In recent years, English as a foreign language (EFL) reading instruction has emerged as a prominent and recurring research theme in the realm of education. Despite this growing interest, prior studies have not outlined the research status of EFL reading instruction from a bibliometric lens. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to provide valuable insights into the research landscape of EFL reading instruction by using scientific mapping analysis on documents sourced from the Web of Science Database between 1994 and 2023. The study found that: 1) The analysis of publication trends suggests that the field of EFL reading instruction continues to evolve, with a foreseeable ongoing increase in research output. 2) Asian countries, specifically Iran, China, and Saudi Arabia emerge as leading contributors and collaborators in terms of research on EFL reading instruction. 3) Authors mainly from Asian countries demonstrate the highest levels of productivity and citation impact. 4) The most productive and cited journals primarily originate from developed countries, notably the United Kingdom and the United States. 5) The research foci identified cover various aspects such as "technology-based instruction," "critical thinking," and "literacy skills." However, there is an emerging shift in research focus towards themes "English proficiency," "Covid-19," "technology," "blended learning" and "mobile-assisted language learning (MALL)." By shedding light on the significant concepts and trends of the research field, this study adds to the burgeoning body of literature and provides valuable guidance to new scholars seeking to enrich their knowledge and perspectives on this particular topic.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread to more than 200 countries worldwide, leading to more than 36 million confirmed cases as of October 10, 2020. As such, several machine learning models that can forecast the outbreak globally have been released. This work presents a review and brief analysis of the most important machine learning forecasting models against COVID-19. The work presented in this study possesses two parts. In the first section, a detailed scientometric analysis presents an influential tool for bibliometric analyses, which were performed on COVID-19 data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. For the above-mentioned analysis, keywords and subject areas are addressed, while the classification of machine learning forecasting models, criteria evaluation, and comparison of solution approaches are discussed in the second section of the work. The conclusion and discussion are provided as the final sections of this study.
The virulence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus is variable depending on its virulence determinants. A V. parahaemolyticus strain, in which the virulence is governed by the pirA and pirB genes, can cause acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in shrimps. Some V. parahaemolyticus that are non-AHPND strains also cause shrimp diseases and result in huge economic losses, while their pathogenicity and pathogenesis remain unclear. In this study, a non-AHPND V. parahaemolyticus, TJA114, was isolated from diseased Penaeus vannamei associated with a high mortality. To understand its virulence and adaptation to the external environment, whole-genome sequencing of this isolate was conducted, and its phenotypic profiles including pathogenicity, growth characteristics and nutritional requirements were investigated. Shrimps following artificial infection with this isolate presented similar clinical symptoms to the naturally diseased ones and generated obvious pathological lesions. The growth characteristics indicated that the isolate TJA114 could grow well under different salinity (10-55 p.p.t.), temperature (23-37 °C) and pH (6-10) conditions. Phenotype MicroArray results showed that this isolate could utilize a variety of carbon sources, amino acids and a range of substrates to help itself adapt to the high hyperosmotic and alkaline environments. Antimicrobial-susceptibility test showed that it was a multidrug-resistant bacterium. The whole-genomic analysis showed that this V. parahaemolyticus possessed many important functional genes associated with multidrug resistance, stress response, adhesions, haemolysis, putative secreted proteases, dedicated protein secretion systems and a variety of nutritional metabolic mechanisms. These annotated functional genes were confirmed by the phenotypic profiles. The results in this study indicated that this V. parahaemolyticus isolate possesses a high pathogenicity and strong environmental adaptability.
Seed mucilages are potential sources of natural polysaccharides. They are biodegradable, biocompatible, sustainable, renewable, and safe for human consumption. Due to the desirable physicochemical and functional properties (e.g. gelling, thickening, stabilizing, and emulsifying), seed mucilages have attracted extensive attention from researchers for utilization as a promising material for the development of advanced carrier systems. Seed mucilages have been utilized as natural polymers to improve the properties of various carrier systems (e.g. complex coacervates, beads, nanofibers, and gels) and for the delivery of diverse hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds (e.g. vitamins, essential oils, antioxidants, probiotics, and antimicrobial agents) to achieve enhanced stability, bioavailability, bioactivity of the encapsulated molecules, and improved quality attributes of food products. This review highlights the recent progress in seed mucilage-based carrier systems for food and nutraceutical applications. The main contents include (1) sources, extraction methods, and physicochemical and functional characteristics of seed mucilages, (2) application of seed mucilages for the development of advanced carrier systems, (3) major issues associated with carrier fabrication, and (4) mechanisms of carrier development, latest improvements in carrier formulation, carrier efficiency in the delivery of bioactive agents, and application in food and nutraceuticals. Furthermore, major challenges and future perspectives of seed mucilage-based carriers for a commercial application are discussed.
In order to efficiently recycle waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, this study aimed to enhance the hydrolysis process to convert PET bottle into valuable terephthalic acid (TPA) by developing effective and reusable Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts. A series of Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was prepared by the impregnation method with different Ni loadings (5-15 wt%) and was characterized by various techniques including XRD, SEM-EDX, and N2 adsorption-desorption. The prepared catalysts were employed in the catalytic hydrolysis of PET under varied influencing factors, namely reaction temperature (220-280 °C), reaction time (20-60 min), and Ni loading. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the operating condition to produce the maximum TPA yield, and the optimal values were determined as follows: reaction temperature = 267.07 °C, reaction time = 48.54 min, and Ni loading = 12.90 wt%, giving the highest TPA yield of 97.06%. The R2, F-value, and P-value of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) were 0.9982, 424.96, and <0.0001, respectively, indicating a good fit of the model. The results from XRD and FTIR measurement of the produced TPA indicated the high purity and comparable chemical structures to the TPA standard. In addition, the 12.9Ni/Al catalyst exhibited high catalytic activity in repeated cycles of hydrolysis process of PET and could be regenerated by calcination to restore its catalytic activity. This finding could be a promising alternative for an effective TPA recovery from waste plastic bottles.
Global climate change and rapid urbanization, mainly driven by anthropogenic activities, lead to urban flood vulnerability and uncertainty in sustainable stormwater management. This study projected the temporal and spatial variation in urban flood susceptibility during the period 2020-2050 on the basis of shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). A case study in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) was conducted for verifying the feasibility and applicability of this approach. GBA is predicted to encounter the increase in extreme precipitation with high intensity and frequency, along with rapid expansion of constructed areas, resulting in exacerbating of urban flood susceptibility. The areas with medium and high flood susceptibility will be expected to increase continuously from 2020 to 2050, by 9.5 %, 12.0 %, and 14.4 % under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively. In terms of the assessment of spatial-temporal flooding pattern, the areas with high flood susceptibility are overlapped with that in the populated urban center in GBA, surrounding the existing risk areas, which is consistent with the tendency of construction land expansion. The approach in the present study will provide comprehensive insights into the reliable and accurate assessment of urban flooding susceptibility in response to climate change and urbanization.
Objective:To investigate the efficacy of functional endoscopic sinus surgery（FESS） in the treatment of olfactory dysfunction in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps （CRSwNP） , at the same time, it provides an evidence for the prognosis evaluation of olfaction and the clinical application of oERPs to evaluate the plasticity of olfaction cortex. Methods:From October 2021 to October 2022, 45 patients with CRSwNP who underwent FESS nine-step standardized treatment in our department were recruited as the research subjects, divided into 22 patients with eosinophilic CRSwNP（ECRS）and 23 patients with non-eosinophilic CRSwNP（nECRS）. VAS-olfactory dysfunction （VAS-OD） score, SNOT-22 olfactory score, Sniffin' Sticks test and oERPs collection and processing were performed before the operation. All items were evaluated again 3 months after the operation. Results:VAS-OD and SNOT-22 olfactory score were significantly lower in all CRSwNP patients after the operation than those before the operation[F（1, 43） =357.429, P<0.001; F（1, 43） =185.657, P<0.001], the scores of T, D, I and TDI scores in Sniffin' Sticks test were significantly higher than those before the operation[F（1, 43） =126.302, P<0.001; F（1, 43） =311.301, P<0.001; F（1, 43） =131.401, P<0.001; F（1, 43） =295.885, P<0.001]; The decrease of VAS-OD and SNOT-22 olfactory score in the ECRS group was smaller than that in the nECRS group[F（1, 43） =4.825, P=0.033; F（1, 43） =9.916, P=0.003], T, D and TDI scores were significantly lower in nECRS group than those in nECRS group[F（1, 43） =6.719, P=0.013; F（1, 43） =4.890, P=0.032; F（1, 43） =4.469, P=0.040]; There was a positive correlation between preoperative eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio（ELR） and SNOT-22 olfactory score and how much it changes（r=0.455, P=0.002; r=-0.414, P=0.005）, a negative correlation between T, TDI score and how much they change respectively（r=-0.431, P=0.003; r=-0.385, P=0.009; r=-0.383, P=0.010; r=-0.316, P=0.035）. The latency of P3 was significantly shorter after operation than that before operation in all CRSwNP patients[F（1, 14） =24.840, P<0.001], however, the amplitude has no significant surgical effect. Conclusion:FESS could significantly improve the olfactory function of CRSwNP patients, while changes in plasticity may occur in the olfactory cortex. In addition, the preoperative peripheral blood eosinophil granulocyte level can predict the postoperative olfactory improvement.
Ticks are vectors in the transmission of many important infectious diseases in human and animals. Ticks can be readily found in the semi-forested areas such as the settlements of the indigenous people in Malaysia, the Orang Asli. There is still minimal information available on the bacterial agents associated with ticks found in Malaysia. We performed a survey of the bacterial communities associated with ticks collected from domestic animals found in two Orang Asli villages in Malaysia. We collected 62 ticks, microscopically and molecularly identified as related to Haemaphysalis wellingtoni, Haemaphysalis hystricis and Haemaphysalis bispinosa. Bacterial 16s rRNA hypervariable region (V6) amplicon libraries prepared from the tick samples were sequenced on the Ion Torrent PGM platform. We detected a total of 392 possible bacterial genera after pooling and sequencing 20 samples, indicating a diverse bacterial community profile. Dominant taxa include the potential tick endosymbiont, Coxiella. Other dominant taxa include the tick-associated pathogen, Rickettsia, and environmental bacteria such as Bacillus, Mycobacterium, Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas. Other known tick-associated bacteria were also detected, including Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsiella and Wolbachia, albeit at very low abundance. Specific PCR was performed on selected samples to identify Rickettsia and Coxiella. Sequence of Rickettsia felis, which causes spotted fever in human and cats, was identified in one sample. Coxiella endosymbionts were detected in three samples. This study provides the baseline knowledge of the microbiome of ticks in Malaysia, focusing on tick-associated bacteria affecting the Orang Asli communities. The role of the herein found Coxiella and Rickettsia in tick physiology or disease transmission merits further investigation.
Recent studies have shown that ticks harbor Coxiella-like bacteria, which are potentially tick-specific endosymbionts. We recently described the detection of Coxiella-like bacteria and possibly Coxiella burnetii in ticks found from rural areas in Malaysia. In the present study, we collected ticks, including Haemaphysalis bispinosa, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Dermacentor compactus, Dermacentor steini, and Amblyomma sp. from wildlife and domesticated goats from four different locations in Malaysia. Coxiella 16s rRNA genomic sequences were detected by PCR in 89% of ticks tested. Similarity analysis and phylogenetic analyses of the 16s rRNA and rpoB partial sequences were performed for 10 representative samples selected based on the tick species, sex, and location. The findings here suggested the presence of C. burnetii in two samples, each from D. steini and H. hystricis. The sequences of both samples clustered with published C. burnetii sequences. The remaining eight tick samples were shown to harbor 16s rRNA sequences of Coxiella-like bacteria, which clustered phylogenetically according to the respective tick host species. The findings presented here added to the growing evidence of the association between Coxiella-like bacteria and ticks across species and geographical boundaries. The importance of C. burnetii found in ticks in Malaysia warrants further investigation.
A novel bacterial strain of acetic acid bacteria capable of producing riboflavin was isolated from the soil sample collected in Wuhan, China. The isolated strain was identified as Gluconobacter oxydans FBFS97 based on several phenotype characteristics, biochemicals tests, and 16S rRNA gene sequence conducted. Furthermore, the complete genome sequencing of the isolated strain has showed that it contains a complete operon for the biosynthesis of riboflavin. In order to obtain the maximum concentration of riboflavin production, Gluconobacter oxydans FBFS97 was optimized in shake flask cultures through response surface methodology employing Plackett-Burman design (PBD), and Central composite design (CCD). The results of the pre-experiments displayed that fructose and tryptone were found to be the most suitable sources of carbon and nitrogen for riboflavin production. Then, PBD was conducted for initial screening of eleven minerals (FeSO4, FeCl3, KH2PO4, K2HPO4, MgSO4, ZnSO4, NaCl, CaCl2, KCl, ZnCl2, and AlCl3.6H2O) for their significances on riboflavin production by Gluconobacter oxydans strain FBFS97. The most significant variables affecting on riboflavin production are K2HPO4 and CaCl2, the interaction affects and levels of these variables were optimized by CCD. After optimization of the medium compositions for riboflavin production were determined as follows: fructose 25 g/L, tryptone 12.5 g/L, K2HPO4 9 g/L, and CaCl2 0.06 g/L with maximum riboflavin production 23.24 mg/L.
Little is known regarding Chinese mothers' intention to vaccinate their daughters against human papillomavirus (HPV) since the HPV vaccine was approved for use in China in 2016. The aim was to explore maternal HPV vaccination acceptance, preference for 2-, 4- or 9-valent HPV vaccine and acceptance of domestically manufactured HPV vaccines. Study participants were mothers of primary school children in Southeastern region of Fujian. An online cross-sectional survey was undertaken between June and August 2019. Among the total of 3,586 completed responses (response rate 28.5%), the intention to vaccinate daughter against HPV was high (83.3%). Higher maternal education and perceived benefit and barriers were associated with greater intention to vaccinate. Among mothers who did not intend to vaccinate their daughters, the three most common reasons were daughter being too young to receive HPV vaccination (40.6%), fear of side effects (31.9%) and vaccine price is too high (16.0%). The largest proportion (41.4%) preferred their daughter to be vaccinated with the 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV). Greater preference for 9vHPVwas strongly associated with higher maternal education level and annual household income. The majority of mothers expressed a preference for imported HPV vaccine (56.3%). Our result indicates that lower intentions to vaccinate daughters against HPV among less educated and lower-income mothers may lead to significant social inequalities in HPV vaccine uptake in the country.
AIM: To evaluate the dental pulp response to a novel mineral trioxide aggregate containing phosphorylated pullulan (MTAPPL) in rats after direct pulp capping.
METHODS: Ninety-six cavities were prepared in the maxillary first molars of 56 male Wistar rats. The dental pulps were intentionally exposed and randomly divided into four groups according to the application of pulp capping materials: MTAPPL; phosphorylated pullulan (PPL); a conventional MTA (Nex-Cem MTA, NCMTA; positive control); and Super-Bond (SB; negative control). All cavities were restored with SB and observed for pulpal responses at 1-, 3-, 7- and 28-day intervals using a histological scoring system. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-test with Bonferroni's correction, and the level of significance was set at 0.05. DMP1 and CD34 antigen were used to evaluate odontoblast differentiation and pulpal vascularization, respectively.
RESULTS: On day 1, mild inflammatory cells were present in MTAPPL and NCMTA groups; fewer inflammatory cells were present in the PPL, whereas SB was associated with a mild-to-moderate inflammatory response. A significant difference was observed between PPL and SB (p .05). SB exhibited incomplete mineralized tissue barriers, significantly different from NCMTA, MTAPPL and PPL (p
Spirochetes from the Borrelia genus are known to cause diseases in humans, namely Lyme disease and relapsing fever. These organisms are commonly transmitted to humans by arthropod vectors including ticks, mite, and lice. Here, we report the molecular detection of a Borrelia sp. from a Haemaphysalis hystricis Supino tick collected from wildlife in an Orang Asli settlement in Selangor, Malaysia. Phylogenetic analyses of partial 16s rRNA and flaB gene sequences revealed that the Borrelia sp. is closely related to the relapsing fever group borreliae, Borrelia lonestari, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Borrelia theileri, as well as a number of uncharacterized Borrelia sp. from ticks in Portugal and Japan. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a Borrelia sp. detected in H. hystricis, and in Malaysia. The zoonotic potential of this Borrelia sp. merits further investigation.
The N4-like viruses, which were recently assigned to the novel viral family Schitoviridae in 2021, belong to a podoviral-like viral lineage and possess conserved genomic characteristics and a unique replication mechanism. Despite their significance, our understanding of N4-like viruses is primarily based on viral isolates. To address this knowledge gap, this study has established a comprehensive N4-like viral data sets comprising 342 high-quality N4-like viruses/proviruses (144 viral isolates, 158 uncultured viruses, and 40 integrated N4-like proviruses). These viruses were classified into 97 subfamilies (89 of which are newly identified), 148 genera (100 of which are newly identified), and 253 species (177 of which are newly identified). The study reveals that N4-like viruses inhibit the polar region, oligotrophic open oceans, and the human gut, where they infect various bacterial lineages, such as Alpha/Beta/Gamma/Epsilon-proteobacteria in the Proteobacteria phylum. Although N4-like viral endogenization appears to be prevalent in Proteobacteria, it has also been observed in Firmicutes. Additionally, the phylogenetic analysis has identified evolutionary divergence within the hallmark genes of N4-like viruses, indicating a complex origin of the different conserved parts of viral genomes. Moreover, 1,101 putative auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) were identified in the N4-like viral pan-proteome, which mainly participate in nucleotide and cofactor/vitamin metabolisms. Of these AMGs, 27 were found to be associated with virulence, suggesting their potential involvement in the spread of bacterial pathogenicity. IMPORTANCE The findings of this study are significant, as N4-like viruses represent a unique viral lineage with a distinct replication mechanism and a conserved core genome. This work has resulted in a comprehensive global map of the entire N4-like viral lineage, including information on their distribution in different biomes, evolutionary divergence, genomic diversity, and the potential for viral-mediated host metabolic reprogramming. As such, this work significantly contributes to our understanding of the ecological function and viral-host interactions of bacteriophages.
We present barcoded oligonucleotides ligated on RNA amplified for multiplexed and parallel insitu analyses (BOLORAMIS), a reverse transcription-free method for spatially-resolved, targeted, in situ RNA identification of single or multiple targets. BOLORAMIS was demonstrated on a range of cell types and human cerebral organoids. Singleplex experiments to detect coding and non-coding RNAs in human iPSCs showed a stem-cell signature pattern. Specificity of BOLORAMIS was found to be 92% as illustrated by a clear distinction between human and mouse housekeeping genes in a co-culture system, as well as by recapitulation of subcellular localization of lncRNA MALAT1. Sensitivity of BOLORAMIS was quantified by comparing with single molecule FISH experiments and found to be 11%, 12% and 35% for GAPDH, TFRC and POLR2A, respectively. To demonstrate BOLORAMIS for multiplexed gene analysis, we targeted 96 mRNAs within a co-culture of iNGN neurons and HMC3 human microglial cells. We used fluorescence in situ sequencing to detect error-robust 8-base barcodes associated with each of these genes. We then used this data to uncover the spatial relationship among cells and transcripts by performing single-cell clustering and gene-gene proximity analyses. We anticipate the BOLORAMIS technology for in situ RNA detection to find applications in basic and translational research.
In 2020, 146,063 deaths due to pancreatic cancer are estimated to occur in Europe and the United States combined. To identify common susceptibility alleles, we performed the largest pancreatic cancer GWAS to date, including 9040 patients and 12,496 controls of European ancestry from the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium (PanScan) and the Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium (PanC4). Here, we find significant evidence of a novel association at rs78417682 (7p12/TNS3, P = 4.35 × 10-8). Replication of 10 promising signals in up to 2737 patients and 4752 controls from the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium yields new genome-wide significant loci: rs13303010 at 1p36.33 (NOC2L, P = 8.36 × 10-14), rs2941471 at 8q21.11 (HNF4G, P = 6.60 × 10-10), rs4795218 at 17q12 (HNF1B, P = 1.32 × 10-8), and rs1517037 at 18q21.32 (GRP, P = 3.28 × 10-8). rs78417682 is not statistically significantly associated with pancreatic cancer in PANDoRA. Expression quantitative trait locus analysis in three independent pancreatic data sets provides molecular support of NOC2L as a pancreatic cancer susceptibility gene.
The transferability and clinical value of genetic risk scores (GRSs) across populations remain limited due to an imbalance in genetic studies across ancestrally diverse populations. Here we conducted a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of 156,319 prostate cancer cases and 788,443 controls of European, African, Asian and Hispanic men, reflecting a 57% increase in the number of non-European cases over previous prostate cancer genome-wide association studies. We identified 187 novel risk variants for prostate cancer, increasing the total number of risk variants to 451. An externally replicated multi-ancestry GRS was associated with risk that ranged from 1.8 (per standard deviation) in African ancestry men to 2.2 in European ancestry men. The GRS was associated with a greater risk of aggressive versus non-aggressive disease in men of African ancestry (P = 0.03). Our study presents novel prostate cancer susceptibility loci and a GRS with effective risk stratification across ancestry groups.