bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A brain cyst load-associated antigen is a Toxoplasma gondii biomarker for serodetection of persistent parasites and chronic infection
Authors: Dard Céline , Swale Christopher , Brenier-Pinchart Marie-Pierre , Farhat Dayana C. , Bellini Valeria , Robert Marie Gladys , Cannella Dominique , Pelloux Hervé , Tardieux Isabelle , Hakimi Mohamed-Ali
Published: February 2021

Background

Biomarker discovery remains a major challenge for predictive medicine, in particular, in the context of chronic diseases. This is true for the widespread protozoanToxoplasma gondiiwhich establishes long-lasting parasitism in metazoans, humans included. This microbe successively unfolds distinct genetic programs that direct the transition from high to low replicative potential inside host cells. As a slow-replicating cell, theT. gondiibradyzoite developmental stage persists enclosed in a cyst compartment within tissues including the nervous system, being held by a sustained immune equilibrium which accounts for the prolonged clinically silent phase of parasitism. Serological surveys indicate that nearly one third of the human population has been exposed toT. gondiiand possibly host bradyzoites. Because any disruption of the immune balance drives the reverse transition from bradyzoite to fast replicating tachyzoite and uncontrolled growth of the latter, these people are at risk for life-threatening disease. While serological tests for discriminating recent from past infection are available, there is yet no immunogenic biomarker used in the serological test to allow ascertaining the presence of persistent bradyzoites.

Results

Capitalizing on genetically engineered parasites induced to produce mature bradyzoites in vitro, we have identified the BCLA/MAG2 protein being restricted to the bradyzoite and the cyst envelope. Using laboratory mice as relevantT. gondiihost models, we demonstrated that BCLA/MAG2 drives the generation of antibodies that recognize bradyzoite and the enveloping cyst structure. We have designed an ELISA assay based on a bacterially produced BCLA recombinant polypeptide, which was validated using a large collection of sera from mice of different genetic backgrounds and infected with bcla+ or bcla-null cystogenic and non-cystogenicT. gondiistrains. To refine the design of the ELISA assay, we applied high-resolution BCLA epitope mapping and identified a specific combination of peptides and accordingly set up a selective and sensitive ELISA assay which allowed the detection of anti-BCLA/MAG2 antibodies in the sera of human patients with various forms of toxoplasmosis.

Conclusions

We brought proof of principle that anti-BCLA/MAG2 antibodies serve as specific and sensitive serological markers in the perspective of a combinatorial strategy for detection of persistentT. gondiiparasitism.
Identification of monocyte-associated genes as predictive biomarkers of heart failure after acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Chen Qixin , Yin Qijin , Song Junxian , Liu Chuanfen , Chen Hong , Li Sufang
Published: February 2021

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major contributor of heart failure (HF). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), mainly monocytes, are the essential initiators of AMI-induced HF. The powerful biomarkers for early identification of AMI patients at risk of HF remain elusive. We aimed to identify monocyte-related critical genes as predictive biomarkers for post-AMI HF.

Methods

We performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) on transcriptomics of PBMCs from AMI patients who developed HF or did not. Functional enrichment analysis of genes in significant modules was performed via Metascape. Then we obtained the single-cell RNA-sequencing data of recruited monocytes/macrophages from AMI and control mice using the Scanpy and screened 381 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two groups. We validated the expression changes of the 25 genes in cardiac macrophages from AMI mice based on bulk RNA-sequencing data and PBMCs data mentioned above.

Results

In our study, the results of WGCNA showed that two modules containing 827 hub genes were most significantly associated with post-AMI HF, which mainly participated in cell migration, inflammation, immunity, and apoptosis. There were 25 common genes between DEGs and hub genes, showing close relationship with inflammation and collagen metabolism. CUX1, CTSD and ADD3 exhibited consistent changes in three independent studies. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that each of the three genes had excellent performance in recognizing post-AMI HF patients.

Conclusion

Our findings provided a set of three monocyte-related biomarkers for the early prediction of HF development after AMI as well as potential therapeutic targets of post-AMI HF.
FKBP10 promotes proliferation of glioma cells via activating AKT-CREB-PCNA axis
Authors: Cai Hong-Qing , Zhang Min-Jie , Cheng Zhi-Jian , Yu Jing , Yuan Qing , Zhang Jin , Cai Yan , Yang Li-Yan , Zhang Yu , Hao Jia-Jie , Wang Ming-Rong , Wan Jing-Hai
Published: February 2021

Background

Although the availability of therapeutic options including temozolomide, radiotherapy and some target agents following neurosurgery, the prognosis of glioma patients remains poor. Thus, there is an urgent need to explore possible targets for clinical treatment of this disease.

Methods

Tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry were used to detect FKBP10, Hsp47, p-AKT (Ser473), p-CREB (Ser133) and PCNA expression in glioma tissues and xenografts. CCK-8 tests, colony formation assays and xenograft model were performed to test proliferation ability of FKBP10 in glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR, western-blotting, GST-pull down, co-immunoprecipitation and confocal-immunofluorescence staining assay were used to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the functions of overexpressed FKBP10 in glioma cells.

Results

FKBP10 was highly expressed in glioma tissues and its expression was positively correlates with grade, poor prognosis. FKBP10-knockdown suppressed glioma cell proliferation in vitro and subcutaneous/orthotopic xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Silencing of FKBP10 reduced p-AKT (Ser473), p-CREB (Ser133), PCNA mRNA and PCNA protein expression in glioma cells. FKBP10 interacting with Hsp47 enhanced the proliferation ability of glioma cells via AKT-CREB-PCNA cascade. In addition, correlation between these molecules were also found in xenograft tumor and glioma tissues.

Conclusions

We showed for the first time that FKBP10 is overexpressed in glioma and involved in proliferation of glioma cells by interacting with Hsp47 and activating AKT-CREB-PCNA signaling pathways. Our findings suggest that inhibition of FKBP10 related signaling might offer a potential therapeutic option for glioma patients.
The Malay version of SF-36 health survey instrument: testing data quality, scaling assumptions, reliability and validity in post-coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery patients at the National Heart Institute (Institut Jantung Negara—IJN), Kuala Lumpur
Authors: Musa Ahmad Farouk , Yasin Mohamed Shajahan Mohamed , Smith Julian , Yakub Mohd Azhari , Nordin Rusli Bin
Published: February 2021

Background

The Short Form 36 (SF-36) is a scoring system comprising of 36 items categorized into eight constructs corresponding to patients’ health-related quality of life.
It has been used extensively in various countries on different sub-populations and used to indicate the health status and help to ascertain the effect of clinical interventions on the particular population.

Objective

To examine the psychometric properties of the Malay version of SF-36 (Malay SF-36) summated rating scales and validate the scale among post-coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) patients at the National Heart Institute (IJN), Kuala Lumpur.

Methods

Five hundred and nine post-CABG patients at the IJN, Malaysia completed the questionnaires between 1 July and 31 December 2017. Psychometric tests endorsed by the “International Quality of Life Assessment Project” were utilised.

Results

The data quality was excellent with a high questionnaire completion rate (100%). As hypothesized, the ordering of item means within scales was clustered. In unison, scaling assumptions were satisfied. Good discriminant validity was shown between subsets of patients with various levels of health status. Notwithstanding, there were probably translation issues of the Physical Functioning scale which showed small ceiling effects. We clearly observed high ceiling and floor effects in both Role Physical and Role Emotional scale most probably attributed to the dichotomous style of their choice of responses. Cronbach alpha values of the eight scales ranged from 0.73 to 0.90, showing good internal consistency reliability. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed the 8-factor solution and Composite Reliability revealed internal consistency reliability except for Vitality and Social Functioning. Based on the Average Variance Extracted (AVE), convergent validity was adequate except for two domains. Discriminant Validity is good for the eight constructs as the √AVE are generally higher than the correlation coefficients between the latent constructs.

Conclusion

The scoring for the Malay SF-36 based on the summated ratings method was proven to be valid to be applied in our local clinical population. The CFA, fitness estimates, reliability and validity assessments suggest that the Malay version of SF36 is a valid and reliable instrument. However, further work is warranted to further refine the convergent validity and reliability of some scales.
Pooled analysis of Xpert Bladder Cancer based on the 5 mRNAs for rapid diagnosis of bladder carcinoma
Authors: Liu Ye-Ling , Wang Xue-Lin , Yang Xiao-Hui , Wu Xiao-Huan , He Guo-Xin , Xie Li-Min , Cao Xun-Jie , Guo Xu-Guang
Published: February 2021

Background

Xpert Bladder Cancer is a detection method developed in recent years, designed with the functions of integrating sample automatically, nucleic acid amplification, and target sequence detection. It is a urine assay targeting five mRNAs (CRH, IGF2, UPK1B, ANXA10, and ABL1). The purpose of this article is to review the accuracy of Xpert Bladder Cancer in the follow-up diagnosis of bladder cancer and evaluate the role of Xpert Bladder Cancer in detecting the recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the round.

Methods

In the database of Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, the articles published up to October 13, 2020, were searched and screened based on the exclusion and inclusion criteria, and data were extracted from the included studies. The sensitivity, specificity, negative likelihood ratio, positive likelihood ratio summary of receiver operating characteristic curves, and diagnostic odds ratio were combined by the Meta-DiSc 1.4 software. The Stata 12.0 software was used to obtain the assessment of publication bias.

Results

A total of 8 articles involving eight fourfold tables were finally identified. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of Xpert Bladder Cancer in the diagnosis of bladder cancer were 0.71 and 0.81, respectively. The positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 3.74 and 0.34, respectively. The area under the curve was 0.8407. The diagnostic odds ratio was 11.99. Deeks’ funnel plot asymmetry test manifested no publication bias.

Conclusions

In summary, Xpert Bladder Cancer presents high accuracy and specificity in monitoring bladder cancer compared with cystoscopy. More researches are still required to further confirm this conclusion.
Clinicopathological factors affecting the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer
Authors: Jiang Lin , Ma Zhiqiang , Ye Xin , Kang Weiming , Yu Jianchun
Published: February 2021

Background

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an important part of the comprehensive treatment of advanced gastric cancer (GC). The effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy plays a key role in the prognosis of GC patients. Pathological response can represent the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, evidence focused on pathological response and associated clinicopathological factors in GC patients is quite little. In this retrospective study, the clinicopathological factors affecting the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in GC patients were investigated, and suggestions were proposed to improve the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on GC.

Methods

Retrospective analysis was performed on GC patients who received radical surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy from February 2016 to December 2019 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Relevant clinicopathological data was collected to analyze the factors influencing the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Chi-square test was used for univariate analysis. Logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the cutoff value of variables which significantly influenced the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Results

A total of 203 GC patients were included in the study. Analyses showed that patients < 60 years old (OR = 1.840 [1.016–3.332], P = 0.044), histological type of poor differentiation or signet-ring cell carcinoma (OR = 2.606 [1.321–5.140], P = 0.006), and weight loss during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (OR = 2.110 [1.161–3.834], P = 0.014) were independent risk factors for neoadjuvant chemotherapy effect. In ROC analysis of weight change and neoadjuvant chemotherapy effect, area under the curve (AUC) was 0.593 (P = 0.024) and cutoff value of weight change was − 2.95%. Chi-square test showed that patients without weight loss during neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a higher rate of oral nutritional supplement (ONS) than patients with weight loss (P = 0.039).

Conclusions

Patients <60 years old, histological type of poor differentiation or signet-ring cell carcinoma, and weight loss during neoadjuvant chemotherapy were independent risk factors for neoadjuvant chemotherapy effect in GC patients. Patients with weight loss > 2.95% during neoadjuvant may have a worse chemotherapy effect. Timely nutritional support such as ONS to maintain patients’ body weight is crucial for improving the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Diesel exhaust particles alter the profile and function of the gut microbiota upon subchronic oral administration in mice
Authors: van den Brule Sybille , Rappe Margaux , Ambroise Jérôme , Bouzin Caroline , Dessy Chantal , Paquot Adrien , Muccioli Giulio G. , Lison Dominique
Published: February 2021

Background

Ambient air pollution by particulate matters, including diesel exhaust particles (DEP), is a major cause of cardiovascular and metabolic mortality worldwide. The mechanisms by which DEP cause these adverse outcomes are not completely understood. Because the gut microbiota controls cardiovascular and metabolic health, we hypothesized that the fraction of inhaled DEP which reach the gut after mucociliary clearance and swallowing might induce gut dysbiosis and, in turn, contribute to aggravate or induce cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Results

FemaleApoE−/−mice fed a Western diet, and wild-type (C57Bl/6) mice fed standard diet were gavaged with DEP (SRM2975) doses corresponding to mucociliary clearance from inhalation exposure (200 or 1000 ng/day, 3 times a week for 3 months; and 40, 200 or 1000 ng/day, 3 times a week for 6 months, respectively). No mortality, overt systemic or digestive toxicity was observed. A dose-dependent alteration of the gut microbiota was recorded in both strains. InApoE−/−, β-diversity was modified by DEP, but no significant modification of the relative abundance of the phyla, families or genera was identified. In C57BL/6 mice, DEP reduced α-diversity (Shannon and Simpson indices), and modified β-diversity, including a reduction of the Proteobacteria and Patescibacteria phyla, and an increase of the Campylobacterota phylum. In both mouse models, perturbation of the gut microbiota composition was associated with a dose-dependent reduction of bacterial short chain fatty acids (butyrate and propionate) in cecal content. However, DEP ingestion did not aggravate (ApoE−/−), or induce (C57BL/6 mice) atherosclerotic plaques, and no metabolic alteration (glucose tolerance, resistance to insulin, or lipidemia) was recorded.

Conclusions

We show here that oral exposure to DEP, at doses relevant for human health, changes the composition and function of the gut microbiota. These modifications were, however, not translated into ultimate atherosclerotic or metabolic outcomes.
Gastric mucosal pathology in Belgian Shepherd dogs with and without clinical signs of gastric disease
Authors: Cândido Marcus Vinicius , Syrjä Pernillä , Hanifeh Mohsen , Lepajõe Jaan , Salla Kati , Kilpinen Susanne , Noble Peter-John Mäntylä , Spillmann Thomas
Published: February 2021

Background

Gastric carcinoma (GC) is uncommon in dogs, except in predisposed breeds such as Belgian Shepherd dogs (BSD) of the Tervuren and Groenendael varieties. When GC is diagnosed in dogs it is often late in the disease, resulting in a poorer prognosis. The aim of this prospective clinical study was to investigate possible associations of gastric mucosal pathologies with clinical signs, laboratory test results and GC in BSD. An online survey gathered epidemiological data to generate potential risk factors for vomiting as the predominant gastric clinical sign, and supported patient recruitment for endoscopy. Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index (CCECAI) score and signs of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) were used to allocate BSD older than five years to either Group A, with signs of gastric disease, or Group B, without signs. Findings in the clinical history, laboratory tests and gastric histopathology of endoscopic biopsies were statistically analysed in search of associations.

Results

The online survey included 232 responses. Logistic regression analysis recognized an association of vomiting with gagging, poor appetite and change in attitude. Recruitment for endoscopy included 16 BSD in Group A (mean age 9.1 ± 1.8 years, mean CCECAI = 3.1 ± 2.2 and signs of GER); and 11 in Group B (mean age 9.8 ± 1.4 years, CCECAI = 0, no signs of GER). Seven (25.9%) of the 27 BSD (Group A 4/16, Group B 3/11) had leukopenia. Serum C-reactive protein tended to be increased with more advanced GC (P = 0.063). Frequency of GC, mucosal atrophy, mucous metaplasia, or glandular dysplasia did not differ between groups. GC was frequently diagnosed (6/27), even without clinical signs (2/11). The odds ratio for vomiting (OR = 9.9; P = 0.016) was increased only when glandular dysplasia was present. GC was associated with mucous metaplasia (P = 0.024) and glandular dysplasia (P = 0.006), but not with mucosal atrophy (P = 1).

Conclusions

GC can develop as an occult disease, associated with metaplasia and dysplasia of the gastric mucosa. Suggestive clinical signs, notably vomiting, should warrant timely endoscopy in BSD. Extensive endoscopic screening of asymptomatic dogs remains, however, unrealistic. Therefore, biomarkers of mucosal pathology preceding clinical illness are needed to support an indication for endoscopy and enable early diagnosis of GC.
HOXA10 mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition to promote gastric cancer metastasis partly via modulation of TGFB2/Smad/METTL3 signaling axis
Authors: Song Chenlong , Zhou Chongzhi
Published: February 2021

Background

Homeobox A10 (HOXA10) belongs to the HOX gene family, which plays an essential role in embryonic development and tumor progression. We previously demonstrated that HOXA10 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer (GC) and promoted GC cell proliferation. This study was designed to investigate the role of HOXA10 in GC metastasis and explore the underlying mechanism.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to evaluate the expression of HOXA10 in GC. In vitro cell migration and invasion assays as well as in vivo mice metastatic models were utilized to investigate the effects of HOXA10 on GC metastasis. GSEA, western blot, qRT-PCR and confocal immunofluorescence experiments preliminarily analyzed the relationship between HOXA10 and EMT. ChIP-qPCR, dual-luciferase reporter (DLR), co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP), colorimetric m6A assay and mice lung metastasis rescue models were performed to explore the mechanism by which HOXA10 accelerated the EMT process in GC.

Results

In this study, we demonstrated HOXA10 was upregulated in GC patients and the difference was even more pronounced in patients with lymph node metastasis (LNM) than without. Functionally, HOXA10 promoted migration and invasion of GC cells in vitro and accelerated lung metastasis in vivo. EMT was an important mechanism responsible for HOXA10-involved metastasis. Mechanistically, we revealed HOXA10 enriched in the TGFB2 promoter region, promoted transcription, increased secretion, thus triggered the activation of TGFβ/Smad signaling with subsequent enhancement of Smad2/3 nuclear expression. Moreover, HOXA10 upregulation elevated m6A level and METTL3 expression in GC cells possible by regulating the TGFB2/Smad pathway. CoIP and ChIP-qPCR experiments demonstrated that Smad proteins played an important role in mediating METTL3 expression. Furthermore, we found HOXA10 and METTL3 were clinically relevant, and METTL3 was responsible for the HOXA10-mediated EMT process by performing rescue experiments with western blot and in vivo mice lung metastatic models.

Conclusions

Our findings indicated the essential role of the HOXA10/TGFB2/Smad/METTL3 signaling axis in GC progression and metastasis.
Prospective pathway signaling and prognostic values of MicroRNA-9 in ovarian cancer based on gene expression omnibus (GEO): a bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Zuo Li , Li Xiaoli , Tan Yue , Zhu Hailong , Xiao Mi
Published: February 2021

Objective

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in the development of ovarian cancer (OC). The aim of this study to investigate the prognostic value and potential signaling pathways of hsa-miR-9-5p (miR-9) in OC through literature review and bioinformatics methods.

Methods

The expression of miR-9 in OC was assessed using the public datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. And a literature review was also performed to investigate the correlation between miR-9 expression and the OC prognosis. Two mRNA datasets (GSE18520 and GSE36668) of OC tissues and normal ovarian tissues (NOTs) were downloaded from GEO to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The target genes of hsa-miR-9-5p (TG-miR-9-5p) were predicted using miRWALK3.0 and TargetScan. Then the gene overlaps between DEGs in OC and the predicted TG-miR-9-5p were confirmed using a Venn diagram. After that, overlapping genes were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Finally, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using STRING and Cytoscape, and the impact of hub genes on OC prognosis was analyzed.

Results

It was found that OC patients with miR-9 low expression had poor prognosis. A total of 107 DEGs related to both OC and miR-9 were identified. Dozens of DEGs were enriched in developmental process, extracellular matrix structural constituent, cell junction, axon guidance. In the PPI network analysis, 5 of the top 10 hub genes was significantly associated with decreased overall survival of OC patients, namely FBN1 (HR = 1.64, P < 0.05), PRRX1 (HR = 1.76, P < 0.05), SMC2 (HR = 1.22, P < 0.05), SMC4 (HR = 1.31, P < 0.05), and VCAN (HR = 1.48, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Low expression of miR-9 indicates poor prognosis of OC patients. MiR-9 plays a crucial role in the biological process of OC by binding to target genes, thus affecting the prognosis of patients.
Epigenetic regulation of retinal development
Authors: Raeisossadati Reza , Ferrari Merari F. R. , Kihara Alexandre Hiroaki , AlDiri Issam , Gross Jeffrey M.
Published: February 2021

In the developing vertebrate retina, retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) proliferate and give rise to terminally differentiated neurons with exquisite spatio-temporal precision. Lineage commitment, fate determination and terminal differentiation are controlled by intricate crosstalk between the genome and epigenome. Indeed, epigenetic regulation plays pivotal roles in numerous cell fate specification and differentiation events in the retina. Moreover, aberrant chromatin structure can contribute to developmental disorders and retinal pathologies. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of epigenetic regulation in the retina. We also provide insight into several aspects of epigenetic-related regulation that should be investigated in future studies of retinal development and disease. Importantly, focusing on these mechanisms could contribute to the development of novel treatment strategies targeting a variety of retinal disorders.
Clinical judgement in chest pain: a case report
Authors: Goel Mishita , Dhillon Shubhkarman , Kumar Sarwan , Tegeltija Vesna
Published: February 2021

Background

Cardiac stress testing is a validated diagnostic tool to assess symptomatic patients with intermediate pretest probability of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, in some cases, the cardiac stress test may provide inconclusive results and the decision for further workup typically depends on the clinical judgement of the physician. These decisions can greatly affect patient outcomes.

Case presentation

We present an interesting case of a 54-year-old Caucasian male with history of tobacco use and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who presented with atypical chest pain. He had an asymptomatic electrocardiogram (EKG) stress test with intermediate probability of ischemia. Further workup with coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and cardiac catheterization revealed multivessel CAD requiring a bypass surgery. In this case, the patient only had a history of tobacco use but no other significant comorbidities. He was clinically stable during his hospital stay and his testing was anticipated to be negative. However to complete workup, cardiology recommended anatomical testing with CCTA given the indeterminate EKG stress test results but the results of significant stenosis were surprising with the patient eventually requiring coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Conclusion

As a result of the availability of multiple noninvasive diagnostic tests with almost similar sensitivities for CAD, physicians often face this dilemma of choosing the right test for optimal evaluation of chest pain in patients with intermediate pretest probability of CAD. Optimal test selection requires an individualized patient approach. Our experience with this case emphasizes the role of history taking, clinical judgement, and the risk/benefit ratio in deciding further workup when faced with inconclusive stress test results. Physicians should have a lower threshold for further workup of patients with inconclusive or even negative stress test results because of the diagnostic limitations of the test. Instead, utilizing a different, anatomical test may be more valuable. Specifically, the case established the usefulness of CCTA in cases such as this where other CAD diagnostic testing is indeterminate.
Technology acceptance of four digital learning technologies (classroom response system, classroom chat, e-lectures, and mobile virtual reality) after three months’ usage
Authors: Sprenger David A. , Schwaninger Adrian
Published: February 2021

Digital technologies have gained much popularity in education thanks to the cost efficiency they gain through scalability. While the acceptance of some of these new digital technologies has been investigated, there are few direct comparisons. The most established model for measuring acceptance is the technology acceptance model, which can predict the behavioral intention to use the technology. We compared four digital learning technologies (e-lectures, classroom response system, classroom chat, and mobile virtual reality) in terms of their technology acceptance. The classroom response system had the highest level of acceptance. It was closely followed by e-lectures, then the classroom chat and then mobile virtual reality. The students evaluated all tools favorably before and after usage, except for mobile virtual reality, which saw a substantial drop in perceived usefulness and behavioral intention after 3 months’ usage.
α-Linolenic acid induces clearance of Tau seeds via Actin-remodeling in Microglia
Authors: Desale Smita Eknath , Chinnathambi Subashchandrabose
Published: February 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is known by characteristic features, extracellular burden of amyloid-β and intracellular neuronal Tau. Microglia, the innate immune cell of the brain has the ability to clear the burden of accumulated proteinsviaphagocytosis. But the excessive proinflammatory cytokine production, altered cellular signaling and actin remodeling hampers the process of migration and phagocytosis by microglia. Actin remodeling is necessary to initiate the chemotactic migration of microglia towards the target and engulf it. The formation of lamellipodia, filopodia, membrane ruffling and rapid turnover of F-actin is necessary to sense the extracellular target by the cells. Omega-3 fatty acids, are known to impose anti-inflammatory phenotype of microglia by enhancing its ability for migration and phagocytosis. But the role of omega-3 fatty acids in cellular actin remodeling, which is the basis of cellular functions such as migration and phagocytosis, is not well understood. Here, we have focused on the effect of dietary supplement of α-linolenic acid (ALA) on extracellular Tau internalization and assisted actin polymerization for the process. ALA is found to induce membrane ruffling and phagocytic cup formation along with cytoskeletal rearrangement. ALA also enhances the localization of Arp2/3 complex at the leading edge and its colocalization with F-actin to induce the actin polymerization. The excessive actin polymerization might help the cell to protrude forward and perform its migration. The results suggest that dietary supplement of ALA could play a neuroprotective role and slow down the AD pathology.
Incriminating Empire
Authors: Mole Gregory
Published: February 2021

This article explores the political fallout from the 1766 execution of the comte de Lally, who oversaw the failed defense of France's Indian colonies during the Seven Years' War. Accused of treason by administrators of the French East India Company, Lally emerged as a source of controversy in the final decades of the Old Regime. As critics and apologists clashed over the legality of Lally's execution, questions about the nature of his “crime” gave way to a broader debate over the meaning and limits of company sovereignty under France's absolutist state. This conflict remained unresolved into the French Revolution. The Lally affair provides a window into the nebulous relationship that developed between the crown, the company, and the emergent French nation, laying bare the many faces of empire that confronted France during the eighteenth century.

Cet article explore les retombées politiques de l'exécution du comte de Lally, l'homme qui commandait les colonies des Indes orientales françaises durant la guerre de Sept Ans. Accusé de trahison par la Compagnie des Indes, Lally représentait une source de controverse à la fin de l'Ancien Régime. Tandis que les critiques et les apologistes contestaient la légalité de son exécution, la question de la culpabilité de Lally incita un débat plus général sur la nature de la souveraineté de la Compagnie sous l'Etat absolutiste. Ce débat restait non résolu durant la Révolution française. L'affaire Lally souligne les liens nébuleux parmi la Compagnie, la monarchie, et la nation française. Elle révèle également les multiples incarnations de l'Empire français au cours du dix-huitième siècle.
Buddhist Epigraphy and Traditions of Writing in the Northern Dynasties
Authors: Davis Jordan
Published: February 2021

Over the past several decades, hundreds of donor inscriptions (zaoxiangji 造像記) and works of Buddhist epigraphy have been discovered, making them an abundant historical source on medieval China. To date, research related to these artifacts has mainly concentrated on the religious and political function of these inscriptions. This article, considering the literary and cultural aspects of these pieces, investigates how Buddhist epigraphy can be used to trace the development of traditions of writing during the Northern Dynasties period. It starts by analyzing a seldom-researched inscription, “Dangchanggong Huifusi bei” 宕昌公暉福寺碑 (The Duke of Dangchang's Huifu Temple Stele), and then examines its historical and cultural context. The article continues with an investigation into the common trends found in Northern Dynasties epigraphy by comparing “Dangchanggong Huifusi bei” with other pieces of extant Buddhist inscriptions. The analysis explores the literary characteristics of these works, the political and social background of their creation, and the culture associated with such inscriptions.
Performance of an artificial intelligence system for bone age assessment in Tibet
Authors: Wang Fengdan , Cidan Wangjiu , Gu Xiao , Chen Shi , Yin Wu , Liu Yongliang , Shi Lei , Pan Hui , Jin Zhengyu
Published: February 2021

Objective:

To investigate whether bone age (BA) of children living in Tibet Highland could be accurately assessed using a fully automated artificial intelligence (AI) system.

Methods：

Left hand radiographs of 385 children (300 Tibetan and 85 immigrant Han) aged 4–18 years who presented to the largest medical center of Tibet between September 2013 and November 2019 were consecutively collected. From these radiographs, BA was determined using the Greulich and Pyle (GP) method by experts in a consensus manner; furthermore, BA was estimated by a previously reported artificial intelligence (AI) BA system based on Han children from southern China. The performance of the AI system was compared with that of experts by using statistical analysis.

Results:

Compared with the experts’ results, the accuracy of the AI system for Tibetan and Han children within 1 year was 84.67 and 89.41%, respectively, and its mean absolute difference (MAD) was 0.65 and 0.56 years, respectively. The discrepancy in hand-wrist bone maturation was the main cause of low accuracy of the system in the 4- to 6-year-old group.

Conclusion:

The AI BA system developed for Han Chinese children living in flat regions could enable to assess BA accurately in Tibet where medical resources are limited.

Advances in knowledge:

AI-based BA system may serve as an effective and efficient solution to assess BA in Tibet.
Human erythrocyte surface fucose expression increases with age and hyperglycemia
Authors: Cao Huan , Bagchi Ananyo , Tampakis Dimitrios , Laidvee Irina , Williams Maria , Minter Beverley , Wright Sonja , Antonopoulos Aristotelis , Haslam Stuart M. , Barker Robert N. , Vickers Mark A.
Published: February 2021

Background: Reactive oxygen species and other free radicals, together with glucose and its metabolites are believed to play important roles in the aging process. The carbohydrate components of glycosylated proteins are important in mediating cell-cell interactions and a role has been suggested for them in the aging process. Erythrocytes are critical cells in the human body, heavily glycosylated and relatively easily available and so are good candidates to yield insights into how patterns of glycosylation change with age and disease. It has been claimed, based on a periodic acid Schiff assay, that human aging is associated with a decline of erythrocyte surface sialic acids. Plant lectins allow for more specific assays for glycans, including determining the linkage of sialic acids and analysis of single cells by flow cytometry.

Methods: Plant lectins, including Maackia amurensis lectin II (MAL), binding to α-2,3 linked sialic acids and Sambucus nigra (SNA), α-2,6 sialic acids, were used in flow cytometry and western blot of erythrocyte surface membrane. N-glycomics mass spectrometry determines glycan structures. Donors varying in age and hyperglycemia, as indicated by HbA1c were analysed.

Results: Erythrocyte surface sialic acids have no significant associations with donor age. A combination of storage and cellular aging produces a specific loss of α-2,6 sialic acids. By contrast, erythrocyte surface terminal fucoses increase significantly with donor age. In order to determine which aspects of aging are important in determining this change, we investigated whether this novel human aging biomarker is associated with higher plasma glucose values, assessed by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Fucose levels were associated with HbA1c levels, but not ROS generation.

Conclusion: Our study identifies novel glycan-based biomarkers for human aging and disease. The simplicity of lectin-based assays provide an attractive cellular tool to study aging and disease processes.
Distributed Application Checkpointing for Replicated State Machines
Authors: Çelikel Özdinç , Ovatman Tolga
Published: February 2021

Application checkpointing is a widely used recovery mechanism that consists of saving an application's state periodically to be used in case of a failure. In this study we investigate the utilisation of distributed checkpointing for replicated state machines. Conventionally, for replicated state machines, checkpointing information is stored in a replicated way in each of the replicas or separately in a single instance. Applying distributed checkpointing provides a means to adjust the level of fault tolerance of the checkpointing approach by giving away from recovery time. We use a local cluster and cloud environment to examine the effects of distributed checkpointing in a simple state machine example and compare the results with conventional approaches. As expected, distributed checkpointing gains from memory consumption and utilise different levels of fault tolerance while performing worse in terms of recovery time.
Improved Localized Sleep Scheduling Techniques to Prolong WSN Lifetime
Authors: Tarasia Nachiketa , Swain Amulya Ratna , Roy Soham , Kar Udit Narayana
Published: February 2021

A standard Wireless Sensor Networks(WSNs) comprises of low-cost sensor nodes embedded with small batteries. To enhance the network lifetime of WSN, the number of active nodes among the deployed nodes should be minimum. Along with this, it must be ensured that coverage of the targeted area would not get affected by the currently active nodes. Considering different applications of WSN, there is still a demand for full coverage or partial coverage of the deployed area. Irrespective of the circumstances, a proper sleep scheduling algorithm needs to be followed. Else, the active nodes will be tuckered out of the battery. Random distribution of the sensor nodes in a common area may have multiple active nodes. It is essential to identify the redundant number of active nodes and put them into sleep to conserve energy. This paper has proposed a methodology where the active sensor nodes form a hierarchical structure that heals itself by following a level-wise approach. In the meantime, it also detects the total number of redundant nodes in the coverage area. The performance of the proposed protocol is evaluated using the Castalia simulator. The simulation results show that the proposed level-wise periodic tree construction approach increases the network's durability in conjunction with the level wise approach.
An Objective Structured Clinical Exam As a Tool for Assessing the Communicative Skills of Residents in Simulated Conditions
Authors: Vasil'eva E. , Tomilova M.
Published: February 2021

The relevance of the research problem is due to the need to update theoretical views and practical actions to create new methods for an objective and structured assessment of the communication skills of students at a medical university.

The purpose of the article is to prove the suitability, reliability, feasibility of an objective structured clinical examination (OSKE) as a tool for assessing the communication skills of residents in simulated conditions during the intermediate certification of students.

The leading research method was an experiment on the development and implementation of three stations within the framework of the OSKE to assess the communication skills of 77 residents who completed the training course in the discipline "Communication skills" necessary information and resistance to doctor's recommendations.

The article shows that experts highly assess the level of formation of general communication skills and skills of explaining information to the patient among the majority of examinees. It was revealed that communication skills associated with persuading the patient to follow the doctor's recommendations require improvement. Based on the methods of oral questioning and questioning, as well as psychometric analysis of the exam results, it has been proven that the developed OSKE is a reliable and valid tool for assessing the communication skills of residents in simulated conditions.

The materials presented in the article can be used for intermediate and final certification of students in residency, as well as in the process of teaching future doctors the skills of communicating with patients at clinical departments. The technology of the exam, developed by the authors, will make it possible to fairly objectively assess communication skills, to cause the examinees to experience a sense of fairness in assessment, which is one of the factors in the emergence of a positive attitude towards improving the activity of professional communication.
Updating of the Content of Bachelor's Degree Students’ Education in Socio-Cultural Activities Based on Indicators of Socio-Cultural Inequality in the Inclusive Culture of Russian Society
Authors: Lazareva L.
Published: February 2021

The necessity of updating of the content of education for a bachelor's degree in socio-cultural activities, taking into account the requirements of the federal state educational standard of higher education in the direction of preparation 51.03.03 "Socio-cultural activity" is substantiated. The concepts of the quality of life, cultural inclusion and indicators of socio-cultural inequality of people with disabilities included in the socially unprotected group of the population are considered. The article analyzes the statistical data presented by the Federal State Statistics Service concerning the costs of leisure services and the needs of people with disabilities in comparison with the healthy working-age population. The necessity of updating the content of professional training of bachelors of socio-cultural activity on the basis of identifying the needs of people with disabilities in various forms of cultural and leisure activities is proved. The question is raised about the relevance of further research of indicators of socio-cultural inequality in the cultural inclusion of people belonging to a socially vulnerable group of the population.
Analysis of the efficacy and safety of electroconvulsive therapy in elderly patients: a retrospective study in the Polish population
Authors: Antosik-Wójcińska Anna , Dominiak Monika , Goetz Zuzanna , Gędek Adam , Braniecka Anna , Święcicki Łukasz , Mierzejewski Paweł
Published: February 2021

Cel pracy

Celem badania była ocena skuteczności i bezpieczeństwa leczenia elektrowstrząsowego w populacji pacjentów ≥ 65 lat

Metoda

Omawiane badanie miało charakter naturalistyczny, retrospektywny. Do badania włączono 65 pacjentów, kobiety i mężczyzn hospitalizowanych w oddziałach Instytutu Psychiatrii i Neurologii i poddawanych terapii EW. Analizowano przebieg 615 zabiegów przeprowadzonych w latach 2015-2019. Skuteczność EW oceniano z wykorzystaniem skali CGI-S. Bezpieczeństwo oceniano analizując działania niepożądane terapii, uwzględniając obciążenia somatyczne grupy badanych.

Wyniki

Aż 94 % pacjentów wyjściowo spełniało kryteria lekooporności. W badanej grupie nie odnotowano poważnych powikłań takich jak zgon, stan zagrożenia życia, konieczność hospitalizacji na innym oddziale czy trwały uszczerbek na zdrowiu. Łącznie w całej grupie działania niepożądane odnotowano u 47,7% starszych pacjentów, w większości przypadków (88%) miały one niewielkie nasilenie i ustępowały bez stosowania żadnego specyficznego postępowania. Najczęściej obserwowanym działaniem niepożądanym EW były wzrosty ciśnienia tętniczego (55,4%). Czterech pacjentów nie ukończyło terapii EW z powodu działań niepożądanych. U większości badanych (86,2%) wykonano co najmniej 8 zabiegów w serii. Zabiegi EW okazały się być skuteczną metodą leczenia w populacji pacjentów po 65 roku życia - reakcję na leczenie stwierdzono u 76,92% chorych, a remisję u 49, 23% leczonych osób. Wyjściowe nasilenie choroby w skali CGI-S wyniosło średnio 5,54, po leczeniu EW 2,67.

Wnioski

Tolerancja zabiegów jest po 65 r.ż gorsza niż u młodszych pacjentów, większość działań niepożądanych jest związana z wyjściowymi obciążeniami somatycznymi, głównie dotyczącymi układu sercowo-naczyniowego. Nie zmienia to faktu, że terapia EW jest w tej populacji wysoce skuteczna i może stanowić bardzo dobrą alternatywę dla często nieskutecznej lub powodującej uboczne działania farmakoterapii.
Improved Computational Approaches and Heuristics for Zero Forcing
Authors: Brimkov Boris , Mikesell Derek , Hicks Illya V.
Published: February 2021

Zero forcing is a graph coloring process based on the following color change rule: all vertices of a graph [Formula: see text] are initially colored either blue or white; in each timestep, a white vertex turns blue if it is the only white neighbor of some blue vertex. A zero forcing set of [Formula: see text] is a set of blue vertices such that all vertices eventually become blue after iteratively applying the color change rule. The zero forcing number [Formula: see text] is the cardinality of a minimum zero forcing set. In this paper, we propose novel exact algorithms for computing [Formula: see text] based on formulating the zero forcing problem as a two-stage Boolean satisfiability problem. We also propose several heuristics for zero forcing based on iteratively adding blue vertices which color a large part of the remaining white vertices. These heuristics are used to speed up the exact algorithms and can also be of independent interest in approximating [Formula: see text]. Computational results on various types of graphs show that, in many cases, our algorithms offer a significant improvement on the state-of-the-art algorithms for zero forcing.

Summary of Contribution: This paper proposes novel algorithms and heuristics for an NP-hard graph coloring problem that has numerous applications. Our exact methods combine Boolean satisfiability modeling with a constraint generation framework commonly used in operations research. The paper also includes an analysis of the facets of the polytope associated with this problem and decomposition techniques which can reduce the size of the problem. Our computational approaches are implemented and tested on a wide variety of graphs and are compared with the state-of-the-art algorithms from the literature. We show that our proposed algorithms based on Boolean satisfiability, in conjunction with the heuristics and order-reduction techniques, yield a significant speedup in some cases.