bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular identification of the chitinase genes in Aedes albopictus and essential roles of AaCht10 in pupal-adult transition
Authors: An Sha , Liu Wenjuan , Fu Jingwen , Zhang Zhong , Zhang Ruiling
Published: April 2023

Background

Aedes albopictus is an increasingly serious threat in public health due to it is vector of multiple arboviruses that cause devastating human diseases, as well as its widening distribution in recent years. Insecticide resistance is a serious problem worldwide that limits the efficacy of chemical control strategies against Ae. albopictus. Chitinase genes have been widely recognized as attractive targets for the development of effective and environmentally safe insect management measures.

Methods

Chitinase genes of Ae. albopictus were identified and characterized on the basis of bioinformatics search of the referenced genome. Gene characterizations and phylogenetic relationships of chitinase genes were investigated, and spatio-temporal expression pattern of each chitinase gene was evaluated using qRT-PCR. RNA interference (RNAi) was used to suppress the expression of AaCht10, and the roles of AaCht10 were verified based on phynotype observations, chitin content analysis and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain of epidermis and midgut.

Results

Altogether, 14 chitinase-related genes (12 chitinase genes and 2 IDGFs) encoding 17 proteins were identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all these AaChts were classified into seven groups, and most of them were gathered into group IX. Only AaCht5-1, AaCht10 and AaCht18 contained both catalytic and chitin-binding domains. Different AaChts displayed development- and tissue-specific expression profiling. Suppression of the expression of AaCht10 resulted in abnormal molting, increased mortality, decreased chitin content and thinning epicuticle, procuticle and midgut wall of pupa.

Conclusions

Findings of the present study will aid in determining the biological functions of AaChts and also contribute to using AaChts as potential target for mosquito management.

Graphical Abstract
Neuroglobin plays as tumor suppressor by disrupting the stability of GPR35 in colorectal cancer
Authors: Xiang Qin , Zhou Dishu , Xiang Xinni , Le Xin , Deng Chaoqun , Sun Ran , Li Chunhong , Pang Huayang , He Jin , Zheng Zeze , Tang Jun , Peng Weiyan , Peng Xi , He Xiaoqian , Wu Fan , Qiu Jingfu , Xu Yongzhu , Xiang Tingxiu
Published: April 2023

Background

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased in recent years. Identification of accurate tumor markers has become the focus of CRC research. Early and frequent DNA methylation tends to occur in cancer. Thus, identifying accurate methylation biomarkers would improve the efficacy of CRC treatment. Neuroglobin (NGB) is involved in neurological and oncological diseases. However, there are currently no reports on epigenetic regulation involvement of NGB in CRC.

Results

NGB was downregulated or silenced in majority CRC tissues and cell lines. The hypermethylation of NGB was detected in tumor tissue, but no or a very low methylation frequency in normal tissues. Overexpression of NGB induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis, suppressed proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro, and inhibited CRC tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo. Isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (Itraq)-based proteomics identified approximately 40% proteins related to cell–cell adhesion, invasion, and tumor vessel formation in the tumor microenvironment, among which GPR35 was proved critical for NGB-regulated tumor angiogenesis suppression in CRC.

Conclusions

NGB, an epigenetically silenced factor, inhibits metastasis through the GPR35 in CRC. It is expected to grow into a potential cancer risk assessment factor and a valuable biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis assessment of CRC.
Opportunistic screening for osteoporosis by abdominal CT in a British population
Authors: Vadera Sonam , Osborne Timothy , Shah Vikas , Stephenson James A.
Published: April 2023

Background

It has previously been shown that CT scans performed for other indications can be used to identify patients with osteoporosis. This has not yet been tested in a British population. We sought to evaluate the use of vertebral CT attenuation measures for predicting osteoporosis in a British cohort, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as a reference standard.

Methods

Patients who underwent abdominal CT in 2018 and concomitantly underwent DEXA within a six-month interval were retrospectively included. CT attenuation values in Hounsfield units (HU) were measured by placement of a region-of-interest at the central portion of the L1 vertebral body and then compared to their corresponding DEXA score. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the performance of a logistic regression model and to determine sensitivity and specificity thresholds.

Results

536 patients (394 females, mean age 65.8) were included, of which 174 had DEXA-defined osteoporosis. L1 attenuation measures were significantly different (p < 0.01) between the three DEXA-defined groups of osteoporosis (118 HU), osteopenia (143 HU) and normal bone density (178 HU). The area under the ROC curve was 0.74 (95% CI 0.69–0.78). A threshold of 169 HU was 90% sensitive, and a threshold of 104 HU was 90% specific for diagnosing osteoporosis.

Conclusions

Routine abdominal CT can be used to opportunistically screen for osteoporosis without additional cost or radiation exposure. The thresholds identified in this study are comparable with previous studies in other populations. We recommend radiologists engage with primary care and rheumatology providers to determine appropriate cut-off values for further investigation.
The added values of 18F-FDG PET/CT in differentiating cancer recurrence and osteoradionecrosis of mandible in patients with treated oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Cheng Nai-Ming , Lin Chien-Yu , Liao Chun-Ta , Tsan Din-Li , Ng Shu-Hang , Yen Tzu-Chen
Published: April 2023

Background

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaw requires a differential diagnosis to exclude cancer recurrence. Here, we sought to develop a scoring system comprising 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters for distinguishing between the two conditions in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods

The study consisted of 103 OSCC patients with suspected ORN of the jaw. All participants underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging within 6 months of diagnostic histopathology. Following extraction of PET parameters, we identified clinical and imaging predictors of mandibular recurrence-free survival (MRFS) using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and multivariate Cox regression models.

Results

The results of histopathology revealed mandibular cancer recurrence in 24 patients (23.3%). Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified an age at diagnosis ≤ 52 years (P = 0.013), a location of the SUVmax voxel with soft tissue predominance (P = 0.019), and mandibular total lesion glycolysis (TLG) > 62.68 g (P < 0.001) as independent risk factors for MRFS. A scoring system was devised with scores from 0 (no risk factor) to 3 (presence of all three risk factors). High-risk patients with a score of 2–3 compared with score of 0–1 had a significantly higher likelihood of mandibular cancer recurrence (hazard ratio: 32.50, 95% confidence interval: 8.51–124.18, P < 0.001). The scoring system had a sensitivity of 87.50%, a specificity of 82.28%, and an accuracy of 83.50% for identifying mandibular cancer recurrence.

Conclusions

The scoring system of our study is clinically useful for identifying mandibular cancer recurrence in patients with suspected ORN of the jaw.
Host E3 ligase Hrd1 ubiquitinates and degrades H protein of canine distemper virus to inhibit viral replication
Authors: Wang Wenjie , Bi Zhenwei , Song Suquan
Published: April 2023

Canine distemper (CD) is a highly contagious and an acutely febrile disease caused by canine distemper virus (CDV), which greatly threatens the dog and fur industry in many countries. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) is a protein quality control system for the degradation of misfolded proteins in the ER. In this study, a proteomic approach was performed, and results found the E3 ubiquitin ligase 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl reductase degradation protein 1 (Hrd1), which is involved in ERAD, as one of the CDV H-interacting proteins. The interaction of Hrd1 with CDV H protein was further identified by Co-IP assay and confocal microscopy. Hrd1 degraded the CDV H protein via the proteasome pathway dependent on its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Hrd1 catalyzed the K63-linked polyubiquitination of CDV H protein at lysine residue 115 (K115). Hrd1 also exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on CDV replication. Together, the data demonstrate that the E3 ligase Hrd1 mediates the ubiquitination of CDV H protein for degradation via the proteasome pathway and inhibits CDV replication. Thus, targeting Hrd1 may represent a novel prevention and control strategy for CDV infection.
Molecular mechanisms of neurite regeneration and repair: insights from C. elegans and Drosophila
Authors: Liu Xiaofan , Zhao Yuqing , Zou Wei
Published: April 2023

The difficulties of injured and degenerated neurons to regenerate neurites and regain functions are more significant than in other body tissues, making neurodegenerative and related diseases hard to cure. Uncovering the secrets of neural regeneration and how this process may be inhibited after injury will provide insights into novel management and potential treatments for these diseases. Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster are two of the most widely used and well-established model organisms endowed with advantages in genetic manipulation and live imaging to explore this fundamental question about neural regeneration. Here, we review the classical models and techniques, and the involvement and cooperation of subcellular structures during neurite regeneration using these two organisms. Finally, we list several important open questions that we look forward to inspiring future research.
A new class of computationally efficient algorithms for solving fixed-point problems and variational inequalities in real Hilbert spaces
Authors: Kumam Wiyada , Rehman Habib ur , Kumam Poom
Published: April 2023

A family of inertial extragradient-type algorithms is proposed for solving convex pseudomonotone variational inequality with fixed-point problems, where the involved mapping for the fixed point is a ρ-demicontractive mapping. Under standard hypotheses, the generated iterative sequence achieves strong convergence to the common solution of the variational inequality and fixed-point problem. Some special cases and sufficient conditions that guarantee the validity of the hypotheses of the convergence statements are also discussed. Numerical applications in detail illustrate the theoretical results and comparison with existing methods.
An ensemble method for estimating the number of clusters in a big data set using multiple random samples
Authors: Mahmud Mohammad Sultan , Huang Joshua Zhexue , Ruby Rukhsana , Wu Kaishun
Published: April 2023

Clustering a big dataset without knowing the number of clusters presents a big challenge to many existing clustering algorithms. In this paper, we propose a Random Sample Partition-based Centers Ensemble (RSPCE) algorithm to identify the number of clusters in a big dataset. In this algorithm, a set of disjoint random samples is selected from the big dataset, and the I-niceDP algorithm is used to identify the number of clusters and initial centers in each sample. Subsequently, a cluster ball model is proposed to merge two clusters in the random samples that are likely sampled from the same cluster in the big dataset. Finally, based on the ball model, the RSPCE ensemble method is used to ensemble the results of all samples into the final result as a set of initial cluster centers in the big dataset. Intensive experiments were conducted on both synthetic and real datasets to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed RSPCE algorithm. The experimental results show that the ensemble result from multiple random samples is a reliable approximation of the actual number of clusters, and the RSPCE algorithm is scalable to big data.
Electrical response of fungi to changing moisture content
Authors: Phillips Neil , Gandia Antoni , Adamatzky Andrew
Published: April 2023

Mycelium-bound composites are potential alternatives to conventional materials for a variety of applications, including thermal and acoustic building panels and product packaging. If the reactions of live mycelium to environmental conditions and stimuli are taken into account, it is possible to create functioning fungal materials. Thus, active building components, sensory wearables, etc. might be created. This research describes the electrical sensitivity of fungus to changes in the moisture content of a mycelium-bound composite. Trains of electrical spikes initiate spontaneously in fresh mycelium-bound composites with a moisture content between $$\sim$$
∼
 95% and $$\sim$$
∼
 65%, and between $$\sim$$
∼
 15% and $$\sim$$
∼
 5% when partially dried. When the surfaces of mycelium-bound composites were partially or totally encased with an impermeable layer, increased electrical activity was observed. In fresh mycelium-bound composites, electrical spikes were seen both spontaneously and when induced by water droplets on the surface. Also explored is the link between electrical activity and electrode depth. Future designs of smart buildings, wearables, fungi-based sensors, and unconventional computer systems may benefit from fungi configurations and biofabrication flexibility.
Belowground microbiota analysis indicates that Fusarium spp. exacerbate grapevine trunk disease
Authors: Li Yonghua , Li Xinghong , Zhang Wei , Zhang Jiao , Wang Hui , Peng Junbo , Wang Xuncheng , Yan Jiye
Published: April 2023

Background

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are disease complexes that are major threats to viticulture in most grapevine growing regions. The microbiomes colonizing plant belowground components form complex associations with plants, play important roles in promoting plant productivity and health in natural environments, and may be related to GTD development. To investigate associations between belowground fungal communities and GTD symptomatic or asymptomatic grapevines, fungal communities associated with three soil–plant compartments (bulk soils, rhizospheres, and roots) were characterized by ITS high-throughput amplicon sequencing across two years.

Results

The fungal community diversity and composition differs according to the soil–plant compartment type (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001, 12.04% of variation explained) and sampling year (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001, 8.83%), whereas GTD symptomatology exhibited a weaker, but still significant association (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001, 1.29%). The effects of the latter were particularly prominent in root and rhizosphere community comparisons. Many GTD-associated pathogens were detected, but their relative abundances were not correlated (or were negatively correlated) to symptomatology. Fusarium spp., were enriched in symptomatic roots and rhizospheres compared to asymptomatic counterparts, suggesting that their abundances were positively correlated with symptomatic vines. Inoculation tests revealed that Fusarium isolates, similar to Dactylonectria macrodidyma, a pathogen associated with black foot disease, caused dark brown necrotic spots on stems in addition to root rot, which blackened lateral roots. Disease indices were higher with co-inoculation than single inoculation with a Fusarium isolate or D. macrodidyma, suggesting that Fusarium spp. can exacerbate disease severity when inoculated with other known GTD-associated pathogens.

Conclusions

The belowground fungal microbiota of grapevines varied from soil–plant compartments, the years and whether showed GTD symptoms. The GTDs symptoms were related to the enrichment of Fusarium spp. rather than the relative abundances of GTD pathogens. These results demonstrate the effects of fungal microbiota of roots and rhizospheres on GTDs, while providing new insights into opportunistic pathogenesis of GTDs and potential control practices.
The use of films in the teaching of English as a foreign language: a systematic literature review
Authors: Sánchez-Auñón Estefanía , Férez-Mora Pedro Antonio , Monroy-Hernández Fuensanta
Published: April 2023

Background

Especially over the last decades, the use of cinema in the English as a foreign language (EFL) class has been gaining momentum. Although this interest has resulted in a complex body of research, no review to date had aimed to systematically map out (i) the pedagogical guidelines available for English teachers to implement films in class; (ii) the perceptions of EFL teachers and learners on the educational use of films; and (iii) the impact of cinema-based EFL on students’ learning, pertinent aspects as they contribute to deactivate instructors’ reported reluctance to use films as a proper teaching material. Thus, a systematic literature review has been conducted along the three previously-mentioned research questions with the aim of highlighting in a comprehensive manner the robust pedagogical value of cinema in EFL contexts.

Methods

A systematic search was carried out in Web of Science, ERIC, MLA International Bibliography, Education Database, and Scopus, which were last consulted on 2 December, 2022. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, which covered journal papers written in English, peer-reviewed, published in open-access, and focusing on the exploitation of films for the teaching of English as a foreign language. Following the search and selection stages, a coding scheme was established, and the authors conducted a thematically based qualitative analysis to answer the research questions. Reliability was tested to check the agreement rate among the researchers.

Findings

Of the 416 sources found, 44 were eligible. Twenty-five percent of the selected references consist of theoretical or practical methodological orientations for the implementation of films in the EFL class, 16% of the sources explore EFL teachers’ and students’ perceptions on the educational use of films, and the remaining 59% of the references tap into the impact of cinema-based EFL on students’ learning. The results revealed that more informed guidelines on the exploitation of this resource are needed, that both instructors and teachers have a great attitude towards this method, and that films provide EFL learners with linguistic, intercultural, and motivational benefits.

Interpretation

On a general note, scholars have adopted a narrow focus when exploring cinema-based English teaching since they only address some of its benefits and they have mostly concentrated on the University educational context. Specific research gaps are highlighted in relation to each research question, and avenues for further research are proposed. Finally, pedagogical implications for the educational use of cinema in the English class are provided.
Transdermal drug delivery system of lidocaine hydrochloride based on dissolving gelatin/sodium carboxymethylcellulose microneedles
Authors: Bahmani Shabnam , Khajavi Ramin , Ehsani Morteza , Rahimi Mohammad Karim , Kalaee Mohammad Reza
Published: April 2023

In this study, it was aimed to introduce a transdermal drug delivery system with dissolving microneedles (DMNs) based on gelatin (GEL) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) for lidocaine hydrochloride (LidoHCl) delivery. Different ratios of GEL and NaCMC were mixed, loaded with an active agent of LidoHCl, and treated with glutaraldehyde (GTA) as a crosslinker agent. Prepared hydrogels were cast into a silicon mold. Hereby, microneedles (MNs) with 500 µm height, 35° needle angle, 40-µm tip radius, and 960-µm tip-to-tip distance were fabricated. Samples containing LidoHCl 40%, GEL/NaCMC 5:1 (wt/wt), and polymer/GTA ratio 3.1 (wt/wt) showed the highest drug release ability (t < 10 min) with proper mechanical properties in comparison with other samples. Due to the drug release in a short time (fewer than 10 min), this drug delivery system can be used for rapid local anesthesia for pain relief as well as before minor skin surgeries.

Graphical Abstract
Quantitative assessment of PSMA PET response to therapy in castration-sensitive prostate cancer using an automated imaging platform for disease identification and measurement
Authors: Duriseti Sai , Berenji Gholam , Tsai Sonny , Rettig Matthew , Nickols Nicholas G.
Published: April 2023

Rationale

Prostate cancer treatment response may be automatically quantified using a molecular imaging analysis platform targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA).

Methods

A retrospective analysis of patients with castration-sensitive prostate cancer who underwent PSMA-targeted molecular imaging prior to and 3 months or more after treatment was conducted. Disease burden was analyzed with aPROMISE, an artificial intelligence imaging platform that automatically quantifies PSMA-positive lesions. The calculated PSMA scores for prostate/bed, nodal, and osseous disease sites were compared with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values.

Results

Of 30 eligible patients, the median decline in prostate/bed, nodal, and osseous disease PSMA scores were 100% (range 52–100%), 100% (range − 87–100%), and 100% (range − 21–100%), respectively. PSMA score decline was significantly associated with PSA decline.

Conclusion

Changes in aPROMISE PSMA scores are associated with changes in PSA and may quantify treatment response.
Perceived benefits of cochlear implants by parents: expectations, decision-making process, and barriers to care
Authors: Ibrahim Ateya Megahed , El-Gilany Abdel-Hady , Mohamed Eman Wardany Abdelaal , Farrag Nesrine Saad
Published: April 2023

Background

Identifying predictive factors of the cochlear implant outcomes in pediatric patients is critical in guiding tailored rehabilitation programs. The study aimed to assess cochlear implant outcomes, identify predictors, and highlight decision-making factors and barriers to quality care.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included parents of children who received unilateral cochlear implants for bilateral severe- to- deep sensorineural hearing loss. Inclusion criteria were age ≤ 5 years and intelligence quotient (IQ) Scores ≥ 85, A pre-designed structured questionnaire was used to collect data from parents/guardians of the children attending follow-up. The Arabic validated Glasgow Children Benefit Inventory score was used to assess the health-related quality of life (QOL) after intervention.

Results

The quality of life (QOL) score (outcome) after surgery was positive in all cases. Multivariate analysis showed that the site of operation (Bahtim hospital and Ain Shams Hospital [AOR(95% confidence interval CI), 5.7 (1.4–23), 5 (1.4–17.9), p = 0.015, 0.013, respectively]), education of the father (university/postgraduate [AOR (95% CI): 5 (1.4–17.9), p = 0.013]), the parents’ expectation that their child would be able to participate in regular classroom activities [AOR (95% CI): 8.9 (3.7–21.3), p < 0.001], and history of Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), perinatal hypoxia, and low birth weight [AOR (95% CI): 2.5 (1.2–5.1), 3.7 (1.7–8.1), 4.7 (2.1–10.5), p = 0.013, 0.001, ≤ 0.001, respectively] are significant independent predictors of good outcome.

Conclusion

All parents expressed a positive change in their child’s QOL. Almost all parents of children with cochlear implants face many barriers in obtaining quality healthcare services for their children. Parents, especially those with lower schooling, should receive good counselling to increase their confidence in their children’s capabilities and maximize benefits of regular follow-up. Improving the quality of healthcare centers is recommended.
Effect of cottonseed milk on growth performance, hematological and semen characteristics in male Wistar albino rats
Authors: Subramani Thirukkumar , Ganapathyswamy Hemalatha , Sampathrajan Vellaikumar , David Raj C.
Published: April 2023

Various plant based milk extract is appropriate for human nutrition among which cottonseed is one of the potential crops with the advantages of stable milk emulsion, improved nutrient profile with affordable waste utilization. Although cottonseed milk is a popular indigenous beverage, it has not been exploited worldwide for regular consumption owing to the presence of gossypol. The gossypol toxicity and associated gossypol-iron complex formation in the intestine lead to changes in hematological characteristics and alternation of sperm motility in monogastric animals. Male Wistar albino rats weighing 60 to 70 g were divided into four groups of five animals each. The group fed the standard diet (STD) served as control, and the experimental groups included the group (i) rats fed cottonseed diet (CSD) supplemented at 10% of cottonseed level (ii) rats fed conventional aqueous extracted cottonseed milk (CCM) diet (CAD) and (iii) rats fed enzymatic assisted aqueous extracted cottonseed milk (ECM) diet (EAD). The CAD and EAD feed was administrated @ 1 ml/100 g of animal body weight /day for the study period of 45 days among the experimental groups and control group. A significant difference in weight gain of the experimental rats was noticed between the CCM and ECM cottonseed milk extracts fed experimental groups compared with the standard and cottonseed fed groups. The rats fed with CSD, CCM and ECM diet exhibited higher white blood cell counts, also reducing the red blood cells count, hemoglobin hematocrit and platelet in the group compared with STD. No significant difference in semen motility characteristics was noticed among the CSD, CCM and ECM fed groups. In conclusion, the intake of less than the permissible level of gossypol from selected cottonseed and its aqueous extracted milk samples has influenced the hematological parameters and whereas an improved effect was shown in semen characteristics.

Graphical Abstract
Integrity monitoring scheme for single-epoch GNSS PPP-RTK positioning
Authors: Zhang Wenhao , Wang Jinling
Published: April 2023

Integrity monitoring for precise point positioning is critical for safety-related applications. With the increasing demands of high-accuracy autonomous navigation for unmanned ground and aerial vehicles, the integrity monitoring method of high-precision positioning has become an essential requirement. While high precision Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) positioning is widely used in such applications, there are still many difficulties in the integrity monitoring method for the multi-frequency multi-GNSS undifferenced and uncombined Precise Point Positioning (PPP). The main difficulties are caused by using the measurements of multiple epochs in PPP. Based on the baseline Multiple Hypothesis Solution Separation (MHSS) Advanced Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (ARAIM) algorithm, this paper discusses the feasibility of the pseudorange-based baseline ARAIM method on the single-epoch PPP based on Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) networks (PPP-RTK) framework to overcome these difficulties. In addition, a new scheme is proposed to transfer the conventional PPP process into the single-epoch PPP-RTK framework. The simulation results using the proposed model are analyzed in this study. The Protection Levels (PLs) estimated by PPP Wide-lane Ambiguity Resolution (PPP-WAR) model with regional corrections can reach the meter level and the PLs estimated by PPP Ambiguity Resolution (PPP-AR) and PPP-RTK models are usually the sub-meter level. Given a horizontal Alert Limit (AL) of 1.5 m, the global coverage of availability above 99.9% for PPP-WAR, PPP-AR, and PPP-RTK can reach 92.6%, 99.4%, and 99.7% respectively. The results using real kinematic data also show that tight PLs can be achieved when the observation conditions are good.
A content analysis of alignment messages to the Next Generation Science Standards
Authors: Tanas Jamie , Fulmer Gavin
Published: April 2023

Teachers are a critical component to standards-based reform systems, which require that reforms conceived at the national level pass through several layers of the educational system before impacting learning in the classroom. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are an example of this type of reform and pose significant challenges for alignment between levels given their three-dimensional nature alongside inclusion of ambitious and novel reform ideas. To examine translation of NGSS reforms across levels, we provide a content analysis of alignment messages conveyed to teachers through practitioner literature. Analysis indicates some coherence with national messaging around alignment to performance expectations and science and engineering practices. Additionally, alignment to broader reform ideas like engaging in science practices, integration, engineering, and focus on phenomena were represented to teachers. However, qualitative analysis of these representations indicate that reforms are often superficially portrayed, variably defined, or missing altogether. Findings indicate that teachers receive numerous messages regarding what it means to align to the NGSS and few elaborations on how to operationalize reforms. Our work suggests a need for intentional consideration of how to design representations for practitioners that consider teacher sensemaking around novel reforms. Additionally, we see a need for further development of coherence among the research community regarding alignment to the NGSS and agreement on definition of key reform ideas. Future work should consider how teachers use and understand these representations as they enact the NGSS in their local contexts.
Early enteral versus early parenteral nutrition in critically ill patients with respiratory distress: a case–control study
Authors: El Meligy Basant Salah , El-sherbini Seham Awad , Soliman Mohamed Mosaad , abd El-Ghany Heba Mohamad , Ahmed Elshimaa Salah
Published: April 2023

Background

Nutritional support is essential as enteral or parenteral nutrition to reduce catabolism, to lower the complications rate, and to improve outcomes in critically ill patients.

Results

The median, range age of the cohort was (median 10, range 6–18.8 months). One-hundred thirteen (62.8%) were males, and 67 (37.2%) were females. The higher frequency of sepsis, ventilator-acquired pneumonia (VAP), and mortality founded in the group received PN. Frequency of sepsis was 15 (16.7%), VAP was 5 (5.6%), and the mortality rate was 11.1% in EN group, while frequency of sepsis was 37 (41.1%), VAP was 23 (25.6%), and the mortality rate was 27.8% in PN group (P = 0.001, 0.001, 0.01, respectively). Median of weight gain on the EN group was 0.17 kg at 2nd week which was more than those in PN group (P = 0.001). The mean ± SD time for reaching the caloric target for those receiving early EN was 4.0 ± 1.9 days which is earlier than that of PN group (6.2 ± 1.7 days) (P = 0.001). There is no significant difference between both groups as regard pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay length and mechanical ventilation stay length.

Conclusion

Early EN remains the preferred route for nutrient delivery as the PN route was accompanied by a lot of complication such as sepsis, VAP, and high mortality rate.
Effect of Enlarged Perivascular Spaces in Reliable Distinction of Prospective Targeting During Deep Brain Stimulation in Patients With Advanced Parkinson's Disease: A Study of Deterministic and Probabilistic Tractography
Authors: Vedaei Faezeh , Fayed Islam , Alizadeh Mahdi , Miller Christopher , Zhang Ashley B. , Koa Victoria , Khan Suharto , Mohamed Feroze B. , Wu Chengyuan
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND:

Precise electrode position is vital for effective deep brain stimulation in treating motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Enlarged perivascular spaces (PVSs) are associated with pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases including PD and may affect the microstructure of surrounding brain tissue.

OBJECTIVE:

To quantify the clinical implications of enlarged PVS on tractography-based stereotactic targeting in patients with advanced PD selected to undergo deep brain stimulation.

METHODS:

Twenty patients with PD underwent MRI scanning. The PVS areas were visualized and segmented. Based on the size of the PVS areas, the patient group was split into 2 categories of large vs small PVSs. Probabilistic and deterministic tractography methods were applied to a diffusion-weighted data set. Fiber assignment was performed using motor cortex as an initiation seed and the globus pallidus interna and subthalamic nucleus, separately, as inclusion masks. Two exclusion masks used consisted of cerebral peduncles and the PVS mask. The center of gravity of the tract density map was measured and compared between the tracts generated with and without consideration of the PVS mask.

RESULTS:

The average differences between the center of gravity of the tracts made by excluding PVS and without excluding PVS using deterministic and probabilistic tractography methods were less than 1 mm. Statistical analysis showed nonsignificant differences between deterministic and probabilistic methods and differences between patients with large and small PVSs (P > .05).

CONCLUSION:

This study demonstrated that the presence of enlarged PVS is unlikely to affect targeting of basal ganglia nuclei based on tractography.
A network of Notch-dependent and -independent her genes controls neural stem and progenitor cells in the zebrafish thalamic proliferation zone
Authors: Sigloch Christian , Spitz Dominik , Driever Wolfgang
Published: April 2023

Neural proliferation zones mediate brain growth and employ Delta/Notch signaling and HES/Her transcription factors to balance neural stem cell (NSC) maintenance with the generation of progenitors and neurons. We investigated Notch-dependency and function of her genes in the thalamic proliferation zone of zebrafish larvae. Nine Notch-dependent genes, her2, her4.1-4.5, her12, her15.1-15.2, and two Notch-independent genes, her6 and her9, are differentially expressed and define distinct NSC and progenitor populations. her6 prominently executes patterning information to maintain NSCs and the zona limitans intrathalamica Shh signaling activity. Surprisingly, simultaneous deletion of nine Notch-dependent her genes does not affect NSCs or progenitor formation, and her4 overexpression only caused reduction of ascl1b progenitors. Combined genetic manipulations of Notch-dependent and -independent her genes suggest that her6 in the thalamic proliferation zone prominently maintains NSCs and inhibits NSC-to-progenitor lineage transitions. The her gene network is characterized by redundant gene functions, with Notch-independent her genes better substituting for loss of Notch-dependent her genes than vice versa. Together, her gene regulatory feedback loops and cross-regulation contribute to the observed robustness of NSC maintenance.
THE SPECIAL ROLE OF THE LABOR MARKET AS A UNIVERSAL FACTOR OF PRODUCTION
Authors: Suvalova Tatyana , Ashurbekov R. , Zhuravleva O. , Suvalov O.
Published: April 2023

In modern conditions of the economy, unstable financial and political processes, the labor market is undergoing serious changes on a global scale. The article discusses the demand and supply of labor, the impact of migration processes, unemployment rates, the dynamics of the domestic and international markets, both at the macroeconomic and microeconomic levels. A study of the labor market as an economic system is given, taking into account the indicators of GDP and GNI. The ratio of supply and demand in the labor market in macroeconomic theory is considered, the dependence of wages on working hours is given. Attention is focused on the analysis of the relationship between the labor market and the unemployment rate. The data on the unemployment rate for the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, indicators of the impact of the minimum wage and migration (immigration) on the labor market, the results of economic data on migration in the labor markets of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) are provided.
THE PRACTICAL RESEARCH OF MIND MAPPING IN THE MATHEMATICS BISECTION CLASSROOM OF JUNIOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
Authors: DU HAIYING , LIU JIAN
Published: April 2023

With the continuous reform of education, the focus of teaching has shifted from teachers' teaching to students' learning. In the divided classroom, students' learning autonomy and learning ability can be improved through students' internalization and absorption, discussion in separate classrooms and other links. Mind mapping can link knowledge points and help students clarify knowledge structure. This paper takes "review at the end of the chapter of unitary linear equation" as an example to explore the integration of split classroom and mind mapping in junior high school mathematics, optimize the teaching process, and establish an efficient classroom.
Leading by example
Authors: Salaver Samantha
Published: April 2023

Samantha Salaver discusses the skills required to be a great leader.
Excellent oral health, with a smile!
Authors: Dixon Sally
Published: April 2023

Sally Dixon looks at how you can be part of the growing oral health education movement by adding extra skills to your repertoire.
Academic Stress in Medical Students during 3 Different States: Holiday, Lecture, and Exams
Authors: Muliarta I Made , Wirata Gede , Tunas I Ketut
Published: April 2023

Background: Stress is not only experienced by people who have worked, but it is not uncommon for students. Knowing the existence of stress and the severity of stress on someone is very important. Aim: The study aims to determine the difference in stress levels (academic stress) for students at various pre-clinic levels at Udayana University in 2020. Methods: An observational analytic design drives the samples from the 1st – 4th academic year students of Udayana University to take stress index and diagnosis questionnaires. The stressor condition was analyzed differently during holidays, lectures, or examinations. Results: The 384 participants aged 19.46 ± 1.28 years old consisted of 197 females and 187 males. Dominantly, the males had the highest number of severe ASI, RCS, QN, QL, and SR. The academic stress significantly differed in each batch (p<0.05), except for SR. The academic conditions appeared significant mean differences among ASI, QN, and QL. The significant conspicuous data appeared between the 3rd and 4th year for almost all stress variables, and also between lecture and exam time for both QN and QL. Conclusion: Different varieties of academic stress are shown early on in pre-clinical students, not only in the real clinical field. The low to severe grade at each stress variable was significant to be considered within the academic situation.
Development and Validation of HPLC Method For the Detection of Fusidic Acid Loaded in Non-ionic and Cationic Nanoemulsion-Based Gels
Authors: Yaseen Ahmed , Ghareeb Mowafaq Mohammed , Alsaffar Dania F. , Ming Toh Seok , Gazzali Amirah Mohd
Published: April 2023

Fusidic acid (FA) is a well-known pharmaceutical antibiotic used to treat dermal infections. This experiment aimed for developing a standardized HPLC protocol to determine the accurate concentration of fusidic acid in both non-ionic and cationic nano-emulsion based gels. For this purpose, a simple, precise, accurate approach was developed. A column with reversed-phase C18 (250 mm x 4.6 mm ID x 5 m) was utilized for the separation process. The main constituents of the HPLC mobile phase were composed of water: acetonitrile (1: 4); adjusted at pH 3.3. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/minute. The optimized wavelength was selected at 235 nm. This approach achieved strong linearity for alcoholic solutions of FA when loaded at a serial concentration ranging from 12.5 to 400 µg/ml. Furthermore, the approach showed good stability and achieved full recovery and an effective separation for FA from the abovementioned formulation. Besides, the protocol validation revealed good robustness at a temperature range of 23 to 27, pH 3.0 to 3.5, detection wavelength 230 to 240 nm, flow rate 0.8 and 1.2 and mobile phase contents of (78:22 to 82:18 acetonitrile/ water). The limit of Detection was obtained 1.33 µg/ml and limit of Quantification was 4.04 µg/ml for FA that uploaded through mentioned formulations. All the validation parameters were within the acceptance criteria, as per ICH , US Pharmacopeia requirements. Overall, an affordable and reproducible method could be achieved for the detection and quantification of fusidic acid within the nano-emulsion based gels formulas.
D-shaped photonic crystal fiber sensor based on the surface plasmon resonance effect for refractive index detection
Authors: Liu Xiaokai , Yuan Jinhui , Qu Yuwei , Zhang Jingao , Zhou Xian , Yan Binbin , Wang Kuiru , Sang Xinzhu , Yu Chongxiu
Published: April 2023

In this paper, a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sensor based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect for refractive index (RI) detection is proposed. We design a D-shaped polished PCF structure consisting of air holes arranged in a hexagonal lattice. The silver film is coated on the middle channel of the polished surface of the PCF. The finite element method is used to analyze the propagation characteristics of the proposed D-shaped SPR-PCF sensor. Simulation results show that the proposed D-shaped SPR-PCF sensor has a maximum wavelength sensitivity of 30,000 nm/RIU, an average wavelength sensitivity of 6785.71 nm/RIU, and a maximum resolution of 3.33×10−6RIU in the RI range of 1.22–1.36. Owing to the high wavelength sensitivity in the considered RI range, the proposed D-shaped SPR-PCF sensor is suitable for applications in water contamination detection, liquid concentration measurement, food safety monitoring, etc.
Large spatial shifts of a reflected Airy beam on the surface of hyperbolic crystals
Authors: Song Hao-Yuan , Chen Zhi-Xuan , Li Yu-Bo , Hao Shao-Peng , Zhang Qiang , Zhou Sheng , Fu Shu-fang , Wang Xuan-Zhang
Published: April 2023

The large Goos–Hänchen (GH) and Imbert–Fedorov (IF) shifts of a reflective Airy beam impinging upon the surface of hyperbolic crystals are theoretically investigated. These two typical models, incident by the linearly polarized Airy beam, are discussed, where the optical axis is parallel or vertical to the incident plane, respectively. Compared with the Gaussian or vortex beam, the GH and IF shifts caused by Airy beams are increased by at least two orders of magnitude in or near the reststrahlen bands of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), especially in the vicinity of epsilon-near-zero. The conditions improving the GH and IF shifts are deeply examined, which are determined by the permittivity and thickness of hBN and the incident frequency, respectively. For the arbitrary orientation of the optical axis, it has been demonstrated that the left-circularly polarized Airy beam has to be used to generate the large spatial shifts at a certain incident angle and frequency. These results may provide a feasible way to obtain great spatial shifts and be applied in infrared optical detection.
Waveguide-integrated silicon T centres
Authors: DeAbreu A. , Bowness C. , Alizadeh A. , Chartrand C. , Brunelle N. A. , MacQuarrie E. R. , Lee-Hone N. R. , Ruether M. , Kazemi M. , Kurkjian A. T. K. , Roorda S. , Abrosimov N. V. , Pohl H.-J. , Thewalt M. L. W. , Higginbottom D. B. , Simmons S.
Published: April 2023

The performance of modular, networked quantum technologies will be strongly dependent upon the quality of their quantum light-matter interconnects. Solid-state colour centres, and in particular T centres in silicon, offer competitive technological and commercial advantages as the basis for quantum networking technologies and distributed quantum computing. These newly rediscovered silicon defects offer direct telecommunications-band photonic emission, long-lived electron and nuclear spin qubits, and proven native integration into industry-standard, CMOS-compatible, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) photonic chips at scale. Here we demonstrate further levels of integration by characterizing T centre spin ensembles in single-mode waveguides in SOI. In addition to measuring long spin T1 times, we report on the integrated centres’ optical properties. We find that the narrow homogeneous linewidth of these waveguide-integrated emitters is already sufficiently low to predict the future success of remote spin-entangling protocols with only modest cavity Purcell enhancements. We show that further improvements may still be possible by measuring nearly lifetime-limited homogeneous linewidths in isotopically pure bulk crystals. In each case the measured linewidths are more than an order of magnitude lower than previously reported and further support the view that high-performance, large-scale distributed quantum technologies based upon T centres in silicon may be attainable in the near term.
Broadband transverse unidirectional scattering and large range nanoscale displacement measuring based on the interaction between a tightly focused azimuthally polarized beam and a silicon hollow nanostructure
Authors: Zhang Zhaokun , Xiang Yuqi , Xu Wei , Guo Chucai , Liu Ken , Zhu Zhihong
Published: April 2023

We theoretically propose a broadband transverse unidirectional scattering scheme based on the interaction between a tightly focused azimuthally polarized beam (APB) and a silicon hollow nanostructure. When the nanostructure is located at a specific position in the focal plane of the APB, the transverse scattering fields can be decomposed into contributions from transverse components of the electric dipoles, longitudinal components of magnetic dipoles and magnetic quadrupole components. In order to satisfy the transverse Kerker conditions for these multipoles within a wide infrared spectrum, we design a novel nanostructure with hollow parallelepiped shape. Through numerical simulations and theoretical calculations, this scheme exhibits efficient transverse unidirectional scattering effects in the wavelength range of 1440 nm to 1820 nm (380 nm). In addition, by adjusting the position of the nanostructure on the x-axis, efficient nanoscale displacement sensing with large measuring ranges can be achieved. After analyses, the results prove that our research may have potential applications in the field of high-precision on-chip displacement sensors.
Automatic elimination of phase aberrations in digital holography based on Gaussian 1σ- criterion and histogram segmentation
Authors: Chen Zhenkai , Zhou Wenjing , Duan Lian , Zhang Hongbo , Zheng Huadong , Xia Xinxing , Yu Yingjie , Poon Ting-chung
Published: April 2023

We propose a numerical and automatic quadratic phase aberration elimination method in digital holography for phase-contrast imaging. A histogram segmentation method based on Gaussian 1σ-criterion is used to obtain the accurate coefficients of quadratic aberrations using the weighted least-squares algorithm. This method needs no manual intervention for specimen-free zone or prior parameters of optical components. We also propose a maximum-minimum-average-standard deviation (MMASD) metric to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of quadratic aberration elimination. Simulation and experimental results are demonstrated to verify the efficacy of our proposed method over the traditional least-squares algorithm.
Non-Hermitian guided modes and exceptional points using loss-free negative-index materials
Authors: Wu Li-Ting , Zhang Xin-Zhe , Luo Ru-Zhi , Chen Jing
Published: April 2023

We analyze the guided modes in coupled waveguides made of negative-index materials without gain or loss. We show that it supports non-Hermitian phenomenon on the existence of guided mode versus geometric parameters of the structure. The non-Hermitian effect is different from parity-time (PT) symmetry, and can be explained by a simple coupled-mode theory with an anti-PT symmetry. The existence of exceptional points and slow-light effect are discussed. This work highlights the potential of loss-free negative-index materials in the study of non-Hermitian optics.