bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
State support and business stimulation Ukraine in the conditions of war
Authors: Solonenko Yuliia , Panasiuk Pavlo
Published: June 2023

The article examines the main problems and obstacles to the functioning of the economy of Ukraine in the conditions of martial law. An analysis and assessment of the amount of damage caused to business and the civilian population during hostilities was carried out. The growth of negative trends in the environment of the functioning of enterprises was revealed, in particular, we are talking about breaks in logistics chains and risks of business reorganization. It has been proven that the war created a high level of uncertainty in Ukrainian business, as a result of which we observe the appearance of more and more new enterprises that stop their economic activity. The influence of the war on the export and agricultural potential of Ukraine is studied. It has been found that the war increases the risks of a global food crisis every day. It has been proven that the agricultural sector of Ukraine needs significant help and support. The set of main factors that help support the agricultural market of Ukraine was considered, and the latest state programs for supporting and stimulating the agricultural sector of Ukraine, as one of the most strategically important sectors of the economy, were evaluated. An analysis and assessment of the current state of business and its sectoral transformation in war conditions has been carried out. The main problems that prevent business from recovering and functioning effectively in war conditions are identified, and potential sources of assistance for Ukrainian business are identified. The peculiarities of state policy in the conditions of martial law are considered and the main directions of business development of Ukraine in the conditions of war are highlighted. Attention is paid to the state program of business relocation, as an effective tool for protecting enterprises and ensuring their functioning in critical conditions of war. Considerable attention is paid to the policy of state crediting, in particular to the program of concessional crediting «5–7–9%», as an effective tool that helps to support and activate business activities in the conditions of war and to provide effective support to agricultural producers who currently work in extreme conditions. The effectiveness of the introduction of a zero lending rate and the abolition of the excise tax on the import of gasoline and diesel fuel into Ukraine has been proven. It is worth noting that our economy is currently operating in extremely difficult and extreme conditions, and our research proves Ukraine's urgent need for effective economic solutions, which, in particular, the government implements through measures of state support and stimulation of business development in our country in these difficult times.
ประสิทธิผลของน้ำตาลลำไยต่อการเพิ่มคุณภาพการนอนหลับในอาสาสมัครที่มีภาวะนอนไม่หลับ
Authors: หัตถโกศล ฉัตรภา , ลับแล ศิริกัญญา , เตชะวิเชียร มณีรัตน์ , ทับเจริญ ญาณิศา , ทรัพย์วโรบล สุวิมล , สรรพ่อค้า พร้อมลักษณ์ , โตรักษา สิริกัญญา
Published: June 2023

บทนำ: การนอนหลับที่ไม่มีคุณภาพอาจส่งผลเสียต่อสุขภาพ มีรายงานการศึกษาพบว่า ลำไยและสมุนไพรบางชนิดมีสารสำคัญที่ส่งผลต่อระบบประสาทและสมอง ช่วยทำให้คุณภาพการนอนหลับดีขึ้น
วัตถุประสงค์: เพื่อศึกษาประสิทธิผลของการบริโภคน้ำตาลลำไยต่อคุณภาพการนอนหลับในอาสาสมัครที่มีภาวะนอนไม่หลับ
วิธีการศึกษา: การวิจัยเชิงทดลองแบบสุ่มชนิดมีกลุ่มควบคุมแบบคู่ขนานในกลุ่มตัวอย่างอาสาสมัครที่มีภาวะนอนไม่หลับระดับเล็กน้อยถึงปานกลาง อายุระหว่าง 35 ถึง 60 ปี จำนวน 54 คน แบ่งเป็น 4 กลุ่ม ได้แก่ กลุ่มที่ได้รับน้ำตาลทรายแดง (กลุ่มควบคุม) จำนวน 12 คน น้ำตาลลำไย จำนวน 14 คน น้ำตาลลำไยออร์แกนิค จำนวน 15 คน และน้ำตาลลำไยออร์แกนิคผสมสมุนไพร จำนวน 13 คน โดยให้กลุ่มตัวอย่างบริโภคน้ำตาลที่ได้รับวันละ 1 ช้อนโต๊ะ (15 mL) ผสมกับน้ำเปล่าที่อุณหภูมิห้อง (150 - 200 mL) ดื่มก่อนนอน (15 - 30 นาที) เป็นเวลา 4 สัปดาห์ จากนั้นประเมินคุณภาพการนอนหลับในสัปดาห์ที่ 0 และ 4 โดยใช้แบบประเมินคุณภาพการนอนหลับ การวิเคราะห์ความแตกต่างภายในกลุ่มใช้สถิติ Wilcoxon signed rank test ความแตกต่างระหว่างกลุ่มใช้สถิติ Kruskal-Wallis test กำหนดระดับนัยสำคัญทางสถิติเท่ากับ .05
ผลการศึกษา: เมื่อเปรียบเทียบภายในกลุ่มพบว่า กลุ่มที่ได้รับน้ำตาลลำไย น้ำตาลลำไยออร์แกนิค และน้ำตาลลำไยออร์แกนิคผสมสมุนไพร มีคะแนนคุณภาพการนอนหลับดีขึ้นอย่างมีนัยสำคัญ (P < .05) ส่วนกลุ่มที่ได้รับน้ำตาลทรายแดงภายหลังการทดลองไม่พบความแตกต่างของคะแนนคุณภาพการนอนหลับ (P > .05) สำหรับการเปรียบเทียบระหว่างกลุ่มไม่พบความแตกต่างของคะแนนคุณภาพการนอนหลับ (P > .05)
สรุป: การบริโภคน้ำตาลลำไยทั้ง 3 ชนิด ช่วยทำให้คุณภาพการนอนหลับดีขึ้น
دور البرامج الاثنوغرافية في القنوات الوثائقية في تعزيز المعرفة لدى الجمهور
Authors: كرحوت خميس محمد , الموسوي حسين علي نور
Published: June 2023

تتلخص فكرة البحث حول مدى متابعة الجمهور للبرامج الوثائقية وعلاقتها بتعزيز المعارف، وتغيير الاتجاهات الفكرية لدى الجمهور، وصمم الباحث استمارة استبانة تضمنت أسئلة مغلقة واختار عينة قصدية من المبحوثين الذين يتابعون البرامج والقنوات الوثاقية حصرًا وكان عددهم (400) مبحوث، واستخرج الباحث النتائج بعد تفريغ البيانات ومعالجتها احصائيًا والتأكد من ثبات التحليل واختبار الفروض، وقد استخدم البرنامج الاحصائي (SPSS) للحصول على نتائج البحث التي من أهمها: تحقيق قناة الجزيرة الوثائقية على النسبة الأعلى في متابعة المبحوثين للبرامج الاثنوغرافية، بينما حصلت قناة DW على أقل نسبة متابعة لدى عينة البحث، مما يدل على تلبية قناة الجزيرة الوثائقية اهتمامات الجمهور ودوافعه المعرفية.
Performances of Red Chittagong cow under farming and rural conditions
Authors: Hossain M A , Haque M E , Tanzin M , Islam M R
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to assess the hematological parameters, productive and reproductive performances of Red Chittagong cows (RCC) under farming and rural production systems. Hence, three villages (Sailabari, Munsumi and Baniagati) of Khokshabari union under Sadar upazila of Sirajganj district were selected. The 40 Red Chittagong cows from each production system were taken under this study. Twenty (20) farmers were selected through direct interviewing process with a structured questionnaire. Farming condition and rural condition data were analyzed with unpaired t-test along with GLM procedure of SAS statistical package. Services per conception (times), postpartum heat period (days) and calving interval (days) had significant (p<0.01) differences between farming and rural condition, whereas, age at first calving (months) significantly differed (p<0.05). Average milk yield (kg/d) had significantly different at the values of p<0.05, whereas, lactation period was significantly differed at the values of p<0.01. Hemoglobin (g /100ml) and PCV% were significantly different (p<0.05) between farming and rural condition of RCC in the selected areas. From the study, it may be concluded that the productive and reproductive performances of RCC were better in farming condition than in rural conditions in selected areas.
Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science, 52 (2): 55-60.
The non-linear impacts of crude oil prices and trade openness on the foreign income of Bangladesh
Authors: Parvin Rehana , Rahman Md Lutfar
Published: June 2023

A Market based study was conducted in the high (Tanore Upazila) and low (Natore Upazila) drought prone areas over the period of twelve months with the aims to know the impacts of drought on the market. Drought inhibits production, the inflow of agricultural produces and food supply in high drought market areas. Availability, diversity, price and sources of plant species become more restricted by the severe drought. The high drought market area shows less availability of the produces with low diversity and high prices. These attributes arrest consumer’s behavior in food consumption patterns and restricted food supply in high drought market. Low drought market area shows normal production, regular inflows of agricultural produces. Mostly drought affects market in the Kharif-2 season.  More local varieties were found in the low drought market during Rabi season. Appropriate drought forecasting in advance and drought insurance can protect production loss and ensure market supply.
IUBAT Review—A Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, 6 (1): 61-76
MHD convection in a square cavity with a heated cone: Effects of magnetic field and cone orientation
Authors: Mahjabin Saika , Alim Md Abdul
Published: June 2023

This paper presents a study on the influence of Magnetic Force impressed upon MHD fluid contained in a square cavity with a heated cone. The novelty of this work includes a heated cone whose orientation is varied at different angles. Calculations are performed for Prandtl number Pr = 0.71; Rayleigh number Ra = 10, 1000, and 100000; and Hartmann number Ha = 0, 50, and 100. The results are illustrated with streamlines, isotherms, and other relevant plots. It is observed that the influence of Ha becomes more noticeable with increasing Ra. Ha affects the flow by retarding the fluid movement and thus affects convective heat transfer. It is also observed that the cone orientation influences both fluid circulation and heat transfer. At high Ra, the vertical orientation of the cone resulted in lower heat flux than the left/right orientations. Also, under the same condition, the system remains cooler with the vertical cone at lower Ha, but becomes hotter after a certain value of Ha. These findings have practical design implications.
J. Bangladesh Acad. Sci. 47(1); 127-137: June 2023
Ethnic disparities in the distribution of gene expression modulating polymorphisms in key pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with COVID-19 severities
Authors: Ahsan Tamim , Fatema Kaniz , Shoily Sabrina Samad , Haidar Zinia , Sajib Abu Ashfaqur
Published: June 2023

The severity of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is linked to pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. There are still many unanswered questions regarding COVID-19 pathogenesis and prognosis. Significantly increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines characterize severe COVID-19 compared to those with a mild-to-moderate form of the disease. In this study, we used in silico tools to explore the variant allele frequency distributions of three important pro-inflammatory cytokine genes: interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFA), as well as their linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns in worldwide populations. These cytokines were chosen for their pro-inflammatory properties, importance in determining COVID-19 outcomes, and potential as disease treatment targets. Twenty-two of the variants correlate with altered cytokine expression levels, which may also influence the expression of several other mediators of immune responses. These variants also appear to be associated with several COVID-19 comorbidities, such as diabetes, asthma, obesity, and heart conditions. At least one variant (rs1800795 in IL6) is likely associated with an altered response to TNFA inhibitors, which are considered COVID-19 treatment options. The European super-population has high variant allele frequencies (VAF ≥ 0.2) at thirteen of these variant loci. High genetic heterogeneity at these loci is present in the admixed American populations, whereas the East Asian populations appear genetically more homogeneous. Interethnic differences are more pronounced at the IL6 SNP loci, which may cause variances in the expression level of a long non-coding RNA gene, IL6-AS1. Stronger and more extensive LD (R2 ≥ 0.8) exists among the IL6 and IL8 variants in the European super-population and among the TNFA variants in the East and South Asian populations. In general, the European super-population has higher frequencies of haplotypes with multiple variant alleles. Such interethnic differences may shed more light on the disparities in COVID-19 severities and the responses to treatments across ethnic groups.
J. Bangladesh Acad. Sci. 47(1); 69-90: June 2023
Komisja etyczna jako strażnik, wróg, cenzor czy partner? Proces oceny etycznej badań społecznych z udziałem osób świadczących usługi seksualne
Authors: Ślęzak Izabela
Published: June 2023

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie wyzwań i trudności, jakie mogą pojawić się w procesie oceny przez komisje etyczne projektów badawczych bazujących na jakościowych technikach gromadzenia danych uzyskiwanych od osób świadczących różnego rodzaju usługi seksualne. Badania te zwykle podlegają ocenie komisji etycznych ze względu na ryzyko krzywdy dla uczestników, którzy postrzegani są jako szczególnie „podatni na zranienie”. Jednocześnie ze względu na stygmatyzację społeczną, jaka wiąże się ze świadczeniem usług seksualnych, zarówno badacze, jak i osoby uczestniczące w badaniu i wchodzące w skład komisji etycznych mogą mieć swoje wyobrażenia i oczekiwania co do tego, jak powinny przebiegać etyczne badania w tym obszarze. Odwołując się do doświadczeń badaczek anglosaskich, omówię, jak te oczekiwania oraz wymagania komisji etycznych zderzają się, stawiając badaczy przed koniecznością spełniania rozbieżnych czy wręcz sprzecznych oczekiwań różnych aktorów społecznych. Zaproponuję także, w jakim kierunku mógłby zmienić się sposób działania rodzimych komisji etycznych, aby proces uzyskiwania ich aprobaty był bardziej demokratyczny i otwarty na zróżnicowane potrzeby tak badaczy, jak i osób uczestniczących w badaniach.
Czego uczy dyskusja wokół anglosaskich komisji etycznych? Analiza wybranych kwestii spornych
Authors: Surmiak Adrianna
Published: June 2023

W krajach anglosaskich komisje etyczne mają długą historię i silną pozycję, chociaż jednocześnie ich funkcjonowanie wywołuje dyskusje w środowisku badaczy społecznych. W artykule analizuję wybrane kwestie sporne, które koncentrują się wokół trzech pytań: 1) Kogo chronią i powinny chronić komisje etyczne? 2) Czy komisje etyczne powinny tak samo chronić wszystkich uczestników badań? 3) Kiedy komisje etyczne mogą ingerować w metodologię ocenianego projektu badawczego? Przyjrzenie się tym sporom jest istotne, gdyż może pomóc w lepszym funkcjonowaniu komisji etycznych dla badań społecznych w Polsce. W ostatniej dekadzie ich liczba znacząco wzrosła, jednak nie towarzyszył temu szerszy namysł ani nad ich działaniem, ani nad wątpliwościami związanymi z taką kontrolą.
Analytical Herald in the Sphere of Education and Science : Reference Bulletin. Issue 17, 2023
Authors: Ростока Марина , Коваленко Інна , Годецька Тетяна , Кірієнко Уляна , Гуралюк Андрій , Пономаренко Лариса , Ільїна Тетяна , Мерзлякова Олена
Published: June 2023

The reference bulletin "Analytical Bulletin in the Field of Education and Science" was launched in 2015 as an electronic scientific periodical of the National Institute of Public Policy of Ukraine named after V. O. Sukhomlynskyi is a component of the system of information and analytical support of the sciences of education, pedagogy and psychology. The content of the rubrics of issue 17, prepared for the implementation of the planned tasks of the scientific research "Information and analytical support of digital education and pedagogy; domestic and foreign experience" (2023-2025) has an innovative format: "Science and education: digital trends", "Pedagogy: digital guidelines", "Psychology of the digital space: realities of the war period" contributes to the user's prompt receipt of logically structured scientific information on the issues of modern scientific research on issues of national education, pedagogy, psychology, in particular, in the form of abstract and analytical reviews, etc.
Finding non-toxic form of selenium
Authors: Poluboyarinov P. A. , Sergeeva-Kondrachenko M. Yu. , Vinogradova O. P. , Denisova A. G. , Vikhrev D. V. , Strukov V. I. , Fedorov A. V.
Published: June 2023

Selenium is a vital trace element, a key agent in the functioning of the human antioxidant system. Maintaining its optimal level in the body prevents the development of a wide range of pathologies and disorders in the functioning of the endocrine, cardiovascular, reproductive, nervous and other systems. Deﬁciency of this microelement is observed in 50% of Russians, reaching 95–100% in some regions. Therefore, the correction of selenium status is an urgent task of public health, in connection with which research is underway on various selenium compounds that differ in efﬁciency, degree of bioavailability and toxicity. The most appropriate human physiology, well-absorbed, effective and safe form of selenium is the amino acid l-selenocystin (selenocysteine in a reduced state). This is what formed the basis of the Parafarm drug SELENBIO for women, which allows compensating for selenium deﬁciency in different categories of the population without the risk of intoxication.
Facilitators and hindrances to farmers’ participation in production of farmer-learning videos in central Uganda: a thematic analysis
Authors: Tamubula Irene B. , Miiro Richard , Sseguya Haroon , Mukebezi Rebecca , Musa Nada S.A.
Published: June 2023

Videos can complement extension services provision by improving dissemination of agricultural information to farmers. However, for videos to be effective, they need to have relevant video content. This study assessed enablers and hindrances to farmers’ participation in FLV production based on a coffee FLV. Identifying enablers and hindrances to participation of farmers in production of an FLV is essential for developing strategies that optimise their participation to produce relevant FLVs aligned to their contexts. A qualitative case study research design was employed. Data were collected through focus group discussions, key informant interviews and in-depth interviews, and analysed through thematic analysis guided by the Activity theory analytical framework. The study established that farmers’ attributes especially their competencies to accomplish assigned tasks in FLV production, and motivations, were salient enablers to their participation. The other enablers were related to how the FLV process was organised, which included availability and adequacy of requisite resources, existence of clear guidelines for production of FLV, utilisation of pre-existing relationships, skilfulness of video experts and field officers, and specificity of roles. The limited interactions among actors, differing expectations, and time constraints were the major hindrances to farmers’ participation in production of the FLV. Hence, video experts should provide opportunities for improving farmers’ competences through training, offering technical support, and providing for rehearsals to build confidence. Mechanisms for improving interactions between and among farmers and video experts to harmonise expectations, promote mutual understanding, and foster knowledge sharing are also needed.
FBXO5 acts as a novel prognostic biomarker for patients with cervical cancer
Authors: Jiang Shan , Zheng Jianfeng , Cui Zhaolei , Li Yanhong , Wu Qiaoling , Cai Xintong , Zheng Chaoqiang , Sun Yang
Published: June 2023

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) remains one of the most common and deadly malignancies in women worldwide. FBXO5, a protein-coding gene, is highly expressed in a variety of primary tumors and promotes tumor progression, however, its role and prognostic value in CC remain largely unknown.

Methods: A key differential gene, FBXO5, was screened according to WGCNA based on immunohistochemical assays of clinical samples, multiple analyses of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases, including survival analysis, tumor mutational burden, GO, KEGG, tumor immune infiltration, and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity, to explore the expression and prognostic value of FBXO5 in CC. The migration and invasiveness of cervical cancer cells following FBXO5 knockdown and overexpression were examined using wound healing and transwell assays, and the viability of cancer cells was assessed using CCK8 and EdU assays.

Results:FBXO5 was discovered to be substantially expressed in CC tissues using data from our CC cohort and the TCGA database, and a survival analysis indicated FBXO5 as a predictive factor for poor overall survival in CC patients. In vitro, CC cells were more inclined to proliferate, migrate, and invade when FBXO5 was upregulated as opposed to when it was knocked down.
Using multiple indicators to predict the risk of surgical site infection after ORIF of tibia fractures: a machine learning based study
Authors: Ying Hui , Guo Bo-Wen , Wu Hai-Jian , Zhu Rong-Ping , Liu Wen-Cai , Zhong Hong-Fa
Published: June 2023

Objective

Surgical site infection (SSI) are a serious complication that can occur after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of tibial fractures, leading to severe consequences. This study aimed to develop a machine learning (ML)-based predictive model to screen high-risk patients of SSI following ORIF of tibial fractures, thereby aiding in personalized prevention and treatment.

Methods

Patients who underwent ORIF of tibial fractures between January 2018 and October 2022 at the Department of Emergency Trauma Surgery at Ganzhou People’s Hospital were retrospectively included. The demographic characteristics, surgery-related variables and laboratory indicators of patients were collected in the inpatient electronic medical records. Ten different machine learning algorithms were employed to develop the prediction model, and the performance of the models was evaluated to select the best predictive model. Ten-fold cross validation for the training set and ROC curves for the test set were used to evaluate model performance. The decision curve and calibration curve analysis were used to verify the clinical value of the model, and the relative importance of features in the model was analyzed.

Results

A total of 351 patients who underwent ORIF of tibia fractures were included in this study, among whom 51 (14.53%) had SSI and 300 (85.47%) did not. Of the patients with SSI, 15 cases were of deep infection, and 36 cases were of superficial infection. Given the initial parameters, the ET, LR and RF are the top three algorithms with excellent performance. Ten-fold cross-validation on the training set and ROC curves on the test set revealed that the ET model had the best performance, with AUC values of 0.853 and 0.866, respectively. The decision curve analysis and calibration curves also showed that the ET model had the best clinical utility. Finally, the performance of the ET model was further tested, and the relative importance of features in the model was analyzed.

Conclusion

In this study, we constructed a multivariate prediction model for SSI after ORIF of tibial fracture through ML, and the strength of this study was the use of multiple indicators to establish an infection prediction model, which can better reflect the real situation of patients, and the model show great clinical prediction performance.
Exploring PANoptosis in breast cancer based on scRNA-seq and bulk-seq
Authors: He Puxing , Ma Yixuan , Wu Yaolu , Zhou Qing , Du Huan
Published: June 2023

Background

PANoptosis, a cell death pathway involving pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis, is pivotal in the development of malignancy. However, in the field of breast cancer, the interaction between PANoptosis and tumor cells has not been thoroughly explored.

Methods

We downloaded breast cancer data and GSE176078 single-cell sequencing dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases to obtain PANoptosis-associated genes. To construct prognostic models, COX and LASSO regression was used to identify PANoptosis-associated genes with prognostic value. Finally, immune infiltration analysis and differential analysis of biological functions were performed.

Results

Risk grouping was performed according to the prognostic model constructed by COX regression and LASSO regression. The low-risk group showed a better prognosis (P < 0.05) and possessed higher levels of immune infiltration and expression of immune checkpoint-related genes. In addition, the lower the risk score, the higher the degree of microsatellite instability (MSI). Meanwhile, radixin (RDX), the gene with the highest hazard ratio (HR) value among PANoptosis prognosis-related genes, was explicitly expressed in artery Iendothelial cells (ECs) and was widely involved in signaling pathways such as immune response and cell proliferation, possessing rich biological functions.

Conclusion

We demonstrated the potential of PANoptosis-based molecular clustering and prognostic features in predicting the survival of breast cancer patients. Furthermore, this study has led to a deeper understanding of the role of PANoptosis in breast cancer and has the potential to provide new directions for immunotherapy of breast cancer.
Effects of meiotic stage-specific oocyte vitrification on mouse oocyte quality and developmental competence
Authors: Deng Dongmei , Xie Juan , Tian Yin , Zhu Ling , Liu Xuemei , Liu Junxia , Huang Guoning , Li Jingyu
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Acquisition of germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes for fertility preservation (FP) offers several benefits over in vivo matured oocyte cryopreservation following ovarian stimulation, particularly for cancer patients necessitating immediate treatment. Two FP approaches for GV oocytes are available: vitrification before in vitro maturation (IVM) at the GV stage (GV-VI) or post-IVM at the metaphase II (MII) stage (MII-VI). The optimal method remains to be determined.

Methods

In this study, mouse oocytes were collected without hormonal stimulation and vitrified either at the GV stage or the MII stage following IVM; non-vitrified in vitro matured MII oocytes served as the control (CON). The oocyte quality and developmental competence were assessed to obtain a better method for immediate FP.

Results

No significant differences in IVM and survival rates were observed among the three groups. Nevertheless, GV-VI oocytes exhibited inferior quality, including abnormal spindle arrangement, mitochondrial dysfunction, and early apoptosis, compared to MII-VI and CON oocytes. Oocyte vitrification at the GV stage impacted maternal mRNA degradation during IVM. In addition, the GV-VI group demonstrated significantly lower embryonic developmental competence relative to the MII-VI group. RNA sequencing of 2-cell stage embryos revealed abnormal minor zygotic genome activation in the GV-VI group.

Conclusion

Vitrification at the GV stage compromised oocyte quality and reduced developmental competence. Consequently, compared to the GV stage, oocyte vitrification at the MII stage after IVM is more suitable for patients who require immediate FP.
Flexible and optimized operation of integrated energy systems based on exergy analysis and pipeline dynamic characteristics
Authors: Li Xiaolu , Wu Tong , Lin Shunfu
Published: June 2023

Given the energy crisis and severe environmental pollution, it is crucial to improve the energy utilization efficiency of integrated energy systems (IESs). Most existing studies on the optimal operation of IESs are based on the first law of thermodynamics without considering energy quality and direction attributes. The obtained strategies generally fail to accurately reflect the difference in energy quality. Based on the second law of thermodynamics, we first analyzed the energy quality coefficients of energy in different forms and expressed the exergy flow as the product of energy quality coefficients and energy flow. An exergy analysis model of the electric–gas–thermal integrated energy system was also established based on the energy network theory. Second, modeling and analyzing the dynamic characteristics of gas–thermal networks and the corresponding energy storage capacities were explored. Considering the dynamic characteristics of the gas–thermal pipeline network, the useful energy stored in the pipelines was analyzed based on the energy quality coefficients of natural gas and the thermal energy system, and the flexibility capacity of each subsystem was also analyzed in combination with the operation of units. A simulation analysis was then conducted on the electric–gas–thermal IES 39-20-6 system. The results demonstrated that from an energy perspective, the loss in the coupling equipment only accounts for 29.05% of the total energy losses, while from an exergy perspective, its proportion is as high as 46.47%. Besides, under the exergy analysis, when the dynamic characteristics of the gas–thermal pipeline network are taken into account, the wind curtailment rates of the system decrease from 11.22% to 8.27%.
Parallel filtering scheme for fast symmetrical component extraction based on asynchronous coordinate transformation
Authors: Hao Tianqu , Han Shunxing , Yan Guoan
Published: June 2023

The common shortage of the existing methods for extracting symmetrical components from unbalanced and distorted three-phase voltages is that they introduce significant time delay before reaching an accurate result. Therefore, this paper presents a new filtering method to fast extract the positive sequence component based on asynchronous coordinate transformation. Unlike the conventional methods that filter out the harmonics in sequence, resulting in cascading delay, the proposed method has two signal streams operating in parallel, which in particular refer to the negative sequence component extraction and harmonic filtering, respectively, and then the positive sequence component can be easily derived by skillfully combining the results of two signal streams. In theory, the proposed method only suffers the largest delay introduced by these two streams. By carefully designing the asynchronous coordinate transformation, the delay can be restricted, thus improving the overall performance. Simulation and experimental results verified the performance of the proposed method.
A comparative profile of urinary scent signals of two endangered Japanese populations of leopard cat
Authors: Ichizawa Shota , Uenoyama Reiko , Nakanishi Nozomi , Endo Yasuyuki , Suka Ayaka , Izawa Masako , Miyazaki Masao
Published: June 2023

Two subspecies of mainland leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), Iriomote cats (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis), and Tsushima leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus), are small, endangered felids that are endemic to the Japanese islands, Iriomote-jima and Tsushima, respectively. Both subspecies have an estimated population size of only about 100 individuals each. Therefore, it is crucial to expand our understanding of these subspecies to successfully conserve them. While their morphology, anatomy, ecology, pathology, and genetics are well studied, little is known about their physiology regulated in subspecies-specific manners. This study characterized their urinary volatile and nonvolatile organic compounds, with which individuals express their physiological status and territorial ownership. We found significantly higher levels of 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol and its structural analogs, which are scent signals of domestic cats, in the urinary headspace of Iriomote cats than in that of Tsushima leopard cats. There were no differences in the urinary levels of felinine, an amino acid that acts as a precursor of 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol, suggesting the variation of catalytic activities for decomposing felinine to 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol between subspecies. Both subspecies exhibited physiological proteinuria due to the secretion of carboxylesterase 5A, also known as cauxin, for the production of felinine. In conclusion, while the two endangered Japanese subspecies of mainland leopard cats share similar genetic backgrounds, urinary contents of metabolites vary between the subspecies. We suggest that after the separation into two subspecies, the regulation of the metabolic pathway for 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol production likely evolved differently in each subspecies in response to their specific environments.
Immunoregulatory effects of Huaier (Trametes robiniophila Murr) and relevant clinical applications
Authors: Long Hongrong , Wu Zhongcai
Published: June 2023

Huaier (Trametes robiniophila Murr) is a medicinal fungus of traditional Chinese medicine with more than 1000 years of history of clinical application. Its remarkable anticancer activities has led to its application in treating diverse malignancies. In recent years, the immunomodulatory effects of Huaier have been uncovered and proved to be beneficial in a plethora of immune-related diseases including cancer, nephropathy, asthma, etc. In this review, we comprehensively summarized the active components of Huaier, its regulatory activities on multifaceted aspects of the immune system, its application in various clinical settings as well as toxicologic evidence. Based on currently available literature, Huaier possesses broad-spectrum regulatory activities on various components of the innate and adaptive immune system, including macrophages, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, T and B lymphocytes, etc. Versatile immunologic reactions are under the regulation of Huaier from expression of damage-associated molecular patterns, immune cell activation and maturation to cell proliferation, differentiation, antibody production, expression of cytokines and chemokines and terminal intracellular signal transduction. Moreover, some modulatory activities of Huaier might be context-dependent, typically promoting the restoration toward normal physiological status. With excellent efficacy and minimal side effects, we foresee more extensive application of Huaier for treating immune-related disorders.
Interleukin-6 and pulmonary hypertension: from physiopathology to therapy
Authors: Xu Wei-Jie , Wu Qiong , He Wen-Ni , Wang Shang , Zhao Ya-Lin , Huang Jun-Xia , Yan Xue-Shen , Jiang Rong
Published: June 2023

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive, pulmonary vascular disease with high morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, the pathogenesis of PH is complex and remains unclear. Existing studies have suggested that inflammatory factors are key factors in PH. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that plays a crucial role in the regulation of the immune system. Current studies reveal that IL-6 is elevated in the serum of patients with PH and it is negatively correlated with lung function in those patients. Since IL-6 is one of the most important mediators in the pathogenesis of inflammation in PH, signaling mechanisms targeting IL-6 may become therapeutic targets for this disease. In this review, we detailed the potential role of IL-6 in accelerating PH process and the specific mechanisms and signaling pathways. We also summarized the current drugs targeting these inflammatory pathways to treat PH. We hope that this study will provide a more theoretical basis for targeted treatment in patients with PH in the future.
Humoral and cellular responses to repeated COVID-19 exposure in multiple sclerosis patients receiving B-cell depleting therapies: a single-center, one-year, prospective study
Authors: Alfonso-Dunn Roberto , Lin Jerry , Lei Joyce , Liu Jiayuan , Roche Morgan , De Oliveira Antonia , Raisingani Amol , Kumar Anjali , Kirschner Vanessa , Feuer Grant , Malin Michaela , Sadiq Saud A.
Published: June 2023

Multiple sclerosis patients treated with anti-CD20 therapy (aCD20-MS) are considered especially vulnerable to complications from SARS-CoV-2 infection due to severe B-cell depletion with limited viral antigen-specific immunoglobulin production. Therefore, multiple vaccine doses as part of the primary vaccination series and booster updates have been recommended for this group of immunocompromised individuals. Even though much less studied than antibody-mediated humoral responses, T-cell responses play an important role against CoV-2 infection and are induced efficiently in vaccinated aCD20-MS patients. For individuals with such decoupled adaptive immunity, an understanding of the contribution of T-cell mediated immunity is essential to better assess protection against CoV-2 infection. Here, we present results from a prospective, single-center study for the assessment of humoral and cellular immune responses induced in aCD20-MS patients (203 donors/350 samples) compared to a healthy control group (43/146) after initial exposure to CoV-2 spike antigen and subsequent re-challenges. Low rates of seroconversion and RBD-hACE2 blocking activity were observed in aCD20-MS patients, even after multiple exposures (responders after 1st exposure = 17.5%; 2nd exposure = 29.3%). Regarding cellular immunity, an increase in the number of spike-specific monofunctional IFNγ+-, IL-2+-, and polyfunctional IFNγ+/IL-2+-secreting T-cells after 2nd exposure was found most noticeably in healthy controls. Nevertheless, a persistently higher T-cell response was detected in aCD20-MS patients compared to control individuals before and after re-exposure (mean fold increase in spike-specific IFNγ+-, IL-2+-, and IFNγ+/IL-2+-T cells before re-exposure = 3.9X, 3.6X, 3.5X/P< 0.001; after = 3.2X, 1.4X, 2.2X/P = 0.002, P = 0.05, P = 0.004). Moreover, cellular responses against sublineage BA.2 of the currently circulating omicron variant were maintained, to a similar degree, in both groups (15-30% T-cell response drop compared to ancestral). Overall, these results highlight the potential for a severely impaired humoral response in aCD20-MS patients even after multiple exposures, while still generating a strong T-cell response. Evaluating both humoral and cellular responses in vaccinated or infected MS patients on B-cell depletion therapy is essential to better assess individual correlations of immune protection and has implications for the design of future vaccines and healthcare strategies.
Improved predictive modelling of coralligenous formations in the Greek Seas incorporating large-scale, presence–absence, hydroacoustic data and oceanographic variables
Authors: Fakiris Elias , Dimas Xenophon , Giannakopoulos Vasileios , Geraga Maria , Koutsikopoulos Constantin , Ferentinos George , Papatheodorou George
Published: June 2023

Our understanding of the distribution of coralligenous formations, throughout but mostly on the Eastern Mediterranean seafloor, is still poor and mostly relies on presence-only opportunistic trawling and fishermen reports. Previous efforts to gather this information created relevant geodatabases that led to a first draft predictive spatial distribution of coralligenous formations in the Mediterranean Sea using habitat suitability modelling techniques. In the last few decades, the use of hydroacoustics to map the seafloor for various geotechnical and habitat mapping projects accumulated high amounts of detailed spatial information about these formations, which remains majorly unexploited. Repurposing these datasets towards mapping key habitats is a valuable stepping stone to implementing the EU Habitat Directive. In Greece, a unique volume of seafloor mapping data has been gathered by the Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography, Geology Department, University of Patras. It accounts for more than 33 marine geophysical expeditions during the last three decades, having collected hydroacoustic data for a total seafloor area of 3,197.68 km2. In the present work, this information has been curated, re-evaluated, and archived to create the most complete, until now, atlas of coralligenous formations in the Greek Seas and the only integrating presence–absence data. This atlas has been used to train and validate a predictive distribution model, incorporating environmental variables derived from open data repositories, whose importance has been assessed and discussed. The final output is an improved probability map of coralligenous formation occurrence in the Greek Seas, which shall be the basis for effective spatial planning, gap detection, and design of future mapping and monitoring activities on this priority habitat.
Food anticipatory behaviour on European seabass in sea cages: activity-, positioning-, and density-based approaches
Authors: Chen I-Hao , Georgopoulou Dimitra G. , Ebbesson Lars O. E. , Voskakis Dimitris , Lal Pradeep , Papandroulakis Nikos
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Farmed fish like European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) anticipate meals if these are provided at one or multiple fixed times during the day. The increase in locomotor activity is typically known as food anticipatory activity (FAA) and can be observed several hours prior to feeding. Measuring FAA is often done by demand feeders or external sensors such as cameras or light curtains. However, purely locomotor-activity-based FAA may provide an incomplete view of feeding and prefeeding behaviour.

Methods

Here, we show that FAA can be measured through passive acoustic telemetry utilising three different approaches and suggest that adding more means to food anticipation detection is beneficial. We compared the diving behaviour, acceleration activity, and temperature of 22 tagged individuals over the period of 12 days and observed FAA through locomotor activity, depth position, and density-based unsupervised clustering (i.e., DBSCAN).

Results

Our results demonstrate that the position- and density-based methods also provide expressions of anticipatory behaviour that can be interchangeable with locomotor-driven FAA or precede it.

Discussion

We, therefore, support a unified framework for food anticipation: FAA should only describe locomotor-driven FAA. Food anticipatory positioning (FAP) should be a term for position-based (P-FAP) and density-based (D-FAP) methods for food anticipation. Lastly, FAP, together with the newly defined FAA, should become part of an umbrella term that is already in use: food anticipatory behaviour (FAB). Our work provides data-driven approaches to each FAB category and compares them with each other. Furthermore, accurate FAB windows through FAA and FAP can help increase fish welfare in the aquaculture industry, and the more approaches available, the more flexible and more robust the usage of FAB for a holistic view can be achieved.
The role of grazers in early-life stages of Cystoseira sensu lato can be crucial in the restoration of marine forests
Authors: Monserrat Margalida , Verdura Jana , Comeau Steeve , Cottalorda Jean-Michel , Priouzeau Fabrice , Romero Gilbers , Mangialajo Luisa
Published: June 2023

Grazing is one of the most important biological factors controlling the abundance of early-life stages of fucoids and one of the major issues when restoring marine forests. Benthic macroinvertebrates (e.g., sea urchins) and fish shape and regulate benthic macroalgal communities from polar to tropical regions and can be responsible for regime shifts leading to the predominance of turfs and/or barren grounds. However, other herbivores (i.e., mesograzers) could also significantly participate in the grazing, especially on early-life stages, hampering the persistence and capacity of Cystoseira sensu lato populations to recover after major disturbances and being a cause of failure of restoration actions. We performed experiments in the field and in mesocosm in order to investigate the herbivory pressure and the effects of different grazers on recruits of Cystoseira compressa. The results highlight that non-strict herbivorous invertebrates, such as Clibanarius erythropus, Cerithium vulgatum, and Idotea balthica, graze on recruits of Cystoseira s.l. spp., with I. balthica showing the highest consumption rate. We concluded that biotic factors such as herbivory, which affect key life stages, can be crucial for the conservation of Cystoseira s.l. forests and need to be better understood and considered on a case-by-case basis when planning restoration actions.
High-sensitivity cardiac SPECT system design with collimator-less interspaced mosaic-patterned scintillators
Authors: Wang Rui , Zhang Debin , Hu Yifan , Lyu Zhenlei , Ma Tianyu
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is an important tool for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Mechanical collimators cause the resolution-sensitivity trade-off in the existing cardiac SPECT systems, which hinders fast cardiac scan capability. In this work, we propose a novel collimator-less cardiac SPECT system with interspaced mosaic-patterned scintillators, aiming to significantly improve sensitivity and reduce scan time without trading-off image resolution.

Methods

We propose to assemble a collimator-less cardiac SPECT with 7 mosaic-patterned detector modules forming a half-ring geometry. The detector module consists of 10 blocks, each of which is assembled with 768 sparsely distributed scintillators with a size of 1.68 mm × 1.68 mm × 20 mm, forming a mosaic pattern in the trans-axial direction. Each scintillator bar contains 5 GAGG(Ce) scintillators and 5 optical-guide elements, forming a mosaic pattern in the axial direction. In the Monte Carlo simulations, the in-plane resolution and axial resolution are evaluated using a hot-rod phantom and 5 disk phantoms, respectively. We simulate a cardiac phantom that is placed in a water-filled cylinder and evaluate the image performance with different data acquisition time. We perform image reconstruction with the expectation–maximization algorithm using system matrices derived from the simulation of a uniform cylindrical source filling the field-of-view (FOV). Besides, a 2-D prototype system is designed to demonstrate the feasibility of the collimator-less imaging concept.

Results

In the simulation system, the sensitivity is 16.31% ± 8.85% in a 180 mm (Φ) × 100  mm (L) FOV. The 6-mm rods in the hot rod phantom and the 5-mm disks in the disk phantom are clearly separable. Satisfactory MPI image quality is achieved in the cardiac phantom study with an acquisition time of 30 s. In prototype experiments, the point sources with an 8 mm center-to-center distance are clearly separable at different positions across the FOV.

Conclusion

The study reveals a promising approach to high-sensitivity SPECT imaging without a heavy-metal collimator. In cardiac imaging, this approach opens the way to a very fast cardiac scan with good resolution. Further works are ongoing to build a practical 3-D imaging system based on the existing design.
The risk factors and impact of subchorionic hematoma in the first trimester in IVF twin pregnancies: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Mei Youwen , Lin Yonghong , Guo Xiaoli , Zhang Yangping , Wang Fang
Published: June 2023

Objective

This study aimed to identify the risk factors for subchorionic hematoma (SCH) in the first trimester of in vitro fertilization (IVF) twin pregnancies and investigate the impact of SCH on pregnancy outcomes.

Study design

A prospective cohort study was conducted at Chengdu Women and Children's Central Hospital. The study recruited patients who were identified with twin pregnancies in the first trimester, undergoing IVF treatment from January 2020 to May 2021. The demographic characteristics and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the SCH and the non-SCH groups. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for SCH and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Results

In the first trimester, 38% of patients developed SCH. The independent risk factors for SCH included male factor, hydrosalpinx, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), previous miscarriage, and adenomyosis. With respect to the pregnancy outcomes, only the rate of twin pregnancy loss before 20 gestational weeks was significantly higher in the SCH group than in the non-SCH group. After adjusting for the confounding factors, the presence of SCH diminished the ovarian reserve, and previous miscarriage was independently related to twin pregnancy loss before 20 gestational weeks.

Conclusion

This may be the first study to evaluate the risk factors of SCH in twin pregnancies who underwent IVF-ET/FET treatment, which may provide some theoretical basis for clinical practice in the future. Furthermore, it was found that the occurrence of SCH was associated with the loss of both pregnancies before 20 gestational weeks. Therefore, these patients should be offered increased surveillance and timely treatment.