Essential Structure Research Articles

Phospholipid dynamics in Aspergillus species: relations between biological membrane composition and cellular morphology.

Biological membranes, primarily composed of phospholipid bilayers, are essential structures that compartmentalize the cell from the extracellular environment. The biosynthesis and regulation of membrane lipids have been extensively studied in model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammalian cells. However, our understanding of biological membrane regulation in filamentous fungi, some of which are significant in medicine, pharmacy, and agriculture, remains limited. This minireview provides a comprehensive overview of the latest knowledge, focusing on filamentous fungi of Aspergillus species. Recent progress in understanding dynamic changes in membrane lipid profiles, driven by improvements in analytical techniques for lipidomics, is also presented. Furthermore, known that the cell morphology of filamentous fungi is closely linked to its harmful and beneficial characteristics, the influence of membrane composition on cell morphology is discussed. The integration of these findings will further enhance our understanding of the biological functions of membranes in filamentous fungi.

Generative AI Prompt Engineering for Educators: Practical Strategies

Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, produces personalized and contextually relevant content based on user prompts (inputs provided by users). These prompts act as the primary form of interaction between users and AI models, making their quality essential for generating the most relevant outputs. The process of writing, refining, and optimizing prompts, known as prompt engineering, is key to obtaining high-quality desired outputs from generative AI. For educators, proficiency in prompt engineering is crucial for effective interaction with AI as it enhances efficiency and produces the most relevant information. In this paper, we introduce practical strategies for prompt engineering for educators: (a) include essential components, including Persona, Aim, Recipients, Theme, and Structure (PARTS); (b) develop prompts using Concise, Logical, Explicit, Adaptive, and Restrictive (CLEAR) languages; (c) evaluate output and refine prompts: Rephrase key words, Experiment with context and examples, Feedback loop, Inquiry questions, Navigate by iterations, Evaluate and verify outputs (REFINE); and (d) apply with accountability. Examples for special educators and online resources are included.

Middle Ear Malformations

Middle ear malformations (MEMs) represent a diverse group of congenital anomalies with significant implications for auditory function. These malformations, which occur in approximately 0.5 to 3% of conductive hearing loss cases, can arise from various genetic and environmental factors. They often manifest unilaterally and may occur in isolation or as part of a syndromic condition. MEMs are closely associated with abnormalities of the external ear and less frequently with inner ear anomalies.Embryologically, the middle ear develops from the first and second pharyngeal arches, with interactions between the ectoderm and endoderm contributing to the formation of essential structures such as the tympanic membrane, ossicles and Eustachian tube. Disruptions in these developmental processes can lead to a spectrum of MEMs, ranging from minor defects to severe malformations affecting multiple middle ear components.Clinical management of MEMs requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving otolaryngologists, pediatricians, and audiologists. Early intervention with appropriate hearing aids, including conventional hearing aids and bone conduction devices, is essential to mitigate the impact of conductive hearing loss on speech and language development, particularly in children.Surgical planning involves comprehensive preoperative assessment, including high-resolution computed tomography imaging to evaluate middle ear anatomy, the facial nerve course, and vascular anomalies. Traditional surgical approaches such as stapesplasty and tympanoplasty remain mainstays for correcting specific middle ear defects, while advances in technology have expanded the role of active middle ear implants in treating special cases.In conclusion, MEMs represent a heterogeneous group of congenital anomalies with diverse etiologies and clinical implications. A thorough understanding of their embryological basis, genetic underpinnings, and surgical management strategies is crucial for optimizing outcomes in affected individuals.

Performance Evaluation of FPGA-Based Design of Modified Chua Oscillator

The chaotic systems are one of the most important areas that increasing the popularity and are actively used in several fields. One of the most essential structures in chaotic systems is chaotic oscillator which generates chaotic signals. IQ-Math and floating point number systems are one of the preferred number standards. Presented in this study, the Modified Chua chaotic oscillator has been designed to work on FPGA chips using fixed point and floating point number systems. Euler numeric algorithm has been used for the design of the Modified Chua chaotic oscillator. The first section of the study, Modified Chua chaotic system based on fixed point has been composed the model in the Matlab Simulink and transformed to VHDL with the help of Matlab HDL Coder Toolbox. The second section of the study, Modified Chua chaotic oscillator has been designed with VHDL based on floating point. Modified Chua chaotic oscillators which are composed with two different number standards have been tested using Xilinx ISE Design Tools in VHDL. Modified Chua chaotic oscillators which have two different numbers standards and designed, are synthesized for Virtex-6 on ML605 FPGA development board with Xilinx ISE Design Tools 14.2 program. Values that are achieved from the process of synthesizing and maximum operating frequency have been presented. As a result, the study has obtained that fixed point number standard maximum operating frequency is 50.242 MHz and floating point number standard maximum operating frequency is 273.631 MHz.

PlsX and PlsY: Additional roles beyond glycerophospholipid synthesis in Gram-negative bacteria.

The unique asymmetry of the Gram-negative outer membrane, with glycerophospholipids (GPLs) in the inner leaflet and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet, works to resist external stressors and prevent the entry of toxic compounds. Thus, GPL and LPS synthesis must be tightly controlled to maintain the integrity of this essential structure. We sought to decipher why organisms like Escherichia coli possess two redundant pathways-PlsB and PlsX/Y-for synthesis of the GPL precursor lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). LPA is then converted by PlsC to the universal precursor for GPL synthesis, phosphatidic acid (PA). PlsB and PlsC are essential in E. coli, indicating they serve as the major pathway for PA synthesis. While loss of PlsX or PlsY individually has little consequence on the cell, the absence of both was lethal. To understand the synthetic lethality of this seemingly redundant PlsX/Y pathway, we performed a suppressor screen. Suppressor analysis indicated that ∆plsXY requires increased levels of glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P), a GPL precursor. In agreement, ∆plsXY required supplementation with G3P for survival. Furthermore, loss of PlsX dysregulated fatty acid synthesis, resulting in increased long-chain fatty acids. We show that although PlsX/Y together contribute to PA synthesis, they also contribute to the regulation of overall membrane biogenesis. Thus, synthetic lethality of ∆plsXY is multifactorial, suggesting that PlsX/Y has been maintained as a redundant system to fine-tune the synthesis of major lipids and promote cell envelope homeostasis.IMPORTANCEGram-negative bacteria must maintain optimal ratios of glycerophospholipids and lipopolysaccharide within the cell envelope for viability. Maintenance of proper outer membrane asymmetry allows for resistance to toxins and antibiotics. Here, we describe additional roles of PlsX and PlsY in Escherichia coli beyond lysophosphatidic acid synthesis, a key precursor of all glycerophospholipids. These findings suggest that PlsX and PlsY also play a larger role in impacting homeostasis of lipid synthesis.

Denison’s Culture Model in the Context of Romanian Prefectures. Is There Room for Improvement?

Organizational culture and its importance have become common knowledge over the years, but do we really understand its influence, especially on the effectiveness of public institutions? We often talk about increasing performance, transparency and involvement in the lives of citizens to improve their quality of life, sometimes without looking at how public entities function. Therefore, this study wants to understand how exactly the organizational culture affects the Romanian Prefectures and what is the perception of their employees regarding their mission, adaptability, involvement and consistency. Since it is the responsibility of the prefectures to ensure the implementation of government policies at the local level, besides their important role in verifying the legitimacy of the administrative acts issued by the local public administration, it is imperative to see what role organizational culture plays and how it influences the group dynamics, their adaptability to change and their responsiveness. Using Denison’s model, we can analyze the perceived level of performance, effectiveness and what types of synergies are formed at the group level. Understanding the main patterns in the prefectures can support our efforts to build more resilient, flexible and adaptable structures, much needed characteristics in essential structures such as these.

Superacid-Synthesized Fluorinated Diamines Act as Selective hCA IV Inhibitors.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) IV is a membrane-bound enzyme involved in important physio-pathological processes, such as excitation-contraction coupling in heart muscle, central nervous system (CNS) extracellular buffering, and mediation of inflammatory response after stroke. Known since the mid-1980s, this isoform is still largely unexplored when compared to other isoforms, mostly for the current lack of inhibitors targeting selectively this isoform. The discovery of selective CA IV inhibitors is thus largely awaited. In this work, we report β-(di) fluoropropyl diamines as effective CA IV inhibitors, opening real perspectives for a new mode of selective inhibition of this isoform. Inhibition data reveal that the essential structure core to ensure a potent and selective inhibition of CA IV is the N-propyldiamine. Molecular modeling studies were employed to understand the binding mode of the synthesized amines. Conformational searches within the active site space carried out in an implicit solvent (water) model were also conducted.

Bridges and viaducts in Brazil: an analysis of the predominant defects

Bridges and viaducts are essential structures for mobility and transportation but are susceptible to defects that can impact safety and durability. Defect studies are crucial for identifying issues and solutions, assessing the condition of the structures, and determining the need for intervention. Visual inspections were conducted on five structures in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and the defects found were either identical or similar to those reported in the literature review referenced in this study. Based on this information, it is possible to identify the most common defects and focus preventive and corrective maintenance efforts to prevent the progression of these issues and minimize the financial costs associated with structural repairs. The methodology used in this work involved the analysis of bibliographic sources, scientific articles and visual inspections.

A descriptive and interpretive theory of ethical responsibility in public health nursing.

This article presents a descriptive, interpretive theory of ethical responsibility in public health nursing. The theory is based on qualitative empirical studies, a purposeful literature review and meta-ethnography of public health nurses' experiences of ethical responsibility, interpreted within a philosophical framework. Levianasian philosophy provides the main direction for the authors' interpretations. The path for theory development consists of three phases: an inspirational phase, an explorative phase and the third phase 'joining the dots'. The theory illustrates that ethical responsibility in public health nursing is related to the life existentials of temporality and human relationships. Due to blurred boundaries in these essential life structures, public health nurses can experience a sense of satisfaction but also worries, uncertainties and loneliness. The study reveals paradoxical connections between fear and courage, and between freedom, autonomy and a sense of entrapment in responsible relationships. The authors purport that the results of this study are relevant for education and practice and can provide direction for further studies on developing theories of ethical responsibility in other nursing specialities.

A Model For Teaching Arabic Grammar In Light Of The Common European Framework Of Reference For Languages

With its intricate arrangement, classification, abundance, and bifurcation, Arabic grammar presents challenges for learners rooted in historical contextual factors and pedagogical approaches. This study addresses the need for a comprehensive examination and categorization of Arabic grammatical rules based on specific criteria aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It aims to identify prevalent and obscure rules, offering a compilation organized according to CEFR standards. The objective is to streamline Arabic language acquisition by reducing the overwhelming quantity of rules presented in textbooks for non-native speakers. The primary obstacle learners face is the complex nature of Arabic grammar, compounded by inadequate organization and delivery of existing materials. This leads to a skewed focus on less practical rules, hindering everyday speech and writing proficiency. Statistical analyses reveal the need for restructuring instructional sequences to prioritize commonly used rules. The proposal advocates aligning grammatical structures with CEFR guidelines and incorporating essential structures for non-Arabic speakers, promoting a modern and coherent language. By addressing these issues, this study motivates learners and bridges the gap between non-native and native proficiency levels in Arabic. The research relied on older references for the theoretical framework due to the need for more specialized references on teaching Arabic grammar to non-native speakers.

A Cubical Persistent Homology-Based Technique for Image Denoising with Topological Feature Preservation

Image denoising is a fundamental challenge in image processing, where the objective is to remove noise while preserving critical image features. Traditional denoising methods, such as Wavelet, Total Variation (TV) minimization, and Non-Local Means (NLM), often struggle to maintain the topological integrity of image features, leading to the loss of essential structures. This study proposes a Cubical Persistent Homology-Based Technique (CPHBT) that leverages persistence barcodes to identify significant topological features and reduce noise. The method selects filtration levels that preserve important features like loops and connected components. Applied to digit images, our method demonstrates superior performance, achieving a Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) of 46.88 and a Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) of 0.99, outperforming TV (PSNR: 21.52, SSIM: 0.9812) and NLM (PSNR: 22.09, SSIM: 0.9822). These results confirm that cubical persistent homology offers an effective solution for image denoising by balancing noise reduction and preserving critical topological features, thus enhancing overall image quality.

Exploring the septum pellucidum: Short review of anatomical insights and the clinical impact of septum pellucidum and cavum septi pellucidi

BackgroundThe septum pellucidum (SP) is a thin, triangular, and delicate structure in the brain. It consists of two layers of white and gray matter and topographically is located between the lateral ventricles. The SP is part of the limbic system, which involves emotions, behavior, and memory. AimThis concise review provides an overview of the anatomy, development, and clinical significance of the SP, with a specific focus on cavum septi pellucidi (CSP). It also discusses its implications for brain function and its potential link to neurological disorders. ConclusionsAs an essential structure within the limbic system, the SP and its associated variations, like CSP, offer valuable insights into brain development and function, particularly concerning emotions, memory, and psychiatric disorders. Understanding the role of the septum pellucidum and its developmental anomalies may shed light on various neuropsychiatric conditions and help guide future research and clinical practices.

How the First 1,000 Days of Life Can Shape a Child’s Future Health?

The first 1,000 days of life are an important period for children’s growth and development. From the moment babies begin growing in their mothers’ wombs until they are 2 years old, children are the most sensitive to interactions with the environment. During this time, babies grow quickly, and their organs and essential body structures are forming. Therefore, this is a very important time for mothers to keep their babies healthy, by taking care of their own health, watching what they eat and making sure they are not exposed to excessive stress or toxic substances. Doing the right things for a baby’s health during this early period can set the child on the path to a healthy life.

Hope experiences in pregnant women after artificial reproduction technology: Becoming a mother.

Hope is a common phenomenon in human life. The process of infertile women being treated with assisted reproductive technology is difficult. The concept of hope can be applied in the nursing practice to help patients have a positive treatment experience, reduce feelings of despair, and find significance in difficult treatments. This study used phenomenological approach to understand the essential structure of the hope experiences of infertile women after successful artificial reproduction. A total of 10 infertile women who were successfully pregnant for more than 8 weeks and less than 24 weeks participated in this study. The essence of the hope experiences of infertile women after successful artificial reproduction was the process of "becoming a mother" which included four themes: (1) try hard to get pregnant; (2) outline a blueprint for the future of motherhood; (3) protect the fetus; and (4) integrate the fetus into the family. This study enabled medical teams to play the role of caregivers, intervened in hope care, and strengthened evidence-based practice to improve the quality of care by focusing on feelings of hope.

Revealing Gliding-Induced Structural Distortion in High-Nickel Layered Oxide Cathodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

After charging to a high state-of-charge (SoC), layered oxide cathodes exhibit high capacities but suffer from gliding-induced structural distortions caused by deep Li depletion within alkali metal (AM) layers, especially for high-nickel candidates. In this study, we identify the essential structure of the detrimental H3 phase formed at high SoC to be an intergrowth structure characterized by random sequences of the O3 and O1 slabs, where the O3 slabs represent Li-rich layers and the O1 slabs denote Li-depleted (or empty) layers that glide from the O3 slabs. Moreover, we adopt two doping strategies targeting different doping sites to eliminate the formation of Li-vacant O1 slabs. First, we introduce direct transition metal (TM) pillars between TMO2 slabs achieved through dopants (e.g., Nb) positioned within AM layers, significantly improving the cycling stability. Second, we introduce indirect Li pillars achieved through dopants located at TM layers to adjust the Li-O bond strength. While this strategy can regulate the uniformity of Li at the slab level, it results in an uneven Li distribution at the particle scale, ultimately failing to enhance the electrochemical performance. Our established research strategy facilitates the realization of diverse pillars between TMO2 slabs through doping, thereby offering guidance for stabilizing high-capacity layered oxide cathodes at high SoC.

A search-and-fill strategy to code generation for complex software requirements

Context:The realm of software development has seen significant transformations with the rise of Low-Code Development (LCD) and the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly large language models, into coding practices. The proliferation of open-source software also offers vast resources for developers. Objective:We aim to combine the benefits of modifying retrieved code with the use of an extensive code repository to tackle the challenges of complex control structures and multifunctional requirements in software development. Method:Our study introduces a Search-and-Fill strategy that utilizes natural language processing (NLP) to dissect complex software requirements. It extracts control structures and identifies atomic function points. By leveraging large-scale pre-trained models, the strategy searches for these elements to fill in the automatically transformed program structures derived from descriptions of control structures. This process generates a code snippet that includes program control structures and the implementations of various function points, thereby facilitating both code reuse and efficient development. Results:We have validated the effectiveness of our strategy in generating code snippets. For natural language requirements involving multifunctional complex structures, we constructed two datasets: the Basic Complex Requirements Dataset (BCRD) and the Advanced Complex Requirements Dataset (ACRD). These datasets are based on natural language descriptions and Python code that were randomly extracted and combined. For the code snippets to be generated, we achieved the best results with the ACRD dataset, with BLEU-4 scores reaching up to 0.6326 and TEDS scores peaking at 0.7807. Conclusion:The Search-and-Fill strategy successfully generates a comprehensive code snippets, integrating essential control structures and functions to streamline the development process. Experimental results substantiate our strategy’s efficacy in optimizing code reuse by effectively integrating preprocessing and selection optimization approach. Future research will focus on enhancing the recognition of complex software requirements and further refining the code snippets.

G[formula omitted]BFNN: Generalized geodesic basis function neural network

Real-world data is typically distributed on low-dimensional manifolds embedded in high-dimensional Euclidean spaces. Accurately extracting spatial distribution features on general manifolds that reflect the intrinsic characteristics of data is crucial for effective feature representation. Therefore, we propose a generalized geodesic basis function neural network (G2BFNN) architecture. The generalized geodesic basis functions (G2BF) are defined based on generalized geodesic distances. The generalized geodesic distance metric (G2DM) is obtained by learning the manifold structure. To implement this architecture, a specific G2BFNN, named discriminative local preserving projection-based G2BFNN (DLPP-G2BFNN) is proposed. DLPP-G2BFNN mainly contains two modules, namely the manifold structure learning module (MSLM) and the network mapping module (NMM). In the MSLM module, a supervised adjacency graph matrix is constructed to constrain the learning of the manifold structure. This enables the learned features in the embedding subspace to maintain the manifold structure while enhancing the discriminability. The features and G2DM learned in the MSLM are fed into the NMM. Through the G2BF in the NMM, the spatial distribution features on manifold are obtained. Finally, the output of the network is obtained through the fully connected layer. Compared with the local response neural network based on Euclidean distance, the proposed network can reveal more essential spatial structure characteristics of the data. Meanwhile, the proposed G2BFNN is a generalized network architecture that can be combined with any manifold learning method, showcasing high scalability. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed DLPP-G2BFNN outperforms existing methods by utilizing fewer kernels while achieving higher recognition performance.

AdaMotif: Graph Simplification via Adaptive Motif Design.

With the increase of graph size, it becomes difficult or even impossible to visualize graph structures clearly within the limited screen space. Consequently, it is crucial to design effective visual representations for large graphs. In this paper, we propose AdaMotif, a novel approach that can capture the essential structure patterns of large graphs and effectively reveal the overall structures via adaptive motif designs. Specifically, our approach involves partitioning a given large graph into multiple subgraphs, then clustering similar subgraphs and extracting similar structural information within each cluster. Subsequently, adaptive motifs representing each cluster are generated and utilized to replace the corresponding subgraphs, leading to a simplified visualization. Our approach aims to preserve as much information as possible from the subgraphs while simplifying the graph efficiently. Notably, our approach successfully visualizes crucial community information within a large graph. We conduct case studies and a user study using real-world graphs to validate the effectiveness of our proposed approach. The results demonstrate the capability of our approach in simplifying graphs while retaining important structural and community information.

The Impact of Photobiomodulation Therapy on Enhancing Spermatogenesis and Blood-Testis Barrier Integrity in Adult Male Mice Subjected to Scrotal Hyperthermia.

Introduction: Unhealthy lifestyle choices such as alcohol, chemicals, and heat stress can worsen male infertility. Heat stress can cause damage to the essential structure known as the blood-testis barrier (BTB). Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has been employed in various studies to enhance sperm quality in individuals with genital inflammatory conditions in recent times. The current research sought to study how laser therapy affects spermatogenesis and the structure of the BTB in a mouse model of scrotal heat exposure. Methods: Thirty adult male NMRI mice, 8 weeks old, were divided into three groups: Control, Hyperthermia, and Hyperthermia+Laser 0.03 J/cm2. The animals in the hyperthermia group had their testicles exposed to water at 43 °C for 20 minutes five times every other day. Then, the testicles were exposed to laser radiation every other day for 35 days, lasting 3 minutes each time, with an energy density of 0.03 J/cm2. Animals were sacrificed, and sperm parameters, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH) levels, stereological parameters, and gene expression were assessed in the end. Results: The study showed that PBMT can significantly enhance sperm quality, quantity of spermatogenic cells, testicular volume, levels of ROS and GSH, and gene expression related to the blood-testis barrier. Conclusion: Currently, PBMT is a novel approach for addressing male infertility by preserving the integrity of the BTB in Sertoli cells, which in turn supports the growth and specialization of germ cells.

A fossil ovule with wind dispersal mechanisms and a probable micropyle

Anemochory (wind dispersal) represents a key dispersal strategy that has allowed seed plants (spermatophytes) to expand habitats. To facilitate anemochory, the spermatophytes use diverse wind dispersal mechanisms, including wings or plumes of the ovule or seed1,2. Seed wings are integument outgrowths of an ovule, while seed plumes refer to a bundle of filaments. These two wind dispersal mechanisms are independently employed by many seed plants1,2, but are very rarely combined in a single taxon. Seed wings originated in the Late Devonian (Famennian)3,4,5 while seed plumes first appeared in the Early Carboniferous (Mississippian)6,7. An opening, or micropyle, in the integument characterizes the ovules of seed plants7. This essential structure had not appeared until the Carboniferous, and it evolved through the gradual fusion of integumentary lobes7,8. Famennian ovules demonstrate great diversity in integumentary lobes. Nevertheless, notably few of these earliest ovules exhibit wings or wing-like integumentary lobes and none possess plumes or micropyles. Here, we document a Famennian ovule Gnetopsis quadria sp. nov. from Anhui Province, China. It combines wing-like lobes and plumes as two dispersal mechanisms, and probably has a micropyle.