bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia helps to reverse cognitive impairment in insomnia patients
Authors: Roniger Daniela Deyanira Guarneros , Lechuga Yoaly Arana , León Enrique Esqueda , Robles Rosa Obdulia González , Escandón Óscar Sánchez , Pérez Guadalupe Jovanna Terán , Moctezuma Javier Velázquez
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Insomnia is the most common of sleep disorders, it induces a wide variety of organic symptoms, including somatic and cognitive impairments. There are pharmacological drugs nowadays that help diminish sleep impairments due to insomnia. However, most of them seem to be worsening cognitive impairments, benzodiazepine receptor agonists, in particular, seem to induce an even worst deterioration of cognitive function. On the other hand, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has shown to be a reliable tool to improve the whole picture of insomnia. Objectives: To analyze the effect of CBT-I on insomnia symptoms and cognitive performance in patients suffering from chronic insomnia.

Material and Methods: Ten subjects with a diagnosis of insomnia and no pharmacological treatment were evaluated pre- and post-six biweekly sessions of CBT-I with two neuropsychological batteries, BANFE and NEUROPSI attention and memory.

Results: CBT-I significantly improves both the symptoms of insomnia, measured subjectively with a sleep diary and the Athens insomnia scale, and the cognitive performance measured with the neuropsychological batteries.

Discussion: CBT-I is not only an effective tool for the treatment of insomnia but also helps to ameliorate cognitive performance.
5G as geopolitical power struggle: The new Neutral approach of balance and safety in technology controlled world explained through a case study of Serbia
Authors: Bojić Ljubiša , Đukanović Dragan , Nikolić Nemanja
Published: March 2022

5G is a critical sensitive technology that could endanger public safety. Recent progress of Huawei in the number of patents relating to 5G caused a trade war over the issue, with multiple actions from the U.S., including restrictions towards Chinese companies. This paper seeks to explore the issue of 5G around global security and the struggle for geopolitical dominance. Identified gap in the literature is related to the question if there is a safe side in terms of choices that countries make around 5G vendors. Earlier studies have not considered this question appropriately in a comprehensive way, because of one sided look and policy approach. The second question attempts to find the best solution for countries to escape dominance of 5G vendors, ensure high safety and avoid potential hazards. To put 5G technology in context, we present geopolitical issues around a global information infrastructure, provide information into China's 5G strategy and history of tech struggles between China and the United States (U.S.). We further present emerging geopolitical safety issues regarding 5G technology and elaborate Serbia's geopolitical turmoil related to 5G. In conclusion we classify countries based on their position about this issue to the West, the East and the Neutral corpuses. The focus on Serbia and politics of 5G diversity is then examined to conclude that this geopolitical position of 5G Neutrality could be beneficial for the balanced world in which new technologies will be a base for multilateral dominance. This paper is limited in technical and legal analysis of the issue. Further research should propose encryption and quality control standards together with legal framework, to ensure diversity in social interest.
The blacklist of legal entities: The importance of administrative authorities in creating a favourable business environment in the Serbian market
Authors: Kljajić Maja , Kostić Marija , Mizdraković Vule
Published: March 2022

With the view to creating a favourable business environment and legal security in the market of the Republic of Serbia, a single and centralized register of business entities has been created, in which data on measures of temporary restriction are recorded. These measures are based on acts of courts, the central bank, the Tax Administration and other competent authorities. The research was conducted on a sample of 1,595 observation units (measures imposed on active business entities) found in the database of active measures of temporary restrictions and published on the website of the Business Registers Agency. The research spanned over almost five years (from 2017 until the first half of 2021). The results of the research show that a total of 1,422 measures of temporary restrictions were imposed by various decision-makers. From the aspect of administrative bodies and courts, a total of 384 measures were imposed in the observed period. The Tax Administration imposed the largest number of temporary restriction measures, with a share of almost 34% of the observed sample. Out of eight potential measures, the results of the research show that two measures of temporary restrictions are imposed in practice, of which the measure preventing the disposal of funds is present in 92.26% of cases. Starting from the main research question - Is there a positive influence of analysed measures to macroeconomic performance measured by GDP?, panel regression has been conducted on 1,276 observation units and results show that there is a positive relation between the number of issued measures of temporary restriction of entities from different sectors and the amount of Gross Domestic Product from 2017 to 2020 respectively.
Automatic control of irrigation systems
Authors: Ponjičan O. , Učur S. , Vučinić Ž. , Samardžić B. , Sedlar A. , Turan J. , Višacki V. , Vasić F.
Published: March 2022

Autonomous irrigation systems have been developed to optimize water use in agricultural production and reduce human labor consumption. These systems should be able to be remotely controlled and managed any times by the farmer. The use of sensors and remote reading capabilities are needed to collect real-time data on crop condition, development phase and other parameters related to weather, crops and soil to support intelligent and efficient irrigation management systems. The sensors communicate remotely with the central control unit and the main control unit, which processes a large number of input parameters, and using complex algorithms generates an output control function: when, where and how much to irrigate. The operator must also be able to access and operate the irrigation machine in real time from anywhere and ani time. Remote wireless communication can take place in several ways: Wi-Fi, radio and GSM/GPRS. The choice of communication system depends on the topography and costs. Further development of wireless sensor applications in agriculture is needed to increase the efficiency, productivity and profitability of each agricultural operation, and thus agricultural production as a whole.
Economic viability assessment of Bambara nut milling-sieving machine
Authors: Ikechukwu Ijeoma , Nwankwojike Bethrand , Abam Ibiam
Published: March 2022

A novel continuous process milling-sieving machine specially developed recently for processing Bambara nut to flour was assessed for economic viability in this study with multi-criteria cost-benefit analysis measures in order to advance its acceptance and commercialization. This involved determination and assessment of its payback period, accounting rate of return, net present value and benefit cost ratio using the prevailing economic indicators/market prices of materials in Abia State of Nigeria between January and December, 2020. The decision measures applied include that the payback period of this machine must be less than its expected useful life of ten years and its benefit cost ratio must be greater than one. In addition, the investment's rate of return must be greater than the upper limits of Nigerian banks' lending and fixed deposit interest rates in order to justify its possible funding from personal savings and bank credits. Results showed that this innovation is economically viable due to its payback period of 1.5years and benefit cost ratio of 1.69 are as desired. Also the 46.89% accounting rate of return of this machinery outweighed Nigerian banks maximum fixed deposits return of 17% and prime lending rate of 29%. Thus, adoption of this novel milling-sieving machine is recommended for Bambara flour production because of its positive economic potential.
Educators' attitudes towards inclusive education
Authors: Japundža-Milisavljević Mirjana , Đurić-Zdravković Aleksandra , Milanović-Dobrota Biljana
Published: March 2022

Introduction. The attitudes of educators towards inclusive education are a significant factor in successful education of students with disabilities. Objectives. The objectives of this research were to assess the attitudes of educators towards inclusion as well as to determine the differences in the attitudes between class teachers, primary school teachers and secondary school teachers. The specific objectives were to identify the differences in attitudes of teachers in relation to age and experience in working with students with disabilities. Methods. The survey was conducted on a convenient sample of 101 teachers, of both sexes (female 67.3% and 32.7% male), 24 to 53 years of age. Class teachers made up 38.6% of the sample, 33.8% were primary school teachers and 27.6% were secondary school teachers. Less than half of the respondents (43.6%) had experience in educating students with disabilities. A revised Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities was applied. Results. The results indicate that most class teachers had a negative attitude, while the average scores of teachers in primary and secondary schools were grouped around neutral attitudes towards inclusive education. Younger teachers without experience in inclusive teaching believed that inclusive education was important for students with disabilities. Senior teachers recognized the problems of inclusive education. Conclusion. Based on the obtained data, we think that it is necessary to provide teachers with quality and continuous support of special educators in order to acquire informal experience, significantly reduce the number of students in classes, and provide material resources during inclusive teaching.
Intellectual property rights and digital transformation in Estonia: Aspects related to copyright and patent protection
Authors: Ćemalović Uroš
Published: March 2022

With almost all public services delivered online, functioning system of e-residency and established 'data embassies,' Estonia is also home to blooming creative community and numerous companies ranging from small start-ups to tech giants. Apart from being the result of a clear and long-lasting political orientation, this success is strongly correlated with Estonian legislation and, more narrowly, its regulatory framework on both information/ digital society and protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). After examining the most relevant features of Estonia's legislation related to digital economy and society (Chapter 2), this paper analyses the country's regulatory framework on copyright (Chapter 3) and patents (Chapter 4) in the light of digital transformation. The author argues that there is a direct correlation between, on the one hand, regulatory framework dedicated to IPR protection on both EU and national level and, on the other, development of digital technologies. The study of Estonian legislation and practice in the field of copyright and patent protection has shown that, in numerous aspects, the country is largely dependent on the good functioning of wider EU legal and institutional framework, while, in the near future, the technological advance would require more supranational regulatory mechanisms.
The challenges for Z-generation geologists
Authors: Radivojević Dejan
Published: March 2022

The emerging generation of geologists is facing some problems which are known to their predecessors, as well as, until now, new and unknown challenges. The fact that many associate geology with dirty technologies in which there will be less job opportunities, at the time when clean water, soil and air are being pursued, as well as considering it as old-fashioned in current time of rapidly advancing technologies, which have led to significant interest drop in geology studies. It is necessary, even in early education phase, to intrigue future geology students by explaining them that geology uses most advanced technologies and has skills which could be efficiently used in environmental protection projects. Energy transition is impossible without active participation of geologists who would implement their knowledge and experience during carbon-oxide storage, geothermal energy use and future wind farm location. The construction of high-quality climate forecast models is impossible without geologists, who study climate changes in the geological history. One of the challenges is the COVID 19 pandemic which will most probably leave a mark in the Anthropocene sedimentary record.
Detection of cause of pipe burst in economizer of process CO steam boiler
Authors: Stamenković Ognjen , Stupar Goran , Tucaković Dragan , Bošković Bojan
Published: March 2022

In this paper results of analysis of process steam boiler operation with maximum continuous steam production of 75 t/h, steam pressure and temperature of 45,5 bar and 412 oC are presented. Steam boiler is predicted to operate within steam production facility of oil and gas refinery in Pančevo, Serbia. On the demand of purchaser steam boiler is enabled to operate with various fuels as well as with two or three fuels simultaneously. By fuels intake facilities it is enabled to introduce refinery gas, fuel oil and high-temperature waste gas to the boilers furnace. Waste gas is guided from FCC (Fuel catalyst cracking) facility and presents two-component fluid with polydisperse solid phase composed of particles of diameter smaller than 40 µm. Recent changes in steam consumption in refinery resulted in modifications in boiler`s operating regime and, further on, in significant changes in its operational parameters. At present, in new conditions, boiler operates with frequent pipe bursts on pipe bundles of boiler economizer which requires forced interruption in steam production as well as time and cost consuming operations for resuming boiler work. In this paper results of thermal calculations for design and new operational conditions are presented for the purpose of identification of cause of frequent unscheduled steam production interruptions. After analysis of presented results, recommendations on how to modify certain boiler operational parameters in order to eliminate or reduce possibility of such unfavourable occurance has been provided.
Design structure matrix for evaluation of critical success factors for software projects
Authors: Mitrović Zorica , Gligorijević Ema , Rakićević Jovana
Published: March 2022

The topic of critical success factors draws high attention of both academia and practitioners working in the software industry. Literature review shows that existing models of critical success factors for software projects are more concentrated on specific categories of success factors, neglecting the interaction that exists within these models between different groups of factors. The purpose of this paper is to present a new concept of interaction-based model for identification and evaluation of critical success factors for software projects. The approach is based on conjoint use of graph theory and Design Structure Matrices to highlight important interactions of a project system. The key result of the paper is the tool for evaluation of the interaction between critical success factors through quantification and the analysis of the possible propagation of specific factor within project success factor network, which will make possible the identification of the critical factors with the highest influence on the entire project system.
Pandemija SARS-CoV-2 virusa i njen uticaj na mentalno zdravlje psihijatrijskih pacijenata u odnosu na psihički zdrave osobe
Authors: Kuljančić Dušan , Cvjetković-Bošnjak Mina , Vejnović Ana , Bjelan Sanja
Published: March 2022

Uvod. Ograničeni su podaci o psihičkim posledicama socijalne izolacije koji su nametnuti globalnom javno zdravstvenom pretnjom pandemije Covid 19. Na različite načine, na stres poput aktuelne pandemije, reaguju psihički zdrave osobe i psihijatrijski pacijenti. Cilj. Ispitati uticaj pandemije Covid19 na mentalno zdravlje opšte populacije i populacije psihijatrijskih pacijenata u Vojvodini. Materijal i metode. Studija je dizajnirana kao studija preseka. Provedena je tokom maja i juna 2020. godine na kraju i neposredno posle prvog talasa epidemije Covid 19 u Srbiji na teritoriji Novog Sada. Učesnici su podeljeni u dve grupe - u kliničku grupu pacijenata sa psihičkim poremećajima i kontrolnu grupu sastavljenu iz opšte populacije. Za prikupljanje podata korišćen je upitnik samoprocene koji je pružao podatke o prisustvu anksioznosti i simptoma depresije i poremećajima u ponašanju koji ukazuju na povećani nivo stresa - poput nesanice, zloupotrebe sedativa. Rezultati. Anksioznost, osećaj straha, napadi panike, depresivna simptomatika (70%), problemi sa spavanjem (81%) i zloupotreba sedativa (82%) bili su najčešći prijavljeni psihijatrijski simptomi u grupi psihijatrijskih pacijenata. Zdravi ispitanici kontrolne grupe su imali statistički značajno ređe prisustvo simptoma i znakova povezanih sa mentalnim problemima, iako i u toj grupi procentualna zastupljenost simptoma mentalnih poremećaja nije zanemarljiva anksioznost, osećaj straha, napadi panike (40%) , depresivna simptomatika (22%) i zloupotreba sedativa (10%). Zaključak. Rezultati podržavaju negativan uticaj pandemije COVID-19 na mentalno zdravlje psihijatrijskih pacijenata. Može se očekivati da će najizraženiji efekti pandemije na mentalno zdravlje u opštoj populaciji biti vidljivi u daljem toku.
Molekularni mehanizam patogenog delovanja virusa SARS-CoV-2, uloga ACE2 receptora u generisanju surfaktanta i održanju stabilnosti velikih funkcionalnih površina
Authors: Mihajlović Ljubiša , Mihajlović Milica , Mihajlović Vladan
Published: March 2022

Virus SARS-CoV-2 uzrokuje COVID-19 vezivanjem za ACE2 receptor. SARS-CoV-2 se za razliku od ostalih korona virusa intenzivnije vezuje za ACE2 receptor. Ekspresija ACE2 receptora je posebno karakteristična za ćelije alveolarnog tipa 2, endotelne ćelije malih i velikih arterija i ćelije glatkih mišića arterija, enterocite tankog creva, Leidigove i Sertolijeve ćelije, proksimalne ćelije bubrežnih tubula i ćelija creva. Zajednička karakteristika ćelija, tkiva i organa, koji imaju visoku ekspresiju ACE2, je da imaju "veliku funkcionalnu površinu". ACE2 receptor je kritičan za održavanje integriteta i stabilnosti "velikih funkcionalnih površina" u tim organima. Stabilnost "velikih funkcionalnih površina" ACE2 receptor realizuje produkcijom površinskih stabilizatora, surfaktanata. Uloga surfaktanata je stabilizacija i imunoprotekcija velikih funkcionalnih površina. Osobe sa manjom ekspresijom ACE2 receptora (gojazni, stariji, osobe sa komorbiditetima, muškarci) su podložnije COVID-19. Vezivanjem za ACE2 receptore, SARS-CoV-2 blokira produkciju surfaktanta u tolikoj meri da antigeni "velikih funkcionalnih površina" postaju "vidljivi" odbrambenom, imunoiloškom sistemu organizma. Tako nastaju upalne i druge simptomatske reakcije karakteristične za COVID-19. Odatle sledi, da je molekularni mehanizam patološkog dejstva virusa SARS-CoV-2 u slučaju COVID-19 najverovatnije uzrokovan inhibicijom ACE2 receptora i smanjenom produkcijom surfaktanta. Ostaju dalje provere u tom pravcu.
Pokušaj suicida u Covid 19 javnozdravstvenoj krizi
Authors: Kuljančić Dušan , Cvjetković-Bošnjak Mina
Published: March 2022

Uvod. Pandemija koronavirusa 2019 (COVID-19) uzdrmala je zdravstvene sisteme širom sveta. Očekuje se da će depresivnost i anksioznost biti najčešći psihopatološki fenomeni povezani sa globalnom zdravstvenom krizom kakva je pandemija COVID-19. Nelečena depresija i teška anksioznost su najčešći prateći zdravstveni problemi u društvenoj, javnoj zdravstvenoj krizi koji za posledicu često imaju pokušaj samoubistva. Ovaj rad ima za cilj da prikaže slučaj u kojem je "okidač" za pokušaj samoubistva bila trenutna situacija tokom pandemije Covid-19. Pokušaj samoubistva bio je trovanje lekovima protiv HIV-a. Prikaz slučaja. 28-godišnji muškarac, student, homoseksualac, HIV pozitivan, neoženjen, sa prethodno dijagnostifikovanim generalizovanim anksioznim poremećajem primljen je u urgentni centar zbog samootrovanja u samoubilačke svrhe. Nakon detoksikacije i inicijalnog zbrinjavanja u Urgentnom centru, pacijent je primljen na psihijatrijsku kliniku gde je primenjena suportivna i kognitivno bihevioralna psihoterapija u kombinaciji sa antidepresivima što je na kraju dovelo do zadovoljavajućeg poboljšanja njegovog mentalnog stanja. Pokušaj ubistva usledio je nakon teškog perioda u ličnom i emocionalnom životu pacijenta, te socioekonomskih problema koji su direktna posledica pandemije Covid-19. Nekoliko puta je pacijent pokušao da potraži pomoć u lokalnom domu zdravlja, ali nije mogao da zakaže termin jer je njegov porodični lekar radio u Covid 19 centru. Zaključak. Jedan od vodećih razloga povećanog broja pokušaja i počinjenih samoubistava je neprepoznavanje i nedostatak lečenja simptoma mentalnih poremećaja, posebno u takvoj javnozdravstvenoj krizi kao što je globalna pandemija Covid-19.
Calculation of a pure double-layer capacitance from a constant phase element in the impedance measurements
Authors: Jović Vladimir
Published: March 2022

Considering literature of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) it was discovered that for calculation of the value of double-layer capacitance (Cdl) from the constant phase element (CPE) two equations, with or without solution resistance (Rs) could be used. After calculation of Cdl for defined values of CPE constant Ydl, CPE exponent , Rs and charge transfer resistance (Rct), it was confirmed in this work that different results for Cdl were obtained by including Rs in the calculation of Cdl. It was also stated that "it is quite difficult to understand how both parameters (Rct and Rs) could be expressed by the same time constant, i.e. the same parameter ." By investigating the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at Ni mesh 40 electrode in the solution of 1 M KOH at 25 oC using EIS measurements, it was shown that different Cdl vs. E plots were obtained using these two equations for Cdl calculation. A simple solution to avoid this problem with detailed explanation, the use of equation without Rs , has been suggested in this work.
Modeling of GTL-Power Coproduction as a means of optimisation of GTL plants
Authors: Obibuike Ubanozie , Ekwueme Stanley , Ohia Nnaemeka , Michael Onyejekwe
Published: March 2022

Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) technologies have the potential to convert associated flare gases into premium transport liquids, creating a market for the otherwise stranded resource. However, the capital cost of GTL plants has over the years hampered the choice of the project. The drive for GTL is improved by optimization of the plant such that its efficiency and profitability is increased. One such notable improvement in GTL plant configuration is the integration of power production unit in the GTL process plant such that GTL liquids production and electricity production can occur concurrently in the same plant. This method generally called GTL-power co-production will increase the overall efficiency and profitability of existing GTL plant process and present ways to economically optimize the heat loss through the by-product streams (steam and flue gas streams). The utilization of the by-product streams will account for reductions in thermal inefficiencies within the GTL plant process. In this work, additional unit is added to the 863.3 m3 /d GTL product plant configuration to utilize the by-product steam stream for electricity generation. This additional electricity unit generated 10 MW of electricity increasing the net present value (NPV) of the plant by 4.72% while the net cash recovery (NCR) increased by 3.87%. Furthermore the pay-out time reduced by 2%. The GTL-Electricity co-production has proven to be a means of optimizing GTL plant, having capability to yield more profits due to reduced capital and operational expenses than if the plants were operated separately.
¿Por qué es importante la publicidad exterior para nuestras ciudades?
Authors:   Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, García Carrizo Jennifer
Published: March 2022

Cada disciplina siempre tiene su gran olvidado. O su gran olvidada. En la comunicación científica son las mujeres, y en la ciencia, las ciencias sociales. Y luego está la publicidad exterior, la gran olvidada dentro de los estudios de publicidad, no solo en nuestro país, sino también a nivel internacional. Pocas son las investigaciones que hablan de sus beneficios como medio publicitario para los anunciantes, y menos las que desarrollan las bondades sociales, culturales y estéticas de este medio en la ciudad.
Muon radiography simulation for underground palace of Qinshihuang Mausoleum
Authors: Su Ning , Liu Yuan-Yuan , Wang Li , Cheng Jian-Ping ,   Key Laboratory of Beam Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Nuclear Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China,   Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Published: March 2022

Muon radiography is a nondestructive imaging technology based on the naturally existing cosmic ray muons. Because cosmic ray muons have the strong ability to penetrate, muon radiography in which the absorption of muons through matter is utilized, is especially suitable for the imaging of large-scale objects. While the traditional geophysical technologies used in archeology have some limitations, muon radiography is expected to become a powerful supplement in the nondestructive detection of large-scale cultural relics. Based on Monte Carlo simulation method Geant4, the muon radiography of the underground palace of Qinshihuang Mausoleum is studied in this work. A model of the underground palace of Qinshihuang Mausoleum is set up with GEANT4 program according to the data acquired by the previous archaeological study of Qinshihuang Mausoleum’s inner structure, as well as a reference model without these inner structure. By investigating the differences between the muon fluxes obtained from the two models, the muon radiography image of the inner structure of the model can be obtained. During the simulation, the cosmic ray muon source is generated by sampling according to an empirical formula summarized by Reyna, which can accurately describe the energy spectrum and angular distribution of cosmic ray muons at sea level. In addition, two viewpoints are selected in order to determine the three-dimensional position of the chamber. The simulation data are processed by using an image reconstruction algorithm which can be described as the following three steps. Firstly, the counts of muons in different directions are converted into muon flux. Secondly, the muon flux of the reference model is deducted from that of the Qinshihuang Mausoleum model, and the angular coordinates of the chamber walls are determined. Finally, combined with the wall’s angular coordinates obtained from the two viewpoints and the relative position between the two viewpoints, the chamber size and its position are reconstructed according to the geometric relationship. The errors of the reconstructed chamber center position and the length of chamber walls are both approximately 7%. In this article, we conduct only a preliminary study of muon radiography applied to the nondestructive detection of Qinshihuang Mausoleum, but the results show that muon radiography can be a promising tool for the archeological study of Qinshihuang Mausoleum. In the follow-up study, more factors will be taken into consideration, including the details of Qinshihuang Mausoleum model, and the improvement of image reconstruction algorithm.
Shank promotes action potential repolarization by recruiting BK channels to calcium microdomains
Authors: Gao Luna , Zhao Jian , Ardiel Evan , Hall Qi , Nurrish Stephen , Kaplan Joshua M
Published: March 2022

Mutations altering the scaffolding protein Shank are linked to several psychiatric disorders, and to synaptic and behavioral defects in mice. Among its many binding partners, Shank directly binds CaV1 voltage activated calcium channels. Here, we show that the Caenorhabditis elegans SHN-1/Shank promotes CaV1 coupling to calcium activated potassium channels. Mutations inactivating SHN-1, and those preventing SHN-1 binding to EGL-19/CaV1 all increase action potential durations in body muscles. Action potential repolarization is mediated by two classes of potassium channels: SHK-1/KCNA and SLO-1 and SLO-2 BK channels. BK channels are calcium-dependent, and their activation requires tight coupling to EGL-19/CaV1 channels. SHN-1’s effects on AP duration are mediated by changes in BK channels. In shn-1 mutants, SLO-2 currents and channel clustering are significantly decreased in both body muscles and neurons. Finally, increased and decreased shn-1 gene copy number produce similar changes in AP width and SLO-2 current. Collectively, these results suggest that an important function of Shank is to promote microdomain coupling of BK with CaV1.
The Efficacy of a Novel Type of Integrated Knife for Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in Early Gastric Cancer
Authors: Choe Eun Ju , Jeon Han Ho , Cho Yong Suk , Won Sun Young , Seo Jeong Hun , Choi Jong Won , Lee Chun Kyon , Park Byung Kyu , Lee Yong Kang
Published: March 2022

Background/Aims: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of a recently developed clear-cut knife with that of widely used knives for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in early gastric cancer (EGC).Materials and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from the National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital between May 2017 and April 2019. The study included 105 patients (108 lesions) with EGC who underwent ESD. Fifty-six EGCs were dissected using an insulation-tipped diathermic knife in combination with a needle knife, while 52 EGCs were dissected using a clear-cut knife, a single device with an integrated needle and an insulated-tipped knife. Oncologic outcomes and technical success were compared between the two groups.Results: The distribution of the tumor locations, composition of the undifferentiated types of EGCs, and the size of EGCs (14.3±8.0 vs. 16.6±7.3 mm; P=0.130) were not significantly different between the groups. The complete (98.2% vs. 94.2%; P=0.273) and curative (87.5% vs. 88.5%; P=0.878) resection rates were not statistically different. Furthermore, no significant difference between the total procedure times (39±34.1 vs. 35.7±20.1 minutes; P=0.554), areas of the dissected specimen (858.6±406.5 vs. 980.3±393.8 mm2; P=0.119) and dissected areas per minute (32.4±17.9 vs. 35.5±16.2 mm2/min; P=0.345) were noted. Regarding complications, the overall perforation rates (3.6% vs. 4.0%) and bleeding rates (3.6% vs. 8.0%) were not statistically different.Conclusions: The newly developed clear-cut knife is as useful as the combination of classical knives for ESD in EGC.
A collaborative semantic-based provenance management platform for reproducibility
Authors: Samuel Sheeba , König-Ries Birgitta
Published: March 2022

Scientific data management plays a key role in the reproducibility of scientific results. To reproduce results, not only the results but also the data and steps of scientific experiments must be made findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. Tracking, managing, describing, and visualizing provenance helps in the understandability, reproducibility, and reuse of experiments for the scientific community. Current systems lack a link between the data, steps, and results from the computational and non-computational processes of an experiment. Such a link, however, is vital for the reproducibility of results. We present a novel solution for the end-to-end provenance management of scientific experiments. We provide a framework, CAESAR (CollAborative Environment for Scientific Analysis with Reproducibility), which allows scientists to capture, manage, query and visualize the complete path of a scientific experiment consisting of computational and non-computational data and steps in an interoperable way. CAESAR integrates the REPRODUCE-ME provenance model, extended from existing semantic web standards, to represent the whole picture of an experiment describing the path it took from its design to its result. ProvBook, an extension for Jupyter Notebooks, is developed and integrated into CAESAR to support computational reproducibility. We have applied and evaluated our contributions to a set of scientific experiments in microscopy research projects.
Genotypic variation in root architectural traits under contrasting phosphorus levels in Mediterranean and Indian origin lentil genotypes
Authors: Aski Muraleedhar , Mehra Reena , Mishra Gyan Prakash , Singh Dharmendra , Yadav Prachi , Rai Neha , Reddy Venkata Ravi Prakash , MB Arun Kumar , Pandey Renu , Singh Madan Pal , Gayacharan  , Bansal Ruchi , Tripathi Kuldeep , Udupa Sripada M. , Kumar Shiv , Sarker Ashutosh , Dikshit Harsh Kumar
Published: March 2022

The development of phosphorus-efficient crop cultivars boosts productivity while lowering eutrophication in the environment. It is feasible to improve the efficiency of phosphorus (P) absorption in lentils by enhancing phosphorus absorption through root architectural traits. The root architectural traits of 110 diverse lentil genotypes of Indian and Mediterranean origin were assessed, and the relationships between traits were investigated. In a hydroponics experiment, the lentil lines were examined at the seedling stage under two conditions: adequate P supply and deficient P supply. The Pearson correlation coefficients between root architectural traits and genetic diversity among lentil lines were assessed. To estimate variance components, a model (fixed factor) was used. In this experiment, both phosphorus (P) and genotype were fixed variables. Our lentil lines showed significant genetic variability and considerable genetic diversity for all traits under both treatments. The TRL (total root length) and PRL (primary root length) showed strong positive associations with all other characteristics excluding root average diameter (RAD) in both P treatments. In both P treatments, the RAD revealed a negative significant association with Total Root Tips (TRT), as well as total root volume (TRV) and total root forks (TRF) in the deficit conditions of P. Total root volume (TRV), total surface area (TSA), and total root tips had higher coefficient variance values. The first two principal components represented 67.88% and 66.19% of the overall variance in the adequate and deficit P treatments respectively. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H′) revealed that RAD, PRL, and TSA had more variability than TRT and TRF under both treatments. According to the Comprehensive Phosphorus Efficiency Measure (CPEM), the best five highly efficient genotypes are PLL 18-09, PLS 18-01, PLL 18-25, PLS 18-23, and PLL 18-07, while IG112131, P560206, IG334, L11-231, and PLS18-67 are highly inefficient genotypes. The above contrasting diverse lentil genotypes can be utilized to produce P-efficient lentil cultivars. The lentil germplasm with potentially favorable root traits can be suggested to evaluated for other abiotic stress to use them in crop improvement programme. The scientific breakthroughs in root trait phenotyping have improved the chances of establishing trait–allele relationships. As a result, genotype-to-phenotype connections can be predicted and verified with exceptional accuracy, making it easier to find and incorporate favourable nutrition-related genes/QTLs in to breeding programme.
A versatile isothermal amplification assay for the detection of leptospires from various sample types
Authors: Othman Shuhaidah , Lee Pui-Yuei , Lam Jia-Yong , Philip Noraini , Azhari Nurul Natasya , Affendy Norliza Bahtiar , Masri Siti Norbaya , Neela Vasantha Kumari , Mohd-Taib Farah Shafawati , Chee Hui-Yee
Published: March 2022

Background

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genusLeptospirathat affects both humans and animals worldwide. Early detection of the pathogen in humans is crucial for early intervention and control of the progression of the disease to a severe state. It is also vitally important to be able to detect the presence of the pathogen in carrier animals to control the spread of the disease from the environment. Here we developed a simple and rapid loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay targeting the leptospiralsecYgene.

Results

Several reaction conditions of the LAMP reaction were optimized to ensure efficient amplification of the target DNA. The sensitivity of the developed LAMP assay obtained using a pureLeptospiraculture was 2 × 104copies of genomic DNA per reaction (equivalent to 0.1 ng) for a 40-minute reaction time. No cross-reactions were observed in the LAMP reaction against a series of non-leptospiral bacteria, indicating a specific reaction. The applicability of the LAMP assay was demonstrated on human blood and urine specimens collected from suspected leptospirosis patients and rat kidney specimens collected from suspected leptospirosis outbreak areas and high-risk areas. The developed LAMP assay demonstrated a higher detection rate for leptospiral DNA compared with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, possibly due to the presence of inhibitory substances, especially in rat kidney specimens, to which the PCR method is more susceptible. The present findings also highlight the importance of urine sample collection from patients for routine monitoring of the disease.

Conclusions

In short, the developed LAMP assay can serve as a feasible alternative tool for the diagnosis of leptospirosis and be used for epidemiological and environmental surveillance of the disease, considering its robustness, rapidity, sensitivity, and specificity, as demonstrated in this study.
Expression of IER3 in hepatocellular carcinoma: clinicopathology, prognosis, and potential regulatory pathways
Authors: He Fei-Yan , Chen Gang , He Rong-quan , Huang Zhi-Guang , Li Jian-Di , Wu Wei-Zi , Chen Ji-Tian , Tang Yu-Lu , Li Dong-Ming , Pan Shang-Ling , Feng Zhen-Bo , Dang Yi-wu
Published: March 2022

Background

Immediate early response 3 (IER3) is correlated to the prognosis of several cancers, but the precise mechanisms underlying the regulation by IER3 of the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown.

Methods

The expression level of IER3 was examined by using in-house immunohistochemistry (IHC), public gene chip, and public RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). The standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated to compare the expression levels of IER3 between HCC patients and controls. The summary receiver operating characteristics (sROC) was plotted to comprehensively understand the discriminatory capability of IER3 between HCC and non-HCC group. The Kaplan–Meier curves and the combined hazard ratios (HRs) were used to determine the prognostic value of IER3 in HCC. Moreover, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and co-expression genes (CEGs) were used to explored the molecular mechanisms of IER3 underlying HCC. hTFtarget was used to predict the transcription factors (TFs) of IER3. The binding site of TFs and the IER3 promoter region was forecasted using the JASPAR website. The relevant ChIP-seq data were used to determine whether TF peaks were present in the IER3 transcription initiation.

Results

A significantly increased expression of IER3 protein was found in HCC tissue relative to non-HCC tissue as detected by IHC (p < 0.001). Compared to 1,263 cases of non-HCC tissues, IER3 in 1483 cases of HCC tissues was upregulated (SMD = 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.09–0.76]). The sROC showed that IER3 had a certain ability at differentiating HCC tissues (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.65, 95% CI [0.61–0.69]). Comprehensive analysis of the effect of IER3 on the prognosis of patients with HCC demonstrated that higher IER3 expression was associated with poor prognosis in HCC (HRs = 1.30, 95% CI [1.03–1.64]). Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that IER3-related genes were mostly enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, cancer-related signaling pathways, the p53 signaling pathway, and other signaling pathways. Regulatory factor X5 (RFX5) was identified as a possible regulator of IER3-related TF.

Conclusion

IER3 may be a potential prognostic marker for HCC. The molecular mechanisms of IER3 in HCC warrant further study.
Functional analysis of ARF1 from Cymbidium goeringii in IAA response during leaf development
Authors: Xu Zihan , Li Fangle , Li Meng , He Yuanhao , Chen Yue , Hu Fengrong
Published: March 2022

Background

Cymbidium is an economically important genus of flowering orchids cultivated in China because of showing graceful leaf shapes and elegant flower coloration. However, the deterioration of the ecological environment and the difficulty of conservation management have become increasing challenges for maintaining its germplasm resources. ARFs are critical transcription factors in the auxin signaling pathway and have been found to play pivotal roles in leaf growth and development in previous studies. However, their functions and mechanisms in Cymbidium goeringii remain to be clarified.

Methods

The sequence of the CgARF1 gene was analyzed by bioinformatics. The expression of this gene in different tissues and under IAA treatment was detected by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The CgARF1 gene was overexpressed in wild-type Arabidopsis and Nicotiana benthamiana via the Agrobacterium infection method. Acetone-ethanol solvent extraction was applied for the determination of chlorophyll contents, and the contents of endogenous hormones were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.

Results

CgARF1 cloned from C. goeringii ‘Songmei’ was 2,049 bp in length and encoded 682 amino acids containing three typical domains: a B3 DNA binding domain, an Aux_resp domain and an AUX/IXX family domain. The expression pattern of CgARF1 in different tissues of C. goeringii showed that its expression was highest in the leaves and changed greatly under IAA treatment. Subcellular localization studies showed that the protein was mainly localized in the cell nucleus. CgARF1-overexpressing lines exhibited leaf senescence and a decreased chlorophyll content. Under IAA treatment, CgARF1 regulates the rooting length, rooting number and rooting rate from detached leaves. The levels of endogenous hormones in transgenic leaves were also significantly changed.

Conclusion

These results indicated that CgARF1 overexpression is responsive to IAA treatment during leaf development. This study provides a foundation for future research on the function of the ARF gene family in C. goeringii.
Feature screening for survival trait with application to TCGA high-dimensional genomic data
Authors: Wang Jie-Huei , Li Cai-Rong , Hou Po-Lin
Published: March 2022

Background

In high-dimensional survival genomic data, identifying cancer-related genes is a challenging and important subject in the field of bioinformatics. In recent years, many feature screening approaches for survival outcomes with high-dimensional survival genomic data have been developed; however, few studies have systematically compared these methods. The primary purpose of this article is to conduct a series of simulation studies for systematic comparison; the second purpose of this article is to use these feature screening methods to further establish a more accurate prediction model for patient survival based on the survival genomic datasets of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Results

Simulation studies prove that network-adjusted feature screening measurement performs well and outperforms existing popular univariate independent feature screening methods. In the application of real data, we show that the proposed network-adjusted feature screening approach leads to more accurate survival prediction than alternative methods that do not account for gene-gene dependency information. We also use TCGA clinical survival genetic data to identify biomarkers associated with clinical survival outcomes in patients with various cancers including esophageal, pancreatic, head and neck squamous cell, lung, and breast invasive carcinomas.

Conclusions

These applications reveal advantages of the new proposed network-adjusted feature selection method over alternative methods that do not consider gene-gene dependency information. We also identify cancer-related genes that are almost detected in the literature. As a result, the network-based screening method is reliable and credible.
Alganyl: Cocinando ropa sustentable
Authors:   University of Colorado Boulder, Instituto ATLAS, Bell Fiona , McQuaid Ella ,   University of Colorado Boulder, Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Alistar Mirela ,   University of Colorado Boulder, Instituto ATLAS
Published: March 2022

En este artículo presentamos Alganyl, un biotextil creado a partir del conocimiento corporizado que suscita cocinar. Basado en recetas Do-It-Yourself (DIY) existentes para producir bioplásticos, Alganyl es fabricado con recursos renovables, se siente como vinilo al tacto y puede ser reutilizado antes de ser convertido en compost. Hemos esbo­zado tres principios rectores para diseñar con Alganyl: materialidad, accesibilidad y sustentabilidad. Nuestro proceso, que es replicable, incluye la cocción del Alganyl en la cocina del diseñador, para luego cortar el material y sellarlo con calor para crear la ropa. Aplicamos estos principios y procesos de diseño para confeccionar tres prendas de Alganyl: un vestido, una blusa y una falda. Por último, abordamos el ciclo de vida de Alganyl, prestando especial atención al final de la vida de la ropa, que abordamos me­diante la recocción y la biodegradación (60 días para degradar el 97%). Luego de nues­tras experiencias con Alganyl, creemos que tiene el potencial de acercarnos a un futuro en que la ropa se convierta en una forma autónoma de autoexpresión, con un impacto mínimo en el medio ambiente.
Approach to Publish Medical LiteratureA Guide for Students in the Field of Healthcare
Authors: Mulkalwar Alhad
Published: March 2022

Significant contributions have been made to the field of medical science by numerous students in the formative stages of their career. While medical research was earlier an exclusive domain of residents and senior doctors, we are now witnessing a positive trend of increasingly more number of undergraduate students indulging in research projects and today, research has become an integral and indispensable component of medical education. While undertaking research activities, it is imperative for young researchers to understand the importance of publishing quality data in journals of repute, without compromising on any aspect of the process
Catalyst Optimization Design Based on Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Mu Yue , Sun Li
Published: March 2022

Artificial neural network (ANN) has the characteristics of self-adaptation, self-learning, parallel processing and strong nonlinear mapping ability. Compared with traditional experimental analysis modeling, ANN has obvious advantages in dealing with multivariable nonlinear complex relationships in the process of industrial catalyst design. In the face of the complex structure of catalyst, the unclear reaction mechanism and conditions, the use of neural network for small-scale experimental data analysis can save the time and energy invested in large-scale experimental research and obtain more perfect results in catalyst formulation optimization and condition selection. This paper summarizes the development of artificial neural network. The application principle, construction method and research progress of BP artificial neural network model in catalyst optimization design are summarized and analyzed. The development and innovation of artificial neural network in the future, as well as its continuous application and accumulation, will provide a powerful tool for the research of catalyst design and optimization in the future.