bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Movement Patterns of Juvenile Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta L. 1758) and Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas L. 1758) Hatched in Captivity and Released in the Korean Waters
Authors: Kim Il-Hun , Park Il-Kook , Han Dong-Jin , Kim Min-Seop , Park Daesik , Moon Dae-Yeon , Cho In-Young , Im Ji-En , Park Jaejin , An Yong-Rock
Published: August 2022

With most sea turtle populations declining, activities to conserve their habitat and nesting grounds and restore their populations are being implemented worldwide. To preserve the Northwestern Pacific populations, the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea has been releasing artificially propagated sea turtles, but whether these individuals join the wild population remains unknown. The present study aimed to determine the movement patterns of artificially propagated juvenile loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles fitted with satellite transmitters on their carapaces and released in the waters of Jeju or Yeosu, Republic of Korea, between August 2018 and April 2022. Loggerheads traveled northward to the East Sea, whereas green turtles moved west or southwest. Two 36-month-old and two 48-month-old loggerheads moved toward their potential nursery grounds and toward their feeding grounds, respectively. Three green turtles with a curved carapace length (CCL) of <40 cm moved toward their nursery or feeding grounds, while three individuals (CCL > 45 cm) moved toward their inshore foraging areas. The travel paths were closely related to the direction of local sea currents. Our results implied that releasing artificially propagated sea turtles, considering their age and CCL, can positively contribute to the conservation of Northwestern Pacific populations.
Risk Analysis of Seaport Construction Project Execution
Authors: Kaup Magdalena , Łozowicka Dorota , Baszak Karolina , Ślączka Wojciech , Kalbarczyk-Jedynak Agnieszka
Published: August 2022

This article concerns the assessment of the level of risk at the stage of construction of a seaport, with particular emphasis on selected adverse incidents that can significantly affect the timeliness of the investment. In this article, the matrix method was used to analyse and evaluate the level of risk, and statistical analysis and case studies were used to identify incidents occurring during the port construction project. This allowed the identification of incidents with the highest probability of occurrence during the port construction process and to determine their impact on environmental pollution and the timeliness and success of the investment. The risk analysis performed identified 15 typical incidents of technical nature. The determined risk level for these incidents is at a moderate level or lower, which can be considered acceptable. For all undesirable incidents the values of probability and loss levels have been averaged, because e.g., a fire can have an extremely different dimension and can cause a different scale of losses. Analysis presented in the paper indicate the need to develop procedures for proceeding during the implementation of significant technical tasks to minimize the level of risk of adverse incidents and their consequences.
Plasma-Sprayed Flexible Strain Sensor and Its Applications in Boxing Glove
Authors: Liao Yongsheng , Cheng Yue , Zhuang Zhongyu , Li Rongjun , Yu Yuan , Wang Ruixue , Jiao Zhiwei
Published: August 2022

The most common and easy approach to fabricating flexible strain sensors is based on the deposition principle. To improve the design of the sensing layer pattern, the reproducibility of the process and the sensitivity of the sensor, a controllable low-temperature-plasma spraying method for conducting nanoparticles was proposed. A flexible strain sensor was developed with multiwalled carbon nanotubes as the sensing layer and silica gel films as the substrate. The effects of plasma treatment on the cyclic stability and sensitivity of the sensor were examined and compared. The changes in the sensitivity of the sensor with the pattern parameters were also studied. The sensitivity of the sensor treated with low-temperature plasma was greatly improved (from 3.9 to 11.5) compared to that of an untreated sensor. In addition, pattern parameters significantly affected the rate of change in the resistance. A portable smart boxing glove prototype was developed using the prepared sensor and was then tested. The results showed that the smart glove could transmit and monitor a striking force of 49–490 N in real time with a sampling time, resolution, response time, and recovery time of 100 ms, up to 1.05 kg, 8 ms, and 150 ms, respectively.
Different Techniques of Creating Bone Digital 3D Models from Natural Specimens
Authors: Edelmers Edgars , Kazoka Dzintra , Bolocko Katrina , Pilmane Mara
Published: August 2022

The choice of technique for the creation of a 3D digital human bone model from natural specimens has a critical impact on the final result and usability of the obtained model. The cornerstone factor in 3D modeling is the number of faces of polygon mesh, along with topological accuracy, as well as resolution and level of detail of the texture map. Three different techniques (3D scanning, photogrammetry, and micro-computed tomography) have been used to create a digital 3D model of the human zygomatic bone. As implementation and use of 3D models can be divided into three main categories—visualization, simulation, and physical replication to obtain a functioning model (implant or prothesis)—the obtained models have been evaluated by the density and topological accuracy of the polygonal mesh, as well as by visual appearance by inspecting the obtained texture map. The obtained data indicate that for biomedical applications and computer biomechanical simulation the most appropriate technique of 3D model obtainment is micro-computed tomography, in its turn for visualization and educational purposes, the photogrammetry technique is a more preferable choice.
Energy Consumption Prediction for Fused Deposition Modelling 3D Printing Using Machine Learning
Authors: El youbi El idrissi Mohamed Achraf , Laaouina Loubna , Jeghal Adil , Tairi Hamid , Zaki Moncef
Published: August 2022

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are growing more and more in the manufacturing industry; the increase in world energy consumption encourages the quantification and optimization of energy use in additive manufacturing processes. Orientation of the part to be printed is very important for reducing energy consumption. Our work focuses on defining the most appropriate direction for minimizing energy consumption. In this paper, twelve machine learning (ML) algorithms are applied to model energy consumption in the fused deposition modelling (FDM) process using a database of the FDM 3D printing of isovolumetric mechanical components. The adequate predicted model was selected using four performance criteria: mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE), R-squared (R2), and explained variance score (EVS). It was clearly seen that the Gaussian process regressor (GPR) model estimates the energy consumption in FDM process with high accuracy: R2 > 99%, EVS > 99%, MAE < 3.89, and RMSE < 5.8.
Physical Origin of the Dark Spot in the First Image of Supermassive Black Hole SgrA*
Authors: Dokuchaev Vyacheslav I.
Published: August 2022

We elucidate the physical origin of the dark spot in the image of supermassive black hole SgrA* presented very recently by the EHT collaboration. It is argued that this dark spot, which is noticeably smaller than the classical black hole shadow, is the northern hemisphere of the event horizon globe. The classical black hole shadow is unseen in the image of SgrA*. The dark spot in the image of SgrA* is projected within the position of the classical black hole shadow on the celestial sphere. The outer boundary of this dark spot is an equator on the event horizon globe.
A Systematic Study of 7 MHz Greyline Propagation Using Amateur Radio Beacon Signals
Authors: Lo Sam , Rankov Nikola , Mitchell Cathryn , Witvliet Benjamin Axel , Jayawardena Talini Pinto , Bust Gary , Liles William , Griffiths Gwyn
Published: August 2022

This paper investigates 7 MHz ionospheric radio wave propagation between pairs of distant countries that simultaneously lie on the terminator. This is known as greyline propagation. Observations of amateur radio beacon transmitters recorded in the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) database are used to investigate the times of day that beacon signals were observed during the year 2017. The WSPR beacon network consists of thousands of automated beacon transmitters and observers distributed over the globe. The WSPR database is a very useful resource for radio science as it offers the date and time at which a propagation path was available between two radio stations, as well as their precise locations. This paper provides the first systematic study of grey-line propagation between New Zealand/Eastern Australia and UK/Europe. The study shows that communications were predominantly made from the United Kingdom (UK) to New Zealand at around both sunset and sunrise times, whereas from New Zealand to the UK, communication links occurred mainly during UK sunrise hours. The lack of observations at the UK sunset time was particularly evident during the UK summer. The same pattern was found in the observations of propagation from Eastern Australia to UK, and from New Zealand and Eastern Australia to Italy and the surrounding regions in Europe. The observed asymmetry in reception pattern could possibly be due to the increase in electromagnetic noise across Europe in the summer afternoon/evening from thunderstorms.
A Simple Fluorescent Cholesterol Labeling Method to Cryoprotect and Detect Plasma Lipoprotein-X
Authors: Neufeld Edward B. , Freeman Lita A. , Durbhakula Vinay , Sampson Maureen L. , Shamburek Robert D. , Karathanasis Sotirios K. , Remaley Alan T.
Published: August 2022

Lipoprotein-X (LpX) are abnormal nephrotoxic lipoprotein particles enriched in free cholesterol and phospholipids. LpX with distinctive lipid compositions are formed in patients afflicted with either familial LCAT deficiency (FLD) or biliary cholestasis. LpX is difficult to detect by standard lipid stains due to the absence of a neutral lipid core and because it is unstable upon storage, particularly when frozen. We have recently reported that free cholesterol-specific filipin staining after agarose gel electrophoresis sensitively detects LpX in fresh human plasma. Herein, we describe an even more simplified qualitative method to detect LpX in both fresh and frozen–thawed human FLD or cholestatic plasma. Fluorescent cholesterol complexed to fatty-acid-free BSA was used to label LpX and was added together with trehalose in order to cryopreserve plasma LpX. The fluorescent cholesterol bound to LpX was observed with high sensitivity after separation from other lipoproteins by agarose gel electrophoresis. This methodology can be readily developed into a simple assay for the clinical diagnosis of FLD and biliary liver disease and to monitor the efficacy of treatments intended to reduce plasma LpX in these disease states.
Perturbation by Antimicrobial Bacteria of the Epidermal Bacterial Flora of Rainbow Trout in Flow-Through Aquaculture
Authors: Nakatani Hajime , Yamada Naoki , Hashimoto Naoki , Okazaki Fumiyoshi , Arakawa Tomoko , Tamaru Yutaka , Hori Katsutoshi
Published: August 2022

The bacterial flora of the epidermal mucus of fish is closely associated with the host’s health and susceptibility to pathogenic infections. In this study, we analyzed the epidermal mucus bacteria of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared in flow-through aquaculture under environmental perturbations. Over ~2 years, the bacteria present in the skin mucus and water were analyzed based on the 16S rDNA sequences. The composition of the mucus bacterial community showed significant monthly fluctuations, with frequent changes in the dominant bacterial species. Analysis of the beta- and alpha-diversity of the mucus bacterial flora showed the fluctuations of the composition of the flora were caused by the genera Pseudomonas, Yersinia, and Flavobacterium, and some species of Pseudomonas and Yersinia in the mucus were identified as antimicrobial bacteria. Examination of the antimicrobial bacteria in the lab aquarium showed that the natural presence of antimicrobial bacteria in the mucus and water, or the purposeful addition of them to the rearing water, caused a transition in the mucus bacteria community composition. These results demonstrate that specific antimicrobial bacteria in the water or in epidermal mucus comprise one of the causes of changes in fish epidermal mucus microflora.
A Smartphone Integrated Platform for Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensitive and Selective Determination of Dipicolinic Acid
Authors: Li Xiang , Wu Junsong , Hu Huaguang , Liu Fangfang , Wang Jialian
Published: August 2022

A desirable lanthanide-based ratiometric fluorescence probe was designed as a multifunctional nanoplatform for the determination of dipicolinic acid (DPA), a unique bacterial endospore biomarker, with high selectivity and sensitivity. The carbon dots (CDs) with blue emission wavelengths at 470 nm are developed with europium ion (Eu3+) to form Eu3+/CDs fluorescent probes. DPA can specifically combine with Eu3+ and then transfer energy from DPA to Eu3+ sequentially through the antenna effect, resulting in a distinct increase in the red fluorescence emission peak at 615 nm. The fluorescence intensity ratio of Eu3+/CDs (fluorescence intensity at 615 nm/fluorescence intensity at 470 nm) showed good linearity and low detection limit. The developed ratiometric nanoplatform possesses great potential for application in complex matrices owing to its specificity for DPA. In addition, the integration of a smartphone with the Color Picker APP installed enabled point-of-care testing (POCT) with quantitative measurement capabilities, confirming the great potential of the as-prepared measurement platform for on-site testing.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Benign Cavernous Sinus Meningiomas: A Multicentre Study and Review of the Literature
Authors: Santacroce Antonio , Tuleasca Constantin , Liščák Roman , Motti Enrico , Lindquist Christer , Radatz Matthias , Gatterbauer Brigitte , Lippitz Bodo E. , Martínez Álvarez Roberto , Martínez Moreno Nuria , Kamp Marcel A. , Sandvei Skeie Bente , Schipmann Stephanie , Longhi Michele , Unger Frank , Sabin Ian , Mindermann Thomas , Bundschuh Otto , Horstmann Gerhard A. , van Eck A.T.C. J. , Walier Maja , Berres Manfred , Nakamura Makoto , Steiger Hans Jakob , Hänggi Daniel , Fortmann Thomas , Zawy Alsofy Samer Zawy , Régis Jean , Ewelt Christian
Published: August 2022

Cavernous sinus meningiomas (CSMs) remain a surgical challenge due to the intimate involvement of their contained nerves and blood vessels. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a safe and effective minimally invasive alternative for the treatment of small- to medium-sized CSMs. Objective: To assess the medium- to long-term outcomes of SRS for CSMs with respect to tumour growth, prevention of further neurological deterioration and improvement of existing neurological deficits. This multicentric study included data from 15 European institutions. We performed a retrospective observational analysis of 1222 consecutive patients harbouring 1272 benign CSMs. All were treated with Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Clinical and imaging data were retrieved from each centre and entered into a common database. All tumours with imaging follow-up of less than 24 months were excluded. Detailed results from 945 meningiomas (86%) were then analysed. Clinical neurological outcomes were available for 1042 patients (85%). Median imaging follow-up was 67 months (mean 73.4, range 24–233). Median tumour volume was 6.2 cc (+/−7), and the median marginal dose was 14 Gy (+/−3). The post-treatment tumour volume decreased in 549 (58.1%), remained stable in 336 (35.6%) and increased in only 60 lesions (6.3%), yielding a local tumour control rate of 93.7%. Only 27 (2.8%) of the 60 enlarging tumours required further treatment. Five- and ten-year actuarial progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 96.7% and 90.1%, respectively. Tumour control rates were higher for women than men (p = 0.0031), and also for solitary sporadic meningiomas (p = 0.0201). There was no statistically significant difference in outcome for imaging-defined meningiomas when compared with histologically proven WHO Grade-I meningiomas (p = 0.1212). Median clinical follow up was 61 months (mean 64, range 6–233). Permanent morbidity occurred in 5.9% of cases at last follow-up. Stereotactic radiosurgery is a safe and effective method for treating benign CSM in the medium term to long term.
HIF-1α Expression Increases Preoperative Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Resistance in Hyperglycemic Rectal Cancer
Authors: Huang Yi-Jung , Chen Yi-Ting , Huang Chun-Ming , Kuo Shih-Hsun , Liao Yan-You , Jhang Wun-Ya , Wang Shuo-Hung , Ke Chien-Chih , Huang Yu-Hsiang , Cheng Chiu-Min , Huang Ming-Yii , Chuang Chih-Hung
Published: August 2022

Purpose: Preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer patients. However, the poor therapeutic efficacy of CCRT was found in rectal cancer patients with hyperglycemia. This study investigated how hyperglycemia affects radiochemotherapy resistance in rectal cancer. Methods and Materials: We analyzed the correlation between prognosis indexes with hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) in rectal cancer patients with preoperative CCRT. In vitro, we investigated the effect of different concentrated glucose of environments on the radiation tolerance of rectal cancers. Further, we analyzed the combined HIF-1α inhibitor with radiation therapy in hyperglycemic rectal cancers. Results: The prognosis indexes of euglycemic or hyperglycemic rectal cancer patients after receiving CCRT treatment were investigated. The hyperglycemic rectal cancer patients (n = 13, glycosylated hemoglobin, HbA1c > 6.5%) had poorer prognosis indexes. In addition, a positive correlation was observed between HIF-1α expression and HbA1c levels (p = 0.046). Therefore, it is very important to clarify the relationship between HIF-1α and poor response in patients with hyperglycemia receiving pre-operative CCRT. Under a high glucose environment, rectal cancer cells express higher levels of glucose transport 1 (GLUT1), O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), and HIF-1α, suggesting that the high glucose environment might stimulate HIF-1α expression through the GLUT1-OGT-HIF-1α pathway promoting tolerance to Fluorouracil (5-FU) and radiation. In the hyperglycemic rectal cancer animal model, rectal cancer cells confirmed that radiation exposure reduces apoptosis by overexpressing HIF-1α. Combining HIF-1α inhibitors was able to reverse radioresistance in a high glucose environment. Lower HIF-1α levels increased DNA damage in tumors leading to apoptosis. Conclusions: The findings here show that hyperglycemia induces the expression of GLUT1, OGT, and HIF-1α to cause CCRT tolerance in rectal cancer and suggest that combining HIF-1α inhibitors could reverse radioresistance in a high glucose environment. HIF-1α inhibitors may be useful for development as CCRT sensitizers in patients with hyperglycemic rectal cancer.
HER2-Displaying M13 Bacteriophages induce Therapeutic Immunity against Breast Cancer
Authors: Wang Junbiao , Lamolinara Alessia , Conti Laura , Giangrossi Mara , Cui Lishan , Morelli Maria Beatrice , Amantini Consuelo , Falconi Maurizio , Bartolacci Caterina , Andreani Cristina , Orlando Fiorenza , Provinciali Mauro , Del Pizzo Francesco Domenico , Russo Francesca , Belletti Barbara , Riccardo Federica , Bolli Elisabetta , Quaglino Elena , Cavallo Federica , Amici Augusto , Iezzi Manuela , Marchini Cristina
Published: August 2022

The advent of trastuzumab has significantly improved the prognosis of HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer patients; nevertheless, drug resistance limits its clinical benefit. Anti-HER2 active immunotherapy represents an attractive alternative strategy, but effective immunization needs to overcome the patient’s immune tolerance against the self-HER2. Phage display technology, taking advantage of phage intrinsic immunogenicity, permits one to generate effective cancer vaccines able to break immune tolerance to self-antigens. In this study, we demonstrate that both preventive and therapeutic vaccination with M13 bacteriophages, displaying the extracellular (EC) and transmembrane (TM) domains of human HER2 or its Δ16HER2 splice variant on their surface (ECTM and Δ16ECTM phages), delayed mammary tumor onset and reduced tumor growth rate and multiplicity in ∆16HER2 transgenic mice, which are tolerant to human ∆16HER2. This antitumor protection correlated with anti-HER2 antibody production. The molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effect of vaccine-elicited anti-HER2 antibodies were analyzed in vitro against BT-474 human breast cancer cells, sensitive or resistant to trastuzumab. Immunoglobulins (IgG) purified from immune sera reduced cell viability mainly by impairing ERK phosphorylation and reactivating retinoblastoma protein function in both trastuzumab-sensitive and -resistant BT-474 cells. In conclusion, we demonstrated that phage-based HER2 vaccines impair mammary cancer onset and progression, opening new perspectives for HER2+ breast cancer treatment.
The m6A-Related Long Noncoding RNA Signature Predicts Prognosis and Indicates Tumor Immune Infiltration in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Geng Rui , Chen Tian , Zhong Zihang , Ni Senmiao , Bai Jianling , Liu Jinhui
Published: August 2022

Background: OV is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. M6A and lncRNAs have a great impact on OV development and patient immunotherapy response. In this paper, we decided to establish a reliable signature of mRLs. Method: The lncRNAs associated with m6A in OV were analyzed and obtained by co-expression analysis of the TCGA-OV database. Univariate, LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to establish the model of mRLs. K-M analysis, PCA, GSEA and nomogram based on the TCGA-OV and GEO database were conducted to prove the predictive value and independence of the model. The underlying relationship between the model and TME and cancer stemness properties were further investigated through immune feature comparison, consensus clustering analysis and pan-cancer analysis. Results: A prognostic signature comprising four mRLs, WAC-AS1, LINC00997, DNM3OS and FOXN3-AS1, was constructed and verified for OV according to the TCGA and GEO database. The expressions of the four mRLs were confirmed by qRT-PCR in clinical samples. Applying this signature, one can identify patients more effectively. The samples were divided into two clusters, and the clusters had different overall survival rates, clinical features and tumor microenvironments. Finally, pan-cancer analysis further demonstrated that the four mRLs were significantly related to immune infiltration, TME and cancer stemness properties in various cancer types. Conclusions: This study provided an accurate prognostic signature for patients with OV and elucidated the potential mechanism of the mRLs in immune modulation and treatment response, giving new insights into identifying new therapeutic targets.
Controversial Link between Cannabis and Anticancer Treatments—Where Are We and Where Are We Going? A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Hanganu Bianca , Lazar Diana Elena , Manoilescu Irina Smaranda , Mocanu Veronica , Butcovan Doina , Buhas Camelia Liana , Szalontay Andreea Silvana , Ioan Beatrice Gabriela
Published: August 2022

Background and Objectives: Cannabinoids are currently used in cancer patients primarily for their pain-relieving and antiemetic properties. The aim of our review was to synthesize all available data of studies evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of cannabis in combination with oncological treatments in cancer patients and to explore ongoing studies with different goals and medical areas registered in the field of oncology worldwide. Materials and Methods: This study was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. A search using MEDLINE/PubMed database was performed between 1 January 2006 and 1 March 2022. Search terms included the following: cannabidiol, cannabis, CBD, dronabinol, endocannabinoids, medical marijuana, nabiximols, nabilone, THC, and cancer. All studies that examined the efficacy of cannabis administered during oncological treatments, regardless of cancer localization, subtype, and sample size, were considered eligible. Results: In three studies, cannabis was administered to patients with glioblastoma, and in two other studies, cannabis was used in combination with immunotherapy in various cancer subgroups. The results of the clinical trials in cancer patients are not sufficient to draw conclusions at this time. Interestingly, several other studies addressing the systemic effects of cannabinoids in cancer patients are currently listed in the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s registry on the ClinicalTrials.gov website. However, only one of the registered studies examined the efficacy of cannabinoids as a potential option for systemic cancer treatment. Conclusions: Although cannabis is touted to the public as a cancer cure, clinical trials need to clarify which combinations of chemotherapeutic agents with cannabinoids are useful for cancer patients.
Human Papillomavirus-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trial Demographics
Authors: Gordis Tamar M. , Cagle Joshua L. , Nguyen Shaun A. , Newman Jason G.
Published: August 2022

The objective of our paper was to answer the following question: how do patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma OPSCC (Population) enrolled in clinical trials (Intervention), compared with national database reports of HPV-associated OPSCC patients (Comparison), present demographically (Outcome)? We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies pertaining to clinical trials of HPV-associated OPSCC and participant demographics in the United States. PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 2 February 2022. Studies of overlapping participant cohorts and/or studies conducted outside of the United States were excluded. Primary outcomes were patient age, sex, and race. Secondary outcomes were smoking history, alcohol history, history of prior cancer, and tumor origin site. Meta-analysis of single means (mean, N for each study, and standard deviation) for age, pack years, and smoking years was performed. Pooled prevalence rates of gender, race, alcohol history, tobacco history, and tumor origin site were expressed as a percentage, with 95% confidence intervals. Meta-analysis found patients to be predominately non-smoking white males, with tumors originating from the tonsil. Our findings reflected the demographics reported by the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for HPV-associated OPSCC. This indicates that HPV-associated OPSCC patients are appropriately represented in clinical trial demographics.
Levels of Evidence Supporting United States Guidelines in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Treatment
Authors: Pellat Anna , Boutron Isabelle , Coriat Romain , Ravaud Philippe
Published: August 2022

Cancer guidelines are ideally based on high levels of evidence (LOE). We aim to evaluate the LOE supporting recommendations in United States (US) guidelines on pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) treatment and its evolution over time. We searched for current guidelines from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and their prior publicly available versions on societies’ websites and/or MEDLINE. We recorded the LOE and class of recommendation (opinion of the writing panel) for each recommendation. We defined high LOE as: a “high” quality of evidence from the GRADE methodology (ASCO) and “Category 1” (NCCN). Our main outcome was the proportion of PDAC recommendations supported by high LOE. Proportions of high LOE recommendations were 5% (2/40) and 8% (12/153) in current ASCO and NCCN guidelines, respectively. Less than 10% of class I recommendations were based on high LOE. For NCCN guidelines, the proportion of high LOE recommendations did not improve over time and only three recommendations increased their LOE. We identified a small percentage of high LOE recommendations for PDAC treatment in US guidelines. However, guidelines authors can only deal with the available evidence. The current framework of evidence should be challenged with consideration of observational evidence.
Screening Method for 22q11 Deletion Syndrome Involving the Use of TaqMan qPCR for TBX1 in Patients with Conotruncal Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Campos-Garcia Felix-Julian , Castillo-Espinola Addy-Manuela , Medina-Escobedo Carolina-Elizabeth , Zenteno Juan , Lara-Riegos Julio-Cesar , Rubio-Zapata Hector , Cruz-Robles David , Velazquez-Ibarra Ana-Isabel
Published: August 2022

22q11.2 deletion syndrome is a phenotypic spectrum that encompasses DiGeorge syndrome (OMIM: 188400) and velocardiofacial syndrome (OMIM: 192430). It is caused by a 1.5–3.0 Mb hemizygous deletion of locus 22q11.2, which leads to characteristic facies, conotruncal cardiovascular malformations, velopharyngeal insufficiency, T-lymphocyte dysfunction due to thymic aplasia, and parathyroid hypoplasia, and, less frequently, neurological manifestations such as delayed psychomotor development or schizophrenia. This study aimed to describe a screening method for the diagnosis of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in patients with Conotruncal Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD), using qPCR to detect the copy number of the TBX1 gene in a single DNA sample. A total of 23 patients were included; 21 with a biallelic prediction of the TBX1 copy number gene and 2 with a monoallelic prediction who were suspected to be positive and subjected to MLPA confirmation. One patient (4.34%) with truncus arteriosus CCHD was confirmed to have 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. We propose this approach as a possible newborn screening method for 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in CCHD patients.
LPAL2 Suppresses Tumor Growth and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Modulating MMP9 Expression
Authors: Lin Yang-Hsiang , Liu Yu-Chin , Chen Cheng-Yi , Chi Hsiang-Cheng , Wu Meng-Han , Huang Po-Shuan , Chang Cheng-Chih , Lin Tzu-Kang , Yeh Chau-Ting , Lin Kwang-Huei
Published: August 2022

Tumor metastasis is a complex process modulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that ultimately result in poorer patient outcomes, including diminished survival. Pseudogene-derived long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) play important roles in cancer progression. In the current study, we found that the pseudogene-derived lncRNA LPAL2 is downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues, and further showed that elevated LPAL2 expression is positively correlated with survival outcome. The knockdown of LPAL2 in hepatoma cells induced tumor formation, migration, invasion, sphere formation, and drug resistance. Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) was identified as an LPAL2-regulated target gene, consistent with clinical findings that LPAL2 expression is significantly associated with MMP9 expression. Furthermore, patients with a higher expression of LPAL2 and lower expression of MMP9 (LPAL2-high/MMP9-low) had a higher survival rate than those with other combinations. Collectively, our findings establish LPAL2 as a novel tumor suppressor in HCC, and suggest targeting LPAL2 and MMP9 as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of HCC.
Pathogenetic Mechanisms Underlying Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 Are Altered in Primary Oligodendrocyte Culture
Authors: Schuster Kristen H. , Putka Alexandra F. , McLoughlin Hayley S.
Published: August 2022

Emerging evidence has implicated non-neuronal cells, particularly oligodendrocytes, in the pathophysiology of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease and Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). We recently demonstrated that cell-autonomous dysfunction of oligodendrocyte maturation is one of the of the earliest and most robust changes in vulnerable regions of the SCA3 mouse brain. However, the cell- and disease-specific mechanisms that underlie oligodendrocyte dysfunction remain poorly understood and are difficult to isolate in vivo. In this study, we used primary oligodendrocyte cultures to determine how known pathogenic SCA3 mechanisms affect this cell type. We isolated oligodendrocyte progenitor cells from 5- to 7-day-old mice that overexpress human mutant ATXN3 or lack mouse ATXN3 and differentiated them for up to 5 days in vitro. Utilizing immunocytochemistry, we characterized the contributions of ATXN3 toxic gain-of-function and loss-of-function in oligodendrocyte maturation, protein quality pathways, DNA damage signaling, and methylation status. We illustrate the utility of primary oligodendrocyte culture for elucidating cell-specific pathway dysregulation relevant to SCA3. Given recent work demonstrating disease-associated oligodendrocyte signatures in other neurodegenerative diseases, this novel model has broad applicability in revealing mechanistic insights of oligodendrocyte contribution to pathogenesis.
Açai Berry Mitigates Vascular Dementia-Induced Neuropathological Alterations Modulating Nrf-2/Beclin1 Pathways
Authors: Impellizzeri Daniela , D’Amico Ramona , Fusco Roberta , Genovese Tiziana , Peritore Alessio Filippo , Gugliandolo Enrico , Crupi Rosalia , Interdonato Livia , Di Paola Davide , Di Paola Rosanna , Cuzzocrea Salvatore , Siracusa Rosalba , Cordaro Marika
Published: August 2022

The second-most common cause of dementia is vascular dementia (VaD). The majority of VaD patients experience cognitive impairment, which is brought on by oxidative stress and changes in autophagic function, which ultimately result in neuronal impairment and death. In this study, we examine a novel method for reversing VaD-induced changes brought on by açai berry supplementation in a VaD mouse model. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of açai berries on the molecular mechanisms underlying VaD in a mouse model of the disease that was created by repeated ischemia–reperfusion (IR) of the whole bilateral carotid artery. Here, we found that açai berry was able to reduce VaD-induced behavioral alteration, as well as hippocampal death, in CA1 and CA3 regions. These effects are probably due to the modulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) and Beclin-1, suggesting a possible crosstalk between these molecular pathways. In conclusion, the protective effects of açai berry could be a good supplementation in the future for the management of vascular dementia.
Central Roles of STAT3-Mediated Signals in Onset and Development of Cancers: Tumorigenesis and Immunosurveillance
Authors: Hashimoto Shigeru , Hashimoto Ari , Muromoto Ryuta , Kitai Yuichi , Oritani Kenji , Matsuda Tadashi
Published: August 2022

Since the time of Rudolf Virchow in the 19th century, it has been well-known that cancer-associated inflammation contributes to tumor initiation and progression. However, it remains unclear whether a collapse of the balance between the antitumor immune response via the immunological surveillance system and protumor immunity due to cancer-related inflammation is responsible for cancer malignancy. The majority of inflammatory signals affect tumorigenesis by activating signal transducer and activation of transcription 3 (STAT3) and nuclear factor-κB. Persistent STAT3 activation in malignant cancer cells mediates extremely widespread functions, including cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, and invasion and contributes to an increase in inflammation-associated tumorigenesis. In addition, intracellular STAT3 activation in immune cells causes suppressive effects on antitumor immunity and leads to the differentiation and mobilization of immature myeloid-derived cells and tumor-associated macrophages. In many cancer types, STAT3 does not directly rely on its activation by oncogenic mutations but has important oncogenic and malignant transformation-associated functions in both cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We have reported a series of studies aiming towards understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the proliferation of various types of tumors involving signal-transducing adaptor protein-2 as an adaptor molecule that modulates STAT3 activity, and we recently found that AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 5a functions as an mRNA stabilizer that orchestrates an immunosuppressive TME in malignant mesenchymal tumors. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the functional role of STAT3 in tumor progression and introduce novel molecular mechanisms of cancer development and malignant transformation involving STAT3 activation that we have identified to date. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic strategies for cancer that target the signaling pathway to augment STAT3 activity.
A Security Analysis of Circuit Clock Obfuscation
Authors: Datta Rajesh , Zhao Guangwei , Basu Kanad , Shamsi Kaveh
Published: August 2022

Key-based circuit obfuscation or logic-locking is a technique that can be used to hide the full design of an integrated circuit from an untrusted foundry or end-user. The technique is based on creating ambiguity in the original circuit by inserting “key” input bits into the circuit such that the circuit is unintelligible absent a correct secret key. Clock signals have traditionally been avoided in locking in order to not corrupt the timing behavior of the locked circuit. In this paper, we explore the case where the clock signal itself may be obfuscated by ambiguating its frequency or pattern. Along with discussing formal notions of security in this context, we present practical ways to deobfuscate such designs using techniques from multi-rate model-checking. We present experimental data on deobfuscation runtime on a set of sequential benchmark circuits. Our results show that naive random clock obfuscation may not provide more security per overhead than traditional random keyed-gate insertion. We discuss how clock obfuscation may be a more attractive choice for special circuit designs that are inherently multi-clock/asynchronous.
Characterization and Gamma-ray Shielding Performance of Calcinated and Ball-Milled Calcinated Bentonite Clay Nanoparticles
Authors: Sallem Fawzy H. , Sayyed M. I. , Aloraini Dalal Abdullah , Almuqrin Aljawhara H. , Mahmoud K. A.
Published: August 2022

The current investigation deals with the fabrication of two various composite-based bentonite clay minerals. The characterization and radiation shielding parameters for the two fabricated composites (calcinated and ball-milled calcinated bentonite) were studied. X-ray diffraction was utilized to illustrate the crystalline phase of the fabricated composites. Furthermore, Williamson and Hall’s method was used to determine the grain size of both the calcinated and ball-milled calcinated composites. The particle size, according to the calculation was 39.84 nm, and the strain was 0.216 for the calcinated bentonite, while the particle size of the ball-milled bentonite was 26.96 nm, and the strain was 0.219. In comparison, the transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed that the grain size of the calcinated bentonite was 566.59 nm, and it was 296.21 nm for the ball-milled calcinated bentonite. The density of the fabricated composites varied between 1.60 and 186 g/cm3 for the calcinated bentonite and between 1.83 and 2.075 g/cm3 for the ball-milled calcinated bentonite. Moreover, the radiation shielding capacity of the composites was analyzed. The results show that the gamma-ray attenuation capacity of ball-milled calcinated bentonite is high compared to ordinary calcinated bentonite. These results confirm the effect of particle grain size on optimizing the gamma-ray shielding capacity of the fabricated materials.
Recent Advances in the Diagnosis of Enamel Cracks: A Narrative Review
Authors: Zidane Bassam
Published: August 2022

Cracked teeth can pose a diagnostic dilemma for a clinician as they can mimic several other conditions. The constant physiological stress along with any pathological strain like trauma or iatrogenic causes can lead to the development of microcracks in the teeth. Constant exposure to immense stress can cause the progression of these often-undiagnosed tooth cracks to cause tooth fractures. This review aims to outline the etiology of tooth cracks, their classification, and recent advances in the diagnosis of enamel cracks. Diagnosing a cracked tooth can be an arduous task as symptoms differ according to the location and extension of the incomplete fracture. Early detection is critical because restorative treatment can prevent fracture propagation, microleakage, pulpal or periodontal tissue involvement, and catastrophic cusp failure. Older methods of crack detection are not sensitive or specific. They include clinical examination, visual inspection, exploratory excavation, and percussion test. The dye test used blue or gentian violet stains to highlight fracture lines. Modern methods include transillumination, optical coherence tomography Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography (SSOCT), near-infrared imaging, ultrasonic system, infrared thermography, and near-infrared laser. These methods appear to be more efficacious than traditional clinical dental imaging techniques in detecting longitudinal tooth cracks. Clinically distinguishing between the various types of cracks can be difficult with patient-reported signs and symptoms varying according to the location and extension of the incomplete fracture. Cracks are more common in restored teeth. Technological advances such as transillumination allow for early detection and enhanced prognosis.
KHV: KVM-Based Heterogeneous Virtualization
Authors: Li Chunqiang , Guo Ren , Tian Xianting , Wang Huibin
Published: August 2022

A KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is subject to the complexity of the Linux kernel and the difficulty and cost of safety certification; thus, it is not popularized in embedded high-reliability scenarios. This paper proposes a KVM-based Heterogeneous Virtualization (KHV), which is independent of hardware virtualization (KVM mandatory virtualization), follows the principle of static partitioning, localizes the hypervisor, and inherits the KVM software ecosystem. KHV balances the demands of static partitioning and flexible sharing in the embedded system. The paper implemented KHV on the RISC-V Xuantie C910 CPU-based SoC and conducted a performance comparison with KVM. The experiment shows that KHV is 50% smaller than KVM in terms of fluctuation, and KHV makes the guest OS have the same performance as the bare-metal OS in scheduler benchmarks, whereas KVM dropped an average of 28%.
Identification of Key Genes for Oleoresin Biosynthesis in High and Low Oleoresin-Yielding Slash Pine Based on Transcriptome Analysis
Authors: Yi Min , Zhang Lu , Cheng Zishan , Hu Rong , Gao Yuan , Jin Cangfu , Yuan Shenggui , Sun Shiwu , Lai Meng
Published: August 2022

Slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelmann) is a pine species widely cultivated for its high oleoresin production capacity. However, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism of oleoresin biosynthesis between high and low oleoresin-yielding slash pines. In this study, the terpenoid compositions of oleoresin harvested from high- and low-yielding slash pines were identified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The monoterpenes and diterpenes are the major constituents, of which the α- and β-pinenes are the overwhelming majority of turpentines, and abietic acid, levopimaric acid, and neoabietic acid are the most abundant in rosin. The transcriptomic analysis was also performed with secondary xylem tissues of high- and low-yielding slash pines. After functional annotation, the DEGs of RNA-seq data between high- and low-yielding pines in April, July, and October were screened, and many key enzyme genes were found to be implicated in terpenoid backbone biosynthesis. Moreover, weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was carried out to uncover the gene modules highly related to α- and β-pinene biosynthesis in slash pine. Twenty-three modules were attained in this study. Focusing on the total oleoresin yield, the MEblue module exhibited the highest positive correlation, while the MEgreen module exhibited the highest negative correlation. A total of 20 TFs were identified in gene modules. Among these genes, the c215396.graph_c0 encoding an MYB TF is the key differentially expressed gene (DEG) between high- and low-yielding pines. The subsequent one-hybrid yeast assay verified that c215396.graph_c0 can activate the transcription of Apetala 2 (AP2) and 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (dxs), which are also two DEGs between high- and low-yielding pines. Thus, our study identified a set of key enzymes and TFs that are involved in regulating oleoresin and composition between high- and low-yielding slash pines and provided us a deep insight into oleoresin biosynthesis.
Effects of Iron Minerals on the Compressive Strengths and Microstructural Properties of Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer Materials
Authors: Ngnintedem Dimace , Lampe Marco , Tchakouté Hervé , Rüscher Claus
Published: August 2022

The current study aims to investigate the influence of iron minerals on the amorphous phase content, compressive strengths and the microstructural properties of the geopolymer materials. Geopolymer materials were prepared by the substitution of metakaolin by 10 and 20 wt.% of each iron mineral sample. Sodium waterglass from rice husk ash was used as a hardener, and metakaolin was used as an aluminosilicate source. The X-ray patterns show that the iron minerals denoted FR and FB are associated with hematite and magnetite, respectively. FY contains goethite together with a significant content of kaolinite and quartz. It is observed in the XRD patterns and FTIR absorption spectra that the additions of hematite, magnetite and goethite remain largely unreacted in the geopolymer binder. The compressive strengths of the related geopolymer composites show some significant variations indicating certain effects for mechanical stability obtained: 10 wt.% replacement of metakaolin by hematite increased the compressive strength from 51.1 to 55.5 MPa, while 20 wt.% hematite caused a decrease to 44.9 MPa. Furthermore, 10 and 20 wt.% replacement with FB revealed decreased values 47.0 and 40.3 MPa, respectively. It was also found that 10 and 20 wt.% of FY caused lower values of 30.9 and 39.1 MPa, respectively. The micrographs of geopolymer materials present some voids and cracks. The denser matrix is related to a superior gel formation producing a better glue between the crystalline additions. The unsubstituted geopolymer sample provides with about 50% the highest X-ray-amorphous content, whereas the substituted samples range between 35 and 45%, indicating systematically smaller gel contents without any clear trend with the compressive strength variation, however. The strength dependencies reveal more complex interaction between the gel and crystalline additions.