bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The optimum economic nitrogen rate of blended controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer for rice in the Chanoyu watershed in the Yangtze River Delta, China
Authors: Yuan Manman , Sun Yixiang , Wu Gang , Wang Jiabao , Liu Chuang , Tang Tongtong , Zhang Xiangming , Wang Wenjun , Jing Yudan
Published: April 2023

Introduction

The application of controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer (CRN) has become an important production method to achieve high crop yield and ecological safety. However, the rate of urea-blended CRN for rice is usually determined by conventional urea, and the actual rate is still unclear.

Methods

A five-year field experiment was carried out in the Chaohu watershed in the Yangtze River Delta to study rice yield, N fertilizer utilization efficiency (NUE), ammonia (NH3) volatilization and economic benefit under the four urea-blended CRN treatments with a 4:3:3 ratio applied at one time (60, 120, 180, 240 kg/hm2, CRN60, CRN120, CRN180, CRN240), four conventional N fertilizer treatments (N60, N120, N180, N240) and a control without N fertilizer (N0).

Results and Discussion

The results showed that the N released from the blended CRNs could well satisfy the N demand of rice growth. Similar to the conventional N fertilizer treatments, a quadratic equation was used to model the relationship between rice yield and N rate under the blended CRN treatments. The blended CRN treatments increased rice yield by 0.9-8.2% and NUE by 6.9-14.8%, respectively, compared with the conventional N fertilizer treatments at the same N application rate. The increase in NUE in response to applied blended CRN was related to the reduction in NH3 volatilization. Based on the quadratic equation, the five-year average NUE under the blended CRN treatment was 42.0% when rice yield reached the maximum, which was 28.9% higher than that under the conventional N fertilizer treatment. Among all treatments, CRN180 had the highest yield and net benefit in 2019. Considering the yield output, environmental loss, labor and fertilizer costs, the optimum economic N rate under the blended CRN treatment in the Chaohu watershed was 180-214 kg/hm2, compared with 212-278 kg/hm2 under the conventional N fertilizer treatment. The findings suggest that blended CRN improved rice yield, NUE and economic income while decreasing NH3 volatilization and negative environmental outcomes.
Multimodal imitative learning and synchrony in cetaceans: A model for speech and singing evolution
Authors: Zamorano-Abramson José , Michon Maëva , Hernández-Lloreda Ma Victoria , Aboitiz Francisco
Published: April 2023

Multimodal imitation of actions, gestures and vocal production is a hallmark of the evolution of human communication, as both, vocal learning and visual-gestural imitation, were crucial factors that facilitated the evolution of speech and singing. Comparative evidence has revealed that humans are an odd case in this respect, as the case for multimodal imitation is barely documented in non-human animals. While there is evidence of vocal learning in birds and in mammals like bats, elephants and marine mammals, evidence in both domains, vocal and gestural, exists for two Psittacine birds (budgerigars and grey parrots) and cetaceans only. Moreover, it draws attention to the apparent absence of vocal imitation (with just a few cases reported for vocal fold control in an orangutan and a gorilla and a prolonged development of vocal plasticity in marmosets) and even for imitation of intransitive actions (not object related) in monkeys and apes in the wild. Even after training, the evidence for productive or “true imitation” (copy of a novel behavior, i.e., not pre-existent in the observer’s behavioral repertoire) in both domains is scarce. Here we review the evidence of multimodal imitation in cetaceans, one of the few living mammalian species that have been reported to display multimodal imitative learning besides humans, and their role in sociality, communication and group cultures. We propose that cetacean multimodal imitation was acquired in parallel with the evolution and development of behavioral synchrony and multimodal organization of sensorimotor information, supporting volitional motor control of their vocal system and audio-echoic-visual voices, body posture and movement integration.
Intonational production as a window into children’s early pragmatic competence: The case of the Norwegian polarity focus and two jo particles
Authors: Helganger Line Sjøtun , Falkum Ingrid Lossius
Published: April 2023

The use of the Norwegian intonation pattern Polarity Focus highlights the polarity of a contextually given thought and enables the speaker to signal whether she believes it to be a true or false description of some state of affairs. In this study, we investigate whether preschool children can produce this intonation pattern and what their productions reveal about the development of their early pragmatic abilities. We also explore their use of Polarity Focus in combination with two particles encoded by the linguistic form jo: a sentence-initial response particle, and a sentence-internal pragmatic particle. We used a semi-structured elicitation task consisting of four test conditions of increasing complexity to shed light on the developmental trajectory of the mastery of Polarity Focus. Our results show that already from the age of 2 children are proficient users of this intonation pattern, which occurs in three out of four conditions for this age group. As expected, only 4- and 5-year-olds produced Polarity Focus in the most complex test condition that required the attribution of a false belief. We further found production of sentence-initial response particle jo by all age groups, both in combination with Polarity Focus and alone. Production of the sentence-internal pragmatic particle jo, felicitously co-occurring with Polarity Focus, emerges around age 3. This study presents the first experimental evidence of Norwegian children’s mastery of intonation as a communicative device in language production and their use of the two jo particles. We show how intonational production can be used as a window into children’s early pragmatic competence: The mastery of the production of Polarity Focus can be seen as an early linguistic manifestation of the cognitive abilities for the attribution of thoughts and epistemic vigilance towards propositional content.
“Ideal employees” and “good wives and mothers”: Influence mechanism of bi-directional work–family conflict on job satisfaction of female university teachers in China
Authors: Su Qiaolan , Jiang Man
Published: April 2023

Work and family are two important areas in people’s life, and the relationship between them will have an important impact on the attitudes and behaviors of employees in an organization. In the context of Chinese culture, the organization hopes to have an ideal employee, and the family hopes to have a good wife and mother. Based on the resource conservation theory, this paper examines the relationship between bi-directional work–family conflict and job burnout, perceived organizational support and job satisfaction by using latent variable path analysis method with 527 Chinese female university teachers as subjects. The results showed that: (1) Work–family conflict, family–work conflict and job burnout could negatively predict job satisfaction, while perceived organizational support could positively predict job satisfaction, (2) Job burnout played a partial mediating role in the process of work–family conflict and family–work conflict affecting job satisfaction, and the effect values were − 0.220 and − 0.168, and (3) Perceived organizational support played a moderating role in the first half of the mediating effect of “work–family conflict → job burnout → job satisfaction” and “family–work conflict → job burnout → job satisfaction,” and the moderating mediating index was 0.015 and 0.010. The study contributes to a better understanding of the relationships among bi-directional work–family conflict, job burnout, perceived organizational support, and job satisfaction among female university teachers. Our findings highlight potential avenues for interventions by university administrators in the context of Chinese culture aimed at balancing work and family and improving job satisfaction among female university teachers.
Psychotic disorders of space and time – A contribution of Erwin W. Straus
Authors: Moskalewicz Marcin , Fuchs Thomas
Published: April 2023

This paper presents and discusses a manuscript by one of the core founders of phenomenological psychopathology, Erwin W. Straus, concerning psychotic disorders of space and time (see attached Supplementary material). Written in June 1946, the manuscript is published for the first time as supplementary material to this paper. It is a clinical case-study of a patient with psychotic depression from Henry Phipps Clinic. It contains themes known from both Straus’ earlier and later work on lived time and mental illness, in particular a critique of physicalism in psychology, a vindication of primary sensing, a description of the spatiotemporal unity of lived experience, and the notion of temporal becoming. However, it is the only work by Straus that explores in such detail a patient’s case and shows how the lived experience is spatiotemporally structured and intrinsically related to affectivity, embodiment, and action. The manuscript is yet another piece of evidence of Straus’ significance in developing the field of phenomenological psychiatry in both Germany and the United States.
Case report: Unruptured small middle cerebral artery aneurysm with perianeurysmal edema
Authors: Goto Yoshihiro , Morofuji Yoichi , Shiozaki Eri , Uchida Daiki , Kawahara Ichiro , Ono Tomonori , Haraguchi Wataru , Tsutsumi Keisuke
Published: April 2023

Background

Perianeurysmal edema (PAE) has a tendency to occur in embolized aneurysms but also in partially thrombosed, large, or giant aneurysms. However, there are only a few cases recorded in which PAE was detected in untreated or small aneurysms. We suspected that PAE might be an impending sign of aneurysm rupture in these cases. Herein, we presented a unique case of PAE that was related to an unruptured small middle cerebral artery aneurysm.

Case description

A 61-year-old woman was referred to our institute due to a newly formed abnormal fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) hyperintense lesion in the right medial temporal cortex. Upon admission, the patient did not present with any symptoms or complaints; however, FLAIR and CT angiography (CTA) suggested an increased risk of aneurysm rupture. Aneurysm clipping was conducted, and no evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage and hemosiderin deposits around the aneurysm and brain parenchyma was noted. The patient was discharged home without any neurological symptoms. MRI taken at eight months post-clipping revealed complete regression of the FLAIR hyperintense lesion around the aneurysm.

Conclusion

PAE in unruptured, small aneurysm is thought to be an impending sign of aneurysm rupture. Early surgical intervention is critical even for small aneurysms with PAE.
Coupled Thermo-Mechanical Numerical Modeling of CFRP Panel under High-Velocity Impact
Authors: Polla Alessandro , Frulla Giacomo , Cestino Enrico , Das Raj , Marzocca Pier
Published: April 2023

Advanced composites have a brittle nature making them highly susceptible to failure and propagation under impact loading conditions. Appropriate modeling techniques to accurately simulate these conditions are required. This study presents and examines a coupled thermo-mechanical modeling technique and its associated numerical simulations for analyzing carbon fiber-reinforced composite panels subjected to high-velocity impact. The essential numerical parameters necessary to accurately simulate the selected configuration are determined through a physical-based approach, which has not been previously reported. By following the proposed framework, the conventional trial-and-error calibration process that relies on an extensive testing campaign is minimized. A stacked shell-cohesive methodology has been applied to T800/F3900 unidirectional carbon fiber/epoxy composite panel with 16 plies in a quasi-isotropic layup configuration [(0/90/45/-45)2]s. The flat composite panel was manufactured according to ASTM D8010 standards. Both failure condition and progressive damage analysis have been explored and discussed in comparison with numerical and experimental test cases available in the open literature. Thermal effects on the mechanical performance of composite targets are also discussed based on the application of the constitutive transient thermal coupling method available in LS-DYNA®. The contact heat generated by the conversion of impact-induced damage and the kinetic energy of the projectile is also evaluated and analyzed. New observations regarding modeling techniques, energy transfer, and damage mechanisms in target plates are offered. Additionally, findings related to changes in material characteristics resulting from heat transfer are discussed.
Impacts of Chlorine on the Change of Chlorophyll Fluorescence Spectrum to Phaeodactylum tricornutum
Authors: Li Na , Chen Shimeng , Yang Jun , Song Jun , Song Yongxin
Published: April 2023

Chlorine-containing disinfectants have been widely used all over the world to prevent COVID-19. However, little is known about the potential risk of chlorine-containing disinfectants in the marine environment. Phaeodactylum tricornutum (P. tricornutum) is a typical marine economic diatom, often used as an effective biomarker in ecotoxicology research. Here, the present study has investigated the effect of different effective chlorine concentrations on photosynthesis of P. tricornutum by chlorophyll fluorescence spectroscopy. Results have demonstrated that chlorine exposure promoted the chlorophyll fluorescence intensity at initial stage (24 h), suggesting that a large amount of energy is emitted in the form of fluorescence. However, the chlorophyll fluorescence intensity could not be detected under the high effective chlorine concentrations (6.7 × 10−3, 1.0 × 10−2, 1.3 × 10−2 and 1.7 × 10−2 mg L−1) after 48 h, indicating that the chlorine had high toxicity leading to the death of microalgae. In addition, the emission spectra of P. tricornutum were determined to contain two distinct fluorescence peaks representing the core antenna of photosystem II (685 nm) and the photosystem I complexes (710 nm) in the control group. The fluorescence emission peak value at 685 nm is significantly lower than the peak value at 710 nm in the control group, whereas chlorine treatments were opposite. It can be concluded that microalgae can regulate the distribution of excitation energy between the two photosystems to ensure that algae can utilize light energy. The result also found that the peak position of fluorescence emission spectra has a blue shift in all of NaClO treatments. The fluorescence intensity of microalgae excited at 467 nm was lower than that at 439 nm in chlorine treatments, illustrating chlorophyll b antenna was more easily damaged than chlorophyll a antenna. Our findings are providing new insights into the changing mechanism of chlorophyll fluorescence on P. tricornutum under chlorine stress and valuable data for risk assessment of marine environments.
Effects of Landscape Context on Bird Community in the Subtropical Evergreen Broad-Leaved Forest of Wuyishan National Park
Authors: Wu Yi , Zhang Wenwen , Wang Yifei , Zhao Shengjun , Tian Jing , Shi Jie , Yang Xiao , Cui Peng
Published: April 2023

Landscape context can reflect the habitat structure and play an important role in bird species occurrences and abundance. For local biodiversity conservation and restoration, we examined the effects of landscape context on bird communities at different altitude gradients. Our study was conducted in four altitude gradients (<300 m, 300–599 m, 600–899 m, 900–1200 m) of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in Wuyishan National Park, China. The bird survey was carried out in 115 transects in spring, summer, autumn and winter. We examined the effects of altitude, season and landscape context. The result showed that (1) species richness and abundance at <300 m altitude were highest among the four altitude gradients, and they showed more significant differences than those at other altitude gradients; (2) the species richness of birds was associated with altitude, season and landscape context, as the season is more significant than other explanatory variables; (3) at the landscape level, habitat configuration is more important. The average canopy height and contagion index positively correlated with the species richness and abundance of birds at all four altitude gradients. In particular, the average canopy height is significant at 300–599 m and 600–899 m altitude gradients. The study results can provide a theoretical basis and guidance for future national park conservation and management and ecological restoration in the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest regions.
Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Patients with Penicillin Allergy
Authors: Liu Ligang , Nahata Milap C.
Published: April 2023

Helicobacter pylori is among the prevalent causes of infections worldwide, and its resistance rate to antibiotics has been rising over time. Amoxicillin is the cornerstone for the treatment regimen. However, the prevalence of penicillin allergy ranges from 4% to 15%. In patients with true allergy, Vonoprazan-Clarithromycin-Metronidazole and bismuth quadruple therapy have demonstrated excellent eradication and high adherence rates. Vonoprazan-based therapy is administered less frequently and may be better tolerated than bismuth quadruple therapy. Therefore, vonoprazan-based therapy may be considered as a first-line therapy if accessible. Bismuth quadruple therapy can be used as the initial therapy when vonoprazan is unavailable. Levofloxacin or sitafloxacin-based regimens achieve a moderately high eradication rate. However, these are associated with potentially serious adverse effects and should only be used when other effective and safer regimens are unavailable. Cephalosporins such as cefuroxime have been used as an alternative to amoxicillin. Microbial susceptibility studies can guide the selection of appropriate antibiotics. PPI-Clarithromycin-Metronidazole fails to achieve a high eradication rate and should be used as a second-line therapy. PPI-Clarithromycin-Rifabutin should not be used because of low eradication rate and frequent adverse reactions. The choice of the most effective antibiotic regimen can enhance clinical outcomes in patients with H. pylori infection and penicillin allergy.
Turbidity and COD Removal from Municipal Wastewater Using a TiO2 Photocatalyst—A Comparative Study of UV and Visible Light
Authors: Munien Caressa , Kweinor Tetteh Emmanuel , Govender Timaine , Jairajh Shivek , Mguni Liberty L. , Rathilal Sudesh
Published: April 2023

Water resources are depleting, and the availability and supply of clean, potable water are a global concern. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) possess immense prospects in water and wastewater treatment settings. This study investigated and optimized the photocatalytic treatment of wastewater using titanium dioxide (TiO2) as the photocatalyst. The one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) technique was employed to evaluate the effects of reaction time (20–100 min), mixing speed (20–100 rpm), and catalyst load (0.3–1.5 g/L) on pH, colour, turbidity, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal from actual municipal wastewater. Reaction time and catalyst load were then identified as the two key factors selected to be modeled and were optimized for turbidity and COD removal using the Central Composite Design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). These statistical models were developed and used to optimize the operating conditions. The results obtained showed a desirability efficiency of 74.7% at a 95% confidence level. The RSM model predicted results at the optimum conditions and showed reasonable agreement with the experimental results obtained. The optimal responses achieved were 32.64% COD removal and 95.17% turbidity removal. A comparative study between UV light and visible light was also conducted at optimum conditions, whereby the UV light was demonstrated to be highly effective for turbidity and COD removal. The optimal responses achieved were 25.58% COD removal and 66.88% turbidity removal for visible light.
Black Carbon Emissions, Transport and Effect on Radiation Forcing Modelling during the Summer 2019–2020 Wildfires in Southeast Australia
Authors: Duc Hiep Nguyen , Azzi Merched , Zhang Yang , Kirkwood John , White Stephen , Trieu Toan , Riley Matthew , Salter David , Chang Lisa Tzu-Chi , Capnerhurst Jordan , Ho Joseph , Gunashanhar Gunaratnam , Monk Khalia
Published: April 2023

The emission of black carbon (BC) particles, which cause atmospheric warming by affecting radiation budget in the atmosphere, is the result of an incomplete combustion process of organic materials. The recent wildfire event during the summer 2019–2020 in south-eastern Australia was unprecedented in scale. The wildfires lasted for nearly 3 months over large areas of the two most populated states of New South Wales and Victoria. This study on the emission and dispersion of BC emitted from the biomass burnings of the wildfires using the Weather Research Forecast–Chemistry (WRF–Chem) model aims to determine the extent of BC spatial dispersion and ground concentration distribution and the effect of BC on air quality and radiative transfer at the top of the atmosphere, the atmosphere and on the ground. The predicted aerosol concentration and AOD are compared with the observed data using the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) aethalometer and air quality network and remote sensing data. The BC concentration as predicted from the WRF–Chem model, is in general, less than the observed data as measured using the aethalometer monitoring network, but the spatial pattern corresponds well, and the correlation is relatively high. The total BC emission into the atmosphere during the event and the effect on radiation budget were also estimated. This study shows that the summer 2019–2020 wildfires affect not only the air quality and health impact on the east coast of Australia but also short-term weather in the region via aerosol interactions with radiation and clouds.
On the Construction of Quantum and LCD Codes from Cyclic Codes over the Finite Commutative Rings
Authors: Ali Shakir , Alali Amal S. , Jeelani Mohammad , Kurulay Muhammet , Öztas Elif Segah , Sharma Pushpendra
Published: April 2023

Let Fq be a field of order q, where q is a power of an odd prime p, and α and β are two non-zero elements of Fq. The primary goal of this article is to study the structural properties of cyclic codes over a finite ring R=Fq[u1,u2]/⟨u12−α2,u22−β2,u1u2−u2u1⟩. We decompose the ring R by using orthogonal idempotents Δ1,Δ2,Δ3, and Δ4 as R=Δ1R⊕Δ2R⊕Δ3R⊕Δ4R, and to construct quantum-error-correcting (QEC) codes over R. As an application, we construct some optimal LCD codes.
SPEADI: Accelerated Analysis of IDP-Ion Interactions from MD-Trajectories
Authors: de Bruyn Emile , Dorn Anton Emil , Zimmermann Olav , Rossetti Giulia
Published: April 2023

The disordered nature of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) makes their structural ensembles particularly susceptible to changes in chemical environmental conditions, often leading to an alteration of their normal functions. A Radial Distribution Function (RDF) is considered a standard method for characterizing the chemical environment surrounding particles during atomistic simulations, commonly averaged over an entire or part of a trajectory. Given their high structural variability, such averaged information might not be reliable for IDPs. We introduce the Time-Resolved Radial Distribution Function (TRRDF), implemented in our open-source Python package SPEADI, which is able to characterize dynamic environments around IDPs. We use SPEADI to characterize the dynamic distribution of ions around the IDPs Alpha-Synuclein (AS) and Humanin (HN) from Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, and some of their selected mutants, showing that local ion–residue interactions play an important role in the structures and behaviors of IDPs.
Elevated Water CO2 Can Prevent Dietary-Induced Osteomalacia in Post-Smolt Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar, L.)
Authors: Drábiková Lucia , Fjelldal Per Gunnar , Yousaf Muhammad Naveed , Morken Thea , De Clercq Adelbert , McGurk Charles , Witten Paul Eckhard
Published: April 2023

Expansion of land-based systems in fish farms elevate the content of metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2) in the water. High CO2 is suggested to increase the bone mineral content in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, L.). Conversely, low dietary phosphorus (P) halts bone mineralization. This study examines if high CO2 can counteract reduced bone mineralization imposed by low dietary P intake. Atlantic salmon post-seawater transfer (initial weight 207.03 g) were fed diets containing 6.3 g/kg (0.5P), 9.0 g/kg (1P), or 26.8 g/kg (3P) total P for 13 weeks. Atlantic salmon from all dietary P groups were reared in seawater which was not injected with CO2 and contained a regular CO2 level (5 mg/L) or in seawater with injected CO2 thus raising the level to 20 mg/L. Atlantic salmon were analyzed for blood chemistry, bone mineral content, vertebral centra deformities, mechanical properties, bone matrix alterations, expression of bone mineralization, and P metabolism-related genes. High CO2 and high P reduced Atlantic salmon growth and feed intake. High CO2 increased bone mineralization when dietary P was low. Atlantic salmon fed with a low P diet downregulated the fgf23 expression in bone cells indicating an increased renal phosphate reabsorption. The current results suggest that reduced dietary P could be sufficient to maintain bone mineralization under conditions of elevated CO2. This opens up a possibility for lowering the dietary P content under certain farming conditions.
Rhythm Disturbances in Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome in Young Men without Pre-Existing Known Cardiovascular Disease—A Case Series
Authors: Rosca Ciprian Ilie , Branea Horia Silviu , Sharma Abhinav , Nicoras Violeta Ariana , Borza Claudia , Lighezan Daniel Florin , Morariu Stelian I. , Kundnani Nilima Rajpal
Published: April 2023

Current data indicate the existence of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome frequently expressing as cardiovascular and respiratory health issues. The long-term evolution of these complications is not yet fully known or predictable. Among the most common clinical manifestations of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome are dyspnea, palpitations, and fatigue, in most cases being transient and without underlying any morphological or functional changes. A single-center retrospective observational study was performed on cases that had presented with new-onset cardiac symptoms post-COVID-19 infection. Records of three male patients without pre-existing chronic cardiovascular pathology who had presented for dyspnea, fatigue, and palpitations around four weeks post-COVID-19 acute phase were studied in detail. The three post-COVID-19 cases exhibited arrhythmic complications after completely healing from the acute phase of the infection. Palpitations, along with chest pain, and possible aggravation or appearance of dyspnea, with syncopal episodes, were found to be present. All the three cases were non-vaccinated against COVID-19 infection. Isolated case reports showing arrhythmic complications such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia on a small number of patients with these complications indicate the need for arrhythmic evaluation of large groups of patients in the post-acute stage of the COVID-19 syndrome for a better understanding of the phenomenon and implicitly better care of these patients. It would also be useful to evaluate large groups of patients divided into vaccinated/non-vaccinated against COVID-19 categories to determine whether vaccination per se can provide protection in the occurrence of these types of complications.
Set Protein Is Involved in FLT3 Membrane Trafficking
Authors: Marcotegui Nerea , Romero-Murillo Silvia , Marco-Sanz Javier , Peris Irene , Berrozpe Blanca S. , Vicente Carmen , Odero María D. , Arriazu Elena
Published: April 2023

The in-frame internal tandem duplication (ITD) of the FLT3 gene is an important negative prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). FLT3-ITD is constitutive active and partially retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recent reports show that 3′UTRs function as scaffolds that can regulate the localization of plasma membrane proteins by recruiting the HuR-interacting protein SET to the site of translation. Therefore, we hypothesized that SET could mediate the FLT3 membrane location and that the FLT3-ITD mutation could somehow disrupt the model, impairing its membrane translocation. Immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that SET and FLT3 co-localize and interact in FLT3-WT cells but hardly in FLT3-ITD. SET/FLT3 interaction occurs before FLT3 glycosylation. Furthermore, RNA immunoprecipitation in FLT3-WT cells confirmed that this interaction occurs through the binding of HuR to the 3′UTR of FLT3. HuR inhibition and SET nuclear retention reduced FLT3 in the membrane of FLT3-WT cells, indicating that both proteins are involved in FLT3 membrane trafficking. Interestingly, the FLT3 inhibitor midostaurin increases FLT3 in the membrane and SET/FLT3 binding. Therefore, our results show that SET is involved in the transport of FLT3-WT to the membrane; however, SET barely binds FLT3 in FLT3-ITD cells, contributing to its retention in the ER.
Correction: Alkhaleefah et al. Connected-SegNets: A Deep Learning Model for Breast Tumor Segmentation from X-ray Images. Cancers 2022, 14, 4030
Authors: Alkhaleefah Mohammad , Tan Tan-Hsu , Chang Chuan-Hsun , Wang Tzu-Chuan , Ma Shang-Chih , Chang Lena , Chang Yang-Lang
Published: April 2023

In the original publication [...]
On the Role of Glycolysis in Early Tumorigenesis—Permissive and Executioner Effects
Authors: Marcucci Fabrizio , Rumio Cristiano
Published: April 2023

Reprogramming energy production from mitochondrial respiration to glycolysis is now considered a hallmark of cancer. When tumors grow beyond a certain size they give rise to changes in their microenvironment (e.g., hypoxia, mechanical stress) that are conducive to the upregulation of glycolysis. Over the years, however, it has become clear that glycolysis can also associate with the earliest steps of tumorigenesis. Thus, many of the oncoproteins most commonly involved in tumor initiation and progression upregulate glycolysis. Moreover, in recent years, considerable evidence has been reported suggesting that upregulated glycolysis itself, through its enzymes and/or metabolites, may play a causative role in tumorigenesis, either by acting itself as an oncogenic stimulus or by facilitating the appearance of oncogenic mutations. In fact, several changes induced by upregulated glycolysis have been shown to be involved in tumor initiation and early tumorigenesis: glycolysis-induced chromatin remodeling, inhibition of premature senescence and induction of proliferation, effects on DNA repair, O-linked N-acetylglucosamine modification of target proteins, antiapoptotic effects, induction of epithelial–mesenchymal transition or autophagy, and induction of angiogenesis. In this article we summarize the evidence that upregulated glycolysis is involved in tumor initiation and, in the following, we propose a mechanistic model aimed at explaining how upregulated glycolysis may play such a role.
Specific Targeting and Labeling of Colonic Polyps in CPC-APC Mice with Mucin 5AC Fluorescent Antibodies: A Model for Detection of Early Colon Cancer
Authors: Turner Michael A. , Cox Kristin E. , Liu Shanglei , Neel Nicholas , Amirfakhri Siamak , Nishino Hiroto , Hosseini Mojgan , Alcantara Joshua A. , Abd El-Hafeez Amer Ali , Lwin Thinzar M. , Mallya Kavita , Pisegna Joseph R. , Singh Satish K. , Ghosh Pradipta , Hoffman Robert M. , Batra Surinder K. , Bouvet Michael
Published: April 2023

Poor visualization of polyps can limit colorectal cancer screening. Fluorescent antibodies to mucin5AC (MUC5AC), a glycoprotein upregulated in adenomas and colorectal cancer, could improve screening colonoscopy polyp detection rate. Adenomatous polyposis coli flox mice with a Cdx2-Cre transgene (CPC-APC) develop colonic polyps that contain both dysplastic and malignant tissue. Mice received MUC5AC-IR800 or IRdye800 as a control IV and were sacrificed after 48 h for near-infrared imaging of their colons. A polyp-to-background ratio (PBR) was calculated for each polyp by dividing the mean fluorescence intensity of the polyp by the mean fluorescence intensity of the background tissue. The mean 25 μg PBR was 1.70 (±0.56); the mean 50 μg PBR was 2.64 (±0.97); the mean 100 μg PBR was 3.32 (±1.33); and the mean 150 μg PBR was 3.38 (±0.87). The mean PBR of the dye-only control was 2.22 (±1.02), significantly less than the 150 μg arm (p-value 0.008). The present study demonstrates the ability of fluorescent anti-MUC5AC antibodies to specifically target and label colonic polyps containing high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal adenocarcinoma in CPC-APC mice. This technology can potentially improve the detection rate and decrease the miss rate of advanced colonic neoplasia and early cancer at colonoscopy.
Experimental and Numerical Study on Regulation of Cutting Temperature during the Circular Sawing of 45 Steel
Authors: Wang Yangyu , Wang Zheng , Ni Pengcheng , Wang Dejie , Lu Yanhui , Lu Hui , Guo Shenghao , Chen Zhenzhen
Published: April 2023

Studying the cutting temperature is critical for unlocking the secrets of sawblade wear, lifespan, and the metallurgical alterations beneath the surface. This paper describes an investigation into the temperature of 45 steel during dry sawing, using a cemented carbide circular saw blade under various cutting conditions. A temperature acquisition system was developed, enabling the determination of the average temperature of the arc zone in the workpiece and the temperature of the sawtooth tip via a semi-automated thermocouple measurement and an embedded dynamic artificial thermocouple method, respectively. Results obtained from these two methods indicate a positive correlation between the sawing temperature and the saw blade speed and feed rate, with an optimal combination of cutting process parameters identified for maintaining stability within reasonable ranges. Finite element simulations reveal a cyclical fluctuation in temperature along the workpiece surface and sawtooth, with a gradual decrease after an increase in the intermittent step, and confirm the relationship between the sawing temperature and the saw blade and feed rates observed experimentally. Overall, this study presents valuable insights into the temperature changes occurring during the sawing process, with important implications for improving productivity and maintaining stability in industrial applications.
Dynamics of Micronutrient Uptake and Removal by Three Modern Runner Peanut Cultivars
Authors: Crusciol Carlos Alexandre Costa , Portugal José Roberto , Bossolani João William , Moretti Luiz Gustavo , Fernandes Adalton Mazetti , Moreira Adônis , Garcia Jader Luis Nantes , Garcia Gleize Leviski de Brito , Pilon Cristiane , Cantarella Heitor
Published: April 2023

Micronutrient fertilization is usually neglected by producers, especially for peanut, a crop that is frequently grown in crop rotation systems due to its low perceived nutrient requirements. New peanut cultivars are able to achieve high yields when grown under suitable conditions. However, fertilization recommendation tables are dated and do not consider the need for micronutrients. To support improvements in these recommendations, this study quantified the micronutrient demand (B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) of three runner peanut cultivars (IAC Runner 886, IAC 505, and IAC OL3) during the biological cycle and the transport of these micronutrients to pods and kernels. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block with a split-plot design and nine replications. The whole plots consisted of the three peanut cultivars, and the subplots comprised nine plant samplings (at 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84, 105, 126, and 147 days after emergence (DAE)). These modern peanut cultivars exhibited high uptake and accumulation of Fe, but the proportion of Fe removed by pods and kernels was lowest among all analyzed micronutrients. The second-most-accumulated micronutrient was Mn. The maximum requirement for micronutrients of peanut occurred around 84 DAE, and IAC 505 had the highest micronutrient uptake and accumulation among the cultivars (especially at later stages), followed by IAC OL3 and IAC Runner 886. Our results provide new insights into micronutrient requirements for peanut and demonstrate the need for new fertilizer recommendation programs for peanut cultivation.
Calculated Outstanding Energy-Storage Media by Aluminum-Decorated Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4): Elucidating the Synergistic Effects of Electronic Structure Tuning and Localized Electron Redistribution
Authors: Gao Peng , Liu Zonghang , Diao Jiefeng , Wang Jiaao , Li Jiwen , Tan Yuebin , Hai Guangtong , Henkelman Graeme
Published: April 2023

Hydrogen, as an important clean energy source, is difficult to store and transport, which hinders its applications in real practice. Developing robust yet affordable storage media remains to be a challenge for scientists. In this study, Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics (AIMD) simulations were employed to evaluate the performance of aluminum (Al) decorated carbon nitride (g-C3N4, heptazine structure) in hydrogen storage; and a benchmarking study with Mg-doped g-C3N4 was also performed to provide theoretical insights for future study. We found that each 2 × 2 supercell can accommodate four Al atoms, and that partial charge from single Al sites can be transferred to adjacent nitrogen atoms of g-C3N4. These isolated Al sites tend to be electronically positive charged, serving as active sites for H2 adsorption, predominately by triggering enhanced electrostatic interactions. The H2 molecules are adsorbed by both Al and N atoms, and are easily polarized, giving rise to electrostatic interactions between the gas molecules and the surface. Effective adsorption sites were determined by electronic potential distribution maps of the optimized configurations. Each 2 × 2 supercell can adsorb up to 36 H2 molecules, and the corresponding adsorption energies are within the range of −0.10 to −0.26 eV. The H2 storage capacity of the Al-decorated g-C3N4 is 7.86 wt%, which surpasses the goal of 5.5 wt%, set by the US department of energy. This proposed Al-decorated g-C3N4 material is therefore predicted to be efficient for hydrogen storage. This work may offer some fundamental understandings from the aspect of electronic sharing paradigm of the origin of the excellent hydrogen storage performance by metal decorated 2D materials, acting as an demonstration for guiding single metal atom site-based materials’ designing and synthesis.
Quantitative Electroencephalography Analysis for Improved Assessment of Consciousness Levels in Deep Coma Patients Using a Proposed Stimulus Stage
Authors: Altıntop Çiğdem Gülüzar , Latifoğlu Fatma , Akın Aynur Karayol , Ülgey Ayşe
Published: April 2023

“Coma” is defined as an inability to obey commands, to speak, or to open the eyes. So, a coma is a state of unarousable unconsciousness. In a clinical setting, the ability to respond to a command is often used to infer consciousness. Evaluation of the patient’s level of consciousness (LeOC) is important for neurological evaluation. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is the most widely used and popular scoring system for neurological evaluation and is used to assess a patient’s level of consciousness. The aim of this study is the evaluation of GCSs with an objective approach based on numerical results. So, EEG signals were recorded from 39 patients in a coma state with a new procedure proposed by us in a deep coma state (GCS: between 3 and 8). The EEG signals were divided into four sub-bands as alpha, beta, delta, and theta, and their power spectral density was calculated. As a result of power spectral analysis, 10 different features were extracted from EEG signals in the time and frequency domains. The features were statistically analyzed to differentiate the different LeOC and to relate with the GCS. Additionally, some machine learning algorithms have been used to measure the performance of the features for distinguishing patients with different GCSs in a deep coma. This study demonstrated that GCS 3 and GCS 8 patients were classified from other levels of consciousness in terms of decreased theta activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to classify patients in a deep coma (GCS between 3 and 8) with 96.44% classification performance.
Enamel Matrix Derivatives as an Adjunct to Alveolar Ridge Preservation—A Systematic Review
Authors: Fakheran Omid , Fischer Kai R. , Schmidlin Patrick R.
Published: April 2023

Purpose: To systematically assess the current evidence regarding the adjunctive application of enamel matrix derivatives (EMDs) during alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) following tooth extraction. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus to identify relevant randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs). The primary outcome parameters of this systematic review were histomorphometric and radiographic data; secondary outcomes were the feasibility of implant placement after ARP as well as patient-related outcomes such as postoperative discomfort. Results: The search identified 436 eligible articles published from 2011 to 2022, but only five were ultimately included for data extraction (146 patients). Given the substantial heterogeneity among the included studies, no meta-analysis could be performed. The authors’ qualitative analysis showed marginally improved outcomes regarding an increased percentage of new bone formation after tooth extraction and a reduction in postoperative discomfort. Conclusions: Given the potential value of EMDs in other fields of regenerative dentistry, more consideration should be given to EMDs as an adjunctive treatment option in ARP. However, more well-controlled randomized clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the exact potential and impacts of EMDs.
Theory Application in School and Meaning-Oriented Learning Opportunities at University—Resources for Teaching Quality
Authors: Rochnia Michael , Radisch Falk , Kastens Claudia
Published: April 2023

(1) In this study, we analyse the impact that research and practice orientation offered at university (first phase) have on theory application and teaching quality in an in-service training programme (second phase). The connection between these two phases has been poorly examined. Therefore, we examine this connection using a longitudinal study. (2) The analysis is based on data from 1417 pre-service and later student teachers who participated in the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). (3) The results show that meaningful research and practice orientation experienced in the first phase contribute to greater theory application and teaching quality in the second phase. (4) The study thus shows that theory application is a resource for supporting teaching quality.
Power Optimization in Multi-Tier Heterogeneous Networks Using Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Gachhadar Anand , Maharjan Ram Krishna , Shrestha Surendra , Adhikari Nanda Bikram , Qamar Faizan , Kazmi Syed Hussain Ali , Nguyen Quang Ngoc
Published: April 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects numerous sensor nodes and devices, resulting in an increase in the bandwidth and data rates. However, this has led to a surge in data-hungry applications, which consume significant energy at battery-limited IoT nodes, causing rapid battery drainage. As a result, it is imperative to find a reliable solution that reduces the power consumption. A power optimization model utilizing a modified genetic algorithm is proposed to manage power resources efficiently and reduce high power consumption. In this model, each access point computes the optimal power using the modified genetic algorithm until it meets the fitness criteria and assigns it to each cellular user. Additionally, a weight-based user-scheduling algorithm is proposed to enhance network efficiency. This algorithm considers both the distance and received signal strength indicator (RSSI) to select a user for a specific base station. Furthermore, it assigns appropriate weights for the distance, and the RSSI helps increase the spectral efficiency performance. In this paper, the user-scheduling algorithm was assigned equal weights and combined with the power optimization model to analyze the power consumption and spectral efficiency performance metrics. The results demonstrated that the weight-based user-scheduling algorithm performed better and was supported by the optimal allocation of weights using a modified genetic algorithm. The outcome proved that the optimal allocation of transmission power for users reduced the cellular users’ power consumption and improved the spectral efficiency.
GAN-Driven Data Poisoning Attacks and Their Mitigation in Federated Learning Systems
Authors: Psychogyios Konstantinos , Velivassaki Terpsichori-Helen , Bourou Stavroula , Voulkidis Artemis , Skias Dimitrios , Zahariadis Theodore
Published: April 2023

Federated learning (FL) is an emerging machine learning technique where machine learning models are trained in a decentralized manner. The main advantage of this approach is the data privacy it provides because the data are not processed in a centralized device. Moreover, the local client models are aggregated on a server, resulting in a global model that has accumulated knowledge from all the different clients. This approach, however, is vulnerable to attacks because clients can be malicious or malicious actors may interfere within the network. In the first case, these types of attacks may refer to data or model poisoning attacks where the data or model parameters, respectively, may be altered. In this paper, we investigate the data poisoning attacks and, more specifically, the label-flipping case within a federated learning system. For an image classification task, we introduce two variants of data poisoning attacks, namely model degradation and targeted label attacks. These attacks are based on synthetic images generated by a generative adversarial network (GAN). This network is trained jointly by the malicious clients using a concatenated malicious dataset. Due to dataset sample limitations, the architecture and learning procedure of the GAN are adjusted accordingly. Through the experiments, we demonstrate that these types of attacks are effective in achieving their task and managing to fool common federated defenses (stealth). We also propose a mechanism to mitigate these attacks based on clean label training on the server side. In more detail, we see that the model degradation attack causes an accuracy degradation of up to 25%, while common defenses can only alleviate this for a percentage of ∼5%. Similarly, the targeted label attack results in a misclassification of 56% compared to 2.5% when no attack takes place. Moreover, our proposed defense mechanism is able to mitigate these attacks.