bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptation strategies of Tamarix ramosissima seedlings in the hinterland of Taklimakan Desert, China
Authors: Erkin Flora , Dai Yue , Abdureyim Anwar , Huang Wan-Yuan , Tayir Mawlida
Published: September 2022

Purpose
Salt cedar (Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.) is an excellent species of shrub that is used for windbreaks and to fix sand in desert of northwest China. The successful settlement of T. ramosissima seedlings and their growth into mature individuals require their adaptation to various adverse conditions, which is the key to naturally regenerating the Tamarix population.
Methods
We measured the morphological characteristics of the T. ramosissima seedlings, such as rooting depth, root: shoot ratio, taproot diameter, specific root length (SRL), specific root area (SRA), and specific leaf area (SLA), physiological characteristics, such as stable isotope ratios of xylem water, soil water, and leaves, as well as the leaf water content (LWC).
Results
The distribution of primary and lateral roots of T. ramosissima seedlings with larger BSD was more apparent than that of the small ones. As the BSD increased, the taproot depth and diameter of the T. ramosissima seedlings increased, and the root: shoot ratio, SRL, SRA, and SLA decreased. For the T. ramosissima seedlings shallow soil water was an important component of the water source. The mean LWC of T. ramosissima seedlings with different BSDs was 68.80%. The leaf carbon stable ratios (δ13C) trend was not obvious.
Conclusion
These results showed that with better soil water conditions in their habitat, the T. ramosissima seedlings were less likely to develop deeper root systems downward, allocated more biomass to the aboveground, and their growth rate diminished as the BSD increased.
The effects of PPARγ agonists on long-term potentiation and apoptosis in the hippocampus area of juvenile hypothyroid rats
Authors: Hosseini Mahmoud , Seyedi Fatemeh , Hedayati Mahdiyeh , Ali-Hassanzadeh Mohammad , Askarpour Hedyeh , Mansouri Somaieh , Baghcheghi Yousef
Published: September 2022

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of rosiglitazone (RSG) or pioglitazone (POG) on the synaptic plasticity, neuronal apoptosis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nitric oxide(NO) metabolites in the hippocampus of juvenile hypothyroid rats. The animals were divided into four groups: (1) control, (2) propylthiouracil (PTU), (3) PTU–POG and (4) PTU–RZG. A 0.05% dose of PTU was administered in drinking water for 42 consecutive days. The POG (20 mg/ kg) and the RSG (4 mg/kg) were administered by intraperitoneal (IP) injection on a daily basis. To evaluate synaptic plasticity, we conducted long-term potentiation (LTP) in the Cornuammonist 1 (CA1) area of the hippocampus by high-frequency stimulation of the Schaffer collateral pathway. Then, the hippocampal tissues were collected to determine BDNF and NO levels. In addition, 5 animals from each group also were treated and the brains of animals were collected for apoptosis studies. PTU administration decreased slope, slope 10–90%, and amplitude of fEPSP compared to the control group. Injection of RSG or POG increased the slope, slope 10–90%, and amplitude of fEPSP in the PTU-POG or PTU-RSG groups in comparison to the PTU group. TUNEL positive neurons and NO metabolites in the hippocampus of the PTU group were higher than that of the control. PTU administration attenuated BDNF content, and RSG or POG increased BDNF content in PTU–POG or PTU–RSG groups. Treatment of the rats by POG or RSG decreased apoptotic neurons and NO metabolites in the hippocampus of PTU–POG or PTU–RSG groups compared to the PTU group. The results of this study revealed that POG or RSG normalized LTP impairment, neuronal apoptosis, and improved BDNF content in the hippocampal tissue of juvenile hypothyroid rats.
Photoactive Catalysts for Treatment of Air Pollutants: A Review through Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Nema Akanksha , Kaul Daya , Mukherjee Kalisadhan
Published: September 2022

In recent years, photocatalysts are becoming attractive to researchers in exploring their application for treatment of air pollutants. Exposure to Ultra-Violet Visible (UV-VIS) light on photocatalysts often makes them active in decomposing various toxic materials into less or environment-friendly products. Thus, the identification, as well as simple synthesis and processing of photocatalysts, could ultimately lead to the technologies for the cost-effective mitigation of environmental hazards. A bibliometric analysis has been carried out here to understand and assess the current trend in photocatalyst research. The data retrieved from the Scopus database on the topic for 2000–2020 were analysed to investigate the research activities of the past to foresight the future. Various facets of bibliometry were investigated to produce this holistic review. The contribution of various countries, institutions and authors were investigated. Numerous facets of photocatalyst such as types of photocatalysts, their modification through metal and nometal doping, their pollutants treatment potency, types of reactors for photocatalysis, factors influencing treatment performance and models used for designing reactors were examined. Substantial growth in the publication has been identified in the last two decades. The research trends, problem statements, adopted strategies, and materials explored on the photocatalysis for air pollution treatment over the recent years across the world could be insightful to the researchers and eventually will be beneficial to formulate new research strategies.
The effect of Stab incision glaucoma filtering surgery on Intraocular pressure in primary angle closure glaucoma
Authors: Murad Mohammad Moataz Mohammad , Ghalwash Ahmed , Abouelkhir Sameh Mohamed  Mohamed Mohamed , Hassan Omar , Mohamed Jihan Abdallah
Published: September 2022

Objective: The current study aims to evaluate the stab incision trabeculectomy technique on the intraocular pressure in primary angle closure glaucoma patients.
Subjects and methods: this study included 24 cases with an indication for glaucoma surgery with the stab incision technique; superior subconjunctival injection of 0.1 ml of 0.02% mitomycin C (MMC) a stab incision was done through the conjunctiva; a scleral tunnel was created just 2.5 mm posterior to the limbus toward the cornea by a 2.8 mm keratome, A Kelly's punch was introduced through the tunnel into the A.C. the posterior lip of the corneal section was punched backwards till the limbus, additional punches were done to settle the tunnel then the iris was grasped and excised by curved Vannas scissors performing a peripheral iridotomy. IOP was measured by the Goldmann applanation tonometer preoperatively and in the follow-up on the first day, the seventh day, the first month, the third month and the sixth month.
Results: The preoperative mean intraocular pressure was 28 mmHg (SD 5.1). Mean Postoperative IOP on the first day, third day, first week, first month, third month, and the sixth month was (9.5 mmHg (SD 5.1), 10.9 mmHg (SD 3.1),13.2 mmHg (SD 3.7), 15.5 mmHg (SD 5.5),15 mmHg (SD 4) and 14.3 mmHg (SD 2.4) respectively). In postoperative titrations among the studied cases, 8 (33.3%) cases required needling, which was statistically significant. (P value 0.025 %). 11 (45.8 %) cases required massage, which was statistically significant. (P value 0.000 %). 4 (16.7 %) cases required surgery, which was statistically significant. (P value 0.004 %). 6 (25 %) cases required anti-glaucoma drops, which was statistically significant. (P value 0.021 %). Hyphemia occurred in 1 case (4.2 %) of cases.
Conclusion: Stab incision technique was a safe and quick alternative to conventional trabeculectomy. IOP control with fewer complications was observed during the first six months of follow‑up; mean Intraocular pressure was ~14 mmHg.
More than just headlines: A global statistical analysis of murdered women environmental defenders
Authors: Tran Dalena , Hanacek Ksenija
Published: September 2022

This study contributes empirical data tracking gender in extractive violence cases from the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas). The study also fills a gap in coverage on environmental assassinations not considering other factors of violence leading up to murders. Through log-linear and binominal regressions, this study analyzes gendered distributions of displacement, repression, criminalization, violent targeting, and murders worldwide. We found that 1) violence against women defenders is concentrated among mining, agribusiness, and industrial conflicts in the geographical South; 2) repression, criminalization, and violent targeting typically appeared together, whereas displacement and murder appeared as extreme outcomes when conflict violence worsened; 3) women defenders experience high rates of violence regardless of their countries’ levels of rule of law and gender equality. Reflecting global patterns of impunity, nearly all of the women defenders’ murders are still unresolved in courts, and their conflicts are still under negotiation.
Interruptible Nodes: Reducing Queueing Costs in Irregular Streaming Dataflow Applications on Wide-SIMD Architectures
Authors: Timcheck Stephen , Buhler Jeremy
Published: September 2022

Streaming dataflow applications are an attractive target to parallelize on wide-SIMD processors such as GPUs. These applications can be expressed as a pipeline of compute nodes connected by edges, which feed outputs from one node to the next. Streaming applications often exhibit irregular dataflow, where the amount of output produced for one input is unknown a priori. Inserting finite queues between pipeline nodes can ameliorate the impact of irregularity and improve SIMD lane occupancy. The sizing of these queues is driven by both performance and safety considerations -- relative queue sizes should be chosen to reduce runtime overhead and maximize throughput, but each node's output queue must be large enough to accommodate the maximum number of outputs produced by one SIMD vector of inputs to the node. When safety and performance considerations conflict, the application may incur excessive memory usage and runtime overhead. In this work, we identify properties of applications that lead to such undesirable behaviors, with examples from applications implemented in our MERCATOR framework for irregular streaming on GPUs. To address these issues, we propose extensions to support interruptible nodes that can be suspended mid-execution if their output queues fill. We illustrate the impacts of adding interruptible nodes to the MERCATOR framework on representative irregular streaming applications from the domains of branching search and bioinformatics.
Interruptible Nodes: Reducing Queueing Costs
In vivo anti-tumor effect of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz and Zingiber prescriptions combined with paclitaxel in mice bearing ID8 ovarian carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Guo-Nan , Li Xin Ru , Huang Jian-Mei , Pei Li-Xia , He Si-Yi , Wang Xiao-Xin , Huang Jian-Ming
Published: September 2022

Background
Paclitaxel is the first-line chemotherapy drug for ovarian carcinoma, and chemotherapy resistance to paclitaxel is closely related to the recurrence and poor prognosis of ovarian carcinoma. Our previous in vitro experiments demonstrate that Atractylenolide-I and 6-shogaol can be used as natural antagonists to target and block the TLR4 /MyD88-mediated paclitaxel resistance pathway.
Purpose
The majority of traditional herbal preparations are water-based prescriptionss, which results in a low yield of pharmacologically active lipid-soluble components. This preparation follows the decoction method of classic prescriptions (half decoction in wine and water), and maked the Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz and Ginger alcohol /aqueous extracts.
Methods
The effective contents of Atractylenolide-I and 6-shogaol in This preparation were determined by HPLC with main active components.
Results
This preparation were effective in inhibiting the growth of paclitaxel-treated tumors, accompanied by increased apoptosis and improved survival. In combination with paclitaxel, Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz and Zingiber alcohol /aqueous extracts had better anticancer efficacy than Atractylodes-I and 6-shogaol. Furthermore, no hepatic or kidney toxicity could be observed.
Conclusion
Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz and Zingiber alcohol /aqueous extracts may provide a clinically useful natural remedy for the treatment of cancer with active components that promote paclitaxel sensitization.
Combined Pruning for Nested Cross-Validation to Accelerate Automated Hyperparameter Optimization for Embedded Feature Selection in High-Dimensional Data with Very Small Sample Sizes
Authors: May Sigrun , Hartmann Sven , Klawonn Frank
Published: September 2022

Background: Embedded feature selection in high-dimensional data with very small sample sizes requires optimized hyperparameters for the model building process. For this hyperparameter optimization, nested cross-validation must be applied to avoid a biased performance estimation. The resulting repeated training with high-dimensional data leads to very long computation times. Moreover, it is likely to observe a high variance in the individual performance evaluation metrics caused by outliers in tiny validation sets. Therefore, early stopping applying standard pruning algorithms to save time risks discarding promising hyperparameter sets.
Result: To speed up feature selection for high-dimensional data with tiny sample size, we adapt the use of a state-of-the-art asynchronous successive halving pruner. In addition, we combine it with two complementary pruning strategies based on domain or prior knowledge. One pruning strategy immediately stops computing trials with semantically meaningless results for the selected hyperparameter combinations. The other is a new extrapolating threshold pruning strategy suitable for nested-cross-validation with a high variance of performance evaluation metrics. In repeated experiments, our combined pruning strategy keeps all promising trials. At the same time, the calculation time is substantially reduced compared to using a state-of-the-art asynchronous successive halving pruner alone. Up to 81.3% fewer models were trained achieving the same optimization result.
Conclusion: The proposed combined pruning strategy accelerates data analysis or enables deeper searches for hyperparameters within the same computation time. This leads to significant savings in time, money and energy consumption, opening the door to advanced, time-consuming analyses.
A Computational approach to uncover the missense mutations in candidate genes of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: MUBEEN HIRA , Masood Ammarad , Zafar Asma , Khan Zohaira Qayyum , Khan Muneeeza Qayyum , Nisa Alim un , Naveed Zuniara Afzal
Published: September 2022

Background

Alzheimer’s (induced by ultimate demise of nerve cells) is a neurodegenerative disorder, and experts are still lagging in this disease, owing to the polygenic and multi-factorial nature mainly in Late-Onset-Alzheimer’s-Disease (LOAD). Till now, Amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation along with neuroinflammation seem to be the main inveterate attribute of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Hence, and intriguing area of research that motivates the researchers is to incorporate genes implicated in Aβ clearance and associated regulatory processes.

Aim of study:

The principle purpose of the present study, is to investigate neuro-inflammatory and A cleavage genes (ADAM10, CD33, & TNFSF10).

Methodology:

Assessment of missense mutations of Aβ cleavage genes was done, and their effects were evaluated, followed by analysing the gene-gene and protein-protein interactions. Further, the association of Aβ targeting drugs with genes of investigation was examined. Also, Docking was applied to identify clinical involvement of therapeutic targets.

Result

the results proved that the underlying mechanism and polymorphism in just one nucleotide was related to the disease. It also provides useful information about genes’ network, that contain targeting molecules of NOTCH signalling and Death Induced Signalling Complex (DISC) pathway.

Future Directions

: The research will be valuable to find new directions for therapeutic approaches, with more benefit and success rate in disease treatment.
Paleoclimate constrains future El Niño/Southern Oscillation increase
Authors: Pontes Gabriel , Dias Pedro Silva , Menviel Laurie
Published: September 2022

IPCC projections indicate that El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability will increase throughout the 21st century under global warming. However, the magnitude of the increase greatly varies among models. Here we use paleoclimate model simulations of the 4th phase of the Paleoclimate Model Intercomparison Project (PMIP4) to constrain the projected ENSO increase and propose a common mechanism to explain ENSO changes throughout climate states. We show that the projected ENSO increase is unprecedented in warm climates of the past ~3.3 million years and that ENSO operates in a bi-stable regime dictated by the position of the tropical Pacific Ocean convection centers, namely the Intertropical and South Pacific Convergence Zones. Constraining ENSO variability with the positions of the tropical convection centers indicates a 12% (3 to 19%) ENSO increase in the 21st century. Our results elucidate how tropical Pacific mean state has modulated ENSO activity and alerts for the unprecedented nature of the 21st century global warming.
Intensity of Induction Regimen and Outcomes Among Adults with Ph+ ALL Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Luskin Marlise , Raman Hari , Kim Se Eun , DeAngelo Daniel , Stevenson Kristen , Neuberg Donna , Winer Eric , Wadleigh Martha , Garcia Jacqueline , Kim Annette , Stone Richard , Ho Vincent
Published: September 2022

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are essential in treating Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL) and have allowed for effective, low intensity induction regimens. Whether the use of low intensity induction regimens impacts outcomes after allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT) is less understood. We identified consecutive adult patients with Ph + ALL undergoing alloHSCT in first complete remission (CR1) at our center from 2010 to 2021 and examined the impact of induction intensity on outcomes. Among the 87 patients, 44 (51%) received low intensity induction and 43 (49%) received induction with high intensity chemotherapy. Patients receiving low intensity induction were older (median age 60 vs. 47, p < 0.01). Following induction, measurable residual disease (MRD) negativity by BCR::ABL1 RT-PCR was similar in the low and high intensity cohorts (54% and 52% respectively). There was no difference between low and high intensity induction with respect to 2-year disease-free survival (58% vs. 56%), 2-year overall survival (62% vs. 63%), 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse (9% vs. 17%), and 2-year non-relapse mortality (33% vs. 29%). Outcomes were similar when patients were segmented by induction and conditioning regimen intensities. We demonstrate that induction intensity does not impact post-transplant outcomes among Ph + ALL patients Ph + ALL transplanted in CR1.
Bioactive magnesium phosphate/glass composite coatings for magnesium alloy using sol-gel method
Authors: Farag Mohammad M. , Ahmed Hanaa Y. , Al-Rashidy Zainab M.
Published: September 2022

Coating of Mg alloys with Mg-phosphate is usually performed by complex and costly methods. This work was mainly aimed at using Mg-phosphate ceramic for Mg metal implants by simple and cost-effective spin coating combined with a sol-gel approach. Where, Mg-phosphate ceramic particles were dispersed with different percentages (0, 10, and 30 wt. %) in the glass sol (85 SiO2 – 10 CaO – 5 P2O5 system) as a coating solution. The coated substrates were characterized by TGA, XRD, FTIR, contact angle, and SEM/EDX analyses, and the in vitro bioactivity test was performed in revised simulated body fluid (rSBF). The results showed the coating thickness was 8.8 ± 0.8, 5.4 ± 0.6, and 5 ± 0.7 µm for MP0, MP10, and MP30, respectively. Moreover, the coatings increased the hydrophilicity of the metal surface. All coatings enhanced the formation of an apatite-bone like layer on the Mg metal surface, and they were viable with oral epithelial cells at a concentration ≤ 125 µg/ml. Moreover, MP0 and MP10 coatings significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of the metal, while; MP30 coating did not show a significant effect on it. Thus, the percentage of Mg-phosphate in the coating was valuable for corrosion resistance when it was ≤ 10 wt. %. As a result, the composite coatings showed promising coatings for Mg metal substrate to enhance its corrosion resistance at low percentages of Mg-phosphate ceramic.
Does Endorsement from Political Elites Affect Tweeting Behaviour? Studying the Effects of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Tweets in 2019
Authors: Neyazi Taberez Ahmed , Ee Tan Khai , Haque Mohammad Amaan
Published: September 2022

Does interactivity on Twitter initiated by political elites yield dividends in terms of indirect outcomes such as online political mobilization? Twitter has traditionally been utilized by political elites mainly as broadcasting media, characterized by its limited interactions with the wider public. In doing so, political elites may be overlooking Twitter's utility as an interactive media for mobilizing their supporters, which we seek evidence for in this paper. We adopt a naturalistic quasi-experimental design utilizing a unique dataset comprising tweets of users who were mentioned (36.62 million tweets) and not mentioned (29.73 million tweets) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16th March, 2019 during his general election campaign. A controlled intervention analysis using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models was carried out, which suggests that, on average, the total tweets count increased more for users mentioned by Modi (treatment group) as compared to those not mentioned by Modi (control group). However, no substantive lasting effect could be detected, indicating therefore that a mention by political elites helps generate immediate engagement which is not necessarily self-sustaining. To determine if this activation behavior is more prominent for less or more active users, we categorized the users based on their Twitter activity and assessed the significance of any movement between categories; no evidence could be found in support of this claim. Our findings thus provide important insights to understand how Twitter can be used as an effective platform for political campaigns by exploiting some of its interactive features such as replies and mentions to mobilize supporters.
A double-step-length symmetric splitting sequential quadratic optimization algorithm for two-block nonconvex optimization
Authors: Jian Jinbao , Cui Donglei , Ma Guodong , Yin Jianghua
Published: September 2022

In this paper, a double-step-length symmetric splitting sequential quadratic optimization (DSL-SS-SQO) algorithm for solving two-block nonconvex optimization with nonlinear constraints is proposed. First, at each iteration, the idea of symmetric splitting is embedded into solving the quadratic optimization (QO) subproblem approximating the discussed problem. As a result, the QO subproblem is split into two small-scale QOs, which can generate two improved search directions for the two primal variables. Second, the augmented Lagrangian function is used as the merit function, and two step sizes are yielded by performing the Armijo line search along the two improved directions. Third, under mild conditions, the global convergence, strong convergence, iterative complexity, and Maratos effect of the DSL-SS-SQO algorithm are proven. Finally, some numerical results are reported, comparisons with the results obtained by the IPOPT solver are also provided, which preliminarily show that the proposed algorithm is promising.
Plurilingual Education in Developing Contexts: A Pedagogical Framework
Authors: Giri Ram Ashish
Published: September 2022

This article is a pedagogical response to the theoretical and ideological stance which suggests that not all languages are worthy of inclusion in the school curriculum. It argues that, like any other resource, languages can be developed, conserved, and promoted through education. Very often, languages and cultures in contemporary socio-political discourses are referred to as valuable resources of a nation. However, citing a lack of resources and practical relevance, scholars contest the ways and the extent to which these languages should be developed and preserved. This article challenges such a politico-economic stance and recommends that a plurilingual education policy, based on the ground realities of a nation and a linguistic ecology needs to be considered for the development and promotion of languages.
Presenting Nepal as a case, the article claims that in its complex linguistic context, plurilingual education is more relevant than bi- and tri-lingual education, and therefore, there is a need for a pedagogical shift in language education. Nepal, a small, multilingual Himalayan nation has embarked upon seeking a new political will and a fresh mandate for developing an inclusive language education policy in the federal system of governance. The federal states are seeking to adopt the three-language education policy with Nepali, English, and one locally chosen language. In a context where there are scores of languages, this policy is flawed for more than one reason. The paper analyses the proposed policy and offers a language education framework with a view to re-engineering plurilingualism at the grassroots level. Based on the relevance of fostering individual as well as societal plurilingualism, and an analysis of related literature, it argues that in the developing socio-political scenario and existing linguistic landscape, the much-hyped three-language education formula will damage the existing linguistic fabric and create further divisions in the Nepalese population.
The relationship between COVID-19 protection behaviors and pandemic-related knowledge, perceptions, worry content and public trust in a Turkish sample
Authors: Küçükkarapınar Melike , Karadag Filiz
Published: September 2022

Background: This study aimed to explore the effect of knowledge, COVID-19-related perceptions and public trust on protective behaviors in Turkish people.
Methods: Data were collected from anonline survey (Turkish COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring) conducted between July 2020 and January 2021.
The recommended protective behaviors (hand cleaning, wearing a face mask, and physical distancing) to prevent COVID-19 were examined. The impacts of the following variables on protective behaviors were investigated using logistic regression analysis: knowledge, cognitive and affective risk perception, pandemic-related worry content, public trust, conspiracy thinking, and COVID-19 vaccine willingness.
Results: Out of a total of 4,210 adult respondents, 13.8% reported nonadherence to protection behavior, and 86.2% reported full adherence. Males and young (18-30 ages) people tend to show less adherence. Perceived self-efficacy and susceptibility, and correct knowledge were positively related to more adherence to protective behavior.
Perceptual and emotional factorsexplaining protective behavior were perceived proximity, stress level, and worrying about the relatives who depended on them. Trust in health professionals and vaccine willingness were positive predictors, while conspiracy thinking and getting less information (<2, daily) were negative predictors. Unexpectedly, trust in the Ministry of Health showed a weak but negative association with protection behavior.
Conclusions: Perceived stress, altruistic worries and public trust seem to shape protection behaviors in addition to individuals’knowledge and cognitive risk perception in respondents. Males and young people may have a greater risk for nonadherence. Reliable, transparent and culture-specific health communication that considers these issues is required.
Targeting TRIM28-mediated SUMOylation of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Ren Jiang , Wang Shuai , Pan Ting , Ma Weirui , Lu Huasong , Yang Bing , He Xin , Zhang Long , Zhou Fangfang
Published: September 2022

Viruses, as opportunistic intracellular parasites, hijack the cellular machinery of host cells to support their survival and propagation. Consequently, numerous viral proteins are subjected to host-mediated post-translational modifications. Here, we demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (SARS2-NP) is modified by a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) on the lysine 65 residue. SARS2-NP SUMOylation is essential for executing efficiently SARS2-NP’s ability in homo-oligomerization, RNA association, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), thereby the innate antiviral immune response is suppressed robustly both in vitro and in vivo. These roles played by SARS2-NP SUMOylation can be achieved through intermolecular association between SUMO conjugation and a newly identified SUMO-interacting motif (SIM) in SARS2-NP. Importantly, the widespread SARS2-NP R203K mutation in SARS-CoV-2 variants gains a novel site of SUMOylation which further increases SARS2-NP’s LLPS and immunosuppression. Notably, we discover that the SUMO E3 ligase TRIM28 is responsible for catalyzing SARS2-NP SUMOylation. An interfering peptide targeting the TRIM28 and SARS2-NP interaction was screened out to block SARS2-NP SUMOylation and LLPS, and consequently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and rescue innate antiviral immunity. Collectively, these data support SARS2-NP SUMOylation as an essential modification for SARS-CoV-2 virulence, and therefore provide a strategy to antagonize SARS-CoV-2.
Machine Learning Approaches for Predicting Suicidal Behaviors among University Students in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mahmud Sultan , Mohsin Md , Muyeed Abdul , Nazneen Shaila , Sayed Md. Abu , Murshed Nabil , Islam Ariful
Published: September 2022

Background
Psychological and behavioral stresses increased enormously during the global COVID-19 pandemic. This study intends to identify the best machine learning model to forecast suicide risk among university students in Bangladesh.
Methodology:
An anonymous online survey utilizing DASS-21 and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) to assess depression, anxiety, and stress levels; Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) to identify suicidal risk was conducted from 1 to 30 June 2022. We compared six popular machine learning models (MLM), including Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naïve Bayes (NB), Classification Tree (CT), and Random Forest (RF), to identify the most efficient predictive model for suicidal behavior through several metrics such as accuracy, Kappa, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).
Result
Determinants predicting suicidal behavior include depression, insomnia, anxiety, and stress. Besides, sex, relationship status, family income, loss of jobs, and death within the family from COVID-19 are crucial suicidal risk predictors. The performance evaluation and comparison of MLM show that all models behaved consistently and were comparable in predicting suicidal risk determinants since the ranges were for accuracy (0.76 to 0.79); Kappa (0.52 to 0.59); ROC (0.76 to 0.89); sensitivity (0.76 to 0.81), and specificity (0.72 to 0.82). SVM was the best and most consistent performing model among all MLM in terms of accuracy (79%), Kappa (0.59), ROC (0.89), sensitivity (0.81), and specificity (0.81).
Conclusion
SVM is the best MLM in identifying predictors of suicidal risk among university students to develop a screening tool that can guide policymakers and universities in designing appropriate, timely suicide prevention interventions.
Offshore Application of Landslide Susceptibility Mapping using Gradient Boosted Decision Trees: A Gulf of Mexico Case Study
Authors: Dyer Alec Scott , Mark-Moser MacKenzie , Duran Rodrigo , Bauer Jennifer
Published: September 2022

Among natural hazards occurring offshore, submarine landslides pose a significant risk to offshore infrastructure installations attached to the seafloor. With the offshore being important for current and future energy production, there is a need to anticipate where future landslide events are likely to occur on the seafloor to support planning and development projects. Using the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) as a case study, this paper performs Landside Susceptibility Mapping (LSM) using a Gradient Boosted Decision Tree (GBDT) model to characterize the spatial patterns of submarine landslide probability over the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) where water depths are greater than 120 meters. With known spatial extents of historic submarine landslides and a Geographic Information System (GIS) database of known topographical, geomorphological, geological, and geochemical factors, the resulting model was capable of accurately forecasting where the potential source location of sediment instability is more likely to occur. Results of a permutation modelling approach indicate that LSM accuracy is sensitive to training set size with accuracies becoming more stable as the number of observations increases. The influence that each input feature has on predicting landslide susceptibility was evaluated using the SHapely Additive exPlanations (SHAP) feature attribution method. Areas of high and very high susceptibility were associated with steep terrain including salt basins and escarpments. This case study serves as an initial assessment of the machine learning (ML) capabilities for producing accurate submarine landslide susceptibility maps given the current state of available natural hazard-related datasets and conveys both successes and limitations.
Investigating the applicability of human annexin A1 as an affinity tag for separation and purification of the target proteins
Authors: He Xiaomei , Zhang Shuncheng , Dang Dongya , Lin Tingting , Ge Yuanyuan , Chen Xiaofeng , Fan Jun
Published: September 2022

Backgrounds Rapid separation methods with fusion of the affinity tags have been developed. However, the affinity tag for simply and cheaply separating the fused target protein is still lacking.
Results Separation conditions for the human annexin A1 (hanA1) tagged emerald green fluorescent protein (EmGFP) in Escherichia coli cytoplasm were optimized via precipitation with CaCl2 and re-solubilization with EDTA-Na2. Combination of the affinity precipitation with each of three affinity purification approaches increased the hanA1-EmGFP purity, and on-resin cleavage facilitated release of tag-free EmGFP. With addition of Triton X-100 to the culture, the fused EmGFP, red fluorescent protein mCherry, or the FMN-dependent fluorescent protein LOV, was also prepared with increasing CaCl2concentrations after it was secreted to the culture from E. coli, whereas the hanA1-EmGFP fused to the amyQ signal sequence was insolubly produced in Bacillus subtilis cells, and the hanA1-EmGFP fused to the α signal peptide produced in Pichia pastoris was unable to be secreted to the culture. The affinity separation was visualized by use of three fluorescent proteins including the EmGFP, mCherry and LOV, and two colored proteins including a bacterial hemoglobin, and maize sirohydrochlorin ferrochelatase (mSF) showing brown containing the [2Fe–2S] cluster. The added EDTA-Na2disrupted the mSF structure, and inhibited activities of the selected four metal-dependent enzymes, but showed little impact on two specific proteases for cleaving the fusion proteins. After affinity precipitation, the tagged lysine decarboxylase was prepared as cross-linked enzyme aggregates.
Conclusion The hanA1 tag is ideal for simple, rapid and cost-effective separation of the target proteins via intracellular and extracellular production in E. coli. This tag is also used for further affinity purification of the selected proteins and enzymes potentially applied in industry and diagnosis.
Identification of key genes of anti-programmed death ligand 1 for meningioma immunotherapy by bioinformatic analysis
Authors: Zhang Lijian , Wang Luxuan , Tan Yanli , Li Chunhui , Fang Chuan
Published: September 2022

Meningioma is one of the most common primary tumors in the central nervous system (CNS). A deeper understanding of its molecular characterization could provide potential therapeutic targets to reduce recurrence. In this study, we attempted to identify specific gene mutations in meningioma for immunotherapy. One GSE43290 dataset was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to find differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between meningioma tissues and normal meninges. In total, 420 DEGs were identified, including 15 up-regulated and 405 down-regulated genes. Functional enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly enriched in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Focal adhesion, and MAPK signaling pathway. We identified 20 hub genes by protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Among the hub genes, the expression of FLT1, CXCL8, JUN, THBS1, FECAM1, CD34, and FGF13 were negatively correlated with Programmed Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1). Additionally, the expression of those genes was co-regulated by miR-155‐5p. The findings suggest that miR-155-5p play an important role in the pathogenesis of meningioma and may represent potential therapeutic targets for its anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy.
A genome-wide association study to identify PPARγinvolved metabolic abnormalities by oxidative damage in IVF offspring
Authors: Liu Lihong , Ha Siyao , Li MingQing , Li Zhiling
Published: September 2022

Based on our previous animal model of abnormal metabolism, we combined bioinformatics methods to explore the mechanism of early embryo oxidative stress increasing metabolic risk in offspring. Methods: To screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between IVF and naturally conceived offspring by bioinformatics methods, and to identify the co-gene characteristics and biological function mechanisms of DEGs and glucose and lipid metabolism related. Then, we constructed oxidative stress models in vitro and in vivo and performed functional analysis of early embryo differential genes caused by oxidative stress to explore the molecular mechanism of abnormal metabolism risk in IVF offspring. Results: In IVF offspring, we found 15 differentially expressed genes associated with disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism, and their biological functions are primarily associated with lipid metabolism. Zygote oxidative stress is a key factor affecting offspring health, and in different oxidative stress models, the level of ROS was significantly increased. More importantly, the PPAR pathway was altered in both IVF offspring and the early embryo oxidative stress model. In addition, we found decreased expression and nuclear localization of PPARγ in oxidative stress on IVF-derived embryos. Conclusion: The results suggest that PPARγ is involved in the development of embryos under oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can lead to genome-wide reprogramming of embryos and affect The long-term health of offspring through PPARγ.
Accumulation of Nutrients by Strawberry Plants and Fruit Grown in Annual Hill Culture1
Authors: Albregts E. E. , Howard C. M.
Published: September 2022

The accumulation of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and B were determined at transplanting, first flowering, first harvest, middle of harvest season, and end of harvest season to ascertain the extent and the pattern of plant nutrient uptake in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). The plants were grown with the annual hill cultural system and mulched with polyethylene. More accumulation of each element occurred during harvest than before that time. Excluding harvested fruit, leaves accumulated the most N, P, K, and Mg; the roots and crown the most Fe and Zn, while the dead material accumulated the most Ca. Harvested fruit accumulated more N, P, K, and B than did the plant. The caluclated average seasonal accumulation of the 9 elements in the plant and in the harvested fruit during the 2 seasons in kg/ha were: K 63.1, N 58.6, Ca 30.8, P 9.4, Mg 7.8, Fe 0.456, Mn 0.161, Zn 0.088, and B 0.077.
Brain Related Gut Peptides – A Review
Authors: Manoharan Nivedita , Jayamurali Dheepthi , Parasuraman Rajeshwari , Govindarajulu Sathya Narayanan
Published: September 2022

Gut peptides are small peptides secreted by gut endocrine cells that can modulate the roles
and functions of different organs through signaling. Gut peptides can also majorly impact the body’s
energy homeostasis by regulating appetite and energy metabolism. The gut-brain axis (GBA) is
bidirectional communication between the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral enteric
nervous system. The regulation of appetite acts by hypothalamic neuronal activity. The complex
interaction of hedonic and homeostatic factors implicates appetite regulation. In the CNS, the
hypothalamus and brainstem have a dominating role in appetite regulation. The arcuate nucleus
(ARC) of the hypothalamus plays a vital role in energy homeostasis, while other nuclei also play a
role in appetite regulation. The gut conveys peripheral information about energy balance to the brain
via gut peptides and receptors for the digestion of food. The varied gut peptides have different actions
on appetite regulation.
High Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Improves
Cognitive Performance Parameters in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease –
An Exploratory Pilot Study
Authors: Leblhuber Friedrich , Geisler Simon , Ehrlich Daniela , Steiner Kostja , Kurz Katharina , Fuchs Dietmar
Published: September 2022

Background:

Currently available medication for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may slows cognitive decline only transitory, but has failed to bring about long term positive effects. For this slowly progressive neurodegenerative disease so far no disease modifying therapy exists.

Objective:

To find out if non-pharmacologic non-ivasive neuromodulatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may offer a new alternative or an add on therapeutic strategy against loss of cognitive functions.

Methods:

In this exploratory intervention study safety and symptom development before and after frontopolar cortex stimulation (FPC) using intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) at 10 subsequent working days was monitored as add-on treatment in 28 consecutive patients with AD. Out of these, 10 randomly selected patients received sham stimulation as a control. In addition, Serum concentrations of neurotransmitter precursor amino acids, of immune activation and inflammation markers, of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as well as of nitrite were measured.

Results:

Treatment was well tolerated, no serious adverse effects were observed. Improvement of cognition was detected by an increase of Mini Mental State Examination score (MMSE; p<0.01, paired rank test) and also by an increase in a modified repeat address phrase test, part of the 6-item cognitive impapairment test (p <0.01). A trend to an increase in the clock drawing test (CDT; p = 0.08) was also found in the verum treated group. Furtheron, in 10 of the AD patients with additional symptoms of depression treated with iTBS, a significant decrease in the HAMD-7 scale (p <0.01) and a trend to lower serum phenylalanine concentrations (p = 0.08) was seen. No changes of the parameters tested were found in the sham treated patients.

Conclusion:

Our preliminary results may indicate that iTBS is effective in the treatment of AD. Also a slight influence of iTBS on the metabolism of phenylalanine was found after 10 iTBS sessions. An impact of iTBS to influence the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), as found in previous series of treatment resistant depression, could not be seen in this our first observational trial in 10 AD patients with comorbidity of depression. Longer treatment periods for several weeks in a higher number of AD patients with depression could cause more intense and disease modifying effects visible in different neurotransmitter concentrations important in the pathogenesis of AD.
COVID-19 Tests and International Travel: How Long Will You Test
Positive for SAR-CoV-2?
Authors: Hon Kam Lun , Leung Karen Ka Yan
Published: September 2022

Coronavirus diseases, from SARS to MERS and now COVID-19, have major implications for the aviation industry and international travels. Although many cities and countries are
adopting ‘live with COVID’ strategies, various rules and regulations are still in place. Documents
demonstrating COVID-19 vaccination or recovery from the disease have now become a basic requirement to enter many travel destinations, while some still require pre-entry and/or post-arrival
testing of COVID-19. Recently, the author’s household became COVID-19 positive in late March
2022, as diagnosed by rapid antigen test (RAT), in Singapore whilst enroute to Hong Kong. This
had an immediate knock-on impact on hotel quarantine and travel arrangements. Rapid antigen test
(RAT) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based tests have been used for quarantine, isolation
and international travel purposes. The implications and issues of these tests are discussed. Ideally, a
COVID-19 test that is fit for purpose should aim at identifying individuals who are infectious with
risk of transmission only. Frequent surveillance with an effective RAT may be a more practical solution to normalize international travel without compromising public safety. Meanwhile, physicians
have an important role in counselling anxious and often confused travelers before and during international travels. International travelers should be aware of the implications of these COVID-19 testing results, and plan, schedule and have travel insurance accordingly
Smart Technologies: Technologies Transforming Cities from Vision to Reality
Authors: Jabbar M.A. , Chawla Udit
Published: September 2022

Due to technological advancements, people are migrating to urban areas for
better health care, employment, amenities, and education. Communication technology
innovations are going to play a crucial role in smart cities. These technologies are the
heart and brain of the smart city. In this chapter, various technologies like IoT and
cyber-physical systems (CPS) have been discussed. Security challenges for IoT and
CPS are pointed out in this chapter, and solutions to these challenges are also
suggested.
IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH (E-WOM) ON PURCHASE INTENTION
Authors:   Management Business Telecommunication and Informatics (MBTI), Telkom University, Indonesia, Winarno Kania Oktaviana , Indrawati Indrawati ,   Management Business Telecommunication and Informatics (MBTI), Telkom University, Indonesia
Published: September 2022

The present quantitative research is intended to conduct an investigation into the effect of social media marketing and electronic word of mouth (E-WOM), especially on Instagram, on the purchase intention of Sunday Bowl Cereal Club products. As for the sampling strategy, the non-probability purposive sampling method was employed in this research. Samples were drawn from up to 300 respondents. To analyze the data, this research employed the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) models that are processed using SmartPLS 3.2.9. The results show that social media marketing has a positive and significant relationship to E-WOM. Age and gender moderate the relationship between social media marketing and E-WOM. Social media marketing has a positive and significant relationship on purchase intention. Age and gender do not moderate the relationship between social media marketing and purchase intention. E-WOM has a positive and significant relationship on purchase intention. Age moderate the relationship between E-WOM and purchase intention. Gender do not moderate the relationship between E-WOM and purchase intention. Social media marketing has a positive and significant relationship on purchase intention through E-WOM. Age moderate the relationship between Social media marketing and purchase intention through E-WOM. Gender do not moderate the relationship between social media marketing and purchase intention through E-WOM. Sunday Bowl Cereal Club needs to pay attention to the framework in the customer life cycle: Plan-Reach-Act to increase their social media marketing. Then Sunday Bowl Cereal Club needs to improve its marketing mix through E-WOM in encouraging purchase intention from potential customers.