bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Origins of green turtle fishery bycatch in the central Pacific revealed by mixed genetic markers
Authors: Horne John B. , Roden Suzanne E. , LaCasella Erin L. , Frey Amy , Martin Summer L. , Jones T. Todd , Murakawa Shawn , Brunson Shandell , Balazs George H. , Dutton Peter H.
Published: July 2023

Longline fishing vessels, such as those that target tuna or billfish, also unintentionally catch endangered marine turtle species on the high seas. The stock composition of this bycatch is often unknown but potentially complex, with individuals coming from many possible origins on an ocean-basin scale. To better understand the stock composition of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) bycatch we obtained 46 turtles, 27-91 cm in curved carapace length, caught by Hawaii- and American Samoa-based pelagic longline fishing vessels across large areas of the North- and South-central Pacific. We genotyped these at nine microsatellite loci and one mitochondrial DNA marker, and used a baseline of 1,043 nesting female green turtles from beaches across the Pacific for population assignment and mixed-stock analysis. By analyzing both marker types jointly we were able to increase power and genetically resolve ten baseline stocks of nesting females with mean self-assignment and simulated accuracies of 75-97%. Above the Equator, green turtle bycatch was composed mostly of individuals from Hawaiian and Eastern Pacific stocks, with a small number from the Western Pacific. Below the Equator, the most common stocks in the bycatch were from Australia and the Coral Sea, American Samoa and French Polynesia, and the Galápagos Islands. Overall, turtles originating from East, West, and Central Pacific breeding populations were major components of the bycatch, suggesting that the geographic ranges of these populations overlap across large tracts of ocean during the pelagic life history stages.
Effects of mechanical grinding on the physicochemical properties of silica aerogels
Authors: Li Rutian , Zeng Shuisheng , Shen Kai , Wang Guichao , Zhang Jun
Published: July 2023

Mechanical grinding is a facile method to get silica aerogels (SAs) with various particle sizes. However, the relationship between the grinding parameters and physicochemical properties is still unclear. In this study, we concentrated on the effects of grinding time and grinding speed on the physical and chemical properties of silica aerogels. The results reveal that the physicochemical properties of silica aerogels are more sensitive to the grinding speed rather than the grinding time. When the grinding speed is over 200 rpm, large particles of silica aerogels are crushed into smaller particles with obviously decreasing particle sizes and the silica skeletons of silica aerogels have collapsed. The reduction of particle sizes and the collapse of skeleton lead to an increase in both the tap density and thermal conductivity. Therein, the thermal conductivity is positively proportional to the density. Furthermore, the grinded silica aerogels powders still possess the contact angles over 135°, indicating the good hydrophobicity. All these demonstrate that the mechanical grinding has evident effects on the microstructure, density, thermal conductivity and particle sizes, which further impact the performance of silica aerogels during the practical applications. Given the expanding applications of SAs across various industries, the study serves as a valuable reference for optimizing the mechanical post-treatment of SAs, facilitating the achievement of desired particle sizes. Ultimately, this research holds great potential in diversifying the application fields of SAs in their powdered form.
Effect of flow rate and CNM concentration in nanofluid on the performance of convective heat transfer coefficient
Authors: Anggono Agus Dwi , Riswanto Danur , Ismoen Muhaimin , Masyrukan  , Hariyanto Agus , Sedyono Joko
Published: July 2023

The aim of this study is to investigate the thermal performance of water-based Carbon Nano Material (CNM) nanofluids, particularly in the convective heat transfer coefficient (h) parameter, and to analyze the effects of nanoparticle concentration and flow rate on an experimental heat transfer system. To achieve this, the researchers prepared the nanofluid through a 2-step method. In the first step, we mixed the nanoparticles with the base fluid using a magnetic stirrer to ensure homogenization, with the CNM-Water ratio set at 30, 75, 120, and 150 ppm. In the second step, we characterized the prepared samples, determining their size, composition, and particle morphology through PSA and SEM-EDX examination, as well as measuring their density (ρ) and specific heat (Cp). The experiments were carried out using a flow rate simulation test rig with a data acquisition system, at different flow rates of 0.2, 0.6, 1, and 1.4 L/min. Temperature (T) was measured at the inlet, outlet, and heater to determine the convective heat transfer coefficient value. The study successfully investigated the direct impact of CNM concentration and flow rate, with the results showing a consistent and expected value of the coefficient compared to previous studies. The highest coefficient value was observed at 150 ppm CNM-Water ratio and a flow rate of 1.4 L/min, with a value of 1825.37 W/(m2.K).
Aging of a dielectric fluid used for direct contact immersion cooling of batteries
Authors: Daccord Rémi , Kientz Thiébaut , Bouillot Alexandre
Published: July 2023

Batteries of electric vehicles require appropriate cooling to allow for increased performances such as high energy density and fast charging capabilities. Immersion of the cells in a dielectric fluid provides substantial benefits in terms of safety and performance, but the selection of a relevant coolant remains a complex task and guidance to engineers in the field of vehicle electrification is sparce. This paper reviews the fluid properties which are considered most significant for this application, and provides an experimental comparison of the key properties of one candidate fluid under various aging conditions devised to reproduce several years of operation in a vehicle.
Artificial intelligence can accurately distinguish IgA nephropathy from diabetic nephropathy under Masson staining and becomes an important assistant for renal pathologists
Authors: Fan Zhenliang , Yang Qiaorui , Xia Hong , Zhang Peipei , Sun Ke , Yang Mengfan , Yin Riping , Zhao Dongxue , Ma Hongzhen , Shen Yiwei , Fan Junfen
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Hyperplasia of the mesangial area is common in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and diabetic nephropathy (DN), and it is often difficult to distinguish them by light microscopy alone, especially in the absence of clinical data. At present, artificial intelligence (AI) is widely used in pathological diagnosis, but mainly in tumor pathology. The application of AI in renal pathological is still in its infancy.

Methods

Patients diagnosed as IgAN or DN by renal biopsy in First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University from September 1, 2020 to April 30, 2022 were selected as the training set, and patients who diagnosed from May 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 were selected as the test set. We focused on the glomerulus and captured the field of the glomerulus in Masson staining WSI at 200x magnification, all in 1,000 × 1,000 pixels JPEG format. We augmented the data from training set through minor affine transformation, and then randomly split the training set into training and adjustment data according to 8:2. The training data and the Yolov5 6.1 algorithm were used to train the AI model with constant adjustment of parameters according to the adjusted data. Finally, we obtained the optimal model, tested this model with test set and compared it with renal pathologists.

Results

AI can accurately detect the glomeruli. The overall accuracy of AI glomerulus detection was 98.67% and the omission rate was only 1.30%. No Intact glomerulus was missed. The overall accuracy of AI reached 73.24%, among which the accuracy of IgAN reached 77.27% and DN reached 69.59%. The AUC of IgAN was 0.733 and that of DN was 0.627. In addition, compared with renal pathologists, AI can distinguish IgAN from DN more quickly and accurately, and has higher consistency.

Discussion

We constructed an AI model based on Masson staining images of renal tissue to distinguish IgAN from DN. This model has also been successfully deployed in the work of renal pathologists to assist them in their daily diagnosis and teaching work.
Delayed MSC therapy enhances resolution of organized pneumonia induced by antibiotic resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection
Authors: Byrnes Declan , Masterson Claire , Brady Jack , Horie Shahd , McCarthy Sean D. , Gonzalez Hector , O’Toole Daniel , Laffey John
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are a promising therapeutic for pneumonia-induced sepsis. Here we sought to determine the efficacy of delayed administration of naïve and activated bone marrow (BM), adipose (AD), and umbilical cord (UC) derived MSCs in organized antibiotic resistant Klebsiella pneumosepsis.

Methods

Human BM-, AD-, and UC-MSCs were isolated and expanded and used either in the naïve state or following cytokine pre-activation. The effect of MSC tissue source and activation status was assessed first in vitro. Subsequent experiments assessed therapeutic potential as a delayed therapy at 48 h post infection of rodents with Klebsiella pneumoniae, with efficacy assessed at 120 h.

Results

BM-, AD-, and UC-MSCs accelerated epithelial healing, increased phagocytosis, and reduced ROS-induced epithelial injury in vitro, with AD-MSCs less effective, and naïve MSCs more effective than pre-activated MSCs. Delayed MSC administration in pre-clinical organized Klebsiella pneumosepsis had no effect on physiologic indices, but enhanced resolution of structural lung injury. Delayed therapy with pre-activated MSCs reduced mRNA concentrations of fibrotic factors. Naïve MSC treatment reduced key circulating cell proportions and increased bacterial killing capacity in the lungs whereas pre-activated MSCs enhanced the phagocytic index of pulmonary white cells.

Discussion

Delayed MSC therapy enhanced resolution of lung injury induced by antibiotic resistant Klebsiella infection and favorably modulated immune cell profile. Overall, AD-MSCs were less effective than either UC- or BM-MSCs, while naïve MSCs had a more favorable effect profile compared to pre-activated MSCs.
Different internal fixation methods for Hoffa-like fractures of the tibial plateau: a finite element analysis
Authors: Xue Hang , Deng Junrong , Zhang Zhenhe , Knoedler Samuel , Panayi Adriana C. , Knoedler Leonard , Mi Bobin , Liu Mengfei , Dai Guandong , Liu Guohui
Published: July 2023

Due to the low incidence of posteromedial tibial plateau fractures and limited clinical data available, the optimal treatment for this type of fracture remains to be established. This type of fracture, also known as Hoffa-like fracture of the tibial plateau, shares a similar mechanism of injury with the Hoffa fracture of the femoral condyle. In the field of orthopedics, finite element analysis is considered a valuable method to guide clinical decision-making. In this study, four methods used for internal fixation of Hoffa-like fractures of the tibial plateau were compared using computer simulation and applying a finite element method (FEM). The methods compared were lateral L-plate fixation alone (Model A); lateral L-plate combined with posterior anti-slip plate (reconstruction plate/T-plate) fixation (Model B); lateral L-plate combined with posterior hollow nail fixation of the fracture block (Model C); and lateral L-plate combined with anterior hollow nail fixation of the fracture (Model D). The maximum displacement of the model and the maximum stress of the internal fixation material were analyzed by applying an axial load of 2,500 N. The results showed that, in the normal bone model, the maximum displacement of the fracture in Model A was 0.60032 mm, with improved stability through the addition of posterior lateral plate fixation in Model B and reduction of the displacement to 0.38882 mm. The maximum displacement in Model C and Model D was comparable, amounting to 0.42345 mm and 0.42273 mm, respectively. Maximum stress was 1235.6 MPa for Model A, 84.724 MPa for Model B, 99.805 MPa for Model C, and 103.19 MPa for Model D. In the internal fixation analysis of the osteoporotic fracture model, we observed patterns similar to the results of the normal bone model. The results indicated that Model B yielded the overall best results in the treatment of Hoffa-like fractures of the tibial plateau. The orthopedic surgeon may wish to implement these insights into the perioperative algorithm, thereby refining and optimizing clinical patient care. In addition, our findings pave the way for future research efforts.
miR-223: a key regulator of pulmonary inflammation
Authors: Shi Mingyu , Lu Qianying , Zhao Yanmei , Ding Ziling , Yu Sifan , Li Junfeng , Ji Mengjun , Fan Haojun , Hou Shike
Published: July 2023

Small noncoding RNAs, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), are vital for the regulation of diverse biological processes. miR-223, an evolutionarily conserved anti-inflammatory miRNA expressed in cells of the myeloid lineage, has been implicated in the regulation of monocyte–macrophage differentiation, proinflammatory responses, and the recruitment of neutrophils. The biological functions of this gene are regulated by its expression levels in cells or tissues. In this review, we first outline the regulatory role of miR-223 in granulocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells, epithelial cells and dendritic cells (DCs). Then, we summarize the possible role of miR-223 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute lung injury (ALI), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other pulmonary inflammatory diseases to better understand the molecular regulatory networks in pulmonary inflammatory diseases.
The identification of hub-methylated differentially expressed genes in osteoarthritis patients is based on epigenomic and transcriptomic data
Authors: Chu Zhen-Chen , Cong Ting , Zhao Jian-Yu , Zhang Jian , Lou Zhi-Yuan , Gao Yang , Tang Xin
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Osteoarthritis (OA) refers to a commonly seen degenerative joint disorder and a major global public health burden. According to the existing literature, osteoarthritis is related to epigenetic changes, which are important for diagnosing and treating the disease early. Through early targeted treatment, costly treatments and poor prognosis caused by advanced osteoarthritis can be avoided.

Methods

This study combined gene differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of the transcriptome with epigenome microarray data to discover the hub gene of OA. We obtained 2 microarray datasets (GSE114007, GSE73626) in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The R software was utilized for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially methylated genes (DMGs). By using WGCNA to analyze the relationships between modules and phenotypes, it was discovered that the blue module (MEBlue) has the strongest phenotypic connection with OA (cor = 0.92, p = 4e-16). The hub genes for OA, also known as the hub methylated differentially expressed genes, were identified by matching the MEblue module to differentially methylated differentially expressed genes. Furthermore, this study used Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) to identify specific signal pathways associated with hub genes. qRT-PCR and western blotting assays were used to confirm the expression levels of the hub genes in OA patients and healthy controls.

Results

Three hub genes were discovered: HTRA1, P2RY6, and RCAN1. GSVA analysis showed that high HTRA1 expression was mainly enriched in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and apical junction; high expression of P2RY6 was mainly enriched in the peroxisome, coagulation, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition; and high expression of RCAN1 was mainly enriched in epithelial-mesenchymal-transition, TGF-β-signaling, and glycolysis. The results of the RT-qPCR and WB assay were consistent with the findings.

Discussion

The three genes tested may cause articular cartilage degeneration by inducing chondrocyte hypertrophy, regulating extracellular matrix accumulation, and improving macrophage pro-inflammatory response, resulting in the onset and progression of osteoarthritis. They can provide new ideas for targeted treatment of osteoarthritis.
Psychometric properties of the translated Spanish version of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire
Authors: Perez-Dominguez Borja , Perpiña-Martinez Sara , Escobio-Prieto Isabel , de la Fuente-Costa Marta , Rodriguez-Rodriguez Alvaro Manuel , Blanco-Diaz Maria
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Some patients with rotator cuff injuries do not report significant changes in pain-related outcomes. Pain self-efficacy, which is commonly assessed using the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, may contribute toward this outcome. However, a Spanish adaptation of this questionnaire is currently lacking. Therefore, this study’s purpose was developing the Spanish version of this questionnaire, and assess its psychometric properties.

Methods

The Spanish version of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire was translated and culturally adapted, and a sample of 107 patients with rotator cuff injuries completed the questionnaire to examine its convergent validity (analyzing its correlation with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia), its test–retest reliability, for which a subset of 40 participants completed again the questionnaire, and its internal consistency.

Results

Translation was conducted without any problems, and 107 participants completed the study. Mean scores for the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire were 45.2 points (standard deviation, 11.4). The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire showed a moderate negative correlation with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (Pearson’s correlation index r = −0.48) supporting its convergent validity. High test–retest reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of 0.90) and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α value of 0.92) were also found.

Discussion

The Spanish version of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire presents high validity, test–retest reliability, and internal consistency to assess pain self-efficacy in patients suffering rotator cuff injuries in Spanish-speaking settings.
Genome analysis of Phytophthora cactorum strains associated with crown- and leather-rot in strawberry
Authors: Gogoi Anupam , Rossmann Simeon L. , Lysøe Erik , Stensvand Arne , Brurberg May Bente
Published: July 2023

Phytophthora cactorum has two distinct pathotypes that cause crown rot and leather rot in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa). Strains of the crown rot pathotype can infect both the rhizome (crown) and fruit tissues, while strains of the leather rot pathotype can only infect the fruits of strawberry. The genome of a highly virulent crown rot strain, a low virulent crown rot strain, and three leather rot strains were sequenced using PacBio high fidelity (HiFi) long read sequencing. The reads were de novo assembled to 66.4–67.6 megabases genomes in 178–204 contigs, with N50 values ranging from 892 to 1,036 kilobases. The total number of predicted complete genes in the five P. cactorum genomes ranged from 17,286 to 17,398. Orthology analysis identified a core secretome of 8,238 genes. Comparative genomic analysis revealed differences in the composition of potential virulence effectors, such as putative RxLR and Crinklers, between the crown rot and the leather rot pathotypes. Insertions, deletions, and amino acid substitutions were detected in genes encoding putative elicitors such as beta elicitin and cellulose-binding domain proteins from the leather rot strains compared to the highly virulent crown rot strain, suggesting a potential mechanism for the crown rot strain to escape host recognition during compatible interaction with strawberry. The results presented here highlight several effectors that may facilitate the tissue-specific colonization of P. cactorum in strawberry.
YOLOv7-CSAW for maritime target detection
Authors: Zhu Qiang , Ma Ke , Wang Zhong , Shi Peibei
Published: July 2023

Introduction

The issue of low detection rates and high false negative rates in maritime search and rescue operations has been a critical problem in current target detection algorithms. This is mainly due to the complex maritime environment and the small size of most targets. These challenges affect the algorithms' robustness and generalization.

Methods

We proposed YOLOv7-CSAW, an improved maritime search and rescue target detection algorithm based on YOLOv7. We used the K-means++ algorithm for the optimal size determination of prior anchor boxes, ensuring an accurate match with actual objects. The C2f module was incorporated for a lightweight model capable of obtaining richer gradient flow information. The model's perception of small target features was increased with the non-parameter simple attention module (SimAM). We further upgraded the feature fusion network to an adaptive feature fusion network (ASFF) to address the lack of high-level semantic features in small targets. Lastly, we implemented the wise intersection over union (WIoU) loss function to tackle large positioning errors and missed detections.

Results

Our algorithm was extensively tested on a maritime search and rescue dataset with YOLOv7 as the baseline model. We observed a significant improvement in the detection performance compared to traditional deep learning algorithms, with a mean average precision (mAP) improvement of 10.73% over the baseline model.

Discussion

YOLOv7-CSAW significantly enhances the accuracy and robustness of small target detection in complex scenes. This algorithm effectively addresses the common issues experienced in maritime search and rescue operations, specifically improving the detection rates and reducing false negatives, proving to be a superior alternative to current target detection algorithms.
Changes in social behavior with MAPK2 and KCTD13/CUL3 pathways alterations in two new outbred rat models for the 16p11.2 syndromes with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Martin Lorenzo Sandra , Muniz Moreno Maria del Mar , Atas Helin , Pellen Marion , Nalesso Valérie , Raffelsberger Wolfgang , Prevost Geraldine , Lindner Loic , Birling Marie-Christine , Menoret Séverine , Tesson Laurent , Negroni Luc , Concordet Jean-Paul , Anegon Ignacio , Herault Yann
Published: July 2023

Copy number variations (CNVs) of the human 16p11.2 locus are associated with several developmental/neurocognitive syndromes. Particularly, deletion and duplication of this genetic interval are found in patients with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability and other psychiatric traits. The high gene density associated with the region and the strong phenotypic variability of incomplete penetrance, make the study of the 16p11.2 syndromes extremely complex. To systematically study the effect of 16p11.2 CNVs and identify candidate genes and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology, mouse models were generated previously and showed learning and memory, and to some extent social deficits. To go further in understanding the social deficits caused by 16p11.2 syndromes, we engineered deletion and duplication of the homologous region to the human 16p11.2 genetic interval in two rat outbred strains, Sprague Dawley (SD) and Long Evans (LE). The 16p11.2 rat models displayed convergent defects in social behavior and in the novel object test in male carriers from both genetic backgrounds. Interestingly major pathways affecting MAPK1 and CUL3 were found altered in the rat 16p11.2 models with additional changes in males compared to females. Altogether, the consequences of the 16p11.2 genetic region dosage on social behavior are now found in three different species: humans, mice and rats. In addition, the rat models pointed to sexual dimorphism with lower severity of phenotypes in rat females compared to male mutants. This phenomenon is also observed in humans. We are convinced that the two rat models will be key to further investigating social behavior and understanding the brain mechanisms and specific brain regions that are key to controlling social behavior.
The use of nonnormalized surface EMG and feature inputs for LSTM-based powered ankle prosthesis control algorithm development
Authors: Keleş Ahmet Doğukan , Türksoy Ramazan Tarık , Yucesoy Can A.
Published: July 2023

Advancements in instrumentation support improved powered ankle prostheses hardware development. However, control algorithms have limitations regarding number and type of sensors utilized and achieving autonomous adaptation, which is key to a natural ambulation. Surface electromyogram (sEMG) sensors are promising. With a minimized number of sEMG inputs an economic control algorithm can be developed, whereas limiting the use of lower leg muscles will provide a practical algorithm for both ankle disarticulation and transtibial amputation. To determine appropriate sensor combinations, a systematic assessment of the predictive success of variations of multiple sEMG inputs in estimating ankle position and moment has to conducted. More importantly, tackling the use of nonnormalized sEMG data in such algorithm development to overcome processing complexities in real-time is essential, but lacking. We used healthy population level walking data to (1) develop sagittal ankle position and moment predicting algorithms using nonnormalized sEMG, and (2) rank all muscle combinations based on success to determine economic and practical algorithms. Eight lower extremity muscles were studied as sEMG inputs to a long-short-term memory (LSTM) neural network architecture: tibialis anterior (TA), soleus (SO), medial gastrocnemius (MG), peroneus longus (PL), rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), biceps femoris (BF) and gluteus maximus (GMax). Five features extracted from nonnormalized sEMG amplitudes were used: integrated EMG (IEMG), mean absolute value (MAV), Willison amplitude (WAMP), root mean square (RMS) and waveform length (WL). Muscle and feature combination variations were ranked using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r > 0.90 indicates successful correlations), the root-mean-square error and one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping between the original data and LSTM response. The results showed that IEMG+WL yields the best feature combination performance. The best performing variation was MG + RF + VM (rposition = 0.9099 and rmoment = 0.9707) whereas, PL (rposition = 0.9001, rmoment = 0.9703) and GMax+VM (rposition = 0.9010, rmoment = 0.9718) were distinguished as the economic and practical variations, respectively. The study established for the first time the use of nonnormalized sEMG in control algorithm development for level walking.
The origins of the full-field flash electroretinogram b-wave
Authors: Bhatt Yashvi , Hunt David M. , Carvalho Livia S.
Published: July 2023

The electroretinogram (ERG) measures the electrical activity of retinal neurons and glial cells in response to a light stimulus. Amongst other techniques, clinicians utilize the ERG to diagnose various eye diseases, including inherited conditions such as cone-rod dystrophy, rod-cone dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa and Usher syndrome, and to assess overall retinal health. An ERG measures the scotopic and photopic systems separately and mainly consists of an a-wave and a b-wave. The other major components of the dark-adapted ERG response include the oscillatory potentials, c-wave, and d-wave. The dark-adapted a-wave is the initial corneal negative wave that arises from the outer segments of the rod and cone photoreceptors hyperpolarizing in response to a light stimulus. This is followed by the slower, positive, and prolonged b-wave, whose origins remain elusive. Despite a large body of work, there remains controversy around the mechanisms involved in the generation of the b-wave. Several hypotheses attribute the origins of the b-wave to bipolar or Müller glial cells or a dual contribution from both cell types. This review will discuss the current hypothesis for the cellular origins of the dark-adapted ERG, with a focus on the b-wave.
Differential splicing choices made by neurons and astrocytes and their importance when investigating signal-dependent alternative splicing in neural cells
Authors: Baxter Paul S. , Dando Owen , Hardingham Giles E.
Published: July 2023

A variety of proteins can be encoded by a single gene via the differential splicing of exons. In neurons this form of alternative splicing can be controlled by activity-dependent calcium signaling, leading to the properties of proteins being altered, including ion channels, neurotransmitter receptors and synaptic cell adhesion molecules. The pre-synaptic cell adhesion molecule Neurexin 1 (Nrxn1) is alternatively spliced at splice-site 4 (SS4) which governs exon 22 inclusion (SS4+) and consequently postsynaptic NMDA receptor responses. Nrxn1 was reported to be subject to a delayed-onset shift in Nrxn1 SS4 splicing resulting in increased exon 22 inclusion, involving epigenetic mechanisms which, if disrupted, reduce memory stability. Exon inclusion at SS4 represented one of hundreds of exons reported to be subject to a genome-wide shift in fractional exon inclusion following membrane depolarization with high extracellular K+ that was delayed in onset. We report that high K+ does not increase the SS4+/SS4− ratio in cortical neurons, but does induce a delayed-onset NMDA receptor-dependent neuronal death. In mixed neuronal/astrocyte cultures this neuronal death results in an increase in the astrocyte: neuron ratio, and a misleading increase in SS4+/SS4− ratio attributable to astrocytes having a far higher SS4+/SS4− ratio than neurons, rather than any change in the neurons themselves. We reassessed the previously reported genome-wide delayed-onset shift in fractional exon inclusion after high K+ exposure. This revealed that the reported changes correlated strongly with differences in exon inclusion level between astrocytes and neurons, and was accompanied by a strong decrease in the ratio of neuron-specific: astrocyte-specific gene expression. As such, these changes can be explained by the neurotoxic nature of the stimulation paradigm, underlining the importance of NMDA receptor blockade when using high K+ depolarizing stimuli.
Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus) show high total protein in vitro digestibility and can provide good-to-excellent protein quality as determined by in vitro DIAAS
Authors: Hammer Laila , Moretti Diego , Abbühl-Eng Lychou , Kandiah Pabiraa , Hilaj Nikolin , Portmann Reto , Egger Lotti
Published: July 2023

Edible insects, such as mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae; TM) and crickets (Acheta domesticus; AD), are a sustainable, protein-dense novel food with a favorable amino acid profile, which might be an alternative to animal proteins. To assess the protein quality of TM and AD, we assessed the digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS), considering individual amino acids and their ileal amino acid digestibility, using an in vitro model based on the INFOGEST digestion protocol. In addition, we evaluated if various processing and food preparation steps influenced the in vitro digestibility of individual amino acids and the in vitro DIAAS values of TM and AD and compared them to chicken breast as a reference of excellent protein quality. The total protein in vitro digestibility ranged from 91 to 99% for TM and from 79 to 93% for AD and was negatively affected by oven-drying and, to a lesser extent, by chitin-reduction. The in vitro DIAAS values were 113, 89, and 92 for chicken, blanched TM, and blanched AD, respectively, when considering the indispensable amino acid (IAA) requirements of young children between 6 months and 3 years. Across different processing and food preparation methods, the in vitro DIAAS values ranged between 59 and 89 for TM and between 40 and 92 for AD, with the lowest values found in chitin-reduced insects. Due to their similarities to chicken regarding protein composition, total protein in vitro digestibility, and in vitro DIAAS values, TM and AD might be an alternative to traditional animal proteins, provided that suitable processing and food preparation methods are applied. Our in vitro DIAAS results suggest that TM and AD can thus be considered good-quality protein sources for children older than 6 months. The DIAAS calculations are currently based on crude protein (total nitrogen × 6.25), resulting in an overestimation of insect protein content, and leading to an underestimation and potential misclassification of protein quality. The in vitro model applied in this study is a valuable tool for product development to optimize the protein quality of edible insects. Further studies are required to assess the in vivo DIAAS of insects in humans.
The predictive value of radiomics-based machine learning for peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Fan , Wu Guoxue , Chen Nan , Li Ruyue
Published: July 2023

Background

For patients with gastric cancer (GC), effective preoperative identification of peritoneal metastasis (PM) remains a severe challenge in clinical practice. Regrettably, effective early identification tools are still lacking up to now. With the popularization and application of radiomics method in tumor management, some researchers try to introduce it into the early identification of PM in patients with GC. However, due to the complexity of radiomics, the value of radiomics method in the early identification of PM in GC patients remains controversial. Therefore, this systematic review was conducted to explore the feasibility of radiomics in the early identification of PM in GC patients.

Methods

PubMed, Cochrane, Embase and the Web of Science were comprehensively and systematically searched up to 25 July, 2022 (CRD42022350512). The quality of the included studies was assessed using the radiomics quality score (RQS). To discuss the superiority in diagnostic accuracy of radiomics-based machine learning, a subgroup analysis was performed by machine learning (ML) based on clinical features, radiomics features, and radiomics + clinical features.

Results

Finally, 11 eligible original studies covering 78 models were included in this systematic review. According to the meta-analysis, the radiomics + clinical features model had a c-index of 0.919 (95% CI: 0.871-0.969), pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.90 (0.83-0.94) and 0.87 (0.78-0.92), respectively, in the training set, and a c- index of 0.910 (95% CI: 0.886-0.934), pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.78 (0.71-0.84) and 0.83 (0.74-0.89), respectively, in the validation set.

Conclusions

The ML methods based on radiomics + clinical features had satisfactory accuracy for the early diagnosis of PM in GC patients, and can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic tool for clinicians. However, the lack of guidelines for the proper operation of radiomics has led to the diversification of radiomics methods, which seems to limit the development of radiomics. Even so, the clinical application value of radiomics cannot be ignored. The standardization of radiomics research is required in the future for the wider application of radiomics by developing intelligent tools of radiomics.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=350512, identifier CRD42022350512.
Intravenous immunoglobulin is safe and effective in controlling pre-existing paraneoplastic neuromuscular diseases in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: two case reports and literature review
Authors: Xiong Ge , Young Richard Benjamin , Chow Helen , Maverakis Emanual , Maselli Ricardo A. , Richman David Paul , Li Tianhong
Published: July 2023

Immune checkpoint inhibitors cause rare but potentially fatal neuromuscular complications, leading to a concern to use these agents in cancer patients with pre-existing autoimmune or inflammatory neuromuscular diseases. We report two such patients with paraneoplastic dermatomyositis and “seronegative” paraneoplastic demyelinating neuropathy, respectively, who have been successfully treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy as well as maintenance intravenous immunoglobulin. While controlling the paraneoplastic or autoimmune neuromuscular diseases, the use of intravenous immunoglobulin did not compromise the anti-cancer effect of immune checkpoint inhibitor.
Neonatal sepsis and its associated factors among neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit in Wachemo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southern Ethiopia, 2022
Authors: Mezgebu Taye , Ossabo Getachew , Zekiwos Asnakech , Mohammed Hamdino , Demisse Zerihun
Published: July 2023

Background

Neonatal sepsis is a major public health problem worldwide. It is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. The neonatal mortality rate is higher in developing countries, where the extent and causes of neonatal sepsis are not yet known. Neonatal sepsis is a leading cause of neonatal mortality in Ethiopia. As a result, this study aimed to assess the proportion and identify maternal and neonatal risk factors for neonatal sepsis among neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Methods

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2022 to July 2022 at the Wachemo University Comprehensive Specialized Teaching Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, southern Ethiopia. A total of 205 neonates with indexed mothers participated in the study. Using a consecutive sampling technique, a structured, pretested questionnaire was used to collect data from the study subjects. Data were entered into EpiData Manager version 3.1 for Windows and then exported to SPSS version 22 for further data cleaning and analysis. Descriptive analyses were performed by using frequency, percentage, and summary statistics to describe the key variables. A multivariate regression model was used to identify factors associated with neonatal sepsis. Finally, statistical significance was declared at a p-value of less than 0.05, and an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence level was used to declare the variable’s association with the outcome variable.

Result

The overall prevalence rate of neonatal sepsis was 39.5% (95% CI: 33.7–45.9). Multivariable analysis was performed by taking a variable that is statistically significant in bivariate logistic regression as a candidate variable. Multivariable model analysis showed that unmarried status AOR = 18.37 (95% CI: 1.56–216.14), maternal fever during delivery AOR = 4.74 (95% CI: 1.63–13.8), and premature rupture of membrane AOR = 7.53 (95% CI: 2.19–25.6) were variables that increased the odds of developing neonatal sepsis.

Conclusion

The study’s findings indicate that neonatal sepsis is highly prevalent. Unmarried maternal status, maternal fever during delivery, and premature rupture of the membrane were predictors of neonatal sepsis. Therefore, providing training for health workers and close monitoring and evaluation during obstetric and neonatal care are crucial to halt the occurrence of neonatal sepsis.
Case report: Multiple epstein-barr virus-associated smooth muscle tumours in a child with IL-2-inducible T-cell kinase mutation of undetermined clinical significance
Authors: Wen Qiongli , Ning Jing , Mao Zhiqun , Long Xiangdang , He Xiangling , Chen Zhihong , Di Qiuyi , Li Qiaorong , Zhuo Yu , Zhong Gang
Published: July 2023

Background

EBV-associated smooth muscle tumours (EBV-SMTs) are uncommon neoplasms associated with immunodeficiency. The pathogenesis of EBV-SMTs is poorly understood. IL-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK), a member of the Tec family of tyrosine kinases, is the predominant Tec kinase in T cells. Researchers have shown that ITK is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and carcinogenesis, and the loss of ITK function due to mutation in patients can lead to EBV-associated lymphoproliferation. Multiple Epstein-Barr virus–associated smooth muscle tumours with ITK mutation have rarely been reported.

Case presentation

A 6-year-old female child was admitted to the hospital due to recurrent bilateral hip pain for more than one year. Tumours were found in the lung, near the intracranial cavernous sinus and in the lumbar spine and paraspinal soft tissues by CT and MRI. The patient underwent vertebral tumour biopsy, which suggested low-grade myogenic or inflammatory myofibroblastic tumours, so the patient was given three courses of chemotherapy without symptom relief or mass reduction. The patient underwent lumbar mass resection, the pathological results indicated EBV-SMT, and a novel germline homozygous deletion mutation in the ITK gene was detected. The deletion mutation in this gene has not yet been reported and the clinical significance of the pathogenicity of the variant is unknown. Intrabronchial mass resection was performed under fibre bronchoscopy, and the pathological results indicated EBV-SMT. No significant recurrence or progression was observed after more than 2 years of follow-up.

Conclusions

We present a rare case of multiple EBV-SMTs combined with ITK gene mutation. Some of the tumours were removed, and some were treated conservatively. There was no significant recurrence or progression after more than two years of follow-up. The optimal treatment regimen still needs to be further explored, and the relationship between ITK gene mutation at this locus and immunodeficiency and EBV-SMT warrants further investigation.
Identification of miRNAs in extracellular vesicles as potential diagnostic markers for pediatric epilepsy and drug-resistant epilepsy via bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Ruan Yucai , Deng Xuhui , Liu Jun , Xiao Xiaobing , Yang Zhi
Published: July 2023

Background

Pediatric epilepsy (PE) is a common neurological disease. However, many challenges regarding the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PE and drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) remain unsettled. Our study aimed to identify potential miRNA biomarkers in children with epilepsy and drug-resistant epilepsy by scrutinizing differential miRNA expression profiles.

Methods

In this study, miRNA expression profiles in plasma extracellular vesicles (EV) of normal controls, children with drug-effective epilepsy (DEE), and children with DRE were obtained. In addition, differential analysis, transcription factor (TF) enrichment analysis, Gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, and target gene prediction were used to identify specifically expressed miRNAs and their potential mechanisms of action. Potential diagnostic markers for DRE were identified using machine learning algorithms, and their diagnostic efficiency was assessed by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).

Results

The hsa-miR-1307-3p, hsa-miR-196a-5p, hsa-miR-199a-3p, and hsa-miR-21-5p were identified as diagnostic markers for PE, with values of area under curve (AUC) 0.780, 0.840, 0.832, and 0.816, respectively. In addition, the logistic regression model incorporating these four miRNAs had an AUC value of 0.940, and its target gene enrichment analysis highlighted that these miRNAs were primarily enriched in the PI3K-Akt, MAPK signaling pathways, and cell cycle. Furthermore, hsa-miR-99a-5p, hsa-miR-532-5p, hsa-miR-181d-5p, and hsa-miR-181a-5p showed good performance in differentiating children with DRE from those with DEE, with AUC values of 0.737 (0.534–0.940), 0.737 (0.523–0.952), 0.788 (0.592–0.985), and 0.788 (0.603–0.974), respectively.

Conclusion

This study characterized the expression profile of miRNAs in plasma EVs of children with epilepsy and identified miRNAs that can be used for the diagnosis of DRE.
Comparative efficacy of Jaungo, a traditional herbal ointment, and a water-in-oil type non-steroidal moisturizer for radiation-induced dermatitis in patients with breast cancer: a prospective, randomized, single-blind, pilot study
Authors: Kim Eun Hye , Park Su Bin , Jin Hayun , Chung Weon Kuu , Yoon Seong Woo
Published: July 2023

Background: Radiation-induced dermatitis (RID) is one of the most prevalent side-effects of conventional cancer therapies; however, there is no standard treatment for its prevention. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of Jaungo (mainly composed of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zucc. and Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diel) and the water-in-oil-type non-steroidal moisturizer for the prevention of RID in patients with breast cancer (BC).

Methods: This is a prospective, single-blind, pilot randomized controlled trial. Between March 2021 and July 2022, 50 patients were randomly selected to use Jaungo or the moisturizer while undergoing postoperative radiation therapy (RT). Assessments were conducted nine times—every week while the patients underwent RT and 2 weeks after the end of therapy. The primary outcome was the incidence rate of RID grade ≥2. The secondary outcomes were the incidence rate of maximum grade RID, time to RID onset, RID-related quality of life (QOL) score, pain intensity, and adverse events.

Results: The incidence rate of RID grade ≥2 was 24.0% and 20.0% in the Jaungo and the moisturizer groups, respectively, with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.733). Regarding the secondary outcomes, the incidence rate of maximum grade RID (p = 0.890), mean time to RID onset (p = 0.092), cumulative incidence rate of RID (p = 0.280), RID-related QOL score, and maximum pain intensity (p = 0.844) also did not differ significantly between the groups. None of the subjects in either group experienced severe adverse effects, although one participant in the moisturizer group had mild fever and insomnia.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that Jaungo has preventive efficacy without severe side-effects against RID in patients with BC that is comparable to that of the water-in-oil type non-steroidal moisturizer. Further extensive randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are warranted to validate our findings.

Clinical Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), https://cris.nih.go.kr, identifier KCT0005971.
An innovative approach based on meta-learning for real-time modal fault diagnosis with small sample learning
Authors: Lei Tongfei , Hu Jiabei , Riaz Saleem
Published: July 2023

The actual multimodal process data usually exhibit non-linear time correlation and non-Gaussian distribution accompanied by new modes. Existing fault diagnosis methods have difficulty adapting to the complex nature of new modalities and are unable to train models based on small samples. Therefore, this paper proposes a new modal fault diagnosis method based on meta-learning (ML) and neural architecture search (NAS), MetaNAS. Specifically, the best performing network model of the existing modal is first automatically obtained using NAS, and then, the fault diagnosis model design is learned from the NAS of the existing model using ML. Finally, when generating new modalities, the gradient is updated based on the learned design experience, i.e., new modal fault diagnosis models are quickly generated under small sample conditions. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method are fully verified by the numerical system and simulation experiments of the Tennessee Eastman (TE) chemical process.