bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting Farmers’ Knowledge on Using Antibiotics and Gas Reducers in Pangas (Pangasius pangasius) Fish Health Management
Authors: Kuri Subrato Kumar , Riday Ifran Ahmed , Uddin Md. Nasir , Vines Karen A.
Published: November 2022

Most fish farmers of the global south had limited knowledge on how or why to use aqua drugs. The study was undertaken mainly to explore the extent of knowledge of pangas (Pangasius pangasius) fish farmers on using antibiotics and gas reducers in Pangasius fish health management. Moreover, the study will explore the factors, which affect farmers knowledge on using antibiotics and gas reducers in Pangasius fish health management. For the first time, we divide the knowledge in to four dimensions, including factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive dimensions to understand farmers’ knowledge on different aspects of using aqua drugs and merged with Innovation-decision model. The study was conducted at Bailar union under Trishal Upazila (sub-district) of Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. All pangas fish farmers’ (87) in the study area were considered as a population while 72 farmers were selected as sample by random sampling technique. A structured interview schedule was used for data collection using face to face survey method in winter 2022 following a quantitative correlational approach. Findings showed that survey participants had better knowledge of conceptual dimensions that is followed by metacognitive, procedural, and factual knowledge and age, education, annual income, experience, extension media contact, mixed antibiotics in feed before feeding, and pond management were identified as influential determinants of the farmers’ knowledge. The findings of this study will be implemented by different government and non-government extension organizations to enhance the knowledge of the farmers on using antibiotics and gas reducers to manage pangas fish health. Thus, in the long run, the findings of this study will help the practitioners and policy planners to create situations, which will help to produce better quality pangas fish that is safe for humans and the environment.
Transcriptome and metabolome analysis reveals key genes and secondary metabolites of Casuarina casuarina in response to drought stress
Authors: Zhang Shike , He Chunmei , Jian Shuguang , Wei Long , Liu Nan
Published: November 2022

Casuarina equisetifolia is drought resistant, salt resistant, and able to grow in barren environments. It is often used to reduce wind damage, to prevent sand erosion, and to help establish plant communities in tropical and subtropical coastal zones. To determine the basis for its drought resistance, we conducted transcriptomic and metabolic analyses of young branchlets under a non-drought treatment (D_0h) and 2-, 12-, and 24-h-long drought treatments (D_2h, D_12h, and D_24h). A total of 5033 and 8159 differentially expressed genes were identified in D_0h/D_2h and D_0h/D_24h. These DEGs are involved in plant hormone signal transduction, jasmonic acid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and phenylalanine biosynthesis. A total of 148 and 168 differentially accumulated metabolites were identified in D_0h/D_12h and D_0h/D_24h. These differentially accumulated metabolites are mainly amino acids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. In conclusion, C. equisetifolia responds to drought by regulating plant hormone signal transduction and the biosynthesis of JA, flavonoids, and phenylpropane. These results increase the understanding of drought resistance in C. equisetifolia and provide new insights into coastal vegetation reconstruction and management.
Warming or cooling? The impact of heavy summer rainfall on permafrost environments
Authors: Hamm Alexandra , Magnússon Rúna , Jan Ahmad , Frampton Andrew
Published: November 2022

Permafrost thaw can cause an intensification of climate change through the release of carbon as greenhouse gases. While the effect of air temperature on permafrost thaw is well quantified, the effect of rainfall is highly variable and not well understood. Here, we provide the first meta-analysis of studies reporting on effects of rainfall on ground temperatures in permafrost environments and use a numerical model to explore the underlying physical mechanisms under different climatic conditions. Both the evaluated body of literature and the model simulations indicate that continental climates are likely to show a warming of the subsoil and hence increased end of season active layer thickness, while maritime climates tend to respond with a slight cooling effect. This suggests that dry regions with warm summers are prone to more rapid permafrost degradation under increased occurrences of heavy rainfall events in the future, which can potentially accelerate the permafrost carbon feedback.
Identification of An Immune-Related Biomarker Model Based on the CeRNA Network for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: wang wenpei , Liu Xing , zhou xiang , xiao yu , liu hongguang
Published: November 2022

Background
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 10–20% of all breast cancer cases. It represents an aggressive malignancy of frequently high histologic grade with no effective specific targeted therapies. Numerous studies have indicated that abnormal expressions of circRNAs may be a potential mechanism for the development and progression of cancer. CircRNAs may bind with miRNAs to influence the interaction between miRNAs and mRNAs and contribute to the progression of tumors, which was called as competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothesis. In this study, we aimed to establish the ceRNA network in TNBC, and identify immune-related genes.
Methods
The circRNA (GSE101123), microRNA (TCGA-TNBC), and mRNA (TCGA-TNBC) expression profiles of TNBC were collected from the GEO database and TCGA database. Immune-related genes were collected from the ImmPort database. Differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were identified. Then, the interacting relationships among circRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA were predicted, and we constructed an immune-related ceRNA network. Subsequently, an immune-related signature was developed based on mRNAs in the ceRNA network.
Results
A total of 24 DEcircRNAs, 45 DEmiRNAs, 4814 DEmRNAs were identified. After overlapping DEmRNAs with immune-related genes, we obtained 490 immune-related DEmRNAs (DEIRGs). Then we took the intersection of 490 DEIRGs and 407 predicted miRNAs to obtain 5 immune-related mRNAs (IRGs). GO and KEGG pathway analysis showed that IRGs were associated with immunity. Then, an immune-related ceRNA network was constructed. Among the IRGs in ceRNA network, the AUC curve indicated that ADCYAP1R1, ANGPTL2, IL2RA and TGFBR2 with significantly diagnosis value were identified. Finally, we analyzed the correlation between 4 hub genes and immune infiltrating cells, ADCYAP1R1 were negatively associated with Type 2 T helper cell.
Conclusion
We screened the key genes and established an immune-related ceRNA network involved in TNBC, which will assist in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis and progression.
The effect of surface treatment of zirconia with hydrofluoric acid in high concentrations on surface resistance bond: an in vitro study
Authors: de Oliveira Leonardo José Rodrigues , Júnior Eneas Pereira da Silva , Nascimento Ângela , Cavalcanti Maria Hermínia Aníbal , Júnior Rodivan Braz Silva , Silva Cláudia Geisa Souza e , Correia Tereza Cristina , Soares Natália Karolina Vieira , Braz Rodivan Braz
Published: November 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate whether conditioning with hydrofluoric acid in higher elevations with a longer application time can promote an increase in surface roughness and shear bond strength to zirconia.

Methods

Fifty zirconia cylinders (Vipiblock- Zinconn- Vipi-Brazil) were made using CAD / CAM system and cemented with Panavia F 2.0 resin cement (Kuraray-Japan) in composite resin cylinders filtek Z-350 XT (3M / ESPE-EUA), after different surface treatments of zirconia (n = 10): Group 1 - No surface treatment; Group 2 - Conditioning with 40% hydrofluoric acid, for 2 minutes; Group 3 - Conditioning with 40% hydrofluoric acid, for 4 minutes, Group 4 - Conditioning with 50% hydrofluoric acid, for 2 minutes and Group 5 - Conditioning with 50% hydrofluoric acid, for 4 minutes. Right after cementation, all specimens were subjected tothermocycling (5000 cycles; 5º to 55ºC), storaged in distilled water at 37ºC for 730 days and subjected to the shear bond strength test in a universal testing machine until fracture. The F test (ANOVA) for one factor and the multiple comparison tests of Tamanhe were used (p < 0,05).

Results

The highest mean corresponded to group 3 (4.47 Mpa), followed by group 5 (4.05 Mpa), Group 4 (3.28 Mpa) and group 2 (3.14 Mpa).
Significance
Conditioning with 40% hydrofluoric acid for 4 minutes obtained the highest values of bond strength to zirconia, however there was no statistically significant difference in relation to the concentration of 50%, for 2 and 4 minutes.
Ultra-efficient generation of time-energy entangled photon pairs in a InGaP Photonic Crystal Cavity
Authors: Chopin Alexandre , Barone Andrea , Ghorbel Ines , Combrié Sylvain , Bajoni Daniele , Raineri Fabrice , Galli Matteo , De Rossi Alfredo
Published: November 2022

Time-energy entangled photon pairs and heralded single photons are generated in a 25 μm-long, In0.5Ga0.5P Photonic Crystal cavity via degenerate Spontaneous Four-Wave-Mixing with a very large efficiency (16 GHz/mW2), owing to the very small confinement volume. Maximal efficiency is reached via thermal tuning, which compensates for the frequency mismatch of the cavity modes. A large off-chip coincidence rate (70 kHz) is measured with pump power ≈ 36 μW. Time-energy entanglement is measured with raw visibility up to 93.88 % using 1 second integration time constant. This qualifies photonic crystal cavities as sources for quantum photonics.
Pragmatic Cluster Randomized Trial to Evaluate Effectiveness and Implementation of Ehr-facilitated Collaborative Symptom Control in Cancer (E2c2): Addendum
Authors: Herrin Jeph , Rutten Lila J.Finney , Ruddy Kathryn J. , Kroenke Kurt , Cheville Andrea L.
Published: November 2022

We previously described the hypotheses, outcomes, design, and analysis for E2C2, a pragmatic stepped-wedge trial to assess an intervention to improve symptom control in patients with cancer. Subsequent consideration of the design and cohort led to the addition of a second primary hypothesis. This article describes and presents the rationale for this second hypothesis. This addendum also details a revised analytic approach, necessitated by inconsistencies in the original analytic plan. The design, outcomes, and other aspects of the protocol remain unchanged.
Epicardial Fat Thickness in Patients with Acute Retinal Vein Occlusion
Authors: Coşansu Kahraman , özmen Sedat , Vatan Mehmet Bülent
Published: November 2022

Background: Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is one of the most frequently occurring retinal vascular disorders. Epicardial fat thickness (EFT) has been associated with thromboembolic diseases, including atherosclerotic and neurovascular diseases. The relationship between EFT and RVO has not yet been explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether EFT is a marker for acute central RVO.
Methods: A total of 64 acute central RVO patients that referred from ophthalmologist for routine cardiac check and 64 age-gender matched controls were included in the study. Echocardiographic measurement of EFT was recorded between August 2021 and May 2022 in Sakarya University Education and Research Hospital according to previously published methods.
Results: In comparison with the control group, the statistically significant difference was found with regard to interventricular septal (p= .002) and posterior wall thickness (p= .005), left atrial diameter (p= .001), and aortic root diameter (p= .003). Moreover, acute central RVO patients had significantly higher epicardial fat thickness (7.04 ± 1.47 vs 4.20 ± 0.71 mm; P <0.0001). The multivariate regression analysis indicated that EFT and statin usage are independently predictors of RVO.
Conclusions: The present study showed that, EFT and statin usage are independent predictors for the development of acute RVO.
The Outcome of IV Vitamin C Therapy in Patients with Sepsis or Septic Shock: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Liang Baofang , Su Jianwei , Shao Hanquan , Chen Huiying , Xie Baocheng
Published: November 2022

Background: To update a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and further explore the outcome of IV vitamin C (IVVC) administration in sepsis or septic shock patients.
Methods: This study is a meta-analysis of RCTs. The RCTs of vitamin C therapy in sepsis were searched in PubMed, EMBASE and Clinical Trials.gov since August 16, 2022. We registered the protocol with PROSPERO (CRD42022354875). The primary outcome was mortality included 28-day, 30-day, or in hospital mortality. Two reviewers independently assessed RCTs according to eligibility criteria: 1) Study type: RCT; 2) patient population: patients ≥18 years with sepsis or septic shock; 3) intervention: IVVC at any doses as monotherapy or combined with thiamine or and hydrocortisone compared with standard of care, no intervention, or placebo (defined as control group) ; 4) the RCT described primary outcome. Then, two authors independently extracted related information from RCTs.
Results: Eighteen RCTs (n=2980 patients) were identified in this meta-analysis. Treatment with IVVC was not shown to improve mortality (odds ratio,0.87; 95% CI, 0.75–1.02; p=0.09; I2=44%) regardless of different dose or type of therapy, whereas there was significant effects in duration of vasopressor use (MD, –15.31; 95% CI, –21.92 to –8.69; p<0.00001; I2 =59%) and change in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score from baseline to 72–96 hours (MD, –0.64; 95% CI, –1.15 to –0.13; p=0.01; I2=65%), and was relatively safe in sepsis or septic shock patients (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.98–1.51; p=0.08; I2=40%).
Conclusion: In this meta-analysis, IVVC in sepsis or septic shock patients was relatively safe and significantly shorten the duration of vasopressor use and improved the change of SOFA score, whereas it was not associated with reduction in mortality.
FGF21-FGFR1 controls mitochondrial homeostasis in cardiomyocytes by modulating the degradation of OPA1
Authors: Han Yaling , Yan Bing , Mei Zhu , Tang Yaohan , Song Haixu , Wu Hanlin , Zhang Xiaolin , Yan Chenghui
Published: November 2022

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a pleiotropic hormone, secreted mainly by the liver, considered as a major regulator of energy homeostasis. Recent research revealed that FGF21 could play an important role in cardiac pathological remodeling effects and preventing cardiomyopathy, but the underlying mechanism remained largely unknown. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of FGF21 cardiac protective effects. We engineered FGF21 knock out mice, and the effects of FGF21 and its downstream mediators were subsequently elucidated using western blot, qRT-PCR, and mitochondrial morphological, functional analysis. FGF21 knock out mice resulted in cardiac dysfunction accompanied by a decline in global longitudinal strain (GLS) and ejection fraction (EF) which was independently of obesity. Mitochondrial quality, quantity and functions were abnormal accompanied with the decreased levels of optic atrophy-1 (OPA1) in FGF21 KO mice. In contrast to FGF21 knockdown, the cardiac specific overexpression of FGF21 can alleviate cardiac dysfunction caused by FGF21 deficiency. In vitro study FGF21 siRNA can deteriorate mitochondrial dynamics, functions impairment induced by CoCl2. Both recombinant FGF21 and adeno virus mediated FGF21 overexpression can alleviate CoCl2 induced mitochondrial impairment by restoring mitochondrial dynamics. FGF21 is essential for maintaining mitochondrial dynamics and functions in cardiomyocytes. FGF21, as an important target in regulating cardiomyocytes mitochondrial homeostasis under oxidative stress, will provide new therapeutic options for heart failure patients.
Climate change and human footprint increase insect defoliation across central boreal forests of Canada
Authors: Kalamandeen Michelle , Gulamhussein Imran , Castro José Bermúdez , Sothe Camile , Gonsamo Alemu
Published: November 2022

Anthropogenic climate change is contributing to increased insect infestation globally, leading to pest population growth, expansion of niche and geographic range as well as increased outbreak frequencies, resulting in economic losses and reduction in food security. In recent years, spongy moth (Lymantria dispar dispar), jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus), large aspen tortrix (Choristoneura conflictana) and spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) caused widespread defoliation across one of Canada’s most forested provinces, Ontario. Such outbreaks have been limited to field sightings around Ontario, with relatively few studies exploring potential anthropic and climate drivers of infestation. Using random forest probability estimates and satellite data downscaled to 1km spatial resolution from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), we reveal considerable expansion of insect defoliation across Ontario between 2018 and 2020 than previously recorded. High probability of infestation grew by 1300% from 2018 to 2020, an area expansion of ~40,000 km2 in the northwest and southern parts of the province. Much of the geographic expansion of outbreaks was driven by increasing temperature, and for the first time, linked to the proximity to roads. This expansion presents an important and alarming new challenge for forest conservation and management in Ontario, in particular, and Canada in general.
The clinical efficacy of a new surgical technique of oral mucosal epithelial transplantation for severe ocular surface disorders
Authors: Zhu Yuanfang , Qiu Wenya , Xu Yesheng , Yao Yufeng
Published: November 2022

Background
Sever ocular surface disorder was one of the main blinding diseases. Reconstruction work for this kind of ocular surfaces is difficult due to the lack of original tissues. We developed a new surgical technique to reconstruct the ocular surface by using oral mucosal epithelia as the alternative for the limbus in such kind of eyes since 2011, which we called it oral mucosal epithelial transplantation (OMET). The study was designed to analyze the clinical efficacy for OMET in reconstruction of eyes with severe ocular surface disorder.
Methods
Retrospective review of patients with severe ocular surface disorder who underwent OMET during 2011 to 2021 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Patients who had been followed up for at least 3 months after surgery and had sufficient pre- or postoperative records were included. Surgical efficacy was evaluated by comparing the following pre- and postoperative factors: best-corrected visual acuity, corneal transparency, neovascularization grade and symblepharon grade. Post-operative ocular surface impression cytology results were analyzed to study the morphology of the new corneal epithelial cells.
Results
Forty-eight patients (49 eyes) with a mean age of 42.55 ± 12.40 years (range, 12–66 years) were enrolled. Injuries included chemical burns (30 eyes), thermal burns (16 eyes), explosive injuries (1 eye), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (1 eye), and multiple pterygiums (1 eye). The mean follow-up period was 25.97 ± 22.99 months (range, 3–94 months). After surgery, 29 eyes (59.18%) had improved corneal transparency, and 26 eyes (53.06%) had improved best-corrected visual acuity. Forty-seven eyes (95.92%) had a stable epithelium, with a mean epithelization time of 26.04 ± 26.43 days. Forty-four eyes (89.80%) had a clearly reduced degree of neovascularization. Of 20 eyes with preoperative symblepharon, 15 (75%) were completely corrected, and 5 (25%) were partially corrected. Impression cytological studies showed that the newly transdifferentiated epithelial cells were morphologically different from the corneal or conjunctival epithelial cells and more like the oral mucosal epithelial cells of their origin.
Conclusions
OMET was an effective surgical technique for severe ocular surface disorder reconstruction.
Knowledge attitudes and practices of healthcare professionals on oral care of pregnant women- a national study
Authors: Muhammad-Safwan Nur-Afifah Syafiqah , Abdul-Mumin Khadizah H. , Rahman Hanif Abdul , Gharif Rafidah , Haji-Momin Haji-Mohin , Kisut Ramlah , Zielinski Ruth , Dhaliwal Jagjit Singh
Published: November 2022

Objective
To examine nationwide the knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare professionals on the oral care of pregnant women in Brunei Darussalam.
Materials and methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted using an online survey on eligible healthcare professionals in all Government Maternal and Child Health Care Clinics, Dental Clinics and Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinics throughout Brunei Darussalam (N = 346).
Results
A total of 346 healthcare professionals participated in this online study. Participants’ view on the importance of dental/oral health in prenatal/antenatal care, most (94.3%) responded that they perceive dental/oral health to be of high importance. Though, only a little over half of the participants (59.0%) included dental/oral health questions during prenatal/antenatal health assessments. Moreover, only 16.2% of participants frequently discussed regarding the importance of dental/oral care with their prenatal/antenatal patients.
Conclusions
According to this study, most healthcare professionals had a positive attitude towards the importance of dental/oral care for prenatal/antenatal patients. However, not all portrayed it when it comes to their practice with regard to dental/oral care in pregnant women.
Acaricide Residues in Beeswax. Implications in Honey, Brood and Honeybee and Influence of Landscape Around Colonies
Authors: Albero Beatriz , Miguel Esther , García-Valcárcel Ana I.
Published: November 2022

To make beekeeping sustainable, the management of bee colonies to produce bee products financially viable without compromising the life of bees must implement acceptable practices such as the treatment of hives with appropriate products. Occasionally, the use of acaricides to treat the hives against varroosis is uncontrolled and can accumulate in the hives endangering the bee colonies. In this work, a screening of seven acaricides was carried out in different apiaries in Andalusia (Spain). Their distribution in beeswax, brood, honey, and bee, was evaluated in different times considering the influence of the environment (agricultural, urban and forest) surrounding the colonies. It was found that beeswax was highly polluted but honey, brood and bees had acceptable levels, below their respective MRL or LD50, past a certain period after varrocide treatments. The landscape management around the hives treated with products against Varroa does not influence the hive contamination. Acaricides banned for their use against Varroa, such as chlorfenvinphos, cypermethrin and especially acrinathrin, were found in the hives analysed.
The carbohydrate-binding module mediates mCherry protein anchoring on the cell wall in rice
Authors: Xiao Guoying
Published: November 2022

The red fluorescent protein mCherry is widely used as a tagged protein in intracellular protein positioning and dynamic tracing due to its stable characteristics in color and monomer molecule. In this study, mCherry was used as a tag to explore the cell wall-directed binding of the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM). The results of fluorescent signal detection showed that both the ubiquitin promoter and the CaMV35S promoter could drive the expression of mCherry gene in seeds, leaves, and roots. The results of subcellular localization by different methods displayed that the fluorescence signals were concentrated on the cell walls of the root, stem, leaf, and vascular bundle sheath. It indicated that the CBM could mediate the red fluorescent protein anchoring on the cell wall.
Measurement and Analysis of Maxillary Anterior Teeth Color In The Chinese Population
Authors: Ruan Chenglu , Wang Lin
Published: November 2022

ObjectiveTo measure the difference in the crown color of the maxillary anterior teeth in the Chinese population, to study its potential regularity, and to provide a reference for the colorimetry of oral anterior teeth restoration.MethodUse VITA Easyshade Advance4.0 spectrophotometer to measure the color of 1/3 of maxillary anterior crowns in different age groups, use CIE-1976-L*a*b* color system to describe the color, use Spss26.0 software Statistical analysis was performed to obtain the trend of the color change of maxillary anterior teeth.Conclusion:1. The color of the labial crown of maxillary anterior teeth in the Chinese population is related to different age groups and tooth positions but not gender. 2. In the Chinese population, the color of the maxillary anterior teeth on the labial side gradually decreased from the central incisor to the distal end of the dental arch while the chroma gradually increased. 3. With age increase, the L* and a* values ​​of the upper central incisors, upper lateral incisors, and upper canines gradually decrease, and the b* value gradually increases. The teeth became darker, more yellow, and redder.
The association of KIR locus with breast cancer risk in Kermanshahi women population
Authors: Shahrokhvand Seyedeh Zahra , Payandeh Mehrdad , Samimi Zahra , Feizollahi Parisa , Ghobadinezhad Farbod , Taghadosi Mahdi , Nikjo Payam
Published: November 2022

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) regulate the antitumor effect of Natural killer cells. This study aims to compare the frequency of KIR genes distribution in women with breast cancer and the control group in Kermanshah province. This study was performed on 53 women with BC and 37 healthy women. The KIR gene content was determined by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). The frequency of the KIR- 2DL5B gene was significantly different between the two groups (P: 0.037), and this locus increases the risk of disease (OR: 2.491). The following results were associated with breast cancer risk: the cBx-tAtA distribution (OR: 5.122), the B content score 1 (OR: 5.122), tA01|tA01 (OR: 5.122) and inversely the following results were associated with protection: the cBx-tBx distribution (OR: 0.176), the B content score 2 (OR: 0.176), cA01|cB0X (OR: 0.287) and tA01|tB0X (OR: 0.301). These results suggested that KIR- 2DL5B, the cBx-tAtA, the B content score 1 and tA01|tA01 were associated with increased susceptibility while the cBx-tBx, the B content score 2, cA01|cB0X, and tA01|tB0X were associated with protection for BC in kermanshahi women population.
GATS Tag System for Protein Analysis with Biotin Labelling Methods
Authors: Yamada Kohdai , Soga Fumiya , Tokunaga Soh , Nagaoka Hikaru , Ozawa Tatsuhiko , Kishi Hiroyuki , Takashima Eizo , Sawasaki Tatsuya
Published: November 2022

Polypeptide tags and biotin labelling technologies are widely used for protein analyses in biochemistry and cell biology. Although biotin labelling reacts with a lysine residue, many peptide tag epitopes have lysine residue(s). Here, we propose the GATS tag system without a lysine residue and with high sensitivity and low non-specific binding using a rabbit monoclonal antibody against Plasmodium falciparum glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)- anchored micronemal antigen (PfGAMA). From 14 monoclonal clones, an Ra3 clone was selected as it recognized an epitope—TLSVGVQNTF—without a lysine residue; this antibody and epitope tag set was called the GATS tag system. Surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that the tag system had a high affinity of 8.71 × 10-9 M. GATS tag indicated a very low background with remarkably high sensitivity and specificity in immunoblotting using the lysates of mammalian cells. It also showed a high sensitivity for immunoprecipitation and immunostaining of cultured human cells. The tag system was highly sensitive in both biotin labelling methods for proteins using NHS-Sulfo-biotin and BioID (proximity-dependent biotin identification) in the human cells, as opposed to a commercially available tag system having lysine residues, which showed reduced sensitivity. These results showed that the GATS tag system is suitable for methods such as BioID involving labelling lysine residues.
The Limitations of Irony Detection in Dutch Social Media
Authors: Maladry Aaron , Lefever Els , Hee Cynthia Van , Hoste Véronique
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we explore the feasibility of irony detection in Dutch social media. To this end, we investigate both transformer models with embedding representations, as well as traditional machine learning classifiers with extensive feature sets. Our feature-based methodology implements a variety of information sources including lexical, semantic, syntactic, sentiment features, as well as two new data-driven features to model common sense.Based on patterns in the syntactic structure of tweets, we aim to model the presence of contrasting sentiments, a phenomenon that is known to be indicative of verbal irony and sarcasm.Feature selection, as well as voting ensemble techniques were implemented to enhance the classification performance.The final systems reach F1-scores up to 79%, which are promising results for a task as difficult as irony detection.Besides a quantitative analysis, this paper also describes a thorough qualitative analysis of the system output.Although lexical cues appear to be very important to express irony, our analysis also revealed the need for more advanced modeling of common-sense knowledge to detect more subtle examples of irony.
A study protocol of external validation of eight COVID-19 prognostic models for predicting mortality risk in older populations in a hospital, primary care, and nursing home setting
Authors: Zahra Anum , Luijken Kim , Abbink Evertine J. , Berg Jesse M. van den , Blom Marieke T. , Elders Petra , Festen Jan , Gussekloo Jacobijn , Joling Karlijn J. , Melis René , Mooijaart Simon , Peters Jeannette B. , Polinder-Bos Harmke , Raaij Bas F. M. van , Smorenberg Annemieke , Roi-Teeuw Hannah M. la , Moons Karel G.M. , Smeden Maarten van
Published: November 2022

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has a large impact worldwide and is known to particularly affect the older population. This paper outlines the protocol for external validation of prognostic models predicting mortality risk after presentation with COVID-19 in the older population. These prognostic models were originally developed in an adult population and will be validated in an older population (≥70 years of age) in three healthcare settings: the hospital setting, the primary care setting, and the nursing home setting.
Methods: Based on a living systematic review of COVID-19 prediction models, we identified eight prognostic models predicting the risk of mortality in adults with a COVID-19 infection (five COVID-19 specific models: GAL-COVID-19 mortality, 4C Mortality Score, NEWS2+ model, Xie model, and Wang clinical model and three pre-existing prognostic scores: APACHE-II, CURB65, SOFA). These eight models will be validated in six different cohorts of the Dutch elder population, three hospital cohorts, two primary care cohorts, and a nursing home cohort. All prognostic models will be validated in hospital setting while the GAL-COVID-19 mortality model will be validated in hospital, primary care, and nursing home settings. The study will include individuals ≥70 years of age with a highly suspected or PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection from March 2020 to December 2020 (and up to December 2021 in a sensitivity analysis). The predictive performance will be evaluated in terms of discrimination, calibration, and decision curves for each of the COVID-19 prognostic models in each cohort individually. For prognostic models with indications of miscalibration, an intercept update will be performed after which predictive performance will be re-evaluated.
Discussion:Insight into the performance of existing prognostic models in one of the most vulnerable populations clarifies the extent to which tailoring of COVID-19 prognostic models is needed when models are applied to the older population. Such insight will be important for possible future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemics.
Comparison of Clinical Safety and Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Local Lauromacrogol Injection Versus Uterine Artery Embolization in the Treatment of Caesarean Scar Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Du Ziwei , Xu Wenjian , Lu Jingyuan , Li Cheng
Published: November 2022

Background: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to introduce the relatively novel method of ultrasound-guided local lauromacrogol injection (USG-LLI) followed by dilatation and curettage for caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) and investigate the clinical safety and efficacy between uterine artery embolization (UAE) and USG-LLI in the treatment of CSP.
Methods: The relevant literatures and articles about USG-LLI, UAE and CSP published in eight electronic databases were searched to extract the primary outcomes of the selected articles. RevMan 5.2 software was used for Quantitative synthesis. Bias analysis, forest plots and sensitivity analysis were also carried out on the included research.
Results: Of 10 studies included in our search, 623 patients were in the USG-LLI group and 627 patients were in the UAE groups. There were no significant differences between the two groups in success rates, blood loss and time to HCG normalization. However, USG-LLI group patients than UAE group patients had a shorter duration of hospital stay (MD = -1.97; 95%CI -2.63 to -1.31; P<0.05; I2=95%), shorter restored menses (MD = -4.84; 95%CI -5.78 to -3.90; P<0.05; I2=95%), and lower complication rates [odds ratio(OR)=0.21; 95%CI:0.15 to 0.30; P<0.05]; and cheaper on expenses of hospitalization (MD =-8028.29; 95%CI -10311.18 to -5745.40; P<0.05; I2=100%).
Conclusions: The results demonstrate that USG-LLI is comparable in curative effect and success rates with UAE in the therapy of CSP, but patients in the USG-LLI group seem to have fewer complications rates, shorter duration of hospital stays and lower costs.
Membership Inference Attacks Against Temporally Correlated Data in Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Gomrokchi Maziar , Amin Susan , Aboutalebi Hossein , Wong Alexander , Precup Doina
Published: November 2022

While significant research advances have been made in the field of deep reinforcement learning, there have been no concreteadversarial attack strategies in literature tailored for studying the vulnerability of deep reinforcement learning algorithms tomembership inference attacks. In such attacking systems, the adversary targets the set of collected input data on which thedeep reinforcement learning algorithm has been trained. To address this gap, we propose an adversarial attack frameworkdesigned for testing the vulnerability of a state-of-the-art deep reinforcement learning algorithm to a membership inferenceattack. In particular, we design a series of experiments to investigate the impact of temporal correlation, which naturally existsin reinforcement learning training data, on the probability of information leakage. Moreover, we compare the performance ofcollective and individual membership attacks against the deep reinforcement learning algorithm. Experimental results showthat the proposed adversarial attack framework is surprisingly effective at inferring data with an accuracy exceeding 84% inindividual and 97% in collective modes in three different continuous control Mujoco tasks, which raises serious privacy concernsin this regard. Finally, we show that the learning state of the reinforcement learning algorithm influences the level of privacybreaches significantly.
Developing a novel porous aggregated cBN wheel and evaluating its grinding performance during machining Ti–6Al–4V alloys
Authors: Zhao Biao , Huang Qiang , Zhang Minxiu , DING Wen-Feng , Xu Jiuhua
Published: November 2022

A novel porous aggregated cBN (AcBN) wheel was prepared under high-temperature sintering processes to ensure the desired machining efficiency and quality of Ti–6Al–4V alloys. The designations of pore structures and AcBN grains within metallic grinding wheels operating at the high efficiency deep grinding processes were conducted. Variations of grinding forces and force ratio, grinding temperature, specific grinding energy along with grinding parameters, was carried out. In addition, characterization analyses of grain wear morphologies of wheel surface were then performed with vitrified monocrystalline cBN (McBN) wheels and porous AcBN wheels. Findings show that the employment of Ti-coated cBN particles contributes to the improvement of chemical bonding strength between grains and metallic matrix alloys inside AcBN grains. Compared with the severe grain wear of vitrified McBN wheels, porous AcBN wheels possess the excellent wear resistance ability and desired machining quality, owing to the abundant chip storage space and micro-fracture properties of cBN particles.
Significantly different results in the ocular surface microbiome detected by tear paper and conjunctival swab
Authors: Chen Zhangling , Xiang Zhaoyu , Cui Lipu , Qin Xinran , Chen Shuli , Jin Huiyi , Zou Haidong
Published: November 2022

Background: Great variation has been observed in the composition of the normal microbiota of the ocular surface, and therefore, in addition to differences in detection techniques, the method of collecting ocular surface specimens has a significant impact on the test results.The goal of this study is to ascertain whether the eye surface microbial communities detected by two different sampling methods are consistent and hence explore the feasibility of using tear test paper instead of conjunctival swabs to collect eye surface samples for microbial investigation.
Materials and methods: From July 15, 2021, to July 30, 2021, nonirritating tear test strips and conjunctival swabs of both eyes were used in 158 elderly people (> 60 years old) (79 diabetic and 79 nondiabetic adults) in Xinjing Community for high-throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The composition of the microbial communities in tear test paper and conjunctival swab samples was analyzed.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference in Alpha diversity of ocular surface microorganisms represented by tear strip and conjunctival swab in diabetic group (P > 0.05), but there was statistically significant difference in Alpha diversity of ocular surface microorganisms detected by tear strip and conjunctival swab in nondiabetic group (P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in Beta diversity of ocular surface microorganisms detected by two sampling methods between diabetic group and nondiabetic group (P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in ocular surface microorganisms detected by tear strip method between diabetic group and nondiabetic group (P < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in conjunctival swab method (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: Tear test paper and conjunctival swabs detect different compositions of microbes through two different techniques of eye surface microbe sampling. Tear test paper cannot completely replace conjunctival swab specimens for the study of microbes related to eye surface diseases.
Hypoxia inducible factor-1a promotes trichogenic gene expression in human dermal papilla cells
Authors: Seo Jieun , Yan Lei , Kageyama Tatsuto , Nanmo Ayaka , Chun Yang-Sook , Fukuda Junji
Published: November 2022

Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) play critical roles in hair follicle development, but the underlying mechanisms that contribute to hair regeneration have yet to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) is suppressed in scalp tissues of androgenetic alopecia patients and potentially associated with hair follicle development. In DPCs, knockdown of HIF-1a was found to attenuate trichogenic gene expression levels. Under an in vivo mimicked environment in a three-dimensional spheroid culture, HIF-1a-suppressed DPCs downregulated the expression of hair induction-related genes. Finally, treatment with a HIF-1a activator resulted in the elevated expression of trichogenic genes in DPCs. This study highlights the importance of dermal HIF-1a expression in regulating trichogenic genes and provides a promising therapeutic target and a fundamental tissue engineering approach for hair loss treatment.
Macrophages support healing of ischemic injury by transdifferentiating towards mural cells and adopting functions important for vascular support
Authors: Parv Kristel , Hidalgo Carmen Herrera , Xu Feifei , Amoedo-Leite Catarina , Giraud Antoine , Holl Daniel , Seignez Cedric , Goeritz Christian , Christoffersson Gustaf , Phillipson Mia
Published: November 2022

Sterile inflammation following injury is important for tissue restoration. In injured human and mouse tissues, macrophages were recently found to accumulate perivascularly. This study investigates if macrophages adopt a mural cell identity important for restoration following ischemic injury. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of fate-mapped macrophages from ischemic mouse muscles demonstrates an identity switch of a subpopulation of macrophages with downregulated myeloid cell genes and upregulated mural cell genes. This macrophage-to-mural cell switch was further strengthened when including unspliced transcripts in the analysis. Induction of macrophage-specific PDGFRβ-deficiency prevented the perivascular macrophage phenotype, impaired vessel maturation and increased vessel leakiness, which ultimately reduced limb function. In conclusion, macrophages in adult ischemic tissue were demonstrated to undergo a transdifferentiation program to morphologically, transcriptomically and functionally resemble mural cells while losing their macrophage identity. The macrophage-to-mural cell switch is crucial for restored tissue function, and warrants exploration for future immunotherapies to enhance healing following injury.
Positioning of a conical cutter for centrifugal blades finish machining based on the best uniform approximation (BUA) method
Authors: Dong Lei
Published: November 2022

To demonstrate the closeness between the tool and nominal surfaces during the flank milling of centrifugal blades, discrete points on the conical cutter tool axis are projected in the nominal surface normal direction, and a mapping curve on the conical surface is obtained. On this basis, a novel toolpath planning method, under hub surface constraints, is proposed for flank milling centrifugal blades using a conical cutter based on the BUA method. This is a nonlinear optimisation problem, therefore the programming linearisation method is provided. The effectiveness of the proposed BUA method is verified via numerical example of a ruled surface and compared with the least square (LS) and two-point offset (DPO) methods. The influence of the conical cutter cone angle on the planning error is also analysed. The proposed BUA method is also applied to a centrifugal blade flank milling numerical example and its feasibility is verified.
Genetic and phenotypic spectrum of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with CCNF variants from a large Chinese cohort
Authors: Zhao Bi , Jiang Qirui , Lin Junyu , Wei Qianqian , Li Chunyu , Hou Yanbing , Cao Bei , Zhang Lingyu , Ou Ruwei , Liu Kuncheng , Yang Tianmi , Xiao Yi , Shang Huifang
Published: November 2022

Background: Cyclin F (CCNF) variants have been found to be associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) / frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, the genetic and clinical characteristics of ALS patients carrying CCNFvariants are largely unknown.
Methods: Genetic analysis was performed in 1587 Chinese ALS patients and the missense variants were predicted by software. Additionally, we searched PubMed, Embase and Web of Science for relevant literatures and conducted a meta-analysis of the frequency of variants.
Results: In our ALS cohort, we identified 29 nonsynonymous variants in 41 ALS patients, among which, 18 ALS patients (1.1%) carried 15 rare missense variants which were considered as probably pathogenic variants and 11 of 15 variants were novel. Seven relevant studies were identified and a total of 43 CCNFvariants in 59 ALS patients with a frequency of 0.8% were reported. The ratio of male to female in our cohort (10/8) was similar to that in Caucasians (4/7) and significantly higher than that in Asians (10/1). The proportion of bulbar onset in Caucasian CCNF carriers was similar to our cohort (25.0% vs. 27.8%), however, bulbar onset had never been reported in previous Asian studies (0/11). FTD was not found in CCNF carriers in previous Asian studies and our cohort, but it has been reported in a FALS cohorts (1/75) in Caucasians.
Conclusion: There were some differences in the clinical characteristics among different ethnic ALS populations. More basic scientific researches are needed to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms and genotype-phenotype associations of CCNF variants.
Experimental Analysis (EA) and Finite Element Modeling (FEM) of standard, micro-wave and double-wave corrugated cardboard structures for the manufacturing of food packaging
Authors: Russo Franco Maria Di , Desole Maria Pia , Gisario Annamaria , Barletta Massimiliano
Published: November 2022

The aim of this paper is to study the mechanical behavior of corrugated board boxes, focusing attention on the strength that the same boxes are able to offer in compression under stacking conditions. A preliminary design of the corrugated cardboard structures starting from the definition of each individual layer, namely the outer liners and the innermost flute, was carried out. For this purpose, three distinct types of corrugated board structures that include flutes with different characteristics, namely the high wave (C), the medium wave (B) and even the micro-wave (E), were considered. First, experimental tests were carried out to determine the mechanical properties of the different layers of the corrugated board structures. Tensile tests were performed on samples extracted from the paper reels used as base material for the manufacturing of the liners and flutes. Instead, Edge Crush Test (ECT) and Box Compression Test (BCT) were directly performed on the corrugated cardboard structures. Secondly, a parametric Finite Element (FE) model to allow, on a comparative basis, the study of the mechanical response of the three different types of corrugated cardboard structures was developed. Lastly, a comparison between the available experimental results and the outputs of the FE model was carried out, with the same model being also adapted to evaluate additional structures where the E micro-wave was usefully combined with the B or C wave in a double-wave configuration.