bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distributed algorithm without iterations for an integrated energy system
Authors: Tan Jiaming , Liu Xinying
Published: January 2023

Existing energy management methods for integrated energy systems are mostly in distributed communication and computation now, need a large number of iterations, and each time of iteration needs lots of communication and computation. For this reason, on one hand, the iteration may cause energy-delay. On the other hand, iteration will significantly increase the communication and computation burden. The integrated energy systems contain a variety of devices and energy resources (including renewable energy resources), so the communication and computation burden is already very high. If the communication and computation cannot be solved very well, the cost functions of each device need to be much easier to ensure the operation of the system and their systematic error will be much larger. For this reason, the result of optimization will be much worse because of the accuracy of cost functions. The greatest challenge of this issue is to establish an algorithm without iteration. For handling this issue, first, we adopt the theoretical demonstration to prove that if all prices of all devices are the same, the optimization will be realized and the instantaneous price is the one-order derivative. (we assume the relationship between the operating cost and the energy flow of each device as the convex cost functions.) Second, we reshape all cost functions. Third, we change the function to the total of the foregoing functions in the directed annular path and adopt the total function of the hole system to solve the energy price. Last, we use the price to ensure their operating condition. Our theoretical demonstration has already proved the optimization, convergence, the plug and play performance, scalability, and the emergency scheduling performance of the annular partial differential algorithm (APDA).
Discussion on key technologies of big data in financial budget performance management in low-carbon economy
Authors: Jiang Honglan
Published: January 2023

Reducing energy consumption, pollution and waste emissions are the basic elements of the concept of low-carbon economy. There is an inseparable link between low-carbon economy and financial work in enterprises. In terms of financial work, it is an indispensable element in the development of enterprises. In order to help enterprises improve their financial performance with pertinence, comparability and applicability, this paper selects clear enterprise performance evaluation indicators for analysis from the financial perspective. It aims to help enterprises save energy in a low-carbon economic environment. In this study, the performance evaluation system and financial allocation method of Anhui enterprises’ financial expenditure are studied. In the empirical analysis, 10 ordinary enterprise undergraduate colleges in Anhui Province are selected as samples. This model covers the performance evaluation scope of most financial expenditures of general enterprises in Anhui Province, and is analyzed in the process of DEA model analysis. In the process of DEA model analysis, it can better explain the input-output performance of Anhui enterprises. In this paper, financial expenditure performance evaluation indicators designed based on principal component analysis, data envelopment analysis and other analysis methods can focus on reflecting the input and output of enterprises. It can realize the standardization of evaluation results and better compare the efficiency of financial capital expenditure between enterprises. In other words, the concept of low carbon in enterprises has given a certain standard for the development of financial work. The financial department of the enterprise must fully implement the concept of low carbon during the budget period. Only in this way can we effectively promote the development of enterprises towards low-carbon and environmental protection. Finally, it will lay a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the enterprise.
An adaptive forecasting method for the aggregated load with pattern matching
Authors: Tang Yikun , Tang Zhiyuan , Gao Yi , Wei Lianbin , Zhou Jin , Han Fujia , Liu Junyong
Published: January 2023

Electrical load forecasting plays a vital role in the operation of power system. In this paper, a novel adaptive short-term load forecasting method for the aggregated load is built. The proposed method consists of two stages: load forecast model preparation stage and adaptive load forecast model selection stage. In the first stage, based on historical load data of all consumers, the typical monthly load patterns are firstly identified in an optimal fashion with the aid of the cosine similarity. Then, for each identified monthly load pattern, a stacking ensemble learning method is proposed to train the load forecasting model. In the second stage, according to the similarity between individual load data of the latest month and the identified monthly load pattern, all the consumers are firstly classified into different groups where each group corresponds to a particular load pattern. Then, for each group, the corresponding trained load forecasting model is employed for short-term load forecast and the final forecast of the aggregated load is calculated as a simple aggregation of the produced load forecast for each group of consumers. Case studies conducted on open dataset show that, compared with the single forecasting model, the proposed adaptive load forecasting method can effectively improve the load forecasting accuracy.
CEEMDAN-CatBoost-SATCN-based short-term load forecasting model considering time series decomposition and feature selection
Authors: Wang Yunjia , Zhang Zeya , Pang Ning , Sun Zengjie , Xu Lixiong
Published: January 2023

The rapidly increasing randomness and volatility of electrical power loads urge computationally efficient and accurate short-term load forecasting methods for ensuring the operational efficiency and reliability of the power system. Focusing on the non-stationary and non-linear characteristics of load curves that could easily compromise the forecasting accuracy, this paper proposes a complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise–CatBoost–self-attention mechanism-integrated temporal convolutional network (CEEMDAN-CatBoost-SATCN)-based short-term load forecasting method, integrating time series decomposition and feature selection. CEEMDAN decomposes the original load into some periodically fluctuating components with different frequencies. With their fluctuation patterns being evaluated with permutation entropy, these components with close fluctuation patterns are further merged to improve computational efficiency. Thereafter, a CatBoost-based recursive feature elimination algorithm is applied to obtain the optimal feature subsets to the merged components based on feature importance, which can effectively reduce the dimension of input variables. On this basis, SATCN which consists of a convolutional neural network and self-attention mechanism is proposed. The case study shows that time series decomposition and feature selection have a positive effect on improving forecasting accuracy. Compared with other forecasting methods and evaluated with a mean absolute percentage error and root mean square error, the proposed method outperforms in forecasting accuracy.
The effect of animal husbandry on economic growth: Evidence from 13 provinces of North China
Authors: Wang Chu , Zhang Jinbing , Zhou Wenneng
Published: January 2023

Promoting animal husbandry industry is important to help strengthen the agricultural sector. This study starts from both socio-economic and natural factors perspectives. Based on an exploratory spatial analysis, spatial econometric model, and geographically weighted regression (GWR) model, selecting the 13 Provinces of North China as the study area, this study analyzes the spatio-temporal differences and the driving factors. This study found: 1) Between 2006 and 2017, the spatial and temporal differences of GDP in the 13 provinces were statistically significant, with increased total production values and a slowed growth of the industry. In addition, the study area showed an east-west dichotomy in husbandry industry. 2) GDP had shown obvious spatial agglomeration, of which areas with the high production value were in east of Beijing, and areas with low production value were in western Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Gansu. 3) Population, animal husbandry output values, numbers of large livestock, and cultivated areas had greatly influenced the GDP of 13 provinces in north China. 4) The three influencing factors on GDP in the 13 provinces were found to be population, animal husbandry output values, and the sizes of cultivated areas. We should synthesize these influencing factors, supplemented with public policy concessions and compensatory measures to develop policies for improving the level of local economic development. Based on this, this study aims to provide a reference for decision making to promote the coordinated development of livestock husbandry and economic growth in China, and even provide a scientific reference for the management of similar pastoral areas in the world.
Association between ecological risks and ecosystem services in an urban agglomeration in arid China
Authors: Huang Shiwen , Song Wei , Gao He , Cao Congjie , Li Junfang , Liu Bo , Yu Hao , Li Shuchang , Wei Xi , Sheng Shuangqing
Published: January 2023

Rapid urbanization leads to changes in ecosystem services and may exacerbate ecological risks. Clarifying the relationship between these two factors in a specific context is essential to explore the integrated management model and achieve sustainable regional development. However, previous studies mainly lack an integrated analysis, fail to clearly explain the mechanism of ecosystem change, and can neither support landscape ecological security construction nor spatial planning and management. This study, using the urban agglomeration on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (UANSTM) as an example, applied multi-source data from 2010 to 2020, investigated the changes and relationships between ecological risks and ecosystem services, and proposes an assessment framework. The total ecosystem services (TES) of the studied agglomeration showed a decreasing trend, with an overall loss of 0.43%. Corresponding to the decrease of ecosystem services, the ecological risk was higher in the south and north of the UANSTM and lower in the northwestern, central, and eastern regions. The proportion of ecological high-risk areas was expanding. The key to the relationship between ecological risks and ecosystem services is the change in hydrological conditions. Therefore, we suggest that the UANSTM actively transforms the development and use mode of water resources and coordinates their allocation, aiming to reduce regional ecological risks and optimize the pattern of ecosystem services.
Digital economy, environmental regulation and green eco-efficiency—Empirical evidence from 285 cities in China
Authors: Yang Yiwen , Liang Qiye
Published: January 2023

Strengthening green eco-efficiency has emerged as one of China’s key objectives for its present economic green development. All walks of life have progressively begun to pay attention to how to leverage the rapidly developing digital economy to promote regional green eco-efficiency upgrading. This work first develops a mathematical model to investigate the inherent mechanism of digital economy development on green eco-efficiency enhancement and presents a research hypothesis, which is then followed by a fixed-effects model and a spatial econometric model to evaluate the geographic spillover effect of digital economy development on green eco-efficiency enhancement and the moderating influence of environmental regulation. According to the test results, the growth of the digital economy can greatly increase green eco-efficiency, with environmental legislation acting as a helpful moderator. Additional empirical research revealed that environmental regulation and the development of the digital economy both favourably promote and adjust green eco-efficiency. However, there are various effects of different regions and different time periods, it shows that there are “strong in the East and weak in the west,” “weak in the East and weak in the west” and “weak first and then strong.” Therefore, each region in China should promote the development of digital economy, accelerate the digitization of industry, and promote the green ecological efficiency of China’s industry with the digital economy a grip. At the same time, the regulating role of government environmental regulations should be given full play to narrow the differences between regions and promote the green, coordinated, and sustainable development of each regional economy.
A systematic literature review on the forest health biomonitoring technique: A decade of practice, progress, and challenge
Authors: Abas Azlan
Published: January 2023

The approach for monitoring forest health such as canopy layer, air quality, soil texture has evolved in tandem with the advancement of new technology such as lab analysis, remote sensing etc. The application of biomonitoring techniques for example species diversity and morphological observation, on the other hand, has been positive and has made its own contribution to forest management. Many studies have been conducted in the last decade (2011–2021), which use the biomonitoring techniques in assessing the forest health status. Therefore, this study aims to systematically review the forest health biomonitoring techniques in the last decade. This study used the PRISMA guidelines as the protocol to search and analyze all the papers. This study selected 72 out of 538 papers for a thematic analysis which eventually identified four main biomonitoring techniques, namely: 1) diversity distribution, 2) morphological observations, 3) trace elements, minerals and physiological measurements, and 4) behavioral observations. The biomonitoring techniques applied to monitor forest health has evolved with numerous ways that can support existing technologies, as well as help educate people on the necessity of protecting and safeguarding the natural forest environment. This also will give more options to the authority in monitoring the forest health and not only focusing on technology.
Transcriptome analysis and identification of genes associated with leaf crude protein content in foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.]
Authors: Cui Yanjiao , Liu Dan , Zhao Zilong , Zhang Jing , Li Suying , Liu Zhengli
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Spruce spider mite is a primary insect pest of Chinese chestnut in China and seriously influences its yield and quality. However, the current management against this mite is costly and poorly effective. In previous research, we bred several foxtail millet materials for interplanting with chestnut tree, and found that they had high levels of crude protein (CP) in leaves and attracted spruce spider mite to feed on the leaves, thereby reducing chestnut damage.

Methods: In this study, four foxtail millet varieties with significant differences in leaf crude protein content were used for high-throughput sequencing and identification of genes associated with leaf crude protein content. Gene enrichment analyses were carried out to comprehend the functions of these genes and the biological processes in which they are involved. In addition, transcription factors (TFs) were evaluated.

Results: 435 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, suggesting their potential role in crude protein accumulation. Some differentially expressed genes were found to be associated with nitrogen metabolism and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis pathways. Moreover, we identified 40 TF genes categorized into 11 transcription factor families.

Discussion: Our findings represent an important resource that clarifies the mechanisms of accumulation and control of leaf crude protein in foxtail millet, and provide an opportunity for suppression of spruce spider mite attack on Chinese chestnut by interplanting with foxtail millet varieties with high concentrations of leaf crude protein.
Case report: Abolishing primary resistance to PD-1 blockade by short-term treatment of lenvatinib in a patient with advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Tan Tingting , Lin Xiaotong , Ling Jing , Wang Rong , Chen Yue , Cai Longmei , Sun Jingyuan , Wu Dehua , Xie Guozhu
Published: January 2023

Anti-PD-1 immunotherapy has been extensively used in treatment of patients with advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Several prospective clinical trials showed that the combined treatment of anti-PD-1 antibody plus lenvatinib, a potent receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), exhibited high response rate compared with single-agent sunitinib. However, whether the patients with primary resistance to PD-1 blockade could benefit from the addition of lenvatinib is still unclear. Herein, we reported a patient with mRCC who was primary resistant to pembrolizumab and achieved a durable complete response after a short-term treatment with lenvatinib. This case report indicates that the patients with primary resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy could benefit from the short-term lenvatinib in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy, and provides a useful paradigm worthy of establishing a clinical trial for mRCC patients with primary resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy.
When herpes simplex virus encephalitis meets antiviral innate immunity
Authors: Zhang Linhai , Zhang Lijia , Li Fangjing , Liu Wanyu , Tai Zhenzhen , Yang Juan , Zhang Haiqing , Tuo Jinmei , Yu Changyin , Xu Zucai
Published: January 2023

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is the most common pathogen of infectious encephalitis, accounting for nearly half of the confirmed cases of encephalitis. Its clinical symptoms are often atypical. HSV PCR in cerebrospinal fluid is helpful for diagnosis, and the prognosis is usually satisfactory after regular antiviral treatment. Interestingly, some patients with recurrent encephalitis have little antiviral effect. HSV PCR in cerebrospinal fluid is negative, but glucocorticoid has a significant effect after treatment. Specific antibodies, such as the NMDA receptor antibody, the GABA receptor antibody, and even some unknown antibodies, can be isolated from cerebrospinal fluid, proving that the immune system contributes to recurrent encephalitis, but the specific mechanism is still unclear. Based on recent studies, we attempt to summarize the relationship between herpes simplex encephalitis and innate immunity, providing more clues for researchers to explore this field further.
Coupling Lagrangian simulation models and remote sensing to explore the environmental effect on larval growth rate: The Mediterranean case study of round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) early life stages
Authors: Torri Marco , Russo Stefania , Falcini Federico , De Luca Biagio , Colella Simone , Volpe Gianluca , Corrado Raffaele , Placenti Francesco , Giaramita Luigi , Musco Marianna , Masullo Tiziana , Bennici Carmelo , Di Natale Marilena Vita , Patti Bernardo , Lacorata Guglielmo , Arculeo Marco , Cuttitta Angela
Published: January 2023

The relationship between environmental conditions and early life-history traits of Sardinella aurita are investigated using material collected in two sites of the Central Mediterranean Sea. Individual mean daily growth during the planktonic phase has been determined by using otolith microstructure analysis, while Lagrangian simulation models allowed to estimate the daily position in space and time of each specimen from the hatching to the catch. Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs) have been implemented to explore the impact of environmental conditions at time t, t-1 day and t-2 days on the mean daily growth rate occurring at time t. Spatial analysis evidenced a wide dispersion of eggs and larvae in the coastal area of both sampling sites in correspondence to relatively warmer and chlorophyll-a enriched waters. Lagrangian simulations detected a complementary larval dispersal pathway able to transport larvae to a known retention area. Temperature at time t was the most important driver affecting the mean daily larval growth, followed by the food availability. On the other hand, models performed on lagged environmental covariates (t-1 and t-2) did not show any significant effect on the growth rate at time t. In addition to the sub-linear positive correlation between temperature and mean daily larval growth, model highlighted a decrease in the otolith core width at higher temperature that can be linked to an earlier stage of ontogeny at hatching. This study provided a useful methodological approach that takes advantage of available remote sensing data to perform ecological studies in support to fisheries management.
Recent progress and debates in molecular physiology of Na+ uptake in teleosts
Authors: Shih Shang-Wu , Yan Jia-Jiun , Chou Ming-Yi , Hwang Pung-Pung
Published: January 2023

How teleosts take up Na+ from the surrounding freshwater (FW) as well as the underlying mechanisms associated with this process have received considerable attention over the past 85 years. Owing to an enormous ion gradient between hypotonic FW and fish body fluids, teleosts gills have to actively absorb Na+ (via ionocytes) to compensate for the passive loss of Na+. To date, three models have been proposed for Na+ uptake in teleost ionocytes, including Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE)-mediated, acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC)-mediated, Na+-Cl- co-transporter (NCC)-mediated pathways. However, some debates regarding these models and unclear mechanisms still remain. To better understand how teleosts take up Na+ from FW, this mini-review summarizes the main progress and related regulatory mechanisms of Na+ uptake, and discusses some of the challenges to the current models.
Lunar plume-surface interactions using rarefiedMultiphaseFoam
Authors: Cao Z. , White C. , Agir M. B. , Kontis K.
Published: January 2023

Understanding plume-surface interactions is essential to the design of lander modules and potential bases on bodies such as the Moon, as it is important to predict erosion patterns on the surface and the transport of the displaced regolith material. Experimentally, it is difficult to replicate the extra-terrestrial conditions (e.g. the effects of reduced gravity). Existing numerical tools have limited accessibility and different levels of sophistication in the modelling of regolith entrainment and subsequent transport. In this work, a fully transient open source code for solving rarefied multiphase flows, rarefiedMultiphaseFoam, is updated with models to account for solid-solid interactions and applied to rocket exhaust plume-lunar regolith interactions. Two different models to account for the solid-solid collisions are considered; at relatively low volume fractions, a stochastic collision model, and at higher volume fractions the higher fidelity multiphase particle-in-cell (MPPIC) method. Both methods are applied to a scaled down version of the Apollo era lunar module descent engine and comparisons are drawn between the transient simulation results. It is found that the transient effects are important for the gas phase, with the shock structure and stand-off height changing as the regolith is eroded by the plume. Both models predict cratering at early times and similar dispersion characteristics as the viscous erosion becomes dominant. In general, the erosion processes are slower with the multiphase particle-in-cell method because it accounts for more physical effects, such as enduring contacts and a maximum packing limit. It is found that even if the initial volume fraction is low, the stochastic collision method can become unreliable as the plume impinges on the surface and compresses the regolith particles, invalidating the method’s assumption of only binary collisions. Additionally, it is shown that the breakdown of the locally free-molecular flow assumption that is used to calculate the drag and heat transfer on the solid particles has a strong influence on the temperatures that the solid particles obtain.
A study on the correlation between hemoglobin concentration and the storage quality of suspended red blood cells prepared from the whole blood of Tibetan male residents
Authors: Zhong Rui , Wu Xiaodong , Liu Zhijuan , He Zeng , Zhang Xuejun , Liu Jiaxin , Cao Ye , Wang Hong
Published: January 2023

Background

Previous studies reported that the blood of Tibetans living at different altitudes may vary slightly. There is evidence that the harsh environmental conditions at high altitudes, such as low pressure and hypoxia, may affect the morphology and hemorheology of red blood cells (RBCs). Hypoxia would increase the levels of hemoglobin ([Hb]) and hematocrit (Hct), potentially increasing blood hyperviscosity and compromising blood collection and transfusions. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the in vitro storage quality of Tibetan RBCs.

Objectives

In this study, the in vitro quality of suspended RBCs (SRBCs) prepared from whole blood (WB) of Tibetan residents with varying Hb concentrations ([Hb]) was measured during storage, and the relationship between the major factors in RBC storage and [Hb] was studied.

Materials and methods

The WB of Tibetan men was divided into three groups based on [Hb] levels (group A: 120 < Hb ≤ 185 g/L; group B: 185 < Hb ≤ 210 g/L; group C: Hb > 210 g/L). The SRBCs prepared from WB were examined aseptically on days 1, 14, 21, and 35 after storage.

Results

[Hb] was not correlated with mean corpuscular volume (MCV), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), pH, P50, and hemolysis. There was a moderate or strong negative association between platelets (PLT) and [Hb] from days 1 to 35, and the PLT number of group C was lower than group A during storage. Group C had the highest change rates of electrolytes, glucose, and lactate, and there were moderate or strong positive correlations between lactate and [Hb] (r = 0.3772, p = 0.0045), glucose and [Hb] (r = 0.5845, p < 0.0001), Na+ and [Hb] (r = 0.3966, p = 0.0027), and K+ and [Hb] (r = 0.4885, p = 0.0002). Group B had the highest change rates of 2,3-DPG on day 35, and there was a negative correlation between 2,3-DPG and [Hb] (r = −0.4933, p = 0.0001).

Conclusions

These new data on the [Hb] could have implications for researchers wishing to study the storage quality of Tibetan SRBCs, particularly in the context of erythrocyte metabolism, and we propose finding a new, suitable alternative solution for plateau SRBCs, particularly the blood with [Hb] greater than 185 g/L. Our results could have important implications for researchers wishing to study the potential framework of high-altitude-induced SRBC storage lesions.
Butyrate limits the replication of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in intestine epithelial cells by enhancing GPR43-mediated IFN-III production
Authors: He Haiyan , Fan Xuelei , Shen Haiyan , Gou Hongchao , Zhang Chunhong , Liu Zhicheng , Zhang Bin , Wuri Nile , Zhang Jianfeng , Liao Ming , Geri Letu
Published: January 2023

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a threat to the health of newborn piglets and has a significant impact on the swine industry. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are gut microbial metabolites that regulate intestinal function through different mechanisms to enhance the intestinal barrier and immune function. In this study, we aimed to determine whether butyrate displayed a better effect than other SCFAs on limiting PEDV replication in porcine intestinal epithelial cells. Mechanistically, butyrate treatment activated the interferon (IFN) response and interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression. Further experiments showed that inhibition of GPR43 (free fatty acid receptor 2) in intestinal epithelial cells increased virus infection and reduced antiviral effects through IFN λ response. Our findings revealed that butyrate exerts its antiviral effects by inducing GPR43-mediated IFN production in intestinal epithelial cells.
Toward robust and scalable deep spiking reinforcement learning
Authors: Akl Mahmoud , Ergene Deniz , Walter Florian , Knoll Alois
Published: January 2023

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) combines reinforcement learning algorithms with deep neural networks (DNNs). Spiking neural networks (SNNs) have been shown to be a biologically plausible and energy efficient alternative to DNNs. Since the introduction of surrogate gradient approaches that allowed to overcome the discontinuity in the spike function, SNNs can now be trained with the backpropagation through time (BPTT) algorithm. While largely explored on supervised learning problems, little work has been done on investigating the use of SNNs as function approximators in DRL. Here we show how SNNs can be applied to different DRL algorithms like Deep Q-Network (DQN) and Twin-Delayed Deep Deteministic Policy Gradient (TD3) for discrete and continuous action space environments, respectively. We found that SNNs are sensitive to the additional hyperparameters introduced by spiking neuron models like current and voltage decay factors, firing thresholds, and that extensive hyperparameter tuning is inevitable. However, we show that increasing the simulation time of SNNs, as well as applying a two-neuron encoding to the input observations helps reduce the sensitivity to the membrane parameters. Furthermore, we show that randomizing the membrane parameters, instead of selecting uniform values for all neurons, has stabilizing effects on the training. We conclude that SNNs can be utilized for learning complex continuous control problems with state-of-the-art DRL algorithms. While the training complexity increases, the resulting SNNs can be directly executed on neuromorphic processors and potentially benefit from their high energy efficiency.
Dendritic spinule-mediated structural synaptic plasticity: Implications for development, aging, and psychiatric disease
Authors: Zaccard Colleen R. , Gippo Isabel , Song Amy , Geula Changiz , Penzes Peter
Published: January 2023

Dendritic spines are highly dynamic and changes in their density, size, and shape underlie structural synaptic plasticity in cognition and memory. Fine membranous protrusions of spines, termed dendritic spinules, can contact neighboring neurons or glial cells and are positively regulated by neuronal activity. Spinules are thinner than filopodia, variable in length, and often emerge from large mushroom spines. Due to their nanoscale, spinules have frequently been overlooked in diffraction-limited microscopy datasets. Until recently, our knowledge of spinules has been interpreted largely from single snapshots in time captured by electron microscopy. We summarize herein the current knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of spinule formation. Additionally, we discuss possible spinule functions in structural synaptic plasticity in the context of development, adulthood, aging, and psychiatric disorders. The literature collectively implicates spinules as a mode of structural synaptic plasticity and suggests the existence of morphologically and functionally distinct spinule subsets. A recent time-lapse, enhanced resolution imaging study demonstrated that the majority of spinules are small, short-lived, and dynamic, potentially exploring their environment or mediating retrograde signaling and membrane remodeling via trans-endocytosis. A subset of activity-enhanced, elongated, long-lived spinules is associated with complex PSDs, and preferentially contacts adjacent axonal boutons not presynaptic to the spine head. Hence, long-lived spinules can form secondary synapses with the potential to alter synaptic connectivity. Published studies further suggest that decreased spinules are associated with impaired synaptic plasticity and intellectual disability, while increased spinules are linked to hyperexcitability and neurodegenerative diseases. In summary, the literature indicates that spinules mediate structural synaptic plasticity and perturbations in spinules can contribute to synaptic dysfunction and psychiatric disease. Additional studies would be beneficial to further delineate the molecular mechanisms of spinule formation and determine the exact role of spinules in development, adulthood, aging, and psychiatric disorders.
Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk, prognosis, and quality of life: A systematic review
Authors: Bu Yuan , Qu Junchao , Ji Siqi , Zhou Jingxin , Xue Mengxin , Qu Jiling , Sun Huiping , Liu Yongbing
Published: January 2023

Background

Statistics indicate that the morbidity of breast cancer is increasing globally, and its (overall figures) incidence has now surpassed that of lung cancer for the first time. The relation between a whole dietary pattern, rather than of a single food or nutrient, and breast cancer (BC) should be examined for findings to capture the complexities of diet and the potential for synergism between dietary components. Hence, the effects of dietary patterns on breast cancer have recently attracted increasing attention.

Objective

To systematically review the effects of dietary patterns on breast cancer risk, prognosis, and quality of life in survivors.

Methods

This systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. Data from Ovid, China Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, CNKI, PubMed, Weipu, The Cochrane Library, Duxiu Data, ProQuest, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus Database were retrieved and evaluated.

Results

A total of 47 studies that investigated the association between eating patterns and breast cancer were identified. Ten studies evaluated the effect of the model on treatment outcome and prognosis of breast cancer and two cross-sectional studies examined the influence of dietary patterns on quality of life. The resulting favorable dietary patterns were shown to regulate metabolic biomarkers, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and protective genes, and inhibit cell proliferation and invasion.

Conclusion

Numerous studies have examined the effects of healthy eating, plant-based, anti-inflammation, low-fat, and other favorable dietary patterns in relation to breast cancer. However, few studies reported significant associations and the studies had limitations, suggesting that the current findings should be interpreted with caution.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, CRD4202 2350171.
Compound dark tea ameliorates obesity and hepatic steatosis and modulates the gut microbiota in mice
Authors: Qu Jianyu , Ye Mengke , Wen Chi , Cheng Xianyu , Zou Lirui , Li Mengyao , Liu Xiangyan , Liu Zhonghua , Wen Lixin , Wang Ji
Published: January 2023

Dark tea is a fermented tea that plays a role in regulating the homeostasis of intestinal microorganisms. Previous studies have found that dark tea can improve obesity and has a lipid-lowering effect. In this study, green tea, Ilex latifolia Thunb (kuding tea) and Momordica grosvenori (Luo Han Guo) were added to a new compound dark tea (CDT), to improve the taste and health of this beverage. High-fat diet-fed C57BL/6J mice were treated with low- (6 mg/mL) or high- (12 mg/mL) concentrations of CDT for 18 weeks to assess their effect on lipid metabolism. Our results suggest that low- and high-concentrations of CDT could reduce body weight by 15 and 16% and by 44 and 38% of body fat, respectively, by attenuating body weight gain and fat accumulation, improving glucose tolerance, alleviating metabolic endotoxemia, and regulating the mRNA expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes. In addition, low concentrations of CDT were able to reduce the abundance of Desulfovibrio, which is positively associated with obesity, and increase the abundance of Ruminococcus, which are negatively associated with obesity. This study demonstrates the effect of CDT on ameliorating lipid metabolism and provides new insights into the research and development of functional tea beverages.
Feasibility and acceptability of self-collection of Human Papillomavirus samples for primary cervical cancer screening on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua: A mixed-methods study
Authors: Mitchell Emma McKim , Hall Katherine M. , Doede Aubrey , Rong Anneda , McLean Estrada Michelet , Granera Orlando Benito , Maldonado Francisco , Al Kallas Hala , Bravo-Rodriguez Cassandra , Forero Mariana , Pokam Tchuisseu Yolande , Dillingham Rebecca A.
Published: January 2023

Background

Cervical cancer is the primary cause of cancer death for women in Nicaragua, despite being highly preventable through vaccination against high-risk genotypes of the Human Papillomavirus (hrHPV), screening for hrHPV, and early detection of lesions. Despite technological advances designed to increase access to screening in low resource settings, barriers to increasing population-level screening coverage persist. On the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, only 59% of women have received one lifetime screen, compared to 78.6% of eligible women living on the Pacific and in the Interior. In concordance with the WHO’s call for best practices to eliminate cervical cancer, we explored the feasibility and acceptability of self-collection of samples for hrHPV testing on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua through a multi-year, bi-national, community-based mixed methods study.

Methods

Between 2016 and 2019, focus groups (n=25), key informant interviews (n=12) [phase I] and an environmental scan [phase II] were conducted on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua in partnership and collaboration with long-term research partners at the University of Virginia and community-based organizations. In spring 2020, underscreened women on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua were recruited and screened for hrHPV, with the choice of clinician collection or self-collection of samples.

Results

Over the course of the study, providers and potential patients expressed significant acceptability of self-collection of samples as a strategy to reduce barriers currently contributing to the low rates of screening (phases I and II). Ultimately 99.16% (n=1,767) of women chose to self-collect samples, demonstrating a high level of acceptability of self-collection in this pilot sample (phase III). Similarly, focus groups, key informant interviews, and the environmental scan (phases I and II) of resources indicated critical considerations for feasibility of implementation of both HPV primary screening and subsequently, self-collection of samples. Through phase III, we piloted hrHPV screening (n=1,782), with a 19.25% hrHPV positivity rate.

Conclusion

Self-collection of samples for hrHPV testing demonstrated high acceptability and feasibility. Through concerted effort at the local, regional, and national levels, this project supported capacity building in reporting, monitoring, and surveilling cervical cancer screening across the continuum of cervical cancer control.
Reconstructive complications and early toxicity in breast cancer patients treated with proton-based postmastectomy radiation therapy
Authors: Sayan Mutlay , Hathout Lara , Kilic Sarah S. , Jan Imraan , Gilles Ambroise , Hassell Natalie , Kowzun Maria , George Mridula , Potdevin Lindsay , Kumar Shicha , Sinkin Jeremy , Agag Richard , Haffty Bruce G. , Ohri Nisha
Published: January 2023

Background

Postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) decreases the risk of locoregional recurrence and increases overall survival rates in patients with high-risk node positive breast cancer. While the number of breast cancer patients treated with proton-based PMRT has increased in recent years, there is limited data on the use of proton therapy in the postmastectomy with reconstruction setting. In this study, we compared acute toxicities and reconstructive complications in patients treated with proton-based and photon-based PMRT.

Methods

A retrospective review of our institutional database was performed to identify breast cancer patients treated with mastectomy with implant or autologous reconstruction followed by PMRT from 2015 to 2020. Baseline clinical, disease, and treatment related factors were compared between the photon-based and proton-based PMRT groups. Early toxicity outcomes and reconstructive complications following PMRT were graded by the treating physician.

Results

A total of 11 patients treated with proton-based PMRT and 26 patients treated with photon-based PMRT were included with a median follow-up of 7.4 months (range, 0.7-33 months). Six patients (55%) in the proton group had a history of breast cancer (3 ipsilateral and 3 contralateral) and received previous RT 38 months ago (median, range 7-85). There was no significant difference in mean PMRT (p = 0.064) and boost dose (p = 0.608) between the two groups. Grade 2 skin toxicity was the most common acute toxicity in both groups (55% and 73% in the proton and photon group, respectively) (p = 0.077). Three patients (27%) in the proton group developed grade 3 skin toxicity. No Grade 4 acute toxicity was reported in either group. Reconstructive complications occurred in 4 patients (36%) in the proton group and 8 patients (31%) in photon group (p = 0.946).

Conclusions

Acute skin toxicity remains the most frequent adverse event in both proton- and photon-based PMRT. In our study, reconstructive complications were not significantly higher in patients treated with proton- versus photon-based PMRT. Longer follow-up is warranted to assess late toxicities.
Biomarkers of alloimmune events in pediatric kidney transplantation
Authors: Deville Kyle A. , Seifert Michael E.
Published: January 2023

Alloimmune events such as the development of de novo donor-specific antibody (dnDSA), T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR), and antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) are the primary contributors to kidney transplant failure in children. For decades, a creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) has been the non-invasive gold standard biomarker for detecting clinically significant alloimmune events, but it suffers from low sensitivity and specificity, especially in smaller children and older allografts. Many clinically “stable” children (based on creatinine) will have alloimmune events known as “subclinical acute rejection” (based on biopsy) that merely reflect the inadequacy of creatinine-based estimates for alloimmune injury rather than a distinct phenotype from clinical rejection with allograft dysfunction. The poor biomarker performance of creatinine leads to many unnecessary surveillance and for-cause biopsies that could be avoided by integrating non-invasive biomarkers with superior sensitivity and specificity into current clinical paradigms. In this review article, we will present and appraise the current state-of-the-art in monitoring for alloimmune events in pediatric kidney transplantation. We will first discuss the current clinical standards for assessing the presence of alloimmune injury and predicting long-term outcomes. We will review principles of biomarker medicine and the application of comprehensive metrics to assess the performance of a given biomarker against the current gold standard. We will then highlight novel blood- and urine-based biomarkers (with special emphasis on pediatric biomarker studies) that have shown superior diagnostic and prognostic performance to the current clinical standards including creatinine-based eGFR. Finally, we will review some of the barriers to translating this research and implementing emerging biomarkers into common clinical practice, and present a transformative approach to using multiple biomarker platforms at different times to optimize the detection and management of critical alloimmune events in pediatric kidney transplant recipients.
Combinational antitumor strategies of exosomes as drug carriers: Mini review
Authors: Xiao Guixiu , Xu Zihan , Luo Feng
Published: January 2023

Cancer therapies have made tremendous progress in the last decade, but monotherapy still has apparent limitations and lacks therapeutic efficacy. Thus, the simultaneous administration of multiple drugs has been widely explored and has shown better outcomes. Exosomes, deriving from almost all living cells, are natural nanocarriers designed to deliver drugs to tumor sites. Therefore, combinational antitumor therapies based on exosomes, such as engineered exosomes and different combinations of chemotherapeutic agents, therapeutic nucleic acids, photosensitizers, immunotherapy and phytochemicals, have considerable prospects and potential for clinical translation. Here, we summarize current strategies of cancer combination therapy in exosomes and propose opportunities and challenges in the future.
A systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of the antibiotic treatment courses in AECOPD
Authors: Yu Haichuan , Lei Ting , Su Xiaojie , Zhang Lu , Feng Zhouzhou , Chen Xinlong , Liu Jian
Published: January 2023

Background: No consensus exists on the antibiotic treatment course for patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Former studies indicate that shorter courses might have the same efficacy with fewer adverse events, which is inconsistent with guidelines and general practice. Existing evidence allows us to conduct a systematic review and Bayesian analysis on this topic.

Methods: Four databases were searched from their inception to January 5, 2023. All statistical estimations were performed using R. “Gemtc” was the core package of analysis. CINeMA was used to assess the grade of confidence of the results.

Results: Fourteen studies were included in the Bayesian meta-analysis. No difference in the clinical success rate of antibiotic treatment was observed from a super short course (1–3 days) to a long course (≥10 days). Considering the adverse events, the short course (4–6 days) might be the safest. The majority of results were of high or moderate confidence grade.

Conclusion: Short course might cause the fewest adverse events. The clinical efficacy of antibiotics might not depend on the course length. Undeniably, more systematic explorations are warranted to investigate the clinical application of a shorter course of antibiotic treatment.
Natural compounds from botanical drugs targeting mTOR signaling pathway as promising therapeutics for atherosclerosis: A review
Authors: Wu Qian , Lv Qianyu , Liu Xiao’an , Ye Xuejiao , Cao Linlin , Wang Manshi , Li Junjia , Yang Yingtian , Li Lanlan , Wang Shihan
Published: January 2023

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including coronary artery disease, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. Hence, the mechanisms of AS are still being explored. A growing compendium of evidence supports that the activity of the mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is highly correlated with the risk of AS. The mTOR signaling pathway contributes to AS progression by regulating autophagy, cell senescence, immune response, and lipid metabolism. Various botanical drugs and their functional compounds have been found to exert anti- AS effects by modulating the activity of the mTOR signaling pathway. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis of AS based on the mTOR signaling pathway from the aspects of immune response, autophagy, cell senescence, and lipid metabolism, and comb the recent advances in natural compounds from botanical drugs to inhibit the mTOR signaling pathway and delay AS development. This review will provide a new perspective on the mechanisms and precision treatments of AS.