bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Awareness is required for autonomic performance monitoring in instrumental learning: Evidence from cardiac activity
Authors: Skora Lina I. , Livermore James J. A. , Nisini Federica , Scott Ryan B.
Published: March 2022

Performance monitoring is a vital aspect of successful learning and decision‐making. Performance errors are reflected in the autonomic nervous system, indicating the need for behavioral adjustment. As part of this response, errors cause a pronounced deceleration in heart rate, compared to correct decisions, and precede explicit awareness of stimulus–response outcome contingencies. However, it is unknown whether those signals are present and able to inform instrumental learning without stimulus awareness, where explicit performance monitoring is disabled. With mixed evidence for unconscious instrumental learning, determining the presence or absence of autonomic signatures of performance monitoring can shed light on its feasibility. Here, we employed an unconscious instrumental conditioning task, where successful learning is evidenced by increased approach responses to visually masked rewarding stimuli, and avoidance of punishing stimuli. An electrocardiogram (ECG) assessed cardiac activity throughout the learning process. Natural fluctuations of awareness under masking permitted us to contrast learning and cardiac deceleration for trials with, versus without, conscious stimulus awareness. Our results demonstrate that on trials where participants did not consciously perceive the stimulus, there was no differentiation in cardiac response between rewarding and punishing feedback, indicating an absence of performance monitoring. In contrast, consciously perceived stimuli elicited the expected error‐related deceleration. This result suggests that, in unconscious instrumental learning, the brain might be unable to acquire knowledge of stimulus values to guide correct instrumental choices. This evidence provides support for the notion that consciousness might be required for flexible adaptive behavior, and that this may be mediated through bodily signals.
Moving towards improved surveillance and earlier diagnosis of aquatic pathogens: From traditional methods to emerging technologies
Authors: MacAulay Scott , Ellison Amy R. , Kille Peter , Cable Joanne
Published: March 2022

Early and accurate diagnosis is key to mitigating the impact of infectious diseases, along with efficient surveillance. This however is particularly challenging in aquatic environments due to hidden biodiversity and physical constraints. Traditional diagnostics, such as visual diagnosis and histopathology, are still widely used, but increasingly technological advances such as portable next generation sequencing (NGS) and artificial intelligence (AI) are being tested for early diagnosis. The most straightforward methodologies, based on visual diagnosis, rely on specialist knowledge and experience but provide a foundation for surveillance. Future computational remote sensing methods, such as AI image diagnosis and drone surveillance, will ultimately reduce labour costs whilst not compromising on sensitivity, but they require capital and infrastructural investment. Molecular techniques have advanced rapidly in the last 30 years, from standard PCR through loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to NGS approaches, providing a range of technologies that support the currently popular eDNA diagnosis. There is now vast potential for transformative change driven by developments in human diagnostics. Here we compare current surveillance and diagnostic technologies with those that could be used or developed for use in the aquatic environment, against three gold standard ideals of high sensitivity, specificity, rapid diagnosis, and cost‐effectiveness.
Immunophenotypic and functional analysis of lymphocyte subsets in common variable immunodeficiency patients without monogenic defects
Authors: Tofighi Zavareh Farzaneh , Mirshafiey Abbas , Yazdani Reza , Keshtkar Abbas Ali , Abolhassani Hassan , Mahdaviani Seyed Alireza , Habibi Sima , Sohani Mahsa , Rezaei Nima , Aghamohammadi Asghar
Published: March 2022

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is accompanied by various lymphocyte abnormalities believed to be mostly responsible for disease features in patients with no diagnosed monogenic defects. Here, we evaluated the association of B and T lymphocyte abnormalities with the incidence of CVID. Twenty‐six genetically unsolved CVID patients were examined for B and T lymphocyte subsets by flow cytometry and CD4+ T‐cell proliferation by carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) test. We detected a reduction in total, naive, memory B cells and plasmablasts, and also total, naive, central memory and regulatory CD4+ T cells, besides naive CD8+ T cells. There was an increase in CD21low and transitional B cells, effector memory (EM) and terminally differentiated effector memory (TEMRA) CD4+ T‐cell subsets as well as total, EM, TEMRA, activated and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells among non‐monogenic CVID patients. CD4+ T‐cell proliferation response was reduced regarding both division index and percent divided. In conclusion, regarding the similarity of lymphocyte abnormalities between patients without genetic defects and those with monogenic defects, genetic mutations are not responsible for these specific lymphocyte changes. However, the novel correlations observed between lymphocyte alterations among genetically unsolved CVID patients may serve as a guide to predict the potential of future CVID development for hypogammaglobulinemia children.
The unresolved phylogenomic tree of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera): Assessing the potential causes and consequences
Authors: Rota Jadranka , Twort Victoria , Chiocchio Andrea , Peña Carlos , Wheat Christopher W. , Kaila Lauri , Wahlberg Niklas
Published: March 2022

The field of molecular phylogenetics is being revolutionized with next‐generation sequencing technologies making it possible to sequence large numbers of genomes for non‐model organisms ushering us into the era of phylogenomics. The current challenge is no longer how to get enough data, but rather how to analyse the data and how to assess the support for the inferred phylogeny. Here, we focus on one of the largest animal groups on the planet – butterflies and moths (order Lepidoptera), whose phylogeny remains unresolved despite several recent phylogenomic studies. In this study, we assess the potential causes and consequences of the conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses. With a dataset consisting of 331 protein‐coding genes and the alignment length over 290,000 base pairs, including 200 taxa representing 83% of lepidopteran superfamilies, we compare phylogenetic hypotheses inferred from amino acid and nucleotide alignments. The resulting two phylogenies are discordant, especially with respect to the placement of the superfamily Gelechioidea, which is likely due to compositional bias and possible other model violations. Furthermore, we employed a series of analyses to dissect our dataset and demonstrate that there is sufficient phylogenetic signal to resolve much – but not all – of the lepidopteran tree of life. The relationships among superfamilies within Ditrysia, the most species rich lepidopteran clade containing 98% of the extant species, remain poorly resolved. We conclude that taxon sampling remains an issue even in phylogenomic analyses and recommend that poorly sampled highly diverse groups, such as Gelechioidea in Lepidoptera, should receive extra attention in the future.
Retrospective analysis to describe trends in first-ever prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for primary healthcare facilities in the Gauteng Province, South Africa, between 2006 and 2016
Authors: Cassim Naseem , Rebbeck Timothy R , Glencross Deborah K , George Jaya A
Published: March 2022

Objectives

The objective of our study was to use laboratory data to describe prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing trends for primary healthcare (PHC) services from a single province. PHC is a basic package of services offered to local communities, serving as the first point of contact within the health system. These services are offered at clinics and community health centres (CHC), the latter providing additional maternity, accident and emergency services.

Design

The retrospective descriptive study design was used.

Methods

We analysed national laboratory data between 2006 and 2016 for men ≥30 years in the Gauteng Province. We used the probabilistic matching algorithm to create first-ever PSA cohort. We used the hot-deck imputation to assign missing race group values and the district health information system facility descriptors to identify PHC testing. We reported patient numbers by calendar year, age category and race group as well as descriptive statistics. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess any association for race group and age with a PSA ≥4 µg/L.

Results

Between 2006 and 2016, numbers of men tested increased from 1782 to 67 025, respectively, with 186 984/239 506 (78.1%) tests were from clinics. The majority of testing was for men in the 50–59 age category (31.5%) and Black Africans (86.4%). We reported a median of 0.9 µg/L that increased with age. A PSA ≥4 µg/L was reported for 11.7% of men, increasing to 35.5% for the ≥70 age category. The logistic regression reported that the adjusted odds of having a PSA ≥4 µg/L was significantly lower for Indian/Asians, multiracials and whites than for Black Africans (p value<0.0001).

Conclusions

Our study has shown a marked increase in PSA testing from clinics and CHC suggestive of screening for prostate cancer. The approaches reported in this study can be extended for national data.
Prevalence and risk factors associated with chronic kidney disease in Nepal: evidence from a nationally representative population-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Poudyal Anil , Karki Khem Bahadur , Shrestha Namuna , Aryal Krishna Kumar , Mahato Namra Kumar , Bista Bihungum , Ghimire Laxmi , KC Dirghayu , Gyanwali Pradip , Jha Anjani Kumar , Garcia-Larsen Vanessa , Kuch Ulrich , Groneberg David A , Sharma Sanjib Kumar , Dhimal Meghnath
Published: March 2022

Objective

This study aimed to determine population-based prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its associated factors in Nepal.

Study design

The study was a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study.

Setting and participants

Cross-sectional survey conducted in a nationally representative sample of 12 109 Nepalese adult from 2016 to 2018 on selected chronic non-communicable diseases was examined. Multistage cluster sampling with a mix of probability proportionate to size and systematic random sampling was used for the selection of individuals aged 20 years and above.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcome in this study was population-based prevalence of CKD in Nepal. A participant was considered to have CKD if the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio was greater than or equal to 30 mg/g and/or estimated glomerular filtration rate is less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 at baseline and in follow-up using modification of diet in renal disease study equations. The secondary outcome measure was factors associated with CKD in Nepal. The covariate adjusted association of risk factors and CKD was calculated using multivariable binary logistic regression.

Results

The overall prevalence of CKD in Nepal was 6.0% (95% CI 5.5 to 6.6). Factors independently associated with CKD included older age (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.6, 95% CI 1.9 to 3.6), Dalit caste (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.3), hypertension (AOR 2.4, 95% CI 2.0 to 3.0), diabetes mellitus (AOR 3.2, 95% CI 2.5 to 4.1), raised total cholesterol (AOR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.6) and increased waist-to-hip ratio (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.3).

Conclusion

This nationally representative study shows that the prevalence of CKD in the adult population of Nepal is substantial, and it is independently associated with several cardiometabolic traits. These findings warrant longitudinal studies to identify the causes of CKD in Nepal and effective strategies to prevent it.
Stopping power of plasma free and bound electrons using dielectric formalism
Authors: Barriga-Carrasco Manuel D. , Chacón-Rubio Francisco , Montanari Claudia C.
Published: March 2022

In this work, a method is proposed that accounts for the stopping power of free and bound electrons of a partially ionized plasma. To formulate this method, the well-known dielectric formalism is used, combining a dielectric function of quantum plasmas, which includes temperature, for free electrons, and the shellwise local plasma approximation (SLPA) for bound electrons. Since few experimental data are available for plasmas, our method calculations at $$T=0$$

T
=
0

for solids are compared with SRIM code. The agreement with experimental data is excellent. Also, a cold gas target is considered at different ionization states; results show the expected behavior, but with a little overestimation of the stopping peak and underestimation in the low energy region. Finally our results for plasmas at diverse conditions of temperature are compared with other methods from the literature that contemplate bound electrons explicitly: Mehlhorn, Zimmerman and Unified Wave Packet models. Differences observed between our method, and Mehlhorn and Zimmerman models can be explained by the limited range of application of these old models. In contrast better agreement is obtained when our method is compared with Unified Wave Packet model. These comparisons also serve to prove the validity of our method in different elements.
Fast Track Promotion for Grassroots Cadres: The Xuandiaosheng System in Xi Jinping’s China
Authors: TSAI WEN-HSUAN , LIAO XINGMIU
Published: March 2022

Although the “selected graduate” (xuandiaosheng) system is not new, Xi Jinping has changed it substantially since he came to power. This paper introduces the concept of the “promotion ladder” to describe how low-ranking cadres must wait longer for promotion than do mid- and high-ranking cadres. This promotion ladder often leads to low-ranking cadres hitting a ceiling in their careers. For this reason, section-level cadres need a fast track that will allow them to “sprint with small steps” (xiaobu kuaipao) if they are to make significant progress in their careers. The xuandiaosheng system not only works as an important means for accelerating the promotion of grassroots cadres but also allows cadre management to start as soon as a prospective cadre graduates from a university. The system introduces flexibility into the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) cadre system, allowing it to cope with the constraints of the promotion ladder. This paper will summarize the operation of the xuandiaosheng system under Xi Jinping and discuss its advantages and disadvantages as well as its likely influence on CCP elite politics in the future.
Digital twins and artificial intelligence
Authors: Furini Marco , Gaggi Ombretta , Mirri Silvia , Montangero Manuela , Pelle Elvira , Poggi Francesco , Prandi Catia
Published: March 2022

Personalized learning models can cut student dropout rates, boost student success, improve the integration of online and on-site students, better support teachers in mixed-teaching modalities, enhance accessibility, and more.
Can AI learn to forget?
Authors: Greengard Samuel
Published: March 2022

Specialized techniques may make it possible to induce selective 'amnesia' in machine learning models.
Cognitive biases in software development
Authors: Chattopadhyay Souti , Nelson Nicholas , Au Audrey , Morales Natalia , Sanchez Christopher , Pandita Rahul , Sarma Anita
Published: March 2022

Cognitive biases are hardwired behaviors that influence developer actions and can set them on an incorrect course of action, necessitating backtracking. Although researchers have found that cognitive biases occur in development tasks in controlled lab studies, we still do not know how these biases affect developers' everyday behavior. Without such an understanding, development tools and practices remain inadequate. To close this gap, we conducted a two-part field study to examine the extent to which cognitive biases occur, the consequences of these biases on developer behavior, and the practices and tools that developers use to deal with these biases. We found about 70% of observed actions were associated with at least one cognitive bias. Even though developers recognized that biases frequently occur, they are forced to deal with such issues with ad hoc processes and suboptimal tool support. As one participant (IP12) lamented:
There is no salvation!
Getting off the mad path
Authors: Neville-Neil George V.
Published: March 2022

Debuggers and assertions.
Communications'
digital initiative and its first digital event
Authors: Chien Andrew A.
Published: March 2022

How AI and science are shaping each other.
Analysis of Mitochondria by Single-Organelle Resolution
Authors: Harbauer Angelika B. , Schneider Annika , Wohlleber Dirk
Published: March 2022

Cellular organelles are highly specialized compartments with distinct functions. With the increasing resolution of detection methods, it is becoming clearer that same organelles may have different functions or properties not only within different cell populations of a tissue but also within the same cell. Dysfunction or altered function affects the organelle itself and may also lead to malignancies or undesirable cell death. To understand cellular function or dysfunction, it is therefore necessary to analyze cellular components at the single-organelle level. Here, we review the recent advances in analyzing cellular function at single-organelle resolution using high-parameter flow cytometry or multicolor confocal microscopy. We focus on the analysis of mitochondria, as they are organelles at the crossroads of various cellular signaling pathways and functions. However, most of the applied methods/technologies are transferable to any other organelle, such as the endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, or peroxisomes.
Managing the Steady State Chromatin Landscape by Nucleosome Dynamics
Authors: Ahmad Kami , Henikoff Steven , Ramachandran Srinivas
Published: March 2022

Gene regulation arises out of dynamic competition between nucleosomes, transcription factors, and other chromatin proteins for the opportunity to bind genomic DNA. The timescales of nucleosome assembly and binding of factors to DNA determine the outcomes of this competition at any given locus. Here, we review how these properties of chromatin proteins and the interplay between the dynamics of different factors are critical for gene regulation. We discuss how molecular structures of large chromatin-associated complexes, kinetic measurements, and high resolution mapping of protein–DNA complexes in vivo set the boundary conditions for chromatin dynamics, leading to models of how the steady state behaviors of regulatory elements arise.
Direct Air Capture of CO2Using Solvents
Authors: Custelcean Radu
Published: March 2022

Large-scale deployment of negative emissions technologies (NETs) that permanently remove CO2from the atmosphere is now considered essential for limiting the global temperature increase to less than 2°C by the end of this century. One promising NET is direct air capture (DAC), a technology that employs engineered chemical processes to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide, potentially at the scale of billions of metric tons per year. This review highlights one of the two main approaches to DAC based on aqueous solvents. The discussion focuses on different aspects of DAC with solvents, starting with the fundamental chemistry that includes the chemical species and reactions involved and the thermodynamics and kinetics of CO2binding and release. Chemical engineering aspects are also discussed, including air–liquid contactor design, process development, and technoeconomic assessments to estimate the cost of the DAC technologies. Various solvents employed in DAC are reviewed, from aqueous alkaline solutions (NaOH, KOH) to aqueous amines, amino acids, and peptides, along with different solvent regeneration methods, from the traditional thermal swinging to the more exploratory carbonate crystallization with guanidines or electrochemical methods.
Numerical Investigation of Contact Burning in an Air-Breathing Continuous Rotating Detonation Engine
Authors: Xiong Dapeng , Sun Mingbo , Peng Haoyang , Wang Yanan , Yang Yixin , Wang Hongbo , Yu Jiangfei , Wang Zhenguo
Published: March 2022

Three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations of a continuous rotating detonation engine are carried out with an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver. The second-order upwind advection upstream splitting method and second-order Runge-Kutta method are used to discretize space and time terms, and detailed 9-species 19-step hydrogen-oxygen reactions are applied in this study. Nonpremixed rotating detonation is successfully realized numerically, and the characteristics of the detonation wave are revealed. The expanding angle of the combustor has a great impact on the shape of the detonation wave but has little influence on the propagation velocity. The evolution of combustion on the contact region is analyzed in detail; a more accurate schematic of non-premixed air-breathing rotating detonation engines is given in this paper. A rough analysis of the heat performance of the contact region shows that the heat release of the contact region is approximately one-third of the total heat release and the configurations of the combustors do not affect the proportion.
Computational Analysis of the Potential Impact of MTC Complex Missenses SNPs Associated with Male Infertility
Authors: Harmak Houda , Charoute Hicham , Redouane Salaheddine , Filali Ouafaa Aniq , Barakat Abdelhamid , Rouba Hassan
Published: March 2022

Meiotic chromosomes endure rapid prophase movements that ease the formation of interhomologue recombination intermediates that drive synapsis, crossing over, and segregation process. To generate these fast moves, the meiotic telomere complex (MTC) enables telomere‐inner nuclear membrane attachment during meiotic prophase I and transfers cytoskeletal signals via another complex: the LINC complex. Furthermore, disruption or mutations of any of the MTC genes (TERB1, TERB2, and MAJIN) alters telomere association with the nuclear envelope leading to impairment of homologous pairing and synapsis, a meiotic arrest, and consequently to male infertility. To decipher the effect of TERB1, TERB2, and MAJIN missense mutations on protein structure, stability, and function, different bioinformatic tools were used in this study including VEP, Mutabind2, Haddock, Prodigy, Ligplot, ConSurf, DUET and MusiteDeep. In total, thirty mutations were predicted to be deleterious using VEP web server: seventeen for TERB1, eleven for TERB2, and two for MAJIN. All these single nucleotide polymorphisms were further analyzed and only 11 SNPs (W8R, G25R, P649A, I624T, C618R, F607V, S604G, C592Y, C592R, G187W, and R53C) were found to be the most damaging by at least six software tools and exert deleterious effect on the TERB1, TERB2, and MAJIN protein structures and likely functions. They revealed high conservation, less stability, and having a role in posttranslational modifications. This in silico approach provides information to gain further insights about variants that might affect stability, change binding affinity, and edit protein‐protein interactions to facilitate their identification and functional characterization associated with male infertility.
Identification and Validation of Invasion-Related Molecular Subtypes and Prognostic Features for Cervical Cancer
Authors: Wang Xingling , Wang Jing , Yu Mingxin
Published: March 2022

Background. As one of the main causes leading to female cancer deaths, cervical cancer shows malignant features of local infiltration and invasion into adjacent organs and tissues. This study was designed to categorize novel molecular subtypes according to cervical cancer invasion and screen reliable prognostic markers. Methods. Invasion-related gene sets and expression profiles of invasion-related genes were collected from the CancerSEA database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), respectively. Samples were clustered by nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) to obtain different molecular subgroups, immune microenvironment characteristics of which were further systematically compared. Limma was employed to screen differentially expressed gene sets in different subtypes, followed by Lasso analysis for dimension reduction. Multivariate and univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine prognostic characteristics. The Kaplan-Meier test showed the prognostic differences of patients with different risks. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to validate the prognostic model performance. A nomogram model was developed using clinical and prognostic characteristics of cervical cancer, and its prediction accuracy was reflected by calibration curve. Results. This study filtered 19 invasion-related genes with prognosis significance in cervical cancer and 2 molecular subtypes (C1, C2). Specifically, the C1 subtype had an unfavorable prognosis, which was associated with the activation of the TGF-beta signaling pathway, focal adhesion, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. 875 differentially expressed genes were screened, and 8 key genes were finally retained by the dimension reduction analysis. An 8-gene signature was established as an independent factor predictive of the prognosis of cervical cancer. The signature performance was even stronger when combined with N stage. Conclusion. Based on invasion-related genes, the present study categorized two cervical cancer subtypes with distinct TME characteristics and established an 8-gene marker that can accurately and independently predict the prognosis of cervical cancer.
Effect of Apple (Malus domestica) Stem Cells on UVB-Induced Damage Skin with Anti-Inflammatory Properties: An In Vivo Study
Authors: Khayatan Danial , Nilforoushzadeh Mohammad Ali , Ahmadi Ashtiani Hamid Reza , Hashemian Farshad
Published: March 2022

Objective. Apple (Malusdomesticus) stem cells have beneficial effects in preventing photodamages caused by UVB responsible for inflammation in different stages of various skin disorders. This study aimed to investigate Apple stem cells’ anti-inflammatory and repairing effects on UVB-induced rat dorsal skin damage via microscopic and macroscopic analyses. Materials and Methods. Therapeutic effects of the apple stem cells (ASCs) extract were evaluated after UVB irradiation with macroscopic and microscopic studies, including pathological analysis, inflammatory cytokines measuring, and biometric studies containing investigation of thickness, density, erythema, melanin, sebum, and moisture content of epidermis and dermis layers in rat models. After biometric studies, skin samples were taken for histopathologic and biochemical analyses. Results. ASC extract could attenuate infiltration of inflammatory cells caused by UVB and ameliorate collagen regulation of the photodamaged skin. In addition, improved skin biometrics was considerable, such as reducing thickened epidermal and dermal layers compared to other rat groups. Furthermore, moisture content enhancement of the skin showed clinical advantages in treating damages and inflammation. Furthermore, TNF-α expression was downregulated after ASC application. ASC extract could treat UVB damages and indicate anti-inflammatory effects in animal models. Conclusion. The ASCs can be an appropriate candidate for treating inflammation and damages induced by UVB in clinical studies.
circSYPL1 Promotes the Proliferation and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via the Upregulation of EZH2 Expression by Competing with hsa-miR-506-3p
Authors: Lei Da , Wang Tao
Published: March 2022

Objective. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs are crucial for progressing of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nonetheless, the function or mechanisms of a newly discovered circRNA, circSYPL1, as well as miR-506-3p, in the progression of HCC are mostly unexplained. The purpose of this research was to determine the mechanisms by which circSYPL1 and miR-506-3p regulate the malignant features of HCC. Methods. The expression level of circSYPL1 was indeed detected using real-time PCR in HCC cell lines, primary as well as metastatic cancers. To assess the functionality of circSYPL1 upregulation and knockdown, we used proliferation and apoptosis, in addition to migration assays, as well as tumor xenograft and lung metastasis assays. The mechanisms of competing endogenous RNAs with circSYPL1/miR-506-3p/EZH2 were investigated using luciferase as well as RNA pull-down experiments. Lastly, cell proliferation and migration, in addition to tumor xenograft tests, were used to validate the biological significance of the circSYPL1/miR-506-3p/EZH2 signaling axis through overexpression or otherwise silencing. Results. circSYPL1 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC cell lines, in addition to primary and metastatic tumors of patients with HCC. Additionally, it may promote HCC initiation, development as well as progression. By knocking down circSYPL1 siRNA, we were able to drastically decrease the aggressiveness of HCC cells. circSYPL1 sponged miR-506-3p to boost EZH2 expression levels, as indicated by luciferase and RNA pull-down assays. Furthermore, circSYPL1 overexpression could upregulate EZH2 expression, while miR-506-3p mimics or EZH2 shRNAs could reverse the circSYPL1-induced malignancy of HCC cells. Conclusion. On a mechanistic level, circSYPL1 can interact with miR-506-3p in a competitive manner to upregulate EZH2, hence increasing the aggressiveness of tumors.
Global Sound Field Reconstruction in the Room Environment Based on Inverse Wave-Based Simulation
Authors: Wang Haitao , Zhang Lin , Wang Yakun , Nie Yaocheng , Zeng Xiangyang
Published: March 2022

An inverse wave modeling-based method is proposed for globally reconstructing the sound field in room environments. The method builds the wave model of the sound field as prior knowledge to support the reconstruction under strong reverberation. In this method, the whole space is divided into a set of subdomains. Based on the theory of discretization-based numerical simulation, a wave model that can describe the transfer characteristic between any subdomain and the source is built. Supported by this model, the sound source is recovered based on spatial sound pressure sampling and the global sound field reconstruction can be further accomplished in the reverberant environment. In particular, the shape function with the property of sparsity is constructed in building the wave model. Then, the intensity on the point source is represented by a sparse vector over the subdomains, and then, the sparse method can be used to achieve the recovery of this vector, which reduces the sampling burden in the space. Numerical verifications are performed to evaluate the performances of the proposed method. It demonstrates that the proposed method is capable of obtaining accurate reconstructions in a strong reverberant environment. It also shows that the method is applicable to problems with complicated excitations in the low-frequency range.
Comparing Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood Methods in Structural Equation Modelling of University Student Satisfaction: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Asosega Killian Asampana , Iddrisu Wahab Abdul , Tawiah Kassim , Opoku Alex Akwasi , Okyere Eric
Published: March 2022

Students’ satisfaction in the university environment is essential to both the student (customer) and management of the university. Satisfied students are determined to succeed in their academics, and this sustains their loyalty and trust, which results in an improved image and esteem of the university. This study examined the level of students’ satisfaction with campus facilities and infrastructure, campus social life, student support services, and the quality of academics in the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Ghana and further investigated how students’ satisfaction with the above four areas of the university environment affect each other. A questionnaire was administered to continuous students in UENR, and the collected data were analysed using structural equation modelling within the maximum likelihood and Bayesian frameworks whose results and performance were compared. Results showed that students’ satisfaction levels with available campus facilities, campus social life, and student support services were low but were fairly satisfied with the quality of academics. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian techniques showed positive significant effects of students’ satisfaction with campus facilities and infrastructure on satisfaction with campus social life, students’ support services, and academics. Moreover, students’ satisfaction with social life was positively associated with their satisfaction with academics and student support services. Although both estimation methods obtained similar estimates and inferences, the Bayesian SEM outperformed the ML-SEM based on the recommended fit indices. Findings of the study highlight the significant effects of satisfaction with campus facilities and student support services on students’ satisfaction with academics and the university environment at large. The study further underpins the important role of the availability of adequate facilities and quality students’ services in improving and sustaining satisfaction.
Intelligent Light Control System Based on Zigbee
Authors: Wang Xinxin , Wang Lijun
Published: March 2022

This system uses Freescale i.MX283 chip as the main control core of the control panel and LPC824 as the main control core of the light control point. ZigBee communication local area network is built. The ZigBee network is used to search all the nodes and display them on the control interface stably. The controller can selectively control the node and communicate with ZigBee. It supports simple and convenient human-computer interaction interface. The control panel can control RGB lamps of lamp control nodes as follows: control the light on and off, adjust the brightness of the light, toggle the color of the light, control the gradient of the light, control the flashing of RGB lamp, control timing switch of RGB lamp, realize the scene effect of the light, etc. After testing, the system is stable and applied to many lighting control occasions.
Detection Method for Echolocation Clicks Based on LSTM Networks
Authors: Duan Dexin
Published: March 2022

Odontocete clicks are a kind of short-time echolocation signal with high frequency. Research on the detection method of clicks is helpful for the accurate detection of marine mammal vocalization, so as to better protection of marine mammals. A method based on image processing is proposed to detect odontocete echolocation clicks. The collected data are divided into fixed-length frames and generate spectrograms. The spectrograms are filtered to remove noise and enhance the line-shape clicks. Considering that the echolocation signals are like lines in time-frequency domain, line detection is subsequently used to obtain the precise position of the lines. Finally, a Long Short-Term Memory network was trained to obtain a detector to distinguish clicks. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated using real audio recordings. The experimental results indicate that comparing with the traditional energy detector method, the proposed algorithm shows higher recall and precise under low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The proposed method can provide technical support in odontocete survey to accurately determine the species and better for marine bioacoustics study.
Exploration, Analysis, and Practice of Sensor English Teaching Based on Immersive Augmented Reality Technology
Authors: Cao Yuhui
Published: March 2022

With the continuous development of social economy, English teaching has become one of the inevitable choices of national communication, but how to improve the efficiency and quality of classroom teaching through English teaching is an extremely important research direction. In response to these shortcomings and needs, the immersive augmented reality technology is introduced in this paper. Exploratory analysis of English teaching is performed from various perspectives such as sensor experimental selection, experimental teaching content, sensor progress management, and sensor teaching assessment, through combing the principles and structural framework of sensor technology, to target students and teachers for performing multilevel and multitype analysis and practice, focus on the application analysis of sensors, and highlight manual practice. The simulation experiment results show that the immersive augmented reality technology is effective and can support the exploration, analysis, and practice of sensor English teaching.
Study on the Optimization of the Synergy between the Regulatory Body, Social Body, and Market Body in the Transportation Industry
Authors: Wanjiao Wang , Qilong Huang
Published: March 2022

The regulatory body, social body and market body of transportation are important participants in the transportation market, and their synergistic efficiency has an important impact on the development of the market. The regulatory body needs to improve regulatory efficiency to ensure the safe and stable development of the market; the market body needs to improve operational efficiency to promote the development of the market economy; the social body mainly implements guidance to the market, and the three complement each other. In order to optimize the business environment of transportation and promote the safe, stable and efficient development of transportation market, the game model of industry regulatory body and market body is established on the basis of sorting out the current situation of transportation market development, and the evolution game model of government regulation and social supervision is further established to analyze the relationship between the industry regulatory body, social supervisory body and market body, and put forward countermeasures for synergistic optimization. Measures are proposed to further improve the efficiency of transportation market operation and provide reference for market managers and operators.
Paeoniflorin Upregulates Mitochondrial Thioredoxin of Schwann Cells to Improve Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Indicated by 4D Label-Free Quantitative Proteomics
Authors: Yang Xinwei , Li Xiao , Zhu Yanbo , Gao YingYing , Xu Liping
Published: March 2022

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a diabetic complication characterized by demyelination. The pathogenesis of DPN has not been fully elucidated, thus lacking therapies. In the current study, we aimed to confirm whether paeoniflorin (PF) could improve DPN by upregulating mitochondrial thioredoxin (Trx2) based on 4D Label-free proteomic experiments of Schwann cells (SCs) mitochondria. Firstly, PF increased the expression of mitochondrial processing peptidase α (Pmpca) and small ubiquitin-related modifier 1 (Sumo1) to increase mitochondrial protein processing of Trx2. Then, PF increased the protein expression of Trx reductase 2 (TrxR2) and peroxiredoxin 3 (Prx3), which belong to mitochondrial Trx systems. Accordingly, PF decreased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) while increasing mtDNA and mitochondrial membrane potential to improve mitochondria function under high glucose environment. Furthermore, total glucosides of paeony capsules (TGP), containing more than 90% PF, increased the Trx2, TrxR2, and Prx3 levels in sciatic nerve of DPN rats, thus reducing demyelination as well as improving mechanical pain threshold, thermal pain threshold, motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV), and sensor nerve conduction velocity (SNCV). Overall, these results suggest that PF could provide protection for DPN by upregulating Trx2.
CET Resource Database Construction Model Based on Cloud Computing
Authors: Xie Lin
Published: March 2022

Chinese students began learning English during compulsory education, have a long history of English learning, and focus on vocabulary, grammar, and other aspects of the language in middle school. Teaching resources include a variety of teaching conditions, such as materials. In a broad sense, they also include educational policies and other contents. They typically include teaching materials, cases, films and television, pictures, courseware, teacher resources, teaching aids, and infrastructure. In this case, cloud computing provides a good technical platform for solving the problems mentioned above in college English teaching (CET). Cloud computing enables the desktop use of Internet resources while reducing personal computer performance. In this paper, we will create a data resource data bank based on the cloud computing concept, making the most of existing resources, avoiding repeated development, and achieving curriculum content sharing. Reduce the cost of developing online courses, shorten the development cycle, and ensure that they are of high quality. This paper investigates the use of cloud computing to build a CET resource data bank. The cloud computing platform enables multiperson collaboration, document creation, editing, and sharing, all of which are characteristics of constructivism and collaborative learning theory.
Development of Students’ Speech Using the Method of Creative Thinking
Authors: Fauziya Orazbayeva , Aigerim Bogenbayeva , Gulfairuz Yerkibayeva , Elmira Orazaliyeva , Meruyert Imankulova , Akhmetzhanova Guldaray , Ilham Dodi , Azizi Zeinab , Mousavi Movahede Sadat , Anamagh Amir Nazari
Published: March 2022

This study aimed to examine the structural relationship between speaking and creative thinking and their impacts on students’ academic performance. Researchers in this field of science argue that there is a close relationship between student achievement and creative thinking. Students with high creative thinking skills show good results in mastering knowledge. Therefore, we tested the students’ ability by giving them creative assignments while teaching the Kazakh language. The study aimed to track the development of students’ speech skills using methods aimed at developing creative thinking. The research includes methods, such as observation, questioning, semiotic analysis, discourse analysis, and analytical essay. Tasks aimed at developing students’ creative abilities do not require the usual mechanical action that students perform automatically. It requires action, which is carried out at a high creative level, and activity that arises as a result of creative thinking. Therefore, these tasks should be based on the principle of creativity and should include elements of the game. In this regard, we called the system of tasks used in our practice “game tasks.” It allows students to actively participate in language communication through creative thinking. These tasks allow students to think creatively while playing and develop the ability to freely express their thoughts in oral and written speech. However, it is important to consider the number of students in the experimental group. The number of participants should not exceed 20 students to keep track of the individual abilities of students.
Cytotoxic Action of Palladium-Based Compound on Prostate Stem Cells, Primary Prostate Epithelial Cells, Prostate Epithelial Cells, and Prostate Cell Lines
Authors: Cheng Long , Wang Yan , Wang Jiawei , Qin Haibo , Zhu Guangbiao , Tao Lingsong
Published: March 2022

Objective. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer found to occur in males and is ranked as the second-highest cause of cancer-associated deaths among male patients. In this study, we have shown the influence of a new palladium-based anticancer agent in contrast to the six distinct prostate cancer lines and the primary cultures. Methods. In this study, we have used six distinct prostate cell lines, that is, PNT2-C2, LNCaP, BPH-1, PC-3, PNT1A, and P4E6. The MTP and ATP assay were performed to evaluate the growth of the cell and the flow cytometry to investigate the status of the cell cycle. The antigrowth effect of the palladium complex was evaluated against different cell lines at three time zones 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. [PdCl(terpy)] (capsule)-2H2O is synthesized by direct encapsulation of equimolar amounts of capsule ions into [Pd (terpy) Cl] Cl-2H2O. Results. A comparative analysis was done on 25 mM etoposide and 12 mM cisplatin, cytotoxic agents. The lowest IC50 value at 72 hours was 0.128 mM for BPH-1 cell lines with 0.139 mM, whereas PNT2-C2 cells were found to be most resistant with IC50 values of 0.829 mM. The antigrowth effect of palladium complex on cell lines was measured using the MTS assay at 24, 48, and 72 hours. BPH-1, PNT2-C2, and PNT1A either possess normal tissues or have benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues whereas P4E6, PC-3, and LNCaP cell lines possess malignant origin. The Pd complex exhibited significant cytotoxic action in stem cells when compared against etoposide. An antigrowth effect was reported for Pd complex at lower concentration, but it was more cytotoxic than etoposide with significant cytotoxicity

P
=
0.001

. Conclusion. The palladium complex experienced a substantial antigrowth influence over most of the prostate tumor cell lines and the primary cultures, eventually, leading to the implementation of this Pd complex in the treating procedure of metastatic prostate cancer, which is tremendously resistant to the traditional treatment.
Sex Difference in the Association of Osteoporosis and Osteopenia Prevalence in Patients with Adrenal Adenoma and Different Degrees of Cortisol Excess
Authors: Izawa Shoichiro , Matsumoto Kazuhisa , Matsuzawa Kazuhiko , Katabami Takuyuki , Yoshimoto Takanobu , Otsuki Michio , Sone Masakatsu , Takeda Yoshiyu , Okamura Shintaro , Ichijo Takamasa , Tsuiki Mika , Suzuki Tomoko , Naruse Mitsuhide , Tanabe Akiyo
Published: March 2022

Objective. Osteoporosis and osteopenia (OS/OP) are frequent in patients with adrenal adenomas associated with cortisol excess (CE). However, the relationship between OS/OP and CE severity considering sex differences is unknown. Design. A cross-sectional observational study from January 2006 to December 2015. Patients. 237 patients with adrenal adenoma associated with CE, including Cushing’s syndrome and mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS), diagnosed in 10 referral centers in Japan. MACS was defined by 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST) cortisol level >1.8 μg/dL. Measurements. Prevalence of fragility fractures, medication for osteoporosis, and bone mineral density. Results. In total, 112 of 237 patients, who were predominantly female (

P
<
0.001

) and had lower BMI (

P
=
0.013

), had OS/OP. Patients with OS/OP was significantly affected by CE (

P
<
0.01

) than those without. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for predicting OS/OP was obtained in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Clinical measures of CE, 1 mg DST cortisol levels, were positively associated with OS/OP in total cases (OR 1.124, 95% CI: 1.070–1.181,

P
<
0.001

) and the cases with MACS (OR 1.156, 95%CI: 1.046–1.278,

P
=
0.005

). A cutoff value of 1 mg DST cortisol level >5.0 μg/dL was associated with OS/OP differently between men and women. OS/OP risk in men with MACS was significantly affected only by 1 mg DST cortisol levels. However, OS/OP risk in women with MACS was significantly affected by 1 mg DST cortisol levels and age. Conclusions. CE severity in adrenal adenoma is positively associated with OS/OP. However, the associated factors of OS/OP in the patients with MACS are different between men and women.