bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Tobacco Products Variety and Regulation Avoidance: Findings from Points of Sale Survey in Indonesia
Authors: Bigwanto Mouhamad , Muhammad Fathi , Widad Sarah Muthia , Yudha Laksmana
Published: April 2022

Background: Since the imposition of excise tax in 2018, the new tobacco products are considered legal and it has been growing rapidly in Indonesia. This study aims to determine the variety of new tobacco products available in the market and evaluate the points of sale environment.Methods: Data collection was carried out by 12 trained surveyors from 7-13 March 2022 in three provinces that had the most e-cigarette users; Yogyakarta, East Kalimantan, and Jakarta. All vape stores that have >4.5 rating on Google with a minimum of 100 reviews were included. In addition to vape stores, the nearest retail stores were also included. The data collected includes available products, product displays, and how the point of sale follows tobacco control measures such as health warnings and smoke-free regulations.Results: A total of 27 vape stores and 35 retail stores were observed. The available sizes of liquids range from 15 - 100 ml with nicotine levels from 3 - 50 mg. No stores sell flavorless products and all products were sold without pictorial health warnings. Most of the vape stores (92.6%) reported selling products that used cartoon images or public figures and allow (96.3%) their customers to use the products inside the store. There were 5 vape stores and 4 retail stores that reported no identity verification process to buy products. More than half (55.6%) of vape stores and 46.6% of retail stores were reported to be located <500 meters from the school. Conclusions: The products' availability is widely varied and it was easy to access through online and offline stores. The new tobacco products have successfully avoided several tobacco control measures such as smoke-free regulation and pictorial health warnings on the products. The government needs to provide adequate regulation to prevent youth from consuming the products.
Systematic Pan-Cancer Analysis Identifies REST as an Oncogenic and Immunological Biomarker in Brain Low Grade Glioma
Authors: Wang Guan , Li Meng , Dong Meng , Xu Rui , Zhang Chen
Published: April 2022

Background
The repressor element 1 silencing transcription factor (REST) has been proposed to function as a transcription factor to silence gene transcription by binding to repressor element 1 (RE1), a highly conserved DNA motif. The functions of REST in various tumors have been studied, but its role and correlation with immune cell infiltration remains uncertain in low grade gliomas (LGGs).
Methods
REST expression was analyzed in datasets of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). The clinical prognosis of REST was evaluated by clinical survival data of TCGA. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) contributing to REST overexpression in LGG were identified by a combination of a series of in silico analyses, including expression analysis, correlation analysis, and survival analysis. The correlations between immune cell infiltration level and REST expression were analyzed by TIMER2 and GEPIA2 tools. Enrichment analysis of REST was performed using STRING and Metascape tools.
Results
REST was highly expressed and associated with poorer overall survival and disease-specific survival in LGG and some other tumors. MiR-105-5p and miR-9-5p were identified as the most potential upstream miRNAs of REST in LGG. REST expression was positively correlated with infiltration of immune cells and the expressions of immune checkpoints such as PD1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 in LGG. Furthermore, the histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) was the potential REST-related gene in LGG. Enrichment analysis of REST found chromatin organization and histone modification were the most significant enriched terms, and Hedgehog-Gli pathway might be involved in the effect of REST on the pathogenesis of LGG.
Conclusions
Our study suggests REST to be the oncogenic gene and the biomarker of poor prognosis in LGG. High REST expression might affect the tumor microenvironment of LGG. More basic experiments and large clinical trials aimed at the carcinogenetic study of REST in LGG will be needed in the future.
Autonomic nerve activity in dry eye with decreased tear stability
Authors: Kaido Minako , Arita Reiko , Mitsukura Yasue , Ishida Reiko , Tsubota Kazuo
Published: April 2022

Stress might activate sympathetic nerve activity, causing dry eye (DE). We investigated biological parameters reflecting autonomic nerve activity in DEs with decreased tear stability. This prospective, cross-sectional, comparative study enrolled 34 eyes of 34 participants (mean age: 52.5 ± 13.4 years; range: 20–81 years) without keratoconjunctival damage. The 19 eyes in the DE group showed DE symptoms and tear break-up time (BUT) ≤ 5 seconds (short BUT DE); the 15 eyes in the non-DE group showed no DE symptoms. Autonomic nerve activity was measured for 10 minutes—starting and ending 5 minutes before and after instilling ophthalmic solution—and evaluated using the low-frequency component (LF) to the high-frequency component (HF) ratio of heart rate variability (autonomic balance). The pre-instillation LF/HF ratio was not significantly different (P = 0.86). The pre-instillation standard deviation of the LF/HF ratio (LF/HF-SD) was higher in the DE group than in the non-DE group (P = 0.05). DE symptoms intensity was significantly related to LF/HF-SD (P = 0.005). The LF/HF-SD significantly decreased post-instillation in the DE group (P = 0.03). The large fluctuations observed in the autonomic balance were related to DE symptom intensity in short BUT DE and may improve understanding of the DE-symptom mechanism.
The effects of breastfeeding and formula feeding on the metabolic factors and the expression level of obesity and diabetes-predisposing genes in healthy infants
Authors: Cheshmeh Sahar , Nachvak Seyed Mostafa , Hojati Niloofar , Elahi Negin , Heidarzadeh Neda , Saber Amir
Published: April 2022

Background
Diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity are common illnesses characterized by glucose metabolism issues and excessive weight gain. Breastfeeding is the best way to feed a newborn up to six months old and it has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and obesity later in life due to its nutritional properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of breastfeeding, formula feeding, and formula-plus breastfeeding (mix-feeding) on the anthropometric indices, metabolic variables, and the expression level of obesity and diabetes-predisposing genes of healthy infants.
Methods
A total of 150 healthy infants were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. All infants (aged 24 months) were divided into three groups based on the type of feeding, breastfeeding, formula feeding, and mix-feeding. The anthropometric indices, glycemic indexes, lipid profile, and the expression levels of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase beta (ACACB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), liver X receptor α (LXR-α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ), and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) genes were measured in all infants using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.
Results
The anthropometric indices including weight, height, head circumference, insulin, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were lower in the breastfeeding infants in comparison to other groups. As well, the expression level of the ACACB gene was significantly downregulated in breastfeeding infants, while the PPAR-γ gene was significantly upregulated, but the expression levels of LXR- α, PTEN and BDNF didn’t change significantly across groups.
Conclusions
Breastfeeding compared to formula feeding had positive effects on anthropometric indices, metabolic variables, and diabetes-predisposing genes.
Activation of intra-nodose ganglion P2X7 receptors elicit increases in neuronal activity
Authors: Alcayaga Julio , Vera Jorge , Rio Rodrigo , Retamal Mauricio A.
Published: April 2022

The vagus nerve innervates several organs including the heart, stomach and pancreas among others. Somas of sensory neurons that project through the vagal nerve are located into the nodose ganglion. The presence of purinergic receptors has been reported in neurons and satellite glial cells in several sensory ganglia. In the nodose ganglion, calcium depletion-induced increases in neuron activity can be partly reversed by P2X₇ blockers applied directly into the ganglion. The later suggest a possible role of P2X₇ receptors in the modulation of neuronal activity within this sensory ganglion. We aimed to characterize the neuronal response to the P2X₇ activation in neurons located in the nodose ganglion under physiological conditions. Using an ex-vivo preparation for electrophysiological recordings of the neural discharges of nodose ganglion neurons, we found that applications of both ATP and Bz-ATP (a selective P2X7 receptor agonist) induce a transient increase of the neuronal activity. Also, we found a concentration dependent increase in neural activity in response to Bz-ATP (ED₅₀ = 0.55 mM) with a clear desensitization when applied every ~30 sec. Isolated nodose ganglion neuron electrophysiological recordings reveal no differences in the response to Bz-ATP and ATP. Finally, we showed that the P2X₇ receptor was constitutively express in the nodose ganglion in both neurons and satellite glial cells. Our results showed the presence of functional P2X7 receptors under physiological conditions within the nodose ganglion of the rat and suggest that ATP modulation of nodose ganglion activity may be in part mediated by activation of P2X7 receptors.
Population-dependent stress response of bivalve mollusc Unio tumidus to ibuprofen, microplastic and their mixture
Authors: Stoliar Oksana , Martinyuk Viktoria , Gylytė Brigita , Matskiv Tetiana , Khoma Vira , Tulaidan Halyna , Gnatyshyna Lesya , Orlova-Hudim Kateryna , Manusadžianas Levonas
Published: April 2022

Even though bivalve molluscs are recognized as bioindicators of freshwater quality, their responses to multiple stressors are unpredictable. This study aims to elucidate the inter-population peculiarities of the effect in the sub-chronic environmentally relevant exposure to novel contaminants. The specimens of Unio tumidus from pristine (Pr) and contaminated (Ct) areas were treated with ibuprofen (IBU, 0.8 µg L− 1), microplastic (MP, 1.0 mg L− 1, size 0.1–0.5 mm), or their combination (Mix) for 14 days. Untreated mussels (PrC- and CtC-groups) served as controls. The PrC-group had higher levels of antioxidants Mn-SOD, Cu,Zn-SOD, catalase, and cholinesterase (AChE) as well as lesser levels of oxidative lesions (TBARS and protein carbonyls) in digestive gland than the CtC-group, confirming different quality of life in two populations. However, lysosomal stability was similar in all studied groups. IBU induced antioxidant and AChE responses and lysosomal integrity in the Ct-group, only. MP caused the up-regulation of Mn-SOD and TBARS, and the suppression of Cu,Zn-SOD solely in the Pr-group. Discriminant analyses indicated lesser differences between Pr-groups, demonstrating their resistance across all treatments compared to Ct-groups. Most remarkable response was revealed in the CtIBU-group, and the alleviation of individual effects was established in combined exposures. The qualification of stress-neutral and stress-positive populations were proposed for Pr- and Ct-populations correspondingly. Inter-population peculiarities must be taken into consideration when environmental impact of MP and pharmaceuticals is evaluated.
Expression Pattern and Prognostic Potential of Histamine Receptors in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Kraus FBT , Topalov NE , Deuster E , Hysenaj I , Mayr D , Chelariu-Raicu A , Beyer S , Kolben T , Burges A , Mahner S , Trillsch F , Jeschke U , Czogalla Bastian
Published: April 2022

Purpose: Despite recent advances in the treatment of ovarian cancer (OC), long-term remissions remain scarce. For a targeted approach, prognostic markers are indispensable for predicting survival and treatment response. Given their association with multiple hallmarks of cancer, histamine receptors (HR) are emerging as promising candidates. Here, we investigate their expression pattern and prognostic value in OC.Methods: Specimens of 156 epithelial OC patients were collected during cytoreductive surgery at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, LMU, between 1990 and 2002 and combined in a tissue microarray. Immunohistochemical staining of the HR H1, H2, H3 and H4 was quantified by an immunoreactive score and linked with clinico-pathological data by Spearman’s correlation. Via ROC curve analysis, optimal cut-off values for potential prognostic markers were defined. Overall survival (OS) was visualized in Kaplan-Maier curves and significances determined by log-rank testing. A Cox regression model was applied for multivariate analysis.Results: HR H3 and H4 expression was restricted to the cytosol of OC cells, whilst H1 was also present in the nucleus. A significant association between HR H1, H3 and H4 expression with several clinico-pathological parameters was revealed. In addition, HR H1 and H3 expression correlated positively, HR H4 expression negatively with OS. Additionally, HR H3 was identified as independent prognostic marker for OS. HR H2 expression had no prognostic value.Conclusion: HR H1, H3 and H4 could serve as potential predictors for OS of OC patients. Further research is warranted to elucidate their pathophysiologic role and their predictive and therapeutic potential in OC.
Higher plasma D-dimer is associated with increased risk of distal sensory polyneuropathy in people with HIV
Authors: Ellis Ronald J. , Diaz Monica M. , Marra Christina M. , Clifford David B. , Grant Igor , Gelman Benjamin B. , Robinson-Papp Jessica , McCutchan J. Allen , Letendre Scott , Heaton Robert K.
Published: April 2022

Although plasma D-dimer levels are high in patients with some types of peripheral neuropathy, this has not been examined in people with HIV (PWH). We tested the hypothesis that higher plasma D-dimer levels would be related to the presence and severity of HIV-associated distal sensory peripheral neuropathy (DSP). Participants in a U.S. research cohort were evaluated using standardized clinical examinations and interviews for findings of DSP and distal neuropathic pain by trained clinicians. D-dimer levels in the two neuropathy groups (0 or 1 versus 2 or more neuropathy signs), were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Multivariable regression assessed the effects of age and other covariates. Participants were 185 PWH, mean (SD) age 56.2 (8.10), 19.7% females, 56.4% non-White, median nadir and current CD4 lymphocytes 107 (IQR 20, 210) and 567 (348, 817), undetectable plasma HIV RNA 79.9%; and 210 people without HIV (PWoH), mean age 50.6 (15.8) years, 38.6% female, 18.1% non-White. Among PWH, 50 had 0 signs, 47 had 1 and 88 had 2 or more; among PWoH, 149 had 0 signs, 38 had 1 sign, and 23 had 2 or more signs (PWH versus PWoH p = 1.36e-20). Log10 plasma D-dimer levels were higher in PWH than PWoH (2.78±0.233 versus 2.66±0.253, p = 5.20e-6). D-dimer was significantly higher in those with DSP (2 or more DSP signs) compared to those without (p = 0.0017, Wilcoxon rank sum test). In multivariable analyses this relationship was independent of potential confounders. This association persisted in a sensitivity analysis that was limited to only the subset of participants with undetectable plasma HIV RNA (Wilcoxon p = 0.041). In PWoH, d-dimer levels were numerically higher in those with DSP (2.75±0.206 versus 2.65±0.256, p = 0.0604). Neuropathy symptoms (pain, paresthesias) were not significantly related to D-dimer levels. Since DSP is a major cause of disability in PWH, identifying biomarkers such as D-dimer may enable future investigations to assess prognosis or response to therapy.
Blow-up conditions of nonlinear parabolic equations and systems under mixed nonlinear boundary conditions
Authors: Chung Soon-Yeong , Hwang Jaeho
Published: April 2022

Note: for full abstract, please view the manuscript pdf below. Abbreviated abstract: In this paper, we firstly discuss blow-up phenomena for nonlinear parabolic equations under mixed nonlinear boundary conditions. Lastly, we discuss blow-up solutions for nonlinear parabolic systems.
Capo: Calibrating Device-to-Device Positioning in Heterogeneous Systems
Authors: Li Tong , Wan Kao , Wu Zhaoxi , Cao Qian , Zheng Xiaotao
Published: April 2022

Device-to-device relative positioning systems such as COVID-19 contact tracing, seamless access systems, mobile interactive gaming, directional interaction, etc. have been promoted recently. The legacy absolute object positioning technologies are not suitable for device-to-device positioning because of the mobility and heterogeneity of devices. In this paper, we focus on the heterogeneity problem and propose Capo, the first calibration algorithm that enables the interaction among devices with different communication modes for relative positioning in heterogeneous systems. In particular, Capo optimizes the ranging results of low-precision devices in a collaborative network based on the ranging data collected from high-precision devices. Evaluation results show that Capo can significantly improve up to 26.56% of the positioning accuracy of the heterogeneous systems. Real use case study on COVID-19 contact tracing further shows that Capo significantly improves the accuracy of exposure notifications.
The osteogenic capacity and lncRNA/mRNA expression profile of periosteal-derived mesenchymal stem cells of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia
Authors: Yang Ge , Huang Yiyong , Mei Haibo , Zhu Guanghui , Liu Yaoxi , Yu Hui , Tan Qian
Published: April 2022

Congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT) is an uncommon disease that is difficult to treat. The biological properties, molecular expression patterns and regulatory mechanisms of periosteal-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (PDMSCs) remain unclear. In this study, we separated PDMSCs from CPT patients or control donors. Cell viability and EdU positive proportion in CPT PDMSCs were lower than control. After osteogenic differentiation induction, the ALP staining intensity, calcium nodule formation level and Osterix, Runx2, OCN, OPN protein level were lower in CPT PDMSCs. Co-culture THP1-derived macrophage and PDMSCs, after osteoclast differentiation induction, TRAP level, dissolved hydroxyapatite plate activity, CTSK, CALCR and ITGβ3 levels of co-culture with CPT PDMSCs were shown to be higher than control. RNA-seq results revealed 822 differentially expressed mRNAs and 194 differentially expressed lncRNAs, respectively. Functional analysis showed that differentially expressed lncRNAs involved in tryptophan metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, sphingolipid metabolism and so on. Based on differential mRNAs and lncRNAs, we conducted correlation analysis of their cis regulation, and the results showed that 27 mRNAs were cis regulated with 24 lncRNAs, a total of 30 cis-regulated combinations, including MIR22HG-WDR81, AC103702-HOXB4, AC004080-HoxA13, lncRNA ATG12-CDO1 and lncRNA FAM227B-FGF7. Our results indicat that CPT PDMSCs has weak proliferation and osteogenesis ability, but stronger ability to promotes osteoclast differentiation, and certain lncRNAs and mRNAs were differentially expressed in CPT PDMSCs which have important roles in regulated osteogenesis and osteoclast differentiation.
MicroRNAs secreted by human preimplantation embryos and IVF outcome
Authors: Kamijo Shintaro , Hamatani Toshio , Sasaki Hiroyuki , Suzuki Hiroki , Abe Akane , Inoue Osamu , Iwai Maki , Ogawa Seiji , Odawara Kei , Tanaka Kanako , Mikashima Mutsumi , Suzuki Masami , Miyado Kenji , Matoba Ryo , Odawara Yasushi , Tanaka Mamoru
Published: April 2022

Objective. To generate an effective embryo prediction model and identify a non-invasive evaluation method by analyzing microRNAs (miRNAs) in embryo culture medium.Design. Analysis of microRNA profiles from spent culture medium of blastocysts with good morphology that did or did not result in pregnancy. Setting. Clinical and experimental research.Patients. Sixty patients who underwent thawed embryo transfer of blastocysts after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.Intervention(s). None.Main outcome measure(s). The association of miRNA abundance levels secreted by blastocysts in culture medium and implantation success.Results. Our RNA sequencing analysis found a total of 53 differentially expressed miRNAs in the culture media of pregnancy and non-pregnancy groups. Twenty-one miRNAs were analyzed their potential to predicting implantation success. Eight miRNAs (hsa-miR-191-5p, hsa-miR-320a, hsa-miR-92a-3p, hsa-miR-509-3p, hsa-miR-378a-3p, hsa-miR-28-3p, hsa-miR-512-5p, and hsa-miR-181a-5p) were further extracted from the results of a logistic regression analysis of qPCR Ct values. A prediction model for high-quality blastocysts was generated using the eight miRNAs, with an average accuracy of 0.82 by 5-fold cross validation.Conclusion. We isolated blastocyst miRNAs that may predict implantation success and created a model to predict viable embryos. Increasing the number of investigated cases and further studying the effect of each miRNA on embryonic development is needed to refine the miRNA-based predictive model.
Higher Serum RCAN2 Levels Are Associated with Metabolically Unhealthy Individuals, Either with Obesity or Not
Authors: Wang Hongya , Fang Xia , Ren Qian , Tan Xiaozhen , Fan Jiahao , Xu Yong
Published: April 2022

Background: Regulator of calcineurin 2 (RCAN2) has been documented to cause weight gain and related pathology and metabolism abnormalities in animal researches. The aim of the study was to compare serum RCAN2 concentrations in metabolically healthy (MH) and metabolically unhealthy (MUH) individuals.Methods: 872 subjects (581 MH and 291 MUH) were recruited to the study. Basic anthropometric, metabolic parameters and concentration of RCAN2 were measured. Results: Serum RCAN2 levels differ between MH and MUH subjects (9.22 ± 3.21 vs. 11.09 ± 5.01 ng/mL, p < 0.001). Circulating RCAN2 level was an independent predictor of MUH compared with MH group (9.3% higher rate of MUH incidence per 1 ng/mL increment of RCAN2) after adjust other potentially confounding variables. Higher serum RCAN2 levels were significantly correlated with SBP, FBG, WHR. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis suggested that serum RCAN2 [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.615, 95% CI 0.575-0.655, p < 0.001] might be used as a candidate biomarker for MUH. Men had considerably greater RCAN2 levels than female in the MH group, but this difference was not significant in the MUH group.Conclusion: Higher circulating RCAN2 levels are associated with MUH individuals regardless of the BMI status.
Standardization of Genomic DNA Isolation Method from mature leaves and SSR-PCR conditions for Flemingia semialata an Alternative Lac Host Plant
Authors: Kumar Aditya , Kumari Khushboo
Published: April 2022

Flemingia is an important multipurpose leguminous perennial shrub, grows from 0.5 to 2.5 meters and sometimes upto 3 meters. It is one of the most suitable plant species for kusumi lac strain which produces best quality lac in the world. To develop improved and productive varieties of Flemingia spp., it was needed to know the genetic diversity present in the germplasm and breeding material. Molecular markers are best tool to study the genetic diversity present in breeding population and to utilize molecular markers, genomic DNA of high quality and quantity was required. To obtain high quality and quantity of genomic DNA at lesser cost, it was needed to standardized a robust genomic DNA isolation protocol. Therefore, in the present study, the DNA isolation protocol of Murray and Thompson (1980) was modified and optimized. The standardized protocol yielded 1200–1500 ng/µl genomic DNA with an average of 1359 ng/µl DNA from 40 samples of F. semialata and F. macrophylla. A very low level of RNA, protein, phenolics and polysaccharide contaminants were recorded (A260/A280 ratio ranges from 1.8–1.85) from the isolated DNA. The isolated DNA was utilized for molecular characterization and genetic diversity assessment of Flemingia semialata and Flemingia macrophylla by using microsatellite markers. The standardized protocol was yielded genomic DNA of good quality and quantity from both, juvenile leaf and matured leaf samples. The optimized protocol was also utilized for the genomic DNA isolation of Shorea robusta and Buchanania cochinchinensis.
Quantum Affective Processes: decision-making from a quantum computing perspective
Authors: Ho Johnny K. W. , Hoorn Johan F.
Published: April 2022

In modeling the human affective system and applying lessons learned to human‒titrobot interaction, the challenge is to handle ambiguous emotional states of an agency (whether human or artificial), probabilistic decisions, and freedom of choice in affective and behavioral patterns. Moreover, many cognitive processes seem to run in parallel whereas seriality is the standard in conventional computation. Representation of contextual aspects of behavior and processes and of self-directed neuroplasticity are still wanted and so we attempt a quantum-computational construction of robot affect, which theoretically should be able to account for indefinite and ambiguous states as well as parallelism. Our Quantum Coppélia (Q-Coppélia) is a translation into quantum logics of the fuzzy-based Silicon Coppélia system, which simulates the progression of a robot’s attitude towards its user. We show the entire circuitry of the Q-Coppélia framework, aiming at contemporary descriptions of (neuro)psychological processes. Arguably, our work provides a system for simulating and handling affective interactions among various agencies from an understanding of the relations between quantum algorithms and the fundamental nature of psychology.
Coherent Surface Plasmon Polariton Amplification via Free Electron Pumping
Authors: Tian Ye , Zhang Dongdong , Zeng Yushan , Bai Yafeng , Li Zhongpeng , Li Ruxin
Published: April 2022

Surface plasmonic with its unique confinement of light is expected to be a cornerstone for future compact radiation sources and integrated photonics devices. The energy transfer between light and matter is a defining aspect that underlies recent studies on optical surface-wave-mediated spontaneous emissions. But coherent stimulated emission, being omnipresent in every laser system, remains to be realized and revealed in the optical near fields unambiguously and dynamically. Here, we present the coherent amplification of Terahertz surface plasmon polaritons via free electron stimulated emission. We demonstrate the evolutionary amplification process with a frequency redshift and lasts over 1-mm interaction length. The complementary theoretical analysis predicts a 100-order surface wave growth when a properly phase-matched electron bunch is used, which lays the ground for a stimulated surface wave light source and may facilitate capable means for matter manipulation, especially in the Terahertz band.
RNA-Sequencing for transcriptional profiling of whole blood in early-stage and metastatic pancreatic cancer patients
Authors: Kalantari Sima , Kazemi Bahram , Roudi Raheleh , Zali Hakimeh , D’Angelo Alberto , Mohamadkhani Ashraf , Madjd Zahra , Pourshams Akram
Published: April 2022

We investigated the transcriptional profile of whole blood in early and metastatic stages of PaC patients to identify potential diagnostic factors for early diagnosis. Blood samples from 18 participants (6 healthy individuals, 6 patients in early stage (I/II) PaC and 6 patients in metastatic PaC) were analyzed by RNA-sequencing. The expression levels of identified genes were subsequently compared with their expression in pancreatic tumor tissues based on TCGA data reported in UALCAN and GEPIA2 databases. Overall, 331 and 724 genes were identified as differentially expressed genes in early and metastatic stages, respectively. Of these, 146 genes were shared by early and metastatic stages. Upregulation of PTCD3 and UBA52 genes and downregulation of A2M and ARID1B genes in PaC patients were observed from early stage to metastasis. TCGA database showed increasing trend in expression levels of these genes from stage I to IV in pancreatic tumor tissue. Finally, we found that low expression of PTCD3, A2M, and ARID1B genes and high expression of UBA52 gene were positively correlated with PaC patients survaval. We identified a four-gene set (PTCD3, UBA52, A2M, and ARID1B) expressed in peripheral blood of early stage and metastatic PaC patients that may be useful for PaC early diagnosis.
PhyloTransformer: A Self-supervised Discriminative Model for Mutation Prediction Based on a Multi-head Self-attention Mechanism
Authors: Wu Yingying , Xu Shusheng , Yau Shing-Tung , Wu Yi
Published: April 2022

Although coronaviruses have RNA proofreading functions, a large number of variants still exist as quasispecies. Identified coronaviruses might just be the tip of the iceberg, and potentially more fatal variants of concern (VOCs) may emerge over time. These VOCs may exhibit increased pathogenicity, infectivity, transmissibility, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding affinity, and antigenicity, causing an increased threat to public health. In this article, we developed PhyloTransformer, a Transformer-based self-supervised discriminative model, which can model genetic mutations that may lead to viral reproductive advantage. We trained PhyloTransformer on 1,765,297 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequences to infer fitness advantages, by directly modeling the amino acid sequence mutations. PhyloTransformer utilizes advanced techniques from natural language processing, including the Fast Attention Via positive Orthogonal Random features approach (FAVOR+) and the Masked Language Model (MLM), which enable efficient and accurate intra-sequence dependency modeling over the entire RNA sequence. We measured the prediction accuracy of novel mutations and novel combinations using our method and baseline models that only take local segments as input. We found that PhyloTransformer outperformed every baseline method with statistical significance. In order to identify mutations associated with altered glycosylation that might be favored during viral evolution, we predicted the occurrence of mutations in each nucleotide of the receptor binding motif (RBM) and predicted modifications of N-glycosylation sites. We anticipate that the viral mutations predicted by PhyloTransformer may identify potential mutations of threat to guide therapeutics and vaccine design for effective targeting of future SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Assessment of Malaria Related Anemia and Underweight in Under-Five Age Children in Estie Woreda, South Gondar Zone of Amhara Region, South East Ethiopia
Authors: Bekele Damtew , Kumie Tensay
Published: April 2022

Background
Malaria remains a challenging health problem in malaria endemic regions. Malaria associated anemia represent a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Both, anemia (reduced in hemoglobin level) and underweight in terms of (weight-for-age) was a critical problem of malaria directly or indirectly. The objective of this study was to assess malaria related anemia and malaria related underweight among under-five years age children in Arushe wanqat kebele. Children’s were selected through systematic random sampling technique to select the first children from new vital event registration master list of Arushe wanqat kebele, and then totally 364 children were included. Parasitological, hematological and anthropometric measurements were conducted. Questionnaire survey was also used in order to assess malaria related anemia and weight on children whose age were below five years. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 20 and was presented in frequency, table, pie chart, bar graph and percentage form. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), correlation(r), and Chi-square (X2) tests were used to verify the possible association between Plasmodiums pecies, anemia, and underweight at different age (in months).
Results
Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum accounted for 101(27.8%), Plasmodium vivax accounted for 84(23.1%), and mixed infection (both P. falciparum and P. vivax) also accounted for 14(3.8%). The correlation (r) between Plasmodium species and hemoglobin concentration (r = 0.628; p = 0.000); Plasmodium species and weight measure (r = 0.77; p = 0.000). The prevalence of malaria related anemia and underweight were 70.4% and 51.3%, respectively. Plasmodium falciparum is the most prevalent species and a notorious cause of anemia among children who were less than five years old. Both anemia (reduction of Hb. in g/dl) and underweight have a positive linear relationship. Malaria-related anemia was also more prevalent than malaria-related underweight among children. The result of the study indicates that there was a strong association between malaria and anemia (association is significant between Plasmodium species and hemoglobin concentration; p < 0.05); there is also an association between malaria and weight loss or underweight (association is significant between Plasmodium species and weight-for-age z-score; p < 0.05) at different age groups
Conclusions
The prevalence malaria-related anemia among children in Arushe wanqat kebele was 38.67%.On the other hand, the prevalence of malaria-related weight loss or underweight among children in Arushe wanqat kebele was 28.02%. So, the findings of this study also revealed that malaria remains a public health problem that contributes for anemia and underweight on under five children.
Phenotypes and prognostic factors of syringomyelia in single-center patients with Chiari I malformation: moniliform type as a special configuration
Authors: Lu Chunli , Ma Longbing , Yuan Chenghua , Cheng Lei , Wang Xinyu , Duan Wanru , Wang Kai , Chen Zan , Wu Hao , Zeng Gao , Jian Fengzeng
Published: April 2022

Background
The specific association between morphometric characteristics of the syrinx and the prognosis of Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) with syringomyelia following surgical procedure seems to have not been elaborated. This study focused on the preoperative clinical and radiologic parameters in simple CM-I patients with syringomyelia to find out the relationship between the patients’ clinical status and the phenotypes of the syrinx with surgical outcome.
Methods
A continuous series of pediatric and adult patients with simple CM-I and syringomyelia from a prospectively maintained database in a single center were included, and we explored the related factors affecting the prognosis following decompression surgery through retrospective analysis of clinical presentations, imaging characteristics, and the morphological features of syringomyelia, to provide a clinical reference for the treatment of syringomyelia.
Results
There were 28 (13.8%) pediatric patients, and 174 adults (86.2%) included in our study. The average CCOS score was 14.56 ± 1.78. The overall prognosis after surgery was good in our series, among them 152 cases (75.25%) with a favorable prognosis, and syrinx was resolved effectively in 172 cases (85.15%). According to the univariate and multivariate analyses, the preoperative symptom duration, observation time, and with/without moniliform type were independent factors affecting the prognosis in adults. The most obvious difference between moniliform type and non-moniliform type lies in the patients with straightened cervical physio-curve or not, preoperative symptom duration, and ventral SAS.
Conclusions
Timely and effective decompression surgery could achieve a better outcome in CM-I patients with syringomyelia. Moniliform syringomyelia may suggest a relatively better prognosis.
Mimesis und Natur : Adornos Naturalismus und die Normativität der Mimesis
Authors:   , Tobón Sebastian
Published: April 2022

Die vorliegende Arbeit zielt auch darauf ab, aus der Analyse des Konzepts der Mimesis eine Reihe von theoretischen Kanten zu gewinnen, die als normative oder transformierende Gesichtspunkte betrachtet werden können. Das heißt, Standpunkte, auf die die Theorien der Gegenwart noch zurückgreifen können, nicht nur um eine diagnostische Analyse des sozialen Ganzen vorzunehmen, sondern auch um Vorschläge zur Veränderung des sozialen Charakters zu unterbreiten. Diese Möglichkeit kann noch als normativer Ansatz in Adornos Werk bezeichnet werden. Solche theoretischen Perspektiven sind notwendige Folgen der Analyse des Begriffs der Mimesis.
Inklusion in der beruflichen Bildung – Pädagogische Fachlichkeit in der Praxis von Berufsschullehrpersonen
Authors: Köpfer Andreas , Papke Katharina , Heinemann Lars , Bittlingmayer Uwe H.
Published: April 2022

Der vorliegende Beitrag fasst Inklusion unter Bezugnahme auf Oevermanns (1996) „Skizze einer revidierten Theorie professionalisierten Handelns“ als Auftrag zur Professionalisierung entlang der therapeutischen Dimension in der Beziehung von Lehrpersonen und Schüler*innen. Dieser trifft in der beruflichen Bildung auf ein spezifisches Spannungsfeld, insofern unter dem Primat der Beruflichkeit eine starke Fokussierung auf ‚Wissen und Können‘ prozessiert wird. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird exemplarisch die Ausgestaltung der pädagogischen Praxis anhand von im BMBF-geförderten Forschungsprojekt StiEL entstandenen Datenmaterial mittels der Dokumentarischen Methode der Textinterpretation analysiert. Ziel ist es, die Orientierungen von Lehrpersonen hinsichtlich pädagogischer Fachlichkeit aus deren handlungsleitenden Wissensbeständen heraus zu rekonstruieren, um die Bedingungen für die Aufnahme des Inklusionsanspruchs in den eigenen Unterricht sowie implizite, durch den Anspruch ‚Inklusion‘ hervorgerufene Ambivalenzen des pädagogisch-professionellen Handelns sichtbar zu machen. Abschließend werden Ansatzpunkte für Fort- und Weiterbildungen abgeleitet.Abstract

With reference to Oevermann (1996), the article interprets inclusion as need for professionalisation along the therapeutical dimension in the relationship between teachers and students. In the field of vocational education, there emerges a specific tension as a strong focus on ‚knowledge and skills‘ is processed. By using the documentary method of text interpretation this article analyses the pedagogical practice on the data basis from the research project StiEL (founded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research). The aim is to reconstruct orientations on pedagogical professionalism in teachers‘ practical knowledge. Hereby, it endeavours to show the conditions for inclusion within teachers‘ tuition as well as implicit ambivalences in their professional pedagogical action caused by implementing inclusion. Finally, implications for teacher training are derived.
Expertise als übergreifendes Paradigma der Professionalisierungsforschung zur inklusionsbezogenen Fortbildung von Lehrpersonen
Authors: Kaiser Michaela , Seitz Simone , Slodczyk Nadine
Published: April 2022

Der Beitrag arbeitet den Expertisebegriff für die inklusionsbezogene Professionalisierungsforschung auf und diskutiert diesen im Kontext des Desiderats nach einem übergreifenden Forschungsparadigma, das den strukturtheoretischen, den berufsbiografischen und den kompetenztheoretischen Ansatz verbindet. Die Überlegungen werden anhand von empirischen Befunden einer qualitativen (Teil-)Studie zur Expertise von Fortbildner*innen im Feld der inklusionsbezogenen Fortbildung exemplifiziert. Abstract

The article elaborates the concept of expertise for inclusion-related professionalization research in the context of the desideratum according to a comprehensive research paradigm that combines the structural-functional based, the biographical and the competence based approach. The argumentation is exemplified by empirical findings on the expertise of trainers in the field of inclusion-related teacher training.
Emotionale Führung als Basis inklusiver Schulentwicklung. Qualifizierung und Weiterbildung für transformationales Schulmanagement
Authors: Schön Michael , Glade Eva-Maria
Published: April 2022

Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt die Bedeutsamkeit emotionaler und transformationaler Führungskompetenzen im Kontext inklusiver Schulentwicklung sowie allgemein im Rahmen eines transformationalen Schulmanagements dar. Daran anknüpfend werden als Praxisbeispiele zur Weiterqualifizierung ein Master-Fernstudiengang für Schulmanagement sowie ein in weiterer Entwicklung befindliches digitales Leadership-Training für Schulentwicklung vorgestellt. Letzteres fokussiert insbesondere die Förderung emotionaler und transformationaler Führungskompetenzen, welche wesentlich dazu beitragen können, inspirierend zu motivieren, kollegiale Beziehungen gewinnbringend zu gestalten und adäquat durch inklusive Schulentwicklungsprozesse zu begleiten..Abstract

This article presents the significance of emotional and transformational leadership competencies in the context of inclusive school development and in general in the context of transformational school management. Following on from this, a Master's-distance-learning-course for school management as well as a digital leadership-training for school development which is in further development will be presented as practical examples for further qualification. The latter particularly focuses on the promotion of emotional and transformational leadership competencies, which can make a significant contribution to inspiring motivation, creating profitable collegial relationships and adequately accompanying through inclusive school development processes.
Förderung und Evaluation von situationsspezifischen Fähigkeiten für einen inklusiven Sportunterricht. Überlegungen zu einer zentralen Herausforderung universitärer Sportlehrkräftebildung
Authors: Erhorn Jan , Langer Wiebke , Möller Leonie
Published: April 2022

Die Qualifizierung von Sportlehrkräften für einen inklusiven Sportunterricht stellt eine zentrale Herausforderung für die sportdidaktische Lehre und Forschung dar. Obwohl die Bedeutung situationsspezifischer Fähigkeiten für die universitäre Sportlehrkräftebildung auch im Zusammenhang mit einem inklusiven Sportunterricht betont wird, fehlt es an Kompetenzmodellen, die die Ebene der situationsspezifischen Fähigkeiten berücksichtigen und somit eine Grundlage für Lehrkonzepte bilden können, die auf die Förderung situationsspezifischer Fähigkeiten für einen inklusiven Sportunterricht abzielen. Zudem mangelt es bestehenden Lehrkonzepten auch an Arbeits- und Organisationsformen, um gezielt situationsspezifische Fähigkeiten für einen inklusiven Sportunterricht anzusprechen. Schließlich existieren bisher keine Testverfahren, mit denen situationsspezifische Fähigkeiten für einen inklusiven Sportunterricht gemessen und darauf abzielende Lehrkonzepte evaluiert werden können. Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrags ist es demzufolge, konzeptionelle Überlegungen anzustellen, wie ein Kompetenzmodell für den inklusiven Sportunterricht generiert werden kann, welches die Ebene der situationsspezifischen Fähigkeiten berücksichtigt, wie ein Lehrformat angelegt sein müsste, um gezielt die situationsspezifischen Fähigkeiten für einen inklusiven Sportunterricht anzusprechen und wie diese situationsspezifischen Fähigkeiten gemessen werden können, um eine diesbezügliche Evaluation zu ermöglichen.Abstract

Qualifying physical education (PE) teachers for inclusive physical education poses a central challenge for the didactic approach of teaching and researching PE. Although the importance of situation-specific skills for pre-service PE teacher education is emphasized in the context of inclusive PE, there is neither an existing model of competencies that takes into account the level of situation-specific skills, nor a concept for corresponding pre-service PE teacher education that aims to promote situation-specific skills for inclusive PE. Finally, there is a lack of instruments that can be used to measure situation-specific skills for inclusive physical education and to evaluate respective teaching concepts. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to provide conceptual considerations on how to generate a model of competencies for inclusive PE that takes into account the level of situation-specific skills, how a teaching format should be designed to address situation-specific skills for inclusive PE, and how these situation-specific skills can be measured in order to facilitate evaluation.
Herausforderungen inklusiver Bildung in Kita-Teams – Konzipierung eines individualisierten Curriculums für Weiterbildung und Prozessbegleitung
Authors: Albers Timm , Weltzien Dörte , Ali-Tani Caroline , Döther Sabrina , Söhnen Sarah Aileen , Verhoeven Nadja
Published: April 2022

In dem Projekt InkluKiT (2017-2020) wurde ein empirisch begründetes, erprobtes und evaluiertes Curriculum für die Weiterbildung von Kindertageseinrichtungen entwickelt. Es soll die Lücke schließen zwischen dem Fachdiskurs über den Erwerb inklusionsbezogener Kompetenzen einerseits und anwendungsbezogenen Praxishandbüchern andererseits. In enger Zusammenarbeit mit der Fachpraxis wurden modular aufgebaute, kompetenzorientierte Fortbildungsmaßnahmen für Kita-Teams entwickelt, durchgeführt und umfangreich evaluiert. Die Maßnahmen folgen einer Systematik, die den Stand inklusiver Praxis und relevante Rahmenbedingungen vor Ort einschließen. Berücksichtigt wurden neben den pädagogischen, (fach-)didaktischen und diagnostischen Qualifikationen im Team auch das berufliche Erleben und die Interaktionsgestaltung der Fachkräfte. In dem Beitrag wird – auf der Basis eines breiten Inklusionsverständnisses und einer konsequent kompetenzorientierten Sicht auf Teamentwicklungsprozesse – die Systematik des InkluKiT Curriculums und seine Anwendungsmöglichkeiten vorgestellt.Abstract

In the project “InkluKiT” (2017-2020) an empirically based, tested and evaluated curriculum for further education of EEC centres was developed. It aims to close the gap between the professional debate on the acquisition of inclusive skills on the one hand and the application-oriented practical manuals on the other hand. The modular, competence-oriented activities for further education of EEC teams were developed, carried out and evaluated in close cooperation with specialised, professional practice. The curriculum follows a scheme that includes the status of inclusive practices as well as the relevant framework conditions in the institutions. It further takes into account the team’s professional experience and interaction design additionally to their educational, didactic and diagnostic skills. The article presents - on the basis of a broad understanding of inclusion and a consistently competence-oriented view of team development processes - the systematics of the InkluKiT curriculum and its possible applications.