bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A prática de atividade física em tempos de pandemia de COVID-19 no Instituto Federal do Maranhão (IFMA): campanha de conscientização
Authors: Dutra André da Silva , Araujo Raffaelle Andressa dos Santos , Pontes-Silva André
Published: February 2022

Este trabalho tem por objetivo principal apresentar conceitos e exemplos de campanhas de conscientização da prática de Atividade Física (AF) desenvolvidas pelo Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Maranhão (IFMA), e, evidenciar a influência da AF em combate à COVID-19. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa do tipo exploratória e descritiva a partir de levantamento bibliográfico, com acesso ao conjunto de materiais eletrônicos sobre AF e COVID-19. Como resultados destaca-se que o conhecimento da realidade é o processo básico no processo de conscientização e um dos meios mais eficazes para estimular o desenvolvimento de uma consciência crítica são as campanhas de conscientização. Nesse sentido, as campanhas de conscientização da prática de AF desenvolvidas no IFMA evidenciam a influência e importância da AF em combate ao novo coronavírus. Conclui-se que sensibilizar e conscientizar são tarefas árduas sobre assuntos ligados ao comportamento humano e constituem importantes instrumentos na obtenção de resultados, isto é, são elementos significativos para cooperar, positivamente, com a qualidade de vida.
Adipose tissue macrophages and atherogenesis – a synergy with cholesterolaemia
Authors: Poledne R , Kralova Lesna I
Published: February 2022

Excessive LDL cholesterol concentration together with subclinical inflammation, in which macrophages play a central role, are linked pathologies. The process starts with the accumulation of macrophages in white adipose tissue and the switch of their polarization toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype. The proportion of pro-inflammatory macrophages in adipose tissue is related to the main risk predictors of cardiovascular disease. The cholesterol content of phospholipids of cell membranes seems to possess a crucial role in the regulation of membrane signal transduction and macrophage polarization. Also, different fatty acids of membrane phospholipids influence phenotypes of adipose tissue macrophages with saturated fatty acids stimulating pro-inflammatory whereas ω3 fatty acids anti-inflammatory changes. The inflammatory status of white adipose tissue, therefore, reflects not only adipose tissue volume but also adipose tissue macrophages feature. The beneficial dietary change leading to an atherogenic lipoprotein decrease may therefore synergically reduce adipose tissue driven inflammation.
GROUP DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM UNTUK MENENTUKAN KENAIKAN JABATAN MENERAPKAN METODE GAP PROFILE MATCHING
Authors: Prayitno Hendra , Diana Diana
Published: February 2022

The aims of this study is to build a Group Decision Support System (GDSS) application to determine employee promotions.  There are three assessment teams in this GDSS, namely the general manager, HRD 1 and  HRD 2.  This is expected to reduce subjectivity in determining employee promotions.  There are two criteria used, namely work attitude and intellectual capacity. Each criterion has several sub-criteria. The work attitude criteria consist of 8 sub-criteria, namely appearance, discipline, ability to accept opinions, motivation, self-confidence, courtesy, responsibility and honesty. Intellectual capacity criteria consist of 4 sub-criteria, namely knowledge insight, communication, speed of thinking and loyalty. The application of the GAP Profile Matching method has been proven to improve the performance of the GDSS. This method is recommended as one of the appropriate methods to select employees who have the most appropriate profile with the job profile. In this method, the smaller the GAP between the employee profile, the greater the opportunity for the employee to be able to occupy the position offered.
Mother Russia, Step-Mother Hungary: New Home for Russian Migrants
Authors: Popova Ekaterina
Published: February 2022

The issue of migration is not new, but clearly requires renewed attention, especially when it comes to the national interest and the identification and integration of future migrants. This paper describes some of the problems of modern Russian emigration and offers an analysis, in the context of modern realities, as to why Russians choose to emigrate to Hungary.
This essay explores the real causes of “push” and “pull” factors and the ability or readiness of Russians who live in Hungary to be a part of the society. Additionally, considering the globalisation process, it examines circular and return migration as a new ‘hybrid’ form of migration in which the final destination cannot be assured.
The study uses the systematic methodology of grounded theory and interview and is a part of the dissertation. This research can be useful for either migration researchers or policymakers.
A sharing economy kötelmi jogi kérdéseinek megítélései
Authors: Stipkovits Tamás István
Published: February 2022

A sharing economy rendszerek megjelenése társadalmi szokásaink területén is hozott változásokat, így adott a kérdés, hogy miként kéne az új viszonyokra reagálnia a jogi szabályozásnak. A válasz keresése során, először, azt kell tisztázni, hogy a jelenlegi szerződéstípusok közül hova tudjuk besorolni, vagy mely típusokkal mutat hasonlóságot. Figyelembe kell venni azt is, hogy a platformszolgáltató részéről nyújtott egyes mellékszolgáltatások esetén már kérdésessé válik, hogy el tudjuk-e határolni a platformszolgáltatót az alapszolgáltatás nyújtójától. Vagyis a kérdés az, hogy aki egy applikációval utasok és sofőrök egymásra találását segíti elő, mikortól gyakorol olyan mértékű befolyást a sofőrök felett, hogy már ő maga minősüljön „sofőrnek” a jog szempontjából.
A szakképzés intézményirányítási rendszerének strukturális felépítése a Mintzberg-modell tükrében
Authors: Stomp Ágnes , Móré Marianna
Published: February 2022

A rendszerváltást követően az állami iskolai rendszerű szakképzést folytató oktatási intézmények helyi, megyei önkormányzatok, ezt követően Térségi Integrált Szakképző Központok, majd a Megyei Intézményfenntartó Központ és végül a Klebelsberg Intézményfenntartó Központ fenntartásában működtek a 2015. évi LXVI. szakképzési törvény megalkotásáig. Az új szakképzési törvény a szakképzés intézményrendszerét teljes mértékben átalakította és a szakképző intézmények új intézményirányítási gyakorlatát vezette be egy teljesen új strukturális felépítésben. Tanulmányunk célja a jelenleg érvényben lévő szakképzési rendszer intézményirányításának vizsgálata, amely kizárólag az intézményirányítás szerkezeti átalakításának bemutatására fókuszál. Célunk feltárni a közelmúltban történt oktatásirányítási változásokat a szakképzésben, különös tekintettel a szakképzési centrumok megjelenéséhez kapcsolódó szerkezeti átalakulásokra koncentrálva. Az intézményirányítási rendszer szerkezeti átalakítását a szakképzésért és felnőttképzésérét felelős miniszter által alapított és az Innovációs és Technológiai Minisztérium által fenntartott szakképzési centrumok és az azokhoz kapcsolódó intézmények, irányító szervezetek esetében vizsgáljuk. Az intézményirányítás törvényi rendelkezéseinek értelmezésével és azok dokumentumelemzésével megalkotjuk a szakképzés intézményirányítási struktúráját, amely jól tükrözi a szakképzési centrumoknak és szakképző iskoláknak a szakképzés intézményirányítási rendszerében betöltött helyét. A szervezeti struktúrát a közszolgálati szervezetek szektor szintű szervezeti modelljeivel vetjük össze, annak érdekében, hogy modellszintű összehasoníltást tehessünk. Mivel a szervezeti struktúra nem alkalmas arra, hogy a gyakorlatban működő szervezeti egységek számát szimbolizálja, ezért a szervezeti struktúrának megfelelő irányítási adatokat a szakképzési centrumok és szakképző intézmények esetében a leíró statisztikai módszer segítségével mutatjuk be.
Quality of Translation for Post in Social media Facebook
Authors: Cahyaningrum Ika Oktaria
Published: February 2022

The focus of this research is the quality of translation produced by Translation for Post on social media Facebook. As one of the social media with the most users, Facebook always improves its service features such as Market places, job vacancies, and even online games. One of the interesting things is a translation feature on Facebook, namely Translation for Post. After the researcher collected the data and analyzed it, there were 50% less accurate data and 70% less acceptable data. While for the quality of the readability, about 30% is included in the medium readability. Translation for Post is entered into the machine translator, so it is not surprising that there are vocabulary limitations or appropriate equivalents in the target language.
Hana Wa Sakuragi: Discourse Analysis of Cherry Blossoms in Haiku of ‘The Great Four’
Authors: Ramlan Muhammad Nadzif
Published: February 2022

The proverb hana wa sakuragi, hito wa bushi highlights the significance of cherry blossoms (sakura) as the pinnacle of Japanese aesthetics and floral symbolism. This paper constructed a discourse analysis of cherry blossoms portrayed in the haiku by the Great Four - namely Matsuo Basho, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa and Masaoka Shiki. Three poems from each poet were analyzed as samples, accumulating to 12 haiku overall. To avoid equivocality, all 12 haikus observed would explicitly mention sakura with its kanji character or hiragana. The analysis would cover linguistic aspects and metaphorical interpretations associated to convey the portrayal of cherry blossoms in the context of that haiku. Further discussion of the analysis would have the creative representations of cherry blossoms among the four esteemed poets to be compared in six aspects – time, imagery, state, rhetoric, idiomatic expression and contrasting quality. With both linguistic aspect and relativistic viewpoint to form the discourse analysis, this shows that cherry blossoms can act as a form of display for personal philosophical values and personalities of the four Japanese poets specifically as well as the Japanese society in general.
Symbols and Meanings of Kanji with Bushu Onnahen As Representation of Women
Authors: Sunarni Nani
Published: February 2022

Kanji are characters used in Japanese which are the result of Chinese thought adopted by Japanese society. The main elements in kanji (bushu) can be gender markers, water, trees, and others. One of these elements is a female gender symbol called onnahen. The data used in this study, in the form of kanji with bushu onnahen. The data were analyzed based on the theory of semiotics and hypersemiotics which view kanji as a cultural phenomenon. The results of the analysis identified that the female symbol in the kanji with bushu onnahen represents that Japanese woman have a respectable character when they become a wife and mother, are authoritative, trustworthy, helpful, but have no character, are false, selfish, and jealous. Theoretically, this research is useful to add references in the study of gender and kanji.
Local Wisdoms in Bengkulu Play Script “Sayembara Putri Gading Cempaka” by Agus Setiyanto
Authors: Febriyanto Dedi , Widodo Mulyanto
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this research is to describe the local wisdom in the Bengkulu play script "Sayembara Putri Gading Cempaka" by Agus Setiyanto. This study used a descriptive qualitative method with a sociological approach. The data of this research are words, sentences, and discourses in the local wisdom of the Bengkulu play script Sayembara Putri Gading Cempaka written by Agus Setiyanto. The data were collected by the read-note technique. The data collection and analysis were conducted simultaneously so that the data could be triangularly validated with the data source. The data analysis was done by the content analysis technique method. The results showed that Agus Setiyanto's Bengkulu play Sayembara Putri Gading Cempaka had various local wisdoms. The local wisdom covered tangible local wisdom; (1) taboos and obligations of a leader, (2) traditions, (3) values, (4) advice, (5) way of life, and (6) local languages.
Grammatical Error Analysis of English Abstracts Translation in Jurnal Ilmiah Ekonomi Islam (JIEI) Journal
Authors: Fitria Tira Nur
Published: February 2022

Scientific writing like abstract demands perfect grammar writing in academic language. A common error usually is the use of an automated translator such as Google Translate to translate abstracts from Indonesian to English. The translation produced needs to be polished again to avoid mistakes in the grammar itself. The objective of this research is to find the type of grammatical error in English abstracts published in Jurnal Ilmiah Ekonomi Islam (JIEI) journal in 2020 both English and Indonesian. This research uses descriptive qualitative. The result of the study shows that three types of grammatical errors found in English abstracts in the JIEI journal are misinformation, omission, and addition. In misinformation error, there are 98 data or 44.5 %. In omission error, there are 69 data or 31.36 %. In addition to error, there are 53 data or 24.09 %. In misinformation, several errors were found in the use of part of speech such as article/determiner, the preposition, verb (subject-verb agreement), noun (singular-plural), and pronoun. In omission, several errors were found in the omission of part of speech such as article ‘a, an, the’, preposition ‘on’ and ‘to’. In addition, several errors were found in the addition part of speech such as article/determiner ‘a, an, the”, preposition “of, to, in, on, at”. Preposition sometimes is not used with certain verbs and expressions. The most dominant type of grammatical error is misinformation. There is the misuse of grammar forms into other grammatical forms in the use of part of speech such as in the determiner/article, preposition, verb, noun, and pronoun.
Postcolonial Studies: Hybridity and the Dominance of Whites over Blacks in American Poetry
Authors: Wahyuni Yuli , Andriani Diyah Iis
Published: February 2022

This study aims to reveal the postcolonial issues contained in poetry I, Too by Langston Hughes and Incident by Countee Cullen. Both authors of these poems are figures from black people in America. The method used in this study is the qualitative method and literature study approach with the aim of exploring, describing, and understanding how the hybridity and dominance of whites over blacks in American poetry. The data source of this study is the words and phrases in both poems. The data containing postcolonial: hybridity and mimicry in the poems were characterized and analyzed using Homi K. Bhabha's theory (2007). Bhabha in his thinking tries to provide a "middle space" between the colonizer and the colonized. Bhabha states the concept of a “middle space” as a time-lag. This space is an intercultural space where personal and communal self-defense strategies can be developed. All of these cultural expressions and systems are built in a space called the “third space of enunciation”. Interestingly, the issue of hybridity that occurred a century ago has not completely gone in a better direction. The proof is that at the beginning of the first semester of 2020 there was an incident of violence against blacks by whites which caused a massive demonstration that led to the creation of a movement group called Black Lives Matter. This study uncovers how bad the treatment of white people towards black people is that the position and social stratifications between them are different.
Municipalismo y políticas migratorias: análisis de actores clave en Andalucía
Authors: Tomé da Mata Edileny
Published: February 2022

This paper aims to analyze the characteristics and challenges of public and private migration policies developed in Andalusian municipalities. The methodologies focus on bibliographic reviews and dialogue with selected local governments, public and privateorganizations, and Andalusian universities. It is concluded that local migration policies consider the socio-legal migrant condition in the access to basic rights, that is necessary to go beyond the recreational in the intercultural activities to achieve migrant integration at the local level; and, that a mestizovision is required at the Andalusian level as a tool to demystify cultural essentialism that makes unfeasible egalitarian intercultural dialogues. The originality of this work lies in a direct dialog with the main local agents in migrant integration in Andalusia, and its limits consist of the need to continue researching the relationship between the intercultural, solidarity economies, decrease, and co-development.
Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor in a young male case with hydronephrotic nonfunctional kidney: Comparison with literature findings
Authors: Sezal Zeynep , Coşanay Tekden Büşra , Ersöz Cevper
Published: February 2022

The mixed epithelial and stromal tumor (MEST) family is comprised of adult cystic nephroma with a dominant cystic component and MEST with a dominant solid component. MEST is the rarely observed benign, biphasic tumor of the kidney with a mixed epithelial and stromal component. In the examinations of a 24-year-old male patient who presented with abdominal pain, grade-4 hydronephrosis was detected. In the microscopic examination of his nephrectomy specimen, there were tubular structures with cuboidal epithelium in different diameters within the ovarian stroma. The patient was diagnosed with MEST via morphological and immunohistochemical findings. We aimed at comparing the clinical and histopathological characteristics of our case, which we diagnosed with MEST, which is encountered in limited numbers in young men and has never been reported together with a nonfunctional kidney before, to the literature data.  Keywords: Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor, nonfunctional kidney, male.
Solutions for Aircraft Electrification Leadership (SAEL) - Driving zero-net carbon aviation through an open global aircraft electrification technology framework
Authors: Sumsurooah Sharmila , Piecyk Oliver , Mack Rodney , Coombs Tim
Published: February 2022

The SAEL initiative and workshop series was founded in July 2019 in a collaborative effort from international partners from the aerospace industry that include the University of Nottingham, 328 Support Services GmbH, Crane Aerospace & Electronics and the University of Cambridge. The vision of SAEL is to bring together world-leading experts from the aerospace sector to lead the shift from conventional to sustainable aviation through aircraft electrification solutions and meet the challenging climate objectives. SAEL aims to create a multidisciplinary interactive open-source technology model for designing hybrid electric airplane. It is a powerful tool to identify the critical paths to sustainable aviation, and the needed interactions amongst key stakeholders. SAEL can help policymakers identify the right experts and the critical challenges which could target research investment decisions and provide an analytical decision making framework to support ambitions like Jet Zero.
Multiscale Intravital Fluorescence Microscopy
Authors: Wu Jiamin , Dai Qionghai
Published: February 2022

Computational imaging methods break through the limitations of traditional microscopic imaging and realize a series of advanced imaging instruments for invivo multi-scale, high speed and high throughput fluorescence microscopy, and their related applications in the fields of brain science and tumor science
Attitudes of the Ecuadorian University Community Toward Genetically Modified Organisms
Authors: Román Collazo Carlos , Chacha Guerrero Karen , Loja Mejia Tatiana , Andrade Campoverde Diego , Hernández Rodriguez Yenima
Published: February 2022

Introduction: The acceptance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by the civilian population in Ecuador is a controversial issue, where beliefs and practices are determinant. In Ecuador, the use of GMOs for research or productive purposes has been banned since 2008; however, the current position of the population toward this technology is unknown.

Objective: The aim of the study was to explain the attitude toward GMOs in the Ecuadorian university population based on sociodemographic variables, knowledge, beliefs, practices, and bioethical approach.

Methods: A validated survey was applied to 719 students and teachers of the Catholic University of Cuenca through Google Forms. The collected data were processed using SPSS 23.0 software. Multivariate and linear regression analyses were used to explain the attitude toward GMOs based on the variables studied.

Results: Partial approval of GMO use is research-oriented, with a rejection toward food. The linear regression model explained 65% of the variance of attitude toward GMOs from the beliefs, practices, knowledge, and bioethical approach variables. The sociodemographic variables were completely excluded from the model due to the absence of statistical significance.

Conclusions: The incipient acceptance of GMOs in the academic sector corroborates a transformation in the thinking of Ecuadorian civil society. Considerations on the use of GMOs are supported by a bioethical approach that leans toward a pragmatic utilitarianism based on the immediate or mediate benefits of the technology.
Bioanalytics for Influenza Virus-Like Particle Characterization and Process Monitoring
Authors: Carvalho Sofia B. , Silva Ricardo J. S. , Sousa Marcos F. Q. , Peixoto Cristina , Roldão António , Carrondo Manuel J. T. , Alves Paula M.
Published: February 2022

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are excellent platforms for the development of influenza vaccine candidates. Nonetheless, their characterization is challenging due to VLPs’ unique biophysical and biochemical properties. To cope with such complexity, multiple analytical techniques have been developed to date (e.g., single-particle analysis, thermal stability, or quantification assays), most of which are rarely used or have been successfully demonstrated for being applicable for virus particle characterization. In this study, several biophysical and biochemical methods have been evaluated for thorough characterization of monovalent and pentavalent influenza VLPs from diverse groups (A and B) and subtypes (H1 and H3) produced in insect cells using the baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS). Particle size distribution and purity profiles were monitored during the purification process using two complementary technologies — nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS). VLP surface charge at the selected process pH was also assessed by this last technique. The morphology of the VLP (size, shape, and presence of hemagglutinin spikes) was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy. Circular dichroism was used to assess VLPs’ thermal stability. Total protein, DNA, and baculovirus content were also assessed. All VLPs analyzed exhibited similar size ranges (90–115 nm for NTA and 129–141 nm for TRPS), surface charges (average of −20.4 mV), and morphology (pleomorphic particles resembling influenza virus) exhibiting the presence of HA molecules (spikes) uniformly displayed on M1 protein scaffold. Our data shows that HA titers and purification efficiency in terms of impurity removal and thermal stability were observed to be particle dependent. This study shows robustness and generic applicability of the tools and methods evaluated, independent of VLP valency and group/subtype. Thus, they are most valuable to assist process development and enhance product characterization.
Hydrostatic Pressure Controls Angiogenesis Through Endothelial YAP1 During Lung Regeneration
Authors: Mammoto Tadanori , Hunyenyiwa Tendai , Kyi Priscilla , Hendee Kathryn , Matus Kienna , Rao Sridhar , Lee Sang H. , Tabima Diana M. , Chesler Naomi C. , Mammoto Akiko
Published: February 2022

Pulmonary artery (PA) pressure increases during lung growth after unilateral pneumonectomy (PNX). Mechanosensitive transcriptional co-activator, yes-associated protein (YAP1), in endothelial cells (ECs) is necessary for angiogenesis during post-PNX lung growth. We investigate whether increases in PA pressure following PNX control-angiogenesis through YAP1. When hydrostatic pressure is applied to human pulmonary arterial ECs (HPAECs), the expression of YAP1, transcription factor TEAD1, and angiogenic factor receptor Tie2 increases, while these effects are inhibited when HPAECs are treated with YAP1 siRNA or YAP1S94A mutant that fails to bind to TEAD1. Hydrostatic pressure also stimulates DNA synthesis, cell migration, and EC sprouting in HPAECs, while YAP1 knockdown or YAP1S94A mutant inhibits the effects. Gene enrichment analysis reveals that the levels of genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM), cell adhesion, regeneration, or angiogenesis are altered in post-PNX mouse lung ECs, which interact with YAP1. Exosomes are known to promote tissue regeneration. Proteomics analysis reveals that exosomes isolated from conditioned media of post-PNX mouse lung ECs contain the higher levels of ECM and cell-adhesion proteins compared to those from sham-operated mouse lung ECs. Recruitment of host lung ECs and blood vessel formation are stimulated in the fibrin gel containing exosomes isolated from post-PNX mouse lung ECs or pressurized ECs, while YAP1 knockdown inhibits the effects. These results suggest that increases in PA pressure stimulate angiogenesis through YAP1 during regenerative lung growth.
Controlling Mesenchyme Tissue Remodeling via Spatial Arrangement of Mechanical Constraints
Authors: Winston Tackla S. , Chen Chao , Suddhapas Kantaphon , Tarris Bearett A. , Elattar Saif , Sun Shiyang , Zhang Teng , Ma Zhen
Published: February 2022

Tissue morphogenetic remodeling plays an important role in tissue repair and homeostasis and is often governed by mechanical stresses. In this study, we integrated an in vitro mesenchymal tissue experimental model with a volumetric contraction-based computational model to investigate how geometrical designs of tissue mechanical constraints affect the tissue remodeling processes. Both experimental data and simulation results verified that the standing posts resisted the bulk contraction of the tissues, leading to tissue thinning around the posts as gap extension and inward remodeling at the edges as tissue compaction. We changed the geometrical designs for the engineered mesenchymal tissues with different shapes of posts arrangements (triangle vs. square), different side lengths (6 mm vs. 8 mm), and insertion of a center post. Both experimental data and simulation results showed similar trends of tissue morphological changes of significant increase of gap extension and deflection compaction with larger tissues. Additionally, insertion of center post changed the mechanical stress distribution within the tissues and stabilized the tissue remodeling. This experimental-computational integrated model can be considered as a promising initiative for future mechanistic understanding of the relationship between mechanical design and tissue remodeling, which could possibly provide design rationale for tissue stability and manufacturing.
Unexpected Arabinosylation after Humanization of Plant Protein N-Glycosylation
Authors: Bohlender Lennard L. , Parsons Juliana , Hoernstein Sebastian N. W. , Bangert Nina , Rodríguez-Jahnke Fernando , Reski Ralf , Decker Eva L.
Published: February 2022

As biopharmaceuticals, recombinant proteins have become indispensable tools in medicine. An increasing demand, not only in quantity but also in diversity, drives the constant development and improvement of production platforms. The N-glycosylation pattern on biopharmaceuticals plays an important role in activity, serum half-life and immunogenicity. Therefore, production platforms with tailored protein N-glycosylation are of great interest. Plant-based systems have already demonstrated their potential to produce pharmaceutically relevant recombinant proteins, although their N-glycan patterns differ from those in humans. Plants have shown great plasticity towards the manipulation of their glycosylation machinery, and some have already been glyco-engineered in order to avoid the attachment of plant-typical, putatively immunogenic sugar residues. This resulted in complex-type N-glycans with a core structure identical to the human one. Compared to humans, plants lack the ability to elongate these N-glycans with β1,4-linked galactoses and terminal sialic acids. However, these modifications, which require the activity of several mammalian enzymes, have already been achieved for Nicotiana benthamiana and the moss Physcomitrella. Here, we present the first step towards sialylation of recombinant glycoproteins in Physcomitrella, human β1,4-linked terminal N-glycan galactosylation, which was achieved by the introduction of a chimeric β1,4-galactosyltransferase (FTGT). This chimeric enzyme consists of the moss α1,4-fucosyltransferase transmembrane domain, fused to the catalytic domain of the human β1,4-galactosyltransferase. Stable FTGT expression led to the desired β1,4-galactosylation. However, additional pentoses of unknown identity were also observed. The nature of these pentoses was subsequently determined by Western blot and enzymatic digestion followed by mass spectrometric analysis and resulted in their identification as α-linked arabinoses. Since a pentosylation of β1,4-galactosylated N-glycans was reported earlier, e.g., on recombinant human erythropoietin produced in glyco-engineered Nicotiana tabacum, this phenomenon is of a more general importance for plant-based production platforms. Arabinoses, which are absent in humans, may prevent the full humanization of plant-derived products. Therefore, the identification of these pentoses as arabinoses is important as it creates the basis for their abolishment to ensure the production of safe biopharmaceuticals in plant-based systems.
Electromagnetic Feet With Soft Toes for Adaptive, Versatile, and Stable Locomotion of an Inchworm-Inspired Pipe Crawling Robot
Authors: Khan Muhammad Bilal , Chuthong Thirawat , Homchanthanakul Jettanan , Manoonpong Poramate
Published: February 2022

Feet play an important role in the adaptive, versatile, and stable locomotion of legged creatures. Accordingly, several robotic research studies have used biological feet as the inspiration for the design of robot feet in traversing complex terrains. However, so far, no robot feet can allow legged robots to adaptively, versatilely, and robustly crawl on various curved metal pipes, including flat surfaces for pipe inspection. To address this issue, we propose here a novel hybrid rigid-soft robot-foot design inspired by the leg morphology of an inchworm. The foot consists of a rigid section with an electromagnet and a soft toe covering for enhanced adhesion to a metal pipe. Finite element analysis , performed under different loading conditions, reveals that due to its compliance, the soft toe can undergo recoverable deformation with adaptability to various curved metal pipes and plain metal surfaces. We have successfully implemented electromagnetic feet with soft toes (EROFT) on an inchworm-inspired pipe crawling robot for adaptive, versatile, and stable locomotion. Foot-to-surface adaptability is provided by the inherent elasticity of the soft toe, making the robot a versatile and stable metal pipe crawler. Experiments show that the robot crawling success rate reaches 100% on large diameter metal pipes. The proposed hybrid rigid-soft feet (i.e., electromagnetic feet with soft toes) can solve the problem of continuous surface adaptation for the robot in a stable and efficient manner, irrespective of the surface curvature, without the need to manually change the robot feet for specific surfaces. To this end, the foot development enables the robot to meet a set of deployment requirements on large oil and gas pipelines for potential use in inspecting various faults and leakages.
A Review of the Use of Wearables in Indoor Environmental Quality Studies and an Evaluation of Data Accessibility from a Wearable Device
Authors: Abboushi Belal , Safranek Sarah , Rodriguez-Feo Bermudez Eduardo , Pratoomratana Shat , Chen Yan , Poplawski Michael , Davis Robert
Published: February 2022

An understanding of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and its effects on occupant well-being can inform building system design and operation. The use of wearables in field studies to collect subjective and objective health performance indicators (HPIs) from a large number of occupants could deliver important improvements in IEQ. To facilitate the use of wearables in IEQ studies, there is a need to identify which HPIs should be collected and to evaluate data accessibility from these devices. To address this issue, a literature review of previous IEQ studies was conducted to identify relationships between different IEQ factors and HPIs, with a focus on HPIs that were collected using wearables. A preliminary assessment of data accessibility from a selected wearable device (Fitbit Versa 2) was performed and documented. The review suggested the need to further investigate and collect sleep quality parameters, heart rate, stress response, as well as subjective ratings of comfort using wearables. The data accessibility assessment revealed issues related to missing data points and data resolution from the examined device. A set of recommendations is outlined to inform future studies.
Environmental Cadmium Exposure Promotes the Development, Progression and Chemoradioresistance of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Chen Jiongyu , Zhou Zhangzhu , Lin Xueqiong , Liao Jiahui , Zhang Yujie , Xie Bingmeng , Huang Yiteng , Peng Lin
Published: February 2022

Cadmium (Cd) exposure has been implicated in the etiology of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), albeit with inconsistent results from epidemiologic studies and without causal evidence. In this study, we explore the relationship of Cd exposure and the development, progression and therapeutic resistance of ESCC. A total of 150 ESCC patients and 177 matched controls from a coastal region with a high incidence of ESCC in China were included in the study. It was found that the median blood Cd level (BCL) was significantly higher in ESCC patients than that in the controls. Odds ratios for ESCC risk were 3.12 (95% CI 1.54-6.30) and 3.71 (95% CI 1.84-7.48) in the third and fourth quartiles of Cd distribution, respectively. Notably, BCL above 4.71 μg/L was strongly associated with shorter progression-free survival time compared to that below 1.60 μg/L (p < 0.001). The chronic Cd-treated ESCC cells (CCT-ESCC) CCT-EC109 and CCT-EC9706 exhibited increased cell proliferation and tumorigenesis, enhanced migration and invasion, and upregulated EMT biomarkers following 12 weeks of exposure to 5 μM cadmium chloride. Furthermore, Cd treatment attenuated the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin and irradiation treatment in CCT-ESCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we revealed that Cd stimulated the cancer cell stemness and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the CCT-ESCC cells. Additionally, 5-aza-2-deoxy-cytidine treatment resulted in suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and rescue of the Cd-induced cell radioresistance. These results offer new insights into the role of environmental Cd exposure in the development, progression and chemoradioresistance of ESCC.
A Surgical Kit for Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium Transplants: Collection, Transportation, and Subretinal Delivery
Authors: Li Kang V. , Flores-Bellver Miguel , Aparicio-Domingo Silvia , Petrash Carson , Cobb Hannah , Chen Conan , Canto-Soler M. Valeria , Mathias Marc T.
Published: February 2022

Transplantation of stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells is a promising potential therapy for currently incurable retinal degenerative diseases like advanced dry age-related macular degeneration. In this study, we designed a set of clinically applicable devices for subretinal implantation of RPE grafts, towards the overarching goal of establishing enabling technologies for cell-based therapeutic approaches to regenerate RPE cells. This RPE transplant kit includes a custom-designed trephine for the production of RPE transplants, a carrier for storage and transportation, and a surgical device for subretinal delivery of RPE transplants. Cell viability assay confirmed biocompatibility of the transplant carrier and high preservation of RPE transplants upon storage and transportation. The transplant surgical device combines foldable technology that minimizes incision size, controlled delivery speed, no fluid reflux, curved translucent tip, usability of loading and in vivo reloading, and ergonomic handle. Furthermore, the complementary design of the transplant carrier and the delivery device resulted in proper grasping, loading, and orientation of the RPE transplants into the delivery device. Proof-of-concept transplantation studies in a porcine model demonstrated no damage or structural change in RPE transplants during surgical manipulation and subretinal deployment. Post-operative assessment confirmed that RPE transplants were delivered precisely, with no damage to the host retina or choroid, and no significant structural change to the RPE transplants. Our novel surgical kit provides a comprehensive set of tools encompassing RPE graft manufacturing to surgical implantation rendering key enabling technologies for pre-clinical and clinical phases of stem cell-derived RPE regenerative therapies.
Iron Overload Induces Oxidative Stress, Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Chondrocytes
Authors: Karim Asima , Bajbouj Khuloud , Shafarin Jasmin , Qaisar Rizwan , Hall Andrew C. , Hamad Mawieh
Published: February 2022

Clinical and experimental evidence point to the presence of considerable links between arthropathy, osteoarthritis (OA) in particular, and iron overload possibly due to oxidative stress and tissue damage. However, the specific cellular targets of iron overload-related oxidative stress in OA remain ambiguous. We examined the effects of iron overload on chondrocyte health using the C-20/A4 chondrocyte cell line. Cells were treated with increasing concentrations of ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) to mimic iron overload in vitro. Treated cells were assessed for cell viability, cycling, apoptosis, collagen II synthesis, and oxidative stress along with cellular iron content and the expression of key iron regulatory genes. FAC treatment resulted in an increase in ferritin expression and a significant decrease in the expression of hepcidin, ferroportin, transferrin receptors 1 (TfR1) and TfR2. Increased labile iron content was also evident, especially in cells treated with high FAC at 24 h. High doses of FAC treatment also induced higher levels of reactive oxygen species, reduced collagen II production, disrupted cell cycle and higher cell death as compared with untreated controls. In conclusion, findings presented here demonstrate that iron overload disrupts cellular iron homeostasis, which compromises the functional integrity of chondrocytes and leads to oxidative stress and apoptosis.
Adipose-Derived Stem Cells From Patients With Ulcerative Colitis Exhibit Impaired Immunosuppressive Function
Authors: Wu Xiaoyun , Mu Yongxu , Yao Jingyi , Lin Fuhong , Wu Daocheng , Ma Zhijie
Published: February 2022

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are able to modulate the immune response and are used for treating ulcerative colitis (UC). However, it is possible that ADSCs from patients with inflammatory or autoimmune disorders may show defective immunosuppression. We investigated the use of ADSCs from UC patients for autologous cell treatment, specifically, ADSCs from healthy donors (H-ADSCs) and UC patients (P-ADSCs) in terms of various functions, including differentiation, proliferation, secretion, and immunosuppression. The efficacy of P-ADSCs for treating UC was examined in mouse models of acute or chronic colitis. Both H-ADSCs and P-ADSCs were similar in cell morphology, size, adipogenic differentiation capabilities, and cell surface markers. We found that P-ADSCs had lower proliferative capacity, cloning ability, and osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential than H-ADSCs. P-ADSCs exhibited a diminished capacity to inhibit peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation, suppress CD25 and CD69 marker expression, decrease the production of inflammation-associated cytokines interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α, and reduce their cytotoxic effect on A549 cells. When primed with inflammatory cytokines, P-ADSCs secreted lower levels of prostaglandin E2, indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase, and tumor necrosis factor-α–induced protein 6, which mediated their reduced immunopotency. Moreover, P-ADSCs exhibited weaker therapeutic effects than H-ADSCs, determined by disease activity, histology, myeloperoxidase activity, and body weight. These findings indicate that the immunosuppressive properties of ASCs are affected by donor metabolic characteristics. This study shows, for the first time, the presence of defective ADSC immunosuppression in UC, indicating that autologous transplantation of ADSCs may be inappropriate for patients with UC.
High Resolution Proteomic Analysis of Subcellular Fractionated Boar Spermatozoa Provides Comprehensive Insights Into Perinuclear Theca-Residing Proteins
Authors: Zhang Min , Chiozzi Riccardo Zenezini , Skerrett-Byrne David A. , Veenendaal Tineke , Klumperman Judith , Heck Albert J. R. , Nixon Brett , Helms J. Bernd , Gadella Bart M. , Bromfield Elizabeth G.
Published: February 2022

The perinuclear theca (PT) is a highly condensed, largely insoluble protein structure that surrounds the nucleus of eutherian spermatozoa. Recent reports have indicated that the PT unexpectedly houses several somatic proteins, such as core histones, which may be important post-fertilization during re-modelling of the male pronucleus, yet little is known regarding the overall proteomic composition of the PT. Here, we report the first in depth, label-free proteomic characterization of the PT of boar spermatozoa following the implementation of a long-established subcellular fractionation protocol designed to increase the detection of low abundance proteins. A total of 1,802 proteins were identified, a result that represents unparalleled depth of coverage for the boar sperm proteome and exceeds the entire annotated proteome of the Sus scrofa species so far. In the PT structure itself, we identified 813 proteins and confirmed the presence of previously characterized PT proteins including the core histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4, as well as Ras-related protein Rab-2A (RAB2A) and Rab-2B (RAB2B) amongst other RAB proteins. In addition to these previously characterized PT proteins, our data revealed that the PT is replete in proteins critical for sperm-egg fusion and egg activation, including: Izumo family members 1–4 (IZUMO1-4) and phosphoinositide specific phospholipase ζ (PLCZ1). Through Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, we found surprising enrichment of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins and the ER-stress response in the PT. This is particularly intriguing as it is currently held that the ER structure is lost during testicular sperm maturation. Using the String and Cytoscape tools to visualize protein-protein interactions revealed an intricate network of PT protein complexes, including numerous proteasome subunits. Collectively, these data suggest that the PT may be a unique site of cellular homeostasis that houses an abundance of protein degradation machinery. This fits with previous observations that the PT structure dissociates first within the oocyte post-fertilization. It remains to be explored whether proteasome subunits within the PT actively assist in the protein degradation of paternal cell structures post-fertilization and how aberrations in PT protein content may delay embryonic development.
The Structure of the Arabidopsis PEX4-PEX22 Peroxin Complex—Insights Into Ubiquitination at the Peroxisomal Membrane
Authors: Traver Melissa S. , Bradford Sarah E. , Olmos Jose Luis , Wright Zachary J. , Miller Mitchell D. , Xu Weijun , Phillips George N. , Bartel Bonnie
Published: February 2022

Peroxisomes are eukaryotic organelles that sequester critical oxidative reactions and process the resulting reactive oxygen species into less toxic byproducts. Peroxisome function and formation are coordinated by peroxins (PEX proteins) that guide peroxisome biogenesis and division and shuttle proteins into the lumen and membrane of the organelle. Despite the importance of peroxins in plant metabolism and development, no plant peroxin structures have been reported. Here we report the X-ray crystal structure of the PEX4-PEX22 peroxin complex from the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana. PEX4 is a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UBC) that ubiquitinates proteins associated with the peroxisomal membrane, and PEX22 is a peroxisomal membrane protein that anchors PEX4 to the peroxisome and facilitates PEX4 activity. We co-expressed Arabidopsis PEX4 as a translational fusion with the soluble PEX4-interacting domain of PEX22 in E. coli. The fusion was linked via a protease recognition site, allowing us to separate PEX4 and PEX22 following purification and solve the structure of the complex. We compared the structure of the PEX4-PEX22 complex to the previously published structures of yeast orthologs. Arabidopsis PEX4 displays the typical UBC structure expected from its sequence. Although Arabidopsis PEX22 lacks notable sequence identity to yeast PEX22, it maintains a similar Rossmann fold-like structure. Several salt bridges are positioned to contribute to the specificity of PEX22 for PEX4 versus other Arabidopsis UBCs, and the long unstructured PEX22 tether would allow PEX4-mediated ubiquitination of distant peroxisomal membrane targets without dissociation from PEX22. The Arabidopsis PEX4-PEX22 structure also revealed that the residue altered in pex4-1 (P123L), a mutant previously isolated via a forward-genetic screen for peroxisomal dysfunction, is near the active site cysteine of PEX4. We demonstrated in vitro UBC activity for the PEX4-PEX22 complex and found that the pex4-1 enzyme has reduced in vitro ubiquitin-conjugating activity and altered specificity compared to PEX4. Our findings illuminate the role of PEX4 and PEX22 in peroxisome structure and function and provide tools for future exploration of ubiquitination at the peroxisome surface.
Prognostic Value of Serum Galectin-3 in Chronic Heart Failure: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Cheng Zhendong , Cai Kefeng , Xu Chaoxian , Zhan Qiong , Xu Xingbo , Xu Dingli , Zeng Qingchun
Published: February 2022

Objective

To evaluate the association between serum galectin-3 and all-cause death (ACD) and cardiovascular death (CVD) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods

The PubMed and Embase databases and Clinical Trials Registry (www.clinicaltrials.gov) were searched for studies with data on serum galectin-3 and ACD and CVD in CHF patients. The hazard ratios (HRs) of ACD and CVD were calculated and presented with 95% CIs. HRs were pooled using fixed effects or random effects models when appropriate. Sensitivity analysis, meta-regression and subgroup analysis were applied to find the origin of heterogeneity. Visual inspection of Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test were performed to assess the possibility publication bias.

Results

Pooled data included the results from 6,440 patients from 12 studies in the meta-analysis. Higher serum galectin-3 was associated with a higher risk of ACD (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.14–1.67) and CVD (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02–1.25) in CHF patients. In the subgroup analyses, higher serum galectin-3 was associated with an increased risk of ACD in all subgroups. The pooled HR of the shorter follow-up group (1.78; 95% CI, 1.50–2.11) was significantly higher than the pooled HR of the longer follow-up group (1.15; 95% CI, 1.05–1.25). Sensitivity analysis of eliminating one study in each turn indicated that Koukoui et al.'s study had the largest influence on the risk of all-cause death. All-cause death publication bias was not detected (Pr>|z| = 0.35 for Begg's test and P>|t| = 0.15 for Egger's test).

Conclusions

Serum galectin-3 has prognostic value of both all-cause death and cardiovascular death in CHF. Serum galectin-3 could be useful for risk classification in patients with CHF.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=193399.