bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Bacterial Competition of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Escherichia coli against Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci from Bovine Mastitis Milk
Authors: Srithanasuwan Anyaphat , Intanon Montira , Chaisri Wasana , Suriyasathaporn Witaya
Published: March 2023

Intramammary infection (IMI) from the environment and infected quarters can cause co-infection. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) to survive in the same environment as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Escherichia coli as major pathogens. In total, 15 and 242 CNS strains were used in Experiment I and Experiment II, respectively. Both experiments were separated into three conditions: culture with CNS 24 h before (PRIOR), after (AFTER), and at the same time (EQUAL). The lack of a clear zone, regardless of size, was determined to be the key to the survival of both. The CNS species’ percentages of survival against major pathogens were tested using Fisher’s exact test. Differences in the percentages of survival were evident among the CNS species in all conditions. For the PRIOR condition, all CNS mostly survived when living with major strains; however, S. chromogenes could degrade S. agalactiae. Although most CNS strains were degraded in the AFTER and EQUAL conditions, some strains of S. hominis and S. simulans could resist S. aureus and S. agalactiae. In conclusion, some specific strains of CNS are able to survive in an environment with major pathogens. Research into the survival strains may indicate that the concept of novel bacteria with bacteriolytic capabilities might be possible as a novel mastitis treatment.
Neuroprotection of NRF2 against Ferroptosis after Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice
Authors: Cheng Hao , Wang Pengfei , Wang Ning , Dong Wenwen , Chen Ziyuan , Wu Mingzhe , Wang Ziwei , Yu Ziqi , Guan Dawei , Wang Linlin , Zhao Rui
Published: March 2023

Ferroptosis and iron-related redox imbalance aggravate traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcomes. NRF2 is the predominant transcription factor regulating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in TBI, but its role in iron-induced post-TBI damage is unclear. We investigated ferroptotic neuronal damage in the injured cortex and observed neurological deficits post-TBI. These were ameliorated by the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO) in wild-type mice. In Nrf2-knockout (Nrf2−/−) mice, more sever ferroptosis and neurological deficits were detected. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF)-mediated NRF2 activation alleviated neural dysfunction in TBI mice, partly due to TBI-induced ferroptosis mitigation. Additionally, FTH-FTL and FSP1 protein levels, associated with iron metabolism and the ferroptotic redox balance, were highly NRF2-dependent post-TBI. Thus, NRF2 is neuroprotective against TBI-induced ferroptosis through both the xCT-GPX4- and FTH-FTL-determined free iron level and the FSP1-regulated redox status. This yields insights into the neuroprotective role of NRF2 in TBI-induced neuronal damage and its potential use in TBI treatment.
RNA-Seq Analysis Demystify the Pathways of UV-A Supplementation in Different Photoperiods Integrated with Blue and Red Light on Morphology and Phytochemical Profile of Kale
Authors: Jiang Haozhao , Li Yamin , Tan Jiehui , He Xinyang , Zhu Shijun , He Rui , Liu Xiaojuan , Liu Houcheng
Published: March 2023

As an indispensable element in the morphology and phytochemical profile of plants, UV-A has proved to help promote the growth and quality of kale. In this study, UV-A supplementation in different photoperiods (light period supplemental UVA = LS, dark period supplemental UVA = DS, and light-dark period supplemental UVA = LDS) contributed to yielding greater biomass production (fresh weight, dry weight, and plant moisture content), thus improving morphology (plant height, stem diameter, etc.) and promoting higher phytochemicals content (flavonoids, vitamin c, etc.), especially glucosinolates. To fathom its mechanisms, this study, using RNA-seq, verified that UV-A supplementation treatments signally generated related DEGs of plant hormone signal pathway, circadian rhythm plant pathway, glucosinolate pathway, etc. Moreover, 2047 DEGs were obtained in WGCNA, illustrating the correlations between genes, treatments, and pathways. Additionally, DS remarkedly up-regulated related DEGs of the key pathways and ultimately contributed to promoting the stem diameter, plant height, etc., thus increasing the pigment, biomass, vitamin c, etc., enhancing the antioxidant capacity, and most importantly, boosting the accumulations of glucosinolates in kale. In short, this study displayed new insights into UV-A supplementation affected the pathways related to the morphology and phytochemical profile of kale in plant factories.
The Addition of Reishi and Lion’s Mane Mushroom Powder to Pasta Influences the Content of Bioactive Compounds and the Antioxidant, Potential Anti-Inflammatory, and Anticancer Properties of Pasta
Authors: Szydłowska-Tutaj Magdalena , Szymanowska Urszula , Tutaj Krzysztof , Domagała Dorota , Złotek Urszula
Published: March 2023

The influence of a 2.5% and 5% addition of dried Reishi and Lion’s Mane mushrooms on the content of bioactive compounds and some pro-health properties of pasta was studied. In samples subjected to gastrointestinal digestion, the content of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant, potential anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative properties were significantly higher. The qualitative–quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds performed using the LC-MS/MS technique indicated that the Reishi-enriched pasta was characterized by a higher content of syringic (R2.5 sample), while pasta supplemented with Lion’ Mane had a higher content of vanillin in relation to the control pasta. In the case of ethanolic extracts, samples supplemented with the Reishi mushrooms (R5 sample) were characterized by higher ABTS antiradical properties and a reducing power while the sample supplemented with Lion’s Mane (L5 sample) had a higher ability to inhibit lipoxygenase in relation to the control sample. In conclusion, the results suggest that Reishi and Lion’s Mane mushroom powder can be used for the fortification of semolina pasta, conferring slightly healthier characteristics of the product.
Multi-Resolution Analysis with Visualization to Determine Network Attack Patterns
Authors: Jeong Dong Hyun , Jeong Bong-Keun , Ji Soo-Yeon
Published: March 2023

Analyzing network traffic activities is imperative in network security to detect attack patterns. Due to the complex nature of network traffic event activities caused by continuously changing computing environments and software applications, identifying the patterns is one of the challenging research topics. This study focuses on analyzing the effectiveness of integrating Multi-Resolution Analysis (MRA) and visualization in identifying the attack patterns of network traffic activities. In detail, a Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is utilized to extract features from network traffic data and investigate their capability of identifying attacks. For extracting features, various sliding windows and step sizes are tested. Then, visualizations are generated to help users conduct interactive visual analyses to identify abnormal network traffic events. To determine optimal solutions for generating visualizations, an extensive evaluation with multiple intrusion detection datasets has been performed. In addition, classification analysis with three different classification algorithms is managed to understand the effectiveness of using the MRA with visualization. From the study, we generated multiple visualizations associated with various window and step sizes to emphasize the effectiveness of the proposed approach in differentiating normal and attack events by forming distinctive clusters. We also found that utilizing MRA with visualization advances network intrusion detection by generating clearly separated visual clusters.
SYSML4TA: A SysML Profile for Consistent Tolerance Analysis in a Manufacturing System Case Application
Authors: Benavent-Nácher Sergio , Rosado Castellano Pedro , Romero Subirón Fernando , Abellán-Nebot José Vicente
Published: March 2023

Tolerance analysis is a key engineering task that is usually supported by domain-specific analysis models and tools that are generally not connected to the system functionality. The model-based system engineering (MBSE) approach is a potential solution to this limitation, but it has not yet been deeply explored in this type of mechanical analysis, for which some problems need to be explored. One of these issues is the capacity of languages such as SysML to describe solution principles based on active surfaces that participate in functionality and are present for tolerance analysis. Thus, this study explored the possibilities that enable SysML to represent these geometries and their mathematical relationships based on Topologically and Technologically Related Surfaces (TTRS) theory and aligned with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) standards. Additionally, the capacity of SysML to assure the consistency of tolerance analysis models is also explored, due to the limitations identified in analysis languages like Modelica. In this context, this paper presents a SysML profile for tolerance analysis modeling (SysML4TA), containing domain-specific semantics (concepts and constraints) to assure the completeness of the analysis models and consistency between the different models considered in the integrated model of the system. Finally, a case study applied to a manufacturing context is presented to validate the capacity of SysML to solve the identified problems.
Investigation of the Microseismic Response Characteristics of a Bottom Structure’s Ground Pressure Activity under the Influence of Faults
Authors: Chen Zeng , Zhang Da , Zuo Chang , Wang Ping , Liu Qiang , Shi Feng
Published: March 2023

To further understand the changing pattern of the bottom structure’s ground pressure activity under the influence of faults, predicting the potential occurrence of geological hazards and rock blast problems to reduce the loss of resources is important. A new microseismic monitoring system was established based on the original Pulang copper mine microseismic monitoring system. This paper analyzed the change law of the microseismic events on the fault in the first mining area of the Pulang copper mine, calculated the cumulative apparent volume and energy index changes of the microseismic events near the fault base, and quantitatively analyzed the microseismic event anomalies under the influence of the fault. The results show that rupture of the rock makes the cumulative apparent volume and energy index change significantly, while the timeliness of both makes the cumulative apparent volume predictive of the occurrence of rock fracture and rockburst, and the number of microseismic events corresponds to the intensity of the fault activation, which plays a predictive and guiding role in the subsequent study of fault activation, stability monitoring, and safe production in the mine area of Pulang copper mine.
An Analytical Study on Penetration and Pore Pressure Dissipation of Piezocone Test in Typical Normally and Over-Consolidated Silty Clays
Authors: Deng Shenggui , Zhang Yan , Han Jun , Wang Kaidi , Tian Zhuangcai , Liu Tao
Published: March 2023

The degree of the over-consolidation ratio (OCR) of silty clay affects the soil’s mechanical properties and in situ test results. The present study utilized numerical analysis to investigate the behavior of cone penetration and pore pressure dissipation in typical silty clay soils, while also taking into account the impact of the over-consolidation ratio (OCR). Effective stress finite-element analyses, which accounted for considerable deformation, were carried out at various OCRs. The model assumed the soil as a homogeneous material obeying the modified Cam Clay (MCC) model. The significant advance of this work is the evaluation of the effect of OCR on penetration resistance and pore pressure test data and the calculation formula of OCR and ch in typical silty clay. An inversion method based on the results of piezocone penetration tests was proposed in terms of strength and the over-consolidation ratio of the silty clay, which is of great importance for the inversion of soil parameters in the Yellow River Delta region. This paper presents a consolidation coefficient inversion method of typical normally and over-consolidated silty clays and corrected the disadvantage that traditional conversion methods could not take OCR effects into account.
Perioperative Pain Management in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Narrative Review of Current Multimodal Analgesia Protocols
Authors: Franzoni Simone , Rossi Stefano Marco Paolo , Cassinadri Angela , Sangaletti Rudy , Benazzo Francesco
Published: March 2023

Since there is no consensus on the optimal perioperative analgesic method, the present article provides a brief and practical synthesis on current multimodal pre–postsurgery analgesia protocols for primary TKA (excluding intraoperative anesthetic techniques) reported especially in recent meta-analyses and reviews. The focus is not only on the traditional aims (pain scores and opioid sparing), but also the functional recovery and patient-reported outcomes. Multimodal analgesia (pre-emptive analgesia, local infiltration analgesia, peripheral nerve blocks, and specific systemic drugs) is considered the optimal regimen for perioperative pain management of TKA.
Failure Mechanism of the Yizhuxiang Collapse under the Joint Effect of Freeze–Thaw and Mining
Authors: Hu Shenghua , Hu Yuanjun , Xu Huiyuan , Ai Dong , Yuan Jingjing , Kou Lei , Huang Wei , Zhou Chang
Published: March 2023

At 10:05 a.m. on 4 February 2022, the perilous rock mass Yizhuxiang in Leizu Town, Yuan’an County, Hubei Province, China collapsed on a large scale. The Yizhuxiang collapse was about 35 m in length, 52 m in height, and 29 m in maximum thickness. The volume of the collapse was 5.32 × 104 m3. It threatened the transport of the national trunk road, destroyed the branch road and some cement mixing station workshops, and caused serious economic losses. The rock mass exposed in the collapse was dolomite with developed joint fractures. Under the effects of mining and unloading, fractures occurred in the rock mass; the top of the rock mass was bent and deformed towards the free face; and tension cracks were formed on the rear edge. The safety ore pillar directly below the collapsed body was compressed and deformed under the action of gravity, thus accelerating the internal deformation of the rock mass and leading to the formation of multiple dominant joints inside the rock mass. In the winter of 2021, the weather was extreme, with heavy snowfall and low temperatures. Under the effects of freeze–thaw, the strength of the rock mass declined and the tension cracks further expanded so that the rock mass experienced an accelerated deformation and finally collapsed. Causes of the collapse include mining activity beneath the collapsed mass and heightened extreme weather. The cause of the landslide disaster in this area is, however, freeze–thaw, which deserves the attention of scholars and the vigilance of the local government.
Vertebral Center Points Locating and Cobb Angle Measurement Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Zhou Zhifeng , Zhu Jia , Yao Chengxian
Published: March 2023

Traditional manual measurement of Cobb angle is a time-consuming process and leads to different results. To address this issue, this paper proposes a deep learning-based method of locating the vertebral center points. The whole X-ray can be input into the network for prediction, without worrying about the detection of cervical vertebrae with similar characteristics to the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. First, key points predicting and noise points filtering operations are employed to obtain vertebral center points for fitting. Then, the spine curve is fitted, and the slope of the normal line of the spine curve is adjusted according to an empirical formula. Finally, the Cobb angle allowed by the error is calculated. Through the reliability analysis of the traditional manual measurement method and the automatic detection method in this paper, ICC (intraclass correlation coefficient) with the two observers was 0.897 and 0.901, respectively, and MAD (mean absolute deviation) was 3.13° and 3.04° respectively. This indicates that the automatic detecting method by computer has good reliability. Therefore, this method can be used to detect scoliosis quickly and effectively.
Optimal Interplanetary Transfer of Solar Wind Ion Focusing Thruster-Based Spacecraft
Authors: Quarta Alessandro A. , Niccolai Lorenzo , Mengali Giovanni , Bassetto Marco
Published: March 2023

The Solar Wind Ion Focusing Thruster (SWIFT) is a highly-innovative propellantless propulsion concept, recently proposed by Gemmer and Mazzoleni. In its nominal configuration, a SWIFT consists of a conically-shaped mesh of positively-charged conducting tethers, with its vertex linked to the spacecraft and its axis oriented towards the Sun. The SWIFT collects and filters the solar wind plasma and suitably directs the positive ions, which are then accelerated by an ion thruster. Such a device is theoretically able to generate a deep-space propulsive acceleration that comes, in part, from the solar wind dynamic pressure impinging on the conical grid and, in part, from the positive ion beam. In particular, the orientation of the ion beam may be chosen in such a way as to set the resultant propulsive acceleration and steer the spacecraft. The aim of this paper is to analyze the performance of a SWIFT-propelled spacecraft in an orbit-to-orbit two-dimensional interplanetary transfer. To that end, some mission scenarios are studied, in an optimal framework, by minimizing the total flight time necessary for the spacecraft to complete the transfer as a function of the propulsion system performance parameters. Numerical simulations are used to compare the optimal flight times calculated in simplified Earth–Venus and Earth–Mars transfers with those obtained by considering other propellantless propulsion systems.
Collecting, Processing and Secondary Using Personal and (Pseudo)Anonymized Data in Smart Cities
Authors: Sampaio Silvio , Sousa Patricia R. , Martins Cristina , Ferreira Ana , Antunes Luís , Cruz-Correia Ricardo
Published: March 2023

Smart cities, leveraging IoT technologies, are revolutionizing the quality of life for citizens. However, the massive data generated in these cities also poses significant privacy risks, particularly in de-anonymization and re-identification. This survey focuses on the privacy concerns and commonly used techniques for data protection in smart cities, specifically addressing geolocation data and video surveillance. We categorize the attacks into linking, predictive and inference, and side-channel attacks. Furthermore, we examine the most widely employed de-identification and anonymization techniques, highlighting privacy-preserving techniques and anonymization tools; while these methods can reduce the privacy risks, they are not enough to address all the challenges. In addition, we argue that de-identification must involve properties such as unlikability, selective disclosure and self-sovereignty. This paper concludes by outlining future research challenges in achieving complete de-identification in smart cities.
Sensitivity Analysis of the Main Structural Parameters of the Four-Tower Partially Cable-Stayed Bridge
Authors: Zhang Yuping , Huang Wenjing , Tang Xin
Published: March 2023

We established a structural finite element model based on a four-tower partially cable-stayed bridge. We performed a study to determine the appropriate settings of several main parameters of the four-tower partially cable-stayed bridge. Given changes in the stiffness of the main girder, stayed cable and length of cable-free zones in the span, a three-parameter coupling coordination model was constructed. The coupling degree and coordination degree between different parameters are calculated and compared, the primary and secondary parameters affecting the structural performance of some cable-stayed bridges are determined, and a more suitable parameter composition interval is proposed. The sensitivity analysis of the main structural parameters of the four-tower partial cable-stayed bridge has not been published in the literature, and there is no coupling study on the length of the cable-free zone and the stiffness of the main girder and stay cable. The overall structural stiffness was improved by increasing the main girder’s stiffness and stayed cable, with the main girder stiffness being the primary parameter. The increase in uncoupled zone length in the span improved the utilization rate of the line within a specific range; however, too long a length led to a reduction in overall structural stiffness. The main girder stiffness was set between EG′IG/EGIG = 1~3, while stayed cable stiffness was set between ECAC′/ECAC = 0.8~1.4. The length of the cable-free zone in the span was set between l1/l0 = 0.08~0.15, while the coupling coordination degree was medium to high coordination. The structural performance of the background engineering bridge was improved. However, the conclusion of this paper is more applicable to low-pylon cable-stayed bridges, and it has not been verified whether it applies to traditional cable-stayed bridges.
An Empirical Analysis of State-of-Art Classification Models in an IT Incident Severity Prediction Framework
Authors: Ahmed Salman , Singh Muskaan , Doherty Brendan , Ramlan Effirul , Harkin Kathryn , Bucholc Magda , Coyle Damien
Published: March 2023

Large-scale companies across various sectors maintain substantial IT infrastructure to support their operations and provide quality services for their customers and employees. These IT operations are managed by teams who deal directly with incident reports (i.e., those generated automatically through autonomous systems or human operators). (1) Background: Early identification of major incidents can provide a significant advantage for reducing the disruption to normal business operations, especially for preventing catastrophic disruptions, such as a complete system shutdown. (2) Methods: This study conducted an empirical analysis of eleven (11) state-of-the-art models to predict the severity of these incidents using an industry-led use-case composed of 500,000 records collected over one year. (3) Results: The datasets were generated from three stakeholders (i.e., agency, customer, and employee). Separately, the bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT), the robustly optimized BERT pre-training approach (RoBERTa), the enhanced representation through knowledge integration (ERNIE 2.0), and the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) methods performed the best for the agency records (93% AUC), while the convolutional neural network (CNN) was the best model for the rest (employee records at 95% AUC and customer records at 74% AUC, respectively). The average prediction horizon was approximately 150 min, which was significant for real-time deployment. (4) Conclusions: The study provided a comprehensive analysis that supported the deployment of artificial intelligence for IT operations (AIOps), specifically for incident management within large-scale organizations.
High Pressure Processing under Mild Conditions for Bacterial Mitigation and Shelf Life Extension of European Sea Bass Fillets
Authors: Tsevdou Maria , Dimopoulos George , Limnaios Athanasios , Semenoglou Ioanna , Tsironi Theofania , Taoukis Petros
Published: March 2023

High pressure is an industrially established food preservation process applied for the minimal processing or cold pasteurization of chilled, fresh, or ready-to-eat products. This study aimed to quantify the effectiveness of high pressure on the inactivation of spoilage microflora and the shelf life extension of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fillets. Fish fillets were subjected to mild, high pressure conditions (100–400 MPa; 3–25 °C; 5–10 min) and then stored at 0.0 ± 0.2 °C. Their shelf life was evaluated in terms of their microbiological, physicochemical, and sensorial quality. The results indicated that a shelf life extension of 1–5 d at 0 °C was achieved when pressures of 100 MPa were applied, whereas higher pressures resulted in an up to 5-fold increase in the shelf life of the fillets, depending on the applied pressure and temperature. A high pressure treatment combined with vacuum packaging showed an additional effect on the shelf life extension of the fillets, increasing the shelf life by 4–12 d when compared to aerobically stored products. Moreover, the high pressure treatment prevented lipid oxidation throughout the storage period, indicating no formation of secondary lipid oxidation products. The estimated shelf life of the fish fillets based on their sensorial quality was in accordance with the estimation based on the microbiological data.
Spatial Patterns of Species Diversity of Amphibians in a Nature Reserve in Eastern China
Authors: Wang Yanmei , Hu Huali , Feng Lei , Chen Jingyi , Zhong Junjie , Seah Rachel Wan Xin , Ding Guohua
Published: March 2023

Elevational gradients provide an excellent opportunity to assess biodiversity patterns and community structure. Previous studies mainly focus on higher elevations or are limited to small areas in mountainous regions. Little information can be found on amphibian biodiversity in middle- and low-elevational areas, hence our study was devoted to filling up the current gaps in these research areas. To understand the variability of biodiversity of amphibian species in the Fujian Junzifeng National Nature Reserve in eastern China, our study included taxonomic and phylogenetic components to describe the various patterns of regional and elevational distribution. The results showed that (1) most of the taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity metrics were correlated; with regard to the surveyed area, Faith’s phylogenetic diversity index (PD) and net relatedness index (NRI) were positively correlated with the Shannon–Wiener index (H’), Margalef index (DMG), and species richness (S), while negatively with the Pielou index; whereas for elevation, only the Pielou index was positively correlated with the nearest taxon index (NTI), but negatively with other indices; (2) taxonomic and phylogenetic diversities did not differ among the three survey locations but differed significantly along the elevational gradient; Simpson index, H’, S, and DMG had a hump-shaped relationship with elevations, and PD decreased gradually with the increase in elevation, whereas NRI and NTI sharply increased at the elevation above 900 m; (3) the species range size and the corresponding midpoint of amphibians were affected by a strong phylogenetic signal, which supports the elevational Rapoport’s rule upon removal of Pachytriton brevipes and Boulenophrys sanmingensis from the study.
FGFR2c Upregulation Contributes to Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Program Activation and to Enhanced Autophagy in Actinic Keratosis-Derived Dermal Fibroblasts: A Possible Role in Precancerous Cell/Stromal Cell Crosstalk
Authors: Guttieri Luisa , Raffa Salvatore , Salerno Gerardo , Bigi Rachele , Persechino Flavia , Visco Vincenzo , Torrisi Maria Rosaria , Ranieri Danilo , Belleudi Francesca
Published: March 2023

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a preneoplastic skin disorder which can rapidly progress to cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). In light of our previous findings, indicating a possible oncogenic role of the mesenchymal isoform of FGFR2 (FGFR2c) aberrantly expressed in AK keratinocytes, we analyzed the possible tumor-promoting role of this receptor in the stromal AK counterpart in this work. Molecular analysis showed that, particularly in early AK lesions, FGFR2c dermal upregulation is accompanied by the downregulation of the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) transcription repressor CSL, the upregulation of the CAF activator ULK3, and the consequent CAF gene induction. Immunofluorescence and molecular analysis, coupled with silencing approaches by siRNA, applied on primary cultures of KIN I-derived fibroblasts, indicated that FGFR2c upregulation contribute to CAF signature and the increased autophagy in response to FGF2. Magnetic bead-based multiplex assay, combined with FGFR2 signaling shut-off approaches, indicated that, especially in response to FGF2, IL-6 secretion could depend on FGFR2c high expression and signaling, suggesting the possible establishment of FGFR2c-dependent secretory autophagy, contributing to tumor-promoting factor release. Overall, our results identified FGFR2c as a signaling molecule involved in controlling precancerous/stromal cell oncogenic crosstalk, pointing to this receptor as a possible early molecular marker predictive for AK’s rapid malignant progression.
Biophysical and Biochemical Characterization of the Binding of the MarR-like Transcriptional Regulator Saro_0803 to the nov1 Promotor and Its Inhibition by Resveratrol
Authors: He Zhen , Ke Zunhui , Wang Wei , Liu Yahui , Zhang Haoran , Li Yan
Published: March 2023

Saro_0803 is a transcriptional factor modulating the transcription of the stilbene-degrading enzyme gene nov1 in Novosphingobium aromaticivorans DSM 12444. Reportedly, Saro_0803 undergoes resveratrol-mediated dissociation from the nov1 promotor and distinguishes resveratrol from its precursors, p-coumaric acid and trans-cinnamic acid, enabling the transcriptional factor to serve as a biosensor component for regulating resveratrol biosynthesis. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the Saro_0803 interactions with either the nov1 promotor gene or resveratrol, which undermines the potential for Saro_0803 to be further modified for improved biosynthetic performance and other applications. Here, we report the discovery of the 22 bp A/T-rich Saro_0803 binding site near the −10 box of the nov1 promotor (named nov1p22bp). As validated by molecular docking-guided mutagenesis and binding affinity assays, the Saro_0803 binding of its target DNA sequence relies on charge-predominating interactions between several typical positively charged residues and nucleic acid. Furthermore, we semi-quantified the influence of resveratrol presence on Saro_0803–nov1p22bp interaction and identified a bilateral hydrophobic pocket within Saro_0803 comprising four aromatic residues that are crucial to maintaining the resveratrol binding capability of the transcriptional factor. Our data are beneficial to understanding saro_0803′s structural and functional properties, and could provide theoretical clues for future adaptations of this transcriptional factor.
Nicotine Exerts a Stronger Immunosuppressive Effect Than Its Structural Analogs and Regulates Experimental Colitis in Rats
Authors: Okada Kohki , Matsuo Kano
Published: March 2023

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an intractable disease that causes persistent colonic inflammation. Numerous studies have reported that smoking can afford clinical benefits in UC. This study aimed to elucidate whether nicotine, the main component in cigarettes, can exert pharmacological effects against experimental UC. To achieve this objective, we compared the effects of nicotine with those of structural nicotine analogs in a UC rodent model (Slc: Wistar rats, male, 9-week-old, and 220–250 g/rat). Nicotine, or a respective structural analog (nornicotine, cotinine, anabasine, myosmine, and anatabine), was administered intraperitoneally daily to rats (n = 6/group) exhibiting dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis. Examining the colon tissues of model rats, we compared disease severity, cytokine secretion, and α7 nicotine acetylcholine receptor (nAChR7) expression. We observed that nicotine administration induced weight loss at 2.35% in 10 days. Notably, the reduction in histological severity (score) of UC was more pronounced in rats treated with nicotine (score = 4.83, p = 0.042) than in untreated rats (score = 8.17). Nicotine administration increased nAChR7 expression 6.88-fold (p = 0.022) in inflammatory sites of the colon, mainly by suppressing the production of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6. Moreover, the secretion of these cytokines was suppressed in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat macrophages (MΦ) treated with nicotine. In conclusion, nicotine better alleviates experimental UC than the examined structural analogs by activating nAChR7 expression and suppressing proinflammatory cytokines in MΦ.
COVID-19 in Elderly Patients Receiving Haemodialysis: A Current Review
Authors: McDonnell Thomas , Wu Henry H. L. , Kalra Philip A. , Chinnadurai Rajkumar
Published: March 2023

There is an increased incidence of elderly adults diagnosed with kidney failure as our global aging population continues to expand. Hence, the number of elderly adults indicated for kidney replacement therapy is also increasing simultaneously. Haemodialysis initiation is more commonly observed in comparison to kidney transplantation and peritoneal dialysis for the elderly. The onset of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought new paradigms and insights for the care of this patient population. Elderly patients receiving haemodialysis have been identified as high-risk groups for poor COVID-19 outcomes. Age, immunosenescence, impaired response to COVID-19 vaccination, increased exposure to sources of COVID-19 infection and thrombotic risks during dialysis are key factors which demonstrated significant associations with COVID-19 incidence, severity and mortality for this patient group. Recent findings suggest that preventative measures such as regular screening and, if needed, isolation in COVID-19-positive cases, alongside the fulfillment of COVID-19 vaccination programs is an integral strategy to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases and consequential complications from COVID-19, particularly for high-risk groups such as elderly haemodialysis patients. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about the rapid development and repurposing of a number of medications to treat patients in the viral and inflammatory stages of their disease. However, elderly haemodialysis patients were grossly unrepresented in many of these trials. We review the evidence for contemporary treatments for COVID-19 in this population to provide clinicians with an up-to-date guide. We hope our article increases awareness on the associations and impact of COVID-19 for the elderly haemodialysis population, and encourage research efforts to address knowledge gaps in this topical area.
Analysis of UAV Thermal Soaring via Hawk-Inspired Swarm Interaction
Authors: Pooley Adam , Gao Max , Sharma Arushi , Barnaby Sachi , Gu Yu , Gross Jason
Published: March 2023

A swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used for many applications, including disaster relief, search and rescue, and establishing communication networks, due to its mobility, scalability, and robustness to failure. However, a UAV swarm’s performance is typically limited by each agent’s stored energy. Recent works have considered the usage of thermals, or vertical updrafts of warm air, to address this issue. One challenge lies in a swarm of UAVs detecting and taking advantage of these thermals. Inspired by hawks, a swarm could take advantage of thermals better than individuals due to the swarm’s distributed sensing abilities. To determine which emergent behaviors increase survival time, simulation software was created to test the behavioral models of UAV gliders around thermals. For simplicity and robustness, agents operate with limited information about other agents. The UAVs’ motion was implemented as a Boids model, replicating the behavior of flocking birds through cohesion, separation, and alignment forces. Agents equipped with a modified behavioral model exhibit dynamic flocking behavior, including relative ascension-based cohesion and relative height-based separation and alignment. The simulation results show the agents flocking to thermals and improving swarm survival. These findings present a promising method to extend the flight time of autonomous UAV swarms.
Neurosyphilis Presenting as Syndrome of Limbic Encephalitis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Virus Neuro-Infection Diagnosed Using CXCL13 Point-of-Care Assay—Case Report
Authors: Marešová Eliška , Šutovský Stanislav , Štefucová Hana , Koščálová Alena , Sabaka Peter
Published: March 2023

The syndrome of limbic encephalitis is a severe clinical condition with heterogenous aetiopathogenesis. A common pathogen causing the infectious syndrome of limbic encephalitis is herpes simplex virus (HSV), but rare cases caused by Treponema pallidum have also been reported. We present the case of a 46-year-old man who presented with sudden onset of headaches, nausea, vomiting, and short-term loss of consciousness with clonic convulsions and subsequent disorientation and aphasia. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis and magnetic resonance of the brain revealed bilateral temporal lesions. Clinical, radiologic, and biochemical examinations of CSF suggested encephalitis caused by HSV. However, the positivity of CXCL-13 chemokine in the CSF by a rapid point-of-care assay suggested active spirochetal infection and led to further serologic investigation. The definitive diagnosis of neuro-syphilis was concluded by positive intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulins against Treponema pallidum. Penicillin therapy led to a rapid improvement, and the patient was discharged home after three weeks. Due to memory problems and irritability, after eighteen months, he came for a follow-up neurological and psychological examination. The psychological examination revealed a significant deficit in executive functions and behavioural changes. Neurosyphilis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of limbic encephalitis with lymphocytic pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid, and CXCL-13 may help to achieve diagnosis.
A Comparative Analysis of Perceived Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning
Authors: Pikhart Marcel , Klimova Blanka , Cierniak-Emerych Anna , Dziuba Szymon
Published: March 2023

The use of electronic media has increased dramatically in the past decade due to the general increase in digitization of global societies. This trend has been recently enhanced by the COVID-19 occurrence and following forced implementation of various forms of eLearning into university curricula, including all forms of second language (L2) acquisition. The present study focuses on the evaluation of perceived advantages and disadvantages of online L2 acquisition via electronic media by university students of the Czech Republic (n = 114) and Poland (n = 121). The research methodology was an online questionnaire asking the users of digital media for L2 acquisition about their perceived advantages and disadvantages regarding the use of print and digital media and their potential impact on their L2 acquisition. To understand their evaluation is crucial as it could lead to increased motivation or demotivation to learn a foreign language. The results clearly show that the students realize the drawbacks of digital media and this could lead to their dissatisfaction and frustration when they have to use these media excessively. The implications of the findings could be helpful and necessary for various course designers, curricula makers, and course tutors as they are responsible for the smooth implementation of various digital tools into the educational process.
Forecasting the Final Contract Cost on the Basis of the Owner’s Cost Estimation Using an Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Alsugair Abdulah M. , Alsanabani Naif M. , Al-Gahtani Khalid S.
Published: March 2023

Raising the final contract cost (FCC) is a significant risk for project owners. This study hypothesizes that the factors that cause owner’s cost estimation (OCE) accuracy and FCC changes share the same causes, and a case study confirmed that the two variables (OCE and FCC) could be correlated. Accordingly, this study aims to develop a forecast model to predict FCC on the basis of the initial OCE, which has not been studied previously. This study utilized data from 34 Saudi Arabian projects. Two linear regression models developed the data, and the square root function transformed the data. Moreover, the artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed after data standardization using Zavadskas and Turskis’ logarithmic method. The results showed that the ANN model had a MAPE smaller than the two linear regression models. Using Zavadskas and Turskis’ logarithmic standardization method and elimination of data that had an absolute percentage error (APE) of more than 35% led to an increase in ANN model accuracy and provided a MAPE value of less than 8.5%.
Effects of the Location of Heating Sources on Indoor Air Quality in Rural Buildings of Qingdao (China) in Winter as Determined by Experimental Monitoring
Authors: Xie Xudong , Yang Qianqian , Gao Weijun , Wang Shudi
Published: March 2023

In winter, many rural people in the coastal areas of northern China burn coal for both cooking and heating. As a result, the rural population is seriously affected by indoor air pollution. To analyze the influence of the location of heating sources on the air quality within rural buildings, 60 buildings with coal heating were surveyed and monitored using an Intelligent Built Environmental Monitor for eight days. In addition, four typical rural buildings with different locations of heating sources were selected for a transient analysis. The peak concentration of CO2 was 2869 ppm in House 1 with a coal-fired stove in the living room. The average particulate matter (PM) levels were 89 μg/m3, 150 μg/m3, and 182 μg/m3 for PM 1.0, PM 2.5, and PM 10, respectively, in House 2 where a stove was situated in a room adjacent to the living room. House 3, where stoves were in separate rooms, had PM 1.0, PM 2.5, and PM 10 values of 25 μg/m3, 39 μg/m3, and 49 μg/m3, respectively, and the lowest CO2 concentration (564 ppm) was found in House 4. The data collected showed that the CO2, PM 1.0, PM 2.5, and PM 10 concentrations within Houses 1 and 2 far exceeded the standard for indoor air quality. The findings suggested that coal-fired stoves, as a heating source, should be situated away from the living room and adjacent rooms, and this change would clearly reduce the concentrations of CO2 and particulate matter. Suitable courtyard ventilation was necessary for houses with two or more heating sources.
PRAME Promotes Cervical Cancer Proliferation and Migration via Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Regulation
Authors: Chen Xin , Jiang Mengying , Zhou Shengjie , Chen Hong , Song Gendi , Wu Yichen , Zhu Xueqiong
Published: March 2023

A significant burden is placed on the lives of females due to cervical cancer, which is currently the leading cause of cancer death among women. Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) belongs to the CTA gene family and was found to be abnormally expressed among different types of cancers. Our previous research also indicated that PRAME was highly expressed in cervical cancer compared with normal tissues. However, the roles and detailed mechanisms of PRAME have not been explored in cervical cancer. In the present study, the expression of PRAME in cervical tissues and cells was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), qRT-PCR, and Western blotting. Additionally, CCK-8, BrdU, scratch, transwell, and flow cytometry assays were conducted to explore the function of PRAME in regulating the malignant biological behaviors of cervical cancer cells. Nude mice were used to confirm the role of PRAME in tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, the Wnt inhibitor MSAB was used to verify the role of PRAME in regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway both in vitro and in vivo. The results of IHC, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting showed that PRAME was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues and cells. PRAME knockdown attenuated cell growth, migration, and invasion; induced G0/G1 arrest; and increased cell apoptosis in C33A and SiHa cells through Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulation. However, the upregulation of PRAME exhibited the opposite effects accordingly, which could be partly reversed via MSAB treatment. The growth rate of xenograft tumors was enhanced when PRAME was overexpressed via Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation. Taken together, PRAME is associated with cervical cancer occurrence and progression mediated by Wnt/β-catenin signaling, suggesting that PRAME might be a factor in manipulating cervical carcinogenesis and a potential therapeutic target.
TWEAK/Fn14 Signalling Regulates the Tissue Microenvironment in Chronic Pancreatitis
Authors: Abu Bakar N. Dianah B. , Carlessi Rodrigo , Gogoi-Tiwari Jully , Köhn-Gaone Julia , Williams Vincent , Falasca Marco , Olynyk John K. , Ramm Grant A. , Tirnitz-Parker Janina E. E.
Published: March 2023

Chronic pancreatitis increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer through the upregulation of pathways favouring proliferation, fibrosis, and sustained inflammation. We established in previous studies that the ligand tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) signals through its cognate receptor fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14) to regulate these underlying cellular processes in the chronic liver injury niche. However, the role of the TWEAK/Fn14 signalling pathway in pancreatic disease is entirely unknown. An analysis of publicly available datasets demonstrated that the TWEAK receptor Fn14 is upregulated in pancreatitis and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, with single cell RNA sequencing revealing pancreatic ductal cells as the main Fn14 producers. We then used choline-deficient, ethionine-supplemented (CDE) diet feeding of wildtype C57BL/6J and Fn14 knockout littermates to (a) confirm CDE treatment as a suitable model of chronic pancreatitis and (b) to investigate the role of the TWEAK/Fn14 signalling pathway in pancreatic ductal proliferation, as well as fibrotic and inflammatory cell dynamics. Our time course data obtained at three days, three months, and six months of CDE treatment reveal that a lack of TWEAK/Fn14 signalling significantly inhibits the establishment and progression of the tissue microenvironment in CDE-induced chronic pancreatitis, thus proposing the TWEAK/Fn14 pathway as a novel therapeutic target.
MR-Class: A Python Tool for Brain MR Image Classification Utilizing One-vs-All DCNNs to Deal with the Open-Set Recognition Problem
Authors: Salome Patrick , Sforazzini Francesco , Brugnara Gianluca , Kudak Andreas , Dostal Matthias , Herold-Mende Christel , Heiland Sabine , Debus Jürgen , Abdollahi Amir , Knoll Maximilian
Published: March 2023

Background: MR image classification in datasets collected from multiple sources is complicated by inconsistent and missing DICOM metadata. Therefore, we aimed to establish a method for the efficient automatic classification of MR brain sequences. Methods: Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) were trained as one-vs-all classifiers to differentiate between six classes: T1 weighted (w), contrast-enhanced T1w, T2w, T2w-FLAIR, ADC, and SWI. Each classifier yields a probability, allowing threshold-based and relative probability assignment while excluding images with low probability (label: unknown, open-set recognition problem). Data from three high-grade glioma (HGG) cohorts was assessed; C1 (320 patients, 20,101 MRI images) was used for training, while C2 (197, 11,333) and C3 (256, 3522) were for testing. Two raters manually checked images through an interactive labeling tool. Finally, MR-Class’ added value was evaluated via radiomics model performance for progression-free survival (PFS) prediction in C2, utilizing the concordance index (C-I). Results: Approximately 10% of annotation errors were observed in each cohort between the DICOM series descriptions and the derived labels. MR-Class accuracy was 96.7% [95% Cl: 95.8, 97.3] for C2 and 94.4% [93.6, 96.1] for C3. A total of 620 images were misclassified; manual assessment of those frequently showed motion artifacts or alterations of anatomy by large tumors. Implementation of MR-Class increased the PFS model C-I by 14.6% on average, compared to a model trained without MR-Class. Conclusions: We provide a DCNN-based method for the sequence classification of brain MR images and demonstrate its usability in two independent HGG datasets.