bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Agricultural Industrial Organization Model on Farmers' Planting Income——Analysis Based on Survey Data of 2032 Wheat Growing Households in Anhui Province
Authors: Zhang Xinde , Wan Xiaoyu , Liu Pengling
Published: July 2023

Increasing grain farmers' income is essential to mobilize their enthusiasm. Based on the survey data of 2032 wheat growers in Anhui Province, China, this paper uses the Logit model, multinomial Logit model and entropy balance-OLS regression method to empirically analyze the influencing factors of wheat growers' participation in agricultural industrial organization mode and the impact of their participation in decision-making on planting income. The research found that: (1) The richer the resource endowment of wheat growers, the higher the probability of their participation in the agricultural industrial organization model. The householder's education level, training experience, family-cultivated land quality, operation scale and labour endowment are essential factors influencing the wheat growers' participation in the decision-making of industrial organization mode. (2) The participation of wheat growers in agricultural industrial organizations can significantly improve their income. In comparison, the income increase effect of industrial organizations participating in the "smallholder farmer + farmer cooperatives / agricultural enterprises" model is more obvious. (3) There are differences in the influence mechanism of wheat growers' participation in different agricultural industrial organization models on their planting income. The income growth effect of wheat growers participating in the industrial organization of "smallholder farmer + farmers cooperatives / agricultural enterprises" model mainly comes from the improvement of land productivity and market bargaining power. The income growth effect of participating in the industrial organization of "smallholder farmer + village collectives + farmers cooperatives / agricultural enterprises" model mainly comes from the improvement of market bargaining power. The policy implication is that the government should give priority to cultivating and developing the industrial organization of the "smallholder farmer + farmers cooperatives / agricultural enterprises" model in areas with rich resource endowments of farmers, and supplement the development of the "smallholder farmer + village collectives + farmers cooperatives / agricultural enterprises" model depends on different local conditions, and actively guide farmers to participate.
Analysis of weakly correlated nodes in market network
Authors: Semenov Dmitry , Koldanov Alexander , Koldanov Petr
Published: July 2023

The aim of the article is to analyze graphs of weakly correlated stockreturns. The characteristics of these graphs such as number of edges, his-togram of vertices degrees, degrees distribution, hubs and independentsets are investigated. Pearson correlation and Kendall correlation areused to construct these graphs. Graph constructed by traditional proce-dure and graph constructed by Holm procedure are compared. Obtainedresults are exemplified on the data of France stock market. In particular itis shown that reliable maximum independent sets contain very few nodesdespite from the big size of set of weakly correlated pairs of stock returns.
Generic and accurate prediction of retention times in liquid chromatography by post-projection calibration
Authors: Liu Fei , Zhang Yan , Li Xiu Qin , Gao Yan , Li Kang Cong , Zhang Qing He
Published: July 2023

Retention time predictions from molecule structures in liquid chromatography (LC) are increasingly used in MS–based targeted and untargeted analyses, providing supplementary evidence for molecule annotation and reducing experimental measurements. Nevertheless, different LC setups (e.g., differences in gradient, column, and/or mobile phase) give rise to many prediction models that can only accurately predict retention times for a specific chromatographic method (CM). Here, a generic and accurate method is present to predict retention times across different CMs, by introducing the concept of post–projection calibration. This concept builds on the direct projections of retention times between different CMs and uses 33 external calibrants to eliminate the impact of LC setups on projection accuracy. Results data shows that after calibration, the median prediction error for each CM was in all cases below 3.8%. The number of true identities ranking first among their isomeric candidates increased by 11.1 to 113.3%. This work opens up broad possibilities for coordinating retention times between different laboratories and developing extensive retention databases.
Taking SCFAs produced by Lactobacillus reuteri orally reshapes gut microbiota and elicits antitumor responses
Authors: Li Nannan , Liu Yao , Niu LiLi , Wang Yang , Su Xiaomin , Xu Ce , Sun Zanya , Guo Huishu , Lu Huiping P. , Shen Shun
Published: July 2023

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is increasing in recent years due to intestinal flora imbalance, making oral probiotics a hotspot for research. However, numerous studies related to intestinal flora regulation ignore its internal mechanisms without in-depth research.
Results Here, we developed a probiotic microgel delivery system (L.r@(SA-CS)2) through the layer-by-layer encapsulation technology of alginate (SA) and chitosan (CS) to improve gut microbiota dysbiosis and enhance anti-tumor therapeutic effect. Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by L.r have direct anti-tumor effects. Additionally, it reduces harmful bacteria such as Proteobacteria and Fusobacterium, and through bacteria mutualophy increases beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroid and Firmicutes, which produce butyric acid. By binding to the G protein-coupled receptor 109A (GPR109A) on the surface of colonic epithelial cells, butyric acid can induce apoptosis in abnormal cells. Due to the low expression of GPR109A in colon cancer cells, MK-6892 (MK) can be used to stimulate GPR109A. With increased production of butyrate, activated GPR109A is able to bind more butyrate, which further promotes apoptosis of cancer cells and triggers an antitumor response.
Conclusion It appears that the oral administration of L.r@(SA-CS)2 microgels may provide a treatment option for CRC by modifying the gut microbiota.
Characterizing the Use of Exercise Testing in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot Patients: A Multi-Institutional Survey
Authors: Drastal Meghan S. , Layton Aimee M. , Fremed Michael A.
Published: July 2023

Long-term survival for repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) is excellent. We achieve this by close clinical monitoring to stratify prognosis and guide clinical decision-making. Cardiopulmonary exercise stress testing (CPET) is used to help guide clinical decision making; however, there are no clear guidelines for its use in this population. We sought to describe practice variability with regards to exercise testing for rTOF patients and how exercise data is used to guide management. We distributed a survey to pediatric cardiologists via email. Analyses were performed using qualitative statistics, two-sample T-tests, and chi-squared analysis. One-hundred and three clinicians completed the survey with 83% reporting that they routinely send symptomatic rTOF patients for exercise testing and 59% for asymptomatic patients. Respondents who routinely test asymptomatic patients reported higher levels of perceived helpfulness of exercise testing (p = 0.04) and comfort with CPET interpretation (p = 0.03). Nearly all respondents (92%) reported changing management primarily based on exercise testing results, with 62% reporting “occasionally changing management” and 10% reporting “frequently changing management”. Results indicated that exercise test results influenced clinical decisions, such as the timing of interventions, need for additional imaging, or the initiation of exercise interventions. There was a statistically significant relationship between the perceived helpfulness of exercise testing and the likelihood of management changes (p < 0.01). The variability in attitudes and practices highlights the need for evidence-based guidelines addressing exercise testing in rTOF, particularly for asymptomatic patients.
Development of Frenet-Serret Frame and the Apollonian Window
Authors: Karimushan Syeda Fareeza
Published: July 2023

The present study focuses on Frenet-Serret frame and the Apollonian Window. In the first part of the In the first part of the study Apollonian disks are generated for first four generations by developing visual basic codes in excel. For the second part of the study, three orthonormal basis vectors, namely, tangent, normal, and binormal vectors have been calculated for the tangent points of Apollonian discs for the first three generations. Equations of the Normal, Osculating and Rectifying planes and Taylor Series approximation have been calculated for specific θs. Because Apollonian Window consists of planar curves with constant curvature, torsion is nowhere present. The planar Frenet-Serret Equations for the first three generations for the Apollonian Window is also shown.
Hirschsprung disease: A cost analysis study of the direct, indirect costs and financial coping strategies for the surgical management in Western Uganda
Authors: Binde Ahmed Hamad , Oyania Felix , Ullrich Sarah , Situma Martin , Kotagal Meera , Mulogo Edgar Mugema
Published: July 2023

Background: Surgical management of Hirschsprung disease (HD) in low- and middle-income countries is typically a staged procedure, necessitating multiple hospitalizations and clinic visits increasing family financial burden. Currently there is limited information on the costs borne by caretakers of children with Hirschsprung disease seeking surgical intervention. This study seeks to measure the costs and economic burden of surgical treatment for Hirschsprung Disease in western Uganda.
Methods: A cross-sectional study using cost analysis was conducted among caretakers of patients who completed surgical treatment of HD between January 2017 to December 2021 at two hospitals in western Uganda. The average direct and indirect costs incurred by caretakers presenting at a public and private hospital were computed.
Results: A total of 69 patients (M: F = 7:1) were enrolled in the study. The median age at diagnosis was 60.5 (IQR 3 - 151.25) days for children and 2- staged pull through procedure was the common surgery performed. The mean overall cost for treatment was US $960 (SD = $720), with the majority of costs coming from direct medical costs. Nearly half (48%) of participants resorted to distress financing to finance their child’s surgical care. The overwhelming majority of patients (n = 64, 93%) incurred catastrophic expenditure from the total costs of surgery for HD, and 97% of participants fell below the international poverty line at the time treatment was completed.
Conclusion:Despite the availability of ‘free care’ from government hospital and non-profit services, this study found that surgical management of Hirschsprung disease imposed substantial cost burden on families with Hirschsprung disease patients.
The experience of receiving a letter from a cancer genetics clinic about risk for hereditary cancer
Authors: Öfverholm Anna , Rosén Anna , Karlsson Per
Published: July 2023

Direct contact may be an option for supporting risk disclosure in families with hereditary cancer. In this qualitative interview studywe explore how healthy at-risk relatives experience receiving a letter with information about hereditary cancer directly from healthcare. The study is part of an ongoing multicentre randomised clinical trial in Sweden that evaluates the effectiveness of direct letters from cancer genetics clinics to at-risk relatives (ClinTrial NTC04197856). We invited 14 relatives who had received a letter and contacted the clinic. We did semi-structed interviews and analysed the data with thematic analysis. The participants had different levels of prior knowledge of the hereditary cancer assessment and many but not all knew that a letter was coming. Overall, these participants believed healthcare-mediated disclosure could complement family-mediated disclosure. They expressed that the letter and the message raised concerns and a need for counselling. they wanted healthcare to be accessible and informed when taking contact. The participants found the message easier to cope with when they had been notified by a family member on forehand, a general attitude was that notifying one’s relatives was a decent thing to do. They thought healthcare should help patients in the disclosing process and also guard the relatives right to be informed. This study supports a direct approach from healthcare as a possible complement to the established model of family-mediated risk disclosure, however further research is needed to develop a good practice.
Unveiling the Dual Expression of Haptoglobin in Malignant Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells through Single-Cell and Bulk RNA Sequencing Analysis
Authors: Du Fukuan , Liu Lin , Hao Siyu , Gou Shuang , Tang Xiaolong , Zhang Yao , Cai Dan , Xiao Mintao , Zhang Xinyi , Zhang Duoli , Shen Jing , Li Yan , Chen Yu , Zhao Yueshui , Deng Shuai , Wu Xu , Li Mingxing , Zhang Zhuo , Xiao Zhangang
Published: July 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent and deadly cancer. Existing single-cell transcriptome research on HCC mainly focuses on immune and stromal cells, with limited analysis of malignant cell heterogeneity. In our study, we identified the key subgroup (subgroup 6) of HCC malignant cells with conflicting survival outcomes, and found haptoglobin (HP) as the key gene. Our analysis suggests that HP plays a tumor suppressive role in malignant cells, but has a negative correlation with immunity. Down-regulation of HP expression in HCC immune cells promotes Th1 cell-associated markers expression and reduces the differentiation of Th2 cells to Th1 cells, indirectly suppressing tumor growth. In malignant cells, up-regulation of HP expression to inhibit tumors is associated with the expression of malignant genes. At the same time, the up-regulation of HP expression in Pyridoxine inhibition of HCC is related to Metabolic pathways, Complement and coagulation cascades, Metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, Retinol metabolism, Drug metabolism - cytochrome P450, Drug metabolism - other enzymes, Chemical carcinogenesis - DNA adducts, Bile secretion, and Biosynthesis of cofactors. Our study identified HP, a tumor suppressor gene in the malignant cell subpopulation of HCC, which exerts tumor suppressive effects through different mechanisms in immune cells and malignant cells, providing a new reference for the clinical treatment of HCC.
Object Detection by Network Based on CapsNet Architecture and Attention Layers
Authors: Norouzi Mohsen , Hassanpour Hamid , Ghanbari Ali
Published: July 2023

Object detection is responsible for categorizing and locating object in an image or video which has been widely used during recent years. This study represents a model based on Feature Pyramid Network (FPN) and new layers of capsule attention, the represented model is based on anchor and has had 79.5 % MAP in the experiments. On one hand, this imprecision shows improvement up to 7 % than the best existing methods like Yolo V3, Detectron2 etc, on the other hand it doesn’t have acceptable results considering runtime and the number of frames and it is not competitive.
Existence of Solutions for Second-Order ϕ-Laplacian Nonlinear Impulsive BVPS on the Half-Line
Authors: Zerki Ali , Bachouche Kamel , Djidel Samir
Published: July 2023

The present paper is concerned with the existence of solutions for a $\phi-$Laplacian nonlinear boundary value problem (bvp) set on the half-line of second-order differential equation: \begin{equation*} (\phi (r'(t)))' +g(t,r(t),r'(t))=0 ,\quad\text{a.e. } t\in [ 0,+\infty )\backslash \{t_{1},t_{2},\ldots\}, \end{equation*} with the boundary conditions, \begin{equation*} r(0)=A,\quad r'(+\infty )=B, \end{equation*} where $g:[0,+\infty )\times \mathbb{R}^{2}\to \mathbb{R}$ is an $L^{1}$-Carath\'eodory function, and the impulsive conditions are Carathéodory sequences. We use the Schauder fixed point theorem to get our result. The application of the result in an illustrative example of the disappearance of one body and the appearance of another at intervals of time, such as what happens in particle physics (for example the nuclear fission and fusion) and quantum mechanics (Compton scattering).
2020 Mathematics Subject Classification: 34B37, 34B15, 34A36.
Mesonephric-like Adenocarcinoma of the Female Genital Tract – Possible Role of KRAS-targeted Treatment: Detailed Molecular Analysis of a Case Series and Review of the Literature for targetable somatic KRAS -Mutations
Authors: Brambs Christine E. , Horn Lars-Christian , Hiller Grit Gesine Ruth , Krücken Irene , Braun Christian , Christmann Corina , Monecke Astrid , Höhn Anne Kathrin
Published: July 2023

Purpose Mesonephric-like adenocarcinomas (MLA) of the female genital tract represent a rare and relatively recently described neoplasm exhibiting characteristic morphologic and immunohistochemical findings commonly associated with aKRAS-mutation. Most cases display an aggressive clinical behavior, but knowledge about treatment approaches is limited, especially for targetingKRAS. Methods We report a series of eight cases with a detailed molecular analysis forKRAS. These cases as well as the data of previously published cases with detailed information regardingKRAS-mutational events were reviewed for a potential targeted approach and its prognostic impact. Results Both the uterine and ovarian MLA harbor a somaticKRASmutation in about 85% of the reported cases, affecting the hotspot codons 12 and 13. 15.7% of the endometrial and 15.6% of ovarian MLA are wildtype forKRAS. A p.G12A-alteration was seen in 5.6% (5/89) of the endometrial and in 6.2% (2/32) of the ovarian tumors, for p.G12C in 7.9% and 6.2%, for p.G12D in 32.6% and 34.5% and for p.G12V in 36% and 37.5%, respectively. Very limited data are available regarding the prognostic impact of different mutational sites within theKRASgene without significant prognostic impact. Conclusion Because of a specific p.G12C-KRASsomatic mutation, only the minority of MLA (7.9% with uterine and 6.2% with ovarian primary) are potentially targetable by sotarasib in that rare but aggressive subtype of adenocarcinoma of the female genital tract. Until now, the different location of a somaticKRAS-mutation is of no prognostic impact.
Chinese negative information recognition based on deep learning
Authors: Wang Song
Published: July 2023

Chinese negative information recognition is the key technology of natural language processing. Its core is to recognize the negative relationship in the text according to the negative information theory. The recognition and classification of negative information is an important research hotspot of natural language processing. It is of great significance to the establishment of big data around Chinese semantic recognition, such as information retrieval and text mining. It is also a key step to promote Chinese language recognition. Firstly, this paper studies the expression forms of Chinese negative information in the scene of life, and points out that negative information recognition mainly includes negative trigger word recognition, negative coverage recognition and negative focus recognition; Then, it summarizes the current basic knowledge of deep learning and Chinese negative information recognition, analyzes the working principle of CRF and recurrent neural network RNN model, and analyzes the basic theories of Chinese information recognition, such as Chinese corpus data and text preprocessing technology; Finally, the combination of bidirectional long-term and short-term memory network (bltstmn) and traditional CRF model is used to study Chinese negative information recognition. Theoretical research shows that the combination of bltstmn-crf has better applicability to Chinese negative information recognition, and has better improvement in recognition accuracy and fast recognition. In this paper, the recognition of Chinese negative information based on bltstmn-crf is a form of applying deep learning to natural language processing, which can provide a thinking reference for other deep learning networks in natural language processing. In the follow-up, we will further study the application of deep learning to natural language processing.
A pan cancerous analysis of FNDC3B in human multiple tumors
Authors: Zhu Huijuan , Ren Xiaoxiao , Ding Wei
Published: July 2023

More and more evidence indicated the relationship between FNDC3B and the invasion and metastasis in numerous types, However, there is no analysis of FNDC3B in various cancers yet. Therefore, in this study, we first explored the potential carcinogenic effects of FNDC3B in 33 types of tumors based on the TCGA and GEO datasets. FNDC3B is highly expressed in most cancers, and there is a significant correlation between the expression of FNDC3B and the prognosis of tumor patients. We observed increased phosphorylation levels of S208 in some tumors, such as lung adenocarcinoma, ovarian cancer, clear cell RCC or UCEC. In invasive breast cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, the expression of FNDC3B is correlated with CD8 + T-cell infiltration levels. In other tumors, such as colon adenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma or rectum adenocarcinoma, cancer-related fibroblast infiltration is also observed. In addition, protein processing and RNA metabolism-related functions in endoplasmic reticulum participate in the functional mechanisms of FNDC3B. Our primary pan cancer study provides a comprehensive understanding of the carcinogenic role of FNDC3B in different tumors.
Multi-Agent Systems using UAV's for Surveillance in the Disaster Management
Authors: Shandilya Aayush Kumar , Kuamr J Sathish
Published: July 2023

Rescue and recovery operations are critical in disaster management. For the speedy rescue process in order to save the lives, proper surveillance of the disaster affected area is essential. In this regard, surveillance using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) are predominately helpful in such circumstances for speedy surveillance. In this context, for faster surveillance, multiple UAV's are deployed in the disaster affected region. In this paper, the multiple UAV's are considered as multi-agent systems and explored the algorithms such as UAV back-and-forth algorithm, UAV FA algorithm and UAV random algorithm. The simulation results are carried out and evaluated the algorithms with respect to various parameters such as, residual battery in the drones, number of targets, average hit time and energy consumption. Based on the simulation results, the requirements and the need of the multi-agents for overall efficient surveillance for disaster management can be analysed based on the gathered information.
WITHDRAWN: Integrative microbiomes analyses identify opportunistic pathogens of patients with lower respiratory tract infections based on Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing
Authors: Dong Tingyan , Fan Wentao , Xie Junting , Wang Yongsi , Chen Haitao , Wang Michael , Han Xiaodong
Published: July 2023

Background
Lower Respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are one of the most widespread and harmful diseases. As an emerging technology, the rapid development of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has advantages for the unbiased etiological detection and greatly meet the needs for the clinical diagnosis. However, little is known about how to interpret the application of mNGS results, especially for the classification of opportunistic pathogens from colonization or infection in patients with LRTIs.
Methods
We performed a retrospective study of respiratory tract samples from 394 patients and 179 health based on the mNGS to assess pathogens and the airway microbiome.
Results
576 discriminant species (442 bacteria and 134 fungi) were achieved from the patients with LRTIs and controls by discriminant analysis. Specifically, these differential species were clustered and charactered into cohort 1, 2, 3 including the colonizing microbiota, emerging opportunistic pathogens and rare opportunistic pathogens on the basis of their correlation profiles, detection frequency and relative abundance. In these 3 cohorts, pathogens from the cohort 2 obtained an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.976 for the best predictive performance, followed by cohort 1 (0.961) and cohort 3 (0.887). In addition, 46 responsible pathogens (30 bacteria and 16 fungi) were further identified from the three cohorts and achieved good performance of predictive value in LRTIs diagnose (AUC = 0.988). Co-abundance analysis of the ecological network revealed patients with LRITs were more complex and appeared modularly in the focus of the opportunistic pathogens.
Conclusion
Our findings provided a profile of LRTIs-associated bacterial and fungal colonization or opportunistic pathogens in relatively large-scale statistics, which provides potential reference evaluation criterions that contribute to the mNGS report result interpretations including those caused by unknown pathogens in clinical practice.
Flow rate variations in microfluidic circuits with free surfaces
Authors: Messelmani Taha , Nascimento Isabela Zarpellon , Leclerc Eric , Legallais Cécile , Meziane Adam , César William , Jellali Rachid , Goff Anne Le
Published: July 2023

We investigate analytically and experimentally the flow rate through a biochip in a circuit involving a peristaltic pump and reservoirs with liquid/air interfaces. Peristaltic pumps are a convenient way to achieve recirculation in microfluidic circuits. We consider different cases: reservoirs in contact with ambient air, tight reservoirs, and imperfect tightness leading to air or liquid leaks. We demonstrate that if changes in hydraulic resistance are slow enough, i.e. if cells do not proliferate too fast, the system may reach an equilibrium, with a difference in liquid height between inlet and outlet reservoir compensating the pressure drop in the biochip. We compute the flow rate through the biochip in the transient regime as well as the characteristic time. We also show that depending on the circuit dimensions, this equilibrium may never be reached. We provide guidelines to design tubings and reservoirs to avoid this situation and ensure a smooth recirculation at a desired flow rate, which is a necessary condition for dynamic cell culture.
Impact of Money Transfer Pricing on Beneficiaries: an Approach Based on the Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium Model
Authors: COULIBALY Mamadou , KOUAKOU Auguste Konan
Published: July 2023

Achieving the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals is all about eradicating poverty, reducing economic inequality and putting the world on a more sustainable path. As such, the SDGs give us one of the steps to take by reducing tariffs on remittances. Therefore, the overall objective of this study is to assess the future consequences on the income distribution of households in particular and the economy in general as a result of lowering tariffs on remittances. To do so, the methodology chosen is based on the construction of a dynamic computable general equilibrium model (MEGC). The data required for the modelling are taken from the Social accounting matrix (SAM) constructed from the national accounts for the year 2013. The results of the various simulations carried out show, on the one hand, the negative macroeconomic consequences of a tax on remittances on the Ivorian economy and, on the other hand, the simulations of prices on remittances showed an increase in the sums received by the beneficiaries, as well as a significant increase in their well-being and a significant contribution to reducing poverty and inequality in the order of 1.8% and 17% on average per year.
JEL Classification: C68, D31, D58, I32, R20.
Biodegradation of trimethylamine by a halotolerant strain of Paracoccus sp. PS1 and in silico analysis of trimethylamine degrading enzymes
Authors: Seth Madhupa , Mondal Priyajit , Ghosh Dhritishree , Biswas Raju , Chatterjee Sumit , Mukhopadhyay Subhra Kanti
Published: July 2023

In recent times, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) a gut metabolite generated by constitutive oxidation and reduction by gut microbial and host enzymes is gaining increased attention of scientists as it has been linked to the development of atherosclerosis and other ailments such as chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, etc. TMAO which acts as a biomarker for health risk is generated by the oxidation of trimethylamine (TMA), produced by human gut microflora from proteinaceous food material. Microbial degradation of TMA can be a predicted approach towards the reduction of the effect of TMAO on human health. The isolated Paracoccus sp. strain PS1 could rapidly grow in mineral salt medium supplemented with TMA as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Its TMA degrading capacity was further confirmed through spectrophotometric, Electrospray Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (ESI TOF-MS) and High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. In silico analysis of the TMA/TMAO degrading enzymes were performed using bioinformatics tools.
Design of Experiments as a tool for post-consumer PLA packaging recycling: correlation between washing parameters and degradation
Authors: Paiva Robert , Pereira-Filho Edenir Rodrigues , Wrona Magdalena , Cruz Sandra
Published: July 2023

The increasing demand for sustainable packaging solutions has led to the widespread adoption of biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) in the packaging industry. However, the efficient recycling of post-consumer PLA packaging remains a challenge due to contamination from residual food and other substances. This study presents the application of Design of Experiments (DoE) in the evaluation of washing parameters, typically used in the recycling industry, in the degradation of post-consumer biodegradable PLA packaging. A series of experiments were conducted using a factorial design to investigate the effect of key washing parameters, including NaOH concentration, washing temperature, washing time, and surfactant concentration, on the degradation of PLA. The degradation was accompanied by rheology employing the Cox-Merz rule, which establishes the relationship between complex viscosity and steady state viscosity. The results indicated that a washing process with lower degradation rates could be obtained by adjusting the washing parameters within specific ranges. The application of DoE allowed the identification of the most influential factors and their interactions in the degradation of PLA during the washing step. This study demonstrates that this is a valuable tool in the development of sustainable recycling processes for biodegradable packaging materials, contributing to a circular economy and reducing environmental impact.
Patient Satisfaction and Quality-Of-Life in Vitro Fertilization Services: Development of a Validated Instrument
Authors: Chausheva Naskhanym , Ozdal Macide Artac
Published: July 2023

Recent advances in infertility therapy, such as hormone medications and in vitro fertilization (IVF), have led to an increase in the demand for IVF. North Cyprus is a new medical tourist destination, and this study aims to discover influential demographic predictors of IVF patient’s satisfaction and quality-of-life after receiving reproductive IVF services. Two questionnaires on IVF patient’s satisfaction and quality-of-life were applied on 101 patients who received service in selected IVF clinics. Parametric and non-parametric tests were implemented for statistical analysis. Results showed that the mean satisfaction level of IVF service introduction and doctor professionalism increased with increase in age, and a maximum satisfaction level was found in older patients. Doctor professionalism was another significant factor for greater satisfaction in older patients comparing young who used IVF treatment. The satisfaction on IVF services reduced by increasing level of education. IVF services has to be managed and provided based on the needs of patients from different demographic backgrounds and efforts has to be given to improve the satisfaction on fertility services.
CircYTHDF3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression through modulating miR-136-5p/CBX4/ VEGF axis
Authors: Nie Guilin , Peng Dingzhong , Wen Ningyuan , Wang Yaoqun , Li Bei , Lu Jiong
Published: July 2023

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been widely reported to participate in diverse biological pathways in cancers. However, the function of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains some unclear. In the present study, we screened the expression profile of circRNAs in HCC and identified that circYTHDF3 (hsa_circ_0084620) was dramatically upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Patients with high-expression circYTHDF3 performed a poor prognosis. CircYTHDF3 could facilitate proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cell. Furthermore, circYTHDF3 could regulate CBX4 expression though competitive binding with miR-136-5p and inhibited the effect of miR-136-5p on proliferation, migration, invasion of HCC cells. Moreover, circYTHDF3 down-expression inhibited the growth, lung metastasis and angiogenesis of HCC tumors in vivo. Taken together, these findings indicated that circYTHDF3 might function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to promote HCC progression by targeting miR-136-5p/CBX4/VEGF pathway. Therefore, circYTHDF3 could serve as a potential prognostic indicator for HCC and a therapeutic target for HCC treatment.
Ethopharmacological evaluation of antidepressant-like effect of serotonergic psychedelics in C57BL/6J male mice
Authors: Takaba Rika , Ibi Daisuke , Yoshida Keisuke , Hosomi Eri , Kawase Ririna , Kitagawa Hiroko , Goto Hirotaka , Achiwa Mizuki , Mizutani Kento , Maede Kyosuke , González-Maeso Javier , Kitagaki Shinji , Hiramatsu Masayuki
Published: July 2023

Serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, and DOI exert a hallucinatory effect through serotonin 5-HT 2A receptor (5-HT2A) activation. Recent studies have revealed that serotonergic psychedelics have therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive and anxiety-related disorders. However, the involvement of 5-HT2A in mediating the therapeutic effects of these drugs remains unclear. In this study, we ethopharmacologically analyzed the role of 5-HT2A in the occurrence of anxiolytic-and antidepressant-like effects of serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocin, an active metabolite of psilocybin, DOI, and TCB-2 in mice. Mice with acute intraperitoneal psychedelic treatment exhibited significantly shorter immobility times in the forced swimming test (FST) and tail-suspension test (TST) than vehicle-treated control mice 24 h post-treatment. These effects were eliminated by pretreatment with volinanserin, a 5-HT2A antagonist. Surprisingly, the decreasing immobility time in the FST in response to acute psilocin treatment was sustained for at least three weeks. In the novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT), the latency to feed, an indicator of anxiety-like behavior, was decreased by acute administration of psilocin; however, pretreatment with volinanserin did not diminish this effect. In contrast, DOI and TCB-2 did not affect the NSFT performance in mice. Furthermore, psilocin, DOI, and TCB-2 treatment did not affect the spontaneous locomotor activity or head-twitch response, a hallucination-like behavior in rodents. These results suggest that 5-HT2A contributes to the antidepressant effects of serotonergic psychedelics rather than an anxiolytic effects.
Full-coverage radiotherapy for prostate cancer patients with oligometastases
Authors: Xu Bichun , Zhao Xianzhi , Chen Di , Zhao Wenjuan , Zhang Huojun
Published: July 2023

Objective The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of oligometastatic prostate cancer (omPCa) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential survival benefit of full-coverage radiotherapy in patients with omPCa.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with omPCa who received full-coverage radiotherapy between July 2012 and June 2022. Full-coverage radiotherapy was defined as radiotherapy to all lesions, including the primary site and metastatic lesions. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint, and biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) and radiological progression-free survival (rPFS) were the secondary endpoint. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate univariate analysis, and the log-rank test was used to conduct multivariate analysis.Results A total of 33 patients, including 31 de novo oligometastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (omHSPC) patients and 2 oligometastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (omCRPC) patients, were enrolled in the study. The median follow-up was 38.8 months (range: 4.2–70.6 months). The median OS was 127.7 months (95% CI: not reach- not reach months), and the survival rates at 2, 3, and 5 years were 100%, 95.7%, and 81.2%, respectively. The median bPFS was 58.9 months (95% CI: 47.7–70.1 months) and the median rPFS is 55.3 months (95% CI: 39.9–70.8 months). Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) prior to radiotherapy (p = 0.04), presence of symptoms related to the lesions (p = 0.003), and the pre-radiotherapy status of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) (p = 0.006) were associated with poorer survival. Multivariate analysis showed that external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) synchronized with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or chemotherapy (HR = 9.871, 95%CI (1.540-63.263), p = 0.016), non-CRPC status before radiotherapy(HR = 52.555, 95%CI (5.776-478.226), p = 0.000), and prostate-specific antigen(PSA) levels more than 1 ng/ml before radiotherapy (HR = 7.596, 95%CI (1.498–38.192), p = 0.014) may be associated with longer rPFS. The coexistence of lymph node and bone metastases is associated with a higher risk of biochemical recurrence (HR = 8.823, 95%CI (1.419–54.848), p = 0.02). The occurrence of acute adverse reactions of Grade 3 or higher was not observed, while the incidence of chronic adverse reactions of Grade 3 was 3.03%.Conclusion Full-coverage radiotherapy with an optimistic bPFS and rPFS may improve the OS of patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer.
Polymeric micelles with chiral diamine-Ru(II) catalysts for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones in water
Authors: Zhou Lianpei , Ji Peipei , Wang Xiuwu , Qi Dongming , Chen Tao
Published: July 2023

Chiral aromatic alcohols with unique structures have attracted wide attention in asymmetric catalysis for decades. In this study, polymeric micelles with chiral diamine-Ru(II) catalysts in the hydrophobic core for asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones affording chiral aromatic alcohols were presented. Firstly, block polymers with (1R,2R)-(+)-1,2-diphenyl ethylenediamine (DPEN) in the branched chain were successfully synthesized by Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) using 1,1-dimethylethyl N-(2-amino-1,2-diphenylethyl) carbamate (NB-DPEN-Boc) and polyethylene glycol (NB-PEG2000) with norbornene groups as raw materials. The structures of block polymers P(DPEN)-co-P(PEG2000) were characterized by FT-IR and 1H NMR. Next, Block polymers with chiral DPEN ligand in the branched chain coordinate with [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 to provide amphiphilic polymers with chiral diamine-Ru(II) catalyst. Then, the self-assembly of the amphiphilic polymers in water produced the polymeric micelles with chiral diamine-Ru(II) catalysts in the hydrophobic core. The particle sizes were found to be 65 nm by DLS analysis. The polymeric micelles as catalytic nanoreactors were successfully applied in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of various ketones in water. The heterogenization of homogeneous catalysts and construction of catalysts for aqueous catalysis demonstrate potential application prospects in the preparation of chiral aromatic alcohols.
PSMC5 regulates microglial polarization and activation in LPS-induced cognitive deficits and motor impairments by interacting with TLR4
Authors: Bi Wei , Bao Keyao , Zhou Xinqi , Deng Yihui , Li Xiaoting , Zhang Jiawei , Lan Xin , Zhao Jiayi , Lu Daxiang , Xu Yezi , Cen Yanmei , Cao Rui , Xu Mengyang , Zhong Wenbin , Zhu Lihong , Zhong Wenbing
Published: July 2023

Background
Luteolin is a flavonoid found in high concentrations in celery and green pepper, and acts as a neuroprotectant. PSMC5 (proteasome 26S subunit, ATPase 5) protein levels were reduced after luteolin stimulation in activated microglia. We aimed to determine whether regulating PSMC5 expression could inhibit neuroinflammation, and investigate the underlying mechanisms.
Methods
BV2 microglia were transfected with siRNA PSMC5 before the addition of LPS (1.0 µg/ml) for 24 h in serum free DMEM. A mouse model of LPS-induced cognitive and motor impairment was established to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of shRNA PSMC5. Intracerebroventricular administration of shRNA PSMC5 was commenced 7 days prior to i.p. injection of LPS (750µg/kg). Treatments and behavioral experiments were performed once daily for 7 consecutive days. Behavioral tests and pathological/biochemical assays were performed to evaluate LPS-induced hippocampal damage. Molecular dynamics simulation was used to confirm the interaction between PSMC5 and TLR4 in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglia.
Results
SiRNA PSMC5 inhibited BV2 microglial activation, and suppressed the release of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, COX-2, PGE2, TNF-α, and iNOS) upon after LPS stimulation in BV2 microglia. LPS increased IκB-α and p65 phosphorylation, which was attenuated by siRNA PSMC5. Behavioral tests and pathological/biochemical assays showed that shRNA PSMC5 attenuated LPS-induced cognitive and motor impairments, and restored synaptic ultrastructure and protein levels in mice. ShRNA PSMC5 reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-, IL-1, PGE2, and NO) levels in the serum and brain, and relevant protein factors (iNOS and COX-2) in the brain. Furthermore, shRNA PSMC5 upregulated the anti-inflammatory mediators interleukin IL-4 and IL-10 in the serum and brain, and promoted a pro-inflammation-to-anti-inflammation phenotype shift in microglial polarization. Mechanistically, shRNA PSMC5 significantly alleviated LPS-induced toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression. The polarization of LPS-induced microglial pro-inflammation phenotype was abolished by TLR4 inhibitor and in the TLR-4−/− mouse, as in shRNA PSMC5 treatment. PSMC5 interacted with TLR4 via the amino sites Glu284, Met139, Leu127, and Phe283. PSMC5 site mutations attenuated neuroinflammation and reduced pro-inflammatory factors by reducing TLR4-related effects, thereby reducing TLR4-mediated MyD88-dependent activation of NF-κB.
Conclusion
PSMC5 could be an important therapeutic target for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases involving neuroinflammation-associated cognitive deficits and motor impairments induced by microglial activation.
Development of a short form of the Cardiac Distress Inventory
Authors: Grande Michael Le , Murphy Barbara , Rogerson Michelle , Ski Chantal , Amerena John , Smith Julian , Hoover Valerie , Alvarenga Marlies , Higgins Rosemary , Thompson David R , Jackson Alun C
Published: July 2023

Background
Cardiac distress may be viewed as a persistent negative emotional state that spans multiple psychosocial domains and challenges a patient’s capacity to cope with living with their heart condition. The Cardiac Distress Inventory (CDI) is a disease-specific clinical assessment tool that captures the complexity of this distress. In busy settings such as primary care, cardiac rehabilitation, and counselling services, however, there is a need to administer briefer tools to aid in identification and screening. The aim of the present study was to develop a short, valid screening version of the CDI.
Methods
A total of 405 participants reporting an acute coronary event in the previous 12 months was recruited from three hospitals, through social media and by direct enrolment on the study website. Participants completed an online survey which included the full version of the CDI and general distress measures including the Kessler K6, Patient Health Questionnaire-4, and Emotion Thermometers. Relationship of the CDI with these instruments, Rasch analysis model fit and clinical expertise were all used to select items for the short form (CDI-SF). Construct validity and receiver operating characteristics in relation to the Kessler K6 were examined.
Results
The final 12 item CDI-SF exhibited excellent internal consistency indicative of unidimensionality and good convergent and discriminant validity in comparison to clinical status measures, all indicative of good construct validity. Using the K6 validated cutoff of ≥18 as the reference variable, the CDI-SF had a very high Area Under the Curve (AUC) (AUC = 0.913 (95% CI: 0.88 to 0.94). A CDI-SF score of ≥ 13 was found to indicate general cardiac distress which may warrant further investigation using the original CDI.
Conclusion
The psychometric findings detailed here indicate that CDI-SF provides a brief psychometrically sound screening measure indicative of general cardiac distress, that can be used in both clinical and research settings.
Ankara Yerel Gastronomi Rotası ve Lezzet Haritası (Ankara Local Gastronomy Route and Taste Map)
Authors: GAZELCİ Sadık Can , AKAR ŞAHİNGÖZ Semra
Published: July 2023

Bu araştırmanın amacı Ankara’da yerel gastronomi rotası ve lezzet haritasının oluşturulmasıdır. Gastronomi turizmi kapsamında Ankara’daki mevcut turlar incelenmiş ve Ankara Rehberler Odası (ANRO) üyesi profesyonel turist rehberleri ile yarı yapılandırılmış form ile görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Araştırmada toplam 19 profesyonel turist rehberi ile görüşülmüştür. Ankara’daki turlarda en çok ziyaret edilen yerler tespit edilmiştir. En çok ziyaret edilen yerlerde profesyonel turist rehberlerinin önerileriyle yerel gastronomi rotaları oluşturulmuştur. Bu rotalarda gezilecek yerlerin lezzet haritası da düzenlenmiştir. Nallıhan, Beypazarı, Polatlı, Ayaş, Güdül, Kızılcahamam, Çubuk, Kalecik, Elmadağ, Altındağ ve Çankaya toplam on bir ilçede Tarhana Çorbası, Ankara Tava, Ankara Yaprak Döneri, Ankara Simidi, Kalecik Şarabı, Beypazarı Kurusu, Beypazarı Yaprak Sarması, Beypazarı Ev Baklavası ve Beypazarı Sodası en çok tavsiye edilen ürünler olmuştur. Ayrıca yerel gastronomi unsurlarından faydalanmak için yerel yönetimler, işletmeler ve akademik açılardan öneriler sunulmuştur.
Determination of Internship Place Selection Criteria of Students in Tourism Field With Pre-Bachelor s Degree Education By SWARA Method
Authors: AKNAR Ahmet , BAŞÇI Ayhan , KARTAL Murat
Published: July 2023

The study aims to determine the criteria that university students consider when choosing an internship site. The criteria taken into consideration in the study were determined with the opinions of tourism department students within the scope of literature review and expert opinion. After the criteria were determined, a SWARA (Step-by-Step Weight Rating Ratio Analysis) swara form was created and this form was applied separately to a group of 10 students doing internship in the tourism program and a group of 10 students not doing internship. The SWARA method was applied to the data obtained from two separate student groups with the criteria form and the priorities of the criteria were determined for each student. Then, the final priorities were determined by averaging the values found for each criterion in terms of students and the ranking of the criteria was made. Accordingly, as a result of the research, it was revealed that the most important criterion for students who did not do internship was self-development opportunities in enterprises, while the most important criterion for students who did internship was accommodation facilities. At the end of the study, the findings obtained in terms of the two groups were evaluated and suggestions for future studies were presented.