bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of total tannins in Plectranthus barbatus Andrews water, acetone and methanolic extracts in Kenya
Authors: Obiero Dennis Kimaiga
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study was to identify the most suitable solvent for use in extracting tannins from Plectranthus barbatus Andrews leaves, a plant indigenous to various parts of Kenya. The plant was traditionally used by the Gusii community in Kisii and Nyamira Counties for establishing land demarcations, enhancing ripening of bananas and as a stomachache remedy. The plant’s resistance to either wild or artificial fire, a feature predominant in plants with high tannin content makes it a good candidate for research. The tannin content and the most eco-friendly and economical solvent to use have not been established and this compound can also be used in preserving and tanning hides and skins. Furthermore, the plant contains nepetoidin B which is a powerful antioxidant capable of eliminating toxic free radicals present in chrome tanned leather. The leaves of the plant were collected from three locations in Nyamira County, Kenya and positively identified at the Kenya National Museum Herbarium in Nairobi. Extraction was carried out using 80% methanol, 80% acetone and water followed by determination of total tannins using the hide powder method. The percentage tannin content was found to be 56%, 36% and 60% respectively and furthermore phytochemical screening revealed that the leaves contained tannins of hydrolysable type. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the levels of tannins dissolved by the three solvents and the study concluded that water was the best solvent for use in extraction of tannins.
Cytotoxic effect of Berberis libanotica roots extracts on human cancer cells and antioxidant activities
Authors: Hamade Kamar , Karam Louna , Habib Jean , Merhi Raghida Abou , Elkak Assem
Published: October 2021

In the present study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effect and the antioxidant activity of methanolic and ethanolic roots extracts obtained from Berberis libanotica a Lebanese medicinal tree. Cytotoxic activity was assessed on the colon cancer HT 29, HCT 116, Caco-2 and breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231cell lines, using the MTT viability assay. Both extracts inhibited cancer cells proliferation in a doseand time depending manner without being cytotoxic against the normal MCF-10 cell line. Our results suggest that methanolic extract could induce a caspase-independent cell death in the colon and breast tumor cells HT 29 and MCF-7, respectively. DPPH and FRAP assays showed a moderate to strong antioxidant activity of the methanolic and ethanolic extracts with EC50 values of 0.13 ± 0.001 and 0.1± 0.002 mg/ml, respectively. Collectively, these findings suggest that Berberis libanotica roots could serve as a promising source of antioxidant and anticancer bioactive compounds.
Comparative root anatomy and thin layer chromatographic identification of Boerhavia diffusa L. and Boerhavia erecta L.
Authors: Babu K. , Dharishini M. Priya , Austin Anoop
Published: October 2021

“Punarnava” is an important rejuvenative drug, widely used in the indigenous system of medicine. The root is the officinal part and used in various formulations in Ayurveda and found two varieties in the commercial market namely Boerhavia diffusa L. and B. erecta L. In the present study, a comparative root anatomy and thin layer chromatographic profile of both species have been examined and provided detailed diagnostic characters for the identification of commercial drug.
Isolation and characterization of Lactobacillus spp. from curd and its pharmacological application in probiotic chocolate.
Authors: Somnath DE , Pramanik Atanu , Das Aditya KR , Paul Suchismita , Jana Sourav , Pramanik Priyanka
Published: October 2021

The isolated and identified bacteria from curd sample are of Lactobacillus sp. The bacteria of this spp. are lactic acid producers. These sp. resembles to Lactobacillus acidophilus. A probiotic is a microorganism known to be friendly and beneficial to its host when consumed. In today's time, probiotics are a very popular subject of research among scientists and pharmaceutical companies. Due to the over consumption of antibiotics, the normal micro flora of body does not survive. The spores obtained from pharmaceuticals are not good in taste, so generally children avoid eating them, hence we have made the probiotic chocolate. It is better to eat chocolate than medicine. The chocolate containing lyophilized Lactobacillus spp. may help directly for enhancing resistance against intestinal pathogens and in the prevention of diseases.
Cultivation, distribution, taxonomy, chemical composition and medical importance of Crocus sativus
Authors: Dar Refaz Ahmad , Shahnawaz Mohd , Malik Sumera Banoo , Sangale Manisha K. , Ade Avinash B. , Qazi Parvaiz Hassan
Published: October 2021

Crocus sativus L. is one of the most important plant belongs to family Iridaceae. It is having various medicinal potential, and is widely being used in food industries. In Jammu and Kashmir State, its cultivation is restricted to two districts only (Pulwama and Kishtwar). In the present review an attempt was made to highlight the cultivation practices of saffron, to discuss its distribution around the globe, to specify its taxonomic status, to enlist its chemical constituents, and to discuss its various beneficial usages.
Pharmacognostic, physicochemical and phytochemical investigation of Grangea maderaspatana
Authors: Dodiya Tanvi , Jain Vineet
Published: October 2021

Grangea maderaspatana is a popular Indian medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. This plant is commonly known as Madras Carpet. It has long been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for various diseases. Literature reveals that the phytoconstituents like steroids, terpenes, flavonoids, saponins, carbohydrates, phenolics and tannins are present in the plant. Pharmacognostical standards on G. maderaspatana are not yet available for correct identification of plant material and to ascertain its quality and purity. The present study was therefore undertaken to determine the required pharmacognostical standards according to the Pharmacopoeial guidelines for evaluation of the plant. The study included examination of morphological, microscopical, physicochemical properties, phytochemical analysis and HPTLC fingerprinting. The standardization parameters presented in this paper may be suggested to establish the authenticity of Grangea maderaspatanaand can also help to distinguish the drug from its other species. The pharmacognostic profile of the plant presented here will contribute in standardization viz., quality, purity and sample identification.
HAS THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF 2020 LED TO PERSISTENCE IN THE SHARE PRICES OF LARGE GLOBAL COMPANIES?
Authors:   School of Business and Administration, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal, Santos Hortense , Dias Rui ,   School of Business and Administration, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal and CEFAGE-UE, IIFA, University of Évora, Portugal, Vasco Cristina ,   School of Business and Administration, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal, Alexandre Paulo ,   School of Business and Administration, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal, Heliodoro Paula ,   School of Business and Administration, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal
Published: October 2021

This paper aims to analyze the predictability of the stocks of Apple, Microsoft Amazon.com, Tesla, Facebook, Samsung, Electronics, Johnson & Johnson, Walmart, in the period from October 1, 2019 to January 11, 2021. To carry out such an analysis, it is intended to answer two research questions, namely: (i) is there predictability in the stock prices of the companies under analysis? (ii) Can investors diversify risk by incorporating these companies’ shares into their portfolios? The results of the Exponents Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) show that Apple (0.51) Microsoft (0.49), Amazon.com (0.53), Samsung Electronics (0.53), Johnson & Johnson (0.53) do not have long memories in their time series, that is, investors cannot obtain abnormal profitability without incurring additional risk. Walmart (0.41) has anti-persistence, while Tesla (0.60), Facebook (0.55) indicate some predictability, meaning investors adjusting their trading strategies to the necessary missteps may have some above-average profitability, which partly rejects the first question of the research. To answer the second research question, we estimated the Detrended cross-correlation coefficient (pDCCA) model, which indicates 17 mean correlation coefficients (≈ 0.333 → ≈ 0.666), 7 strong cross-trend correlation coefficients (0.666 → ≈ 1,000), 4 weak correlation coefficients (≈ 0.000 → ≈ 0.333). These results show that investors should be careful to incorporate the shares of these companies into a single portfolio; the suggestion would be to group only the shares of companies that do not present predictability and have low rhoDCCA. The authors consider that this evidence will be important for institutional investors when carrying out trading strategies based on maximizing profitability, but also mitigating risk when diversifying.
Monitoring of river health using aquatic insects: A study on Jatinga River, North East India
Authors: Chakravarty Tanushree , Gupta Susmita
Published: October 2021

A biomonitoring study of River Jatinga located in south Assam, north east In-dia was conducted for the first time. The study aimed to evaluate water quality of the river in different stretches using aquatic in-sect as bioindicators. Insect samples were collected from selected sites of mid-stream and downstream of the river during monsoon- post monsoon, 2018 and winter- pre monsoon, 2019. A total of 25 families of aquatic insects recorded from 8 orders; Gerridae was eudominant in midstream across all the seasons with highest percentage in win-ter. Hemiptera, the most di-verse group was represented by six families with highest relative abundance. The study found that although both the sites were repre-sented by same functional feeding groups, there were seasonal and spatial varia-tions in the families of in-sects and their percentage occurrences. All the biotic indices, BMWPTHAI, SIG-NAL2 scores, EPT % and HFBI have shown relatively better quality of water of the River Jatinga in the mid-stream than that in the downstream during mon-soon and post monsoon sea-sons. Presence/absence and abundance of certain insect groups can provide infor-mation about health of the river.
Natural water treatment system: the potential of applying artificial floating island technology in lakes, ponds and dam lakes in Turkey
Authors: Minaz Mert , Kubilay Ayşegül
Published: October 2021

In this study, the implementation potential of artificial floating island (AFI) technology, which is a phytoremediation strategy, was investigated in Turkish lakes, ponds and reservoirs. The pressure on water resources is increasing ever with the global warming as well as the effect of climate change. In addition, increasing environmental pollution directly and/or indirectly harms the organisms thus has negative effects on their lives. In this context, the importance of lakes, ponds and dam lakes in Turkey against adverse global and environmental conditions has increased in recent years. Innovative, sustainable and economical solutions are required for the improvement of lakes, ponds and dam lakes, considering that these are main resources of drinking water, irrigation of agricultural lands, and recreational activities. Considering the current trophic state of natural waters in our country, many lakes, ponds or dam lakes have been identified with eutrophication potential. AFI technology, which is widely established globally to remediate such organic pollution load, is a highly economical alternative treatment system. Previous studies have generally focused on the laboratory and pilot scale implementation of AFI technology. In the future, full-scale establishment of AFI technology will provide significant added value for both the scientific and the national economy.
Effect of roasting, brewing/cooking techniques on the bioactive compounds of coffee: Benefits on human health as a functional food
Authors: Gök İlkay
Published: October 2021

Coffee beverage is one of the most popular beverages worldwide and because of its proved health benefits, it may be regarded as functional food. The potential functional properties of coffee beverage have been associated with its bioactive compounds including caffeine, chlorogenic acids, and melanoidins which are Maillard reaction products. The extraction of coffee soluble from the roasted and ground coffee seed is a complex operation and brewing/cooking method plays an important role on the extraction and amount of the key compounds in the coffee beverage. This review provides how the roasting level and brewing techniques affect the key compounds, physicochemical attributes, and health of coffee beverage. The role of compounds caffeine, chlorogenic acids, melanoidins and the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol in the body are reviewed along with their impact on health by examining the results of the studies involving the coffee consumption. According to the reviewed studies daily intake of 2 to 3 cups of coffee beverage is safe and may support metabolic health, mental health, enhance mood, increase alertness, be effective against hypertension, help us to fight depression, prevent several chronical disease risks including type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and degenerative diseases, such as cancer like liver cancer, cardiovascular disorders. However, some data implies the negative effects on health that it may be cautious for pregnant women and need to limit coffee consumption no more than 300 mg/d of caffeine.
Psychiatric Stigma in Developing Societies
Authors: Shafti Saeed
Published: October 2021

Stigmatizing attitudes toward persons with mental syndromes are prevalent in the general population and even among mental health professionals, a problem that may result easily in public avoidance, constant discrimination, and declined help-seeking behavior. The effect of stigma is twofold: Public stigma is the response that the public has to people with mental disorder. Self-stigma is the bigotry which persons with mental disorder turn against themselves. The WHO has advised that stigma is one of the largest barricades to treatment engagement, even if management is operative, even in low-income nations. While before and according to a series of researches the outcome of severe mental illness is generally better in developing societies than in developed countries, and it has been suggested that stigma is less severe or non-existent in unindustrialized nations, the current studies and observations do not confirm such an optimistic hint and the idea that stigma attached to mental illness is a global phenomenon seems a reasonable inference. In the present article, the issue of stigmatization, deinstitutionalization, national goal setting, and real situation of various modules of psychiatric rehabilitation, in the context of social or public psychiatry, especially in developing countries, is discussed, from a practical point of view.
PROMOVENDO O ACESSO A OBRA DE PAULO FREIRE POR MEIO DE ACERVO DIGITAL
Authors: Silva Elane Silvino da , Vieira Raquel Da Silva , Alencar Anderson Fernandes de , Júnior Vamberto De Freitas Rocha , Vanderlei Igor Medeiros
Published: October 2021

Este artigo apresenta o processo de construção do novo acervo digital do Paulo Freire. O nome do educador é uma referência para a educação mundial, mais do que um método de alfabetização ele deixou um legado internacionalmente reconhecido. As plataformas digitais é outra forma disponível para o acesso à vida e à obra de Freire, como é o caso do repositório digital. Atualmente o repositório digital enfrenta diversos problemas como a dificuldade de localização de conteúdos por parte dos pesquisadores, interface pouco amigável e falhas de segurança, por conta da própria desatualização da ferramenta, entre outros. Desse modo, em parceria com o Instituto Paulo Freire, com vistas ao enfrentamento destes problemas, buscamos oferecer contribuições para ampliar o acesso à obra do educador Paulo Freire. Ao longo do tempo, várias atividades foram desenvolvidas, inicialmente foi realizada pesquisa para saber se seria feita uma atualização no sistema de gerenciamento do repositório já em uso, ou se seria implantado outro tipo de repositório, bem como exportações dos dados da versão antiga e importação para versão mais atualizada, elaboração de uma nova página de boas-vindas, bem como ferramentas de visualização que tem objetivo de promover uma melhor interação do usuário com os conteúdos do acervo assim como diversas tarefas necessárias para atualização ser efetivada com êxito. O lançamento do acervo digital foi promovido de forma on-line devido ao coronavírus, o COVID-19. O trabalho traz contribuições nas dimensões técnico-científica, de inovação e socioeconômica.
O USO DE JOGOS COMO OBJETOS DIGITAIS DE APRENDIZAGEM: UM BREVE REVIEW
Authors: Guedes Sumaya Ferreira
Published: October 2021

A inserção da tecnologia digital na sociedade proporcionou mudanças significativas no modo de agir e pensar das pessoas em todo o mundo. Fez alterações de interpelações espaço-temporal, criando um perfil de sociedade dependente das tecnologias digitais, e no ambiente escolar não é diferente. Com o intuito de diminuir a abstração que algumas disciplinas apresentam como Química e Física, o professor precisa fazer o uso de determinados recursos pedagógicos que motivem os alunos, como por exemplo, pelo uso de jogos digitais. Nesse sentindo, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi realizar uma revisão de literatura sobre os objetos de aprendizagem, especialmente os jogos como recurso educacional no ensino de Ciências. Para tanto realizou-se uma pesquisa do tipo qualitativa exploratória com buscas em plataforma de uso acadêmico e científico, sendo que foi realizada uma busca de artigos publicados entre os anos de 2000-2020.  Os critérios de inclusão foram: Idioma (português, inglês e espanhol); Disponibilidade (texto integral), todo o tipo de artigos e livros, sendo que também foram consideradas as referências desses artigos ou livros. Foram Assim, a partir de uma compilação de artigos publicados na literatura científica, foram abordados de forma sucinta os objetos digitais e sua influência na aprendizagem e os jogos e brincadeiras lúdicas e suas relações com ensino e aprendizagem. Dessa forma, a presente pesquisa permite ao leitor uma visão geral da importância da utilização e ferramentas digitais, tais como jogos, como recursos educacionais para a auxiliar no aprendizado de disciplinas com conteúdo abstrato, como química e física, visto que estes possibilitam que o aluno aprenda brincando.
Using Systems Thinking to Exponentially Increase Impact
Authors: Williams Andy E
Published: October 2021

This paper explores how Human-Centric Functional Modeling might provide a method of systems thinking that in combination with models of Artificial General Intelligence and General Collective Intelligence developed using the approach, creates the opportunity to exponentially increase impact on targeted outcomes of collective activities, including research in a wide variety of disciplines as well as activities involved in addressing the various existential challenges facing mankind. Whether exponentially increasing the speed and scale of progress in research disciplines such as physics or medicine, or whether exponentially increasing capacity to solve existential challenges such as poverty or climate change, this paper explores why gaining the capacity to reliably solve such challenges might require this exponential increase in general problem-solving ability, why this exponential increase in ability might be reliably achievable through this approach, and why solving our most existential challenges might be reliably unachievable otherwise.
Tingkat Kecemasan Mahasiswa Selama Pandemi
Authors: Martini  , Muhammad Syahrul  , Andi Bunyamin
Published: October 2021

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui tingkat kecemasan mahasiswa pgmi selama masa pandemi dimana yang menajdi latar belakang dari penelitian ini nadalah adanya paparan virus corona jenis SARS-CoV-2 sehingga menimnulkan masalah psikologis pada mahasiswa sehingga menimbulkan kecemasan dan stress.penelitian ini menggunakan metode survei dengan teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan angket yang didistribusikan kepada 150 mahasiswa pgmi. Hasil penelitian didapatkan temuan mahasiswa mengalami tingkat kecemasan di masa pandemi ini dengan persetase 50% merasakan sangat cemas, 30% merasa cemas, 15% merasa tidak cemas, dan 5 % merasakan sangat tidak cemas dengan kondisi pandemi yang terjadi sekarang ini. Munculnya kecemasan yang berlebihan atau axienty disosder lebih pada adanya rasa takut terinveksi atau tertular oleh virus corona ini serta keadaan pendapatan atau penghasilan keluarga yang mengalami penurunan.
Incidental nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: Contrast enhanced ultrasound features in diagnosis1
Authors: Yang Daohui , Wang Dansong , Qiu Yijie , Tian Xiaofan , Zuo Dan , Dong Yi , Lou Wenhui , Wang Wenping
Published: October 2021

AIM: Preoperative suspicion of malignancy in nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) is mostly based on tumor size. We retrospectively analyzed the contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) features of a series of histopathologically proved nonfunctioning pNETs. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 37 surgery and histologically proved nonfunctioning pNETs were included. All pNETs lesions were incidentally detected by transabdominal ultrasound. B mode ultrasound (BMUS) and CEUS features were reviewed and analyzed. 52 histopathologically proved pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDACs) lesions were included as a control group. RESULTS: All nonfunctioning pNETs patients showed no typical clinical symptoms. No significant differences were observed in size, echogenicity or internal color flow imaging signal between pNETs and PDAC patients (P > 0.05). Most of nonfunctioning pNETs showed a well-defined tumor margin. The presence of pancreatic duct dilatation was less frequently observed in nonfunctioning pNETs patients (P < 0.05). After injection of ultrasound contrast agents, homogeneous enhancement was more commonly observed in nonfunctioning pNETs group (P < 0.05). During arterial phase of CEUS, most of nonfunctioning pNETs were hyper- or isoenhanced (32/37, 86.5%), whereas most of PDACs were hypoenhanced (34/52, 65.4%) (P < 0.05). Nonenhanced necrosis area was more commonly detected in PDACs (P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: CEUS features are helpful for preoperative non-invasive differential diagnosis of nonfunctioning pNETs, assisting further clinical decision-making process.
A bibliometrics study of library and information science doctoral dissertations in China from 2011 to 2020
Authors: Wang Ting , Lund Brady , Dow Mirah
Published: October 2021

By reading the titles, abstracts, and keywords of LIS doctoral dissertations in China from 2011–2020 and conducting cluster analysis and network analysis of keywords, this study aims to understand the intelligence structure of LIS doctoral dissertations in China, as well as the disciplines and topics intersecting with LIS. The results indicated that Wuhan University had the highest number of doctoral dissertations among all the selected universities offering LIS doctoral education. Research fields mainly focus on online information behavior and information services. The findings could be because of the development of computer science and information technology in the past decade, which indicates that the research direction of LIS in China follows the trend of time development.
The supervisory relationship in the doctoral process: How do Croatian LIS students see it?
Authors: Gašo Gordana , Ivanović Martina Dragija , Tanacković Sanjica Faletar
Published: October 2021

The study presented in this paper investigates LIS doctoral students’ perceptions and experiences about the supervision during their doctoral experience, with special emphasis on the qualities of good supervisors and doctoral students. Data were collected through an online survey and follow-up semi-structured interviews with doctoral students from Croatia’s three state universities offering a doctorate in LIS. A total of 60 respondents participated in a quantitative study, and 13 respondents were interviewed. The survey results show that doctoral students tend to prefer formally regulated supervisory relationships whereas supervisors and students have unambiguous and clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The findings also reveal that doctoral students seek support in the following areas: research, methodology, emotional support and administrative procedures. Interview participants suggest that a successful supervisory relationship could be facilitated by adequate training, both for supervisors and students. Large majority of survey respondents think that four main characteristics of good supervisors are the following: having time for the student, providing students with timely and constructive feedback, setting research goals and timeline together and helping students become independent in scientific work. Respondents agree that doctoral students, in order to be successful in their study, must be internally motivated and well informed about the chosen study program, they must attend to their responsibilities in a timely manner, meet physically with the supervisor and work toward achieving scholarly independence. The findings of this study can contribute toward better understanding of supervisory relationship at doctoral level, in particular in Croatian LIS academic community, and development of guidelines for successful supervision based on the first hand experience of doctoral students.
The effect of knee angle and subject position on plantar flexors isokinetic performance and muscular activity
Authors: Farrag Ahmed , Almusallam Moath , Almulhim Nora , Alzahrani Eidan , Alowa Zaenab , Elsayed Walaa
Published: October 2021

BACKGROUND: Assessment of the plantar flexion (PF) isokinetic performance has been greatly diverse and based on personal preferences rather than standardized guidelines. OBJECTIVE: To examine the performance of the plantar flexors under different settings including knee joint angle and subject position. METHODS: Thirteen women and 20 men took part in this study. The isokinetic protocol (60∘/s) was set to ankle movement between 10∘ dorsiflexion to 30∘ PF. Participants performed three repetitions of concentric PF in randomly-ordered knee angles; 15∘, 45∘ and 90∘, and in seated and supine positions. Surface electromyography (EMG) data were collected from the Soleus (SOL) and Gastrocnemius. RESULTS: Knee angle impacted the PF moment (P⩽ 0.001–0.026) and work (P⩽ 0.05) measures in both genders. The moment and work measures were significantly less in the 90∘ than those in the 45∘ and 15∘ positions. The 45∘ position had the highest values, particularly in sitting in the male participants. Only the GL EMG data was significantly impacted (P= 0.017) by the subject position. However, the difference was trivial (1.6%). The SOL muscle showed a consistent pattern of increased activity when the knee was in flexion. CONCLUSION: The 45∘ position seems to be optimal for obtaining the highest isokinetic PF scores.
Phosphorylation and Glycosylation of Amyloid-β Protein Precursor: The Relationship to Trafficking and Cleavage in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Song Xi-Jun , Zhou He-Yan , Sun Yu-Ying , Huang Han-Chang
Published: October 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in the central nervous system, and this disease is characterized by extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide is the main constituent of senile plaques, and this peptide is derived from the amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) through the successive cleaving by β-site AβPP-cleavage enzyme 1 (BACE1) and γ-secretase. AβPP undergoes the progress of post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation and glycosylation, which might affect the trafficking and the cleavage of AβPP. In the recent years, about 10 phosphorylation sites of AβPP were identified, and they play complex roles in glycosylation modification and cleavage of AβPP. In this article, we introduced the transport and the cleavage pathways of AβPP, then summarized the phosphorylation and glycosylation sites of AβPP, and further discussed the links and relationship between phosphorylation and glycosylation on the pathways of AβPP trafficking and cleavage in order to provide theoretical basis for AD research.
Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status Scores Associate with Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology at Death
Authors: Robinson Andrew C. , Davidson Yvonne S. , Roncaroli Federico , Minshull James , Tinkler Phillip , Cairns Margaret , Horan Michael A. , Payton Antony , Mann David M.A.
Published: October 2021

Background: Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) provides an opportunity for early intervention. Cognitive testing has proven to be a reliable way to identify individuals who may be at risk of AD. The Telephone Assessment for Cognitive Screening (TICS) is proficient in screening for cognitive impairment. However, its ability to identify those at risk of developing AD pathology is unknown. Objective: We aim to investigate associations between TICS scores, collected over a period of 13 years, and the cognitive status of participants at death. We also examine relationships between TICS scores and neuropathological indices of AD (CERAD score, Thal phase, and Braak stage). Methods: Between 2004 and 2017, participants from The University of Manchester Longitudinal Study of Cognition in Normal Healthy Old Age underwent cognitive assessment using TICS. Scores from four time points were available for analysis. Cognitive impairment and AD pathology at death was evaluated in 101 participants. Results: TICS scores at time points 2, 3, and 4 were significantly lower in those cognitively impaired at death compared to those considered cognitively normal. There were significant negative correlations between TICS scores and CERAD score and Braak stage at time points 2 and 4. No correlations between Thal phase and TICS were found. Conclusion: Findings indicate that TICS could be used not only to screen for cognitive impairment, but also to identify individuals at risk of developing AD pathology, many years before any overt symptoms occur. Once identified, ‘at risk’ individuals could be targeted for early interventions which could attenuate the progression of the disease.
Novel Serum Biomarkers of Neurovascular Unit Associated with Cortical Amyloid Deposition
Authors: Aso Yasuhiro , Kimura Noriyuki , Matsubara Etsuro
Published: October 2021

Background: Whether blood biomarkers of neurovascular unit are associated with cortical amyloid deposition on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging remains unclear. Objective: To investigate the association between novel serum biomarkers of neurovascular unit, such as protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type B (PTPRB), gap junction protein alpha-5 (GJA5), adenosine triphosphate-sensitive inward rectifier potassium channel-8 (KCNJ8), and von Willebrand factor (vWF), and cortical amyloid deposition. Methods: Between 2012 and 2018, 68 elderly individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (32 men and 36 women; mean age 75.2 years) were enrolled. All participants underwent 11C-Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB)-PET, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET, and measurement of serum PTPRB, GJA5, KCNJ8, and vWF levels using commercially available human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Based on the mean cortical standardized uptake value ratio, the participants were divided into two groups: PiB-negative group and PiB-positive group. Serum levels of PTPRB, GJA5, KCNJ8, and vWF were compared between the two groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between serum PTPRB, GJA5, KCNJ8, and vWF levels and cortical amyloid deposition. Results: PTPRB and GJA5 levels were significantly lower and KCNJ8 and vWF levels were significantly higher in the PiB-positive group than in the PiB-negative group. PTPRB and GJA5 levels inversely correlated with mean PiB uptake, whereas KCNJ8 and vWF levels positively correlated with mean PiB uptake. Conclusion: Serum levels of PTPRB, GJA5, KCNJ8, and vWF correlate with cortical amyloid deposition. These novel blood biomarkers of neurovascular unit are useful for identifying elderly individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Mitochondrial Fusion Suppresses Tau Pathology-Induced Neurodegeneration and Cognitive Decline
Authors: Wang Luwen , Liu Mengyu , Gao Ju , Smith Amber M. , Fujioka Hisashi , Liang Jingjing , Perry George , Wang Xinglong
Published: October 2021

Background: Abnormalities of mitochondrial fission and fusion, dynamic processes known to be essential for various aspects of mitochondrial function, have repeatedly been reported to be altered in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Neurofibrillary tangles are known as a hallmark feature of AD and are commonly considered a likely cause of neurodegeneration in this devastating disease. Objective: To understand the pathological role of mitochondrial dynamics in the context of tauopathy. Methods: The widely used P301S transgenic mice of tauopathy (P301S mice) were crossed with transgenic TMFN mice with the forced expression of Mfn2 specifically in neurons to obtain double transgenic P301S/TMFN mice. Brain tissues from 11-month-old non-transgenic (NTG), TMFN, P301S, and P301S/TMFN mice were analyzed by electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, immunoblot, histological staining, and immunostaining for mitochondria, tau pathology, and tau pathology-induced neurodegeneration and gliosis. The cognitive function was assessed by the Barnes maze. Results: P301S mice exhibited mitochondrial fragmentation and a consistent decrease in Mfn2 compared to age-matched NTG mice. When P301S mice were crossed with TMFN mice (P301S/TMFN mice), neuronal loss, as well as mitochondria fragmentation were significantly attenuated. Greatly alleviated tau hyperphosphorylation, filamentous aggregates, and thioflavin-S positive tangles were also noted in P301S/TMFN mice. Furthermore, P301S/TMFN mice showed marked suppression of neuroinflammation and improved cognitive performance in contrast to P301S mice. Conclusion: These in vivo findings suggest that promoted mitochondrial fusion suppresses toxic tau accumulation and associated neurodegeneration, which may protect against the progression of AD and related tauopathies.
Privacy-preserving policy evaluation in multi-party access control
Authors: Sheikhalishahi Mina , Stork Ischa , Zannone Nicola
Published: October 2021

Recent years have seen an increasing popularity of online collaborative systems like social networks and web-based collaboration platforms. Collaborative systems typically offer their users a digital environment in which they can work together and share resources and information. These resources and information might be sensitive and, thus, they should be protected from unauthorized accesses. Multi-party access control is emerging as a new paradigm for the protection of co-owned and co-managed resources, where the policies of all users involved in the management of a resource should be accounted for collaborative decision making. Existing approaches, however, only focus on the jointly protection of resources and do not address the protection of the individual user policies themselves, whose disclosure might leak sensitive information. In this work, we propose a privacy-preserving mechanism for the evaluation of multi-party access control policies, which preserves the confidentiality of user policies while remaining capable of making collaborative decisions. To this end, we design secure computation protocols for the evaluation of policies in protected form against an access query and realize such protocols using two privacy-preserving techniques, namely Homomorphic Encryption and Secure Functional Evaluation. We show the practical feasibility of our mechanism in terms of computation and communication costs through an experimental evaluation.
Arithmetic Word-Problem Solving as Cognitive Marker of Progression in Pre-Manifest and Manifest Huntington’s Disease
Authors: Horta-Barba Andrea , Martinez-Horta Saul , Perez-Perez Jesús , Sampedro Frederic , de Lucia Natascia , De Michele Giuseppe , Salvatore Elena , Kehrer Stefanie , Priller Josef , Migliore Simone , Squitieri Ferdinando , Castaldo Anna , Mariotti Caterina , Mañanes Veronica , Lopez-Sendon Jose Luis , Rodriguez Noelia , Martinez-Descals Asunción , Júlio Filipa , Janurio Cristina , Delussi Marianna , de Tommaso Marina , Noguera Sandra , Ruiz-Idiago Jesus , Sitek Emilia J. , Wallner Renata , Nuzzi Angela , Pagonabarraga Javier , Kulisevsky Jaime ,   on behalf the Cognitive Phenotype Working Group of the European Huntington’s Disease Network
Published: October 2021

Background:

Arithmetic word-problem solving depends on the interaction of several cognitive processes that may be affected early in the disease in gene-mutation carriers for Huntington’s disease (HD).

Objective:

Our goal was to examine the pattern of performance of arithmetic tasks in premanifest and manifest HD, and to examine correlations between arithmetic task performance and other neuropsychological tasks.

Methods:

We collected data from a multicenter cohort of 165 HD gene-mutation carriers. The sample consisted of 31 premanifest participants: 16 far-from (>12 years estimated time to diagnosis; preHD-A) and 15 close-to (≤12 years estimated time to diagnosis; preHD-B), 134 symptomatic patients (early-mild HD), and 37 healthy controls (HC). We compared performance between groups and explored the associations between arithmetic word-problem solving and neuropsychological and clinical variables.

Results:

Total arithmetic word-problem solving scores were lower in preHD-B patients than in preHD-A ( p < 0.05) patients and HC ( p < 0.01). Early-mild HD patients had lower scores than preHD patients ( p < 0.001) and HC ( p < 0.001). Compared to HC, preHD and early-mild HD participants made more errors as trial complexity increased. Moreover, arithmetic word-problem solving scores were significantly associated with measures of global cognition ( p < 0.001), frontal-executive functions ( p < 0.001), attention ( p < 0.001) visual working memory ( p < 0.001), mental rotation ( p < 0.001), and confrontation naming ( p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Arithmetic word-problem solving is affected early in the course of HD and is related to deficient processes in frontal-executive and mentalizing-related processes.
Optimization of RFID reading performance based on YOLOv3 and Elman neural network
Authors: Li Lin , Yu Xiaolei , Liu Zhenlu , Zhao Zhimin , Wu Chao , Zhang Ke , Zhou Shanhao
Published: October 2021

As a non-contact automatic identification technology, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is of great significance to improve the simultaneous identification of multi-target. This paper designs a more efficient and accurate multi-tag reading performance measurement system based on the fusion of YOLOv3 and Elman neural network. In the machine vision subsystem, multi-tag images are collected by dual CCD and detected by neural network algorithm. The reading distance of 3D distributed multi-tag is measured by laser ranging to evaluate the reading performance of RFID system. Firstly, the multi-tag are detected by YOLOv3, which realizes the measurement of 3D coordinates, improves the prediction accuracy, enhances the recognition ability of small targets, and improves the accuracy of 3D coordinate detection. Secondly, the relationship between the 3D coordinates and the corresponding reading distance of RFID multi-tag are modelled by Elman recurrent neural network. Finally, the reading performance of RFID multi-tag is optimized. Compared with the state-of-the-arts, the multi-tag detection rate of YOLOv3 is 17.4% higher and the time is 3.27 times higher than that of the previous template matching algorithm. In terms of reading performance, the MAPE of Elman neural network is 1.46 %, which is at least 21.43 % higher than other methods. In running time, Elman only needs 1.69s, which is at least 28.40% higher than others. Thus, the system not only improves the accuracy, but also improves the speed, which provides a new insight for the measurement and optimization of RFID performance.
Temporal Proteomic Profiling During Differentiation of Normal and Dystrophin-Deficient Human Muscle Cells
Authors: Goswami Mansi V. , Tawalbeh Shefa M. , Canessa Emily H. , Hathout Yetrib
Published: October 2021

Background: Myogenesis is a dynamic process involving temporal changes in the expression of many genes. Lack of dystrophin protein such as in Duchenne muscular dystrophy might alter the natural course of gene expression dynamics during myogenesis. Objective: To gain insight into the dynamic temporal changes in protein expression during differentiation of normal and dystrophin deficient myoblasts to myotubes. Method: A super SILAC spike-in strategy in combination and LC-MS/MS was used for temporal proteome profiling of normal and dystrophin deficient myoblasts during differentiation. The acquired data was analyzed using Proteome Discoverer 2.2. and data clustering using R to define significant temporal changes in protein expression. Results: sFour major temporal protein clusters that showed sequential dynamic expression profiles during myogenesis of normal myoblasts were identified. Clusters 1 and 2, consisting mainly of proteins involved mRNA splicing and processing expression, were elevated at days 0 and 0.5 of differentiation then gradually decreased by day 7 of differentiation, then remained lower thereafter. Cluster 3 consisted of proteins involved contractile muscle and actomyosin organization. They increased in their expression reaching maximum at day 7 of differentiation then stabilized thereafter. Cluster 4 consisting of proteins involved in skeletal muscle development glucogenesis and extracellular remodeling had a lower expression during myoblast stage then gradually increased in their expression to reach a maximum at days 11–15 of differentiation. Lack of dystrophin expression in DMD muscle myoblast caused major alteration in temporal expression of proteins involved in cell adhesion, cytoskeleton, and organelle organization as well as the ubiquitination machinery. Conclusion: Time series proteome profiling using super SILAC strategy is a powerful method to assess temporal changes in protein expression during myogenesis and to define the downstream consequences of lack of dystrophin on these temporal protein expressions. Key alterations were identified in dystrophin deficient myoblast differentiation compared to normal myoblasts. These alterations could be an attractive therapeutic target.
Constipation Predicts Cognitive Decline in Parkinson’s Disease: Results from the COPPADIS Cohort at 2-Year Follow-up and Comparison with a Control Group
Authors: Santos García Diego ,   COPPADIS Study Group, García Roca Lucía , de Deus Fonticoba Teresa , Cores Bartolomé Carlos , Naya Ríos Lucía , Canfield Héctor , Paz González Jose M. , Martínez Miró Cristina , Jesús Silvia , Aguilar Miquel , Pastor Pau , Planellas Lluís , Cosgaya Marina , García Caldentey Juan , Caballol Nuria , Legarda Ines , Hernández Vara Jorge , Cabo Iria , López Manzanares Lydia , González Aramburu Isabel , Ávila Rivera Maria A. , Gómez Mayordomo Víctor , Nogueira Víctor , Puente Víctor , Dotor García-Soto Julio , Borrué Carmen , Solano Vila Berta , Álvarez Sauco María , Vela Lydia , Escalante Sonia , Cubo Esther , Carrillo Padilla Francisco , Martínez Castrillo Juan C. , Sánchez Alonso Pilar , Alonso Losada Maria G. , López Ariztegui Nuria , Gastón Itziar , Kulisevsky Jaime , Blázquez Estrada Marta , Seijo Manuel , Rúiz Martínez Javier , Valero Caridad , Kurtis Mónica , de Fábregues Oriol , González Ardura Jessica , Alonso Redondo Ruben , Ordás Carlos , López Díaz L Luis M. , McAfee Darrian , Martinez-Martin Pablo , Mir Pablo
Published: October 2021

Background: Constipation has been linked to cognitive impairment development in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Objective: Our aim was to analyze cognitive changes observed in PD patients and controls from a Spanish cohort with regards to the presence or not of constipation. Methods: PD patients and controls recruited from 35 centers of Spain from the COPPADIS cohort from January 2016 to November 2017 were followed-up during 2 years. The change in cognitive status from baseline (V0) to 2-year follow-up was assessed with the PD-CRS (Parkinson’s Disease Cognitive Rating Scale). Subjects with a score ≥1 on item 21 of the NMSS (Non-Motor Symptoms Scale) at baseline (V0) were considered as “with constipation”. Regression analyses were applied for determining the contribution of constipation in cognitive changes. Results: At V0, 39.7% (198/499) of PD patients presented constipation compared to 11.4% of controls (14/123) (p < 0.0001). No change was observed in cognitive status (PD-CRS total score) neither in controls without constipation (from 100.24±13.72 to 100.27±13.68; p = 0.971) and with constipation (from 94.71±10.96 to 93.93±13.03; p = 0.615). The PD-CRS total score decreased significantly in PD patients with constipation (from 89.14±15.36 to 85.97±18.09; p < 0.0001; Coehn’s effect = –0.35) compared to patients without constipation (from 93.92±15.58 to 93.14±17.52; p = 0.250) (p = 0.018). In PD patients, to suffer from constipation at V0 was associated with a decrease in the PD-CRS total score from V0 to V2 (β= –0.1; 95% CI, –4.36 – –0.27; p = 0.026) and having cognitive impairment at V2 (OR = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.01 – 3.17; p = 0.045). Conclusion: Constipation is associated with cognitive decline in PD patients but not in controls.
Predicting Parkinson’s Disease and Its Pathology via Simple Clinical Variables
Authors: Karabayir Ibrahim , Butler Liam , Goldman Samuel M. , Kamaleswaran Rishikesan , Gunturkun Fatma , Davis Robert L. , Ross G. Webster , Petrovitch Helen , Masaki Kamal , Tanner Caroline M. , Tsivgoulis Georgios , Alexandrov Andrei V. , Chinthala Lokesh K. , Akbilgic Oguz
Published: October 2021

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, disabling neurodegenerative disorder. Objective: To predict a future diagnosis of PD using questionnaires and simple non-invasive clinical tests. Methods: Participants in the prospective Kuakini Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (HAAS) were evaluated biannually between 1995–2017 by PD experts using standard diagnostic criteria. Autopsies were sought on all deaths. We input simple clinical and risk factor variables into an ensemble-tree based machine learning algorithm and derived models to predict the probability of developing PD. We also investigated relationships of predictive models and neuropathologic features such as nigral neuron density. Results: The study sample included 292 subjects, 25 of whom developed PD within 3 years and 41 by 5 years. 116 (46%) of 251 subjects not diagnosed with PD underwent autopsy. Light Gradient Boosting Machine modeling of 12 predictors correctly classified a high proportion of individuals who developed PD within 3 years (area under the curve (AUC) 0.82, 95%CI 0.76–0.89) or 5 years (AUC 0.77, 95%CI 0.71–0.84). A large proportion of controls who were misclassified as PD had Lewy pathology at autopsy, including 79%of those who died within 3 years. PD probability estimates correlated inversely with nigral neuron density and were strongest in autopsies conducted within 3 years of index date (r = –0.57, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Machine learning can identify persons likely to develop PD during the prodromal period using questionnaires and simple non-invasive tests. Correlation with neuropathology suggests that true model accuracy may be considerably higher than estimates based solely on clinical diagnosis.