bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rancang Bangun Sistem Informasi Aplikasi Pendukung Kementerian Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia Sulawesi Tenggara
Authors: Nangi Jumadil , Wardana Mihra , Subuh Nur Rahmawati , Rusmianti Yuyun , Anshari Nur Muhammad Nadzirin
Published: August 2022

Pemanfaatan sistem informasi saat ini sangat membantu dalam dunia perkantoran. Adanya sistem informasi dapat mewadahi dan meningkatkan aksesibilitas data dan informasi pada Kantor Wilayah Kementerian Hukum Dan Hak Asasi Manusia Sulawesi Tenggara dapat tersajikan dengan cepat. Tujuan dibangunnya sistem informasi ini adalah untuk mempermudah pegawai Kantor Wilayah Kementerian Hukum Dan Hak Asasi Manusia Sulawesi Tenggara  mengakses aplikasi pendukung dan mencari informasi yang dibutuhkan. Metode yang digunakan dalam pembuatan sistem ini yaitu wawancara, observasi, dan pembangunan perangkat lunak yang menggunakan model waterfall yang terdiri dari requirement, design, implementation, verification, dan maintenance. Perancangan sistem informasi dengan menggunakan model waterfall ini menghasilkan rancang bangun sistem informasi aplikasi  pendukung Kantor Wilayah Kementerian Hukum Dan Hak Asasi Manusia Sulawesi Tenggara  yang didalamnya terdapat kumpulan aplikasi pendukung, informasi mengenai jumlah data narapidana, tahanan, warga negara asing serta tampilan grafik survei indeks integritas internal organisasi dan survei kepuasan masyarakat dan persepsi anti korupsi. Oleh karena itu, dengan adanya rancang bangun sistem informasi aplikasi pendukung ini para pegawai tidak perlu mencari data atau informasi dari berbagai pihak karena sudah tersedia dalam satu sistem informasi.
A Very Brief Note on the Riemann Hypothesis
Authors: Vega Frank
Published: August 2022

Robin's criterion states that the Riemann Hypothesis is true if and only if the inequality $\sigma(n) < e^{\gamma} \cdot n \cdot \log \log n$ holds for all natural numbers $n > 5040$, where $\sigma(n)$ is the sum-of-divisors function of $n$ and $\gamma \approx 0.57721$ is the Euler-Mascheroni constant. We require the properties of superabundant numbers, that is to say left to right maxima of $n \mapsto \frac{\sigma(n)}{n}.$ In this note, using Robin's inequality on superabundant numbers, we prove that the Riemann Hypothesis is true.
Iodine-Rich Nanoadjuvants for CT Imaging–Guided Photodynamic Immunotherapy of Breast Cancer
Authors: Xin Xiaoyan , Ni Xiaoyue , Shi Kang , Shao Jie , Zhang Yanqiu , Peng Xin , Yang Wen , Tian Chuanshuai , Zhou Wen , Zhang Bing
Published: August 2022

Immunotherapy, which stimulates the body’s own immune system to kill cancer cells, has shown great promise in the field of cancer therapy. However, the uncontrolled biodistribution of immunotherapeutic drugs may cause severe side effects. Herein, we report an iodine-rich nanoadjuvant (INA) for photo-immunotherapy. INA is prepared by encapsulating a toll-like receptor 7 agonist (R837) and a photosensitizer (phthalocyanine) into an iodine-rich amphiphilic copolymer PEG-PHEMA-I. By virtue of the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect, INA can effectively accumulate into the tumor site. Under light irradiation, photodynamic therapy (PDT) triggered by INA will induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) in the tumor region to trigger the release of immune-associated cytokines. Such a process may further induce the maturation of dendritic cells which will be accelerated by R837, leading to the proliferation of effector T cells for immunotherapy. The photo-immunotherapy mediated by INA shows good anticancer efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, INA is also a CT contrast agent owing to its high density of iodine, which can successfully illuminate tumors by CT imaging. Thus, our study develops a light-triggered nanoadjuvant for CT imaging–guided enhanced photo-immunotherapy.
Natural Resources Exploitation in Sulfate-Resisting Portland Cement Manufacturing: Towards Quality Improvement and Reduction of Environmental Impact
Authors: Labidi Islem , Megriche Adel
Published: August 2022

Sulfate-resisting(SR) Portland cement is commonly used in building works to improve concrete’s durability against external sulfate attack. This attack is considered a very serious chemical aggression that causes damage and cracking of concrete structures. These special cements have a very particular mineralogical composition, C3A ≤ 3% and (2C3A + C4AF) ≤ 20%, which makes the cementitious matrix resistant to sulfate attack. This kind of product is very difficult to manufacture since low alumina (C3A) necessitates the use of a high kiln temperature in order to keep a sufficient liquid phase necessary to maintain the stability of the cement manufacturing process. In this context, this study aims to optimize SR Portland cement raw meals using natural materials collected from different regions in Tunisia, mainly ordinary limestone, siliceous limestone, black marl, grey marl, iron ore, and natural fluorapatite. The collected specimens were characterized by an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer in order to determine its elemental chemical composition. The optimization of the SR Portland cement raw meal combinations was done by means of a calculation tool based on the chemical composition of each used raw material and the variation of burning modules (LSF, SIM, and ALM). It has been found that natural fluorapatite integration (0%–15%) in raw mix preparation leads to the raw meals required for the SR Portland cement standard (C3A ≤ 3% et 2 C3A + C4AF ≤ 20%). Moreover, it was shown that the estimated SR raw meals ensure the cement manufacturing process stability (acceptable burning modules “LSF = 100; SIM = 3; ALM = 0.91 and sufficient liquid phase) and decrease the CO2emissions in cement production.
Untargeted serum metabolomic profiling for early detection of Schistosoma mekongi infection in mouse model
Authors: Chienwichai Peerut , Nogrado Kathyleen , Tipthara Phornpimon , Tarning Joel , Limpanont Yanin , Chusongsang Phiraphol , Chusongsang Yupa , Tanasarnprasert Kanthi , Adisakwattana Poom , Reamtong Onrapak
Published: August 2022

Mekong schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by blood flukes in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and in Cambodia. The standard method for diagnosis of schistosomiasis is detection of parasite eggs from patient samples. However, this method is not sufficient to detect asymptomatic patients, low egg numbers, or early infection. Therefore, diagnostic methods with higher sensitivity at the early stage of the disease are needed to fill this gap. The aim of this study was to identify potential biomarkers of early schistosomiasis using an untargeted metabolomics approach. Serum of uninfected and S. mekongi-infected mice was collected at 2, 4, and 8 weeks post-infection. Samples were extracted for metabolites and analyzed with a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer. Metabolites were annotated with the MS-DIAL platform and analyzed with Metaboanalyst bioinformatic tools. Multivariate analysis distinguished between metabolites from the different experimental conditions. Biomarker screening was performed using three methods: correlation coefficient analysis; feature important detection with a random forest algorithm; and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Three compounds were identified as potential biomarkers at the early stage of the disease: heptadecanoyl ethanolamide; picrotin; and theophylline. The levels of these three compounds changed significantly during early-stage infection, and therefore these molecules may be promising schistosomiasis markers. These findings may help to improve early diagnosis of schistosomiasis, thus reducing the burden on patients and limiting spread of the disease in endemic areas.
Clinical characteristics of smoking-related chronic pancreatitis
Authors: Hao Lu , Liu Yu , Dong Zhi-Qi , Yi Jin-Hui , Wang Dan , Xin Lei , Guo Hong-Lei , He Lin , Bi Ya-Wei , Ji Jun-Tao , Wang Teng , Du Ting-Ting , Lin Jin-Huan , Zhang Di , Zeng Xiang-Peng , Zou Wen-Bin , Chen Hui , Pan Jun , Liao Zhuan , Xu Guo-Qiang , Li Zhao-Shen , Hu Liang-Hao
Published: August 2022

Objective

The pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is not completely clear. With further studies, smoking is toxic to the pancreas. This study classified smoking-related CP as a new etiology of CP and defined the cutoff of smoking.

Design

Patients with CP admitted from January 2000 to December 2013 were included in the study. The characteristics were compared between smoking patients, drinking patients, and a group of patients who never smoke or drink (control group). The cumulative rates of steatorrhea, diabetes mellitus (DM), pancreatic pseudocyst (PPC), pancreatic stone, and biliary stricture after the onset of CP were calculated, respectively.

Results

A total of 1,324 patients were included. Among them, 55 were smoking patients, 80 were drinking patients, and 1,189 were controls. The characteristics of smokers are different from the other two groups, especially in age at the onset and diagnosis of CP, initial manifestation, and type of pain. The development of DM (P = 0.011) and PPC (P = 0.033) was significantly more common and earlier in the smokers than in the other two groups. Steatorrhea also developed significantly more in the smokers than in the controls (P = 0.029). Smokers tend to delay the formation of pancreatic stones and steatorrhea.

Conclusion

The clinical characteristics of smoking-related CP is different from CP of other etiologies. A new type of CP, smoking-related CP, was put forward. Smoking-related CP should be separated from idiopathic CP and defined as a new independent subtype of CP different from alcoholic CP or idiopathic CP.
Early prediction of clinical scores for left ventricular reverse remodeling using extreme gradient random forest, boosting, and logistic regression algorithm representations
Authors: Liu Lu , Qiao Cen , Zha Jun-Ren , Qin Huan , Wang Xiao-Rui , Zhang Xin-Yu , Wang Yi-Ou , Yang Xiu-Mei , Zhang Shu-Long , Qin Jing
Published: August 2022

Objective

At present, there is no early prediction model of left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) for people who are in cardiac arrest with an ejection fraction (EF) of ≤35% at first diagnosis; thus, the purpose of this article is to provide a supplement to existing research.

Materials and methods

A total of 109 patients suffering from heart attack with an EF of ≤35% at first diagnosis were involved in this single-center research study. LVRR was defined as an absolute increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from ≥10% to a final value of >35%, with analysis features including demographic characteristics, diseases, biochemical data, echocardiography, and drug therapy. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest, and logistic regression algorithm models were used to distinguish between LVRR and non-LVRR cases and to obtain the most important features.

Results

There were 47 cases (42%) of LVRR in patients suffering from heart failure with an EF of ≤35% at first diagnosis after optimal drug therapy. General statistical analysis and machine learning methods were combined to exclude a number of significant feature groups. The median duration of disease in the LVRR group was significantly lower than that in the non-LVRR group (7 vs. 48 months); the mean values of creatine kinase (CK) and MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) in the LVRR group were lower than those in the non-LVRR group (80.11 vs. 94.23 U/L; 2.61 vs. 2.99 ng/ml; 27.19 vs. 28.54 mm). Moreover, AUC values for our feature combinations ranged from 97 to 94% and to 87% when using the XGBoost, random forest, and logistic regression techniques, respectively. The ablation test revealed that beats per minute (BPM) and disease duration had a greater impact on the model’s ability to accurately forecast outcomes.

Conclusion

Shorter disease duration, slightly lower CK and CK-MB levels, slightly smaller right and left ventricular and left atrial dimensions, and lower mean heart rates were found to be most strongly predictive of LVRR development (BPM).
Left ventricular strain derived from cardiac magnetic resonance can predict outcomes of pulmonary valve replacement in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Zhuang Baiyan , Yu Shiqin , Feng Zicong , He Fengpu , Jiang Yong , Zhao Shihua , Lu Minjie , Li Shoujun
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Several adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rToF) undergo pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) to reduce the right ventricular volume and retain right ventricular function. However, there is currently no consensus on the ideal time for PVR surgery in asymptomatic patients with rTOF with pulmonary regurgitation (PR). Clinical outcomes after PVR are also indeterminate. Recently, myocardial strain and strain rate derived from cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking were found to be more sensitive to right ventricular dysfunction than conventional parameters and therefore may add prognostic value in patients with rToF. We aimed to analyze whether pre-PVR left ventricular (LV) strain and strain rate detected by CMR feature tracking are associated with midterm outcomes after PVR in patients with rToF.

Methods

Seventy-eight asymptomatic patients with rToF who required PVR due to moderate or severe PR were prospectively enrolled between January 2014 and June 2020. CMR cine sequences were obtained, and feature tracking parameters were measured preoperatively. Adverse events were documented during the follow-up. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine the cutoff value. Kaplan–Meier curves were drawn with log-rank statistics; moreover, univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses and Harrel C-indices were analyzed.

Results

During 3.6 ± 1.8 years of follow-up, 25 adverse events were recorded. Kaplan–Meier survival curves and univariate Cox analysis verified that patients with significantly reduced radial strain (RS), circumferential strain (CS), longitudinal strain (LS), RS rate at systole and diastole (RSRs and RSRe), and circumferential and LS rates at diastole (CSRe and LSRe) had worse event-free survival. After multivariate correction, only LS and LSRe remained significantly associated with adverse outcomes (hazard ratio = 1.243 [1.083–1.428] and 0.067 [0.017–0.258], respectively, all p < 0.05). The cutoff values of LS and LSRe were −12.30 (%) and 1.07 (s–1), respectively.

Conclusion

The LV strain and strain rate prior to PVR are important prognostic factors for adverse events after PVR in rToF.
Cardiac immune cell infiltration associates with abnormal lipid metabolism
Authors: Cifarelli Vincenza , Kuda Ondrej , Yang Kui , Liu Xinping , Gross Richard W. , Pietka Terri A. , Heo Gyu Seong , Sultan Deborah , Luehmann Hannah , Lesser Josie , Ross Morgan , Goldberg Ira J. , Gropler Robert J. , Liu Yongjian , Abumrad Nada A.
Published: August 2022

CD36 mediates the uptake of long-chain fatty acids (FAs), a major energy substrate for the myocardium. Under excessive FA supply, CD36 can cause cardiac lipid accumulation and inflammation while its deletion reduces heart FA uptake and lipid content and increases glucose utilization. As a result, CD36 was proposed as a therapeutic target for obesity-associated heart disease. However, more recent reports have shown that CD36 deficiency suppresses myocardial flexibility in fuel preference between glucose and FAs, impairing tissue energy balance, while CD36 absence in tissue macrophages reduces efferocytosis and myocardial repair after injury. In line with the latter homeostatic functions, we had previously reported that CD36–/– mice have chronic subclinical inflammation. Lipids are important for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and there is limited information on heart lipid metabolism in CD36 deficiency. Here, we document in the hearts of unchallenged CD36–/– mice abnormalities in the metabolism of triglycerides, plasmalogens, cardiolipins, acylcarnitines, and arachidonic acid, and the altered remodeling of these lipids in response to an overnight fast. The hearts were examined for evidence of inflammation by monitoring the presence of neutrophils and pro-inflammatory monocytes/macrophages using the respective positron emission tomography (PET) tracers, 64Cu-AMD3100 and 68Ga-DOTA-ECL1i. We detected significant immune cell infiltration in unchallenged CD36–/– hearts as compared with controls and immune infiltration was also observed in hearts of mice with cardiomyocyte-specific CD36 deficiency. Together, the data show that the CD36–/– heart is in a non-homeostatic state that could compromise its stress response. Non-invasive immune cell monitoring in humans with partial or total CD36 deficiency could help evaluate the risk of impaired heart remodeling and disease.
The effect of aerobic exercise on pulse wave velocity in middle-aged and elderly people: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Li Gen , Lv Yuanyuan , Su Qing , You Qiuping , Yu Laikang
Published: August 2022

A growing body of research examines the effect of aerobic exercise on pulse wave velocity (PWV) in middle-aged and elderly people, while findings of available studies were conflicting. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of aerobic exercise on PWV in middle-aged and elderly people. Searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases. Cochrane risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included literature. We included studies that satisfied the following criteria: (1) eligible studies should be randomized controlled trials (RCTs); (2) eligible studies should include both an intervention and a control group; (3) eligible studies should use the middle-aged or elderly people as subjects; and (4) eligible studies should use PWV as the outcome measure. From 972 search records initially identified, 11 studies with a total of 12 exercise groups (n = 245) and 11 control groups (n = 239) were eligible for meta-analysis. There was a significant effect of aerobic exercise on reducing PWV in middle-aged and elderly people [weighted mean difference (WMD), –0.75 (95% CI, –1.21 to –0.28), p = 0.002]. Specifically, a higher intensity [vigorous-intensity, –0.74 (–1.34 to –0.14), p = 0.02; moderate-intensity, –0.68 (–1.49 to 0.12), p = 0.10], a younger age [45 years ≤ age < 60 years, –0.57 (–0.78 to –0.37), p < 0.00001; age ≥ 60 years, –0.91 (–2.10 to 0.27), p = 0.13], a better health status [healthy, –1.19 (–2.06 to –0.31), p = 0.008; diseased, –0.32 (–0.64 to –0.01), p = 0.04], and a lower basal body mass index (BMI) [BMI < 25, –1.19 (–2.06 to –0.31), p = 0.008; 25 ≤ BMI < 30, –0.52 (–0.92 to –0.12), p = 0.01; BMI ≥ 30, –0.09 (–0.93 to 0.76), p = 0.84] were associatedwith larger reductions in PWV. Aerobic exercise, especially vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise, contributed to reducing PWV in middle-aged and elderly people. The effect of aerobic exercise on improving PWV was associated with characteristics of the participants. Specifically, a younger age, a better health status, and a lower basal BMI contributed to more significant reductions in PWV.

Systematic review registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022337103], identifier [CRD42022337103].
Decision-making fusion of InSAR technology and offset tracking to study the deformation of large gradients in mining areas-Xuemiaotan mine as an example
Authors: Ma Jianquan , Yang Juncheng , Zhu Zhanrong , Cao Husheng , Li Shibo , Du Xiaolan
Published: August 2022

The multi-level disturbance of underground and surface caused by coal mining activities intensifies the deterioration of the ecological environment in the mining area. Among them, the uneven settlement caused by coal mining is the most intuitive manifestation of surface environmental damage. The uneven settlement in the mining area has the characteristics of large settlement magnitude and severe deformation. Therefore, based on 15 Sentinel-1A image data, this paper uses three methods: SBAS InSAR, continuous D-InSAR and offset tracking technology to monitor the surface deformation of the mining area. The results show that the continuous D-InSAR technology SBAS-InSAR technology is applied to the small deformation in the edge area of the subsidence basin. The mining area with low gradient subsidence of SBAS-InSAR can obtain better performance than continuous D-InSAR technology. The offset tracking technique is used to monitor the large gradient deformation in the center of the subsidence basin. Therefore, this paper proposes to expand the quantitative analysis through the spatial coherence threshold and the accuracy and successful image elements of the interference fringe displacement. Combine the advantages of the three methods and overcome the shortcomings of each method, fuse the deformation information of the three methods, and obtain the deformation law of the whole surface subsidence. The results show that the mean absolute error (MAE1-1) of continuity D-InSAR is 0.92 m, the mean absolute error (MAE2-1) of SBAS-InSAR is 0.94 m, and the mean absolute error (MAE3-1) of Offset-tracking is 0.25 m. The results of this fusion method are in good agreement with the measured data, and the mean absolute error (MAE4-1) of vertical displacement is 7 cm. Therefore, the fusion method has advantages over individual methods and provides a new idea in monitoring the large gradient deformation of coal mining subsidence in mining areas.
The interplay of dominant factors that influence adolescents’ academic performance: Motivation type and pressure vs involvement
Authors: Abildaeva Gulnaz , Mayur Manas , Zharnitskiy Valeriy , Shilova Vera
Published: August 2022

The study assesses the effectiveness of using motivation, pressure, and involvement in improving academic performance among adolescents on the example of Russia and Kazakhstan. The relationship between these factors and academic success was evaluated by calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficients based on the Academic Motivation Scale test’s results. The novelty of the study lies in the results: the study highlights the relationship between the individual aspects of this triad at the level of individual countries. The comparative analysis is performed using statistical data from the international knowledge assessment methodologies survey results. The findings show that intrinsic motivation and parental involvement in school life can improve adolescents’ academic performance. The negative consequences are associated with the pressure put on students by the teachers and family.
Comparison of empagliflozin and vildagliptin for efficacy and safety in type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Pakistani population
Authors: Khan Asima , Khan Izhan A. , Abidi Hussain , Ahmed Mansoor
Published: August 2022

Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease that needs early management to prevent complications and premature mortality. Therefore, it is essential to select evidence-based drugs available to control diabetes and limit the progression to related complications. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin and vildagliptin in people with type 2 DM.

Methods

This was an open-label, parallel randomized controlled trial (NCT 05359432) conducted at two tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. After obtaining consent, participants were randomized into two groups. The first group was given empagliflozin (10 mg once or two times daily) with metformin, and the second group got vildagliptin (50 mg once or two times daily) with metformin. HbA1c, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and body weight were measured at the baseline and 24-week visits.

Results

A total of 120 patients fulfilled the selection criteria and then underwent randomization to be placed into empagliflozin and vildagliptin groups. The mean change in HbA1c (-0.97% ± 0.68 for empagliflozin and -0.82% ± 1.57 for vildagliptin) was statistically similar in both groups (p-value = 0.980). No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups for safety parameters such as eGFR (p = 0.46), serum ALT (p = 0.13), LDL (p = 0.23), total cholesterol (p = 0.49), and triglycerides (p = 0.49).

Conclusion

Results of the study highlight that vildagliptin and empagliflozin have a significant beneficial effect in reducing HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, systolic blood pressure, and weight of participants. Both drugs had no differences when compared on safety parameters.
The prevalence of thyroid nodules and its factors among Chinese adult women: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Dong Xiaoqian , Li Ying , Xie Jianfei , Li Lijun , Wan Ziyu , Kang Yue , Luo Yating , Wang Jiangang , Duan Yinglong , Ding Siqing , Cheng Andy SK
Published: August 2022

Objective

To determine the prevalence of thyroid nodules in Chinese adult women. To analyze the relationships between lifestyle, metabolic syndrome and thyroid nodules.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study in the tertiary hospital from 2017 to 2019. Included participants underwent thyroid color Doppler ultrasonography, lipids examination, and dietary evaluation.

Results

Totally 2,784 participants were included, and 933 participants were found to have thyroid nodule(s) by B-ultrasound. The prevalence of thyroid nodules was 33.3%. Women in 50-59 years (OR: 1.746, 95% CI [1.356-2.249]), older than 60 (2.147 [1.540-2.993]) and occupations with mainly manual work (1.780 [1.367-2.317]) were risk factors for thyroid nodules, while moderate dietary diversity (0.624 [0.476-0.817]) and normal triglycerides level (0.739 [0.604-0.905]) were protective factors.

Conclusion

Women over 50 and those whose jobs are mainly manual should enhance screening, follow-up and health management of thyroid nodules. Higher dietary diversity is protective measures against thyroid nodules for adult women and should consider dietary balance and the food varieties, not just increased quantities.
Multistage Bilevel Planning Model of Energy Storage System in Urban Power Grid Considering Network Reconfiguration
Authors: Cai Zhongqi , Yang Kun , Chen Yong , Yang Ruixiong , Gu Yanxun , Zeng Yu , Zhang Xi , Sun Sashuang , Pan Sirong , Liu Youbo , Liu Junyong
Published: August 2022

The large-scale integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) and the rapid development of loads cause frequent transmission congestion in the urban power grid (UPG). Transmission system operators usually perform the high-voltage distribution network (HVDN) reconfiguration to mitigate the transmission congestion. However, as the loads and RESs change rapidly, the HVDN reconfiguration might be conducted frequently. This might cause severe security problem. An energy storage system (ESS) provides an effective way of alleviating the transmission congestion. If the ESS is installed and operated elaborately, the transmission congestion of UPG can be mitigated with a little HVDN reconfiguration. Hence, this study proposes a multistage bilevel planning model for the optimal allocation of ESS. The upper-level model aims at maximizing the annual comprehensive revenue of HVDN, and the lower-level model focuses on the minimization of the operational cost. Simulation results carried out on a real-world test system verify that the proposed method has the great potential of reducing the investment and operational cost while mitigating the transmission congestion.
Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the ambient air-pollutants over the Arabian Peninsula
Authors: Karumuri Rama Krishna , Dasari Hari Prasad , Gandham Harikishan , Viswanadhapalli Yesubabu , Madineni Venkat Ratnam , Hoteit Ibrahim
Published: August 2022

Lockdowns imposed across the world to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic also reduced the anthropogenic emissions. This study investigates the changes in the anthropogenic and natural pollution levels during the lockdown over the Arabian Peninsula (AP), a region where natural pollutants (mineral dust) dominate. In-situ and satellite observations, reanalysis products, and Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) coupled with Chemistry module (WRF-Chem) simulations were analyzed to investigate the influence of COVID−19 lockdown on the aerosols (PM2.5, PM10, and AOD) and trace gases (NO2 and SO2). WRF-Chem reasonably reproduced the satellite and in-situ measurements during the study period, with correlation coefficients varying between 0.6–0.8 (0.3–0.8) for PM10 (NO2 and SO2) at 95% confidence levels. During the lockdown, WRF-Chem simulations indicate a significant reduction (50–60%) in the trace gas concentrations over the entire AP compared to the pre-lockdown period. This is shown to be mostly due to a significant reduction in the emissions and an increase in the boundary layer height. An increase in the aerosol concentrations over the central and northern parts of the AP, and a decrease over the north-west AP, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden regions are noticeable during the lockdown. WRF-Chem simulations suggest that the increase in particulate concentrations over the central and northern AP during the lockdown is mainly due to an increase in dust concentrations, manifested by the stronger convergence and upliftment of winds and warmer surface temperatures (15–25%) over the desert regions. The restricted anthropogenic activities drastically reduced the trace gas concentrations, however, the reduction in particulate concentration levels is offset by the increase in the natural processes (dust emissions).
Research on the influence of talent ecosystem on firm innovation performance: Based on the mediating role of collaborative innovation
Authors: Zhang Wen , Liu Chao
Published: August 2022

This paper extends previous studies on the organizational innovation by analyzing the impact of talent ecosystem on firm innovation performance in innovative enterprises. In addition, the mediating effect of collaborative innovation on the relationship between talent ecosystem and firm innovation performance is analyzed. Grounded in the Resource -Based View (RBV) theory, this paper develops an integrative research model which analyzes those relations using structural equation modeling on a dataset of 176 innovative enterprises. Results suggest that talent competence, organizational environment and regional environment of talent ecosystem have a significant positive impact on collaborative innovation, and organizational environment has a stronger effect on collaborative innovation; talent ecosystem can influence innovation performance to different degrees through the mediating role of collaborative innovation (technology synergy and capability synergy); technology synergy in collaborative innovation positively affects innovation performance, while Technology synergy in collaborative innovation positively affects innovation performance, while capability synergy has no significant effect on innovation performance. The findings of the study provide new ideas for enterprises to improve talent ecosystem and enhance innovation performance.
Spatio-temporal variations of ecosystem service values in response to land use/cover change in Luoyang city
Authors: Yin Junru , Liu Xuan , Wang Hua , Huang Wei , Cai Enxiang
Published: August 2022

Land-use/cover change (LUCC) caused by human activities is an important factor in changes in global ecosystems; however, the impact of LUCC on ecosystem service value (ESV) has never been previously assessed in Luoyang City, China. This paper explores spatial and temporal evolution patterns of land use pattern change, ESV change and response to LUCC in Luoyang City from 2010 to 2019 through GIS and remote sensing techniques, and employing transfer matrix, ESV spatial autocorrelation analysis and elastic coefficient change. During the study period: 1) Between 2010 and 2019, land-use changes in Luoyang City showed a trend of “two increases and four decreases,” specifically, built-up land and forest areas increased, while the extent of cropland, grassland, water, and unused land areas decreased. 2) The recorded land-use conversion in Luoyang City is complex, with forest and cropland land uses increasing and decreasing fastest, respectively, with the proportion of forest increasing by 10.19% and cropland decreasing by 3.37% — the reason for this change is the transition from cropland and grassland to forest and occupation of cropland by built-up land. 3) The ESV change in Luoyang City was U-shaped, with the total ESV increasing 1.96% from ¥44.78 billion to ¥45.66 billion; additionally, the ESV provided by forest areas increased by 23.83%. 4) From 2010 to 2019, Luoyang’s hydrological regulation, climate regulation and soil and water conservation contributed the most to Luoyang’s ESV, accounting for 63.89% of the total ESV in 2019. 5) The overall ESVs of the townships in Luoyang City have obvious clustering and are not completely randomly spatially distributed. With the optimization of land-use allocation, the ESV high–high clusters have expanded. 6) The overall elasticity coefficient is high in Luoyang City and ESV responds intensely to LUCC, with the most significant response shown by the forests of Luolong District. The findings of this survey are practical for helping Luoyang City to optimize land resource usage scientifically.
Integrated risk scores from N6-methyladenosine-related lncRNAs are potential biomarkers for predicting the overall survival of bladder cancer patients
Authors: Huang Xin , Wang Hao-Fei , Huang Shuang
Published: August 2022

Background: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common form of mRNA- and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-specific internal modification encountered in eukaryotes, with important effects on mRNA stability, translation, and splicing. The role of m6A-modified lncRNAs (m6A-lncRNAs) in bladder cancer (BLCA) is rarely reported. This study aimed to evaluate an efficient prognostic model of BLCA in patients, based on m6A-lncRNAs, and to discover potential biological targets.

Methods: Differentially expressed lncRNAs were investigated in 433 BLCA samples derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Kaplan–Meier and univariate Cox regression analyses were performed to screen for m6A-lncRNAs with prognostic roles in BLCA. We implemented Pearson correlation analysis to analyze 18 potentially prognostic lncRNAs and 20 known m6A-associated genes. Next, the data were imputed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression to establish an m6A-lncRNA prognostic signature.

Results: We established an integrated risk score (RS) containing five m6A-lncRNAs and constructed a nomogram that had the ability to forecast the overall survival (OS) of patients with BLCA. We showed that the predictive accuracy of the RS for BLCA prognosis was high, which was confirmed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. We analyzed the correlation between tumor immune infiltrating cells and RS in high- and low-risk patients with BLCA and used tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion to predict the effect of immunotherapy. We screened out the most relevant modules of RS through the weighted gene co-expression network analysis network and explored their potential biological functions using GO and KEGG analyses.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that, compared with nomograms constructed using a single prognostic factor, the integrated RS represents a superior model for predicting survival in patients with BLCA, which may improve the clinical management of BLCA.
Integrated pan-cancer analysis of CSMD2 as a potential prognostic, diagnostic, and immune biomarker
Authors: Zhang Huiyun , Huang Taobi , Ren Xiangqing , Fang Xidong , Chen Xia , Wei Hui , Sun Weiming , Wang Yuping
Published: August 2022

The protein encoded by CUB and Sushi Multiple Domains 2 (CSMD2) is likely involved in regulating the complement cascade reaction of the immune system. However, current scientific evidence on the comprehensive roles of CSMD2 in pan-cancer is relatively scarce. Therefore, in this study, we explored the transcriptional level of CSMD2 in pan-caner using TCGA, GEO, and International Cancer Genome Consortium databases. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of CSMD2. The Kaplan-Meier Plotter and Oncolnc were used to investigate the correlation between CSMD2 expression and prognosis. Additionally, we analyzed the correlation between epigenetic methylation and CSMD2 expression in various cancers based on UALCAN, as well as, the correlation between CSMD2 and tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and tumor neoantigen burden (TNB) in tumors. TIMER2.0 database was employed to investigate the correlation between CSMD2 and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment and immune checkpoints. Based on TISIDB, the correlation between CSMD2 and MHC molecules and immunostimulators was analyzed. Ultimately, we observed with a pan-cancer analysis that CSMD2 was upregulated in most tumors and had moderate to high diagnostic efficiency, and that high expression was closely associated with poor prognosis in patients with tumors. Moreover, hypermethylation of CSMD2 promoter and high levels of m6A methylation regulators were also observed in most cancers. CSMD2 expression was negatively correlated with TMB and MSI in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) and stomach and esophageal carcinoma (STES), as well as with tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, and TNB in head-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). In most cancers, CSMD2 might be associated with immune evasion or immunosuppression, as deficient anti-tumor immunity and upregulation of immune checkpoints were also observed in this study. In conclusion, CSMD2 could serve as a promising prognostic, diagnostic and immune biomarker in pan-cancer.
Identification of Nitrogen Starvation-Responsive miRNAs to Reveal the miRNA-Mediated Regulatory Network in Betula luminifera
Authors: Lin Yan , Chu Sasa , Xu Xiaoshan , Han Xiao , Huang Huahong , Tong Zaikang , Zhang Junhong
Published: August 2022

Because of the immobility, plants encounter a series of stresses, such as varied nutrient concentrations in soil, which regulate plant growth, development, and phase transitions. Nitrogen (N) is one of the most limiting factors for plants, which was exemplified by the fact that low nitrogen (LN) has a great adverse effect on plant growth and development. In the present study, we explored the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in response to LN stress in Betula luminifera. We identified 198 miRNAs using sRNA sequencing, including 155 known and 43 novel miRNAs. Among them, 98 known miRNAs and 31 novel miRNAs were differentially expressed after 0.5 h or 24 h of LN stress. Based on degradome data, 122 differential expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) including 102 known miRNAs and 20 novel miRNAs targeted 203 genes, comprising 321 miRNA–target pairs. A big proportion of target genes were transcription factors and functional proteins, and most of the Gene Ontology terms were enriched in biological processes; moreover, one Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes term “ascorbate and aldarate metabolism” was significantly enriched. The expression patterns of six miRNAs and their corresponding target genes under LN stress were monitored. According to the potential function for targets of DEmiRNAs, a proposed regulatory network mediated by miRNA–target pairs under LN stress in B. luminifera was constructed. Taken together, these findings provide useful information to elucidate miRNA functions and establish a framework for exploring N signaling networks mediated by miRNAs in B. luminifera. It may provide new insights into the genetic engineering of the high use efficiency of N in forestry trees.
Differential gene expression profiling reveals potential biomarkers and pharmacological compounds against SARS-CoV-2: Insights from machine learning and bioinformatics approaches
Authors: Hoque M. Nazmul , Sarkar Md. Murshed Hasan , Khan Md. Arif , Hossain Md. Arju , Hasan Md. Imran , Rahman Md. Habibur , Habib Md. Ahashan , Akter Shahina , Banu Tanjina Akhtar , Goswami Barna , Jahan Iffat , Nafisa Tasnim , Molla Md. Maruf Ahmed , Soliman Mahmoud E. , Araf Yusha , Khan M. Salim , Zheng Chunfu , Islam Tofazzal
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has created an urgent global situation. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in COVID-19 patients to understand disease pathogenesis and the genetic factor(s) responsible for inter-individual variability and disease comorbidities. The pandemic continues to spread worldwide, despite intense efforts to develop multiple vaccines and therapeutic options against COVID-19. However, the precise role of SARS-CoV-2 in the pathophysiology of the nasopharyngeal tract (NT) is still unfathomable. This study utilized machine learning approaches to analyze 22 RNA-seq data from COVID-19 patients (n = 8), recovered individuals (n = 7), and healthy individuals (n = 7) to find disease-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We compared dysregulated DEGs to detect critical pathways and gene ontology (GO) connected to COVID-19 comorbidities. We found 1960 and 153 DEG signatures in COVID-19 patients and recovered individuals compared to healthy controls. In COVID-19 patients, the DEG–miRNA, and DEG–transcription factors (TFs) interactions network analysis revealed that E2F1, MAX, EGR1, YY1, and SRF were the highly expressed TFs, whereas hsa-miR-19b, hsa-miR-495, hsa-miR-340, hsa-miR-101, and hsa-miR-19a were the overexpressed miRNAs. Three chemical agents (Valproic Acid, Alfatoxin B1, and Cyclosporine) were abundant in COVID-19 patients and recovered individuals. Mental retardation, mental deficit, intellectual disability, muscle hypotonia, micrognathism, and cleft palate were the significant diseases associated with COVID-19 by sharing DEGs. Finally, the detected DEGs mediated by TFs and miRNA expression indicated that SARS-CoV-2 infection might contribute to various comorbidities. Our results provide the common DEGs between COVID-19 patients and recovered humans, which suggests some crucial insights into the complex interplay between COVID-19 progression and the recovery stage, and offer some suggestions on therapeutic target identification in COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2.
Ezetimibe ameliorates clinical symptoms in a mouse model of ankylosing spondylitis associated with suppression of Th17 differentiation
Authors: Moon Jeonghyeon , Lee Seon-Yeong , Na Hyun Sik , Lee A Ram , Cho Keun-Hyung , Choi Jeong Won , Park Sung-Hwan , Cho Mi-La
Published: August 2022

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes spinal inflammation and fusion. Although the cause of AS is unknown, genetic factors (e.g., HLA-B27) and environmental factors (e.g., sex, age, and infection) increase the risk of AS. Current treatments for AS are to improve symptoms and suppress disease progression. There is no way to completely cure it. High blood cholesterol and lipid levels aggravate the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. We applied hyperlipidemia drugs ezetimibe and rosuvastatin to AS mice and to PBMCs from AS patients. Ezetimibe and rosuvastatin was administered for 11 weeks to AS model mice on the SKG background. Then, the tissues and cells of mice were performed using flow cytometry, computed tomography, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. Also, the normal mouse splenocytes were cultured in Th17 differentiation conditions for in vitro analysis such as flow cytometry, ELISA and RNA sequencing. The 10 AS patients’ PBMCs were treated with ezetimibe and rosuvastatin. The patients’ PBMC were analyzed by flow cytometry and ELISA for investigation of immune cell type modification. Ezetimibe caused substantial inhibition for AS. The present study showed that ezetimibe inhibits Th17 cell function, thereby slowing the progression of AS. It is well known that statins are more effective in reducing blood lipid concentrations than ezetimibe, however, our results that ezetimibe had a better anti-inflammatory effect than rosuvastatin in AS. This data suggests that ezetimibe has an independent anti-inflammatory effect independent of blood lipid reduction. To investigate whether ezetimibe has its anti-inflammatory effect through which signaling pathway, various in vitro experiments and RNA sequencing have proceeded. Here, this study suggests that ezetimibe can be an effective treatment for AS patients by inhibiting Th17 differentiation-related genes such as IL-23R and IL-1R. Thus, this study suggests that ezetimibe has therapeutic potential for AS through inhibition of Th17 differentiation and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Progress in preclinical studies of macrophage autophagy in the regulation of ALI/ARDS
Authors: Liu Chang , Xiao Kun , Xie Lixin
Published: August 2022

Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a critical clinical syndrome with high morbidity and mortality that poses a major challenge in critical care medicine. The development of ALI/ARDS involves excessive inflammatory response, and macrophage autophagy plays an important role in regulating the inflammatory response in ALI/ARDS. In this paper, we review the effects of autophagy in regulating macrophage function, discuss the roles of macrophage autophagy in ALI/ARDS, and highlight drugs and other interventions that can modulate macrophage autophagy in ALI/ARDS to improve the understanding of the mechanism of macrophage autophagy in ALI/ARDS and provide new ideas and further research directions for the treatment of ALI/ARDS.
PSEN1 is associated with colon cancer development via potential influences on PD-L1 nuclear translocation and tumor-immune interactions
Authors: Wei Wangzhi , Zhang Yu
Published: August 2022

Presenilin 1 (PSEN1), as a catalytical core of the γ-secretase complex, plays multiple actions through mediating transmembrane domain shedding of the substrates. Unlike extensive studies performed on investigating the functions of γ-secretase substrates or the effects of γ-secretase inhibitors, our findings uncover a potential action of PSEN1 on PD-L1 alternative truncation and nuclear translocation, broadening our understanding on how the γ-secretase contributes to colon cancer development as well as suggesting a potential strategy to improve the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Immunohistochemical data showed loss of PD-L1 protein expression in all the primary colon adenocarcioma (COAD) cases in the HPA collection, while PSEN1 was scored to be highly expressed, indicating their converse expression patterns (p<0.001). Meanwhile a strongly positive gene correlation was explored by TIMER2 and GEPIA (p<0.001). Up-regulated PSEN1 expression in COAD might facilitate liberating a C-terminal PD-L1 truncation via proteolytic processing. Then following an established regulatory pathway of PD-L1 nuclear translocation, we found that PSEN1 showed significant correlations with multiple components in HDAC2-mediated deacetylation, clathrin-dependent endocytosis, vimentin-associated nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and importin family-mediated nuclear import. Moreover, connections of PSEN1 to the immune response genes transactivated by nuclear PD-L1 were tested. Additionally, contributions of PSEN1 to the tumor invasiveness (p<0.05) and the tumor infiltrating cell enrichments (p<0.001) were investigated by cBioportal and the ESTIMATE algorithm. Levels of PSEN1 were negatively correlated with infiltrating CD8+ T (p<0.05) and CD4+ T helper (Th) 1 cells (p<0.001), while positively correlated with regulatory T cells (Tregs) (p<0.001) and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) (p<0.001). It also displayed significant associations with diverse immune metagenes characteristic of T cell exhaustion, Tregs and CAFs, indicating possible actions in immune escape. Despite still a preliminary stage of this study, we anticipate to deciphering a novel function of PSEN1, and supporting more researchers toward the elucidations of the mechanisms linking the γ-secretase to cancers, which has yet to be fully addressed.