bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Large-Diameter Shield Tunneling on the Pile Foundations of High-Speed Railway Bridge and Soil Reinforcement Schemes
Authors: Yang Qiaohong , Wang Bing , Guo Wenhua
Published: September 2022

In order to study the effects induced by large-diameter shield tunneling on the internal force and displacement of adjacent high-speed railway bridge pile foundations, symmetrical element analysis models for the whole process of large-diameter shield tunneling through the high-speed railway bridge were established. The protective effects of various soil reinforcement schemes such as isolation piles’ protection, Metro Jet System (MJS) reinforcement, and the addition of isolated piles’ crown beams were investigated. The numerical results show that the maximum bending moment and the maximum lateral displacement of the bridge piles appear at the piles’ body of the central elevation of the tunnel and the piles’ top, respectively. Without any soil reinforcement measures, the maximum lateral displacement and settlement of the piers top were 7.1 mm and −7.2 mm respectively, which could not meet the displacement control requirements of ±2 mm for the piers of the existing bridge under the condition of the normal operation of high-speed trains. The isolation piles’ protection effect was better than that of MJS reinforcement alone. Two or more soil reinforcement measures could be adopted simultaneously to further control the displacement of piers within ±1 mm. The validity of the numerical simulation results was verified by comparing them with the field monitoring results.
Toward Efficient Intrusion Detection System Using Hybrid Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Aldallal Ammar
Published: September 2022

The increased adoption of cloud computing resources produces major loopholes in cloud computing for cybersecurity attacks. An intrusion detection system (IDS) is one of the vital defenses against threats and attacks to cloud computing. Current IDSs encounter two challenges, namely, low accuracy and a high false alarm rate. Due to these challenges, additional efforts are required by network experts to respond to abnormal traffic alerts. To improve IDS efficiency in detecting abnormal network traffic, this work develops an IDS using a recurrent neural network based on gated recurrent units (GRUs) and improved long short-term memory (LSTM) through a computing unit to form Cu-LSTMGRU. The proposed system efficiently classifies the network flow instances as benign or malevolent. This system is examined using the most up-to-date dataset CICIDS2018. To further optimize computational complexity, the dataset is optimized through the Pearson correlation feature selection algorithm. The proposed model is evaluated using several metrics. The results show that the proposed model remarkably outperforms benchmarks by up to 12.045%. Therefore, the Cu-LSTMGRU model provides a high level of symmetry between cloud computing security and the detection of intrusions and malicious attacks.
Dynamics of a Novel IVRD Pandemic Model of a Large Population over a Long Time with Efficient Numerical Methods
Authors: Rangasamy Maheswari , Alessa Nazek , Dhandapani Prasantha Bharathi , Loganathan Karuppusamy
Published: September 2022

The model of any epidemic illness is evolved from the current susceptibility. We aim to construct a model, based on the literature, different to the conventional examinations in epidemiology, i.e., what will occur depends on the susceptible cases, which is not always the case; one must consider a model with aspects such as infections, recoveries, deaths, and vaccinated populations. Much of this information may not be available. So without artificially assuming the unknown aspects, we frame a new model known as IVRD. Apart from qualitative evaluation, numerical evaluation has been completed to aid the results. A novel approach of calculating the fundamental reproduction/transmission range is presented, with a view to estimating the largest number of aspects possible, with minimal restrictions on the spread of any disease. An additional novel aspect of this model is that we include vaccines with the actively infected cases, which is not common. A few infections such as rabies, ebola, etc., can apply this model. In general, the concept of symmetry or asymmetry will exist in every epidemic model. This model and method can be applied in scientific research in the fields of epidemic modeling, the medical sciences, virology, and other areas, particularly concerning rabies, ebola, and similar diseases, to show how immunity develops after being infected by these viruses.
Immunoaffinity Cleanup and Isotope Dilution-Based Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry for the Determination of Six Major Mycotoxins in Feed and Feedstuff
Authors: Liu Ying , Jin Yongpeng , Guo Qi , Wang Xiong , Luo Sunlin , Yang Wenjun , Li Juntao , Chen Yiqiang
Published: September 2022

In this study, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of deoxynivalenol, aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin and fumonisin B1 in feed and feedstuff was established. The sample was extracted with an acetonitrile–water mixture (60:40, v/v), purified by an immunoaffinity column, eluted with a methanol–acetic acid mixture (98:2, v/v), and reconstituted with a methanol–water mixture (50:50, v/v) after drying with nitrogen. Finally, the reconstituted solution was detected by LC-MS/MS and quantified by isotope internal standard method. The six mycotoxins had a good linear relationship in a certain concentration range, the correlation coefficients were all greater than 0.99, the limits of detection were between 0.075 and 1.5 µg·kg−1, and the limits of quantification were between 0.5 and 5 µg·kg−1. The average spike recoveries in the four feed matrices ranged from 84.2% to 117.1% with relative standard deviations less than 11.6%. Thirty-six actual feed samples were analyzed for mycotoxins, and at least one mycotoxin was detected in each sample. The proposed method is reliable and suitable for detecting common mycotoxins in feed samples.
Analysis and Comparison of Rapid Methods for the Determination of Ochratoxin a Levels in Organs and Body Fluids Obtained from Exposed Mice
Authors: Szőke Zsuzsanna , Babarczi Bianka , Mézes Miklós , Lakatos István , Poór Miklós , Fliszár-Nyúl Eszter , Oldal Miklós , Czéh Árpád , Bodó Kornélia , Nagyéri György , Ferenczi Szilamér
Published: September 2022

Mycotoxins are bioaccumulative contaminants impacting animals and humans. The simultaneous detection of frequent active exposures and accumulated mycotoxin level (s) in exposed organisms would be the most ideal to enable appropriate actions. However, few methods are available for the purpose, and there is a demand for dedicated, sensitive, reliable, and practical assays. To demonstrate the issue, mice were exposed to a relevant agent Ochratoxin A (OTA), and accumulated OTA was measured by fine-tuned commercial assays. Quantitative high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and flow cytometry assays have been developed/modified using reagents available as commercial products when appropriate. Assays were performed on excised samples, and results were compared. Accumulated OTA could be detected and quantified; positive correlations (between applied doses of exposure and accumulated OTA levels and the results from assays) were found. Dedicated assays could be developed, which provided comparable results. The presence and accumulation of OTA following even a short exposure could be quantitatively detected. The assays performed similarly, but HPLC had the greatest sensitivity. Blood contained higher levels of OTA than liver and kidney. We demonstrate that specific but flexible and practical assays should be used for specific/local purposes, to measure the exposure itself and accumulation in blood or organs.
Norovirus Genetic Diversity in Children under Five Years Old with Acute Diarrhea in Mozambique (2014–2015)
Authors: Chilaúle Jorfélia J. , Munlela Benilde , Mans Janet , Mabasa Victor V. , Marques Selma , Bauhofer Adilson Fernando Loforte , Jane Graziela , Anapakala Elda , Oliveira Fernanda , Cossa-Moiane Idalécia , Guimarães Esperança , Sambo Júlia , Bero Diocreciano Matias , Chissaque Assucênio , Deus Nilsa de , Taylor Maureen B.
Published: September 2022

Norovirus (NoV) is the second most important cause of viral diarrheal disease in children worldwide after rotavirus and is estimated to be responsible for 17% of acute diarrhea in low-income countries. This study aimed to identify and report NoV genotypes in Mozambican children under the age of five years with acute diarrhea. Between May 2014 and December 2015, stool specimens were collected within the Mozambique Diarrhea National Surveillance (ViNaDia) and tested for NoV genogroups I (GI) and II (GII) using conventional reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Partial capsid and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) nucleotide sequences were aligned using the Muscle tool, and phylogenetic analyses were performed using MEGA X. A total of 204 stool specimens were tested for NoV. The detection rate of NoV was 14.2% (29/204). The presence of NoV was confirmed, by real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR), in 24/29 (82.8%) specimens, and NoV GII predominated (70.8%; 17/24). NoV GII.4 Sydney 2012[P31] was the predominant genotype/P-type combination detected (30.4%; 7/23). This is the first study which highlights the high genetic diversity of NoV in Mozambican children and the need to establish a continuous NoV surveillance system.
Susceptibility of Domestic Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) to Experimental Infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.351/Beta Variant
Authors: Fernández-Bastit Leira , Roca Núria , Romero-Durana Miguel , Rodon Jordi , Cantero Guillermo , García Óscar , López Carlos , Pérez Mònica , López Rosa , Carrillo Jorge , Izquierdo-Useros Nuria , Blanco Julià , Clotet Bonaventura , Pujols Joan , Vergara-Alert Júlia , Segalés Joaquim , Lorca-Oró Cristina
Published: September 2022

A wide range of animal species are susceptible to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Natural and/or experimental infections have been reported in pet, zoo, farmed and wild animals. Interestingly, some SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as B.1.1.7/Alpha, B.1.351/Beta, and B.1.1.529/Omicron, were demonstrated to infect some animal species not susceptible to classical viral variants. The present study aimed to elucidate if goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) are susceptible to the B.1.351/Beta variant. First, an in silico approach was used to predict the affinity between the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351/Beta variant and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 from goats. Moreover, we performed an experimental inoculation with this variant in domestic goat and showed evidence of infection. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in nasal swabs and tissues by RT-qPCR and/or immunohistochemistry, and seroneutralisation was confirmed via ELISA and live virus neutralisation assays. However, the viral amount and tissue distribution suggest a low susceptibility of goats to the B.1.351/Beta variant. Therefore, although monitoring livestock is advisable, it is unlikely that goats play a role as SARS-CoV-2 reservoir species, and they are not useful surrogates to study SARS-CoV-2 infection in farmed animals.
In Depth Viral Diversity Analysis in Atypical Neurological and Neonatal Chikungunya Infections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: Torres Maria Celeste , Di Maio Fatima , Brown David , Spyer Moira , Nastouli Eleni , Brasil Patrícia , Bispo de Filippis Ana Maria
Published: September 2022

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The human infection usually manifests as a febrile and incapacitating arthritogenic illness, self-limiting and non-lethal. However, since 2013, CHIKV spreading through the tropics and to the Americas was accompanied by an increasing number of cases of atypical disease presentation, namely severe neuropathies and neonatal infection due to intrapartum vertical transmission. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these conditions have not been fully elucidated. However, arbovirus intrahost genetic diversity is thought to be linked to viral pathogenesis. To determine whether particular viral variants could be somehow associated, we analyzed the intrahost genetic diversity of CHIKV in three infected patients with neurological manifestations and three mothers infected during the intrapartum period, as well as their babies following vertical transmission. No statistically supported differences were observed for the genetic variability (nucleotide substitutions/gene length) along the genome between the groups. However, the newborn and cerebrospinal fluid samples (corresponding to virus passed through the placenta and/or the blood–brain barrier (BBB)) presented a different composition of their intrahost mutant ensembles compared to maternal or patient serum samples, even when concurrent. This finding could be consistent with the unidirectional virus transmission through these barriers, and the effect of selective bottlenecks during the transmission event. In addition, a higher proportion of defective variants (insertions/deletions and stop codons) was detected in the CSF and maternal samples and those were mainly distributed within the viral non-structural genes. Since defective viral genomes in RNA viruses are known to contribute to the outcome of acute viral infections and influence disease severity, their role in these atypical cases should be further investigated. Finally, with the in silico approach adopted, we detected no relevant non-conservative mutational pattern that could provide any hint of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these atypical cases. The present analysis represents a unique contribution to our understanding of the transmission events in these cases and generates hypotheses regarding underlying mechanisms, that can be explored further.
The ORF45 Protein of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus and Its Critical Role in the Viral Life Cycle
Authors: Atyeo Natalie , Papp Bernadett
Published: September 2022

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) protein ORF45 is a virion-associated tegument protein that is unique to the gammaherpesvirus family. Generation of KSHV ORF45-knockout mutants and their subsequent functional analyses have permitted a better understanding of ORF45 and its context-specific and vital role in the KSHV lytic cycle. ORF45 is a multifaceted protein that promotes infection at both the early and late phases of the viral life cycle. As an immediate-early protein, ORF45 is expressed within hours of KSHV lytic reactivation and plays an essential role in promoting the lytic cycle, using multiple mechanisms, including inhibition of the host interferon response. As a tegument protein, ORF45 is necessary for the proper targeting of the viral capsid for envelopment and release, affecting the late stage of the viral life cycle. A growing list of ORF45 interaction partners have been identified, with one of the most well-characterized being the association of ORF45 with the host extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) p90 ribosomal s6 kinase (RSK) signaling cascade. In this review, we describe ORF45 expression kinetics, as well as the host and viral interaction partners of ORF45 and the significance of these interactions in KSHV biology. Finally, we discuss the role of ORF45 homologs in gammaherpesvirus infections.
The Importance of the Bursa of Fabricius, B Cells and T Cells for the Pathogenesis of Marek’s Disease: A Review
Authors: Schat Karel A.
Published: September 2022

The importance of the bursa of Fabricius (BF) for the pathogenesis of Marek’s disease (MD) has been studied since the late 1960’s. In this review, the results of these studies are analyzed in the context of the developing knowledge of the immune system of chickens and the pathogenesis of MD from 1968 to 2022. Based on the available techniques to interfere with the development of the BF, three distinct periods are identified and discussed. During the initial period between 1968 and 1977, the use of neonatal bursectomy, chemical methods and irradiation were the main tools to interfere with the B lymphocyte development. The application of these techniques resulted in contradictory results from no effects to an increase or decrease in MD incidence. Starting in the late 1970’s, the use of bursectomy in 18-day-old embryos led to the development of the “Cornell model” for the pathogenesis of MD, in which the infection of B lymphocytes is an important first step in MD virus (MDV) replication causing the activation of thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells). Following this model, these activated T cells, but not resting T cells, are susceptible to MDV infection and subsequent transformation. Finally, B-cell knockout chickens lacking the J gene segment of the IgY heavy chain gene were used to further define the role of the BF in the pathogenesis of MD.
Co-Deletion of A238L and EP402R Genes from a Genotype IX African Swine Fever Virus Results in Partial Attenuation and Protection in Swine
Authors: Abkallo Hussein M. , Hemmink Johanneke D. , Oduor Bernard , Khazalwa Emmanuel M. , Svitek Nicholas , Assad-Garcia Nacyra , Khayumbi Jeremiah , Fuchs Walter , Vashee Sanjay , Steinaa Lucilla
Published: September 2022

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of African swine fever (ASF), resulting in up to 100% mortality in pigs. Although endemic in most sub-Saharan African countries, where all known ASFV genotypes have been reported, the disease has caused pandemics of significant economic impact in Eurasia, and no vaccines or therapeutics are available to date. In endeavors to develop live-attenuated vaccines against ASF, deletions of several of the ~170 ASFV genes have shown contrasting results depending on the genotype of the investigated ASFV. Here, we report the in vivo outcome of a single deletion of the A238L (5EL) gene and double deletions of A238L (5EL) and EP402R (CD2v) genes from the genome of a highly virulent genotype IX ASFV isolate. Domestic pigs were intramuscularly inoculated with (i) ASFV-Ke-ΔA238L to assess the safety of A238L deletion and (ii) ASFV-Ke-ΔEP402RΔA238L to investigate protection against challenge with the virulent wildtype ASFV-Ke virus. While A238L (5EL) gene deletion did not yield complete attenuation, co-deletion of A238L (5EL) and EP402R (CD2v) improved the safety profile of the single deletions, eliciting both humoral and cellular immune responses and conferred partial protection against challenge with the virulent wildtype ASFV-Ke virus.
Antiretroviral Drug Discovery Targeting the HIV-1 Nef Virulence Factor
Authors: Emert-Sedlak Lori A. , Shi Haibin , Tice Colin M. , Chen Li , Alvarado John J. , Shu Sherry T. , Du Shoucheng , Thomas Catherine E. , Wrobel Jay E. , Reitz Allen B. , Smithgall Thomas E.
Published: September 2022

While antiretroviral drugs have transformed the lives of HIV-infected individuals, chronic treatment is required to prevent rebound from viral reservoir cells. People living with HIV also are at higher risk for cardiovascular and neurocognitive complications, as well as cancer. Finding a cure for HIV-1 infection is therefore an essential goal of current AIDS research. This review is focused on the discovery of pharmacological inhibitors of the HIV-1 Nef accessory protein. Nef is well known to enhance HIV-1 infectivity and replication, and to promote immune escape of HIV-infected cells by preventing cell surface MHC-I display of HIV-1 antigens. Recent progress shows that Nef inhibitors not only suppress HIV-1 replication, but also restore sufficient MHC-I to the surface of infected cells to trigger a cytotoxic T lymphocyte response. Combining Nef inhibitors with latency reversal agents and therapeutic vaccines may provide a path to clearance of viral reservoirs.
Coxsackievirus Protease 2A Targets Host Protease ATG4A to Impair Autophagy
Authors: Fan Yiyun Michelle , Zhang Yizhuo Lyanne , Bahreyni Amirhossein , Luo Honglin , Mohamud Yasir
Published: September 2022

Enteroviruses (EVs) are medically important RNA viruses that cause a broad spectrum of human illnesses for which limited therapy exists. Although EVs have been shown to usurp the cellular recycling process of autophagy for pro-viral functions, the precise manner by which this is accomplished remains to be elucidated. In the current manuscript, we sought to address the mechanism by which EVs subvert the autophagy pathway using Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) as a model. We showed that CVB3 infection selectively degrades the autophagy cysteine protease ATG4A but not other isoforms. Exogenous expression of an N-terminally Flag-labeled ATG4A demonstrated the emergence of a 43-kDa cleavage fragment following CVB3 infection. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis coupled with site-directed mutagenesis and in vitro cleavage assays revealed that CVB3 protease 2A cleaves ATG4A before glycine 374. Using a combination of genetic silencing and overexpression studies, we demonstrated a novel pro-viral function for the autophagy protease ATG4A. Additionally, cleavage of ATG4A was associated with a loss of autophagy function of the truncated cleavage fragment. Collectively, our study identified ATG4A as a novel substrate of CVB3 protease, leading to disrupted host cellular function and sheds further light on viral mechanisms of autophagy dysregulation.
Human Cytomegalovirus Modifies Placental Small Extracellular Vesicle Composition to Enhance Infection of Fetal Neural Cells In Vitro
Authors: Bergamelli Mathilde , Martin Hélène , Aubert Yann , Mansuy Jean-Michel , Marcellin Marlène , Burlet-Schiltz Odile , Hurbain Ilse , Raposo Graça , Izopet Jacques , Fournier Thierry , Benchoua Alexandra , Bénard Mélinda , Groussolles Marion , Cartron Géraldine , Tanguy Le Gac Yann , Moinard Nathalie , D’Angelo Gisela , Malnou Cécile E.
Published: September 2022

Although placental small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are extensively studied in the context of pregnancy, little is known about their role during viral congenital infection, especially at the beginning of pregnancy. In this study, we examined the consequences of human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) infection on sEVs production, composition, and function using an immortalized human cytotrophoblast cell line derived from first trimester placenta. By combining complementary approaches of biochemistry, electron microscopy, and quantitative proteomic analysis, we showed that hCMV infection increases the yield of sEVs produced by cytotrophoblasts and modifies their protein content towards a potential proviral phenotype. We further demonstrate that sEVs secreted by hCMV-infected cytotrophoblasts potentiate infection in naive recipient cells of fetal origin, including human neural stem cells. Importantly, these functional consequences are also observed with sEVs prepared from an ex vivo model of infected histocultures from early placenta. Based on these findings, we propose that placental sEVs could be important actors favoring viral dissemination to the fetal brain during hCMV congenital infection.
SARS-CoV-2 Monitoring in Wastewater Reveals Novel Variants and Biomarkers of Infection
Authors: McGowan Jenna , Borucki Monica , Omairi Hicham , Varghese Merina , Vellani Shahnaz , Chakravarty Sukanya , Fan Shumin , Chattopadhyay Srestha , Siddiquee Mashuk , Thissen James B. , Mulakken Nisha , Moon Joseph , Kimbrel Jeffrey , Tiwari Amit K. , Taylor Roger Travis , Kang Dae-Wook , Jaing Crystal , Chakravarti Ritu , Chattopadhyay Saurabh
Published: September 2022

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a popular tool for the early indication of community spread of infectious diseases. WBE emerged as an effective tool during the COVID-19 pandemic and has provided meaningful information to minimize the spread of infection. Here, we present a combination of analyses using the correlation of viral gene copies with clinical cases, sequencing of wastewater-derived RNA for the viral mutants, and correlative analyses of the viral gene copies with the bacterial biomarkers. Our study provides a unique platform for potentially using the WBE-derived results to predict the spread of COVID-19 and the emergence of new variants of concern. Further, we observed a strong correlation between the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and changes in the microbial community of wastewater, particularly the significant changes in bacterial genera belonging to the families of Lachnospiraceae and Actinomycetaceae. Our study shows that microbial biomarkers could be utilized as prediction tools for future infectious disease surveillance and outbreak responses. Overall, our comprehensive analyses of viral spread, variants, and novel bacterial biomarkers will add significantly to the growing body of literature on WBE and COVID-19.
Differences in Clinical Presentations of Omicron Infections with the Lineages BA.2 and BA.5 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, between April and July 2022
Authors: Goller Katja Verena , Moritz Juliane , Ziemann Janine , Kohler Christian , Becker Karsten , Hübner Nils-Olaf ,   the CoMV-Gen Study Group
Published: September 2022

Knowledge on differences in the severity and symptoms of infections with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants BA.2 (Pango lineage B.1.529.2) and BA.5 (Pango lineage B.1.529.5) is still scarce. We investigated epidemiological data available from the public health authorities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Northeast Germany, between April and July 2022 retrospectively. Comparative analyses revealed significant differences between recorded symptoms of BA.2 and BA.5 infected individuals and found strong correlations of associations between symptoms. In particular, the symptoms ‘chills or sweating’, ‘freeze’ and ‘runny nose’ were more frequently reported in BA.2 infections. In contrast, ‘other clinical symptoms’ appeared more frequently in Omicron infections with BA.5. However, the results obtained in this study provide no evidence that BA.5 has a higher pathogenicity or causes a more severe course of infection than BA.2. To our knowledge, this is the first report on clinical differences between the current Omicron variants BA.2 and BA.5 using public health data. Our study highlights the value of timely investigations of data collected by public health authorities to gather detailed information on the clinical presentation of different SARS-CoV-2 subvariants at an early stage.
Role of Caspases and Gasdermin A during HSV-1 Infection in Mice
Authors: Li Lupeng , Kovacs Stephen B. , Jørgensen Ine , Larson Heather N. , Lazear Helen M. , Miao Edward A.
Published: September 2022

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection can manifest locally as mucocutaneous lesions or keratitis and can also spread to the central nervous system to cause encephalitis. HSV-1 establishes a lifelong latent infection and neither cure nor vaccine is currently available. The innate immune response is the first line of defense against infection. Caspases and gasdermins are important components of innate immunity. Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases, most of which mediate regulated cell death. Gasdermins are a family of pore-forming proteins that trigger lytic cell death. To determine whether caspases or gasdermins contribute to innate immune defenses against HSV-1, we screened mice deficient in specific cell death genes. Our results indicate a modest role for caspase-6 in defense against HSV-1. Further, Asc–/–Casp1/11–/– mice also had a modest increased susceptibility to HSV-1 infection. Caspase-7, -8, and -14 did not have a notable role in controlling HSV-1 infection. We generated Gsdma1-Gsdma2-Gsdma3 triple knockout mice, which also had normal susceptibility to HSV-1. We confirmed that the previously published importance of RIPK3 during systemic HSV-1 infection also holds true during skin infection. Overall, our data highlight that as a successful pathogen, HSV-1 has multiple ways to evade host innate immune responses.
Expressing the Pro-Apoptotic Reaper Protein via Insertion into the Structural Open Reading Frame of Sindbis Virus Reduces the Ability to Infect Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
Authors: Carpenter Alexis , Santos Scott R. , Clem Rollie J.
Published: September 2022

Arboviruses continue to threaten a significant portion of the human population, and a better understanding is needed of the determinants of successful arbovirus infection of arthropod vectors. Avoiding apoptosis has been shown to be one such determinant. Previous work showed that a Sindbis virus (SINV) construct called MRE/rpr that expresses the Drosophila pro-apoptotic protein Reaper via a duplicated subgenomic promoter had a reduced ability to orally infect Aedes aegypti mosquitoes at 3 days post-blood meal (PBM), but this difference diminished over time as virus variants containing deletions in the inserted reaper gene rapidly predominated. In order to further clarify the effect of midgut apoptosis on disseminated infection in Ae. aegypti, we constructed MRE/rprORF, a version of SINV containing reaper inserted into the structural open reading frame (ORF) as an in-frame fusion. MRE/rprORF successfully expressed Reaper, replicated similarly to MRE/rpr in cell lines, induced apoptosis in cultured cells, and caused increased effector caspase activity in mosquito midgut tissue. Mosquitoes that fed on blood containing MRE/rprORF developed significantly less midgut and disseminated infection when compared to MRE/rpr or a control virus up to at least 7 days PBM, when less than 50% of mosquitoes that ingested MRE/rprORF had detectable disseminated infection, compared with around 80% or more of mosquitoes fed with MRE/rpr or control virus. However, virus titer in the minority of mosquitoes that became infected with MRE/rprORF was not significantly different from control virus. Deep sequencing of virus populations from ten mosquitoes infected with MRE/rprORF indicated that the reaper insert was stable, with only a small number of point mutations and no deletions being observed at frequencies greater than 1%. Our results indicate that expression of Reaper by this method significantly reduces infection prevalence, but if infection is established then Reaper expression has limited ability to continue to suppress replication.
Development of Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara-Based Vaccines: Advantages and Applications
Authors: Orlova Olga Vladimirovna , Glazkova Dina Viktorovna , Bogoslovskaya Elena Vladimirovna , Shipulin German Alexandrovich , Yudin Sergey Mikhailovich
Published: September 2022

Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is a promising viral vector for vaccine development. MVA is well studied and has been widely used for vaccination against smallpox in Germany. This review describes the history of the origin of the virus and its properties as a vaccine, including a high safety profile. In recent years, MVA has found its place as a vector for the creation of vaccines against various diseases. To date, a large number of vaccine candidates based on the MVA vector have already been developed, many of which have been tested in preclinical and clinical studies. We discuss data on the immunogenicity and efficacy of some of these vaccines.
Designing Efficient and Sustainable Predictions of Water Quality Indexes at the Regional Scale Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Derdour Abdessamed , Jodar-Abellan Antonio , Pardo Miguel Ángel , Ghoneim Sherif S. M. , Hussein Enas E.
Published: September 2022

Water quality and scarcity are key topics considered by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), institutions, policymakers and stakeholders to guarantee human safety, but also vital to protect natural ecosystems. However, conventional approaches to deciding the suitability of water for drinking purposes are often costly because multiple characteristics are required, notably in low-income countries. As a result, building right and trustworthy models is mandatory to correctly manage available groundwater resources. In this research, we propose to check multiple classification techniques such as Decision Trees (DT), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Discriminants Analysis (DA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Ensemble Trees (ET) to design the best strategy allowing the forecast a Water Quality Index (WQI). To achieve this goal, an extended dataset characterized by water samples collected in a total of twelve municipalities of the Wilaya of Naâma in Algeria was considered. Among them, 151 samples were examined as training samples, and 18 were used to test and confirm the prediction model. Later, data samples were classified based on the WQI into four states: excellent water quality, good water quality, poor water quality, and very poor or unsafe water. The main results revealed that the SVM classifier obtained the highest forecast accuracy, with 95.4% of prediction accuracy when the data are standardized and 88.9% for the accuracy of the test samples. The results confirmed that the use of machine learning models are powerful tools for forecasting drinking water as larger scales to promote the design of efficient and sustainable water quality control and support decision-plans.
The Effect of Rainfall on Escherichia coli and Chemical Oxygen Demand in the Effluent Discharge from the Crocodile River Wastewater Treatment; South Africa
Authors: Maphanga Thabang , Madonsela Benett S. , Chidi Boredi S. , Shale Karabo , Munjonji Lawrence , Lekata Stanley
Published: September 2022

The declining state of municipal wastewater treatment is one of the major contributors to the many pollution challenges faced in most parts of South Africa. Escherichia coli and Chemical Oxygen Demand are used as indicators for the performance of wastewater treatment plants. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) efficiency challenges are associated with susceptibility to seasonal variations that alter microbial density in wastewater. This study sought to investigate the effect of rainfall on E. coli and COD in the effluent wastewater discharged from the Crocodile River, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. To cover the spatial distribution of the pollutant in the Crocodile River, water samples were collected from 2016 to 2021 at three strategic sites. The rainfall data was acquired from the South African Weather Services from 2016 to 2021, which contains daily rainfall measurements for each sampling site. Data analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel 2019, Seaborn package, and Python Spyder (version 3.8). The White River, which is located on the upper stream, recorded the highest COD levels of 97.941 mg/L and 120.588 mg/L in autumn and spring, respectively. Matsulu WWTP was found to have the highest E. coli concentration per milliliter (72.47 cfu/100 mL) in the spring compared to any other location or time of year. The results also indicated that each of the sampling sites recorded above 60 (cfu)/100 mL of E. coli in Kanyamazane (spring), Matsulu (summer), and White River (winter). It was noted that the rainfall is a significant predictor (p < 0.004) of E. coli. Additionally, it was discovered during the data analysis that the rainfall parameter did not significantly affect COD prediction (p > 0.634), implying that rain was not a reliable predictor of COD.
Salinity and Temperature Variations near the Freshwater-Saltwater Interface in Coastal Aquifers Induced by Ocean Tides and Changes in Recharge
Authors: Blanco-Coronas Angela M. , Calvache Maria L. , López-Chicano Manuel , Martín-Montañés Crisanto , Jiménez-Sánchez Jorge , Duque Carlos
Published: September 2022

The temperature distribution of shallow sectors of coastal aquifers are highly influenced by the atmospheric temperature and recharge. However, geothermal heat or vertical fluxes due to the presence of the saline wedge have more influence at deeper locations. In this study, using numerical models that account for variable density, periodic oscillations of temperature have been detected, and their origin has been attributed to the influence exerted by recharge and tides. The combined analysis of field data and numerical models showed that the alternation of dry and wet periods modifies heat distribution in deep zones (>100 m) of the aquifer. Oscillations with diurnal and semidiurnal frequencies have been detected for groundwater temperature, but they show differences in terms of amplitudes and delay with electrical conductivity (EC). The main driver of the temperature oscillations is the forward and backward displacement of the freshwater–saltwater interface, and the associated thermal plume generated by the upward flow from the aquifer basement. These oscillations are amplified at the interfaces between layers with different hydraulic conductivity, where thermal contours are affected by refraction.
High Precision Extraction of Surface Water from Complex Terrain in Bosten Lake Basin Based on Water Index and Slope Mask Data
Authors: Li Xingyou , Zhang Fei , Chan Ngai Weng , Shi Jinchao , Liu Changjiang , Chen Daosheng
Published: September 2022

The surface water extraction algorithm based on satellite remote sensing images is advantageous as it is able to obtain surface water information in a relatively short time. However, when it is used to extract information on surface water in large-scale, long-time series and complex terrain areas, there will be a large number of misclassified pixels, and a large amount of image preprocessing work is required. The accuracy verification is time-consuming and laborious, and the results may not be accurate. The complex climatic and topographic conditions in Bosten Lake Basin make it more difficult to monitor and control surface water bodies. Therefore, based on the GEE (Google Earth Engine) cloud platform, and the studies of the effect of nine kinds of water indexes on the surface water extraction in Bosten Lake Basin, this paper adds a slope mask to remove misclassified pixels and finds the best extraction method of surface water extraction in the basin by means of accuracy verification and visual discrimination through continuous iteration of index threshold and slope mask threshold. The results show that when the threshold value is −0.25 and the slope mask is 8 degrees, the index WI2019 has the best effect on the surface water information extraction of Bosten Lake Basin, effectively eliminating the interference of shadow and snow. The effect of water extraction in the long-time series is discussed and it was found that the precision of water extraction in the long-time series is also better than other indexes. The effects of various indexes on surface water extraction under complex terrain are compared. It can quickly and accurately realize the long-time series of surface water extraction under large-area complex terrain and provides useful guiding significance for water resources management and allocation as well as a water resources ecological assessment of Bosten Lake Basin.
Insights into the Kinetics, Theoretical Model and Mechanism of Free Radical Synergistic Degradation of Micropollutants in UV/Peroxydisulfate Process
Authors: Liu Zhixiong , Qin Wenlei , Sun Lei , Dong Huiyu , Yuan Xiangjuan , Pan Fei , Xia Dongsheng
Published: September 2022

The degradation of acyclovir (ACY) and atenolol (ATL) in the UV/peroxydisulfate (UV/PDS) process has been systematically considered, focusing on the degradation kinetics, theoretical models, and reaction pathways via applying a microfluidic UV reaction system. The removal efficiencies of ACY and ATL were >94.8%, and the apparent degradation rate constants (kobs) were 0.0931 and 0.1938 min−1 at pH 6.0 in the UV/PDS system. The sulfate radical (SO4•−) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) were identified as the major reactive radicals. The pH-dependent reaction rate constants of ACY and ATL with •OH and SO4•− were measured via the competing kinetics. Meanwhile, the contributions of •OH and SO4•− for ACY and ATL degradation were calculated by the radical steady-state hypothesis, and the results revealed that SO4•− occupied a decisive position (>84.5%) for the elimination of ACY and ATL. The contribution of •OH became more significant with the increasing pH, while SO4•− was still dominant. Moreover, ACY and ATL degradation performance were systematically evaluated via the experiments and Kintecus model under different operational parameters (Cl−, Br−, HCO3−, NOM, etc.) in the UV/PDS process. Furthermore, the plausible reaction pathways of ACY and ATL were elucidated based on the Fukui function theory and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) analysis. The UV/PDS process has been demonstrated to be an efficient and potential application for micropollutants mitigation.
Study of the Applicability of the Root Wastewater Treatment Plants with the Possibility of the Water Recirculation in Terms of the Surfactant Content
Authors: Lobotková Martina , Hybská Helena , Samešová Dagmar , Turčániová Eszter , Barnová Jana , Rétfalvi Tamás , Krakovský Adam , Bad’o Filip
Published: September 2022

Anthropogenic activities cause the accumulation of pollutants in the aquatic environment. Conventional wastewater treatment plants do not completely remove emergent pollutants, including personal care products, in which the surfactants are an essential ingredient. The results of our study confirm the presence of the surfactants in the aquatic environment, which represents an ecological and environmental risk. It was confirmed by ecotoxicological tests (test with using Daphnia magna and Lemna minor) and the specified content of the surfactants in the samples. The content of the surfactants in personal care products is significant and their impact on the aquatic environment is not sufficiently monitored. Root wastewater treatment plants, as innovative cleaning methods, represent effective cleaning methods, which can be used as a separate object or as an object for further cleaning already cleaned water from conventional wastewater treatment plants. Purified water from these devices can be recycled and used again as utility water (according to the model presented in the article). A significant benefit from the point of view of global warming and the effect of anthropogenic activity is the saving of drinking water as a natural resource. Root wastewater treatment plants ensure the required quality of discharged water in the aquatic environment.
The First Record of Non-Indigenous Cladoceran Evadne nordmanni Lovén, 1836 (Cladocera, Podonidae) in the Middle Part of the Caspian Sea
Authors: Aubakirova Moldir , Krupa Elena , Magda Igor , Assylbekova Saule Zh. , Abayev Almat , Abilov Berdibek , Tumenov Artur , Isbekov Kuanysh B. , Mazhibayeva Zhanara
Published: September 2022

The introduction and spread of non-indigenous species may have ecological, environmental and economic impacts where they invade. This work aims to study the morphological characteristics, the quantitative variables, the possibility of coexistence with other native species and the pathways of introduction of non-indigenous cladoceran Evadne nordmanni (Lovén, 1836) in the middle part of the Caspian Sea. Ballast water is a possible vector for the introduction of cladoceran Evadne nordmanni into the Caspian Sea. The abundance of Evadne nordmanni in all surveyed areas reached an average of 799 individuals/m3. Its biomass was 257.58 mg/m3. Evadne nordmanni significantly contributes to the abundance and biomass of zooplankton in the Middle Caspian Sea. The proportion of the dominant calanoida Acartia tonsa decreased from 71–90% to 40% with the appearance of Evadne nordmanni. Further investigations are needed to analyze the responsible route of Evadne nordmanni introduction to the Caspian Sea and its consequences on biodiversity; since this species is a predator and could have consequences on the feeding conditions of planktivorous fish in the Caspian Sea.
Groundwater Defluoridation with Composite Oxyhydroxide Mineral Ores—The Case with Bauxite, a Systematic Review
Authors: Kromah Varney , Powoe Soehoe-Panhyonon Benedict , Asumana Charles
Published: September 2022

Fluoride contamination of groundwater is a significant concern because of its detrimental impact on human health. Adsorption using composite oxyhydroxide mineral ores such as bauxite has demonstrated feasibility as an environmental remediation technique for rural and disadvantaged communities due to its cost-effective, environmentally friendly, generally acceptable, and adaptive characteristics. The effects of the composition, pretreatment methods, and influencing factors or parameters on the adsorptive defluoridation of groundwater by bauxite, as well as the adsorption mechanisms and the environmental advantages of using composite mineral ore in the remediation of fluoride from groundwater, are highlighted. Generally, the results indicated that some raw mineral assemblage adsorbents and their pretreated versions are better than or practically similar to current commercial fluoride filters.
A Method for Assessing Flood Vulnerability Based on Vulnerability Curves and Online Data of Residential Buildings—A Case Study of Shanghai
Authors: Li Zhuoxun , Wang Liangxu , Shen Ju , Ma Qiang , Du Shiqiang
Published: September 2022

Flood vulnerability is the key to understanding and assessing flood risk. However, analyzing flood vulnerability requires sophisticated data, which is usually not available in reality. With the widespread use of big data in cities today, it is possible to quickly obtain building parameters in cities on a large scale, thus offering the possibility to study the risk flooding poses to urban buildings. To fill this research gap, taking Shanghai as an example, this study developed a new research framework to assess urban vulnerability based on vulnerability curves and online data of residential buildings. First, detailed information about residential buildings was prepared via web crawlers. Second, the cleaned residential building information fed a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm to classify the buildings into four flood vulnerability levels that represented the vulnerability curves of the four building types. Third, the buildings of different levels were given vulnerability scores by accumulating the depth–damage ratios across the possible range of flood depth. Further, combined with the unit price of houses, flood risk was assessed for residential buildings. The results showed that the F1-score for the classification of buildings was about 80%. The flood vulnerability scores were higher in both the urban center and the surrounding areas and lower between them. Since 1990, the majority of residential buildings in Shanghai have switched from masonry–concrete structures to steel–concrete structures, greatly reducing the vulnerability to floods. The risk assessment showed decreasing risk trend from the center outward, with the highest risk at the junction of the Huangpu, Jing’an and Xuhui districts. Therefore, this framework can not only identify the flood vulnerability patterns but also provide a clue for revealing the flood risk of residential buildings. With real estate data becoming increasingly accessible, this method can be widely applied to other cities to facilitate flood vulnerability and risk assessment.