bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel imprinted locus on bovine chromosome 18 homologous with human Chromosome 16q24.1
Authors: Huo Hao-Nan , Zhang Cui , Wang Kun , Chen Wei-Na , Zhang Yin-Jiao , Yu Wen-Li , Li Shu-Jing , Li Shi-Jie
Published: August 2023

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic regulation mechanism in mammals resulting in the parentally dependent monoallelic expression of genes. Imprinting disorders in humans are associated with several congenital syndromes and cancers and remain the focus of many medical studies. Imprinted genes usually cluster on chromosomes and are regulated by different methylation regions (DMRs) located in imprinting control regions (ICRs) that control gene expression in cis. There is an imprinted locus on human chromosome 16q24.1 associated with congenital lethal developmental lung disease in newborns. Cattle is a better model organism for investigating human embryo development than mice. However, genomic imprinting on bovine chromosome 18, which is homologous with human chromosome 16 has not been systematically studied. In this study, we analyzed the allelic expressions of eight genes (CDH13, ATP2C2, TLDC1, COTL1, CRISPLD2, ZDHHC7,KIAA0513, and GSE1) on bovine chromosome 18. Three transcript variants of the ZDHHC7gene (X1, X2, and X5) showed maternal imprinting in bovine placentas. In addition, the monoallelic expression of X2 and X5 was tissue-specific. Five transcripts of the KIAA0513 gene showed tissue- and isoform-specific monoallelic expression. The CDH13, ATP2C2, and TLDC1 genes exhibited tissue-specific imprinting, however, COTL1, CRISLPLD2,and GSE1 escaped imprinting. Four DMRs, established after fertilization, were found in this region. Two DMRs were located between the ZDHHC7 and KIAA0513genes, and two were in exon 1 of the CDH13 and ATP2C2 genes, respectively. The results from this study support future studies on the physiological roles of candidate genes on bovine chromosome 18.
Comparative Omics Analysis for Novel Target Discovery in Plant Pathogens: A Case Study for Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Luthfi Muhammad , Piapukiew Jittra , Pandey R. B. , Sompornpisut Pornthep
Published: August 2023

The central concern surrounding chemical pesticide application is its potential adverse effects on non-target organisms. For fungal pathogens, the search for specific targets has been complicated by the similarities in pathways shared between these pathogens and humans. We present a comprehensive strategy, integrating comparative omics and bioinformatics, to pinpoint precise targets for fungicides effective against the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae(M. oryzae), responsible for rice blast disease. Our approach involves subtractive metabolic pathways, homology screening and target prioritization. Through subtractive metabolic analysis, we identified three unique M. oryzaepathways, distinct from human and rice. Non-redundant protein sequences were subsequently subjected to BLASTP screening against human and rice, as well as other databases from diverse organisms. Target subcellular localization was predicted using eight tools, including Artificial Intelligence and a deep learning method. A comprehensive examination of biological processes was conducted, including gene expression, protein-protein interactions, network enrichment, broad-spectrum activity, and physicochemical analysis. Glutamate 5-kinase (G5K) emerged as the prime candidate for targeted fungicide development, promising progress in precision-oriented solutions.
Culture, Preferences, and the Gender Gap in Financial Literacy
Authors: Davoli Maddalena , Rodríguez-Planas Núria
Published: August 2023

Using country of ancestry to merge a nationally representative US sample of 9,623 adults from 26 countries of ancestries with two datasets collecting women’s and men’s financial knowledge and preferences, we investigate both the role of culture and that of cultural preferences in explaining women’s higher financial illiteracy relative to that of men. We find that the higher the degree of gender convergence in financial knowledge in the country of ancestry, the higher the financial knowledge of women in the US relative to their male counterparts. After ruling out gender differences in cognitive and non-cognitive skills as potential mechanisms, we find that higher patience and lower altruism in the country of ancestry are associated with greater financial knowledge for men but not for women in the US. Once we remove any country-of-ancestry gender variation from these preferences, gender convergence in financial knowledge in the country of ancestry continues to be associated with women’s (relative and absolute) greater financial literacy in the US, underscoring that gender differences in financial literacy are socially constructed. This relative and absolute female improvement is particularly robust for knowledge related to inflation and risk-diversification.
JEL Codes: D14, E2, I22, Z10
Diffusion MRI Anomaly Detection in Glioma Patients
Authors: Weninger Leon , Ecke Jarek , Jütten Kerstin , Clusmann Hans , Wiesmann Martin , Merhof Dorit , Na Chuh-Hyoun
Published: August 2023

Diffusion-MRI measures molecular diffusion, which allows to characterize microstructural properties of the human brain. Gliomas strongly alter these microstructural properties. Delineation of brain tumors currently mainly rely on conventional MRI-techniques, which are known to underestimate tumor volumes in diffusely infiltrating glioma. We hypothesized that diffusion-MRI is well suited for tumor delineation and developed two different deep learning approaches. The first diffusion anomaly detection architecture is a denoising autoencoder, the second consists of a reconstruction and a discrimination network. Each model was exclusively trained on non-annotated diffusion-MRI of healthy subjects and then applied on glioma patients´ data. To validate these models, a state-of-the-art supervised tumor segmentation network was modified to generate groundtruth tumor volumes based on structural-MRI. Compared to groundtruth segmentations, a dice score of 0.67 ± 0.2 was obtained. Further inspecting mismatches between diffusion-anomalous regions and groundtruth segmentations revealed, that these colocalized with lesions delineated only later on in structural-MRI follow-up scans, but which were not visible at the time of recording. Anomaly- detection methods are suitable for tumor delineation in diffusion-MRI acquisitions and may further enhance brain imaging analysis by detection of occult tumor infiltration in glioma patients, which could improve prognostication of disease evolution and tumor treatment strategies.
Why Digital Literacy Widens the Income Gap wi thin Chinese Farming Households
Authors: 张 永奇
Published: August 2023

Whether or not we can narrow the urban-rural "digital literacy gap" and improve the digital literacy and skills of China's rural households so that digital technology can truly empower people, is crucial to improving the well-being of the population. Using data from the China Family Tracking Survey (CFPS), the article explores the construction of digital literacy indicators and identifies the key issues for improving the income of rural households through digital literacy, starting with the depth of information application. The findings show that improved digital literacy has a significant positive effect on increasing farm household income, and the study's conclusions remain valid after utilizing instrumental variables as well as multiple methodological tests. The quantile model shows that the income-enhancing performance of digital literacy is uneven across regions and significantly widens the income gap within farm households. The income-generating benefits of digital literacy have a "threshold effect" within farming households, with low-income farmers mainly obtaining wages and business income through "entertainment apps" and high-income farmers accomplishing wealth accumulation through "serious apps". High-income farmers use "serious applications" to complete wealth accumulation. Mechanism analysis shows that digital literacy can reduce the cost of acquiring knowledge and effective information, improve the better management of individual resources, and realize income expansion. Heterogeneity analysis finds that digital literacy has a more pronounced income-enhancing effect on middle-aged and older farmers and those with low levels of education. Focusing on low-income households with multiple vulnerabilities, the use of household "digital feedback" can further reduce the income gap within the household. This study helps to examine the economic effects of digital literacy on farm household income under the "winner-takes-all" market structure and provides evidence to support the use of digital literacy as a tool to promote the digital village and commonwealth in China.
The relationship between the metabolic enzyme hexokinase 2 and cancer immunity: a pan-cancer analysis
Authors: Li LunXu , Tang yichun , Gao Xu
Published: August 2023

Background: Hexokinase 2 (HK2) takes on critical significance in glycolysis as the primary rate-limiting enzyme, which can carefully control the phosphorylation of glucose. The non-metabolic functions exhibited by HK2 have been extensively reported as immunometabolism research has been leaping forward. Nevertheless, the non-canonical functions exhibited by HK2 on cancer immunity have been rarely investigated.
Methods: HK2 expression was investigated in nine cancer types with the datasets originating from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Subsequently, survival analysis (e.g., progression free interval (PFI), disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS)) was performed in different tumor diseases. Moreover, we determined the relationship coefficient of clinicopathologic features and HK2 expression. Besides, the relationship coefficient of clinicopathologic features and HK2 expression was calculated. Lastly, the relationships of microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutation burden (TMB), prognosis, and HK2 expression were determined.
Results: HK2 demonstrated profound and pervasive overexpression across most tumour diseases.
Conclusions: This study revealed that HK2 may contribute to shaping the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and facilitate the progression of tumor in LGG and GBM by affecting the anti-tumor functions of immune cells.
“My English seems not enough”: Moving from language deficit views to Kazakhstani CLIL teachers' funds of knowledge
Authors: Bedeker Michelle , Kerimkulova Sulushash
Published: August 2023

In Kazakhstan, the rich diversity of local knowledge seems to be ignored by policymakers who favor discourses of globalization and internationalization that disempower local expertise in favor of dominant forms of Eurocentric thinking. Such discourses can lead to the marginalization of teachers' philosophical assumptions, beliefs, and values that underlie their teaching practices. This article argues for the inclusion of teachers' Funds of Knowledge (FoK) and practice-based insights to foreground their responsive and lived pedagogies despite their limited English proficiency. We used a qualitative approach that included teachers’ reflections on multimodal teaching scenarios (comics) to elicit their values and beliefs about science pedagogy. The second instrument was teachers’ narrative descriptions of how they use language in their science classrooms, collected and observed during a 45-hour professional development program. The third instrument was focus group interviews to identify the practical, theoretical, and value-laden pedagogical choices of Kazakhstani biology teachers. We conclude that a FoK framework diverted our gaze from measuring teachers against a Western-oriented standard and allowed us to foreground teachers' professional identities and practice-based EMI pedagogies as locally and contextually relevant.
Hemoglobin specific volume width promotes the prevalence and poor long-term prognosis of American adult hypertensive patients: the NHANES 1999-2020
Authors: Zhang Lin , Liu Yue , Wang Kaiyue , Du Zhenfang , Qiang Sheng , Huang Min
Published: August 2023

Background: Hypertensive patients are always accompanied by erythrocyte dysfunction. However, current erythrocyte-related indicators can’t explain hypertension's prevalence and long-term prognosis. Therefore, hemoglobin specific volume width (HSW) was first created to explain this phenomenon.
Methods: 59,867 adult participants from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NMAHES) were included. HSW’s quartiles were determined with Q1 [1.88,3.64] cL/g, Q2 (3.64,3.84] cL/g , Q3 (3.84,4.11] cL/g, and Q4 (4.11,11.74] cL/g. 21,006 hypertensive patients had a whole following time 97 (51, 151) months, 15,519 hypertensive patients were alive, and 5,487 were dead. The relationship between HSW and hypertension was analyzed.
Results: Among Controls n=35,677 and Hypertensive patients n=24,190, the percentages of hypertension in quartiles of HSW (Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4) were 28.59%, 33.35%, 39.37%, and 47.74%. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) in HSW was still significant, 1.23 (95% CI 1.11,1.36). Among dead (n=5,487) and alive hypertensive patients (n=15,519), the percentages of hypertensive mortality in quartiles of HSW were 17.66%, 20.46%, 20.78%, and 25.02%. The adjusted HSW hazard ratio (HR) was 1.91(95%CI 1.69,2.16). Processing Q1 as reference, the HR for Q4 was 2.35 (95% CI 2.06, 2.69). Males had a higher risk (HR: 1.53 95% CI 1.24,1.89) of poor prognosis than females (HR: 1.48 95% CI 1.17,1.87). Individuals <=60 years old (HR: 2.25 95% CI 1.78,2.85) had a higher risk of poor prognosis than those >60. Hypertensive patients with HSW > 3.89 cL/ghad a poor prognosis than HSW <= 3.89 cL/g.
Conclusions: HSW is an innovative independent risk factor for hypertensive prevalence and long-term prognosis.
Dynamically tunable circular dichroism and optical activity of bi-layer four-fold graphene chiral metasurfaces
Authors: Liu Guilin , Zhou Jiaxin , Wang Yueke , Sang Tian , Xi Binbin
Published: August 2023

In this manuscript, we propose a bi-layer fourfold J-shaped graphene-based chiral metasurface structure to achieve tunable circular dichroism and optical activity without oblique incidence in the mid-infrared region. For our four-fold graphene structure, there is a giant circular dichroism of 16.13% at the resonance wavelength. And the pure rotations of polarization azimuth of 10.7° and − 15.18° respect to incident waves can be obtained at the wavelength of 21.05 and 21.4 µm, respectively. The physical mechanism of chiral nature is attributed to the induced surface current with parallel and antiparallel distributions, which can form magnetic and electric dipoles along specific directions. Besides, the circular dichroism and optical activity can be tuned by changing the Fermi energy and be affected by intrinsic relaxation time. All simulations are conducted by the finite element method. We believe our research on bi-layer four-fold graphene chiral metasurfaces will deepen the understanding of the interaction between light and matter and can be applied to design innovative polarization converters, polarization analysers and polarization-controlled devices.
Multi-Faceted Anti-Obesity Effects of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) Receptor Modulators: Central-Peripheral Crosstalk
Authors: Shiromwar Shruti Subhash , Chidrawar Vijay R. , Singh Sudarshan , Chitme Havagiray R. , Maheshwari Rahul , Sultana Shabnam
Published: August 2023

Purpose
Hypothalamus is central to food intake and satiety. Recent data revealed that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) are expressed on the hypothalamic neurons and have interactions with GABAA and serotoninergic neuronal circuits, however exact mechanism in energy homeostasis is not known. The present study aimed to investigate the role of NMDAR modulators on food intake and body fat regulation against progesterone-induced obesity in female Swiss albino mice.
Methods
Obesity was induced by progesterone administration for 4 weeks and various parameters were recorded like food intake, thermogenesis, lipid profile, organ-to-body weight ratio, white adipose tissue (WAT), adiposity index, and brain serotonin levels. Four NMDAR modulators were selected viz. Dextromethorphan Dxt, minocycline, d-aspartate, and cycloserine. Mice were allocated into 7-groups, groups-1 as vehicle control (arachis oil), group-2 (progesterone + distilled water), and group-3 as positive-control (progesterone + sibutramine), other groups were treated with test drugs + progesterone. Various parameters were recorded like food intake, thermogenesis, serum lipids, insulin, AST and ALT levels, organ: body weight ratio, total body fat, adiposity index, brain serotonin levels, histology of fat tissue, liver, and kidney.
Results
Dxt treated group has shown a significant downturn in body weight (p < 0.05) by a decline in food-intake (p < 0.01), organ: liver ratio (p < 0.001), adiposity index (p < 0.01), and a rise in body temperature and brain serotonin level (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Dxt, demonstrated anti-obesity effects by multiple mechanisms including interaction with hypothalamic GABAA channels, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging effects, improving the brain serotonin levels, and increasing insulin release from the pancreatic β-cells.
Installation and Performance Evaluation of On-grid 640 kWp Capacity Rooftop Solar Power Plant at the University Campus – a case study
Authors: Aggarwal R K
Published: August 2023

Dr. Y S Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni is the 1st university in Asia that is growing rapidly. Electricity consumption is around 2.23 million units annually contributing GHGs responsible for climate change. To reduce electricity consumption, a power developer has installed an on-grid 640 kWp capacity rooftop solar power plant at their own cost on RESCO mode at the university campus. The university has provided rooftop space free of cost for 25 years while the university will purchase electricity @ 1.90/unit. The university campus has 280–290 sunny days annually with solar radiation ranging from 3.56 to 7.53 kWh/m2/d. Solar modules of 20 kW to 80 kW capacities were installed at 13 selected buildings. The university buildings have inclined rooftops which reduced the structural cost. About 823,340 units of solar electricity have been generated until May 2023, thereby saving Rs. 4 million annually and a reduction in CO2 of 658,672 kg. The overall performance ratio of rooftop solar power plants comes out to be 77.95% and the capacity utilization factor of 20.98% and the specific yield of 5.03 kWh/kWp. The RTSVP meets the UN sustainable goals 7 & 13. The system will generate solar power on a sustainable basis for 25 years.
Circularity of islets is a distinct marker for the pathological diagnosis of adult-onset nesidioblastosis in surgical specimens
Authors: Nakagawa Ryota , Minamiguchi Sachiko , Kataoka Tatsuki R. , Fujikura Junji , Masui Toshihiko , Haga Hironori
Published: August 2023

Background
Nesidioblastosis is a rare cause of endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia in adults (adult-onset nesidioblastosis). This disease is characterized by diffuse hyperplasia of pancreatic endocrine cells and diagnosed by a pathological examination. The diagnostic criteria of this disease have been proposed, and we established more quantitative criteria for evaluating islet morphologies.
Methods
We measured the numbers, maximum diameters, total areas, and circularities (representing how closely islets resemble perfect spheres) of islets contained in representative sections of adult-onset nesidioblastosis (n = 4) or control cases (n = 5) using the NIS-Elements software program.
Results
There was no significant difference in the numbers, maximum diameters, and total areas of the islets between the two groups, even after correcting these parameters per unit of area. However, the number of islets with low circularities (< 0.71) per total area of pancreatic parenchyma was significantly larger in the adult-onset nesidioblastosis specimens than in the controls.
Conclusions
Low circularity, which indicates an irregular islet shape, referred to as "irregular shape and occasional enlargement of islets” and “lobulated islet structure" in the previous report, is a useful marker for diagnosing nesidioblastosis.
Liraglutide reduces alcohol consumption, anxiety, memory impairment, and synapse loss in alcohol dependent mice
Authors: Liu Weizhen , Wang Ziliang , Wang Wang , Wang Zhiju , Xing Ying , Hölscher Christian
Published: August 2023

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogues have been commercialized for the management of type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have underscored GLP-1's role as a modulator of alcohol-related behavior. However, the role of the GLP-1 analogue liraglutide on alcohol-withdrawal responses have not been fully elucidated. Additionally, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of liraglutide on alcohol withdrawal remains unknown. This study endeavored to explore the effects of liraglutide on synaptic morphology and transmission in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (HP), and thus affects the emotion and memory ability of alcohol-withdrawal mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to a regimen of 20% alcohol and water for a duration of 6 weeks. This regimen established the two-bottle choice model of alcohol exposure. Learning capabilities, memory proficiency, and anxiety-like behavior were evaluated using the water maze, open field, and elevated plus maze paradigms. Synaptic morphology in the mPFC and HP were assessed via Golgi staining and Western Blot analysis. Our findings indicate that liraglutide can substantially decrease alcohol consumption and preference (p < 0.05) and enhance learning and memory performance (p < 0.01), as well as alleviate anxiety-like behavior (p < 0.01). Alcohol consumption led to a reduction in dendritic spine density in the mPFC and HP, which was restored to normal levels by liraglutide (p < 0.001). Furthermore, liraglutide was found to augment the levels of synaptic transport-related proteins in mice subjected to alcohol withdrawal (p < 0.01). The study findings corroborate that liraglutide has the potential to mitigate alcohol consumption and ameliorate the memory impairments and anxietyinduced by alcohol withdrawal. The therapeutic efficacy of liraglutide might be attributed to its role in counteracting synapse loss in the mPFC and HP regions.
Magnetocaloric Effect in DyFe 3 and GdFe 3
Authors: Elnasr Raghda Abu , Z.Elnegery Eman , H.Aly Samy , Yehia Sherif , Mohammad Fatema.Z
Published: August 2023

Magnetic compounds have attracted attention during several years, especially rare earth intermetallic compounds, for their fundamental physics of magnetism and technological impact e.g. magnetic refrigeration. The calculations of temperature dependence of magnetization, magnetic heat capacity and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) properties have been performed on DyFe3 and GdFe3 compounds. The magnetization dependence on temperature by using mean field theory (MFT), showed that both DyFe3 and GdFe3 are ferrimagnetic compounds. Direct and inverse MCE are present in these compounds. The maximum observed isothermal entropy change are 0.2 and 0.19 J/ mole K at ΔH = 4 T using Maxwell relation and the maximum values of adiabatic change in temperature are 0.95 and 0.8 K at ΔH=4 T for DyFe3 and GdFe3 respectively. The relative cooling power RCP(S) for DyFe3 and GdFe3 are 3.4 and 3.8 J/mol for a field change ΔH = 4T respectively. The relative cooling power is based on the adiabatic temperature change, RCP(T) are 14.7 and 22.4 K2 at ΔH = 4T. The calculations of the critical exponents add more evidence of the suitability of the mean-field theory to handle the systems under study.
Implications of Financial Leverage for Bank Profitability in Ghana
Authors: Alnaa Samuel Erasmus , Matey Juabin
Published: August 2023

There are typically two capital financing models available to companies: debt and equity. Capital sources and cash flow are frequently factors in determining whether to retain control of the company, along with how important it is to the company's major shareholders to relinquish sectoral control. We examine the implications of financial leverage as a financing model for bank profitability vi-a-vis equity capital in the Ghana banking sector. Risk Adjusted Return on Assets (RAROA) and Risk Adjusted Return on Equity RAROE) are the response variables in the established financing model on which three explanatory variables (bank credit risk, liquidity risk, and bank capital sufficiency) are regressed. Analysis of data revealed among others, an inverse bank profitability-credit risk relationship in the case of RAROA, whereas a direct link between credit risk and capital adequacy as regressors, and RAROE as the resultant variable is professed. Debt capital financing has diverse implications for profitability, especially venture-capital funding for startup banks. There is a contractionary effect on plough back accrued income, but without giving up part ownership of the business to creditors as the case were with equity capital. A moderate use of an overlap of equity capital over debt capital is recommended.
Optimal controllers placement with clustering using learning and Markovian process(OCPC)
Authors: J Elumalai , R Subhashini
Published: August 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
LSDX: Point Cloud Segmentation with Local Surface Distribution and X-Net
Authors: Zhou Wei , Jiao Jianbin , Wei Mingan , Nei Wang , Xu Haixia
Published: August 2023

Purpose and Methods: Currently, most network models for point cloud segmentation face challenges such as inadequate capture of continuous structural information on the point cloud surface and low feature recognition rates. This paper first investigates the local surface structure of point clouds and introduces the Local Surface Distribution (LSD) structure for analyzing and learning point clouds. This structure calculates the distribution of local neighborhoods in a per-point manner, enhancing the continuity of structural information within the point cloud. Then we propose X-Net, a model structure based on continuous encoding and decoding. Based on LSD and X-Net, we present the LSDX model framework for point cloud segmentation. Furthermore, we specify two implementations of LSDX, namely LSDX-PN2 and LSDX-PT.
Results and Conclusion: We evaluate our proposed LSDX on several challenging benchmarks, and experimental results demonstrate that LSDX produces more accurate segmentation boundary and significantly reduces isolated points in the prediction results than other methods. In particular, LSDX-PT, which takes Point Transformer as the baseline, outperforms the latest model Geospark and PointMetaBase on ScanNetv2 and S3DIS benchmarks, achieving state-of-the-art performance.
Study on The Mechanism of Cd Absorption in Roots of Suaeda Heteroptera
Authors: Zhang Tianqian , Wang Junli , Wang Yuting , Fan Xiaoru , Liu Yuan , He Jie
Published: August 2023

In this paper, Suaeda heteroptera Kitag., a dominant plant in the wetland of northern China, was studied. The hydroponic experiment was carried out, the content of Cd in the roots of S. heteroptera after adding ion channel inhibitors and metabolic inhibitors, and the subcellular distribution and chemical morphology of Cd in S. heteroptera were determined. The results showed that the absorption of heavy metal Cd by roots of S. heteroptera was closely related to calcium and potassium channels. Compared with potassium channels, the absorption of heavy metal Cd by roots of S. heteroptera mainly went through calcium ion channels, and the type of ion channels in which heavy metals enter plants was closely related to the kinds of heavy metals and plant species. A P-type ATPase is capable of transporting Cd in the S. heteroptera root system, and the absorption of heavy metal Cd by the S. heteroptera root is closely related to the P-type ATPase. That is, the S.heteroptera root has an active absorption effect on the absorption of heavy metal Cd. Under hydroponic conditions, the subcellular distribution of heavy metal Cd in the S. heteroptera root system was mainly composed of cell walls and soluble components. The chemical forms of heavy metal Cd in the S. heteroptera root system were mainly extracted by sodium chloride and acetic acid.
Theoretical Investigation of Physical Properties of Eu and Er co-doped AlGaN Alloy
Authors: Belhachi S. , Celestine L. , Laref Amel , Rai D. P.
Published: August 2023

This study examines the electronic, magnetic, and structural characteristics of wurtzite-structured Al0.25Ga0.75N doped with erbium and europium. Using a variation of the LSDA + U approach, the study takes the important interaction of the 4f shell into account. The results indicate that the co-doped AlGaN displays semiconductor behaviour, and compared to pure Al0.25Ga0.75N, the co-doped material exhibits an indirect band gap with a reduced band gap. The ferromagnetism observed in the co-doped material may be attributed to the mixing of f-p and p-d states, which produces f-p-d hybrid orbitals. The study also reveals the hybridisation of different orbitals in the valence band maximum (VBM), including p-d (Eu-5d, Er-5d, N-2p), and the magnetic moment of the material is strongly localised on the Eu 5.90 µB and Er 2.99 µB site. The real and imaginary components of the dielectric function, refractive index, and extinction coefficient are also calculated and given in the photon energy range up to 12 eV. In the ultraviolet areas of the optical spectrum, the imaginary part of Eu and Er co-doped Al0.25Ga0.75N exhibits a strong absorption coefficient.
BCLAF1 is expressed as an oncogene in Bile Duct Cancer
Authors: Zhou Yutong , Ran Xun , Han Min
Published: August 2023

OBJECTIVE:
Validating the role of BCLAF1 in the development of bile duct cancer.
METHODS:
Differential expression of BCLAF1 in cholangiocarcinoma and normal tissues was analysed bioinformatically and immuno-infiltration analysis was performed by R. We also derived the correlation between the expression of BCLAF1 and HIF-1α by bioinformatics analysis and validated by Western Bloting, qRT- PCR and scratch assay before and after hypoxia.
RESULTS:
Through bioinformatics analysis, we found that BCLAF1 mRNA was significantly higher in tumour tissues of cholangiocarcinoma. And the high expression of BCLAF1 implied a more advanced stage but a lower mortality rate. KEGG and GO enrichment analysis showed that BCLAF1 overexpression in cholangiocarcinoma was mainly associated with histone modification, peptidyl lysine modification and macromolecular methylation. We used the TIMER algorithm to show that BCLAF1 expression in cholangiocarcinoma is associated with immune cell infiltration, which affects tumour progression and patient prognosis. We confirmed by normoxia and hypoxia qRT-PCR, Western bloting and scratch assays that BCLAF1 and HIF-1α expression are positively correlated and that BCLAF1 may be expressed as an oncogene in cholangiocarcinoma.
CONCLUSION:
These findings demonstrate that BCLAF1 may act as an oncogene in cholangiocarcinoma and may be involved in immune cell infiltration in cholangiocarcinoma, suppressing the expression of HIF-1α.
Validation of the Predictive Model for Operative Intervention after Blunt Abdominal Trauma in Children with Equivocal Computed Tomography Findings: A Multi-institutional Study
Authors: Lamoshi Abdulraouf , Lay Raymond , Wakeman Derek , Edwards Mary , Wallenstein Kim , Fabiano Tiffany , Singh Zorawar , Zipkin Jacob , Park Soyun , Yu Jihnhee , Chess Mitchell , Vali Kaveh
Published: August 2023

Background: We recently developed a preliminary predictive model identifying clinical and radiologic factors associated with the need for surgery following blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) in children. Our aim in this study was to further validate the factors in this predictive model in a multi-institutional study.
Methods: A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients from five pediatric trauma centers who experienced BAT between 2011 to 2020 was performed. Patients under 18 years of age who had BAT and Computed Tomography(CT) abdomen imaging we included. Children with evidence of pneumoperitoneum, and hemodynamicinstability were excluded. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis of the association between the following risk factors and need for laparotomy: Abdominal wall bruising (AWB), abdominal pain/tenderness (APT), thoracolumbar fracture (TLF), presence of free fluid (FF), presence of solid organ injury (SOI). A predictive logistic regression model was then estimated employing these factors.
Findings: 734 patients were identified in this multi-institutional dataset with BAT and abdominal CT imaging, and 726 were included. Of those, 59 underwent surgical intervention (8.8%). Univariate analysis of association between the studied factors and need for surgical management showed that the presence of TLF (p < 0.01), APT (p < 0.01), FF (p < 0.01), and SOI (p < 0.01) were significantly associated. A predictive model was created using the 5 factors resulting in an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.80. For the MVC group, only FF, SOI, and TLF are significantly associated with the need for surgical intervention. The AUC for the MVC group was 0.87.
Conclusions: A clinical and radiologic prediction rule was validated using a large multi-institutional dataset of pediatric BAT patients, demonstrating a high degree of accuracy in identifying children who underwent surgery. FF, SOI, and TLF are the most important factors associated with the need for surgical intervention.
Type of the study: Original research article, Retrospective multi-institutional study Level of Evidence: Level III
Neuronal perception of aversive odor shortens life span in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Sarkar Joyobrata , Vashishth Kshitij , Dixit Anubhuti
Published: August 2023

Sensory perception of a variety of environmental cues is crucial for animal’s survival. However, role of odor perception in longevity and health is incompletely defined. Here, we show that olfactory neuron AWB is essential for inducing the harmful effects of an aversive odor in C. elegans. We found that exposure to 2-nonanone odor reduces life span, brood size and feeding rate, and increases lipid storage in worms. These effects were restored up to wild type levels in mutant worms lacking a functional olfactory AWB neuron. The study substantiates the role of olfaction in regulating life span and health span.
MiR-328-5p functions as a critical negative regulator in early endothelial inflammation and advanced atherosclerosis
Authors: Li Han , Ji Longkai , Han Zhisheng , Li Yingke , Wang Beilei , Liu Xuejia , Zhu Xinxing , Lin Juntang
Published: August 2023

Early proatherogenic inflammation is a major risk factor for the development of atherogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this pathological process remain largely unknown. In this study, we have discovered that the microRNA miR-328-5p negatively regulates endothelial inflammation by controlling the stability of JUNB. Disruption of miR-328-5p markedly augments monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells and their transendothelial migration. Consistently, enforced overexpression of miR-328-5p mimics shows a strong resistance to endothelial inflammation characterized by reduced monocyte adhesion with endothelial cells, monocyte transendothelial migration to the endothelium and production of key pro-inflammatory factors. Moreover, miR-328-5p significantly dampens the conversion of macrophages to M1-type polarization. An in vivo study illustrates that miR-328-5p negatively modulates atherosclerotic plaque formation. Interestingly, JUNB, a crucial regulator to trigger inflammatory response, is found to be a direct target for miR-328-5p. Reintroduction of JUNB was able to rescue the significant inhibition of atherosclerosis caused by miR-328-5p. Overall, these findings suggest an inhibitory role of miR-328-5p in proatherogenic process, at least in part, by controlling the abundance of JUNB. Thus, pharmacological targeting of miR-328-5p might be a beneficial strategy for the clinical treatment of inflammatory atherosclerosis.
The global container-shipping network’s survivability evolution based on big data statistics: A computational approach and its empirical evidence
Authors: Yu Anqi , Wang Nuo
Published: August 2023

How to precisely estimate the survivability of the container maritime system is a crucial but unsolved problem. In this paper, we propose an improved container liner network model based on data from global container liner routes and ports of call for several years. Afterward, we applied kernel principal component analysis to reconstruct commonly-used network metrics. As a measure of survivability, we took the critical points of their variance during errors and attacks. We further analysed the evolution of container-shipping network survivability in recent years. Our research revealed that as the ports and density of routes increased over the past few years, the node strength distribution of the container-shipping network became more and more heterogeneous. The robustness increased while the vulnerability aggravated, and both indicators are slowing down. The paper examines how the container-shipping network has evolved in recent years using a model more consistent with container transportation scenarios. By analysing the characteristics and evolutionary trend of the container-shipping network, this paper provides insight into how to take advantage of the changing situation.
Interactive Constituents and Related Analysis of Dynamical Systems in Different Dimensions: Cosmic Evolution Stories
Authors: DEOGHARIA GIRIDHARI
Published: August 2023

A coupled model of variable modified Chaplygin gas (as a candidate of dark energy) and dark matter is assumed in the background of Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker universe. $B(a)=B_0a^{-n}$ is assigned in the equation of state for variable modified Chaplygin gas. Since we do not know the actual nature of dark matter and dark energy, it is plausible to assign an interaction between them and for phenomenological requirement, the interaction term is chosen as $Q=3Hc\rho$, $c$ being the coupling parameter and $\rho$ is the total density. Firstly, a two-dimensional autonomous dynamical system is considered for flat universe after considering some suitable dimensionless parameters. Evolutions of those parameters along with the deceleration parameter are observed. Next, evolvements of matter and energy density parameters are studied for variational coupling parameter. Phase portrait analysis is performed to explain present as well as future expansion of universe. Secondly, both three- and four-dimensional dynamical systems are constructed when the evolution of spatially homogeneous and isotropic model of universe is considered, which includes cosmological constant and three-curvature symmetry surfaces. For the three-dimensional system, updatations of dimensionless parameters along with deceleration parameter are analysed for variational coupling parameter with respect to progression of universe. Again, evolutions of deceleration parameter are studied for different values of $n$. Stability analysis for the concerned dynamical system with the help of eigen values is done. The four-dimensional dynamical system is remarkable as it helps to study the evolution of $\Lambda$ density along with other parameters. Lastly, for the concerned dynamical system, evolvements of matter and energy density parameters are analysed for different values of $c$ to study whether coupling parameter affect the ultimate evolution of universe or not. Some constraints of the coupling parameters and n for accelerating universe are discovered. An attractor solution is analysed in the phase portraits, which indicates the present time scenario. Interestingly, for our three-dimensional dynamical system, a super-exponentially accelerated universe is predicted in the near future. Surprisingly, when a four-dimensional dynamical system with the evolution of cosmological constant is considered for a homogeneous and isotropic universe, cosmological constant will dominate variable Chaplygin gas in future.
PACS NO: 95.36.+x, 95.35.+d, 98.80.Cq.
The Significance of INSM1 in the Pathological Diagnosis of Small-Cell Lung Cancer on Biopsy Specimens
Authors: Yan Limin , Zhao Xueli , Chang Liming , Jiang Haixian , Zhang Zhiyong
Published: August 2023

Objective: Our purpose was to investigate the clinicopathological diagnostic value of immunohistochemical antibody for Insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) in biopsy specimens of small-cell lung cancer.
Methods: Biopsy specimens of small-cell lung cancer diagnosed at the Pathology Department of Tangshan Gongren Hospital from January 2022 to June 2023 were selected. INSM1 expression was detected and compared with conventional neuroendocrine markers Syn, CgA, and CD56 regarding expression sensitivity and specificity.
Results: The sensitivity of INSM1 expression was significantly higher than that of CgA (94.64% vs. 50.00%, P=0.000), but there was no statistically significant difference in the specificity of INSM1, Syn, CgA and CD56 expression (100% vs. 94.00% vs. 98.00% vs. 92.00%, respectively, P=0.241, 1.000, 0.126).
Conclusions: INSM1 antibody shows high sensitivity and specificity in the expression of small-cell lung cancer and serves as a reliable immunohistochemical marker in the clinicopathological diagnosis of small-cell lung cancer in biopsy specimens.
Mechanism of Cr(VI) removal by efficient Cr(VI)-resistant Bacillus mobilis CR3
Authors: Ye Yubo , Hao Ruixia , Shan Bing , Zhang Junman , Li Jiani , Lu Anhuai
Published: August 2023

Cr(VI) is a hazardous environmental pollutant that poses significant risks to both ecosystems and human health. We successfully isolated a novel strain of Bacillus mobilis, strain CR3, from Cr(VI)-contaminated soil. The strain CR3 could show 86.70% removal capacity at 200 mg/L Cr(VI) and also good Cr(VI) removal capacity at different pH, temperature, coexisting ions and electron donor conditions. Different concentrations of Cr(VI) affected the activity of Bacillus mobilis CR3 cells and the removal rate of Cr(VI), and about 3.46% of total Cr was immobilized at the end of the reaction. The combination of SEM-EDS and TEM-EDS analysis showed that Cr accumulated both on the cell surface and inside the cells after treatment with Cr(VI). XPS analysis showed that both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were present on the cell surface, and FTIR results indicated that the presence of Cr on the cell surface was mainly related to functional groups such as O-H, phosphate groups and -COOH. The removal of Cr(VI) was mainly bioreduction, which primarily occurred outside the cell. Metabolomics analysis revealed upregulation of five metabolites, including phenol and L-carnosine, closely associated with Cr(VI) reduction, heavy metal chelation, and detoxification mechanisms. Additionally, numerous other metabolites linked to cellular homeostasis exhibited differential expression. The presence of Cr(VI) exerted inhibitory effects on division rate and influenced critical pathways like energy metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and amino acid synthesis and catabolism. These findings reveal the molecular mechanism of Cr(VI) removal by strain CR3 and provide valuable insights for guiding the remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated sites.
Research on cost-optimal distribution route planning for fresh and live agricultural products from a low-carbon perspective
Authors: Pei Haijian
Published: August 2023

With the continuous development of the domestic economy, the residents' demand for higher and higher quality of agricultural products has made the logistics distribution of fresh and live agricultural products face great challenges. In view of this, this study constructs a fresh and live agricultural products logistics distribution path model based on improved genetic algorithm. Firstly, a cold chain logistics distribution path model from a low carbon perspective is proposed, a local search algorithm (2-opt) is used to optimise two local elements, an initialisation counter count is set to 0 and a suitable maximum number of iterations Gen is set, and finally the route is simulated using improved genetic algorithm analysis, and the logistics distribution path was implemented. The results show that the improved GA algorithm can make the average population fitness closer to the maximum population fitness with fewer iterations, reflecting that the improved algorithm effectively improves the population fitness capability and has a stronger ability to search for optimal solutions; the improved GA obtains a total of $7989.47 for each cost, which is significantly better than the traditional GA algorithm. The improved GA algorithm proposed in this study can effectively optimize the objectives with the lowest total cost and the lowest carbon emission, which can take into account both economic and environmental benefits.
Prediction of methane emissions and electrical energy generation potential from MSW landfill in Khulna city of Bangladesh: A model-based approach
Authors: Setu Salahuddin , Pangkaj K. M. , Rafizul Islam M. , Kraft E. , Berner S.
Published: August 2023

Landfills and open dumps are associated with significant environmental problems, especially in developing countries. The decomposition of organic wastes generates methane (CH4) which is responsible for a significant increase in global warming potential (GWP). This study presents the methane emission from the Rajbandh landfill of Khulna city calculated by different prediction models (ZODM, FODM, MTM, LandGEM-V-3.03). The predicted average emissions from 2000 to 2036, as calculated by FODM, MTM, SP, CAAA, and IC simulations, demonstrate remarkably comparable emission estimates, with values around 2.14 to 2.97 Gg/year. This study compares the output and underlying assumptions of each model while attempting to identify an appropriate approach for estimating methane emissions under the specific conditions of Khulna. In addition, the seasonal variation of methane emission estimation according to SP reveals that the highest rate of methane generation occurs during the monsoon season, while the lowest rate is observed during winter. Moreover, the assessment of the economic feasibility of establishing an electricity generation facility using methane produced from landfilled MSW implies that the Rajbandh landfill site holds the economically viable potential to establish a 1 MW powerplant without subsidy. The total environmental lifetime benefits from this electricity generation project were found 0.563 MMTCO2-eq emissions will be reduced. The outcome of this study may apply to other landfills in Bangladesh and can contribute significantly to waste management planning and energy security.
Antiquity Validation by Amelogenin Peptidomics Profile: Sex Determination in an Ascetic Burial
Authors: Kotli Paula , Morgenstern David , Nagar Yossi , Katina Corine , 'Adawi Zubair , Arbiv Kfir , Boaretto Elisabetta
Published: August 2023

Analyzing human remains often confronts challenges due to poor preservation. Here we resolve a challenge in the characterization of a unique human dental element from a Byzantine ascetic at Khirbat el-Masani’, near Jerusalem. Unfortunately, traditional methods like osteological analysis and radiocarbon dating were unfeasible for sex determination and dating. Our innovation involves peptidomics-based antiquity validation using AmelX recovery spectra, including site specific post-translational modifications (PTMs) and hydrolysis patterns. Our result show that the ancient AmelX exhibited non-enzymatic hydrolysis reflected on significant shorter peptides than modern/control samples. Moreover, tryptophan oxidation emerged as an effective antiquity indicator, compensating for compromised deamidation due to etching process. Also, only one phosphorylated serine (Ser) was detected within AmelX, this last will be lost in a global phosphorylation calculation. Finally, the missing of unique AmelY spectra allow us to classify the remains as a female and, thus, as a Nun. Taken together, we show here that a simple peptidomics workflow is capable to validate antiquity based on physical properties of AmelX peptides in cases that deamidation values are corrupted and determinate sex. We believe our method provides a robust solution for the analysis of samples originating from sites with harsh environmental conditions or challenging collection scenarios for sample preservation.