bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Industrial applications of fungal lipases: a review
Authors: Kumar Ashish , Verma Vinita , Dubey Vimal Kumar , Srivastava Alok , Garg Sanjay Kumar , Singh Vijay Pal , Arora Pankaj Kumar
Published: April 2023

Fungal lipases (triacylglycerol acyl hydrolases EC 3.1.1.3) are significant industrial enzymes and have several applications in a number of industries and fields. Fungal lipases are found in several species of fungi and yeast. These enzymes are carboxylic acid esterases, categorized under the serine hydrolase family, and do not require any cofactor during the catalyzing of the reactions. It was also noticed that processes including the extraction and purification of lipases from fungi are comparatively easier and cheaper than other sources of lipases. In addition, fungal lipases have been classified into three chief classes, namely, GX, GGGX, and Y. Fungal lipases have applications not only in the hydrolysis of fats and oils (triglycerides) but are also involved in synthetic reactions such as esterification, acidolysis, alcoholysis, interesterification, and aminolysis. The production and activity of fungal lipases are highly affected by the carbon source, nitrogen source, temperature, pH, metal ions, surfactants, and moisture content. Therefore, fungal lipases have several industrial and biotechnological applications in many fields such as biodiesel production, ester synthesis, production of biodegradable biopolymers, formulations of cosmetics and personal care products, detergent manufacturing, degreasing of leather, pulp and paper production, textile industry, biosensor development, and drug formulations and as a diagnostic tool in the medical sector, biodegradation of esters, and bioremediation of wastewater. The immobilization of fungal lipases onto different carriers also helps in improving the catalytic activities and efficiencies of lipases by increasing thermal and ionic stability (in organic solvents, high pH, and temperature), being easy to recycle, and inducing the volume-specific loading of the enzyme onto the support, and thus, these features have proved to be appropriate for use as biocatalysts in different sectors.
Prediction of miRNA-disease associations in microbes based on graph convolutional networks and autoencoders
Authors: Liao Qingquan , Ye Yuxiang , Li Zihang , Chen Hao , Zhuo Linlin
Published: April 2023

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecular fragments that regulate gene expression by targeting and inhibiting the expression of specific RNAs. Due to the fact that microRNAs affect many diseases in microbial ecology, it is necessary to predict microRNAs' association with diseases at the microbial level. To this end, we propose a novel model, termed as GCNA-MDA, where dual-autoencoder and graph convolutional network (GCN) are integrated to predict miRNA-disease association. The proposed method leverages autoencoders to extract robust representations of miRNAs and diseases and meantime exploits GCN to capture the topological information of miRNA-disease networks. To alleviate the impact of insufficient information for the original data, the association similarity and feature similarity data are combined to calculate a more complete initial basic vector of nodes. The experimental results on the benchmark datasets demonstrate that compared with the existing representative methods, the proposed method has achieved the superior performance and its precision reaches up to 0.8982. These results demonstrate that the proposed method can serve as a tool for exploring miRNA-disease associations in microbial environments.
Neuronal growth regulator 1 may modulate interleukin-6 signaling in adipocytes
Authors: Yoo Ara , Lee Soojin
Published: April 2023

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays both anti- and pro-inflammatory roles. Due to the restricted expression of membrane IL-6 receptor (IL-6R), most pro-inflammatory functions of IL-6 are attributed to its association with soluble IL-6R (sIL-6R). Neuronal growth regulator 1 (NEGR1) is a brain-enriched membrane protein that has recently been recognized as a risk factor for many human diseases including obesity, depression, and autism. In the present study, we report that the expression levels of IL-6 and IL-6R, as well as the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, were significantly elevated in white adipose tissues of Negr1 knockout mice. Elevated levels of circulating IL-6 and sIL-6R have also been observed in Negr1−/− mice. Furthermore, NEGR1 interacted with IL-6R, which was supported by subcellular fractionation and an in situ proximity ligation assay. Importantly, NEGR1 expression attenuated the phosphorylation of STAT3 by sIL-6R, suggesting that NEGR1 negatively regulates IL-6 trans-signaling. Taken together, we propose that NEGR1 may play a regulatory role in IL-6 signaling by interacting with IL-6R, which may contribute to a molecular link underlying obesity, inflammation, and the depression cycle.
Serotonin/GABA receptors modulate odor input to olfactory receptor neuron in locusts
Authors: Lv Mingyue , Xu Xiao , Zhang Xinyang , Yuwen Bo , Zhang Long
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) and GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) are involved in the regulation of behaviors in the central nervous system. However, it remains unclear whether they modulate olfaction in the peripheral nervous system, and how they modulate olfaction.

Methods and results

One 5-HT receptor sequence (Lmig5-HT2) and one GABA receptor sequence (LmigGABAb) were identified in locust antennae by transcriptome analysis and polymerase chain reaction experiments. In situ hybridization localized Lmig5-HT2 to accessory cells, while LmigGABAb was localized to olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in locust chemosensilla. Single-unit electrophysiological recordings combined with RNA interference (RNAi) experiments indicated ORNs of locusts with knockdown of Lmig5-HT2 (ds-Lmig5-HT2) and LmigGABAb (ds-LmigGABAb) to some odors had significantly higher responses than wild-type and control locusts in the dose-dependent responses. Moreover, the gaps between the responses of ORNs of RNAi ones and those of wild-type and ds-GFP enlarged with an increase in concentrations of odors.

Discussion

Taken together, our findings suggest that 5-HT, GABA, and their receptors exist in the insect peripheral nervous system and that they may function as negative feedback to ORNs and contribute to a fine-tuning mechanism for olfaction in the peripheral nervous system.
Non-human primate models and systems for gait and neurophysiological analysis
Authors: Liang Fengyan , Yu Shanshan , Pang Siqi , Wang Xiao , Jie Jing , Gao Fei , Song Zhenhua , Li Binbin , Liao Wei-Hsin , Yin Ming
Published: April 2023

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) have garnered extensive interest and become a groundbreaking technology to restore movement, tactile sense, and communication in patients. Prior to their use in human subjects, clinical BCIs require rigorous validation and verification (V&V). Non-human primates (NHPs) are often considered the ultimate and widely used animal model for neuroscience studies, including BCIs V&V, due to their proximity to humans. This literature review summarizes 94 NHP gait analysis studies until 1 June, 2022, including seven BCI-oriented studies. Due to technological limitations, most of these studies used wired neural recordings to access electrophysiological data. However, wireless neural recording systems for NHPs enabled neuroscience research in humans, and many on NHP locomotion, while posing numerous technical challenges, such as signal quality, data throughout, working distance, size, and power constraint, that have yet to be overcome. Besides neurological data, motion capture (MoCap) systems are usually required in BCI and gait studies to capture locomotion kinematics. However, current studies have exclusively relied on image processing-based MoCap systems, which have insufficient accuracy (error: ≥4° and 9 mm). While the role of the motor cortex during locomotion is still unclear and worth further exploration, future BCI and gait studies require simultaneous, high-speed, accurate neurophysiological, and movement measures. Therefore, the infrared MoCap system which has high accuracy and speed, together with a high spatiotemporal resolution neural recording system, may expand the scope and improve the quality of the motor and neurophysiological analysis in NHPs.
Fragile X Syndrome as an interneuronopathy: a lesson for future studies and treatments
Authors: Tempio Alessandra , Boulksibat Asma , Bardoni Barbara , Delhaye Sébastien
Published: April 2023

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability (ID) and a primary genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). FXS arises from the silencing of the FMR1 gene causing the lack of translation of its encoded protein, the Fragile X Messenger RibonucleoProtein (FMRP), an RNA-binding protein involved in translational control and in RNA transport along dendrites. Although a large effort during the last 20  years has been made to investigate the cellular roles of FMRP, no effective and specific therapeutic intervention is available to treat FXS. Many studies revealed a role for FMRP in shaping sensory circuits during developmental critical periods to affect proper neurodevelopment. Dendritic spine stability, branching and density abnormalities are part of the developmental delay observed in various FXS brain areas. In particular, cortical neuronal networks in FXS are hyper-responsive and hyperexcitable, making these circuits highly synchronous. Overall, these data suggest that the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance in FXS neuronal circuitry is altered. However, not much is known about how interneuron populations contribute to the unbalanced E/I ratio in FXS even if their abnormal functioning has an impact on the behavioral deficits of patients and animal models affected by neurodevelopmental disorders. We revise here the key literature concerning the role of interneurons in FXS not only with the purpose to better understand the pathophysiology of this disorder, but also to explore new possible therapeutic applications to treat FXS and other forms of ASD or ID. Indeed, for instance, the re-introduction of functional interneurons in the diseased brains has been proposed as a promising therapeutic approach for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Neonatal subarachnoid hemorrhage disrupts multiple aspects of cerebellar development
Authors: Butler David F. , Skibo Jonathan , Traudt Christopher M. , Millen Kathleen J.
Published: April 2023

Over the past decade, survival rates for extremely low gestational age neonates (ELGANs; <28 weeks gestation) has markedly improved. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of ELGANs will suffer from neurodevelopmental dysfunction. Cerebellar hemorrhagic injury (CHI) has been increasingly recognized in the ELGANs population and may contribute to neurologic dysfunction; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. To address this gap in knowledge, we developed a novel model of early isolated posterior fossa subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in neonatal mice and investigated both acute and long-term effects. Following SAH on postnatal day 6 (P6), we found significant decreased levels of proliferation with the external granular layer (EGL), thinning of the EGL, decreased Purkinje cell (PC) density, and increased Bergmann glial (BG) fiber crossings at P8. At P42, CHI resulted in decreased PC density, decreased molecular layer interneuron (MLI) density, and increased BG fiber crossings. Results from both Rotarod and inverted screen assays did not demonstrate significant effects on motor strength or learning at P35–38. Treatment with the anti-inflammatory drug Ketoprofen did not significantly alter our findings after CHI, suggesting that treatment of neuro-inflammation does not provide significant neuroprotection post CHI. Further studies are required to fully elucidate the mechanisms through which CHI disrupts cerebellar developmental programming in order to develop therapeutic strategies for neuroprotection in ELGANs.
mRNA and lncRNA co-expression network in mice of acute intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Yu Zhe , Hu En , Cai Yiqing , Zhu Wenxin , Chen Quan , Li Teng , Li Zhilin , Wang Yang , Tang Tao
Published: April 2023

Background

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe subtype of stroke lacking effective pharmacological targets. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) has been confirmed to participate in the pathophysiological progress of various neurological disorders. However, how lncRNA affects ICH outcomes in the acute phase is not completely clear. In this study, we aimed to reveal the relationship of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA following ICH.

Method

We conducted the autologous blood injection ICH model and extracted total RNAs on day 7. Microarray scanning was used to obtain mRNA and lncRNA profiles, which were validated by RT-qPCR. GO/KEGG analysis of differentially expressed mRNAs was performed using the Metascape platform. We calculated the Pearson correlation coefficients (PCCs) of lncRNA-mRNA for co-expression network construction. A competitive endogenous (Ce-RNA) network was established based on DIANALncBase and miRDB database. Finally, the Ce-RNA network was visualized and analyzed by Cytoscape.

Results

In total, 570 differentially expressed mRNAs and 313 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified (FC ≥ 2 and value of p <0.05). The function of differentially expressed mRNAs was mainly enriched in immune response, inflammation, apoptosis, ferroptosis, and other typical pathways. The lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network contained 57 nodes (21 lncRNAs and 36 mRNAs) and 38 lncRNA-mRNA pairs. The ce-RNA network was generated with 303 nodes (29 lncRNAs, 163 mRNAs, and 111 miRNAs) and 906 edges. Three hub clusters were selected to indicate the most significant lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that the top differentially expressed RNA molecules may be the biomarker of acute ICH. Furthermore, the hub lncRNA-mRNA pairs and lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA correlations may provide new clues for ICH treatment.
Prediction of angiographic coronary disease and mortality with a cadmium-zinc-telluride camera: a comparison of upright and supine ejection fractions and left ventricular volumes
Authors: Walker Jackson , Christianson Annette , Athar Muhammad , Waqar Fahad , Gerson Myron
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Perfusion imaging strongly predicts coronary artery disease (CAD), whereas cardiac volumes and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) strongly predict mortality. Compared to conventional Anger single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) cameras, cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) cameras provide higher resolution, resulting in different left ventricular volumes. The cadmium-zinc-telluride D-SPECT camera is commonly used to image in the upright position, which introduces changes in left ventricular loading conditions and potentially alters left ventricular volumes. However, little or no data exist on the predictive value of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction when acquired in the upright position. We investigated models for the prediction of CAD and mortality, comparing upright and supine imaging.

Methods

A retrospective study of patients with upright/supine stress and rest imaging and coronary angiography within 3 months was performed. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to predict abnormal angiograms and all-cause mortality.

Results

Of the 392 patients, 210 (53.6%) had significant angiographic CAD; 78 (19.9%) patients died over 75 months. The best multivariable model for CAD included the supine summed stress score and supine stress LVEF, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.862, a sensitivity of 76.7%, and a specificity of 82.4%, but this model was not statistically superior to the best upright model. The best multivariable models for mortality included age, diabetes, history of cardiovascular disease, and end-systolic volume, with the upright and supine models being equivalent.

Discussion

Angiographic CAD was best predicted by the supine summed stress score and LVEF but was not statistically superior to the next-best upright model. Mortality was best predicted by end-systolic volume in combination with age, diabetes status, and cardiovascular disease status, with equivalent results from the upright and supine images.
Antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, and antihyperlipidemic properties of Chimonanthus salicifolius S. Y. Hu leaves in experimental animals: modulation of thioredoxin and glutathione systems, renal water reabsorption, and gut microbiota
Authors: Dong Ruixia , Pan Junjie , Zhao Guangshan , Zhao Qiuyan , Wang Shiqiong , Li Ning , Song Lianjun , Huang Xianqing , Miao Shuxing , Ying Junhui , Wu Fangying , Wang Dongxu , Cheng Kejun , Granato Daniel , Ban Qiuyan
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Excessive calorie intake and physical inactivity have dramatically increased nutrient overload-associated disease, becoming a global public health issue. Chimonanthus salicifolius S. Y. Hu (CHI) is a homology plant of food and medicine in China and shows several health benefits.

Methods

This work investigated the antioxidant activity, the alleviating effects, and the mechanism of action on diabetes and hyperlipidemia of CHI leaves.

Results and discussion

Results showed that CHI leaves infusion displayed in vitro antioxidant activity measured by ABTS and ferric reducing antioxidant power methods. In wild-type Kunming mice, CHI leaves infusion consumption activated the hepatic antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase as well as thioredoxin reductase 1. In alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic mice, CHI leaves infusion ameliorated diabetic symptoms, including polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia and hyperglycemia, in a dose-dependent and time-course manners. The mechanism involved CHI leaves up-regulating renal water reabsorption associated protein – urine transporter A1–and promoting the trafficking of urine transporter A1 and aquaporin 2 to the apical plasma membrane. Despite this, in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic golden hamsters, CHI leaves powder did not significantly effect on hyperlipidemia and body weight gain. This might be attributed to CHI leaves powder increasing the calorie intake. Interestingly, we found that CHI leaves extract containing a lower dose of total flavonoid than CHI leaves powder pronouncedly reduced the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum in golden hamsters fed a high-fat diet. Furthermore, CHI leaves extract elevated the diversity of gut microbiota and the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014. It also decreased the abundance of Lactobacillus at the genus level in golden hamsters fed a high-fat diet. Overall, CHI leaves benefit oxidative stress prevention and metabolic syndrome amelioration in vivo.
Immunotherapy for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: current landscape and future perspectives
Authors: Zhang Shuang , Cheng Ying
Published: April 2023

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a fatal subtype of lung cancer characterized by high aggressiveness, poor prognosis, and limited treatment options. For the first time in more than three decades, it has been demonstrated that the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy improved the survival of patients with extensive-stage SCLC, thereby immunotherapy plus chemotherapy established a new standard of first-line treatment. However, it is important to improve the curative effect of immunotherapy on SCLC and identify the patients who could benefit from such treatment. In this article, we review the current status of the first-line immunotherapy, the strategies to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy and the discovery of potential predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy for SCLC.
Feasibility and dosimetric evaluation of single- and multi-isocentre stereotactic body radiation therapy for multiple liver metastases
Authors: Tang Chunbo , Gong Changfei , Liu Biaoshui , Guo Hailiang , Dai Zhongyang , Yuan Jun , Wang Xiaoping , Zhang Yun
Published: April 2023

Objectives

Single-isocentre volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) improves treatment efficiency and patient compliance for patients with multiple liver metastases (MLM). However, the potential increase in dose spillage to normal liver tissue using a single-isocentre technique has not yet been studied. We comprehensively evaluated the quality of single- and multi-isocentre VMAT-SBRT for MLM and propose a RapidPlan-based automatic planning (AP) approach for MLM SBRT.

Methods

A total of 30 patients with MLM (two or three lesions) were selected for this retrospective study. We manually replanned all patients treated with MLM SBRT by using the single-isocentre (MUS) and multi-isocentre (MUM) techniques. Then, we randomly selected 20 MUS and MUM plans for training to generate the single-isocentre RapidPlan model (RPS) and the multi-isocentre RapidPlan model (RPM). Finally, we used data from the remaining 10 patients to validate RPS and RPM.

Results

Compared with MUS, MUM reduced the mean dose delivered to the right kidney by 0.3 Gy. The mean liver dose (MLD) was 2.3 Gy higher for MUS compared with MUM. However, the monitor units, delivery time, and V20Gy of normal liver (liver-gross tumour volume) for MUM were significantly higher than for MUS. Based on validation, RPS and RPM slightly improved the MLD, V20Gy, normal tissue complications, and dose sparing to the right and left kidneys and spinal cord compared with manual plans (MUS vs RPS and MUM vs RPM), but RPS and RPM significantly increased monitor units and delivery time.

Conclusions

The single-isocentre VMAT-SBRT approach could be used for MLM to reduce treatment time and patient comfort at the cost of a small increase in the MLD. Compared with the manual plans, RapidPlan-based plans, especially RPS, have slightly improved quality.
Maternal risk factors for posterior urethral valves
Authors: van der Zanden Loes F. M. , Groen in ‘t Woud Sander , van Rooij Iris A. L. M. , Quaedackers Josine S. L. T. , Steffens Martijn , de Wall Liesbeth L. L. , Schreuder Michiel F. , Feitz Wout F. J. , Roeleveld Nel
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Posterior urethral valves (PUV) is a congenital disorder causing an obstruction of the lower urinary tract that affects approximately 1 in 4,000 male live births. PUV is considered a multifactorial disorder, meaning that both genetic and environmental factors are involved in its development. We investigated maternal risk factors for PUV.

Methods

We included 407 PUV patients and 814 controls matched on year of birth from the AGORA data- and biobank and three participating hospitals. Information on potential risk factors (family history of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT), season of conception, gravidity, subfertility, and conception using assisted reproductive techniques (ART), plus maternal age, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and use of alcohol and folic acid) was derived from maternal questionnaires. After multiple imputation, adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were estimated using conditional logistic regression corrected for minimally sufficient sets of confounders determined using directed acyclic graphs.

Results

A positive family history and low maternal age (<25 years) were associated with PUV development [aORs: 3.3 and 1.7 with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 1.4–7.7 and 1.0–2.8, respectively], whereas higher maternal age (>35 years) was associated with a lower risk (aOR: 0.7 95% CI: 0.4–1.0). Maternal preexisting hypertension seemed to increase PUV risk (aOR: 2.1 95% CI: 0.9–5.1), while gestational hypertension seemed to decrease this risk (aOR: 0.6 95% CI: 0.3–1.0). Concerning use of ART, the aORs for the different techniques were all above one, but with very wide 95% CIs including one. None of the other factors studied were associated with PUV development.

Conclusion

Our study showed that family history of CAKUT, low maternal age, and potentially preexisting hypertension were associated with PUV development, whereas higher maternal age and gestational hypertension seemed to be associated with a lower risk. Maternal age and hypertension as well as the possible role of ART in the development of PUV require further research.
Cord blood cardiovascular biomarkers in tetralogy of fallot and D-transposition of great arteries
Authors: Gómez Olga , Nogué Laura , Soveral Iris , Guirado Laura , Izquierdo Nora , Pérez-Cruz Miriam , Masoller Narcís , Escobar María Clara , Sanchez-de-Toledo Joan , Martínez-Crespo Josep Maria , Bennasar Mar , Crispi Fàtima
Published: April 2023

Previous reports suggest that cord blood biomarkers could serve as a prognostic tool for conotruncal congenital heart defects (CHD). We aimed to describe the cord blood profile of different cardiovascular biomarkers in a prospective series of fetuses with tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) and D-transposition of great arteries (D-TGA) and to explore their correlation with fetal echocardiography and perinatal outcome.

Methods

A prospective cohort study (2014–2019), including fetuses with isolated ToF and D-TGA and healthy controls, was conducted at two tertiary referral centers for CHD in Barcelona. Obstetric ultrasound and fetal echocardiography were performed in the third trimester and cord blood was obtained at delivery. Cord blood concentrations of N-terminal precursor of B-type natriuretic peptide, Troponin I, transforming growth factorβ (TGFβ), placental growth factor, and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 were determined.

Results

Thirty-four fetuses with conotruncal-CHD (22 ToF and 12 D-TGA) and 36 controls were included. ToF-fetuses showed markedly increased cord blood TGFβ (24.9 ng/ml (15.6–45.3) vs. normal heart 15.7 ng/ml (7.2–24.3) vs. D-TGA 12.6 ng/ml (8.7–37.9); P = 0.012). These results remained statistically significant even after adjusting for maternal body mass index, birth weight and mode of delivery. TGFß levels showed a negative correlation with the pulmonary valve diameter z-score at fetal echocardiography (r = −0.576, P = 0.039). No other differences were found in the rest of cord blood biomarkers among the study populations. Likewise, no other significant correlations were identified between cardiovascular biomarkers, fetal echocardiography and perinatal outcome.

Conclusions

This study newly describes increased cord blood TGFβ concentrations in ToF compared to D-TGA and normal fetuses. We also demonstrate that TGFβ levels correlate with the severity of right ventricle outflow obstruction. These novel findings open a window of research opportunities on new prognostic and potential preventive strategies.
Fine-grained similarity semantic preserving deep hashing for cross-modal retrieval
Authors: Li Guoyou , Peng Qingjun , Zou Dexu , Yang Jinyue , Shu Zhenqiu
Published: April 2023

Cross-modal hashing methods have received wide attention in cross-modal retrieval owing to their advantages in computational efficiency and storage cost. However, most existing deep cross-modal hashing methods cannot employ both intra-modal and inter-modal similarities to guide the learning of hash codes and ignore the quantization loss of hash codes, simultaneously. To solve the above problems, we propose a fine-grained similarity semantic preserving deep hashing (FSSPDH) for cross-modal retrieval. Firstly, this proposed method learns different hash codes for different modalities to preserve the intrinsic property of each modality. Secondly, the fine-grained similarity matrix is constructed by using labels and data features, which not only maintains the similarity between and within modalities. In addition, quantization loss is used to learn hash codes and thus effectively reduce information loss caused during the quantization procedure. A large number of experiments on three public datasets demonstrate the advantage of the proposed FSSPDH method.
Targeting immunometabolism during cardiorenal injury: roles of conventional and alternative macrophage metabolic fuels
Authors: Mouton Alan J. , do Carmo Jussara M. , da Silva Alexandre A. , Omoto Ana C. M. , Hall John E.
Published: April 2023

Macrophages play critical roles in mediating and resolving tissue injury as well as tissue remodeling during cardiorenal disease. Altered immunometabolism, particularly macrophage metabolism, is a critical underlying mechanism of immune dysfunction and inflammation, particularly in individuals with underlying metabolic abnormalities. In this review, we discuss the critical roles of macrophages in cardiac and renal injury and disease. We also highlight the roles of macrophage metabolism and discuss metabolic abnormalities, such as obesity and diabetes, which may impair normal macrophage metabolism and thus predispose individuals to cardiorenal inflammation and injury. As the roles of macrophage glucose and fatty acid metabolism have been extensively discussed elsewhere, we focus on the roles of alternative fuels, such as lactate and ketones, which play underappreciated roles during cardiac and renal injury and heavily influence macrophage phenotypes.
L-Glutamine is better for treatment than prevention in exhaustive exercise
Authors: Lu Cheng-Chung , Ke Chun-Yen , Wu Wen-Tien , Lee Ru-Ping
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Glutamine is known as the richest nonessential amino acid in the human body. The intake of glutamine is not only beneficial to nutrition but also reported to enhance inflammation reducing bioactivity in exercise. Although studies have demonstrated that glutamine is beneficial for exercise, the optimal intake timing remains unclear. This study examined whether the effects of glutamine on tissue damage and physiology differ between intake timings.

Methods: Rats were divided into without L-glutamine supplementation (vehicle), with L-glutamine before exhaustive exercise (prevention), and with L-glutamine after exhaustive exercise (treatment) groups. Exhaustive exercise was induced by treadmill running and L-glutamine was given by oral feeding. The exhaustive exercise began at a speed of 10 miles/min and increased in increments of 1 mile/min, to a maximum running speed of 15 miles/min with no incline. The blood samples were collected before exhaustive exercise, 12 h and 24 h after exercise to compare the creatine kinase isozyme MM (CK-MM), red blood cell count and platelet count. The animals were euthanized on 24 h after exercise, and tissue samples were collected for pathological examination and scored the severity of organ injury from 0 to 4.

Results: The CK-MM was elevated gradually after exercise in the vehicle group; however, CK-MM was decreased after L-glutamine supplementation in the treatment group. The treatment group had higher red blood cell count and platelet count than the vehicle and prevention group after exercise. In addition, the treatment group had less tissue injury in the cardiac muscles, and kidneys than prevention group.

Conclusion: The therapeutic effect of L-glutamine after exhaustive exercise was more effective than preventive before exercise.
Does representation of women in parliament promote economic growth? Considering evidence from Europe and Central Asia
Authors: Mirziyoyeva Ziroat , Salahodjaev Raufhon
Published: April 2023

Introduction

The relationship between gender equality and economic growth has attracted considerable attention in scholarly research. While existing literature has evaluated the significance of gender inequality in education and employment, the impact of gender disparity in public service on economic growth remains an under examined area of scholarly inquiry. The main aim of this study is to assess the effect of female empowerment in public service on economic growth in Europe and Central Asia (ECA). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first analysis of the relationship between female political empowerment and economic growth at a regional level.

Methods

We rely on several econometric techniques to obtain robust empirical results and resolve various problems encountered when using panel data. We start with the random and fixed effects model to obtain the baseline results. The fixed effects model generates unbiased estimates by reducing the impact of time omitted variables. The core empirical technique used in this study is the twostep system GMM estimator.

Results

The empirical results suggest that female participation in parliament has a positive and significant effect on economic progress. In particular, a 10%-point increase in women's representation in parliament leads to a 0.74%-point increase in GDP growth.

Discussion

Thus, it is essential to further promote female empowerment programmes in developing countries and continue to adopt new measures aimed at increasing the participation of women in public service. Future studies could explore the relationship between female empowerment and economic growth at subnational levels and test whether female empowerment moderates the relationship between financial development, innovation, trade and economic growth.
Predictors of perceptions of human rights violations during the Chilean social outburst of 2019
Authors: Carrasco Paillamilla Silvia F. , Disi Pavlic Rodolfo
Published: April 2023

The 2019 social outburst in Chile marked a significant turning point for the nation’s politics and society, with widespread reports of human rights violations committed by the armed forces and the Police during demonstrations and riots. Despite the attention given to these events, few studies have systematically analyzed perceptions of human rights violations in such contentious contexts. To investigate the factors influencing perceptions of human rights violations during the 2019 Chilean social outburst, we conducted ordered logistic regressions using data from a nationally representative survey fielded during the unrest. Our findings reveal that participation in demonstrations, use of social media for political information, fear of crime, and proximity to violent protests are correlated with the perception that security forces frequently violated human rights during the outburst. These results contribute to the understanding of public perceptions of human rights violations in the context of the 2019 Chilean social outburst and provide insights for future research on the role of individual and contextual factors in shaping these perceptions.
Optical sensor-based nitrogen management: an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach for sustainable wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production on Eastern plains of India
Authors: Mitra Biplab , Singha Prantick , Roy Chowdhury Arnab , Sinha Abhas Kumar , Skalicky Milan , Laing Alison M. , Alamri Saud , Hossain Akbar
Published: April 2023

An optical sensor like Green Seeker (GS) is an emerging tool for site-specific in-season fertilizer nitrogen management strategy. The objective of this study was to establish an in-season estimate of yield (INSEY)–grain yield (GY) relation in wheat grown under Eastern plains of India using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) at 45 and 65 days after sowing (DAS). Data revealed lower NDVI values at 65 DAS over 45 DAS in no-nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) applied control plots as well as in N-rich plots (225 kg ha−1N); on the contrary, the values were higher at 65 DAS over 45 DAS in treatments where some N fertilizers were added based on NDVI readings at 45 DAS. Response index (RI) showed higher chances of response to external application of N in NDVI-based treatments. The INSEY–GY relation for wheat at 45 and 65 DAS was worked out as a power function ofy= 64265x1.171andy= 46949x1.036(y is the attainable yield in kg ha−1and x is INSEY), respectively. The yields could fairly be predicted through this relation even at 45 DAS, though the relationship was more robust at 65 DAS (R2= 0.94). A prescriptive dose of 60 kg N ha−1as basal + 60 kg N ha−1at crown root initiation (CRI) stage followed by NDVI sensor-guided N application (at 45 and 65 DAS) brought about a significant improvement in yield performances, N use efficiencies with higher net returns, and benefit-to-cost ratio. The results proved the reliability of the NDVI sensor as an important tool for the optimization of fertilizer nitrogen in wheat grown under the Eastern plains of India. The new INSEY–GY relation developed through this trial could successfully be used for yield prediction in the Eastern plains of India under changing climate.
Territorial rural development strategies based on organic agriculture: the example of Valposchiavo, Switzerland
Authors: Stotten Rike , Froning Paul
Published: April 2023

The disembedding nature of globalization is being tackled by integrated and territorial approaches that focus on local contexts and include multiple actors and sectors. One example are biodistricts that rely on values of organic agriculture to strengthen territorial agro-food systems. The remote rural mountain valley of Valposchiavo, Switzerland, follows such a territorial approach and is subject of this case study. In this article we aim to understand in detail the processes of territorial development strategies in Valposchiavo. To shed light on the development approach, we used the theoretical concept of neo-endogenous development by Ray. We conducted document analysis, secondary interview analysis as well as problem-centered interviews. The results indicate that the rural development approach follows a neo-endogenous development that renews rural–urban linkages by developing internal and external networks. The creation of a territorial brand and a regional development project contribute to the establishment of local and organic agro-food supply chains. The territorial development approach in Valposchiavo demonstrates how remote mountain areas can shape the well-being of their community and tackle negative impacts of globalization.
The use of natural products in Latin America and the Caribbean for blocking dengue infection in mosquito cells
Authors: Golding Mario A. J. , Khouri Nadia K. , Anderson Kathryn B. , Wood Troy D. , Sandiford Simone L.
Published: April 2023

Latin America and the Caribbean continue to be adversely affected by dengue with the disease being endemic in several countries in this region. As a result, the social and economic impacts of the disease have risen significantly. Currently, there are very few solutions available to limit the spread of the virus, with vector control being the most commonly used. However, due to increased insecticidal resistance, scientists in the region have actively been seeking new ways to limit the spread of the virus. This quest has led researchers to investigate the antiviral properties of natural products. While antiviral screening activities focused on preventing or treating infection of the human host remains a significant area of study, some scientists have now focused their attention on preventing infection or transmission in the mosquito vector. This review therefore aims to highlight the use of natural products in Latin America and the Caribbean for blocking viral transmission of dengue virus in mosquito cells. This novel approach is promising and could ultimately be used in conjunction with other methods to help significantly reduce dengue incidence in the region.
Quality of Life With a Hernia—A Novel Patient Led Study
Authors: Hill Susannah , Bullock Jackie , Sanders David Lars
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Abdominal wall hernia surgery aims to relieve symptoms and to improve quality of life (QoL). The aim of this novel patient led research, was to help surgeons understand how hernias impact on patients’ wellbeing.

Methods: A questionnaire was developed by patient advocates. It was promoted through social media to gather anonymous feedback from patients.

Results: 264 questionnaires were completed. The majority of the respondents were female (78.4%, n = 207), from English speaking countries (85.2%, n = 225), and had either parastomal hernias (36.0%, n = 95) or incisional hernias (28.0%, n = 74). Respondents described how their hernia affected sexual intimacy, either due to the dislike of their physical appearance, pain or the practicalities of their hernia getting in the way. They reported that their hernia restricted them from engaging in certain exercise activities, and a significant proportion also reported an impact on their diet.

Conclusion: This study has identified that in addition to functional problems, living with a hernia can affect mental health as well as social and physical relationships. Existing hernia QoL tools are limited in the outcomes that they measure. Without a comprehensive hernia specific QoL tool, it remains difficult for a surgeon to accurately assess the impact that different treatment modalities may have on patients.
An Assessment of Persistent Acoustic Monitoring of a Nuclear Reactor during Full Power Generation
Authors: Cárdenas Edna S. , Takazawa Samuel K. , Garcés Milton A. , Chichester David L. , Hunley Riley D. , Young Chris D.
Published: April 2023

Persistent low-frequency (<180 Hz) acoustic detection took place within the boundaries of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to monitor full power operations of the High Flux Isotope Reactor. Three acoustic sensors were installed at distances of 69, 101, and 914 m from the northeast corner of the cooling towers to monitor and assess four reactor power generation cycles. Features were extracted from power spectral density calculations where data were collected during reactor on and off operations. Diverse spectral features were present during full reactor power, including a 21.4 Hz fundamental frequency and ascending harmonics. Using bandpass filters, these related frequencies were isolated and summed, and the root mean square energy was calculated. The method of isolating and summing characteristic features provided a significant improvement in identifying acoustic behavior related to reactor power when the raw signals were obscured by noise.
A Multi-Scale Attention Mechanism Based Domain Adversarial Neural Network Strategy for Bearing Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Zhang Quanling , Tang Ningze , Fu Xing , Peng Hao , Bo Cuimei , Wang Cunsong
Published: April 2023

There are a large number of bearings in aircraft engines that are subjected to extreme operating conditions, such as high temperature, high speed, and heavy load, and their fatigue, wear, and other failure problems seriously affect the reliability of the engine. The complex and variable bearing operating conditions can lead to differences in the distribution of data between the source and target operating conditions, as well as insufficient labels. To solve the above challenges, a multi-scale attention mechanism-based domain adversarial neural network strategy for bearing fault diagnosis (MADANN) is proposed and verified using Case Western Reserve University bearing data and PT500mini mechanical bearing data in this paper. First, a multi-scale feature extractor with an attention mechanism is proposed to extract more discriminative multi-scale features of the input signal. Subsequently, the maximum mean discrepancy (MMD) is introduced to measure the difference between the distribution of the target domain and the source domain. Finally, the fault diagnosis process of the rolling is realized by minimizing the loss of the feature classifier, the loss of the MMD distance, and maximizing the loss of the domain discriminator. The verification results indicate that the proposed strategy has stronger learning ability and better diagnosis performance than shallow network, deep network, and commonly used domain adaptive models.
Characteristic Analysis of Heterochiral TCP Muscle as a Extensile Actuator for Soft Robotics Applications
Authors: Ragland Beau , Wu Lianjun
Published: April 2023

A soft actuator is an essential component in a soft robot that enables it to perform complex movements by combining different fundamental motion modes. One type of soft actuator that has received significant attention is the twisted and coiled polymer artificial muscle (TCP actuator). Despite many recent advancements in TCP actuator research, its use as an extensile actuator is less common in the literature. This works introduces the concept of using TCP actuators as thermal-driven extensile actuators for robotics applications. The low-profile actuator can be easily fabricated to offer two unique deformation capabilities. Results from the characterization indicate that extensile actuators, made with various rod diameters and under different load conditions, display remarkable elongation deformation. Additionally, a proof-of-concept soft-earthworm robot was developed to showcase the potential application of the extensile actuator and to demonstrate the benefits of combining different types of motion modes.
Simulating Operational Concepts for Autonomous Robotic Space Exploration Systems: A Framework for Early Design Validation
Authors: Rimani Jasmine , Viola Nicole , Lizy-Destrez Stéphanie
Published: April 2023

During mission design, the concept of operations (ConOps) describes how the system operates during various life cycle phases to meet stakeholder expectations. ConOps is sometimes declined in a simple evaluation of the power consumption or data generation per mode. Different operational timelines are typically developed based on expert knowledge. This approach is robust when designing an automated system or a system with a low level of autonomy. However, when studying highly autonomous systems, designers may be interested in understanding how the system would react in an operational scenario when provided with knowledge about its actions and operational environment. These considerations can help verify and validate the proposed ConOps architecture, highlight shortcomings in both physical and functional design, and help better formulate detailed requirements. Hence, this study aims to provide a framework for the simulation and validation of operational scenarios for autonomous robotic space exploration systems during the preliminary design phases. This study extends current efforts in autonomy technology for planetary systems by focusing on testing their operability and assessing their performances in different scenarios early in the design process. The framework uses Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) as the knowledge base for the studied system and its operations. It then leverages a Markov Decision Process (MDP) to simulate a set of system operations in a relevant scenario. It then outputs a feasible plan with the associated variation of a set of considered resources as step functions. This method was applied to simulate the operations of a small rover exploring an unknown environment to observe and sample a set of targets.
Interpreting Conv-LSTM for Spatio-Temporal Soil Moisture Prediction in China
Authors: Huang Feini , Zhang Yongkun , Zhang Ye , Shangguan Wei , Li Qingliang , Li Lu , Jiang Shijie
Published: April 2023

Soil moisture (SM) is a key variable in Earth system science that affects various hydrological and agricultural processes. Convolutional long short-term memory (Conv-LSTM) networks are widely used deep learning models for spatio-temporal SM prediction, but they are often regarded as black boxes that lack interpretability and transparency. This study aims to interpret Conv-LSTM for spatio-temporal SM prediction in China, using the permutation importance and smooth gradient methods for global and local interpretation, respectively. The trained Conv-LSTM model achieved a high R2 of 0.92. The global interpretation revealed that precipitation and soil properties are the most important factors affecting SM prediction. Furthermore, the local interpretation showed that the seasonality of variables was more evident in the high-latitude regions, but their effects were stronger in low-latitude regions. Overall, this study provides a novel approach to enhance the trust-building for Conv-LSTM models and to demonstrate the potential of artificial intelligence-assisted Earth system modeling and understanding element prediction in the future.