bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Direct and indirect effects of CYTOR lncRNA regulate HIV gene expression
Authors: Kuzmina Alona , Sadhu Lopamudra , Hasanuzzaman Md , Fujinaga Koh , Schwartz Jacob C. , Fackler Oliver T. , Taube Ran
Published: April 2024

The implementation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has effectively restricted the transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and improved overall clinical outcomes. However, a complete cure for HIV remains out of reach, as the virus persists in a stable pool of infected cell reservoir that is resistant to therapy and thus a main barrier towards complete elimination of viral infection. While the mechanisms by which host proteins govern viral gene expression and latency are well-studied, the emerging regulatory functions of non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) in the context of T cell activation, HIV gene expression and viral latency have not yet been thoroughly explored.

Here, we report the identification of the Cytoskeleton Regulator (CYTOR) long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) as an activator of HIV gene expression that is upregulated following T cell stimulation. Functional studies show that CYTOR suppresses viral latency by directly binding to the HIV promoter and associating with the cellular positive transcription elongation factor (P-TEFb) to activate viral gene expression. CYTOR also plays a global role in regulating cellular gene expression, including those involved in controlling actin dynamics. Depletion of CYTOR expression reduces cytoplasmic actin polymerization in response to T cell activation. In addition, treating HIV-infected cells with pharmacological inhibitors of actin polymerization reduces HIV gene expression. We conclude that both direct and indirect effects of CYTOR regulate HIV gene expression.
Existence and regularity of pullback attractors for a 3D non-autonomous Navier–Stokes–Voigt model with finite delay
Authors: García-Luengo Julia , Marín-Rubio Pedro
Published: April 2024

In this manuscript previous results [Nonlinearity 25(2012), 905–930] are extended to a non-autonomous 3D Navier–Stokes–Voigt model in which a forcing term contains memory effects. Under suitable assumptions on the function driving the delay time, the existence and uniqueness of weak solution are proved. Existence and relationships among pullback attractors in several phase-spaces are analyzed for two possible choices of the attracted universes, namely, the standard one of fixed bounded sets, and another one given by a tempered condition. Some regularity results for these attractors are also established. Compactness and attraction norms are strengthened. Since the model does not have a regularizing effect, obtaining asymptotic compactness for the associated process is a more involved task. Our proofs rely on a sharp use of the energy equality, an energy method, bootstrapping arguments and by using bi-space attractors results.
Slow divergence integral in regularized piecewise smooth systems
Authors: Huzak Renato , Kristiansen Kristian Uldall , Radunovic Goran
Published: April 2024

In this paper we define the notion of slow divergence integral along sliding segments in regularized planar piecewise
smooth systems. The boundary of such segments may contain diverse tangency points. We show that the slow divergence integral is invariant under smooth equivalences. This is a natural generalization of the notion of slow divergence integral along normally hyperbolic portions of curve of singularities in smooth planar slow-fast systems. We give an interesting application of the integral in a model with visible-invisible two-fold of type
V

I
3

. It is related to a connection between so-called Minkowski dimension of bounded and monotone "entry-exit" sequences and the number of sliding limit cycles produced by so-called canard cycles.
Existence of solutions for asymptotically periodic quasilinear Schrödinger equations with local nonlinearities
Authors: Han Jianxin , Wei Yuting , Xue Yanfang
Published: April 2024

This paper is concerned with the existence of positive solutions for asymptotically periodic quasilinear Schrödinger equations. By using a Nehari-type constraint and Moser iteration, we get the existence results which is a complement to the ones in Chu and Liu [Nonlinear Anal. Real World Appl. 44(2018), 118–127]. Moreover, we consider a new reformative asymptotic processes of the potential function and the nonlinearity term is only locally defined.
Reducing Eosinophil Counts in Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Children Is Associated With Reduction in Later Stricture Development
Authors: Strauss Starling Alexandra , Ren Yue , Li Hongzhe , Spergel Jonathan M. , Muir Amanda B. , Lynch Kristle L. , Liacouras Chris A. , Falk Gary W.
Published: April 2024

INTRODUCTION:

There are limited longitudinal data on the impact of chronic therapy on the natural history of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a chronic allergic disease of the esophagus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if patients with well-controlled EoE were less likely to develop fibrostenotic complications.

METHODS:

Subjects were identified from a database of pediatric patients with EoE at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia started in 2000. Patients were then searched in adult medical records to identify patients who transitioned care. All office visits, emergency department visits, and endoscopic, histologic, and imaging reports were reviewed for the primary outcome of strictures and the secondary outcomes of food impactions and dysphagia. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed for outcomes.

RESULTS:

One hundred five patients were identified with the mean follow-up of 11.4 ± 4.9 years. 52.3% (n = 55) had a period of histologic disease control defined as ≥2 consecutive endoscopies with histologic remission. These patients were less likely to develop strictures compared with patients who did not have a period of histologic control (HR 0.232; 95% CI 0.084–0.64, P = 0.005). Patients who were diagnosed at younger ages were less likely to develop strictures. Presentation with dysphagia or impaction was associated with higher rate of stricture development.

DISCUSSION:

In this cohort study with > 10 years of follow-up, children with EoE with a period of histologic disease control and diagnosed at younger ages were less likely to develop esophageal strictures. While this suggests histologic remission is associated with reduction of remodeling complications, additional prospective data with long-term follow-up are needed.
Investigating Syntactic Transfer from English to Korean in Neural L2 Language Models
Authors:   The Society Of Modern Grammar, Park Myung-Kwan , Koo Keonwoo , Lee Jaemin , Chung Wonil
Published: April 2024

This paper investigates how the grammatical knowledge obtained in the initial language (English) of neural language models (LMs) influences the learning of grammatical structures in their second language (Korean). To achieve this objective, we conduct the now well- established experimental procedure, including (i) pre-training transformer-based GPT-2 LMs with Korean and English datasets, (ii) further fine-tuning them with a specific set of Korean data as L1 or L2, and (iii) evaluating them with the test data of KBLiMP while analyzing their linguistic generalization in L1 or L2. We have found negative transfer effects in the comparison between English as L1 and Korean as L2. Furthermore, in the trajectory analysis, the second language-learning LM has captured linguistic features of Korean including syntax, syntax-semantics interface, and morphology during the progressive training step. Our study of second language learning in LMs contributes to predicting potential syntactic challenges arising from the interference by the L1 language during the learning of Korean as a foreign language.
The Interaction of Prosodic and Syntactic Structures in Causative and Passive Constructions II
Authors:   The Society Of Modern Grammar, Um Hong-Joon
Published: April 2024

The purpose of the paper is to conduct production and perception tests on the homomorphic causative/passive verb constructions in the dialect of the northern Gyeongsang province, to identify the productional and perceptual cues that speakers of the dialect differentiate the two constructions and to reveal the relationship between syntax and phonology (prosody). As a result, through production test, we confirm that speakers of the dialect of the northern Gyeong- sang province use the prosodic information to distinguish between causative and passive constructions that are indistinguishable syntactically. This could be identified by the phenomenon that the frequency value of the ‘root’ of a causative verb is produced higher than that of a passive verb, and that the maximum frequency value of the ‘affix’ of a passive verb is observed higher than that of a causative verb. This means that speakers of the dialect of the northern Gyeong- sang province ultimately rely on the prosody when they distinguish the difference between two syntactically indistinguishable constructions. In the meantime perception test produces slightly different results unlike our expectation in the a few causative verbs, but it generally shows the same results as our anticipation.
CONSTRUCTIVE VS DESTRUCTIVE METATEXT IN WORKS OF MODERN RUSSIAN PROSE
Authors:   Rostov State Transport University, Kravchenko Mikhail A.
Published: April 2024

The article explores the structure, semantics, and functions of metatext within literary texts. It delineates the scope and content of the metatext concept through comparison with terms such as reflexive and regulative. The author advances an original understanding of metatext, asserting that metatext and reflexive denote distinct semantic levels within a text, with reflexives establishing the metatextual framework. Metatext serves as a semantic platform facilitating the translation of the text's artistic intent. The paper presents a typological analysis of metatext structures in contemporary Russian fiction, identifying two primary functional and stylistic categories: constructive and destructive metatext. Constructive metatext emerges from the author's application of a creative model grounded in the semantic potential of signs, while destructive metatext operates through the deconstruction of semantic norms, thereby engendering alternative artistic reality.
Experimental Investigation of Oxy-Hydrogen Injection in Natural Gas/Diesel Dual-Fuel Engine: Performance and Emission Analysis under Low Load Operation
Authors: Ariani Betty , Felayati Frengki Mohamad , Batutah Mohammad Arif
Published: April 2024

The pursuit of achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050 has led to the implementation of green technologies in the maritime industry. One crucial aspect is the adoption of alternative fuels, with a focus on non-fossil fuels to enhance energy efficiency and minimize emissions during ship operations. This study explores the innovative dual fuel diesel – Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) technology, which offers relatively low emissions with uncomplicated modifications to the diesel engine. CNG is injected into the intake manifold, addressing the need for cleaner fuel options. However, the evolution of this technology has encountered challenges such as methane slip resulting from incomplete combustion. This research proposes an intervention using hydrogen within the combustion chamber to improve combustion quality. Oxy-hydrogen gas (HHO), a carbon-free fuel derived from water through electrolysis, is considered as a potential solution. The utilization of HHO serves as a substitute for pure H2 due to its more feasible production and application, considering the global limitations in hydrogen storage and usage in transportation. The study aims to investigate the impact of HHO on the performance and emissions of dual fuel engines. Experimental tests are conducted under low loads to simulate critical operational points of the engine. Results indicate that the dual fuel system exhibits significant fuel savings, particularly with increasing injection duration. However, the need for additional oxygen to enhance combustion perfection must be balanced. HHO injection demonstrates the potential to improve engine performance, leveraging the oxygen content in HHO and the positive characteristics of hydrogen with its high Lower Heating Value (LHV). Furthermore, the research suggests that HHO injection can mitigate methane slip issues associated with dual fuel engine operations, offering a promising avenue for emission reduction
Classification of Fall Out Boy Eras
Authors: Issacs Shifra , Yudelson Joseph , Boros Endre
Published: April 2024

This paper explored the use of machine learning techniques to differentiate between two different musical eras of the same rock band, including the technique of Logistic Regression.
Logistic regression (LR) is a widely used statistical modeling method for binary classification in supervised machine learning. It is often used to predict whether a given event belongs to one of two categories. The process helps data scientists understand which variables are good predictors of class membership. Applications of logistic regression include loan classification in the financial industry and predicting susceptibility to disease in the medical field.
In this particular project, a dataset was constructed using data from Spotify and Genius consisting of songs and lyrics written by the band Fall Out Boy. A logistic regression model was developed from scratch to classify the songs and lyrics into one of two eras of the band: before their 2009 hiatus and afterward. The study aimed to determine if a computer could differentiate between the two eras. The model was also tested against other binary classification algorithms, including Random Forest and Support Vector Machines.
Ecological factors and morphological traits of Coffea Liberia Hiern in Kalipuro District, Banyuwangi Regency
Authors: Mukhoyyaroh Naila Izzatul , Azrianingsih Rodiyati , Hakim Luchman
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to analyze the ecological factors and morphological traits of Liberica coffee in Kalipuro District, Banyuwangi Regency. Ecological and morphological factors were measured, and observations were recorded accordingly. The observation of significant morphological characters has been thoroughly conducted The observed ecological factors were microclimate factors, including altitude, air temperature, humidity, light intensity, rainfall rate, soil pH, soil temperature, and soil moisture. The Paleontological Statistics (PAST) program was used to perform multivariate analysis to group liberica coffee variants based on morphological traits and physical factors of the plantation. The study found that physical environmental factors had a relatively significant influence on morphological variation in each population. The light intensity and relative humidity were the physical environmental factors related to morphological traits, such as leaf shape index, number of flowers per inflorescence, and leaf surface index based on principal component analysis (PCA). Unstable weather conditions can influence environmental factors, which, in turn, can profoundly impact morphological characteristics, specifically the flowering season. The study revealed a statistically significant correlation between light intensity and the number of flowers per inflorescence.
Florence Marryat’s Sensational Ecologies of Empire, 1865–1897: Imaginary Tropics, White Proto-Feminism, and a Comforting Plantationocene
Authors: Espinoza Garrido Felipe
Published: April 2024

Among Florence Marryat’s vast canon of work, scholars have mostly focused on her spiritualism, her alleged proto-feminism, and, not least, the racial politics of her most famous novel, The Blood of the Vampire (1897). Little attention, however, has been paid to the role of her abundant nature imaginations that infuse most of her colonial fictions. Among these, Marryat’s decades-spanning engagement with ‘the tropics’ stands out, ranging from the miasmic and deceitful Caribbean in Too Good for Him (1865), the lush Brazilian jungles of Her Father’s Name (1876), the glimpses of post-revolutionary Haitian Voodoo in A Daughter of the Tropics (1887) to the plantation settings of A Crown of Shame (1888) and The Blood of the Vampire. With attention to Marryat’s ecological fictions, I argue that these novels’ allegedly liberatory rhetoric marks the tropics of the Caribbean and the Americas as a distinct epistemic problem for the imperial project, in that they confound the affective balance of white, English perception, and colonial desire. As a result, charting, understanding, and thereby re-mastering ‘nature’ are framed as foundational processes for white – often specifically female – self-awareness. Written in the wake of the brutally curbed 1865 Jamaican Morant Bay Rebellion, Marryat’s tropics thus lament not women’s social exclusion per se but specifically white women’s exclusion from the imperial project. Ultimately, the nature encounter in Marryat’s tropics offers proto-feminist empire fictions as a remedy for the perceived erosion of the late nineteenth-century plantation ecologies.
“She is the Great Outside”: Ecofeminist Potentiality in H. G. Wells’s The Sea Lady
Authors: Kalthoff Katharina Andrea
Published: April 2024

H. G. Wells’s serial fable The Sea Lady (1902) offers a satirical commentary on the Victorian Age: It draws a societal allegory that criticises both a cohesive conception of the natural world, and Victorian notions of the domestic realm – in the private and national sense of the term. Yet the story has long been regarded as an oddity in the author’s oeuvre. Wells’s Victorian contemporaries criticised its lack of scientific detail so characteristic of his more successful scientific romances. The reason for this appears to be the story’s eponymous central figure – a mermaid, supposedly rather the stuff of legend, folklore and fairy tales. However, by opening up a utopian realm in which ‘better dreams’ await, the figure of the sea lady destabilises Victorian moral orders as a potential discovery of the future lingers on the horizon of the century’s turn. In this article, I foreground the story’s ecofeminist potential by analysing the intersections between its unconventional form, the ‘untameable female’ protagonist at its centre, and the specific oceanic and littoral environments it presents.
Quality control in the Netherlands; todays practices and starting points for guidance and future research
Authors: van Rossum Huub H. , van Schrojenstein Lantman Marith , Severens Michel , Vermeer Henricus J. , Verboeket-van de Venne Wilhelmine P.H.G. , Oosterhuis Wytze , de Jonge Niels
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Adequate analytical quality of reported results is primarily ensured by performing internal quality control (iQC). Currently, several different iQC practices are in use. As a prelude to the revision of a Dutch guidance document on analytical QC, a questionnaire was sent out to gain insights in the applied practices and the need for guidance.

Methods

A questionnaire, containing 20 multiple-choice questions with possibilities for explanation and comment on iQC practices and aspects was distributed to all clinical chemistry laboratories within the Netherlands. Results were reported descriptively.

Results

Responses were received from 27 clinical laboratories (response 43 %). In 30 % the iQC was based on the analytical characteristics only, while 30 % used a 6-Sigma method, 19 % risk-based beyond 6-Sigma and 22 % used an alternative approach. 89 % of laboratories used a virtual analyzer model for iQC setup within one or more laboratory sites. Practices for determining standard deviation (SD) values included determining SD for each new iQC material (35 %), using historical SD values for new materials (35 %), and incorporating clinical tolerances into the SD value (31 %). Furthermore, 44 % of laboratories used patient moving averages for one or more tests. Daily iQC management was based on either “traffic lights” indicating in or out of control status, and review of all QC charts, often using multiple software systems.

Conclusions

A large heterogeneity of iQC practices in clinical laboratories was observed in the Netherlands. Several starting points for further research and/or guidance were identified, particularly in relation to the determination of SD values, the virtual analyzer model and methods to ensure analyzer equivalence.
A miniaturized dual band pass frequency selective surface insensitive to oblique angles and polarizations of wave
Authors: Shah Gulab , Cao Qunsheng , Ahmed Afzal , Wang Bin
Published: April 2024

A Dualband Pass Frequency Selective Structure (DPSFSS) with miniaturized elements is proposed in this article. The miniaturized elements induce high inductance and capacitance values. The meandered line concept is used which extensively increases inductance of the dipole element. Very large capacitance is obtained between two meandered elements which have wide common area perpendicular to electric field for wave propagating in Z-direction. Two pass band poles and two zeros are obtained by perpendicular arrangement of meandered patterns on two sides of the substrate. Orthogonal arrangement of patterns ensure polarization symmetry (polarization insensitive) for Transverse Electric (TE) and Transverse Magnetic (TM) modes of exciting wave. Two pass band pole frequencies are positioned at 1.84 GHz and 4.53 GHz with low Insertion Losses (IL) of 0.67 dB and 1 dB, respectively. The lower and higher frequency bands have factional bandwidths of 41 % and 46 %, respectively. The transmission nulls occupy 2.8 GHz and 6.58 GHz frequencies. The structure is miniaturized to 0.032λ
0 × 0.032λ
0 dimensions with respect to lowest resonance residing at 1.83 GHz. The low IL at both pass bands is realized despite of using a lossy FR-4 material that can be improved to less than 0.5 dB at both the bands using less lossy materials such as F4BME or RO4003C. The proposed DPSFSS design is elaborated using Equivalent Circuit Model (ECM) and Surface Current Distribution (SCD). Measurements are performed on fabricated DPSFSS prototype and it is observed that the measured results coincide well with the simulated response. Angle stability of the DPSFSS is excellent and no unwanted resonances are observed at oblique angles upto 80° for dual polarizations of wave.
Optimization of the temperature profile of cake batter in an ohmic heating – assisted printing nozzle for 3D food printing applications
Authors: Niane Mamadou L. , Rouaud Olivier , Ogé Anthony , Quéveau Delphine , Le-Bail Alain , Le-Bail Patricia
Published: April 2024

3D printing of food has great potential for applications such as the design of customised food or the creation of innovative textures. However, printed products often do not retain their structure due to the composition of the material, especially in the case of cereal products. Cooking such products with a nozzle could be an alternative to meet this challenge. The objective of this work was to develop, with the help of a numerical model, a 3D cake batter printing nozzle in which ohmic heating is used for baking. The use of a temperature and shear rate dependent viscosity allowed the solidification of the batter during baking due to starch gelatinization. The numerical model made it possible to predict heterogeneity in temperature distribution. Optimization procedures were used to reach desired temperature profiles at the outlet of the nozzle, reducing by 17 % the electrical power used for heating and by 78 % the energy evacuated during cooling.
Analgesia nociception index is an indicator of laparoscopic trocar insertion-induced transient nociceptive stimuli
Authors: Liu Jun , Wang Zhuodan , Huang Wan , Cheng Nan , Chen Weiqiang , Wu Weijun , Li Shangrong
Published: April 2024

Objective

This study aimed to investigate whether analgesia nociception index (ANI) could be an indicator of perioperative pain during laparoscopic trocar insertion.

Methods

A total of 280 participants of anesthesia receiving laparoscopic surgery were enrolled. Anesthesia induction and maintenance were performed using the Marsh model for target propofol and the Minto model for remifentanil. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), and ANI were recorded at skin incision, the first-, second, the last-trocar insertion, and 5 min after the last trocar insertion.

Results

ANI was significantly different among the five groups in the last four time points (all P < 0.05). Pearson’s correlation showed that ANI was negatively correlated with SBP (r = −0.114, P = 0.077) and HR (r = −0.247, P < 0.001). The area under the curve of ANI was positively correlated with those of SBP (r = 0.493, P < 0.001) and HR (r = −0.420, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that the ANI was an independent factor associated with intraoperative hemodynamic adverse events only at 5 min after the last trocar insertion.

Conclusions

Under general anesthesia, the change in ANI was consistent with changes in the balance between analgesia and nociceptive stimuli. The ANI can reflect the extent of transient pain but had a poor predictive performance for hemodynamic adverse events.
Metatronics-inspired high-selectivity metasurface filter
Authors: Lv Qihao , Qin Xu , Hu Mingzhe , Li Peihang , Zhang Yongjian , Li Yue
Published: April 2024

Metatronic circuits extend the concept of subwavelength-scaled lumped circuitry from electronics to optics and photonics, providing a distinctive design paradigm for versatile optical nanocircuits. Here, based on the design of optical nanocircuits using metatronics concept, we introduce a general approach for dispersion synthesis with metasurface to achieve high-selectivity filtering response. We theoretically and numerically demonstrate how to achieve basic circuit lumped elements in metatronics by tailoring the dispersion of metasurface at the frequency of interest. Then, following the Butterworth filter design method, the meticulously designed metasurface, acting as lumped elements, are properly stacked to achieve a near-rectangular filtering response. Compared to the conventional designs, the proposed approach can simultaneously combine high selectivity with the theoretically widest out-of-band rejection in a considerably simple and time-efficient manner of circuit assembly, similar to electronic circuits, without extensive numerical simulations and complex structures. This dispersion synthesis approach provides exciting possibilities for high-performance metasurface design and future integrated circuits and chips.
Gruson’s Fahrpanzer – Historical insights thanks to non-destructive materials science
Authors: Dieck S. , Wilke M. , Halle T. , Strobach L.
Published: April 2024

Gruson’s Fahrpanzer is a remarkable example of the military-technological changes occurring in the 19th century. It is a small and movable armour carriage for guns, i. e., an artillery piece shielded by armor. It was invented by Hermann Gruson and Maximilian Schumann and exported around the world. Even though the technical data had been documented extensively at the time, knowledge about the materials used and their mechanical properties have not survived. For this paper, one of Gruson’s Fahrpanzers was analyzed for the first time through materials science. The hypothesis that Gruson used his famous chilled cast iron for the Fahrpanzer could thus be refuted.
Enhanced interlaminar structure and dynamic mechanical properties of Tectona grandis fiber (TGF)/polypropylene fiber (PPF)/carbon nanotube (CNT) nano composite prepared solid dipping coating process
Authors: Karthikeyan Alagappan , Sekar Mohan , Selvabharathi Rajendran
Published: April 2024

The interlaminar structure and dynamic mechanical properties of Tectona grandis fiber (TGF), polypropylene fiber (PPF), and carbon nanotube (CNT) nano composite were investigated in the current study. In order to improve the mechanical characteristics and microstructure, the present investigations used T. grandis fiber and polypropylene fiber (inorganic–organic) materials mixed with nano composite and epoxy resin. Strong bonding strength and high wear resistance were created by the silane characteristics during the coating process for the outer surface layers. Since CNT nanomaterials were directly reflected onto the outer surface, the microstructure analyses amply demonstrated that hexagonal lattice structure and crystallisation development were detected in the inner surface layer. In order to increase high stiffness and bonding strength, storage modulus and loss modulus values were applied to all composite materials, and the TGF/PPF/CNT composite materials’ hardness value was developed at 112 HV. The tensile strength of TG/PP composite was 46.7 MPa, while that of TGF/PPF/CNT composite was 57.4 MPa. Studies on wear resistance showed unequivocally that the TGF/PPF/CNT composite reduced wear and friction.
Historisches Erbe regionaler Innovationstätigkeit – der Fall Ost- und Westdeutschland
Authors: Fritsch Michael , Greve Maria , Wyrwich Michael
Published: April 2024

In diesem Beitrag untersuchen Michael Fritsch, Maria Greve und Michael Wyrwich die Auswirkungen der deutschen Teilung und Wiedervereinigung auf die Innovationsaktivitäten in Ostdeutschland. Die empirischen Analysen deuten darauf hin, dass die Vorteile der Integration der beiden Innovationssysteme zu einem großen Teil in Westdeutschland anfielen, trotz der Zunahme an Innovationsaktivitäten im Osten. Offenbar beruht dieses zunehmende Ost-West-Gefälle nicht allein auf der Ineffizienz ostdeutscher Innovationsaktivitäten während der sozialistischen Periode, sondern auch auf der im Rahmen der schnellen Wiedervereinigung erfolgten Schock-Transformation.
Comparative analysis among the degradation potential of enzymes obtained from Escherichia coli against the toxicity of sulfur dyes through molecular docking
Authors: Naveed Muhammad , Salah Ud Din Maida , Aziz Tariq , Javed Tayyab , Miraj Khan Sana , Naveed Rida , Ali Khan Ayaz , Alharbi Metab
Published: April 2024

The common bacterium Escherichia coli has demonstrated potential in the field of biodegradation. E. coli is naturally capable of biodegradation because it carries a variety of enzymes that are essential for the breakdown of different substances. The degradation process is effectively catalyzed by these enzymes. The collaborative effects of E. coli’s aryl sulfotransferase, alkanesulfonate moonoxygenase, and azoreductase enzymes on the breakdown of sulfur dyes from industrial effluents are investigated in this work. ExPASY ProtParam was used to confirm the stability of the enzyme, showing an instability index less than 40. We determined the maximum binding affinities of these enzymes with sulfur dye pollutants – 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, sulfogene, sulfur green 3, sulfur red 6, sulfur red 1, sulfur yellow 2, thianthrene, thiazone, and thional – using comparative molecular docking. Significantly, the highest binding affinity was shown by monooxygenase (−12.1), whereas aryl sulfotransferase and azoreductase demonstrated significant energies of −11.8 and −11.4, respectively. The interactions between proteins and ligands in the docked complexes were examined. To evaluate their combined effects, co-expression analysis of genes and enzyme bioengineering were carried out. Using aryl sulfotransferase, alkanesulfonate monooxygenase, and azoreductase, this study investigates the enzymatic degradation of sulfur dye pollutants, thereby promoting environmentally friendly and effective sulfur dye pollutant management.
Height Restrictions for Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry: What Are Our Options for Body Composition and Bone Health Precision?
Authors: Redinger Allen L. , Russell Jennifer L. , Allen Shawn M.F. , Baker Breanne S.
Published: April 2024

Redinger, AL, Russell, JL, Allen, SMF, and Baker, BS. Height restrictions for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry: what are our options for body composition and bone health precision?J Strength Cond ResXX(X): 000–000, 2024—Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is commonly used for testing athlete's body composition, but many athletes are too tall. The first aim was to assess the viability of combining upper- and lower-body regions of interest (ROI), creating a combined scan for tall athletes who do not fit on the table and second, to provide practical solutions to DXA users who routinely scan tall athletes. Sixty subjects (34.8 ± 11.9 years; 171 ± 9 cm) completed 2 total-body DXA scans for baseline precision testing, using GE Lunar Prodigy (LP) or Hologic Horizon A (HA) models. Next, an upper body ROI from the skull to the distal femoral condyles was combined with a flipped scan (feet-to-head) ROI encompassing the proximal tibial plateau to the distal foot. Soft and bone tissue coefficient of variance (CV%) were calculated between the baseline scans and for the newly combined ROI scan. The combined ROI scan added 0.25–0.63% and 0.01–4.35% error rates for the LP and HA, respectively. An exploratory assessment of a GE Lunar iDXA demonstrated results similar to the HA with 4%+ error. The combined ROI scan is a user-friendly and precise method for older LP systems adding less than 1% error; however, newer DXA systems cannot use the stitched scan technique. Coaches and practitioners who use newer DXAs must prioritize consistently using the same boney landmarks (head, jaw, or feet) and ROI heights to provide precise longitudinal assessments of tall athletes' bone and body composition, until larger DXA tables become available.
Inter-Repetition Rest Impact on the Estimated Repetitions in Reserve at Various Loads and Proximities to Neuromuscular Failure
Authors: Ruiz-Alias Santiago A. , Ramirez-Campillo Rodrigo , Leando Quidel-Catrilelbún Maurio Elías , García-Pinillos Felipe , Pérez-Castilla Alejandro
Published: April 2024

Ruiz-Alias, SA, Ramirez-Campillo, R, Leando Quidel-Catrilelbún, ME, García-Pinillos, F, and Pérez-Castilla, A. Inter-repetition rest impact on the estimated repetitions in reserve at various loads and proximities to neuromuscular failure . J Strength Cond Res 38(8): 1379–1385, 2024—The repetitions in reserve (RIR) estimation method allows for monitoring resistance training set volume. However, a significant bias is commonly observed when ending the set further from neuromuscular failure and using lower relative loads. Is unclear if implementing an IRR could improve its estimation validity. This study aimed to determine if the RIR estimation is influenced by the IRR at different relative loads and proximities to neuromuscular failure during the back squat (BQ) and bench press (BP) exercises. After a familiarization session, 19 male subjects (age, 21–26 years) completed an experimental session for each IRR configuration: IRR0 (without rest), IRR3 (3 seconds of rest), and SSIRR (self-selected rest [up to 5 seconds]). In each session, single sets to neuromuscular failure were performed at 3 relative loads (65% 1 repetition maximum [1RM], 75% 1RM, 85% 1RM) for BQ and BP exercises. Using the Estimated Repetitions to Failure scale, subjects estimated the RIR associated with a score of “5” and “2” (i.e., RIR-5 and RIR-2). The results revealed no interactions between the RIR estimation and IRR for BQ (RIR-5: p = 0.812; RIR-2: p = 0.084) or BP (RIR-5: p = 0.884; RIR-2: p = 0.944). Subjects provided valid estimations, with overestimation (BQ RIR-5: 0%; BQ RIR-2: 2.9%; BP RIR-5: 1.1%; BP RIR-2: 2.3%) or underestimation (BQ RIR-5: 14.9%; BQ RIR-2: 4%; BP RIR-5: 15.2% BP RIR-2: 8.2%) in few sets. In conclusion, the RIR estimation method seems valid, and the IRR (0–5 seconds) does not influence its validity at 65–85% 1RM loads nor proximities to neuromuscular failure (RIR-2, RIR-5).
Developing Undergraduate Business Students’ Emotional Intelligence in a Block Class
Authors: Huber Debbie
Published: April 2024

Research suggests that developing undergraduates’ emotional intelligence (EI) may improve current academic and future work performance, as well as health and well-being. Curriculum to help undergraduate business management students improve their EI competencies was designed and implemented in a 4-credit course taught over 18 days. During 3-hour class periods, students participated in activities such as mindful walks, journaling, and guided meditations designed to improve self-awareness and self-management competencies. The steps in the Multiple Approaches to Understanding instructional design model are explained and illustrated with the entry points, analogies, and activities of the EI curriculum.
Seven Tesla Evidence for Columnar and Rostral–Caudal Organization of the Human Periaqueductal Gray Response in the Absence of Threat: A Working Memory Study
Authors: Fischbach Alexandra K. , Satpute Ajay B. , Quigley Karen , Kragel Philip A. , Chen Danlei , Bianciardi Marta , Wald Larry , Wager Tor D. , Choi Ji-Kyung , Zhang Jiahe , Barrett Lisa Feldman , Theriault Jordan E.
Published: April 2024

The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a small midbrain structure that surrounds the cerebral aqueduct, regulates brain–body communication, and is often studied for its role in “fight-or-flight” and “freezing” responses to threat. We used ultra-high-field 7 T fMRI to resolve the PAG in humans and distinguish it from the cerebral aqueduct, examining its in vivo function during a working memory task (N = 87). Both mild and moderate cognitive demands elicited spatially similar patterns of whole-brain blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response, and moderate cognitive demand elicited widespread BOLD increases above baseline in the brainstem. Notably, these brainstem increases were not significantly greater than those in the mild demand condition, suggesting that a subthreshold brainstem BOLD increase occurred for mild cognitive demand as well. Subject-specific masks were group aligned to examine PAG response. In PAG, both mild and moderate demands elicited a well-defined response in ventrolateral PAG, a region thought to be functionally related to anticipated painful threat in humans and nonhuman animals—yet, the present task posed only the most minimal (if any) “threat,” with the cognitive tasks used being approximately as challenging as remembering a phone number. These findings suggest that the PAG may play a more general role in visceromotor regulation, even in the absence of threat.
Oxytocin and women’s health in midlife
Authors: Dunietz Galit Levi , Tittle Lucas J , Mumford Sunni L , O’Brien Louise M , Baylin Ana , Schisterman Enrique F , Chervin Ronald D , Young Larry J
Published: April 2024

Menopause marks the cessation of fertility and the transition to post-reproductive years. Nearly 1 million US women experience menopause annually, but despite the significant impact it has on their physical and mental health, menopause has been insufficiently studied. Oxytocin is a neurohormone that regulates emotionality, social behaviors, and fundamental physiological systems. Localization of oxytocin receptors in the brain, reproductive tissues, bone, and heart support their role in mental health and potentially sleep, along with reproductive and cardiovascular functions. While experimental data linking oxytocin to behavior and physiology in animals are largely consistent, human data are correlative and inconclusive. As women transition into menopause, oxytocin levels decrease while their susceptibility to mood disorders, poor sleep, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases increases. These concurrent changes highlight oxytocin as a potential influence on the health and mood of women along their reproductive life span. Here, we summarize experimental rodent and non-human primate studies that link oxytocin to reproductive aging and metabolic health and highlight the inconclusive findings in studies of women. Most human studies relied on a single oxytocin assessment in plasma or on intranasal oxytocin administration. The pulsatile release and short half-life of plasma oxytocin limit the validity of these methods. We discuss the need for oxytocin assessments in stable bio-samples, such as urine, and to use valid assays for assessment of associations between changing oxytocin levels and well-being across the reproductive life span. This work has the potential to guide therapeutic strategies that will one day alleviate adverse health outcomes for many women.
Review of the Mathematical Model, Properties, Classes and other Features of Software Agent Development
Authors:   Cherkasy State Technological University, Zelenko E.V.
Published: April 2024

Reviewed: features of the definition of an agent and a software agent, its dimensions and other components; models of software agents and its properties; classification of software agents by architecture, communication principles and agent communication languages (ACL), as well as existing platforms for their development (e.g., JADE, SPADE); multi-agent system (MAS); behavior types of SPADE software agent based on the example of one of the platforms (including for subsequent experiments to compare behaviors in terms of hardware resources usage). Minor adjustments have been made to the syntax of mathematical expressions describing the agent model, and a revision of the formalized definitions of agent property set has been proposed; a formalized description of the model of studied agent type is determined.
Resilience in Focus: Rethinking the Risk Matrix
Authors:   G.E. Pukhov Institute for Modelling in Energy Engineering National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Korobeynikov F.O.
Published: April 2024

This research presents a three-dimensional risk matrix model designed for the analysis and prioritisation of critical risks in the context of resilience. Traditional risk assessment methods prevalent in information security, which typically juxtapose the likelihood and consequences of risks, are inadequate for fully capturing the intricacies of critical risks. The proposed three-dimensional model addresses these shortcomings by cohesively integrating the dimensions of likelihood, impact and cost of risk management. This integration provides a holistic tool for resilient risk analysis that goes beyond the capabilities of traditional models. A key feature of this model is its ability to address the complexities associated with critical risks, which are often not adequately addressed by traditional risk matrices due to their stochastic nature and significant potential impact on organisational resilience. By incorporating budgetary constraints into the risk assessment process, the model enables a more objective and quantifiable approach to managing critical risks. It shifts the evaluative focus from a purely probabilistic perspective to a cost-value based assessment, emphasising the balance between potential benefits and mitigation expenditure. This approach not only refines the accuracy of critical risk assessment, but also enhances existing risk management practices, providing a more robust and strategic tool for managing organisational risk.
Research capacity building, networks, define research strategy, and funding opportunities in RECOOP HST Association
Authors:   Director, International Research, and Innovation in Medicine Program Cedars – Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Vari Sandor G.
Published: April 2024

I built research capacity and networks for the first ten years in the RECOOP Research Consortium from 2002 to 2012. The RECOOP HST Consortium, with the financial support of Cedars–Sinai Medical Center­ (CSMC), applied for the International Visegrad Fund (IVF) grants. We applied for 20 Standard Grants and won 14 Standard Grants to support forming and managing research networks and multinational–multidisciplinary research projects. The IVF grants won by CSMC – RECOOP helped move toward the 21st Century and broaden the scope of activities in RECOOP. Also, the IVF grants helped to build support networks for biosafety and biosecurity, animal use in research, clinical research management, and research and Innovation management training. RECOOP HST Association implemented the Common Mechanism of Diseases (CMD) research program for innovative life science research in member countries. The objectives were to increase the number of young scientists participating in creative research. Knowledge sharing is the most essential element of collaborative research. Within the context of RECOOP, my final endeavor will focus on investigating the diagnosis and management of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Ukraine. As of January 2024, an estimated 6.3 million people have been forced to flee Ukraine, with 94 percent of them hosted in European countries, representing 5.9 million refugees. In Ukraine, an estimated 7.8 million people need health assistance, and 11.5 million need protection assistance and services. Studies of PTSD report volume abnormalities in multiple regions of the cerebral cortex. However, findings for many regions, particularly regions outside commonly studied emotion-related prefrontal, insular, and limbic regions, are inconsistent and tentative. We, as researchers, must continually share our research findings and diligently replicate established methods and protocols. These tasks can often feel akin to the labor of Sisyphus. Moreover, within the scientific community, integrity is paramount; dishonesty is swiftly met with consequences akin to the justice administered by Zeus. Therefore, we researchers must roll a boulder up a hill again and again, and after we have proved that the published scientific work is sound, the “boulder” and the scientist will stay on top of the hill. Keywords: burden of Sisyphus, define research stra­tegy, funding opportunities, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Ukraine, RECOOP HST Association, research capacity building and networks, sciences and arts
ECG patterns in post-COVID-19 patients
Authors:   van Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Ternopil, Ukraine, Hrebenyk M. V. , Maslii S. M. ,   van Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Ternopil, Ukraine;, Shevchuk O. O. ,   van Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Ternopil, Ukraine;, Korda M. M. ,   van Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Ternopil, Ukraine;, Vari S. G. ,   International Research and Innovation in Medicine Program, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA;
Published: April 2024

COVID-19 has been associated with a wide range of cardiac sequelae after the acute phase. The goal of the study is to evaluate the spectrum of arrhythmias in the aspects of age, comorbidity and survival rate using ECG patterns in patients after COVID-19 during 2 months of recovery. ECG data of 758 patients were examined and analyzed, including 256 (33.6%) males and 503 (66.4%) females aged 15 to 90 (52.99 ± 11.68) years. A total of 848 ECGs were performed in acute period and recovery. ECG changes were classified according to the Minnesota code (MC) classes. It was found that age, sex, severity of COVID-19, presence of concomitant hypertension and diabetes mellitus have a significant impact on ECG changes. Age correlated with the severity of COVID-19 (r = 0.485, P < 0.001), concomitant hypertension (r = 0.471, P < 0.001), diabetes (r = 0.346, P < 0.001) and obesity (r = 0.179, P < 0.001). Correlations were established between age and the presence of baseline previous pathological ECGs (r = 0.290, P < 0.0001). We established that heart rhythm disorders related to the severity of the COVID course are significantly influenced by oxygen saturation (r = -0.211, P < 0.001) and, to a lesser extent, the percentage of lung damage according to CT data (r = 0.127, P = 0.060). The results of the arrhythmias screening in patients with COVID-19 demonstrate the association mainly with the severity of the disease, and comorbidity, especially diabetes mellitus. So, we may consider arrhythmogenesis in COVID-19 through the prism of inflammation, intoxication, hypoxia, metabolic disorders, and drug effects. Keywords: arrhythmias, electrocardiography, Minnesota code (MC) classes, post-COVID-19