bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Draft proteome of Colletotrichum falcatum revealed differential abundance of fungal pathogenicity-related proteins during red rot disease in sugarcane
Authors: Gujjar Ranjit Singh , Joshi Deeksha , Srivast Sangeeta , Kumar Rajeev , Singh Shweta , Shiv Aalok , Goswami Sanjay Kumar , Pathak Ashwini Dutt , Viswanathan Rasappa
Published: February 2023

A highly virulent Colletotrichum falcatum pathotype (CF08) was cultured in nutrient deficit media with fine-cut sugarcane stalks of red rot susceptible variety (CoJ 64). The mycelium was collected for the analysis of whole proteome using LCMS/MS. In-silico analysis was performed to identify the exclusive and differentially abundant proteins from whole proteomes of C. falcatum samples cultured with sugarcane (CFS1 and CFS2). Whole proteome analysis revealed a relatively higher number of peptide identities/proteins in CFS2 (2233), followed by CFS1 (1911), and CFC (control) with least number of proteins (1808). Compared to control, CFS1 and CFS2 samples of C. falcatum had plenty of exclusively abundant proteins like ABC transporters, glucose transporter, actin cytoskeleton-regulatory complex proteins, antimicrobial peptides, autophagy-related proteins, chitin synthase, dicer-like proteins, histone-lysine N-methyltransferase proteins, myosin-1 proteins, polyketide synthase proteins, and nonribosomal peptide synthase proteins which are involved in the process of fungal virulence/pathogenicity. In this manuscript, we report the first draft of C. falcatum proteome (whole proteome) which has been successfully submitted to ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PXD033368.
Identification and Validation of a Four-Gene Prognostic Signature Based on PPAR Signaling Pathway for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: WU Siyuan , LV Xiaozhi , WU Jialin , WEI Haigang , LIU Shiwei , ZOU Chen , SONG Jing , LI Xia , AI Yilong
Published: February 2023

This study aims to create a novel prognosis-related risk signature for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) based on the PPAR signaling pathway. TCGA and GEO data were respectively evaluated and verified. For the purpose of identifying OSCC prognostic genes, LASSO regression, univariate Cox, and multivariate Cox analyses were conducted. The predictive characteristic of OSCC was determined to be a combination of four genes (ACAA1, PCK1, APOA2, and OLR1) that were involved in the PPAR signaling pathway. On the basis of the multivariate Cox regression coefficients, the risk score was established, which was equal to (-0.378×ACAA1 value)+(1.023×PCK1 value)+(0.301×APOA2 value)+(0.142×OLR1 value). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that risk score had strong prognostic capability in both TCGA dataset and GEO dataset. Moreover, we constructed a nomogram utilizing clinical factors and risk score to estimate the likelihood of OSCC patient survival. In addition, the patterns of cellular immune infiltration in the tumor samples varied considerably between groups with different risk scores. In conclusion, the four-gene signature could accurately and independently predict OSCC prognosis. These genes may possibly be therapeutic targets for OSCC and bring new insights into the prognosis of OSCC.
Affine Periodic Solutions for Stochastic Differential Equations with exponential dichotomy
Authors: Guo Ruichao , Wang Hongren
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we are dedicated to studying the problem of affine periodicity of solutions in distribution for stochastic differential equation with exponential dichotomy. We prove the existence and uniqueness of stochastic affine periodic solutions in distribution via Banach fixed point theorem.
Longitudinal changes in resilience mediate the relationship between child maltreatment and emotional-behavioral problems in an early adolescent cohort
Authors: WANG SJ , Cao Leilei , Li Yuan , Li Yonghan , Yuan Mengyuan , Chang Junjie , Zhang Xueying , Wang Gengfu , Su Puyu
Published: February 2023

Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) are serious social problems prevalent among children and adolescents. However, additional information is needed to understand if resilience changes could mediate the association between child maltreatment and EBPs. Our study group conducted a cohort study among 1605 early adolescent students in grades 7 to 9 to answer these questions. The results revealed that resilience changes could partially mediate the association between child maltreatment and emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity-attention, and peer problems during early adolescence. Further, changes in resilience could completely mediate the association between child maltreatment and prosocial behaviors. The resilience of adolescents is slightly improved during early adolescence. Resilience changes can mediate child maltreatment and EBPs, implying that maltreatment during childhood could hinder the development of resilience during early adolescence. Together, this could lead to the development of severe EBPs. Therefore, supporting the establishment of internal and providing external resilience resources could help prevent EBPs during early adolescence.
Renal histopathological indices for predicting the progression to end-stage kidney disease in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis and glomerulonephritis: a single-centre study in Korea
Authors: Choi Sung-Eun , Lee Soo Bin , Pyo Jung Yoon , Ahn Sung Soo , Song Jason Jungsik , Park Yong-Beom , Lim Beom Jin , Lee Sang-Won
Published: February 2023

Objective This study investigated whether histopathological classification and histologic lesion scores could significantly and independently predict the progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in Korean patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis-glomerulonephritis (AAV-GN). Methods This study included 113 patients with AAV-GN confirmed by kidney biopsy. The glomerular, tubulointerstitial, and vascular lesions were systematically assessed using a scoring system. The scoring system was adopted from the Banff scoring system but also the Oxford study and the revision of the ISN/RPS. For comparison, the scores were classified into two groups; the low, and the high, and the difference was investigated between ESKD and non-ESKD groups using Cox proportional analysis. Results At diagnosis, the median age was 59.0 years and 33.6% were male. Of 113 patients, 44.2% showed ESKD progression during follow-up. There were significant differences in several kidney-, inflammation-, and AAV-pathogenesis-related variables between AAV-GN patients with ESKD and those without. The sclerotic class exhibited the worst renal prognosis among the four histopathological classes. Among histopathological features, high interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy and global glomerulitis scores were significantly associated with ESKD progression. Whereas multivariable Cox analysis revealed only a high global glomerulitis score which means global endocapillary hypercellularity in a larger number of glomeruli is an independent predictor of ESKD progression. Moreover, among clinical and histopathological features, a high global glomerulitis score could also predict ESKD progression in addition to serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Conclusion This study demonstrated the worst renal prognosis for the sclerotic class and first discovered that a high global glomerulitis score was an independent predictor of ESKD in patients with AAV-GN.
Analysis of the magneto-thermoelastic vibrations of rotating Euler- Bernoulli nanobeams using the nonlocal elasticity model
Authors: Abouelregal Ahmed E. , Marin Marin , Askar Sameh S.
Published: February 2023

This paper introduces size-dependent modeling and investigation of the transverse vibrational behavior of rotating thermoelastic nanobeams by means of nonlocal elasticity theory. In the formulation, a model of thermal conductivity with two-phase delays (DPL) was utilized. By incorporating the interactions between phonons and electrons, this model took into account microstructural influences. Also, we have employed the state-space approach and Laplace transform approach to solve the governing equations, which were developed in the context of the nonlocal Eringen model. The nanobeam material is subjected to a changeable temperature field produced by the graphene tape attached to the nanobeam and connected to an electrical source. In addition, the nanobeam material is fully encompassed by an axially applied magnetic field. It has been revealed how coefficients such as the rotational angular velocity of the nanobeam, nonlocal coefficient, voltage, electrical resistance, and applied magnetic field influence its behavior.
Isolation and genomic characterization of a reassortant G9P[8]-E2 rotavirus strain in China
Authors: Peng Rui , Li Dan-di , Wang Jin-dong , Xiong Guang-ping , Wang Meng-xuan , Liu Dan , Wei Yu-hang , Pang Li-li , Sun Xiao-man , Li Hui-ying , Kong Xiang-yu , Shahar Saleha , Duan Zhao-jun
Published: February 2023

Objective: To isolate a prevalent G9P[8] group A rotavirus (RVA) strain (N4006) in China and investigate its genomic and evolutionary characteristics, with the goal of facilitating the development of a new rotavirus vaccine.
Methods: An RVA strain of the G9P[8] genotype from a diarrhea sample was passaged in MA104 cells. The strain was evaluated by SEM, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and indirect immunofluorescence assay. The complete genome of the strain was obtained by RT-PCR and sequencing. The genomic and evolutionary characteristics of the strain were evaluated by nucleic acid sequence analysis with MEGA ver. 5.0.5 and DNASTAR software. The neutralizing epitopes of VP7 and VP4 (VP5* and VP8*) were analyzed using BioEdit ver. 7.0.9.0 and PyMOL ver. 2.5.2.
Results: The N4006 strain (G9P[8] genotype) was adapted in MA104 cells with a high titer (105.5 PFU/mL). Whole-genome sequence analysis showed N4006 to be a reassortant rotavirus of Wa-like G9P[8] RVA and the NSP4 gene of DS-1-like G2P[4] RVA, with the genotype constellation G9-P[8]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A1-N1-T1-E2-H1 (G9P[8]-E2). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that N4006 had a common ancestor with Japanese G9P[8]-E2 rotavirus strains. Neutralizing epitope analysis showed that VP7, VP5*, and VP8* of N4006 had low homology with vaccine strains of the same genotype and marked differences with vaccine strains of other genotypes.
Conclusion: The G9P[8] genotype rotavirus with the G9-P[8]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A1-N1-T1-E2-H1 (G9P[8]-E2) constellation predominates in China and may originate from reassortment between Japanese G9P[8] with Japanese DS-1-like G2P[4] rotaviruses. The antigenic variation of N4006 with the vaccine strain necessitates evaluation of the effect of the rotavirus vaccine on G9P[8]-E2 genotype rotavirus.
Application of Remote sensing and GIS on studying the impact of « Jasmin revolution » on Mellegue catchment
Authors: Weslati Okba , Serbaji Mohamed Moncef
Published: February 2023

“Jasmin revolution” is a Tunisian revolt occurred in 2011 referring to the first uprising that unleashed similar events in Middle East and North-Africa called “Arab Spring”. This revolution has led to series of political actions where the government has passed through consecutives bumps that caused socio-political insecurity and environmental damage. The watershed of Mellegue is a cross-border basin belonging to Algeria and Tunisia. It is a vast catchment occupying more than 10500 km². This paper aimed to study the post-revolution impacts on the watershed Mellegue using geospatial data, remote sensing and GIS. It highlights that the resources were significantly consumed. Remote sensing analysis showed that forests were reduced due to anthropogenic activities. Water quantification revealed an over-consumption of these resources where the consumption rate was intensified after 2011 revolution. Population census using geospatial data and modelling approach exhibits a total increase in demography of the study area but also exposes an antagonist behaviour in Algerian territory compared to the Tunisian lands of the catchment. The Algerian demography are in consistent rise unlike Tunisian population that showed a stable to even decline in population growth.
Classification and Analysis of Cyberattacks in the Western Balkans Countries - with a focus on the treatment of policy violations and strategies that states use to protect against attacks
Authors: Mollakuqe Elissa , Dimitrova Vesna
Published: February 2023

Rapid technological developments have also affected the countries of the Balkans, where as a result many hackers and other attackers have attempted to attack computer systems and data in these countries as well. The initial attacks that directed you to these places were "phishing" attacks where there was an attempt to suspend the work of online systems, especially in Public Institutions. But over time, especially in the last 3 years, the biggest attacks belong to DDoS attacks, which have caused many problematic situations and an instability of the systems in these countries. Cyber ​​attacks are normal in the era we live in now, but the reasons for these attacks still vary from the most diverse, such as: political blackmail, blackmail of other kinds or even blackmail for monetary benefits. Our research considers 7 countries of the Balkans: Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzergovina, and Croatia. The main analysis focuses on the treatment of policies to protect against cyber attacks and strategies that these countries have with the aim of protecting against cyber attacks, which were on a large scale during the last period. All data has been collected during real time and the countries are ranked according to the level of exposure to the risk. The purpose of this research is to know the current situation in the Balkans and to identify the types of attacks directed at these countries, also some investigations into the current strategies have been proposed. The paper uses methods of analysis and synthesis, comparative methods, as well.
Co-planning and co-design as progress in the implementation of welfare services
Authors: Becchetti Leonardo , PIsani Fabio , Raffaele Luca
Published: February 2023

Co-planning (and co-design) of welfare services between public administrations and civic organisations is an innovative approach aiming to enact and maximise aggregate effort and competence contributions among complementary actors in the direction of participation and active citizenship. In our paper we develop a simple theoretical framework trying to illustrate how it is possible to pursue the first best of an optimal participated planning, design and management approach for welfare services. We examine pros and cons of different solutions reconciling involvement of civil actors and respect of antitrust principles outlining four benchmark models with different characteristics in terms of upstream and downstream participation levels. We outline policy proposals to solve dilemmas related to the difficulty of jointly activating participation, intrinsic and monetary incentives avoiding in the meanwhile collusion and corruption.
JEL numbers: I38, I30.
Prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome combined with transient abnormal myelopoiesis in foetuses with a GATA1 gene variant: Two case reports
Authors: HUI TANG , HU JINGJING , Liu Ling , Lv Lijuan , Lu Jian , Yang Jiexia , Lu Jiaqi , Chen Zhenhui , Yang Chaoxiang , Chen Dan , Fu Jintao , Wu Jing
Published: February 2023

Background

Transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) is a transient haematological disorder of Down syndrome that is characterised by leucocytosis, the presence of blasts, abnormal haematopoiesis and hepatosplenomegaly. It is usually diagnosed within 8 weeks of birth, and the median age of diagnosis is 3–7 days.

Case presentation

We report two cases of prenatally diagnosed TAM, both with male foetal onset. One case was a rare placental low percentage 21 trisomy mosiacism, resulting in the occurrence of a false negative NIPT. The final diagnosis was made at 36 weeks of gestation when ultrasound revealed significant enlargement of the foetal liver and spleen and an enlarged heart; the foetus eventually died in utero. We detected a placenta with a low percentage (5%-8%) of trisomy 21 mosiacism by CNV-seq and FISH. In another case, foetal oedema was detected by ultrasound at 31 weeks of gestation. Two foetuses were diagnosed with Down syndrome by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) via umbilical vein puncture and had significantly elevated cord blood leucocyte counts with large numbers of blasts. The GATA1 Sanger sequencing results suggested the presence of a [NM_002049.4(GATA1):c.220G > A (p. Val74Ile)] hemizygous variant and a [NM_002049.4(GATA1):c.49dupC(p. Gln17ProfsTer23)] hemizygous variant of the GATA1 gene in two cases.

Conclusion

It seems highly likely that these two identified mutations are the genetic cause of prenatal TAM in foetuses with Down syndrome.
Synaptogenesis by Cholinergic Stimulation of Astrocytes
Authors: Roqué Pamela J. , Barria Andrés , ZHANG XIAOLU , Costa Lucio G. , Guizzetti Marina
Published: February 2023

Astrocytes release numerous factors known to contribute to the process of synaptogenesis, yet knowledge about the signals that control their release is limited. We hypothesized that neuron-derived signals stimulate astrocytes, which respond by signaling back to neurons through the modulation of astrocyte-released synaptogenic factors. Here we investigate the effect of cholinergic stimulation of astrocytes on synaptogenesis in co-cultured neurons. Using a culture system where primary rat astrocytes and primary rat neurons are first grown separately allowed us to independently manipulate astrocyte cholinergic signaling. Subsequent co-culture of pre-stimulated astrocytes with naïve neurons enabled us to assess how prior stimulation of astrocyte acetylcholine receptors uniquely modulates neuronal synapse formation. Pre-treatment of astrocytes with the acetylcholine receptor agonist carbachol increased the expression of synaptic proteins, the number of pre- and postsynaptic puncta, and the number of functional synapses in hippocampal neurons after 24 hours in co-culture. Astrocyte secretion of the synaptogenic protein thrombospondin-1 increased after cholinergic stimulation and the inhibition of the target receptor for thrombospondins prevented the observed increase in neuronal synaptic structures. Thus, we identified a novel mechanism of neuron-astrocyte-neuron communication, i.e., neuronal release of acetylcholine stimulates astrocytes to release synaptogenic proteins leading to increased synaptogenesis in neurons. This study provides new insights into the role of neurotransmitter receptors in developing astrocytes and into our understanding of the modulation of astrocyte-induced synaptogenesis.
Numerical solution of system of second-order integro-differential equations using nonclassical sinc collocation method
Authors: GHASEMI MOHAMMAD , MOHAMMADI KEIVAN , ALIPANAH AMJAD
Published: February 2023

In this paper, a nonclassical sinc collocation method is constructed to the numerical solution of systems of second-order integro-differential equations of Volterra and Fredholm types. The novelty of the approach is based on using the new non classical weight function for sinc method instead of the classic ones. The sinc collocation method based on non classical weight functions is used to reduce the system of integro-differential equations to a system of algebraic equations which can be solved numerically. Furthermore, the convergence of the method is proposed theoretically which shows that the method converges exponentially. By solving some examples numerically, the results are compared with other methods to demonstrate the efficiency of the new method.
Validation of an in-house Sarcosystis fusiformis glycoprotein-based ELISA for the serodiagnosis of sarcocystosis in buffaloes
Authors: Shanawany Eman E. EL , Ata Emad B. , Hassan Soad E. , Abdelrahman Eman H.
Published: February 2023

Sarcocystosis is a highly prevalent parasitic disease with great economic significance in the intermediate hosts, mainly causing asymptomatic infection. The main aim of this study is the molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the Sarcocystis species and developing of a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tool based on the Concanavalin-A (Con-A) affinity purified S. fusiformis glycoprotein antigen (SF-GlcNAc). Successfully Sarcocystis fusiformis (S. fusiformis) was detected only one type, which was closely related to the strains previously isolated in Egypt. The sensitivity and specificity of the purified antigen containing N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) were assessed using a set of negative (n = 40), positive (n = 45), and control serum samples from buffaloes. The specificity of the SF-GlcNAc antigen was detected using different sera samples positive for multiple parasitic infections, including toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis, coccidiosis, giardiasis, and blastocistosis with indirect ELISA. The receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve demonstrated that SF-GlcNAc-ELISA is 95.56% sensitive, 82.5% specific, and exhibits 89.4% diagnostic accuracy compared with crude whole cyst antigen-ELISA (68.89% sensitivity, 67.5% specificity and 68.24% diagnostic accuracy). SF-GlcNAc-ELISA showed only 12% cross-reactivity with the sera from toxoplasmosis cases with 88% relative specificity. Collectively, our study introduces an SF-GlcNAc-based ELISA as a highly accurate, low-cost method for the serodiagnosis of bovine sarcocystosis.
Exploring the Role of Natural Compounds in Preventing Alzheimer's Disease Progression: A Multi-Target Interaction Study of Carnosine and Homocarnosine with the Aβ(1-42) peptide using Molecular Docking
Authors: Só Yuri Alves de Oliveira , Silva Mônica de Abreu , Kiametis Alessandra Sofia , Sette Camila D'Avila Braga , Júnior Luiz Antônio Ribeiro , Gargano Ricardo
Published: February 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating condition that affects memory and behavior, typically in older individuals. Among the conjectures for AD causes, the so-called metallic hypothesis is still a topic of ongoing research and debate. It suggests that exposure to specific metallic ions like zinc, copper, and iron may contribute to the development of the disease. In this study, we investigate how using molecular docking, two natural compounds (Carnosine and Homocarnosine) may prevent the oligomerization of amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides. Our findings reveal that these multi-target molecules strongly interact with the amino acids of the Abeta(1-42) peptide responsible for the complexation with metal ions, which can prevent the formation of harmful protein deposits (thus preventing AD progression). The results suggest that Carnosine and Homocarnosine could interact with, at least, two of the amino acids responsible for the complexation of the Abeta(1-42) peptide with the copper(II) metal ion. This study provides new insights into these compounds' potential in AD treatments.
Computational and theoretical techniques
All molecular docking simulations were performed by using the AutoDock computational code which includes the Lamarckian genetic algorithm. The ligands and the macromolecule were prepared by employing Gasteiger’s partial charge method based on empirical calculations of electronegativity equilibrium. The identification of patterns of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions between ligand-protein complexes was performed using LigPlot+ software.
An in-silico approach to identify novel antimicrobial peptides against multi-drug resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Authors: Nair Sreelakshmi S , H Sreenithya K. , Jade Dhananjay , Harrison Michael A. , Sairi Fareed , Sugumar Shobana
Published: February 2023

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important components of the innate immune system and considered as potential therapeutic molecules for drug-resistant bacteria. AMPs have a rapid bactericidal mode of action and can interact with a range of targets. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen associated with various clinical syndromes, including respiratory infections in immunocompromised patients and people with a history of diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF) or cancer. A broad spectrum of antibiotics has limited sensitivity to this bacterium. Therapeutic options for treating S. maltophilia are limited due to the bacterium's low resistance to antibiotics, mainly based on genes encoding antibiotic-inactivating enzymes and MDR efflux pumps on the chromosome. Peptide-based antimicrobial drugs could be viable to combat antibiotic resistance as they have many advantages, including rapid microbicidal activity against S. maltophilia. A total of 235 peptide sequences from UniProtKB predicted to have activity against Gram-negative bacteria using DBAASP were screened for toxicity and hemolytic activity. Eighty-one peptides that are non-toxic and non-hemolytic were selected considering their physiochemical properties such as aliphatic index, pI value, and GRAVY. The peptides were docked to the L1 beta-lactamase present in S. maltophilia. After successful docking, the complex with the highest binding affinity for molecular dynamics GROMACS was taken to investigate the stability of the complex. The results showed that the AMPs were bound to the active site with good affinity. The active site containing zinc atoms was masked so that the zinc atoms were no longer available for the catalytic role of the enzyme.
Imitation Camouflage Synthesis based on Shallow Neural Network
Authors: Xiuxia Cai , Pin Zhang , Du Shuaibin
Published: February 2023

Deep learning technology has been widely used in the military field, which have achieved great success. The traditional method for painting camouflage either using the background information or the artificial pattern. None of the traditional methods can both consider the background information and camouflage rules. In this paper, A new automatic camouflage generation framework is proposed. A method for generating camouflage pattern is designed. The imitation camouflage pattern is synthesized from the features of both background and artificial pattern. In our method, the texture feature of both background and traditional pattern patches are extracted from the feature maps of shallow neural network (SNN). Based on the feature maps, statistic information of second order differential and mean subtracted contrast normalized coefficients for texture and color is extracted. By iterating to optimize the imitation camouflage to be generated, the statistical information of the imitation camouflage can approximate the characteristic statistical information of the background and pattern. The new generated camouflage pattern can contain the color and texture information of background; besides, it can maintain the traditional patch camouflage criteria. Our approach makes camouflage painting more flexible and allows the target to better infuse into the background. And our method is designed for the preparation of painting camouflage.
An Ultrasensitive Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Cholesterol Sensor in Real Samples Based on Copper Foam/CuO/Pt/ p-Phenylenediamine Molecularly Imprinted Polymer
Authors: Eghbali Milad , Kheiri Farshad , Sirousazara Mohammad , Jannatdousta Elham , Afghan Arash
Published: February 2023

A novel amperometric non-enzymatic biosensor was developed for cholesterol (CHO) detection based on electropolymerized para-phenylenediamine (p-PD) monomer as a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) on the copper foam (CF) modified with platinum (Pt) and copper oxide (CuO) dual-core nanohybrid (CuO/Pt) which was attached on the GCE using carbon glue. UV-Vis spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), grazing XRD (GXRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were utilized to characterize the prepared nanocomposites. The non-enzymatic CHO biosensor showed a detection limit of 0.035 µM, a sensitivity of 157.85 µAµM− 1cm− 2, and a linear range of 0.4-6 µM. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to select the most suitable functional monomer for synthesizing MIP. For the first time, the effect of sensor loading time in cholesterol solution was investigated on the rise of direct oxidation current. Herein, CF/CuO/Pt/CHO-MIP nanocomposite was employed as a selective and suitable catalyst in CHO oxidation due to their high conductivity, large specific surface area, and good electrocatalytic performance. The superior catalytic activity and selectivity introduce the CuO/Pt nanohybrids on the CF surface as a promising nanomaterial for applications in the direct detection of CHO.
“Daring to deal with the difficult and unexpected” Registered nurses’ confidential conversations with patients with palliative care needs: a qualitative interview study.
Authors: Stenman Tove , Näppä Ulla , Rönngren Ylva , Johansson Christina Melin
Published: February 2023

Background
In palliative care, registered nurses provide advanced nursing care to relieve patients’ symptoms and increase their quality of life based on physical, mental, social and existential dimensions. Conversations, often about existential issues, are an important part of nursing and can affect quality of life positively. Confidential conversations between patients and nurses occur naturally while other nursing activities are being performed. Despite their great importance for palliative care these are rarely described.
Aim
To gain a deeper understanding of how nurses in palliative care experience and describe confidential conversations with patients.
Method
Secondary analysis of data from 17 open-ended face-to-face interviews with registered nurses in palliative care was conducted. Qualitative content analysis using an inductive approach was used to gain a deeper understanding and analyse the latent content.
Results
The confidential conversation was considered an important part of palliative care and is the nurse’s responsibility. This responsibility was described as complex and placed various demands on the nurses, both personal and professional. A prerequisite for the conversation was the interpersonal relationship. The conversation allowed the patient to process important matters not previously addressed or put into words. It had no predetermined content, was unplanned and entirely on the patient's terms. For nurses the conversation could be experienced both as draining and a source of power and strength. The nurses also described safeguarding the patient through the conversation.
Conclusion
Confidential conversations are crucial and can support a good death. The context affects the content of the conversations when a patient needs to talk about existential issues. Confidential conversations require nurses to have experience and competence, and regular supportive mentoring. Discussing their situation, illness, losses, dependence on help and support, and life situation with nurses may lead to increased quality of life for patients.
Till Taxes Keep Us Apart? The Impact of the Marriage Tax on the Marriage Rate
Authors: Myohl Nadia
Published: February 2023

Married couples can face a higher or lower tax burden than cohabitating couples with the same income when the former are taxed as one unit. I study the effect of such joint income taxation on the marriage rate in Switzerland, where tax differentials between married and cohabitating couples vary considerably across cantons. For this purpose, I construct a dataset containing sociodemographic and -economic variables on every individual living in Switzerland, and use household-level information to identify cohabitating couples. Using a simulated instrumental variable approach, I find a negative impact of joint income taxation on the marriage rate for couples married between 2012 and 2019. The effect is driven by households without children and from the lower end of the income distribution.
JEL Classification: H240, H310, J120
Evaluating Mismatch Repair Deficiency in Colorectal Cancer Biopsy Specimens
Authors: Grillo Federica , Paudice Michele , Gambella Alessandro , Bozzano Silvia , Sciallero Stefania , Puccini Alberto , Lastraioli Sonia , Dono Maria , Parente Paola , Vanoli Alessandro , Angerilli Valentina , Fassan Matteo , Mastracci Luca
Published: February 2023

Mismatch repair (MMR) testing on all new cases of colorectal cancer (CRC), has for now been preferably performed on surgical specimens as more tissue is available, however, new clinical trials for the use of immune check-point inhibitors in the neoadjuvant setting require MMR testing on biopsy samples. This study aims at identifying advantages, disadvantages and any potential pitfalls in MMR evaluation on biopsy tissue and how to cope with them. The study is prospective-retrospective, recruiting 141 biopsies (86 proficient (p)MMR and 55 deficient (d)MMR) and 97 paired surgical specimens (48 pMMR and 49 dMMR). In biopsy specimens, a high number of indeterminate stains was observed, in particular for MLH1 (31 cases – 56.4%). The main reasons were a punctate nuclear expression of MLH1, enhanced MLH1 nuclear expression compared to internal controls or both (making MLH1 loss difficult to interpret), which can be solved by reducing primary incubation times for MLH1. Cases with adequate immunostains have a mean number of > 5 biopsies compared to ≤ 3 biopsies in inadequate cases. Conversely, surgical specimens rarely suffer from indeterminate reactions while weaker staining intensity (p < 0.007) for MLH1 and PMS2, and increased grade of patchiness (p < 0.0001) was seen. Central artefacts were almost exclusive to surgical specimens. MMR status classification was possible in 92/97 matched biopsy/resection specimen cases, and all of these were concordant (47 pMMR and 45 dMMR). Evaluation of MMR status on CRC biopsy samples is feasible and correlation between biopsy and surgical samples is excellent, if pitfalls in interpretation are known.
Fast Crack Bounds in Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics Establishing Upper Bound function based on the Second Derivative
Authors: Lara Alexandre Guilherme , Deus Hilbeth Parente Azikri
Published: February 2023

This paper proposes a new approach to determining the upper bound in fast crack bounds. In linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), there are multiple models for estimating crack propagation, which are often described using ordinary differential equations (ODE) involving initial value problems (IVP). However, analytical solutions are not always possible, necessitating computational methods. The fast crack bounds method (FCB) was created as a faster way to find approximate solutions by creating an envelope with an upper and lower bound. The original upper bound was based on a numerical parameter, but this paper presents a theoretical approach to determine the upper bound without the need for numerical inspections, based on the lower bound’s second derivative. This eliminates the need for the Runge-Kutta numerical method and speeds up the determination of the upper bound.
Competitive asymmetry in a monospecific stand of the shade-tolerant tree Fagus crenata depends on gap formation
Authors: Yamakawa Masahiro , Onoda Yusuke , Kurokawa Hiroko , Oguro Michio , Nakashizuka Tohru , 彦坂 幸毅
Published: February 2023

Competitive asymmetry is one of the most important determinants of size structure in plant communities. Many studies indicated that light competition is size-asymmetric in monospecific stands of herbaceous plants, as taller individuals preempt light. However, competition is size-symmetric in multispecific stands because shorter species adapted to shade. Then, a question arises on whether light competition is asymmetric or symmetric if a shade-tolerant species occupies the stand, such as climax forests. Moreover, it is also interesting how gap dynamics affect competitive asymmetry, given the fact that gap formation can improve light availability in lower layers of the canopy. In cool temperate and natural climax forest of northern Japan, dominated by a shade-tolerant tree, Fagus crenata, we investigated the plant size, growth rate, and three-dimensional distribution of foliage and light availability. We found that competitive asymmetry varied dynamically across the forest. In closed canopies, the relative growth rate (RGR) was higher in taller trees, indicating size-asymmetric growth. Shorter trees partly compensated for their light interception by having higher leaf area per aboveground mass (leaf area ratio; LAR) but did not achieve comparative RGR to taller trees. Conversely, in gaps, the RGR of shorter trees was equivalent to those of taller trees because of the improved light availability for smaller trees, indicating size-symmetric growth. These results suggest that changes in competitive asymmetry driven by gap dynamics can influence the spatiotemporal diversity of size structures in forests.
NLRP3 agonist enhances radiation-induced immune priming and promotes abscopal responses in anti-PD1 resistant model
Authors: Barsoumian Hampartsoum B. , He Kewen , Hsu Ethan , Bertolet Genevieve , Sezen Duygu , Hu Yun , Cortez Maria Angelica , Welsh James W.
Published: February 2023

Radiotherapy (XRT), a well-known activator of the inflammasome and immune priming, is in part capable of reversing resistance to anti-PD1 treatment. Although NLRP3 is typically observed for its role in exacerbating XRT-induced tissue damage, the NLRP3 inflammasome can also be protective and augment the effect of XRT when used in proper dosing and sequencing. However, whether NLRP3 agonist boosts radiation-induced immune priming and promote abscopal responses in anti-PD1 resistant model is still unknown. Therefore, in this study, we paired intratumoral injection of an NLRP3 agonist with XRT to stimulate the immune system in both wild type (344SQ-P) and anti-PD1 resistant (344SQ-R) murine-implanted lung adenocarcinoma models. We found that the combination of XRT + NLPR3 agonist enhanced control of implanted lung adenocarcinoma primary as well as secondary tumors in a radiological dose-dependent manner, in which 12Gy x 3 fractions of stereotactic XRT was better than 5Gy x 3, while 1Gy x 2 did not improve the NLRP3 effect. Survival and tumor growth data also showed significant abscopal response with the triple therapy (12Gyx3 + NLRP3 agonist + α-PD1) in both 344SQ-P and 344SQ-R aggressively growing models. Multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1b, IL-4, IL-12, IL-17, IFN-γ and GM-CSF) were elevated in the serum of mice treated with XRT + NLRP3 or triple therapy. The Nanostring results showed that NLRP3 agonist is capable of increasing antigen presentation, innate function, and T-cell priming. This study can be of particular importance to treat patients with immunologically-cold solid tumors whom are also refractory to prior checkpoint treatments.
Insecticide risk assessment in tropical soils: relevant concentrations of fipronil cause high risk to the edaphic community
Authors: de Oliveira Dayane , Tadei Rafaela , Triques Maria Carolina , Goulart Bianca Veloso , Montagner Cassiana Carolina , Espíndola Evaldo Luiz Gaeta , Menezes-Oliveira Vanessa
Published: February 2023

Widely used in Brazilian agricultural fields, the insecticide fipronil acts in the arthropods’ nervous system of target and non-target organisms. The present study aimed to estimate fipronil ecological risk to soil organisms, on both natural and artificial soils from tropical environments. For risk calculations, a tiered approach was used. At the screening level (TIER I) data was obtained from the literature and laboratory experiments. For the intermediate level (TIER II), species sensitivity distributions (SSD) curves were generated based on the results from six species of soil invertebrates in both soils. To estimate the risk, the Toxicity-Exposure Ratios (TER) were calculated considering the related toxicity data and the fipronil concentrations in the field. Results showed that ecologically relevant concentrations of fipronil lead to a high risk for the edaphic community (above 100 times higher than the safety value). The high risks were observed for both tiers, although more accentuated risk values were obtained using the SSD approach. Hence, it was also discussed here that the mode of action is the factor most influencing the pesticides’ toxicity to non-target organisms and using only one group of organisms to assess the risk of any pesticide may underestimate the risk to the whole community.
The Evolution and Development of Eco-translatology Studies in China: Based on the Analysis of CiteSpace Mapping Knowledge Domains
Authors: Xin XIONG , Hui QIN , Xiangtao LIU
Published: February 2023

The present study endeavors to unveil the progression of research subjects within the realm of China’s eco-translatology studies through the examination of journal papers in the CNKI database from 2001 to 2022, utilizing CiteSpace software for mapping and analysing co-occurrences among authors, institutions, and keywords. The findings indicate that within eco-translatology studies, a prominent theory-founding research group represented by Hu Gengshen, has been established, yet no comparable clusters have been identified among scholars engaged in debate or applied studies. Additionally, a lack of effective cooperation and diversity among research entities as well as inadequate responses to questions and concerns have been observed. Furthermore, research focuses have undergone a shift, progressing from theory founding studies (2001-2008) to confirmation and verification studies (2009-2014) and finally to revision and applied studies (since 2015). Additionally, research topics have transitioned from grand, abstract theoretical foundations to subtle, specific theory revisions and applied translation studies, yet a dearth of quantitative research, comparative studies, or field studies have been conducted. In conclusion, it is suggested that future eco-translatology studies should be more responsive to doubts and questions, cultivate diverse research entities, and place greater emphasis on field investigation within qualitative research.
Seismic Site Characterization and Liquefaction Susceptibility Assesment of Dhaka City Using Latest Building Code and Updated Liquefaction Evaluation Techniques
Authors: Islam Samiul , Sh Prof. Dr. Hossain Md.
Published: February 2023

Integration of regional code-based provisions and updated analytical techniques is a must in the field of seismic site characterization and liquefaction susceptibility assessment. Mapping seismic site class and liquefaction susceptible zones due to earthquake induced loading under the research will not only facilitate governing authorities and policy makers to make land-use developmental plans according to characteristics of each classified zone but, will also help engineers and researchers to carry out feasibility study of projects and designs as well as research activities according to potential risk factor in different areas of Dhaka City. The study also supplements the newly published Bangladesh National Building Code (2020) and provides guidelines according to the code to conduct engineering studies as per recommended seismic site class and liquefaction susceptibility for design considerations following the newly published mandates. The research is also a part of development of geotechnical database and earthquake catalog of Dhaka City with an aim to update the geological information due to unbridled expansion of the city boundary where areas are being filled with dredged sand to get more land coverage for infrastructural developmental activities.
Structural features and communication potential of modern serials
Authors: Zrazhevska Nina
Published: February 2023

Introduction. The mythological structure of the series is determined by structural, semantic and symbolic elements embedded in the communicative process; they represent a kind of filter that depends on all the formal and content components of the series, as well as the cultural field in which it functions. This allows the series to be an active translator of various messages, which, in turn, requires the active participation of the viewer in assigning contents and messages.
Relevance of research. The scientific novelty consists in the analysis of the modern TV series as a communicative phenomenon in modern media culture. Based on the analysis of various sources, we tried to describe the structure and identify different communicative strategies of modern serials, a specific serial paradigm that allows satisfying all categories of viewers.
The research methodology: we use interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the communication potential of modern TV series: cultural-historical, communication, structural and cultural analysis.
Results and discussion. The study of TV series allows us to understand how communicative connections are recreated in the modern socio-cultural environment, what ideological tasks they can fulfill and how they influence the formation of identity. In the series, we can find certain revelations about the norms and dominant ideas of a specific cultural-historical discourse, which in their date allow us to reveal the closed elements of norming, subtexts and contexts, discrimination and inclusion, dominance and subordination, which are organically woven into the structure of the series as a product of mass culture.
Conclusions and prospects. In the article, we found out that the increase in the influence and popularity of TV series as a specific cultural form of communication is related to their ability to be an effective sphere of communication space. The communication potential of serials is determined by the structural and content elements, which proved to be capable of structuring the everyday life and identity of a person. The description and analysis of the structural and content elements of the series made it possible to reveal the specific communicative potential of
the modern series – to be an active translator of various messages, to form a communicative space, which, in turn, requires the active participation of the viewer in assigning contents and messages.
The algorithm for detection of unreliable news sources and rumors in Telegram channels
Authors: Steblyna Nataliia
Published: February 2023

Introduction. Since February 24, the day of the full-scale invasion, Telegram channels have become extremely popular in Ukraine. At the same time, Russian propagandists continued to use this social network to spread disinformation and sow panic.
Relevance and purpose. Nowadays, it is very important to monitor the quality of the content distributed in Telegram, in particular, compliance with the reliability standard – the presence of clear references to verified sources. The purpose of the study is to develop a semi-automated method of analyzing the posts of the most popular regional Telegram channels to identify unreliable links and rumors. On the material of one of the most popular regional telegram channels of Odesa, «Odessa Info», the application of the algorithm for detecting unreliable news sources and rumors was demonstrated.
Methodology. To obtain the results, the method of analyzing the posts of Telegram channels for compliance with journalistic standards was used. The research combined automated data processing (searching for violations of the standard by keywords) and manual (analyzing the found posts by the researcher).
Results. As a result, it was found that for July-September 2022, keywords indicating the use of information from readers, unreliable links and rumors were contained in 11.3% of posts. The majority of messages that contained the keywords (42.6%) are not checked by the Telegram channel in any way. Only in 11.9% it was professional journalistic work – that is, a clear reference either to an official source (operational command, police, president), or to a quality mass media, an expert, etc.
Conclusions. Thus, in the vast majority of cases, the information provided by the Telegram channel is of poor quality. Content coming from readers, or rumors and speculation, in the vast majority of cases is either not verified, or is verified in violation of the methods of professional journalism.