bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Madrasah Principal Leadership in Digital Transformation at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah: A Case Study
Authors: Sholeh Makherus , Kholis Nur , Mufidah Nuril
Published: October 2022

The rapid development of digital technology impacts the world of education. So, educational institutions need leader figures who can adapt to the development of digital technology. This article aims to explain the leadership of madrasah principals in digital transformation at MIN Blitar City. The method used is descriptive qualitative, collecting data using in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation, and data analysis using the Milles, Huberman, and Saldana’s model, namely data collection, data condensation, data presentation, and verification/conclusion. The main issues in digital transformation are: building awareness or understanding of technology, developing strategies and action plans for a suitable technology to be used in the digital transformation process, choosing the right human resources to succeed in technological change is followed by a change in technology-based work culture, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration with the digital community, and carrying out supervision as a form of controlling the use of digital technology.
Analysis of Preschool Curricula Amid Covid-19 Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Period
Authors: Erdamar Fatih Selim , Akpinar Burhan
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the implementation of the preschool curriculum from the perspective of teachers. The study, which was designed on a qualitative basis, was carried out with 31 preschool teachers determined with the purposeful sampling method. The data were collected via the interview form applied to the teachers who constituted the aforementioned study group. For the analysis of the data, content analysis was applied. For the analyses, the teachers’ views were gathered under certain headings and coded. In the coding made by using the frequency technique, which is the complement of the qualitative data, the coding technique was used in accordance with the concepts obtained from the data. By combining these codes, certain themes were created. Next, the themes were described and interpreted with tables for easy understanding and explanation in line with the purpose of the study, and conclusions were drawn accordingly. On the other hand, it was thought that in the study, the technological addiction in question might be caused by the unconscious and misuse of these technologies rather than by the educational technologies used extensively during the pandemic process. The teachers constituting the study group predicted that human dimensions such as psychological and personality dimensions, self-care skills, and behavioral problems would come to the fore in relation to the pre-school curriculum in the post-pandemic period.
Recognizing the Position and Validity of Science in Understanding Religion: The Perspectives of Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas and Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy
Authors: Shamsaei Maryam , Hazim Shah Mohd
Published: October 2022

Recognizing the position and validity of science in understanding religion has led to very diverse algorithms in the Islamic world. It must be admitted that before the fourteenth century, there were no views on the confrontation of or separation of the realm of science and religion.  Although after the nineteenth century, the advent of modernist discourse in the Islamic world's cultural, social, and political programs and methods set the grounds for a dialectic path on the connection between religion and science. In this regard, Muslim thinkers have given distinct responses to Western modernization, such as agreeing, rejecting, or transforming this claim according to Islamic attitudes. This article seeks to conduct a theoretical interpretation and investigation of the foundations and arguments of two Muslim thinkers, Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas and Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy with “functionalism” and “symbolism” approaches to science. These two thinkers have paid special attention to religion, science, and modern technology, while they have different fundamental views on the relationship between science and religion.
The Strategy of Mudir in Reducing Religious Intergroup Bias in Lhoksukon, Aceh, Indonesia
Authors: Surya Dedy , Ismail Sulaiman , Hamdani Hamdani
Published: October 2022

Intergroup relations, especially between religiously affiliated groups, have always been a discussion that attracts the attention of scholars. However, research that highlights the efforts and processes of harmonisation between groups is still very limited to study, especially with regard to educational settings. By providing a different perspective on the discussion of most scholars, this article photographs the success of mudir (leader of Islamic educational institutions) in maintaining the existence of modern pesantren amid in-group favouritism biased traditional Islamic society in Lhoksukon, Aceh, Indonesia. By using a case-study approach, this study traced and collected data through in-depth interviews with several informants such as mudir, pesantren teachers, Imum Chik (religious leaders), and residents around Dayah Terpadu Al-Muslimun Lhoksukon, Aceh, Indonesia. The results of this study show that the conformity initiated by mudir, especially in symbols owned by the surrounding community, is able to reduce conflict between groups. In addition, mudir also involves figures with religious authority to be catalysts for harmony. The study also argues that intergroup biases in religious segmentation can be minimised by re-evaluating to find similarities in social identities between groups.
Evaluation of STEM Education by Turkish Science Teachers
Authors: ASLAN EFE HÜLYA , Hanas Kadri
Published: October 2022

STEM education has been adopted all around the world to educate individuals that meet the requirements of the changing workforce. Currently, efforts to integrate STEM education into mainstream education are being made in Turkey as well, and it is critical to review them. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to obtain an evaluation of the developing STEM education in Turkey by science teachers. For this purpose, the surveying method, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. 128 science teachers working in Diyarbakır province participated in the study. The “Criteria for Quality STEM” scale, adapted to Turkish by the researchers, was used as the data collection tool in the study. Based on the results, it was concluded that young teachers have higher score averages in improving relations between school, society and business world. It was also found that teachers who practice STEM in science education by spreading them over a period of time have higher averages in terms of creating a STEM culture and climate and establishing the connection between school, society and business world. It was determined that teachers who read academic studies have higher averages in integration of academic knowledge and providing school, community and cooperation compared to those who do not. It was determined that the teachers who previously took part in projects related to STEM education have higher averages in creating the STEM culture and climate in schools. In the light of these results, it is suggested that future research is needed to help science teachers learn how to implement STEM education in their classes so that they can use it effectively and successfully.
Ex-Officio Rights in Talak Divorce:
Authors: Hayati Mulida , Ali Nuraliah
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Theoretically, judges have the ex-officio rights to protect the rights of women and children in divorce cases. This study examines the judges' considerations in applying Ex officio rights associated with the plaintiff's profession as Pegawai Negeri Sipil (PNS, Indonesian Civil Servant) and non-civil servant. This normative legal research employed a case study and conceptual approach. The data collection techniques of this study were obtained from interviews, document content, and literature review. This study highlighted several essential points. First, the judges’ reasoning for applying ex-officio rights, which is referred to the Article 41 paragraph (c) of Law Number 16 of 2019 and the Decree of the Chairman of the Supreme Court Number: KMA/032/SK/IV/2006 concerning the Enforcement of Guidelines for Administration of Justice in Court. Second, the judges’ decision did not contradict the Ultra Petita principle since the considerations are based on logical arguments and facts such as the husband’s earning capacity, the wife’s devotion, and the wife’s loyalty. The legal basis of judges' decisions on divorce cases involving civil servants is similar to ordinary divorce cases. The divorce case is only distinguished by the addition of the regulations concerning civil servants in the divorce case of civil servants.

Keywords: Ex-Officio, Ex-wife Rights, Judges’ Considerations, Talak, Civil Servant
Long COVID y salud oral: ¿estamos listos?
Authors: Rodríguez Cárdenas Yalil Augusto
Published: October 2022

Según recientes reportes epidemiológicos, el síndrome respiratorio agudo severo por coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandémico está próximo a desaparecer o, por lo menos, a que tengamos que convivir con él en forma de endemia, debido, enparte, a la inmunidad generada por las vacunas y, por otro lado, a la inmunidad de rebaño. Mientras esto sucede, el mundo espera nervioso la aparición de nuevas variantes o enfermedades zoonóticas, como la reciente viruela símica.
Tasa de éxito de los minitornillos infracigomáticos considerando su diseño y técnicas de inserción. Una revisión
Authors: Rodríguez-Rimachi María Emely , Malpartida-Pacheco Mónica Ivette , Olazábal-Martínez Walter Carlos
Published: October 2022

Los minitornillos ofrecen la posibilidad de realizar movimientos dentales, lo que minimiza los efectos secundarios no deseados y potencia la eficacia. Los minitornillos extraalveolares son ideales ya que proporcionan una excelente estabilidad primaria y evitan estructuras anatómicas. Sin embargo, en algunos casos se pierde la estabilidad primaria antes de lograr el éxito de la mecánica utilizada y, por lo tanto, se deben determinar las causas más probables de la falla. El propósito de esta revisión fue analizar la tasa de éxito de los minitornillos infracigomáticos, considerando su diseño y las técnicas de inserción utilizadas. La recolección de datos de esta revisión bibliográfica se realizó mediante la búsqueda en PubMed, Wiley, sitios de Google Scholar, SciELO, Elsevier y Dialnet para publicaciones realizadas desde 2003 hasta junio de 2022. La búsqueda se realizó el 10 de junio de 2022 y se utilizaron las siguientes palabras clave: cresta infracigomática, minitornillos, anclaje y estabilidad. Se analizaron y discutieron diferentes temas destacando su relevancia clínica. Tras analizar los 798 artículos, se excluyeron 566. Los restantes fueron reanalizados y 153 resultaron excluidos por el título o resumen, y 33 por la metodología. Finalmente, quedaron 46 artículos. Tras analizar exhaustivamente todos los artículos incluidos, este estudio concluye que la aleación del minitornillo (acero inoxidable o titanio), la perforación del seno maxilar y la zona de colocación (mucosa adherida o mucosa móvil) no influyen en la supervivencia del minitornillo. La evidencia también indica que el porcentaje de fracaso es menor en los minitornillos infracigomáticos en comparación con los intrarradiculares. Los ortodoncistas pueden incluir con confianza y seguridad minitornillos infracigomáticos en diferentes procedimientos de ortodoncia.
Reabsorción radicular seguida de tratamiento de ortodoncia en individuos con mordida abierta anterior. Una visión completa centrada en diferentes alternativas de tratamiento: Una revisión
Authors: Ramirez-Diaz Ruth Elizabeth , Moscoso-Sivirichi Karen , Consoli-Senno Michella
Published: October 2022

El objetivo de esta revisión fue determinar la incidencia de los diferentes tipos de tratamiento y la prevalencia de la reabsorción radicular en los incisivos inducida por el tratamiento de ortodoncia en pacientes con mordida abierta. Se realizaron búsquedas en bibliotecas y bases de datos electrónicas, se seleccionaron 322 artículos y se consideraron 55 artículos de acuerdo con las guías PRISMA. Se ha demostrado que la reabsorción radicular apical de los incisivos es más frecuente en pacientes con extracciones de premolares que, en los tratados sin extracciones, debido al mayor desplazamiento apical durante la retracción de los dientes anteriores en la fase de cierre de espacios. Por otro lado, se ha descrito que la intrusión de los dientes posteriores tiene cuatro veces más probabilidades de causar reabsorción radicular que el movimiento de extrusión, lo que aumenta el riesgo de reabsorción radicular en los dientes posteriores en comparación con el tratamiento de ortodoncia convencional que no requiere intrusiones molares. Finalmente, no se ha demostrado que los alineadores, como los tratamientos de ortodoncia con aparatos fijos, induzcan una reabsorción radicular clínicamente significativa en individuos con mordida abierta. La literatura sobre reabsorción radicular en tratamientos de mordida abierta es escasa, lo que dificulta conclusiones definitivas. Sin embargo, la cantidad de pérdida de raíz en los casos de mordida abierta parece ser similar a la de las personas sin mordida abierta.
Efectividad del blanqueamiento dental en pacientes con tratamiento de ortodoncia fija activa: Una revisión narrativa
Authors: Santillán-Guerra Adrián Mauricio , Sánchez-Rodríguez Angie Melanie
Published: October 2022

Introducción: Actualmente, la estética dental durante el tratamiento de ortodoncia fija es una opción requerida por los pacientes, debido a las frecuentes pigmentaciones que se pueden presentar en el esmalte dental como consecuencia de una inadecuada higiene bucal y la retención de placa provocada por la aparatología fija. Objetivo: Determinar la efectividad del blanqueamiento dental y sus efectos secundarios durante el tratamiento de ortodoncia fija activa, como alternativa de tratamiento estético en determinados casos que lo ameriten. Materiales y metodos: Esta revisión narrativa evaluó 35 artículos científicos de las fuentes de información Medline (vía PubMed), Embase, Scopus, SciELO y LILACS de los últimos 10 años, publicados en español, portugués e inglés. Se incluyeron 17 artículos que cumplieron con los criterios de selección, los cuales fueron ensayos clínicos aleatorizados y estudios observacionales, estudios in vitro y estudios in vivo que evaluaron el aclaramiento dental en consultorio, realizados en pacientes que utilizaban tratamiento de ortodoncia fija en ese momento. Se excluyeron revisiones sistemáticas, informes de casos y editoriales. Resultados: Se observo que el blanqueamiento dental en pacientes con tratamiento de ortodoncia activa afecta mínimamente la adherencia del aparato de ortodoncia a la superficie del diente. Además, algunos estudios observaron que los brackets interfieren en la extensión del aclaramiento dental, al evidenciar áreas ligeramente más oscuras. Conclusiones: El blanqueamiento dental durante el tratamiento de ortodoncia se puede dar de manera eficiente en la práctica clínica, dependiendo del requerimiento estético del paciente. Sin embargo, es un procedimiento recomendado en ciertos casos de gran necesidad de estética inmediata, ya que el material con el que se instalan los Brackets sobre la superficie dentaria interferirá en la extensión del material aclarante, lo que da como resultado una tonalidad más oscura en ese sector y diferente del tejido circundante. Asimismo, intervendrá en la adhesión a la superficie dentaria, por lo que existen muchas probabilidades de que el aparato de ortodoncia pueda desprenderse.
The connection between sustainable brand and business in the Amazon Forest – Local business owner’s POV
Authors: Diego Luiz , Holanda Francisco Sandro Rodrigues , de Menezes Pedro Vinícius Bertulino , Oliveira Catuxe Varjão de Santana , Villwock Ana Paula Schervinski , Pedrotti Auceu
Published: October 2022

The rhetorictoward entrepreneurship in the Amazon region highlights the importance of sustainable actions developed by local brands. But little attention has been given to the entrepreneur's vision regarding the results of said applied practices. This study seeks to understand the perception of entrepreneurs from their business model related to the connection of the Amazon rainforest brand. The study consisted of semi structuredinterviews with 7 brands of Amazonian products using grounded theory. The results show that entrepreneurs understand that the reach of the social dimension depends on the trifecta articulation: entrepreneurs, native people, and ecological and cultural dimensions codependence directly on shared traditional knowledge. It is observed that the political dimension is still little developed in the region and its effects on products are inconsequential. The economic dimension is still little favored using environmentally sustainable brands. Finally, the territorial dimension depends on the creation of permanent protection areas as well as agroforestry systems.
Multidrug Resistance Tracing by Plasmid Profile Analysis and the Curing of Bacteria from Different Clinical Specimens
Authors: Okoye Ebele L. , Kemakolam Christian , Ugwuoji Emmanuel T , Ogbonna Ifeoma
Published: October 2022

Human-pathogenic bacteria resistant to one or multiple antibiotics have dramatically increased worldwide in the past decades. These bacteria possess great danger, have become a global issue and it is now impossible to avoid developing strategies for the restoration of treatment options against infections caused by them. This research aims at profiling plasmids of multidrug-resistant bacteria from various clinical specimens such as ear exudate, sputum, urethral swab, wound swab, urine from the catheter, urine, nasal swab, high vaginal swab, stool, eye swab and blood at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. Our investigation used the Agar diffusion method for susceptibility tests and identification of multidrug-resistant bacteria before plasmid extraction and gel electrophoresis. A plasmid curing test was performed with 10% Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate. Of the 860 bacteria whose resistance profile was determined, only 42 were multidrug-resistant. These bacteria include Pseudomonas aeruginosa 16 (38.10%), Staphylococcus aureus 12 (28.57%), Escherichia coli 9 (21.43%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae 5(11.90%). The molecular weight of their plasmids ranges between 20.884kbp and 187.50kbp. As indicated by the plasmid bands, some bacteria had similar molecular weight while others had no plasmid. The bacterial pattern of the post-curing sensitivity test showed that the bacteria with plasmid bands were cured as they became susceptible to the drugs they were previously resistant to, while the bacteria without plasmid bands remained resistant to the antibiotics. This implies that the latter’s multidrug resistance is non-plasmid mediated. Our analyses highlight the relationship between plasmids and multidrug resistance as well as the role of plasmids in the transmission of drug resistance across bacteria. Thus, in order to lessen the burden that multidrug-resistant bacteria cause and to improve bacterial infections treatments, there should be continued surveillance and periodic research on antibiotic resistance patterns of bacteria from various clinical settings.
COVID-19 Stock Market Experiences and Local Investors’ Investment Decisions in Lagos, Nigeria: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ekechukwu Iheanyi Valentine , Adejoh Ojima Samuel , Dinne Chinedu Ernest , Nwogu Joseph N
Published: October 2022

Economic activities were yet to pick up following the devastating effects of Covid-19 pandemic on stock market in Nigeria. Major cities were on complete lockdown for months leading to another phase of stock market crisis in 2021. This study explored Covid-19 stock market experiences and local investors’ investment decisions in Lagos, Nigeria. Organic theory of Emile Durkheim was adopted as framework, whereas exploratory design was employed. The study utilized purposive and snowballing sampling techniques, using purely qualitative research instruments with a sample of fifty-three (53) interviewees. Forty In-depth interviews (IDI), four Case Studies and nine Key informants (KII), three each were purposively selected from staff of Nigerian Exchange Ltd (NGX), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Stockbrokers in Lagos State based on their in-depth professional knowledge about stock market operations. The qualitative data were content analyzed. The result of the study showed that local investors’ Covid-19 stock market experiences have greatly affected their present investment decisions, hence local investors’ investment apathy currently affecting the Nigerian stock market. There is need for restoration of investors’ confidence in the Nigerian stock market.
Establishment of a human pluripotent stem cell-derived MKX-tdTomato reporter system
Authors: Fujisawa Yuki , Lu Ming , Yamada Daisuke , Takao Tomoka , Takarada Takeshi
Published: October 2022

Tendon regeneration is difficult because detailed knowledge about tendon progenitor cells (TPCs), which produce tenocytes to repair tendon tissue, has not been revealed. Mohawk homeobox (MKX) is a marker of TPCs or tenocytes, but a human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-based reporter system that visualizes MKX+ cells has not been developed. Here we established an hPSC-derived MKX-tdTomato reporter cell line and tested the induction ratio of MKX-tdTomato+ cells using our stepwise/xeno-free differentiation protocol. MKX-tdTomato + cells were generated with high efficiency and expressed tendon-specific markers, including MKX, SCX, TNMD, and COL1A1. Our MKX-tdTomato hPSC line would be a useful tool for studying the development or regeneration of tendon tissue.
Attack detection in IoT-Fog computing environment using hybrid optimization-based Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: N Pallavi K , V Ravi Kumar
Published: October 2022

Internet of Things (IoT) is considered the rapidly growing paradigm in the evolution of computing. A number of attack detection methods is introduced for detecting the attacks in IoT-Fog computing, but achieving significant result poses a complex task due to the requirements of the IoT devices, like distribution, low latency, limitation of resources, and scalability. Hence, an effective attack detection method is designed using the proposed Sail Fish Cat Spider-based Generative Adversarial Network for detecting the attacks in the IoT framework. The proposed SFCS is developed by the integration of Sail Fish Optimization (SFO) with Cat Swarm Optimization (CSO) and Spider Monkey Optimization (SMO), respectively. Here, the features are selected from the data using Minkowski distance, and the process of attack detection is accomplished using GAN. However, the deep learning classifier named GAN is trained using the proposed SFCS optimization algorithm. The deep learning classifier is more effective in detecting cyber-attacks in the IoT environment. However, the average values of the proposed SFCS-based GAN obtained by considering the metrics, recall, precision, and F-measure is specified with the values of 85.787%, 85.165%, and 85.247% for DoS attack, and recall, precision, and F-measure of 85.340%, 85.653%, and 85.243% for Fuzzers attack.
Learning Target Point Seeking Weights Spatial-Temporal Regularized Correlation Filters for Visual Tracking
Authors: JIANG Wen-Tao , WANG Zi-Min , ZHANG Sheng-Chong , ZHOU Zi-Qi
Published: October 2022

Spatial-temporal regularized correlation filtering (STRCF) is an effective tracking algorithm. Still, problems such as target occlusion, background clutter and out of view caused by target movement are inevitable in the running process. This paper proposes a Target Point Seeking Weights Spatial-Temporal Regularized Correlation Filters (TP-STRCF) to tackle target loss. The alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is used to simplify the spatial-temporal regularized term in the objective function, obtain the optimal solution of the filter and auxiliary factor, reduce the algorithm's complexity, and realize the adaptability of time and space. The target weight response model is obtained through the target point finding weight, the target motion information is extracted, the target motion state and motion trajectory are predicted, and the interference information such as the algorithm's ability to identify the target and the ability to distinguish the target is enhanced. With the help of the weighted least squares method, the maximum response value of the weight is obtained, and the target position is determined. Experiments show that, compared with other mainstream correlation filtering algorithms, the proposed algorithm has higher tracking accuracy and stronger robustness under complex conditions.
Urolithin A reduces amyloid-beta load and improves cognitive deficits uncorrelated with plaque burden in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Ballesteros-Alvarez Josue , Nguyen Wynnie , Sivapatham Renuka , Rane Anand , Andersen Julie K
Published: October 2022

In recent years, a burgeoning body of evidence has pointed to age-related dysfunction in neuronal autophagy as playing a prominent role in neuropathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the present study, we investigated the effects of urolithin A (UA), a metabolite generated from ellagic acid via its metabolism by gut bacteria, as an autophagy activator with potential neuroprotective activity. WT and 3xTg-AD mice were administered long-term intermittent dietary supplementation with UA. UA was found to prevent deficits in spatial memory, cued fear response and exploratory behavior in this model. It also decreased the Aβ plaque burden in areas of the hippocampus where these protein deposits are prominent in the model. Interestingly, correlation analyses demonstrate that Aβ plaque burden positively correlates with enhanced spatial memory in 3xTg mice on a control diet but not in those supplemented with UA. In contrast, Aβ42 abundance in cortical and hippocampal homogenates negatively correlate with spatial memory in UA-fed mice. Our data suggest that plaque formation may be a protective mechanism against neurodegeneration and cognitive decline and that targeting the generation of proteotoxic Aβ species might be a more successful approach in halting disease progression than targeting plaque formation. UA was also found to extend lifespan in normal aging mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that UA is able to induce autophagy and to increase Aβ clearance in neuronal cell lines. In summary, our studies reveal UA, likely via its actions as a autophagy inducer, is capable of removing Aβ from neurons and its dietary administration prevents the onset of cognitive deficits associated with pathological Aβ deposition the 3xTg AD mouse model as well as extending lifespan in normal aging mice.
Green Synthesis of recyclable reduced graphene oxide-gold nanocatalyst using Alstonia scholaris: Applications in waste water purification and microbial field
Authors: Das Piu , Bairy Bapan , Ghosh Sanjukta , Ghosh Raktim , Dam Somasri , (Sen) Moni Baskey
Published: October 2022

A novel green synthesis of reduced gold-graphene oxide (Au-RGO) nanocomposite was fabricated through simple heating method using Alstonia scholaris ( A .scholaris) bark extract. The synthesized nanocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and size distribution study have been investigated to find the dimension of the gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) grown on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) surface. Subsequently, both the catalytic and photocatalytic performances of this nanocomposite were evaluated by using different organic hazardous dyes and a tentative photocatalytic reaction mechanism was discussed depending on the energy band position. To find the effect on different bacterial strains, antibacterial and antiprotozoal studies have been carried out with this nanocomposite.
Identification and Sequence Analysis of B-hordein Genesfrom 18 Barley Cultivars and Those from the GenBank
Authors: Zhao Yongying , Zhao Xianlin , Xiang Zhiguo , Zhang Dan , Zhang Yuyang , Wang Meifang , Yang Hongshan
Published: October 2022

Background: Barley prolamin is a protein affecting end-use quality, malt production, and feeding value. Barley B-hordeins account for 70-80% of total prolamins and have significant effects on barley quality. It is of great importance to study genes encoding B-hordeins.
Methods: Eighteen different barley varieties were used to identify new B-hordein genes. Genomic DNA was extracted from barley seedlings using a modified CTAB procedure, and PCRs were performed to amplify B-hordein genes using newly designed primers based on the previously published B-hordein gene sequences (Accessions X03103 and X87232). The B-hordein genes registered in GenBank were also obtained from NCBI. Gene sequences were analyzed using the software DNAman. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted by the method of Maximum Likelihood.
Results: A total of 20 complete B-hordein gene sequences were obtained, including 14 putative active genes and 6 pseudogenes. Sequence variations were identified in all 20 genes compared with 72 B-hordein genes from GenBank (including 27 genes we previously identified). The deduced amino-acid sequences of 13 genes had a typical set of 8 conserved cysteine residues, and the other one had 7 cysteines and this gene may have positive effects on barley quality. Sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis indicated obvious differences between the three kinds of B-hordeins ended with an amino acid V, H or Y.
Conclusion: 20 new B-hordein gene sequences were identified, including one with 7 cysteine residues. 92 B-hordein genes were classified into three types (V-type, H-type and Y-type), of which the V-type should be the dominant, original B-hordein genes, while the H-type and the Y-type might be the variants of the V-type. The results provided a reference for further characterizing the B-hordein genes and for breeding quality barley varieties.
Study on biodegradation of polyethylene by microorganisms isolated from Zhanjiang Mangrove Reserve
Authors: Song Qing-Lang , Chen Meng-Meng , Nie Fang-Hong , Zhang Min , Hu Yao , Wei Yun-Li , Lv Guang-Zhou , Wei Wan , Kang Dan-Ju , Chen Zhi-Bao , Lin Hong-Ying , Chen Jin-Jun
Published: October 2022

Zhanjiang Gaoqiao Mangrove Reserve is one of the largest mangrove reserves in China, and its unique ecosystem makes the mangrove rich in microbial resources. In this study, the sediments from Zhanjiang Gaoqiao Mangrove was used as the samples, and polyethylene (PE) was used as the sole carbon source in the carbon-free medium. The microorganisms in the mangrove sediment were enriched, isolated, purified to obtain PE-degradable bacteria; The species of PE-degrading bacteria were determined by morphological analysis, biochemical identification and molecular identification; The degradation ability of the strain to PE was evaluated by weight loss rate and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The obtained results presented three strains of pseudo-degradable bacteria S1-1, S1-2 and S1-3, which belonged to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobucter venetianus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, respectively. Among them, S1-3 had the best degradation effect, and the weight loss rate reached 4.25% after 120 days. The weight loss rates of S1-1 and S1-2 were 3.81% and 3.88%, respectively. Under the observation of FTIR, it was found that all three strains could change the internal structure of PE. This study laid a foundation for the verification of PE degradation and provided a reference for the bioremediation of PE pollution in the environment.
ReaxFF molecular dynamic simulations on thermal decomposition of RDX based CMDB propellants
Authors: Wei Huanan , Li Tianpeng , Yao Kai , Xuan Zhaolong
Published: October 2022

ReaxFF molecular dynamics (ReaxFF MD) simulations were performed to study the thermal decomposition property of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) based composite modified double base (CMDB) propellants. The intermediate products and final products of the decomposition of RDX based CMDB propellants at 2000 K, 2500 K and 3000 K are obtained. The simulation results show that the decomposition of RDX and RDX/HTPB/Al are primary triggered by N-NO2 rupture, and then, the intermedia products undergo a series of complex interactions to form final products. The final products of RDX/HTPB/Al are H2 and N2, while the final products of pure RDX are H2, N2 and H2O. In addition, the abundance of the main intermediate products generated by RDX/HTPB/Al is lower than that of RDX, in that the reaction between intermediate products is more complex for RDX/HTPB/Al. Moreover, the decomposition rate of RDX/HTPB/Al increases with the increasing temperature.
Optimization of Multi Hop Data Aggregation in Medical Iot Using Trust Based Secure Routing
Authors: A Sunithanandhini , Natarajan Krishnaraj , J Ramprasath
Published: October 2022

The concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) consists of various sensing devices that have been subject to the threats that stem from an increased dependence on the technologies of communication. The IoT is the concept of healthcare is the main ingredient in the provision of medical facilities to patients and also facilitates both hospitals and doctors. The system proposed contained different medical devices like the sensors and the applications that are mobile-based or web-based. These communicate by means of the devices connected through the network that helps in monitoring and recording medical information and health data of the patients. The IoT was characterized by distributed topology and limited energy. For this scenario, there is a routing algorithm that is energy-saving and secure playing a major role to ensure IoT performance. The aggregation of security data has a crucial role in reducing the transmission of data and further in prolonging the lifetime of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). When there was a threat to node security, the nodes had generated different data errors resulting in trouble to the measures of security. Owing to the difference in standards and their communication stacks, the traditional mechanisms to security were dependent on the trust management for functioning. For the purpose of this work, there was a multi-hop routing model used in medical IoT that was proposed. For balancing of consumption of energy and trust, routing from the source to the destination has to be taken into consideration for the appraisal of trust as opposed to the destination peers. At the same time, the consumption of energy has to be one major criterion. There was an Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA) with Harmony Search (HS) that can balance the consumption of energy for the reduction of trust cost. This was based on a socio-politically inspired strategy of optimization. The HS was based on the process of improvisation of musicians. The results of the experiment proved this strategy was better in terms of performance than the other methods.
Myristoylated alanine rich C kinase substrate/Activated Cdc42-associated kinase 1 regulates cortactin to promote neutrophil elastase-induced mucin secretion in airway epithelial cells
Authors: Zhong Youqing , He Mingxin , Perelman Juliy M. , Kolosov Victor P. , Li Qi , Zhou Xiangdong
Published: October 2022

Purpose
Mucus secretion is excessively increased in airway epithelial cells in pathological states. This process is related to the cytoskeleton and the increase in exocytosis sites, but the movement of secreted molecules and how secretion increases remain unclear. In this study, we examined the potential role of myristoylated alanine rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) and the cortical actin-binding protein cortactin in airway mucin secretion. Also we investigated the effect of activated Cdc42-associated kinase 1 (ACK1) in this process.
Methods
Human airway epithelial cells were treated with neutrophil elastase (NE) after treatment with siRNA to specifically knock down MARCKS, ACK1 and cortactin expression. The expression and localization of cortactin and MARCKS were observed by western blotting and immunofluorescence, and the phosphorylated forms of MARCKS, cortactin and ACK1 were detected. The interaction of cortactin and ACK1 was analyzed by coimmunoprecipitation. MUC5AC protein expression was measured by ELISAs.
Results
Phosphorylated cortactin was highly expressed, mainly at the cell membrane, after NE stimulation, and phosphorylated MARCKS was mainly expressed in the cytoplasm. Coimmunoprecipitation revealed that ACK1 and cortactin interacted with each other. Knockdown of MARCKS suppressed phosphorylation of cortactin, while cortactin siRNA had no significant effect on MARCKS activation. Knockdown of MARCKS, cortactin and ACK1 by siRNA attenuated the phosphorylation of cortactin and reduced MUC5AC secretion.
Conclusion
These results suggest that both cortactin and MARCKS are involved in MUC5AC secretion by increasing F-actin polymerization and translocation and that MARCKs and ACK1 play an important role in the activation of cortactin.
Structure-Aromaticity-Spectroscopy Relationship in Conjugated Polymers
Authors: Karuppusamy Masiyappan , Panneer Shyam Vinod Kumar , G Abigail Jennifer , Varathan Elumalai , Kumar Ravva Mahesh , Subramanian Venkatesan
Published: October 2022

In this study, an effort has been made to analyze the aromaticity of oligomers of benzene and thiophene, with and without linkers using Nucleus-Independent Chemical Shift (NICS) as a descriptor, and their relation with HOMO-LUMO gap, reorganization energy and excitation energy. Thus, calculations have been performed to develop structure-aromaticity-spectroscopy relationship. Although the inter-relationship between geometry and aromaticity has been extensively discussed in the literature, the present study provides pointers about relationship between aromaticity, conjugation, and spectroscopic properties. Benzene and thiophene-based oligomers have been chosen for the study comprising of vinyl and ethynyl linkers along with the α-linked benzene and thiophene oligomers as model systems. The results show that both HOMO-LUMO gaps and excitation energies exhibit linear relationship with inverse of the NICS values, indicating the possible existence of the structure-aromaticity-π-conjugation-spectroscopy relationship.
The unique global solvability of a nonhomogeneous incompressible asymmetric fluids in two and three dimensions
Authors: Xu Fuyi , Zhang Mingxue , Qiao Liening
Published: October 2022

The present paper studies the nonhomogeneous incompressible asymmetric fluids in two and three dimensions. The main aim is to obtain the unique global solvability of the system with only bounded nonnegative initial density. More precisely, we construct the global existence of the solution with large data in 2-D and the existence of local in time solution for arbitrary large data and global in time for some smallness conditions in 3-D. In addition, the uniqueness of the solution is proved under quite soft assumptions about its regularity through a Lagrangian approach. These conclusions can be viewed as a generalization of the one established by [ P. Braz e Silva, F. Cruz, M. Loayza and M. Rojas-Medar, J. Differential Equations, 269 (2020), pp. 1319–1348], which does not allow the presence of initial vacuum.
Characterization of sea buckthorn polysaccharides and the analysis of its regulatory effect on the gut microbiota imbalance induced by cefixime
Authors: Xie Xinyao , Song Yongcheng , Bi Xiufang , Liu Xiaocui , Xing Yage , Che Zhenming
Published: October 2022

Sea buckthorn pomace is a by-product of sea buckthorn products that is not effectively utilized. This study obtained sea buckthorn polysaccharides (SPs) from the pomace via ultrasound extraction, analyzed its structure, and investigated its regulatory effect on the gut microbiota imbalance induced by cefixime. The results showed that SPs was acid polysaccharides with pyranose rings, composed mainly of galacturonic acid, galactose, and rhamnose. The SPs molecular weight (Mw) was 6.26 × 103 kDa, while further structural analysis revealed an irregular dendritic, fibrous surface morphology. Biochemical analysis showed that SPs increased the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut of mice treated with cefixime. Furthermore, SPs increased the abundance of Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and Akkermanis. Correlation analysis suggested that various microbiota had a significant (p < 0.05) relationship with SCFAs. Consequently, the underlying mechanism of SPs in restoring cefixime-induced gut microbiota disorder may be due to the promotion of SCFAs and SCFA-producing bacteria in the gut and gut microbiota regulation, benefiting gut health. This study is highly significant for developing and utilizing sea buckthorn pomace.
Establishment of metabolite prediction model for the risk of diabetic retinopathy in Chinese type 2 diabetic population
Authors: Su Jing-Yang , Chen Yong-Jie , Zhang Rui , Zhang Ji-Kun , Fang Zhong-Ze
Published: October 2022

Objective
The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between multiple plasma metabolites and the risk of diabetic retinopathy, and to develop a risk prediction model for diabetic retinopathy in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients.
Methods
This study conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study. According to medical records, 743 patients from tertiary hospital were retrieved, and were divided into diabetic retinopathy group (DR group) and non-diabetic retinopathy group (non-DR group). The levels of metabolites such as amino acids and acylcarnitine in plasma were measured by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). Partial least squares regression was used to rank the importance of these metabolites. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curves were made for the variables at the top of the importance list. Area under curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of the prediction model.
Results
We retrieved 743 hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes, 94 of which had diabetic retinopathy. Compared to non-DR group, there were more diabetic nephropathy patients (P = 0.019) and stroke patients (P < 0.001) in DR group. A DR risk prediction model consisting of histidine, citrulline, phenylalanine, methionine, tyrosine, C3, C24 was obtained with an AUC of 0.770(95%CI: 0.701–0.839).
Conclusions
A DR risk prediction model consisting of 7 plasma metabolites is a simple and effective tool to detect the risk of DR in Chinese diabetic patients.
Transcatheter arterial embolization of the common hepatic artery for pseudoaneurysm after a laparoscopic-assisted pancreaticoduodenectomy: A case report
Authors: Xu Lifeng , Yang Bo , Gu Guosheng , Li Yongxiang
Published: October 2022

Common hepatic artery (CHA) pseudoaneurysm is a rare and potentially life-threatening complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy, and the possible cause is unclear. We report a case of intraperitoneal hemorrhage after pancreaticoduodenectomy who was discharged after embolization under DSA. We consider that this complication may be related to iatrogenic injury.
Not all rectal cancer patients could benefit from the surgery on the primary site
Authors: Zhou Jin , Yu Wenqian , Xia Jing , Li Shiyi , Xie Linshen , Wang Xin
Published: October 2022

PurposePieces of evidence showed the surgery on the primary site could improve the prognosis of rectal cancer patients, but the results were inconsistent. The present study investigates whether all patients could benefit from the surgery.MethodsThe rectal cancer patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2019 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cohort were included. Multivariable Cox regression was utilized to investigate the effect of the primary site surgery on the prognosis in total patients and stratified by the age, M stage and the number of distant metastatic organs. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was also used to balance observed covariates and Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was used to exam the differences in the prognosis.ResultsA total of 76,941 rectal cancer patients were included and about 68.1% received surgery. The patients with surgery have a relatively lower proportion of advanced age, higher differentiated grade, T stage, N stage, M stage, and bone, brain, lung, and liver metastasis than patients without surgery. Multivariable Cox regression showed a protective effect of the surgery on the prognosis, even in patients with advanced age, distant metastasis, and multiple organ metastasis. However, no association was found in patients with four organ metastases. The PSM also confirmed the results mentioned above.ConclusionNot all rectal cancer patients could benefit from the surgery, especially the patients with four organ distant metastases. The results could help the clinicians to tailor targeted treatment regimens and provide a guideline for making surgical decisions.
Identification of a chromatin regulator signature in prognosis and immune infiltration in breast cancer
Authors: Zhang Weiran , Song Hongming , Xia Jing , Huan Yuqi , Wang Xiaowei , Kong Bin
Published: October 2022

Background: Chromatin regulators (CRs) are indispensable upstream regulatory factors of epigenetics and play an important role in cancer progression. Herein, we explored the relationship between CRs and breast cancer (BC) through bioinformatics to improve BC prognosis and treatment.
Methods: The RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) profiles and clinical data were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Univariate Cox regression analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to build a prognostic model. Patients were divided into high and low-risk groups according to the risk score. Then, a nomogram was constructed based on the selected clinical features and risk score. The differences in immune cell infiltration and checkpoints were estimated for the high and low-risk groups.
Results: We established and validated a prognostic model of BC patients based on 4 CRs-related genes (MORF4L1, NCOA4, TTK and JMJD4). The high-risk group presented poor prognosis. The immune-correlation analysis also showed that the high-risk group might response to immunotherapy.
Conclusion: We successfully established a reliable 4 CRs-related prognostic model and provided novel insights for evaluating immune infiltration and guiding the treatment of BC patients.
Agricultural Technical Efficiency of Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania: A Stochastic Frontier Approach
Authors: Lutonja Emilian Joseph
Published: October 2022

Production efficiency across sectors of the economy is now a main point of discussion due to the growing threat of food insecurity soon. This study focused on determining the level of technical efficiency (TE) and its corresponding common factors across all crops grown by Tanzanian smallholder farmers by employing a single-step stochastic frontier model with an assumption of a Cobb-Douglas production function. The motive of this study comes from production theory and production efficiency. The study employed the cross-sectional National Sample Census of Agriculture 2019/2020 dataset while focusing on smallholder farmers operating in the long-rainy season. The results of production on frontier show that land size (Ha), seeds (Kg), and fertilizers (Kg) are the main requirement for smallholder farmers to produce their maximum output. Based on the efficiency equation, improved seeds, inorganic fertilizers, and access to extension services decrease farmers' technical inefficiency while household age and membership in a cooperative organization increase farmers' technical inefficiency. Further, the average level of technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in Tanzania is 56.7% which allows farmers to increase their output level up to 43.2% with the same level of inputs.

JEL Classification: C2, C21, Q12, Q13