bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emx2 is an essential regulator of ciliated cell development across embryonic tissues
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Khoa , Rodriguez John-Michael , Wesselman Hannah M. , Wingert Rebecca A.
Published: January 2024

Cilia are hair-like organelles with vital physiological roles, and ciliogenesis defects underlie a range of severe congenital malformations and human diseases. Here, we report that theempty spiracles homeobox gene 2 (emx2)transcription factor is essential for cilia development across multiple embryonic tissues including the ear, neuromasts and Kupffer’s vesicle (KV), which establishes left/right axial pattern.emx2deficient embryos manifest altered fluid homeostasis and kidney defects including decreased multiciliated cells (MCCs), revealing thatemx2is essential to properly establish several renal lineages as well. Further,emx2deficiency disrupted ciliogenesis on renal monociliated cells and MCCs, and led to aberrant basal body positioning in kidney cells. Interestingly, we discovered thatemx2deficiency was associated with reduced expression of key factors which regulate prostaglandin biosynthesis: the transcriptional regulatorperoxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 1 alpha(ppargc1a) and its downstream targetprostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1(ptgs1), which encodes a crucial enzyme for production of the prostanoid ligand prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Importantly, both ciliogenesis and renal fate changes were rescued whenemx2deficient embryos were provided with PGE2or transcripts encodingptgs1orppargc1a. Taken together, our findings reveal new essential roles ofemx2in cilia development across several tissues, and identifyemx2as a critical, novel regulator of prostaglandin biosynthesis during renal development and ciliogenesis.
Molecular mechanisms underlying single nucleotide polymorphism-induced reactivity decrease in CYP2D6
Authors: Becker Daniel , Bharatam Prassad V. , Gohlke Holger
Published: January 2024

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is one of the most important enzymes involved in drug metabolism. Genetic polymorphism can influence drug metabolism by CYP2D6 such that a therapy is seriously affected by under- or overdosing of drugs. However, a general explanation at the atomistic level for poor activity is missing so far. Here we show for the 20 most common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CYP2D6 that poor metabolism is driven by four mechanisms. We found in extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations that the rigidity of the I-helix (central helix), distance between central phenylalanines (stabilizing bound substrate), availability of basic residues on the surface of CYP2D6 (binding of Cytochrome P450 reductase), and position of arginine 132 (electron transfer to heme) are essential for an extensive function of the enzyme. These results were applied to SNPs with unknown effects and potential SNPs that may lead to poor drug metabolism were identified. The revealed molecular mechanisms might be important for other drug-metabolizing Cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Table of Contents Graphic
Sensory neurons regulate stimulus-dependent humoral immunity
Authors: Aguilar Diane , Zhu Fengli , Millet Antoine , Millet Nicolas , Germano Patrizia , Pisegna Joseph , Akbari Omid , Doherty Taylor A , Swidergall Marc , Jendzjowsky Nicholas
Published: January 2024

Sensory neurons sense pathogenic infiltration, serving to inform immune coordination of host defense. However, sensory neuron-immune interactions have been predominantly shown to drive innate immune responses. Humoral memory, whether protective or destructive, is acquired early in life - as demonstrated by both early exposure to streptococci and allergic disease onset. Our study further defines the role of sensory neuron influence on humoral immunity in the lung. Using a murine model of Streptococcus pneumonia pre-exposure and infection and a model of allergic asthma, we show that sensory neurons are required for B-cell and plasma cell recruitment and antibody production. In response to S. pneumoniae, sensory neuron depletion resulted in a larger bacterial burden, reduced B-cell populations, IgG release and neutrophil stimulation. Conversely, sensory neuron depletion reduced B-cell populations, IgE and asthmatic characteristics during allergen-induced airway inflammation. The sensory neuron neuropeptide released within each model differed. With bacterial infection, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) was preferentially released, whereas substance P was released in response to asthma. Administration of VIP into sensory neuron-depleted mice suppressed bacterial burden and increased IgG levels, while VIP1R deficiency increased susceptibility to bacterial infection. Sensory neuron-depleted mice treated with substance P increased IgE and asthma, while substance P genetic ablation resulted in blunted IgE, similar to sensory neuron-depleted asthmatic mice. These data demonstrate that the immunogen differentially stimulates sensory neurons to release specific neuropeptides which specifically target B-cells. Targeting sensory neurons may provide an alternate treatment pathway for diseases involved with insufficient and/or aggravated humoral immunity.
Critical velocity and arrest of a superfluid in a pointlike disordered potential
Authors: Doran R. , Groszek A. J. , Billam T. P.
Published: January 2024

Superfluid flow past a potential barrier is a well studied problem in ultracold Bose gases, however, fewer studies have considered the case of flow through a disordered potential. Here we consider the case of a superfluid flowing through a channel containing multiple point-like barriers, randomly placed to form a disordered potential. We begin by identifying the relationship between the relative position of two point-like barriers and the critical velocity of such an arrangement. We then show that there is a mapping between the critical velocity of a system with two obstacles, and a system with a large number of obstacles. By establishing an initial superflow through a point-like disordered potential, moving faster than the critical velocity, we study how the superflow is arrested through the nucleation of vortices and the breakdown of superfluidity, a problem with interesting connections to quantum turbulence and coarsening. We calculate the vortex decay rate as the width of the barriers is increased, and show that vortex pinning becomes a more important effect for these larger barriers.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Examining the barriers to implementing design for deconstruction in the construction industry of a developing country
Authors: Pittri Hayford , Godawatte Godawatte Arachchige Gimhan Rathnagee , Agyekum Kofi , Botchway Edward Ayebeng , Dompey Annabel Morkporkpor Ami , Oduro Samuel , Asamoah Eric
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Despite endeavors to alleviate construction and demolition waste and the indications that the process of deconstruction has the potential to steer waste reduction initiatives, there has not been a progressive increase in the adoption of Design for Deconstruction (DfD) in the global south, especially Ghana. This paper aims to identify and analyze the barriers to implementing DfD in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of 240 design professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI). The questionnaire was developed by reviewing pertinent literature and complemented with a pilot review. Data were analyzed using descriptive and nonparametric statistics.

Findings

The findings revealed ten (10) significant impediments to implementing DfD within the construction industries in developing economies. These impediments revolve around cost, legal matters, storage, incentive and design-related matters. Key among these barriers is “For recovered materials, there are little performance guarantees,” “The absence of strict regulations regarding design for deconstruction,” “Lack of a large market enough for components that have been recovered,” “The need for building codes that address how to design with reused materials” and “Lack of effective design for deconstruction tools.”

Originality/value

The results of this research shed light on a relatively unexplored area within the construction sector, particularly in a developing country like Ghana. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study contributes fresh and supplementary knowledge and perspectives regarding the challenges in implementing DfD practices.
Armani Exchange: the dilemma of store expansion
Authors: Dwivedi Hemverna , Kushwaha Rohit , Joshi Pradeep
Published: January 2024

Learning outcomes

In the light of the case study and the accompanying case study questions, the incumbent would be able to gain a comprehensive understanding on the theoretical underpinnings of retail store expansion, identify the challenges for expanding a brand into emerging markets such as India and apply various marketing strategies aimed at in-depth analysis retail expansion. Learners can further comprehend the importance of brand communication incorporated by the brand to attract its customer subset.

Case overview/synopsis

It was in December 2022, when Mason Chatterjee, the Indian brand head of Armani Exchange (A|X), was confronted with the managerial dilemma whether launching the second store in the city of Ahmedabad would be a right decision. Another issue that was troubling him was how to go about launching a second store in a city which was not a home to other luxury sublabels. The case study illustrates the decisional aspect of retail expansion adopted by Chatterjee, considering the distinct managerial perspectives. Chatterjee found potential in the city of Ahmedabad, owing to an increased number of high-net-worth individuals and other macro factors. The case study is primarily an outcome of research carried out at A|X store at Ahmedabad One mall, Ahmedabad, for over a fortnight in the month of February 2023. The expansion decision of Chatterjee proved to be a success in the city of Ahmedabad reaching a sales figure of INR 1 crore (US$130,344.11) in the very first month of its launch. However, he was confronted with the managerial dilemma of further expansion, just six months after the launch of the latest expansion.

Complexity academic level

The case study is intended for advanced undergraduates or postgraduate programs in management or electives such as marketing, retail management and strategic management. It has not only been specifically designed for teaching the concept of retail expansion but can also be used to integrate contexts on brand’s merchandise mix, retail positioning, visual merchandising and brand communication. The case study has an overview of each of these elements. The instructor may choose them into the context for a wider encompassing detailed lesson or particularly on the main aspect of the case.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS8: Marketing
Evolving needs of men at the workplace: an Indian perspective
Authors: Sinha Sweta , Ghosh Koustab
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the evolving needs of Indian men and their aspirations regarding work–life balance practices. The ultimate aim is to assess whether the available policies are helpful and to explore the various roadblocks in their implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study takes a qualitative approach and draws on the semi-structured interviews of Indian men (N = 19).

Findings

The analysis revealed an asymmetrical approach of organizations toward implementing employee benefit policies. The organizations remain plagued by the notion that “benefits policies” are needed only by women to carry out additional family responsibilities, whereas men remain aloof from such responsibilities, which takes its strength from the patriarchal roots of Indian society. This study reveals two major themes: lack of appreciation for gender egalitarianism arising among men at the work–family interface’ and the coping practices by men to address their ‘role strain arising due to work–family conflict. It is noted that there is a need to formulate policies and practices to cater to men’s evolving aspirations toward the family–work interface.

Originality/value

This study furthers the debate on inclusive policies for employees and examines the subsection of men for their evolving needs and aspirations. Although organizations live in the glory of having employee-friendly policies, they offer little help in advancing gender neutrality in the workplace. The inclusive policies shall also be helpful for females because it would increase the availability of their partners/spouses to share the family responsibilities.
Conductive panel cooling by using coupled effects of nano-jet impingement, double rotating cylinders and magnetic field under cross-flow
Authors: Selimefendigil Fatih , Oztop Hakan F.
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of cross-flow and multiple jet impingement on conductive panel cooling performance when subjected to uniform magnetic field effects. The cooling system has double rotating cylinders.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross-flow ratios (CFR) ranging from 0.1 to 1, magnetic field strength (Ha) ranging from 0 to 50 and cylinder rotation speed (Rew) ranging from −5,000 to 5,000 are the relevant parameters that are included in the numerical analysis. Finite element method is used as solution technique. Radial basis networks are used for the prediction of average Nusselt number (Nu), average surface temperature of the panel and temperature uniformity effects when varying the impacts of cross-flow, magnetic field and rotations of the double cylinder in the cooling channel.

Findings

The effect of CFR on cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity is favorable. By raising the CFR to the highest value under the magnetic field, the average Nu can rise by up to 18.6%, while the temperature drop and temperature difference are obtained as 1.87°C and 3.72°C. Without cylinders, magnetic field improves the cooling performance, while average Nu increases to 4.5% and 8.8% at CR = 0.1 and CR = 1, respectively. When the magnetic field is the strongest with cylinders in channel at CFR = 1, temperature difference (ΔT) is obtained as 2.5 °C. The rotational impacts on thermal performance are more significant when the cross-flow effects are weak (CFR = 0.1) compared to when they are substantial (CFR = 1). Cases without a cylinder have the worst performance for both weak and severe cross-flow effects, whereas using two rotating cylinders increases cooling performance and temperature uniformity for the conductive panel. The average surface temperature lowers by 1.2°C at CFR = 0.1 and 0.5°C at CFR = 1 when the worst and best situations are compared.

Originality/value

The outcomes are relevant in the design and optimization-based studies for electric cooling, photo-voltaic cooling and battery thermal management.
The determinants of life insurance companies profitability in South Africa: new evidence from a dynamic panel threshold estimation technique
Authors: Horvey Sylvester Senyo , Odei-Mensah Jones , Mushai Albert
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Insurance companies play a significant role in every economy; hence, it is essential to investigate and understand the factors that propel their profitability. Unlike previous studies that present a linear relationship, this study provides initial evidence by exploring the non-linear impacts of the determinants of profitability amongst life insurers in South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a panel dataset of 62 life insurers in South Africa, covering 2013–2019. The generalised method of moments and the dynamic panel threshold estimation technique were used to estimate the relationship.

Findings

The empirical results from the direct relationship reveal that investment income and solvency significantly predict life insurance companies' profitability. On the other hand, underwriting risk, reinsurance and size reduce profitability. Further, the dynamic panel threshold analysis confirms non-linearities in the relationships. The results show that insurance size, investment income and solvency promote profitability beyond a threshold level, implying a propelling effect on life insurers' profitability at higher levels. Below the threshold, these factors have an adverse effect. The study further points to underwriting risk, reinsurance and leverage having a reduced effect on life insurers' profitability when they fall above the threshold level.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that insurers interested in boosting their profit position must commit more resources to maintain their solvency and manage their assets and returns on investment. The study further recommends that effective control of underwriting risk is critical to the profitability of the life insurance industry.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by providing first-time evidence on the determinants of life insurance companies' profitability by way of exploring threshold effects in South Africa.
Assessing the provisions for sustainability in economics degree programmes
Authors: Leal Filho Walter , Dinis Maria Alzira Pimenta , Morales Maria F. , Semitiel-García María , Noguera-Méndez Pedro , Ruiz de Maya Salvador , Alarcón-del-Amo María-del-Carmen , Esteban-Lloret Nuria , Pemartín María
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Higher education institutions (HEIs) offer courses and programmes focusing on sustainability in economics, as courses on sustainable development (SD), which examine the economic, social and environmental dimensions of SD. This paper aims to examine sustainability integration in economics degree programmes.

Design/methodology/approach

Through an extensive literature review in Web of Science (WoS) and information search in Google, conducting to 28 relevant case studies, this paper elucidates the emphasis given to sustainability as part of economics degree programmes in HEIs.

Findings

The results suggest that, whereas the inclusion of sustainability components in this field is a growing trend, much still needs to be done to ensure that matters related to SD are part of the routine of university students studying economics.

Research limitations/implications

It is worth noting that the literature review conducted in WoS was primarily aimed at assisting in the selection of university case studies. The 28 university case studies scrutinised in this study may lack sufficient representation from numerous developing countries.

Practical implications

This study highlights challenges in integrating the SD into economics degree programmes, suggesting the need for curriculum adjustments as underscoring operational issues, acting as barriers. The inclusion of sustainability in economics programmes must navigate operational issues stemming from packed timetables and busy schedules, requiring innovative solutions.

Social implications

As far as the authors are aware, this study holds substantial importance in its emphasis on implementing sustainability within HEIs’ economics programmes, assisting in pursuing SD.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study lies in addressing sustainability with the specific economics focus programmes within the HEIs context.
Mutually beneficial? Middle school educators’ perceptions about the benefits and challenges of a school–university partnership
Authors: DiCicco Michael , Faulkner Shawn A.
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The paper identifies and explores the perspectives of middle school educators regarding the benefits and challenges of an ongoing, emerging school–university partnership. Over five years, professors at one comprehensive, Midwestern university, formed a partnership with a local middle school. While progress has been made to develop the partnership, the authors recognized a lack of shared governance (Essential 7). In particular, they were unsure the partnership was mutually beneficial. The authors interviewed teachers, the principal, assistant principals, guidance counselors, the instructional coach and the youth service center director to gain their perspectives on the partnership.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used an intrinsic, evaluative case study to examine educators perceptions of the benefits and challenges of the partnership (Guba & Lincoln, 1981; Patton, 2002). This approach was used because within this bounded system the authors have an interest in obtaining information to help improve the program and partnership.

Findings

Results suggest the partnership was beneficial in a number of ways including hiring of and offering fresh ideas to teachers. Educators also felt there were many benefits for university candidates. Challenges included scheduling, technology access and candidate disposition. Implications are discussed.

Research limitations/implications

Inherent within the research methodology, researchers’ inclusion in the data collection process may affect participants responses.

Practical implications

Researchers discuss the implications of this work, including the role of hiring candidates and clear articulation of a mission for the partnership.

Originality/value

This work adds to research on school site stakeholders’ perspectives on the value of school–university partnerships and includes teachers and the schools’ entire leadership team.
Dynamics in eukaryotic algal communities regulate bacterial and fungal communities as biocrusts develop in a temperate desert in Central Asia
Authors: Kang Zhao , Lei Zhang , Fei Wang , Kaikai Li , Yali Zhang , Bingchang Zhang
Published: January 2024

Eukaryotic algae, as the primary group of photosynthetic autotrophs, exert a significant influence on the development and functions of biological crusts in dryland ecosystems. Despite their importance, there are substantial knowledge gaps on the composition of eukaryotic algal communities and their effects on the distributions of bacteria and fungi in dryland soils.

This study examined the eukaryotic algal community along a successional sequence of biocrusts in the Gurbantunggut desert, while also investigating their patterns of co‐occurrence with bacteria and fungi through high‐throughput sequencing and bioinformatic analyses.

The results showed that nitrogen and phosphorus levels played a crucial role in the regulation of changes in the abundance and composition of the algal community. In particular, changes in the structure of the algal community arise primarily from fluctuations in the main species, rather than from loss and appearance of species during the biocrust succession. The accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus in the biocrust was associated with the decrease in the relative abundance of Chlorophyta. The results also indicated that eukaryotic algae played an important role in the affecting bacterial and fungal communities and significantly improved the stability of the microbial community, reflected by the robustness of co‐occurrence networks. The network analysis further indicated that eukaryotic algae affected the stability of microbial co‐occurrence networks either by acting as keystone taxa or associating with the keystone bacterial and fungal taxa.

These findings reveal a clear mechanism by which soil nitrogen and phosphorus levels affected the composition of eukaryotic algae communities and further regulated bacterial and fungal communities during biocrust development, providing valuable information on the development and functional execution of biocrusts in dryland ecosystems.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
The effectiveness and consequences of the government's interventions for Hong Kong's residential housing markets
Authors: Deng Yongheng , Han Congyan , Li Teng , Wang Yonglin
Published: January 2024

We study the effectiveness, consequences, and transmission mechanisms of the government's interventions for Hong Kong's residential housing market between 2009 and 2017. We use granular microlevel transaction data and adopt a regression discontinuity design to conduct the empirical analysis. We find that mortgage‐tightening measures effectively curbed the overheated market by reducing price and volume while specific submarkets occasionally experienced volatility. Tax‐driven measures effectively suppressed trading activity but triggered price volatilities across submarkets. Several rounds of measures had a spillover effect on subsidized public housing. Our findings have implications for policymakers seeking to review and revise property market intervention policies in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
Foreign labor and audit quality: Evidence from newly hired H‐1B visa holders
Authors: Frost Tracie , Jing Jiao , Shang Longfei , Su Lixin (Nancy)
Published: January 2024

Foreign workers have been an important part of the labor force in public accounting firms over the past two decades. In this paper, we investigate whether and why foreign workers influence audit quality. We find that audit offices with more newly hired foreign labor have a lower mean absolute value of discretionary accruals and a smaller rate of restatements for their clients. The effect is more pronounced for audit offices that face more resource constraints or require greater foreign expertise. The results of improved audit quality are robust to alternative measures of immigrant intensity and audit quality, alternative samples, and using different ways to address endogeneity concerns. Overall, our paper contributes to the literature by showing the impact of foreign labor in the auditing profession and provides public policy implications for the recent H‐1B visa debate.
Renal function after ductus arteriosus transcatheter closure with or without angiography in very preterm infants
Authors: Lembo Chiara , Méot Mathilde , Mellul Kelly , Aryafar Annahita , Szézépanski Isabelle , Iacobelli Silvia , Kermorvant‐Duchemin Elsa , Bonnet Damien , Malekzadeh‐Milani Sophie , Lapillonne Alexandre
Published: January 2024

Aim

Transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus (TCPDA) is increasingly used in preterm infants as an alternative to surgical ligation. However, clinically ill preterm infants are at risk of contrast nephropathy due to the angiography contrast agents used during the procedure.

Methods

We performed a single‐centre before‐and‐after comparative study in VLBW infants to compare the kinetics of serum creatinine during the first 4 days after TCPDA with or without angiography.

Results

69 patients were included and divided into two groups: TCPDA with (contrast+; n = 37) and without (contrast−, n = 32) use of contrast agent. The median dose [range] of contrast agent was 1.0 mL/kg [0.6–2.4 mL/kg]. The change in serum creatinine level between day 2 to 4 after TCPCA and baseline decreased in the contrast‐ group (−17% [−46%; 18%]), while it increased in the contrast+ group (7% [−24%; 202%] p = 0.002). Comparison of blood urea levels between groups showed similar significant differences. The change in serum creatinine between day 2 to 4 and baseline was significantly correlated with the dose of contrast agent (r2 = 0.682; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The use of contrast agents during TCPDA can potentially harm the renal function of very preterm infants. Therefore, we advise minimising or avoiding the use of contrast agents.
Drivers of species composition in arable‐weed communities of the Austrian–Hungarian borderland region: What is the role of the country?
Authors: Pinke Gyula , Vér András , Réder Krisztina , Koltai Gábor , Schlögl Gerhard , Bede‐Fazekas Ákos , Czúcz Bálint , Botta‐Dukát Zoltán
Published: January 2024

Questions

Due to their high ecological and agronomical variability, borderland regions offer an excellent opportunity to study assembly patterns. In this study we compared the influence of various factors on summer annual weed communities consisting of both native and introduced species.

Location

The borderland region of Austria and Hungary.

Methods

We assessed the abundance of weed species in 300 fields of six summer annual crops, and collected information on 26 background variables for each plot. We applied redundancy analysis (RDA) to estimate multivariate species responses and variation partitioning to compare the relative importance of three groups of variables (environmental variables, management variables, and country as a singleton group), and we also checked for statistical association between country and the predictors of the other two groups.

Results

The full RDA model explained 22.02% of the variance in weed species composition. Variation partitioning showed that environment and management had similarly high (~8%) influence on weeds, while country had a modest yet substantial (~1%) effect, and there was relatively little overlap between the variance attributable to the three groups. Comparing the individual variables, country ranked third (after preceding crop, and actual crop). The effects of 15 further variables were also significant, including seven management, and seven environmental variables, as well as the location of the sampling plots within the fields. Comparisons between the countries showed that farming type, preceding crops, tillage system, tillage depth and field size were significantly different between the countries.

Conclusions

Country exhibited a small but significant influence on weed community composition, which could not be explained with easily accessible management and environmental variables. This suggests that the distinct historical agronomical background of the two countries, possibly involving some legacies of the former Iron Curtain period, still has an impact on the weed species composition of arable fields.
Platycodin D ameliorates ammonia‐induced pulmonary fibrosis by repressing TGF‐β1‐mediated extracellular matrix remodeling
Authors: Lian Wenqi , Ge Shihao , Pang Quanhai
Published: January 2024

Ammonia can induce pulmonary fibrosis in humans and animals. Platycodin D (PLD) possesses various bioactive activities including anti‐fibrotic properties. In this study, we aimed to explore the activity and mechanism of PLD in pulmonary fibrosis induced by ammonia. The mouse model of ammonia‐induced lung fibrosis was established, and the role of PLD was assessed by H&E and Masson's trichrome staining. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by RNA‐seq and subjected to GO and KEGG pathway analyses. BEAS‐2B cells were treated with NH4Cl alone or along with PLD. Results showed that PLD attenuated ammonia‐induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in vivo. The extracellular matrix (ECM)‐receptor interaction pathway was predicted as a prominent pathway underlying the anti‐fibrotic function of PLD. In ammonia‐induced mouse models and NH4Cl‐treated BEAS‐2B cells, PLD could repress the activation of the TGF‐β1 pathway. By incubating lung fibroblast HFL1 cells with the conditioned medium of BEAS‐2B cells treated with NH4Cl alone or along with PLD, PLD was confirmed to attenuate NH4Cl‐induced ECM deposition in HFL1 cells. Our findings demonstrate that PLD exerts a protective function in ammonia‐induced pulmonary fibrosis by repressing TGF‐β1‐mediated ECM remodeling, suggesting the potential therapeutic value of PLD in this disease.
Event assigning based on hierarchical features and enhanced association for Chinese mayor's hotline
Authors: Chen Gang , Cheng Xiaomin , Chen Jianpeng , She Xiangrong , Qin JiaQi , Chen Jian
Published: January 2024

Nowadays, manual event assignment for Chinese mayor's hotline is still a problem of low efficiency. In this paper, we propose a computer‐aided event assignment method based on hierarchical features and enhanced association. First, hierarchical features of hotline events are extracted to obtain event encoding vectors. Second, the fine‐tuned RoBERTa2RoBERTa model is used to encode the “sanding” responsibility texts of Chinese local departments. Third, an association enhanced attention (AEA) mechanism is proposed to capture the correlation information of the “event‐sanding” splicing vectors for the sake of obtaining matching results of “event‐sanding,” and the matching results are input into the classifier. Finally, the assignment department for is obtained by a department selection module. Experimental results show that our method can achieve better performance compared with several baseline methods on HEAD (a dataset we construct independently). The ablation experiments also demonstrate the validity of each key module in our method.
Efficacy of plant products in controlling disease vector mosquitoes, a review
Authors: Hillary V. Edwin , Ceasar S. Antony , Ignacimuthu S.
Published: January 2024

Mosquitoes pose a severe threat to the environment as vectors of numerous harmful diseases affecting humans and animals. Mosquitoes transmit pathogens that cause dengue, chikungunya, malaria, zika, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and filariasis. Today's mosquito control strategies heavily rely on the use of chemical insecticides such as N,N‐diethyl‐meta‐toluamide (DEET), N,N‐diethyl mandelic acid amide (DEM), and dimethyl phthalate (DMP). However, the widespread use of chemical insecticides has resulted in pollution, bio‐magnification, and other health and environmental issues. It has also become ineffective because of the mosquitoes' aptitude to develop resistance, emphasizing the urgent need for safe, effective, and long‐lasting strategies. An alternative and promising approach to circumventing these obstacles involves the implementation of insecticides made from natural compounds found in plants. Therefore, the scientific community has shifted its focus towards plant‐based phytochemicals, oils, and extracts, as these are eco‐friendly, safe, and cost‐effective alternatives to conventional chemical insecticides. This review aims to provide details on current advances in plant‐based products (plant compounds, extracts, and essential oils), which are used to control all the life cycle stages (egg, larva, pupa, and adult) of the mosquito generaAedes,Anopheles, andCulex. Hopefully, this review will pave the way to devise control strategies against these challenging pests.
Association between several immune response‐related genes and the effectiveness of biological treatments in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis
Authors: Loras Alba , Gil‐Barrachina Marta , Hernando Barbara , Perez‐Pastor Gemma , Martinez‐Domenech Alvaro , Mahiques Laura , Pitarch Gerard , Valcuende‐Cavero Francisca , Ballester‐Sanchez Rosa , Marques‐Torrejon Maria Angeles , Martinez‐Cadenas Conrado
Published: January 2024

Biological therapies are safer and more effective against psoriasis than conventional treatments. Even so, 30–50% of psoriatic patients show an inadequate response, which is associated with individual genetic heterogeneity. Pharmacogenetic studies have identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as possible predictive and prognostic biomarkers for psoriasis treatment response. The objective of this study was to determine the link between several SNPs and the clinical response to biological therapies in patients with moderate–severe psoriasis. A set of 21 SNPs related to psoriasis and/or other immunological diseases were selected and analysed from salivary samples of patients (n = 88). Treatment effectiveness and patient improvement was assessed clinically through Relative Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), also called ‘PASI response’, as well as absolute PASI. Associations between SNPs and PASI factors were assessed at 3 and 12 months for every treatment category of IL‐17, IL‐23, IL‐12&23 and TNF‐α inhibitors. Multivariate correlation analysis and Fisher's exact test were used to analyse the relationship between SNPs and therapy outcomes. Several SNPs located in the TLR2, TLR5, TIRAP, HLA‐C, IL12B, SLC12A8, TNFAIP3 and PGLYRP4 genes demonstrated association with increased short and long‐term therapy‐effectiveness rates. Most patients achieved values of PASI response ≥75 or absolute PASI<1, regardless of the biological treatment administered. In conclusion, we demonstrate a relationship between different SNPs and both short‐ and especially long‐term effectiveness of biological treatment in terms of PASI. These polymorphisms may be used as predictive markers of treatment response in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis, providing personalized treatment.
Judicial intelligent assistant system: Extracting events from Chinese divorce cases to detect disputes for the judge
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Li Chuanyi , Sheng Yu , Ge Jidong , Luo Bin
Published: January 2024

In the formal procedure of Chinese civil cases, the textual materials provided by different parties describe the development process of the cases. It is a difficult but necessary task to extract the key information for the cases from these textual materials and to clarify the dispute focus of related parties. Currently, officers read the materials manually and use methods, such as keyword searching and regular matching, to get the target information. These approaches are time‐consuming and heavily depend on prior knowledge and the carefulness of the officers. To assist the officers in enhancing working efficiency and accuracy, we conduct a case study of detecting disputes from Chinese divorce cases based on proposing a Two‐Round‐Labeling (TRL) event extracting technique in this article. We implement the Judicial Intelligent Assistant (JIA) system according to the proposed approach to (1) automatically extract focus events from divorce case materials, (2) align events by identifying co‐reference among them, and (3) detect conflicts among events brought by the plaintiff and the defendant. With the JIA system, it is convenient for judges to determine the disputed issues in Chinese divorce cases. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach and system can obtain the focus of Chinese divorce cases and detect conflicts more effectively and efficiently compared with the existing method.
Multi‐failure psoriasis patients: characterization of the patients and response to biological therapy in a multicenter Italian cohort
Authors: Viola Riccardo , Mastorino Luca , Megna Matteo , Damiani Giovanni , Gisondi Paolo , Argenziano Giuseppe , Peris Ketty , Prignano Francesca , Burlando Martina , Conti Andrea , Loconsole Francesco , Malagoli Piergiorgio , Zalaudek Iris , Cacciapuoti Sara , Bellinato Francesco , Balato Anna , De Simone Clara , Chersi Karin , Ortoncelli Michela , Quaglino Pietro , Dapavo Paolo , Ribero Simone
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Patients with psoriasis who have failed multiple biologic drugs have been defined as “multi‐failure,” although there are no clear data on the characteristics, comorbidities, and best treatment strategies for this population. Nowadays, given the next generation and the number of biologics available, patients are considered multi‐failure when ≥4 biologics fail to achieve a good response.

Methods

Demographic characteristics and efficacy of anti‐interleukin drugs in multi‐failure patients were compared to a cohort of general psoriatic patients treated with IL‐23 or IL‐17 inhibitors.

Results

In total 97 multi‐failure patients (≥4 lines of biologics) were compared with 1,057 patients in the general cohort. The current drugs in the multi‐failure group were risankizumab (34), ixekizumab (23), guselkumab (21), brodalumab (7), tildrakizumab (5), ustekinumab (4), secukinumab (2), and certolizumab pegol (1). A significant difference was found in the multi‐failure cohort for age of psoriasis onset (mean 29.7 vs. 35.1, P < 0.001), concurrent psoriatic arthritis (45.4 vs. 26.9%, P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (30.9 vs. 10.9%, P < 0.001), and cardiovascular comorbidity (54.6 vs. 39.8%, P = 0.005). In multi‐failure patients, current biological therapy showed a good initial response (PASI 90 and 100 of 41.24 and 27.84%, respectively, at 16 weeks); the response tended to decline after 40 weeks. Anti‐IL‐17 agents showed clinical superiority over IL‐23 agents in terms of achieving PASI90 at 28 weeks (P < 0.001) and 40 weeks (P = 0.007), after which they reached a plateau. In contrast, IL‐23 agents showed a slower but progressive improvement that was maintained for up to 52 weeks. A similar trend was also seen for PASI100 (28 weeks P = 0.032; 40 weeks P = 0.121).

Conclusions

The multi‐failure patient is characterized by many comorbidities and longstanding inflammatory disease that frequently precedes the introduction of systemic biologic therapy. Further studies are needed to identify more specific criteria that could be applied as a guideline by clinicians.
Clinicopathologic features of relapsed CD19(−) B‐ALL in CD19‐targeted immunotherapy: Biological insights into relapse and LILRB1 as a novel B‐cell marker for CD19(−) B lymphoblasts
Authors: Chen Dong , Fuda Franklin , Rosado Flavia , Saumell Sílvia , John Samuel , Chen Mingyi , Koduru Prasad , Chen Weina
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The mechanism of relapsed CD19(−) B‐ALL after anti‐CD19 immunotherapy (Kymriah [CART‐19] and blinatumomab) is under active investigation. Our study aims to assess LILRB1 as a novel B‐cell marker for detecting CD19(−) B‐lymphoblasts and to analyze the clinicopathologic/genetic features of such disease to provide biological insight into relapse.

Methods

Six patients (3 males/3 females, median age of 14 years) with relapsed CD19(−) B‐ALL were analyzed for cytogenetic/genetic profile and immunophenotype.

Results

CD19(−) B‐ALL emerged after an interval of 5.8 months following anti‐CD19 therapy. Five of six patients had B‐cell aplasia, indicative of a persistent effect of CART or blinatumomab at relapse. Importantly, LILRB1 was variably expressed on CD19(−) and CD19(+) B lymphoblasts, strong on CD34(+) lymphoblasts and dim/partial on CD34(−) lymphoblasts. Three of six patients with paired B‐ALL samples (pre‐ and post‐anti‐CD19 therapy) carried complex and different cytogenetic abnormalities, either as completely different or sharing a subset of cytogenetic abnormalities.

Conclusion

LILRB1 can be used as a novel B‐cell marker to identify CD19(−) B lymphoblasts. The emergence of CD19(−) B‐ALL appears to be associated with complex cytogenetic evolutions. The mechanism of CD19(−) B‐ALL relapse under anti‐CD19 immune pressure remains to be explored by comprehensive molecular studies.
Enhanced compressive strength of porous alumina realized by synergy between La‐doping and two‐step sintering
Authors: Kim Sung‐Hyun , Woo Jong‐Won , Hong Sang‐Min , Kim Jong‐Won , Moon Kyoung‐Seok , Yang Dong‐Yeol , Jeon Sang‐Chae
Published: January 2024

Sintering phenomena, densification, and grain growth are crucial for proper control of the microstructure for good mechanical strength. Here, materials and processing parameters, the addition of La2O3, and two‐step sintering (TSS) were combined to lead to higher strength in the porous alumina prepared by freeze‐casting. Based on grain growth and densification behaviors with the La2O3 doping, a beneficial thermal profile was designed for the TSS. As a result, higher relative density levels and smaller grain size were obtained compared with the results with conventional sintering (CS): 38.56% and 0.82 µm at 1500°C by CS; 40.78% and 1.78 µm at 1600°C by CS; 41.43% and 0.87 µm by TSS. The microstructural benefits provided ∼1.4 times higher compressive strength (5.46 MPa) from TSS than from the CS sample (3.92 MPa), highlighting the synergetic effect of La2O3 doping and the TSS strategy.
3D‐printed green and low‐cost porous g‐C3N4/geopolymer components for the removal of methylene blue from wastewater
Authors: Liu Xuehui , Ma Siqi , Yang Hualong , He Peigang , Duan Xiaoming , Jia Dechang , Colombo Paolo , Zhou Yu
Published: January 2024

In this study, we report that geopolymer materials containing different amounts of graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) (C3N4/GP) can remove methylene blue (MB) using the synergistic effects of adsorption and photodegradation. A geopolymer containing 3 wt% g‐C3N4 (3 wt%C3N4/GP) had the best MB removal efficiency of 94.62% within 60 min, under visible light. The results showed that geopolymers can act as carriers for g‐C3N4, and the relative amount of adsorbent and photocatalyst influences the removal of MB. 3 wt%C3N4/GP was also used for additive manufacturing by using direct ink writing technology. In order to improve the efficiency of MB removal, a pore‐forming agent (K12) was added in the synthesis process to prepare three‐dimensional‐printed porous C3N4/GP. The results showed that the porous C3N4/GP was effective in removing MB. This work provides a simple strategy for preparing efficient and green materials for removing organic pollutants.
Microwave‐modified xanthan gum: Alterations in steady and dynamic rheological behaviors
Authors: Kurt Abdullah , Ozturk Eylul , Ozmen Duygu , Yildirim‐Yalcin Meral , Arici Muhammet , Toker Omer Said
Published: January 2024

In this study, microwave modification of xanthan gum (XG) powder under various power and time settings was aimed at achieving diversity for different applications requiring different flow behaviors. Microwave treatment for 6 min at various powers showed no noticeable effect on the properties of XG. The apparent viscosity, consistency coefficient and viscoelastic properties (G′–G″) increased as powders were subjected to microwave treatment for up to 8 min and the highest increase was observed in XGs with 720 W application. The increasing power to 1200 W resulted in a decrease in consistency at 8 min. At all levels of power, a prolonged microwave treatment (10 min) resulted in the degradation of the molecules, leading to a decrease in the mentioned rheological properties of XG. The values for intercepts (K′ and K″) began to increase at 960 W‐6 min, with the largest increase occurring at 720 W‐8 min. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed that the primary structure and repeated units were not negatively impacted by the use of microwave treatment. Therefore, with adjustable modification, microwaves may be employed to produce xanthan gum with a high economic value that is suitable for a variety of applications, while maintaining the gum's color properties.

Practical applications

Our research demonstrated that the use of microwave technology as a non‐thermal physical process to modify xanthan gum powder without dissolving it in water is a highly effective technique. This approach enables the flow characteristics of xanthan gum to be conveniently modified, regardless of its concentration, and increases its economic value by diversifying its techno‐functional properties. The increase in apparent viscosity and viscoelastic properties by increasing the interaction of polymer molecules or the adaptation of xanthan gum to different purposes by polymer degradation can be adjusted depending on the power and time of the microwave.