bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Authors: Pashynska Kseniia
Published: June 2021

The article examines the use of public-private partnership in education, one of the most important in the social sphere. The experience of using public-private partnership projects in foreign countries, such as Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Japan and the Republic of Korea, is analyzed. The mechanisms of cooperation between the state and the private partner are described, and the positive sides are shown on concrete examples of functioning public-private partnership projects in the world. A qualitatively distinctive feature of the pattern of interaction between the state, business and educational institutions is that it should take into account the impact of PPP on society through the social orientation of educational services, as well as the implementation of public functions and implementation of state educational policy. PPP's priority areas are innovation-oriented infrastructure projects and projects in the fields of science, technology and education. Strategic partnership of educational institutions, research organizations and enterprises is expressed in long-term agreements and programs of cooperation in research and education; namely staff, resources and financial support for joint activities; purposeful training of personnel at enterprises; conducting joint research, research and development work; creation of joint structures of educational, scientific and innovative profiles. Forms of partnership cooperation are the development of technology parks, resource centers and technology transfer centers, which provides for public-private partnership in the field of research, project efforts to create innovative products, modernization of technological processes and more. It is believed that PPPs will ease financial constraints, as the private sector itself makes huge investments within PPPs. As the private and public sectors complement, the overall resource base should increase. As the resource base increases, access to education will improve and the quality of education will improve. In the absence of PPPs with limited public resources, the education system can be severely affected. In such circumstances, PPP is seen as the main, though not the only option for the development of education.
METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EVALUATION OF EFFICIENCY OF USE OF INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AT CONSTRUCTION ENTERPRISES
Authors: Kononova Oleksandra
Published: June 2021

The article creates a unified approach to assessing the effectiveness of innovative strategies for the development of construction companies, formulated on the basis of the provisions of scientific approaches to substantiate this aspect. It is proved that in constructing methodological support in this field the authors use the method of systematization, statistical, comparative, trend methods. It is established that in scientific works there are both local and complex approaches to assessing the effectiveness of the innovative strategy of enterprise development, analyzes the parameters of effectiveness at the design stage, the results of implementation and achievement of planned values. It is determined that most of the approaches are related to the internal areas of management, in particular, financial and economic, scientific and technical, innovation (can be assessed separately), market (in terms of market share). It is determined that some authors suggest assessing some of the social effects of the implementation of an innovative strategy for the development of economic entities. The author's approach to methodological support of this issue is presented, based on the use of an integrated approach, combination of indicators of internal and external potential, coverage of traditional financial and economic, scientific and technical, market and public spheres of response to the impact of innovative business development strategy. This author's method includes the following stages and evaluation indicators, in particular: 1) the stage of evaluation of the declared characteristics of the innovative strategy of enterprise development; evaluation of the planned type of innovative development strategy; R&D growth, the planned indicator of relations with customers (consumers), the planned indicator of public contribution; planned indicator of financial and economic result from the use of technologies, programs in production, production and sale of new types of products (services); complex indicator of planned efficiency of use of innovative strategy of development of the enterprise); 2) the stage of assessment of the implemented characteristics of the innovative strategy of enterprise development: analysis of the state of actual changes in forecast indicators; 3) the stage of assessing the achievement of planned indicators.
Is Organizational Cynicism Positively Related To Attitude Towards Unethical Workplace Behavior?
Authors: Yuan ShiChao (Lawrence)
Published: June 2021

Cynicism is conventionally thought of as a fixed attitude or personality trait characterized by skepticism and a general lack of trust in others. The concept of organizational cynicism was introduced in the early 1990s, when scholars argued that cynicism can be a fluid state and thus can be learned and unlearned based on beliefs, behaviors and affects. The purpose of this study is twofold: 1) to determine whether a positive relationship exists between organizational cynicism and self-reported attitudes towards unethical workplace behavior; and 2) to determine whether exposure to positive or negative organizational information in the form of short articles and sentences would moderate the effects of the aforementioned variables. Results from the study have demonstrated no relationships between the two variables, even taking into account the moderators, with results in p values reaching neither the .05 nor .01 levels. Both hypotheses are thus not supported.
Purchasing Behaviour on Social Commerce Platforms: An Examination of Canadian Consumers
Authors: Khan Zainab
Published: June 2021

As social media technologies become more embedded within the online shopping interface, the phenomenon of social commerce arises. This research examines the role of social commerce in influencing consumer purchase intention. Specifically, factors investigated are social presence, consumer’s security perceptions, perceived internet privacy risk, trust and willingness to provide personal information to transact. The study found that security perception, trust and willingness to provide personal information to transact have a significant influence on consumer purchase intention.
THE USE OF QUARRY DUST FOR PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF CEMENT IN CEMENT-SAND MORTAR
Authors: Aliyu Muhammad Magana , Nuruddeen Muhammad Musa , Nura Yahaya Atika
Published: June 2021

This research was carried out to investigate the effect of partially replacing cement with quarry dust in cement-sand mortar. Tests including setting times, water absorption, compressive strength and density test were carried out on mortar with cement partially replaced with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% quarry dust and presented. Experimental results show that replacement of quarry dust as partial replacement of cement in cement-sand mortar decrease the initial and final setting times of cement paste and increase the water absorption of the mortar. The partial replacement shows an improvement of compressive strength at 5% quarry dust content after which there is a decrease with increase in quarry dust content at all the ages. The increase in compressive strength at 5% indicates possible pozzalanic activity at that level. Thus quarry dust can be utilized as cement replacement material at 5% dust content. Above this it can be utilized as fine aggregate replacement for use in low-strength mortar applications
DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE SIMULATION OF STRUCTURED MICROWAVE ABSORBER BASED ON CONDUCTIVE ABS 3D PRINTING FILAMENT
Authors: Abdullahi M. B. , Ali M. H.
Published: June 2021

Electromagnetic absorbing materials with broadband, lightweight, wide-angle, and polarization-insensitive characteristics attracts extensive research interest recently, due to rapid advancement in radar detection techniques and communication devices. Three-dimensional printing is being employed to realize cost-effective structured electromagnetic absorbers that has lately become a common practice of improving radar stealth performance and shielding effectiveness. Structured absorbers permit realization of desired absorption characteristics by careful design of their geometrical structures. In this study, a two-layer structured microwave absorber using conductive ABS polymer is simulated. COMSOL Multiphysics environment is used to investigate the absorption characteristics of the designed structure. Under normal incidence, simulation results revealed at least 90% of absorption from 7.2 GHz to 18.0 GHz for both Transverse Electric (TE) and Transverse Magnetic (TM) polarizations. Oblique incidence results for TE polarization indicate that the absorption rate is more than 90% in the whole range of 7.2–18 GHz frequency band up to 450 while the absorption rate is more than 80% for 600 incident waves. The absorption rate is more than 90% in the 7.2-18 GHz range for oblique incidences of up to 300 only for TM polarization, but greater than 70% at 450 incident angles. Additionally, the designed absorber is independent of the polarization of the incident wave. As a result of the exhibited favourable absorption characteristics, the studied absorber provides great potentials for its experimentation and practicability using the low-cost 3D printing manufacturing process
Competitividad Internacional de las Empresas Exportadoras de Aguacate Michoacano a Estados Unidos: Un Estudio de Caso del Municipio de Tacámbaro
Authors: Mandujano Miranda Laura Araceli , Armas Arévalos Enrique
Published: June 2021

ABSTRACT The objective of this research is to determine how quality, price and tech - nological innovation influence the competitiveness of avocado exporting companies of the municipality of Tacámbaro, Michoacán, Mexico in the United States Market. To this end, a theoretical review was carried out, starting with classical theories until reaching the theory of competitive ad - vantage and finally reviewing models of competitiveness. To evaluate the influence of the variables, a questionnaire was applied to collect informa - tion, which was processed in the SPSS program. The results obtained show that the independent variables significantly influence the competitiveness of avocado exporting companies from Tacámbaro, Michoacán, Mexico in the United States Market
KAJIAN BAHASA DISFEMIA PADA KOLOM KOMENTAR NETIZEN DI INSTAGRAM
Authors: Rohhayati Fatwa , Basuki Rokhmat , Diani Irma
Published: June 2021

Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mendeskripsikan bentuk bahasa disfemia dan fungsi disfemia yang ada pada kolom komentar netizen di Instagram.  Objek penelitian ini adalah disfemia yang terdapat dalam komentar netizen di Instagram @detik.com pada postingannya pada bulan Januari 2019. Datanya berupa kata, frasa, dan ungkapan yang menunjukkan adanya disfemia pada Instagram @detik.com. Sumber data berupa dokumen, yaitu komentar para netizen dalam Instagram @detik.com pada bulan Januari 2019. Teknik pengumpulan data pada penelitian ini adalah dokumentasi. Dokumentasi yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah komentar netizen di Instagram @detikcom. Langkah-langkah yang digunakan untuk menganalisis data dalam penelitian ini adalah dengan cara analisis deskriptif. Penelitian ini berusaha menganalisis penggunaan disfemia yang terdapat dalam komentar para netizen di instagram. Hasil penelitian ini adalah sebagai berikut. Pertama bentuk kebahasaan disfemia pada kolom komentar netizen di Instagram @detik.com ada tiga, yang berupa kata, frasa, dan ungkapan. Kedua, fungsi disfemia pada komentar netizen di Instagram @detik.com adalah untuk menunjukkan kejengkelan, memberikan tekanan, menegaskan atau menguatkan makna, dan pengungkapan rasa marah atau kesal.
Legal regulation of UK science parks
Authors: Postryhan Tetiana
Published: June 2021

Key words: science park, science, legal regulation, high technologies, innovation,benefits, taxes

The article reveals important legal aspects of the UK science parks, the creation and operation of scienceand technology parks in Great Britain. The author considers the legislation of GreatBritain on the activities of science and technology parks, technological innovations,tax and other benefits. The author traces the development of legislation governing theactivities of science parks in Great Britain. Innovative structures, their features areconsidered. An analysis of research by scientists on state and legal regulation of highereducation, research institutions, science parks. The author examines the Government'spolicy on the development of the scientific and technical sector of the economyby supporting and encouraging innovation in the scientific and technical sector andthe Question of the Great Britain Science Parks. The UK provides significant governmentsupport to science parks, fosters cooperation and dialogue between industry andacademia in the field of innovation and high technology. In this matter, the state directlyfunds research partnerships between industry and basic science. The statestrategy includes, in particular, the application of direct tax benefits for companiesthat interact with universities to implement high technology, research and development,tax benefits in the field of depreciation, as well as through financial and technicalsupport of leading universities and public laboratories, grants and grants.The author notes the important role in the development of innovation policy in theUK plays the creation of information support for innovation.The author has analyzed the legislation in the field of providing tax-compliant pilgrimsfor education and distribution. Legislation in the field of supply of taxable pilgrimsfor additional and retail outlets is stored alongside a number of regulatory legalacts, the main ones being:• Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988;• Finance Act 2000;• Finance Act 2002.The author examines the executive authorities that implement state policy tostimulate the development of research and development. The author identifies thatthe UK is creating numerous innovation centers. The article emphasizes that of particularinterest are the model contracts proposed by the Ministry, aimed at the transferor use of ownership of the results of intellectual activity in the field of innovation.The author states that the British model of state support for innovation can be usefulin shaping public policy and creating a legal framework for regulating legal relationsin the field of innovation and the interaction of universities with business to implementresearch and development and high technology.
The Riemann Hypothesis
Authors: Vega Frank
Published: June 2021

Let's define $\delta(x) = (\sum_{{q\leq x}}{\frac{1}{q}}-\log \log x-B)$, where $B \approx 0.2614972128$ is the Meissel-Mertens constant. The Robin theorem states that $\delta(x)$ changes sign infinitely often. Let's also define $S(x) = \theta(x) - x$, where $\theta(x)$ is the Chebyshev function. It is known that $S(x)$ changes sign infinitely often. Using the Nicolas theorem, we prove that when the inequalities $\delta(x) \leq 0$ and $S(x) \geq 0$ are satisfied for some number $x \geq 127$, then the Riemann Hypothesis should be false. However, the Mertens second theorem states that $\lim_{{x\to \infty }} \delta(x) = 0$. Moreover, we know that $\lim_{{x\to \infty }} S(x) = 0$. In this way, this work could mean a new step forward in the direction for finally solving the Riemann Hypothesis.
Omics Approaches to Study Formation and Function of Human Placental Syncytiotrophoblast
Authors: Jaremek Adam , Jeyarajah Mariyan J. , Jaju Bhattad Gargi , Renaud Stephen J.
Published: June 2021

Proper development of the placenta is vital for pregnancy success. The placenta regulates exchange of nutrients and gases between maternal and fetal blood and produces hormones essential to maintain pregnancy. The placental cell lineage primarily responsible for performing these functions is a multinucleated entity called syncytiotrophoblast. Syncytiotrophoblast is continuously replenished throughout pregnancy by fusion of underlying progenitor cells called cytotrophoblasts. Dysregulated syncytiotrophoblast formation disrupts the integrity of the placental exchange surface, which can be detrimental to maternal and fetal health. Moreover, various factors produced by syncytiotrophoblast enter into maternal circulation, where they profoundly impact maternal physiology and are promising diagnostic indicators of pregnancy health. Despite the multifunctional importance of syncytiotrophoblast for pregnancy success, there is still much to learn about how its formation is regulated in normal and diseased states. ‘Omics’ approaches are gaining traction in many fields to provide a more holistic perspective of cell, tissue, and organ function. Herein, we review human syncytiotrophoblast development and current model systems used for its study, discuss how ‘omics’ strategies have been used to provide multidimensional insights into its formation and function, and highlight limitations of current platforms as well as consider future avenues for exploration.
Shock Index-C: An Updated and Simple Risk-Stratifying Tool in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Ran Peng , Wei Xue-biao , Lin Ying-wen , Li Guang , Huang Jie-leng , He Xu-yu , Yang Jun-qing , Yu Dan-qing , Chen Ji-yan
Published: June 2021

Background: Shock index (heart rate/systolic blood pressure, SI) is a simple scale with prognostic value in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The present study introduces an updated version of SI that includes renal function.

Methods: A total of 1,851 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing PCI were retrospectively included at Cardiac Care Unit in Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and divided into two groups according to their admission time: derivation database (from January 2010 to December 2013, n = 1,145) and validation database (from January 2014 to April 2016, n = 706). Shock Index-C (SIC) was calculated as (SI × 100)–estimated CCr. Calibration was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic. The predictive power of SIC was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results: The predictive value and calibration of SIC for in-hospital death was excellent in derivation [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.877, p < 0.001; Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-square = 3.95, p = 0.861] and validation cohort (AUC = 0.868, p < 0.001; Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-square = 5.01, p = 0.756). SIC exhibited better predictive power for in-hospital events than SI (AUC: 0.874 vs. 0.759 for death; 0.837 vs. 0.651 for major adverse clinical events [MACEs]; 0.707 vs. 0.577 for contrast-induced acute kidney injury [CI-AKI]; and 0.732 vs. 0.590 for bleeding, all p < 0.001). Cumulative 1-year mortality was significantly higher in the upper SIC tertile (log-rank = 131.89, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: SIC was an effective predictor of poor prognosis and may have potential as a novel and simple risk stratification tool for patients with STEMI undergoing PCI.
Internal Variability Role on Estimating Sea Level Acceleration in Fremantle Tide Gauge Station
Authors: Agha Karimi Armin
Published: June 2021

Low frequency internal signals bring challenges to signify the role of anthropogenic factors in sea level rise and to attain a certain accuracy in trend and acceleration estimations. Due to both spatially and temporally poor coverage of the relevant data sets, identification of internal variability patterns is not straightforward. In this study, the identification and the role of low frequency internal variability (decadal and multidecadal) in sea level change of Fremantle tide gauge station is analyzed using two climate indices, Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and Tripole Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (TPI). It is shown that the multidecadal sea level variability is anticorrelated with corresponding components of climate indices in the Pacific Ocean, with correlation coefficients of −0.9 and −0.76 for TPI and PDO, respectively. The correlations are comparatively low on decadal time scale, −0.5 for both indices. This shows that internal variability on decadal and multidecadal scales affects the sea level variation in Fremantle unequally and thus, separate terms are required in trajectory models. To estimate trend and acceleration in Fremantle, three trajectory models are tested. The first model is a simple second-degree polynomial comprising trend and acceleration terms. Low passed PDO, representing decadal and interdecadal variabilities in Pacific Ocean, added to the first model to form the second model. For the third model, decomposed signals of decadal and multidecadal variability of TPI are added to the first model. In overall, TPI represents the low frequency internal variability slightly better than PDO for sea level variation in Fremantle. Although the estimated trends do not change significantly, the estimated accelerations varies for the three models. The accelerations estimated from the first and second models are statistically insignificant, 0.006 ± 0.012 mm yr−2 and 0.01 ± 0.01 mm yr−2, respectively, while this figure for the third model is 0.018 ± 0.011 mm yr−2. The outcome exemplifies the importance of modelling low frequency internal variability in acceleration estimations for sea level rise in regional scale.
Optimal Planned Electricity Allocation Model for Power Exchange Under the Plan-Market Double-Track Mechanism
Authors: He Chuan , Tang Jiajun , Zhang Weishi , Zhang Zhi , Lin Zhemin , Li Yating , Qian Hanhan , Jiang Hailong , Lin Zhenzhi , Yang Li
Published: June 2021

The orderly deregulation of planned electricity generation and consumption is an important measure for electricity market reform in several countries (such as China), and a reasonable proportion of planned electricity in the total energy consumption is conducive to the smooth transition from the regulation mode to the market mode. Under the plan-market double-track mechanism (PMDM) implemented, a modified linear bidding function of generation companies (GCs) is first proposed, and the unified clearing price of unilateral generation market is determined accordingly. Second, considering the robust bidding strategies of generation companies, a bi-level optimal planned electricity allocation model for power exchange (PX) is constructed. In the upper level, the proportion of planned electricity is optimized by PX to minimize the CVaR of Lerner Index (LI), so as to maintain the market power at a low level. In the lower level, based on the robust optimization theory and the prediction of rival bidding, the bidding strategy of a GC is optimized by solving a specified max–min problem. Simulations based on data from a provincial electricity market in China illustrate that the market power can be reduced through a reasonable proportion of planned electricity designed by the PX. In addition, when more GCs tend to avoid a market risk, the proportion of planned electricity can be increased accordingly.
Compact Steam Bottoming Cycles: Minimum Weight Design Optimization and Transient Response of Once-Through Steam Generators
Authors: Montañés Rubén M. , Skaugen Geir , Hagen Brede , Rohde Daniel
Published: June 2021

Compactness and weight minimization are key aspects for successful and widespread implementation of waste heat recovery steam cycles in off-shore oil and gas platforms due to the site weight and volume footprint constraints. The power plant off-shore must be designed for flexibility in its operations to provide varying power demands across multiple time scales. Reliability of the heat and power production units is crucial. Within a case study in an off-shore platform in the Norwegian Continental Shelf, this article conducts design optimization of compact and low-weight steam cycles for power production from gas turbine exhaust and transient analysis of the core of heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) via dynamic modeling and simulation, considering once-through steam generators (OTSGs) for the HRSGs. A method for simultaneous thermodynamic and heat exchanger geometry optimization design for bottoming cycles is applied, with the main objective being weight minimization and compactness of the cycle heat exchangers. Ten different optimal minimum weight bottoming cycle designs are provided by selecting ten different manufacturable tubes. The resulting bottoming cycle designs are compared in terms of weight, OTSG core weight distribution, heat transfer area, and footprint. The resulting bottoming cycle weight varies from 48.4 to ca. 87.10 ton for designs sensible for off-shore applications, and from 95.8 to 178.9 ton when selecting outer tube diameters typical of onshore applications. Smaller outer tube diameter selection in OTSG bundles is a key driver for low-weight and compact steam cycle designs. Three different designs representing light, normal, and heavy OTSG designs are compared by dynamic trajectory and response time analysis under transient scenarios by means of dynamic modeling and simulation. More compact and lighter designs respond faster to changes in the gas turbine (GT) operation upstream the OTSG. The results in this analysis indicate the need for feedforward control. Feedback control alone is probably not a good option due to the high OTSG open loop stabilization time and large sensitivity to GT exhaust gas variations. More compact and low-weight designs based on the OTSG can reduce potential challenges in controlling and stabilizing bottoming cycles for power production.
Savanna Rodents’ Selective Removal of an Encroaching Plant’s Seeds Increased With Grass Biomass
Authors: Teman Sarah J. , Stevens Nicola , Monadjem Ara , Fletcher Robert J. , Austin James D. , McCleery Robert
Published: June 2021

In savannas across the planet, encroaching woody plants are altering ecosystem functions and reshaping communities. Seed predation by rodents may serve to slow the encroachment of woody plants in grasslands and savannas. Our goals for this study were to determine if rodents in an African savanna selectively removed seeds of an encroaching plant and if foraging activity was influenced by the local vegetation structure or by the landscape context. From trials with two species of seeds (encroacher = Dichrostachys cinerea, non-encroaching overstory tree = Senegalia nigrescens) at 64 seed stations, we recorded 1,065 foraging events by seven species of granivorous rodents. We found a strong positive relationship between rodent activity and the number of seeds removed during trials. Foraging events were dominated by rodent seed predators, with <10.6% of events involving a rodent with the potential for secondary dispersal. Rodents selectively removed the seeds of the encroaching species, removing 32.6% more D. cinerea seeds compared to S. nigrescens. Additionally, rodent activity and the number of seeds removed increased at sites with more grass biomass. Our results suggest a potential mechanistic role for rodents in mitigating the spread of woody plants in grass dominated savannas.
Innate Immune Responses to Wildtype and Attenuated Sheeppox Virus Mediated Through RIG-1 Sensing in PBMC In-Vitro
Authors: Chibssa Tesfaye Rufael , Kangethe Richard Thiga , Berguido Francisco J. , Settypalli Tirumala Bharani K. , Liu Yang , Grabherr Reingard , Loitsch Angelika , Sassu Elena Lucia , Pichler Rudolf , Cattoli Giovanni , Diallo Adama , Wijewardana Viskam , Lamien Charles Euloge
Published: June 2021

Sheeppox (SPP) is a highly contagious disease of small ruminants caused by sheeppox virus (SPPV) and predominantly occurs in Asia and Africa with significant economic losses. SPPV is genetically and immunologically closely related to goatpox virus (GTPV) and lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), which infect goats and cattle respectively. SPPV live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are used for vaccination against SPP and goatpox (GTP). Mechanisms related to innate immunity elicited by SPPV are unknown. Although adaptive immunity is responsible for long-term immunity, it is the innate responses that prevent viral invasion and replication before LAVs generate specific long-term protection. We analyzed the relative expression of thirteen selected genes that included pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), Nuclear factor-κβ p65 (NF-κβ), and cytokines to understand better the interaction between SPPV and its host. The transcripts of targeted genes in sheep PBMC incubated with either wild type (WT) or LAV SPPV were analyzed using quantitative PCR. Among PRRs, we observed a significantly higher expression of RIG-1 in PBMC incubated with both WT and LAV, with the former producing the highest expression level. However, there was high inter-individual variability in cytokine transcripts levels among different donors, with the expression of TNFα, IL-15, and IL-10 all significantly higher in both PBMC infected with either WT or LAV compared to control PBMC. Correlation studies revealed a strong significant correlation between RIG-1 and IL-10, between TLR4, TNFα, and NF-κβ, between IL-18 and IL-15, and between NF-κβ and IL-10. There was also a significant negative correlation between RIG-1 and IFNγ, between TLR3 and IL-1 β, and between TLR4 and IL-15 (P< 0.05). This study identified RIG-1 as an important PRR in the signaling pathway of innate immune activation during SPPV infection, possibly through intermediate viral dsRNA. The role of immunomodulatory molecules produced by SPPV capable of inhibiting downstream signaling activation following RIG-1 upregulation is discussed. These findings advance our knowledge of the induction of immune responses by SPPV and will help develop safer and more potent vaccines against SPP and GTP.
Circulating Extracellular Vesicles Carry Immune Regulatory miRNAs and Regulate Vaccine Efficacy and Local Inflammatory Response After Vaccination
Authors: Oshiumi Hiroyuki
Published: June 2021

Vaccination is the best prophylaxis for the prevention of infectious diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019. However, the efficacy of vaccines and onset of adverse reactions vary among individuals. Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) regulate the immune responses after vaccination by delivering microRNAs (miRNAs) to myeloid and lymphoid cells. Among these, miR-192 levels in serum EVs increase with aging, in an IL-6-dependent manner, reducing excessive IL-6 expression in aged mice, creating a negative feedback loop. Excessive IL-6 expression reduces vaccination efficacy in aged mice, while EV miR-192 improves efficacy in these aged mice as well, making this miRNA an interesting focus of study. miR-21 levels in serum EVs also increase with aging, and regulates the expression of IL-12 required for Th1 responses; therefore, EV miR-21 is expected to regulate vaccine efficacy. miR-451a, another important miRNA, is abundant in serum EVs and controls the expression of cytokines, such as type I interferon and IL-6. However, levels differ among individuals and correlate with local inflammatory symptoms experienced after a seasonal flu vaccination. These findings suggest the importance of EV miRNAs as a tool to improve vaccine efficacy and also as biomarkers to predict the immune response and adverse reactions after vaccinations.
Differential Diagnosis of COVID-19 Pneumonia From Influenza A (H1N1) Pneumonia Using a Model Based on Clinicoradiologic Features
Authors: Shi Wei-Ya , Hu Shao-Ping , Zhang Hao-Ling , Liu Tie-Fu , Zhou Su , Tang Yu-Hong , Zhang Xin-Lei , Shi Yu-Xin , Zhang Zhi-Yong , Xiong Nian , Shan Fei
Published: June 2021

Objectives: Both coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and influenza A (H1N1) pneumonia are highly contagious diseases. We aimed to characterize initial computed tomography (CT) and clinical features and to develop a model for differentiating COVID-19 pneumonia from H1N1 pneumonia.

Methods: In total, we enrolled 291 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia from January 20 to February 13, 2020, and 97 patients with H1N1 pneumonia from May 24, 2009, to January 29, 2010 from two hospitals. Patients were randomly grouped into a primary cohort and a validation cohort using a seven-to-three ratio, and their clinicoradiologic data on admission were compared. The clinicoradiologic features were optimized by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression analysis to generate a model for differential diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for assessing the performance of the model in the primary and validation cohorts.

Results: The COVID-19 pneumonia mainly presented a peripheral distribution pattern (262/291, 90.0%); in contrast, H1N1 pneumonia most commonly presented a peribronchovascular distribution pattern (52/97, 53.6%). In LASSO logistic regression, peripheral distribution patterns, older age, low-grade fever, and slightly elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were associated with COVID-19 pneumonia, whereas, a peribronchovascular distribution pattern, centrilobular nodule or tree-in-bud sign, consolidation, bronchial wall thickening or bronchiectasis, younger age, hyperpyrexia, and a higher level of AST were associated with H1N1 pneumonia. For the primary and validation cohorts, the LASSO model containing above eight clinicoradiologic features yielded an area under curve (AUC) of 0.963 and 0.943, with sensitivity of 89.7 and 86.2%, specificity of 89.7 and 89.7%, and accuracy of 89.7 and 87.1%, respectively.

Conclusions: Combination of distribution pattern and category of pulmonary opacity on chest CT with clinical features facilitates the differentiation of COVID-19 pneumonia from H1N1 pneumonia.
Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals Hypoxic Microenvironment Is Associated With Immunosuppression in Poor Survival of Stage II/III Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Chen Yu-feng , Yu Zhao-liang , Lv Min-yi , Zheng Bin , Tan Ying-xin , Ke Jia , Liu Xuan-hui , Cai Ze-rong , Zou Yi-feng , Lan Ping , Wu Xiao-jian , Gao Feng
Published: June 2021

Background: Hypoxia is associated with a poorer clinical outcome and resistance to chemotherapy in solid tumors; identifying hypoxic-related colorectal cancer (CRC) and revealing its mechanism are important. The aim of this study was to assess hypoxia signature for predicting prognosis and analyze relevant mechanism.

Methods: Patients without chemotherapy were selected for the identification of hypoxia-related genes (HRGs). A total of six independent datasets that included 1,877 CRC patients were divided into a training cohort and two validation cohorts. Functional annotation and analysis were performed to reveal relevant mechanism.

Results: A 12-gene signature was derived, which was prognostic for stage II/III CRC patients in two validation cohorts [TCGA, n = 509, hazard ratio (HR) = 2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18 – 3.89, P = 0.01; metavalidation, n = 590, HR = 2.46, 95% CI = 1.59 – 3.81, P < 0.001]. High hypoxic risk was correlated with worse prognosis in CRC patients without adjuvant chemotherapy (HR = 5.1, 95% CI = 2.51 – 10.35, P < 0.001). After integration with clinical characteristics, hypoxia-related gene signature (HRGS) remained as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. Furthermore, enrichment analysis found that antitumor immune response was suppressed in the high hypoxic group.

Conclusions: HRGS is a promising system for estimating disease-free survival of stage II/III CRC patients. Hypoxia tumor microenvironment may be via inhibiting immune response to promote chemoresistance in stage II/III CRC patients.
Utilization of Vegetable and Fruit By-products as Functional Ingredient and Food
Authors: Lau Ke Qi , Sabran Mohd Redzwan , Shafie Siti Raihanah
Published: June 2021

With the constant growth of the human population, the global demand for food is increasing annually. Food security is an arising issue due to decreased resources and massive waste production from the agricultural sector. For example, not all parts of fruits and vegetables are consumed by consumers, and this phenomenon can lead to huge amounts of food wastes that are produced globally. Moreover, non-utilized agriculture by-products, including seed coat, hull, husk, peels, seeds, and pomace, can cause environmental issues. Hence, efficiently utilizing food wastes, such as vegetable and fruit by-products, could be a way to increase food sustainability, and in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Moreover, certain agriculture by-products are reported to have a high nutritional value and could be potentially used as functional ingredient and food in the food industry. This review article summarizes findings on the development of new functional foods by utilizing different types of agriculture by-products, that is, vegetable and fruit by-products as ingredients. Furthermore, the nutritional values, processing methods, product acceptability, and potential uses of these vegetable and fruit by-products are also discussed. These by-products can be an alternative source of nutrients to support the global demand for functional foods and as one of the strategies to cope with food insecurity. Studies have shown that different types of fruit and vegetable by-products were well-incorporated in the development of functional foods, such as bakery products and dairy products. Of great importance, this review article provides an insight of the nutritional value, health benefits, and utilization of fruit and vegetable by-products.
Fenretinide Acts as Potent Radiosensitizer for Treatment of Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells
Authors: Brack Eva , Bender Sabine , Wachtel Marco , Pruschy Martin , Schäfer Beat W.
Published: June 2021

Fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma (FP-RMS) is a highly aggressive childhood malignancy which is mainly treated by conventional chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Since radiotherapy is associated with a high burden of late side effects in pediatric patients, addition of radiosensitizers would be beneficial. Here, we thought to assess the role of fenretinide, a potential agent for FP-RMS treatment, as radiosensitizer. Survival of human FP-RMS cells was assessed after combination therapy with fenretinide and ionizing radiation (IR) by cell viability and clonogenicity assays. Indeed, this was found to significantly reduce cell viability compared to single treatments. Mechanistically, this was accompanied by enhanced production of reactive oxygen species, initiation of cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, the combination treatment also triggered a new form of dynamin-dependent macropinocytosis, which was previously described in fenretinide-only treated cells. Our data suggest that fenretinide acts in combination with IR to induce cell death in FP-RMS cells and therefore might represent a novel radiosensitizer for the treatment of this disease.
Novel Prognostic Biomarkers in Gastric Cancer: CGB5, MKNK2, and PAPPA2
Authors: Qin Min , Liang Zhihai , Qin Heping , Huo Yifang , Wu Qing , Yang Huiying , Tang Guodu
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract. However, there are no adequate prognostic markers available for this disease. The present study used bioinformatics to identify prognostic markers for gastric cancer that would guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Materials and Methods

Gene expression data and clinical information of gastric cancer patients along with the gene expression data of 30 healthy samples were downloaded from the TCGA database. The initial screening was performed using the WGCNA method combined with the analysis of differentially expressed genes, which was followed by univariate analysis, multivariate COX regression analysis, and Lasso regression analysis for screening the candidate genes and constructing a prognostic model for gastric cancer. Subsequently, immune cell typing was performed using CIBERSORT to analyze the expression of immune cells in each sample. Finally, we performed laboratory validation of the results of our analyses using immunohistochemical analysis.

Results

After five screenings, it was revealed that only three genes fulfilled all the screening requirements. The survival curves generated by the prognostic model revealed that the survival rate of the patients in the high-risk group was significantly lower compared to the patients in the low-risk group (P-value < 0.001). The immune cell component analysis revealed that the three genes were differentially associated with the corresponding immune cells (P-value < 0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry also support our analysis.

Conclusion

CGB5, MKNK2, and PAPPA2 may be used as novel prognostic biomarkers for gastric cancer.
The Efficacy of a Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Treatment for Fear of Flying: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Gottlieb Amihai , Doniger Glen M. , Hussein Yara , Noy Shlomo , Plotnik Meir
Published: June 2021

Background: Fear of flying (FoF) is a phobia with 10–40% prevalence in the industrialized world. FoF is accompanied by severe economic, social, vocational, and emotional consequences. In recent years, virtual reality (VR)-based exposure therapy (VRET) for FoF has been introduced. Positive long-term efficacy of FoF-VRET has been reported by several studies, which, however, were limited by relatively small, non-representative samples and a lack of comparative pre/post functional efficacy outcome measures. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a VRET treatment utilizing a large-scale VR system, experienced by a representative sample of self-referred individuals.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective survey. Of 274 individuals who received the treatment (over a period of 3 years), 209 met inclusion/criteria, and 98 agreed to participate. We mainly collected information regarding flight activity before and after treatment relying on evidence such as boarding passes and flight tickets. The primary outcome measures were (1) number of flights per month (FpM) and (2) number of flight hours per month (FHpM). For each participant, these outcomes were computed for the post-treatment period (≥6 months after FoF-VRET) and the corresponding pre-treatment period.

Results: FpM (mean ± SD) increased from 0.04 ± 0.06 to 0.16 ± 14 flights (p < 0.0001). FHpM rose from 0.19 ± 0.35 to 0.79 ± 0.87 h per month (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion: These results are indicative of FoF-VRET treatment efficacy. Future studies should evaluate long-term maintenance of the treatment effect and thus identify the optimal frequency for delivery of periodic booster treatments.
Lineage Differentiation Markers as a Proxy for Embryo Viability in Farm Ungulates
Authors: Pérez-Gómez Alba , González-Brusi Leopoldo , Bermejo-Álvarez Pablo , Ramos-Ibeas Priscila
Published: June 2021

Embryonic losses constitute a major burden for reproductive efficiency of farm animals. Pregnancy losses in ungulate species, which include cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, majorly occur during the second week of gestation, when the embryo experiences a series of cell differentiation, proliferation, and migration processes encompassed under the term conceptus elongation. Conceptus elongation takes place following blastocyst hatching and involves a massive proliferation of the extraembryonic membranes trophoblast and hypoblast, and the formation of flat embryonic disc derived from the epiblast, which ultimately gastrulates generating the three germ layers. This process occurs prior to implantation and it is exclusive from ungulates, as embryos from other mammalian species such as rodents or humans implant right after hatching. The critical differences in embryo development between ungulates and mice, the most studied mammalian model, have precluded the identification of the genes governing lineage differentiation in livestock species. Furthermore, conceptus elongation has not been recapitulated in vitro, hindering the study of these cellular events. Luckily, recent advances on transcriptomics, genome modification and post-hatching in vitro culture are shedding light into this largely unknown developmental window, uncovering possible molecular markers to determine embryo quality. In this review, we summarize the events occurring during ungulate pre-implantation development, highlighting recent findings which reveal that several dogmas in Developmental Biology established by knock-out murine models do not hold true for other mammals, including humans and farm animals. The developmental failures associated to in vitro produced embryos in farm animals are also discussed together with Developmental Biology tools to assess embryo quality, including molecular markers to assess proper lineage commitment and a post-hatching in vitro culture system able to directly determine developmental potential circumventing the need of experimental animals.
Methodology for Determining Time-Dependent Lead Battery Failure Rates from Field Data
Authors: Conradt Rafael , Heidinger Frederic , Birke Kai Peter
Published: June 2021

The safety requirements in vehicles continuously increase due to more automated functions using electronic components. Besides the reliability of the components themselves, a reliable power supply is crucial for a safe overall system. Different architectures for a safe power supply consider the lead battery as a backup solution for safety-critical applications. Various ageing mechanisms influence the performance of the battery and have an impact on its reliability. In order to qualify the battery with its specific failure modes for use in safety-critical applications, it is necessary to prove this reliability by failure rates. Previous investigations determine the fixed failure rates of lead batteries using data from teardown analyses to identify the battery failure modes but did not include the lifetime of these batteries examined. Alternatively, lifetime values of battery replacements in workshops without knowing the reason for failure were used to determine the overall time-dependent failure rate. This study presents a method for determining reliability models of lead batteries by investigating individual failure modes. Since batteries are subject to ageing, the analysis of lifetime values of different failure modes results in time-dependent failure rates of different magnitudes. The failure rates of the individual failure modes develop with different shapes over time, which allows their ageing behaviour to be evaluated.