bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study on Selecting Greenhouse Gas Reduction Options: A Simulation Analysis for Vietnam
Authors: Tang Anh Quynh , Mizunoya Takeshi
Published: December 2021

When it comes to greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, both bottom-up and top-down policies have limitations. Bottom-up policies are region-specific and cannot be applied at the national level. Top-down policies may not balance the considerations of economic growth and the environment. Therefore, a combined approach is necessary. This Vietnamese case study investigates optimal GHG mitigation options for both economic development and emission reduction by simulating four scenarios characterized by the different carbon tax and subsidy rates. Interventions, like replacing old buses with low-carbon buses and conventional electricity generation with solar power, are considered in a dynamic input–output framework. The objective function is Green GDP—industries’ total value added reflecting GHG emissions’ social cost. The simulation model comprises four cases: business as usual, low subsidy rate (up to 10%), medium subsidy rate (up to 20%), and high subsidy rate (up to 30%), which are analyzed on parameters, including economic development, GHG emissions, and development of innovative sectors, like transportation and electricity. In three cases with different subsidy rates, the optimal carbon tax is simulated at the rate of USD 1/tCO2 equivalent, the lowest rate among the world’s current carbon prices. In addition, the medium subsidy (up to 20%) option yields the most competent scheme, with the highest GHG emission reduction and economic development effectiveness.
Technospheric Mining of Mine Wastes: A Review of Applications and Challenges
Authors: Lim Bona , Alorro Richard Diaz
Published: December 2021

The concept of mining or extracting valuable metals and minerals from technospheric stocks is referred to as technospheric mining. As potential secondary sources of valuable materials, mining these technospheric stocks can offer solutions to minimise the waste for final disposal and augment metals’ or minerals’ supply, and to abate environmental legacies brought by minerals’ extraction. Indeed, waste streams produced by the mining and mineral processing industry can cause long-term negative environmental legacies if not managed properly. There are thus strong incentives/drivers for the mining industry to recover and repurpose mine and mineral wastes since they contain valuable metals and materials that can generate different applications and new products. In this paper, technospheric mining of mine wastes and its application are reviewed, and the challenges that technospheric mining is facing as a newly suggested concept are presented. Unification of standards and policies on mine wastes and tailings as part of governance, along with the importance of research and development, data management, and effective communication between the industry and academia, are identified as necessary to progress technospheric mining to the next level. This review attempts to link technospheric mining to the promotion of environmental sustainability practices in the mining industry by incorporating green technology, sustainable chemistry, and eco-efficiency. We argue that developing environmentally friendly processes and green technology can ensure positive legacies from the mining industry. By presenting specific examples of the mine wastes, we show how the valuable metals or minerals they contain can be recovered using various metallurgical and mineral processing techniques to close the loop on waste in favour of a circular economy.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Differentiated Urban Ring Road Bus Lines and Fares Based on Travelers’ Interactive Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Li Xueyan , Zhu Xin , Li Baoyu
Published: December 2021

This paper proposes a new multi-objective bi-level programming model for the ring road bus lines and fare design problems. The proposed model consists of two layers: the traffic management operator and travelers. In the upper level, we propose a multi-objective bus lines and fares optimization model in which the operator’s profit and travelers’ utility are set as objective functions. In the lower level, evolutionary multi agent model of travelers’ bounded rational reinforcement learning with social interaction is introduced. A solution algorithm for the multi-objective bi-level programming is developed on the basis of the equalization algorithm of OD matrix. A numerical example based on a real case was conducted to verify the proposed models and solution algorithm. The computational results indicated that travel choice models with different degrees of rationality significantly changed the optimization results of bus lines and the differentiated fares; furthermore, the multi-objective bi-level programming in this paper can generate the solution to reduce the maximum section flow, increase the profit, and reduce travelers’ generalized travel cost.
New Light H± Discovery Channels at the LHC
Authors: Arhrib Abdesslam , Benbrik Rachid , Krab Mohamed , Manaut Bouzid , Moretti Stefano , Wang Yan , Yan Qi-Shu
Published: December 2021

A light charged Higgs boson has been searched for at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) via top (anti)quark decay, i.e., t→bH+, if kinematically allowed. In this contribution, we propose new channels for light charged Higgs boson searches via the pair productions pp→H±h/A and pp→H+H− at the LHC in the context of the Two-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) Type-I. By focusing on a case where the heavy H state is the Standard Model (SM)-like one already observed, we investigate the production of the aforementioned charged Higgs bosons and their bosonic decay channels, namely, H±→W±h and/or H±→W±A. We demonstrate that such production and decay channels can yield substantial alternative discovery channels for H± bosons at the LHC. Finally, we propose eight benchmark points (BPs) to motivate the search for such signatures.
Enhancing Performance of Lossy Compression on Encrypted Gray Images through Heuristic Optimization of Bitplane Allocation
Authors: Wang Chuntao , Liang Renxin , Zhao Shancheng , Bian Shan , Lai Zhimao
Published: December 2021

Nowadays, it remains a major challenge to efficiently compress encrypted images. In this paper, we propose a novel encryption-then-compression (ETC) scheme to enhance the performance of lossy compression on encrypted gray images through heuristic optimization of bitplane allocation. Specifically, in compressing an encrypted image, we take a bitplane as a basic compression unit and formulate the lossy compression task as an optimization problem that maximizes the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) subject to a given compression ratio. We then develop a heuristic strategy of bitplane allocation to approximately solve this optimization problem, which leverages the asymmetric characteristics of different bitplanes. In particular, an encrypted image is divided into four sub-images. Among them, one sub-image is reserved, while the most significant bitplanes (MSBs) of the other sub-images are selected successively, and so are the second, third, etc., MSBs until a given compression ratio is met. As there exist clear statistical correlations within a bitplane and between adjacent bitplanes, where bitplane denotes those belonging to the first three MSBs, we further use the low-density parity-check (LDPC) code to compress these bitplanes according to the ETC framework. In reconstructing the original image, we first deploy the joint LDPC decoding, decryption, and Markov random field (MRF) exploitation to recover the chosen bitplanes belonging to the first three MSBs in a lossless way, and then apply content-adaptive interpolation to further obtain missing bitplanes and thus discarded pixels, which is symmetric to the encrypted image compression process. Experimental simulation results show that the proposed scheme achieves desirable visual quality of reconstructed images and remarkably outperforms the state-of-the-art ETC methods, which indicates the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Differential Geometry Approach to Continuous Model of Micro-Structural Defects in Finite Elasto-Plasticity
Authors: Cleja-Ţigoiu Sanda
Published: December 2021

This paper concerns finite elasto-plasticity of crystalline materials with micro-structural defects. We revisit the basic concepts: plastic distortion and decomposition of the plastic connection. The body is endowed with a structure of differential manifold. The plastic distortion is an incompatible diffeomorphism. The metric induced by the plastic distortion on the intermediate configuration (considered to be a differential manifold) is a key point in the theory, in defining the defects related to point defects, or extra-matter. The so-called plastic connection is metric, with plastic metric tensor expressed in terms of the plastic distortion and its adjoint. We prove an appropriate decomposition of the plastic connection, without any supposition concerning the non-metricity of plastic connection. All types of the lattice defects, dislocations, disclinations, and point defects are described in terms of the densities related to the elements that characterize the decomposition theorem for plastic connection. As a novelty, the measure of the interplay of the possible lattice defects is introduced via the Cartan torsion tensor. To justify the given definitions, the proposed measures of defects are compared to their counterparts corresponding to a classical framework of continuum mechanics. Thus, their physical meanings can be emphasized at once.
The THDMa Revisited
Authors: Robens Tania
Published: December 2021

The THDMa is a new physics model that extends the scalar sector of the Standard Model by an additional doublet as well as a pseudoscalar singlet and allows for mixing between all possible scalar states. In the gauge-eigenbasis, the additional pseudoscalar serves as a portal to the dark sector, with a priori any dark matter spins states. The option where dark matter is fermionic is currently one of the standard benchmarks for the experimental collaborations, and several searches at the LHC constrain the corresponding parameter space. However, most current studies constrain regions in parameter space by setting all but 2 of the 12 free parameters to fixed values. In this work, we performed a generic scan on this model, allowing all parameters to float. We applied all current theoretical and experimental constraints, including bounds from current searches, recent results from B-physics, in particular Bs→Xsγ, as well as bounds from astroparticle physics. We identify regions in the parameter space which are still allowed after these were applied and which might be interesting for an investigation of current and future collider machines.
A Survey from Real-Time to Near Real-Time Applications in Fog Computing Environments
Authors: Gomes Eliza , Costa Felipe , De Rolt Carlos , Plentz Patricia , Dantas Mario
Published: December 2021

In this article, we present a comprehensive survey on time-sensitive applications implemented in fog computing environments. The goal is to research what applications are being implemented in fog computing architectures and how the temporal requirements of these applications are being addressed. We also carried out a comprehensive analysis of the articles surveyed and separate them into categories, according to a pattern found in them. Our research is important for the area of real-time systems since the concept of systems that respond in real time has presented various understandings and concepts. This variability of concept has been due to the growing requirements for fast data communication and processing. Therefore, we present different concepts of real-time and near real-time systems found in the literature and currently accepted by the academic-scientific community. Finally, we conduct an analytical discussion of the characteristics and proposal of articles.
Stability of Liver Radiomics across Different 3D ROI Sizes—An MRI In Vivo Study
Authors: Jensen Laura J. , Kim Damon , Elgeti Thomas , Steffen Ingo G. , Hamm Bernd , Nagel Sebastian N.
Published: December 2021

We aimed to evaluate the stability of radiomic features in the liver of healthy individuals across different three-dimensional regions of interest (3D ROI) sizes in T1-weighted (T1w) and T2-weighted (T2w) images from different MR scanners. We retrospectively included 66 examinations of patients without known diseases or pathological imaging findings acquired on three MRI scanners (3 Tesla I: 25 patients, 3 Tesla II: 19 patients, 1.5 Tesla: 22 patients). 3D ROIs of different diameters (10, 20, 30 mm) were drawn on T1w GRE and T2w TSE images into the liver parenchyma (segment V–VIII). We extracted 93 radiomic features from the different ROIs and tested features for significant differences with the Mann–Whitney-U (MWU)-test. The MWU-test revealed significant differences for most second- and higher-order features, indicating a systematic difference dependent on the ROI size. The features mean, median, root mean squared (RMS), 10th percentile, and 90th percentile were not significantly different. We also assessed feature robustness to ROI size variation with overall concordance correlation coefficients (OCCCs). OCCCs across the different ROI-sizes for mean, median, and RMS were excellent (>0.90) in both sequences on all three scanners. These features, therefore, seem robust to ROI-size variation and suitable for radiomic studies of liver MRI.
Fumonisin B1 Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Decreases Barrier Function of Swine Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
Authors: Li Qing , Yuan Qiaoling , Wang Tianjie , Zhan Yang , Yang Lingchen , Fan Ying , Lei Hongyu , Su Jianming
Published: December 2021

The fumonisins are a group of common mycotoxins found around the world that mainly contaminate maize. As environmental toxins, they pose a threat to human and animal health. Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most widely distributed and the most toxic. FB1 can cause pulmonary edema in pigs. However, the current toxicity mechanism of fumonisins is still in the exploratory stage, which may be related to sphingolipid metabolism. Our study is designed to investigate the effect of FB1 on the cell proliferation and barrier function of swine umbilical vein endothelial cells (SUVECs). We show that FB1 can inhibit the cell viability of SUVECs. FB1 prevents cells from entering the S phase from the G1 phase by regulating the expression of the cell cycle-related genes cyclin B1, cyclin D1, cyclin E1, Cdc25c, and the cyclin-dependent kinase-4 (CDK-4). This results in an inhibition of cell proliferation. In addition, FB1 can also change the cell morphology, increase paracellular permeability, destroy tight junctions and the cytoskeleton, and reduce the expression of tight junction-related genes claudin 1, occludin, and ZO-1. This indicates that FB1 can cause cell barrier dysfunction of SUVECs and promote the weakening or even destruction of the connections between endothelial cells. In turn, this leads to increased blood vessel permeability and promotes exudation. Our findings suggest that FB1 induces toxicity in SUVECs by affecting cell proliferation and disrupting the barrier function.
Inflammatory Effects of Bothrops Phospholipases A2: Mechanisms Involved in Biosynthesis of Lipid Mediators and Lipid Accumulation
Authors: Moreira Vanessa , Leiguez Elbio , Janovits Priscila Motta , Maia-Marques Rodrigo , Fernandes Cristina Maria , Teixeira Catarina
Published: December 2021

Phospholipases A2s (PLA2s) constitute one of the major protein groups present in the venoms of viperid and crotalid snakes. Snake venom PLA2s (svPLA2s) exhibit a remarkable functional diversity, as they have been described to induce a myriad of toxic effects. Local inflammation is an important characteristic of snakebite envenomation inflicted by viperid and crotalid species and diverse svPLA2s have been studied for their proinflammatory properties. Moreover, based on their molecular, structural, and functional properties, the viperid svPLA2s are classified into the group IIA secreted PLA2s, which encompasses mammalian inflammatory sPLA2s. Thus, research on svPLA2s has attained paramount importance for better understanding the role of this class of enzymes in snake envenomation and the participation of GIIA sPLA2s in pathophysiological conditions and for the development of new therapeutic agents. In this review, we highlight studies that have identified the inflammatory activities of svPLA2s, in particular, those from Bothrops genus snakes, which are major medically important snakes in Latin America, and we describe recent advances in our collective understanding of the mechanisms underlying their inflammatory effects. We also discuss studies that dissect the action of these venom enzymes in inflammatory cells focusing on molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the biosynthesis of lipid mediators and lipid accumulation in immunocompetent cells.
Human Biomonitoring of T-2 Toxin, T-2 Toxin-3-Glucoside and Their Metabolites in Urine through High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Narváez Alfonso , Izzo Luana , Pallarés Noelia , Castaldo Luigi , Rodríguez-Carrasco Yelko , Ritieni Alberto
Published: December 2021

The metabolic profile of T-2 toxin (T-2) and its modified form T-2-3-glucoside (T-2-3-Glc) remain unexplored in human samples. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the presence of T-2, T-2-3-Glc and their respective major metabolites in human urine samples (n = 300) collected in South Italy through an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to Q-Orbitrap-HRMS methodology. T-2 was quantified in 21% of samples at a mean concentration of 1.34 ng/mg Crea (range: 0.22–6.54 ng/mg Crea). Almost all the major T-2 metabolites previously characterized in vitro were tentatively found, remarking the occurrence of 3′-OH-T-2 (99.7%), T-2 triol (56%) and HT-2 (30%). Regarding T-2-3-Glc, a low prevalence of the parent mycotoxin (1%) and its metabolites were observed, with HT-2-3-Glc (17%) being the most prevalent compound, although hydroxylated products were also detected. Attending to the large number of testing positive for T-2 or its metabolites, this study found a frequent exposure in Italian population.
Undertaking a New Regulatory Challenge: Monitoring of Ergot Alkaloids in Italian Food Commodities
Authors: Lattanzio Veronica Maria Teresa , Verdini Emanuela , Sdogati Stefano , Caporali Angela , Ciasca Biancamaria , Pecorelli Ivan
Published: December 2021

The present manuscript reports on monitoring data of 12 ergot alkaloids (EAs) in cereal and cereal-derived products, collected in Italy over the period 2017–2020, for official control purposes under the edge of the Commission Recommendation 2012/154/EU on the monitoring of the presence of EAs in feed and food. To these purposes, an LC-MS/MS method was set up and applied, after in-house verification of its analytical performance. Besides satisfactory recoveries and precision, the method’s quantification limits proved suitable to assess the compliance of cereals and cereal-based foods with the recently issued EU maximum permitted levels (Commission Regulation 2021/1399/EU). The validity of the generated data was also evaluated through the adoption of four proficiency tests, from which acceptable z-score values (−2 ≤ z ≤ 2) were obtained. The method was then applied to analyse a total of 67 samples, collected in Italy over the period 2017–2020. The samples consisted of 18 cereal grains, 16 flours (14 of wheat and 2 of spelt) and 31 other types of cereals derivatives (including 9 for infants). Overall, the EAs analysis returned a high percentage of left-censored data (>86%). Among the positive samples, the highest contamination levels, up to 94.2 µg/kg, were found for ergocristine (12% incidence), followed by ergocristinine (7% incidence) with levels of up to 48.3 µg/kg.
Pandora’s Box: Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis Associated with Self-Medication with an Unregulated Potent Corticosteroid Acquired in Mexico
Authors: Coba Alejandro Jose , Sallee Patricia K. , Dixon Danielle O. , Alkhateb Rahaf , Anstead Gregory M.
Published: December 2021

Coccidioidomycosis (CM), caused by the dimorphic fungi Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii, typically presents as acute or chronic pulmonary disease. However, disseminated disease occurs in about 1% of patients. Disseminated CM may affect multiple organ systems, including cutaneous, osteoarticular, and central nervous system sites. Here, we present a case of disseminated CM in a patient from a border city in Texas. The patient had a history of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and was also taking an over-the-counter medication acquired in Mexico that contained a potent corticosteroid. The patient presented with seizures and was found to have a brain infarct, cavitary lung lesions, synovitis of the knee, multiple skin lesions, and chorioretinitis. The patient had a very high complement fixation titer for Coccidioides; fungal spherules were seen in a skin biopsy specimen, and Coccidioides grew in culture from a sample of synovial fluid and the skin biopsy specimen. This case illustrates the dissemination potential of Coccidioides, the danger of unregulated pharmaceuticals, the importance of thorough history taking, and recognizing risk factors that contribute to disseminated CM.
Fermi-LAT Observation of PSR B1259-63 during Its 2021 Periastron Passage
Authors: Chang Zhi , Zhang Shu , Chen Yu-Peng , Ji Long , Kong Ling-Da , Wang Peng-Ju
Published: December 2021

PSR B1259-63 is a γ-ray binary system, where the compact object is a pulsar. The system has an orbital period of 1236.7 days and shows peculiar γ-ray flares (in 100 MeV–300 GeV) after its periastron time. We analyzed the Fermi-LAT observation of PSR B1259-63 during its latest periastron passage, as well as its previous three periastrons. The bright GeV flares started about 60 days after the periastron epoch in 2021. This delay is larger than that around the 2017 periastron and much larger than earlier periastrons. The delay of the GeV flux peak time in each periastron passage is apparent in our results. We discussed the possible origin of this delay and made a prediction of the GeV flux peak time in next periastron passage, based on observation of the previous delays.
Spectral Problems for Quasinormal Modes of Black Holes
Authors: Hatsuda Yasuyuki , Kimura Masashi
Published: December 2021

This is an unconventional review article on spectral problems in black hole perturbation theory. Our purpose is to explain how to apply various known techniques in quantum mechanics to such spectral problems. The article includes analytical/numerical treatments, semiclassical perturbation theory, the (uniform) WKB method and useful mathematical tools: Borel summations, Padé approximants, and so forth. The article is not comprehensive, but rather looks into a few examples from various points of view. The techniques in this article are widely applicable to many other examples.
Tribute to John C. Martin at the Twentieth Anniversary of the Breakthrough of Tenofovir in the Treatment of HIV Infections
Authors: De Clercq Erik
Published: December 2021

At Bristol-Myers (BM) (1985–1990), John C. Martin started his HIV career with directing the clinical development of didanosine (ddI) and stavudine (d4T). During this period, he became aware of the acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANPs), such as (S)-HPMPA and PMEA, as potential antiviral drugs. Under his impulse, BM got involved in the evaluation of these ANPs, but the merger of BM with Squibb (to become BMS) incited John to leave BM and join Gilead Sciences, and the portfolio of the ANPs followed the transition. At Gilead, John succeeded in obtaining the approval from the US FDA for the use of cidofovir in the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in AIDS patients, which was reminiscent of John’s first experience with ganciclovir (at Syntex) as an anti-CMV agent. At Gilead, John would then engineer the development of tenofovir, first as TDF (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and then as TAF (tenofovir alafenamide) and various combinations thereof, for the treatment of HIV infections (i), TDF and TAF for the treatment of hepatitis B (HBV) infections (ii), and TDF and TAF in combination with emtricitabine for the prophylaxis of HIV infections (iii).
Single-Cell and Bulk RNASeq Profiling of COVID-19 Patients Reveal Immune and Inflammatory Mechanisms of Infection-Induced Organ Damage
Authors: Bass Alexandrea , Liu Yiran , Dakshanamurthy Sivanesan
Published: December 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 virus’s ability to induce hypercytokinemia and cause multiple organ failure makes it imperative to find effective treatments. To understand the mechanism of viral infection and its effects on organ tissues, we analyzed multiple single-cell and bulk RNAseq data from COVID-19 patients’ organ samples. Various levels of severity of infection were accounted for, with comparative analyses between mild, moderate, and severely infected patients. Our analysis uncovered an upregulation of the innate immune response via several inflammatory genes, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A, and NF-κB. Consequently, we found that the upregulation of these downstream effects can lead to organ injury. The downregulated pathways such as eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2) and eIF4-mediated host translation, were found to lead to an increased viral translation. We also found that the loss of inhibitory peptides can suppress an overactive innate immune response via NF-κB and interleukin-mediated pathways. Investigation of viral-host protein mapping showed that the interaction of viral proteins with host proteins correlated with the down- and upregulation of host pathways such as decreased eIF2-mediated host translation and increased hypertrophy and fibrosis. Inflammation was increased via the stimulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppression of host translation pathways that led to reduced inflammatory inhibitors. Cardiac hypertrophy and organ fibrosis were the results of increased inflammation in organs of severe and critical patients. Finally, we identified potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of COVID-19 and its deleterious effects on organs. Further experimental investigation would conclusively determine the effects of COVID-19 infection on organs other than the lungs and the effectiveness of the proposed therapeutic targets.
Virome Characterization in Commercial Bovine Serum Batches—A Potentially Needed Testing Strategy for Biological Products
Authors: Paim Willian P. , Maggioli Mayara F. , Falkenberg Shollie M. , Ramachandran Akhilesh , Weber Matheus N. , Canal Cláudio W. , Bauermann Fernando V.
Published: December 2021

Bovine serum has been widely used as a universal supplement in culture media and other applications, including the manufacture of biological products and the production of synthetic meat. Currently, commercial bovine serum is tested for possible viral contaminants following regional guidelines. Regulatory agencies’ established tests focused on detecting selected animal origin viruses and are based on virus isolation, immunofluorescence, and hemadsorption assays. However, these tests may fail to detect new or emerging viruses in biological products. High-throughput sequencing is a powerful option since no prior knowledge of the viral targets is required. In the present study, we evaluate the virome of seven commercial batches of bovine serum from Mexico (one batch), New Zealand (two batches), and the United States (four batches) using a specific preparation and enrichment method for pooled samples and sequencing using an Illumina platform. A variety of circular replicase-encoding single-stranded (CRESS) DNA families (Genomoviridae, Circoviridae, and Smacoviridae) was identified. Additionally, CrAssphage, a recently discovered group of bacteriophage correlated with fecal contamination, was identified in 85% of the tested batches. Furthermore, sequences representing viral families with single-stranded DNA (Parvoviridae), double-stranded DNA (Polyomaviridae and Adenoviridae), single-stranded RNA (Flaviviridae, Picornaviridae, and Retroviridae), and double-stranded RNA (Reoviridae) were identified. These results support that high-throughput sequencing associated with viral enrichment is a robust tool and should be considered an additional layer of safety when testing pooled biologicals to detect viral contaminants overlooked by the current testing protocols.
An Importance of Long-Term Clinical Analysis to Accurately Diagnose Calves Persistently and Acutely Infected by Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus 2
Authors: Goto Yusuke , Yaegashi Gakuji , Fukunari Kazuhiro , Suzuki Tohru
Published: December 2021

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection results in a wide variety of clinical manifestations and is a pathogen that is able to cause huge economic losses in the cattle industry worldwide. It is important to identify cattle that are persistently infected (PI) by BVDV within the herd as early as possible because PI animals are the main reservoir of the virus. In contrast, cattle who are acutely infected (AI) with BVDV show various clinical signs, but most cattle show either mild symptoms or are asymptomatic. In general, AI and PI animals can be distinguished by repeat testing within an interval of at least 21 days. However, we found a rare case of a BVDV2-infected AI animal with long-term viral presence, making it indistinguishable from PI through two tests within an interval of 21 days. As a result, we diagnosed one infected animal as AI after 35 days from the initial sample collection via multiple analyses. Our findings recommend performing an additional test using samples that have been collected after 14–21 days from the second sample collection in cases where it is difficult to accurately differentiate an AI diagnosis from a PI diagnosis after only two tests. Additionally, our analysis exhibits that monitoring the number of copies of viruses with similar genomes in the sera by means of quantitative real-time RT-PCR through several sample collections periods might be useful to distinguish AI from PI. Furthermore, our data suggest that the AI animals with a long-term viral presence who show test results similar to those of PI animals might be the result of a coincidental combination of various factors that are present in cattle fields. These findings provide useful information that can be used to improve the diagnosis of BVDV in the field.
Atovaquone and Berberine Chloride Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Replication In Vitro
Authors: Rodriguez-Rodriguez Bruno A. , Noval Maria G. , Kaczmarek Maria E. , Jang Kyung Ku , Thannickal Sara A. , Cifuentes Kottkamp Angelica , Brown Rebecca S. , Kielian Margaret , Cadwell Ken , Stapleford Kenneth A.
Published: December 2021

Epidemic RNA viruses seem to arise year after year leading to countless infections and devastating disease. SARS-CoV-2 is the most recent of these viruses, but there will undoubtedly be more to come. While effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are being deployed, one approach that is still missing is effective antivirals that can be used at the onset of infections and therefore prevent pandemics. Here, we screened FDA-approved compounds against SARS-CoV-2. We found that atovaquone, a pyrimidine biosynthesis inhibitor, is able to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection in human lung cells. In addition, we found that berberine chloride, a plant-based compound used in holistic medicine, was able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in cells through direct interaction with the virion. Taken together, these studies highlight potential avenues of antiviral development to block emerging viruses. Such proactive approaches, conducted well before the next pandemic, will be essential to have drugs ready for when the next emerging virus hits.
The Promotion of Genomic Instability in Human Fibroblasts by Adenovirus 12 Early Region 1B 55K Protein in the Absence of Viral Infection
Authors: Abualfaraj Tareq , Hagkarim Nafiseh Chalabi , Hollingworth Robert , Grange Laura , Jhujh Satpal , Stewart Grant S. , Grand Roger J.
Published: December 2021

The adenovirus 12 early region 1B55K (Ad12E1B55K) protein has long been known to cause non-random damage to chromosomes 1 and 17 in human cells. These sites, referred to as Ad12 modification sites, have marked similarities to classic fragile sites. In the present report we have investigated the effects of Ad12E1B55K on the cellular DNA damage response and on DNA replication, considering our increased understanding of the pathways involved. We have compared human skin fibroblasts expressing Ad12E1B55K (55K+HSF), but no other viral proteins, with the parental cells. Appreciable chromosomal damage was observed in 55K+HSFs compared to parental cells. Similarly, an increased number of micronuclei was observed in 55K+HSFs, both in cycling cells and after DNA damage. We compared DNA replication in the two cell populations; 55K+HSFs showed increased fork stalling and a decrease in fork speed. When replication stress was introduced with hydroxyurea the percentage of stalled forks and replication speeds were broadly similar, but efficiency of fork restart was significantly reduced in 55K+HSFs. After DNA damage, appreciably more foci were formed in 55K+HSFs up to 48 h post treatment. In addition, phosphorylation of ATM substrates was greater in Ad12E1B55K-expressing cells following DNA damage. Following DNA damage, 55K+HSFs showed an inability to arrest in cell cycle, probably due to the association of Ad12E1B55K with p53. To confirm that Ad12E1B55K was targeting components of the double-strand break repair pathways, co-immunoprecipitation experiments were performed which showed an association of the viral protein with ATM, MRE11, NBS1, DNA-PK, BLM, TOPBP1 and p53, as well as with components of the replisome, MCM3, MCM7, ORC1, DNA polymerase δ, TICRR and cdc45, which may account for some of the observed effects on DNA replication. We conclude that Ad12E1B55K impacts the cellular DNA damage response pathways and the replisome at multiple points through protein–protein interactions, causing genomic instability.
Interactions between the Nucleoprotein and the Phosphoprotein of Pneumoviruses: Structural Insight for Rational Design of Antivirals
Authors: Decool Hortense , Gonnin Lorène , Gutsche Irina , Sizun Christina , Eléouët Jean-François , Galloux Marie
Published: December 2021

Pneumoviruses include pathogenic human and animal viruses, the most known and studied being the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and the metapneumovirus (hMPV), which are the major cause of severe acute respiratory tract illness in young children worldwide, and main pathogens infecting elderly and immune-compromised people. The transcription and replication of these viruses take place in specific cytoplasmic inclusions called inclusion bodies (IBs). These activities depend on viral polymerase L, associated with its cofactor phosphoprotein P, for the recognition of the viral RNA genome encapsidated by the nucleoprotein N, forming the nucleocapsid (NC). The polymerase activities rely on diverse transient protein-protein interactions orchestrated by P playing the hub role. Among these interactions, P interacts with the NC to recruit L to the genome. The P protein also plays the role of chaperone to maintain the neosynthesized N monomeric and RNA-free (called N0) before specific encapsidation of the viral genome and antigenome. This review aims at giving an overview of recent structural information obtained for hRSV and hMPV P, N, and more specifically for P-NC and N0-P complexes that pave the way for the rational design of new antivirals against those viruses.
Modelling Mutation in Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Infection Suggests a Path to Viral Clearance with Repeated Vaccination
Authors: Schwartz Elissa , Costris-Vas Christian , Smith? Stacey
Published: December 2021

Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a lentivirus similar to HIV that infects horses. Clinical and experimental studies demonstrating immune control of EIAV infection hold promise for efforts to produce an HIV vaccine. Antibody infusions have been shown to block both wild-type and mutant virus infection, but the mutant sometimes escapes. Using these data, we develop a mathematical model that describes the interactions between antibodies and both wild-type and mutant virus populations, in the context of continual virus mutation. The aim of this work is to determine whether repeated vaccinations through antibody infusions can reduce both the wild-type and mutant strains of the virus below one viral particle, and if so, to examine the vaccination period and number of infusions that ensure eradication. The antibody infusions are modelled using impulsive differential equations, a technique that offers insight into repeated vaccination by approximating the time-to-peak by an instantaneous change. We use impulsive theory to determine the maximal vaccination intervals that would be required to reduce the wild-type and mutant virus levels below one particle per horse. We show that seven boosts of the antibody vaccine are sufficient to eradicate both the wild-type and the mutant strains. In the case of a mutant virus infection that is given infusions of antibodies targeting wild-type virus (i.e., simulation of a heterologous infection), seven infusions were likewise sufficient to eradicate infection, based upon the data set. However, if the period between infusions was sufficiently increased, both the wild-type and mutant virus would eventually persist in the form of a periodic orbit. These results suggest a route forward to design antibody-based vaccine strategies to control viruses subject to mutant escape.
Online Capacity Estimation for Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Semi-Supervised Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Wu Yi , Li Wei
Published: December 2021

Accurate capacity estimation can ensure the safe and reliable operation of lithium-ion batteries in practical applications. Recently, deep learning-based capacity estimation methods have demonstrated impressive advances. However, such methods suffer from limited labeled data for training, i.e., the capacity ground-truth of lithium-ion batteries. A capacity estimation method is proposed based on a semi-supervised convolutional neural network (SS-CNN). This method can automatically extract features from battery partial-charge information for capacity estimation. Furthermore, a semi-supervised training strategy is developed to take advantage of the extra unlabeled sample, which can improve the generalization of the model and the accuracy of capacity estimation even in the presence of limited labeled data. Compared with artificial neural networks and convolutional neural networks, the proposed method is demonstrated to improve capacity estimation accuracy.
Psychodiagnostics — the basis of prevention of burn-out syndrome
Authors: Ananyeva Olga Vyacheslavovna , Chivilgina Svetlana Ivanovna
Published: December 2021

In the professional activities of medical personnel providing palliative care, prevention of the formation of burnout syndrome is important. With an increase in work experience, the level of emotional burnout among specialists becomes lower due to the formation of psychological protection and a qualitative change in the meaning of life guidelines.
COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF FUNGICIDAL ACTIVITY OF PREPARATIONS FOR PRESOWING TREATMENT OF WINTER WHEAT
Authors:   Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection, Sidorov N.M. , Gyrnets E.A. ,   Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection, Astakhov M.M. ,   Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection, Saenko K.Yu. ,   Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection, Asaturova A.M. ,   Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection, Didenko A.O. ,   “ADAMA RUS OOO” (Limited Liability Company)
Published: December 2021

The massive use of one-component fungicides has caused the problem of the emergence of resistant forms of phytopathogens. The development of multicomponent plant protection products is one of the ways of dealing with such a situation. The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of multicomponent chemical dressing agents in suppressing the most common fungal pathogens and seed infections in vitro. This work was performed in 2020 in the Federal Research Center for Biological Plant Protection (Krasnodar) in the laboratory of the creation of microbiological plant protection products and a collection of microorganisms. Fungi of the Fusarium, Microdochium, Bipolaris, Alternaria, Penicillium, Rhizoctonia, Septoria, Pyrenophora genera were used as test objects. The fungicidal activity of chemical preparations against economically significant phytopathogens causing root rot was evaluated in laboratory conditions by the method of serial dilutions followed by sowing on a nutrient medium. In addition, the effectiveness of the preparations was investigated by the method of treated seeds phytoexamination according to GOST 12044–93. The preparations, which included triazoles and phenylpyrroles, had the strongest inhibitory effect (100 %) on pathogens of Rhizoctonia, helminthosporiosis and septoria. The preparation containing compounds of the group of triazoles and strobilurins suppressed the growth of Rhizoctonia solani only. The preparations’ inhibitory effect on a number of phytopathogenic fungi was manifested in growth retardation, absence of aerial mycelium development and mycelium pigmentation. Concerning the causative agents of Fusarium root rot, the two-component preparations efficacy ranged from 51 % to 74.4 %; three-component one – from 42.9 % to 84.7 % depending on the species of the genus Fusarium. Presowing seed treatment made it possible to inhibit the growth of fungi of the genera Fusarium, Mucor, Aspergillus; significantly inhibit the development of the fungus Alternaria (spread in the experimental variant – 1.7 %, in the control variant – 46.7 %). From the data obtained, it can be concluded that multicomponent preparations based on triazoles and phenylpyrroles are highly effective in suppressing a wide range of phytopathogens and can be recommended for presowing seed treatment.
PHOSPHATE-MOBILIZING MICROORGANISMS: 1.	BIODIVERSITY, INFLUENCE ON PLANTS MINERAL NUTRITION AND PRODUCTIVITY
Authors:   Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea, Chaikovskaya L.A. , Ovsienko O.L. ,   Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea
Published: December 2021

Phosphorus is an essential plant nutrient involved in plants’ growth and development, accelerated formation of reproductive organs and other important factors for obtaining high and stable crop yields and, therefore, high-quality products. Easily absorbed phosphorus compounds obtained from soil or fertilizers are the most valuable for plants. One of the promising directions for improving the phosphorus nutrition of agricultural crops is biological phosphate mobilization that is carried out by soil microorganisms – bacteria and filamentous fungi (micromycetes). They contribute to the conversion of poorly soluble phosphorus compounds into forms accessible to higher plants. The effect of microorganisms on plants in terms of improving their mineral nutrition, in particular phosphorus, was reviewed in this article. We analysed domestic and foreign literature sources (over the last 15 years) focused on the biodiversity of soil phosphate-mobilizing microorganisms and their influence on converting insoluble phosphate to soluble forms. The features of the mechanisms of biotransformation of organic and mineral phosphates by soil microorganisms and the main criteria for screening effective isolates able to convert poorly soluble phosphorus compounds into forms available for plants were described in detail. This review also demonstrates that several microorganisms belonging to different taxonomic groups (bacteria and micromycetes) are recognized as powerful phosphate solubilizers or bioconverters of poorly soluble phosphorus compounds into water-soluble forms. We also surveyed scientific works, in which the practical application of effective strains of microorganisms that transform unavailable phosphorus compounds into available for plants was studied; and those, in which the role of microorganisms in increasing the availability of phosphorus for agricultural plants and their productivity improvement was demonstrated. A comprehensive description of microbial preparations “Agrofil”, “Biovays”, “Ekophosphorin”, “Ekovital”, “Biophosphorin”, “Albobacterin”, “Polymiksobacterin”, “Agrobacterin”, “Phosphostim”, “Fitostimophos”, “Agromik”, “Baktopin” based on phosphate-mobilizing microorganisms, developed and used in various countries to optimize mineral nutrition of cultivated plants, is given.
CHANGES IN REGIONAL CLIMATIC CONDITIONS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF WINTER WHEAT IN THE STEPPE ZONE OF EUROPEAN RUSSIA
Authors:   Institute of the Steppe of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences – a separate unit of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Orenburg Federal Research Center” of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Gulyanov Yu.A.
Published: December 2021

Monitoring of climatic conditions is necessary to determine the degree of their change and to develop methods for optimizing the interaction of natural and socio-economic systems aimed at maintaining food security without harming the environment. The purpose of the research was to analyze long-term climatic trends and assess their impact on the productivity of winter wheat in the model regions (Orenburg and Volgograd regions) of the steppe zone of European Russia for the period from 1990 to 2020. Statistical processing was carried out by the method of correlation and regression analysis. The variability of the studied meteorological parameters and the yield of winter wheat over the years was estimated using the coefficient of variation. The positive dynamics of the average daily air temperature was revealed. It was 1.6–2.3 °С on average per year, 2.5–3.5 °С during the autumn growing season (August–September) and 1.1–2.4 °С in spring-summer growing season (April–June). A steady precipitation decrease in the warm period of the year in the Orenburg region (by 32 mm) and their zero balance in the Volgograd region against the background of an increased sum of active temperatures or growing degree days (by 395–580 °С) led to a decrease in the Selyaninov Hydrothermal Coefficient (HTC) by 0.15–0.20 units. In some periods of vegetation, the HTC values approached the level “dry” in the cultivation zone assessment. Typically, winter wheat productivity depends on zonal features. In the Volgograd region, grain yield exceeding the average (2.32 t/ha) was obtained in 52.3 % of years; in the Orenburg region (1.61 t/ha) – in 47.6 % of years. The yield that amounted to 75% of the maximum was noted in 33.2 % of years in the Volgograd region, in the Orenburg region – in 14.3 % of years (all-Russian indicator – 38.1 %). The realization of the biological productivity of winter wheat is more related to the amount of precipitation, which determines 40.6% (Volgograd region) and 44.2% (Orenburg region) of its variations. In the Orenburg region, annual precipitation in general and those of the cold period have priority; in the Volgograd region – annual precipitation and precipitation of the spring-summer period.