bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pengaruh Kualitas Sistem Informasi Akuntansi, Kecanggihan Teknologi Informasi, dan Kinerja Individual terhadap Efektivitas Sistem Informasi Akuntansi pada BPR Arta Bangsal Utama Mojokerto
Authors: Alful laili Alful , Seno Aji Tony
Published: June 2022

This study aims to determine the effect of the quality of accounting information systems, sophistication of information technology, and individual performance on the effectiveness of  accounting information systems at BPR Arta Bangsal Utama Mojokerto. The sampling techniqueyin this study used purposive sampling with a total of 40 respondents. The analysis technique used is the validity test technique, reliability test, classical assumption test, multiple linear regression analysis, hypothesis testing. The results of this study indicate that (1) the quality of the accounting information system has a significant effect on the effectiveness of the accounting information system which indicates that the higher the quality of the accounting information system, the more it affects the effectiveness of the accounting information system of BPR Arta Bangsal Utama Mojokerto. (2) the sophistication of information technology has alsignificant effect on the effectiveness of the accounting information system which shows that the higher the accounting information technology, the more it will affect the effectiveness of the accounting information system of BPR Arta Bangsal Utama Mojokerto. (3) individual performance has a significant effect on the effectiveness of the accounting information system, which indicates that the higher the individual performance, the more it affects the effectiveness of the accounting information system for BPR Arta Bangsal Mojokerto.
Keywords: Quality of accounting information systems; Sophistication of accounting information technology, Individual performance; Effectiveness of accounting information systems.
Pengaruh Sistem Informasi Akuntansi Dan Sistem Pengendalian Internal Terhadap Upaya Pencegahan Fraud Pada Persediaan (Studi Kasus Pada PT. Catur Sentosa Adiprana TBK Cabang Kediri)
Authors: Syah Pahlevi Reza , Ari Pertiwi Dwi
Published: June 2022

Implementasi SAP Era globalisasi saat ini membuat semakin berkembangnya kegiatan usaha dalam berbagai sektor perekonomian, terutama di bidang penjualan barang yang bersifat fast moving. Semakin berkembangnya suatu usaha maka seorang pimpinan tidak memungkinkan untuk bisa mengawasi secara langsung kegiatan perusahaan dikarenakan adanya keterbatasan pengawasan sehingga tidak menutup kemungkinan terjadinya fraud dalam persediaan. Penelitian ini bertujuaan untuk mengetahui pengaruh: Sistem Informasi Akuntasi, Sistem Pengendalian Internal terhadap Upaya Pencegahan Fraud. Penelitian ini di lakukan di PT. Catur Sentosa Adiprana Tbk Cabang kediri dengan menggunakan data primer yaitu data dari kuisioner yang diisi oleh responden. Populasi dalam penelitian ini berjumlah 80 orang dan sampel yang dipakai berjumlah 67 orang. Teknik sampling yang digunakan adalah random sampling. Alat analisis yang digunakan adalahh ujikualitas data, uji asumsi klasik dan uji hipotesis dengan menggunakann bantuan aplikasi SPSS versi 25 untuk mengolah data. Hasil penelitian membuktikan bahwa variabel sistem informasi akutansi tidak mempunyai pengaruh terhadap upaya pencegahan fraud. Sedangkan variabel sistem pengendalian  internal berpengaruh terhadap upaya pencegahan fraud.
Kata kunci: Sistem Informasi Akuntani, Sistem Pengendalian Interna, Fraud
Understanding the Role and Impact of Poly (Ethylene Glycol) (PEG) on Nanoparticle Formulation: Implications for COVID-19 Vaccines
Authors: Padín-González Esperanza , Lancaster Pearl , Bottini Massimo , Gasco Paolo , Tran Lang , Fadeel Bengt , Wilkins Terence , Monopoli Marco P.
Published: June 2022

Poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a widely used polymer in a variety of consumer products and in medicine. PEGylation refers to the conjugation of PEG to drugs or nanoparticles to increase circulation time and reduce unwanted host responses. PEG is viewed as being well-tolerated, but previous studies have identified anti-PEG antibodies and so-called pseudoallergic reactions in certain individuals. The increased use of nanoparticles as contrast agents or in drug delivery, along with the introduction of mRNA vaccines encapsulated in PEGylated lipid nanoparticles has brought this issue to the fore. Thus, while these vaccines have proven to be remarkably effective, rare cases of anaphylaxis have been reported, and this has been tentatively ascribed to the PEGylated carriers, which may trigger complement activation in susceptible individuals. Here, we provide a general overview of the use of PEGylated nanoparticles for pharmaceutical applications, and we discuss the activation of the complement cascade that might be caused by PEGylated nanomedicines for a better understanding of these immunological adverse reactions.
Improved Multi-Stream Convolutional Block Attention Module for sEMG-Based Gesture Recognition
Authors: Wang Shudi , Huang Li , Jiang Du , Sun Ying , Jiang Guozhang , Li Jun , Zou Cejing , Fan Hanwen , Xie Yuanmin , Xiong Hegen , Chen Baojia
Published: June 2022

As a key technology for the non-invasive human-machine interface that has received much attention in the industry and academia, surface EMG (sEMG) signals display great potential and advantages in the field of human-machine collaboration. Currently, gesture recognition based on sEMG signals suffers from inadequate feature extraction, difficulty in distinguishing similar gestures, and low accuracy of multi-gesture recognition. To solve these problems a new sEMG gesture recognition network called Multi-stream Convolutional Block Attention Module-Gate Recurrent Unit (MCBAM-GRU) is proposed, which is based on sEMG signals. The network is a multi-stream attention network formed by embedding a GRU module based on CBAM. Fusing sEMG and ACC signals further improves the accuracy of gesture action recognition. The experimental results show that the proposed method obtains excellent performance on dataset collected in this paper with the recognition accuracies of 94.1%, achieving advanced performance with accuracy of 89.7% on the Ninapro DB1 dataset. The system has high accuracy in classifying 52 kinds of different gestures, and the delay is less than 300 ms, showing excellent performance in terms of real-time human-computer interaction and flexibility of manipulator control.
Dual Effects of Presynaptic Membrane Mimetics on α-Synuclein Amyloid Aggregation
Authors: Lin Yuxi , Ito Dai , Yoo Je Min , Lim Mi Hee , Yu Wookyung , Kawata Yasushi , Lee Young-Ho
Published: June 2022

Aggregation of intrinsically disordered α-synuclein (αSN) under various conditions is closely related to synucleinopathies. Although various biological membranes have shown to alter the structure and aggregation propensity of αSN, a thorough understanding of the molecular and mechanical mechanism of amyloidogenesis in membranes remains unanswered. Herein, we examined the structural changes, binding properties, and amyloidogenicity of three variations of αSN mutants under two types of liposomes, 1,2-Dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-Phosphocholine (DOPC) and presynaptic vesicle mimetic (Mimic) membranes. While neutrally charged DOPC membranes elicited marginal changes in the structure and amyloid fibrillation of αSNs, negatively charged Mimic membranes induced dramatic helical folding and biphasic amyloid generation. At low concentration of Mimic membranes, the amyloid fibrillation of αSNs was promoted in a dose-dependent manner. However, further increases in the concentration constrained the fibrillation process. These results suggest the dual effect of Mimic membranes on regulating the amyloidogenesis of αSN, which is rationalized by the amyloidogenic structure of αSN and condensation-dilution of local αSN concentration. Finally, we propose physicochemical properties of αSN and membrane surfaces, and their propensity to drive electrostatic interactions as decisive factors of amyloidogenesis.
Reanalysis on Phylogeographic Pattern of Sharpbelly Hemiculter leucisculus (Cyprinidae: Cultrinae) in China: A Review and the Implications for Conservation
Authors: Gu Qianhong , Zhong Hui , Sun Yaxian , Yuan Hui , Li Shengnan , Shen Zhongyuan , Wen Ming
Published: June 2022

Hemiculter leucisclus, as a widely distributed freshwater fish in China, provides an interesting model to explore the impact of drainage evolution and geologic history in the Pleistocene on diversification patterns. We collected the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene and the recombination activating gene 2 (RAG2) from 1,070 individuals from 59 sampling locations. Phylogenetic and population genetic approaches were used to describe the phylogeographic pattern and to test how the geological and climatic factors on diversification. The results suggested that there existed four sublineages of the H. leucisclus across six river systems, among which two sublineages, showing strongly indigenous characteristics, are constrained to particular geographical regions in China. The molecular data and ancestral states demonstrated that the H. leucisclus possibly originated from the Pearl River basin during the later Pliocene. The phylogeographic pattern in H. leucisclus appears to have been driven by palaeoenvironmental perturbations rather than anthropogenic translocations. The geographically constrained sublineages A in the middle and lower Pearl River basin and sublineage B in the upper Yangtze River basin deserves special protection.
Does Living in Human-Altered Environments Affect Life-History and Personality of Wild Mice?
Authors: Küçüktaş Fulya Mina , Guenther Anja
Published: June 2022

In urban habitats, animals are faced with different and often challenging environmental conditions compared to their native habitats. Behavior is the fastest response to environmental change and therefore a very important component to adjust to human-altered environments. Behaviors such as novelty responses and innovativeness which allow animals to cope with novel stimuli are often altered in urban populations. The mechanisms producing such adaptations are currently not well understood. In this study, we investigate whether urban living has an impact on the microevolution of mouse behavioral and life-history traits including boldness, stress-coping, growth, longevity, and emphasis on reproduction. We hypothesized that animals living together with humans for longer show increased novelty-seeking and boldness characteristics at the species and subspecies level. We, therefore, compared behavior and life history characteristics among Mus musculus, a commensal rodent, Mus spicilegus as a synanthropic but not commensal, and Apodemus uralensis as a strictly rural species. In addition, we compared three subspecies of M. musculus (in total six populations) that differ in the time living together with humans. Behavioral and life history differences are stronger between populations even of the same subspecies rather than showing a structural trend with the time animals have spent with humans. In addition, species differ in behavior and life history, albeit not in a pattern that suggests an evolutionary adaptation to living in human-altered habitats. We, therefore, suggest that behavioral adaptations of wild mice are geared toward environmental differences such as geographic origin or habitat specifics but not necessarily directly evolve by living together with humans.
Regulating Strategies of Transcription and Alternative Splicing for Cold Tolerance Harpadon nehereus Fish
Authors: Sun Zhicheng , Huang Liangliang , Kong Yefu , Wang Linlong , Kang Bin
Published: June 2022

In recent years, Harpadon nehereus gradually become a dominant species with great potential for exploitation in the East China Sea, and it is worth investigating whether H. nehereus would tolerate cold stress to continue to expand into the colder northern waters. The molecular regulation level is favorable evidence to explore the cold tolerance of H. nehereus, a total of 6,650, 1,936, and 2,772 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in transcription regulation, and 4,409, 1,250, and 2,303 differential alternative splicing genes (DASGs) in alternative splicing regulation were identified in H. nehereus at 13, 15, and 17°C, respectively, importantly, 47 genes were identified as the key candidate genes for cold tolerance in H. nehereus. In transcription regulation, up-regulated DEGs were enriched in metabolic process terms and ribosome, spliceosome pathway, etc., while down-regulated DEGs were enriched in signal transduction terms, focal adhesion, proteoglycans in cancer pathway, etc., at 13, 15, and 17°C, respectively. In alternative splicing regulation, spliceosome, mRNA surveillance pathway, etc., were significantly enriched in DASGs. In a word, H. nehereus adapts to cold environments mainly through transcription and translation, transmembrane transport, protein modification, etc., while cold stress may also induce some diseases in H. nehereus.
Genetics of Base Coat Colour Variations and Coat Colour-Patterns of the South African Nguni Cattle Investigated Using High-Density SNP Genotypes
Authors: Kunene Langelihle Mbali , Muchadeyi Farai Catherine , Hadebe Khanyisile , Mészáros Gábor , Sölkner Johann , Dugmore Trevor , Dzomba Edgar Farai
Published: June 2022

Nguni cattle are a Sanga type breed with mixed B. taurus and B. indicus ancestry and proven resistance to ticks, diseases and other harsh conditions of the African geographical landscape. The multi-coloured Nguni coats have found a niche market in the leather industry leading to breeding objectives towards the promotion of such diversity. However, there is limited studies on the genomic architecture underlying the coat colour and patterns hampering any potential breeding and improvement of such trait. This study investigated the genetics of base coat colour, colour-sidedness and the white forehead stripe in Nguni cattle using coat colour phenotyped Nguni cattle and Illumina Bovine HD (770K) genotypes. Base coat colour phenotypes were categorised into eumelanin (n = 45) and pheomelanin (n = 19). Animals were categorised into either colour-sided (n = 46) or non-colour-sided (n = 94) and similarly into presence (n = 15) or absence (n = 67) of white forehead stripe. Genome-wide association tests were conducted using 622,103 quality controlled SNPs and the Efficient Mixed Model Association eXpedited method (EMMAX) implemented in Golden Helix SNP Variation Suite. The genome-wide association studies for base coat colour (eumelanin vs. pheomelanin) resulted into four indicative SNPs on BTA18 and a well-known gene, MC1R, was observed within 1 MB from the indicative SNPs (p < 0.00001) and found to play a role in the melanogenesis (core pathway for melanin production) and the MAPK signalling pathway. GWAS for colour-sidedness resulted in four indicative SNPs, none of which were in close proximity to the KIT candidate gene known for colour-sidedness. GWAS for the white forehead stripe resulted in 17 indicative SNPs on BTA6. Four genes MAPK10, EFNA5, PPP2R3C and PAK1 were found to be associated with the white forehead stripe and were part of the MAPK, adrenergic and Wnt signalling pathways that are synergistically associated with the synthesis of melanin. Overall, our results prove prior knowledge of the role of MC1R in base coat colours in cattle and suggested a different genetic mechanism for forehead stripe phenotypes in Nguni cattle.
Side Effects and Perceptions of COVID-19 Vaccination in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Al-Hanawi Mohammed Khaled , Keetile Mpho , Kadasah Nasser Akeil , Alshareef Noor , Qattan Ameerah M. N. , Alsharqi Omar
Published: June 2022

Background

Vaccination against any disease is critical in improving and maintaining public health. However, the overall effectiveness of a vaccine largely depends on the willingness of a population to receive it. The main aim of this study was to assess the side effects and perceptions about COVID-19 vaccines among adults following vaccination in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 13 to July 20, 2021, among adults aged 18 years and older who had taken one or both doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Saudi Arabia. The survey included questions on socio-demographics, health behavior, vaccine type, knowledge about sources of information about COVID-19 vaccines, and perceptions and beliefs following vaccination. Bivariate and multivariable regression analyses were the major data analytic tools employed in the study.

Results

The most common vaccine side effects reported were tiredness/fatigue (52.6%), swelling (38%), fever (31.3%), headache (29.1%), and muscle pain (22.2%). In multivariable analyses, the odds of experiencing severe side effects were significantly higher among males [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.71–4.45, p < 0.01], those aged 40–49 years (aOR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.10–8.72, p < 0.1), and Saudi nationals (aOR = 3.64, 95% CI = 1.58–8.38, p < 0.05) compared to their counterparts. The odds of believing that COVID-19 vaccines are safe in the long-term were significantly higher among men (aOR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.16–2.65, p < 0.01) and among individuals who had received two doses (aOR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.09–2.40, p < 0.05), and the odds of advising others to get vaccinated for COVID-19 were also significantly higher among respondents who had received two doses (aOR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.60–4.93, p < 0.01) compared to their counterparts.

Conclusion

This study identified the most common COVID-19 vaccine side effects in Saudi Arabia, therefore making them predictable. This information will help reduce vaccine hesitancy as booster doses become available.
Investigation of Underlying Association Between Whole Brain Regions and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Research Based on an Artificial Intelligence Model
Authors: Liu Shui , Jie Chen , Zheng Weimin , Cui Jingjing , Wang Zhiqun
Published: June 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, causing progressive cognitive decline. Radiomic features obtained from structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) have shown a great potential in predicting this disease. However, radiomic features based on the whole brain segmented regions have not been explored yet. In our study, we collected sMRI data that include 80 patients with AD and 80 healthy controls (HCs). For each patient, the T1 weighted image (T1WI) images were segmented into 106 subregions, and radiomic features were extracted from each subregion. Then, we analyzed the radiomic features of specific brain subregions that were most related to AD. Based on the selective radiomic features from specific brain subregions, we built an integrated model using the best machine learning algorithms, and the diagnostic accuracy was evaluated. The subregions most relevant to AD included the hippocampus, the inferior parietal lobe, the precuneus, and the lateral occipital gyrus. These subregions exhibited several important radiomic features that include shape, gray level size zone matrix (GLSZM), and gray level dependence matrix (GLDM), among others. Based on the comparison among different algorithms, we constructed the best model using the Logistic regression (LR) algorithm, which reached an accuracy of 0.962. Conclusively, we constructed an excellent model based on radiomic features from several specific AD-related subregions, which could give a potential biomarker for predicting AD.
Whole Body Coordination for Self-Assistance in Locomotion
Authors: Seyfarth André , Zhao Guoping , Jörntell Henrik
Published: June 2022

The dynamics of the human body can be described by the accelerations and masses of the different body parts (e.g., legs, arm, trunk). These body parts can exhibit specific coordination patterns with each other. In human walking, we found that the swing leg cooperates with the upper body and the stance leg in different ways (e.g., in-phase and out-of-phase in vertical and horizontal directions, respectively). Such patterns of self-assistance found in human locomotion could be of advantage in robotics design, in the design of any assistive device for patients with movement impairments. It can also shed light on several unexplained infrastructural features of the CNS motor control. Self-assistance means that distributed parts of the body contribute to an overlay of functions that are required to solve the underlying motor task. To draw advantage of self-assisting effects, precise and balanced spatiotemporal patterns of muscle activation are necessary. We show that the necessary neural connectivity infrastructure to achieve such muscle control exists in abundance in the spinocerebellar circuitry. We discuss how these connectivity patterns of the spinal interneurons appear to be present already perinatally but also likely are learned. We also discuss the importance of these insights into whole body locomotion for the successful design of future assistive devices and the sense of control that they could ideally confer to the user.
FetalGAN: Automated Segmentation of Fetal Functional Brain MRI Using Deep Generative Adversarial Learning and Multi-Scale 3D U-Net
Authors: De Asis-Cruz Josepheen , Krishnamurthy Dhineshvikram , Jose Chris , Cook Kevin M. , Limperopoulos Catherine
Published: June 2022

An important step in the preprocessing of resting state functional magnetic resonance images (rs-fMRI) is the separation of brain from non-brain voxels. Widely used imaging tools such as FSL’s BET2 and AFNI’s 3dSkullStrip accomplish this task effectively in children and adults. In fetal functional brain imaging, however, the presence of maternal tissue around the brain coupled with the non-standard position of the fetal head limit the usefulness of these tools. Accurate brain masks are thus generated manually, a time-consuming and tedious process that slows down preprocessing of fetal rs-fMRI. Recently, deep learning-based segmentation models such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been increasingly used for automated segmentation of medical images, including the fetal brain. Here, we propose a computationally efficient end-to-end generative adversarial neural network (GAN) for segmenting the fetal brain. This method, which we call FetalGAN, yielded whole brain masks that closely approximated the manually labeled ground truth. FetalGAN performed better than 3D U-Net model and BET2: FetalGAN, Dice score = 0.973 ± 0.013, precision = 0.977 ± 0.015; 3D U-Net, Dice score = 0.954 ± 0.054, precision = 0.967 ± 0.037; BET2, Dice score = 0.856 ± 0.084, precision = 0.758 ± 0.113. FetalGAN was also faster than 3D U-Net and the manual method (7.35 s vs. 10.25 s vs. ∼5 min/volume). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first successful implementation of 3D CNN with GAN on fetal fMRI brain images and represents a significant advance in fully automating processing of rs-MRI images.
Flexible Non-contact Electrodes for Wearable Biosensors System on Electrocardiogram Monitoring in Motion
Authors: Wang Xin , Liu Shuting , Zhu Mingxing , He Yuchao , Wei Zhilong , Wang Yingying , Xu Yangjie , Pan Hongguang , Huang Weimin , Chen Shixiong , Li Guanglin
Published: June 2022

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a critical physiological indicator that contains abundant information about human heart activities. However, it is a kind of weak low-frequency signal, which is easy to be interfered by various noises. Therefore, wearable biosensors (WBS) technique is introduced to overcome this challenge. A flexible non-contact electrode is proposed for wearable biosensors (WBS) system, which is made up of flexible printed circuits materials, and can monitor the ECG signals during exercise for a long time. It uses the principle of capacitive coupling to obtain high-quality signals, and reduces the impact of external noise through active shielding; The results showed that the proposed non-contact electrode was equivalent to a medical wet electrode. The correlation coefficient was as high as 99.70 ± 0.30% when the subject was resting, while it was as high as 97.53 ± 1.80% during exercise. High-quality ECG could still be collected at subjects walking at 7 km/h. This study suggested that the proposed flexible non-contact electrode would be a potential tool for wearable biosensors for medical application on long-term monitoring of patients’ health and provide athletes with physiological signal measurements.
Phenotypic and Functional Characterizations of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Isolated From Human Cranial Bone Marrow
Authors: Yang Kaichuang , Lu Ruijie , Lu Jianan , Fan Shucai , Zhang Qiang , Lou Zijian , Ma Yuyuan , Lu Gang , Pan Ruolang , Zhang Jianmin
Published: June 2022

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that were originally isolated from bone marrow. In contrast to long bone-derived MSCs that have been extensively characterized, our knowledge regarding to MSCs isolated from flat bones (e.g., cranial bones) remain less clear. In this study, MSCs were purified from human cranial bone marrow (CB-MSCs) and their transdifferentiation capacity and immunomodulatory functions were further characterized. Phenotypic analysis of CB-MSCs demonstrated high expression of CD73, CD90, and CD105 while negative for CD14, CD34, and HLA-DR. Further in vitro differentiation assay shown that CB-MSCs capable of differentiating into cell types of mesenchymal origin (i.e., adipocytes, osetoblasts, and chondrocytes) and collectively, these results indicated that cells isolated from cranial bone marrow in this study are bona fide MSCs according to the minimal criteria proposed by the International Society for Cellular Therapy. Following in vitro expansion, single colony-derived CB-MSCs (scCB-MSCs) were obtained and confocal microscopy analysis further revealed functional heterogeneity within primary CB-MSCs. Specifically, obtained scCB-MSCs exhibited GABA progenitor features, as determined by olig2 and nestin. As expect, scCB-MSCs were readily induced to differentiate into GABAergic neuron-like cells. Furthermore, immunomodulatory roles of scCB-MSCs were evaluated following co-culture with human peripheral blood lymphocytes and results shown that co-culturing with scCB-MSCs significantly suppressed lymphocyte proliferation and promoted differentiation of lymphocytes into regulatory T cells but not Th1/Th17 phenotype. Overall, our results indicated that CB-MSCs exhibited clonal heterogeneity with marked propensity to differentiate into neural-like cells and this might represent promising candidates for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Understanding Cross-Cultural Differences in Conceptualizing International Trade Patterns: A Neuroeconomic Perspective
Authors: Agbanyo George Kwame , Wang Yan
Published: June 2022

Neuroeconomics has been seldom used in investigating the impact of culture on international trade. This research proposes a scientific approach to investigate how cross-cultural differences contribute to the conceptualization of international trade patterns globally. International business relations are directly influenced by factors such as cultural variations which distinguish one foreign market from another. Therefore, the level of understanding these cultural differences is able to determine the success or not of business opportunities. In response to the scarcity of scientific investigation of cultural influence on international trade, the purpose of this study is to propose a neuroeconomic framework as a strategic instrument to elucidate the cross-cultural dimension of international commercial relations. Echoing this, our study uses cultural diversities and cognitive classifications established in literature to adopt a unique scientific tool for the conceptualization of international trade patterns across the world. This research establishes the cognitive mechanism of cross-cultural diversity, as a novel framework to conceptualize international trade patterns. By unveiling the cognitive process of cross-cultural diversity, this article provides an instrument to unlock trade barriers of individualism and collectivism across nations.
Contribution of Grape Juice to Develop New Isotonic Drinks With Antioxidant Capacity and Interesting Sensory Properties
Authors: Bendaali Yasmina , Vaquero Cristian , González Carmen , Morata Antonio
Published: June 2022

Nowadays, the sector of isotonic beverages has developed its market based on fruit juices that provide a sports drink with antioxidant and biological activities in addition to their principal role of rehydration and replacement of minerals and carbohydrates during physical exercise. Consumption of grape juice is increasing worldwide because of its sensory characteristics and nutritional value. It contains mainly water, sugars, organic acids, and phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds play a major role in prevention of various diseases through their biological activities linked to antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anticancer, anti-aging, antimicrobial, and cardioprotective properties. Several studies have demonstrated that grape juice is able to improve performances of antioxidant activity, protect against oxidative damage, and reduce inflammation during sports activities. Polyphenol content also provides a great sensory profile, mainly color which is an important indicator for consumers when choosing beverage products. The contribution of grape juice through its nutritional value and sensory properties makes it an alternative for the development of a new isotonic drink that will be a novel and healthy product in the field of healthy beverages.
Peking Prognostic Score, Based on Preoperative Sarcopenia Status, Is a Novel Prognostic Factor in Patients With Gastric Cancer
Authors: Xiong Jianping , Hu Haitao , Kang Wenzhe , Li Yang , Jin Peng , Shao Xinxin , Li Weikun , Tian Yantao
Published: June 2022

Background

This study focused on assessing the role of the Peking prognostic score (PPS), a novel prognostic index based on muscle atrophy and lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio, within gastric cancer patient prognosis.

Methods

We analyzed the data collected from 774 gastric cancer cases between April 2011 and February 2016 (discovery cohort). The results were assessed in 575 gastric cancer cases from March 2016 to September 2019 (validation cohort). For evaluating skeletal muscle mass, we obtained computed tomography images at the third lumbar vertebra level (L3). We performed a time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (t-ROC) to analyze PPS’s prognostic significance with others.

Results

The discovery cohort enrolled altogether 774 patients with non-metastatic gastric cancer, including 639 (82.5%) men along with 135 (17.5%) women. The patients were divided into 3 groups; 166 patients (21.4%) were assigned into group 0, 472 (60.9%) in group 1, and 136 (17.7%) in group 2, respectively. An increased PPS was in direct proportion to an elder age, reduced body mass index, higher Pathological Tumor Lymph Node Metastasis stage, perineural invasion, and vascular invasion. We identified PPS to independently estimate patient overall survival (OS) together with disease-free survival (DFS; both P < 0.001). Additionally, as revealed by t-ROC analysis, PPS exhibited the highest sensitivity compared with other prognostic scoring systems in predicting patient survival. Finally, we evaluated the prognostic value of PPS in the validation cohort and confirmed that preoperative PPS independently estimates patient OS and DFS.

Conclusion

The PPS accounts for an efficient nutrition-inflammation prognostic scoring system in gastric cancer patients.
Multicentric Glioma: An Ideal Model to Reveal the Mechanism of Glioma
Authors: Yan Yong , Dai Wei , Mei Qiyong
Published: June 2022

As a special type of glioma, multicentric glioma provides an ideal pathological model for glioma research. According to the stem-cell-origin theory, multiple lesions of multicentric glioma share the same neuro-oncological origin, both in gene level and in cell level. Although the number of studies focusing on genetic evolution in gliomas with the model of multicentric gliomas were limited, some mutations, including IDH1 mutations, TERTp mutations and PTEN deletions, are found to be at an early stage in the process of genetic aberrance during glioma evolution based on the results of these studies. This article reviews the clinical reports and genetic studies of multicentric glioma, and intends to explain the various clinical phenomena of multicentric glioma from the perspective of genetic aberrance accumulation and tumor cell evolution. The malignant degree of a glioma is determined by both the tumorigenicity of early mutant genes, and the stemness of early suffered cells.
The Significance of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Colorectal Cancer and Beyond: From Bench to Bedside
Authors: Li Dingchang , Shao Jiakang , Cao Bo , Zhao Ruiyang , Li Hanghang , Gao Wenxing , Chen Peng , Jin Lujia , Cao Li , Ji Shuaifei , Dong Guanglong
Published: June 2022

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), products of neutrophil death when exposed to certain stimuli, were first proposed as a type of response to bacterial infection in infectious diseases. Since then, extensive studies have discovered its involvement in other non-infectious inflammatory diseases including thromboembolism, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world. NET formation is closely associated with tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis in CRC. Therefore, the application of NETs in clinical practice as diagnostic biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and prognostic predictors has a promising prospect. In addition, therapeutics targeting NETs are significantly efficient in halting tumor progression in preclinical cancer models, which further indicates its potential clinical utility in cancer treatment. This review focuses on the stimuli of NETosis, its pro-tumorigenic activity, and prospective clinical utility primarily in but not limited to CRC.
Pathogenesis and Treatment of T-Large Granular Lymphocytic Leukemia (T-LGLL) in the Setting of Rheumatic Disease
Authors: Couette Nina , Jarjour Wael , Brammer Jonathan E. , Simon Meara Alexa
Published: June 2022

A complex relationship exists between rheumatic diseases and cancer. This delicate balance between chronic inflammation and malignant cell transformation in hematologic neoplasms has been observed, but is not well defined. Large Granular Lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia is at the intersection of a clonal lymphoproliferative disease, chronic inflammation, and autoimmunity. The association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the spectrum of Felty’s Syndrome is well-known. Other rheumatic disorders have been reported including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjogren’s Syndrome (SS), vasculitis, Behcet’s Disease (BD) and systemic sclerosis. The association between T-LGLL and rheumatic disease pathogenesis has been hypothesized, but has not yet been fully understood. Components of a shared pathogenesis includes chronic antigen stimulation, JAK-STAT pathway activation and overlap of various cytokines. We will summarize current knowledge on the molecular understanding between T-LGLL and rheumatic disease. There are many potential areas of research to help meet this need and lead to development of targeted therapeutic options.
The Potential Role of Exosomal Proteins in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Feng Shangzhi , Lou Kecheng , Zou Xiaofeng , Zou Junrong , Zhang Guoxi
Published: June 2022

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent malignant tumor in men across developed countries. Traditional diagnostic and therapeutic methods for this tumor have become increasingly difficult to adapt to today’s medical philosophy, thus compromising early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Prospecting for new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets has become a hot topic in today’s research. Notably, exosomes, small vesicles characterized by a phospholipid bilayer structure released by cells that is capable of delivering different types of cargo that target specific cells to regulate biological properties, have been extensively studied. Exosomes composition, coupled with their interactions with cells make them multifaceted regulators in cancer development. Numerous studies have described the role of prostate cancer-derived exosomal proteins in diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. However, so far, there is no relevant literature to systematically summarize its role in tumors, which brings obstacles to the later research of related proteins. In this review, we summarize exosomal proteins derived from prostate cancer from different sources and summarize their roles in tumor development and drug resistance.
Treatment Strategy of Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma With Bone Marrow Involvement—A Case Report
Authors: Zhang Bicheng , Zhang Ting , Jin Lan , Zhang Yan , Wei Qichun
Published: June 2022

Bone marrow involvement (BMI) of solid tumors is a special type of distant metastasis. It has an occult onset, atypical clinical and laboratory features, and a high mortality. We present a nasopharyngeal carcinoma case with cervical and axillary lymph nodes, bilateral lung, multiple bone, and bone marrow metastases, who was treated chemotherapy plus targeted therapy under the guidance of a patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDTX) model, followed by maintenance chemotherapy plus immunotherapy. The patient’s symptoms were relieved after four cycles of chemotherapy plus targeted therapy. His bone marrow biopsy turned negative after 7 months of therapy. In addition, his total peripheral T cells as well as the proportion of CD8+ T cells increased during the course of therapy. The combination of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy provides an effective antitumor regimen for advanced NPC patients with BMI.
Semi-Automatic Prostate Segmentation From Ultrasound Images Using Machine Learning and Principal Curve Based on Interpretable Mathematical Model Expression
Authors: Peng Tao , Tang Caiyin , Wu Yiyun , Cai Jing
Published: June 2022

Accurate prostate segmentation in transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is a challenging problem due to the low contrast of TRUS images and the presence of imaging artifacts such as speckle and shadow regions. To address this issue, we propose a semi-automatic model termed Hybrid Segmentation Model (H-SegMod) for prostate Region of Interest (ROI) segmentation in TRUS images. H-SegMod contains two cascaded stages. The first stage is to obtain the vertices sequences based on an improved principal curve-based model, where a few radiologist-selected seed points are used as prior. The second stage is to find a map function for describing the smooth prostate contour based on an improved machine learning model. Experimental results show that our proposed model achieved superior segmentation results compared with several other state-of-the-art models, achieving an average Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), Jaccard Similarity Coefficient (Ω), and Accuracy (ACC) of 96.5%, 95.2%, and 96.3%, respectively.
Gross Tumor Volume Predicts Survival and Pathological Complete Response of Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Wang Rong , Zhou Xiaomei , Liu Tongxin , Lin Shuimiao , Wang Yanxia , Deng Xiaogang , Wang Wei
Published: June 2022

Background

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neo-CRT) plus surgery has greatly improved the prognosis of locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC) patients. But which factors may influence the pathological tumor response and long-term survival remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify the prognostic biomarkers of locally advanced EC patients receiving neo-CRT.

Methods

We reviewed the data of 72 patients with cT2-4N0-3M0 EC who underwent neo-CRT at our hospital. The patients received intensity-modulated radiation therapy with a total radiation dose of 41.4–60.0 Gy. Most patients received platinum + paclitaxel-based combination regimens every three weeks for 2–4 cycles. The recorded data included age, sex, smoking history, alcohol use, histology, tumor location, clinical TNM stage, tumor length, gross tumor volume (GTV), GTV of primary tumor (GTVp), GTV of lymph nodes (GTVn), radiation dose, and number of chemotherapy cycles. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and pathological complete response (pCR) were analyzed.

Results

The 3-year OS and PFS rates of these patients who underwent neo-CRT were 51.14% and 43.28%, respectively. In the univariate analyses, smoking history, clinical stage, GTV, GTVp, and GTVn were significantly associated with OS, whereas alcohol use, GTV, GTVp, and GTVn were significantly associated with PFS. Furthermore, in the multivariate analysis, GTV was an independent prognostic predictor of OS (hazard ratio (HR): 14.14, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.747–53.33, P < 0.0001) and PFS (HR: 6.090, 95% CI: 2.398–15.47, P < 0.0001). In addition, GTV < 60.50 cm3 compared to > 60.50 cm3 was significantly associated with higher pCR rate (59.3% and 27.8%, respectively, P = 0.038). High dose (> 50 Gy) and increased number of chemotherapy cycles (≥ 3) didn’t improve the OS or PFS in patients with GTV > 60.50 cm3.

Conclusion

GTV was an independent prognostic factor of long-term survival in EC patients, which may be because GTV is associated with histological response to neo-CRT. Additionally, patients with GTV > 60.50 cm3 didn’t benefit from increased radiation dose or increased number of chemotherapy cycles.
16 Months Follow Up of Patients’ Behavior and Mild COVID-19 Patterns in a Large Cohort of Cancer Patients During the Pandemic
Authors: Hajjaji Nawale , Lepoutre Kathleen , Lakhdar Sarra , Bécourt Stéphanie , Bellier Charlotte , Kaczmarek Emilie , Broyelle Antonin , Giscard Sandrine , Lartigau Eric
Published: June 2022

Background: Acute severe forms of COVID-19 infection are more likely in cancer patients and growing attention has been given to the persistent symptoms of the disease after severe COVID-19. However, mild illness is the dominant clinical presentation of COVID-19 infection. To investigate patients’ behavior and the short- and longer-term pattern of the disease in cancer patients with mild COVID infection, a longitudinal online survey was conducted for 16 months during the pandemic in a large cohort of cancer patients from a French COVID-19 hot spot. An online questionnaire was administered at three time points between the first wave of the pandemic in France and the fourth wave. The questionnaire was completed by 1415 to 2224 patients, which queried patients’ demographics, their behavior, and COVID infection patterns. Seventy percent of the patients were female, and 40% had a comorbid condition. More than one-third of the participants had breast cancer, and half were survivors. The rate of infection was 30% during wave 1 and 10% in wave 4; most patients had a mild COVID-19 infection. Twenty-five percent of infected patients during wave 4 did not seek medical advice. At wave 4, 87% of the patients received at least one dose of vaccine. Systematic compliance to shielding measures decreased over time. The short-term pattern of mild COVID changed between wave 1 and wave 4. Twenty-two percent of infected patients experienced persistent signs for more than 6 months with a negative impact on sleep, social behavior, and increased consumption of stress-relieving drugs. Our results showed a high prevalence of long-lasting symptoms in cancer patients with mild COVID-19 infection and inadequate behavior toward the disease and prevention measures among patients.
Endoscopic Screening for Second Primary Tumors of the Esophagus Among Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Authors: Chung Chen-Shuan , Liao Li-Jen , Wu Chia-Yun , Lo Wu-Chia , Hsieh Chen-Hsi , Lee Tzong-His , Liu Chao-Yu , Kuo Deng-Yu , Shueng Pei-Wei
Published: June 2022

Malignancies of the head and neck (HN) region and esophagus are among the most common cancers worldwide. Due to exposure to common carcinogens and the theory of field cancerization, HN cancer patients have a high risk of developing second primary tumors (SPTs). In our review of 28 studies with 51,454 HN cancer patients, the prevalence of SPTs was 12%. The HN area is the most common site of SPTs, followed by the lungs and esophagus, and 13% of HN cancer patients have been reported to have esophageal high-grade dysplasia or invasive carcinoma. The prognosis of HN cancer patients with concomitant esophageal SPTs is poor, and therefore identifying esophageal SPTs as early as possible is of paramount importance for risk stratification and to guide the treatment strategy. Image-enhanced endoscopy, especially using narrow-band imaging endoscopy and Lugol’s chromoendoscopy, has been shown to improve the diagnostic performance in detecting esophageal neoplasms at an early stage. Moreover, the early detection and minimally invasive endoscopic treatment of early esophageal neoplasm has been shown to improve the prognosis. Well-designed prospective studies are warranted to establish appropriate treatment and surveillance programs for HN cancer patients with esophageal SPTs.
New Sights Into Long Non-Coding RNA LINC01133 in Cancer
Authors: Jiang Shengnan , Zhang Qian , Li Jiaqi , Raziq Khadija , Kang Xinyu , Liang Shiyin , Sun Chaoyue , Liang Xiao , Zhao Di , Fu Songbin , Cai Mengdi
Published: June 2022

LINC01133 is a long intergenic non-coding RNA that regulates malignancy in several cancers, including those of the digestive, female reproductive, respiratory, and urinary system. LINC01133 is an extensively studied lncRNA that is highly conserved, and its relatively stable expression is essential for its robust biological function. Its expression is highly tissue-specific with a distinct subcellular localization. It functions as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor gene in different cancers via multiple mechanisms, such as those that involve competing with endogenous RNA and binding to RNA-binding proteins or DNA. Moreover, the secretion and transportation of LINC01133 by extracellular vesicles in the tumor micro-environment is regulated by other cells in the tumor micro-environment. To date, two mechanisms, an increase in copy number and regulation of transcription elements, have been found to regulate LINC01133 expression. Clinically, LINC01133 is an ideal marker for cancer prognosis and a potential therapeutic target in cancer treatment regimes. In this review, we aimed to summarize the aforementioned information as well as posit future directions for LINC01133 research.