bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Whole exome sequencing and RNA sequencing analyses of PDAC samples
Authors: Hyeon Do Young , Nam Dowoon , Han Youngmin , Kim Duk Ki , Kim Gibeom , Kim Daeun , Bae Jingi , Back Seunghoon , Mun Dong-Gi , Madar Inamul Hasan , Lee Hangyeore , Kim Su-Jin , Kim Hokeun , Hyun Sangyeop , Kim Chang Rok , Choi Seon Ah , Kim Yong Ryoul , Jeong Juhee , Jeon Suwan , Choo Yeon Woong , Lee Kyung Bun , Kwon Wooil , Choi Seunghyuk , Goo Taewan , Park Taesung , Suh Young-Ah , Kim Hongbeom , Ku Ja-Lok , Kim Min-Sik , Paek Eunok , Park Daechan , Jung Keehoon , Baek Sung Hee , Jang Jin-Young , Hwang Daehee , Lee Sang-Won
Published: January 2023

The associated publication reports proteogenomic analysis of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), where we provided significantly mutated genes (SMGs)/biomarkers, cellular pathways, and cell types as potential therapeutic targets to improve stratification of patients with PDAC. This protocol describes the detailed methods for whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing analyses of PDAC samples, including tissue processing for proteogenomic analysis, DNA and RNA extraction, experimental procedures for WES and RNA sequencing, and WES and RNA sequencing data analyses.
A Mass Transit Equilibrium Problem with Bottleneck Congestion and Capacity Constraints
Authors: Shang Huayan , Tian Guangbin , Chu Hongrui , Tang Tieqiao , Xing Xin
Published: January 2023

Seat capacity setting greatly affects vehicle capacity. Increasing the number of seats allows more passengers to benefit from comfortable travel conditions but reduces the available space for standing passengers and the total capacity of the vehicle. By reducing the number of seats, the operator increases the capacity of the vehicle but most passengers do not find an available seat. Without changing the size of the bus, the operator chooses the desirable seat capacity when purchasing the bus, which can maximize vehicle capacity and allow passengers to have more opportunities to get a seat. Considering capacity constraints, this paper establishes multiple origins and a single destination equilibrium model to study the travel behaviors during peak-period. A bi-level programming model is considered to meet the equilibrium cost. The result shows that we succeed in finding an optimal seat capacity to make the total travel cost be lowest.
Exudates Detection Using Fusion of Histogram-Based Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Based on a New Weight Assignment Scheme
Authors: wisaeng kittipol
Published: January 2023

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is one of the earliest signs of a complication of diabetes mellitus and is also a leading cause of visual blindness globally. Recent studies have proposed that exudates (EXs) are the hallmark of DR severity. The present study aims to accurately and automatically detect EXs related features that are difficult to detect in fundus photography in early stages. The proposed method utilizes a Fusion of Histogram-Based Fuzzy C-Means clustering (FHBFCM) based on a New Weight Assignment Scheme (NWAS), and a set of four selected features from stages of pre-processing in order to evolve the detection method. Through the coarse segmentation stage, the optimal parameter of FHBFCM is trained by the features of DR for detection of EXs diseases through a stepwise enhancement process. The histogram-based is used to find the color intensity in each of the pixels and performed to accomplish RGB color information. This RGB color information is used as the initial cluster centers for creating the appropriate region and generating the homogeneous regions by FCM method. Afterwards, the best expression of NWAS is then used for fine segmentation stage. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves accuracy values of 96.12%, 97.20%, 93.22% for EXs segmentation on DiaretDB0, DiaretDB1, and STARE fundus image datasets respectively. In conclusion, this study provides a new method for early detection of EXs related features with a competitive accuracy and its ability to outperforms the other stateof-the-art by optimizing the detection quality, and possibly reducing the false positive segmentation in a significant way.
Real Time Broadcast Scheduling in Tsch for Smart Healthcare Using Cuckoo Search Algorithm
Authors: kotteswaran Pavithra , D rekha
Published: January 2023

Smart Healthcare Sensor Network (SHSN) has caught the attention of scientists and researchers. SHSN has a low bandwidth which causes low successful packet transmission. To transmit and receive the data without any collision and for efficient broadcast scheduling Time Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) can be used. The broadcast scheduling problem needs to be addressed in SHSN as the bandwidth is limited. This is done by collaterally transmitting the node data in the same time slot such that it does not cause interference with each other. This further minimizes the network turnaround time by enhancing the time slot in the TSCH frame. The proposed work focuses to achieve maximum throughput, turnaround time of nodes by using Genetic Algorithm (GA), Immune Genetic Algorithm (IGA), and Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA). The point is to limit the TSCH cycle period and augment the hub communication with diminished calculation time. In examination to GA and IGA, CSA effectively points to improving the arrangements and is unequivocally worried about abusing all accessible information about the issue. The reproduction results on various issue examples affirm that CSA altogether beats a few heuristic and transformative calculations by tackling notable benchmark issues in terms of arrangement quality, which likewise exhibits the viability of CSA in proficient utilization of channel transfer speed.
Witnessing workplace bullying – Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual health and well-being outcomes
Authors: Nielsen Morten Birkeland , Rosander Michael , Einarsen Ståle Valvatne
Published: January 2023

Background: Most research on workplace bullying has examined the impact of the mistreatment on those exposed. Although bullying also is assumed to have significant ripple effects on bystanders, the empirical evidence for this line of research is highly fragmented and inconclusive. The aims of this planned systematic review and meta-analysis are therefore to determine 1) which outcomes that have been examined in research on bystanders, 2) the empirical findings regarding these outcomes, 3) which theoretical models that have been used to explain the impact of bystanding on outcomes, 4) the methodological designs that have been used in research on bystanders, and 5) which confounders, mediators, and moderators that have been accounted for in research.
Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted. Electronic databases will be searched using predefined search terms to identify relevant studies. Eligible studies should report empirical findings on any individual outcome variable assessed among witnesses to workplace harassment and bullying, or any overlapping concept. Primary observational studies with cross-sectional or prospective research design, case-control studies, and studies with experimental designs will be included. Qualitative interviews and case studies will be excluded. The methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed with a previously established checklist for studies on workplace bullying. The quality of evidence for an association between witnessing bullying and potential outcomes will be evaluated in accordance with the GRADE system. A random effects meta-analysis will be conducted with the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software, version 3.
Discussion: We expect that findings on outcomes of bystanding to workplace bullying will provide practitioners with an understanding of the effects workplace bullying may have also on non-targets, and the workplace as a whole. Such information is important regarding the development and implementation of effective measures and interventions against bullying. In addition, the review will increase our understanding of existing research gaps and enable us to make recommendations to address them. Our work aligns with the sustainable development agenda to protect workers and reduce inequalities at the workplace.
Systematic review registration: The protocol has been registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number: 342006).
Location algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks based on Virtual Vertical Line and optimized Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Yu Xiuwu , Hu Yanyan , Liu Yong , Pan Yang
Published: January 2023

In view of the low positioning accuracy of the basic RSSI-based centroid positioning algorithm and considering the environmental morphology characteristics of underground roadway, a WSN positioning algorithm for underground roadway combining virtual midline and optimized particle swarm is proposed. Firstly, the location area is determined by the virtual midline location algorithm, and the distance between the reference node and the target node is obtained by RSSI ranging model. Then, when solving the optimal solution, the particle swarm optimization algorithm with linear inertia weight is used to search the above location area, and the fitness function is constructed to judge the advantages and disadvantages of the particle location. The coordinate of the target node required is the coordinate of the corresponding minimum fitness value obtained. Simulation results show that compared with APIT, LAPB and PB-APIT, the proposed algorithm has faster convergence speed and higher positioning accuracy.
Anti-Spoofing by Smart Acquisition in Cold-Start with Multiple Hypothesis using Wavelet Transform in a Software GPS Receiver
Authors: Moazedi M. , Mosavi Mohammad Reza
Published: January 2023

Spoofing subject is becoming ever increasingly more severe. In addition to the flow of technology, the availability of software-defined radio platforms has increased. Usually, detecting the spoofing is performed by introducing the features that are difficult for the deceiver to counterfeit. Spoofing and countering can be performed in different parts of a GPS receiver. In recent years, less attention has been paid to defense at cold-start. This research presents that the spoofing attack can be diminished during the initial start-up process with very short effective time. This low-cost method introduces a new decision rule based on a multiple statistical hypothesis test to identify fake peaks in correlation output of acquisition and extract the authentic peaks utilizing the wavelet transform or peak removal process. Main distinction of this method with previous works is investigating different amplitude ratios of spoofing signal to authentic. Simulation results on 10 data sets show that the probability of correctly detection and mitigation is more than 90%.
Dual Band Microstrip Patch Antenna with Defected Ground Structure for WiMAX and 5G Applications
Authors: Dharmpatre Sujit , Sutaone Mukul , Jadhav Makarand , Bansode Pranoti
Published: January 2023

In this paper a Dual Band Microstrip Patch Antenna with U-shaped Defected Ground Structure at 5.9 GHz and 27 GHz is designed and analyzed to cater wireless applications. The wideband behavior of the antenna is achieved by inserting U-shape DGS structure in the ground plane. The parameters such as gain, reflection coefficient (S11), Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR), radiation pattern, and percentage bandwidth is evaluated to measure antenna performance. Here two frequencies are considered for wireless applications. One is at 5.9 GHz for Wi-Fi as well as Wi-Max applications. The second is at 24.4 GHz and 27 GHz for 5G network applications. The High-Frequency Structure Simulator tool is used to simulate the proposed antenna. Here, RT 5880 Duroid material of thickness 1.6 mm with a relative dielectric constant of 2.2 and substrate size of 36 mm x 40 mm with line feeding technique is considered for experimentation. From the simulation results, it is observed that the antenna achieves a bandwidth of 170 MHz with a gain of 14 dB, S11 of -15.52 dB, and VSWR of 1.4 at a resonant frequency of 5.9 GHz. Further, the bandwidth of 840 MHz with a gain of 15.75 dB, S11 of -18.37 dB, and VSWR of 1.35 is achieved at the resonant frequency of 24.4 GHz. Whereas, wide bandwidth with a gain of 3.28 dB, S11 of -14.79 dB, and VSWR of 1.45 at a resonant frequency of 27 GHz is achieved. The antenna can operate for 5.9 GHz, 24.4 GHz, and 27 GHz covering Wi-MAX and Mobile 5G applications. This work significantly improves the MSPA performance parameters as compared to existing techniques. Future scope lies in improving the impedance matching and reducing the surface currents.
Air quality and health implications of electrifying heavy-duty vehicles
assessed at equity-relevant neighborhood-scales.
Authors: Camilleri Sara , Montgomery Anastasia , Visa Maxime , Schnell Jordan , Adelman Zac , Janssen Mark , Grubert Emily , Anenberg Susan , Horton Daniel
Published: January 2023

Heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) disproportionately contribute to the creation of air pollutants and emission of greenhouse gases – with marginalized populations unequally burdened by the impacts of each. Shifting to non-emitting technologies, like electric HDVs (eHDVs) is underway, however, the associated air quality and health implications have not been resolved at equity-relevant scales. Here, we use a neighborhood-scale (~1km) air quality model to evaluate air pollution, public health, and equity implications of a 30% transition of predominantly diesel HDVs to eHDVs over the region surrounding North America’s largest freight hub, Chicago, Illinois. We find decreases in NO2 and PM2.5 but O3 increases, particularly in urban settings. NO2 and PM2.5 decreases reduce premature deaths/yr by ~580 and ~70, respectively, while O3 increases add ~50 deaths/yr. We find the largest pollutant and health benefits in “least White” communities, highlighting the potential for eHDVs to reduce air pollution and health burdens, especially in marginalized communities.
Research on the effectiveness of virtual simulation in Interprofessional collaboration:A meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyu , Jiang Ying , Tang Yuxin
Published: January 2023

With the development of science and technology and the improvement of education level, the importance of virtual simulation teaching has been paid more and more attention. Virtual simulation makes up for the shortcomings of traditional practical teaching and provides strong support for interprofessional practical teaching. To explore the effectiveness of virtual simulation in interprofessional collaboration, a meta-analysis was performed. The Review Manager5.4 Software was used to perform the traditional meta-analysis. A systematic search of databases was conducted and a total of 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Virtual simulation can significantly promote interprofessional collaboration. The overall effect value (Hedges's g) is 1.26, (95% CI: 0.54–1.26, p < 0.001). (2) Both the number of professions and the intervention duration affect the effect of interprofessional collaboration. This study provides insight into the efficacy of virtual simulation as a pedagogy and contributes to our understanding of the educational value of service learning for virtual simulation.
Outcome of initial lenvatinib treatment in patients with unresectable anaplastic thyroid cancer
Authors: IWASAKI HIROYUKI , TODA SOJI , TAKAHASHI AKARI , MASUDO KATSUHIKO
Published: January 2023

Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a very rare disease with a remarkably poor prognosis and with no established effective drug therapy. This study aimed to report the outcomes of lenvatinib single-agent therapy as an initial drug treatment in ATC and investigate its safety and efficacy.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 56 patients with ATC with unresectable primary tumors of whom 36 were treated with lenvatinib and 12 with weekly paclitaxel (PTX), and 8 patients who refused any drug treatment received palliative care.
Results: The average survival in the lenvatinib group is 5.8 months, which is significantly longer than 2.0 months in the PTX group (P = 0.005). The efficacy of lenvatinib in 36 patients with ATC, whose primary tumors were unresectable, was evaluated. The response rate was 33%, and the median overall survival was 5.0 months. A safety review indicated that lenvatinib should be used under the careful observation of local findings. Two patients, who showed a reduction with lenvatinib, underwent conversion surgery, which prolonged the prognosis in terms of avoiding events, such as asphyxia, fistula, and hemorrhage due to tumor growth; however, the surgical margins were positive, indicating that complete remission was impossible even if surgical resection was performed.
Conclusions: Therefore, starting with lenvatinib treatment and finding a therapeutic drug based on the genomic analysis is an acceptable treatment strategy for ATC while halting the disease progression.
Stereoselective Construction of β-, γ-, and δ-Lactam Rings via Enzymatic C–H Amidation
Authors: Fasan Rudi , Roy Satyajit , Vargas David , Ma Pengchen , Sengupta Arkajyoti , Houk Kendall
Published: January 2023

Lactam rings are found in many biologically active natural products and pharmaceuticals, including important classes of antibiotics. Given their widespread presence in bioactive molecules, methods for the asymmetric synthesis of these molecules, in particular through the selective functionalization of ubiquitous yet unreactive aliphatic C–H bonds, are highly desirable. In this study, we report the development of a novel strategy for the asymmetric synthesis of 4-, 5-, and 6-membered lactams via an unprecedented hemoprotein-catalyzed intramolecular C-H amidation reaction with readily available dioxazolone reagents. Engineered myoglobin variants serve as excellent biocatalysts for this transformation producing an array of β-, γ-, and δ-lactam molecules in high yields, with high enantioselectivity, and on preparative scale. Mechanistic and computational studies elucidate the nature of the C–H amination and enantiodetermining steps in these reactions and provide insights into protein-mediated control of regioselectivity and stereoselectivity. Using this system, it was possible to accomplish the chemoenzymatic total synthesis of an alkaloid natural product and a drug molecule in much fewer steps (7-8 vs. 11-12) than previously possible, which showcases the power of this biosynthetic strategy toward enabling the preparation of complex bioactive molecules.
Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who receive immune-targeted therapy may derive survival benefit from nephrectomy
Authors: Dong Hanzhi , Cao Yuan , Jian Yan , Lei Jun , Zhou Weimin , Yu Xiaoling , Zhang Xiquan , Sun Zhe , Peng Zhiqiang
Published: January 2023

Background
Nephrectomy, whether in the era of cytokine therapy or targeted therapy, has an important role in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. With the advent of immunotherapy, immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy has become the mainstream of systemic therapy, but the role of nephrectomy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma is unclear. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the impact of nephrectomy on survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who received immune therapy in combination with targeted therapy.
Methods
Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who received immune-targeted therapy at three centers between May 17, 2019 and August 1, 2022 were collected, who were divided into two groups based on whether nephrectomy was performed or not. Survival, response rate and adverse event were compared between the two groups. The primary end point was progression free survival, Subgroup analysis and univariate and multivariable prognostic analyses were also assessed.
Results
With a median follow-up time of 29.3 months (95% CI 28.5–30.2), 165 patients were recruited and divided into two groups based on whether they underwent nephrectomy or not. There were 68 patients in the non-nephrectomy group, 97 in the nephrectomy group. Compared to patients treated with immune-targeted therapy, patients treated with immune-targeted therapy plus nephrectomy were able to achieve survival benefits, with a median PFS of 10.8 months (95% CI 8.3–13.3) and 14.4 months (95% CI 12.6–16.2), respectively, as well as an HR of 0.476 (95% CI 0.323–0.701, p = 0.0002). The 12-month and 18-month PFS rates were 30.9% versus 60.8% and 7.4% versus 25.8%, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) was 52.9% and 60.8%, respectively, in the non-nephrectomy and nephrectomy groups (p = 0.313), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 75% and 83.5%, respectively (p = 0.179). The most common adverse events related to treatment were hypothyroidism, immune-related pneumonitis and rash. Multivariate analysis showed that primary tumor nephrectomy prior to immune-targeted therapy, clear cell renal carcinoma and oligo metastasis were independent prognostic factors.
Conclusions
Nephrectomy may provide PFS benefit with tolerable safety for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who receive immune-targeted therapy. In multivariate analysis, nephrectomy, clear cell carcinoma, and oligo-organ metastasis were found to be favorable independent prognostic factors.
Reciprocal inhibition of PIN1 and APC/CCDH1 controls timely G1/S transition and creates therapeutic vulnerability
Authors: Ke Shizhong , Dang Fabin , Wang Lin , Chen Jia-Yun , Naik Mandar , Thavamani Abhishek , Liu Yansheng , Li Wenxue , Kim Nami , Naik Nandita , Sui Huaxiu , Tang Wei , Qiu Chenxi , Koikawa Kazuhiro , Wang Xiaodong , Batalini Felipe , Clohessy John , Heng Yujing J , Lahav Galit , Gray Nathanael , Zhou Xiao Zhen , Wei  , Wulf Gerburg , Lu Kun Ping
Published: January 2023

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) mediated phosphorylation inactivates the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/CCDH1), an E3 ubiquitin ligase that contains the co-activator CDH1, to promote G1/S transition. PIN1 is a phosphorylation-directed proline isomerase and a master cancer signaling regulator. However, little are known about APC/CCDH1 regulation after phosphorylation and about PIN1 ubiquitin ligases. Here we uncover a domain-oriented reciprocal inhibition that controls the timely G1/S transition: The non-phosphorylated APC/CCDH1 E3 ligase targets PIN1 for degradation in G1 phase, restraining G1/S transition; APC/CCDH1 itself, after phosphorylation by CDKs, is inactivated by PIN1-catalyzed isomerization, promoting G1/S transition. In cancer, PIN1 overexpression and APC/CCDH1 inactivation reinforce each other to promote uncontrolled proliferation and tumorigenesis. Importantly, combined PIN1- and CDK4/6-inhibition reactivates APC/CCDH1 resulting in PIN1 degradation and an insurmountable G1 arrest that translates into synergistic anti-tumor activity against triple-negative breast cancer in vivo. Reciprocal inhibition of PIN1 and APC/CCDH1 is a novel mechanism to control timely G1/S transition that can be harnessed for synergistic anti-cancer therapy.
Bone marrow-derived extracellular vesicles carry the TGF-β signal transducer Smad2 to preserve hematopoietic stem cells in mice
Authors: Quere Ronan , Gautheron Flavie , Georgievski Aleksandra , Garrido Carmen
Published: January 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by cells in the BM are important to regulate proliferation, differentiation and other properties of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC). While the TGF-β signaling is now well known since a long time to be involved in HSC’s quiescence and maintenance, the TGF-β pathway related to EVs is still largely unknown in the hematopoietic system. We discovered that EVs inhibitor Calpeptin, intravenously injected in mice, particularly affected thein vivoproduction of EVs, carrying phosphorylated Smad2 (p-Smad2) in mouse BM. This was accompanied with an alteration in the quiescence and maintenance of murine HSCin vivo. Murine stromal MS-5 cells also expressed p-Smad2 as a cargo. To prove that the signal transducer p-Smad2 was required for HSC maintenance, we treated murine mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) with the TGF-β inhibitor SB431542, in order to produce EVs without the expression of p-Smad2 and discovered that this mediator was required for maintenance of HSCex vivo. In conclusion, we discovered a new mechanism, which involved EVs, produced in the mouse BM that, as a cargo, transport bioactive phosphorylated Smad2 to enhance the TGF-β signaling-mediated quiescence and maintenance of HSC.
Mapping of Electric Utilities in Roadways using GIS in Erode City
Authors: Kumaar K.Santhosh , Suchithra S. , Ambika D. , Rajkumar R.
Published: January 2023

Urbanization has become a major phenomenon in India were lakhs are migrating every year increasing the traffic congestions. In many places over population has affected the local authorities even to provide basic transport services. Traffic problems in India are already an extensive task and will become much difficult due to urbanization and changing lifestyle of people. This analysis introduces a solution to the problem in transportation in erode city. In this project the electrical obstructions for transportation movement been identified and mapped by which they can be removed or altered in their routes. An integrated approach to electric utility mapping is more than the sum of its parts. Location and mapping teams need to participate in a multi-phased process that includes lobbying and action on their part. They must be involved from start to finish. This project aims at mapping the electric utilities such as electric poles and transformers in major roadways of Erode City [Corporation limits] using GIS. These utilities have been mapped and differentiated based on their impact to the traffic flow operations in the roads. Initially, locating the utilities has been done through GPS (Global Positioning Systems) which will be very useful for finding the accurate latitude and longitude values. And then, mapping of utilities is carried out through GIS (Geographic Information Systems) which give better results in mapping. The software used for mapping is QGIS. The electric utilities which are obstructions to traffic movement are all to be identified and mapped which will be later altered in their alignment or removed.
Optical Features of PVC Polymer Thin Films Doped by Compound Organosilane to Raise the Absorbance of Samples Driven to the Light
Authors: Al-Mashhadani Mohammed H. , Abed Rasheed N. , Yousif Emad , Hashim Hassan , Jawad Ali H. , Bufaroosha Muna
Published: January 2023

The novel work for this study is to make new films for the pure and doped PVC with organosilane thus it was used organosilane moieties (25 mg) were mixed with poly(vinyl chloride) (5 g). Thus drop-casting procedure was utilized to make these thin films. The pure PVC and PVC-Organosilane optical properties were studied under the wavelength range from (250–1300 nm) using diffusive reflectance equipment. The optical properties like absorption increased up to (87–95%), while reflectance and transmittance decreases when added organosilane molecules. Furthermore, the dielectric constant (real and imaginary) and optical conductivity enhanced, respectively. On the other hand, Urbach energy increases when adding organosilane to PVC structure, furthermore, skin depth, refractive index, and optical density were figured. The energy gap is reduced from 4 eV to 2.3 eV for the direct transition and from 3.9 eV to 1.6 eV for the indirect transition. SEM analysis was implemented over thin films of pure PVC and PVC-Organosilane to see the morphology of these surfaces. The AFM analysis was utilized to exhibit the topography of the surfaces. Thereby, finding the surface roughness and the root means square of the surface for these thin films. The improvement for these thin films is used in many applications such as photostability and absorption the light when used in radars applications.
Reaction route, mechanism, and procedure of the photoredox of U(Ⅵ) and Sb(Ⅲ) using a Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 heterojunction nano- photocatalyst under visible sunlight
Authors: Wang Chun , Jiao Han , Yang Yinbo , Wei Lihong , Na Ping
Published: January 2023

Magnetic Fe3O4/TiO2/g-C3N4, as a stable and recyclable ternary two-layer heterojunction nano-photocatalyst, has been synthesized to integrate the merits of each which can remove U(Ⅵ) and Sb(Ⅲ) through responding to almost full-wave band of visible of sunlight. Meanwhile through the combination of actual tests (free radical trapping tests), characterization (XRD, FT-IR, Raman, XPS, EXAFS and EPR) and theoretical calculations structure optimization, band structures, TDOS, electrostatic potential, charge density difference and Bader charge analysis) revealed reaction route, catalytic mechanism and reaction procedure of this photocatalytic reaction. It was found that the adsorption process took place between TiO2/ g-C3N4 heterostructure in the form of (C3)–N–U(Ⅵ)–O2c–Ti and N…Sb(Ⅲ)–O2c–Ti where N(g-C3N4) and O(TiO 2) played decisive roles. The built-in electric field and electronic structure motivated TiO2 and g-C3N4 to accumulate a large amount of e- to reduce U(Ⅵ) and h+ to oxidize Sb(Ⅲ) respectively, and completed the light-induced redox reaction by making full use of the e-, •OH and O2• ⁻ produced by photoexcited carriers which were difficult to recombine, finally, heterojunction complexes of (C3)–N–U(Ⅳ)–O2c–Ti, C=N–U(Ⅳ)–O2c–Ti and N…Sb(Ⅴ)–O2c–Ti were formed. Moreover, the two-way effect of O2• ⁻ proved that the redox of U(Ⅵ) and Sb(Ⅲ) had a coupling relationship. In addition, Fe3O4/TiO2/g-C3N4 prevented the damage of Fe3O4's photodissolution to its structure while Fe3O4 provided a new and interrelated path for the redox of U(Ⅵ) and Sb(Ⅲ).
Temporal trends in inequalities of the burden of HIV/AIDS across 186 countries
Authors: Deng Penghong , Chen Mingsheng , Si Lei
Published: January 2023

Background: The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) has reported that HIV/AIDS continues to take a disproportionate toll on global health. However, the trends in global inequality of HIV/AIDS burden have remained ambiguous over the past two decades. The objectives of our study were to assess the socioeconomic inequalities, and temporal trends of HIV/AIDS across 186 countries and territories from 2000 to 2019.
Methods: We extracted data from the GBD 2019, and conducted a cross-national time-series analysis. Age-standardized disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) rates were used to measure the global burden of HIV/AIDS. Gross national income (GNI) per capita was used to approximate the national socioeconomic status. Linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between age-standardized DALY rates due to HIV/AIDS and GNI per capita. The concentration curve and concentration index (CI) were generated to evaluate the cross-national socioeconomic inequality of HIV/AIDS burden. A joinpoint regression analysis was used to quantify the changes in trends in socioeconomic inequality of HIV/AIDS burden from 2000 to 2019.
Results: A decrease in age-standardized DALY rates for HIV/AIDS occurred in 132 (71%) of 186 countries/territories from 2000 to 2019, of which 52 (39%) countries/territories achieved a decrease in DALYs of more than 50%, and 27 (52%) of the 52 were from sub-Saharan Africa. The concentration curves of the age-standardized DALY rates of HIV/AIDS were above the equality line from 2000 to 2019. The CI rose from -0.4625 (95% CI -0.6220 to -0.2629) in 2000 to -0.4122 (95% CI -0.6008 to -0.2235) in 2019. A four-phase trend of changes in the CIs of age-standardized DALY rates for HIV/AIDS was observed across 2000 to 2019, with an average increase of 0.6% (95% CI 0.4 to 0.8, P <0.001).
Conclusions: Globally, the burden of HIV/AIDS has decreased over the past two decades, accompanied by a trend of narrowing cross-country inequalities of HIV/AIDS burden. Moreover, the burden of HIV/AIDS continues to fall primarily in low-income countries.
WITHDRAWN: Gut microbiota aggravates neutrophil extracellular traps-induced pancreatic injury in hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis
Authors: Li Guanqun , Liu Liwei , Sui Yuhang , Lu Tianqi , Wang Yongwei , Zhang Tao , Xie Yu , Xiao Peng , Zhao Zhongjie , Cheng Chundong , Hu Jisheng , Chen Hongze , Xue Dongbo , Chen Hua , Wang Gang , Kong Rui , Tan Hongtao , Bai Xuewei , Li Zhibo , McAllister Florencia , Li Le , Sun Bei
Published: January 2023

Hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis (HTGP) is featured by higher incidence of complications and poor outcomes. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota has been established in HTGP, the impact of gut microbiota in pancreatic injury remains unclear. We observed that HTGP patients’ gut microbiota involved lower diversity and loss of beneficial bacteria, which were negatively correlated with local and systemic complications. In FMT mouse model, colonization with gut microbiota from HTGP patients exacerbated pancreatic injury through inducing neutrophil infiltration and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) compared to mice colonized with health volunteers’ fecal samples. Furthermore, decreased Bacteroides uniformis was demonstrated to trigger neutrophils accumulation and NETs release in HTGP, and oral administration of Bacteroides uniformis increased taurine production that alleviated pancreatic injury. In addition, taurine supplementation limited neutrophils infiltration and NETs that attenuated pancreatic injury. Notably, circulating NETs-related biomarker levels were elevated in HTGP patients and coculturing patients’ serum with neutrophils accelerated NETs release in vitro, accompanying with taurine-producing disorder. Our ﬁndings establish roles of endogenous Bacteroides uniformis-derived taurine suppressed neutrophils recruitments and NETs in HTGP, which provides potential insights of ameliorating pancreatic injury by gut microbiota modulation.
Expression and Regulatory Roles of Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 4 in Gastric Cancer
Authors: pourghasem navid , Ghorbanzadeh Shadi , nejatizadeh azim
Published: January 2023

Background
Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Studies have shown that lncRNAs have a regulatory function in human diseases, particularly cancers. Small nuclear RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4) has known as an oncogenic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in various cancers, and its dysregulation can lead to tumorigenesis and cancer progression.
Methods
The present study aims to determine the molecular mechanism of SNHG4 and the effects of its expression on the development of GC. Based on the bioinformatics investigations, we studied gene expression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival, Gene ontology (GO), KEGG pathway enrichment, microRNA targets, transcription factor targets, and proteins interacting with SNHG4. During the experimental phase, SNHG4 expression was examined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in 40 paired gastric adenocarcinoma tissues and normal neighboring tissues. Also, we investigated the correlation between SNHG4 expression and patients' clinicopathological characteristics.
Results
Increased SNHG4 expression was detected in GC tissues, which is significantly associated with the TNM stage, grade group, tumor size, and metastatic status. Evaluation survival analysis demonstrated that overexpression of SNHG4 in GC tissues is remarkably related to poor overall survival (OS). SNHG4 is closely related to miR-490 and E2F family transcription factors. GO analysis suggested the possible role of SNHG4 in cell-cell adhesion, and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that SNHG4 could be associated with the gastric cancer signaling pathway. ELAVL1 and IGF2BP2 have the highest number of SNHG4 target sites, and these proteins are involved in the PI3K-Akt-mTOR and ERK-MAPK signaling pathways.
Conclusions
Based on our results, we conclude that SNHG4 may have a function in GC development by regulating tumor-related signaling pathways.
Student participation at the UNFCCC Convention of the Parties supports transformational learning and engagement on climate action
Authors: Snorek Julie , Gilmore Elisabeth
Published: January 2023

When Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addressed world leaders at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s 24th Conference of Parties (COP24), it was clear that young people are interested in and aware of their potential to influence international climate change negotiations. Young people also face barriers to effectively engaging in the COP processes with few opportunities to learn about the structure and practices for COP Observers. In this paper, we describe and evaluate a structured learning experience developed to support students conducting research related to climate change and their engagement with international climate negotiations. Before attending the COP24, students were given in-person and online training about the UNFCCC, its processes, and major issues under negotiation. They also developed and presented their work during a side event. Through pre- and post-surveys and in-depth interviews, we asked students about their expectations and degree of engagement and agency at the COP and more broadly on climate action. Students reported that the academic scaffolding before and during the COP provided them with tools for navigating the complexities of the COP. Despite the disengagement of some students, findings reveal that this learning experience supported self-efficacy and engagement in climate change action.
Upregulated expression of DACT1 and CYCLIN D1 have co-expression positive correlation in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: ghasemian Majid , bazl masoumeh rajabi , Poodineh Jafar , Sadeghi Hossein , Razavi Amirnader Emami , Mirfakhraie Reza
Published: January 2023

Background: Aberrant activation of Wnt pathway is linked to dysregulation of several genes. DACT1 and DACT2 are members of the DACT family that participate in antagonizing of the Wnt signaling cascade. Thus in this study we assess the mRNA levels of DACT1, DACT2 and Cyclin D1 in CRC tissues compared to adjacent tissues.
Methods: Determination of the mRNA levels of DACT1, DACT2and Cyclin D1 was done by Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR). The correlation between DACT1, DACT2 and Cyclin D1 genes was examined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was plotted to assess the diagnostic power. The association between histopathological parameters and the DACT1, DACT2 and Cyclin D1 gene was investigated.
Results: The levels of DACT1 and Cyclin D1 were remarkably higher in CRC tissue than adjacent tissues (P<0.0001). However, the expression of DACT2 was decreased (P<0.001). Between DACT1 and Cyclin D1 expression levels have a positive correlated (P<0.0001). DACT1 (AUC = 0.74, P<0.0001), DACT2 (AUC = 0.69, P<0.0003) and Cyclin D1 (AUC = 0.75, P<0.0001) had good effectiveness in separation between CRC samples and control. We found a significant association between DACT1 expression with tumor site (P <0.01). Also, a significant association was detected between DACT2 and Cyclin D1 with tumor stage (P <0.005 and P <0.038 respectively).
Conclusion: The findings suggested that DACT1 could function as an oncogene and correlation of DACT1 with Cyclin D1 expression suggests that DACT1expression is related to CRC progression whereas DACT2 was frequently downregulated and can be considered as a tumor suppressor.
What Stay-At-Home Orders Reveal About Dependence on Transportation Network Companies
Authors: Hanig Lily , Nock Destenie , Harper Corey D.
Published: January 2023

Transportation Network Companies (TNC) such as Uber and Lyft set out to provide transportation not fulfilled by private vehicles or public transit. The social value of TNCs for essential trips (i.e., necessary trips that cannot be fulfilled by another mode of transportation) is difficult to discern in normal conditions. The COVID-19 stay-at-home order is used as a natural experiment to investigate the heterogeneous ability to avoid TNCs by income areas of trip origins. We measure the sensitivity of different populations’ ability to respond to policies and to avoid TNC trips (e.g., early stay-at-home orders) using a difference-in-difference style regression. Previous studies have indicated that TNCs primarily serve high-income areas; however, we find that during the pandemic, TNCs contributed to transportation equity by servicing unavoidable trips to higher degrees in low-income areas. High-income community areas showed greater sensitivity to the stay-at-home order with a 56% greater decrease in TNC ridership during the stay-at-home order compared to low-income community areas. Specifically, TNC trips from high-income areas decreased by 80%. This indicates that low-income community areas are less able to adapt to stay-at-home orders because of a higher degree of non-flexible and essential jobs or worse access TNC alternatives like private vehicles and public transit.
When Geometric Deep Learning Meets Pretrained Protein Language Models
Authors: Wu Fang , Xu Jinbo , Radev Dragomir , Tao Yu
Published: January 2023

Geometric deep learning has recently achieved great success in non-Euclidean domains, and learning on 3D structures of large biomolecules is emerging as a distinct research area. However, its efficacy is largely constrained due to the limited quantity of structural data. Meanwhile, protein language models trained on substantial 1D sequences have shown burgeoning capabilities with scale in a broad range of applications. Nevertheless, no preceding studies consider combining these different protein modalities to promote the representation power of geometric neural networks. To address this gap, we make the foremost step to integrate the knowledge learned by well-trained protein language models into several state-of-the-art geometric networks. Experiments are evaluated on a variety of protein representation learning benchmarks, including protein-protein interface prediction, model quality assessment, protein-protein rigid-body docking, and binding affinity prediction, leading to an overall improvement of 20\% over baselines and the new state-of-the-art performance.
Strong evidence indicates that the incorporation of protein language models' knowledge enhances geometric networks' capacity by a significant margin and can be generalized to complex tasks.
Genetically determined levels of mTOR-dependent circulating proteins and risk of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Zhang Yao-chen , Fan Keyi , Wang Qi , Hu Jing-xi , Wang Qian , Zhang He-yi , Song Shan , Zhao Rong , Qiao Jun , Zhang Sheng-Xiao
Published: January 2023

Background
Observational studies have reported an association between circulating levels of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-dependent circulating proteins and multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the casual association has not been fully elucidated. Mendelian randomization (MR) is used to overcome limitations inherent to observational studies and assess the causal association.
Methods
To explore the causal association between mTOR-dependent proteins (AKT, RP-S6K, eIF4E-BP, eIF4A, eIF4E, eIF4G, and PKC-α) and MS, summary statistics were obtained from GWAS meta-analysis of the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (47429 patients and 68374 controls) and the INTERVAL study (genetic associations with 2994 plasma proteins from 3301 healthy individuals). MR analysis and sensitivity analyses were conducted.
Results
Among seven selected mTOR-dependent proteins, the circulating level of PKC-α (OR = 0.90, 95%CI 0.82–0.98, P = 0.017) and RP-S6K (OR = 1.12, 95%CI 1.00-1.25, P = 0.045) were associated with MS risk, while no significant causation was found between other proteins (AKT, eIF4E-BP, eIF4A, eIF4E, eIF4G) and MS.
Conclusion
Molecules in the mTOR signaling pathway may bidirectionally regulate the occurrence and development of MS. PKC-α is a protective factor, while RP-S6K is a risk factor. They might be used as future therapeutic targets for screening high-risk individuals.
The Spatial evolution of Urban Cultural Landscapes and Influencing Factors: A Case Study of Museums in Shandong Province, China
Authors: Lu Guanyu , Sun Haiyan , Wei Tongfeng , Du Peng
Published: January 2023

Under the strategic background of cultural revitalization, it is of great significance to study the evolving characteristics and influencing factors of museums to promote the prosperity and development of urban culture. Take the museums in Shandong province as the research object, based on the data from 1983–2021, the study was conducted by using Kernel Density Analysis, Spatial Autocorrelation, and Geodetector to reveal the spatial and temporal evolutionary characteristics of museums and their influencing factors within the domain of Shandong province. The research found that: 1) the number of museums shows a growth trend and can be divided into four stages: starting, rapid development, small growth, and high-speed development; the difference in the number in each city has a gradient, showing dispersion characteristics in different gradients; museums of historical and cultural themes and non-state museums occupy the main position in terms of quantity, and the trend of diversification of museum types is highlighted. 2) the spatial distribution is the cluster, showing a pattern of one center and multiple centers coexisting; the global distribution has a strong spatial correlation, and local high and low clusters change significantly; the center of gravity is concentrated near the geometric center of Shandong Province in an inverted V-shape migration. 3) The spatial pattern of museums in Shandong Province is formed under the comprehensive influence of policy, tourism, economy, culture, and education factors. The study has certain significance for promoting the development of cultural undertakings in Shandong Province and improving regional cultural competitiveness.
Computer-aided affinity enhancement of a cross-reactive antibody against dengue virus envelope domain III
Authors: Jonniya Nisha Amarnath , Poddar Sayan , Mahapatra Subhasmita , Kar Parimal
Published: January 2023

The dengue virus (DENV), composed of four distinct but serologically related Flaviviruses,causes the most important emerging viral disease, with nearly 400 million infections yearly. Currently, there are no approved therapies. Although DENV infection induces lifelong immunity against the same serotype, the antibodies raised contribute to severe disease in heterotypic infections. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of DENV neutralization by antibodies is crucial in the design of vaccines against all serotypes. This study reports a comparative structural and energetic analysis of the monoclonal antibody Mab 4E11 in complex with its target domain III of the envelope protein for all four DENV serotypes. We use extensive replica molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with the binding free energy calculations. Further single point and double mutations were designed through computational site-directed mutagenesis and observed that the re-engineered antibody exhibits high affinity to binding and broadly neutralizing activity against serotypes. Our results showed improved binding affinity by the gain of enthalpy, which could be attributed to the stabilization of salt-bridge and hydrogen bond interactions at the antigen-antibody interface. The findings provide valuable results in understanding the structural dynamics and energetic contributions that will be helpful to the design of high-affinity antibodies against dengue infections.