bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovative Models of Green Entrepreneurship: Social Impact on Sustainable Development of Local Economies
Authors: Prokopenko Olha , Chechel Anna , Koldovskiy Artem , Kldiashvili Maria
Published: March 2024

Introduction. Green entrepreneurship has become a powerful new force, driving sustainability and promoting economic development within local economies. This research explains how small-scale green entrepreneurship activity has its desired role in environmentally affected matters and any economic grow-ups from the low ends.
Aims and tasks. The study aims to analyze green entrepreneurship models and highlight successful initiatives in various regions, including those related to solar energy, green agriculture and green product development startups, to understand the impact related to social, economic and environmental factors.
Results. The findings in the research indicate that creativity is an important business strategy, partnerships in the strategic plan, application of technology and capturing communities in driving green entrepreneurship. As such, the study discovered that business models were continuously associated with the creation of jobs, and in average 15,000 new jobs per region were created. North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America contributed significantly. Thus, as well as through strategic partnerships and technology adoption, it has contributed to a reduction in CO2 emissions by an average of 60,000 tons a year across all regions. The success of green entrepreneurship models is analyzed using empirical case studies and real-life examples to bring out core issues requiring action and offer recommendations to policy makers, investors, and entrepreneurs on how to implement green business models further.
Conclusions. The research underlines the dynamic capability of green startups to solve environmental issues along with its shifting economy and community interface. An essential role of green entrepreneurs is the ability to use creative mindsets together with progressive tie-ups. This therefore engenders positive change and leads the way to a more equal and sustainable world. Going further, all critical characters in the area must still be inspired and enlightened to launch more green entrepreneurship initiatives to provide more significant influence on transitioning to a more sustainable society.
Energy Marketing and Fiscal Regulation of a Competitive Energy Efficiency System
Authors: Kuzmynchuk Nataliia , Kutsenko Tetiana , Aloshyn Serhii , Terovanesova Oleksandra
Published: March 2024

Introduction. Developing and implementing the principles of the energy-saving approach concept actualizes the need to define energy marketing tasks and fiscal regulation tools for energy conservation to increase the efficiency of using resources in the energy sector.
Aim and tasks. The aim of this study is to form and substantiate the expediency of implementing directions for energy marketing development and fiscal regulation of implementing energy-saving measures to achieve the goals of national economic recovery and large-scale energy modernization.
The results. The main tasks of energy marketing in monitoring the current world environment based on information and communication technologies have been defined and substantiated, and that should become a source of competitive advantage in the electric energy market and obtain significant income for market participants. It has been proven that using oligopoly models to determine the equilibrium condition of the electric energy market will make it possible to form a corrective managerial influence on the development of a competitive energy industry. With a 3-fold increase in the demand parameter, it has been established that the electricity market reaches equilibrium under the equilibrium model of supply functions with larger electricity production volumes and lower prices than in other models. It has been proposed to introduce tools for fiscal regulation by introducing energy-saving technologies into a single system of solutions to increase energy efficiency and energy saving.
Conclusions. Analysing and generalizing the features of energy market participants’ interaction using a wide range of oligopoly models made it possible to develop recommendations for implementing strategic security-related tasks. If these tasks are not realized, the risks of losing energy independence will increase, and the economic potential necessary for the restoration and further development of the national economy will continue to be lost based on the principles of sustainable development and a systematic approach to setting and achieving the goal of the national energy-saving policy. The feasibility of introducing tools for budget regulation is also justified, which will create a robust creative basis for implementing an effective strategy for managing the demand for energy resources.
Estudio de la conducta alimentaria, el tamaño y composición de los grupos del mono gun-gun (Alouatta coibensis trabeata) (Lawrence, 1933) en tres distritos de la provincia de Los Santos, Panamá
Authors: Gutiérrez-Pineda Karol M. , Méndez-Carvajal Pedro G.
Published: March 2024

Los hábitats fragmentados causan una limitante en el recurso alimenticio, esto afecta el estado poblacional de los primates. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la conducta alimenticia, el tamaño y composición de los grupos de Alouatta coibensis trabeata en tres distritos de la provincia de Los Santos, Panamá. Para la localización de los grupos se realizó conteo de ruta y detección por vocalización y olor. Para estudiar el comportamiento alimentario se utilizó el método Animal Focal (30 min) en tres categorías de edades (juveniles, machos adultos y hembras adultas). Los resultados del estudio mostraron que el promedio de tamaño de los grupos fue de 7.7 SD ± 3.1 ind/grupo (n=15 grupos; 2-13 individuos), similar a lo reportado en 2008. En 480 minutos de observación (16 animal focal) los animales invirtieron 47% de su tiempo en descanso, 39% en alimentación, 8% en actividades sociales agonísticas y 6% en juego. Se alimentaron de frutos (36%), hojas (33%) y flores (31%) de 16 especies arbóreas pertenecientes a 10 familias, con tendencia preferencial en Fabaceae (26%), Moraceae (22%), Anacardiaceae (22%), Lauraceae (11%), Burseraceae (9%), las familias de menor uso contemplan el 10%. El porcentaje de similitud de plantas demuestra que las cercas vivas, parches de bosques secundarios y bosques de galería en Los Santos, ofrece a A. c. trabeata una variabilidad considerable en su dieta, lo que podría favorecer la estabilidad en la estructura grupal a través del tiempo.
Registros y notas ecológicas de Aotus griseimembra Elliot, 1912 en los Montes de María, Colombia
Authors: Tinoco-Sotomayor Angie N. , García-Restrepo Sebastián
Published: March 2024

No abstract
Political Freedom, Economic Freedom and Co2 Emission in Long Run: Evidence from ASEAN Countries
Authors: Puji Sucia Sukmaningrum
Published: March 2024

The prime objective of the current study is to investigate the impact of political freedom, and economic freedom on CO2 emission in the ASEAN countries in the long run. The ASEAN countries, which are in southeast of ASAI are highly industrial countries and there are increasing concerns on environmental related issues in these countries.  The model of the current study is based on Environmental Kuznets curve. The Carbon Dioxide has an influence at global level rather than national this research has taken Carbon Dioxide only for the measure of emission after taking into consideration different types of emissions and their contributions to the natural atmosphere. The use of CO2 has been made for analyzing the nexus of political freedom, economic freedom and CO2 emission. This study by using Johansen cointegration test proved political freedom and economic freedom as key determinant of CO emission in ASEAN countries. The data of 27 years from 1991-2017 is collected from the reliable databases. Overall, the findings of the study are providing support to the hypothesized results as political freedom is negative, whereas the economic freedom is in positive relation. This study will provide a guideline in environmental policy implementation.
Navigating sustainable innovation: exploring the interplay between workplace happiness and the dynamics of leadership, empowerment and organizational culture in the context of green management and circular economy
Authors: Anwer Sobia , Hyder Mustafa
Published: March 2024

This study explores the impact of employee innovation on organizational success, focusing on influential leadership, suitable working environments, and autonomy. It highlights the role of workplace happiness, supportive or non-supportive colleagues, and job stress in fostering creativity. The study presents a model predicting innovative behavior in Karachi, Pakistan, bridging the gap between conceptual foundation and practical application. The study investigates the impact of workplace happiness, transformational leadership, psychological empowerment, and organizational culture on employee innovative behavior through Smart PLS. Survey data from 327 employees from Karachi hotels revealed that remodeling leadership, psychosomatic authorization, and firm culture stimulate creativity. Job anxiety also decelerates individual innovativeness. The PLS-SEM analysis reveals that transformational leadership, organizational culture, workplace happiness, and job stress significantly influence innovative behavior, accounting for 42% of the variance. The study examines the impact of remodeling leadership, psychosomatic authorization, and firm culture on employee contentment and innovative behavior. Transformational leadership is crucial for fostering innovation and creativity, while workplace happiness is essential for organizational success. Coworker support doesn't significantly influence innovative behavior, but job insecurity can lead to animosity and competition. Empowerment strategies don't significantly influence employee innovative behavior, but their success depends on corporate culture and implementation. Organizational culture significantly influences employee creativity, and job stress negatively impacts performance. The study's generalizability may be limited due to the hotel industry's inflated occupancy rates and staff availability issues, which may hinder data collection in diverse business contexts.
Efectividad del plan de comunicación del Programa: “Universidad Saludable” en la Universidad Peruana Unión
Authors: Chura Catacora Verónica
Published: March 2024

The objective of the research was to determine the effectiveness of the communication plan in terms of knowledge, attitudes and participatory practice about the "UPeU Healthy University" program at the Peruvian Union University (UPeU). It is an evaluative investigation with a pre-test post-test design with a quantitative approach. The study determined that the level of knowledge about the health program increased in UPeU students and staff, from a medium level in the pre-test to a high level in the post-test. The communication plan was effective in increasing the degree of knowledge, attitudes and participation in the "UPeU Healthy University" program of both UPeU students and staff.
Guía de Gimnasia Cerebral para fortalecer el desarrollo cognitivo de los niños de educación inicial
Authors: Defaz Gallardo Yolanda Paola , Bustillos Velez Edison Alfredo , Defaz Gallardo Leslye Stefania
Published: March 2024

The first years of life are essential in the development of the individual, which is why in early education it is important to investigate the techniques and strategies suitable for the integral development of children. For this reason, the proposal "Brain Gymnastics Guide to strengthen the cognitive development of children in early education" was designed, which was tested on children in early education at the "La Gran Muralla" Educational Unit and validated by experts and users of the school. Regarding the methodological criteria of the study, the research was descriptive, with a mixed design, whose information repository techniques were: documentary analysis, observation and survey. The results showed the effectiveness of the guide in the development of cognitive skills of the children analyzed, and it can be considered a tool of great educational value, because it is adaptable to any national early education institution.
دراسة مستويات بعض المعادن الثقيلة الموجودة في غبار اسمنت مصنع المرقب
Authors:   كلية العلوم، جامعة المرقب، الخمس، ليبيا, ابوجناح رجب ابوجناح , حديدان مبروكة ,   كلية العلوم، جامعة المرقب، الخمس، ليبيا, ابوراس نجاة ,   كلية العلوم، جامعة المرقب، الخمس، ليبيا
Published: March 2024

In this study, the concentrations of heavy metals (lead, nickel, and copper) in the cement dust of a factory were estimated using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer technique. Three samples were taken from the factory chimney at different locations and times. The first sample revealed the highest concentration of elements during examination (on the upper part of the chimney) is lead (about 30.7 mg/l), nickel (6.9 mg/l), and copper (1.697 mg/l). The lead concentration decreased slightly in the second sample (mid-chimney), but it is still the most abundant element in this sample (30.1 mg/l). And in the third sample (below the chimney), the lead concentration decreased slightly (29.7 mg/l), then Cooper, and Nickel. All the metals studied were within the World Health Organization (WHO) limit nickel (200 mg/l) and copper (100 mg/l), except for lead (5 mg/l), higher than the permissible limit Keywords: Cement factory, Cement dust, Wet digestion, Heavy metals
Ortaöğretim Öğrencilerinin Saldırganlık ve Cesaret Düzeylerinin Bazı Değişkenlere Göre İncelenmesi
Authors: Sivrikaya Tarik , Baş Mustafa
Published: March 2024

Araştırmanın amacı, lise öğrencilerinde saldırganlık ve cesaret düzeylerini bazı değişkenlere göre incelemektedir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 2019-2020 Eğitim-Öğretim yılında Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı’na bağlı Trabzon ili Akçaabat ilçesi ortaöğretim kurumlarında öğrenim gören lise öğrencileri, örneklemi ise tesadüfi yöntemle ve çalışmaya gönüllü katılan 917 lise öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak kişisel bilgi formu, Little, Jones, Brauner, Nock ve Hawley (2003)’in geliştirdiği Little Saldırganlık Ölçeği ve Konter ve Johan (2012) tarafından geliştirilen Sporda Cesaret Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Veriler, SPSS-22 programı ile analiz yapılmış ve anlamlılık düzeyi p
Ağrı Dağı ve Spor Turizminin Bölge Ekonomisine Katkısı
Authors: Bayram Metin , Şam Cemil Tuğrulhan , Demirel Nurcan
Published: March 2024

Bu çalışmanın amacı, gelişen bir turizm aktivitesi olarak dağ turizminin ve spor turizminin önemine dikkat çekmek ve Ağrı’ya dağ turizmi ve spor turizmi için gelecek olan yerli ve yabancı turistlerin karşılaşabilecekleri engelleri tespit etmek, bunlara dikkat çekmek ve bu konuda farkındalık yaratmaktır. Çalışmada araştırma yöntemlerinden döküman analizi yöntemi ve gözden geçirme derleme yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada çeşitli bilimsel veri ve yayınlar taranmış, kaynaklar gözden geçirilerek araştırma konuları tasnif edilmiş, bazı resmî kurumların istatistiki verilerinden yararlanılmıştır. Literatür taraması sırasında dağcılık ve spor turizmi ilişkileri gözden geçirilmiştir. Ağrı Dağı’nda en büyük sorun barınma sorunudur. Ağrı Dağı’nda ağustos ayında bile fırtına, kar, yağmur anlık yağmakta ve hava şartları gece eksi derecelere kadar düşmekte bu da haliyle insanları çok zor durumda bırakmaktadır. Dağ'da yapılacak olan bir tesisin olması aynı zamanda kış turizmi içinde uygun tırmanışların yapılmasına imkân tanıyarak bölgeye çok daha fazla turist gelmesine vesile olacaktır. Dağ’a Tırmanış için en uygun zaman Ağustos ve Eylül aylarıdır. Yüksek dağlık alanlarda yaşayan ve ekonomik kaynakları yetersiz toplumlar açısından turizm bir şans olarak değerlendirilebilir. Ülkemizde turizmin gelişmesi, çeşitlenmesi ve dağlık yörelerde yaşayan nüfusun turizmden ek gelir sağlaması, olumlu bir gelişme olarak düşünebilir.
Análisis de la divulgación de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa en las páginas web de las diputaciones gallegas
Authors: Fernandez-Vila Silvia , Dopico-Parada Ana , García-Pintos Adela
Published: March 2024

Este trabajo analiza la información sobre las acciones de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC) que divulgan las diputaciones mediante un análisis de contenido de sus páginas web institucionales. Para ello, a través de un estudio de caso de las cuatro diputaciones gallegas se realiza un chequeo de las acciones de RSC sobre las que informan tomando como referencia los 98 criterios del modelo de gestión pública responsable para los gobiernos locales de la Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP). Estos criterios han sido desarrollados atendiendo a las particularidades de las administraciones públicas locales, a diferencia de los del Global Reporting Iniciative (GRI), y abarcan los ejes temáticos de: Ética y buen gobierno, Estrategia y gestión, Informativa, Infraestructuras, Empleo, Medio ambiente, Sociedad, Cadena de suministro, Diálogo e Inversión socialmente responsable. Los principales resultados de la investigación permiten observar que estas entidades divulgan información sobre más del 50% de los criterios del modelo de análisis empleado, destacando los ejes de las Infraestructuras, la Cadena de suministro o la Transparencia informativa. Sin embargo, se han detectado también grandes carencias en la publicación de información de RSC en los ejes de Estrategia y Gestión, así como en Ética y Buen Gobierno. Esto evidencia la necesidad de trabajar en un mayor desarrollo de estrategias de RSC integradas en la estrategia global corporativa por parte de estos organismos.
El impuesto sobre la renta, los incentivos tributarios y las cooperativas en América Latina
Authors: Lara Gómez Graciela
Published: March 2024

Con una aproximación teórica a los incentivos tributarios, los impuestos directos y su incidencia en las cooperativas, se buscó identificar los ordenamientos jurídicos latinoamericanos vigentes para fines del Impuesto Sobre la Renta. Especialmente, se analizan las normas que incluyen las figuras jurídicas para la liberación del tributo, verificando su alcance, requisitos y trámites para su aplicación. Se parte de que el otorgamiento de los incentivos se apoya en el principio de equidad tributaria y en el reconocimiento de los países sobre los beneficios que aportan al desarrollo social y económico. Por tanto, la investigación se fundamenta en directrices teóricas sobre los incentivos y la equidad para las cooperativas. Se reconoce que la región es heterogénea pero que comparte similitudes jurídicas, lo que hace posible contrastar sus normas. Es por ello que se consideró idóneo el método comparado. Con este, se comprendieron las particularidades de los ordenamientos normativos de diecisiete naciones, mediante la confrontación de sus preceptos tributarios, permitiendo distinguir sus convergencias y divergencias. Los resultados muestran que la mayoría de los países integran exenciones en los diversos dispositivos jurídicos y en menor medida se ubicaron países que gravan a lascooperativas con tasas o tarifas reducidas.
Las políticas públicas de fomento del cooperativismo en el marco de los ecosistemas de economía social. Un análisis comparado en la Comunidad Valenciana y la Emilia Romaña
Authors: Catalá Estada Belen , Savall Morera Teresa , Chaves Ávila Rafael , Bassi Andrea
Published: March 2024

En el contexto de evolución de las políticas de economía social y un desarrollo en su marco institucional, este artículo tipifica, analiza y compara las políticas públicas de promoción del cooperativismo en dos destacados ecosistemas de economía social europeos como son la Emilia Romaña y la Comunidad Valenciana. Ambas regiones comparten elementos cognitivos y operacionales que impulsan la creación y consolidación de entidades cooperativas. Examinando los dos territorios en términos de sus marcos legales, áreas estratégicas, federaciones cooperativas y programas de promoción del cooperativismo, la comparación revela diferencias notables en todas las categorías. A pesar de realizar un mayor esfuerzo legislativo y presupuestario en la Comunidad Valenciana, el cooperativismo en cifras en la Emilia Romaña demuestra un desarrollo más efectivo. Asimismo, existe una plena implementación de características de políticas de segunda generación en la Comunidad Valenciana, mientras que en la Emilia Romaña se evidencian desafíos para una transición completa, como la inexistencia de un plan de fomento del cooperativismo que ordene todas las políticas de una manera holística y coordinada. Se proponen recomendaciones para ambos territorios, destacando la formulación de un plan de fomento y la promoción de ayudas específicas para cooperativas en la Emilia Romaña, y la sistematización de la evaluación de sus planes en la Comunidad Valenciana.
SOUND AND THERMAL INSULATION PROPERTIES OF SANDWICH COMPOSITES MADE OF WASTE KEVLAR® MATERIALS
Authors: Selver Erdem , Kaya Gaye , Tiyek Tebernuş , Atıcı Arzu
Published: March 2024

This paper examines the thermal and acoustic insulation characteristics of sandwich composites with waste Kevlar® fiber-reinforced face materials and polyurethane/paper cardboard cores. Waste Kevlar® short fibers (carding waste) were reinforced into the sandwich composites’ core part in varying ratios (2%, 5%, and 10%). Kevlar® fabric edge waste (waste of weaving process) was used to produce the face materials of sandwich composites. Sandwich composites were also stitched using Kevlar® yarns to observe the effect of the through-thickness reinforcement on sound and thermal insulation properties. The sound insulation test results showed that reinforcement of short Kevlar® fibers into the core parts of sandwich composites somewhat raised their sound absorption coefficients. Because the stitching holes created air spaces for sound vibrations, the sound absorption coefficient values improved. The sound transmission losses of sandwich composites were also increased up to 30 dB after short Kevlar® fiber addition. The thermal conductivity coefficient of sandwich composites decreased, indicating that the addition of Kevlar® fibers increased their insulation properties.
Attitude of Russians to Economic Inequality: Substantiation of Economic-Psychological Experiment
Authors: Nikolskaya Anastasiya Vsevolodvna , Kostrigin Artem Andreevich
Published: March 2024

Nowadays Russian society is experiencing changes in attitudes towards various social phenomena and processes, among which the attitude towards economic inequality takes a special place. The consideration of the social-psychological aspects of the attitude to economic inequality in the scientific literature is insufficiently reflected. The study of the peculiarities of attitudes towards inequality will make it possible to clarify public attitudes and attitudes necessary for further social and economic reforms. In addition, traditional research methods do not always reflect representative characteristics of the population's attitude to various social problems, so there is a need to develop a more relevant method (economic-psychological experiment) to identify personal aspects of respondents' economic behavior. The aim was to study the features of the Russian population’s attitude to economic inequality in society by the economic-psychological experiment and substantiating this method as promising for studying attitudes towards social and economic phenomena. Focus groups, which included group interviews and discussions on problems of inequality; a survey aimed at examining attitudes towards inequality and behavior in relation to charity; an economic and psychological experiment (quasi-experiment), in the framework of which situations were simulated for respondents to make economic decisions (choosing a society for a hypothetical grandson). Russian respondents equally want to live both in a risk unequal society, to get higher incomes, and in a society with fixed average incomes. Most Russians are not ready to give up part of their income in order to help those who live worse. The attitude to inequality (the preference of equal and unequal societies) among Russian respondents does not change in any simulated economic conditions. The results obtained using the economic-psychological experiment represent original aspects of respondents' attitudes towards economic inequality in comparison with survey and testing methods.
The Symbolism of the Dragon in the Design of Clothing and Accessories in the Context of Updating the Traditional Cultural Heritage of China
Authors: Wang Xiaoyu , Zhang Miao
Published: March 2024

As a traditional clothing symbol that is unique to the Chinese nation, the dragon symbol combines the distinctive features of the Chinese nation, reflecting the depth of mental changes and the historical context of Chinese culture. The image of the dragon has formed a kind of dragon pattern as a certain set of ideas about the culture that encoded all its changes. Therefore, in national clothing the dragon image has been one of the most favorite patterns for thousands of years. With the interweaving of world cultures and the deepening of the concept of clothing design, the dragon pattern will incorporate fresh elements of Western culture while maintaining the essence of traditional Chinese culture, and show a new design image through the utilization of various innovative ideas and design methods. The following methods were used for the study: literature review, field research, analysis of design cases, analysis of fashion trends. Using these methods, the specifics of using dragon designs in the fashion industry in different seasons and years are analyzed, and the trend of their evolution in the field of high fashion is studied. In the article we analyzed modern trends of clothing design and gave their characteristics. The results of the study showed that even in modern youth fashion this national symbol is actively used, which indicates that the patterns and images of the dragon have real applicability and wide prospects of application in modern fashion design. Modern clothing design provides a rich cultural heritage for modern clothing to retain the characteristics of civilization on the basis of continuous innovation. The use of dragon motifs in modern clothing not only meets the aesthetic concepts of modern people, but also adds vitality to clothing design.
Study on binary-amplitude far-field super-resolution achromatic focusing devices
Authors: Wu Zhi-Xiang , Li Xin-Yu , Huang Zi-Wen , Zou Yi-Yang , Xiong Liang , Deng Hu , Shang Li-Ping ,   School of Information Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China,   Joint Lab Extreme Condit Matter Properties, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China,   School of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
Published: March 2024

The far-field super-resolution focusing devices possess characteristics such as super-resolution focusing, achromatic, small size and easy machining, which make them highly promising in optical imaging, optical microscopy and lithography. In this work, we propose a binary-amplitude modulation-based method for generating far-field super-resolution achromatic focusing. By using the principles of optical super-oscillation, combined with angular spectral diffraction theory and binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO), we optimize the binary amplitude-type far-field super-resolution focusing devices, which have an identical radius of 100λ but different focal lengths: λ1 = 405 nm, λ2 = 532 nm and λ3 = 632.8 nm, respectively. Additionally, an achromatic metalens is integrated by using Boolean AND operation. To assess the feasibility of our proposed approach, numerical simulations are conducted via COMSOL Multiphysics employing FEM analysis. The simulation results demonstrate that the generated spots are located at 25.105λ, 25.106λ, and 25.105λ, respectively. The corresponding full width at half maximum (FWHM) values are 0.441λ1 (0.179 μm), 0.469λ2 (0.249 μm) and 0.427λ3 (0.270 μm), which are smaller than the Abbe diffraction limit, and the far-field super-resolution achromatic focusing is realized. The sidelobe ratios are at low levels, i.e. 12.5%, 12.6%, and 14.2%. The binary amplitude-type far-field super-resolution achromatic devices have the advantages of easy machining, achromatism and super-resolution, and are suitable for miniaturization and integration of optical systems.
Comprehensive mutagenesis maps the effect of all single-codon mutations in the AAV2 rep gene on AAV production
Authors: Jain Nina K , Ogden Pierce J , Church George M
Published: March 2024

Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) are the predominant gene therapy vector. Several rAAV vectored therapies have achieved regulatory approval, but production of sufficient rAAV quantities remains difficult. The AAV Rep proteins, which are essential for genome replication and packaging, represent a promising engineering target for improvement of rAAV production but remain underexplored. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the Rep proteins and their mutational landscape, we assayed the effects of all 39,297 possible single-codon mutations to the AAV2 rep gene on AAV2 production. Most beneficial variants are not observed in nature, indicating that improved production may require synthetic mutations. Additionally, the effects of AAV2 rep mutations were largely consistent across capsid serotypes, suggesting that production benefits are capsid independent. Our results provide a detailed sequence-to-function map that enhances our understanding of Rep protein function and lays the groundwork for Rep engineering and enhancement of large-scale gene therapy production.
Exploration of drug resistance mechanisms in triple negative breast cancer cells using a microfluidic device and patient tissues
Authors: Lim Wanyoung , Hwang Inwoo , Zhang Jiande , Chen Zhenzhong , Han Jeonghun , Jeon Jaehyung , Koo Bon-Kyoung , Kim Sangmin , Lee Jeong Eon , Kim Youngkwan , Pienta Kenneth J , Amend Sarah R , Austin Robert H , Ahn Jee-Yin , Park Sungsu
Published: March 2024

Chemoresistance is a major cause of treatment failure in many cancers. However, the life cycle of cancer cells as they respond to and survive environmental and therapeutic stress is understudied. In this study, we utilized a microfluidic device to induce the development of doxorubicin-resistant (DOXR) cells from triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells within 11 days by generating gradients of DOX and medium. In vivo chemoresistant xenograft models, an unbiased genome-wide transcriptome analysis, and a patient data/tissue analysis all showed that chemoresistance arose from failed epigenetic control of the nuclear protein-1 (NUPR1)/histone deacetylase 11 (HDAC11) axis, and high NUPR1 expression correlated with poor clinical outcomes. These results suggest that the chip can rapidly induce resistant cells that increase tumor heterogeneity and chemoresistance, highlighting the need for further studies on the epigenetic control of the NUPR1/HDAC11 axis in TNBC.
Membrane contact sites regulate vacuolar fission via sphingolipid metabolism
Authors: Hanaoka Kazuki , Nishikawa Kensuke , Ikeda Atsuko , Schlarmann Philipp , Sasaki Saku , Fujii Sotaro , Yamashita Sayumi , Nakaji Aya , Funato Kouichi
Published: March 2024

Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are junctures that perform important roles including coordinating lipid metabolism. Previous studies have indicated that vacuolar fission/fusion processes are coupled with modifications in the membrane lipid composition. However, it has been still unclear whether MCS-mediated lipid metabolism controls the vacuolar morphology. Here, we report that deletion of tricalbins (Tcb1, Tcb2, and Tcb3), tethering proteins at endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–plasma membrane (PM) and ER–Golgi contact sites, alters fusion/fission dynamics and causes vacuolar fragmentation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, we show that the sphingolipid precursor phytosphingosine (PHS) accumulates in tricalbin-deleted cells, triggering the vacuolar division. Detachment of the nucleus–vacuole junction (NVJ), an important contact site between the vacuole and the perinuclear ER, restored vacuolar morphology in both cells subjected to high exogenous PHS and Tcb3-deleted cells, supporting that PHS transport across the NVJ induces vacuole division. Thus, our results suggest that vacuolar morphology is maintained by MCSs through the metabolism of sphingolipids.
Intermittent fasting promotes type 3 innate lymphoid cells secreting IL-22 contributing to the beigeing of white adipose tissue
Authors: Chen Hong , Sun Lijun , Feng Lu , Han Xue , Zhang Yunhua , Zhai Wenbo , Zhang Zehe , Mulholland Michael , Zhang Weizhen , Yin Yue
Published: March 2024

Mechanism underlying the metabolic benefit of intermittent fasting remains largely unknown. Here, we reported that intermittent fasting promoted interleukin-22 (IL-22) production by type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) and subsequent beigeing of subcutaneous white adipose tissue. Adoptive transfer of intestinal ILC3s increased beigeing of white adipose tissue in diet-induced-obese mice. Exogenous IL-22 significantly increased the beigeing of subcutaneous white adipose tissue. Deficiency of IL-22 receptor (IL-22R) attenuated the beigeing induced by intermittent fasting. Single-cell sequencing of sorted intestinal immune cells revealed that intermittent fasting increased aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling in ILC3s. Analysis of cell-cell ligand receptor interactions indicated that intermittent fasting may stimulate the interaction of ILC3s with dendritic cells and macrophages. These results establish the role of intestinal ILC3s in beigeing of white adipose tissue, suggesting that ILC3/IL-22/IL-22R axis contributes to the metabolic benefit of intermittent fasting.
Antipsychotic-induced epigenomic reorganization in frontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia
Authors: Zhu Bohan , Ainsworth Richard I. , Wang Zengmiao , Liu Zhengzhi , Sierra Salvador , Deng Chengyu , Callado Luis F. , Meana J. Javier , Wang Wei , Lu Chang , González-Maeso Javier
Published: March 2024

Genome-wide association studies have revealed >270 loci associated with schizophrenia risk, yet these genetic factors do not seem to be sufficient to fully explain the molecular determinants behind this psychiatric condition. Epigenetic marks such as post-translational histone modifications remain largely plastic during development and adulthood, allowing a dynamic impact of environmental factors, including antipsychotic medications, on access to genes and regulatory elements. However, few studies so far have profiled cell-specific genome-wide histone modifications in postmortem brain samples from schizophrenia subjects, or the effect of antipsychotic treatment on such epigenetic marks. Here we conducted ChIP-seq analyses focusing on histone marks indicative of active enhancers (H3K27ac) and active promoters (H3K4me3), alongside RNA-seq, using frontal cortex samples from antipsychotic-free (AF) and antipsychotic-treated (AT) individuals with schizophrenia, as well as individually matched controls (n = 58). Schizophrenia subjects exhibited thousands of neuronal and non-neuronal epigenetic differences at regions that included several susceptibility genetic loci, such as
NRG1
,
DISC1,
and
DRD3
. By analyzing the AF and AT cohorts separately, we identified schizophrenia-associated alterations in specific transcription factors, their regulatees, and epigenomic and transcriptomic features that were reversed by antipsychotic treatment; as well as those that represented a consequence of antipsychotic medication rather than a hallmark of schizophrenia in postmortem human brain samples. Notably, we also found that the effect of age on epigenomic landscapes was more pronounced in frontal cortex of AT-schizophrenics, as compared to AF-schizophrenics and controls. Together, these data provide important evidence of epigenetic alterations in the frontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia, and remark for the first time the impact of age and antipsychotic treatment on chromatin organization.
ElegansBot: Development of equation of motion deciphering locomotion including omega turns of Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Chung Taegon , Chang Iksoo , Kim Sangyeol
Published: March 2024

Locomotion is a fundamental behavior of
Caenorhabditis elegans
(
C. elegans
). Previous works on kinetic simulations of animals helped researchers understand the physical mechanisms of locomotion and the muscle-controlling principles of neuronal circuits as an actuator part. It has yet to be understood how
C. elegans
utilizes the frictional forces caused by the tension of its muscles to perform sequenced locomotive behaviors. Here, we present a two-dimensional rigid body chain model for the locomotion of
C. elegans
by developing Newtonian equations of motion for each body segment of
C. elegans
. Having accounted for friction-coefficients of the surrounding environment, elastic constants of
C. elegans
, and its kymogram from experiments, our kinetic model (ElegansBot) reproduced various locomotion of
C. elegans
such as, but not limited to, forward-backward-(omega turn)-forward locomotion constituting escaping behavior and delta-turn navigation. Additionally, ElegansBot precisely quantified the forces acting on each body segment of
C. elegans
to allow investigation of the force distribution. This model will facilitate our understanding of the detailed mechanism of various locomotive behaviors at any given friction-coefficients of the surrounding environment. Furthermore, as the model ensures the performance of realistic behavior, it can be used to research actuator-controller interaction between muscles and neuronal circuits.
Effects of noise and metabolic cost on cortical task representations
Authors: Stroud Jake P. , Wójcik Michał , Jensen Kristopher T. , Kusunoki Makoto , Kadohisa Mikiko , Buckley Mark J. , Duncan John , Stokes Mark G. , Lengyel Máté
Published: March 2024

Cognitive flexibility requires both the encoding of task-relevant and the ignoring of task-irrelevant stimuli. While the neural coding of task-relevant stimuli is increasingly well understood, the mechanisms for ignoring task-irrelevant stimuli remain poorly understood. Here, we study how task performance and biological constraints jointly determine the coding of relevant and irrelevant stimuli in neural circuits. Using mathematical analyses and task-optimized recurrent neural networks, we show that neural circuits can exhibit a range of representational geometries depending on the strength of neural noise and metabolic cost. By comparing these results with recordings from primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) over the course of learning, we show that neural activity in PFC changes in line with a minimal representational strategy. Specifically, our analyses reveal that the suppression of dynamically irrelevant stimuli is achieved by activity-silent, sub-threshold dynamics. Our results provide a normative explanation as to why PFC implements an adaptive, minimal representational strategy.
The Neuron-specific IIS/FOXO Transcriptome in Aged Animals Reveals Regulatory Mechanisms of Cognitive Aging
Authors: Weng Yifei , Zhou Shiyi , Morillo Katherine , Kaletsky Rachel , Lin Sarah , Murphy Coleen T.
Published: March 2024

Cognitive decline is a significant health concern in our aging society. Here, we used the model organism C. elegans to investigate the impact of the IIS/FOXO pathway on age-related cognitive decline. The daf-2 Insulin/IGF-1 receptor mutant exhibits a significant extension of learning and memory span with age compared to wild-type worms, an effect that is dependent on the DAF-16 transcription factor. To identify possible mechanisms by which aging daf-2 mutants maintain learning and memory with age while wild-type worms lose neuronal function, we carried out neuron-specific transcriptomic analysis in aged animals. We observed downregulation of neuronal genes and upregulation of transcriptional regulation genes in aging wild-type neurons. By contrast, IIS/FOXO pathway mutants exhibit distinct neuronal transcriptomic alterations in response to cognitive aging, including upregulation of stress response genes and downregulation of specific insulin signaling genes. We tested the roles of significantly transcriptionally-changed genes in regulating cognitive functions, identifying novel regulators of learning and memory. In addition to other mechanistic insights, comparison of the aged vs young daf-2 neuronal transcriptome revealed that a new set of potentially neuroprotective genes is upregulated; instead of simply mimicking a young state, daf-2 may enhance neuronal resilience to accumulation of harm and take a more active approach to combat aging. These findings suggest a potential mechanism for regulating cognitive function with age and offer insights into novel therapeutic targets for age-related cognitive decline.
Structural health monitoring of aircraft through prediction of delamination using machine learning
Authors: D Rajeswari , Khalaf Osamah Ibrahim , R Srinivasan , M Pushpalatha , Hamam Habib
Published: March 2024

Background

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a regular procedure of monitoring and recognizing changes in the material and geometric qualities of aircraft structures, bridges, buildings, and so on. The structural health of an airplane is more important in aerospace manufacturing and design. Inadequate structural health monitoring causes catastrophic breakdowns, and the resulting damage is costly. There is a need for an automated SHM technique that monitors and reports structural health effectively. The dataset utilized in our suggested study achieved a 0.95 R2 score earlier.

Methods

The suggested work employs support vector machine (SVM) + extra tree + gradient boost + AdaBoost + decision tree approaches in an effort to improve performance in the delamination prediction process in aircraft construction.

Results

The stacking ensemble method outperformed all the technique with 0.975 R2 and 0.023 RMSE for old coupon and 0.928 R2 and 0.053 RMSE for new coupon. It shown the increase in R2 and decrease in root mean square error (RMSE).
Detecting cyberbullying using deep learning techniques: a pre-trained glove and focal loss technique
Authors: El Koshiry Amr Mohamed , Eliwa Entesar Hamed I. , Abd El-Hafeez Tarek , Khairy Marwa
Published: March 2024

This study investigates the effectiveness of various deep learning and classical machine learning techniques in identifying instances of cyberbullying. The study compares the performance of five classical machine learning algorithms and three deep learning models. The data undergoes pre-processing, including text cleaning, tokenization, stemming, and stop word removal. The experiment uses accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score metrics to evaluate the performance of the algorithms on the dataset. The results show that the proposed technique achieves high accuracy, precision, and F1 score values, with the Focal Loss algorithm achieving the highest accuracy of 99% and the highest precision of 86.72%. However, the recall values were relatively low for most algorithms, indicating that they struggled to identify all relevant data. Additionally, the study proposes a technique using a convolutional neural network with a bidirectional long short-term memory layer, trained on a pre-processed dataset of tweets using GloVe word embeddings and the focal loss function. The model achieved high accuracy, precision, and F1 score values, with the GRU algorithm achieving the highest accuracy of 97.0% and the NB algorithm achieving the highest precision of 96.6%.
Species divergence in valleys: the phylogeny of Phrynocephalus forsythii complex and description of a new species
Authors: Liang Qianru , Shi Lei
Published: March 2024

Background

Geographic isolation caused by high-altitude valleys promotes the formation of geographic segregation of species, leading to species differentiation. The subgenus Oreosaura contains viviparous species from the Tibetan Plateau and the vicinity of the Tarim Basin, which can be divided into three species complexes according to their geographical distribution: Phrynocephalus vlangalii, Phrynocephalus theobaldi, and Phrynocephalus forsythii. However, molecular data for the P. forsythii complex are limited and the diversity of this species complex has been greatly underestimated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the species diversity of Oreosaura and species differentiation within the P. forsythii complex.

Methods

We analysed the species diversity of Oreosaura by combining previous data, constructed a phylogenetic tree of the subgenus based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S sequences, and estimated the divergence time.

Results

The results suggest significant genetic differences between the Tarim Basin populations and adjacent mountain valley populations of the P. forsythii complex and that the combination of deep valley landscapes in the high mountains and ice-age events have contributed to the differentiation of the viviparous toad-headed agama lizard, which is a key factor in the phylogenetics of the P. forsythii complex. Furthermore, we identified a population collected from Wuqia County, Xinjiang, as a new species, Phrynocephalus kangsuensis sp. nov. The results will provide data for phylogenetic studies following the P. forsythii complex and help demonstrate that valleys promote the formation of Phrynocephalus species.
Impact of Gender and Age on the Interrelationship of Language Educators’ Attitudes, Intentions and Teaching Practices
Authors: Arda ÖZKAN Seda , GÜLSEREN Özlem ZABİTGİL
Published: March 2024

Formative assessment has a rather important role in language teaching and assessment. Student-centered and contextualized teaching are the new imperatives of today (Harlen & James, 1997). Language teachers’ perceptions and awareness
on formative assessment increased (Brookhart, S. M.,2001) making it necessary to seek language instructors’ views on the issue. This study examines the relationship among English instructors’ attitudes, intentions and practices
of FA and if any difference exists according to the variables of age and gender. Quantitative research method is utilized for the study. 144 English Preparatory Schools teachers at foundation and public universities participated
in the study in the Fall Term of 2019. An internationally acknowledged questionnaire by Yan and Cheng (2015), titled "Instructors' Conceptions and Practices of Formative Assessment" is used. The study explored the relationship
between teachers’ attitudes, intentions and applications of formative assessment and if gender and age variables affect this relationship. Majority of language teachers asserted positive attitudes and intentions about formative
assessment use in language classrooms. Yet, the study revealed that younger female language teachers did practice higher formative assessment strategies in their language classes. Thus, this study implies that if novice language
teachers’ positive attitudes are encouraged with proper training, praise and support, then more promising pedagogical applications would be reaped in the future.