bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of Spatial Peatland Fire Danger Index Using Coupled SWAT-MODFLOW Model
Authors: Suharnoto Yuli , Taufik Muh. , Setiawan Budi Indra , Buchori Damayanti , Dewantara Bonie
Published: June 2022

The Keetch–Byram Drought Index (KBDI) is a numerical value reflecting the dryness of the top layer of soils, deep forest litter, logs, and living vegetation. The KBDI is expressed as a scale from 0 to 200, where the number represents the amounts of rainfall (in millimeters) to return the soil to saturation. We proposed a method to integrate peatland groundwater as a key variable for the peatland forest fire hazard, and we called it mKBDI. The groundwater table was obtained from the SWAT-MODFLOW model simulation. The MODFLOW model uses a 200 m × 200 m grid. The SWAT-MODFLOW model was calibrated and validated using daily water level measurements in the river. The model failed to represent peak flow, but the model produced the average water level. Output from the simulation was read using the FloPy module, and then mKBDI was calculated. The daily calculations of the mKBDI for each grid for the catchment were saved in the NetCDF format using the x-array module. We applied this model in the Peatland Hydrological Unit (PHU) Merang-Kepahyang, South Sumatera, Indonesia, in 2015 (El-Niño year) and 2016 (La-Nina Year). The daily mKBDI index from all the grids in the catchment was classified into three classes: low (mKBDI < 100), moderate (mKBDI = 101–150), or high (mKBDI > 150). Then, the whole catchment was classified according to these classes. Therefore, every day the percentage of the area with low, moderate, or high class in the catchment dynamically changed. When these classes were verified with hotspot data, all hotspots only coincided with the high hazard classes, where more than 60% was area of the catchment. No hotspot data were reported on low/moderate levels throughout 2015/2016. In the larger area with high mKBDI classes, the frequency of hotspots substantially rose. Sixty-three hotspots occurred during August–October of 2015 when the area of high hazard classes was above 70%. Through this finding, we proposed to use a 60% area of the catchment with high mKBDI classes as a threshold value indicating that the area is prone to peatland fire. Therefore, the peatland restoration project in preventing the fire could be evaluated using this indicator. If the restoration projects could reduce the area with high mKBDI classes to less than 60% for the whole year, we could accept it as a successful project.
Development of a Binder-Free Tetra-Metallic Oxide Electrocatalyst for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Asad Muhammad , Shah Afzal , Iftikhar Faiza Jan , Nimal Rafia , Nisar Jan , Zia Muhammad Abid
Published: June 2022

Water splitting has emerged as a sustainable, renewable and zero-carbon-based energy source. Water undergoes hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during electrolysis. However, among these half-cell reactions, OER is more energy demanding. Hence, the development of efficient catalysts for speeding up OER is a key for boosting up the commercial viability of electrolyzers. Typical binders like Nafion and PVDF are not preferred for designing commercial electrocatalysts as they can compromise conductivity. Thus, we have designed a novel and cost-effective binder-free tetra-metallic (Co-Cu-Zn-Fe) oxide catalyst that efficiently catalyzes OER. This catalyst was grown over the surface of Fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) transducer by a facile potentiodynamic method. The structure and morphology of the modified electrode were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. XRD analysis confirmed the deposition of CoFe2O4 and CuCo2O4 along with alloy formation of Co-Fe and Co-Cu. Similarly, EDX and SEM results show the presence of metals at the surface of FTO in accordance with the results of XRD. Linear scan voltammetry was employed for testing the performance of the catalyst towards accelerating OER in strongly alkaline medium of pH-13. The catalyst demonstrated stunning OER catalytic performance, with an overpotential of just 216 mV at 10 mA cm−2 current density. Moreover, the chronopotentiometric response revealed that the designed catalyst was stable at a potential of 1.80 V for 16 h. Thus, the designed catalyst is the first example of a highly stable, efficient, and inexpensive catalyst that catalyzes OER at the lowest overpotential.
Fast and Efficient Mechanosynthesis of Aldonamides by Aminolysis of Unprotected Sugar Lactones
Authors: Bil Abed , Abdellahi Bemba , Pourceau Gwladys , Wadouachi Anne
Published: June 2022

Sugar amides, such as aldonamides, are interesting, sugar-based molecules used in various fields, from detergency to medicine. Nevertheless, their valorization, especially as alternatives to petroleum-based substances, can be slowed down by their synthetic pathway, which is generally not in accordance with green chemistry principles, and is also not economically competitive. We propose herein a fast procedure for the synthesis of aldonamide-derived glycoconjugates with mechanochemistry. The conditions were first optimized with galactonolactone, used as a model lactone, and dodecylamine. After only 5 min of grinding of stoechiometric amounts of amine and lactone, in the presence of water used as a Liquid Assisted Grinding (LAG) agent, the corresponding galactonamide was isolated with a high yield (90%) after a simple aqueous work-up. The optimized conditions were then applied to a wide variety of amines and sugar lactones, showing the versatility of the methodology. Gluco- and ribono-lactone exhibited similarly excellent reactivity, showing that the procedure is not sugar-dependent. Furthermore, the procedure was shown to be compatible with various functional groups such as alkene, alkyne, thiol, ester and hydroxyl.
Discrete and Continuous Symmetries of Stratified Flows Past a Sphere
Authors: Chashechkin Yuli D.
Published: June 2022

This study presents the detailed experimental results of fine structures and dynamics in a stratified flow past a sphere, which is towed with constant velocity in a transparent basin. We developed experimental procedures based on the complete solutions of the truncated fundamental fluid equations. These complete solutions describe the waves and fine accompanying ligaments, as well as the vortices and other flow structures. To visualize the flow, a variety of classical schlieren and electrolytic precipitation procedures were used. Ligaments appear in the schlieren images of the flow as fine interfaces and fibers. They strengthen the influence of the relatively weak density gradient in a continuously stratified fluid (CSF). The symmetry in the wake is discrete at small Froude numbers with the domination of buoyancy effects. At increased velocity and high Froude numbers, when the inertial and non-linear effects turn out to be significant, an axial symmetry becomes continuous.
Some Characteristics of Matrix Operators on Generalized Fibonacci Weighted Difference Sequence Space
Authors: Candan Murat
Published: June 2022

The forthcoming property of this manuscript is its calculating of the goal of norms and lower bounds of matrix operators taken from the weighted sequence space ℓp(w) onto a novel one defined in the present article as the generalized Fibonacci weighted difference sequence space. In this process, first of all the Fibonacci difference matrix F˜(r,s) and the space composed of sequences of which F˜(r,s)-transforms lie in ℓp(w˜), where r,s∈R are defined. Additionaly, since the seminormed space ℓp(w˜,F˜(r,s)) has the absolute homogeneous property, the topological characteristics on it are distributed symmetrically everywhere in the space.
Data-Driven Model Predictive Control for Wave Energy Converters Using Gaussian Process
Authors: Liu Yanhua , Shi Shuo , Zhang Zhenbin , Di Zhenfeng , Babayomi Oluleke
Published: June 2022

The energy harvested by an ocean wave energy converter (WEC) can be enhanced by a well-designed wave-by-wave control strategy. One of such superior control methods is model predictive control (MPC), which is a nonlinear constrained optimization control strategy. A limitation of the classical MPC algorithm is its requirement of an accurate WEC dynamic model for real-time implementation. This article overcomes this challenge by proposing a data-driven MPC scheme for wave energy converters. The data-based WEC model is developed by a Gaussian process (encompassing mean predictions and symmetric uncertainties) for a more accurate description of nonlinear and unmodeled system dynamics. A cross-entropy solver for data-driven MPC is employed for rapid, high-performance results, which samples trajectories from Gaussian distributions based on the concept of the symmetry principle. The proposed strategy is verified numerically by simulations which demonstrate its superior performance over a classical complex-conjugate controller.
Visual Inspection Method for Metal Rolls Based on Multi-Scale Spatial Location Feature
Authors: Xu Degang , Li Hao , Wu Ruirui , Wang Yizhi , Huang Yonghao , Cai Yaoyi
Published: June 2022

Metal rolls in a non-ferrous-metal manufacturing workshop manifest the characteristics of symmetry, multiple scales and mutual covering, which poses great challenges for metal roll detection. To solve this problem, firstly, an efficient attention mechanism algorithm named ECLAM (efficient capture location attendant model) is proposed for capturing spatial position features efficiently, to obtain complete location information for metal rolls in a complex environment. ECLAM can improve the ability to extract the spatial features of backbone networks and reduce the influence of the non-critical background. In addition, in order to give feature maps a larger receptive field and improve the weight of location information in multi-scale feature maps, a nonlinear feature fusion module named LFFM (location feature fusion module) is used to fuse two adjacent feature images. Finally, a multi-scale object detection network named L-MSNet (location-based multi-scale object detection network) based on the combination of ECLAM and LFFM is proposed and used to accurately detect multi-scale metal rolls. In the experiments, multi-scale metal roll images are collected from an actual non-ferrous-metal manufacturing workshop. On this basis, a pixel-level image dataset is constructed. Comparative experiments show that, compared with other object detection methods, L-MSNet can detect multi-scale metal rolls more accurately. The average accuracy is improved by 2% to 5%, and the average accuracy of small and medium-sized objects is also significantly improved by 3% to 6%.
Stable Exponential Cosmological Type Solutions with Three Factor Spaces in EGB Model with a Λ-Term
Authors: Ernazarov Kubantai K. , Ivashchuk Vladimir D.
Published: June 2022

We study a D-dimensional Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet model which includes the Gauss–Bonnet term, the cosmological term Λ and two non-zero constants: α1 and α2. Under imposing the metric to be diagonal one, we find cosmological type solutions with exponential dependence of three scale factors in a variable u, governed by three non-coinciding Hubble-like parameters: H≠0, h1 and h2, obeying mH+k1h1+k2h2≠0, corresponding to factor spaces of dimensions m>1, k1>1 and k2>1, respectively, and depending upon sign parameter ε=±1, where ε=1 corresponds to cosmological case and ε=−1—to static one). We deal with two cases: (i) m<k1<k2 and (ii) 10 and αΛ>0 satisfy certain (upper and lower) bounds. The solutions are defined up to solutions of a certain polynomial master equation of order four (or less), which may be solved in radicals. In case (ii), explicit solutions are presented. In both cases we single out stable and non-stable solutions as u→±∞. The case H=0 is also considered.
Hb Mazandaran (α1) α51 Gly > Cys(CE9), c.154 GGC > TGC: A Novel Haemoglobin Variant of α1-Globin Gene
Authors: Jalali Hossein , Mahdavi Mohammad Reza , Mahdavi Mahan , Abbasi Adeleh
Published: June 2022

This is a report of a novel variant of the α1-globin gene—(α1) α51 Gly > Cys (CE9), c.154 GGC > TGC, named Hb Mazandaran, which was observed in an Iranian family. This variant gives rise to a previously undescribed haemoglobin variant that was undetectable by capillary haemoglobin electrophoresis (CE). This variant was detected in two cases in combination with β-globin mutation, and it does not seem to be associated with severe haematological abnormalities in the carriers.
Investigation of the Frequency of Coronary Artery Anomalies in MDCT Coronary Angiography and Comparison of Atherosclerotic Involvement between Anomaly Types
Authors: Şahin Tuna , Ilgar Mehtap
Published: June 2022

Coronary artery anomalies (CAAs) are rare anatomical variations characterized by abnormal origin, course, or termination of the coronary arteries. This study aims to identify incidental CAAs in patients who underwent multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography (MDCTCA) to determine their incidence and to evaluate whether there is a difference between CAA types in terms of coronary atherosclerotic involvement. For this purpose, patients who underwent MDCTCA between December 2018 and January 2022 were retrospectively assessed. Of the 5200 MDCTCAs analyzed, CAAs were detected in 136 patients (2.61%). Of these 136 patients, 37 (27.2%) patients had an origin anomaly, 97 (71.3%) had a course anomaly, and 2 (1.5%) had a termination anomaly. There was no statistically significant difference between CAA types in terms of atherosclerotic involvement (p = 0.220). However, atherosclerotic involvement was high in vessels with anomalies when normal vessels with and without anomalies were compared (p = 0.005). Accurate detection of CAAs is vital for endovascular treatment or surgical intervention. MDCTCA is helpful both in the diagnosis of CAA and in the early detection and development of prevention strategies for coronary atherosclerosis.
The Inhibition of Microcystin Adsorption by Microplastics in the Presence of Algal Organic Matters
Authors: Tang Bingran , Tang Ying , Zhou Xin , Liu Mengzi , Li Hong , Qi Jun
Published: June 2022

Microplastics (MPs) could act as vectors of synthetic chemicals; however, their influence on the adsorption of chemicals of natural origin (for example, MC-LR and intracellular organic matter (IOM), which could be concomitantly released by toxic Microcystis in water) is less understood. Here, we explored the adsorption of MC-LR by polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The results showed that the MPs could adsorb both MC-LR and IOM, with the adsorption capability uniformly following the order of PS, PE, and PMMA. However, in the presence of IOM, the adsorption of MC-LR by PE, PS, and PMMA was reduced by 22.3%, 22.7% and 5.4%, respectively. This is because the benzene structure and the specific surface area of PS facilitate the adsorption of MC-LR and IOM, while the formation of Π-Π bonds favor its interaction with IOM. Consequently, the competition for binding sites between MC-LR and IOM hindered MC-LR adsorption. The C=O in PMMA benefits its conjunction with hydroxyl and carboxyl in the IOM through hydrogen bonding; thus, the adsorption of MC-LR is also inhibited. These findings highlight that the adsorption of chemicals of natural origin by MPs is likely overestimated in the presence of metabolites from the same biota.
Correction: Kassotis et al. Nonylphenol Polyethoxylates Enhance Adipose Deposition in Developmentally Exposed Zebrafish. Toxics 2022, 10, 99
Authors: Kassotis Christopher D. , LeFauve Matthew K. , Chiang Yu-Ting Tiffany , Knuth Megan M. , Schkoda Stacy , Kullman Seth W.
Published: June 2022

In the original publication [...]
Impact of Industrially Affected Soil on Humans: A Soil-Human and Soil-Plant-Human Exposure Assessment
Authors: Jolly Yeasmin N. , Rakib Md. Refat Jahan , Sakib M. Sadman , Shahadat M. Ashemus , Rahman Arafat , Akter Shirin , Kabir Jamiul , Rahman M. Safiur , Begum Bilkis A. , Rahman Rubina , Sulieman Abdelmoneim , Tamam Nissren , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin , Idris Abubakr M.
Published: June 2022

Heavy metal (HM) contaminated soil can affect human health via ingestion of foodstuffs, inhalation of soil dust, and skin contact of soil. This study estimates the level of some heavy metals in soils of industrial areas, and their exposures to human body via dietary intake of vegetables and other pathways. Mean concentrations of Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, As and Pb in the studied soil were found to be 61.27, 27,274, 42.36, 9.77, 28.08 and 13.69 mg/kg, respectively, while in vegetables the respective values were 0.53, 119.59, 9.76, 7.14, 1.34 and 2.69 mg/kg. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb originated from lithogenic sources, while Cr and As are derived from anthropogenic sources. A moderate enrichment was noted by Cr, As, and Pb in the entire sampling site, indicating a progressive depletion of soil quality. The bioaccumulation factor (BCF) value for all the vegetables was recorded as BCF < 1; however, the metal pollution index (MPI) stipulates moderately high value of heavy metal accumulation in the vegetable samples. Hazard Index (HI) of >0.1 was estimated for adults but >1 for children by direct soil exposure, whereas HI < 1 for both children and adults via dietary intake of vegetables. Estimated Total carcinogenic risk (TCR) value due to soil exposure showed safe for adults but unsafe for children, while both the population groups were found to be safe via food consumption. Children are found more vulnerable receptors than adults, and health risks (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic) via direct soil exposure proved unsafe. Overall, this study can be used as a reference for similar types of studies to evaluate heavy metal contaminated soil impact on the population of Bangladesh and other countries as well.
The Evaluation of the Biological Effects of Melanin by Using Silkworm as a Model Animal
Authors: Andoh Vivian , Chen Liang , Zhu Feifei , Ge Qi , Ma Lin , Wang Qiang , Chen Keping
Published: June 2022

Melanin has been reported to have potential applications in industries such as cosmetics and food due to its anti-UV and antioxidative qualities. However, the corresponding data on its safety evaluation or biological consequences are fairly limited; such data are critical given its widespread use. The effect of different concentrations (1, 2, 3, and 4%) of melanin on growth status (larvae length and weight, cocoon weight, and morphology), the microstructure of the various tissues (fat body, silk gland, and midgut), and silk properties was studied by using the silkworm (bombyx mori) as the model organism. The weight and length of silkworm larvae fed with melanin were lower than the control, indicating that melanin appears to have a negative effect on the growth status of silkworms; however, the histophysiology analysis indicates that the cell morphologies are not changed, the XRD and FTIR spectra indicate that the secondary and crystalline structures of silks are also well preserved, and the thermogravimetric analysis and tensile test indicate that the thermal stability and mechanical properties are well maintained and even improved to some extent. Generally, it indicates that melanin has a certain inhibitory effect on the growth of silkworm larva but causes no harm to the cell microstructures or silk properties; this demonstrates that the safety of melanin as a food addictive should be considered seriously. The increase of thermal stability and mechanical properties shows that melanin may be a good chemical modifier in textile industries.
The Effect of Foliar Fungicide and Insecticide Application on the Contamination of Fumonisins, Moniliformin and Deoxynivalenol in Maize Used for Food Purposes
Authors: Blandino Massimo , Scarpino Valentina , Testa Giulio , Vanara Francesca , Reyneri Amedeo
Published: June 2022

The fungal ear rot of maize cultivated in temperate areas is mainly due to the Fusarium species. The use of insecticides against European Corn Borer (ECB) reduces the severity of fungal ear rot as well as the fumonisin (FB) and moniliformin (MON) levels in maize kernels at harvest, which in turn results in a lowering of their effect on deoxynivalenol (DON) control. However, the direct fungicidal control of ear rot has rarely been implemented for maize, and the first studies reported conflicting results on the reduction of mycotoxins. In the present experiment, field trials were carried out in North Italy over three growing seasons to study the effect of fungicide application timings on maize to control mycotoxins, considering the interaction of the application with the insecticide treatment, according to a full factorial split plot design. The mycotoxin content was determined through LC−MS/MS analysis. The field trials showed a significant reduction in ECB severity (75%), fungal ear rot severity (68%), Fusarium Liseola section infection (46%), FBs (75%) and MON (79%) as a result of the insecticide application for all the years, while the DON content increased by 60%. On the other hand, a fungicide application alone or applied in plots protected by an insecticide was never effective for the fungal symptoms, infection or mycotoxin content. The results confirm that a correct insecticide application to control ECB damage is the most effective agrochemical solution for the control of fungal ear rot, FBs and MON.
Cluster Membership of Galaxies Using Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network
Authors: Hashimoto Yasuhiro , Liu Cheng-Han
Published: June 2022

In this study, we report systematic investigations of the membership of galaxies inside a cluster using a machine learning (ML) neural network. By directly assigning the membership, rather than estimating the galaxy redshift as an intermediate step, we optimize the network structure to determine the membership classification. The cluster membership is determined by the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network trained using various observed photometric and morphological parameters of galaxies measured from I and V band images taken with the Subaru Suprime-Cam of 16 clusters at redshift ∼0.15–0.3. This dataset enables MLP to be applied to cluster galaxies in a wide range of cluster-centric distances, well into a field, and a wide range of galaxy magnitudes, into a regime of dwarf galaxies. We find: (1) With only two bands, our MLP model can achieve relatively high overall performance, obtaining high scores simultaneously in both the purity and the completeness of the classification; (2) The performance of MLP can be improved by including non-SED (Spectral Energy Distribution) parameters; (3) Faint galaxies are harder to assign their memberships even using our MLP model, though the performance is more robust than other photometric methods. ML can effectively combine various conventional methods of finding cluster membership, making it inherit advantages of each method. The overall good performance of the ML membership is vital to cluster studies in the era of faint and data-intensive galaxy survey in which the complete spectroscopic observation is out of reach.
Weight of Clinical and Social Determinants of Metabolic Syndrome in People Living with HIV
Authors: Mazzitelli Maria , Fusco Paolo , Brogna Michele , Vallone Alfredo , D’Argenio Laura , Beradelli Giuseppina , Foti Giuseppe , Mangano Carmelo , Carpentieri Maria , Cosco Lucio , Scerbo Paolo , Priamo Armando , Serrao Nicola , Mastroianni Antonio , Costa Chiara , Tassone Maria , Scaglione Vincenzo , Serapide Francesca , Trecarichi Enrico , Torti Carlo
Published: June 2022

Background. Comorbidities in people living with HIV (PLWH) represent a major clinical challenge today, and metabolic syndrome (MTBS) is one of the most important. Objective. Our objective was to assess the prevalence of MTBS and the role of both clinical/socio-behavioral risk factors for MTBS in a cohort of PLWH. Methods. All PLWH, over 18 years of age, attending all Infectious Disease Units in Calabria Region (Southern Italy) for their routine checks from October 2019–January 2020 were enrolled. MTBS was defined by NCEP-ATP III criteria. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess factors significantly associated with the main outcome (MTBS). Results. We enrolled 356 PLWH, mostly males (68.5%), with a mean age of 49 years (standard deviation: 12), including 98 subjects with and 258 without MTBS. At logistic regression analysis, a statistically significant association was found between MTBS and alcohol use, osteoporosis, polypharmacy, and a history of AIDS. Conclusions. Identifying and addressing risk factors, including those that are socio-behavioral or lifestyle-related, is crucial to prevent and treat MTBS. Our results suggest the importance of implementing educational/multidimensional interventions to prevent MTBS in PLWH, especially for those with particular risk factors (alcohol abuse, osteoporosis, previous AIDS events, and polypharmacy). Moreover, alcohol consumption or abuse should be routinely investigated in clinical practice.
Coronaviral Infection and Interferon Response: The Virus-Host Arms Race and COVID-19
Authors: Liu Qi , Chi Sensen , Dmytruk Kostyantyn , Dmytruk Olena , Tan Shuai
Published: June 2022

The recent pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in unprecedented morbidity and mortality worldwide. The host cells use a number of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) for early detection of coronavirus infection, and timely interferon secretion is highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the virus has developed many strategies to delay interferon secretion and disarm cellular defense by intervening in interferon-associated signaling pathways on multiple levels. As a result, some COVID-19 patients suffered dramatic susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, while another part of the population showed only mild or no symptoms. One hypothesis suggests that functional differences in innate immune integrity could be the key to such variability. This review tries to decipher possible interactions between SARS-CoV-2 proteins and human antiviral interferon sensors. We found that SARS-CoV-2 actively interacts with PRR sensors and antiviral pathways by avoiding interferon suppression, which could result in severe COVID-19 pathogenesis. Finally, we summarize data on available antiviral pharmaceutical options that have shown potential to reduce COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in recent clinical trials.
The Antifungal Itraconazole Is a Potent Inhibitor of Chikungunya Virus Replication
Authors: Policastro Lucca , Dolci Isabela , Godoy Andre , Silva Júnior José , Ruiz Uriel , Santos Igor , Jardim Ana , Samby Kirandeep , Burrows Jeremy , Wells Timothy , Gil Laura , Oliva Glaucius , Fernandes Rafaela
Published: June 2022

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is the causative agent of chikungunya fever, a disabling disease that can cause long-term severe arthritis. Since the last large CHIKV outbreak in 2015, the reemergence of the virus represents a serious public health concern. The morbidity associated with viral infection emphasizes the need for the development of specific anti-CHIKV drugs. Herein, we describe the development and characterization of a CHIKV reporter replicon cell line and its use in replicon-based screenings. We tested 960 compounds from MMV/DNDi Open Box libraries and identified four candidates with interesting antiviral activities, which were confirmed in viral infection assays employing CHIKV-nanoluc and BHK-21 cells. The most noteworthy compound identified was itraconazole (ITZ), an orally available, safe, and cheap antifungal, that showed high selectivity indexes of >312 and >294 in both replicon-based and viral infection assays, respectively. The antiviral activity of this molecule has been described against positive-sense single stranded RNA viruses (+ssRNA) and was related to cholesterol metabolism that could affect the formation of the replication organelles. Although its precise mechanism of action against CHIKV still needs to be elucidated, our results demonstrate that ITZ is a potent inhibitor of the viral replication that could be repurposed as a broad-spectrum antiviral.
In Silico Analyses of the Role of Codon Usage at the Hemagglutinin Cleavage Site in Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Genesis
Authors: Funk Mathis , de Bruin Anja C. M. , Spronken Monique I. , Gultyaev Alexander P. , Richard Mathilde
Published: June 2022

A vast diversity of 16 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes are found in birds. Interestingly, viruses from only two subtypes, H5 and H7, have so far evolved into highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) following insertions or substitutions at the HA cleavage site by the viral polymerase. The mechanisms underlying this striking subtype specificity are still unknown. Here, we compiled a comprehensive dataset of 20,488 avian influenza virus HA sequences to investigate differences in nucleotide and amino acid usage at the HA cleavage site between subtypes and how these might impact the genesis of HPAIVs by polymerase stuttering and realignment. We found that sequences of the H5 and H7 subtypes stand out by their high purine content at the HA cleavage site. In addition, fewer substitutions were necessary in H5 and H7 HAs than in HAs from other subtypes to acquire an insertion-prone HA cleavage site sequence, as defined based on in vitro and in vivo data from the literature. Codon usage was more favorable for HPAIV genesis in sequences of viruses isolated from species or geographical regions in which HPAIV genesis is more frequently observed in nature. The results of the present analyses suggest that the subtype restriction of HPAIV genesis to H5 and H7 influenza viruses might be due to the particular codon usage at the HA cleavage site in these subtypes.
Effect of COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign in Belgian Nursing Homes on COVID-19 Cases, Hospital Admissions, and Deaths among Residents
Authors: Dequeker Sara , Callies Milena , Vernemmen Catharina , Latour Katrien , Int Panis Laura , Mahieu Romain , Noppe Lennert , Savsin Muhammet , Duysburgh Els
Published: June 2022

In view of the grave situation during the first two waves of SARS-CoV-2 virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2), nursing homes (NHs) were prioritised for vaccination once vaccines became available in Belgium. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) vaccination campaign on COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions, and deaths among residents living in Belgian NHs. All 1545 Belgian NHs were invited to participate in a COVID-19 surveillance program. In Belgium, before vaccination, COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates were driven by the situation in the NHs. Shortly after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, and later the booster campaign, the number of hospital admissions and deaths among NH residents dropped, while clear peaks could be observed among the general population. The impact of vaccination on virus circulation was less effective than expected. However, due to the high vaccination coverage, NH residents remain well protected against hospital admission and death due to COVID-19 more than one year after being vaccinated.
Proteolytic Activities of Enterovirus 2A Do Not Depend on Its Interaction with SETD3
Authors: Yang Xiaoyao , Aloise Chiara , van Vliet Arno L. W. , Zwaagstra Marleen , Lyoo Heyrhyoung , Cheng Anchun , van Kuppeveld Frank J. M.
Published: June 2022

Enterovirus 2Apro is a protease that proteolytically processes the viral polyprotein and cleaves several host proteins to antagonize host responses during enteroviral infection. Recently, the host protein actin histidine methyltransferase SET domain containing 3 (SETD3) was identified to interact with 2Apro and to be essential for virus replication. The role of SETD3 and its interaction with 2Apro remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the potential involvement of SETD3 in several functions of 2Apro. For this, we introduced the 2Apro from coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) in a mutant of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) containing an inactivated Leader protein (EMCV-Lzn) that is unable to shut down host mRNA translation, to trigger nucleocytoplasmic transport disorder (NCTD), and to suppress stress granule (SG) formation and type I interferon (IFN) induction. Both in wt HeLa cells and in HeLa SETD3 knockout (SETD3KO) cells, the virus containing active 2Apro (EMCV-2Apro) efficiently cleaved eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma (eIF4G) to shut off host mRNA translation, cleaved nucleoporins to trigger NCTD, and actively suppressed SG formation and IFN gene transcription, arguing against a role of SETD3 in these 2Apro-mediated functions. Surprisingly, we observed that the catalytic activity of enteroviral 2A is not crucial for triggering NCTD, as a virus containing an inactive 2Apro (EMCV-2Am) induced NCTD in both wt and SETD3KO cells, albeit delayed, challenging the idea that the NCTD critically depends on nucleoporin cleavage by this protease. Taken together, our results do not support a role of SETD3 in the proteolytic activities of enterovirus 2Apro.
Self-Reported COVID-19 Vaccines’ Side Effects among Patients Treated with Biological Therapies in Saudi Arabia: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: AlMutairi Lama T , Alalayet Wesal Y , Ata Sondus I , Alenzi Khalidah A , AlRuthia Yazed
Published: June 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines among a mixed gender sample of patients on monoclonal antibody biologics (mAbs) in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a prospective questionnaire-based cross-sectional study in which adult patients (≥18 years) on mAbs who had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine from three tertiary care centers in Saudi Arabia were included. Descriptive statistics and univariate logistic regressions were conducted to present the vaccine side effects and examine the association between the reported side effects and vaccine type. Results: Four-hundred and seventeen patients, with a mean age of 39 years, consented to participate. Approximately 82% and 18% of the participants received Pfizer–BioNTech and Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccines, respectively, and nearly 71% received two doses of the vaccine. Diarrhea (9.59%), fever (51.32%), headache (32.13%), hypotension (13.67%), palpitation (9.11%), and temporary loss of smell (5.28%) were the most commonly reported side effects. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccines are generally safe for patients treated with mAbs. Future studies should examine the rates of side effects across different COVID-19 vaccines among patients on mAbs using more robust study designs and representative samples.
How Vaccinations Changed the Outcome of COVID-19 Infections in Kidney Transplant Patients: Single-Center Experience
Authors: Campise Mariarosaria , Alfieri Carlo Maria , Benedetti Matteo , Perna Alessandro , Miglio Roberta , Molinari Paolo , Cervesato Angela , Giuliani Silvia , Gandolfo Maria Teresa , Regalia Anna , Cresseri Donata , Alagna Laura , Gori Andrea , Castellano Giuseppe
Published: June 2022

Kidney transplant recipients are a vulnerable population at risk of a life-threatening COVID-19 infection with an incidence of death four-times higher than in the general population. The availability of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines has dramatically changed the fate of this infection also within this fragile population. Transplanted patients have an impaired immunological response also to mRNA vaccines. In March 2021, however, we started a vaccination campaign. These preliminary results show that both the incidence of death and of hospitalization dropped from 13% to 2.4% and from 45% to 12.5% compared to the previous outbreaks reported by our group. In univariate analysis, two variables were associated with an increased risk of hospitalization: older age and dyspnea (p = 0.023, p < 0.0001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, dyspnea (p < 0.0001) and mycophenolate therapy (p = 0.003) were independently associated with the risk of hospitalization. The association was even stronger when the two variables were combined (p < 0.0001). Vaccinations did not reduce the incidence of COVID-19 infections among our transplanted patients, but provided certain protection that was associated with a significantly better outcome for this infection.
Vaccine Preventable Zoonotic Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities for Public Health Progress
Authors: Carpenter Ann , Waltenburg Michelle A. , Hall Aron , Kile James , Killerby Marie , Knust Barbara , Negron Maria , Nichols Megin , Wallace Ryan M. , Behravesh Casey Barton , McQuiston Jennifer H. ,   the Vaccine Preventable Zoonotic Disease Working Group
Published: June 2022

Zoonotic diseases represent a heavy global burden, causing important economic losses, impacting animal health and production, and costing millions of human lives. The vaccination of animals and humans to prevent inter-species zoonotic disease transmission is an important intervention. However, efforts to develop and implement vaccine interventions to reduce zoonotic disease impacts are often limited to the veterinary and agricultural sectors and do not reflect the shared burden of disease. Multisectoral collaboration, including co-development opportunities for human and animal vaccines, expanding vaccine use to include animal reservoirs such as wildlife, and strategically using vaccines to interrupt complex transmission cycles is needed. Addressing zoonoses requires a multi-faceted One Health approach, wherein vaccinating people and animals plays a critical role.
Acceptability of HPV Vaccination in Young Students by Exploring Health Belief Model and Health Literacy
Authors: Fallucca Alessandra , Immordino Palmira , Riggio Luca , Casuccio Alessandra , Vitale Francesco , Restivo Vincenzo
Published: June 2022

Evidence on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine shows that it is effective in reducing the burden of HPV-related diseases. For more than 15 years the HPV vaccine has been offered free of charge in Italy to girls from the age of 12. Over time, the free offer of the HPV vaccine has also been extended to boys and to young adults at risk of developing HPV lesions. Despite the HPV vaccine’s effectiveness and availability, vaccination coverage is low in Italy, with a reported value of 46.5% in 2020. Furthermore, in the southern administrative regions, vaccination coverage is even lower than national values, with 25.9% coverage in Sicily. A cross-sectional study was conducted among university and high school students in the Palermo area (Sicily, Italy) in order to identify the determinants of HPV vaccination adherence by using a questionnaire that investigated factors of HPV vaccine practice. The study explored the behavioral attitude by using the Health Belief Model (HBM), and also used the SILS test and the METER test to investigate the level of health literacy (HL). Overall, 3,073 students were enrolled, and less than a third reported they had completed the vaccination schedule (n = 925, 30.1%). Multivariable analysis showed that the factors directly associated with the adherence to HPV vaccination were female sex (OR = 4.43, p < 0.001), high HBM total score (OR = 4.23, p < 0.001), good HL level (OR = 1.26, p = 0.047), parents (OR = 1.78, p = 0.004), general practitioner (OR = 1.88, p = 0.001), and educational material provided by public vaccination services (OR = 1.97, p = 0.001) as HPV vaccine information sources. Further health-promotion programs focused on improving HL and perception of the HPV vaccine’s benefits should be implemented in order to achieve the desirable 95% vaccination coverage.
Tsunami-like Flow-Induced Forces on the Landward Structure behind a Vertical Seawall with and without Recurve Using OpenFOAM
Authors: Harish S. , Sriram V. , Schüttrumpf Holger , Sannasiraj S. A.
Published: June 2022

It is more common to introduce the parapet/recurve/wave return wall over the existing structure, such as a vertical seawall or composite structure, to reduce the overtopping efficiently. The advantage of a recurve wall on top of the sea wall has been studied in the past in regards to wave interaction and overtopping. However, their efficiency in protecting the inland structure during extreme events such as flooding during a tsunami is unexplored. The present study addresses the effect of a vertical seawall with recurve in reducing the dam break surge simulating tsunami-induced forces on an inland structure. The study compares the momentum transferred on the landward structure behind a Vertical seaWall (VW) and a vertical wall with the Large ReCurve on the top (LRC) during overtopped conditions. The outcome from the numerical simulation shows an insignificant contribution due to the LRC in reducing the force on the inland structure compared to the VW, albeit delaying the impact time. However, the LRC performed slightly better in the case of a low-rise wall located near the inland structure than the VW. Furthermore, a low-rise VW increases the force and overturning moment on the inland structure compared to no-wall conditions. Both the LRC and the VW reduced the horizontal force on the structure linearly with the increase in height. An exponential decrease in the overturning moment was observed on the landward structure with the increase in the height of the VW or the LRC. Design equations are proposed for the forces and overturning moment reduction based on the height of the VW or the LRC.
Spatial and Seasonal Drinking Water Quality Assessment in a Sub-Saharan Country (Guinea-Bissau)
Authors: Machado Ana , Amorim Eva , Bordalo Adriano A.
Published: June 2022

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target 6.1 calls for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water. Worldwide, about 2.2 billion people live without access to safe water, and millions of people suffer from waterborne pathogens each year, representing the most pressing situation in developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the drinking water quality dynamics across an endemic cholera sub-Saharan country (Guinea-Bissau), and understand its implications for public health. Microbiological and physical–chemical quality parameters of 252 major water sources spread all over the country were seasonally surveyed. These comprised hand-dug shallow wells and boreholes, fitted with a bucket or a pump to retrieve water. The results showed that the majority of water sources available to the population were grossly polluted with faecal material (80%), being unsuitable for consumption, with significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels during the wet season. Hand-dug wells revealed the highest contamination levels. The chemical contamination was less relevant, although 83% of the water sources were acidic (pH < 6.5). This study highlights the potential health risk associated with the lack of potable drinking water, reinforcing the evidence for water monitoring, and the need to improve WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) infrastructure and water management in West African countries. In addition, the authors suggest easy-to-implement interventions that can have a dramatic impact in the water quality, assisting to reduce the associated waterborne diseases rise.
Oxygen Nanobubbles for Lake Restoration—Where Are We at? A Review of a New-Generation Approach to Managing Lake Eutrophication
Authors: Waters Sean , Hamilton David , Pan Gang , Michener Steven , Ogilvie Shaun
Published: June 2022

Nutrient enrichment of lakes from anthropogenic activities is a significant and increasing issue globally, impairing the health, biodiversity and service provisioning from lakes, with impacts on cultural, recreational, economic and aesthetic values. Internal nutrient loads from lakebed sediment releases are a primary cause of lake eutrophication and have necessitated geoengineering methods to mitigate releases and speed up recovery from eutrophication. Our objective in this review was to evaluate the use of oxygen nanobubbles as a geoengineering technology to remediate low oxygen conditions at the lake sediment/water interface, as a precursor to alleviating eutrophication linked to high internal nutrient loads. Oxygen nanobubbles (NBs) are bubbles < 1000 nm formed at the interface of solid surfaces and aqueous solutions. These bubbles have higher density than water, persist for longer and facilitate greater oxygen solubility than larger bubbles. Methods have been developed to enable NB formation at the surface of carrier materials, which are then used in conjunction with modified local soils (MLSs), to ‘floc, lock and oxygenate’ to strip nutrients from the water column, locking them in lakebed sediments and oxygenating the sediments to prevent re-release of nutrients. Most studies of NBs for lake restoration have thus far only demonstrated their potential for this purpose, using short-term, small-scale core incubations conducted mainly in laboratory settings. Work is required to (1) address scalability, including procurement and cost, (2) extend laboratory incubation studies to large outdoor enclosures and pond/lake trials, (3) examine longevity of the effects in the natural environment, including potential for MLSs to smother benthos and/or have toxic effects, and (4) extend to a range of lake environments and MLS types. Legal, cultural and social acceptance of the technology is another prerequisite of applications in the natural environment and requires individualised analysis. Until these issues are addressed in a systematic way that addresses scalability and recommends suitable carrier materials and MLSs, NBs may continue to remain largely untried as a geoengineering method to address lake eutrophication.
Databionic Swarm Intelligence to Screen Wastewater Recycling Quality with Factorial and Hyper-Parameter Non-Linear Orthogonal Mini-Datasets
Authors: Besseris George
Published: June 2022

Electrodialysis (ED) may be designed to enhance wastewater recycling efficiency for crop irrigation in areas where water distribution is otherwise inaccessible. ED process controls are difficult to manage because the ED cells need to be custom-built to meet local requirements, and the wastewater influx often has heterogeneous ionic properties. Besides the underlying complex chemical phenomena, recycling screening is a challenge to engineering because the number of experimental trials must be maintained low in order to be timely and cost-effective. A new data-centric approach is presented that screens three water quality indices against four ED-process-controlling factors for a wastewater recycling application in agricultural development. The implemented unsupervised solver must: (1) be fine-tuned for optimal deployment and (2) screen the ED trials for effect potency. The databionic swarm intelligence classifier is employed to cluster the L9(34) OA mini-dataset of: (1) the removed Na+ content, (2) the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and (3) the soluble Na+ percentage. From an information viewpoint, the proviso for the factor profiler is that it should be apt to detect strength and curvature effects against not-computable uncertainty. The strength hierarchy was analyzed for the four ED-process-controlling factors: (1) the dilute flow, (2) the cathode flow, (3) the anode flow and (4) the voltage rate. The new approach matches two sequences for similarities, according to: (1) the classified cluster identification string and (2) the pre-defined OA factorial setting string. Internal cluster validity is checked by the Dunn and Davies–Bouldin Indices, after completing a hyper-parameter L8(4122) OA screening. The three selected hyper-parameters (distance measure, structure type and position type) created negligible variability. The dilute flow was found to regulate the overall ED-based separation performance. The results agree with other recent statistical/algorithmic studies through external validation. In conclusion, statistical/algorithmic freeware (R-packages) may be effective in resolving quality multi-indexed screening tasks of intricate non-linear mini-OA-datasets.