bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
WITHDRAWN: Diversity and abundance of Butterflies in protected and unprotected habitation in Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Kehinde Kemabonta , Oluwatobi Omoloye , Femi Adesina , Emmanuel Ugbodaga , Ojonugwa Ekpah , Joseph Anikwe , Azeezat Alafia
Published: May 2023

Butterflies belong to one of the most important taxa of insects. Understanding their significance in an ecosystem as an environmental health indicator and pollination of flowering plants is crucial to achieving sustainability and conservation of floral diversity. Species diversity and abundance of butterflies were investigated at four (4) locations; Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC), LUFASI Nature Park (LNP), Shodex garden, Co-operative villa, Lagos using sweep nets and camera method of sampling. Biodiversity indices were used to compare the diversity and abundance of the butterflies. A total of 171 butterflies belonging to 4 families were identified from the 4 sampled sites. Butterflies belonging to the family Nymphalidae were the most abundant, accounting for 54.4% of the total butterflies collected in all locations. Papilio damodocus, Bicyclus dorothea, Hypolimnas misippus, Junonia sp and Precis pelargawere found in the four sites. LCC had the most diversified species (H’= 3.183) and Co-operative villa had the least (H’= 25). The study site that was most evenly distributed was Shodex garden (e^H/S = 0.9444) and the least evenly distributed was LCC (e^H/S = 0.832). Highest degree of species concentration was found in LCC (D = 0.9522) and Co-operative villa had the least (D = 0.905). Species diversity composition of LNP and LCC, LCC and Shodex garden, LCC and Cooperative villa are significantly different (p < 0.05). It is necessary to identify the rare butterfly species and conserve them by establishing butterfly garden and buffer zones.
High Speed Low Error Approximate Adder Using Hybrid Bit Truncation
Authors: - Hema Chitra S , - Kavya K
Published: May 2023

In Error Tolerant Applications (ETA) the compaction of energy consumption is done but the qual- ity of output is got rid by approximate addition. The ETA eases the strict accuracy restriction, and at the same time achieves tremendous improvements in both power consumption and speed performance. In existing approximate adders there are two types of truncation schemes such as zero-bit-truncation and non-zero-bit truncation. Truncation is applied to the LSB part of the data. Zero-bit-truncation is adding of zeros in the LSB part. Non-zero-bit-truncation is adding of constant ones in the LSB part. In this paper, the objective is to design a high-speed approximate adder using hybrid bit truncation approach. The proposed method is the com- bination of zero-bit truncation and the non- zero-bit truncation. The data is divided into equal lengths and unequal lengths padded with 10 and 01 combinations in the LSB part. Hybrid bit truncation is implemented us- ing ripple carry adder. The Proposed approach is simu- lated in Xilinx Vivado tool and implemented in Cadence Genus Compiler tool to obtain Area, Power, and Delay. The results are compared with non-zero- bit truncation method. Results shows that the hybrid bit truncation method has a reduction on area of 34.02%, power of 38.2% delay of 54.74% and the error metrics MED is reduced up to 70%.
Biological function analysis of miR-15b-5p promoting head and neck tumor development by targeting UGT1A7
Authors: Su Xuejin , Zhou Ziyan , Chen Weimin , Zhu Mingjin , Wu Lanhua , Yin Yuanxiu , Chen Sixia , Kang Min
Published: May 2023

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common malignant tumor. MicroRNA function and expression abnormalities are closely related to tumor development. Nevertheless, the role of miR-15b-5p in HNSCC remains indistinct. Therefore, we used a bioinformatic analysis approach to study the mechanism and action of miR-15b-5p in HNSCC.
Results: MiR-15b-5p was overexpressed in HNSCC cells and its expression levels was closely associated with gender, age, N stage and T stage in patients with HNSCC; the expression of miR-15b-5p in N1- 4 stages were higher than in N0 stage, and in T3- 4 stages than in T1-2 stages. (P < 0.05). Enrichment analysis showed that miR-15b-5p may participate in HNSCC by regulating the retinol metabolism pathway. RDH12 and UGT1A7 were expressed at low levels in HNSCC, with the Spearman’s analysis demonstrating that RDH12 expression was inversely proportional to miR-15b-5p, whereas UGT1A7 expression was directly proportional to miR-15b-5p (P<0.05). The methylation levels of UGT1A10 and UGT1A7 in HNSCC were appreciably lower than those in the control, and the disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with high UGT1A7 expression were appreciably longer than those with low expression (P<0.05, HR=0.71). High UGT1A7 expression is a favorable factor for good DFS prognosis in HNSCC.
Conclusion: MiR-15b-5p may regulate the retinol metabolism pathway by targeting UGT1A7, thereby affecting HNSCC prognosis. Our results suggest miR-15b-5p may be a novel biomarker to predict the disease progression and prognosis in patients with HNSCC and could provide a theoretical foundation for targeted therapy of HNSCC.
Poly (butylene adipate terephthalate) degradation products and their influence on plant progression and soil microbial diversity
Authors: Kanwal Aqsa , Zhang Min , Sharaf Faisal , Rani Andleeb , Khan Bushra , Farooq Sundas
Published: May 2023

The PBAT is a biodegradable, thermally and mechanically stable polymer that plays an important role in combating plastic pollution. In this project, we studied the influence on plant growth and intrinsic microbial miscellany during PBAT degradation. Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) grown in pots under controlled conditions was used as a test crop. PBAT was used in three quantities 0, 0.5, and 1 g, respectively. Every treatment was replicated thrice to minimize the error. Changes in growth parameters were recorded after 15, 30, 45, and 60 d. The PBAT degradation process was analyzed using the high-throughput sequencing technique. Three particle sizes < 0.1 mm (D1), 0.1-0.2 mm (D2), and 0.2-0.5 (D3), and two additive proportions 0.05% (M1) and 0.5% (M2) were used. The results showed that smaller particle sizes and larger additive proportions enhanced the PBAT degradation and soil microbial communities. At the genus level, The PBAT degradation products had significantly inhibited the phylum proteobacteria and actinomycetes. The acid Bacillus abundance was recorded highest at low pH due to the formation of acidic intermediates while a decline in Nocardia spp. was also obvious at this condition. The effect of PBAT on the soil microbial community provides a way for the development of microplastic resources for their effective degradation, the assessment of the potential impact on soil ecosystems, the understanding of their degradation process, and the maintenance of overall soil health.
Protective effects of topiramate on acetic acid-induced colitis in rats: biochemical and histopathological investigation
Authors: Varzandeh Reza , Khezri Mohammad Rafi , Esmaeilzadeh Zeinab , Jafari Abbas , Ghasemnejad-Berenji Morteza
Published: May 2023

Ulcerative colitis is an intestinal inflammatory condition characterized by rise of inflammatory mediators’ production and oxidative stress. Topiramate is an anticonvulsant agent with effectiveness on a wide range of seizures, which its anti-oxidative. This study aims to examine the protective effects of topiramate on acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in rats. Rats were randomly divided into four groups as follows: control, acetic acid, acetic acid + topiramate, and acetic acid + dexamethasone groups. Topiramate (100 mg/kg/day) or dexamethasone (2 mg/kg/day) was administered for six consecutive days, and ulcerative colitis induced at the first day of study by transrectal administration of 4% acetic acid. Four hours after the last dose of treatments, animals of each group were sacrificed and colon tissues removed for further macroscopic, histopathologic, and biochemical analysis. Treatment with topiramate markedly decreased colonic lesions and macroscopic scores as well as improvement of histopathologic changes. Topiramate also effectively decreased the levels of malondialdehyde and up-regulated the activity of anti-oxidative enzymes, including catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase. Our results reveal that administration of topiramate ameliorates acetic acid-induced colitis in rats via anti-oxidative properties and further studies may introduce it as an effective therapeutic candidate to decrease ulcerative colitis severity.
Effect of segmental versus marginal mandibular resection on local and lymph node recurrences in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Is tumorous bone infiltration or location and resulting soft-tissue recurrences the long-term problem?
Authors: Ritschl Lucas M. , Niu Minli , Sackerer Valeria , Claßen Carolina , Stimmer Herbert , Fichter Andreas M. , Wolff Klaus-Dietrich , Grill Florian D.
Published: May 2023

Purpose
Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) adjacent to the mandible or with clinically suspected bone infiltration are surgically treated either with marginal or segmental resections. This retrospective study compared both resections regarding local recurrence and lymph node recurrence or secondary lymph node metastases.
Methods
All consecutive primary OSCC cases between January 2007 and December 2015 that underwent mandibular marginal or segmental resection were included. Rates of local and lymph node recurrences or secondary metastases and possible risk factors such as tumor localization according to Urken’s classification were recorded.
Results
In total, 180 patients with 85 marginal (group I) and 95 segmental (group II) mandibular resections were analyzed. The local recurrence rates were comparable between the groups (28.2% vs. 27.4%; p = 0.897). Lymph node recurrences or secondary metastases were higher in group I (9.4% (n = 8) vs. 6.2% (n = 6); p = 0.001). Tumor localization appears to affect the outcomes. Significantly fewer local and lymph node recurrences/metastases were found for Urken’s classification SB and S calculated by two-proportion z-test (p = 0.014 and 0.056, respectively). Local recurrences mostly emerged from soft tissues, which should be resected more radically than the bones.
Conclusion
While bone infiltration appears technically well controllable from an oncologic view, local recurrences, and lymph node recurrences/metastases remain an issue. Regular clinical aftercare with imaging is crucial to detect recurrences.
Establishment of alien invasive plant, yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) at a complex ecosystem distributed with farmlands and wasted lands
Authors: Kan Hai-ming , Teng Wen-jun , Chen Chao , Zhang Guo-fang , Pang Zhuo
Published: May 2023

Alien invasive plants had a far-reaching impact on local vegetation and biodiversity, and the hazard of invasion was widely concerned. Field trial was conducted to discuss the establishment of yellow sweet clover and its interaction with local plant vegetation on a synthetical ecosystem patched with cultivated farmlands and wasted lands in northern China. The results showed the establishment for yellow sweet clover was quite different under the two land types. The density of seedlings in the wasted lands only reached up to 16.9% of that in the farmlands which flourished with annual large broad-leaf plants, like velvet weed (Abutilon theophrasti), jimson weed (Datura stramonium), and flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum) at a higher frequency contrast with thin-leaf species in the wasted lands, e.g. Salsola collina, Humulus scandens. The two types of lands had a community similarity (CJ = 0.5135), but both significantly decreased with the increasing density of yellow sweet clover. On details, biomass, plants per square meters, and diversity, they were all less or lower in wasted lands compared to farmlands. After its establishment, soil characteristics and soil texture were also modified due to yellow sweet clover itself or environmental factors, e.g. a higher level of available nitrogen and soil organic matter. The results suggested that it is not easy for yellow sweet clover to establish on wasted lands under the suppression of native plants and adverse environmental factors; but it may flourish in the farmlands with competitive advantages at initial stage, though presented a stagnation after generations.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) regarding recent advances in RT-PCR test for the diagnosis of COVID-19 among technicians in China
Authors: Huang Chunqi , Ge Linghong , Ren Xueying , Wang Zhuoyan , Wang Ying
Published: May 2023

Since the 2019 COVID-19 virus outbreak, real-Time RT-PCR become the gold standard detection for COVID-19. We aimed to analyze the RT-PCR technicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding to recent advances in RT-PCR tests for COVID-19. This is a cross-sectional study, that was conducted from 10 Nov 2022 to 20 Nov 2022, and included a total of 531 participants from China. To measure the difference in the mean scores, and analyze the factors related to knowledge, attitude, and practice toward RT-PCR by using univariate, non-parametric, and regression analysis. Of this survey, the mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores about recent advances in RT-PCR tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19 were 13.23 (SD = 0.85, range: 13–16), 13.16 (SD = 1.71, range: 5–12), and 6.14 (SD = 1.85, range: 1–8), respectively, indicated good KAP. However, some significant predictors including education level and work status, influence knowledge. Age, marital status, and yearly income influence attitudes and practices. Our investigation can further understand the characteristics of RT-PCR technicians for the diagnosis of COVID-19, and be targeted to improve their overall ability.
Psoralen mediates BMSCs osteogenic differentiation via cross-talk between Wnt/β-catenin and BMP/smad signaling pathways
Authors: Li Wenxiong , Chen Feifei , Chen Menghan , Tao Lin , Li Jiao , Yang Feng
Published: May 2023

Purpose To explore the mechanism of psoralen mediated Wnt/β-catenin and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway to induce osteogenesis of BMSC.Methods Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were treated with psoralen to detect its osteogenic differentiation. In addition, lentivirus and siRNA were used to construct cell models of β-catenin or BMP2 overexpression and knockdown, separately. They may help to clarify the role of β-catenin and BMP2 crosstalk in osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. What’s more, C57BL/6 mice were selected to be treated psoralen with psoralen to further verify the osteogenic effect.Results Various in vitro studies on BMSCs showed that psoralen could promote the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Overexpression of β-catenin could promote the expression of BMP2 in BMSCs, and psoralen can enhance the effect of bone differentiation. Knockdown β-catenin decreased the expression of BMP2 and inhibited psoralen in promoting bone differentiation. In addition, it was found that the effect of psoralen on β-catenin level did not change significantly after overexpression or knockdown of BMP2, but the effect of psoralen on promoting bone differentiation was inhibited by knockdown of BMP2. In mice, psoralen intervention regulated the crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin and BMP signaling pathway to reached to promote osteogenic differentiation of bone tissue.Conclusions Psoralen can activate β-catenin signaling pathway and up-regulate the expression of BMP signaling pathway to increase the cross talk between β-catenin and BMP, to eventually reach to promote osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.
The Relationship Between School Culture and Students’ Academic Well-Being: The Mediating Role of the Satisfaction of the Basic Psychological Needs
Authors: Bozhani Erfan Fattahi , Momeni Khodamorad , Moradi Asieh
Published: May 2023

Background: The current study amid to investigate the relationship between school culture and academic well-being (AWB) through the mediating role of the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs (SBPN) in students.
Methods: It was a correlational study, of structural equations modeling type. The statistical population of the study included all high school students in Kermanshah, Iran in the academic year 2020-2021, among whom 522 students were selected using cluster sampling to be a research sample. The research measures included Tominin-Sweeney et al.’ s AWB, Alessandro and Sade’s school culture, and Guardia et al.’s basic psychological needs questionnaires. The structural equations modeling was used in LISREL 8.8 software to analyze the data.
Results: The results of data analysis confirmed the appropriate fit of the overall model in sample of the study. There was a significant relationship between students’ relations and their AWB through SBPN, and also between educational opportunities and AWB through SBPN.
Conclusions: According to the results, it is worthwhile for teachers to pay more attention to promoting school culture to satisfy the basic psychological needs of students, one of the consequences of which will be the improvement of AWB.
Home sweet home: Comparison of epibiont assemblages associated with cultivated and wild sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), co-cultivated blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and farm infrastructure
Authors: Corrigan Sophie , Brown A. Ross , Tyler Charles R. , Wilding Catherine , Daniels Carly , Ashton Ian G. C. , Smale Dan A.
Published: May 2023

Seaweed farming is expanding in Europe and may provide environmental benefits similar to those from natural kelp forests and shellfish farms, including habitat provisioning. Few studies have substantiated these claims however, and it remains uncertain whether seaweed farms will support similar biodiversity to kelp forests or provide valuable long-term habitat beyond the harvest season. We repeatedly surveyed an integrated sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) and blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) farm in southwest UK to compare epibiont assemblages between cultivated kelps, to those from three nearby wild kelp populations, and to epibionts on farmed mussel lines and unseeded ‘bare’ lines. We found farmed kelps supported 16 times the abundance of epibionts living on wild kelps at harvest time, however, taxonomic diversity per kelp was lower at the farm. Farmed kelp assemblages were dominated by amphipods, which were present on the wild kelps but in much lower numbers. Farmed kelp also supported distinct assemblages to cultivated mussels, which were similarly dominated by amphipods, but hosted higher relative abundances of crabs, echinoderms, worms and red algal biomass. The bare lines were heavily colonised by another pseudo-kelp, Saccorhiza polyschides, which supported similar epibiont assemblages to the seeded S. latissima lines. Our findings indicate that cultivating bivalves alongside seaweed can increase habitat provisioning at a seaweed farm, and extend its permanence beyond typical seaweed cultivation periods as bivalves have longer, continuous farming periods. However, the presence of mussels will likely influence the epibiont assemblages on the farmed kelp, which are distinct from wild kelp populations.
System of counting green oranges directly from trees using artificial intelligence
Authors: Gremes Matheus Felipe , Fermo Igor Rossi , Krummenauer Rafael , Flores Franklin Cesar , Andrade Cid Marcos Gonçalves , Lima Oswaldo Curti da Mota
Published: May 2023

Agriculture is one of the most essential activities for humanity. Systems capable of automatically harvesting a crop using robots or performing a reasonable production estimate can reduce costs and increase production efficiency. With the advancement of computer vision, image processing methods are becoming increasingly viable in solving agricultural problems. Thus, this work aims to count green oranges directly from the trees through video footage filmed in line along a row of orange trees on the plantation. For the video image processing flow, a solution was proposed integrating the YOLOv4 network with object tracking algorithms. In order to compare the performance of the counting algorithm using the YOLOv4 network, an optimal object detector was simulated in which frame-by-frame corrected detections were used in which all oranges in all video frames were detected, and there were no erroneous detections. The use of YOLOv4 together with object detectors managed to reduce the number of double counting error and obtained a count close to the actual number of oranges visible in the video. The study also resulted in a database with an amount of 644 images with 43109 annotated oranges that can be used in future works.
Performance of seed-seedling continuum of two agroforestry tree species under inter-specific competition
Authors: Salekin Serajis , Hossain Md Nazmul , Alam Md Azharul , Limon Sharif Hasan , Rahman Md Saidur
Published: May 2023

The inter-specific competition among species in a mixed-species plantation is inevitable and the degree of competition for available resources determines the success of species’ co-existence. Different species compete and interact for resources at altered physiological and developmental stages. However, most research investigated inter-specific competition at the mature stage. We examined seed germination and seedling growth of two con-familial species, i.e., Albizia saman and Albizia lebbeck and explored inter-specific competition at their early life stages grown in a different proportional mixture through a replacement series experiment. We found that the germination speed and percentage, the probability of seedling emergence and seedling height were significantly higher in A. saman than in A. lebbeck. Moreover, we observed that A. saman showed higher germination performance in mixtures compared to A. lebbeck, although the germination properties of the species did not significantly vary among treatments. Similarly, the seedling height growth did not vary significantly among treatments, when the seedlings of the studied species were mixed in different proportions. However, both species showed mutualistic relationships, which was significantly modulated by A. saman. Our study suggests that the knowledge of variation in early growth performance of these species and their inter-specific competition influence the recruitment success and will determine the population dynamics of a mixed-species plantation. Furthermore, studies examining the competitive relationship between different species would be invaluable for choosing suitable species and applying proper management approaches for the success of any mixed- species plantation at any afforestation and reforestation activities.
Ranked set sampling in two-stage sampling: Preliminary test estimation in the presence of partial information
Authors: Yanglem Worthing
Published: May 2023

A new estimator based on two-stage sampling using ranked set sampling in the second stage is constructed in this paper. We demonstrate a preliminary test regression estimator for two auxiliary variables using double sampling in the sampling scheme when there is partial information on one of them. Its bias and mean squared error are derived and the efficiency of the suggested estimator is also computed.
Photodegradation of Oxytetracycline Using Fluorescent Light Driven ZnO Quantum Dots Synthesised Via Microwave Method
Authors:   School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia, Jasni Normawati , Iqbal Anwar ,   School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia, Abu Bakar Noor Hana Hanif ,   School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia, Wan Ahmad Kamil W. Maryam ,   School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia, Danial Wan Hazman ,   Department of Chemistry, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, Ismail M.W. ,   Department of Chemistry, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, Rajappan Kalaivizhi ,   Department of Chemistry, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu 603203, India
Published: May 2023

In this study, Li+ ions capped zinc oxide quantum dots (ZnO QDs) was synthesised using the microwave method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) techniques were used to characterise the structural, morphological, optical properties of the ZnO QDs. The XRD analysis reveals that ZnO QDs have a hexagonal wurtzite structure with an average crystallite size of 9.9 nm. The morphology of ZnO QDs was observed to be quasi-spherically shaped with an average particle size of 10 nm. The PL analysis detected the presence of various defects. All these factors enhanced the photodegradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) under fluorescent light irradiation. Within 40 min, 88.3% of OTC was removed, which was higher compared to the bulk ZnO reported in the literature. This technology is aimed at small animal husbandries due to the photocatalyst synthesis method’s simplicity and the photocatalysis process’s requirements.
Charge Transport Properties of a Series of Metal Quinolates Utilising Dispersion-Corrected Density Functional Theory
Authors:   Department of Physics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh, Hossain Md. Rakib , Ullah Ahsan ,   Department of Physics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh, Chawdhury Nazia ,   Department of Physics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh
Published: May 2023

The electronic and charge transport properties of Metal-Quinolates (Metal = Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs) compounds are theoretically investigated using AustinFrisch-Petersson functional with dispersion (APFD) corrected density functional theory (DFT). The calculated energy gap between highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital ranges from 3.40 eV for LiQ to 0.93 eV for CsQ. The ionisation potential, electron affinity and chemical hardness of the compounds are calculated. We found that the electron hopping rate, kelectron of CsQ is around 150 times greater than LiQ. We suggest that CsQ is the most efficient charge injecting or transport material for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Dimer formation is desirable with all M-Quinolate with different electronic structures and (CsQ)2 dimer shows the lowest dimerisation energy.
Is Teaching Technical Words a Problematic Issue for ESP Teachers in a Saudi Industrial College?
Authors: Alghamdi Abdullah A
Published: May 2023

The literature written about technical words instruction is little compared to its equivalent about vocabulary learning. This paper aims to investigate the extent to which English for Specific Purposes Teachers (ESPTs) think that teaching technical words is a problematic task for them in a Saudi Arabian industrial college called Yanbu Industrial College (YIC). It also explores the reasons behind the challenges they face in teaching technical words. To obtain the goals of this study, six ESPTs at YIC from three different nationalities with different majors, teaching experience, and ages were interviewed to understand their beliefs regarding the existence of the problem and the reasons behind this challenge. The interview type was semi-structured in nature and some prompt cards were also utilised to gather data from the participants. The study revealed that ESPTs at YIC don’t view technical words as a problem but rather a challenge which they can cope with. Among the main challenges they said they faced in doing their job are lack of the proper subject knowledge, lack of experience, absence of prior to students’ enrollment needs analysis and lack of opportunities to employ critical Vocabulary Teaching Strategies VTS and employing reliable Vocabulary Delivery Vehicles VDVs. The findings of the study are expected to provide the literature with some instructional implications such as ESPTs and subject teachers collaboration in teaching technical words, ESP course designing, early analysis of ESP students and ESPTs specialized training programs. Future scrutiny to further our understanding about this neglected topic in the ESP domain and L2 vocabulary instruction is highly recommended.
Black hole mirages: Electron lensing and Berry curvature effects in inhomogeneously tilted Weyl semimetals
Authors: Haller Andreas , Hegde Suraj , Xu Chen , De Beule Christophe , Schmidt Thomas L. , Meng Tobias
Published: May 2023

We study electronic transport in Weyl semimetals with spatially varying nodal tilt profiles. We find that the flow of electrons can be guided precisely by judiciously chosen tilt profiles. In a broad regime of parameters, we show that electron flow is described well by semiclassical equations of motion similar to the ones governing gravitational attraction. This analogy provides a physically transparent tool for designing tiltronic devices like electronic lenses. The analogy to gravity circumvents the notoriously difficult full-fledged description of inhomogeneous solids. A comparison to microscopic lattice simulations shows that it is only valid for trajectories sufficiently far from analogue black holes. We finally comment on the Berry curvature-driven transverse motion and relate the latter to spin precession physics.
Assessment of wastewater treatment potential of sand beds of River Ganga at Varanasi, India
Authors: Singh Anoop Narain , Mudgal Ankur , Tripathi Ravi Prakash , Omar Padam Jee
Published: May 2023

Inadequate sewage treatment plant (STP) capacity, limited power supply, and discharge of partially treated and raw sewage create a significant sanitation problem in Varanasi city, India. This problem becomes severe during the lean period of the river. To reduce the burden on STPs, sewage can be treated and filtered in a naturally occurring sand bed at the convex bank side of the river. In the present study, a 7-km stretch of the sand bed of River Ganga at Varanasi has been selected. This stretch is divided into three zones: entrance, middle, and exit zones. The objective of this research is to assess the filtration potential of selected sections in respective zones and to find out the most suitable zone, out of the three, for wastewater filtration. Seven basic parameters such as dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, pH, and temperature were measured before and after filtration, through the sand bed of the three zones of River Ganga. Of the three selected zones of the river bend, filtration length and the amount of available sand were found to be maximum in the middle zone. Experimental results and survey work show that the sand bed in the middle zone of the river bend is best suited for wastewater disposal and filtration.
Development of PSA@PS-TiO2 nanocomposite photocatalyst: structure, mechanism, and application using response surface designs and molecular modeling
Authors: Nkwoada Amarachi Udoka , Onyedika Gerald , Oguzie Emeka , Ogwuegbu Martin
Published: May 2023

Using periwinkle shell ash (PSA) and polystyrene (PS), a new-fangled PSA@PS-TiO2 photocatalyst was fabricated. The morphological images of all the samples studied using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) showed a size distribution of 50–200 nm for all samples. The SEM-EDX showed that the membrane substrate of PS was well dispersed, confirming the presence of anatase/rutile phases of TiO2, and Ti and O2 were the major composites. Given the very rough surface morphology (atomic force microscopy (AFM)) due to PSA, the main crystal phases (XRD) of TiO2 (rutile and anatase), low bandgap (UVDRS), and beneficial functional groups (FTIR-ATR), the 2.5 wt.% of PSA@PS-TiO2 exhibited better photocatalytic efficiency for methyl orange degradation. The photocatalyst, pH, and initial concentration were investigated and the PSA@PS-TiO2 was reused for five cycles with the same efficiency. Regression modeling predicted 98% efficiency and computational modeling showed a nucleophilic initial attack initiated by a nitro group. Therefore, PSA@PS-TiO2 nanocomposite is an industrially promising photocatalyst for treating azo dyes, particularly, methyl orange from an aqueous solution.
Alcances y límites de la cooperación internacional subestatal. La experiencia de los corredores bioceánicos
Authors: Álvarez Gonzalo , Gómez Amigo Giovana , Dilla Alfonso Haroldo
Published: May 2023

El artículo tiene como objetivo indagar en las relaciones y estrategias internacionales que emprenden los actores subestatales para la promoción de sus regiones a través de corredores bioceánicos. Mediante una metodología cualitativa, centrada en fuentes primarias y entrevistas a los partícipes de este tipo de iniciativas en el norte grande de Chile, son analizadas dichas estrategias y las interacciones que se producen entre estos actores, con el gobierno central y en el nivel internacional. Como resultado, se identifican los alcances y límites de la cooperación internacional subnacional. Se concluye que, a más de veinte años del inicio de proyectos como los corredores bioceánicos, y pese a un amplio y prolongado despliegue de acciones internacionales por dichos actores, todavía no se materializan.
Integrated High-throughput Transcriptomic Data Identifies Survivin
as a Potential Breast Cancer Therapeutic Biomarker
Authors: Mirza Zeenat
Published: May 2023

Background:

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality
among women worldwide. Advanced stages are usually obstinate with chemotherapy, resulting
in a poor prognosis; however, they are treatable if diagnosed early.

Objective:

Identifying biomarkers that can detect cancer early or have therapeutic significance
is imperative.

Methods:

Herein, a comprehensive bioinformatics-based transcriptomics study of breast
cancer for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs), followed by a screening of
potential compounds by molecular docking, was performed. Genome-wide mRNA expression
data of breast cancer patients (n=248) and controls (n=65) were retrieved from
the GEO database for meta-analysis. Statistically significant DEGs were used for enrichment
analysis based on ingenuity pathway analysis and protein-protein network analysis.

Results:

A total of 3096 unique DEGs (965 up-regulated and 2131 down-regulated) were
mapped as biologically relevant. The most upregulated genes were COL10A1, COL11A1,
TOP2A, BIRC5 (survivin), MMP11, S100P, RARA, and the most downregulated genes
were ADIPOQ, LEP, CFD, PCK1 and HBA2. Transcriptomic and molecular pathway
analyses identified BIRC5/survivin as a significant DEG. Kinetochore metaphase signaling
is recognized as a prominent dysregulated canonical pathway. Protein-protein interaction
study revealed that KIF2C, KIF20A, KIF23, CDCA8, AURKA, AURKB, INCENP,
CDK1, BUB1 and CENPA are BIRC5-associated proteins. Molecular docking was performed
to exhibit binding interactions with multiple natural ligands.

Conclusion:

BIRC5 is a promising predictive marker and a potential therapeutic target in
breast cancer. Further large-scale studies are required to correlate the significance of BIRC5
in breast cancer, leading to a step toward the clinical translation of novel diagnostic
and therapeutic options.
Recent Developments on Synthesis of Organofluorine Compounds Using Green
Approaches
Authors: Kalar Pankaj Lal , Agrawal Swatantra , Kushwaha Sandhya , Gayen Shovanlal , Das Kalpataru
Published: May 2023

The synthesis of organofluorine compounds plays a vital role in the field of pharmaceuticals,
agrochemicals, and materials since the fluorine-containing compounds have
shown improved biological and physicochemical properties. Significant research has been
directed towards synthesizing organofluorine compounds because organofluorine compounds
have been displayed in several biological activities, including anticancer, antitumor, antihypertensive,
antidepressant, anti-HIV and treatment of stroke. Due to several pharmaceutical
applications of organofluorine compounds, numerous conventional as well as green synthetic
methodologies have been developed for the synthesis of fluorine-containing compounds.
However, particularly, the synthesis of organofluorine compounds using green approaches has
been continuously attracting research interest since green approaches have several advantages,
including the use of inexpensive and nontoxic reagents, catalytic, highly efficient, short reaction time, energy efficient,
high reaction yields, and environmentally benign over the conventional methods. Among the green tools, the
use of microwave-assisted synthesis, water, and ionic liquids as green solvent/reaction media, organocatalysts, photocatalysts,
and solvent-free and catalyst-free reaction conditions have been exploited in the past decades for the
synthesis of organofluorine compounds. In this review, we highlighted the recent developments in various green
methods for the synthesis of organofluorine compounds via electrophilic fluorination for synthesis of various fluorohydrins,
fluorinated acyclic & cyclic β -ketoesters, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, cyclic and acyclic ketones, α -
cyanoesters, α-aryl-tetralones, α-amino acids, flavanones, and several fluorinated heterocycles such as fluorinated
pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrrole, pyrazolone, benzofuran, indole, flavanone, and coumarin derivatives. In addition,
some green methodologies have been highlighted for the synthesis of biologically active fluorinated compounds,
including HIV-1 integrase inhibitors, 20-deoxy-20-fluorocamptothecin, fluorinated estrone, sclareolide, BMS-
204352 (MaxiPost), fluorinated naproxen and fluoxetine.
Role of Allicin in Combination with Fluoxetine for the Treatment of Major
Depressive Disorder in Rodents: Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic
Study
Authors: Mishra Ashish , Sahu Sanjeev Kumar , Jain Nilesh
Published: May 2023

Background:

Depression is one of the most common neurological disorders for which only symptomatic treatment is available with synthetic drugs with serious side effects. Allicin [S-(2-propenyl)-2-propene-1-sulfinothioate] is a bioactive component derived from Allium sativum L. (Garlic). It has the property to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, which reveals its neuroprotective property. A synthetic drug named fluoxetine (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) was introduced for the clinical treatment of depression. It is a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor that is well absorbed after oral administration.

Aims and Objectives:

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-depressant effect of fluoxetine alone and in combination with allicin.

Methods:

A pharmacokinetic study of allicin alone as well as in combination with fluoxetine was conducted to evaluate peak concentration, peak concentration time, and area under the curve in blood plasma. Furthermore, the biochemical analysis of neurotrophin levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), serotonin, and dopamine was also performed to determine the anti-depressant activity with synergism effect of allicin and fluoxetine.

Results:

The results of a pharmacokinetic study for co-administration of fluoxetine with allicin and enhanced neurotrophins and monoamines levels confirmed their effectiveness against depression. They may also be effective in suicidal risk associated with anti-depressant drugs.

Conclusion:

A combination of synthetic drugs with herbal compounds may be an alternate and effective therapy to overcome harmful effects.
Network Pharmacology-based and Molecular Docking Combined with
GEO Gene Chips to Investigate the Potential Mechanism of Duhuo Jisheng
Decoction against Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Yang Zhao , Yuan Zhen-Zhen , Ma Xin-long
Published: May 2023

Background:

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease with various
symptoms in patients. Duhuo Jisheng Decoction (DHJSD) has been used to treat RA in China for
a long history as a classic TCM formula. However, the underlying pharmacological mechanism
still needs to be elucidated.

Purpose:

In the current study, we combined network pharmacology with molecular docking to
investigate the potential mechanism of DHJSD treating RA.

Methods:

The active compounds and related targets of DHJSD were obtained from the TCMSP
database. The RA targets were retrieved from the GEO database. The PPI network of overlapping
targets was constructed, whereas the core genes were selected by CytoNCA for molecular docking.
GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were used to further explore the biological process and
pathways of overlapping targets. On this basis, molecular docking was carried out to verify the
interrelations of the main compounds and core targets.

Results:

In this study, we found 81 active components corresponding to 225 targets of DHJSD.
Moreover, 775 RA-related targets were obtained, of which 12 were shared between DHJSD targets
and RA target genes. From GO and KEGG analysis, there were 346 GO items and 18 signaling
pathways. As the molecular docking showed, the binding of components was stable with the
core gene.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, our works revealed the underlying mechanism of DHJSD for treating
RA using network pharmacology and molecular docking, which provided a theoretical basis for
further clinical application in the future.
Hybrid Analogues of Hydrazone and Phthalimide: Design, Synthesis, In vivo,
In vitro, and In silico Evaluation as Analgesic Agents
Authors: Shokri Shahla , Ayazi Hoda , Tamjid Mohsen , Ghoreishi Fatemeh , Shokri Mahsa , Badakhshannouri Sogol , Naderi Nima , Daraei Bahram , Mousavi Zahra , Davood Asghar
Published: May 2023

Background:

Based on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of hydrazone and
phthalimide, a new series of hybrid hydrazone and phthalimide pharmacophores was prepared and
evaluated as analgesic agents.

Methods:

The designed ligands were synthesized by reaction of the appropriate aldehydes and 2-
aminophthalimide. Analgesic, cyclooxygenase inhibitory, and cytostatic activity of prepared compounds
were measured.

Results:

All the tested ligands demonstrated significant analgesic activity. Moreover, compounds
3i and 3h were the most potent ligands in the formalin and writhing tests, respectively. Compounds
3g, 3j, and 3l were the most COX-2 selective ligands and ligand 3e was the most potent
COX inhibitor with a 0.79 of COX-2 selectivity ratio. The presence of electron-withdrawing
moieties with hydrogen bonding ability at the meta position was found to affect the selectivity
efficiently, in which compounds 3g, 3l, and 3k showed high COX-2 selectivity, and compound 3k
was the most potent one. The cytostatic activity of selected ligands demonstrated that compounds
3e, 3f, 3h, 3k, and 3m showed good analgesic and COX inhibitory activity and were less toxic
than the reference drug.

Conclusion:

High therapeutic index of these ligands is one of the valuable advantages of these
compounds.
Recent Trends in Application of Memristor in Neuromorphic Computing:
A Review
Authors: Panda Saswat , Sekhar Dash Chandra , Dora Chinmayee
Published: May 2023

Recently memristors have emerged as a form of nonvolatile memory that is based on
the principle of ion transport in solid electrolytes under the impact of an external electric field. It
is perceived as one of the key elements to building next-generation computing systems owing to
its peculiar resistive switching characteristics. The switching mechanism in a memristor is mainly
governed by filamentary conduction. Further, it can be employed as a memory as well as a
logic element, which makes it an ideal candidate for building innovative computer architecture.
Moreover, it is capable of mimicking the characteristics of biological synapses, which makes it
an ideal candidate for developing a Neuromorphic system. In this review to begin with the
switching mechanism of the memristor, primarily focusing on filamentary conduction, is discussed.
Few SPICE models of memristor are reviewed, and their critical comparison is performed,
which are widely used to build computing systems. An in-depth study on the various
crossbar memory architecture augmented with memristors is reviewed. Finally, the application
of memristors in neuromorphic computing and hardware implementation of Artificial Neural
Networks (ANN) employing memristors is discussed.
Identification of Secretory Proteins in Sus scrofa Using Machine Learning
Method
Authors: Zhang Zhao-Yue , Liu Xiao-Wei , Ma Cai-Yi , Wu Yun
Published: May 2023

Background:

The expression of secretory proteins is involved in each stage of biomass from fetal development to the immune response. As an animal model for the study of human diseases, the study of protein secretion in pigs has strong application prospects.

Objective:

Although secretory proteins play an important role in cell activities, there are no machine learning-based approaches for the prediction of pig secretory proteins. This study aims to establish a prediction model for identifying the secretory protein in Sus scrofa.

Methods:

Based on the pseudo composition of k-spaced amino acid pairs feature encoding method and support vector machine algorithm, a prediction model was established for the identification of the secretory protein in Sus scrofa.

Results:

The model produced the AUROC of 0.885 and 0.728 on the training set and independent testing set, respectively. In addition, we discussed features used for the prediction.

Conclusion:

In this study, we proposed the first classification model to identify secretory proteins in Sus scrofa. By learning the characteristic of secretory proteins, it may become feasible to design and produce secretory proteins with distinctive properties that are currently unavailable.
Population Ageing in Lower and Middle-income Countries: Policy
Landscape of Southeast Asian Countries
Authors: Manalang Vicerra Paolo Miguel
Published: May 2023

Populations are ageing at varying rates of development. Countries with developed economies
have experienced such changes to their population structures. Examinations have been conducted
with regard to how respective societies can accommodate the said changes in their health
and social systems, but this research mostly focuses on more developed regions rather than lowerincome
countries. This paper discussed the experience of ageing populations in developing economies,
which comprise the majority of the global older population. They display a vastly different
experience from high-income countries, especially when viewed within the level of world regions.
The cases presented here were from Southeast Asian countries in order to have a wide range of examples
in terms of differences in country-income categories. In lower and middle-income countries,
there are older adults who: continue working as their primary income source, are nonmembers
of pension systems, and provide intergenerational support rather than only receiving it.
The COVID-19 pandemic situation was also included here, as policies were reformed to address
current needs that highlighted the challenging situation of older adults. The populations of countries
that have yet to age substantially, especially those in the least-developed regions, can utilise
this paper’s recommendations in order to prepare for changes in the age structures of their societies.
Rice Malt: A Solvent-Catalyst for the Synthesis of N-Substituted Pyrroles
Authors: Yadav Ram Naresh , Rohand Taoufik , Banik Bimal Krishna
Published: May 2023

Aim:

The synthesis of diverse N-substituted pyrroles utilizing rice malt is identified. The reaction of hexane-2,5-dione with various primary amines develops the intriguing pyrrole scaffold in moderate to good yields.

Methods:

The reaction was carried out at room to ambient temperature in an extremely environmentally benign condition, without the need for any additional solvents or catalysts.

Results:

In the synthesis of N-derivatized pyrroles, several 1 amines, both cyclic and acyclic residue, have been accomplished.

Conclusion:

To the best of my knowledge, no study has been reported so far based on Paal-Knorr pyrrole synthesis utilizing rice malt as a catalyst and solvent.