bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Byzantine Roof Tiles from Chersonesos (Crimea, Ukraine): A techno-morphological approach
Authors: Moisieiev Dmitriy , Klenina Elena 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
The present paper provides an overview of the building ceramic material used during the functioning of a Byzantine Christian complex with a five-apse church and of a dwelling housein Chersonesos. The aim of this work is to broaden our knowledge of Byzantine ceramic construction material based on an in-depth analysis of items discovered during the excavation of block LV in the western part of Chersonesos using the techno-morphological method. Our investigation was carried out to clarify the origin and dating of some subgroups and variants of flanged tiles. This work makes a significant contribution to the study of Byzantine building ceramics, constituting the first attempt to construct a relative chronology of building periods in the history of the important Byzantine provincial town of Chersonesos in Crimea. It is based on a comprehensive and comparative analysis of building ceramics found during the excavation of blocks XLV and LV. Earlier similar analyses of roof tiles did not yield significant results due to the inaccurate dating of the material. The present study is expected to contribute to our understanding of the technological specifics of tile production in the Byzantine provinces and its chronology. The research provides a relevant insight into the specific shapes, context distribution and the associated chronology of Byzantine tiles.
Exploring the potential of Bacillus subtilis as cell factory for food ingredients and special chemicals
Authors: Chen Taichi , BRUL STANLEY , Hugenholtz Jeroen 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background Bacillus subtilis has been established as model microorganism for fundamental research in the laboratory on protein production/secretion and sporulation and as model bacterium for controlling spoilage in the food industry. It has also been used for production of (commercial) enzymes and several secondary metabolites such as vitamins. However, this doesn’t fully reflect the potential of B. subtilis as a cell-factory. Here, various strains of B. subtilis, including food-grade, spore-deficient strains and industrially-used strains, were compared for their growth and metabolic potential. Industry-relevant parameters were analyzed for all strains under various aeration regimes, under anaerobic conditions, in various nutritious and nutrient-limited cultivation media, with and without organic nitrogen sources, and with and without sugar.Results Practical experiments were conducted to compare industrial relevant properties like growth rates, intracellular components and extracellular metabolite profile of different B. subtilis strains. Based on growth flexibility in different media, we found that some unconventional strains like NCIB3610 and DSM1092 are adapted to inorganic or organic nitrogen source utilization, which is highly relevant when considering a biorefinery approach using various cheap and abundant waste/sidestreams. Secondly, spore-deficient strains such as 3NA, 168S and PY79S, showed advantages in microbial protein and acetolactate pathway expression, which is associated with applications in food industry for protein supplement and diacetyl production. Lastly, WB800 and PY79S exhibited potential for fermentative production of Dipicolinic acid, 2,3-Butanediol and Lactic acid that could serve as precursors for biopolymers.Conclusion This study demonstrates the broad potential for more extensive industrial use of Bacillus subtilis in the (biobased) chemical industry for use of sidestreams, in the personal care industry, in the food industry for food additive production, and in the bio-sustainable industry for biofuel and bio-degradable plastic precursors production. In addition, selecting different B. subtilis strains for specific purposes makes full use of the diversity of this species and increases the potential of B. subtilis in its contribution to the bio-based economy.
Multi-armed Bandit Algorithms for Cournot Games
Authors: Taywade Kshitija , Goldsmith Judy , Harrison Brent , Bagh Adib 
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We investigate using a multi-armed bandit (MAB) setting for modeling repeated Cournot oligopoly games. Agents interact with separate bandit problems. An agent can choose from a set of arms/actions representing discrete production quantities; here, the action space is ordered. Agents are independent and autonomous and cannot observe anything from the environment; they can only see their own rewards after taking action and only work towards maximizing these rewards. We first study Cournot models with stationary market demand where random entry or exit from the market is not allowed. We propose two novel approaches that take advantage of the fact that the action space is ordered: ϵ-greedy+HL and ϵ-greedy+EL. These are based on the ϵ-greedy approach as an underlying mechanism because the ϵ-greedy method does not require any knowledge of even the priors of the reward distributions, unlike other popular methods like UCB or Thompson sampling. Our proposed approaches help firms focus on more profitable actions by eliminating less profitable choices and are designed to optimize the exploration. However, in real-world scenarios, market demands evolve over a product’s lifetime for a myriad of reasons. Therefore, we also investigate repeated Cournot games with non-stationary demand such that firms/agents face independent instances of the non-stationary multi-armed bandit problem. We propose a novel algorithm Adaptive with Weighted Exploration (AWE) ϵ-greedy that is loosely based on the ϵ-greedy approach. We use computer simulations to study the emergence of various equilibria in the outcomes and empirically analyze joint cumulative regrets. Using our proposed method, agents are able to swiftly change their course of action according to the changes in demand. In most of the simulations, firms overall produce collusive outcomes, i.e., outcomes better than the Nash equilibrium.
WITHDRAWN: Diversity and abundance of Butterflies in protected and unprotected habitation in Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Kehinde Kemabonta , Oluwatobi Omoloye , Femi Adesina , Emmanuel Ugbodaga , Ojonugwa Ekpah , Joseph Anikwe , Azeezat Alafia 
Published: May 2023

Abstract

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abstract
Background: The current study amid to investigate the relationship between school culture and academic well-being (AWB) through the mediating role of the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs (SBPN) in students.
Methods: It was a correlational study, of structural equations modeling type. The statistical population of the study included all high school students in Kermanshah, Iran in the academic year 2020-2021, among whom 522 students were selected using cluster sampling to be a research sample. The research measures included Tominin-Sweeney et al.’ s AWB, Alessandro and Sade’s school culture, and Guardia et al.’s basic psychological needs questionnaires. The structural equations modeling was used in LISREL 8.8 software to analyze the data.
Results: The results of data analysis confirmed the appropriate fit of the overall model in sample of the study. There was a significant relationship between students’ relations and their AWB through SBPN, and also between educational opportunities and AWB through SBPN.
Conclusions: According to the results, it is worthwhile for teachers to pay more attention to promoting school culture to satisfy the basic psychological needs of students, one of the consequences of which will be the improvement of AWB.