bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MYPT1-PP1β phosphatase negatively regulates both chromatin landscape and
co-activator recruitment to influence gene expression during beige adipogenesis
Authors: Takahashi Hiroki , Yang Ge , Yoneshiro Takeshi , Abe Yohei , Ito Ryo , Yang Chaoran , Nakazono Junna , Uchida Aoi , Arai Makoto , Jin Hitomi , Yamaguchi Rei , Nomura Yu , Yamada Kaito , Yasuda Satoshi , Kimura Hiroshi , Tanaka Toshiya , Wada Youichiro , Kodama Tatsuhiko , Aburatani Hiroyuki , Zhu Min-Sheng , Inagaki Takeshi , Osborne Timothy , Kawamura Takeshi , Ishihama Yasushi , Matsumura Yoshihiro , Sakai Juro
Published: March 2022

Protein kinase A promotes beige adipogenesis downstream from β-adrenergic receptor signaling by phosphorylating proteins, including histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) demethylase JMJD1A. To ensure homeostasis, this process needs to be reversible however, this step is not well understood. We show that myosin phosphatase target subunit 1- protein phosphatase 1β (MYPT1-PP1β) phosphatase activity is inhibited via PKA-dependent phosphorylation, which increases phosphorylated JMJD1A and beige adipogenesis. Mechanistically, MYPT1-PP1β depletion resulted in JMJD1A-mediated H3K9 demethylation and activation of the Ucp1 enhancer/promoter regions. Interestingly, MYPT1-PP1β also dephosphorylates myosin light chain which regulates actomyosin tension-mediated activation of YAP/TAZ which directly stimulates Ucp1 gene expression. Preadipocyte specific Mypt1 deficiency increases cold tolerance with higher Ucp1 levels in subcutaneous white adipose tissues compared to control mice, confirming this regulatory mechanism in vivo. Thus, we have uncovered new regulatory cross-talk involved in beige adipogenesis that coordinates epigenetic regulation with direct activation of the mechano-sensitive YAP/TAZ transcriptional co-activators.
Comparison of clinical outcomes of single-incision versus multi-port laparoscopic surgery for rectosigmoid or upper rectal cancer
Authors: Tei Mitsuyoshi , Suzuki Yozo , Ohtsuka Masahisa , Iwamoto Kazuya , Naito Atsushi , Imasato Mitsunobu , Mizushima Tsunekazu , Akamatsu Hiroki
Published: March 2022

Background: The clinical impact of single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for rectal cancer is unclear. However, SILS is a technically challenging procedure for novice surgeons. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of SILS for rectal cancer compared with multi-port laparoscopic surgery (MPLS).Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 357 consecutive patients with stage I–III rectal cancer located in the rectosigmoid or upper rectum who underwent SILS or MPLS between January 2012 and December 2016, using propensity score-matched analysis.Results: After propensity score-matching, we enrolled 204 patients (n=102 per group). Before matching, significant group-dependent differences were observed in tumor location (p < 0.001). After matching, preoperative clinical factors were similar between groups. SILS was successful in 73.5% of cases, an additional port was required in 23.5% and 2.9% were converted to open surgery. Compared to the MPLS group, the SILS group showed shorter operative time (192 vs. 211 min, p=0.015) and shorter postoperative hospital stay (9 vs. 11 days, p=0.038). Other operative factors and morbidity rates did not differ significantly between groups. The number of harvested lymph nodes was smaller in the SILS group (24) than in the MPLS group (27, p=0.008). Postoperative recurrence did not differ between groups before or after matching. No significant differences in 3-year disease-free, 3-year local recurrence-free or 5-year overall survival were found between groups.Conclusions: SILS is safe, feasible and offers satisfactory oncological outcomes in selected patients with rectosigmoid or upper rectal cancer.
Bullet Screen in Pre-clinical Undergraduate Pharmacology Education: A Survey Study
Authors: Chen Yaoxing , Qi Hong , Qiu Yu , Li Juan , Zhu Liang , Wang Hao , Gao Xiaoling , Jiang Gan
Published: March 2022

Background The lack of interaction in pharmacology courses, especially in terms of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has required a fast shift to remote learning at medical schools, causing students to feel anxious and isolated. As a result, new interactive teaching approaches are required to improve pharmacology learning attention and interaction in traditional classrooms or remoting education.Methods: We introduced the bullet screen into pharmacology teaching. Then, a survey was distributed to first-, second- and third-year pre-clinical undergraduate medical and nursing students at the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from November 2020 to March 2022. We evaluated the essential features, instructional effectiveness, and recreational value of bullet screens. Responses to structured and open-ended questions about strengths and weaknesses of the bullet screen and overall reflections were coded and compared between medical and nursing students.Results: For the essential features, bullet screen has a high degree of acceptability among students, and this novel instructional style conveniently increased the classroom interaction. For instructional effectiveness, bullet screen might inspire students’ in-depth thinking. Meanwhile, students tended to consider bullet-screen comments as a way to express their support rather than to make additional comments or to express their opposition. For the recreational value, the process of using bullet screen was interesting. The lack of idea might lead to the relative differences between medical and nursing students, indicating that guiding the appropriate use of bullet screen is necessary.Conclusions: The bullet screen may be popularized as an auxiliary teaching approach to promote interaction between teachers and students in the curriculum as well as remote education. It's interesting and beneficial in pharmacology courses, yet there are several aspects that might be improved for popularization.
Inherited CD19 deficiency impairs signaling in plasma cells
Authors: Walker Kieran , Mistry Anoop , Watson Christopher M , Nadat Fatima , Crinnion Laura A , Arumugakani Gururaj , Bonthron David T , Carter Clive , Doody Gina M , Savic Sinisa
Published: March 2022

Background: The human CD19 antigen is expressed throughout B cell ontogeny with the exception of neoplastic plasma cells and a subset of normal plasma cells. CD19 plays a role in propagating signals from the B cell receptor and other receptors such as CXCR4 in mature B cells. Studies of CD19-deficient patients have confirmed its function during the initial stages of B cell activation, however its role in the later stages of B cell differentiation is unclear. Objective: Using B cells from a newly identified CD19-deficient individual, we investigated the role of CD19 in the generation and function of plasma cells using an in vitro differentiation model.Methods: Flow cytometry and long-read nanopore sequencing using locus-specific long-range amplification products were used to screen a patient with suspected primary immunodeficiency. Purified B cells from the patient and healthy controls were activated with CD40L, IL-21, IL-2 and anti-Ig, then transferred to different cytokine conditions to induce plasma cell differentiation. Subsequently, the cells were stimulated with CXCL12 to induce signalling through CXCR4. Phosphorylation of key downstream proteins including ERK and AKT was assessed by Western blotting.Results: Long-read nanopore sequencing identified the homozygous pathogenic mutation c.622del (p.Ser208Profs*19) which was corroborated by the lack of CD19 cell surface staining. CD19-deficient B cells generate phenotypically normal plasma cells with normal levels of CXCR4, however they have an altered response to CXCL12 resulting in a loss of ERK signalling. Additionally, CD19 ligation on normal plasma cells results in AKT phosphorylation.Conclusion: CD19 is not required for generation of antibody secreting cells but may alter responses of these populations to CXCL12 and direct CD19 ligands, potentially affecting localisation, proliferation, or survival.
Role of Copper Slag on improvement of Strength, Quality and Durability of High strength Self Compacting Concrete- An Industrial Waste
Authors: Arunchaitanya Sambangi , E Arunakanthi
Published: March 2022

This paper aims at the experimental study of durability properties and long term mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete with fly ash as secondary cementitious material and copper slag as inert material. Cement replaced with fly ash at 20% level and fine aggregate replaced with copper slag at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%. Eleven different mixes were prepared to assess the durability properties like RCPT, Sorptivity, UPV. The microstructure of SCC was observed by using a Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM). Mechanical properties like compressive, split tensile, and flexure strength at the ages of 28, 90, 180, and 360 days was evaluated. All mechanical properties were enhanced with the use of copper slag. Copper slag improved the resistance against chloride penetration. 40% copper slag partial replacement enhanced the properties of self-compacting concrete, and up to 60% of fine aggregate can be substituted with industrial copper waste. By this investigation, copper slag can be used as a sustainable building material.
Visual Assessment Approach for the Seismic Vulnerability of a Historical Building with Unreinforced Masonry in Tangier - Morocco
Authors: Benabderrazik Mohamed
Published: March 2022

The collapse of unreinforced masonry structures, which are spread throughout the world's seismic zones, is the main cause of casualties during seismic disasters. Thousands of accidents and casualties occur every year due to lack of data in construction and maintenance of structures. Although Tangier was considered to be free from seismic threats, it's now realized that this city cannot be considered a seismic safe country because of the recent events that have taken place on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 when an earthquake of magnitude 3.5 degrees on the Richter scale was recorded in the northern region, what prompts to anticipate the risk of the old districts of the city where most of the buildings are constructed without taking into consideration the seismic regulations. Hence there is the necessity to assess the seismic resistance adequacy of those existing masonry structures. For this purpose, visual inspection, field experiments, and numerical analysis of the Perdicaris Castle in Tangier of were conducted, all with the goal to assess the state of the existing structure which represents a historical monument of this northern city.
Activation of PPARβ/δ by DHA induces VEGF-A expression to promote angiogenesis in the cerebral ischemia penumbra
Authors: Zhao# Yingzhe , Jia Shuai , Li Xuewei , Pang Meng , Lv E , Zhuang Wenxin , Zhang Xiaojun , Wang Yanqiang
Published: March 2022

The ischemia penumbra is an area of brain tissue where is damaged but not yet dead after ischemic stroke,it has the potential for functional recovery provided if local blood flow can be reestablished.Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is protective after experimental ischemic stroke.To explore DHA promote angiogenesis underlying mechanisms of angiogenesis in the cerebral ischemia penumbra, Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 2h of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) and treated with DHA (5mg/kg, IV) 1h after.Neuro-behavioral assessments and 2, 3, 5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to assess the cerebral infarction volume on hours 6, 12, 24,48 and 72, PPARβ/δ、VEGF-A、VEGFR2 and P-VEGFR2 expression were measured by Western blotting、brain tissue expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β and NF-κB were assessed using ELISA, NeuN、CD31、α-sma cells in the ischemia penumbra were analyzed using immunofluorescenceon hour 72 after onset of stroke. Post-treatment with DHA ameliorated neurological defects, diminished cerebral infarction volume, enhanced neuronal survival, downregulated inflammation、promoted the expression of angiogenesis related proteins and protected ischemic penumbra by increasing CD31、α-sma cells and vessels .On the contrary, this promote angiogenesis in the cerebral ischemia penumbraprotective effect was reversed after DHA cotreatment with GSK0660, a selective antagonist of the PPARβ/δ.Finally, our experiment clearly demonstrating DHA protect the rat cerebral ischemic injury (MCAO) model, more importantly, DHA was first demonstrated to promote ischemic penumbra angiogenesis through the PPARβ/δ pathway.
Genome-wide identification and expression analysis reveals spinach brassinosteroid-signaling kinase (BSK) gene family functions in temperature stress response
Authors: Li Yang , Zhang Heng , Zhang Yongxue , Liu Yanshuang , Li Yueyue , Tian Haodong , Guo Siyi , Sun Meihong , Qin Zhi , Dai Shaojun
Published: March 2022

Background: Brassinosteroid-signaling kinase (BSK) is a critical family of receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase for BR signal transduction, which plays important roles in the development, immunity-/ abiotic stress- response, and hormone regulation of plants. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is cold tolerant but heat sensitive green leafy vegetable. A comprehensive study on the mechanisms of BSK family members and BSK- mediated stress response in spinach have not been performed.Results: We identified and cloned seven SoBSKs in spinach. Phylogenetic and collinearity analyses suggested that SoBSKs had close relationship with dicotyledonous sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) rather than monocotyledons. The gene structure, and conserved protein domain/ motif analyses indicated that most SoBSKs were relative conserved, while SoBSK6 could be a truncated member. The predicted functional post-translation modification (PTM) sites in SoBSKs suggested their probable roles in signal transduction, redox regulation, and protein turnover of SoBSKs, and the N-terminal myristoylation site in SoBSKs was critical for their localization to cell periphery. Cis-acting elements for light, drought, temperature (heat and cold), and hormone response distributed wildly in the promoters of SoBSKs, implying the pivotal roles of SoBSKs in response to diverse abiotic stress and phytohormone stimuli. Most SoBSKs were highly expressed in leaves, except of SoBSK7 in roots. Many SoBSKs were differentially regulated by heat stress, cold stress, as well exogenous BL and ABA treatments. The bsk134678 mutant seedlings exhibited more heat tolerance than wild-type and SoBSK1-overexpressed seedlings.Conclusions: A comprehensive genome- wide analysis of SoBSK in spinach presented a global identification and functional prediction of SoBSKs. Seven SoBSKs had relative conserved gene structure and protein function domains. Except for SoBSK6, all the other SoBSKs had the similar motifs and conserved modification sites. Most SoBSKs participated in the temperature and hormone (BR and ABA) responses. These findings paved the way for further functional analyses on BSK- mediated mechanism in spinach development and stress responses.
A food supplement having Adiponectin Agonist properties
Authors: Karmalkar Abhishek , Joshi Medha , Rangnekar Sharvari , Rangnekar Hrishikesh , Mungikar Anil , Savangikar Vasant , Savangikar Chitra
Published: March 2022

Objective
Present work was planned to study the clinical effects of Adipomimetin tablets on human beings having Type-II diabetes.
Research Methods &Procedures:
Tablets were prepared with 40mg and 80mg of Adipomimetin per tablet. They were administered to diabetic patients as an ‘add-on’ to standard-of-care therapy that was stabilized for each patient enrolled; and also to a small group of patients which were diagnosed for the first time as diabetic and had not been started on any medicine.
Results
The findings on ability of Adipomimetin for normalizing blood sugar and hypertension over and above the effect of Standard-of-Care therapy were confirmed in a CTRI registered prospective clinical trial.Statistically highly significant reduction at P < 0.0001 in HbA1c, Fasting and Post Prandinal blood sugar, Systolic blood pressure, body weight, BMI, Diastolic blood pressure at P = 0.0319 and increase in Muscle % at P = 0.0318 was noted. Although overall reduction in body fat was insignificant statistically (P > 0.05), in individuals that had high body fat, reduction in the same was observed.The observations point out tohormonal action ofAdipomimetinas an agonist of Adiponectinthat substantially restores the homeostasis of metabolism to normal level so that its anti-pathogenesis action, i.e. action against genesis of disease, is anti-Metabolic-Syndrome-genesis,rather than a medicinal action that modifies body/metabolism to control the symptoms of diseases after the disease is precipitated. Adipomimetin, a nutraceutical/food supplement, has shown its capability to cover the scope of recovery that has not been covered by State-of-Artmedicinal treatment for above clinical parameters. There was no difference in efficacy between 40mg and 80mg active.
Conclusion
The “water insoluble concentrated mass substantially free from components more soluble in the plant juice” – the Adipomimetin, displays Adiponectin Agonist properties useful to overcome deficiency of Adiponectin and to augment all benefits expected from an Adiponectin Agonist at 40mg active three times a day.
Accuracy of diagnosis among clinical malaria patients: comparing microscopy, RDT, and a highly sensitive quantitative PCR and the implication of submicroscopic infections
Authors: Afriyie Stephen Opoku , Addison Thomas Kwame , Gebre Yilekal , Mutala Abdul-Hakim , Antwi Kwasi Baako , Abbas Dawood Ackom , Addo Kofi Agyapong , Tweneboah Austine , Koepfli Cristian , Badu Kingsley
Published: March 2022

Background: The World Health Organization recommends parasitological confirmation of all suspected malaria cases by microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) before treatment. These conventional tools are widely used for point-of-care diagnosis in spite of their poor sensitivity at low parasite density. Several studies have compared the diagnostic accuracy of microscopy and RDT using standard 18S rRNA PCR as reference with varying outcomes. Here, we present for the first time in Ghana, the accuracy of diagnosis of microscopy and RDT using highly sensitive varATS qPCR as reference in a clinical setting.Methods: 1,040 febrile patients were recruited from two primary health care centers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and tested for malaria by microscopy, RDT, and varATS qPCR. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were assessed using qPCR as gold standard.Results: Parasite prevalence was 17.5%, 24.5%, and 42.1% by microscopy, RDT, and varATS qPCR respectively. Using qPCR as the standard, RDT was more sensitive (55.7% vs 39.3%), marginally less specific (98.2% vs 98.3%), and had higher positive (95.7% vs 94.5%) and negative predictive values (75.3% vs 69.0%) than microscopy. Parasite prevalence and density was higher among the 5-14 age group than the <5, 15-30, and >30 age groups across all the tests.Conclusions: RDT outperformed microscopy for the diagnosis of P. falciparum malaria in the study area. However, both diagnostic methods missed over 40% of infections that were detected by varATS qPCR. Novel tools are needed to ensure prompt diagnosis of all clinical malaria cases.
“Moskal's,” “Separs,” and “Vatniks”: The Many Faces of the Enemy in the Ukrainian Satirical Songs of the War in the Donbas
Authors: Shuvalova Iryna
Published: March 2022

This article examines representations of the enemy in the Ukrainian satirical songs pertaining to the Russo-Ukrainian war in the Donbas. I focus primarily on the output of Orest Liutyi (the stage persona of Antin Mukhars'kyi) and the semi-anonymous Mirko Sablich (Mirko Sablic) collective. Using the method of multimodal discourse analysis, I examine how the enemy opposing the Ukrainian Army is portrayed in the song lyrics and the accompanying music videos. Considering the complex nature of the conflict and the lack of uniformity in the backgrounds of the warring parties, I am particularly interested in who and why is identified as the enemy in the songs. The enemy appears in several guises: “moskal's”—Russian or pro-Russian aggressors from outside Ukraine; “separs”—Ukrainian collaborators who support, often through military efforts, the separation of the Donbas from Ukraine; and “vatniks”—passive anti-Ukrainian individuals who live in Ukraine and whose inaction is perceived to be harmful to Ukraine’s wartime efforts. Whereas these songs call upon Ukrainians to repel the external enemy (“moskal's”) in armed combat, no clear strategy is suggested for how the internal enemies (“separs” and “vatniks”) should be dealt with or, in some cases, even identified. As a result, Liutyi and Sablic, while positioning themselves as “counterpropaganda” projects, risk labelling as “the enemy,” and thus alienating, the audiences most susceptible to propaganda, who could otherwise benefit most from their myth-debunking efforts.
Gender-disaggregated Farmers Participatory Variety Selection in Amaranth Multilocation Trials in Kenya and Tanzania
Authors: Dinssa Fekadu Fufa , Minja Ruth , Kariuki Thomas , Mbwambo Omary , Schafleitner Roland , Hanson Peter
Published: March 2022

Amaranths (Amaranthus sp.) are a popular leafy vegetable grown and consumed by resource-poor people in many African countries. Greater awareness of the importance of nutritious foods has increased demand by African consumers for amaranth. Presently, most African farmers grow low-yielding local varieties of variable seed quality. High-yielding amaranth varieties that are adapted to the major agro-ecologies of eastern and southern Africa possess key traits needed by male and female farmers and meet diverse market preferences are required. The objective of this study was to identify amaranth lines adapted to major amaranth production environments in Kenya and Tanzania using a gender-disaggregated farmers participatory approach to explore possible gender differences in trait and variety preferences. Twenty amaranth entries were evaluated for vegetable yield, agronomic traits, and organoleptic taste tests in replicated, farmer-participatory variety selection trials at one location in Kenya and at four locations in Tanzania. Differences among entries (G), locations (E), and G × E interaction were significant or highly significant for marketable vegetable yield. Location followed by entry was the most important factor that explained differences in yield. G and G × E interaction biplot analysis classified the five locations into two different mega-environments, mainly based on altitude, temperatures, and soil characteristics. Marketable vegetable yield was positively correlated with leaf length, plant height, and the selection scores of female and male farmers at almost all locations. Selection scores of female and male farmers were positively correlated, indicating that male and female farmers shared similar amaranth variety preferences. Farmers identified and ranked important traits that can be used by breeders to design amaranth product profiles and develop amaranth breeding objectives. Lines combining high yield with high farmer and consumer preference scores have been retained for distinctiveness, uniformity, and stability tests for possible release as commercial varieties.
Design and fabrication of a double- chamber solar dryer
Authors: Oluwatoyin Olunloyo , Dare Ibiyeye , Opeyemi Ajiboye
Published: March 2022

Object of research: This paper discusses the design and construction of a modified, cost effective solar dryer for use by the average Nigerian farmer or agri-business entrepreneur.

Investigated problem: Local farmers often have a lot of difficulties in properly drying harvested agricultural produce for storage and processing purposes, safely and efficiently due to capital constraints. There was therefore a need for an efficient, low cost solar dryer design to aid in this pursuit.

Methodology: The designed dryer is a passive dryer that makes use of heat energy tapped through glass collectors placed over the drying and air inlet chambers respectively. The dryer was designed and constructed with carefully selected, inexpensive materials with dimensions of 40cm x 40cm x 60cm for the drying chamber and dimensions of 10cm x 80cm x 40cm for the heating chamber. The glass collectors (4mm thick) were inclined at an angle of incidence of 17.26°. Okra slices were used to test the performance of the dryer.

Results / Area of practical use: The study yielded a low cost (€145.60) modified solar dryer capable of drying agricultural produce in a safe and clean way. During eight (8) hours of drying under a temperature range of 39 °C – 45 °C, the initial weight of the okra slices reduced from 150g to 9g, 9g, 10g and 9g on each of the four trays of the drying chamber respectively. Local farmers and agripreneurs will be encouraged to make use of this clean alternative of drying food produce without the drawbacks from regular sun drying.

Conclusion: There is need for more work to be done in terms of installation of solar panels to enhance dryer performance. More work should also be carried out on tests during the dry season for increased dryer efficiency.
Development of object detection and classification with YOLOv4 for similar and structural deformed fish
Authors: Kuswantori Ari , Suesut Taweepol , Tangsrirat Worapong , Nunak Navaphattra
Published: March 2022

Food scarcity is an issue of concern due to the continued growth of the human population and the threat of global warming and climate change. Increasing food production is expected to meet the challenges of food needs that will continue to increase in the future. Automation is one of the solutions to increase food productivity, including in the aquaculture industry, where fish recognition is essential to support it. This paper presents fish recognition using YOLO version 4 (YOLOv4) on the "Fish-Pak" dataset, which contains six species of identical and structurally damaged fish, both of which are characteristics of fish processed in the aquaculture industry. Data augmentation was generated to meet the validation criteria and improve the data balance between classes. For fish images on a conveyor, flip, rotation, and translation augmentation techniques are appropriate. YOLOv4 was applied to the whole fish body and then combined with several techniques to determine the impact on the accuracy of the results. These techniques include landmarking, subclassing, adding scale data, adding head data, and class elimination. Performance for each model was evaluated with a confusion matrix, and analysis of the impact of the combination of these techniques was also reviewed. From the experimental test results, the accuracy of YOLOv4 for the whole fish body is only 43.01 %. The result rose to 72.65 % with the landmarking technique, then rose to 76.64 % with the subclassing technique, and finally rose to 77.42 % by adding scale data. The accuracy did not improve to 76.47 % by adding head data, and the accuracy rose to 98.75 % with the class elimination technique. The final result was excellent and acceptable
An Assessment of Exhibited Drivers of Mentoring in Construction Professional Firms: A Case of Nigerian Quantity Surveying Firms
Authors:   Department of Quantity Surveying, School of Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, NIGERIA, Otasowie Kenneth , Oke Ayodeji ,   Department of Quantity Surveying, Federal University of Technology, Akure, NIGERIA
Published: March 2022

The article assessed the exhibited drivers of mentoring practices in construction professional firms in Nigeria intending to improve how mentoring schemes are implemented in respective construction firms. A survey design was utilised in assessing the level of knowledge, mentoring concept adoption and the exhibited drivers of mentoring relationships in these firms. Quantity surveying firms in Abuja, Nigeria were sampled with a structured questionnaire. Percentage, mean, one-sample t-test and factor analyses were undertaken for the analysis of the data. The study reveals there is a good level of knowledge of mentoring concept but not so much with the adoption in individual firms. This connotes that there is a problem with the adoption of mentoring concept in construction professional firms despite knowledge of the concept by the professionals. Also, the study revealed the exhibited drivers of mentoring practices in construction professional firms. The findings show the exhibited drivers of mentoring practices in construction professional firms and recommendations were proposed to further the adoption and implementation of these drivers to ensure the success of mentoring practices in construction professional firms. This paper reveals the exhibited drivers of mentoring practices in Nigerian construction professional firms and provides areas that require attention for the successful implementation of mentoring schemes in construction firms.
An IDEF0 Functional Planning Model for the Development of an Asset Management Framework: A Case Study of Chiang Mai University
Authors:   Department of Knowledge and Innovation Management, College of Arts, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, THAILAND, Khamaksorn Achara , Nimmolrat Acrapol ,   Department of Knowledge and Innovation Management, College of Arts, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, THAILAND, Mahat Noorsaidi ,   Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sarawak, MALAYSIA, Thinnukool Orawit ,   Department of Modern Management and Information Technology, College of Arts, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, THAILAND
Published: March 2022

Asset management (AM) focuses on the life cycle of assets and provides a systematic process for developing and maintaining an organisation’s assets using a set of asset-related planning and control activities. Chiang Mai University (CMU) is a public university in Thailand founded in 1964. The university was the first provincial university in Thailand and aims to be the university of prototyped innovation for sustainable development in communities. CMU’s AM planning process is a critical aspect of its mission to develop the university. This study developed an asset management framework (AMF) based on IDEF0 functional modelling – a modelling process that facilitates the decisions, actions and activities of an organisation or system. Moreover, the study used an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to perform pairwise comparison, produce matrices and calculate priorities for CMU’s assets. The researchers employed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis to evaluate the organisation’s competitive position and support its strategic planning. This study presents the resulting of CMU’s AMF (AMF-CMU), the development of which contributed to prioritising and managing the university’s assets.
Determinants of Successful Completion of Construction Craft Apprenticeship in Lagos State, Nigeria: A Qualitative Study
Authors:   Department of Building Technology, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, NIGERIA, Osuizugbo Innocent Chigozie , Kukoyi Patricia Omega ,   Department of Building, University of Lagos, Lagos, NIGERIA, Aluko Ralph Olusola ,   Department of Architecture, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, NIGERIA, Akindele Nelson Ayodeji ,   Department of Building and Real Estate, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, HONG KONG
Published: March 2022

Apprenticeships provide young people with training and improve the supply of workers in the construction sector. In Nigeria, there is a large influx of craftspeople from neighbouring countries. This situation has led to an increase in the rate of youth employment. The current study seeks to address the following questions: (1) “What are the factors responsible for the non-completion of construction crafts apprenticeship?” and (2) “What are the determinants of successful completion of construction crafts apprenticeship?”. Semi-structured interviews with 46 correspondents were conducted with relevant stakeholders involved in apprenticeship in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study reveals that “Lack of information on the content of training programme”, “Financial difficulties”, “Bullying”, “Lack of interest” and “Work-life balance” as factors responsible for non-completion. In contrast, it was found that “Personal interest and motivation”, “Parental and family support”, “Personality of the trainer” and “Potential to earn income” are determinants of successful completion of construction crafts apprenticeship. This finding can be used to develop strategies for improving outcomes of construction craftspeople apprenticeships. The study contributes to the knowledge of apprenticeships in the field of construction and vocational education.
Recent Advances in the Chemistry of Cholecystokinin Receptor Ligands (Agonists and Antagonists)
Authors: de Tullio P. , Delarge J. , Pirotte B.
Published: March 2022

During the last few years, cholecystokinin (CCK) has emerged as an important hormone. This polypeptide has been located either in peripheral tissues such as the gastro-intestinal tract and the pancreas as well as in the central nervous system. High affinity CCK receptors are divided in two main subtypes: the CCK-A (A for "alimentary") and the CCK-B (B for "brain") receptors. The latters are currently associated with the gastrin receptors. Since CCK is involved in many different biological processes such
as gut function, digestive processes, control of feeding behaviour and neurotransmitter release, the therapeutical potential of cholecystokinin receptor ligands seems to be extremely broad and promising. Several families of CCK receptor ligands (peptides, peptidomimetics, peptoids or non-peptides) were prepared during the last twenty years. The main goal of these researches was to improve agonistic or antagonistic potency but also to find selective compounds for a specific CCK receptor subtype. This review presents the recent developments (since 1995) in the chemistry of CCK receptor ligands.
Evaluación del bosque húmedo tropical mediante el análisis de la cobertura fraccional y técnicas SIG en la subcuenca del río Yuracyacu, Amazonía peruana
Authors: Gómez-Lora Jhon Walter , Gallo-Ramos Víctor Hugo , Camacho-Zorogastúa Katherine del Carmen
Published: March 2022

En este estudio se evaluó la cobertura boscosa en la subcuenca del río Yuracyacu durante el periodo 1989-2010. Para esto se utilizaron 6 imágenes satelitales Landsat del sensor Thematic Mapper de los años 1989, 1995, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2010, sobre las cuales se realizaron los respectivos procesamientos utilizando CLASlite mediante el análisis de la cobertura fraccional. Durante el periodo 1989-1995 se obtuvo una pérdida de 18.2 km2 de la cobertura boscosa, para el periodo 1995-2001 la cobertura boscosa fue recuperada con una tasa de 1.2 km2/año; para los periodos 2001-2006, 2006-2008 y 2008-2010 se evidenciaron los progresivos retrocesos del bosque húmedo tropical, siendo estos 8.9 km2, 3.4 km2 y 7.5 km2, respectivamente. En los 21 años se han perdido 32 km2 de bosque tropical amazónico de la subcuenca con una tasa de deforestación -1.2% anual; la tasa de deforestación más alta se encontró en el periodo 1989-1995 y fue -2.27%. El modelo para determinar escenarios futuros de bosque tropical en la subcuenca estimó un área resultante de 89.1 km2 para el año 2030, demostrando la progresiva disminución de bosque húmedo tropical. Finalmente, en la validación de los resultados se obtuvo una fiabilidad global igual a 85% y un índice de Kappa de 0.65 indicando la bondad y precisión de la clasificación. Los resultados de este estudio permitirán orientar acciones para la conservación y manejo del bosque húmedo tropical de la subcuenca.
Estructura y composición florística de un bosque de galería en un gradiente altitudinal en el noroeste de México
Authors: Holguín-Estrada Víctor Alfonso , Alanís-Rodríguez Eduardo , Aguirre-Calderón Oscar , Yerena-Yamallel José Israel , Pequeño-Ledezma Miguel Ángel
Published: March 2022

El bosque de galería es un ecosistema muy exuberante que se desarrolla en los márgenes de los cuerpos de agua (arroyos, ríos, lagos, canales, etc.) y forma una franja estrecha de vegetación. Este estudio describe la composición y estructura de comunidades de árboles a lo largo de un gradiente altitudinal en el arroyo Las Tinajas, al noroeste de México, en donde se consideraron tres intervalos de altitud: intervalo 1 (2135 m - 2366 m), intervalo 2 (2005 m - 2093 m) e intervalo 3 (1830 m - 1934 m). Se analizó riqueza específica, abundancia, dominancia, frecuencia e índice de valor de importancia (IVI) de las especies, índice de Shannon y dendrograma de Bray-Curtis por intervalo altitudinal. Las especies con mayor IVI por intervalo altitudinal fueron: intervalo 1: Pinus durangensis (20.4%), Quercus sideroxyla (18.6%) y P. ayacahuite (14.4%); intervalo 2: Abies durangensis (25.7%), P. ayacahuite (11.5%), e Ilex tolucana (9.9%); e intervalo 3: Q. crassifolia (29.1%), Cupressus lusitanica (26.4%) y Alnus oblongifolia (20.7%). El análisis estadístico (ANOVA) de abundancia, dominancia y riqueza de especies muestra que existen diferencias significativas (p < 0.05) entre los intervalos de altitud, mientras el índice de Shannon no mostró diferencia significativa. La composición florística con base en el modelo de Bray-Curtis obtuvo una similitud menor a 50% para las áreas evaluadas. Este estudio servirá como base de referencia de los cambios que puedan presentarse a futuro en este bosque, la estructura de los diferentes intervalos de altitud fue distinta y en cada uno de ellos existen especies representativas.
Respiración del suelo en un bosque templado de México y su relación con el carbono orgánico
Authors: Cruz-Sánchez Yadihra , López-Teloxa Leticia C. , Gómez Diaz Jesús D. , Monterroso-Rivas Alejandro I.
Published: March 2022

Los ecosistemas forestales desempeñan un papel importante en el ciclo global del carbono disminuyendo el efecto invernadero a través de su captura y fijación. Diversos autores han estudiado la interacción entre carbono orgánico y respiración del suelo, pero es importante aumentar la información en ecosistemas templados. Los objetivos del presente trabajo fueron analizar la variación espaciotemporal de la respiración y el carbono orgánico del suelo, así como la influencia de factores ambientales sobre la respiración del suelo en un bosque templado de México. Se obtuvieron datos de carbono orgánico del suelo para cuatro rodales, determinados por tipo de vegetación y tres profundidades, mediante un analizador de carbono orgánico. La respiración del suelo se muestreó con un analizador de gases infrarrojo en cuatro rodales y cuatro temporadas (mayo de 2019 - enero de 2020). Se tomaron datos de temperatura y humedad del suelo e información de dos estaciones meteorológicas ubicadas dentro del área de estudio. El carbono orgánico del suelo varió de 163.09 Mg ha-1 a 207.45 Mg ha-1 almacenando más carbono en rodales de masas mixtas. La respiración del suelo fluctuó entre 39.27 Mg ha-1 año-1 y 67.96 Mg ha-1 año-1 con mayores cantidades emitidas en rodales de masas puras. El carbono orgánico del suelo presentó una correlación negativa con la respiración del suelo. Los cambios en la respiración del suelo sugieren una fuerte dependencia al escenario ambiental debido a una interacción del clima y tipo de vegetación, dependiendo de las características propias de la época del año y del rodal.
Almacenamiento de carbono aéreo en un bosque templado de Oaxaca: manejo de alta y baja intensidad
Authors: Cortés-Pérez Melquiades , De León-González Fernando , Paz-Pellat Fernando , Leyva-Pablo Tania , Santiago-García Wenceslao , Ponce-Mendoza Alejandro , Fuentes Ponce Mariela
Published: March 2022

El manejo forestal sustentable es una alternativa para conservar la biodiversidad, mantener la estructura forestal y, por ende, el almace­namiento de carbono. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar el efecto del manejo forestal sobre la diversidad y estructura de las especies arbóreas y cuantificar el contenido de carbono almacenado en la biomasa aérea de bosques templados en tres sistemas: (1) método mexicano de ordenación de bosques irregulares (MMOBI), (2) método de desarrollo silvícola (MDS) y (3) bosque no manejado (BNM), ubi­cados en Santiago Xiacuí y Santiago Comaltepec, Oaxaca, México. Para estimar la diversidad arbórea se utilizaron índices alfa. La estruc­tura se evaluó a partir del índice de valor de importancia (IVI). El carbono almacenado en la biomasa se estimó con datos dasométricos y ecuaciones volumétricas. Se identificaron 44 especies distribuidas en 14 familias. De acuerdo con el IVI, las especies más importantes en los tres sistemas fueron Q. laurina Humb. & Bonpl. y P. patula Schiede ex Schltdl. & Cham. presentando los mayores contenidos de carbono. El sistema forestal con mayor contenido de carbono en la biomasa fue el BNM (341.6 Mg ha-1 de biomasa y 164.7 Mg ha-1 de contenido de carbono), además de presentar la densidad más alta (872 árboles ha-1). Los bosques manejados con el MMOBI tienen mayor potencial de almacenamiento de carbono respecto a los MDS, debido a que tienen mayor similitud en diversidad y densidad que un bosque no manejado.
Mining Trends of COVID-19 Vaccine Beliefs on Twitter With Lexical Embeddings: Longitudinal Observational Study
Authors: Chopra Harshita , Vashishtha Aniket , Pal Ridam ,   Ashima, Tyagi Ananya , Sethi Tavpritesh
Published: March 2022

Background

Social media plays a pivotal role in disseminating news globally and acts as a platform for people to express their opinions on various topics. A wide variety of views accompany COVID-19 vaccination drives across the globe, often colored by emotions that change along with rising cases, approval of vaccines, and multiple factors discussed online.

Objective

This study aims to analyze the temporal evolution of different emotions and the related influencing factors in tweets belonging to 5 countries with vital vaccine rollout programs, namely India, the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Methods

We extracted a corpus of nearly 1.8 million Twitter posts related to COVID-19 vaccination and created 2 classes of lexical categories—emotions and influencing factors. Using cosine distance from selected seed words’ embeddings, we expanded the vocabulary of each category and tracked the longitudinal change in their strength from June 2020 to April 2021 in each country. Community detection algorithms were used to find modules in positive correlation networks.

Results

Our findings indicated the varying relationship among emotions and influencing factors across countries. Tweets expressing hesitancy toward vaccines represented the highest mentions of health-related effects in all countries, which reduced from 41% to 39% in India. We also observed a significant change (P<.001) in the linear trends of categories like hesitation and contentment before and after approval of vaccines. After the vaccine approval, 42% of tweets coming from India and 45% of tweets from the United States represented the “vaccine_rollout” category. Negative emotions like rage and sorrow gained the highest importance in the alluvial diagram and formed a significant module with all the influencing factors in April 2021, when India observed the second wave of COVID-19 cases.

Conclusions

By extracting and visualizing these tweets, we propose that such a framework may help guide the design of effective vaccine campaigns and be used by policy makers to model vaccine uptake and targeted interventions.
Effect of Source Type and Protective Message on the Critical Evaluation of News Messages on Facebook: Randomized Controlled Trial in the Netherlands (Preprint)
Authors: Folkvord Frans , Snelting Freek , Anschutz Doeschka , Hartmann Tilo , Theben Alexandra , Gunderson Laura , Vermeulen Ivar , Lupiáñez-Villanueva Francisco
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

Disinformation has become an increasing societal concern, especially due to the speed that news is shared in the digital era. In particular, disinformation in the health care sector can lead to serious casualties, as the current COVID-19 crisis clearly shows.

OBJECTIVE

The main aim of this study was to experimentally examine the effects of information about the source and a protective warning message on users’ critical evaluation of news items, as well as the perception of accuracy of the news item.

METHODS

A 3 (unreliable vs reliable vs no identified source) × 2 (with protective message vs without) between-subject design was conducted among 307 participants (mean age 29 (SD 10.9] years).

RESULTS

The results showed a significant effect of source information on critical evaluation. In addition, including a protective message did not significantly affect critical evaluation. The results showed no interaction between type of source and protective message on critical evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on these results, it is questionable whether including protective messages to improve critical evaluation is a way to move forward and improve critical evaluation of health-related news items, although effective methodologies to tackle the spread of disinformation are highly needed.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05030883; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05030883
Systematic Literature Review on Methodology and Manufacturing Process of Personalized Tablet using Selective Laser Sintering Technology
Authors: Kamsani Nurul Huda , Hasan Muhammad Shamsuri , Chatterjee Bappaditya , Haris Muhammad Salahuddin
Published: March 2022

3-dimensional printing (3DP) technology has garnered interests as a novel candidate for future pharmaceutical manufacturing. Since the first drug product (Spritam®) has been approved for commercialization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there has been an enormous opportunity for printing custom drugs using 3DP. Many 3DP methods have been documented for pharmaceutical applications in the literature. However, selective laser sintering (SLS) printing remains the least studied for pharmaceutical applications. There are many advantages and challenges in adopting an SLS method to fabricate personalized medicines, such as accurate, cheaper, and simpler ways to configure dosing for certain patient groups. In this study, we systematically reviewed all available literature investigating the technique of personalized printlets using SLS printing, and further discussed the method used in its process. A systematic searching strategy was performed in Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases using predetermined search strings. Of the 122 articles, only eight articles completely met the inclusion criteria, and they were subsequently used for data synthesis. The results showed that the printing process, spectrophotometry analysis, thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and characterization of the printlet were the vital parameters in the printing method, leading to potential pharmaceutical applications in personalized medicine.