bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sodium Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate Ameliorates Injury‐Induced Oxidative Stress and Intervertebral Disc Degeneration in Rats by Inhibiting p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway
Authors: Dai Shouqian , Shi Xiu , Qin Rongqing , Zhang Xing , Xu Feng , Yang Huilin
Published: May 2021

Objective. Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) is a water‐soluble derivative of tanshinone IIA, a representative traditional Chinese medicine. The aim of the study was to investigate the capability of STS to reverse injury‐induced intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) and explore the potential mechanisms. Methods. Forty adult rats were randomly allocated into groups (control, IDD, STS10, and STS20). An IDD model was established by puncturing the Co8‐9 disc using a needle. Rats in the STS groups were administered STS by daily intraperitoneal injection (10 or 20 mg/kg body weight) while rats in the control and IDD groups received the same quantity of normal saline. After four weeks, the entire spine from each rat was scanned for X‐ray and MRI analysis. Each Co8‐9 IVD underwent histological analysis (H&E, Safranin‐O Fast green, and alcian blue staining). A tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining to determine the expression levels of collagen II (COL2), aggrecan, matrix metalloproteinase‐3/13 (MMP‐3/13), interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α). Levels of oxidative stress were measured using an ELISA while activity of the p38 MAPK pathway was assessed using Western blot analysis. Results. Compared with the control group, needle puncture significantly decreased IVD volume and T‐2 weighted MR signal intensity, confirming disc degeneration. These alterations were significantly attenuated by treatment with 10 or 20 mg/kg STS. Lower COL2 and aggrecan and higher MMP‐3/13, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α levels in the IDD group were substantially reversed by STS. In addition, treatment with STS increased antioxidative enzyme activity and decreased levels of oxidative stress induced by needle puncture. Furthermore, STS inhibited the p38 MAPK pathway in the rat model of IDD. Conclusions. STS ameliorated injury‐induced intervertebral disc degeneration and displayed anti‐inflammatory and antioxidative properties in a rat model of IDD, possibly via inhibition of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
Comparative Studies on Volatile Oil Components Derived from Integrated Processing Technology of Origin and Traditional Cutting Processing Technology of Moslae Herba and Their Effects on Rats With Lung-Yin Deficiency
Authors: Jiang Tian-Ni , Liu Yue , Gao Hui
Published: May 2021

This study aimed to examine the components of the volatile oil derived from the integration processing technology of origin (IPTO) of Moslae Herba (MH) and their effects on the treatment of rats with Lung-Yin deficiency. IPTO was compared with the traditional cutting processing technology (TCPT) to provide a feasible basis. The chemical constituents of the volatile oil were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The Lung-Yin deficiency model was established by subjecting the animals to smoke and administering them with thyroid tablet suspension. The rats were randomly divided into six groups: control, model, Tween-80, positive, IPTO, and TCPT. After 30 days of intragastric administration, the macroscopic signs of rats and pathological morphology of the lung tissues were observed by the hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining method. The positive expression of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) was observed by an immunohistochemical method. The levels of cholesterol (CHO), albumin (ALB), total protein (TP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were detected in the serum of rats. A total of 42 and 37 components were identified from the volatile oils of IPTO and TCPT, respectively. Among them, the contents of carvacrol and thymol were higher in IPTO. The volatile oil of MH derived from IPTO and TCPT could improve the general signs and autonomous activities of the rats with Lung-Yin deficiency; increase the contents of cGMP, TP, and ALB; and decrease the anal temperature of the rats, the contents of IL-1β, CHO, and BUN in serum, the ratio of cAMP to cGMP, and the average optical density of TNF-α in their lung tissues. The findings indicated that IPTO was more efficient than TCPT. Its therapeutic effect might be associated with the change in TNF-α expression; the increase in cGMP, TP, and ALB contents; and the decrease in IL-1β, CHO, and BUN levels, laying the foundation for the clinical development and application of MH.
An Enhanced UHPC‐Grout Shear Connection for Steel‐Concrete Composite Bridges with Precast Decks
Authors: Zhang Yongtao , Zheng Hehui , Tang Minghao , He Zhiqi
Published: May 2021

This article develops an enhanced UHPC‐grout shear connection for steel‐concrete composite bridges with precast decks. The primary improvement is the use of ultra‐high performance concrete (UHPC) as the connection grout. To validate the constructability and the mechanical performance of the new connection, two series of experimental tests (including grouting tests and push‐out tests) were conducted. Results from the grouting tests show that both the pressure grouting method and the self‐levelling grouting method are applicable to inject the UHPC grout into the channel void of the connection. Results from the push‐out tests indicate that the advanced properties of UHPC allow for a significant improvement of the shear resistance of the adhesive connection over traditional cementitious grouts. The ultimate shear capacity of the adhesive connection is controlled by the interface shear strength between the embossed steel and the UHPC grout, with a cohesion value of approximately 5.87 MPa. Meanwhile, the residual frictional resistance can be taken as approximately one‐half of the ultimate resistance. The results of the finite‐element analysis show that the trilinear model is reasonable to simulate the shear‐slip laws of the embossed steel‐grout interface and the rough concrete‐grout interface.
Biological Activities and Chemistry of Triterpene Saponins from Medicago Species: An Update Review
Authors: Wang Guanzhen , Wang Junlong , Liu Wei , Nisar Muhammad Farrukh , El-Esawi Mohamed A. , Wan Chunpeng
Published: May 2021

Plants are known to be a great source of phytochemicals for centuries. Medicago, belonging to the Family Fabaceae, is a large and well spread genus comprising about 83 cosmopolitan species, of which one-third are annuals and span diverse ecological niches. Medicago species are rich in saponins mainly classified into three classes, namely, steroid alkaloid glycosides, triterpene glycosides, and steroid glycosides. These saponins are important compounds having diverse pharmacological and biological activities. As a whole, 95 of saponins are reported to date occurring in Medicago species using various latest extraction/isolation techniques. Considering the multiple biological and pharmacological potential of Medicago species due to saponins along with structural diversity, we compiled this review article to sum up the recent reports for the pharmacological potential of the Medicago’s derived saponins in modern as well as traditional medication systems. The current manuscript produces data of chemical structures and molecular masses of all Medicago species saponins simultaneously. The toxicity of certain pure saponins (aglycones) has been reported in vitro; hederagenin appeared highly toxic in comparison to medicagenic acid and bayogenin against X. index, while soyasaponin I, containing soyasapogenol B as a glycone, appeared as the least toxic saponin. The diversity in the structural forms shows a close relationship for its biological and pharmacological actions. Moreover, saponins showed antioxidant properties and the mechanism behind antimicrobial potential also elaborated in this review article is mainly because of the side sugar groups on these compounds. The collected data presented herein include chemical structures and molecular masses of all saponins so far. Their biological activity and therapeutic potential are also discussed. This information can be the starting point for future research on this important genus.
Optimization of the Hollow Rectification Sill in the Forebay of the Pump Station Based on the PSO‐GP Collaborative Algorithm
Authors: Xi Wang , Lu Weigang , Wang Chuan , Xu Bo
Published: May 2021

The layout of the pump station is easily affected by topography, site, and other factors, resulting in poor inlet flow patterns in the forebay, which seriously affect the normal operation of the pump station. To optimize its inlet flow pattern, the size of the hollow rectification sill has been continuously improved through physical model tests to meet the requirements of the required pump station inlet flow field. In this paper, particle swarm optimization (PSO) was combined with the Gaussian process (GP) to establish a particle swarm‐Gaussian process (PSO‐GP) model to predict the velocity uniformity of the inlet sump of pump stations with different hole‐to‐height ratios, hole‐to‐width ratios, upper‐to‐lower sill length ratios, and sill height‐to‐water table ratios. Finally, the hollow rectification sill with the optimal size was obtained and tested in the physical model to compare the rectification effect with other sizes of hollow sills. The results show that the algorithm model can help the traditional physical experiment quickly predict the velocity uniformity of the inlet sump of the pump station. Through the optimization by the PSO‐GP algorithm, we can get the optimal size of the hollow rectification sill. Its hole‐to‐height ratio is 0.62, its hole‐to‐width ratio is 0.37, upper‐to‐lower sill length ratio is 0.63, and sill height‐to‐water table ratio is 0.23. It shows that this method is practical in the optimization design of the hollow rectification sill and provides a new method for the optimization of the flow field in the forebay of the pump station.
Automatic Bearing Fault Feature Extraction Method via PFDIC and DBAS
Authors: Liao Zhiqiang , Song Xuewei , Jia Baozhu , Chen Peng
Published: May 2021

Determining the embedded dimension of a singular value decomposition Hankel matrix and selecting the singular values representing the intrinsic information of fault features are challenging tasks. Given these issues, this work presents a singular value decomposition-based automatic fault feature extraction method that uses the probability-frequency density information criterion (PFDIC) and dual beetle antennae search (DBAS). DBAS employs embedded dimension and singular values as dynamic variables and PFDIC as a two-stage objective to optimize the best parameters. The optimization results work for singular value decomposition for bearing fault feature extraction. The extracted fault signals combined with envelope demodulation can efficiently diagnose bearing faults. The superiority and applicability of the proposed method are validated by simulation signals, engineering signals, and comparison experiments. Results demonstrate that the proposed method can sufficiently extract fault features and accurately diagnose faults.
Influences of Pore‐Water Pressure on Slope Stability considering Strength Nonlinearity
Authors: Wu Di , Wang Yuke , Zhang Fei , Qiu Yue
Published: May 2021

The pore‐water pressure is a vital factor in determining the slope stability. To deal with the stability of slopes undergoing pore‐water pressures, this paper used the pore‐water pressure coefficient to develop the three‐dimensional limit analysis method for slope stability evaluation with a nonlinear strength envelope. For numerical slope examples, the critical heights and corresponding critical slip surfaces associated with linear and nonlinear envelopes were derived by using a numerical optimization procedure. The influences of pore‐water pressures on the slope stability were addressed by comparing the upper‐bound solutions derived by linear and nonlinear strength envelopes (the linear and nonlinear results for short). The obtained two critical inclinations between the linear and nonlinear results both decrease and gradually approach with increasing pore‐water pressure coefficient. For most slopes subjected to pore‐water pressures, using the linear Mohr–Coulomb envelope will obviously overestimate the slope critical height. The overestimation resulted from the linear criterion will become more distinct for slopes with smaller widths. Besides, the presented results showed that the equivalent internal friction angle tends to have a weaker increasing trend for steeper slopes as pore‐water pressure coefficient increases. Hence, when pore‐water pressure coefficient increases, the critical slip surfaces of gentle slopes with nonlinear strength criteria become shallower, but the critical slip surfaces of steep slopes seem to have no consistent change law. These results and analyses can illustrate the significance of the application of nonlinear strength envelopes in slope stability evaluation considering pore‐water pressures and provide certain reference advice in slope engineering design and landslide prevention.
Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Rotor‐Bearing System with Cubic Nonlinearity
Authors: Nan Guofang , Zhu Yujie , Zhang Yang , Guo Wei
Published: May 2021

Nonlinear dynamic characteristics of a rotor‐bearing system with cubic nonlinearity are investigated. The comprehensive effects of the unbalanced excitation, the internal clearance, the nonlinear Hertzian contact force, the varying compliance vibration, and the nonlinear stiffness of support material are considered. The expression with the linear and the cubic nonlinear terms is adopted to characterize the synthetical nonlinearity of the rotor‐bearing system. The effects of nonlinear stiffness, rotating speed, and mass eccentricity on the dynamic behaviors of the system are studied using the rotor trajectory diagrams, bifurcation diagrams, and Poincaré map. The complicated dynamic behaviors and types of routes to chaos are found, including the periodic doubling bifurcation, sudden transition, and quasiperiodic from periodic motion to chaos. The research results show that the system has complex nonlinear dynamic behaviors such as multiple period, paroxysmal bifurcation, inverse bifurcation, jumping phenomena, and chaos; the nonlinear characteristics of the system are significantly enhanced with the increase of the nonlinear stiffness, and the material with lower nonlinear stiffness is more conducive to the stable operation of the system. The research will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of the rotor‐bearing system.
Drillstring Oscillations: The Influence of Fluid Loading and Stabilizer Effects
Authors: Liu Yongsheng , Gao Deli , Agarwal Vipin , Zheng Xie , Balachandran Balakumar
Published: May 2021

Drillstring vibrations can be undesirable for drilling operations. Here, attention is focused on vibrations of the upper portion of a drillstring as these vibrations can cause drillpipe wear and casing wear. A reduced‐order model is developed to study the motions of a drillstring by taking fluid loading and stabilizer effects into account. In this model development, the distributed nature of the fluid loading is taken into account, and the drillstring is treated as a beam structure. Perturbation analyses are carried out with the reduced‐order system, and the system responses are examined for primary and secondary (subharmonic and superharmonic) resonance excitations. The analytical‐numerical results reveal the rich nature of the system behavior and help understand the drillstring motions during various resonance conditions.
Performance Evaluation of a B2C Model Based on Trust Requirements and Factors
Authors: Asiri Ahmad Yahya , Alshamrani Sultan S.
Published: May 2021

This paper evaluates the performance of a newly proposed B2C e-commerce model based on trust factors and requirements in the context of Saudi Arabia. Two categories of trust factors, namely, governmental and nongovernmental types, are identified to create the model for determining the feasibility of an efficient online business strategy in the Kingdom. Data are collected over a duration of 10 weeks based on the designed questionnaire, carefully analyzed, and interpreted. The standpoint of the end user is analyzed to determine the influence of the proposed trust requirements and factors on B2C e-commerce in Saudi Arabia. The reliability of the questionnaires for each requirement with their factors is quantitatively analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha. The questionnaire consists of three parts, namely, demographic component, questions related to the identified requirements, and additional notes as an open question. Questions are designed as per the requirements and the factors of trust models to demonstrate their possible relationship. Furthermore, the questionnaires’ content validity is judged by expert lecturers with relevant specialization before distributing them, which are well organized together with easy understandability. They are randomly distributed among 222 academic and administrative staff (female and male) in addition to university students from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information System in Saudi Arabia. This random selection performed on total 222 responders ensures the statistical accuracy of the sampling. Adaptable government approaches, enactment, rules, insurance of buyer rights, and banking network situation with less web expenses are demonstrated to be significant to e-commerce expansion in the Kingdom. Implementation of the proposed model is believed to augment consumer self-confidence and reliance together with e-commerce growth in Saudi Arabia.
Some New Robust Estimators for Circular Logistic Regression Model with Applications on Meteorological and Ecological Data
Authors: Alshqaq Shokrya S. , Ahmadini Abdullah A. , Abuzaid Ali H.
Published: May 2021

Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) is often used to estimate the parameters of the circular logistic regression model due to its efficiency under a parametric model. However, evidence has shown that the classicalMLEextremely affects the parameter estimation in the presence of outliers. This article discusses the effect of outliers on circular logistic regression and extends four robust estimators, namely, Mallows, Schweppe, Bianco and Yohai estimatorBY, and weightedBYestimators, to the circular logistic regression model. These estimators have been successfully used in linear logistic regression models for the same purpose. The four proposed robust estimators are compared with the classicalMLEthrough simulation studies. They demonstrate satisfactory finite sample performance in the presence of misclassified errors and leverage points. Meteorological and ecological datasets are analyzed for illustration.
Carbonized Aramid Fiber as the Adsorbent for In-Tube Solid-Phase Microextraction to Detect Estrogens in Water Samples
Authors: Zhu Xiaoxiao , Zhang Yijun , Liu Pengfei , Bai Xiuzhi , Chen Na , Zhang Yuping
Published: May 2021

Carbonized aramid fiber was prepared as a new type of adsorbent for in-tube solid-phase microextraction. The surface structure, chemical composition, and graphitization degree of the resulted fiber was determined and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectrometry. The prepared fiber was packed in a stainless-steel tube instead of the sample loop of a six-port and tested for the extraction of five environmental estrogen hormones coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography. Several parameters affecting the estrogens’ extraction including the sampling volume, sampling rate, NaCl content, and desorption time were investigated in detail. The extraction tube with carbonized aramid fiber exhibited remarkable extraction performance towards five estrogen targets. The analysis method was established, and it exhibited a wide linear range (0.5–10.0 μg/L) with good linearity (correlation coefficient ≥0.9906), low limits of detection (0.011–0.13 μg/L), and high enrichment factors (178–1335) for the five analytes. Relative standard deviations (n = 3) for intraday (≤4.8%) and interday (≤4.0%) tests indicated that the extraction material had satisfactory repeatability. Bisphenol A released from a polycarbonate (PC) bottle was quantitatively detected with a concentration of 8.3 μg/L. The relative recoveries spiked at 5 and 10 μg/L were investigated, and the results were in the range of 74.3–121% for real water samples.
Radium-223–Induced Bystander Effects Cause DNA Damage and Apoptosis in Disseminated Tumor Cells in Bone Marrow
Authors: Canter Brian S. , Leung Calvin N. , Fritton J. Christopher , Bäck Tom , Rajon Didier , Azzam Edouard I. , Howell Roger W.
Published: May 2021

Radiation-induced bystander effects have been implicated in contributing to the growth delay of disseminated tumor cells (DTC) caused by 223RaCl2, an alpha particle–emitting radiopharmaceutical. To understand how 223RaCl2 affects the growth, we have quantified biological changes caused by direct effects of radiation and bystander effects caused by the emitted radiations on DTC and osteocytes. Characterizing these effects contribute to understanding the efficacy of alpha particle–emitting radiopharmaceuticals and guide expansion of their use clinically. MDA-MB-231 or MCF-7 human breast cancer cells were inoculated intratibially into nude mice that were previously injected intravenously with 50 or 600 kBq/kg 223RaCl2. At 1-day and 3-days postinoculation, tibiae were harvested and examined for DNA damage (γ-H2AX foci) and apoptosis in osteocytes and cancer cells located within and beyond the range (70 μm) of alpha particles emitted from the bone surface. Irradiated and bystander MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells harbored DNA damage. Bystander MDA-MB-231 cells expressed DNA damage at both treatment levels while bystander MCF-7 cells required the higher administered activity. Osteocytes also had DNA damage regardless of inoculated cancer cell line. The extent of DNA damage was quantified by increases in low (1–2 foci), medium (3–5 foci), and high (5+ foci) damage. MDA-MB-231 but not MCF-7 bystander cells showed increases in apoptosis in 223RaCl2-treated animals, as did irradiated osteocytes. In summary, radiation-induced bystander effects contribute to DTC cytotoxicity caused by 223RaCl2.

Implications:

This observation supports clinical investigation of the efficacy of 223RaCl2 to prevent breast cancer DTC from progressing to oligometastases.
Complement C1s and C4d as Prognostic Biomarkers in Renal Cancer: Emergence of Noncanonical Functions of C1s
Authors: Daugan Marie V. , Revel Margot , Russick Jules , Dragon-Durey Marie-Agnès , Gaboriaud Christine , Robe-Rybkine Tania , Poillerat Victoria , Grunenwald Anne , Lacroix Guillaume , Bougouin Antoine , Meylan Maxime , Verkarre Virginie , Oudard Stephane M. , Mejean Arnaud , Vano Yann A. , Perkins Geraldine , Validire Pierre , Cathelineau Xavier , Sanchez-Salas Rafael , Damotte Diane , Fremeaux-Bacchi Veronique , Cremer Isabelle , Sautès-Fridman Catherine , Fridman Wolf H. , Roumenina Lubka T.
Published: May 2021

The complement system plays a complex role in cancer. In clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), local production of complement proteins drives tumor progression, but the mechanisms by which they do this are poorly understood. We found that complement activation, as reflected by high plasma C4d or as C4d deposits at the tumor site, was associated with poor prognosis in two cohorts of patients with ccRCC. High expression of the C4-activating enzyme C1s by tumor cells was associated with poor prognosis in three cohorts. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that the prognostic value of C1s was independent from complement deposits, suggesting the possibility of complement cascade–unrelated, protumoral functions for C1s. Silencing of C1s in cancer cell lines resulted in decreased proliferation and viability of the cells and in increased activation of T cells in in vitro cocultures. Tumors expressing high levels of C1s showed high infiltration of macrophages and T cells. Modification of the tumor cell phenotype and T-cell activation were independent of extracellular C1s levels, suggesting that C1s was acting in an intracellular, noncanonical manner. In conclusion, our data point to C1s playing a dual role in promoting ccRCC progression by triggering complement activation and by modulating the tumor cell phenotype and tumor microenvironment in a complement cascade–independent, noncanonical manner. Overexpression of C1s by tumor cells could be a new escape mechanism to promote tumor progression.

See related Spotlight by Magrini and Garlanda, p. 855.

See article by Daugan et al., p. 909 (40).
A Rare Combination of Posterior Elbow Dislocation with Ipsilateral Intra-Articular Distal Radius Fracture with Radiocarpal Dislocation: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Aouad Dany K. , Musharrafieh Ramzi , Jabbour Fouad , Dib Nabil , Nehme Alexandre H.
Published: May 2021

Separate elbow dislocation and forearm fractures are common injuries, with both injuries occurring concomitantly and ipsilaterally being rare. We report a case of a 70-year-old female patient who had a posterior elbow dislocation with ipsilateral comminuted distal radius fracture with anterior radiocarpal dislocation. Closed reduction of the elbow was done with open reduction and internal fixation of the distal radius fracture. At 6-month follow-up, the patient had no pain, with satisfactory range of motion of both joints, resuming her previous daily activities.
The use of mind maps related to the four operations in primary school fourth-grade students as an evaluation tool
Authors: Yorulmaz Alper , Uysal Hümeyra , Sidekli Sabri
Published: May 2021

The aim of the study was to determine the concepts that primary school fourth-grade students reveal with their mind maps related to four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and to compare the mind map and achievement test scores. In the study, a mixed method was used in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected and presented together. The study was carried out with a total of 14 students. There were eight girls and six boys, who studying in the fourth-grade of a primary school in Menteşe district of Muğla, in the spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. In the research, mind maps created for four operations and success test were used as data collection tools. The data collection process was carried out simultaneously. In the analysis of the data, qualitative data were transformed into the quantitative analysis, and quantitative analyzes were made. Concepts in mind maps created for four operations were subjected to qualitative analysis and photos were added as evidence. As a result of the research, it was determined that the majority of the students adopted the concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Besides, it was revealed that there was a high-level positive relationship between the scores of the students obtained from the achievement test and the scores from the mind maps they created. The evaluation made using the mind map for primary school fourth-grade students is more advantageous than the achievement test in terms of determining the conceptual understanding.
A pedagogical framework of cross-cultural online collaborative projects in English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms
Authors: Chen Yunchai , Chuang Hsueh-Hua , Lacaste Aurora
Published: May 2021

Many researchers have focused on online collaborative learning, cross-cultural communication, project-based learning, digital literacy, and digital storytelling but there is no pedagogical framework that incorporates these elements for English as Foreign Language (EFL) teaching. This study based on the qualitative design established a pedagogical framework from three different types of cross-cultural collaborative projects with the collected data including students’ artifacts and project structures. We have found that the pedagogical framework proposed here serves as a guide to facilitate different types of cross-cultural projects in their classrooms. The multiple cases of cross-cultural online collaborative projects in an EFL class were taught according to the theories of project-based learning and content language integrated learning alike, proved to follow this pedagogical framework. Implementation is also described to give more details on how the projects were conducted. In the end, opportunities and challenges are provided for future implementation of online collaborative EFL projects.
To pass or not to pass: A qualitative inquiry on students’ views on the academic retention policy
Authors: E. Oding Mark Lloyd , Palang-at Jemarie A. , San Jose Ariel E
Published: May 2021

Retention policy is an important guiding principle implemented by academic institution to promote students’ development, yet evidence is unable to disentangle how the eﬀect of retention policy varies by the outcome in student’s intellect and morality. This study gathered the views and perspectives of students in relation to the retention policy of the college. This study used the qualitative-phenomenological method. Seven participants who gained the lowest general percentage average were purposively selected. In-depth interviews were conducted to obtain the pertinent information. Results revealed that retention policy was a source of encouragement for students to perform well and it was a necessity to develop and enhance students’ cognition. However, few students mentioned that the retention policy was a source of stress because they needed to comply with the standard requirements imposed by the college. They reiterated that the policy discriminated against slow-learners. The findings implicate that concrete actions may be done to address the misconception on the retention policy. Strong academic support and resources may be offered to address students’ needs especially to those who were at-risk. Retention policy will remain a challenge to all students if the academic institution is not fully equipped to respond to the needs of the students.
A patho-microbiological study of tissue samples of the Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius (Aves: Ciconiiformes: Ciconiidae) that died in Deeporbeel Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India
Authors: Brahma Derhasar , Kakati Parikshit , Gogoi Sophia M. , Doley Sharmita , Bharali Arpita , Dutta Biswajit , Rahman Taibur , Islam Saidul , Ali Arfan , Khan Siraj A. , Das Sailendra K. , Barman Nagendra N.
Published: May 2021

The Greater Adjutant is an IUCN Red List ‘Endangered’ scavenging stork.  This study reports the findings of post-mortem, histopathology, and a series of microbiological tests conducted on the Greater Adjutant that died in Deeporbeel Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam.  A post-mortem examination revealed extensive nodule forming parasitic (Balfouria monogama) infestations in the stomach and intestine.  Generalised congestion and haemorrhages in multiple organs were also revealed by the histopathological findings.  Bacteriological culture detected the presence of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp., and Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens was confirmed by cpa gene PCR).  Virus detection tests like HA and HI test for NDV and rapid antigen detection test for Avian Influenza virus were found to be negative; however, PCR of tissue samples from two Greater Adjutants for Flavivirus was found to be positive.  Greater Adjutants may carry the above bacteria as commensals in their GI tract and may possibly act as a reservoir of Flavivirus.  The actual cause of deaths, however, were confirmed by the forensic report to be due to organophosphorus toxicity.
Further additions to the Odonata (Insecta) fauna of Asansol-Durgapur Industrial Area, Paschim Bardhaman, India
Authors: Nayak Amar Kumar , Roy Subhajit
Published: May 2021

In this present communication we report the occurrence of additional 13 Odonate species from the Asansol-Durgapur Industrial Area, West Bengal, India, making the total 76.  This paper reports the first record of Libellago indica (Fraser, 1928) and first photographic records of Macromia flavicincta Selys, 1874 from West Bengal.  It also reports the range extension of Macromia cingulata Rambur, 1842 from the Purulia District to Paschim Bardhaman District.
A looming exotic reptile pet trade in India: patterns and knowledge gaps
Authors: Pragatheesh A. , Deepak V. , Girisha H.V. , Tomar Monesh Singh
Published: May 2021

Commercial trade of exotic reptiles through CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in India is relatively recent (<2 decades).  Social media platforms and web portals are known to be used for pet trade.  Exotic pet trade is not legally regulated within India.  Therefore, little is known on the scale at which this trade is carried out in India.  We conducted a two-year study between 2018 and 2020 gathering information of exotic reptile pet trade online and summarized CITES documentation of the yearly import export records from 1976 to 2018 by CITES secretariat.  This manuscript provides a baseline for the extent of the trade, invasive species and the species traded in mainland India.  We found that there is an extensive trade of exotic reptiles in the country, comprising 84 species including the highly venomous species such as Bitis gabonica.  According to CITES records of 1976–2018, 98.6% of the reptile imports into India have not been reported to the CITES management authorities in India.  We also found some evidence of trade in protected native species through the exotic pet trade network.  Furthermore, some highly threatened reptile species including many listed in Appendix I of CITES are traded in India.
Integrating Faith and Profit: The Religio-Commercial Network Spanning China and Japan, 1100-1270
Authors: Li Yiwen
Published: May 2021

By reinterpreting a set of correspondence between Chinese and Japanese monks, this article gives a “thick description” of a lumber transaction between a prestigious monastery in Hangzhou, China, and a newly established monastery in Hakata, Japan. Examining the network connecting the two monasteries shows that in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Hakata-based Chinese merchants sought patronage and connections from powerful religious establishments in both China and Japan, whose political patronage conferred economic privileges. The quest for gaining trade profits, spreading Buddhist teachings, and enhancing political authority drove all the parties together and formed a religio-commercial network linking China and Japan.
STEAM Education for Critical Consciousness: Discourses of Liberation and Social Change among Sixth-Grade Students
Authors: Upadhyay Bhaskar , Coffino Kara , Alberts John , Rummel Andrew
Published: May 2021

In this case study, we present opportunities science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education provided to a sixth-grade class. We collected observational and interview data in a language arts and a science class over 1 year. We used the liberation social psychology (LSP) framework to understand students’ discourses and discussions as they drew from science, engineering activities, and language arts ideas. Further, LSP allowed us to explore students’ engagement in critical reflection of social, racial, and other discrimination. The data analysis showed that STEAM education promoted the integration of science ideas, engineering design, social and critical consciousness. We found STEAM education supported discourses of critical reflection, racism, and social discrimination in class. Finally, we argue that STEAM education in Asia-Pacific and Global South countries has to be about critical consciousness, social change, and liberation of underrepresented groups and immigrants for more inclusive, sociopolitically conscious, and democratic STEAM education experiences.
Overview of Indian Hyrtanellini (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae), with new species and records from related regions
Authors: MARTYNOV ALEXANDER V. , SELVAKUMAR C. , SUBRAMANIAN K. A. , SIVARAMAKRISHNAN K. G. , VASANTH M. , SINHA BIKRAMJIT , JACOBUS LUKE M.
Published: May 2021

The Hyrtanellini (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae: Ephemerellinae) from India and related regions are reviewed, including three new species viz., Serratella palatovi Martynov, Selvakumar & Jacobus, sp. nov., Torleya simbalbarensis Selvakumar, Subramanian, Martynov & Jacobus, sp. nov., and Torleya dibruensis Selvakumar, Martynov & Jacobus, sp. nov.; and first country records of Teloganopsis jinghongensis (Xu, You & Hsu, 1984) and Hyrtanella grandipennis (Zhou, Su & Gui, 2000). Description of Serratella palatovi sp. nov. is based on material from Thailand, India and Nepal; Torleya simbalbarensis sp. nov. and Torleya dibruensis sp. nov. are described based on material from India. For now, the tribe Hyrtanellini in India comprises eight species from the genera Serratella Edmunds, 1959, Torleya Lestage, 1917, Teloganopsis Ulmer, 1939 and Hyrtanella Allen & Edmunds, 1976. Additional records of Teloganopsis jinghongensis from Thailand, Torleya nepalica (Allen & Edmunds, 1963) and Torleya coheri (Allen & Edmunds, 1963) from Nepal also are provided here. All Indomalayan Hyrtanellini species are discussed to some extent.
Brachytrupes megacephalus Lefèbvre, 1827 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) in the Maltese Islands: notes on biogeography, behaviour, and habitat of populations in the central Mediterranean area and the Maghreb
Authors: CASSAR LOUIS F. , CONRAD ELISABETH , GALDIES CHARLES
Published: May 2021

Brachytrupes megacephalus (Lefebvre, 1827) is of significant biogeographic importance. It occurs in Sicily and on some of the circum-Sicilian and Pelagian islands, as well as in the Maltese Islands, Sardinia and the Maghreb (notably but not exclusively, in Algeria and Tunisia, where it maintains populations in both coastal and desert regions). Within European territory, it occurs solely in Italy and Malta, where it is protected under the EU Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention. In northern Africa, the species is regarded as a polyphagous pest, particularly in Saharan locations. The present work is based on field observations, mostly from the Maltese Islands, that span more than three decades; it provides insights on spatial distribution, population trends and behaviour. In examining the relationship between the species’ frequency during its mating season and weather conditions, results suggest a weak yet statistically significant correlation between mating strategies and ambient meteorological conditions. Moreover, patch occupancy in spring and autumn varied considerably within a specified area of study, primarily due to competitive mating strategies employed in spring, with an occupancy ratio of approximately 1:6. To-date, the species is known from 13 locations, one in Gozo and 12 in Malta, of which some constitute the Ahrax promontory metapopulation. Connectivity between the Ahrax subpopulation cluster is discussed in the light of habitat and topographical characteristics. Contrasting findings on variances in behaviour between Maltese populations and other populations in Sicily and the Maghreb are discussed. Discernible behavioural disparities include the length of excavated tunnels during spring and summer/autumn seasons in the different geographical locations, attraction to artificial sources of light, and the degree of damage to crops across geographic regions.
Going with the Trend: Forecasting Seasonal Climate Conditions under Climate Change
Authors: Shao Yawen , Wang Quan J. , Schepen Andrew , Ryu Dongryeol
Published: May 2021

For managing climate variability and adapting to climate change, seasonal forecasts are widely produced to inform decision-making. However, seasonal forecasts from global climate models are found to poorly reproduce temperature trends in observations. Furthermore, this problem is not addressed by existing forecast postprocessing methods that are needed to remedy biases and uncertainties in model forecasts. The inability of the forecasts to reproduce the trends severely undermines user confidence in the forecasts. In our previous work, we proposed a new statistical postprocessing model that counteracted departures in trends of model forecasts from observations. Here, we further extend this trend-aware forecast postprocessing methodology to carefully treat the trend uncertainty associated with the sampling variability due to limited data records. This new methodology is validated on forecasting seasonal averages of daily maximum and minimum temperatures for Australia based on the SEAS5 climate model of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The resulting postprocessed forecasts are shown to have proper trends embedded, leading to greater accuracy in regions with significant trends. The application of this new forecast postprocessing is expected to boost user confidence in seasonal climate forecasts.
Mutant U2AF1-induced differential alternative splicing causes an oxidative stress in bone marrow stromal cells
Authors: Liu Zhe , Dong Xuanjia , Cao Zhijie , Qiu Shaowei , Li Yihui , Zhong Mengjun , Xue Zhenya , Xu Yingxi , Xing Haiyan , Tang Kejing , Tian Zheng , Wang Min , Rao Qing , Wang Jianxiang
Published: May 2021

Alternative splicing (AS) is a critical regulatory process of gene expression. In bone marrow microenvironment, AS plays a critical role in mesenchymal stem cells fate determination by forming distinct isoforms of important regulators. As a spliceosome factor, U2AF1 is essential for the catalysis of pre-mRNA splicing, and its mutation can cause differential AS events. In the present study, by forced expression of mutant U2AF1 (U2AF1S34F) in the mouse bone marrow stroma OP9 cells, we determine AS changes in U2AF1S34F transduced OP9 cells and investigate their role in stroma cell biological functions. We find that abundant differential RNA splicing events are induced by U2AF1S34F in OP9 cells. U2AF1S34F causes increased generation of hydrogen peroxide, promotes production of cytokines and chemokines. U2AF1S34F transduced OP9 cells also exhibit dysfunction of mitochondria. RNA-seq data, gene ontology (GO), and gene set enrichment analysis reveal that differentially expressed genes downregulated in response to U2AF1S34F are enriched in peroxisome component and function. U2AF1S34F can also cause release of hydrogen peroxide from OP9 cells. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of U2AF1S34F-induced oxidative stress in stromal cells on hematopoietic cells. When co-culturing mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells with OP9 cells, the U2AF1S34F expressing OP9 cells induce phosphorylation of histone H2AX in hematopoietic cells. Collectively, our results reveal that mutant U2AF1-induced differential AS events cause oxidative stress in bone marrow stromal cells and can further lead to DNA damage and genomic instability in hematopoietic cells.
Presidential use of diversionary drone force and public support
Authors: Boddery Scott S. , Klein Graig R.
Published: May 2021

During times of domestic turmoil, the use of force abroad becomes an appealing strategy to US presidents in hopes of diverting attention away from internal conditions and toward a foreign policy success. Weaponized drone technology presents a low cost and potentially high-reward option to embattled presidents. While generally covert operations, drone strikes are frequently reported in the media, making them a viable diversionary tool. To gauge whether drone strikes are in fact capable of diverting the public’s attention, we surveyed 1198 Americans and find that a successful drone strike increases presidential approval despite a weak and sagging economy, and the impact of diversionary drone use is significantly greater than that which accompanies traditional diversionary methods.
Rapid Ag Nanofiber Formation Via Pt Nanoparticle-Assisted H2-Free Reduction of Ag+-Containing Polymers
Authors: Zhao Xu , Kawamura Yukiko , Muraoka Mikio
Published: May 2021

One-dimensional Ag nanostructure-based networks have garnered significant attention as next-generation transparent conductive materials. Ag nanofibers (NFs) with high aspect ratios decrease the number density required for percolation; hence, they form qualitatively superior transparent conductive films. This study reports a novel method for rapidly fabricating Ag NFs via Pt nanoparticle-assisted H2-free reduction of solid-state AgNO3. Our results first indicated that polymers can be a source of hydrogen gas in the presence of Pt nanoparticles; Ag NFs with aspect ratios above 105 were obtained herein by heating AgNO3-containing polymer NFs in a short period of time and in an open-air environment. Our method not only successfully reduced the amount of polymer residue often encountered in spun NFs but also created an effective self-supporting reduction system that does not require an external reducing gas supply. The obtained Ag NF networks were highly conductive and transparent. Moreover, the mechanism of Ag NF formation was investigated. We demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits a high potential for producing high yields of Ag NFs in a simple and rapid manner.
External features enriched model for biomedical question answering
Authors: Xu Gezheng , Rong Wenge , Wang Yanmeng , Ouyang Yuanxin , Xiong Zhang
Published: May 2021

Background

Biomedical question answering (QA) is a sub-task of natural language processing in a specific domain, which aims to answer a question in the biomedical field based on one or more related passages and can provide people with accurate healthcare-related information. Recently, a lot of approaches based on the neural network and large scale pre-trained language model have largely improved its performance. However, considering the lexical characteristics of biomedical corpus and its small scale dataset, there is still much improvement room for biomedical QA tasks.

Results

Inspired by the importance of syntactic and lexical features in the biomedical corpus, we proposed a new framework to extract external features, such as part-of-speech and named-entity recognition, and fused them with the original text representation encoded by pre-trained language model, to enhance the biomedical question answering performance. Our model achieves an overall improvement of all three metrics on BioASQ 6b, 7b, and 8b factoid question answering tasks.

Conclusions

The experiments on BioASQ question answering dataset demonstrated the effectiveness of our external feature-enriched framework. It is proven by the experiments conducted that external lexical and syntactic features can improve Pre-trained Language Model’s performance in biomedical domain question answering task.