Proceedings — Open Access Journal

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNv) is a worldwide etiologic agent of one disease that causes severe economic losses in several species of fish, mainly in young salmonids. Its genome consists of two linear double-stranded RNA segments that encode five viral proteins. Teleost fish respond to infectious agents, mainly through the components of innate immunity. This response to viral infections is initiated, conducted, and coordinated by pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs), which can detect the presence of microorganisms through the identification of molecular patterns associated with pathogens (PAMPs). Heterologous PRR molecules have been found in salmonids, even in teleost fish. NOD-like receptors (NLRs) are a multigenic family of cytoplasmic molecules involved in immunity and apoptosis; these receptors have been little studied in fish. However, they have recently been linked to antiviral defense. There is no information that relates the expression of NOD-like receptors with IPNv infection. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the gene expression of several members of subfamily A of the NLRs (NOD1, NOD2, NLR-C3, NLR-C5, and NLR-X1) in response to IPNv infection by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and cellular models used in vitro and ex vivo. The expression analysis revealed that CHSE-214 cells, infected with IPNv, show a positive regulation of the NLRs, with the NLRX1 gene being the one with the highest expression. A similar result was obtained when primary cultures of head kidney of rainbow trout were infected with IPNv, but in this case, the most stimulated receptor was found to be NLR-C5. Overall, the results suggest that NLRs could play a key role in the regulation of defense mechanisms of salmonids against viral pathogens and justify the exploration of the precise molecular mechanism related to the immune system of the NLRs in these fish. Full article

Food waste is a stream with multiple social, economic, and environmental implications, generated throughout all the life cycle stages of food. Among these stages, in developed and top touristic destination countries such as Greece, the role of the hospitality sector (i.e., restaurants, hotels, catering, etc.) in food waste generation is particularly significant. Against this background, the A2UFood project introduces a holistic management scheme in the municipality of Heraklion (Crete, Greece), in which all aspects of reduction, reuse, and recycling of food waste are included. The project seeks to implement the circular economy concept into daily practice, through a series of actions which preserve natural resources, support local communities, and create new value chains. More specifically, the holistic management scheme of the A2UFood project progresses towards three innovative directions: (i) Surplus food of high quality, from hotels and restaurants, will be redirected to people in need, through the establishment and operation of the “2nd opportunity” restaurant; (ii) Food waste from the hospitality sector will be directed to bioplastic production units; and iii. Home and community composting will be promoted and supported, as an option for the management of household food waste. To achieve the goals of the A2UFood project, an Information Campaign (“Food Save Share”), training workshops-seminars, and two smart tools (i.e., the Digital Food Waste Prevention Tool and the Resource Management Food Tool, for households and kitchen managers, respectively) have been developed. Full article

To study the cognitive process of the human brain in dealing with philosophical issues, for the first time, from the perspective of scientific experiments, the issue of “relationship” in philosophy was verified. A set of algorithms combining physiology analysis and computer technology linearity and a nonlinear manifold learning algorithm were proposed. Two groups of auditory cognitive experiments were performed, and the concept expected effect was defined as the symbol of conceptual intervention. From the perspective of time, whether the concept was involved after the sensation arises was explored. EEG (electroencephalogram) physiology was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the concept induced a positive shift of the waveform after intervention. It has little effect on the early components, but it has a significant effect on the composition of the sensory components. Waveform changes before and after conceptual intervention have significant main effects. Perceptual production does not involve conceptual intervention, which verifies, in time, that “the relationship” exists. Full article

The development of virtual reality brings an old and historic question on the difference between the real world and unreal world. In this paper, starting from the concept of representation, I argued that what we call “virtual reality” is a representation of an actual or non-actual world and the criterion of difference between the “real world” and “virtual reality” is whether we present it with the intention of using it as a representation. After that, the thesis is demonstrated again from different theories of scientific representation. Therefore, the intuitive distinction between the “real world” and “virtual reality” can be drawn on the epistemological criterion; that is to say, the virtual world is a representation while the real world is not. Full article

Plus-stranded RNA viruses recruit cellular vesicles and co-opt cellular proteins involved in cellular metabolism and lipid biosynthesis to build viral replicase complexes (VRCs) within the large viral replication compartments. We use tombusviruses (TBSV), which are small (+)RNA viruses, as model plant viruses to study virus replication, recombination, and virus–host interactions using yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a surrogate host. Several systematic genome-wide screens and global proteomic and lipidomic approaches have led to the identification of ~500 host proteins/genes that are implicated in TBSV replication. We characterized the role of two-dozen co-opted host proteins, sterols, and phosphatidylethanolamine in tombusvirus VRC assembly and viral RNA synthesis. We provide evidence on the critical roles of phosphoinositides and co-opted membrane-shaping proteins in VRC formation. We also present data that tombusviruses hijack the glycolytic and fermentation pathways to obtain ATP, which is required for the biogenesis of the replication compartment. Finally, we show evidence that TBSV usurps COPII and endosomal vesicles to form a unique microenvironment involving peroxisomes and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to support viral replication. These new insights highlight the amazingly complex nature of virus-host interactions. Full article

HIV-1 encodes an envelope glycoprotein complex (Env) containing a long cytoplasmic tail (CT) harboring trafficking motifs implicated in Env incorporation into virions. Although the requirement for the Env CT in viral transmission is known, the precise mechanism by which Env is incorporated into nascent virions and localizes to the virological synapse remains poorly defined. To further elucidate the mechanism of Env trafficking, we examined three HIV-1 strains: the lab-adapted clade B strain, NL4-3, and a transmitted/founder (T/F) clade C virus, K3016, and a T/F clade B virus, CH077. The HIV-1 Env CT contains two invariant trafficking motifs: tyrosine endocytosis motif, Y⁷¹²SPL, and C-terminal dileucine motif, LL⁸⁵⁵. Virion Env incorporation analysis revealed that Y⁷¹²SPL is necessary for efficient Env incorporation, while LL⁸⁵⁵ is dispensable. Spreading infection kinetics were analyzed in various T-cell lines and primary human PBMCs; the results indicated that both endocytic motifs contribute to efficient viral spread in culture. Analysis of Env localization to the T-cell uropod, the portion of the plasma membrane that forms a virological synapse with uninfected cells, was found to be dependent on the Env CT and the Y⁷¹²SPL motif. Cell-to-cell and cell-free transmission assays using T cells infected with HIV-1 bearing Y₇₁₂A or LL₈₅₅AA Env CT mutations are ongoing to establish a role for these motifs in both modes of viral transmission. These studies will significantly enhance our understanding of Env trafficking and viral transmission, providing insights into viral Env–host interactions in physiologically relevant cells. Full article

Honey bee colony losses are influenced by multiple abiotic and biotic factors, including viruses. To investigate the effects of RNA viruses on honey bees, we infected bees with a model virus (Sindbis-GFP) in the presence or absence of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). In honey bees, dsRNA is the substrate for sequence-specific RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated antiviral defense and is a trigger of sequence-independent\antiviral responses. Transcriptome sequencing identified more than 200 differentially expressed genes, including genes in the RNAi, Toll, Imd, JAK-STAT, and heat shock response pathways, and many uncharacterized genes. To confirm the virus limiting role of two genes (i.e., dicer and mf116383) in honey bees, we utilized RNAi to reduce their expression in vivo and determined that the virus abundance increased. To evaluate the role of the heat shock stress response in antiviral defense, bees were heat stressed post-virus infection and the virus abundance and gene expression were assessed. Heat-stressed bees had reduced virus levels and a greater expression of several heat shock protein encoding genes (hsps) compared to the controls. To determine if these genes are universally associated with antiviral defense, bees were infected with another model virus, Flock House virus (FHV), or deformed wing virus and the gene expression was assessed. The expression of dicer was greater in bees infected with either FHV or Sindbis-GFP compared to the mock-infected bees, but not in the deformed wing virus-infected bees. To further investigate honey bee antiviral defense mechanisms and elucidate the function of key genes (dicer, ago-2, mf116383, and hsps) at the cellular level, primary honey bee larval hemocytes were transfected with dsRNA or infected with the Lake Sinai virus 2 (LSV2). These studies indicate that mf116383 and hsps mediate dsRNA detection and that MF116383 is involved in limiting LSV2 infection. Together, these results further our understanding of honey bee antiviral defense, particularly dsRNA-mediated antiviral responses, at both the individual bee and cellular levels. Full article

Background: We previously identified a yellow fever virus (YFV) genome-derived, short noncoding RNA (vsRNA) generated during infection that targets the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of a Src-kinase regulatory phosphatase (PTPRE), reducing PTPRE translation. By contrast, a related flavivirus (Zika) did not regulate PTPRE. We assessed the role of PTPRE in YFV and Zika replication. Methods: Human PTPRE with a β -Globulin 3’UTR to remove the 3’UTR sequence targeted by the YFV vsRNA was stably expressed in Jurkat and Huh7D cells using a tetracycline-regulated promoter. YFV (17D strain) and Zika (PR strain) were used to infect the different cell lines, and viral replication was measured by viral RNA and infectivity. Attempts to knock out PTPRE by CRISPR were unsuccessful, suggesting that PTPRE may be required for cell survival. Results: The expression of PTPRE with nontargeted 3′UTR led to a 100-fold reduction in infectious virus released from Jurkat and Huh7D cells by infectivity and a 3–10-fold reduction in viral RNA levels. Infectivity was restored in cells grown in doxycycline. By contrast, nontargeted PTPRE expression had no effect on the release of infectious Zika virus. PTPRE expression did not alter YFV attachment or entry. Despite reduced infectivity of the supernatant virus produced by PTPRE-nontargeted cells, YFV envelope content in culture supernatants was similar to that released by cells not expressing nontargeted PTPRE. Electron microscopy demonstrated large, empty-appearing viral particles in YFV-infected cells expressing nontargeted PTPRE that were not present in cells not expressing nontargeted PTPRE. Conclusions: PTPRE is a novel YFV restriction factor that appears to increase the proportion of defective YFV particles released into cell culture media, potentially by preventing YFV RNA encapsidation. PTPRE’s effects on viral replication are not conserved among flaviviruses, as Zika replication was not altered by PTPRE overexpression. Understanding how PTPRE inhibits YFV may provide insight into YFV assembly and release and potentially help to identify novel drug targets. Full article

The oligoadenylate synthetase–ribonuclease L (OAS–RNase L) system is a potent antiviral pathway that severely limits the pathogenesis of many viruses. Upon sensing dsRNA, OASs produce 2′,5′-oligoadenylates (2-5A) that activate RNase L to cleave both host and viral single-stranded RNA, thereby limiting protein production, virus replication and spread, leading to apoptotic cell death. Endogenous host dsRNA, which accumulates in the absence of adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR)1, can also activate RNase L and lead to apoptotic cell death. RNase L activation and antiviral activity during infections with several types of viruses in human and bat cells is dependent on OAS3 but independent of virus-induced interferon (IFN) and, thus, RNase L can be activated even in the presence of IFN antagonists. Differently from other human viruses examined, Zika virus is resistant to the antiviral activity of RNase L and instead utilizes RNase L to enhance its replication factories to produce more infectious virus. Some betacoronaviruses antagonize RNase L activation by expressing 2′,5′-phosphodiesterases (PDEs) that cleave 2-5A and thereby antagonize activation of RNase L. The best characterized of these PDEs is the murine coronavirus (MHV) NS2 accessory protein. Enzymatically active NS2 is required for replication in myeloid cells and in the liver. Interestingly, while wild type mice clear MHV from the liver by 7–10 days post-infection, RNase L knockout mice fail to effectively clear MHV, probably due to diminished apoptotic death of infected cells. We suggest that RNase L antiviral activity stems from direct cleavage of viral genomes and cessation of protein synthesis as well as through promoting death of infected cells, limiting the spread of virus. Importantly, OASs are pattern recognition receptors and the OAS–RNase L pathway is a primary innate response pathway to viruses, capable of early response, coming into play before IFN is induced or when the virus shuts down IFN signaling. Full article

We have recently developed surface oligopeptide knock-in for rapid target selection (SORTS), a novel method to isolate mammalian cells with gene modifications using FACS-sorting. It relies on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted knock-in of a very short promoterless expression construct (250 bp) comprising a Flag or HA epitope embedded into the smallest GPI-protein CD52, and a polyA signal from the beta-globin. CD52 efficiently delivers the epitope to the cell surface, where it serves as a marker for selection, while polyA terminates transcription and silences target gene expression. Primarily, SORTS was developed to knock out genes encoding intracellular or secreted proteins, which cannot be used as markers for selection of live cells. Using in-frame modification of SORTS, we demonstrated the possibility of HIV-1 provirus inactivation via sorting of GPI-tag positive cells. In order to make the “cured” cells resistant to a subsequent HIV-1 infection, the epitope tag in the CD52 molecule was substituted by one of the fusion inhibitor peptides from the CHR-domain of gp41. We selected a series of cell-surface-expressed, GPI-anchored, C34-based peptides that confer a strong cellular resistance to HIV-1 infection mediated by NL4-3, JRFL, or ZM153 Env. These findings together with a monoclonal antibody raised against the C34 peptide provide an opportunity to generate and select HIV-resistant lymphocytes for a therapeutic goal. SORTS was also adapted to engineer transgenic HIV-1 effector Т cells and to study cell-to-cell transmission. To facilitate transgenesis, we developed a knock-in strategy to express GPI-tag from the intronic region of the human PPP1R12C gene (AAVS1 locus) and delivered FRT sites of recombination into both alleles. In summary, SORTS is a novel instrument to isolate rare cells with precise genomic modifications with broad applications, including HIV biology. This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (grant 18-14-00333) and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grants 18-29-07052, 18-04-01016). Full article

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a pathogen that causes severe human neuroinfections in Europe and Asia for which there is currently no specific therapy. The adenosine analogue galidesivir (BCX4430), a broad-spectrum RNA virus inhibitor, has entered a phase 1 clinical safety and pharmacokinetics study in healthy subjects and is under clinical development for treatment of Ebola and yellow fever virus infections. Moreover, galidesivir also inhibits the reproduction of TBEV and numerous other medically important flaviviruses. Until now, studies of this antiviral agent have not yielded resistant viruses. In our study, we performed serial in vitro passaging of TBEV in the presence of increasing concentrations of galidesivir (up to 50 μM), which resulted in the generation of two drug-resistant TBEV mutants. The first TBEV mutant was characterized by a single amino acid change, E460D. The other carried two amino acid changes, E460D and Y453H. Both mutations mapped to the active site of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Galidesivir-resistant TBEV exhibited no cross-resistance to structurally different antiviral nucleoside analogues, such as 7-deaza-2′-C-methyladenosine, 2′-C-methyladenosine, and 4′-azido-aracytidine. Although the E460D substitution led to only a subtle decrease in viral fitness in cell culture, galidesivir-resistant TBEV was highly attenuated in vivo, with a 100% survival rate and no clinical signs observed in infected mice. Furthermore, no virus was detected in the sera, spleen, or brain of mice inoculated with the galidesivir-resistant TBEV. By contrast, infection with wild-type virus resulted in fatal infections for all animals. Our results contribute to understanding the molecular basis of galidesivir antiviral activity, flavivirus resistance to nucleoside inhibitors, and the potential contribution of viral RdRp to flavivirus neurovirulence. Full article

When it comes to assessing the agronomic and environmental performances of a cropping system, collaborative research with real farms can provide a lot of information that is not easily available when working in experimental plots. For example, this makes it possible to observe the long-term effects of certain farming practices or to evaluate the impact of the landscape surrounding a plot. This type of collaborative study involves a specific research methodology, particularly with regard to the choice of indicators and measurement methods that will be applied to the participants’ fields. In addition to the traditional criteria of relevance to the research question, scientific rigor and feasibility, the value that the indicators have for the farmers should be considered (Lebacq et al., 2013). The value an indicator has for a farmer can be deduced from various criteria: is the indicator understandable to him? Does he know any reference values that will allow him to interpret the results? Does he feel able to change the result via his agricultural practices? As part of a collaborative study on the agro-ecological nature of cropping systems applied by Belgian farmers, we conducted preliminary interviews with 20 future participating farmers. Our objectives were to assess the value farmers placed on the indicators usually used by scientists to measure the ecosystem services provided by a field, and to identify empirical measurement methods used by farmers to assess their performance on these same indicators. This poster presents, for each ecosystem service, the indicators usually used by scientists (Boerema et al., 2017) and, in parallel, the empirical measurement methods developed by farmers. For example, for the “stability of soil aggregates” indicator, some farmers told us they use a simplified test immersing fresh soil blocks in water, while others observe the soil particle load in water leaving their field after a storm, assess the amount of soil left under the beet cleaner during the harvest or wait for a heavy rain to walk in their fields and see how much mud gets stuck to their shoes. These results will serve as a basis in the continuation of our research for developing measurement methods that combine scientific rigorousness, proximity to the field and potential of appropriation of the results by participants. Full article

Infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAv) is a pathogen of high economic importance worldwide; it produces a highly fatal clinical symptomatology called infectious salmon anemia (ISA), which is one of the main causes of economic loss in Chilean aquaculture, specifically in Chilean salmon, being responsible for a mortality rate greater than 80% when outbreaks of this pathogen occur in fish farms. ISAv dramatically increases levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by increasing the activity of the p38MAPK protein, which activates p47phox, by phosphorylation, allowing its binding to the membrane subunits of the NADPH oxidase complex, which is an important positive regulator of ROS levels in cells. Further, it is known that oxidative stress is able to regulate the SUMOylation machinery, producing an increase in SUMOylated proteins. Together with this background and various bioinformatic analyses, it was found that the ISAv nucleoprotein (NP) has a highly conserved capacity for SUMOylation, and this protein alone is capable of causing strong oxidative stress in transfected cells and is therefore able to regulate the SUMOylation machinery. Immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the bioinformatic analyses, where NP was seen to be SUMOylated, and this signal decreased considerably when cells were treated with a p38MAPK inhibitor. Together with this, the number of copies of NP and the viability in cells infected with ISAv were also evaluated, where it was observed that there was a strong increase in the number of copies of NP and a marked decrease in cell viability, this being in contrast to when, in addition to the infection, the cells were treated with a natural product “maqui” (A. chilensis), which, due to its high content of polyphenolic compounds, has been shown to have a high antioxidant capacity, greatly reducing the number of copies of NP and the percentage of mortality compared to cells that are only infected with ISAv. Full article

Bacterial fruit blotch caused by Acidovorax citrulli is known to be the major threat to cucurbit crop production worldwide. The pathogen can penetrate into seed coat and cause disease symptoms at any stage of plant growth, which results in fruit loss. Two main genotypes (genotype I and II) are reported in A. citrulli, in which genotype II is the main cause of Bacterial Fruit Blotch (BFB) in watermelon and group I is known to be a causal agent of BFB in melon. To date, there are no commercially available cultivars resistant to BFB, and available strategies are not able to completely manage the disease. In this study, we aim to isolate bacteriophages to control BFB. Samples collected from watermelon, melon, and pumpkin were used to isolate bacteriophages. All isolated bacteriophages were tested against 42 strains of A. citrulli, among which two phages with the ability to lyse a greater number of hosts were selected and characterized. Bacteriophage ACP17 from the Myoviridae family, with a head size of 100 ± 5 nm and tail of 150 ± 5 nm, infected 29 strains of A. citrulli mostly belonging to genotype group I, whereas the second isolated bacteriophage, ACPWH from Siphoviridae, with a head size of 60 ± 5 nm and tail of 180 ± 5 nm, infected 39 A. citrulli strains. Genome analysis of both bacteriophages using Next generation Sequencing (NGS) showed that ACP17 and ACPWH have double-stranded DNA with sizes of 156,972 kb and 424,299 kb, respectively. Watermelon seeds coated with ACPWH showed a germination rate of up to 90% in the presence of A. citrulli in contrast to untreated seed, which showed no germination or germinated juveniles with BFB symptoms in the presence of A. citrulli. The results of this study show that the use of bacteriophages of A. citrulli represents a potential biocontrol method for controlling BFB. Full article

Many Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains have been developed as vectors to express a foreign gene (FG) for vaccine and gene therapy purposes. A majority of these NDV vectors express only a single FG or two FGs from suboptimal insertion sites in the NDV genome, obtaining various levels of FG expression. To improve the FG expression, we generated NDV LaSota vaccine strain-based recombinant viruses to express two FGs, green fluorescent protein (GFP) and red fluorescent protein (RFP) genes, from the identified optimal insertion sites, through a combination of the independent transcription unit (ITU) and the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) dependent expression approaches. Biological assessments showed that these recombinants expressing two FGs were slightly attenuated with approximately one order of magnitude lower in virus titers than those containing a single FG. The FG expression efficiencies from two-FG viruses were also lower than those from the single-FG viruses. However, the expression of two FGs from the optimal insertion sites was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those from the suboptimal insertion sites. The expression of FGs through the ITU approach was approximately 4-fold more efficient than that through the IRES-dependent approach. These results suggest that the NDV LaSota vector could efficiently express two FGs from the identified optimal insertions sites. The ITU strategy could be used for the expression of a higher amount of FG products, whereas the IRES tactic might be useful when a lower amount of FG products are needed. Full article

Hantaviruses are found throughout the world and can cause deadly diseases in humans, specifically, hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in the New World and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in the Old World. Currently, no FDA-approved, specific antiviral drugs or vaccines are available. Recently, we showed that New World hantaviruses utilize protocadherin-1 (PCDH1) for endothelial cell entry and infection by directly engaging its first extracellular cadherin repeat (EC1) domain. The knockout of PCDH1 also greatly reduced pulmonary infection and was highly protective in a Syrian hamster model of lethal challenge with Andes virus (ANDV). To further understand PCDH1’s role in hantavirus entry, we sought to map the binding interface between hantavirus Gn/Gc and PCDH1-EC1. Accordingly, we screened a panel of EC1 proteins, bearing point mutations in solvent-exposed residues, for their capacity to recognize Gn/Gc and block viral entry. EC1 mutations defective in Gn/Gc binding were engineered individually and in combinations into full-length PCDH1, expressed in PCDH1-knockout cells, and evaluated for their capacity to complement viral infection. We identified a surface in the PCDH1-EC1 domain, comprising contiguous residues, which was required for virus PCDH1 recognition and PCDH1-dependent viral entry. However, this region does not overlap with the EC1–EC4 heterodimer interface recently described by Modak and Sotomayor. In addition, through the use of recombinant vesicular stomatitis viruses bearing chimeric hantavirus Gn/Gc glycoproteins, we were able to pinpoint the importance of the N-terminal domain of the Gn subunit for PCDH1-mediated entry. With these taken together, identifying the location of the interface could provide a direction for the development of host-directed antiviral drugs that do not interfere with PCDH1’s endogenous function, as well as help to map an antigen target on Gn/Gc for antiviral antibodies. Full article

As the most important type of public green space, parks are crucial for delivering a wide range of ecosystem services that contribute to the well-being of urban residents. Nevertheless, the criteria for selecting vegetation structure and composition within urban parks is often limited to ornamental value. Here, park hedges of Pittosporum tobira (Japanese pittosporum) and Rhamnus alaternus (Mediterranean buckthorn) are compared for their effectiveness in soil temperature and soil moisture regulation in support of soil fauna, thus contributing to lifecycle maintenance, habitat, and gene pool protection ecosystem services. The adjacent hedges, located in the gardens of the Hellenic Mediterranean University, were monitored for soil moisture, temperature, and fauna for a period of 6 months. For each hedge, soil temperature and water at 5 cm below ground were measured (N = 3). Measurements showed that, during temperature extremes, soil under R. alaternus had a higher buffering capacity for temperature than that under P. tobira, staying over 2.5 °C warmer during cold periods and over 3.5 °C cooler during warm periods. During the dry season, R. alaternus also retained soil moisture with higher minimum (0.08 versus 0.04 m³/m³) and average values (0.11 versus 0.07 m³/m³) than under P. tobira. Berlese-Tullgren funnels and pitfall traps were used to capture endogean fauna and bigger invertebrates, respectively. Invertebrates extracted during 3 samplings were identified mainly at the level of order, with the most abundant taxonomic groups being slugs and seven arthropod taxa. The Shannon Index values revealed that the biodiversity of the fauna collected in pitfalls under R. alaternus was 1.2 times higher than that collected under P. tobira. Specimens from funnels were also more abundant, with soil under R. alaternus showing a biodiversity three times higher than that under P. tobira. Results indicate that, in arid environments, R. alaternus urban park hedges may offer additional ecosystem services compared to P. tobira by providing more sustainable biodiversity hubs. Full article

A review on trial erosion shows that soil erosion rates are one to three orders of magnitude higher than the ones recommended as sustainable. This is threatening the sustainable managements of mountain terrains, mainly in the popular hiking paths. The warm temperatures characterize Eastern Spain in winter, which results in visitors from northern Europe to walk in the coastal land mountainous terrain. This increases the pressure to the currently highly visited most popular paths. We selected representative transects of the trails of Serra de Bérnia, Puigcampana, Penyagolosa, Montcabré, Serra del Sit, Aitana, Les Tres Creus, Caroig, Cupurutxo and Circ de la Safor. All the selected study sites have Limestone parent material, and a scrubland as vegetation cover and the selected slope angle ranged in average between 5 and 10%. The surveys showed that soil erosion rates measured with a topographical method range from 13 till 450 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. There is a clear relation between the number of users and the damage done on the trails; and we found that short cuts are the areas that contribute with fresh sediment. Rock outcrops are found in 34% of the measured trail sections and this is a good example how the complete soil can be lost as a consequence of recreational activities. Full article

With the arrival of the information society, the research on the philosophy of music art has been paid more and more attention to, and the difference and identity in the information of piano performance is worth our deep thinking. In the new era of social information, it is a timely topic which breaks through the traditional research methods of piano art and utilizes the research system of information philosophy. Based on the perspective of information philosophy, this paper attempts to reveal the difference and identity of the main body of piano performance information by observing the ontology and law of music art research and applying the basic principle of information philosophy theory. Thus, the guiding significance of information philosophy in piano performance is discussed and further analyzed. Full article