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This paper proposes a novel framework for evaluating research performance in university rankings, utilizing journal citation-based metrics and scholarly output instead of traditional article citation metrics. Through correlation analysis, we compare the proposed metrics with article citation metrics used by prominent ranking systems (THE and QS) and demonstrate significantly higher correlations with established rankings (QS, THE, and ARWU). The proposed metrics exhibit robustness over time and offer a fairer evaluation by emphasizing objective performance and mitigating citation biases. This framework provides institutions with a more accurate benchmarking tool to inform strategic decisions and resource allocation. While acknowledging potential limitations in data availability and the challenge of achieving global consensus, this study contributes to the ongoing discourse on university rankings by advocating for a more equitable and robust evaluation system by balancing diverse metrics and offering more standardized measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel framework for evaluating research performance in university rankings, utilizing journal citation-based metrics and scholarly output instead of traditional article citation metrics. Through correlation analysis, we compare the proposed metrics with article citation metrics used by prominent ranking systems (THE and QS) and demonstrate significantly higher correlations with established rankings (QS, THE, and ARWU). The proposed metrics exhibit robustness over time and offer a fairer evaluation by emphasizing objective performance and mitigating citation biases. This framework provides institutions with a more accurate benchmarking tool to inform strategic decisions and resource allocation. While acknowledging potential limitations in data availability and the challenge of achieving global consensus, this study contributes to the ongoing discourse on university rankings by advocating for a more equitable and robust evaluation system by balancing diverse metrics and offering more standardized measures.

AbstractThe main objective of the current study is to establish a justifiable data-driven students-faculty ratio (SFR) benchmark for higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Sultanate of Oman. This is established based on analyzing selected secondary data from three sources using purposive sampling. This study reflects quantitative research adopting descriptive analysis (frequency and percentage). The three sources of data used to arrive at this national benchmark are: (1) World Bank Open Data, (2) Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings, and (3) THE (Times Higher Education) University Rankings. Based on 13 data points, the simple (unweighted) average SFR for Oman is 19.04. The current study recommends an upper limit of 30 students per academic full time faculty member in Omani HEIs. When the most-recent records in the World Bank Open Data portal for the 22 Arab League countries were averaged, a regional benchmark of 24.82 was obtained (which decreases to 17.00 if a subset of the six Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, countries is considered). The seven HEIs (all are universities) that received a rank in the latest edition (2024 edition) of QS Arab Region University Rankings (QS-AUR) were among the data points considered in the analysis. These QS ranking results were published online on 18/October/2023, with a total of 223 ranked Arab HEIs. The five HEIs (four universities and one standalone university college) that either received a rank (only Sultan Qaboos University, or SQU) or were recognized as a reporter without being qualified enough to officially receive a rank in the latest edition (2024 edition) of THE World University Rankings (THE-WUR) were also considered in the analysis. These THE ranking results were published online on 27/September/2023, with a total of 1,904 ranked HEIs worldwide. As a secondary objective, the study assesses the level of mismatch in the SFR value for four Omani universities that appeared in the 2024 edition of both QS-AUR and THE-WUR. The percentage of mismatch in SFR between the QS and THE values (with respect to the average of the two values) for each of these four universities ranged from 0.68% to 25.30%. As a tertiary objective, the study gives an overview about three popular university ranking services, which are: QS, THE, and ARWU (Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as Shanghai Ranking). Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) is the only Omani HEI that received a global rank through either the QS or THE ranking service in their respective latest edition (edition 2024, released in 2023), and it is the only Omani HEI that was ever ranked by ARWU since its first edition in June 2003 (but it was not ranked in the latest ‘2023’ edition). The enrollment of Arab HEIs in the regional Arab version of THE rankings has grown faster than the regional QS counterpart when the latest 3 released editions are considered for both types of regional rankings, where the number of Arab HEIs ranked in the 2023 edition (released on 15/November/2023) of the Arab version of THE rankings (having 207 ranked Arab HEIs) is notably higher than its value in the earlier 2021 edition released on 27/July/2021 (having 125 ranked Arab HEIs).

The study uncovered that educational institutions cannot exclusively rely on their international ranking achievements to maintain their legitimacy. Universities must prioritize strategic communication to enhance their competitive position in the global education market. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, encompassing in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with a cohort of 37 first-year students attending a private institution. The study revealed that students' decision-making process in selecting a private university was intricate and involved multiple aspects. In addition to rankings, students also considered variables such as parental influence, networking possibilities, and the level of facilities and support services provided by the university. Consequently, colleges should prioritize not only their rankings but also other marketing tactics to recruit students. Although university rankings like QS and Times Higher Education significantly influence the perception of institutions in terms of quality and prestige, it is advisable to adopt a more balanced approach. Access to information via digital platforms, such as websites and social media, has played a critical role in demonstrating the program's and university's reliability. Public relations initiatives, however, have focused on highlighting the excellence of education and the societal obligations of universities in the fiercely competitive higher education sector.

IntroductionAs a growing direction, nano-based therapy has become a successful paradigm used to address the phytogenic delivery-related problems in overcoming multivirulent vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) infection.MethodsHence, our aim was to develop and assess a novel nanocarrier system (mesoporous silica nanoparticles, MPS-NPs) for free berberine (Free-BR) as an antimicrobial alkaloid against strong biofilm-producing and multi-virulent VRSA strains using in vitro and in vivo mouse model.Results and discussionOur outcomes demonstrated vancomycin resistance in 13.7% of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains categorized as VRSA. Notably, strong biofilm formation was observed in 69.2% of VRSA strains that were all positive for icaA gene. All strong biofilm-producing VRSA strains harbored a minimum of two virulence genes comprising clfA and icaA with 44.4% of them possessing all five virulence genes (icaA, tst, clfA, hla, and pvl), and 88.9% being multi-virulent. The study findings affirmed excellent in vitro antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of BR-loaded MPS-NPs. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) assay displayed the downregulating role of BR-loaded MPS-NPs on strong biofilm-producing and multi-virulent VRSA strains virulence and agr genes in both in vitro and in vivo mice models. Additionally, BR-loaded MPS-NPs supplementation has a promising role in attenuating the upregulated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines’ genes in VRSA-infected mice with attenuation in pro-apoptotic genes expression resulting in reduced VRSA-induced apoptosis. In essence, the current study recommends the future scope of using BR-loaded MPS-NPs as auspicious alternatives for antimicrobials with tremendous antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anti-quorum sensing (QS), and anti-virulence effectiveness against problematic strong biofilm-producing and multi-virulent VRSA-associated infections.

Copyright of Nuclear Safety is the property of Nuclear & Radiation Safety Center and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study intended to examine ISC World University Ranking (ISC WUR) as an emerging ranking system. It draws on a descriptive-correlational method. First, the internal correlation held between the criteria of the ISC WUR was examined to clarify the representation of the total university score from each of its functional criteria in the ISC WUR system. Afterwards, the study assessed the extent to which the ISC WUR results diverge or converge at the general level and examined the similarities and differences between ISC WUR criteria and indicators results and those of Leiden, Nature Index, THE, and QS as complicated university rankings. The research sample included the universities ranked via the five global ranking systems in 2020. All ISC WUR’s indicators revealed significant and positive correlations with the total ranking scores of the universities. There was a significantly positive correlation between the ISC WUR and those of Leiden, Nature Index, THE, and QS.Moreover, the indicators similarly present in ISC WUR and other ranking systems were significantly and positively correlated. In conclusion, the overall performance of each university in ISC WUR reflects all the functional criteria of that university, especially the criteria of research and international activities. Besides, although the ICS WUR and the other systems have differences and similarities in methodology, the results obtained from these systems are similar to a certain extent. Nevertheless, these similarities are not strong enough to claim that the ISC WUR presents the same results as other ranking systems.

Devi Windaryanti,1 Christine Sondang Gabriel,1 Ika Wiani Hidayat,1 Achmad Zainuddin,1 Hendra Dian Adhita Dharsono,2 Mieke Hemiawati Satari,3 Dikdik Kurnia1 1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, Indonesia; 2Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia; 3Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Jawa Barat, IndonesiaCorrespondence: Dikdik Kurnia, Jl. Raya Bandung Sumedang km.21, Hegarmanah, Jatinangor, Kabupaten Sumedang, Sumedang, Jawa Barat, 45363, Indonesia, Tel/Fax +022 7794391, Email dikdik.kurnia@unpad.ac.idIntroduction: Uncontrolled biofilm can cause several diseases such as dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Dental caries is a disease caused by the accumulation of plaque-containing pathogenic bacteria, including Enterococcus faecalis. These bacteria infect the root canals of teeth and colonize to form biofilms. Biofilm inhibition is carried out by interfering with cell wall formation metabolism. MurA enzyme has a role in peptidoglycan biosynthesis of cell walls. Enterococcal surface protein (Esp) is the main contributor of E. faecalis to form biofilms. In addition, inhibition of biofilms by interfering with the quorum sensing (QS) system, suppressing gelatinase virulence factors by blocking autoinducers gelatinase biosynthesis-activating pheromone (GBAP).Purpose: Knowing the potential of Piper betel Linn. compounds as antibacterial in vitro and antibiofilm agents against E. faecalis in silico.Patients and Methods: The compounds were purified by a bioactivity-guided chromatographic method. Antibacterial activity was tested by disc diffusion method, in vitro studies. In silico study, compound P. betel L. was used as the test ligand and compared with positive control fosfomycin, ambuic acid, quercetin, and taxifolin. The proteins used MurA, Esp, GBAP, and gelatinase were docking with the Autodock Vina PyRx 0.8 followed by the PYMOL program and visualized with the Discovery Studio 2020 program.Results: An antibacterial compound was identified 24-propylcholesterol which can inhibit the activity of E. faecalis ATCC 29212 with MIC value of 78.1 μg/mL and MBC value of 156.3 μg/mL. Molecular docking results showed the binding affinity of 24-propylcholesterol with MurA, ESP, GBAP, and gelatinase enzymes was − 7.6, − 8.7, − 5.3, and − 7.9 kcal/mol.Conclusion: 24-propylcholesterol has potential as an antibacterial against E. faecalis and as an antibiofilm through in silico inhibition of QS. However, further research is needed in vitro and in vivo to determine the effectiveness of these compounds as antibacterial and antibiofilm.Keywords: Piper betel Linn, 24-propylcholesterol, biofilm, MurA, QS

Rankings are important to compare higher education institutions with other higher education institutions in the world, to develop international cooperation, to attract investments and foreign professors and students, to show their competitiveness and to be recognized at the international level. In this paper, an attempt is made to clarify the position of higher education institutions in Uzbekistan in international rankings, their participation in the events of international ranking agencies, and the factors that lead to the improvement of the position of universities in international rankings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious setbacks were witnessed in shrimp farming, the food industry, and the ship industry during the past three decades primarily due to bacterial pathogens that coordinate by quorum sensing (QS). The influence of bacterial pathogens utilizing QS. The impact of QS cell communication on public health is extremely disastrous in terms of spread, spectrum, apart from their economic impact. The overuse of antibiotics has increased drastically to battle bacterial infections, including tons of antibiotics are distributed in the biosphere. Due to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, multiple antibiotic-resistant strains have emerged, as the antibiotic resistance genes are being transferred to bacteria of terrestrial animals, humans, and pathogens. The increased public awareness of the negative drawbacks caused by over-exposure to antibiotics, also the emergence of multiple antibiotic resistant pathogenic stains led to the search for alternatives and unique solutions. One such unconventional, promising method is the interruption of bacterial cell to cell communication, which is currently termed QS inhibition. Now-a-days, QS inhibition is the potential objective for antimicrobial chemotherapy. This review summarizes the regulatory factors that attenuate the QS activities of deadly pathogens and discusses their distinctive characteristics. Improving awareness of the natural roles of regulatory elements might be useful in unveiling inhibitor applications to understand how QS is inhibited in pathogenic bacteria by different QS inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study intended to examine ISC World University Ranking (ISC WUR) as an emerging ranking system. It draws on a descriptive-correlational method. First, the internal correlation held between the criteria of the ISC WUR was examined to clarify the representation of the total university score from each of its functional criteria in the ISC WUR system. Afterwards, the study assessed the extent to which the ISC WUR results diverge or converge at the general level and examined the similarities and differences between ISC WUR criteria and indicators results and those of Leiden, Nature Index, THE, and QS as complicated university rankings. The research sample included the universities ranked via the five global ranking systems in 2020. All ISC WUR's indicators revealed significant and positive correlations with the total ranking scores of the universities. There was a significantly positive correlation between the ISC WUR and those of Leiden, Nature Index, THE, and QS. Moreover, the indicators similarly present in ISC WUR and other ranking systems were significantly and positively correlated. In conclusion, the overall performance of each university in ISC WUR reflects all the functional criteria of that university, especially the criteria of research and international activities. Besides, although the ICS WUR and the other systems have differences and similarities in methodology, the results obtained from these systems are similar to a certain extent. Nevertheless, these similarities are not strong enough to claim that the ISC WUR presents the same results as other ranking systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University ranking systems use various single and multi-faceted methodologies. Despite being efficient and less biased, the former fails to cover all academic performance dimensions, requiring solutions to improve its effectiveness. Previous studies found universities' ranks to be partly correlated to their social presence and activities via their official accounts. However, altmetrics have a comparatively more diversified and all-inclusive nature. Moreover, altmetrics are assumed to reflect various impact types and therefore represent different academic performance dimensions. This study attempted to discover if the altmetrics aggregated at the university level can bridge the gap between single and multi-faceted rankings. Focusing on Leiden and Nature Index as single-faceted, and Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds as multi-faceted rankings, it explored a sample of the universities jointly ranked by the systems in 2017 and 2020. Their overall scores in Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds were regressed against their Leiden crown indicator (PP top 10%), Article-Weighted Fractional Count in Nature Index, Altmetric Attention Score, tweets, and Mendeley readership. According to the results, the universities' scores in Leiden and Nature Index predicted theirs in Quacquarelli Symonds (33.5% and 21.4%, respectively) and Times Higher Education (63.7% and 33.4%, respectively). Altmetric Attention Score, tweets, and Mendeley readership boosted the predictions, implying their ability to reflect academic performances. However, they differed in their effects' strengths, importance, and directions, which may be resulted from their differences in the impact realms and values for different social sections, which are not necessarily proportional to the corresponding dimensions' weights in the rankings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap) is known as one of the most important seed-borne destructive pathogens on beans worldwide. Nowadays, Xap is considered to acquire resistance to antibiotics and synthetic bactericides which concerns the scientific world for its future management. This has made the use of plant extracts, the best alternative in the control of plant disease pathogens by inhibiting the quorum sensing (QS) mediated virulence factors. This research was designed to investigate the antibacterial activities and the anti-QS effects of the 14 different aromatic and medicinal plants against QS-mediated virulence factors of Xap. The results revealed that Syzgium aromaticum showed the largest inhibition zone diameter and strongest antimicrobial (antibacterial) effect among the 14 plant extracts followed by Thymus vulgaris and Coriandrum sativum. Similarly, the lowest swarming, swimming, and twitching motility values were measured from the Syzgium aromaticum application followed by Coriandrum sativum, Thymus vulgaris, Brassica nigra, Lepidium sativum, and Ruta chalepenis. These results indicated that S. aromaticum, C. sativum, T. vulgaris, B. nigra, L. sativum, and R. chalepenis will be a potential candidates as anti-quorum sensing agents in preventing common bacterial disease of beans caused by Xap. Compounds derived from aromatic and medicinal plants have demonstrated successful control of diseases in crops and the use of these substances provides a valuable tool to the growers around the world for diseases management in organic production.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae communicate between and among species using quorum sensing (QS). Biofilm formation and virulence factors are regulated by QS. This QS is indirectly responsible for K. pneumoniae pathogenicity. Inhibiting QS is a novel and highly effective method for controlling K. pneumoniae extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (KP-ESBL) infections. This study aimed to investigate how Aspergillus oryzae extracellular protein (AOEP) affected QS and KP-ESBL virulence factors. Methods: Methods used included minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) through the microdilution method, biofilms with crystal violet staining, extracellular polysaccharides using the Congo Red assay, quantifying the expression of genes coding for capsular polysaccharide ( wzI gene) and adhesion ( mrkA gene) through quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), siderophore level measurement using Chrome Azurol sulphonate assay (CAS assay), biofilm morphology using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and confirmation using the life span killing assay method on Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans). Results: In vitro studies revealed that AOEP inhibited biofilms and exopolysaccharides (EPS) in KP-ESBL at the sub-MIC level. In addition, AOEP inhibited the expression of the mrkA gene, which is involved in the adhesion process. Furthermore, an in vivo study revealed that AOEP levels of 75 and 150 µg/mL respectively increased C. elegans survival rates by 72.67% and 80.76% against K. pneumoniae infection. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the extracellular protein of A. oryzae may be an effective QS inhibitor and a novel anti-virulence agent to control bacterial pathogens.

Copyright of Retos, Revista de Ciencias Administrativas y Económicas is the property of Universidad Politecnica Salesiana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Informed peer-review university ranking systems like REF involve peer review to achieve high-quality university performance evaluations while considering bibliometric facts. Despite its advantages and methodological success, it is not possible to implement the review-based exercise in all countries due to unaffordable costs, vulnerability to bias, and differences in cultural, economic, managerial, and infrastructural conditions. As an alternative, some science systems prefer to consider using the results of international university rankings to gauge the academic performance of their higher education institutions. Using a different methodology, the international ranking systems tend to maintain their efficiency by heavily relying on the bibliometric information extracted from databases, the performance data gathered from official authorities, and academic and employer surveys. This gives rise to the question of to what extent these two types of systems are convergent in their results. If their different methodologies lead to similar results, they could be interpreted to have similar effectiveness in their evaluation of academic performance. Therefore, by relying on the results of the international ranking systems, one can avoid the shortcomings of the review-based method, and maintain both the efficiency and effectiveness of the evaluation systems. To reveal the convergence of the results obtained from the methods, the present study explores a sample of British universities evaluated by REF (2014) to investigate the correlation between their scores in REF and the world’s prestigious university rankings. Methodology: Using a quantitative content analysis method, the present study concentrates on a collection of 150 British universities evaluated simultaneously by REF (2014) and at least one of the world's prestigious ranking systems including QS, THE, Leiden and ARWU. Due to the small size of the population, all REF members are examined without sampling. The evaluation results of these universities are extracted from these systems and entered into a checklist. Also, the subject fields and disciplines covered by the universities are collected to investigate their probable effects on the results. The universities’ subject coverage similarity is calculated using the Cosine similarity measure and K Nearest Neighbor technique in the KNIME data mining platform. Finally, correlation and regression analyses are applied to analyze the data. Findings: UK universities’ scores in REF are found to be significantly correlated to theirs in international ranking systems. They are highly correlated to QS and THE’s, while being moderately associated with ARWU’s, and weakly-to-strongly correlated to Leiden’s. The regression analyses show no significant effects of subject coverage on the overall scores, except for medical tendency’s effect on QS. However, the subject coverage affects some dimension scores. While it does not significantly predict any of the dimensions of ARWU, it partially predicts the Citations and Industry Income dimensions in THE, with medical and technical, and engineering subjects respectively having the highest positive predicting power. In QS, the subject coverage partially predicts the dimensions of Academic reputation, Faculty/student ratio, International faculty ratio, International student ratio, and Citation Per faculty. Medical science has the highest positive effect on the dimensions of Academic reputation, Faculty/student ratio, and Citations per faculty. Moreover, basic sciences have the highest negative effect on the International student ratio and International faculty ratio. Also, the subject coverage can predict Leiden scores for the dimensions PP (top 10%) (i.e. the proportion of a university’s publications that, compared with other publications in the same field and the same year, belong to the top 10% most frequently cited), MCS (i.e. the average number of citations of the publications of a university), MNCS (i.e. the average number of citations of the publications of a university, normalized for field and publication year), PP(collab) (i.e. the proportion of a university’s publications that have been co-authored with one or more other organizations), PP(int collab) (i.e. the proportion of a university’s publications that have been co-authored by two or more countries), PP(industry) (i.e. the proportion of a university’s publications that have been co-authored with one or more industrial organizations) and PP(>1000 km) (i.e. the proportion of a university’s publications with a geographical collaboration distance of more than 1000 km). Medical science has the highest positive predictive power for the scores in all the mentioned dimensions except for PP(industry). Conclusion: The results of REF, as a peer-review-based university ranking informed with bibliometric data, are highly correlated to those of the international evaluations based on performance statistics and enriched by surveys, while being moderately correlated to those performed by just performance statistics. The subject coverage impact on the rankings challenges the application of the results in comparing universities with different subject coverages. کلیدواژه‌ها [English] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

V. fluvialis is an emerging foodborne pathogen and could cause cholera-like gastroenteritis syndrome and poses a potential threat to public health. VflT6SS2 is a functionally active type VI secretion system (T6SS) in V. fluvialis which confers bactericidal activity. VflT6SS2 is composed of one major cluster and three hcp-vgrG orphan clusters. Previously, we identified two quorum sensing (QS) systems CqsA/LuxS-HapR and VfqI-VfqR in V. fluvialis and demonstrated that the former regulates VflT6SS2. However, whether VfqI-VfqR QS regulates VflT6SS2 is unknown. In this study, we showed that the mRNA abundances of VflT6SS2 tssD2 (hcp), tssI2 (vgrG) and tssB2 (vipA) were all significantly decreased in VfqI or/and VfqR deletion mutant(s). Consistently, Hcp expression/secretion was reduced too in these mutants. Complementation assay with VfqR mutant further confirmed that the reduced Hcp expression/secretion and impaired antibacterial virulence are restored by introducing VfqR-expressing plasmid. Reporter fusion analyses revealed that VfqR modulates the promoter activities of VflT6SS2. Bioinformatical prediction and further reporter fusion assay in E. coli supported that VfqR acts as a transcriptional factor to bind and regulate the gene expression of the VflT6SS2 major cluster. However, VfqR seems to promote transcription of hcp (tssD2) in the orphan clusters through elevating the expression of vasH which is encoded by the VflT6SS2 major cluster. Additionally, we found that the regulation intensity of VfqR on VflT6SS2 is weaker than that of HapR. In conclusion, our current study disclosed that in V. fluvialis, VfqI-VfqR circuit upregulates the expression and function of VflT6SS2 by directly or indirectly activating its transcription. These findings will enhance our understanding of the complicated regulatory network between QS and T6SS in V. fluvialis.

brindar una educación de la mayor calidad posible, haciendo un uso eficiente de los recursos, es una exigencia permanente para las universidades con financiamiento público. Aunque es conocido que los egresados con estudios universitarios reciben un beneficio privado (salarial), todavía faltan estimaciones del beneficio social de la educación superior, es decir, de los efectos positivos que los universitarios crean en otros trabajadores. En este contexto, el objetivo de este artículo es medir el retorno social de la educación superior, estimando el efecto sobre el salario del personal directivo y operativo, asociado al trabajo de universitarios contratados en pequeñas y medianas empresas. El análisis se realizó con datos de México, se combinaron cifras oficiales de la Encuesta de Calidad de Gobierno, que reporta la satisfacción de la educación universitaria, y la Encuesta de Productividad, que describe salarios y escolaridad, entre otros. La muestra se enfocó en pequeñas y medianas empresas. La abundante información disponible permitió utilizar variables instrumentales y una regresión en dos etapas. Se corroboró que la educación universitaria tiene un efecto social positivo y que este efecto es mayor en las regiones con las Instituciones de Educación Superior (IES) de mayor calidad. Al ampliar la perspectiva hacia la calidad de las IES y el retorno social, las universidades pueden demostrar que su impacto sobrepasa al conjunto de egresados y provoca un efecto salarial positivo en trabajadores sin estudios universitarios.

This article summarizes some of the results of the first QS Subject Focus Summit on Linguistics and Modern Languages held jointly with the RUDN University on December 15-17, 2020. It provides rationale for the choice of venue of this linguistic forum and analyzes the most relevant topics of discussion, including interdisciplinarity in modern linguistic research, comparative studies of languages and cultures, and intercultural and cross-cultural communication. Participants explored the topics as diverse as the role of linguistics in developing artificial intelligence systems and application of artificial intelligence in linguistic research, the dynamics of languages in minority situations and the efforts in preserving endangered languages. They dwelt on the current state of translation studies and discussed prospects for their future in view of advances in computer technologies, and many others. The articles included in this issue and authored by the Summit participants clearly show that language has become an object of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary studies. Moreover, the interdisciplinary research paradigm is manifested not only in the convergence of linguistics with other areas of humanities, but also with sciences. This article provides a brief overview of the contributions which present major paradigms of modern linguistics. It highlights the importance of applying computer technologies in linguistic research and emphasizes the necessity to modify language policies in order to preserve minority languages and meet the needs of language education in a multilingual and multicultural environment.

Pseudomonas protegens can generally produce multiple antibiotics including pyoluteorin (Plt), 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG), and pyrrolnitrin (Prn). In this study, we discovered and characterized a quorum sensing (QS) system, PpqI/R, in P. protegens H78. PpqI/R, encoded by two open reading frames (ORFs) (H78_01960/01961) in P. protegens H78 genome, is a LuxI/R-type QS system. Four long-chain acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) signaling molecules, 3-OH-C 10 -HSL, 3-OH-C 12 -HSL, C 12 -HSL, and 3-OH-C 14 -HSL, are produced by H78. Biosynthesis of these AHLs is catalyzed by PpqI synthase and activated by the PpqR regulator in H78 and in Escherichia coli when heterologously expressed. PpqR activates ppqI expression by targeting the lux box upstream of the ppqI promoter in cooperation with corresponding AHLs. The four aforementioned AHLs exhibited different capabilities to induce ppqI promoter expression, with 3-OH-C 12 -HSL showing the highest induction activity. In H78 cells, ppqI/R expression is activated by the two-component system GacS/A and the RNA chaperone Hfq. Differential regulation of the PpqI/R system in secondary metabolism has a negative effect on DAPG biosynthesis and ped operon (involved in volatile organic compound biosynthesis) expression. In contrast, Plt biosynthesis and prn operon expression were positively regulated by PpqI/R. In summary, PpqI/R, the first characterized QS system in P. protegens, is activated by GacS/A and Hfq and controls the expression of secondary metabolites, including antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se aplicó un esquema de inversión iterativo, inicialmente desarrollado por Hashida y Shimazaki (1984) y posteriormente modificado por Joshi et al., (2010), para estimar el factor de calidad de onda corta tridimensional, Qs (f), del centro-sur del Golfo de California, México. Es un área de 230 x 288 km que se divide en 108 bloques rectangulares de diferentes Qs (f). Se utilizó 25 terremotos bien ubicados registrados en tres estaciones de banda ancha de la red regional RESBAN operada por CICESE (Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California) y tres Sismógrafos de Fondo Oceánico (OBS, por sus siglas en inglés) de un conjunto del Experimento del Fondo Oceánico del Mar de Cortés (SCOOBA, por sus siglas en inglés). Este conjunto de datos permitió obtener estimaciones de Qs (f) de diferentes bloques, utilizando el algoritmo de inversión modificado. El Qs (f) se obtuvo a varias frecuencias en el rango de 0,16 ~ 8,0 Hz. Se encontró que la estructura Qs estimada se correlaciona con los modelos geológicos y tectónicos de la región propuestos en estudios previos. Se obtuvo una relación regional dependiente de la frecuencia que utiliza todos los valores de 1944 del factor de calidad de la onda de corte a 18 frecuencias diferentes en todos los bloques y se puede aproximar mediante una función de la forma Qs (f) = 20 f 1.2. Esta relación es típica en una región tectónicamente activa con alta atenuación de onda S y es similar a las relaciones de atenuación reportadas por otros autores para la región del Valle Imperial, California. doi: https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.2021.60.2.2053

This article presents research results of national research universities (NRU) and federal universities (FU) contribution to the Project of competitiveness enhancement of the leading Russian universities among global research and education centers (Project 5-100). The following indicators were analyzed: publications, indexed in Web of Science and Scopus databases, share of international students and faculty, share of young employees and staff with PhD, performance in international rankings, etc. The analysis was based on 41 quantitative and 11 qualitative indicators. In the analysis the following data sources were used: statistical forms 1-Monitoring, rankings agencies data, etc. It has been determined that the most influence on the Russian education competitiveness enhancement in the world belongs to the leading NRU – participants of Project 5-100. The article analyzes the contribution of federal universities in the implementation of the Project 5-100.

This article presents the research results of flagship universities activities, which support social and economic development of the Russian Federation regions, including the creation of innovation, technological and social region development centers. The research covers the period from 2015 to 2018. The following core areas of flagship universities were analyzed: educational, research, integration with regions and high-tech industries, international activities. Essential aspects of financial and economic activity and employment policy were considered. The analysis was based on 41 quantitative and 11 qualitative indicators, among which 8 indicators were prioritized. In the analysis the following data sources were used: statistical forms 1-Monitoring, rankings agencies data, etc. The effectiveness of flagship universities was studied. Problems and positive tendencies in flagship universities development were determined and analyzed.

The article presents the results of the national research universities (NRU) development programs implementation analysis for the period 2008–2018. The authors have held a comparative analysis of NRU activities with other strategic initiatives in the field of higher education in Russia, in particular, Russian Academic Excellence Project 5-100 on Competitiveness Enhancement of the Leading Russian Universities among Global Research and Education Centers; Project «Federal Universities»; support for strategic development programs of state educational institutions of higher education; sustainable relationships support between higher educational institutions and regional enterprises and organizations within the framework of the priority project “Universities as Innovation Drivers”. The analysis was based on 41 quantitative and 11 qualitative indicators. In the analysis, the following data sources were used: statistical forms 1-Monitoring, data from ranking agencies, etc. It has been determined that implementation of development programs for the entire NRU network is generally successful and positively affects the development of Russian higher education. The leading NRU – the participants of Project 5-100 have shown the greater impact on the enhancement of the Russian education in the world.

Next-generation sequencing methods have become essential for studying bacterial biology and pathogenesis, often depending on high-quality, closed genomes. In this study, we utilized a hybrid sequencing approach to assemble the genome of C6706, a widely used Vibrio cholerae model strain. We present a manually curated annotation of the genome, enhancing user accessibility by linking each coding sequence to its counterpart in N16961, the first sequenced V. cholerae isolate and a commonly used reference genome. Comparative genomic analysis between V. cholerae C6706 and N16961 uncovered multiple genetic differences in genes associated with key biological functions. To determine whether these genetic variations result in phenotypic differences, we compared several phenotypes relevant to V. cholerae pathogenicity like genetic stability, acid sensitivity, biofilm formation and motility. Notably, V. cholerae N16961 exhibited greater motility and reduced biofilm formation compared to V. cholerae C6706. These phenotypic differences appear to be mediated by variations in quorum sensing and cyclic di-GMP signalling pathways between the strains. This study provides valuable insights into the regulation of biofilm formation and motility in V. cholerae .

For bacteria to thrive in an environment with competitors, phages and environmental cues, they use different strategies, including Type VI Secretion Systems (T6SSs) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) to compete for space. Bacteria often use quorum sensing (QS), to coordinate their behavior as the cell density increases. Like other aliivibrios, Aliivibrio wodanis 06/09/139 harbors two QS systems, the main LuxS/LuxPQ system and an N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated AinS/AinR system and a master QS regulator, LitR. To explore the QS and survival strategies, we performed genome analysis and gene expression profiling on A. wodanis and two QS mutants (ΔainS and ΔlitR) at two cell densities (OD600 2.0 and 6.0) and temperatures (6 and 12°C). Genome analysis of A. wodanis revealed two CRISPR systems, one without a cas loci (CRISPR system 1) and a type I-F CRISPR system (CRISPR system 2). Our analysis also identified three main T6SS clusters (T6SS1, T6SS2, and T6SS3) and four auxiliary clusters, as well about 80 potential Type VI secretion effectors (T6SEs). When comparing the wildtype transcriptome data at different cell densities and temperatures, 13–18% of the genes were differentially expressed. The CRISPR system 2 was cell density and temperature-independent, whereas the CRISPR system 1 was temperature-dependent and cell density-independent. The primary and auxiliary clusters of T6SSs were both cell density and temperature-dependent. In the ΔlitR and ΔainS mutants, several CRISPR and T6SS related genes were differentially expressed. Deletion of litR resulted in decreased expression of CRISPR system 1 and increased expression of CRISPR system 2. The T6SS1 and T6SS2 gene clusters were less expressed while the T6SS3 cluster was highly expressed in ΔlitR. Moreover, in ΔlitR, the hcp1 gene was strongly activated at 6°C compared to 12°C. AinS positively affected the csy genes in the CRISPR system 2 but did not affect the CRISPR arrays. Although AinS did not significantly affect the expression of T6SSs, the hallmark genes of T6SS (hcp and vgrG) were AinS-dependent. The work demonstrates that T6SSs and CRISPR systems in A. wodanis are QS dependent and may play an essential role in survival in its natural environment.

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Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic bacterium, ubiquitously found in nature and causative agent in many infections. Due to increased antibiotic resistance, there is a need to develop more robust antibacterial agents from natural sources. In this study, we worked on two metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains and targeted the Quorum Sensing mechanism (QS) of these bacteria to combat antibiotic resistance. Our study aimed at using phytochemicals which have been used since centuries in herbal medicine. We used fifteen commercially available phytochemicals and check their effects on biofilm formation, quorum sensing and inter-related mechanisms. Sub-inhibitory concentration of isoliquiritin inhibited biofilm formation 55 % in P8 at day 6 and 48 % in P6 at day 6; quorum sensing 83 % in P6 and 61 % in P8 whereas sub-inhibitory concentration of 6-gingerol suppressed biofilm formation by 48 % in P8 at day 6 and 44 % in P6 at day 6; quorum sensing 69 % in P6 and 48 % in P8, respectively. The results indicated isoliquiritin, epigallocatechin gallate, eugenol, luteolin and chrysin to be the potential candidates in inhibiting QS and related mechanisms. Isoliquiritin which was never been used before against biofilm and QS related studies, showed remarkable results and found to be more efficient in inhibiting QS than 6-gingerol –a known QS inhibitor. For examining the molecular interaction between phytochemicals and QS, In-silico molecular docking was performed between phytoligands and four QS proteins (Las I, Las R, RhlI and Rhl R). In-silico docking analysis revealed that isoliquiritin showed strong bond with amino acids (Trp34, Asp35, Asp35, Tyr105, Arg104, Val138, Thr140) present at the active site of RhlI with binding energy value of −8.4 kcal/mol as compared to that of 6-gingerol with Rhl1 (−7.3 kcal/mol). In conclusion, our study may help in controlling nosocomial infections caused by carbapenem-resistant metallo beta-lactamase P. aeruginosa (MBL-PA) by utilizing these phytochemicals in biofilms disruption and quorum sensing inhibition. Moreover their synergism with antibiotics may help in lowering the MIC of carbapenem antibiotics against such Multi-drug resistant strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the positioning of 52 leading Russian universities in three world rankings (QS, THE, ARWU) was carried out over a seven-year time interval. It is shown that from the analysis of materials and the roughest predictions based on linear extrapolation of data, it can be concluded that none of the 52 leading Russian universities can enter the TOP-100 of the considered ratings. It was concluded that at the very beginning of the launch of the 5–100 project an unreasonable assumption was made that five leading Russian universities could be included in the TOP-100 of one or several of the three world rankings. It is shown that for successful implementation of the project it would be necessary to carry out imitating modeling previously.

Background and Aim: A variety of bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus utilize quorum sensing to perform their important activities such as biofilm formation and production of virulence factors. Interfering with the bacterial QS will disable the bacteria to perform above-mentioned vital activities. The principal aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of five plant extracts against bacterial Quorum sensing of Staphylococcus aureus. Materials and Methods: Thirteen strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from patients with dental implant infection and identified. The plant species were collected from vicinity gardens of Fars Province and extracted using 96% ethanol. The anti-QS and antimicrobial susceptibility methods were then carried out to evaluate their bactericidal and QS properties with the use of Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL/PZLR4. Furthermore, the biofilm production of the isolates was evaluated by microtiter plate (MTP) assay. Ethical Considerations: This study with research ethics codes 01-16-1-1959 and 73/118248 has been approved by research ethics committee at Islamic Azad University, Jahrom and research sciences branch, respectively. Findings: The results of the study disclosed that the extract of raspberry blossom possesses significantly (p21 mm). The anti-QS activity was proved by creating clear halo sides of the wells formed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL/PZLR4. Moreover, the extracts of tarragon, wheat flower, flixweed and basil showed antimicrobial properties. Conclusion: According to the anti-biofilm and anti-QS properties of raspberry blossom extract against the isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, it could be considered as a mouthwash against dental bacterial infection with the identification of active compounds in the raspberry.

Quorum sensing (QS) is a form of bacterial communication involved in the production of virulence factors in many species. As a result, inhibition of quorum sensing may be of use in mitigating pathogenesis. The signaling molecule indole is currently being investigated as a target for quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) and the indole derivative indole-3-carboxaldehyde (ICA) has been shown to inhibit quorum sensing-mediated behaviors in Escherichia coli. In this study, we investigate bromination as a method of increasing the QSI capabilities of indole carboxaldehydes. The IC50 values of three monobrominated indole carboxaldehydes (5-bromoindole-3-carboxaldehyde, 6-bromoindole-3-carboxaldehyde, and 7-bromoindole-3-carboxaldehyde) were determined and compared to the IC50 value of ICA. The bromination of these indole carboxaldehydes reduced the IC50 values between 2- and 13-fold, indicating that bromination significantly increases the potency of these indole carboxaldehydes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Moscow International University Ranking (MosIUR) is a global university ranking launched in 2017 with the intention of evaluating universities by considering three essential dimensions (education, research, and knowledge transfer). This ranking was designed and developed by the Russian Union of Rectors following a direct request from President Vladimir Putin. The objective of this work is to perform a threefold analysis of this ranking. First, a methodological analysis is carried out, focused on describing the nature of the indicators and sources employed. Second, a geopolitical analysis aims to determine how countries are represented in this new global ranking. Third, a webometric analysis is done, focused on the online visibility of the ranking. The results reveal MosIUR to be a ranking with an outstanding number of webometric indicators and clearly oriented towards transference to society. However, some methodological concerns arise regarding a few metrics. The geopolitical position of developed countries is similar to that in other global rankings, but slight differences emerge, such as the stronger presence of Russian universities. The cybermetric analysis confirms that, despite being international, this ranking is strongly limited to Russia. It can be concluded that, except for the palpable predominance of the USA, each ranking tends to place universities from their own country in a better position. The creation of MosIUR by the Russian government can thus be perceived as a political strategy to improve the reputation of Russian universities, increase funding, and accelerate their transformation into world-class universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, could proliferate in aquatic environment and infect humans through contaminated food and water. Enormous microorganisms residing in human gastrointestinal tract establish a special microecological system, which immediately responds to the invasion of V. cholerae, through “colonization resistance” mechanisms, such as antimicrobial peptide production, nutrients competition, and intestinal barrier maintenances. Meanwhile, V. cholerae could quickly sense those signals and modulate the expression of relevant genes to circumvent those stresses during infection, leading to successful colonization on the surface of small intestinal epithelial cells. In this review, we summarized the crosstalks profiles between gut microbiota and V. cholerae in the terms of Type VI Secretion System (T6SS), Quorum Sensing (QS), Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)/pH stress, and Bioactive metabolites. These mechanisms can also be applied to molecular bacterial pathogenesis of other pathogens in host.

Bacteria commonly exhibit social activities through acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs)-based quorum sensing (QS) systems to form their unique social network. The sigma factor RpoS is an important regulator that controls QS system in different bacteria. However, the upstream of RpoS involving regulation on QS system remains unclear. In Escherichia coli RpoS is regulated by stringent starvation protein A (SspA), which is dependent of histone-like nucleoid structuring protein (H-NS). To date, the connection between SspA and QS system is essentially unknown. Here, we characterized a typical LuxI/LuxR-type QS system in marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. T1lg65 which can produce four types of AHLs. The luxI encoding AHLs synthase and luxR encoding AHLs-responsive receptor are co-transcribed, providing advantages in rapidly amplifying QS signaling. Notably, SspA positively regulated luxI/luxR transcription by activating RpoS expression, which is mediated by H-NS. Interestingly, LuxR in turn positively regulated SspA expression. Therefore, SspA and QS system constitute a mutual positive regulation loop in T1lg65. In view of the crucial roles of SspA and QS system in environmental adaption, we believe that the improvement of bacterial tolerance to marine environments could be related to rapidly tuning SspA-involved QS programming. • We demonstrate that LuxI/LuxR-type quorum sensing systems in Pseudoalteromonas are differentiating. • We reveal that SspA positively regulates quorum sensing system in Pseudoalteromonas by activating RpoS expression, which is mediated by H-NS. • It is our first time to show that quorum sensing system in turn positively regulates SspA level in Pseudoalteromonas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio cholerae , the causative agent of cholera, could proliferate in aquatic environment and infect humans through contaminated food and water. Enormous microorganisms residing in human gastrointestinal tract establish a special microecological system, which immediately responds to the invasion of V. cholerae , through "colonization resistance" mechanisms, such as antimicrobial peptide production, nutrients competition, and intestinal barrier maintenances. Meanwhile, V. cholerae could quickly sense those signals and modulate the expression of relevant genes to circumvent those stresses during infection, leading to successful colonization on the surface of small intestinal epithelial cells. In this review, we summarized the crosstalks profiles between gut microbiota and V. cholerae in the terms of Type VI Secretion System (T6SS), Quorum Sensing (QS), Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)/pH stress, and Bioactive metabolites. These mechanisms can also be applied to molecular bacterial pathogenesis of other pathogens in host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding a set of units that can serve as a reference for growth or improvement in positions within a ranking is not a simple task, since each ranking method can place the same unit in different positions and may even differ in relative position within the ranking. This study proposes a method that applies a combination of network analysis and efficiency methods to global university rankings. Complex networks allow the creation of a graph structure that selects a set of units that change positions in consecutive rankings and also the selection of the set of nodes that are linked with a selected node. For this new set, it is possible to calculate the efficiency level using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), from which the benchmarks of the indicators for each of the selected universities can be computed. The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology to find a set of universities that compete with any university selected from those in the global university rankings, in particular ARWU, THE and QS. Moreover, this work also proposes to estimate the efficiency level of each university that competes with the selected university using the Data Envelopment Analysis methodology in order to establish benchmarks for each of the target Universities. This methodology is replicable for any university in any ranking or set of rankings. Given the high volatility of rankings, this process can serve university policy makers in selecting indicators to focus on for improved results in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twentieth century observed a huge paradigm shift in the field of sociobiology, which moved from social intelligence of animals to microbes. Quorum Sensing Molecules (QSMs) are the small chemical molecules, which establish the mode of communication among microbes, and is called Quorum Sensing (QS). These molecules are crucial for determining the decisions of large groups of cells, which is a density-dependent process. Thus, this mechanism draws a very thin line between bacteria that are actually prokaryotes and clustered bacteria mimicking eukaryotes. This review discusses about the designs of microbial communication networks, and the role of QS in plant–microbe interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Capital Institute of Physical Education is the property of Shoudu Tiyu Xueyuan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Moscow International University Ranking (MosIUR) is a global university ranking launched in 2017 with the intention of evaluating universities by considering three essential dimensions (education, research, and knowledge transfer). This ranking was designed and developed by the Russian Union of Rectors following a direct request from President Vladimir Putin. The objective of this work is to perform a threefold analysis of this ranking. First, a methodological analysis is carried out, focused on describing the nature of the indicators and sources employed. Second, a geopolitical analysis aims to determine how countries are represented in this new global ranking. Third, a webometric analysis is done, focused on the online visibility of the ranking. The results reveal MosIUR to be a ranking with an outstanding number of webometric indicators and clearly oriented towards transference to society. However, some methodological concerns arise regarding a few metrics. The geopolitical position of developed countries is similar to that in other global rankings, but slight differences emerge, such as the stronger presence of Russian universities. The cybermetric analysis confirms that, despite being international, this ranking is strongly limited to Russia. It can be concluded that, except for the palpable predominance of the USA, each ranking tends to place universities from their own country in a better position. The creation of MosIUR by the Russian government can thus be perceived as a political strategy to improve the reputation of Russian universities, increase funding, and accelerate their transformation into world-class universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the concepts of mediatisation and celebrification, this paper analyses how the Nobel Prize is used as a proxy of excellence by the 'Big Three' university rankers and top-ranked universities. Ranking advisories, university leadership at top-ranked institutions, and Nobel Prize adjudication committees are overwhelming from the same demographic: white men from the Global North. Who they deem 'world class' is overwhelmingly from the same demographic. Even though universities no longer have policies that keep out equity-seeking groups, the metrics used to determine world-classness re-entrench who is seen as a scholarly and administrative leader in higher education and what is considered world class knowledge. Drawing on social network analysis and multimedia critical discourse analysis, this paper argues that Nobel adjudication committees, ranking advisories and the leadership of top-ranked institutions form an echo chamber that conflates academic excellence with being white, male, wealthy, and famous. The paper concludes with the urgent need to address the cognitive dissonance of universities promoting spurious media-based metrics while at the same time claiming a commitment to equity policies and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • C rosstalk between the secondary messenger and AHLs in granulation is studied. • c-di-GMP + AHLs accelerate the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for yielding excess proteins. • AI-2 + AHLs accelerate the glyoxylate (GCA) cycle for stimulating polysaccharides secretion. • c-di-GMP and AI-2 compete with the AHLs to decline the EPS secretion. • c-di-GMP + AHLs recovered PN-rich granules from refrigerated-stored and dried-stored AGS. Efficient quorum sensing (QS) response is the premise for recovering the activities of stored aerobic granular sludge (AGS). This study aims to explore the crosstalk between the secondary messenger and the N-acylated-homoserine lactones (AHLs) to yield protein-rich granules efficiently from stored AGS by enhancing its QS efficiency selectively. 80 nmol/L cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) with 20 nmol/L AHLs could increase the activity of isocitrate lyase activity (ICD) by 89 % and isocitrate dehydrogenase activity (ICDHc) by 113.5 %, to accelerate the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for yielding excess proteins by 166.4 %. In contrast, 80 nmol/L autoinducer-2 (AI-2) with 20 nmol/L AHLs could increase the activities of ICD and ICDHc by 485 % and 54.5 %, respectively, accelerating the glyoxylate (GCA) cycle to activate fat acid synthesis for stimulating polysaccharides (PS) secretion by 137.9 %. The strategy with c-di-GMP successfully recovers the refrigerated-stored and dried-stored AGS into proteins-rich AGS, with enriched functional strains for the PN secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]