bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estrategias de la gobernanza institucional. Una oportunidad para la transparencia en empresas públicas
Authors: Heredia-Calderón Luz , Vegas-Meléndez Hilarión
Published: June 2023

El propósito de la investigación ha sido el interpretar como la gobernanza institucional contribuye con la transparencia en las empresas públicas; acompañado de las siguientes directrices: Identificar los principios de la gobernanza que viabilizan la transparencia, y, reflexionar sobre las acciones de la empresa pública desde una perspectiva de gobernanza institucional. El abordaje de la investigación ha sido desde un diseño de investigación fenomenología-interpretativa, con enfoque cualitativo, cuyo nivel es de tipo descriptivo, además de contar con una dimensión inductiva y constructivista, sostenida desde lo documental, de campo y no experimental; la metódica de análisis utilizada está representada por las fases establecidas por la teoría fundamentada (Strauss y Corbin), la misma fue aplicada al proceso de comparación constante y a la triangulación de la información recogida (observación directa, documentos y discurso de los entrevistados). La unidad en estudio está representada por la E.P. Corporación Nacional de Electricidad (CNEL), Provincia de Manabí. Mediante el uso del método hermenéutico, se ha logrado un mayor proceso de entendimiento, comprensión e interpretación de la narrativa de los informantes claves y su correspondiente asociación con los temas abordados, como lo son: Gobernanza y empresas públicas, y relación con la transparencia institucional. La investigación, aparte de mostrar hallazgos sustantivos, también muestra como un nuevo paradigma gerencial (gobernanza) puede contribuir con las instrucciones de la administración pública, generando una propuesta denominada: Gobernanza institucional como praxis gerencial en las Empresas Públicas.
Abuso de la prisión preventiva en casos de flagrancia: criminalización de la pobreza en el Ecuador
Authors: Novoa-Macías María
Published: June 2023

Este artículo sugiere una crítica sobre el abuso de la prisión preventiva, respecto a la comisión de un delito poco frecuente o de escasa significación social, o el análisis sobre el cumplimiento de una pena corta con orden de prisión preventiva, que le resulta más costoso al Estado, antes que tomar la decisión de una reparación extrajudicial, o resolver con sanciones no privativas de libertad, alternas a la prisión.  
La libertad es la regla general, que solo puede ser restringida excepcional y motivadamente, sobre todo si se trata de un delito demasiado grave. Pero es responsabilidad del Estado, cuidar esta libertad, los derechos fundamentales y las garantías constitucionales que protegen no solo a la víctima sino al infractor. La orden de prisión preventiva debe ajustarse a la realidad del procesado, más cuando existen otras medidas cautelares que no le privan de su derecho a la libertad, de este modo se evita empeorar su situación como procesado, solo por responder a un equívoco interés de seguridad y supuesta justicia que pide la sociedad. 
El Código Integral Penal del Ecuador carece de justicia y razonabilidad. El sistema se ha dejado llevar por el trabajo consuetudinario y no por lo que expresamente manda y prohíbe la norma. Resultado de esto es el hacinamiento carcelario, por delitos menos graves que los que protagonizan los miembros del gobierno, quienes afectan no solo a la víctima directa de un delito específico, sino a todo el pueblo ecuatoriano. Pero sigue siendo más importante perseguir delitos más leves, y ordenar pena privativa de libertad para disfrazar “justicia” frente a la sociedad que clama cárcel, mientras los grandes crímenes están siendo absorbidos por el olvido de los jueces del Ecuador, y por el mismo ciclo de corrupción a causa del populismo punitivo, que dan como resultado no solo crisis penitenciaria, sino más criminalización de la pobreza.
Análisis del servicio postventa para la fidelización de los clientes de la empresa de telecomunicaciones Netlife, en Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.
Authors: Figueroa-Zambrano Lesley , Zaldumbide-Peralvo David
Published: June 2023

El servicio postventa es una parte fundamental de cualquier empresa, y más aún en el sector de las telecomunicaciones. En este sentido, la empresa Netlife, en Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, necesita asegurarse de que sus clientes estén satisfechos con los servicios que les proporciona y que, en caso de tener alguna incidencia o problema, puedan contar con un servicio postventa eficiente que les ayude a resolverlo de manera rápida y efectiva. Por ello, esta investigación pretende analizar el servicio postventa para la fidelización de clientes y mejorar su gestión en la empresa de telecomunicaciones Netlife, para ello se realizó un análisis cualitativo descriptivo de la investigación que permitió conocer desde la parte interna de la empresa la gestión del servicio postventa, mediante entrevistas semi estructuradas realizadas a jefes de marketing y asesores comerciales. 
Entre los principales resultados tenemos que, al tener las herramientas digitales adecuadas para dar seguimiento a la postventa, no se las da a conocer a los clientes, esto ahorraría tanto al cliente como al asesor tiempo para la solución del requerimiento del cliente. Finalmente, se concluye que para mejorar el servicio postventa para la fidelización del cliente es necesario capacitar a los asesores para que direccionen a los clientes a utilizar las diferentes herramientas digitales, que son de fácil acceso y se ahorrarían largas filas en atención al cliente.
Ejecución presupuestaria y su relación con la calidad del gasto público del Centro de Formación en Turismo
Authors: Cruz-Herrera Leydi
Published: June 2023

Determinar la relación entre la ejecución presupuestaria y la calidad del gasto público del Centro de Formación en Turismo, período 2019. Método: Investigación de tipo aplicada; nivel correlacional; diseño descriptivo. El tamaño de la muestra estuvo conformado por 16 funcionarios. La técnica de recolección fue el cuestionario y el análisis documental. Para responder a las hipótesis y objetivos se usó la prueba de correlación de Spearman. Resultados: El estudio de Rho de Spearman mostro un nivel de significancia bilateral (p-valor= 0.000) menor que 0.05 y su índice de correlación de 0.864, existiendo una asociación positiva moderada entre la variable de ejecución presupuestaria y la variable calidad de gasto público. Conclusiones: se determinó la asociación de las variables ejecución presupuestaria y calidad del gasto público, respecto a los indicadores de desempeño, la ejecución financiera y el cumplimiento de metas físicas acorde a los objetivos misionales de la Entidad.
Democratización de la participación ciudadana en la gestión pública local. Una oportunidad para la gobernanza institucional
Authors: Gutiérrez-Solórzano Zaida , Mantuano-Zambrano Yandry
Published: June 2023

La investigación partió con el propósito de interpretar el proceso de democratización de la participación ciudadana en la gestión pública local, partiendo de un discurso que establezca una oportunidad para la gobernanza institucional, soportándose desde las siguientes directrices: Comprender la democratización de la participación ciudadana como parte de la corresponsabilidad de la gestión pública local, y  contextualizar la participación ciudadana desde una postura gobernanza institucional local. La investigación es de enfoque analítico-interpretativa, inductiva y con una estrategia 

de revisión documental; se recurre a la saturación teoría desde la técnica de la comparación contante, facilitando la triangulación entre las teorías consultadas y

los criterios de los investigadores, y la narrativa de los entrevistados (informantes claves), lo cual permitió la propuesta de un nuevo constructo a partir de esta investigación, dando a su vez una oportunidad para una nueva praxis dentro de la administración pública, en especial a la gestión pública local. La investigación es de nivel descriptiva gracias a las características propias de lo que significa la participación ciudadana y su ámbito de aplicación; la Teoría Fundamentada se plantea cómo estrategia de análisis, permitiendo sostener el proceso de categorización que da origen a las tres vertientes para una buena praxis dentro de la gestión pública local: Construir ciudadanía al hacer responsable a toda la comunidad de los asuntos comunes; promover la participación ciudadana en el proceso de descentralización y transformación integral de la estructura política de la ciudad, y la gobernanza institucional facilita una lectura transversal de las necesidades sociales.
Pemanfaatan aplikasi NVivo 12 Plus untuk riset kualitatif di bidang akuntansi
Authors: Tambun Sihar , Sitorus Riris Rotua , Putra Robiur Rahmat , Julito Kiko Armenita
Published: June 2023

NVivo 12 Plus adalah software yang sangat membantu kegiatan pengolahan data riset kualitatif menjadi efisien dan efektif. Para peneliti di Program Studi Akuntansi Universitas Muhammadiyah Pekajangan Pekalongan belum ada yang menguasai cara pengolahan data dengan software NVivo. Program pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini diselenggarakan bertujuan untuk mengedukasi para peneliti menggunakan Software NVivo, sehingga mampu mengolah data secara mandiri. Program ini menggunakan pendekatan service learning. Kegiatan dilakukan secara hybrid, yaitu offline dan online. Hasil evaluasi membuktikan bahwa mayoritas peserta telah mampu secara mandiri mengolah data riset kualitatif dengan menggunakan software NVivo. Mampu secara mandiri menginput data internal dan data eksternal. Mampu melakukan coding data hasil wawancara, coding data dari portal berita, coding data dari youtube, coding data dari publikasi artikel ilmiah. Mampu melakukan proses visualisasi pada coding yang telah dibuat. Mampu membaca hasil pengolahan data dan mengambil kesimpulan penelitian gambar visualiasi yang dihasilkan oleh Software NVivo. Tingkat keberhasilan program ini mencapai 80,44%. Namun, para peserta harus berlatih secara mandiri dan program ini masih perlu diselenggarakan secara rutin setiap tahun.
Going further on herbivore fishing: the removal of smaller fishes from algal-dominated reefs
Authors: Feitosa JLL , Queiroz-Véras LVMV , Maida M , Ferreira BP
Published: June 2023

Overfishing of large herbivorous fishes is connected to the rise of algal-dominated states on coral reefs. The recovery of their populations is challenging, and future herbivore assemblages may be composed of smaller fish. With fisheries now targeting these smaller-sized herbivore populations, coral reef benthic communities may face unknown outcomes. We performed caging experiments in algal-dominated reefs of Northeastern Brazil, that have been depleted of large herbivorous fishes, to appraise the effects of removing small herbivores on benthic community composition and succession. Full cages simulated herbivore removal, and partial cages and open plots functioned as controls. In total, 36 experimental plots were monitored for 1 yr, accounting for the influence of seasonal changes in local conditions of temperature and turbidity. Overall macroalgal cover did not change between experimental treatments, but filamentous algae increased 5-fold inside full cages by the end of the experiment, surpassing articulated coralline forms as the dominant group. Higher temperatures during the dry season promoted filamentous algae when the top-down control of the herbivores was removed, while a reverse pattern was observed when fishes were allowed to feed inside plots. Small herbivores accelerated benthic succession, facilitating the dominance of articulated coralline algae as the climax community. Our findings oppose previous studies performed at sites with high abundances of large-bodied fishes, where herbivory decreased overall macroalgal cover, promoted filamentous and crustose coralline algae and delayed community succession. The further depletion of smaller-bodied herbivores can trigger shifts in benthic community dynamics that interact with water temperature, which may have implications for reef resilience in an ocean-warming scenario.
Tarihsel-İnançsal Kimliği ile Gül Baba Zaviyesi ve Türbesi Adlı Eser
Authors: SİVRİ Medine
Published: June 2023

Horasan erenleri, Hoca Ahmed Yesevi Dergahı’nın görevlendirmesiyle Horasan, Türkistan coğrafyasından Anadolu’ya gelerek iskan ve imar faaliyetleri gerçekleştiren düşün-inanç önderleridir. Horasan erenleri özellikle 13. yüzyılda Anadolu’ya gelerek Türkleşme ve İslamlaşma idealine dönük hizmet vermiştir. 13. yüzyılda Anadolu’da Horasan erenlerinin liderliğini yapan tarihi-karizmatik kişilik, Hacı Bektaş Veli’dir. Hacı Bektaş Veli’nin çevresinde örgütlenen dede, baba ve sultan sıfatlarıyla anılan dervişler, Anadolu’da bir taraftan iskân-imar faaliyetleri yürütürken diğer taraftan da insan sevgisi ve hoşgörü gibi evrensel insani erdemler için çalışmalar yapmıştır. Hacı Bektaş Veli düşün-inanç sistemi, 13. yüzyılda Anadolu’daki temellenişine bağlı olarak Doğu Avrupa, Balkan coğrafyasında da temsil edilmeye başlamıştır. Sarı Saltık ile 13. yüzyılda Doğu Avrupa’da, Balkan coğrafyasında örgütlenen Alevi-Bektaşi inancı, 16. yüzyılda asıl adı Seyyid Cafer olan Gül Baba ile Orta Avrupa coğrafyasına ulaştırılmıştır. Gül Baba, Macaristan-Budapeşte’de açtığı zaviye ile Alevi-Bektaşi inancının Orta Avrupa’daki tarihi temsilciliğini yapmıştır. Devam eden yüzyıllarda Gül Baba’nın adıyla anılan zaviye ve adına oluşan türbe, Macaristan coğrafyasında Alevi-Bektaşi inancının tarihsel merkezi olmuştur.

Belli başlıklarla ifade edilmeye çalışılan tarihsel-inançsal dinamiklerden yola çıkarak yayımlanan “Tarihsel-İnançsal Kimliği ile Gül Baba, Zaviyesi ve Türbesi” adlı eser üç ciltten oluşmaktadır. Hazırlanan metinde Gül Baba’nın şahsıyla ilgili yazılı arşiv kaynaklarının yanında Macaristan-Budapeşte’deki Gül Baba ve Zaviyesi hakkındaki birincil önemdeki yazılı arşiv kaynaklarına da yer verilmiştir.
PHENOMENON OF FANDOM WAR IN K-POP COMMUNITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Authors: Marcelino Letwory Aldy , Sihombing Lambok Hermanto
Published: June 2023

This research aims to discuss the phenomenon of fan wars between fans of a K-pop group and fans of other K-pop groups. Furthermore, it explores the reasons and purposes of this incident among K-pop fans, using the observation method based on Stuart Hall's Encoding-Decoding theory. This research will analyze several fan war cases that occurred some time ago. The results of this study indicate that the fan war phenomenon has several ways, like replying to each other's comments on social media using insulting and harsh words commonly known as flaming, making tweets that bring down idols from other fans, and making videos containing hoax news. The interference of toxic fans from each fandom is the reason this fan war can happen, and the selfish nature of each fan who wants to show their prowess to other fans is their main goal. Ultimately, this phenomenon is just a form of selfishness from every fan toward their idol.
Moving adsorption belt system for continuous bioproduct recovery utilizing composite fibrous adsorbents
Authors: Guo Yijia , Kangwa Martin , Ali Wael , Mayer-Gall Thomas , Gutmann Jochen S. , Zenneck Claus , Winter Martina , Jungbauer Alois , Fernandez Lahore Hector Marcelo
Published: June 2023

A continuous protein recovery and purification system based on the true moving bed concept is presented. A novel adsorbent material, in the form of an elastic and robust woven fabric, served as a moving belt following the general designs observed in known belt conveyors. The composite fibrous material that forms the said woven fabric showed high protein binding capacity, reaching a static binding capacity equal to 107.3 mg/g, as determined via isotherm experiments. Moreover, testing the same cation exchange fibrous material in a packed bed format resulted in excellent dynamic binding capacity values (54.5 mg/g) even when operating at high flow rates (480 cm/h). In a subsequent step, a benchtop prototype was designed, constructed, and tested. Results indicated that the moving belt system could recover a model protein (hen egg white lysozyme) with a productivity up to 0.5 mg/cm2/h. Likewise, a monoclonal antibody was directly recovered from unclarified CHO_K1 cell line culture with high purity, as judged by SDS-PAGE, high purification factor (5.8), and in a single step, confirming the suitability and selectivity of the purification procedure.
Glycine differentially improved the growth and biochemical composition of Synechocystis sp. PAK13 and Chlorella variabilis DT025
Authors: Fathy Wael A. , AbdElgawad Hamada , Essawy Ehab A. , Tawfik Eman , Abdelhameed Mohamed S. , Hammouda Ola , Korany Shereen Magdy , Elsayed Khaled N. M.
Published: June 2023

The potential of microalgae to produce valuable compounds has garnered considerable attention. However, there are various challenges that hinder their large-scale industrial utilization, such as high production costs and the complexities associated with achieving optimal growth conditions. Therefore, we investigated the effects of glycine at different concentrations on the growth and bioactive compounds production of Synechocystis sp. PAK13 and Chlorella variabilis cultivated under nitrogen availability. Glycine supplementation resulted in increased biomass and bioactive primary metabolites accumulation in both species. Sugar production, particularly glucose content, significantly improved in Synechocystis at 3.33 mM glycine (1.4 mg/g). This led to enhanced organic acid, particularly malic acid, and amino acids production. Glycine stress also influenced the concentration of indole-3-acetic acid, which was significantly higher in both species compared to the control. Furthermore, fatty acids content increased by 2.5-fold in Synechocystis and by 1.36-fold in Chlorella. Overall, the exogenous application of glycine is a cheap, safe, and effective approach to enhancing sustainable microalgal biomass and bioproducts production.
FGF signaling in cranial suture development and related diseases
Authors: Zhao Xiaolei , Erhardt Shannon , Sung Kihan , Wang Jun
Published: June 2023

Suture mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) are a heterogeneous stem cell population with the ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell lineages. The cranial suture provides a niche for SMSCs to maintain suture patency, allowing for cranial bone repair and regeneration. In addition, the cranial suture functions as an intramembranous bone growth site during craniofacial bone development. Defects in suture development have been implicated in various congenital diseases, such as sutural agenesis and craniosynostosis. However, it remains largely unknown how intricate signaling pathways orchestrate suture and SMSC function in craniofacial bone development, homeostasis, repair and diseases. Studies in patients with syndromic craniosynostosis identified fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling as an important signaling pathway that regulates cranial vault development. A series of in vitro and in vivo studies have since revealed the critical roles of FGF signaling in SMSCs, cranial suture and cranial skeleton development, and the pathogenesis of related diseases. Here, we summarize the characteristics of cranial sutures and SMSCs, and the important functions of the FGF signaling pathway in SMSC and cranial suture development as well as diseases caused by suture dysfunction. We also discuss emerging current and future studies of signaling regulation in SMSCs.
Identification of PANoptosis-relevant subgroups to evaluate the prognosis and immune landscape of patients with liver hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Zhengwei , Zhang Feng , Pang Ping , Li Yapeng , Chen Xiaoning , Sun Shibo , Bian Yu
Published: June 2023

Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, which is difficult to be diagnosed at an early stage due to its poor prognosis. Despite the fact that PANoptosis is important in the occurrence and development of tumors, no bioinformatic explanation related to PANoptosis in LIHC can be found. A bioinformatics analysis on the data of LIHC patients in TCGA database was carried out on the basis of previously identified PANoptosis-related genes (PRGs). LIHC patients were divided into two PRG clusters whose gene characteristics of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discussed. According to DEGs, the patients were further divided into two DEG clusters, and prognostic-related DEGs (PRDEGs) were applied to risk score calculation, the latter of which turned out to be practical in identifying the relationship among risk score, patient prognosis, and immune landscape. The results suggested that PRGs and relevant clusters were bound up with the survival and immunity of patients. Moreover, the prognostic value based on two PRDEGs was evaluated, the risk scoring model was constructed, and the nomogram model for predicting the survival rate of patients was further developed. Therefore, it was found that the prognosis of the high-risk subgroup was poor. Additionally, three factors, namely, the abundance of immune cells, the expression of immune checkpoints, and immunotherapy and chemotherapy were considered to be associated with the risk score. RT-qPCR results indicated higher positive expression of CD8A and CXCL6 in both LIHC tissues and most human liver cancer cell lines. In summary, the results suggested that PANoptosis was bound up with LIHC-related survival and immunity. Two PRDEGs were identified as potential markers. Thus, the understanding of PANoptosis in LIHC was enriched, with some strategies provided for the clinical therapy of LIHC.
Hollow glass microspheres/phenolic syntactic foams with excellent mechanical and thermal insulate performance
Authors: Wang Hui , Yan Rui , Cheng Hua , Zou Mingmin , Wang Hua , Zheng Kang
Published: June 2023

Syntactic foams with low density as well as low thermal conduction and proper mechanical performance are vitally important for aerospace, marine, and automotive industries. Here, phenolic-based syntactic foams were fabricated by combining the hollow glass microsphere (GMs) with phenolic resin of in situ synthesis. Benefited from the stirring and hot-pressing treatment, microspheres dispersed homogeneously in the resin matrix and it greatly reduced the density of the composites. Stretching and compression tests were performed to investigate the mechanical behavior of the foams. It is found that both the compressive and tensile strength decreased as the filler loadings increasing. While the elasticity modulus was improved. On the other hand, thermal properties tests revealed superior thermal stability and thermal insulate performance of the composites. The final residue content of the synthetic foam with 40 wt% filler was improved by ∼31.5% than that of the neat one at 700°C. And samples with 20 wt% microspheres reached a minimum thermal conductivity value of approximately 0.129 W (m·K)−1 which is ∼46.7% lower than that of neat resin [0.298 W (m·K)−1]. This work provides a feasible strategy to construct syntactic foams with low density and ideal thermal properties.
Development of a genetic risk score to predict the risk of hypertension in European adolescents from the HELENA study
Authors: Pérez-Gimeno Gloria , Seral-Cortes Miguel , Sabroso-Lasa Sergio , Esteban Luis Mariano , Lurbe Empar , Béghin Laurent , Gottrand Frederic , Meirhaeghe Aline , Muntaner Manon , Kafatos Anthony , Molnár Dénes , Leclercq Catherine , Widhalm Kurt , Kersting Mathilde , Nova Esther , Salazar-Tortosa Diego F. , Gonzalez-Gross Marcela , Breidenassel Christina , Sinningen Kathrin , De Ruyter Thaïs , Labayen Idoia , Rupérez Azahara I. , Bueno-Lozano Gloria , Moreno Luis A.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

From genome wide association study (GWAS) a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have previously been associated with blood pressure (BP) levels. A combination of SNPs, forming a genetic risk score (GRS) could be considered as a useful genetic tool to identify individuals at risk of developing hypertension from early stages in life. Therefore, the aim of our study was to build a GRS being able to predict the genetic predisposition to hypertension (HTN) in European adolescents.

Methods

Data were extracted from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) cross-sectional study. A total of 869 adolescents (53% female), aged 12.5–17.5, with complete genetic and BP information were included. The sample was divided into altered (≥130 mmHg for systolic and/or ≥80 mmHg for diastolic) or normal BP. Based on the literature, a total of 1.534 SNPs from 57 candidate genes related with BP were selected from the HELENA GWAS database.

Results

From 1,534 SNPs available, An initial screening of SNPs univariately associated with HTN (p < 0.10) was established, to finally obtain a number of 16 SNPs significantly associated with HTN (p < 0.05) in the multivariate model. The unweighted GRS (uGRS) and weighted GRS (wGRS) were estimated. To validate the GRSs, the area under the curve (AUC) was explored using ten-fold internal cross-validation for uGRS (0.802) and wGRS (0.777). Further covariates of interest were added to the analyses, obtaining a higher predictive ability (AUC values of uGRS: 0.879; wGRS: 0.881 for BMI z-score). Furthermore, the differences between AUCs obtained with and without the addition of covariates were statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Both GRSs, the uGRS and wGRS, could be useful to evaluate the predisposition to hypertension in European adolescents.
Abnormal Change in Spring Snowmelt Over Eurasia and Its Linkage to the East Asian Summer Monsoon: The Hydrological Effect of Snow Cover
Authors: Xu Bei , Chen Haishan , Gao Chujie , Zeng Gang , Huang Qinghan
Published: June 2023

In this study, the relationship between Eurasian spring snowmelt and the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM), and its related mechanisms are investigated using observational and reanalysis data. Our analyses reveal that the interannual change of spring snowmelt over Eurasia is strongly linked to the EASM circulation variation and its corresponding summer precipitation in China. It is noteworthy that soil moisture anomaly caused by the snow hydrological effect (i.e., snowmelt) plays a bridging role in connecting the Eurasian snow cover and the EASM. The results show that increased spring snowmelt over Siberia induces anomalously higher soil moisture from spring to the following summer, thus continuously lowering the local temperature. Such a cooling effect leads to a weakened meridional temperature gradient and a decreased baroclinicity between north Eurasia and the Arctic Ocean. Consequently, the variation in atmospheric baroclinicity induced by the nonuniform heating of land surface exerts a significant impact on the synoptic eddy. The eddy forcing gives a positive feedback on intensification of the wave train over north Eurasia. Finally, the atmospheric circulation responses weaken the EASM and influence summer precipitation over China, producing excessive precipitation over most regions of South China and deficient rainfall over Northeast and North China. Our study emphasizes the hydrological effect of the sub-seasonal change of spring snow cover over Siberia, which has a significant linkage to the variation of the EASM intensity. The resultant changes in the EASM lead to an abnormal meridional dipole pattern of summer precipitation over China. These findings will contribute to the seasonal prediction of monsoon precipitation.
Preservice teachers’ experiences with classroom management in the virtual class: a case study approach
Authors: Hojeij Zeina , Baroudi Sandra , Meda Lawrence
Published: June 2023

The present study explores the experiences of Emirati female preservice teachers who are completing their internship teaching practice virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study focuses on virtual classroom management. Participants were preservice teachers (n = 18) completing their undergraduate degrees in Early Childhood Education at a federal university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data collected from interviews resulted in four themes related to classroom management: challenges, opportunities, performance factors, and suggestions for improvement. The findings revealed that the preservice teachers considered virtual learning an opportunity. However, the main challenge was that the preservice teachers had no prior training in online classroom management and had to create their own strategies. Training on the technology used for virtual learning is important for both teachers and students to achieve satisfactory learning experiences.
A randomized controlled experiment for comparing face-to-face and online teaching during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Cheung Yue Yat Harrison , Lam Kwok Fai , Zhang Hengtao , Kwan Chi Wai , Wat Kam Pui , Zhang Zhiqiang , Zhu Ke , Chung Yuk Ka , Yin Guosheng
Published: June 2023

Randomized controlled experiments have shown that face-to-face teaching is more effective in delivering various learning outcomes than asynchronous online teaching. Unlike the asynchronous online teaching mode, the synchronous online mode has a live instruction component and is more comparable to the face-to-face mode. A small-sized randomized controlled experiment involving 50 students showed that there was no significant difference in student ratings on the effectiveness between the face-to-face and synchronous online teaching modes. Prior to the current study, no medium-or large-sized randomized controlled experiment had been conducted for comparing the two modes. The current study aims to fill in the gap by comparing the effectiveness of face-to-face (i.e., intervention) and synchronous online (i.e., control) teaching through a randomized controlled experiment involving 725 students from seven statistics courses offered by the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Hong Kong. Results show that the difference in learning outcomes between the two modes is not statistically significant. The class size is an effect modifier that students assigned to the face-to-face mode have significantly higher final weighted and final exam scores if they have face-to-face lessons with 25 students or fewer. The Pass/Fail grading option has a significantly negative effect on course performance.
Assessing spatial and temporal changes in diversity of copepod crustaceans: a key step for biodiversity conservation in groundwater-fed springs
Authors: Cerasoli Francesco , Fiasca Barbara , Di Lorenzo Tiziana , Lombardi Annalina , Tomassetti Barbara , Lorenzi Valeria , Vaccarelli Ilaria , Di Cicco Mattia , Petitta Marco , Galassi Diana M. P.
Published: June 2023

Despite the close attention springs have received from a hydrologic perspective and as biodiversity hotspots, the multiple dimensions of spring meiofaunal assemblage diversity are still poorly investigated. Knowledge of beta diversity patterns and drivers can inform and improve management decisions on biodiversity conservation. Here, we analyzed beta diversity of copepod assemblages in karst springs in Central Italy by focusing on: 1) relative contributions of turnover and nestedness components to taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity; 2) temporal variation of species richness and beta diversity within and between the target springs in conjunction with models of the influence of physical-chemical parameters on within-spring diversity changes; 3) expected risk of habitat loss due to variation in groundwater recharge under climate change. To this end, we gathered data from 168 samples collected in four karst springs from 2004 to 2016. Overall, we found 48 copepod species, 22 of which are obligate groundwater dwellers while the remaining 26 usually occur in surface freshwaters. All springs showed significant changes in taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity over time. Total beta diversity was high for both the taxonomic and phylogenetic dimensions, and turnover was the main component. Inter-site variability in dissolved oxygen explained a noticeable part of temporal variation in beta diversity, likely reflecting the role of microhabitat heterogeneity in shaping site-specific assemblages. However, most of the temporal variation in species richness and beta diversity remained unexplained, suggesting a major role of other factors, such as seasonal discharge variations. Modelling of recharge rates for all the four springs over 2001–2020 suggested a potential >40% recharge deficit under dry conditions. Moreover, Cellular Automata-based modelling of rainfall over the Gran Sasso-Sirente hydrogeologic unit (feeding three of the four springs) predicted an overall precipitation decrease in the 2081–2095 period. Such changes could produce severe effects on springs’ microhabitats and related communities. Our results indicate that partitioning beta diversity, monitoring its temporal changes and assessing its environmental drivers are critical to evidence-based conservation of springs. Particularly, the high species turnover we have observed suggests that conservation strategies should seek to preserve as many microhabitats as possible within and among karst springs.
Effect of temperature on exercise metabolism, hypoxia tolerance, and RNA-seq analysis in Sinilabeo rendahli from the Yangtze River, China
Authors: Li Sheng , Guo Hui , Du Chun-Ying , Tao Yi-Xi , Feng Jing-Yun , Xu Hao , Pang Xu , Li Yun
Published: June 2023

Temperature variation affects the growth performance of fish species due to growing constraints and trade-off on physiological functions. Here we experimentally investigated several metabolic and physiological parameters in Sinilabeo rendahli, an endemic fish species found in the Yangtze River in China. After a 14-day acclimation period, we measured routine metabolic rate (RMR), individual metabolic rate (MO2), temperature quotient (Q10), loss of equilibrium (LOE), and critical oxygen tension (Pcrit) at three different temperatures (15, 20, and 25°C). Moreover, we sampled the muscle tissue from juvenile S. rendahli under experimental conditions after 28 days of acclimation and performed transcriptome-RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The Pcrit of the fish at the above acclimation temperatures were determined to be 1.07, 1.28, and 1.33 mg·L−1, respectively, and corresponded with increasing acclimation temperatures (15–25°C). RMR was positively correlated with Pcrit (r = 0.4711, P = 0.0201), negatively correlated with LOE (r = −0.4284, P = 0.0367), and significantly positively correlated with MRcrit (r = 0.8797, P < 0.001) at temperatures ranging from 15 to 25°C. In addition, a total of 4,710 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The results of DEG analysis and KEGG clustering analysis indicated that energy metabolism played a central role in thermal stress in S. rendahli for the major upregulated genes. This was followed by autophagy, mitophagy, cardiac muscle contraction, extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, and protein digestion and absorption. This study is significant for understanding the adaptive response of S. rendahli to thermal stress. Even more importantly, this study demonstrates that S. rendahli is more suitable for cold-water life.
Integrated analysis of circRNA-associated ceRNA network in ischemic stroke
Authors: Fan Rongli , Hu Die , Wang Maiqiu , Zheng Huilin , Zhou Yifeng , Zhang Lei
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Stroke, of which ischemic stroke (IS) is the major type, is the second leading cause of disability and death worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are reported to play important role in the physiology and pathology of IS. CircRNAs often act as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to regulate gene expression by acting as miRNA sponges. However, whole transcriptome-wide screenings of circRNA-mediated ceRNA networks associated with IS are still lacking. In the present study, we constructed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network by whole transcriptome-wide analysis.

Methods: CircRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs expression profiles were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. We identified differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs in IS patients. StarBase and CircBank databases were used to predict the miRNA targets of DEcircRNAs, and mirDIP database was used to predict the mRNA targets of DEmiRNAs. CircRNA-miRNA pairs and miRNA-mRNA pairs were established. Then, we identified hub genes via protein-protein interaction analysis and constructed a core ceRNA sub-network.

Results: In total, 276 DEcircRNAs, 43 DEmiRNAs, and 1926 DEmRNAs were explored. The ceRNA network included 69 circRNAs, 24 miRNAs, and 92 mRNAs. The core ceRNA subnetwork included hsa_circ_0011474, hsa_circ_0023110, CDKN1A, FHL2, RPS2, CDK19, KAT6A, CBX1, BRD4, and ZFHX3.

Discussion: In conclusion, we established a novel hsa_circ_0011474 - hsa-miR-20a-5p/hsa-miR-17-5p - CDKN1A ceRNA regulatory axis associated with IS. Our findings provide new insights into the pathogenesis of IS and offer promising diagnostic and predictive biomarkers.
Genetics and marker-assisted breeding for sex expression in cucumber
Authors: Dhall R. K. , Kaur Harleen , Manchanda Pooja , Eshanee
Published: June 2023

Cucumber is an important vegetable crop that provides an accessible draft genome, which has significantly expedited research in various fields of molecular genetics. Cucumber breeders have been employing various methodologies to improve the yield and quality of the crop. These methodologies comprise enhancement of disease resistance, use of gynoecious sex types and their association with parthenocarpy, alterations in plant architecture, and enhancement of genetic variability. The genetics of sex expression are a complex trait in cucumbers but are very significant for the genetic improvement of cucumber crop. This review comprises an explanation of the current status of gene(s) involvement and its expression studies, the inheritance of genes, molecular markers, and genetic engineering associated with sex determination, as well as a discussion of the role of ethylene in sex expression and sex-determining genes of the ACS family. There is no doubt that gynoecy is an important trait among all sex forms of cucumber for heterosis breeding, but if it is associated with parthenocarpy, fruit yield can be enhanced to a greater extent under favorable conditions. However, little information is available with regard to parthenocarpy in gynoecious-type cucumber. This review sheds light on the genetics and molecular mapping of sex expression and could be beneficial especially to cucumber breeders and other scientists working on crop improvement via traditional and molecular assistant approaches.
Enhancing genomic mutation data storage optimization based on the compression of asymmetry of sparsity
Authors: Ding Youde , Liao Yuan , He Ji , Ma Jianfeng , Wei Xu , Liu Xuemei , Zhang Guiying , Wang Jing
Published: June 2023

Background: With the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technology and the explosive growth of genomic data, storing, transmitting and processing massive amounts of data has become a new challenge. How to achieve fast lossless compression and decompression according to the characteristics of the data to speed up data transmission and processing requires research on relevant compression algorithms.

Methods: In this paper, a compression algorithm for sparse asymmetric gene mutations (CA_SAGM) based on the characteristics of sparse genomic mutation data was proposed. The data was first sorted on a row-first basis so that neighboring non-zero elements were as close as possible to each other. The data were then renumbered using the reverse Cuthill-Mckee sorting technique. Finally the data were compressed into sparse row format (CSR) and stored. We had analyzed and compared the results of the CA_SAGM, coordinate format (COO) and compressed sparse column format (CSC) algorithms for sparse asymmetric genomic data. Nine types of single-nucleotide variation (SNV) data and six types of copy number variation (CNV) data from the TCGA database were used as the subjects of this study. Compression and decompression time, compression and decompression rate, compression memory and compression ratio were used as evaluation metrics. The correlation between each metric and the basic characteristics of the original data was further investigated.

Results: The experimental results showed that the COO method had the shortest compression time, the fastest compression rate and the largest compression ratio, and had the best compression performance. CSC compression performance was the worst, and CA_SAGM compression performance was between the two. When decompressing the data, CA_SAGM performed the best, with the shortest decompression time and the fastest decompression rate. COO decompression performance was the worst. With increasing sparsity, the COO, CSC and CA_SAGM algorithms all exhibited longer compression and decompression times, lower compression and decompression rates, larger compression memory and lower compression ratios. When the sparsity was large, the compression memory and compression ratio of the three algorithms showed no difference characteristics, but the rest of the indexes were still different.

Conclusion: CA_SAGM was an efficient compression algorithm that combines compression and decompression performance for sparse genomic mutation data.
Population dynamics and stock assessment of two major eels (Muraenesox bagio and Congresox talabonoides) from the marine waters of Bangladesh
Authors: Barua Suman , Liu Qun , Alam Mohammed Shahidul , Schneider Petra , Mozumder M.M.H. , Rouf Md. Abdur
Published: June 2023

Muraenesox bagio(black eel) andCongresox talabonoides(brown eel) are two major eels (Muraenesocidae) species which are commercially significant in the marine catch of Bangladesh, but population dynamics and stock assessment of marine eel fishery in Bangladesh are yet to be studied. This study is the first endeavour to analyze the population dynamics and stock assessment of this marine eels collected from July 2021 to May 2022 using three length-based methods namely TropFishR, the Length Based-Spawning Potential Ratio (LB-SPR) & the length-Based Indicators (LBI) and two catch-based methods including Depletion-Based Stock Reduction Analysis (DB-SRA) and the Catch-Maximum Sustainable Yield (CMSY). A slightly positive allometric growth pattern (b=3.10) for the black eel and a negative allometric growth pattern (b=2.33) for the brown eel were observed in the length-weight relationship. The parameters of von Bertalanffy Growth Function (VBGF) and the linearized length-converted catch curve (LCCC) analysis for black eel and brown eel wereL∞=190.67cm and 166.63cm,k=0.18 year-1and 0.16 year-1, and the total mortality,Z=0.70 year-1and 0.45 year-1. The eel fishery is calculated to be overfished due to overexploitation and the stock’s spawning biomass (SPR=19% for black eel and 21% for brown eel) is close to the limit reference point but well outside the targeted range because the majority of the catches were found to have below-maturity levels. This study advised an optimum length limit to catch from 93 to 114 cm for black eel and 83 to 101 cm for brown eel. Though the estimated reference points of the CMSY were more optimistic than those from the DB-SRA, the tendency of the status of eel stock has been displayed moving towards overexploitation from a safe stock scenario. This study, therefore, recommended an annual landing limit of 250 mt asOFL(Over fishing limit) for the next ten years in association with existing management measures to maintain the present stock biomass of eel fishery over theBMSYlevel.
The independent prognostic effect of marital status on non-small cell lung cancer patients: a population-based study
Authors: Zhao Dechang , Zhang Rusi , Yang Longjun , Huang Zirui , Lin Yongbin , Wen Yingsheng , Wang Gongming , Guo Guangran , Zhang Lanjun
Published: June 2023

Background

Previous studies had demonstrated that marital status was an independent prognostic factor in multiple cancers. However, the impact of marital status on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was still highly controversial.

Method

All NSCLC patients diagnosed between 2010–2016 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. To control the confounding effect of related clinicopathological characteristics, propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted between married and unmarried groups. In addition, independent prognostic clinicopathological factors were evaluated via Cox proportional hazard regression. Moreover, nomograms were established based on the clinicopathological characteristics, and the predictive accuracy was assessed by calibration curves. Furthermore, decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to determine the clinical benefits.

Results

In total, 58,424 NSCLC patients were enrolled according to the selection criteria. After PSM, 20,148 patients were selected into each group for further analysis. The married group consistently demonstrated significantly better OS and CSS compared to unmarried group [OS median survival (95% CI): 25 (24–26) vs. 22 (21–23) months, p < 0.001; CSS median survival (95% CI): 31 (30–32) vs. 27 (26–28) months, p < 0.001]. Moreover, single patients were associated with the worst OS [median survival (95% CI): 20 (19–22) months] and CSS [median survival (95%CI): 24 (23–25) months] among unmarried subgroups. Besides, unmarried patients had a significantly worse prognosis compared to married patients in both univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regressions. Furthermore, married group was associated with better survival in most subgroups. To predict the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS and CSS probabilities, nomograms were established based on age, race, sex, gender, marital status, histology, grade, TNM stage. The C-index for OS and CSS were 0.759 and 0.779. And the calibration curves showed significant agreement between predictive risk and the observed probability. DCA indicated nomograms had consistently better predict performance.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that unmarried NSCLC patients were associated with significantly worse OS and CSS compared to married NSCLC patients. Therefore, unmarried patients need not only closer surveillance, but also more social and family support, which may improve patients’ adherence and compliance, and eventually improve the survival.
Assembly and disassembly of branched ubiquitin chains
Authors: Gregor Justin B. , Xu Dantong , French Michael E.
Published: June 2023

Protein ubiquitylation is an essential post-translational modification that regulates nearly all aspects of eukaryotic cell biology. A diverse collection of ubiquitylation signals, including an extensive repertoire of polymeric ubiquitin chains, leads to a range of different functional outcomes for the target protein. Recent studies have shown that ubiquitin chains can be branched and that branched chains have a direct impact on the stability or the activity of the target proteins they are attached to. In this mini review, we discuss the mechanisms that control the assembly and disassembly of branched chains by the enzymes of the ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation machinery. Existing knowledge regarding the activities of chain branching ubiquitin ligases and the deubiquitylases responsible for cleaving branched chains is summarized. We also highlight new findings concerning the formation of branched chains in response to small molecules that induce the degradation of otherwise stable proteins and examine the selective debranching of heterotypic chains by the proteasome-bound deubiquitylase UCH37.