Integrated analyses of single-cell atlases reveal age, gender, and smoking status associations with cell type-specific expression of mediators of SARS-CoV-2 viral entry and highlights inflammatory programs in putative target cells

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, creates an urgent need for identifying molecular mechanisms that mediate viral entry, propagation, and tissue pathology. Cell membrane bound angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and associated proteases, transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and Cathepsin L (CTSL), were previously identified as mediators of SARS-CoV2 cellular entry. Here, we assess the cell type-specific RNA expression of ACE2, TMPRSS2, and CTSL through an integrated analysis of 107 single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-Seq studies, including 22 lung and airways datasets (16 unpublished), and 85 datasets from other diverse organs. Joint expression of ACE2 and the accessory proteases identifies specific subsets of respiratory epithelial cells as putative targets of viral infection in the nasal passages, airways, and alveoli. Cells that co-express ACE2 and proteases are also identified in cells from other organs, some of which have been associated with COVID-19 transmission or pathology, including gut enterocytes, corneal epithelial cells, cardiomyocytes, heart pericytes, olfactory sustentacular cells, and renal epithelial cells. Performing the first meta-analyses of scRNA-seq studies, we analyzed 1,176,683 cells from 282 nasal, airway, and lung parenchyma samples from 164 donors spanning fetal, childhood, adult, and elderly age groups, associate increased levels of ACE2, TMPRSS2, and CTSL in specific cell types with increasing age, male gender, and smoking, all of which are epidemiologically linked to COVID-19 susceptibility and outcomes. Notably, there was a particularly low expression of ACE2 in the few young pediatric samples in the analysis. Further analysis reveals a gene expression program shared by ACE2(+)TMPRSS2(+) cells in nasal, lung and gut tissues, including genes that may mediate viral entry, subtend key immune functions, and mediate epithelial-macrophage cross-talk. Amongst these are IL6, its receptor and co-receptor, IL1R, TNF response pathways, and complement genes. Cell type specificity in the lung and airways and smoking effects were conserved in mice. Our analyses suggest that differences in the cell type-specific expression of mediators of SARS-CoV-2 viral entry may be responsible for aspects of COVID-19 epidemiology and clinical course, and point to putative molecular pathways involved in disease susceptibility and pathogenesis

A Content Analysis of the “International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation” from 2007 to 2012

This study examined the content analysis of the articles published in International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation (TransNav). A content analysis was conducted for a 6‐year period from 2007 to 2012. The journal published 6 volumes, 24 issues and 401 articles since 2007. The articles were submitted by 637 authors from 49 different countries. A total of 401 research papers were analyzed in the sense of the author’s score, country and institution ranks of articles published in the TransNav Journal. In this study, no attempt was made to distinguish between departments, research centers, and agencies within an institution. The analyses were found that the authors from Poland made the most contribution to the journal. This shows that the journal should be more attractive for authors from other countries to enhance sending their scientific studies. This study also found that the journal mostly attends safety and security in sea transportation. Algorithms and methods are also widely included in the journal as a topic chapter

A RESEARCH ON TECHNIQUES, MODELS AND METHODS PROPOSED FOR SHIP COLLISION AVOIDANCE PATH PLANNING PROBLEM

The development of soft computing techniques in recent years has encouraged researchers to study on the path planning problem in ship collision avoidance. These techniques have widely been implemented in marine industry and technology-oriented novel solutions have been introduced. Various models, methods and techniques have been proposed to solve the mentioned path planning problem with the aim of preventing reoccurrence of the problem and thus strengthening marine safety as well as providing fuel consumption efficiency. The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the models, methods and technologies proposed to settle the path planning issue in ship collision avoidance. The study also aims to provide certain bibliometric information which develops a literature map of the related field. For this purpose, a thorough literature review has been carried out. The results of the study have pointedly showed that the artificial intelligence methods, fuzzy logic and heuristic algorithms have greatly been used by the researchers who are interested in the related field

DETERMINISTIC-BASED SHIP ANTI-COLLISION ROUTE OPTIMIZATION WITH WEB-BASED APPLICATION

fiskin, remzi/0000-0002-5949-0193WOS: 000505080600003Most of the accidents are caused by human error at sea so, decision making process made by navigators should be more computerised and automated. the supported decision making can be a step forward to decrease the risk of collision. This paper, in this respect, aims to present a deterministic approach to support optimum collision avoidance trajectory. This approach involves a collision avoidance course alteration. A web-based application coded with "JavaScript" programming language on the "Processing" software platform which allows the own ship to change her course in a deterministic manner to avoid collision optimally has been introduced. Algorithm structure of the method has been formulated and organized according to the International Regulation for Preventing Collision at Sea (COLREGs). the experimental tests results have revealed that the system is practicable and feasible and considerably outperforms heuristic-based method. It is thought that the developed method can be applied in an intelligent avoidance system on board and provides contribution to ship collision avoidance process, automation of ship motion control and ship traffic engineering

A Fuzzy Rule-Based Approach to Determine an Asymmetrical Polygonal Ship Domain

2019 Innovations in Intelligent Systems and Applications Conference, ASYU 2019 -- 31 October 2019 through 2 November 2019 -- -- 156545Navigators expect to feel comfortable while passing a ship and an obstacle at sea. This feeling has led to reveal the concept of ship domain. The ship domain is one of the criteria for navigational risk assessment and one of the parameters used in collision avoidance planning and traffic engineering at sea. Generally, navigators determine the domain size by experience, and they form it as a circle in practice. This is because it is called a fully subjective and imprecise value. Although elliptical and circle ship domains are mostly proposed, there have been some complex ship domains such as hexagonal, polygonal, etc. The methods and models to form a ship domain in the related literature are mainly based on analytical, statistical and artificial intelligence methods. In this study, a novel fuzzy rule-based approach has been proposed to determine an asymmetrical polygonal ship domain. The proposed domain is assumed to be around the own ship and its size and shape depend on the directions according to various parameters such as ship length, ship speed, maneuverability, traffic state, navigator experience, day time (daylight or night), sea state, visibility and relative bearing of the target ship (TS). A C# application based on fuzzy inference system (FIS) with Mamdani model has been implemented to form the size and shape of the domain. The logical implication rules used by navigators define the fuzzy domain. In conclusion, it is thought that the proposed model will undoubtedly contribute to the path planning, collision avoidance optimization, ship traffic engineering, and ship motion control. © 2019 IEEE

A Fuzzy Ship Domain-Based Method for Collision Avoidance at Sea

4th International Conference on Computer Science and Engineering, UBMK 2019 -- 11 September 2019 through 15 September 2019 -- -- 154916The paper presents an asymmetrical polygonal fuzzy ship domain-based ship collision avoidance method considering COLREGs. The user interface is formed for practical collision avoidance decision support function via using form application developed with the C# programming language on the Microsoft Visual Studio software platform. Experimental study shows that the presented method can provide a reasonable solution. The system is expected to provide an effective assistance to system operators and to make a contribution to the ship automation and e-navigation strategy. © 2019 IEEE