bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The key regulator LcERF056 enhances salt tolerance by modulating reactive oxygen species-related genes in Lotus corniculatus
Authors: Wang Dan , Sun Zhanmin , Hu Xinxu , Xiong Junbo , Hu Lizhen , Xu Yuandong , Tang Yixiong , Wu Yanmin
Published: December 2021

Background

The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) family are important regulatory factors involved in plants’ response to environmental stimuli. However, their roles in salt tolerance in Lotus corniculatus remain unclear.

Results

Here, the key salt-responsive transcription factor LcERF056 was cloned and characterised. LcERF056 belonging to the B3–1 (IX) subfamily of ERFs was considerably upregulated by salt treatment. LcERF056-fused GFP was exclusively localised to nuclei. Furthermore, LcERF056- overexpression (OE) transgenic Arabidopsis and L. corniculatus lines exhibited significantly high tolerance to salt treatment compared with wild-type (WT) or RNA interference expression (RNAi) transgenic lines at the phenotypic and physiological levels. Transcriptome analysis of OE, RNAi, and WT lines showed that LcERF056 regulated the downstream genes involved in several metabolic pathways. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR) and yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assay demonstrated that LcERF056 could bind to cis-element GCC box or DRE of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes such as lipid-transfer protein, peroxidase and ribosomal protein.

Conclusion

Our results suggested that the key regulator LcERF056 plays important roles in salt tolerance in L. corniculatus by modulating ROS-related genes. Therefore, it may be a useful target for engineering salt-tolerant L. corniculatus or other crops.
Determinants of childbirth care quality along the care continuum in limited resource settings: A structural equation modeling analysis of cross-sectional data from Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Millogo Tieba , Kourouma Raïssa Kadidiatou , Méda Bertrand Ivlabéhiré , Agbre-Yace Marie Laurette , Dosso Abdul , Yaméogo Maurice W. E. , Kouanda Seni
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Despite the important increase in in-facility births, perinatal mortality rates have remained high and slow to decrease in many developing countries. This situation is attributed to poor childbirth care quality. The reason why women delivering in health facilities do not always receive care of an adequate standard is unclear. We assessed the determinants of childbirth care quality along the care continuum by means of different approaches.

Methods

A health facility-based cross-sectional study with a direct observation of health care workers’ practices while caring for mother–newborn pairs was carried out in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. The performance of a set of essential best practices (EBPs) was assessed in each birth event at the admission, prepushing and immediate postpartum stages. A quality score, in the form of the additive sum of EBPs effectively delivered, was computed for each stage. We used negative binomial regression models and a structural equation modeling analysis to assess the determinants of care quality at each stage and the relationships of the quality delivered at the different stages, respectively.

Results

A total of 532 and 627 mother–newborn pairs were evaluated in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, respectively. In both countries, delivery care quality varied significantly at all stages between health districts. Predelivery care quality was consistently higher in referral hospitals than in primary health care facilities (incident rate ratio (IRR) = 1.02, p < 0.05, and IRR = 1.10, p < 0.05, respectively, for Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire). Quality at admission was poorer among nurses than among midwives in Burkina Faso (IRR = 0.81, p < 0.001). Quality at the admission and predelivery stages was positively correlated with immediate postpartum care quality (β = 0.48, p < 0.001, and β = 0.29, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Quality improvement strategies must target both providers and health facilities, and different inputs are needed depending on the stage in the care continuum.
A case report of exophytic nasal papilloma with acute dacryocystitis as the first symptom
Authors: Mo Ya , Long Danning , Li Luoxiang , Zheng Yanlin
Published: December 2021

Background

This study aims to explore a case of exophytic nasal papilloma with acute dacryocystitis as the first symptom.

Case presentation

A 72-year-old male patient complaining of “a 10-year history of tearing and purulent discharge from the right eye, with subsequent redness and pain in the inner canthus for three days” was initially diagnosed with acute dacryocystitis of the right eye. The patient was treated with anti-inflammatory therapy. However, the redness and swelling of the inner canthus continued to increase. An endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy of the right eye was performed under general anesthesia. A large amount of purulent secretion was drained during the operation. As a result, the swelling of the inner canthus was significantly reduced. A routine intra-operative biopsy of the wall of the lacrimal sac revealed an exophytic nasal papilloma. A second biopsy, 1 week after the surgery, revealed the same result. The patient was advised to undergo a dacryocystectomy once the swelling had subsided. However, the patient was reluctant to undergo this surgery and remains under clinical observation.

Conclusion

It is rare for an exophytic nasal papilloma, which is a benign tumor in the lacrimal sac, which has the potential for recurrence and malignant transformation, to manifest with acute dacryocystitis as the first symptom. Therefore, this case report could provide a reference for the future clinical diagnosis of this disease.
Five-to-five clear aligner therapy: predictable orthodontic movement for general dentist to achieve minimally invasive dentistry
Authors: Weinstein Tommaso , Marano Giuseppe , Aulakh Raman
Published: December 2021

Background

Esthetic dentistry has become a very important aspect of every dental treatment from the patient perspective, whether it is orthodontics or implant therapy. The aim of this article is to describe the advantages of a newly developed branch of five-to-five clear aligner therapy (CAT) (Invisalign Go, Align Technology, San Jose, Calif) in interdisciplinary treatments especially in terms of minimally invasive interventions.

Case presentation

Two case reports are presented together with a comprehensive analysis using the SAFE (Safety, Assessment, Function, Ethics) assessment. This paper aims to introduce a new systematic in CAT. Invisalign Go (Align Technology, Santa Clara, California, USA) allows orthodontic treatment from second premolar and second premolar in both arches. It is specially designed for general practitioners devoted to restorative dentistry for a better planning of a multidisciplinary and mini-invasive treatment plan.

Discussion and conclusion

The clinical results demonstrate how CAT is extremely useful in multidisciplinary treatment plan in order to straighten teeth especially in a pre-restorative phase to allow minimally invasive and adhesive restorations.
Exploring the perspectives of primary care providers on use of the electronic Patient Reported Outcomes tool to support goal-oriented care: a qualitative study
Authors: Singh Hardeep , Tahsin Farah , Nie Jason Xin , McKinstry Brian , Thavorn Kednapa , Upshur Ross , Harvey Sarah , Wodchis Walter P. , Gray Carolyn Steele
Published: December 2021

Background

Digital health technologies can support primary care delivery, but clinical uptake in primary care is limited. This study explores enablers and barriers experienced by primary care providers when adopting new digital health technologies, using the example of the electronic Patient Reported Outcome (ePRO) tool; a mobile application and web portal designed to support goal-oriented care. To better understand implementation drivers and barriers primary care providers’ usage behaviours are compared to their perspectives on ePRO utility and fit to support care for patients with complex care needs.

Methods

This qualitative sub-analysis was part of a larger trial evaluating the use of the ePRO tool in primary care. Qualitative interviews were conducted with providers at the midpoint (i.e. 4.5–6 months after ePRO implementation) and end-point (i.e. 9–12 months after ePRO implementation) of the trial. Interviews explored providers’ experiences and perceptions of integrating the tool within their clinical practice. Interview data were analyzed using a hybrid thematic analysis and guided by the Technology Acceptance Model. Data from thirteen providers from three distinct primary care sites were included in the presented study.

Results

Three core themes were identified: (1) Perceived usefulness: perceptions of the tool’s alignment with providers’ typical approach to care, impact and value and fit with existing workflows influenced providers’ intention to use the tool and usage behaviour; (2) Behavioural intention: providers had a high or low behavioural intention, and for some, it changed over time; and (3) Improving usage behaviour: enabling external factors and enhancing the tool’s perceived ease of use may improve usage behaviour.

Conclusions

Multiple refinements/iterations of the ePRO tool (e.g. enhancing the tool’s alignment with provider workflows and functions) may be needed to enhance providers’ usage behaviour, perceived usefulness and behavioural intention. Enabling external factors, such as organizational and IT support, are also necessary to increase providers’ usage behaviour. Lessons from this study advance knowledge of technology implementation in primary care.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov Identified NCT02917954. Registered September 2016, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT02917954
FTH promotes the proliferation and renders the HCC cells specifically resist to ferroptosis by maintaining iron homeostasis
Authors: Hu Wanye , Zhou Chaoting , Jing Qiangan , Li Yancun , Yang Jing , Yang Chen , Wang Luyang , Hu Jiayu , Li Huanjuan , Wang Hairui , Yuan Chen , Zhou Yi , Ren Xueying , Tong Xiangmin , Du Jing , Wang Ying
Published: December 2021

Background

Ferroptosis is a newly identified type of programmed cell death, which preferentially targets iron-rich cancer cells such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ferritin heavy chain (FTH) is a major iron storing nanocage to store redox-inactive iron, and harbors ferroxidase activity to prevent the iron-mediated production of ROS. Our previous studies have demonstrated that FTH acts as a protective role to increase the cellular resistance to ferroptosis. However, the specific role of FTH in the development of HCC and ferroptosis resistance remains unclear.

Methods

The indicated databases were used for bioinformatics analysis. The abilities of cell proliferation, migration were measured by cell proliferation assay, transwell assay and wound healing assay. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxide, free iron, mitochondrial superoxide, mitochondrial morphology and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were determined by DCF-DA, C11-BODIPY, mitoSOX, mitoTracker, JC-10 and TMRM staining, respectively. The mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate was monitored by the Seahorse XF24 Analyzer.

Results

The pan-cancer analysis was performed and showed that FTH expression is upregulated in multiple cancers, such as LIHC, CHOL, HNSC, compared to corresponding normal tissues. In addition, the level of serum ferritin is positively associated with the progression of hepatitis, cirrhosis liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. Further investigation shed light on the strong correlation between FTH expression and tumor grades, cancer stages and prognosis of HCC. Importantly, the proteins interaction network elucidated that FTH is involved in iron homeostasis maintenance and lysosomal-dependent degradation. Enforced expression of FTH accelerates proliferation, migration and endows HCC cells specifically resistant to ferroptosis, but does not protect against cell death caused by cytotoxic compounds like oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and adriamycin. Mechanically, FTH reconstituted cells exhibit diminished peroxides accumulation, reduce mitochondrial ROS level, attenuate the impaired mitochondrial respiratory and rescue the mitochondrial homeostasis. Notably, FTH expression boosts tumorigenic potential in vivo with increased PCNA staining and lesser lipid peroxides generation.

Conclusion

These results provide new insights that FTH acts as an oncogene in the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC, and is hopeful to be a potential target for therapeutic intervention through ferroptosis.
Children and young people’s mental health in the English-speaking Caribbean: a scoping review and evidence map
Authors: Liverpool Shaun , Pereira Brent , Pollard Malika , Prescod Jamal , Trotman Catherine
Published: December 2021

Internationally, there is a wealth of research suggesting that many children and young people experience mental health problems. However, the evidence from low- and middle-income countries and developing nations is generally limited. This scoping review aimed to add to the body of evidence by providing an overview of the available research literature on children and young people’s (CYP’s) mental health in the English-speaking Caribbean region. Seven key online academic databases and grey literature sources were searched until January 2021. Records were screened against predefined criteria and suitable articles retrieved. Relevant information was then charted and summarized. All stages of the review were informed by expert consultations. Ninety-six articles from 7901 records met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies were conducted in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados while fewer studies reported findings from St Lucia, The Bahamas and St Kitts and Nevis. Research funding was not frequently reported, and participants were predominantly recruited in education settings. There was a substantial focus on depressive symptoms and behaviour problems. Little or no research was available for younger children (< 12), complex clinical cases or commonly under-represented groups. Four unique interventions were identified of which one intervention showed no significant impact on CYP. Among the commonly used outcome measures only the Jamaican Youth Checklist (teacher-reported), Beck Depression Inventory-II, Brief Screen for Depression, Trinidad and Tobago Youth Survey and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory had evidence for psychometric validity within this population. We discuss future directions, implications and recommendations for research, practice, policy and training.
Correction format has a limited role when debunking misinformation
Authors: Swire-Thompson Briony , Cook John , Butler Lucy H. , Sanderson Jasmyne A. , Lewandowsky Stephan , Ecker Ullrich K. H.
Published: December 2021

Given that being misinformed can have negative ramifications, finding optimal corrective techniques has become a key focus of research. In recent years, several divergent correction formats have been proposed as superior based on distinct theoretical frameworks. However, these correction formats have not been compared in controlled settings, so the suggested superiority of each format remains speculative. Across four experiments, the current paper investigated how altering the format of corrections influences people’s subsequent reliance on misinformation. We examined whether myth-first, fact-first, fact-only, or myth-only correction formats were most effective, using a range of different materials and participant pools. Experiments 1 and 2 focused on climate change misconceptions; participants were Qualtrics online panel members and students taking part in a massive open online course, respectively. Experiments 3 and 4 used misconceptions from a diverse set of topics, with Amazon Mechanical Turk crowdworkers and university student participants. We found that the impact of a correction on beliefs and inferential reasoning was largely independent of the specific format used. The clearest evidence for any potential relative superiority emerged in Experiment 4, which found that the myth-first format was more effective at myth correction than the fact-first format after a delayed retention interval. However, in general it appeared that as long as the key ingredients of a correction were presented, format did not make a considerable difference. This suggests that simply providing corrective information, regardless of format, is far more important than how the correction is presented.
Quantification of H217O by 1H-MR imaging at 3 T: a feasibility study
Authors: Martí-Bonmatí Luis , Rodríguez-Ortega Alejandro , Ten-Esteve Amadeo , Alberich-Bayarri Ángel , Celda Bernardo , Ferrer Eduardo
Published: December 2021

Background

Indirect 1H-magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of 17O-labelled water allows imaging in vivo dynamic changes in water compartmentalisation. Our aim was to describe the feasibility of indirect 1H-MR methods to evaluate the effect of H217O on the MR relaxation rates by using conventional a 3-T equipment and voxel-wise relaxation rates.

Methods

MR images were used to calculate the R1, R2, and R2* relaxation rates in phantoms (19 vials with different H217O concentrations, ranging from 0.039 to 5.5%). Afterwards, an experimental animal pilot study (8 rats) was designed to evaluate the in vivo relative R2 brain dynamic changes related to the intravenous administration of 17O-labelled water in rats.

Results

There were no significant changes on the R1 and R2* values from phantoms. The R2 obtained with the turbo spin-echo T2-weighted sequence with 20-ms echo time interval had the higher statistical difference (0.67 s−1, interquartile range 0.34, p < 0.001) and Spearman correlation (rho 0.79). The R2 increase was adjusted to a linear fit between 0.25 and 5.5%, represented with equation R2 = 0.405 concentration + 0.3215. The highest significant differences were obtained for the higher concentrations (3.1–5.5%). The rat brain MR experiment showed a mean 10% change in the R2 value after the H217O injection with progressive normalisation.

Conclusions

Indirect 1H-MR imaging method is able to measure H217O concentration by using R2 values and conventional 3-T MR equipment. Normalised R2 relative dynamic changes after the intravenous injection of a H217O saline solution provide a unique opportunity to map water pathophysiology in vivo, opening the analysis of aquaporins status and modifications by disease at clinically available 3-T proton MR scanners.
Organic Residues Analysis of Oil Bottle of Goryeo Dynasty Excavated from the Soejeoul Site, Geumneung-dong, Chungju
Authors: Yun Eun Young , Kim Suyeon
Published: December 2021

Organic residues are substances derived from diverse natural sources. Recent scientific analysis of organic residues has yielded important information in restoring the lifestyles of ancient peoples. In this study, the organic material contained within the celadon oil bottle of the Goryeo dynasty, excavated from the Soejoul site in Geumneung-dong, Chungju, was analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results showed that the organic materials in the bottle were plant-derived oils. In particular, polyunsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols were detected using GC-MS analysis. Sesamin components were also identified. Sesamin, which is a characteristic component of sesame seeds, is a lignan and an antioxidant. As the organic residues in the oil bottle were derived from sesame seeds, it is presumed that sesame oil was stored in the bottle.
A Study on the Conservation and Management of the Painting of Shamanistic Spirits in Chiseonggwang Buddha
Authors: Lee Hyun Jeong , Seo Jeong Ho
Published: December 2021

This study presents a method for conserving shamanistic spirits in Chiseonggwang Buddha. Scientific investigation has revealed that these spirits have been subject to degeneration as a result of severe exfoliation and pollution. The materials and preservation treatment techniques used in create these shamanistic spirits were identified through visual inspection and using appropriate scientific equipment. The different types of background paper, background material, and color pigments used in create the shamanistic spirits were analyzed using a colorimeter, stereoscopic microscope, and SEM-EDS techniques. The analysis revealed that the pulp paper was used as the background and synthetic fiber polyester as the background material. In addition, the study of the pigment revealed that the color components were all synthetic, except for red lead [Pb3O4] and oyster shell white [CaCO3]. Moreover, it was confirmed that the green pigment, identified as emerald green [Cu(C2H3O2)2.3Cu(AsO2)2], was a major component of shamanistic spirits in the late 19th century. The shamanistic spirits in Chiseonggwang Buddha were conserved by identifying raw materials and pigments through this detailed analysis.
A Study on the Manufacture and Physical Properties of Liquid Adhesive for Wood Preservation - Focusing on the Synthesis of Gelatin and Carrageenan -
Authors: Oh Seung Jun , Han Won Sik , Wi Koang Chul
Published: December 2021

In order to improve the usability of glue, a traditional adhesive material, and the gelation process of seaweed extract carrageenan, a liquid adhesive for wood preservation was prepared by mixing the two materials. The prepared wood adhesive was mixed with a 15 wt% aqueous solution of glue, λ-carrageenan, an antibacterial agent, an antifoaming agent, and the maximum adhesive strength of 1.80 Mpa was confirmed. As a result of comparison, the adhesive strength was superior to that of 5 different types of traditional natural adhesive ingredients (aqueous solution) and 1 type of polyvinyl acetate-based adhesive.
Conatus and Dasein: The Problem of an Existential Theory of Motivation
Authors: Markič Marko
Published: December 2021

In the article I articulate an interpretation of the findingness (Befindlichkeit) of Dasein in Heidegger as a specific existential drive, basing it on an interpretation of his concept of existence, drawing from his earlier lectures before Being and Time, and relying on the clarification of the existential meaning of relation. Following a related interpretation of understanding and care, I offer some considerations pertaining to the problem of authentic motivation and its possible practical application. Initially, I offer an interpretation of existence as it relates to the meaning of being, understanding the relata in this ultimate sense as two aspects of speech. In this, I understand the meaning of being as a groundless call or address. Building on that, I propose a motivational understanding of findingness as the necessary drive of Dasein toward its self-interpretation as it relates to the enigmatic call of being. I supplement this view with an interpretation of existential understanding as a coequal aspect of the groundless freedom of that relation of Dasein to itself. Finally, I offer an interpretation of authenticity, in line with the aforementioned explicated understanding of existence and the corresponding meaning of the authentic motivational findingness of Dasein. In conclusion, I raise a question of how such authentic motivation could be practically understood in the perspective of life-world interactions.
TUPAC INCA PACHACUTI Y VLADIMIR KANDINSKY. LÍNEAS PUNTOS Y CONTRASTES.
Authors: Bernand Carmen
Published: December 2021

Este texto propone cotejar, sobre la base del formalismo y de la pasión geométrica, dos mundos distintos, reunidos irrespetuosamente aquí: el de los Incas del Perú, conquistados en el siglo XVI por España, y el de Vasily Kandinsky, nacido en la Rusia imperial y exiliado después de la Revolución de 1917. Los diseños de los tejidos y los resplandores sagrados del alba y del crepúsculo de los Incas, nos evocan las formas lineales, la luz crepuscular de Moscú, y “las vibraciones del alma” del inventor de la pintura moderna, influenciado por las imágenes sagradas ortodoxas y el chamanismo de los pastores de la zona subártica.
¿BASADO EN HECHOS REALES? HACIA UNA CULTURA POP DEL CRIMEN.
Authors: Iáñez Picazo Javier
Published: December 2021

El presente artículo busca reflexionar sobre una cultura pop del crimen, entendida como un conjunto complejo de fenómenos, narrativas e identidades que legitiman la violencia a través de dinámicas de incertidumbres entre hechos y ficciones. Para ello, se abordarán las dos principales condiciones que han propiciado este fenómeno: en primer lugar, la espectacularización de la violencia en la ficción popular, que va desde la narrativa romántica postgótica hasta las películas gore actuales, haciendo hincapié en el cine de explotación y la consecuente mitificación (y posterior desmitificación) del snuff. En segundo lugar, una creciente fascinación por el asesino en serie, que eleva su estatus al de celebrity y permite filiaciones identitarias por parte de los espectadores y consumidores, lo cual conduce a cierta ficcionalización del criminal. Estos aspectos recalcarán el funcionamiento de la cultura pop del crimen, que se apoya en esta movilidad cultural entre realidad y ficción para generar una sensibilidad cultural del asesinato que ha sido renovada en las sociedades contemporáneas. No solo el desarrollo de los canales de producción y difusión de imágenes, sino otros factores modernos como la consecuente normalización de la violencia en los sistemas neoliberales y heteropatriarcales tendrán un impacto decisivo en la cultura popular y los hábitos de consumo. Un repaso final por algunas tendencias subculturales como la murderabilia o el necroporno servirá para escenificar la permeabilidad de algunos artefactos culturales que reflejan y contribuyen a esta violencia sistémica.
FROM PORTUGAL TO THE COLONIES: CHARACTERISTICS OF PORTUGUESE EXILES AT THE END OF THE 18TH CENTURY.
Authors: Valente Neves Liliana Andreia
Published: December 2021

The exile penalty has been widely used by the portuguese justice over the past centuries. The exiled were forced to cross the Atlantic in the direction of Brazil, Africa and Asia, where they fulfilled the punishment. The constant sending of large human contingents to colonial territories demonstrates the interests that the Crown had in removing the criminals from the metropolis. However, it can be an indicator of other objectives, such as the population and effective possession of the places where they were destined. This reality caused variations in the fate of the exiles according to the times and the needs that the Crown had in different periods. Thus, several authors agree that the sending of exiles to the colonies was aimed at occupation, defence, settlement and contribution to miscegenation in these territories. Through this research work, we seek to carry out a comparative study where we highlight the differences between the sending of exiles to the South American and African colonial territories. We also seek to get to know these individuals seeking to know their social status, profession, crime, age, marital status, place of birth, destination of exile and time of sentence. It was also our intention to analyze how the process of sending these individuals overseas was carried out, the time between the condemnation and their departure, how they were shipped, who was in charge of taking them to their destination and who guaranteed their survival during the trip.
Modern Punjabi Literature and the Spectre of Sectarian Histories
Authors: Murphy Anne
Published: December 2021

This essay explores two instances in the modern Punjabi literary engagement with the past, to consider the ways the writing of Sikh history has been configured as a modern literary construct. After brief consideration of the canonical work Sundarī by Bhai Vir Singh (1898), I consider a novel by Kartar Singh Duggal Nānak Nām Chaṛhdī Kalā (1989, “Blessed are those who Remember God”) to examine the legacies of the formulation of Sikh history operating in Vir Singh’s work. In doing so, I also consider the ways exclusionary and plural discourses coexist and comingle, to understand the multivalent nature of such representations, which cannot be assumed to express singular political affiliations and therefore reflect the complexity of Sikh articulations within colonial and postcolonial political fields.
A General Framework for Approximating Min Sum Ordering Problems
Authors: Happach Felix , Hellerstein Lisa , Lidbetter Thomas
Published: December 2021

We consider a large family of problems in which an ordering (or, more precisely, a chain of subsets) of a finite set must be chosen to minimize some weighted sum of costs. This family includes variations of min sum set cover, several scheduling and search problems, and problems in Boolean function evaluation. We define a new problem, called the min sum ordering problem (MSOP), which generalizes all these problems using a cost and a weight function defined on subsets of a finite set. Assuming a polynomial time α-approximation algorithm for the problem of finding a subset whose ratio of weight to cost is maximal, we show that under very minimal assumptions, there is a polynomial time [Formula: see text]-approximation algorithm for MSOP. This approximation result generalizes a proof technique used for several distinct problems in the literature. We apply this to obtain a number of new approximation results.

Summary of Contribution: This paper provides a general framework for min sum ordering problems. Within the realm of theoretical computer science, these problems include min sum set cover and its generalizations, as well as problems in Boolean function evaluation. On the operations research side, they include problems in search theory and scheduling. We present and analyze a very general algorithm for these problems, unifying several previous results on various min sum ordering problems and resulting in new constant factor guarantees for others.
Bayesian Exploration: Incentivizing Exploration in Bayesian Games
Authors: Mansour Yishay , Slivkins Aleksandrs , Syrgkanis Vasilis , Wu Zhiwei Steven
Published: December 2021

In a wide range of recommendation systems, self-interested individuals (“agents”) make decisions over time, using information revealed by other agents in the past, and producing information that may help agents in the future. Each agent would like to exploit the best action given the current information but would prefer the previous agents to explore various alternatives to collect information. A social planner, by means of a well-designed recommendation policy, can incentivize the agents to balance exploration and exploitation in order to maximize social welfare or some other objective. The recommendation policy can be modeled as a multiarmed bandit algorithm under Bayesian incentivecompatibility (BIC) constraints. This line of work has received considerable attention in the “economics and computation” community. Although in prior work, the planner interacts with a single agent at a time, the present paper allows the agents to affect one another directly in a shared environment. The agents now face two sources of uncertainty: what is the environment, and what would the other agents do? We focus on “explorable” actions: those that can be recommended by some BIC policy. We show how the principal can identify and explore all such actions.
Tobacco Leaf Grading Based on Deep Convolutional Neural Networks and Machine Vision
Authors: Lu Mengyao , Jiang Shuwen , Wang Cong , Chen Dong , Chen Tian’en
Published: December 2021

Highlights

A classification model for the front and back sides of tobacco leaves was developed for application in industry.

A tobacco leaf grading method that combines a CNN with double-branch integration was proposed.

The A-ResNet network was proposed and compared with other classic CNN networks.

The grading accuracy of eight different grades was 91.30% and the testing time was 82.180 ms, showing a relatively high classification accuracy and efficiency.

Abstract. Flue-cured tobacco leaf grading is a key step in the production and processing of Chinese-style cigarette raw materials, directly affecting cigarette blend and quality stability. At present, manual grading of tobacco leaves is dominant in China, resulting in unsatisfactory grading quality and consuming considerable material and financial resources. In this study, for fast, accurate, and non-destructive tobacco leaf grading, 2,791 flue-cured tobacco leaves of eight different grades in south Anhui Province, China, were chosen as the study sample, and a tobacco leaf grading method that combines convolutional neural networks and double-branch integration was proposed. First, a classification model for the front and back sides of tobacco leaves was trained by transfer learning. Second, two processing methods (equal-scaled resizing and cropping) were used to obtain global images and local patches from the front sides of tobacco leaves. A global image-based tobacco leaf grading model was then developed using the proposed A-ResNet-65 network, and a local patch-based tobacco leaf grading model was developed using the ResNet-34 network. These two networks were compared with classic deep learning networks, such as VGGNet, GoogLeNet-V3, and ResNet. Finally, the grading results of the two grading models were integrated to realize tobacco leaf grading. The tobacco leaf classification accuracy of the final model, for eight different grades, was 91.30%, and grading of a single tobacco leaf required 82.180 ms. The proposed method achieved a relatively high grading accuracy and efficiency. It provides a method for industrial implementation of the tobacco leaf grading and offers a new approach for the quality grading of other agricultural products. Keywords: Convolutional neural network, Deep learning, Image classification, Transfer learning, Tobacco leaf grading
Design and Deployment of Network Testbed for Web Data Security
Authors: Shandilya Shishir Kumar
Published: December 2021

In recent years, the cyber security scenario has transformed predominantly from conventional response-based security mechanisms to proactive security strategies. And this transformation is still continuing which is shifting it from proactive security strategies to cyber immunity which eliminates the cyber threats by introducing stringent and adaptive security measures. In the process of developing new security algorithms/procedures, accurate modelling and effective simulation play a vital role for the robustness and effectiveness of proposed system. It is also necessary to analyze the behaviour of proposed system against multiple types of known cyber attacks. This paper focuses on the existing network testbeds for an effective analysis and monitoring while proposing a new network testbed for examining new security concepts like cyber immunity. The proposed network testbed is designed to incorporate the methods and procedures of Nature-inspired Cyber Security to accommodate the adaptive responses against the sophisticated and ever-advancing cyber attacks. The proposed testbed provides customizable analytical tool to design, test and examine the new security algorithms through a rich set of attack scenarios. It also allows developers to design, implement, and evaluate their defensive techniques with library support.
Efficient silicon and side-cladding waveguide modulator with electro-optic polymer
Authors: Mao Jiawei , Sato Hiromu , Bannaron Alisa , Hong Jianxun , Lu Guo-Wei , Yokoyama Shiyoshi
Published: December 2021

Efficient electro-optic (EO) modulation can be generated in the hybrid silicon modulator with EO polymer in the form of an in-plane coplanar waveguide and electrode structure. Strong confinement of the optical field in the hybrid structure is critical to performing efficient electric poling and modulation of the EO polymer. The waveguide consists of silica-based side claddings and an EO core for increasing the integral of the optical field and the overlap interaction between the optical field and the modulated electric field within the EO polymer. We discuss in detail the volume resistivity dependence of the efficiency of electric poling and modulation for various side-cladding materials. In a Mach-Zehnder interferometer modulator, the measured half-wave-voltage length product (VπL) is 1.9 V·cm at an optical communication wavelength of 1,550 nm under the TE optical mode operation. The high-speed signaling of the device is demonstrated by generating on-off-keying transmission at signal rates up to 52 Gbit/s with a Q factor of 6.1 at a drive voltage of 2.0 Vpp.
Ultradian rhythms of AKT phosphorylation and gene expression emerge in the absence of the circadian clock components Per1 and Per2
Authors: Aviram Rona , Dandavate Vaishnavi , Manella Gal , Golik Marina , Asher Gad
Published: December 2021

Rhythmicity of biological processes can be elicited either in response to environmental cycles or driven by endogenous oscillators. In mammals, the circadian clock drives about 24-hour rhythms of multitude metabolic and physiological processes in anticipation to environmental daily oscillations. Also at the intersection of environment and metabolism is the protein kinase—AKT. It conveys extracellular signals, primarily feeding-related signals, to regulate various key cellular functions. Previous studies in mice identified rhythmicity in AKT activation (pAKT) with elevated levels in the fed state. However, it is still unknown whether rhythmic AKT activation can be driven through intrinsic mechanisms. Here, we inspected temporal changes in pAKT levels both in cultured cells and animal models. In cultured cells, pAKT levels showed circadian oscillations similar to those observed in livers of wild-type mice under free-running conditions. Unexpectedly, in livers ofPer1,2−/−but not ofBmal1−/−mice we detected ultradian (about 16 hours) oscillations of pAKT levels. Importantly, the liver transcriptome ofPer1,2−/−mice also showed ultradian rhythms, corresponding to pAKT rhythmicity and consisting of AKT-related genes and regulators. Overall, our findings reveal ultradian rhythms in liver gene expression and AKT phosphorylation that emerge in the absence of environmental rhythms andPer1,2−/−genes.
The quantitative basis for the redistribution of immobile bacterial lipoproteins to division septa
Authors: Connolley Lara , Szczepaniak Joanna , Kleanthous Colin , Murray Seán M.
Published: December 2021

The spatial localisation of proteins is critical for most cellular function. In bacteria, this is typically achieved through capture by established landmark proteins. However, this requires that the protein is diffusive on the appropriate timescale. It is therefore unknown how the localisation of effectively immobile proteins is achieved. Here, we investigate the localisation to the division site of the slowly diffusing lipoprotein Pal, which anchors the outer membrane to the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. While the proton motive force-linked TolQRAB system is known to be required for this repositioning, the underlying mechanism is unresolved, especially given the very low mobility of Pal. We present a quantitative, mathematical model for Pal relocalisation in which dissociation of TolB-Pal complexes, powered by the proton motive force across the inner membrane, leads to the net transport of Pal along the outer membrane and its deposition at the division septum. We fit the model to experimental measurements of protein mobility and successfully test its predictions experimentally against mutant phenotypes. Our model not only explains a key aspect of cell division in Gram-negative bacteria, but also presents a physical mechanism for the transport of low-mobility proteins that may be applicable to multi-membrane organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.
Epidemiological and ecological consequences of virus manipulation of host and vector in plant virus transmission
Authors: Cunniffe Nik J. , Taylor Nick P. , Hamelin Frédéric M. , Jeger Michael J.
Published: December 2021

Many plant viruses are transmitted by insect vectors. Transmission can be described as persistent or non-persistent depending on rates of acquisition, retention, and inoculation of virus. Much experimental evidence has accumulated indicating vectors can prefer to settle and/or feed on infected versus noninfected host plants. For persistent transmission, vector preference can also be conditional, depending on the vector’s own infection status. Since viruses can alter host plant quality as a resource for feeding, infection potentially also affects vector population dynamics. Here we use mathematical modelling to develop a theoretical framework addressing the effects of vector preferences for landing, settling and feeding–as well as potential effects of infection on vector population density–on plant virus epidemics. We explore the consequences of preferences that depend on the host (infected or healthy) and vector (viruliferous or nonviruliferous) phenotypes, and how this is affected by the form of transmission, persistent or non-persistent. We show how different components of vector preference have characteristic effects on both the basic reproduction number and the final incidence of disease. We also show how vector preference can induce bistability, in which the virus is able to persist even when it cannot invade from very low densities. Feedbacks between plant infection status, vector population dynamics and virus transmission potentially lead to very complex dynamics, including sustained oscillations. Our work is supported by an interactive interface https://plantdiseasevectorpreference.herokuapp.com/. Our model reiterates the importance of coupling virus infection to vector behaviour, life history and population dynamics to fully understand plant virus epidemics.
Calf/female ratio and population dynamics of wild forest reindeer in relation to wolf and moose abundances in a managed European ecosystem
Authors: Kojola Ilpo , Hallikainen Ville , Heikkinen Samuli , Forsman Jukka T. , Kukko Tuomas , Pusenius Jyrki , Antti Paasivaara
Published: December 2021

Background

The alternative prey hypothesis describes the mechanism for apparent competition whereby the mortality of the secondary prey species increases (and population size decreases decreases) by the increased predation by the shared predator if the population size of the primary prey decreases. Apparent competition is a process where the abundance of two co-existing prey species are negatively associated because they share a mutual predator, which negatively affects the abundance of both prey Here, we examined whether alternative prey and/or apparent competition hypothesis can explain the population dynamics and reproductive output of the secondary prey, wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) in Finland, in a predator-prey community in which moose (Alces alces) is the primary prey and the wolf (Canis lupus) is the generalist predator.

Methods

We examined a 22-year time series (1996–2017) to determine how the population size and the calf/female ratio of wild forest reindeer in Eastern Finland were related to the abundances of wolf and moose. Only moose population size was regulated by hunting. Summer predation of wolves on reindeer focuses on calves. We used least squares regression (GLS) models (for handling autocorrelated error structures and resulting pseudo-R2s) and generalized linear mixed (GLMs) models (for avoidance of negative predictions) to determine the relationships between abundances. We performed linear and general linear models for the calf/female ratio of reindeer.

Results and synthesis

The trends in reindeer population size and moose abundance were almost identical: an increase during the first years and then a decrease until the last years of our study period. Wolf population size in turn did not show long-term trends. Change in reindeer population size between consecutive winters was related positively to the calf/female ratio. The calf/female ratio was negatively related to wolf population size, but the reindeer population size was related to the wolf population only when moose abundance was entered as another independent variable. The wolf population was not related to moose abundance even though it is likely to consist the majority of the prey biomass. Because reindeer and moose populations were positively associated, our results seemed to support the alternative prey hypothesis more than the apparent competition hypothesis. However, these two hypotheses are not mutually exclusive and the primary mechanism is difficult to distinguish as the system is heavily managed by moose hunting. The recovery of wild forest reindeer in eastern Finland probably requires ecosystem management involving both habitat restoration and control of species abundances.
The involvement of TGF-β1 /FAK/α-SMA pathway in the antifibrotic impact of rice bran oil on thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in rats
Authors: Abdel-Rahman Rehab F. , Fayed Hany M. , Asaad Gihan F. , Ogaly Hanan A. , Hessin Alyaa F. , Salama Abeer A. A. , Abd El-Rahman Sahar S. , Arbid Mahmoud S. , Mohamed Marawan Abd Elbaset
Published: December 2021

The objective of the current study is to investigate the effect of rice bran oil (RBO) on hepatic fibrosis as a characteristic response to persistent liver injuries. Rats were randomly allocated into five groups: the negative control group, thioacetamide (TAA) group (thioacetamide 100 mg/kg thrice weekly for two successive weeks, ip), RBO 0.2 and 0.4 groups (RBO 0.2mL and 0.4 mL/rat/day,po) and standard group (silymarin 100 mg/kg/day,po) for two weeks after TAA injection. Blood and liver tissue samples were collected for biochemical, molecular, and histological analyses. Liver functions, oxidative stress, inflammation, liver fibrosis markers were assessed. The obtained results showed that RBO reduced TAA-induced liver fibrosis and suppressed the extracellular matrix formation. Compared to the positive control group, RBO dramatically reduced total bilirubin, AST, and ALT blood levels. Furthermore, RBO reduced MDA and increased GSH contents in the liver. Simultaneously RBO downregulated the NF-κβ signaling pathway, which in turn inhibited the expression of some inflammatory mediators, including Cox-2, IL-1β, and TNF-α. RBO attenuated liver fibrosis by suppressing the biological effects of TGF-β1, α-SMA, collagen I, hydroxyproline, CTGF, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK). RBO reduced liver fibrosis by inhibiting hepatic stellate cell activation and modulating the interplay among the TGF-β1 and FAK signal transduction. The greater dosage of 0.4 mL/kg has a more substantial impact. Hence, this investigation presents RBO as a promising antifibrotic agent in the TAA model through inhibition of TGF-β1 /FAK/α-SMA.