bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling a Linux Packet-Capturing System with a Queueing System with Vacations
Authors: Zabala Luis , Doncel Josu , Ferro Armando
Published: March 2023

Monitoring the evolution of the state of networks is an important issue to ensure that many applications provide the required quality of service. The first step in network-monitoring systems consists of capturing packets; that is, packets arrive at the system through a network interface card and are placed into system memory. Then, in this first stage, and usually in relation to the operating system, packets are treated and transferred from the capturing buffer to a higher-layer processing, for instance, to be analyzed in the next step of the system. In this work, we focus on the capturing stage. In particular, we focus on a Linux packet-capturing system. We model it as a single server queue. Taking into account that the server can be in charge not only of the capturing process but also of other tasks, we consider that the queue has vacations, i.e., there is some time when the capturing process cannot be carried out. We also assume that the queue has a finite buffer. We consider three different models and present a rigorous analysis of the derived Markov chain of each of the models. We provide standard performance metrics in all cases. We also evaluate the performance of these models in a real packet-capture probe.
Optimal Acquisition and Production Policies for Remanufacturing with Quality Grading
Authors: Sun Hong , Li Yan
Published: March 2023

Core acquisition is essential to the success of the remanufacturing business. The value of sorting and grading cores into nominal-quality classes has been certified in industry and academia. In this paper, we investigate how many unsorted cores of uncertain quality should be acquired and how many sorted cores should be remanufactured by a third-party remanufacturer (3PR) before the demand is realized. We first develop analytically tractable solutions to the acquisition and production model under deterministic demand, and then we extend it to the model under the stochastic demand by fully characterizing the structure of the optimal policy. Subsequently, we investigate the impact of core quality fraction uncertainty on the solutions. Finally, numerical analyses are conducted to further verify the proposed models. The results are as follows. First, the optimal quantity of acquisition/production and minimum expected profit increase with an increase in the selling price and decrease with an increase in the uncertainty of demand and acquisition cost. Second, the optimal production quantity does not decrease in acquisition quantity, and the rate of utilization of the recycled parts (the ratio of production quantity to acquisition quantity) increases with a decrease in the acquisition cost. Third, the growth stage is most profitable stage, so the remanufacturers should pay more attention to remanufacturing activities early in the life of products. The proposed models and solutions can not only solve the core acquisition and production problem in remanufacturing, but also solve the combinatorial optimization problem.
Exploring the Impact of Nonlinearities in Police Recruitment and Criminal Capture Rates: A Population Dynamics Approach
Authors: Chikore Tichaona , Nyabadza Farai , White K. A. Jane
Published: March 2023

The interplay between criminal activity and crime control/prevention measures is inherently dynamic. This paper presents a simple nonlinear dynamical system in which criminal activity levels are coupled to policing effort. Through the process of non-dimensionalisation and sensitivity analysis, policing efficiency and the responsiveness of policing effort are identified as key parameter groupings. An analysis of the system shows that bi-stability is a feature of the dynamics. When there is no feedback between criminal activity and police recruitment, a saddle-node bifurcation occurs and threshold levels of criminal activity are required for the activity to be maintained. When feedback is permitted, we also find a backward bifurcation and criminal activity can be contained for policing efficiency below its threshold level. We demonstrate proof of concept for how the model might be used as a predictive tool with real data.
Invoice Discounting Using Kelly Criterion by Automated Market Makers-like Implementations
Authors: Esteva Peplluis R. , El-Fakdi Andrés , Ballesteros-Rodríguez Alberto
Published: March 2023

Funding shortages are a persistent issue, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the problem tends to worsen cyclically. The market for factoring and invoice discounting aims to address delays in payment for commercial invoices. These involves sellers present unpaid invoices to financial organizations, typically banks, who provide an advance payment. The implementations of the factoring services without intermediaries in blockchain of the state of the art are all based on the publication on-chain of all the invoices, use know your customer (KYC) mechanisms, and over-collateralize the invoices. This article proposes a new, decentralized approach to lending services that completely eliminates intermediaries and does not require strong KYC, yet it is reasonably resilient. The approach uses liquidity pools and associated heuristics to create a model of risk compensation. In this model, a formula measures the contributed collateral to an invoice and the risk of a late invoice or non-payment, using the Kelly criterion to calculate the optimal premium for funding said invoice in the liquidity pool. The algorithm’s performance is tested in many scenarios involving several invoice amounts, collaterals, payment delays, and non-payment rates. The study also examines premium distribution policies and hack scenarios involving bogus, non-payable invoices. The outcome is a decentralized market that uses the Kelly criterion and is reasonably resilient to a wide range of invoicing scenarios, including 5% non-payment rates and 10% bogus invoices, yet provides a sound profit to liquidity providers. The algorithm’s resilience is enhanced by several premium distribution policies over partially collateralized invoices from 50 to 70%, resulting in optimal premium withdrawal policies every 30 days, making it the first protocol for loanable funds that does not require over-collateralization to be profitable and resilient.
On the Planarity of Graphs Associated with Symmetric and Pseudo Symmetric Numerical Semigroups
Authors: Rao Yongsheng , Binyamin Muhammad Ahsan , Aslam Adnan , Mehtab Maria , Fazal Shazia
Published: March 2023

Let S(m,e) be a class of numerical semigroups with multiplicity m and embedding dimension e. We call a graph GS an S(m,e)-graph if there exists a numerical semigroup S∈S(m,e) with V(GS)={x:x∈g(S)} and E(GS)={xy⇔x+y∈S}, where g(S) denotes the gap set of S. The aim of this article is to discuss the planarity of S(m,e)-graphs for some cases where S is an irreducible numerical semigroup.
A Numerical Study of an Ellipsoidal Nanoparticles under High Vacuum Using the DSMC Method
Authors: Jang Jinwoo , Son Youngwoo , Lee Sanghwan
Published: March 2023

The semiconductor and display manufacturing process requires high precision. Therefore, inside the equipment, fine impurity particles affect the yield rate of production. However, since most manufacturing processes are performed under high-vacuum conditions, it is difficult to estimate particle flow with conventional analytical tools. In this study, high-vacuum flow was analyzed using the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method, and various forces acting on fine particles in a high-vacuum flow field were calculated. To compute the computationally intensive DSMC method, GPU-based computer unified device architecture (CUDA) technology was used. The force acting on the particles in the high-vacuum rarefied gas region was verified using the results of previous studies, and the results were derived for the difficult-to-experiment region. An ellipsoid shape with an aspect ratio rather than a spherical shape was also analyzed. The change in drag force according to various aspect ratios was analyzed and compared with the results of the spherical shape under the same flow conditions.
A Comparative Analysis of Biodegradation and Bioconversion of Lentinula edodes and Other Exotic Mushrooms
Authors: Zied Diego Cunha , da Silva Freitas Marcos Antônio , de Almeida Moreira Bruno Rafael , da Silva Alves Lucas , Pardo-Giménez Arturo
Published: March 2023

Mushrooms are capable of bioconverting organic residues into food. Understanding the relationship between high-quality yields and substrate biomass from these residues is critical for mushroom farms when choosing new strains. The objective of this exploratory study was, therefore, to analyze whether exotic mushrooms, namely, Pleurotus eryngii, Flammulina velutipes, and Agrocybe aegerita, could biologically convert the substrate into edible mushrooms as effectively as Lentinula edodes (baseline). Five experiments were carried out. Biological efficiency, biodegradability coefficient, mass balance and chemical characterization of the substrate were evaluated. Strategically hydrating the sawdust enabled L. edodes to achieve the greatest biodegradability and biological efficiency of 0.5 and 94.2 kg dt−1, respectively. The values for L. edodes on wheat straw without hydration were 0.2 and 68.8 kg dt−1, respectively. From 1000 kg of fresh substrate, P. eryngii produced 150.1 kg of edible mushrooms, making it technically competitive with L. edodes on wheat straw (195.9 kg). Hence, P. eryngii was the most reliable option for scaling among the exotic mushrooms. The analytical insights from our study provide further knowledge to advance the field’s prominence in high-throughput mushroom-producing systems, particularly for exotic mushrooms.
Evidence of Homeostatic Regulation in Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis as an Adaptive Response to Copper Stress
Authors: Tejeda Carlos , Steuer Pamela , Villegas Marcela , Ulloa Fernando , Hernández-Agudelo José M. , Salgado Miguel
Published: March 2023

Background: Bacteria are capable of responding to various stressors, something which has been essential for their adaptation, evolution, and colonization of a wide range of environments. Of the many stressors affecting bacteria, we can highlight heavy metals, and amongst these, copper stands out for its great antibacterial capacity. Using Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) as a model, the action of proteins involved in copper homeostasis has been put forward as an explanation for the tolerance or adaptive response of this mycobacteria to the toxic action of copper. Therefore, the aim of this study was to confirm the presence and evaluate the expression of genes involved in copper homeostasis at the transcriptional level after challenging Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculoisis (MAP) with copper ions. Methodology: Buffer inoculated with MAP was treated with two stressors, the presence of copper homeostasis genes was confirmed by bioinformatics and genomic analysis, and the response of these genes to the stressors was evaluated by gene expression analysis, using qPCR and the comparative ΔΔCt method. Results: Through bioinformatics and genomic analysis, we found that copper homeostasis genes were present in the MAP genome and were overexpressed when treated with copper ions, which was not the case with H2O2 treatment. Conclusion: These results suggest that genes in MAP that code for proteins involved in copper homeostasis trigger an adaptive response to copper ions.
The Challenge of Bacteremia Treatment due to Non-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacteria
Authors: Sadyrbaeva-Dolgova Svetlana , Sánchez-Suárez María del Mar , Reguera Márquez Juan Antonio , Hidalgo-Tenorio Carmen
Published: March 2023

Nosocomial infections caused by non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria are a real challenge for clinicians, especially concerning the accuracy of empirical treatment. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristic, empirical antibiotic therapy, accuracy of these prescriptions for appropriate coverage and risk factor for clinical failure of bloodstream infections due to non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli. This retrospective, observational cohort study was conducted between January 2016 and June 2022. Data were collected from the hospital’s electronic record. The statistic tests corresponding to each objective were applied. A multivariate logistic regression was performed. Among the total 120 patients included in the study, the median age was 63.7 years, and 79.2% were men. Considering the appropriate empirical treatment rate by species, inappropriate treatment for S. maltophilia was 72.4% (p = 0.088), for A. baumanii 67.6% and 45.6% for P. aeruginosa. Clinical success was achieved in 53.3%, and overall, 28-day mortality was 45.8%. ICU admission, sepsis or shock septic, age, previous antibiotic treatment and contact with healthcare facilities were independently associated with clinical failure. In conclusion, bloodstream infection produced by multidrug-resistant non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria is a significant therapeutic management challenge for clinicians. The accuracy of empirical treatment is low due to the fact that it is not recommended to cover these microorganisms empirically, especially S. maltophilia and A. baumanii.
Characterization and Biological Activities of Four Biotransformation Products of Diosgenin from Rhodococcus erythropolis
Authors: Li Yanjie , Zhang Chengyu , Kong Kexin , Yan Xiaohui
Published: March 2023

Diosgenin (DSG), a steroidal sapogenin derived from the tuberous roots of yam, possesses multiple biological properties. DSG has been widely used as a starting material for the industrial production of steroid drugs. Despite its significant pharmacological activities, moderate potency and low solubility hinder the medicinal application of DSG. Biotransformation is an efficient method to produce valuable derivatives of natural products. In this work, we performed the biotransformation of DSG using five Rhodococcus strains. Compounds 1–4 were isolated and identified from Rhodococcus erythropolis. Compounds 1 and 2 showed potent cytotoxicity against the A549, MCF-7, and HepG2 cell lines. Compounds 3 and 4 are novel entities, and each possesses a terminal carboxyl group attached to the spiroacetal ring. Remarkably, 4 exhibited significant cell protective effects for kidney, liver, and vascular endothelial cells, suggesting the therapeutic potential of this compound in chronic renal diseases, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. We further optimized the fermentation conditions aiming to increase the titer of compound 4. Finally, the yield of compound 4 was improved by 2.9-fold and reached 32.4 mg/L in the optimized conditions. Our study lays the foundation for further developing compound 4 as a cell protective agent.
Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: Adiposopathy as a Triggering Factor and Therapeutic Options
Authors: Artasensi Angelica , Mazzolari Angelica , Pedretti Alessandro , Vistoli Giulio , Fumagalli Laura
Published: March 2023

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are major public health concerns associated with serious morbidity and increased mortality. Both obesity and T2DM are strongly associated with adiposopathy, a term that describes the pathophysiological changes of the adipose tissue. In this review, we have highlighted adipose tissue dysfunction as a major factor in the etiology of these conditions since it promotes chronic inflammation, dysregulated glucose homeostasis, and impaired adipogenesis, leading to the accumulation of ectopic fat and insulin resistance. This dysfunctional state can be effectively ameliorated by the loss of at least 15% of body weight, that is correlated with better glycemic control, decreased likelihood of cardiometabolic disease, and an improvement in overall quality of life. Weight loss can be achieved through lifestyle modifications (healthy diet, regular physical activity) and pharmacotherapy. In this review, we summarized different effective management strategies to address weight loss, such as bariatric surgery and several classes of drugs, namely metformin, GLP-1 receptor agonists, amylin analogs, and SGLT2 inhibitors. These drugs act by targeting various mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of obesity and T2DM, and they have been shown to induce significant weight loss and improve glycemic control in obese individuals with T2DM.
Antibacterial Activity and Antibacterial Mechanism of Lemon Verbena Essential Oil
Authors: Gao Xin , Liu Jinbao , Li Bo , Xie Jing
Published: March 2023

The destructive effect and mode of action of lemon verbena essential oil on cells were investigated, taking the isolated Pseudosciaena D4 as the research object. The extracellular absorbance of the Pseudosciaena D4 increased at OD260 and OD280 after being treated with lemon verbena essential oil, which destroyed the integrity of Pseudosciaena D4 cells, showing a significant effect on preventing biomembrane formation and destroying the formed biomembrane. With an increased concentration of lemon verbena essential oil, extracellular polysaccharide showed a significant decrease in content and a significant increase in inhibition rate, indicating that the secretion of extracellular polysaccharide by Pseudosciaena D4 cells could be inhibited by lemon verbena essential oil during the process of biomembrane formation. Cell introcession and shrinkage appeared after the treatment with essential oil, and a transparent cavity was formed by the out-flowed cell content. Lemon verbena essential oil destroyed the cell wall, resulting in an enhanced permeability of the cell membrane and leakage of the contents, thereby causing cell death.
Targeting HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Using a Fragment-Based Approach
Authors: Mansouri Mahta , Rumrill Shawn , Dawson Shane , Johnson Adam , Pinson Jo-Anne , Gunzburg Menachem J. , Latham Catherine F. , Barlow Nicholas , Mbogo George W. , Ellenberg Paula , Headey Stephen J. , Sluis-Cremer Nicolas , Tyssen David , Bauman Joseph D. , Ruiz Francesc X. , Arnold Eddy , Chalmers David K. , Tachedjian Gilda
Published: March 2023

Human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the host’s immune system leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and potentially death. Although treatments are available to prevent its progression, HIV-1 remains a major burden on health resources worldwide. Continued emergence of drug-resistance mutations drives the need for novel drugs that can inhibit HIV-1 replication through new pathways. The viral protein reverse transcriptase (RT) plays a fundamental role in the HIV-1 replication cycle, and multiple approved medications target this enzyme. In this study, fragment-based drug discovery was used to optimize a previously identified hit fragment (compound B-1), which bound RT at a novel site. Three series of compounds were synthesized and evaluated for their HIV-1 RT binding and inhibition. These series were designed to investigate different vectors around the initial hit in an attempt to improve inhibitory activity against RT. Our results show that the 4-position of the core scaffold is important for binding of the fragment to RT, and a lead compound with a cyclopropyl substitution was selected and further investigated. Requirements for binding to the NNRTI-binding pocket (NNIBP) and a novel adjacent site were investigated, with lead compound 27—a minimal but efficient NNRTI—offering a starting site for the development of novel dual NNIBP-Adjacent site inhibitors.
Phenolic Compounds Contribution to Portuguese Propolis Anti-Melanoma Activity
Authors: Caetano Ana Rita , Oliveira Rafaela Dias , Celeiro Sónia Pires , Freitas Ana Sofia , Cardoso Susana M. , Gonçalves M. Sameiro T. , Baltazar Fátima , Almeida-Aguiar Cristina
Published: March 2023

Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, with about 61,000 deaths annually worldwide. Late diagnosis increases mortality rates due to melanoma’s capacity to metastasise rapidly and patients’ resistance to the available conventional therapies. Consequently, the interest in natural products as a strategy for drug discovery has been emerging. Propolis, a natural product produced by bees, has several biological properties, including anticancer effects. Propolis from Gerês is one of the most studied Portuguese propolis. Our group has previously demonstrated that an ethanol extract of Gerês propolis collected in 2018 (G18.EE) and its fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) decrease melanoma cell viability. Out of all the fractions, G18.EE-n-BuOH showed the highest potential as a melanoma pharmacological therapy. Thus, in this work, G18.EE-n-BuOH was fractioned into 17 subfractions whose effect was evaluated in A375 BRAF-mutated melanoma cells. The subfractions with the highest cytotoxic activity were analysed by UPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn in an attempt to understand which phenolic compounds could account for the anti-melanoma activity. The compounds identified are typical of the Gerês propolis, and some of them have already been linked with antitumor effectiveness. These results reaffirm that propolis compounds can be a source of new drugs and the isolation of compounds could allow its use in traditional medicine.
Evaluation of Novel Rapid Analytical Methods to Categorize Extra Virgin Olive Oil Based on the Coulometrically Determined Antioxidant Capacity and on the Spectrophotometric Assessment of Phenolic Compounds
Authors: Siano Francesco , Picariello Gianluca , Sammarco Anna Sofia , Celano Giuseppe , Caruso Tonino , Vasca Ermanno
Published: March 2023

The lack of a practical “fit for the purpose” analytical protocol is the main limitation that has hampered the exploitation of the EFSA analytical health claim on the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) biophenols, more than ten years since its introduction. In this work, two analytical methods recently developed in our laboratories for categorizing EVOO have been evaluated on a set of 16 samples from Cilento (Campania Region, southern Italy) and compared to other commonly used quality indexes. The Coulometrically Determined Antioxidant Capacity (CDAC) is associated with the component responsible for the health-promoting properties and oxidative stability of EVOO. The Fast Blue BB (FBBB) assay consists of the spectrophotometric (420 nm) determination of biophenols-FBBB diazonium coupling products generated in unfractionated EVOO. The FBBB assay and HPLC-UV reference method provide values highly correlated to each other. Fourteen of sixteen EVOO samples with CDAC > 10 mmol kg−1 and FBBB absorbance > 0.5 had HPLC-determined biophenols > 250 mg kg−1, and therefore eligible for the EFSA health claim. Consistently, two EVOO samples with HPLC-determined biophenols < 250 mg kg−1 had CDAC values and FBBB absorbance below the respective thresholds. CDAC and FBBB assays are proposed individually or in combination as methods to categorize EVOO samples in alternative to HPLC-UV.
Stability of the Inclusion Complexes of Dodecanoic Acid with α-Cyclodextrin, β-Cyclodextrin and 2-HP-β-Cyclodextrin
Authors: Kinart Zdzisław
Published: March 2023

In the presented work, the stability of the formation of inclusion complexes of dodecanoic acid (lauric acid) with three cyclodextrins, α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin and 2-HP-β-cyclodextrin, was analyzed from the point of view of the size of the cavity in cyclodextrins, their molar mass and the structure of the studied fatty acid. The measurements were made in a wide temperature range of 283.15–318.15K. The conductometric method was used for these studies. The results obtained allowed us to determine the value of the theoretical limiting molar conductivity (Λm0) of the studied complexes, the values of the inclusion complex formation constants (Kf) and the values of thermodynamic functions (ΔG0, ΔH0 and ΔS0) describing the complexation process in the studied temperature range.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Investigation of Novel Ionic Liquid-Based Tooth Bleaching Gels: A Step towards Safer and Cost-Effective Cosmetic Dentistry
Authors: Satti Memuna Kausar , Nayyer Maleeha , Alshamrani Meshal , Kaleem Muhammad , Salawi Ahmad , Safhi Awaji Y. , Alsalhi Abdullah , Sabei Fahad Y. , Khan Abdul Samad , Muhammad Nawshad
Published: March 2023

The objective of this study was to synthesize a novel choline hydroxide ionic liquid-based tooth bleaching gel. Ionic liquid-based gels were synthesized and characterized using FTIR along with pH testing. Tooth sample preparation was carried out in line with ISO 28399:2020. The effects of synthesized gels on tooth samples were tested. Tooth samples were stained and grouped into three experimental groups: EAI (22% choline hydroxide gel), EAII (44% choline hydroxide gel), and EB (choline citrate gel) and two control groups: CA (commercial at-home 16% carbamide peroxide gel) and CB (deionized water). The tooth color analysis, which included shade matching with the Vitapan shade guide (n = 2), and digital colorimetric analysis (n = 2) were evaluated. The surface characteristics and hardness were analyzed with 3D optical profilometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and Microhardness testing (n = 3), respectively. The tooth color analysis (Vitapan shade guide) revealed that all the tooth samples treated with synthesized choline citrate gel (EB) showed an A1 shade as compared to the other four groups, giving a range of shades. An analysis of the ΔE values from digital colorimetry; EAI, EAII, CA, and CB showed ΔE values in a range that was clinically perceptible at a glance. However, EB showed the highest value of ΔE. The mean microhardness values for the five groups showed that the effects of three experimental gels i.e., 44% choline hydroxide, 22% choline hydroxide, and choline citrate, on the microhardness of the tooth samples were similar to that of the positive control, which comprised commercial at-home 16% carbamide peroxide gel. SEM with EDX of three tested subgroups was closely related in surface profile, elemental composition, and Ca/P ratio. The roughness average values from optical profilometry of four tested subgroups lie within approximately a similar range, showing a statistically insignificant difference (p > 0.05) between the tested subgroups. The synthesized novel experimental tooth bleaching gels displayed similar tooth bleaching actions without any deleterious effects on the surface characteristics and microhardness of the treated tooth samples when compared with the commercial at-home tooth bleaching gel.
Ligand’s Partition to the Lipid Bilayer Should Be Accounted for When Estimating Their Affinity to Proteins
Authors: Moreno Maria João , Salvador Armindo
Published: March 2023

Ligand-protein interactions are usually studied in complex media that also contain lipids. This is particularly relevant for membrane proteins that are always associated with lipid bilayers, but also for water-soluble proteins studied in in vivo conditions. This work addresses the following two questions: (i) How does the neglect of the lipid bilayer influence the apparent ligand-protein affinity? (ii) How can the intrinsic ligand-protein affinity be obtained? Here we present a framework to quantitatively characterize ligand-protein interactions in complex media for proteins with a single binding site. The apparent affinity obtained when following some often-used approximations is also explored, to establish these approximations’ validity limits and to allow the estimation of the true affinities from data reported in literature. It is found that an increase in the ligand lipophilicity or in the volume of the lipid bilayer always leads to a decrease in the apparent ligand-protein affinity, both for water-soluble and for membrane proteins. The only exceptions are very polar ligands (excluded from the lipid bilayer) and ligands whose binding affinity to the protein increases supralinearly with ligand lipophilicity. Finally, this work discusses which are the most relevant parameters to consider when exploring the specificity of membrane proteins.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activities of Novel 2-Cyanoacrylate Compounds Containing Substituted Pyrazolyl or 1,2,3-Triazolyl Moiety
Authors: Wang Yang , Chen Yudie , Qian Ye , Chen Jia , Du Xianchao , Shi Yujun , Xu Baolin , Hua Sheng , Dai Hong
Published: March 2023

To develop novel 2-cyanoacrylate derivatives with potential bioactivity, a number of 2-cyanoacrylate compounds, including substituted pyrazole or 1,2,3-triazole ring, were designed, prepared, and structurally detected by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis. The biological assessment displayed that some designed compounds had significant herbicidal activities against Brassica juncea, Chenopodium serotinum, Rumex acetosa, Alopecurus aequalis, Polypogon fugax, and Poa annua at a dosage of 1500 g/ha. Furthermore, some derivatives still expressed satisfactory herbicidal activities against Brassica juncea, Chenopodium serotinum, and Rumex acetosa when the dosage was lowered to 150 g/ha, especially the inhibitory effects of compounds 9a, 9d, 9f, 9i, 10a, 10b, 10e, and 10n against Brassica juncea were all over 80%, compounds 9d, 9f, 9g, 9h, 9i, 10h, 10i, 10m, 10n, and 10o possessed more than 70% inhibition rates against Chenopodium serotinum, and compound 9d indicated 70% herbicidal activity against Rumex acetosa. These results provided an important basis for further design and discovery of biologically active 2-cyanoacrylate compounds.
Eupalinolide J Inhibits Cancer Metastasis by Promoting STAT3 Ubiquitin-Dependent Degradation
Authors: Hu Hongtao , Bai Haoyang , Huang Lili , Yang Bo , Zhao Huajun
Published: March 2023

Eupalinolide J (EJ) is an active component from Eupatorium lindleyanum DC. (EL), which was reported to have good antitumor activity via STAT3 and Akt signaling pathways. In this study, we identified Eupalinolide J (EJ) as a potential anti-cancer metastatic agent by target prediction and molecular docking technique screening. Follow-up experiments demonstrated that EJ exhibited a good inhibitory effect on cancer cell metastasis both in vitro and in vivo, and could effectively reduce the expression of STAT3, MMP-2, and MMP-9 proteins in cells, while the knockdown of STAT3 could weaken the inhibitory effect of EJ on cancer cell metastasis. Further molecular biology experiments revealed that EJ promoted STAT3 ubiquitin-dependent degradation, and thus, downregulated the expression of the metastasis-related genes MMP-2 and MMP-9. In conclusion, our study revealed that EJ, a sesquiterpene lactone from EL, could act as a STAT3 degradation agent to inhibit cancer cell metastasis and is expected to be applied in cancer therapy.
CircRNAs and RNA-Binding Proteins Involved in the Pathogenesis of Cancers or Central Nervous System Disorders
Authors: Ikeda Yuka , Morikawa Sae , Nakashima Moeka , Yoshikawa Sayuri , Taniguchi Kurumi , Sawamura Haruka , Suga Naoko , Tsuji Ai , Matsuda Satoru
Published: March 2023

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a newly recognized group of noncoding RNA transcripts, have established widespread attention due to their regulatory role in cell signaling. They are covalently closed noncoding RNAs that form a loop, and are typically generated during the splicing of precursor RNAs. CircRNAs are key post-transcriptional and post-translational regulators of gene expression programs that might influence cellular response and/or function. In particular, circRNAs have been considered to function as sponges of specific miRNA, regulating cellular processes at the post-transcription stage. Accumulating evidence has shown that the aberrant expression of circRNAs could play a key role in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Notably, circRNAs, microRNAs, and several RNA-binding proteins, including the antiproliferative (APRO) family proteins, could be indispensable gene modulators, which might be strongly linked to the occurrence of diseases. In addition, circRNAs have attracted general interest for their stability, abundance in the brain, and their capability to cross the blood–brain barrier. Here, we present the current findings and theragnostic potentials of circRNAs in several diseases. With this, we aim to provide new insights to support the development of novel diagnostic and/or therapeutic strategies for these diseases.
Pectin from Three Vietnamese Seagrasses: Isolation, Characterization and Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Thinh Pham Duc , Hang Cao Thi Thuy , Trung Dinh Thanh , Nguyen Thanh-Danh
Published: March 2023

This study focused on the isolation and structural characterization of pectin from three distinct species of Vietnamese seagrass including Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii, and Halophila ovalis. The pectin yield obtained from Enhalus acoroides was the highest, corresponding to 24.15%, followed by those from Thalassia hemprichii (20.04%) and Halophila ovalis (19.14%). The physicochemical properties of pectin including total carbohydrate content, anhydrouronic acid (AUA) content, equivalent weight (EW), methoxyl content (MeO), and degree of esterification (DE) were determined using various analysis techniques. The pectin obtained from all three species were found to be low-methyl-esterified pectin, with the MeO content and DE for E. acoroides, T. hemprichii, and H. ovalis being 6.15% and 27.18%, 3.26% and 43.31%, and 4.65% and 33.25%, respectively. The average molecular weight (MW) of pectin was analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography. Pectin from T. hemprichii had the highest MW of 173.01 kDa, followed by pectin from E. acoroides, with a MW of 127.32 kDa, and that from H. ovalis, with a MW of 56.06 kDa. Furthermore, the pectins from all three seagrass species exhibited high antioxidant activity and might be promising as antioxidants.
Thermoregulatory, Cardiovascular and Perceptual Responses of Spectators of a Simulated Football Match in Hot and Humid Environmental Conditions
Authors: de Korte Johannus Q. , Eijsvogels Thijs M. H. , Hopman Maria T. E. , Bongers Coen C. W. G.
Published: March 2023

Major sporting events are often scheduled in thermally challenging environments. The heat stress may impact athletes but also spectators. We examined the thermal, cardiovascular, and perceptual responses of spectators watching a football match in a simulated hot and humid environment. A total of 48 participants (43 ± 9 years; n = 27 participants <50 years and n = 21 participants ≥50 years, n = 21) watched a 90 min football match in addition to a 15 min baseline and 15 min halftime break, seated in an environmental chamber (Tair = 31.9 ± 0.4 °C; RH = 76 ± 4%). Gastrointestinal temperature (Tgi), skin temperature (Tskin), and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously throughout the match. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and perceptual parameters (i.e., thermal sensation and thermal comfort) were scored every 15 min. Tri (37.3 ± 0.4 °C to 37.4 ± 0.3 °C, p = 0.11), HR (76 ± 15 bpm to 77 ± 14 bpm, p = 0.96) and MAP (97 ± 10 mm Hg to 97 ± 10 mm Hg, p = 0.67) did not change throughout the match. In contrast, an increase in Tskin (32.9 ± 0.8 °C to 35.4 ± 0.3 °C, p < 0.001) was found. Further, 81% of participants reported thermal discomfort and 87% a (slightly) warm thermal sensation at the end of the match. Moreover, the thermal or cardiovascular responses were not affected by age (all p-values > 0.05). Heat stress induced by watching a football match in simulated hot and humid conditions does not result in substantial thermal or cardiovascular strain, whereas a significant perceptual strain was observed.
Negative Sentiment Modeling and Public Legal Liability from Urban Green Space: A Framework for Policy Action in China
Authors: Yang Anqi , Yang Shudong
Published: March 2023

This paper intends to optimize the urban green space (UGS) management and implementation strategies by analyzing climate change models and reviewing economic, energy, and public health policies. This paper studies the public perception of climate change-induced public health emergency (PHE) in China by surveying online public comments. Specifically, it looks into public health perception, anxiety perception, relative deprivation, and emotional polarity from public online comments. The following conclusions are drawn through the empirical test of 179 questionnaires. The findings revealed that health risk perception has a positive predictive effect on relative deprivation and anxiety perception. The higher the health risk perception, the stronger the relative deprivation and anxiety are. Anxiety perception and relative deprivation have mediating effects in the model. In addition, the main research method adopts a questionnaire survey. The mediating effect between each variable is further studied. This paper analyzes the citizens’ right to health and public health protection under climate change, and explains public risk perception and anxiety perception. Meanwhile, the evaluation cases are used to analyze the public health and UGS construction strategies to suggest climate compensation laws and improve the urban greening rate. This finding has practical reference value for promoting the deep integration of UGS and public health. It can promote the development and planning of UGS under climate change and biodiversity loss and has significant reference value for improving negative emotions and the public legal liability system.
Forecasting by Combining Chaotic PSO and Automated LSSVR
Authors: Yeh Wei-Chang , Zhu Wenbo
Published: March 2023

An automatic least square support vector regression (LSSVR) optimization method that uses mixed kernel chaotic particle swarm optimization (CPSO) to handle regression issues has been provided. The LSSVR model is composed of three components. The position of the particles (solution) in a chaotic sequence with good randomness and ergodicity of the initial characteristics is taken into consideration in the first section. The binary particle swarm optimization (PSO) used to choose potential input characteristic combinations makes up the second section. The final step involves using a chaotic search to narrow down the set of potential input characteristics before combining the PSO-optimized parameters to create CP-LSSVR. The CP-LSSVR is used to forecast the impressive datasets testing targets obtained from the UCI dataset for purposes of illustration and evaluation. The results suggest CP-LSSVR has a good predictive capability discussed in this paper and can build a projected model utilizing a limited number of characteristics.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) and Male Reproductive Health: Challenging the Future with a Double-Edged Sword
Authors: Marcu Daniel , Keyser Shannen , Petrik Leslie , Fuhrimann Samuel , Maree Liana
Published: March 2023

Approximately 9% of couples are infertile, with half of these cases relating to male factors. While many cases of male infertility are associated with genetic and lifestyle factors, approximately 30% of cases are still idiopathic. Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) denote substances identified in the environment for the first time or detected at low concentrations during water quality analysis. Since CEC production and use have increased in recent decades, CECs are now ubiquitous in surface and groundwater. CECs are increasingly observed in human tissues, and parallel reports indicate that semen quality is continuously declining, supporting the notion that CECs may play a role in infertility. This narrative review focuses on several CECs (including pesticides and pharmaceuticals) detected in the nearshore marine environment of False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa, and deliberates their potential effects on male fertility and the offspring of exposed parents, as well as the use of spermatozoa in toxicological studies. Collective findings report that chronic in vivo exposure to pesticides, including atrazine, simazine, and chlorpyrifos, is likely to be detrimental to the reproduction of many organisms, as well as to sperm performance in vitro. Similarly, exposure to pharmaceuticals such as diclofenac and naproxen impairs sperm motility both in vivo and in vitro. These contaminants are also likely to play a key role in health and disease in offspring sired by parents exposed to CECs. On the other side of the double-edged sword, we propose that due to its sensitivity to environmental conditions, spermatozoa could be used as a bioindicator in eco- and repro-toxicology studies.
Fókuszban a pénzügyi biztonság kibertérben is - PÉNZ7
Authors: Terták Elemér , Kovács Levente
Published: March 2023

2023. március 6. és 10. között kilencedik alkalommal rendezik meg a pénzügyi és vállalkozói tudatosságot interaktív eszközökkel fejlesztő PÉNZ7 eseménysorozatot. Örvendetes, hogy az idei pénzügyi tematikus témahéten köszönthetjük a másfél milliomodik diák résztvevőt, ez az eredmény közel egy évtized és mintegy 1700 iskola kitartó munkáját dicséri. Az idei PÉNZ7 témahét fókuszába a projektgazda Belügyminisztériummal karöltve a Gazdaságfejlesztési Minisztérium, a Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium, a Pénzügyminisztérium, a Magyar Bankszövetség, a Pénziránytű Alapítvány, valamint a Junior Achievement Magyarország Alapítvány szakmai egyeztetés alapján a „Korszerű pénzkezelés és digitális biztonság” témáját állította. Cikkünk a pénzkezelés digitális biztonságának különböző vetületeit tekinti át. Célunk, hogy a tanárokkal és a diákokkal a témába vágó gyakorlati ismereteket és hasznos tanácsokat osszunk meg.
A nehéz helyzet kialakulásának és magyarázó változóinak vizsgálata a magyar kkv-szektorban
Authors: Hegedűs Szilárd
Published: March 2023

A tanulmány célja az Európai Unió versenyjogában meghatározott, nehéz helyzetű vállalkozás definíciójának való megfelelés vizsgálata a magyar kis- és középvállalkozási szektorban. A tanulmányban a 2019. év adatai alapján elemeztük a vállalkozásokat. A kutatásban mintegy 31 ezer vállalatot tartalmazó minta alapján szűrtük ki a jogi szabályozás alapján a nehéz helyzetű vállalkozásokat. Az azonosított nehéz helyzetű vállalkozásokat területi, ágazati és méret szerinti bontásban elemeztük. A magyarázó változók azonosítása a szakirodalom alapján történt. Klasszifikációs fa és bináris logisztikus regresszió segítségével vizsgáltuk a nehéz helyzet kialakulásának okait. A megalkotott modellek magas megbízhatósággal képesek előre jelezni a nehéz helyzet kialakulását. A kutatás legfontosabb eredménye, hogy a nehéz helyzet bekövetkeztét leírni képes változókészletet alkotott meg.
Relationship between False Price Reporting and Market Distortions in Real Estate
Authors:   Korea Real Estate Research Institute, Lee Sungwon , Kim Chunil , Ji Kyuhyun
Published: March 2023

In Korea, the housing market is undergoing a period of rapid price increases, and a policy to prevent false price reporting is implemented as a stabilization strategy. However, research on the relationship between false price reporting and market distortions in the real estate industry remains lacking. This study aims to empirically estimate whether false reporting of real estate price cause market distortions. Specifically, the prices of canceled trade suspected of false reporting and of normal trade are compared by using the data of Real Estate Trade Management System (RTMS) apartment sales in Seoul, Korea from Feb. 2020 to Dec. 2021. Double-adjustment in Propensity Score Matching is combined with Coarsened Exact Matching to obtain an accurate comparison. For the two groups of prices, pairs with similar attributes such as transaction time, location, apartment area, floor, and building age are matched. Results show no significant price difference between the two groups. False reporting of housing prices may have occurred in the specific period and region with high transaction cancelations, but its effects are negligible and cannot be concluded as a cause of market distortions.
EL FOTOPERIODO COMO MODULADOR DEL CRECIMIENTO EN Dahlia campanulata SAAR, P. D. SØRENSEN & HJERT
Authors: Jiménez-Ruiz Eddi F , Martínez-Solís Juan , Mejía-Muñoz José M. , Sosa-Montes Eliseo , Juárez-Hernández Ma. de Jesús
Published: March 2023

La dalia es una especie nativa de México, es considerada la flor nacional y cuenta con diversos usos, como ornamental y medicinal; además, por su alto contenido de inulina, puede ser usada como alimento para humanos. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el efecto del fotoperiodo sobre el crecimiento de la parte vegetativa y tuberización de Dahlia campanulata. Para tener certeza sobre su procedencia, las plantas de dalia se obtuvieron por semilla; éstas crecieron durante 60 días bajo los siguientes tratamientos: 1) fotoperiodo de día corto (FDC, 10 horas de luz:14 horas de oscuridad), 2) fotoperiodo de día largo (FDL, 14 horas de luz:10 horas de oscuridad) y 3) testigo (plantas a cielo abierto, 13 horas de luz natural en promedio). Los tratamientos (fotoperiodos) se evaluaron cada 10 días, a partir de los 10 días después del trasplante (ddt) bajo un diseño completamente al azar con cinco repeticiones y una planta como unidad experimental. Se aplicó análisis de varianza y las medias de las variables se compararon por medio de la prueba de Tukey (P ≤ 0.05). Las variables de respuesta se obtuvieron tanto de la parte aérea como de la raíz; a los 60 ddt, la longitud del primer nudo al ápice (13.2 cm), número de hojas (41.2), número de brotes axilares (12.0) y peso seco de hojas (2.1 g) fueron mayores con FDL que con FDC; por el contrario, FDC produjo mayor diámetro de raíz tuberosa principal y lateral (1.2 y 1.7 cm, respectivamente) que FDL. En general, las variables de las plantas con ajuste de luz fueron iguales o mejores que las del tratamiento testigo (luz natural). En conclusión, el fotoperiodo afecta el crecimiento de Dahlia campanulata. El fotoperiodo de día largo propicia mejor crecimiento de la parte vegetativa, mientras que el fotoperiodo de día corto favorece el crecimiento de las raíces tuberosas.
ЕТІОЛОГІЧНІ ФАКТОРИ, КЛІНІЧНІ ТА ІМУНОЛОГІЧНІ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ ДЕСКВАМАТИВНОГО ГІНГІВІТУ
Authors: Чумакова Ю.Г.
Published: March 2023

Десквамативний гінгівіт характеризується підвищеною десквамацією епітелію, внаслідок чого окремі ділянки ясен набувають яскраво-червоного кольору («поліровані ясна»), та може бути проявом деяких дерматозів з аутоімунним компонентом. Мета дослідження. Вивчення етіологічних факторів і уточнення критеріїв діагностики десквамативного гінгівіту. Методи дослідження. Обстежено 42 хворих, з яких 7 чоловіків і 35 жінок, віком 19-68 років з десквамативним гінгівітом. Проведено клінічні, рентгенологічні та імунологічні дослідження. Результати. Встановлено, що тільки у 5 пацієнтів молодого віку десквамативний гінгівіт протікав як самостійне захворювання пародонта, а у 37 хворих (88,1%) – на тлі генералізованого пародонтиту різного ступеня. Десквамативний гінгівіт діагностовано у 19 жінок у постменопаузальному періоді (45,2%), у 11 пацієнтів (26,2%) із дерматозами з аутоімунним компонентом (червоний плоский лишай – 6, пемфігоїд слизової оболонки порожнини рота – 2, вульгарна пухирчатка – 1, склеродермія – 1, червоний вовчак – 1), у 6 пацієнтів (14,3%) з цукровим діабетом, у 3 хворих (7,1%) з гіпотиреозом, у 7 пацієнтів (16,7%) з алергічними реакціями (контактний гінгівостоматит). Підвищення імунорегуляторного індексу CD4/CD8 (2,87±0,24) і високий вміст низькомолекулярних циркулюючих імунних комплексів у крові жінок постменопаузального віку з десквамативним гінгівітом вказує на високу ймовірність у них аутоімунного синдрому. Висновки. Основними етіологічними факторами десквамативного гінгівіту є ендокринні порушення (гіпоестрогенемія, гіпотиреоз, цукровий діабет) і дерматози з аутоімунним компонентом. При наявності клінічних ознак десквамативного гінгівіту необхідне імунологічне дослідження для підтвердження або виключення системної аутоімунної патології та патоморфологічне дослідження біоптатів уражених ясен.