Coastal Commission’s 2021 guidance, titled “Critical Infrastructure at Risk: Sea Level Rise Planning Guidance for California’s Coastal Zone,” offers a blueprint of policies for adapting transportation and water infrastructure to sea level rise in the coastal zone. This paper will describe key messages of the new guidance and present case studies of land use plans that demonstrate how some California communities are already creating a pathway for sea level rise adaptation. LCPs in San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Pacific Grove, and Morro Bay exemplify a few of the many ways communities can plan to make transportation and water infrastructure more resilient to sea level rise using phased adaptation, nature-based projects, and asset relocation. There is no one single solution for all communities, but every community can benefit from implementing better requirements for risk assessment, risk reduction, and risk communication through their land use policies and regulations. By better communicating about the risks and restrictions on shoreline properties, local governments can educate stakeholders about sea level rise hazards and encourage public participation in adaptation planning that creates more resilient critical infrastructure.
Penyuluhan Kepada Siswa SMA untuk Menambah Motivasi Belajar di Masa Pandemi Covid-19 dengan Materi Emotional and Spiritual Quotient (ESQ)
Authors: Fatchurrohman Nanang , Adelino Muhammad Ilham , Susriyati
Published: June 2022

Motivasi dan inspirasi belajar saat ini mengalami hambatan karena merebaknya wabah Covid-19. Coronavirus adalah pandemi di seluruh dunia yang penyebarannya sangat menegangkan. Oleh karena itu, otoritas publik berupaya untuk membendung penyebaran infeksi Covid-19 dengan memberikan strategi dengan tujuan agar seluruh warga sekitar melakukan social distancing atau menjaga jarak. Hal ini membuat seluruh kerangka pembelajaran di sekolah secara tatap muka dipindahkan ke strategi pembelajaran internet atau dalam jejaring (daring). Adanya gangguan dalam proses belajar memberikan pengaruh yang kecil bagi siswa sehingga mempengaruhi inspirasi belajarnya. Penyuluhan ini akan bertemakan memotivasi siswa SMA di masa pandemi Covid-19. Materi Emotional and Spiritual Quotient (ESQ) akan dijadikan sebagai bahan utama dalam penyuluhan ini. Materi ESQ sudah terbukti dalam meningkatkan kecerdasan emosional dan spiritual seseorang dalam menghadapi tantangan dan memberikan semangat baru dalam hidup ini. Dengan ini diharapkan, siswa SMA mempunyai semangat dan tujuan hidup yang lebih mantap dalam menghadapi pembelajaran dan kehidupan di saat pandemi Covid-19 ini.
Book Review: The Right to Bear Arms
Authors: Kline Audrey
Published: June 2022

Halbrook has offered another outstanding and enjoyable history lesson related to gun control and the right to bear arms. A main reason for the book, according to the author, is to refute assertions that American individuals have no constitutional right to bear arms. Starting with a discussion of gun rights in medieval times, Halbrook discusses the long history of government infringements upon these rights. While federal courts have more recently disagreed on the meaning of the right to bear arms in the context of the Second Amendment, particularly in “may issue” states, Halbrook’s excellent presentation of the history of the right to bear arms reinforces the clarity of the Second Amendment within its historical context to more contemporary times.