Absolute Amount Research Articles

Flexibly Maintained Inequality in Workplace Flexibility: Absolute and Relative Shifts in Telework Under Covid-19

Abstract Recent research argues that the availability of flexible work arrangements (FWA) is unequally distributed among workers. Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically transformed the way we work, including the abrupt introduction of telework. However, we know little about how workers are stratified in telework usage under the global crisis and how it differs from pre-pandemic times. This study leverages the nation-wide longitudinal survey data in Japan to investigate (a) who are more/less likely to be excluded from telework and (b) how the structure changes from 2019 to 2022, with close attention to both absolute and relative shifts. The analysis shows (a) the absolute amount of telework opportunities has increased in the wake of the pandemic; but (b) the relative inequality among workers has rather been intensified since 2020, with the probability of non-telework ranging from 0.6 to 0.9 across their socio-economic attributes and (c) labour stratification in telework use persists over time despite its fluctuating magnitude. One may call this social phenomenon ‘flexibly maintained inequality (FMI)’ in that relative inequalities remain via adjusting their absolute thresholds across worker segments. Examining the mechanism of FMI and its impact on individuals, organisations, and societies is crucial for future research and relevant policy/practice.

유전체 장벽 방전 내 미세플라스틱 입자량에 따른 분해 특성

The problem of microplastic has recently emerged as the worldwide use of plastics has increased. Although many studies are being conducted to address the microplastic problem, the impact is still insignificant and takes a long time. Therefore, in this study, microplastic degradation studies were conducted according to the amount of particles injected using dielectric barrier discharge that can efficiently decompose microplastic particles. As a result, after 120 minutes of treatment at 0.05 g input, the removal efficiency reached 5.44%, and the carbonyl index (CI) was 1.7308. In addition, the smaller the amount of injected particles, the higher the removal efficiency and CI. However, when considering the absolute removal amount and energy yield, it was necessary to design an appropriate input amount according to the characteristics of the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) device. This study

Calibration of fish biomass estimates from gillnets: Step towards broader application of gillnet data

Fish are an important component of aquatic ecosystems, thus representative and reliable assessments of their population variables are essential for a variety of ecological applications, management and conservation. Determining Fish Density per actual Spatial Unit (volume or area, FDSU) as a measure of absolute fish quantity is of particular interest. Gillnets are undoubtedly one of the most common and important methods for assessing fish populations in large lentic waters. However, direct calculating of FDSU from gillnet catches is impossible because of the passive nature of this method, and to date there is no reliable model for calculating FDSU from gillnet catches. This weakness largely limits the use of gillnet data for applications requiring FDSU estimates.The aim of this study was to calibrate gillnet catches using FDSU obtained by active methods (beach seine nets and hydroacoustics) to develop a tool for assessing FDSU from gillnet catches. To achieve this goal, we compared gillnet biomass to fish biomass estimated from the active methods, both of which cover similar spatiotemporal niches. This comparison was performed using a statistical approach based on the recognition of non-negligible random measurement error in both the explanatory (active methods) and response (gillnets) variables.We found a strong positive linear relationship between fish biomasses sampled with gillnets and with active methods. The slope of the fitted linear model was similar when comparing gillnets with the two active methods. The statistical method used allowed for the inclusion of error in the biomass estimates with gillnets and active methods, refining the credible intervals of the estimated relationship. The effect of gillnet effort on model accuracy was simulated to show how increased effort narrows the credible interval. Finally, comparison with previously published relationships revealed a large but explainable discrepancy between our model and previous models.Our study showed that conversion of gillnet biomass to biomass per actual spatial unit is possible. The effective sampling area of one square meter of gillnet was determined to be 8 m2 of waterbody surface area when European standard 12 mesh-sizes gillnets are used, and 5 m2 when four larger meshes are added to the European standard gillnets. Our model further stressed the impact of increased sampling effort on reducing estimation variability and shows that the model may be dependent on the fish community.

Long-term supercritical CO2 exposure dependence of physicochemical properties and CH4 adsorbability of moisture-equilibrated coal matrices

ABSTRACT Further understanding into the impacts of supercritical CO2 fluid exposure toward CO2 storage and coalbed methane (CH4) recovery is significant to evaluate validity, stability, and safety of CO2-ECBM. For purpose of addressing the potential impacts, the long-term static interactions between supercritical CO2 fluid and moisture-equilibrated coal matrices with various degrees of coalification were conducted at 318.15 K and 12.00 MPa for 240 days in this study. Furthermore, the changes of the physicochemical properties dominating adsorbability of moisture-equilibrated coals due to the exposure were revealed. Ultimately, the impacts of the exposure toward CH4 adsorbability of moisture-equilibrated coals were addressed. Results indicate that the long-term supercritical CO2 exposure induces complex effects typically including organic matter extraction, mineral dissolution and formation, and matrix swelling to the coals, thereby further reducing the micropores within pore diameter ranges of 0.38–0.71 nm and 0.74–0.90 nm of the low-rank moisture-equilibrated coals, and slightly increasing those of 0.40–0.70 nm and 0.75–0.90 nm of the high-rank moisture-equilibrated coal. Additionally, the complex effects reduce the mesopores with pore diameter less than 8.00 nm for all the coal samples. Moreover, the exposure alters the surface chemistry of the coals. Particularly, the exposure increases the oxygen-containing functional groups typically comprising C-O, C=O, and -COOH of the low-rank moisture-equilibrated coals by 25.32–27.16%, and weakens the graphitization of the high-rank coal by 34.00%. Moreover, the induced synergistic effects decrease the number of pores with diameter less than approximately 8.00 nm of all the moisture-equilibrated coals. Furthermore, the CO2 exposure significantly reduces CH4 adsorption capacity of the moisture-equilibrated coal matrices indicated by the decreasing amplitude in absolute adsorption amount of 6.20–18.00%. Overall, the long-term supercritical CO2 exposure could favor CH4 production during CO2-ECBM. Future study should focus on in-situ characterization and accurate quantitative analysis on extraction, mineral dissolution and formation, and matrix swelling due to CO2 exposure, and distinguishment in the contribution of these effects to pores and functional groups of coals.

BIOPHARMACEUTICAL INVESTIGATION OF ANTIOXIDANT GEL

Introduction: With the recognized association between oxidative stress and skin diseases, incorporating antioxidants into treatment strategies has gained importance. However, dermatological dosage forms containing antioxidants are underrepresented on the pharmaceutical market. The search for delivery systems that ensure antioxidant stability and enhance antioxidant effects on the skin remains is quite relevant. Among the various dosage forms, gels have gained significant interest in recent times.
 The purpose of this study work is to conduct a comparative biopharmaceutical investigation of gels containing the synthetic antioxidant ethylmethylhydroxypyridine succinate (EMHPS) at different concentrations of the active ingredient.
 Materials and methods: The study utilized gel compositions containing EMHPS at concentrations ranging from 2.5% to 7.5%. Synthetic polymer compounds were employed as gelling agents, and the gels were prepared under laboratory conditions according to the technological scheme developed by the author. The obtained samples were assessed for thermal, colloidal, and mechanical stability. The release rate of EMHPS from the gels was determined by the dialysis method using a semipermeable membrane according to Kruchinsky. Dialysate samples were collected over a 5-hour period and analyzed spectrophotometrically at 297 nm. The data obtained were checked for normal distribution and statistically processed using Excel tables.
 Results: The studied gels exhibited thermal and colloidal stability, no delamination occurred under elevated temperature and centrifugation conditions. The gels and their bases demonstrated mechanical stability, with respective values ranging from 1 to 2. Analysis of the dialysis results revealed that the release of the active substance from all three gel samples commenced after 15 minutes, exhibited intensive increase within the first 60 minutes, and continued to gradually increase from 1 to 4 hours. Although the fraction of released active substance remained consistent across the three gels at each time interval, the absolute EMHPS amount in the dialysate depended on the drug concentration
 In conclusion, synthetic-based gels containing EMHPS can be successfully formulated, meeting the criteria of thermal, colloidal, and mechanical stability. These gels demonstrated the ability to release 47-49% of the active substance within the first 30 minutes, proportional to its concentration

Agreement of body adiposity index (BAI), bioimpedance analysis and ultrasound scanning in determining body fat

BACKGROUND: The steadily increasing number of people with obesity requires the development of simple and accurate methodological approaches to assess the absolute and relative amount of body fat mass. The body adiposity index (BAI) is one of the indices proposed to assess the body fat percentage. However, the comparison analysis of common methods, i.e., of bio-electrical impedance analysis and ultrasound scanning, and BAI was not performed for the Russian population.AIM: Comparison analysis of the body fat percentage estimates by bio-electrical impedance analysis, ultrasound scanning, and body adiposity index in the group of adult male and females.MATERIALS AND METHODS: An examination of healthy males and females from Moscow was conducted. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences were measured. The body fat percentage was obtained by bio-electrical impedance analysis — BIA (ABC-02 Medas), ultrasound scanning — US (BodyMetrixTM, IntelaMetrix), and body adiposity index.RESULTS: 263 females and 134 males aged 18 to 73 years participated in the study. Correlation coefficients between BAI values and the body fat percentage obtained by BIA and US were 0.749 and 0.763 (p<0.000), respectively. Comparison of body fat percentage measurements obtained by BAI, BIA and US showed the low agreement (ССС<0.90) between BAI and other methods in pooled sample as well as in the female and male groups. Comparison of the US and BAI methods revealed higher level of agreement (ССС=0.84 [0.80–0.86]) and no systematic bias. Lower level of agreement was obtained in the group of males.CONCLUSION: Conducted study allows to conclude that, at the individual level, BAI is not an appropriate method for estimating the body fat percentage relatively to other indirect methods. However, all three methods can be used in the group of pooled males and females when testing at the population level.

A prescription for the asteroseismic surface correction

ABSTRACT In asteroseismology, the surface effect refers to a disparity between the observed and the modelled frequencies in stars with solar-like oscillations. It originates from improper modelling of the surface layers. Correcting the surface effect usually requires using functions with free parameters, which are conventionally fitted to the observed frequencies. On the basis that the correction should vary smoothly across the H–R diagram, we parameterize it as a simple function of surface gravity, effective temperature, and metallicity. We determine this function by fitting a wide range of stars. The absolute amount of the surface correction decreases with luminosity, but the ratio between it and νmax increases, suggesting the surface effect is more important for red giants than dwarfs. Applying the prescription can eliminate unrealistic surface correction, which improves parameter estimations with stellar modelling. Using two open clusters, we found a reduction of scatter in the model-derived ages for each star in the same cluster. As an important application, we provide a new revision for the Δν scaling relation that, for the first time, accounts for the surface correction. The values of the correction factor, fΔν, are up to 2 per cent smaller than those determined without the surface effect considered, suggesting decreases of up to 4 per cent in radii and up to 8 per cent in masses when using the asteroseismic scaling relations. This revision brings the asteroseismic properties into an agreement with those determined from eclipsing binaries. The new correction factor and the stellar models with the corrected frequencies are available at https://www.github.com/parallelpro/surface.

Evidence for a carbon-rich Mercury from the distribution of low-reflectance material (LRM) associated with large impact basins

Low-reflectance material (LRM) on the surface of Mercury is thought to be darkened by 2-7 wt.% carbon, making Mercury's surface the most carbon-rich among the terrestrial planets, but the origin of this carbon is debated. We observe exposures of LRM within large impact basins, which naturally sample Mercury's outer layers, to produce the first observationally constrained estimate of the absolute quantity of carbon present in Mercury's shallow interior. We observe LRM and other spectrally distinct material associated with craters within large basins and use scaling laws to relate these observations to the stratigraphy and composition of the subsurface. We find that many large basins across Mercury's surface have thick layers of LRM in their subsurface. Based on inferences regarding the thickness of these layers, we estimate the absolute quantity of carbon present in Mercury's crust and upper mantle to be at least 1.8×1019−2.3×1020 kg, which permits evaluation of hypotheses as to its origin. This quantity rules out the hypothesis that carbon near Mercury's surface was delivered during late accretion of carbon-rich material, with implications for the delivery of carbon and volatiles to the terrestrial planets. It is also only marginally compatible with a magma ocean origin. Therefore, if Mercury's core and mantle equilibrated with respect to carbon, we infer that Mercury was probably carbon-saturated early in its evolution and that carbon is an abundant light element in its core, with important implications for Mercury's thermal and geological evolution.

Age differences in intertemporal choice among children, adolescents, and adults

When choosing between sooner–smaller and later–larger rewards (i.e., intertemporal choices), adults typically prefer later–larger rewards more often than children. Intertemporal choice preferences have been implicated in various impulsivity-related psychopathologies, making it important to understand the underlying mechanisms not only in terms of how reward magnitude and delay affect choice but also in terms of how these mechanisms develop across age. We administered an intertemporal choice paradigm to 60 children (8–11 years), 79 adolescents (14–16 years), and 60 young adults (18–23 years). The paradigm systematically varied amounts and delays of the available rewards, allowing us to identify mechanisms underlying age-related differences in patience. Compared with young adults, both children and adolescents made fewer later–larger choices. In terms of underlying mechanisms, variation in delays, absolute reward magnitudes, and relative amount differences affected choice in each age group, indicating that children showed sensitivity to the same choice-relevant factors as young adults. Sensitivity to both absolute reward magnitude and relative amount differences showed a further monotonic age-related increase, whereas no change in delay sensitivity occurred. Lastly, adolescents and young adults weakly displayed a present bias (i.e., overvaluing immediate vs. future rewards; nonsignificant and trend, respectively), whereas children showed a nonsignificant but opposite pattern, possibly indicating that specifically dealing with future rewards changed with age. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the development of patience. By decomposing overt choices, our results suggest that the age-related increase in patience may be driven specifically by stronger sensitivity to amount differences with age.

43 Metabolomic Analysis of Uterine Luminal Fluid During the Peri-Implantation Period of Pregnancy in Pigs

Abstract During the peri-implantation period of pregnancy in pigs, the rapid elongation of conceptuses (embryonic/fetus and its extraembryonic membranes) is highly dependent on the composition of histotroph secreted from uterine luminal (LE) and glandular (GE) epithelial and stroma cells, as well as selective transport of nutrients. However, little is known about the metabolites in the uterine luminal fluid (ULF) associated with the uterine-conceptus communication during early pregnancy in pigs. Thus, this study was conducted to profile the metabolome in porcine ULF between days 10 and 16 of estrus cycle (C) and pregnancy (P). Gilts were observed for estrus and/or bred via artificial insemination at 12 and 24 h after onset of estrus (day 0). On days 10, 12, 14, or 16 of the estrous cycle and pregnancy (n = 6 gilts per day and status), uteri were flushed with 20 mL sterile PBS (pH 7.2) after gilts were subjected to a midventral laparotomy. Pregnancy was confirmed by the presence of one or more morphologically normal conceptuses. Recoverable uterine flushings (i.e., ULF) were then subjected to metabolomic analysis by LC-MS. Overall, 222 metabolites were detected in the ULF of which 102 were altered by status and 63 were altered by days (P < 0.05; fold change>1.5). Comparing to cyclic day 10 (10C), pregnancy stimulated increases in citric acid, lysine, arginine and other 19 metabolites in the ULF at pregnant day 10 (10P). At 12P when porcine conceptus initiates its morphological changes, ornithine, α-D-glucose, phenylalanine and other 13 metabolites were up-regulated as compared with 12C. At 14P when conceptus initiates implantation, 15 metabolites changed in ULF. At 16P, 123 metabolites were altered in ULF as compared with 16C. Interestingly, of 15 altered metabolites in ULF, 12 were downregulated including asparagine, nicotinamide riboside, and citrulline at 14P. Whereas 102 of 123 altered metabolites were upregulated including phosphorylcholine, 6-phosphate fructose and 6-phosphate glucose in ULF at 16P. To determine the absolute amount of amino acids in the ULF, we performed the targeted metabolomic analyses for 19 amino acids. As a result, arginine, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, histidine, leucine/isoleucine, lysine, phenylalanine, proline, and valine were increased between 10P and 16P. They were less expressed in the ULF of estrus cycle as compared with pregnancy, and remained unchanged between 10C and 16C. Pathway analysis based on KEGG database indicating that arginine biosynthesis, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis have the highest degree of enrichment. These novel findings provide the foundation for future investigation of metabolomic and functional studies on both endometrium and conceptus required for elongation of porcine conceptus during peri-implantation period of pregnancy. This research was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2022-67015-36491 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The nutritional strategy of European rabbits is affected by age and sex: Females eat more and have better nutrient optimisation.

The ecological interest in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) has grown since it was declared an endangered species. Nutrition is fundamental in its dispersion and the key to its success. This is the main reason why knowledge of their nutritional preferences/requirements could play a fundamental role in rabbit biology and, therefore, in their conservation. The objectives of the work will be to elucidate how age and sex affect both nutritional preferences/requirements, and the nutrient optimisation of European rabbits. To address this gap, 70 wild European rabbits were studied. The rabbits were divided according to their age: adult (n = 43) and young (n = 27). Two groups were differentiated according to the adult rabbits' sex: females (n = 28) and males (n = 15). We analysed the relative (%) and absolute (g) chemical composition of the rabbits' gastric contents: dry matter (DM), ashes (ASH), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), and lignin, hemicelluloses and celluloses, highly digestible nonnitrogenous nutrients (HDNN: fat, starch, and soluble fibre), well from the blood was analysed with plasmatic urea nitrogen (PUN), nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and glucose (GLU). As a nutrient optimisation measure, the following indices between blood metabolites and stomach content were calculated: PUN/CP total content, NEFA/DM total content and GLU/DM total content ratios. Our works showed that age and sex affected the nutritional strategy of rabbits. Regarding age: adults showed lower CP (-14%; p = 0.0217) and higher HDNN (+21%; p = 0.0399) relative content than young rabbits, and absolute amount of most nutrients: DM (+59%; p = 0.001), OM (+43%; p = 0.0049), ASH (+54%; p = 0.0085), Hemicelluloses (+73%; p = 0.0084), Cellulose (+27%; p = 0.0452), and HDNN (+63%; p = 0.0012). In addition, adults showed better nutrient optimisation. Sex did not affect the relative chemical composition of the gastric content, but it showed a clear higher gastric content by females (+85%; p < 0.0001) and higher intake of most of the absolute chemical components: DM (+64%; p < 0.001), CP (+56%; p = 0.0005), OM (+58%; p = 0.0001), ASH (+44%; p = 0.0123), HDNN (+39%; p = 0.001), NDF (+59%; p = 0.001), ADF (+64%; p = 0.0003), lignin (+82%; p = 0.0036) and cellulose (+58%; p = 0.0002). Finally, we observed that females had better nutrient optimisation than males. This works supports the idea that feeding ecology and nutrition are particularly relevant to reproductive success and fitness in wild animals.

PLOTTING ENGEL CURVES FOR COMMODITIES "FOOD" AND "EDUCATION" IN THE CONTEXT OF UKRAINIAN HOUSEHOLDS’ WELL-BEING EVALUATION

The article is devoted to the adaptation of Engel's curve tools for evaluating the well-being of Ukrainian households. In particular, the assessment of the welfare inequality, observed between households with the lowest equivalent per capita income and the most affluent households, as well as the main trends in the change of the consumption structure for the period 2014-2020. The research is based on the concept that overcoming the concentration of consumer spending around the purchase of food is a necessary condition for the launch of microeconomic mechanisms of socio-economic development because it allows households to actively invest in the accumulation of human capital and thus overcomes the monopoly of budget financing of social sphere industries. To assess the level of satisfaction with food needs, the Engel line "income - food consumption" was constructed and the coefficient of elasticity of food consumption from income was determined. Similar calculations were made concerning the consumption of goods created by the educational sector.According to the results of the Engel function development, the income elasticity of the absolute amount of food consumption is equal to 0.47: an additional percentage of income encourages households to increase the amount of food consumption by 0.47%. According to our calculations, the income elasticity of educational goods consumption is equal to 0.928 (an additional percentage of real income encourages Ukrainian households to increase the amount of educational goods consumption by 0.93%). Therefore, Ukrainian households value education enough and tend to use economic opportunities (income released from priority needs satisfaction) for expanding education consumption.Both assessments of elasticity coefficients indicate that the achieved level of meeting food needs for the vast majority of Ukrainian households does not allow them to count on the release of their funds from meeting basic current needs and the expansion of those expenses that have the character of investing in human capital and have a pronounced positive impact on the qualification level of labor resources and the productivity of their use in the national economy.

Optimum Strength and NH4+:NO3- Ratio of Nutrient Solution for Romaine Lettuce Cultivated in a Home Hydroponic System

Concentration of nitrogen, one of the major elements, and ratio of two nitrogen forms (NH4+ and NO3–) in the nutrient solution affect the quality and food safety of fresh vegetable produce. This study was conducted to find an appropriate strength and NH4+:NO3– ratio of a nutrient solution for growth and development of a Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longiflora) ‘Caesar Green’, a representative leafy vegetable, grown in a home hydroponic system. In the first experiment, plants were grown using three types of nutrient solution: A commercial nutrient solution (Peters) and two strengths (GNU1 and GNU2) of a multipurpose nutrient solution (GNU solution) developed in a Gyeongsang National University lab. Plants grown with the GNU1 and GNU2 had greater shoot length, leaf length and width, and biomass yield than Peters. On the other hand, the root hairs of plants grown with Peters were short and dark in color. Tissue NH4+ content in the Peters was higher than that of the GNU1 and GNU2. The higher contents of NH4+ in this solution may have caused ammonium toxicity. In the second experiment, eight treatment solutions, combining GNU1 and GNU2 solutions with four ratios of NO3–:NH4+ named as 1, 2, 3 and 4 were used. Both experiments showed more growth in the GNU2 group, which had a relatively low ionic strength of the nutrient solution. The growth of Romaine lettuce showed the greatest fresh weight along with low tissue NO3– content in the GNU2-2. This was more advantageous in terms of food safety in that it suppressed the accumulation of surplus NO3– in tissues due to the low ionic strength of the GNU2 subgroup. In addition, this is preferable in that it can reduce the absolute amount of the input of inorganic nutrients to the nutrient solution.

Ratio of visceral fat area to body fat mass (VBR) is a superior predictor of coronary heart disease.

Ratio of visceral fat area to body fat mass (VBR) is a superior predictor of coronary heart disease.

Optimization of Biofuel Production Process Using Design of Experiments (Doe)

This study focuses on optimizing the process of biofuel production from citrus peel using the Design of Experiments (DOE) technique. This study aims to determine the optimal values for the variables that have a significant impact on the production of biofuel. The variance within and between data groups was determined using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) table. The ANOVA table shows how much of the response variable's variation (biofuel production) can be explained by the independent variables (A, B, C, D, E, AB, AC, AD, AE, and BJ) and how much is caused by random error. The ANOVA table comprises of three primary parts: the F-statistic, the p-value, the df, the mean square (MS), the source of variation, and the sum of squares (SS). The wellspring of variety alludes to the beginning of the information variety, which can be either the lingering or the model. The amount of squares estimates the information's changeability, with the absolute amount of squares addressing the amount of the squared deviations of the genuine qualities from the mean worth. The residual is the sum of the squared deviations from the predicted values of the actual values, while the model's sum of squares is the sum of the squared deviations from the mean of the predicted values. The model has 10 degrees of freedom (the number of independent variables) and the residual has 4 degrees of freedom (the number of observations minus the number of independent variables). These degrees of freedom represent the number of independent pieces of information used to estimate a parameter. The mean square, which indicates the typical amount of variation for each variation source, is calculated by dividing the sum of squares by the degrees of freedom. The degree to which the model explains the variation in the data is indicated by the F-statistic, which is the ratio of the model's mean square to the residual's mean square. The probability of obtaining an F-statistic that is as large as the one observed if the null hypothesis is true is represented by the p-value. The independent variables' insignificant impact on biofuel production is the null hypothesis in this instance. The model's p-esteem in this study is under 0.05, demonstrating that the free factors essentially affect biofuel creation and that the model is genuinely huge. In addition, the model is significant because the F-statistic is relatively large in comparison to the F-distribution for the 10 and 4 degrees of freedom, respectively. The estimated coefficients for the linear regression model used to investigate the production of biofuel from citrus peel can be found in the ANOVA coefficients table. The table provides a list of the intercept and independent variables' coefficients, standard errors, t-values, and p-values. When all of the independent variables are zero, the intercept has a coefficient of 0.0672, indicating the estimated value of the response variable. The fact that the intercept does not differ significantly from zero is supported by the fact that its p-value is not significant. The fact that the coefficients of the independent variables A, E, AC, AD, AE, and BJ are not statistically significant indicates that these variables have little impact on the response variable. On the other hand, the positive coefficients and significant p-values of the independent variables B and C suggest that an increase in their values could result in an increase in the production of biofuel from citrus peel. In conclusion, the key variables that influence the production of biofuel from citrus peel have been identified thanks to the use of the Design of Experiments (DOE) method. According to the findings of this study, an increase in the production of biofuel from citrus peel may result from an increase in the values of the independent variables B and C. The development of environmentally friendly energy sources and the optimization of biofuel production processes will benefit greatly from these findings

Electrophysiological correlates of response time outliers: Outlier related potentials.

In response time (RT) research, RTs which largely deviate from the RT distribution are considered "outliers". Outliers are typically excluded from RT analysis building upon the implicit assumption that cognitive processing is distorted in outlier trials. The present study aims to test this assumption by comparing cognitive processing indexed by event-related potentials (ERP) of trials with outliers and valid trials in two different tasks. To this end, we compared stimulus- and response-locked ERPs for outliers identified by nine different methods with valid trials, using cluster-based permutation tests. Consistently across outlier exclusion methods and tasks, the late positive complex (P3) associated with response-related processes was reduced in outliers. Analyses of response-locked ERPs related this P3 attenuation to a slower and temporally more extended increase of the P3, possibly indexing reduced evidence accumulation speed in outliers. P3 peak amplitude in response-locked ERPs was similar between outliers and valid trials, suggesting that the absolute amount of evidence required for a response remained comparable. Furthermore, in addition to these more general ERP correlates of outliers, the contingent negative variation (CNV) ERP component was reduced in outliers as a function of preparatory demands of the task. Hence, electrophysiological correlates, and thus cognitive processing, are altered in outliers compared to valid trials. In order to avoid distortion of observed ERP differences between conditions, the RT outlier distribution should be considered for the analysis of ERPs in combined ERP and RT studies.

The developmental relationship between nonsymbolic and symbolic fraction abilities

A fundamental research question in quantitative cognition concerns the developmental relationship between nonsymbolic and symbolic quantitative abilities. This study examined this developmental relationship in abilities to process nonsymbolic and symbolic fractions. There were 99 6th graders (Mage = 11.86 years), 101 10th graders (Mage = 15.71 years), and 102 undergraduate and graduate students (Mage = 21.97 years) participating in this study, and their nonsymbolic and symbolic fraction abilities were measured with nonsymbolic and symbolic fraction comparison tasks, respectively. Nonsymbolic and symbolic fraction abilities were significantly correlated in all age groups even after controlling for the ability to process nonsymbolic absolute quantity and general cognitive abilities, including working memory and inhibitory control. Moreover, the strength of nonsymbolic–symbolic correlations was higher in 6th graders than in 10th graders and adults. These findings suggest a weakened association between nonsymbolic and symbolic fraction abilities during development, and this developmental pattern may be related with participants’ increasing proficiency in symbolic fractions.

Abstract 619: TP53 gain-of-function mutation modulates the immunosuppressive microenvironment in non-HPV associated oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Background: TP53 is the most common mutated gene in head and neck cancer, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a lethal disease with limited therapeutic options. In OSCC, for example, TP53 R175H is a hot-spot, high-risk, functional mutation that inhibits the function of WT p53, however these correlations and functional roles of high-risk p53 mutations had not been experimentally addressed using syngeneic oral tumor models. To understand the functional role of TP53 mutations in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and response to immunotherapy, we used a syngeneic oral tumor model (ROC3 cell) derived from a genetically engineered mouse model expressing the p53 R172H (human, R175H). Methods: Orthotopic tongue injections were performed to (i) characterize tumor growth rate (ii) the TIME landscape by flow cytometry and opal multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF); and (iii) immunotherapy drug studies. We inactivated mutant p53 expression by shRNA and CRISPR Cas9, profiled gene expression changes by HTG EdgeSeq array, and validated these findings by qPCR, Western blot and immunochemistry. Tumor response was achieved by anti-PD1 and STING agonist therapies. Patients’ gene expression analyzed by CIBERSORT and TIME landscape performed by mIF. The spatial distribution of TIME was evaluated by Visiopharm software and UMAP. Results: We demonstrated that disruption of mutant p53R172H in ROC3 cells altered cytokine and chemokine expression levels and consequently affected the maturation and infiltration of different immune subsets, including cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, helper CD4+ T cells, Tregs, G-MDSCs, tumor-associated macrophages and neutrophils in ROC3 tumors. In addition, our spatial TIME analysis revealed that p53R172H mutation promoted the infiltration of Tregs, M2 macrophages, and exhausted CD8+ T cells, and excluded active CD8+ and CD11+ cells in both the tumor cores and on the tumor edges. Interestingly, it seems that p53R172H also regulates the spatial distribution of immunocyte populations, and their distribution between central and peripheral intratumoral locations. Moreover, we found that p53R172H mutation not only disrupted the phosphorylation of STING pathway which supported the recently reported finding, but also decreased the absolute amount of STING protein. Furthermore, we detected that p53-mutated tumor-infiltrating CD8+ and CD4+ T cells expressed programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), and that these tumors responded to anti-PD-1 and STING agonist therapy. Furthermore, Human OSCC samples also revealed associations between immune cell populations and the TP53R175H mutation, which paralleled the findings from our ROC3 tumor model. Conclusions: Our findings collectively demonstrate that the mutant TP53 GOF mutation modulates the tumor immune landscape and is associated with reduced overall survival in patients with OSCC. Citation Format: Yewen Shi, Xiaoyong Ren, Shaolong Cao, Tongxin Xie, Xi Chen, Chieko Michikawa, Abdullah A. Osman, Andrew G. Sikora, Jeffrey N. Myers, Roberto Rangel. TP53 gain-of-function mutation modulates the immunosuppressive microenvironment in non-HPV associated oral squamous cell carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 619.

Abstract 5059: High-throughput monitoring of proteoforms and pathways through multiplexed and customizable mass spectrometry assay panels

Abstract Proteins represent a key class of analytes in pharmacodynamic (PD) analysis, an essential component in preclinical and clinical studies which inform about a biological system’s response to drug treatment. Pharmacodynamic signatures typically comprise target engagement marker and downstream pathway markers. With recent development in targeted therapies and novel therapeutic modalities such as protein degraders, the scope of PD has widened to cover predictive and stratification biomarkers which can inform patient selection and contribute to further understanding of potential drug resistance. Using peptides as surrogate for proteins of interest, mass spectrometry (MS)-based approach alleviates the barriers of reagent specificity of antibody-based methods which can be affected by species and matrices used in preclinical drug development. Moreover, the use of stable-isotope labeled standard (SIS) reference peptides grants targeted MS assays unraveled specificity and the ability to determine absolute quantity of a given analyte. Harnessing the power of targeted MS, we present an oncology-focused assay repository which contains 804 peptides corresponding to 582 proteins. All 804 peptide surrogates were chosen under strict selection criteria such as uniqueness/proteotypicity and stability. Off-the-shelf availability (PQ500 kit) of SIS reference peptides for all 582 proteins facilitates the deployment of any of these assays in a plug-and-play manner. The collection of 582 protein targets cover &amp;gt; 180 cellular pathways (Reactome pathways e.g. cytokine signaling, cell-cell communication, activation of matrix metalloproteinases) together with 49 FDA-approved drug targets. To further evaluate the performance of these assays, we carried out a case control study comprising plasma samples from 5 patient groups (lung, colorectal, pancreatic, breast and prostate cancer) and age and gender-matched healthy subjects. In total, we measured absolute quantities of 582 proteins across 180 plasma samples while validating the expression profiles of well-characterized biomarkers in patient plasma. To conclude, we’ve demonstrated the application of targeted MS approach for the routine analysis of pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Its multiplexing capability, together with the adaptability to various species allow this method to maneuver through preclinical and clinical scenarios. Citation Format: Sebastian Müller, Véronique Laforte, Simonas Savickas, Maik Müller, Yuehan Feng, Lukas Reiter. High-throughput monitoring of proteoforms and pathways through multiplexed and customizable mass spectrometry assay panels. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5059.

Growth performance and economic impact of Simmental fattening bulls fed dry or corn silage-based total mixed rations.

Bull-fattening diets in Europe and most developed countries around the world have traditionally been based on corn silage, starch-rich, and high-energy/ high-protein supplemental feeds. The impact of climate change on crop yields feed availability, and price volatility, requires new and adapted feeding strategies, including for fattening bulls. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the growth performance and economic impact of a representative, conventional corn silage-based (CONVL) total mixed ration, and a dry (DRY) total mixed ration (TMR) fed to Simmental bulls. For nine months (272days), 24 bulls (215±10kg BW) were randomly assigned to one of two TMR feeding groups (n=12 per group). The DRY-TMR was primarily characterised by the nutrient fibre source, exclusively based on straw and other by-products. The diets were formulated and balanced based on the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System. After 272days of fattening, bulls were slaughtered. Feed intake, average daily gain (ADG)/DM intake (DMI) ratio, and nutrient intake were affected by treatment, time, and their interaction (P<0.05). The treatment affected neither acid detergent lignin intake nor starch intake. Compared with CONVL bulls, animals fed DRY-TMR consumed more non-fibre carbohydrates and rumen undegradable neutral detergent fibre, showing lesser dry and fresh matter intake and less metabolisable energy and physically effective neutral detergent fibre intake. Despite differences in nutrient intake (P<0.05), particle size distribution between the two diets and growth performance were not different (P=0.45). Simmental bulls in both treatment groups reached target weight in a shorter time due to high ADG of 1.87kg (DRY-TMR) and 1.84kg (CONVL). Both treatments achieved a positive profit margin (598±28 €/bull). While total income per bull and dressing percentage did not differ between treatments, the substantially higher feed costs (P<0.01) of the DRY-TMR resulted in a higher (P=0.04) income over feed cost in favour of the CONVL treatment group. Despite the higher feed cost of DRY compared with CONVL diets, the better ADG/DMI ratio (P<0.01) of DRY-TMR contributed to lower absolute feed quantity requirements during the fattening period. Due to the positive profit margin and high ADG results, DRY-TMR solutions for fattening bulls based on straw and by-products can be considered a promising alternative feeding strategy.