Recent evidence suggests that human gene promoters display gene expression regulatory mechanisms beyond the typical single gene local transcription modulation. In mammalian genomes, genes with an associated bidirectional promoter are abundant; bidirectional promoter architecture serves as a regulatory hub for a gene pair expression. However, it has been suggested that its contribution to transcriptional regulation might exceed local transcription initiation modulation. Despite their abundance, the functional consequences of bidirectional promoter architecture remain largely unexplored. This work studies the long-range gene expression regulatory role of a long non-coding RNA gene promoter using chromosome conformation capture methods. We found that this particular bidirectional promoter contributes to distal gene expression regulation in a target-specific manner by establishing promoter–promoter interactions. In particular, we validated that the promoter–promoter interactions of this regulatory element with the promoter of distal gene BBX contribute to modulating the transcription rate of this gene; removing the bidirectional promoter from its genomic context leads to a rearrangement of BBX promoter–enhancer interactions and to increased gene expression. Moreover, long-range regulatory functionality is not directly dependent on its associated non-coding gene pair expression levels. Full article

Fueled by pressing global climate concerns, the integration of large-scale renewable distributed generation sources, including distributed wind power and photovoltaics, along with electricity substitution loads into the distribution network has been accelerated to diminish carbon emissions. This shift introduces significant challenges and necessitates the advanced operation and control of distribution systems to accommodate these changes effectively. Against this backdrop, there is a growing expectation for an open and scalable central control mode, equipped with compatible interfaces, to offer a visionary development platform for the grid. This platform is anticipated to meet the evolving needs of future distribution system development, ensuring adaptability and forward compatibility. The aforementioned platform requires open, scalable, and interface-compatible models of key distribution network equipment as its foundation. To address the challenges presented, this paper proposes a data–physics-driven modeling approach for automating simulations in distribution systems. This method employs a simplified and standardized system of linear differential equations with undetermined coefficients to capture the common physical characteristics of specific device types. The models designed through this approach are notably open, allowing for real-time data to refine undetermined coefficients and accurately depict the dynamic behavior of equipment over various periods. Their scalability also stands out, rendering them apt for large-scale distribution network simulations. The paper elaborates on models for distributed photovoltaic, wind turbine, energy storage, and electric vehicle, and demonstrates their application within an IEEE-33 node distribution network topology built on Python. Full article

A modified parallel model for estimating the thermal conductivity of unsaturated sand was proposed in this study. The heat conduction in the solid phase of sand depends mainly on the form of contacts between solid particles, while water bridges at the particle contacts increase the contact areas and remarkably enlarge the transfer paths of heat conduction in sandy soils. However, the thermal conductivity of the solid particle itself (λ_s) cannot describe the influence of the form of contacts and water bridges on heat conduction through the solid phase. In this study, the equivalent thermal conductivity of the solid particle (λ_es) was presented which reflected the influence of the form of contacts and water bridges between particles under dry conditions or a low degree of saturation, respectively. The relationship between λ_es and degree of saturation was described by hyperbolic expression. The modified model was calibrated using measured values of the thermal conductivity from published datasets, including those for 41 types of sand from 15 studies. Numerical analyses of the temperature field of the energy pile were performed and validated against laboratory measurements. The results illustrated that the modified model was more applicable than the original model for predictions of sand thermal conductivity. Full article

Phytohormones that trigger or repress flower meristem development in apple buds are thought to be locally emitted from adjacent plant tissues, including leaves and fruitlets. The presence of fruitlets is known to inhibit adjacent buds from forming flowers and thus fruits. The resulting absence of fruitlets the following season restores flower-promoting signalling to the new buds. The cycle can lead to a biennial bearing behaviour of alternating crop loads in a branch or tree. The hormonal stimuli that elicit flowering is typically referred to as the floral induction (FI) phase in bud meristem development. To determine the metabolic pathways activated in FI, young trees of the cultivar ‘Ruby Matilda’ were subjected to zonal crop load treatments imposed to two leaders of bi-axis trees in the 2020/2021 season. Buds were collected over the expected FI phase, which is within 60 DAFB. Metabolomics profiling was undertaken to determine the differentially expressed pathways and key signalling molecules associated with FI in the leader and at tree level. Pronounced metabolic differences were observed in trees and leaders with high return bloom with significant increases in compounds belonging to the cytokinin, abscisic acid (ABA), phenylpropanoid and flavanol chemical classes. The presence of cytokinins, namely adenosine, inosine and related derivatives, as well as ABA phytohormones, provides further insight into the chemical intervention opportunities for future crop load management strategies via plant growth regulators. Full article

School-based mentors play a key role in the learning processes of student teachers. Ideally, they facilitate student teachers to scrutinize their approaches and underlying assumptions, and link these to theoretical notions. In this study we investigated how three mentors used a goal-system representation (GSR) tool in their mentoring conversations. The GSR tool is essentially a visual reflection of the student teacher’s personal theory regarding classroom practice. It was developed at our teacher training institute to help our students see the personal relevance of research literature and theory and apply it to their lesson plans, to bridge the gap between educational theory, their vision of good teaching and their educational practice. In three explorative case studies, we show how mentors use the GSR tool and to what extent they support three levels of personal theory development: sharing, investigating and transforming. In all cases, student teachers could relate their practices to theoretical notions, giving access to their mentors for further questioning of their sense-making of the situation. Mentors successfully use these opportunities for personal theory development in various ways. We conclude that the GSR tool functions as a boundary object between theory and practice and between institute-based and school-based teacher education. Full article

Biometric authentication plays a vital role in various everyday applications with increasing demands for reliability and security. However, the use of real biometric data for research raises privacy concerns and data scarcity issues. A promising approach using synthetic biometric data to address the resulting unbalanced representation and bias, as well as the limited availability of diverse datasets for the development and evaluation of biometric systems, has emerged. Methods for a parameterized generation of highly realistic synthetic data are emerging and the necessary quality metrics to prove that synthetic data can compare to real data are open research tasks. The generation of 3D synthetic face data using game engines’ capabilities of generating varied realistic virtual characters is explored as a possible alternative for generating synthetic face data while maintaining reproducibility and ground truth, as opposed to other creation methods. While synthetic data offer several benefits, including improved resilience against data privacy concerns, the limitations and challenges associated with their usage are addressed. Our work shows concurrent behavior in comparing semi-synthetic data as a digital representation of a real identity with their real datasets. Despite slight asymmetrical performance in comparison with a larger database of real samples, a promising performance in face data authentication is shown, which lays the foundation for further investigations with digital avatars and the creation and analysis of fully synthetic data. Future directions for improving synthetic biometric data generation and their impact on advancing biometrics research are discussed. Full article

This study examined the influence of genetic background on cognitive performance in a selectively bred high nicotine-preferring (NP) rat line. Using the novel object recognition (NOR), novel location recognition (NLR), and Morris water maze (MWM) tests, we evaluated object memory, spatial memory, and spatial navigation in nicotine-naive NP rats compared to controls. Our results demonstrate that in the NOR test, both male and female NP rats spent more time exploring the novel object (higher discrimination index) compared to sex-matched controls. In the NLR, the discrimination index differed significantly from zero chance (no preference) in both NP males and females but not in controls, indicating enhanced spatial memory in the NP line. During MWM acquisition, the NP groups and control males took a shorter path to reach the platform compared to control females. On the probe trial, the distance traveled in the target quadrant was longer for NP males and females compared to their respective controls, suggesting enhanced spatial navigation and learning in the NP rats. The interesting preference for novel objects and locations displayed by NP rats may indicate a potential novelty-seeking phenotype in this line. These results highlight the complex interplay between genetic factors, cognitive function, and nicotine preference. Full article

Flight simulation training is one of the most important methods in early-stage civil aviation flight training. In this regard, flight simulation competitions are effective tools for evaluating the flight skills of trainees. In this study, a model is developed for evaluating the flight skills of trainees by integrating GBDT (Gradient Boosting Decision Tree), PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization), and CNNs (Convolutional Neural Networks). Flight data from simulations is employed for model training. Initially, performance data and scores are gathered from a simulated flight competition platform. The GBDT algorithm is then applied to filter and identify essential flight parameters from the collected data. Subsequently, the PSO-CNN model is utilized to train on the extracted flight parameters. The proposed GBDT-PSO-CNN model achieves a recognition rate of 93.8% on the test dataset. This assessment system is of significant importance for improving the specific maneuvering skill level of flight trainees. Full article

Examining the efficacy of current assessment methodologies for forest conservation and restoration initiatives to align with global and national agendas to combat deforestation and facilitate restoration efforts is necessary to identify efficient and robust approaches. The objective of this study is to understand forest dynamics (1996–2021) and assess restoration implementations at the Urra’s supplying basin hydroelectric reservoir in Colombia. The processing approach integrates optical and radar Earth Observation (EO) data from Sentinel-2 and Landsat for forest mapping and multi-temporal forest change assessment (1996–2021), and a Sentinel-1 backscatter time-series analysis is conducted to assess the state of forest restoration implementations. The processing chain was scaled in a cloud-based environment using the Nebari and SEPPO software and the Python language. The results demonstrate an overall substantial decrease in forested areas in the 1996–2000 period (37,763 ha). An accuracy assessment of multi-temporal forest change maps showed a high precision in detecting deforestation events, while improvements are necessary for accurately representing non-forested areas. The forest restoration assessment suggests that the majority of the 270 evaluated plots are in the intermediate growth state (82.96%) compared to the reference data. This study underscores the need for robust and continuous monitoring systems that integrate ground truth data with EO techniques for enhanced accuracy and effectiveness in forest restoration and conservation endeavors. Full article

Although commercial smart speakers are becoming increasingly popular, there is still much potential for investigation into their usability. In this study, we analyzed the usability of commercial smart speakers by focusing on the learnability of young users who are not yet familiar with voice user interface (VUI) operation. In the experiment, we conducted a task in which users repeatedly operated a smart speaker 10 times under four conditions, combining two experimental factors: the presence or absence of a screen on the smart speaker and the operation method (voice control only or in conjunction with remote-control operation). The usability of the smart speaker was analyzed in terms of task-completion time, task-completion rate, number of errors, subjective evaluation, and retrospective protocol analysis. In particular, we confirmed and compared the learning curves for each condition in terms of the performance metrics. The experimental results showed that there were no substantial differences in the learning curves between the presence and absence of a screen. In addition, the “lack of feedback” and “system response error” were identified as usability problems, and it was suggested that these problems led to “distrust of the system”. Full article

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), a member of the Arteriviridae family, represents a persistent menace to the global pig industry, causing reproductive failure and respiratory disease in pigs. In this study, we delved into the role of histone deacetylases (HDAC2) during PRRSV infection. Our findings revealed that HDAC2 expression is downregulated upon PRRSV infection. Notably, suppressing HDAC2 activity through specific small interfering RNA led to an increase in virus production, whereas overexpressing HDAC2 effectively inhibited PRRSV replication by boosting the expression of IFN-regulated antiviral molecules. Furthermore, we identified the virus’s nonstructural protein 11 (nsp11) as a key player in reducing HDAC2 levels. Mutagenic analyses of PRRSV nsp11 revealed that its antagonistic effect on the antiviral activity of HDAC2 is dependent on its endonuclease activity. In summary, our research uncovered a novel immune evasion mechanism employed by PRRSV, providing crucial insights into the pathogenesis of this virus and guiding the development of innovative prevention strategies against PRRSV infection. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the impact of cold stress and priming on photosynthesis in the early development of maize and soybean, crops with diverse photosynthetic pathways. The main objectives were to determine the effect of cold stress on chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters and spectral reflectance indices, to determine the effect of cold stress priming and possible stress memory and to determine the relationship between different parameters used in determining the stress response. Fourteen maize inbred lines and twelve soybean cultivars were subjected to control, cold stress, and priming followed by cold stress in a walk-in growth chamber. Measurements were conducted using a portable fluorometer and a handheld reflectance instrument. Cold stress induced an overall downregulation of PSII-related specific energy fluxes and efficiencies, the inactivation of RCs resulting in higher energy dissipation, and electron transport chain impairment in both crops. Spectral reflectance indices suggested cold stress resulted in pigment differences between crops. The effect of priming was more pronounced in maize than in soybean with mostly a cumulatively negative effect. However, priming stabilized the electron trapping efficiency and upregulated the electron transfer system in maize, indicating an adaptive response. Overall, this comprehensive analysis provides insights into the complex physiological responses of maize and soybean to cold stress, emphasizing the need for further genotype-specific cold stress response and priming effect research. Full article

To assess changes in choriocapillaris (CC) vascular density surrounding macular neovascularization (MNV) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) when transitioning from various anti-VEGF treatments to faricimab, using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). 25 eyes of 22 individuals who underwent intravitreal faricimab injections for neovascular AMD with type 1 MNV were included. OCTA images were obtained prior to (T0), after one (T1), and after three faricimab injections (T2); Noteworthy changes occurred in the first ring at T2 in comparison to T0. The percentage of CC flow deficit (FD%), FD average area (FDa), and FD number (FDn) in 5 rings (R1-R5) surrounding the dark halo around the MNV were calculated. A reduction in FD% at T2 compared to T0 (50.5 ± 10.2% at T0, 46.4 ± 10.6% at T2; p = 0.020) was seen, indicating CC reperfusion. Additionally, we observed a reduction in the average FDa (140.2 ± 172.1% at T0, 93.7 ± 101.8% at T2; p = 0.029). Our study highlights an FD% after three consecutive faricimab injections. The most pronounced effect was observed in the first ring, directly adjacent to the dark halo, suggesting a partial CC reperfusion surrounding the MNV, potentially indicating disease regression. Full article

In drug discovery, selecting targeted molecules is crucial as the target could directly affect drug efficacy and the treatment outcomes. As a member of the CCN family, CTGF (also known as CCN2) is an essential regulator in the progression of various diseases, including fibrosis, cancer, neurological disorders, and eye diseases. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of CTGF in different diseases may contribute to the discovery of novel drug candidates. Summarizing the CTGF-targeting and -inhibitory drugs is also beneficial for the analysis of the efficacy, applications, and limitations of these drugs in different disease models. Therefore, we reviewed the CTGF structure, the regulatory mechanisms in various diseases, and drug development in order to provide more references for future drug discovery. Full article

Recently, low THz radar-based measurement and classification for archaeology emerged as a new imaging modality. In this paper, we investigate the classification of pottery shards, a key enabler to understand how the agriculture was introduced from the Fertile Crescent to Europe. Our purpose is to jointly design the measuring radar system and the classification neural network, seeking the maximal compactness and the minimal cost, both directly related to the number of sensors. We aim to select the least possible number of sensors and place them adequately, while minimizing the false recognition rate. For this, we propose a novel version of the Binary Grey Wolf Optimizer, designed to reduce the number of sensors, and a Ternary Grey Wolf Optimizer. Together with the Continuous Grey Wolf Optimizer, they yield the CBTGWO (Continuous Binary Ternary Grey Wolf Optimizer). Working with 7 frequencies and starting with 37 sensors, the CBTGWO selects a single sensor and yields a 0-valued false recognition rate. In a single-frequency scenario, starting with 217 sensors, the CBTGWO selects 2 sensors. The false recognition rate is 2%. The acquisition time is 3.2 s, outperforming the GWO and adaptive mixed GWO, which yield 86.4 and 396.6 s. Full article

Background: The global population, especially in the Western world, is constantly aging and the need for total hip arthroplasties has rocketed, hence there has been a notable increase in revision total hip arthroplasty cases. As time has passed, a considerable developments in science and medicine have been attained which have also resulted in the evolution of both surgical techniques and implants. Continuous improvements have allowed large bore bearings to be utilized which provide an increased range of motion, with ameliorated stability and a very low rate of wear. The trend for almost the last two decades has been the employment of porous tantalum acetabular cups. Several studies exist comparing them with other conventional methods for total hip arthroplasties, exhibiting promising short and midterm results. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and a Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) were used to identify published studies in a comprehensive search up to February 2023, and these studies were reviewed by the authors of the article. Specific rigorous pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria were implemented. Results: Fifty-one studies met our inclusion criteria and were involved in the systematic review. Sixteen studies examined postoperative clinical and radiological outcomes of using a tantalum cup in primary and revision total hip arthroplasty, whilst four biomechanical studies proved the superiority of tantalum acetabular components. Five articles provided a thorough comparison between tantalum and titanium acetabular cups, while the other studies analyzed long-terms results and complication rates. Conclusions: Porous tantalum acetabular cups appear to be a valuable option in revision total hip arthroplasty, providing clinical improvement, radiological stability, and promising long-term outcomes. However, ongoing research, longer follow-up periods, and careful consideration of patient factors are essential to further validate and refine the use of tantalum in various clinical scenarios. Full article

With the rapid increase in smart grid users and the increasing cost of user data transmission, proposing an encryption method that does not increase the construction cost while increasing the user ceiling has become the focus of many scholars. At the same time, the increase in users will also lead to more security problems, and it is also necessary to solve the privacy protection for users during information transmission. In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes an aggregated ring encryption scheme based on the SM2 algorithm with special features, referred to as SM2-CLARSC, based on the certificateless ring signcryption mechanism and combining with the aggregate signcryption. SM2-CLARSC is designed to satisfy the basic needs of the smart grid, and it can be resistant to replay attacks, forward security and backward security, etc. It has better security and higher efficiency than existing solutions. Comparing SM2-CLARSC with existing typical solutions through simulation, the result proves that this solution has more comprehensive functions, higher security, and significant computational efficiency improvement. Full article

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a positive single-strand RNA genome virus which belongs to the enterovirus genus in the picornavirus family, like poliovirus. It is one of the most prevalent pathogens that cause myocarditis and pancreatitis in humans. However, a suitable therapeutic medication and vaccination have yet to be discovered. Caboxamycin, a benzoxazole antibiotic isolated from the culture broth of the marine strain Streptomyces sp., SC0774, showed an antiviral effect in CVB3-infected HeLa cells and a CVB3-induced myocarditis mouse model. Caboxamycin substantially decreased CVB3 VP1 production and cleavage of translation factor eIF4G1 from CVB3 infection. Virus-positive and -negative strand RNA was dramatically reduced by caboxamycin treatment. In addition, the cleavage of the pro-apoptotic molecules BAD, BAX, and caspase3 was significantly inhibited by caboxamycin treatment. In animal experiments, the survival rate of mice was improved following caboxamycin treatment. Moreover, caboxamycin treatment significantly decreased myocardial damage and inflammatory cell infiltration. Our study showed that caboxamycin dramatically suppressed cardiac inflammation and mouse death. This result suggests that caboxamycin may be suitable as a potential antiviral drug for CVB3. Full article

Objectives: Our aim was to investigate the clinical outcome of patients with well-differentiated gastric, duodenal, and rectal neuroendocrine tumors after treatment with incomplete endoscopic resection due to the finding of microscopic positive resection margins (R1). Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with type 1 gastric, non-ampullary non-functioning duodenal, or rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms with positive R1 margins after endoscopic resection. The rate of tumor recurrence and progression-free survival were considered to be the study’s main endpoints. Statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc^® v.17 software and a p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. A Cox proportional-hazard regression was performed to identify risk factors for disease recurrence/progression. Results: After evaluating 110 patients, a total of 58 patients were included in the final analysis (15 gastric NENs, 12 duodenal NENs, and 31 rectal NENs). After evidence of endoscopic R1 resection had been gathered, 26 patients (44.8%) underwent an endoscopic/surgical extension of the previous resection. Tumor progression (all local recurrences) occurred in five out of fifty-eight patients (8.6%) with a median PFS of 36 months. There were no tumor-related deaths. G2 grading and the gastric primary tumor site were the only features significantly associated with the risk of recurrence of the disease (HR: 11.97 [95% CI: 1.22–116.99], HR: 12.54 [95% CI: 1.28–122.24], respectively). Conclusions: Tumor progression rarely occurs in patients with microscopic positive margin excision (R1) after endoscopic resection and does not seem to affect patients’ clinical outcomes. Full article

The endothelium is a continuous layer of cells that coats the interior walls of arteries, capillaries, and veins. It has an essential regulatory role in hemostatic function, vascular tone, inflammation, and platelet activity. Endothelial dysfunction is characterized by a shift to a proinflammatory and prothrombic state, and it could have a bidirectional relationship with heart failure (HF). Due to neurohormonal activation and shear stress, HFrEF may promote endothelial dysfunction, increase ROS synthesis, and reduce nitric oxide production. Different studies have also shown that endothelium function is damaged in HFpEF because of a systemic inflammatory state. Some clinical trials suggest that drugs that have an effect on endothelial dysfunction in patients with HF or cardiovascular disease may be a therapeutic option. The aim of this review is to highlight the pathogenetic correlation between endothelial dysfunction and heart failure and the related potential therapeutic options. Full article

Biochar, as a soil amendment, has been widely confirmed to increase soil carbon sequestration. However, how biochar addition affects soil carbon changes during the vegetation restoration process is still unclear, which constrains our ability to explore biochar’s application in the technology of soil carbon sequestration in forests. We conducted an incubation experiment on biochar and dissolved organic matter (DOM) addition to soil at three stages of revegetation (degraded land (DS), plantation forest (PS), and secondary natural forest (NS) in Changting County in Fujian province, China) to investigate the effects of vegetation restoration, biochar, DOM, and their interaction on soil CO₂ emission and its relative mechanisms. We found that the accumulative release of CO₂-C in the NS and PS soils was 7.6 and 6.8 times higher, respectively, in comparison to that from the DS soil. In the DS, biochar addition significantly increased the accumulative release of CO₂-C, soil pH, NH₄⁺-N content, qCO₂, phenol oxidase, and peroxidase activities. Peroxidase activities were positively correlated with the accumulative release of CO₂-C, and oxidase was the most important direct factor influencing the accumulative release of CO₂-C in the DS. However, the accumulative release of CO₂-C, soil NH₄⁺-N content, qCO₂, β-glucosidase, and N-acetylglucosaminidase activities was significantly reduced after the application of biochar in the PS and NS. These two hydrolases were positively associated with the accumulative release of CO₂-C, and hydrolase was the most vital direct factor influencing the accumulative release of CO₂-C from the PS and NS soils. The positive effect of DOM addition on CO₂ emission under biochar application declined with a vegetation restoration age increase. Our results indicated that biochar could alter microbial physiological processes, inhibit qCO₂ and hydrolase activities, and further decrease CO₂ emission in relatively fertile soil from the PS and NS; but in the relatively barren soil from the DS, biochar might promote CO₂ emission by stimulating microorganisms to enhance qCO₂ and oxidase activities. Full article

Oncolytic virotherapy is a promising immunotherapy approach for cancer treatment that utilizes viruses to preferentially infect and eliminate cancer cells while stimulating the immune response. In this review, we synthesize the current literature on the molecular circuits of immune sensing and response to oncolytic virotherapy, focusing on viral DNA or RNA sensing by infected cells, cytokine and danger-associated-signal sensing by neighboring cells, and the subsequent downstream activation of immune pathways. These sequential sense-and-response mechanisms involve the triggering of molecular sensors by viruses or infected cells to activate transcription factors and related genes for a breadth of immune responses. We describe how the molecular signals induced in the tumor upon virotherapy can trigger diverse immune signaling pathways, activating both antigen-presenting-cell-based innate and T cell-based adaptive immune responses. Insights into these complex mechanisms provide valuable knowledge for enhancing oncolytic virotherapy strategies. Full article