bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomic analyses identify biological processes in ZKSCAN3-deficient colorectal cancer cells
Authors: Qian Zhiwen , Chang Tingxiang , Zhang Tingting , Wang Jing , Gu Hanming
Published: January 2022

Zinc finger with KRAB and SCAN domain 3 (ZKSCAN3) is associated with cell differentiation, cell proliferation and apoptosis, which has been reported as a critical driver of colorectal cancer. However, the mechanism and function of ZKSCAN3 in colorectal cancer is still unclear. Here, our objective is to identify the functional molecules and signaling by analyzing the RNA-seq data. The GSE172201 was created by the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 (Homo sapiens). The KEGG and GO analyses indicated the immune defense response to virus and transcription activity are major processes in the ZKSCAN3 KO colorectal cancer cells. Moreover, we determined ten key molecules including STAT1, MX1, DDX58, PPARG, EGFR, APP, BST2, DLG4, OASL, and IFIT2. Therefore, our study may provide the novel knowledge of ZKSCAN3 mediated colorectal cancer.
Seasonal challenges of tropical bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) in temperate zones
Authors: Weinberg Maya , Mazar Omer , Harten Lee , Handel Michal , Goutink Sophia , Lifshitz Nora , Czirják Gábor Á. , Yovel Yossi
Published: January 2022

Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) manage to survive and flourish in a large geographic range despite the variability of natural and anthropogenic conditions in this range. To examine the challenges faced by free-ranging R.aegyptiacus living at the northern edge of their distribution, we performed a retrospective analysis of ∼1500 clinical cases reported by a bat rescue NGO over 25 months, from all over Israel. All cases of injured or stranded bats were evaluated and categorized according to date, place, sex, age, and etiology of the morbidity. The analysis of the data showed an increase in all types of morbidity during the wintertime, with more than twice the number of cases in comparison with the summertime, over two consecutive years. Moreover, we found that the number of abandoned pups peaks during spring till autumn when adult morbidity is minimal. We characterize two prominent types of previously undescribed morbidity in R.aegyptiacus, one in the form of bacterial illness, and the other associated with feet deformation which affects bats in addition to major anthropogenic-related threats related to synanthropic predators. We analyze the reasons driving winter morbidity and conclude that winter weather and specifically low temperature best explains this morbidity. We hypothesize that R.aegyptiacus, a fruit-bat of tropical origin is facing major seasonal difficulties near the northern edge of its distribution, probably limiting its further spread northward.
Triple-helix potential of the mouse genome
Authors: Maekawa Kaku , Yamada Shintaro , Sharma Rahul , Chaudhuri Jayanta , Keeney Scott
Published: January 2022

Certain DNA sequences, including mirror-symmetric polypyrimidine/polypurine runs, are capable of folding into a triple-helix-containing non-B-form DNA structure called H-DNA. Such H-DNA-forming sequences are frequent in many eukaryotic genomes, including in mammals, and multiple lines of evidence indicate that these motifs are mutagenic and can impinge on DNA replication, transcription, and other aspects of genome function. In this study, we show that the triplex-forming potential of H-DNA motifs in the mouse genome can be evaluated using S1-sequencing (S1-seq), which uses the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-specific nuclease S1 to generate deep-sequencing libraries that report on the position of ssDNA throughout the genome. When S1-seq was applied to genomic DNA isolated from mouse testis cells and splenic B cells, we observed prominent clusters of S1-seq reads that appeared to be independent of endogenous double-strand breaks, that coincided with H-DNA motifs, and that correlated strongly with the triplex-forming potential of the motifs. Fine-scale patterns of S1-seq reads, including a pronounced strand asymmetry in favor of centrally-positioned reads on the pyrimidine-containing strand, suggested that this S1-seq signal is specific for one of the four possible isomers of H-DNA (H-y5). By leveraging the abundance and complexity of naturally occurring H-DNA motifs across the mouse genome, we further defined how polypyrimidine repeat length and the presence of repeat-interrupting substitutions modify the structure of H-DNA. This study provides a new approach for studying DNA secondary structure genome wide at high spatial resolution.
Functional Requirements for a Samd14-Capping Protein Complex in Stress Erythropoiesis
Authors: Ray Suhita , Chee Linda , Zhou Yichao , Schaefer Meg A. , Naldrett Michael J. , Alvarez Sophie , Woods Nicholas T , Hewitt Kyle J.
Published: January 2022

Acute anemia induces rapid expansion of erythroid precursors and accelerated differentiation to replenish erythrocytes. Paracrine signals – involving cooperation between SCF/c-Kit signaling and other signaling inputs – are required for the increased erythroid precursor activity in anemia. Our prior work revealed that the Sterile Alpha Motif (SAM) Domain 14 (Samd14) gene increases the regenerative capacity of the erythroid system and promotes stress-dependent c-Kit signaling. However, the mechanism underlying Samd14’s role in stress erythropoiesis is unknown. We identified a protein- protein interaction between Samd14 and the α- and β heterodimers of the F-actin capping protein (CP) complex. Knockdown of the CP β subunit increased erythroid maturation in ex vivo cultures and decreased colony forming potential of stress erythroid precursors. In a genetic complementation assay for Samd14 activity, our results revealed that the Samd14-CP interaction is a determinant of erythroid precursor cell levels and function. Samd14-CP promotes SCF/c-kit signaling in CD71med spleen erythroid precursors. Given the roles of c-Kit signaling in hematopoiesis and Samd14 in c-Kit pathway activation, this mechanism may have pathological implications in acute/chronic anemia.
Plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate is not necessary for Candida albicans viability, yet is key for cell wall integrity and systemic infection
Authors: Garcia-Rodas Rocio , Labbaoui Hayet , Orange François , Solis Norma , Zaragoza Oscar , Filler Scott , Bassilana Martine , Arkowitz Robert A.
Published: January 2022

Phosphatidylinositol phosphates are key phospholipids with a range of regulatory roles, including membrane trafficking and cell polarity. Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate [PI(4)P] at the Golgi is required for the budding to filamentous growth transition in the human pathogenic fungus Candida albicans, however the role of plasma membrane PI(4)P is unclear. We have investigated the importance of this phospholipid in C. albicans growth, stress response, and virulence by generating mutant strains with decreased levels of plasma membrane PI(4)P, via deletion of components of the PI-4-kinase complex, i.e. Efr3, Ypp1 and Stt4. The amount of plasma membrane PI(4)P in the efr3Δ/Δ and ypp1Δ/Δ mutant was ∼60% and ∼40% of the wild-type strain, respectively, whereas it was nearly undetectable in the stt4Δ/Δ mutant. All three mutants had reduced plasma membrane phosphatidylserine (PS). Although these mutants had normal yeast phase growth, they were defective in filamentous growth, exhibited defects in cell wall integrity and had an increased exposure of cell wall β(1,3)-glucan, yet they induced a range of hyphal specific genes. In a mouse model of hematogenously disseminated candidiasis, fungal plasma membrane PI(4)P levels directly correlated with virulence; the efr3Δ/Δ had wild-type virulence, the ypp1Δ/Δ mutant had attenuated virulence and the stt4Δ/Δ mutant caused no lethality. In the mouse model of orpharyngeal candidiasis, only the ypp1Δ/Δ mutant had reduced virulence, indicating that plasma membrane PI(4)P is less important for proliferation in the oropharynx. Collectively, these results demonstrate that plasma membrane PI(4)P levels play a central role in filamentation, cell wall integrity and virulence in C. albicans.

Importance

While the PI-4-kinases Pik1 and Stt4 both produce PI(4)P, the former generates PI(4)P at the Golgi and the latter at the plasma membrane and these two pools are functionally distinct. To address the importance of plasma membrane PI(4)P in Candida albicans, we have generated deletion mutants of the three putative plasma membrane PI-4-kinase complex components and quantified the levels of plasma membrane PI(4)P in each of these strains. Our work reveals that this phosphatidylinositol phosphate is specifically critical for the yeast-to-hyphal transition, cell wall integrity and virulence in a mouse systemic infection model. The significance of this work is in identifying a plasma membrane phospholipid that has an infection specific role, which is attributed to the loss of plasma membrane PI(4)P resulting in β(1,3)-glucan unmasking.
Gut Microbial Trimethylamine is Elevated in Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis and Contributes to Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice
Authors: Helsley Robert N. , Miyata Tatsunori , Kadam Anagha , Varadharajan Venkateshwari , Sangwan Naseer , Huang Emily C. , Banerjee Rakhee , Brown Amanda L. , Fung Kevin K. , Massey William J. , Neumann Chase , Orabi Danny , Osborn Lucas J. , Schugar Rebecca C. , McMullen Megan R. , Bellar Annette , Poulsen Kyle L. , Kim Adam , Pathak Vai , Mrdjen Marko , Anderson James T. , Willard Belinda , McClain Craig J. , Mitchell Mack , McCullough Arthur J. , Radaeva Svetlana , Barton Bruce , Szabo Gyongyi , Dasarathy Srinivasan , Garcia-Garcia Jose Carlos , Rotroff Daniel M. , Allende Daniela S. , Wang Zeneng , Hazen Stanley L. , Nagy Laura E. , Brown J. Mark
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND

There is mounting evidence that microbes resident in the human intestine contribute to diverse alcohol-associated liver diseases (ALD) including the most deadly form known as alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH). However, mechanisms by which gut microbes synergize with excessive alcohol intake to promote liver injury are poorly understood. Furthermore, whether drugs that selectively target gut microbial metabolism can improve ALD has never been tested.

METHODS

We used liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to quantify the levels of microbe and host choline co-metabolites in healthy controls and AH patients, finding elevated levels of the microbial metabolite trimethylamine (TMA) in AH. In subsequent studies, we treated mice with non-lethal bacterial choline TMA lyase (CutC/D) inhibitors to blunt gut microbe-dependent production of TMA in the context of chronic ethanol administration. Indices of liver injury were quantified by complementary RNA sequencing, biochemical, and histological approaches. In addition, we examined the impact of ethanol consumption and TMA lyase inhibition on gut microbiome structure via 16S rRNA sequencing.

RESULTS

We show the gut microbial choline metabolite trimethylamine (TMA) is elevated in AH patients and correlates with reduced hepatic expression of the TMA oxygenase flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3). Provocatively, we find that small molecule inhibition of gut microbial CutC/D activity protects mice from ethanol-induced liver injury. CutC/D inhibitor-driven improvement in ethanol-induced liver injury is associated with distinct reorganization of the gut microbiome and host liver transcriptome.

CONCLUSIONS

The microbial metabolite TMA is elevated in patients with AH, and inhibition of TMA production from gut microbes can protect mice from ethanol-induced liver injury.
Entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation and opportunity exploitation in driving business performance: moderating effect of interfunctional coordination
Authors: Mathafena Rose Boitumelo , Msimango-Galawe Jabulile
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the extent to which interfunctional coordination (IFC) moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO), market orientation (MO) and organisational opportunity exploitation (OE) and business performance (BP); second, to examine the impact of EO, MO and organisational OE on the BP.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a cross-sectional design approach, with the research framework tested on a sample of 203 cases of employees mostly at skilled, professional and management levels in Gauteng Province. Data was analysed through correlation, regression and moderation analysis.

Findings

The results indicated that EO, MO and OE account for BP. Furthermore, IFC significantly moderates only the relationship between MO and BP (financial) and OE and BP (non-financial). While the relationship between EO and BP is not significantly moderated.

Practical implications

The study highlights that IFC is not yet embedded in organisational practice and culture. Scaling interventions to promote IFC as a performance enabler, particularly in conjunction with the entrepreneurial, market-oriented and OE activities, is essential in the South African corporate entrepreneurial environment.

Originality/value

Although EO, MO and OE are widely recognised as performance enablers, very little is known about the potential moderating role of IFC towards these identified complementary strategic capabilities within the South African corporate context. The empirical research strengthens awareness about the need and criticality of IFC in improving organisational performance in emerging economies.
Divine powers and exchange with ‘others’ in Melanesia
Authors: Hirsch Eric
Published: January 2022

Marshall Sahlins described divine king forms for a wide range of societies from Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, among others. In this article, I document a divine king form among the Fuyuge people of the Papuan highlands, revising my previous understanding of this powerful figure. At the same time, I argue there is an inextricable connection between Sahlins's theory of divine power and Marilyn Strathern's model of Melanesian gift exchange: both operate according to distinct ideas of otherness. The capacity to engage in transaction derives from cosmological sources while evidence of cosmological power is provided by the ability to engage in transactions with others in effective and powerful ways. More generally, I argue that conventional Melanesian figures of big‐men, great men, and chiefs are all versions of the alterity of power in related political forms; each instantiates the mutual relations between cosmological and transactional otherness.
THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE: MIGRATION, COMPETITION, AND HUMAN CAPITAL ACCUMULATION IN HISTORIC CHINA
Authors: Bai Ying
Published: January 2022

By exploiting immigrant spatial variation in 287 prefectures, this study shows that the 1127‐30 Han migration southward in historic China had a significantly positive effect on economic prosperity in the year 2000 (as measured by GDP and nighttime lights per capita). One possible explanation is that the migrant‐local competition since the implementation of the imperial civil service examination has incentivized both migrants and locals to invest in education to better compete with their rivals. These findings remain robust when I instrument migration flow size by the number of northern‐born officials governing southern prefectures during the migration period.
The “Yellow Spot” on Europe’s “Snow White Body”
Authors: Turda Marius
Published: January 2022

This essay is written in response to Böröcz’s (2021) essay on race in Europe.
C
4
-Dicarboxylates as Growth Substrates and Signaling Molecules for Commensal and Pathogenic Enteric Bacteria in Mammalian Intestine
Authors: Schubert Christopher , Unden Gottfried
Published: January 2022

The C4-dicarboxylates (C4-DC)
l
-aspartate and
l
-malate have been identified as playing an important role in the colonization of mammalian intestine by enteric bacteria, such as
Escherichia coli
and
Salmonella
Typhimurium, and succinate as a signaling molecule for host–enteric bacteria interaction. Thus, endogenous and exogenous fumarate respiration and related functions are required for efficient initial growth of the bacteria.
Diagnosis Value of Colposcope Combined with Serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen, Carbohydrate Antigen 125, and Carcinoembryonic Antigen for Moderate to Advanced Cervical Cancer Patients Treated with Modified Fuzheng Peiyuan Decoction
Authors: Meng Huijuan , Zhang Yulan , Chen Youguo
Published: January 2022

Objective. To explore the diagnosis value of colposcope combined with serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for moderate to advanced cervical cancer patients treated with modified Fuzheng Peiyuan decoction. Methods. The clinical data of 43 moderate to advanced cervical cancer patients treated in Suzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from July 2018 to July 2019 were selected for the retrospective analysis, and 43 healthy women undergoing physical examination in our medical center in the same period were selected as the control group. The cervical cancer patients accepted the modified Fuzheng Peiyuan decoction treatment, the detection of SCC-Ag, CA125, and CEA and colposcope examination were performed to all research subjects, and the changes in indicators such as KPS scores and lesion perfusion parameters in cervical cancer patients before and after treatment were monitored, so as to analysis the clinical diagnosis value of combined diagnosis in treated patients. Results. After treatment, the mean KPS scores were greatly higher and various blood perfusion parameters of lesions and serum SCC-Ag, CA125, and CEA levels were remarkably lower than before (

P

value <0.001 for all); the area under the curve of combined test was significantly larger than that of single test, and the sensitivity and specificity of the combined test were the highest; and after medication, the total incidence rate of toxic and side effects was 11.63%. Conclusion. Fuzheng Peiyuan decoction has significant effect in treating moderate to advanced cervical cancer, and colposcope combined with serum test presents more accurate and credible diagnosis results and has great significance for future treatment, which shall be promoted and applied.
Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Paragonimus Species Isolated from Freshwater Crabs in Southern Yunnan, China
Authors: Shu Qiu-Hong , Yang Yang , Wang Miao-Miao , Li Shu-De , Tian Ming , Bai Wen-Wei , Meng Yong , He Shu-Mei-Qi , Wang Wen-Lin
Published: January 2022

Paragonimus species are highly prevalent in various regions of China. The study’s objective is to isolate and identify Paragonimus from natural habitats and compare the phylogenetic diversity of Paragonimus in southern Yunnan province, China. Metacercariae of Paragonimus was isolated from crabs, and morphologic identification was performed by microscopy. Metacercariae were injected into experimental Paragonimus free Sprague Dawley rats. After 114 days, adult worms and eggs were isolated from multiple organs. Morphologic identification confirmed the initial identification. DNA was extracted from 5 adult worms, and molecular characterization was performed by amplification and sequencing of CO1 and ITS2 regions, followed by phylogenetic analysis. Out of 447 crabs captured, 186 crabs were found to be infected. A total of 4 species of Paragonimus was observed from naturally infected crabs. Paragonimus microrchis (2), Paragonimus heterotremus (1), Paragonimus proliferus (1), and Paragonimus skrjabini (1) were isolated and identified. A total of 32 sequences were downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, and 5 sequences generated in the study were used for phylogenetic analysis. In the phylogenetic tree of the CO1 gene, Paragonimus proliferus, Paragonimus heterotremus, and Paragonimus skrjabini were clustered with the same species, and the confidence values of their branches were >95%. A congruent phylogenetic relationship was observed with the ITS2 phylogenetic tree. In the phylogenetic tree constructed with the combined dataset of CO1 and ITS2 datasets, Paragonimus proliferus, Paragonimus heterotremus, and Paragonimus skrjabini clustered with the same species, and their branch confidence values were >94%. Paragonimus microrchis clustered with Paragonimus bangkokensis in both datasets. Phylogenetic analysis revealed robustness of the double loci method as against the single-locus method with either CO1 or ITS2 alone. Paragonimus species isolated from the southern Yunnan province, China, was phylogenetically diverse, and the analysis revealed the clustering of multiple species of Paragonimus isolated from different geographic locations.
Expression of Otx Genes in Müller Cells Using an In Vitro Experimental Model of Retinal Hypoxia
Authors: Azzolini Claudio , Donati Simone , Micheloni Giovanni , Moretti Vittoria , Valli Roberto , Acquati Francesco , Costantino Lucy , Ferrara Fulvio , Borroni Davide , Premi Elias , Testa Francesco , Simonelli Francesca , Porta Giovanni
Published: January 2022

Introduction. Müller glial cells typically activate to react to hypoxic tissue damage in several retinal diseases. We evaluated the in vitro response to a hypoxia-mimicking stimulus on the expression of a set of genes, known to contribute to eye morphogenesis and cell differentiation. Materials and Methods. A MIO-M1 Müller cell line was cultured in a hypoxia-mimicking environment by the addition of cobalt chloride to the culture medium, followed by a recovery time in which we mimic restoration from the hypoxic insult. The HIF-1α protein and VEGF-A gene expression were quantified to verify the induction of a hypoxia-like state. Results. Among the genes under study, we did not observe any difference in the expression levels of Otx1 and Otx2 during treatment; conversely, Otx1 was overexpressed during recovery steps. The VEGF-A gene was strongly upregulated at both the CoCl2 and recovery time points. The transactivated isoform (TA) of the TP73 gene showed an overexpression in long-term exposure to the hypoxic stimulus with a further increase after recovery. Discussion. Our molecular analysis is able to describe the activation of a set of genes, never before described, that can drive the response to a hypoxia-like status. The improved comprehension of these cellular events will be useful for designing new therapeutical approaches for retinal pathologies.
Estimation Method of the Consolidation Potential of Rural Residential Land considering Farmers’ Willingness
Authors: Liu Bo , Chen Chen , Tang Liang , Chen Zhisong , Cao Cheng
Published: January 2022

The work of rural residential land consolidation is related to several aspects, such as optimization of the structure of rural layout and improvement of the ecological environment in rural areas. Therefore, the work of rural residential land consolidation must be carried out rationally and effectively on the basis of scientific estimation of the real potential of rural residential land consolidation. However, according to the existing estimation method of the consolidation potential of rural residential land, it ignores the willingness of farmers who are closely related to it and cannot meet the current requirements of rural residential consolidation. Under the background of rural revitalization and based on the new requirements of standardizing rural land improvement work, this study organically combines rural residential land consolidation and the protection of farmers’ land rights and interest from the perspective of farmers’ wishes. The research uses a multimethod integrated approach (the per-capita construction land standard method, per-household construction land standard method, and town system planning method) to measure theoretical potential of the rural residential land consolidation and constructs a correction index system in two dimensions: natural conditions and economic feasibility. And then, this study further optimizes the correction index system from the perspective of farmers’ willingness. Finally, the feasibility of the estimation method is verified by a case. The research will initiate new ideas for estimating land consolidation potential in residential areas and provide references for the work and the special plan of rural residential land consolidation in various localities.
[Retracted] Phytochemical Constituents, Biological Activities, and Health‐Promoting Effects of the Melissa officinalis
Authors: Sharifi-Rad Javad , Quispe Cristina , Herrera-Bravo Jesús , Akram Muhammad , Abbaass Wafa , Semwal Prabhakar , Painuli Sakshi , Konovalov Dmitry Alekseevich , Alfred Mary Angelia , Kumar Nanjangud Venkatesh Anil , Imran Muhammad , Nadeem Muhammad , Sawicka Barbara , Pszczółkowski Piotr , Bienia Bernadetta , Barbaś Piotr , Mahmud Shafi , Durazzo Alessandra , Lucarini Massimo , Santini Antonello , Martorell Miquel , Calina Daniela
Published: January 2022

Medicinal plants are being used worldwide for centuries for their beneficial properties. Some of the most popular medicinal plants belong to the Melissa genus, and different health beneficial effects have already been identified for this genus. Among these species, in particular, the Melissa officinalis L. has been reported as having many biological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumour, antiviral, antiallergic, anti‐inflammatory, and also flatulence inhibiting effects. The beneficial properties of the Melissa officinalis, also known as “lemon balm herb”, can be related to the bioactive compounds such as terpenoids, alcohols, rosmarinic acid, and phenolic antioxidants which are present in the plant. In this updated review, the botanical, geographical, nutritional, phytochemical, and traditional medical aspects of M. officinalis have been considered as well as in vitro and in vivo and clinically proven therapeutic properties have been reviewed with a special focus on health‐promoting effects and possible perspective nutraceutical applications. To evidence the relevance of this plant in the research and completely assess the context, a literature quantitative research analysis has been performed indicating the great interest towards this plant for its beneficial properties.
Port Capability Evaluation from the Perspective of Supply Chain
Authors: Zhang Leijie , Qu Sijia , Dai Jin
Published: January 2022

Today’s ports have become an important node in the global supply chain. It is particularly important to make a scientific assessment of the comprehensive capabilities of the port and to provide a reference for the long-term development of the port. From the perspective of the supply chain, this article first selects the evaluation indicators that affect the port’s capabilities from four aspects of port resource ownership, control management, comprehensive services, and innovation-driven aspect. Secondly, we use the expert scoring method to judge the importance of the evaluation indicators and build a scientific and independent port capacity evaluation system from the perspective of the supply chain. Then, this paper uses the analytic hierarchy process to determine the weight coefficients of each evaluation index and uses the gray cluster analysis method of the triangular whitening weight function based on the center point to establish a qualitative and quantitative port capacity evaluation model from the perspective of the supply chain. Finally, we take a port in Northeast Asia as an example to conduct an empirical analysis to verify the feasibility of the port capacity evaluation system and model from the perspective of the supply chain constructed in this paper. The research results of this article can well analyze the port’s resource ownership, control and management capabilities, comprehensive service capabilities, and innovation-driven capabilities and provide a practical and effective theoretical basis for the port’s key development directions.
Machine Translation System Using Deep Learning for English to Urdu
Authors: Andrabi Syed Abdul Basit , Wahid Abdul
Published: January 2022

Machine translation is an ongoing field of research from the last decades. The main aim of machine translation is to remove the language barrier. Earlier research in this field started with the direct word-to-word replacement of source language by the target language. Later on, with the advancement in computer and communication technology, there was a paradigm shift to data-driven models like statistical and neural machine translation approaches. In this paper, we have used a neural network-based deep learning technique for English to Urdu languages. Parallel corpus sizes of around 30923 sentences are used. The corpus contains sentences from English-Urdu parallel corpus, news, and sentences which are frequently used in day-to-day life. The corpus contains 542810 English tokens and 540924 Urdu tokens, and the proposed system is trained and tested using 70 : 30 criteria. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed system, several automatic evaluation metrics are used, and the model output is also compared with the output from Google Translator. The proposed model has an average BLEU score of 45.83.
TMEM60 Promotes the Proliferation and Migration and Inhibits the Apoptosis of Glioma through Modulating AKT Signaling
Authors: Wu Jingwen , Tang Xinghua , Yu Xuejuan , Zhang Xiaoli , Yang Wenjun , Seth Ashima , Yang Qiuan
Published: January 2022

Glioma is a highly fatal malignancy with aggressive proliferation, migration, and invasion metastasis due to aberrant genetic regulation. This work aimed to determine the function of transmembrane protein 60 (TMEM60) during glioma development. The level of TMEM60 in glioma tissues and normal tissues and its correlation with glioma prognosis were checked in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The levels of TMEM60 in glioma cell lines and normal astrocytes were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting assay. TMEM60 knockdown and overexpression were conducted, followed by detection of cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. CCK-8 and colony formation assay were adopted to detect cell viability proliferation. Transwell assay was performed to measure cell migration and invasion. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. The alternation of key proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was measured by western blotting. TMEM60 expression was significantly higher in glioma tissues than that in the healthy control and was correlated with poor overall survival of patients. The protein and mRNA levels of TMEM60 were both elevated in glioma cell lines in comparison with the normal cell lines. Elevated level of TMEM60 led to enhanced proliferation, migration, and invasion and suppressed cell apoptosis. TMEM60 promoted the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling. Our data suggested that TMEM60 plays an oncogenic role in glioma progression via activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
The Rise and Fall of Sovereignty in Modern Islamic Political Thought
Authors: March Andrew F.
Published: January 2022

This essay responds to reviewers of The Caliphate of Man and proposes some questions for the future of Islamic political thought.
A Global, Democratic, Institutional and Humble Cosmopolitanism? Response to Contributors in Symposium on The Humble Cosmopolitan
Authors: Cabrera Luis
Published: January 2022

This article engages contributions from Cricket Keating, Natasha Behl, Fred Lee and Jaby Mathew, and Brooke Ackerly’s introduction, in a symposium on The Humble Cosmopolitan. It first notes insights taken for the development of a democratic cosmopolitanism oriented to political humility from the work of Indian Dalit-rights champion and constitutional architect B.R. Ambedkar, and from interviews conducted with globally oriented Dalit activists. It then considers Mathew’s concerns about accommodation of the moral importance of local democratic practices, and Keating’s about the book’s emphasis on advancing institutional over attitudinal changes. It addresses issues Behl raises around attention to alternate conceptions of citizenship, e.g., ones which would center Dalit women’s voices; and Lee’s concerns about whether the model can recognize the importance of subaltern nationalisms. Responses focus on ways in which the model seeks to enable individuals to challenge political arrogance from a position of co-equal citizenship in regional and global institutions.
Cosmopolitan Humility and Local Self-Governance
Authors: Mathew Jaby
Published: January 2022

Do local or grassroots level face-to-face self-governing communities have a place in theories of institutional cosmopolitanism? I pose this question in response to Luis Cabrera’s (2020) use of B. R. Ambedkar’s ideas to defend an instrumentally oriented democratic institutional cosmopolitanism that counters the arrogance objections raised against cosmopolitanism. Cabrera interprets Ambedkar as an exponent of political humility and having an instrumentalist approach to democracy. My response expands on a connection Cabrera briefly discusses – between humility and humiliation – and makes two observations. First, Ambedkar makes a distinction between institutions of democracy and democracy as a form of society. The latter is an end-in-itself synonymous with the practice of political humility. Second, Gandhi’s vision of self-governing village republics, which Ambedkar rejects, with universal franchise and guaranteed representation for marginalized groups that Ambedkar advocated at the national level could have been spaces for practicing political humility locally.
Nano-Drug Delivery Systems: Possible End to the Rising Threats of Tuberculosis
Authors: Sheikh Bashir A. , Bhat Basharat A. , Alshehri Bader , Mir Rakeeb A. , Mir Wajahat R. , Parry Zahoor A. , Mir Manzoor A.
Published: January 2022

Tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the deadliest disease across the globe caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb invades host macrophages and other immune cells, modifies their lysosome trafficking proteins, prevents phagolysosomes formation, and inhibits
the TNF receptor-dependent apoptosis in macrophages and monocytes. Tuberculosis (TB) killed 1.4 million people worldwide in the year 2019. Despite the advancements in tuberculosis (TB) treatments, multidrugresistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remains a severe threat to human health. The complications
are further compounded by the emergence of MDR/XDR strains and the failure of conventional drug regimens to eradicate the resistant bacterial strains. Thus, new therapeutic approaches aim to ensure cure without relapse, to prevent the occurrence of deaths and emergence of drug-resistant strains.
In this context, this review article summarises the essential nanotechnology-related research outcomes in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB), including drug-susceptible and drug-resistant strains of Mtb. The novel anti-tuberculosis drug delivery systems are also being detailed. This
article highlights recent advances in tuberculosis (TB) treatments, including the use of novel drug delivery technologies such as solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, polymeric micelles, nano-suspensions, nano-emulsion, niosomes, liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles and microparticles for the
delivery of anti-TB drugs and hence eradication and control of both drug-susceptible as well as drug-resistant strains of Mtb.
The Struggle to Balance Work and Family Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights Based on the Situations of Working Women in Delhi
Authors: Tayal Deeksha , Mehta Aasha Kapur
Published: January 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic generated economic contraction across the world. In India, the stringent lockdown led to extreme distress. The unprecedented situation adversely affected the women’s efforts to balance professional life with family life because of a disproportionate increase in their domestic work burden and a shift in their workstation to home. Since every job cannot be performed remotely, women employed in healthcare services, banks and media witnessed additional risks of commuting and physical interaction at the workplace. Based on personal interviews of women in the Delhi-NCR region, the study aims to explore the commonalities and variances in the challenges experienced by the women engaged in diverse occupations. Using the qualitative methodology of flexible coding, the study finds that a relatively larger section of women travelling to their office during the pandemic, rather than those working from home, had an effective familial support system that helped them navigate this tough time.
Marital Quality as a Mechanism Linking Childhood Abuse to Mental Health
Authors: Fitzgerald Michael , Esplin Jacob A.
Published: January 2022

Childhood abuse has been widely associated with mental health problems in adulthood and marital quality may be one possible mediator. We examine marital quality as a mediator linking childhood abuse to positive affect, negative affect, emotionally reactivity, and aggression. Using data from Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), results of structural equation modeling indicate that the indirect effects from childhood abuse to each of the mental health outcomes were significant. Marital quality may be a source of resilience among adults who were abused in childhood and could be a point of intervention for clinicians.
Are Gross Motor Skill Interventions an Equitable Replacement for Outdoor Free Play Regarding Children’s Physical Activity?
Authors: Palmer Kara K. , Farquhar Jacquelyn M. , Chinn Katherine M. , Robinson Leah E.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine if children engaged in equal amounts of physical activity during an established gross motor skill intervention (the Children’s Health Activity Motor Program (CHAMP)) and outdoor free play.

Design

Cross-sectional study; sample: Ninety-nine children (Mage = 4.21, 51% boys) were randomly divided into two movement environments: CHAMP (n = 55) or control/outdoor free play (n = 44).

Measures

Physical activity was assessed using GT3X+ Actigraph accelerometers worn on the waist across four mornings. Average physical activity across the four days during either CHAMP or outdoor free play was extracted and categorized as light, moderate, vigorous, or MVPA. Physical activity data were reduced in the Actilife software using the cutpoints from Evenson et al.

Analysis

A 2 (treatment) x 2 (sex) mixed measures ANOVA was used to compare the amount of time children spent in light, moderate, vigorous, and MVPA.

Results

There was a significant main effect for treatment for light PA (F(3,95) =13.60, P<.001, partial η2=.125), and post hoc t-tests support that children in the control/outdoor free play group engaged in more light PA compared with children in CHAMP (t95 = −3.75, P<.001).

Conclusions

Results show that children in CHAMP engaged in less light PA but equal amounts of all other physical activity behaviors than their peers in outdoor free play.
Enhancing Participation in Probability-Based Online Panels: Two Incentive Experiments and Their Effects on Response and Panel Recruitment
Authors: Witte Nils , Schaurer Ines , Schröder Jette , Décieux Jean Philippe , Ette Andreas
Published: January 2022

This article investigates how mail-based online panel recruitment can be facilitated through incentives. The analysis relies on two incentive experiments and their effects on panel recruitment, and the intermediate participation in the recruitment survey. The experiments were implemented in the context of the German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study and encompass two samples of randomly sampled persons. Tested incentives include a conditional lottery, conditional monetary incentives, and the combination of unconditional money-in-hand with conditional monetary incentives. For an encompassing evaluation of the link between incentives and panel recruitment, the article further assesses the incentives’ implications for demographic composition and panel recruitment unit costs. Multivariate analysis indicates that low combined incentives (€5/€5) or, where unconditional disbursement is unfeasible, high conditional incentives (€20) are most effective in enhancing panel participation. In terms of demographic bias, low combined incentives (€5/€5) and €10 conditional incentives are the favored options. The budget options from the perspective of panel recruitment include the lottery and the €10 conditional incentive which break-even at net sample sizes of 1000.
Nai Talim Today: Gandhi’s Critique of Industrialism and An Education for Swaraj
Authors: Patil Pallavi Varma , Sinha Sujit
Published: January 2022

The children of today inhabit the planet when CO2 levels have exceeded 400 parts per million (ppm). Crucial planetary boundaries are breached, and the climate crisis has manifested itself menacingly along with several accompanying civilizational crises be it health, socio-economic, political or humanitarian. It is, according to us, the crisis of Industrialism. At this crucial juncture of converging planet-scale disasters where the very survival of humanity is at severe risk, we explore fresh insights into alternative imaginations that can foster a new world where we not just survive but flourish.

One such alternative imagination of a good society is that by Gandhi. A century ago, he outlined this vision as Swaraj and, over the years, fleshed out this vision. It is for this Swaraj that in 1937, Gandhi, conceptualizing his educational ideas, initiated a programme known as Nai Talim. Swaraj was diametrically opposite to Industrialism. And, therefore, Nai Talim was in sharp contrast to the state-approved school education that promoted Industrialism.

In this article, we give a brief outline of Swaraj; highlight the interconnections between Swaraj and Nai Talim; and expand on ways in which one can reimagine Gandhi’s Nai Talim for contemporary times. We also argue that such an imagination of reinvented Nai Talim is possible today in Indigenous communities, where there is a spirited resistance to industrialism. And as an example, we look at the ongoing experiment of the Zapatistas of Chiapas, Mexico.
Metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of Lycium chinese and L. ruthenicum under salinity stress
Authors: Qin Xiaoya , Yin Yue , Zhao Jianhua , An Wei , Fan Yunfang , Liang Xiaojie , Cao Youlong
Published: January 2022

Background

High soil salinity often adversely affects plant physiology and agricultural productivity of almost all crops worldwide, such as the crude drug known as wolfberry. However, the mechanism of this action in wolfberry is not fully understood yet.

Results

Here in this study, we studied different mechanisms potentially in Chinese wolfberry (Lycium chinese, LC) and black wolfberry (L. ruthenicum, LR) under salinity stress, by analyzing their transcriptome, metabolome, and hormone changes. The hormone detection analysis revealed that the ABA content was significantly lower in LR than LC under normal condition, and increased sharply under salinity stress in LR but not in LC. The transcriptome analysis showed that the salinity-responsive genes in wolfberry were mainly enriched in MAPK signaling, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, carbon metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways in LC, while mainly related to carbon metabolism and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum in LR. Metabolome results indicated that LR harbored higher flavone and flavonoid contents than LC under normal condition. However, the flavone and flavonoid contents were hardly changed in LR, but increased substantially in LC when exposed to salinity stress.

Conclusions

Our results adds ABA and flavone to mechanism understanding of salinity tolerance in wolfberry. In addition, flavone plays a positive role in resistance to salinity stress in wolfberry.
Correlation between intraoperative and postoperative vaulting of the EVO implantable Collamer lens: a retrospective study of real-time observations of vaulting using the RESCAN 700 system
Authors: Guan Nian , Zhang Xiao-Nong , Zhang Wan-Jun
Published: January 2022

Background

Implantable Collamer lens (ICL) vaulting is one of the most important parameters for the safety, aqueous humor circulation, and lens transparency after ICL implantation. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the actual vaulting after refractive EVO-ICL surgery.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients who underwent EVO-ICL surgery at a tertiary eye hospital between October and December 2019. A RESCAN 700 was used for the intraoperative and CIRRUS HD-OCT was used for postoperative observation of vaulting. Subjective and objective refractions, anterior ocular segment, corneal morphology, intraocular pressure (IOP), anterior chamber volume (ACV), crystalline lens rise (CLR), white-to-white distance (WTW), anterior chamber depth (ACD), axial length, corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), and fundoscopy were examined. A multivariable analysis was performed to determine the factors independently associated with 1-month postoperative vaulting.

Results

Fifty-one patients (102 eyes) were included. Compared with the eyes with normal vaulting, those with high vaulting had higher preoperative diopter values (P = 0.039), lower preoperative corrected visual acuity (P = 0.006), lower preoperative IOP (P = 0.029), higher preoperative ACD (P = 0.004), lower preoperative CLR (P = 0.046), higher ICL spherical equivalent (P = 0.030), higher intraoperative vaulting (P < 0.001), and lower IOP at 1 month (P = 0.045). The multivariable analysis showed that the only factor independently associated with high vaulting at 1 month after surgery was the intraoperative vaulting value (odds ratio = 1.005, 95% confidence interval: 1.002–1.007, P < 0.001). The intraoperative and 1-month postoperative vaulting values were positively correlated (R2 = 0.562).

Conclusions

The RESCAN700 system can be used to perform intraoperative optical coherence tomography to predict the vaulting value of ICL at 1 month.