bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact Of Task-Based Activities In Reading Skill For The Students During Covid 19 Pandemic
Authors: Styati Erlik Widiyani , Khasanah Robingatun
Published: February 2022

This study aims to investigate the impact of using task-based activities in reading skill for the eight students of junior high school of SMPN 4 MDN. Quantitative research was employed in this research. It was quasi experimental research design which used pre-test – post-test control group design. The population of this research were the eighth grade students of SMPN 4 MDN. The samples of this research were 8B as experimental class and 8C as control class. The sample was taken by using random sampling.  In collecting the data, the researchers used reading test. The researcher used independent t-test on SPSS version 21 to analyze data. The results shows that the students who are treated by using task-based activities are more effective than the students who are treated by using conventional teaching.  It means that teaching reading by using task-based activities gives a better influence on students’ reading skill.
Entrepreneurship Learning Model to Improve the Competence of Vocational Students at the Islamic University of Indonesia
Authors: Istiningsih Istiningsih
Published: February 2022

Entrepreneurship is one of the spearheads of the economy so it is important to provide entrepreneurship education and one of them is in higher education. With entrepreneurship education, students create jobs and reduce the numbers given. The purpose of this study is to develop an effective entrepreneurship learning model by analyzing the role of lecturer experience and internship programs on student entrepreneurial competencies. The research method used is quantitative research with primary data based on the results of research in the field using instruments such as rt to partially or simultaneously test the developed model. The results of the research, the experience of lecturers in carrying out entrepreneurial activities and industrial internship programs for students partially or simultaneously have a positive effect on the competence of students in the vocational department of the Islamic University of Indonesia.
Experimental Evaluation of a Polymer Foam Agent on the Foam Stability, Concern to Surfactant, Nanoparticle, and Salinity
Authors: Parvaneh Ronak , Riahi Siavash , Lotfollahi Mohammad Nader
Published: February 2022

In recent years, rising oil demand has led to a strong need to improve enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques. One of the most common methods for EOR in the oil industry is gas injection. When gas is injected into the reservoir, because of the low density of the gas relative to the oil and the undesirable gas mobility ratio, problems such as gas uptakes and the injected gas flow channeling arise, thus reducing the efficiency of oil production. Foam can improve mobility and increase EOR by reducing gas permeability. One of the most important properties of the foam is stability which affects the EOR. In recent years, many studies have been conducted on the use of nanoparticles (NPs) and polymers as stabilizers, but the use of stabilizers that have the ability to produce foam has been less studied.

The main objective of this work is an experimental study of foam stability by the dynamic method of CO2 gas injection and static method of “Ross-Miles” in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and nanosilica in combination with a foaming polymer such as hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC). The aim of this study was to compare the effect of a polymer that has the ability to produce foam relative to the stabilizer of NP on the foam stability. The zeta potential and the structure of the foam bubbles were measured to better understand the parameters affecting the foam stability.

Experimental outcomes of this work show that the HEC polymer, despite being a foaming agent, has less effect on the foam stability than the nanosilica. That is, under similar conditions, SDS-NP based foams are more stable than SDS-HEC based foams. In addition, the composition of the SDS-NP-HEC foam system shows weaker foam performance compared to the case of SDS-NP and SDS-HEC dispersions. Also, salinity has an optimal concentration in which foam concentration has the best performance and stability; in this study, the optimal NaCl salt concentration is 2 wt% NaCl.
Adaptive stochastic gradient descent for large-scale learning problems
Authors: Yang Zhuang , Ma Li
Published: February 2022

As an effective strategy to enhance stochastic optimization, determining an appropriate step size sequence when performing these algorithms has been warmly encouraged in solving large-scale learning problems. This paper equips stochastic optimization algorithms with an adaptive step size strategy by using the diagonal Barzilai-Borwein (DBB) step size. Specifically, this work proposes a novel stochastic variance reduced algorithm by incorporating DBB into the variance-reduced algorithm, termed mS2GD-DBB. mS2GD-DBB uses a diagonal matrix to approximate the curvature information and accesses to a better curvature information than the conventional BarzilaiBorwein (BB) technique, where the latter works with the scalar approximation of the curvature information. We prove that the proposed algorithm attains a linear convergence rate for strongly convex cases. Moreover, we show that the complexity of the proposed algorithm matches the best known complexity of stochastic optimization algorithms. Numerical experiments suggest that the proposed algorithm shows much promise.
Energy-saving Optimal Scheduling of Laminar Cooling Water Supply Pumping Stations in Hot Rolling Mills Considering Complex Intermittent Working Conditions
Authors: Wang Fenjia , Song Yong , Liu Chao , He Anrui , Zhao Wei
Published: February 2022

Given the energy wastage problem of the laminar cooling system of hot rolling, the dynamic optimization scheduling problem of the system under complex intermittent working conditions was investigated to improve the effective utilization of resources. First, combined with production schedules and rolling rhythm times, an On-line Sequential Extreme Learning Machine (OS-ELM) based laminar cooling water consumption prediction model was developed for predicting water demand trends to maintain system supply-demand balance at pump stations. Then, the scheduling instruction optimization model, which considers the system intermittent production conditions and the feedback optimization mechanism, was proposed to reduce the system cooling water overflow and smooth the high cistern level fluctuations. And an adaptive operation scheme optimization model of pumping station based on scheduling instructions was proposed to minimize the total shaft power of pumping station. Finally, the strategies were solved using an improved sparrow search algorithm (ISSA). Experimental simulations demonstrate the effectiveness and supremacy of the proposed method for industrial energy saving in complex intermittent conditions.
Rupture pressure values of cerebral arteries in the presence of unruptured intracranial aneurysm
Authors: Lombarski Leszek , Kunert Przemysław , Tarka Sylwia , Piechna Adam , Kujawski Sławomir , Marchel Andrzej
Published: February 2022

Cerebral arteries (CAs) are prone to the saccular aneurysm formation. Since aneurysms may be considered as balloon-like dilations of the locally weakened arterial wall, it should be determined whether the presence of intracranial aneurysm is related to the generalized weakening of CAs. Among 184 consecutive forensic autop-sies, eight brains with a single unruptured saccular aneurysm were identified. Aneurysms with adjacent CAs and specific CA segments were excised, namely: the anterior communicating artery, basilar artery, internal carotid arteries, and middle cerebral arteries. Then, aneurysm and CA specimens were subjected to pressure-inflation tests until rupture occurred at the arterial bifurcation or at the wall of the CA or aneurysm. The same protocol was applied to the control group composed of CAs excised from eight brains without aneurysm. No significant differences were noted between the experimental and control groups, depending on the mean rup-ture pressure (1054 vs. 1048 mmHg) and rupture site (bifurcation vs. wall) of the analyzed specimens. These findings indicate that the presence of unruptured saccular aneurysm is not related to generalized weakening of CAs among autopsy subjects. Moreover, the CA bifurcations do not represent regions of decreased wall strength.
Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: An Appraisal for Sultanate of Oman Using the Ease of Doing Business Index
Authors: Bhandari Vibha , Mohite Vikram
Published: February 2022

Today, promoting and nurturing entrepreneurship is a core component of economic development in countries around the world. Fostering entrepreneurship as an economic development strategy necessitates a suitable ecosystem which can be termed as “entrepreneurship ecosystem.” Isenberg’s (2011) model of an entrepreneurship ecosystem contains six domains, namely a conducive culture, enabling policies and leadership, availability of appropriate finance, quality human capital, venture-friendly markets for products, and a range of institutional and infrastructural supports. All of these six domains are composed of fifty specific components. The policies enacted by governments deal with institutions, financial support, regulatory framework incentives, research institutes and venture friendly legislation. This study in its current form shall assess the regulatory and institutional framework aspect of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Sultanate of Oman. This assessment shall be done from 2012 to 2019 using the Ease of Doing Business Index as published by the World Bank. This exercise will help to know the change in ease of doing business in Oman for the years under consideration and thus assess the changes in regulatory and institutional framework aspect of entrepreneurship ecosystem in the country.
Comparative Advantage Development Strategy and Cross-Country Labour Productivity Growth: An Approach of New Structural Economics
Authors: SIE Kouakou Jean Fidele
Published: February 2022

The stagnation of labour productivity growth over the last decades, as well as the changing role of conventional variables, has revived policy makers’ and scholars’ interest in exploring other potential sources of growth. Hence, this study uses a recent data of 102 countries from 1990 – 2017 and the New Structural Economics Hypothesis, to investigate the impact of comparative advantage development strategy on labour productivity growth. The results, based on the two-step Generalized Methods of Moments, show that defying comparative advantage development strategy has a detrimental effect on labour productivity growth. However, further analysis of the existence of a non-linearity impact indicates some heterogeneity across countries. High and upper middle-income countries benefit from defying their comparative advantage till a certain point where the gains turn negative, while the negative effect between the defiance of comparative advantage and labour productivity persisted for lower middle- and low-income countries. Also, the results provide evidence of positive impact of institutional quality and trade openness on labour productivity growth.
Fluorine contamination of soils at a phosphate-gypsum waste landfill in South Korea: analytical protocols, regulation levels, and legal framework
Authors: Oh Seok-Young , Seo Yong-Deuk
Published: February 2022

To evaluate the fluorine contamination level of soils at a phosphate-gypsum waste landfill site, the fluorine distributions in the waste and soil, forms of fluorine-containing compounds in the soil and waste, and mobility and leachability of fluorine in the natural environment were investigated. The fluorine content was chemically analyzed with the Korean standard method and sequential extraction procedure. The chemical forms of fluorine were determined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The total fluorine concentrations in the phosphate-gypsum wastes ranged from 1787 to 4496 mg/kg. The soil below the landfill showed a total fluorine concentration of 332.7–776.0 mg/kg, which was approximately 3 to 4 times higher than that of the background soil (190.0–260.0 mg/kg). However, the fluorine concentrations of the soils were lower than the regulation level of the Soil Environment Conservation Act in South Korea (800 mg/kg). Moreover, the sequential fluorine extraction results showed that most of the fluorine content in the wastes and soils existed in the form of residues; thus, the extraction of fluorine in the natural environment may not be of significance. The XRD and XPS results revealed that most fluorine compounds in the phosphate-gypsum waste landfill existed as CaF2 and other forms (gypsum (CaSO4⋅2H2O), apatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH, F, Cl)2), sulfur fluorides, and kogarkoite (Na3SO4F)), which have limited solubility in water. According to the sequential extraction results, the soil below 0.1 m depth from the boundary between the phosphate wastes and soil contains up to approximately 60% residue; this indicates that the excavation of waste and soil down to 0.1 m depth from the boundary may be crucial for decreasing the mobility of fluorine in the natural environment. Furthermore, the origins of fluorine and regulation levels in the legal framework were discussed.
Synaptic Inputs to Displaced Intrinsically-Photosensitive Ganglion Cells in Macaque Retina
Authors: Bordt Andrea , Patterson Sara S. , Kuchenbecker James A. , Mazzaferri Marcus A. , Yearick Joel N. , Yang Emma R. , Ogilvie Judith Mosinger , Neitz Jay , Marshak David W.
Published: February 2022

Ganglion cells are the projection neurons of the retina. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) express the photopigment melanopsin and also receive input from rods and cones via bipolar cells and amacrine cells. In primates, multiple types of ipRGCs have been identified. The ipRGCs with somas in the ganglion cell layer have been studied extensively, but less is known about those with somas in the inner nuclear layer, the “displaced” cells. To investigate their synaptic inputs, three sets of horizontal, ultrathin sections through central macaque retina were collected using serial blockface scanning electron microscopy. One displaced ganglion cell with a smaller soma and lipofuscin granules was classified as a displaced M1 cell. It received nearly all of its excitatory inputs from ON bipolar cells and would have ON responses to light. In all three volumes, there were cells in the inner nuclear layer that had extremely large somas, varicose axons and dendrites with a large diameter that formed a sparse arbor in the outermost stratum of the inner plexiform layer. They were identified as the gigantic displaced M1 type of ipRGCs based on this morphology and on the high density of granules in their somas. They received extensive input from amacrine cells. The vast majority of their excitatory inputs were from OFF bipolar cells, and they would have OFF responses to light stimuli under some conditions, like the novel type of ipRGCs described recently in humans. They may account for the paradoxical pupillary responses seen in some patients with congenital stationary night blindness.
Mapping the karstification potential of central Cebu, Philippines using GIS
Authors: Lumongsod Regina Martha , Ramos Noelynna , Dimalanta Carla
Published: February 2022

Karstification is influenced by numerous factors, such as climate, geomorphology, and anthropogenic processes. Karstified areas are usually faced with numerous karst-related problems such as sinkhole formation, ground subsidence, and groundwater vulnerability. We evaluated the karstification potential of central Cebu, Philippines using Raster Overlay Analysis (ROA) in a geographic information system (GIS) platform. Raster Overlay uses multiple thematic maps which represent the different factors affecting karstification. Thematic factors include precipitation, temperature, vegetation density, elevation, slope, drainage density, lineament density, and geology. These factors were then correlated with the generated karstification potential map using the Cell Statistics tool. ROA reveals that more than 65% of central Cebu has low to moderate karstification potential. Areas with moderate to very high karstification potential coincide with locations of nine known caves. Cell Statistics reveal that the karstification potential map is strongly correlated with precipitation and is least correlated with drainage density. Information on the karstification of an area underlain by highly soluble bedrock is beneficial to effective land use planning and reduction of hazards related to karst degradation and collapse.
Transcriptome Annotation Reveals Minimal Immunogenetic Diversity Among Wyoming Toads, Anaxyrus Baxteri
Authors: Carlson Kara B , Wcisel Dustin J , Ackerman Hayley D , Romanet Jessica , Christiansen Emily F , Niemuth Jennifer N , Williams Christina , Breen Matthew , Stoskopf Michael K , Dornburg Alex , Yoder Jeffrey A
Published: February 2022

Briefly considered extinct in the wild, the future of the wild population of the Wyoming toad (Anaxyrus baxteri) continues to rely on captive breeding to supplement the wild population. Given its small natural geographic range and history of rapid population decline at least partly due to fungal disease, investigation of the diversity of key receptor families involved in the host immune response represents an important conservation need. Population decline may have reduced immunogenetic diversity sufficiently to increase the vulnerability of the species to infectious diseases. Here we use comparative transcriptomics to examine the diversity of toll-like receptors and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) sequences across three individual Wyoming toads. We find reduced diversity at MHC genes compared to bufonid species with a similar history of bottleneck events. Our data provide a foundation for future studies that seek to evaluate the genetic diversity of Wyoming toads, identify biomarkers for infectious disease outcomes, and guide breeding strategies to increase genomic variability and wild release successes.
Dynamic Analysis of the Variable Stiffness Support Rotor System With Elastic Rings
Authors: Sun Kai , Luo Zhong , Li Lei , Liu Jiaxi , Wu Fayong
Published: February 2022

Elastic rings are common rotor supporting structure, which have been widely used in aeroengine rotor-support system. However, large inertia force and gyroscopic moment may occur during the operation of aeroengine, which may lead to contact between elastic ring and bearing pedestal, and then introduce variable stiffness into the rotor-support system. In this paper, a mathematical model of variable stiffness of elastic ring is proposed and this model is subsequently verified by comparison with simulation analysis and experimental results. Based on this model, a variable stiffness model of an elastic ring-supported rotor is developed by coupling the kinetic equations of the rotor with the deformation of the combined support. Then, the spectrum cascades are used to analyze the dynamic characteristics of the rotor system. In addition, the influences of the variable stiffness of elastic ring on the critical speed of the system are also examined. Finally, some simulation results are verified by experiments on a combined test bench of an elastic ring-supported rotor.
Hypertension in obese children is associated with vitamin D deficiency and serotonin dysregulation
Authors: Krivošíková Katarína , Krivošíková Zora , Wsolová Ladislava , Seeman Tomáš , Podracká Ľudmila
Published: February 2022

Background: Obesity and hypertension represent serious health issues affecting the pediatric population with increasing prevalence. Hypovitaminosis D has been suggested to be associated with arterial hypertension. Serotonin by modulating nitric oxide synthase affect blood pressure regulation. The biological mechanism by which vitamin D specifically regulates serotonin synthesis was recently described. The aim of this paper is to determine the associations between vitamin D, serotonin, and blood pressure in obese children.Methods: One hundred and seventy-one children were enrolled in the prospective cross-sectional study. Two groups of children divided according to body mass index status to obese (BMI ≥95th percentile; n=120) and non-obese (n=51) were set. All children underwent office and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and biochemical analysis of vitamin D and serotonin. Data on fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA, uric acid, and complete lipid profile were obtained in obese children.Results: Hypertension was found only in the group of obese children. Compared to the control group, obese children had lower vitamin D and serotonin, especially in winter. The vitamin D seasonality and BMI-SDS were shown as the most significant predictors of systolic blood pressure changes, while diastolic blood pressure was predicted mostly by insulin and serotonin. The presence of hypertension and high-normal blood pressure in obese children was most significantly affected by vitamin D deficiency and increased BMI-SDS.Conclusions: Dysregulation of vitamin D and serotonin can pose a risk of the onset and development of hypertension in obese children; therefore, their optimization together with reducing body weight may improve the long-term cardiovascular health of these children.
Italian validation of the Emotional Style Questionnaire (ESQ): An indicator of emotional health
Authors: Malandrone Francesca , Catalano Alberto , Carfì Federica , Gentili Claudio , Bianchi Silvia , Oliva Francesco , Ricceri Fulvio , Ostacoli Luca , Kesebir Pelin , Davidson Richard , Carletto Sara
Published: February 2022

Emotional Style (ES) refers is the unique way of experiencing emotions while going through life. The Emotional Style Questionnaire (ESQ) is a 24-item self-report measure that evaluate how people vary across the six dimensions of ES, providing an overall score of healthy emotionality. The present study aimed to validate the Italian version of ESQ. In Study 1, 208 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Linguistic and cultural adaptation was carried out and the adaptation’s psychometric properties were investigated. In Study 2 linguistic changes were made to the ESQ items, modifying also the questionnaires used for assessing convergent and divergent validity to better investigate the constructs underlying each dimension. 197 healthy volunteers stratified by age group were enrolled. The final Italian version of the ESQ is therefore composed of 24 items allowing the identification of five subscales and six constructs due to the overlap between Outlook and Resilience. The questionnaire was found to be a valid and reliable measure, with satisfactory psychometric properties. Moreover, as with the original version, the Italian version too can be considered a measure of overall emotional well-being. Future studies should investigate the properties of the ESQ in clinical samples and its correlations with neurobiological characteristics.
Risky Sexual Behavior and Associated Factors Among Sexually-experienced Adolescents in Bangkok, Thailand: Findings From a School Web-based Survey
Authors: Thepthien Bang-On , Celyn Celyn
Published: February 2022

Background: The risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI) arises when there is unsafe sexual activity. Unsafe sex often begins in the teenage years, and it will persist as long as there is the opportunity for risky sexual activity. The purpose of this study was to assess the sexual risk behaviors and related factors of sexually-active adolescents in educational institutions. Methods: This was cross-sectional survey using an Internet-based application in schools in Bangkok from November 2020 to February 2021 with a total of 6,167 high school and vocational students. In the study, 14.1% of all participants had had sexual intercourse before the survey. By gender, 42.1% of the sexually-active students were males, and 57.9% were females. Indicators of risky sex include: (1) Not using a condom, (2) Having more than one sex partner; (3) Having sex in exchange for cash or in-kind compensation; and (4) Having sex without consent.Results: Of a total of 872 sexually-active participants, 590 (67.7%) had sex risk behavior. The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the following statistically-significant factors related to risky sex: Alcohol use (AOR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.03–2.78); vaping (AOR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.01–2.53); cannabis use (AOR = 3.71; 95% CI: 1.51–9.09); gambling (AOR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.23–2.44); unintended pregnancy (AOR = 2.80; 95% CI: 1.21–3.57); non-use of contraception (AOR = 3.25; 95% CI: 2.26–4.68); history of childhood sex abuse (AOR = 1.67; 95% CI: 1.05–2.68).Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, in designing and implementing sexual risk prevention programs for adolescents in educational settings, there is a need to highlight the role of substance abuse in relation to sexual risk behaviors. Programs should target both male and female students. Teenagers who use marijuana are more likely to be sexually active than those who have never used marijuana. These potential risks should be taken into account with respect to legalization of marijuana and recreational use of this drug.
Analysis of Video Recording in Accident Reconstruction
Authors: Abramowski Michał , Reński Andrzej
Published: February 2022

The article discusses the use of video recordings in the reconstruction of road accidents. Many drivers use in-car digital video recorders (DVR), so called dashboard cameras, to register the situation in front of or behind the car while driving. Such recording can be in some situations an important evidence when determining liability of the road collision. However, in most such cases the video recording is analyzed only from a qualitative point of view, while the article shows that a lot of quantitative information, such as vehicle speeds, accelerations, or the directions of their movements, can also be obtained from the video recording. The selected methods of quantitative analysis of a video recording are here presented. Furthermore, attention is paid to the problems of image analysis, that experts deal with during accident reconstruction. It is indicated that video recordings should be analyzed according to different procedures depending on the situation they present. It is also discussed the influence of recording quality (resolution, distortion, image sharpness, recording speed and others) on the usefulness of the recording for obtaining from it the quantitative information. Finally, the method for estimating the uncertainty of the results is presented. The article confirms that it is possible to determine the chosen parameters of vehicle motion based on an analysis of the DVR recording.
Risk factors and prevalence of DVT after total hip replacement: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Han Zhe , Ji NengNeng , Taxi Wumiti , Cao DongDong , Sun Xiang , Han Chao , Ma Xinlong , Dong Qiang
Published: February 2022

Objective: To systematically evaluate the risk factors for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients after hip replacement. Methods: A computer search of PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) and WanFang Data databases was conducted to collect case-control studies, cohort studies and cross-sectional studies on risk factors for DVT in hip replacement patients. January 2020. Meta-analysis was carried out using Stata 16.0 software after 2 researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies. Results: A total of 27 studies were included, including 82,872 subjects with 16 risk factors, and the results of the meta-analysis showed that women [OR=3.06 (1.36, 6.88), p=0.0001], age [OR=2.04, 95% CI (1.73, 2.42), p<0.0001], body mass index (BMI) [OR=0.0001], and men [OR=0.0001] were at risk of bias. 3.95, 95% CI (2.69, 5.78), p=0.007], hypertension [OR=2.52, 95% CI (1.42, 4.46), p<0.0001], hyperlipidemia [OR=2.47, 95% CI (1.44, 4.24), p<0.0001]. Combined cardio-vascular underlying diseases [OR=2.53, 95% CI (1.47, 4.37), p<0.0001], varicose veins or DVT [OR=4.21, 95%]. CI (3.24, 5.47), p=0.012], anaesthetic methods [OR=3.55, 95% CI (1.85, 6.82), p<0.0001], duration of operation [OR=2.33, 95% CI (1.35, 4.04), p<0.0001 0.0001], bone cement prosthesis [OR=2.79, 95% CI (2.37, 3.29), p<0.0001] are risk factors for DVT in hip replacement patients, and appropriate postoperative training reduces the risk of DVT in these patients [OR=0.40, 95% CI (0.32, 0.51)]. Conclusions: Current evidence of this study suggests that women, older age, high BMI, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, combined cardio-vascular underlying diseases, varicose veins or deep vein disease, general anesthesia, prolonged operation time and the use of bone cement prosthesis are risk factors for the development of DVT in hip replacement patients. Healthcare professionals should enhance the protection of high-risk patients with these risk factors in order to reduce the incidence of DVT after hip replacement and to improve the clinical outcome of patients.
Downregulation of CAMK2N1 due to DNA Hypermethylation Mediated by DNMT1 Promotes the Progression of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Peng Wei , Feng Huan , Pang Linhao , Zhang Junfeng , Hao Yi , Wei Xian , Xia Qidong , Wei Zhewen , Song Wen , Wang Shaogang , Liu Jihong , Chen Ke , Wang Tao
Published: February 2022

BackgroundCalcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor I (CAMK2N1) is one of the tumor suppressor genes in prostate cancer (PCa) and is significantly downregulated in PCa tissues compared to benign and normal prostate tissues. Reduced expression of CAMK2N1 is positively correlated with PCa progression. However, the mechanism of CAMK2N1 silencing in PCa is still unclear. The promoter region of CAMK2N1 contained abundant CG loci, providing a great possibility for DNA methylation. Consequently, we postulated that epigenetic modification resulted in the abnormal expression of CAMK2N1 in PCa. MethodsFirstly, we determined the DNA methylation level of CAMK2N1 in prostate cell lines and clinical specimens by bisulfite sequencing (BS), pyrosequencing and The Cancer Genome Atlas in silico analysis. Subsequently, we explored the expression of CAMK2N1 and its DNA methylation level by qRT-PCR, western blot, immunofluorescence, BS and methylation-specific PCR in PCa cells after 5-Aza-CdR treatment or DNMT1 gene modification. Moreover, we analyzed DNMT1 expression as well as the related signaling pathways in CAMK2N1 upregulated or downregulated PCa cells. Finally, functional assays including wound healing, invasion and migration assay, and xenograft model in nude mice were used to investigate the effect of DNMT1/CAMK2N1 interaction on the progression of PCa. ResultsCAMK2N1 was highly methylated in PCa cells and tissues compared to normal prostate epithelial cells, normal prostate tissues and benign prostatic hyperplasia BPH tissues. The hypermethylation of CAMK2N1 was associated with the clinicopathological characteristics in PCa patients. The reduced expression of CAMK2N1 can be restored by 5-Aza-CdR treatment via demethylation. Moreover, we confirmed that DNMT1 formed a positive feedback loop with CAMK2N1 in PCa cells. CAMK2N1 expression was downregulated by DNMT1-mediated DNA methylation, which reversely induced DNMT1 expression through the AKT or ERK signaling pathway. The results of in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that CAMK2N1 inhibited PCa cell invasion, migration and proliferation and these effects were reversed by DNMT1. ConclusionsDNMT1-mediated hypermethylation of CAMK2N1 not only downregulates gene expression but also promotes the progression of PCa, which could be served as a potential predictive biomarker.
Determinants of sexual communication between adolescents and their parents in Adaklu district, Volta region, Ghana: A multinomial logistic regression analysis
Authors: Klu Desmond , Agordoh Percival , Gyapong Margaret , Azagba Charles , Ansah Evelyn Korkor , Acquah Evelyn , Doegah Phidelia , Ofosu Anthony
Published: February 2022

Background: Poor sexual communication between adolescents and their parents results in high rates of negative sexual practices such as teenage pregnancy. Contributing factors to this poor sexual communication between adolescent and their parents in a high teenage pregnancy setting have not been adequately explored. We sought to fill this gap by examining the factors that predict sexual communication between adolescents and their parents in the Adaklu district of the Volta region of Ghana.Methods: A baseline cross-sectional household survey of 221 adolescents aged 10-19 years in 30 randomly selected communities was used. A well-structured questionnaire was developed. A multinomial logistics regression analysis was used to examine factors that significantly influenced communication between adolescents and their parents regarding sex.Results: Only 11.3% and 27.6% of adolescents had discussions on sex with both parents and only one parent respectively in Adaklu district. Adolescent males (AOR=0.21, CI=0.06-0.75), aged 10-14 years (AOR=0.41,CI=0.04-0.57), non-members of adolescent health clubs (AOR=0.46, CI=0.21-1.00), and living with only a father (AOR=0.19,CI= 0.06-0.61) have the lower odds of communicating with their parents on sexual issues. Conclusions: Adolescent-parental sexual communication in Adaklu district is very low. This situation requires more empowerment of adolescents to enable them to discuss sexual issues with their parents through increased engagement with adolescent health club activities and capacity building capacity of parents with the right information on sexual and reproductive health by health staff within the district. Additionally, parents need to be equipped with communication skills to enable them to communicate effectively with their children.
In Vitro Degradation and Erosion Behavior of Commercial PLGAs Used for Controlled Drug Delivery
Authors: Walker Jennifer , Albert Jason , Liang Desheng , Sun Jing , Schutzman Richard , Kumar Raj , White Cameron , Beck-Broichsitter Moritz , Schwendeman Steven
Published: February 2022

Copolymers of lactic (or lactide) and glycolic (or glycolide) acids (PLGAs) are among the most commonly used materials in biomedical applications, especially parenteral controlled drug delivery due to their biocompatibility, predictable degradation rate, and ease of processing. Besides manufacturing variables of drug delivery vehicles, changes in PLGA raw material properties can affect product behavior. Accordingly, an in-depth understanding of polymer-related “critical quality attributes” can improve selection and predictability of PLGA performance.Here, we selected 19 different PLGAs from five manufacturers to form drug-free films, submillimeter implants and microspheres and evaluated differences in their water uptake, degradation, and erosion during in vitro incubation as a function of L/G ratio, polymerization method, molecular weight, end-capping, and geometry. Acid-terminated PLGA 50/50 films from different manufacturers with similar molecular weights and higher glycolic unit blockiness and/or block length values showed faster initial degradation rates. Geometrically larger implants of 75/25, acid-terminated PLGA showed higher water uptake, and faster degradation rates in the first week compared to microspheres of the same polymers, likely due to enhanced effects of acid-catalyzed degradation from PLGA acidic byproducts unable to escape as efficiently from larger geometries. Manufacturer differences such as increased residual monomer appeared to increase water uptake and degradation in poly(lactide) implants.This dataset of different polymer manufacturers could be useful in selecting desired PLGAs for controlled release applications or comparing differences in behavior during product development, and these techniques to further compare differences in less reported properties such as sequence distribution may be useful for future analyses of PLGA performance in drug delivery.
Microbial production of multienzyme preparation from mosambi peel using Trichoderma asperellum
Authors: Singh Balvindra , Garg Neelima , Mathur Priti , Vaish Supriya , Kumar Sanjay
Published: February 2022

Fruit and vegetable whole sale markets produces huge quantities of wastes in the forms of discarded fruits and vegetables or their parts, creating unhygienic conditions around the area and resulting into environmental pollution. Many enzymes have good applicability in food industries mainly in the production of clarified fruit juices. However, cost of production of such food enzymes are generally high due to costly raw materials. Utilization of fruit and vegetable wastes as carbon sources for enzyme production through microbial intervention has already been reported by various workers. The present study reports the feasibility of using mosambi (Citrus limetta) peel as substrate for multienzyme preparation including pectinase, cellulase and amylase, using a potential fungal isolate.Conditions viz. temperature, pH, incubation time and nutrient addition were optimized for enzymes production from fresh mosambi peel as substrate using Trichoderma asperellum NG-125 (accession number-MW287256). Maximum activities (U ml-1min-1) of pectinase (595.7±2.47), cellulase (497.3±2.06) and amylase (440.9±1.44) were observed at pH 5.5, incubation temperature of 30°C after 10 days of fermentation. Macro-nutrients addition @ 0.1% ammonium sulphate, 0.01% potassium-di-hydrogen-ortho-phosphate enhanced the production of enzymes. The purified pectinase, cellulase and amylase by SDS-PAGE revealed three bands to molecular mass of 43, 66 and 33kDa, respectively.Out of four natural fibre matrices (bagasse, rice husk, paddy straw and wheat straw) tested for immobilization, maximum enzyme activity retention percent was observed on bagasse matrix (pectinase-56.35%, cellulase-77.68% and amylase-59.54%). Enzymatic juice clarification yield obtained with test enzyme was 75.8% which was as comparable to 80.5% of commercial enzyme.
Efficacy of fremanezumab in refractory chronic migraine patients: Real-world data from the Hull Migraine Clinic, UK
Authors: Ahmed Fayyaz , Cheng Fan , Wu Qinyao , Hussain Mariam , Wilkinson Victoria , Wilson Lisa , Khalil Modar
Published: February 2022

Background:Fremanezumab is an anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibody efficacious for chronic migraine prophylaxis. We evaluated real-world prophylactic efficacy of fremanezumab for refractory chronic migraine in a United Kingdom specialist centre (Hull Migraine Clinic).Methods:289 adult chronic migraineurs commenced fremanezumab with prospective follow-up, maintaining headache diaries for ≥1 month pre-fremanezumab initiation and continuously thereafter. Patients failed 6 median previous prophylactics. We measured monthly headache days, migraine days, headache-free days, analgesia medication days, triptan days and Headache Impact Test-6 scores at baseline and during treatment.Results:All outcomes significantly improved in results of 182 patients at 4-month follow-up (p<0.0001), with reduced median monthly headache days (by 9 days), migraine days (by 10 days) and Headache Impact Test-6 (by 14.5 points). 80% patients achieved ≥30% migraine reduction, whilst 68% and 42% patients achieved >50% and >75% reduction. 58%, 39% and 17% patients achieved ≥30%, >50% and >75% headache day reduction. OnabotulinumtoxinA-unresponsive patients exhibited substantial responses, with 78%, 66% and 39% patients achieving ≥30%, >50% and >75% migraine reduction. Medication-overuse did not affect responses. 45% patients achieved <15 headache days in any month, and 65% achieved <8 migraine days in any month. 37% achieved both outcomes. In multivariate analyses, baseline headache-freedom and lower Headache Impact Test-6 score associated with ≥30% migraine reduction (p<0.05), whilst baseline headache-freedom and lower migraine-days associated with achieving <15 headache days in any month (p<0.01).Conclusion:Fremanezumab demonstrates real-world efficacy at 4 months in highly-refractory and onabotulinumtoxinA-unresponsive chronic migraine, irrespective of medication-overuse. Baseline headache-freedom, lower migraine-days and lower Headache Impact Test-6 score heralded superior responses.
Weak Spin-Flip Scattering in Pd89Ni11 Interlayer of NbN-Based Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions
Authors: Pham Duong , Sugimoto Riku , Oba Kenjiro , Takeshita Yuto , Li Feng , Tanaka Masamitsu , Yamashita Taro , Fujimaki Akira
Published: February 2022

We studied niobium nitride (NbN)-based π-junctions with a diluted ferromagnetic Pd89Ni11 interlayer (NbN/PdNi/NbN junctions). In the NbN/PdNi/NbN junctions with various PdNi thicknesses, we observed a non-monotonic dependence of the critical currents on PdNi thickness, indicating the effects of the exchange interaction on the superconducting order parameter. From theoretical fitting of the experimental data, we found that the NbN/PdNi/NbN junctions showed a significantly smaller degree of spin-flip scattering in the PdNi interlayer than in the CuNi interlayer of NbN/CuNi/NbN junctions reported previously. The weak spin-flip scattering leads to a longer decay length of the Josephson critical current, so the critical currents were observed over a wide range of PdNi thicknesses (10 – 40 nm). We also fabricated superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) including the NbN/PdNi/NbN junction, using a PdNi thickness in which the π-state was expected. A half-flux-quantum shift, as evidence of the π-state, was observed in the magnetic field-dependent critical currents of the SQUIDs. This result represents an important step towards the practical application of NbN-based π-Josephson junctions.
Genome-wide identification and characterization of glutathione S-transferase gene family in Musa acuminata L. AAA group and gaining an insight to their role in banana fruit development
Authors: Basantani Mahesh , Vaish Swati , Parveen Reshma , Gupta Divya
Published: February 2022

Glutathione S-transferases are a multifunctional protein superfamily that is involved in diverse plant functions such as defense mechanisms, signaling, stress response, secondary metabolism, plant growth and development. Although the banana whole genome sequence is available but the distribution of GST genes on banana chromosomes, their subcellular localization, gene structure, their evolutionary relation with each other, conserved motifs and their roles in banana are still unknown. A total of 50 full length GST genes with the canonical thioredoxin fold have been identified belonging to seven GST classes namely tau, phi, zeta, lambda, DHAR, EF1G and GHR. The 50 GST genes were distributed into 11 banana chromosomes. All the MaGSTs were majorly localized in the cytoplasm. Gene architecture showed the conservation of exon numbers in individual GST classes. MEME analyses revealed few class specific motifs and many motifs were found in all the GST classes. Multiple sequence alignment of banana GST amino acid sequences with rice, Arabidopsis and soybean sequences revealed the Ser and Cys as conserved catalytic residue. Gene duplication analyses showed the tandem duplication as a driving force for GST gene family expansion in banana. Cis-regulatory element analysis showed the dominance of light responsive element followed by stress and hormone responsive element. Expression profiling analyses was also done by RNA-seq data. It was observed that MaGSTs are involved in various stages of fruit development. MaGSTU1 was highly upregulated. The comprehensive and organized studies of MaGST genes family provides groundwork for further functional analysis of MaGST genes in banana at molecular level and further for plant breeding approaches.
A multicentre evaluation exploring the impact of an integrated health and social care intervention for the caregivers of ICU survivors
Authors: McPeake Joanne , Henderson Philip , MacTavish Pamela , Devine Helen , Daniel Malcolm , Lucie Phil , Bollan Lynn , Hogg Lucy , MacMahon Mike , Mulhern Sharon , Murray Pauline , o'neill Laura , strachan Laura , Iwashyna Theodore , Shaw Martin , Quasim Tara
Published: February 2022

Background: Caregivers and family members of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) survivors can face emotional problems following patient discharge from hospital. We aimed to evaluate the impact of a multi-centre integrated health and social care intervention, on caregiver and family member outcomes.Methods: This study evaluated the impact of the Intensive Care Syndrome: Promoting Independence and Return to Employment (InS:PIRE) programme across 9 sites in Scotland. InS:PIRE is an integrated health and social care intervention. We compared caregivers who attended this programme with a contemporary control group of ICU caregivers (usual care cohort), who did not attend. Results: The primary outcome was anxiety measured via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at 12 months post hospital discharge. Secondary outcome measures included, depression, carer strain and clinical insomnia. A total of 170 caregivers had data available at 12 months for inclusion in this study. 81 caregivers attended the InS:PIRE intervention and completed outcome measures at 12 months post-hospital discharge. In the usual care cohort of caregivers, 89 completed measures. The two cohorts had similar baseline demographics. After adjustment, those caregivers who attended InS:PIRE demonstrated a significant improvement in symptoms of anxiety (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.20-0.89, p=0.02), carer strain (OR: 0.39; 95% CI:0.16-0.98 p=0.04) and clinical insomnia (OR: 0.40; 95% CI:0.17-0.77 p<0.001). There was no significant difference in symptoms of depression at 12 months.Conclusions: This multicentre evaluation has shown that caregivers who attended an integrated health and social care intervention, reported improved emotional health and less symptoms of insomnia, 12 months after the delivery of the intervention.
Do Students of Dance Schools Show Orthorexic Behaviours?
Authors: Grajek Mateusz , Krupa-Kotara Karolina , Białek-Dratwa Agnieszka , Sas-Nowosielski Krzysztof
Published: February 2022

Introduction. Many studies have shown that a group of people practicing sports, including those representing sports disciplines that require a slim figure and flexibility, is exposed to an increased risk of orthorexia nervosa (ON). Due to great difficulties in making the final diagnosis, the exact number of people suffering from orthorexia is still unknown. Aim. The study aimed to assess the risk of orthorexic behavior in the group of girls attending ballet schools. The essence of the study was to analyze the anthropometric indicator and eating habits and to correlate them with the obtained risk indicator of orthorexic behaviors. Material and method. The investigated group consisted of 800 female students (10–18 years old) who attended ballet schools in Poland (Silesia). At the beginning of the study, anthropometric measurements of the examined students were performed and a detailed nutritional interview was conducted with them. The dietary habits of the research group were evaluated by the diet quality index (DQI) . To assess the risk of orthorexic behaviors, an ORTO-15, and ORTO-15 PL questionnaires were used. The collected data were statistically analyzed (the Statistica 13.0 package was applied). The degree of probability was 0.05. Results. Based on the DQI it was found that 44% of all respondents reported good, 36% - satisfactory, and 20% - bad eating habits. The genuine risk of eating disorders was observed among 65% (ORTO-15) and 59% (ORTO-15 PL) of subjects. This included students with good dietary habits (65%) and 73% of students who considered themselves to be obese. Statistical inference showed a relationship between the positive result obtained in the ORTO-15 questionnaire and participants’ incorrect perception of their own body (p<0.05). Moreover, it was noted that higher scores in both ORTO scales were obtained by girls whose BMI (62%) and %BF (56%) were in the correct range. Conclusion. This is particularly visible in the group of girls whose eating habits were assessed as good and in the group of ballerinas who consider themselves obese. Moreover, it was noted that BMI and adipose tissue level in the risk group was at the correct level.