bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Volatile and Phenolic Compounds In The Resistance of The Melon to The Vegetable Leafminer, Liriomyza Sativae Blanchard (Diptera: Agromyzidae)
Authors: Vasconcelos Jéssica Fontes , Dias-Pini Nivia , SARAIVA WENNER VINICIUS ARAÚJO , FARIAS LUCAS DE LIMA , RIBEIRO PAULO RICELI VASCONCELOS , MELO JOSÉ WAGNER DA SILVA , RODRIGUES TIGRESSA HELENA SOARES , MACEDO VITOR HUGO MAUES
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether volatile compounds released by melon genotypes interfere in the attractiveness and repellency of Liriomyza sativae Blanchard (Diptera: Agromyzidae), and to characterise the phenolic compounds of melon genotypes, as well as the antibiotic action of these compounds on L. sativae. Through experiments, it was shown that the volatiles of the melon genotypes CNPH 06-1047-343, CNPH 06-1047-333 and CNPH 06-1047-341 showed little attractiveness to L. sativae, while the volatiles of the Goldex commercial hybrid were more attractive. By analysing the volatile profiles, it was possible to identify the compounds acetic acid, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, α-pinene, (Z)-β-ocimene, (E)-β-ocimene, linalool, allo-ocimene and neo-allo-ocimene. The CNPH 06-1047-343, CNPH 06-1047-333 and CNPH 06-1047-341 melon genotypes show resistant characteristics due to the non-preference of L. sativae because of the smaller number of volatiles and the higher concentration of acetic acid in their volatile composition. The phenolic compounds characterised were hydroxybenzoic-hexoside acid, ferulic acid and trihydroxy-octadecadienoic acid. The CNPH 06-1047-333 and CNPH 06-1047-341 melon genotypes presented, respectively, the highest and lowest levels of total phenolics, but there was no difference in the larval or pupal viability of L. sativae, indicating a lack of any relationship between total phenols and antibiotic resistance of the melon genotypes to L. sativae. In general, based on the analysis of volatile and phenolic compounds, the CNPH 06-1047-343, CNPH 06-1047-333 and CNPH 06-1047-341 genotypes are less attractive to L. sativae than the commercial hybrid genotypes (Goldex).
Assessment of Pulmonary Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis Without Overt Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Çoksevim Metin , Çerik İdris Bugra , Yenerçağ Mustafa , Kocasarı Ahmet Onur , Yavuzbilge Gökhan , Polat Musa , Meriç Murat , Özgen Metin
Published: February 2022

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a pathophysiological disorder that may involve multiple clinical conditions and complicate most systemic diseases. Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), represents the leading cause of connective tissue disease (CTD) associated with PAH. Although SSc is a rare disease, it is associated with higher morbidity and early mortality than other rheumatological diseases due to developing SSc-associated interstitial pulmonary disease (ILD) and/or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The impact of the early diagnosis on the prognosis is evident. In this context, in our study, we aimed to investigate the early changes in pulmonary vascular bed by measuring pulmonary arterial stiffness (PAS) in SSc patients without overt PAH. Sixty-two SSc patients and fifty-eight gender and age-matched, healthy subjects enrolled in this cross-sectional observational study. SSc patients were evaluated in terms of disease duration and severity. Modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) was calculated as disease severity index. Echocardiographic parameters were assessed and compared to the control group. Right Ventricular (RV) diameters, systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), and right ventricle myocardial performance index (RV-MPI) were significantly higher in the SSc group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricular fractional area change (RV-FAC) were significantly lower in the SSc group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). PAS value (25.5 ± 9.2 kHz/ms vs. 18.1 ± 7.4 kHz/ms, p <0.001) was significantly higher in the SSc group than in the control group. A statistically significant positive correlation relationship was detected between the PAS value and CRP, ESR, disease duration, mRSS. According to these results, in SSc patients, PAS as an inexpensive and easily applicable echocardiographic method might serve as a marker of early detection of PAH.
Assessing the Impact of Gestational Age of Donors on the Efficacy of Amniotic Epithelial Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Experimental Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Authors: Yawno Tamara , Zhu Dandan , Krause Mirja , Kusuma Gina , Schwab Renate , Barabadi Mehri , Maleken Amina S , Chan Siow , Hunt Rod , Greening David , Wallace Euan , Lim Rebecca
Published: February 2022

Background and rationale: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a potential cell-free regenerative medicine. Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) are a viable source of cell therapy for diseases like bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However, little is known about the impact of gestational age of the donor on the quality of hAEC-derived EVs. Aims: To determine the impact of gestational age on hAEC-derived EVs in experimental BPD. Results: Term hAEC-derived EVs displayed a significantly higher density of surface epitopes (CD142 and CD133) and induced greater macrophage phagocytosis compared to preterm hAEC-EVs. However, T cell proliferation was more significantly suppressed by preterm hAEC-EVs. Using a model of experimental BPD, we observed that term but not preterm hAEC-EVs improved tissue-to-airspace ratio and septal crest density. While both term and preterm hAEC-EVs reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines on postnatal day 7, the improvement of lung injury was associated with increased type II alveolar cells which was only observed in term hAEC-EV treatment group. Furthermore, only neonatal term hAEC-EVs reduced airway hyper-responsiveness, mitigated pulmonary hypertension and protected against right ventricular hypertrophy at 6 weeks of age.Conclusion: Term hAEC-EVs, but not preterm hAEC-EVs, have therapeutic efficacy in a mouse model of BPD-like lung injury. Therefore, the impact of donor criteria should be considered when applying perinatal cells derived EV therapy for clinical use.
Mutant Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 Product, 2-Hydroxy Glutarate, Activates MutT Homolog 1 in Glioma Cells via Augmentation of Reactive Oxygen Species
Authors: Bhavya Bharathan , Anand CR , Urulangodi Madhusoodhanan , K Sreelakshmi , AN Deepti , Menon Girish R , K Krishnakumar , HV Easwer , G SRINIVAS
Published: February 2022

MutT Homolog1 (MTH1) is an enzyme responsible for removing oxidized nucleotides from cells. Activation of MTH1 is reported in many cancer cells and is thought to be responsible for imparting resistance towards anticancer drugs. While there are several mechanisms for the activation of MTH1 in cancer cells, this study aimed to evaluate the role of mutant Isocitrate Dehydrogenase1 (mIDH1) - mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the activation of MutT Homolog1 in glioma cells. MTH1 was found to be upregulated in both mIDH1 expressed and 2- HG treated cells. mIDH1 and its product, 2-HG, increased the ROS levels in the cultured glioblastoma cells. Further, increased expression and activity of MTH1 was observed in glioma tissues harboring mIDH1 compared to tissues with wild-type IDH1. Our study unveils a novel mechanism of activation of MTH1 in cells harboring mutant IDH1.
Assessment of groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigation purpose in Dindigul taluk, Tamilnadu, India
Authors: Sundararaj Premkumar , Chidambaram Sashik Kumar Madurai , Sivakumar Vivek , Natarajan Logesh
Published: February 2022

Groundwater samples of Dindigul taluk at the interior part of Tamilnadu, India were evaluated for groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigation purpose. Positive correlation of EC with most of the parameters suggests that salinity plays a vital role in the enrichment of other parameters. Comparing with the post-monsoon the samples from the pre-monsoon exhibit less quality but are suitable for drinking purpose except in a few locations. Almost all the samples come under the standard values and are suitable for drinking as well as irrigation purpose. The TH and TDS values imply that the samples are hard to very hard type mostly during the pre-monsoon period. Few samples in the evaporation zone of Gibbs plot suggests the contamination of groundwater through surface processes such as irrigation return flow and some other anthropogenic impacts like domestic sewage disposal. Overall, the samples are suitable for irrigation purpose with an exception that samples with medium salinity and high sodium content were not suitable for irrigation purpose in any type of soils.
Effects of Fe-6.5wt.%Si alloys prepared by different cooling methods on ordered structure and mechanical properties
Authors: Xuan Dongpo , Zhou Cheng , Zhou You , Jiang Tianliang , Zhu Biji , Fan Wenhao
Published: February 2022

The non-oriented Fe-6.5wt.%Si alloy cast strip with a width of 100 mm and a thickness of 1.7 mm was prepared by the top side-pouring twin-roll casting (TSTRC) process. The surface quality of the air-cooled and water-cooled cast strip was good. Compared with the Fe-6.5wt.%Si alloy ingot, the Fe-6.5wt.%Si alloy cast strip has a relatively fine solidification structure and exhibits certain plasticity at room temperature. Microhardness, XRD, and TEM investigated the ordered structure and degree of Fe-6.5wt.%Si alloys prepared by three different cooling methods. The results show that the Fe-6.5wt.%Si alloy ingot prepared by the standard method has many B2 ordered phases and DO3 ordered phases, and the order degree is high. The Fe-6.5wt.%Si alloy cast strip prepared by the TSTRC process has a low degree of order and only contains a small B2 ordered phase. The faster cooling rate effectively inhibits the formation of the DO3 ordered phase and B2 ordered phase. The growth of the ordered phase also reduces the reverse domain boundary energy, reduces the motion resistance of superdislocations, and increases its mobility, thereby improving the room temperature plasticity of Fe-6.5wt.%Si alloy cast strips.
STAT3 And PD-L1 Are Negatively Regulated By ATM And Impact On The Prognosis Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients With Low ATM Expression
Authors: Song Yuan-Ming , Qian Xiao-Long , Xia Xiao-Qing , Li Ya-Qing , Sun Yuan-Yuan , Jia Yu-Mian , Wang Jin , Xue Hui-Qin , Gao Guang-Shen , Wang Xiao-Zi , Zhang Xin-Min , Guo Xiao-Jing
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is known for its aggressive behaviors and lacking of effective treatment. Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor has just been approved for using in the management of advanced TNBC. To accurately screen TNBC sensitive to anti-PD-L1 treatment and to explore the feasibility of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutation protein (ATM) inhibitor combined with PD-L1 inhibitor, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, we focus on whether ATM participates in the regulation of PD-L1 and affects the prognosis of patients through c-Src, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1&3 (STAT1 and STAT3).Materials and methods: We used immunohistochemical staining to explore the relationship of ATM with c-Src, STAT1, STAT3, PD-1 / PD-L1, Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), as well as other clinicopathologic features in 86 pathological stage Ⅲ TNBCs. Their impact on prognosis was also explored. Results: We found ATM expression was negatively correlated with STAT1, STAT3, PD-L1, TILs and CD8 cells in TNBC. STAT1 up-regulates the expression of PD-L1. Only in TNBC with ATM low expression, PD-L1 was an independent negative prognostic factor, while STAT3 was an independent prognostic factor for improved prognosis. Again, only in low ATM group, the phosphorylation of tyrosine at position 419 of c-Src (p-c-src Y419) induced overexpression of STAT3.Conclusion: TNBC with low ATM expression is more likely to benefit from anti-PD-L1 inhibitors. The feasibility of ATM functional inhibitor combined with immune checkpoint blockade therapies in the treatment of TNBC is also worthy of further exploration. Our study suggests that STAT3 has different impacts on tumor progression in different tumors.
Proton Beam Therapy for Unresectable Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Park SungChul , Terashima Kazuki , Suga Masaki , Takahashi Daiki , Matsuo Yoshiro , Sulaiman Nor Shazrina , Demizu Yusuke , Tokumaru Sunao , Furukawa Kyoji , Okimoto Tomoaki
Published: February 2022

Background: The outcomes of chemotherapy for patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC) are unsatisfactory, and photon therapy for unresectable PHC reportedly results in improved outcomes. Proton beam therapy (PBT) can be a treatment option for these patients; however, the role of PBT in these patients is poorly defined as PHC is rare. Herein, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of PBT for unresectable PHC.Methods: This observational retrospective cohort study conducted at a single institution included patients with unresectable PHC who received definitive PBT. Patients who had nodal metastasis at presentation or those who underwent surgery or other radiation therapies before PBT were excluded. To compare different dose fractionations, biologically equivalent doses with α/β=10 [BED10] were calculated.Results: Overall, 26 patients were eligible. The commonly prescribed doses were 67.5 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]) in 25 fractions or 70.2 Gy (RBE) in 26 fractions. The median follow-up period was 19.4 months (range, 4.2-137.4 months). The Kaplan–Meier estimates of the 1-, 2-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 72.9%, 47.7%, and 17.4%, respectively, and the median survival time was 23.7 months. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that Child–Pugh classification B was a significant prognostic factor for unfavorable OS (hazard ratio [HR] 4.92; p=0.009) and that a mean gross tumor volume dose of ≥79.2 Gy (RBE) [BED10] was a significant prognostic factor for favorable OS (HR 0.19; p=0.025). Grade ≥3 late adverse events were observed in seven patients (26.9%).Conclusions: We demonstrated that definitive PBT for patients with unresectable PHC might improve the prognosis. Further large-scale prospective studies are warranted to validate our findings.
Diabetes after pregnancy - a long-term follow-up in women with normal OGTT
Authors: Dubietyte Greta , Lauszus Finn Friis , Gulbech Arense Vinding , Kaiser Karsten , Nielsen Michael Festersen
Published: February 2022

Purpose. Our aim was a follow-up off a cohort of women screened for GDM with normal oral glucose tolerance test in pregnancy, to investigate the incidence and time of diagnosis of manifest diabetes mellitus and to identify the risk factors for later development of diabetes.Methods. A follow-up study of a cohort with normal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 1991/1992. Of the original 352 only five women were lost to follow up.Results. In total 64 women (18%) had manifest diabetes with median age of 57 years after 28 years of follow-up. This amounts to three times the expected rate compared to the background population. The rate of manifest diabetes rises 10 - 20 years after pregnancy and after the age of 40. A normal fasting glucose at OGTT as well as borderline OGTT during pregnancy were associated with risk of manifest diabetes (p<0.001), also after adjustment for age, BMI, non-Danish origin and smoking during pregnancy (p<0.002).Conclusion. The incidence of diabetes is higher in women with various risk factors for DM and a previous normal OGTT in pregnancy compared to the background incidence. On this background our results are useful in identifying the time where women may benefit from the effective implementation of evidence-based treatment to postpone and advert manifest DM, even though they had a normal OGTT during pregnancy.
An Investigation Into the Knowledge, Attitude and Predictors of Safe Abortion Among Female Students in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Mutinta Given
Published: February 2022

Background Safe abortions are performed throughout the world. In South Africa, abortion is legal but over half of abortions remain unsafe and there is a dearth of studies on safe abortion among students. The aim of this study was to investigate into the knowledge, attitude, and predictors of safe abortion among female students in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. MethodsThe study was guided by a cross-sectional research design and underpinned by quantitative methodology. A self-administered questionnaires was used to collect data from female students selected using a multi-stage sampling method. Data was analysed using SPSS version 24, and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the association of dependent and independent variables.ResultsData was collected from 1266 female students with the response rate of more than 100%. The study found that 866 (68.5%) of the students had good knowledge about safe abortion. Having ever heard about safe abortion (AOR = 4.37, 95% CI: 1.89, 10.84), older age (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.17, 7.29), family education (AOR = 3.19, 95% CI: 1.33, 7.07), and urban habitation (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.27, 4.36) were predictors of students’ knowledge of safe abortion. Findings show that 722 (57%) of students had favourable attitude towards safe abortion. Staying in an urban area (AOR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.10, 2.22), and age (AOR = 6.59, 95% CI: 2.72, 11.22) were found to be significant predictors of students’ attitude towards safe abortion. ConclusionThe study revealed that half of the students had good knowledge and attitude towards safe abortion while a significant proportion had poor knowledge and unfavourable attitude. Findings show that having ever heard about abortion, residence, age of students, and family education were predictors of knowledge on safe abortion. In addition, age and residents were predictors of students’ attitude towards abortion. There is need for health communication and education programmes to address the subject of safe abortion among students. Health communication and education programmes should target students from rural areas and employ age-specific programmes. Government should provide youth-friendly reproductive services to the rural areas of South Africa.
Deciphering β-tubulin gene of carbendazim resistant Fusarium solani isolate and its comparison with other Fusarium species
Authors: Datta Bejoysekhar , Tarafder Mrinmay
Published: February 2022

Carbendazim resistance in phytopathogenic Fusarium species is being an immense problem in agricultural practices. Carbendazim exerts fungicidal activity through preventing cell division of target fungi and by binding to β-tubulin, a major component of microtubule. Several point mutations in the β-tubulin gene contribute to carbendazim resistance. A full-length (1619 bp) β-tubulin gene has been cloned and sequenced from a carbendazim resistant (SF0301) and a sensitive (SF0104) isolates of F. solani isolated from agricultural fields of Murshidabad (24.23°N, 88.25°E), West Bengal, India. The phylogenetic position of the isolates was confirmed using ITS and β-tubulin gene sequences. The β-tubulin based phylogenetic tree revealed nine species complexes among Fusarium species with available data and separated members of both F. solani species complex and F. fujikuroi species complex into three clades. The β-tubulin gene of F. solani isolates was organized into five exons and four introns. The intron positions were conserved, but their lengths were shortest among the Fusarium species. The β-tubulin gene encoded a 446 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass 49.834 KD, extinction coefficient 41640 M− 1cm− 1 and an estimated isoelectric point of 4.64. Amino acid sequence comparison between the resistant and the sensitive isolates revealed that they were all identical, indicating that the mechanism of carbendazim resistance in F. solani SF0301 was not due to point mutation in β-tubulin gene. Homology model of β-tubulin of F. solani isolates was prepared and compared with that of other Fusarium species. The binding sites for GDP, carbendazim and α-tubulin were identified through molecular docking.
Endophenotypic Effects of the SORL1 Variant rs2298813 on Regional Brain Volume in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Chen Chun-Yu , Lin Yung-Shuan , Lee Wei-Ju , Liao Yi-Chu , Kuo Yu-Shan , Yang Albert C , Fuh Jong-Ling
Published: February 2022

BackgroundTwo common variants of sortilin-related receptor 1 gene (SORL1), rs2298813 and rs1784933, have been associated with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the Han Chinese population in Taiwan. However, neuroimaging correlates of these two SORL1 variants remain unknown. We aimed to determine whether the two SORL1 polymorphisms were associated with any volumetric differences in brain regions in AD patients.MethodsWe recruited 200 patients with late-onset AD from Taipei Veterans General Hospital. All patients received a structural magnetic resonance imaging brain scan and completed a battery of neurocognitive tests at enrollment. We followed up to assess changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores in 155 patients (77.5%) at an interval of 2 years. Volumetric measures and cortical thickness of various brain regions were performed using FreeSurfer. Regression analysis controlled for apolipoprotein E status. Multiple comparisons were corrected for using the false discovery rate.ResultsThe rs2298813 and rs1783933 genotypes were not associated with cognitive test performance or clinical progression. The homozygous major allele of rs2298813 was associated with larger volumes in the right putamen (p = 0.0442) and right pallidum (p = 0.0346). There was no link of the rs1784933 genotypes with any of the imaging measures. In the rs2298813 homozygous major allele carriers, the right putaminal volume was associated with verbal fluency (p = 0.008) and clinical progression (p = 0.020). In the minor allele carriers, the right putaminal and right pallidal volumes were not significantly related to cognitive test scores or clinical progression. ConclusionsThe major and minor alleles of rs2298813 had differential effects on the right lentiform nucleus volume and distinctively modulated the association between the regional volume and cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
An underdetermined convolutional blind separation algorithm for time-frequency overlapped wireless communication signals with unknown source number
Authors: Ma Hao , Zheng Xiang , Wu Xinrong , Yu Lu , Zhang Yu
Published: February 2022

It has been challenging to separate the time-frequency (TF) overlapped wireless communication signals with unknown number of sources in underdetermined cases. To address this issue, a novel blind separation strategy based on a TF soft mask is proposed in this paper. Based on the clustering property of the signals in the sparse domain, the angular probability density distribution is obtained by the kernel density estimation (KDE) algorithm, and then the number of source signals is identified by detecting the peak points of the distribution. Afterwards, the contribution degree function is designed according to the cosine distance to calculate the contribution degrees of the source signals in the mixed signals. The separation of the TF overlapped signals is achieved by constructing a soft mask matrix based on the contribution degrees. In this paper, the simulations are performed with digital signals of the same modulation and different modulation respectively. The results show that the proposed algorithm has better anti-aliasing and anti-noise performance than the benchmark algorithms.
A comparative trend analysis of maternal and child health service utilization before and during Covid-19 at Dire Dawa administration public health facilities, Ethiopia, 2021
Authors: Tefera Bereket , Tariku Zerihun , Kebede Mesfin , Mohammed Hussein
Published: February 2022

Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. While child health encompasses health care services ranging from neonatal to under five years old. Evidences has shown that, the presence of Covid-19 has resulted significant disruption in the health service utilization. This study aims to describe maternal and child health service utilization before and during Covid-19 announcement in Ethiopia and forecast 12 months client flow, at Dire Dawa Public Health Facilities. We used Interrupted time series analysis to examine two years trend of maternal and child health service utilization. The interruption point was set be Covid-19 announced to Ethiopia. Data was extracted from client registers. Kobo toolbox was used to collect the data. Microsoft Excel and statistical package for social sciences version 26 were used for data management and analysis. Traditional Expert Modeler and one way ANOVA were used for data analysis. Findings are presented in tables, means, point percentages, time line plots and sequence charting. A total of 34,576 client registers were reviewed, where 17,100 (49.5%) and 17,476 (50.5%) had visited the MCH service before and during Covid-19 announcement in Ethiopia respectively. Total services utilization has shown a steady fall during the interruption point. Family planning, Institutional delivery, and child immunization has shown sharp fall during Covid-19 announcement to Ethiopia. Though the total client visit has shown an increase in percentage point of 2%, postnatal care and child immunization has shown 30% and 16% percentage point drop respectively. The total client visit has shown a difference in client visit before and during the time of covid-19 (f=4.6 , p<0.4). It is evidenced that maternal and child health services are highly impacted by the presence of covid-19, where family planning, institutional delivery, and child immunization has shown sharp fall. Forecasting to the next 12 months has also shown no promising improvement in service visits. Hence the health system should mobilize the work force and resources to the lower service delivery inlet, health post, and directs its approach to community-based service to access missed mothers and children who had not come to facility.
Cyclic oxidation behaviour of ZrB2-20 vol.%MoSi2 based ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composite between 1100°C and 1300°C
Authors: Saha Mainak , Pramanik Sourajit , Banik Rajdeep , Maurya Pooja , Singh Simrat , Raj S. Vandan , Madhur D. Prem , Paul Tanay Rudra , Mitra Rahul , Mondal Manas Kumar , Mallik Manab
Published: February 2022

While descending through different layers of atmosphere with tremendously high velocities, hypersonic re-entry nosecones fabricated using ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs) are subjected to repeated thermal shocks. This necessitates extensive investigations on the cyclic oxidation behaviour of UHTCMCs at temperatures ranging from 1100°C to 1300°C (service temperature of the nosecones). To this end, the present work is aimed at investigating the cyclic oxidation behaviour of ZrB2-20 vol.%MoSi2 (ZM20) UHTCMC (a very widely investigated ZM CMC) by carrying out cycles for 6h, at 1cycle/h and estimating oxidation kinetic law. This has been followed by extensive characterisation using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) to indicate the phases formed during oxidation and Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), in order to determine the chemical composition of the oxides formed between 1100°C and 1300°C.
LMO7 regulates smooth muscle cell cholesterol esterification to influence plaque stability
Authors: Xie Yi , Winter Hanna , Rotlan Noemi , Ostriker Allison , Chakraborty Raja , Zhang Xinbo , Hwa John , Fernández-Hernando Carlos , Maegdefessel Lars , Martin Kathleen
Published: February 2022

Smooth muscle cells (SMC) can undergo distinct fate transitions that influence atherosclerotic plaque phenotype: SMC make up the protective fibrous cap that prevents plaque rupture, but can also transdifferentiate to a destabilizing pro-inflammatory phenotype. We found that LMO7, a scaffolding protein that modulates SMC phenotype, is induced in atherosclerosis. SMC LMO7 deletion produced a paradoxical phenotype with enhanced indices of plaque stability despite greater lipid content. We determined that LMO7 promotes SOAT1 ubiquitination and degradation. LMO7 depletion thus favored cholesterol esterification and “safe” storage, relieving ER stress and subsequent induction of KLF4 and SMC transdifferentiation. Immunostaining and single cell sequencing confirmed that SMC LMO7 depletion enhanced cap stabilizing fate transitions while substantially reducing inflammatory transdifferentiation. Similarly, LMO7 was induced in human atherosclerosis, but at lower levels in stable versus ruptured plaques. These findings reveal that SMC cholesterol esterification, rather than total cholesterol content, influences plaque composition and stability.
Shear Strength Assessment of Moist Sands Using Direct Shear Tests
Authors: Saha Riju Chandra , Dhar Ashutosh Sutra
Published: February 2022

Granular materials are commonly used to backfill buried structures due to its free-draining property and higher shearing resistance. Conventional analysis of soil-structure interaction is performed assuming soil parameters based on typical values available in published literature for the standard and natural soils. Engineers often require replacing natural sand with locally manufactured sand as a backfill material for buried structures due to the scarcity of material and environmental considerations. This thesis presents a laboratory investigation of a locally manufactured sand which is classified as well-graded clean sand. Considering the various factors on which the strength parameters of soil depend, a series of direct shear tests are performed with varying density, normal stress, moisture content, shear displacement rate. As the soil used as a backfill for the buried structure is usually moist (unsaturated), the entire test program focuses on investigating the behavior of moist sand. The conventional test apparatus is used in this study as the special apparatus typical used in the research with unsaturated soil is not readily available to the practicing engineer. The study reveals that the conventional test apparatus can reasonably be used to estimate the design parameters for moist sand. For the manufactured sand used in this study, the effect of capillary suction on the shear strength parameters is found to be less significant. While the strength parameters depend on the degree of saturation, these depend extensively on the dry density of the soil with a higher angle of internal friction for the soil with higher dry density.
Evaluating the ecological hypothesis: Early life salivary microbiome assembly predicts dental caries in a longitudinal case-control study
Authors: Blostein Freida Anne , Bhaumik Deesha , Davis Elyse , Salzman Elizabeth , Shedden Kerby , Duhaime Melissa , Bakulski Kelly M , McNeil Daniel W , Marazita Mary L , Foxman Betsy
Published: February 2022

Background
Early childhood caries (ECC) – dental caries (cavities) occurring in primary teeth up to age 6-years - is a prevalent childhood oral disease that includes a microbial etiology. Streptococcus mutans was previously considered a primary cause, but recent research promotes the ecologic hypothesis, in which a dysbiosis in the oral microbial community leads to caries. In this incident density sampled case control study of 189 children followed from 2-months to 5-years, we use the salivary bacteriome to 1) prospectively test the ecological hypothesis in salivary bacteriome communities and 2) identify co-occurring salivary bacterial communities predicting future ECC.
Results
Supervised classification of future ECC case status using salivary samples from age 12-months using bacteriome-wide data (AUC-ROC 0.78 95% CI: (0.71–0.85)) improves prediction of future ECC status over using S. mutans amplicon abundance alone (AUC-ROC 0.44 (0.35–0.53)). Dirichlet multinomial community state typing and co-occurrence network analysis identified similar robust and replicable groups of co-occurring taxa. Mean relative abundance of a Haemophilus parainfluenzae/Neisseria/Fusobacterium periodonticum group was lower in future ECC cases (0.14) than controls (0.23, P value < 0.001) in pre-incident visits, positively correlated with saliva pH (Pearson rho = 0.31, P value < 0.01) and reduced in individuals who had acquired S. mutans by the next study visit (0.12) versus those who did not (0.19, P value < 0.01). In a subset of whole genome shotgun sequenced samples, case plaque had higher abundances of antibiotic production and resistance gene orthologs, including a major facilitator superfamily multidrug resistance transporter (MFS DHA2 family PBH value = 1.9*10− 28), lantibiotic transport system permease protein (PBH value = 6.0*10− 6) and bacitracin synthase I (PBH value = 5.6*10− 6). The oxidative phosphorylation KEGG pathway was enriched in case plaque (PBH value = 1.2*10− 8), while the ABC transporter pathway was depleted (PBH value = 3.6*10− 3).
Conclusions
Early-life bacterial interactions predisposed children to ECC, supporting a time-dependent interpretation of the ecological hypothesis. Bacterial communities which assemble before 12-months of age can promote or inhibit an ecological succession to S. mutans dominance and cariogenesis. Intragenera competitions and intergenera cooperation between oral taxa may shape the emergence of these communities, providing points for preventive interventions.
Novel Ti3C2Tx MXene Nanozyme with Manageable Catalytic Activity and Application to Electrochemical Biosensor
Authors: Yu Rongjun , Xue Jian , Wang Yang , Qiu Jingfu , Huang Xinyi , Chen Anyi , xue jianjiang
Published: February 2022

In this work, Ti3C2Tx MXene was identified as efficient nanozyme with area-dependent electrocatalytic activity in oxidation of phenolic compounds, which originated from the strong adsorption effect between the phenolic hydroxyl group and the oxygen atom on the surface of Ti3C2Tx MXene flake. On the basis of the novel electrocatalytic activity, Ti3C2Tx MXene was combined with alkaline phosphatase to construct a novel cascading catalytic amplification strategy using 1-naphthyl phosphate (1-NPP) as substrate, thereby realizing efficient electrochemical signal amplification. Taking advantage of the novel cascading catalytic amplification strategy, an electrochemical biosensor was fabricated for BCR/ABL fusion gene detection, which achieved excellent sensitivity with linear range from 0.2 fM to 20 nM and limit of detection down to 0.05 fM. This biosensor provided a promising tool for ultrasensitive fusion gene detection in early diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia. Moreover, the manageable catalytic activity of MXene broke a path for developing nanozymes, which possessed enormous application potential in not only electrochemical analysis but also the extensive fields including organic synthesis, pollutant disposal and so on.
Mass-producible High Performance NiNx Electro-Catalyst Prepared via Surface Immobilization
Authors: Hou Qiankun , Liu Kang , Huang Yuchang , MAKSOUD Walid AL , Yang Pengfei , Ding De , Yang Nan , Luo Tianyong , Lei Yongpeng , Zhang Yi , Zheng Li Rong , Liu Min , Lin Bin , Chen Yin , BASSET JEAN
Published: February 2022

Nonprecious-metal catalysts with atomically dispersed active sites demonstrated high activity and selectivity in a series of catalysis reactions, the rational design and massive synthesis of such catalysts are of great interest but remains a huge challenge. Current approaches often require harsh conditions and tedious procedures. Here, we demonstrated a facile and scalable preparation strategy by anchoring pre-organized NiNx site on the surface of a layered Co-methylimidazole coordination compound. In two simple steps, single-site Ni electro-catalyst can be synthesized up to kilogram-scale with a yield of 75% under mild conditions. This catalyst exhibits excellent catalysis performances in both oxygen evolution and reduction reactions. Besides, it has tunable catalysis activity, high catalysis reproducibility and stability. The atomically dispersed NiNx sites are tolerate with high Ni concentration, indicating that the random reactions or metal nanoparticle formation generally observed at high temperature were avoided. This strategy presents a practical and green method for the industrial manufacture of nonprecious-metal single-site catalysts with predictable structure.
Bloch oscillations and the lack of the decay of the false vacuum in a one-dimensional quantum spin chain
Authors: Pomponio Octavio , Werner Miklós Antal , Zaránd Gergely , Takacs Gabor
Published: February 2022

We consider the decay of the false vacuum, realised within a quantum quench into an anti-confining regime of the Ising spin chain with a magnetic field opposite to the initial magnetisation. Although the effective linear potential between the domain walls is repulsive, the time evolution of correlations still shows a suppression of the light cone and a reduction of vacuum decay {via suppression of the growth of nucleated bubbles. The suppression of the bubble growth is a lattice effect, and can be assigned to emergent Bloch oscillations.
Study of heavy metal and arsenic impurities in biologically active additives
Authors: Endaltseva Olga S. , Lust Elena N.
Published: February 2022

In the assortment of pharmaceutical organizations, along with registered medicinal products (MP), there is a fairly large number of biologically active additives (BAA). In connection with the huge growth rate of the number of dietary supplements in the pharmaceutical market, testing their quality, efficacy, safety and the development of new research methods in this area is of particular importance. Objective: to determine the content of inorganic impurities (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury) in the selected objects. As a result of studying the assortment of dietary supplements, as well as regulatory documentation, the following objects were selected for the study: Mumie Altai "Balsam of mountains", tablets, manufacturer – LLC "Farm–product", Russia, Barnaul, dietary supplement for food – a source of humic acids, not being a medicine, were obtained through the pharmacy network. Spirulina VEL®, tablets, manufactured by LLC – "V-MIN", Russia, Moscow region, Sergiev Posad, dietary supplement for food – a source of phycocyanins and beta–carotene, not being a medicine, were obtained through the pharmacy network. Materials and methods. For the determination of lead, cadmium and arsenic, the method of atomic absorption spec-trometry was chosen by measuring the absorption of radiation at a certain wavelength corresponding to the element to be determined. To determine mercury, we used an extraction–photometric method based on the formation of a complex compound of mercury (II) –ion with dithizone and measurement of the degree of absorption of non–monochromatic light by the formed complex. Results. The content of lead–ion, cadmium–ion and mercury–ion does not exceed the maximum permissible levels for both samples in accordance with the requirements of both the Technical Regulations and XIV State Pharmacopeia, while the content of arsenic exceeds for the Mumie sample in accordance with the requirements of XIV State Pharmacopeia, but does not exceed according to the requirements of TR CU 021/2011. Conclusion. It was found that the content of heavy metals and arsenic does not exceed the permissible level in accord-ance with the requirements of the Technological Regulations of the Customs Union 021/2011 for both samples. If we compare with the requirements of General Pharmacopoeia Monograph 1.5.3.0009.15 XIV State Pharmacopeia, then there is an excess in the permissible level of arsenic in the Mumie sample.
Organizational and legal mechanisms for increasing the efficiency of public spending on education and science
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Soloviev Alexandr A. , Suyazov Viacheslav V. ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: February 2022

In the article, the concept of the unity of the system of state educational and scientific organizations of the Russian Federation is developed. Currently at the federal level, strategic planning programs (for example, the project “Priority-2030”) have been approved. The projects are aimed at the development of domestic systems of science and education, in particular, at increasing their competitiveness in the international arena. Specific measures in relation to state organizations play a special role in this issue, not least in relation to the use of state property assigned to the relevant organizations. The authors substantiate the possibility of a practical application of individual mechanisms that can significantly increase the efficiency of the use of public resources in the fields of science and education, both through administrative measures and through the development of horizontal ties between the state organizations themselves. Distinctly, the authors touch upon the provisions of the Federal Law of December 22, 2020 No. 456-FZ “On Amending Parts Two and Four of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and invalidating legislative acts (certain provisions of legislative acts) of the Russian Federation”, which make changes to the procedure for transferring rights to use intellectual property from developers to a public entity. The authors emphasize that this reform is controversial and does not sufficiently reflect the interests of a public entity when creating an intellectual product at the expense of budgetary funds, and they also propose separate measures to address the problem.
Water security assessment in ungauged regions using the water balance and water footprint concepts and satellite observations
Authors: Nkiaka Elias
Published: February 2022

Water security assessments often rely on outputs from hydrological models that are applicable only in gauged regions where there are river discharge data to constrain the models. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore new methods for assessing water security in ungauged regions. This study proposes the use of the water balance and water footprint concepts and satellite observations to assess water security in Anglophone Cameroon, which is an example of a typically ungauged region. Specifically, the study assesses demand-driven water scarcity in terms of blue and green water scarcities and population-driven water scarcity quantified using the Falkenmark index across all districts in Anglophone Cameroon. The study also performs a spatiotemporal trend analysis of precipitation and temperature in the study area using the Mann–Kendall test. Precipitation trend analysis returns varying strengths and magnitudes for different districts unlike temperature which demonstrates an upward trend in all districts. The water security assessment shows that blue water scarcity is substantially low across most districts, whereas population-driven water scarcity is observed in densely populated districts (<1,700 m3/capita/year). The results from this study suggest that the proposed method may be used to assess water security in ungauged regions irrespective of climate or population size.
Ionic strength of the liquid phase of different sludge streams in a wastewater treatment plant
Authors: Prot T. , Korving L. , Van Loosdrecht M. C. M.
Published: February 2022

In a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), several sludge streams exist and the composition of their liquid phase varies with time and place. For evaluating the potential for formation of precipitates and equilibria for weak acids/bases, the ionic strength and chemical composition need to be known. This information is often not available in literature, and even neglected in chemical model-based research. Based on a literature review, we proposed three ranges of concentration (low, typical and high) for the major constituents of the liquid phase of the different streams in a WWTP. The study also discusses the reasons for the concentration evolution, and the exceptional cases, to allow readers to consider the right range depending on their situation. The ionic strength of the different streams and the contribution of its constituents were calculated based on the ionic composition. The major contributors to the ionic strength for the wastewater-based streams (influent, effluent and mixed sludge) were Na+, Cl−, Mg2+ and Ca2+, representing 50–70% of the ionic strength. For digestate, and accounted for 65–75% of the ionic strength. Even though the ionic strength is recognized to impact several important wastewater treatment processes, its utilization in literature is not always adequate, which is discussed in this study.
Using multi-event hydrologic and hydraulic signatures from water level sensors to diagnose locations of uncertainty in integrated urban drainage models used in living digital twins
Authors: Pedersen A. N. , Pedersen J. W. , Borup M. , Brink-Kjær A. , Christiansen L. E. , Mikkelsen P. S.
Published: February 2022

Digital twins of urban drainage systems require simulation models that can adequately replicate the physical system. All models have their limitations, and it is important to investigate when and where simulation results are acceptable and to communicate the level of performance transparently to end users. This paper first defines a classification of four possible ‘locations of uncertainty’ in integrated urban drainage models. It then develops a structured framework for identifying and diagnosing various types of errors. This framework compares model outputs with in-sewer water level observations based on hydrologic and hydraulic signatures. The approach is applied on a real case study in Odense, Denmark, with examples from three different system sites: a typical manhole, a small flushing chamber, and an internal overflow structure. This allows diagnosing different model errors ranging from issues in the underlying asset database and missing hydrologic processes to limitations in the model software implementation. Structured use of signatures is promising for continuous, iterative improvements of integrated urban drainage models. It also provides a transparent way to communicate the level of model adequacy to end users.
A convergência de linguagem em Bibi: do imprevisto ao aleatório
Authors: Alves de Souza Samira , Silveira Ana
Published: February 2022

Os modelos de produção e circulação de textos sofreram alterações ao longo do tempo. Hoje, os textos transmidiáticos são assim denominados por agenciarem diferentes mídias em torno da mesma história. O presente artigo aborda o conceito de transmidialidade, a mobilização de novas materialidades e, por meio da sociossemiótica (Landowski, 2014), investigará o sentido emergente regulado por quatro regimes de sentido que são dinâmicos e intercambiáveis, assim, concebendo uma teoria geral de sentido, sendo responsável pelos efeitos dos estilos de vida. Assumindo como objeto o livro Bibi (Piqueira, 2019), publicado pela editora Lote 42, esse estudo se popõe a observar como uma narrativa que, a cada 16 páginas altera o seu modo de narrar a partir da escolha de diferentes materialidades e linguagens, afeta o sujeito leitor e a construção dos sentidos.
competencias blandas en los gerentes de proyecto de las organizaciones
Authors: Leal Paredes Marlon Santiago
Published: February 2022

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue determinar las competencias blandas como fundamento para el éxito en la gestión de proyectos en la gerencia de las organizaciones. Para alcanzar los objetivos se utilizaron las bases teóricas de los autores Gray y Larson (2009), Gido y Clements (2012) y Swasti (2015), entre otros. La metodología se fundamenta en la revisión de los enfoques teóricos sobre las competencias, competencias blandas y gestión de proyectos. Las conclusiones permiten evidenciar sobre la literatura que las competencias blandas para el éxito en la gestión de proyecto se fundamentan en la comunicación, automotivación, liderazgo, conciencia de sí mismo, trabajo en equipo, capacidad para trabajar bajo presión, flexibilidad y negociación para la resolución de los conflictos.