Intramuscular fat content (IFC) and meat color are vital indicators affecting pork quality. A significant positive correlation between IFC and redness meat color (a* value) indicates that these two traits are likely to be regulated by shared molecular pathways. To identify candidate genes, hub genes, and signaling pathways that regulate these two traits, we measured the IFC and a* value in 147 hybrid pigs and selected individuls with extreme phenotypes for transcriptome analysis. The results revealed 485 and 394 overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using DESeq2, limma, and edgeR packages affecting IFC and a* value, respectively. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified four modules significantly correlated with IFC and a* value. Moreover, we integrated functional enrichment analysis results based on DEGs, GSEA, and WGCNA conditions to identify candidate genes, and identified 47 and 53 candidate genes affecting IFC and a* value, respectively. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of candidate genes showed that 6 and 14 hub genes affecting IFC and a* value, respectively. These genes mainly participated in various pathways related to lipid metabolism and redox reactions. Notably, four crucial hub genes (MYC, SOX9, CEBPB, and PPAGRC1A) were shared for these two traits. After functional annotation of these four hub genes, we hypothesized that the SOX9/CEBPB/PPARGC1A axis could co-regulate lipid metabolism and myoglobin redox response. Further research on these hub genes, especially the SOX9/CEBPB/PPARGC1A axis, will help to understand the molecular mechanism of the co-regulation of IFC and a* value, which will provide the theoretical basis for improving pork quality.

Drought is one of the most serious abiotic stressors in the environment, restricting agricultural production by reducing plant growth, development, and productivity. To investigate such a complex and multifaceted stressor and its effects on the plants, a systems biology-based approach is necessitated, entailing the generation of co-expression networks, identification of highly-priority transcription factors (TFs) dynamic mathematical modeling, and computational simulations. Here, we studied a high-resolution drought transcriptome of Arabidopsis. We revealed distinct temporal transcriptional signatures and demonstrated the involvement of specific biological pathways. Generation of a large-scale co-expression network followed by network centrality analyses identified 117 TFs that possess critical properties of hubs, bottlenecks, and high clustering coefficients nodes. Dynamic transcriptional regulatory modeling on integrated TF-target and transcriptome datasets uncovered major transcriptional events during the course of drought stress. Mathematical transcriptional simulations allowed us to ascertain the activation status of major TFs as well as the transcriptional intensity and amplitude of their target genes. Finally, we validated our predictions by providing experimental evidence of gene expression under drought stress for a set of four TFs and their major target genes using qRT-PCR. Taken together, we provided a systems-level perspective on the dynamic transcriptional regulation during drought stress in Arabidopsis and uncovered numerous novel TFs that can potentially be used in future genetic crop engineering programs.

(1) Background: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown interesting preliminary ef-fects over self-regulation processes in early adolescence. However, interventions usually integrate various types of practices with no clarity about the specific effect of each of them over attentional, emotional, and behavioral regulation. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of two MBIs, one focused on classic attentional practices and another one focused on the recognition and expression of emotions, over attentional, emotional, and behavioral self-regulation in early adolescents. (2) Method: An experimental method was carried out. A sample of 70 children be-tween 8 and 12 years old were randomized and assigned to three experimental conditions: 1) MBI with a focus on attentional practices, 2) MBI with a focus on recognition and expression of emotions, 3) control group, waiting list. The programs lasted 8 weeks, with a weekly 1-hour online synchronic session, plus home practices. Children were evaluated before starting the in-tervention and at the end of the 8-week program. The assessed variables were: 1) Mindfulness; 2) Emotional Regulation; 3) Attentional Regulation and 4) Behavioral regulation. (3) Results: Chil-dren that participated in both programs, increased their mindfulness and emotional and be-havioral regulation scores. Only children who participated in the program with a focus on at-tention showed significant changes in their ability to self-regulate attention. (4) Conclusions: online MBIs, with attention to external and internal stimuli practices, can be a good strategy to strengthen self-regulation skills of attention, emotions, and behavior in early adolescence.

The framework proposed by Alison Druin about 20 years ago, which defined the roles children play in technology design, has been widely adopted by the Child-Computer Interaction (CCI) community. While some studies have adopted relevant roles as presented in the framework, others have argued for extending the framework to include newly identified roles. Still, other studies argue that Druin's framework failed to account for roles children may take up as they interact with peers or with tools. Consequently, this systematic literature review examines children’s emerging and changing roles in the codesign of new technologies. Specifically, we answered the research question: What new roles emerge in research as children co-design new technologies? Our effort aims at providing evidence of new roles children have adopted in literature, which may help researchers in the CCI community make more informed decisions about participatory design approaches with children.

Ocean big data is the scientific practice of using big data technology in the marine field. Data from satellites, manned spacecraft, space stations, airship, unmanned aerial vehicles, shore-based radar and observation stations, exploration platforms, buoys, underwater gliders, submersibles, and submarine observation networks are seamlessly combined into the ocean’s big data. Increasing numbers of scholars have tried to fully analyze the ocean’s big data. To explore the key research technology knowledge graphs related to ocean big data, articles between 1990 and 2020 were collected from the “Web of Science”. By comparing bibliometric software and using the visualization software Cite-Space, the pivotal literature related to ocean big data, as well as countries, institutions, categories, and keywords, were visualized and recognized. Journal co-citation analysis networks can help determine the national distribution of core journals. Co-citation analysis networks for documents show authors who are influential at key technical levels. Key co-occurrence analysis network keywords can determine research hot spots and research frontiers. The three supporting elements of marine big data research are shown in the co-citation network. These elements are author, institution, and country. By examining the co-occurrence of keywords, the key technology research directions for future marine big data were determined.

Integrating sustainable processes and innovative waste utilization not only addresses environ-mental challenges but also aligns with evaluating energy sustainability and creating the circular waste management. This study presents a comparative analysis of liquid fuel production from waste tires and water hyacinth using two thermochemical methods: co-pyrolysis (direct method) and co-gasification integrated with the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process (indirect method). The As-pen Plus simulation software version 9 is employed to develop models, determining optimal operating conditions for maximum liquid fuel, and assessing economic viability. Co-pyrolysis simulations reveal an increase in oil products and a decrease in gas products with higher blending weight ratios of waste tires/water hyacinth (W/B) and lower pyrolyser temperatures. Operating at 400°C with a blending weight ratio of 75:25 provided the maximum liquid fuel rate of 6649.22 gal/day. For co-gasification, optimal conditions (W/B = 50:50, T = 800°C, steam to feed ratio (S/F) = 1) result in the highest syngas yield of 115.92 kmol/h. Fischer-Tropsch simulations demonstrate an increase in gasoline and a decrease in diesel with rising reactor temperatures. At 230°C, the maximum liquid fuel rate reaches 8817.15 gal/day. The economic and production yield analysis indicates that the indirect method better than the direct method, providing higher liquid fuel yields and investment worthiness.

The severe respiratory distress syndrome (SRDS) has been a significant clinical issue in modern respiratory medicine. Its role in COVID-19 pandemic is not well defined. Outside-the-hospital SRDS is usually community-acquired septic pneumonia; however, in-hospitals incidences are complicated by co-infections. While SRDS is genetically selected in European and African origins, these are not clear in Middle East, particularly in COVID-19 backgrounds. There is a severe paucity in high quality data on correlations between COVID-19, ARDS, co-infectome, and patient demographics. We have conducted a comprehensive investigation on 298 patients for associations of SRDS, coinfections, and patient demographics on COVID-19 patients’ outcomes. Of these, 9.4% (n=28) had SRDS, and the rest (90.6%) had not. 54% of those with SRDS died while 84% survived; SRDS fatality was highly significant (Chi-square test P-value = 0.00000246). Irrespective of gender, the age of patients was significantly associated with SRDS (72.9 +/-8.9) compared to those without it (56.2 +/-15.1). However, there was no significant difference neither in the age of admitted patients before COVID-19 (58.5 +/-15.3) and during COVID-19 (57.2 +/-15.5) nor in the gender and COVID-19 fatality (Fisher Exact test 2-sided 1.000, 1-sided .546) ruling out that SRDS age-specificity were selected by virus susceptibility. A 100% of SRDS patients without bacterial co-infections survived while only 25% of those with co- infectome did not; this association was highly significant (P value= 0.00041). Co-infections alone without underlying SRDS was also associated with high fatality among patients (P value= 0.00000000076). Almost all COVID-19 patients without co-infectome (99.2%) survived while 28% of those with bacterial co-infection died. The major bacterial pathogens that potentially predisposed to SRDS, were Acinetobacter baumannii, and Escherichia coli either alone or in a mixed infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae were predominant species identified during SRDS attack. Thus, Gram-negative co-infectome potentially induced fatal SRDS aggravating COVID-19 outcome. These findings have significant clinical implications in specific differential diagnosis of SRDS syndromes for subsequent empiric therapy and patient management strategies. Future vertical investigation for similar mechanisms of cytokine-induced SRDS by Gram negative pathogens is imperative since hypervirulent strains are rapidly circulating in the region. The study is limited by a single center study confined to Ha’il hospitals; large scale investigation in major national hospitals would gain more insights.

Leishmania parasites present astonishing adaptative abilities that represent a matter of life or death within disparate environments during the heteroxenous parasite life cycle. From an evolutionary perspective, organisms develop methods of overcoming such challenges. Strategies that extend beyond the genetic diversity have been discussed and include variability between parasite cells during the infections of their hosts. The occurrence of Leishmania subpopulation fluctuations with variable structural genomic contents demonstrates that a single strain might shelter the variability required to overcome inconsistent environments. Such intrastrain variability provides parasites with an extraordinary ability to adapt and thus survive and propagate. However, different perspectives on this evolution have been proposed. Strains or species living in the same environment can cooperate but also compete. These interactions might increase the replication rate of some parasites but cause the loss of more aggressive competitors for others. Adaptive responses to intra- and interspecific competition can evolve as a fixed strategy (replication is adapted to the average genetic complexity of infections) or an optional strategy (replication varies according to the genetic complexity of the current infection). This review highlights the complexity of interspecies and intrastrain interactions among Leishmania parasites as well as the different factors that influence this interplay.

In the present paper some questions related with energy global governance are dis-cussed. These questions are viewed as a part of the broader problematics of globalization. Due to the very complex nature of this problematics the role of philosophy – in particular analytical and science-based philosophy – is emphasized. We underscore the importance of philosophy for the developing global consciousness and – indirectly – for the development of global society.

In this article we shed light on the position of Finland in conversations on the movement of unprovenanced cultural objects, within the national, the Nordic and the global contexts. Finland’s geopolitical position, as a ‘hard border’ of the European Union neighbouring the Russian Federation, and its current legislative provisions which do not include import regulation, mean that nonetheless has the potential to be significant in understanding the movement of cultural property at transnational levels. In particular, we outline a recent initiative started at the University of Helsinki to kick-start a national debate on ethical working with cultural object and manuscripts. We analyse exploratory research on current awareness and opinion within Finland, and summarize our current work to produce robust research ethics to guide scholars working in Finland. Although Finland has a small population and is usually absent from international discussions on the illicit movement of cultural property (save a few exceptions), we argue that it is still possible — and important — to affect policy and attitudes concerning art crime, provenance, and the role of stakeholders such as decision-makers, traders and the academy.

This study presents the interaction with human host metabolism of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7b protein (43 aa), using a Protein-Protein-Interaction Networks analysis. After pruning, we selected from BioGRID the 51 most significant proteins among 2,753 proven interactions and 1,708 interactors, specific to ORF7b. We used these proteins as functional seeds and we got a significant network of 551 nodes via STRING. We performed topological analysis and calculated topological distributions by Cytoscape. Seven high ranked proteins as hub and seven as bottleneck following a hub-and-spoke network-architectural-model were found. Through this interaction model, we identified significant GO-processes (5,057 terms in 15 categories) induced in human metabolism by ORF7b. High statistical significance processes of dysregulated molecular cell mechanisms by the action of ORF7b were discovered. We detected disease-related human proteins and their involvement in metabolic roles, how they relate in a distorted way to signaling and/or functional systems, in particular intra- and inter-cellular signaling systems and the molecular mechanisms that supervise to programmed cell death, with mechanisms similar to that of cancer metastasis diffusion. A cluster analysis showed 10 compact and significant functional clusters, where two of them overlap in a Giant-Connected-Components core of 206 total nodes. These two clusters contain most of the high-rank nodes. ORF7b mainly acts through these two clusters, inducing most of the metabolic dysregulation. We conducted a co-regulation, transcriptional analysis by hub and bottleneck proteins. This analysis allowed us to define the transcription factors and miRNAs that control the high-ranking proteins and the dysregulated processes, within the limits of the poor knowledge that these sectors still impose.

New setting is introduced to study types of coloring numbers, degree of vertices, degree of hyperedges, co-degree of vertices, co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic degree of vertices, neutrosophic degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic co-degree of vertices, neutrosophic co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic number of vertices, neutrosophic number of hyperedges in neutrosophic hypergraphs. Different types of procedures including neutrosophic (r, n)−regular hypergraphs and neutrosophic complete r−partite hypergraphs are proposed in this way, some results are obtained. General classes of neutrosophic hypergraphs are used to obtain chromatic number, the representatives of the colors, degree of vertices, degree of hyperedges, co-degree of vertices, co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic degree of vertices, neutrosophic degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic co-degree of vertices, neutrosophic co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic number of vertices, neutrosophic number of hyperedges in neutrosophic hypergraphs. Using colors to assign to the vertices of neutrosophic hypergraphs and characterizing representatives of the colors are applied in neutrosophic (r, n)−regular hypergraphs and neutrosophic complete r−partite hypergraphs. Some questions and problems are posed concerning ways to do further studies on this topic. Using different ways of study on neutrosophic hypergraphs to get new results about number, degree and co-degree in the way that some number, degree and co-degree get understandable perspective. Neutrosophic (r, n)−regular hypergraphs and neutrosophic complete r−partite hypergraphs are studied to investigate about the notions, coloring, the representatives of the colors, degree of vertices, degree of hyperedges, co-degree of vertices, co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic degree of vertices, neutrosophic degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic co-degree of vertices, neutrosophic co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic number of vertices, neutrosophic number of hyperedges in neutrosophic (r, n)−regular hypergraphs and neutrosophic complete r−partite hypergraphs. In this way, sets of representatives of colors, degree of vertices, degree of hyperedges, co-degree of vertices, co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic degree of vertices, neutrosophic degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic co-degree of vertices, neutrosophic co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic number of vertices, neutrosophic number of hyperedges have key points to get new results but in some cases, there are usages of sets and numbers instead of optimal ones. Simultaneously, notions chromatic number, the representatives of the colors, degree of vertices, degree of hyperedges, co-degree of vertices, co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic degree of vertices, neutrosophic degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic co-degree of vertices, neutrosophic co-degree of hyperedges, neutrosophic number of vertices, neutrosophic number of hyperedges are applied into neutrosophic hypergraphs, especially, neutrosophic (r, n)−regular hypergraphs and neutrosophic complete r−partite hypergraphs to get sensible results about their structures. Basic familiarities with neutrosophic hypergraphs theory and hypergraph theory are proposed for this article.

At Mae-Moh power plant, Thailand, superheater tubes, which are exposed in fly ash environ-ment, often degrade due to solid particle erosion. To extend the service lifetime of the superheater tubes, the high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray technique is used to deposit a protective coating on the material, SA213-T22 steel. In this work, the solid particle erosion of the Co-28Cr and WC-12Co coatings was investigated using erodent particle impingement at the angles of 30o and 90o with an average particle size of 60 μm. The erosion behavior of SA213-T22 with and without Co-28Cr and WC-12Co coatings was explained using ductile and brittle erosion modes. The erosion test resulted in the brittle mode for both Co-28Cr and WC-12Co coatings, while SA213-T22 without coating indicated the ductile mode. On the investigation of surface morphology, the Co-28Cr coating showed mostly microcracks in contrast with the WC-12Co coating, fracture, de-bonding and deep cavities were also observed. Erosion resistance of the Co-28Cr coating was significantly higher than the WC-12Co coating, due to high hardness, low porosity and high density of the coating.

The main objective of this paper is to identify the major research areas of ChatGPT through term and keyword co-occurrence network mapping techniques. For conducting the present study, total of 577 publications were retrieved from the Lens database for the network visualization. The findings of the study showed that “chatgpt” occurrence in maximum number of times followed by its related terms such as artificial intelligence, large language model, gpt, study etc. This study will be helpful to library and information science as well as computer or information technology professionals.

The new regulation was introduced to the franchise market of South Korea in that an applicant who wants to be a franchiser must set up direct retail stores and run them for at least one year before recruiting franchisees. Considering the purpose of the regulation, it is inferred that once franchisers run their own stores, their franchisees would be better off than otherwise. This paper addresses one reason that the Korea Fair Trade Commission has no choice but to introduce the regulation. Along the line, this paper investigates whether franchisees would have the more likelihood to make profit in the case of that franchisers operate their own stores. The result demonstrates that this case could be true since the operation of franchiser owned stores could be helpful in reducing cost of franchisees.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common lung cancers, which accounts for about 35%-40% of all lung cancer patients. Despite therapeutic advancements in recent years, the overall survival time of the LUAD patients still remain poor, especially KRAS mutant LUAD. Therefore, it is necessary to further explore novel targets and drugs to improve the prognosis of LUAD. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent regulated cell death (RCD）caused by lipid peroxidation, has attracted much attention recently as an alternative target for apoptosis in LUAD therapy. Ferroptosis has been found closely related with LUAD, at its every stage, including initiation, proliferation and progression. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive overview on ferroptosis mechanisms, it’s regulation in LUAD, and application of targeting ferroptosis for LUAD therapy.

Microalgae biomass is considered a promising alternative feedstock for biodiesel production due to its high productivity of neutral lipids, specially under abiotic stress conditions. Among the unicellular microalgae that show this characteristic, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii appears as one of the most important model species that have increased lipids production under abiotic stress conditions. In this study, we show that cells cultivated under mixotrophic condition supplemented with 0.1 M of NaCl rapidly raises their amount of neutral lipids in C. reinhardtii without reduction of their cellular growth rate, being therefore a promising condition for biomass towards bioenergy production. The nuclear proteome of these cells was investigated where we identified 323 proteins with an enrichment of almost 60% of nuclear proteins in the total dataset. We found 61 proteins differentially regulated upon salt treatment, including proteins annotated in functional categories related to translation and nucleosome assembly functions, among others. Additionally, we identified Transcription factor proteins (TFs) and analyzed their likely Transcription factors-binding regulatory elements identifying target genes related to lipids metabolism and kinase functions, indicating possible regulatory pathways of lipids biosynthesis. Together these data can help understand regulatory nuclear mechanisms leading to an increase of lipids in the first 24h of salt stress 0.1M NaCl.

The filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 expresses during the differentiation of heterocysts a short peptide PatS and a protein HetN, both containing an RGSGR pentapeptide essential for activity. Both act on the master regulator HetR to guide heterocyst pattern formation by controlling the binding of HetR to DNA and its turnover. A third small protein, PatX, with an RG(S/T)GR motif is present in all HetR-containing cyanobacteria. In nitrogen-depleted medium, inactivation of patX does not produce a discernible change in phenotype, but its overexpression blocks heterocyst formation. Mutational analysis revealed that PatX is not required for normal intercellular signaling, but it nonetheless is required when PatS is absent to prevent rapid ectopic differentiation. Deprivation of all three negative regulators – PatS, PatX, and HetN – resulted in synchronous differentiation. However, in nitrogen-containing medium, such deprivation leads to extensive fragmentation, cell lysis, and aberrant differentiation, while either PatX or PatS as the sole HetR regulator can establish and maintain a semiregular heterocyst pattern. These results suggest that tight control over HetR by PatS and PatX is needed to sustain vegetative growth and regulated development. The mutational analysis has been interpreted in light of the opposing roles of negative regulators of HetR and the positive regulator HetL. Keywords: cyanobacteria; heterocyst, regulation of differentiation

Following an event damaging the DNA, p53 levels increases inducing cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. JMY protein is a transcription co-factor involved in p53 regulation. After a DNA damage, also JMY levels increase and, as this protein accumulates in the nucleus, it forms a complex with P300 and Strap1 which increases the ability of p53 to induce transcription of proteins triggering apoptosis but not cell cycle. Therefore, Increase levels of JMY “direct” p53 activity toward triggering apoptosis. JMY expression is also linked to increased motility as it downregulates the expression of adhesion molecules of the Cadherin family and induces actin nucleation, making the cell less adhesive and more mobile. According to the scenario this gene can therefore have both a suppressive or a tumour promoting activity.

Voltage Stability & Control, is very crucial compared to other Power System (PS) Quality and Stability issues. Long-Vertical-Power-Flows in Conventional Grids, causes voltage drops which in turn causes huge power losses, especially in the Medium Voltage (MV) and Low Voltage (LV) Distribution Networks. Such technical losses in abysmally-planned weak distribution networks, lead to substantial loss of revenues to the utility grid. Apart from classic Voltage Regulation (VR) techniques, with the rise of Distributed Generation (DG) based on Renewable Energy Sources (RES), Horizontal-Power-Flows can be introduced in the network, through various Smart Grid techniques. Coupling such sources, near load centers shall mitigate long flows from expensive conventional sources at times of huge demands, improving feeders’ Voltage Profile. This Ancillary Service of Voltage Support from DG RESs shall thereby alleviate revenue losses caused by long-power-flows in weak distribution grids. For a developing country like Pakistan, loss of revenue from an already expensive utility gives huge blow to the economy. So, a similar technique for voltage support is proposed for an 11-kV feeder, which faces similar problem, and the results are remarkable. The technique is implemented using OpenDSS Tool by modelling 3MWp PV Penetration along with some future storage.

Frailty, an age-related decline in homeostatic reserves, markedly proceeded during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. To continuously assess frailty status, a remote system is urgently required. We aimed to co-design/co-develop an online frailty check (FC) application alongside FC supporters who were facilitators in a pre-existing onsite FC program. The online FC included a screening measurement for sarcopenia and an 11-item questionnaire covering dietary, physical, and social behaviors. Using prototype applications, 55 opinions obtained from 32 FC supporters (median 74.0 years) were categorized and reflected refinement. Regarding the self-efficacy of FC supporters, a significant increase in social positioning was seen after the mock test (P=.031). For FC supporters and participants, the average system usability scale (SUS) score was 70.2±10.3 points, which was “marginally high” for acceptability and “good” for the adjective range. Multiple regression analysis showed that the SUS score was significantly correlated with online-onsite reliability but not online communication, even after adjusting by age, sex, education level, and ICT proficiency (b=0.400, 95% CI: 0.243-1.951, P=.013). Additionally, a significant association between onsite and online FC scores was observed (R=0.670, P=.001). Our online FC application was evaluated to be a valuable tool to practically assess frailty status remotely.

The additional sex combs-like (ASXL) family, a mammalian homolog of the additional sex combs (Asx) of Drosophila, has been implicated in transcriptional regulation via chromatin modifications. Abnormal expression of ASXL family genes leads to myelodysplastic syndromes and various types of leukemia. De novo mutation of these genes also causes developmental disorders. Genes in this family and neighbor genes are evolutionary conserved in humans and mice. This review provides a comprehensive summary of epigenetic regulations associated with ASXL family genes. Their expression is commonly regulated by DNA methylation at CpG islands preceding transcription starting sites. Their proteins primarily engage in histone tail modifications through interactions with chromatin regulators (PRC2, trithorax complex, PR-DUB, SRC1, HP1α, and BET proteins), and with transcription factors, including nuclear hormone receptors (RAR, PPAR, ER, and LXR). Recently, non-coding RNAs have been identified following mutations in the ASXL1 or ASXL3 gene, along with circular ASXLs and microRNAs that regulate ASXL1 expression. The diverse epigenetic regulations linked to ASXL family genes collectively contribute to tumor suppression and developmental processes. Our understanding of ASXL-regulated epigenetics may provide insights into the development of therapeutic epigenetic drugs.

mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) medicinal products can be considered a platform technology because the development process is similar for different diseases and conditions, with similar noncoding mRNA sequences and lipid nanoparticles and essentially unchanged manufacturing and analytical methods utilised often for different products. It is critical not to lose the momentum built using the platform approach during the development, regulatory approval and rollout of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. This Review proposes a set of modifications to existing regulatory requirements for mRNA products, based on a platform perspective for quality, manufacturing, preclinical and clinical data. For the first time, we address development and potential regulatory requirements when the mRNA sequences and LNP composition vary in different products as well. In addition, we propose considerations for self-amplifying mRNA, individualised oncology mRNA products and mRNA therapeutics. Providing a predictable development pathway for academic and commercial groups, so they can know in detail what product characterisation and data are required to develop a dossier for regulatory submission, has many potential benefits. These include reduced development and regulatory costs; faster consumer/patient access and more agile development of products in the face of pandemics; and for rare diseases where alternatives may not exist or to increase survival and the quality of life in cancer patients. Therefore, achieving consensus around platform approaches is both urgent and important. This approach with mRNA can be a template for similar platform frameworks for other therapeutics and vaccines to enable more efficient development and regulatory review.

Controlling the collective behavior of micro/nanomotors with ultrasound may enable new functionality in robotic, medicine and other engineering disciplines. Currently, various collective behaviors of nanomotors, such as assembly, reconfiguration and disassembly, have been explored by using acoustic fields with a fixed frequency, while regulating their collective behaviors by varying the ultrasound frequency still remains challenging. In this work, we design an ultrasound manipulation methodology allowing nanomotors to exhibit different collective behaviors by regulating the applied ultrasound frequency. This work has important implications for design of artificial actuated nanomotors and optimize their performances.

Aberrant expression of the tight junction protein claudin 6 (CLDN6) is a hallmark of gastric can-cer progression. Its expression is regulated by the transcription factor CREB. But in H. pylo-ri-induced gastric cancer there is no information regarding what transcription factors in-duce/upregulate the expression of CLDN6. We aimed to identify if CREB and YY1 regulate the expression of CLDN6 and the site where they bind to the promoter sequence. Bioinformatics analysis, H. pylori LPS, YY1 and CREB silencing, western blot, luciferase assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments were performed using the gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS. A gen reporter assay suggested that the initial 2000 bp contains the regulatory sequence as-sociated with CLDN6 transcription; the luciferase assay demonstrated three different regions with transcriptional activity, but the -901 to -1421 bp region displayed the maximal transcrip-tional activity in response to LPS. Fragment 1279-1421 showed CREB and surprisingly YY1 oc-cupancy. Sequential ChIP experiments confirmed that YY1 and CREB interact in the 1279-1421 region. Our results suggest that CLDN6 expression is regulated by the binding of YY1 and CREB in the 901-1421 enhancer in which a non-described interaction of YY1 with CREB was established in the 1279-1421 region.

Salmonella enterica serovar Newport bacteriophage 7-11 shares 41 homologous ORFs with Escherichia coli phage phiEco32 and both phages encode a protein similar to bacterial RNA polymerase promoter specificity  subunit. Here, we investigated the temporal pattern of 7-11 gene expression during the infection and compared it to the previously determined transcription strategy of phiEco32. Using primer extension and in vitro transcription assays we identified eight promoters recognized by host RNA polymerase holoenzyme containing 7-11  subunit SaPh711_gp47. These promoters are characterized by a bipartite consensus GTAAtg-(16)-aCTA and are located upstream of late phage genes. While dissimilar from single-element middle and late promoters of phiEco32 recognized by holoenzyme formed by the phi32_gp36  factor, the 7-11 late promoters are located at genome positions similar to those of phiEco32 middle and late promoters. Two early 7-11 promoters are recognized by RNA polymerase holoenzyme containing host primary σ70 factor. Unlike the case of phiEco32, no shut off of σ70-dependent transcription is observed during 7-11 infection and there are no middle promoters. These differences can be explained by the fact that phage 7-11 does not encode a homologue of phi32_gp79, an inhibitor of host and early phage transcription and an activator of transcription by the phi32_gp36-holoenzyme.

Cyanobacteria are highly diverse, widely distributed photosynthetic bacteria inhabiting various environments ranging from deserts to the cryosphere. Throughout this range of niches, they have to cope with various stresses and kinds of deprivation which threaten their growth and viability. In order to adapt to these stresses and survive, they have developed several global adaptive responses which modulate the patterns of gene expression and the cellular functions at work. Sigma factors, two-component systems, transcriptional regulators and small regulatory RNAs acting either separately or collectively, for example, induce appropriate cyanobacterial stress responses. The aim of this review is to summarize our current knowledge about the diversity of the sensors and regulators involved in the perception and transduction of light, oxidative and thermal stresses and nutrient starvation responses. The studies discussed here point to the fact that various stresses affecting the photosynthetic capacity are transduced by common mechanisms.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex disease triggered by the interaction between genetics and environment, especially through the shared epitope (SE) and cell surface calreticulin (CSC) theory. However, the available evidence shows that genetic diversity and environmental exposure cannot explain all the clinical characteristics and heterogeneity of RA. In contrast, recent studies demonstrate that epigenetics play important roles in the pathogenesis of RA, especially DNA methylation and histone modification. DNA methylation and histone methylation are involved in innate and adaptive immune cell differentiation, and migration, proliferation, apoptosis, and mesenchymal characteristics of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Epigenetic-mediated regulation of immune-related genes and inflammation pathways explains the dynamic expression network of RA. In this review, we summarized the comprehensive evidence to show that methylation of DNA and histones is significantly involved in the pathogenesis of RA and could be applied as a promising biomarker in the disease progression and drug response prediction. We also explained the advantages and challenges of the current epigenetics research in RA. In summary, epigenetic modules provide a possible interface, through which genetic and environmental risk factors connect to contribute to the susceptibility and pathogenesis of RA. Additionally, epigenetic regulators provide promising drug targets to develop novel therapeutic drugs for RA. Finally, DNA methylation and histone modifications could be important features for providing a better RA subtype identification, to accelerate personalized treatment and precision medicine.

Mammalian cells maintain the complex glycerophospholipid (GPL) class compositions of their various membranes within close limits because this is essential to their well-being or viability. Surprisingly, however it is still not understood how those compositions are maintained except that GPL synthesis and degradation closely coordinated. Here, we hypothesize that abrupt changes in the chemical activity of the individual GPL classes coordinate the synthesis and degradation, as well other homeostatic processes. A previously proposed model proposed that in cellular membranes only a limited number of “allowed” or optimal GPL glass compositions exist because they are energetically more favorable than the other compositions, i.e. they represent local free energy minima (Somerharju et al. 2009). This model, however, could not satisfactorily explain how the optimal compositions are sensed by the key homeostatic enzymes i.e., the rate-limiting synthetizing enzymes and the degrading enzymes (i.e., homeostatic phospholipases). We now propose that when the mole fraction of a GPL class exceeds an optimal one, its chemical activity abruptly increases, which (i) increases its propensity to efflux from the membrane thus making it susceptible for hydrolysis by homeostatic phospholipases, (ii) increases its potency to inhibit its own biosynthesis via a feedback mechanism, (iii) enhances its conversion to another GPL class via a novel process termed “head group remodeling” or (iv) enhances its translocation to other subcellular membranes. Accordingly, abrupt changes in the chemical activity of the individual GPL classes is proposed to regulate and coordinate those four processes maintaining GPL class homeostasis in mammalian cells.

The aim of the research was getting to know the risk of dependency on physical exercising in individual sportspeople and the relationship with body dissatisfaction and motivation. 225 triathletes, swimmers, cyclists and athletes- with ages going from 18 to 63 years old took part in the research, of which 145 were men (M = 35.57 ±10.46 years) and 80 women (M = 32.83 ±10.31 years). The EDS-R was used to study the dependency on exercising, BSQ to study body dissatisfaction, BREQ-3 to know the motivation of participants and BIAQ to analyse conducts of avoidance to body image. The obtained results show that 8.5% of the subjects had risk of dependency on exercising and that 18.2% tend to have corporal dissatisfaction, without meaningful differences in the kind of sport they practiced. However, there were important differences concerning the dependency on physical exercise (15% vs 4.8%) and body dissatisfaction (31.1% vs 11%) in relation to sex, being the higher percentage referring to women. The introjected regulation and the conduct of food restriction were the predictor variables of the dependency on exercising and corporal dissatisfaction.

T-cell mediated immune responses should be regulated to avoid the development of autoimmune or chronic inflammation diseases. Several mechanisms have been described to regulate this process, namely death of overactivated T cells by cytokine deprivation, suppression by T regulatory cells (Treg), induction of expression of immune checkpoint molecules such as CTLA-4 and PD-1, or activation-induced cell death (AICD). In addition, activated T cells release membrane microvesicles called exosomes during these regulatory processes. In this review, we revise the role of exosome secretion in the different pathways of immune regulation described to date and its importance in the prevention of autoinmune disease. Expression of membrane-bound death ligands on the surface of exosomes during AICD, or the more recently described transfer of miRNA or even DNA inside T-cell exosomes are molecular mechanisms that will be analyzed.

Aflatoxins are a known cause of primary liver cancer in Mozambique since pre-independence epidemiological studies. However, their impact goes beyond the public health, affecting the country’s economy and raising legal concerns. As a developing country endemic for Aspergillus, the nation has been struggling to keep pace with external trade quality demands, delicate policy making, still dealing with the farmers’ limitations to control the contamination. The contamination shows variations over time, space and the different commodities. Considering the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius, the major crops will be highly implicated unless there is major intervention from the authorities to control the toxins.

The effect of pH regulation on biohydrogen production was studied using suspended and immobilized mixed cultures. Four sets of experiments were conducted using suspended cells under regulated pH (Sus_R) and non-regulated pH conditions (Sus_N) as well as alginate-immobilized cells under pH regulated (Imm_R) and non-pH regulated conditions (Imm_N). Sus_R showed a peak hydrogen fraction of 44% and complete glucose degradation, compared to Sus_N with a peak hydrogen fraction of 36% and a glucose degradation of 37%. Imm_R experiments showed a peak biohydrogen fraction of 35%, while the peak hydrogen fraction observed with Imm_N was 22%. The highest hydrogen fraction was observed using suspended cells under regulated pH conditions. A 100% glucose degradation was observed in both pH regulated and non-regulated processes using immobilized cells. The rate of pH change was slower for immobilized cells compared to suspended cells suggesting a better buffering capacity under non pH regulated conditions. The study showed that biohydrogen production with suspended cells in a non-regulated pH environment resulted in early termination of the process and lower productivity.

The power generation structure and load characteristics in different provinces are quite different in China, and the distribution of peak regulating resources and demands is extremely unbalanced. Due to many factors such as low power marketization degree, shortage of peak regulating resources and block of transmission channels, the consumption of new energy is facing greater pressure. In order to improve the mutual aids in regional power grid, this paper proposes a two-layer optimization dispatching model considering the mutual aids of peak regulation resources between each province, and determines the optimal units startup mode and power output in each provinces, thus obtaining all the power supply output arrangements and the technical and economic indicators. Finally, take the actual regional power grid in China as an example, the simulation results show that the proposed model can significantly improve the new energy utilization rate, which verified the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed model and methods in this paper.

Rare diseases are characterized by a wide diversity of signs and symptoms and vary not only from disease to disease, but also from person to person, and living with a disease leads patients to peculiar experiences and treatments, without limits of time and space, as they extend to various environments and relationships of their lives. The objective of this study is the theoretical interaction between Value Co-creation (VC) and the Stakeholder Theory (ST) with the Shared Decision Making (SDM) health care theory. It is configured as a multiparadigmatic proposal by enabling the analysis of multiple perspectives of different stakeholders in health care. Thus, Co-created Decision Making (CDM) emerges in a logic dominated by service, with emphasis on intangible aspects and the interactivity of the relationships. It goes beyond the clinical office and the doctor-patient relationships, as studied in SDM, extending to all environments and interactions that add value to the patient's treatment. It was concluded that the essence of this new theory proposed here is neither in patient-centered care nor in patient self-care, but in co-created relationships with and between stakeholders in both directions, including non-health care environments that are important to the patient, such as relationships with friends, family, other patients with the same disease, social media, public policies, and the practice of pleasurable activities.

Recently, many authors have been interested to introduce fuzzy implications over t-norms and t-conorms. In this paper, we introduce (S,N) and residuum fuzzy implication for Dubois t-norm and Hamacher's t-norm. Also, new concepts so-called (T,N) and residual fuzzy co-implication in dual Heyting Algebra are investigated. Some examples as well as application are discussed as well.

As one of the important components of underwater propulsion systems, water lubricated bearings are often failure due to mechanical wearing and vibrating, especially under high loads and prolonged friction. In this paper, a dual-network co-crosslinking strategy based on HNBR is proposed, in which the epoxy network connects with the rubber network through Epoxidized Eommia ulmoides gum. The damping, tribological and mechanical properties of the prepared composite are systematically investigated. The results show that this material has excellent friction and vibration damping properties, with a water-lubricated coefficient of friction as low as 0.022 and a wear resistance as high as 3.87 × 10-6mm3/Nm. Preparing HNBR-based composite by dual network co-crosslinked is proved being a feasible solution to improve the reliability and service life of water-lubricated bearings.

The 2022-2023 influenza season in Romania was characterized by high pediatric hospitalization rates, predominated by influenza A subtypes H1N1 and H3N2. Lowered population immunity to influenza after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and subsequent stoppage of influenza circulation, particularly in children who had limited pre-pandemic exposures, influenced hospitalization among children immunosuppressed, and patients with concurrent medical conditions who are at increased risk for developing severe forms of influenza. This study focused on the characteristics of influenza issues among paediatric patients, as well as the relationship between different influenza virus types and viral and bacterial coinfections and illness severity in the 2022-2023 season after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We conducted a retrospective clinical analysis on 301 cases of influenza in pediatric inpatients (age ≤ 18 years), hospitalized at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases "Prof. Dr. Matei Balș" IX Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinical Section between October 2022 and February 2023. The most significant age group was 57.8% representing children between one to four years old and female. The average clinical forms were found in 61.7%, whereas severe versions represented 18.2% of cases. Most of the complications were respiratory (acute interstitial pneumonia, 76.1%), hematological (72.1%), represented by intra-infectious and deficiency anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia), 33.6% were digestive, such as diarrheal disease, liver cytolysis syndrome, and the acute dehydration syndrome associated with electrolyte imbalance (71.4%). Severe complications were associated with a risk of unfavorable evolution: acute respiratory failure and neurological complications (convulsions, encephalitis). No deaths were reported. We noticed that the flu season 2022-2023 was characterized by the association of co-infections (viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic) more frequent than in previous years (26.2% vs. 16%), which evolved more severely, with prolonged hospitalization and more complications (p<0.05), and time of use of oxygen therapy was statistically significant (p > 0.05); influenza vaccination in this group was zero. In conclusion, coinfections with respiratory viruses increase the severity of the pediatric population's immunity to influenza, especially among young children who are more vulnerable to developing a serious illness. All people above the age of six months should get vaccinated against influenza to prevent the illness and its severe complications.

Recently, the amount of waste generated has been rapidly increasing, there have been difficulties disposing of waste in Korea. As a solution to this, treating waste using a cement kiln has suggested, but the environmental and economic effects have not been specifically studied. In this study, the effects of alternative resources, and reducing the social costs(Installation and Operation) associated with waste treatment facilities were analyzed. Through a co-processing method, a reduction of approximately 53kg of CO2 can be realized during the production of one ton of cement, and cost savings of about 3,815 milion USD. Another effect is an extension of the expiration date for landfills by 7.55 years.

New setting is introduced to study quasi-degree and quasi-co-degree arising from co-neighborhood. quasi-degree and quasi-co-degree is about a vertex which are applied into the setting of neutrosophic graphs. . The structure of set is studied and general results are obtained. Also, some classes of neutrosophic graphs namely path-neutrosophic graphs, cycle-neutrosophic graphs, complete-neutrosophic graphs and star-neutrosophic graphs, complete-bipartite-neutrosophic graphs and complete-multipartite-neutrosophic graphs are investigated in the terms of a vertex which is called either quasi-degree or quasi-co-degree. Neutrosophic number is reused in this way. It’s applied to use the type of neutrosophic number in the way that, three values of a vertex are used and they’ve same share to construct this number to compare with other vertices. Summation of three values of vertex makes one number and applying it to a comparison. This approach facilitates identifying vertices which form quasi-degree and quasi-co-degree. Quasi-degree is a value of a vertex which is maximum amid all values of vertices which are neighbors to a fixed vertex. Quasi-co-degree is a value of an edge which is maximum amid all values of edges which are neighbors to a fixed vertex but corresponded vertex is representative for this notion. Using different values which are related to a vertex inspire us to focus on edge and vertices which are corresponded to a fixed vertex. The notion of neighborhood is used to collect either vertices are titled neighbors or edges are incident to fixed vertex. In both settings, some classes of well-known neutrosophic graphs are studied. Some clarifications for each result and each definitions are provided. Using fixed vertex has key role to have these notions in the form of vertex or edge. The value of an edge has eligibility to call quasi-co-degree but the value of a vertex has eligibility to call quasi-degree. Some results get more frameworks and perspective about these definitions. The way in that, two vertices have connection together, open the way to define neighborhood and co-neighborhood. The maximum values in neighborhood and co-neighborhood introduces quasi-degree and quasi-co-degree, respectively. New name is chosen from degree. Since amid all vertices with different degrees, one vertex is chosen. In other words, one vertex is fixed and its degree turns out quasi-degree where two degrees could be assigned to a vertex. Degree of edges and degree of vertices. The number of edges which are incident to the vertex and the number of vertices which are neighbors to the vertex. Degree and co-degree are the notions which are transformed to use in quasi-style. Two neutrosophic values introduce two neutrosophic vertices separately in each settings. These notions are applied into neutrosophic graphs as individuals but not family of them as drawbacks for these notions. Finding special neutrosophic graphs which are well-known, is an open way to purse this study. Some problems are proposed to pursue this study. Basic familiarities with graph theory and neutrosophic graph theory are proposed for this article.

Potential of co-digestion mixing thickened secondary sludge (TS) from extended aeration wastewater treatment plant and locally available substrates (whey, grease and septage) has been studied using three steps. The first step was a batch test to determine biological methane potential (BMP) of different mixtures of the three co-substrates with TS. The second step has been carried out with lab-scale reactors (20 L) simulating anaerobic continuous stirred tank reactors fed by three mixtures of co-substrates determined according to previous step results. Modelling using ADM1 as a mechanistic model was applied in the third step to help understanding the co-digestion process. According to BMP step, septage used as co-substrate has a negative effect on performance and addition of 10 to 30% grease or 10% whey would lead to a higher production of biogas and with an increase of the methane content. The results from the reactor showed less evi-dence of the positive effects observed with the BMP assay. Protein and lipid fractions of particu-late biodegradable COD are important variables for digester stability and methane production as predicted by modelling. Results of simulations with ADM1 model adapted to co-digestion confirmed that this model is a powerful tool to optimize the process of biogas production.

There is compelling evidence that the nuclear receptor TRβ, a member of the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) family, is a tumor suppressor in thyroid, breast and other solid tumors. Cell-based and animal studies reveal that the liganded TRβ induces apoptosis, reduces an aggressive phenotype, decreases stem cell populations, and slows tumor growth through modulation of a complex interplay of transcriptional networks. TRβ-driven tumor suppressive transcriptomic signatures include repression of known drivers of proliferation such as PI3K/Akt pathway and activation of novel signaling (JAK1/STAT1) and metabolic reprogramming in both thyroid and breast cancers. The presence of TRβ is also correlated with a positive prognosis and response to therapeutics in BRCA+ and triple-negative breast cancers respectively. Ligand activation of TRβ enhances sensitivity to chemotherapeutics. TRβ co-regulators and bromodomain-containing chromatin remodeling proteins are emergent therapeutic targets. This review considers TRβ as a potential biomolecular diagnostic and therapeutic target.

The sense of uncertainty and fragility due to the effects and magnitude of global challenges we are facing (from pandemic circumstances to climate change impacts) requires – much more than in the past – the capacity to generate a visionary and forefront design approach in the young gen-erations aiming at stimulating their reaction attitude rather than providing consolidated tools from past conditions that no longer exist or will rapidly evolve. Within this general framework, we have investigated the effectiveness and impacts of experienced-based methods of learning and innovative educational tools in architecture aimed at shaping expertise in which the environ-mental dimension and the climate-change challenge dialogues with the context's complexity in terms of socio-cultural dynamics, real potentialities and constrains, addressing their transdisci-plinary trajectories. The paper analyses 5 international pioneering teaching experiences that provide the opportunity to understand the outcomes of collaborative and experiential learning processes in which the educational activities leverage a dialogue between diverse communities (academia-citizens-policymakers-practitioners). The study outcomes show that shifting the pedagogical paradigm towards in-field-experience-based models can improve the awareness of future practitioners for climate implications of architectural design, implement their analysis and project skills while triggering processes of knowledge transfer and co-production at community level, and allow them to better address the societal and cultural issues involved within decision making.

The purpose of this study is to explore conceptual approaches in co-production studies and to examine current research trends of the study. The conceptual paper includes research articles related to co-production in public administration field. By thoroughly scrutinizing 32 research works of co-production, this study highlights major loopholes in the field of the study. The contributions of the study are: (1) identifying two common characteristics of co-production, (2) categorising three types of co-producing by end-users, and (3) finding that goals and success of co-production are more beneficial for service providers though its initial approach is citizen-centric approach. We suggest that future studies should be (1) to focus on reasons for co-production failures or success, (2) to discover further hindrances for co-production in service production, (3) to examine influencing factors on service providers as well as institutional impacts on co-production process, and (4) to include practical assessment in co-production study.

Elevated antimony concentrations in aqueous environments from anthropogenic sources is becoming of global concern, here iron oxides are known to strongly adsorb aqueous antimony species with different oxidation states, but the effect of silica on the removal characteristics is not well understood despite being a common component in the environment. In this study, ferrihydrite was synthesized at various Si/Fe molar ratios to investigate its adsorption and co-precipitation behaviors with aqueous antimony anionic species, Sb(III) and Sb(V). The XRD analyses of the precipitates showed two broad diffraction features at approximately 35° and 62° 2θ, which are characteristic of 2-line ferrihydrite, no significant shifts in peak positions in the ferrihydrite regardless of the Si/Fe ratios. The infrared spectra showed a sharp band at ~990 cm⁻¹, corresponding to asymmetric stretching vibrations of Si-O-Fe bonds which increased in intensity with increasing Si/Fe molar ratios. Further, the surface charge on the precipitates became more negative with increasing Si/Fe molar ratios. The adsorption experiments indicated that Sb(V) was preferentially adsorbed at acidic conditions and decreased dramatically with increasing pH while the adsorption rate of Sb(III) ions was independent of pH, however, the presence of silica suppressed the adsorption of both Sb(III) and Sb(V) ions. The results showed that Sb(III) and Sb(V) ions were significantly inhibited by co-precipitation with ferrihydrite even in the presence of silica by isomorphous substitution in the ferrihydrite crystal structure.

Background: Previously, our laboratory has provided evidence that pre-administration of the antioxidant, lipoic acid covalently bonded to various naturally occurring antioxidants, enhanced neuroprotective capacity compared to the administration of lipoic acid on its own. The naturally occurring compound scopoletin, a coumarin derivative, has been shown in various in vitro studies to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanism of actions. To date, the effect of scopoletin on neuronal cell death in an in vivo model of ischemia or ischemia-reperfusion has not been investigated. Therefore, the present investigation was designed to determine if scopoletin on its own, or a co-drug consisting of lipoic acid and scopoletin covalent bond, named UPEI-400, would be capable of demonstrating a similar neuroprotective efficacy. Methods: Using a rodent model of stroke in male rats (anesthetized with Inactin®; 100 mg/kg, iv), the middle cerebral artery was permanently occluded for 6 hours (pMCAO), or in separate animals, occluded for 30 min followed by 5.5 hrs of reperfusion (ischemia/reperfusion; I/R). Results: Pre-administration of either scopoletin or UPEI-400 significantly decreased infarct volume in the I/R model (p<0.05), but not in the pMCAO model of stroke. However, UPEI-400 was ~1000 times more potent as compared to scopoletin on its own. The optimal dose of UPEI-400 was then injected during the occlusion and at several time points during reperfusion and significant neuroprotection was observed for up to 150 mins following the start of reperfusion (p<0.05). Conclusion: The data suggest that synthetic combination of scopoletin with lipoic acid (UPEI-400) is a more effective neuroprotectant that either compound on their own. Also, since UPEI-400 was only effective in a model of I/R, it is possible that it may act to enhance neuronal antioxidant capacity and/or upregulate anti-inflammatory pathways to prevent the neuronal cell death.

Poly(vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) named further PVBA was investigated as protective coating for copper corrosion in 0.9 % NaCl solution using electrochemical measurements such as, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization associated with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The PVBA coating on the copper surface (Cu-PVBA) was modeled in methanol containing PVBA. Its inhibitory properties against corrosion was comparatively discussed with those of the copper sample treated in methanol without polymer (Cu-Me) and of untreated sample (standard copper). A protective performance of PVBA coating of 80 % was computed from electrochemical measurements, for copper corrosion in NaCl solution. Also, AFM images designed a specific surface morphology of coated surface with PVBA, clearly highlighting a polymer film adsorbed on the copper surface, which presents certain deterioration after corrosion, but metal surface was not significantly affected compared to those of untreated samples or treated in methanol, in the absence of PVBA.

Understanding gene expression changes in chicks after vaccination against Newcastle Disease (ND) can reveal vaccine biomarkers. There is limited data on chicks’ early immune response after ND vaccination. Two trials aimed into this knowledge gap. In experiment one, forty-two 13 days-old specific pathogen free (SPF) chicks were used. Harderian glands (Hg) and tracheas (Tc) from five birds per group were sampled at 12, 24, and 48 hours post-vaccination (hpv) to evaluate the gene transcription levels by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and RT-qPCR. Results of RNA-seq were compared by glmFTest, while results of RT-qPCR were compared by t-test. With RNA-seq, significant up-regulation of interferon related genes along with JAK-STAT signaling pathways regulation was observed in the Hg at 24- hpv. None of the DEGs identified by RNA-seq were positive for RT-qPCR. Experiment 2 used one-hundred and twelve SPF and commercial chickens at 1 day-old and 14 days-old. Only the commercial birds had maternal antibodies for NDV. By RNA-seq, twenty core DEGs associated with innate immunity and viral genome replication inhibition were identified. Genes previously unlinked to NDV response, such as USP41, were identified. This research present genes with potential as immunity biomarkers for vaccines, yet further investigation is needed to correlate the core gene expression with viral shedding post-vaccination.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are characterized by dysregulated signaling pathways that are crucial for tumor formation and progression. The efficacy of traditional therapies is limited, particularly in treatment of PNETs at advanced stage. Epigenetic alterations profoundly impact the activity of signaling pathways in cancer development, offering potential opportunities for drug development. There is currently a lack of extensive research on epigenetic regulation in PNETs. To fill this gap, we first summarize major signaling events which are involved in PNET development. Then, we discuss the epigenetic regulation of these signaling pathways in the context of both PNET and commonly occurring, and therefore more extensively studied, malignancies. Finally, we will offer perspective on the future research direction of PNET epigenome and its potential applications in patient care.

This review explores the complex interrelationships between emotion, attention, and behavior, drawing upon empirical evidence from psychological, neuroscientific, and clinical studies. It delves into the neural mechanisms that underlie these interactions, with a focus on key brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Clinical cases involving stroke and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are examined to illustrate the real-world implications of these cognitive interactions. The review also discusses the impact of effective emotion regulation strategies and the role of attention as a cognitive mechanism that influences both emotion and behavior. Neuroimaging studies, particularly functional MRI, are highlighted for their role in providing a deeper understanding of these intricate relationships. The review concludes by emphasizing the importance of this triadic relationship in adaptive functioning and its broader implications for mental health, interpersonal relationships, and quality of life.

In the last decade there has been a growing interest in infrared thermography in the field of sports medicine in order to elucidate the mechanisms of thermoregulation. The aim of this study was to describe bilateral variations in skin temperature of the anterior thigh and patellar tendon in healthy athletes, to provide a model of baseline tendon and muscle thermoregulation in healthy sprinters following a unilateral isokinetic fatigue protocol. Fifteen healthy national-level sprinters underwent unilateral isokinetic force testing and electrostimulation in which body temperature was measured before, during, and after the protocol using an infrared thermographic camera. ANOVA detected a significant difference in the time x side interaction for patellar temperature changes (p≤0.001) and a significant difference in the time x side interaction for quadriceps temperature changes (p≤0.001). The thermal challenge produces homogeneous changes evident in quadriceps areas, but not homogeneous in tendon areas. these data show that metabolic and blood flow changes may depend on the physical and mechanical properties of each tissue.

This study empirically examines the spatial spillover effect of various environmental regulations on green technology innovation using panel data from 284 county-level cities in China between 2007 and 2019. A geographical-economic spatial weight matrix is constructed, and the spatial Durbin model is employed to identify the specific characteristics of this spillover effect. The findings indicate that the spatial spillover effect of green technology innovation primarily occurs through geographical transmission. However, there is no significant spatial autocorrelation when using the economic distance weight matrix. Various types of environmental regulations influence the spatial spillover effect of green technology innovation in distinct ways. Specifically, Market-motivated environmental regulation exhibits a U-shaped relationship with the spatial spillover effect, while Command-controlled environmental regulation demonstrates an inverted U-shaped relationship, suggesting a complementary effect. Additional research shows that the upgrading of industrial structure acts as a mediator between command environmental regulation and the spatial spillover effect of green technology innovation. Government departments should comprehensively coordinate Market-motivated environmental regulation and Command-controlled environmental regulation, accurately assess the intensity of Command-controlled measures, and prevent the migration of green technology innovation elements caused by excessive regulatory measures within enterprises.

Background: Previous research studies have suggested the importance of studying the relationship between emotional regulation and sleep habits. Some investigations have especially focused on how emotional regulation could impact sleep habits in children and adolescents. Therefore, these researchers have stated there exists a two-way direction in this relationship. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the influence of emotional regulation on sleep habits in Spanish children and adolescents, and the mediating role of anxiety in this relationship. Method: Participants were 953 Spanish parents who completed the assessment protocol according to their children and adolescents’ information. Results: The results revealed moderate-strong correlations between emotional regulation problems and sleep habits disturbances (r=0.375, p&lt;0.001), trait (r=0.488, p&lt;0.001) and state (r=0.589, p&lt;0.001) anxiety. Also, emotional regulation showed a direct impact on sleep habits (β=0.011, p=0.005). Trait and state anxiety demonstrated a significant mediating role in the relationship between emotional regulation and sleep habits. Conclusions: Emotional regulation may have an impact on sleep habits during childhood and adolescence, suggesting the importance of early intervention focused on the emotions management and the prevention of sleep habits disturbances.

On Feb. 6^th, 2020, FDA implemented the enforcement priorities against all flavored, cartridge-based e-cigarettes other than menthol and tobacco flavors. This ban undermined the products’ attraction to vapers, so e-cigarette manufacturers added flavorants of other attractive flavors into tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and re-established attractions. Both the sales of e-cigarettes and posts on social media suggested that the manufacturers’ strategies are likely “successful”. The re-established attraction causes not only a public health issue, but also threats to the health of individual vapers. Research has shown an increase in toxicity associated with the flavorants commonly used in flavored e-cigarettes that are likely added in tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes based on tobacco-derived and synthetic tobacco free nicotine, and these other flavors are associated with higher clinical symptoms not often induced by only natural traditional tobacco flavors. The additional health risks posed by the flavorants are pronounced even without considering the interactions of toxicology of the different tobacco flavorants, and more research should be done to understand the health risks thoroughly and to take proper actions accordingly for regulation of these emerging products.

MicroRNAs are tissue-specifically expressed short RNAs that serve post-transcriptional gene reg-ulation. A specific microRNA can bind to mRNAs of different genes and thereby suppress their protein production. In the context of the complex phenotype of fibromyalgia, we used the Axiom miRNA Target Site Genotyping Array to search genome-wide for DNA variations in microRNA genes, their regulatory regions and in the 3'UTR of protein-coding genes. To identify dis-ease-relevant DNA polymorphisms, a cohort of 176 female fibromyalgia patients was studied in comparison to a cohort of 162 healthy women. The association between 48.329 markers and fibromyalgia was investigated using logistic regression adjusted for population stratification. 29 markers had p-values < 1 × 10-3 and the strongest asso-ciation was observed for rs758459 (p-value of 0.0001), located in the Neurogenin 1 gene, targeted by hsa-miR-130a-3p. Furthermore, we identified a gene locus (rs2295963) predicted to disrupt binding of hsa-miR-1-3p. Both microRNAs were previously reported to be differentially expressed in fi-bromyalgia patients. Despite its limited statistical power, this study reports two microRNA-related polymorphisms which may play a functional role in the pathogenesis of fibromyalgia. For a better understanding of the disease pattern, further functional analyses on the biological significance of microRNAs and microRNA-related polymorphisms are required.

In this unprecedented era of computer-supported and distance learning, it is critical to rethink the way students are supported through vital skills like self-regulation and peer collaboration. A variety of digital media has emerged, allowing learners autonomy while requiring the ability to effectively regulate different components of the educational process for long-term academic success. We reviewed collaboration, communication, and self-regulation in digital learning environments as part of online learning. We discussed how these abilities are reflected in highly cited content. High-impact factor studies were identified using advanced software Herzing Publish or Perish to retrieve highly cited research publications metrics. The search resulted in 272 records from 2010 to 2022, 192 duplicates were identified to remove and 48 JCR articles were shortlisted for review. We examined and reflected on sufficient connections to make firm judgments about correlations of concepts. The review identified prominent themes surfaced in the high impact factor academic publication e.g., digital learning environment, interaction, engagement, feedback, self-efficacy, motivation, meta-cognition, achievement, technology, blended learning, and orientation of ICT. Many studies support different features of SRL &amp; PCL through different tools, access to educators or feedback, encouragement, and through peers. However, all of them discuss the processes that students use to self-regulate learning in these situations. It is suggested to examine whether the effectiveness of certain SRL processes varies by online learning mode.

Abstract: Changes in sugar composition occur continuously in plants tissues, at different develop-mental stages. Tuber dormancy induction, stability, and breaking are very critical developmental transitions in yam crop production. Prolonged tuber dormancy after physiological maturity has constituted a great challenge in yam genetic improvement and productivity. In the present study, biochemical profiling of non-structural sugar in yam tuber during dormancy was performed to determine the role of non-structural sugar in yam tuber dormancy regulation. Two genotypes of white yam specie; one local genotype (Obiaoturugo) and (TDr1100873) were used for this study. Tubers were sampled at (42, 56, 87, 101, 115, and 143) days after physiological maturity (DAPM). Obiaoturugo exhibited a short dormant phenotype and sprouted at 101DAPM, whereas TDr1100873 exhibited a long-dormant phenotype, and sprouted at 143DAPM. Significant metabolic changes were observed in non-structural sugar parameters, dry matter, and moisture content in Obiaoturugo from 56DAPM, whereas, in TDr1100873 significant metabolic changes were observed from 101DAPM. It was observed that the onset of these metabolic changes occurred at a point when the tubers of both genotypes exhibited dry matter content of 60%, indicating that dry matter content of 60% might be a critical threshold for white yam tuber sprouting. Nonreducing sugars increased by 9-10-fold during sprouting in both genotypes which indicates its key role in tuber dormancy regulation in white yam. This result implies that some key sugar metabolites can be targeted for dormancy manipulation of yam crop.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic non–essential element to plants, and its accumulation in crops has significant adverse effects on human health. The cross–talk between copper (Cu) and Cd has been reported, but the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here, the function of wheat Cu transporter 3D (TaCOPT3D) in Cd tolerance was investigated. The TaCOPT3D transcripts significantly accumulated in wheat roots under Cd exposure. To test whether TaCOPT3D was involved in response to Cd stress, overexpressing lines with altered expression of TaCOPT3D transporters were compared to wild–type (WT) plants. The results showed that, under 20 μM Cd treatment, TaCOPT3D–overexpression lines exhibited more biomass and lower Cd accumulation in roots, shoots, and grains compared to WT plants. In addition, the TaCOPT3D–overexpression lines demonstrated less reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a greater amount of active antioxidant enzymes under Cd conditions than WT plants. Moreover, TaCOPT3D–overexpression lines highly reduced Cd accumulation under exposure to 20 μM Cu. The regulation pathway of TaCOPT3D in response to Cd stress was investigated, and transcription factor (TF) TaWRKY22, which targeted the TaCOPT3D promoter, was identified. Therefore, TaCOPT3D can serve as a candidate gene for decreasing Cd accumulation in wheat through genetic engineering.

Background: This study consists of a brief psychological intervention, which uses the Self-Regulation Therapy (SRT, procedure based on suggestion and classical conditioning), to improve coping with stress and emotionality by reproducing the positive effects of illegal drugs: cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy. Method: 15 volunteers (8 males, 7 females), with a mean age of 24.67 (SD = 4.43), underwent intervention to improve their coping with stress and emotionality using SRT. They carried out pre- and post-intervention scores for 10 days and during a 4-week fol-low-up. The employed instruments were: COPE (Coping Skills Inventory) and PNAS (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule). Results: SRT was superior to non-intervention for the 4 coping strategies (2= .829, .453, .411 and .606) and for positive (2= .371) and negative emotionality (2= .419). An improvement in scores was evidenced in the follow-up scores compared to the pre-intervention measures. Conclusions: This study shows for the first time that it is possible to use illegal drugs, considered harmful to public health, to improve young people’s coping capacity and emotionality by reproducing their positive effects with SRT.

We select four important waves of new entrants that knocked on the door of European electricity markets to illustrate how market rules need to be continuously adapted to allow new entrants to come in and push innovation forward. The new entrants that we selected are utilities venturing into neighbouring markets after establishing a strong position in their home market, utility-scale renewables project developers, asset-light software companies aggregating the assets of smaller consumers and producers, and different types of communities. We show that well-intentioned rules designed for certain types of market participants can (unintentionally) become obstacles for new entrants. We conclude that the evolution of market rules illustrates the importance of dynamic regulation. At the start of the liberalisation process the view was that we would deregulate or re-regulate the sector after which the role of regulators could be reduced. But their role has only increased. New players might also present new risks that require intervention by regulators.

Introduction: The tumour suppressor protein p53 commonly referred to as guardian of the genome plays important role in preserving the genome through the regulation of programmed cell death, DNA repair, energy metabolism, cell cycle entry or exit and senescence. Mutations in p53 can either result to a loss of tumour suppressor function or gain of oncogenic properties. Hence, mutations in p53 are the most frequent genetic mutational alteration in human cancers, associated with worse prognosis and more aggressive disease outcome. Methods: To assess the mutational hotspots and conserved regions of p53, I analyzed 76 complete p53 protein sequences covering whole exons from the NCBI GenBank database. Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) was done using ClustalX version 2.1. Results: Thirty-five (19) mutations were identified with more frequent mutations in amino acid (aa) position 72 and 79 (Exon 4), amino acid deletion in codon 112-122 (Exon 4), codon 213 (Exon 6), codon 248 (Exon 7), codon 273 (Exon 8) and codon 278 (Exon 8). Mutations at amino acid position 79, 248, 278 located in the DNA-binding domain exhibited more than one alteration in same position. Conclusions: Findings from this study revealed the prevalence of mutations in the DNA binding domain of p53 and the structure-function effect of the mutations. Assessing the pattern and frequency of p53 alterations, and analyzing it thoroughly for each carrier, could help in identifying correlations between p53 status and outcome and possible candidate for gene therapy.

Synthetic biology (SynBio) is an interdisciplinary field that has developed rapidly in the last two decades. It involves the design and construction of new biological systems and processes from standardized biological components, networks and synthetic pathways. The goal of Synbio is to create logical forms of cellular control. Biological systems and their parts can be re-designed to carry out completely new functions. SynBio is poised to greatly impact human health, environment, biofuels and chemical production with huge economic benefits. SynBio presents opportunities for the highly agro-based African economies to overcome setbacks that threaten food security: The setbacks are brought about by climate change, land degradation, over-reliance on food imports, global competition, and water and energy security issues among others. With appropriate regulatory frameworks and systems in place, the benefits of harnessing SynBio to boost development in African economies by far potentially outweigh the risks. Countries that are already using GMOs such as South Africa and Kenya should find the application of SynBio seamless, as it would be a matter of expanding the already existing regulations and policies for GMO use.

SET protein carries out multiple functions including those for protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibition, histone modification, DNA repair and gene regulation. SET overexpression has been detected in brain neurons of Alzheimer's disease patients, follicle theca cells of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) patients, and ovarian cancer cells, indicating that SET may play a pathological role for these disorders. SET transcript 2, produced by a specific promoter, represents a major transcript variant in different cell types. In this study, we characterized the transcriptional activation of human SET transcript 2 promoter in HeLa cells. Promoter deletion experiments and co-transfection assays indicated that ZFX, the Zinc finger and X-linked transcription factor, was able to transactivate the SET promoter. A proximal promoter region containing four ZFX-binding sites was found to be critical for the ZFX-mediated transactivation. Mutagenesis study indicated that the site located closest to the transcription start site accounted for most of the ZFX-mediated transactivity. Manipulation of ZFX levels by overexpression or siRNA knockdown confirmed the significance and specificity of the ZFX-mediated SET promoter activation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation results verified the binding of ZFX to its cognate site in the SET promoter. These findings have led to identification of ZFX as an upstream factor regulating SET gene expression. More studies are required to define the in vivo significance of this mechanism, and specifically, its implication for several benign and malignant diseases related to SET dysregulation.

The conserved cyanobacterial protein PipX is part of a complex interaction network with regulators involved in essential processes that include metabolic homeostasis or ribosome assembly. Because PipX interactions depend on the relative levels of their different partners and of the effector molecules binding to them, in vivo studies are required to understand the physiological significance and contribution of environmental factors to regulation of PipX complexes. Here we have used the NanoBiT complementation system to analyse regulation of complex formation in Synechococcus elongatus between PipX and each of its two best characterized partners, PII and NtcA. Our results confirm previous in vitro analysis on regulation of PipX-PII and PipX-NtcA complexes by 2-oxoglutarate and on regulation of PipX-PII by the ATP/ADP ratio, showing the disruption of PipX-NtcA complexes by increased levels of ADP-bound PII in Synechococcus elongatus. The demonstration of a positive role of PII on PipX-NtcA complexes under the initial response to nitrogen starvation or the impact of a PipX point mutation on the activity of PipX-PII and PipX-NtcA reporters are further indications of the sensitivity of the system. This study reveals additional regulatory complexities in the PipX interaction network, opening the way to future research in cyanobacteria.

New setting is introduced to study co-neighborhood, neutrosophic t-neighborhood, neutrosophic quasi-vertex set, neutrosophic quasi-order, neutrosophic neighborhood, neutrosophic co-t-neighborhood, neutrosophic quasi-edge set, neutrosophic quasi-size, Neutrosophic number, neutrosophic co-neighborhood, co-neutrosophic number, quasi-number and quasi-co-number. Some classes of neutrosophic graphs are investigated.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common metabolic disorders, with a major involvement of oxidative stress in its onset and progression. Pioglitazone (Pio) is an antidiabetic drug which primarily works by reducing insulin resistance while Curcumin (Cur) is powerful antioxidant with o important hypoglycemic effect, also. The both drugs are associated with several drawbacks, such as reduced bioavailability, a short half-life time (Pio) as well as instability and poor water solubility (Cur), which limit their therapeutic use. In order to overcome these disadvantages, a new co-delivery (Pio, Cur) nanosystem based chitosan (CS) (CS-Pio-Cur NPs), was developed, and characterized in reference with simple nanosystems (CS-Pio NPs, CS-Cur NPs). The developed CS-based NPs (CS-Pio-Cur NPs, CS-Pio NPs, CS-Cur NPs) were physico-chemical characterized in terms of particle size (PS), entrapment efficiency (EF%) and loading capacity (LC%). The CS-Pio-Cur NPs proved increased or similar values of EE (88.95% ± 7.79 for Cur; 94.83% ± 9.89 for Pio) and LC% (24.25 % ± 1.62 for Cur; 3.5% ± 0.98 for Pio), in reference with simple nanosystems, CS-Cur NPs (EE = 82.46% ± 1.74; LC = 20.34% ± 0.94) and CS-Pio NPs) (EE = 96.31% ± 0.68; LC = 4.11% ± 0.47), respectively. The identification of APIs (Cur, Pio) loaded into CS matrix was performed using FR-IR spectroscopy and for simultaneously quantification of APIs (Cur, Pio) released from CS-Pio-Cur NPs, a HLPC method was developed and validated. Based on release study performed in different simulated fluids (SGF, SIF, SCF) it can be appreciated that developed CS-APIs NPs have favorable pharmacokinetic profile with good release in gastrointestinal tract.

The COVID-19 pandemic and tuberculosis have epidemiological similarities, being transmitted airborne, favored by direct contact, crowded environments and vulnerable biological status. We performed a retrospective study of 45 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis associated with COVID-19 (TB+COV+) compared to 45 cases with tuberculous monoinfection (TB+COV-), hospitalized during 2021-2022. The demographic characteristics were similar in the two groups, predominating men, a median age of 51 years, living in rural areas, medium level of education and smoking. Common symptoms of the two groups were cough, weight loss, profuse sweating, loss of appetite and hemoptysis, while fever, headache, myo-arthralgias and digestive symptoms characterized the TB+COV+ forms. The scores of radiological lesions in the TB+COV+ compared to TB+COV- group were significantly higher and persistent, revealing more frequent bilateral extensive lung lesions. There were no significant differences in the biological parameters between the two groups. Mortality was 2.2%, regardless of the association of COVID-19. The frequency of infections with Clostridioides difficile was higher in TB+COV+ cases. In conclusion, the co-infection of COVID-19 had an impact on the clinical and biological expression of tuberculosis diagnosed in a pandemic context.

The amalgamation of mineral and targeted bacterial preparations represents a new generation of agricultural technology. Inoculation with combined preparations of microorganisms is more effective than inoculation with a single microorganism in stimulating plant growth by providing a more balanced diet for various crops. In this work, the effect of inoculation of 20 consortium variants on the yield indicators of three crops (wheat, buckwheat, corn) and the soil microbiome in the open field was investigated. The soil microbiome was defined by 16S rRNA sequences through NGS. Species richness of the soil microbial community (alpha diversity) was similar for all studied samples. Beta-diversity analysis revealed that the microbial diversity of three soil samples (C.bw, F.bw and Soil.bw) differed significantly from all others. At the phylum level, the number of Acidobacteriota and Firmicutes in these samples was increased. For the combination “Consortium C (Rothia endophytic GMG9 and Azotobacter chroococcum GMG39) - buckwheat”, a systemic positive improvement in all growth and yield indicators was observed. The soil of the site where buckwheat grew, inoculated by Consortium C, contained significantly more available phosphorus than all other soil samples. Such results can be explained both by the direct action of a consortium of phosphate-immobilizing and nitrogen-fixing bacteria and to acidification of the medium due to an increase in phylum Acidobacteriota bacteria in the soil.

This paper presents a novel cheminformatics approach for the design and synthesis of hydroxyapatite/collagen nanocomposites, which have potential biomedical applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, orthopedic and dental implants. The nanocomposites are synthesized by the co-precipitation method with different ratios of hydroxyapatite and collagen, and their mechanical, biological, and degradation properties are analyzed using various experimental and computational techniques, such as attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and molecular simulation. The antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposites is evaluated in vitro against several bacterial and fungal strains, demonstrating their medical potential. Additionally, in silico analyses are performed to predict the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion properties and the bioavailability of the collagen samples. This work opens new avenues for the development of novel biomaterials using cheminformatics tools and methods, which can facilitate the optimization of the design and synthesis parameters, as well as the prediction of the biological outcomes. Future research directions include the investigation of the biocompatibility and bioactivity of the nanocomposites in vivo, as well as the exploration of other applications and functionalities of these nanocomposites.

Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the phenolics of pomegranate peels because of their health-promoting effects. The incorporation of encapsulated phenolic extracts in functional foods, beverages, and dietary supplements can enhance their nutritional and health benefits. This paper aims to provide an overview of the encapsulation of pomegranate peel phenolic extract by co-crystallization, focusing on the properties of the encapsulated extract. Pomegranate peel extract encapsulated in sucrose by co-crystallization at conditions determined in our previous work is characterized by evaluating its properties; moisture content, bulk density, solubility, hygroscopicity, color, degree of encapsulation by thermograms, crystallinity by X-ray scattering, microstructure by scanning electron microscope, and storage stability in terms of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The co-crystallized powder had a low moisture content (0.59%) and hygroscopicity (0.011%) and a high bulk density (0.803 g/cm3) and solubility (61 s). Its total phenolic content decreased by only 0.56% after storage at 60oC for 45 days, whereas its antioxidant activity was maintained at levels higher than 84%. The differential scanning calorimetry and the X-ray scattering techniques proved the successful encapsulation in the sucrose matrix and the fact that the extract remained liquid inside the porosity of the sucrose crystals.

This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of highly cited papers published in the journal Sustainability between 2009 and 2023. The aim is to identify influential countries, authors, and papers, as well as patterns in authorship and citation trends. The analysis focuses on frequently cited sources, the most cited research papers and references within the journal, and trends in author keywords. The analysis shows that Sustainability is a leading publication in sustainability research, with an annual growth rate of 53.57%. The selected papers, published between 2013 and 2022, have an average age of 2.11 years and an average of 88.12 citations each. The study highlights the most influential countries in sustainability research published in Sustainability, with China leading, followed by the United States and Germany. The most prolific authors are from China, Spain, and Italy. Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to address complex sustainability challenges, as shown in the papers published in Sustainability. The study emphasizes the importance of staying informed about emerging trends and research directions in the field of sustainability published in this journal Sustainability. It underscores the significance of fostering international collaborations and partnerships to address complex sustainability challenges facing our world today, as evidenced by the papers published in Sustainability. Overall, this bibliometric analysis provides valuable insights into the current state of sustainability research published in Sustainability and its implications for policy and practice. It highlights key areas for future research and underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex sustainability challenges, as demonstrated by the papers published in Sustainability. These findings have important implications for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners interested in promoting sustainable development in the field of sustainability., as published in Sustainability.

Introduction: Increasing cannabis legalization raises concerns that tobacco use, frequently used with cannabis, will also increase. This study investigated the association between legal status of cannabis in place of residence and prevalence of cannabis and tobacco co-use, simultaneous use, and mixing by comparing the prevalence among adults in Canada (prior to cannabis legalization) vs. adults in US states that had legalized recreational cannabis vs. US states that had not as of September 2018. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2018 International Cannabis Policy Study, conducted with respondents aged 16-65 in Canada and the US recruited from non-probability consumer panels. Differences in the prevalence of co-use, simultaneous use, and mixing between tobacco and different cannabis products were examined using logistic regression models by legal status of place of residence among past 12-month cannabis consumers (N=6744). Results: Co-use and simultaneous use in the past 12 months were most common among respondents in US legal states. Among cannabis consumers, co-use and simultaneous use were less common in US legal states, while mixing was less frequent in US states with both legal and illegal cannabis compared to Canada. Use of edibles was associated with lower odds of all three outcomes, while smoking dried herb or hash was associated with higher odds. Conclusions: The proportion of cannabis consumers who used tobacco was lower in legal jurisdictions despite higher prevalence of cannabis use. Edible use was inversely associated with co-use suggesting that edible use does not appear to be associated with increased tobacco use.

As a typical form of value co-creation, crowdsourcing has been increasingly applied by firms to generate business value. By engaging a crowd, a platform, and other stakeholders, a crowdsourcer can foster the co-creation of a portfolio of value for diverse stakeholders. In analyzing the value co-creation in crowdsourcing, we propose a framework by combining the theories and frameworks in value co-creation and crowdsourcing. The framework examines the key stakeholders, joint purpose, engaged value co-creation processes, contributions, bidirectional relationships of the engagement, and perceived value, exhibiting a holistic view of the value co-creation in a crowdsourcing project. Results of the analysis reveal the business performance of the crowdsourcing project and identify areas of improvement regarding business sustainability. This is a major theoretical contribution of this study. The research design applied a case study approach to empirically investigate a crowdsourcing project. Both the theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This pot-based study investigated the influence of co-composted wood-derived biochar on lettuce growth performance under salinity and drought stress conditions. Biochar of two particle sizes; > 2 mm and < 1 mm were co-composted with the mixture (1:1 ratio of dry weight) of cow and poultry manures. Co-composted biochars were applied at 5% and 7% rates in soil. Control treatments included the amendment of mixture of biochar with manure in soil. Pots were subjected to slight drought (48-55% water filled pore space (WFPS) of soil) and non-drought conditions (60% WFPS) and under 0 and 1.3 dS m-1 salinity. Results revealed that plants growth performance was significantly better under treatments of co-composted biochar and no salt stress conditions, than when mixture of biochar and manure was applied to soil as non-composted fertilizer. Under no stress condition, small particle-sized co-composted biochar increased root biomass by 786.2% than the large particle-sized co-composted biochar at same application rate. As compared to large-sized co-composted biochar, small sized co-composted biochar at high application rates increased root biomass by 167 – 245% but not leaf biomass under both stress conditions. Small particle-sized co-composted biochar amendment also increased the phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) of lettuce leaves than large particle-sized co-composted biochar under no stress condition. The amendment of small-sized co-composted biochar also increased significantly the concentration of Olsen phosphorus in soil than the amendment of large-particle-sized co-composted biochar. In conclusion, amendment of small particle-sized co-composted biochar has the potential of attenuating salinity and drought stress in lettuce and promoting P cycling in soil.

Applications in high-performance computing (HPC) may not use all available computational resources, leaving some of them underutilized. By co-scheduling, i.e. running more than one application on the same computational node, it is possible to improve resource utilization and overall throughput. Some applications may have conflicting requirements on resources and co-scheduling may cause performance degradation, so it is important to take it into account in scheduling decisions. In this paper, we formalized co-scheduling problem and proposed multiple scheduling strategies to solve it: an optimal strategy, an online strategy and heuristic strategies. These strategies vary in terms of the optimality of the solution they produce and a priori information about the system they require. We showed theoretically that the online strategy provides schedules with a competitive ratio that has a constant upper limit. This allowed us to solve the co-scheduling problem using heuristic strategies that approximate this online strategy. Numerical simulations showed how heuristic strategies compare to the optimal strategy for different input systems. We proposed a method for measuring input parameters of the model in practice and evaluated this method on HPC benchmark applications. We showed high accuracy of measurement method, which allows to apply proposed scheduling strategies in scheduler implementation.

The social distancing as a response to COVID 19 pandemic has led to the exceptional reductions of daily routine people activities and vehicle uses mainly in city. This same situation was also experienced by several busy, large, and populous cities in Southeast Asia (SA) countries. Correspondingly, this study aimed to test the hypothesis that the social distancing implementation period has increased the air quality in the term of carbon monoxide (CO) emission reduction as drawn from Jakarta city as an example of the one of populated cities in SA region. The CO was measured in parts per billions (ppb) and monitored on the daily basis employing remote sensor platform. The monitor periods were started from January, February, March, and April 2020 with 10 measurement days for each month. The social distancing was implemented from mid of March to the recent April. The CO measurement data were statistically tested to justify the significant effects of social distancing on the CO levels. Based on the CO data analysis, the order of CO mean by months is February > January > March > April. The CO levels for January, February, March, and April were 87.46 ppb (95%CI: 83.54-91.37), 88.20 ppb (95%CI: 81.65-94.74), 86.38 (95%CI: 81.06-91.69), and 78.68 (95%CI: 74.03-83.32) respectively. This study also find significant difference (p<0.05) of CO levels especially in April when social distancing has been implemented. Hence, these findings illustrate the potential air pollutant reduction gained from implementing social distancing as can be seen in April.

Degussa P25 is a benchmark form of TiO₂ used worldwide in photocatalysis studies. Currently no such benchmark exists for co-catalysts, which are essential for many photocatalytic reactions. Here, we present the preparation of Pt nanocluster co-catalysts on TiO₂ using an unmodified commercial source and equipment that is commonly available. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the procedure produces TiO₂ decorated with Pt atom and nanoclusters (1-5 atoms). Optical reflectance and X-ray diffraction measurements show that the procedure does not affect the TiO₂ polymorph or UV-Vis absorbance. Gas phase photocatalytic splitting of heavy water (D₂O) shows that the Pt nanocluster decorated TiO₂ outperforms Pt nanoparticle (produced by photodeposition) decorated TiO₂ in D₂ production. Pt nanoclusters, produced directly from a commercial source, with high co-catalyst activity are prime candidates to be used in benchmark photocatalytic reactions.

In order to understand the effect of Pb-CuI co-doping on the thermoelectric performance of Bi₂Te₃, n-type Bi₂Te₃ co-doped with x at% CuI and 1/2x at% Pb (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.10) were prepared via high temperature solid state reaction and consolidated using spark plasma sintering. Electron and thermal transport properties, i.e., electrical conductivity, carrier concentration, Hall mobility, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity, of CuI-Pb co-doped Bi₂Te₃ were measured in the temperature range from 300 K to 523 K and compared to corresponding x% of CuI-doped Bi₂Te₃ and undoped Bi₂Te₃. The addition of a small amount of Pb significantly decreased the carrier concentration, which could be attributed to the holes from Pb atoms, thus the CuI-Pb co-doped samples show a lower electrical conductivity and a higher Seebeck coefficient compared to CuI-doped samples with similar x values. The incorporation of Pb into CuI-doped Bi₂Te₃ rarely changed the power factor because of the trade-off relationship between the electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient. The total thermal conductivity(κ_tot) of co-doped samples (κ_tot ~1.4 W/m∙K at 300 K) is slightly lower than that of 1% CuI-doped Bi₂Te₃ (κ_tot~1.5 W/m∙K at 300 K) and undoped Bi₂Te₃ (κ_tot ~1.6 W/m∙K at 300 K) due to the alloy scattering. The 1% CuI-Pb co-doped Bi₂Te₃ sample shows the highest ZT value of 0.96 at 370 K. All data on electrical and thermal transport properties suggest that the thermoelectric properties of Bi₂Te₃ and its operating temperature can be controlled by co-doping.

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a negative regulator of the phosphoinositide 3-kinases/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway. Notably, its active site harbors a cysteine residue that is susceptible to oxidation by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This oxidation inhibits the phosphatase function of PTEN, critically contributing to the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Upon stimulation of cell surface receptors, the activity of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) generates a transient amount of H2O2, serving as a mediator in this pathway by oxidizing PTEN. The mechanism underlying this oxidation, occurring despite the presence of highly efficient and abundant cellular oxidant-protecting and reducing systems, continues to pose a perplexing conundrum. Here, we demonstrate that the presence of bicarbonate (HCO3-) promoted the rate of H2O2-mediated PTEN oxidation, probably through the formation of peroxymonocarbonate (HCO4-), consequently potentiated the phosphorylation of AKT. In essence, our findings consolidate the crucial role of HCO3- in the redox regulation of PTEN by H2O2, lead to the presumption regarding HCO4- as a signaling molecule during cellular physiological processes.

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are poised to become deeply integrated into society. If developed responsibly, AI has potential to benefit humanity immensely. However, it also poses a range of risks, including risks of catastrophic accidents. It is crucial that we develop oversight mechanisms that prevent harm. This article outlines a framework for evaluating and auditing AI to provide assurance of responsible development and deployment, focusing on catastrophic risks. We argue that responsible AI development requires comprehensive auditing that is proportional to AI systems’ capabilities and available affordances. This framework offers recommendations toward that goal and may be useful in the design of AI auditing and governance regimes.

Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) experience more frequent and intense emotions in response to environmental conditions relative to healthy subjects, which leads to mood instability. The aim of this study was to investigate the time-course of emotion regulation strategies, distraction, and reappraisal, in euthymic BD patients using electroencephalography (EEG). Fourteen BD patients and 13 matched healthy controls took part in an experiment constituted of three conditions, i.e., a passive viewing of positive, negative, and neutral pictures and two regulation conditions, one with reappraisal strategy and the other with distraction strategy. Critically, ERP results indicated that during passive viewing, the Late Positive Potential (LPP) was larger in BD patients compared with healthy controls, but only for neutral pictures. During emotion regulation, LPP amplitude was reduced in distraction condition compared with viewing one, especially for negative emotions in both patients and controls. Importantly, LPP was reduced in reappraisal condition compared with passive viewing in an early time window for negative emotions and in a later time window for positive emotions in controls but not in patients. Our findings showed that the neurochronometry of emotion regulation is faster for negative than for positive emotion in controls but not in BD patients.

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor due to its ability to regulate cell survival, growth and proliferation by down-regulating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In addition, PTEN plays an essential role in other physiological events associated with cell growth demands, such as ischemia-reperfusion, nerve injury and immune response. Therefore, recently PTEN inhibition has emerged as a potential therapeutic intervention in these situations. Increasing evidence demonstrates that reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), are produced and required for the signaling in many important cellular processes under such physiological conditions. ROS have been shown to oxidize PTEN at the cysteine residue of its active site, consequently inhibiting its function. Here we provide an overview of studies that highlight the role of oxidative inhibition of PTEN in physiological processes.

In their natural environment, bacteria are exposed to various stresses. The stress-response sigma factor SigB of gram-positive Bacillus subtilis is the best-characterized example. Unlike Bacillus subtilis, the gram-positive bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) contains nine SigB homologues (SigBFGHIKLMN) with a major role in differentiation and response to osmotic stress. We previously constructed a two-plasmid system to identify promoters recognized by these sigma factors. Interestingly, almost all identified promoters were recognized by two or more SigB homologues. However, no specific sequences characteristic for these recognition groups were found. To examine this cross-recognition in vivo in S. coelicolor A3 (2), one of these promoters was cho-sen, which drives the expression of the sporulation-specific gene ssgB. The ssgBp promoter was inserted into a luciferase reporter plasmid and conjugated to S. coelicolor M145 and nine mutant strains containing deleted individual sigB homologous genes. Luciferase reporter activity indi-cated differential activity of this promoter in these mutant strains, suggesting overlapping pro-moter recognition by these SigB homologues. To determine which nucleotides in the ̶ 10 re-gion are responsible for the selection of a specific SigB homologue, several mutant promoters with altered last three nucleotides in this region were prepared and tested in the two-plasmid system. Some mutant promoters were specifically recognized by some SigB homologues. Mutant promoters were inserted into a luciferase reporter plasmid and conjugated to S. coelicolor A3(2) and these nine mutant strains. Luciferase reporter activity indicated differential activity of these ssgBp mutant promoters, indicating overlapping promoter recognition by these SigB homologues in S. coelicolor A3(2).

"Metaverse" as a term came to the fore in 2021 when Facebook rebranded its corporate identity to Meta, and signaled its intention to invest at least $10 billion in developing the concepts and related products that year. However, there is still little consensus in defining what constitutes the metaverse, although there is a widespread, though not universal, agreement that it will bring a wide range of benefits across society. More specifically, the advent, and continuing evolution, of the metaverse has strategic and operational implications for, and impacts on, industry and business at large. Adopting an inductive, interpretivist approach, this exploratory research article presents case examples of the guidance on the responsible development of the metaverse provided by two IT business services companies. The article identifies the major risks and responsibilities associated with the metaverse and assesses how companies might address these responsibilities. Very little research has been published in this area and this article attempts to make a small contribution to filling this gap in the literature. The article finds that responsibilities are largely in line with those currently associated with corporate digital responsibility, and concludes that the strategic impact and extent of regulatory change will depend on the nature of the metaverse that materialises in the forthcoming decade.

Assistance dogs provide significant benefits to older adult owners. However, despite protective legislation, aged care facilities continue to not allow owners to retain their dog on relocation. The purpose of the current study was to explore whether older adults should be allowed to retain their dog on relocation to an aged care facility, and what factors should impact this decision. Further, if allowed to retain their dog, what would be the best practice to allow for this. A deliberative democracy methodology was used, with a range of key stakeholders recruited. Focus groups were held, with follow up questionnaire to establish deliberation for all questions. Results indicated that with sufficient objective measurement, fair decisions can be made to ensure the welfare and wellbeing for owner and dog. Key policy and procedure changes would also be necessary to ensure ongoing support, such as training, care plans, and emergency directives. By ensuring sufficient policies and procedures are in place, training and support could lead to an ideal outcome where facilities could be at the forefront of a better future for aged care.

Chromatin structure plays a fundamental role in regulating gene expression, with histone modifiers shaping the structure of chromatin by adding or removing chemical changes to his-tone proteins. The p53 transcription factor controls gene expression, binds target genes, and regulates their activity. While p53 has been extensively investigated in the context of cancer research, its association with histone modifiers has received limited attention. This review ex-plores the interplay between histone modifiers and p53 in regulating gene expression. We discussed how histone modifications can influence how p53 binds to target genes and how this interplay can be disrupted in cancer cells. This study provides insights into the complex mechanisms underlying gene regulation and their implications for potential cancer therapy.

The inappropriate use of pesticides in the world and particularly in Africa, explains their presence in various environmental compartments. This presence in the environment has harmful consequences on living beings, especially humans. This review, based on scientific publications, aims to analyze the problem of pesticides in Africa. From a corpus of 81 articles published in Africa on this topic between 1996 and 2019, we have outlined the issues relating to phytosanitary practices, environmental pollution, food contamination, intoxication of farmers and consumers, qualitative and quantitative analysis methods used, as well as the regulations on the subject and their application in Africa. Based on an analysis of the factors that are at the root of the problems of environmental pollution, contamination and health that they cause in Africa, possible solutions were proposed to produce healthy products and preserve our common environmental heritage.

;Yams are economic and medicinal crops with a long growth cycle, spanning between 9-11 months due to the prolonged tuber dormancy. Tuber dormancy has constituted a major constraint in yam production and genetic improvement. In this study, we performed non-targeted comparative metabolomic profiling of tubers of two white yam genotypes, (Obiaoturugo and TDr1100873), to identify metabolites and associated pathways that regulate yam tuber dormancy using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Yam tubers were sampled between 42 days after physiological maturity (DAPM) till tuber sprouting. The sampling points include 42-DAPM, 56-DAPM, 87DAPM, 101-DAPM, 115-DAPM, and 143-DAPM. A total of 949 metabolites were annotated, 559 in TDr1100873 and 390 in Obiaoturugo. 39 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified across the studied tuber dormancy stages in the two genotypes. 27 DAMs were conserved between the two genotypes, whereas, 5 DAMs were unique in the tubers of TDr1100873 and 7 DAMs were in the tubers of Obiaoturugo. The differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) spread across 14 major functional chemical groups. Amines and biogenic polyamines, amino acids and derivatives, Alcohols, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, esters, coumarins and phytohormone positively regulated yam tuber dormancy induction and maintenance, whereas, fatty acids, lipids, nucleotides, carboxylic acids, sugars, terpenoids, benzoquinones, and benzene derivatives positively regulated dormancy breaking and sprouting in tubers of both yam genotypes. Metabolite set enrichment analysis (MSEA) revealed that 12 metabolisms were significantly enriched during yam tuber dormancy stages. Metabolic pathway topology analysis further revealed that six metabolic pathways (linoleic acid metabolic pathway, phenylalanine metabolic pathway, galactose metabolic pathway, starch and sucrose metabolic pathway, alanine-aspartate-glutamine metabolic pathways and purine metabolic pathway) exerted significant impact on yam tuber dormancy regulation. This result provides vital insights into molecular mechanisms regulating yam tuber dormancy.

KLFs seem to associate with congenital heart disease-linked syndromes, malformations because of autosomal diseases, mutations that relate to protein instability, and/or loss functions such as atheroprotective activities. Ischemic damage also relates to KLF dysregulation because of differentiation of cardiac myofibroblasts or a modified fatty acid oxidation, related to the formation of a dilated cardiomyopathy; myocardial infarctions, left ventricular hypertrophy and diabetic cardiomyopathies. MicroRNA have been involved in certain regulatory loops of KLFs as they may function as critical modulators of vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis, in heart failure and as markers of endothelial damage in acute myocardial infarction.

The stringency of GMO regulation affects trade of agricultural products among countries. On that account, our investigation attempts to shed the light on the complexity of the impact of genetically modified organisms (GMO) regulations among countries on bilateral trade with a focus on GMO approvals. We develop a framework extending Xiong and Beghin (2014) and their decomposition of export supply and imports demand effects. Our approach encompasses the supplemental effect of GMO regulation laxity in production on the exporter’s productivity. It decomposes three effects that impact bilateral trade flows between trade partners: productivity in the source country, sorting cost from bilateral dissimilarity in regulations, and stringency impact on import demand. We estimate the model using a panel dataset of corn trade and two econometric approaches (PPML, Heckman sample-selection). We find that GMO laxity in production of exporters has the most prominent and robust effect of enhancing bilateral trade of corn. The effect of GMO laxity in demand appears to be smaller than the export booster effect of GMO adoption. Finally, bilateral dissimilarity in regulations does not appear to matter, once we account for the impact of GMO in production of the exporters and laxity in demand differentiated for importer and exporters. Hence, GMO approval regulations have dominating multilateral effects rather than bilateral ones.

Introduction: The application of the concept of self-regulation that has an impact on the psychological well-being of adolescent social media users as self-regulation in a core aspect of human functioning that helps facilitate the successful pursuit of personal goals and adaptability to changes in the environment. This literature aims to determine the study of the psychological well-being philosophy of adolescent social media users based on self-regulation.Methods: This literature study was conducted through a search for scientific publications ranging from 2018-2022. The databases used are PubMed, Science Direct, and ProQuest. The literature search was carried out according to topics with four groups of keywords based on Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) and combined with Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT, keywords Self-regulation AND mental wellbeing AND social media AND adolescence.Results: A study of the psychological well-being of adolescent social media users based on self-regulation based on ontology, epistemology, and axiology studies. Self-regulation is a philosophy that emphasizes the dynamic process that directs the behavior of a teenager towards the desired final state and adapts to changes that occur in the surrounding environment. The adaptation process is carried out as a form of self-regulation of the positive and negative impacts of using social media on adolescents with a motivational approach and avoidance system. The approach motivation system is carried out if it provides positive aspects in social media. While avoidance motivation is carried out if it has a negative impact in the form of low self-esteem, depression, and body image disturbances as a result of social comparisons made by teenagers when they see other people's posts.Conclusion: The concept of psychological well-being of adolescent social media users based on self-regulation is beneficial for parents to improve the parenting pattern of adolescent children. Good parenting is needed in understanding the positive and negative impacts of using social media and reducing externalization problems in adolescents.

JmjC-family of lysine demethylases (JMJC-KDMs) plays an essential role controlling gene expression and chromatin structure. In most cases, their function has been attributed to the demethylase activity. However, accumulating evidence demonstrates that these proteins play roles distinct from histone demethylation. This raises the possibility that they might share domains that contribute to their functional outcome. Here, we show that the JMJC-KDMs contain low complexity domains as well as intrinsically disordered regions, which in some cases reached 70% of the protein. Our data revealed that PHF2, KDM2A and KDM4B cluster by phase-separation in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, our molecular analysis demonstrated that these domains are important to regulate transcription, suggesting that clustering via phase -separation is a common feature that JMJC-KDMs utilize, in addition to their catalytic activity, to facilitate their functional responses. Our study uncovers a novel potential function for the JMJC-KDM family that sheds light on the mechanisms to achieve the competent concentration of molecules in time and space within the cell nucleus.

Crocodilepox virus (CRV) belongs to the Poxviridae family and mainly infects hatchling and juvenile Nile crocodiles. Most poxviruses encode inhibitors of the host antiviral protein kinase R (PKR), which is activated by viral double-stranded (ds) RNA formed during virus replication, resulting in the phosphorylation of eIF2 and subsequent shutdown of general mRNA translation. Because CRV lacks orthologs of known poxviral PKR inhibitors, we experimentally characterized one candidate (CRV157), which contains a predicted dsRNA-binding domain. Bioinformatic analyses indicated that CRV157 evolved independently from other poxvirus PKR inhibitors. CRV157 bound to dsRNA, co-localized with PKR in the cytosol, and inhibited PKR from various species. To analyze whether CRV157 could inhibit PKR in the context of a poxvirus infection, we constructed recombinant vaccinia virus strains that contain either CRV157 or a mutant CRV157 deficient in dsRNA binding in a strain that lacks PKR inhibitors. The presence of wild type CRV157 rescued vaccinia virus replication, while the CRV157 mutant did not. The ability of CRV157 to inhibit PKR correlated with virus replication and eIF2alpha phosphorylation. The independent evolution of CRV157 demonstrates that poxvirus PKR inhibitors evolved from a diverse set of ancestral genes in an example of convergent evolution.

The power sectors in most African countries face an enduring problem of utility performance – electricity utilities have failed to deliver adequate, reliable and competitively priced electricity to support economic growth and improve the welfare of their populations. Despite more than two decades of power sector re-forms, outcomes have been varied and often disappointing. Using a case study de-sign, we explore the five key enduring power challenges. The research utilizes a more powerful analytical framework that combines power sector reform theory and principal-agent theoretical lens to explore the experience of power sector reforms in Kenya and provides a deeper understanding of drivers of utility performance and reform impacts. Empirical findings show that the structural, governance and regulatory reforms that previously created incentives for improved utility performance are increasingly threatened by political influence. Kenya Power’s financial viability has deteriorated in recent years and the regulator has been undermined. One of our major conclusions is that when the relationship between the principal (government) and agent (utility) is well understood and the agent is properly incentivized, performance improvements are possible. However, when the government undermines or muddies those incentives through conflicting political interventions, performance improvements can be reversed.

The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources in power grids highlights the role of battery energy stor- age systems (BESSs) in enhancing the stability and reliability of electricity. A key challenge with the renewables’, specially the BESSs, integration into the power system is the lack of proper dynamic model for stability analysis. Moreover, a proper control design for the power system is a complicated issue due to its complexity and inter-connectivity. Thus, the application of decentralized control to improve the stability of a large- scale power system is inevitable, especially in distributed energy sources (DERs). This paper presents an optimal distributed hybrid control design for the interconnected systems to suppress the effects of small disturbances in the power system employing utility-scale batteries based on existing battery models. The results show that i) the smart scheduling of the batteries’ output reduces the inter-area oscillations and improves the stability of the power systems; ii) the hybrid model of the battery is more user-friendly compared to the Western electricity coordinating council (WECC) model in power system analysis.

Abstract：This paper uses the balanced panel data from 29 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China for a total of 17 years from 2000 to 2016 as a research sample, and establishes an empirical model to examine the impact of environmental regulations and technological innovation on the quality of economic growth. Then this paper test technological innovation as a threshold variable, in which play a regulatory role. Taking the provincial balanced panel data as a research sample, a fixed effect model, a system GMM model, and a panel threshold model were established for empirical testing and the robustness test. Based on the empirical results, this article draws the following conclusions: from a national perspective, environmental regulations and technological innovation can significantly promote the quality of economic growth; from a regional perspective, there are regional differences in impact effects. Under the constraints of environmental regulations, the promotion effect of technological innovation on the quality of economic growth will be reduced; the impact of environmental regulation on the quality of economic growth will have a "threshold effect", and environmental regulation can significantly promote the quality of economic growth only after crossing the threshold and the threshold of technological innovation.

During their complex life cycles, the Apicomplexan parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii employ several genetic switches to regulate their gene expression. One such switch is mediated at the level of translation through upstream Open Reading Frames (uORFs). As uORFs are found in the upstream regions of a majority of genes in both the parasites, it is essential that their roles in translational regulation be appreciated to a greater extent. This review provides a comprehensive summary of studies that show uORF-mediated gene regulation in these parasites and highlights examples of clinically and physiologically relevant proteins that exhibit uORF-mediated regulation. In addition to these examples, several studies that use bioinformatics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and ribosome profiling also indicate the possibility of widespread translational regulation by uORFs. Further analysis of genome-wide datasets will reveal novel genes involved in key biological pathways such as cell-cycle progression, stress-response, and pathogenicity. The cumulative evidence from studies presented in this review suggests that uORFs will play crucial roles in regulating gene expression during clinical disease caused by these important human pathogens.

Obesity is a problem in the last decades since the development of different technologies forced the submission of a faster pace of life, resulting in nutrition style changes. In turn, domestic pigs are an excellent animal model in recognition of adiposity-related processes, corresponding to the size of individual organs, the distribution of body fat in the organism, and similar metabolism. The present study applied the next-generation sequencing method to identify adipose tissue (AT) transcriptomic signals related to increased fat content by identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs), included long-non coding RNA molecules. The Freiburg RNA tool was applied to recognise predicting hybridisation energy of RNA-RNA interactions. The results indicated several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) whose expression was significantly positively or negatively associated with fat deposition. lncRNAs play an essential role in regulating gene expression by sponging miRNA, binding transcripts, facilitating translation, or coding other smaller RNA regulatory elements. In the pig fat tissue of obese group, increased expression of lncRNAs corresponding to human MALAT1 was observed that previously recognised in the obesity-related context. Moreover, hybridisation energy analyses pinpointed numerous potential interactions between identified differentially expressed lncRNAs, and obesity-related genes and miRNAs expressed in AT.

Transposable elements (TEs), also known as mobile elements (MEs), are interspersed repeats that constitute a major fraction of the genomes of higher organisms. As one of their important functional impacts on gene function and genome evolution, TEs participate in regulating the expression of genes nearby and even far away at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. There are two known principal ways by which TEs regulate expression of genes. First, TEs provide cis-regulatory sequences in the genome with their intrinsic regulatory properties for their own expression making them potential factors for regulating the expression of the host genes. TE-derived cis-regulatory sites are found in promoter and enhancer elements, providing binding sites for a wide range of trans-acting factors. Second, TEs encode for regulatory RNAs with their sequences showed to be present in a substantial fraction of miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), indicating the TE origin of these RNAs. Furthermore, TEs sequences were found to be critical for regulatory functions of these RNAs including binding to the target mRNA. TEs thus provide crucial regulatory roles by being part of cis-regulatory and regulatory RNA sequences. Moreover, both TE-derived cis-regulatory sequences and TE-derived regulatory RNAs, have been implicated to provide evolutionary novelty to gene regulation. These TE-derived regulatory mechanisms also tend to function in tissue-specific fashion. In this review, we aim to comprehensively cover the studies regarding these two aspects of TE-mediated gene regulation, mainly focusing on the mechanisms, contribution of different types of TEs, differential roles among tissue types, and lineage specificity, based on data mostly in humans.

On 25 May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)Article 17, the Right to Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’) came into force making it vital for organisations to identify, locate and delete all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) where a valid request is received from a data subject to erase their PII and the contractual period has expired. This must be done without undue delay and the organisation must be able to demonstrate reasonable measures were taken. Failure to comply may incur significant fines, not to mention impact to reputation. Many organisations do not understand their data, and the complexity of a hybrid cloud infrastructure means they do not have the resources to undertake this task. The variety of available tools are quite often unsuitable as they involve restructuring so there is one centralised data repository. This research aims to demonstrate compliance with GDPR’s Article 17 Right to Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’) is achievable in a Hybrid cloud environment by following a list of recommendations. However, 100% retrieval, 100% of time will not be possible, but we show that small organisations running an ad-hoc Hybrid cloud environment can demonstrate that reasonable measures were taken to be Right to Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’) compliant.