bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Linear Transformation for the Reconstruction of the Responses of Systems in Similitude
Authors: Tavasso Fiorella , Casaburo Alessandro , Petrone Giuseppe , Franco Francesco , De Rosa Sergio
Published: March 2022

Recent years have seen an increasing interest towards similitude methods. In fact, the possibility of testing a scaled model, instead of a full-scale prototype, leads to many advantages: financial and time savings, easier experimental setups, etc. However, similitudes have drawbacks, too, mainly due to non-scalable effects and partial similitude, which prevent from an accurate reconstruction of the prototype response. For these reasons, an alternative method which can bypass these limitations is needed. A new method, called VOODOO (Versatile Offset Operator for the Discrete Observation of Objects), is herein proposed: it is based on the definition of a transformation matrix which links the outputs of a given linear systems to those belonging to another system, which may be a scaled model. The responses are acquired on a discrete number of points for both the systems. This work aims at investigating the method’s strengths and limitations of the method. The results show that, although VOODOO exhibits some lack of accuracy in off-design conditions due to the loss of spatial correlation, it is able to overcome some major restrictions that affect all similitude methods.
Subharmonic Bifurcation for a Non-smooth Double Pendulum with Unilateral Impact
Authors: Guo Xiu-ying , Zhang Gang , Tian Rui-lan
Published: March 2022

A unilateral impact double pendulum model with hinge links is constructed to detect subharmonic bifurcation for the high dimensional non-smooth system. The non-smooth and nonlinear coupled factors lead a barrier for high dimensional conventional nonlinear techniques. By introducing reversible transformation and energy time scale transformation, the system is expressed as a smooth decoupling form of energy coordinates. Thus, the concept of subharmonic Melnikov function is extended to high-dimensional nonsmooth systems, and the influence of impact recovery coefficient on the existence of subharmonic periodic orbits of double pendulum is revealed. The efficiency of the theoretical results is verified by phase portraits, time process portraits and Poincaré section.
An experimental investigation of droplet morphology in swirl flow
Authors: Kirar Pavan Kumar , Soni Surendra Kumar , Kolhe Pankaj S. , Sahu Kirti Chandra
Published: March 2022

The interaction of a droplet with a swirling airstream is investigated experimentally using shadowgraphy and particle image velocimetry techniques. In swirl flow, the droplet experiences oppose-flow, cross-flow and co-flow conditions depending on its ejection location, the velocity of the airstream and the swirl strength, which results in distinct droplet morphologies as compared with the straight airflow situation. We observe a new breakup phenomenon, termed as ‘retracting bag breakup’, as the droplet encounters a differential flow field created by the wake of the swirler's vanes and the central recirculation zone in swirl airflow. A regime map demarcating the various modes, such as no breakup, vibrational breakup, retracting bag breakup and bag breakup modes, is presented for different sets of dimensionless parameters influencing the droplet morphology and its trajectory. In contrast to the straight flow, the swirl flow promotes the development of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability, enhancing the stretching factor in the droplet deformation process, resulting in a larger number of fingers on the droplet's surface. In order to gain physical insight, a modified theoretical analysis based on the Rayleigh–Taylor instability is proposed for the swirl flow. The experimental behaviour of droplet deformation phenomena in swirl flow conditions can be determined by modifying the stretching factor in the theoretical model.
Linking workplace social support to turnover intention through job embeddedness and work meaningfulness
Authors: Dechawatanapaisal Decha
Published: March 2022

This research examines the impacts of workplace social support, namely organizational support, supervisory support, and co-worker support on job embeddedness, and whether these effects are moderated by work meaningfulness. Using a conditional process model, the current study also investigates how the relationship between workplace social support and turnover intention, mediated by job embeddedness, is affected by the moderator. Data were collected from 1,137 shared service employees in Thailand. Empirical results indicate that job embeddedness mediates the links between perceived organizational support as well as perceived co-worker support and intention to leave, and that work meaningfulness reduces employees' turnover intention by reinforcing the impacts of perceived supervisory support and perceived co-worker support on job embeddedness. The findings contribute to job embeddedness literature by describing moderated mediation mechanisms, through which social supportive constituents affect turnover intention, and guide practitioners by applying an integrated model of organizational practices in managing human resources.
Justice for the blackest malefactors? Determinate prison sentences, early release, and the ECHR
Authors: Edwards Richard A
Published: March 2022

In the light of the High Court's decision in R (Khan) v Secretary of State for Justice [2020] 1 WLR 3932 this paper contends that a revised approach to the interpretation of Articles 5 and 7 of the European Convention on Human Rights is needed. The paper argues that the Article 5 ECHR right to liberty and security plays a developing, though overlooked, role in the context of regulating determinate prison sentences. English law's conclusion that Article 5 of the ECHR has little to offer in this context is wrong and needs to be reconsidered. Equally, a more generous interpretation of Article 7 of the ECHR is now required: an approach which reflects the reality of determinate sentences.
Entertainment Spending and Capturing Value from Innovation in Chinese Firms
Authors: Wan Guoguang , Xie Luqun , Li Jiatao , Jiang Dequan
Published: March 2022

This study examines how Chinese firms capture value from their innovations. We propose that relationship-building through business entertainment may be helpful. In particular, wining and dining key stakeholders, including clients, suppliers, distributors, and government officials, can help firms gain access to complementary resources necessary for commercializing their innovations, facilitating capturing value from innovations. However, business entertainment is less effective in regions with relatively developed market-supporting institutions, including factor markets and legal institutions. The analysis results of archival data and data from a World Bank survey of Chinese firms support all the above arguments.
Akathisia and atypical antipsychotics: relation to suicidality, agitation and depression in a clinical trial
Authors: Bjarke Jill , Gjerde Helga Nødland , Jørgensen Hugo Arild , Kroken Rune Andreas , Løberg Else-Marie , Johnsen Erik
Published: March 2022

Objective:

Akathisia is among the most unpleasant side effects related to antipsychotic drug (AP) use, and possible associations between akathisia and agitation, depression and suicidal behaviour, respectively, have been described in previous literature. New generation antipsychotics are however regarded less prone to induce this particular adverse effect compared to older drugs, but evidence is incomplete and in need of confirmation from clinically relevant samples and settings. We, therefore, aim to investigate akathisia at hospital discharge for patients consecutively admitted with acute-phase psychosis and treated with atypical antipsychotics according to guideline-concordant clinical practice.

Methods:

This exploratory study is part of a naturalistic randomised controlled study in patients admitted with acute phase psychosis (N = 109). We report cross-sectional data at discharge/first follow-up after acute psychiatric hospital admission for patients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.

Results:

There were statistically significant positive associations between akathisia and the following; suicidality in men (Beta 0.306, p = 0.048), but not in women; agitation in those previously unexposed to antipsychotics (Beta 0.288, p = 0.047) and depression in those exposed to antipsychotics before hospital admittance (Beta 0.375, p = 0.031).

Conclusion:

Main findings were that akathisia is still a prevalent side effect in a clinically relevant sample of patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. Our results suggest that akathisia is significantly associated with depression, suicidality and agitation in different subgroups of patients receiving APs. Akathisia can be detrimental and the relations between akathisia and depression, suicidality and agitation should be investigated further in prospective, hypothesis-testing studies with larger samples.
The whole blood DNA methylation patterns of extrinsic apoptotic signalling pathway-related genes in autoimmune thyroiditis among areas with different iodine levels
Authors: Qu Mengying , Wan Siyuan , Wu Huaiyong , Ren Bingxuan , Chen Yao , Liu Lixiang , Shen Hongmei
Published: March 2022

Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) has a complex aetiology and the susceptibility to it is determined by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, although these are not yet fully understood. The present research aimed to explore the DNA methylation patterns in whole blood of extrinsic apoptotic signalling pathway-related genes in AIT among areas with different iodine levels. We selected the iodine-fortification areas, iodine-adequate areas and water-based iodine-excess areas from Shandong Province of China as survey sites. Totally, 176 AIT cases and 176 controls were included. MethylTargetTM and QT-PCR technology were used to detect candidate genes’ DNA methylation levels and mRNA expression levels, respectively. We found that death associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) DNA methylation levels in AIT cases (especially in female) were significantly higher than controls (t = 2·7715, P = 0·0059; t = 2·4638, P = 0·0143 in female). There were differences in DAPK1 (t = 2·5384, P = 0·0121), TNF superfamily member 8 (t = 2·1667, P = 0·0334) and TNF-α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) (t = 2·5672, P = 0·0121) genes methylation between cases and controls with different water iodine levels. The mRNA expression of DAPK1 (t = 4·329, P < 0·001) and TNFAIP8 (t = 3·775, P < 0·001) in the cases was increased. We identified the differences in the DNA methylation status of the extrinsic apoptotic signalling pathway-related genes between AIT and controls and in different iodine levels areas. The results were verified at the mRNA level. The environmental iodine may affect DNA methylation to some extent.
A NEGLECTED SENSE OF Ἤ?
Authors: Roberts Clifford M.
Published: March 2022

This article introduces and clarifies a neglected sense of the word ἤ (‘or’) employed by Aristotle and other authors. In this sense, called ‘indifferent’, ἤ signifies ‘one or the other, regardless of which’. It is shown how attention to this use makes it possible to explain the source of the ambiguity of certain sentences, most obviously, though not exclusively, sentences that make a necessity claim about an embedded disjunction, for example ‘It is necessary that A or B’. Why this sense cannot be explained, as some scholars have suggested, by the distinction between exclusive and inclusive ἤ is also discussed. Finally, it is shown how awareness of this sense might rescue Aristotle from a gross inconsistency.
Merchants, Maidens, and Mohammedans: A History of Muslim Stereotypes in Sinhala Literature of Sri Lanka
Authors: McKinley Alexander
Published: March 2022

This article analyzes stereotypes of Muslims that have recurred in Sinhala literature over the past seven centuries. This temporal span includes (1) a precolonial time when Muslims were a curiosity in Sinhala poetry as rich traders, wild men, and seductive women; (2) an early colonial time when the Portuguese and Dutch displaced more Muslims into the island interior, and Sinhala authors increasingly wrote of them as religious others akin to Tamils; and (3) a late colonial time when British policies forged religo-racial political categories in the decades leading up to the anti-Muslim pogroms of 1915. Each case is also connected to postcolonial instantiations or transformations of these typecasts. This history therefore eschews linear narratives of change to show the recurrent tendencies of social reasoning through stereotyping, past and present.
First records of the ornate eagle ray Aetomylaeus vespertilio from the Inhambane Province, Mozambique
Authors: Venables Stephanie K. , Conradie Janneman , Marshall Andrea D.
Published: March 2022

We report two separate sightings of the ornate eagle ray Aetomylaeus vespertilio (Bleeker, 1852) in the Bazaruto Seascape of southern Mozambique. In May 2021, a single individual was encountered at a depth of 30 m during an in-water survey in the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park. Another solitary individual was documented ~55 km away during an aerial survey in the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary three days later. These represent the first documented sightings of A. vespertilio in the Inhambane Province of Mozambique, confirming the presence of the species in the region and extending the known range northward along the south-east African coastline. Given the rarity of reported sightings, additional records are particularly valuable for these threatened and elusive rays in order to expand current knowledge of their distribution and range.
Sarcocystis neurona,Neosporaspp. andToxoplasma gondiiinfections in horses and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM): five decades of personal experience, perspectives and update
Authors: Dubey J. P.
Published: March 2022

Sarcocystis neurona,Neosporaspp. andToxoplasma gondiiare related protozoans; they were considered the same parasite until 1970s. Two of these parasites,S. neuronaandNeosporaspp. are associated with a neurological syndrome in horses, called equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). The diagnosis and treatment of EPM are difficult. Most cases of EPM are related toS. neuronawhile only a few are due toNeosporaspp. infections. There are two species ofNeospora,Neospora caninumthat has a wide host range andNeospora hughesithat has been found only in horses. Currently,T. gondiiis not considered as a cause of EPM in horses, although it causes neurological illness in many other hosts, including humans. The present review provides an update on history, life cycle, diagnosis and treatment of these three infections in horses.
Fear of COVID-19 and quality of life: the mediating role of loneliness among older Turkish adults
Authors: Altay Melih , Arisoy Azime
Published: March 2022

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has affected living standards around the world, and pandemic anxiety has changed social habits. In this context, this paper investigates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and quality of life, and assesses the mediating effect of loneliness on this relationship among a sample of older adults in Turkey. The study considers data from approximately 400 people, all of whom completed the CASP-19 Quality of Life Scale in Older People, the Loneliness Scale for the Elderly and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Confirmatory factor analyses were performed to confirm a one-factor structure for each instrument. Subsequently, mediation analysis, correcting for age as a continuous covariate, was performed to assess the nature of the relationship between fear and quality of life, and the extent to which that relationship is mediated by loneliness. Our study showed that there is a negative and direct relationship between loneliness and quality of life. Another important finding of our research is that fear of COVID-19 has a significant effect on loneliness. Finally, loneliness mediates the relation between fear of COVID-19 and quality of life. This finding strongly suggests that fear of COVID-19 influences quality of life via loneliness. This result is noteworthy, as we could not find any similar finding in the literature.
The experience of dependence on homecare among people ageing at home
Authors: Martinsen Bente , Norlyk Annelise , Gramstad Astrid
Published: March 2022

Being dependent on homecare potentially threatens a person's integrity and autonomy, particularly when people are dependent on help to manage basic bodily functions that involve intimacy and nudity, making the person vulnerable despite being in his or her own home. As the population continues to age and live longer, more people are expected to be dependent on homecare. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of dependence on homecare among people ageing at home. Individual in-depth interviews were used to explore 15 Danish and Norwegian homecare receivers’ experiences of dependence on homecare. Interview records were transcribed and analysed in a hermeneutical phenomenological process described by van Manen. First and foremost, the experience of dependence on homecare is a question of adaption. The older people in this study struggled to get used to their deteriorating body and at the same time they continuously had to negotiate to get care in accordance with their values. Being dependent on care could be experienced as being reduced to a task or a problem to be solved though the participants had a significant need for undivided mental attention. The presence of homecare staff in the participants’ homes could entail a change where the participants experienced that they lost control over the surroundings. According to the voices of the older people in this study, future homecare should be accommodated in an organisational set-up that gives priority to stability and continuity in the relation between the homecare receiver and the homecare staff. Also it is significant that homecare staff do not have a task-oriented approach to their job and are sensitive to the values of the homecare receivers.
Social patterns of ageism: expert perspectives from Austria and Ireland
Authors: Hopf Stefan , Walsh Kieran , Georgantzi Nena
Published: March 2022

For older persons, age discrimination can undermine equal participation in modern service and consumer societies. One way to tackle age discrimination is to implement anti-discrimination policy and legislation. However, age discrimination is an ambiguous concept that can be interpreted in different ways and differences in the interpretation can impact the scope and application of related policy and legislation. Hence, to understand how policy, legislation and their central constructs operate within society, it is necessary to look beyond the letter of the law or policy text and explore the interpretations of age discrimination employed by actors in the field. We interviewed experts from Austria and Ireland, who by virtue of their professional or representative position co-structure the conditions for people to claim they have experienced age discrimination. Based on 12 expert interviews and two focus groups, each involving six representatives of the major national advocacy and interest organisations on ageing, we reconstructed four interpretation patterns of age discrimination: age discrimination as the ‘denial of dignity’, as the ‘denial of recognition of contribution’, as the ‘denial of participation’ and as the ‘lack of consideration of need’. The findings are discussed with reference to the concepts of recognition and representation, and considerations are provided on possible legal and political implications of this research.
Bush-lost children’s place in new ‘moral communities’: the emergence of a cultural rite in colonial Victoria (and across Australia), 1850s–1890s
Authors: Calabria Tim , Joyce Tash
Published: March 2022

In the 1850s goldrush, new communities emerged in Victoria with members from diverse origins of place, faith and ethnicity. Settlers usually migrated to pursue wealth; however, the social cohesion these young towns required often came from beyond logics of economy. As the goldrush waned from the 1860s, communal searches for children lost in the bush became a secular ‘rite’ that helped produce ‘moral communities’, which articulated shared values through common beliefs and social practices associated with lost children. Entire segments of communities would gather, suspend economic pursuits and search for lost children, often for days or weeks at a time. The euphoria of finding the child alive, or the solemn reverie when the child perished, forged communal goodwill through shared sentiment. The rite of the search became disseminated through newspapers, literature and word-of-mouth, while the ‘bush’ – a construction referring to various landscapes in Australia – enabled readers to participate in the searches remotely, as part of an imagining and feeling community in the colonies’ various climates. In the gradually secularising settler colonies of Australia in the late nineteenth century, lost children functioned as a fulcrum on which communities could pivot, while establishing social cohesion and communal belonging.
Metapolitics and Demographic Anxiety on the New Right: Using and Abusing the Language of Equality
Authors: Feola Michael
Published: March 2022

The recent politics of demographic anxiety has been shaped by an influential New Right argument: a) that Western nations are experiencing an immigration crisis that threatens their cultural integrity (i.e., a “Great Replacement”), and b) that this crisis is fueled by the egalitarian commitments of liberalism. Accordingly, in this essay I engage core figures of the New Right to pursue two lines of analysis. At one level, I interrogate the asserted connection between egalitarian ideals and the demographic shifts associated with globalization. In doing so, I take on the “metapolitics” of the New Right. This “metapolitical” project does not simply diagnose the roots of population change; instead, it transforms shared normative languages in order to pursue ethnonationalist and ethnopopulist aims. My overriding argument is that this “Gramscianism of the Right” (whether pursued by the New Right or its identitarian allies across Europe and North America) does not simply turn liberal normative vocabularies toward antiliberal objectives. Rather, this metapolitical strategy ultimately hollows out the normative substance of the terms it takes over, with deleterious consequences for a democratic public.
The right to water for internally displaced persons in the Sahel region
Authors: Traoré Sâ Benjamin , Dabiré Tiérowé Germain
Published: March 2022

The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has drastically increased over the last five years in the countries of the Sahel region. This situation is linked to the rise of countless armed groups, especially in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The present paper aims to assess the existence and contours of a right to water for IDPs in the Sahel region. In doing so, it examines international humanitarian law and other international law regimes to determine the legal foundations that protect and guarantee IDPs’ right to water. The contribution provides the contextual background of armed conflict-induced displacement in the Sahel region, and demonstrates the existence of a right to water for IDPs in the Sahel countries. This right derives not only from international humanitarian law but also from other complementary international rules applicable even in conflict situations. The paper finally discusses and recommends legal and practical ways in which IDPs’ right to water can be better realized in the current context of the Sahel region.
Topographic Influences on Diurnally Driven MJO Rainfall Over the Maritime Continent
Authors: Bai Hedanqiu , Schumacher Courtney
Published: March 2022

This work investigates impacts of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) on the daily and diurnal rainfall over the Maritime Continent, with emphasis on the influences of topography over Sumatra, Borneo and New Guinea. Eighty‐nine MJO events were identified during 2001–2019 using IMERG satellite data. Daily and diurnal rainfall maxima on the east side of topography lag the west side as the MJO passes. In addition, the island vanguard (pre‐MJO) rain is more convective, while the island rearguard (behind the main MJO body) rain is more stratiform. The timing and magnitude of diurnal rainfall is defined using the maximum hourly rain rate instead of the first diurnal harmonic to avoid smoothing. While a single sharp peak is observed over the mountains around 19 LT, a much broader delayed peak occurs over land to the west of topography and two peaks are observed over land to the east of topography at 15 and 2 LT. Rain peaks offshore from 3 to 7 LT. Cluster analysis shows that the afternoon and nighttime rainfall peaks are highest before the MJO arrives, then gradually decrease and become earlier on the west side of the topography, whereas the afternoon (nighttime) peak east of the topography is enhanced before (after) the MJO arrives. The contrasting east‐west features can be attributed to topographic influences on the moisture flux convergence of the mean column moisture by MJO‐induced winds. The MJO wind modulation of diurnal rainfall over most of the open ocean areas is insignificant.
Multimodal evaluation of an interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein-induced mouse model of experimental autoimmune uveitis
Authors: Yang Jee Myung , Yun KyungA , Jeon Jehwi , Yang Hae Young , Kim Bora , Jeong Sunhong , Lee Junyeop , Oh Wang-Yuhl , Uemura Akiyoshi , Song Joon Seon , Kim Pilhan , Lee Joo Yong
Published: March 2022

We aimed to characterize the vascular phenotypes of an experimental autoimmune retinal uveitis (EAU) model induced by interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) using multimodal imaging techniques. We systemically administered IRBP or vehicle to adult C57BL/6 mice. Fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), in vivo live confocal imaging using different tracers, OCT angiography (OCTA), and electroretinography (ERG) were performed after IRBP immunization. Hematoxylin and eosin and immunofluorescence staining were performed to characterize the immune response and vascular permeability. Mice with EAU exhibited perivascular inflammation, vitritis, and superficial retinal inflammation on fundus photography and OCT. H&E revealed immune cell infiltration in the perivascular area of the retina and choroid accompanied by a significant degree of perivasculitis that subsequently damaged photoreceptors 3 weeks postimmunization. Immunofluorescence staining showed subsequent transcytosis induction after local microglial activation followed by neutrophil recruitment in the perivascular area. Transcytosis in the superficial and deep vascular areas was improved by immune cell suppression. Intravital in vivo confocal imaging showed signs of neutrophil infiltration and obstructive vasculitis with perivascular leakage 3 weeks postimmunization. OCTA revealed a significant decrease in vascular flow in the deep capillary layer of the retina. Functional analysis showed that scotopic responses were intact at 2 weeks; however, normal photopic and scotopic responses were hardly detected in mice with EAU mice at 3 weeks postimmunization. Our data suggest that inflammatory cell activation and subsequent transcytosis induction in endothelial cells might be a major pathogenic factor for vascular leakage in uveitis, providing new insights into the pathophysiology of retinal vasculitis in noninfectious uveitis.
Time trends in primary therapy and relative survival of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by stage: a nationwide, population-based study in the Netherlands, 1989–2018
Authors: Durmaz Müjde , Visser Otto , Posthuma Eduardus F. M. , Brouwer Rolf E. , Issa Djamila E. , de Jong Daphne , Lam King H. , Blijlevens Nicole M. A. , Zijlstra Josée M. , Chamuleau Martine E. D. , Lugtenburg Pieternella J. , Kersten Marie José , Dinmohamed Avinash G.
Published: March 2022

It is unclear whether survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) continues to increase in an era where rituximab-containing chemotherapy reigns for almost two decades. Therefore, we evaluated trends in primary therapy and relative survival (RS) among Dutch DLBCL patients diagnosed between 1989 and 2018. Analyses were performed separately according to the stage I (N = 6952) and stage II–IV disease (N = 20,676), stratified by calendar period and age (18–64, 65–74, and ≥75 years). The use of chemotherapy ± radiotherapy increased over time across all age and stage groups. As of the mid-2000s, >95% of chemotherapy-treated patients received chemoimmunotherapy, irrespective of age and stage. Overall, RS increased significantly over time across all age groups, especially after 2003 when rituximab-containing chemotherapy had become the standard of care. However, RS increased less pronounced between 2003–2010 and 2011–2018 than between 1989–2002 and 2003–2010. These findings were congruent across all studied stage groups. Five-year RS across the three age groups during 2011–2018 was 96%, 84%, and 67% for stage I DLBCL and 75%, 60%, and 46% for stage II–IV DLBCL. Collectively, survival in DLBCL increased modestly beyond the initial introduction of rituximab, with apparent survival differences across age and stage that warrant novel treatment approaches.
SGSM2 inhibits thyroid cancer progression by activating RAP1 and enhancing competitive RAS inhibition
Authors: Su Xi , Chen Dong , Zhu Lizhang , Jia Hao , Cai Jiaxuan , Li Peng , Han Bin , Wang Donglai , Li Hongtao , Fan Jiaqian , Gu Mengwei , Zhou Yaqi , Guan Haixia , Wei Wei
Published: March 2022

Thyroid cancer (TC) is one of the most common malignancies involving the head and neck, and its incidences are increasing every year. Small G protein signaling modulators 2 (SGSM2) belongs to a newly identified protein group that contributes to numerous cancer progression. However, its role in TC remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the functions and underlying molecular mechanism of SGSM2 in the progression of thyroid tumorigenesis. Here, we demonstrated that SGSM2 expression was markedly decreased in TC, and that lower SGSM2 expression was potentially related to worse patient prognosis. Meanwhile, the SGSM2 levels were not directly correlated with BRAF or RAS mutations in TC. Based on our functional analysis, ectopic SGSM2 expression strongly prevented cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumorigenic activity in TC cells that harbored wild type RAS. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that SGSM2 interacted with Small G protein Ras-associated protein 1(RAP1) and augmented its activity. Activated RAP1 then competitively suppressed RAS activation and thereby downregulated output of MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt networks, which are primary contributors of TC. In summary, the present study reports a tumor suppressive role of SGSM2 in TC. Moreover, we revealed the underlying molecular mechanism, thus providing a potential therapeutic target for TCs that harbor wild type RAS.
Nematicidal activity of seaweed-synthesized silver nanoparticles and extracts against Meloidogyne incognita on tomato plants
Authors: Ghareeb Rehab Y. , Shams El-Din Nihal Galal El-Din , Maghraby Dahlia M. El , Ibrahim Dina S. S. , Abdel-Megeed Ahmed , Abdelsalam Nader R.
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this study was to test the nematicidal activity of extracts of two marine algae (Colpomenia sinuosa and Corallina mediterranea) and their synthesized silver nanoparticles against root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) that infest tomato plants. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that nanoparticles had aggregated into anisotropic Ag particles, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the particle sizes were less than 40 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis revealed that the obtained nanoparticles had a sharp absorbance between 440 and 4000 cm−1, with 13 distinct peaks ranging from 474 to 3915 cm−1. Methylene chloride extracts and nanoparticles synthesized from both algae species were used to treat M. incognita. C. sinuosa nanoparticles had the highest nematicidal activity of any treatment. Furthermore, and in contrast to other treatments, C. sinuosa nanoparticles reduced the number of nematode galls, egg-masses per root, and eggs/egg mass, while also improving plant growth parameters. C. sinuosa's methylene chloride extract was more active than C. mediterranea's, and the most effective eluent of this solvent was hexane: methylene chloride: ethyl acetate (1: 0.5: 0.5, v/v/v). When applied to M. incognita, the third fraction of this eluent was the most effective, resulting in 87.5% mortality after 12 h and 100% mortality after 24 and 72 h of exposure. The presence of seven bioactive constituents was discovered during the analysis of this fraction. In conclusion, the silver nanoparticles synthesized from C. sinuosa could be used as alternative chemical nematicides.
An improved Lagrangian relaxation algorithm based SDN framework for industrial internet hybrid service flow scheduling
Authors: Song Yan , Luo Wenjing , Xu Panfeng , Wei Jianwei , Qi Xiangbo
Published: March 2022

The Industrial Internet is the key for Industry 4.0, and network control in the industrial internet usually requires high reliability and low latency. The industrial internet ubiquitously connects all relevant Internet of things (IoT) sensing and actuating devices, allowing for monitoring and control of multiple industrial systems. Unfortunately, guaranteeing very low end-to-end wait times is particularly challenging because the transmissions must be articulated in time. In the industrial internet, there usually coexist multiple streams. The amount of data for controlling business flows is small, while other business flows (e.g., interactive business flows, sensing business flows) typically transmit large amounts of data across the network. These data flows are mainly processed in traditional switches using a queue-based "store-and-forward" mode for data exchange, consuming much bandwidth and filling up the network buffers. This causes delays in the control flow. In our research, we propose an Software Defined Networking (SDN) framework to reduce such delays and ensure real-time delivery of mixed service flows. The scheduling policy is performed through the northbound Application Programming Interface (API) of the SDN controller so that the dynamic network topology can be satisfied. We use the concept of edge and intermediate switches, where each switch port sends data at a specific time to avoid queuing intermediate switches. We also introduce an improved Langerian relaxation algorithm to select the best path to ensure low latency. Finally, the path rules are deployed to the switches in flow tables through the SDN controller. Our mathematical analysis and simulation evaluation demonstrates that the proposed scheme is more efficient.
Noise-assisted variational quantum thermalization
Authors: Foldager Jonathan , Pesah Arthur , Hansen Lars Kai
Published: March 2022

Preparing thermal states on a quantum computer can have a variety of applications, from simulating many-body quantum systems to training machine learning models. Variational circuits have been proposed for this task on near-term quantum computers, but several challenges remain, such as finding a scalable cost-function, avoiding the need of purification, and mitigating noise effects. We propose a new algorithm for thermal state preparation that tackles those three challenges by exploiting the noise of quantum circuits. We consider a variational architecture containing a depolarizing channel after each unitary layer, with the ability to directly control the level of noise. We derive a closed-form approximation for the free-energy of such circuit and use it as a cost function for our variational algorithm. By evaluating our method on a variety of Hamiltonians and system sizes, we find several systems for which the thermal state can be approximated with a high fidelity. However, we also show that the ability for our algorithm to learn the thermal state strongly depends on the temperature: while a high fidelity can be obtained for high and low temperatures, we identify a specific range for which the problem becomes more challenging. We hope that this first study on noise-assisted thermal state preparation will inspire future research on exploiting noise in variational algorithms.
Three-dimensional modelling of the choroidal angioarchitecture in a multi-ethnic Asian population
Authors: Cheong Kai Xiong , Teo Kelvin Yi Chong , Tham Yih Chung , Sim Ralene , Majithia Shivani , Lee Jia Min , Tan Anna Cheng Sim , Cheng Ching-Yu , Cheung Chui Ming Gemmy , Agrawal Rupesh
Published: March 2022

This study aimed to describe the topographic variation of the macula’s choroidal angioarchitecture using three-dimensional (3D) choroidal vascularity index (CVI) of healthy eyes from an Asian population and to investigate the associations of CVI. 50 participants were recruited via stratified randomisation based on subfoveal choroidal thickness from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study. Macular volume scans were acquired using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging. CVI was assessed based on B-scan binarisation and choroid segmentation. The 3D CVI of the whole, superior, central, and inferior macula were 62.92 ± 1.57%, 62.75 ± 1.93%, 63.35 ± 1.72%, and 62.66 ± 1.70%, respectively, pairwise comparisons P all > 0.05). 3D CVI (Whole Macula) and 2D CVI (Subfoveal) were associated only with each other and not with other ocular and systemic factors. 2D CVI (Subfoveal) had a moderate agreement with 3D CVI (Central Macula) [intraclass corelation coefficient (ICC) = 0.719], and had poorer agreement with 3D CVI of the whole macula, superior, and inferior macula (ICC = 0.591, 0.483, and 0.394, respectively). Scanning volume did not influence 3D CVI measurements. In conclusion, 3D CVI demonstrated no significant topographic variation. CVI was not correlated with demographic or ocular structural features. 2D CVI of the fovea is partially representative of 3D CVI of the macula.
GOntoSim: a semantic similarity measure based on LCA and common descendants
Authors: Kamran Amna Binte , Naveed Hammad
Published: March 2022

The Gene Ontology (GO) is a controlled vocabulary that captures the semantics or context of an entity based on its functional role. Biomedical entities are frequently compared to each other to find similarities to help in data annotation and knowledge transfer. In this study, we propose GOntoSim, a novel method to determine the functional similarity between genes. GOntoSim quantifies the similarity between pairs of GO terms, by taking the graph structure and the information content of nodes into consideration. Our measure quantifies the similarity between the ancestors of the GO terms accurately. It also takes into account the common children of the GO terms. GOntoSim is evaluated using the entire Enzyme Dataset containing 10,890 proteins and 97,544 GO annotations. The enzymes are clustered and compared with the Gold Standard EC numbers. At level 1 of the EC Numbers for Molecular Function, GOntoSim achieves a purity score of 0.75 as compared to 0.47 and 0.51 GOGO and Wang. GOntoSim can handle the noisy IEA annotations. We achieve a purity score of 0.94 in contrast to 0.48 for both GOGO and Wang at level 1 of the EC Numbers with IEA annotations. GOntoSim can be freely accessed at (http://www.cbrlab.org/GOntoSim.html).
Using Sentinel-1 and GRACE satellite data to monitor the hydrological variations within the Tulare Basin, California
Authors: Vasco Donald W. , Kim Kyra H , Farr Tom G. , Reager J. T. , Bekaert David , Sangha Simran S. , Rutqvist Jonny , Beaudoing Hiroko K.
Published: March 2022

Subsidence induced by groundwater depletion is a grave problem in many regions around the world, leading to a permanent loss of groundwater storage within an aquifer and even producing structural damage at the Earth’s surface. California’s Tulare Basin is no exception, experiencing about a meter of subsidence between 2015 and 2020. However, understanding the relationship between changes in groundwater volumes and ground deformation has proven difficult. We employ surface displacement measurements from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and gravimetric estimates of terrestrial water storage from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite pair to characterize the hydrological dynamics within the Tulare basin. The removal of the long-term aquifer compaction from the InSAR time series reveals coherent short-term variations that correlate with hydrological features. For example, in the winter of 2018–2019 uplift is observed at the confluence of several rivers and streams that drain into the southeastern edge of the basin. These observations, combined with estimates of mass changes obtained from the orbiting GRACE satellites, form the basis for imaging the monthly spatial variations in water volumes. This approach facilitates the quick and effective synthesis of InSAR and gravimetric datasets and will aid efforts to improve our understanding and management of groundwater resources around the world.
Forest soil biotic communities show few responses to wood ash applications at multiple sites across Canada
Authors: Smenderovac Emily , Emilson Caroline , Porter Teresita , Morris Dave , Hazlett Paul , Diochon Amanda , Basiliko Nathan , Bélanger Nicolas , Markham John , Rutherford P. Michael , van Rees Ken , Jones Trevor , Venier Lisa
Published: March 2022

There is interest in utilizing wood ash as an amendment in forestry operations as a mechanism to return nutrients to soils that are removed during harvesting, with the added benefit of diverting this bioenergy waste material from landfill sites. Existing studies have not arrived at a consensus on what the effects of wood ash amendments are on soil biota. We collected forest soil samples from studies in managed forests across Canada that were amended with wood ash to evaluate the effects on arthropod, bacterial and fungal communities using metabarcoding of F230, 16S, 18S and ITS2 sequences as well as enzyme analyses to assess its effects on soil biotic function. Ash amendment did not result in consistent effects across sites, and those effects that were detected were small. Overall, this study suggests that ash amendment applied to managed forest systems in amounts (up to 20 Mg ha−1) applied across the 8 study sties had little to no detectable effects on soil biotic community structure or function. When effects were detected, they were small, and site-specific. These non-results support the application of wood ash to harvested forest sites to replace macronutrients (e.g., calcium) removed by logging operations, thereby diverting it from landfill sites, and potentially increasing stand productivity.
In vitro effects of 5-Hydroxy-L-tryptophan supplementation on primary bovine mammary epithelial cell gene expression under thermoneutral or heat shock conditions
Authors: Field Sena L. , Ouellet Véronique , Sheftel Celeste M. , Hernandez Laura L. , Laporta Jimena
Published: March 2022

Serotonin (5-HT) is an autocrine-paracrine molecule within the mammary gland regulating homeostasis during lactation and triggering involution after milk stasis. Exposure of dairy cows to hyperthermia during the dry period alters mammary gland involution processes leading to reduced subsequent yields. Herein, primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (pBMEC) under thermoneutral (TN, 37 °C) or heat shock (HS, 41.5 °C) conditions were cultured with either 0, 50, 200, or 500 μM 5-Hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP; 5-HT precursor) for 8-, 12- or 24-h. Expression of 95 genes involved in 5-HT signaling, involution and tight junction regulation were evaluated using a Multiplex RT-qPCR BioMark Dynamic Array Circuit. Different sets of genes were impacted by 5-HTP or temperature, or by their interaction. All 5-HT signaling genes were downregulated after 8-h of HS and then upregulated after 12-h, relative to TN. After 24-h, apoptosis related gene, FASLG, was upregulated by all doses except TN-200 μM 5-HTP, and cell survival gene, FOXO3, was upregulated by HS-50, 200 and 500 μM 5-HTP, suggesting 5-HTP involvement in cell turnover under HS. Supplementing 5-HTP at various concentrations in vitro to pBMEC modulates the expression of genes that might aid in promoting epithelial cell turn-over during involution in dairy cattle under hyperthermia.
MTAP loss correlates with an immunosuppressive profile in GBM and its substrate MTA stimulates alternative macrophage polarization
Authors: Hansen Landon J. , Yang Rui , Roso Kristen , Wang Wenzhe , Chen Lee , Yang Qing , Pirozzi Christopher J. , He Yiping
Published: March 2022

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal brain cancer known for its potent immunosuppressive effects. Loss of Methylthioadenosine Phosphorylase (MTAP) expression, via gene deletion or epigenetic silencing, is one of the most common alterations in GBM. Here we show that MTAP loss in GBM cells is correlated with differential expression of immune regulatory genes. In silico analysis of gene expression profiles in GBM samples revealed that low MTAP expression is correlated with an increased proportion of M2 macrophages. Using in vitro macrophage models, we found that methylthioadenosine (MTA), the metabolite that accumulates as a result of MTAP loss in GBM cells, promotes the immunosuppressive alternative activation (M2) of macrophages. We show that this effect of MTA on macrophages is independent of IL4/IL3 signaling, is mediated by the adenosine A2B receptor, and can be pharmacologically reversed. This study suggests that MTAP loss in GBM cells may contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and that MTAP status should be considered for characterizing GBM immune states and devising immunotherapy-based approaches for treating MTAP-null GBM.
Computational identification of new potential transcriptional partners of ERRα in breast cancer cells: specific partners for specific targets
Authors: Cerutti Catherine , Zhang Ling , Tribollet Violaine , Shi Jing-Ru , Brillet Riwan , Gillet Benjamin , Hughes Sandrine , Forcet Christelle , Shi Tie-Liu , Vanacker Jean-Marc
Published: March 2022

Estrogen related receptors are orphan members of the nuclear receptor superfamily acting as transcription factors (TFs). In contrast to classical nuclear receptors, the activities of the ERRs are not controlled by a natural ligand. Regulation of their activities thus relies on availability of transcriptional co-regulators. In this paper, we focus on ERRα, whose involvement in cancer progression has been broadly demonstrated. We propose a new approach to identify potential co-activators, starting from previously identified ERRα-activated genes in a breast cancer (BC) cell line. Considering mRNA gene expression from two sets of human BC cells as major endpoint, we used sparse partial least squares modeling to uncover new transcriptional regulators associated with ERRα. Among them, DDX21, MYBBP1A, NFKB1, and SETD7 are functionally relevant in MDA-MB-231 cells, specifically activating the expression of subsets of ERRα-activated genes. We studied SET7 in more details and showed its co-localization with ERRα and its ERRα-dependent transcriptional and phenotypic effects. Our results thus demonstrate the ability of a modeling approach to identify new transcriptional partners from gene expression. Finally, experimental results show that ERRα cooperates with distinct co-regulators to control the expression of distinct sets of target genes, thus reinforcing the combinatorial specificity of transcription.