bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Benefits Evaluation of Rural Micro-Landscapes in Southeastern Coastal Towns of China—The Case of Jinjiang, Fujian
Authors: Shen Lan , Li Yueying , Lan Siren , Yao Minfeng
Published: July 2022

Faced with the current situation of the decay and alienation of traditional public space and the broken and disorderly spatial structure caused by the rapid urbanization of the Chinese countryside, rural micro-landscape creation has become an effective way to improve human living environments. However, it is currently difficult for rural micro-landscape construction to achieve the sustainable development of social benefits due to the lack of scientific design guidelines. Evaluating the social benefits of completed projects and identifying the important influencing factors are key to realizing the evidence-based design of rural micro-landscapes. To this end, this study deduces the mechanism of social benefit generation based on the psychological process of spatial perception and establishes a structural equation model containing compound influence pathways to measure the social benefits of micro-landscapes. The evaluation model consists of four latent variables, “physical element characteristics”, “perceptual quality”, “cognitive experience”, and “activity behavior”, and 35 observed variables. The researchers selected 18 micro-landscape areas in Jinjiang City, Fujian Province, China, as the survey sample and analyzed the influence of the potential variables and the explanatory power of the observed variables through a quantitative analysis of objective environmental elements and perception data from 102 respondents. The results showed that “perceptual quality” and “cognitive experience” had the greatest direct effect on social benefits, and, based on the progressive influence relationships among the dimensions, “physical element characteristics” dominated the total social benefits through direct and indirect means. Compared with single-function green space, comfortable and diverse artificial facilities encourage residents to enter and use micro-landscapes and contribute to their social benefits. The purpose of this paper is to explore the ideal form of rural micro-landscape creation and provide a theoretical basis for the future practice of high-quality and sustainable rural micro-landscape construction.
Driving Factors of Microbial Community Abundance and Structure in Typical Forest Soils of Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China
Authors: Wang Chunyong , Hou Xintong , Islam Zia UI , Zhang Zhenbin , Zhu Bo , Yang Tianhao
Published: July 2022

Until recently, a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental drivers on the abundance and structure of the microbial community in typical forest soils has not been thoroughly conducted. In this study, the typical forest soils (Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) soil, MOS; white birch (Betula platyphylla) soil, WBS; and white poplar (Populus davidiana) soil, WPS) in the Sanjiang Plain were selected to ascertain the differences and the major environmental factors driving soil microbial community abundance and structure. Results indicated that differences existed in the abundance and structure of the bacterial, archaeal, and fungal community. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that the bacterial and fungal networks were more complex than those of archaeal networks. Unclassified Acidobacteria and unclassified Pyrinomonadaceae were the keystone taxa in the bacterial networks, while Pleotrichocladium and Leotia were the keystone taxa in the fungal networks. Among all environmental factors, pH, SOM, and total N exhibited dominant roles in affecting the abundance of bacteria, archaea, and fungi. The redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that pH was the vital environmental factor responsible for driving the structure of the bacterial, archaeal, and fungal community.
Optimal Residence: Does Air Quality Affect Settlement Decisions of Urban Floating Migrants?
Authors: Liu Tongshan , Han Guoying , Nie Wan
Published: July 2022

There is a strong association between urban prosperity and human resources. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have caused severe air pollution to the urban cities over the past decades, and permanently moving to locations with clean air has been considered to be one of the most effective strategies to avoid air pollution. However, whether this is in fact still unclear. In order to fill the research gaps, this study combines individual-level data derived from a national survey and city-level data obtained from various sources to empirically exam the effect that air quality has on settlement decisions of urban floating migrants in China. We focus on the target floating migrants who have urban hukou in the origin city and housing in the destination city, and investigate the relationship between air quality and settlement decisions from the move-in and move-out city perspective. In addition, we exam not only the willingness of urban floating migrants to settling in the move-in city, but also their actual migration decision in the reality. The bivariate probit analysis and panel data regression are applied. Results show that poor air quality in the move-out cities has a significant positive impact on urban floating migrants’ willingness to settling in the move-in cities, while bad air quality in the move-in cities has a significant negative impact, indicating that poor air quality does act as a push force to drive floating migrants away but good air quality can be a pulling force for floating migrants to settling down. In addition, the robust tests show good agreement with the main regression results, with almost all relationships reported having the same direction as those indicated by the regression analysis. Our findings can help policy makers and urban planners assess and design interventions to improve the urban air quality aimed at attracting talent, with broader implications for urban sustainable development.
Distance Bounds for Generalized Bicycle Codes
Authors: Wang Renyu , Pryadko Leonid
Published: July 2022

Generalized bicycle (GB) codes is a class of quantum error-correcting codes constructed from a pair of binary circulant matrices. Unlike for other simple quantum code ansätze, unrestricted GB codes may have linear distance scaling. In addition, low-density parity-check GB codes have a naturally overcomplete set of low-weight stabilizer generators, which is expected to improve their performance in the presence of syndrome measurement errors. For such GB codes with a given maximum generator weight w, we constructed upper distance bounds by mapping them to codes local in D≤w−1 dimensions, and lower existence bounds which give d≥O(n1/2). We have also conducted an exhaustive enumeration of GB codes for certain prime circulant sizes in a family of two-qubit encoding codes with row weights 4, 6, and 8; the observed distance scaling is consistent with A(w)n1/2+B(w), where n is the code length and A(w) is increasing with w.
On Hosoya Polynomial and Subsequent Indices of C4C8(R) and C4C8(S) Nanosheets
Authors: Sheikh Umber , Rashid Sidra , Ozel Cenap , Pincak Richard
Published: July 2022

Chemical structures are mathematically modeled using chemical graphs. The graph invariants including algebraic polynomials and topological indices are related to the topological structure of molecules. Hosoya polynomial is a distance based algebraic polynomial and is a closed form of several distance based topological indices. This article is devoted to compute the Hosoya polynomial of two different atomic configurations (C4C8(R) and C4C8(S)) of C4C8 Carbon Nanosheets. Carbon nanosheets are the most stable, flexible structure of uniform thickness and admit a vast range of applications. The Hosoya polynomial is used to calculate distance based topological indices including Wiener, hyper Wiener and Tratch–Stankevitch–Zafirov Indices. These indices play their part in determining quantitative structure property relationship (QSPR) and quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) of chemical structures. The three dimensional presentation of Hosoya polynomial and related distance based indices leads to the result that though the chemical formula for both the sheets is same, yet they possess different Hosoya Polynomials presenting distinct QSPR and QSAR corresponding to their atomic configuration.
Consistency and General Solutions to Some Sylvester-like Quaternion Matrix Equations
Authors: He Zhuo-Heng , Tian Jie , Zhao Yun-Fan , Yu Shao-Wen
Published: July 2022

This article makes use of simultaneous decomposition of four quaternion matrixes to investigate some Sylvester-like quaternion matrix equation systems. We present some useful necessary and sufficient conditions for the consistency of the system of quaternion matrix equations in terms of the equivalence form and block matrixes. We also derive the general solution to the system according to the partition of the coefficient matrixes. As an application of the system, we present some practical necessary and sufficient conditions for the consistency of a ϕ-Hermitian solution to the system of quaternion matrix equations in terms of the equivalence form and block matrixes. We also provide the general ϕ-Hermitian solution to the system when the equation system is consistent. Moreover, we present some numerical examples to illustrate the availability of the results of this paper.
Service Limits for Metal Oxide Varistors Having Cylindrical Symmetry as Function of the Ambient Temperature
Authors: Simo Attila , Frigura-Iliasa Flaviu Mihai , Frigura-Iliasa Mihaela , Andea Petru , Musuroi Sorin
Published: July 2022

This article presents an original experimental method applied to assess the stability limits of a given Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV), with cylindrical symmetry (cylinder or disk shape), as a direct relation between the ambient temperature and the service rated voltage, in the permanent operational regime. As the crossing current of a certain varistor is heavily influenced by its physical temperature, we must find an empirical relationship between these two parameters for a symmetrical configuration. Each ambient temperature can increase the temperature reference and any higher voltage will also produce an increased current, causing a uncontrolled runaway heating process, in an avalanche model. We tried to eliminate any references to technical dimensions or device values, focusing on material parameters. In the case of a symmetric MOV, we will consider the load coefficient, which is the ratio between the service DC voltage and the nominal DC opening voltage. By using experimental measurements and a simple mathematical model, we will establish the relation between the critical load coefficient and the ambient temperature in the case of symmetrical MOVs. This procedure could be applied to the design of more performant and safe surge arrester devices using existing MOVs, for all voltage levels and symmetrical configurations.
Simulation of Pressure–Velocity Correlations by Green’s Function Based on Reynolds Stress Model
Authors: Zhang Jian , Yang Qingshan , Li Qiusheng
Published: July 2022

Cost-effective wind energy harvesting by wind turbines in urban areas needs to strengthen the required flow field properties, such as mean velocity, turbulence, and its distribution. This paper conducts a series of CFD simulations to investigate the characteristics and related mechanisms of flow within the cavity, considering the force–turbulence interactions at the RANS scales. The pressure–velocity correlation term is formulated and solved by the elliptic relaxation equation to compensate for the Reynolds stress overestimation. Numerical simulations of flow over an open cavity with the proposed model are compared with corresponding PIV data. The results show that the mean velocity and the fluctuation velocity along the streamwise direction exist a slightly favorable pressure gradient. While the fluctuation velocity and fluctuation pressure show different correlation characteristics along the streamwise direction. Moreover, the pressure–velocity fluctuation correlation becomes obvious near the upper corner of the cavity due to the favorable pressure gradient. Hence, the leading and trailing locations of the cavity are both obvious favorable regions and further emphasis should be put on both high-accurate simulation methods and practical applications.
On Wire-Grid Representation for Modeling Symmetrical Antenna Elements
Authors: Alhaj Hasan Adnan , Klyukin Dmitriy V. , Kvasnikov Aleksey A. , Komnatnov Maxim E. , Kuksenko Sergei P.
Published: July 2022

This paper focuses on the combination of the method of moments and the wire-grid approximation as an effective computational technique for modeling symmetrical antennas with low computational cost and accurate results. The criteria and conditions for the use of wire-grid surface approximation from various sources are presented together with new recommendations for modeling symmetrical antenna structures using the wire-grid approximation. These recommendations are used to calculate the characteristics of biconical and horn antennas at different frequencies. The results obtained using different grid and mesh settings are compared to those obtained analytically. Moreover, the results are compared to those obtained using the finite difference time domain numerical method, as well as the measured ones. All results are shown to be in a good agreement. The recommendations used for building a symmetrical wire-grid of those symmetrical antenna elements provided the most advantageous parameters of the grid and mesh settings and the wire radius, which are able to give quite accurate results with low computational cost. Additionally, the known equal area rule was modified for a rectangular grid form. The obtained radiation patterns of a conductive plate using both the original rule and the modified one are compared with the electrodynamic analysis results. It is shown that the use of the modified rule is more accurate when using a rectangle grid form.
MCPANet: Multiscale Cross-Position Attention Network for Retinal Vessel Image Segmentation
Authors: Jiang Yun , Liang Jing , Cheng Tongtong , Zhang Yuan , Lin Xin , Dong Jinkun
Published: July 2022

Accurate medical imaging segmentation of the retinal fundus vasculature is essential to assist physicians in diagnosis and treatment. In recent years, convolutional neural networks (CNN) are widely used to classify retinal blood vessel pixels for retinal blood vessel segmentation tasks. However, the convolutional block receptive field is limited, simple multiple superpositions tend to cause information loss, and there are limitations in feature extraction as well as vessel segmentation. To address these problems, this paper proposes a new retinal vessel segmentation network based on U-Net, which is called multi-scale cross-position attention network (MCPANet). MCPANet uses multiple scales of input to compensate for image detail information and applies to skip connections between encoding blocks and decoding blocks to ensure information transfer while effectively reducing noise. We propose a cross-position attention module to link the positional relationships between pixels and obtain global contextual information, which enables the model to segment not only the fine capillaries but also clear vessel edges. At the same time, multiple scale pooling operations are used to expand the receptive field and enhance feature extraction. It further reduces pixel classification errors and eases the segmentation difficulty caused by the asymmetry of fundus blood vessel distribution. We trained and validated our proposed model on three publicly available datasets, DRIVE, CHASE, and STARE, which obtained segmentation accuracy of 97.05%, 97.58%, and 97.68%, and Dice of 83.15%, 81.48%, and 85.05%, respectively. The results demonstrate that the proposed method in this paper achieves better results in terms of performance and segmentation results when compared with existing methods.
Emerging Contaminant Imidacloprid in Mediterranean Soils: The Risk of Accumulation Is Greater than the Risk of Leaching
Authors: Petković Didović Mirna , Kowalkowski Tomasz , Broznić Dalibor
Published: July 2022

Imidacloprid (IMI) is an extensively used neonicotinoid insecticide whose occurrence in the environment is a worldwide problem. Its sorption/transport properties are recognized as one of the key knowledge gaps hindering policymaking regarding its international routine monitoring in soils. Therefore, we studied IMI transport behaviour in Croatian Mediterranean soils using column experiments. Breakthrough curves were analysed using the two-site adsorption model and compared against dimethoate (DIM). Transport parameters were correlated to soil physicochemical properties. The results indicate that IMI shows a high degree of preference for soil organic matter over any other soil constituent. For IMI, the clay did not exhibit any sorption activity, while hematite did act as an active sorbent. Contrarily, hematite increased the leachability of DIM by blocking the active sorption sites on clay platelets. Both hematite and clay sorption acted as type-2 (i.e., rate-limiting) sites. In all soils, IMI exhibited lower short-term leachability than DIM. Combined with a body of data concerning other aspects of IMI environmental behaviour, the results indicate that the risk of accumulation of IMI in the soil is greater than the risk of contamination by leaching. Thus, continuous monitoring of IMI in soils should be incorporated into future soil health protection programs.
Investigation of the Optimal Operating Position of an Air Cleaner in Terms of Indoor Air Quality in a Four-Bed Hospital Ward
Authors: Lee Jungsuk , Park Su-Hoon , An Ik-Hyun , Kim Young-Won , Yook Se-Jin
Published: July 2022

The use of air cleaners indoors has increased with the increase in indoor activities driven by the COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, the indoor air quality was determined at the location of each patient’s respirator in a four-bed hospital ward equipped with a ventilation system and curtains, by varying the position of one air cleaner. By operating the air cleaner alone without the ventilation system, it was confirmed that it is better to place the air cleaner close to the center of the ward, regardless of whether curtains are used. It was further identified that the farther away the air cleaner is from the center, the worse the age of air could be, compared to the case of operating it in the center. Moreover, the situation where the ventilation system and air cleaner were operated simultaneously in the hospital ward was considered. It was discovered that operating the air cleaner close to the ventilation inlets in the absence of curtains helps to improve the indoor air quality. Furthermore, it was found that the age of the air is generally low near the location where the air cleaner is operated in the presence of curtains. Selecting an optimal position for the air cleaner can improve the air quality at the location of each bed in a four-bed hospital ward.
Indoor Secondary Pollutants Cannot Be Ignored: Third-Hand Smoke
Authors: Wu Jia-Xun , Lau Andy T. Y. , Xu Yan-Ming
Published: July 2022

Smoking has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the fifth highest threat to humanity. Smoking, a leading disease promoter, is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases. NCDs account for 63% of all deaths worldwide. Passive smoking is also a health risk. Globally, more than a third of all people are regularly exposed to harmful smoke. Air pollution is a common global problem in which pollutants emitted into the atmosphere undergo a series of physical or chemical reactions to produce various oxidation products, which are often referred to as secondary pollutants. Secondary pollutants include ozone (O3), sulfur trioxide (SO3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and respirable particulate matter (PM). It is worth mentioning that third-hand smoke (THS), formed by the reaction of nicotine with second-hand smoke (SHS) caused by indoor O3 or nitrous acid (HONO), is a major indoor secondary pollutant that cannot be ignored. As a form of indoor air pollution that is relatively difficult to avoid, THS exists in any corner of the environment where smokers live. In this paper, we summarize the important research progress on the main components, detection, and toxicity of THS and look forward to future research directions. Scientific understanding of THS and its hazards will facilitate smoking bans in indoor and public places and raise public concern for how to prevent and remove THS.
Sapovaccarin-S1 and -S2, Two Type I RIP Isoforms from the Seeds of Saponaria vaccaria L.
Authors: Schlaak Louisa , Weise Christoph , Kuropka Benno , Weng Alexander
Published: July 2022

Type I ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are plant toxins that inhibit protein synthesis by exerting rRNA N-glycosylase activity (EC 3.2.2.22). Due to the lack of a cell-binding domain, type I RIPs are not target cell-specific. However once linked to antibodies, so called immunotoxins, they are promising candidates for targeted anti-cancer therapy. In this study, sapovaccarin-S1 and -S2, two newly identified type I RIP isoforms differing in only one amino acid, were isolated from the seeds of Saponaria vaccaria L. Sapovaccarin-S1 and -S2 were purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation and subsequent cation exchange chromatography. The determined molecular masses of 28,763 Da and 28,793 Da are in the mass range typical for type I RIPs and the identified amino acid sequences are homologous to known type I RIPs such as dianthin 30 and saporin-S6 (79% sequence identity each). Sapovaccarin-S1 and -S2 showed adenine-releasing activity and induced cell death in Huh-7 cells. In comparison to other type I RIPs, sapovaccarin-S1 and -S2 exhibited a higher thermostability as shown by nano-differential scanning calorimetry. These results suggest that sapovaccarin-S1 and -S2 would be optimal candidates for targeted anti-cancer therapy.
Analysis of Multi-Cavity (Bladder, Intestinal and Vaginal) Microbiome in Bladder Cancer Patients: Protocol for a Systematic Review
Authors: Semmler Marie , Bieri Uwe , Affentranger Andres , Enderlin Dominik , Truscello Luca , Scherer Thomas , Sigg Silvan , Kaufmann Ernest , Scharl Michael , Eberli Daniel , Poyet Cédric
Published: July 2022

The overall pathogenesis of bladder cancer is still unknown. The microbiota has been shown to play a critical role in the development of different types of cancer. Nevertheless, the role of the microbiota in the development of bladder cancer is still not fully discovered. This review aims to assess the urinary, vaginal, and intestinal microbiota analyzed from the bacterial, viral, and fungal compartments of bladder cancer patients compared with the microbiota of controls to reveal possible differences. A systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines will be performed. The findings will be presented in narrative form as well as in tables and graphs.
Silent Reactivation of Varicella Zoster Virus in Pregnancy: Implications for Maintenance of Immunity to Varicella
Authors: Mourad Mirella , Gershon Michael , Mehta Satish K. , Crucian Brian E. , Hubbard Nicole , Zhang Jing , Gershon Anne
Published: July 2022

We encountered two cases of varicella occurring in newborn infants. Because the time between birth and the onset of the illness was much shorter than the varicella incubation period, the cases suggested that the infection was maternally acquired, despite the fact that neither mother experienced clinical zoster. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that VZV frequently reactivates asymptomatically in late pregnancy. The appearance of DNA-encoding VZV genes in saliva was used as an indicator of reactivation. Saliva was collected from 5 women in the first and 14 women in the third trimesters of pregnancy and analyzed at two different sites, at one using nested PCR and at the other using quantitative PCR (qPCR). No VZV DNA was detected at either site in the saliva of women during the first trimester; however, VZV DNA was detected in the majority of samples of saliva (11/12 examined by nested PCR; 7/10 examined by qPCR) during the third trimester. These observations suggest that VZV reactivation occurs commonly during the third trimester of pregnancy. It is possible that this phenomenon, which remains in most patients below the clinical threshold, provides an endogenous boost to immunity and, thus, is beneficial.
Host Cytoskeleton Gene Expression Is Correlated with the Formation of Ascovirus Reproductive Viral Vesicles
Authors: Zaghloul Heba A. H. , Arensburger Peter , Federici Brian A.
Published: July 2022

Ascoviruses are large DNA viruses that primarily infect lepidopteran larvae. They differ markedly from other plant or animal viruses by initiating replication in the nucleus, then inducing nuclear lysis followed by extensive cellular hypertrophy and subsequent cleavage of the entire enlarged cell into numerous viral vesicles. Most progeny virions are assembled in these vesicles as they circulate in the hemolymph. Here, we report transcriptome studies of host cytoskeletal genes in larvae infected with ascoviruses from 6 h to 21 days post-infection (dpi). We focused on the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, infected with the Trichoplusia ni ascovirus (TnAV), along with supporting studies on the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, infected with the Spodoptera frugiperda ascovirus (SfAV). In T. ni, many cytoskeleton genes were upregulated at 48 hours post-infection (hpi), including 29 tubulins, 21 actins, 21 dyneins, and 13 kinesins. Mitochondrial genes were upregulated as much as two-fold at 48 hpi and were expressed at levels comparable to controls in both T. ni and S. frugiperda, even after 21 dpi, when several cytoskeleton genes remained upregulated. Our studies suggest a temporal correlation between increases in the expression of certain host cytoskeletal genes and viral vesicle formation. However, these results need confirmation through functional genetic studies of proteins encoded by these genes.
Eye Infection with SARS-CoV-2 as a Route to Systemic Immunization?
Authors: Schrage Norbert , Blomet Joel , Holzer Frank , Tromme A. , Ectors F. , Desmecht Daniel
Published: July 2022

Infectious diseases of the conjunctiva and cornea usually leave behind both broad local and systemic immunity. Case reports of SARS-CoV-2-positive conjunctivitis with subsequent systemic immunity suggest a new route of immunization preventing the primary infection of the airways. Material and Methods: A total of 24 Syrian field hamsters were treated. In systematic animal experiments, we infected the eyes of n = 8 animals (group 1) and the airways of another n = 8 animals (group 2) with SARS-CoV-2 (Wuhan type); n = 8 hamsters served as controls (group 3). The weight development of the animals was recorded. After two weeks of observation of disease symptoms, all animals were re-exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in the respiratory tract (challenge) to determine whether immunity to the virus had been achieved. Results: The epi-ocularly infected animals (group 1) showed no clinically visible disease during the ocular infection phase. At most, there was a slightly reduced weight gain compared to the control group (group 3), while the respiratory infected animals (group 2) all lost weight, became lethargic, and slowly recovered after two weeks. After the challenge, none of the animals in groups 1 and 2 became ill again. The animals in the negative control (group 3) all became ill. Cytotoxic antibodies were detectable in the blood of the infected groups before and after challenge, with higher titers in the epi-ocularly infected animals. Conclusion: By epi-ocular infection with SARS-CoV-2, the development of systemic immunity with formation of cytotoxic antibodies without severe general disease could be observed in the experimental animals, which did not induce any more disease upon a second infection in the respiratory tract. Therefore, it can be concluded that a purely epi-ocular infection with SARS-CoV2 only induces a weak disease pattern followed by systemic immunity.
Assessment of Explicit Representation of Dynamic Viral Processes in Regional Marine Ecological Models
Authors: Xie Le , Zhang Rui , Luo Ya-Wei
Published: July 2022

Viruses, the most abundant microorganisms in the ocean, play important roles in marine ecosystems, mainly by killing their hosts and contributing to nutrient recycling. However, in models simulating ecosystems in real marine environments, the virus-mediated mortality (VMM) rates of their hosts are implicitly represented by constant parameters, thus ignoring the dynamics caused by interactions between viruses and hosts. Here, we construct a model explicitly representing marine viruses and the VMM rates of major hosts, heterotrophic bacteria, and apply it to two sites in the oligotrophic North Pacific and the more productive Arabian Sea. The impacts of the viral processes were assessed by comparing model results with the viral processes enabled and disabled. For reliable assessments, a data assimilation method was used to objectively optimize the model parameters in each run. The model generated spatiotemporally variable VMM rates, generally decreasing in the subsurface but increasing at the surface. Although the dynamics introduced by viruses could be partly stabilized by the ecosystems, they still caused substantial changes to the bacterial abundance, primary production and carbon export, with the changes greater at the more productive site. Our modeling experiments reveal the importance of explicitly simulating dynamic viral processes in marine ecological models.
Cholesterol Biosynthesis Modulates CSFV Replication
Authors: Zou Xiaodong , Lin Feng , Yang Yang , Chen Jiahuan , Zhang Huanyu , Li Linquan , Ouyang Hongsheng , Pang Daxin , Tang Xiaochun
Published: July 2022

Classical swine fever (CSF) caused by the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) has resulted in severe losses to the pig industry worldwide. It has been proposed that lipid synthesis is essential for viral replication, and lipids are involved in viral protein maturation and envelope production. However, the specific crosstalk between CSFV and host cell lipid metabolism is still unknown. In this study, we found that CSFV infection increased intracellular cholesterol levels in PK-15 cells. Further analysis demonstrated that CSFV infection upregulated PCSK9 expression to block the uptake of exogenous cholesterol by LDLR and enhanced the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, which disrupted the type I IFN response in PK-15 cells. Our findings provide new insight into the mechanisms underpinning the pathogenesis of CSFV and hint at methods for controlling the disease.
Enhancing the Immunogenicity of Vaccinia Virus
Authors: Shchelkunov Sergei N. , Yakubitskiy Stanislav N. , Sergeev Alexander A. , Starostina Ekaterina V. , Titova Ksenia A. , Pyankov Stepan A. , Shchelkunova Galina A. , Borgoyakova Mariya B. , Zadorozhny Alexey M. , Orlova Lyubov A. , Kisakov Denis N. , Karpenko Larisa I.
Published: July 2022

The conventional live smallpox vaccine based on the vaccinia virus (VACV) cannot be widely used today because it is highly reactogenic. Therefore, there is a demand for designing VACV variants possessing enhanced immunogenicity, making it possible to reduce the vaccine dose and, therefore, significantly eliminate the pathogenic effect of the VACV on the body. In this study, we analyzed the development of the humoral and T cell-mediated immune responses elicited by immunizing mice with low-dose VACV variants carrying the mutant A34R gene (which increases production of extracellular virions) or the deleted A35R gene (whose protein product inhibits antigen presentation by the major histocompatibility complex class II). The VACV LIVP strain, which is used as a smallpox vaccine in Russia, and its recombinant variants LIVP-A34R*, LIVP-dA35R, and LIVP-A34R*-dA35R, were compared upon intradermal immunization of BALB/c mice at a dose of 104 pfu/animal. The strongest T cell-mediated immunity was detected in mice infected with the LIVP-A34R*-dA35R virus. The parental LIVP strain induced a significantly lower antibody level compared to the strains carrying the modified A34R and A35R genes. Simultaneous modification of the A34R gene and deletion of the A35R gene in VACV LIVP synergistically enhanced the immunogenic properties of the LIVP-A34R*-dA35R virus.
Expanded Diversity and Host Range of Bovine Hepacivirus—Genomic and Serological Evidence in Domestic and Wild Ruminant Species
Authors: Breitfeld Jana , Fischer Nicole , Tsachev Ilia , Marutsov Plamen , Baymakova Magdalena , Plhal Radim , Keuling Oliver , Becher Paul , Baechlein Christine
Published: July 2022

The hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related bovine hepacivirus (BovHepV) can cause acute as well as persistent infections in cattle. The true clinical relevance of the virus is not yet known. As reliable antibody detection methods are lacking and prevalence studies have only been conducted in cattle and few countries to date, the true distribution, genetic diversity, and host range is probably greatly underestimated. In this study, we applied several RT-PCR methods and a nano-luciferase-based immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) assay to analyze bovine serum samples from Bulgaria as well as wild ruminant sera from Germany and the Czech Republic. Using these methods, BovHepV infections were confirmed in Bulgarian cattle, with viral genomes detected in 6.9% and serological reactions against the BovHepV NS3 helicase domain in 10% of bovine serum samples. Genetic analysis demonstrated co-circulation of highly diverse BovHepV strains in Bulgarian cattle, and three novel BovHepV subtypes within the genotype 1 could be defined. Furthermore, application of a nested RT-PCR led to the first description of a BovHepV variant (genotype 2) in a wild ruminant species. The results of this study significantly enhance our knowledge of BovHepV distribution, genetic diversity, and host range.
Commercially Available Flavonols Are Better SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors than Isoflavone and Flavones
Authors: Chaves Otávio Augusto , Fintelman-Rodrigues Natalia , Wang Xuanting , Sacramento Carolina Q. , Temerozo Jairo R. , Ferreira André C. , Mattos Mayara , Pereira-Dutra Filipe , Bozza Patrícia T. , Castro-Faria-Neto Hugo Caire , Russo James J. , Ju Jingyue , Souza Thiago Moreno L.
Published: July 2022

Despite the fast development of vaccines, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still circulating and generating variants of concern (VoC) that escape the humoral immune response. In this context, the search for anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds is still essential. A class of natural polyphenols known as flavonoids, frequently available in fruits and vegetables, is widely explored in the treatment of different diseases and used as a scaffold for the design of novel drugs. Therefore, herein we evaluate seven flavonoids divided into three subclasses, isoflavone (genistein), flavone (apigenin and luteolin) and flavonol (fisetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and quercetin), for COVID-19 treatment using cell-based assays and in silico calculations validated with experimental enzymatic data. The flavonols were better SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors than isoflavone and flavones. The increasing number of hydroxyl groups in ring B of the flavonols kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin decreased the 50% effective concentration (EC50) value due to their impact on the orientation of the compounds inside the target. Myricetin and fisetin appear to be preferred candidates; they are both anti-inflammatory (decreasing TNF-α levels) and inhibit SARS-CoV-2 mainly by targeting the processability of the main protease (Mpro) in a non-competitive manner, with a potency comparable to the repurposed drug atazanavir. However, fisetin and myricetin might also be considered hits that are amenable to synthetic modification to improve their anti-SARS-CoV-2 profile by inhibiting not only Mpro, but also the 3′–5′ exonuclease (ExoN).
mRNA Booster Vaccination Enhances Antibody Responses against SARS-CoV2 Omicron Variant in Individuals Primed with mRNA or Inactivated Virus Vaccines
Authors: Zhang Biyan , Huo Jianxin , Huang Yuhan , Teo Shuan Yong , Duan Kaibo , Li Yanfeng , Toh Lim Kai , Lam Kong Peng , Xu Shengli
Published: July 2022

The advent of the Omicron variant globally has hastened the requirement for a booster vaccination dose to confer continuous protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV2 infection. However, different vaccines are available in different countries, and individuals who had adverse reactions to certain vaccine types require heterologous vaccine boosters. To understand the efficacy of different vaccination regimens in inducing humoral responses to SARS-CoV2, we examined plasma antibodies and frequencies of Omicron RBD-specific B cells in individuals who had different priming-booster vaccination regimens. We found that individuals with three homologous doses of mRNA vaccines had higher levels of IgG of all subclasses against RBD of Omicron than individuals with three homologous doses of inactivated virus vaccine. A booster with mRNA vaccine resulted in significant increases in median levels of RBD-reactive IgG1 (17–19 fold) and IgG3 (2.3–3.3 fold) as compared to individuals receiving inactivated virus booster shots regardless of priming vaccine types. More importantly, individuals who received a booster dose of mRNA vaccine, irrespective of the priming vaccine, had antibodies with higher neutralizing capability against the Omicron variant than those who received a booster dose of inactivated virus vaccine. Corroborating the antibody results, boosting with the mRNA vaccine increased the frequencies of Omicron RBD-binding B cells by (1.5–3.3 fold) regardless of priming vaccine types. Together, our data demonstrate that an mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) booster enhances humoral responses against the Omicron variant in individuals vaccinated with either two prior doses of mRNA or inactivated virus vaccine (CoronaVac or BBIBP-CorV), potentially providing more effective protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly by the Omicron variant.
Essential and Non-Essential Amino Acids in Dogs at Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Lippi Ilaria , Perondi Francesca , Pierini Alessio , Bartoli Francesco , Gori Eleonora , Mariti Chiara , Marchetti Veronica
Published: July 2022

Abnormalities of serum amino acid profile, mostly characterized by a reduction in essential amino acids (EAAs) and an increase in non-essential amino acids (NEAAs), have been documented in human chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Amino acid disorders have been associated with CKD complications, such as metabolic acidosis and malnutrition. The aim of the present study was to evaluate EAAs and NEAAs in dogs affected by CKD at different IRIS stages, with particular reference to calcium–phosphate abnormalities, metabolic acidosis, and protein-energy wasting syndrome (PEW). Serum EAAs (L-histidine, L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-lysine, methionine, L-phenylalanine, L-threonine, tryptophan, L-valine, and L-arginine) and serum NEAAs (L-alanine, L-aspartic acid, L-cysteine, L-glutamic acid, glycine, proline, L-serine, and L-tyrosine) were analyzed with HPLC in a group of dogs with CKD (n = 62), and in a group of healthy dogs (n = 25). CKD dogs showed significantly lower serum levels of histidine (p < 0.000), isoleucine (p < 0.000), tryptophan (p < 0.000), alanine (p = 0.013), cysteine (p < 0.000), and serine (p = 0.002), and significantly higher levels of proline (p < 0.000), leucine (p = 0.001), lysine (p < 0.000), valine (p < 0.000), arginine (p = 0.002), glutamic acid (p = 0.002), and glycine (p = 0.010) compared to healthy dogs. Dogs with abnormal calcium x phosphate values showed significantly higher levels of cysteine (p = 0.003), and lower levels of tryptophan (p = 0.025) compared to CKD dogs with normal CaxP. Dogs with metabolic acidosis showed significantly higher levels of phenylalanine (p = 0.035) and leucine (p = 0.034) compared to CKD dogs without metabolic acidosis. Dogs with PEW showed significantly lower levels for most of amino acids. In PEW dogs, the median distribution of both EAAs (p = 0.000) and NEAAs (p = 0.001) was significantly lower. The serum pattern of both EAAs and NEAAs was significantly different in CKD dogs compared to healthy dogs, although no association with the progression of the IRIS stage was found.
The Runoff in the Upper Taohe River Basin and Its Responses to Climate Change
Authors: Cheng Lizhen , Wan Guoning , Yang Meixue , Wang Xuejia , Li Yongshan
Published: July 2022

Climate change has a significant impact on water resources. Forecasts and simulations of climate runoff processes are essential for assessing the impact of global climate change on runoff variations. This study focuses on the upper Taohe River Basin, which is an important watershed in the semi-arid regions of northwest China. To assess the runoff in the upper Taohe River Basin and the responses to climate change, the SWAT hydrological model was used to analyze future climate change scenarios and their effects on water resources. The results indicate that the minimum temperature would increase gradually in the 21st century and that the minimum temperature change would be more significant than the maximum temperature change, which indicates that minimum temperature changes would make an obvious contribution to future regional warming. Under RCP2.6, the average precipitation would decrease; at the same time, under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, the average precipitation would increase. In the future, under different climate scenarios, the runoff will exhibit droughts and flood disasters. These research results provide scientific support for water resource utilization and management in the Taohe River Basin.
Total Organic Carbon Concentration and Export in a Human-Dominated Urban River: A Case Study in the Shenzhen River and Bay Basin
Authors: Huang Yilong , Zhang Liping , Ran Lishan
Published: July 2022

In order to understand the organic carbon dynamics in urban rivers, the present study monitored the total organic carbon (TOC) concentration and export in the Shenzhen River and Bay basin. The results show that the average TOC concentrations ranged from 7.04 to 17.50 mg/L in the study area, which exhibited pronounced spatial and temporal variations due to urbanization level, rainfall–runoff, and effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The TOC concentrations of rainwater were averaged at 4.03 mg/L during 2011–2012, which was higher than that of some urban river basins in developed countries. As an average rainfall year, the total TOC export in 2012 was 11.2 × 106 kg/yr in the study basin, of which 37.5% was contributed by the effluent of WWTPs, 14.1% by wet deposition, and 48.4% by the surface non-point sources and endogenous pollution. The areal yield of TOC in the Shenzhen River and Bay basin was 23.73 × 103 kg/(km2.yr) in 2012, which was 2.86 times the Pearl River’s average value and 6.43 times the global average value. According to the predicted values of linear regression, the TOC concentration showed a gradual downward trend (R = 0.87, p < 0.001, n = 14) during the period 2006–2019, which also induced a decreasing TOC export (R = 0.23, p > 0.05, n = 14).
Understanding Coastal Resilience of the Belgian West Coast
Authors: Verwaest Toon , Dujardin Arvid , Montreuil Anne-Lise , Trouw Koen
Published: July 2022

Topobathymetric monitoring carried out in the past 30 years revealed that the amount of sand in the active zone of the Belgian West Coast increased substantially. Correcting for sand works carried out, the rate of natural feeding of the area was estimated to be 10 mm/year, which is significantly more than the local sea level rise rate of 2 to 3 mm/year. One concludes that this coastal zone, with a length of ca. 16 km, has shown a natural resilience against sea level rise. The question remains which processes govern this behavior and where natural input of sand to the system occurs. Using available coastal monitoring data for the Belgian coast, as well as a state-of-the-art sand transport model, revealed that different processes drive a cross-shore natural feeding from offshore to the coastline. The spatial distribution of this cross-shore natural feeding is determined by the existence of a gully-sand bank system. The outcome of this research was a conceptual model for the large-scale sand exchange in the study area which is implemented in an 1D coastline model. The most important element in these models was the cross-shore natural feeding of the active zone via a shoreface connected ridge amounting to 95,000 m3/year in the period 2000–2020.
Wild chicory: beneficial properties and its use for food purposes
Authors:   Military Academy of Air and Space Defense named after Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, Tver, Rodionova A.E.
Published: July 2022

The article discusses the use of the ruderal weed — wild chicory. Its chemical composition, nutritional value, and recipes for dishes are examined, allowing to consider this plant from the point of view of a functional food additive.
Development of a method for assessing the nutritional supplements biosafety using the micronucleus test on Danio rerio erythrocytes
Authors:   Moscow State University of Technology and Management named after K.G. Razumovsky, Smorodinskaya S.V.
Published: July 2022

In this work, based on the results of our own investigation, we studied the effect of the lycopene nutritional supplement on the occurrence of micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear anomalies (NA) in Danio rerio erythrocytes. Lycopene showed pronounced antigenotoxic properties, expressed in a decrease in the frequency of MN and NA occurrence to control values, which is significantly lower than in the study of other nutritional supplements. The obtained data made it possible to reveal that on the 5th day of the experiment, the lycopene food supplement slightly increased the NA incidence, which then decreased to the control values. This effect may be due to two factors: 1) fish adaptation to a new feeding diet; 2) an increase in the rate of erythropoiesis and the number of erythroblasts in the peripheral blood. The lycopene tests on the Danio rerio model object showed the absence of a genotoxic effect in the entire range of concentrations studied. Thus, this functional nutritional supplement can be recommended for inclusion in food products.
The concept of creating a national system for evaluating the effectiveness of scientific activity in Russia
Authors:   Institute of Informatics Problems of the Federal Research Center ", Kolin Konstantin Konstantinovich ,   Computer Science and Control",   Russian Academy of Sciences, Center for Strategic Humanitarian Studies, Institute of Fundamental and Applaed Research, Moscow University of the Humanities
Published: July 2022

The concept of creating a national system for evaluating the effectiveness of scientific activity in Russia is proposed. It is intended to provide the country’s governmental authorities and other interested users with the reliable information about the state and dynamics of the effectiveness of scientific activities carried out by scientific, educational and other country institutions, as well as by individual researchers. The organizational structure and principles of functioning of this system are considered. It is shown that it can become an important tool of public administration in the scientific field, taking into account the national interests and priorities of Russia. The creation of a national system for evaluating the effectiveness of scientific activity in Russia is a necessary condition for ensuring the sovereignty of domestic science and the country's national security. It will contribute to increasing the efficiency of using the intellectual potential of Russia and focusing on priority areas of scientific and technological progress.