bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interaksi Obat Anti Tuberkulosis pada Pasien Tuberkulosis Paru
Authors: Afrianti Ria , Larucy Fatia , Widayana Helen
Published: August 2023

Tuberkulosis (TB) merupakan suatu penyakit kronik menular yang disebabkan oleh bakteri Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Terapi pasien TB paru terdiri dari obat anti tuberkulosis (OAT) dan Obat lain dalam penggunaanya secara bersamaan sehingga terjadi interaksi obat. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui interaksi obat antituberkulosis pada pasien tuberculosis paru rawat jalan di rumah sakit Prof. Dr. M. Ali Hanafiah Batusangkar tahun 2021. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian non eksperimental yang bersifat retrospektif menggunakan data rekam medik pasien. Pada penelitian ini didapatkan populasi sebanyak 100 pasien, didapatkan sampel 64 pasien yang termasuk kriteria inklusi. Berdasarkan penyakit penyerta pada pasien TB paru yang tertinggi yaitu diabetes melitus dengan persentase 20,31%. Analisa data ditentukan dengan menggunakan standar yaitu drugs.com dan medscape  berupa persentase data yang berdasarkan mekanisme dan tingkat keparahannya. Dari 64 pasien didapatkan hasil 365 kasus interaksi obat berdasarkan mekanisme yang terdiri dari 159 kasus farmakokinetik dengan persentase 43,56%  dan 206 kasus farmakodinamik dengan persentase 56,44%. Interaksi obat berdasarkan tingkat keparahan didapatkan hasil sebanyak 128 kasus (35,07%) tingkat keparahan Minor, 104 kasus (28,49%) tingkat keparahan Moderate, dan 133 kasus (36,44%) tingkat keparahan Major. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini bahwa masih adanya interaksi  obat pada pasien tuberkulosis rawat jalan di RS Prof. Dr. M Ali Hanafiah Batusangkar tahun 2021.
Perbedaan Hasil Pemeriksaan Mikroskopis BTA Pada Pasien TB Paru Sebelum dan Sesudah Pengobatan Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) Fase Intensif
Authors: Chairani Chairani , Utami Putra Rahmadea , Indrayati Sri , Almurdi Almurdi , Rahmayana Rahmayana
Published: August 2023

Penegakan diagnosis tuberkulosis salah satunya dilakukan dengan uji mikroskopik BTA. Obat anti Tuberkolusis Fixed-Dose Combination (OAT-FDC) diberikan dalam bentuk kombinasi dari beberapa jenis dalam jumlah yang cukup dan dosis yang tepat. Perbedaan BTA sebelum dan sesudah pengobatan sangatlah penting untuk menentukan angka keberhasilan pengobatan TB. Perubahan BTA dari positif sebelum pengobatan ke negatif setelah pengobatan fase intensif menunjukkan angka konversi BTA yang merupakan salah satu indikator  untuk mengetahui keberhasilan penanggulangan TB. Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui perbedaan hasil pemeriksaan mikroskopis basil tahan asam pada pasien Tuberkolusis paru sebelum dan sesudah pengobatan FDC fase intensif di Puskesmas Bandar Seikijang. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah semua pasien yang terdiagnosa TB Paru pada tahun 2021- 2022 di Puskesmas Bandar Seikijang. Metode penelitian dengan pendekatan cross sectional study. Perbedaan hasil pemeriksaan mikroskopis BTA pada pasien TB Paru, diperoleh sebelum pengobatan 100 % pasien positif setelah pengobatan 98 % negatif dengan jumlah dari 35 pasien , 31 negatif , 2 scanty dan 1 positif 1 Kesimpulan : ada perbedaan hasil pemeriksaan BTA sebelum pengobatan FDC intensif dengan sesudah pengobatan Fixed Dose Combination intesif.
Verbal Agreements and the Pressure of Instability against the Convergence Conception of Political Liberalism
Authors: Sudarshan Saranga
Published: August 2023

Political liberalism, or public reason liberalism, has taken a decisive turn towards the Convergence Conception of public justification and away from the orthodox Consensus Conception. Convergence theorists argue that public justification should be understood as all reasonable people having some conclusive reason to endorse coercively enforced moral rules that are issue and context specific. They argue for this on the basis that, given the nature of deep moral and political disagreement, only the Convergence Conception can show reasonable people how to achieve a stable political order. I argue however that the Convergence Conception faces the Verbal Agreement Objection which puts pressure on its claims to show people how to maintain a political order. This is because at its core it involves a tension between its account of the nature of the agreements that constitute public justification and the objects of those agreements that make it highly sensitive to context changes.
RETRACTED: Studying the interaction between the new neodymium (Nd) complex with the ligand of 1,10-phenanthroline with FS-DNA and BSA
Authors: Raeisi Vanani Ahmad , Asadpour Saeid , Aramesh-Boroujeni Zahra , Mobini Dehkordi Maryam
Published: August 2023

To learn more about the chemotherapeutic and pharmacokinetic properties of a neodymium complex containing 1,10-phenanthroline (dafone), In vitro binding was investigated with bovine serum albumin and fish-salmon DNA, using a variety of molecular modeling research and biophysical approaches. A variety of spectroscopic techniques including fluorescence and absorption were used to investigate the interplay between DNA/BSA and the neodymium complex. The findings revealed that the Nd complex had a high affinity for BSA and DNA interplays through van der Waals powers. In addition, the binding of the Nd complex to FS-DNA mainly in the groove binding mode clearly reflects with iodide quenching studies, ethidium bromide (EtBr) exclusion assay, ionic strength effect, and viscosity studies. It was observed that the Nd complex binds to FS-DNA through a minor groove with 3.81 × 105 (M−1). Also, Kb for BSA at 298 K was 5.19×105 (M−1), indicating a relatively high affinity of the Nd complex for DNA and BSA. In addition, a competitive study of a docking investigation revealed that the neodymium complex interacts at BSA site III. The results obtained from the binding calculations are well consistent with the experimental findings. Also, cytotoxicity studies of Nd complex were performed in MCF-7 and A-549 cell lines and the results show that this new complex has a selective inhibitory effect on the growth of various cancer cells.
Performance of xenogeneic pulmonary visceral pleura as bioprosthetic heart valve cusps in swine
Authors: Lu Xiao , Kelley Greg , Wang Mengjun , Guo Xiaomei , Han Ling , Kassab Ghassan S.
Published: August 2023

Objective

Bovine pericardium is common biological material for bioprosthetic heart valve. There remains a significant need, however, to improve bioprosthetic valves for longer-term outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the chronic performance of bovine pulmonary visceral pleura (PVP) as bioprosthetic valve cusps.

Methods

The PVP was extracted from the bovine lung and fixed in 0.625% glutaraldehyde overnight at room temperature. The PVP valve cusps for the bioprosthetic valve were tailored using a laser cutter. Three leaflets were sewn onto a nitinol stent. Six PVP bioprosthetic valves were loaded into the test chamber of the heart valve tester to complete 100 million cycles. Six other PVP bioprosthetic valves were transcardially implanted to replace pulmonary artery valve of six pigs. Fluoroscopy and intracardiac echocardiography were used for in vivo assessments. Thrombosis, calcification, inflammation, and fibrosis were evaluated in the terminal study. Histologic analyses were used for evaluations of any degradation or calcification.

Results

All PVP bioprosthetic valves completed 100 million cycles without significant damage or tears. In vivo assessments showed bioprosthetic valve cusps open and coaptation at four months post-implant. No calcification and thrombotic deposits, inflammation, and fibrosis were observed in the heart or pulmonary artery. The histologic analyses showed complete and compact elastin and collagen fibers in the PVP valve cusps. Calcification-specific stains showed no calcific deposit in the PVP valve cusps.

Conclusions

The accelerated wear test demonstrates suitable mechanical strength of PVP cusps for heart valve. The swine model demonstrates that the PVP valve cusps are promising for valve replacement.
Sulfur origin and flux variations in fumarolic fluids of Vulcano Island, Italy
Authors: Inguaggiato Salvatore , Liotta Marcello , Rouwet Dmitri , Tassi Franco , Vita Fabio , Schiavo Benedetto , Ono Shuhei , Keller Nicole Simone
Published: August 2023

A sharp increase in volatiles, especially SO2 fluxes from the solfataric plume and diffuse CO2 from the soils of the La Fossa crater area, started in June 2021, and subsequently from the Levante Bay area, suggests renewed unrest at Vulcano Island, Italy. This event has encouraged monitoring activities and stimulated new research activities aimed at understanding the recent evolution of the volcanic system. In this study, the chemical and isotopic composition of fumaroles, thermal waters, and soil gases from the main degassing areas of Vulcano Island with a special focus on sulfur isotopes, are used to investigate the fluid transfer mechanism inside the volcano. Sulfur is one of the most abundant volatile elements present in magmas and volcanic fluids from the La Fossa crater, where it mostly occurs as SO2 and H2S at variable relative concentrations depending on oxygen fugacity and temperature. The isotope composition and the chemical ratio of sulfur species depict a complex hydrothermal-magmatic system. In addition, we utilize the installed SO2 monitoring network that measures the total outgassing of SO2 with the UV-scanning DOAS technique. The SO2 fluxes from the La Fossa crater fumaroles, coupled with the SO2/CO2 and SO2/H2O ratios, were measured to evaluate the total mass of fluids emitted by the shallow plumbing system and its relationship with the status of volcanic activity. Combining the whole chemical composition of fumaroles analyzed with a discrete, direct sampling of high-temperature fumaroles located on the crater summit, the output of discharged water vapor has been estimated (5,768 t·d−1). On the basis of the water output, we estimated the total thermal energy dissipated by the crater during the last enhanced degassing activity (167 MW). This strong and sharp increase in energy observed during the current crisis confirms the long-growing trend in terms of mass and energy recorded in recent decades, which has brought the surface system of Vulcano Island to a critical level that has never been recorded since the last eruptive event of 1888–91.
Improved intensity measures considering soil inelastic properties via multi-regression analysis
Authors: Zapata-Franco A. M. , Vargas-Alzate Y. F. , Pujades L. G. , Gonzalez-Drigo R.
Published: August 2023

At certain depths, the elastic properties of the ground are not affected by seismic waves. However, as they reach the surface, the soil density decreases and so does its elastic limit. This means that the expected ground motion acting at the foundation of a structure cannot be adequately described without considering the inelastic response of the soil near the surface. Therefore, one of the key elements in characterizing the seismic response of civil structures is the site effect. These depend mainly on the parameters of the soil beneath the structure and the features of the ground motion acting at the depth, where non-linear effects are negligible. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to find an intensity measure that incorporates the information provided by the soil profile under the structure and the ground motion acting at the bedrock level. Due to the random nature of both elements, a probabilistic framework using Monte Carlo simulation has been developed to analyze this problem. For this purpose, random soil profiles have been generated to obtain a representative sample of likely scenarios of the study area. A large database of Colombian ground motion records has been used to model the seismic hazard. Finally, power functions capable of relating the input variables to the dynamic response of a large set of reinforced concrete structures have been derived by considering multi-regression analysis. It has been observed that, in several cases, intensity measures extracted from the displacement spectrum appear in the mathematical arrangements. These functions could be used to improve the efficiency of seismic risk prediction at the urban level.
Using pairwise comparison and ordered exemplars as a basis for a novel method of standard setting in narrative writing
Authors: Humphry Stephen , Adie Lenore , Maxwell Carolyn , Sappl Sonia
Published: August 2023

Standard setting of extended performances is fraught with difficulties due to the subjective nature of the scoring decision. This article introduces and reports results of a novel systematic method for setting standards for assessments that require extended performances: the Scaled Exemplar Standard Setting method (SESS). This two-stage method brings together (1) pairwise comparison of samples to scale performances and (2) standard setting involving multiple standards with tasks presented to judges in a validated order. By utilizing paired comparison methodology in the first stage, the judgment is made more manageable by chunking it into a series of pairs. This method produces scaled performances that can be checked for internal consistency of the judgments. The validated, ordered performances are used in the standard setting stage, making the task for judges as transparent and straightforward as possible. Recommendations and implications for standard setting are discussed in light of the results.
Mentor-mentee relationships in academia: insights toward a fulfilling career
Authors: Tenorio-Lopes Luana
Published: August 2023

Over my academic journey, I had the privilege of learning from several insightful professionals in the field of Physiology and Neurosciences. During my graduate and postdoctoral training at seven universities in Brazil, the US and Canada, my mentors were able to stimulate my curiosity and motivation and made me very enthusiastic about science, teaching and especially mentoring. Despite the hurdles that researchers confront daily, having a supportive mentor in a diverse and inclusive workplace influenced my decision to pursue a career in academia. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of graduate students and aspiring scientists, this is not the case. Engaging with colleagues from different fields and cultural backgrounds taught me how students and trainees always expected more from their mentors, on multiple levels. Many studies have shown that high levels of attrition across STEM disciplines, as well as an increased time-to-degree completion, are indicative of this scenario. In this perspective article, I outline the findings of thead hocresearch mentorship method, as well as my self-reflections on how we could conquer the major problems correlated with a research mentor-mentee relationship. I specifically illustrate how communication, time, and environment constitute interrelated components that can be managed effectively to produce short and long-term results toward an optimal and fruitful partnership. Finally, I highlighted institutions’ critical role in implementing effective mentorship practices, procedures and policies that support mentors and students. These discussions on the importance of appropriate mentorship can assist all levels of mentors in creating a pleasurable pathway for knowledge transmission and contribute to ensuring that a more equal, diverse, and inclusive population of young scientists has the opportunity to excel in their professions.
Aging under endocrine hormone regulation
Authors: Xing Yutong , Xuan Fan , Wang Kaixi , Zhang Huifeng
Published: August 2023

Aging is a biological process in which the environment interacts with the body to cause a progressive decline in effective physiological function. Aging in the human body can lead to a dysfunction of the vital organ systems, resulting in the onset of age-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, which can seriously affect an individual’s quality of life. The endocrine system acts on specific targets through hormones and related major functional factors in its pathways, which play biological roles in coordinating cellular interactions, metabolism, growth, and aging. Aging is the result of a combination of many pathological, physiological, and psychological processes, among which the endocrine system can achieve a bidirectional effect on the aging process by regulating the hormone levels in the body. In this paper, we explored the mechanisms of growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and estrogen in the aging process to provide a reference for the exploration of endocrine mechanisms related to aging.
AI-based voltage and power quality control of high-penetration grid-connected photovoltaic power plant
Authors: Ebrahim M. A. , Ward Sayed A. , El-Gohary Mohamed F. , Mohamad M. A. , Eid Marwa M. , Alharbi Amal H. , Khafaga Doaa Sami
Published: August 2023

The importance of using renewable energy systems (RESs) worldwide has been consolidated. Moreover, connecting more RESs to the utility grid will lead to more technical problems. Photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine (WT) based power plants are the most nonlinear sources of renewable energies contributing to the energy mix Electronic ballast and switching mode power supply in energy conservation of the PV and WT have caused power quality problems and less reliable output voltage. PV power plants are becoming increasingly integrated with the utility grid by onboarding certain superior power quality features. This grid integration drastically reduces the use of fossil fuels and prevents environmental hazards. This article presents the design of a 26 MWp grid-connected PV power plant, which is already tied to the Egyptian electrical network in Fares City, Kom Ombo Center, Aswan Governorate, Egypt The 26 MWp PV power plant consists of (11) blocks and the utility grid, which are simulated using Matlab/Simulink. Every block contains 2,376 kWp PV arrays connected directly to DC-DC boost converters to regulate the output DC power generated by each PV array. This output DC power is fed into a particular type of inverter called a “central inverter”, which converts it to AC power. In some cases, higher harmonic distortion at the grid and a greater negative impact on the power system performance occur when using this type of inverter. To optimize the gains of the proportional-integral (PI) controller for both the voltage and current regulators of this central inverter, meta-heuristic optimization techniques (MOTs) are used. During this article, Gray Wolf Optimization (GWO), Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO), and Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA) are applied as MOTs to enhance the quality of the power and voltage in addition to limiting the total harmonic distortions (THD) under the effect of different sunlight conditions and partial shading. As a result, the AOA-based controllers are found to show outstanding results and superior performance compared to GWO and HHO regarding solution quality and computational efficiency. Finally, MOTs are the best solution to most electrical problems regarding controlling nonlinear and high-penetration systems, such as PV power plants connected to the utility grid.
The potential for freshwater citizen science to engage and empower: a case study of the Rivers Trusts, United Kingdom
Authors: Collins Rob , France Anneka , Walker Michelle , Browning Simon
Published: August 2023

Rivers Trusts in the United Kingdom work to protect and restore freshwater ecosystems. This includes the provision of citizen science opportunities that encompass water quality monitoring, assessment of polluting outfalls, surveying riverine plastic pollution, mapping and control of freshwater invasive species and assessment of the biological health of rivers. In some cases, citizen science data has led directly to action being taken to address a pollution source and, in one example, indirectly influenced policy focus. Online platforms play an increasingly important role in capturing and portraying citizen science data. A large multi-stakeholder initiative aims to achieve a step-change in the contribution of citizen science to the assessment of river health including development of a standardised national framework. There is potential for citizen science to widen the monitoring of freshwater to encompass toxic chemicals.
Transcriptional and proteomic analysis of the innate immune response to microbial stimuli in a model invertebrate chordate
Authors: Liberti Assunta , Pollastro Carla , Pinto Gabriella , Illiano Anna , Marino Rita , Amoresano Angela , Spagnuolo Antonietta , Sordino Paolo
Published: August 2023

Inflammatory response triggered by innate immunity can act to protect against microorganisms that behave as pathogens, with the aim to restore the homeostatic state between host and beneficial microbes. As a filter-feeder organism, the ascidian Ciona robusta is continuously exposed to external microbes that may be harmful under some conditions. In this work, we used transcriptional and proteomic approaches to investigate the inflammatory response induced by stimuli of bacterial (lipopolysaccharide -LPS- and diacylated lipopeptide - Pam2CSK4) and fungal (zymosan) origin, in Ciona juveniles at stage 4 of metamorphosis. We focused on receptors, co-interactors, transcription factors and cytokines belonging to the TLR and Dectin-1 pathways and on immune factors identified by homology approach (i.e. immunoglobulin (Ig) or C-type lectin domain containing molecules). While LPS did not induce a significant response in juvenile ascidians, Pam2CSK4 and zymosan exposure triggered the activation of specific inflammatory mechanisms. In particular, Pam2CSK4-induced inflammation was characterized by modulation of TLR and Dectin-1 pathway molecules, including receptors, transcription factors, and cytokines, while immune response to zymosan primarily involved C-type lectin receptors, co-interactors, Ig-containing molecules, and cytokines. A targeted proteomic analysis enabled to confirm transcriptional data, also highlighting a temporal delay between transcriptional induction and protein level changes. Finally, a protein-protein interaction network of Ciona immune molecules was rendered to provide a wide visualization and analysis platform of innate immunity. The in vivo inflammatory model described here reveals interconnections of innate immune pathways in specific responses to selected microbial stimuli. It also represents the starting point for studying ontogeny and regulation of inflammatory disorders in different physiological conditions.
C57BL/6J mice exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid demonstrate altered immune responses and increased seizures after Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus infection
Authors: Pérez Gómez Aracely A. , Wang Meichen , Kochan Kelli , Amstalden Katia , Young Colin R. , Welsh C. Jane , Phillips Timothy D. , Brinkmeyer-Langford Candice L.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Neurological diseases can stem from environmental influences such as antecedent viral infections or exposure to potential toxicants, some of which can trigger immune responses leading to neurological symptoms. Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) is used to model human neurological conditions associated with prior viral infections, with outcomes partly attributable to improper induction and regulation of the immune response. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) can alter pathologies known to influence neurological disease such as inflammatory responses, cytokine expression, and glial activation. Co-exposure to TMEV and PFOA was used to test the hypothesis that early life exposure to the potential immunotoxicant PFOA would affect immune responses so as to render TMEV-resistant C57BL/6J (B6) mice susceptible to viral-induced neurological disease.

Methods

Neonate B6 mice were exposed to different treatments: non-injected, sham-infected with PBS, and TMEV-infected, with the drinking water of each group including either 70 ppt PFOA or filtered water. The effects of PFOA were evaluated by comparing neurological symptoms and changes in immune-related cytokine and chemokine production induced by viral infection. Immune responses of 23 cytokines and chemokines were measured before and after infection to determine the effects of PFOA exposure on immune response.

Results

Prior to infection, an imbalance between Th1, Th2, and Treg cytokines was observed in PFOA-exposed mice, suppressing IL-4 and IL-13 production. However, the balance was restored and characterized by an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines in the non-infected group, and a decrease in IL-10 in the PFOA + TMEV group. Furthermore, the PFOA + TMEV group experienced an increase in seizure frequency and severity.

Discussion

Overall, these findings provide insight into the complex roles of immune responses in the pathogenesis of virus-associated neurological diseases influenced by co-exposures to viruses and immunotoxic compounds.
Apoptotic cells for treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with COVID-19
Authors: van Heerden Peter Vernon , Abutbul Avraham , Naama Ahmad , Maayan Shlomo , Makram Nassar , Nachshon Akiva , abu Jabal Kamal , Hershkovitz Oren , Binder Lior , Shabat Yehudit , Reicher Barak , Mevorach Dror
Published: August 2023

Background

Hyper-inflammatory immune response, a hallmark of severe COVID-19, is associated with increased mortality. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common manifestation. We undertook two phase I/II studies in five and then 16 subjects with severe/critical COVID-19 to assess the safety and preliminary efficacy of apoptotic cells (Allocetra™-OTS, Enlivex Therapeutics), a cellular immunomodulatory therapy that reprograms macrophages to reduce hyper-inflammatory response severity.

Methods

Eligible patients presenting to the Emergency Room with severe COVID-19 and respiratory dysfunction received one intravenous administration of Allocetra™-OTS and were monitored for adverse events (AEs) for 28 days. The primary aim was to determine the safety profile of treatment; secondary aims were recovery from ARDS, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length-of-stay, and mortality. Immune modulator markers were measured to elucidate the mechanism of action of Allocetra™-OTS.

Results

21 patients with severe-critical COVID-19 of Gamma, Alpha and Delta variants, were treated with a single dose of apoptotic cells. 19/21 patients had mild-to-severe ARDS at presentation. Median age was 53 years, 16/21 were males, 16/21 were overweight/obese. No serious related adverse events (SAEs) were reported. All 21 study subjects survived to day 28 (end of study); 19/21 recovered completely. Comparable mortality rates at the hospital were 3.8%−8.9% for age- and gender-matched patients, and 39%−55% for critical patients. Recovering patients exhibited rapid ARDS resolution and parallel resolution of inflammation markers and elevated cytokines/chemokines.

Conclusion

In patients with severe/critical COVID-19 associated with ARDS, Allocetra™-OTS was safe, well-tolerated, and showed promising results for resolution of respiratory failure and inflammation.

Trial registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04513470, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04590053, Identifiers NCT04513470, NCT04590053.
Identifying ureteral stent encrustation using machine learning based on CT radiomics features: a bicentric study
Authors: Qiu Junliang , Yan Minbo , Wang Haojie , Liu Zicheng , Wang Guojie , Wu Xianbo , Gao Qindong , Hu Hongji , Chen Junyong , Dai Yingbo
Published: August 2023

Obstructive

To develop and validate radiomics and machine learning models for identifying encrusted stents and compare their recognition performance with multiple metrics.

Methods

A total of 354 patients with ureteral stent placement were enrolled from two medical institutions and divided into the training cohort (n = 189), internal validation cohort (n = 81) and external validation cohort (n = 84). Based on features selected by Wilcoxon test, Spearman Correlation Analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression algorithm, six machine learning models based on radiomics features were established with six classifiers (LR, DT, SVM, RF, XGBoost, KNN). After comparison with those models, the most robust model was selected. Considering its feature importance as radscore, the combined model and a nomogram were constructed by incorporating indwelling time. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), decision curve analysis (DCA) and calibration curve were used to evaluate the recognition performance of models.

Results

1,409 radiomics features were extracted from 641 volumes of interest (VOIs) and 20 significant radiomics features were selected. Considering the superior performance (AUC 0.810, 95%CI, 0.722–0.888) in the external validation cohort, feature importance of XGBoost was used as a radscore, constructing a combined model and a nomogram with indwelling time. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and AUC of the combined model were 98, 100, 97.3% and 0.999 for the training cohort, 83.3, 80, 84.5% and 0.867 for the internal cohort and 78.2, 76.3, 78.8% and 0.820 for the external cohort, respectively. DCA indicates the favorable clinical utility of models.

Conclusion

Machine learning model based on radiomics features enables to identify ureteral stent encrustation with high accuracy.
HDS screening with patient-derived primary cells guided individualized therapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma–in vivo and vitro
Authors: He Xing , Yan Hezhong , Hu Jie , Duan Xiaowei , Zhang Mingjin , Li Haiqing , Wang Jiaoxue , Gao Qian , Yu Senyuan , Hou Xilu , Liao Guobin , Guo Shicun , Li Jin , Ge Yurong , Chen Xiaolan , Wang Wenchao , Tang Jun
Published: August 2023

Objective

To analyze and evaluate the role of the High-throughput Drug Sensitivity (HDS) screening strategy in identifying highly sensitive drugs against esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods

A total of 80 patients with progressive ESCC were randomly divided into the observation (40 cases) and the control groups (40 cases). In the observation group, primary ESCC cells were isolated from the tumor tissues with a gastroscope, and drug sensitivity screening was performed on cells derived from the 40 ESCC cases using the HDS method, followed by verification in a patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) mouse model. Finally, the differences in the therapeutic efficacy (levels of CEA, CYFRA21-1, SCCA after chemotherapy and the rates of overall survival, local progression, and distant metastasis at 12 months and 18 months time points after chemotherapy) were compared between the observation group (Screened drug-treated) and the control group (Paclitaxel combined with cisplatin regimen-treated).

Results

Forty ESCC patients were screened for nine different high-sensitive chemotherapeutics, with the majority showing sensitivity to Bortezomib. Experiments on animal models revealed that the tumor tissue mass of PDX mice treated with the HDS-screened drug was significantly lower than that of the Paclitaxel-treated mice (p < 0.05), and the therapeutic efficacy of the observation group was better than the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

HDS screening technology can be beneficial in screening high-efficacy anticancer drugs for advanced-stage ESCC patients, thereby minimizing adverse drug toxicity in critically ill patients. Moreover, this study provides a new avenue for treating advanced ESCC patients with improved outcomes.
Comparative analysis of gut DNA viromes in wild and captive Himalayan vultures
Authors: Zhai Jundie , Wang You , Tang Boyu , Zheng Sisi , He Shunfu , Zhao Wenxin , Chen Hanxi , Lin Jun , Li Feng , Bao Yuzi , Lancuo Zhuoma , Sharshov Kirill , Liu Chuanfa , Wang Wen
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Himalayan vultures (Gyps hinalayensis) are widely distributed on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance by feeding on decayed corpses of wild and domestic animals. Large-scale culture and metagenomics studies have broadened our understanding of viral diversity in animals’ gastrointestinal tracts. However, despite the importance of gut viral communities in regulating bacterial diversity and performing symbiotic functions, no gut viral study has been conducted on Himalayan vultures. Furthermore, the impact of captivity on the gut virome of these vultures remains unknown.

Methods

In this study, metagenomic sequencing methods targeting DNA of virus-like particles enriched from feces were used to characterize the gut DNA viromes of wild and captive Himalayan vultures.

Results

In total, 22,938 unique viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) were identified and assigned to 140 viral genera in 41 viral families. These families included viruses associated with bacteria, animals, plants, insects, and archaea. Phage communities, including Siphoviridae, Microviridae, Myoviridae, Inoviridae, and Herelleviridae, dominated the gut virome of Himalayan vultures. Wild vultures exhibited higher viral richness and diversity compared with those in captivity. The functional capacity of the gut virome was characterized by identifying 93 KEGG pathways, which were significantly enriched in metabolism and genetic information processing. Abundant auxiliary metabolic genes, such as carbohydrate-active enzyme, and antibiotic resistance genes, were also found in the vultures’ gut virome.

Discussion

Our findings reveal the complex and diverse viral community present in the gut virome of Himalayan vultures, which varies between wild, and captive states. The DNA virome dataset establishes a baseline for the vultures’ gut virome and will serve as a reference for future virus isolation and cultivation. Understanding the impact of captivity on the gut virome contributes to our knowledge of vultures’ response to captivity and aids in optimizing their rehabilitation and implementing protective measures.
Phyto-microbiome to mitigate abiotic stress in crop plants
Authors: Singh Anamika , Mazahar Samina , Chapadgaonkar Shilpa Samir , Giri Priti , Shourie Abhilasha
Published: August 2023

Plant-associated microbes include taxonomically diverse communities of bacteria, archaebacteria, fungi, and viruses, which establish integral ecological relationships with the host plant and constitute the phyto-microbiome. The phyto-microbiome not only contributes in normal growth and development of plants but also plays a vital role in the maintenance of plant homeostasis during abiotic stress conditions. Owing to its immense metabolic potential, the phyto-microbiome provides the host plant with the capability to mitigate the abiotic stress through various mechanisms like production of antioxidants, plant growth hormones, bioactive compounds, detoxification of harmful chemicals and toxins, sequestration of reactive oxygen species and other free radicals. A deeper understanding of the structure and functions of the phyto-microbiome and the complex mechanisms of phyto-microbiome mediated abiotic stress mitigation would enable its utilization for abiotic stress alleviation of crop plants and development of stress-resistant crops. This review aims at exploring the potential of phyto-microbiome to alleviate drought, heat, salinity and heavy metal stress in crop plants and finding sustainable solutions to enhance the agricultural productivity. The mechanistic insights into the role of phytomicrobiome in imparting abiotic stress tolerance to plants have been summarized, that would be helpful in the development of novel bioinoculants. The high-throughput modern approaches involving candidate gene identification and target gene modification such as genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and phyto-microbiome based genetic engineering have been discussed in wake of the ever-increasing demand of climate resilient crop plants.
Conservation tillage practices affect soil microbial diversity and composition in experimental fields
Authors: Khan Muzammil Hassan , Liu Hao , Zhu Anning , Khan Mudassir Hassan , Hussain Sarfraz , Cao Hui
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Conservation tillage is a widely used technique worldwide, but the effects of conservation tillage on bacterial community structure are poorly understood. We explored proportional alterations in the bacterial community under different tillage treatments.

Methodology

Hence, this study utilized high-throughput sequencing technique to investigate the structure and assembly processes of microbial communities in different tillage treatments.

Results and discussion

Tillage treatments included tillage no-straw retention (CntWt), no-tillage with straw retention (CntWntS), tillage with straw retention (CntWtS), no-tillage and no-straw retention (CntWnt). The influence of tillage practices on soil bacterial communities was investigated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Different tillage methods and straw retention systems significantly influenced soil parameters such as total potassium and pH were not affected by tillage practices, while straw retention significantly affected soil parameters including nitrogen content, available phosphorus and available potassium. Straw retention decreased bacterial diversity while increased bacterial richness. The effect of straw retention and tillage on bacterial communities was greater than with no tillage. Phylogenetic β-diversity analysis showed that deterministic homogeneous selection processes were dominated, while stochastic processes were more pronounced in tillage without straw retention. Ecological network analysis showed that microbial community correlation was increased in CntWntS and CntWnt. Straw retention treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of bacterial taxa Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and OD1, while Nitrospirae, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia significantly decreased.

Conclusion

The conservation tillage practices significantly affect soil properties, bacterial composition, and assembly processes; however, further studies are required to investigate the impact of different crops, tillage practices and physiological characteristics on bacterial community structure and functions.
On the potential roles of phosphorus in the early evolution of energy metabolism
Authors: Nicholls Jack W. F. , Chin Jason P. , Williams Tom A. , Lenton Timothy M. , O’Flaherty Vincent , McGrath John W.
Published: August 2023

Energy metabolism in extant life is centered around phosphate and the energy-dense phosphoanhydride bonds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a deeply conserved and ancient bioenergetic system. Yet, ATP synthesis relies on numerous complex enzymes and has an autocatalytic requirement for ATP itself. This implies the existence of evolutionarily simpler bioenergetic pathways and potentially primordial alternatives to ATP. The centrality of phosphate in modern bioenergetics, coupled with the energetic properties of phosphorylated compounds, may suggest that primordial precursors to ATP also utilized phosphate in compounds such as pyrophosphate, acetyl phosphate and polyphosphate. However, bioavailable phosphate may have been notably scarce on the early Earth, raising doubts about the roles that phosphorylated molecules might have played in the early evolution of life. A largely overlooked phosphorus redox cycle on the ancient Earth might have provided phosphorus and energy, with reduced phosphorus compounds potentially playing a key role in the early evolution of energy metabolism. Here, we speculate on the biological phosphorus compounds that may have acted as primordial energy currencies, sources of environmental energy, or sources of phosphorus for the synthesis of phosphorylated energy currencies. This review encompasses discussions on the evolutionary history of modern bioenergetics, and specifically those pathways with primordial relevance, and the geochemistry of bioavailable phosphorus on the ancient Earth. We highlight the importance of phosphorus, not only in the form of phosphate, to early biology and suggest future directions of study that may improve our understanding of the early evolution of bioenergetics.
Endogenous PTEN acts as the key determinant for mTOR inhibitor sensitivity by inducing the stress-sensitized PTEN-mediated death axis in KSHV-associated malignant cells
Authors: Das Piyanki , Pal Sonali , Das Nilanjana , Chakraborty Koushik , Chatterjee Koustav , Mal Sudipa , Choudhuri Tathagata
Published: August 2023

As a part of viral cancer evolution, KSHV-infected human endothelial cells exert a unique transcriptional program via upregulated mTORC1 signaling. This event makes them sensitive to mTOR inhibitors. Master transcriptional regulator PTEN acts as the prime regulator of mTOR and determining factor for mTOR inhibitory drug resistance and sensitivity. PTEN is post-translationally modified in KSHV-associated cell lines and infected tissues. Our current study is an attempt to understand the functional role of upstream modulator PTEN in determining the sensitivity of mTOR inhibitors against KSHV-infected cells in an in vitro stress-responsive model. Our analysis shows that, despite phosphorylation, endogenous levels of intact PTEN in different KSHV-infected cells compared to normal and non-infected cells are quite high. Genetic overexpression of intact PTEN showed functional integrity of this gene in the infected cells in terms of induction of a synchronized cell death process via cell cycle regulation and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. PTEN overexpression enhanced the mTOR inhibitory drug activity, the silencing of which hampers the process against KSHV-infected cells. Additionally, we have shown that endogenous PTEN acts as a stress balancer molecule inside KSHV-infected cells and can induce stress-sensitized death program post mTOR inhibitor treatment, lined up in the ATM-chk2-p53 axis. Moreover, autophagic regulation was found as a major regulator in mTOR inhibitor-induced PTEN-mediated death axis from our study. The current work critically intersected the PTEN-mediated stress balancing mechanism where autophagy has been utilized as a part of the KSHV stress management system and is specifically fitted and switched toward autophagy-mediated apoptosis directing toward a therapeutic perspective.
Angle-dependent rotation velocity consistent with ADP release in bacterial F1-ATPase
Authors: Suiter Nathan , Volkán-Kacsó Sándor
Published: August 2023

A model-based method is used to extract a short-lived state in the rotation kinetics of the F1-ATPase of a bacterial species, Paracoccus denitrificans (PdF1). Imaged as a single molecule, PdF1 takes large 120ø steps during it rotation. The apparent lack of further substeps in the trajectories not only renders the rotation of PdF1 unlike that of other F-ATPases, but also hinders the establishment of its mechano-chemical kinetic scheme. We addressed these challenges using the angular velocity extracted from the single-molecule trajectories and compare it with its theoretically calculated counterpart. The theory-experiment comparison indicate the presence of a 20μs lifetime state, 40o after ATP binding. We identify a kinetic cycle in which this state is a three-nucleotide occupancy state prior to ADP release from another site. A similar state was also reported in our earlier study of the Thermophilic bacillus F1-ATPase (lifetime ∼10μs), suggesting thereby a common mechanism for removing a nucleotide release bottleneck in the rotary mechanism.
CRISPR/Cas9-based QF2 knock-in at the tyrosine hydroxylase (th) locus reveals novel th-expressing neuron populations in the zebrafish mid- and hindbrain
Authors: Altbürger Christian , Holzhauser Jens , Driever Wolfgang
Published: August 2023

Catecholaminergic neuron clusters are among the most conserved neuromodulatory systems in vertebrates, yet some clusters show significant evolutionary dynamics. Because of their disease relevance, special attention has been paid to mammalian midbrain dopaminergic systems, which have important functions in motor control, reward, motivation, and cognitive function. In contrast, midbrain dopaminergic neurons in teleosts were thought to be lost secondarily. Here, we generated a CRISPR/Cas9-based knock-in transgene at the th locus, which allows the expression of the Q-system transcription factor QF2 linked to the Tyrosine hydroxylase open reading frame by an E2A peptide. The QF2 knock-in allele still expresses Tyrosine hydroxylase in catecholaminergic neurons. Coexpression analysis of QF2 driven expression of QUAS fluorescent reporter transgenes and of th mRNA and Th protein revealed that essentially all reporter expressing cells also express Th/th. We also observed a small group of previously unidentified cells expressing the reporter gene in the midbrain and a larger group close to the midbrain–hindbrain boundary. However, we detected no expression of the catecholaminergic markers ddc, slc6a3, or dbh in these neurons, suggesting that they are not actively transmitting catecholamines. The identified neurons in the midbrain are located in a GABAergic territory. A coexpression analysis with anatomical markers revealed that Th-expressing neurons in the midbrain are located in the tegmentum and those close to the midbrain–hindbrain boundary are located in the hindbrain. Our data suggest that zebrafish may still have some evolutionary remnants of midbrain dopaminergic neurons.
Anxiety is not the right choice! Individual differences in trait anxiety modulate biases in pseudoneglect
Authors: Righi Stefania , Benedetti Viola , Giganti Fiorenza , Turano Maria Teresa , Raduazzo Greta , Viggiano Maria Pia
Published: August 2023

Pseudoneglect, the tendency to display a leftward perceptual bias, is consistently observed in line bisection tasks. Some studies have shown that pseudoneglect is sensitive to emotions. This emotion-related modulation is likely related to valence-dependent hemispheric lateralization, although the results do not converge. A possible explanation for these inconsistencies could be individual differences in emotional tone. Considering that negative and positive emotions produce different basic activations of the two hemispheres, emotional characteristics of the subjects, such as trait anxiety, could in fact modulate the pseudoneglect phenomenon. To verify this, high- and low-anxiety participants were asked to centrally bisect horizontal lines delimited by neutral or emotional (happy and sad) faces. In line with previous studies, results here showed a decrease in the leftward bisection error in the presence of happy faces, indicating a greater involvement of the left hemisphere in processing positive emotional stimuli. In addition, trait anxiety influenced the magnitude of the visual bias. High-anxiety subjects, compared to low-anxiety subjects, showed a general bias in visual attention toward the left space as a function of emotional valence. Results are discussed within the framework of valence-dependent hemispheric specialization and the relative degree of activation. In sum, our data highlight the relevance of considering emotional individual differences in studying the pseudoneglect phenomenon.