bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Educative Interventions to Combat Misinformation: Evidence from a Field Experiment in India
Authors: BADRINATHAN SUMITRA
Published: June 2021

Misinformation makes democratic governance harder, especially in developing countries. Despite its real-world import, little is known about how to combat misinformation outside of the United States, particularly in places with low education, accelerating Internet access, and encrypted information sharing. This study uses a field experiment in India to test the efficacy of a pedagogical intervention on respondents’ ability to identify misinformation during the 2019 elections (N = 1,224). Treated respondents received hour-long in-person media literacy training in which enumerators discussed inoculation strategies, corrections, and the importance of verifying misinformation, all in a coherent learning module. Receiving this hour-long media literacy intervention did not significantly increase respondents’ ability to identify misinformation on average. However, treated respondents who support the ruling party became significantly less able to identify pro-attitudinal stories. These findings point to the resilience of misinformation in India and the presence of motivated reasoning in a traditionally nonideological party system.
The Great Mosque of Diyarbakir: a contribution to understanding the monumental development of a site from antiquity to the Arab conquest
Authors: Halifeoğlu Fatma Meral , Assénat Martine
Published: June 2021

Located in a central position of both the ancient and the contemporary city, the site of the Great Mosque of Diyarbakir has been a unique stage for the expression of power over the centuries. As a result of restoration work carried out in the complex between 2012 and 2017, a number of elements have emerged that may shed new light on what has so far been suggested about this site by literary sources and field observations alone. This article offers a new study of the monumental development of this space and seeks to identify the main stages of its history from antiquity to the Arab conquest and the conversion of the area into a mosque complex.
The visual signature of non-understanding: A systematic replication of McDonough, Trofimovich, Lu, and Abashidze (2019)
Authors: McDonough Kim , Lindberg Rachael , Trofimovich Pavel , Tekin Oguzhan
Published: June 2021

This replication study seeks to extend the generalizability of an exploratory study (McDonough et al., 2019) that identified holds (i.e., temporary cessation of dynamic movement by the listener) as a reliable visual cue of non-understanding. Conversations between second language (L2) English speakers in the Corpus of English as a Lingua Franca Interaction (CELFI; McDonough & Trofimovich, 2019) with non-understanding episodes (e.g., pardon?, what?, sorry?) were sampled and compared with understanding episodes (i.e., follow-up questions). External raters (N = 90) assessed the listener's comprehension under three rating conditions: +face/+voice, −face/+voice, and +face/−voice. The association between non-understanding and holds in McDonough et al. (2019) was confirmed. Although raters distinguished reliably between understanding and non-understanding episodes, they were not sensitive to facial expressions when judging listener comprehension. The initial and replication findings suggest that holds remain a promising visual signature of non-understanding that can be explored in future theoretically- and pedagogically-oriented contexts.
Pathological and Immunohistochemical Microscopy of Natural Cases of Canine and Feline Neoplastic Mammary Lesions
Authors: Tawfik Maggie F. , Oda Samah S. , Khafaga Asmaa F.
Published: June 2021

Mammary cancer is the second most common tumor worldwide. Small animal mammary neoplasms provide an outstanding model to study cancer in humans, as tumors in both share a similar environment, histopathologic features, and biological behavior. This study aims to investigate the percentage and microscopy of breast tumors in affected dogs and cats; its relationship to breed, age, and sex; and the immunohistochemical expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), Ki-67, and cytokeratin 8. Twenty-four females (12 dogs and 12 cats) and one male were examined from February 2018 to February 2020. The highest percentage of mammary neoplasia from the highest to the lowest manifested as tubular carcinoma, leiomyosarcoma, fibroadenoma, and cystic papillary carcinoma. The current study reported the second micropapillary invasive carcinoma in a male cat and the third lipid-rich carcinoma in a female cat. Although tubular carcinoma was the most common mammary neoplasm in cats, leiomyosarcoma was the most common in dogs. The immunohistochemical staining revealed diffuse and intense cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for cytokeratin 8 in lipid-rich carcinomas. However, moderate expression of ER in benign tumors and slight to moderate ER expression in malignant mammary lesions were reported. On the contrary, there was a negative PR expression in benign lesion. It could be concluded that a close relationship between ER expression and nuclear antigen Ki-67 was found.
REPRESENTATION VARIETIES OF ALGEBRAS WITH NODES
Authors: Kinser Ryan , Lőrincz András C.
Published: June 2021

We study the behaviour of representation varieties of quivers with relations under the operation of node splitting. We show how splitting a node gives a correspondence between certain closed subvarieties of representation varieties for different algebras, which preserves properties like normality or having rational singularities. Furthermore, we describe how the defining equations of such closed subvarieties change under the correspondence.

By working in the ‘relative setting’ (splitting one node at a time), we demonstrate that there are many nonhereditary algebras whose irreducible components of representation varieties are all normal with rational singularities. We also obtain explicit generators of the prime defining ideals of these irreducible components. This class contains all radical square zero algebras, but also many others, as illustrated by examples throughout the paper. We also show that this is true when irreducible components are replaced by orbit closures, for a more restrictive class of algebras. Lastly, we provide applications to decompositions of moduli spaces of semistable representations of certain algebras.
From hierarchies to markets and partially back again in electricity: responding to decarbonization and security of supply goals
Authors: Joskow Paul L.
Published: June 2021

Electric power sectors around the world have changed dramatically in the last 25 years as a result of sector liberalization policies. Many electricity sectors are now pursuing deep decarbonization goals which will entail replacing dispatchable fossil generation primarily with intermittent renewable generation (wind and solar) over the next 20–30 years. This transition creates new challenges for both short-term wholesale market design and investment incentives consistent with achieving both decarbonization commitments and security of supply criteria. Thinking broadly about the options for institutional change from a Williamsonian perspective – thinking like Williamson – provides a useful framework for examining institutional adaptation. Hybrid markets that combine ‘competition for the market’ that relies on competitive procurement for long-term purchased power agreements with wind, solar, and storage developers, ideally in a technology neutral fashion, and ‘competition in the market’ that relies on short-term markets designed to produce efficient and reliable operations of intermittent generation and storage, is identified as a promising direction for institutional adaptation. Many auction, contract, and market integration issues remain to be resolved.
Influence of intrauterine growth status on aortic intima-media thickness and aortic diameter in near-term fetuses: a comparative cross-sectional study
Authors: Akhter Zohaib , Nuruddin Rozina , Azam Iqbal , Malik Ayesha , Mohammed Nuruddin
Published: June 2021

Intrauterine undernutrition may lead to fetal vascular programming. We compared abdominal aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT) and aortic diameter (aD) between appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and growth-restricted fetuses (GRF). We recruited 136 singleton fetuses at 34–37 weeks of gestation from Fetal Medicine Unit of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (January–November 2017). Subjects were classified as AGA (n = 102) and GRF (n = 34) using INTER-GROWTH 21st growth reference and standard ultrasound protocol. Their far- and near-wall aIMT and aD were compared after adjustment of maternal age, first-trimester body mass index, fetal gender, hypertension and hyperglycemia in pregnancy. As the severity of growth restriction increased in GRF, aIMT and aD showed an increasing and a decreasing trend, respectively. Both far- and near-wall aIMT in GRF [(adj. β = 0.082, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.042–0.123) and (adj. β = 0.049, 95% CI 0.010–0.089)] were significantly greater with reference to AGA fetuses. GRF subgroup analysis into small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses and intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) revealed highly significant difference between AGA and IUGR for far (0.142 mm, P-value < 0.001) and near-wall aIMT (0.115 mm, P-value < 0.001) and marginally significant aD difference (0.51 mm, P-value 0.05). These findings suggest that the extent of fetal aortic remodelling is influenced by the severity of growth restriction. Hence, the targeted interventions for the cardiovascular health promotion of IUGR and SGA born neonates are desirable during early childhood, particularly in set ups with high prevalence of low birth weight babies.
Caring Transitions – A Care Coordination Intervention to Reduce Suicide Risk Among Youth Discharged From Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization
Authors: Gryglewicz Kim , Peterson Amanda , Nam Eunji , Vance Michelle M. , Borntrager Lisa , Karver Marc S.
Published: June 2021

Abstract. Background: Suicide risk following youth psychiatric hospitalization is of significant concern. This study evaluated Linking Individuals Needing Care (LINC), a theory-driven, comprehensive care coordination approach for youth discharged from crisis services. Aims: To pilot LINC's potential effectiveness in increasing service utilization and decreasing suicide risk. Method: Participants were 460 youth patients who received LINC for approximately 90 days following discharge from crisis services. Service utilization, depressive symptoms, and suicide-related variables were measured at baseline and 30, 60, and 90 days after baseline. Results: Patients significantly increased the use of various beneficial, least restrictive services (individual therapy, medication management, and non-mental health supports) over the 90-day intervention. Significant decreases were observed in depressive symptoms, suicide ideation, and engagement in suicide-related behaviors. Limitations: Absence of a comparison group and nonparticipating families limit causal conclusions and generalizability. Conclusions: LINC may be a promising new approach following inpatient hospitalization that can engage and retain youth in services, likely resulting in improved treatment outcomes. This approach was designed emphasizing patient engagement, suicide risk assessment and management, safety planning, community networking, referral/linkage monitoring, coping and motivational strategies, and linguistic/culturally responsive practices to meet service and support needs of high-risk suicidal youth.
Movement of Sediment Through a Burned Landscape: Sediment Volume Observations and Model Comparisons in the San Gabriel Mountains, California, USA
Authors: Rengers F. K. , McGuire Luke A. , Kean Jason W. , Staley Dennis M. , Dobre Mariana , Robichaud Peter R. , Swetnam Tyson
Published: June 2021

Post‐wildfire changes to hydrologic and geomorphic systems can lead to widespread sediment redistribution. Understanding how sediment moves through a watershed is crucial for assessing hazards, developing debris flow inundation models, engineering sediment retention solutions, and quantifying the role that disturbances play in landscape evolution. In this study, we used terrestrial and airborne lidar to measure sediment redistribution in the 2016 Fish Fire, in the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California, USA. The lidar areas are in two adjacent watersheds, at spatial scales of 900 m2 to 4 km2, respectively. Terrestrial lidar data were acquired prior to rainfall, and two subsequent surveys show erosional change after rainstorms. Two airborne lidar flights occurred (1) 7 months before, and (2) 14 months after the fire ignition, capturing the erosional effects after rainfall. We found hillslope erosion dominated the overall sediment budget in the first rainy season after wildfire. Only 7% of the total erosion came from the active channel bed and channel banks, and the remaining 93% of eroded sediment was derived from hillslopes. Within the channelized portion of the watershed erosion/deposition could be generally described with topographic metrics used in a stream power equation. Observed sediment volumes were compared with four empirical models and one process‐based model. We found that the best predictions of sediment volume were obtained from an empirical model developed in the same physiographic region. Moreover, this study showed that post‐wildfire erosion rates in the San Gabriel Mountains attain the same magnitude as millennial time scale bedrock erosion rates.
Deploying a Submarine Seismic Observatory in the Furious Fifties
Authors: Tkalčić Hrvoje , Eakin Caroline , Coffin Millard , Rawlinson Nicholas , Stock Joann
Published: June 2021

Our crew braved rough Southern Ocean seas, endured pandemic precautions, and adapted plans on the fly for the chance to observe a possible subduction zone in the making below the Macquarie Ridge.
Online hate network spreads malicious COVID-19 content outside the control of individual social media platforms
Authors: Velásquez N. , Leahy R. , Restrepo N. Johnson , Lupu Y. , Sear R. , Gabriel N. , Jha O. K. , Goldberg B. , Johnson N. F.
Published: June 2021

We show that malicious COVID-19 content, including racism, disinformation, and misinformation, exploits the multiverse of online hate to spread quickly beyond the control of any individual social media platform. We provide a first mapping of the online hate network across six major social media platforms. We demonstrate how malicious content can travel across this network in ways that subvert platform moderation efforts. Machine learning topic analysis shows quantitatively how online hate communities are sharpening COVID-19 as a weapon, with topics evolving rapidly and content becoming increasingly coherent. Based on mathematical modeling, we provide predictions of how changes to content moderation policies can slow the spread of malicious content.
Genome-wide association analysis permits characterization of Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) resistance in hard winter wheat
Authors: AlTameemi Rami , Gill Harsimardeep S. , Ali Shaukat , Ayana Girma , Halder Jyotirmoy , Sidhu Jagdeep S. , Gill Upinder S. , Turnipseed Brent , Hernandez Jose L. Gonzalez , Sehgal Sunish K.
Published: June 2021

Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) is an economically important wheat disease caused by the necrotrophic fungusParastagonospora nodorum. SNB resistance in wheat is controlled by several quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Thus, identifying novel resistance/susceptibility QTLs is crucial for continuous improvement of the SNB resistance. Here, the hard winter wheat association mapping panel (HWWAMP) comprising accessions from breeding programs in the Great Plains region of the US, was evaluated for SNB resistance and necrotrophic effectors (NEs) sensitivity at the seedling stage. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with SNB resistance and effectors sensitivity. We found seven significant associations for SNB resistance/susceptibility distributed over chromosomes 1B, 2AL, 2DS, 4AL, 5BL, 6BS, and 7AL. Two new QTLs for SNB resistance/susceptibility at the seedling stage were identified on chromosomes 6BS and 7AL, whereas five QTLs previously reported in diverse germplasms were validated. Allele stacking analysis at seven QTLs explained the additive and complex nature of SNB resistance. We identified accessions (‘Pioneer-2180’ and ‘Shocker’) with favorable alleles at five of the seven identified loci, exhibiting a high level of resistance against SNB. Further, GWAS for sensitivity to NEs uncovered significant associations for SnToxA and SnTox3, co-locating with previously identified host sensitivity genes (Tsn1andSnn3). Candidate region analysis for SNB resistance revealed 35 genes of putative interest with plant defense response-related functions. The QTLs identified and validated in this study could be easily employed in breeding programs using the associated markers to enhance the SNB resistance in hard winter wheat.
Measurement of stretch-evoked brainstem function using fMRI
Authors: Zonnino Andrea , Farrens Andria J. , Ress David , Sergi Fabrizio
Published: June 2021

Knowledge on the organization of motor function in the reticulospinal tract (RST) is limited by the lack of methods for measuring RST function in humans. Behavioral studies suggest the involvement of the RST in long latency responses (LLRs). LLRs, elicited by precisely controlled perturbations, can therefore act as a viable paradigm to measure motor-related RST activity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Here we present StretchfMRI, a novel technique developed to study RST function associated with LLRs. StretchfMRI combines robotic perturbations with electromyography and fMRI to simultaneously quantify muscular and neural activity during stretch-evoked LLRs without loss of reliability. Using StretchfMRI, we established the muscle-specific organization of LLR activity in the brainstem. The observed organization is partially consistent with animal models, with activity primarily in the ipsilateral medulla for flexors and in the contralateral pons for extensors, but also includes other areas, such as the midbrain and bilateral pontomedullary contributions.
Soft pneumatic elbow exoskeleton reduces the muscle activity, metabolic cost and fatigue during holding and carrying of loads
Authors: Nassour John , Zhao Guoping , Grimmer Martin
Published: June 2021

To minimize fatigue, sustain workloads, and reduce the risk of injuries, the exoskeleton Carry was developed. Carry combines a soft human–machine interface and soft pneumatic actuation to assist the elbow in load holding and carrying. We hypothesize that the assistance of Carry would decrease, muscle activity, net metabolic rate, and fatigue. With Carry providing 7.2 Nm of assistance, we found reductions of up to 50% for the muscle activity, up to 61% for the net metabolic rate, and up to 99% for fatigue in a group study of 12 individuals. Analyses of operation dynamics and autonomous use demonstrate the applicability of Carry to a variety of use cases, presumably with increased benefits for increased assistance torque. The significant benefits of Carry indicate this device could prevent systemic, aerobic, and/or possibly local muscle fatigue that may increase the risk of joint degeneration and pain due to lifting, holding, or carrying.
Drug-specific Treg cells are induced during desensitization procedure for rituximab and tocilizumab in patients with anaphylaxis
Authors: Vultaggio Alessandra , Nencini Francesca , Bormioli Susanna , Silvestri Elena , Dies Laura , Vivarelli Emanuele , Maggi Enrico , Matucci Andrea
Published: June 2021

Biologic agents (BA) are able to induce an adaptive immune response in a proportion of exposed patients with the onset of anti-drug antibodies (ADA), which are usually responsible for hypersensitivity reactions (HR). Drug desensitization (DD) for BA allows transient clinical tolerance to the drug in reactive patients. The paper aimed to analyse the modification of drug-specific immune responses along DD in two patients with previous ADA-mediated HR (anaphylaxis) to rituximab and tocilizumab. The in vivo and in vitro assays of humoral and cellular response to drugs were carried out in a longitudinal manner throughout the DD cycles. We observed a progressive decrease of the pre-procedure ADA titer with negativization during the DD cycles in both patients. The monitoring of the drug-specific effector cell response showed the decrease in the BA-induced proliferation, while T cell response to unrelated antigens resulted unmodified along the DD cycles. Lastly, the increase of circulating drug-specific Treg cells mainly producing IL-35 were shown during the DD treatment. This study provides evidence that DD treatment to two BA inhibits humoral and cellular anti-drug response by increasing regulatory T cells and cytokines in an antigen-restricted manner. These modifications could contribute to the safety of the procedure.
Abyssal deposit feeders are secondary consumers of detritus and rely on nutrition derived from microbial communities in their guts
Authors: Romero-Romero Sonia , Miller Lee C. , Black Jesse A. , Popp Brian N. , Drazen Jeffrey C.
Published: June 2021

Trophic ecology of detrital-based food webs is still poorly understood. Abyssal plains depend entirely on detritus and are among the most understudied ecosystems, with deposit feeders dominating megafaunal communities. We used compound-specific stable isotope ratios of amino acids (CSIA-AA) to estimate the trophic position of three abundant species of deposit feeders collected from the abyssal plain of the Northeast Pacific (Station M; ~ 4000 m depth), and compared it to the trophic position of their gut contents and the surrounding sediments. Our results suggest that detritus forms the base of the food web and gut contents of deposit feeders have a trophic position consistent with primary consumers and are largely composed of a living biomass of heterotrophic prokaryotes. Subsequently, deposit feeders are a trophic level above their gut contents making them secondary consumers of detritus on the abyssal plain. Based on δ13C values of essential amino acids, we found that gut contents of deposit feeders are distinct from the surrounding surface detritus and form a unique food source, which was assimilated by the deposit feeders primarily in periods of low food supply. Overall, our results show that the guts of deposit feeders constitute hotspots of organic matter on the abyssal plain that occupy one trophic level above detritus, increasing the food-chain length in this detritus-based ecosystem.
The establishment of an immunosensor for the detection of SPOP
Authors: Yue Song , Sun Kexin , Li Siyuan , Liu Yi , Zhu Qihao , Chen Yiyu , Yuan Dong , Wen Tao , Ge Mingjian , Yu Qiubo
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we first synthesis three-dimensional jasmine-like Cu@L-aspartic acid(L-ASP) inorganic–organic hybrid nanoflowers to load palladium-platinum nanoparticles (Pd–Pt NPs) as the signal enhancer in order to quantify intracellular speckle-type POZ domain protein. Scanning electron microscope, fourier transform infrared, energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was used to characterize the newly synthesized materials. The newly formed Cu@L-Asp/Pd-PtNPs can catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and exhibit excellent catalytic performance. When different concentration of speckle-type POZ domain protein is captured by speckle-type POZ domain protein antibody linked to the surface of Cu@L-Asp/Pd–Pt NPs, the current signal decreases with the increase concentration of speckle-type POZ domain protein. After optimization, the speckle-type POZ domain protein immunosensor exhibited a good linear response over a concentration range from 0.1–1 ng mL−1 with a low detection limit of 19 fg mL−1. The proposed sensor demonstrates good stability within 28 days, acceptable reproducibility (RSD = 0.52%) and selectivity to the speckle-type POZ domain protein in the presence of possible interfering substances and has potential application for detecting other intracellular macromolecular substances.
Neutrophils drive endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells through arginase-1 release
Authors: García-Navas Rósula , Gajate Consuelo , Mollinedo Faustino
Published: June 2021

Human neutrophils constitutively express high amounts of arginase-1, which depletes arginine from the surrounding medium and downregulates T-cell activation. Here, we have found that neutrophil arginase-1, released from activated human neutrophils or dead cells, induced apoptosis in cancer cells through an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway. Silencing of PERK in cancer cells prevented the induction of ER stress and apoptosis. Arginase inhibitor Nω-hydroxy-nor-arginine inhibited apoptosis and ER stress response induced by conditioned medium from activated neutrophils. A number of tumor cell lines, derived from different tissues, were sensitive to neutrophil arginase-1, with pancreatic, breast, ovarian and lung cancer cells showing the highest sensitivity. Neutrophil-released arginase-1 and arginine deprivation potentiated the antitumor action against pancreatic cancer cells of the ER-targeted antitumor alkylphospholipid analog edelfosine. Our study demonstrates the involvement of neutrophil arginase-1 in cancer cell killing and highlights the importance and complex role of neutrophils in tumor surveillance and biology.
Functional ultrasound imaging of the spreading activity following optogenetic stimulation of the rat visual cortex
Authors: Provansal M. , Labernède G. , Joffrois C. , Rizkallah A. , Goulet R. , Valet M. , Deschamps W. , Ferrari U. , Chaffiol A. , Dalkara D. , Sahel J. A. , Tanter M. , Picaud S. , Gauvain G. , Arcizet F.
Published: June 2021

Optogenetics has revolutionized neurosciences by allowing fine control of neuronal activity. An important aspect for this control is assessing the activation and/or adjusting the stimulation, which requires imaging the entire volume of optogenetically-induced neuronal activity. An ideal technique for this aim is fUS imaging, which allows one to generate brain-wide activation maps with submesoscopic spatial resolution. However, optical stimulation of the brain with blue light might lead to non-specific activations at high irradiances. fUS imaging of optogenetic activations can be obtained at these wavelengths using lower light power (< 2mW) but it limits the depth of directly activatable neurons from the cortical surface. Our main goal was to report that we can detect specific optogenetic activations in V1 even in deep layers following stimulation at the cortical surface. Here, we show the possibility to detect deep optogenetic activations in anesthetized rats expressing the red-shifted opsin ChrimsonR in V1 using fUS imaging. We demonstrate the optogenetic specificity of these activations and their neuronal origin with electrophysiological recordings. Finally, we show that the optogenetic response initiated in V1 spreads to downstream (LGN) and upstream (V2) visual areas.
Bilateral facet effusion is a risk factor for segmental instability with cervical injury without vertebral fracture
Authors: Tanishima Shinji , Mihara Tokumitsu , Ogawa Shinya , Takeda Chikako , Fujiwara Satoshi , Nagashima Hideki
Published: June 2021

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is effective in identifying cervical spine injury after trauma. However, cervical instability without major bone injury or dislocation is challenging to assess. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate and compare the MRI and radiography findings of segmental instability in patients with cervical spine injury. We investigated 34 participants with cervical spine injury without vertebral fracture. Based on the radiography findings, the participants were categorized into two: group A with segmental instability (n = 11) and group B without segmental instability (n = 23). Both groups were compared in terms of the presence of segmental instability on radiography and MRI. Anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) injury, disc injury, and bilateral facet effusion were observed in 6/11, 5/11, and 7/11 patients in group A and in 5/23, 2/23 and 7/23 patients in group B, respectively. The results showed significant differences (p < 0.05). Moreover, 2 and 10 of 11 patients in group A and 16 and 7 of 23 patients in group B presented with hemi lateral facet effusion and paravertebral muscle injury, respectively. However, the results did not significantly differ. According to a logistic regression analysis, bilateral facet effusion after trauma was associated with cervical segmental instability (odd ratio: 10.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.31–84.7). Facet joint effusion might be caused by capsule injury during trauma. Most participants with segmental instability had ALL, disc, and flavum injury and bilateral facet effusion. Therefore, we need to consider bilateral facet effusion with other soft tissue damage of the cervical spine as an association factor to show the instability.
Acrolein contributes to human colorectal tumorigenesis through the activation of RAS-MAPK pathway
Authors: Tsai Hong-Chieh , Tsou Han-Hsing , Lin Chun-Chi , Chen Shao-Chen , Cheng Hsiao-Wei , Liu Tsung-Yun , Chen Wei-Shone , Jiang Jeng-Kai , Yang Shung-Haur , Chang Shih-Ching , Teng Hao-Wei , Wang Hsiang-Tsui
Published: June 2021

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most well-known malignancies with high prevalence and poor 5-year survival. Previous studies have demonstrated that a high-fat diet (HFD) is capable of increasing the odds of developing CRC. Acrolein, an IARC group 2A carcinogen, can be formed from carbohydrates, vegetable oils, animal fats, and amino acids through the Maillard reaction during the preparation of foods. Consequently, humans are at risk of acrolein exposure through the consumption of foods rich in fat. However, whether acrolein contributes to HFD-induced CRC has not been determined. In this study, we found that acrolein induced oncogenic transformation, including faster cell cycling, proliferation, soft agar formation, sphere formation and cell migration, in NIH/3T3 cells. Using xenograft tumorigenicity assays, the acrolein-transformed NIH/3T3 clone formed tumors. In addition, cDNA microarray and bioinformatics studies by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis pointed to the fact that RAS/MAPK pathway was activated in acrolein-transformed clones that contributed to colon tumorigenesis. Furthermore, acrolein-induced DNA damages (Acr-dG adducts) were higher in CRC tumor tissues than in normal epithelial cells in CRC patients. Notably, CRC patients with higher levels of Acr-dG adducts appeared to have better prognosis. The results of this study demonstrate for the first time that acrolein is important in oncogenic transformation through activation of the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway, contributing to colon tumorigenesis.
Unsaturated fatty acid salts remove biofilms on dentures
Authors: Hara Teruyuki , Sonoi Atsunori , Handa Takuya , Okamoto Masayuki , Kaneko Eri , Ikeda Reiko , Habe Taichi , Fujinaka Hidetake , Inoue Shigeto , Ichikawa Tetsuo
Published: June 2021

Candidiasis-causing Candida sp. forms biofilms with various oral bacteria in the dentures of the elderly, making it harder to kill and remove the microorganism due to the extracellular polymeric substances. We found that biofilms on dentures can effectively be removed by immersion in an unsaturated fatty acid salt solution. Using optical coherence tomography to observe the progression of biofilm removal by the fatty acid salt solution, we were able to determine that the removal was accompanied by the production of gaps at the interface between the biofilm and denture resin. Furthermore, microstructural electron microscopy observations and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry elucidated the site of action, revealing that localization of the fatty acid salt at the biofilm/denture-resin interface is an important factor.
Brain volume increase and neuronal plasticity underly predator-induced morphological defense expression in Daphnia longicephala
Authors: Graeve A , Ioannidou I , Reinhard J , Görl D. M. , Faissner A , Weiss LC
Published: June 2021

Predator-induced phenotypic plasticity describes the ability of prey to respond to an increased predation risk by developing adaptive phenotypes. Upon the perception of chemical predator cues, the freshwater crustacean Daphnia longicephala develops defensive crests against its predator Notonecta spec. (Heteroptera). Chemical predator perception initiates a cascade of biological reactions that leads to the development of these morphological features. Neuronal signaling is a central component in this series, however how the nervous system perceives and integrates environmental signals is not well understood. As neuronal activity is often accompanied by functional and structural plasticity of the nervous system, we hypothesized that predator perception is associated with structural and functional changes of nervous tissues. We observe structural plasticity as a volume increase of the central brain, which is independent of the total number of brain cells. In addition, we find functional plasticity in form of an increased number of inhibitory post-synaptic sites during the initial stage of defense development. Our results indicate a structural rewiring of nerve-cell connections upon predator perception and provide important insights into how the nervous system of prey species interprets predator cues and develops cost–benefit optimized defenses.
Tc-99m GSA scintigraphy within the first 3 days after admission as an early predictor of outcome in severe acute liver injury
Authors: Suzuki Yuji , Kakisaka Keisuke , Sato Takuro , Mikami Ryouichi , Abe Hiroaki , Sasaki Tokio , Takikawa Yasuhiro
Published: June 2021

Patients with severe acute liver injury (SLI) usually recover spontaneously. However, some SLI patients progress to acute liver failure with varying degrees of hepatic encephalopathy. Acute liver failure is associated with high mortality and can be substantially reduced by liver transplantation. Therefore, distinguishing SLI patients who might progress to acute liver failure and are at a risk of death is important when evaluating patients needing liver transplantation. The present study aimed to determine whether technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid galactosyl human serum albumin (Tc-99m GSA) scintigraphy can predict the prognosis of patients with SLI. This prospective observational study included 69 SLI patients. The accuracy of Tc-99m GSA for predicting death or liver transplantation for 6 months was assessed. Between the two groups of patients stratified based on the cut-off values from the receiver operating characteristic curves, 6-month transplant-free survival was compared. Sixteen (23.2%) patients died or underwent liver transplantation from admission (poor outcome). The hepatic accumulation index was calculated by dividing the radioactivity of the liver region of interest by that of the liver-plus-heart region of interest at 15 min (i.e., LHL15). The LHL15 in the 16 patients (0.686) was significantly lower than that in survivors (0.836; P < 0.0001). The optimal LHL15 cut-off for distinguishing poor outcome and survival was 0.737 with a sensitivity of 81.3%, specificity of 88.7%, and area under the curve of 0.907 (95% CI, 0.832–0.981). When patients were divided into two groups based on the LHL15 cut-off value, the 6-month transplant-free survival was significantly lower in patients with an LHL15 level ≤ 0.737. Tc-99m GSA scintigraphy may help predict the prognosis of patients with SLI.
Tarkhineh as a new microencapsulation matrix improves the quality and sensory characteristics of probiotic Lactococcus lactis KUMS-T18 enriched potato chips
Authors: Kiani Amir , Nami Yousef , Hedayati Shahab , Jaymand Mehdi , Samadian Hadi , Haghshenas Babak
Published: June 2021

In the present study, probiotic potato chips containing a newly isolated probiotic Lactococcus lactis KUMS-T18 strain were produced by using a simple spraying method and then enhancing the stability, survival rate, and sensory characteristics of product during storage at 4 °C and 25 °C was examined for four months. Based on the results, Lactococcus lactis KUMS-T18 isolated from traditional Tarkhineh as a safe strain had high tolerance to low pH and high bile salt, anti-pathogenic activity, hydrophobicity, adhesion to human epithelial cells, auto- and co-aggregation, cholesterol assimilation and antibiotic susceptibility. Meanwhile, by micro-coating the probiotic cells in Tarkhineh formulations, elliptical to spherical shape (460–740 µm) probiotic drops were produced. The results revealed that potato chips produced with turmeric and plain Tarkhineh during storage at 4 °C, had excellent protection abilities for probiotic cells with about 4.52 and 3.46 log decreases in CFU/g respectively. On the other hand, probiotic potato chips, compared to non-probiotic and commercial potato chips, showed the criteria of probiotic products such as excellent quality and superior sensory characteristics. In summary, this study proved that probiotic Lactococcus lactis KUMS-T18 strain covered by Tarkhineh formulations as protective matrix has high potential to be used in the production of probiotic potato chips.
CRISPR mediated targeting of DUX4 distal regulatory element represses DUX4 target genes dysregulated in Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
Authors: Das Sunny , Chadwick Brian P.
Published: June 2021

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a debilitating muscle disease that currently does not have an effective cure or therapy. The abnormal reactivation of DUX4, an embryonic gene that is epigenetically silenced in somatic tissues, is causal to FSHD. Disease-specific reactivation of DUX4 has two common characteristics, the presence of a non-canonical polyadenylation sequence within exon 3 of DUX4 that stabilizes pathogenic transcripts, and the loss of repressive chromatin modifications at D4Z4, the macrosatellite repeat which encodes DUX4. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to silence DUX4 using two independent approaches. We deleted the DUX4 pathogenic polyadenylation signal, which resulted in downregulation of pathogenic DUX4-fl transcripts. In another approach, we transcriptionally repressed DUX4 by seeding heterochromatin using the dCas9-KRAB platform within exon 3. These feasibility of targeting DUX4 experiments were initially tested in a non-myogenic carcinoma cell line that we have previously characterized. Subsequently, in an immortalized patient myoblast cell line, we demonstrated that targeting DUX4 by either approach led to substantial downregulation of not only pathogenic DUX4 transcripts, but also a subset of its target genes that are known biomarkers of FSHD. These findings offer proof-of-concept of the effect of silencing the polyadenylation sequence on pathogenic DUX4 expression.
Low-temperature combustion of methane over graphene templated Co3O4 defective-nanoplates
Authors: Gong Dian , Zeng Gaofeng
Published: June 2021

Transition metal oxides are the potential catalysts to replace noble-metal based catalyst for the catalytic combustion of methane due to the tolerable reactivity and low cost. However, these catalysts are challenged by the low temperature reactivity. Herein, the surface defective Co3O4 nanoplates are realized through a facile co-precipitation and thermal reduction method with the association of GO. The resultant catalysts (CoGO50) demonstrate a superior low-temperature reactivity for the methane oxidation to CO2 and H2O in comparison with the common Co3O4 catalyst. The reliable stability of CoGO50 catalyst was proved by 80 h testing with intermittent feeding of water vapor. The experimental analysis demonstrates that the presence of a small amount of GO significantly affects the catalysts in surface valence state, active oxygen species and surface oxygen vacancies through reacting with the cobalt oxide as a reductant. Moreover, GO plays as 2D confine template to form smaller and thinner nanoplates. This work provides a facile method to control the surface properties of catalyst not only for Co3O4 based catalysts but also for wider solid catalysts.
Feasibility of using bimetallic Au–Ag nanoparticles for organic light-emitting devices
Authors: Liu Bei , Januar Mochamad , Cheng Jui-Ching , Hatanaka Koji , Misawa Hiroaki , Liu Kou-Chen
Published: June 2021

This paper examines the advantages of Au–Ag bimetallic nanoparticles for designing plasmon-enhanced light-emitting devices, including matching plasmon–exciton wavelengths, enhancing radiative decay rates, and increasing light-extraction efficiency.
Stephapierrines A–H, new tetrahydroprotoberberine and aporphine alkaloids from the tubers of Stephania pierrei Diels and their anti-cholinesterase activities
Authors: Chaichompoo Waraluck , Rojsitthisak Pornchai , Pabuprapap Wachirachai , Siriwattanasathien Yuttana , Yotmanee Pathumwadee , Haritakun Woraphot , Suksamrarn Apichart
Published: June 2021

Eight new alkaloids 1–8, together with three new naturally occurring alkaloids and thirty-four known alkaloids were isolated. Five compounds exhibited more potent anti-cholinesterase activities than galanthamine, the reference drug.
Diving safety alarm based on the techniques of machine learning
Authors: Ling Ying , Yu Jo‐Hung , Shen Chih‐Chien , Wu Chien‐Hung
Published: June 2021

Many countries actively promote the benefits of sports; in particular, water sports are popular among the younger generation. However, despite the mature development of equipment in diving, it requires relevant training to avoid decompression sickness. Sometimes when divers encounter emergencies and they may fail to alert the coach or other companions for rescues. Currently, some divers wear emergency equipment when conducting the exercise; yet, the cost is relatively high, and the operation is complicated that people tend to forget the process when facing emergencies. This article aims to develop a wearable device that has a safety alarm function based on the technique of machine learning. The features of the suggested device are as follows: (1) cost‐effective detectors for monitoring divers' conditions; (2) a combination of an Automatic Identification System (AIS) with a Global Positioning System (GPS) to send a safety alarm with the location of the diver; (3) utilize Bluetooth communication to detect if a diver left the safety range set by the coach; (4) the machine learning technique judges the health status of the diver; (5) the wearable device connects with swim goggles to deliver danger alarms, which enables divers to notice dangerous situations from the lights on the goggles. The approach suggested in this article primarily utilizes wearable devices to ensure divers' safety. The key feature of this device can prevent divers from sweeping away by currents or swimming into risky areas; meanwhile, the device can detect the risk of decompression sickness. The research executed an experiment to verify the design, and the results have proven the feasibility of the study. Additionally, with the cost‐effective detectors installed on the device, the presented equipment has the potential to make it universal and increase the safety of divers.
Imbalance‐based primary frequency control for converter‐fed microgrid
Authors: Suh Jaewan , Lee Jaehyeong , Jung Seungmin , Yoon Minhan
Published: June 2021

Frequency droop control is a simple and effective frequency control method. However, it is not appropriate as a primary frequency control for microgrids with energy storage systems and voltage source converters (VSCs) owing to their slow response speed. In addition, it is difficult to determine the grid balance only with frequency deviation. In this paper, a new converter‐fed microgrid primary frequency control method based on the estimated active power imbalance for fast response and less variability in the transmission system is proposed. The active power imbalance is estimated via frequency deviation, frequency drop speed and the modified swing equation. The estimated imbalance indicates the status of the power imbalance more quickly and accurately than the frequency deviation. The proposed method does not require communication devices, responds quickly to frequency drops, and prevents unnecessary operation of the grid‐connected VSC because it uses the estimated imbalance instead of the frequency or angle for droop control. Simulation results show that the proposed method is significantly faster than frequency droop control methods, improves the rate of change of frequency and frequency nadir and reduces variability in the transmission system.
High energy flash X‐ray image restoration using region extrema and kernel optimization
Authors: Wang Xiaolin , Li Qingwu , Xu Jinxin
Published: June 2021

The quality of high energy flash X‐ray images is crucial to the high‐precision diagnosis of object density. High energy flash X‐ray radiography is susceptible to the system blur, which usually causes the poor quality of static images. In response to this, a novel restoration algorithm using region extrema and kernel optimization (REKO) is presented. Based on the observation that the region extrema distribution of blurred high energy flash X‐ray images deviates from opposite ends of image grey domain, the sparseness‐inducing prior for regularizing image region extrema is applied to construct the restoration model. Considering the sparse characteristics of blur kernels, the sparseness‐inducing regularization is incorporated to constrain blur kernels in the restoration model. The non‐convex and non‐linear objective function is gradually minimized through energy alternating minimization and dually linear approximation. Furthermore, a continuity enforced kernel optimization algorithm is proposed to estimate more accurate blur kernels. The discontinuous kernel elements are suppressed by extracting the main structure of blur kernels and constructing kernel continuity function in cross windows. Experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm can more accurately estimate blur kernels and achieve restoration results with sharper edges on high energy flash X‐ray images.