bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetics, Immunity and Nutrition Boost the Switching from NASH to HCC
Authors: Dongiovanni Paola , Meroni Marica , Longo Miriam , Fargion Silvia , Fracanzani Anna Ludovica
Published: October 2021

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading contributor to the global burden of chronic liver diseases. The phenotypic umbrella of NAFLD spans from simple and reversible steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which may worsen into cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Notwithstanding, HCC may develop also in the absence of advanced fibrosis, causing a delayed time in diagnosis as a consequence of the lack of HCC screening in these patients. The precise event cascade that may precipitate NASH into HCC is intricate and it entails diverse triggers, encompassing exaggerated immune response, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and oxidative stress, organelle derangement and DNA aberrancies. All these events may be accelerated by both genetic and environmental factors. On one side, common and rare inherited variations that affect hepatic lipid remodeling, immune microenvironment and cell survival may boost the switching from steatohepatitis to liver cancer, on the other, diet-induced dysbiosis as well as nutritional and behavioral habits may furtherly precipitate tumor onset. Therefore, dietary and lifestyle interventions aimed to restore patients’ health contribute to counteract NASH progression towards HCC. Even more, the combination of therapeutic strategies with dietary advice may maximize benefits, with the pursuit to improve liver function and prolong survival.
Ethoxyquin Inhibits the Progression of Murine Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma through the Inhibition of Autophagy and LDH
Authors: Tayel Fekria , Mahfouz Magdy E. , Salama Afrah F. , Mansour Mohammed A.
Published: October 2021

Cancer cells exhibit an increased glycolysis rate for ATP generation (the Warburg effect) to sustain an increased proliferation rate. In tumor cells, the oxidation of pyruvate in the Krebs cycle is substituted by lactate production, catalyzed by LDH. In this study, we use ethoxyquin (EQ) as a novel inhibitor to target LDH in murine Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) and as a combination therapy to improve the therapeutic efficacy of the conventional chemotherapy drug, cisplatin (CIS). We investigated the anti-tumor effect of EQ on EAC-bearing mice and checked whether EQ can sustain the anti-tumor potential of CIS and whether it influences LDH activity. Treatment with EQ had evident anti-tumor effects on EAC as revealed by the remarkable decrease in the expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 and by a significant increase in the expression of apoptotic genes (BAX and caspase-3). EQ also caused a significant decrease in the autophagic activity of EAC cells, as shown by a reduction in the fluorescence intensity of the autophagosome marker. Additionally, EQ restored the altered hematological and biochemical parameters and improved the disrupted hepatic tissues of EAC-bearing mice. Co-administration of EQ and CIS showed the highest anti-tumor effect against EAC. Collectively, our findings propose EQ as a novel inhibitor of LDH in cancer cells and as a combinatory drug to increase the efficacy of cisplatin. Further studies are required to validate this therapeutic strategy in different cancer models and preclinical trials.
Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Biosensors for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Ovechkina Vera S. , Zakian Suren M. , Medvedev Sergey P. , Valetdinova Kamila R.
Published: October 2021

One of the challenges of modern biology and medicine is to visualize biomolecules in their natural environment, in real-time and in a non-invasive fashion, so as to gain insight into their physiological behavior and highlight alterations in pathological settings, which will enable to devise appropriate therapeutic strategies. Genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors constitute a class of imaging agents that enable visualization of biological processes and events directly in situ, preserving the native biological context and providing detailed insight into their localization and dynamics in cells. Real-time monitoring of drug action in a specific cellular compartment, organ, or tissue type; the ability to screen at the single-cell resolution; and the elimination of false-positive results caused by low drug bioavailability that is not detected by in vitro testing methods are a few of the obvious benefits of using genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors in drug screening. This review summarizes results of the studies that have been conducted in the last years toward the fabrication of genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors for biomedical applications with a comprehensive discussion on the challenges, future trends, and potential inputs needed for improving them.
Functional Ionic Liquids Decorated Carbon Hybrid Nanomaterials for the Electrochemical Biosensors
Authors: Ranjan Pushpesh , Yadav Shalu , Sadique Mohd Abubakar , Khan Raju , Chaurasia Jamana Prasad , Srivastava Avanish Kumar
Published: October 2021

Ionic liquids are gaining high attention due to their extremely unique physiochemical properties and are being utilized in numerous applications in the field of electrochemistry and bio-nanotechnology. The excellent ionic conductivity and the wide electrochemical window open a new avenue in the construction of electrochemical devices. On the other hand, carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene (GR), graphene oxide (GO), carbon dots (CDs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), are highly utilized in electrochemical applications. Since they have a large surface area, high conductivity, stability, and functionality, they are promising in biosensor applications. Nevertheless, the combination of ionic liquids (ILs) and carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) results in the functional ILs-CNMs hybrid nanocomposites with considerably improved surface chemistry and electrochemical properties. Moreover, the high functionality and biocompatibility of ILs favor the high loading of biomolecules on the electrode surface. They extremely enhance the sensitivity of the biosensor that reaches the ability of ultra-low detection limit. This review aims to provide the studies of the synthesis, properties, and bonding of functional ILs-CNMs. Further, their electrochemical sensors and biosensor applications for the detection of numerous analytes are also discussed.
A Systematic Review on the Impact of the Social Confinement on People with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Alonso-Esteban Yurena , López-Ramón María Fernanda , Moreno-Campos Verónica , Navarro-Pardo Esperanza , Alcantud-Marín Francisco
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic had imposed a variety of containment measures on the general population for prolonged periods. Confinement has had, and still has, social, economic, educational, health, and psychological consequences on the entire population. Objective: In this article, a systematic search has been performed based on studies carried out since the beginning of the pandemic, regarding the impact of these containment measures on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population and their caregivers. Method: We consulted six databases (i.e., PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct) and selected ten studies that met the inclusion criteria. The chosen studies have been classified according to their theoretical focus, methodology, and target population. Results: We found an increase in stress and a decrease in psychological well-being among individuals diagnosed with ASD (i.e., parents and caregivers). Additionally, in studies focused on children, youth, and adults with ASD diagnosis, the results are contradictory depending on variables such as age, ASD severity, or type of family structure. Conclusions: The results show that the consequences of quarantine and social confinement are quite contradictory and depend on variables such as age, ASD severity, and family features.
Recent Advances in WS2 and Its Based Heterostructures for Water-Splitting Applications
Authors: Thiehmed Zeineb , Shakoor Abdul , Altahtamouni Talal
Published: October 2021

The energy from fossil fuels has been recognized as a main factor of global warming and environmental pollution. Therefore, there is an urgent need to replace fossil fuels with clean, cost-effective, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly fuel to solve the future energy crisis of the world. Therefore, the development of clean, sustainable, and renewable energy sources is a prime concern. In this regard, solar energy-driven hydrogen production is considered as an overriding opening for renewable and green energy by virtue of its high energy efficiency, high energy density, and non-toxicity along with zero emissions. Water splitting is a promising technology for producing hydrogen, which represents a potentially and environmentally clean fuel. Water splitting is a widely known process for hydrogen production using different techniques and materials. Among different techniques of water splitting, electrocatalytic and photocatalytic water splitting using semiconductor materials have been considered as the most scalable and cost-effective approaches for the commercial production of sustainable hydrogen. In order to achieve a high yield of hydrogen from these processes, obtaining a suitable, efficient, and stable catalyst is a significant factor. Among the different types of semiconductor catalysts, tungsten disulfide (WS2) has been widely utilized as a catalytic active material for the water-splitting process, owing to its layered 2D structure and its interesting chemical, physical, and structural properties. However, WS2 suffers from some disadvantages that limit its performance in catalytic water splitting. Among the various techniques and strategies that have been constructed to overcome the limitations of WS2 is heterostructure construction. In this process, WS2 is coupled with another semiconducting material in order to facilitate the charge transfer and prevent the charge recombination, which will enhance the catalytic performance. This review aims to summarize the recent studies and findings on WS2 and its heterostructures as a catalyst in the electrocatalytic and photocatalytic water-splitting processes.
A Microfluidic Flip-Chip Combining Hydrodynamic Trapping and Gravitational Sedimentation for Cell Pairing and Fusion
Authors: Pendharkar Gaurav , Lu Yen-Ta , Chang Chia-Ming , Lu Meng-Ping , Lu Chung-Huan , Chen Chih-Chen , Liu Cheng-Hsien
Published: October 2021

Cancer cell–immune cell hybrids and cancer immunotherapy have attracted much attention in recent years. The design of efficient cell pairing and fusion chips for hybridoma generation has been, subsequently, a subject of great interest. Here, we report a three-layered integrated Microfluidic Flip-Chip (MFC) consisting of a thin through-hole membrane sandwiched between a mirrored array of microfluidic channels and saw-tooth shaped titanium electrodes on the glass. We discuss the design and operation of MFC and show its applicability for cell fusion. The proposed device combines passive hydrodynamic phenomenon and gravitational sedimentation, which allows the transportation and trapping of homotypic and heterotypic cells in large numbers with pairing efficiencies of 75~78% and fusion efficiencies of 73%. Additionally, we also report properties of fused cells from cell biology perspectives, including combined fluorescence-labeled intracellular materials from THP1 and A549, mixed cell morphology, and cell viability. The MFC can be tuned for pairing and fusion of cells with a similar protocol for different cell types. The MFC can be easily disconnected from the test setup for further analysis.
Ins and Outs of Heat Shock Proteins in Colorectal Carcinoma: Its Role in Carcinogenesis and Therapeutic Perspectives
Authors: Abi Zamer Batoul , El-Huneidi Waseem , Eladl Mohamed Ahmed , Muhammad Jibran Sualeh
Published: October 2021

Cancer cells can reprogram their metabolic activities and undergo uncontrolled proliferation by utilizing the power of heat shock proteins (HSPs). HSPs are highly conserved chaperones that facilitate the folding of intracellular proteins under stress. Constitutively, HSPs are expressed at low levels, but their expression upregulates in response to a wide variety of insults, including anticancer drugs, allowing cancer cells to develop chemoresistance. In recent years, several researchers have reported that HSPs could be an important therapeutic target in difficult-to-treat cancers such as colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Worldwide, CRC is the second most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The molecular complexity of CRC and the coexisting inflammatory conditions present a significant obstacle to developing effective treatment. Recently, considerable progress has been made in enhancing our understanding of the role of HSPs in CRC pathogenesis. Moreover, novel therapeutic strategies targeting HSPs, either alone or in combination with other anticancer agents, have been reported. Herein, we present an overview of the functional mechanisms and the diagnostic and prognostic potential of HSPs in CRC. We also discuss emerging anti-CRC strategies based on targeting HSPs.
Multiple Myeloma Cell-Derived Exosomes: Implications on Tumorigenesis, Diagnosis, Prognosis and Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: Allegra Alessandro , Di Gioacchino Mario , Tonacci Alessandro , Petrarca Claudia , Musolino Caterina , Gangemi Sebastiano
Published: October 2021

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological disease that is still not curable. The bone marrow milieu, with cellular and non-cellular elements, participate in the creation of a pro-tumoral environment enhancing growth and survival of MM plasma cells. Exosomes are vesicles oscillating in dimension between 50 nm and 100 nm in size that can be released by various cells and contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of MM. Exosomes enclose proteins, cytokines, lipids, microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs able to regulate interactions between MM plasma cells and adjacent cells. Through exosomes, mesenchymal stem cells confer chemoresistance to MM cells, while myeloma cells promote angiogenesis, influence immune response, cause bone lesions, and have an impact on the outcome of MM patients. In this review, we analyze the role played by exosomes in the progression of monoclonal gammopathies and the effects on the proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells, and discuss the possible employment of exosomes as potential targets for the treatment of MM patients.
Parenting the Exceptional Social-Emotional Needs of Gifted and Talented Children: What Do We Know?
Authors: Papadopoulos Dimitrios
Published: October 2021

Parenting gifted and talented (G/T) children is a journey with unique experiences that can differ from the lived experiences of parents raising non-gifted and talented children. These unique experiences typically raise concerns, influence decisions, and exacerbate stress and anxiety regarding the children’s future development and education. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current literature in order to highlight the topic of parenting G/T children with a focus on their exceptional social-emotional needs. Studies support the conclusion that significant determinants of G/T children’s personal growth are authoritative parenting, which provides autonomy and self-motivation, and parents’ behaviors and attitudes toward the exceptional needs of G/T children. Conversely, authoritarian parenting negatively impacts children’s well-being and mental health, impeding the positive development of the child’s potential. Enhancing the caregiving capacity of family members—by reducing the stress associated with their parenting and caregiving roles—can have a powerful impact on the developmental trajectory of gifted children.
The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy on Children’s Self-Esteem
Authors: Epel Naomi , Zohar Ariela Abir , Artom Adi , Novak Anne Marie , Lev-Ari Shahar
Published: October 2021

(1) Background: Self-esteem plays an important role in developing emotional resilience and wellbeing in children. Yet, there has been little related research on Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy on this topic. Our aims were to assess the effect of the Child Self-Esteem CBT (CSE-CBT) protocol on children’s self-esteem in grades five and six; to assess the effect of the CSE-CBT protocol on the therapeutic process; and to explore the feasibility of delivering the CSE-CBT protocol in a school setting. (2) Methods: Eighty elementary school children in grades five and six, divided into four intervention and four control groups, attended 12 structured sessions using the CSE-CBT protocol, led by specially trained teachers. The children completed questionnaires to assess their self-esteem at the beginning and at the end of the study, and answered weekly questionnaires that assessed therapeutic process. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze the data. (3) Results: The CSE-CBT protocol had a significant effect on improving children’s self-esteem over the course of the study, regardless of the children’s working alliance with the teacher leading the group. (4) Conclusions: The findings suggest that the CSE-CBT protocol has the potential to benefit children’s self-esteem and indicate that school teachers can be trained to administer the CBT-protocol.
Advancing Genetic Methods in the Study of Parrot Biology and Conservation
Authors: Olah George , Smith Brian Tilston , Joseph Leo , Banks Samuel C. , Heinsohn Robert
Published: October 2021

Parrots (Psittaciformes) are a well-studied, diverse group of birds distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. Today, one-third of their species face extinction, mainly due to anthropogenic threats. Emerging tools in genetics have made major contributions to understanding basic and applied aspects of parrot biology in the wild and in captivity. In this review, we show how genetic methods have transformed the study of parrots by summarising important milestones in the advances of genetics and their implementations in research on parrots. We describe how genetics helped to further knowledge in specific research fields with a wide array of examples from the literature that address the conservation significance of (1) deeper phylogeny and historical biogeography; (2) species- and genus-level systematics and taxonomy; (3) conservation genetics and genomics; (4) behavioural ecology; (5) molecular ecology and landscape genetics; and (6) museomics and historical DNA. Finally, we highlight knowledge gaps to inform future genomic research on parrots. Our review shows that the application of genetic techniques to the study of parrot biology has far-reaching implications for addressing diverse research aims in a highly threatened and charismatic clade of birds.
Muscle Oxygenation Level Might Trigger the Regulation of Capillary Venous Blood Filling during Fatiguing Isometric Muscle Actions
Authors: Dech Silas , Bittmann Frank N. , Schaefer Laura V.
Published: October 2021

The regulation of oxygen and blood supply during isometric muscle actions is still unclear. Recently, two behavioral types of oxygen saturation (SvO2) and relative hemoglobin amount (rHb) in venous microvessels were described during a fatiguing holding isometric muscle action (HIMA) (type I: nearly parallel behavior of SvO2 and rHb; type II: partly inverse behavior). The study aimed to ascertain an explanation of these two regulative behaviors. Twelve subjects performed one fatiguing HIMA trial with each arm by weight holding at 60% of the maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in a 90° elbow flexion. Six subjects additionally executed one fatiguing PIMA trial by pulling on an immovable resistance with 60% of the MVIC with each side and same position. Both regulative types mentioned were found during HIMA (I: n = 7, II: n = 17) and PIMA (I: n = 3, II: n = 9). During the fatiguing measurements, rHb decreased initially and started to increase in type II at an average SvO2-level of 58.75 ± 2.14%. In type I, SvO2 never reached that specific value during loading. This might indicate the existence of a threshold around 59% which seems to trigger the increase in rHb and could explain the two behavioral types. An approach is discussed to meet the apparent incompatibility of an increased capillary blood filling (rHb) despite high intramuscular pressures which were found by other research groups during isometric muscle actions.
Compact System for Colorimetric Sensor Arrays Characterization Based on Computer Screen Photo-Assisted Technology
Authors: Gugliandolo Giovanni , Pilato Giovanni , Donato Nicola
Published: October 2021

The detection of the spectral fingerprint of chemical sensors through the combined use of an LCD and a webcam is an alternative approach for chemical sensor characterization. This technique allows the development of more compact, cheap, and user-friendly measurement systems compared to the more classic instruments, such as spectrometers and gas chromatography systems. In the Computer Screen Photo-assisted Technique (CSPT), a display acts as a light source, and a conventional camera (e.g., a webcam) plays the role of a detector. The light from the LCD is reflected (or transmitted) by the chemical sensor, and the camera detects it. In the present contribution, we propose a compact and low-cost platform based on CSPT for the characterization of colorimetric sensor arrays. The system can provide spectral information of both reflected and transmitted light from the sample. Further, a 2.4-inch LCD and three different detector’s (a webcam, an RGB sensor, and a camera module) performances have been evaluated and discussed. The developed system includes a UDOO-based single board computer that makes it a stand-alone measurement system.
Switching Ripple Harmonics Attenuation in DFIG and Matrix Converter-Based WECS
Authors: Svinkunas Gytis , Petrauskas Gytis
Published: October 2021

The analysis presented in this paper is focused on the harmonics distortion damping in the case of bidirectional power-flow of the electronics device—matrix converter as an interface between two power sources. Bidirectional energy flow takes place in the matrix converter that is used in renewables, hybrid transformers, microgrids, etc. It is observed that the matrix converter generates sinusoidal voltage with some amount of harmonic distortion and worsens in the quality of power in the utility grid. Taking into account the bi-directional energy flow and the matrix converter operation principle, four key requirements for the filters are formulated. Six theoretically possible filter topologies are investigated for compliance with these requirements. Two of the filter topologies are recognized as complying with these requirements and applicable for the switching ripple harmonics damping in the utility grid connected matrix converter in the case of bidirectional power flow. The suitability of these topologies was verified by MATLAB/Simulink simulation. Using the proper filter topology will significantly reduce the size, weight and cost of the components of the filter, as well as the utility grid’s pollution by switching ripple harmonics. It is appropriate to apply such filters to matrix converters that operate in wind turbines installed in doubly fed induction generators. These filters should also be used in hybrid transformers and other high-power devices with matrix converters.
Blind Image Super Resolution Using Deep Unsupervised Learning
Authors: Yamawaki Kazuhiro , Sun Yongqing , Han Xian-Hua
Published: October 2021

The goal of single image super resolution (SISR) is to recover a high-resolution (HR) image from a low-resolution (LR) image. Deep learning based methods have recently made a remarkable performance gain in terms of both the effectiveness and efficiency for SISR. Most existing methods have to be trained based on large-scale synthetic paired data in a fully supervised manner. With the available HR natural images, the corresponding LR images are usually synthesized with a simple fixed degradation operation, such as bicubic down-sampling. Then, the learned deep models with these training data usually face difficulty to be generalized to real scenarios with unknown and complicated degradation operations. This study exploits a novel blind image super-resolution framework using a deep unsupervised learning network. The proposed method can simultaneously predict the underlying HR image and its specific degradation operation from the observed LR image only without any prior knowledge. The experimental results on three benchmark datasets validate that our proposed method achieves a promising performance under the unknown degradation models.
Geometry and Flow Properties Affect the Phase Shift between Pressure and Shear Stress Waves in Blood Vessels
Authors: Wang Haifeng , Krüger Timm , Varnik Fathollah
Published: October 2021

The phase shift between pressure and wall shear stress (WSS) has been associated with vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and aneurysms. The present study aims to understand the effects of geometry and flow properties on the phase shift under the stiff wall assumption, using an immersed-boundary-lattice-Boltzmann method. For pulsatile flow in a straight pipe, the phase shift is known to increase with the Womersley number, but is independent of the flow speed (or the Reynolds number). For a complex geometry, such as a curved pipe, however, we find that the phase shift develops a strong dependence on the geometry and Reynolds number. We observed that the phase shift at the inner bend of the curved vessel and in the aneurysm dome is larger than that in a straight pipe. Moreover, the geometry affects the connection between the phase shift and other WSS-related metrics, such as time-averaged WSS (TAWSS). For straight and curved blood vessels, the phase shift behaves qualitatively similarly to and can thus be represented by the TAWSS, which is a widely used hemodynamic index. However, these observables significantly differ in other geometries, such as in aneurysms. In such cases, one needs to consider the phase shift as an independent quantity that may carry additional valuable information compared to well-established metrics.
A Model for Stokes Flow in Domains with Permeable Boundaries
Authors: Cortez Ricardo , Hernandez-Viera Marian , Richfield Owen
Published: October 2021

We derive a new computational model for the simulation of viscous incompressible flows bounded by a thin, flexible, porous membrane. Our approach is grid-free and models the boundary forces with regularized Stokeslets. The flow across the porous membranes is modeled with regularized source doublets based on the notion that the flux velocity across the boundary can be viewed as the flow induced by a fluid source/sink pair with the sink on the high-pressure side of the boundary and magnitude proportional to the pressure difference across the membrane. Several validation examples are presented that illustrate how to calibrate the parameters in the model. We present an example consisting of flow in a closed domain that loses volume due to the fluid flux across the permeable boundary. We also present applications of the method to flow inside a channel of fixed geometry where sections of the boundary are permeable. The final example is a biological application of flow in a capillary with porous walls and a protein concentration advected and diffused in the fluid. In this case, the protein concentration modifies the pressure in the flow, producing dynamic changes to the flux across the walls. For this example, the proposed method is combined with finite differences for the concentration field.
Characterization of Escherichia coli from Edible Insect Species: Detection of Shiga Toxin-Producing Isolate
Authors: Müller Anja , Seinige Diana , Grabowski Nils T. , Ahlfeld Birte , Yue Min , Kehrenberg Corinna
Published: October 2021

Insects as novel foods are gaining popularity in Europe. Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 laid the framework for the application process to market food insects in member states, but potential hazards are still being evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate samples of edible insect species for the presence of antimicrobial-resistant and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Twenty-one E. coli isolates, recovered from samples of five different edible insect species, were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PCR-based phylotyping, and macrorestriction analysis. The presence of genes associated with antimicrobial resistance or virulence, including stx1, stx2, and eae, was investigated by PCR. All isolates were subjected to genome sequencing, multilocus sequence typing, and serotype prediction. The isolates belonged either to phylogenetic group A, comprising mostly commensal E. coli, or group B1. One O178:H7 isolate, recovered from a Zophobas atratus sample, was identified as a STEC. A single isolate was resistant to tetracyclines and carried the tet(B) gene. Overall, this study shows that STEC can be present in edible insects, representing a potential health hazard. In contrast, the low resistance rate among the isolates indicates a low risk for the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli to consumers.
Changes in Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Lifestyle Behaviors Following COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Sobba Walter , Landry Matthew J. , Cunanan Kristen M. , Marcone Alessandra , Gardner Christopher D.
Published: October 2021

Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption poses a potential risk to public health and may be related to shelter-in-place orders. This study utilized the level of food processing as a lens by which to examine the relationships between diet, weight change, and lifestyle changes (including cooking, snacking, and sedentary activity) that occurred during regional shelter-in-place orders. This study used a cross-sectional, retrospective survey (n = 589) to assess baseline demographics, changes in lifestyle behaviors using a Likert scale, and changes in dietary behaviors using a modified food frequency questionnaire from mid-March to May 2020; data were collected in the California Bay Area from August to October 2020. Foods were categorized by level of processing (minimally processed, processed, and ultra-processed) using the NOVA scale. Stepwise multiple linear regression and univariate linear regression models were used to determine the associations between these factors. Increased snacking was positively associated with a change in the percent of the calories derived from UPF and weight gain (β = 1.0, p < 0.001; β = 0.8 kg, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with the share of MPF calories consumed (β = −0.9, p < 0.001). These relationships have public health implications as interventions designed around decreased snacking may positively impact diet and weight management and thereby mitigate negative health outcomes.
The Use of Selenium Yeast and Phytobiotic in Improving the Quality of Broiler Chicken Meat
Authors: Konkol Damian , Korzeniowska Małgorzata , Różański Henryk , Górniak Wanda , Andrys Marita , Opaliński Sebastian , Popiela Ewa , Korczyński Mariusz
Published: October 2021

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of selenium yeast and phytobiotic on the storage capacity, selected quality parameters of meat and content of selenium in muscles obtained from broilers. In the experiment, 1440 male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to four research groups: group received no additive (G1), group received a supplement of 0.3 mg Se (as sodium selenite)/kg of feed mixture (G2), group received 0.2 g phytobiotic and 0.3 mg Se as 0.1 g selenium yeast per 1 kg of feed mixture (G3) and group received 0.3 mg Se as 0.1 g selenium yeast per 1 kg of feed mixture (G4). Measurement of pH, determination of water retention capacity, degree of advancement of oxidative changes and selenium content in muscles were performed. Samples of chickens’ breast and thigh muscles were microbiologically analyzed. The additives significantly influenced the level of oxidation in muscles and the incorporation of selenium. The meat of chickens receiving organic selenium was characterized by significantly lower dynamics of oxidative changes. The studies carried out showed that selenium in organic form had better absorption.
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Kinesio Taping Improves Range of Motion of Ankle Dorsiflexion and Balance Ability in Chronic Stroke Patients
Authors: Park Donghwan , Bae Youngsook
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to determine the effect of a proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) pattern Kinesio taping (KT) application on the ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF-ROM) and balance ability in patients with chronic stroke. This crossover study included 18 patients with stroke. The subjects were randomly assigned to three interventions: barefoot, ankle KT (A-KT), and PNF-KT. The A-KT was applied to the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles, and subtalar eversion. The PNF-KT was applied on the extensor hallucis, extensor digitorum, and TA muscles. DR-ROM was measured using the iSen™, a wearable sensor. Balance ability was assessed based on static balance, measured by the Biodex Balance System (BBS), and dynamic balance, measured by the timed up and go (TUG) test and dynamic gait index (DGI). Compared with the barefoot and A-KT interventions, PNF-KT showed significant improvements in the ankle DF-ROM and BBS scores, TUG, and DGI. PNF-KT, for functional muscle synergy, improved the ankle DF-ROM and balance ability in patients with chronic stroke. Therefore, the application of PNF-KT may be a feasible therapeutic method for improving ankle movement and balance in patients with chronic stroke. Additional research is recommended to identify the long-term effects of the PNF-KT.
Factors Affecting Death and Severe Injury in Child Motor Vehicle Passengers
Authors: Ishii Wataru , Hitosugi Masahito , Baba Mineko , Kandori Kenji , Arai Yusuke
Published: October 2021

Saving children from motor vehicle collisions is a high priority because the injury rate among motor vehicle passengers has been increasing in Japan. This study aimed to examine the factors that influence death and serious injury in child motor vehicle passengers to establish effective preventive measures. To identify these factors, we performed a retrospective study using a nationwide medical database. The data of child motor vehicle passengers younger than 15 years (n = 1084) were obtained from the Japanese Trauma Data Bank, registered from 2004 to 2019. Physiological variables, outcomes, and injury severity were compared between fatal and non-fatal patients and between those with and without severe injuries. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors affecting fatality and severe injury. The Glasgow Coma Scale score (odds ratio (OR): 1.964), body temperature (OR: 2.578), and the Abbreviated Injury Scale score of the head (OR: 0.287) were identified as independent predictors of a non-fatal outcome. Systolic blood pressure (OR: 1.012), the Glasgow Coma Scale score (OR: 0.705), and Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma positivity (OR: 3.236) were identified as independent predictors of having severe injury. Decreasing the severity of head injury is the highest priority for child motor vehicle passengers to prevent fatality and severe injury.
Sexuality in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Abarca-Durán Ximena , Fernández-Medina Isabel María , Jiménez-Lasserrotte María del Mar , Dobarrio-Sanz Iria , Martínez-Abarca Ana Lucía , Fernández-Sola Cayetano
Published: October 2021

End-stage kidney disease has a negative impact on patients’ quality of life. People who receive a kidney transplant experience an improvement in many areas of their daily life. Sexuality is a general component of health, which can be affected by end-stage kidney disease and kidney transplant. The aim of this study was to explore and understand the experiences and perspectives of kidney transplant recipients regarding their sexuality. A qualitative study based on Gadamer’s hermeneutic philosophy was carried out. Two focus groups and nine interviews were conducted with 18 kidney transplant recipients. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed with the help of qualitative analysis software. Two main themes emerged from the data: (1) “The impact of a kidney transplant on sexuality”, with the subthemes “sexuality is relegated to the background”, “physical decline acts as a sexual inhibitor”, and “changes in sexual activity following a kidney transplant”; (2) “Sexual education in kidney transplant recipients” with the subthemes “sexuality: a hidden concern amongst kidney transplant recipients” and “talking about sexuality with healthcare professionals”. Sexuality is a frequent concern among kidney transplant recipients. The physiological and emotional changes experienced after kidney transplant exert a great influence on their sexuality. Healthcare professionals rarely discuss sexuality concerns with kidney transplant recipients. Professional sexual education and assistance are necessary to improve sexual health satisfaction of kidney transplant recipients.
De novo Transcriptome Assembly and Comprehensive Annotation of Two Tree Tomato Cultivars (Solanum betaceum Cav.) with Different Fruit Color
Authors: Pacheco Juan , Vilanova Santiago , Grillo-Risco Rubén , García-García Francisco , Prohens Jaime , Gramazio Pietro
Published: October 2021

The tree tomato (Solanum betaceum Cav.) is an underutilized fruit crop native to the Andean region and phylogenetically related to the tomato and potato. Tree tomato fruits have a high amount of nutrients and bioactive compounds. However, so far there are no studies at the genome or transcriptome level for this species. We performed a de novo assembly and transcriptome annotation for purple-fruited (A21) and an orange-fruited (A23) accessions. A total of 174,252 (A21) and 194,417 (A23) transcripts were assembled with an average length of 851 and 849 bp. A total of 34,636 (A21) and 36,224 (A23) transcripts showed a significant similarity to known proteins. Among the annotated unigenes, 22,096 (A21) and 23,095 (A23) were assigned to the Gene Ontology (GO) term and 14,035 (A21) and 14,540 (A23) were found to have Clusters of Orthologous Group (COG) term classifications. Furthermore, 22,096 (A21) and 23,095 (A23) transcripts were assigned to 155 and 161 (A23) KEGG pathways. The carotenoid biosynthetic process GO terms were significantly enriched in the purple-fruited accession A21. Finally, 68,647 intraspecific single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) and almost 2 million interspecific SNVs were identified. The results of this study provide a wealth of genomic data for the genetic improvement of the tree tomato.
Impact of the Hydroponic Cropping System on Growth, Yield, and Nutrition of a Greek Sweet Onion (Allium cepa L.) Landrace
Authors: Mouroutoglou Christos , Kotsiras Anastasios , Ntatsi Georgia , Savvas Dimitrios
Published: October 2021

Nerokremmydo of Zakynthos, a Greek landrace of sweet onion producing a large bulb, was experimentally cultivated in a glasshouse using aeroponic, floating, nutrient film technique, and aggregate systems, i.e., AER, FL, NFT, and AG, respectively. The aim of the experiment was to compare the effects of these soilless culture systems (SCSs) on plant characteristics, including fresh and dry weight, bulb geometry, water use efficiency, tissue macronutrient concentrations, and uptake concentrations (UC), i.e., uptake ratios between macronutrients and water, during the main growth, bulbing, and maturation stages, i.e., 31, 62, and 95 days after transplanting. The plants grown in FL and AG yielded 7.87 and 7.57 kg m−2, respectively, followed by those grown in AER (6.22 kg m−2), while those grown in NFT produced the lowest yield (5.20 kg m−2). The volume of nutrient solution (NS) consumed per plant averaged 16.87 L, with NFT plants recording the least consumption. The SCS affected growth rate of new roots and “root mat” density that led to corresponding nutrient uptake differences. In NFT, reduced nutrient uptake was accompanied by reduced water consumption. The SCS and growth stage strongly affected tissue N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S mineral concentrations and the respective UC. The UC of N and Κ followed a decreasing trend, while that of Mg decreased only until bulbing, and the UC of the remainder of the macronutrients increased slightly during the cropping period. The UC can be used as a sound basis to establish NS recommendations for cultivation of this sweet onion variety in closed SCSs.
Foliar Supplementation of Clove Fruit Extract and Salicylic Acid Maintains the Performance and Antioxidant Defense System of Solanum tuberosum L. under Deficient Irrigation Regimes
Authors: Desoky El-Sayed M. , Selem Eman , Abo El-Maati Mohamed F. , Hassn Asem A. S. A. , Belal Hussein E. E. , Rady Mostafa M. , AL-Harbi Mohammad S. , Ali Esmat F.
Published: October 2021

A field trial was conducted twice (in 2020 and 2021) to evaluate the effect of clove fruit extract (CFE) and/or salicylic acid (SA), which were used as a foliar nourishment, on growth and yield traits, as well as physiological and biochemical indices utilizing potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants irrigated with deficient regimes in an arid environment. Three drip irrigation regimes [e.g., well watering (7400 m3 ha−1), moderate drought (6200 m3 ha−1), and severe drought (5000 m3 ha−1)] were designed for this study. The tested growth, yield, and photosynthetic traits, along with the relative water content, were negatively affected, whereas markers of oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide), electrolyte leakage, and peroxidation of membrane lipids (assessed as malondialdehyde level) were augmented along with increased antioxidative defense activities under drought stress. These effects were gradually increased with the gradual reduction in the irrigation regime. However, under drought stress, CFE and/or SA significantly enhanced growth characteristics (fresh and dry weight of plant shoot and plant leaf area) and yield components (average tuber weight, number of plant tubers, and total tuber yield). In addition, photosynthetic attributes (chlorophylls and carotenoids contents, net photosynthetic and transpiration rates, and stomatal conductance) were also improved, and defensive antioxidant components (glutathione, free proline, ascorbate, soluble sugars, and α-tocopherol levels, and activities of glutathione reductase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase) were further enhanced. The study findings advocate the idea of using a CFE+SA combined treatment, which was largely efficient in ameliorating potato plant growth and productivity by attenuating the limiting influences of drought stress in dry environments.
Discovering the Arrow of Time in Machine Learning
Authors: Kasmire J. , Zhao Anran
Published: October 2021

Machine learning (ML) is increasingly useful as data grow in volume and accessibility. ML can perform tasks (e.g., categorisation, decision making, anomaly detection, etc.) through experience and without explicit instruction, even when the data are too vast, complex, highly variable, full of errors to be analysed in other ways. Thus, ML is great for natural language, images, or other complex and messy data available in large and growing volumes. Selecting ML models for tasks depends on many factors as they vary in supervision needed, tolerable error levels, and ability to account for order or temporal context, among many other things. Importantly, ML methods for tasks that use explicitly ordered or time-dependent data struggle with errors or data asymmetry. Most data are (implicitly) ordered or time-dependent, potentially allowing a hidden ‘arrow of time’ to affect ML performance on non-temporal tasks. This research explores the interaction of ML and implicit order using two ML models to automatically classify (a non-temporal task) tweets (temporal data) under conditions that balance volume and complexity of data. Results show that performance was affected, suggesting that researchers should carefully consider time when matching appropriate ML models to tasks, even when time is only implicitly included.
RDFsim: Similarity-Based Browsing over DBpedia Using Embeddings
Authors: Chatzakis Manos , Mountantonakis Michalis , Tzitzikas Yannis
Published: October 2021

Browsing has been the core access method for the Web from its beginning. Analogously, one good practice for publishing data on the Web is to support dereferenceable URIs, to also enable plain web browsing by users. The information about one URI is usually presented through HTML tables (such as DBpedia and Wikidata pages) and graph representations (by using tools such as LODLive and LODMilla). In most cases, for an entity, the user gets all triples that have that entity as subject or as object. However, sometimes the number of triples is numerous. To tackle this issue, and to reveal similarity (and thus facilitate browsing), in this article we introduce an interactive similarity-based browsing system, called RDFsim, that offers “Parallel Browsing”, that is, it enables the user to see and browse not only the original data of the entity in focus, but also the K most similar entities of the focal entity. The similarity of entities is founded on knowledge graph embeddings; however, the indexes that we introduce for enabling real-time interaction do not depend on the particular method for computing similarity. We detail an implementation of the approach over specific subsets of DBpedia (movies, philosophers and others) and we showcase the benefits of the approach. Finally, we report detailed performance results and we describe several use cases of RDFsim.
Age and Sex Specific Prevalence of Clinical and Screen-Detected Atrial Fibrillation in Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Roten Laurent , Goulouti Eleni , Lam Anna , Elchinova Elena , Nozica Nikolas , Spirito Alessandro , Wittmer Severin , Branca Mattia , Servatius Helge , Noti Fabian , Seiler Jens , Baldinger Samuel H , Haeberlin Andreas , de Marchi Stefano , Asatryan Babken , Rodondi Nicolas , Donzé Jacques , Aujesky Drahomir , Tanner Hildegard , Reichlin Tobias , Jüni Peter
Published: October 2021

Background: The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is high in older patients. The present study aimed to estimate the age and sex specific prevalence of clinical and screen-detected atrial fibrillation (AF) in hospitalized patients. Methods: The STAR-FIB cohort study was a prospective cohort study recruiting participants from a large source population of hospitalized patients aged 65–84 years. The estimated size of the source population was 26,035 (95% CI 25,918–26,152), and 795 consenting patients without clinical AF were included in the cohort study after stratification by sex and age (49.2% females; mean age 74.7 years). Patients in the cohort study underwent three seven-day Holter ECGs in intervals of two months to screen for AF. Results: In the source population, the estimated prevalence of clinical AF was 22.2% (95% CI 18.4–26.1), 23.8% for males (95% CI 20.9–26.6) and 19.8% for females (95% CI 17.3–22.4; p for difference between sexes, 0.004). There was a linear trend for an increase in the prevalence of clinical AF with increasing age, overall and in both sexes. In the cohort study, AF was newly diagnosed in 38 patients, for an estimated prevalence of screen-detected AF of 4.9% overall (95% CI 3.3–6.6), 5.5% in males (95% CI 3.2–7.8) and 4.0% in females (95% CI 2.0–6.0; p for difference between sexes, 0.041). The estimated prevalence of screen-detected AF in the source population was 3.8% overall, 4.2% in males and 3.2% in females. Conclusion: In a large hospital-based patient population aged 65–84 years, the prevalence of clinical AF and of screen-detected AF was 22.2% and 3.8%, respectively, and significantly higher in males than females.