bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinctive gut microbiomes of ankylosing spondylitis and inflammatory bowel disease patients suggest differing roles in pathogenesis and correlate with disease activity
Authors: Sternes P. R. , Brett L. , Phipps J. , Ciccia F. , Kenna T. , de Guzman E. , Zimmermann K. , Morrison M. , Holtmann G. , Klingberg E. , Mauro D. , McIvor C. , Forsblad-d’Elia H. , Brown M. A.
Published: July 2022

Background

Multiple studies have confirmed dysbiosis in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, due to methodological differences across studies, it has not been possible to determine if these diseases have similar or different gut microbiomes.

Results

In this study, faecal and intestinal biopsies were obtained from 33 Australian AS patients (including 5 with concomitant IBD, ‘AS-IBD’), 59 IBD patients and 105 healthy controls. Stool samples were also obtained from 16 Italian AS patients and 136 Swedish AS patients. Focusing on the Australian cohort, AS, AS-IBD and IBD patients differed from one another and from healthy controls in both alpha and beta diversity. AS patients with and without clinical IBD could be distinguished from one another with moderate accuracy using stool microbiome (AUC=0.754). Stool microbiome also accurately distinguished IBD patients from healthy controls (AUC=0.757). Microbiome composition was correlated with disease activity measured by BASDAI and faecal calprotectin (FCP) levels. Enrichment of potentially pathogenic Streptococcus was noted in AS, AS-IBD and IBD patients. Furthermore, enrichment of another potentially pathogenic genus, Haemophilus, was observed in AS, AS-IBD, IBD, AS patients with increased BASDAI, and IBD patients with faecal calprotectin >100 μg/mg. Apart from these genera, no other taxa were shared between AS and IBD patients.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the distinct gut microbiome of AS and AS-IBD patients compared to IBD patients and healthy controls is consistent with immunological and genetic evidence suggesting that the gut plays a different role in driving AS compared with IBD. However, enrichment of two potentially pathogenic genera in both diseases suggests that the presence of a shared/common microbial trigger of disease cannot be discounted.
Comparison of four handheld point-of-care ultrasound devices by expert users
Authors: Le Minh-Phuong T. , Voigt Lara , Nathanson Robert , Maw Anna M. , Johnson Gordon , Dancel Ria , Mathews Benji , Moreira Alvaro , Sauthoff Harald , Gelabert Christopher , Kurian Linda M. , Dumovich Jenna , Proud Kevin C. , Solis-McCarthy Jessica , Candotti Carolina , Dayton Christopher , Arena Alexander , Boesch Brandon , Flores Saul , Foster Mark T. , Villalobos Nicholas , Wong Tanping , Ortiz-Jaimes Gabriel , Mader Michael , Sisson Craig , Soni Nilam J.
Published: July 2022

Background

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is rapidly becoming ubiquitous across healthcare specialties. This is due to several factors including its portability, immediacy of results to guide clinical decision-making, and lack of radiation exposure to patients. The recent growth of handheld ultrasound devices has improved access to ultrasound for many clinicians. Few studies have directly compared different handheld ultrasound devices among themselves or to cart-based ultrasound machines. We conducted a prospective observational study comparing four common handheld ultrasound devices for ease of use, image quality, and overall satisfaction. Twenty-four POCUS experts utilized four handheld devices (Butterfly iQ+™ by Butterfly Network Inc., Kosmos™ by EchoNous, Vscan Air™ by General Electric, and Lumify™ by Philips Healthcare) to obtain three ultrasound views on the same standardized patients using high- and low-frequency probes.

Results

Data were collected from 24 POCUS experts using all 4 handheld devices. No single ultrasound device was superior in all categories. For overall ease of use, the Vscan Air™ was rated highest, followed by the Lumify™. For overall image quality, Lumify™ was rated highest, followed by Kosmos™. The Lumify™ device was rated highest for overall satisfaction, while the Vscan Air™ was rated as the most likely to be purchased personally and carried in one’s coat pocket. The top 5 characteristics of handheld ultrasound devices rated as being “very important” were image quality, ease of use, portability, total costs, and availability of different probes.

Conclusions

In a comparison of four common handheld ultrasound devices in the United States, no single handheld ultrasound device was perceived to have all desired characteristics. POCUS experts rated the Lumify™ highest for image quality and Vscan Air™ highest for ease of use. Overall satisfaction was highest with the Lumify™ device, while the most likely to be purchased as a pocket device was the Vscan Air™. Image quality was felt to be the most important characteristic in evaluating handheld ultrasound devices.
Effects of end-stage osteoarthritis on markers of skeletal muscle Long INterspersed Element-1 activity
Authors: Osburn Shelby C. , Romero Matthew A. , Roberson Paul A. , Mumford Petey W. , Wiggins Derek A. , McAdam Jeremy S. , Drummer Devin J. , Bridges S. Louis , Bamman Marcas M. , Roberts Michael D.
Published: July 2022

Objective

Long INterspersed Element-1 (L1) is an autonomous transposable element in the genome. L1 transcripts that are not reverse transcribed back into the genome can accumulate in the cytoplasm and activate an inflammatory response via the cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAS)-STING pathway. We examined skeletal muscle L1 markers as well as STING protein levels in 10 older individuals (63 ± 11 y, BMI = 30.2 ± 6.8 kg/m2) with end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) undergoing total hip (THA, n = 4) or knee (TKA, n = 6) arthroplasty versus 10 young, healthy comparators (Y, 22 ± 2 y, BMI = 23.2 ± 2.5 kg/m2). For OA, muscle was collected from surgical (SX) and contralateral (CTL) sides whereas single vastus lateralis samples were collected from Y.

Results

L1 mRNA was higher in CTL and SX compared to Y (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Protein expression was higher in SX versus Y for ORF1p (p = 0.002) and STING (p = 0.022). While these data are preliminary due to limited n-sizes and the lack of a BMI-matched younger control group, higher L1 mRNA expression, ORF1p and STING protein are evident in older versus younger adults. More research is needed to determine whether cGAS-STING signaling contributes to heightened muscle inflammation during aging and/or OA.
The need for a food allergy educator program for allied healthcare professionals in Canada
Authors: Protudjer Jennifer L. P. , Venter Carina , Groetch Marion , Frykas Tara Lynn Mary , Lidington Jasmin , Kim Harold
Published: July 2022

Owing to a collaborative approach to patient care, and a paucity of allergists in Canada, there is a need to develop a food allergy educational program for allied health care professionals in Canada. Such programs already exist in the United States and Britain. Herein, we describe the outcomes of recent conference proceedings to inform the educational needs for such a program. As part of the 76th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI), held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we hosted a virtual workshop on the need for a food allergy educator program for Canadian allied health professionals. This workshop was co-developed with the CSACI and an industry partner, and featured allergy specialist dietitians. Attendance was open to all conference delegates, and to allied health professionals. As part of the registration process, registrants posed diverse food allergy-related questions, ranging from how to use an epinephrine autoinjector, to daily management and, how to cure food allergy. A national food allergy educator program will empower both allergy and non-allergy specialist healthcare professionals to appropriately counsel patients. This virtually-delivered program will begin to close a gap in healthcare access resulting from the geographic size of Canada, as it will enhance allied healthcare providers’ confidence to provide evidence-based food allergy care appropriately for those with food allergy.
KAP1 phosphorylation promotes the survival of neural stem cells after ischemia/reperfusion by maintaining the stability of PCNA
Authors: Wang Wan , Yan Tianqing , Guo Xinjian , Cai Heng , Liang Chang , Huang Linyan , Wang Yanling , Ma Ping , Qi Suhua
Published: July 2022

Aims

To explore the function of phosphorylation of KAP1 (p-KAP1) at the serine-824 site (S824) in the proliferation and apoptosis of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) after cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R).

Methods

The apoptosis and proliferation of C17.2 cells transfected with the p-KAP1-expression plasmids and the expression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and p-KAP1 were detected by immunofluorescence and Western blotting after the Oxygen Glucose deprivation/reperfusion model (OGD/R). The interaction of p-KAP1 and CUL4A with PCNA was analyzed by immunoprecipitation. In the rats MCAO model, we performed the adeno-associated virus (AAV) 2/9 gene delivery of p-KAP1 mutants to verify the proliferation of endogenous NSCs and the colocalization of PCNA and CUL4A by immunofluorescence.

Results

The level of p-KAP1 was significantly down-regulated in the stroke model in vivo and in vitro. Simulated p-KAP1(S824) significantly increased the proliferation of C17.2 cells and the expression of PCNA after OGD/R. Simulated p-KAP1(S824) enhanced the binding of p-KAP1 and PCNA and decreased the interaction between PCNA and CUL4A in C17.2 cells subjected to OGD/R. The AAV2/9-mediated p-KAP1(S824) increased endogenous NSCs proliferation, PCNA expression, p-KAP1 binding to PCNA, and improved neurological function in the rat MCAO model.

Conclusions

Our findings confirmed that simulated p-KAP1(S824) improved the survival and proliferation of endogenous NSCs. The underlying mechanism is that highly expressed p-KAP1(S824) promotes binding to PCNA, and inhibits the binding of CUL4A to PCNA. This reduced CUL4A-mediated ubiquitination degradation to increase the stability of PCNA and promote the survival and proliferation of NSCs.
Blood–brain barrier penetration prediction enhanced by uncertainty estimation
Authors: Tong Xiaochu , Wang Dingyan , Ding Xiaoyu , Tan Xiaoqin , Ren Qun , Chen Geng , Rong Yu , Xu Tingyang , Huang Junzhou , Jiang Hualiang , Zheng Mingyue , Li Xutong
Published: July 2022

Blood–brain barrier is a pivotal factor to be considered in the process of central nervous system (CNS) drug development, and it is of great significance to rapidly explore the blood–brain barrier permeability (BBBp) of compounds in silico in early drug discovery process. Here, we focus on whether and how uncertainty estimation methods improve in silico BBBp models. We briefly surveyed the current state of in silico BBBp prediction and uncertainty estimation methods of deep learning models, and curated an independent dataset to determine the reliability of the state-of-the-art algorithms. The results exhibit that, despite the comparable performance on BBBp prediction between graph neural networks-based deep learning models and conventional physicochemical-based machine learning models, the GROVER-BBBp model shows greatly improvement when using uncertainty estimations. In particular, the strategy combined Entropy and MC-dropout can increase the accuracy of distinguishing BBB + from BBB − to above 99% by extracting predictions with high confidence level (uncertainty score < 0.1). Case studies on preclinical/clinical drugs for Alzheimer’ s disease and marketed antitumor drugs that verified by literature proved the application value of uncertainty estimation enhanced BBBp prediction model, that may facilitate the drug discovery in the field of CNS diseases and metastatic brain tumors.
Duck Tembusu virus infection induces mitochondrial-mediated and death receptor-mediated apoptosis in duck embryo fibroblasts
Authors: Pan Yuhong , Cai Wenjun , Cheng Anchun , Wang Mingshu , Chen Shun , Huang Juan , Yang Qiao , Wu Ying , Sun Di , Mao Sai , Zhu Dekang , Liu Mafeng , Zhao Xinxin , Zhang Shaqiu , Gao Qun , Ou Xumin , Tian Bin , Yin Zhongqiong , Jia Renyong
Published: July 2022

Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) is a pathogenic flavivirus that has caused enormous economic losses in Southeast Asia. Our previous study showed that DTMUV could induce duck embryo fibroblast (DEF) apoptosis, but the specific mechanism was not clear. In this study, we confirmed that DTMUV could induce the apoptosis of DEFs by DAPI staining and TUNEL staining. Furthermore, we found that the expression levels of cleaved-caspase-3/7/8/9 were significantly upregulated after DTMUV infection. After treatment of cells with an inhibitor of caspase-8 or caspase-9, DTMUV-induced apoptosis rates were significantly decreased, indicating that the caspase-8-mediated death receptor apoptotic pathway and caspase-9-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway were involved in DTMUV-induced apoptosis. Moreover, we found that DTMUV infection not only caused the release of mitochondrial cytochrome C (Cyt C) and the downregulation of the apoptosis-inhibiting protein Bcl-2 but also reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Key genes in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and death receptor apoptotic pathway were upregulated to varying degrees, indicating the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and death receptor apoptosis pathway. In conclusion, this study clarifies the molecular mechanism of DTMUV-induced apoptosis and provides a theoretical basis for revealing the pathogenic mechanism of DTMUV infection.
Fixed points of weakly K-nonexpansive mappings and a stability result for fixed point iterative process with an application
Authors: Panja Sayantan , Roy Kushal , Paunović Marija V. , Saha Mantu , Parvaneh Vahid
Published: July 2022

In this article, we introduce a new type of non-expansive mapping, namely weakly K-nonexpansive mapping, which is weaker than non-expansiveness and stronger than quasi-nonexpansiveness. We prove some weak and strong convergence results using weakly K-nonexpansive mappings. Also, we define weakly $(\alpha ,K)$
(
α
,
K
)
-nonexpansive mapping and using it prove one stability result for JF-iterative process. Some prominent examples are presented illustrating the facts. A numerical example is given to compare the convergence behavior of some known iterative algorithms for weakly K-nonexpansive mappings. Moreover, we show by example that the class of α-nonexpansive mappings due to Aoyama and Kohsaka and the class of generalized α-nonexpansive mappings due to Pant and Shukla are independent. Finally, our fixed point theorem is applied to obtain a solution of a nonlinear fractional differential equation.
Rivers as a potential dispersing agent of the invasive tree Acacia dealbata
Authors: Zamorano Daniel , Labra Fabio A. , Vila Irma , Meier Claudio I.
Published: July 2022

Background

The silver wattleAcacia dealbatais a fast-growing tree from Australia that has become naturalised in different regions of the world, attaining invasive status in most of them. In Chile,A. dealbatareaches large abundances along banks and floodplains of invaded fluvial systems, suggesting that rivers may act as a vector for seed dispersal. As hydrochory has not been documented previously in this species, the aim of this study is to evaluate the potential for water dispersal of seeds of this invasive tree along rivers.

Methods

Seed samples from rivers were collected at three sites along twoA. dealbata-invaded rivers within the Cachapoal basin, central Chile. Number of seeds collected was contrasted versus hydraulic and local conditions with RDA. Seed buoyancy and sedimentation velocity were determined and compared between sites with an ANCOVA. Finally, the probability of seed germination after long periods of immersion in water was assessed, simulating transport conditions in the flow. Germination results were tested with a GLM.

Results

Results indicate that increasing abundance ofA. dealbataseeds in the flow is related to the level of turbulence of the flow. Seeds display high floatability but their sedimentation velocity is high when they do sink. Finally, silver wattle seeds can germinate after long periods (many weeks) of immersion in water; however, their probability of germination depends to a large extent on whether seeds are scarified or not.

Conclusions

Based on the evidence collected, we suggest that the seeds ofA. dealbatahave the necessary traits to be dispersed by rivers, this being the first research testing this hypothesis. The success of hydrochory ofA. dealbatawould depend on river flow turbulence, and whether there are natural mechanisms for scarifying the seeds either before or during transport. The proposed methodology can be used to assess river hydrochory for any tree species.
Transparent masks reduce the negative impact of opaque masks on understanding emotional states but not on sharing them
Authors: McCrackin Sarah D. , Provencher Sabrina , Mendell Ethan , Ristic Jelena
Published: July 2022

While face masks provide necessary protection against disease spread, they occlude the lower face parts (chin, mouth, nose) and consequently impair the ability to accurately perceive facial emotions. Here we examined how wearing face masks impacted making inferences about emotional states of others (i.e., affective theory of mind; Experiment 1) and sharing of emotions with others (i.e., affective empathy; Experiment 2). We also investigated whether wearing transparent masks ameliorated the occlusion impact of opaque masks. Participants viewed emotional faces presented within matching positive (happy), negative (sad), or neutral contexts. The faces wore opaque masks, transparent masks, or no masks. In Experiment 1, participants rated the protagonists’ emotional valence and intensity. In Experiment 2, they indicated their empathy for the protagonist and the valence of their emotion. Wearing opaque masks impacted both affective theory of mind and affective empathy ratings. Compared to no masks, wearing opaque masks resulted in assumptions that the protagonist was feeling less intense and more neutral emotions. Wearing opaque masks also reduced positive empathy for the protagonist and resulted in more neutral shared valence ratings. Wearing transparent masks restored the affective theory of mind ratings but did not restore empathy ratings. Thus, wearing face masks impairs nonverbal social communication, with transparent masks able to restore some of the negative effects brought about by opaque masks. Implications for the theoretical understanding of socioemotional processing as well as for educational and professional settings are discussed.
Essential oil content and components, antioxidant activity and total phenol content of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) as affected by harvesting time and drying method
Authors: Khademi Doozakhdarreh Seyedeh Fatemeh , Khorshidi Jalal , Morshedloo Mohammad Reza
Published: July 2022

Background

Preharvest and postharvest conditions of medicinal plants strongly affect the quantity and quality of their secondary metabolites. Here, the effect of different harvesting times (5 am, 12 noon and 5 pm) and different drying methods (shade at 25 °C, oven at 60 °C and microwave at 180 W) on essential oil content and components, total phenol content and antioxidant activity of rosemary was monitored.

Results

Harvesting time only had a significant effect on the essential oil content and components; however, all investigated traits were significantly affected by drying methods. The essential oil content of plants harvested at 5 am and 5 pm was higher than those harvested at 12 noon. The highest amount of essential oil was obtained from shade (0.85–1.12%) and oven (0.66–1.04%) dried plants, respectively. Total phenol and antioxidant activity of oven dried plants were significantly lower than shade and microwave-dried plants. The number, type and amount of essential oil components were affected by harvesting time and drying method. α-Pinene, verbenone and camphor were the major components of the essential oils. Oxygenated monoterpenes were the main group of essential oil compounds in all treatments. The results of biplot and cluster analysis, based on the measured traits, placed the treatments in three separate clusters; I: shade dried, II: oven-dried, and III: microwave-dried plants.

Conclusion

Generally, to obtain the higher essential oil content, phenol and antioxidant activity, harvesting at 5 am and 5 pm and also shade drying are recommended; however, for reaching to essential oil with specific quality, different harvesting time and drying method could be used.
Risk characterization of microplastics in San Francisco Bay, California
Authors: Coffin Scott , Weisberg Stephen B. , Rochman Chelsea , Kooi Merel , Koelmans Albert A.
Published: July 2022

Assessing microplastics risk to aquatic ecosystems has been limited by lack of holistic exposure data and poor understanding of biological response thresholds. Here we take advantage of two recent advances, a toxicological meta-analysis that produced biotic response thresholds and a method to quantitatively correct exposure data for sampling methodology biases, to assess microplastic exposure risk in San Francisco Bay, California, USA. Using compartment-specific particle size abundance data, we rescaled empirical surface water monitoring data obtained from manta trawls (> 333 μm) to a broader size (1 to 5000 μm) range, corrected for biases in fiber undercounting and spectroscopic subsampling, and assessed the introduced uncertainty using probabilistic methods. We then compared these rescaled concentrations to four risk thresholds developed to inform risk management for California for each of two effect categories/mechanisms - tissue translocation-mediated effects and food dilution - each aligned to ecologically relevant dose metrics of surface area and volume, respectively. More than three-quarters of samples exceeded the most conservative food dilution threshold, which rose to 85% when considering just the Central Bay. Within the Central Bay, 38% of the samples exceeded a higher threshold associated with management planning, which was statistically significant at the 95% confidence interval. For tissue translocation-mediated effects, no samples exceeded any threshold with statistical significance. The risk associated with food dilution is higher than that found in other systems, which likely reflects this study having been conducted for an enclosed water body. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the largest contributor to assessment variability was associated with estimation of ambient concentration exposure due to correcting for fiber undercounting. Even after compensating for biases associated with fibers and other small particles, concentrations from the trawl samples were still significantly lower than the 1-L grab samples taken at the same time, suggesting our SFB risk estimates are an underestimate. We chose to rely on the trawl data because the 1-L grab sample volume was too small to provide accurate spatial representation, but future risk characterization studies would be improved by using in-line filtration pumps that sample larger volumes while capturing a fuller range of particle size than a towed net.
Three-dimensional finite-difference finite-element frequency-domain wave simulation with multi-level optimized additive Schwarz domain-decomposition preconditioner: A tool for FWI of sparse node datasets
Authors: Tournier Pierre-Henri , Jolivet Pierre , Dolean Victorita , Aghamiry Hossein S. , Operto Stéphane , Riffo Sebastian
Published: July 2022

Efficient frequency-domain full-waveform inversion (FWI) of long-offset node data can be designed with a few discrete frequencies, which lead to modest data volumes to be managed during the inversion process. Moreover, attenuation effects can be straightforwardly implemented in the forward problem without the computational overhead. However, 3D frequency-domain seismic modeling is challenging because it requires solving a large and sparse linear indefinite system for each frequency with multiple right-hand sides (RHSs). This linear system can be solved by direct or iterative methods. The former allows efficient processing of multiple RHSs but may suffer from limited scalability for very large problems. Iterative methods equipped with a domain-decomposition preconditioner provide a suitable alternative to process large computational domains for sparse-node acquisition. We have investigated the domain-decomposition preconditioner based on the optimized restricted additive Schwarz (ORAS) method, in which a Robin or perfectly matched layer condition is implemented at the boundaries between the subdomains. The preconditioned system is solved by a Krylov subspace method, whereas a block low-rank lower-upper decomposition of the local matrices is performed at a preprocessing stage. Multiple sources are processed in groups with a pseudoblock method. The accuracy, the computational cost, and the scalability of the ORAS solver are assessed against several realistic benchmarks. In terms of discretization, we compare a compact wavelength-adaptive 27-point finite-difference stencil on a regular Cartesian grid with a P3 finite-element method on h-adaptive tetrahedral mesh. Although both schemes have comparable accuracy, the former is more computationally efficient, the latter being beneficial to comply with known boundaries such as bathymetry. The scalability of the method, the block processing of multiple RHSs, and the straightforward implementation of attenuation, which further improves the convergence of the iterative solver, make the method a versatile forward engine for large-scale 3D FWI applications from sparse node data sets.
Recruiting and retaining participants in three randomised controlled trials of psychological interventions conducted on acute psychiatric wards: top ten tips for success
Authors: Jacobsen Pamela , Haddock Gillian , Raphael Jessica , Peak Craig , Winter Rachel , Berry Katherine
Published: July 2022

Background

It is essential to conduct randomised controlled trials of psychological interventions on acute psychiatric wards to build a robust evidence base for clinical practice.

Aims

This paper aims to share strategies from three different in-patient trials that successfully recruited and retained participants, to disseminate good practice for the conduct of future trials in this challenging and complex clinical setting.

Method

We present strategies from three in-patient trials of psychological interventions: TULIPS (Talk, Understand, Listen for Inpatient Settings), amBITION (Brief Talking Therapies on Wards) and INSITE (Inpatient Suicide Intervention and Therapy Evaluation). All studies recruited participants from acute in-patient wards, initiated therapy within the in-patient setting and followed up on participants post-discharge.

Results

We summarise our recommendations for good practice in the form of ten top tips for success, based on our collective experience of conducting trials on psychiatric wards. Key themes relate to the importance of relationships between the research team and clinical staff; good stakeholder involvement and getting early buy-in from the team; and adapting to the particular demands of the clinical setting.

Conclusions

Sharing good practice recommendations can help reduce research waste arising from poor recruitment and/or retention in future in-patient clinical trials.
Long-Term Morbidity and Mortality in Children After In Utero Exposure to Maternal Cancer
Authors: Greiber Iben K. , Viuff Jakob H. , Storgaard Lone , Karlsen Mona A. , Lidegaard Øjvind , Mikkelsen Anders P. , Mellemkjær Lene , Hjortshøj Cristel S.
Published: July 2022

PURPOSE

In utero exposure to maternal cancer and cancer treatment might influence the child's short- and long-term health and development. The objective of the study was to investigate short- and long-term somatic and psychiatric outcomes in children exposed to maternal cancer in utero.

METHODS

This nationwide cohort study identified all liveborn children in Denmark between January 1978 and December 2018. Exposure was defined as maternal cancer diagnosis during pregnancy, and in a subgroup analysis, exposure to chemotherapy in utero. The main outcomes of interest were overall mortality, somatic diagnoses, and psychiatric diagnoses identified in the National Health Registers. Follow-up started at birth and ended at an event, death, emigration, or end of 2018. Hazard ratios of end points adjusted for potential confounders were estimated using Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of 2,526,163 included liveborn children, 690 (0.03%) were exposed to maternal cancer in utero. Compared with unexposed fetuses, children exposed in utero had no higher overall mortality, adjusted hazard ratio 0.8 (95% CI, 0.4 to 1.5), nor increased risk of congenital malformations, overall somatic or psychiatric disease. During the period 2002-2018, of 378 (0.03%) children exposed to cancer in utero, 42 (12.5%) were exposed to chemotherapy. Among these 42 children, in utero exposure to chemotherapy was not associated with selected somatic diseases nor to congenital malformations when compared with in utero exposure to maternal cancer without chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Overall, findings did not indicate excess risk of mortality or severe morbidity among children exposed to cancer in utero. Fetal exposure to chemotherapy was not associated with adverse health outcomes in childhood.
Maternal Ezh1/2 deficiency in oocyte delays H3K27me2/3 restoration and impairs epiblast development responsible for embryonic sub-lethality in mouse
Authors: Zhao Yinan , Bai Dandan , Wu You , Zhang Dan , Liu Mengying , Tian Yingpu , Lu Jinhua , Wang Haibin , Gao Shaorong , Lu Zhongxian
Published: July 2022

How maternal Ezh1 and Ezh2 function in H3K27 methylation in vivo in pre-implantation embryos and during embryonic development is not clear. Here, we have deleted Ezh1 and Ezh2 alone or simultaneously from mouse oocytes. H3K27me3 was absent in oocytes without Ezh2 alone, while both H3K27me2 and H3K27me3 were absent in Ezh1/Ezh2 (Ezh1/2) double knockout (KO) oocytes. The effects of Ezh1/2 maternal KO were inherited in zygotes and early embryos, in which restoration of H3K27me3 and H3K27me2 was delayed by the loss of Ezh2 alone or of both Ezh1 and Ezh2. However, the ablation of both Ezh1 and Ezh2, but not Ezh1 or Ezh2 alone, led to significantly decreased litter size due to growth retardation post-implantation. Maternal Ezh1/2 deficiency caused compromised H3K27me3 and pluripotent epiblast cells in late blastocysts, followed by defective embryonic development. By using RNA-seq, we examined crucial developmental genes in maternal Ezh1/2 KO embryos and identified 80 putatively imprinted genes. Maternal Ezh1/2-H3K27 methylation is inherited in offspring embryos and has a critical effect on fetal and placental development. Thus, this work sheds light on maternal epigenetic modifications during embryonic development.
Oncogenic gain of function due to p53 amyloids occurs through aberrant alteration of cell cycle and proliferation
Authors: Navalkar Ambuja , Paul Ajoy , Sakunthala Arunima , Pandey Satyaprakash , Dey Amit Kumar , Saha Sandhini , Sahoo Sarthak , Jolly Mohit Kumar , Maiti Tushar K. , Maji Samir K.
Published: July 2022

Transcription factor p53 (also known as TP53) has been shown to aggregate into cytoplasmic and nuclear inclusions, compromising its native tumor suppressive functions. Recently, p53 has been shown to form amyloids, which play a role in conferring cancerous properties to cells, leading to tumorigenesis. However, the exact pathways involved in p53 amyloid-mediated cellular transformations are unknown. Here, using an in cellulo model of full-length p53 amyloid formation, we demonstrate the mechanism of loss of p53 tumor-suppressive function with concomitant oncogenic gain of functions. Global gene expression profiling of cells suggests that p53 amyloid formation dysregulates genes associated with the cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis and senescence along with major signaling pathways. This is further supported by a proteome analysis, showing a significant alteration in levels of p53 target proteins and enhanced metabolism, which enables the survival of cells. Our data indicate that specifically targeting the key molecules in pathways affected by p53 amyloid formation, such as cyclin-dependent kinase-1, leads to loss of the oncogenic phenotype and induces apoptosis of cells. Overall, our work establishes the mechanism of the transformation of cells due to p53 amyloids leading to cancer pathogenesis.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Sedentary Behavior and Physical Functioning in Middle-Age and Older Adults Living in the United States: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study
Authors: GILCHRIST SUSAN C. , BENNETT ALEENA , JUDD SUZANNE E. , AKINYEMIJU TOMI , HOWARD VIRGINIA J. , HOOKER STEVEN P. , CUSHMAN MARY , DIAZ KEITH M.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Sedentary behavior is associated with poor physical function in older adults, which can lead to accelerated skeletal muscle aging (sarcopenia) and premature mortality. We examined the independent and joint effects of sedentary behavior and moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) with measures of physical functioning.

Methods

We studied 5408 participants in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study who wore a hip-mounted accelerometer over seven consecutive days (2009–2013) and had self-reported and directly observed physical function (time walk, chair stand test) measured during an in-home visit conducted from 2013 to 2016.

Results

Greater sedentary time was significantly associated with poorer chair stand and timed walk scores. Substituting 30 min of sedentary time with 30 min of MVPA was associated with significant improvements in chair stands (β −0.57; P = 0.007) and timed walk (β −0.36; P = 0.01). Similar, but less robust, findings were observed for reallocations of sedentary time to light-intensity physical activity. In joint association analyses, high sedentary time in combination with low MVPA (but not in combination with high MVPA) was associated with poorer physical function compared with the referent group (low sedentary time/high MVPA; P < 0.001 for all).

Conclusions

Greater time spent being sedentary was associated with worse physical functioning outcomes. However, reallocations of sedentary time to light-intensity physical activity, and especially MVPA, were associated with more favorable physical functioning. Interventions aimed to increase MVPA and reduce sedentary behavior should be a priority, especially among populations at greatest risk for sarcopenia and physical function decline.
Πολιτική τέχνη και νόμος στη δεύτερη σοφιστική και την ύστερη αρχαιότητα
Authors: Αγγέλη Αγγελική
Published: July 2022

Η παρούσα διατριβή εστιάζεται στη διαμόρφωση της πολιτικής φιλοσοφίας κατά την περίοδο από τον 2ο αι. π.Χ. έως τον 6ο αι. μ.Χ.. Χαρακτηρίζεται από την ακμή και την παρακμή της ρωμαϊκής αυτοκρατορίας, περίοδο κατά την οποία δημιουργείται το κίνημα της Δεύτερης Σοφιστικής, και από τη συγκρότηση της Ύστερης Αρχαιότητας ως εποχής μετάβασης από την Αρχαιότητα στον Μεσαίωνα. Έχοντας προσεγγίσει τις πολιτειακές μεταβολές που επισυμβαίνουν στη Ρώμη υπό το πρίσμα του Πολύβιου και του Κικέρωνα, τις αντιλήψεις των εκ-προσώπων της Μέσης Στοάς, των Νεοπυθαγορείων και του Πλουτάρχου που συμβάλλουν στην αποσαφήνιση του κοσμοπολιτισμού και της μοναρχικής ιδέας, επικεντρώσαμε την προσοχή μας στο έργο του Δίωνος του Χρυσοστόμου με έμφαση στους λόγους Περὶ βασιλείας. Ο Δίων υπογραμμίζει την αξία της βασιλείας ως φυσικής επιλογής των ανθρώπων λόγω της αναλογίας της κοσμικής διοίκησης με την επίγεια διακυβέρνηση και προσπαθεί να παρουσιάσει το ιδανικό πρότυπο ηγεμόνος με εμφανείς επιρροές από την πλατωνική φιλοσοφία. Οι πολιτικοί τόποι του Δίωνος αναπτύσσονται διεξοδικά από τους συγγραφείς της Ύστερης Αρχαιότητας Ευσέβιο, Ιουλιανό, Θεμίστιο, Λιβάνιο, Συνέσιο και Αγαπητό Διάκονο. Έχοντας υπόψη τους, εκτός των άλλων και τους πολιτικούς λόγους του Αίλιου Αριστείδη, οι στοχαστές ασχολούνται με το πρότυπο βασιλείας, τη διαφοροποίηση της από την τυραννία, τις αρετές και την παιδεία του βασιλιά, τη σπουδαιότητα της φιλανθρωπίας και της ευσέβειας, τη θεωρία του έμψυχου νόμου και τη σχέση της με την αρχή της επιείκειας, τις κοινωνικές αρετές της φιλαδελφίας, της φιλίας, της κοινωνικής δικαιοσύνης και της ομόνοιας.
Inertial and magnetic sensors
Authors: Παπαφώτης Κωνσταντίνος
Published: July 2022

Οι αδρανειακοί αισθητήρες (αισθητήρες επιτάχυνσης και γωνιακής ταχύτητας) και οι μαγνητικοί αισθητήρες χρησιμοποιούνται ευρέως σε μεγάλο πλήθος εφαρμογών οι οποίες εκτείνονται από εμπορικά προϊόντα χαμηλού κόστους (κινητά τηλέφωνα, συστήματα συναγερμού κ.λπ.) μέχρι εφαρμογές υψηλής τεχνολογίας σε τομείς όπως η βιομηχανία, η ναυτιλία κ.α. Αισθητήρες υψηλής ακρίβειας είναι πλέον διαθέσιμοι σε μορφή τσιπ μαζί με τις απαραίτητες ηλεκτρονικές διατάξεις για τη ψηφιοποίηση και πολλές φορές και τη ψηφιακή επεξεργασία των μετρήσεων κάνοντας εύκολη την ενσωμάτωση των μαγνητικών αισθητήρων σε μεγαλύτερα συστήματα.Η παρούσα διατριβή πραγματεύεται τη βαθμονόμηση (calibration) αδρανειακών και μαγνητικών αισθητήρων καθώς και την αξιοποίηση των μετρήσεών τους σε εφαρμογές εντοπισμού θέσης (tracking) και πλοήγησης (navigation).Τόσο στην περίπτωση των αδρανειακών αισθητήρων όσο και σε αυτή των μαγνητικών αισθητήρων, κάθε μονάδα αισθητήρα χρειάζεται μια διαδικασία βαθμονόμησης μετά την παραγωγή της προκειμένου να παράγει μετρήσεις υψηλής ακρίβειας. Η παρούσα εργασία επικεντρώνεται σε αδρανειακούς και μαγνητικούς αισθητήρες τριών αξόνων και χαμηλού κόστους και εξερευνά μεθόδους και αλγορίθμους για την καλύτερη εκμετάλλευση των δεδομένων τους σε εφαρμογές που απαιτούν υψηλή ακρίβεια, όπως για παράδειγμα η πλοήγηση. Στο πρώτο της μέρος παρουσιάζονται μέθοδοι και αλγόριθμοι για την βαθμονόμηση αδρανειακών και μαγνητικών αισθητήρων καθώς και για την ευθυγράμμιση των αξόνων ευαισθησίας τους χωρίς την χρήση ειδικού εργαστηριακού εξοπλισμού. Οι προτεινόμενοι αλγόριθμοι στηρίζονται σε μεθόδους βελτιστοποίησης ενώ η εκτέλεση τους δεν απαιτεί σημαντικούς υπολογιστικούς πόρους.Στο δεύτερο μέρος, αναδεικνύεται η σημασία της βαθμονόμησης σε εφαρμογές πλοήγησης και στη συνέχεια παρουσιάζονται δύο χαρακτηρίστηκες εφαρμογές. Συγκεκριμένα, αρχικά, παρουσιάζεται ένα σύστημα αδρανειακής πλοήγησης το οποίο συνδυάζει τα δεδομένα αδρανειακών και μαγνητικών αισθητήρων τοποθετημένων στο παπούτσι ενός πεζού ανθρώπου και παρέχει μακροπρόθεσμα μια μεγάλης ακρίβειας εκτίμηση της θέσης. Στη συνέχεια, παρουσιάζεται ένα αδρανειακό σύστημα μέτρησης αποτελούμενο από πολλαπλούς αισθητήρες επιτάχυνσης σε συνδυασμό ένα αισθητήρα γωνιακής ταχύτητας. Το προτεινόμενο σύστημα κλειστού βρόχου αντισταθμίζει δυναμικά το σφάλμα μέτρησης των αισθητήρων επιτάχυνσης και προσφέρει μια εκτίμηση της επιτάχυνσης και της γωνιακής ταχύτητας με πολύ χαμηλά επίπεδα θορύβου.
Αγαπίου Λάνδου, "Νέος Παράδεισος"
Authors: Ντινούδη Σταυρούλα
Published: July 2022

Η παρούσα μελέτη ασχολείται με το έργο Νέος Παράδεισος του Αγαπίου Λάνδου. Σκοπός της είναι η αναζήτηση του προτύπου εκτός του αναφερομένου στον τίτλο Μηνολογίου του Συμεών του Μεταφραστή και η διερεύνηση της ποιητικής της αγιολογίας. Η εργασία χωρίζεται σε δύο μέρη. Το πρώτο μέρος περιλαμβάνει την εισαγωγή, το κεφάλαιο της ποιητικής των βίων αγίων και το κεφάλαιο της σύγκρισης, ενώ το δεύτερο μέρος περιέχει την κριτική αποκατάσταση των επιλεγμένων βίων του Νέου Παραδείσου της έκδοσης του 1664. Η εισαγωγή πραγματεύεται τη ζωή και το έργο του συγγραφέα, ενώ στη συνέχεια επικεντρώνεται στον Νέο Παράδεισο, αναλύοντας τη διάρθρωση του έργου, το είδος στο οποίο εντάσσεται και τέλος τη γλώσσα και το ύφος που χρησιμοποιεί ο συγγραφέας. Ακολουθεί το πρώτο κεφάλαιο το οποίο στοχεύει στην ανίχνευση των εργαλείων και των μοτίβων που συνθέτουν τους βίους των αγίων. Αρχικά γίνεται αναφορά στη θεωρία της αφήγησης κατά τον G. Genette και τις αφηγηματικές τεχνικές που αναφέρει ο ίδιος, ακολουθεί η αναφορά στη «Δομική Σημαντική» του A. J. Greimas η οποία παρουσιάζει αναλυτικά τη δομή της πλοκής και έπεται η εφαρμογή των παραπάνω θεωριών στους βίους των αποστόλου Φιλίππου, του οσίου Μαρκιανού και της οσίας Θεοκτίστης της Λεσβίας. Το τρίτο κεφάλαιο πραγματεύεται τη σύγκριση επιλεγμένων βίων του Νέου Παραδείσου με τους αντίστοιχους του πρότυπό του, του Μηνολογίου του Συμεών του Μεταφραστή αλλά και άλλων πιθανών προτύπων του Μηνολογίου. Μετά τη σύγκριση αποδεικνύεται ότι ο Αγάπιος Λάνδος είχε στη διάθεσή του κι άλλα πρότυπα εκτός από το Μηνολόγιο. Στο δεύτερο μέρος της εργασίας ακολουθεί η κριτική αποκατάσταση επιλεγμένων βίων του Νέου Παραδείσου επί τη βάσει της έκδοσης του 1664.
Παραλλαγές της βραχιόνιας, της κερκιδικής και της ωλένιας αρτηρίας και των τελικών κλάδων αυτών στην αγγείωση του αντιβραχίου και της άκρας χειρός
Authors: Παθιάκης Ιωάννης
Published: July 2022

Στην παρούσα μελέτη μελετήθηκαν 68 ανθρώπινα πτώματα από τα οποία 40 ήταν γυναίκες και 28 άνδρες. Από αυτά παρατηρήθηκαν 22 παραλλαγές στην βραχιόνια, την κερκιδική και την ωλένια αρτηρία. Πιο συγκεκριμένα προκύπτει 11 παραλλαγές της βραχιόνιας αρτηρίας από τις οποίες σε 3 ο διχασμός της σε κερκιδική και ωλένια ήταν κοντά στο τρίγωνο του αγκώνα και σε 8 όπου ο διχασμός βρίσκονταν κοντά στην μασχαλιαία κοιλότητα. 8 της ωλένιας αρτηρίας και 3 της κερκιδικής αρτηρίας.Όλες οι παρατηρήσεις του ερευνητή τοποθετήθηκαν σε ηλεκτρονική τράπεζα πληροφοριών (DATA) για την ασφαλή εξαγωγή παρατηρήσεων και συμπερασμάτων.
ΛCDM and the implications of the Hubble Tension
Authors: Αλέστας Γεώργιος
Published: July 2022

Η διατριβή αυτή επικεντρώνεται γύρω από την διερεύνηση των επιπτώσεων των προβλημάτων της σταθεράς του Hubble και του S8 στο κοσμολογικό μοντέλο Λ - Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) και προτείνει έναν πιθανό τρόπο επίλυσής τους. Ξεκινάμε εκτελώντας μια ανασκόπηση μερικών από των πιο βασικών και απαραίτητων πτυχών της σύγχρονης ΛCDM Κοσμολογίας, καθώς επίσης και των προαναφερθέντων προβλημάτων και συνεχίζουμε στα επόμενα κεφάλαια προτείνοντας ενα νέο μοντέλο μετάβασης ως πιθανή λύση τους. ∆είχνουμε ότι είναι δυνατή η χρήση ενός εγγενούς εκφυλισμού του H0 και της παραμέτρου κατάστασης w της καταστατικής εξίσωσης της σκοτεινής ενέργειας που υπάρχει στο πλαίσιο του φάσματος ισχύος CMB, προκειμένου να κατασκευαστεί μια παραμετροποίηση w(z) που μπορεί να αντιμετωπίσει επιφανειακά το πρόβλημα H0 αυξάνοντας την τιμή του H0. Στη συνέχεια προτείνουμε ένα Late w-M Transition LwMT μοντέλο που βασίζεται σε μια μετάβαση της παραμέτρου w, καθώς και της παραμέτρου απόλυτου μεγέθους M για την ταυτόχρονη επίλυση των προβλημάτων Hubble και S8. Έπειτα, μελετάμε μοντέλα που χρησιμοποιούν ομαλή παραμόρφωση του ρυθμού διαστολής Hubble H(z) στα πλαίσια των best-fit του Planck18/ΛCDM για να αυξήσουν την τιμή του H0 διατηρώντας παράλληλα τη συνέπεια με τις CMB μετρήσεις του Planck. Ανακαλύπτουμε ότι αυτα τα μοντέλα όχι μόνο δεν μπορούν να επιλύσουν το πρόβλημα S8, αλλά το χειροτερεύουν. Ολοκληρώνουμε αναζητώντας στοιχεία μιας βαρυτικής μετάβασης η οποία μπορεί να συσχετιστεί με τη μετάβαση M πουπροβλέπεται από το μοντέλο LwMT . Για να το πετύχουμε αυτό εξετάζουμε την εξέλιξη των δεδομένων Tully-Fisher και επιχειρούμε να περιορίσουμε την βαρυτική μετάβαση με χαμηλής ερυθρής μετατόπισης δεδομένα γαλαξιών. ∆ιαπιστώνουμε ότι και στις δύο περιπτώσεις υπάρχουν ενδείξεις για μια βαρυτική μετάβαση με το αναμενόμενο μέγεθος και στην σωστή ερυθρή μετατόπιση, αν και δεν καταφέρνουμε να εξάγουμε κάποιους σαφείς περιορισμούς για αυτή.
Икономическа ефективност на памукопроизводството в Гърция
Authors: Ξυλοπινάκας Ευάγγελος
Published: July 2022

Το βαμβάκι είναι η σημαντικότερη καλλιέργεια στην Ελλάδα καθώς η χώρα μας είναι πρώτη στην παραγωγή βάμβακος στην Ευρώπη με ποσοστό άνω του 85% Η αγροτική πολιτική της Ε.Ε άλλαξε το 2006 με σκοπό τη σταδιακή μείωση του ποσού των επιδοτήσεων έως τον τερματισμό αυτών όπως ορίζει και πιέζει ο ΠΟΕ Αυτόματα μαζί με την αλλαγή της ΚΑΠ γεννιούνται 2 ερωτήματα στους παραγωγούς καθώς και στη χώρα μας προκειμένου να συνεχιστεί η παραγωγή βάμβακος στην Ελλάδα Είναι εφικτό από την πλευρά των παραγωγών να συνεχιστεί η παραγωγή βάμβακος χωρίς επιδοτήσεις με την υπάρχουσα πολιτική της τιμής βάμβακος στη χώρα μας; Είναι εφικτό να τελειοποιηθεί το σύστημα παραγωγής βάμβακος στην Ελλάδα σε όλα τα επίπεδα – τεχνολογία διαχείριση – οικονομία προκειμένου να βελτιωθεί η απόδοση και να μη χαθεί το ενδιαφέρον των αγροτών για τη παραγωγή βάμβακος χωρίς τα ποσά των επιδοτήσεων; Σκοπός της διατριβής είναι η οικονομική απόδοση της βαμβακοκαλλιέργειας στην Ελλάδα και οι δυνατότητες να διατηρηθεί η παραγωγή στα σημερινά επίπεδα χωρίς την οικονομική στήριξη των επιδοτήσεων από την πλευρά της Ε.Ε.
Estimated number of deaths directly avoided because of COVID-19 vaccination among older adults in Colombia in 2021: an ecological, longitudinal observational study
Authors: Rojas-Botero Maylen Liseth , Fernández-Niño Julián Alfredo , Arregocés-Castillo Leonardo , Ruiz-Gómez Fernando
Published: July 2022

Background: Colombia’s national COVID-19 vaccination plan began in February of 2021. It gave priority to older adults, who constituted 77.7% of deaths from this illness in the year 2020. The main goal of the plan is to decrease specific mortality and the number of serious COVID-19 cases, however, the number of deaths avoided by this strategy is unknown. The objective of this study was to estimate the number of avoided deaths in Colombia by fully vaccinating older adults against COVID-19, during the first year of the implementation of the national vaccination plan.

Methods: This study took on the design of an ecological, longitudinal study. Full vaccination coverage for older adults was calculated for each epidemiological week and age group from March to December 2021, based on which the number of avoided COVID-19 deaths was estimated. A sensitivity analysis was performed taking into account variations in the vaccines’ effectiveness by age group.

Results: In Colombia, over 5.3 million adults 60 years of age and older received full COVID-19 vaccinations between March and December 2021. During that same period, nearly 46,000 deaths of older adults from this cause were registered. We estimated that vaccination has avoided around 22,000 more older adults from dying from COVID-19 in Colombia, that is, 32.4% of expected deaths in 2021. According to the sensitivity analysis, the number of lives saved ranged from 19,597 to 36,507.

Conclusions: Colombia’s strategy to vaccinate older adults against COVID-19 has avoided mortality for this age group from being 48.0% higher than what was observed during the study period. Even more lives have been saved when taking into account the parameters that were defined and the omission of the contribution from partial vaccinations.