bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictive value of m1A-related genes in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Tengfei , Yang Ning , Lei Xu , Jiang Tao , Dong Botao
Published: April 2023

Background：Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is a prevalent type of renal malignancy characterized by high mortality rates and poor response to treatment. N1-methyladenosine (m1A) is a type of RNA methylation modification that has received considerable attention due to its crucial roles in various biological functions. With the advancement of genomics and molecular biology, m1A-related genes (m1A RGs) have been confirmed to be intimately connected with the development and occurrence of various tumors. Nevertheless, the role of m1A RGs in KIRC remains poorly understood.
Methods：This study aims to investigate the prognostic significance of 10 major m1A RGs in KIRC patients, utilizing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. A prognostic model was constructed using Lasso regression analysis, and risk scores were calculated. KIRC patients were classified into high- and low-risk groups based on the median of the average risk score. The prognostic value of the model was evaluated using two independent datasets, GSE537574 and GSE265745, by assessing the sensitivity and specificity using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves. Additionally, gene set enrichment analysis was conducted to explore the possible biological behavior and pathways of m1A RGs. Ultimately, 5 m1A RGs were identified to construct the prognostic model. Furthermore, nomogram and decision curve analyses were performed to evaluate the model's predictive performance and clinical application value.
Results：Our study demonstrates that the expression of m1A RGs might serve as a prognostic biomarker for KIRC patients and provides a new perspective for cancer prognosis screening in clinical practice.
Association between TIMP1 gene polymorphism and glioma in a northern Chinese population
Authors: Chen Weifeng , Li Xiaopeng , Zhang Hanfei , Zhang Jinxia , Zhao Chunmei , Wang Junhui
Published: April 2023

Aims
To explore the association between two polymorphisms of TIMP1 and the risk of glioma in the northern Chinese population.
Methods
Genotyping of TIMP1 polymorphisms (rs4898 and rs2070584) was performed in 310 glioma patients and 350 healthy controls (HCs) from north China using the SNaPshot sequencing technique. Survival data from patients with glioma were analyzed.
Results
The frequency of the rs4898-C, rs2070584-G alleles were significantly lower in male glioma patients than those in HCs (p < 0.05). The frequency of heterozygote genotype (CT) was significantly lower in the patient group than control (OR = 0.49, 95%CI = 0.30–0.80, P = 0.004). For rs2070584, the frequency of heterozygote genotype (GT) was significantly lower in the patient group than control (OR = 0.63, 95%CI = 0.42–0.95, P = 0.026). The frequency of hemizygote C on rs4898 was lower for WHO III~Ⅳ glioma cases than for HCs (OR = 0.36, 95%CI = 0.17–0.73, P = 0.004). Haplotype analysis showed TIMP1 C-G (rs4898-rs2070584) frequency was lower in male glioma patients (OR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.66–0.98, P = 0.034). The risk of OS for glioma patients carrying the rs4898 TT genotype increased by about 1.377-fold in comparison with CC + CT genotype patients (95%CI = 1.044 ~ 1.817, P = 0.024). Similarly, the risk of PFS for glioma patients carrying the rs2070584 TT genotype increased by about 1.347-folds in comparison with GG + GT genotype patients (95%CI = 1.051 ~ 1.727, P = 0.019).
Conclusions
In conclusion, the present study suggested that genetic polymorphisms of TIMP1 were associated with glioma risk in the Chinese population.; Rs4898 CT heterozygote and hemizygous C might be protective against glioma; the haplotype C-G (Rs4898-rs2070584) provides nearly 80% protection towards the development of glioma. Furthermore, TIMP1 polymorphisms (rs4898 and rs2070584) might be an independent prognostic factor in glioma patients.
MTGAE: Graph Autoencoder with Mirror TCN for Traffic Anomaly Detection
Authors: Ren Zhiyu , Li Xiaojie , Wu Xi , Peng Jing , Chen Ken , Tan Qushan , Shi Canghong
Published: April 2023

Traffic time series anomaly detection has been intensively studied for years because of its potential applications in intelligent transportation. Classical traffic anomaly detection methods ignore the hidden dynamic associations between road network nodes as it evolves, resulting in the inability to capture the long-term temporal correlation, spatial and temporal characteristics of traffic data, and the abnormal nodes from it in a dataset with high periodicity and trends (e.g., morning peak travel). In this paper, we proposed a Mirror Temporal Graph Autoencoder (MTGAE) framework to explore anomalies and capture unseen nodes and the spatiotemporal correlation between nodes in the traffic network. In the method, we propose Mirror Temporal Convolutional Module (MTCM) module, to our best knowledge, which possesses better feature extraction and captures hidden node-to-node features in the traffic network and will be passed as hidden to the next module. Our proposed Graph Convolutional Gate Recurrent Unit Cell (GCGRU CELL) module, mapped to a high-dimensional space by Gaussian kernel functions, which discerns anomalous information in the traffic network and possible anomalies in the complex interdependencies between nodes and nodes based on prior knowledge and input data. We compared our work with several other advanced deep-learning anomaly detection models. The experimental results on the NYC dataset prove that our model works best compared to other models for traffic anomaly detection.
Reassessing the safety of dietary emulsifiers through the lens of gut microbiota
Authors: Panyod Suraphan , Wu Wei-Kai , Chang Chih-Ting , Wada Naohisa , Ho Han-Chen , Chen Rou-An , Huang Huai-Syuan , Liu Po-Yu , Chen Yi-Hsun , Chuang Hsiao-Li , Shen Ting-Chin David , Tang Sen-Lin , Ho Chi-Tang , Wu Ming-Shiang , Sheen Lee-Yan
Published: April 2023

Dietary emulsifiers have been linked to various diseases. The recent discovery of the role of gut microbiota-host interactions on health and disease warrants the safety reassessment of dietary emulsifiers through the lens of gut microbiota. Hydrophilic (lecithin (LEC), sucrose esters (SUC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)) and lipophilic (mono- and diglycerides (MDG)) emulsifiers are common dietary emulsifiers with high exposure levels in the population. This study proved that SUC and CMC induced hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. MDG impaired circulating lipid and glucose metabolism. Both hydrophilic and lipophilic emulsifiers changed the intestinal microbiota diversity and induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. Hydrophilic emulsifiers have no impact on mucus–bacterial interactions, whereas MDG tended to cause bacterial encroachment into the inner mucus layer and enhance inflammation potential by raising circulating lipopolysaccharide. Our findings demonstrated the safety concerns associated with using dietary emulsifiers, suggesting that they could lead to metabolic syndromes.
Multifaceted involvement of ACBD6 in the metabolic reprogramming of breast cancer
Authors: Xing Zeyu , Cao Heng , Zhang Menglu , Liu Jiaqi , Wu Jiang , Ren Fei , Feng Kexin , Wang Yipeng , Wang Xiang
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Serving as the key intermediate in metabolic pathways, acyl-CoA is coordinated by various acyl-CoA binding domain containing proteins (ACBDs). ACBD6 is a crucial member of the ACBD family, and previous studies have indicated its potential in tumorigenesis and cancer progress. However, the clinical relevance of ACBD6 in breast cancer is still elusive. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between ACBD6 expression and other clinicopathological features of breast cancer, furtherly explore its specific role in metabolism and prognostic value.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 90 patients and used immunohistochemical staining to determine their ACBD6 statuses. Web platforms are also used to analyze ACBD6.
Results: Results showed that patients with high ACBD6 expression tend to be older, more likely to be progesterone receptor negative, and more often classified into triple-negative breast cancer. Web platforms such as LinkedOmics and BCIP uniformly confirm that ACBD6 level is elevated in breast cancerous tissues. Higher expression of ACBD6 is associated with more aggressive clinicopathological features, as well as worse prognosis.
Conclusions: ACBD6 assists with N-myristoyltransferase enzymes to functionally support glycine myristoylation, and interacts with lysophospholipid-acyltransferase enzymes, protecting the integrity of membrane lipid bilayer from the destructive nature of acyl-CoA. Also, ACBD6 could influence hematopoiesis and vascular endothelium development. Despite precise cognition remains scarce, ACBD6 multi-functionally works in the occurrence and metabolic reprogramming of breast cancer. Further researches are deserved to elucidate the biological mechanisms, prognostic and therapeutic value of ACBD6.
Changes of naturally occurring antibodies against ASC in healthy Chinese population
Authors: Zhu XiaoPeng , Yu HaiJing , Long Yan , Liu He , Lai Xia , Huang Liang , Gao Xia , Deng Juan
Published: April 2023

Background
To explore the changes of in human plasma Naturally occurring antibodies against ASC (NAbs-ASC) in healthy Chinese population .
Methods
A total of 97 young, 99 middle-aged and 108 elderly subjects were recruited from the Health Management Department of Daping Hospital, Army Medical University. The medical history data of the three groups and plasma levels of NAbs-ASC were compared to analyze changes of their and correlation in aging .
Results
Naturally occurring antibodies against ASC were present in human plasma and a one-way ANOVA yielded significantly lower plasma levels of NAbs-ASC in the elderly group relative to the young (2421.15 vs 2849.26, p < 0.001) and middle-aged groups (2421.15 vs 2878.44, p < 0.001); plasma levels of NAbs-ASC in the young group were not statistically different from those in the middle-aged group (2849.26 vs 2878.44, p = 0.576). Spearman's correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between age and plasma NAbs-ASC levels (r=-0.265, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
NAbs-ASC is widely present in human plasma and reduced in the plasma of elderly people and negatively correlated with age.
New insights of a stochastic nonlinear differential equations model with ergodic stationary distribution via fractal-fractional derivatives involving random perturbations
Authors: Chu Yu-Ming , Sultana Sobia , Karim Shazia , Alharthi Mohammed Shaaf , Rashid Saima
Published: April 2023

Rumor circulation has been a serious challenge to preserving the established societal structure. Recently, significant attempts have been made to explore the patterns of rumors using epidemic models, assuming that only rumor streams for a particular incident occur in the network. In this research, the rumor dynamics during catastrophes are discussed using a unique rumor spreading mechanism via the novel fractal-fractional derivative operators (Caputo and Caputo-Fabrizio) sense by proposing white noise in the system. By strengthening a comprehensive stochastic Lyapunov function, which gives us a reasonable representation of permanence. Furthermore, we established the existence-uniqueness of the non-negative solution of the model. Besides that, we are capable of demonstrating the necessary requirements for the persistence and exclusivity of an ergodic stationary distribution for the aforesaid model. Numerical configurations were investigated to illustrate the effect of model parameters, power law and exponential decay kernel with fractional-order and fractal-dimension on the rumor metastatic phenomenon. Finally, the corresponding management solutions with the fractal-fractional operators for preventing the proliferation of rumors during catastrophes are also covered in this research.
AMS Subject Classification: 26A51; 26A33; 26D07; 26D10; 26D15.
Analyzing the change in land cover dynamics: A case study of Delhi
Authors: Singh Sangita , Sarma Kiranmay
Published: April 2023

land use/land cover change analysis is one of the key strategies for managing and tracking natural resources and monitoring as well as mapping the shift. The major contributor to such changes is urbanization. These types of changes are very prominent in metropolitan cities where the population load is high. The study area selected for the present study is Delhi, the National capital of India. This article compares the changes in land use and land cover from 2014 to 2023. To map the changes Landsat 8 data were used for 2014 and Landsat 9 was used for 2023. A total of five classes were selected for the analysis: vegetation, built-up, scrubland, waterbody, and agriculture for both datasets. The images were classified with a maximum likelihood algorithm and the overall accuracy attained was 86% (kappa 0.82) for 2014 and 90% (kappa 0.87) for 2023. The change detection suggested that there is an increase in land cover for built-up (+ 3.80) and also in the natural vegetation (+ 5.49) and a decline was observed in scrubland (-1.51) and agricultural areas (-7.91). Apart from the change detection map, a composite map for each class was also prepared for better understanding. In concluding remarks data on urban growth, land use, and land cover change studies are very important for local government and urban planners to create future plans for the sustainable development of the city.
Rapid assay using recombinase polymerase amplification and lateral flow dipstick for identifying Agrilus mali, a serious wood-boring beetle of the western Tianshan Mountains in China
Authors: Li Cheng-Jin , Sun Hui-Quan , Zhao Wen-Xia , Wang Xiao-Yi , Lin Ruo-Zhu , Yao Yan-Xia
Published: April 2023

Agrilus mali is a major wood-boring pest of Northeast Asia. Recently, it destroyed Malus sieversii and caused the decline of the wild fruit forests of the Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The pest beetle is often not identified due to the absence of affective rapid discrimination methods beyond adult morphological examination. This study reports a simple, rapid, specific and sensitive method based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with lateral flow dipstick (LFD), which is able to quickly define the beetle even when it is young. RPA primers were designed based on the internal transcribed spacer 1 region (ITS1). The introduction of the probe in the reaction eliminated the false-positive signals. The probe (Probe1-b) was specificity and sensitivity with as little as 10-3 ng of purified DNA needed to detect A. mali. Moreover, the RPA reaction was carried out using crude extracted DNA, which was only extracted by immersion in sterile distilled water. The LFD is used to visualize the detection results. The results show that the whole process of the RPA-LFD assay can be completed at 38 °C in approximately 30 min, including 10 min for A. mali gDNA extraction and 15 min for RPA-LFD detection, and the amplification can be carried out in an individual’s hand; thus, this method has very good application prospects in the field of quarantine and pest management.
Regulating the Electron Transport Mechanism and Increasing Magnetoresistance: The Role of CuO Filler in La0.7Sr0.2Ca0.1MnO3 Grain Boundary
Authors: Zulkarnain Zulkarnain , Imaduddin Agung , Munazat Dicky Rezky , Razaq Dhawud Sabilur , Kurniawan Budhy
Published: April 2023

Magnetoresistance in perovskite materials has been extensively studied due to their great potential in spintronics technology. Perovskite samples composite with metal oxides can modify electrical properties, which can subsequently improve LFMR under low magnetic fields. In this study, we investigate changes in electrical properties at different temperatures of polycrystalline (1-x)La0.7Sr0.2Ca0.1MnO3/xCuO (LC) composites, where x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20. Polycrystalline La0.7Sr0.2Ca0.1MnO3 (LSCMO) was synthesized using the sol-gel method and CuO powder as a filler was mixed with LSCMO using wet. The LC composite was then oven-dried to remove moisture, compacted at 10 MPa, and sintered at 1200°C for 12 hours. All samples in the LSCMO phase have a rhombohedral structure with space group R3c. The crystal structure parameters were studied using Rietveld refinement through GSAS II software. SEM results show that CuO is in the LSCMO grain boundary and confirmed by EDS. As the CuO composition increased, the magnetization decreased, as observed by VSM at room temperature. The electrical transport properties of pure LSCMO and LC composites were studied from 5 to 300 K characterized by a cryogenic magnetometer. LC resistivity is higher than LSCMO, and the more CuO content, the smaller the metal transition temperature. CuO present at the grain boundary can decrease the resistivity value as compared to LSCMO. Additionally, the CuO layer weakens spin polarized tunneling intergrain, ultimately impacting the magnetoresistance value. The highest magnetoresistance value is for the LC15 composite at a temperature of 5K with an external field of 2T at 28.5%.
Clinical outcome Analysis of immediate morbidity and mortality in patients presenting with obstructed Colorectal cancers.
Authors: Veetil Sreejith Kannummal , Haque Parvez David , Jain Deepak
Published: April 2023

PURPOSE -The study aimed to identify immediate morbidity and mortality among patients presenting with obstructive colorectal cancers. Through this study, we also aim to determine the proportion of patients who have received a complete curative treatment after undergoing the emergency surgery and their key determinant of morbidity and mortality following emergency surgery, identify the histopathological subtype of the colorectal cancer
METHODS-It is a Retrospective clinical analysis comprising a collective of consecutive colorectal cancer cases and analysis of CRC patients who came in obstructive Malignant colorectal cancer from 2013-2021 from a tertiary hospital throughout the past 8 years. The data collection from Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, India, data collection from the MRD (Medical Records Department)- search by keywords- “Rectal cancer” “Colonic cancer” “Intestinal obstruction” “Caecal growth” “Ascending colon /splenic flexure /descending colon cancer/Growth” “Malignant Large Bowel Obstruction”.
RESULTS-140 patient files were screened of which 17 files were screened out due to non-matching of the inclusive criteria, of the 123 cases, patient data were analyzed, and a total of 36 patients matched the criteria of obstructed colon cancer, rest 87 cases were non obstructed colorectal malignancies. A main finding in the present study was that patients who underwent presented with obstructive CRC had significantly higher mortality and complication rates than patients who had non-obstructive symptoms, surgical site complication was the most important morbidity seen in patients who had undergone emergency surgery in the Obstructive group of CRC patients it was 25% and the p-value is 0.024, other complications like Anastomotic leak (2.78%)and Stomal hernia (2.78%) was also seen we found no statistical difference when compared with the non-obstructive CRC patients
CONCLUSIONS-The present study demonstrates that obstructed colon cancer does present with increased morbidity, mortality, and hospital stay. It is therefore essential to consider and choose the most appropriate treatment option relying on preoperative prognostic factors such as age, co-morbidities, duration of symptoms, presentation of the patient, intra-operative findings, and above all the skill of the surgeons. Accurate preoperative evaluation of these prognostic factors might allow us to predict the clinical outcome and provides reliable assistance in surgical decision-making.
CD74 supports Treg accumulation and function in tumors
Authors: Bonnin Elisa , Denizeau Jordan , Maurin Mathieu , Saez Juan Jose , Jouve Mabel , Bonté Pierre-Emmanuel , Richer Wilfrid , Nevo Fabien , Lemoine Sebastien , Girard Nicolas , Lefevre Marine , Borcoman Edith , Vincent-Salomon Anne , Baulande Sylvain , Moreau Hélène , Sedlik Christine , Hivroz Claire , Lennon-Dumenil Ana-Maria , Boari Jimena Tosello , Piaggio Eliane
Published: April 2023

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are plastic cells playing a pivotal role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Tregs actively adapt to the microenvironment where they reside; as a consequence, their molecular and functional profiles differ among tissues and pathologies. In tumors, the features acquired by Tregs remains poorly characterized. Here, we observed that human tumor-infiltrating Tregs selectively overexpress CD74, the MHC class II invariant chain. CD74 has been previously described as a regulator of antigen-presenting cell biology, however its function in Tregs remains unknown. CD74 genetic deletion in human primary Tregs revealed that CD74KO Tregs exhibit major defects in the organization of their actin cytoskeleton and intracellular organelles. Additionally, intra-tumoral CD74KO Tregs show a decreased activation, a drop in Foxp3 expression, a low accumulation in the tumor, and consistently, they accelerate the tumor rejection. These observations are unique to tumor conditions as, at steady state, CD74KO-Treg phenotype, survival, and suppressive capacity are unaffected in vitro and in vivo. CD74 therefore emerges as a specific regulator of tumor-infiltrating Tregs and as a novel target to interfere with Treg anti-tumor activity.
Two-dimensional flow over a smooth depression in a channelwith a slip wall
Authors: Ceccacci Silvia , Calabretto Sophie A. W. , Thomas Christian , Denier James P.
Published: April 2023

The effect of slip along a Gaussian-shaped gap deformity, located about a fixed position on the lower wall of a two-dimensional channel, is numerically investigated. Two gap deformations are modelled, with dimensions sufficient to generate localised pockets of reversed flow when the channel walls are fully no-slip. The Reynolds number of the flow, based on the channel half-width, is 4000 for this investigation. The two gap deformations have the same depth, 𝑑, but different widths, 𝜎, leading to a wide gap with an aspect ratio 𝜂 = 𝑑/𝜎 = 0.4 and a narrow gap with an aspect ratio 𝜂 = 0.8. The wide gap establishes a higher intensity region of separated flow within the deformation than the narrow gap. Surface slip with slip length, 𝜆, is modelled via a Robin-type slip boundary condition. Applying the slip condition to the gap concavity reduces the intensity and thickness of the separation bubble within the deformation. Eventually, slip eliminates flow separation altogether for slip lengths 𝜆 = 0.15 and 𝜆 = 0.1 for the wide and narrow gaps, respectively.
Toxoplasma gondii Adhesion and Apoptosis of Chicken Erythrocytes
Authors: Li Cheng-huan , Zhang Xiao-han , Sang Xiao-yu , El-Ashram Saeed , Ding Ying-ying , Feng Ying , Jiang Tian-tian , Yang Na
Published: April 2023

Background: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) was thought to infect all nucleated cells in warm-blooded animals, including poultry, mammals, and humans. However, it is unclear whether T. gondii can infect chicken erythrocytes due to the nucleated nature of these cells. Due to the special role of chicken erythrocytes in innate immunity, we investigated the cell-cell interaction between T. gondii and erythrocytes to elucidate the role of chicken erythrocytes in T. gondii infection.
Methods: Cellular apoptosis was analyzed by transwell assay and flow cytometry. An immunofluorescence method was used to examine the reorganization of vimentin during T. gondii infection in both Vero cells and chicken erythrocytes. The reorganization of actin was evaluated to further examine the invasion capacity of tachyzoites on chicken erythrocytes during infection. The transcriptional levels of virulence factors ROP18, ROP16, and MIC3 were calculated using the real-time PCR method to determine whether T. gondii virulence was reduced when co-cultured with chicken erythrocytes.
Results: We discovered that T. gondii can adhere to but not invade chicken erythrocytes and eventually cause apoptosis in chicken erythrocytes. When tachyzoites were co-cultured with chicken erythrocytes in vitro, the transcriptional levels of T. gondii MIC3, ROP16, and ROP18 were significantly decreased. In addition, the rearrangement of host cell vimentin, a type III cytoskeleton protein regulated by T. gondii infection, was not observed. Similarly, the parasite-induced ring-shaped actin structure was not expressed and formed in the host-parasite junction. T. gondii RH tachyzoites preferentially invaded Vero cells and replicated in chicken blood monocytes, but they were not found in chicken erythrocytes. These findings showed that although T. gondii can attach to the surface of chicken erythrocytes, it’s unable to invade successfully, showing an inability to invade. Interestingly, we found that T. gondii secretome, lysates, and intact tachyzoites could cause apoptosis of chicken erythrocytes to varying degrees, which suggested a complex mechanism involved in the apoptosis of chicken erythrocytes induced by T. gondii.
Conclusions: This study elucidated that T. gondii can’t infect nucleated chicken erythrocytes and enriched our understanding of T. gondii's transmission mechanism among avian species.
Visual lateralisation of swans in response to anthropogenic disturbance differs according to observation task, presence of chicks and type of locomotion
Authors: Zaynagutdinova Elmira , Polikarpova Diana , Rozenfeld Sonia
Published: April 2023

Visual lateralisation is manifested in the dominance of one brain hemisphere in the processing of information from one of the eyes. Most studies manifested that the right hemisphere is responsible for the aggression, fear, and detection of predators and other threats, and the left hemisphere is responsible for the positive emotions, food search, and detection of large changes in the environment. Nevertheless, some independent studies manifested the opposite biases in the same behaviour tasks. To evaluate the value of species, behaviour task, locomotion type and breeding status in visual lateralisation biases we studied the behaviour of swimming and flying Whooper swans and Bewick's swans with and without chicks when observing a source of danger and a partner. We found that in the same conditions, the visual lateralisation bias was identical in two species and it differed depending on the type of locomotion in one species. Birds had a significant bias in the observation of the source of disturbance and hadn't in the observation of the leading partner. The presence of chicks strengthened the manifestation of visual lateralisation in the following birds. Therefore, special attention should be paid to details in comparing the results of studies conducted under different circumstances.
Use of Retrotransposon based iPBS Markers for Determination of Genetic Relationship among Some Chestnut Cultivars (Castanea sativa Mill.) in Turkey
Authors: ORHAN Emine , KARA Didem
Published: April 2023

In this study, a total of 19 retrotransposon-based iPBS markers were used to determine the genetic relationship among 11 chestnut cultivars (Castanea sativa Mill.) that are important in Turkey. In the study, chestnut cultivars named Hacıömer, Osmanoğlu, Sarıaşlama, Erfelek, Kemer, Işıklar, Şekerci, Siyah Bursa, Tülü, Bouche De Betizac and Marigoule were preferred. The allele profiles obtained from PCR reactions and capillary electrophoresis system were evaluated. Size ranges of alleles, number of average allele, number of total allele, number of polymorphic alleles, polymorphism rate, mean heterozygosity, polymorphism information content, marker index and discriminating power were determined at a successful level. In addition, UPGMA dendograms were created and principle coordinate analyzes were performed. According to UPGMA dendogram, chestnut cultivars of Hacıömer and Şekerci were determined as the most similar cultivars with a similarity coefficient value of 0.924 and they formed a subgroup together with the chestnut cultivars of Osmanoğlu and Erfelek which showed close similarity with these two cultivars. On the other hand, it was concluded that two chestnut cultivars, Işıklar and Şekerci, which are highly similar to each other by some sources, are very different from each other. Besides, the use of retrotransposon based iPBS markers in chestnuts in Turkey was made for the first time in this study, and it has been proven that the genetic relationship among chestnut cultivars can be determined with high accuracy. It has been determined that these markers will be useful for molecular characterization studies in plant breeding programs.
Relationship between the expression of PSMB2 and proliferation and invasion in glioma
Authors: He Wei , Zhang Zhe , Tan Zilong , Liu Xinxian , Wang Zekun , Xiong Bo , Shen Xiaoli , Zhu Xingen
Published: April 2023

There has been an upward trend in the incidence of glioma, with high recurrence and high mortality. The beta subunits of the 20S proteasome are encoded by the proteasome beta (PSMB) genes and may affect the proteasome's function in glioma, assembly and inhibitor binding. This study attempted to reveal the function of the proliferation and invasion of glioma cells, which is affectedby proteasome 20S subunit beta 2 (PSMB2). We subjected the data downloaded from the TCGA database to ROC, survival, and enrichment analyses. PSMB2 expression was verified by quantitative PCR and Western blotting to identify themRNA and protein levels. PSMB2expressionwas higher in glioma tissues, and its expression positively correlated with poor prognosis and high tumor grade.
Comparative analysis of tuberculin and defined antigen skin tests for the detection of bovine tuberculosis in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)
Authors: Kumar Mohit , Kumar Tarun , Jangir Babu Lal , Singh Mahavir , Arora Devan , Bangar Yogesh , Conlan Andrew , Vordermeier Martin , Bakker Douwe , Byregowda S. M. , Sriniva Sreenidhi , Kapur Vivek , Jindal Naresh
Published: April 2023

Background: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic disease that results from infection with any member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and infected animals are typically diagnosed withtuberculin-based intradermal skin tests per World Organization of Animal Health or similar guidelines. Peptide-based defined skin test (DST) antigens, comprising of ESAT-6, CFP-10 and Rv3615c, are able to differentiate infected from BCG-vaccinated animals and sensitively and specifically identify tuberculin reactor cattle, but their performance in buffaloes remained unknown. To assess the comparative performance of the DST with the tuberculin-based single intradermal test (SIT) and the single intradermal comparative cervical test (SICCT), we screened 543 female buffaloes from 49 organized dairy farms in two districts of Haryana state in India.
Results: The results show that 37 (7%), 4 (1%) and 18 (3%) buffaloes were reactors with the SIT, SICCT and DST, respectively. Of the 37 SIT reactors, four were positive with SICCT and 12 were positive with the DST. The results further show that none of the animals tested positive with all three tests, and 6 DST positive animals were SIT negative. Together, a total of 43 animals were reactors with SIT, DST, or both, and the two assays showed moderate agreement (Cohen'sKappa 0.41; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.59). In contrast, only slight agreement (Cohen’s Kappa 0.18; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.34) was observed between SIT and SICCT. Latent class analyses reveal test specificities of 95% for SIT and 99% each for DST and SICCT, but considerably lower sensitivities of 67%, 39%, and 19% for SIT, DST, and SICCT, respectively, albeit with broad and overlapping credible intervals.
Conclusion: Taken together, our investigation suggests that DST has a test specificity comparable with SICCT, and sensitivity intermediate between SIT and SICCT for the identification of buffaloes suspected of tuberculosis. Our studies also highlight an urgent need for future well-powered trials with detailed necropsy with immunological and microbiological profiling of reactor and non-reactor animals to better define the underlying drivers for the large observed discrepancies in assay performance, particularly between SIT and SICCT.
DPark: Decentralized Smart Private-Parking System using Blockchains
Authors: Brenner Garrett , Baza Mohamed , Rasheed Amar , Lalouani Wassila , Badr Mahmoud , Alshahrani Hani
Published: April 2023

Over the past decade, the world has observed a drastic increase in vehicle registrations per year, resulting in a greater number of cars per household, on the road, and looking for a place to park. This has contributed to a growing shortage of locations for operators to park their vehicles as well as a growing number of parking lots and facilities constructed to compensate. Meanwhile, homeowners and landowners leave vacant spaces that could be utilized by the enlarging population of motorists if they weren't on private property. In this paper, we propose a decentralized parking system, DPark, built on top of Blockchain technology. After spot owners register their spots' information on the Blockchain, drivers can explore owner-registered parking spots within their area that fit their needs in regard to availability, price, and location, and then book a desired spot for the price listed by the spot owner. Most importantly, all of these exchanges occur through Blockchain transactions. Blockchain provides transparency, security, and resistance to single-failure attacks. Spot owners are able to make profits from their unused space, drivers are able to find cheap and local parking, and the environment benefits from less construction of ordinary public and private parking solutions. DPark is then implemented on two different Blockchains, namely Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric. Extensive simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of DPark by considering the different transactions sent by drivers/spot owners at scale. Our results indicate that Hyperledger Fabric outperforms Ethereum in terms of latency and throughput, especially when the total number of transactions increases significantly. Hyperledger Fabric has demonstrated scalability up to 20,000 total transactions with high throughput around 150 transactions per second and negligible latency. Ethereum had lower throughput of around 20 transactions per second while also exhibiting linear growth in latency relative to total transactions. Thus, these results highlight the benefit of choosing a permissioned Blockchain instead of a public Blockchain.
Seclusion and mechanical restraint in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: an increased use in mental health settings
Authors: Goulet Marie-Hélène , Cassivi Christine , Hupé Catherine , Jean-Baptiste Francelyne , Dumais Alexandre
Published: April 2023

Purpose: COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions have significantly changed the environment and the delivery of direct care in all health services, including psychiatric hospitals. The aim of the study is two-fold: 1) to retrospectively assess the prevalence of seclusion and mechanical restraint in a Quebec mental health hospital over 4 years; and 2) to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their prevalence.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study based on medical records from a Quebec mental health hospital collected (a) from April 2016 to March 2019), (b) from April 2019, to March 2020 (pre-COVID onset), and (c) from April 2020 to March 2021 (post-COVID onset). Descriptive statistics, chi square tests, Mann-Kendall test and Welch's t-test were performed.
Results: Following several years during which the use of restrictive measures remained stable, we have noted a significant increase within the first year following the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase can be seen in the use of both seclusion and restraints, which have risen 205% and 170% respectively.
Conclusion: There are a multitude of factors associated with the prevalence of seclusion and restraint that have the potential to be triggered during emergencies and global crisis situations, impacting in turn the rights of an already vulnerable population.
Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) Conservation in Central Mexico: Survival Analysis in Asclepias Physocarpa Crops
Authors: monroy-vilchis octavio , Bernal-Pichardo Simona F. , Zarco-González Martha M.
Published: April 2023

Habitat loss and pesticide use are the main threats for Danaus plexippus. Valle de Bravo is in Central Mexico, has a population density from two to five million butterflies per km². However, wild milkweed populations have declined and local producers grow Asclepias physocarpa applying pesticides. In this study, monarch butterfly survival was evaluated in A. physocarpa crops with two treatments: with carbamate-type pesticides and without pesticides. In addition, the relationships of population parameters of D. plexippus with environmental parameters and characteristics of the host plant, were analyzed. The use of pesticides reduces the survival of D. plexippus by up to 50%. The most vulnerable stages are larva I and larva III. The environmental temperature of 18° C to 19° C and radiation of 350 lum/ft² to 650 lum/ft² favor the laying of eggs. The monarch butterfly oviposited 80% of its eggs in plants of 100 cm ± 45.35 cm, with hatching success of 80%. Implications for insect conservation: our study suggests conservation policies that encourage the cultivation of native milkweed and eliminate or reduce the pesticide use and divulgate scientific information to local people.
Molecular characterization and drug susceptibility of Acinetobacter baumannii infection in children from a third-level hospital in Mexico
Authors: Bejarano José Iván Castillo , Díaz Jorge Llaca , Cavazos Manuel Enrique de la O , Santos Abiel Homero Mascareñas de los , Samaniego Rebeca Aguayo , Aparicio Denisse Vaquera , Vega Nestor Casillas
Published: April 2023

Objectives
Acinetobacter spp. has become a threat public health threat due to the high prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains. There is limited information on the clinical and molecular features of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) infections in children. Our study aimed to describe the clinical and molecular characteristics of CRAB infections among pediatric patients at a tertiary center in Mexico.
Methods
Consecutive cases of CRAB infections were recorded between 2017–2022. Clinical and demographic data were collected from clinical records. Identification of the strains was carried out through mass spectrometry. Confirmation of A. baumannii strains was done using a PCR method based on gyrB sequence. Additionally, PCR was used to detect the presence of carbapenemase-encoding resistance genes.
Results
49 CRAB infections were reported, 69.3% (n = 34) female. 44.8% (n = 22) were neonates. The median hospital length of stay was 32 days (interquartile range [IQR], 19–60). 48.9% of the isolates were recovered from bronchial secretions. Most of the antibiotic groups exhibited a co-resistance rate exceeding 40%. All carbapenem-resistant strains carried blaOXA−51, and blaOXA−24 genes. BlaIMP genes were detected in half of the cases, with all strains co-harboring blaOXA−24 genes.
Conclusion
The study showed a high prevalence of CRAB infections in neonates, along with a high prevalence of co-resistance to antibiotics, and a high rate of isolates carrying blaOXA-24, and blaIMP genes. CRAB poses a major threat due to the mortality rate and limited therapeutic options, it is imperative to urgently halt the propagation of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.
Whether child nutrition is prioritized in Kerala? An exploration of the Integrated Child Development Services Programme
Authors: Jayalakshmi Rajeev , Kannan Srinivasan
Published: April 2023

Background
Kerala, a southern state of India well-known for its human development, is lagging to tackle undernutrition among children below five years in the last decade even though one in five children experience at least one form of nutritional deficiency. The present paper examines the prioritization of child nutrition in the political agenda of Kerala and the implementation of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme.
Methods
Thirty in-depth interviews with ICDS service providers and policymakers, and document analyses (ICDS Manual for District-level Functionaries − 2017, Legislative Assembly questions, and field diaries) were done. The interviews were conducted and transcribed in Malayalam and later translated into English. A thematic analysis of the interviews and content analysis documents were done.
Results
Major themes that emerged from the analysis were inadequate facilities; undue importance of perfect documentation rather than the operationalization of ICDS services; parents’ expectations about their children’s education; the helplessness of AWWs to persuade parents to give their children supplementary nutrition or send them to AWCs; job burden of AWWS and ICDS supervisors and the lack of earnestness with regard to the importance of adequate nutrition; cutting the budget for implementing ICDS; timely disbursal of allocated budget and stopping the training for AWWs; and poor cross-sectoral convergence were found to affect the achievement of nutrition goals of ICDS.
Conclusion
The study revealed that child nutrition is not a prioritised political agenda, which is reflected in the implementation of ICDS and services rendered through the programme. Parents’ perspectives on the need and functions of ICDS matter in terms of service utilization. Reforms without considering them will not help to achieve the objectives.
Can the performance of pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr nets be reduced when combined with pyrethroid-piperonyl butoxide (PBO) nets?
Authors: Syme Thomas , Nounagnon Judicaël , N’dombidjé Boris , Gbegbo Martial , Agbevo Abel , Ahoga Juniace , Ngufor Corine
Published: April 2023

Background
Pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr (CFP) and pyrethroid-piperonyl butoxide (PBO) nets are being scaled across endemic countries to improve control of malaria transmitted by pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes. CFP is a pro-insecticide requiring activation by mosquito cytochrome P450 monooxygenase enzymes (P450s) while PBO improves pyrethroid potency by inhibiting the action of these enzymes in pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes. The inhibitory action of PBO against P450s may thus reduce the efficacy of pyrethroid-CFP nets when applied inside the same household as pyrethroid-PBO nets.
Methods
We performed two experimental hut trials to evaluate the entomological impact of two different types of pyrethroid-CFP ITN (Interceptor® G2, PermaNet®Dual) when applied alone and in combination with pyrethroid-PBO ITNs (DuraNet®Plus, PermaNet®3.0) against a pyrethroid-resistant vector population in southern Benin. In both trials, all net types were tested as single and double net treatments. We also performed bioassays to assess the resistance profile of the vector population at the hut site and investigate interactions between CFP and PBO.
Results
The vector population was susceptible to CFP but exhibited a high intensity of pyrethroid resistance that was overcame by PBO pre-exposure. Vector mortality was significantly lower in huts with combinations of pyrethroid-CFP nets plus pyrethroid-PBO nets compared to huts with two pyrethroid-CFP nets (57–75% vs. 83–85%, p<0.001). PBO pre-exposure reduced the toxicity of CFP in bottle bioassays suggesting this effect may be partly attributable to antagonism between CFP and PBO. We observed higher levels of vector mortality in huts with net combinations that included pyrethroid-CFP nets compared to those that did not and highest mortality was achieved when pyrethroid-CFP nets were applied alone as a single net (68–82%) and as two nets together (83–85%).
Conclusions
This study shows evidence of a reduced performance of pyrethroid-CFP nets when combined with pyrethroid-PBO ITNs compared to when applied alone and higher efficacy with net combinations that included pyrethroid-CFP nets. Our findings therefore suggest that in similar contexts, prioritising distribution of pyrethroid-CFP nets over other net types would maximise vector control impact.
Hydrogeological aspects of the municipal water supply of Albania; experience and problems
Authors: Eftimi Romeo
Published: April 2023

The municipal water supply, mainly related with the cities, in Albanian began to develop in the second half of the 19th century and particularly after 1945. Today, the total capacity of water supply systems mainly for the citiescorresponds to an average rate about 300 l/day per capita. The territory of Albania consists of uneven distribution of very heterogeneous aquifers. In this article are classified and analyzed the water supply sources of the settlements, which are summarized in five groups: a) Wells in alluvial intergranular aquifers; b) karst springs; c) wells in karst aquifers; d) springs in fissured rocks, and e) mixed water sources like: karst springs, drilling wells and surface water. For each group of the water supply sources are analyzed the main concerns regarding the quantity and quality and many examples are given how are solved the problems. Beside this, some recommendations also are given for a sustainable groundwater water supply management, especially related to monitoring and control of the water supply systems and of the aquifers in general, emphasizing the transboundary aquifers as well as consequences of the climate changes. However, the main problems of public water supply of Albania remain the poor management of water supply systems which is reflected in the e high water losses, as well as the low public awareness of request for sustainable use.
Haplotype-resolved genome assembly provides insights into the floral scent of Rosa rugosa
Authors: Cheng Xi , Gao Dan , Wang Hongli , Wang Guoliang , Chen Dongliang , Luo Chang , Liu Hua , Wang Tianyi , Jiao Chengzhi , Zhang Kezhong , Jiang Bei-bei Jiang , Huang Conglin
Published: April 2023

Rose is an important aromatic plant and produces flowers that are used in medicine and food. We herein present a haplotype-resolved genome forRosa rugosacultivar Hanxiang. Analyses of allele-specific expression identified a potential mechanism underlying floral scent biosynthesis. Population genomic analyses involving 133Rosaaccessions elucidated evolutionary histories and a singleR.rugosadomestication event. Pathways mediating the synthesis of scent-related metabolites were enriched according to the analyses of the transcriptomes, haplotype variations, and allelic imbalances during the flower development stages of Hanxiang and Guomeigui (R. rugosaaccessions with diverse fragrances). The enzyme-encoding ASE genesRrHX1G119800andRrHX1G204700(primary amine oxidases) andRrHX2G284700(L-tryptophan decarboxylase) in the phenylethylamine pathway were tentatively designated as core genes useful for improving 2-phenylethanol production in rose flowers. Our results provide molecular insights into the formation ofR. rugosafloral fragrances and genome-level data that are useful for enhancing rose traits via genetic engineering.
Time Series Classification using ResNet Ensemble
Authors: M Monisha , P Blessed Prince
Published: April 2023

One of the vital tasks in Time Series analysis is classifying time series data. This has attracted considerable interest and huge efforts in the past decades. This is still a challenging problem because of the complexity and nature of time series data. They are huge, complex, and constantly updated. There is an increasing demand to extract knowledge from time-series data. The time series has a natural feature that helps humans to visualize the structure of data. Increased interest in studying this particular data type has been sparked by the growth of recorded data, leading to a wealth of unique techniques for encoding, indexing, grouping, and categorising time series, among other tasks. To enhance the performance of traditional feature-based approaches, deep learning techniques were explored. Deep Neural Networks have revolutionized computer vision with their innovative deeper architec-tures like Residual Neural Networks and Convolutional Neural Networks. In this paper, the proposed deep learning architecture improves the performance of Residual Network for time series classification.