bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pelatihan dan Edukasi dalam Pengelolaan Lingkungan Fisik Rumah pada Pasien TB Paru di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Binanga
Authors: Hasir Hasir , Nurhikmah Nurhikmah , Nurbaya Nurbaya
Published: July 2022

Case Detection Rate (CDR) for TB cases in Mamuju Regency continues to increase every year. Data shows that in 2013 it was 110.63%, in 2014 it was 110.8%, in 2015 it was 147.02%, and 117.24% in 2016. In the incidence of pulmonary TB, the house is a factor that is widely studied because the house is thought to have a risk factor that influences the incidence of pulmonary TB in humans. This community service is carried out in the form of counseling and education about the management of the physical home environment for patients with pulmonary TB. This activity aimed to improve the abilities and skills of the trainees in managing the physical home environment for pulmonary TB patients. The extension method was in the form of lectures, discussions, and demonstrations of measuring light, humidity, and room temperature. A total of 25 participants were involved in this activity. The evaluation was carried out in the form of pre and post-test which contained 10 questions. Based on the post-test results, it was found that there was an increase in knowledge of 38.8%. Health workers need to provide regular assistance to families of TB patients so that there is a sustainable change in behavior related to the management of the household's physical environment.
ABSTRAK
Case Detection Rate (CDR) untuk kasus TB di Kabupaten Mamuju terus mengalami peningkatan setiap tahunnya. Data 2013 sebesar 110.63%, tahun 2014 tercacat 110.8%, tahun 2015 sebesar 147.02% dan 117.24% pada tahun 2016. Pada kejadian TB paru, rumah merupakan faktor yang banyak diteliti karena rumah diduga mempunyai faktor risiko yang berpengaruh besar terhadap kejadian TB paru pada manusia. Pengabdian masyarakat ini dilakukan dalam bentuk penyuluhan dan edukasi tentang pengelolaan lingkungan fisik rumah pada penderita TB Paru. Kegiatan ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan dan ketrampilan peserta pelatihan dalam pengelolaan lingkungan fisik rumah pada pasien TB Paru. Metode penyuluhan dalam bentuk ceramah, diskusi dan demonstrasi pengukuran cahaya, kelembaban udara dan suhu ruangan. Sebanyak 25 peserta terlibat dalam kegiatan ini. Evaluasi dilakukan dalam bentuk pre dan post-test yang berisi 10 pertanyaan. Berdasarkan hasil post-test diperoleh bahwa terjadi peningkatan pengetahuan sebanyak 38,8%. Petugas kesehatan perlu melakukan pendampingan secara rutin pada keluarga penderita TB agar terjadi perubahan perilaku yang berkelanjutan terkait pengelolaan lingkungan fisik rumah tangga.
Pemberdayaan Remaja dalam Pengelolaan Kesehatan Reproduksi pada Layanan Konseling Sebaya
Authors: Ismiyati Ismiyati , Sutianingsih Hani , Rusyanti Siti , Kurniawati Rery , Andriani Dwi Aprilina
Published: July 2022

The problems of adolescents in Banten Province are very concerning, including free sex, teenage pregnancy, teenage marriage, teenage childbirth, sexual diseases and deviant sexual behavior. These problems increased from 59% in 2012 to 74% in 2017. Program Pusat Informasi dan Konseling Remaja/Mahasiswa (PIK R/M) is the government's effort in overcoming adolescent problems by using a peer approach. The purpose of this activity is to improve the skills of peer counselors in providing peer counseling on adolescent reproductive health in Lebak Regency, identify the knowledge of peer counselors in providing counseling on adolescent reproductive health and identify the number of peer counseling services in providing counseling before and after the intervention. Service activities in the form of training on peer counseling are divided into four stages of activity. The results of this community service activity are that there is an increase in the knowledge of peer counselors about peer counseling, an increase in the number of peer counseling services as much as 71% carried out by counselors, the addition of online counseling services has increased to 63%, and the production of peer counseling videos which are used as learning materials for members. PIK-R in providing peer counseling.
ABSTRAK
Permasalahan remaja di Provinsi Banten sangat memprihatinkan, diantaranya seks bebas, kehamilan remaja, pernikahan remaja, persalinan remaja, penyakit seksual dan perilaku seks menyimpang. Permasalahan ini meningkat dari 59% pada tahun 2012 menjadi 74% pada tahun 2017. Program Pusat Informasi dan Konseling Remaja/Mahasiswa (PIK R/M) merupakan upaya pemerintah dalam mengatasi permasalahan remaja dengan menggunakan pendekatan teman sebaya. Tujuan kegiatan ini adalah untuk meningkatkan keterampilan konselor sebaya dalam memberikan konseling sebaya tentang kesehatan reproduksi remaja di Kabupaten Lebak, mengidentifikasi pengetahuan konselor sebaya dalam memberikan konseling tentang kesehatan reproduksi remaja dan mengidentifikasi jumlah layanan konseling sebaya dalam memberikan konseling sebelum dan sesudah intervensi. Kegiatan pengabdian dalam bentuk pelatihan tentang konseling sebaya yang dibagi menjadi empat tahap kegiatan. Hasil kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini adalah terdapat peningkatan pengetahuan pada konselor sebaya tentang konseling sebaya. Terjadi peningkatan jumlah layanan konseling sebaya sebanyak 71% yang dilakukan oleh konselor, penambahan layanan konseling secara daring meningkat menjadi 63%, serta dihasilkannya video konseling sebaya yang menjadi bahan belajar anggota PIK-R dalam memberikan konseling sebaya.
Upaya Pencegahan Stunting Melalui Edukasi dan Pemberian Tablet Tambah Darah pada Sasaran Kunci di Desa
Authors: Siampa Imanuelle Tamara Audrey , Hasan Wahyuni , Aulia Farikha , Saputri Eka Ernalifia , Rustam Sitti Nailah , Fuad Mohammad , Ikhsan Muh. , Syam Aminuddin , Asrianti Tanti , Rachmat Muhammad
Published: July 2022

As one of the locus of stunting prevention in Takalar Regency, Bontokassi Village has 20 stunted children in February 2021 with 16 stunted categories and 4 severe stunted categories. Physical and non-physical interventions are carried out to prevent stunting, such as distributing booklets of six healthy behaviors, distributing IFA supplements (TTD), and nutritional counseling. This activity aimed to increase knowledge and awareness of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers about stunting, and increase the coverage of iron supplement intake for pregnant women and adolescent girls. The results of the counseling showed that 21.7% of participants experienced an increase in knowledge after the intervention. A total of 21 targets received iron supplements, consisting of three pregnant women and 18 young women. Each target is given four TTD to drink once a week. This intervention activity needs to be carried out on an ongoing basis by Puskesmas officers assisted by Posyandu cadres in order to overcome the stunting problem in this area.
 
ABSTRAK
Sebagai salah satu lokus pencegahan stunting di Kabupaten Takalar, Desa Bontokassi memiliki 20 balita stunting pada Februari 2021 dengan kategori pendek sebanyak 16 balita dan empat kategori sangat pendek. Intervensi fisik dan non fisik dilakukan untuk mencegah stunting, seperti membagikan booklet enam perilaku sehat, membagikan suplemen tablet tambah darah (TTD), dan penyuluhan gizi. Kegiatan ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan dan kesadaran ibu hamil dan ibu menyusui tentang stunting, dan meningkatkan cakupan asupan suplemen TTD pada ibu hamil dan remaja putri. Hasil penyuluhan menunjukkan bahwa 21,7% partisipan mengalami peningkatan pengetahuan setelah intervensi. Sebanyak 21 sasaran mendapatkan suplemen TTD, terdiri dari tiga ibu hamil dan 18 remaja putri. Setiap sasaran diberikan empat TTD untuk diminum satu kali dalam sepekan. Kegiatan intervensi ini perlu dilakukan secara berkelanjutan oleh petugas Puskesmas dibantu oleh kader Posyandu dalam rangka mengatasi masalah stunting di daerah ini.
Molecular Features in Lymphatic Metastases Reflect the Metastasis Mechanism of Lymph Nodes With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancers
Authors: Guo Nannan , Chen Yuanyuan , Jing Zhongying , Liu Siyao , Su Junyan , Li Ruilin , Duan Xiaohong , Chen Zhigong , Chen Ping , Yin Rongjiang , Li Shaojun , Tang Jian
Published: July 2022

Lymphatic metastasis influences clinical treatment and prognosis of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There is an urgency to understand the molecular features and mechanisms of lymph node metastasis. We analyzed the molecular features on pairs of the primary tumor and lymphatic metastasis tissue samples from 15 NSCLC patients using targeted next-generation sequencing. The potential metastasis-related genes were screened from our cohort based on cancer cell fraction. After filtering with gene functions, candidate metastasis-related events were validated in the MSK cohort with Fisher’s exact test. The molecular signature and tumor mutational burden were similar in paired samples, and the average mutational concordance was 42.0% ± 28.9%. Its metastatic mechanism is potentially a linear progression based on the metastatic seeding theory. Furthermore, mutated ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) and tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) genes were significantly enriched in lymphatic metastases (p ≤ 0.05). Alterations in these two genes could be considered metastasis-related driving events. Mutated ATR and TET2 might play an active role in the metastasis of lymph nodes with NSCLC. More case enrollment and long-term follow-up will further verify the clinical significance of these two genes.
Immunogenicity and protective potential of chimeric virus-like particles containing SARS-CoV-2 spike and H5N1 matrix 1 proteins
Authors: Chen Jing , Xu Wang , Li Letian , Yi Lichao , Jiang Yuhang , Hao Pengfei , Xu Zhiqiang , Zou Wancheng , Li Peiheng , Gao Zihan , Tian Mingyao , Jin Ningyi , Ren Linzhu , Li Chang
Published: July 2022

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has posed a constant threat to human beings and the world economy for more than two years. Vaccination is the first choice to control and prevent the pandemic. However, an effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine against the virus infection is still needed. This study designed and prepared four kinds of virus-like particles (VLPs) using an insect expression system. Two constructs encoded wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) fused with or without H5N1 matrix 1 (M1) (S and SM). The other two constructs contained a codon-optimized spike gene and/or M1 gene (mS and mSM) based on protein expression, stability, and ADE avoidance. The results showed that the VLP-based vaccine could induce high SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies in mice, including specific IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a. Moreover, the mSM group has the most robust ability to stimulate humoral immunity and cellular immunity than the other VLPs, suggesting the mSM is the best immunogen. Further studies showed that the mSM combined with Al/CpG adjuvant could stimulate animals to produce sustained high-level antibodies and establish an effective protective barrier to protect mice from challenges with mouse-adapted strain. The vaccine based on mSM and Al/CpG adjuvant is a promising candidate vaccine to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic.
Do People Get Used to Insulting Language?
Authors: Struiksma Marijn E. , De Mulder Hannah N. M. , Van Berkum Jos J. A.
Published: July 2022

Verbal insults go against a universal moral imperative not to inflict harm on others, and they also pose a threat to one's face or reputation. As such, these “verbal slaps in the face” provide a unique opportunity to explore the interface between language and emotion. We used electroencephalography (EEG) and skin conductance (SC) recordings to compare the short-term impact of verbal insults such as “Linda is an idiot” or “Paula is horrible” to that of more positive evaluations (e.g., “Linda is an angel”, “Paula is impressive”) and neutral factual descriptions (e.g., “Linda is a student”), examining how responses to these various speech acts adapt as a function of massive repetition. By using either the participant's or somebody else's name, we also explored how statement impact depended on who was being evaluated. Multilevel ERP analysis with three predesignated latency ranges revealed an early insult effect in P2 amplitude that was highly robust over repetition and also did not depend on who the insult was about. This P2 effect points to a very rapid and stable capture of emotional attention, plausibly triggered by the retrieval of evaluative word meaning from long-term memory. Insults also elicited a larger late positive potential (LPP), again regardless of who the insult was about, but this later effect did not withstand repetition. Skin conductance responses showed that insults did not lead to more arousal than compliments did. In all, our findings suggest that in a standard psycholinguistic comprehension experiment without real interaction between speakers, insults deliver lexical “mini-slaps in the face,” such that the strongly negative evaluative words involved (e.g., “idiot”) automatically grab attention during lexical retrieval, regardless of how often that retrieval occurs.
Delphi case: Sharing of clinical experiences for improvement in the treatment of chronic venous disease
Authors: Camporese Giuseppe , Aloi Teresa Lucia , Santoliquido Angelo
Published: July 2022

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a common condition with major health consequences that is associated with poor long-term prognosis, significant socioeconomic impact, disabling symptoms, and reduced quality of life. To provide a novel evidence-based approach in the management of CVD, a consensus process (“Delphi Case”) following a first Delphi Consensus was conceived. With a real-life fashion analysis, a steering committee formed by 3 expert leaders on chronic venous disease drove a panel of 77 expert Italian angiologists/vascular surgeons along a collegial discussion, integrating data coming from the guidelines recommendations of different Vascular Scientific Societies with the consensus agreement statements gathered from the first Delphi Consensus, and with data coming from the discussion of few statements in which there was disagreement. From July 15 to October 16, 2020, demographic, anamnestic, objective, and therapeutic data coming from a total of 2,275 patients were collected by the experts panel using a predefined case report form. The results of this second consensus provided a real-life picture of CVD management in the Italian population and clearly showed that a tailored therapeutic approach together with an appropriate lifestyle (e.g., diet, physical activity, weight loss) must be considered as the milestones for the CVD-related signs and symptoms clinical improvement in daily clinical practice. An evaluation of the adherence and of the efficacy of the prescribed pharmacological and compressive treatment in a medium-long term follow-up of the study population has been planned as the last step of this course and will be object of a future final publication.
Two-Stage Voice Application Recommender System for Unhandled Utterances in Intelligent Personal Assistant
Authors: Xiao Wei , Hu Qian , Mohamed Thahir , Gao Zheng , Gao Xibin , Arava Radhika , AbdelHady Mohamed
Published: July 2022

Intelligent personal assistants (IPA) enable voice applications that facilitate people's daily tasks. However, due to the complexity and ambiguity of voice requests, some requests may not be handled properly by the standard natural language understanding (NLU) component. In such cases, a simple reply like “Sorry, I don't know” hurts the user's experience and limits the functionality of IPA. In this paper, we propose a two-stage shortlister-reranker recommender system to match third-party voice applications (skills) to unhandled utterances. In this approach, a skill shortlister is proposed to retrieve candidate skills from the skill catalog by calculating both lexical and semantic similarity between skills and user requests. We also illustrate how to build a new system by using observed data collected from a baseline rule-based system, and how the exposure biases can generate discrepancy between offline and human metrics. Lastly, we present two relabeling methods that can handle the incomplete ground truth, and mitigate exposure bias. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed system through extensive offline experiments. Furthermore, we present online A/B testing results that show a significant boost on user experience satisfaction.
Automated Eruption Forecasting at Frequently Active Volcanoes Using Bayesian Networks Learned From Monitoring Data and Expert Elicitation: Application to Mt Ruapehu, Aotearoa, New Zealand
Authors: Christophersen Annemarie , Behr Yannik , Miller Craig
Published: July 2022

Volcano observatory best practice recommends using probabilistic methods to forecast eruptions to account for the complex natural processes leading up to an eruption and communicating the inherent uncertainties in appropriate ways. Bayesian networks (BNs) are an artificial intelligence technology to model complex systems with uncertainties. BNs consist of a graphical presentation of the system that is being modelled and robust statistics to describe the joint probability distribution of all variables. They have been applied successfully in many domains including risk assessment to support decision-making and modelling multiple data streams for eruption forecasting and volcanic hazard and risk assessment. However, they are not routinely or widely employed in volcano observatories yet. BNs provide a flexible framework to incorporate conceptual understanding of a volcano, learn from data when available and incorporate expert elicitation in the absence of data. Here we describe a method to build a BN model to support decision-making. The method is built on the process flow of risk management by the International Organization for Standardization. We have applied the method to develop a BN model to forecast the probability of eruption for Mt Ruapehu, Aotearoa New Zealand in collaboration with the New Zealand volcano monitoring group (VMG). Since 2014, the VMG has regularly estimated the probability of volcanic eruptions at Mt Ruapehu that impact beyond the crater rim. The BN model structure was built with expert elicitation based on the conceptual understanding of Mt Ruapehu and with a focus on making use of the long eruption catalogue and the long-term monitoring data. The model parameterisation was partly done by data learning, complemented by expert elicitation. The retrospective BN model forecasts agree well with the VMG elicitations. The BN model is now implemented as a software tool to automatically calculate daily forecast updates.
More than a warning: Expanding the role of communication in Eastern Caribbean volcano science
Authors: Graham Omari , Edwards Stacey , Robertson Richard
Published: July 2022

The infrequent nature of volcanic eruptions means that civil authorities and the public may often be unfamiliar with volcanic hazards and may not be fully prepared to deal with them. Many times volcano scientists are required to help governments and citizens understand the threat posed to their lives and property when volcanoes show signs of an imminent eruption. Effectively communicating the potential impact of these events can demand time and skills that these scientists may or may not have. Further, a lack of trusted scientific information can lead to public misinformation and hamper government responses. Although several risk reduction researchers and observatory scientists have advocated for the inclusion of communication specialists in scientific teams, communication resources at many observatories remain under utilised. Using the experience of The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC), this article explores the contribution of a specialist communication team to the work of a volcano monitoring agency. The Education and Outreach (E&O) team at the UWI-SRC manages all the agency’s external communications. The team also works to raise public awareness of geological hazards in the UWI-SRC’s Eastern Caribbean region of responsibility. Within the Caribbean region, most communication research related to disaster risk up until now has focused on communication during crises. Using semi-structured interviews and document review we investigated the impact of strategic communication in a long-term, multi-hazard monitoring programme. A qualitative analysis highlighted the equal importance of crisis communication during unrest and outreach work during quiescent periods. The UWI-SRC’s communication programme has been effective in: 1) supporting scientists’ public communication 2) sustaining stakeholder engagement 3) building physical and social science capacity and 4) strengthening organisational credibility. This article examines the contribution of specialist communication to advisory volcano science throughout the disaster management cycle in the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean. It argues that significant societal value can be added to the scientific work engaged in by advisory scientists by embracing a multi-level communication strategy.
Effects of Normal Stress and Joint Inclination Angle on Rock Failure Characteristics Under Compression–Shear Conditions
Authors: Chen Qingzhi , Liu Yuanming , Wang Wei , Ou Xun , Zhou Yuhang , Teng Zhaolei , Tian Xingchao
Published: July 2022

In this study, cement mortar was used to make specimens containing groups of parallel joints with different inclination angles to simulate natural rock mass, and the specimens were subjected to shear tests under different normal stresses. By analyzing the crack propagation path, failure modes, and strength characteristics of these rock specimens, the effects of normal stress and joint inclination angles on the strength and failure characteristics of this type of rock mass were studied. The following conclusions are drawn: 1) when the inclination angles of the joints are 0° and 15°, the changing of the normal stress did not affect the failure mode of the rock mass. The rock mass was mainly in the mode of shear failure, and the increase in the normal stress only increased the spalling area of the rock mass. 2) When the inclination angles of the joints are 30°, 45°, and 60°, with the increasing of the normal stress, the number of those approximately parallel cracks in the specimens increased, the friction marks caused by shearing increased, and the failure mode of the rock mass changed from tension failure to tension–shear composite failure. 3) Under different joint inclination angles, the propagation and penetration paths of cracks generated in the rock mass and the damage mode of the rock mass were different. With an increase in the joint inclination angles, the damage mode of the rock mass gradually changes from shear damage to tensile–shear composite damage and the α and β angles between the through cracks and the vertical direction on the left and right sides of the specimens tended to decrease. 4) The shear resistance of the rock mass was affected by the inclination angle of the joints and the normal pressure. The shear resistance of rock mass was improved due to the increasing of normal stress. Within a certain range, with the increasing of the inclination angles of the joint, the shear resistance of the rock mass tended to decrease first and then to increase.
Genetic and Genomic Characterization of a New Beef Cattle Composite Breed (Purunã) Developed for Production in Pasture-Based Systems
Authors: Mulim Henrique Alberto , Brito Luiz F. , Batista Pinto Luís Fernando , Moletta José Luis , Da Silva Lilian Regina , Pedrosa Victor Breno
Published: July 2022

Purunã is a composite beef cattle breed, developed in Southern Brazil by crossing the Angus, Charolais, Canchim, and Caracu breeds. The goal of this study was to perform the first genetic characterization of the Purunã breed, based on both pedigree and genomic information. For this, 100 randomly selected animals were genotyped, and 11,205 animals born from 1997 to 2019 had pedigree information. The genetic analyses performed were principal component analysis, admixture, phylogenic tree, pedigree and genomic inbreeding, linkage disequilibrium (LD), effective population size (Ne), consistency of the gametic phase, runs of homozygosity (ROH), heterozygosity-enriched regions (HERs), and functional analyses of the ROH and HER regions identified. Our findings indicate that Purunã is more genetically related to the Charolais, Canchim, and Angus breeds than Caracu or Nellore. The levels of inbreeding were shown to be small based on all the metrics evaluated and ranged from −0.009 to 0.029. A low (−0.12–0.31) correlation of the pedigree-based inbreeding compared to all the genomic inbreeding coefficients evaluated was observed. The LD average was 0.031 (±0.0517), and the consistency of the gametic phase was shown to be low for all the breed pairs, ranging from 0.42 to 0.27 to the distance of 20 Mb. The Ne values based on pedigree and genomic information were 158 and 115, respectively. A total of 1,839 ROHs were found, and the majority of them are of small length (<4 Mb). An important homozygous region was identified on BTA5 with pathways related to behavioral traits (sensory perception, detection of stimulus, and others), as well as candidate genes related to heat tolerance (MY O 1A), feed conversion rate (RDH5), and reproduction (AMDHD1). A total of 1,799 HERs were identified in the Purunã breed with 92.3% of them classified within the 0.5–1 Mb length group, and 19 HER islands were identified in the autosomal genome. These HER islands harbor genes involved in growth pathways, carcass weight (SDCBP), meat and carcass quality (MT2A), and marbling deposition (CISH). Despite the genetic relationship between Purunã and the founder breeds, a multi-breed genomic evaluation is likely not feasible due to their population structure and low consistency of the gametic phase among them.
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Hub Genes Regulating Autophagy in Patients With Severe COVID-19
Authors: Huang Jinfeng , Wang Yimeng , Zha Yawen , Zeng Xin , Li Wenxing , Zhou Meijuan
Published: July 2022

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has currently developed into a worldwide threat to humankind. Importantly, patients with severe COVID-19 are believed to have a higher mortality risk than those with mild conditions. However, despite the urgent need to develop novel therapeutic strategies, the biological features and pathogenic mechanisms of severe COVID-19 are poorly understood.

Methods: Here, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from four patients with severe COVID-19, four patients with mild COVID-19, and four healthy controls were examined by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). We conducted gene expression analysis and Venn diagrams to detect specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in patients with severe disease compared with those with mild conditions. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was performed to identify the significant biological processes, and protein–protein interaction networks were constructed to extract hub genes. These hub genes were then subjected to regulatory signatures and protein–chemical interaction analysis for certain regulatory checkpoints and identification of potent chemical agents. Finally, to demonstrate the cell type-specific expression of these genes, we performed single-cell RNA-Seq analyses using an online platform.

Results: A total of 144 DEGs were specifically expressed in severe COVID-19, and GO enrichment analysis revealed a significant association of these specific DEGs with autophagy. Hub genes such as MVB12A, CHMP6, STAM, and VPS37B were then found to be most significantly involved in the biological processes of autophagy at the transcriptome level. In addition, six transcription factors, including SRF, YY1, CREB1, PPARG, NFIC, and GATA2, as well as miRNAs, namely, hsa-mir-1-3p, and potent chemical agents such as copper sulfate and cobalt chloride, may cooperate in regulating the autophagy hub genes. Furthermore, classical monocytes may play a central role in severe COVID-19.

Conclusion: We suggest that autophagy plays a crucial role in severe COVID-19. This study might facilitate a more profound knowledge of the biological characteristics and progression of COVID-19 and the development of novel therapeutic approaches to achieve a breakthrough in the current COVID-19 pandemic.
ER Stress–Related Genes EIF2AK3, HSPA5, and DDIT3 Polymorphisms are Associated With Risk of Lung Cancer
Authors: Liu Yongshi , Liang Xiaohua , Zhang Hongpei , Dong Jiajia , Zhang Yan , Wang Juan , Li Chunmei , Xin Xiangbing , Li Yan
Published: July 2022

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the associations between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress–related genesEIF2AK3/PERK,HSPA5/GRP78, andDDIT3/CHOP polymorphisms and the risk of lung cancer.

Methods:Six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) ofEIF2AK3,HSPA5, andDDIT3were genotyped in 620 cases and 620 controls using a MassARRAY platform.

Results:The minor allele A of rs6750998 was a protective allele against the risk of lung cancer (p< 0.001), while the minor alleles of rs867529, rs391957, and rs697221 were all risk alleles that may lead to multiplied risk of the disease (rprs867529= 0.002;prs391957= 0.015;prs697221< 0.001). Moreover, the rs6750998-TA/AA genotypes were protective genotypes against the risk of lung cancer (p= 0.005); however, the rs867529-GC/CC, rs391957-CC, and rs697221-GA/AA genotypes were associated with elevated lung cancer risk (prs867529= 0.003,prs391957= 0.028, andprs697221= 0.0001). In addition,EIF2AK3-rs6750998 was associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer under dominant, recessive, and log-additive models (p< 0.05). By contrast, theEIF2AK3-rs867529 was correlated with an increased risk of the disease under dominant and log-additive models (p= 0.001). Moreover,HSPA5-rs391957 was related to an elevated risk of the disease under recessive and log-additive models (p< 0.02).DDIT3-rs697221 was identified to have a significant association with the risk of lung cancer under all three genetic models (p< 0.01).

Conclusion:Our results provide new insights on the role of the ER stress–related genesEIF2AK3,HSPA5, andDDIT3polymorphisms for lung cancer risk.
Killing two birds with a single stone—genetic manipulation of cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) genes for enhancing crop productivity and amelioration of drought stress response
Authors: Sharma Aman , Prakash Subasty , Chattopadhyay Debasis
Published: July 2022

The development of high-yielding, bio-fortified, stress-tolerant crop cultivars is the need of the hour in the wake of increasing global food insecurity, abrupt climate change, and continuous shrinking of resources and landmass suitable for agriculture. The cytokinin group of phytohormones positively regulates seed yield by simultaneous regulation of source capacity (leaf senescence) and sink strength (grain number and size). Cytokinins also regulate root-shoot architecture by promoting shoot growth and inhibiting root growth. Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) are the only enzymes that catalyze the irreversible degradation of active cytokinins and thus negatively regulate the endogenous cytokinin levels. Genetic manipulation of CKX genes is the key to improve seed yield and root-shoot architecture through direct manipulation of endogenous cytokinin levels. Downregulation of CKX genes expressed in sink tissues such as inflorescence meristem and developing seeds, through reverse genetics approaches such as RNAi and CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in increased yield marked by increased number and size of grains. On the other hand, root-specific expression of CKX genes resulted in decreased endogenous cytokinin levels in roots which in turn resulted in increased root growth indicated by increased root branching, root biomass, and root-shoot biomass ratio. Enhanced root growth provided enhanced tolerance to drought stress and improved micronutrient uptake efficiency. In this review, we have emphasized the role of CKX as a genetic factor determining yield, micronutrient uptake efficiency, and response to drought stress. We have summarised the efforts made to increase crop productivity and drought stress tolerance in different crop species through genetic manipulation of CKX family genes.
Characterization of the early cellular immune response induced by HPV vaccines
Authors: Pasmans Hella , Berkowska Magdalena A. , Diks Annieck M. , de Mooij Bas , Groenland Rick J. , de Rond Lia , Nicolaie M. Alina , van der Burg Sjoerd H. , van Dongen Jacques J. M. , van der Klis Fiona R. M. , Buisman Anne-Marie
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Current human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines consist of virus-like particles (VLPs) which are based on the L1 protein, but they are produced by different expression systems and use different adjuvants. We performed in-depth immunophenotyping of multiple innate and adaptive immune cells after vaccination with bivalent versus nonavalent HPV vaccines.

Method

Twenty pre-menopausal HPV-seronegative women were enrolled and randomized to receive three-doses of either the bivalent or the nonavalent HPV vaccine. Blood samples were collected at multiple time points from baseline up to 7 months after first vaccination. Four extensive EuroFlow flow cytometry antibody panels were used to monitor various immune cell subsets. Additionally, HPV-specific memory B- and T cells were determined by ELISPOT and HPV-specific antibody levels were measured by a VLP-based multiplex immunoassay.

Results

In both cohorts, the numbers of plasma cells expanded in the first week after both primary and tertiary vaccination. HPV16 and HPV18-specific antibody levels and memory B and T-cell responses were higher in the bivalent than in the nonavalent vaccinees one month post third vaccination. For HPV31 and HPV45-specific antibody levels this pattern was reversed. Monocytes showed an expansion one day after vaccination in both cohorts but were significantly higher in the bivalent vaccine cohort. Large heterogeneity in responses of the other cell subsets was observed between donors.

Conclusion

This pilot study showed a consistent response of monocytes and plasma cells after vaccination and a considerable variation in other circulating immune cells in both types of HPV vaccines between donors.
Life Cycle Strategies of the Centric Diatoms in a Shallow Embayment Revealed by the Plankton Emergence Trap/Chamber (PET Chamber) Experiments
Authors: Ishii Ken-Ichiro , Matsuoka Kazumi , Imai Ichiro , Ishikawa Akira
Published: July 2022

In situ emergence of the centric diatoms from the surface sediment, along with the occurrence of the vegetative cells in the water column, were monitored monthly in a shallow embayment, Ago Bay, of central Japan, where light penetrated to the seafloor. The in situ emergence flux (cells m-2 day-1) was measured by experiments using a ‘plankton emergence trap/chamber (PET chamber)’. During the study period from July 2006 to May 2008, germinating and rejuvenating cells of centric diatoms were successfully collected by the PET chamber. Furthermore, vegetative cells forming long-chain colonies, including the species which have not been known to form resting stage cells, were also found, indicating that these cells already inhabited the surface sediment prior to the start of the PET chamber experiments. The vegetative cells could be cells that grew after germination/rejuvenation and/or cells deposited from the upper layer in the water column. When comparing emergence flux in the PET chamber and the integrated abundance of the vegetative cells in the water column for the diatoms frequently observed, significant positive relationships were found for some diatom taxa. However, even for these taxa that showed a clear relationship, the magnitude of the vegetative population in the water column did not necessarily correlate with that of the emergence flux. These observations indicate that the magnitude of the vegetative population was not regulated directly by the emergence flux. The magnitude of the vegetative population could be dependent on the vegetative growth itself. This implies that the presence of vegetative cells in the water column is important at the time when environmental conditions become suitable for vegetative growth. In this context, the presence of various types of cells, such as germinating, rejuvenating, and vegetative cells, in the sediment is essential as seeds waiting for recruitment into the water column. Consequently, the seafloor in Ago Bay may act as a ‘refuge and nursery’ for centric diatoms. Based on the above, we demonstrated various patterns of life cycle strategies of the diatoms in a shallow coastal water/embayment.
Sex-Specific Transcriptomic Differences in the Immune Cells of a Key Atlantic-Mediterranean Sea Urchin
Authors: Pérez-Portela Rocío , Leiva Carlos
Published: July 2022

The abundance of the black sea urchin, Arbacia lixula, has been increasing during the last decades likely related to global warming. This thermophilous species has a leading role in maintaining marine barrens in the Mediterranean with the consequent negative impact on coastal rocky ecosystems due to its grazing activity. In this study, we used transcriptomic data from coelomocytes (the cell effectors of the immune system) of females and males of this sea urchin to study potential differences in performance between sexes under laboratory conditions. Differential adaptations, responses to environmental stressors, and resistance against pathogens between sexes may lead to different outcomes in the ongoing expansion of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. Differential expression analyses demonstrated the existence of 120 transcripts, corresponding to 119 genes and two isoforms of the same gene, differentially expressed between coelomocytes of females and males, being 73 up-regulated in males and 47 up-regulated in females. The differential expression patterns were retrieved from a diversity of genes that play different roles related to the immune response due to their antibacterial activity, immune cell activation, cell to cell interaction, intracellular signaling, and detoxification functioning, among others. Our results point out a higher energetic demand of male coelomocytes due to a higher immune activity than females, whereas females have more efficient molecular systems to avoid oxidative stress caused by infections. In conclusion, our study provides evidence of sex-based differences in the expression of genes related to the immune and stress responses in coelomocytes of the sea urchin A. lixula.
Structure and Circulation of Atlantic Water Masses in the St. Anna Trough in the Kara Sea
Authors: Osadchiev Alexander , Viting Kirill , Frey Dmitry , Demeshko Darya , Dzhamalova Alina , Nurlibaeva Alina , Gordey Alexandra , Krechik Victor , Spivak Eduard , Semiletov Igor , Stepanova Natalia
Published: July 2022

The inflow of warm and saline Atlantic water from the North Atlantic to the Western Arctic is provided by two branches, namely, the Fram Strait branch water and the Barents Sea branch water. The pathways of these branches merge at the St. Anna Trough, and then both branches propagate eastward along the continental slope, albeit at different depths. As a result, the local interaction between these branches in the trough affects the properties of the large-scale Atlantic water flow to the Eastern Arctic and the deep Arctic basins. In this study, we report extensively in situ measurements with high spatial coverage (56 hydrological stations organized into 7 transects) in the St. Anna Trough, obtained in August and October 2021. Based on these data, we reconstructed the thermohaline structure and circulation in this area and obtained new insights, which are crucial for the assessment of the interaction and heat balance of water masses in the trough. First, we state that the majority of the Fram Strait branch water is recirculated in the trough within the stable cyclonic gyre, while a smaller fraction returns to the continental slope. The formation of this gyre increases the residence time of the Fram Strait branch water in the trough and decreases the intensity of water and heat exchange between the trough and the continental slope. Second, we describe the dynamic interaction between the northward flow of the Barents Sea branch water and the surface layer. It causes intense transport of warm surface water from the Kara and Barents seas adjacent to the Novaya Zemlya toward the continental slope and its mixing with the Barents Sea branch water along the eastern part of the trough. These processes result in increased surface temperature at the eastern part of the trough, which enhances ice melting at the study area and increases the duration of the ice-free period.
Fucosyltransferase 2: A Genetic Risk Factor for Intestinal Diseases
Authors: Hu Mingyang , Zhang Xiyun , Li Jinze , Chen Luotong , He Xiaolin , Sui Tingting
Published: July 2022

The fucosyltransferase 2 gene (FUT2) mediates the synthesis of histoblood group antigens (HBGA) that occur in vivo from multiple organs, particularly on the surface of intestinal epithelial cells and body fluids. To date, many studies have demonstrated that the interaction of HBGA with the host microbiota is the cause of pathogenesis of intestinal diseases, making FUT2 non-secretor a risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) due to the lack of HBGA. As HBGA also acts as an attachment site for norovirus (NoV) and rotavirus (RV), the non-secretor becomes a protective factor for both viral infections. In addition, the interaction of norovirus and rotavirus with symbiotic bacteria has been found to play an important role in regulating enteroviral infection in IBD. Given the current incomplete understanding of the complex phenomenon and the underlying pathogenesis of intestinal diseases such as IBD, it has recently been hypothesized that the FUT2 gene regulates intestinal bacteria through attachment sites, may help to unravel the role of FUT2 and intestinal flora in the mechanism of intestinal diseases in the future, and provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases through more in-depth studies.
Systematic analysis of expression profiles of HMGB family members for prognostic application in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Zheng Xuefeng , Wang Xu , He Yunduan , Ge Hong
Published: July 2022

Background: Lung cancer is a significant challenge to human health. Members of the high mobility group (HMG) superfamily (HMGB proteins) are implicated in a wide variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes, but the expression and prognostic value of HMGB family members in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been elucidated.

Methods: In this study, ONCOMINE, UALCAN, GEPIA, Kaplan–Meier Plotter, starBase, OncomiR databases, and GeneMANIA were utilized to evaluate the prognostic significance of HMGB family members in NSCLC.

Results: HMGB2/3 expression levels were higher in NSCLC patients. HMGB1 expression was higher in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and was lower in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissue than in normal lung tissue. HMGB2 expression was related to cancer stage. Increased HMGB1 mRNA expression levels were associated with improved lung cancer prognosis, including overall survival (OS), first-progression survival (FP), and post-progression survival (PPS). There was no significant association between HMGB2 levels and prognostic indicators. HMGB3 expression was associated with poorer OS. GeneMANIA and GO/KEGG pathway analysis showed that HMGB family members mainly associated with chromosome condensation, regulation of chromatin organization, and nucleosome binding in NSCLC. HMGBs expression were closely correlated with infiltrating levels of specific types of immune cells in NSCLC, especially Th2 cells, Th17 cells, and mast cells. hsa-miR-25-3p, hsa-miR-374a-3p, and hsa-miR-93-5p were significantly positively correlated with HMGB1, HMGB2, and HMGB3, respectively. However, hsa-miR-30a-5p was predicted to significantly negatively regulate HMGB3 expression.

Conclusion: Our study revealed that HMGB1 is positively related to the improved prognosis in NSCLC, and demonstrate that HMGB3 might be a risk factor for poorer survival of NSCLC patients.
Pan-cerebral sodium elevations in vascular dementia: Evidence for disturbed brain-sodium homeostasis
Authors: Philbert Sasha A. , Xu Jingshu , Church Stephanie J. , Unwin Richard D. , Roncaroli Federico , Cooper Garth J. S.
Published: July 2022

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common cause of cognitive impairment amongst the elderly. However, there are no known disease-modifying therapies for VaD, probably due to incomplete understanding of the molecular basis of the disease. Despite the complex etiology of neurodegenerative conditions, a growing body of research now suggests the potential involvement of metal dyshomeostasis in the pathogenesis of several of the age-related dementias. However, by comparison, there remains little research investigating brain metal levels in VaD. In order to shed light on the possible involvement of metal dyshomeostasis in VaD, we employed inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to quantify the levels of essential metals in post-mortem VaD brain tissue (n = 10) and age-/sex-matched controls (n = 10) from seven brain regions. We found novel evidence for elevated wet-weight cerebral sodium levels in VaD brain tissue in six out of the seven regions analyzed. Decreased cerebral-potassium levels as well as increased Na/K ratios (consistent with high tissue sodium and low potassium levels) were also observed in several brain regions. These data suggest that reduced Na+/K+-exchanging ATPase (EC 7.2.2.13) activity could contribute to the contrasting changes in sodium and potassium measured here.
Autoimmune Diseases in Patients With Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2
Authors: Peric Stojan , Zlatar Jelena , Nikolic Luka , Ivanovic Vukan , Pesovic Jovan , Petrovic Djordjevic Ivana , Sreckovic Svetlana , Savic-Pavicevic Dusanka , Meola Giovanni , Rakocevic-Stojanovic Vidosava
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is a rare autosomal dominant multisystemic disease with highly variable clinical presentation. Several case reports and one cohort study suggested a significant association between DM2 and autoimmune diseases (AIDs).

Aim

The aim of this study is to analyze the frequency and type of AIDs in patients with DM2 from the Serbian DM registry.

Patients and Methods

A total of 131 patients with DM2 from 108 families were included, [62.6% women, mean age at DM2 onset 40.4 (with standard deviation 13) years, age at entering the registry 52 (12.8) years, and age at analysis 58.4 (12.8) years]. Data were obtained from Akhenaten, the Serbian registry for DM, and through the hospital electronic data system.

Results

Upon entering the registry, 35 (26.7%) of the 131 patients with DM2 had AIDs including Hashimoto thyroiditis (18.1%), rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus type 1, systemic lupus, Sjogren's disease, localized scleroderma, psoriasis, celiac disease, Graves's disease, neuromyelitis optica, myasthenia gravis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome. At the time of data analysis, one additional patient developed new AIDs, so eventually, 36 (28.8%) of 125 DM2 survivors had AIDs. Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) were found in 14 (10.7%) of 63 tested patients, including 12 without defined corresponding AID (all in low titers, 1:40 to 1:160). Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) were negative in all 50 tested cases. The percentage of women was significantly higher among patients with AIDs (82.9% vs. 55.2%, p <0.01).

Conclusion

AIDs were present in as high as 30% of the patients with DM2. Thus, screening for AIDs in DM2 seems reasonable. Presence of AIDs and/or ANAs may lead to under-diagnosis of DM2.