bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Caffeoylquinic Acids and Functional Properties of Domestic Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) Storage Roots with Established Overseas Varieties
Authors: Phahlane Charmaine J. , Laurie Sunette M. , Shoko Tinotenda , Manhivi Vimbainashe E. , Sivakumar Dharini
Published: May 2022

Root samples of sweet potato varieties originating from South Africa (‘Ndou’, ‘Bophelo’, ‘Monate’, and ‘Blesbok’), the USA (‘Beauregard’), and Peru (‘199062.1′) were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/QTOF/MS) and chemometrics to characterize and compare the locally developed varieties with well-known established overseas varieties. The highest total phenol content was detected in ‘Bophelo’, followed by ‘Beauregard’ and Peruvian variety ‘199062.1’. The Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) model classified the storage roots of six sweet potato varieties into two clusters. In the OPLS-DA scatter plot, one cluster, which included Peruvian variety ‘199062.1’, was separated from the others. L-tryptophan and 3-caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) showed variable importance in projection (VIP) scores greater than 1.5. Based on the OPLS-DA-S-plot, L-tryptophan separated the other varieties from Peruvian variety ‘199062.1’. Peruvian variety ‘199062.1’ contained higher concentrations of CQA (1,3-diCQA, 1,4-diCQA, 3,5-diCQA, 4,5-diCQA, 3-CQA, and 5-CQA) and 5-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin 7-glucoside than other varieties. Among all sweet potato varieties analyzed, Peruvian variety ‘199062.1′ showed the highest ferric reducing antioxidant power (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) free radical scavenging activity, and [2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate)] scavenging activity. Among the local sweet potato varieties, ‘Bophelo’ has the greatest potential for commercialization as it is the richest source of CQA.
Study on the Flavor Compounds of Fo Tiao Qiang under Different Thawing Methods Based on GC–IMS and Electronic Tongue Technology
Authors: Lin Ruirong , Yuan Hongfei , Wang Changrong , Yang Qingyu , Guo Zebin
Published: May 2022

“Fo Tiao Qiang” is a famous dish with Chinese characteristics. It is delicious, rich in materials, and high in nutritional value. Through physical and chemical analysis, electronic tongue, gas chromatography–ion mobility spectroscopy, and other technologies, the present study explored the quality characteristics and flavor differences of Fo Tiao Qiang by using different thawing methods (natural thawing, ultrasonic thawing, microwave thawing, and water bath thawing). The results show that the protein content was slightly higher in Fo Tiao Qiang with ultrasonic thawing than others. The fat content of the microwave-thawed Fo Tiao Qiang was significantly lower than the other three kinds of samples. After ultrasonic thawing, the number of free amino acids in the samples were the highest and the umami taste was the best. Compared with natural thawing, most of the flavor substances decreased in ultrasonic thawing, microwave thawing, and water bath thawing. However, several substances increased, such as alpha-terpineol, beta-phenylethyl alcohol, phenylacetaldehyde, cis-rose oxide, isobutyl acetate, and 2–3-pentanedione. This study revealed the changing laws of different thawing methods on the quality characteristics and flavor characteristics of Fo Tiao Qiang. It provides theoretical guidance for the industrial production and quality control of Fo Tiao Qiang.
Is Active Voice Enough? Community Discussions on Passive Voice, MMIWG2S, and Violence against Urban Indigenous Women in San José, California
Authors: de Bourbon Soma , Gomez Ketzal , San Juan Beatriz
Published: May 2022

Men commit violence against Native American women at higher rates than other racial or ethnic groups. When violence against Indigenous women is discussed and written about, it is often in passive voice. Several scholars note the problem of using passive voice to talk about violence against women, but there is little research on how women themselves understand passive voice as connected to the violence perpetrated against them, and we found no literature on how Native women understand passive voice. This research asks how urban Native and Indigenous women understand passive language in relationship to violence. The authors, who are all members of the Red Earth Women’s Society (REWS), took up this conversation with urban Indigenous women in San José, California, in a year-long series of meetings that culminated in three focus-group discussions (FGD)/talking circles (TC) where Native women expressed their understanding of passive language and violence against Native women. From these exploratory talking circles, we found that Native women’s understanding of passive voice aligned with previous research on passive voice, but also contributed new insights.
The Role of Fundamental Nursing Practices Simulation on Students’ Competencies and Learning Satisfaction: Repeated Measured Design
Authors: Green Gizell , Ofri Lani , Tesler Riki
Published: May 2022

Few studies have examined the simulation of fundamental nursing practices regarding nursing competencies and learning satisfaction via repeated measured methods. Objectives: To evaluate a simulation of fundamental nursing practices on nursing students’ competencies and learning satisfaction in three time points: before (T1), immediately after (T2), and one month after simulation (T3), and to examine nursing students’ competency predictors to learning satisfaction, immediately after conducting the simulation and one month after. Methods: The study design was a one-group, repeated measures study. Ninety-three undergraduate nursing students were convenience sampled and conducted a simulation of fundamental nursing practices. The students completed a questionnaire at T1, T2, and T3. The Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses questionnaire was distributed, and question about the level of learning satisfaction were asked. Results: All nursing competencies and learning satisfactions increased significantly. Only the legal/ethical practice competency succeeded in predicting the learning satisfaction in T2 and in T3 after conducting simulations. Conclusions: This study has established that a simulation of fundamental nursing practices is effective not just immediately after performing the simulation but also one month after the simulation. Therefore, it is recommended to implement a pedagogical structure of simulations of fundamental nursing practices in other nursing education areas.
Inflorescence Traits and Floral Quality Parameters in Promising Olive Clones (cv Leccino): Influence of the Canopy Position
Authors: Bartolini Susanna , Caruso Giovanni , Palai Giacomo
Published: May 2022

In olive (Olea europaea L.), the floral quality is a key feature affecting the final fruit crop. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inflorescence traits and the floral quality parameters of three clones of Leccino cultivar (L 1.3, L 1.4, L 1.9). To assess a possible effect of light limitations on these parameters two canopy zones, internal (IZ) and external (EZ), were considered. The inflorescences were collected over two consecutive years in order to establish: (i) the characteristics of inflorescences (length, flowers per inflorescence) and flowers (open and perfect flowers); (ii) the ovary structure by histological analysis; and (iii) the viability and germination of pollen grains by in vitro culture. The preliminary results highlighted some differences among clones. The L 1.9 was the less affected by the canopy position for inflorescence morphological traits, and the presence of ovaries with at least three fully developed ovules denoting a high female fertility. Regardless of the canopy position, L 1.4 showed the highest pollen viability, suggesting its possible use as pollinator. The lower sensitivity of female and male floral organs to partial shading of L 1.9 and L 1.4 needs further investigations aimed at evaluating their suitability in high-density olive orchards.
Psychosocial Factors as Mediator to Food Security Status and Academic Performance among University Students
Authors: Ahmad Nor Syaza Sofiah , Sulaiman Norhasmah , Sabri Mohamad Fazli
Published: May 2022

The interrelation between food security, academic performance, and psychosocial factors remains unclear. This study aims to identify psychosocial factors as mediators of food security status and academic performance among university students at one of Malaysia’s public universities. Respondents included 663 bachelor’s degree students from seven randomly selected programmes at the university. Data on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, food security status (US Adult Food Security Survey Module, FSSM), psychosocial factors (DASS-21), and academic performance were collected using an online survey. The SPSS PROCESS macro was used to perform mediation analysis. The result (β = −0.0182, p < 0.001) indicates that food insecurity is associated with poor academic performance. As well as that, an increase in anxiety (β = −0.0027, p < 0.05) and depression (β = −0.0025, p < 0.05) was significant associated with a decrease in academic performance. Furthermore, anxiety and depression serve as significant mediators in the relationship between food security and academic performance. Alleviating food insecurity is not only a way to improve academic performance; it can also improve academic performance by reducing anxiety and depression.
Identifying and Understanding the Non-Clinical Impacts of Delayed or Cancelled Surgery in Order to Inform Prioritisation Processes: A Scoping Review
Authors: Jack Kathryn , Evans Catrin , Bramley Louise , Cooper Joanne , Keane Tracy , Cope Marie , Hendron Elizabeth
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant delays to non-urgent elective surgery. Decision making regarding prioritisation for surgery is currently informed primarily by clinical urgency. The ways in which decision making should also consider potential social and economic harm arising from surgical delay are currently unclear. This scoping review aimed to identify evidence related to (i) the nature and prevalence of social and economic harm experienced by patients associated with delayed surgery, and (ii) any patient assessment tools that could measure the extent of, or predict, such social and economic harm. A rapid scoping review was undertaken following JBI methodological guidance. The following databases were searched in October 2020: AMED; BNI; CINAHL; EMBASE; EMCARE; HMIC; Medline; PsychINFO, Cochrane, and the JBI. A total of 21 publications were included. The findings were categorised into five themes: (i) employment, (ii) social function and leisure, (iii) finances, (iv) patients’ experiences of waiting, and (v) assessment tools that could inform decision making. The findings suggest that, for some patients, waiting for surgery can include significant social, economic, and emotional hardship. Few validated assessment tools exist. There is an urgent need for more research on patients’ experiences of surgical delay in order to inform a more holistic process of prioritising people on surgical waiting lists in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery stages.
Photosynthetic Toxicity of Enrofloxacin on Scenedesmus obliquus in an Aquatic Environment
Authors: Li Zhiheng , Zhang Xianghong , Fang Hong , Lin Xuanyu , Dai Xinmi , Liu Huijun
Published: May 2022

Aquaculture facilities are a potential source of antibiotics in aquatic environments, having adverse effects on the algae species. In this study, the toxicity induced by enrofloxacin (ENR) on the algae Scenedesmus obliquus was evaluated. The uptake of ENR and the change in the growth and photosynthesis of algae were analyzed. At the exposure doses of 10–300 μg/L, the accumulated levels of ENR in algae were 10.61–18.22 μg/g and 12.09–18.34 μg/g after 48 h and 96 h of treatment, respectively. ENR inhibited the growth of algae, with a concentration for 50% effect of 119.74 μg/L, 53.09 μg/L, 64.37 μg/L, and 52.64 μg/L after 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h of treatment, respectively, indicating the self-protection and repair ability of algae in a short period of time. Furthermore, the chlorophyll contents decreased in all treatment groups, and the photosynthetic system Ⅱ parameters decreased in a dose-dependent manner under ENR stress, suggesting that ENR caused a disorder in the electron transport of the photosynthesis of algae, and the carbon fixation and assimilation processes were thus damaged. These results indicate that ENR poses a considerable risk to aquatic environments, affects the carbon sinks, and even has an adverse effect on human health.
Data to Decisions: Methods to Create Neighbourhood Built Environment Indicators Relevant for Early Childhood Development
Authors: Villanueva Karen , Alderton Amanda , Higgs Carl , Badland Hannah , Goldfeld Sharon
Published: May 2022

Healthy development in the early years lays the foundations for children’s ongoing physical, emotional, and social development. Children develop in multiple contexts, including their local neighbourhood. Neighbourhood-built environment characteristics, such as housing, walkability, traffic exposure, availability of services, facilities, and parks, are associated with a range of health and wellbeing outcomes across the life course, but evidence with early years’ outcomes is still emerging. Data linkage techniques were used to assemble a dataset of spatial (objectively-measured) neighbourhood-built environment (BE) measures linked to participant addresses in the 2015 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) for children living in the 21 most populous urban and regional Australian cities (n = 235,655) to help address this gap. This paper describes the methods used to develop this dataset. This linked dataset (AEDC-BE) is the first of its kind worldwide, enabling opportunities for identifying which features of the built environment are associated with ECD across Australia at scale, allow comparisons between diverse contexts, and the identification of where best to intervene. National data coverage provides statistical power to model real-world complexities, such as differences by city, state/territory, and remoteness. The neighbourhood-built environment can be modified by policy and practice at scale, and has been identified as a way to help reduce inequitable early childhood development outcomes.
Changes in Physical Activity Levels and Eating Behaviours during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sociodemographic Analysis in University Students
Authors: Ferrara Maria , Langiano Elisa , Falese Lavinia , Diotaiuti Pierluigi , Cortis Cristina , De Vito Elisabetta
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools and universities to shift their activities online, influencing the adoption of health-related behaviours such as physical activity and healthy dietary habits. The present study investigates the changes in adherence to a healthy diet and regular physical activity in university students in Italy before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and understands the role of sociodemographic variables in creating the changes above. We conducted a repeated cross-sectional survey performing the same sampling strategy at the first data collection (T0) and second data collection (T1) with a combination of convenience and snowball sampling approaches. The sample is composed of a total of 2001 students, 60.2% women and 39.8% men, with an average age of 22.7 (±5.5 SD). At T1, 39.9% of the students reported regular physical activity. During the pandemic, however, many, especially male students, abandoned or reduced physical activity practice (T1 40%), with an increase in social media use (T0 52.1%; T1 90%). A direct association between very low frequency of physical activity and increased sedentary time (r = 0.2, p = 0.001) and between change in dietary style and increased Body Mass Index (BMI) value (r = 0.3, p = 0.002) was found. The multivariate analysis for the total sample showed that some sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, parents’ level of education, area of study, household type, and perception of one’s body influence eating behaviours and physical activity. Our findings suggest that universities should invest in the protection and promotion of the health of their students with specific awareness programmes, and further research should repeat the survey in the post-lockdown period to investigate the long-term effects on health-related behaviours.
Public and Private Information Sharing under “New Normal” of COVID-19: Understanding the Roles of Habit and Outcome Expectation
Authors: Lv Han , Cao Xueyan , Chen Shiqi , Liu Liqun
Published: May 2022

Information sharing is critical in risk communication and management during the COVID-19 epidemic, and information sharing has been a part of individual prevention and particular lifestyles under the “New Normal” of COVID-19. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore influencing factors and mechanisms in public and private information sharing intention among people under the regular risk situation. This study investigated an information sharing mechanism based on a cross-sectional design. We collected 780 valid responses through a sample database of an online questionnaire platform and utilized partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to further analyze the data. To explore the difference caused by news frames, we divided respondents into two groups according to the news frame (action frame vs. reassurance frame) and proceeded with the multi-group analysis. The results showed that four types of outcome expectations (information seeking, emotion regulation, altruism and public engagement) and habit had impacts on public and private information sharing intention. Two paths influencing information sharing proposed in this study were supported. The results showed that outcome expectations were positively related to habit, which implies that the cognitive mechanism was positively relevant to the formation of habit. The results proved that habit played a mediating role between outcome expectations and information sharing. This research found that emotion regulation and public engagement outcome expectations only affected two types of information sharing intention mediated by habit. Regarding the role of the news frame, this study found no significant difference between the group exposed to action-framed news and the group exposed to reassurance-framed news. By exploring influencing factors and the mechanism of information sharing under the “New Normal”, these findings contribute to understanding of information sharing and have implications on risk management. The proposed mechanism classifying public and private information sharing complements risk information flowing by considering online risk incubation.
Selected Research Issues of Urban Public Health
Authors: Schröder Judith , Moebus Susanne , Skodra Julita
Published: May 2022

Health is created within the urban settings of people’s everyday lives. In this paper we define Urban Public Health and compile existing evidence regarding the spatial component of health and disease in urban environments. Although there is already a substantial body of single evidence on the links between urban environments and human health, focus is mostly on individual health behaviors. We look at Urban Public Health through a structural lens that addresses health conditions beyond individual health behaviors and identify not only health risks but also health resources associated with urban structures. Based on existing conceptual frameworks, we structured evidence in the following categories: (i) build and natural environment, (ii) social environment, (iii) governance and urban development. We focused our search to review articles and reviews of reviews for each of the keywords via database PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar in order to cover the range of issues in urban environments. Our results show that linking findings from different disciplines and developing spatial thinking can overcome existing single evidence and make other correlations visible. Further research should use interdisciplinary approaches and focus on health resources and the transformation of urban structures rather than merely on health risks and behavior.
Heat Acclimation in Females Does Not Limit Aerobic Exercise Training Outcomes
Authors: McGlynn Mark L. , Collins Christopher , Hailes Walter , Ruby Brent , Slivka Dustin
Published: May 2022

Recent aerobic exercise training in the heat has reported blunted aerobic power improvements and reduced mitochondrial-related gene expression in men. It is unclear if this heat-induced blunting of the training response exists in females. The purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of 60 min of cycling in the heat over three weeks on thermoregulation, gene expression, and aerobic capacity in females. Untrained females (n = 22; 24 ± 4yoa) were assigned to three weeks of aerobic training in either 20 °C (n = 12) or 33 °C (n = 10; 40%RH). Maximal aerobic capacity (39.5 ± 6.5 to 41.5 ± 6.2 mL·kg−1·min−1, p = 0.021, ηp2 = 0.240, 95% CI [0.315, 3.388]) and peak aerobic power (191.0 ± 33.0 to 206.7 ± 27.2 W, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.531, 95% CI [8.734, 22.383]) increased, while the absolute-intensity trial (50%VO2peak) HR decreased (152 ± 15 to 140 ± 13 b·min−1, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.691, 95% CI [15.925, 8.353]), but they were not different between temperatures (p = 0.440, p = 0.955, p = 0.341, respectively). Independent of temperature, Day 22 tolerance trial skin temperatures decreased from Day 1 (p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.319, 95% CI [1.408, 0.266), but training did not influence core temperature (p = 0.598). Average sweat rates were higher in the 33 °C group vs. the 20 °C group (p = 0.008, ηp2 = 0.303, 95% CI [67.9, 394.9]) but did not change due to training (p = 0.571). Pre-training PGC-1α mRNA increased 4h-post-exercise (5.29 ± 0.70 fold change, p < 0.001), was lower post-training (2.69 ± 0.22 fold change, p = 0.004), and was not different between temperatures (p = 0.455). While training induced some diminished transcriptional stimulus, generally the training temperature had little effect on genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis, mitophagy, and metabolic enzymes. These female participants increased aerobic fitness and maintained an exercise-induced PGC-1α mRNA response in the heat equal to that of room temperature conditions, contrasting with the blunted responses previously observed in men.
Bibliometric Analysis and Literature Review of Tourism Destination Resilience Research
Authors: Wang Tian , Yang Zhaoping , Chen Xiaodong , Han Fang
Published: May 2022

The application of resilience thinking to tourism destination research is a new perspective on sustainable tourism and has gradually become a popular research topic. Some literature has been conducted on tourism destination resilience, but there has not been a comprehensive review and analysis of the whole field. This study was based on the literature from 2000 to 2021 in the Web of Science core collection database. The collaboration analysis, literature co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence, burst detection analysis in CiteSpace, and qualitative analysis were adopted to conduct a holistic tourism destination resilience research review. The results indicated that the United States, Australia, China, and the United Kingdom were the primary countries involved in tourism destination resilience research. Five hot research themes were obtained. (1) concept and connotation of tourism destination resilience, (2) drivers of tourism destination resilience, (3) sustainable management framework and practices, (4) perception of tourism destination resilience, and (5) the resilience of the tourism community. Furthermore, four research gaps and future directions were proposed in this study, including the theoretical framework of tourism destination resilience, assessment of tourism destination resilience, sustainable management and resilience, and application of advanced technology in tourism destination resilience. This study assists researchers in understanding the development and future research directions in tourism destination resilience research.
Like Brothers in Arms: How Hormonal Stimuli and Changes in the Metabolism Signaling Cooperate, Leading HPV Infection to Drive the Onset of Cervical Cancer
Authors: Läsche Matthias , Gallwas Julia , Gründker Carsten
Published: May 2022

Despite all precautionary actions and the possibility of using vaccinations to counteract infections caused by human papillomaviruses (HPVs), HPV-related cancers still account for approximately 5% of all carcinomas. Worldwide, many women are still excluded from adequate health care due to their social position and origin. Therefore, immense efforts in research and therapy are still required to counteract the challenges that this disease entails. The special thing about an HPV infection is that it is not only able to trick the immune system in a sophisticated way, but also, through genetic integration into the host genome, to use all the resources available to the host cells to complete the replication cycle of the virus without activating the alarm mechanisms of immune recognition and elimination. The mechanisms utilized by the virus are the metabolic, immune, and hormonal signaling pathways that it manipulates. Since the virus is dependent on replication enzymes of the host cells, it also intervenes in the cell cycle of the differentiating keratinocytes and shifts their terminal differentiation to the uppermost layers of the squamocolumnar transformation zone (TZ) of the cervix. The individual signaling pathways are closely related and equally important not only for the successful replication of the virus but also for the onset of cervical cancer. We will therefore analyze the effects of HPV infection on metabolic signaling, as well as changes in hormonal and immune signaling in the tumor and its microenvironment to understand how each level of signaling interacts to promote tumorigenesis of cervical cancer.
Deoxyelephantopin Induces Apoptosis and Enhances Chemosensitivity of Colon Cancer via miR-205/Bcl2 Axis
Authors: Ji Haoyan , Zhang Kui , Pan Guangzhao , Li Changhong , Li Chongyang , Hu Xin , Yang Liqun , Cui Hongjuan
Published: May 2022

Colon cancer (CC) is one of the major causes of cancer death in humans. Despite recent advances in the management of CC, the prognosis is still poor and a new strategy for effective therapy is imperative. Deoxyelephantopin (DET), extracted from an important medicinal plant, Elephantopus scaber L., has been reported to exhibit excellent anti-inflammatory and -cancer activities, while the detailed anti-cancer mechanism remains unclear. Herein, we found that DET showed a significant CC inhibiting effect in vitro and in vivo without obvious organ toxicity. Mechanistically, DET inhibited CC cells and tumor growth by inducing G2/M phase arrest and subsequent apoptosis. DET-mediated cell cycle arrest was caused by severe DNA damage, and DET decreased the Bcl2 expression level in a dose-dependent manner to promote CC cell apoptosis, whereas restoring Bcl2 expression reduced apoptosis to a certain extent. Moreover, we identified a microRNA complementary to the 3′-UTR of Bcl2, miR-205, that responded to the DET treatment. An inhibitor of miR-205 could recover Bcl2 expression and promoted the survival of CC cells upon DET treatment. To further examine the potential value of the drug, we evaluated the combinative effects of DET and 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) through Jin’s formula and revealed that DET acted synergistically with 5FU, resulting in enhancing the chemotherapeutic sensitivity of CC to 5FU. Our results consolidate DET as a potent drug for the treatment of CC when it is used alone or combined with 5FU, and elucidate the importance of the miR-205-Bcl2 axis in DET treatment.
Molecular Research of Glycolysis
Authors: Chang Yu-Chan , Kim Cheorl-Ho
Published: May 2022

Glycolysis represents the process of breaking down monosaccharides, which involves the energy metabolism, homeostasis, and the linkage of various physiological functions such as muscle movement, development, neurotransmission, etc [...]
Toward the Discovery of a Novel Class of Leads for High Altitude Disorders by Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Approaches Targeting Carbonic Anhydrase
Authors: Ali Amena , Ali Abuzer , Warsi Musarrat Husain , Rahman Mohammad Akhlaquer , Ahsan Mohamed Jawed , Azam Faizul
Published: May 2022

For decades, carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors, most notably the acetazolamide-bearing 1,3,4-thiadiazole moiety, have been exploited at high altitudes to alleviate acute mountain sickness, a syndrome of symptomatic sensitivity to the altitude characterized by nausea, lethargy, headache, anorexia, and inadequate sleep. Therefore, inhibition of CA may be a promising therapeutic strategy for high-altitude disorders. In this study, co-crystallized inhibitors with 1,3,4-thiadiazole, 1,3-benzothiazole, and 1,2,5-oxadiazole scaffolds were employed for pharmacophore-based virtual screening of the ZINC database, followed by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies against CA to find possible ligands that may emerge as promising inhibitors. Compared to the co-crystal ligands of PDB-1YDB, 6BCC, and 6IC2, ZINC12336992, ZINC24751284, and ZINC58324738 had the highest docking scores of −9.0, −9.0, and −8.9 kcal/mol, respectively. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis of 100 ns was conducted to verify the interactions of the top-scoring molecules with CA. The system’s backbone revealed minor fluctuations, indicating that the CA–ligand complex was stable during the simulation period. Simulated trajectories were used for the MM-GBSA analysis, showing free binding energies of −16.00 ± 0.19, −21.04 ± 0.17, and −19.70 ± 0.18 kcal/mol, respectively. In addition, study of the frontier molecular orbitals of these compounds by DFT-based optimization at the level of B3LYP and the 6-311G(d,p) basis set showed negative values of the HOMO and LUMO, indicating that the ligands are energetically stable, which is essential for forming a stable ligand–protein complex. These molecules may prove to be a promising therapy for high-altitude disorders, necessitating further investigations.
Sulfated Hyaluronan Binds to Heparanase and Blocks Its Enzymatic and Cellular Actions in Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Shi Jia , Kanoya Riku , Tani Yurina , Ishikawa Sodai , Maeda Rino , Suzuki Sana , Kawanami Fumiya , Miyagawa Naoko , Takahashi Katsuhiko , Oku Teruaki , Yamamoto Ami , Fukuzawa Kaori , Nakajima Motowo , Irimura Tatsuro , Higashi Nobuaki
Published: May 2022

We examined whether sulfated hyaluronan exerts inhibitory effects on enzymatic and biological actions of heparanase, a sole endo-beta-glucuronidase implicated in cancer malignancy and inflammation. Degradation of heparan sulfate by human and mouse heparanase was inhibited by sulfated hyaluronan. In particular, high-sulfated hyaluronan modified with approximately 2.5 sulfate groups per disaccharide unit effectively inhibited the enzymatic activity at a lower concentration than heparin. Human and mouse heparanase bound to immobilized sulfated hyaluronan. Invasion of heparanase-positive colon-26 cells and 4T1 cells under 3D culture conditions was significantly suppressed in the presence of high-sulfated hyaluronan. Heparanase-induced release of CCL2 from colon-26 cells was suppressed in the presence of sulfated hyaluronan via blocking of cell surface binding and subsequent intracellular NF-κB-dependent signaling. The inhibitory effect of sulfated hyaluronan is likely due to competitive binding to the heparanase molecule, which antagonizes the heparanase-substrate interaction. Fragment molecular orbital calculation revealed a strong binding of sulfated hyaluronan tetrasaccharide to the heparanase molecule based on electrostatic interactions, particularly characterized by interactions of (−1)- and (−2)-positioned sulfated sugar residues with basic amino acid residues composing the heparin-binding domain-1 of heparanase. These results propose a relevance for sulfated hyaluronan in the blocking of heparanase-mediated enzymatic and cellular actions.
Novel Antibody–Peptide Binding Assay Indicates Presence of Immunoglobulins against EGFR Phospho-Site S1166 in High-Grade Glioma
Authors: Zeneyedpour Lona , Stingl Christoph , Kros Johan M. , Sillevis Smitt Peter A. E. , Luider Theo M.
Published: May 2022

We investigated the feasibility of detecting the presence of specific autoantibodies against potential tumor-associated peptide antigens by enriching these antibody–peptide complexes using Melon Gel resin and mass spectrometry. Our goal was to find tumor-associated phospho-sites that trigger immunoreactions and raise autoantibodies that are detectable in plasma of glioma patients. Such immunoglobulins can potentially be used as targets in immunotherapy. To that aim, we describe a method to detect the presence of antibodies in biological samples that are specific to selected clinically relevant peptides. The method is based on the formation of antibody–peptide complexes by mixing patient plasma with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) derived peptide library, enrichment of antibodies and antibody–peptide complexes, the separation of peptides after they are released from immunoglobulins by molecular weight filtration and finally mass spectrometric quantification of these peptides. As proof of concept, we successfully applied the method to dinitrophenyl (DNP)-labeled α-casein peptides mixed with anti-DNP. Further, we incubated human plasma with a phospho-peptide library and conducted targeted analysis on EGFR and GFAP phospho-peptides. As a result, immunoaffinity against phospho-peptide GSHQIS[+80]LDNPDYQQDFFPK (EGFR phospho-site S1166) was detected in high-grade glioma (HGG) patient plasma but not in healthy donor plasma. For the GFAP phospho-sites selected, such immunoaffinity was not observed.
The Energy Transfer Yield between Carotenoids and Chlorophylls in Peridinin Chlorophyll a Protein Is Robust against Mutations
Authors: Tumbarello Francesco , Marcolin Giampaolo , Fresch Elisa , Hofmann Eckhard , Carbonera Donatella , Collini Elisabetta
Published: May 2022

The energy transfer (ET) from carotenoids (Cars) to chlorophylls (Chls) in photosynthetic complexes occurs with almost unitary efficiency thanks to the synergistic action of multiple finely tuned channels whose photophysics and dynamics are not fully elucidated yet. We investigated the energy flow from the Car peridinin (Per) to Chl a in the peridinin chlorophyll a protein (PCP) from marine algae Amphidinium carterae by using two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) with a 10 fs temporal resolution. Recently debated hypotheses regarding the S2-to-S1 relaxation of the Car via a conical intersection and the involvement of possible intermediate states in the ET were examined. The comparison with an N89L mutant carrying the Per donor in a lower-polarity environment helped us unveil relevant details on the mechanisms through which excitation was transferred: the ET yield was conserved even when a mutation perturbed the optimization of the system thanks to the coexistence of multiple channels exploited during the process.
Focused Design of Novel Cyclic Peptides Endowed with GABARAP-Inhibiting Activity
Authors: Fassi Enrico Mario Alessandro , Garofalo Mariangela , Sgrignani Jacopo , Dei Cas Michele , Mori Matteo , Roda Gabriella , Cavalli Andrea , Grazioso Giovanni
Published: May 2022

(1) Background: Disfunctions in autophagy machinery have been identified in various conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and inflammation. Among mammalian autophagy proteins, the Atg8 family member GABARAP has been shown to be greatly involved in the autophagy process of prostate cancer cells, supporting the idea that GABARAP inhibitors could be valuable tools to fight the progression of tumors. (2) Methods: In this paper, starting from the X-ray crystal structure of GABARAP in a complex with an AnkirinB-LIR domain, we identify two new peptides by applying in silico drug design techniques. The two ligands are synthesized, biophysically assayed, and biologically evaluated to ascertain their potential anticancer profile. (3) Results: Two cyclic peptides (WC8 and WC10) displayed promising biological activity, high conformational stability (due to the presence of disulfide bridges), and Kd values in the low micromolar range. The anticancer assays, performed on PC-3 cells, proved that both peptides exhibit antiproliferative effects comparable to those of peptide K1, a known GABARAP inhibitor. (4) Conclusions: WC8 and WC10 can be considered new GABARAP inhibitors to be employed as pharmacological tools or even templates for the rational design of new small molecules.
Elevated LSD1 and SNAIL Expression Indicate Poor Prognosis in Hypopharynx Carcinoma
Authors: Bottner Justus , Ribbat-Idel Julika , Klapper Luise , Jagomast Tobias , Lemster Anna-Lena , Perner Sven , Idel Christian , Kirfel Jutta
Published: May 2022

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are among the most common cancers worldwide and are associated with a poor prognosis for patients. Among HNSCC, those originating in the hypopharynx have the worst prognosis. The histone demethylase LSD1 has been shown to promote cancer initiation, progression, and relapse through various mechanisms and is upregulated in many cancer tissues. LSD1 physically interacts with SNAIL and is required for SNAIL mediated transcriptional repression. Previous studies of the prognostic value of LSD1 in HNSCC have been limited in their analysis of sub-sites, and a correlation between LSD1 and SNAIL has not been shown in HNSCC patient samples. Here we used a large, representative, and clinically well-characterized cohort of 339 HNSCC patients to investigate the co-expression of LSD1 and SNAIL and their prognostic value in all HNSCC using immunohistochemical staining. Elevated LSD1 expression correlated with advanced tumor stage and poor progression-free survival (PFS) in HNSCC originating in the hypopharynx. Overexpression of the transcription factor SNAIL independently correlated with worse overall survival (OS) and PFS in HNSCC in general and prominently in tumors of the hypopharynx. Furthermore, increased LSD1 expression significantly correlated with elevated SNAIL expression in patient samples. Therefore, the presented data implicates LSD1 and SNAIL as independent prognostic biomarkers.
Resilience of Critical Infrastructure Systems: A Systematic Literature Review of Measurement Frameworks
Authors: Sathurshan Mathavanayakam , Saja Aslam , Thamboo Julian , Haraguchi Masahiko , Navaratnam Satheeskumar
Published: May 2022

Critical infrastructures such as transportation, power, telecommunication, water supply, and hospitals play a vital role in effectively managing post-disaster responses. The resilience of critical infrastructures should be incorporated in the planning and designing phase based on the risk assessment in a particular geographic area. However, the framework to assess critical infrastructure resilience (CIR) is variably conceptualised. Therefore, the objective of this study was to critically appraise the existing CIR assessment frameworks developed since the adoption of the Sendai Framework in 2015 with the hazard focus on earthquakes. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) method was used for the selection of the 24 most relevant studies, and these were analysed to delineate existing frameworks, models, and concepts. The study found that there are wide-ranging disparities among the existing frameworks to assess the infrastructure resilience, and it has become a key challenge to prioritise resilience-based investment in the infrastructure sector. Furthermore, key attributes such as performance indicators, emergency aspects, and damage assessment need to be considered for different disaster phases—ex-ante, during, and ex-post—to improve the long-term resilience of critical infrastructure. Subsequently, an integrated and adaptable infrastructure resilience assessment framework is proposed for proper critical infrastructure planning and resilience-based investment decision making.
Pediatric Myocarditis: What Have We Learnt So Far?
Authors: Pomiato Elettra , Perrone Marco Alfonso , Palmieri Rosalinda , Gagliardi Maria Giulia
Published: May 2022

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium that is troublesome to diagnose and manage, especially in children. Since the introduction of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), new diagnostic tools have provided useful data. Especially when enhanced with immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) studies, EMB remains the gold standard for the diagnosis. Notably, cardiac magnetic resonance (MRI) is a non-invasive tool that can confirm the diagnosis and has a particular usefulness during the follow-up. The causes of myocarditis are heterogeneous (mostly viral in children). The course and outcome of the illness in the pediatric population represent a complex interaction between etiologic agents and the immune system, which is still not fully understood. The clinical presentation and course of myocarditis vary widely from paucisymptomatic illness to acute heart failure refractory to therapy, arrhythmias, angina-like presentation and sudden cardiac death. In this setting, cardiac biomarkers (i.e., troponins and BNP), although unspecific, can be used to support the diagnosis. Finally, the efficacy of therapeutic strategies is controversial and not confirmed by clinical trials. In this review, we summarized the milestones in diagnosis and provided an overview of the therapeutic options for myocarditis in children.
Image Classification in JPEG Compression Domain for Malaria Infection Detection
Authors: Dong Yuhang , Pan W. David
Published: May 2022

Digital images are usually stored in compressed format. However, image classification typically takes decompressed images as inputs rather than compressed images. Therefore, performing image classification directly in the compression domain will eliminate the need for decompression, thus increasing efficiency and decreasing costs. However, there has been very sparse work on image classification in the compression domain. In this paper, we studied the feasibility of classifying images in their JPEG compression domain. We analyzed the underlying mechanisms of JPEG as an example and conducted classification on data from different stages during the compression. The images we used were malaria-infected red blood cells and normal cells. The training data include multiple combinations of DCT coefficients, DC values in both decimal and binary forms, the “scan” segment in both binary and decimal form, and the variable length of the entire bitstream. The result shows that LSTM can successfully classify the image in its compressed form, with accuracies around 80%. If using only coded DC values, we can achieve accuracies higher than 90%. This indicates that images from different classes can still be well separated in their JPEG compressed format. Our simulations demonstrate that the proposed compression domain-processing method can reduce the input data, and eliminate the image decompression step, thereby achieving significant savings on memory and computation time.
Selective Noise Based Power-Efficient and Effective Countermeasure against Thermal Covert Channel Attacks in Multi-Core Systems
Authors: Rahimi Parisa , Singh Amit Kumar , Wang Xiaohang
Published: May 2022

With increasing interest in multi-core systems, such as any communication systems, infra-structures can become targets for information leakages via covert channel communication. Covert channel attacks lead to leaking secret information and data. To design countermeasures against these threats, we need to have good knowledge about classes of covert channel attacks along with their properties. Temperature–based covert communication channel, known as Thermal Covert Channel (TCC), can pose a threat to the security of critical information and data. In this paper, we present a novel scheme against such TCC attacks. The scheme adds selective noise to the thermal signal so that any possible TCC attack can be wiped out. The noise addition only happens at instances when there are chances of correct information exchange to increase the bit error rate (BER) and keep the power consumption low. Our experiments have illustrated that the BER of a TCC attack can increase to 94% while having similar power consumption as that of state-of-the-art.
Inactivated Whole Vaccine Inhibits Lethal Vibrio harveyi Infection in Oplegnathus punctatus
Authors: Lee Po-Tsang , Huang Jing , Nan Fan-Hua
Published: May 2022

Aquaculture plays a key role in food production globally and provides a valuable source of protein and nutrition, addressing a worldwide growing demand. Oplegnathus punctatus (spotted knifejaw) is an economically important fish species with a high market value and demand. Previous studies on O. punctatus focused mainly on gonadal development, chromosomal microstructure, selective breeding, characterization of immune genes, and viral diseases. There is no published scientific research regarding vibriosis in this fish species. In this study, two potential pathogenic bacteria, Vibrio harveyi and Enterococcus gallinarum, were isolated from moribund cultured O. punctatus. The sequence of the universal 16S rDNA gene was used to identify potential pathogenic bacteria isolated from the moribund O. punctatus, and morphological assessments and API20E tests of the bacterial isolates were conducted to verify the identity and biochemical characteristics of the isolates. Injection of E. gallinarum did not lead to mortality in O. punctatus during the 21 days of observation. In contrast, fish died overnight when challenged with V. harveyi at 1.25 × 105 CFU/g body weight, suggesting that the cause of death of the cultured O. punctatus was V. harveyi infection. Antimicrobial sensitivity analyses revealed that the V. harveyi strain NTOU is sensitive to flumequine, doxycycline, oxolinic acid, and amoxycillin. Importantly, we demonstrated for the first time that intraperitoneal administration of an inactivated V. harveyi whole-cell vaccine resulted in a high level of protection against V. harveyi infection in O. punctatus.
Tracing and Forecasting Metabolic Indices of Cancer Patients Using Patient-Specific Deep Learning Models
Authors: Hou Jianguo , Deng Jun , Li Chunyan , Wang Qi
Published: May 2022

We develop a patient-specific dynamical system model from the time series data of the cancer patient’s metabolic panel taken during the period of cancer treatment and recovery. The model consists of a pair of stacked long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks and a fully connected neural network in each unit. It is intended to be used by physicians to trace back and look forward at the patient’s metabolic indices, to identify potential adverse events, and to make short-term predictions. When the model is used in making short-term predictions, the relative error in every index is less than 10% in the L∞ norm and less than 6.3% in the L1 norm in the validation process. Once a master model is built, the patient-specific model can be calibrated through transfer learning. As an example, we obtain patient-specific models for four more cancer patients through transfer learning, which all exhibit reduced training time and a comparable level of accuracy. This study demonstrates that this modeling approach is reliable and can deliver clinically acceptable physiological models for tracking and forecasting patients’ metabolic indices.