bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endothelium‐derived hydrogen sulfide acts as a hyperpolarizing factor and exerts neuroprotective effects via activation of large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channels
Authors: Wen Ji‐Yue , Zhang Jie , Chen Shuo , Chen Ye , Zhang Yang , Ma Zi‐Yao , Zhang Fang , Xie Wei‐Ming , Fan Yi‐Fei , Duan Jing‐Si , Chen Zhi‐Wu
Published: July 2021

Background and Purpose

Endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) has been suggested as a therapeutic target for vascular protection against ischaemic brain injury. However, the molecular entity of EDHF and its action on neurons remains unclear. This study was undertaken to demonstrate whether the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) acts as EDHF and exerts neuroprotective effect via large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ (BKCa/KCa1.1) channels.

Experimental Approach

The whole‐cell patch‐clamp technology was used to record the changes of BKCa currents in rat neurons induced by EDHF. The cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion model of mice and oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model of neurons were used to explore the neuroprotection of EDHF by activating BKCa channels in these neurons.

Key Results

Increases of BKCa currents and membrane hyperpolarization in hippocampal neurons induced by EDHF could be markedly inhibited by BKCa channel inhibitor iberiotoxin or endothelial H2S synthase inhibitor propargylglycine. The H2S donor, NaHS‐induced BKCa current and membrane hyperpolarization in neurons were also inhibited by iberiotoxin, suggesting that H2S acts as EDHF and activates the neuronal BKCa channels. Besides, we found that the protective effect of endothelium‐derived H2S against mice cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion injury was disrupted by iberiotoxin. Importantly, the inhibitory effect of NaHS or BKCa channel opener on OGD/R‐induced neuron injury and the increment of intracellular Ca2+ level could be inhibited by iberiotoxin but enhanced by co‐application with L‐type but not T‐type calcium channel inhibitor.

Conclusion and Implications

Endothelium‐derived H2S acts as EDHF and exerts neuroprotective effects via activating the BKCa channels and then inhibiting the T‐type calcium channels in hippocampal neurons.
A guide to choosing and implementing reference models for social network analysis
Authors: Hobson Elizabeth A. , Silk Matthew J. , Fefferman Nina H. , Larremore Daniel B. , Rombach Puck , Shai Saray , Pinter‐Wollman Noa
Published: July 2021

Analysing social networks is challenging. Key features of relational data require the use of non‐standard statistical methods such as developing system‐specific null, or reference, models that randomize one or more components of the observed data. Here we review a variety of randomization procedures that generate reference models for social network analysis. Reference models provide an expectation for hypothesis testing when analysing network data. We outline the key stages in producing an effective reference model and detail four approaches for generating reference distributions: permutation, resampling, sampling from a distribution, and generative models. We highlight when each type of approach would be appropriate and note potential pitfalls for researchers to avoid. Throughout, we illustrate our points with examples from a simulated social system. Our aim is to provide social network researchers with a deeper understanding of analytical approaches to enhance their confidence when tailoring reference models to specific research questions.
ZMYND11 variants are a novel cause of centrotemporal and generalised epilepsies with neurodevelopmental disorder
Authors: Oates Stephanie , Absoud Michael , Goyal Sushma , Bayley Sophie , Baulcomb Jennifer , Sims Annemarie , Riddett Amy , Allis Katrina , Brasch‐Andersen Charlotte , Balasubramanian Meena , Bai Renkui , Callewaert Bert , Hüffmeier Ulrike , Le Duc Diana , Radtke Maximilian , Korff Christian , Kennedy Joanna , Low Karen , Møller Rikke S. , Nielsen Jens Erik Klint , Popp Bernt , Quteineh Lina , Rønde Gitte , Schönewolf‐Greulich Bitten , Shillington Amelle , Taylor Matthew RG , Todd Emily , Torring Pernille M. , Tümer Zeynep , Vasileiou Georgia , Yates T. Michael , Zweier Christiane , Rosch Richard , Basson M. Albert , Pal Deb K.
Published: July 2021

ZMYND11 is the critical gene in chromosome 10p15.3 microdeletion syndrome, a syndromic cause of intellectual disability. The phenotype of ZMYND11 variants has recently been extended to autism and seizures. We expand on the epilepsy phenotype of 20 individuals with pathogenic variants in ZMYND11. We obtained clinical descriptions of 16 new and nine published individuals, plus detailed case history of two children. New individuals were identified through GeneMatcher, ClinVar and the European Network for Therapies in Rare Epilepsy (NETRE). Genetic evaluation was performed using gene panels or exome sequencing; variants were classified using American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) criteria. Individuals with ZMYND11 associated epilepsy fell into three groups: (i) atypical benign partial epilepsy or idiopathic focal epilepsy (n = 8); (ii) generalised epilepsies/infantile epileptic encephalopathy (n = 4); (iii) unclassified (n = 8). Seizure prognosis ranged from spontaneous remission to drug resistant. Neurodevelopmental deficits were invariable. Dysmorphic features were variable. Variants were distributed across the gene and mostly de novo with no precise genotype–phenotype correlation. ZMYND11 is one of a small group of chromatin reader genes associated in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, and specifically ABPE. More detailed epilepsy descriptions of larger cohorts and functional studies might reveal genotype–phenotype correlation. The epileptogenic mechanism may be linked to interaction with histone H3.3.
Pharmacometabolomics identifies candidate predictor metabolites of an L‐carnitine treatment mortality benefit in septic shock
Authors: Puskarich Michael A. , Jennaro Theodore S. , Gillies Christopher E. , Evans Charles R. , Karnovsky Alla , McHugh Cora E. , Flott Thomas L. , Jones Alan E. , Stringer Kathleen A. ,   for the RACE Investigators
Published: July 2021

Sepsis‐induced metabolic dysfunction contributes to organ failure and death. L‐carnitine has shown promise for septic shock, but a recent phase II study of patients with vasopressor‐dependent septic shock demonstrated a non‐significant reduction in mortality. We undertook a pharmacometabolomics study of these patients (n = 250) to identify metabolic profiles predictive of a 90‐day mortality benefit from L‐carnitine. The independent predictive value of each pretreatment metabolite concentration, adjusted for L‐carnitine dose, on 90‐day mortality was determined by logistic regression. A grid‐search analysis maximizing the Z‐statistic from a binomial proportion test identified specific metabolite threshold levels that discriminated L‐carnitine responsive patients. Threshold concentrations were further assessed by hazard ratio and Kaplan‐Meier estimate. Accounting for L‐carnitine treatment and dose, 11 1H‐NMR metabolites and 12 acylcarnitines were independent predictors of 90‐day mortality. Based on the grid‐search analysis numerous acylcarnitines and valine were identified as candidate metabolites of drug response. Acetylcarnitine emerged as highly viable for the prediction of an L‐carnitine mortality benefit due to its abundance and biological relevance. Using its most statistically significant threshold concentration, patients with pretreatment acetylcarnitine greater than or equal to 35 µM were less likely to die at 90 days if treated with L‐carnitine (18 g) versus placebo (p = 0.01 by log rank test). Metabolomics also identified independent predictors of 90‐day sepsis mortality. Our proof‐of‐concept approach shows how pharmacometabolomics could be useful for tackling the heterogeneity of sepsis and informing clinical trial design. In addition, metabolomics can help understand mechanisms of sepsis heterogeneity and variable drug response, because sepsis induces alterations in numerous metabolite concentrations.
Exploring the biotic homogenization and diversity resistance hypotheses: The understorey of non‐native and native woodland canopies in three urban areas of Europe
Authors: Sitzia Tommaso , Iacopino Simone , Burrascano Sabina , Campagnaro Thomas , Celesti‐Grapow Laura , Bacchetti Cecilia , Cierjacks Arne , Kowarik Ingo , von der Lippe Moritz , Trentanovi Giovanni
Published: July 2021

Aim

Exploring the biotic homogenization and diversity resistance hypotheses by assessing the effect of non‐native black locust canopy on understorey species turnover.

Location

Berlin, the Venetian metropolitan area, and Rome.

Methods

We modelled the zeta (ζ) expression of diversity to compare the understorey species turnover between the non‐native black locust and native woodland canopies across multiple sites and through predictors of anthropogenic pressure (road and built‐up density) and interior conditions (tree basal area and mean height).

Results

In Rome, black locust showed the lowest survivability and cover and did not produce any homogenization of the understorey. In Berlin and in the Venetian metropolitan area, black locust caused understorey homogenization, although with a lower intensity in Berlin. Under black locust canopies, distance between sites and road density was more consistently associated with species turnover, across urban areas and multiple sites. Under native canopies in Berlin, factors prominently associated with species turnover were road and built‐up density and mean tree height, while in the Venetian metropolitan area it was road density.

Main conclusions

Evidence in support of the biotic homogenization in contrast to the diversity resistance hypothesis varied across urban areas. Species turnover was influenced by land use patterns more evidently under native tree canopies and where the non‐native tree had higher survivability. Similar analyses in other urban areas may confirm these relationships with other types of landscapes.
Geography of artiodactyl locomotor morphology as an environmental predictor
Authors: Short Rachel A. , Lawing A. Michelle
Published: July 2021

Aim

We investigate locomotor function in artiodactyls, represented by calcaneal gear ratio, as it relates to multiple environments. Using an ecometric approach, we develop a trait–environment model to investigate ecosystem‐level changes through time and to reconstruct past environments. We apply the trait–environment model to a case study of six sites in Kenya to evaluate changes over the past 100 years.

Location

Global.

Methods

Locomotor morphology was represented by calcaneal gear ratios measured as the overall length of a calcaneum divided by length of its in‐lever, that is calcaneal tuber. We collected calcaneal gear ratio measurements from skeletal specimens of 157 artiodactyl species in museum collections and used species’ spatial distributions to determine the composition of 47,420 communities globally. For 21,827 communities with three or more species of artiodactyls, we used maximum likelihood to model ecometric relationships between community‐level locomotor morphology and five environmental variables, including mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, elevation, vegetation cover and ecoregion province.

Results

Community mean gear ratios range from 1.43 to 1.56 (µ = 1.50). Mean gear ratios are highest in the tropical regions and lowest in the mid‐latitudes. Variance in mean calcaneal gear ratio is related to ecoregion division (68.6%), vegetation cover (63.5%) and precipitation (60.7%). In a case study of Kenyan sites, we demonstrate habitat homogenization patterns that match mammal community turnover patterns.

Main conclusions

With this ecometric framework, fossils of artiodactyl post‐crania can be used to assist in interpreting past ecoregion, vegetation cover and precipitation for a more comprehensive understanding of palaeoenvironment. These relationships between functional traits and environment will enable better models of biotic responses for conservation of functional diversity under changing environments.
An analysis of anesthetists' awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward peri‐anesthetic dental trauma
Authors: Doğan Özgür , Altıntepe Doğan Suat Serhan , Altıntepe Nihan , Şahin Necibe Damla , Çelik İsmail Haktan
Published: July 2021

Background/Aim

Peri‐anesthetic dental trauma is a common anesthesia‐related complication. It is the reason for a significant number of malpractice lawsuits against anesthetists through insurance companies. The frequency, outcomes, and risk factors related to peri‐anesthetic dental trauma have been well documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate anesthetists' awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward peri‐anesthetic dental trauma.

Material and Methods

This nationwide, cross‐sectional, descriptive study comprising 220 anesthetists was conducted in Turkey between June 2019 and May 2020. A specific questionnaire was created using Google Forms and delivered to 591 participants via WhatsApp. Pearson's Chi‐squared test and the Fisher–Freeman–Halton tests were used to analyze the results.

Results

The overall response rate was 37.2% (220 out of 591 participants). Of the 80.5% of the participants who encountered peri‐anesthetic dental trauma during their practice, 32.8% had encountered avulsion and 32.8% reported that they had caused soft tissue injuries. More than one‐third of the participants (38.9%) stated that the patient group that was the most at‐risk for peri‐anesthetic dental trauma was older people with missing teeth. Half of the participants (50.9%) stated that avulsed teeth could be replanted; among them, 21.8% and 11.8% specified that the ideal replantation time was <30 min and that the ideal storage medium for the avulsed tooth was fresh milk, respectively. Furthermore, 88.1% of the participants noted that peri‐anesthetic dental trauma occurred more frequently during emergency intubations and only 20.9% were aware of custom‐made mouthguards.

Conclusions

Anesthetists lack knowledge around peri‐anesthetic dental trauma and its interventions.
Control of exploration, motor coordination and amphetamine sensitization by cannabinoid CB1 receptors expressed in medium spiny neurons
Authors: Bonm Alipi V. , Elezgarai Izaskun , Gremel Christina M. , Viray Katie , Bamford Nigel S. , Palmiter Richard D. , Grandes Pedro , Lovinger David M. , Stella Nephi
Published: July 2021

Activation of cannabinoid 1 receptors (CB1R) modulates multiple behaviours, including exploration, motor coordination and response to psychostimulants. It is known that CB1R expressed by either excitatory or inhibitory neurons mediates different behavioural responses to CB1R activation, yet the involvement of CB1R expressed by medium spiny neurons (MSNs), the neuronal subpopulation that expresses the highest level of CB1R in the CNS, remains unknown. We report a new genetically modified mouse line that expresses functional CB1R in MSN on a CB1R knockout (KO) background (CB1R(MSN) mice). The absence of cannabimimetic responses measured in CB1R KO mice was not rescued in CB1R(MSN) mice, nor was decreased spontaneous locomotion, impaired instrumental behaviour or reduced amphetamine‐triggered hyperlocomotion measured in CB1R KO mice. Significantly, reduced novel environment exploration of an open field and absence of amphetamine sensitization (AS) measured in CB1R KO mice were fully rescued in CB1R(MSN) mice. Impaired motor coordination in CB1R KO mice measured on the Rotarod was partially rescued in CB1R(MSN) mice. Thus, CB1R expressed by MSN control exploration, motor coordination, and AS. Our study demonstrates a new functional roles for cell specific CB1R expression and their causal link in the control of specific behaviors.
Venous creatinine as a biomarker for loss of fat‐free mass and disease progression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Holdom Cory J. , Janse van Mantgem Mark R. , van Eijk Ruben P. A. , Howe Stephanie L. , van den Berg Leonard H. , McCombe Pamela A. , Henderson Robert D. , Ngo Shyuan T. , Steyn Frederik J.
Published: July 2021

Background and purpose

To establish the utility of venous creatinine as a biomarker to monitor loss of fat‐free mass in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods

In this multicenter natural history study, body composition and venous creatinine were assessed in 107 patients with ALS and 52 healthy controls. Longitudinal patterns of venous creatinine and its association with the risk of death during follow‐up were determined in a cohort of patients with ALS from Australia (n = 69) and the Netherlands (n = 38).

Results

The mean levels of venous creatinine were 75.78 ± 11.15 μmol/L for controls, 70.25 ± 12.81 μmol/L for Australian patients, and 59.95 ± 14.62 μmol/L for Dutch patients with ALS. The relationship between measures of venous creatinine and fat‐free mass was similar between all groups (r = 0.36, p < 0.001). Within patients, fat‐free mass declined by 0.31 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22–0.40) kg/month, and venous creatinine declined by 0.52 (95% CI: 0.38–0.66) μmol/L/month, with a longitudinal correlation of 0.57 (95% CI: 0.35–0.76, p < 0.001). Lower levels of venous creatinine were associated with increased risk for earlier death in patients with ALS (hazard ratio = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90–0.98, p = 0.007).

Conclusions

Venous creatinine is decreased in ALS and declines alongside a decline in fat‐free mass over the course of the disease, and may serve as a practical marker to monitor the change of fat‐free mass in patients with ALS. This could inform clinical care and provide an alternative endpoint for the evaluation of therapeutic interventions that focus on slowing the loss of fat‐free mass and disease progression in ALS.
aMAP score prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence and incidence‐free rate after a sustained virologic response in chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Yamashita Yuki , Joshita Satoru , Sugiura Ayumi , Yamazaki Tomoo , Kobayashi Hiroyuki , Wakabayashi Shun‐ichi , Yamada Yosuke , Shibata Soichiro , Kunimoto Hideo , Iwadare Takanobu , Matsumura Makiko , Miyabayashi Chiharu , Okumura Taiki , Ozawa Sachie , Nozawa Yuichi , Kobayashi Natsuko , Komatsu Michiharu , Fujimori Naoyuki , Saito Hiromi , Umemura Takeji
Published: July 2021

Aims

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can still occur in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients who have achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR), which remains an important clinical issue in the direct‐acting antivirals era. The current study investigated the clinical utility of the aMAP score (consisting of age, male, albumin–bilirubin, and platelets) for predicting HCC occurrence in HCV patients achieving an SVR by direct‐acting antivirals.

Methods

A total of 1113 HCV patients without HCC history, all of whom achieved an SVR, were enrolled for clinical comparisons.

Results

Hepatocellular carcinoma was recorded in 50 patients during a median follow‐up period of 3.7 years. The aMAP score was significantly higher in the HCC occurrence group than in the HCC‐free group (53 vs. 47, p < 0.001). According to risk stratification based on aMAP score, the cumulative incidence of HCC occurrence for the low‐, medium‐, and high‐risk groups was 0.14%, 4.49%, and 9.89%, respectively, at 1 year and 1.56%, 6.87%, and 16.17%, respectively, at 3 years (low vs. medium, low vs. high, and medium vs. high: all p < 0.01). Cox proportional hazard analysis confirmed aMAP ≥ 50 (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.78, p = 0.014), age≥ 70 years (HR: 2.41, p = 0.028), ALT ≥ 17 U/L (HR: 2.14, p < 0.001), and AFP ≥ 10 ng/mL (HR: 2.89, p = 0.005) as independent risk factors of HCC occurrence. Interestingly, all but one patient (99.5%) with aMAP less than 40 was HCC‐free following an SVR.

Conclusion

The aMAP score could have clinical utility for predicting HCC occurrence in HCV patients achieving an SVR.
One size does not fit all: the need for individualized treatment based on factors that may affect the therapeutic outcome of efinaconazole 10% solution for the treatment of toenail onychomycosis
Authors: Gupta Aditya K. , Venkataraman Maanasa , Anbalagan Naveen , Guenin Eric P.
Published: July 2021

Successful management of onychomycosis is a challenge because cure rates with most antifungals are relatively low and recurrence rates are high. A drug‐based approach by treating the nail alone may not suffice. There are several host‐related factors (age, sex, body mass index [BMI], and patient’s quality of life), disease‐related factors (disease severity, duration, and the number of toenails affected), and comorbidities (tinea pedis and diabetes) that may affect treatment efficacy. Here, we review the post hoc analyses of the phase III trials of efinaconazole 10% solution that have investigated the impact of these factors on topical therapy for toenail onychomycosis. The significant clinical variables that may affect the efficacy of efinaconazole include sex, BMI, disease severity, disease duration, and tinea pedis. As older patients may have slower toenail growth and more severe, longstanding disease compared with younger patients, they may require longer treatment duration, beyond the 48‐week standard regimen. Treatment compliance may need to be discussed for an improved health outcome. Therefore, these prognostic factors need to be carefully evaluated, which may aid in formulating individualized therapy to maximize treatment success.
Spatial and local environmental factors outweigh geo‐climatic gradients in structuring taxonomically and trait‐based β‐diversity of benthic algae
Authors: Wu Naicheng , Zhou Shuchan , Zhang Min , Peng Wenqi , Guo Kun , Qu Xiaodong , He Fengzhi
Published: July 2021

Aim

Understanding the variation in biodiversity and its underlying drivers and mechanisms is a core task in biogeography and ecology. We examined (a) the relative contributions of species replacement (i.e., turnover) and richness difference (i.e., nestedness) to taxonomically and trait‐based β‐diversity of stream benthic algae; (b) whether these two facets of β‐diversity are correlated with each other; and (c) the relative contributions of local environmental, geo‐climatic and spatial factors to the two facets of β‐diversity and their components.

Location

Hun‐Tai River Basin, northeastern China.

Taxon

Stream benthic algae.

Methods

A total of 157 sites were sampled. Mantel tests were used to examine the complementarities between the two facets of β‐diversity and their components. Distance‐based redundancy analysis and variation partitioning were utilized to investigate the relative contributions of local environmental, geo‐climatic and spatial factors to each facet of β‐diversity and their components.

Results

Weak correlations between taxonomically and trait‐based β‐diversity and their components were detected, which indicated complementarity of ecological information. Taxonomically based total β‐diversity was largely driven by turnover, whereas trait‐based total β‐diversity was more driven by nestedness. Variation partitioning results indicated that local environmental and spatial factors contributed more than geo‐climatic variables to the total explained variation in taxonomically and trait‐based β‐diversity.

Main conclusions

Different facets of β‐diversity and their decomposition are important for understanding diversity patterns of benthic algae relative to abiotic factors. A high level of trait‐based convergence among benthic algae communities, despite high taxonomic divergence, demonstrated turnover of species with similar biological traits across our study region. Our study provides a trait‐based insight into stream benthic algae communities, which was less documented by previous freshwater studies that focused on regions undergoing recovery following human disturbances.
Page kidney: Rare cause of acute kidney injury after complicated renal artery angioplasty
Authors: Douvris Adrianna , Jegatheswaran Januvi , Hadziomerovic Adnan , Ruzicka Marcel
Published: July 2021

The authors present a case of a patient who experienced a rare complication after attempted renal angioplasty and stenting, Page kidney. This patient presented with new onset hypertension secondary to bilateral renal artery stenosis and was referred for revascularization given hypertension refractory to medical management. The right renal artery underwent successful angioplasty and stenting; however, the left renal artery experienced recoil stenosis. Post‐procedure the patient developed acute kidney injury secondary to Page kidney from subcapsular and extracapsular hematoma. This was managed conservatively with transfusions and the hematoma and acute kidney injury self‐resolved over the next 4 months. This case highlights the importance of revascularization for refractory hypertension secondary to hemodynamically significant bilateral renal artery stenosis, the rare complication of Page kidney with attempted revascularization of renal artery stenosis and the involvement of a hypertension specialist in the decision of revascularization of renal artery stenosis.
Political Business Cycles in Post‐Communist European Countries
Authors: Pulatov Abdullo , Ahmad Ahmad Hassan
Published: July 2021

This article analyses political business cycles (PBCs) in ten former European communist countries. The dataset used covers the period 1990‐2018. The results show that the PBCs manifest themselves in these countries through both fiscal and monetary policy. Changes in government expenditure during election times are found to be significant in reducing unemployment. Hence, it signals that there is a politically driven fiscal expansion. The results also show the importance of institutional quality in reducing the effects of the PBCs. The monetary policy models indicate that changes in money stock during and around election times affect the unemployment rate. Undertaking a subsample analysis of the non‐EU and EU members highlights the case that the membership of the EU is an important factor in preventing the development of PBCs.

Related Articles

Hazakis, Konstantinos J. 2015. “The Political Economy of Economic Adjustment Programs in the Eurozone: A Detailed Policy Analysis.” Politics & Policy 43 (6): 822‐854. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12141

Rogers, Chris. 2009. “The Politics of Economic Policy Making in Britain: A Re‐Assessment of the 1976 IMF Crisis.” Politics & Policy 37 (5): 971‐994. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2009.00207.x

Sager, Fritz, and Markus Hinterleitner. 2016. “How do Credit Rating Agencies Rate? An Implementation Perspective on the Assessment of Austerity Programs during the European Debt Crisis.” Politics & Policy 44 (4): 783‐815. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12165
The Air we Breathe: Estimates of Air Pollution Extended Genuine Savings for Europe
Authors: McGrath Luke , Hynes Stephen , McHale John
Published: July 2021

This paper constructs measures of Genuine Savings (GS), the leading economic indicator of sustainable development, for 28 European economies from 1990 to 2016. The World Bank publishes GS estimates for most countries in the world. The World Bank’s estimates are extended to include local air pollutants (sulfur dioxide, non‐metallic volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and ammonia), on a country‐specific basis. The extended pollution damages have a sizeable impact, even for highly developed economies. As many as 11 member states signaled persistent unsustainable development compared with just two in the equivalent World Bank dataset. Overall, it appears economies with higher levels of per capita national income and those more open to trade tend to hold higher savings rates. Findings of negative savings, an indicator of unsustainable development, were concentrated in the former communist regimes of Eastern Europe.
The Analysis of Human Feelings: A Practical Suggestion for a Robustness Test
Authors: Bloem Jeffrey R. , Oswald Andrew J.
Published: July 2021

Governments, multinational companies, and researchers today collect unprecedented amounts of data on human feelings. These data provide information on citizens’ happiness, levels of customer satisfaction, employees’ satisfaction, mental stress, societal trust, and other important variables. Yet a key scientific difficulty tends to be downplayed, or even ignored, by many users of such information. Human feelings are not measured in objective cardinal units. This article aims to address some of the ensuing empirical challenges. It suggests an analytical way to approach the scientific complications of ordinal data. The article describes a dichotomous‐around‐the‐median (DAM) test, which, crucially, uses information only on direction within an ordering and deliberately discards the potentially unreliable statistical information in ordered data. Applying the proposed DAM approach, this article shows that it is possible to check and replicate some of the key conclusions of previous research—including earlier work on the effects upon human well‐being of higher income.
Nitric oxide synthesis stimulated by arachidonic acid accumulation via PPARα in acetylcholine‐stimulated gastric mucous cells
Authors: Tanaka Saori , Ito Shigenori , Shimamoto Chikao , Matsumura Hitoshi , Inui Toshio , Marunaka Yoshinori , Nakahari Takashi
Published: July 2021

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Arachidonic acid (AA) stimulates NO production in antral mucous cells without any increase in [Ca2+]i. Given that the intracellular AA concentration is too low to measure, the relationship between AA accumulation and NO production remains uncertain. Is AA accumulation a key step for NO production?

What is the main finding and its importance?

We demonstrated that AA accumulation is a key step for NO production. The amount of AA released could be measured using fluorescence‐HPLC. The intracellular AA concentration was maintained at < 1 μM. Nitric oxide is produced by AA accumulation in antral mucous cells, not as a direct effect of [Ca2+]i.

In the present study, we demonstrate that NO production is stimulated by an accumulation of arachidonic acid (AA) mediated via peroxisome proliferation‐activated receptor α (PPARα) and that the NO produced enhances Ca2+‐regulated exocytosis in ACh‐stimulated antral mucous cells. The amount of AA released from the antral mucosa, measured by fluorescence high‐performance liquid chromatography (F‐HPLC), was increased by addition of ionomycin (10 μM) or ACh, suggesting that AA accumulation is stimulated by an increase in [Ca2+]i. The AA production was inhibited by an inhibitor of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2‐inhα). GW6471 (a PPARα inhibitor) and cPLA2‐inhα inhibited NO synthesis stimulated by ACh. Moreover, indomethacin, an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, stimulated AA accumulation and NO production. However, acetylsalicylic acid did not stimulate AA production and NO synthesis. An analogue of AA (AACOCF3) alone stimulated NO synthesis, which was inhibited by GW6471. In antral mucous cells, indomethacin enhanced Ca2+‐regulated exocytosis by increasing NO via PPARα, and the enhancement was abolished by GW6471 and cPLA2‐inhα. Thus, AA produced via PLA2 activation is the key step for NO synthesis in ACh‐stimulated antral mucous cells and plays important roles in maintaining antral mucous secretion, especially in Ca2+‐regulated exocytosis.
Hsa-miR-330-5p Aggravates Thyroid Carcinoma via Targeting FOXE1
Authors: Wang Yuxia , Liu Zhaozhe , Ren Xiangning , Sun Nan , Li Qiuhua , Bian Che
Published: July 2021

Background. Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is one of the frequent endocrine malignancies, and growing evidence suggests that aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression contributes to TC development and progression. Nevertheless, the function of miR-330-5p in the progression of TC remains unknown. Methods. The expression levels of miR-330-5 in patients with thyroid carcinoma and healthy controls were detected, and their potential diagnostic and prognostic values were analyzed. Results. In this study, we firstly found that miR-330-5p expression was markedly upregulated in TC tissue and cell lines. Functionally, the downregulation of miR-330-5p suppressed TC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Further studies revealed that miR-330-5p negatively regulated the expression of forkhead box E1 (FOXE1). More importantly, the results of rescue experiments suggested that FOXE1 overexpression reduced the positive effects of miR-330-5p overexpression in TPC-1 and K-1 cells. Conclusions. This work revealed that miR-330-5p facilitated the TC progression through targeting FOXE1, which may offer novel therapeutic options for TC.
Stacked Autoencoder Framework of False Data Injection Attack Detection in Smart Grid
Authors: Chen Liang , Gu Songlin , Wang Ying , Yang Yang , Li Yang
Published: July 2021

The advanced communication technology provides new monitoring and control strategies for smart grids. However, the application of information technology also increases the risk of malicious attacks. False data injection (FDI) is one kind of cyber attacks, which cannot be detected by bad data detection in state estimation. In this paper, a data-driven FDI attack detection framework of the smart grid with phasor measurement units (PMUs) is proposed. To enhance the detecting accuracy and efficiency, the multiple layer autoencoder algorithm is applied to abstract the hidden features of PMU measurements layer by layer in an unsupervised manner. Then, the features of the measurements and corresponding labels are taken as inputs to learn a softmax layer. Last, the autoencoder and softmax layer are stacked to form a FDI detection framework. The proposed method is applied on the IEEE 39-bus system, and the simulation results show that the FDI attacks can be detected with higher accuracy and computational efficiency compared with other artificial intelligence algorithms.
Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E Viruses among Pregnant Women in Northern Iran
Authors: Sadeghi Farzin , Golchob Zahra , Javadian Maryam , Barary Mohammad , Sabbagh Parisa , Ebrahimpour Soheil , Bayani Masomeh
Published: July 2021

Background. Hepatitis A (HAV) and hepatitis E viruses (HEV) are endemic in Iran and are known major causes of acute viral hepatitis. Also, during pregnancy, they are associated with severe outcomes. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate the antibody levels against HAV and HEV in pregnant women to avoid severe outcomes incidence. Study design and methods. A total of 247 pregnant women were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. In addition to completing the questionnaire and interviewing all participants, the serum samples were tested for anti-HAV and anti-HEV IgG using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The association between anti-HAV and anti-HEV antibodies status and risk factors was evaluated. Results. The mean age of patients was

28.06
±
5.29

years. Anti-HAV antibody was found in 111 patients (44.9%), while anti-HEV antibody was detected in only two pregnant women (0.8%). The seroprevalence of HAV was inversely related to the level of education. There was no significant correlation between HAV antibody levels and age, marital status, residence location, and pregnancy trimesters. Conclusion. Considering many complications of these diseases in pregnancy, the detection of enteroviral hepatitis, especially HAV in pregnant women, is necessary, and therefore, proactive measures, such as promoting education, improving people awareness, and vaccination, are recommended.
IoT‐Based Smart Management of Healthcare Services in Hospital Buildings during COVID‐19 and Future Pandemics
Authors: Akbarzadeh Omid , Baradaran Mehrshid , Khosravi Mohammad R.
Published: July 2021

The paper aims to design and develop an innovative solution in the Smart Building context that increases guests’ hospitality level during the COVID‐19 and future pandemics in locations like hotels, conference locations, campuses, and hospitals. The solution supports features intending to control the number of occupants by online appointments, smart navigation, and queue management in the building through mobile phones and navigation to the desired location by highlighting interests and facilities. Moreover, checking the space occupancy, and automatic adjustment of the environmental features are the abilities that can be added to the proposed design in the future development. The proposed solution can address all mentioned issues regarding the smart building by integrating and utilizing various data sources collected by the internet of things (IoT) sensors. Then, storing and processing collected data in servers and finally sending the desired information to the end‐users. Consequently, through the integration of multiple IoT technologies, a unique platform with minimal hardware usage and maximum adaptability for smart management of general and healthcare services in hospital buildings will be created.
New Simplified Method for Parameter Estimation of Three-Dimensional Channel Model in Third Generation Partnership Project
Authors: Zormati Hanene , Chebil Jalel , Belhadj Taher Jamel
Published: July 2021

The emerging fifth generation technology has attracted the attention of many researchers and developers. It is designed to connect everyone and everything together including machines, vehicles, objects, and devices. One of the fifth generation research topics that are being investigated is the modelling of the wireless communication channel. In this paper, Third Generation Partnership Project channel models are studied and its variant Three-Dimensional Third Generation Partnership Project model is examined. This model is complex and not easy to use due to the employment of a large number of parameters. For these reasons, a new simplified method for parameter estimation of the three-dimensional model of third generation partnership project based on estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariant techniques algorithm is proposed. The simplified model is less complex than the three-dimensional model of third generation partnership project and is found to perform better in terms of computational time while maintaining similar results.
Image Reconstruction for High‐Performance Electrical Capacitance Tomography System Using Deep Learning
Authors: Zhang Yanpeng , Chen Deyun
Published: July 2021

For great achievements in recent decades, image reconstruction for electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) has been considered in this study. ECT has demonstrated impressive potentials in multiprocess measurement, and the obtained images are of high resolution, which are suitable for advanced procedures in industrial and medical applications and across different tasks and domains. But the ECT system still requires improvements in the quality of image reconstruction given its importance of great significance to obtain the reliability and usefulness of measurement results. The deep neural network is used in this study to extract new features and to update the number of nodes and hidden layers in the system. Recently, deep learning exhibits suitable solutions in many flourishing fields based on different series of artificial neural networks for mapping nonlinear functions. To address the obstacles, this paper proposes an imaging method using an optimizer reconstruction model. An optimization model for imaging is generated as a powerful optimizer for building a computational model to ameliorate the reconstruction accuracy. Based on the deep learning methodology, the previous images reconstructed by using one of the imaging techniques to the required images are abstracted and stored in the deep learning machine, resulting in an error rate of 8.9%, and this is considered good on ECT. Therefore, an artificial neural network of the capacitance (ANNoC) system is introduced to estimate capacitance measurements.
Efficient Crisis Management by Selection and Analysis of Relief Centers in Disaster Integrating GIS and Multicriteria Decision Methods: A Case Study of Tehran
Authors: Ahmadi Choukolaei Hassan , Jahangoshai Rezaee Mustafa , Ghasemi Peiman , Saberi Morteza
Published: July 2021

In Iran, location is usually done by temporary relief organizations without considering the necessary standards or conditions. The inappropriate and unscientific location may have led to another catastrophe, even far greater than the initial tragedy. In this study, the proposed locations of crisis management in the region and the optimal points proposed by the Geographic Information System (GIS), taking into account the opinions of experts and without the opinion of experts, were evaluated according to 18 criteria. First, the optimal areas have been evaluated according to standard criteria extracted by GIS and the intended locations of the region for accommodation in times of crisis. Then, the position of each place is calculated concerning each criterion. The resulting matrix of optimal options was qualitatively entered into the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Evaluation (PROMETHEE) for analysis. The triangular fuzzy aggregation method for weighting and standard classification of criteria for extracting optimal areas using GIS and integrating entropy and the Multiobjective Optimization Based on Ratio Analysis (MOORA) method for prioritizing places in the region are considered in this research. Finally, by applying constraints and using net input and output flows, optimal and efficient options are identified by PROMETHEE V. Among the research options, only four options were optimal and efficient. A case study of the Tehran metropolis is provided to show the ability of the proposed approach for selecting the points in three modes, with/without applying weights and applying crisis management.
Autophagy-Related Genes in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Chen Yuankun , Zeng Ao , He Shumiao , He Siqing , Li Chunmei , Mei Wenjie , Lu Qun
Published: July 2021

Background. Atherosclerosis (AS) is a common chronic vascular inflammatory disease and one of the main causes of cardiovascular/cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs). Autophagy-related genes (ARGs) play a crucial part in pathophysiological processes of AS. However, the expression profile of ARGs has rarely been adopted to explore the relationship between autophagy and AS. Therefore, using the expression profile of ARGs to explore the relationship between autophagy and AS may provide new insights for the treatment of CVDs. Methods. The differentially expressed ARGs of the GSE57691 dataset were obtained from the Human Autophagy Database (HADb) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the GSE57691 dataset contains 9 aortic atheroma tissues and 10 normal aortic tissues. The differentially expressed ARGs of the GSE57691 dataset were analyzed by protein-protein interaction (PPI), gene ontology analysis (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis (KEGG) and were chosen to explore related miRNAs/transcriptional factors. Results. The GSE57691 dataset had a total of 41 differentially expressed ARGs. The GO analysis results revealed that ARGs were mainly enriched in autophagy, autophagosome, and protein serine/threonine kinase activity. KEGG analysis results showed that ARGs were mainly enriched in autophagy-animal and longevity regulating signaling pathways. Expressions of ATG5, MAP1LC3B, MAPK3, MAPK8, and RB1CC1 were regarded as focus in the PPI regulatory networks. Furthermore, 11 related miRNAs and 6 related transcription factors were obtained by miRNAs/transcription factor target network analysis. Conclusions. Autophagy and ARGs may play a vital role in regulating the pathophysiology of AS.
Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antiacetylcholinesterase, and Cytotoxic Activities of Rumex crispus L.
Authors: Saoudi Mohamed Marouane , Bouajila Jalloul , Rahmani Rami , Alouani Khaled
Published: July 2021

Rumex crispus L. (R. crispus) is regarded as an aromatic plant. It was used for its excellent biological properties in traditional medicine. The aerial part was extracted successively by maceration with three solvents increasing polarity (cyclohexane (CYH), dichloromethane (DCM), and methanol (MeOH)) to evaluate their chemical compositions and biological activities. The extracts were rich in phenolic compounds (13.0 to 249.8 mg GAE/g of dry weight (dw)). The MeOH extract has presented remarkable IC50 = 6.2 μg/mL for anti-DPPH and 31.6 μg/mL for anti-AChE. However, the DCM extract has the highest cytotoxic activity against the two cancer cells (HCT-116 and MCF-7) (69.2 and 77.2% inhibition at 50 μg/mL, respectively). Interestingly, GC-MS analysis enabled to identify three new compounds in R. crispus extracts, such as L-(−)-arabitol (5), D-(−) fructopyranose (7) detected only in MeOH extract, and 2, 5-dihydroxyacetophenone (3) detected in all extracts. For HPLC chromatograms, cardamonin (8), 5-hydroxy-3′-methoxyflavone (17), and 3′-hydroxy-b-naphthoflavone (18) showed the highest concentrations of 74.0, 55.5, and 50.4 mg/g of dw, respectively, among others who are identified. Some phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by HPLC in more than one organic extract, such as 4′, 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (13), 4′, 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (14), 5-hydroxy-3′-methoxyflavone (17), and 3′-hydroxy-b-naphthoflavone (18), were found for the first time in the R. crispus extracts. Our results showed that the biological activities of this plant might be linked to their phenolic compounds and that the polar extracts could be considered as new natural supplements to be used in food and pharmaceuticals.
Research on Software Design of Intelligent Sensor Robot System Based on Multidata Fusion
Authors: Wu Fenglang , Liu Xinran , Wang Yudan
Published: July 2021

With the advent of robots combined with artificial intelligence, robots have become an indispensable part of production and life. Especially in recent years, the collaboration between humans and machines has become a research trend in the field of robotics, with high work efficiency and flexibility. The advantages of safety and stability make intelligent robots the best choice for the current industrial and service industries with high labor intensity and hazardous working environments. This paper is aimed at studying the software design of an intelligent sensor robot system based on multidata fusion. In this paper, through the needle robot’s high precision requirements and the problem of fast response, a path design method based on the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm is proposed. Path planning is performed by intelligent robots for obstacle avoidance experiments, while global optimization is performed by the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. For adaptive functions including obstacle reduction and path information length, the safest and shortest path is finally achieved through the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. The experimental results show that using the ant colony optimization algorithm to perform simulation experiments and preprocessing operations on the data collected by the sensor can improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the data. The ant colony algorithm performs fusion and path planning, and on the basis of ensuring accuracy, it can speed up the convergence speed. Through the data analysis of obstacle avoidance experiments of intelligent robots, it can be concluded that it is very necessary for intelligent robots to install ultrasonic sensors and infrared sensors in obstacle avoidance, because the error between the test distance of the ultrasonic sensor and the infrared sensor and the actual distance is 0.001.