bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploration of the Molecular Mechanisms of Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss Treatment of Asthma in an mRNA‐miRNA Network via Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Cai Zhongdi , Liu Mimin , Yuan Fengjuan , Zeng Li , Zhao Kaiyue , Sun Ting , Li Zhuorong , Liu Rui
Published: May 2022

Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss (H. cuspidatus) is a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used in the treatment of asthma. In the present study, we applied bioinformatics techniques for mRNA‐miRNA profiling to elucidate the potential mechanisms of H. cuspidatus in asthma treatment. Bioactive compounds from H. cuspidatus, potential therapeutic targets of H. cuspidatus, and asthma‐related targets were identified from the literature and databases. The intersection of H. cuspidatus‐related targets and asthma‐related targets was identified using the STRING platform. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the Metascape platform. Networks were constructed from these nodes using Cytoscape. The results showed that 23 active compounds were identified in H. cuspidatus, sharing 122 common asthma‐related targets. Moreover, 43 miRNAs regulating 19 key targets involved in the antiasthmatic effects of H. cuspidatus were identified. Further analysis of biological pathways, active compound‐key target‐pathway network, and active compound‐key target‐miRNA network indicated that the antiasthmatic effects of H. cuspidatus mainly occurred through caffeic acid, methyl rosmarinate, luteolin, esculetin, and 8‐hydroxycirsimaritin. These compounds interacted with multiple miRNAs, including miR‐99a, miR‐498, miR‐33b, and miR‐18a, regulating multiple genes, including JAK, STAT3, EGFR, LYN, and IL‐6, in multiple pathways, including those involved in the regulation of JAK‐STAT signaling, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, PI3K‐Akt signaling, and inflammation. In summary, we have elucidated the potential mechanisms of H. cuspidatus treatment of asthma from a systemic and holistic perspective through analysis of compound‐mRNA‐miRNA interaction. Our study should provide new insights for further research on H. cuspidatus treatment of asthma.
Research on Dynamic Assessment System of Composite Fault Risk of Transmission Line Based on Blockchain Energy
Authors: Liu Jie , Jia Boyan , Ding Likun , Zhang Zhimeng , Sun Cuiying
Published: May 2022

In order to study the dynamic assessment system of composite fault risk of transmission line based on blockchain energy and in order to study the transmission line compound fault risk dynamic assessment system based on blockchain, firstly, according to the coupling relationship between power grid and natural disasters, the information resources such as data collected by power grid intelligent devices and natural meteorology are excavated, and the overall architecture of power grid disaster early warning and decision-making system supported by blockchain is built. Then, from the perspective of risk, combined with analytic hierarchy process, an index system for reasonable evaluation of distribution network fault benchmark risk is established. Quantitative assessment and risk classification shall be carried out for the failure probability, failure impact consequence, and comprehensive failure risk, so as to facilitate the adoption of risk response measures. Finally, taking several 220 kV lines in the northwest and central part of a city as examples, the icing prediction analysis verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed power grid disaster early warning decision system based on blockchain to predict the icing thickness. The experimental results show that taking the icing disaster as an example, the MPC method is used to modify the icing thickness prediction model, improve the accuracy of the icing prediction model, and verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the prediction and early warning system based on blockchain.
Two Stop-Line Method for Modern T-Shape Roundabout: Evaluation of Capacity and Optimal Signal Cycle
Authors: Jalil Khurrum , Xia Yuanqing , Zahid Muhammad Noaman , Kamal Md Abdus Samad
Published: May 2022

Uncoordinated traffic flows at the traditional roundabouts, especially with a small circumference and fewer lanes, are often heavily affected by congestion, which escalates fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, idling, and travel delay. An intriguing way to mitigate such uncoordinated flows at junctions would be facilitated through optimal traffic signalization. For this purpose, this paper presents a novel holistic Three-Leg Signalized Roundabout (TLSR) model based on two signalized stop lines (2SL). The first stop line is placed at each entry curve of a roundabout with effectual lane markings as usual. Hereafter, the second stop line is set exclusively in the circulatory roadway to improve left-turning mobility with an additional “short-lane model” to deal with heavy traffic, following specific patterns for smooth vehicle merging. The capacity and optimal signal cycle relationships are derived to evaluate the performance of the proposed TLSR-2SL, considering the internal space constraints of the roundabout. Under the various scenarios, the parameters’ sensitivity tests demonstrate that signal cycle and central radius play a significant role in enhancing the roundabout’s operational performance. From the executed simulation, the proposed framework improves the traffic flow by 15% and controls the relative error within 10% compared to benchmark methods.
Pomelo Peel Essential Oil Ameliorates Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury through Regulating Redox Homeostasis in Rats and SH-SY5Y Cells
Authors: Hu Wanxiang , Chen Menghua , Wang Wenyan , Huang Fan , Tian Xinyue , Xie Lu
Published: May 2022

Background. In cardiac accident/cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CA/CPR) rat model, oxidative stress occurs during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI), and antioxidative treatment has a neuroprotective effect. The antioxidant capabilities of pomelo peel essential oil (PPEO) have mostly been investigated in vitro, with little convincing data in vivo, particularly whether PPEO has a neuroprotective role against CIRI. Methods. In this investigation, a CA/CPR SD rat model and an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) SH-SY5Y cell model were used to imitate the CIRI, and the neuroprotective role of PPEO was discovered in both. The morphological changes of neurons after PPEO treatment were observed using Nissl staining and transmission electron microscopy, while biochemical markers such as MDA, GSH, and Fe2+ were evaluated. Furthermore, western blot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the proteins GPX4, SLC7A11, ACSL4, and Nrf2. Results. Significant morphological alterations were identified during the pathological progression of CIRI. The neurologic deficit scores improved after PPEO therapy, and the expression of GPX4 and SLC7A11 increased, while the levels of intracellular Fe2+, ROS, and ACSL4 declined. PPEO also prevented CIRI caused by erastin (a specific inhibitor of SLC7A11) or RSL3 (inhibitor of GPX4). Furthermore, PPEO-induced increases in SLC7A11 and GPX4 may be related to Nrf2 translocation to the nucleus. Conclusions. In vitro and in vivo, we verified and investigated the neuroprotective effects of PPEO on CIRI. The underlying process may be connected to redox homeostasis regulation, which enhances antioxidative capacity through upmodulation of SLC7A11 and GPX4. It implies that PPEO will be considered as a source of potential adjuvant therapeutic agents for improving CIRI outcomes.
Immune Subtype Profiling and Establishment of Prognostic Immune-Related lncRNA Pairs in Human Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Wang Xingling , Wang Jing , Yu Mingxin
Published: May 2022

This study collected immune-related genes (IRGs) and used gene expression data from TCGA database to construct a molecular subtype of ovarian cancer (OV) based on immune-related lncRNA gene pairs (IRLnc_GPs). The relationships between molecular subtypes and prognosis and clinical characteristics were further explored. IRGs were acquired from the ImmPort database, and round-robin pairing of immune-related lncRNAs was performed. The NMF algorithm was used to identify molecular subtypes, and the immune score of a single sample was calculated through ESTIMATE, TIMER, ssGSEA, MCPcounter, and CIBERSORT. The relationship between molecular subtypes and immune microenvironments was identified. A hypergeometric test was used to test the lncRNA pairs among the OV molecular subtypes (C1 and C2 subtypes). The BH method was used to screen the different lncRNA pairs, and a predictive risk model was constructed and verified. Finally, correlation analysis between the risk model, immune checkpoint genes, and chemotherapy drugs was carried out. Based on IRLnc_GP to classify 373 OV samples of TCGA, the samples were divided into two subtypes, and the prognosis between the subtypes showed significant differences. The C1 subtype with a poor prognosis was more related to the pathways of tumor occurrence and development. We identified 180 differential lncRNA pairs between subtypes and constructed a prognostic risk model based on 8 IRLnc_GPs. In the independent dataset, the distribution of subtypes in functional modules was different and highly repeatable. There were significant differences in the molecular and clinical characteristics of the subtypes and the drug sensitivity of immunotherapy/chemotherapy. In conclusion, the risk model established based on IRLnc_GP can better evaluate the prognosis of OV samples and can also assess the effects of different drug treatments in the high- and low-risk groups, providing new insights and ideas for the treatment of OV.
Breast Implant-Associated Immunological Disorders
Authors: Suh Lily J. , Khan Imran , Kelley-Patteson Christine , Mohan Ganesh , Hassanein Aladdin H. , Sinha Mithun
Published: May 2022

Background. Breast implants are commonly placed postbreast cancer reconstruction, cosmetic augmentation, and gender-affirming surgery. Breast implant illness (BII) is a systemic complication associated with breast implants. Patients with BII may experience autoimmune symptoms including fatigue, difficulty concentrating, hair loss, weight change, and depression. BII is poorly understood, and the etiology is unknown. The purpose of this literature review is to characterize BII autoimmune disorders and determine possible causes for its etiology. Methods. The PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Web of Science, and OVID databases were interrogated from 2010 to 2020 using a query strategy including search term combinations of “implants,” “breast implant illness,” “autoimmune,” and “systemic illness.” Results. BII includes a spectrum of autoimmune symptoms such as fatigue, myalgias/arthralgias, dry eyes/mouth, and rash. A review of epidemiological studies in the past ten years exhibited evidence affirming an association between breast implants and autoimmune diseases. The most commonly recognized were Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and Raynaud’s syndrome. Explantation resulted in alleviation of symptoms in over 50% of patients, strengthening the hypothesis linking breast implants to BII. Studies have shown that silicone is a biologically inert material and unlikely to be the cause of these symptoms. This is supported by the fact that increased risk of autoimmune disease was also reported in patients with other implantable biomaterials such as orthopedic implants. Recent studies shed light on a possible role of bacterial biofilm and subsequent host-pathogen interactions as a confounding factor to this problem. Conclusion. BII could be dependent on biofilm infection and the microenvironment around the implants. The true pathophysiology behind these complaints must be further investigated so that alternative treatment regimens other than explantation can be developed. Translational significance of these studies is not limited to breast implants but extends to other implants as well.
Development of a Clinically Oriented Model to Predict Antitumor Effects after PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitor Therapy
Authors: Wang Xueping , He Zhonglian , Liu Wen , Han Runkun , Li Huilan , Dai Shuqin , Zhang Lin , Mao Minjie
Published: May 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have created an advanced shift in the treatment of lung cancer (LC), but the existing biomarkers were not in clinical and widespread use. The purpose of this study was to develop a new nomogram with immune factors used for monitoring the response to ICI therapy. LC patients with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors treatment were included in this analysis. The immune biomarkers and clinicopathological characteristic values at baseline were used to estimate the tumor response. The nomogram was based on the factors that were determined by univariate and multivariate Cox hazard analysis. For internal validation, bootstrapping with 1000 resamples was used. The concordance index (

C

-index) and calibration curve were used to determine the predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Patients with lung metastasis (

P
=
0.010

), higher baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) level (

P
<
0.001

), lower baseline lymphocyte-monocyte (LMR) (

P
=
0.019

), and lower CD3+CD8+ T cell count (

P
=
0.009

) were significantly related to the tumor response. The above biomarkers were contained into the nomogram. The calibration plot for the probability of OS showed an optimal agreement between the actual observation and prediction by nomogram at 3 or 5 years after therapy. The

C

-index of nomogram for OS prediction was 0.804 (95% CI: 0.739-0.869). Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically useful. Moreover, patients were divided into two distinct risk groups for OS by the nomogram: low-risk group (OS: 17.27 months, 95% CI: 14.75-19.78) and high-risk group (OS: 6.11 months, 95% CI: 3.57-8.65), respectively. A nomogram constructed with lung metastasis baseline NLR, LMR, and CD3+CD8+ T cell count could be used to monitor and predict clinical benefit and prognosis in lung cancer patients within ICI therapy.
Amplicon-Based Analysis of the Fungal Diversity across Four Kenyan Soda Lakes
Authors: Mwirichia Romano
Published: May 2022

Microorganisms have been able to colonize and thrive in extreme environments characterized by low/high pH, temperature, salt, or pressure. Examples of extreme environments are soda lakes and soda deserts. The objective of this study was to explore the fungal diversity across soda lakes Magadi, Elmenteita, Sonachi, and Bogoria in Kenya. A new set of PCR primers was designed to amplify a fragment long enough for the 454-pyrosequencing technology. Analysis of the amplicons generated showed that the new primers amplified for diverse fungal groups. A total of 153,634 quality-filtered, nonchimeric sequences derived from the 18S region of the rRNA region were used for community diversity analysis. The sequence reads were clustered into 502 OTUs at 97% similarity cut-off using BLASTn analysis of which 432 were affiliated to known fungal phylotypes and the rest to other eukaryotes. Fungal OTUs were distributed across 107 genera affiliated to the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Glomeromycota, and and other unclassified groups refred to as Incertae sedis. The phylum Ascomycota was the most abundant in terms of OTUs. Overall, fifteen genera (Chaetomium, Monodictys, Arthrinium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Myrothecium, Phyllosticta, Coniochaeta, Diatrype, Sarocladium, Sclerotinia, Aspergillus, Preussia, and Eutypa) accounted for 65.3% of all the reads. The genus Cladosporium was detected across all the samples at varying percentages with the highest being water from Lake Bogoria (51.4%). Good’s coverage estimator values ranged between 97 and 100%, an indication that the dominant phylotypes were represented in the data. These results provide useful insights that can guide cultivation-dependent studies to understand the physiology and biochemistry of the as-yet uncultured taxa.
Aberrant ARMCX1 Expression Is an Independent Predictor of Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Xie Aosi , Wang Puyu , Chen Diqun , Zhang Hongxia
Published: May 2022

ARMCX1 (Armadillo repeat containing X-linked 1) is identified to be the novel tumor suppressor gene related to multiple tumor types. Nonetheless, its effect on gastric cancer (GC) is still poorly understood. The present work determined ARMCX1 level within GC and the relation with clinicopathological characteristics. This work also collected relevant information in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database for investigating associations of ARMCX1 with clinicopathologic variables and then validated in our GC cohort. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for assessing whether ARMCX1 expression was significant in diagnosing GC. Kaplan-Meier (KM) and Cox regression analyses were conducted for assessing clinicopathological characteristics associated with overall survival (OS) of GC cases. The data from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases was also analyzed for further validation, and biological processes (BPs) were identified by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). GC tissues showed markedly decreased ARMCX1 level relative to healthy counterparts (

P
<
0.001

). Interestingly, ARMCX1 upregulation predicted low differentiation, poor OS, increased invasion, and late tumor stage. In addition, the area under ROC curve (AUC) and

P

value were 0.747 and <0.001, separately. Cases showing ARMCX1 upregulation showed significantly poor prognostic outcome compared with patients showing downregulation (

P
=
0.007

). Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that ARMCX1 upregulation independently predicted the risk of OS (

P
=
0.0017

, hazard ratio, 1.089). GSEA analysis identified that several cancer-related pathways, such as focal adhesion, ECM receptor interaction, JAK/STAT, melanoma, WNT, and cancer, were enriched in GCs. We conclude that ARMCX1 serves as the possibly independent biomarker to diagnose and predict GC prognostic outcome.
Effects of Rapid On-Site Evaluation on Diagnostic Accuracy of Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration
Authors: Fawcett Celia , Eppenberger-Castori Serenella , Zechmann Stefan , Hanke Jasmin , Herzog Michelle , Savic Prince Spasenija , Christ Emanuel Remigius , Ebrahimi Fahim
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is well-established for the evaluation of suspicious thyroid nodules. However, a significant proportion is nondiagnostic. Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) has been proposed to improve the overall adequacy of FNA. Methods: Retrospective cohort study comparing adequacy of thyroid FNA findings pre- and postimplementation of ROSE at a tertiary center in Switzerland. Patients undergoing thyroid FNA from January 2016 to December 2019 were included. The primary outcome was the rate of nondiagnostic findings (Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology category I). Results: In total, 410 thyroid nodule FNAs were performed. Of those, 309 with standard FNA and 101 with ROSE. The majority of patients were female (71%), with a median age of 56 years (IQR 46–68) and a nodule diameter of 1.9 cm (IQR 1.2–2.9). Implementation of ROSE led to a decrease in nondiagnostic findings from 41.1% to 23.8%, with an odds ratio of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.24–0.72; p = 0.002). Implementation of ROSE was associated with significantly higher rates of Bethesda category III (27.7% vs. 19.1%), category IV (15.8% vs. 5.5%), and Bethesda category VI (6.9% vs. 2.3%). Repeated FNA was performed in 29.1% before and 20.8% after implementation of ROSE (p = 0.18). The mean number of FNA per nodule was reduced from 1.4 (0.6) to 1.2 (0.4) with ROSE (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Implementation of ROSE of thyroid nodule specimen improved diagnostic adequacy of FNA, reducing nondiagnostic findings. However, due to increased equivocal findings (Bethesda category III), there was no significant reduction of repeat FNA.
High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: Results of the Berlin Aging Study II
Authors: von Rennenberg Regina , Liman Thomas , Nolte Christian H. , Nave Alexander H. , Scheitz Jan F. , Düzel Sandra , Regitz-Zagrosek Vera , Gerstorf Denis , Steinhagen-Thiessen Elisabeth , Demuth Ilja , Endres Matthias
Published: May 2022

Introduction: There is evidence of an association between markers of cardiac injury and cognition in patients with cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) are associated with cognitive performance and cognitive decline in a population of predominantly healthy older adults. Methods: We included 1,226 predominantly healthy adults ≥60 years from the Berlin Aging Study II. Participants were recruited from the general population of the Berlin metropolitan area from 2009 to 2014. At baseline, participants underwent measurement of hs-cTnT and cognitive testing using the extended Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD-Plus) battery. In addition, the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) was performed at baseline and at follow-up (7.3 ± 1.4 years after the baseline visit). The CERAD test results were summarized into four cognitive domains (processing speed, executive function, visuo-construction, and memory). After summing-up the respective raw scores, we calculated standardized z scores. We performed unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models to assess links between hs-cTnT and cognitive domains. We used linear mixed models to analyze associations between hs-cTnT and cognitive decline according to changes in DSST scores over time. Results: The mean age of study participants at baseline was 68.5 (±3.6) years, 49% were female, and median hs-cTnT levels were 6 ng/L (IQR 4–8 ng/L). We detected no significant association between hs-cTnT and different cognitive domains at baseline after adjustment for age, sex, education, and cardiovascular risk factors. Hs-cTnT was associated with cognitive decline, which remained statistically significant after full adjustment (adjusted beta-coefficient −0.82 (−1.28 to −0.36), p = 0.001). After stratification for sex, the association with hs-cTnT remained statistically significant in men but not in women. Conclusion: Higher hs-cTnT levels in older men are associated with cognitive decline measured with the DSST.
HMGB1-Like Dorsal Switch Protein 1 Triggers a Damage Signal in Mosquito Gut to Activate Dual Oxidase via Eicosanoids
Authors: Ahmed Shabbir , Sajjadian Seyedeh Minoo , Kim Yonggyun
Published: May 2022

Several mosquitoes transmit human pathogens by blood feeding, with the gut being the main entrance for the pathogens. Thus, the gut epithelium defends the pathogens by eliciting potent immune responses. However, it was unclear how the mosquito gut discriminates pathogens among various microflora in the lumen. This study proposed a hypothesis that a damage signal might be specifically induced by pathogens in the gut. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, encodes dorsal switch protein 1 (Aa-DSP1) as a putative damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP). Aa-DSP1 was localized in the nucleus of the midgut epithelium in naïve larvae. Upon infection by a pathogenic bacterium, Serratia marcescens, Aa-DSP1 was released to hemocoel and activated phospholipase A2 (PLA2). The activated PLA2 increased the level of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the gut and subsequently increased Ca2+ signal to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) via dual oxidase (Duox). Inhibition of Aa-DSP1 via RNA interference or specific inhibitor treatment failed to increase PGE2/Ca2+ signal upon the bacterial infection. Thus, the inhibitors specifically targeting eicosanoid biosynthesis significantly prevented the upregulation of ROS production in the gut and enhanced mosquito mortality after the bacterial infection. However, such inhibitory effects were rescued by adding PGE2. These suggest that Aa-DSP1 plays an important role in immune response of the mosquito gut as a DAMP during pathogen infection by triggering a signaling pathway, DSP1/PLA2/Ca2+/Duox.
Das Verhältnis zwischen objektivem App-Engagement und Medikamentenadhärenz bei Asthma und COPD: eine retrospektive Analyse
Authors: Kaye Leanne , Gondalia Rahul , Thompson Alesha , Stempel David A. , Barrett Meredith A. 
Published: May 2022

Digitale Gesundheitstools können die Selbstüberwachung von Krankheiten fördern, aber der Zusammenhang von Smartphone-App-Engagement und Medikamentenadhärenz ist unklar. Wir bewerteten den Zusammenhang zwischen dem objektiven Smartphone-App-Engagement und der Anwendung von Controller-Medikamenten bei Erwachsenen mit Asthma und COPD. Wir analysierten retrospektiv Daten von Teilnehmern, die auf einer digitalen Selbstüberwachungsplattform für Asthma und COPD angemeldet waren. Qualifizierte Erwachsene hatten ein Smartphone und einen gekoppelten elektronischen Medikamentenmonitor (EMM). Längsschnittliche logistische Regressionen mit gemischten Effekten schätzten die Beziehung zwischen täglichem App-Engagement (App-Öffnungen, Sitzungsdauer) und täglicher Controller-Medikamentenanwendung. Es wurden die Daten von 2309 Teilnehmern (71% Asthma; 29% COPD) analysiert. Das Öffnen der App (im Vergleich zum Nichtöffnen der App) war mit signifikant höheren Chancen (OR (95%-KI)) der Controller-Medikamentenanwendung bei Asthma (2,08 (1,98; 2,19)) und COPD (1,61 (1,49; 1,75)) verbunden. Eine längere Sitzungsdauer war auch mit einer größeren Wahrscheinlichkeit verbunden, dass bei Asthma und COPD Controller-Medikamente angewendet wurden, aber die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Anwendung verringerte sich mit einer längeren Sitzungsdauer bei COPD. Diese Studie präsentiert eine neuartige Bewertung des Zusammenhangs zwischen objektiv gemessenem Smartphone-App-Engagement und Controller-Medikamentenanwendung bei Asthma und COPD. Solche Erkenntnisse können dazu beitragen, gezielte digitale Gesundheitsinstrumente und -interventionen zu entwickeln.
Epidemiology of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Developing Countries from 2009 to 2020: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Golestani Ali , Shobeiri Parnian , Sadeghi-Naini Mohsen , Jazayeri Seyed Behnam , Maroufi Seyed Farzad , Ghodsi Zahra , Dabbagh Ohadi Mohammad Amin , Mohammadi Esmaeil , Rahimi-Movaghar Vafa , Ghodsi Seyed Mohammad
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is a catastrophic event with a considerable health and economic burden on individuals and countries. This study was performed to update an earlier systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological properties of TSCI in developing countries published in 2013. Methods: Various search methods including online searching in database of EMBASE and PubMed, and hand searching were performed (2012 to May 2020). The keywords “Spinal cord injury,” “epidemiology,” “incidence,” and “prevalence” were used. Based on the definition of developing countries by the International Monetary Fund, studies related to developing countries were included. Data selection was according to PRISMA guidelines. The quality of included studies was evaluated by Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Results of meta-analysis were presented as pooled frequency, and forest, funnel, and drapery plots. Results: We identified 47 studies from 23 developing countries. The pooled incidence of TSCI in developing countries was 22.55/million/year (95% CI: 13.52; 37.62/million/year). Males comprised 80.09% (95% CI: 78.29%; 81.83%) of TSCIs, and under 30 years patients were the most affected age group. Two leading etiologies of TSCIs were motor vehicle crashes (43.18% [95% CI: 37.80%; 48.63%]) and falls (34.24% [95% CI: 29.08%; 39.59%], respectively). The difference among the frequency of complete injury (49.47% [95% CI: 43.11%; 55.84%]) and incomplete injury (50.53% [95% CI: 44.16%; 56.89%]) was insignificant. The difference among frequency of tetraplegia (46.25% [95% CI: 37.78%; 54.83%]) and paraplegia (53.75% [95% CI: 45.17%; 62.22%]) was not statistically significant. The most prevalent level of TSCI was cervical injury (43.42% [95% CI: 37.38%; 49.55%]). Conclusion: In developing countries, TSCIs are more common in young adults and males. Motor vehicle crashes and falls are the main etiologies. Understanding epidemiological characteristics of TSCIs could lead to implant-appropriate cost-effective preventive strategies to decrease TSCI incidence and burden.
Successful Neonatal, Intraoperative Neuromonitoring in the Surgical Correction of a Thoracic Dermal Sinus Tract: Technical Note
Authors: Shalita Chidyaonga , Sankey Eric W. , Bergin Stephen M. , McManigle John , Buckley Anne F. , Radtke Rodney , Torres Claudia , Dear Guy L. , Thompson Eric M.
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is commonly used during surgery of the spine and spinal cord for early surveillance of iatrogenic injury to the central and peripheral nervous system. However, for infants and young children under 3 years of age, the use of IONM is challenging due to incomplete central and peripheral myelination. Case Presentation: We report a case of a T4-T6 dermal sinus tract (DST) that was resected on day of life 23, with the successful use of IONM. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the youngest reported case of the use of IONM in the surgical correction of a DST in a neonatal patient. This case demonstrates the potential efficacy of IONM in neonatal spine surgery and the techniques used to adapt the technology to an immature nervous system.
Uma cidade grafada em luz: o cinema na crônica jornalística carioca (1894-1922)
Authors: Carvalho Danielle Crepaldi
Published: May 2022

Este artigo analisa a presença do cinema na crônica carioca publicada até 1922, procurando compreender como ele moldou o olhar dos cronistas à cidade, naqueles anos em que vielas acanhadas transformavam-se em avenidas elegantes, a convidarem a sociedade à esfera pública. Analisamos um amplo conjunto de textos cronísticos, considerando o diálogo que estabeleceram com as imagens em movimento. Nosso objetivo é levantar o arcabouço estilístico e intelectual mobilizado pelos autores deste gênero literário peculiar, situado entre a história e a literatura, no intuito de compreenderem o objeto de que tratavam. Neste sentido, consideramos tanto a abordagem do cinema enquanto temática quanto o esforço dos cronistas de forjamento de uma linguagem que procurasse mimetizar a materialidade oriunda do dispositivo fílmico.
A geopolítica das passagens em Beitbridge Moonwalk, de Dan Halter
Authors: Silva Valdir Pierote , Barros Denise Dias
Published: May 2022

O presente artigo realiza uma leitura de Beitbridge Moonwalk, vídeo do artista zimbabuense Dan Halter, apontando elementos significativos na atual configuração de geopolíticas de travessias. Para tanto, o texto recorre ao conceito de necropolítica, desenvolvido por Achille Mbembe, que permite tematizar e problematizar as redes de controles territoriais e a criminalização da mobilidade de pessoas e bens, engendrada através de uma política de morte. O crescente endurecimento das fronteiras nacionais tornou-se um importante fator limitante para as existências e práticas socioculturais e artísticas no continente africano.
Aracy Amaral: uma visão crítica em busca de uma identidade nacional nas artes visuais - 1963/1974
Authors: Fransolino Milena
Published: May 2022

Este artigo aborda a questão da cultura brasileira e da identidade nacional nas artes visuais a partir dos textos da crítica de arte Aracy Amaral publicados entre 1963 e 1974. Para tanto, recorre-se à análise de seus principais textos críticos, bem como de bibliografia historiográfica complementar. O conceito de “cisão fáustica” proposto por Marshall Berman é mobilizado como analogia para certas preocupações de Amaral, como o atraso econômico e cultural da sociedade brasileira e a busca pela identidade nacional. Pretende-se compreender de que forma seu discurso problematizava as relações, no campo das artes visuais, entre identidade nacional e as interferências artísticas e culturais internacionais – culminando também no intuito de compreensão da ideia de identidade cultural brasileira presente em sua obra.
Estratégias de ressignificação no cinema de found footage feito por mulheres
Authors: Machado Clara Bastos Marcondes
Published: May 2022

Neste artigo, propomos o levantamento e análise da prática do found footage na obra de cineastas e artistas mulheres. Aproximamos os estudos de found footage aos estudos de gênero através da ideia de ressignificação presente na obra de Judith Butler, para quem as identidades de gênero são construídas socialmente por meio da repetição de identidades coletivas dominantes e podem ser ressignificadas também na sua repetição. Ao transpormos a ideia de ressignificação para o audiovisual, nossa intenção será pensar como a repetição de imagens em novos contextos pode desafiar seu significado original. A partir desta hipótese, proporemos um conjunto de estratégias de ressignificação empregadas com relevância nessa produção: a repetição, a compilação, o conflito, a continuidade e a materialidade.
Kashmiri refugees at the verge of hepatitis B and C epidemic in the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
Authors: Kazmi Syed Ayaz , Rauf Abdu , Shafique Farheen , Asim Noreen , Shafi Nuzhat , Hassan Mahreen ul
Published: May 2022

OBJECTIVE: To determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C among immigrants residing refugee camps in Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, and to identify possible risk factors for HBV and HCV transmission. METHODS: Around 1,225 individuals inhabiting Muzaffarabad refugee camps, participated in the study. A qualitative Immuno-Chromatographic Technique was used for initial screening and PCR test was used for detection of HBV and HCV in participants. The major risk factors for HBV and HCV transmission were assessed using a questionnaire approach. RESULTS: Around 86 (7.0%) individuals were observed for HBsAg presence, and 215 (17.5%) individuals were found positive for Anti-HCV. Only 32 (2.6%) individuals were confirmed for HBV DNA and 126 (10.3%) individuals were positive for HCV RNA after PCR. Demographically, both HBsAg and Anti-HCV were found more prevalent in female (4.4% HBsAg and 10.8% Anti-HCV) population as compared to male (2.6% HBsAg and 6.7% Anti-HCV) population. Surprisingly, the HBsAg (23.5%) and Anti-HCV (41.1%) appeared to be more frequent in the age group 62–75 years. Previous history of hepatitis in the family (p < 0.0001), blood transfusion (p = 0.0197) dental treatment (p < 0.0001) and tattooing or piercing on any part of the body (p = 0.0028) were assessed as significant risk factors in HBV and HCV transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Presence of 7.0% HBsAg and 17.5% Anti-HCV in a small fragment of the migrant population cannot be overlooked. Lack of awareness among people and negligence of health department could escalate the situation.
Retrieve Fast, Rerank Smart: Cooperative and Joint Approaches for Improved Cross-Modal Retrieval
Authors: Geigle Gregor , Pfeiffer Jonas , Reimers Nils , Vulić Ivan , Gurevych Iryna
Published: May 2022

Current state-of-the-art approaches to cross- modal retrieval process text and visual input jointly, relying on Transformer-based architectures with cross-attention mechanisms that attend over all words and objects in an image. While offering unmatched retrieval performance, such models: 1) are typically pretrained from scratch and thus less scalable, 2) suffer from huge retrieval latency and inefficiency issues, which makes them impractical in realistic applications. To address these crucial gaps towards both improved and efficient cross- modal retrieval, we propose a novel fine-tuning framework that turns any pretrained text-image multi-modal model into an efficient retrieval model. The framework is based on a cooperative retrieve-and-rerank approach that combines: 1) twin networks (i.e., a bi-encoder) to separately encode all items of a corpus, enabling efficient initial retrieval, and 2) a cross-encoder component for a more nuanced (i.e., smarter) ranking of the retrieved small set of items. We also propose to jointly fine- tune the two components with shared weights, yielding a more parameter-efficient model. Our experiments on a series of standard cross-modal retrieval benchmarks in monolingual, multilingual, and zero-shot setups, demonstrate improved accuracy and huge efficiency benefits over the state-of-the-art cross- encoders.1
♫ MuSiQue: Multihop Questions via Single-hop Question Composition
Authors: Trivedi Harsh , Balasubramanian Niranjan , Khot Tushar , Sabharwal Ashish
Published: May 2022

Multihop reasoning remains an elusive goal as existing multihop benchmarks are known to be largely solvable via shortcuts. Can we create a question answering (QA) dataset that, by construction, requires proper multihop reasoning? To this end, we introduce a bottom–up approach that systematically selects composable pairs of single-hop questions that are connected, that is, where one reasoning step critically relies on information from another. This bottom–up methodology lets us explore a vast space of questions and add stringent filters as well as other mechanisms targeting connected reasoning. It provides fine-grained control over the construction process and the properties of the resulting k-hop questions. We use this methodology to create MuSiQue-Ans, a new multihop QA dataset with 25K 2–4 hop questions. Relative to existing datasets, MuSiQue-Ans is more difficult overall (3× increase in human–machine gap), and harder to cheat via disconnected reasoning (e.g., a single-hop model has a 30-point drop in F1). We further add unanswerable contrast questions to produce a more stringent dataset, MuSiQue-Full. We hope our datasets will help the NLP community develop models that perform genuine multihop reasoning.1
Relational Memory-Augmented Language Models
Authors: Liu Qi , Yogatama Dani , Blunsom Phil
Published: May 2022

We present a memory-augmented approach to condition an autoregressive language model on a knowledge graph. We represent the graph as a collection of relation triples and retrieve relevant relations for a given context to improve text generation. Experiments on WikiText-103, WMT19, and enwik8 English datasets demonstrate that our approach produces a better language model in terms of perplexity and bits per character. We also show that relational memory improves coherence, is complementary to token-based memory, and enables causal interventions. Our model provides a simple yet effective way to combine an autoregressive language model and a knowledge graph for more coherent and logical generation.
Working Faces, Facing Work: Portraying Workers at Work and the Search for the Soviet Individual
Authors: Oberländer Alexandra
Published: May 2022

Images of workers were ubiquitous in Soviet visual culture. Other than in capitalist countries, the Soviet visual regime was inextricably linked to the faces of working people; workers were elevated to the ‘status of icons’ in newspapers, journals and movies alike. According to Soviet ideology, every worker contributed to socialism, which is why everyone was worthy of portrayal. The article traces the discussion among professionals and readers in Soviet journals about how to portray working people both in their professions and their everyday lives. In the 1960s, Soviet photographers actively propagated a shift from portraying the profession to portraying the individual. A close reading of photographs published mostly in Sovetskoe foto details how Soviet photo-graphers aimed at capturing individuality in the first place, how photography helped establish typical and un-typical notions of individuality and work, and to which extent the a-typical became the new typical.
Eugenia nordestina (Myrteae, Myrtaceae), a new endemic species from the Septentrional Northeast of Brazil
Authors: LIMA IGOR G. , SANTOS LAINY R.V. , COSTA ITAYGUARA R. , BÜNGER MARIANA
Published: May 2022

Here we describe Eugenia nordestina (Myrtaceae), a new species endemic from northeastern Brazil; it was registered predominantly in stepic-savanna vegetation (“Caatinga”) from the states of Ceará and Piauí, frequently associated with the sedimentary basin of Ibiapaba Complex. The new species is morphologically close to E. dysenterica, differing by the bark longitudinally cleft with a stiff-exfoliating periderm (vs. bark cleft in both orientations, with a very thick and non-exfoliating periderm), bracteoles 4,5–6 mm long (vs. 0.9–3.2 mm), calyx lobes 5–6.5 mm long (vs. 3.1–4.3 mm long), petals without glandular dots (vs. with sparse glandular dots) and fruits 1.3–2.3 × 1–2 cm (vs. 1.8–3 × 2.5–3.5 cm). A distribution map and field photographs are also provided.
A new section of Astragalus (Fabaceae: Galegeae) from Mexico
Authors: ESTRADA CASTILLÓN EDUARDO , VILLARREAL QUINTANILLA JOSÉ ÁNGEL , DELGADO-SALINAS ALFONSO
Published: May 2022

We describe a new section (Astragalus sect. Rupertii A.E. Estrada, Villarreal & A.Delgado) from Mexico, its particular morphological features are, stipules free; calyx suboblong–urceolate to subglobose–urceolate, with subulate to triangular subulate teeth of the same size than tube; ovules 4; and pod 6­–8 mm long, concealed by the calyx. The new section includes two endemic species from the state of Coahuila, Astragalus rupertii & A. pomphocalyx.
On the taxonomy of Afrotropical Coleophoridae (VII). New species of genus Coleophora Hübner, 1822 from Central, Southern Africa and Oman (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae)
Authors: BALDIZZONE GIORGIO
Published: May 2022

This work presents the description of 6 new species of the genus Coleophora Hübner from Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ethiopia, Angola, Kenya, and Oman: Coleophora nyangae, sp. nov.,Coleophora kibalensis, sp. nov., Coleophora arcana, sp. nov., Coleophora angolana, sp. nov., Coleophora kinangopensis, sp. nov., Coleophora fracta, sp. nov.
Interactive Webtoon System Using VR 360 Cam and Face Detection
Authors: Kim Hyeongjin , Yu Sunjin
Published: May 2022

VR 360 Cam is an emerging device. By combining this with the rising webtoon industry, we want to show people an immersive webtoon. Based on the python language, face detection was performed from images received in real time from VR 360 Cam through dlib, a machine learning library that
supports python. The VR 360 Cam performs trekking on the detected face to receive each detected position value, and is converted into a natural face through rectification to be shown to the audience. The exhibition, which performed face detection from the VR 360 Cam, and showed the image of
the person’s face mapped to the audience, drew meaningful results. Unlike cameras such as webcams, VR 360 Cam has a wider viewing angle, allowing more people to interact. Existing webcams can only interact with one person at a time because it is impossible to interact with more people
due to a narrow angle when one person enters. On the other hand, interaction with multiple people is possible through VR 360 Cam. Various exhibitions were possible.
Moral Convictions and Threats to Science
Authors: Bayes Robin
Published: May 2022

When science is marshaled to support one side or another in policy debates, people can react to that information differently depending on whether it supports their own position. They tend to find fault in unfavorable information and accept favorable information less critically. This may especially be the case when individuals’ positions are held with moral conviction—that is, when their position is not only their preferred position, but when it is the position that they feel to be morally correct. I examine three areas in which allowing moral convictions to influence reactions to scientific information may actually threaten the social benefits of science: promoting science misperceptions, eroding the credibility of scientists as sources of information, and eroding evaluations of science as a process. I argue that dealing with the influence of moral conviction over scientific interpretation will require acknowledgement that the social benefits of science are not self-evident and that they depend on public buy-in.
Reducing Health Misinformation in Science: A Call to Arms
Authors: Swire-Thompson Briony , Lazer David
Published: May 2022

The public often turns to science for accurate health information, which, in an ideal world, would be error free. However, limitations of scientific institutions and scientific processes can sometimes amplify misinformation and disinformation. The current review examines four mechanisms through which this occurs: (1) predatory journals that accept publications for monetary gain but do not engage in rigorous peer review; (2) pseudoscientists who provide scientific- sounding information but whose advice is inaccurate, unfalsifiable, or inconsistent with the scientific method; (3) occasions when legitimate scientists spread misinformation or disinformation; and (4) miscommunication of science by the media and other communicators. We characterize this article as a “call to arms,” given the urgent need for the scientific information ecosystem to improve. Improvements are necessary to maintain the public’s trust in science, foster robust discourse, and encourage a well-educated citizenry.
Psychological Inoculation against Misinformation: Current Evidence and Future Directions
Authors: Traberg Cecilie S. , Roozenbeek Jon , van der Linden Sander
Published: May 2022

Much like a viral contagion, misinformation can spread rapidly from one individual to another. Inoculation theory offers a logical basis for developing a psychological “vaccine” against misinformation. We discuss the origins of inoculation theory, starting with its roots in the 1960s as a “vaccine for brainwash,” and detail the major theoretical and practical innovations that inoculation research has witnessed over the years. Specifically, we review a series of randomized lab and field studies that show that it is possible to preemptively “immunize” people against misinformation by preexposing them to severely weakened doses of the techniques that underlie its production along with ways on how to spot and refute them. We review evidence from interventions that we developed with governments and social media companies to help citizens around the world recognize and resist unwanted attempts to influence and mislead. We conclude with a discussion of important open questions about the effectiveness of inoculation interventions.
Measuring What Matters: Data Absenteeism, Science Communication, and the Perpetuation of Inequities
Authors: Viswanath K. , McCloud Rachel Faulkenberry , Lee Edmund W. J. , Bekalu Mesfin A.
Published: May 2022

The ways in which we collect health and social data, particularly data on vulnerable and underprivileged populations, is enormously influential over the quality and content of science and health communication. Data absenteeism—the absence or limits of data on groups experiencing social vulnerability—is endemic; and as a result, inferences drawn from studies with absentee data are questionable. Reasons for data absenteeism include tendencies toward conventional recruitment of the subjects in research, the ways in which communities are engaged or not engaged in the research process, and a lack of understanding and appreciation of the lived reality of the socially vulnerable. The “hardly reached” are often labelled “hard to reach,” keeping this critical population out of view. One approach to mitigate data absenteeism is to engage key stakeholders of the community and its residents in the entire research process from design to dissemination, which influences how research questions are asked and answered and how research gets used. We argue for a more inclusive science of science communication to promote diversity and equity.