bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Do Existing Organizational Theories Help in Understanding the Responses of Food Companies for Reducing Food Waste?
Authors: Ramanathan Ramakrishnan , Ramanathan Usha , Pelc Katarzyna , Hermens Imke
Published: February 2024

Food waste is a serious global problem. Efforts to reduce food waste are closely linked to the concepts of circular economy and sustainability. Though food organizations across the world are making efforts to reduce waste in their supply chains, there is currently no theoretical explanation that would underpin the responses of food companies in reducing food waste. Based on interactions with food companies over a nearly 5-year period, we explore the applicability of some well-known and not so well-known organizational theories in the operations management literature to underpin the observed responses of companies in reducing food waste. This paper is one of the first attempts to study food waste from an operations and supply chains point of view, especially from the lens of existing theories in the operations management literature and newer sustainability theories borrowed from other disciplines. Our research findings not only show that existing organizational theories and societal theories can help explain the motivations of firms engaging in food waste reduction, but also call for more research that could help explain some interesting observations that are not apparent when existing theories are used. This paper contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2 and 12.
Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Education Amidst Digitalisation
Authors: Orphanidou Yianna , Efthymiou Leonidas , Panayiotou George
Published: February 2024

The integration of cultural heritage in education facilitates critical thinking, experiential learning, cross-cultural collaborative learning and ultimately, quality learning experiences. This process is further enhanced by the increasing adoption of digital technology, which makes education more accessible. However, some countries in the European Union have low digital literacy and a high student dropout rate. Also, the use of cultural heritage in education is declining as young learners are becoming increasingly unaware of their cultural identity. Within this framework, a study of mixed methods (questionnaires and interviews) was conducted in three European countries to examine digital and cultural heritage competencies among young learners. The results of the paper reveal how digital cultural heritage increases learners’ resilience by promoting competences for digital transformation, which in turn enhances learning and engagement with cultural heritage. Drawing on our findings, the paper proposes a new innovative hybrid model within the framework of sustainable education (SE).
Single Hidden Layer Intelligent Approach to Modeling Relative Cooling Power of Rare-Earth-Transition-Metal-Based Refrigerants for Sustainable Magnetic Refrigeration Application
Authors: Alqahtani Abdullah
Published: February 2024

Solid-state magnetocaloric-based magnetic refrigeration offers green and sustainable refrigeration with improved efficiency, compactness and environmental friendliness compared with commercialized gas compression refrigeration systems. Relative cooling power (RCP) plays a significant role in the candidature of any magnetic material refrigerants in this application, while the tunable physical and magnetic properties of rare-earth-transition-metal-based materials strengthen the potential of these materials to be used in a cooling system. This work develops single hidden layer (SIL) extreme learning machine intelligent models for predicting the RCP of rare-earth-transition-metal-based magnetocaloric compounds using elemental constituent ionic radii (IR) and maximum magnetic entropy change (EC) descriptors. The developed model based on the sine (SN) activation function with ionic radii (IR) descriptors (SN-SIL-IR) shows superior performance over the sigmoid (SG) activation function-based model, represented as SG-SIL-IR, with performance improvements of 71.86% and 69.55% determined using the mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE), respectively, upon testing rare-earth-transition-metal-based magnetocaloric compounds. The developed SN-SIL-IR further outperforms the SN-SIL-EC and SG-SIL-EC models which employed maximum magnetic entropy change (EC) descriptors with improvements of 45.74% and 24.79%, respectively, on the basis of MAE performance assessment parameters. Estimates of the developed model agree well with the measured values. The dependence of the RCP on an applied magnetic field for various classes of rare-earth-transition-metal-based magnetocaloric compounds is established using a developed SN-SIL-IR model. The improved precision of the developed SN-SIL-IR model, coupled with ease of its descriptors, will strengthen and facilitate the comprehensive exploration of rare-earth-transition-metal-based magnetocaloric compounds for their practical implementation as magnetic refrigerants for promoting a sustainable system of refrigeration that is known to be efficient and environmentally friendly.
Assessing Hydropower Potential under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways Scenarios Using Integrated Assessment Modelling
Authors: Calheiros Tomás , Beça Pedro , Capela Lourenço Tiago , Eggler Lukas , Mediavilla Margarita , Ferreras-Alonso Noelia , Ramos-Diez Iván , Samsó Roger , Distefano Tiziano , Pastor Amandine
Published: February 2024

The world is facing a global sustainability crisis affecting environmental systems and society. Addressing these issues requires a multi-dimensional approach that can integrate energy, water, and environment Systems, as well as provide scientific policy advice. In this study, an updated version of an Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) was used, together with new data compatible with Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) projections, to significantly improve the work developed before. SSP climate data (temperature, precipitation, and total radiative forcing) and socioeconomic data (population and GDP) were loaded into the IAM, together with different scenario parameters. By analyzing varying socioeconomic scenarios, mitigation efforts, and adaptation strategies, this study assesses their impact on primary energy demand and, consequently, their impact on hydropower potential production. Our results show diverse energy paths, strongly dependent on the future scenario. Energy demand could increase up to 160%; however, several projections foresee a decline in hydropower production to minus 46% due to both climate change and socioeconomic transformation. Our findings highlight the importance of considering a range of potential future scenarios in energy planning and policy development. The varied outcomes across the considered scenarios emphasize the need for flexibility in strategies to accommodate for uncertainties and address the challenges posed by divergent trajectories in hydropower use and renewable energy shares.
Digitization as an Adaptation and Resilience Measure for MSMEs amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Lessons from the Food Service Industry for Collaborative Future Engagements
Authors: Kawane Tomo , Adu-Gyamfi Bismark , Cao Yuqiu , Zhang Yinjia , Yamazawa Nanami , He Zuquan , Shaw Rajib
Published: February 2024

Restrictions and other stringent countermeasures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have wreaked havoc on many enterprises over the past few years. The effect on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is believed to be far-reaching. In most countries, the MSME sector provides the maximum number of jobs, and its resilience is core to the livelihood of that society; Japan is no exception to this. The food service industry was classified as an essential service during the pandemic, and advancements in technology and other digital innovations were seen as revolutionary to many enterprises to diversify their business models to reduce losses. This study reviews how MSMEs in the food service industry utilized technologies and innovations to adapt to the challenges and enhance their resilience. The paper reviews secondary datasets to discuss the perspectives of MSMEs and the impact of the pandemic, as well as utilizing Gotanda Eats as a case example in Japan to understand the method of digital adaption towards resilience. The Gotanda Eats platform was crucial for the survival of the five restaurants involved because it transformed their old business operations into the one that connects them to customers while observing infection prevention protocols. Despite the challenges that are visible in the delivery aspect of the platform, the operation shows that digitization and digital transformation are vital for MSMEs in times of crisis. The World Economic Forum 2021 report has focused on digital power concentration as a new risk, the current study shows that digitization in food-related MSMEs was a critical survival strategy. The study recommends that local authorities take a keen interest in supporting local businesses during hard times.
Processing of Agricultural Residues with a High Concentration of Structural Carbohydrates into Biogas Using Selective Biological Products
Authors: Venslauskas Kęstutis , Navickas Kęstutis , Rubežius Mantas , Žalys Bronius , Gegeckas Audrius
Published: February 2024

Biomass, particularly agricultural residues and biomass rich in structural carbohydrates, offers significant potential for sustainable biogas production. Biological pretreatment using microorganisms, particularly Trichoderma species, is discussed as a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable approach to improving the decomposition of structural carbohydrates into fermentable sugars. This study aimed to assess the impact of employing a selective biological product (BP) on the biogas production process and biomethane potential using winter wheat straw (WWS) as a representative feedstock. The biological product, consisting of microorganisms of the Trichoderma spp. genus, was introduced to enhance microbial activity. The biogas potential results showed that WWS treated with the BP exhibited a remarkable improvement in biogas production. Specifically, biogas yield increased from 364.1 L/kg of mass in untreated straw to 439.9 L/kg in BP-treated straw, representing a substantial 20.8% increase. Furthermore, in continuous loading tests, the steady-state biogas yield from BP-treated straw ranged from 553.6 to 582.0 L/kg VS, which was notably higher compared to untreated straw with a yield of 490.0 L/kg VS. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated that the application of selective biological products significantly enhanced biogas production and biomethane potential from structural carbohydrates containing biomass sources.
Estimating the Flood, Landslide, and Heavy Rainfall Susceptibility of Vaccine Transportation after 2021 Flooding in South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia
Authors: Lestari Fatma , Sudaryo Mondastri Korib , Djalante Riyanti , Adiwibowo Andrio , Kadir Abdul , Zakianis  , Satyawardhani Saraswati Andani
Published: February 2024

Vaccine accessibility and availability has been shown to be one of the key factors to ensure rapid responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased vaccine coverage is, however, dependent on vaccine supply and transportation, in particular ensuring that road networks have as minimal disruption as possible. In Indonesia, the most common and imminent threats affecting transport flows are due to frequent disasters such as floods, landslides, and high rainfall. This research is novel because it fills in the gap between health and disaster studies in COVID-19-related studies published since 2021. This study presents an analysis of susceptibility of various hydro-meteorological disasters on the trans-provincial roads that span over 856.014 km and cover an area of 38,744.23 km2 over 13 districts in South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. The floods that occurred in January and November 2021 inundated an area of around 4000 km2 (10 percent of the total study area) that spans along 13 sub-provincial/district areas. Data collected are analyzed using the geographical information system (GIS) to quantify and classify the impacts in the 13 districts, utilizing different indicators such as topography, road conditions and characteristics, amount of rainfall, and types of disasters that occurred (floods and landslides). The results show that the trans-provincial road, which is also the only road available for transporting vaccines in the South Kalimantan Province, was highly susceptible to various hydro-meteorological disasters. Around 20 percent of the total road length was disrupted by the floods, close to 4% of the road section passes through mountainous areas that make it susceptible to landslides, and about 13% to 23% of the road section is vulnerable to slip risks due to the extreme rainfall. The results presented here demand an overarching solution involving multiple stakeholders from public works and local disaster management offices in terms of disaster mitigation and preparedness strategies, and environmental protection in terms of disaster risk reduction implementation. This research contributes to the health sector particularly through future preparedness to pandemics and wider vaccine distribution and coverage through the identification and mapping of sections of roads impacted by multiple disasters.
Sustainable Regional Straw Utilization: Collaborative Approaches and Network Optimization
Authors: Tao Jing , Bai Wuliyasu , Peng Rongsheng , Wu Ziying
Published: February 2024

The SDGS repeatedly emphasizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide. The strategic utilization of straw resources to curtail open-air burning not only epitomizes optimal resource deployment but also constitutes a significant stride in environmental preservation and sustainable development. Globally, the imperative of this challenge is increasingly recognized, prompting nations to enhance straw resource utilization technologies, devise regional management strategies, and extend requisite policy support. Regional straw utilization encapsulates a comprehensive concept involving an array of stakeholders including governments, farmers, corporations, brokers, and rural cooperatives, with each one of these uniquely contributing to a multifaceted network that is influenced by their respective resource utilization intentions. This heterogeneity, coupled with the diverse roles of these stakeholders, renders the identification of the pivotal participants and their specific functions within the intricate network. To navigate this complexity, this study employed text analysis and social network analysis, uncovering 30 robust associative rules within this domain. Our findings elucidate that the stakeholder network in regional straw resource utilization exhibits characteristics akin to the NW small-world network model. The key network entities identified include farmers, corporations, governments, and rural cooperatives. Furthermore, the study systematically categorizes the principal entities and elucidates the dynamics of this multi-stakeholder network. This research delineates four developmental models that are pertinent to regional straw resource utilization, which is a framework that is instrumental in pinpointing the accountable parties and optimizing the overarching benefits derived from these resources. The significance of this research lies not only in showcasing the potential of straw resources for environmental conservation but also in underscoring the importance of collaborative strategies and network optimization in order to achieve sustainable development goals.
The Limitations of EMSs in Comparison with the SDGs When Considering Infrastructure Sustainability: The Case of the Terzo Valico Dei Giovi, Italy
Authors: Soraggi Daniele , D’Amato Gabriele Ivano
Published: February 2024

Infrastructure plays the largest role in the amount of annual emissions, so much so that investments promoted in the European Union must be subjected to a careful assessment of the sustainability of projects. The current landscape for assessing the sustainability of infrastructure is varied and complex. Considering the object of the assessment methodologies (such as the Environmental Impact Assessment or the Ecological Management System) and specific tools such as Envision, there is a shift from the infrastructure in itself and the company’s actions to promoting sustainable development. This article introduces a methodology to examine how tools used in environmental impact assessments of transport infrastructure projects, regardless of the actor implementing them, align with different sustainable development objectives. Moreover, it identifies the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a reference point that can be used in estimating the validity of these instruments. This paper also validates the methodology proposed in our study, by comparing the results obtained on the Envision model with those obtained from its application in a case study regarding the Terzo Valico dei Giovi, a railway infrastructure in Italy. The article shows that although the final target is in many respects the same, the nuances with which actors pursue sustainability through the different instruments vary.
On the Analytic Extension of Lauricella–Saran’s Hypergeometric Function FK to Symmetric Domains
Authors: Dmytryshyn Roman , Goran Vitaliy
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we consider the representation and extension of the analytic functions of three variables by special families of functions, namely branched continued fractions. In particular, we establish new symmetric domains of the analytical continuation of Lauricella–Saran’s hypergeometric function FK with certain conditions on real and complex parameters using their branched continued fraction representations. We use a technique that extends the convergence, which is already known for a small domain, to a larger domain to obtain domains of convergence of branched continued fractions and the PC method to prove that they are also domains of analytical continuation. In addition, we discuss some applicable special cases and vital remarks.
Semi-Symmetrical, Fully Convolutional Masked Autoencoder for TBM Muck Image Segmentation
Authors: Lei Ke , Tan Zhongsheng , Wang Xiuying , Zhou Zhenliang
Published: February 2024

Deep neural networks are effectively utilized for the instance segmentation of muck images from tunnel boring machines (TBMs), providing real-time insights into the surrounding rock condition. However, the high cost of obtaining quality labeled data limits the widespread application of this method. Addressing this challenge, this study presents a semi-symmetrical, fully convolutional masked autoencoder designed for self-supervised pre-training on extensive unlabeled muck image datasets. The model features a four-tier sparse encoder for down-sampling and a two-tier sparse decoder for up-sampling, connected via a conventional convolutional neck, forming a semi-symmetrical structure. This design enhances the model’s ability to capture essential low-level features, including geometric shapes and object boundaries. Additionally, to circumvent the trivial solutions in pixel regression that the original masked autoencoder faced, Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) descriptors and Laplacian features have been integrated as novel self-supervision targets. Testing shows that the proposed model can effectively discern essential features of muck images in self-supervised training. When applied to subsequent end-to-end training tasks, it enhances the model’s performance, increasing the prediction accuracy of Intersection over Union (IoU) for muck boundaries and regions by 5.9% and 2.4%, respectively, outperforming the enhancements made by the original masked autoencoder.
Differentiation of Hamartomas and Malignant Lung Tumors in Single-Phased Dual-Energy Computed Tomography
Authors: Winkelmann Moritz T. , Gassenmaier Sebastian , Walter Sven S. , Artzner Christoph , Nikolaou Konstantin , Bongers Malte N.
Published: February 2024

This study investigated the efficacy of single-phase dual-energy CT (DECT) in differentiating pulmonary hamartomas from malignant lung lesions using virtual non-contrast (VNC), iodine, and fat quantification. Forty-six patients with 47 pulmonary lesions (mean age: 65.2 ± 12.1 years; hamartomas-to-malignant lesions = 22:25; male: 67%) underwent portal venous DECT using histology, PET-CT and follow-up CTs as a reference. Quantitative parameters such as VNC, fat fraction, iodine density and CT mixed values were statistically analyzed. Significant differences were found in fat fractions (hamartomas: 48.9%; malignancies: 22.9%; p ≤ 0.0001) and VNC HU values (hamartomas: −20.5 HU; malignancies: 17.8 HU; p ≤ 0.0001), with hamartomas having higher fat content and lower VNC HU values than malignancies. CT mixed values also differed significantly (p ≤ 0.0001), but iodine density showed no significant differences. ROC analysis favored the fat fraction (AUC = 96.4%; sensitivity: 100%) over the VNC, CT mixed value and iodine density for differentiation. The study concludes that the DECT-based fat fraction is superior to the single-energy CT in differentiating between incidental pulmonary hamartomas and malignant lesions, while post-contrast iodine density is ineffective for differentiation.
Effects of the Heterodimeric Neurotoxic Phospholipase A2 from the Venom of Vipera nikolskii on the Contractility of Rat Papillary Muscles and Thoracic Aortas
Authors: Averin Alexey , Starkov Vladislav , Tsetlin Victor , Utkin Yuri
Published: February 2024

Phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) are a large family of snake toxins manifesting diverse biological effects, which are not always related to phospholipolytic activity. Snake venom PLA2s (svPLA2s) are extracellular proteins with a molecular mass of 13–14 kDa. They are present in venoms in the form of monomers, dimers, and larger oligomers. The cardiovascular system is one of the multiple svPLA2 targets in prey organisms. The results obtained previously on the cardiovascular effects of monomeric svPLA2s were inconsistent, while the data on the dimeric svPLA2 crotoxin from the rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus showed that it significantly reduced the contractile force of guinea pig hearts. Here, we studied the effects of the heterodimeric svPLA2 HDP-1 from the viper Vipera nikolskii on papillary muscle (PM) contractility and the tension of the aortic rings (ARs). HDP-1 is structurally different from crotoxin, and over a wide range of concentrations, it produced a long-term, stable, positive inotropic effect in PMs, which did not turn into contractures at the concentrations studied. This also distinguishes HDP-1 from the monomeric svPLA2s, which at high concentrations inhibited cardiac function. HDP-1, when acting on ARs preconstricted with 10 μM phenylephrine, induced a vasorelaxant effect, similar to some other svPLA2s. These are the first indications of the cardiac and vascular effects of true vipers’ heterodimeric svPLA2s.
Long-Term Pulmonary Damage in Surviving Antitoxin-Treated Mice following a Lethal Ricin Intoxication
Authors: Gal Yoav , Sapoznikov Anita , Lazar Shlomi , Shoseyov David , Aftalion Moshe , Gutman Hila , Evgy Yentl , Gez Rellie , Nevo Reinat , Falach Reut
Published: February 2024

Ricin, a highly potent plant-derived toxin, is considered a potential bioterrorism weapon due to its pronounced toxicity, high availability, and ease of preparation. Acute damage following pulmonary ricinosis is characterized by local cytokine storm, massive neutrophil infiltration, and edema formation, resulting in respiratory insufficiency and death. A designated equine polyclonal antibody-based (antitoxin) treatment was developed in our laboratory and proved efficacious in alleviating lung injury and increasing survival rates. Although short-term pathogenesis was thoroughly characterized in antitoxin-treated mice, the long-term damage in surviving mice was never determined. In this study, long-term consequences of ricin intoxication were evaluated 30 days post-exposure in mice that survived antitoxin treatment. Significant pulmonary sequelae were demonstrated in surviving antitoxin-treated mice, as reflected by prominent histopathological changes, moderate fibrosis, increased lung hyperpermeability, and decreased lung compliance. The presented data highlight, for the first time to our knowledge, the possibility of long-term damage development in mice that survived lethal-dose pulmonary exposure to ricin due to antitoxin treatment.
Decoupling Limits in Effective Field Theories via Higher Dimensional Operators
Authors: Quadri Andrea
Published: February 2024

The non-decoupling effects of heavy scalars and vector fields play an important role in the indirect search for Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) physics at the LHC. By exploiting some new differential equations for the 1-PI amplitudes, we show that such non-decoupling effects are absent for quite a general class of effective field theories involving dimension six two-derivative and dimension eight four-derivative operators, once the resummation in certain BSM couplings is taken into account and some particular regimes of the relevant couplings are considered.
Phage Display’s Prospects for Early Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Petrenko Valery A.
Published: February 2024

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most diagnosed cancer among men. It was observed that early diagnosis of disease is highly beneficial for the survival of cancer patients. Therefore, the extension and increasing quality of life of PC patients can be achieved by broadening the cancer screening programs that are aimed at the identification of cancer manifestation in patients at earlier stages, before they demonstrate well-understood signs of the disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need for standard, sensitive, robust, and commonly available screening and diagnosis tools for the identification of early signs of cancer pathologies. In this respect, the “Holy Grail” of cancer researchers and bioengineers for decades has been molecular sensing probes that would allow for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of cancer diseases via their interaction with cell-secreted and cell-associated PC biomarkers, e.g., PSA and PSMA, respectively. At present, most PSA tests are performed at centralized laboratories using high-throughput total PSA immune analyzers, which are suitable for dedicated laboratories and are not readily available for broad health screenings. Therefore, the current trend in the detection of PC is the development of portable biosensors for mobile laboratories and individual use. Phage display, since its conception by George Smith in 1985, has emerged as a premier tool in molecular biology with widespread application. This review describes the role of the molecular evolution and phage display paradigm in revolutionizing the methods for the early diagnosis and monitoring of PC.
Association between Statins Administration and Influenza Susceptibility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies
Authors: Wu Fan , Wang Congcong , Li Shunran , Ye Ying , Cui Mingting , Liu Yajie , Jiang Shiqiang , Qian Jun , Yuan Jianhui , Shu Yuelong , Sun Caijun
Published: February 2024

Previous studies reported that the association between statins use and influenza infection was contradictory. A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies were performed to determine the association between statins use and influenza susceptibility. The literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, from each database’s inception to 21 May 2023. The fixed effect model and random effects model were used for data synthesis. In our study, a total of 1,472,239 statins users and 1,486,881 statins non-users from five articles were included. The pooled risk ratio (RR) of all included participants was 1.05 (95% CI: 1.03–1.07), and there were still significant differences after adjusting for vaccination status. Of note, RR values in statins users were 1.06 (95% CI: 1.03–1.08) in people aged ≥60 years old and 1.05 (95% CI: 1.03–1.07) in participant groups with a higher proportion of females. Administration of statins might be associated with an increased risk of influenza infection, especially among females and elderly people. For those people using statins, we should pay more attention to surveillance of their health conditions and take measures to prevent influenza infection.
Comprehensive Elucidation of the Role of L and 2A Security Proteins on Cell Death during EMCV Infection
Authors: Ivin Yury , Butusova Anna , Gladneva Ekaterina , Gmyl Anatoly , Ishmukhametov Aydar
Published: February 2024

The EMCV L and 2A proteins are virulence factors that counteract host cell defense mechanisms. Both L and 2A exhibit antiapoptotic properties, but the available data were obtained in different cell lines and under incomparable conditions. This study is aimed at checking the role of these proteins in the choice of cell death type in three different cell lines using three mutants of EMCV lacking functional L, 2A, and both proteins together. We have found that both L and 2A are non-essential for viral replication in HeLa, BHK, and RD cell lines, as evidenced by the viability of the virus in the absence of both functional proteins. L-deficient infection led to the apoptotic death of HeLa and RD cells, and the necrotic death of BHK cells. 2A-deficient infection induced apoptosis in BHK and RD cells. Infection of HeLa cells with the 2A-deficient mutant was finalized with exclusive caspase-dependent death with membrane permeabilization, morphologically similar to pyroptosis. We also demonstrated that inactivation of both proteins, along with caspase inhibition, delayed cell death progression. The results obtained demonstrate that proteins L and 2A play a critical role in choosing the path of cell death during infection, but the result of their influence depends on the properties of the host cells.
Metformin Alters mRNA Expression of FOXP3, RORC, and TBX21 and Modulates Gut Microbiota in COVID-19 Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Petakh Pavlo , Kamyshna Iryna , Oksenych Valentyn , Kamyshnyi Oleksandr
Published: February 2024

COVID-19 remains a significant global concern, particularly for individuals with type 2 diabetes who face an elevated risk of hospitalization and mortality. Metformin, a primary treatment for type 2 diabetes, demonstrates promising pleiotropic properties that may substantially mitigate disease severity and expedite recovery. Our study of the gut microbiota and the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory T-lymphocyte subpopulations showed that metformin increases bacterial diversity while modulating gene expression related to T-lymphocytes. This study found that people who did not take metformin had a downregulated expression of FOXP3 by 6.62-fold, upregulated expression of RORC by 29.0-fold, and upregulated TBX21 by 1.78-fold, compared to the control group. On the other hand, metformin patients showed a 1.96-fold upregulation in FOXP3 expression compared to the control group, along with a 1.84-fold downregulation in RORC expression and an 11.4-fold downregulation in TBX21 expression. Additionally, we found a correlation with gut microbiota (F/B ratio and alpha-diversity index) and pro-inflammatory biomarkers. This novel observation of metformin’s impact on T-cells and gut microbiota opens new horizons for further exploration through clinical trials to validate and confirm our data. The potential of metformin to modulate immune responses and enhance gut microbiota diversity suggests a promising avenue for therapeutic interventions in individuals with type 2 diabetes facing an increased risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19.
Identification and Genome Characterization of a Novel Virus within the Genus Totivirus from Chinese Bayberry (Myrica rubra)
Authors: Xu Zhongtian , Gao Yi’nan , Teng Kun , Ge Huoyang , Zhang Xiaoqi , Wu Mengjing , Li Ruhui , Wu Zujian , Zheng Luping
Published: February 2024

Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) is an economically significant fruit tree native to eastern Asia and widely planted in south-central China. However, studies about the viruses infecting M. rubra remain largely lacking. In the present study, we employed the metatranscriptomic method to identify viruses in M. rubra leaves exhibiting yellowing and irregular margin symptoms collected in Fuzhou, a city located in China’s Fujian province in the year 2022. As a consequence, a novel member of the genus Totivirus was identified and tentatively named “Myrica rubra associated totivirus 1” (MRaTV1). The genome sequencing of MRaTV1 was determined by overlapping reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The two deduced proteins encoded by MRaTV1 have the highest amino acid (aa) sequence identity to the coat protein (CP) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) of Panax notoginseng virus A (PNVA), a member of the genus Totivirus within the family Totiviridae, at 49.7% and 61.7%, respectively. According to the results of the phylogenetic tree and the species demarcation criteria of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) for the genus Totivirus, MRaTV1 is considered a new member of the genus Totivirus.
Beyond Impairment of Virion Infectivity: New Activities of the Anti-HIV Host Cell Factor SERINC5
Authors: Sid Ahmed Samy , Bajak Kathrin , Fackler Oliver T.
Published: February 2024

Members of the serine incorporator (SERINC) protein family exert broad antiviral activity, and many viruses encode SERINC antagonists to circumvent these restrictions. Significant new insight was recently gained into the mechanisms that mediate restriction and antagonism. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the mode of action and relevance of SERINC proteins in HIV-1 infection. Particular focus will be placed on recent findings that provided important new mechanistic insights into the restriction of HIV-1 virion infectivity, including the discovery of SERINC’s lipid scramblase activity and its antagonism by the HIV-1 pathogenesis factor Nef. We also discuss the identification and implications of several additional antiviral activities by which SERINC proteins enhance pro-inflammatory signaling and reduce viral gene expression in myeloid cells. SERINC proteins emerge as versatile and multifunctional regulators of cell-intrinsic immunity against HIV-1 infection.
Using Niche Model to Analyze Water Consumption Structure in Jinan City, Shandong
Authors: Yue Chen , Nan Tian , Qian Yong , Liu Feng , Guo Chunyan , Zhen Shijun
Published: February 2024

Water resources are essential for healthy economic growth. Based on data on water consumption and industrial structure, this paper analyzes the evolution trends of the regional water consumption structure and industrial structure in Jinan City, Shandong Province, with the theory of the niche and ecological entropy, which may provide guidance for water resource utilization and social economy development in Jinan City. By establishing a coupling coordination model of the niche and ecological entropy, the dynamic niche evolution of the water consumption structure and industrial structure in Jinan City is analyzed. The results show the following: (1) The niche of agricultural water consumption accounts for the largest portion of the niche of water consumption, with an overall decreasing trend year by year. On the contrary, those of industrial and domestic water consumption have shown slow and fluctuating upward trends, respectively. Similar characteristics and trends are also reflected in the ecological entropy of water consumption. (2) In terms of industrial structure, the niche of the secondary industry accounts for the largest proportion among the three main industries, and only the niche of the tertiary industry is fluctuating upward. (3) Over the years, the overall coupling and coordination degree between the water consumption structure and industrial structure in Jinan was classified as a low degree of imbalance–weak coupling coordination. Among them, the coupling and coordination degree of the tertiary industry is the highest, that of the primary industry is the lowest, and that of the secondary industry is increasing year by year. Thus, it is necessary for Jinan to develop efficient water-saving agriculture and high-tech industry, maintain the development momentum of the tertiary industry, and continue to improve its coupling and coordination status.
Modeling Rainfall Impact on Slope Stability: Computational Insights into Displacement and Stress Dynamics
Authors: Zong Jingmei , Zhang Changjun , Liu Leifei , Liu Lulu
Published: February 2024

The susceptibility of loess slopes to collapses, landslides, and sinkholes is a global concern. Rainfall is a key factor exacerbating these issues and affecting slope stability. In regions experiencing significant infrastructure and urban growth, understanding and mitigating rainfall effects on loess landslides is crucial. ADINA numerical software 9 was utilized to explore rain-induced erosion’s influence on landslide dynamics. The simulations were based on local rainfall trends. The rainfall intensities examined were as follows: 200 mm/day, 300 mm/day, and 400 mm/day. The results indicate a pronounced impact of rainfall intensity on both the movement and stress levels within the slope. Higher rainfall intensities lead to increased movement and a wider stress impact area at the base of the slope. It was observed that surface movement is minimal at the slope crest but increases towards the bottom, with the greatest movement seen at the slope’s base.
Identifying Challenges to 3D Hydrodynamic Modeling for a Small, Stratified Tropical Lake in the Philippines
Authors: Duka Maurice Alfonso , Monterey Malone Luke E. , Casim Niño Carlo I. , Andres Jake Henson R. , Yokoyama Katsuhide
Published: February 2024

Three-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling for small, stratified tropical lakes in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia in general is not deeply explored. This study pioneers investigating the hydrodynamics of a small crater lake in the Philippines with a focus on temperature simulation using a Fantom Refined 3D model that has been tested mostly for temperate and sub-tropical lakes. The lake’s monthly temperature during the dry season served as a reference for the model’s initial condition and validation. For the simulation to proceed, input data such as weather, inflow, and bathymetry were prepared. In the absence of hourly meteorological data from local weather stations, this paper adopted the satellite weather data from Solcast. Simple correlation analysis of daily weather data between local stations and Solcast showed valid and acceptable results. Inflow values were estimated using the rational method while the stream temperature was estimated from a regression equation using air temperatures as input. The validated satellite-derived data and runoff model can therefore be employed for 3D modeling. The simulations resulted in extremely higher temperatures compared with those observed when using previous default model settings. Direct modifications were then applied to weather parameters, compromising their integrity but resulting in reasonable profiles. By adding scaling factors to heat flux equations and multiplying their components by 0.75 (shortwave), 1.35 (longwave), 0.935 (air temperature), and 0.80 (wind), better results were achieved. This study identifies several challenges in performing 3D hydrodynamic modeling, such as paucity in input hydro-meteorologic and limnologic data and the need for heat flux model improvement. Overall, this study was successful in employing 3D hydrodynamic modeling in a tropical lake, which can pave directions and serve as an excellent reference for future modeling in the same region.
Evolutionary algorithm of Ecosystems and human genesis in the context of fundamental cultural studies
Authors:   Association for the Economics of Science and Technology in the Sphere of Culture, Information and Leisure, Independent Researcher, Galutsky G.M. , Khutsishvili V.G. ,   Association for the Economics of Science and Technology in the Sphere of Culture, Information and Leisure, Independent Researcher
Published: February 2024

A group of independent researchers tried to evaluate the hypotheses discussed about the origin and settlement of mankind, based on the concept of the genesis of the Ecosystem in the context of fundamental cultural studies. A detailed justification of the concept, on which the authors have been working for several years, was published in 2021 in the book “The Triumphant. The genesis of the Ecosystem in the context of fundamental cultural studies” (UDC 304.42, ISBN 978-5-901909-07-2). A comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the Ecosystem over billions of years, carried out by the authors, gives reason to believe that the point of view of social anthropology on the historical fate of the human race is based on incorrect initial data. In particular: 1. The migration model of settlement is chosen as the basic concept of the genesis of mankind, it is taken out of the context of a single evolutionary algorithm of the biota of the Earth and the Ecosystem as a whole. 2. The hypothesis about Africa as the proto-homeland of mankind, accepted as an absolute and indisputable truth, is based on the selective use of paleontological heritage, and limits the possibilities of discussing alternative models of the genesis of mankind. 3. Explanations of racial diversity by changes in human phenotypes in the process of Homo sapiens migrations do not have a strict scientifically based algorithm for the variability of racial characteristics by areas of settlement. Such explanations can be considered speculative. The hypothesis of the genesis of humanity formulated and defended by the authors is as follows: 1. The controversy between atheists, agnostics and adherents of religious doctrines about the divinity of the creation of the earth and all that exists on it is a meaningless dispute that will not lead to the realization of the evolutionary algorithm of the Ecosystem, which has a clear goal — the creation of a being with unique properties that a person is endowed with. To realize this, it is necessary to consider the Ecosystem as a reality in which the rational and irrational components of being interact. 2. The evolutionary algorithm for the development of life is built on the principle of a branching tree of biota development options, the starting genome of which contained a combined formula “from simple to complex” and a mechanism for adapting biota to the radically changing state of the stagnant matter of the Ecosystem. 3. Man, as a kind of wildlife, arose simultaneously by the standards of geological time on different continents of the Earth. This was the prerequisite for racial differences in the areas of the initial settlement as a basis for the formation of the ethnogenetic diversity of the human population.
Linguagem escrita e Linguagem musical: relações entre as concepções precoces de aprendizagem das crianças
Authors: Abra-Olivato Juliana , Alves-Martins Margarida
Published: February 2024

This article aims to relate children's early conceptions about the written process in language and in musical language. Considering the similarities between music and language (Bartoli, 2020), we relate the reading processes, from early conceptions, and present a proposal of di-rect identification between the phases and reading strategies (writing and musical). We car-ried out an interdisciplinary literature review including the areas of Musical Cognition (Fire-man, 2010; Sloboda, 2008), Music Education (Boal-Palheiros, & Boia, 2020), and Psychology of Learning (Alves Martins, 1998, 2019, & Ehri, 2005), and we observed a close relationship between them. We conclude that there is a direct link between the language structures, their learning process, and, mainly, between the precocious conceptions of the children both in the conventional reading of the mother tongue, here treated as written language, and in the mu-sical language, comprising reading of the score.
A dimensão motivacional da autorregulação da aprendizagem instrumental: contribuições de um estudo de caso
Authors: Veloso Flávio Denis Dias , de Araújo Rosane Cardoso
Published: February 2024

n self-regulatory processes motivation consists of a set of psychological factors that promote engagement, persistence and achievement of goals. Based on this view, this article presents partial results of a research on self-regulation of instrumental learning from a sociocognitive perspective. The objective of this work was to investigate the motivational aspects of the study process of Variantes (by Leo Brouwer), for solo multiple percussion. The method consisted of a case study conducted with a bachelor of music student. The results indicated a positive corre-lation between the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of motivation and engagement with studies; the influence of self-efficacy on motivation for instrumental practice; the relevance of the learn-ing goals, with emphasis on the proximity and specificity properties; and the motivational di-mension of outcome expectations, considering the value attributed and personal identification with instrumental practice.
Performance musical e o corpo: sobre os gestos expressivos “acompanhantes”
Authors: Ferrari João Gabriel Caldeira Pires
Published: February 2024

The paper focuses on different concepts about "gesture" that support the musical perfor-mance, relating them with the concepts of "movement" and "bodily gesture" (Madeira & Scar-duelli, 2014) and "affordances" (Gibson, 1979) to then discuss the gesture typology as a basis for a model of cognitive musical analysis (Ben-Tal, 2012; Zbikowski, 2011, Madeira & Scardu-elli, 2015). The paper intends to discuss the idea that physical gestures that constitute the mu-sical performance contain information on the musical expression (Leman et al., 2012; David-son, 2012), associating these concepts to explain how the interaction between instrument-performer determines the understanding of the musician and the result of the artistic produc-tion. The gestural will be approached through the embodied cognition theory (Johnson, 1987) and the instrument through the ecological approach discussed by Windsor and de Bézenac (2012). The review previously mentioned intended to relate concepts to clarify the concept of "gesture" in musical performance. The research recognizes the gesture as an act of the per-former's expressive character while codifying and resulting in cognitive processes. The paper considers that, in today's research, there is an overrating of the gestural directly involved in sound production and negligence in studying the "accompanying" gesture. The paper's cen-tral hypothesis is the importance of this accompanying/expressive gesture in the perfor-mance, which reveals unique information about the musical discourse.
Metaphors for understanding harmony
Authors: Windholz Mauro Orsini
Published: February 2024

In this article, I discuss the limitations of the main conceptual metaphor for the understanding of harmony in Western music, namely, the metaphor harmony is tension and relaxation, and suggest alternative metaphors for this experience that may aid in investigations about the expressive potential of harmony. I discuss how this metaphor acquired great importance in recent research in music cognition, and has been considered fundamental in the experience of meaning and emotion in music, but has had some shortcomings in accounting for this experience. I point out that the metaphor structures mainly the syntactical aspects of the harmony, but is not sufficient to account for what more semantic aspects of this experience would be. Lastly, I suggest the metaphors of harmony as forces, color and gesture as possibly interesting alternatives that may be promising in investigations on how harmonic materials, such as chords, chord progressions and key areas, become associated with different expressive meanings.